Paris X 2

Supposedly Paris is marrying Paris. When you think about it, this is really the only rational outcome. I mean, how many names can we expect her to remember on a regular basis??

West Wing Toxic

Is the sole purpose of Bravo to run back to back West Wing re-runs 24/7? I'm just asking is all....

Living a Chick Flick

In early April I posted on the loss of a close friend - the brother of a former best-friend. He actually passed away five years ago but I never knew. Because of a silly spat with my friend, I distanced myself from an entire family that had been like a surrogate family to me for many of my pre-teen and teen years. I graduated college, left town and started a new life. Heck, I hardly went back home to see my own family. So time slipped away and some pretty major things happened. Actually, one pretty major thing - the sudden, premature loss of someone that I loved. It stings deeply that five years went by before I was even made aware of the event.

Circumstances have arisen and I will be headed home in a few days to spend exclusively with this family as they celebrate a wedding. My young son will also make the trip so that these people, that had such an impression on my life, will be able to meet one of my sons for the first time. Likewise, I will also get to meet my friend's three children.

Because of a squabble, we missed each others weddings, the birth of the other's children and the death of a loved one, her brother. What can I say? The price in lost memories was much too high. I advise you try to avoid the same mistake.

And here I am - in the middle of made-in-hollywood "Chick Flick". It has been fifteen years and there is a lot of baggage to go through. Where do you start? (By the way - as a novice film-critic, I hate chick flicks, so this post is really deep for me!)

Mid April I went back home and visited the parents and the older sister of my friend. It was a wonderful, but short, visit. I did not see my long lost friend. Next weekend is going to be very interesting for me and I am looking forward to it. It will be hard at times, even though I've spoken with my friend over the phone we have yet to speak of the fact that her brother died. The weekend will definitely be emotionally charged for many different reasons.

I'm betting on the rewards of re-establishing these multiple friendships and it is my full intention to become as close as I can to this family once again.

Stay tuned.

Go Spurs! Go!!

I logged four years in San Antonio. It is the birthplace of both my boys, so I am proud to read this tonight. Are the Spurs going to win another NBA Championship? Tim Duncan going to be MVP again? I certainly hope so. Just wish I was there....Oh Lord, how I would rather be in Texas than Rhode Island!

A Disappointing Thune

John Thune has shown himself to be a jackass:

WASHINGTON - Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said Thursday that he would vote against the nomination of John Bolton to be ambassador to the United Nations, hinting his vote is a protest against the Pentagon's recommendation to close Ellsworth Air Force Base.

But he did support his party on the vote that mattered most Thursday.

Republicans needed 60 votes to end the Democratic procedural delays and move to an immediate final vote on Bolton's confirmation. Fifty-six senators - including Thune - voted to end the stalling, four shy of that threshold. Now the final Bolton vote will probably not take place until June.

Thune said Thursday that saving Ellsworth is "inseparable from my work" in the Senate.

"It is part of the fabric of every day of our agenda and the things we are trying to accomplish here," Thune said Thursday. "It's something that has become a great preoccupation of mine now."

Asked whether his opposition to Bolton was because of his qualifications or the base-closing plan, Thune said dryly: "I'm concerned about our diplomatic posture as a nation, and I'm concerned about our defensive posture. These issues are not unrelated."

Thune otherwise would not say why he would vote against Bolton's nomination.

Translation: You close my home military base and I'll screw you every chance I'll get.

Michelle Malkin has an excellent round up of contradictory Thune quotes. Jay Reding also administers a spanking to John Thune over his obstructionist anti-Bolton vote.

RI Drivers: Worst in U.S.

See! I told you so!! How many times a day do I roll my eyes at these drivers up here? Let's just say that I'm surprised my eyes have not gotten stuck. The ProJo has the article (reg.required):

When it comes to knowing the rules of the road, Rhode Island drivers are last in the nation, according to a nationwide survey by GMAC Insurance.

We know what you're thinking: They needed a survey to figure this out?

Massachusetts drivers were next-to-last.

Around the country, the survey shows that 1 in 10 licensed drivers "may be unfit for roads," according to GMAC Insurance.
"If all Americans took their driver's test over again, 20 million would fail," said Robin Pifer, director of marketing for the St. Louis-based insurance company. "I was surprised. We were polling people who have been driving for years.(/snip)

Yep, that's right folks. Here in Providence I'm surrounded by idiot drivers. But let's not stop there! More details:

Most of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic scored near the bottom: 1 in 5 drivers from those regions failed to achieve a passing grade of 70 on the test. Rhode Islanders scored an average of 77. The test also suggests that the nation's least knowledgeable drivers, here in the Northeast, are also the ones most likely to speed.
"Results suggest that many Americans find standard driving practices vexing, including merging, failure to yield when making left turns, and road-sign interpretation," the company said in a statement.

Vexing I tell you! Vexing!!

The survey also revealed:
• 1 in 4 Americans admit they would roll though a stop sign.
• 1 in 3, when running late, would speed up for a yellow light even if a pedestrian was waiting to cross.
• 1 in 2 do not merge correctly into heavy traffic.
• 1 in 10 admit they "usually" exceed the speed limit by more than 11 mph.
• 1 in 4 do not know how to pass a slow-moving vehicle.

As a southerner living in RI for the past two years, I can personally attest to the accuracy of these results. New England drivers SUCK!!

UPDATE: I forgot to mention that yesterday I counted four cars running a red light turning left. There was no room for the last car to get through and he ended up blocking traffic flow that actually had the green light. A prime example of New England stupidity - I can't tell you how many times a day I see similar driving travesties all over the city. Have I mentioned today that I have 27 days left here?

Thanks to KinRI for the tip!

Runaway Bride Charged!

The flakey bride has been charged:

The bride-to-be who skipped town just days before her lavish wedding was indicted Wednesday on charges she told police a phony story about being kidnapped and sexually assaulted.

Jennifer Wilbanks, 32, faces one felony count of making a false statement and one misdemeanor count of making a false police report. She could face up to six years in prison if convicted of both charges, as well as $11,000 in fines. She could also be ordered to reimburse authorities for the cost of the search that was prompted by her disappearance.

"We believe this is a reasonable next step in the case. We believe the grand jury made the right decision," said District Attorney Danny Porter. "At some point you just can't lie to the police."

There are quite a few points to be made here. First off, I have not understood all of the recent punditry over the question of whether or not she should be charged with anything. Why would this even be an issue? When she left and then lied about being kidnapped to the police she crossed the line of any usual wedding jitters by anyone's measure. At the very least she should be paying for the expense of the search to the local governments. No brainer in my book.

But she also crossed another line that has not been talked about much. She reported a false rape which works to undermine the credibility of true rape victims in society. For this, she should be locked up.

And don't go telling me that she is crazy; she was 'with it' enough to make up a story to try and cover her tracks.

Now we'll have several days of people crying "she has remorse, she just got the jitters and has been punished enough!" Yeah right. She's embarassed is what she is, and now she needs to be held accountable just as anyone else should be.

Update: TechCentralStation has more.

Praying for Zarqawi

Dr. Sanity has the best prayer yet for Zarqawi that I've seen. Here's my favorite verse:

But if you don't, it's no surprise--
A coward never lives his lies.
You've sent so many to the Lord,
It's only fair you face His sword.

You have to read the whole thing; you won't be disappointed.

Stem Reality

Tech Central Station has a great reality check on stem cell research. They review the cold, hard facts of recent announcements and tries to apply a little perspective.

My husband spent two years doing basic science research on the cellular and molecular level. One thing he use to say about different media reports like "Today scientists cured rats of seizures," was the statement: "Well it's a very good day for rats!

Point being: It is a HUGE jump from a rat to a human or a petri dish to humans.

Buyer Beware.

The Best of Home

I'll be home for this one:

The Red River Revel Arts Festival will get things cooking with an opening-night concert by guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd on Oct. 1.

The Grammy-nominated Shreveport native will bring his soulful mix of rock and blues to the main stage on Festival Plaza.

So on October 1 you know where I'll be - Kenny Wayne Shepherd is goooooood baby! Its gonna be great to be home.

Bad Medicine

Back in the day when I was a wee little teenager working as a pharmacy clerk for a national chain store I was suffering from a hacking cough one night. I bought myself a bottle of Robitussin DM and downed the whole thing trying to kill that cough. Eventually the cough went away but I had to call a friend to drive me home. Looks like I was lucky that was it:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is concerned about the abuse of dextromethorphan (DXM), a synthetically produced ingredient found in many over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold remedies. The agency is working with other health and law enforcement authorities to address this serious issue and warn the public of potential harm, after five recently reported deaths of teenagers that may be associated with the consumption of powdered DXM sold in capsules.

Although DXM, when formulated properly and used in small amounts, can be safely used in cough suppressant medicines, abuse of the drug can cause death as well as other serious adverse events such as brain damage, seizure, loss of consciousness, and irregular heart beat.

DXM abuse, though not a new phenomenon, has developed into a disturbing new trend which involves the sale of pure DXM in powdered form. This pure DXM is often encapsulated by the “dealer” and offered for street use.

Please note that taken properly, dxm is safe for use.

The Bible Belt: Coming Your Way

Evangelical Christians will be taking over the Ivies very soon. Count me in as one of those supporters. I pray they are all very successful in their missionary work, especially right here in Providence.

Believe me, Brown can use the influence.

Go read the link; not only will you not be disappointed, but probably pleasantly surprised.

Toilet Paper

From Cox and Forkum:

The boys at Newsweek really jumped the track:

Newsweek magazine said on Sunday it erred in a May 9 report that U.S. interrogators desecrated the Koran at Guantanamo Bay, and apologized to the victims of deadly Muslim protests sparked by the article.

Editor Mark Whitaker said the magazine inaccurately reported that U.S. military investigators had confirmed that personnel at the detention facility in Cuba had flushed the Muslim holy book down the toilet.

That's right boys and girls: actions have consequences.

Glenn Reynolds has the quotable quote of the day:

Two points: (1) If they had wrongly reported the race of a criminal and produced a lynching, they'd feel much worse -- which is why they generally don't report such things, a degree of sensitivity they don't extend to reporting on, you know, minor topics like wars; and (2) If a blogger had made a similar mistake, with similar consequences, we'd be hearing about Big Media's superior fact-checking and layers of editors.

People died, and U.S. military and diplomatic efforts were damaged, because -- let's be clear here -- Newsweek was too anxious to get out a story that would make the Bush Administration and the military look bad.

I hope you're not still paying for that subscription.

Live Blogging Notice

What: Rocco Dipippo of the Autonomist will be in D.C. on Saturday to attend and report on the Muslim March Against Terrorism.
When: 1-4 pm e.s.t.
Where: KelliPundit will be posting for Rocco at The Autonomist.
Background Info: Muslims' Unheralded Messenger:

Promoted as the first Muslim-led public demonstration against terrorism in the nation's capital, this rally is seen by some as an overdue response to the nagging public perception, right or wrong, that American Muslims have been too hushed in their criticism of Islamic extremists.

Rocco hopes to have an interview with the organizer, so stay tuned...

Come on over and check it out!

UPDATE: Rocco has also posted on the rally at Moonbat Central. He is in place on the ground and the reports will be coming in. Check it out at The Autonomist.

The Hood

You never know what you're going to see on the East-side here in Providence. I've decided that I must keep a digital camera with me at all times, cuz you just never know what you're going to see when you walk around the hood. Today was no exception and I did have that camera with me. This is what I found in front of me today when I took the boys to hit some balls at the local city park.Animal Liberation found at the link seems to be the group that this sticker is referring to. They have a list of "political prisoners" that is pretty interesting. These freaks would love for you to write letters to all those folks in jail that would rather burn down your house than have you take up a half-acre of land.

Oh how I love living so close to Brown University!

Spring Has Sprung!!

New England is blooming like crazy right now! The area is well known for the Fall leaves, but I think Spring is equally as beautiful here, if not more so. The hospital where I've worked this past year has two amazing trees in front that are in full bloom and here is a pic:
And in honor of a long-awaited Spring, here is an updated pic of two of the most beautiful boys in the world.>You know that there was way too much snow this past winter when the kids didn't want to go out and play in it anymore. My kids have been jumping for joy that Spring is finally here.

Lucky Duck and the Alamo

Nickelodeon spent the last few weeks spreading misinformation concerning the Battle at the Alamo. I lived in San Antonio for four years and visited the Alamo many, many times, basically everytime we had out-of-town visitors. Matter of fact, the day before I went into labor with my first son, I spent the day walking the river walk right to the end at the Alamo. I can still remember sitting next to the memorial to take a rest in the scorching Texas September heat. It was 2 days post my due date at the time.

There's two things about the Alamo: 1) It is much smaller in person than what you'd think. 2) The people of Texas and San Antonio are very proud of the Alamo and the historical facts.

However, this is not a history lesson. Here's a tidbit from the first link:

Despite being warned by respected historian R. Bruce Winders that the description was simplistic and inaccurate, the network ran the piece.

"We recognize that there were several key issues in the Battle of the Alamo and one of them was slavery," said Mark Lyons, a senior producer for Nick News at Lucky Duck Productions in New York, which contracts for the Viacom Inc.-owned network.

Texas declared independence in 1836 when Mexico's leader, Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, revoked the existing constitution that allowed white settlement of the nation's northernmost province.

"The slavery issue was a factor but not the main one," Winders wrote Nickelodeon prior to the piece airing. "The revolt in Texas started as an effort to restore the Federal Republic under the (Mexican) constitution of 1824, but quickly evolved into a separatist movement."

About 200 Texan fighters held off thousands of Mexico troops for 13 days until Santa Anna finally crushed them on March 6, 1836. However, the siege gave other Texas units a chance to move east and gather for an ultimately pivotal battle near Houston in April 1836 that secured Texas independence.

What justice exists when a guy that works for a company named "Lucky Duck" gets to bastardize our proud history to a nationwide audience? Go sit at the foot of that memorial and read the names of the men that died fighting for independence and you'll feel the same as me.

Stones and Glass Houses

Jack Kelly takes the time to dress down the media and hypocritical democrats over the Tom Delay farce.

It is clear DeLay is a piker when it comes to congressional travel. PoliticalMoneyLine, a nonpartisan watchdog group, released a study April 27 that showed members of Congress have taken 5,400 official trips at a cost of $16 million over the last five years. The top 10 frequent travelers all were Democrats, ranging from 61 to 39 trips. DeLay was ranked 119th with 14 trips.

Democrats and liberal journalists want to destroy DeLay because he's been an effective leader. He isn't nicknamed "The Hammer" for nothing. By heaping charge upon charge, they hope to damage DeLay's reputation and make him a liability.

One can consider DeLay's closeness to lobbyists unseemly, as I am inclined to do. But what is sauce for the goose ought also to be sauce for the gander. If it is wrong for DeLay to hire family members to work on his campaign, then it is wrong for Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., to do so. If it is all right for Pelosi to take trips funded by private groups, then it is all right for DeLay to do so.

Journalists know full well that these activities are commonplace, but they make it seem as if only DeLay were engaging in them. The hypocrisy is breathtaking.

Go get it all...good ammo for slaying hypocritical liberals.

Link via RCP.

Cool Accounting!

You'll have to excuse me -- I'm currently ROFLMAO!!!

This is FREAKING BRILLIANT!!

I'm not kidding. Stuff this good doesn't come along too often. Sometimes you just have to trust me.

Edison Who?

Multiculturalism in science textbooks has been exposed in this great column found at FrontPage Magazine. Check this out:

Several centuries ago, some "very light-skinned" people were shipwrecked on a tropical island. After "many years under the tropical sun," this light-skinned population became "dark-skinned," says Biology: The Study of Life, a high-school textbook published in 1998 by Prentice Hall, an imprint of Pearson Education.

"Downright bizarre," says Nina Jablonski, who holds the Irvine chair of anthropology at the California Academy of Sciences. Jablonski, an expert in the evolution of skin color, says it takes at least 15,000 years for skin color to evolve from black to white or vice versa. That sure is "many years." The suggestion that skin color can change in a few generations has no basis in science.

Pearson Education spokesperson Wendy Spiegel admits the error in describing the evolution of skin color, but says the teacher's manual explains the phenomenon correctly. Just why teachers are given accurate information while students are misled remains unclear.(/snip)

And it continues:

Affirmative action for women and minorities is similarly pervasive in science textbooks, to absurd effect. Al Roker, the affable black NBC weatherman, is hailed as a great scientist in one book in the Discovery Works series. It is common to find Marie Curie given a picture and half a page of text, but her husband, Pierre, who shared a Nobel Prize with her, relegated to the role of supportive spouse. In the same series, Thomas Edison, inventor of the light bulb, is shown next to black scientist Lewis Latimer, who improved the light bulb by adding a carbon filament. Edison's picture is smaller.

Jews have been awarded 22 percent of all Nobel Prizes in science, but readers of Houghton Mifflin's fifth-grade textbooks won't get wind of that. Navajo physicist Fred Begay, however, merits half a page for his study of Navajo medicine. Albert Einstein isn't mentioned. Biologist Clifton Poodry has made no noteworthy scientific discoveries, but he was born on the Tonawanda Seneca Indian reservation, so his picture is shown in Glenco/McGraw-Hill's Life Science (2002), a middle-school biology textbook. The head of the Human Genome Project, Francis Collins, and Nobel Laureates James Watson, Maurice H.F. Wilkins, and Francis Crick aren't named.

Addison-Wesley, another imprint of Pearson Education, is so keen on political correctness that it lists a multicultural review board of nonscientists in its Science Insights: Exploring Matter and Energy, published in 1994 but still in use. Houghton Mifflin says it overemphasizes minorities and women to "encourage" students from these groups. A spokesman for Pearson Education blames the states for demanding multiculturalism.

If it's the states that impose multiculturalism, however, they're only doing the bidding of the National Academy of Sciences. In 1995, the academy published the National Science Education Standards, which, according to academy president Bruce Alberts, "represent the best thinking . . . about what is best for our nation's students." The standards (which explicitly place religion on a par with "myth and superstition") counsel school boards to modify "assessments" for students with "limited English proficiency" by, for example, raising their scores. They tell teachers to be "sensitive" to students who are "economically deprived, female, have disabilities, or [come] from populations underrepresented in the sciences." Teachers should especially encourage "women and girls, students of color and students with disabilities."(/snip)

For those of you who are still dreaming about the false illusions of the Clinton years, this is for you:

The aim of President Bill Clinton's Goals 2000 project, enacted nine years ago, was to make American students first in science literacy. It didn't happen. A study by the National Assessment governing board in 2000 found that only 12 percent of graduating seniors were proficient in science. International surveys continue to show that American high school seniors rank 19th among seniors surveyed in 21 countries.

Only one thing will begin to reverse this horrendous 'politically-correct', multicultural perversion of our children's education: Persistent Parental Outrage. Squeeky wheels are what get attention. If I ever find these PC, Multicultural textbooks in my kids possession, not only will I pull all support from that school, I will enlist groups of parents along with me.

I thank God everyday I can afford to send my kids to private school where I am a customer and the administration must be reactive to parental concerns.

Don't think this just stops at the life-sciences, they've done it with math as well.

Learn about "MultiCultural Math": Moonbat Math and Moonbat Math: Part 2.

Remember parents: Both of these sciences are being perverted under the nice term of "multicultural". If your school uses this term in their mission statement in any context your radar needs to be in full alarm mode. This is how they get it past you, or worse yet, make you appear to be a bad person to be outwardly against "multicultural" education. It is a big fat, dirty lie.

(Link found via Right Thinking)

I'm Not a Runaway

I promise that I've not developed cold feet for blogging and have run off to New Mexico.

Truth is, I'm more devoted to working out and coordinating a cross-country move right now than the blogging thing. Very soon I should have more time.

Today was my last day for work and it was a rough one. It's just a bummer to end the year on that particular note. It was necessary however... Whatever.

There's a lot of funny stuff out there tonight...check out my side-bar. Ace of Spades and Beautiful Atrocities keeps me going these days.

More tomorrow.

Proud in RI

After blathering below how a beloved Red State can have its useful idiots, I found this great story via The Anchoress. This story warms my heart to no end. There may be far fewer conservatives in RI than in your average Red State, but man are they passionate.

College administrators have been enthusiastic supporters Eve Ensler’s play The Vagina Monologues and schools across the nation celebrate “V-Day” (short for Vagina Day) every year. But when the College Republicans at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island rained on the celebrations of V-Day by inaugurating Penis Day and staging a satire called The Penis Monologues, the official reaction was horror. Two participating students, Monique Stuart and Andy Mainiero, have just received sharp letters of reprimand and have been placed on probation by the Office of Judicial Affairs. The costume of the P-Day “mascot” — a friendly looking “penis” named Testaclese, has been confiscated and is under lock and key in the office of the assistant dean of student affairs, John King.

The P-Day satirists are the first to admit that their initiative is tasteless and crude. But they rightly point out that V-Day is far more extreme. They are shocked that the administration has come down hard on their good-natured spoof, when all along it has been completely accommodating to the in-your-face vulgarity of the vagina activists.

And I have got to see this video:

“Testaclese” tipped the scales when he approached the university Provost, Edward J. Kavanagh, outside the student union. Apparently taking him/it for a giant mushroom, Provost Kavanagh cheerfully greeted him. But when Testaclese presented him with an honorary award as a campus “Penis Warrior,” the stunned official realized that it was no mushroom. After this incident, which was recorded on videotape, the promoters of P-Day were ordered to cease circulating their flyers and to keep Testaclese off campus grounds.

And my favorite part:

But for the short term, college administrators should brace themselves. The rebels at Roger Williams are talking about a Free Testaclese Fund. And word is spreading to other campuses. P-Day and Testaclese will be back next year. And not just in Rhode Island.

Oh, you've gotta love 'em! To be that young again...

Please read the entire article. There are many, many more details that will make you roll with laughter.

Many will find the language graphic in the linked story.

No Escape

My new blogging buddy, Tom at BizzyBlog, alerted me to this post that talks about a news story out of Bossier, La, sister city of Shreveport, my soon-to-be new home town. Seems as though a pretentious lawyer tried to substitute C.E. for A.D. on the high school diplomas in the state without, you know, checking with anyone.

Not that this is a hot issue or anything.

Louisiana's education chief has ordered a reprinting of all of this year's high school graduation diplomas after learning the dates had been changed from a Christian reference.

On the date line of the diplomas, the letters A.D. -- Anno Domini, Latin for "In the year of Our Lord" -- had been replaced by C.E. -- Common Era, a designation that is being used more often as an acknowledgment of other religions that do not follow Jesus Christ.

State Superintendent of Education Cecil Picard made the decision to reprint the diplomas after a complaint about the changes from the superintendent of Bossier Parish schools.

Bossier Superintendent Ken Kruithof called his predecessor, now-state Rep. Jane Smith of Bossier City, who called state education officials to find out what had been done.

The change was made by an assistant education superintendent and an attorney, Smith said.

"They were making some changes on the diploma with regard to the type of enhancement a young person has received when they graduate," Smith said. During that conversation, it's my understand the attorney said, 'Now would be a good time -- let's just take A.D. off and put C.E. on.'"

Go ahead and re-read the bolded part again. I would never want this guy fighting for my case. Jeez, he has already thrown up a white flag and is marching in step with the ACLU. This just goes to show you that in many, many corners, the ACLU has already won battles they've never had to fight because of spineless, defeated jackasses such as this.

Unless of course he's already an ACLU sympathizer, which is just as likely as well.

Either way, he got a big veto and has been exposed.

And my bubble has been busted. Even though I'm moving to a deep red state, political correctness will still be permeating all around me. Thanks a lot Tom! ;)

More Ramblin

More trivial details:

The three miles on the treadmill is getting easier lately. If you don't remember, I am dead serious about this war I've got going on with the RI poundage. They. Will. Be. Gone. by the time I leave this state. Don't waste your time telling me about diets. With two small boys in the house I can't maintain any super low-carb diets. I prefer hard-core endurance training with as many weights as I can get in.

I'm going back home to Louisiana for a short weekend in early June for a wedding. I'll be seeing lots of people that I have not seen in about 15 years. Yeah baby, that's right....I've got something to prove.

So anyway, I plan on logging in many more miles on the treadmill the next couple of months before our move and I plan on telling you about it. It's part of my motivation plan.

Short term goal: Lose 10 pounds by July 1.

Long term goal: Train and run the Austin marathon in February of 2006.

Keep me on my toes people, I need the help.

P.S. I ran the Austin marathon as a 2-man relay in 2001 which was the longest run I've ever completed to date - 13.1 miles.