Missing the point, big time.

Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas made an announcement that it will picket the funeral of Christina Green, the 9-year-old who was one of six people killed Saturday during the attempted assassination of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

WBC is the same group that has made its name by staging protests at funerals of people who died of AIDS, gay people, soldiers and even Coretta Scott King.  These folks test my patience and make me wonder how on earth they sleep at night. 

If you don't like gay people, um don't be gay (not that you'd have a choice if you were gay) and if you're against to war then be peaceful and work to better your community or the community of people affected by war.  If you're against AIDS - heck, we're ALL against AIDS.  Fund research and prevention education.   If Coretta Scott King pisses you off... then I'm just confused.  (Well, she did advocate for human rights, women's rights, LGBT rights, economic issues, world peace, and various other causes - that "evil" woman.)
 As for protesting the funeral of a 9-year-old girl who was caught in the cross fire of a (may I suggest) deranged and misguided person, the idea is preposterous.  What good can come from causing this kids family more pain?  How is God involved in that action?  Do these people expect to be rewarded by God?


I wish I lived in the area to participate in the Angel Corps.  These are folks who will line the streets with tall wings to block the protest signs thus enabling the family, and mourners to enter their place of comfort without the visual distraction of hate signs.  The WBC people may be heard, but they won't be seen.   It is a beautiful, non-violent reaction.  The WBC people have every right to say what they want, per our constitution, but as fellow humans they disgust me.


As for the other topic of the day, this kind of sums it up.  I think we all need to be mindful of the "rhetoric" we put out there because you never know who might be paying attention.  If nothing else, the implication of a connection between your sassy little map Mrs. Palin and the events on Saturday are detrimental to your intended message of what you think is good for America. 

More wonderful things from the Internet

I find that the auto correct on my iPhone is frustrating, but I usually manage to correct it before things like this happen:

HOLY HELL BATMAN

This oil spill is breaking my heart.

It seems to get worse every day and with everything they try it grows and grows and grows.

In addition to feeling overwhelmingly helpless, I have a sneaking suspicion that our thirst for oil and our consumption will not drop one bit.  We, as a people, will learn NOTHING from this. Our policies won't change and we will continue to  "drill baby, drill."

The "leak" will eventually get stopped and the cleanup efforts will continue and then some famous person will die, or some politician will get caught having sex with a goat and our attention will be drawn elsewhere. Ten years later Dateline NBC will run a one hour special "The Gulf, ten years later."  We will cry when the images of blobs of oil wash up on our pretty Florida beaches with sad ominous music playing in the back ground, but we'll be bored with the statistics about the death of the Louisiana fishing industry and the impacts to the wetlands.  I mean come on, if we can't put a 5,000 square foot house on it, what good is it?

I'm sickened by this whole stinking mess.

I also want to smack those people who are using this horrific event to further their own political agendas.  It is not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue it is a global, environmental issue that (feels like) we may never recover from.

Sheesh...where is the fun?

I want to make fun of Lindsay Lohan, but can't.

Sweet little Lindsay Lohan has herself in a bit of a pickle (is pickled?)  She had a court date today regarding her probation on a 2007 drunk driving charge.  She has two more alcohol management classes to take and was due in court today, but she zipped off to the Cannes Film Festival earlier this week to "work".

The story is that she was promoting a film (that hasn't been made or financed) and her passport was stolen so she couldn't make it back.

Well, it turns out the judge in the LA court could give a flying f*ck about her troubles and issued a bench warrant for her arrest. 

Oh girlfriend, you're in the shiz now!

Lindz appears to be surrounded by people who can't seem to help her make smart decisions.  She's a money maker for her family and that seems to cloud their judgment regarding legal issues.

I feel for her because it's pretty clear to me, a total nobody, that she needs help.  And by help, I mean the kind of help Miss Brittney got - keep the bad people away, sober up and focus on the important things in life. 

Lindsay is easy to make fun of because of the stupid stuff she does, but in the end her story is sad.   She'll go to jail for a while and it won't help.  If she could get sober I bet there are many many hollywood people that would take her in, give her work and I predict she would have an amazing career.  I think the girl CAN actually act, but she has to work out her personal crap before that can happen. 

Her parents SUCK and aren't helping.  In my opinion, they should also get some time to reflect on their lack of parental guidance and how it contributes to the soon to be loss of this poor girl.

Gosh, I started out wanting to mock her for being stupid and since it's such a senseless loss of a bright young person I simply feel sick.   I hope she gets help.

It's Rigged!

Sigh

Some people, as you know, can be a constant source of disappointment. Some people don't follow through, some can't be trusted, some aren't kind to small children and animals. Thankfully, in my world there are far more folks who are honorable than not.

Currently, however here are two (or more) folks on my list of least favorite people this week. The first is the stupid yahoo who shot Washington State Patrol Officer Scott Johnson. Thankfully, the assailant was caught, and only had a 22 caliber pistol, which can be deadly but in this case was not. Officer Johnson is someone my family knows personally and that doesn't make the act more terrible it just feels far too damn close to home.

Officer Johnson will recover and go home to his family, but I worry that this incident brought back terrible memories for my parents of another State Patrol Officer who wasn't so fortunate. In the early 1970's my dad was a young trooper and he worked with an officer named Frank Noble. On a Saturday in February of 1972, Frank was murdered by a driver he had pulled over for speeding. The shooter was out on furlough and had just committed armed robbery. Sadly, Officer Noble didn't know this and didn't know to call for back up. I wonder how many lives the in car computers have saved.

I wasn't old enough to know officer Noble or his young family (I was only 3 at the time) but that event distinctly shaped our family. The officers my dad worked with were a very tight knit group and they worked together and their families played together. I don't think I'm over sharing by saying that Frank's death broke my dad's heart. The loss was so huge, so shocking and so unfair that my dad compensated by pushing all but the people closest to him away. When I think about my dad's friends, there aren't many. My mom is his best friend (awww how sweet) and he has a few folks that he considers friends, but they don't do the man-dates. They never have. These are all folks he worked with back in the day too. Dad is a social guy, he's kind and, has funny stories, but you aren't going to get too far into his soul. He keeps that to himself, and I think it's a form of protection.

We are extremely relieved that Officer Johnson will be with us for years and years to come, but his attacker is on my list and not invited to dinner EVER.

The other person (or persons) who are not invited to dinner are the soulless folks who have broken into our church and helped themselves to two electric guitars, a keyboard and most of the audio/visual equipment. I know that steeling is wrong, but how much more wrong is it when you take from people who have devoted their lives to others? It's a pretty shitty thing and frankly I'm pissed about it. Click here for more info.

Well... these are dark thoughts for a beautiful sunny Sunday, I don't need a dose of Prozac or anything. I'm actually going to go make a new recipe for dinner and think it will be tasty. I'm making Chicken Parmesan.

See, not being invited to dinner IS a punishment!

And now I'm pissed

Jas & I have a smallish (but not insignificant) joint savings account at the bank formerly known as WaMu. I noticed today when I transferred a wedding gift into the account that they dinged us for $20 this month and last month.

WHAT THE HELL!?

I called to talk to a telephone banker who told me that when our down payment check cleared our account dropped below the minimum for a free account an now we'll be paying $20 a month until we can add another $5000.00 to the account.

EXCUSE ME?

What I heard them say was "Your account isn't worth our time and we don't really want your business." One phone call to the credit union I tried to quit last year (but didn't) and I find that not only is their money market rate higher but they don't charge a fee unless you go under $1000.00 we are WELL over that amount.

CHASE, I wish I could quit you... AND I CAN.

Now, Jas and I have to discuss the options for moving the savings and maybe all the other accounts. Oh it's a damn hassle, but don't offer me .50% interest but charge me a 2% monthly fee.

You would think I would have broken up with this bank when they gobbled up (or were given) WaMu and I lost my job. I was seduced by their easy locations and thought our long term relationship mattered.

Remember those dumb Sterlings Savings commercials where the local yokels are on the phone with the big New York bank and shocked by what they hear... well FRICK. THAT'S ME RIGHT NOW.

I'M YELLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...

I had a witty and funny blog brewing in my head about Thanksgiving, family (that act like children at every age - 50...60!) and my fun Friday shopping experiences.

I even had a self-deprecating story about my deserved speeding ticket that I earned Friday afternoon. The officer was appreciative of the fact that when he walked up to my window and asked "do you know why I pulled you over" I promptly and humbly replied, "yes I do" and didn't try to explain my way out of it when he asked "were you in a hurry?" "No, it is a sunny day, the music was good, the road was clear and I wasn't paying attention." "That's an honest answer," he replied.

We had a dinner party last night that was really fun and lots of humorous things to share there too - but the news this morning of four Lakewood City police officers getting murdered at a coffee shop has ruined it for me.

I'm not in the mood for levity. I'm pissed and wondering what the hell is going on?

Sure, the police can be difficult to deal with, they treat almost everyone they encounter with caution and assume that you might be trying to evade, lie or even be capable of killing them. If you were an officer, wouldn't you be less than super friendly to everyone you deal with until you're confident you are safe?

I can't stop thinking of the four families (and their entire support system of friends and extended families) who are trying to comprehend what happened this morning. Why? It makes no sense.

I was also thinking about the workers in the coffee shop, if the place re-opened and the killer was still out there would you be able to go to work? I don't think I could.

As for this murderer, do you think he feels victorious tonight? Do you think he feels like he accomplished anything? I hope he's a scared little rabbit right about now, and that his world is getting smaller and smaller. I hope he and that Christopher Momfort fellow... oh I don't know what I hope. I feel a black nugget of anger and hurt towards this person...

The news has made me sad tonight. I think it's time to unplug tv & phones and sit under my pretty Christmas lights.

Neighbor Wars

It is no secret that Jason does not love his next door neighbor. They are incompatible in every way - Jason is tidy, Robert is oblivious of the clods of dirt the tracks up our shared stairs.

Jason is quiet, Robert shakes the building with his forceful door slamming.

Robert is an odd duck who frequently leaves the door to his condo unlocked and sometimes even open for the entire day while he's at work. (His furniture is junky so don't bother to come over and take anything.) Robert will also leave his house on the rainiest and nastiest of days to move one of his two cars (none of which are housed in his garage at any time) into one or more of the two "good" parking spots at the base of the stairs.

I ask you what does it matter if you have to walk across the parking lot to move your car into a spot now versus leaving it where it is and walking across the parking lot later to get in the car to go? None of the spots are unsafe, dark or prone to vandalism.

At first Jason's loathe / hate relationship with Robert was kind of ugly, and I try to be the kindly voice of "everybody is worthy of our compassion".

Today however, Robert lost the battle with me as a silent ally. He has met me a few times and I don't expect him to know my name but when your single neighbor of 7 years finally has a woman over (for SEVEN MONTHS) you notice.

Since we're leaving tomorrow for CHASTITY VACATION 2009 I'm doing a little condo clean up - you know, laundry, clean sheets on the bed, fridge exorcism, and then trash removal.

I ran into Robert outside while taking the trash to the bins and he's all "Hey, are you Jason's housekeeper?"

Housekeeper!?

HOUSEKEEPER

I laughed out loud and said that I was Jason's fiance, and have been living here since October.

I will admit that today I look kind of housekeeper-ish. I'm in casual pants, a t-shirt and no makeup. I'm cleaning house - but damn it.

There's no real exact reason why this question has me so fired up. Maybe I feel marginalized? (Is that demeaning to the hard working housekeepers in the world?)

There's no real point to my story, except that now I don't want to finish the household chore list I made for myself.

Classic!?

Apparently Rihanna is in New York talking with producers about taking on Whitney’s role in the updated version of "The Bodyguard", which an insider says would be a “young and sexy take” on the favorite film.

Um... can or SHOULD a movie that is only 15 years old be remade? What's next... "Passenger 57" with Chris Brown? "When a man loves a woman" with Amy Winehouse as the alcoholic suburban mom?

I'm just not sure that following in the footsteps of a coked out Whitney Houston is really the direction that Rihanna needs to go. She's already testing the ability of the average joe to understand and have empathy for her. If he hits you once, it will likely happen again.

If he beats the sh*t out of you... leave him. Especially if you have millions and a support system. Oh my.

what an ass

“I think that we’ve proven that both parents are important in the success of a family so, no, I don’t believe in gay adoption."

- Republican presidential hopeful John McCain tells The New York Times

Who is we? The League of Aging White Married Men with Convenient Theories To Placate Middle America???

Careful tp gal, your liberal voo doo is showing.

Frick... Aunt Martha

I got a letter tonight from Messy Martha's bank saying she signed something to allow them to return any direct deposits that arrived after her death.

SO... they sent back her Social Security check for May. The one she was entitled to, and the one I just spent paying her bills.

Now I have to either deposit some money or let these checks bounce. Bouncing isn't really an option because my damn name is on the account.

I'm pretty pissed right now....

Frick Frick Frick

That'll learn ya...

Ran errands yesterday in the 90 degree heat. It may not be great for ye old ozone, but I do love driving with the A/C on and the windows down. My toes are cool, but the warm wind in my hair is awesome.

I had to make a stop at Babies R Us - a place very foreign to me. I picked up the registry of my friend and tried to navigate the isles. Thankfully, my standard baby shower gift was not yet snapped up. The Diaper Genie is the perfect shower gift, it isn't too expensive, it's huge, and it gets used everyday. Since I was splitting the cost of the gift with another friend I had to tack on some extra things but got a little carried away. By the time I was at the counter and saw that my total was $159 ($59 over our agreed upon budget) I was READY to leave the store. I think Babies R Us hires new moms to walk their pissed off infants around the store just to keep the single childless people from lingering too long in any one spot. With screaming babies everywhere, I decided to just take the stuff and over gift. Technically, I'm this gals boss, so over gifting can be forgiven.

Next door to Screaming Babies R Us is a Starbucks and a frothy iced tea lemonade sounded fabulous, so I dumped my infant gear in the car and wandered back over. As I was headed back from my car two policemen came running out of Starbucks towards a mid-sized black SUV. They asked the driver to step out of the car and started questioning him. He was affluent looking when the adult female exited Starbucks with her frothy extra-huge blended drink the police started to question her as well. As I passed the car I noticed the 4 year old and infant in the back seat.

All eyes in Starbucks were on the activity outside and someone shared that the police had been sitting in the window drinking their (now melted) iced coffees when the man and the woman came in, got in line, ordered their drinks, waited for their beverages and then left the store (the man first, then the woman.) Somehow the police noticed the kids in the car and had some severe words with the couple.

My entire transaction from door to door was about 16 minutes and my beverage was skipped ahead because it wasn't a blended thing (like the man and woman had ordered.) I'm pretty sure those folks got more than an earful from the police because the one officer was writing up a ticket, making notes in his handy book and the parents looked scared shitless.

So, here's the moral of the story... if you're going to lock your infant in a black car on a 90 degree day to get your blended coffee drink don't park in front of the Starbucks. Park around the corner so you don't have to be bothered by the Po-Po who are all up in your face about child safety.

Thankfully, the kids appeared to be ok and the officers didn't have to slap the parents for being stupid, although they may have wanted to. I think they could have sold tickets to the stupid parent beating for the next police guild charity auction. I'd buy a ticket... how about you?

Countrywide SUCKS! Part 2

In November I got a letter from Countrywide saying that I owed them money from my former escrow account for an alleged overpayment in 2004. I repeatedly asked for a full accounting of all the monies collected and paid for my account. They didn't provide the information, but did mail a printout of some activity showing and escrow refund payment to me that I kind of remember.

I tried to push them to provide a full statement of all the funds collected but they didn't do it, instead I started to receive letters from a collection agency. Each letter included escalating threats and in the end I caved and sent them $842.00 with a NASTY letter that I'm sure had no effect other than it felt good to write.

Basically I said that they were incompetent accountants, malicious with their timing, and their failure to provide the simple information I asked for felt criminal. I told them I was sending the check not because I felt I owed it but so that I would never have to deal with them ever again.

It took almost four weeks for my check to clear and when it did I got a notice showing my account was "Paid In Full." I filed all the paperwork away including a copy of the canceled check and went about my business.

Today, when checking the mail there was a thin envelope from Countrywide. Inside was a check for $842.00 with the explanation of "Escrow Refund." I ask you... WHAT THE F*CK!?

My dad suggests not calling them and asking but to put the money in savings. I ask you... what would you do?

Grrrrr

I had an appointment for a medical exam today. 3:30 and I'm on time laying on the table talking to the technician, we get half way through and she asks, did you eat today?
um, yeah was I not supposed to ?
No, this test must be done during a fast.

Great! I love that the scheduler person didn't say anything about fasting. So I get to wait another 3 weeks for an opening that works with my wacky calendar.

Grrrrrr

Yikes!

Wow, I think my neighbor really pissed someone off. His car is covered in what looks like baby powder and the passenger window in smashed in. The stereo, his sun glasses and his leather coat are still in the car, which leads me to believe it was a personal attack.

I'm glad I wasn't here to witness it, and I hope I'm not here when he finds it.

I think screaming and the "F" word are in someone's future.

Understanding Right from Wrong, a new pamphlet for the Taliban

Kidnapping South Korean aid workers who are in country to provide medical care to the poor - wrong.

Killing their leader -wrong

Shooting another captive and leaving him by the side of the road - um wrong

Failure to value the lives of others - wrong

The world thinks you're ass-holes.

Can't we just wax off our Bush?

I know... it's a terrible title, but I'm not changing it.

I heard on NPR today that Bush vetoed the Iraq exit bill and his comments were something along the lines of 'I'll not accept any bill that proposes an arbitrary deadline for failure in Iraq.'

I guess it's pretty apparent that he's not using Oprah's secret (thinking positive thoughts to get what you want out of life) regarding the outcome.

a deadline for failure... what a MORON!!

As for the waxing thing... the little salon down the road does Bush waxing for $35 - should we start a walk-a-thon to raise money?

Ronco's New Fry Daddy? Housewife convicted of frying husband

Um... gross

By STAN LEHMAN

Associated Press Writer

SAO PAULO, Brazil — A Brazilian housewife was convicted and sentenced to 19 years in prison Friday for killing her husband, chopping his body into small pieces and frying it. Rosanita Nery dos Santos, 52, drugged her husband in his sleep, then stabbed him to death two years ago in Salvador, about 900 miles northeast of Sao Paulo, said police spokesman Idmar Bonfim.

She then hacked Jose Raimundo Soares dos Santos' body into more than 100 pieces, which she boiled and fried before hiding in plastic bags beneath a staircase in her house, Bonfim said. He said police discovered the body parts after receiving an anonymous phone call.

Bonfim said the killing was either part of a black magic ritual or an attempt by the wife to collect life insurance worth about $34,000. (Hmmm... which could it be?)

Citing testimony from the woman's relatives, he said she may also have committed the crime "to avenge many years of humiliation from her husband." He did not provide further details.

Santos denied killing her husband but said she chopped up his body, Bonfim said.

"She claims masked assailants entered her house, killed her husband and then forced her to cut up the body and fry it because that would prevent the stench of a decomposing body from alerting neighbors," he said. (and then they forced me to buy these shoes, and the wide screen tv, and the trip to Belize, it was awful!)

Perspective

tp gal bitching about nasty flavored gum

today marks the 4th year of the invasion of Iraq

what did i blog about today... gum

what a moron.

President bush's stance on the war is so frustrating. It's like one of those dreams where you know you need to run but you can't seem to move. (sometimes i have the dream where I just need to pee and I try and I try and I can not pee. usually though, when I wake up I realize that I really need to go and am thankful my mind won't let me do it while I'm asleep. I do fear for the day when I'm old and feable and start to let go in my sleep. There goes ole rubber sheet tp gal.)

Anyway, Mr. Bush... wake up, we need to send the troops home so they can pee.