Quiet Riot Singer Found Dead

There is a sad story today, as Kevin DuBrow, lead singer of the popular U.S. 1980s heavy metal band Quiet Riot, has been found dead from unknown causes at his home in Las Vegas, authorities said on Monday.


DuBrow, 52, was found dead at about 5:20 p.m. on Sunday, a spokeswoman for the Clark County Coroner's Office said. She said an autopsy was under way on Monday to determine the cause of death.


For those who did know Kevin Dubrow, or Quiet Riot, here is a little recap of the metal band with the first metal song to top the charts:

The original band was started by Randy Rhoads in 1975, but broke up in 1979 when Rhoads went on to join Ozzy Osbourne's band. In 1980, DuBrow formed a band he named DuBrow, which also included brothers Tony and Carlos Cavaso. After Rhoads' death in 1982, Dubrow changed the name of the band to Quiet Riot, which his record company felt would allow the band to capitalize on wide name recognition. Rudy Sarzo ended up joining the band once again before the release of Metal Health, which stormed to the top of the charts, making Quiet Riot the first metal band to achieve number one status on their (U.S. release) debut album. Songs like "Cum on feel the Noise", and "Metal Health (Bang Your Head)" then launched them into national fame. Nevertheless, when asked to compose more successful albums, they were unable to do so. This, coupled with DuBrow's diatribes against contemporary metal bands, the press, and eventually his own record company led to the decline of Quiet Riot. DuBrow at one point was even fired from Quiet Riot during a tour's end at Hawaii in 1987; he was abandoned in a hotel while the other members of the band left on an earlier flight.
Quiet Riot continued through the 90's in several different incarnations. They released several albums including Terrified, Down to the Bone, Alive and Well and Guilty Pleasures.
In 2004, DuBrow recorded a collection of cover versions for his first solo album, In for the Kill.
During 2006, Quiet Riot worked on a new studio album that was expected to be released in either 2006 or 2007. The band stated that they had set no timetable for the release of the album, that they are financing the project themselves, and that it would be released when they see fit and on their terms.
The album, Rehab, was released on October 3, 2006. The lineup on the album was DuBrow, Frankie Banali, Tony Franklin, and Neil Citron. Singer Glenn Highes also made a guest vocal appearance on the album.

Condolences to the family, friends and metalheads around the world. Rock Metal will mourn this death. He wasn't the greatest, but he was one of the founders of what was to become metal and helped give it widespread appeal, which helped all metal grow. Metal Rules!!

dead

Iraqis Will Ask US To Stay

In what is surely a "surprise" to most of us, this mornings story indicates that the Iraqi's want us to stay there longer.

Iraq's government, seeking protection against foreign threats and internal coups, will offer the U.S. a long-term troop presence in Iraq in return for U.S. security guarantees as part of a strategic partnership, two Iraqi officials said Monday.


The proposal, described to The Associated Press by two senior Iraqi officials familiar with the issue, is one of the first indications that the United States and Iraq are beginning to explore what their relationship might look like once the U.S. significantly draws down its troop presence.

There is little doubt that no matter who enters the White House after 2008, our Troops will still be a significant presence in Iraq. Hopefully, they will not be dying in the numbers that they have been dying thus far, in this war!



stay

A MUST VISIT BUSINESS RUN BY PARIS LOVE EX-STRIPPER AND LINK TO HER POST

This is a post concerning a MySpace friend, who is starting a new business and I would like to recommend you to her site if you are interested in purchasing adult toys for you, and/or your partner.


Paris Love Ex-Stripper writes about a variety of things, so I recommend her blog as well. Here is the connecting link to her Thursday, November 1st, 2007, post entitled: A New Job!! I hope you get an opportunity to visit her blog and her website, and have some adult FUN!!


Here is a list of categories that her business carries.

Playful Beginnings
Memorable Moments
Massage & Bath Aids
Romantic Interludes
Bedroom Accessories
Spa Products
Novelties
search by
name

shop by
category
Lubricants
Heighteners
Massage
For Couples
For Him
For Bachelorettes
Bondage
Books & Games
The Classics
Vibrators
G-Spot
Anal
shop by
price
Under $8
$9-$10
$11-$13
$14-$17
$18-$20
$21-$30
$31-$50
Above $50



I have placed my first order with her, for my girlfriend and myself;), and found her to be courteous, professional, friendly, and she shipped the order promptly. So as a very satisfied customer, I recommend her business, and products to everyone who is reading this repost, so please check out her website, and have some adult fun!!


Best of luck to Paris Love Ex-Stripper, on her new venture!!


Thanks!!


ADULT

Sharif Returns To Pakistan

It seems that the stability of Pakistan is being tested weekly, and with the arrival of the former Prime Minsiter today, it is going to be another Interesting week for President Musharraf, and Pakistan.

The Exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returned home to a hero's welcome Sunday and called on President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to end emergency rule before elections, a fresh challenge to the U.S.-backed leader.

"These (emergency) conditions are not conducive to free and fair elections," Sharif told reporters at the airport after arriving from Saudi Arabia. "I think the constitution of Pakistan should be restored, and there should be rule of law."

Here is a little background of Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. He was born December 25th, 1949 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan is a Pakistani politician and comes from a well established Kashmiri business family. His wife Kulsoom is the grand-niece of world famous Kashmiri wrestler the Great Gama.He was twice elected as Prime Minister of Pakistan, serving two non-consecutive terms, the first from November 1st, 1990 to July 18th, 1993, and the second from February 17th, 1997, to October 12th, 1999. His party is the Pakistan Muslim League N, (Nawaz group). He is best known internationally for ordering Pakistan's 1998 nuclear tests in response to India's , and the abrupt end of his final term in a dramatic coup by General Pervez Musharraf.

Whether it is right or wrong is not really the question, as it should be "whether it is going to help or hurt," Pakistan, by creating one more area of tension and instability, in a country that already has more fractures, and security problems than it can handle.


returns

Shiite Violence Redux?

The bombings hit the day after our Thanksgiving Day holiday, and may mean that a new round of violence is going to begin.

Four members of an Iranian-backed Shiite cell confessed to bombing a public market in central Baghdad, a U.S. spokesman said Saturday. He also blamed Shiites for recent attacks on U.S. bases, raising fears that a three-month truce by the most feared Shiite militia may be at an end.

The blast Friday in the al-Ghazl pet market killed at least 15 people, wounded 56 and shattered a growing sense of public confidence that has emerged following a sharp decline in the bombings and shootings that once rattled the Iraqi capital daily.

This latest violence is just one more indication that our "window of opportunity", to remove ourselves from this situation is closing, and may be closing so fast that we will get caught inside, when it all goes to Hell, Again!!


bombs

More Tragedy In Bangladesh

There is more sadness this morning in Bangladesh as a section of a bridge collapsed Saturday under the weight of thousands of hungry cyclone victims rushing toward a relief center in southwestern Bangladesh. At least one person died and dozens were injured, officials said.

Rescuers worked to remove concrete slabs from the collapsed 30-foot section to search for people feared crushed underneath, while frantic villagers gathered at the site on a river in Patuakhali district, one of the areas hit hardest by Tropical Cyclone Sidr earlier this month.

These poor people just cannot seem to get a break, and I am truly amazed by their resiliency in the face of tragedy after tragedy, and may we send more prayers their way on this Thanksgiving weekend!

bridge

Bloody Day After Thanksgiving In Iraq

Even as we finish up Thanksgiving Day leftovers, and hit the stores for "Black Friday", there is sad news from Iraq.

Two bombs exploded hours apart Friday in a central Baghdad pet market and a police checkpoint in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, killing 26 people and wounding dozens, officials said.

The attacks were among the deadliest in recent weeks, underscoring warnings by senior U.S. commanders that extremists still pose a threat to Iraq's fragile security despite a downturn in violence since a U.S.-Iraqi security plan began in mid-February.

The worst part of this story I believe, is the acknowledgement that no matter what we do, there will still be some violence, and when we leave will it increase again. It seems the only reason it has gone down is because of the troops "everywhere" reality, which gives insurgents less time to plan and carry out attacks, as they are running for "their" lives. Now as we begin drawing down troops, will the violence go back up to pre-surge levels or higher.

I think all we are doing is forestalling the inevitable, and the other reality is that for all of the good armed successes we have had, the Iraqi government, (not local, as they seem to be doing well), is still not doing anything to speak of, except agreeing to an oil revenue sharing plan, and that is still not complete. So let's call it a win and come home, if we did and used all available boats and planes for evacuation, we could have everyone out in less than a month. This is a very difficult issue, because it would be nice if it could work out well for everyone, but it doesn't seem like it will, and that is sad for our troops and the Iraqi people. Our condolences to the Iraqi's and their families who lost loved ones.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving weekend.


bloody

Thanksgiving Day History

I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow, and may you feast in your own way, enjoy family and friends, and just have a Great Day! I almost had the day off, but due to a snow storm in western Iowa, my Art Prints are being delayed, so I am going to meet the truck tomorrow, and will spend a few hours organizing everything for the start of the Christmas buying season, Friday at 6 A.M. Below is a little history, sanitized for today, of how Thanksgiving began and continues up to today, with a link to a cool timeline at the end. Thanks!!

Thanksgiving Day, national holiday in the United States commemorating the Pilgrims, in American history, the group of separatists and other individuals who were the founders of Plymouth Colony . The name Pilgrim Fathers is given to those members who made the first crossing on the Mayflower.The celebration of the harvest reaped by the Plymouth Colony in 1621, after a winter of great starvation and privation. The celebration was probably held in October. The neighboring Wampanoags, who outnumbered the colonists, joined them for three days and contributed food to the celebration. The first proclaimed day of thanksgiving in the colony was not held until 1623 (probably at the end of July), following an improvement in prospects for the still struggling colony, and was a day of prayer, not feasting.

After the American Revolution the first national Thanksgiving Day, proclaimed by President George Washington, was Nov. 26, 1789, and the Episcopal Church began celebrating an annual day of thanksgiving on the first Thursday in November. Some states established an annual Thanksgiving Day, but there was no annual national holiday until President Abraham Lincoln, urged by Sarah J. Hale Hale, Edward Everett, 1822–1909, American author and Unitarian clergyman, b. Boston, grad. Harvard, 1839. He was the nephew of Edward Everett. The pastor of a church in Worcester, Mass., proclaimed one in 1863, appointing as the date the last Thursday of November. Although the only known contemporary account of the 1621 Plymouth harvest celebration had been rediscovered in 1841, the national Thanksgiving Day initially was not officially linked to it.

In 1939, 1940, and 1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed Thanksgiving the next-to-last Thursday in November. Conflicts arose between Roosevelt's proclamation and about half of those of state governors, and in 1941 Congress passed a joint resolution decreeing that Thanksgiving should fall on the fourth Thursday of November. The day is observed by church services and family reunions; the customary turkey dinner is a reminder of the wildfowl served at the Pilgrims' celebration. Canadians also celebrate a national Thanksgiving Day, on the second Monday in October; prior to 1957 it was on the last Monday of the month.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE!!


timeline

Packing Books And Heat

There is an interesting story of students on college campuses, who want to carry weapons with them at all times.

Mike Guzman and thousands of other students say the best way to prevent campus bloodshed is more guns. Guzman, an economics major at Texas State University-San Marcos, is among 8,000 students nationwide who have joined the nonpartisan Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, arguing that students and faculty already licensed to carry concealed weapons should be allowed to pack heat along with their textbooks.

This is a growing movement as evidenced by this story and a look at their website which I have added in a second post entitled Concealed Campus.Com. I hope you have a chance to check it out and see what you think about their requests to arm themselves, for their own safety.

The concealed campus.compost is just below this one.Thank YOU!!

guns

Concealed Campus.Com

When I first saw the story that I previosly posted on I went on the Internet and right away found that there is a concerted and coordinated effort to promote concealed weapons on campuses all over the country.

Below is the first part of the ConcealedCampus.Com free website, and if you get an opportunity, please stop by an see what they have going on locally and nationwide.


10/26/2007 – SCCC MEMBERSHIP REACHES NEW HIGH AND A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
SCCC Membership Sets New Record
Students for Concealed Carry on Campus now has over 7,000 members nationwide.
Thought for the Day
com·pro·mise (kŏm'prə-mīz')
1. an accommodation in which both sides make concessions
Proponents of gun control typically argue that gun owners should be required to undergo training, testing, expanded background checks, and licensing.
Proponents of gun rights typically argue that gun owners should be allowed to carry handguns in public, for self-defense.
Concealed carry laws allow gun owners who undergo training, testing, expanded background checks, and licensing to carry handguns in public, for self-defense.
When both sides give a little and both sides get a little, that is the true definition of compromise.
Who is more willing to compromise—groups like Students for Concealed Carry on Campus who support licensed concealed carry or groups like The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence who oppose licensed concealed carry?

So what do you think? Should students be able to protect themselves from the growing danger on campuses or should they be left defenseless? I think that if they are properly trained, and meet the requirements of the law, they should be allowed to carry concealed weapons. Perhaps many of the recent killings could have been avoided or lessened if armed students were there to fight back. I personally do not own guns anymore, nor am I a member of the NRA. I choose not to have guns in the house, because of children in the house, and I do not want any "accidents", in our home, but I am all for those who feel the "need" to have guns, to have them. A well armed citizenry may also give pause to those who might wish us harm from within our own government.



concealed

Former Aide Blames Bush And Cheney For CIA Leak

This is the case tonight as former White House press secretary Scott McClellan blames President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for efforts to mislead the public about the role of White House aides in leaking the identity of a CIA operative.

In an excerpt from his forthcoming book, McClellan recounts the 2003 news conference in which he told reporters that aides Karl Rove and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby were "not involved" in the leak involving operative Valerie Plame.


Let's Recap The Plame Affair:

The Plame affair (also known as the CIA leak scandal or the CIA leak case) is a political controversy in the United States, involving high-level officials of the George W. Bush administration and members of the media, and resulting in a federal grand jury investigation, a criminal trial, and a civil suit. Beginning in mid-June 2003, according to federal court records, Bush administration officials, including Richard Armitage and Scooter Libby, discussed with various reporters the employment of a classified, covert, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer, Valerie E. Wilson (also known as Valerie Plame).

On July 14, 2003, a newspaper column entitled "Mission to Niger" by Robert Novak disclosed Plame's name and status as an "operative" who worked in a CIA division on the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Mrs. Wilson's husband, Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson, stated in various interviews and subsequent writings (as listed in his 2004 memoir The Politics of Truth) that his wife's identity was covert and that members of the administration knowingly revealed it as retribution for his op-ed entitled "What I Didn't Find in Africa", published in The New York Times on July 6, 2003.

On September 16, 2003 the CIA sent a letter to the US Department of Justice, asserting that Plame's status as a CIA undercover operative was classified information and requesting a federal investigation. Attorney General John Ashcroft referred the matter to the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Special Counsel, directed by Patrick Fitzgerald, who convened a grand jury. The CIA leak grand jury investigation resulted in the indictment and conviction of I. Lewis Libby, Chief of Staff of Vice President Dick Cheney. The indictment was on five counts of obstruction of justice, perjury, and false statements to the grand jury and federal investigators on October 28, 2005; Libby resigned hours after the indictment. The federal trial United States v. Libby began on January 16, 2007. On March 6, 2007, Libby was convicted on four counts of perjury, obstruction of justice, and making false statements, and was acquitted of one count of making false statements. Libby was sentenced to 30 months in prison, a fine of US$250,000, and two years of supervised release after his prison term.

After the verdict, Special Counsel Fitzgerald stated that he does not expect anyone else to be charged in the case: "We're all going back to our day jobs." On July 2, 2007, President Bush commuted Libby's sentence, effectively erasing the 30 months he was supposed to spend in jail. The probation and fines still remain. The Wilsons also brought a civil law suit against Libby, Richard Cheney, Karl Rove, and Richard Armitage. On July 19, 2007, the civil suit was dismissed in United States District Court for the District of Columbia. On behalf of the Wilsons, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed an appeal of the U.S. District Court's decision the following day.

And back to today's story:

"There was one problem. It was not true," McClellan writes, according to a brief excerpt released Tuesday. "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." Bush's chief of staff at the time was Andrew Card.

The excerpt, posted on the Web site of publisher PublicAffairs, renews questions about what went on in the West Wing and how much Bush and Cheney knew about the leak. For years, it was McClellan's job to field, and often duck, those types of questions. Now that he's spurring them, answers are equally hard to come by. White House press secretary Dana Perino said it wasn't clear what McClellan meant in the excerpt. "The president has not and would not ask his spokespeople to pass on false information," she said. McClellan turned down interview requests Tuesday.

Plame maintains the White House quietly outed her to reporters. Plame and her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, said the leak was retribution for his public criticism of the Iraq war. The accusation dogged the administration and made Plame a cause celebre among many Democrats.

McClellan's book, "What Happened," isn't due out until April, and the excerpt released Monday was merely a teaser. It doesn't get into detail about how Bush and Cheney were involved or reveal what happened behind the scenes.

In the fall of 2003, after authorities began investigating the leak, McClellan told reporters that he'd personally spoken to Rove, who was Bush's top political adviser, and Libby, who was Cheney's chief of staff. "They're good individuals, they're important members of our White House team, and that's why I spoke with them, so that I could come back to you and say that they were not involved," McClellan said at the time.

Both men, however, were involved. Rove was one of the original sources for the newspaper column that identified Plame. Libby also spoke to reporters about the CIA officer and was convicted of lying about those discussions. He is the only person to be charged in the case.Since that news conference, however, the official White House stance has shifted and it has been difficult to get a clear picture of what happened behind closed doors around the time of the leak.McClellan's flat denials gave way to a steady drumbeat of "no comment." And Bush's original pledge to fire anyone involved in the leak became a promise to fire anyone who "committed a crime."

In a CNN interview earlier this year, McClellan made no suggestion that Bush knew either Libby or Rove was involved in the leak. McClellan said his statements to reporters were what he and the president "believed to be true at the time based on assurances that we were both given." Bush most recently addressed the issue in July after commuting Libby's 30-month prison term. He acknowledged that some in the White House were involved in the leak. Then, after repeatedly declining to discuss the ongoing investigation, he said the case was closed and it was time to move on, but if there was wrongdoing it would be taken care of. It seems that the wrongdoing may hit close to home, however, unless further excerpts are released or McClellan has a interview, we will just have to wait until April.

It is an interesting turn of events, and due to that the "leading us to war in Iraq" intelligence factor, carries grave consequences for the Bush adminstration, as well as for our country, and who it is that we are to believe or not believe, in the future. Perhaps we need to make double and triple sure of our intelligence as we make plans to strike Iran, before they can produce nuclear weapons. As Bush himself tried to say, but messed it up, "Fool me once, shame on you, Fool me twice shame on you, and should have said (shame on me)." If we allow anyone to fool us again it should be shame on us!! Let's not be fooled Again, People!!

Top 100 NFL Draft Prospects

This next story is for those of use who either watch football, bet on football, or are fanatical Fantasy Football Team Managers, as we are already looking to who should be in our draft picks next year.


This is my third year playing, the first with one team in a private league, last year in a public league with two teams, and this year in a public league with two teams on Yahoo, and two teams on MSN, and even though four years ago I barely paid attention to football and thought fantasy guys were "stupid", I am now daily, checking my players, the latest news, and constantly tweaking the teams to get one more point over my opponent.


So I was excited to see that Yahoo has a story about the Top 100 Prospects for next year, and here is a spoiler----Number 1. ranked was:


Darren McFadden - RB - 6'1" 220 lbs. - Arkansas
Outstanding junior feature back has the complete package for the NFL game.


I hope you enjoy going through the list and preparing your Christmas(draft) list,w way, way too early:) HAVE FUN!!


100

Non Embryonic Stem Cell Research

How cool is this next story, that if accurate could change the lives of millions and the attitude of governments and churches.

Scientists have made ordinary human skin cells take on the chameleon-like powers of embryonic stem cells, a startling breakthrough that might someday deliver the medical payoffs of embryo cloning without the controversy.

Laboratory teams on two continents report success in a pair of landmark papers released Tuesday. It's a neck-and-neck finish to a race that made headlines five months ago, when scientists announced that the feat had been accomplished in mice.

Everytime something like this comes out there are still a few on the religious side that may say that doing this is "playing God", and I wonder if God is wondering to himself "How could I have given such intelligence and creative ability to my creations, and yet they keep second guessing themselves about what I intended. Hello, I gave you the abilities to create, don't squander them or that would be a sin and an affront to me!" Of course there is also the scenario, that the religious people are right and we are "playing God", and then HE shall smite us!:)

If you have a moment please let me know what you think. I am hoping that this is a procedure that is not an affront to "God", and that it can help so many who suffer and die each day, because they are not able to reap the possible benefits of stem cell research! Thanks!

stem cells

Pakistan Releases Some Prisoners

In what appears to be a move by Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf to assuage some of the criticism of his emergency rule has released many prisoners, as he heads to Saudi Arabia for a visit.

More than 3,000 people jailed under emergency rule have been released, the Interior Ministry said Tuesday, the latest sign that President Gen. Pervez Musharraf was rolling back some of the harsher measures taken against his opponents.

Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema put the exact figure of those freed in recent days at 3,416, including lawyers and political activists, and said more than 2,000 people remained jailed.

This may be seen as an encouraging sign, but it still is a wait and see climate, as there is always the possibility that rebel terrorists will use this opportunity to strike somewhere, and force the President to come down hard again on Pakistani rights. It seems that he is in a lose/lose situation, as his countrymen demand democratic freedom, and every step in that direction gives the insurgents more of a probabilty of toppling the government, and creating a terrorist state.

What amazes me is that he actually wants to keep this job, as believes that he can keep Pakistan intact, and free of rebel forces. For this he needs strength, diplomacy, and a large dose of luck!



prisoners

Karma Visits Chavez Briefly

I am a believer in Karma, and though this is not a case of receiving his "ultimate" Karmic kick in the butt, it does remind us that Karma, often has a twisted sense of humor as evidenced by this next story.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez would not shut up for Spain's king but, over the weekend, he heeded a higher calling to stop talking, his bladder. Surrounded by a throng of reporters at an OPEC summit in Saudi Arabia, the president, who enjoys the media spotlight and often answers questions at length, excused himself, and telling them he had to pee!!

Thank you Karma for shutting him up and for giving us something to smile about, as the week begins!LOL:) !!


karmic humor

Michael Vick Update Enters Jail

Is Michael Vick trying to lessen his sentence by making a good show of being contrite? In a news story just now being reported, Michael Vick has turned himself into to the U.S. Marshalls Service in order to begin serving his expected jail term, according to report by the Richmond Times-Dispatch on Monday.

Vick surrendered to get a head start on serving whatever sentence he receives on December 10 for pleading guilty to federal dogfighting charges.

According to the report, Vick was transported from the U.S. Courthouse downtown to one of the regional jails where federal prisoners are housed.

It shall be interesting to follow this story, and see if his strategy of early incarceration works for him. I think what he did was cruel and evil, but I will also be one to see him come out better, if he is truly a changed man inside. Time will be the only true arbiter of his fate, but perhaps this first step will help him, and show those young men who worshipped him, what will happen if you break the law, and may change their lives for the better right now!

jail

Bangladesh Death Toll May Top 10,000

Another rise in the reported number of dead in Bangladesh.

The death toll from Thursday's cyclone in Bangladesh is now more than 3,100, and officials say that number could reach 10,000 once rescuers get to outlying islands. Rescuers are struggling to reach thousands of survivors, and relief items have been slow to reach many. Survivors grieved and buried their loved ones Monday as they waited for aid to arrive.

The death toll from the Thursday cyclone reached 3,113 after reports finally reached Dhaka from storm-ravaged areas which had been largely cut off because of washed-out roads and downed telephone lines, said Lt. Col. Main Ullah Chowdhury, a spokesman of the army coordinating the relief and rescue work.

I did find out this morning that our neighborhood church is going to provide Bangladesh relief, so I am going to help them out. I hope you can find a way to help as well. Thanks!

deaths

Second Bangladesh Tragedy Update

The news continues to worsen as resue workers report more and more deaths in Bangladesh.

The death toll from a cyclone that devastated Bangladesh has surpassed 2,200, officials said Sunday, while rescuers struggled through blocked paths to reach hundreds of thousands of survivors awaiting aid in wrecked homes and flooded fields.

The government deployed military helicopters, naval ships and thousands of troops to join international agencies and local officials in the rescue mission following Tropical Cyclone Sidr. The U.S. and other countries also offered assistance.

Tomorrow is another day, and sadly I am sure we shall see the death toll figures rise once again! Please help if you can, as the relief agencies can surely use your donations. There is an online relief fund called www.helpinghandonline.org, there is also the Red Cross, and the United Nations. Personally I have animus for both the United Nations, and the Red Cross relief agencies, so I will be checking with the local churches like the one across the street from where I live, and donate to one, like the one I mentioned that is sending aid to Bangladesh. Take Care!

update

Cool Florida Quarterback In Record Books

Congratulations to Tim Tebow of Florida, who is now in the history books of college football.

Florida coach Urban Meyer didn't tell his players they were eliminated from the Southeastern Conference race Saturday. He didn't have to, either. Tim Tebow became the first player in major college history with at least 20 touchdowns passing and rushing in the same season and Andre Caldwell broke the school record for career receptions.

May this young man receive the Heismann trophy and then make history in the NFL!


history

NO MIRACLE ON 34TH ST FIELD TRIP AND WHY THE HELL NOT

Here we go again, with political correctness delivering another blow to Christmas, and at least one Winchester mom wants to fight back, and still wants to take her seventh-grade daughter to “Miracle on 34th Street” and organize other parents to do the same after the field trip was axed because some parents complained it was too focused on Santa Claus.
McCall Middle School principal Evander French Jr. said the classic play didn’t tie into the school’s curriculum and he decided to ax the Dec. 19 trip to the Stoneham Theatre last week. (B.S.)
Emily Rudin, a Winchester parent who is raising her children Jewish, said she was offended with French’s decision and told him so on Friday. “This is censorship,” Rudin said. “This is religious intolerance. This is horrible.”
Rudin said the same small group of mothers who allowed their children to attend a local production of a “A Christmas Carol” last year opposed “Miracle on 34th Street.” Now, Rudin said, Jewish middle school students are being harassed by kids who are saying “Jews hate Santa and that’s why we can’t go on the field trip.”
The principal said “A Christmas Carol” is about the human spirit. Sixth-graders read an abridged version of the Dickens classic.
“For me, it’s all about exposure and acceptance for my children, whether it’s about religion, race or a different lifestyle,” Rudin said. “If a few mothers feel that they’re uncomfortable with the content, then keep your kids home.”
Rudin said 300 seventh-graders were planning to attend the play and a pizza party afterward. Rudin said she’ll ask the theater to advertise the tickets if they are still available. “The school may not support it, but it would be a shame for the kids not to go,” Rudin said.
Another parent, Steven Landau, didn’t complain to the principal but called the trip a waste of time. “Multiculturalism is good, but there’s plenty of cultural activities which have no religious basis. Having one which has religious basis or semi-religious basis is not very sensitive to everybody in the school,” Landau said.
On Tuesday, French met with the school’s parents association, where four parents spoke out against his decision to cancel the trip, said association co-president Martha Sampson.Neither French nor School Superintendent William McAlduff returned calls yesterday. Cowards!!
V. French Jr.'s email is vfrench@winchester.k12.ma.us and the telephone number is 1-781-721-7026, and Superintendent William McAlduff's telephone number is 1-781-721-7004, but has no email address listed on the district's homepage.
Let's call or write these idiots and express our displeasure with their decision. I for one still "believes" in Santa Claus, you know the one that brings presents, as I am all about commercialization of Christmas, and every other holiday. It is just too much fun to allow these fuddy duddies to ruin a grand tradition of giving and greed. Personally, I try to do Santa like things all year, but love Christmas, and enjoy it with child-like(ish) glee. Let the kids have their field trip, and maybe for Valentines Day, they could visit a Victoria's Secret store. This may sound "tongue firmly implanted in cheek", but I am a little bit, and I do think they should "Leave Christmas The Hell Alone"! If you like Christmas for religious reasons, fine, if for secular reasons, fine, but if this were a muslim holiday, they would be bending over backwards to accomodate them, and why. Is it fear?, because their "radical" followers would kill cartoonists for making fun of their god, as just one example of the crazy disparity of how christians are treated compared to other religions. Also, don't get me wrong, as I am not promoting chistianity of any kind. I was born and raised a Catholic, but parted ways years ago, and went through my WICCA, and "other", "darker", occult phases, as well as a hint of Taoism, later, etc.,. I wish everyone who believes in a religion would try and understand each others philosophy and faith, but instead the secularists want to separate people from anything that has even a hint of little bit of religion. At least we know their dividing line, Miracle's (bad) A Christmas Carol (good)?? Isn't the second a little more mystical??Go figure, maybe they're using their Magic 8 Ball to decide which is which.

HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY CHANUKAH,WINTER SOLSTICE,FESTIVUS FOR THE REST OF US,MATERIALISTIC - GIVE ME PRESENTS DAY, MATERIALISTIC - GIVE YOU PRESENTS DAY!!;)