For those of you who have been around JU awhile, there are few things that will cause the folks here to unite. Dislike of the Westburo Baptist Church, members of it's congregation and it's pastor, Fred Phelps, is one. The congregations picketing of funerals of gays and soldiers who died in Iraq has caused all kinds of outpourings of disgust and dismay from folks who think they're evil incarnate to those who just think that it gives Christians a bad name. Every now and again, the folks th...
Well, it seems that the Surry County grand jury finally decided to get off their duffs and do something about the mounds of evidence they've been presented with. According to the linked article (and other local news sources), the grand jury indicted Mr. Vick and his coconspirators with 2 counts "of beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs and engaging in or promoting dogfighting." Time for these would be up to 5 years per count. This would be on top of...
This past weekend (and the 2 weeks leading up to them) was especially difficult for me and my family to deal with. The linked article discusses the Farewell ceremony for the 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment as they deploy to Kuwait and Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. With them, goes my middle brother. This past weekend, we had the opportunity to spend the afternoon with him on Saturday. It was a nice, quiet , relaxing afternoon spent as a family, just doing family things....
It appears that the Texas Legislature has managed to get its act together about something. The general publics concern about Gov. Perry's executive order to require the Gardasil anti-cervical cancer vaccine has prompted the legislature to pass legislation that blocks the requirement for at least 4 years. And the interesting part? They passed with the necessary majority in both houses to override any veto. As it currently stands, Perry's not talking about whether or not he'll veto. More d...
My wife, in remembrance of the anniversary of the attacks on New York, DC, and the crash in the fields of Pennsylvania, wrote this and emailed it out: -------------------------------------------- I shared this on an e-mail list this morning and I thought that each of you might appreciate reading it as well: My phone rang that morning shortly after I dropped my son off at school. "Turn on the TV," my father's voice sounded so urgent and I immediately grabbed the remote. The smoke...
Our local nutcase is at it again. Rambling away about how it's all Bush's fault that the Gulf Coast region so devestated by Hurricane Katrina, almost exactly a year ago, still hasn't been 100% rebuilt. Sad, but true. What he fails to realize ... well, let's just say that Stardock doesn't have enough room in the database server that houses JU for what the poor man doesn't realize and address what's going on, instead. In New Orleans, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineeers, that organization ...
... No, but gas prices are. At least, in the places that aren't - a) tourist traps or where I don't visit ... Seriously, in the last two weeks, I've noticed a trend in gas prices. They're actually falling. Now, they aren't back down to where they were a year ago, but they're getting closer. In Williamsburg, near my house, the gas stations have been averaging around the $2.95/gal for regular unleaded. When I left to come house/cat sit for my parents - they were already dropping...
In the linked article below, it seems that one of the Marines that Congresscritter Murtha bad mouthed when the Haditha events first came to light, took it personally. So personally, that he suing Congressman Murtha for libel and invasion of privacy. Even though the Marines haven't been charged yet ... scratch that. ESPECIALLY because the Marine's haven't been charged yet, Murtha's comments were defamatory and cruel. This Marine is doing something about it. Check out the story for mor...
If those aren't slightly misleading titles ... I'm not sure I know what is. According to the linked MSNBC article, Ken Lay of Enron infamy, died today at the age of 64. Lay, due to be sentenced at the end of October was the first of many corporate fat cats to get caught cheating the system. And dagnabbit - he did it again.
Am I the only one that finds it humorously ironic that Hamas is proclaiming the latest suicide bombing (by a member of Islamic Jihad) as "self-defense"? How can blowing yourself up be a form of selfdefense? Last time I checked - self-defense was defending yourself form harm ... Anyways - While it wasn't Hamas that performed the action, by declaring it an act of self-defense (instead of condemning the action), the Palestinian leadership shows support for the continued murder of innocent ...
You ever have that feeling, particularly when you're rushed, that you've forgotten something? Well, it seems that the father in the story below had that feeling yesterday. Seems the dad in question was in a bit of a rush and got on the DC Metro, and was well into the city, before he remembered something that he'd left in the car - his 7 1/2 month old daughter! Talk about a bad day. Once he remembered he quickly turned around to go get her. Meanwhile, fellow commuters noticed...
California recently passed a law stating that it would be illegal to sell or rent Mature rated video games to minors (aka any person of 17 years of age or younger). However, several groups (Including the Washington lobbying group Entertainment Software Association (ESA)), state that it's unconstitutional as a violation of Free Speech. Evidently a Federal judge agrees, because the implementation of the law (due on Jan 1, 06) was blocked. More in the linked article. What strikes me as trul...
In the past couple of years, one of the local Wiccan priestesses has gotten her panties twisted in a knot because the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors (County south of Richmond, VA) wouldn't let her open their sessions in prayer. Instead, they returned to some of the local ministers to fulfill that duty. So, she did what any redblooded American would do. She sued them. The Federal judge in Richmond sided with her. However, our buddies on the 4th Circuit (Gee, i...
It seems that I've got some very talented folks living here in this house with me. My wife and our boys were entered into the State Fair this year, in several categories. Seems that they did VERY well this year. Chris - my youngest son (5 years old) - placed 3rd in the Honey Sweetened bread category. He was competing against his oldest brother (see JT below), so we got 2 of the 3 top awards in that category. His cookies, didn't place, though. Micah - o...
Watching the NBC Nightly news this evening, it seems that Texas has got their act together. For those people that are living under rocks (or are from New England), there's another storm tearing across the Gulf of Mexico as I speak^H^H^H^H^Htype. Name of Rita. Currently, Rita is a Category 5 hurricane and is bearing down on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Expected landfall is right across Galvaston. They're expecting it to still be a Category 4 when it makes landfall. Big, tough, and nasty. ...