Oh Yeah

I've been doing some posting here also.

Refreshing

We've seen it over and over. Man robs store, store owner shoots robber, store owner hauled into court for shooting robber. Worse yet, store owner sued by robber, store owner loses suit, robber rewarded for botched robbery. Not here in Hamilton County, Ohio. The money shot is a quote from our local county prosecutor Joe Deters..... "If you go into a store with a gun to rob it, in my mind you've forfeited your right not to be shot." Ahhh, the sweet smell of sanity.

Ethically Bankrupt

Fox news is running a story about an uncensored documentary regarding Hillary Clinton’s fundraising practices. This video is just a small picture of what a future President Hillary Clinton would do. You can view the video here (part 1) and here (Part 2). There is no doubt in my mind that the felonies alleged in this video are just the tip of the iceberg. It is disgusting to me to think that she even has a shot at leading this country. You can read more about Hillary and her ethical problems on Dick Morris’ website.

Freaky Images

I’ve got a few pictures to share but before I do I should probably provide a little background information on what it is you’ll be viewing. The location of the satellite imagery is Huntersville, Ohio along State Route 309. Huntersville is an unincorporated area located in rural Hardin county about 20 miles east of Lima. All three images were screen captured from Weather.com and the imagery is courtesy of Microsoft Virtual Earth. The three pictures are of the same geographic location the only difference being the zoom level. Now take a close look around the triangular shaped wooded area. So did you see anything unusual? I was directed to weather.com today to view the image and as soon as I got zoomed in far enough a face popped out. I was instructed to look for the face of an Indian (native American not to be confused with the Indian who takes your call to Dell's tech support) had I not been I would have probably still seen the face but may not have labeled it as looking ‘Indian’. Then again I may have I’ll never know but I do know my perception was somewhat tainted in that respect. If the imagery in and of itself doesn’t perk your interest there is one final item worth mentioning. Located off the top left of the triangular shaped wooded area is an Indian burial ground. I’m not suggesting anything what-so-ever. The different shades of the soil can be explained by moisture content and the image by the fact that we see faces everywhere simply because we’re so used to seeing them. The latter would be why we find faces in clouds, tree bark the sides of buildings, the occasional chocolate chip cookie and via technology, satellite imagery. I think it’s just the way our mind has been conditioned to process what is into what is perceived. Having said that and fully believing the explanation doesn’t make it any less freaky.

Follow-up to Candidate Forum

I promised a follow up on the “debate” between the city council president candidates. As most of you know, I am also in the midst of my own campaign. It has been a very busy couple of weeks. Anyhow… The candidate forum held October 10th at the Civic Center did not provide voters with any significant, new information about either candidate. Most of the questions focused on economic development, budget and finance issues, and others. Of significance, a question from WLIO news anchor Jeff Fitzgerald regarding the recent issue of “secret meetings.” The question was posed to both candidates about how they would prevent such violations from occurring again. Of course, Mr. Magnus responded by stating that no violation occurred. He also stated that the way the legislation was handled (pulled from the Safety Services committee by yours truly) was of more concern to him. It doesn’t surprise me that he could not answer the question without taking an indirect swipe at me. Overall, due to time constraints and the desire to keep the forum “positive,” nothing significant was revealed. There are more debates to follow. On a separate note, the Lima news has published on their website, profiles of each of the candidates as well as responses to questions we were asked. The link to the Allen County races can be found here. There will also be editorial write ups in a print edition closer to the election. Finally, there will be a candidate forum for the ward races held on October 30th at the Civic Center.

No Idea Why I'm Laughing

It could be because the following video embodies everything I ever wanted this blog to be and then some.

RSS, Atom Ect.

After 4 years and many failures I think I may have finally found the holy grail of feed readers.

Conflict of Interest

These articles were published on the Front Page of the Lima News and the Editorial page of the Lima news on Sunday. It certainly seems at though our 1st Ward city councilman my have multiple conflicts of interest when voting on the Casino Issue that had been before Lima City Council earlier this fall. I certaily have concerns over the ability of Mr Magnus to be fair and impartial on this issue. On another note, the first debate forum between candidates for Lima City Council President will be held tonight. Report to follow...

Violation of Ohio Sunshine Laws

Its not often you have a elected official admit to holding discussions and making decisions about official city business without doing so in a public hearing. This would constitute a potential violation of Ohio’s open meeting laws(often call the sunshine laws). This is the take of the Lima News Editorial staff.

Stirring the Pot...

As a member of Lima City Council, I have a duty to represent the people of the 2nd Ward. I am also responsible for bringing concerns of citizens to council or other government committees when appropriate. In May, the issue of marijuana possession laws and potential deficiencies in our current city ordinances was brought to me by a resident of the 2nd ward. I referred his concerns, along with literature citing changes Cincinnati made to strengthen their ordinances to councils Safety Services committee. After four months of inaction, I moved to remove the referral from the safety services committee to my own committee to insure a hearing. The voice vote was in favor of this motion. What happened next (as recounted by the Lima News), was absolutely shocking to everyone in attendance. Unfortunately, I believe this is only a snapshot of what may lie ahead for Lima City Council, pending the outcome of the November election. I made a commitment to stand on my conservative beliefs and my desire to work on behalf of the people of Lima, for the people and the city of Lima, not for self gain. Politics, such as what occurred Monday night has no place in government at any level.

Flat Line (To the Direct Linkers)

At some point I guess I lost interest. New city, expectant wife with our first child (any day now), it’s to be expected. We’re kind of on our own here in Cincinnati and it’s something neither of us has ever experienced so we’re “adjusting”. After all sacrificing a hobby like blogging is trivial when compared to what millions deal with everyday. We’ll be fine.

The death of Representative Paul Gillmor

Today came word from Washington that Representative Paul Gillmor was found dead in his apartment. Many Republicans will admit that, even while President of the Ohio Senate (traditionally a moderate republican) Rep. Gillmor was a staunch conservative who was well liked on both sides of the aisle. His leadership in both Ohio and U.S. politics will be sorely missed. God Bless.

Various Musings...

I have been a real slacker since vacation a week ago. I keep thinking about posting issues here, but have not had time to post what I really wanted. The result is a variety of small issues that have developed over the last three weeks. First. Lima City Council voted down an ordinance that would have placed the Inter Governmental Agreement between the Shawnee Indians and the City of Lima on the November ballot. At stake is a destination resort casino. The halt in progress on the IGA is the result of advice from legal council obtained by the city. Several issues were pointed out as potential concerns with the current draft of the IGA. While I am disappointed that the issue is in a holding pattern, I certainly agree that this IGA must be a rock solid agreement. We have made great progress in the IGA, but issues of sovereignty, liability protections for casino employees and patrons, use of tribe payments to the city, the length of the agreement, and defining what gaming revenues are. I will continue to support placing the IGA on the ballot for the residents of the City of Lima to approve or deny, if and when an agreement comes to fruition. Second. I, Like fourth ward city councilman Tom Tebben, am tired of being told that I am “going to hell” for my stance on the Casino issue. I personally would like to see the development occur. Some $20 Billion leaves Ohio every year to neighboring states who have casino's. The economics make sense. I will ALWAYS support a vote of the people on this issue. At least that way, everyone who votes “yes” will be there with me! Third, As everyone has seen by now, most of northwest Ohio has been ravaged by flooding. My thoughts and prayers are with those affected. Findlay, Bluffton and Ottawa have been especially hit. Here in Lima there were multiple streets with high water that were closed. Fortunately, the worst damage in Lima was an intersection on North Shore Dr and Collett. Water pressure built up in the storm sewer caused the 84-inch pipe, 30 feet deep in the ground to blow sending its manhole cover at least 12 feet in the air reaching the traffic lights. I have seen some truly amazing pictures of the flooding and encourage anyone to check out foxnews.com or the limanews.com to get an idea of the damage. Finally, for those sports fans out there, another football season is upon us. It is going to be a rather predictable season for my teams. At the high school level, Elida is going to continue its losing ways, as evidenced by last night’s 51-0 drubbing (game was called at half time due to lightning). Ohio State is a huge underdog in the Big Ten but will certainly surprise many (if we can watch the games…come on Big Ten Network and Time Warner get these games on TV). The Cleveland Browns will continue with their 9th year of “rebuilding” since coming back into the NFL…at least they are not part of the Cincinnati Bengals penal league!!! ( I realize the previous comment might get me banned from this blog )

Precious Poets Remember Our Troops; Back a Play

There was a young gentleman who read Beyond Glory: Medal of Honor Heroes in Their Own Words by Larry Smith. After reading this book, he felt compelled to write a play about these men and tell their stories in words. It opened in 2004 "on the edge of Arlington Cemetery, at a small theater inside the Women in Military Service Memorial." Eight of these men were chosen of the twenty-four available to represent the men to be honored. There was an apolitical play, meaning this was not about politics. It is about our Heroes. So how did it Mr. Lang, the performer, come to travel the world performing his play for our men and women in the Middle East, on the DMZ (dividing line between North and South Korea), Europe, and many other places? This is where our precious poets step up to the plate to support our Troops. Mr. Peede had been asked to direct a new NEA [National Endowment for the Arts] program called Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience. Its intention was to help soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, or their families, to put their experiences into writing--fiction, non-fiction and poetry. The idea was suggested to NEA Chairman Dana Gioia, a poet, by Connecticut poet Marilyn Nelson, who'd recently served as a visiting writer at West Point. Good for the poets. Reluctant to wait years for Congressional funding or to divert money from other NEA programs, Chairman Gioia sought private funding for Operation Homecoming. Quietly, the Boeing Company stepped up, ultimately giving $1.2 million. The soldiers' tutors at NEA's workshops included writers such as Barry Hannah, Tobias Wolff, Mark Bowden, Victor Davis Hanson and Tom Clancy. The result is a book, "Operation Homecoming" (Random House), which--again some understatement--is breathtakingly good. [Continue reading Mr. Henninger's article.] It is a wonderful thing that has been done, finally, by the NEA and the Opinion Journal's article. You may purchase Operation Homecoming at Amazon.com. I thought you might like to know. Have a wonderful day! :) Editor's Note: There will be another open trackback today. If you have an article you've written and would like to share it with others, please feel free to link it here. Just remember to add me to the list of others you've linked. LinkFest is a wonderful new 'station' where we can go to find out who, what, where and how everyone is posting. Well, the people that belong to the open trackbacks! Join up! It's lots of fun. Thank you. Trackposted by: Potbelly Stove: Alarmist media and the revised FISA. Webloggin: Odds and Ends About The Democratic Presidential Debate. Perri Nelson's Website: Thursday Open Trackback. The Amboy Times: Anti-CAIR: My Turn on Civil Rights. Right Truth: Take the Ultimate Global Warming Challenge. Blue Star Chronicles: Mitt Romney: Peace in Our Nation. Stuck On Stupid: The U.S. House Members’ Gym Needs an $8 Million Upgrade? The Pink Flamingo: On the Wings of A Legacy. Conservative Cat: Adventures with Bruce - In Which I Deny Some Vicious Rumors. Right Voices: NYT’s: If You Were a Terrorist, How Would You Attack? Adeline and Hazel: Celebrity Plasic Surgery Video. The Yankee Sailor: Thursday Open Post. Thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Chairman of Taliban's Military Shura KILLED!

Bill Roggio is an excellent writer who decided he was not going to write about those things which he did not have first hand experience, so he suited up and became an embed both in Iraq and Afghanistan. (He's had experience from before, but he just felt compelled to do this.) His latest article (I think he is home now) is wonderful news written this morning or very late last night. Qari Faiz Mohammad killed in a raid in Helmand province Afghan and ISAF have been conducting major offensives up and down the Helmand River Valley in the northern portion of the province over the past several months. Major ground and air strikes have been ongoing in the Musa Qala, Kajaki, Nari Saraj, and Sangin districts in Helmand province, as well as in the Ghorak district in Kandahar and in southwestern Uruzgan. Coalition forces have been attempted to clear the Taliban stronghold and reopen the vital Kajaki Dam. The Taliban openly control the Musa Qala district. Upwards of 150 Taliban fighters have been killed in strikes in the region during the past week. (Please continue reading at Bill's The Fourth Rail. Such wonderful news! I hope you have not forgotten that we are still in Afghanistan. I hope you have not forgotten why. If you do remember, then you should know that when we removed them from power they would need a place a to go. THAT is why they are in Iraq. To join in the fight for our very existence. Why do I say, "...our very existence"? The Taliban and al Qaida are interchangeable names they call one another. This is to give some of the terrorists cover. Do not be fooled. Now that that's cleared up, let us turn our heads towards reason, shall we? If they need somewhere to go, they will find a place to go. Right? What will they do once they get there? Will they continue the war they have waged upon us? YOU BETCHA. No matter when, where, who, what and no one gives a flying hoot about why, the fight will continue. They want every Christian, Jew, Atheist, Agnostic, Hindu, non-proper Muslim, and everyone else who does not subscribe to their way of interpreting the Koran DEAD. Are we clear on this now? Good. Have a nice day.

Juxtaposing

US, Iran, Iraq agree to set up security subcommittee Iran Training Has Improved Green Zone Attacker Accuracy

Iran the next target??????

A story was posted on NewsMax today claiming the U.S. is retrofitting B-2 bombers to carry "bunker-buster" bombs capable of destroying the underground nuclear facilities in Iran. The story claims the B2- stealth bomber will be able to carry two 30,000 pound bombs. Retrofitting for the bombers is being carried out at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. I certainly hope Iran takes this as a stern warning...

Lima Reaches Agreement with Shawnee Tribe for Casino Gaming

The City of Lima reached an Inter-governmental Agreement with the Shawnee Indian Tribe on Monday, the first step necessary for the establishment of a resort destination and casino in Lima. The IGA sets up provisions for such things as safety services and income tax revenue as well as profit sharing for the city. The plan contains three phases ranging from the construction of a casino, to hotels and shopping, to entertainment venues. It is estimated that the casino would generate $100 to $300 Million in revenue each year. The city’s share would be 2% or $2 to $4 million per year. City Council referred the IGA to council as a whole to review. If approved, the IGA would be placed on the ballot in November for City residents to approve. Meetings will be held over the course of the next three weeks to review and discuss the IGA.

Uyghur's women and girls taken as slaves

This is an article that really bothers me. Anything to do with slavery bothers me to the point no one has ever seen from me. It does not matter the color, the location, the race, the religion, or whatever else there is. IT IS WRONG! I believe it is also a SIN against God. Yes, it is in the Bible. So is adultry. Why, some may ask? I can answer this. To show us the damages that sins cause, and to teach us how to live and be better people than that. God did not create slavery, man did. If you want to blame it on someone, look into your own heart first. Always, no matter the situation. That is a good rule. Back to the article. In the area of Uyghur, a minority Muslim part of northwest China, it is very poor. So when the local officials came around telling the families about a 'training program' (to work in factories) for the women and girls for which they would be paid 500 yuan per month in the beginning, and later they would be paid up to 900 yuan. It comes as no surprise to me, but they have received no pay. There are 213 girls that we know of who signed up for this 'program'. If you would like to read the actual article, it is Radio Free Asia. Please read it, because there is more. The parents and the girls who manage to escape and return home are being punished and made to go back without pay. It is a crime against humanity. Where are the Human Rights groups?! Do you think we should say something? I do. Do you think we should stop trading with them? I do. Are you are 'free-market' person? I was, until I decided to become a FAIR trader.

YouTube Debate

Didn’t watch it but I’ve been reading the almost high points from around the net and something small stuck out that I haven’t seen anywhere else. Hotair has a video of a gung ho gun owner in Michigan and Joe Biden telling him he needs help. Then I read this story, linked from Drudge. A Clio, Mich., man named Jered asked about gun control while brandishing an automatic weapon. Unless I’m missing something the truth is that for all they know that “gun” could have been made from cardboard and balsa wood held together by Elmer’s and painted black to give it that "come to Jesus" look. Perhaps it was a fully functioning...modified.....BB gun. I’d question the time put into each of these endeavors but who am I to judge how the average Joe gets his 15 minutes. To cut to the chase is it just me or did Biden just give more ammo (along with the writer of the above linked story) to those which claim that the anti gun agenda is more style than substance, more about feeling than logic—more about getting rid of anything that looks scary?

Blackfive's Video Potpourri

Cross-posted @ Rosemary's Thoughts. This first video will last 4:05, and I'm not quite sure if they rescued one of the guys being held or if he was one of the insurgence. Maybe you could help me understand? The name of this clip is "Operation Ithaca - The Fight." (Do not worry. You will not be seeing anything gross.) In this next clip comes the answer to my question! This clip is 7:59, and the title of it is "Operation Ithaca - Interview." They were successful in this mission, killing 29 and capturing 23 of the enemy. They also rescued 8 hostages who were about to be executed on the day of the mission. Whew! That was close. This clip is 3:11, and it's title is "AH-64 and C-130 Engage Insurgents." Five insurgents are killed in this one by none other than our USAF! Great job, guys. :) These next two clips sort of go together, if not by nature then by name. This one is 32 seconds long, and the title is "Crispy Terrorists on the July 14th Menu." It is almost like watching a silent movie, except it is real life...or death to the terrorists as I like to put it. The next clip is titled "Crispy Terrorists on the July 15th Menu" and lasts for 58 seconds. And to say that the last one is the least one would be an incredibly wrong assumption! This young lady sends it home as to why a Soldier would serve. Here she tells us why she serves. Why I Serve - SSG Shannon Fezer. This clip only lasts for 1:02, yet I wish it were longer. It is people such as she who make me proud to be an American. If you cannot understand this genuine concept, please don't tell me. I don't care if you're a nutjob, just don't prove it on my site! :) I received these videos through my subscription. You may also subscribe if you wish. You may do so by clicking here. Have a great day, and remember our men and women in uniform who are protecting this freedom for you to have such a day. Maybe you could even send up a prayer or two...

Quote of the Day

Shamelessly stolen from BizzyBlog.... Dr. Alveda King, the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said that the allegations of animal cruelty announced in the case against star quarterback Michael Vick highlight the disparity in societal protections for animals and unborn humans. “The appalling cruelty to dogs described in the complaint against Michael Vick immediately reminds me of another kind of cruelty that is not only not punished, but is protected by our authorities,” said Dr. King. “I’m talking about the incredible cruelty suffered by babies who are stabbed, have limb torn from limb, or have their skulls crushed in the womb by abortionists. The pain these children endure is undoubtedly excruciating, yet we close our eyes and look the other way in the name of ‘choice.’” She concluded: ‘Yes, of course we should ensure humane treatment of animals,” said Dr. King, “but shouldn’t we also humanely treat humans?” Exactly.

There are 5 Americans being held hostage in Iran

Cross-posted at Rosemary's Thoughts. Here we go again. Let's see what this cowboy is going to do. Will he turn out to be another Jimmy Carter to our shame, or will he do the responsible thing and get our citizens back? Only time will tell. It has already been since May. I do not want to hear anything more about talking to these maniacs. I am ready to go in for our own. Call me whatever you like, I have been holding back from war for a very long time. If we do nothing but talk now, in the eyes of the Middle East, we have lost all credibility. Would you please remind the Left that this is not good for what they call, "Relationships" in the world! Frankly, I don't give a hoot what the rest of the world thinks except in one sense: Fear us. As long as they fear us, they will not attack us. These are just the simple facts of war. Do you want to stop wars? Make your enemy afraid. It is just that simple. The three people who the IRG have captured and thrown into jail are Dr. Haleh Esfandiari, director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Kian Tajbakhsh who is a respected Urban Planner and sociologist working for the Open Society Institute, Ali Shakeri, a peace activist, Parnaz Azima, a correspondent working for Radio Farda, the joint Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty–Voice of America Persian-language radio broadcast to Iran, and Robert Levinson who disappeared in early March during a visit to Iran's Kish Island and is believed to be held by the Iranian authorities. Levinson, a retired FBI agent, reportedly had traveled to Iran to investigate a matter on behalf of a private client. The charges are as follows: While on the way to airport after a visit with her 93 year old mother, some thugs (IRG probably) stole her passport. This 67 year old grandmother has been charged with being involved with a propaganda campaign to foment a "soft revolution" against the brutal clerical regime. Kian Tajbakhsh has been charged with "seeking the overthrow of the Iranian government. He and Esfandiari are being held in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison, which contains many other Iranian political prisoners and dissidents." Ali Shakeri and Parnaz Azima may be joining them soon due to trumpt-up charges. Panaz has been charged (because she works for RFE) of "an institution that spreads propaganda against the Islamic Republic." (And the Europeans still want to have more talks?) At least Radio Free Europe did not sit on their hands. They used some very strong 'words' toward the Iranian regime. How about you, Mr. President? The Iranians are hoping to use this former FBI Agent as a pawn to gain leverage in the release of the bastards we caught. While some may think this is related to Bush in some way, let me make this clear. These arrests started in December of last year, and they got worse when the Iranian regime started cracking down on any dissent. Not every damn thing is George Bush' fault. Remember. All of these people had passports which were confiscated, and most of them have dual-citizenship. Sources: The Jawa Report, Iran's Growing List of Hostages and The Invisible Crisis: What if Iran took hostages and no one noticed? (I highly recommend all of these, especially the last two. I found them through google, but you have to add the year 2007, or you will get Jimmy Carter stuff.) Trackback. (@ My Newz 'n Ideas.)

The Return of the Do Nothing Congress

From ABC News in early May…. Members of Congress know the Washington-area airports very well. Most members use them twice a week, arriving for work late Tuesday and scurrying back to their home states on Thursday. Congress is on schedule to meet fewer days this year than any Congress since 1948 -- the year President Truman campaigned against what he called the "do-nothing Congress." "They call it the Tuesday to Thursday Club," said Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn. "That means you get here Tuesday night, you have a few easy votes, you vote on Wednesday and then you go back home Thursday afternoon. And that, believe it or not, is considered a work week in Washington." I worked with a guy once that seemed to never work a full week. When he was there he would arrive late, take a long lunch and usually skip out early. Every now and then he’d put in a late night or be called in during the evening and stay until morning. When this happened the rest of us got to hear from him about how hard he’s been working and that he was there all night. Never mind the fact that all of us was working many more hours, he was there all night and was the only one working hard, in his mind. It became a running joke around the office, “so and so worked so hard, you know he worked all night?” I’m reminded of that because of this. Frustrated by Republican efforts to block votes on bringing American combat troops home from Iraq, Senate Democratic leaders were preparing to roll out sleeping cots Tuesday for an all-night debate on the war. Unlike my old coworker they’ve apparently got cots but just like him the entire event is more an exercise in show rather than substance. But that’s congress, you know they’ll work all night if need be.

Physicians vs. Gun Owners

Physicians: a. The number of physicians in the U.S. is 700,000. b. Accidental deaths caused by Physicians per year are 120,000. c. Accidental deaths per physician is 0.171. (Statistics courtesy of U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services) Now think about this . . .. Guns: a. The number of gun owners in the U.S. is 80,000,000. b. The number of accidental gun deaths per year (all age groups) is 1,500. c. The number of accidental deaths per gun owner is 0.000188. _________________ Statistically, doctors are approximately 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners. _________________ Remember, "Guns don't kill people; doctors do." FACT: NOT EVERYONE HAS A GUN, BUT ALMOST EVERYONE HAS AT LEAST ONE DOCTOR. _________________ Please alert your friends to this alarming threat. We must ban doctors before this gets completely out of hand! _________________ Note: Out of concern for the public at large, I have withheld the statistics on lawyers for fear the shock would cause people to panic and seek medical attention. With gracious gratitude to my brother, who knows how I feel about that them doctors! Oh yes, and gun RIGHTS, too! Thank you, Mr. GrassRoots.

And No One Saw this Coming?

Tariq Al-Daour, imprisoned in Britain as a co-conspirator for a jihadi website, was given a computer and an ISP while serving time inside of Britain’s most secure prison. Probably on taxpayers dollars non-the-less. What did Tariq do with his new found freedom? Take a guess. AN al-Qaeda fanatic jailed for inciting murder online was caught making a website urging terror attacks - from his cell in Britain's most secure prison.... The laptop was seized after a violent struggle when prison officers suspected he was misusing it and the hate-filled website called Global Jihad was found. They fear Al-Daour may have used it to contact other al-Qaeda terrorists and are scrutinising calls he made.... Al-Daour's website - built while he was on trial - was full of al-Qaeda propaganda calling on extremists to wage war on the West. In other news Britain is now requiring that all convicted pedophiles do community service at local pre-schools. OK, I made that last bit up but given the logic....why not? H/T: The Jawa Report.

Kittens

As I mentioned earlier here are some pictures of the kittens or "the girls" as my wife has become prone to calling them. Maggie (left) and Weezer take a break from bravely fighting inanimate objects. Maggie displays her chagrin for the camera via a simple paw gesture while Newbie takes a rare break.

One Event, Two Takes

The first paragraph of any news story is perhaps the most important element, next to the title. This is because that's as far as many of us get, that's if we even make it past the title, before moving onto the next story. Having said that I stumbled upon two different articles today about the same event: progress, or lack thereof, in Iraq. The first from the AP via the Detroit Free Press. The Iraqi government has not yet met any of 18 goals for political, military and economic reform, the Bush administration said Thursday in an interim report certain to inflame debate in Congress over growing calls for a U.S. troop withdrawal. The second is from CNN. A report on U.S.-set benchmarks for Iraq shows "satisfactory progress" in eight areas, while highlighting that there's "more work to do" in other areas, President Bush said Thursday. One sets an optimistic tone the other makes me want to jam a pencil in my jugular. It's not so much that it's negative it's that AP writers Lolita C. Baldor and Anne Flaherty fancy themselves editorial writers instead of conduit transporting information from point A to B. Journalism 101: Just the facts.

Quickies

When a conservative appears on talk radio, liberals cry for the Fairness Doctrine. Seventy-five free hours for Archbishop Gore's Church of Climate Change? Not a peep. Excerpt from an editorial about NBC airing a combined 75 hours of Al Gore’s Live Earth infomercial. It’s being reported that there may have been a cat fight behind closed doors between Senators McCain and Voinovich. During said spat Voinovich reportedly pointed out that AQ would not be in Iraq if it were not for U.S. Troops being there. I kinda sorta thought that was part of the plan—killing them over there. You know, instead of in Times Square. At this stage of the post I’d like to apologize to my fellow conservatives as I voted for Voinovich at least twice. In separate elections mind you. It will not happen again. My 7 months pregnant wife drug home a couple sick kittens. I was not impressed. We drug another kitten down to Cincy, from Lima, for a co-worker of hers to adopt. Said co-worker called my wife 4 hours after assuming possession of said kitten stating she could not make that kind of commitment so now we've got three. Well, four if you include my 7 year old cat and an explanation as to why she's not yet married. I'm being assured that the returned adoption will be given away but I'm still not at ease with the situation, toxoplasmosis aside. I might post some pictures on Caturday.

Did you ever...

...think of a really cool song in your head, but forgot it before you could put it on paper? ...think of a really good topic to discuss, but forgot to write it down before you feel asleep? ...know the answer to a complicated question, but forgot it before the teacher got around to calling on you? Well, I am having one of those days, so don't expect too much from me! LOL. BTW, there are so many 'Have you ever's' for me to compile just one list. These were things that actually happened to me - today - so I guess they're not actually made up. That's why I stopped when I did. That's depressing, and I just woke up. However I refuse to allow it to get ne into a funk about it. :)