Thursday, June 28, 2007

The Bill is finally DEAD!

Senate drives stake through immigration

By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS, Associated Press Writer
5 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - President Bush's immigration plan to legalize as many as 12 million unlawful immigrants while fortifying the border collapsed in the Senate on Thursday, crushing both parties' hopes of addressing the volatile issue before the 2008 elections.

The Senate vote that drove a stake through the delicate compromise was a stinging setback for Bush, who had made reshaping immigration laws a central element of his domestic agenda. It could carry heavy political consequences for Republicans and Democrats, many of whom were eager to show they could act on a complex issue that has sparked deep public concern.

The writer of this article definitely wanted the bill to pass, too bad for him eh?

The bill's Senate supporters fell 14 votes short of the 60 needed to limit debate and clear the way for final passage of the legislation. The vote was 46 to 53 in favor of limiting the debate.

Voting to allow the bill to proceed by ending debate were 33 Democrats, 12 Republicans and independent Joe Lieberman, Conn. Voting to block the bill by not limiting debate were 37 Republicans, 15 Democrats and independent Bernard Sanders, Vt. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., who has been absent from the Senate all year due to an illness, did not vote. (link)


There's 12 republicans that need a serious challenger when their seats come up.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Police: Father, Son Try To Kidnap Daughter's Fiancé
Family Says Matter Is
Private

POSTED: 5:48 pm EDT June 26, 2007
UPDATED: 8:57 am EDT June 27, 2007


MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- A Bucks County father was accused of going to extremes to break-up his daughter's romance.

Police said the father and his son tried to kidnap her fiancé by beating him up and tossing him into a sport utility vehicle.

Robert Webber, of Middletown Township police, said he thought he was being dispatched to a Bucks County diner Friday night for a fight but once he got there he was in the middle of a family disagreement turned violent. "The victim advised me that his fiancée's family was trying to kill him, drag him into a car and take him somewhere, where he believed he was going to be killed," Webber said. Webber said the alleged victim told him his fiancée's family was upset the two had moved in together. (link)

H/T LGF. If you read the article, you'll notice the lack of pertinent information about WHY this happened.

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Ohio mom found dead

Ohio mom's body found; boyfriend charged

By M.R. KROPKO, Associated Press Writer

29 minutes ago

CANTON, Ohio - A massive search ended in sadness Saturday when authorities announced they found a body believed to be a pregnant woman who vanished from her home a week earlier. A police officer believed to be the father of the unborn child was arrested on two counts of murder. Jessie Davis, 26, who was due to deliver a baby girl on July 3, was reported missing after her mother found Davis' 2-year-old son home alone, bedroom furniture toppled and bleach spilled on the floor.

The boy gave investigators their first clues. "Mommy was crying. Mommy broke the table. Mommy's in rug," the boy said.

Thousands of volunteers had searched for Davis over several days, while investigators continued to question Bobby Cutts Jr., 30, who is the father of Davis' son but is married to another woman. (link)

Pray for the family of this poor woman and her child.

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Saturday, June 23, 2007

Enough

It's time to shape up or ship out. I'm tired of being 'in-shape' as I am. I have plenty of strength (for my size) and all the energy I need (when I do something, it seems I have that much energy and no more) but I'm not 'in shape' per se. My overall physique is not pleasing to me and it's time to change it.
This is what I just ordered. I'll (try) to remember to update my progress if anyone is actually interested :)

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Friday, June 22, 2007

Most hits from ...

Where do your site hits come from?

My overwhelming number 1 is on Grace Park; Thai posted about her quite a long time ago and she keeps on giving.


Second place is Kristin Kreuk (from the same post).


So, 60-70% of my visits are from these 2 lovely ladies; sad really, means my content isn't a big draw :)
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Thursday, June 21, 2007

Yesterday

Went to the folks house for the first part of the week (see previous posts) and then yesterday we spent all day golf(ing) :)

Point Mallard Golf Course


After that, I met some old friends at Ruby Tuesday's for a drink before heading out. (Lee, Christie and Mary Ellen at Ruby Tuesdays bar)

After that we went to the Frontier. It was 'foxy ladies' night and supposed to be jumping. Of course, it was dubious at best whether any 'ladies' competed, but I can tell you for a fact there were no foxes in there. On the whole, was a terrible competition, but we had fun drinking and playing pool (making a little money never hurts, of course gambling is bad, so don't do it).

Afterward, stopped at Huddle House for 'breakfast' and then headed back to sleep. Gotta work midnights tonight through Saturday, so today was for sleep :)

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

My Father's Day


For Father's Day, lil bit and I went to Logan's and ate dinner (on Monday instead of Sunday because of work). Here is her smiling for the camera (cell phone). No pictures of me though.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Pics



A pic from Ruthie of our relaxing in SL (I'm not at home for the next couple days, so couldn't get to mine, so she sent me one) and lil bit this morning smiling for the camera.

Gazans Stream to Crossing with Israel

By DIAA HADID, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 31 minutes ago

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Hundreds of terrified Gazans fleeing Hamas rule were trapped at a main crossing with Israel on Tuesday, hoping to gain permission to pass through Israeli territory to sanctuary in the West Bank.

Fearing death or persecution, Gazans began flocking to the Erez passage after Hamas militants wrested control of the coastal strip from Fatah security forces late last week. Israel, which has no interest in letting masses of Gazans pass through its territory and possibly destabilize the quieter West Bank, has refused to let most of them in, saying their lives were not in danger.(link)

This is a conundrum for Israel. They will let some pass (for humanitarian reasons) but the bulk of people will be turned away. While this is in their rights to do, and the smart thing to do; most of the world will renounce Israel's actions in this, implying that Israel has no rights in controlling it's own borders. Of course, this is not new, so shouldn't surprise anyone.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Another Study that wasn't needed

YES, YOUR BUM DOES LOOK BIG...
18/06/2007
ALMOST half of men lie to partners about their looks to keep them happy even though most want the truth, a survey claims.

Men aged 18 to 24 are the most likely to fib over a question like "Does my bum look big in this?" while those over the age of 60 are the least.

Only 47.5 per cent of men with a PhD admitted being honest, while 60.5 per cent of non-professionals said they were.
Advertisement
Click here to find out more!

Yet the poll by dating website make-friendsonline.com found that 88 per cent of women claimed they wanted the truth.

GMTV's love doctor Sam van Rood said: "For many men lying is a damage-limitation policy, but the survey suggests they should tell the truth."

But lads' mag writer Jeff Maysh said: "A white lie solves all problems. We do it to get girls into our beds then out of them." (link)

Never, not in a million years, could anyone have predicted this outcome...

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Happy Father's Day



btw: I re-inserted sitemeter so the TLB Ecosystem would work properly :(


Note: it takes mere minutes (for some) to become a parent, it takes a lifetime to BE a parent.

Friday, June 15, 2007

BlogPower Awards

Round-up of winners from the 1st anual BlogPower awards:
Best brit-blog: An Englishman's Castle
Best NA blog: Jon Swift (thanks for the votes for me and I'm disappointed not more people voted for Ruthie, she should have beat me and Jon imo)
Best blog or column outside the UK or US:
Sicily Scene
Best Fisker:
Mr Eugenides
Best Ranter:
Devil's Kitchen (make good soup too)
Best Political blog or column:
Bel is thinking
Best BlogPower Blog:
As a dodo (i didn't even get in)
Best Layout and Style:
Honeysmack (nsfw, but a good site)
Best Blog Name:
Shades of Grey
Best Little Blogger:
Sicily Scene (under 100 visists daily) [repeat winner]
Most Articulate Wordsmith:
Chipendale (for a small fee, he'll dance too)
Most Under-rated blog or column:
The Last Ditch
Most Over-rated blog or column:
Guido Fawkes (deserved award) heh
Most Politically Incorrect blog or column:
Theo Spark (should have won best 'layout' :)
Most Sadly Missed blog/column:
Cassilis/Liam Murray (missed them the first time...shouldn't they have had to run seperate?)
Most Consistently Entertaining blog or column:
Bryan Appleyard
Prettiest or Tastiest (food) blog or column:
Sicily Scene (hat-trick)
Award for Services to blogging:
James Higham (still waiting on my check)
Best Post of All Time:
Captain Smack Special Edition (should have been 'best post of last year')
Most Unintenional Humerous Post: UK News and Politics Immigrants (this category should have been scrapped, people voted for who they wanted to win, regardless of humor [intentional or not] of said post)


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Thursday, June 14, 2007

Please kill this bill

AP

Bush accelerates border security funds

By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent
7 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - President Bush called for $4.4 billion in accelerated funding for "securing our borders and enforcing our laws at the work site" Thursday, as his administration and key senators struggled to revive controversial immigration legislation.

"We're going to show the American people that the promises in this bill will be kept," Bush said, two days after launching a personal rescue mission.

The measure's most controversial feature envisions eventual citizenship for many of the estimated 12 million immigrants now in the country unlawfully. At the same time, it calls for greater border security and a crackdown on the hiring of illegal employees.

Bush made his remarks a few blocks from the Capitol, where the bill's supporters said they were closing in on a tentative agreement that could clear the way for the measure's revival within two weeks. (link)

Do W and the Democrats think that this will make the bill more palatable to the people? Why is it that we need 'emergency-type' funding to do what they SHOULD BE DOING ALREADY? Enforcing the border and the immigration laws have nothing to do with a NEW amnesty try. The laws are already on the books, it's almost like the anti-gun crowd has a hold of this one. If you simply write more laws, the problems will go away (ala gun laws) instead of enforcing the laws you have.

Some Senators are still skeptical (hopefully at least 41) enough that this won't push them over (they rightly ask why the spending is tied to this bad bill and not seperate), and the Democrats definitely want this bill passed before election season is truly in. With luck we can stall or kill this until a new president is sworn in. We know Fred won't sign this bill and probably not Rudy or maybe even Hillary (Obama would).

I just wonder why it is so hard for the pro-illegals to figure out why we are so adamant about enforcing the LAW... but might as well ask why they are tolerant of everything (that agrees with them) and have a love for Islam.
__________
Reason amongst the dhimmikrauts

Monday, June 11, 2007

Iraq & Immigration

AP

Iraq Study officials question March goal

By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer

17 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - The co-chairs of the Iraq Study Group said Monday they were unsure whether the panel's goal of pulling combat troops out of Iraq by March 2008 remains valid.

The blue-ribbon panel's five Republican and five Democratic members concluded six months ago that most combat troops could be out of Iraq by the 2008 date if certain steps were taken. They said a smaller contingent could be left behind to train Iraqi security forces and conduct other narrowly defined missions.

The report received a tepid response by the White House and Congress until recently, as administration officials contemplate their next step in Iraq and congressional Republicans look for a solution to end the politically unpopular war.

Addressing a National Press Club luncheon, James Baker and Lee Hamilton said they believed the group's findings were still meaningful.

But the 2008 date "would, of course, be something different, in my view at least, because we were talking that date when we came with the report in December of 2006. This is now June of 2007," said Baker, secretary of state during the first Bush administration and Republican co-chairman of the group.(link)

Pretty much a non-story here, the ISG admit that times have changed, bla bla bla. Interesting quote though
"One thing I do know and believe very affirmatively, and that is if Iraq was not the center of the war on terror before we went in there, it certainly is now," Baker said.
Makes you wonder why the ISG and the left would be wanting to leave so fast if they truly believe this? (yes I realize Baker is a Republican in name, but not in action).


AP
Bush immigration bill push tests clout

By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS, Associated Press Writer

1 hour, 22 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - President Bush is putting his influence within his own party to the test Tuesday as he pleads personally with skeptical Senate Republicans to resurrect his immigration bill. Despite his confident tone Monday about the measure's fate, Bush is facing a hostile audience that has shown little appetite for following his lead on the contentious issue.

[snip]

Still, weakened by his sagging poll numbers and a sense within GOP ranks that the president has lost touch with his core supporters on immigration, Bush may well lack the clout he would need to persuade Republicans to back the measure, say lawmakers and strategists.(link)

Read that last paragraph well, seems that the A(w/t)P thinks the immigration bill is having problems because W has low poll numbers. Instead of looking at the fact the bill is having problems because NO ONE wants that bill, telling.
__________
Reason amongst the dhimmikrauts

Justice

Georgia Judge Voids 10-Year Sentence in Consensual Teen Sex Case

ATLANTA — A Georgia judge on Monday voided a 10-year sentence given to a man who was convicted while a teenager of having consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old girl.

Monroe County Superior Court Judge Thomas Wilson voided Genarlow Wilson's sentence and dropped it to misdemeanor aggravated child molestation with a 12-month sentence, plus credit for time served. Under the new ruling, he will not be required to register as a sex offender.

"I just feel like a miracle happened," Genarlow Wilson's mother, Juannessa Bennett, said Monday.

The state attorney general said he'd appeal. (link)

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Vote for President








President Poll
Who would you vote for in the Presidential Election?



























Fred Thompson
Hillary Clinton
Rudy Guiliani
Barak Obama
John McCain
John Edwards
Ron Paul
Mitt Romney




view results



heh sorry guys, I totally left Mitt Romney off the poll :( I'll put up a new one later, but for now, I'm changing 'other' to Mitt.


Saturday, June 9, 2007

Water under the Bridge

June 9, 2007

Kennedy Plea Was Last Gasp for Immigration Bill

This article was reported by Carl Hulse, Robert Pear and Jeff Zeleny and written by Mr. Hulse.

WASHINGTON, June 8 — It was the moment of truth for legislation that would make the most profound changes in immigration policy in more than 20 years.

Desperate to salvage a measure in which he and others had invested months, Senator Edward M. Kennedy headed to the secluded Capitol suite of Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, to make one last personal plea.

Mr. Kennedy, an immigration advocate since his first days in the Senate nearly 45 years ago, hoped to persuade Mr. Reid to delay a procedural vote that could kill the measure. As the two met shortly after 7 p.m. on Thursday in the well-appointed office that overlooks the Mall, Mr. Reid told Mr. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, that Republicans would just endlessly stall the bill and that it was time to move on. Mr. Reid had already granted enough extensions.

Just minutes before that meeting, Senate Republicans in the middle of the immigration fight had ended an hours-long huddle at which they argued over what demands they would make in exchange for agreeing to cap the debate time. But they could not see eye to eye among themselves and ultimately filed empty-handed out of the office of Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader. (link)

Mary Jo Kopechne didn't give an opinion on the bill.

Friday, June 8, 2007

Kill this Bill...

Bush hopes to revive immigration bill

By CHARLES BABINGTON, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 18 minutes ago

WASHINGTON -

President Bush
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News | News Photos | Images | Web

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President Bush, trying to recover from a stinging setback on immigration, will personally try in a visit to the Capitol next week to revive the embattled plan for legalizing millions of unlawful immigrants.

Bush's scheduled lunch on Tuesday with GOP senators is part of a campaign by the White House and allies in both parties to placate or outmaneuver conservative Republicans who blocked the broad immigration measure this week. They said Friday they would try again to reach accord on the number of amendments the dissidents could offer.

Opponents of the bill promised to continue fighting all such efforts.

Democratic leaders accused Bush of being too tepid in pushing the legislation, which would tighten borders and offer employers more temporary workers from abroad in addition to providing lawful status to an estimated 12 million illegal aliens and putting many of them on a path toward citizenship (link)

Thursday, June 7, 2007

BlogPower Awards II

You guys are taking me way to seriously when I said to vote for Ruthie :( (heh)

The last 2 categories are up (and I am in #20) so get over there and vote for those 2.

Amnesty Bill dieing... slowly, but it is dieing. Congrats to Arizona Women on their win in the CWS for softball... I was worried when Tennessee couldn't close out game 2 in the 5th/6th/7th/8th/9th innings (first time jitters?)


About to go home from work, just wanted to post ;)

Update: 1st post cut all my hyperlinks out o.O

Update 2: Thanks to TD for the banner on my sidebar for the awards.

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

BlogPower Awards

Voting is going on now....

Go here to see all the categories (vote for me in the ones I'm represented ^^)

1) here

2) here

If you don't vote for me in the 'best NA blog' then vote for Ruthie (Zaftig) since she's better than me anyway :)



D-day

The day that started the beginning of the end of the second world war was today (63 years ago)

Picture of Troops Landing During D-Day


(link)


Return

Well, I'm finally home.

I didn't goto Fire Brigade training as I was supposed to. At the camping trip, I hurt my shoulder (been a bad year for me I guess) and couldn't lift my arm over my head. One trip to the doctor and he thinks it's fine, but just in case I'll be seeing an orthapedist tomorrow to make sure.

Pain is of no moment, but with only one good shoulder (the left, the one that I hurt this time) I don't want to make it into what my right one is now. So I'll take what he says and run with it.

I see that the nominations are over at BP awards, I did send James an email, but it was the only one I had time to get through. But I'll vote on who got in anyway :)

Calum answered my question finally and I replied, but hopefully he can see what I meant and not just what I said (if not Calum, I'll send you an email).

Aside: Tennessee women had chances (5-9th innings) to win the World Series tonite, but Arizona took the game 1-0 in 10 and now they play a deciding game 3 tomorrow.

Warzone

 Recently played a few games on Caldera (warzone) and then... Lots of luck in this one, but satisfying