Postal Blues -- a Model for Health Care

Pressure Mounts for Radical Changes to Postal Service

Congress, which oversees the USPS, is considering cutting Saturday mail delivery, eliminating some jobs and closing some post offices. A new report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office, obtained by The Washington Post, says the Postal Service business model is "not viable" and recommends to Congress that the proposed changes be made immediately.

The GAO endorsed the five-day delivery week but encouraged even more extensive cuts, including hiring more part-time workers, raising prices, closing some post offices and even outsourcing delivery routes to private contractors.

Even as the government prepares to take over our healthcare, the post office is unable to survive without continued government subsidies (read ... TAX PAYER MONEY) and higher costs for use. If this were a private company, it would have gone out of business a long time ago.

This short piece fails to mention one of the outrageous costs the post office has to face.

THE UNION.

Having friends who work or have worked at the post office for many, many years, the benefits they get as government employees is absolutely outrageous. My mail carrier in Florida had saved up all of his vacation days for several years. He had over six months paid vacation and unused sick time on his account. The best part, he said, was that when he does decide to take his six month+ vacation, he will be paid at his CURRENT rate of salary instead of at the rate each paid day was earned at. He bragged that he was making money off the deal.

As he went on to tell me all of his retirement benefits (WOW!), I couldn't help but ask myself how he, and others like him, think that the post office could possibly survive for long with those kinds of payouts?

The answer is, it can't.

In much the same way as the unions have run out other business, or in the case of certain auto makers, force them to take tax payer bail out money to continue the benefits of union workers, the cost of union workers in the post office is having an effect on it's ability to keep itself afloat, although it goes unmentioned.

Don't get me wrong, email has played it's fair share as well. However, with all the junk mail I receive daily, the post office still has plenty of customers.

So the government has decided on a plan of action to cut costs. Stop Saturday delivery. Make full-time jobs part time jobs. Eliminate other jobs. Close offices. Raise prices. It's amazing how the government stood with the unions against the auto manufacturers when they tried to take similar measures, yet have no problems doing it themselves.

The funniest and best part is that they plan to OUTSOURCE TO PRIVATE COMPANIES. Why? Deep down, the U.S. Government knows that privately run companies are more efficient and can do the same job for far less than the Government.

Pay close attention to how the government handles the situation with the post office. It's how they'll handle our healthcare! When it gets too expensive, they'll ... Limit availability. Make full-time jobs part time jobs. Eliminate staff. Close offices (another limit on availability). Raise taxes.

So as we might as well bid adieu to private insurance and get use to government run healthcare, take a good look at what the government already knows.

They can't run crap!

But don't worry about the postal employees loosing their jobs. They can simply be retrained to work for the IRS enforcing the new health care reform ...

Peace Out,

~*~*~Krystal~*~*~

Ten Rules We Wish Airlines Would Enforce

Ten Rules We Wish Arilines Would Enforce

I'm just listing the rules, except for #5, this just really gets under my skin! But go read it in its entirety.

1. Passengers shall place their carry-on bags in the overhead bin directly above their seat.
2. Drunk passengers shall not be allowed to board.
3. Airlines shall tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
4. All children shall have their own seat.
5. Passengers shall not violate the personal space of others.
This seems to be the most controversial commandment of all. TripAdvisor recently asked 3,200 travelers to air their biggest plane gripes and nearly 75 percent responded that large travelers should be required to buy two tickets. United and Continental already mandate buying an extra "air-besity" seat, as does Southwest, despite the Kevin Smith PR tummy ache (the director and carrier weren't a good fit).
6. Passengers shall have proper hygiene.
7. Airlines shall thoroughly clean the planes.
8. Passengers shall keep the noise down.
9. Airlines shall institute dual boarding.
10. Passengers with tight connections shall always be allowed to deplane first.

Peace Out,

~*~*~Krystal~*~*~

Arizon Town Bans BIble Meetings in Private Homes

Full Article Here

While non-religious secular clubs and everyday homeowners who like to host large parties are welcome to do as they please in Gilbert Arizona, Christians and other religious groups have been singled out and are prohibited under penalty of law from holding church meetings, Bible study, or having any activity of any size in private homes.

Despite protest and appeals to the zoning board, the town refuses to back down and is contending under its zoning code, churches within its borders cannot have any home meetings of any size, including Bible studies, three-person church leadership meetings, or potluck dinners.

The town continues to defend its ban based on claims it creates traffic, parking, and building safety concerns. But the City has no traffic or building concerns with Cub Scout meetings, Football parties or even large business and social events held on a regular basis and even explicitly makes provisions for day care to operate in private homes it’s just the odd gathering of Christians that seem to bring out a sense of persnickety in the city elders.

Let's review, just to make sure things are clear, shall we?

Legal

Does Not Create Traffic or Parking Problems

Illegal
Creates Traffic and Parking Problems Legal
Does Not Create Traffic or Parking ProblemsIllegal

Creates Traffic and Parking Problems Any Questions?

~*~*~Krystal~*~*~

200-Year-Old Cheese Chase Canceled

Why make up news when the real news is just FULL of stuff we can make fun of?!

Organizers ax 200-year-old cheese chase English race is cancelled due to overcrowding worries

LONDON - A 200-year-old English race in which competitors chase round cheeses rolling down a hillside has been canceled this year because of overcrowding concerns.

Organizers say the event in Gloucestershire in southwestern England has become so popular that anticipated crowds have far outgrown the capacity of the location.

The event has been held at Cooper's Hill since at least 1826.

Organizers said Friday that thousands of people tried to attend last year and some 19 spectators were injured while watching competitors run after — and tumble down — the steep, slippery hill in pursuit of a 7-pound Double Gloucester cheese.

One organizer, Richard Jefferies, told the BBC: "... Last year, the police estimate was 15,000 and they reckon it will be even more this year because it has got so internationally well-known..."

The BBC said all the cheeses rolled down the hill were made by Diana Smart, 83, at her farm at Birdwood in the Forest of Dean, England.

She told the broadcaster that she was "shattered" by the cancellation.

"I'm shaking at the prospect of not having any cheese-rolling," she said.

The winner of each race ... wins the cheese.

Seriously?!

O!
M!
G!

Peace Out,

~*~*~Krystal~*~*~

In the Freaking News ... Heaven Help Us ...

'JihadJane' Charged With Recruiting Terrorists Online

"PHILADELPHIA (March 10) -- The self-described "Jihad Jane" who thought her blond hair and blue eyes would let her blend in as she sought to kill an artist in Sweden is a rare case of an American woman aiding foreign terrorists and shows the evolution of the global threat, authorities say."

Oh heaven help me! Now they have an excuse to harrass me at the airport...

LaRose is a convert to Islam who actively recruited others, including at least one unidentified American, and her online messages expressed her willingness to become a martyr and her impatience to take action, according to the indictment and the U.S. official.

I've said it! She may be a blue eyed blond ... BUT SHE'S ANOTHER FREAKING MUSLIM!

And on to self-absorbed full of herself Hollywood, sometimes I'm gay, sometimes I'm NOT stone or drunk, washed up starlet Liiiiiiindsay Loooooooohan.

Lindsay Lohan Reportedly Suing E-Trade for Ad

Lindsay Lohan is reportedly suing the financial company E-Trade, insisting that the company's new commercial about a boyfriend-stealing, "milkaholic" baby -- who happens to be named Lindsay -- was modeled after her. Lohan reportedly wants $100 million, The NY Post reports. Lohan's lawyer, Stephanie Ovadia, told the newspaper that the actress has the same single-name recognition as Oprah or Madonna. "Many celebrities are known by one name only, and E-Trade is using that knowledge to profit," Ovadia said.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! SERIOUSLY?! She thinks she's up there with MADONNA and OPRAH?! This brat has so fried her brain. She's delusional!

In the ad, a baby boy apologizes to his girlfriend via video chat for not calling her the night before. The suspicious girlfriend asks, "And that milkaholic Lindsay wasn't over?""Lindsay?" the boy replies, just before a baby girl sticks her head into the frame and slurs, "Milk-a-what?"

"They used the name Lindsay," Ovadia said. "They're using her name as a parody of her life. Why didn't they use the name Susan? This is a subliminal message. Everybody's talking about it and saying it's Lindsay Lohan."

And who's fault is it, exactly, that her life COULD be used a parady to begin with?! Personally, I never thought of Liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiindsy Loooooooooooohan, when *I* saw the commercial.

And why not use the name "Susan"? How about "Sarandon"? That came to me right away. I guess that ALL actors, actresses, and sniveling Hollywood types should get excluuuuuuuuusive right to their name ... kinda like how McDonald's thinks they own anything that starts with "Mc" ...

According to the NY Post, Ovadia said, "E-Trade has violated Lohan's rights under New York state civil-rights law and used her 'name and characterization' in business without paying her or getting her approval."

Aaaaah, I understand. Her self acclaimed "characterization" is that of a boyfriend stealing milk-a-holic ... Last I heard she was a muff diving, same sex oriented, sober, and clean young actress with her act together.

Guess not.

Scratching my blue-eyed blond head...

~*~*~Krystal~*~*~

Hat Tip to Algore's "Global Warming" Chicken Scat

We should all thank Algore for his warnings of global warming.

Obviously, he was correct.

Well, as correct as an environmentalist wacko, leftist, money hungry, head-up-his-rear, hypocrite, power hungry, sorry looser, liberal donkey's behind CAN be ...

Giant Ice burg Strands 26 Vessels

A passenger ferry with nearly 1,000 people aboard broke free this morning from an ice crust that trapped it for days on the Baltic Sea, but another 26 ships are still stuck amid huge icebergs.

Thick ice forms annually on the northern half of the Baltic, but Scandinavia is experiencing its coldest winter in 15 years, with temperatures below freezing consistently since December, and the ice has spread farther south.

Rescuers described how fierce winds and cold temperatures complicated their efforts. "As soon as they break the ice, it freezes over again," sea rescue spokesman Peter Lindquist told The Associated Press.

Hey, they aren't blaming Bush!

Yet ...

Think I better put another log on the fire,Suddenly I'm ... coooooold ...

~*~*~Krystal~*~*~

Changing the Culture with a Broad Notion of Gun Rights

"They're trying to change the culture with this broader notion of gun rights," said Clyde Wilcox, a Georgetown University government professor who has written a book on the politics of gun control. Gun Fans Cheer Starbucks' Policy

WHAT?!?!? Has this man NEVER read the 2nd amendment passed in 1791?! It isn't the gun right activists that are trying to change the culture ... it's the liberals!!

Let's see what a few of our American leaders from the time of the 2nd amendment and very inception of our great country had to say about people carrying guns with them, shall we?

I give a nod to Eric for his research in finding the following quotes.

Americans have the right and advantage of being armed - unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.
-- James Madison, The Federalist Papers

"The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed."
-- Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist Papers at 184-188

Men trained in arms from their infancy, and animated by the love of liberty, will afford neither a cheap or easy conquest.
-- From the Declaration of the Continental Congress, July 1775

"As to the species of exercise, I advise the gun. While this gives [only] moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise, and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun, therefore, be the constant companion to your walks."
-- Thomas Jefferson, writing to his teenaged nephew

False is the idea of utility that sacrifices a thousand real advantages for one imaginary or trifling inconvenience; that would take fire from men because it burns, and water because one may drown in it; that has no remedy for evils except destruction. The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such a nature. They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.
-- Cesare Beccaria, as quoted by Thomas Jefferson's Commonplace book

Are we at last brought to such a humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our own defence? Where is the difference between having our arms in our own possession and under our own direction, and having them under the management of Congress? If our defence be the *real* object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?
-- Patrick Henry, speech of June 9 1788

That the said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press or the rights of conscience; or to prevent the people of the United states who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms...
-- Samuel Adams, in "Phila. Independent Gazetteer", August 20, 1789

Let's see what a few others have to say about an armed citizenry ...

"Both oligarch and tyrant mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of arms."
--Aristotle

Americans have the will to resist because you have weapons. If you don't have a gun, freedom of speech has no power.
-- Yoshimi Ishikawa, Japanese author, in the LA Times 15 Oct 1992

No kingdom can be secured otherwise than by arming the people. The possession of arms is the distinction between a freeman and a slave.
-- "Political Disquisitions", a British republican tract of 1774-1775

The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to permit the conquered Eastern peoples to have arms. History teaches that all conquerors who have allowed their subject races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by doing so.
-- Adolph Hitler, April 11 1942

"Among the many misdeeds of British rule in India, history will look upon the Act depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest."
-- Mohandas Gandhi, An Autobiography, pg 446

The people of the various provinces are strictly forbidden to have in their possession any swords, short swords, bows, spears, firearms, or other types of arms. The possession of unnecessary implements makes difficult the collection of taxes and dues and tends to foment uprisings.
-- Toyotomi Hideyoshi, dictator of Japan, August 1588

Keeping Peace With My Armory!

~*~*~Krystal~*~*~

Passion That Doesn't Play Out!!!

In honor of my and my Bear's 18th Wedding Anniversary ...

Well, sorta ... we got married on Leap Day!

Passion That Doesn't Play Out? Science Tells Us It's Real

Scientists have long comforted those of us plodding through the tedium that long-term relationships can become by telling us that passion doesn't last for anyone. Within three months to three years, it has done its job of encouraging us to procreate. Perhaps it has kept us together long enough for a child or two to be born. Then, task accomplished, it fades.

People then break up or they don't, and passion changes into something calmer. Researchers call it attachment. It's deep, persistent, comforting. It doesn't keep you up at night.

We believed those researchers. Experience confirmed what they told us. Usually. I have a friend whose fiery passion for her man was the kind that didn't need much foreplay. A bed, a couch, a table, a floor, a wall, a closet, a kitchen. Anyplace. Anytime. They were burning it up. The passion lasted eight years.

"Eight years," I squealed. "Who gets eight years?"

"Then it ended," she said, like I should feel sorry for her. I didn't.

And now it turns out that I have a lot more people not to feel sorry for. The scientists now say they got it wrong. Passion never plays out for a lucky 30 percent of couples.

Researchers discovered this when they put some young people who were recently and madly in love on brain scanners. The kids' brains lit up the screens with feel-good dopamine. Their brains looked like those of people on cocaine.

Then researchers did the same tests with couples who'd been married 20 years and claimed to be still passionately in love. These older couples' brains looked like they were on cocaine too, proving that they weren't just braggarts and liars, as everyone probably assumed. They really were passionately in love, just like the kids.

Where did they find these lucky couples? I certainly don't know any of them. If I do, they've had the grace to keep their mouths shut about it. Twenty years? I don't believe it. I think they were all on cocaine.

Well, I am NOT on cocaine!!! And I am PASSIONATELY in love with my husband!!! We've been together since December 13, 1989 (20 years, 2 months, 2 weeks, and 1 day) and I can honestly and truly say, "A bed, a couch, a table, a floor, a wall, a closet, a kitchen. Anyplace. Anytime." sounds good to me! In fact, I could add a few of my own. :P

Now, if we weren't separated by 1,200 miles on our anniversary we might could handle them all ...

Happy Smooching!

~*~*~Krystal~*~*~

It's the SAMBAAAAA

So I see this article online about a seven-year-old samba queen and the uproar it's cause. It's a sexual role and it's always held by a an adult woman who gyrates around in a thong encouraging the drummers to keep player. Anyway, I always thought that the samba was a REAL dance like the salsa or something. There are actual samba schools and all.

I went up to youtube to see how adult women do the samba (quite frankly, the little girl doesn't dance as well as my daughter who's never been "taught" to samba ... I think the little girl just looks like a kid trying figure out what to do next) . I must say I was HIGHLY disappointed in every example of Samba Queen I found. All they do is shake their asses like dogs in heat. Any drunken teenaged girl can do the same. Quite frankly, pole dancers have more talent.

So maybe I'm missing something. Other than being nearly naked, which has nothing to do with dancing, does ANYONE see ANY kind of dance or talent at all in the samba? I've also included a pole dance video as an example of TRUE talent and sexuality.







Peace Out,

~*~*~Krystal~*~*~

Grumpy People May be More Evolved

On the evolutionary scale, *I* am superior!!!

Grumpy People May be More Evolved

Being intolerant and short-tempered could be a sign of evolutionary superiority.

Researchers at Harvard gave chimpanzees and bonobos, two species of apes that are among the closest living relatives to humans, a variety of reward-based tasks. Chimpanzees, who can be quite grumpy, especially as they age, consistently outperformed the bonobos, who maintain a childlike playfulness throughout their lives.

Victoria Wobble, the project's leader, believes the chimps' ability to put aside their sociability is one of the reasons they are more intelligent and civilized than their genetically similar great ape cousins. She also thinks the evolutionary development of chimpanzees and bonobos could provide insight into our own species.

As for our buddy Oscar, we're pretty sure the well-known grouch is more intelligent than the average green Muppet, but he clearly loses evolutionary points for his squalid living conditions.

Peace Out,

~*~*~Krystal~*~*~

In the News - Part Two - The Airline Security Joke

Last on my list ... and deserving of its OWN post!

New security measures being considered, and at some airports used, by the TSA. Pat downs of passengers may become a standard practice. It is estimated to increase your pre-flight arrival time from one hour to three. While I relish the idea of being felt up by another woman in a public place with a few hundred onlookers, the reality is that smokin-hot, pregnant, blue-eyed, blonde knockouts, wearing blue jeans, $300 boots, a $65 hat and a cross AREN'T exactly known for their jihadist activities.

Now I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm willing to wager a dollar to a dime that there isn't a single terrorist out there that's a huge Charlie Daniels fan. Devil may have gone down to Georgia, but he didn't hijack a plane and fly it into a building on the way.

If you're dressed like this, you're good.
God bless Charlie Daniels!
So having ruled out smokin-hot, pregnant, blue-eyed, blonde knockouts and country loving, red necked Charlie Daniels fans as potential threats, I think there may be a few OTHER groups we can rule out as well. For example, the Amish. You could smack these people in the side of the head with a 2x4 and they won't hit you back. I think it's fairly safe to say that they aren't interested in taking down an airplane. Mennonites, may use colored fabric for their dresses and buttons, drive cars, use electricity, but they're non-violent as well. Safe.

Jews. Definitely NOT jihadists.

Atheists wouldn't do ANYTHING in the name of God because they don't believe He exists. Agnostics couldn't care less if God exists one way or the other. Neither of these groups are big recruitment/breeding grounds for jihadist activities.

Wiccans are pretty much into sending "positive energy" into the universe, as are those believers of various Eastern Religions (Indians, Asians). And to clarify "Indians", I mean those from India. However, I don't think that Native Americans spend too much time planning out terror attacks either. They're pretty big into good energies as well.

Witches would cast a spell, not build a bomb.

Hispanics and Italians may be involved in gangs, or the glorified "mob", but they're more about taking out people who interfere with their "activities" and people who get in their way. Yeah, their gangs can wreak havoc on innocent people, they're to blame for a good amount of crime, and it costs the taxpayers money, but they're all Catholic. Catholics aren't exactly notorious for jihads. In fact, I can't remember a single plane hijacking/bomb/terrorist threat to the U.S. from the Catholics. And gangsters are really into self-preservation. They might pop a cap in your ass, but they sure as sugar aren't going to kill themselves in an effort to kill other people for the purposed of proving a point.

Our group already pretty much includes most white males, but we did have the unibomber. So I guess anti-social white males who are skittish and suspicious might have to be considered. But those are few are far between. Most white males traveling by plane are with their family or on the cell phone conducting business. So I'd have to say that the overwhelming majority of white males are also safe. And let's face it, with all of the predominately white countries and people out there, how many white guys have hijacked/blown up airplanes going to the U.S.? Not saying it's never happened, but the security issues enacted are because of terrorist activities that WEREN'T carried out by white people.

Let's see who is on our list of groups NOT known for hijacking airliners:

smokin-hot, pregnant, blue-eyed, blonde knockouts
Charlie Daniels fans
Amish
Mennonites
Jews
Atheists
Agnostics
Wiccans
Witches
Indians
Asians
Native Americans
Hispanics
Italians
Catholics
overwhelming majority of white people

Let's.
Figure.
Out.
Who's.
Left.

Well, to help out the idiots who may stumble onto this post, let's take a look at the faces of the 9/11 hijackers, shall we?

Here are their names:
American Airlines Flight 11
Hijackers: Mohamed Atta al Sayed (Egyptian), Waleed al-Shehri (Saudi Arabian), Wail al-Shehri (Saudi Arabian), Abdulaziz al-Omari (Saudi Arabian), Satam al-Suqami (Saudi Arabian).

United Airlines Flight 175
Hijackers: Marwan al-Shehhi (from the United Arab Emirates), Fayez Banihammad (from the United Arab Emirates), Mohand al-Shehri (Saudi Arabian), Hamza al-Ghamdi (Saudi Arabian), Ahmed al-Ghamdi (Saudi Arabian).

American Airlines Flight 77
Hijackers: Hani Hanjour (Saudi Arabian), Khalid al-Mihdhar (Saudi Arabian), Majed Moqed (Saudi Arabian), Nawaf al-Hazmi (Saudi Arabian), Salem al-Hazmi (Saudi Arabian).

United Airlines Flight 93
Hijackers: Ziad Jarrah (Lebanese), Ahmed al-Haznawi (Saudi Arabian), Ahmed al-Nami (Saudi Arabian), Saeed al-Ghamdi (Saudi Arabian).

Anyone notice the the common threads? Yup. All Arabs. Yup. All Muslims.

I delayed until now to discuss the blacks because we do have a gray area here. There are Arabs who look black. Plus, there ARE a growing number of blacks that are joining a certain religion that DOES promote jihad. So they might warrant a second look if they're carrying a koran or if their name includes "Mohamed" or, I don't know, "HUSSEIN", as in Barrack HUSSEIN Obama.

Having gone through our list of people who AREN'T threats to airliners and having identified the ONE group that IS, I'd like to say that the U.S. government is wasting our time! They're so damned afraid of offending the group of people the terrorists are coming from that they are choosing to offend us all.

And I'm freaking tired of it!

If they didn't waste time pulling random names from passenger lists, like happened to my NINE-YEAR-OLD SON, and asking for identification ("Hey, son, whip out your driver's license. While you're at it, show the idiot your hospital ID tag as well. You're a real life Doogie Howser and I'm mighty proud!"), they could possibly pay more attention to the people the REAL threat comes from.
Our son. We're so proud!
I don't mind going through the metal detector and I don't mind having my bags scanned, but not being allowed to bring my own snacks and bottle of water and being forced to pay $15 for a sandwich, chips and glorified bottled TAP water (ie, Dansani) because there might be explosives hidden in the bologna, gets to me. WHITE WOMEN AREN'T BLOWING UP AIRPLANES, YOU STUPID DUNG HOLES!

Putting all of us through such invasion security measures as pat downs, and such annoying and ass-backwards security measures as showing your ID, twice, because your name was "randomly selected" makes as much sense as searching the house of a black family because someone down the street has a cross burned on their front yard.

So I say that every Muslim or Arab who flies should show up three hours early and be prepared for a freaking cavity search should security deem it necessary (that's all the pat downs will do, force them to hide the goods somewhere you can't feel it in a pat down). That goes double for any woman wearing a bag for a dress and another for a head covering and for any man traveling with a woman wearing a bag for a dress and another for a head covering. THOSE are the people involved in jihadist activities. THOSE are the people sneaking on bombs and weapons. THOSE are the people who pose a threat.

STOP WASTING MY TIME, MY MONEY, MY ENERGY! MOST OF ALL STOP BEING PASCIFYING PANSIES, GROW SOME BALLS AND CALL A SPADE A SPADE! THE MUSLIMS ARE THE THREAT! NOT THE REST OF US!

And if any Muslims out there doesn't like it, then stop the terrorists yourself. Too many of you know who the whack jobs are. You know who the radicals are. You know which mosques across the world are recruiting. So do something about it and stop being whiney freaking crybabies!

Until then, drop your pants and bend over. There's something they need to check you for!


'Nough Said!
~*~*~Krystal~*~*~

In the News - Part One

I've done my share of whining. Time to take a stab at the "news".

Brittney Spears in no longer a blond. That was an actual news headline two days ago. Personally, I'm amazed she has hair, but hey. Seriously though, when she was this ongoing train wreck I could understand the somewhat macabre fascination with the downward spiral which had become her life. It was like watching a soap opera. But when you get down to a headline declaring a change of hair color ... well, we have spiraled down to the pit WITH her.

That David Goldman returns to New Jersey with his son. For those of you unaware, we have a classic case of parent abducts child and takes child out of the country without consent of the other parent. Mr. Goldman had been in a court battle to get his child back when the mother died over a year ago. Well it's OBVIOUS now, if it wasn't before, that the boy should have been returned. Right?

Wrong.

it's taken over a year for the Brazil court to finally decided to allow the boy back with his father. For now. The case in on appeal. The boy's family in Brazil are fighting for custody.

U.S. senators are calling for stronger international laws to force countries to return children when they've been abducted by a parent. They want penalties for countries who don't immediately return said children. There's already a law in place, which the U.S. and Brazil have both signed. But with over 1,200 U.S. children still being held in other countries after being abducted, the U.S. says the laws need to be stronger and better enforced.

One name. Elian Gonzalez.

You remember him, don't you? Kidnapped by his mother. Brought to the U.S. in an unsafe boat and trip during which his mother and several others drowned. In fact, he was one of only three survivors. It took the U.S. seven months to decide to finally return this abducted child back to his father. So could someone please tell me how the U.S. government has any right to indignation and finger pointing. After all, aren't Brazil and the other countries just following our shining example?

Tiger Woods is loosing endorsement deals. I just don't get it. As POTUS you can screw a girl just a few years older than your own daughter. You can do her with a cigar while dignitaries from other countries are waiting. You can discuss issues on national security in front of young girl who is giving you a blow job. You can have several issues of sexual harassment. You can be known for your "philandering". And all this is okay.

But be a golf star and whore around on your wife and you're a dirt bag who deserves to loose everything.

Now I think they're both assholes, but in reality, Tiger hurt his wife and children. Clinton discussed top secret issues of national security with a slutty intern. Whose worse?

Peace Out,

~*~*~Krystal~*~*~

Car Emergency Kits

Steve said it all ...

And here are a few car emergency check lists:

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/howto/articles/43798/article.html
Some of the basic items include:
12-foot jumper cables
Four 15-minute roadside flares
Two quarts of oil
Gallon of antifreeze
First aid kit (including an assortment of bandages, gauze, adhesive tape, antiseptic cream, instant ice and heat compresses, scissors and aspirin)
Blanket
Extra fuses
Flashlight and extra batteries
Flat head screwdrivers
Phillips head screwdrivers
Pliers
Vise Grips
Adjustable wrench
Tire inflator (such as a Fix-A-Flat)
Tire pressure gauge
Rags
Roll of paper towels
Roll of duct tape
Spray bottle with washer fluid
Pocketknife
Ice scraper
Pen and paper
Help sign
Granola or energy bars
Bottled water
and heavy-duty nylon bag to carry it all in.

http://family-travel-safety.suite101.com/article.cfm/make_an_everyday_emergency_car_kit
Items Many Everyday Emergency Car Kits Need for Personal Needs
Small plastic or paper cups
Emergency long-storing packets of water (available at a survival or camping store)
Snacks that will not melt or be destroyed by heat or cold (camping or military food packets are a good idea)
Regular snacks and water bottles can also be used, if rotated (to stay fresh)
Gallon-sized seal-able plastic bags (for a million reasons)
Several quarters and dimes (for parking meters, phones, vending machines, etc.)
A small pack of tissues
A half-roll of toilet paper
An overnight kit (toothbrushes, toothpaste, hair gel, disposable razor, soap, comb, shampoo, etc)
One pair each of spare socks and underclothing for each family member.
Flashlights and fresh batteries or a wind-up or shaking-powered flashlight
A good quality pocket knife
A nail file
A pack of baby wipes (for spills on clothing, in the car, sticky hands, etc)
Sanitizing gel

http://www.safermotoring.co.uk/EmergencyCarKit.html
Water - both to drink and use in your radiator should your car overheat.
Jump Leads - if you have a flat battery and you're not too far away from home you could possibly ring a friend or a family member to come and give you a jump start. They should be at least 8 feet long.
Blanket - to keep warm if you break down in the cold.
Half a litre of oil - add some rubber or disposable gloves
Extra fuses
Torch or flashlight with extra batteries
A pillow - just in case you do have to wait a long time.
Flat head and Philips head screwdrivers
Foot pump, tyre pressure gauge and tyre repair kit
Rags
Paper Towels
Duct Tape
A pair of nylon tights
Spray bottle containing window washer fluid
Pliers
Adjustable wrench
A gallon of antifreeze
A help sign or a pen and paper to write one
Pocket or Swiss army knife
Ice Scraper and de-icer
Energy bars, chocolate and caffeine full drinks (coca cola, Pepsi etc)
Wind-up mobile phone charger
Travel fire-extinguisher
A road-atlas or map of the area you are in

http://www.accidentinfo.com/blog/emergency-kit-for-every-car/
Pocket Knife
Having a pocket knife with multiple tools like a screwdriver, bottle opener, blade and pliers is always a good idea. You never know how you may need the assistance of one of these tools after going through a car accident or emergency situation. For example, a pocket knife should enable you to cut through any seatbelts that won’t release.

I'd sue the school district so fast all their heads would be spinning!!!


Peace Out,

~*~*~Krystal~*~*~

Patriotic Moment - Local Man Returns From War

A local man came home from Afghanistan this week.

He arrived draped in an American flag.

Spc. Kevin J. Graham was 27-years-old.

While I've tried to protect my anonymity here, I believe I owe him this much. Here is the article in its entirety. American Hero

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Spc. Kevin J. Graham, 27, of Benton, Ky., died Sept. 26 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.


In annother article, Kentucky Solder Killed in Afghanistan, his minister says that Kevin felt he was doing his life's work. He was married and had a step-son.

If his parents and wife choose to bring him home for burial, I will be pulling all of my children from school to stand by the side of the road as he is brought home to be laid to rest. As far as I'm concerned, school should be closed and every business should shut down as we bring our young man home. He is a true hero, as all military personnel are, but he will never gets to hear us say "Thank-you." It will be our one chance to do so and to let his family know how much we appreciate his service and how much we are supporting them in their time of loss. Please remember them in your prayers.

Thank-you, Kevin.

I HATE Stupidity and Thinly Veiled Public Assistance Programs!!!

Obama Seeks to Curtail Summer Vacation

I'll start with STUPIDITY:

Obama says American kids spend too little time in school, putting them at a disadvantage with other students around the globe.

Yet private school and homeschooled students spend less time schooling than public school students and OUTSCORE THEM EVERY TIME!!!

Statistical TRUTH:

Kids in the U.S. spend more hours in school (1,146 instructional hours per year) than do kids in the Asian countries that persistently outscore the U.S. on math and science tests — Singapore (903), Taiwan (1,050), Japan (1,005) and Hong Kong (1,013). That is despite the fact that Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong have longer school years (190 to 201 days) than does the U.S. (180 days).

And schools in Asian countries don't babysit their students either. You don't bully. You don't act up. Parents don't get to whine on and on and on and on. Poor students don't get special treatment. Parents are held accountable.

REAL Purposes to Extend School:

Free Child Care and Bad Parenting:

Summer is a crucial time for kids, especially poorer kids, because poverty is linked to problems that interfere with learning, such as hunger and less involvement by their parents.

Their parents aren't involved during the school year either. Their point would be...?

That makes poor children almost totally dependent on their learning experience at school, said Karl Alexander, a sociology professor at Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University, home of the National Center for Summer Learning.

Disadvantaged kids, on the whole, make no progress in the summer, Alexander said. Some studies suggest they actually fall back. Wealthier kids have parents who read to them, have strong language skills and go to great lengths to give them learning opportunities such as computers, summer camp, vacations, music lessons, or playing on sports teams.

That is such incredible CRAP! I know children from poor families with parents who work really hard with them. I know wealthy families that have NO INTERACTION WITH THEIR CHILDREN AT ALL. It's not financial, it comes down to being a good parent or a bad parent. Nothing more. Nothing less.

"Those hours from 3 o'clock to 7 o'clock are times of high anxiety for parents," Duncan said. "They want their children safe. Families are working one and two and three jobs now to make ends meet and to keep food on the table."

Excuses! Excuses! Excuses! Absofreakinglutely INSULTING! My dearest and closest friend is a single mom with three children and a husband who disappeared six years ago. She works two jobs AND HELPS HER CHILDREN WITH THEIR HOMEWORK EVERY NIGHT! I know a couple with five children who hardly making ends meet even though the parents both work a full and part-time job. Guess what! THEY work with their children every night as well!

Indoctrination:

Aside from improving academic performance, Education Secretary Duncan has a vision of schools as the heart of the community. Duncan, who was Chicago's schools chief, grew up studying alongside poor kids on the city's South Side as part of the tutoring program his mother still runs.

I thought that FAMILY was suppose to be the heart of the community...? Guess it isn't when parents aren't interested in raising their own children. The answer? Send all the school more so the Gubberment can raise them and teach them how to behave and act and what to believe.

Not my kids!

Peace Out,

~*~*~Krystal~*~*~

National Go Topless Day

Yes, such a thing exists.

And if I were younger (i.e., pre-six years of breast feeding), I might have joined them...

Topless Women Take Over Central Park

There are many reasons for a group of people to march in public, from civil rights to parades to spontaneous musical-like dance routines. But perhaps no reason is more honorable than women marching for their right not to wear a shirt (possibly NSFW, 'cause there are, you know, boobs).

***I do this at home quite frequently when the kids are at school.***

Yesterday, topless women in New York marched through Central Park on National Go Topless Day to the dulcet tones of "I'm Every Woman" by Chaka Khan, a song equally applicable to feminists, homosexuals and women without shirts. They were protesting for constitutional equality between men and women on being topless in public.

"We're all here for the same reason -- to allow women to be free in the park like men," said organizer Sylvie Chabot.

*** Will they march next for urinals in the bathrooms?***

Marchers also joined in the event in California, Illinois, Florida, Ohio, Oregon and Hawaii. In New York, it's already legal for women to be topless, thanks to a 1992 court ruling, but the hope is that one day women across the country will be able to enjoy the same freedom.

Soldier on, topless ladies, soldier on.

Peace Out,

~*~*~Krystal~*~*~

Why EVERY mosque should be infiltrated...

investigated, wire tapped, and anything else our intelligence agencies are capable of!

Here is a heartbreaking story about a set of parents who discovered the death of their son on the Internet. Pictures of the young man with a bullet through is his were posted online for the world to see. He was a naturalized Somalian immigrant.

He was also one of several young Somalian immigrant youths who disappeared and would up in Somalia. ALL were involved in a youth center at THE SAME MOSQUE. ALL went on to fight in a terrorist group linked to al-qaida.

And there is reason for all of us to be concerned... It is believed that some of the youth may have been trained TO CARRY OUT TERRORIST ATTACKS IN THE UNITED STATES!

Excerpts:

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (July 24) - Abayte Ahmed and her husband learned of their son's death in the most heinous fashion. A family acquaintance called and told them to click on an Internet site. There on the screen were photographs of their 20-year-old son -- the boy with the movie-star looks -- shot through the head thousands of miles away in Somalia.

Jamal Bana died in Somalia. Several missing Somali-Americans are believed to have fought there.

"He must have been somewhat disillusioned and indoctrinated, because he didn't have any clue about Somalia at all," his mother said, fighting back tears and barely able to speak about her eldest son.

The FBI said Bana's death is part of a sweeping federal investigation into a recruiting effort in the United States by a Somali terrorist group called Al-Shabaab, which has ties to al Qaeda. More than a dozen young men of Somali descent have disappeared from the Minneapolis area in recent months. At least three, including Bana, have ended up dead in Somalia, community leaders say.

One of the missing youth, Shirwa Ahmed, 27, blew up himself and 29 others last fall in Somalia in what is believed to be the first suicide bombing carried out by a naturalized U.S. citizen. Ahmed had traveled from Minneapolis. The attack raised red flags throughout the U.S. intelligence community and sparked an investigation by the FBI.

Just weeks ago, community activist Abdirizak Bihi lost his 17-year-old nephew, Burhan Hassan, in Somalia. Asked if his nephew had been kidnapped from Minneapolis, Bihi said, "They kidnap them in the sense of mental kidnapping, not physically. But they play a male role of mentor."

Bihi and community leader Omar Jamal said they hold one place at least loosely responsible: the Abubakar as-Saddique Islamic Center, the largest mosque in Minneapolis.

"All these kids missing, they all have one thing in common: They all participated in youth programs in that mosque," said Jamal.

Jamal and Bihi said leaders of the mosque, at the very least, allowed people to come around their facility and recruit young men to fight in Somalia -- a charge the head imam denies...

"This is the baseless accusation really," said Sheikh Abdirahman Sheikh Omar Ahmed. "The mosque -- the mission of the mosque -- is to worship. And people come to worship and go. We don't have any control over what comes through everybody's mind or ideology."

Federal authorities recently made their first arrests in the case, charging two Minnesota men, Salah Osman Ahmed and Abdifatah Yusuf Isse, with one count each of providing material support to terrorists and conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim or injure people overseas, according to the indictment.

CNN could not reach Salah Osman Ahmed's attorney for comment. Published reports indicate he planned to plead not guilty. Isse has pleaded guilty and is cooperating with federal authorities, officials said. In court papers obtained by CNN, Isse's attorney said, "Mr. Isse will not be the last defendant indicted."

A local attorney involved in the case said at least seven Somali-Americans have been questioned by a grand jury. An FBI official said the bureau cannot rule out the possibility that some of the young men involved could be trained to carry out terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. I absolutely LOVE how the head imam said that they aren't responsible for what goes through everyone's mind. I just wonder how well that would go over if several youth members of my Christian church were to get involved in a terror cell associate with al-qaida... I wonder if my minister could simply say, "Hey, lots of people come worship here. I can't control what is said or put into the minds of our youth..."

You know what the difference would be? Christians and churches all over this country would create a deafening roar for investigation. They'd WANT it shut down and would make it quite clear.

Waiting to hear a roar about this instance, or any other, from the muslims in this country...

Peace Out,

~*~*~Krystal~*~*~

Yo quiereo Taco Bell...

The Taco Bell dog died this morning. I'm upset!

From the article:

In a marketing category crowded with creepy plastic Burger Kings, endlessly cheery Ronald McDonalds and spelling-disabled Chik-Fil-A cows, it's sometimes hard to remember what true fast-food royalty once looked like.

..Gidget, the gentle-yet-firm Taco Bell Chihuahua, was the real thing: the commercial face of the brand who inspired not just hunger, but joy; not just commerce, but compassion.

As humans, we may look askance at her short 15 years upon the earth; however, it is worth remembering that in dog years, she was a centenarian who lived a good, long life. Gidget died this morning, having spent her last days basking in the lazy warmth of a southern California sun...

Te queremos, Gidget. Rest in peace.

Peace Out,

~*~*~Krystal~*~*~