Yet another Bush Administration official turns coat - Scott McClellan says Bush ordered him to lie

The most powerful leader in the world had called upon me to speak on his behalf and help restore credibility he lost amid the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. So I stood at the White house briefing room podium in front of the glare of the klieg lights for the better part of two weeks and publicly exonerated two of the senior-most aides in the White House: Karl Rove and Scooter Libby.

There was one problem. It was not true.

I had unknowingly passed along false information. And five of the highest ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, the vice President, the President's chief of staff, and the President himself.

---Scott McClellan, "WHAT HAPPENED Inside the Bush White House and What's Wrong with Washington"

 
 

 
 

I almost feel bad for Bush - his buddies, friends, flunkies and cohorts are turning against him.  McClellan was with Bush since Texas and he worked with the man for almost a decade. 

Never the Right Time

Never the Right Time

 

Dear Will…

 

How are you? How is your wife? How are your children? I can't believe that we haven't spoken in so long. I remember a time when I couldn't bear to go an hour without hearing your voice. The lack of your touch would send me into an emotional spiral of despair. There was a time when I couldn't exist without you.

 

We were young then, very young. We planned our futures together. There was to have been a beautiful wedding where you would wear a kilt and I would wear an immaculate white dress – a princess dress for your princess. We were so naïve then because you weren't a man yet and I wasn't a woman. Neither of us ready for the commitments were had promised, so we parted ways.

 

Later, I watched you struggle through relationships that you didn't seem to want and I acted out my youthful indiscretions in the most harmful ways possible. You finally got away from HER but I was with HIM. The wrong time once again for two people that still cared. There was nothing more than a stolen night or two of intimacy to give solace to one another, nothing more.

 

My child came first and I left the man that was destroying my soul piece by piece. I had to protect my child and he gave me the courage to leave. That time we thought we had a shot but my battered psyche couldn't handle a public relationship, so we met in silence. We met cloaked with deception. When your father died, it was the deception that destroyed us. We split because you hurt me and you hurt me so that I could leave you without you destroying me. I think you knew how damaged I was at the time. It was a good thing in retrospect.

 

Next came your surprise child and a wife. You wanted me at the wedding but I couldn't go. I just couldn't bring myself to look at you marrying another woman in a ceremony that was supposed to be ours. It was just too hard for me to handle. I think it hurt you that I wasn't there but I hope you understood my reasons.

 

Now I protect my heart. I don't give it away anymore because there isn't much left of me to give. I have to keep it safe because it has been broken time and time again. Maybe one day, there will a chance for us, but I won't wish for it. A chance for us means your family would have to be destroyed and they don't deserve that. However, if there is a chance, I would gladly take it. I gave my heart to you long ago so that means that if you wanted to try, I wouldn't have to break down any of the protective barriers I built up around me.

 

I am not trying for love anymore. I am simply working to be happy. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

Kate

The Errors of Camping…

Oh the Snafus of a camping trip. Now don't get me wrong, I love to camp – especially in the Upper Peninsula. It's beautiful here. I just wish a few less things could go wrong.

Problem #1 – This actually happen IN Detroit. The skies opened up like God herself was trying to drown us. It rained the entire day before we left. I put off packing the van because I was hoping to do it without the rain. Well, the very next morning – the rain was actually WORSE than the day before. There is nothing like packing in the rain.

Problem #2 – The FM Modulator I had Best Buy hardwire into my car doesn't work. Now, they tried to tell me it was because 89X comes in too strong in Detroit. WRONG! Tonight I realized that it ha nothing to do with any radio station. It's all about the car's headlights. I am pretty sure they have hardwired the damned thing into my damned headlights. When they are on – the thing works. When the lights are off – it doesn't work. Grrr….

Problem #3 – This was minor because I just forgot my stupid phone charger. I knew I would need it though because my parents are coming up on Wednesday. After stopping at a truck stop super gas station (I thought they had everything), I was told to go to a Walmart. That added a half hour to the trip.

Problem #4 – Upon arrival at the state park, we immediately began to unpack. I had the van unloaded and we started to get the tent up. Well, that would have gone more smoothly if we had TENT POLES!!! It seems that the tent poles were NOT in the tent bag. Maybe I couldn't get them in last year. Maybe I thought they would tear the tent. In either case, the tent poles were safely in Detroit while I am in St Ignace. This required another trip to a Walmart.

Problem #5 – Xander's sleeping bag died last night. The stupid zipper busted. I ended up giving him my extra blankets and I froze. Oh well, I love my bo and don't want him to be cold.

Problem #6 – I DROPPED MY CAMERA!!! Its dead. I killed it. I absolutely LOVED my camera. This pisses me off to no end. I broke it though, so I can't be mad at anybody else.

Problem #7 – I bought these two AWESOME looking steaks for dinner. They were only $6 a pound for Angus Porterhouses. I marinated them. I lovingly prepared them. Xander and I were drooling over these yummy looking steaks. They looked absolutely perfect as I took them off the grill. They looked perfect as they fell into the fire. They didn't stay perfect though. They burst into flames. They died tragically like my camera.

 

For all of the problems – I wouldn't trade this for the world. I have my boy. We have nature and some beautiful surroundings. We have the lakes. We have an awesome view of Big Mac. We have each other and we have had some incredible discussions. I love it.

The Democratic Party – Campaigning to Lose

OK folks. Stop the self-destructive crap. Quit screaming for impeachment. Stop acting like a bunch of screaming lunatics that people are forced to first look at and then run from. Democrats are currently working on their next campaign and the current title of the campaign is "Losing Like Pros".

After 2004, you would have thought that the Democrats would take a more proactive approach to an election. Instead, we are seeing the same self-destructive patterns that we saw in '04 emerging. First off, Democrats need to realize that it's not just the actual candidates that lost them the campaign. The members and people that vote for the Democratic Party played a vital role in the discrediting of the party and its candidates. So let's look at some things that need to be changed if we want to regain the Oval Office.

1. Stop the insane blood curdling screeches of "Impeach Bush!" and "When Clinton lied, nobody died". We all know that Bush is scum, but I really don't want millions upon millions of dollars wasted on an impeachment process that would never be successful and doesn't have time complete before the man leaves office. Most of the world knows that he will be here until his term is finished – accept it and move on to better things. When you continually harp on this one talking point, you look obsessed and some of you look slightly crazy.
   
2. Get off the Cindy Sheehan train. I get it. Her kid died. That is absolutely the worst tragedy a parent can face – the death of a child. However, Casey Sheehan CHOSE to be a member of the American military. That is not a safe job folks, even without Bush in there. Casey Sheehan not only CHOSE to be in the Army, he CHOSE to reenlist knowing that he would be sent into Iraq. He also chose to be a part of an emergency reaction group to rescue other American soldiers. Yes, it's sad that he is gone, but Sheehan needs to understand that her son made the choice to be there.
   
3. We also need to understand that our nation broke the only stable government Iraq knew. So now we are stuck there for years to come. Leaving Iraq would only create a new Afghanistan….
   
4. Yes, Bush got Scooter Libbey out of jail time. That's nothing new folks. Presidential Pardons are a perk of the job and EVERY president has used the privilege. Clinton pardoned a damned child molester folks. Let's get over it.
   
5. Halliburton sucks. Yep. We get that. It's a multinational corporation and most of them do suck. Your point is? Do you honestly think that this election is the vehicle to change our entire economic system? Maybe there are some better venues for that process.
   
6. The Bush twins are making six figures as consultants. They choose not to be in the military, so why try to force them there? Remember, we have a volunteer army and we live in a nation where we are allowed to make our own decisions. Let's apply those rules to everyone – even if you don't like them. Leave the girls alone, just like we wanted people to leave Chelsea alone.
   
7. Quit screaming about sexual morality or honesty in politics. Both sides are crooked folks. I know it. You know it. Let's not be hypocrites and try to act like only their side has problems.
   
8. Can we please get a candidate that can speak to the common man? Just like a newspaper, the copy has to be dumbed down to an eighth grade level so that everybody understands what you are saying. Kerry learned this the hard way. HE tried to talk to the people like he was speaking to a room of college educated intellectuals. Face it folks – less than 1 in 4 people have a college degree.
   
9. Can we try not to alienate Christians by painting them all in the same stroke as a bigoted fundamentalist sect? Christians come in all shapes and sizes. They also come in a wide range of beliefs. Accept it and stop alienating them.
   
10. Will somebody please talk to the ACLU??? While they will take up the case for separation of church and state when it comes to a Christian group – they ignore it for Muslims. They even refused to take cases where tax dollars were being used at public schools to provide for religious study. I am all for separation – equal separation.
    

 

I think I might list more later but for now, this is what I have time to write down….

Made in China – Leaded Toys and Dr. Martin Luther King?

Made in America. That is a label that we see less and less in this nation. Even when we do see it, the only thing that was made here is the label. Outsourcing has become so commonplace that its sometimes hard to find American made products.

This week has been a difficult one for corporations that produce their products in nations like China. They are learning that lax standards and cheap labor are hurting their products and their bottom lines. The recall of millions of toys has lead to fears of foreign made toys hurting our children. Some people even fear that the Chinese government is deliberately trying to hurt our children and our nation. (I don't know if I buy that one).

Now word comes that the statue for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in the National Mall will be made by a Chinese artist in China. There were hopes that an African American artist would be chosen to immortalize Rev. King in stone, unfortunately that were not in the cards. American artists are infuriated that a Chinese artist was chosen over any American. They see this as further betrayal to the American people.

How would Dr. King feel about this turn of events? He always saw a future world where all people were equal. That includes people of every nationality, color, ethnicity and heritage. He might see a Chinese man crafting his statue and be happy about it because the man was allowed entrance into the closed art world. I personally think that Dr. King would be happy that they were willing to consider any person for the job.

Are you dying to be thin? Do you need a “thinspiration”? Do you think the skin and bones look is the way to go?

Do you want to be thin?   Are you seeking "thinspiration"?   Just type "pro-ana" into google or look for a pro-ana group on Myspace.   There you will find thousands of women (and a handful of men) sharing ways to live the pro-ana lifestyle.  What is pro-ana?  Oh, thats just a pro-anorexia lifestyle. Do you want to know how to survive on a saltine and a diet soda a day for a month- these sick people are more than willing to share with you their "successes".

Now i knew that the pro-ana lifestyle had hit the web in the form of web rings and standalone websites.  What's new is the influx of myspace sites.  Look at this one.  This poor sick little girl offers the following advice in her profile:

About me:
As promised, Tips And Tricks for Pro-Anas:

• I swear by diet pills. Losing weight causes hormone imbalance and makes you edgier and drained. Diet pills balance your hormones allowing you to be happier and have more energy. A warning though. Take them as soon as you wake up. If taken later in the day, you will have trouble sleeping. You may be slightly nausiated when you begin taking them on an empty stomach but it does pass.
  
• Fasting in moderation. So many girls say they are going to fast. I have fasted and the weight will come back if you fast for long periods and then binge. I find the easiest way to lose weight is to fast for one to two days, on the third day eat small portions of food and then return to fasting. You need to control your eating habits. I am not against mia but I have a fear of throwing up and therefore can not binge.
  
• Laxatives. If you feel like you have cheated terribly, take laxatives. A warning here is that your body memorizes laxatives and eventually becomes immune causing you to need more and more to produce an equal effectiveness. Try to only use once every two weeks and buy philips, they are non-cramping and controllable.
  
• Exercise!! This is key. No girl is going to lose weight, even if they are fasting or purging if they do not exercise. Exercise keeps off the weight and allows you to burn more calories. A simple brisk walk is efficient enough. Get off your lazy ass and do something!! Enroll in dance if you have to!
  

 
 

Then if you look at some of this poor girl's friends it gets scarier because these girls clearly have issues.   Some know that they are classified as sick but they choose to ignore. Then if you start surfing livejournal, vox, myspace, xanga and a host of other places - you will see these girls extolling the virtues of being skinny.  Pictures of Nicole Richie, Mary Kate Olsen, Lindsay Lohan and other uber skinny women at their lowest weights are all over these websites as "thinspiration".  It's too sad!!!

 
 

Big Girls You Are Beautiful

I love this video.

 

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Transformers Lives Up to the Hype – a minor warning for parents (no spoilers)

Ahh…the Transformers. As a tomboy with all boys around me growing up – I was a Transformer fan. The 80's had such great cartoons like the Transformers and GI Joe. I remember being a kid and being bummed out that there wasn't a cool Transformer, live-action movie. Well I am glad they waited.

Had they attempted to create a Transformer movie in the 80's it would have been absolute crap. The Autobots and Decepticons would have been portrayed by men in lame costumes or by cartoon renditions thrown in after the fact. Sure, the new Michael Bay vision of this cultural icon is an animated flick but its COMPUTER animation and it looks real.

I would absolutely recommend the movie to everybody. The action is great. The storyline is clear. We get to see some favorite Transformers. All in all…AWESOME! I will not give any spoilers because I would hate to ruin it but there is a caveat to parents.

Parents – be prepared to explain what masturbation is to your kids. For some reason, Michael Bay and his team saw fit to place a masturbation joke in the movie (the mom asks the kid what he is doing in his room and when he won't answer, she asks him if he is masturbating.) I think I did ok, because I told my 8-year-old son and nine-year-old cousin it was something that people did to make themselves feel good when they are in private. I did tell them it had to do with touching themselves and I emphasized it was completely healthy and natural but its private.

Private Priscilla/Private Blues Clues

So my dearest friend, Priscilla, is now in the army. I have to get off my butt and write to her soon because she needs people to write to her while she is in boot camp. She has faced so much adversity in her life. Divorce(s), a bad family structure growing up, parental drug abuse, spousal abuse and the death of her child are just the start of her woes. I love this girl like a sister, so I need to force myself to support her decision – even if I don't agree with it.

She has chosen to work in the group that picks up body parts and identify them for their loved ones. This job pretty much guarantees that her a stint in Afghanistan or Iraq. I worry about her for so many reasons. Will she survive or will she be hurt and/or killed in an attack? Will her mind survive the horror of war and the gruesome task of picking of the shattered pieces of bodies destroyed by war?

So I can only support her. Words of friendship, love and support are all that I can offer her to her. She is trying to do something that will make her beautiful children proud of her – I just hope she comes back whole to her children.

 

Sexual Deviancy is not homosexuality.

There are people in this country that are sexual deviants. They are NOT homosexual people that are driven by biological desire to be with a person of the same sex. They are NOT two consenting adults that choose to engage in adventurous sexual practices. They are not a couple of teens a year apart having sex (a simple stupid choice does not make a person a deviant.)

Sexual deviants are the sick freaks that rape women in alleyways in the dead of night. Sexual deviants are men who force themselves on their dates even though their dates are saying "no". Sexual deviants are people who molest children. Sexual deviants are those that hurt innocent children, people and animals that either can't say "no" or that don't have the power to fight off their attacker.

So when will people get this through their heads?

OK. I am done ranting now.