A CONSERVATIVE Texan's thoughts on Equality

Rhode Island has become the tenth US state to grant same sex marriage equality.  Texas is NOT among the other nine.

It may come as a shock to some who believe all Texans are Bible thumping, hate mongering, hypocrites but as a true CONSERVATIVE I am for Equality.  Sadly too many mouthy, judgmental, hateful, nasty 'christians' claim that God gives them the power to hate, to be cruel, to be nasty.

I was raised a Southern Baptist.  For those who may be a bit confused on what that is, let me give you a quick & dirty rundown.  Southern Baptists don't drink, don't dance, don't gamble, don't do drugs, and are fine upstanding people.  Southern Baptist women are meant to be quiet, pregnant, in the kitchen while the man takes the reins of everything.  Well, that's what SOME Southern Baptists would like you to believe.  It is incredibly far from the truth.

My Poppy was a deacon in our church.  It was years before he would take the position as he drank beer regularly.  My Mimi was anything but a quiet, subservient wife in the shadows.  She was a lady about it, but she spoke her mind and stood her ground.  You might never have expected to find cold hard steel in her veins, but under than cute little rolly polly exterior beat the heart of a lioness.

My aunt sat on the board until she was RUN OUT of that church by some of the aforementioned hateful, nasty 'christians'.  She was legitimately elected to office by the members of that church and a few holier-than-thous decided to take it upon themselves to 'cleanse' the church of her.  They claimed her being gay was morally wrong and God was against it, that Jesus condemned her for it.  Thing is, Christ NEVER said anything about homosexuality.  PERIOD.  Nada!  Not one single, solitary, RED word was EVER attributed to him.

These same holier-than-thous put into office, without election, a gay man that then cruised the church for young men to abuse.  He was caught doing it many times but was always protected by those nasty 'christians', the vipers in the den so to speak.  Don't think gay had anything to do with their hate - they used it as an excuse to punish those they wanted & reward those that kissed their asses.  That is NOT in keeping with the message of Christ.

I was raised by true Christians.  Those who said it was NOT their place to judge, not their right to deny others the same things they took for granted.  People who would give you the shirt off their back, the sweat of their brow, the food from their plate.  People who were learned, 5 generations of teachers & counting!, educated, worldly people who stood for what was right.  There was no moral grey ground, there was right & there was wrong and there aren't enough of them left in my opinion.

As a product of these people I can not, WILL not stand idly by and watch my fellow Texans denied the very basic right of marrying someone they love.  I'd like to take on quite a few of the most common arguments against equality - in all its forms.

Marriage has LONG predated Christianity, every Abrahamaic religion is a baby compared to the concept of marriage.  Marriage was not "one man, one woman".  Even today Islam, an Abrahamaic religion at its core, is NOT about "one man, one woman".  Mormons, not Abrahamaic but still a commonly practiced religion, is NOT "one man, one woman".  That argument will NOT hold water with anyone that has even a passing understanding of human history.

Marriage between consenting adults has been going on long before Christianity came to this land.  Hundreds of tribes held same sex marriage as sacred, blessed by the Gods.  Just because someone says that Jesus says its wrong doesn't mean it is.  Nor does the claim that no one has ever done same sex marriage here make it so.

The government has no business deciding what consenting adults can, or can not, get married.  The government only takes money to issue a marriage license.  Since the government issues the money, and issues the license, at what point does someone who is 'gay' using make it illegal?  How can a government both issue money claiming to represent the people while at the same time denying the people the ability to spend it equally as they see fit?

The Equal Protection clause clearly states that any marriage contracted in one state is valid in all others.  Hence why my 16+ years of marriage have been valid in Colorado and Virginia even though I was married in Texas.  What basic Constitutional understanding would allow someone to believe that the Equal Protection Clause applies only to heterosexuals?

Those that claim marriage is for the production of children, since when?  In my own family I can pinpoint people who are married without children.  Be it the male or female that is infertile, a conscious choice not to have children, or a medical condition preventing it their marriage is no less valid under the law.  Bearing children is NOT and never has been the point of marriage.

The claims made that marriage can't be redefined.  I beg to differ.  Two hundred years ago my father would have had to PAY my husband land, crops, goods, or animals if not all the above, to marry me.  In short, I would have been SOLD by my father to my husband.  That is not marriage.  That is a form of slavery.  Thousands of years ago I would have had to have slaves to buy my marriage.  Heaps of gold, spices, pricey materials, animals, property, land, slaves ... they were all required to purchase a groom.  We don't do that any more, thus marriage has already been 're'defined.

One of the more ludicrous arguments is that if gays can marry, then homosexuality will spread.  That one is so far beyond the reach of logic, but I shall try.  Guns are legal, not everyone owns one.  Cars are legal, not everyone owns one. Marriage is legal, not everyone marries.  The sheer lunacy of saying that two consenting adults making a commitment will somehow make people gay is just beyond me.

There are those that say a gay marriage will cheapen their heterosexual marriage.  My marriage is NOT under threat from gay people.  There isn't some light in his loafers man hiding in a dark alley waiting to jump my husband & make him FABULOUS!!!  If you're really that terrified that your marriage will end and your spouse will marry someone of the same sex, you've got much deeper issues in your life.

The most odious, to me, claims are from those quoting Leviticus.  One can not claim Christianity & go Old Testament.  Christ clearly stated he came to make a NEW covenant, thus negating the old one.  He negated the dietary laws of Leviticus - bacon y'all, we're talking the loss of bacon if we go OT.  The sheer number of supposed, self described 'christians' that flaunt every violation of Leviticus while claiming homosexuality is wrong boggles my mind!  God said all sin is equal, thus eating bacon is on par with being gay if you want to actually see the Bible for what it says.  Polyester clothing, shellfish, BACON, they're all wrong according to Leviticus.  In my world, if BACON is wrong I don't want to be right!!

I think I hit on most of the big arguments against equality, but really they all boil down to one nasty, ugly truth.  That some Americans believe they're legally better than others.  That is in direct violation of our basic premiss of government.  "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."  The ability to LIVE, the LIBERTY to purse HAPPINESS.  Not dependent upon color, religion, sexuality, hair style, height, age, weight, yada yada yada.  Just the basic 3 rules of our entire form of government - LIFE, LIBERTY, pursuit of HAPPINESS.  Gardening makes me HAPPY, doesn't mean I'm going to force you to garden!  Mall shopping does NOT make me happy, but I'm not going to try to ban you from doing it if you enjoy it.  Thus, no one who truly supports liberty, any basic student of logic, any true Christian, can possibly stand against equal rights.  It is beyond odious to me that some even dare attempt to twist such basic, honest beliefs to fit their hate.

Shifty Powers & how we treat our REAL Heroes

So the oft carried, always miss attributed, Shifty Powers letter is making the rounds again on Facebook.  It got me to thinking.  Sadly, Darrell Powers (aka Shifty) passed in 2009, right before we PCSd back to the states.  I know we got coverage on AFN in Europe, but I doubt there was much coverage in the states - it isn't like the man was a genuine HERO (at least according to the garbage they show on US tv).


I remember, late May 2002, waiting to board a plane in Dallas.  We were flying out to our next duty station in England.  There was a mild kerfuffle at the x-ray & security station.  I thought nothing of it really, until I realized the hold up was an elderly gentleman & his wife.  I couldn't for the life of me figure out why he was being held up, he clearly did not pose any threat to anyone.


I was busy getting an infant, a young child, myself & the husband through security so I wasn't paying that much attention.  Until I caught the emblem on his hat.  It was just a standard dark blue, military retiree style, baseball cap.  I had made a mental note to tell him "Thank You" for your service when I realized it was a retiree, but that emblem.  It troubled me.  I KNEW it, but it was rare to see.  I honestly had to think about it for a few moments before I placed it.  That was a very rare, very seldom seen, very important emblem.

That is, for those who may not know, a Congressional Medal of Honor ribbon.  That was the ribbon on his hat!  When it hit me what it was, I was in genuine awe.  That is not a medal often seen, and it was awarded for going well above the call of duty to his nation.  It made me that much more determined to give him a proper thanks for his service, and hopefully find out a little bit about him.


I got a moment to speak to him while we were waiting to board early.  He was accepted for early boarding, I assume, due to his age.  We got early boarded due to the kids.  I was just glad we managed to be right behind him in line so I could chat with him.


Turns out he served on the European front, and was captured by the Germans.  He didn't go into much, but I mentioned my great-grandfather was a POW of the Japanese (he was), and was rescued from Cabanatuan.  This gentleman, I never caught his name he was very polite but not at all in to talking about his exploits, made a point of saying he endured nothing compared to what the Japanese did to their POWs.  That, to the great granddaughter of a man who lived it, is belittling his own experiences.  The Germans weren't nice to POWs, they didn't obey the rules of war, they blocked the Red Cross just as much.  This man went hungry, was cold, was mistreated, had suffered in the name of his fellow countrymen & women to protect them from his very pain.  He was, and IS, an hero.  He came when called, he offered his life blood to his nation to protect & defend those he loved.  That is no small feat.  This man, who had fought for his country while a young man, didn't think himself worthy of what my great-grandfather went through.  It nearly broke my heart for him to think he didn't really do anything worthy of the praise he received.


He went on to mention that he didn't endure nearly what those that didn't come home did.  The mark of a truly humble, honest, quiet servant of his nation & people.  He discounted his own trauma, his own suffering, as not up to that which others endured.  I had no real response to that, other than he served his nation where & when he was needed and he shouldn't think that his experiences weren't important.


I happened to ask what the hold up was at the security line.  I was being nosy, I admit it.  It turns out he was flying with THE MEDAL in his carry-on bag.  Yes, THAT medal.  The highest honor his nation's military could bestow on him (or anyone for that matter) for his military service.  He offered to get it out & show it to me, but he was already being much more than polite by having a chat with me so I didn't put him out in any way.  Yes I'd have LOVED to see it, but then I'd have wanted to touch it and well, that's just rude!


The reason THE MEDAL was in his carry on?  I shouldn't have to explain that one.  The fact that it was is what had caused the kerfuffle.  Apparently security made him put it through the x-ray machine!  Then demanded he open it as it was metal & it seems they though it was a "threat" to security.  Not a "thank you sir, for your service". Not an awed silence at seeing one, and the man who earned it.  Just total ignorance of WHAT it was, and WHY he had it.  That, well even now I admit flabbergasts me!  How far the US has fallen that a real, genuine, CMOH award recipient & his CMOH were unknown, and instead viewed as a security threat!


This quiet, unassuming man who should have had parades in his honor, was a "threat" as deemed by the security folks at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.  As a Texan, I was doubly humiliated and offended that this man was ill treated.  He bore it with quiet dignity, answering their questions about himself & the medal.  He bore my questions & chat with dignity.  All I had to offer to him in return was a mere, meager, "thank you".  I'm sure he'd had that before, and I pray he had it since, but I was honored to be in his presence & to have the ability to offer such a thanks.


We boarded the plane, and as we always keep the kiddos on until last to avoid the crush to get off, I didn't get to speak to him again.  I never did catch his name, and never really knew enough of his service to find him on the Congressional Medal of Honor Society site.  Sadly I don't know if he is still living or if he has since passed.  What I do know is that for one fleeting moment in time, I stood beside & chatted with, a REAL hero.  I know that one of the, still giving, gifts of his service & his life is my thankfulness for the smallest moment to speak to him.  To offer to him the true thanks of myself, for everything he endured.


I never got to meet my great-grandfather, he passed long before my birth, but I did get to meet a man who bore arms at the same time he did.  Maybe a different theater, a different version of the same nasty enemy of freedom, but a man of quiet honor none the less.  I hope he knew just how much it meant to me to get to speak to him, to get to offer him a humble, simple thanks.

INFAMY

Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, members of the Senate and the House of Representatives:
Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
The United States was at peace with that nation, and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.
Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And, while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.
It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.
The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.
Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya.
Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.
Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam.
Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.
Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island.
And this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.
Japan has therefore undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.
As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense, that always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.
No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people, in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory.
I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.
Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.
With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph. So help us God.
I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt - December 8, 1941

December 7th, one of the most defining moments in American history.  While you remember those who died at Pearl Harbor, remember their brethren across the Pacific.   My great-grandfather was in The Philippines, thankfully he survived but others were not so lucky.  Other families still don't have their dead to bury, remember them.  Remember our allies who were attacked and brutalized.  Not only Americans suffered that day, not only Hawaii suffered that day.  Remember all those who gave their lives on a Date Which Will Live In Infamy.

Petreus, et al

Enough with coddling this dumb bastard because he had 4 stars.  Enough with the throwing tantrums that the self absorbed DICK is having to answer to his crimes.

The sheer number of Americans who have NO morals astounds me!  The number of people defending him from any form of punishment because of "bad judgement" is beyond me.  He KNOWS the UCMJ.  He PUNISHED those below him for far less with far worse punishments.  Why should he get a fucking pass because Obama likes him?  The UCMJ is quite clear on WHAT a crime is & WHAT the punishment is.

When the top spy in the country can't keep an affair secret, and his mistress is a total nutjob who threatens to physically harm people how can ANYONE trust that moron's judgement?

He leaves DAYS before Benghazi is investigated.  Nah, the MSM & Dems swear there's nothing fishy there!

He gets told privately by the FBI he's under investigation, and urged to resign AFTER the election.  Nah, the MSM & Dems swear there's nothing fishy there!

His mistress threatens a "family friend" who's been reported to share inappropriate emails with ANOTHER General serving in Afghanistan.  Nah, the MSM & Dems swear there's nothing fishy there!

His "family friend" is an 'honorary ambassador' & calls the FBI demanding they offer federal protection to an AMBASSADOR.  Nah, the MSM & Dems swear there's nothing fishy there!




So from this I gather the POTUS is an idiot who has toadies & flunkies incapable of even the most basic of vettings.  Congress helped cover it up because then there would be questions those stupid American voters would want answered about terror attacks, crazy bitches with access to supposedly important men, and why there's the double standard.


FRY HIS ASS!!  Hang him out to fucking dry!!  Same with his ANAL RAPING comrades, and those STEALING government funds for their Afghani mistresses & families!!  The O corps has proved that is nothing more than degenerate bastards that protect each others dirty secrets so they don't get snooped on in turn.  That's not the kind of people I want in charge of my husband, my family, a military base, or ANYone else.  The DOD & the Joint Chiefs & the Pentagon are just as filthy, dirty, and nasty as the disgusting politicians they crony with & toady for.

I will NEVER apologize for demanding that EQUAL UNDER THE LAW really mean that!  I don't find that jumped up self absorbed dick to be of any more importance than an A1C or a Corporal.

Feel free to kiss my ass on thinking an Officer should OBEY the rules they enforce.

The Walking Dead *SPOILERS, SPOILERS, SPOILERS*

I am ALL OVER this tv show.  From the first 5 minutes when Rick plugs the bunny slipper little girl zombie, to Hershel's farm, to crazy ass Shane, to the most bad ass Darryl (played by Norman Reedus).  We're on season 3, and OMG!!!!!!

For those of you who don't watch, I'm so very sorry.  For those of you who do - DON'T READ unless you've seen the latest episode!!


*SPOILERS!!!!!!!!   SPOILERS!!!!!!!!  SPOILERS!!!!!!!!*

I'm not kidding people, if you keep scrolling you'll see things you don't want to!





**SPOILERS!!!!!!!**             **SPOILERS!!!!!!!!**       **SPOILERS!!!!!!!!**





Whew, now that we got that out of the way, OMG!!!

Rick has flipped his fucking lid.  He's also become the most awesome zombie cleavin' machine.

Darryl is a warm fuzzy wrapped in layers of bad ass, kick ass, and redneck.  I hope to hell he never meets Meryl again, and if he does I hope he kills his ass.

I'm glad Lori is dead.  I've hated her character since I read the comics.  The actress actually made me hate her more, which I suppose is proof of her ability to act her part well.

Carol, bitch is DEAD!  Darryl didn't put a Cherokee Rose on a grave with a "C" shape in rocks just for fun.

TDOG.  MAN!!!!  I liked him!  He was so seriously UNDERutilized by AMC.  THIS one I actually miss.  He had so much more he could give.  :(

Carl, even in a prison the punk won't stay in the damn house!

Andrea, please fucking kill her!  I hate her.  She's drunk the Governor's koolade & fucked over Michonne!  Bitch needs to die (hopefully in that fucked up version of a gladiator ring).

Michonne, I <3 a="a" actress="actress" br="br" doing="doing" fantastic="fantastic" have="have" her.="her." is="is" job="job" nbsp="nbsp" playing="playing" she="she" the="the" they="they">

Hershel, dude, you're one tough mother!  I think you could whip my ass any day of the week.

Glen.  Wow, he's actually a really well rounded, fleshed out character.  I'm glad to see it.

Maggie!  Maggie is one fantastic girl.  Everything from cuddling a newborn who's mom got plugged to prevent her turning (but who got munched anyway), to a hell of a zombie killer (with apparent GLEE), to a romantic interest.  I am really, really glad to have her on the show.  She's a good balancing element when the show dearly needs it.

Gig 'em Aggies!

So the Aggies done rolled over the Tide.  Hahahahahaha.  Can't say I feel sorry for ol' too big for their britches thinking they own the SEC.

Kitchen Nightmares - Season 4

Well it's that time again!  Time to see how many restaurants Gordon Ramsay can save in the US and how many have crashed & burned (some spectacularly).  Per the Wikipedia list of the Season 4 episodes, filmed in 2011, we've got:

S4 - ep1.  Spanish Pavilion in Harrison, NJ.  OPEN FOR BUSINESS. *Woo hoo!, a good way to start off the season!

S4 - ep2.  Classic American in West Babylon, NY.  OPEN FOR BUSINESS.  *Two for two!  Don't think it will last long though, not with previous seasons.

S4 - ep3.   PJ's Steakhouse in Queens, NY.  CLOSED.  *There is currently a thriving restaurant named Manor Oktoberfest of Forest Hills, NY.  PJ's took a nose dive after Ramsay was here, changing to a bar that also went tits up.  Clearly the location isn't a problem but the previous owners were.

S4 - ep4.  Grasshopper Also in Carlstadt, NJ.  OPEN FOR BUSINESS. *This has got to be one of the weirdest named restaurants I've ever heard.  I think of chocolate mint cookies & Kung Fu, not really food.

S4 - ep5.  Davide in Boston, MA.  OPEN FOR BUSINESS.

S4 - ep6.  Downcity in Providence, RI.  CLOSED.  *The last review is from January of 2012 so they do seem to have survived for about 6 months post Ramsay.  Won't label it a draw though as it didn't last very long after it was filmed.

S4 - ep7. Cafe Tavolini in Bridgeport, CT.  CLOSED.  *There is currently another restaurant at the same location, named "Black Rock Yacht and Athletic Club". 

S4 - ep8. Kingston Cafe in Pasadena, CA.  OPEN FOR BUSINESS.  *It was reviewed just a few weeks ago so seems to still be going strong, and it continues to get high marks for the food.

S4 - ep9. La Frite in Sherman Oaks, CA. OPEN FOR BUSINESS. *Apparently doing well enough that there are 2 locations listed on their website.

S4 - ep10. Capri in Eagle Rock, CA.  OPEN FOR BUSINESS.  *Last review was a few days ago so still going quite well.

S4 - ep11. Zeke's in Metairie, LA.  CLOSED.  *Listed as looking for a new owner as of last month.

S4 - ep12. Oceana Grill in New Orleans, LA. OPEN FOR BUSINESS.  *The reviews are ALL OVER THE BOARD on this place with no rhyme or reason I could find so I suppose being open is worth something but if you're ticking off customers this bad, it is only a matter of time ...


Well, that gives us a total of 8 restaurants STILL OPEN which is a great improvement over the last few seasons.  That said, 4 are closed (2 of them with new restaurants in the same place).  So OPEN is the winner for this season, as of now.

Kitchen Nightmares - Season 3

I've been away awhile, sorry.  However I do still dig Gordon Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares" on BBC American (not sure where else it airs).

We're now at season 3, aired in 2010.  Let's hope the restaurants fared better than Season 2!


S3 - ep1.  Hot Potato Cafe in Philadelphia, PA.  CLOSED.  This potato has been MASHED.  *From the gossip out there the owners took the chef for granted.  Seems the chef may have moved on to better work.

S3 - ep2.  Flamangos in Whitehouse Station, NJ.  CLOSED.  *Dead in the water shortly after Ramsay left.  HOWEVER, a year AFTER closing it was reopened under the name "The Rail At Readington" & seems to be doing good business.  I label this one a FAILURE on the part of the previous owners, though there is a thriving restaurant on the premises now.

S3 - ep3.  Bazzini in Ridgewood, NJ. CLOSED.

S3 - ep4. Mojito Cuban Cuisine in Brooklyn, NY.  OPEN FOR BUSINESS. *Those who have visited BECAUSE of Kitchen Nightmares don't seem too impressed, but they ARE surviving in a really bad economy so they must be doing something right.

S3 - ep5.  Lido di Manhattan in Manhattan Beach, CA.  OPEN FOR BUSINESS.

S3 - ep6. Le Bistro in Lighthouse Point, FL.  OPEN FOR BUSINESS.

S3 - ep7. Casa Roma in Lancaster, CA. OPEN FOR BUSINESS.  *From the reviews listed it is better known as the AV Roadhouse, a BAR not a restaurant.  The restaurant is still there, but seems to have dropped all of food Ramsay created for it, going back to mediocre (at best) Italian.  - This restaurant was FILMED for S2 but not aired until S3.

S3 - ep8. Mama Rita's in  Newbury Park, CA.  CLOSED.  *There is a new restaurant, that seems to be doing well, at the location.  It is named La Cucina Di Venti.

S3 - ep9.  Anna Vicenzo's in Boca Raton, FL. CLOSED. *The last review was in 2010, so basically it didn't manage to live out the year that its episode aired.

S3- ep10. Fleming in Miami, FL. OPEN - sort of.  *The restaurant is still open, on the same premises however they've totally dumped the menu Ramsay worked with, turning from European food to a steakhouse.  DRAW is how I'd call it.

S3 - ep11. Sushi-Ko in Thousand Oaks, CA.  CLOSED.   *Apparently was gone in 2009 so didn't survive the turn around it seems.

There were also 2 "revisit" episodes.  In total we've got 6 CLOSED restaurants, 3 are OPEN, 1 is Open but totally redone so a DRAW imo.  Next up, Season 4!

ENOUGH!!

Enough I say!  Enough, enough, ENOUGH!!

Stop blaming 3rd party voters for Romney's defeat.  Romney SUCKED as a candidate.  The GOP has no one to blame BUT themselves for picking him as their candidate - 3rd party voters can't even vote in most state primaries!

STOP with the damn secession talk!  Texas can NOT survive without the US.  This is NOT Sam Houston's day.  We do NOT have the means to support ourselves as a nation, nor would the US let us go our own little way with no fight - that we CAN'T win!

STOP with the "I'm moving to Canada".  You dumbasses!  Canada has gay marriage & socialized medicine.  You know, that shit you're throwing tantrums about.

STOP finding what divides us!  START working to unite us!  We're ALL Americans.  We're ALL in this boat together.  Trying to pigeon hole hundreds upon hundreds of millions of people into 2 extremes is the problem!  NOT that the voters are fed up with it!  Look at your neighbor, see what you have in common, how you can work together instead of trying to tear each other apart.  That crap has put us in this boat.  Decades of it, on BOTH sides.  The POTUS has been elected.  Don't act like some of Gore's supporters in 2000 - behave yourselves and SERVE your nation, not destroy it from within!

STOP with the "God, save us" bullshit!  Your right to your religion is supreme, but SO IS MINE!  Treat those as you wish to be treated, NOT like horrible lepers that are out to destroy you.  Christ did NOT say to hate your neighbors, to destroy them, to degrade them, to lie about them, to be nasty to them.  He said to LOVE them.  If you truly ARE a Christian you would do that - quite a few I know that claim Christianity do NOT follow the word of Christ, but are instead twisting it to suit their own hate filled agendas.  STOP IT!!


START acting like Americans.  We're different, through & through, but we're also stronger for it.  If your God wanted us all to be like you, he'd have made us that way.  He didn't, so why the hell do you think you should have to power to do so?  Are you so conceited in your hate, so firm in your miserly spirit that you think you are better than your own god?

START living the "Golden Rule".  EVERYONE - pagan, christian, jew, muslim, taoist, shintoist, etc, etc, etc - has that creed.  LIVE BY IT!!  Don't buy into DC's hate & propaganda, prove you're better than that.  True Americans ARE better than that.  Are you a TRUE American, or just giving lip service?

VOTE

Get off your ass & VOTE. I don't care who you vote for, nor will I ask you who you voted for as it is none of my business. JUST VOTE!! Too many men, women, and children, have fought & died for the RIGHT to vote. Make your freedom count!! (I am A Texan Abroad, and I approve this message.)

I Ain't Dead - YET

Well I'm not dead. Life just gets in the way sometimes. Some things I've learned since my last post: POLITICS MOST of the American Electorate is of questionable intelligence, and reading comprehension skill. MOST Americans believe the OTHER GUY lies, but not THEIR political pony. THEY ALL LIE. I miss being in Europe where I never had to watch a damn election campaign 'message'. Nov, & then Jan, can not come soon enough. EDUCATION Apparently I have a much larger vocabulary than a lot of my fellow Americans. It spans all states, overseas locations, and life styles. Coming from teachers I've never considered myself that verbose. I am very glad we live in the school district we do. However I'm deeply depressed by the surrounding school districts and their apparently complete lack of teaching any form of education. Virginians do NOT do Homecoming Mums! I'm still in complete shock over that one. It has been long enough since I went through school that I STILL hate Algebra! No matter which of my children is attempting to do it. CHILD REARING My oldest child is convinced I'm a moron. My middle child is a pain in the butt, however she's a fantastic kid when she wants to be. My youngest child has turned into a holy whiny terror! PETS Adopted 4 new ones. Two dogs, two cats. So now we're up to 5 humans, 4 cats, 3 dogs, 2 fish. I live in a freakin' menagerie!! Not the crappy Tennessee Williams kind either. I'm still working on the chicken / duck coop.

Settlin' down .... in VA??

Well it seems that we will be in VA for a few more years yet so we're buying the house. Guess I now have a reason to start shipping in some of the cast iron Texas memorabilia - giant cacti of all descriptions, a giant Texas star, etc.

Gotta become the nearest Consulate Outpost of the Republic! Open to all Texans on the Eastern seaboard when they're in need of tamales, chili, fresh tortillas, Shiner, and just good ol' Texas camaraderie.

I don't think VA will EVER be the same again!

Kitchen Nightmares - Season 2

Well, I've looked up the season 2 restaurants for Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares as listed on Wikipedia. The results are in, and they aren't that pretty....

S2-Ep1 Handlebar in Mount Sinai, NY - CLOSED *Out of business, renamed "The Skybox" which is also out of business.

S2-Ep2 Giuseppi's Trattoria in Macomb Township, MI - CLOSED.

S2-Ep3 Trobiano's Ristorante in Great Neck, NY - CLOSED *Apparently seized by the authorities for failure to pay taxes.*

S2-Ep4 Black Pearl in New York City, NY - CLOSED *A complete and epic failure from the management team. The only one who tried got screwed over by fatso David the bully who threatened to use a gun. Really can't say I feel sorry for this one. Especially given the vitriol that bluddo is still trying to force down the gullet of the eating public.*

S2-Ep5 J Willy's in South Bend, IN - CLOSED *This one lasted a good 3 years from its show on Kitchen Nightmares so while closed, it had a decent run afterward.

S2-Ep6 Hannah & Masons's Deli in Cranbury, NJ - CLOSED

S2-Ep7 Jack's Waterfront Restaurant in Saint Clair, MI - CLOSED

S2-Ep8 Sabatiello's Italian Grille Restaurant in Stamford, CT - CLOSED *It seems this one closed, almost immediately after the KN episode aired, however it seems that a new(ish) Sabatiello's Pizzaria opened elsewhere owned by the same man. I guess we can call this one a DRAW!

S2-Ep9 Fiesta Sunrise in West Nyack, NY - CLOSED *This one was seized for failure to pay taxes as well.*

S2-Ep10 Sante La Brea in Midwest City, Los Angeles, CA - CLOSED *As of June 2011 the restaurant closed down. It survived 3 years post KN so it had a good run none the less.

S2-Ep11 Cafe 36 in La Grange, IL - CLOSED

Um, YOWZA!!! Not a single restaurant from season 2 remains open. That's 11 CLOSED down, though 2 (Sante La Brea & J Willy's) did put up a fight. We also Have Sabatiello's is a draw (at best). Season 2 you were a cruel, cruel mistress!

Kitchen Nightmares - Season 1

Season 1 (as listed by Wikipedia) restaurants are checked against Yelp, Google, Zagat & any other sites linked for the information.

S1-Ep1 Peter's in Babylon, NY - CLOSED

S1-Ep2 Purnima in New York, NY - OPEN *Was originally named "Dillon's" which is currently just the name of the bar.

S1-Ep3 The Mixing Bowl Eatery in Bellmore, NY - CLOSED

S1-Ep4 The Seascape in Islip, NY - CLOSED *was sold, then turned into "The Coast Bistro & Bar" which has since closed as well*

S1-Ep5 The Olde Stone Mill in Tuckahoe, NY - OPEN and seems to be doing well

S1-Ep6 Sebastian's in Taluca Lake, CA - CLOSED *filmed in season 1, aired in season 2

S1-Ep7 Finn McCool's Irish Pub in Westhampton Beach, NY - OPEN & from the looks of it doing well. *SOLD as of the end of Season 1, but still open under the same name.

S1-Ep8 Lela's Fine Dining in Pomona, CA - CLOSED

S1-Ep9 Campania's in Fair Lawn, NJ - CLOSED

S1-Ep10 The Secret Garden in Moorpark, CA - OPEN and seems to be doing well.

So our total for Season 1 restaurants are 6 CLOSED, 4 OPEN. Not a terrible amount of closures, but not pretty either. Considering some sold, and still closed, I think we can chock those up to a bad economy.

Up next .... Season 2!

Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares

So the kids & I dig Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares on Fox. BBC America is running a marathon today, leading up to a new episode tonight.

The cafes got me thinking. I wouldn't mind trying a few of them, so I started looking them up. The results aren't good. So I decided to go from ground zero & look up each restaurant. The results are REALLY not good.

I'm going to break it down by seasons, offer a tally, and see just how much or little help Chef Ramsay brings to dying restaurants. Considering the economic fiasco of the last few years, we may need to chock it up to bad times or bad food. If anyone has eaten at a joint listed, feel free to leave a comment about it!

PIPA & SOPA

Well we blacked out the web yesterday, which caused quite a few elected officials some serious discomfort. SOPA & PIPA were battered and bruised at midnight, but they're not dead (yet). We must keep the heat on DC, the Senate plans to vote on PIPA on the 24th of January.

We clogged up the switchboard, we took down their servers with the amount of traffic, we yelled & DC heard! It isn't over yet!

If you:

love the free internet...

you believe the government has no business in censoring search results...

that big business has done enough damage to the experiment that is American Democracy..

you love your First Amendment Right to Freedom of Speech...

you believe your rights shouldn't be trampled on for $$...

you believe that Congress should not do an end zone run around the Judicial branch...

you believe that no one should be able to steal your website with the help of Congress, or anyone else...

you believe the RIAA, MPAA, and Rupert Murdock do NOT have your best interests at heart by trying to shut down the web...

you believe that there are better ways to combat internet piracy than to steal websites, censor results and lie to the people...


CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS!!

Do so EVERY day. Email is good, phones are better, and in person is best!! I understand that not everyone can get to their elected official's nearest office (VA is no where near SA, TX) but you CAN have your voice heard!

Contact your Representative, your Senators, and the White House.

Big Business may think they own DC, but they don't. There's far more of us than there are of them & their $$ will only get them so far. Stand up & be counted. Shout out & be heard.

STOP PIPA & SOPA!!!

December 7, 1941

70 years ago Pearl Harbor was attacked. Even though it would be recorded tomorrow due to the International Date Line, the Philippines were attacked. My great-grandfather was in the Philippines (prepping for his retirement from Army service after 29 years) when the attack happened. He would later go into captivity for 4 long years as a POW of the Japanese.



Seventy years later, there are those of us that still remember, that still honor the sacrifices of those who would bare the brunt of a dastardly, cowardly attack. War is ugly, there is no pretty face to it no matter what the UN might want as "rules of war", but the least one nation can do is to say "we're going to war" with their enemy. We were not given that warning, but I dare say we rose to the attack, shook off our shock, honored our dead and then went on to defend the Western world.

In the words of President Franklin D. Roosevelt:

Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives:

Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

And this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph -- so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.

Fewer and fewer of those men and women who defended their nation, their ideals, their civilization, remain with us each passing day. Take today to remember them. Take today to thank a WWII vet, a Korea, Vietnam, Dessert Storm/Shield, War on Terror vet. Take a moment to give thanks to the divine (the cosmos, whatever you believe in) that those men & women were there & heeded the call to do what had to be done. Thank their families for what they endured, thank their fellow vets for what they do. Remember America, those who serve you quietly every day and ask little to nothing in return.


Family lore is that when the US Army folks came to tell my great-grandmother that her husband was captured, presumed dead her reply was that they were welcome to visit the house again, WHEN her husband returned as she KNEW he would. She would have to wait 4 very long, I'm sure terribly draining & tense, years but I doubt heaven itself would have bet against her. He DID return to his wife, his children, and then get to see several of his grandchildren born. This after having been lost behind enemy lines in WWI as a messenger, for a week! The Army really should have known he'd come back but my great-grandmother had faith in her husband! I have that kind of faith in my husband. I have that faith in the men & women who serve this great nation, 70 years on from a terrible day. Have faith, America! We shall always triumph as long as we believe in our values, our morals, our people.

Its hot?

No shit Sherlock!

It seems the center of the US is in the grips of a heat wave & we should all feel terribly for them!

I don't. I've heard people from those states laugh it up at Texas' expense (& NM, AZ, CA, & even UT) because of the heat we have every summer.

In TX we don't drop like flies in 115-120 degree heat. We're smart enough to GO INSIDE in the heat of the day! Apparently this very basic understanding escapes a LOT of Americans - Heat = go where it's cool!!

I don't hope anyone dies, but I sure as hell hope it wakes some buttheads up to the fact they've been having some serious Schadenfreude at the "south west's" expense for decades. Time to pay the Piper folks. Just remember to do it from INSIDE the house with the windows open & fans on, if you don't have A/C.

Wounded in our service? WE DON'T CARE - so says Knob Hill in GA

Imagine a country in which you serve your nation, you get wounded, you come home & you're denied the right to a home. That nation is AMERICA, that time is now, that location is Knob Hill in GA.

Sgt First Class Sean Gittens served his nation with honor. He was wounded, left paralyzed and unable to speak. Homes for Our Troops purchased land to build him an adaptive home, one that helps meet his needs for the rest of his life.

Along comes the Knob Hill Property Owner's Association. After Homes for Our Troops working closely with them for months, being given permission to build, and preparing the site they Property Owners threw a fit. It seems that a home for a wounded warrior is NOT IN KEEPING with the appearances of their suburb. They pressured the suburb directors, so they've rescinded the building permit!

Clearly the whiny bellyachers in Georgia disdain their military. You're okay to send to die, but don't you come back & expect to live near us! The entire community, their city, their region, their state & nation are all tarred with the filth that they are. A bunch of overpaid whiners who don't know the meaning of sacrifice in the name of others has decided that a wounded man does NOT need to live near them - I guess they think he's contagious (we can only HOPE some of their spawn would serve their nation).

If you've got a problem with it, email President of the Board of Directors, Rick Trump, at Rick.Trump@Comcast.net. (I don't even care if the spambots get hold of his address, I hope they do.)

Budget, we don't need no stinkin' budget!

It isn't like the US military in 3 war zones needs to be payed or their family has the need for roofs & food.


So the lazy bastards passed a stop gap until Thursday. Yay, let's all throw them a party & pretend they did something good. Let's pretend that they deserve to be rewarded for doing their jobs, as though they're some knight in shining armour set to protect us from the dragon - oh, don't look too close at that dragon or you're realize it's at their command in the 1st place. Let's all ignore the giant f*cking elephant in the room that is the complete & utter bankruptcy of their morals & our bank account.

We can NOT keep spending. WE don't have the funds! We're mortgaged to the hilt to the Red Chinese.

We can NOT pay for all the shit DC wants. However they're too essential in a shutdown to not get paid, while the US military amounts to nothing more than Park Rangers & Capitol tour guides.

There are no sacred cows left. Gut Medicare & Medicade. Slash funding for DOD new shiny toys - it isn't like the DOD really cares that they waste millions every day to develop $25 million dollar jets that can't even deploy to a war zone!. Time to fully burn Social Security. Cut out the cancer that is welfare & start demanding sweat equity of those who get governmental assistance - dig a ditch, clean a sewer, pick up garbage, harvest an orchard or a farm. Its high time the American people get something other than "its the other guy's fault" bickering for their dollars.

Now is the time to see if the US tax payer has enough intestinal fortitude to do what needs to be done, or if they're a bunch of squeamish sheep to the slaughter. I know where my money is - same place it was 15 years ago during the LAST shutdown & I can say the American people have no more sense or brains now than they did then. Its all "gimme, gimme, gimme" but don't expect anyone to shoulder the burden.

We can either see this as a turning point in the decline of our country & start back up the hard road to the top, or we can just keep our hands waved above the cart as we plummet to the bottom & crash.