I may be about to become PNG'd from the Washington State Bar Association

I got my new copy of the Bar News this week.

I am purposely not a member of the ABA and the South King County Bar Association because of their tendencies to support poticial causes that I do not.

Earier this summer, I was surprised to hear that a member of the WSBA was admonished for telling an off-color joke in the courthouse while examining some evidence. It appears we have a Rule of Proffessional Conduct (RPC) that prevents such behavior because we might offend someone.

"Freedom of speech for thee, but not for me", apparently. I understand not bad-mouthing the judiciary or the system. If we don't respect it, then no one can. I will gladly abide by that cannon of the profession, but the political pontificating and meddling is tiresome.

There was a letter to the editior of the Bar News this summer from a bar member in another state, who remarked that it was a joke in his office to see who the 'vicitm of the month' was in his latest copy of the Bar News.

Ealier this year, we had an article written by a law student questioning the reason and logic of beastiality laws. (It was kinda topical around here since the discovery of a group that was having sex with animals in a local town. You might have heard about it.) The general gist of the article seemed to favor repealing the laws and letting Paully the Pervert really love his dog, or horse, or whatever floats his boat. I was just so proud that my manditorily paid dues money brought me that fine bit of convincing that I simply am not enlightened.

This month? A series of articles on same-sex marriage, a topic that our state *spit* legislature is likely to take up this fall. Officially, the state bar is not supposed to take an opinion on such matters, but because the editorial board feels that the articles were "informative" and meant to stimulate debate, rather than simply "advocating" a position, that it was OK to do so. Much in the same way any litigator knows that you can say something you want the jury to hear, even though the rules may prevent it because the judge's instruction to strike the remark and for the jury to disregard it is about as effective as using a bucket lettered with holes to gather water. Anyone in favor of gay marriage will be able to quote the "pro" articles from the Bar News as proof that the WSBA supports the topic when some members, such as myself, do no such thing. The rub? Not only did a small group of members determine that it was OK for our organization to whore ourselves out this way, I have to continue to pay dues to this organization. I am not allowed to practice law in the state of Washington without being a member. If I was one of those stereotypical wealthy attorneys, they'd have my resignation Monday morning. However, I have student loans, mortgages, and credit cards to pay, so I may just register my displeasure and ask for the cost of publication for latest issue. I really haven't decided yet.

This is what I mean...

This makes me believe that there was a time when out English cousins had some backbone.

I'm Convinced.

I watched this earlier this week. I saw the original version of 'Get Carter' last winter. I'm convinced...the originals with Michael Caine are MUCH better than the remakes. Especially "Get Carter". Stalone made that movie suck.

This is exciting...

I saw this at Dick's before he shut down this week. I'm ready. Sign me up.

Rumors

No, I would not even consider running for office. I love my family too much too put them through the MSM's "Extreme BS Scrutiny."

As for an appointment to the 9th Circuit...Bwaaahahahahahahahahahaha!

I don't think I have been in practice long enough, I believe in the concept of stare decisis, and I am nowhere near liberal enough to be considered for a seat on that bench.

I'll just await the coming Rottie Empire, and graciously assume the USSC Chief Justice Position when Misha sees fit to offer it to me.

Blueprint for Extinction

I let myself get scared last night.

I was driving home from the office, listening to the Glenn Beck show. He started his week-long series on "The Perfect Day", which is the moon-god worshipper's euphemism for the day when attacks are launched all over the country against us by the cowards and savages that comprise al-queda and other terrorist groups. The focus last night was the threat to our schools.

Apparently, the murderers got the bright idea that attacking elementary and grade schools---you know kids not old enough to fight back, the dead bodies NO ONE wants to see the and the rape victims that will NEVER recover, would be so inflammatory that we as a nation would be pushed to the point where a violent, bloody retribution on all things muslim would be a foregone conclusion, thus giving them images to shop around the muslim world to "bring the jihad".

I thought about my boys. 7 and 3. I'm naturally hardwired as a cynic. I'm never gonna be a lovey-dovey, touchy-feely kinda guy. Having said that, nothing could have prepared me for the sense of love and protection that I feel for my family (yes, that means Mrs. BiW, too.) The thought of anybody taking these children hostage, and murdering them in cold-blood takes my mind to dark places that civilized people do not discuss openly, even in the face of extreme provocation. This is especially true in my case. As St. Garibaldi once quipped to a bad guy in B5, "I can dream REAL dark."

It started to dawn on me that people really don't learn from history. The Japanese thought they could kick us in the groin because we weren't giving them the stern beating about the head and neck which they had so richly come to deserve. They kill over 3000 of our citizens on our soil, and because we didn't respond in kind, they assume that we are weak pushovers, lacking both the courage and resolve to join them in battle and see it through to the bitter end.

We now have evidence and suspicious events that would lead normal people (not the currently prominent liberalus self-loathus spinelessicus so commonly seen pontificating about dialoguing with our enemies into the nearest microphone) to believe that multiple attacks on infrastructure and our children's schools are being planned, with an eye towards inciting the war that they are falsely convinced that islam will win. This only shows how screwed up these backward savages are. It is possible, indeed likely that a series of schoolhouse massacres will incite Americans to violence against muslims in our midst. I don't advocate it. I don't approve of it, although I wouldn't be in favor of allowing them to live freely among us after such horrendous events, either. A religion that advocates deception and slaughter of your enemies, who just happen to be anyone else simply cannot be allowed to exist free of restraint and surveillance if we are to survive. But it won't stop there. The truthies, the kumbayas, the 'legislators' and 'entertainers' who can't fall to their knees fast enough in their fervent bestowing of complimentary verbal blow jobs of despots and our enemies everywhere would experience a similar wake up call.

It is easy for the muslims to misinterpret the potential effects that such murderous orgies would have. If I wasn't born here, if I hadn't lived in this country all my life, if I didn't know the man on the street from being one, and if I actually watched the news for news, and believed what our conresspersons and senators were babbling, then I might believe that I could touch off jihad with such an unforgivable act. The problem is that I know better. I know that the average guy on the street is getting a little tired of Jamal the jihadi's bullshit. I know that the average guy on the street is slow to anger. I also know that once he gets there, the appropriate response will be meted out in short order. Memo to Jamal: Don't confuse the 'prominent' citizens of this country with the ones who take care of business. You haven't heard from Joe Factoryworker, Ollie Office Worker, and Marty Mainstreet because they are too busy making things work, so the idle rich, and politicians can strut about in the limelight and generally make asses of themselves. You come here and do unspeakable things to our children, and you will get a response. It won't be what you bargained for. The people in flyover country, those sneered at and disrespected by the empty suits wandering through the corridors of power, they are the ones who get up day after day and do what must be done. They are the ones with the will to things that must be done. When you threaten the things they hold sacred, family, home, hearth, then you will find out what the words "terrible resolve" actually mean. We know how to deal with a mad dog, and once the mad dog is dealt with, we KNOW it will not be a threat again. Ever. Dead American children and raped little girls on the six o'clock news will unequivocally give notice to all who see that Islam and all who subscribe to its perverted, vile, disgusting teachings are simply beyond redemption. You'll get a holy war. It won't last long, and you will be 'enjoying' Allah's 'tender mercies', most likely before the sun goes down on your moon rock in Mecca. It will suck to be you. But not for long.

Ruminations of Fred's Announcement

The day sane, reasonable people have been waiting for finally arrived this week. Fred Thompson officially announced his candidacy for the US Presidency this week.

The following day, a 14 minute video was playing on th Rott, in which Thompson, displaying his trademark directness, did something no other candidate has done thus far: He made a brief statement in which he clearly stated his reasons for running, and by actually saying something, staked out a position.

I have no doubt that if he is elected, the rest of the world, not to mention the mainstream media here, will undoubtedly get their panties in a wad. This is a man who will do what he says and say what he means. No 'nuanced' responses. No continual strings of warnings and admonishments to the world's no-goodniks. If he tells another country to "knock it off", there won't be another warning. Just the global political version of a swat with a rolled-up newspaper.

And no gazing into the eyes of another leader ala Bush and Putin. If Fred looks into Putin's eyes, it'll only be to confirm that Putin understands what Fred is telling him, so there is no "surprise" later on.

Who knows? In the face of such real leadership, even some of the lefies in this country might get motivated to work for a living and stop trying to spend everyone else's money and kowtow to people who would like nothing better than to kill us.

Naaaaaahhh. He'd be a great President, but only God can unscrew-up those malcontents.

Oh, and today?

Holiday Peppermint Coffee in my Warhol-esqe Stich mug. Why Stich? I figure he's a good role model for me. The Shrink I saw last year said I was "stuffing" my emotions too much. Stich doesn't stuff anything. You have a good weekend, y'hear?

Busy Week

Its been busy here this week.

I talked to fellow LC and IB Alex of Alex in Essex over the weekend. Everything seems to be OK in Britanistan.

The teachers in the local district were on strike when they should have been teaching. We found out at 8:00 pm Tuesday Night that No. One son had school the next morning. Yikes!

Kept pretty busy at work. Got some Honeycrisp apples fresh from eastern Washington. The BEST apple on the planet.

The conversation Rott about Starbucks in Moscow got me considering coffee and the magnificent vessels that it comes in.

T and A

Just my gratuitous bird flipped to the browsers searching for porn and stumbled on to my sight.

Sorry, nothing for ya...just messin' with yer head.

Get Over It.

I have been watching all the stuff about Lady Diana and the 10th anniversary of her death this week with confusion.

I have have to admit that my age was single digits when she married the windsor mutton head, but I just don't get the attraction. I'm sure she was a kind and polite person, who loved her children, and like many in the limelight, had her own pet causes that she supported. When did that qualify her for freakin sainthood? I confess, I really do not understand this. At all.

My amusing moment? An ad for yet another retrospective was on last night. Mrs. BiW saw it and said "Let her go already! She's dead! Get over it!

The Arrogance of Our Enemies

For those of you who haven't heard, the FBI is looking for two men in a photo posted at Michelle Malkin's site, among others, who took multiple trips on Washington State Ferries and who seemed to take an unusual interest in the structure and workings of the boats. So unusual that they created enough suspicion that crew members snapped the picture that got the FBI looking. The Seattle Post-Intellect refused to publish the photo, under the pretense that it would violate them men's civil rights. No such reluctance for the Duke LaCrosse players, but hey, they were obviously guilty, right? So in today's Seattle Times, we get treated to this offensive piece of crap:

For Arabs and Muslims across the Puget Sound area, a rise in the nation's threat level or a bombing halfway around the world often can mark a period of unease.

Yeah. The same is true for ALL of us.

In the years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, leaders in that community say incidents of profiling and harassment have ebbed and flowed -- increasing when Muslims are linked to news of the day.

There are two appropriate resonses to this. The first is to cut to the chase and call BULLSHIT right now, since much of the Puget Sound is populated by liberal nutroots far to busy wallowing in their own self-righteous guilt over being white to bother profiling anyone else. The second would be to say in a world where acts of violence, generally by exploding things, are committed by middle-easterners on an almost daily basis, common sense would dictate some extra scutiny and yes (gasp!) profiling.

Now the FBI's release of photographs of two men of unknown origin, who the agency says were observed acting suspiciously aboard as many as six different Washington ferry routes in recent weeks, is creating new worries in the community.

If their origin is unknown, then why are the arab-americans worried?

Muslim- and Arab-American leaders are upset that the FBI didn't consult them -- as it has done in other instances -- before releasing the photos on the Internet and to news organizations. They worry that the action may fracture the relationship the agency and the community have carefully built.

EXCUSE ME??? We have to ask self-appointed representatives of a community if they know some one first??? How would we know who to ask if their origin is unknown???

The FBI has stressed that the release of the photos is a rare move, taken only after it had exhausted other efforts to identify the men. The agency also has said the men's actions could be innocuous, but it needs to question them.

Maybe the FBI did not come with its hat in its hand because it did not know who to ask??? Or maybe they simply woke up and realized that the caliphate has not yet been established and they don't have to ask any certain segment of the population before publishing photos of persons they'd like to talk to!

The photos were snapped by a ferry captain last month after crew members alerted him to suspicious activity. The men seemed inordinately interested in the operation of the vessel, took photographs of the interiors of the boats and went into areas tourists and commuters don't normally go, the FBI has said. The agency has received many tips but has not yet found the men.

Yep. Typical tourist activity. Move along. Nothing to see here.

Dozens of Muslims and Arabs have complained to community leaders about the photographs. The fallout has led to a meeting planned today between Muslim- and Arab-American community leaders and law-enforcement officials.

"We need to get some type of apology from them and figure out how to get back to where we were," said Rita Zawaideh, head of the Arab-American Community Coalition.

WTF? I mean, WTF??? Excuse me? Where's my apology for your people flying planes in skyscrapers in NYC? Who the Hell do you think you are to come to my country and act all indignant when "your" people behave badly and it reflects on all of you??

Community leaders also expect to raise questions about another recent incident. On Aug. 12, leaders say half a dozen men of South Asian and Middle Eastern descent were stopped and questioned for up to six hours as they left a ferry in Seattle following a trip to the Olympic Peninsula. Those men contacted Zawaideh to report the incident as profiling.

What were they doing that got them stopped? I'm fairly certain that the authorities didn't question them for shits and giggles. They really have other things to do than harrass people for no reason at all.

David Gomez, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI's Seattle office, said he was aware of an incident in which five or six ferry passengers were questioned, but wasn't clear whether it was the same one.

Zawaideh said she met with FBI officials about the August incident three days before the agency released the photos of the two men. But the FBI didn't bring up that subject.

Which, the last I looked, was their prerogative. That whole "Don't discuss ongoing investigations with people who don't need to know" stuff.

"Why not ask us then and we would have had a way to ask people in the community," she said.

Maybe they don't trust you. That whole 'taquilya' thing kinda puts in doubt anything that might tumble from your lips, doncha know?

Gomez said the agency needs to address certain sensitive issues, but "people in those communities have to get over this sensitivity toward feeling victimized."

Keep speaking sense like that, and you'll get assigned to some unpleasant duty soon.

Many passengers have been stopped and questioned recently, as the ferry system has stepped up security once the FBI concluded the men might be watching the system. The stops are based on activities, not skin color, Gomez said.

The Horror!

Two days ago, a Seattle Times photographer, who is white, was stopped and questioned after taking photographs near the Mukilteo ferry terminal.

Go figure.

The FBI didn't take the photos of the two men to the Arab- and Muslim-American community because the agency doesn't know if the men are Middle Eastern, Gomez added.

Apparently, the community did, hence the outrage.

"That seems potentially prejudicial to me, and in some ways worse than simply putting [the photos] out the way we did," Gomez said. "It is not us saying these guys look Middle Eastern."

Speaking sense, using logic? No future in the government for you, Gomez.

Zawaideh countered: "They're not saying these men are Arabs, but insinuating they are."

Because I said so. Don't worry about corroboration. Its just the man, being prejudicial.

This all comes at a time when some local Muslim and Arab-American leaders say they've seen a new spike in discrimination complaints.

Because they know that they can effectively blind us with them.

The concerns over profiling following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks had begun to ease about three years ago, they say. But with each new incident tied to Muslims or Arabs -- bombings in the London subway or a raising of the terror alert -- has come a rash of new complaints.

Maybe if another group was behind this asshatery, they wouldn't be subject to scrutiny.

Both Zawaideh and S. Arsalan Bukhari, president of the Seattle chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), say their organizations have been receiving more reports lately involving allegations of discrimination.

CAIR can kiss my sausage-eating ass. They simply are the advanced unit for the caliphate-hunting wanna-bes who are busy blowing things up the world over. Here's a clue for you, you rock-worshipping savages: If God wanted the rest of us dead, he wouldn't need you to blow us up or chop off our heads. Being the ruler of the Universe does have its perks.

Bukhari said he's heard of delays at the border, as well as cases of people being asked questions at the airport and searched so thoroughly they missed their flights.

Like my lily-white, multi-generation American self who was singled out for the TSA's 'special attention' two years ago when I flew out of Sea-Tac back to Michiganistan for my father's funeral? Nope. Your plantive bleats didn't even budge the needle on the Give-A-Damn-O-Meter.

Aziz Junejo, who hosts a cable TV show on Islam and who writes a column from the Islamic perspective for The Seattle Times, said a group of Muslim kids who were planning a trip to the Olympic Mountains this weekend phoned to ask if he thought they should take the trip.

And?

"I said: 'I would stay off the ferry if I were you.' "

What does he know that we don't?

Time to Unsheath the Clue Bats

I came back to the office with my lunch and found this story waiting for me.

AMSTERDAM - A Roman Catholic Bishop in the Netherlands has proposed people of all faiths refer to God as Allah to foster understanding, stoking an already heated debate on religious tolerance in a country with one million Muslims.

WTF? I mean WTF?

Bishop Tiny Muskens, from the southern diocese of Breda, told Dutch television on Monday that God did not mind what he was named and that in Indonesia, where Muskens spent eight years, priests used the word "Allah" while celebrating Mass.

Great. Another "let's subordinate our culture to that of others" knucklehead.

"Allah is a very beautiful word for God. Shouldn't we all say that from now on we will name God Allah? ... What does God care what we call him? It is our problem."

Uhhh, Bishop Tinybrain? God is God and "Allah" ain't him. "Allah" is an excuse for 13th century misfits to take acting up to the next level and start killing people for refusing to pray to a rock.

Call me crazy, but I think that Pope Benny might have a thing or two to say to this guy.

Almost There

I am soooooo ready to get on the plane Friday morning and fly to SOCAL with my beautiful wife. A weekend with her and the Mouse. No kids, and get to do the stuff we can't do with them. A nice dinner at the Blue Bayou on Saturday night, and then I fly back here Monday morning for a week of solo parenting while she works at her plant there. Is there a cure for vactionitis?

It Was Only A Matter of Time

I've been waiting for this. Modern American 'Victimhood' at its finest.

NEW YORK - A member of the Rutgers women's basketball team has sued Don Imus and CBS, claiming the radio personality's sexist and racist comments about the team damaged her reputation.

College wasn't that long ago. I don't believe this for a second.

Kia Vaughn filed the lawsuit alleging slander and defamation of character in state Supreme Court in the Bronx Tuesday, the same day Imus settled with CBS Radio in a deal that pre-empts his threatened $120 million breach-of-contract lawsuit against CBS. The settlement allows him to make a comeback bid at a new station.

Good for him. Pilloried at the alter of political correctness, he deserves the chance to return.

Vaughn's lawsuit, believed to be the first by a player in the case, says Imus and his former co-host Bernard McGuirk, along with CBS Corp. and CBS Radio, are legally responsible for damage done to her character and reputation. There is no dollar amount listed in the suit.

But I'm sure she has a figure in mind. One with LOTS of zeros.

Vaughn was humiliated, embarrassed and publicly mocked for the comments, the lawsuit claims. Her attorney, Richard Ancowitz, said: "The full effect of the damage remains to be seen."

BULLSHIT BULLSHIT BULLSHIT.

"This is about Kia Vaughn's good name," Ancowitz said. "She would do anything to return to her life as a student and respected basketball player _ a more simple life before Imus opened his mouth on April 4."

Who? Honestly, I wouldn't know her if I bumped into her on the street. I don't believe she is being prevented from being a student or respected as a Basketball player.

Imus referred to the basketball players as "nappy-headed hos" on his nationally syndicated radio program in April, becoming the target of heated protests. He was fired shortly after.

While every male rapper in the universe continued to put the word "Bitch" and "Ho" in every utterance that fell from their lips, thus demonstrating a flagrant double standard, since there is no question that they mean it when they say it.

'Ho' is a slang term for a prostitute. After the comments were made, Vaughn said at a news conference: "Unless they've given 'ho' a whole new definition, that's not what I am."

Well, at least maybe you weren't before suing and holding a press conference.

A telephone message left for Imus' attorney was not immediately returned Tuesday. There was no phone listing for McGuirk in the New York area. A spokeswoman for CBS Radio declined to comment, and CBS network spokesman Dana McClintock did not immediately return a message. MSNBC said it hadn't seen the lawsuit.

Because any appropriate comment would have resulted in more faux outrage.

Rutgers women's basketball program spokeswoman Stacey Brann said that the university had no comment on the lawsuit and that she didn't know whether other players had sued.

At least not until someone asked her about it.

Vaughn, who was a center, had spoken out about Imus on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in April. She said that the comments overshadowed her team's amazing season, one the coach has called the most rewarding of her career.

I guess all that hard work didn't mean a thing. Its all about something some old guy said. Waaaaaaa!

"Our moment was stolen from us," Vaughn said then. "Instead of us coming here to enjoy what we accomplished and how far we came, we had to sit back and look at media asking questions about what he said."

Yeah, because you were forced to show up and talk to those mean media types. Perhaps you should sue them, since they are the ones who decided that this was somehow a story.

Life on Hold

I seem to spend far more time than I want on hold with the government. Doesn't matter which branch or agency. Tem minutes here, an hour there. It all adds up.

Power to the Poofters!

Al-Reuters has an interesting story today.

Hundreds of Italians protested in the northern Italian city of Treviso on Saturday after the city's deputy mayor called for the "ethnic cleansing" of homosexuals from the area.

One might question his choice of terms, since being a deviant doesn't qualify as an ethnicity.

The protesters gathered outside city hall to demand Giancarlo Gentilini's resignation, some wearing pink triangles like the ones homosexual men had to wear in Nazi concentration camps.

How nice of them to identify themselves. I'm guessing it probably wasn't necessary.

Prosecutors were also looking into the deputy mayor's comments to see whether they might warrant a criminal investigation, Italian media reported on Saturday.

"Ittttssss aaa crriimmeee!" whined the limp-wristed queens of Italy.

"Today's protest, which is joined by hundreds of people, will not be the last. It will be the first in a long series," said Aurelio Mancuso, the head of gay rights group Arcigay.

Arcigay? Why don't you nmae yourselves some thing a little less stupid, like "Rights for Rump Rangers" or "Fear the Frantic Fudge Packers"?

A member of the right-wing Northern League party, Gentilini said on Wednesday he was so fed up with gays having sex in a car park that he was going to order police to carry out "ethnic cleansing" of homosexuals.

Deviants publically being deviant, and he has a problem with it? The horror!

"I will immediately give orders to my forces so that they can carry out an ethnic cleansing of f," Gentilini told a local television station, in comments later posted on Web site YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6soZnWfUgdo

Cool. A floor show.

"The f must go to other (cities) where they are welcome. Here in Treviso there is no chance for faggots or the like."

San Fransicko is always looking for a good few sphincters.

His comments were roundly condemned, with some members of his own far-right party siding with angry ministers in centre-left government of Prime Minister Romano Prodi.

Because we can't have politicans, especially european ones acting like they have a pair. That would be wrong.

Some lawmakers accused Gentilini of breaking Italian law by inciting hatred, violence and discrimination against homosexuals.

Can't make a decent car that doesn't cost a bazillion dollars, can't make laws that make sense.

"The term 'ethnic cleansing' evokes tragic chapters of history which have brought death and suffering to millions of people," Family Minister Rosy Bindi was quoted as saying by Italy's ANSA news agency.

True, but see above.

"Nobody, and certainly not somebody with public responsibility, is authorized to use such language."

Because words may cripple! How dare you speak something that the nancyboys don't like!

Prosecutors obtained a recorded copy of Gentilini's remarks on Friday to see whether they broke the law, but no criminal probe was under way, Italian media reported.

No probe was under way? Give it time. The Pink Swastikas are sure to hunt him down!

Am I Blue

Can't say why exactly. Things are going much better at home. I get to go away next weekend for a trip with the love of my life. The boys are doing well. I just don't feel great about work at the moment. I'm not sure why, other than the uncertainty of working in a small office. The sun still rises in the east. Politics is still the Theatre of the Absurd. Bills still come in the mail. Yet my job satisfaction is at a two year low at the moment. I guess it will pass.

The Reason Why Law Is What I Do And Not Who I Am

This pretty much sums it up. If I had it to over again, I don't think I'd even go to law school. I'm going to go play with my kids now. You have yourself a nice day, ya hear?

More Fun with Doctors

When to see my doc again last week. Blood Pressure was 163/93. I let him talk me in to taking something for it. I've been "enjoying" some of the interesting results. Not.

Golf Lesson No. 3

For anyone who cares, lesson 3 started well, but got a lot harder. I started---cold---with my 6 iron, set up, and hit it straight as an arrow for 150 yards. My teacher was standing behind me. His reaction? "Damn, Blackiswhite! You've had an hour of instruction and walked out here and did that cold. Moved up to the driver. Had some fun with it. Then came chipping. *^%$@!%^##$$$##

Next week? Putting.

Somehow I knew my shortgame would suck.

Golf Lesson No. 2

Nice evening, not too hot, not too bright. Hit with the 9 iron for a while, switched to the 6 iron. got very consistent very quickly. Before long, I was knocking them out about 125 yds, straight as an arrow. with a nice loft. If I screwed a shot up, I almost always knew why. The hardest part was keeping my shoulders level. I had nice clubhead speed, and when I connected right, I knew it.

Another of the best movies ever.

I think Dick would probably enjoy this movie. "Popcorn!"

One of the best movies ever.

Everything about this movie rocks...dialogue, story, costumes, performances. Best line? "Do you always know why you things?"

You don't like it? You can take your flunky and dangle.

Sunday

I love this song, and they sing it well. Have a good a Sunday.

Whew!

I am tired. Last night I was ready to shut the TV off and grab some Zs when I happened on to "Thank You For Not Smoking". Two minutes, and I ended up watching to the end. It's what I call a trainwreck movie. You don't like the characters, yet you just can't stop watching, same as a train wreck.

Got up by 8, went to the South Hill Wal-Mart, to get Mrs. BiW's Oil Changed. Bought the sheet sander that Dick said I needed. Came home, put laundry in the wash, sanded the spackle, applied the super-lightweight spackle, took the seats out of the van, took a bunch of stuff from the garage to the Goodwill. Stopped by the other house, can't see where Mom made any progress moving out ...ggggrrrrrrrrrr. Came home, swithced the laundry, went to McClendon's, bought 12 yards of beauty bark, came home, trimmed, and mowed the yard, finished the weeding, and put the beauty bark down. I could use another 4 to 6 yards, but it'll do for now. Then I got out the power washer, cleaned the sidewalk, which was really bad, and half the driveway, which wasn't much better, then took apart a bunch of the cheapo furniture that had been in the garage, showered, went to my in-laws, got their mail, then came home, cooked a steak and my last twice-baked potato, washed it down with a Hornsby's, and I will shortly do the laundry (Folding, Ironing, Putting it away, vacuum, and maybe clean the bathroom so she will just relax when she gets home tomorrow afternoon. Or not. Any way, the pix should speak for themselves.

Closing minutes of a long week

He sat next to the open patio door, listening to the gentle rain fall from the grey skies. He missed the thunderstorms in the midwest. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't accurately describe the experience to people who had lived in this state their entire lives. He remained convinced that nothing demonstrated the sheer power of nature more effectively than a good, house-shaking, window-rattling thunderstorm. From the black and threatening clouds, the wind that forced decades-old trees to bow before it, to the occaissional, unatural stillness and errie green skies that preceeded the tornados that such storms sometimes spawned, Washington simply had nothing to compare to it. When the infrequent thunderstorm did come through, its tame nature and distant thunder seemed to be a pale immitation of the real thing, an ersatz show of power, yet it was more than enough to frighten the natives.

Nevertheless, he enjoyed the tranquilizing effect that the soft, light rain was having on him. In the neighboring trees, he heard a night bird trilling, and he sat silently as the wind blew up around him, cloaking him in the scent of the wet earth.

He considered how much had happened in the last month and a half. It still seemed strange to him that he could feel something other than anger and irritation. It was stranger still that he frequently did. Of course, it had been so long, that even though he was feeling things again, it did mean that he knew exactly what he was feeling. The hardest thing for him was the clarity. He really wasn't prepared for the abilty to understand some much of what was going on around him, or how much he was actually responsible for it. Even though he had faith that it would, with time and work, all turn out better in the long run, that didn't stop the niggling little doubts from popping up like daisies in the field of his days as they streched out before him. But like any nuisance, they faded. He smiled. A miracle in itself.

He took another pull on the beer. The craft brews of the Northwest were pretty good, but there were times, he would surrender a testicle for an icy Molson.
He thought about how nice it would be to just go to the ocean. The roar of the waves crashing into the shore were a sound he never tired of. He shivered a little as the sun sank lower into the horizon, somewhere behind the clouds. Soon he'd have to go into the empty house. He knew it was temporary. She and the kids would return in just a few days, and he knew that she actually wanted to come home. That didn't make the evenings any easier. They never were when she was gone. Maybe he'd listen to the stereo for a while. The music kept awakening things in him that he thought long dead. He sighed, got up, and went back inside to meet with himself for a while.

Friday Night at Home

Tried to go to the Spanaway Wal-Mart and get Mrs. BiW an oil change for her car before she comes back. They're remodeling. The Oil and Lube Center was closed. Stopped at the Albertsons, got salad shrimp, cukes, vine tomatoes, romaine lettuce, black olives, blue cheese and Ken's Greek Salad Dressing. Oh, and a six pack of the new Hornsby's Crisp Apple Hard Cider. I may be alone here tonight, but I had a good dinner.

A window into chapter X

He shifted uncomfortably in his chair as the pastor wound up his sermon. It had been a long day already. He and children left the house ten minutes before the start of church. He had waited, knowing that she wasn't going to arrive before they left. Not after the argument they had the prior evening, and the distant looks betraying an unmistakable anger that he could no longer identify with. When she left the house to go to her friend's, it had a feeling of permanence that felt like a spear through his spirit.

Nevertheless, he awoke, fed and dressed the children, and came to church. He knew the name of the demon plaguing him for the last decade, finally. He wasn't afraid to say it out loud and call him out. He had done that earlier in the service, and now felt as if a great weight was released from his soul. It didn't make it any easier to listen to the sermon, which seemed to be an encyclopedic litany of the many ways he had failed, as husband, father, and man, but at the same time, he realized that knowing was half the battle, and he could do things correctly moving forward.

He heard the buzzing of his phone in the bag before him, which had been set to vibrate. He leaned forward and seruptiously opened the new text message. It was from her. Three simple words. "I am home."

He quietly shut the phone, and put it back into his bag. He couldn't help wondering who would be greeting them when they came home. The wife and mother, or the woman who acted like an angry stranger. He pondered this as he rose, and bowed his head for the closing prayer.

His phone buzzed against his side as they pulled into the driveway. The kids, seeing the other car in the driveway, couldn't wait to get out of the car, run through the garage, and bound up the steps and into the house. When he was half way up the first flight of stairs, he could feel that something was different. He could hear her, hugging the children, and talking to them about their morning. As he turned on the landing, he looked up, to find her looking down at him. He was surprised to find that it was a soft look, as if colored by affection not displayed in some time. When he reached the top of the stairs, she stepped forward, into his arms, and hugged him tightly. He looked down, she reached up, and before he could say anything, her lips pressed hard against his, as she cradled the back of his head in her hand, her fingers running through his short, bristle-like hair. When it was done, they both drew back, and regarded each other. She said, in a quiet voice, "I want to come home."

Obligatory Kid Pics.

You don't like it, go see Dick. He has a bag of sand you can pound. My page, whatever I wanna do.

Thursday Project

OK, so I bit off more than I could handle in one evening. The two smaller front beds are weeded and ready for beauty bark. I'll finish the other one tomorrow. After all, its gonna rain again. (This is the Puget Sound, you know.)

Oh, and the spackle I put in the was last night started to crack. Any ideas? (Dick, that means you.)

Why Do They Call It Vacation?

Got a call from Mrs. BiW this morning. Apparently, her mother has ratcheted her hen pecking up about five notches, and Mrs. BiW is squarely in her sights. Add this to a less than pleasant visit to her grandmother, who isn't doing well, and fatigue, well...she was pretty upset. The upside is that her sister is doing well and the boys are having fun playing with their cousins. In retrospect, I should have done all that I could to fly back with her and the boys, if only to be a shield for some of the inevitable unpleasantness. I know that her Mom is stressed, spending the week caring for a sister who is dying from the same awful disease that took her father, and her mother, who is fighting a losing battle with cancer, and had a penchant for being unpleasant on her good days. (But seriously, Mrs. BiW lived with her for years, I came to love the mean old lady too. I know how much it upsets her to see her like this.) Her Dad is upset because her Mom is upset, and therefore, the criticism, and the sensitivity to it both go up tremendously. She texted me later to say she was better, but I think this is going to be a very rough trip for her. I'll be busy when they fly back on Sunday trying to get her relaxed before the big meeting on Monday.

Today's Stuff

Got a nap, went to the golf lesson. Used the nine iron. Worked on technique. Wasn't hitting too bad by the end of the session, but I know I'll be sore tomorrow.

Came home, fixed Heir No. One's dresser drawers. The nails that held the bottom of the drawer in place and prevented them from moving around fell out, so the bottom would slide, creating a gap. A few nails later, and everything is groovy again.

Then on to the hole in the wall. I stuffed it full with paper towel, then applied spackle. Once it all firms up, I'll sand it and then that will be taken care of.

Batchin' It

Dropped Mrs. BiW and the heirs off at the airport early this morning. I may take a nap this afternoon. 4:30 am wake-ups suck.

Work today, into the evening, golf lesson, then home to two smaller projects at the house: fix the drawers on heir no. one's dresser, and patch a hole in the wall on the staircase. No real excitment other than the brief eyeful of the gorgeous Mrs. BiW this morning as she dressed and the text message she sent after I dropped her and the boys off and was almost to work.

I have a lot of projects to tackle in the next 4 days, and not enough time to do them.

Apologies

Sorry for the light blogging. It was a very busy weekend, and I have been struggling to help Mrs. BiW and the heirs to prepare for their upcoming trip. I'll post more later tomorrow, after things slow down a tick, and I have my first golf lesson.

And Now For Something Completely Different...

I may have some more narratives like the one below. I'm actually feeling inspired for the first time in a very long time, which lead to me writing the best thing I have written in over a decade the other night, and frankly, there is much more where that came from. I pretty much decided that I'll write a novel, and I'll test fly a few portions here from time to time, just for some feed back on how they read.

Feedback would be appreciated; offers to buy copies of the completed work are encouraged.

Interlude

He stood at the corner, as the beeping crosswalk droned on, telling him that it was not safe to cross the street yet. He reached around and tapped the button again. A robotic voice interrupted the beep and said "Wait."

Even with the dark sunglasses, he found himself squinting in the early evening sun, which glowed overhead in a cloudless sky. While he was not sweating yet, a fact which surprised him given the fact that it was 92 degrees and he had already walked a block to the corner, he felt the familiar dampness and tingle of beads of perspiration start to form underneath his arms.

The beeping had stopped, replaced by the robotic voice, stating, "Auburn Way North, Crosswalk is Open..."

As he stepped off the curb, a hot wind washed over his body, making him feel as if he were naked and had just stepped into a hot shower, despite the fact that he was still wearing his dress slacks, shirt, and tie that he had put on in the morning, before getting the boys off to their Grandparents and gently carressing his wife's half-dressed, slumbering form with the lightest of touches for nearly twenty minutes before she awoke to see the time. The memory of the deep, low moans the touches elicted from her sleeping body and the slight smile on her lips as she saw the clock, but could not bring herself to be angry with him was echoed in the smile that came to his own countenance. The wind stopped and he again felt the oppressive weight of the sun pressing down on him as he crossed the street on the way to get the Claratin she had called and asked him to pick up before their date that night.

He softly laughed as he marveled at the extraordinary stress the two seemed to cause each other, yet he knew, deep in his heart, there was a smoldering ember of affection that she harbored still, that with time, effort, and great care, could be fanned once more into a roaring conflugration. This mated to the realization that he would do anything for her in his power that she asked him to do. These paired thoughts stopped all other ones from racing through his head, as he continued on his way to the store, his shoes clicking in a moderate, even rhythym on the sidewalk below his feet.

Thanks for the Vote of Confidence, I Think...

I've been pondering James chapter 1 a lot in recent weeks. The idea that you should rejoice in trials and temptations for the opportunity to grow spiritually is very difficult to embrace when you are actually in the thick of it. Don't get me wrong. I'm in a much different place today then I was a month ago, and yes it is a better place, (and no I didn't take a Xanex, today, Dick.) where I can see things I didn't before, understand a lot more, but I am still confounded by the woman in my life.

I'm gonna get mushy here, so bear with me.

My wife has the brightest spirit I know. She's has always had this bright light shining from inside here, and it damn near blinded me when I first really saw her. Years of me not reconginzing and dealing with the demons that have haunted me made me do everything but treat her right. That kind of damage takes its toll. A month ago, I was asked to leave my home. I refused. At the same time, I found my way to a particularly insightful tome, partook of it, and let God pick me up by the scruff of my neck, smack me around a few times with a clue bat, and say "Do I have your attention now, Son? Good. Let's talk for a while." And we have. And I have been studying, and talking with my wife, having real conersations. Some good, some not so good, some downright discouraging. She isn't asking me to leave anymore. I think the best way to describe her current feelings, based on a lot of what has come out in our conversations is hurt, angry, and conflicted. I pray with her daily. I pray for her daily. We've had some fun moments. We've had some nice moments. We've had some wonderful moments, and we've had some very HARD moments lately. I have heard her say some things that make me wish that speeding bus I imagine behind me would just run me over. But the difference is that I don't avoid those confrontations any longer. I don't want to. I realize now that no matter how painful it might be to talk to her about some of these things, and believe me, painful is simply a generic term to get through this sentance, I would rather be having this pain, gutting it out with her, taking ownership of this mess I helped to make, and rebuilding this marriage, brick by back-breaking brick, than to be without her. I know God brought us together. She's told me (recently) that she believes the same. It can't be just to leave behind two very wounded people, and two boys who would never really recover from what that would do to them. And so I fight. So I change. So I seek understanding, and engage, rather than withdraw when faced with conflict. It isn't easy. My trip to the doctor yesterday confirmed this. Don't even ask about my blood pressure. This is the biggest battle of my life, and I am working on at least five different things every day. Anxiety is the least of my troubles. But she is worth it. My eyes have been opened to the possibilities, and I know now that we can be so much more---live out loud, and that is why I don't just get up everyday, but I catch myself smiling, for no apparent reason at all. I guess it is a vote of confidence that I can handle it, straight from the guy upstairs. In weaker moments, I think a little less confidence would be nice. But I know better.

Sorry if that is too Al Gore for you, Dick. It is the truth, and it is very much on my mind. Even when I sleep.

More Fun and Games.

Doc says the chest pains are stress related, but not a heart attack, or angina. He thinks anxiety attacks. Prescribed Xanax. The good news is I got to come home and take a nap, and I have apparently lost about 20 lbs since March. Yeah, me. I think.
Mrs. BiW drove me to the doctor and tofill the script, and home. she seems genuinely concerned. Her words this morning when we were talking aon the phone and it happened again? "BiW, you're scaring me."

Once I get Mom moved out of the house she hasn't been paying me rent for in months, that will reduce a lot of stress for me right there.

Out of Sorts

Don't ask me why. I just seem to have a lot of nervous energy today. The walk at lunch helped, but I foresee some SERIOUS Nordic Track time tonight after the boys go to bed. I have to wait that long since Mrs. BiW is going to dinner with a friend. The nice thing about learning to name your inner demons and face them down is the control that it gives you. My pants just seem to be a lot looser now, and I really don't feel like I am missing anything if I don't eat (unless I just don't do it at all, then I get that nice "Whoa! What the heck just happened to me?" feeling.)

The bad news is that I seem to get these little fits of anxiety(?) for reasons I can't explain. Physical activity helps, but when you're engaged in a serious rewrite of an LLC Agreement and the associated documents that go with it, you can't just get up and go for a walk for an hour. At least it will be good and warm when I go home. (That's a joke. If it warmer than 75 degrees farhenheit, it is really too warm for me. When I lived in Michigan, this was the time of year I would immerse myself up to my neck in Lake Huron [See Liquid Ice] for as long as I could stand it until the sun went down.

Lottery Dreams

Didn't win Tuesday. As of this morning, tonight's drawing is worth $126 Million. Cash Lump sum payout is $71.5 Million. I would SO like to call in uninterested come Monday. Just dreaming my way through it:

Taxes off the top : about $17 million.

Amount left over after paying off all debts: Still over $50 Million.

Gifts to family, freinds, our church, and establishing several scholarships and foundations: Still got about $43 Million.

Being able to tell Mrs. BiW that she can have what ever she wants in Tiffany's and flying to Paris for dinner? Priceless.

Holidays

I think I am one of 5 attorneys working this week, and frankly, I don't want to be here this July 3rd afternoon. The good news is that tonight is dance lesson night. Mrs. BiW and I practiced last night. I think one of the reasons that "it feels right" this time is that she is having to learn things also. She danced when she was younger, so consequently, she is used to knowing what she is doing. This translates into her leading. She can't do that in swing dancing, and it is hard. We had to work on hand positions for a few minutes last night so she could feel me push as well as pull. She got it. She is having trouble with the West Coast Swing steps also. Fair is fair, though. I have real trouble with the East Coast Triple Step, which is the one she really wants to do. Its ok though, because we both have to work on it. Together. Without children.

Did I mention that I really look forward to these date nights?

Bought a Mega Millions ticket. $106 Million means we don't have to work and we get to take a few trips. Plus a whole lot o stuff gets taken care of. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. If I could pay off my lawschool loans, maybe I could learn a trade and work with my hands. It would be nice to step away from my work at the end of the day and see something that has actually been completed instead of a pile of paper.

Y'all have a good fourth. I'm gonna do some stuff with my family and be back here on the 5th, moving more paper around on my desk.

Reading Material

Ok, I haven't had a history of official endorsements, but I felt the need to speak up about this one.

"Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul"
and
"The Way of the Wild Heart: A Map for The Masculine Journey"
By John Eldridge

Up to the point I read the first one, I would have to categorize myself as an "Intellectual Christian". Its kind of like hearing the melody, but not the rhythym. The result is that I was not LIVING life true to myself. I was like a blind person, really only able to feel anger and irritation, which meant that I was making a mess of my home and my family. Well, a mess would be polite. I found myself in a very dire place, where I was in serious jeopardy of losing my family. I walk around the mall after work lead me to wander into the bookstore and find the first book. While I read it, I kept seeing so many things that made sense. A lot of sense.

For the first time in years, I actually have some feelings and emotions. I'm fighting everyday for my marriage and my boys, not taking anything for granted, and understanding that I have have to continue changing who I am and how I do things regardless of whether my wife and boys will decide that I'm someone they want to live with.

That isn't to say that I don't wrestle with doubts and uncertainties, but the difference is that I am not afraid any more. Turning all of that over and living faith grants a kind of peace that nothing else brings.

I know this isn't everyone's cup of tea; I don't expect anyone to change what they are doing in their own lives (Dick comes to mind). I just wanted to let everyone know what is going on in mine...you must have at least a "I can't turn away from the train wreck" fascination. After all, you're reading it.

Britanistan Terrorism

Saw in the news today that while I enjoyed a blissful weekend in the land of the free, courtesy of brave men and women in uniform in all parts of the globe, that the UK has had some "issues" with those peace-loving muslims CAIR keeps telling us about.

Keep your eyes open, Alex. I'll be praying for you, Anita, and the girls to remain safe.

Weekend Fun!

Mrs. BiW, one of her friends, and heirs no. one and two and I all drove up to Seattle last night to watch the Marniers play the Blue Jays. I used to love the Jays, back when they used to field a good team and you couldn't get a ticket to a home game for love or money. It was raining when we left, so when we got there, to the upper deck, the top of Safeco Field was closed. The sun came out, it cleared up, and they open the top. It was fun. It was my first time there, and I was surprised how many other people were wearing Jays gear. Heir No. Two ran out of attention span by the third inning, so I took him out and we walked all around the upper deck. He sat on my shoulders. He had a great time. We left in the seventh inning, and came home. Mrs. BiW is still sick with a sinus infection so she crashed out before too long.

This morning, we took the boys to see Ratatoulle. The little one is too little to go to the movies. I had to sit in the lobby with him for the last 20 minutes, which is too bad, because I was really enjoying the movie. Now if I could just figure out what to make for dinner...

Another Update

Started a swing dance class with Mrs. BiW last night. I had a lot of fun. The instructor is very good. Mrs. BiW had fun also. She got roses delivered today as a thank you for a wonderful evening.

On other fronts, the spiritual battle rages on. I keep getting some interesting insights, mostly about things I have been doing wrong. I know that is so I can start doing those things right, but it can be a little discouraging at times just the same.

Update.

No, I'm not really back yet, although you could say I have had an ephipany and then some. Lots of rebuilding to do, but I know who's got my back, and part of knowing what to do for me right now involves a lot of trust and listening for the necessary guidance. For now, I can say this:

Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls.

Jeremiah 6:16, NIV

See ya in a while. Maybe.

Hiatus

It seems that I've been in denial about a lot of things for several years now. Especially myself. What this means is that I need to engage in a pretty serious life audit, and determine what who I am, what I want, and what I'll do to get there. If I'm lucky, then I'll figure it out, and maybe earn a place in the hearts of those most dear to me. If I can't accomplish that...

The Family You Choose

I was thinking this morning about family. Being an only child and the oldest male in my line of descent, I think about these things alot now. Last week Mrs. BiW and I met with Heir No. One's new psychiatrist, who will be helping him to cope with the different issues raised by his Aspergers Syndrome. During the discussion, my wife raised the opinion that my father had it and that I show signs of it. At this, the Doctor looked at me and asked, did you have trouble with social interaction when growing up. I said "No." He asked "What make you say that?" I replied, because even though I was an only child, I have four brothers. And I can be very social, I just don't choose to be on many occaisions."

My wife was forced to agree. I have four brothers. I will until the day I die. Even though one is in Britanistan, the other three in Michigan, and one of those in a self-imposed exile from the rest of us, they each know that they can count on me, and I on them, and I can carry that thought with me always.

*raising a glass*
Alex, Brian, Matt, and Jaime, freinds absent but not forgotten.

A Bone to Pick...

I usually listen to the Michael Savage show when driving home from the office. I think he sometimes self-indulgent and almost a parody of himself, but there is no questioning his conservatism. I even liked his sometimes guest host, Douglas Urbanski, until today. When I got in the car at a quarter after five, he was talking about the media's attempts to crown a republican candidate that Shillary could beat. Then he said that Fred Thompson was a great example of such a creation by the liberal media, and how he isn't electable.

Come again? A creation of the liberal media? Unelectable?

He continued to give his take on the latest debate, and how he felt that Romney wasn't getting the exposure that he felt necessary because the media recognizes him as a threat to Shrillary, but never really gave any reasons why he felt that the Fred buzz is a product of the left-leaning media. I listened for the next 45 minutes, and the only thing I could glean in the way of an objection is that Fred is an actor, but isn't Reagan and doesn't have his political experience. He feels that the buzz is due to Fred's most recent acting gig.

What an ass. Until it had come up, I didn't know Fred had been on Law and Order. I'm lawyer. I live it, and with few exceptions, I don't find watching it to be that entertaining. Do I think the acting experience is a plus? Absolutely, but I like the Senator because he gets it. Listen to the commentaries. Read the text. Even without the sonorous delivery, you can tell the guy understands what is at stake, and the lack of political experience makes me believe he won't be beholden to anybody. As for being a creation of the left-leaning media, I can't say I've read much of anything from the MSM outlets about him.

Mike, I like your show, even when I disagree with you, but Doug resorted to the lefty tactic: throw the bomb and run. You wanna convince me? Bring me something substantial.

It Is Important. You Know What to Do.

http://www.imwithfred.com/

Click, sign up, and give.

Hat tip to Dick.

Pink Swastikas to Boy Scouts: Allow Gay Membership or Lose Meeting Place

The gay lobby and its sympathizers continue to demand that an American institution based on bedrock principals change to meet the "new" morality of anything goes. My pal, Darth Bacon, a resident of Philthydelphia brought this to my attention a while back, but I saw this story tonight, and felt that it was comment worthy.


From the A. P.:

PHILADELPHIA - The city may require the Boy Scouts of America's Cradle of Liberty Council to affirm that it will not discriminate against openly gay people or else lose its rent-free headquarters.

Kinda reminicent of the gays who keep trying to tell the Pope that he has to change and accept them they way that they are.

The City Council passed a resolution Thursday that City Solicitor Romulo L. Diaz Jr. said was a last step needed to end the Scouts' lease under a 1928 ordinance that leased the land to them in perpetuity.

You must conform! You must! Gay is good!

Jeff Jubelirer, a spokesman for the Cradle of Liberty Council, said any decision probably would involve the leadership of the scout's National Council, and he did not know how scout officials would react.

What dispute? A decades-old organization based on Christian principals that used to have the support of the body politic in an era when character, not public deviance used to be a civil priority has refused to compromise itself so that deviants can participate in the Boy Scouts without the guilt that comes from a lifestyle choice that is contrary to the principals of the organization. Why start your own your own organization like the Gay Scouts of America, with merit badges in Interior Design, Anonymous Gay Sex, and of course, Stooping to Any Low to Force "Acceptance" by Everyone Else in the World.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2000 that as a private group, scouts have a First Amendment right to bar gays from membership. The Cradle of Liberty Council adopted a nondiscrimination policy in 2003 but was ordered to revoke it by the National Council, which said local councils had no right to deviate from national rules that bar participation by anyone who is openly gay.

Nothing like a local chapter going of the reservation to cater to the Intolerant Scions of Tolerance. Paging the Anglican Church, Paging the Anglican Church!

Jeff Jubelirer, a spokesman for the Cradle of Liberty Council, said any decision probably would involve the leadership of the scout's National Council, and he did not know how scout officials would react.

Because the National Council will yank their charter so fast, they'll be let naked and cold before they have any idea what is going on.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2000 that as a private group, scouts have a First Amendment right to bar gays from membership. The Cradle of Liberty Council adopted a nondiscrimination policy in 2003 but was ordered to revoke it by the National Council, which said local councils had no right to deviate from national rules that bar participation by anyone who is openly gay.

I imagine that Sir Baden Powell is waiting for his opportunity to lead these fine "scouts" on a "special" hike, if you know what I mean.

I'm Sure Glad That Bush Feels That We Can Work With This Guy

Once again, from the only paper I read with any regularity, the Globe and Mail, we have an interview with Bush's favorite Russian, Vlad "I'll Kick Your Ass" Putin:

Mr. Putin, in an interview at his summer residence outside Moscow, said he considers U.S. plans to build an eastern European anti-missile site to shoot down Iranian missiles a provocation aimed at Russia.

Sure, because there is an obvious relation between the two.

He repeatedly described the anti-missile system as a part of the American "strategic nuclear potential," whose existence he said requires Russia to retaliate to maintain the global "strategic balance."

Such need being triggered by our proven willingness to nuke other nations without any provocation whatsoever, I'm sure.

Asked what he might do to retaliate, he said he would return Russia to the Cold War status where missiles were aimed at European targets.

Reviewing the gratitude shown by Europe for our intent to sacrifice American lives to liberate their countries and keep them free of Soviet oppression in the past, my first inclination is to say, "Fine. Nuke Europe. The rate they appear to be going, any vestige of civilzation there will be under the heel of Islam soon anyway, and they don't appear to want to meet that threat anyway." but I figure that will just send everything sideways that much sooner.

"It is obvious that if part of the strategic nuclear potential of the United States is located in Europe, and according to our military experts will be threatening us, we will have to respond," he said.

Sure, because we want to spend the time and effort defeating you again, after we already won the cold war. Don't you have an ethnic minority to brutally oppress or a significant rival to drive to ruin?

"What kind of steps are we going to take in response? Of course, we are going to get new targets in Europe."

Becuase we know we couldn't take you in a straight up fight, so we'll use other nations as shields. "Give me what I want or I'll shoot this puppy" is always a righteous strategy.

He suggested that this could include powerful nuclear-capable weapons.

Because what's the point in having a planet-destroying arsenal if you don't get to use it?

What kind of means will be used to hit the targets that our military believe are potential threats to the Russian federation? This is a purely technical issue, be it ballistic missiles or cruise missiles, or some kinds of novel weapons systems - this is a purely technical issue."

And since the President of the United States is completely unwilling to even secure the borders, I feel confident that he'll do nothing to prevent me from acting like a madman.

Its a good thing that I read THE BOOK and know how it is going to end. Otherwise, I might worry.

Selfish Attorney Endangers Others and Further Maligns Profession In the Process

The AP had an interesting story about the TB infected lawyer who endangered others at the Globe and Mail.

One thing is clear about the honeymooner who put airline passengers at risk of getting an especially dangerous strain of tuberculosis: He can't claim ignorance.

No. Just stupidity with a healthy dose of extraordinarily bad judgment.

Andrew Speaker didn't just have doctors' warnings against flying to Europe, and again against flying back. As a personal injury lawyer, he presumably knew something about the dangers of reckless behaviour.

Which is why he should be sued until his eyes bleed.

And most amazingly, Speaker has a new father-in-law with a vast knowledge of the disease he carried aboard two trans-Atlantic flights.

See above.

Bob Cooksey, a CDC microbiologist specializing in TB and other bacteria, said he gave his 31-year-old son-in-law some “fatherly advice” when he learned the young man had contracted the disease. He would not comment on whether he reported his son-in-law to federal health authorities, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not explain how the case came to their attention.

He let his daughter marry Andy, and presumably enjoy intimate contact with him after learning he has a strain of drug-resistant TB? Is he the beneficiary of a really large insurance policy on her life?

Some travellers who flew on the same flights as Speaker angrily accused him of putting hundreds of other people's lives in danger.

And rightly so.

Despite warnings from federal health officials not to board another long flight, he flew home for treatment, fearing he wouldn't survive if he didn't reach the U.S., he said.

Who just happened to go on vacation knowing he had this disease. Riiggghhhht.

“I'm a very well-educated, successful, intelligent person,” he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “This is insane to me that I have an armed guard outside my door when I've co-operated with everything other than the whole solitary-confinement-in-Italy thing.”

I’m selfish bastard who has cooperated with with all instructions except the ones I didn’t like, ‘cuz they’re no fun, you know?

The Homeland Security Department is investigating how Mr. Speaker was allowed back into the U.S. on May 24, after he flew to Canada to avoid being stopped by U.S. health officials.

Wait a minute! He feared he wouldn’t survive if he didn’t reach the US, so he flew into Canada???

Along the border crossing at Champlain, N.Y., an inspector ran Mr. Speaker's passport through a computer, and a warning — including instructions to hold the traveller, don a protective mask in dealing with him, and telephone health authorities — popped up, officials said.

Good.

About a minute later, Mr. Speaker was instead cleared to continue on his journey, according to officials familiar with the records.

Of course he was. Move along. Warning of serious health threat, nothing to see here, move along.

The inspector has been removed from border duty.

How comforting.

The unidentified inspector explained that he was no doctor but that the infected man seemed perfectly healthy and that he thought the warning was merely “discretionary,” officials briefed on the case told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter is still under investigation.

Am I the only person who finds it disturbing that customs inspectors are making determinations as to the potential health threat a person poses based on appearance?

Colleen Kelley, president of the union that represents customs and border agents, declined to comment on the specifics of the case, but said “public health issues were not receiving adequate attention and training” within the agency.

Do you think??? If Al-Queerda is paying any attention, they just found a new way to hit us.

On Thursday, a tan and healthy-looking Mr. Speaker was flown from Atlanta to Denver, accompanied by his wife and federal marshals, to Denver's National Jewish Medical and Research Center, where doctors planned to isolate him and treat him with oral and intravenous antibiotics.

A few lawsuits will wipe the tan right off him, I’m sure.

Mr. Speaker's father-in-law has worked at the CDC for 32 years and is in the Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, where he works with TB and other organisms. He has co-authored papers on diabetes, TB and other infectious diseases.
“As part of my job, I am regularly tested for TB. I do not have TB, nor have I ever had TB,” he said in a statement. “My son-in-law's TB did not originate from myself or the CDC's labs, which operate under the highest levels of biosecurity.”

Certainly an interesting statement. Why did he deny that it came from him? Why did Andy get checked?

“I'm hoping and praying that he's getting the proper treatment, that my daughter is holding up mentally and physically,” Mr. Cooksey said. “Had I known that my daughter was in any risk, I would not allow her to travel.”

How does someone who works with the disease assume that there is no risk to a loved one when there is no determination of the strain? I’m sorry, that doesn’t add up.

Andrew Speaker recently moved from an upscale condominium complex in anticipation of his wedding, former neighbours said. He also wrote in an application to become a board member of his condo association that he was going to Vietnam for five weeks as part of the Rotary Club to act as an ambassador.

Maybe he picked it up there...but if he was so damn healthy, what prompted him to get tested?

Mr. Speaker told the Journal-Constitution that he wasn't coughing and that doctors initially did not order him not to fly and only suggested he put off his long-planned wedding. “We headed off to Greece thinking everything's fine,” he told the newspaper.

So I decided to go on my honeymoon and put my wife at risk because I felt fine, even though I am a well-educated person and could presumably find out how much risk I pose to others by Googling the name. With intellectual processes that sharp, I'm sure he has a long career ahead of him in Congress. Asshat.

Friday Favorite

I always loved this tune. Dick probably knows these guys.

The Latest Insult

Have you ever poured all of your attention and energies into a worthy endeavor for a prolonged period of time just to have it all turn into a steaming pile of manure and then you are on the receiving end of a professional equivalent of an unforgivable curse?

Me too, and I'm REALLY REALLY REALLY pissed!

Idiocy That Passes For Education

I saw a story on MSN today about grandparents suing the Chicago schools for showing "Brokeback Mountain" to their 12 year old grandchild. I thought that type of thing would be a no-brainer, but not in what passes for edumincashun today. Hell, I never want to watch it and I'm an adult. Apparently the kid required some therapy after, and the grandparents were a little teed off over evposure to the language and concepts.

I hope they win.

Fun with the NHL Playoffs

My Ottawa Senators are kicking butt! Three games to none against Buffalo. I love it! (Even though Ryan Miller, the Sabre's goal tender is a cousin of mine.)

New Music

Last week I heard Christina Aguilera's "Candyman". If you like Big Band/Swing, you'll like it. If you don't, it sucks to be you. Myself, I'm a sucker for a great horn arrangment. Mrs. Blackiswhite bought me the album, "Back to Basics." No other Big Band track on it. Some interesting retrotracks of other types. She actually has a hell of a voice. I don't know why she is trying to out-slut all the other women in the business. If she cranks out more tracks like some of these, she'll do just fine.

I Say It to My Clients, I Say It to My Kids...

Dick, I tell you, I do not know why these guys never caught on. I had three of their albums when i was in high school, and all three cassettes were in heavy rotation in my car...

Another Nugget From my Misspent Youth

Understand, I grew up in a shop town. My freinds did not understand my ecclectic tastes in music.

It Was True Then, and It Is True Now...

Sorry, did you say something? I was flashing back to High School...

Another Classic

Late Night Summer, Driving Around the City, Smelling the Air and Sliding Into THAT Mindset...

One of My Favorite Songs

These guys do melodic melancholia better than anyone I know. This song is a prime example.

Dhimicrats In Congress Continue Their Attempts to Criminalize The White Male

H.R. 1592 came to the House floor this week. Titled the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, this bill proposes to take acts that are already criminal, and make them MORE criminal by federalizing them if they are committed against people belonging to certain groups and classes, i.e., anyone who is not a white male. Don't take my word for it. Have a look yourself.

`Sec. 249. Hate crime acts

`(a) In General-

`(1) OFFENSES INVOLVING ACTUAL OR PERCEIVED RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN- Whoever, whether or not acting under color of law, willfully causes bodily injury to any person or, through the use of fire, a firearm, or an explosive or incendiary device, attempts to cause bodily injury to any person, because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, or national origin of any person--

`(A) shall be imprisoned not more than 10 years, fined in accordance with this title, or both; and

`(B) shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life, fined in accordance with this title, or both, if--

`(i) death results from the offense; or

`(ii) the offense includes kidnaping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill.

`(2) OFFENSES INVOLVING ACTUAL OR PERCEIVED RELIGION, NATIONAL ORIGIN, GENDER, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY, OR DISABILITY-

`(A) IN GENERAL- Whoever, whether or not acting under color of law, in any circumstance described in subparagraph (B), willfully causes bodily injury to any person or, through the use of fire, a firearm, or an explosive or incendiary device, attempts to cause bodily injury to any person, because of the actual or perceived religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability of any person--

`(i) shall be imprisoned not more than 10 years, fined in accordance with this title, or both; and

`(ii) shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life, fined in accordance with this title, or both, if--

`(I) death results from the offense; or

`(II) the offense includes kidnaping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill.

`(B) CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED- For purposes of subparagraph (A), the circumstances described in this subparagraph are that--

`(i) the conduct described in subparagraph (A) occurs during the course of, or as the result of, the travel of the defendant or the victim--

`(I) across a State line or national border; or

`(II) using a channel, facility, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce;

`(ii) the defendant uses a channel, facility, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce in connection with the conduct described in subparagraph (A);

`(iii) in connection with the conduct described in subparagraph (A), the defendant employs a firearm, explosive or incendiary device, or other weapon that has traveled in interstate or foreign commerce; or

`(iv) the conduct described in subparagraph (A)--

`(I) interferes with commercial or other economic activity in which the victim is engaged at the time of the conduct; or

`(II) otherwise affects interstate or foreign commerce.

`(b) Certification Requirement- No prosecution of any offense described in this subsection may be undertaken by the United States, except under the certification in writing of the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General, the Associate Attorney General, or any Assistant Attorney General specially designated by the Attorney General that--

`(1) such certifying individual has reasonable cause to believe that the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of any person was a motivating factor underlying the alleged conduct of the defendant; and

`(2) such certifying individual has consulted with State or local law enforcement officials regarding the prosecution and determined that--

`(A) the State does not have jurisdiction or does not intend to exercise jurisdiction;

`(B) the State has requested that the Federal Government assume jurisdiction;

`(C) the State does not object to the Federal Government assuming jurisdiction; or

`(D) the verdict or sentence obtained pursuant to State charges left demonstratively unvindicated the Federal interest in eradicating bias-motivated violence.

`(c) Definitions- In this section--

`(1) the term `explosive or incendiary device' has the meaning given such term in section 232 of this title;

`(2) the term `firearm' has the meaning given such term in section 921(a) of this title; and

`(3) the term `gender identity' for the purposes of this chapter means actual or perceived gender-related characteristics.

`(d) Rule of Evidence- In a prosecution for an offense under this section, evidence of expression or associations of the defendant may not be introduced as substantive evidence at trial, unless the evidence specifically relates to that offense. However, nothing in this section affects the rules of evidence governing impeachment of a witness.'.

Nice, huh?

I see that the pink swastika lobby got tossed a bone also. Even though their is no concrete evidence supporting the creation of a protected class based on sexual orientation, the dhimis decided, all by their lonesome that they are worthy of special protection. This all misses the point. If I beat the crap out of you and kill you, I have committed a crime. If I beat the crap out of you and kill you and you happen to be gay/hispanic/jewish or female, I committed a crime, AND I get a longer sentance, whereas the penalty for doing the same to me is the same, no matter who does it or why. So much for equal protection under the law.

I don't question their patriotism. They simply do not have any. They have overstayed their welcome. Its time to march on D.C. with pitchforks and torches and show these weasels the door.

Revenge of Free Speech

I see that Imus is suing the spineless wimpletons at CBS. Apparently the contract recognized that he was provocative and encouraged it. It also required them to issue a warning before firing him. Whoops. Sucks when the hired help actually READS the contract.

CBS has said they'll fight him in court. They didn't fight when it mattered. They didn't call bullshit on the left-reverends Sharptongue and Jackson. That kind of abdication should be painful, and being spineless wimpletons, only a pecuniary loss will hurt.