June 25, 2008
Bill Keller investigated by the IRS.
Poor Bill Keller, that's what happens when you run your mouth and hide under your religion.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - The Internal Revenue Service is investigating a St. Petersburg televangelist who criticized former presidential candidate Mitt Romney during the Republican primary.
Bill Keller hosts of a live television program on the Internet, and his tax-exempt status as a church prohibits him from endorsing or opposing candidates for public office. But in one broadcast, Keller said a vote for Romney was a vote for Satan.
Keller says his comments were based on religion, not politics. He says he took issue with Romney, a Mormon, telling people that he was a Christian.
Keller says he is prepared to fight if his ministry loses its tax-exempt status.
Since he began his Live Prayer Internet ministry in 1999, he has skewered Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and Scientologists, calling them false religions and cults. He also speaks against abortion, calls Oprah a "new age witch" for embracing diverse religions and says megachurch pastor Joel Osteen is a "gutless wonder."
In May, Keller raised the ire of Americans United for Separation of Church and State when he wrote devotionals on Liveprayer.com saying that a vote for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney equals a vote for Satan. The group asked the IRS to investigate Keller for a possible violation of tax laws, which prohibit tax-exempt nonprofit groups from engaging in partisan politics. Keller, took the debate to a national audience on The O'Reilly Factor, where he sparred with host Bill O'Reilly, who called Keller's words "irresponsible, un-Christian, uncharitable and flat-out wrong."
I even went back and forth with one of his flock who answers his emails, and just read some of this crap that he allows people to speak in his name.
This isn't a good person, he shouldn't even call himself a Christian.
He's nothing but a hate-filled asshole, and I personally, will be very happy the day the IRS yanks away his tax-exempt status and starts investigating his so called church.
I am willing to bet they find lots of interesting things in his financial record books.
Heck, he probably has two sets.
June 18, 2008
You have no 4th amendment rights in a natural disaster.
Wake up Americans!
What is happening in parts of Iowa from the flooding, is just as bad as the water itself.
Government "strike teams" are invading people's homes, harassing the owners, and threatening them with arrest, for being in their homes and questioning the illegal searches of property.
Cops break down doors, threaten residents who question them as part of martial law conditioning, authorities prevent people from re-entering their homes
Shocking footage out of Cedar Rapids Iowa shows cops and government employee "strike teams" breaking into houses of flood victims and threatening anyone who questions their actions in complete violation of the 4th amendment right that protects against unlawful search and seizure.
No warrant, no knock home invasions are being carried out on the flimsy pretext of "checking for structural damage" as cops harass and threaten with arrest people who refuse to have their homes ransacked by thugs in uniforms.
Cedar Rapids police chief Greg Graham promised residents over the weekend that "Law enforcement officers are not entering homes," and that firefighters would only enter homes through unlocked doors and windows yet the video clearly shows locked houses being broken in to.
The 4th amendment states, "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."
Just because a natural disaster happens, does not give ANY government office the right to declare martial law, invade our homes and property, seize our legally owned and obtained weapons, for any reason.
They must obtain a warrant which states their reasons for the search and seizure of our personal effects.
A lot of these "strike teams" are made up of law enforcement officers, fire fighters, and utilities workers.
Excuse me?
When did all these people become structural engineers, and be able to legally determine whether or not a home is safe?
Even if there was a legitimate reason to inspect homes, why on earth do they not even bother to knock on the door?
Cops immediately attempt to break in or climb through windows uninvited because this procedure is all about sending a message - when a crisis unfolds we are the bosses and you - the peasants - will yield to our tyranny.
What I think the government learned, was that declaring an illegal martial law, illegally removing the lawful weapons, and removing people from their homes, worked out so damn well in New Orleans, we might as well do it during every natural disaster.
June 17, 2008
Something to smile about.
I'm still doing good with my attempts to lose weight, I've eaten pretty healthy today.
Grapes, some juice, baked chicken for dinner with some salad, not bad.
I got most of my paperwork done today, it's a total fricking pain, and I should have it all completed within the next few days before I can get it printed out.
I absolutely loved this story today.
The two old ladies who had been in a loving and committed relationship for 55 years, were finally able to get married today.
They finally had the legal right to be together.
That's awesome in my opinion.
How many hetero marriages last that long huh?
Yeah, something to think about.
June 13, 2008
Tim Russert, 1950-2008
I just heard the news that reporter Tim Russert has died.
WASHINGTON - Tim Russert, NBC News' Washington bureau chief and the moderator of "Meet the Press," died Friday after being stricken at the bureau, NBC News said Friday. He was 58.
Russert was recording voiceovers for Sunday's "Meet the Press" broadcast when he collapsed. He was rushed to Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, where resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, said Russert's physician, Michael Newman.
Newman said the cause of death was not immediately known.
He has an extensive and impressive background from being a senate staffer before going to into journalism, he received an Emmy for his coverage of of President Reagan's funeral, 48 honorary doctorates, countless awards for excellence in his career, member of the broadcasting hall of fame, and on the board of the baseball hall of fame.
He was a trustee of the Freedom Forum's Newseum and a member of the board of directors of the Greater Washington Boys and Girls Club and America/s Promise - Alliance for Youth.
He was also named father of the year by several different organizations over the years.
This is just a shock and tragic loss of a man I admired.
My heart and thoughts are with his wife Maureen and his son Luke.
May 19, 2008
$3.5 million for the Boy Scouts.
On May 15, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5872, an act "To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the centennial of the Boy Scouts of America, and for other purposes." The sale of the coins by the Secretary of the Treasury, with a surcharge on each coin sold to "be paid to the National Boy Scouts of America Foundation." In other words, this is a congressionally mandated fundraiser for the Boy Scouts.With the act allowing for up to 350,000 of this coin to be issued and fixing the surcharge at $10 per coin, the Boy Scouts could receive as much as $3.5 million from their sale. Never before, in the long history of U.S. government issued commemorative coins, has this benefit been granted to an organization that promotes religion or discriminates based on religion.
The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God. In the first part of the Scout Oath or Promise the member declares, 'On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law.' The recognition of God as the ruling and leading power in the universe and the grateful acknowledgment of His favors and blessings are necessary to the best type of citizenship and are wholesome precepts in the education of the growing members. No matter what the religious faith of the members may be, this fundamental need of good citizenship should be kept before them. The Boy Scouts of America, therefore, recognizes the religious element in the training of the member, but it is absolutely nonsectarian in its attitude toward that religious training. Its policy is that the home and the organization or group with which the member is connected shall give definite attention to religious life.
A private organization can have whatever beliefs and religious requirements it chooses to. That's their constitutional right. But Congress can absolutely not financially aid the Boy Scouts in the promotion of their beliefs and enforcement of their religious requirements by legislating a fundraiser for them!
May 3, 2008
It shook the pictures off my walls!
It's just Mark and I at home tonight, Sebastian decided to go back to my sister's house for the night and will be home in the morning.
When it's just Mark and I, the house is super quiet.
I'm doing my thing on my computer, and he's doing his thing on the Xbox playing PSU
We stopped for awhile earlier, ate enchiladas while we watched the movie I reviewed below, and then we both went back to our thing.
Anyway, we were both just doing our thing a few minutes ago when we hear this loud boom boom thud, boom boom thud, coming from the sub woofers of a car coming down the street.
It started getting louder and louder, and then the windows and walls started shaking, 3 pictures fell of the wall from behind the couch which is not by the window I might add, it's an interior wall.
I thought for sure this car was in my driveway, that's how loud and how bad the windows and walls were shaking, so I got up and opened the front door, about to seriously bitch someone out.
There was no car in the driveway, not in front of my mailbox or my neighbors, or even the next duplex over to my left.
The car was 4 houses down and driving super slow like maybe he was looking for an address or something.
It was that far away but it still sounded like he was right in my driveway!
Sarasota has some pretty tough noise ordinances.
If it can be heard by a police officer 25 feet away, it's too loud.
My driveway is about 25 feet long, and this car was 4 houses away and we could still hear it and feel the bass.
Sarasota has an impound law now as well as fines associated with loud noise.
On April 22nd, the city commission approved a version of the new city laws that would result in a warning for the first offense, the second time, violators are required to pay a $25 fine, plus more than $150 in fees, and the vehicle is impounded. The fine jumps to $250 for the second offense and $500 the third time.
If a cop had been on my street, this guy would have been so totally busted.
Why the hell do they need to have the music that freaking loud?
I love music, I love loud music, I fall asleep at night with my headphones in and the volume all the way up, but when driving in a car, that loud is not only annoying, but dangerous.
If someone honks at them, they can't hear the car horn, if an emergency vehicle is coming with sirens blasting, they can't hear it.
I mean, it was 11pm and he's driving through a residential neighborhood that fucking loud.
There's just no need for it.
April 29, 2008
Senate rejects religious plate.
That proposed "I believe" plate I told you about a few days ago, has been rejected by the Florida senate.
A license plate that would become the first in the nation to prominently feature a religious symbol was not included in a package of legislation creating new license plates after a vote in the Senate.Opponents of the plate said approval - whose proposed design included a Christian cross, a stained-glass window and the words "I Believe" - would have almost certainly faced a court challenge.
The bill's Senate sponsor said Monday, however, that the chamber's rejection of the plate could also generate a lawsuit. Florida already has over 100 different license plates and by allowing the designs the state has created a "public forum," said Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Valrico.
Great, now Rhonda is gonna sue over it.
April 25, 2008
Florida takes two steps backwards.
There are currently two religious issues taking place here in Florida this week that I'm in shock over.
The first is the Evolution Academic Freedom Act.
Plant City Senator Ronda Storms introduced the Evolution Academic Freedom Act, which permits teachers to challenge the theory of evolution in science classes.
This comes months after a state panel voted to require teaching evolution in Florida. Storms says her law would protect teachers who want to offer other theories for mankind's existence besides evolution.
Tampa Senator Arthenia Joyner argued the law opens public school classrooms to debate on creationism, intelligent design and God's role in mankind's existence. Joyner said that debate belongs in church and at home, not in Floridas public schools.
The bill passed 21-17 and now goes to the House. That chamber is considering a version of the bill that would not just permit, but require teachers to present "critical analysis" of the theory of evolution.
The Senate rejected that version of the bill.
A theory is based on empirical scientific evidence.
That makes evolution a theory, we have scientific evidence to back up the claim of evolution.
ID or creationism is not and can not, by definition, be a theory.
There is absolutely no empirical scientific evidence to back up ID or creationism.
All they have is the bible as the basis for their idea.
It's not a theory, it's an idea.
This whole thing just irritates me because just this past October, teachers in the state of Florida, were finally allowed to actually say the word evolution in classrooms.
Current standards do not use the word evolution -- long a controversial word in education -- but do require teaching evolutionary concepts in public schools.
The second issue is a new license plate up for legislation.
Florida has more than 100 specialty plates that drivers can have, but we now would be the first state in the nation to explicitly promote a specific religion.
The Florida Legislature is considering a specialty plate with a design that includes a Christian cross, a stained-glass window and the words "I Believe."
Rep. Edward Bullard, the plate's sponsor, said people who "believe in their college or university" or "believe in their football team" already have license plates they can buy. The new design is a chance for others to put a tag on their cars with "something they believe in," he said.
If the plate is approved, Florida would become the first state to have a license plate featuring a religious symbol that's not part of a college logo. Approval would almost certainly face a court challenge.
The problem with the state manufacturing the plate is that it "sends a message that Florida is essentially a Christian state" and, second, gives the "appearance that the state is endorsing a particular religious preference,' said Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.
All of Florida's specialty plates cost the drivers extra fees to have, and that money goes to a cause the plates endorse.
Luckily, we have a few legislators who realize that the plates clearly violate the separation of church and state.
The group asking for the "I Believe" plate, the Orlando-based nonprofit Faith in Teaching Inc., supports faith-based school activities. The plate would cost drivers an extra $25 annual fee.
If this passes, I hope that other religious groups step up and raise the signatures and the $60 thousand needed, to get their plates up for legislation as well.
Just picture it.
Plates with images of Mohamed, Buddha, Dionysius, Rah, a wiccan symbol etc.
There are 19 major religions, 40 different organized religions, plus the more than 270 different religious groups, and the 34,000 unique Christian groups.
Or how about a big giant scarlet 'A' for the atheists?
Wouldn't that be awesome?
Everyone could drive around with their religion and the words "I believe" on their license plates, for everyone to see.
We could all be driving along honking our horns at the other faiths we find complete and utter bullshit.
We think people have road rage now?!
Just wait till we can all drive around with our "I believe" plates with our distinct religion plastered on it, and know exactly who we disagree with, and more importantly, who we hate for being of a different faith.
April 11, 2008
I'm not anti-American.
Sometimes I get off the wall comments on posts that don't even have to do with my views on religion, but someone comes along, figures out I'm an atheist, and then says something really stupid like this.
"You're anti-God! you're anti-American! Get out of the US if you don't love the God this country was founded on you godless immoral heathen! We who love our God and savior don't want you here!!"
Ok Laura, calm the fuck down.
Being an atheist in no way makes me anti-American.
It simply means I don't believe in your God.
This country was founded by people searching for religious freedom, the freedom to believe in whatever God or Gods they wanted to.
They were being oppressed, so they left an started a new country where they recognized that all people had the right to choose what they believed in.
Yes, most of them believed in the Christian God, but when they wrote the constitution and the 1st amendment, they made sure that each person would have the right to exercise their rights to believe or not believe.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
That doesn't say that we the people, all have to believe in the same God, it means free exercise to believe what we want.
We have all the 1st amendment to protect us from religious persecution by our government, not be forced to believe in any God by our government.
If I was anti-American, I'd probably post a lot more about how much I hate the government and our current president, how the war in Iraq is unjust, or whatever.
But I don't.
I follow politics, I vote.
I believe one vote equals one voice.
I know that it's a privilege to have the right to vote, so I vote in every local, state, and federal election.
I don't waste that right given to me.
I don't snub my nose at the 1st amendment, I applaud it, because it gives me and you, the right to believe whatever we want to believe, and to not be persecuted for those beliefs by an oppressive government.
Laura, your comment has not, nor will it be published.
It was not on topic to the post you left it on, so I junked it.
Sorry.
But if you'd like to have a rational discussion about being an American, and what the 1st amendment means, feel free to email me. There's a handy dandy button at the top of the sidebar just for things like this.
But if you send me an email full of hate, telling me to get out of this country I was born in and that I have respect for, call me names, be ignorant and disrespectful, I will not reply, but delete it.
I'll be respectful to you if you are to me.
And I respect your right to believe in your God, and even your right to say hateful things, but I don't have to reply to them.
Those are my rights.
March 29, 2008
Buy 1, get 1, use a coupon too.
How can you have a busy weekend at home?
By having a lot of work to catch up on, housework, and babysitting my niece on Sunday again so my sister can work.
Her and her husband are so busy working trying to catch up on house payments, car payments, daycare bills which are OMG crazy expensive, and then her husband needed some sort of truck accessories for his new truck, so that added to the bills they have.
My sister works her butt off, they both do, and it seems like they never get ahead, they just survive week to week like the rest of us.
I know so many people who are struggling in our current economy, it's awful.
They say we're in a recession, or one is coming.
If it gets worse, I don't know how a lot of my friends and family will make it, myself included.
Things are just tight everywhere, and most people are trying to save as much money as they can right now in case things get even worse.
I'm going to the grocery store tomorrow, with coupons in hand, and a list that I'm sticking to.
I got my taxes back early, and I'm going to buy enough groceries to stock up the fridge and cupboards, and pay off a few bills, and then bank the rest.
There'll be no splurging, not right now anyway.
February 27, 2008
Mark Lunsford to sue Florida sheriff's office over handling of daughters case.
Jessica Lunsford, the cute little 9 year old girl pictured here, was kidnapped, raped and murdered 3 years ago, by John Couey who lived just across from her home. Couey admitted that he kept her alive for 4 days before finally killing her, and that is part of the reason that Mark Lunsford is suing the Citrus County Sheriff's office.
The proposed lawsuit, which has not yet been filed, claims that if law enforcement officers had searched the mobile home of John Couey, the registered sex offender convicted of Jessica's rape and murder, instead of just searching the home's yard the night the 9 year-old girl disappeared, she would have been discovered.Evidence revealed during Couey's trial showed that Jessica was kept alive for as many as four days before being buried alive. Couey was sentenced to death in August for the crimes.
During the search for Jessica, the mobile home's property and yard were searched several times, there are reports that neighbors told the officers to search inside the home, that something was going on in there, but the officers never searched inside the home.
The intent to sue also states that if the neighbors had been told about Couey's status as a sex offender when he moved in just 2 weeks before her disappearance, she might have been saved.
Lunsford says the sheriff's office wasted valuable time investigating his own father, questioning him about Jessica, instead of searching the home of the sex offender who lived just 100 yards from their front door.
But there are many critics of Lunsford, many calling him a liar and shady, and only suing for his own financial gain.
Lunsford has been given a brand new H2, (Hummer) "living high on the hog", he has a checkered past some are saying, others want to know where all the money raised from the charity rides has gone. They want an audit of all the monies raised and given to Lunsford.
Local radio personality, Bubba the love sponge, has been doing his own investigation into Lunsford.
It has been said that Bubba is about to expose Lunsford, and has had private investigators digging deep into his past and financial records.
Many people are questioning Lunsford's activities.
On the night Jessica was abducted, Lunsford was out partying at a bar with his 18 year old girlfriend. He and Jessica lived with his parents, and they left the door unlocked for him for whenever he came home.
The sheriffs confiscated Lunsford's computer and found some disturbing images on it, yet because his daughter was missing, they halted any investigation into those photographs.
This topic is high on many local Florida forums, a lot of people have some very strong opinions of Mark Lunsford, some calling him a meth head, a junkie, and having some dealings which are shady and possibly illegal.
I don't know where I stand on this.
I am now questioning his finances myself. He went from living with his parents, into a brand new home, driving an H2 that was given to him, and there have been many charity rides to raise money for the Lunsford foundation, but where is the money?
There is no accounting of those monies raised, and what about those pictures on his computer?
What were they of, and why did the police not investigate any further?
This will be an interesting story to follow, and if the suit does go forward, I am hoping that an audit of all the charity monies raised is done before letting this go any further.
I think people deserve to know what happened to that money, and if this suit is really about changing the policy on sex offenders, or if it's just for Lunsford's own gains.
January 28, 2008
Vote No on 1 tomorrow.
Floridians, please vote NO on amendment 1 tomorrow.
I've blogged this before, but here we are on the eve of the vote, and you people who are thinking yee haw on the homestead exemption, really need to sit back and think more about this.
The exemption will give you as a homeowner, a max exemption of just barely $300.
That money has to come from somewhere or other services will get cut.
Like what?
How about emergency services like police, fire and rescue?
The schools statewide, stand to lose about $3 billion in funding.
All you parents who have kids in the Florida public schools, and complain now about the lack of education monies, need to think about the loss of $3 billion additional dollars in school funding.
The money for emergency services and schools, comes from property taxes.
By voting yes, you will gain barely a $300 property tax relief, but you will have major cuts in those other services.
Plus, our governor can do better by us.
Much better.
This exemption is simply a band-aid on a much bigger problem.
This exemption needs 60% to pass.
Think about this and then vote NO tomorrow.
January 15, 2008
Keep them down and afraid.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm sick and tired of seeing Rudy Giuliani's ads on my tv.
This one especially makes me loathe him.
One more attack is only moments away ya know?
How many times is Rudy going to play on the fears, the sadness, and the anger over 9/11?
I'm sick of it.
The sad thing is, that people will vote for him because they are afraid more attacks will happen, and they will believe him when he says he's ready for it, that he will take care of it and us.
It's just really sick to keep bringing up 9/11, and using that day to try and make himself look like some kind of hero, in the hopes that people will be afraid enough to vote for him as president.
January 14, 2008
Florida, vote no on #1, save our homes exemption amendment.
The Florida homestead exemption amendment is not good for Florida homeowners no matter how they market it to you.
It says you will save on your taxes, but do you know how much?
The average Florida homeowner will only get a tax savings of $240.00.
Peanuts.
"The four-part tax package would:
# Increase the $25,000 homestead exemption to $50,000.
Proponents have framed this measure as a doubling of the current $25,000 homestead break, but that's misleading, as the new exemption won't apply to school taxes, which make up roughly 40 percent of property tax bills.
# Make accrued benefits from Save Our Homes -- which caps annual assessment increases at 3 percent -- transferable to new homesteads.
# Cap assessment increases on commercial and non-homestead property to 10 percent annually.
# Create a $25,000 exemption on tangible property for businesses, usually for things such as machinery and equipment.
What benefit would those changes provide?
The average Florida homeowner would get a tax savings of $240 from the added homestead break.
The commission's report offers a unique chance for the start of a major tax system overhaul this year, whereas Amendment 1 offers a piecemeal approach to tax relief at best.
Voters should turn it down.
Florida needs, and must get, something significantly better."
January 8, 2008
Be submissive to your husbands.
My sis and I were talking on the phone a bit ago, about the upcoming presidential elections and the candidates.
One that both her and I agree needs to take a flying leap, is Huckabee.
During an interview he gave near the end of December, he defended his statements made to southern baptist crowds where he said "I hope we can answer the alarm clock and take this nation back fro Christ".
He gave the speech the same year he endorsed the Baptist convention's statement of beliefs on marriage that "a wife is to submit graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ." Huckabee and his wife, Janet, signed a full-page ad in USA Today in support of the statement with 129 other evangelical leaders.
Um, yeah, ok. Thanks, but no.
Sis and I talked about the candidates we would support, discussed some of the whacked out stuff all of the candidates have said, and are trying to find a candidate who is the lesser of all the evils.
Perhaps it's only the non-religious who can see it, but religious extremism comes in all religions.
I make no apologies for being a somewhat militant atheist, but I know where to draw the line in getting my views across.
I would never blow up a building, bomb or picket a health clinic, stand outside and scream murderer at someone taking care of their own health and body, go door to door attempting to save anyone's soul for my belief system.
This is my blog, a journal, it's shared on line, but I don't force it on anyone. Every reader who comes here has made the choice to be here and read what I write. If they find anything I say offensive, they are also in total control of themselves, and click away to read something else.
I hold no gun to anyone to force my beliefs on them.
This does all tie into our political discussion we were having, religion and politics go hand in hand.
Candidates will do everything they can to cater to, and get the votes of, religious groups in this country.
There are groups who are going out of their way to paint candidates in bad light, to say they are evil, non-religious, not doing the work of god.
There are people who believe it and will take actions based on their religious views, essentially becoming extremist in those actions.
One of the candidates that my sister and I feel stands a very good chance of being elected, we also feel stands a very good chance of having an assassination attempt made on their life if elected.
People are very afraid of change, afraid of anyone but the all powerful, conservative white man, holding the highest office in our land. Some of the things I have seen written on line about a few candidates scares the crap out of me, but also confirms my concern for that attempt on their life.
Sis and I then talked about a child we know, who is being raised in a very strict Christian life. The textbooks he has for school are frightening.
He attends a private Christian school where the science textbooks actually say things like evolution is the work of the devil.
That the people who believe in it, believe so because the devil makes them.
That fossils are satan's way of making people doubt the existence of god.
That's in a textbook. *shock*
We both wonder and worry about this child as he grows up and comes to live in the real world, outside of Christian education and possibly on his own away from family.
What if he attends a real university, not a Christian one, what will happen to this child's world when he finds no mention of the devil or god in his textbooks?
How will he handle those things?
Will his new classmates and friends, laugh at him when he says that fossils are the devils handiwork, and he's serious in his conviction?
Or will this country be "taken back for christ" by then?
I mean, there is actually a resolution that wants to change our nations history to be more religious.
See that? They want to change our history.
That's some scary stuff to me.
December 12, 2007
Drew Peterson wants your money.
Seriously.
Drew Peterson, the man suspected of killing his fourth wife Stacey, has a website where you can donate money and help him defend himself against these charges.
Check out the Official Drew Peterson Defense Fund.
This is crazy.
Drew and his children risk losing their life savings, house, automobiles and may end up impoverished, all by simply defending himself against allegations.
*UPDATE*
The website has been taken down.
December 11, 2007
Santa's runway is melting.
The climate changes are causing the runway which Santa uses to take off and deliver toys from, is melting.
He's not sure if he'll be able to make it this year.
Check it out at Green Santa.
November 24, 2007
A little more info on the vaccine issue.
It's terrifying what the state of Maryland has done.
There is no law that says any child must be vaccinated, but the school health people insist that getting every child vaccinated will cut down on diseases.
The hep B vaccine, contains 12.5 grams of mercury.
That's 100 times more than the EPA says you can administer to infants, and it's done in a single shot.
In the first 15 months of life, babies are given 21 different vaccines, all containing thimerosal.
1 out of every 166 kids born in this country, now have autism and that number is rising.
Babies that were born perfectly healthy, are now being diagnosed with autism by age 3.
Thimerosal was banned by every other country in the world 20 years ago, we are the only country that still uses it.
The amazing part of this whole mercury issue is that doctors tell pregnant women not to consume large amounts of fish during their pregnancies because of mercury. Then as soon as the baby is born, we start injecting them with it.
All childhood vaccines now come with a mercury free version.
Ask for it.
It is your right.
The hep B shot is given at birth, so ask for it when your child is born.
Do not just let them whisk your newborn away to have it's first shots, because they will use the mercury version unless you tell them not to.
November 24, 2007
Don't vaccinate, go to jail in Maryland.
Children were herded like cattle this past week into a courthouse with armed police and attack dogs, to receive vaccinations and threw parents who refused into jail.
"The children were forcibly vaccinated, many against their will, under orders from the State Attorney General, various State Judges and the local School Board Director, all of whom illegally conspired to threaten parents with imprisonment if they did not submit their children to vaccinations."
Health authorities stated that parents who refused would be taken from their kids and placed in jail for up to 30 days for failing to comply.
There is NO law in Maryland that says children must be vaccinated.
The number one reason parents don't vaccinate has nothing to do with religion, it has to do with protecting their kids from the dangerous chemicals found in vaccines (including thimerosal, a chemical additive containing a neurotoxic form of mercury).
There are doctors who oppose what is happening in Maryland.
Parents were "told to appear in Court on Saturday November 17th 2007, and to subject their children to on-the-spot state-mandated vaccines of up 17 vaccine doses, or face imprisonment. Parents who ignore the court's demands could face a $50 fine for every day their child is out of compliance or up to 10
days in jail."
That's a dangerous amount to give a child all at once, and what if a child is allergic to one of them?
The medical and religious exemption forms were missing from the packets handed out to parents to fill out, and were denied if asked for.
There are 8 questions to ask before vaccinating your child, they are:
1. Is my child sick right now?
2. Has my child had a bad reaction to a vaccination before?
3. Does my child have a personal or family history of: vaccine
reactions, convulsions or neurological disorders, severe allergies or
immune system disorders
4. Do I know if my child is at high risk of reacting?
5. Do I know how to identify a vaccine reaction?
6. Do I know how to report a vaccine reaction?
7. Do I know the vaccine manufacturer's name and lot number?
8. Do I know I have a choice?
Just what is thimerosal?
You might want to check it out before vaccinating your child.
November 17, 2007
Scan complete. Results may vary.
I'm finished with the Imdium scan, I don't have to go back tomorrow. I don't know what they found, but they found something because they said nope, go home, do not come back tomorrow.
Feh.
It is a neat test though, claustrophobic, but neat how those radioactive cells appear on the screen.
I saw these two huge masses, organs, completely lit up like a Christmas tree, and was like WTF is that?!
The guy said that's your liver and kidneys, they make the white cells, that is totally normal.
I was like *phew* because let me tell ya, seeing two large organs all lit up when you know that the radioactive cells will light up the infected area, is something totally scary to see and not know what it is.
I admit I totally panicked thinking a couple organs had shut down or were really sick or something.
The guy doing the test wouldn't show me everything like the girl did yesterday, so I'm assuming he saw something and doesn't want me to freak out.
Well too bad, not knowing, freaks me out more.
I don't know when I'll get the results.
I came home, ate a few wings the teens ordered while I was gone, then we watched The Boondock Saints
They liked it. Watching it now, man, the music was so damn corny, but looking at that all-star cast when they were so young, impressive.
The Boondock Saints though, it's one of our favorite movies.
I could watch it all the time.
The accidental shooting of the cat gets me every time. I don't mean it upsets me, I mean it practically makes me snort soda out my nose it's so funny.
The language is rough, there is a ton of violence, but it's an incredible movie.
I don't think people should just go all vigilante, but you'll never hear me complain when a robber gets shot by a homeowner ya know?
I think we should always have the right to protect ourselves against the criminals.
If you break in my home, try to steal my stuff, threaten harm against me and my family, I will take you down.
The law here in Florida says I can, and believe me, I will.
I don't own a gun (yet) but I have several weapons that I have hidden in various places just in case I can't get to another room to get the weapon.
I have stuff and will use it.
I wish more states had better gun laws.
I mean, I was one of several people who got to review a couple safety and self defense products, and more people would have done them, except their states do not allow them to even own pepper spray, never mind a gun.
In those states, if someone dials 9-1-1, the police better hurry up and get there then.
People should be allowed to protect themselves and their families, and if you won't allow that, then get there pronto when they call for help.
November 6, 2007
Yay! I got one!
I got one of the docs I needed, now just three more to go.
Man, this is just, ugh, frustrating.
I have so much other stuff to do, and this has been consuming my entire day so far.
I'm hoping I can get this done or at least mostly done, so I can get out to the polls tonight.
There are some local community issues that need to be voted on, like the penny tax which pays for so many things, and people want to end it.
The penny tax is something we have been paying for a few years now, since 1989, and renewed again in 1997, it's hardly noticeable, but it pays for the city's improvements to our roads and schools, bridges, parks, and libraries.
Removing the penny tax would be so stupid.
That money has to come from somewhere, it might as well be from the penny tax.
And it's not actually a penny, it's 1 percent, so before any local people show up here to blast me for calling it the penny tax, I do know what it is and what it's called.
Yes, it's slick marketing, but it's a 1 percent tax on purchases, and a full one-third of that money comes from tourism.
And speaking of tourism...
Also is the vote on repairing and renovating, Ed Smith Stadium, which holds spring training for a major baseball team, The Cincinnati Reds.
When they are here for spring training, people come from across the country and Canada, to watch them practice and have some show games.
This part of the tourism industry is vital for Sarasota's economy.
The money earned from hotels and shopping, helps pay for so many things in our community.
So anyway, as soon as all the docs offices are closed for the evening and it looks like i won't be getting any more important calls, I'll be heading to the polls.
I hope all of you have gone or are planning to vote today too.
I know voting can be discouraging sometimes, it feels like your vote doesn't or won't count, but it does.
If you don't vote, you have no right to complain later when the wrong guy or bill, gets elected or passed.
September 25, 2007
Homestead exemption in Florida.
With the prices of Tampa real estate, and basically all real estate, in Florida going up, the save our homes exemption is trying to help people not pay an exorbitant amount of property taxes.
What it is designed to do, is to not raise the property taxes more than 3% of the assessed value or the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index, after the first year the homes value is assessed on the property which receives the exemption.
This may all sound extremely confusing, but it's a really good thing.
It keeps property taxes low for homeowners who get the homestead exemption, no matter how high the value of the home goes.
If the owner sells their home within the first year after being assessed, the new home owners would have to apply for the exemption in order for amendment 10 (save our homes) to be applicable to them.
This has been in the news quite a bit over the last few days, with Governor Crist having trouble drumming up voter support of the new amendment which would give home owners the one-time option of giving up the save our homes exemption in favor of a homestead exemption of up to $195,000 for a home valued at $500,000. The existing homestead exemption is just $25,000.
If you're a home owner in Florida, you need to be paying attention to the current legislation which according to one judge who said the measure was "misleading and inaccurate" and struck it from the statewide ballot.
If a homeowner chooses the new "super" homestead exemption, they would forever lose the Save our Homes cap.
Many people who stay in their homes more than four years would save more with Save Our Homes limiting future tax bills.*
Continue Reading �
September 24, 2007
We're not the crazy ones.
Real Time with Bill Maher, has new rules, and in case you missed it, or don't have HBO like me, Truthdig.com has posted the video, and I'm sharing it with you below.
The last new rule says that non-believers or rationalists, as Maher likes to call us, need to start taking into consideration the religious beliefs of the candidates before we vote for them.
And really, shouldn't we all be doing that?
The constitution says there shall be no religious test for holding the office, or any office of government, but every single one of the candidates gets up during speeches or debates, and talks about their religious morality, their religious views, and like Maher, I'm pretty damn skeptical of any guy's state of mind who wants to be president, if he believes in magic underwear.
He's not getting my vote.
And also like Maher, I have a serious problem with any one who believes in talking snakes, burning talking bushes, huge boats full of every species of animal, walking on water, loaves into fishes, and all the other hocus pocus.
It really is like voting for someone who declares and is convinced, that Santa Claus or the tooth fairy are real.
It's time for rational leaders.
September 21, 2007
It's a gorgeous morning.
I plan to go on my walk shortly, after days of not being able to go for my daily walk, I need to get out and just stroll up the street and back.
Doc B never called me back, so I called Doc F this morning and talked to the nurse abut what happened.
She said it's not likely that the injection caused me to be sick, but because my immune system is so low, it's possible that just taking the injection caused me to get run down and have another run of gastroenteritis.
She said the blood tests from Doc B's office showed a super low white cell count again, which means I was already sick by the time I saw him.
Locally, there are some big news stories happening here.
Like this guy, Joseph Arsenault, I sorta know him.
No, not like that! But I used to go to the Beach Club downtown years ago, before the big remodel, and he was always there, buying rounds of drinks for people and stuff. He also used to shop at Pier 1 a lot.
Kinda freaky he was arrested for rape, and possibly being a serial rapist.
And there's no link to this one yet, but right around the corner from me, on the corner of Ashton and Swift, is a church youth group building, like literally a 7 minute walk from my front door, across from the post office.
Anyway, the youth group leader was arrested for having sex with a bunch of the teens that went there.
One girl claims it was a relationship, but he apparently he had sex with a LOT of the teens that went there.
As soon as there's a link, I'll update this post with it.
At the beginning of summer, they (the youth group) were going around leaving fliers for teens to join the group for the summer.
Stay off the streets! Come hang out in a safe environment!
Uh-huh.
And of course, there's $780 million, but none of it for the teachers.
Will we be repaving another parking lot?
How about planting a few more trees?
Are we ever going to finish building RHS? I mean, all that asbestos our kids are breathing in every day, can't be good ya know.
Maybe the school board will authorize a statue downtown for the cost of like $2 million or something.
Just give the teachers a raise please.
Ok, I am going to get ready for my walk now. I can't wait to get outside.
September 14, 2007
Military dad can't save his children from abuse.
This is a story with local ties, the children are here in Florida, and the military dad is stationed in Alaska.
*WARNING* This video contains a graphic description of what the 5 year old daughter said during a medical examination.
Please use headphones if you have young children in the room.
Please, watch the video, digg the article, this is a call to action!
The story;
Your kids live nearly 5,000 miles away and experts are telling you they're being sexually and physically abused. This Father and all the officials in Alaska know what is going on. Judge J. Kevin Carey in Florida needs to take action to protect the helpless victims and punish the aggressor.
After hearing the child welfare agents state what the 5 year old daughter said during her medical exam, I have no doubt in my mind that this child has been either sexually abused, or been exposed to pornographic movies, or possibly even made to watch her mother have sex with the boyfriend.
No matter how she knows the language she spoke, I consider it abuse.
Not to mention the bruises and other statements the children have made.
This is the contact information for the judge.
I've already made a call to his office to ask that he thoroughly investigate this case.
The Honorable J. Kevin Carey
800 E. Twiggs St., Room 422
Tampa, Florida 33602
(813) 272-6999
Courtroom #402
Judicial Assistant: Carmen Jones
Unified Family Court:
Domestic Relations/Family Law, Division F
August 4, 2007
Tax free school shopping has begun Florida residents.
Today, August 4th 2007, marks the start of tax free week for school shopping.
Governor Crist and the Florida Legislature have approved Senate Bill 1456, which provides that the 2007 Tax Free Days for Sales Tax will begin at 12:01 a.m., Saturday, August 4, 2007, through midnight, Monday, August 13, 2007.
Senate Bill 1456 provides for a sales tax holiday on:
* Clothing and related items with a sales price of $50 or less
* Books with a sales price of $50 or less
* School supplies with a sales price of $10 or less
_________________
I won't be going shopping till next Saturday the 11th, but just letting the rest of you know that it started today.
July 24, 2007
Welcome to the NAU?
What's the NAU?
That's the North American Union for those of you who haven't heard of this yet.
Discussions are popping up on message boards every where recently about this subject and I like others, have no idea if it's true or not, we're all just sorta scratching our heads doing the ol' WTF?
Here's some reading you can do if you're curious about this proposed new union between the US, Canada, and Mexico.
Bye bye constitution.
Bye bye US dollar, hello Amero.
North American Union Sourcewatch
Stop the NAU
July 13, 2007
Christian extremists disrupt Hindu Senate invocation
What a bunch of disrespectful people we have in the house huh?
It's tradition to have a prayer in the senate house, and these Christians can't keep their mouths shut to let a Hindu priest give the invocation.
I do not agree with prayer in the government, but even I have enough respect to be quiet during prayer.
Luckily, they were arrested.
Disgusting.
May 20, 2007
ABC sucks.
You all know that I was interviewed by ABC about cyberstalking.
ABC has refused to tell my TRUE story about this. I sent them an email asking them to revise the article they wrote, because that is not what, or all that I said.
The reporter in charge said she would get back to me.
She hasn't.
I said several times in my interview that we needed tougher cyberstalking laws.
What did they use?
"I think it will take a blogger being killed before law enforcement will take action," Cooper said.
This is wrong.
If I had known ABC was going to screw me after promising me that my story would be told, and then only portraying me the way they wanted, I wouldn't have done it. I would have told them to go jump in a freaking lake and drown.
This isn't the first time ABC has deleted people's comments, or altered stories.
There's a bit of a controversy with ABC and Ron Paul who's running for president.
This is kind of old hat with ABC now.
But it's wrong.
I want ABC to revise the story. I want them to add on the other things I said. They asked me specifically what I wanted done about cyberstaliking. I said I want ISP's involved, I want web hosts to be able to take action on hate speech, part of many web hosting companies ToS, yet they don't uphold their own rules. I want tougher cyberstalking laws where police can actually take action, have the jurisdiction to do something about threats sent over the world wide web.
It is completely wrong of ABC to be censoring people's comments. It was wrong of them to lie to me.
It was wrong of them to tell me they were going to revise the story and then not actually do it.
ABC can kiss my ass.
May 17, 2007
Steve to Susan.
Do any of you know about Susan Stanton? Susan used to be Steve, and because she changed her gender from man to woman, she lost her job as Largo City manager.
Susan is now running for Sarasota City manager.
This is Susan.
There are some people who are coming out in support of Susan here on the suncoast, but not many.
Early unofficial polls look like this;
"Would you support Sarasota City Commissioners if they decide to hire Susan Stanton as city manager?"
326 (31%) - Yes
722 (69%) - No
Maybe it's the way they are wording the polls.
I think it should be, would you vote for the person who can do the best job?
My question makes more logical sense huh?
Sarasota prides itself on bing a progressive community, we have a large gay and lesbian community here, they are supported.
But transgender?
I can just hear all the senior citizens now, trans what? What's that mean? is that gay? Or is that lesbian? Which one is he or she?
They do not like things that they knew nothing about when they were growing up.
There have always been gays and lesbians, they were more in the closet back then, but most people knew who in their town was or wasn't.
But transgender wasn't heard of, it was just not talked about or done. They didn't have the medical ability to do this back then, so this is completely foreign to Sarasota's senior population, and because it's so foreign, they will not vote for Susan. If Susan gets hired, they will make a fuss until she's fired.
All I want to know is, can Susan do the job?
I don't care what someone looks like as long as they can do the job.
They could show up to work wearing a pink tutu and a hawaiian shirt with scuba fins on their feet, as long as they can do the job, I don't care what they look like. I don't even care who they are.
Just do the job.
I just don't care if it's a man or a woman, or someone in the process of becoming who they are meant to be, as long as they can do the job.
I want to see our local news stations and websites do better polls.
Do you think Susan Stanton can do the job?
Is Susan Stanton qualified for this job?
The answer is yes.
April 29, 2007
Have you all heard of Allen Lee yet?
After the Virginia tech shootings, student Allen Lee who was set to join the marines, was asked in his writing class, to write an essay with the following rules.
The essay was written during Lee's creative writing class on April 23, in which students were given a "free writing" assignment.*Teacher Nora Capron told students not to censor what they write
Blood sex and Booze. Drugs Drugs Drugs are fun. Stab, Stab, Stab, S...t...a...b..., poke. “So I had this dream last night where I went into a building, pulled out two P90s and started shooting everyone..., then had sex with the dead bodies. Will, not really, but it would be funny if I did.” Umm, yeah, what to wright about...... I’m leaving to join the Marines and I really don’t give a F*** about my academics, so why does the only class that’s complete Bull S***, happen to be the only required class...enough said. The model citizen would stay around to vote in new board member to change the 4 years of English policy, but no one really stays around to vote for that kind of local crap, so whoever gets there name on the Ballet with a pretty face gets to do what the F*** ever they want with local ordinance. A person is smart, but people are dumb selfish animals. We can’t make rules for ourselves so we vote others to do it for us, but we can’t even do that right, I meen seriously, Bush for President? And our other option was John Kerry who claimed to partake in Vietnam Special Forces missions that haven’t been declassified....F***ing Bull S***. So Power Flower Super Mario. Pudge, hook, rot, dismember “Fresh Meat.” Most new/young teachers are laid back, and cooperative with students as feedback and input into the curriculum and atmosphere. My current English teacher is a control freak intent on setting a gap between herself and her students like a 63 year old white male fortune 500 company CEO, and a illegal immigrant. If CG was a private catholic school I could understand, but wtf is her problem. And baking brownies and rice crispies does not make up for it, way to try and justify yourself as a good teacher while underhandidly looking for complements on your cooking. No quarrel on you qualifications as a writer, but as a teacher, don’t be surprised on inspiring the first cg shooting.
The following "Author's Note" was passed out to students at his school in reference to his essay.
Author’s Note: This production of the writing is done in the most accurate manner I can depict of the original writing. Grammar and spelling mistakes are included at the best accuracy possible. The first phrase in questions is in fact a Green Day song. The second reference to drugs is in relation to the schools history of drug problems. I am personally clean of all controlled substances. The statement in quotes is done so as a non personal statement as I would have done in reference to a character for a story. The reference to the gun P90 is from a video game, combined with a reference to necrophilia as a comment regarding a seriously messed up situation. A situation such as the rape of villagers during a raid by U.S. troops in Vietnam. I really do not care too much about by continuing academia as in relation to grades. I do however believe on continuing my personal education, and I am actually still working for my classes. My views on the graduation requirements explain themselves. The reference to Mario and Pudge(a DOTA character) are completely random in this essay. The reference to a person being smart and people being dumb is based on a quite from “Men in Black.” I generally do believe the public opinion is best. The rest of the essay is rather self explanatory, the main statement in question I have already released a comment online about. I request that all information I have released is read together, and nothing is given separately or as an excerpt as the administration has seen fit to do.**On an additional note, I have completed the MEPS (Military Entry Processing Station) examinations, and yes a psychiatric evaluation is included in the process. If I’m qualified to defend the country, I believe I am qualified to attend school.
Do we really want the thought police? Are we that scared of ourselves that we need thought police? What will this mean to writers of fictional stories?
Are we going to start reading every single essay a student writes and scour it looking for kids who may pull the trigger, and turn them over to the police?
Students everywhere now need to hold back, stop writing, stop being creative.
It's all pink fuzzy bunnies and rainbows now folks.
Let's just stifle creativity because we are a scared nation.
Don't take my words as not caring about school shootings, because I do care, but censoring, being frightened, ruining good kids lives because teachers are afraid of what kids write after telling them to be creative, not to edit or censor themselves, and then the teachers freak out and turn the papers over to cops.
Is this really the path we want to take?
Do we really want thought police?
This was a good kid, an athlete, a non-drug user, a kid planning on serving his country.
Now what? Now what happens to Allen Lee?
Continue Reading �
April 18, 2007
Parenting beyond belief.
Agnostic Mom has asked that her readers help spread the word on the new book, Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion
Several parenting magazines are declining to review the book for fear of offending religious subscribers, and a few retailers are declining to stock the book, claiming there is no market for it. It is essential that we demonstrate otherwise, so please put all promotional oars in the water as soon as possible.
"Oh, for the days when one could safely stroll into a bookstore without tripping over the latest atheist title."
Please, if you are an atheist who wants to help spread the word about this parenting book, please post it on your blog.
As a parent who has raised my sons without religion in this religion filled world, a book sure would have come in handy.
Help spread the word so other secular parents can learn about this book, and have it a bit easier than I did trying to raise them without indoctrination in an indoctrinated society.
From Amazon;
It’s hard enough to live a secular life in a religious world. And bringing up children without religious influence can be even more daunting. Despite the difficulties, a large and growing number of parents are choosing to raise their kids without religion.In Parenting Beyond Belief, Dale McGowan celebrates the freedom that comes with raising kids without formal indoctrination and advises parents on the most effective way to raise freethinking children. With advice from educators, doctors, psychologists, and philosophers as well as wisdom from everyday parents, the book offers tips and insights on a variety of topics, from "mixed marriages" to coping with death and loss, and from morality and ethics to dealing with holidays. Sensitive and timely, Parenting Beyond Belief features reflections from such freethinkers as Mark Twain, Richard Dawkins, Bertrand Russell, and wellness guru Dr. Don Ardell that will empower every parent to raise both caring and independent children without constraints.
Agnosticmom.com 
Parenting beyond belief 
Atheism
April 18, 2007
I just got jury duty.
Yup, in my mail today, a summons for jury duty. It's already filled out for exemption and stamped, and sitting to go back in my ghetto-fied mailbox.
They want me to appear at the courthouse May 9th at 8am.
First of all, I can't do it that day, I have a medical appointment which if I miss, I'll have to wait about a month to get another one.
Second, I have no car.
If I had to be downtown to the courthouse for 8am, I would have to be up at 5am, be on the first bus at 6am, and then catch another bus over to the courthouse at 7:30am.
It's simply not something I can pull off and there is no way I'm missing my doctors appointment.
March 21, 2007
Kathy Dent is in trouble.
Election official may face congressional inquiry.
SARASOTA - Four months later, the controversy over Vern Buchanan's razor thin congressional win in the 13th District is not going away.We're only learning now that elections supervisor Kathy Dent received a warning memo before the election from the voting machine makers about potentially sticky buttons, but didn't tell anyone outside her office.
"We discussed it with the staff," said elections supervisor Kathy Dent.
Dent felt the best solution was to display posters telling voters about being careful about their selections and checking the review screens.
As for Dent, this recent controversy has her thinking long and hard about running for re-election next year."I'm weighing my options. It's becoming a job now," Dent said.
In a letter dated August 15th, ES&S, the company that manufactures the voting machines, warned the supervisor's office of an "issue" with the voting machines. The letter indicated that its voting machines, deployed all across the country, were showing "slow response times" and required a patch in order to correct the problem. But ES&S never sent the patch, and Kathy Dent never asked for it.
March 6, 2007
The death of a president.
Death of a President is a fictional documentary about the assassination of 43rd United States President George W. Bush. It is directed by British filmmaker Gabriel Range. The film uses archive footage, actors, and computer effects to portray an assassination of the 43rd American president. The film covers topics of civil disobedience, racial profiling, the reduction of civil liberties, sensationalism, and just-war theory.
The film was basically banned by two of Americas biggest theater chains, Regal and Cinemark. CNN and NPR refused to run ads for the movie.
If you want to see the film, you can watch it on Google video, here.
Filed under entertainment and politics.
Technorati tags 
death of a president
February 26, 2007
What are we supposed to do?
Mark went out yesterday with his Big, George, and they ate at the Subway in the newly revamped Westfield mall. They had completely redone sections of the mall and unveiled it a few months ago. Newly remodeled food court, new movie theater etc.
But apparently, the mall is still dirty. The food workers are still dirty.
Both Mark and George got food poisoning. George called here around 8ish to ask if Mark was sick. I said yes, he's been in the bathroom non-stop since around 6:30. It hit him pretty hard within 4 hours of getting home.
He was up all night with it coming out both ends, but where is my son this morning?
At school, taking the FCAT.
He can't miss any of the tests this week. It counts toward his final grade, whether or not he passes to the next grade level.
He has barely slept, he can't eat anything, he was in the bathroom every 10 minutes all night long, but he has to go to school.
They sent us notes home telling us what to feed them for dinner, what time to put them in bed, what to feed them for breakfast, to make sure they had a ride instead of walking or bike riding.
He was up all night sick. He couldn't eat. He walked to school because we don't have a car and his bike tires are still slashed.
I fully expect to get a call from the school after his morning FCATs are done, can he come home?
Of course he can come home, he shouldn't have even had to go to school today!
Just doing a quick scan of technorati tags for FCAT, I came across a bunch of blogs about it, many from the students themselves on Live Journal, complaining about the FCAT.
The students know how worthless this test is, they know what it's going to cost them if they fail. It's pointless to have report cards all year long if one single test is actually what determines whether or not they pass to the next grade up.
I'm with Sad Panda. Mad.
Technorati tags 
FCAT
January 15, 2007
Now on to other things.
I was blog of the day on Fuel My Blog. Thanks Kevin!
Stop by and say hello to Doris. She lives in new Zealand and does a bit of traveling, business, and cute baby posts. I love cute babies!
And for my Florida readers, please go sign this petition.
Ban Sex Offenders Who Are Parents From Coming To Florida Schools.
I completely agree with the petition starter.
I don't care if they are a parent, if they are a registered sex offender, they have absolutely no business inside, or near a school.
I need to go chill now.
Later days.
January 7, 2007
I should have napped all day.
I sat up playing Sims and then watched movies, did dishes and other cleaning, and now my back is twitching.
Stupid.
I had the whole house to myself, all quiet, and instead of getting much needed rest, I over did things and am paying for it.
Sometimes, I obviously don't think things through far enough.
Oh, did I tell you that sometime Friday night, our mailbox was the victim of the stupid little thuggers in the hood?
Yes, sadly it was knocked from it's post by a baseball bat or other such object.
Now I have to find a new piece of wood, get some long nails and screws, and stand inches away from traffic, to repair it.
It's most probably in retaliation for the events of Thursday afternoon when Sebastian and I were walking home from the store.
A group of them were riding their obviously stolen kids bicycles (these are teens, older than Mark, one was a girl, looked to be about 17, and many bikes have been reported stolen in the last few months. And very funny how all their bikes were spray painted black) in the middle of the road blocking traffic, refusing to move.
We were at our driveway when this occurred, so I asked them to move pointing to the line of traffic behind them.
The girl shot me a nasty look and called me a bitch.
I returned the compliment.
So I'm almost sure my mailbox took the brunt of the dumb girl's frustration.
Sarasota is a beautiful city and they keep doing things to make it more beautiful, but in doing so, they have taken away the skate parks, the teen clubs, they shoo them out of the malls, the arcades are gone.
There is nothing for teenagers to do but ride around on stolen bikes and cause problems.
The city needs to realize that all those pretty things are going to be destroyed by bored thug teens if they don't give them back some place to hang out and be kids at.
Yes, I know, the kids have the choice, free will, to not be thugs, but when the city systematically took all of their fun safe places to hang out at, what did they really think the outcome was going to be?
Did they think the kids would just stay home and not want to hang out places anymore?
The very places they took away from them to turn into an expensive, exclusive shops, or another adult club, are they very places these kids are defacing.
They spent money when they went to those places. These kids have money, and spent it on soda and food, cds, skateboards etc. Now they have no where to go so they are causing trouble.
They are bored. Give them back just one place and the problems will slow down.
That's my opinion anyway. I remember being a bored teen being shooed out of places and going to find something to do and 9 times out of 10, it was causing trouble.
Ok, I need to go stretch, maybe sleep. Who knows.
Later days.
December 27, 2006
Former President Gerald Ford has died
Former President Gerald Ford, who became president in 1974 after the resignation of Richard Nixon, died Tuesday at age 93, his wife, Betty Ford, told The Associated Press.
President Ford was the only person to become President that was never elected as any portion of any Presidential ticket. Spiro Agnew was Nixon's VP but was forced to resign after being charged with tax evasion. Ford was nominated as Agnew's replacement in 1973 and ascended into the White House as the nation's 38th President less than a year later when Nixon was forced to resign over Watergate.
I was just a little kid when he was president, but when schools actually taught American history, his pages in our books said he was a very decent president and did a fine job.
Rest in peace Mr. President.
December 7, 2006
FCCFU
Thank you. That is all.
November 19, 2006
Holy schmolies it was packed in there last night.
But good times were had. No pics though. I was too busy people watching anyway. Interesting crowd.
You know what kills me?
The club plays like all these old 80's songs, punk/mainstream pop from the era etc. All these young people were like oh my god! I love this song!
Kinda funny.
It amuses me that some of them heard the song for the first time like a few months ago at that club or somewhere else. I grew up with it, lived it. It's kinda weird in a way.
But, I was definitely not the oldest one there last night. I saw wrinkles.
Today will be spent at home taking care of a sicko. I think Mark has the flu or some other nasty type thing. It started Friday with him complaining of a headache and then yesterday when he came home, it was all I really don't feel well. By the time we left to go out, he was just super tired and needing sleep.
We have lots of Nyquil and have no plans. He'll get plenty of rest.
My friend Terry sent me a link to a petition and I signed it. 100% for it.
Don't Pay O.J.
How ballsy is he huh? If I did it, this is how I would have done it. It's a total slap in the face not only to the Browns and Goldman's for him to write a book in hopes of profit, but to his children.
Did he ever stop and think about the effect he has on his kids?
In the book, he writes how he would have killed their mother if he had done it, and from the news reports on the book, it's very detailed, like exquisite detail, of how he would have killed their mother.
We all know O.J. did it, too bad the police bungled the investigation and evidence, he'd be behind bars right now.
Don't give this man a penny. He has no intention of paying what he owes to the families, this is all about him wanting more time in the spotlight, needs the attention.
I won't be reading it, even from the library.
He should not benefit from the crimes he did commit.
November 9, 2006
So far, no news.
The problem with the school thing, is they have that zero tolerance policy. That policy says that any type of discrimination against anyone, is punishable by suspension from school or wherever the discrimination took place. In this case, the bus.
I haven't heard anything yet so I'm hoping the bus driver was just yelling he was gonna throw kids off the bus and didn't actually do it.
He's done that before.
We shall wait and see.
Today the boys are home though because they have a doctors appointment at 12:30.
Right in the middle of their school day and they both go to two different schools so it's much easier to just keep them home than it is to send them and try to round them up in like 3 hours and try to get to the appointment on time.
Basic physicals and stuff, check out Mark's back.
He came home yesterday complaining about it heavily. He was doubled over and teary.
I hope it's nothing too serious.
If it's his backpack causing that pain from all the books they make him carry to and from school, maybe the doc will write him a note so he doesn't have to.
I have my list of questions ready. Scoliosis can be genetic so, check him out for that too.
Ok, off to shower and get things ready to go in a few hours.
Later days.
October 18, 2006
November 7th can't get here fast enough.
I am so sick of the campaign ads, I want to kill them all.
Oh no, I just said a bad thing. Please don't send the Feds after me like that 14 year old girl on Myspace.
I'm just tired of all the negative campaign ads, all the regular campaign ads.
I just can't stand it. Every other commercial is making me more and more crazy.
Why can't they just stick to their platforms? Why do they have to sling shit back and forth? All that shit slinging makes me want to not vote for any of your dumb asses.
Just tell me what the hell you plan on doing if you get the job ok?
Thanks.
September 3, 2006
What so many of us think.
I rarely get into politics here, only when something truly gets my attention, or I feel should be seen or talked about by others.
This needs to be heard by all.
Keith Olberman goes after Donald Rumsfelds speech to veterans.
Watch on people.
July 19, 2006
It's going to take one of his daughters becoming paralyzed before he sees the benefits.
http://news.yahoo.com/fc/Science/Stem_Cell_Research
WASHINGTON - The House failed Wednesday to override President Bush's veto of a bill to lift his restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. That means the veto stands, killing the measure. The vote was 235-193 to override, 50 votes short of the two-thirds majority required to send the question to the Senate. Bush said the bill crossed a moral line "between science and ethics that can only do damage to both."
January 9, 2006
As someone who walks everywhere,
this really pisses me off and Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog » safety zone for no one said it best but it won't stop me from saying it my own way.
The guy fucking ran a red light.
In a school zone.
I'm sure he's sorry, anybody would be but a ticket for running a red light is all he gets?
How wrong is that?
It was a school zone!!
She was in the crosswalk.
Something is seriously wrong if all this guy gets is a ticket for running a red light.
jury duty
kathy dent