Searches & Seizures

An article dated yesterday on MSNBC announced that 'Wire' actress, Felicia "Snoop" Pearson had been arrested on a drug charge. Actually, that was the headline. The tagline was that police wanted her to cooperate in a murder trial in which she is to be a witness.

I'll let that settle in.

Okay. So, the police had a warrant to take her into custody because she wasn't wanting to testify at a murder trial. I can't say that I blame her. I wouldn't want to testify in a murder trial unless I was absolutely sure that I would be safe. If you don't know what I mean, see this article.

Granted, there is no way that you can get out of testifying. To my knowledge. You can refuse all you want, but if they summon you, you have to go. Do I agree with detaining an American citizen so they will testify? No. But, I'm not the one that makes the laws in this country. Probably should be thankful for that. I'll have to create The Rogue Assassin's Commandments sometime...just to see how fast the country would whine and complain.

Anyway, Ms. Pearson was served a warrant for her detention until the trial September 16. While they were serving the specific warrant, they decided to search her home. Let me remind you, loyal readers, that is illegal. In her bedroom, they found a couple of cigars that they thought might contain marijuana, so they arrested her for a minor drug charge.

Um. No.

See, we have this wonderful thing in this country called The Constitution. Attached to the Constitution is a little thing called The Bill of Rights. In this little Bill, the Fourth Amendment gives us the following information:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

So, the fact that they had a warrant for her detention does not nor did not give issuance to "probable cause" to search her house. And, even if it did, they would have had to go back for a SECOND warrant to search her bedroom. I don't understand what runs through law enforcement's brains when they pull bone-head moves like this. Lawful Anal is not a real alignment--no matter how much you wish it was. Just because you have a gun and a badge doesn't give you the right to trounce my rights.

And cops wonder why lawyers hate them...

Cop: "You let this hardened criminal get away?!"
Lawyer: "What part of 'illegal search' do you not understand?"
Cop: "Oh, sure! Blame me for not following the law!"
Lawyer: *has already left this conversation for a much needed tequila shooter*

There've been numerous reports of cops being shot and killed because they don't announce themselves when they burst into a house. Burst into my house unannounced and you won't be shot. You may find yourself down a limb or a head, but I won't shoot you. I don't like guns. Swords on the other hand...

These amendments are in place to keep the government in check. Without specific warrants, police could come into your home at any time and arrest you for no apparent reason. OH! Here's an example. My SO and I were walking to a movie theatre near our apartment. A police officer saw us near a smarmy motel. We didn't have many options of not being near said smarmy hotel since, oh, it's on the way to the theatre? We could have been on the other side of the street, but...why? The theatre was on the side of the street we were walking on. They followed us and stopped us in the parking lot of the theatre to find out where we lived and what we were doing and what we were planning, etc. Had I not been on my phone, I probably would have been arrested for non-compliance. What was their probable cause? Neither my SO nor myself look like criminals. Both of us were dressed casually, but not scummy. Neither of us have tattoos or facial piercings. In fact, we don't even look like we would have come out of that hotel.

Apparently, there's a lack of crime in Los Angeles and they were bored.

A Ray of Light

Here's an American who gets it. Normally I'd go off on how doctors are just Satan incarnate and whatnot, but this... this needs to be talked about.

David Puckett gets it. He understands that medicine and the Hippocratic oath aren't just about selling people on some new drug, taking kick-backs from the drug companies, or doing a half-hearted job. He understands that it's about making people healthy.

If you haven't clicked the link to read the article, lemme just summarized. This man donates his time. To Mexico. It's no secret that the rush of illegals from Mexico come to here to America because Mexico sucks. I'm not trying to be harsh, I'm just stating a fact. In 41 trips to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, Puckett has treated about 420 patients.

What does he do for these patients? He provides artificial limbs. Puckett is a certified prosthetist/orthotist from Savannah, GA. He has established a non-profit organization called Positive Image Prosthetics that takes used prosethetics to craft new ones for those in need. And when he treats these 420 patients, he does it FREE OF CHARGE.

Take THAT, you HMO's!

Puckett's only complaint is that he doesn't have a surgeon who's willing to donate time and take a pay cut to go with him. Puckett estimates that if he had a surgeon, he could treat 8-10 patients in a weekend.

Dr. K. Nania, a chiropractor here in Southern California, does something similar. At least twice a month, she flies to Mexico for the weekend to treat patients, completely free of charge. It is possible for people in the medical profession to be about healing and not money. Shocking, but true.

What's sad is neither of these gracious doctors could offer this type of service in America. Why? Several reasons. First, insurance companies would cease to work with them. That would automatically force them into either closing their practice, or having to charge more just to cover the costs of their businesses. Second, there are some rather greedy Americans out there. Everyone loves getting something for nothing, and if your livelihood relies on someone else's honesty...trust me, it just can't be that way. Sad as it is. Plus, what happens if something goes wrong? How are they indemnified or covered from the sue-happy American looking for a quick buck?

This country's healthcare system is worse than screwed up. God bless those who try to make a difference--even if it is in another country.

Oh, by the way? Do something good. Make yourself feel better and donate to the cause. After all, it's tax deductible and you'll be helping someone else make a better life for themselves.

Seriously: Greater Evil 2008

U GAIZ. SRSLY.

Seriously, you guys.


Moveon.org (a name that makes me laugh) has launched a campaign against Sen. Elizabeth Dole and Sen. John McCain because they're allowing the oil companies to keep $13.5 billion in tax breaks. Seriously. Watch the video about it here.

Read the rest of the story here.

Currently, a bill encouraging cleaner energy and a repayment of the $13.5 billion from the oil companies has been stopped, yet again. The only ones who are passing this bill are the democrats. Now, I don't pretend to have a clue what's in the bill or exactly what it does. But, I also do not assume to be naive when it comes to thinking about things. If all the democrats in the Senate, except one, is voting for this bill and none of the Republicans (and one democrat) are voting against this bill...it makes me stop and say, "Hmmmmmm?"

So, how do John McCain and Elizabeth Dole fit into this?

From what I can tell...they're Republicans.

That's it.

John McCain wasn't even present at the recent vote. He was in Iowa. Campaigning. Ya know, for election to President? That thing we get to vote on in November? Oh, and on a side note: If you don't vote, you don't get to complain about the President, mkay? Mkay.

In fact, according to an article on CBSNews, the only person in the running that even voted at all for this bill was Barak Obama in 2005, granting the big oil companies $3 billion in new giveaways.

I'll let that sink in.

Time's up.

So, two people who have nothing to do with this Energy Bill are getting lambasted for "allowing it to continue" because they're choosing not to jump on the bandwagon and actually thinking about the repercussions of misleading statements contained elsewhere in the document, and the very person who helped establish the $13.5 billion in tax breaks is currently the Democratic nominee for President?

Wow.

McCain should win just because he looks like an older Bruce Willis.

What? If people can make ludicrous statements about houses and oil companies, I can say ludicrous things about looks, right? I mean, who wouldn't want a Bruce Willis look-a-like for President?! I mean, yes, it'd be better if it were Chuck Norris, but still.

"Yippee-kai-yai-yay, Mother Truckers!"

Vote Houses in 2008

So, I really hate politics, if you haven't noticed. I think if a politician's talking, he's probably spouting some bull to cover his own butt. So, it came as no surprise to me when I popped over to the Political track of CNN to discover that Obama is concerned with McCain's housing. That's right, kiddies. Obama thinks McCain won't make a good President because he doesn't know how many houses he owns.

Clearly, we must vote for Obama!

I'll say it again: WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT!?! Who in Bixby's Nine Hells CARES?! So, McCain owns a few houses. He's not President yet. He needs some source of income. Maybe he likes to vacation and has houses in his favorite places? My mother-in-law owns four properties. All in California. Amazing. Americans owning property! This, obviously, disqualifies her from the Presidency!

My point is this: McCain has bigger things to worry about at the moment than his properties. In fact, he even said, "I don't know. I'll have to ask my staff." Did it occur to anyone that maybe--just maybe--he has people who invest in this stuff for him?

Let's analyze, shall we, what Obama said:

“Somebody asked John McCain, 'how many houses do you have?' and he said, 'I'm not sure, I’ll have to check with my staff,' True quote! 'I'm not sure, I'll have to check with my staff.' So they asked his staff and he said, 'at least four.' 'At least four.'

“Now think about that — I guess if you think that being rich means you gotta make five million dollars, and if you don't know how many houses you have, then it's not surprising that you might think the economy is fundamentally strong,” he continued. “But if you're like me and you've got one house — or you were like the millions of people who are struggling right now to keep up with their mortgage so that they don't lose their home — you might have a different perspective. …" (quoted from source article)

First of all, McCain was honest. We teach children to say "I don't know" if it's an honest answer. McCain could have very easily said, "None of your doggone business!" and been perfectly honest, but he chose to give an answer that was a bit more tactful. (Note: This is why The Rogue Assassin is not on your list of people. That and I'm not old enough, yet). Continuing further, just... bwuh?! "If you think that being rich means you gotta make five million dollars..." Well. "Rich" in monetary terms is equivalent to "money." Bill Gates is rich. Bill Gates is richer than John McCain. I wonder how many houses Bill Gates has...

Now, the next part of Obama's tirade kills me. "If you're like me and you've got one house..." One house--worth how much? And it's probably a safe bet that if you live in California, you don't have a house. Unless, ya know, you're rich. So. This is a bit of catch-22 for him. "You can't know the American economy if you own four houses!" And here I thought the American economy was all about an exchange of money! Apparently, it's about real estate! Who knew.

When did the American race for Presidency start slinging retarded logic around in an attempt to sully the opponent's name? Seriously. Did James Madison have to put up with this? What about Abraham Lincoln? Or Howard Taft? Or James Garfield? Remember Garfield? He wasn't just a fat, orange and black tiger cat with an unhealthy love of lasagna. He was a President of the United States...for three months. Til some bloke assassinated him.

Anyway.

Turns out McCain owns a total of seven properties totaling a worth of about $13 million. Clearly, he does not own property in California--at least not Southern California where a house that he would own would be at least $5 mil to purchase and worth about $7-10 mil by the time he was done with it.

Do I care how many properties a potential President owns? No. It proves nothing to me other than they're pretty real estate savvy. Do I care how much money my President makes at his day job? Not really. I've long since given up the idea that an average American will be President. I expect the President to be from the upper class of society. I don't expect Joe from the pizza shop down the street to be elected. Since one of the requirements for being President is to somehow have been involved in politics (and by their very nature, politics equates to money), the President is going to be rich. What's-his-name from a few elections ago--Ross Perot!--I betchya he owned a lot of property. No one, at that time, said, "UGH! FOUL! HE IS RICH!" It doesn't matter how much money you have. It matters what your intentions and goals are for the future of America.

You can be butt-sucking rich and be an awesome President. You can be butt-sucking rich and be a Nixon. Or a Clinton. Or a Bush. Pick one. You could also be church-mouse poor and suck worse (if that's possible). Money doesn't make the politician, folks. Morals. Choices. STANDING for something even if it's not popular. AFFECTING CHANGE. Accomplishing the objectives of the people--ya know, the WILL of the PEOPLE...which is why you're even being elected in the first place? Not everything we as Americans want is right or healthy. But, the President needs to be able to have a backbone and be the parent of the Nation and say "Yes, you need this" or "No, you don't," then STICK TO IT!

So much more could be said, but at this point... it's a dead horse...and I'm done beating.

Causing Solutions

Oh, yeah. This can't stay silent. Nothing like finding a gem of a news story first thing in the morning, happily delivered to your e-mail by none other than your SO. CNN wants us to freak out because more than 200,000 kids were spanked during the school year last year!

*GASP!*

Two hundred thousand kids! ZOMG! The world is going to implode!

Whatever.

Not enough, in my opinion. You know why? Because kids are still killing kids. Because they still think they can rule the classroom--I can say this, having taught for a single year. We got to administer "standards." I will not's written a set number of times.

...and would you believe I got phone calls from parents saying I had no right?!

Okay, America, listen in and listen good... A child does not dictate his own punishment. I don't care if you're black, white, red, purple, yellow, green with pink polk-a-dots, if you're going to disobey in a classroom you are going to get an appropriate punishment. Flinging rubberbands--you mean shooting rubberbands?!--across the room is not appropriate behavior and if you actually hit someone with those...you're done. A teacher is not a babysitter. A school is not a daycare. You wanna know why people on Yahoo Answers have retarded questions like "How is babby formed? How girl get pragnet?" Because teachers can't do what they're trained to do and teach students.

Oh! And on top of not being able to maintain classroom control because there's a lack of a true discipline system, lest we forget, we are no longer teaching students information--we're teaching them the standardized tests so we don't lose funding.

"How is babby formed?"

The ACLU, of course, couldn't let this go--there's a higher percentage of African-Americans who are sent for paddlings and more of the African-Americans that get spanked are girls.

Well.

Statistically speaking... If you're at a school comprised mostly of black children, you're going to have a higher percentage of black children going to the principal's office. On top of that, if you have a higher percentage of black girls in the school district.... you get where this is going.

I'll admit it! I was spanked in school when I was little. I consider myself a fairly well-adjusted 30 year old. I didn't whine and complain to my mom that Mrs. Fritz or Mrs. Hughes spanked me. In fact, I sorta hid that fact from her. Because, as a lot of you may remember (well, if you're not growing up now in the "Save the Child's Psyche" generation), if you got spanked at school, you got spanked at home.

Parents need to stop sniveling and DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM!

You don't like that your child got spanked at school? Maybe, and this is just a thought, you should, perhaps, talk to your child and find out why he was spanked at school. As a teacher, I can attest to the fact that we don't just assign arbitrary punishment for no reason--despite what your child says. Calling us while we're teaching to discuss your child's behavior problem is inappropriate. We do not call you at work to discuss our marital problems. You go through the proper channels and schedule a meeting with the teacher. It's not hard.

Yes, your "little angel" is not perfect. I know it's a shock and I know it's hard to believe. But, ya know what? They're just like you were as a kid.

...only with guns.

"Spanking isn't a deterrent," I hear you cry.

Of course it's not. Nothing is if it's not consistent or supported at home. Children see parents arguing and yelling at the teachers and watch as the teachers are disempowered by the Administrators and suddenly, they know what they can get away with. Nothing is more infuriating for a teacher than to discipline a child for something they are doing wrong only to be told that you can't discipline that child.

Here's a big UP YOURS! If you think you can do a better job educating and disciplining your child, then do it. Quit your day job. Take a pay cut. Pour your heart and soul into that child--they'll be better off for it.

...and maybe they won't force James Hetfield to put up a fence....

Stupid Criminals

The Darwin Awards will be wonderful this year. Especially if it includes the name Tyree Monique Tate in the nominations. Why, you ask? Because this gem of humanity hid herself in a trash compactor after she allegedly shoplifted from TJ Maxx.

That's right! A trash compactor.

She and another girl, having miraculously reached their mid-twenties, were alleged suspects in a shoplifting report at TJ Maxx in Michigan. The two left the store and one hid in the trash compactor, the other behind it.

You can guess what happened.

DUH?

So, of course, you know what's going to happen. The alleged accomplice will be charged with shoplifting and given a slap on the wrist in the criminal courts (since, anything under five grand is a misdemeanor) and TJ Maxx...will be slapped with a law suit by Tate's family, claiming some criminal negligence for not checking to make sure there wasn't a person in their trash compactor before crushing the garbage.

You know it's true. Deep in the cockles of your heart...maybe even the sub-cockles... Who knows, but, the point is...you know you're going to be glued to CNN for the latest developments in this case...And to this blog just to see me rant and say, "I TOLD YOU SO!" when it happens.

Another Case of Blame

Ah, two things that make people want to tear their hair and do crazy things: Religion & Politics. When the two mix, you can be sure there will be a small War. Or two.

Or a rant.

To start, this has less to do with politics and more to do with general stupidity, but, it's still enough to really get my goose. And my geese don't like to get got! Anyway. This story comes from an August 18, 2008 article on CNN. The headline has to do with a cult that prayed to resurrect a little boy.

Now, on the surface, that seems pretty cool. But, once you start to read the story, you find that it's not quite so cool. In fact, you find yourself wanting to find this cult and put them out of your misery. Especially if you're a Christian--since that's what the cult calls itself.

I'll go back to that part later.

For now. An 18 year old girl gives birth to a child, then leaves the church she's in when her pastor "betrays her trust" by admitting to molesting boys in his congregation (again...this is a rant for another time or three). Now, I'm not a parent. I have no desire to be a parent. I may be wrong in my thinking here, but, most children at the age of one are lucky to be speaking in full sentences. Yet, this young mother somehow thought it was an appropriate punishment to withhold food and water from her son because he didn't say "Amen" at the end of his prayers.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?!

A 1-year old not saying "Amen" after his prayers deserves to not be fed?! And they say Jerry Fallwell put the "mental" in "fundamental." After two days of not having food or water, the little boy died, needless to say. So, the cult members all circled up at the mother's home and started praying that God would resurrect the child.

God's ways are not our ways; His thoughts are not our thoughts, yada yada yada. But, I'm pretty sure that God would agree with me when I say, "...bwuh?"

Yes, God is a God of miracles, but, bwuh?! You've just killed your one-year old child because you've somehow proven the survival of the fittest theory false by your longevity and you're expecting God to fix your problem? So, when He doesn't you can whine and moan there is no God? I'll say it again: WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT!?

I don't care if you're a member of a cult. I don't care if you're an agnostic, an atheist, a deist, a theist, a Free Presbyterian, a LOCKED-UP Presbyterian, or whatever. It's wrong in any religion to not feed a one year old baby.

It's. A BABY.

Now, I could understand, maybe, if the child was, ya know, able to actually talk in a full sentence and actually, ya know, understand what he was supposed to be doing. At one, you hardly have any cognizance about who the woman shoving her boobs in your face is, let alone why you wouldn't be allowed to eat or drink anything for two days!

To top all this off, she and the rest of the cult discovered that God wasn't going to hear their prayers and resurrect the child, so what did they do? They didn't call the authorities and say, "Hey, we may have screwed up here..." and claimed the Religious Indemnification clause--which must be somewhere in the Constitution since every group that isn't Christian claims it--so they didn't have to face too much trouble. NO! Instead! They get the brilliant idea of putting the body in a green suitcase, filling it with mothballs and dryer sheets (I assume to keep the body soft and fluffy) and carry it with them! This brings a whooooooole new meaning to the phrase, "Going Green."

Finally, they just decided to leave it behind a house in Philadelphia and re-locate to New York. A year later, the police discover it. With the body still inside. So, if you're MacGuyver and you're looking for a great way to preserve a corpse, mothballs and dryer sheets. Of course, you'll have to figure out how to make those out of duct tape and a Swiss Army knife, but you'll manage.

So, now the mother faces jail time for first degree murder. Her lawyers, however, are doing the American thing and hanging blame on the cult leaders. It's their fault! They brainwashed her! Uh...am I the only one NOT buying that? She was 20 at the time. The last time I checked, a 20 year old could make their own choices. They can say "no." They can say "I don't think that's right," or "I don't think that's going to work." Even I, reared as a fundamental Baptist, opened my big mouth to challenge every bit of doctrine crammed down my throat. Yeah, it may not be popular, but you come out with a brain.

...and rants like this...

Send the lot of them to jail. While you're at it...don't feed 'em for a couple of days and make up some story about how they didn't say the secret password....

Hetfield's At It Again

I'm not one for entertainment news, but every so often, there's a gem of a story that comes along. And anything involving James Hetfield of Metallica is sure to get someone's dander flying.

The man is made of money, at this point in time. But, in 1999, he purchased some acreage in Marin County, specifically, San Rafael. The problem isn't that he purchased a great deal of land there with the intent to build a home, studio, and caretaker lodgings. The problem is, he recently put up a barbed-wire fence which cuts off access to a fire trail that has been open for public access, according to the writer of the article, "for decades."

If you think I'm about to go off on Mr. Hetfield... you may as well stop reading. I will sorely disappoint you.

People, get a clue. James Hetfield is not out to ruin your life. He has his own life and is pretty pre-occupied with it. He's sold himself on the fact that he is James Hetfield. He doesn't care about you and your life. Harsh as it may seem, really, he doesn't.

Sooooo what's my point? "He's cut off a public accessway!" I hear you cry.

It's PRIVATE PROPERTY that he GRACIOUSLY allowed you to access for the past nine years!

The phrase in that article that says the foot path has been available "for decades" really bugs me. Why? Because I'm a writer. I like to report fact (believe it or not!) and, though I have made some errors in previous blogs that I'm just too lazy to fix, I like other people--especially reporters--to be as accurate as humanly possible.

Just how long has that path been there? Hetfield has owned the land for nearly a decade, according to county records. What about that path? How long has it been there? Decades! The fact that it's a plural indicates at least 20 years. But, I take issue with this because if I were to ask anyone there how long the path's been there, they'd say, "As long as I can remember."

...as long as I can remember, I've been a writer. I've been writing for decades. Which is a feat since I barely have 3 of those under my belt. I could be a bit more accurate and say I've been writing short stories and poetry for two and a third decades. Or, I could actually make sense and say I've been writing short stories and poetry for 23 years. Yes. I started at 7. I was a creative brat. Get over it.

So, if it's a fire trail, it falls under county jurisdiction and there would be a record of it being carved out. Oh, and it would be illegal even for Mr. Hetfield to block it off. If it's a convenient foot path, he is well within his rights as a home-owner to block it off.

Especially since he's not trying to be a twat and is actually concerned about vandalism. That's right, even Mr. Hetfield has to put up with the idiots who think tagging and breaking windows is a swell past time. Get a job or something, kids. Find something constructive to do with your time. Maybe take up a musical instrument and be better than James Hetfield. You're not going to get millions of dollars by stealing it from him. You'll actually have to earn it. Like he did. Imagine that.

Love him or hate him, Hetfield's still a person with the same Constitutional rights as you and me. He's entitled to his opinion, just like me! You may hate it, but he has a right to it. He has a right to put up a fence on his own property, regardless of the inconvenience to you. Suck it up and make another path.

He's donated land to worthy causes in the past. Your short cut does not equal an emergency on his part. Does it suck? Yeah, it does. Is there anything you can do about? Whine and complain. Will anyone care? Probably those that think Hetfield is Satan incarnate.

...then there's the rest of the world that says, "BIG DEAL!" So, you get a little more exercise than you bargained for. Oops! Heaven forbid you fight against that disease of obesity. I think the real disease is the one of American Stupidity.

American Responsibility

So, I was trolling MSNBC for a news article worthy of my angst and ire when I came across the headline in the "Health" area: The Pill Makes Women Pick Bad Mates. The Pill. Birth control pill. The Pill makes women pick bad mates. It holds a gun to their head and says, "Choose this moron over here!"

The pill makes women pick bad mates.

As if most women need assistance in this area...

When is America going to stop blaming everything but the individual for the problems the individual has? Seriously. Let's look at this "Pill" making women make bad relationship decisions...

The pill puts a woman's body into a hormonally pregnant state (the reason she doesn’t ovulate), and during that time there would be no reason to seek out a mate.

Duh?

While several factors can send a woman swooning, including big brains and brawn, body odor can be critical in the final decision, the researchers say. That's because beneath a woman's flowery fragrance or a guy's musk the body sends out aromatic molecules that indicate genetic compatibility.

So... when a woman's on the pill, they prefer guys who have a similar scent to them. The reason this is bad is most people who are mated to someone with a similar scent have a wandering eye and are more prone to infidelity.

So, maybe science can back that up, but...It's still your choice to sleep around. You can control your brain and your body. It's a choice to go to bed with someone you don't really know and wake up in the morning next to them, wondering what you were thinking. It's a choice to say, "Ya know, I'm not that kind of person." It's a choice, America.

I would be pro-choice in that I fully support the ability to not make myself look like an idiot and pass the blame to someone else. "I spilled the hot coffee I just ordered in my lap! It's the barista's fault for not telling me it was hot!"

People. Please. Own up and take some responsibility.

Alcoholism is not a disease. It's a choice. Obesity is not a disease in most cases, it's a choice. CHILDHOOD obesity is not a disease. If you're seven years old and you sit on your butt and play video games or watch tv instead of going outside and playing tag or hide-n-seek or riding your bike or roller skating, you're going to be fat! Have you ever seen a fat skateboarder? How about a fat surfer? And what about those kids in the Olympics?

It's a choice.

So, the next time you've made a choice and you don't like the outcome of your choices, grow a backbone and say, "Yeah. That's me. I did that." Take ownership and work to improve yourself. There's so many better things the government could spend its money on than why you made a bone-head choice. We don't need to fund a science project to find out why you made a bad relationship choice. We don't need to spend taxpayer money on lawyers for people to sue McDonald's because they chose to eat Big Macs every night for five years and now have blocked arteries and weigh 900lbs.

It's a choice.

Make yours and deal with it.

The Oil Conspiracy

It's in the news everywhere. Gas prices are on the rise again. I don't need to link you to MSNBC or CNN for you to find a news story on the war and the price of gas in California. In fact, if you live in California, you can just walk to the gas station and scream. Or...just look at your keys. If you can afford it.

Everyone has always told me that war is a good economy-booster. But, who's really benefiting from this war in the Middle East? First of all, I don't think any of those countries have said, "Hey, America! Thanks for giving it the ol' college try!" In fact, I think those countries have pretty much done the opposite and shot our boys and girls in the back.

Yet we stay.

Their government will fall apart if we leave.

I have one thing to say to that: "WHO IN BIXBY'S NINE HELLS CARES?!" It's a volatile area. They've been at war with each other for centuries and here's a newsflash--they'll keep being at war until they either all die out or Jesus comes back (or for the first time, if you're Jewish). Don't sell me on a war you want to have by saying it's a fight on terrorism.

Also, in this "war on terrorism," don't take away my rights as an American citizen and say it's for my safety. If I were going to explode a bomb on a plane, I wouldn't wait in a 2 hour security check line. I'd dress as an employee. Also? What's with the "60% of 'fake' bombs" making it through the TSA checkpoint? Yes. Well done, Homeland Security. Well done.

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, we didn't tell the American Citizens they couldn't carry toothpaste in their carry on if it was over 3oz. We attacked the Japanese. So, when Al Quida gave the directive to fly planes into the Pentagon and Twin Towers...why, exactly are we not able to carry liquids over 3oz? THEY FLEW THE FREAKING PLANE!!!

Maybe we should check, oh, I dunno, PILOT LICENSES?

As much as I love our American troops, I still think Asylum Street Spankers have the right idea with "Stick Magnetic Ribbons (On Your SUV)." You can watch it here. So, maybe the Federal Government should visit a proctologist to remove the heads out of the rear ends of those people making the decisions to take away or violate my indelible rights. It's not terroristic to speak your mind. It's actually in the Constitution that one can do so--it's called "FREE SPEECH."

Why are the oil prices a conspiracy? Because the price per gallon doesn't need to be as high as it is. There's no reason for it. It's a way for the oil moguls to continue to ecru wealth. I don't see them stepping up to help pay off America's debt. I also don't see them really helping the economy, either. If a person makes $7.25/hr and has to spend $4.50/gallon, then on top of that pay for food, water, electricity, rent... It's virtually impossible.

It's a conspiracy against the American public. It's falling into order what Regan stated about America (depending on who you believe, he was either quoting Lenin or misquoting him):

After Russia we will take Eastern Europe, then the masses of Asia, then we will encircle the United States which will be the last bastion of capitalism. We will not have to attack. It will fall like an overripe fruit into our hands.

We're falling into the hands of something, America. And it ain't pretty.

The American Dream -- The Legal Way

In Potsville, Iowa, the INS (or CBT, or "The Man," whatever you want to call them) had a field day raiding a meat-packing plant back on May 12 of this year.

Apparently, most of the town's population were illegal immigrants from Guatemala and Mexico. The town seems, now, to be reeling in the wake of the raid and the meat-packing plant is severely understaffed.

What I don't understand is this: Why are they surprised?!

I have no problem with immigrants. My ancestors were some. In fact, all of our ancestors were immigrants. Unless, of course, your ancestors were on the United States' land before the rest of us got here. But that's a rant for another day. My problem isn't with immigration. It's with the immigrants who somehow think it's okay to by-pass the established laws and do things their own way.

Just because Frankie sang it, doesn't make it true.

If you're going to come to this country to make things better for your family, fine. Do it the legal way. Talk to your local CBT contact. Fill out the paperwork. File for a visa. Get your documentation in order, then get a job. Oh, and while you're at it? You're in America now. We speak English here. Learn it. Speak it. You want a new life? Forget your old one. If you wanna speak your language with your friends and family, great! That's your culture. If you want to get by in America, speak English. It's our language and though many slaughter it mercilessly, we all understand each other.

As I read the story of the raid, I tried very hard to fault the government for excessive anal retentiveness, but. I couldn't. The only thing I could see that was a problem was the electronic bands that dig into the skin. That's just not humanitarian. Of course, neither is stealing someone else's ID to get a job and work to send money to your family in another country. You're in America. Support the economy. You're robbing from the very place you want to "escape" to. This will not give anyone warm fuzzies.

I realize I'm most likely in the minority (both literally and figuratively), but that doesn't mean I don't have a voice. It doesn't mean that I will just sit back and let people walk over what I believe in. What do I believe in? Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness--legally. My friends and family did not fight for American freedoms for you to not have the respect to follow our laws.

If we tried that in your country, we'd be shot.

Something to think about...