Phone Solicitors

I had two calls today asking me to give money to one of those police organizations. I told them I am not currently working and can't give anything right now. The first one said, "Well, thank you anyway." and politely ended the call. The second (for a different organization) said, "Well, we're not asking for a lot. $25 could make a big difference for our cause." I told him that $25 makes a big difference in my grocery budget too. Then I thanked him and hung up. Don't know why I thanked him. By the way, if you want to give a donation that you can guarantee will be 100% used by your local police or fire department, give it directly to your local police or fire department. Mail it or bring it in.

Speaking English

Yesterday afternoon I took my almost five-year-old son in for preschool screening. It was set up in the gym at a local elementary school. Near the door was the check-in table, then there were several stations set up for testing communication skills, cognitive skills and motor skills. Each child was sent through with an aide. Mom or Dad just waited. My area has a large Hispanic population and bilingual classes, so there were plenty of bilingual aides available. There were three parents and children ahead of me in line. The first needed a bilingual aide. The second was asked if she needed a bilingual aide. She said that they spoke English, but her child also spoke Spanish at home. She was given a bilingual aide anyway (I don't think she was really happy with that, but accepted it). This is where the story gets good: The lady at the desk, hearing an accent from mother number 3, asked if she needed a bilingual aide. Mom said, "We speak English. We are from Romania." Our area also has a good sized population of Former Soviet Bloc and Indian immigrants too. There aren't any bilingual aides for those immigrants. I just think it's telling. Oh, by the way, the little guy did extremely well with his testing. The expected scores were 10, 12 and 12. I'm not sure which score went with each test though. His scores were 18, 23 and 22. They told me that he's "more than ready" for school. He's gifted and there's no gifted programs in the district. The cut-off date for kindergarden is September 1st (you have to be five by that date). His birthday is in November. He can't go to kindergarden until next school year. Now what do I do?

The WTC

I posted this late last night and I have some more thoughts about it now. Right after 9/11, shots of the World Trade Center, shot before the attacks, were deleted from many movies. The one that comes to mind immediately was a scene, shown in the original trailer, from Spiderman. The scene showed a helicopter caught in a giant web strung between the Towers. This scene was deleted from the movie. I thought, perhaps, they'd include it as a deleted scene on the DVD, but they didn't. Wikipedia has a list of movies and and some TV shows that were affected by 9/11 here. In some movies the Towers were digitally removed from scenes. This has always bothered me. Why remove them? The Towers stood until a group of religious zealots, out to take over the world, destroyed them and thousands of people inside. Removing the Towers from the films made it seem as if they had never existed. That just wasn't right. That was why I was so glad to see the Towers in the Lost Episode. How do you feel about this? Please leave comments, I'm really very interested in other's opinions on this subject.

Casey's Insurance Money is Running Out

Cindy Sheehan has signed up with a speaker's bureau to get speaker's fees. She sure needs the money. She lost her job because she was spending too much time away from it. She told Cybercast News Service the other day:

'cause Casey's insurance money's going to run out pretty soon.

Not only is this woman denigrating her adult son's memory and service to this country (which is worth fighting for by the way) she's using the proceeds from his very sacrifice to do it. Mrs. Sheehan, I'm sorry for your loss. I'm so glad you are not my mother. See Angry in the Great White North and The Anchoress for more.

I Missed My Blogiversary

It was yesterday. One year blogging. I started this out on my own, then February 11th Jeff joined me here. So we have another blogiversary coming up... One Year, over 50,000 visitors. Large Mammal in the TTLB Ecosystem. Thanks to Chris at A Large Regular (owner of blogshares in this blog), Lorie at PoliPundit and Byrd Droppings, Betsy Newmark, Michelle Malkin, Rusty Shackleford at The Jawa Report, Ideazione (The Right Nation), The Anchoress, Jeanette and Newton at Oh How I Love Jesus, Matt Margolis at Blogs for Bush, Lady Jane at A Lady's Ruminations, Laura Lee at The Wide Awake Cafe, Hugh Hewitt, LaShawn Barber, Mover Mike, and all the others who have linked to us.

Lost

Notice anything about this picture? It's a screen shot from tonight's episode of Lost. Just a few seconds, but there. Yes, that's the World Trade Center you can see out of the window. This is a flashback scene that takes place prior to 9/11/01. Thank you Lost. Welcome Byrd Droppings Readers! Thanks Lorie. More thoughts here.

The Memorial Has Been Taken Back!

Via Ankle Biting Pundits The International Freedom Center has been ousted from the 9/11 Memorial site. Governor Pataki said:

"Freedom should unify us. This center has not," Pataki said. "Today there remains too much opposition, too much controversy over the programming of the IFC and we must move forward with our first priority, the creation of an inspiring memorial to pay tribute to our lost loved ones and tell their stories to the world." Pataki said the Freedom Center could not occupy space in a cultural building located near the proposed trade center memorial, but left open the possibility that the center could find a home elsewhere on the 16-acre site. The governor said he would direct the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. -- the agency he created to rebuild the site -- to explore alternate locations for the center.

The Freedom Center said:

"We are deeply disappointed that the will could not be found to continue the development of the International Freedom Center at this hallowed site," the Freedom Center said in a statement. "We do not believe there is a viable alternative place for the IFC at the World Trade Center site." "We consider our work, therefore, to have been brought to an end."

Translation: If we can't play with the toys we want, we don't want to play at all. Congratulations to Debra Burlingame and the Take Back The Memorial Foundation! Welcome PoliPundit and Anchoress Readers! Please look around if you haven't already...

GOP Bloggers

has a new look... I like it, I like it.

Carnival of True Civil Liberties

Stop the ACLU is starting a new Carnival of True Civil Liberties Here’s the ground rules.

• #1. Post must be original material, no crosspost copy and paste stuff. It must be anti-ACLU in nature, or having to do with our civil liberties that are being stripped away via judicial activism.

• #2. All posts must be submitted. You submit the URL of your post, the trackback URL, the name of your blog, and the title of your post. You can submit them by emailing them to carnival.submissions@stoptheaclu.com or using Conservative Cat’s Submission Form.

• #3. All submissions will be due on Friday by 9 p.m. and the carnival will be hosted on Mondays each week.

• #4. The usual, no profanity or invocation of violence. All submissions will be subject to the discretion of the hosting blog.

• #5. It is highly encouraged for the blogs that participate to make a post pointing to the host of the carnival on the day of the carnival.

Submit something or just peruse...

Lawsuit to Remove Crosses from City Logo

There's a town in New Mexico that has crosses in their logo. A federal lawsuit has been filed to get the crosses removed from the logo because, "The crosses serve no purpose other than to disenfranchise and discredit non-Christian citizens." From Merriam-Webster Dictionary: Main Entry: dis·fran·chise Pronunciation: (")dis-'fran-"chIz Function: transitive verb : to deprive of a franchise, of a legal right, or of some privilege or immunity; especially : to deprive of the right to vote Main Entry: ¹dis·cred·it Pronunciation: (")dis-'kre-d&t Function: transitive verb 1 : to refuse to accept as true or accurate : DISBELIEVE 2 : to cause disbelief in the accuracy or authority of 3 : to deprive of good repute : DISGRACE Yep, those crosses serve no purpose other than to disenfranchise and discredit non-Christians...

The lawsuit alleges city officials are violating the First Amendment by placing religious symbols on public property and by spending public money to promote religion. The lawsuit also accuses the city of violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by requiring prospective employees to sign job applications that include a religious symbol. Weinbaum and Boyd accuse the city of invading the privacy of their homes with government-sponsored proselytizing. Weinbaum and Boyd said they have been made to feel excluded from public participation in government activities. “This symbol serves no governmental purpose other than to be divisive, to alienate, and disenfranchise Weinbaum, his minor daughter and Boyd,” the lawsuit says.

The name of the town is Las Cruces. The Crosses. The city of Las Cruces is going to fight this, and rightly so. Why is it that just the sight of a cross is so offensive to the non-religious? Non-religious is the right term here, not non-believers. I grew up in a town that was mostly Christian and Jewish. The Jews were not offended by any Christian religious symbols and the Christians were not offended by any Jewish religious symbols. In the public school system we all sang both Channukah and Christmas songs. That two week break encompassing Christmas and New Year's was called Christmas break and there wasn't any big to-do over changing it to Channukah break. The high school's auditorium was often used to hold Yom Kippur and Rosh HaShanah services. Those days, the Jewish kids got off and the Christian kids didn't. Oh well. Big deal. People of faith, any faith, are secure in their faith. The sight of a religious symbol of another faith doesn't cause them to lose their faith. People of no faith, on the other hand, seem to be insecure in their non-faith. This makes every religious symbol (especially a Christian religious symbol) a threat to that non-faith. Main Entry: pros·e·ly·tize Pronunciation: 'prä-s(&-)l&-"tIz Function: verb Inflected Form(s): -tized; -tiz·ing intransitive senses 1 : to induce someone to convert to one's faith 2 : to recruit someone to join one's party, institution, or cause transitive senses : to recruit or convert especially to a new faith, institution, or cause Now, how exactly is a cross an inducement to convert to one's faith? Only if you are so insecure in your non-faith that the presence of a relgious symbol poses a threat. Welcome Carnival Readers. Please take a look around while you're here.

And So Is Keeping the Focus...

when a Hurricane hits on your "big day"... Angry has more today... Cindy Sheehan: Taken to the Woodshed. Cindy's been crying about the coverage of Hurricane Rita, seems it's taking away her coverage... And the Daily Kos'ers have been telling her off...

13-5

Senators Kohl and Feingold of Wisconsin and Senator Leahy of Vermont joined all ten Republicans on the Judiciary Committee in recommending that Judge John Roberts be appointed to Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court.

Get the ACLU Off the Taxpayers Dole

On 1, Oct. 19, 1976 Congress passed an amendment to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which gave the Courts the power to award attorney's fees in civil rights cases to the prevailing party. 'The Civil Rights Attorney's Fees Awards Act of 1976' was passed with high hopes, and the good intentions that it would help provide relief for individuals that might not otherwise be able to afford the expenses of defending their civil liberties if they were violated. The ACLU, and other judicial activitist have completely turned the intentions of this amendment on its head. Whenever the ACLU fights voluntary prayer in school, a war memorial because it's in the shape of a cross, ten commandment displays, or keeping the boyscouts from military sponsorship, and they win, you pay for their attorney's fees. What was intended to protect people from having their civil rights violated has been twisted by the ACLU to use as leverage when they threaten small schools and communities that can't afford to defend themselves from the well funded, and well staffed ACLU bully. Yes, legislation intended to protect civil liberties is often used to supress religious expression by the likes of the ACLU. There is currently legislation in the House introduced by Representive Hostettler that hopes to remedy its abuse. It is an amendment that limits the attorney fees in Establishment Clause cases to injuctive relief only. In other words, if the ACLU wants to pick a fight over someone praying in public, or a ten commandments display that offends one sensitive athiest, they'll have to dig into their own deep pockets, and it will not come from yours. We want your voice to be heard in D.C. supporting this legislation. It's really simple, all we need is your autograph. SIGN THE PETITION TO GET THE ACLU OFF THE TAXPAYER'S DOLE This was a production of Stop The ACLU blogburst. If you would like to join our efforts to fight the ACLU, it's very simple. Just register at our portal. We will add you to our mailing list, and send you the info you will need. Over 100 blogs already on board. Join us! Crossposted at Stop the ACLU

Harry Corrects Himself

Letter to the Editor of the Washington Post from Harry Reid (D): Deference to the President Thursday, September 22, 2005; Page A24

The Post's Sept. 21 editorial "Words That Will Haunt" made a fair point in criticizing one sentence of my floor statement on the nomination of Judge John G. Roberts Jr. to be chief justice of the United States. I said, "The president is not entitled to very much deference in staffing the third branch of government, the judiciary." What I should have said is that the president is entitled to less deference in staffing the judiciary than in staffing the executive branch. Of course, I agree that the president is entitled to a measure of deference in judicial nominations. After all, the Senate has confirmed more than 200 of President Bush's nominees to the bench, including many who have a judicial philosophy with which Democrats disagree. But when the president nominates someone to serve as chief justice, deference does not entitle the nominee to a free pass. Senators have a constitutional duty to subject a nomination with such far-reaching consequences to heightened scrutiny. HARRY M. REID Senate Minority Leader (D-Nev.) Washington

I'm sure that Mr. Reid would concede a lot more deference in choosing members of the judiciary if said President had a (D) after his name... Via Bench Memos

Post slams Reid

The Washington Post slams Harry Reid over a comment he made yesterday while announcing that he will not vote for Judge John Roberts.

The president is not entitled to very much deference in staffing the third branch of government, the judiciary.

Excuse me, but the Constitution itself confers that very deference upon the office of President of the United States. The Post says:

Leave aside the merits of the Roberts nomination, which we support; if Mr. Reid regards Judge Roberts as unworthy, he is duty-bound to vote against him. But these are dangerous words that Democrats will come to regret.

Go read the rest. Via Bench Memos

Tagged - I'm It

Don Singleton tagged The Anchoress who tagged newton and Jeanette who tagged me. This is for you Jeanette. Ten years ago: I moved back to Illinois from Vermont. I sent my daughter (oldest) off on a bus by herself. My son (middle) turned 1 and learned to walk. Five years ago: My second son was born the day before his sister's tenth birthday. My grandmother passed away a few weeks after her 94th birthday which was the day after my daughter's birthday. My daughter had surgery to have a vagus nerve implant implanted. One year ago: I transferred from the local community college to a four year university - doing it online. I should be done in another year. I started this blog (anniversary date coming up next week) I followed the "61^st Minute" closely. I followed the election closely. I celebrated the results. One day ago: I went to the library to pick up book 2 of Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series Bearing an Hourglass (second time around). The littlest one checked some books out with "my berry own liberry card!" I spoke with the insurance company about a little accident we had in a parking lot last Thursday. The other car was uninsured and backed into me while I was backing out. No injuries, just a little damage to the bumper. One hour ago: The insurance guy came by to take pictures and give me an estimate for the bumper replacement. Five favorite snacks: Mounds bars Goldfish fresh fruit cheese cottage cheese with a tomato (diced), olive oil, and raspberry vinegar. Five songs I know the words to: The theme song from Gilligan's Island The theme song from Green Acres We will Rock You by Queen O Holy Night Amazing Grace What would I do with $5 million dollars: Buy a bigger house, invest, give to charity and the church. Five places I would escape to for a while: Back to Ireland Get to Scotland and see more of England The Atlantis Resort Try a cruise Find a place for some "mommy" time. Five things I would not wear a thong (I'm with newton on that one) those really low jeans, so low that your hip bones (or even more) show. a tattoo a piece of pierced jewelry that goes anywhere but on my ears high heels Five favorite TV programs Lost The Closer Arrested Development Battlestar Galactica Blue Collar TV Five Greatest Joys my faith my husband my children my friends my two dogs and three cats Five Favorite Toys Darth Potato (I still have to get me one of them) my computer power tools dvd burner a Blackberry sounds like it'd be cool. Five people you'll tag I don't have five people to tag so I'll tag Lady Jane at A Lady's Ruminations - she's always worth checking out.

Best Quote

Bill O'Reilly asked Condi Rice if she was hurt by Bush haters calling her a shill. She said: "Why would I worry about that? The fact of the matter is, Bill, I've been black all my life, nobody needs to tell me how to be black." Welcome Michelle Malkin readers! Please look around. Welcome Anchoress readers! Please look around. Welcome Polipundit readers! Please look around. Ian Schwartz has the video

DirecTV Channel 100 - Katrina Channel

DirecTV has designated channel 100 for Hurricane Katrina. This will be a channel for news, information and messages. To post a message, send an email to katrina@directv.com or send a text message from your text message capable cell phone to 48433.

Information available on the Hurricane Katrina Information channel includes: • Transportation infrastructure – road closures throughout the Gulf Coast region • Counties/parishes in the Gulf Coast region that are able to assist evacuees • Special needs shelters – the location and phone numbers of special needs shelters in Louisiana • Shelter openings throughout the Gulf Coast region • Relief agency contact information, including phone numbers for the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army and Feed the Children • Insurance company contact information

Good for you DirecTV!

Mike Brown Resigns as Head of FEMA

Fox News just reported an AP wire report that says that Mike Brown has resigned as Head of FEMA. He is making the move in the "best interests of the agency and the best interests of the President". (Via Shep Smith, Fox News)

Baby Susan is in Heaven with her mother

From the Susan M. Torres Fund website comes this very sad news:

With great sadness, we are asking for your prayers for the repose of the soul of 5 week old baby Susan Ann Torres. She passed away last night after surgery for a perforated intestine. Please include in your prayers a request for the peace and comfort of her family, especially Jason Torres, who has had a very difficult past several months.

Via Michelle Malkin Our prayers are with the family. Baby Susan and Mommy Susan are now together in heaven.