Goodnight, Maille

For the first time in 29 years, I am officially pet-less.

I've had a pet of one kind or another, and often more than one, continually since we were married.

We're still feeding two semi-feral cats, but if they truly belonged to anyone it was to Maille, aka The Wag of Mass Destruction. She was the dog who worried when I had a sick ferret. She separated the cats when they started fighting. She got calls to "go outside and play" with the neighbor kids. She was my 50-lb wanna-be lapdog, my pound puppy - the dog that chose me when I wasn't looking for a dog. How she knew that I needed her, I can only credit to God.

I don't know exactly how old she was when we adopted her from Animal Control. We had almost 9 good years with her, watching her muzzle turn greyer every year, the arthritis slowing down her walk but never her Wag.

The house feels lonely now. The cats outside miss her, too.

It's a Boy!

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ, the Lord."
- Luke 2:11



Merry CHRISTmas!

Ride!

There may be something good about having a "mid-life crisis" after all.


I know I'm having fun!

I did it

I passed the MSF BRC this weekend.

Thank You

Tell a Veteran "Thank You!" now. There will come a time (if it hasn't already) when you'll wish the soldiers you remember on Memorial Day were still around to hear your thanks.

Back...... sort of.

Too long since my last post.... 8 to 5 work days are finally starting to feel "normal" to me again. I only made it to work 4 days in September. My State Guard unit spent the month in East Texas assisting with Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

Lots of memories from the deployment; many good, and many that I'm still trying to sort out.

And it's been interesting trying to get back into a regular work routine. I'll give that as my "excuse" for not posting.

Who is Sarah Palin?

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin on the Issues

The more I read, the more optimistic I am about our Nation's chances these next four years.

The fact that a McCain-Palin ticket has one-upped the Dems is a bonus.

Horizon City man to face arson charge in church fire

EL PASO -- A 29-year-old man has been arrested and accused of setting the fire that burned the Horizon Bible Church last month, Horizon City police said Friday.

Salazar, of the 1500 block of Oppossum Circle, also faces a charge of burglary of habitation, a jail log stated. He remained jailed Friday night; his bonds were set at $22,500.

I gotta wonder.... the suspect is accused of causing at least $100K damage to the church, and has additional charges against him, and his bail is set at only $22500?

My biggest prayer is that this really is the culprit. If he's not, there's someone out there still laughing.

Thanks to the FBI, at least we know now that it wasn't a hate crime.

(I was under the mistaken impression that most crimes of this nature were caused by hatred of something.... )

Warehouse set to process convention arrests

Individuals arrested at the Democratic National Convention will be processed at an industrial warehouse with chain-link cells topped by razor wire, a facility some have compared to the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay.

It says something* about a political party when they expect so many disruptions from convention attendees, that they feel they need a warehouse to process them all....

Entire article at the link.

*and that something is most definitely not flattering...

This is a test...

Today's Mallard Fillmore:

The Bard Speaks on Obama

I don't care who you are, this is art.

Gun goes off in courthouse

Here's a case where a bit more gun control (i.e. better control of one's grip on the gun) might have been a good idea.

EL PASO -- Two federal law enforcement officers suffered minor gunshot wounds Monday inside El Paso's federal courthouse when one of their weapons fired accidentally, the U.S. Marshals Service said.

In spite of how the article starts, it's actually a fairly even piece. It mentions that there was no panic at the courthouse; it was business as usual. Neither of the two LEOs were seriously injured, and both were released after being treated at a local hospital.

A later article stated that the accident happened when the deputy US Marshall removed his firearm from a locker and attempted to reholster it.

It was also noted that the deputy "will be held responsible for firing the handgun." This is a refreshing difference from "gee, we dunno what made it go off. He just picked it up and it went boom!"

And...

Although Payan couldn't comment on the type of gun the deputy fired, he said deputies are typically issued Glock 40-caliber handguns. The handguns have the safety on the trigger, according to the Arms Site, a Web site about firearms.

Heh. While I don't care for them personally (they don't fit my hand properly), Glocks are good, reliable firearms. Especially as long as one remembers to rely not only on the trigger safety, but also on the Master Safety between one's ears.

Here's hoping to a complete and rapid recovery from a somewhat embarrassing accident. For both LEOs.

This is good

The local fish-wrapper has a front-page online poll today:

How would you feel if El Paso had more gun permits?
Results out of 2412 responses:
More safe - 1300 votes, 53.89%
Less safe - 901 votes, 37.35%
Not sure - 211 votes, 8.747%

House Republicans are not adjourning

House Republicans go back on the floor Monday to talk gas prices

Continuing with their guerilla tactics from last week, House Republicans will be back on the floor Monday to talk gas prices, even though Congress is in recess, and they may stay there all week.

More than a dozen Republicans have already committed to make appearances, according to House GOP leadership aide, including National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (Okla.).

The session will not be televised, since C-Span does not control the cameras inside the House chamber. Rather, those come under the purview of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the Democrats, and they're unlikely to do anything to help Republicans....

... or the Americans who elected them.

Link and story courtesy of The Crypt.

They Missed Out on a Visit from the Rock Star

And he wants to be the Commander in Chief....

Lawn Darts is a newcomer to the world of online comics, written by someone who's been there and drawn by someone who understands.

I have stories I would like to tell. Not so much really for the audience base, or such as that. More so for me. I want to tell them, so they aren’t forgotten, even if I’m the only one who really remembers. Some of these are stories of people I’m never going to see again. But they made a difference, they made me laugh, and they deserve to be remembered. - Justin

Worth following.

Midnight, last night

It's a scary thing to be suddenly awakened from a sound sleep by the smell of smoke. Realizing that the faint haze in the moonlit room isn't a lack of focus from bleary eyes, but is very real.

Wood fires and trash fires smell a bit like that.... so do structure fires. I woke the husband and we checked our home thoroughly - even though by then it was obvious the haze and stench were coming from somewhere outside.

We went outside and checked the immediate neighbors' homes. No sign of flames. Our roof was clear as well. But the haze covered the entire neighborhood. And then, the sound of sirens.... passing within a block of our home, and stopping almost immediately.

The chapel a few blocks over was on fire. It was brought under control fairly quickly, and didn't spread to any surrounding structures. Even so, damage was pretty extensive, and arson is strongly suspected. I drove past on the way home after work, and the entire area is still taped off as the investigation continues... it will take a while to clean up and rebuild, if the congregation chooses to do so.

It took us a while to get back to sleep. Some years ago, our own church building across town was hit by an arsonist. We've lived through this, and the adrenaline reaction to this fire took a while to subside. I used last night as an excuse to add a couple more smoke detectors and a 2nd fire extinguisher to our own home.

The most important thing is, no one was hurt or killed. God is good.

The Church is not a building.... it is the hearts and dedication of the people. I hope they understand that, and choose to rebuild.

California 'dodges bullet' as 5.4 earthquake rocks region

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — A 5.4 magnitude earthquake shook Southern California on Tuesday, spooking millions from Los Angeles to San Diego in a juddering reminder of the region's vulnerability to seismic shocks.

No major injuries or damage were reported following the quake, which struck at 11:42 am (1842 GMT) near the town of Chino Hills, 33 miles (50 kilometers) east of Los Angeles at a depth of 7.6 miles (12 kilometers), the US Geological Survey said.

....

Henry Renteria, the director of California's Office of Emergency Services, said he expected to receive reports of minor damage as the day progressed.

"But luckily, I think we dodged a bullet here, and have not seen any major issues with this event," Renteria told reporters.


While I am VERY glad that damage seems to be minimal for a quake of this magnitude (I do have family in that area), I still find it funny that Renteria chose that particular metaphor. After all, this happened in California.

"Help! even Mother Nature's shooting at us!"

(Actually, though... maybe she's just shooting back?)

Federal Judge Upholds Florida’s NRA-Backed “Guns at Work” Law

Fairfax, VA—A federal judge handed down a decisive victory for gun owners in Florida yesterday. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle ruled that state law allowing employees with Right-to-Carry permits to keep a firearm in their private vehicles while at work is constitutional.

Just passing on the good news. Entire article available at the link above.

(Psst... hey, Texas! are you paying attention?)

Hey, Cat

Cat, if you see this, please contact the Sheriff's department.... if for nothing else so they can let your family and friends know you're OK.

We love you, we're worried about you, and we're praying for you.

Or if you don't want to contact the sheriff, then email me. Or someone. Let us know you're all right.

Please.

Bush lifts executive ban

...on offshore drilling.


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush lifted an executive order banning offshore oil drilling on Monday and urged Congress to follow suit.

Citing the high prices Americans are paying at the pump, Bush said from the White House Rose Garden that allowing offshore oil drilling is "one of the most important steps we can take" to reduce that burden.

However, the move is largely symbolic as there is also a federal law banning offshore drilling.

"This means that the only thing standing between the American people and these vast oil reserves is action from the U.S. Congress," Bush said.

Link to complete article on CNN above.

h/t to SYLG.

Juárez says crime sites are not for children

The Juárez police department is asking residents to stop taking children to view the murder scenes that have become a daily occurrence in the troubled city.

Whiskey. Tango. Hotel. In A Handbasket.

The new "entertainment" in Cd. Juarez... some folks are touring the murder scenes. With their kids.

Lord have mercy.

(complete story at the link above.)

Guns may be allowed at Texas colleges

Texans might soon be able to pack heat on college campuses.

That is just one of several proposals that could reach lawmakers next year as they — and legislators nationwide — explore broadening some gun laws.

“It addresses personal protection,” said state Rep. Joe Driver, R-Garland, who heads the House committee that considers gun bills. “People who do things [like the Virginia Tech shooting] basically know they are walking into a gun-free zone.

“They are cowards ... facing people not allowed to fight back.”

It's a decent article, although not completely factual... for example, this line: Texas law now prohibits guns in places such as government buildings and lets private businesses ban weapons on their property.

Yes, private business can post 30.06 and legally bar the carrying of concealed weapons on their property - if they post exactly as prescribed by law. No problems there... private property rights should be respected. However, such postings are not enforceable at State government offices, unless it's along the lines of a court; one may also not carry on the premises of a school, and there are a few other restrictions. Federal government is a bit different, and has its own guidelines. The article did not differentiate between the two. It said "government buildings" and leaves the reader with the mistaken impression that they're all off-limits.

A professor recently testified on the issue before a legislative committee, saying he is responsible for making sure students get out of the building safely if there’s a fire, tornado or other dangerous situation.

“But he said he’s tasked — if somebody starts shooting students — with hiding under his desk,” Driver said.

Utah is the only state so far to allow weapons at all public universities.

And so far, it looks like Utah has had neither a) gunfights in the dorms, cafeterias or classrooms, nor b) problems with someone coming on campus with the intent of committing suicide-by-cop, and taking others with them.

Pay attention, America. (and you, too, Texas! I'd like to be able to go on campus for various open-to-the-public activities without having to disarm... especially this close to the border.)

Entire article at the link above.

Washington state sued over parolee's crimes

OLYMPIA -- Washington state is being sued over a rape and murder committed by Michael John Braae, 48, a former country singer known as "Cowboy Mike," while he was on parole.

In a case seeking unspecified damages, survivors of Lori Jones, 44, of Lacey accused the state Corrections Department of disregarding a judge's order to tighten supervision of Braae a year before she was killed.

Entire article available at the link above.

Rape, murder, aggravated assault, eluding an officer... Braae was charged, tried, found guilty, and then placed on parole after serving several years.

The paroling judge, Christine Pomeroy, ordered "community supervision" - but the state Corrections Department instead placed him on the lowest level of supervision, that did NOT require visits with probation officers, disregarding the judge's order.

And now Lori Jones is dead.

I wish her family Godspeed in this lawsuit.

If they won't give up, why should we?

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - When Capt. Ivan Castro joined the Army, he set goals: to jump out of planes, kick in doors and lead soldiers into combat. He achieved them all. Then the mortar round landed five feet away, blasting away his sight.

"Once you're blind, you have to set new goals," Castro said.

He set them higher.

Not content with just staying in the Army, he is the only blind officer serving in the Special Forces — the small, elite units famed for dropping behind enemy lines on combat missions.

I think Capt. Castro's story is a good one for this Independence Day weekend. Full story at the link above.

h/t to blonde sagacity.

Laughter in God's House

Our little family church was celebrating the 60th wedding anniversary of one of our couples this past Sunday. At their request, we sang a number of old hymns mixed in with modern worship songs and choruses, and what we didn't have music for we sang a capella. (M & A are an absolutely wonderful couple...we are so blessed to know them.)

Now, I don't claim to have a voice to write home about, but I do love to sing with a group. (my enthusiasm tends to outstrip my ability... so if I can blend in with a group I tend to sing better. ) Unfortunately, a couple of the a capella songs went just a wee bit higher than my comfortable alto range for a few notes, and my voice tends to either go seriously squeaky-flat or seriously quiet under those circumstances. (Trust me, quiet is better...) However, I also noticed than when my voice gave out, that I messed up some of the other singers as well. I apologized several times for flubbing the music.

Then one of the guys commented, "Yeah, when your voice goes out, the whole thing goes out." Someone else agreed, and the first guy explained, "You have a good voice for 'filling in' on the songs when there's no music. It sounds fuller when you sing. When your voice goes out, the whole thing kind of fades."

Filling in? Fuller?

I couldn't help it. I turned to my hubby, pouted my lip out, and said, "Honey, does this song make my voice look fat?"

M & A laughed harder than anyone else....

Conversation

The son and I were chatting this afternoon, discussing politics, among other topics, and he came up with this gem...

One of the differences between McCain and Obama is, that McCain has constituents.

Obama has groupies.

The 2nd, Affirmed

Rather than reinvent the wheel, I'm going to send you over to The AnarchAngel to read his well-worded synopsis of the Heller decision.

You can find the entire ruling here.

Now please pardon me while I go do a happy dance....

More embarassing than anything else....

Sometimes there's stupid, and sometimes there's world-class stupid.

Sunday, I was using a sharp knife to open a stubborn container... you're familiar with those stiff, form-fitted plastic monstrosities that everything from toys to computer accessories seem to be heat-sealed in nowadays? I had to reach and cut a place where the scissors wouldn't fit, hence the knife.

I did say that it was a sharp knife, right?

10 stitches.

Stupid.

But at least I didn't get any blood on the carpet.





Stupid, stupid, stupid......

Bush never lied to us about Iraq

... Nearly every prominent Democrat in the country has repeated some version of this charge, and the notion that the Bush administration deceived the American people has become the accepted narrative of how we went to war.

Yet in spite of all the accusations of White House "manipulation" -- that it pressured intelligence analysts into connecting Hussein and Al Qaeda and concocted evidence about weapons of mass destruction -- administration critics continually demonstrate an inability to distinguish making claims based on flawed intelligence from knowingly propagating falsehoods.

In 2004, the Senate Intelligence Committee unanimously approved a report acknowledging that it "did not find any evidence that administration officials attempted to coerce, influence or pressure analysts to change their judgments." The following year, the bipartisan Robb-Silberman report similarly found "no indication that the intelligence community distorted the evidence regarding Iraq's weapons of mass destruction."

Entire article available via the Los Angeles Times; click on the post title to read it.

The administration simply got bad intelligence. Critics are wrong to assert deception.

Keep in mind that this was written by James Kirchick, who is an assistant editor of the New Republic.

Mayor Tells Law Dept. to Sue City Council

DETROIT (AP) - The Detroit Law Department has been told to file a suit in Wayne County Circuit Court to stop a City Council attempt to force Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick from office.


Since when can an elected official tell (not hire, mind you - he's made it an order) lawyers who works for the city to file suit against that city because the city is fed up with his shenanigans?

Makes me wonder exactly who, in that supposed-to-be-impartial department, does the mayor have in his hip pocket? (or, should my question be, "who doesn't work for the mayor instead of the city?")


Anyone remember this song? "Oh, there was a crooked man, and he had a crooked house...."

McCain Says Constitutional Right to Life Applies to Unborn

At last... While I still, primarily, will be voting against Obama, it won't bother me quite as much that I'll be voting for McCain.

Click the headline above to read the article.

Here's a sheriff who gets it

The Rev. Jesse Jackson's protests against a Barrington gun manufacturer are costly to taxpayers and his efforts are misdirected, Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran said Saturday.

"I believe that the Reverend Jackson’s efforts could be better utilized than demonstrating in front of a licensed wholesaler of guns," Curran said.

Curran said efforts to stop abortion, address the lack of male role models for young men and reduce sexual promiscuity could do more to affect violence in the streets than protests at a gun manufacturer such as D.S. (Arms).

"Raising children is a difficult job and it is even more difficult when we do not have a certain level of maturity," part of Curran's statement said. "This is a message that needs to be given especially by those that claim to be delivering Gods message."


Read the complete article.

H/T to Of Arms and the Law.

If I Die Before You Wake...

A song/video by one of our soldiers in Iraq. Click on the post title for the link... definitely worth the couple minutes it takes to listen.


If I die before you wake...

Back home now I know you're probably sleepin'
Over here it's the middle of the day
I finally found the time to write a letter
Sittin' here a half a world away

I heard about all them folks protestin'
As if I really want this war
But that don't stop me from believin'
There's just some things worth fightin' for

CHORUS
And if I die before you wake,
I pray the world will take
A good look at what God's given us
That we could only understand,
everything is in his hands
All we need is a little faith and trust
I want you to know it ain't too high a price to pay
If I die before you wake

Tell everybody that I miss them
And I can't wait to get back home
But until then I'll serve my country
And be proud to wear this uniform

CHORUS
No it ain't too high a price to pay
If I die before you wake

This is just....

... wrong. Very wrong.

Obama Uses Police Memorial for Porta Potties

PORTLAND, OR – Police officers in Portland, Oregon, are still waiting for an apology from Barack Obama after campaign staffers of his recent rally in Portland, Oregon, setup porta potties directly on top of the Portland Police Memorial, which honors the agency’s 25 fallen police officers.


This photo by Officer Thomas Brennan shows the porta potties setup on the police memorial, with its flag still at half mast.



Click here to read the rest of the article from Police*Link.

And may God help this country....

Lest we forget...

"War is an ugly thing. But not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." - John Stuart Mill