Prince Gabor Found Nude in Rolls

"Prince" Frederic von Anhalt, who is married to Hungarian cop-hater, Zsa Zsa Gabor, was found Thursday, by police, sitting in his Rolls Royce wearing nothing more than his birthday suit.

Von Anhalt stated that while traveling next to the Bel Air Country Club, he was flagged down by three women, whom he suspected wanted to take their picture with him, but instead they mugged him (taking only his clothes, apparently).

I think the poor guy is just over-wrought by the fact that Anna Nicole's baby is not his child. He seems to the type of person who will resort to any kind of stunt to get his name before the media.

Anyone could park outside a country club, take off his/her clothes, and claim to have been accosted by transients, who only want clothes.

Bush-Cheney Lite?

In the spirit of political rivalry, Senator Barack Obama has equated that Senator Hillary Clinton is a watered down version of Bush and Cheney.

How simply ridiculous!

I agree with Hillary's statement of: "Well, this is getting kind of silly. I've been called a lot of things in my life but I've never been called George Bush or Dick Cheney certainly. We have to ask what's ever happened to the politics of hope?"

Although, Obama is a cash cow, he really doesn't stand any chance of being elected to the presidency, no matter how much Oprah backs him and throws him million dollar soirees at her California home.

This type of rhetoric demonstrates the futility of the Obama platform. After the first few primaries and caucuses are held early next year, we'll see who is standing after the dust settles!

Hillary2008

Are you ready for change?

While Cheney's Out...

While Cheney is out on the operating table this weekend, the powers of the president will be temporarily shifted to George W. Bush.

Ultimately, it means that Bush will have complete and unfettered access to the country's infrastructure, without any type of oversight.

Wait...he does that anyhow.

Forget it.

Cheney to get his batteries changed this weekend

Vice President Dick Cheney will undergo a procedure at George Washington University Hospital, this weekend, to have the batteries in his implanted defibrillator replaced.

During a routine physical exam, it was discovered that the device's batteries needed to be replaced.

Perhaps, while they are working on his battery replacement, they can also look for the cause of his Heartless Bastard Syndrome (HBS).

(Symptoms of HBS include the inability to empathize with normal human emotions. It may impact your ability to maintain meaningful relationships with those closest to you. In some cases, HBS was shown to increase a person's hostility. In all cases, it caused a grim outlook on life.)

Nicole Richie Gets Jail

Paris Hilton buddy and co-star, Nicole Richie, received 90 hours of jail time from a California judge today for her own drunk driving stint back in December 2006.

Richie was sentenced to four days (96 hours), but was given credit for six hours she has already served in the clink. In addition to 90 hours of incomprehensible jail time, she will also be placed on probation for three years and pay a $2,048 fine.

The judge informed Richie that if she violates her probation she can be jailed for up to one year.

I hope she does better than Paris, when the time comes for her to enter jail!

The Price is...Wrong

Comedian Drew Carey has been slated by The Price Is Right producers to fill the incredibly large shoes left behind by former host Bob Barker.

Carey, whose professional credits include The Drew Carey Show and Who's Line Is It Anyway?, will have to climb out from beneath the shadow left behind by Barker, even before taping his first show.

It is certain that Carey's style will take the mainstay game show into a completely different direction. After thirty years of "coming on down" everyday with Bob Barker, it may be too much of a leap for many of the show's faithful to make.

I wish him luck, however!

Who is Lindsay Lohan?

Why do I care if someone named Lindsay Lohan was arrested for drugs, etc.? I am not sure who this person even is. With the whole Paris Hilton debacle, I think we are all ready to move on beyond the rap sheets of celebrities.

As I said, did this Lindsay person star in a movie, sing, change the world? I am not even sure. Does her family own a chain of international hotels? I don't think so, at least.

What do arrests mean for the famous? It is cheap publicity--plain and simple. It doesn't cost much, beyond your self-respect and freedom (but only for a short time). But in the long run, we don't hold so-and-so accountable because he or she was in jail for five days for cocaine abuse, DUI, or generally turning up in the gutter. It makes the majority of people crave more.

"Oh my God! Can you believe what she did the other night?"

Sure, I thought the whole Paris Hilton incident was precious. Who didn't, honestly? We all had a our laugh when the debutante was carted off to jail to pay her debt to society for a whole litany of infractions.

But, finally, enough is more than enough. Why do I care if they are drug addicts or alcoholics? It may be sad. But it is equally sad for the thousands of other people who deal with these issues everyday and never see their name on CNN.

Only the media seems to care now.

All Tanned and Coiffed

After a nice eight days in gai Paris, I am finally returned home. The trip itself was wild. What happens in Paris stays in Paris, yes? With that said, the most I am willing to divulge is my new tan (which was rather serendipitous in attainment).

Honestly, I almost stayed, in lieu of returning home. I found it hard to leave something that is so magical and liberal. The French are everything Americans are not. They are bold and understanding. At the same time, however, we, as Americans are more outgoing in our convictions, which is a virtue, also. In the end, though, I decided that I had to return home. Home is where the heart is, after all. My heart will always be in the land that bore me: America.

I am still suffering some touches of jet lag. I am usually good about getting over it quickly. Give me a few hours of sleep in the middle of the day and I am fine. That is when I am going ahead in time, of course. When I arrived in France, I had to catch up six hours. Now, I am slowing down to be caught up by the time deficiency. In fact, it is still one a.m. in my mind. I should be asleep, perhaps. By tomorrow, I prophecy, that I will be as good as gold.

All-in-all, it was a bon journée.

Back

After a total of about seventeen hours in flight--to France and home again--I am back!

And what a time I had while I was there!

On Vacation

GONE FISHING!

BE BACK WHEN I DAMN WELL PLEASE!

Chatty Clinton, Edwards

It would seem that Hillary Clinton and John Edwards were caught at yesterday's NAACP debate discussing the demise of fellow Democratic candidates for president.

After the debate, and while the microphones were still live, Senator Clinton seemed rather taken with the notion that such debates were trivialized by so many minor candidates, as she talked to former Senator Edwards. She proposed that the two campaigns should work on strategies to thin out the herd.

You go Hillary!

I love you, Megan Mullally (aka Karen Walker)

If I was straight, I'd so sleep with Megan Mullally, but mostly because of her Karen character on Will & Grace.

We can still make out right, honey?

Love from long ago

Like the Pink song, "Who Knew," I find myself living in a world of shadows where past relationships haunt me.

As the song says, "Time makes it harder/I wish I could remember/But I keep your memory/You visit me in my sleep," is it wrong to dream of people you once loved? And sometimes in quite intimate and naughty terms?

I feel guilty about it occasionally, but it is like they are back in my life for a brief time. I miss them mostly, but I can't have them.

It's tough, but we go forward. Right?

Friday the 13th

I proclaim not to be a superstitious person, but I am secretly.

I am only leaving for France on Sunday, because of what today is. I had initially planned on leaving today, but when I saw the date on the calendar I postponed my departure date until Sunday, as to allow for plenty of room between the dates.

I don't know why, but black cats don't bother me, I can walk beneath ladders, bite my fingernails on Sunday, but I can't do much on Friday the 13th.

Maybe it's the cheesy horror flicks they sometimes show late at night, like Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street. I just don't want what happened to cinema to happen to me.

It's rather scary!

Water Conservation

We've been told to conserve water, because there is a drought going on in Kentucky. I was all for conserving water and doing my part, until today. I was out and I noticed how dirty my car is, so I drove by the car wash.

They were lined up bumper-to-bumper to drive through the automated car wash. There was water flowing freely. I decided that is for me!

Now, I have a squeaky clean car. Apparently there is lots of water to go around, since they are still allowed to run the car washes 24 hours-a-day.

John McCain is Bankrupt

With the 2008 presidential election just getting into full gear, two sources close to Camp McCain say that the senator is down to his last $250,000.

Even though, he has about $2 million on hand, he already owes about $1.8 million of that money for previous debts.

McCain, who is now a perennial presidential candidate, and general all-around Bush stooge, probably needs to close up shop and head back to the Senate, where he has missed most of his votes this year.

A highly confused John McCain was heard uttering, "What do you mean I'm a senator?" He's out of touch, simply.

TB Patient Gets Sued

Former media darling, Andrew Speaker, who was falsely accused of being infected with a rare form of tuberculosis, is being sued by seven fellow passengers of a trans-Atlantic flight he took after being allegedly told, by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), not to fly.

This type of lawsuit brings up some interesting notions. If people can sue someone they shared a flight with for knowingly putting them at risk, can anyone sue someone else in similar situations?

Here's an example of my hypothesis. If I drive down the road and later find out a drunk individual was arrested, while driving on the same stretch of highway I had previously been driving, can I sue that individual for what could have potentially happened to me if our paths had crossed in a hazardous way?

The individuals who are suing Speaker have not presented any signs that they contracted the same disease that he allegedly had. If they do not present symptoms, then their lawsuits will have a hard time succeeding in a court of law, based on the fact they are disease free. The same holds true for my belief that I can sue someone for drunk driving on the same road I had been driving without being injured as a result.

The New Hair of George W. Bush

Is it just me or is President Bush coloring his hair?

If you look at his newest media appearances, his hair has a golden brown glimmer to it. I'm not saying that he took all of the gray out, but before it had that old woman blue hair shine to it.

Believe me, take a look! Bush is slowly covering up that post-9/11 gray.

Good for him!

Mammoth Discovery

The well-preserved remains of a baby female mammoth were recovered from the permafrost of Siberia.

Like previous mammoth discoveries, scientists hope they can extract DNA from the preserved animal in order to better understand its genetic make-up, and perhaps create a clone.

Unbelievable Parents

The parents of a sixteen-year-old girl, who recently married her forty-year-old former high school coach, have filed a lawsuit against the Brunswick County Board of Education for not protecting their daughter from her coach.

Let's examine this case a bit further, with a critical eye.

The parents allege that they filed concerns regarding their daughters involvement with her coach with the school, but it failed to discipline him.

So they did what any frustrated and upset parents would do, they signed a consent form which allowed their daughter to marry the same coach they are suing the school over.

Can we say dummies?

If I were the judge, I would dismiss this case as being hypocritical. At the very least, if the parents wished to continue the case, I would have to advise them that they will have to file charges against themselves, making them co-defendants, for custodial neglect and interference, considering they freely signed the consent form for their daughter to marry the man they are now alleging is a pervert.

You can't have your cake and eat it, too, in this case. If the parents had filed the suit, and not permitted their daughter to marry her coach, instead they filed for a restraining order against him, then their case would have merit.

Case dismissed!

Britain, wazzup?

In the past two weeks, I have found myself thanking my lucky stars that I am not going to the United Kingdom for my summer holiday.

Why?

Well, it all started with the terrorist doctors. I mean, let's look at the facts. I go to the doctor (I love mine, and he's Lebanese), and it turns out the whole time he's just been using you as a front to plot terror against your country.

At what point do co-workers become oblivious to the professionals with whom they work?

Another tip-off to patients might be when your doctor wants to be paid for services with 25-kilogram bags of ammonium nitrate...hmmmm....not unrealistic. Everyone wants a nice, healthy garden, after all.

Then, on CNN, with my good friend, Christiane Amanpour, reporting, I see this Muslim extremist saying that some day Britain will submit to Shir'a (شريعة) law. Of course, I find this argument ludicrous, considering many of the Muslims they interviewed, on the street, had no clue what Shir'a law even was.

I guess that Muslim cleric is lucky he isn't in the United States, considering George W. Bush would have been all over him with a cattle prod, while simultaneously shipping him off to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, with a black back over his head, for an extended tropical holiday.

Of course, I do not support these actions.

Now there's the problem with the barbaric practice of female circumcision that has pitched up in Britain (yeah, my boyfriend is British, so I pick up a few of his sayings). According to sources, the practice is usually limited to first generation immigrants from Africa and the Middle East, though.

Don't get me wrong, I love the British. Most of my family came from there.

The bottom line is: every country has its problems.

Cialis

I hope someone out there can explain something to me.

It's about those erectile dysfunction commercials; specifically, Cialis. Yes, I understand what it treats and how it works. What I am having trouble with is understanding their advertisement campaign.

"When the time's right, will you be ready?"

That makes perfect sense to me! It's crystal clear, in fact.

But if you take the thirty seconds from your life to watch a Cialis commercial, from start to finish, you see at the end a man and woman, in two separate cast iron bath tubs, which are located outside, with their joined hands swinging freely in the empty space between the tubs.

That part I don't get. What's the symbolism that goes along with the last two seconds of this advertisement?

Usually I'm good at deciphering symbolism, too.

Remember, if you suffer from priapism--an erection lasting more than four hours--seek immediate medical assistance. As this could cause indefinite damage to your pee-pee. (Yes, I'm not a proctologist. Surprise!)

China executes...official

In a state farce, not seen since 2000, China has summarily executed a former high ranking government official, Zheng Xiaoyu, who was in charge of the country's food and drug safety.

Zheng was convicted of taking almost $900,000 in bribes from various companies for favors. The court found that this type of behavior constituted a dereliction of his duties.

This sounds like an execution made out of anger, because of all the recent problems arising from China's food exports. It will serve as a very stark reminder of the obligations current and future officials have in securing the safety of China's food and drug programs.

Executive Privilege, My Ass

George W. Bush, once again, slammed dunked the idiocy and rhetoric when he informed Congress that he is going to maintain his executive privilege when it comes to permitting former aides to testify, before House and Senate judicial committees, about the dismissal of federal prosecutors.

I'm not really sure where Bush comes up with these things. Honestly, how does allowing your former staffers to testify about the firing of federal prosecutors endanger the welfare of the state?

Bottom line, it does not!

So what this all boils down to is one thing: the perceived extra-constitutional privilege of the executive branch to selectively sequester information. (In Bush terms: I ain't telling, and you can't make me. I'm the Decider!)

What decision has he made? One that protects him from further fodder for his impeachment.

Trip Anxiety

As the day approaches for me to leave for Paris, I find myself worrying more and more about the little things, which I suppose is normal (but I hate).

I wonder if I will have enough clothes; what if they get stained? Soiled? Ripped? Lost?

I worry about money; will I lose my credit cards? Will someone steal my cash? Will the housekeeper help herself to my things while I'm not there?

I just want to wake up and find myself there with no problems. I don't want to sweat the little things. I suppose I need a travel planner/personal assistant, someone to pack my luggage, hold my hand on the flight, escort me to all the places I want to go, feed me, water me, bathe me, and in general, take care of me.

Wow! That's a lot of responsibility. How will I manage?

The NEW Seven Wonders of the World

In a worldwide contest to determine a new list of the world's greatest wonders, people voted--via Internet and text message--for their choices.

The new list was revealed yesterday in Lisbon, Portugal. The final list showing the world's wonders includes:

The Great Wall of China
Petra in Jordan
Brazil's statue of Christ the Redeemer
Peru's Machu Picchu
Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid
The Colosseum in Rome
India's Taj Mahal

Noticeably absent from the list is the only ancient wonder of the world that still stands today, the Great Pyramid at Giza. This omission has caused great exception with the government of Egypt, which maintains the Great Pyramid is the only wonder of the world.

7-7-7

What's so lucky about it?

Last year, the world was supposed to have ended on 6-6-6.

Oh well...

Libby's Fine

Scooter Libby opted to pay his $250,000 court imposed fine this past week, which was part of his original sentence for outing a CIA agent.

Now, Bush commuted his thirty month prison sentence, but left the fine intact. Now as much as I might appreciate not going to jail, I think I'd like to keep my $250,000 even more. If he went to jail, how long would he have served, honestly? I am guessing maybe six months in a cushy, minimum security federal prison.

My next question is when George W. Bush finally does pardon Libby, will he get his $250,000 fine back?

Also, has anyone ever wondered what courts do with fines they collect? (I never really found out.)

Tony Snow, Bite Me!

The White House is up in arms over the statement made by Bill Clinton over George W. Bush's little scandal, which seems to have erupted over his agreement to commute the thirty month prison sentence of Dick Cheney's number one crony, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.

It has so embroiled the White House that Bush's minister of propaganda, Tony Snow, wrote an op-ed piece in USA Today, attacking President Clinton for the pardons he issued in the last days of his presidency.

I fail to see the relevancy.

Further, I agree completely with President Clinton's statement that Bush, and his group of hateful sycophants, "believe that they should be able to do what they want to do, and that the law is a minor obstacle."

David Hasselhoff loves Wendy's

I've heard about the David Hasselhoff video of him eating a burger, while lying on the floor, drunk out of his mind.

Of course, I decided that it was high time I actually watched this video for myself.

At first, I thought, "Wow! This is really pathetic."

Then, after watching the video for about three minutes, it all made perfect sense to me. If my daughter's voice was so shrill and naggy, I'd resort to alcohol as an escape mechanism also.

It is obvious his daughter is the one making the video. I can appreciate why she did it. She wanted to show him how he behaves when he is drunk.

What I don't know understand, however, is how it ends up on websites, like YouTube.

I met Hillary & Bill Clinton at Dairy Queen

I really didn't meet the Clintons at Dairy Queen, but some people did yesterday.

In a unique presentation, the Hillary Clinton campaign has launched HillCam, which allows visitors to Hillary's website to see her and Bill's unvarnished adventures, as they campaign across Iowa this week.

In the video clip, you see Bill Clinton ordering a "grilled chicken and a big ice tea...lots of ice." During the time it takes to fill their order, you see them meeting and greeting the unsuspecting DQ patrons.

In the end, you see Hillary pick her sunglasses from the drink station and take a big old drink of her large DQ drink, which is wrapped in a napkin to absorb the sweat. (It must have been a hot day in Iowa!)

Now I want something from Dairy Queen!!!

Cops

Yesterday, my brother and I were going out for lunch when we spotted a rather reckless driver. The individual (who turned out to be an older man) was weaving all over the road. Once he actually left the road and was able to pull the right side of his car out of the ditch, in what turned out to be a seemingly futile maneuver to correct his driving.

This method of driving went on for several miles. He was meeting vehicles on the wrong side of the road. Many times, he simply had to stop to avoid crashing into them.

At this point, I decided to call the cops. In Kentucky, you dial (800) 222-5555 for the state police, which I did; unlike some people, it was not a real enough emergency (yet) to dial 911.

The man who came on the line transferred me to the correct county post of the state police. I then proceeded to give the lady on the phone the license plate number and description of the car. She ran the plate and then patched me through to the state police dispatcher, who took over.

I was quite pumped by this point.

This man was kind of gruff. His voice was like those you hear on the radio in Cops. He wanted the facts of the situation and nothing else. I felt just like I was a policeman in hot pursuit. My brother, who was sitting next to me, was feeding me the details of the chase, and I relayed them to the dispatcher, while the man in front of us was completely oblivious.

Sitting at a traffic light, I saw the state police car whiz through, but to my dismay, in the opposite direction. I informed the dispatcher, who then barked at the patrol car, through the raido, to turn around and go the opposite direction. I followed the man until he exited the main highway. He was going to Kentucky Fried Chicken, of course. In a stupid decision, I decided not to follow him into the parking lot of the restaurant. The dispatcher then thanked me for my civic mindedness, and the call was finally terminated after nine minutes and six miles.

My brother, who was apparently frustrated with me, said, "Why'd you do that? I wanted to see him get taken down." Of course, he was referring to my decision to drive on without stopping. In a moment of indecision, I found myself doing a turn around on a very busy stretch of highway, as I positioned myself in the opposite lane.

In what seemed like forever (but was really just three minutes), we finally made it back to the KFC parking lot. There sat the car, parked beneath a shady tree. The driver was now eerily absent. Was he inside the restaurant? Had the cops snatched him and taken him to jail? (Probably not in three minutes.)

Parked inconspicuously, my brother and I waited for about five minutes. We did not see the driver of the car we'd been chasing, nor the police.

I may never know happened to the driver of the car, which had Kentucky plate 08* DL*, but you know who you are!

Scooter Libby gets a free ride, sorta

Today, from a fishing boat in Kennebunkport, Maine, President George W. Bush commuted Dick Cheney's good pal, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's jail sentence.

Earlier today, a federal appellate court held that Libby, who was charged with leaking a CIA operative's identity, and subsequently found guilty, could not delay his thirty month prison sentence during the appeals process.

Even though, he is free from prison, he is not free from the conviction, which remains on his record. He can only get rid of that if the president grants him a pardon. Bush only granted him a commutation of his prison sentence. I am sure he will get his full pardon around 6am on January 20, 2009, though, along with other party hacks and cronies, who are facing prison.

Do we still need capital punishment?

We have come a long way from the capital punishment we have all seen in Westerns. Instead of tying ropes around the necks of the condemned and stringing them up from the nearest tree, we stick them with needles full of poison and electrocute them to death, while the rest of the civilized world looks on in horror.

Modern, civilized nations, like those of western Europe (France, United Kingdom, etc.), do not execute prisoners anymore. It is odd, I believe, that a country like the United States, which toots its own horn as being the most modern, democratic, humane country in the world, still practices a most barbaric ritual, state-sanctioned murder.

How many people must die, guilty or innocent, before we understand murder is simply murder? Just because twelve ill-informed peers, including a person in a black robe, sanction it, doesn't make it right.

We say that our methods of execution are not cruel or unusual. I am not sure any of those people who have been executed would not agree with this assessment. When it takes an hour for someone to die a slow, agonizing death as they lay strapped to a gurney, with onlookers standing behind a glass, it is hard to accept that death, in this fashion, is humane.

More and more states have adopted lethal injection as their preferred method of execution. We learn more about it from each instance it is used. What we have learned is it may be most cruel of all methods of execution used in this country in the past fifty years. It sounds nice (well, as nice as death can be): you are strapped down to a hospital gurney, someone with as little medical knowledge and experience as possible attempts to connect IVs to your arm, then they feed a cocktail of death directly into your veins. First, they want to put you into a deep sleep so you are oblivious to what his going on, then they want to inject a little drug into you that paralyzes your diaphragm, so you stop breathing, then they finish you off with an injection that stops your heart from beating.

Poof, you're gone; dead as a box full of door nails, or so they hope.

Many times, you're not as lucky, if you're the condemned. The person administering the cocktail is inexperienced with medical procedures. Your executioner may be a high school drop out, lucky you! Other times, the drugs they use are not enough to do the job adequately, considering the prescribed dosage fails to do the job as anticipated. Your prognosis: a slow, painful death.

Families of the condemned are left behind to pick up the pieces. They are the last hope for a truly humane way of dying. Perhaps, they are even the last hope for having capital punishment, in the United States, banned altogether.

Some people, like the mother of Joseph Clark, a man who was executed in Ohio by lethal injection, in 2006, are calling into question the practice of lethal injection, by suing the Ohio state prisons.

Clark was forced to endure over ninety minutes of confusion, pain, and cruel torture as his executioners muddled their way through the botched procedure. You know it is pretty bad when the condemned individual is fully awake and assisting in his own execution. He even asked, "Can you just give me something by mouth to end this?"

In America, we must ask ourselves if it is really worth the effort to execute prisoners. Is it worth the price of killing men and women for crimes they may or may not have committed? How high must the the price finally be before we say it is too high?

Bill Clinton: Asset or Liability?

Many see Bill Clinton as a suave, dapper politician who can sway almost anyone into his corner. Others see this type of charm as being a liability to Hillary Clinton's campaign for the presidency.

This week, Hillary and Bill Clinton begin a cross state campaigning bonanza as they criss-cross the state of Iowa. Iowa, being one of the first states to vote next year, will really need to be awed by some home-grown, apple pie eating, stars-and-stripes waving enthusiasm from the Clintons, since it is the Fourth of July week.

But back to Bill.

Bill Clinton served as president for eight years, in his own right. I believe that he has what it takes to win another presidential election, but he is fully aware that this time it is Hillary's victory, not his.

Al Gore wanted to distance himself from his boss, back in 2000. He wanted to be his own man, win by the sweat of his own brow. Although, he did win the popular vote, Gore was ultimately defeated in a very narrow margin that some (including me) believe was fudged by a certain governor, but I digress.

Some argue that if Al Gore had utilized the Clinton mystique more readily, then he could have won in the 2000 election's electoral college, too.

Hillary Clinton understands this dilemma. She understands that she has a very large political asset at her beck-and-call. Unlike Gore, she is not going to squander it. She can still be her own woman, win her own election, but she won't be stupid enough to take the risk of not using Bill Clinton.

Parents

When it comes to technology, my parents are kind of in the Mesolithic Era of development.

You see, about three months ago, I bought my parents a really nice coffee maker. They had one of those percolator types that you see being used in those 1960s sitcoms. It was a silver, freestanding decanter. You had to take the top off, pour the water in, fill the basket up with coffee, put a cover on that, then try to work this little stick like device into a tiny hole at the bottom of the pot, replace the top, then plug it up and patiently wait ten minutes.

Being the dutiful son, I thought, "I'll get them a really nice coffee maker, just because..."

I go to Williams-Sonoma, where I could live, and I find them a really fine machine. I end up paying $300 for it. I was all excited when I finally took it home to mom. She worked for a while setting it up and making a cup of coffee. It was really, really good too. I was so excited. And the best part of all is the machine almost makes the coffee by itself, unlike the percolator. People, it even matches the kitchen's decor! (How good am I?)

What have I learned from this experience? Hmmmm...well, it would seem they only use the new coffee maker when I come over. They still use the antiquated, dilapidated percolator for their everyday needs.

So, next to their brand new, three-hundred-dollar, state-of-the-art, German-engineered coffee maker, stands a piece of history, which gets way more action.

I just don't get it!

Terrorism in the United Kingdom

Since Friday, I have been keeping up with the events surrounding two vehicles, in London, which were loaded with explosives and shrapnel. Luckily, those car bombs did not detonate, because the police were alerted to their presence. Then, yesterday, we had the car bombing at the airport in Glasgow, Scotland.

Several people have been arrested in the Scotland attack, but we are still not certain for whom these individuals work. Some say it is al Qaeda, but the link is not quite certain.

New CNN.com Format

After many moons, CNN has finally vamped up its webpage. Although, I am a creature of habit, I do enjoy the new look of the website.

Some things I enjoy:

• Boldness of the layout
• Larger font size
• Less video links
• More convenient local weather box, with cuter icons

Martyr Mouse: R.I.P.

The beloved character of all right wing, extremist Palestinian children, Farfour, was affectionately "martyred" on his show, instantly morphing him into "Martyr Mouse." Basically, an Israeli official came to buy Martyr Mouse's land. In the end, the character declined to sell his land to the official, and he was killed for it; therefore, he became a martyr for dying for his land and principles, by not selling out to a dirty, child killing Jew. It should be noted that the television station, Al Aqsa TV, that broadcasts the program, is run by Hamas.

I wonder who they are looking for to take over Martyr Mouse's spot on Hamas children's television?

Is Mitt Romney an animal abuser?

I thought this was pretty funny, but sad at the same time. At least, he built the poor doggy its very own windshield.

(From CNN)

Under fire from a leading animal rights group, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney defended the family dog’s mode of transportation to a 1983 summer vacation.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) criticized the Republican presidential hopeful after The Boston Globe reported that Romney transported his dog in a rooftop carrier when the family drove from Boston to Ontario.

“If you wouldn’t strap your child to the roof of your car, you have no business doing that to the family dog,” Ingrid Newkirk, president of PETA said in a statement. “I don’t know who would find that acceptable.”

The article noted that Romney had built a wind shield carrier to make the ride more comfortable for the family’s Irish Setter.

But on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania Thursday, Romney defended his chosen mode of transportation for the family dog.

“He scrambled up there every time we went on trips, got in all by himself and enjoyed it,” Romney said of the Irish Setter.

Romney also conceded any endorsement of his candidacy by the group was unlikely.

“PETA has not been my fan over the years. PETA was after me for having a rodeo at the Olympics,” he said in reference to his role as chief executive of the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. “PETA was unhappy when I went quail hunting in Georgia, and they’re not happy that my dog likes fresh air.”

Supreme Court limits school districts' right to use racial factors

The United States Supreme Court ruled that school districts cannot simply consider the race of a student when assigning him/her to a school.

Chief Justice John Roberts (a Bush crony) stated that all factors of a student should be taken into account, besides race.

Basically, the Court ruled that racial factors are not paramount to integrating school districts, but they can be used in a limited way, such as securing the diversity of student population. I suppose something else like intelligence (duh!) should be taken into account, also.

Paris Hilton: High on Life

Speaking about her brief incarceration in the medical wing of a Los Angeles County jail, Paris Hilton brought up the great triumvirate of all post-jailhouse recants:

• Drugs
• Drinking
• God

Those three things are important, because they are what the vast majority of Americans want to hear about when someone is released from jail. I don't know why people automatically assume that someone is saved once they exit jail. The question is always asked, "Did you find God while in jail?" I suppose if you said no, you are sentencing yourself--de facto--back to jail. On drugs, she said she didn't do any of those. I thought she was a real party girl. Is she trying to say it is all an act? As for drinking, she stated she only drinks a little bit. I suppose the times she was stopped for DUI were all good examples of when she had been drinking a little bit.

'Will & Grace' v. 'Designing Women'

The ultimate conspiracy theory is here, and it pits Will & Grace against Designing Women.

Recently, I began to watch Designing Women re-reruns on Ion Television (yeah, I know). I hadn't watched any of the episodes since I was very young, and it was before Will & Grace came to the small screen.

I was taken aback by some of the similarities between these two shows, once I started watching the re-reruns. First of all, let's understand that Designing Women came to life a decade before Will & Grace got its first breath of life.

Here are some of the similarities I have seen in the shows.

Designing Women

This show brought together four women who are in the interior decorating business, named after the two sisters, Julia and Suzanne Sugarbaker, who own it. The majority of each episode takes place around Sugarbaker's office. Each character brings a different view of life, and they have been juxtaposed by placing them together in the same office space. They work together, while tackling contemporary issues, through dramatic flair. Julia Sugarbaker is the level-headed, straight-forward, in-your-face matriarch of the group. Her sister, Suzanne, is the ageless, debutante, who-got-filthy-rich-off-of-her-ex-husbands, lives in a Georgia mansion, and has a Latina maid with whom she has a love-hate relationship, hops from party to party, and never does any work around the office, but she is always there. She is the beauty queen. She has big breasts and she's not afraid to use them. Her social contacts are often seen as the means to keeping Sugarbaker's alive. Mary Jo, the red head, is the common-sense, heart-rendering member of the group. She is the antithesis of Julia. She often comes up with sage advice, but she can be somewhat ditsy. Charlene is the airhead of the group. Her ideas and actions are often called into question by the others of the group. Her less than stellar up-bringing makes her more reliant on the others for support through life's ups and downs. She is a very vulnerable character. She is often paired with Suzanne for comic relief.

Will & Grace

This show takes place in the upper east side of Manhattan. It is an unconventional show that pairs two gay men with two heterosexual (bi-curious, okay) women. This show also tackles contemporary issues, while destroying gay stereotypes. The two main characters, Will and Grace, share an apartment through the majority of the series, which is where the bulk of the show takes place. Will is the sensible gay lawyer, who is often the skeptic of the group. He has a difficult time showing his personal feelings, especially when they require him to be vulnerable. He is, however, very vocal when he is speaking on behalf of issues that are important to him. Grace, the red head, is an interior decorator. She is often the level headed version of Will. She speaks from the heart, but she can often be unconventional and ditsy. Karen is the boozer and cruiser of the group. She is flawless in every way, especially her breasts, except for her drinking and pill popping. She is often seen hanging around Grace's office, where she "works" as the assistant. Karen bilks millions of dollars off of her fat husband, Stan, while living in a Park Avenue penthouse with her Latina maid, with whom she has a love-hate relationship. Her high class social contacts keep Grace Adler Designs alive. Jack is the younger, dumber version of Will. He is gay and he flaunts it at every opportunity. He has never had a real job, and he is bent on being a world famous actor. Jack is a very vulnerable, lovable character. His less than stellar background and irresponsible behavior often land him into trouble, which requires the other characters to save him. He is often paired with Karen for comic relief.

It's all a pretty interesting coincidence, or is it?

Some other interesting facts:

• Mason is the fat entrepreneur that Suzanne fixes Charlene up with for a date. Mason is the fat step-son of Karen.
• Rosario and Consuela are the Latina maids of Karen and Suzanne, who both came from "one of those little countries." They are often at each others throats, yelling and threatening, but in the end they are inseparable.
• Karen and Suzanne both relied on the support of their husbands to become the endearing socialites they are in each show.

Either way, they're both good shows.

Giuliani's Photo Op

In apparent bid to completely destroy his political campaign for president, former New York City mayor, Rudy Giuliani (R), had his photo taken with zealot, right-wing-nut-job Pat Robertson. The meeting took place at Regent University, which was founded by Robertson.

While he was there, I wonder if Giuliani received any revelations from Robertson about God's plan for him.

Really, Giuliani is grasping at straws if he is traveling to Virginia to make friends with someone like Robertson. (Yes, I know there were 650 business, political, and corporate leaders present, or so they call them, during the meeting.) In the photo, you can tell that they are both excited to be in the presence of each other.

I think Pat Robertson is holding Giuliani's hand for a little too long there. Maybe there is some latent homosexual tendencies, which are beginning to manifest.

Trip to France

After much work, I have finally worked out my trip to France.

I will be leaving on July 15 and returning on July 23. I am looking forward to some rest and relaxation in Paris. I am not setting an agenda for myself while I am there, either. I have told some people I may simply stay in the hotel room the whole time, and I just might (not really).

I do want to go and experience some places of historical significance. I am going to visit Versailles, of course. Also, I may get my nerve up to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower for the panoramic view of Paris. I want to visit the different areas of Paris and see the architecture, while sampling the local cuisine.

My greatest hope is to not get lost and make it back home in one piece. This will be my greatest solo adventure ever. I really wanted to do this trip alone. It is sort of a way to reconnect with myself without having people around me that I know. Let's face it, in a city of millions of people, no one is going to know me, which is perfect. I can become a completely different person, if I want. Hmmm...??? I doubt that will happen, though, I am pretty set in my ways and neuroses.

I just hope there aren't any snakes on the plane! (Okay, bad joke.)

Hillary Clinton Pledges to Lift Ban on Stem Cell Research

From Hillary Clinton for President's website:


Hillary Clinton said today that science, not narrow ideology, should drive our national research agenda, and pledged to lift the ban on ethical embryonic stem cell research. At a conversation at Dartmouth College in Hanover, Clinton was joined by two New Hampshire families with personal experiences with illnesses and disabilities that could potentially be cured or helped by stem cell research, as well as the Associate Chief of Neurology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

Clinton discussed the potential of stem cell research to both save lives and keep the United States on the cutting-edge of scientific advancement. She argued that ideology should never get in the way of scientific progress.

"It's time to unlock the potential of stem cell research and put an end to the backwards and restrictive policies of this administration," Clinton said. "Our scientists have been set back years in the race for life-saving cures because they've been held back by a narrow ideology that rejects sound science. As President, I will lift the ban on ethical embryonic stem cell research and allow our scientists to pursue treatments that could help millions of Americans."
Over 100 million Americans could benefit from the advancements that come from stem cell research. Although a majority of Americans support stem cell research, President Bush has placed severe restrictions on funding. Last year, the President vetoed the bipartisan Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act that overwhelmingly passed Congress, and he has vowed to veto a new version of the bill passed earlier this month with broad support.

Twenty-three year old Laura Clark of Antrim, and her mother Kathleen, joined Senator Clinton today. Laura was a young nursing student at the University of New Hampshire when she was involved in a car accident that left her with a severe spinal cord injury. Laura said that she finds the current restrictions on research to be "extremely frustrating."

Alex Walter, 10, of Londonderry, was accompanied to the event by his parents Steve and Kathy, and his sister Leah. Alex has had Type 1 Diabetes since he was four.

"Alex is a strong kid but this is hard for anyone to deal with," said his dad Steve Walter, who is a registered Republican. "We test his blood 10 times a day, and of course, there are insulin injections. I worry about the next 40 or 50 years of his life. I want to see a cure for my son and I think stem cell research might lead us there. I'm angry that under this Administration we have not been able to move forward."

The scientific and medical communities have lobbied for funding to pursue research on both adult and embryonic stem cells. Researchers estimate that within five years we could make major strides towards curing Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, strokes and heart attacks, diabetes, ALS, and Huntington's disease.

Dr. Jeffrey Cohen, a professor of neurology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center who treats ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) patients, strongly supports expanded funding. "There is no cure for Lou Gehrig's Disease and only one medication that can treat it," said Cohen. "It's discouraging that there is such limited funding from the National Institutes of Health. It's unfortunate that we haven't been able to progress faster -- there are so many potential treatment opportunities for ALS that can result from stem cell research."

As a long-time advocate of healthcare and scientific research, Senator Clinton is committed to seeing that stem cell research moves forward. She voted in favor of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, and has also worked to expand the budget of the National Institutes of Health.

Benoit Knows Best

Even though, I don't watch "wrestling," I found this story interesting, because it allegedly involves drug abuse, fame and abuse.

A wrestler in the WWE, Chris Benoit, killed his wife and son, before hanging himself. Some have attributed this horrific event to his abuse of steroids. Now, I was under the impression that they have tests for those kinds of drugs.

Why wouldn't someone in such a physically demanding profession, as professional wrestling, be tested for drug infractions, such as steroid use? It is quite simple if you think about it. Organizations, like the WWE, rely on the image of their wrestlers to keep their demographic engaged. If you drug test them and find they are abusing drugs, then you might have to fire them and then what would happen to your profit?

See how that works? It's pretty simple.

Of course, no one is for certain this is the case. The only facts we do know are that his wife filed for divorce from Benoit in 2003, but went on to drop the petition. Also, his wife filed for a protective order from the court, stating the cause as "cruel treatment."

Hillary's Not Afraid!

A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation shows that Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani are almost tied in a contest between them for president, with Clinton at 49% to Giuliani's 48% (with a +/-3 points sampling error).

This recent poll shows the influence current New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg, would have on the candidates from the two major political parties.

I never put much faith in third party candidates.

Paris Hilton out of Jail?

I was just wondering when Paris Hilton is going to get out of jail. I heard today or tomorrow, but who knows, right?

Personally, I think she has been home the whole time. They sneaked her past the media circus that is forming outside of her Hollywood Hills home, in anticipation of her return. It is even more probable that the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department sent her on a vacation to the Caribbean, so she could finish out her sentence at the L.A./Aruba Regional Detention Center for Socialites.

When Bears Attack, Romanian Style

A bear attacked and killed one American tourist in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania.

I wonder if it wasn't Count Dracula instead? Hmmm....???

I always wanted to visit Romania and see the castles, which are deep in the countryside. I have been drawn by the Dracula legend, but somehow it seems dark and evil for me to want to go. But in my opinion, that is a plus. Since hearing about the bear attack, though, I am not so sure I want to go.

North Korea Agrees to Stop Nuclear Program

In a stunning move--on the part of the Bush administration to talk to another nation--the government of North Korea has agreed to halt its nuclear program, and enter negotiations with the United States.

The only problem with this plan is the North Korean government only shuts down their nuclear program, and allows the IAEA into the country to conduct inspections, when they need money or food. Already, the Russians have confirmed that about $25 million have been transferred to North Korea because of their cooperation. In a few months, however, after they have filled their coffers, they will kick out the inspectors and resume their nuclear proliferation.

Sure, you can whet their appetite for money by throwing them a few shackles, but you draw the line until they have dismantled the program and the inspectors confirm that the program cannot be resumed, then you can release more funds to the government. In the end, simply turning the switch to off does not fully mean you aren't capable of turning the same switch on again at a time of your choosing.

Let's get real!

The $300,000 a Year Kid

Could you raise your child on $300,000 in child support payments each year?

In re: the infamous rapper, 50 Cent, is being sued by his baby momma, who states that the measly $25,000/month the rapper pays to support his son is not quite enough.

First, let's get real. There are millions of families in this country that live on less than $25,000 a year, much less have access to $25,000 a month, unless they're reputable drug dealers with a stable, large clientele. What does this kid wear, solid gold diapers?

Perhaps, 50 Cent's baby momma is looking for some quick cash of her own. I read a divorce case (I can't remember who) where the child needed access to a private jet, and daddy wasn't providing it. Poor darling, I didn't realize flying commercial first class was so painful. I believe, however, it was mother who was probably needing access to a private jet, so she could take the impromptu vacations she had outlined in her alimony agreement and her ex was to foot the bill.

In the end, it must be hard to buy groceries, clothes, and pay for soccer lessons for your child, when he/she only has a $25,000/month allowance.

If it were me, I'd sue for full custody, stating that the mother was unable to provide for the necessities of life to my child on the $300,000 I pay in child support, each year, which is stunning and excessive.

Dick Cheney Above the Law?

When confronted with a request for documents from the vice president's office, the National Archives' Information Security Oversight Office was refused, and then when the agency pressed the issue, the vice president moved to abolish the office.

Could such heavy handed tactics be utilized by Vice President Cheney?

Cheney's office argued that they were outside the scope of an executive agency; therefore, outside the purview of the agency's authority.

The chairman of the United States House of Representatives' Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Henry Waxman (D-CA), wrote to Dick Cheney stating, "I question both the legality and wisdom of your actions...[y]our decision to exempt your office from the president's order is problematic because it could place national security at risk."

Of course, we realize such stall and scare tactics are characteristic of any agency in the Bush administration, including Dick Cheney.

Who died and made him God, anyhow?

Atlantis Returns to Earth

After a fourteen day mission to the International Space Station, the Space Shuttle Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California, without a problem.

I think it is time they let the space shuttle fly more freely. If they applied their logic to every other aspect of life, then if a plane crashes then every other plane is grounded for two years while they investigate ever millimeter of the debris.

Of course, I know there is a difference between flying in a plane and the space shuttle.

Abbas Disavows Hamas Coup

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas blasted Hamas for their part in an armed coup that forced him to dissolve a unity government that contained a Hamas majority. Many Palestinians in Gaza are attempting to cross Israel in hopes of reaching the West Bank, where they can escape the violence of the region.

President Abbas has called on Hamas to relinquish their control over government offices in Gaza, and turn them over to his newly appointed government. Hamas, however, states the dismissal of the elected government and the appointment of a new government is unacceptable.

In hopes of reconciling differences, Abbas has called on the international community, including Israel, to broker a lasting peace for the besieged region.

George W. Bush vetoes bill funding stem cell research

In a predictable maneuver, George W. Bush vetoed a bill that funded stem cell research.

Many scientists agree, stem cell research is the key to curing many diseases that people must endure today. Bush's veto makes as much sense as a president vetoing a bill that funds childhood vaccinations.

Again, ignorance reigned supreme at the White House today.

Iraqi Refugees

Today, approximately ten million Iraqis live as refugees, thanks to George W. Bush's war.

Some became refugees because they fear for their lives and the lives of their family members. Perhaps, they were contractors who helped work with the coalition forces to repair the devastation to their cities, towns, and villages. Instead of getting a pat on the back for a job well done, they received death threats from anonymous callers, who spat insults and threats to them from the other end of a telephone line.

Maybe their homes were destroyed by allied missiles that veered off course, or they were considered acceptable collateral damage when the bombs were sent. Either way, they now have no home, no money, no stable lifestyle. They live in tents, hovels, and they eek by with what they can beg from strangers and steal from the sandy, rocky soil.

Where do these families go? Many of them end up at the doorstep of neighboring country Turkey. The Turkish system does not allow them to work, in their current status. The refugees are treated with disdain, with those people eighteen or older being required to submit to the local authorities and prove they are where they are, by signing next to their name on an official roll. They are not allowed to leave without permission.

How many of these millions of Iraqi refugees has the United States accepted? With ten million displaced people, our country has graciously accepted 701 of them, since April 2003. That seems rather generous, according to George W. Bush. The U.S. government hopes to allow an additional 7,000 Iraqi refugees into the United States by the end of 2007. But that is not a solid estimate; it will probably be less.

I find the whole situation appalling.

Michael Bloomberg leaves the Republican Party

The Associated Press reports that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has left the Republican Party. The lifelong Democrat, switched his party in prelude to the New York City mayoral race in 2001.

With his estimated purse of $5 billion, Bloomberg is seen by many as making his entrance into the presidential election, in 2008, as an independent candidate. (Another H. Ross Perot?)

He better have deep pockets if he is going to do the whole thing alone, without a political party for support and funding. In the end, Bloomberg will stand no chance at winning the presidency in 2008.

Sorry, Mike!

So what's the winning song?

Hillary Clinton's campaign unveiled the winning theme song that they have been asking visitors to vote for over the past month.

In a deliberate spoof of The Sopranos, Hillary Clinton is seen entering a small town diner, where she sits at an empty table and goes through the selections of the table-side jukebox. Obviously, the selections are the possible choices voters had to choose from as they voted online to chose Hillary's campaign song.

As Hillary is going through the selections, Bill Clinton enters the diner and sits at the table with her. Their banter goes to the campaign, where Bill begins to quiz Hillary about the selection of the campaign's theme song.

With a smile on her face, Hillary asks, "Ready," as she goes to insert a coin into the jukebox to play the campaign's newly selected theme song. Just then the shot cuts to a silent, black screen, which is how the final finale of The Sopranos ended.

The funny thing is the other patrons in the diner are oblivious to the fact that Bill and Hillary Clinton are present, except for a rather large Italian man, who was in The Sopranos. He walks past their table and gives them a silent leer before walking away, leaving Hillary and Bill with puzzled looks on their faces.

Of course, you can go on to find the winning choice is "You and I" by Celine Dion.

Arabs seek help from Jews

Why is that since Hamas has seized control of Gaza, that so many Palestinians have flocked to the Israeli begging for help?

It seems rather hypocritical--from my comfy vantage point--to see this kind of behavior. Frankly, it is bizarre. If I believe someone is the devil, then I am not going to go beg them for help when my own people go savage. Perhaps, they think if they can not appeal to God, then they can make a mutually satisfactory deal with the devil. I am not sure the devil, in this case, is going to be very receptive to their plight, since Israel has allowed them to sit at the border, stating that the people seeking passage through their territory are in no immediate danger.

I am not saying those people should be ignored or allowed to suffer, at all. Rather, it proves the majority of people in this area are not really enemies after all. If I can go ask someone, whom I see as a mortal enemy, for help, then they probably aren't as ominous as I allegedly believe them to be.

Me in Jail?

Recently, I got a summons to attend jury duty at the federal court, in my town. Now, normally that is okay, but I am afraid the timing is not perfect.

I have a vacation planned for the second week of July. I am going to France. The summons was rather vague with the dates of my service. It merely stated, "To be Determined at a Later Date." What's this supposed to mean? I am supposed to sit on my couch, cancel all of my plans, and wait for their reply?

Ha!

I called my lawyers and said, "What's up with this?" Basically, I wanted to know that if the date of my service is during my holiday overseas, can I still go on my vacation and not worry about the everyday mundane here, while enjoying non-extradition bliss.

It would appear there are some very interesting consequences for my truancy.

First, I can be found in contempt of the court, fined...sounds like fun...not really; next, I can be found in contempt of the court and a warrant for my arrest will be issued; thereby, it can be executed once my plane's wheels touch the tarmac anywhere in the United States.

Either option sounds rather horrendous and unnecessary. I told my attorneys that I appreciated their advice, but if Paris Hilton can pull off some time in jail, then so can I! (Not really.)

My problem is this: why won't the court take into account a person's travel plans? Perhaps, they will, because I wrote my travel dates on my questionnaire. Also, there was an option I could have selected informing the court of my mental infirmity. Hmmmmmm...???

Signing Statements: Are they legal or foolish?

Based on the belief that his administration is above the law, President George W. Bush issues decrees called "signing statements."

President Bill Clinton lost the line-item veto, when the Supreme Court found it to violate the "separation of power" clause of the Constitution, even though it was given to him by Congress; however, Bush gave himself signing statements. Congress has been rather mute on the subject, until recently.

Congress sends the president a bill, that he must either sign or veto, at his discretion. This power is within his constitutional purview as the executive officer of the United States. No problem, right? Wrong!

Many times when Bush signs a law he limits it, or so he thinks, by appending little statements to it. For example, he retains the right to "revise, interpret or disregard provisions on national security and constitutional grounds." Let's see who really has the authority to do the things he claims he has the right to do.

Revise.

Seemingly, any bill that Congress passes has been revised, through the legislative process. It goes through committees in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. It's openly debated on the floors of both houses of Congress. Then those two houses must work out compromises so a single piece of legislation is passed, before being sent to the president, who can either accept or reject the bill in its entirety. He cannot simply pick and choose the parts he agrees with and sign them into law, or retain the right to revisit the law at a later date to reject or revise parts of it.

Interpret.

Who gets to interpret the laws of the United States, which are authorized by Congress and signed into law by the president? Let's see, could it be the Supreme Court? Yes, of course!

The Constitution of the United States very clearly defines the Supreme Court as the ultimate interpreter of the laws of the United States. The president cannot, simply by appending it onto a law, retain the right to later interpret or disregard a law, at his discretion.

Disregard.

Now, let's examine who can disregard a law of the United States. Simply, the answer is quite simple: no one can disregard a law of the United States, even the president! Even though, he found the First Amendment and Fourth Amendment sort of pesky when he was doing those illegal wiretaps of American citizens. It's too bad the Republican-led Congress, at the time, was too weak and subservient to hold him accountable for his crimes.

Simply put: the president cannot act as both the legislative and judicial branches of the United States. He must act solely within those powers granted his office by the Constitution. Anything more places the president in violation of federal law and official precedent. The president may not act extra-constitutionally, in other words.

It would finally seem that some members of the Congress are taking the president's little revisions to heart and seeing them as a direct assault on their constitutional powers. Members of the Senate, such as Robert C. Byrd (D-WV), and the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by John Conyers (D-MI), have asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to provide them with a report that shows how the president has overstepped his authority.

It is my sincere hope that the Congress will vigorously investigate these frauds committed on the American people by the president of the United States.

Bombs Fall in Israel

I was wondering how long it would be until the mess in Gaza and the West Bank fell into the lap of the Israelis.

It always seems to lead to this. Each group, whether it is Hamas or Hezbollah, wants to test the resolve of the Israeli government and military. I find myself believing that these groups are less worried about fighting among themselves, but simply using it as a cover for a bigger fight with their Jewish neighbors.

My question is now: what will the Israelis do about this recent incursion of Katyusha rockets into the Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona?

Mike Nifong is Disbarred

Today, the North Carolina State Bar has moved to disbar the former Durham County District Attorney for malicious prosecution of three Duke University lacrosse players for rape.

Yesterday, Nifong agreed to step down from his position in Durham County, based on the publicity he and his office has received from this attention.

During the hearing, before the North Carolina State Bar, Nifong attempted to explain the inconsistencies between evidence and his continued course of action against the three individuals. In the end, the evidence did not confirm the allegation of rape made by the woman, who was allegedly a stripper at a party where the students had attended, but the district attorney's office continued with its investigation, which became comparable to a "witch hunt."

It is nice to see that people who would abuse their position can be punished, and ultimately held accountable.

Rosie O'Donnell & The Price Is Right

Upon the retirement of Bob Barker from The Price Is Right, on Friday, the producers have gone into overtime to find his replacement.

Although, there are several people in mind for Barker's replacement, I was stunned to find among them, Rosie O'Donnell. And the biggest shocker is that Bob endorses her for the position. I agree that she is loud enough and has the energy to pull off the position. I don't, however, believe I want to see her everyday in this role.

With Barker's departure, it is certain that the future of The Price Is Right is unknown. Many people relied on the comfort of watching Barker day-after-day for thirty-five years. It is monumental to fill those shoes!

If I have to choose between Rosie and Donald Trump, I'll choose Rosie, though.

Hamas

In what many see as a coup d'etat, Hamas, which won parliamentary elections in 2006, is believed to control much of Gaza. Earlier today, the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, declared a state of emergency, and dissolved the parliament, reverting all constitutional authority to him.

As of now, Hamas has declared they now control the compound where the Abbas is staying. If Hamas controls the presidential compound, they, in essence, control the government. It is reported, also, that Hamas sees this as the first step of declaring an independent Palestinian nation, which is something Abbas, along with his Fatah Party, has been unwilling to do.

The European Union has suspended all funds to the region, which total $112 million, along with all aid projects, because of the continuing violence and the uncertainty of the position of the elected government.

This appears to be another situation Israel might have to step in and resolve, since it is a direct threat to their national security.

Gay Marriage Amendment Blocked in Massachusetts

In a blow to anti-gay activists, the Massachusetts legislature blocked an amendment to the state's constitution.

In order to get the amendment on the ballot, it required at least fifty lawmakers to approve it, but it only received forty-five votes. In the final assessment, 151 lawmakers opposed placing the amendment on the ballot.

This action shows that the state of Massachusetts is committed to equal rights for all of its citizens. I say good for them! We can only hope that their efforts and strength will be a beacon for other states to follow.

Palestine Teeters

Reports indicate that Palestine is teetering on the brink of anarchy as its president, Mahmoud Abbas, plans to declare a state of emergency.

What will Hamas and Fatah do with each other? It would appears as if the Hamas unity government will collapse, if things do not de-escalate.

Serbia Is Not Loving Bush

Yesterday, while in Albania, President Bush made the comment that Kosovo should be returned to Albania.

Today, we get a comment from the Serbian prime minister's office stating that the United States "has no right to give away Serbia's territory to Albanians."

Rightfully so.

It would be like the prime minister of Serbia going to Russia and telling the Russians they should get Alaska back. By what right does he do this?

I guess the love fest showered on Bush in Albania was short-lived, by Serbian accounts.

Blow Job Equals 10 Years

It would seem, in George, at least, that if you are 17 years old and you have a consensual sexual encounter, also with a minor, who is 15, then you can be sentenced to ten years in prison and then forced to register as a sex offender.

Even though the sentence has been overturned by another judge, the case continues as the state's attorney general filed an appeal, stating the judge overstepped his bounds by overturning the trial court's original sentence.

It's hard to believe that such a court in America would give the time of day to such a case. It seems rather frivolous to me. It stands to reason that both parties should have been tried and convicted, since they are both minors.

What's good for the gander is also good for the goose, right?

Gay

Most of the time, I write about things that relate to politics and general public events, and seldom about myself or my family, but I found a recent event noteworthy.

Scandal is something that causes people to start whispering in the dark about you, and you know something is afoot when you see them shut up when you enter a room, or someone else walks in that knows another person.

It would seem a mini-scandal has hit the family. My uncle, who is not the most reliable of independent sources, informed my father yesterday that my cousin "came out of the closet" to the detriment of his mother and father. Then, my mother informed me of this news. Gossip, is what I call it.

If he is gay, then so what. It is like getting the news that the sun rose this morning. I already knew it. I have known this little fact about my cousin since we were small boys. I believe he might know the same about me, too. We spent a lot of time together as boys, and it is something that a person can't hide. In a way we had a special connection because of it.

After all, I am gay too. But I don't discuss it with my uncle, nor my mom and dad. It's none of their business.

I have been gay for all of my life. As far as I can remember, I have been attracted to other guys. In school, like the girls, I thought about which boys were cute and which boys I would like to have as my boyfriend. Hell, I even had a list. I bought them drinks and snacks at break time. I doubt, though, they understood why I did it. But I was a devious and horny six-year-old. Unfortunately, I hated myself for a long time because of it, when I was in high school and my first few years in college.

I would stare up at the ceiling, while in bed at night, and try to have fantasies about girls. I found that it made me disgusted and it was a futile attempt. But I wanted to be like all the other boys. After all, being homosexual was deviant.

In college, I found out that being gay is not deviant, wrong, or illegal. I finally found myself. I can love myself and have relationships with other guys at the same time.

To me, it is better to love yourself, than hate yourself so other people can love you. In the end, everyone comes around and it becomes old news, like the sun rising and setting daily.

George W. Bush in Albania

George W. Bush became the first sitting United States president to visit the eastern European country of Albania.

And guess what?

They seemed to like him. Many people lined up to greet Bush in Fushe Kruje, where he stopped to greet onlookers on his way to Tirana. They reached for him, called for him, one person even reached out and rubbed his head (to the disapproval of the U.S. Secret Service, in tow).

If Bush is so loved in this small European nation, then he should probably move there. I don't think anyone in the United States will miss him one little bit, except maybe for Dick Cheney. And for what it's worth, he can move over there with him, also.

The Albanians know what it is like to love a dictator, though. They loved Enver Hoxha for about forty years.

"The Kite Runner"

The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, is by far one of the most intriguing books I have ever read. Basically, it kept me reading from the beginning to the end, with only two breaks, which I took reluctantly.

You are a bit confused by the title of this book, but once you start reading it, it is anything but confusing. It is a heart-wrenching story of love, hate, grief, dedication, betrayal, and jealousy.

Amir is a boy of privilege. He is an Afghan, through whom we see a picture of Afghanistan as it was before the Soviet occupation (1979-1989), which forced Amir and his father to flee their homeland, and then we see a brutal portrait of the Taliban, when Amir is forced to return to Afghanistan, as a man, to face the fears of his childhood to redeem himself by saving a person who is very important to someone else in his past. In the end, the person Amir saves is the grace that allows him to finally begin living.

Like Amir, we are forced to live the hollowness of his life, step-by-step. We learn certain truths, that are not always self-evident, as he journeys from being a spoiled little boy, to a young man on the brink of poverty, back to a self-made man, who finally finds that there is more to his noble father's love.

Admittedly, there were many parts that were difficult to read, because of the personal pain you feel as you connect with the characters and their situations throughout the book. Certainly, there were times I felt as if I couldn't go on with the story. I couldn't look around the next corner to see what was coming, because I was simply afraid of the shadows that lurked there, and the pain they represented.

In the end, he finds out that he is a better man than his father. He is able to stand up and take responsibility for those in his life. And for that, we can respect and admire Amir.

Paris Hilton the Martyr

In an apparent attempt to usurp the jail situation for all it is worth, Paris Hilton has allegedly informed her lawyers to drop any appeals on her behalf. She has decided to stay in jail and serve out the sentence imposed by the judge last Friday.

On Friday, she seemed pretty adamant on being set free, by appealing the judge's ruling. I suppose she decided it is better for her private and public life (which seem blurred at most times) if she faces the proverbial music. In the end, she comes out looking like the bigger "man." Because, after all, it was a fight of wills between her money and the judge. He just comes out looking the bully who picks on little, rich girls.

Who really wins?

500th Post

Is it a waste of time? Maybe, but I enjoy it.

Paris Hilton goes back to the Big House (and not the one in Hollywood Hills)

A judge has ordered Paris Hilton back to jail, to serve out her original sentence. Her day long field trip home came at a high price.

Apparently, she wasn't too keen on the news, either, as she was removed from the court room screaming.

Maybe there is a bit of justice in California, after all.

Rash Frees Paris Hilton

Next time you wind up in the slammer, just cite the Paris Hilton case and you should be able to get "reassigned" to your Hollywood Hills home for almost any personal reason. Some sources report that she was released because she is mentally weak (who wouldn't be in jail?) and she developed a staph infection.

Being in prison is tough enough, but try doing it with a staph infection, too; that's just way too much pressure.

I hope she overcomes this obstacle.

Paris Hilton Released from Los Angeles County Jail

After serving only three days (which qualified for five days of credit), Paris Hilton was remanded from the custody of the Los Angeles County facility, where she has been incarcerated since Sunday night, to her attorneys, where she will be confined to her Los Angeles-area mansion, to serve a forty day sentence.

It appears that Paris suffered some sort of psychological episode during her short stay in jail. Although, jail officials would not confirm this fact, she had met with psychological experts during her confinement.

What does this say about the state of justice?

It says that if you go to jail, and you have a lot of money, then you can weasel your way out of it through the cooperation of your high priced attorneys and psychiatrists. It is hard to believe that a similarly situated person would be treated the same way as Hilton. Anyone else would have been treated at an area hospital, while still in custody of the sheriff's office, then returned to their jail cell once the treatment was complete. Instead of this happening in this case, she was let go from the small cell she was confined to for 23 hours per day and put under house arrest, where she can enjoy the comforts of her money and lifestyle. Who says she can't have a party at her house, while under house arrest?

Exactly!

Diplomacy and Dick Cheney

Last night, during the CNN sponsored Democratic debate in New Hampshire, Senator Clinton made a succinct point about the Bush administration's current diplomatic view.

She said that they will send Secretary of State Condi Rice to different parts of the world, on occasion. And to drive her point home, even further, she said they send Dick Cheney, which, in her view, is "hardly diplomatic."

I agree completely with Hillary Clinton's view-point on this matter. Further, I believe her statement is a an attempt to show her own brand of personality, which is sweetly acerbic. It is dark and accurate, also. It goes further, from her campaign's competition to select a theme song, to show who Hillary is as an individual. I believe it is her drive to move from being the stuffy, autocratic, women's "libber" persona that she has been made out to be by certain elements in the media.

G8

What exactly is the G8 Summit? We hear a lot about how people come from all over the world to demonstrate while it is meeting, but very few people know what it is or what its function is.

The Group of Eight (G8) started in the 1970s, as the Group of Six (G6), which was a study group to tackle the big issues facing the countries with the largest economies in the world, like the United States.

As time has gone on, the "Group" has worked its way up to a total of eight participating countries, with the Russian Federation being its newest member.

As with its genesis, the G8 summits are meant to tackle the contemporary major issues facing the economic prosperity of the industrialized world. Many people, hence the protesters, believe the G8 summits leave out important issues, like poverty in Africa.

With the upcoming G8 summit, being held this year in Heiligendamm, Mecklenberg-Vorpommern, Germany, on June 6-8, it is no wonder that we are already hearing about mass demonstrations that have led to many injuries, of both protesters and police.

Perhaps, the Germans should use some of their strong-armed tactics, for which they are infamous, to quell the demonstrations. I am sure such tactics would come with George W. Bush's seal of approval, considering he likes peace-and-quiet.

University of the Cumberlands

After doing an unrelated search on the Internet, I came across a very interesting article, which addresses, in-depth, a piece of the University of the Cumberland's history (neigh, Cumberland College).

Apparently, many, many moons ago, in 2003, Robert Day, a professor in the department of social work, was tried for high treason, and subsequently found guilty, before a court headed by none other than the president of the college, James H. Taylor.

Back in my day, as a student at Cumberland College, I had Mr. Day for sociology. He did not strike me as a "pharisee," as implied by Dr. Taylor, in the transcript. So what's the story behind this mysterious hearing?

It all seems to go back to a website that Mr. Day founded and authored, with fellow colleagues, who have remained anonymous, which criticized the College for staff layoffs resulting from what he termed as "a lack of faculty governance...and a general fear of pressing President Taylor for changes or for clearer explanations of the college's financial situation."

In a stunning display of gross abuse of power (which is not atypical of Cumberland College then or today), Mr. Day was stripped of his professorship and sent packing. Not to mention, he was told by the Williamsburg Police Department, under the orders of President Taylor, to stay off of the College's premises, or face "criminal prosecution."

As the article shows, President Taylor denies the allegation that his initial meeting with Mr. Day was to dismiss him from his position as a professor of social work. Instead, we find Dr. Taylor's subordinates, as usual, doing his dirty work. In this case, they communicated to the department's chair, Dr. James Bailey, that Mr. Day would be dismissed during the hearing. Although, from the transcript of the hearing, it is obvious that while Mr. Day offers the idea of his resignation before being asked for it by the school's president, he had few options afforded him during the meeting.

All of this is typical of Cumberland College's strong-armed tactics of intimidation, which they carried over in their summary dismissal of a homosexual student.

Fred the Giant Pig, An Obituary

Since last week, I have been hearing scant reporting of a super pig, weighing over 1,000 pounds and being over nine feet in length, loose somewhere in the Alabama wilderness. As the story goes, this beastly animal was gunned down by no less than an infant armed with a pistol and nothing else to do for three hours, as he and his hunting party brutalized the animal.

Today, we hear reports that this pig's name was Fred. Fred lived on a 150-acre farm, where he was allowed to run free. He wasn't some freakish aberration of nature. Like most Americans, he was just big boned. As a result, we learn that he wasn't on some sort of nature preserve, nor was he feral, as the hunters of this megalithic beast would have us believe. It would be like me hunting down an obese dog, on my parents' farm, armed with only my 9mm side-arm (that I just invented in my imagination), and then calling it a veracious wolf, as I pose over its stiff, dead carcass.

Does that make me a hero? Perhaps, in the eyes of someone who has absolutely nothing else to do with their time. Personally, I am tired of hearing about the event. I think it is tragic that it took three hours for the animal to die after being initially attacked by the 11-year-old boy.

Tolerance is alive and dead in America

Although, my title may be an oxymoron, it is accurate.

Yesterday, I had the misfortune of catching the tail-end of a discussion about the necessity of not accepting certain people, especially homosexuals. Simply, they made them sick, according to their tirade. It is interesting that with a room full of people, someone has to be gay; God knows I am.

We espouse to be a nation of tolerance. Forty years ago, it was quite acceptable to be intolerant of people of African descent. I could force them to sit in the back of the bus, drink from a different water fountain, and God-forbid they use the same restroom as me. Today, I can't say "nigger" in public (not that I really would want to). However, I can say "faggot" and "queer" publicly until my tongue is raw.

I suppose my little eavesdropping the other day is a sign of what is significant today. When people feel as if their values and very lives are at stake from a certain group of people, then you have reached a new zenith of bigotry. They certainly have never felt as if their lives are challenged or their morality is being clouded by having me around. Of course, I don't discuss my personal life with them. Why should I?

One thing I have learned from my years of amateur anthropology is that those humans who work so hard to discredit another group really have lots of problems and secrets in their own lives. They need someone else upon whom they can project their own uncertainties, failures, fears and concerns.

When on a hunt, an animal is emboldened by a group; it's too bad so is stupidity.

The Ludicrous

So, a guy goes to Europe for his very own big fat wedding in Greece. All the while, he is infected with a rare type of tuberculosis.

Now, the tragedy is he may, or may not, have been warned not to travel. He says it was simply recommended, not enforced. I dare say I have to agree with the man's assessment. If it was a communicable disease that could become a pandemic, then he should have been hospitalized in an isolated ward, not sent home and told not to expose people.

The media is really torn up about the possibility of hundreds of people potentially being exposed to this mutated form of TB, which is apparently resistant to conventional forms of treatment, right?

Wrong!

The media is more concerned with whether or not the man's wedding is legal. Some news reporter has went off the beaten path and drummed up suspicion that the wedding was not a legal civil ceremony. They even have some Greek mayor saying as much. This is what the media outlets are covering. It's not the mutant, scary TB virus that is lingering inside of innocent people's lungs. It's more important that we get to the bottom of this whole marriage scandal.

Andrew Speaker and Sarah Cooksey, by God, if you are going to place an announcement in a Fulton County, Georgia, newspaper telling everyone about your European wedding, then you better make sure it is legitimate and you're not just pulling our collective chain with some make-shift, home-made garbage of a sham wedding!

Geesh!

I could care less if I sat by you on the plane ride to or from Greece. That is simply immaterial. An adaptive, therapy-resistant, lung destroying strand of tuberculosis is secondary to my concerns for the legality of your wedding!

Let's get real people. Keep your eye on the ball! It's left the court already.

US Embassy in Iraq

Is it right that the United States would build an embassy that costs $600 million in Iraq? I think they could have used one of Saddam's old palaces as an embassy. It would have done very well, and most of all, it's free!

$98 Million Diamond-Encrusted Skull

An artist created a platinum skull, which is encrusted with 8,601 diamonds. The skull is cast from an actual 200+ year old man's skull. The weirdest part (beyond putting millions-of-dollars of diamonds on a platinum skull) is it contains real human teeth.

Bizarre, for sure!

Paris Hilton Gets Ready for Jail

Even though, the world is full of more than just Paris Hilton, it seems that is the most it can come up with during these days leading up to her final hurrah before incarceration on June 5 at 11:59pm.

During the hours before her sentence commences, we learn that she will probably serve less than 23 days of her 45 day sentence, considering credit for good behavior. She will also lose all of the security of her station in life. She will be required to tow the same line that common criminals must follow. She will surrender all of her personal effects upon entering the jail. In addition, she will be required to stay in her cell for at least 23 hours per day, with only hour long periods to shower and walk the yard, where she can troll for fresh meat.

I just hope she remembers to show up before the court ordered deadline. I guess someone could have told her that simply because she has been sentenced to jail, she doesn't have to show up.

Berger Devine Yaeger Inc.

The architectural firm of Berger Devine Yaeger Inc. (which also sounds like a law firm I once used) is charged with violating State Department protocol, relating to the construction of the United States' embassy in Baghdad.

Berger Devine Yaeger, which is charged with the production of the monolithic structure, provided schematics on its website about sensitive areas of the embassy's construction. The State Department contacted the architect firm, which subsequently removed the blueprints from its webpage.

Can you believe their carelessness? I mean, if those terrorists realize the United States is building an embassy inside the fabled "Green Zone," then they might start randomly firing mortars into the area!