I'm still waiting, Michelle.

The Dallas Morning News lauds Wal-Mart and Michelle Obama in an editorial. Michelle announced for Wal-Mart that they were going to make packaged foods in their stores lower in salt, fat, and sugar and reduce prices on fruits and vegetables. The giant retailer also promised to build more stores in poor areas -- "food deserts" they call them.

"This is the free market at work" gushes the newspaper. But is it really? I suspect that Wal-Mart is getting some sort of quid pro quo. Why else would they rid their shelves of tasty food that sells for not-so-tasty food that doesn't? That doesn't make sense in the retail business.

And until Michelle acts on my suggestion, she's not at all serious about nutrition. Remember what my suggestion was? I'm still waiting for her to push it in Congress. It's very simple. Restrict food stamp dollars to heart-healthy, nutritious foods. No cookies, pies, cake mixes, sodas, chips, candy, or high fat meats. But she won't do that. Because that would truly be the free market at work. And because it's the people who are using the food stamps who voted her husband into office.

"Nutritional Game Changer." The Dallas Morning News; January 24, 2011; p. 14A.

Lack of resources or something else?

People on the left are already hollering about the Texas legislature's attempts to cut state spending. They are using the Tucson, Arizona, shooting to bolster their argument that cutting mental health services will lead to our streets being filled with Jared Loughner types. "It'll mean more people in jail, more potential violence to themselves and others, and more people taking their own lives," said Mike Katz, and advocate for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

But let's look at the argument. Was Jared Loughner running around loose because there were no mental health facilities he could go to? I don't think so -- the college that insisted he have a mental health evaluation before returning to school would certainly have aided him in finding that help. That wasn't the problem. The problem was that Jared and his parents didn't avail themselves of the service.

And therein lies the problem with most crazy people. They really don't see that they're crazy. Before the liberals passed all kinds of laws to "protect their rights," we had mental institutions and legal means to send them there. Now, we must allow them to roam the streets and create chaos.

The bottom line is that the very ones pointing the fingers are the ones at fault here.

"Cuts to care raise concerns." The Dallas Morning News; January 24, 2011; p. 1A.

Imagine saying such a thing in a Baptist Church!

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley is in trouble. He recently said that, being a Christian, only Christians were his brothers and sisters. He said that those who didn't believe in Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of God and the Savior of mankind were not his brothers and sisters. Truer words were never spoken.

Was he in trouble because he said this at a government meeting? Or at a mosque? Or to a bunch of atheists? No, he happened to be in the pulpit of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church when he said it.

Unfortunately, Bentley doesn't have the courage of his convictions. He's apologized for making a true statement in an appropriate setting. What is the world coming to?

"Governor apologizes for religion remarks." The Dallas Morning News; January 20, 2011; p. 6A.

Seriously?

Clarence Page thinks we need a sitcom about a Muslim family to quell our ridiculous fears about Muslims. He said it could be similar to the Canadian show Little Mosque on the Prairie. I thought it was a joke! Seriously? Little Mosque on the Prairie??????

So I looked it up. I didn't get very far before I figured out how we're supposed to accept Muslims even while they stereotype Christians. Here's the character sketch for the Anglican priest in their town:

"Thorne is a charismatic smooth talker who would almost be as equally convincing wearing horns instead of a halo. Thorne is one Anglican who believes that Muslims are just plain wrong. If he manages to revive his flock, it may not leave much room for a Mosque. But it's nothing personal, he thinks most other non–Christians are hell bound too."

Contrast this to the character sketch for Yasir:

"He's a charming go-getter who would gladly sell you his heart of gold. He loves wealth and success for what it can do for his family and his community. . . He's a fully practicing Muslim but he still has a bit of trouble choosing between profit and Prophet. . .Yassir is a devoted husband, a doting father, and a loving son. When it comes to his daughter Rayyan, her wish is his command. His good intentions could be mistaken for meddling; like when he “negotiated” her wedding or bought a house for his potential grandchildren. While Yasir looks forward to spending more time with his wife Sarah, his biggest fear is that day when their little angel will leave the nest."

Page says that he thinks this sitcom would be good, because people fear what they don't understand. No, Mr. Page, people fear what they DO understand. We understand 9/11.

"No need to fear Islam." The Dallas Morning News; January 20, 2011; p. 19A.
http://www.cbc.ca/littlemosque/index.php

What about the inconvenience?

Obama has said that he doesn't attend church much because of the disruption it would cause . . . but that doesn't seem to be a problem for the Super Bowl.

He'd said that if the Bears went to Arlington, he'd be there, too. That had local officials just a bit concerned. Air Force One could force landing delays for other flights, conceivably carrying Super Bowl fans. How would you feel if you'd paid thousands of dollars for tickets and you missed the kick-off? Then there's the problem of a motorcade -- streets around the stadium are already cordoned off, and a VIP motorcade complete with Secret Service wouldn't help the traffic problem any. Then there would almost certainly be enhanced security if the Secret Service were involved -- never mind that security will be tight to begin with.

So . . . if Obama goes to church, he inconveniences maybe a couple thousand people at most? We can't have that. But if he wants to go to the Super Bowl, or take Michelle on a date to New York, and inconvenience many times that many people, that's OK. Guess we see where his priorities are.

"If Bears make game, president may, too." The Dallas Morning News; January 20, 2011; p. 16A.

Five Pillars

Obama's State of the Union Address was based upon "5 pillars." Hmmmm . . . ever heard of the 5 pillars of Islam? Coincidence?

No catfish on the menu!

For all you catfish lovers out there, better start stocking your freezers. We may not be able to enjoy this delicious fried delicacy much longer.

Mercy for Animals is based in Chicago. They've come to Texas to stick their noses into our catfish farms. They've especially targeted Bill Benson, owner of Catfish Corner in Kaufman County. What's he done that's so awful? He skins and slices the fish for his customers. This, according to Mercy for Animals, is cruel and unusual. We should all be vegans, they say.

Someone wrote a letter to the editor about the absurdity of the allegations. He says he supposes this means we can't farm anymore either, because there are lots of snakes, lizards, toads, mice, and other critters killed when the plows and other machinery come through and turn up the soil and reap. He makes a very good point. If we can't even farm, what are we going to eat?

My suggestion is that Mercy for Animals go on back to Chicago where they've obviously done a lot to protect cockroaches -- just look at the caliber of politicians up there.

"Catfish farm accused of torture." The Dallas Morning News; January 20, 2011; p. 5B.

It's not the same thing.

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has asked the Tarrant Baptist Association to vacate its offices on the campus. The agreement that allows the Association to be housed there states that it will be in effect as long as the organizations remain in theological harmony. That is no longer the case. The Tarrant Association has allowed Broadway Baptist to remain a member even though the church has welcomed homosexuals into its congregation without condemning their sin.

Al Meredith is the moderator of the Association. He said, "I daresay there isn't a church in our association that doesn't have a divorced member. Is that a test of fellowship?"

There's a big difference in homosexuality and divorce -- the Bible does make allowance for divorce in some circumstances. It never makes allowance for homosexuality. Many people are divorced through no fault of their own - you can't control what an unfaithful or abusive spouse does. Except in the case of a rape victim, every homosexual act was preceded by a conscious decision to violate God's law. And when was the last time you saw a "Divorced People's Pride" parade? I don't know too many divorced people who are proud of the fact that their marriages failed, yet homosexuals seem to be quite taken with themselves and their sin.

Meredith has insulted every divorced Baptist in Texas, and SWBTS is right in its stand.

"Baptist Seminary wants association off its campus." The Dallas Morning News; January 15, 2011; p. 7B.

A Welcome Return to Basics . . . Maybe

Along with other districts, Richardson ISD is responding to new standards set by the State Board of Education and is changing the way it teaches grammar. Perhaps more accurately than "changing," it's "adding" grammar to its curriculum. The district is returning to the tried and true ways of the past -- specific grammar instruction at specific grade levels.

It's sad, but Richardson teachers asked for instruction in grammar. "We are of a generation where grammar was not a focus in our education," said Elsie Nash, an English teacher at Richardson High School. Yet here she is teaching English!

I'm a bit concerned about how much the Richardson teachers learned in the recent seminar they attended. Deborah Goodwin, who says she has a passion for the intricate details of grammar, was the instructor. Speaking of the TAKS, she said, "The only way a child would be penalized is if their conventions were so bad that it impeded the reader's understanding." Passion for detail? "A child" is singular, so the proper possessive pronoun is "him" or "her" -- not "their." "Their conventions" is plural, so the proper pronoun is "they" -- not "it."

How are our students to learn if their teachers' teachers don't know the material?

"Mission to modify grammar." The Dallas Morning News; January 15, 2011; p. 1B.

UFP's sighted!

Look out your window! Do you see them? It's flying pigs! Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price and I agree on something!

Price recently spent some time down at the Dallas County jail observing the procedure for visits to inmates. The rules say that any one visitor may see an inmate only once a week. The inmate is allowed three total visits in a week. John Wiley observed the same visitors coming several times a week in violation of the policy. He said officers are spending countless hours escorting inmates to and from visiting booths every day, and that's a severe drain on resources during a budget crisis.

So he's having computers brought in to track the number of times a person visits. And he's cutting visits from three per week to two (The state mandates at least two. Our state legislators need to look into changing that to two visits per month).

I never thought you would see these words flow from Essie's pen, but . . . "You, go, John Wiley!"

"Jail visits reduced to lift staff burden." The Dallas Morning News; January 14, 2011; p. 1B.

Do women make our military stronger?

The military is expanding its gynecological and maternity care and instituting programs for parenting and care-giving. General Patton must be spinning.

Statistics show that female soldiers have double the rates of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder of their male counterparts.

And now a Military Leadership Diversity Commission has said that women should be allowed to serve fully in combat. Our military shouldn't be about diversity -- it should be about having the strongest fighting force we possibly can to protect our country. The Commission says it is time "to create a level playing field for all qualified service members." That essentially means lowering the standards so that more people are qualified. That's not what makes a strong military. We need to go back to the old marine recruitment slogan -- "We're looking for a few good men."

Think about it -- if the enemy is descending on you, do you want a squadron of expectant mothers and PMS sufferers defending you, or do you want a squadron of strong, physically-fit men? If you're in the fight, don't you want someone as strong as or stronger than you backing you up?

What do you think? Is our military stronger because of women? Or are we in danger of diversifying ourselves completely out of existence?

"Military adding programs for women." The Dallas Morning News; January 13, 2011; p. 6A.

"Let Women into combat, panel urges." The Dallas Morning News; January 15, 2011; p. 1A.

Another Dumb Criminal

Samuel Olivo Jr. had a riding accident several months ago. He slipped from his saddle and was dragged about 50 yeards, breaking several ribs and collapsing both lungs. He spent two weeks in the hospital.

Recovered at last, he and his friend Jose Rios decided to celebrate by riding their horses through downtown Austin. They were arrested for drunk driving after hitching their horses outside several bars they patronized. Olivo said he'd had several drinks. "I was drunk," he said.

Perhaps that explains why he couldn't stay in the saddle when he had his accident. Some people just never learn.

"Horsemen's Sixth Street ride took them down wrong path." The Dallas Morning News; January 13, 2011; p. 4A.

It's getting worse.

I've written before about how strange it seems to me that the only beautiful gardens and homes the newspaper can find to report on in the "Home and Garden" section happen to belong to gay couples. It's always irritated me, but I still read the articles, because I have to admit that many of the homes and gardens are, indeed, extremely beautiful.

But it's getting worse. If they want to report on the homes and the gardens, great. But why must we now be subjected to a photo of the "partners" cuddled up together? I say enough is enough! Quit throwing that abominable stuff in our faces!

"It's a jungle out there." The Dallas Morning News; January 13, 2011; p. 1E.

They aren't Baptists - they're not even Christians!

Those nuts from Westboro Baptist Church threatened to protest at the funeral of Christina Green, the little girl who was killed in the Arizona shootings, because "God sent the shooter to deal with idolatrous America."

How these people can have even an inkling that what they are doing is Christian is beyond me. They think the deranged madman who maimed and killed all those people was doing God's will! If they really believe that, then I can only assume that their eyes have been blinded by their father, the Devil, and it's his will they're carrying out. I can assure you that my heavenly Father wept when that trigger was pulled.

The spiritual side of me is praying that these people will have their eyes opened to the truth. The human side of me thinks it would serve them right to have people protesting at the funeral of one of their family members. Then they would see what it feels like to have someone making an outrageous claim about a loved one whose family is already in the depths of grief. God works in mysterious ways, and sadly, that may be what it takes to remove the scales from their eyes.

"Bill would keep demonstrators away from 9-year-old's funeral." The Dallas Morning News; January 12, 2011; p. 4A.

Must be Rush Limbaugh's fault.

Some deranged idiot stabbed a little girl at a McDonald's near the Texas A & M campus last Monday. Given the outcry of the left over what happened in Arizona, I guess we must assume that this idiot, too, was influenced by Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, etc. -- even if there's no evidence whatsoever that he ever even listened to any of them.

Diner at McDonald's stabs 12-year-old girl. The Dallas Morning News. January 12, 2011; p. 3A.

Book Burning on the Horizon

Well, I see where the pc folks are removing the word "nigger" from Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Mark Twain must be spinning in his grave.

I wonder why they're picking on just him. Why aren't they removing the offensive word from To Kill a Mockingbird or Gone With the Wind or any number of other classics?

Anybody who has read Twain's books knows that he uses the word as it was used in that time -- to show how Jim was treated. A great deal of meaning will be lost by substituting "slave" in its place. But we must be pc even if it changes the whole drift of a brilliant author.

Several years ago, I bought a volume of Joel Chandler Harris's Uncle Remus Tales, because I knew at some point it would probably be outlawed, or they'd change it to Mister Rabbit and Mister Fox and get rid of all the old Negro dialect. My advice to you is, if you have a favorite classic that mentions race in any way, you better go ahead and get you a good copy before they're all burned by the liberal folks.

"N-word removed from literary classics." The Dallas Morning News; January 7, 2011; p. 2E.

Educational institution or soup kitchen?

The school nutrition legislation signed into law by Obama will cost the federal government $4.5 billion for free school lunches. It will expand access to free lunch programs. It will provide after-school meals for 20 million children.

Gosh, when I went to school we went to learn our ABC's and to learn how to add and subtract. Lunch was just the break we had in the middle of the day. No one got free lunches, and I went to school with some very poor children. In fact, I was one of them. My mother made payment plan arrangements with our school principal to pay for our lunches.

We've turned our schools into social welfare institutions to the detriment of our students. We're teaching them that the more their parents make bad choices and shirk their responsibilities, the more welfare they'll get. They're so busy eating free breakfasts, snacks, lunches, and suppers that they don't have time to learn how to read and write anymore. It's sad that our nation's schools have been turned into soup kitchens.

"After-school need already met." The Dallas Morning News; December 19, 2010; p. 2P.

Another Dumb Criminal

Michael A. Zellner is a dirty old man. He's 57 years old and a teacher in the Plano ISD. He was carrying on a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student.

Michael's wife turned him in. How did she find out? Michael texted a love message to his little girlfriend. Oops! He sent it to the wrong number -- his wife's. As my mama always used to say, "Be sure your sins will find you out."

"Text message led to arrest of teacher." The Dallas Morning News; January 6, 2011; p. 7B.

Kids grow up too quickly.

Have you heard of Planet Kidz? It's an every Friday night program for 3rd to 8th graders in the metroplex area. "It's a club," said Sade McCall, age 9. "No one is bossing us around." Parents pay $10 per child, and it lasts from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

I guess I'm just too old-fashioned, but I think elementary school children are too young to be involved in a Friday night "club" where "no one is bossing us around." What's wrong with staying home with your parents on Friday nights? Aside from occasional sleep-overs with friends, I was either at my home or at my grandparents' home on Fridays. I always looked forward to that time to spend with my family. No homework and no pressure on Friday nights! It was time to be a kid.

Harry Stephens said his 8-year-old son likes the chance to "have a social life." My goodness! What does an 8-year-old know about a "social life"? An 8-year-old's "social life" should consist of friends to play with at recess, after school, and on Saturdays. Oh, but I forgot -- most schools don't have recess anymore. "It's just a chance for him to get away . . ." Get away from what? He's 8 years old! If he needs to get away from home, perhaps Mr. Stephens should examine his parenting skills. "Without it, he'd probably just be sitting home." Perish the thought!

"Friday night events give preteens a place to dance, socialize." The Dallas Morning News; January 6, 2011; p. 5B.

A little gratitude might be called for.

There was an article in the paper recently about how nursing homes are growing younger. About one in seven people in nursing homes is under the age of 65.

One case cited was that of Adam Martin. Adam is 26, and he lives in a nursing home in Florida. His brother accidentally shot him in the neck, and he was left a quadriplegic. He was pictured with his physical therapist. While I am sympathetic to his plight and wouldn't wish such a fate on my worst enemy, I have a bit of a problem with his attitude.

I have a sneaking suspicion that we are paying for Adam's care through Medicaid and SSI. Adam says of the the nursing home, "It's just a depressing place to live. I'm stuck here. You don't have no privacy at all . . .all you're seeing is negative, negative, negative." I think Adam should be positively grateful that he has a place to go and someone to pay for it. I think Adam should be positively grateful that he has the benefit of a physical therapist. I think Adam should start looking at all the negative, negative, negative around him and see how he might bring a positive ray of sunshine into the place. He might find that his own life wouldn't be quite so negative if he did that.

"Nursing homes growing younger." The Dallas Morning News; January 8, 2011; p. 10A.

Your Tax Dollars at Work

In Tucson, Arizona, high school students may take a class called Latino Literature. When a reporter visited the class, it began with a Mayan chant. The classroom walls featured protest signs including "United Together in La Lucha!" That translates to "united in the struggle."

Hooray for Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne who has declared the class illegal. "It's propagandizing and brainwashing that's going on there," he said. A new Arizona law went into effect January 1. It says that any school program that promotes the overthrow of the U.S. government, including suggestions that portions of the Southwest should be returned to Mexico, is prohibited. Programs that advocate ethnic solidarity instead of individuality are also outlawed.

Augustine Romero is director of student equity (my teachers are spinning in their graves over that title) in Tucson schools. He says the program is designed to make students proud of who they are and not hostile toward others. Yeah, right -- "United Together in La Lucha!"

"Ethnic studies class clashes with law." The Dallas Morning News; January 8, 2011; p. 2A.

World's Dumbest Criminals

Mario Miramontes was stopped on a traffic violation in Dallas. He knew there was a warrant out for his arrest on a parole violation, so he told the officer his name was Christopher Ayala. Christopher was his cousin.

Oops! Christopher did have an outstanding warrant for fondling a child. So Mario spent 13 months in county jail before they got the identity thing straightened out. Had he told the truth to begin with, prosecutors say he would have spent less than 60 days in jail. He's now suing the county because they believed him when he told them he was Christopher Ayala. The sad part is, he'll probably get some sort of settlement.

Moral of the story: If you plan on using an alias, you just might want to run a background check on it first.

"Alias leads to jail cell; man sues." The Dallas Morning News; January 8, 2011; p. 1B.

More Essie's Heroes

Shari Nederhoff has a Labrador retriever named Neutron. Neutron goes everywhere Shari does. You can tell that Shari is very attached to the dog. But she'll be giving him away in 10 months.

Shari trains guide dogs for Lone Star Puppy Raisers, an affiliate of Guide Dogs for the Blind. Trainer families take puppies they think will make good guides, and they keep them for a year. They teach them basic commands and how to behave in public. Shari says it takes twice as long to run any errand, because as she runs her errands, she's also training the dog.

Donna Wright also trains the dogs. She has raised 15 of them. She says it's like having perpetual toddlers. Morgan Watkins is a beneficiary of the giving spirit people like Shari and Donna put into practice. He has been a guide dog user since 1995. He is the acting chief executive officer of Guide Dogs for the Blind. He says, "Puppy raisers are some of the most giving people. They take the puppy into their home and may not see it again. It could go to Saskatchewan or Florida or Maine."

So a great big Essie May salute goes out to these dog heroes and the human heroes who love and teach them!

"For puppies, tough love." The Dallas Morning News; January 5, 2011; p. 1B.

What if . . .

Lance Mitchell of Lakeway, Texas, doesn't like the speed traps in his community. "Not a lot of people flash their lights to warn others nowadays," he says, "But I DO! And when I see a speed trap, I go back up the road a bit, and stand on the sidewalk, wearing my SpeedTrapAhead T-shirt."

He says he hasn't gotten many tickets, so I have to wonder why he is so opposed to people who are breaking the law being caught. ". . .I've had one ticket in the last 25 years. I'm an excellent driver." Hmm, who else said, "I'm an excellent driver"? Oh, I remember -- Dustin Hoffman in the role of the Rainman as he drove that old car over first one curb then the other!

At any rate, I wonder how Mr. Speed Trap Ahead will feel if he warns a speeder of a radar trap, and the speeder zooms on ahead when he's out of radar range and ends up killing someone because of excessive speed? How ironic would it be if the speeder's victim happened to be one of Mr. Speed Trap's loved ones?

"Speed-trap activist isn't slowing." The Dallas Morning News; January 3, 2011; p. 3A.

Essie's Heroes

Essie names her first hero for 2011. Daniel Balsam runs the website Danhatesspam.com. His mission is to clean up our email boxes from the illegal spam that inundates most of us. His hobby is suing spammers, and he wins.

Cisco Systems estimates there are 200 billion spam messages circulating a day, accounting for 90 percent of all email. While what Balsam is doing amounts to less than a drop in the proverbial bucket, he says that he feels like he's doing some good -- and he's making a living at it. He's successfully sued for well in excess of a million dollars.

And what do the spammers think of him? They say he is "unfairly exploiting anti-spam sentiment." What hypocrites! Balsam sometimes finds himself on the defense side of the courtroom. Tagged.com sued him for violating terms of an earlier settlement by telling the company he was planning to post terms of the agreement on his website. Balsam said those suits are generally just retaliation suits. "I feel comfortable doing what I'm doing," he said, "and I'm not going away."

So, Daniel, you get a great big Essie May salute! Now why don't you get on those pesky telemarketers?

"Taking spam senders to court." The Dallas Morning News; December 27, 2010; p. 3D.

How long before your kids have to read the Koran?

The U.S. Justice Department, the one that says a kindergarten student can't pass out candy canes at school at Christmas time, is filing suit against an Illinois school district for violating the rights of teacher Safoorah Khan by not providing her time off to go to Mecca for her Hajj. She wanted three weeks off, and the District said no. What I wonder is why she needed three weeks. The actual Hajj is five days. Give her four days for travel, and it could be accomplished in less than two weeks.

The Justice Department says that Muslims should not have to choose between their religious practice and their livelihood. Yet I bet the same people who make that argument see nothing wrong with pharmacists being forced to sell the morning after pill, even if they believe that abortion is wrong. And suppose a Christian wants to force the school district to give him three weeks off to visit the Holy Land on a spiritual retreat. What do you think the Justice Department would say to that?

How long before our school children must start each day with a passage from the Koran?

"Faith needs no special rights." The Dallas Morning News; December 27, 2010; p. 19A.

We're making progress.

December 4, I wrote about how Muslim attacks against Egyptian Christians was buried on page 19 of the newspaper, and I speculated that had it been the other way around, we would have seen front page coverage.

You will be pleased to know that we are making progress. New Year's Eve, at least 21 Coptic Christians were killed in Alexandria by a Muslim suicide bomber. The Alexandria governor blamed al-Queda. Christians are upset that the government does not seem to take seriously the anti-Christian sentiment among Muslims. Does that sound a little like the American government? We virtually strip little gray-haired Granny of her clothes at the airport while the dark-skinned, bearded guy with the turban sashays through with nary a look because we certainly don't want to be accused of profiling.

Oh -- the progress we're making? This report from Egypt was covered on page 12. We've moved up seven pages!

"Christians, police clash after church bomb kills at least 21." The Dallas Morning News; January 2, 2011; p. 12A.

Obama's Idea of a Deserving Person

The Washington Post reports that Obama is thrilled with the second chance Michael Vick has received:

Obama phoned the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles to praise the team for giving a second chance to the quarterback, who is again a National Football League star 19 months after leaving prison for his role in a horrific dogfighting ring that killed pit bulls by electrocution, hanging and drowning. The president has not spoken publicly about the call, though aides acknowledged that it took place. But Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie told Peter King of Sports Illustrated and NBC Sports that during their conversation Obama was passionate about Vick's comeback. "He said, 'So many people who serve time never get a fair second chance,'" said Lurie, who did not indicate when the call occurred. "He said, 'It's never a level playing field for prisoners when they get out of jail.' And he was happy that we did something on such a national stage that showed our faith in giving someone a second chance after such a major downfall.'"

Who really deserves credit for giving second chances? It's the people who rescued all those poor abused animals. People like Richard Hunter who took in Mel. Mel was used as a bait dog. Mel will never fully recover from the abuse he suffered. He is terrified of strangers and afraid to even go outside to use the bathroom.

As Jacquielynn Floyd of The Dallas Morning News says, this was not your garden-variety dog-fighting. What occurred at Vick's so-called kennel shows not just a lapse in judgment, but a depravity that isn't cured by a few months in prison. Just reading about what Vick and his cronies did to these animals would sicken even the most hard-hearted human around. That's how we know that Vick and his cronies aren't human, and they deserve no second chances no matter how well they play football.

So my final thought? If Obama thinks Michael Vick is a deserving person, what does that say about Obama?

"A comeback that counts." The Dallas Morning News; January 2, 2011; p. 1A.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/27/AR2010122704579.html

Octonut Update

Looks like the Octomom still hasn't learned much. She's being evicted from her home. You might feel sorry for her, but I don't. Despite the fact she had no money, she bought a home worth at least $450,000. That's the amount of the balloon payment (which she still has not made) that came due last October 9. Guess she'll just have to learn to live in a house she can afford like the rest of us do. Life is tough -- especially when you're stupid.

"Eviction against 'Octomom' set." The Dallas Morning News; December 27, 2010; p. 9a.

What a smart 4-and-5/6-year-old!

I had never heard of Michelle Williams, but evidently she's some sort of celebrity. She was quoted in the "People" column of the newspaper this week.

She's speaking of her little daughter when she says, "When she was four, she would say 'I am four and half,' 'I am four and five-sixths,' 'four and seven-eighths,' because all the increments mattered."

Either Michelle has a math prodigy on her hands, or she's stretching the truth a mite. How many four-year-olds do you know who understand the concept of fractions? Most of them just hold up four fingers when you ask how old they are. The only understanding they have of time is that Christmas and birthdays are always a long way off. If this child is saying, "I'm four and seven-eighths," I'll wager it's because mom told her to say it, and the child has no clue what she's talking about.

"People." The Dallas Morning News; December 31, 2010; p. 3E.

New Year's Resolutions

I hope the first New Year's Resolution of our new Congress is to beef up border security. I hope the second is to quit worrying about being politically correct when it comes to criminals -- those illegal aliens who flaunt our laws and take advantage of the hard-working, tax-paying, English-speaking citizens of this country.

I'm sick of the news media trying to make us feel sorry for illegals. Take, for example, Felipa Leonor Valencia. Felipa was involved in an automobile accident in Georgia. She was not at fault for the accident. She is, however, illegal and has no drivers license. The New York Times feels so sorry for her: "The crash led Valencia. . .to 12 days in detention and the start of deportation proceedings -- after 17 years of living in Georgia."

My reaction? Well it took long enough to catch her! She's been living here and driving around illegally for 17 years!

Proponents of laws allowing illegals to get drivers licenses say that it only makes sense -- they will have to demonstrate that they are capable of driving safely and get insurance then. Are we nuts? That's like saying, "Let's give the bank robber the combination to the safe. That way, no one will be injured because he won't have to use dynamite to blast the thing open."

Lord, give us some people with a little common sense in 2011!

"Risking more than a ticket." The Dallas Morning News; December 10, 2010; p. 6A.