Congratulations Florida And Michigan!! You're Both Half A State!!

Congratulations Florida and Michigan!! You're both half a state now. Well, at least according to the DNC rules and bylaws committee, Obama, and Howard Dean. Throw in Clinton too with respect to Florida.

Florida, Michigan get all delegates, but each gets half vote

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- After a day of wrangling in front of a sometimes unruly crowd, the Democratic National Committee's rules and bylaws committee reinstated all of Florida and Michigan's delegates to its party convention, with each getting a half-vote to penalize the states for moving their primaries earlier than the party had approved.

The move will leave front-runner Sen. Barack Obama's lead over rival Sen. Hillary Clinton intact.

"This results in Sen. Clinton obtaining a substantial number of additional pledged delegates, but I also understand that many members of the Florida and Michigan delegations feel satisfied that the decision was fair," Obama said after a campaign event in Aberdeen, South Dakota. "Our main goal is to get this resolved so we can immediately turn the focus of the entire party on winning Florida and Michigan and delivering on the needs of the people in Florida and Michigan -- states that are enormously important, states where a lot of people are struggling."

The Florida decision, which follows the pro-Clinton results of that state's primary, was greeted by virtually all sides as an acceptable compromise on a thorny issue. But Clinton backers vowed to fight the Michigan decision, which gave the New York senator a 10-delegate edge over Obama in a state where his name didn't appear on the primary ballot.

"Today's results are a victory for the people of Florida, who will have a voice in selecting our party's nominee and will see its delegates seated at our party's convention," said a joint-statement from Clinton advisers Harold Ickes and Tina Flournoy. "[But] we strongly object to the committee's decision to undercut its own rules in seating Michigan's delegates without reflecting the votes of the people of Michigan."

With no Michigan or Florida delegates included, Obama led Clinton by 202 delegates.

The committee's ruling gave Clinton 105 pledged delegates from Florida and 69 from Michigan, with a total of 87 votes.

Obama received 67 pledged delegates from Florida and 59 from Michigan, casting a total of 63 votes.

That tally leaves Obama ahead by the equivalent of 178 delegates.

If each delegate had been granted a full vote, Clinton still would have trailed Obama.

During the daylong committee meeting, supporters of Clinton, who came out ahead in both votes despite the fact the states had been penalized for moving their primaries earlier in the season, pushed the committee to give each delegate a full vote and to count the election results as they were registered.

"I feel like we should not penalize them for something they did not cause and couldn't prevent," said Alice Huffman, a California superdelegate for Clinton, noting that it was a Republican legislature that changed the date.

Huffman sponsored an unsuccessful motion that would have counted Florida's results and given delegates a full vote.

She later supported the compromise. While voicing her support, she was shouted down by the same crowd members who had cheered her effort moments earlier.

As the committee voted, people attending the open meeting applauded, cheered and booed as the vote came in.

Clinton supporters interrupted the proceedings, loudly chanting "Denver! Denver!" Denver is the site of the Democratic convention, where Clinton could appeal any decision made by the committee.

"Mrs. Clinton has asked me to reserve her rights to take this to the credentials committee," Ickes said during a fiery speech after the vote.

Later, party leaders were celebrating the compromise as a way to reinstate delegates from two crucial swing states Democrats want to win in November.

The DNC had penalized both states for holding their primaries early by excluding them from representation when the party nominates a candidate at the August convention.

No candidates campaigned in Florida ahead of its vote, and Clinton's was the only major candidate's name that appeared on Michigan's ballot.

She received 55 percent of the vote in that state, with 44 percent of voters voting "uncommitted."

As the committee's session began Saturday, DNC Chairman Howard Dean said that deciding how to handle Michigan and Florida will be a huge step in moving past the division of a sometimes-bitter primary campaign.

"On the blogosphere, and the airwaves, emotions have run high and heated discussions have led at times to blatantly racist comments and blatantly sexist comments, particularly by some members of the media," Dean said in prepared remarks. "We know that those comments have no place in our society and certainly no place in our party.

"It has got to stop. We have got to come together and unite our party. Every one of us has the responsibility to help ensure that our party is united."

That's right!! You're each half a state. So, I guess instead of 50 states we now have only 48 WHOLE STATES and 2 HALF STATES. Not only that, but your citizens are now each half a person.

I watched this entire sham today, and that's exactly what it was. It was a sham!! None of these people have any integrity. Sitting there watching their smug-ass faces, acting like this was a fucking game, made me want to jump through my tv screen and smack them.

They have the balls to talk about unity? Essentially saying that you're half of a person, which is exactly how this ruling can be interpreted, is not going to bring about this unity that they speak of. They talk about rules. Their rules are bullshit. How dare they tell someone when they can vote!! How dare they strip people of their votes because they didn't vote like they wanted them to!!

Some of the people in the audience at this meeting were equally asinine. They stood up and cheered these votes. Each and every one of those people who cheered disgusted me, but especially those who were black. How quickly they forget that black people were considered 3/5 of a person. Now they're content with being considered 1/2 a person, or are content with allowing others to be considered 1/2 a person. That's truly asinine!!

If any of these people on this committee had any integrity, they would have walked out of that meeting today. They would have said that this was complete and utter bullshit. They would have said what one audience member said to the committee, FUCK YOU!!

That's right DNC!! FUCK YOU!! That's right Democratic Party!! FUCK YOU!!

If people really want to send a message, don't vote. Period!! Regardless of who wins this election, this country is going to get exactly what it deserves. If Obama wins, a year from now people are going to be pissing and moaning that he isn't doing a damn thing for them. They deserve him. If McCain wins, that means that morons actually voted for another four years of the same old bullshit. If they vote for him, they deserve what they get. Only this time, they'll get a lunatic in the White House instead of just a braindead puppet!!

Teacher Throws Autistic Child Out Of Classroom

Okay, I wouldn't call this pulling a "Survivor" like the media appears intent on calling it. What this teacher did was disgusting. She deserves to be fired. Hell, she should never be allowed near children again.

Florida Teacher Allegedly Lets Kindergarteners Kick Autistic Boy Out of Class in 'Survivor'-Like Vote

Hundreds of parents of autistic children are signing an online petition to get Florida teacher Wendy Portillo fired for her alleged tactics toward a 5-year-old boy that mirror the reality show “Survivor.”

Morningside Elementary School in Port St. Lucie, Fla., alerted Melissa Barton this year that her son, Alex, suffers from a high-functioning form of autism called Asperger's Syndrome, FOX 29 reported.

Barton claims that Alex was punished for symptoms of his disability, such as humming and eating his homework. She says Portillo went too far last week when she kicked Alex out of class, and then allowed the other students to vote on whether he should be allowed back in.

Each student was also allowed to say what he or she did not like about Alex. By a 14-to-2 margin, the students voted Alex out of class, according to The South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

“She said this was her way of correcting his behavior,” Barton said. “I asked him how that made him feel and he said, ‘I feel sad.’”

Barton has filed a complaint with Morningside's school resource officer, who investigated the matter, Port St. Lucie Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Steele told the Sun-Sentinel.

But the state attorney's office decided the matter did not meet criteria for emotional child abuse, so no criminal charges will be filed, Steele said.

The teacher has been disciplined, however.

“Ms. Portillo has been reassigned outside of the classroom at the district offices until any further action may be determined," St. Lucie County School District said in a statement.

Alex has not returned to school since the incident, and Barton says he won’t be going back.

"He was incredibly upset," Barton told the Sun-Sentinel. "The only friend he has ever made in his life was forced to do this."

Unfortunately, if this woman is fired from this job, she most likely won't be banned from teaching. Here's what I see happening. I don't know if she will be fired from this job. Either way, I see her being ordered to attend classes on autism and how to deal with an autistic child. Then she'll try to bullshit her way out of this one, just like the school district will try to bullshit their way out of this one by pretending to do something about it.

She claims that this was "her way of correcting his behavior". If his "behavior" is part of his disorder, how in the hell can she correct it? Scratch that!! She's just one stupid, ignorant bitch who doesn't belong in the teaching profession.

I wish there was a way to sign this petition because I would certainly add my name to the list. I'm not a mother. What I am is an outraged person.

On another note, this is NOT emotional child abuse? Why? Because he's autistic? He has emotions too. He can suffer from emotional abuse just like everyone else. What this bitch did was not only abuse, but she allowed other students to emotionally abuse this child. And for what? Public humiliation is not a way to "correct behavior".

Stone Calls Earthquake Karma For Chinese

Just when you think you've heard it all, you're proven wrong. Sharon Stone decided to let her jaws flap in the breeze.

Sharon Stone Calls Chinese Earthquake "Karma"

When is a natural disaster a good thing? When the afflicted country commits human rights violations -- at least according to Sharon Stone.

Stone gave an interview while on the red carpet at Cannes this weekend in which -- after recounting all of China's atrocities -- she wondered, "All these earthquake and stuff happened and I thought, 'Is that karma?' When you are not nice that bad things happen to you." My name is Sharon!

Sharon went on to say she has come around and no longer thinks the death of over 60,000 people is cosmic payback. "Basic Instinct 2" is a whole other story.

Really? When people tend to run their mouths, they're usually saying exactly what they think. How much do you want to bet that this sudden change of heart has everything to do with $$$$$? She's afraid that people will boycott her, and she'll lose $$$$$? No? Yeah right!!

If the earthquake in China was "karma" for human rights violations on the part of the Chinese government, the United States will have "karma" until the end of time.

************************************UPDATE************************************

Sharon Stone films have now been banned in China. Hmm, I guess "karma" came back to bite her on the ass!! Hopefully other countries and companies will do the same. I know that I won't be watching any of her shit, not that I actually watched movies that she was in to begin with!!

It's About Damn Time!!

The California Supreme Court ruled today that a ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, and paved the way for same-sex couples to be married. I say, it's about damn time!!

California ban on same-sex marriage struck down

(CNN) -- The California Supreme Court struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage Thursday, saying sexual orientation, like race or gender, "does not constitute a legitimate basis upon which to deny or withhold legal rights."

In a 4-3 120-page ruling issue, the justices wrote that "responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual's sexual orientation."

"We therefore conclude that in view of the substance and significance of the fundamental constitutional right to form a family relationship, the California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex couples as well as to opposite-sex couples," Chief Justice Ronald George wrote for the majority.

The ruling takes affect in 30 days.

Several gay and lesbian couples, along with the city of San Francisco and gay rights groups, filed a lawsuit saying they were victims of unlawful discrimination. A lower court ruled San Francisco acted unlawfully in issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

The ruling surprised legal experts because the court has a reputation for being conservative. Six of its seven judges are Republican appointees.

San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera said he is "profoundly grateful" for the decision and for the court's "eloquence" in its delivery.

"After four long years, we're very, very gratified," he said.

Shannon Minter, attorney for one of the plaintiffs in the case, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, called the ruling "a moment of pure happiness and joy for so many families in California."

"California sets the tone, and this will have a huge effect across the nation to bringing wider acceptance for gay and lesbian couples," he said.

Neil Giuliano, president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, issued a statement saying, "Today's ruling affirms that committed couples, gay and straight, should not be denied the duties, obligations and protections of marriage. ... This decision is a vital affirmation to countless California couples --straight and gay -- who want to make and have made a lifelong commitment to take care of and be responsible for each other."

Groups opposing same-sex marriage also reacted strongly to the ruling.

"The California Supreme Court has engaged in the worst kind of judicial activism today, abandoning its role as an objective interpreter of the law and instead legislating from the bench," said Matt Barber, policy director for cultural issues for the group Concerned Women for America, in a written statement.

"So-called 'same-sex' marriage is counterfeit marriage. Marriage is, and has always been, between a man and a woman. We know that it's in the best interest of children to be raised with a mother and a father. To use children as guinea pigs in radical San Francisco-style social experimentation is deplorable."

The organization said that a constitutional marriage amendment should be placed on the November ballot and that national efforts should be made to generate a federal marriage amendment.

"The decision must be removed from the hands of judicial activists and returned to the rightful hands of the people," Barber said.

A constitutional amendment initiative specifying that marriage is only between a man and a woman is awaiting verification by the secretary of state's office after its sponsors said they had gathered enough signatures to place it on the statewide ballot. The parties cannot appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, Herrera said, as federal courts do not have jurisdiction over the state laws. "This is the final say," he said.

In a dissenting opinion, Associate Justice Marvin Baxter wrote that although he agrees with some of the majority's conclusions, the court was overstepping its bounds in striking down the ban. Instead, he wrote, the issue should be left to the voters.

In 2004, San Francisco officials allowed gay couples in the city to wed, prompting a flood of applicants crowding the city hall clerk's office. The first couple to wed then was 80-year-old Phyllis Lyon and 83-year-old Dorothy Martin, lovers for 50 years.

"We have a right just like anyone else to get married to the person we want to get married to," Lyon said at the time.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom called the ruling a victory not just for the city "but for literally millions of people. ... What the court did is simply affirm their lives."

CNN's Ted Rowlands reported that "huge cheers" went up in San Francisco when the ruling was announced.

In California, a 2000 voter referendum banned same-sex marriage, but state lawmakers have made two efforts to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed. Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed both bills.

"I respect the court's decision and as governor, I will uphold its ruling," Schwarzenegger said in a statement issued Thursday. "Also, as I have said in the past, I will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn this state Supreme Court ruling."

Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriages in 2004, and gay couples need not be state residents there to wed.

New Hampshire, Vermont, New Jersey and Connecticut permit civil unions, and California has a domestic-partner registration law. More than a dozen other states give gay couples some legal rights, as do some other countries.

"It's a throwaway line, but I think it's true: As California goes, so goes the rest of the nation," Newsom said. "And I don't think people should be paranoid about that. ... Look what happened in Massachusetts a number of years ago. Massachusetts is doing just fine. The state is doing wonderfully."

The state law in question in the case, which consolidated six cases, was the Defense of Marriage Act, Proposition 22. Oral arguments in March lasted more than three hours.

"There can be no doubt that extending the designation of marriage to same-sex couples, rather than denying it to all couples, is the equal protection remedy that is most consistent with our state's general legislative policy and preference," the ruling said.

"Accordingly, in light of the conclusions we reach concerning the constitutional questions brought to us for resolution, we determine that the language of Section 300 limiting the designation of marriage to a 'union between a man and a woman' is unconstitutional, and that the remaining statutory language must be understood as making the designation of marriage available to both opposite-sex and same-sex couples."

Newsom compared the ruling to the 1967 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a Virginia case overturning that state's ban on interracial marriage.

"This is about civil marriage. This is about fundamental rights," he said.

The ruling may make the same-sex marriage issue more important in November elections.

Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain supports "traditional" marriage but opposes a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, saying individual states should decide the issue. He also backs some legal benefits for same-sex couples.

Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton both oppose same-sex marriage but support civil unions. They also oppose a constitutional ban.

I have no doubt that all of the homophobic bigots out there, including one of my so-called relatives, are pissing in their pants and frothing at the mouth today. After all, it's so "un-Godly" like for gay people to love each other. Take your religion and shove it up your ass!! Marriage is between a man and a woman, right? Well, not anymore!!

I have no problem with gay people getting married. Let them be happy. This is not about being "un-Godly", whatever that's supposed to mean. This is about equal rights. Just because someone is gay doesn't mean that they aren't worthy of equal rights. They are consenting adults. They have a right to get married if they so choose!! Their marriages have no bearing on my life, and it's not my business!!

Kudos to the state of California for recognizing that this is discrimination, and that it's not going to be tolerated. Kudos to the state of California for recognizing that gay people are no different than everyone else. Kudos to the judges for ruling the way they did. Thank you for giving people equal rights!! It's about damn time!!

Change For The Sake Of Sounding Good

In the spotlight again, Barack Obama.

Please hold your applause until you read everything.

Barack Obama supporters like to talk about race and racism and how somehow, apparently magically, he's going to get rid of it. Just how he'd do this, they don't say. In fact, the only thing they do say when quizzed on this is, "Because he's both black and white and he can bring the country together." Doesn't sound like a plan to me. Sounds like a description of Barack Obama's ethnicity. Yes, he is, in fact, black and white. Whether he can bring the country together remains to be seen.

No doubt Barack Obama has heard this statement again and again but feels no need to address just what he would do to confront and supposedly end racism. Why bother explaining or contradicting your cultists when the myth is so much better?

Then there's the matter of gender equality. Barack's got a lot of female backers, some that are so rabidly pro-Obama that they have decided that they're not interested in ever having a female president. But these female backers of Obama don't badger him into making statements about what he would do to improve their lot in this country. Not to worry, magic will take care of it...again.

Obama's idea of gender equality is, I guess, calling female reporters "sweetie" and then, after being caught with his pants down, apologizing on their cell phones. I've read plenty of so-called liberal blogs (written by men, of course) that say they have no problem with this kind of chauvinism. There are, thankfully, a number of women that are just as disgusted as I am, as a man, about this kind of treatment of women.

Remember when Kenya was on fire and people were being massacred on a daily basis a few months ago? The call went out for Obama to intervene because his grandfather's second wife (mistakenly identified as his grandmother) lived there. Magic wand and suddenly things are fine again in the country of Kenya (something that's a bit of a stretch but then again, what hasn't been thus far?).

Shortly afterward, we heard about how Obama would be good for this country because he'd be good for relations with Africa (as if Africa is one, monotonous, monolithic country instead of a multi-cultural mix of countries on one CONTINENT known as Africa).

But what we didn't hear is how Obama could affect the situation in Somalia.

Huh?

Yeah, Somalia.

You do understand that Ethiopia is being backed by the United States to do whatever they wish to do (you know, kill, kill and, uh, kill) inside of Somalia? You do understand that the US shot cruise missiles into cities in Somalia, assassinating a man that they declared was an "Islamist terrorist", right?

Not only do we not hear about what Obama would do in Somalia, Obama doesn't even seem to want to discuss it. Good for African relations, right? The reason Obama doesn't say a damn thing about the situation in Somalia is simple: the people fighting against the US empire and their proxies are titled "Islamists". If you've ever read anything by Senator Obama or heard him yammer on, the one word that keeps coming up is "Islamist". "Islamists" are now the enemy, as Margaret Kimberley explains in an entire piece devoted to what your government, with the compliance of Congress (Barack Obama and, yes, Hillary Clinton included), is doing in Somalia in this week's Black Agenda Report.

Read up and before you bother me with your apologist comments about how Obama (or Clinton) can't control what Bush does with the military, think about how you sat and said that Congress should do something to stop the massacre in Iraq. If they can't do anything to stop the massacre in Somalia, how can they do anything in Iraq?

Change for the sake of sounding good, that's what Obama's campaign is all about.

It's a great slogan, it rolls off the tongue and makes everyone feel good but no one explains just what this change is and how it's going to take place.

I've been saying for months, there is no change coming.

Under a Barack Obama administration, the economy will still be in the toilet. But, in four years, people who supported Obama will be telling the country that we have to GIVE him four more years so he can get it sorted.

Under a Barack Obama administration, the bombardment of Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia will continue. But, four years later, people who supported him will be telling you and me that he needs another four years to catch Osama the mythical terrorist and pull the troops out of the by-then Disney-fied Green Zone.

Under a Barack Obama administration, women will still be earning 70 to 80 cents to every man's dollar. But, four years from now, people who supported Obama in the first place will tell us that, if we just give him four more years, Obama's sure to make it economically equal for women, to say nothing of cleaning up all the rapists and sexists.

Under a Barack Obama administration, racism will cease to exist. And he's going to do that in two years so he doesn't even need the extra four.

And under a Barack Obama administration, everyone will have a home and a job and the sky will be blue and the water pure. Of course, he doesn't tell anyone that he's in the pocket of the corporations that have foreclosed on millions of people. But you're not supposed to know about that or, if you do, you're not supposed to care about it. And guess what? His backers don't, either know or care.

Welcome to America. You're welcome to Barack Obama.

Just remember that this country gets the government it deserves, not necessarily the one it needs. And that's what's going to happen, yet again, in November.

The Vatican And Aliens

Okay, this one is just laughable!!

Vatican: It's OK to believe in aliens

VATICAN CITY - Believing that the universe may contain alien life does not contradict a faith in God, the Vatican's chief astronomer said in an interview published Tuesday.

The Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, the Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory, was quoted as saying the vastness of the universe means it is possible there could be other forms of life outside Earth, even intelligent ones.

"How can we rule out that life may have developed elsewhere?" Funes said. "Just as we consider earthly creatures as 'a brother,' and 'sister,' why should we not talk about an 'extraterrestrial brother'? It would still be part of creation."

In the interview by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Funes said that such a notion "doesn't contradict our faith" because aliens would still be God's creatures. Ruling out the existence of aliens would be like "putting limits" on God's creative freedom, he said.

The interview, headlined "The extraterrestrial is my brother," covered a variety of topics including the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and science, and the theological implications of the existence of alien life.

Funes said science, especially astronomy, does not contradict religion, touching on a theme of Pope Benedict XVI, who has made exploring the relationship between faith and reason a key aspect of his papacy.

The Bible "is not a science book," Funes said, adding that he believes the Big Bang theory is the most "reasonable" explanation for the creation of the universe. The theory says the universe began billions of years ago in the explosion of a single, super-dense point that contained all matter.

But he said he continues to believe that "God is the creator of the universe and that we are not the result of chance."

Funes urged the church and the scientific community to leave behind divisions caused by Galileo's persecution 400 years ago, saying the incident has "caused wounds."

In 1633 the astronomer was tried as a heretic and forced to recant his theory that the Earth revolved around the sun. Church teaching at the time placed Earth at the center of the universe.

"The church has somehow recognized its mistakes," he said. "Maybe it could have done it better, but now it's time to heal those wounds and this can be done through calm dialogue and collaboration."

Pope John Paul declared in 1992 that the ruling against Galileo was an error resulting from "tragic mutual incomprehension."

The Vatican Observatory has been at the forefront of efforts to bridge the gap between religion and science. Its scientist-clerics have generated top-notch research and its meteorite collection is considered one of the world's best.

The observatory, founded by Pope Leo XIII in 1891, is based in Castel Gandolfo, a lakeside town in the hills outside Rome where the pope has a summer residence. It also conducts research at an observatory at the University of Arizona, in Tucson.

Let me see if I have this straight. It's okay to believe in aliens. In fact, the Vatican is encouraging the belief in aliens because they would be "God's creatures" too. You can believe in something that may or may not exist. But you aren't allowed to use condoms to prevent diseases or unintended pregnancies, things that are known to exist. The Catholic Church promotes the idea that condoms are laced with AIDS in order to prevent people from actually using them. You aren't allowed to use artificial methods to conceive a child because it's evil. Wow!!

So, how did "God's other creatures" come about? Did the magical cloud being, otherwise known as GOD, wave his little magic wand and say "Let there be aliens"? Did he create a little Adam alien and a little Eve alien that frolicked in the garden of Alien Land? Do the husband and wife aliens have alien sex and conceive little alien fetuses like "God" intended? I wonder if there are gay aliens. If there are, how can the Vatican support that? If aliens have abortions, are they excommunicated from the other worldly Catholic churches? Are there other worldly Catholic churches? Is there an alien Pope?

Wait, this explains everything. Pope Ratz isn't a Nazi. He's a fucking ALIEN!!

Tornado Outbreak And The Bushes!!

Is this an attempt to get in on the tornado action or what?

First lady says storm threatened wedding plans

WASHINGTON - Storms that spawned violent tornadoes over the weekend slammed into President Bush's Texas ranch and threatened to disrupt wedding plans for Jenna Bush and Henry Hager, first lady Laura Bush said Monday.

"We did have a little — one setback on Friday night. While we were off in another town at the rehearsal dinner there was a tornado. ... All the catering ovens were turned over and the sides were ripped off the tent," she told a luncheon at the White House.

"But everyone worked wildly and you couldn't even tell the next night. It was just perfect, everything was great."

The first family and the White House staff have been extremely tightlipped about discussing the private outdoor wedding ceremony on Saturday that drew about 200 guests.

But Mrs. Bush did not appear to have any reluctance to talk about it at the lunch for Senate spouses.

"We are tired. But it was really terrific," she said. "It was just perfect. It was exactly the way Jenna wanted it. She was absolutely beautiful. If you've seen any of the pictures, you can tell how pretty she was. And the ranch was absolutely beautiful. We had wildflowers blooming. They weren't quite at the peak, but there were lots of flowers blooming everywhere, and it was so green and pretty."

Friday night's rehearsal dinner was held in Salado, Texas, 54 miles from the ranch.

"I know you all have heard that the president had this beautiful limestone cross built on this peninsula in our lake, and that's where they got married, in front of this limestone cross that is the same limestone that our house is built from. So that was very perfect. And just as they said their vows, the sun dropped and the moon came up. So it was really, really lovely, and the way we wanted it to be," Mrs. Bush said.

"It was a great weekend of family and friends," she continued. "It was all of George's brothers and sister and their family, Barbara and Jenna's cousins that they're both very close to, and my mother — and then, mainly, friends of the couple, which made it really fun. So there was a lot of wild dancing until 3:00 a.m."

To laughter, she added: "But I can assure you none of us, of the older people, made it that long."

I don't give a shit if a tornado came through, ripped a tent and knocked over catering ovens. The fact of the matter is, they weren't anywhere near the tornado or the damage. They're alive. Other people across the country weren't so lucky. They're either dead or injured. They don't have homes to return to. They don't have anything to return to. Given all that happened, she has the balls to bring up the fact that a tornado almost derailed her daughter's wedding? Cry me a fucking river bitch!! You're alive!! Shut the fuck up!!

The Pope On Sex, Condoms, And Babies!!

For someone who isn't supposed to have sex according to the Catholic Church, the Pope sure does like to concern himself with the sex lives of others. Hmm, I wonder why that is!!

Pope: Sex can become 'like a drug'

VATICAN CITY, Italy (AP) -- Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged Saturday that the Vatican's teaching against birth control was difficult as he praised a 1968 Church document that condemned contraception.

In a speech marking the 40th anniversary of the document, Benedict reiterated the Church's ban against artificial birth control as well as more recent teaching against using artificial procreation methods.

Pope Paul VI's 1968 "Humanae vitae" ("On Human Life") encyclical prohibits Catholics from using artificial birth control.

"The teaching laid out in the 'Humanae vitae' encyclical isn't easy," Benedict said.

"What was true yesterday remains true even today. The truth expressed in 'Humanae vitae' doesn't change; on the contrary, in the light of new scientific discoveries, it is ever more up to date," the pope added.

Benedict appeared to be referring to artificial procreation methods, which in the Church's view offend the dignity of life and go against Vatican teaching that the only way to conceive a child is through intercourse between husband and wife.

"No mechanical technique can substitute the act of love that two married people exchange as a sign of a greater mystery," Benedict said.

Benedict expressed concern that human life risks losing its value in today's culture and worried that sex could "transform itself into a drug" that one partner had to have even against the will of the other.

"What must be defended is not only the true concept of life but above all the dignity of the very person," the pope added.

Paul VI was said to have agonized over whether to allow artificial conception in preparing the encyclical. Benedict described Paul's decision as the fruit of much suffering and the document as "a significant gesture of courage."

"Forty years after its publication, that teaching not only shows itself to be unchanged in its truth, but it reveals the farsightedness with which the problem was tackled," the pope said.

Yet once again the Pope proves that he just doesn't get it!! Condoms aren't going anywhere. He can piss and moan. He can call it a sin. He can declare that the magical cloud-being known as God will strike every condom user dead. It will not change the fact that people use condoms and will continue to use condoms.

Benedict expressed concern that human life risks losing its value in today's culture and worried that sex could "transform itself into a drug" that one partner had to have even against the will of the other.

Um, that's called RAPE!! The Catholic Church certainly knows a thing or two about that subject, given all the pedophile priests and nuns that they have!! I find it interesting that he is "worried" about rape, yet when a rape victim becomes pregnant as a result of the rape he doesn't give a damn. He thinks the rape victim should be forced to give life to her rapist's spawn. Screw the victim!! She isn't worth shit!!

Benedict appeared to be referring to artificial procreation methods, which in the Church's view offend the dignity of life and go against Vatican teaching that the only way to conceive a child is through intercourse between husband and wife.

"No mechanical technique can substitute the act of love that two married people exchange as a sign of a greater mystery," Benedict said.

So what, people with fertility problems shouldn't be allowed to experience the joy of having a baby simply because the Church says "artificial" conception is wrong? Please bitch!! People have a right to use medical technology if that is the only way they can conceive a child. The Pope and the Catholic Church have no business and no authority to tell them that it's wrong. They have no business involving themselves in the reproductive decisions of other people. It is not their business.

What's next? Declaring adoption an abomination because the child wasn't conceived by the person or people who adopted the child? It wouldn't surprise me!!

Ja Mein Führer!!

Ja Mein Führer!! That would have been my response to this principal, and then I would have told her to kiss my "unpatriotic" ass!!

3 students in western Minn. suspended over Pledge

DILWORTH, Minn. (Map, News) - Three eighth graders in western Minnesota were suspended this week for sitting down during the Pledge of Allegiance.

According to students interviewed by The Forum of Fargo, Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Junior High Principal Colleen Houglum was observing a class on Thursday and ordered the three students who sat down during the pledge to report to the office. The boy and two girls spent the day in in-school suspension.

Houglum confirmed in a written statement to The Associated Press on Friday that the three students were suspended for violating the DGF Student Handbook.

She said the handbook says "all students will stand" during the pledge but also says students aren't required to recite it.

Houglum said school officials are reevaluating the policy.

"It is our understanding that the phrase, 'all students will stand' may need to be modified to address the protection of the individual's form of expression," she said.

"At first, everyone thought that she was joking," said Bishop Edens, a 14-year-old student in the class. "But after a few seconds, she got a little angry and said, 'report to the office now.'"

Edens said the principal told the students it was disrespectful to sit during the pledge, especially with U.S. troops fighting in Iraq.

Edens had planned to sit down during the Pledge of Allegiance on Friday to protest the school's policy.

"I feel I should speak my mind about this whole thing and not have her force her beliefs on anyone else," Edens said. "(Houglum) was talking about how people are fighting in the war for freedom, but she took away their freedom."

Shaun Anderson, whose daughter was suspended, said his daughter was talking to a friend about an assignment and didn't hear the pledge on the intercom. She usually stands for the pledge, Anderson said.

"I totally, 100 percent agree with her," Anderson, a member of the military, said of the principal's decision. "I think any American should believe that."

But Kim Dahl, whose 13-year-old son Brandt was one of those suspended, called the disciplinary action "ridiculous." Her son said his homeroom teacher had never told students about the policy.

"I thought it was kind of dumb because I didn't do anything wrong," Dahl said. "It should be the people's choice."

Not only is this story ridiculous, but this entire country is ridiculous. Now we're suspending kids from school because they don't stand to pledge allegiance to a fucking piece of material hanging from a wall? Give me a break!! What's next? Suspension for not goose-stepping correctly?

Edens said the principal told the students it was disrespectful to sit during the pledge, especially with U.S. troops fighting in Iraq.

Really? It's disrespectful to sit during the pledge while troops are fighting in Iraq? If she's so concerned about showing respect to the troops in Iraq, perhaps she would like to join them. Oh wait, she can't be bothered!! Why not? Insert typical excuse here!!

By the way, I'm just curious if this ILLEGAL policy has any provisions for the disabled. Surely they wouldn't force a paralyzed student to stand. Who am I kidding!! This is Nazi Ger...I mean America!!

Ja Mein Führer!!

Cut It Off Already!!

They're BAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!

Michelle Duggar Pregnant with 18th Child

The Duggar family is growing – again.

Having welcomed their 17th child only last August, Michelle Duggar, 41, is now pregnant with her 18th, she announced on Friday's Today show with her family sitting around her. Some of the older kids looked shocked, but delighted.

Joshua, the eldest (he is 20), noted that the time seemed right. "I wasn't expecting that," he said. "But it's been nine months [since the birth of the last one], so yeah."

Before that, the 16th child arrived in October 2005.

The Tontitown, Ark., family already have seven girls and 10 boys (including two sets of twins). In addition to Joshua, they are, in descending order of ages: John David, Janna, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joseph, Josiah, Joy-Anna, Jedidiah, Jeremiah, Jason, James, Justin, Jackson and Johannah.

With her next one due on New Year's Day, Michelle Duggar has been pregnant for more than 11 years of her life.

TV series in the works

Followers of the evangelical Christian movement called Quiverful, the Duggars were featured on a Discovery Health channel special last September, and they are currently at work on a series examining life in their home. All the children are home-schooled and participate in domestic chores, which the family call "jurisdictions."

Duggar, who is six weeks into her pregnancy, plans to continue expanding her family with husband, Jim Bob.

"The success in a family is first off, a love for God, and secondly, treating each other like you want to be treated," he told the Associated Press. (Both adult Duggars are real-estate agents.) "Our goal is for each one of our children to be best friends, and everybody working together to serve each other makes that happen."

These people are fame whores!! I swear!! Why else would they feel the need to announce on NATIONAL TELEVISION that she's pregnant for the millionth time? Nobody cares to hear that she's pregnant with her 18th child. Quite frankly, it's disgusting!! We have the nerve to criticize people in other countries because they have "too many" children. Yet, we glorify it right here in our own country. We give these people a television show to promote this shit. These people could populate the entire United States if given the chance, and they apparently intend to certainly try!! After all, she says that she plans to continue expanding her family.

What I found even more disgusting than the fact that she's pregnant with her 18th child is that they're teaching their children that this is okay. They're teaching their sons that it's okay to get a woman pregnant every nine months. They're teaching their daughters that being pregnant every nine months is a good thing, a normal thing, a Christianly thing, and a Godly thing!! If you don't believe me, read the 20 year old's comments. He says that the time seemed right. He also said, "I wasn't expecting that. But it's been nine months [since the birth of the last one], so yeah." Nice message to your kid!! Twenty bucks says that he'll follow in their footsteps. His wife/girlfriend/whatever will have 18 or more children too.

Cut it off already!!

Sexism And Horses

Sexism has been alive and well since the beginning of time. Now, it's spread to horse racing. It's one thing to be sexist against a person. At least we can stand up, defend ourselves, and fight back. It's a totally different thing to have a sexist attitude and heap that shit upon a defenseless animal, namely a horse.

Eight Belles euthanized on track

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Boy, did Eight Belles hang with the boys.

All that heart and her gallant fight, however, ended in the worst of all possible ways: a breakdown, an ambulance on the track. And, with no other choice, she was euthanized by injection.

The day began with hope and pomp. Bolstered by the sentimental support from 157,770 fans and endorsed by presidential contender Hillary Clinton and cheered by daughter Chelsea, the filly finished second in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.

She crossed the wire 4 3/4 lengths behind favorite Big Brown. Then, with the second-largest crowd in Derby history still whooping it up, Eight Belles collapsed with two broken front ankles.

The magnitude of what happened was slow to reach the fans at Churchill Downs. Not only was a horse down, but it was the filly. And horse racing -- with the memory of Barbaro still fresh and the death of a horse coming only a day earlier on Kentucky Oaks Day -- had to confront grief one more time.

"There was no way to save her. She couldn't stand," trainer Larry Jones said. "She ran an incredible race. She ran the race of her life."

Jones' voice broke and tears glistened in his eyes as he considered his barn without Eight Belles' head poking out of her stall.

"Losing animals like this isn't fun. It's not supposed to happen," he said. "We're heartbroke. We're going to miss her, no doubt."

The field of 19 colts and the dark gray filly were galloping out around the first turn when Eight Belles suddenly went down on both front legs and jockey Gabriel Saez slid off.

"When we passed the wire I stood up," said a distraught Saez, a first-time Derby rider. "She started galloping funny. I tried to pull her up. That's when she went down."

An equine ambulance reached her near the second turn.

Eight Belles appeared to be galloping out normally around the first turn and was headed into the start of the backstretch when she dropped without warning. The crowd was busy high-fiving and celebrating and the distance from the grandstand prevented many from realizing what had happened.

"Everyone breathed a big sigh of relief that everyone came around the track cleanly and then all of a sudden it happened," said Dr. Larry Bramlage, on-call veterinarian.

Quickly, word spread about the horse that was down in the second turn. Fans focused binoculars on the scene, using Saez's red helmet to identify the horse.

"That's one of the saddest things I've ever seen," said fan Kathleen Brower of Louisville. "We went from the high for the winner and something like this happens. It just takes the wind out of the sails."

No more so than for Jones and owner Rick Porter.

Eight Belles could have easily been the wagering favorite in Friday's Kentucky Oaks, an all-girl showcase. But Jones and Porter decided to run her against the boys despite the fact that she had never done so before. She had, after all,solid credentials with a four-race winning streak.

Jones won the Oaks with Proud Spell and set himself up to pull off the double.

At first, Jones didn't realize anything was wrong until he began walking back to the stable area and saw Saez aboard another horse.

Reached by cell phone, a somber Porter said simply, "It's not a good time."

Afterward, Jones disputed any suggestion that Eight Belles had no business taking on the boys.

"It wasn't that, it wasn't the distance, it wasn't a big bumping match for her, she never got touched," he said. "She passed all those questions ... with flying colors. The race was over, all we had to do was pull up, come back and be happy. It just didn't happen."

If Eight Belles had labored to the finish line and been falling farther behind Big Brown in the closing strides, then Jones said he would have "really second-guessed ourselves severely and kicked ourselves in the pants."

But she hit the wire strongly and galloped around the turn without a hitch, leaving the trainer in the white cowboy hat feeling proud. Jones also trained last year's runner-up, Hard Spun.

"We were ecstatic," he said.

For a time, anyway.

Part of Eight Belles' appeal was her status as the first filly since 1999 to run in the Derby; the last to win was Winning Colors in 1988.

Hillary Clinton didn't attend the race, but she ordered her daughter to bet the filly. Eight Belles, who went off at 13-1, repaid the fans' faith by returning $10.60and $6.40.

Winning jockey Kent Desormeaux and Big Brown galloped by Eight Belles in her waning moments.

"This horse showed you his heart and Eight Belles showed you her life for our enjoyment today," he said. "I'm deeply sympathetic to that team for their loss."

Bramlage said the fracture in Eight Belles' left front ankle opened the skin, allowing contamination to set in. At least one of her sesamoid bones was broken, too.

"She didn't have a front leg to stand on to be splinted and hauled off in the ambulance, so she was immediately euthanized," he said. "In my years in racing, I have never seen this happen at the end of the race or during the race."

Bramlage was hard-pressed to make sense of yet another breakdown that reminded fans of Barbaro's horrific injury two years ago in the Preakness.

"The difficult thing to explain with her is it's so far after the wire, and she was easing down like you'd like to see a horse slow down by that point," he said. "I don't have an explanation for it."

I watched the Kentucky Derby yesterday. In fact, I watched the pre-show too. All you heard yesterday was about how there was only one female horse in the race, and she was going up against "the boys". They kept talking about how a female horse has only won the Derby three times. It's pretty sad when sexism is brought into a sporting event, and it's aimed at a HORSE.

The most disgusting thing about the whole race was that people actually had the audacity to say that Eight Belles had no business taking on "the boys", and this was said after the horse was dead.

To that, I say FUCK YOU!! That horse deserved to be in the race. She was more than qualified. Hell, if you want to really boil it down, she was more qualified to be in that race than the winner Big Brown. To even suggest that somehow the trainer or the owner of the horse was at fault for the horse's death because they chose to put her up against "the boys" is disgusting and SEXIST.

They say that the horse broke both front ankles. If that's what happened, fine. But, I say that something happened to that horse. The fact of the matter is, they didn't want a female beating THE BOYS. Imagine the HORROR of that reality. If given the chance, Eight Belles could have and quite possibly would have beaten Big Brown in The Preakness or The Belmont. But that will never happen now because the horse is dead.

As for the Big Brown win, I thought it was extremely inappropriate for the trainer and the jockey to be celebrating like raving lunatics (especially the trainer) while a horse was lying dead on the race track. Talk about having no class or respect!! I don't want to hear excuses for them either. You can't tell me that they didn't have any clue that something was wrong. The horse was down. That was obvious. It was disgusting to watch them celebrate!!

While we're on the subject of the trainer for Big Brown, I have one question. Why in the hell is he even allowed to be in horse racing anymore? He should have been banned for life after what he did. We ban athletes for doping scandals. Why should a horse trainer be any different?

And he's been fined or suspended at least once every year since 2000 for doping issues. In 2000, a barn search in New York produced "an injectible vitamin which is forbidden." In '01, a horse had excessive Lasix -- an anti-bleeding medication -- in its system. In '02, Dutrow "failed to follow Lasix procedures." In '03, a horse tested positive for Mepivacaine. From '04 through an '08 fine in Florida, there were citations regarding Lasix, Clenbuterol, Phenylbutazone and Oxyphenbutazone.

He served a 60-day suspension in 2005 after two of his horses tested positive for banned substances and for a claiming violation. Then, in 2007, he served an additional 14-day suspension and was fined $25,000 for violating conditions of his suspension by having contact with his stable.

We're celebrating with a man who has done this? Bullshit!!

"The trouble I've been in shouldn't take anything away from Big Brown," Dutrow said. "I don't see it. I haven't done anything bad around Big Brown ...

"You're here at the Derby. Who would want to do something that isn't right? This is all clean, all good. Anyone who would do something wrong at the Derby, that's not us. That would be despicable.

"We treat the game respectfully."

Wow, what a crock of shit!! We're supposed to take a cheater at his word that he hasn't done anything illegal with Big Brown? Why? Because he's the pillar of truth? He treats the game "respectfully"? Really? If he treats the game respectfully, why has he felt the need to dope his horses? Yeah, that's treating the game respectfully!! That's playing by the rules!! That's being clean!! This guy is full of shit!!

Sadly, a horse that had all the potential in the world to kick the asses of THE BOYS is dead. And, we're left with a slick, classless, disrespectful known CHEATER who shouldn't even be shoveling horse shit let alone be training horses.

I don't want to see a Triple Crown winner this year, especially not this one. This trainer doesn't deserve the glory. I hope another horse kicks ass in The Preakness and The Belmont because Mr. Dutrow deserves to lose.

D.C. Madam Dead!! Was It Really A Suicide?

The D.C. Madam has been found dead, and they're trying to claim that it was a suicide. I would say, look into murder.

'D.C. Madam' believed dead

(CNN) -- A woman who police believe to be Deborah Jeane Palfrey, known as the "D.C. Madam," was found dead in Florida Thursday, according to Tarpon Springs police.

The body has not been positively identified.

"Detectives are investigating an apparent suicide of a (white female) that appears to be in her early 50s," Tarpon Springs police said in a news release.

Suicide notes were found near the body in a small storage shed next to a mobile home, police said.

Palfrey, 52, was reportedly staying at the home of her mother, who owns the property where the body was found, police said.

The Pinellas County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the cause of death, police said.

The county sheriff's office and the FBI are participating in the investigation.

Palfrey was convicted last month in connection with a high-end prostitution ring catering to Washington's elite.

She was found guilty of money laundering, racketeering and mail fraud. She was awaiting sentencing with a potential of 50 years in jail.

At least one lawmaker, Louisiana Sen. David Vitter, a Republican, turned up in the phone records of her business, Pamela Martin & Associates.

State Department official Randall Tobias resigned in May 2007 after confirming he patronized Palfrey's business.

She argued it was a legitimate, legal escort service.

Yes, people commit suicide every single day in this country without any explanation. But, this was a woman who was still appealing. This was a woman who hadn't even been sentenced yet. Why the hell would she kill herself if she was trying to clear her name? It makes no sense!!

I would suggest that they start looking into the idea that she was murdered. She had big-named clients. Any one of them could have just as easily had her killed. It happens!! But to suggest that she killed herself almost immediately after finding her sounds suspicious. An autopsy hasn't even been done to determine cause of death. And, just because they supposedly found suicide notes doesn't mean a damn thing. Anyone can write a note.

I especially love the woman on Headline News who was discussing this story. She was trying to suggest that she may have committed suicide because well, "she had just been convicted and was facing a maximum sentence of 55 years in prison". Like I said, she was just found. To chalk it up as suicide and make suggestions as to why she's dead is not only irresponsible, it's unprofessional and ridiculous.

Suicide is too easy!! I smell a rat!!