Return to Sender

Illegal immigrants "self deport" as woes mount

The couple are among a growing number of illegal immigrants across the United States who are starting to pack their bags and move on as a crackdown on undocumented immigrants widens and the U.S. economy slows, turning a traditional Christmas trek home into a one-way trip.

In the past year, U.S. immigration police have stepped up workplace sweeps across the country and teamed up with a growing number of local forces to train officers to enforce immigration laws.

Meanwhile, a bill seeking to offer many of the 12 million illegal immigrants a path to legal status was tossed by the U.S. Congress, spurring many state and local authorities to pass their own measures targeting illegal immigrants.

The toughening environment has been coupled with a turndown in the U.S. economy, which has tipped the balance toward self deportation for many illegal immigrants left struggling to find work.

Gee, who would have thought that attrition through enforcement would work? Oh, that's right, conservatives! TOLD YA SO!

Tis the Season!

Racy 'Santa' cited for DUI

A beefy gent wearing a red Santa hat and purple G-string in Los Angeles this holiday season not only didn't pass for Santa but failed a Breathalyzer test, too.

Rick Carroll, 53, of Long Beach, Calif., who also sported a blond wig, black leg warmers and red, lace camisole, allegedly registered just over the legal blood-alcohol limit of .08 percent when officers tested him after he pulled up in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater Sunday night, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.

...

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Chief Ken Garner said officers were "pretty sure this is not ... Santa Claus."

"There was no Mel Gibson treatment for him," Garner added, referring to the help the actor received from deputies after his drunken driving arrest last year. "He had to sober up and find his own reindeer."

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I saw mommy groping Santa Claus

Update: Police say woman groped Santa

DANBURY -- A 33-year-old woman was charged with fourth-degree sexual assault Saturday after allegedly groping a man playing Santa Claus at the Danbury Fair mall.

...The mall Santa told police that Lamy touched him inappropriately while sitting on his lap.

"The security officer at the mall said Santa Claus has been sexually assaulted," Michael said.

...It isn't unusual for an adult to sit and pose with a picture with a mall Santa.

"I've had some very nice ladies sit on my lap," Connaghan said.

A harmless flirtation isn't out of the norm.

"Once in a while they'll say 'I hope Mrs. Claus isn't going to be upset.' You have to be discreet and kind and say 'Oh no, she'll be OK. You can sit here, but only for one photo.'"

The Wealthiest 1%

UPDATE 7/21/08: The Wealthiest 1% Again

Great article! All liberals in need of an economics lesson (wow, that's redundant!) should read it:

WSJ Taxes and Income

Every Democrat running for President wants to raise taxes on "the rich," but they will have to do something miraculous to outtax President Bush. Based on the latest available tax data, no Administration in modern history has done more to pry tax revenue from the wealthy.

Last week the Congressional Budget Office joined the IRS in releasing tax numbers for 2005, and part of the news is that the richest 1% paid about 39% of all income taxes that year. The richest 5% paid a tad less than 60%, and the richest 10% paid 70%. These tax shares are all up substantially since 1990, and
even somewhat since 2000. Meanwhile, Americans with an income below the median -- half of all households -- paid a mere 3% of all income taxes in 2005. ...

...In 1980, when the top income tax rate was 70%, the richest 1% paid only 19% of all income taxes; now, with a top rate of 35%, they pay more than double that share. ...

The girl that brings the knife to the food fight

Student Arrested After Cutting Food With Knife

An elementary student in Marion County was arrested Thursday after school officials found her cutting food during lunch with a knife that she brought from home, police said.

The 10-year-old girl, a student at Sunrise Elementary School in Ocala, was charged possession of a weapon on school property, which is a felony.

According to authorities, school employees spotted the girl cutting her food while she was eating lunch and took the steak knife from her.

They called the police and had a 10 year old girl arrested?! Seriously?! They couldn't just take it away from her and tell her not to bring it again?

The terrorists have won

Man Drinks Liter of Vodka at Airport Line

A man nearly died from alcohol poisoning after quaffing a liter (two pints) of vodka at an airport security check instead of handing it over to comply with new carry-on rules, police said Wednesday.

The incident occurred at the Nuremberg airport on Tuesday, where the 64-year-old man was switching planes on his way home to Dresden from a holiday in Egypt.

New airport rules prohibit passengers from carrying larger quantities of liquid onto planes, and he was told at a security check he would have to either throw out the bottle of vodka or pay a fee to have his carry-on bag checked as cargo.

Instead, he chugged the bottle down - and was quickly unable to stand or otherwise function, police said.

A doctor called to the scene determined he had possibly life-threatening alcohol poisoning, and he was sent to a Nuremberg clinic for treatment.

That's What Christmas Means to Me, My Love

Christmas means spending time with family - poll

Despite the stress and commercialism of the holiday season, what most Americans enjoy most about Christmas is spending time with family and friends, according to a new poll.

Two-thirds of people surveyed by Harris Interactive felt their loved ones were the most important aspect of Christmas, followed far behind by parties and presents.

This is the stupidest, most ridiculous poll I have ever heard of! What idiot didn't know what Christmas means to people and needed a poll to figure it out?! The assumption that we are all crass materialists, expected to value presents and parties over family is insulting!

This just shows what a perverted view of American life the media has! I bet they'd be shocked to find out that most people know Jesus is the 'reason for the season' and celebrate the religious aspect of CHRIST-mas. Unbelievable!

Dog fancy

$2 Million Hotel For Pets Offers Plasma TVs, Private Disco

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. -- A new $2 million high-end hotel for South Florida pets features plasma TV screens, world-class groomers and a special disco.

The 10,000-square foot hotel in Pompano Beach is exclusively for four-legged pets but the hotel offers an animal social hour that can be seen on a Web cam.

During a stay at the Chateau Poochie, dogs are pampered by world-class groomers and special treatment.

"It's a $2 million facility specifically for dogs and cats, designed by Stephen G Interiors," owner Michelle Soudry said.

From the website http://www.chateaupoochie.com/:

Services:

Dog Day Care, Luxury Hotel & Spa, Grooming Salon, Wellness Center, Designer Boutique, Training, Bakery & Health Food Market, Pet Model Agency, Pooch Limo Service

Amenities:

Suites with Plasma TV and Web Cams, Filtered Water, Complete Air Exchange/ Air Filtration System, Day Care Rooms with Impact resistant rubber flooring, Massage & Snuggle Time, Evening Turn Down Service, Gourmet Holistic Meals, Client Pickup and Delivery and Much More!

"I am McLovin!"

"What? One name? ONE NAME? Who are you? Seal?"
"This guy is either gonna think 'Here's another kid with a fake ID' or 'Here's McLovin, a 25 year-old Hawaiian organ donor'."

City seeks ban on ‘Superbad’ over bogus ‘McLovin’ ID

The city asked Wal-Mart Stores Inc. yesterday to stop selling packages of the "Superbad" DVD movie that contain a copy of a fake Hawaii driver's license featured in the comedy.

Officials said they have notified local authorities and even the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, fearing minors might use the plastic cards to buy alcohol or drive vehicles.

"It concerns us because it may encourage unlawful activities," said Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann. "We love publicity and promotion but not this kind."

...Jeff Coelho, city director of the Department of Customer Services, said the card sold with the DVD could be modified with a printer to look like a real ID.

"You'd have something that is really close and similar to our official driver's license," he said. "But when you do that, you would be breaking the law."

Hat tip to Kate who says, "You know what else can be modified on a printer to look like a real ID? A REAL ID!!!"

"You have many treasures, gypsy. Who did you rob for this?"

Gypsy, who is this woman you have shrunk?

Gypsy Clans Feud Over Fortunetelling Biz

A dispute between two Gypsy clans over control of the fortunetelling trade in this Southern California city has spilled into court, offering a rare glimpse of an insular culture that has long settled scores according to its own Old World rules of honor.

The turf war in well-to-do Orange County has unfolded like a gangster movie, with allegations of death threats, a graveside scuffle, and nicknames like "White Bob" and "Black Bob" - details revealed in a police report and requests for restraining orders.

"The older Gypsies are pulling out their hair, not wanting the courts in our business because they'll find out too much about us," said Tom Merino, who is distantly related to one of the clans but has spurned his heritage. "Ignorance is the Gypsies' weapon against the outside world."

Real life gypsies? SWEET! I like how one of the gypsies' family names is "Stevens"

Overheard

I have recently discovered the magic of
http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/
http://www.overheardintheoffice.com/
http://www.overheardeverywhere.com/
http://www.overheardatthebeach.com/ and
http://eavesdropdc.blogspot.com/

Here are examples that made me laugh out loud:

3PM Office Decorum Can Be a Sticky Issue
Supervisor: Did you happen to locate that file while I was away this week?
Employee: No. I'm not comfortable rooting through your drawers. I feel like I am up to something.
Supervisor: Uhhh...

via Overheard in the Office, Dec 4, 2007



Give Him a Break. It's Kentucky.
Man walking through automatic doors: Wow, it's the store of the future. The doors open by themselves!

Louisville, Kentucky

via Overheard Everywhere, Dec 4, 2007



And I'm Sorry, Okay?
Conductor over loudspeaker: Diana, I have your clothes... Diana, the head conductor has your clothes.

MBTA Commuter Rail
Boston, Massachusetts

via Overheard Everywhere, Dec 1, 2007



Gay Passerby: Wait, Now I'm Offended.
Native American woman to lady dressed as Indian: I find your costume very offensive.
Lady dressed as Indian: No... But I'm part of the Village People [points to girls dressed as cop and construction worker].
Native American woman, after long pause: Oh, well, that's okay, then.

Calgary Stampede
Calgary, Alberta

via Overheard Everywhere, Nov 24, 2007



9AM It's Not Like I Read Anything That Crosses My Desk
Lady peon: I can't believe I wrote 'Happy Birthday' on that card.
Coworker: You did? Did anyone fix it?
Lady peon: They're always passing around cards! How am I supposed to know it's a sympathy card?! Then I go asking when we're going to have cake!

Federal Street
Boston, Massachusetts
via Overheard in the Office, Nov 22, 2007




2PM Allow Me to Demonstrate
Manager: What motivates you to do your best job possible?
Interviewee: Well, I don't do anything half-assed... Yeah, I like to put my whole ass into everything I do.

1158 Howard Street
San Francisco, California

via Overheard in the Office, Nov 22, 2007




You're Lucky We're Letting You Breathe Heavily
Little boy: I don't wanna walk any more.
Father: No talking when we're on vacation!

Michigan Avenue and East Hubbard
Chicago, Illinois

via Overheard Everywhere, Nov 21, 2007




That's a Judgment -- I Asked for Your Perception
Ironman contestant's wife at mile 10 of the run leg: Honey, how are you feeling?
Ironman contestant: This was a stupid idea!

Vineman Ironman triathlon
Santa Rosa, California

via Overheard Everywhere, Nov 19, 2007




Portrait of a Man Whose Wife No Longer Wants Him
Little girl, after fireworks: Was that magic, Daddy?
Father: There's no such thing as magic.

Magic Kingdom, Disney World
Florida

via Overheard Everywhere, Nov 18, 2007

Old Fart!

Pensioner with 'disgusting flatulence' banned from breaking wind in social club

After several complaints from members, father-of-three Maurice has been told he must leave the building when he needs to break wind.

The frail widower admits he has a problem but says he often cannot make it to the door in time because his explosive flatulence takes him by surprise.

He blames the outbursts on the potent cider he used to drink but claims his problem is much better since he switched to bitter.

...He said: "It's only a little bit of wind - it doesn't really hurt anyone. I sit by the door anyway and try to get out when I can.

"But sometimes it takes me by surprise and just pops out. I don't want to offend people but I am getting on a bit. ...

"But I was surprised to get the letter from the committee. I know I've got a reputation but I'm much better now.

"They can be a bit loud at times. If I've got time and know they are coming I pop into the porch inside the door.

"There is no smell at all since I gave up the cider and started on the Bass.

More Daily Mail babies

'I only loved one of my twins': The shocking confession from a depressed mother

"Mia calmed down a little, but Gracie did as she always did - arched her back and kicked her legs as if she was trying to get away from me.

"She looked possessed. The glint in her eyes said she hated me, that she wanted me to die. I was close to throwing myself off the balcony."

Sophie, then 21, was suffering from a severe form of post-natal depression (PND).

It was an illness with a heartbreaking and unusual twist: she had managed to bond with only one of her little girls and thought that the other tiny child hated her.

Great, now I have a new fear for when I get pregnant!

Modern art in a nutshell

Toddler fools the art world into buying his tomato ketchup paintings

To the untrained eye, they appear to be simple daubs that could have been created by a two year old. Which is precisely what they are.

But that didn't stop the supposed experts falling over themselves to acclaim them.

The toddler in question is Freddie Linsky, who has fooled the art world into buying and asking to exhibit his paintings.

Freddie's efforts, which include works using tomato ketchup composed while sitting on his high chair, were posted by his mother Estelle Lovatt on collector Charles Saatchi's online gallery.

..."He has progressed from ketchup to acrylics on paper or canvas. I wondered whether the art world would be encouraging or dismissive if I showed his work online.

"I thought people would figure it out. But a collector paid £20 for The Best Loved Elephant. He said he liked the flow and energy of the picture. ...

That's what modern art looks like to me - the finger paintings of a two year old - turns out I was right!

The hooker with a heart of gold

Prostitute auctions sex for charity

A Chilean prostitute has auctioned 27 hours of sex to raise money for the country's largest charity during an annual fund-raising campaign.

Maria Carolina became an overnight celebrity in the conservative Roman Catholic country, making news headlines and appearing on talk shows since she made her
unusual donation to the televised charity event, which runs for 27 hours starting on Friday evening.

"I've already auctioned off the 27 hours of love," Maria Carolina told Reuters on Wednesday, saying she had raised about $4,000. "One of my clients already paid. It seemed like a good deed to him."

Adult prostitution is legal in Chile. Chile's two-day Teleton fundraiser is endorsed by television stars and aims to raise funds for poor, disabled children.

No babies in England

I haven't blogged for a while, so here are two Daily Mail Horror stories:

#1 The environmentalist wackos who'd abort or not have their own children for the planet. Save the planet, kill yourself, I always say.

Meet the women who won't have babies - because they're not eco friendly

Had Toni Vernelli gone ahead with her pregnancy ten years ago, she would
know at first hand what it is like to cradle her own baby, to have a pair of innocent eyes gazing up at her with unconditional love, to feel a little hand slipping into hers - and a voice calling her Mummy.

But the very thought makes her shudder with horror.

Because when Toni terminated her pregnancy, she did so in the firm belief she was helping to save the planet.

#2 The nanny state tries to take newborn babies away from mothers who've recovered from mental problems

I've fled the country to stop social workers taking my baby

Seven years ago Fran had an eating and selfharming disorder and spent 13
months in a psychiatric hospital followed by nine successful months of
counselling.

Now 22, and with her emotional troubles behind her,
Fran is outraged that she should be judged a risk to herself
and her child despite a fistful of medical reports that dispute
this.

...Fran says she was told by social services that she was in danger of
suffering from Munchausen's by Proxy, a controversial and unproven
condition in which a parent – usually the mother – invents an illness
in her child to draw attention to herself.

Apart from Dr Ward Platt's letter, there has been no other
evidence presented to Fran suggesting that she was at such risk.

...Dr Ward Platt also recommended that Fran be assessed by professionals. Social services drew up their "birth plan" without doing any of these assessments. In October, Fran was told the plan would mean that Molly would be immediately removed into care, minutes after she was born. Fran was also told she could not be trusted to breast-feed her,

...But perhaps most worrying of all is the fact that Fran's case, while
undoubtedly extreme, is also indicative of a disturbing trend.
Two thousand babies less than a year old were taken from their parents last year
by social services – three times the number of ten years ago.

Not a jar of dirt

Possible Scattering Of Human Remains On Disney Rides Reported

Disneyland workers were recently forced to close the "Pirates of the Caribbean" attraction after a ride security camera caught a woman apparently dumping human remains, in what may be a growing trend.

Workers at the Anaheim theme park spotted the woman sprinkling an unidentified substance into the water on the "Pirates" ride. Anaheim police were notified of the incident.

...They said it started at the Haunted Mansion, but now the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride is growing in popularity.

Al Lutz, who runs Miceage.com, told KABC that it is not unusual for people to scatter a loved one's remains at the happiest place on earth.

I also very much enjoy this remix of "Jar of Dirt"

WaPo apologizes for truth

WashPost Critic Apologizes for E-Mail

Tim Page wrote to Barry's aide last week after receiving a press release about the former mayor's views on the financially troubled Greater Southeast Community Hospital.

"Must we hear about it every time this crack addict
attempts to rehabilitate himself with some new—and typically half-witted—political grandstanding?" the e-mail said. "I'd be grateful if you would take me off your mailing list. I cannot think of anything the useless Marion Barry could do that would interest me in the slightest, up to and including overdose."

...In an e-mail to Barry's aide, Andre Johnson, Page said he was sorry for his "rude" response. "I am deeply ashamed for what I did and I know how hateful my words could be."

...Barry said he was "outraged" at the e-mail, "particularly coming from a reporter at a reputable newspaper like The Washington Post, not a rag." He said Page "ought to be fired, and The Washington Post ought to run an editorial
apology."

I don't get it; why'd he apologize?

Cool action shots

These were my two favorites of the
25 Photographs Taken at the Exact Right Time

Daily Mail - Adoption horror story

I've noticed the UK's Daily Mail has a lot of stories about people confessing and explaining horrible things they've done, like women who've had 10 abortions or a man who cheated on his dying wife, so now I'm going to draw attention to these shocking stories and comment on them.

I didn't like my adopted daughter so I gave her back
This single mother thought it would be nice to adopt a 7 year old girl who was sent to Britain by her parents to live with her uncle who abandoned her. Her expectations of a little girl who had been rejected by her family are unbelievably unreasonable and naive:

"I simply couldn't reach her. I suppose I did get frustrated by it. I would say to her sometimes: 'Do you want me to be your mummy?', and she would reply: 'No, I've already got one.'
[Well, does she expect this 7 year old girl to understand that her parents abandoned her and now she has to find a new mommy? Does she expect this girl to forget about her own mother and immediately take to her?]

..."Once when she had done something or other I had asked her not to, she just gave me this look as if to say: 'What are you going to do about it?' I thought to myself: 'You just don't care, do you?'
"It was not the incidents in themselves that bothered me, more the underlying emotional gap."
[Clearly this little girl has abandonment issues and was testing her adoptive mother. And what is this "emotional gap" that this woman expects to fill with a troubled child?]

...Around this time, Zahina wrote a letter to her mother in Tanzania, asking when she was coming to fetch her. Eventually she received a card, but there was no reply to her questions.
"The penny dropped, and she realised her mother wasn't coming to get her," says Julie. "She had no other option but me. At that point she actually started making more effort, but it was too late by then.
[How horrible that this woman didn't understand that the little girl was holding out hope her parents would come get her and instead gave up on the child for not adapting as quickly or as emotionally as she had hoped. Of course a 7 year old would think her mother was coming back and give her current caretaker problems.]

..."When I did tell Zahina [she was sending her back] she was incredibly upset, she just sobbed and sobbed. It was hard to take. She said she'd tried so hard, and got nothing back, and I told her I knew what she meant because that was exactly how I had felt.
[I seriously doubt a 7 year old expressed the feeling that she tried hard and got nothing back. And shame on this woman for expecting something back so soon from a traumatized little girl!]

..."Zahina and I had different expectations. I hadn't expected to replicate
the relationship I had with my daughter but I had expected a certain emotional
closeness.
"That was not Zahina's expectation of our relationship.
"But Zahina and I went on a journey together and I hope she learnt something about the nature of parenting and family relationships. While she was with me she came
to terms with a lot of her past."
[Her expectations of this 7 year old girl were and still are unrealistic. I doubt the little girl even understood what was happening and that she was being adopted or even what that meant.]

This woman is horrible and completely unfit to adopt! She should have had more patience and realized #1 that this girl was ONLY 7 years old, #2 she had been abandoned by her mother who is still alive, and #3 she needed stability and unconditional love and attention. That poor child will be messed up and have abandonment issues for life because of her!

And that's the Daily Mail horror story of the day!

Big dog, little dog

It's a dog's life as the world's tallest pooch meets the smallest

Despite their radical difference in size, these two dogs have something in common - Gibson the Great Dane and Boo Boo the toy Chihuahua are both world record holders.

Measuring a whopping 107cm, gentle giant Gibson was named tallest dog back in 2004. Joining him in the hall of fame for 2007 is tiny Boo Boo who only measures 10.16cm tall and is smaller than Gibson's head.

It looks like the big dog is going to eat the little one!

Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time

Russia's "chessboard killer": Punishment too harsh

Russia's "chessboard killer" has appealed his life sentence, saying he thinks spending the rest of his life in jail is too strong a punishment for murdering 48 people, his lawyer said on Friday.

...But his lawyer said the serial killer thinks the punishment does not fit the crime and should be cut to 25 years.

"Pichushkin thinks the sentence is too harsh," said his lawyer Alexander Karyagin, adding that an appeal had been lodged with Moscow city court.

"When I met with my client, I explained to him that the appeal would probably be refused, but he insisted that it should be filed."

"It's my job," Karyagin told Reuters by telephone on Friday.

I agree, that sentence IS unreasonable for 48 murders - he should get the death penalty!

What a swell guy!

Fans catch treat at Varitek home

This Halloween, Jason Varitek gave trick-or-treaters something infinitely more valuable than a king-sized Snickers bar. The Red Sox captain sat in a lawn chair at the top on his driveway and handed out autographs, signing baseballs, hats, shirts, pillow cases stuffed with candy, and a green alien glove from a youngster's costume.

Gotta love 'Tek!

Pantless Judge Now Jobless

Man in $54M Pants Lawsuit Loses Job

An administrative law judge who sued a D.C. dry cleaner for $54 million has lost his job.

Administrative Law Judge Roy Pearson had a seven-page letter delivered to him Tuesday. The letter described the reasons a D.C. panel voted against reappointing him to the bench.

...The panel reached a decision based on Pearson's work and temperament as a judge and the $54 million lawsuit.

Pearson was appointed in 2005 to an initial two-year term, which expired in May. He requested to be appointed for a 10-year term.

Good riddance!

Past blog posts: Update on Pant-less judge
The Judge has No Clothes

Sicko in Great Britain

Here's that great universal healthcare we keep hearing about in other countries:

British patients favour India most for treatment

LONDON: India has emerged the most popular destination for British patients wanting to undergo surgery for ailments that would otherwise take months to treat in the National Health Service (NHS).

In the first major survey of medical tourism, figures show that British citizens have travelled to 112 hospitals in 48 countries for safe, quick and affordable treatment. NHS hospitals in Britain face long waiting lists and hygiene challenged by superbugs.

...Andrew Lansley, the shadow health secretary, said the figures were a "terrible indictment" of government policies that were undermining the efforts of the NHS staff to provide quality services.

He said: "Healthcare is an area where Britain could be a world beater because we have some of the best research and best clinicians. If people don't trust the health service, then that is a terrible indictment of this government, which has turned the NHS into a nationalised bureaucracy, instead of something able to focus on what patients want."

Baby animals + the Sox!

Two of my favorite things!

Baby giraffe named in honor of World Series champions

BOSTON --There's a new member to the growing population of Red Sox Nation -- a baby giraffe.

Zoo officials on Monday named a calf born on the morning after Game 1 of the World Series after the Red Sox in honor of Boston's four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies, Zoo New England President and Chief Executive Officer John Linehan said in a statement.

The names "Red," "Fenway," "Champion," and "Boston" were among several proposed for the female giraffe, but Franklin Park Zoo staff settled for "Sox" because of her long, lanky legs, according to the statement.

"Sox" weighed 154 pounds at birth, standing 6 feet 2 inches tall. The giraffe was not named immediately after birth because the zoo's superstitious staff wanted to wait until after the World Series because they didn't want to jinx the outcome, according to the statement.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!

Some of my favorite pics from the last few days:

We already knew Kucinich was 'out there'

Somehow this is not at all surprising to me

Kucinich sees UFO, new book claims

Kucinich, she writes on page143-144 of the book, "had a close sighting over my home in Graham, Washington, when I lived there. Dennis found his encounter extremely moving. The smell of roses drew him out to my balcony where, when he looked up, he saw a gigantic triangular craft, silent, and observing him. It hovered, soundless, for ten minutes or so, and sped away with a speed he couldn't comprehend. He said he felt a connection in his heart and heard directions in his mind."

Representatives of Kucinich's presidential campaign and congressional office have not responded to calls and e-mail asking whether the Cleveland Democratic congressman in fact saw a UFO or if there is another explanation for MacLaine's recollection.

Trick or Treat?

Am I the only one who hears of a noose in October and immediately thinks Halloween?

3rd Noose Found In Recent Long Island Trend
Discovery One Of Many Hate Symbols Of Old South Lynchings

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (AP) ― A noose was found today on a fence at a Long Island public works garage, a day after two nooses were found at another municipality's highway department garage.

Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray today announced that the Nassau County town's 2,000 employees will undergo diversity and sensitivity training.

The latest noose was found this morning, hanging off a chain-link fence, inside a Nassau County Department of Public Works facility in Baldwin.

Isn't there the slightest possibility that this has nothing to do with hate but an upcoming holiday?

Potty Mouth

West Side woman faces jail time for swearing at toilet

A West Scranton woman could face up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $300 for allegedly shouting profanities at an overflowing toilet while inside her Luzerne Street home.

Dawn Herb, whose potty mouth caught the attention of an off-duty police officer, was charged with disorderly conduct recently, prompting her to fire off a letter to the editor and vow to fight the charge.

“It doesn’t make any sense. I was in my house. It’s not like I was outside or drunk,” said Ms. Herb, who resides at 924 Luzerne St. along with her four young children. “A cop can charge you with disorderly conduct for disrespecting them?”

...Although Ms. Herb doesn’t recall exactly what she said, she admitted that she was frustrated and let more than a few choice words fly. Unfortunately, it was near an open bathroom window.

“The toilet was overflowing and leaking down into the kitchen and I was yelling (for my daughter) to get the mop,” she said. “A guy is yelling, ‘Shut the f--- up,’ and I yelled back, ‘Mind your own business.’ ”

Her next-door neighbor, Patrick Gilman, a city police officer who was off-duty at the time, apparently had enough of Ms. Herb’s foul mouth and asked her to keep it down, police said. When Ms. Herb didn’t stop, he called the police.

What a difference 7 years makes!

Call Derek Jeter the Teflon Captain

This time A-Rod isn't the only one wearing the horns, as Looie Carnesecca used to say. This time the shortstop, the captain of the team, hurt the Yankees every bit as much as the third baseman did. It goes on his record with all the winning.

This one goes on him, really for the first time.

After all the hits he has gotten at this time of year, after all the plays he has made - The Flip against Oakland in 2001 is the greatest play in Yankee postseason history, which means all the Octobers - this time Jeter left even more runners on base than A-Rod did.

...There is more. For the first time - and maybe this was because of a sore knee that we kept hearing about but Jeter never discussed because it is never his way to make excuses - his range in the field seemed to decline, sometimes dramatically. That got no better against the Indians. Only a scoring call more generous than the Salvation Army got him out of a bad error in the first inning of Game 3.

You kept thinking he would do something. He was Jeter, after all. This was the postseason. Another notion out of the past. He let the team down as much as A-Rod did, as much as Jorge Posada. He wasn't supposed to carry the team the way A-Rod did during the regular season. He was still supposed to give it something. Instead he was another Yankee who hit about as well as Chien-Ming Wang pitched.

...Jeter came to the plate with runners on first and third, one out, the score at 6-2 now. If he hits the ball hard someplace, produces another Jeter moment, the place would have exploded. Maybe the Indians would have done the same. As he walked to the plate, the 55,000 stood and asked him to make this one of those nights out of the past.

He hit a harmless ground ball to second, perfect double play ball, the Indians were out of what could have been a real bad inning. When he came up to lead off the bottom of the ninth, trying to get on ahead of Bobby Abreu and A-Rod, he popped out. All he had.

Gotta love it!

Beware the Phantom Pooper

Phantom Pooper Has City & Businesses Disgusted

A phantom pooper is taking a squat in the back of one Idaho Falls neighborhood.

"If the wind blows in that area, you can smell it through our back door."

"I'd like to catch the person, you know. I think it's disgusting."

Here's the scoop on the poop. The city has gotten so many calls about the phantom pooper that they've set up a pooper stake out to see if they could catch him doing his business.

"From what I understand, they still haven't caught him yet even though they've staked out and sat and watched. They still haven't caught up with him yet."

Here are the clues to the phantom poopers identity as we know them. His preferential place to leave a log is under the Lindsey Boulevard Overpass.

He fancies himself a Rembrandt.

"You know I don't know why they want to finger paint with it but you know, ah, leave your mark and go."

He does leave his mark, and he certainly goes, and goes and goes, and he even uses toilet paper.

GROSS!!!

After the morning-after pill

Sold over the counter, the morning-after pill is the ultimate convenience drug. However, is regular use affecting women's fertility?

...But Gemma's blushes were not simply prompted by the embarrassment of having to ask for such an emergency measure, or the fact that the night before she'd had drunken, unprotected sex with her boyfriend, but also because, shockingly, it was her 60th request for the drug in less than five years.

..."People will say that we could use condoms, but we feel they desensitise sex and make it less intimate [what could be more intimate than sharing venereal diseases?], so we'd rather not bother with them and, to be honest, we're often too drunk to have a conversation about contraception in the throes of passion anyway." [They must have a great relationship, to have to be really drunk to have sex]

..."I literally take it and forget about it and I don't worry about taking it all the time because it says in the leaflet that comes with it that as long as you don't use it more than once in a menstrual cycle then it's fine." [If the leaflet says it, that means it's so]

Gemma's relaxed attitude to her sexual health and fertility is not one that's shared by Olga Van den Akker, professor of health psychology at Middlesex University.

"To think that it's healthy to regularly take a drug designed only for emergency use is totally naive.

"The makers of Levonelle may well state that there's no reason why a woman shouldn't take it once every cycle, but on a cautionary note we don't know what the long-term effects of these hormonal preparations are for woman's health and fertility.

"They could well turn out to be nasty.

"How will she feel if, for the sake of expediency, she has been playing Russian roulette with her chances of motherhood?

"In theory, prolonged use of the drug could affect a woman's fertility because it messes about with the body's menstrual cycle," she says.

"These young women who go out, get drunk and regularly have unprotected sex because they rely on the morning-after pill to prevent pregnancy, may one day want to conceive.

"And if they find they can't, then they'll have to deal with the emotional burden of fertility problems brought on by the irresponsible sexual behaviour of their youth."

[But professor, I don't care what may happen 10 years from now, I want to have drunken unprotected sex multiple times a year NOW!]


...Serena says: "The truth is that because the morning-after pill was available in pharmacies so readily, there was no real incentive for me to be careful about having safe sex."
[I am shocked SHOCKED that easy access to the morning-after pill increases unprotected sex]

..."It got to the stage where we'd be careless during sex and I'd just think: 'Oh well, I'll just tag another hour onto my morning so I can go and get the morning-after pill.'

"I know now that attitude is wrong but so many women think the same and in part it's being driven by the availability of Levonelle.

"Drug companies are making a fortune out of it, so perhaps they aren't telling us the whole story about what it can do to your body if it's taken regularly.
[No way! Everyone knows that companies in the "family planning" business would NEVER have an ulterior motive like $!]

So what happens when our generation settles down and instead of being obsessed with preventing pregnancy, we are obsessed with getting pregnant? Are we going to learn the hard way what all the long term consequences are of new birth controls, morning-after pills, and medical abortions?

Phony phony soldier story

This whole thing about Rush Limbaugh calling all soldiers who oppose the Iraq War "phony" is really so ridiculous that I had to respond. I listen to Rush everyday and am a Rush 24/7 subscriber so I have access to transcripts, video, audio, etc. Rush was talking about the phenomenon of civilians faking military service and lies about atrocities - phony soldiers.

Exhibit A:
Here's the transcript with my comments boxed, bolded and in black:

CALLER: No, it's not. And what's really funny is they never talk to real soldiers. [real, as in, actual soldiers, i.e. people ho have served and are not making up stories that they were in the military] They pull these soldiers that come up out of the blue [literally out of nowhere, because they are fake] and spout to the media.

RUSH: The phony soldiers. [He means FAKE soldiers, not actual soldiers who have served but disagree with Iraq]

CALLER: Phony soldiers. If you talk to any real soldier and they're proud to serve, they want to be over in Iraq, they understand their sacrifice and they're willing to sacrifice for the country.

RUSH: They joined to be in Iraq. [They chose to serve, were not duped into serving, they understand what they are doing and joined to help in Iraq]

CALLER: A lot of people. [Most, not all]

RUSH: You know where you're going these days, the last four years, if you sign up. The odds are you're going there or Afghanistan, or somewhere. [If you disagree with what the military is doing, why would you sign up in the last few years?]

[then they talk about WMD, etc. if you want to read the whole thing yourself click on the link above]

RUSH: Here is a Morning Update that we did recently, talking about fake soldiers. [FAKE, not real, phony, people who did not serve, but claim to] This is a story of who the left props up as heroes. [they don't like the war, so their heroes are anti-war] They have their celebrities and one of them was Army Ranger Jesse Macbeth. Now, he was a "corporal." I say in quotes. [Because he wasn't a corporal, he was a phony] Twenty-three years old. What made Jesse Macbeth a hero to the anti-war crowd wasn't his Purple Heart; it wasn't his being affiliated with post-traumatic stress disorder from tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. [the left often likes to overhype the number of PTSD stories] No. What made Jesse Macbeth, Army Ranger, a hero to the left was his courage, in their view, off the battlefield, without regard to consequences. He told the world the abuses he had witnessed in Iraq, American soldiers killing unarmed civilians, hundreds of men, women, even children. In one gruesome account, translated into Arabic and spread widely across the Internet [now a lot of people around the world think it is true and commonplace and will not hear the rest of the story] , Army Ranger Jesse Macbeth describes the horrors this way: "We would burn their bodies. We would hang their bodies from the rafters in the mosque." [Very tempting story for those who call US soldiers baby-killers and terrorists]

Now, recently, Jesse Macbeth, poster boy for the anti-war left, had his day in court. And you know what? He was sentenced to five months in jail and three years probation for falsifying a Department of Veterans Affairs claim and his Army discharge record. [i.e. he is a liar, a PHONY SOLDIER] He was in the Army. Jesse Macbeth was in the Army, folks, briefly. Forty-four days before he washed out of boot camp. Jesse Macbeth isn't an Army Ranger, never was. [PHONY] He isn't a corporal, never was.[PHONY SOLDIER] He never won the Purple Heart, and he was never in combat to witness the horrors he claimed to have seen. [liar, phony, hurt the US cause and put our soldiers in danger by perpetrating torture lies] You probably haven't even heard about this. [You only hear about Abu Gharib] And, if you have, you haven't heard much about it. [Or you only heard the part about the torture and murder and still believe it] This doesn't fit the narrative and the template in the Drive-By Media and the Democrat Party as to who is a genuine war hero. [Because the only heroes in their minds are those who are against the war, paint US troops as cold blooded killers, and help push public support against the Iraq War] Don't look for any retractions, by the way. [Don't look for any retractions about the phony soldier story either] Not from the anti-war left, the anti-military Drive-By Media, or the Arabic websites that spread Jesse Macbeth's lies about our troops, because the truth for the left is fiction that serves their purpose. They have to lie about such atrocities because they can't find any that fit the template of the way they see the US military. [They want a repeat of Vietnam where stories of soldier atrocities helped turn public sentiment against the war - most of those atrocities were fake and many of the people who reported them were phony soldiers - i.e. were never soldiers or never served in Vietnam] In other words, for the American anti-war left, the greatest inconvenience they face is the truth. [The truth is that there are not large scale atrocities commited as a daily occurence with the approval of everyone up to the president, but that is what the anti-war left wishes for the most]

Exhibit B:
From the daily e-mail Rush 24/7 subscribers get called "Rush in a Hurry" that I received on 9/26 at 5:23pm (Media Matters reported on the story at 1:24pm on 9/27):

A caller claiming to be a Republican against the war, asked, "How long is too long to stay in Iraq?" The answer, of course, is that we should stay as long as it takes to achieve victory. A soldier returning from Iraq responded to the call and Rush shared the story of the "liberal war hero" [phony soldier] that you won't hear about. He pawned himself off as an Army Ranger and made the rounds yakking against the war effort. [notice how it doesn't say "and Rush talked about how soldiers who want to pull out of Iraq are phony]

Exhibit C:
The bottom of the transcript I linked to has a link to a HotAir article that talks about this ABC News story about Jesse MacBeth:

"Macbeth's lies fueled hostility to our servicemen in Iraq and here at home," Sullivan said.

Federal prosecutors and investigators with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Veterans Affairs say they are in the midst of a crackdown on phony heroes.

"The phony war hero phenomenon plagues the American landscape and tarnishes the service of thousands of veterans who have served honorable," said Douglas Carver, special agent in charge of the VA's inspector general operation in the west.

Rush responds:



Bottom line: Rush Limbaugh did not call anti-war US soldiers phonies!

Team's best player is mascot

Chiefs get momentum from mascot’s tackle

The confident man ran on the field, and for the longest time nobody ran out to get him. The Chiefs’ security staff seemed about as alert as the Chiefs’ players. The man ran around, then he taunted the Vikings for a few seconds (one player even made a fake as if he were going to go after the guy), then he ran again.
...Then, the yellow coats of security started to close in around the man. That’s when KC Wolf entered the scene. He ran on the field to help. In his 18-year career, KC Wolf has stopped two overzealous fans — one at Arrowhead and one (believe it or not) at the Pro Bowl. Wolf was not looking to be a hero. He just wanted to help block the man’s path.

But some have greatness thrust upon them. The man looked around, surveyed his situation, saw that he was being stalked by five security guards and also a 7-foot-2 wolf, and he made the rather shrewd strategic decision to run at KC Wolf.

That’s when KC Wolf took him down. Wolf stood up and belly-flopped on the guy and security guards. He flexed his muscles as security took the man away.

The crowd erupted in the loudest cheers of the day. The Chiefs’ sideline erupted in laughter. The cheerleaders erupted in dance. There were a lot of eruptions.

“That was awesome!” Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen said.

“That was classic!” Chiefs offensive guard Brian Waters said.

“Hilarious!” Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez said.

“That really was funny,” Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said.

I just loved the picture! Here's the video:

When onions attack

Des Moines police investigate attack by onion

A Des Moines man went to jail Wednesday afternoon for allegedly throwing an onion at his wife.

The police report begins: "(The victim) states her husband had been drinking and they got into an argument."

James Izzolena, 54, of 3515 Sheridan Ave., was charged with domestic assault causing injury. Police said he became upset with his wife, Nicole Izzolena, 27, and tossed an onion at her, striking her in the back of the head.

No, NO NOT BARRY! Anything but Barry Manilow!

Ft. Lupton Judge Punishes Violators With Manilow Unusual Sentence Results In Few Repeat Offenders

FORT LUPTON, Colo. - Violaters of the city of Fort Lupton's noise ordinance were in for a big surprise this past Friday. The city's judge sentenced citizens who have been busted for being too loud to 1 hour of listening to unpopular or unusual music.

In a courtroom with mostly young adult offenders, Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" played loudly on a boombox.

During the full hour of punishment, they were not allowed to chew gum, eat, drink, read or even sleep.

Most violators found the first few minutes funny. As time wore on with Karen Carpenter, Barry Manilow and Barney songs, they weren't laughing anymore.

..."When you have a person playing rap at extreme volumes all over the city, and they have to sit down and listen for an hour to Barry Manilow, its horrible punishment," he said.

Don't they do this sort of thing in Gitmo only Amnesty calls it a human rights violation?

All we are saying is give victory a chance!

I went into DC on Saturday to show my support for the troops and their mission as the anti-war march went by. That's me holding the blue sign quoted in the title of the post! A lot of people took pictures of me with my sign, I'm disappointed the only one I found online doesn't show my face. I tried to make a point of not blocking my face so that anti-war protesters couldn't say I was hiding behind my sign.

The new Knut!

San Diego Zoo veterinarians confirmed Thursday, Sept. 13, 2007, in San Diego, that the 4-pound giant panda cub is a girl. Born Aug. 3, the cub is the third female panda born at the San Diego Zoo's Giant Panda Research Station since 1999. A male cub was born in 2003. Following Chinese tradition, she will receive her name after she is 100 days old.

A live webcam of the baby panda can be found here: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/zoo/ex_panda_station.html

Update on previous flag article

School Rescinds Ban On Flag Clothing

A North Carolina High School that came under national attention over their rule that prohibited students from wearing items with the American flag, or any flag from other countries, has lifted the ban.

Superintendent Dr. L. Stewart Hobbs, Jr said they have lifted the ban on flags and “from this point on, all dress code changes will be made at the school board level.”

Hobbs said the county has a dress code policy in place and says individual school dress codes are not allowed.

He adds that principals cannot make a policy that exceeds the board policy, "The principal acted in good faith and said no flags."

According to Hobbs, the policy all stems from information from law enforcement of gangs wearing foreign flags as gang symbols and the board does have a policy to prevent gang signs in schools.

Two days late and a dollar short. At least they corrected it, but it was a mistake that should not have been made in the first place.

I guess I was wrong about why they banned flags - gangs are another good guess when it comes to schools banning clothing.

The flag still stands for freedom and they can't take that away

High School Bans American Flag

SAMPSON COUNTY, N.C. – On the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, students at one high school were not allowed to wear clothes with an American flag.

Under a new school rule, students at Hobbton High School are not allowed to wear items with flags, from any country, including the United States.

The new rule stems from a controversy over students wearing shirts bearing flags of other countries.

Gayle Langston said her daughter, Jessica, was told to remove her Stars and Stripes t-shirt.

“Today she wanted to wear her shirt, and I had to tell her no,” said Langston. “She didn't like it at all because I knew it would get her in trouble. Of all days, 9/11, she could not wear her American Flag shirt.”

The superintendent of schools in Sampson County calls the situation unfortunate, but says educators didn’t want to be forced to pick and choose which flags should be permissible.

Uh, I don't know what kinds of problems they were having - Mexican flags during the immigration debate might be a good guess - but to a normal red-blooded American the choice is simple: the United States flag should be permissible no matter what. At the very least these PC teachers should have relaxed the rules for one day.

If someone is offended by the US flag, then they are offended by our country, so what the hell are they doing here and how dare they ask us to disassociate ourselves with it?! Our country is not perfect, we are not mistake-free, but we are the best the world has to offer. We should never be ashamed of ourselves and what we stand for. Never apologize for loving your country!

So, be proud, America! We are the last great hope for mankind! U-S-A! U-S-A! Cue Lee Greenwood!

(Sorry, I had to let out some pent up 9-11 fury)

In Memory of Mildred Rose Naiman

My September 11th tribute as part of Project 2,996 is to Mildred Rose Naiman, 81, from Andover, MA, the town next to my hometown. According to WBZ Boston, over 200 people with ties to Massachusetts died on 9-11-01.

"Millie," as she was known to her loved ones, was on her way to California to visit her 2 sons, grandchildren and great-grandchildren when she was killed. She was aboard American Airlines Flight 11, the first plane to be hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center.

Born on March 24, 1920, Mildred Naiman worked at Western Electric Co. as a tester. In her later years, she lived in a self-proclaimed "bachelorette pad" - her apartment in a retirement community - where she was active in planning and organizing events with her friends.

In a profile published on January 6, 2002, her daughter-in-law, Carol Naiman, told the New York Times, "She had a little bit of a lead foot. She had been stopped for speeding and was totally insulted the officer would give an old woman a ticket."

Although the feisty great-grandmother had had several knee replacement surgeries, cataracts, and other health problems, she still loved to travel. Her son Russ said, "If something was wrong with her, she'd go to the doctor and say, 'Fix me up; I've got a lot of traveling to do.' "

While she needed the help of a wheelchair at the airport, she still managed to visit her family twice a year. The Sunday before her fatal flight, a family member had asked if she was afraid of flying; her granddaughter, Hope, remembers her reply: "No, I've gone everywhere already--to Germany, the Bahamas. I'm not afraid to fly."

Incredibly, on July 24, 2004, the New York Post reported that the medical examiner's office had identified her remains. Many 9-11 victims are still unaccounted for. I hope her family gained some sense of closure with this discovery and was able to finally put her body to rest.

Today, on the sixth anniversary of her death, we celebrate the life of Mildred Rose Naiman.
May she, and the other 2,995 tragically murdered on that day, rest in peace.


9-11: NEVER FORGIVE, NEVER FORGET

Lord Help Us All

Paris Hilton: I want to have a baby next year

First it was charity work, now Paris Hilton has a new plan to transform her life - motherhood.

The heiress, who has this week been spotted dancing on various nightclubs podiums until the early hours of the morning, is planning to get pregnant.

She revealed: "I want kids next year, so I've got to get my body ready."

"I just started working out and it feels great. It gives me so much energy."

She appears taking cues from her Simple Life co-star Nicole Richie, who is four months pregnant with her first child to rocker boyfriend Joel Madden.

There is one minor hitch in her plans - she currently single.

I weep for the future

Bush Derangement Syndrome Hits the NFL

Go 2 Guy: Seahawks duo blitzed by Bush backlash

Are you still fans of Matt Hasselbeck and Mack Strong after they visited President Bush last week in Bellevue? Or have their political leanings turned you against them?

The Seahawks quarterback and fullback gave the 43rd president a No. 43 jersey with his name on it at a $1,000-a-plate fundraiser for Rep. Dave Reichert at the Hyatt.

At the time, Hasselbeck called it a thrill and said it was a win-win, this opportunity to meet the president and get out of a team meeting.

...But Washington is a blue state, and deep, deep Democratic blue in King County. So objections were raised, and Hasselbeck heard them and read them. He got nasty voice mails, e-mails and text messages.

"I had no idea," Hasselbeck said.

One guy told him: "I hate you, I'll never wear your jersey, I'll never like the Seahawks again."

"Huh?" Hasselbeck thought. "Seriously?"

"Politics can be very mean and dirty," he said. "The things politicians say about each other, and what activists say, I had a brief glimpse of that for a couple of days.

"If I ever had any questions about whether I wanted to run for office, I now know the answer -- I don't."

As a quarterback, he's used to getting booed. "But this was a whole new level," he said. "I was very surprised how mean (they were)."

..."To learn that two of the most popular Seahawks are strong (Bush) supporters ruins the season for me and my family," wrote another.

...When told that Hasselbeck lost some fans, Holmgren said: "That's too bad. ... Fans should keep these two things separate."

Added Hasselbeck: "I don't understand. This is America. We're not going to agree on everything."

Strong doesn't get it either, saying: "Any time you have a world leader come to your city, you should welcome him whether you like the person or not. That was the right thing to do."

Besides, Strong wonders, "Why would people care about what we do as far as going to see the president and giving him a Seahawks jersey?"

Strong and Hasselbeck said they would have welcomed a Democratic president, too, and noted that they once visited Gov. Christine Gregoire in Olympia and gave her an autographed football. When he played in Green Bay, Hasselbeck also met former Vice President Al Gore.

You couldn't have been much of a fan to begin with if THIS makes you hate the team and ruins the season for you.

The Right to Arm Bears

I thought I'd highlight a gun self-defense story since the media doesn't like to do it.

Rabid bear killed trying to enter Garrett Co. home

A rabid black bear trying to rip out a window air conditioner lost its tug-of-war with a terrified housewife when her husband blasted the beast with a shotgun, the woman and a state wildlife official said today.

The bear rushed the house after Charlotte Stanton yelled out her screen door to try to scare it away from a goat pen. Stanton, 39, of rural Grantsville in Garrett County, said she was losing her tussle with the 134-pound sow when Michael Stanton pulled the trigger.

"I finally yelled at my husband, because I couldn't hold on to that air conditioner much longer," she said. "It seemed like forever, but I'm sure it was just seconds."

The load of buckshot didn't kill the bear, which lay bleeding and moaning in the yard of the Western Maryland home for about 30 minutes Aug. 29 before a state Natural Resources Police officer arrived to remove it.

...Michael Stanton, 49, won't be charged with a wildlife violation because the state allows killing bears out of season to defend people and livestock, The Cumberland Times-News reported.

...Spiker said the agency tested the bear for rabies because she was so aggressive.

"That behavior was just completely out of the ordinary," Spiker said.

Stanton said bears often come into her yard and most are easily chased away. But now, "when I see a bear in the yard, I'm not going to think twice about running for the house or even getting a gun out," she said.

They had to wait a half hour for an authority to come help them?! Thank goodness they had a gun!

Sick, sick Massachusetts

Massachusetts incubates the "viruses" that afflict the Democratic Party
I just love this headline!

Veteran Boston political reporter Jon Keller also invites us to behold his native state . . . and shudder in dismay. In "The Bluest State," he argues that, although Massachusetts does not suffer alone from its notorious affection for liberalism, it is the incubator for "Massachusetts viruses" that infect the national Democratic Party. The viruses come in many forms: "addiction to tax revenues and a raging edifice complex couched in disrespect to wage earners; phony identity politics without real results for women and minorities; reflexive anti-Americanism in foreign affairs; vain indulgence in obnoxious political correctness; self-serving featherbedding; NIMBYism; authoritarian distortion of the balance of governmental power, all simmered in a broth of hypocritical paternalism."

When Democrats fight off the viruses and run more centrist campaigns, Mr. Keller says, they can prosper, as they did in 2006. But the infection is always lurking--and could be the party's undoing next year. It should be noted that "The Bluest State" is not a book by a Republican cheerleader; Mr. Keller can be withering about the GOP. I know, because I have listened to his morning radio commentaries for years. But Republicans are largely beside the point when it comes to Massachusetts. Despite winning four out of the past five elections for governor, Republicans hold by far a smaller share of legislative seats--one out of six--than in any other state. Only next-door Rhode Island is even close.

Massachusetts is one of the few states losing population--230,000 fled the Bay State between 2000 and 2005. It has not regained the 150,000 technical jobs that it lost in the bursting of the dot-com bubble. Job growth has been flat since 1999.

I grew up listening to "Keller At Large" - I gotta get this book!

Thank you, judge, may I have another?

Judge Accused Of Paddling Inmates

In Wednesday's edition, the Press-Register is reporting suspended Mobile County Circuit Judge Herman Thomas is being investigated for allegedly paddling inmates. The newspaper is reporting Thomas is accused of periodically removing prisoners from Mobile County Metro Jail and spanked them in a room at the courthouse.

According to the Press-Regiser, once inside the room the judge would ask the men to drop their pants and prepare to be spanked with what was described as a wooden paddle. Judge Thomas told the Press Register that he did not have any comment on the allegations. Sources also say that between six to 12 men have shared their accounts with investigators.