David and Mary Jones - Criminals

Did you know it's illegal to have a home Bible study in San Diego? David and Mary Jones invited friends to their home for a meal and a Bible study. The County of San Diego informed them that they were having an illegal religious assembly. Wow! More of Obama's change we can believe in, I guess. I wonder if this would have happened were it a gathering of Muslims?

http://www.foxnews.com/search-results/m/22375173/freedom-of-religion.htm

Voter intimidation is illegal -- unless the intimidator is a Black Panther.

On election day in November, there were many instances of voting irregularity. One of those occurred in Philadelphia. The New Black Panthers showed up at a polling place with a deadly weapon and threatened voters and poll workers. One of the men, King Samir Shabazz, advocates "racially motivated violence against non-blacks and Jews," according to prosecutors. Doesn't that sound like hate crimes? Even a liberal, Bartle Bull who worked as a civil rights lawyer in the 1960's south, said it was the most blatant voter intimidation he'd ever seen. "I watched the two uniformed men confront voters and attempt to intimidate voters. They were positioned in a location that forced every voter to pass in close proximity to them. The weapon was openly displayed and brandished in plain sight of voters." One of the panthers turned toward white poll observers and said, "You are about to be ruled by the black man, cracker."

You'd think this outrageous behaviour would not be tolerated in America. That was, indeed, the case prior to January 20, 2009. In the waning days of the Bush Administration, charges were filed against three of the intimidators. The Obama administration moved to dismiss the charges against these thugs on May 15. His Injustice Department has complied with his request. Do you think they would have done so had it been the KKK there?

Click here to see FOX News video from the scene on election day.
Click to watch the incident on YouTube.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/29/charges-black-panthers-dropped-obama/

Hypocrites in Congress

Did you know that Congress voted itself a 2.8% cost of living increase for 2009? Did you know that they refused to grant any increase at all for federal judges? Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts thinks that's just a bit hypocritical. So do I.

"Chief justice requests cost-of-living raises." The Dallas Morning News; January 1, 2009; p. 7A.

I don't get no respect!

Comedian Rodney Dangerfield was famous for his, "I don't get no respect!" Unfortunately, in today's society, Rodney is far from alone.

We recently had a bit of controversy about skateboarders in our city. They think nothing of riding their boards on private property, doing their destructive acrobatics off porches, stairs, and railings belonging to businesses and homeowners. When complaints are lodged, we're told that we should let them do that, because there's nothing else to do in this little town, and they'll turn to drugs if they can't vandalize your property. One skateboarder said, "If they don't want us to skate on their property, all they have to do is post a 'no skateboarders' sign." That backward mindset disturbs me. Why does this little squirt think he has the right to trespass on someone else's property unless they have specifically told him he can't? Wouldn't the respectful thing be to first ask the property owner if he could skate on his property?

A similar thing is happening in the foreclosure mess. People are squatting in empty homes, and skateboarders have made empty pools into their own private skate parks. "We have more pools than we know what to do with," said Josh Peacock, a 27-year-old skateboarder. Isn't 27 old enough to know better? They even have a website whose name is very telling -- skateandannoy.com.

I'll write another time about the people who are squatting in these homes. But it's the same mentality -- "I can do whatever I like on your property, and if you say anything about it, you're just an out of it old fogey who has nothing better to do than gripe and complain."

"The backyear bailout: Pools become skate playgrounds." The Dallas Morning News; January 1, 2009; p. 10A.

What if he had said this about Islam?

What if your teenage child came home from high school and said, "My history teacher said that when you put on your Jesus glasses, you can't see the truth"? What if the history teacher said, "Conservatives don't want women to avoid pregnancies — that's interfering with God's work"? Then he added that conservatives want women to stay barefoot, pregnant, in the kitchen, and have babies until their bodies collapse? What if he said, "When you pray for divine intervention, you're hoping that the spaghetti monster will help you get what you want." What if he said that religion "was invented when the first con man met the first fool"?

Those are only a few of the quotes made in the classroom by Californian James Corbett, an AP European History teacher at Capistrano Valley High School. They were recorded by one of his Christian students, Chad Farnan. Farnan brought suit against him for violating the First Amendment which prohibits the government from infringing on the free exercise of religion. Only one out of twenty of Corbett's comments was deemed by U.S. District Judge James Selna to fit that criteria -- the one where he called creationism "superstitious nonsense."

How do you think the ruling would have gone had he said, "When you put on your Imam glasses, you can't see the truth"? What about, "Muslims don't want women to avoid pregnancies -- they want them covered up, subjugated, and enslaved"? How about, "When you pray to Allah, you're hoping that the spaghetti monster will grant you seventy virgins"? What if he had said, "Islam was invented when Mohammed gathered a bunch of sycophantic idiots around him"?

You and I both know Mr. Corbett would no longer be teaching. But Christians are fair game in this country -- just about anything goes when it comes to denigrating us. By the way, the Capistrano Unified School District taxpayers, including the Christian ones, footed the bill for Corbett's defense.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,518864,00.html

Octonut Texas Style

From Lubbock, Texas: Gloria Ramirez is 28 years old. She has nine children. She had a dead child stored in a refrigerator. She is eight months pregnant. I wonder how much of our money she was collecting on all those children. And I wonder where their fathers are.

Thankfully, Gloria Ramirez is now where she should be -- in jail. Her children have been taken from her filthy, vermin-infested home. Maybe now, they have a chance at a normal life.

"Mother of 9 guilty of child endangerment." The Dallas Morning News; May 8, 2009; p. 4A.

That's a lot of diapers!

Benjamin and Rose Essien of Houston were indicted April 30 by a federal garnd jury for conspiracy, eight counts of health-care fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft for filing more than a million dollars in fraudulent Medicaid claims. They ran Logic World Medical, a medical supply company and regularly billed Medicaid for adult diapers and other supplies they did not deliver to beneficiaries. This went on for more than two years before they were caught. They may be jailed, but I seriously doubt the government will recover the million dollars.

How many Benjamin and Roses are out there? And how many millions of dollars are being wasted because no one's watching? And we want the government to run all our health care?

"Siblings accused of bilking Medicaid with diaper scam." The Dallas Morning News; May 8, 2009; p. 10B.

The Democrats' Transparent Administration

Jonah Goldberg recently wrote about the Democrats' claim that they were going to clean up the culture of corruption in Washington. How well are they doing? Here are just a few of the things he commented on.

Let's start with Timothy Geithner and all the other tax cheats Obama appointed to key positions in his cabinet.

Charles Rangel, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, is under investigation for, among other things, failing to report income from his Caribbean villa.

Senator Christopher Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, got some deals from subprime lender Countrywide that neither you nor I could have gotten. He also has had a little trouble explaining the deal on his million-dollar cottage in Ireland.

Representative Jack Murtha has a record for delivering big chunks of federal money to his cronies and lobbyists.

And let's not forget John Edwards, former Presidential candidate. Not only did he cheat on his wife -- it appears he also cheated on the use of his campaign funds in attempts to keep his "baby mama" silent.

And did Jesse Jackson, Jr. try to buy Obama's senate seat from Governor Blago?

According to ABC's Jake Tapper, Obama's car czar, Steven Rattner, has threatened to use the White House to smear a Chrysler creditor if it refuses to back the administration's Chrysler bankruptcy plan. This is in addition to the questions about the pension fund scandal he may be involved in.

Goldberg questions the media response to all this. They are hailing the Democrats as inspirational leaders taking bold steps and pondering whether Obama is a greater President than FDR. He speculates that, were this a Republican controlled government striking deals, rewarding cronies, punishing opponents, and rewriting policy, we'd be hearing a lot of "gate" suffixes. I think he's right.

"Trickle-down corruption." The Dallas Morning News; May 8, 2009; p. 23A.

If you can't afford insurance, you can't afford to drive!

Last year, Dallas passed an ordinance requiring the vehicles of uninsured drivers to be towed. The ordinance was put into effect in recent months. Oh, but that's so unfair, say the hispanic and black council members. Their fear, they say, is that the poor, particularly minorities, will suffer the brunt of the ordinance. "In these tough economic times, it's not just going to be immigrant famililes who are affected. It's going to be a lot of families going through hard times."

So let's analyze this. What they are saying is that if you are poor, you shouldn't have to abide by the law. If you are a minority, you shouldn't have to abide by the law.

As my mama used to say, "Horse Hockey!" The law affects everyone the same -- it doesn't say we're only going to tow poor people's cars. It says we're going to tow uninsured people's cars. If you're a law-abiding citizen, poor or not, you don't have to worry about your car being impounded. If you can't afford insurance, you can't afford to drive.

"Uninsured drivers face new tow law." The Dallas Morning News; December 30, 2008; p. 7B.

Let's put the pressure on early!

In going through some old newspapers, I came across a photo I find a bit disturbing. It was in a report about the National Cheerleaders Association national championship finals at the Dallas Convention Center.

One of the photos was of elementary school cheerleaders. I don't have a problem with elementary kids doing a little cheerleading. I'm sure it's fun for them. What I do have a problem with is sending them to competitions at such a young age. What I do have a problem with is tarting them up like little harlots. What I do have a problem with is them doing lifting stunts when their little bodies are probably not developed enough to handle them. All of these things were exhibited in the photograph.

Come on, parents! Let your kids be innocent little kids. Quit pushing so hard!

"Spreading good cheer." The Dallas Morning News; December 30, 2008; p. 1B.

Foreclosure crisis or stupidity crisis?

I know that there are some people out there who have lost their homes through no fault of their own, but it seems the media just can't find them. I was watching the rocket docket the other day. That's what they call the foreclosure court in Florida, because they hear so many cases in one day.

The reporters were interviewing some of the people who were seeking extensions in those cases. Typically, they were people who were trying to live outside their means. Take for example this case.

The reporters actually went to the home that is being repossessed. It was a lovely four bedroom in a very nice area. There were huge marble columns leading from the family room into the kitchen and lots of tile, marble, and chandeliers. The lawn was perfectly landscaped. The gentleman who took out the mortgage on this home says that it became difficult to make payments when he lost his job. About the time he found new employment, his wife's working hours were cut. So in April of 2008, they just quit making mortgage payments.

He says they like it there and don't want to leave. Who wouldn't like living in a house like that? But most people realize that that style of living is a little beyond their means. When I found it hard to make payments, I'd have put the house up for sale and tried to find something a little less oppulent. Ah, but while they were enjoying living there rent free so to speak, real estate values dropped. They now owe more on the home than it's appraised value. His wife says she doesn't want to pay a mortgage that's more than the house is worth. He says, "You know, you kind of expect to build up equity in a home." Well, duh! You do that by making the mortgage payments, doofus!

In essence, what these people are saying is, "We're going to stay here and we shouldn't have to pay the mortgage we promised to pay when we signed all those papers. We should have equity in this house even though we haven't made any attempt to make a payment in over a year." Foreclosure crisis or stupidity crisis? The judge granted their request for an extension -- maybe they're not so stupid after all.

Maine joins other reprobate states.

May 6, Maine Governor John Baldacci signed a same-sex marriage bill. But there is hope. Opponents are pursuing a public referendum to overturn the law. We should all pray that there are enough people in Maine still possessing a sound moral compass to prevail. We need to take our country back from the pagans!

It's all about racism -- NOT!

Remember the Jena Six? They were the black teens who were charged with attempted murder for badly beating a white classmate at Jena (Louisiana) High School. Black activists rose up claiming the charges were unjust. Amid ridiculous allegations of racism, all the charges were reduced. Mychal Bell was one of those convicted of reduced juvenile charges. He was released from state supervision last December 4.

It didn't take him long to get into trouble again. He was arrested Christmas Eve for shoplifting. He shot himself December 29 and was hospitalized with a non-life threatening wound. But none of this is his fault.

His lawyer says he was worried his arrest would ruin his dream of playing college football. I don't think so -- it's his lack of character and stealing that might ruin his dream of playing college football. The lawyer went on to say, "When it was broadcast that he was charged with shoplifting he just felt that the whole year had been wasted and that he had worked all of that time for nothing." Bless his heart -- it's a great big white conspiracy against him. Imagine the audacity to arrest someone for shoplifting and then the gall to put it on the news!

The thief's mother and grandmother agree. "Mychal had made comments over the past two days that, because of the current media attention he had because of the shoplifting arrest, he didn't feel like he could live anymore." See -- it's not his fault for stealing. It's law enforcement's fault for arresting him.

Remember his name. I'm sure you'll hear it again. Only the next time, I fear it may be because he's killed someone.

"Teen in Jena Six case shoots self." The Dallas Morning News; December 31, 2008; p. 3A.

Just how bankrupt is she?

A person I know is engaged to be married for at least the fourth time (I can remember three men she's been married to previously, and I think there may have been another, but I can't remember for sure). She is registered at the local jewelry store, she has a wedding website detailing all the preparations with her wedding planner, the bachelorette party, the caterer, the photographer, the flowers, the rehearsal dinner, the reception -- all those expensive things that go with a big wedding.

To begin with, I thought all that was a little overboard for someone heading to the altar for the fourth time. But what really takes the cake is that today, I found out she has filed for bankruptcy. Hope all those wedding folks got their money up front.

Here's you a tax credit -- till you have to pay it back.

People need to be aware that the new withholding tax tables sent out earlier this year may get them into trouble come tax time next year. The tables do not take into account two-income families and various other factors.

So what that means is that Obama the Great gets credit for putting more money in your pocket now. But many workers will have to pay at least a portion of that money back when they file their 2009 return next year.

And that's the pattern for Obama's programs -- they sound great now, but look what they'll do to us in the long run.

"Stimulus checks only a loan for many." Texarkana Gazette; May 8, 2009.

YAHOO!

The FTC is filing suit against that horrible "This is your final call. Your auto warranty is expiring" telemarketing company. I've been getting two calls a day from them for a year or more. They're rude, crude, and the biggest liars that ever lived. I hope they all go to jail!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090515/ap_on_bi_ge/us_car_warranty_calls

The economy made me do it.

Criminals now have a ready excuse for their illegal acts -- the economy made me do it. The big headline in last week's news was "Economy pushes unlikely suspects to edge." The article cited several examples of what the reporter deemed fine, upstanding citizens being driven to steal by the country's financial status.

Sounds a lot like the excuse Bonnie and Clyde, Pretty Boy Floyd, Jesse James, and others of their ilk used. But that excuse doesn't garner any of my sympathy. Those selfish crooks robbed mom and pop operations and small town banks. They took money from honest people who were just trying to scrape by like everybody else. They took cars from people's driveways. They were not what they claimed to be -- Robin Hoods who took from the rich to give to the poor. When it boils down to it, they were just scummy thieves.

One of the cases the newspaper reported was the case of Bruce Windsor. He was a deacon and a youth soccer coach. February 26, he put on a mask, wig, and sunglasses and tried to rob a bank. After a ninety minute stand-off, he surrendered to a SWAT team. As it turns out, they probably shouldn't have used him as an example. Number one, if he was a faithful church member, he knew for sure what he was doing was wrong. Number two, the reporter admits that he was having financial trouble even before the recession hit.

Other cases include a Georgia minister, a police officer in Illinois, and a single dad in St. Louis -- all, according to the article, blaming the financial situation for their arrests. I beg to differ. They weren't arrested because they were hurting financially. They were arrested because they robbed banks! Another case cited was that of Barbara Joly who was sentenced in February to nine years in prison for bank robbery. But she had to do it! Her adult son had fallen on hard times, and she couldn't afford to give him any more of her money, so she took some other hardworking person's money to give to him. If he's an adult, he should be looking after himself! What's wrong with saying, "I wish I could help, son, but I'm broke myself"?

These people have more problems than financial ones. They have some deep-seated character problems, no matter what kind of facade they've previously presented to the public!

"Economy pushes unlikely suspects to edge." The Dallas Morning News; May 6, 2009; p. 7A.

Can we afford affordable health care?

The headline on Yahoo news caught my attention yesterday: Pelosi promises sweeping health-care bill by July. That, my friends, is very scary news.

How do they intend to pay the $1.5 trillion it will cost over the next ten years? Well, they're not really saying. I think they're ashamed to tell you what they have planned. Despite Obama's campaign promise that people making less than $250,000 will not see any tax increases, it looks like that will be the case after all. Hard working Americans are going to foot the bill for those whose priorities are messed up. Here are some of the things on the table.

• Federal health programs will experience spending cuts -- that means less Medicare coverage for all you have paid in for many years so that those who have paid in nothing can go to the doctor.
• Tax increases will be placed on soft drinks.
• Restrictions on health care flexible savings accounts will be enacted.
• You will have to pay tax on health insurance premiums provided by your employer.
• If your insurance policy has a low deductible or no co-pay, you will have to pay a tax for being able to afford a "rich plan."
• Once you hit an as-yet-to-be-determined threshold in what your insurance has paid out on you, you will be taxed on your benefits. That means if the threshold is $5000, and you've racked up medical bills of $6000 that your insurance has covered, you will have to pay tax on $1000.

I don't know about you, but I don't think I can afford Obama's affordable health care.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_health_overhaul

Come one, come all -- then gripe about how bad it is!

Obama was touting all the "cuts" he made in the budget last week. The number he tossed out was miniscule compared to the overall budget anyway, but what he didn't tell you is that those were not really cuts. The bottom line of the budget remains the same. True, some projects and programs were reduced or eliminated, but money that would have been used on those was shifted to other projects. Obama had no cuts -- only shifts.

One of the projects he cut was the Mexican border fence. In 2006, Tulane University and the University of California, Berkeley conducted a study of New Orleans. Since Hurricane Katrina, the hispanic population of New Orleans has grown from 3.3% to 15.2%. This study showed that nearly half the rebuilding work force there was Latino -- at least 54% of them illegal. And that number is growing fast. Dr. Kevin Work estimates he has delivered more than 1,000 illegal babies since Katrina. The study bemoaned the fact that the illegals often fall prey to criminals, because they are known to be paid in cash, and they are afraid to report crimes committed against them for fear of deportation. Wait a minute -- if they are here in violation of our immigration laws, aren't they criminals themselves? And if they are working here and being paid in cash, aren't they further breaking the law? I find it a little hard to feel sorry for them.

But they're so good for our economy, the bleeding hearts say. A November study found New Orleans to be the most violent city in America. They say the police department needs more Spanish-speaking officers. They have opened a school to teach illegal children English. No questions are asked regarding immigration status. Who is paying for that? Not the illegals who get paid under the table, that's for sure.

Ah, but life is so hard for the poor immigrants. The director of the Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse in New Orleans says the number of hispanics in treatment there has increased from six before Katrina to fifty in the last year. Who is paying for that? Not the illegals who get paid under the table, that's for sure.

And when Jose and Pedro get sick, where do they go? To the ER, of course. Who is paying for that? Not the illegals who get paid under the table, that's for sure.

Poor Arturo came here illegally three years ago from Guatemala. Poor Arturo says he has little money to send home since construction work has dried up. Poor Arturo says, "A lot of people start getting addicted. Maybe they have a wife, wondering, waiting. You can lose your family at home. While you lose yourself in New Orleans." I have a suggestion for Poor Arturo. Get the heck back to Guatemala if it's so bad here!

Ronald Reagan is famous for his, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that wall" quote. But I'm pretty sure that if he were here, he would be one of the first to stand up and say, "Mr. Obama, build that fence!" It's imperative for our security and for our economy!

"Opportunity comes at a cost for immigrants." The Dallas Morning News; December 27, 2008; p. 4A.

What's wrong with one strike, you're out?

Have you heard about John Floyd Thomas, Jr.? He's 72 years old, and police think he may have raped and strangled more than thirty women. They are looking at other cases as far back as the 1950's. I have one question. Why was this man out of jail? He has previously been convicted twice of sexual assault. I suppose the argument could be made on one conviction that he knows he was wrong and he's reformed, so we should give him a second chance. But the second conviction is proof he was not reformed, and he should have been locked up for life after that one. Just how many chances do we want to give a man to murder thirty women?

"Suspected serial killer identified." The Dallas Morning News; May 1, 2009; p. 9A.

Remember Nebuchadnezzar.

The news reported yesterday that Obama was quite the hit at the White House correspondents dinner. He said that his next 100 days would be so successful, that he would finish them in 72 days. Then, on the 73rd day, he would rest.

I know that was a joke, and I have as good a sense of humor as anybody else, but Obama is treading dangerous ground. Remember what happened to Nebuchadnezzar when he got just a little too big for his britches? Here it is from the Book of Daniel Chapter 4:

• 30The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?
  
• 31While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.
  
• 32And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
  
• 33The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.

A word to the wise should be sufficient, but that begs two questions. Will it be sufficient? Is Obama wise?

The Typhoid Mary Family of Maryland

Have you seen the lists of states with confirmed cases of swine flu? If you have, you won't find Maryland on there. However, there are eight probable cases in Maryland, and it's all Obama's fault.

One of the federal agents who made the trip to Mexico with Obama in April contracted the flu there. He came home to Anne Arundel County, Maryland, and spread the virus to his family. Agent Marc Griswold says his family has been the center of panic in his neighborhood. "We're not the Typhoid Mary family, for goodness sake," he said. Maybe he should talk to VP Joe Biden, who wouldn't let his family ride a subway or take a plane for fear of the flu, about spreading panic. At any rate, the White House assured everyone that the President was safe. Do they really think the Messiah is susceptible to common swine flu? Surely not!

"Agent, part of Obama detail, infected family." The Dallas Morning News; May 1, 2009; p. 15A.

Surprise!

Surprise! Louis Caldera has resigned his position as Director of the White House Military Office over the now-infamous $328,000 Air Force One/Statue of Liberty photo-op that sent Manhattan residents and workers into a panic. I knew Obama would not accept the responsibility for that public relations disaster, but you can't tell me that he didn't know they were doing it.

When Obama appointed Caldera, he said that Caldera had a resume that was second to none. I guess Caldera can now add "scapegoat" to his job experiences.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090508/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_low_flying_plane

Somebody's demon possessed!

Last December, Jessica Carson and Blaine Milam beat and bit Carson's year old daughter to death to get rid of "the demons." They used a hammer and other objects. Among other stories they intially told authorities, they said that the child beat herself in the head with the hammer. Someone's demon possessed OK, but it wasn't that innocent child! Incidentally, Blaine Milam was on probation for aggravated sexual assault of a child. If he'd been locked up where he should have been, this little girl might still be alive.

"Police: Pair thought baby was possessed." The Dallas Morning News; December 4, 2008; p. 4A.

Wonder how much of a bonus this ad-man got?

Have you seen the new Nutri-System commercial? The lady is raving about the food, and she says, "Each meal is better than the next!" Doesn't that mean it's getting worse and worse? How did the ad people let that one slip by? Worse, how did Nutri-System let it slip by?

Then there is the commercial about the Tide detergent vehicle that goes to disaster areas and helps people get their clothes washed. The lady in that one says, "You don't know how basic essentials are until you don't have them." Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but essentials are basics, aren't they? I'm sure what the lady meant was, "You don't know how much you'll miss your basics until you don't have them." Again, how did the ad people let that one slip through? Are these instances an indication of carelessness or ignorance?

And I'll close today with a funny. There is a road in Dallas called Manana Road. I know that most everybody knows that's the Spanish word for tomorrow, and that it's pronounced man-yan-a. Everybody that is except the new Yankee news anchor on Channel 8. There was an accident at Manana Road and I35 yesterday. When he segued to the traffic report, he gave the location of the accident, but he pronounced it like banana with an "m." Surely his hispanic co-anchor clued him in during the break!

Lock 'em up!

There is debate going on in the Texas House of Representatives between those legislators who think we're too soft on crime and those who think we're not nearly hard enough. Bills recommending stiffer penalties and criminalizing some behaviors have been introduced. For example, increasing the penality for stealing air conditioners or strangling your mama, making assaulting someone with a bodily fluid a crime, and making it a crime to steal a military grave marker are all bills on the table.

Representative Harold Dutton of Houston doesn't like this direction. He's one of those ACLU "diversion and rehabilitation" types. He says that the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee is sending Texas back in time, bowing to attorneys and special interest groups, and sending more people to prison. Well, yeah! If you steal an air conditioner, you should go to prison. If you strangle your mama, you should go to prison. If you throw your tainted blood, saliva, or worse on somebody, you should go to prison. Dutton says, "Soon we're going to have not just 150,000 prisoners in Texas, we're going to have 250,000." If there are 250,000 out there committing crimes, they should be in prison. Our crime rate is high, not because we incarcerate criminals, but because we consistently fail to incarcerate them!

"House cranks out stiffer penalties." The Dallas Morning News; May 1, 2009; p. 3A.

I nominate for state dinosaur . . .

Last week, our legislature debated a very serious issue. Which dinosaur should we designate our official state dinosaur? Paluxysaurus or pleurocoelus? Our representative, Mark Homer, attached such significance to this weighty matter that he donned a dinosaur costume to show his support for paluxysaurus.

We all know that dinosaurs are extinct species. That being the case, a very good argument can be made to make legislative common sense the Official Texas State Dinosaur.

"Dino debate roars." The Dallas Morning News; May 1, 2009; p. 3A.

Homeland Security is watching you.

You've all probably heard by now that if you are a Conservative, Homeland Security has put the label of extremist on you. They've had to apologize to returning war veterans for lumping them into this category, but those of us who know homosexuals and other gender-goofy people are perverts, who know the Second Amendment protects our right to own guns, who know that abortion is wrong, who know people who are not here legally have no rights other than to be deported, who know Americans should speak English, who know the First Amendment protects our right to say the things I'm saying here, who know that people should support themselves in a capitalistic economy instead of dipping into others' pockets in a socialistic economy, and who know the U.S. Constitution gives to the states all rights not specifically reserved to the federal government -- I've not heard an apology yet to any of us. Homeland Security should be aware that the biggest threat to our security is the left-wing radical right in front of them at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

But he's such a sweet dog!

Yet another case of a baby killed by pit bulls was reported in the news last month. Izaiah Cox, seven months old, was attacked by his grandmother's two pit bulls. Izaiah's grandmother said the child was unattended while she went to the kitchen to get his bottle. What person in his right mind would even have such dogs with children in the house, let alone leave the child with them without supervision? I'm sure Izaiah's grandmother is remorseful, but that's just a little too late for him, isn't it?

Anyone who knows Essie May will tell you that I love dogs. But when a breed is consistently as unpredictable and maliciously violent as the pit bull, we need some restrictions. Obviously, we can't count on common sense from the dogs' owners.

"Grandmother's pit bulls kill baby, hurt her." The Dallas Morning News; April 1, 2009; p. 3A.

Bless her/his heart!

John Leslie Vallandingham also goes by the name Christine Newton-John. Trust me, he doesn't look anything like Olivia! John was male until 1993 when he had a sex change operation.


This lovely lady was recently sentenced to four years in prison for killing her 73-year-old husband. She exercised him to death. The poor old man had a heart condition. Christine put him in the swimming pool and wouldn't allow him to get out until he collapsed.

Her lawyer says she struggles with psychological issues due to feelings that some people in society view her as different. Ya think?!!

"Transgender wife sentenced." The Dallas Morning News; March 21, 2009; p. 8A.

Do you realize?

Do you realize that Oklahoma's governor is bonkers? Last week, the Oklahoma House of Representatives rejected the song "Do You Realize" by the Flaming Lips as the official state rock song. The group appeared before the House with one member wearing a t-shirt with a hammer and sickle symbol. Their language was foul, too. So the House said, "No, thanks." But Governor Brad Henry plans to bypass their wishes by issuing an executive order giving the song the official designation.

By the way, I looked up the lyrics to this song. It's a really uplifting little ditty -- "Do you realize everyone you know will die" seems to be the theme. Who wouldn't want that for their state song?

"'Do You Realize??'" wins, with asterisk." The Dallas Morning News; April 24, 2009; p. 3A.