DATE-5/25/05
The Filibuster
Folks, I’ve listened to Rush and I’ve read the Blogs and I’ve watched Mort Kondrake and Charles Krautenhammer wax on about it was either a victory or defeat for either the Dems or Repubs, take your pic from either column.
As I see it the situation is at a status quo no matter what the pundits claim. In that today a vote to end the debate on Priscilla Owens passed 81 to 19 in the Senate. This after months of rabid Dems claiming this woman, as well as two other nominees, were the anti-christs.
The de facto result of it all is that a normal up and down vote was taken in the senate to close debate on an elected president’s judicial nominee. In other words enough Dems voted to end the debate that the “super majority” had been reached for cloture thus leading to a final vote. A filibuster would have had the Dems voting against cloture, thereby keeping the debate open, thereby avoiding an up and down vote. Had there not been meetings of these “gangs of seven”, had John McCain not sought the spotlight again, had the rest of the RINO’s not betrayed their speaker, Dr. Frist, THIS is exactly how it should have come down.
There is, of course, so much more nuance over this “agreement” by a few Senators. The Repub base is mad, as am I. The Repubs ought to continue senate business per normal and stop kow-towing to these obstructionists.
Did I tell you that per this illegitimate deal the Dems can still invoke a filibuster if they have objections to judicial nominees that are “extraordinary”? And what is the definition of “extraordinary”?
George Soros and Move-On.org do not like the nominee.
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THE BUS DRIVER
Here’s hoping yon readers are familiar with the current video of the school bus driver slapping some kids around on the bus. The sight bite has been shown over and over on all the news shows but for those not yet familiar, here’s a link to the video.
The bus driver has been charged with a misdemeanor in the case. The two boys who were horribly disruptive, wouldn’t behave and also struck the 66 year old driver a bit more forcibly than a slap, have been charged with a felony.
The video doesn’t show so clearly that those boys were not listening. Their shameless parents are, after coercing from a snake lawyer, filing a lawsuit.
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Jay Leno in Jackson court
It ended in a fizzle even after all the hype.
Jay Leno, vaunted King of late night TV, showed up in court amidst much hoopla. The hype was that Leno was going to testify that the victim had phoned him up and tried to extort money from him. This for the defense case which is trying to create the scenario that the victim and his mother are lying about it all and are merely trying to get money from Michael Jackson as they tried with Jay Leno.
Only Jay Leno testified that the victim did call him but all he heard was a groggy child’s voice at the other. A child’s voice that did NOT ask him for money.
Turns out that Jay Leno did mention to someone or other that he initially suspected it was a call trying to extort sympathy money. However, Jay clarified the details of the phone call and there was nothing said that mentioned money.
Michael Jackson, pervert and child molester, seems to think that as many celebrities as he can march into the courtroom, whether or not they support his defense, is enough for the jury to find such an important and celebrated man such as himself cannot possibly be guilty. They even marched Larry King in there, who the judge would not let testify. Jackson’s defenders didn’t care. Again, the jury is supposed to know that Larry King was in the courtroom and again, how can Michael Jackson have so many important contacts and still be guilty?
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Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Wounded?
So some Arab web site says about Iraq’s most notorious Al Queda terrorist.
Why would the enemy publish their wounded, essentially their weakness? Not that Arabs lie or anything.
Keep an open mind about this.
From Newsday:
BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Iraq's most wanted man, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was injured and almost captured during a recent U.S. offensive near the Iraqi-Syrian border, according to Iraqi security officials. Al-Zarqawi was not badly wounded, and he managed to escape during the weeklong U.S. siege of the town of Qaim, said two senior security officials who spoke by phone from Iraq and asked not to be named. The officials said their information is based on interrogations of insurgents captured in the area.
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Update on Idaho murders
There’s not much new on the Idaho triple murder case or the missing Groene children. Except that Steve Groene, the children’s father, allegedly failed a few questions on the lie detector test and has no alibi for the night of the murders.
In any other true crime the authorities would be honing in on this set of circumstances plus the fact that Steve Groene would more likely abduct the younger children than a stranger. Yet they say he is not a suspect.
This is a strange, very strange case.
And yet I think those two children are alive somewhere.
And The Wise I does not think Steve Groene is all that innocent.
And So Kendra Is Hired
A foregone conclusion or says The Wise I.
Tana sealed her fate the minute she dissed her teammates as “idiots” before they’d even lifted a finger. In front of Carolyn no less.
The last episode, 5/19/05, was live and a bit of a hoot.
The teammates, George, Carolyn, Trump and the two finalists all had comments and they said mostly the same thing. Tana was terrible to her teammates and Kendra waited too long before becoming a project manager.
Tana did the only thing she could do. Which was to boo-hoo and admit she’d made a terrible mistake. Saying you’re sorry, hey, sometimes it works. Not in this case. Sorry Tana.
Kendra admitted on an earlier episode that jumping into the leadership role was exactly her strategy and by me it was a good one. Some of the earlier contenders were eager to strut their stuff. So they jumped into the fire without assessing the smoke and got stung. It is the wise one who sits back and assesses, formulates a plan, then acts. It was really the only criticism of Kendra although I thought she was a bit whiney at times. Trump complained about her crying, really a lame criticism.
Now Kendra moves on to oversee the renovation of some big behemoth of a mansion The Donald wants done. Which happens to be right in her home county so she won’t have to move.
Very convenient, these apprentices just happening to live in a state with a current Trump project ongoing.
Either they are chosen in advance with just this criteria in mind or the entire shebang is scripted to this end.
Just throwing it out there.
Visit TV Compilation Page for all Apprentice and Idol posts compiled into one easy access page. Also check out my solution to the Dove body wash challenge.
In Memory of Josephine Fish
The thing I will always remember about that calico cat Josephine Fish is her trill.
Either that or the fact that she wrote a book.
Both very intriguing things for a cat to do.
Josie's trill was a very long drawn out thing that resembled no cat sound I've ever heard in my cat filled life. She trilled when she wanted your attention and after a while that trill would damn near nag you to death. Josie's trill could almost fill the room with her prissy reminder that a)the food bowl is empty, b)she required some petting or c)there was no sunbeam on her favorite spot.
The feline Josephine also adored human children. Something I find not the norm for cats save those raised around babies and toddlers. For those were the very ages of the human child Josephine preferred. Sweet Granddaughter Kaitlyn Mae will likely not remember Josephine but I note for future reference that when Kaitlyn Mae came to visit Grandmother it was the highlight of Josephine's day. Those two loved one another. An odd pair. Although Kaitlyn Mae was always gentle, kind and circumspect, unlike any other human one year old I've chanced to meet.
Indeed it was Kaitlyn's Mom who somehow found Josephine. A calico kitten that required a home so one was provided.
She'd been the boss ever since. Josephine did not hesitate to swat any cat or dog in her surround that dared to annoy her. In yet another Josephine oddity, she was the only cat I've known that got mean and nasty while high on catnip.
While all the other cats would be rolling around in that delightful ecstasy that hits cats when exposed to catnip, Josephine's pupils would grow wide and black. She'd begin browsing the room for a victim, any victim. Soon enough an innocent co-cat or stupid dog would cross her path causing catnipped-high Josie to rise up and smack the animal in unbridled anger.
We didn't know what that was all about and now that she's gone I don't suppose we ever will.
She loved human babies and toddlers, however. A trait unusual given someone with her harsh discipline. But those times when we chanced to have a guest with a small baby, Josie would position herself by the baby's side, never leaving even if the child was sound asleep. Josephine stood guard for hours so long as required.
Kaitlyn Mae could carry Josephine around with impunity. The calico always immediately went limp when carried in a human's arms. So many cats do not like being held. Josephine loved it.
There was that time she got into my computer and started sending email. There were problems. They were solved.
Josephine's gone now. We estimate that was sixteen years old, maybe seventeen. She was a cat capable of going into heat when we got her and she's been with us fifteen and a half years. Whatever her age, and we'd never ask her cause she'd surely slap us, Josephine lived a long a productive life.
A copy of her book will be buried with her.
Backyard Wildlife Habitat Steward
Yes I am.
Well I was one in Merryland then the Delaware people got a hold of my name then the National Wildlife Federation started nagging me as to why I wasn’t doing my job.
I was quite active in Merryland, giving speeches and manning tables and such.
Now that they have my name in Delaware I’ve been busy.
This past week I helped man a native plant sale in Bethany Beach. I was simply amazed at the turnout! There’s been times I’ve manned the NWF table and had maybe one visitor an hour. At this native plant sale there were four of us manning the table and we were solidly busy from 9 in the am until 1 in the pm. Myself bought some native plants because hey, it does seem prudent to grow native plants of the habitat, right?
Which is what a Backyard Wildlife Habitat is all about. Myself thought it such a wise idea that for three Saturdays I braved I-95S to be trained as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat Steward at NWF’s Vienna headquarters.
A Backyard Wildlife Habitat is quite simply a human yard planted and planned in a fashion that would invite wildlife into our eco-systems. A bowl of water, some seed or fruiting plants, perhaps a bird house. Bushes or brush for cover.
It can be done in a handsome manner that is as beautiful as the carefully cut lawns and manicured curly-cued bushes of the landscapers.
It seemed a fair compromise, my nod to the environmentalists. I am only too happy to invite the birds into my habitat. They brighten my day, each and every one of them.
So that’s why I’m involved in a liberal organization as the NWF. It’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
They have a new procedure here in Delaware. Or else it’s always been in place and I didn’t know it. But I was called out to a home that wanted official certification from the NWF for their completed Backyard Wildlife Habitat. Certification by the NWF doesn’t mean much. Except there is a handsome sign provided informing the world that this yard has been certified as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.
Promotes conversation with the neighbors and everyone can learn something.
Anyway I went to the house of a lovely couple who had a garden eco-system that was so beautiful it made me drool. They wanted my advice but damn their yard made mine pale in comparison.
At one point on my tour I was treated to the sight of a barn swallow. She landed on a clothes line above me and I was delighted.
“Yes, she’s got a nest in that birdhouse,” the owner said, pointing to a very normal looking birdhouse nearby. I’d never even SEEN a barn swallow much lest have them nest in my yard.
I was envious.
At the completion of the tour and my assurances that this lovely plot of a human environment would certainly past muster as a certifiable Backyard Wildlife Habitat we chatted again.
“We get a lot of Blue Jays,” I mentioned during one such bird talk exchange. It was just a casual mention; I forget what prompted the comment.
“I’ve never seen a Blue Jay,” the home owner responded.
Blue Jays are certainly the rascals of the bird world but I can’t imagine my eco-system without them. They are just totally beautiful, big, loud, raucous, and opinionated. They remind me of myself. I was stopped mute by the homeowner’s revelation.
Hey, at least I did get to see a swallow. She’d never seen a Blue Jay. I couldn’t imagine such a thing.
Maybe I should invite her to my house so the poor woman can see a Blue Jay!
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