Time to Activate the GOP Translator

GOP bill targets NY Times

House Republican leaders are expected to introduce a resolution today condemning The New York Times for publishing a story last week that exposed government monitoring of banking records.

The resolution is expected to condemn the leak and publication of classified documents, said one Republican aide with knowledge of the impending legislation.

The resolution comes as Republicans from the president on down condemn media organizations for reporting on the secret government program that tracked financial records overseas through the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT), an international banking cooperative.

Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.), working independently from his leadership, began circulating a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) during a late series of votes yesterday asking his leaders to revoke the Times’s congressional press credentials.

The Standing Committee decides which organizations and reporters can be accredited, according to the rules of both the House and Senate press galleries. Members of that committee are elected by accredited members of those galleries.

“Under no circumstances would we revoke anyone’s credentials simply because a government official is unhappy with what that correspondent’s newspaper has written,” said Susan Milligan, a reporter for the Boston Globe, which is owned by the Times, who also serves the standing chairwoman of the Standing Committee of Correspondents. “The rules say nothing about the stories a newspaper chooses to pursue, or the reaction those stories provoke. The Times clearly meets our standards for credentials.”

The Times, the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal all reported the existence of the program on their websites last Thursday.

President Bush criticized the reports during a press event Monday, calling the disclosure “disgraceful” and a “great harm” to national security. Vice President Dick Cheney, who voiced support for the program over the weekend, followed Bush’s criticism with harsh words of his own.

In an open letter responding to these criticisms, Times Executive Editor Bill Keller wrote that a free press was the key check on government’s abuse of power.

Translation:  Don’t report stories worth telling, newspapers! Only print stories about our pointless and childish attempts at vote-grabbing with non-issues like gay marriage and flag burning! Don’t tell people about our abuses of power, damnit! We might not win elections if people know what self-obsessed megalomanics we are!

 

Have the Dems Found Their Collective Spine?

Democrats vow to block pay raises until minimum wage increased

“We’re going to do anything it takes to stop the congressional pay raise this year, and we’re not going to settle for this year alone,” Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said at a Capitol news conference.

“They can play all the games the want,” Reid said derisively of the Republicans who control the chamber. “They can deal with gay marriage, estate tax, flag burning, all these issues and avoid issues like the prices of gasoline, sending your kid to college. But we’re going to do everything to stop the congressional pay raise.”

The minimum wage is $5.15 an hour. Democrats want to raise it to $7.25. During the past nine years, as Democrats have tried unsuccessfully to increase the minimum wage, members of Congress have voted to give themselves pay raises — technically “cost of living increases” — totaling $31,600, or more than $15 an hour for a 40-hour week, 52 weeks a year, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Wait, are they actually standing up for something?  Are they ACTUALLY not just towing the line or bowing before the Repiglican chickenhawks?

Someone pinch me! I must be dreaming! 

 

Playing God

'End Times' Religious Groups Want Apocalypse Soon A taste:

"For thousands of years, prophets have predicted the end of the world. Today, various religious groups, using the latest technology, are trying to hasten it.

Their endgame is to speed the promised arrival of a messiah.

For some Christians this means laying the groundwork for Armageddon.

 With that goal in mind, mega-church pastors recently met in Inglewood to polish strategies for using global communications and aircraft to transport missionaries to fulfill the Great Commission: to make every person on Earth aware of Jesus' message. Doing so, they believe, will bring about the end, perhaps within two decades.

In Iran, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has a far different vision. As mayor of Tehran in 2004, he spent millions on improvements to make the city more welcoming for the return of a Muslim messiah known as the Mahdi, according to a recent report by the American Foreign Policy Center, a nonpartisan think tank.

To the majority of Shiites, the Mahdi was the last of the prophet Muhammad's true heirs, his 12 righteous descendants chosen by God to lead the faithful.

 Ahmadinejad hopes to welcome the Mahdi to Tehran within two years. Conversely, some Jewish groups in Jerusalem hope to clear the path for their own messiah by rebuilding a temple on a site now occupied by one of Islam's holiest shrines.

Artisans have re-created priestly robes of white linen, gem-studded breastplates, silver trumpets and solid-gold menorahs to be used in the Holy Temple — along with two 6½-ton marble cornerstones for the building's foundation.

Then there is Clyde Lott, a Mississippi revivalist preacher and cattle rancher. He is trying to raise a unique herd of red heifers to satisfy an obscure injunction in the Book of Numbers: the sacrifice of a blemish-free red heifer for purification rituals needed to pave the way for the messiah.

So far, only one of his cows has been verified by rabbis as worthy, meaning they failed to turn up even three white or black hairs on the animal's body.

Linking these efforts is a belief that modern technologies and global communications have made it possible to induce completion of God's plan within this generation.

Though there are myriad interpretations of how it will play out, the basic Christian apocalyptic countdown — as described by the Book of Revelation in the New Testament — is as follows:

Jews return to Israel after 2,000 years, the Holy Temple is rebuilt, billions of people perish during seven years of natural disasters and plagues, the antichrist arises and rules the world, the battle of Armageddon erupts in the vicinity of Israel, Jesus returns to defeat Satan's armies and preside over Judgment Day.

Generations of Christians have hoped for the Second Coming of Jesus, said UCLA historian Eugen Weber, author of the 1999 book "Apocalypses: Prophecies, Cults and Millennial Beliefs Through the Ages."

"And it's always been an ultimately bloody hope, a slaughterhouse hope," he added with a sigh. "What we have now in this global age is a vaster and bloodier-than-ever Wagnerian version. But, then, we are a very imaginative race."

Apocalyptic movements are nothing new; even Christopher Columbus hoped to assist in the Great Commission by evangelizing New World inhabitants. Some religious scholars saw apocalyptic fever rise as the year 2000 approached, and they expected it to subside after the millennium arrived without a hitch.

It didn't. According to various polls, an estimated 40% of Americans believe that a sequence of events presaging the end times is already underway. Among the believers are pastors of some of the largest evangelical churches in America, who converged at Faith Central Bible Church in Inglewood in February to finalize plans to start 5 million new churches worldwide in 10 years.

"Jesus Christ commissioned his disciples to go to the ends of the Earth and tell everyone how they could achieve eternal life," said James Davis, president of the Global Pastors Network's "Billion Souls Initiative," one of an estimated 2,000 initiatives worldwide designed to boost the Christian population."

This is just the first page.

 So, explain to me again why I should be "tolerant" of these people and their INCREDIBLY stupid and dangerous beliefs?

Exactly how would people like this be of any use in the effort to save humankind – from itself?

Religion is a destructive force.  One needs no other proof than this.

 

Gestapo Scotus: “This is our Justice, Bitches!”

I posted a few days ago about the drooling morons in SCOTUS who've decided that we haven't lost enough Democracy and decided to allow admission in court of evidence obtained in illegal police searches.

Because that pesky fourth amendment does protect Americans from illegal search and seizure. . .. oh wait . . .

Huff Po has a great post by Robert J. Elisberg on the subject.

"I am a believer in the method called originalism," said Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in a speech on October, 2004, "which, in a nutshell, says that you look at the text of the Constitution… and you give the text the meaning it had when it was adopted."The whimsy of his placing this view in an appropriate "nutshell" aside, it appears now that Justice Scalia's method is less "originalism" than it is self-interest.

Sorry, "self-interestism."

Last week, Justice Scalia wrote the majority opinion in the 5-4 decision, Hudson v. Michigan. The ruling allows that evidence found in an illegal police search is admissible in court. (Cries of "Holy Mother of God!!!!" may now begin.) Police no longer need to wait after announcing themselves before rushing into someone's home. The one saving grace is that a warrant must still be obtained – it just doesn't have to be used legally.

 As comedienne Anna Russell said in a famous routine, "I'm not making this up, you know!" In his decision, Scalia notes that the accused may still sue the police for the illegal search. Oh, okay, sure, that illegally-seized evidence probably put the person away, but the good news is, he may enjoy the court judgment upon release from prison in 15-20 years.

However one reacts to this ruling, the issue here is that while Justice Scalia likes to puff himself an "originalist," the reality is that this decision not only reverses the Bill of Rights, prohibiting unreasonable searches, but also English common law and the doctrine of "knock and announce," which for eight centuries has mandated that police must identify themselves and wait a reasonable time before entering someone's home.

Apparently, to Justice Scalia, "originalism" really means coming up with something original."

I asked: What happens when the cops burst into someone's home (hoping they have the right address) – with the blessing of the new dumb-as-a-box-of-rocks SCOTUS – and meet the business end of the civilian firearm?

Well, I found an answer. VIA Crooked Timber:

"The guts of it is that Cory Maye is a black man on death row for shooting a white police officer dead. The officer was part of a paramilitary no-knock drug raid which broke down the door of Maye’s apartment at 11:30pm, when he and his young daughter were sleeping.The building was a duplex and the officers had a warrant for Jamie Smith, the person who lived in the other half, and for “occupants unknown” in Maye’s half. It’s not clear that the officers expected anyone to be in that half of the duplex.

There’s no evidence that Maye had anything to do with Smith, and Maye did not have a criminal record.

When the officers broke in, Maye woke up, took his gun and ran to his daughter’s room. When Officer Ron Jones entered the room, Maye shot him. Jones later died.

There is disagreement about whether the officers announced they were the police as they broke in, and what the exact sequence of events was once they were in there. (I don’t think it’s in dispute that Maye really had no reason to expect the police would come breaking down his door at midnight.)

Jones was (1) first into the apartment but (2) not part of the SWAT team—he was invited along because he tipped off the Narcotics Task Force about the suspected dealer in the other half of the duplex. He was also (3) the son of a local police chief.

Mayes was tried, apparently was not well-represented, and was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death."

So much for "Innocent, good people have nothing to worry about."

Let's say it's the middle of the night, and someone (which may or may not be police) bursts into your home. These are the choices you have:

1. Arm yourself and, if you kill one, be sent to death row

2. Do nothing and hope that the people bursting in are actually the cops and not just criminals hoping to steal your crap and rape your family.

What's next? Do we get rid of that pesky Right To Bear Arms amendment to protect the illegally invading police? (Oh wait, that's legal now).

This forces me to ask, once again. Why do conservatives hate freedom, logic, sanity, decency and intelligence so much?

 

Goodbye 4th Amendment, Hello Dead Policemen

Top court upholds no-knock police search

So, um, what happens when they burst in and meet the business end of a civilian firearm? 

This is the new SCOTUS.  Dumb as a box of rocks.

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court made it easier Thursday for police to barge into homes and seize evidence without knocking or waiting, a sign of the court's new conservatism with Samuel Alito on board.

The court, on a 5-4 vote, said judges cannot throw out evidence collected by police who have search warrants but do not properly announce their arrival.

It was a significant rollback of earlier rulings protective of homeowners, even unsympathetic homeowners like Booker Hudson, who had a loaded gun next to him and cocaine rocks in his pocket when Detroit police entered his unlocked home in 1998 without knocking.

The court's five-member conservative majority, anchored by new Chief Justice John Roberts and Alito, said that police blunders should not result in "a get-out-of-jail-free card" for defendants.

Dissenting justices predicted that police will now feel free to ignore previous court rulings requiring officers with search warrants to knock and announce themselves to avoid running afoul of the Constitution's Fourth Amendment ban on unreasonable searches.

"The knock-and-announce rule is dead in the United States," said David Moran, a Wayne State University professor who represented Hudson. "There are going to be a lot more doors knocked down. There are going to be a lot more people terrified and humiliated."

Supporters said the ruling will help police do their jobs.

"People who are caught red-handed with evidence of guilt have one less weapon to get off," said Kent Scheidegger, legal director of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation.

The case provides the clearest sign yet of the court without Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

Hudson had lost his case in a Michigan appeals court. Justices agreed to hear his appeal last June, four days before O'Connor's surprise announcement that she was retiring.

O'Connor was still on the bench in January when his case was first argued, and she seemed ready to vote with Hudson. "Is there no policy of protecting the home owner a little bit and the sanctity of the home from this immediate entry?" she asked.

She retired before the case was decided, and a new argument was held this spring so that Alito could participate, apparently to break a 4-4 tie.

Four justices, including Alito and Roberts, would have given prosecutors a more sweeping victory but did not have the vote of Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, a moderate conservative.

Ronald Allen, a Northwestern University Law professor, said the ruling "suggests those four would be happy to consider overturning" a 1961 Supreme Court opinion that said evidence collected in violation of the Fourth Amendment cannot be used in trials. "It would be a significant change," he said.

Kennedy joined in most of the ruling but wrote to explain that he did not support ending the knock requirement. "It bears repeating that it is a serious matter if law enforcement officers violate the sanctity of the home by ignoring the requisites of lawful entry," he said.

Kennedy said that legislatures can intervene if police officers do not "act competently and lawfully." He also said that people whose homes are wrongly searched can file a civil rights lawsuit.

Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the majority, said that there are public-interest law firms and attorneys who specialize in civil rights grievances.

Detroit police acknowledge violating the knock-and-announce rule when they called out their presence at Hudson's door, failed to knock, then went inside three seconds to five seconds later. The court has endorsed longer waits, of 15 seconds to 20 seconds. Hudson was convicted of drug possession.

"Whether that preliminary misstep had occurred or not, the police would have executed the warrant they had obtained, and would have discovered the gun and drugs inside the house," Scalia wrote.

Four justices complained in the dissent that the decision erases more than 90 years of Supreme Court precedent.

"It weakens, perhaps destroys, much of the practical value of the Constitution's knock-and-announce protection," Justice Stephen Breyer wrote for himself and Justices John Paul Stevens, David H. Souter and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Breyer said that while police departments can be sued, there is no evidence of anyone collecting much money in such cases.

The case is Hudson v. Michigan, 04-1360.

 

Marriage is Already Pretty Gay

Hilarious post by Hartboy at Daily Kos

Every generation thinks the world is in a state of decline. You can ask anybody back to the times when man first started to talk, and they'll tell you the same thing. Our ancestors were upright, hard-working, decent folk, and our descendants all play their music too damn loud.

Nowadays, it's the same old song, whether you're complaining about dogs getting chauffeured rides to recording studios, or massages for babies.

One issue in particular seems to be raising a big fuss. I'm talking about gay marriage. Everyone from bums to politicians is weighing in with his opinion, and I don't get it. I mean, I just don't get it. The way I see it, marriage is already pretty gay.

hartboy's diary :: ::

Think about it. You have the ever-present disco music blaring. You dance with your mom. And what other time in your life do you tell your buddies, "Hey, I got a great idea. Let's all wear the same thing to this party, guys. We'll get dressed up, I mean really dressed up. Let's show up with matching tuxedos!"

It's not just the wedding reception itself that is pretty gay. While you're planning the whole shindig, and your bride-to-be is asking you the stupidest questions, like "Do you think the table settings should be burgundy or maroon?" you still have one ray of hope. One glimmering remnant of straightness to hold onto. I'm talking about the bachelor party.

So what do you do? What DO you do? Somehow, you even manage to gay that up.

 Let's be realistic. Strip clubs are fun every once in a while. But could you imagine anything more gay then a nudie bar? "Let's get a bunch of dudes together, go to a place that's filled with other dudes, and get sexually aroused. P.S., you're not allowed to touch any of the women there."

So the next time Senator Santorum asks you to help preserve the sanctity of marriage by not letting it be gay, ask him: Did you do the electric slide at your wedding? Did your best man get all drunk and tell you he loves you in front of everybody?

Admit it, Rick: Marriage is already pretty gay.

 

Bullshit Smells the Same in All Religions

hat tip to Atheist Girl

 

“It’s Just A Number”

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow told the world: "It's a number" 

He's talking about the 2,500 fallen soliders in Iraq.  To Tony Snow, they are just a number. That's compassionate conservatism for you.

Perhaps Mr. Snow needs a reminder that these are not cannon-fodder, but human beings.  They have names. They have faces.

"May 01, 2006
Marine Lance Cpl. Robert L. Moscillo, 21, of Salem, N.H.; assigned to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; killed May 1 while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Anbar province, Iraq.

Army Cpl. Robbie G. Light, 21, of Kingsport, Tenn.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died of injuries sustained May 1 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M1A2 Abrams tank during combat operations in Baghdad.

May 03, 2006
Army Pfc. Benjamin T. Zieske, 20, of Concord, Calif.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died of injuries sustained May 3, when an improvised explosive device detonated during a dismounted combat patrol in Kirkuk, Iraq.

Army Pfc. Christopher M. Eckhardt, 19, of Phoenix, Ariz.; assigned to the 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 3 from a non-combat related cause in Taji, Iraq.

Army Sgt. Joseph E. Proctor, 38, of Indianapolis; assigned to the 638th Battalion (Aviation), Indiana Army National Guard, Shelbyville, Ind.; killed May 3 when a suicide, vehicle-borne, improvised explosive device detonated near his observation post during dismounted combat patrol operations in Tammin, Iraq.

Marine Capt. Brian S. Letendre, 27, of Woodbridge, Va.; assigned to the Marine Forces Reserve's Inspector and Instructor Staff, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Plainville, Conn.; killed May 3 while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Anbar province, Iraq.

May 04, 2006
Marine Sgt. Elisha R. Parker, 21, of Taberg, N.Y.; assigned to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; killed May 4, while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Anbar province, Iraq.

Army Staff Sgt. Gavin B. Reinke, 32, of Pueblo, Colo.; assigned to the 5th Engineer Battalion, 1st Engineer Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.; killed May 4 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his RG-31 Mine Protected Vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad. Also killed was Spc. Bryan L. Quinton.

Army Spc. Bryan L. Quinton, 24, of Sand Springs, Okla.; assigned to the 5th Engineer Battalion, 1st Engineer Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.; killed May 4 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his RG-31 Mine Protected Vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Gavin B. Reinke.

Marine Cpl. Stephen R. Bixler, 20, of Suffield, Conn.; assigned to the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed May 4 while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Anbar province, Iraq.

May 05, 2006
Army 1st. Sgt. Carlos N. Saenz, 46, of Las Vegas, Nev.; assigned to the 490th Civil Affairs Battalion, Army Reserve, Abilene, Texas.; attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division; killed May 5 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Baghdad. Also killed were: Spc. Teodoro Torres and Sgt. Nathan J. Vacho.

Army Spc. Teodoro Torres, 29, of Las Vegas, Nev.; assigned to the 490th Civil Affairs Battalion, Army Reserve, Abilene, Texas.; attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division; killed May 5 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Baghdad. Also killed were: 1st. Sgt. Carlos N. Saenz and Sgt. Nathan J. Vacho.

Army Sgt. Nathan J. Vacho, 29, of Janesville, Wis.; assigned to the 489th Civil Affairs Battalion, Army Reserve, Knoxville, Tenn.; attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division; killed May 5 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Baghdad. Also killed were: 1st. Sgt. Carlos N. Saenz and Spc. Teodoro Torres.

Army Lt. Col. Joseph J. Fenty, 41, of Fla.; assigned to the 71st Cavalry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum N.Y.; died May 5 when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter he was traveling on crashed during combat operations east of Abad, Afghanistan, in the Kunar province. Also killed were: Pfc. Brian M. Moquin Jr., Spc. David N. Timmons Jr., Spc. Justin L. O'Donohoe, Sgt. Jeffery S. Wiekamp, Sgt. John C. Griffith, Sgt. Bryan A. Brewster, Staff Sgt. Christopher T. Howick, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher B. Donaldson and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Eric W. Totten.

Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Eric W. Totten, 34, of Texas; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum N.Y.; died May 5 when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter he was traveling on crashed during combat operations east of Abad, Afghanistan, in the Kunar province. Also killed were: Pfc. Brian M. Moquin Jr., Spc. David N. Timmons Jr., Spc. Justin L. O'Donohoe, Sgt. Jeffery S. Wiekamp, Sgt. John C. Griffith, Sgt. Bryan A. Brewster, Staff Sgt. Christopher T. Howick, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher B. Donaldson, and Lt. Col. Joseph J. Fenty.

Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher B. Donaldson, 28, of Ill.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum N.Y.; died May 5 when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter he was traveling on crashed during combat operations east of Abad, Afghanistan, in the Kunar province. Also killed were: Pfc. Brian M. Moquin Jr., Spc. David N. Timmons Jr., Spc. Justin L. O'Donohoe, Sgt. Jeffery S. Wiekamp, Sgt. John C. Griffith, Sgt. Bryan A. Brewster, Staff Sgt. Christopher T. Howick, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Eric W. Totten and Lt. Col. Joseph J. Fenty.

Army Staff Sgt. Christopher T. Howick, 34, of Hamburg, N.Y.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum N.Y.; died May 5 when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter he was traveling on crashed during combat operations east of Abad, Afghanistan, in the Kunar province. Also killed were: Pfc. Brian M. Moquin Jr., Spc. David N. Timmons Jr., Spc. Justin L. O'Donohoe, Sgt. Jeffery S. Wiekamp, Sgt. John C. Griffith, Sgt. Bryan A. Brewster, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher B. Donaldson, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Eric W. Totten and Lt. Col. Joseph J. Fenty.

Army Sgt. Bryan A. Brewster, 24, of Fontana, Calif.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum N.Y.; died May 5 when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter he was traveling on crashed during combat operations east of Abad, Afghanistan, in the Kunar province. Also killed were: Pfc. Brian M. Moquin Jr., Spc. David N. Timmons Jr., Spc. Justin L. O'Donohoe, Sgt. Jeffery S. Wiekamp, Sgt. John C. Griffith, Staff Sgt. Christopher T. Howick, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher B. Donaldson, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Eric W. Totten and Lt. Col. Joseph J. Fenty.

Army Sgt. John C. Griffith, 33, of Las Vegas, Nev.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum N.Y.; died May 5 when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter he was traveling on crashed during combat operations east of Abad, Afghanistan, in the Kunar province. Also killed were: Pfc. Brian M. Moquin Jr., Spc. David N. Timmons Jr., Spc. Justin L. O'Donohoe, Sgt. Jeffery S. Wiekamp, Sgt. Bryan A. Brewster, Staff Sgt. Christopher T. Howick, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher B. Donaldson, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Eric W. Totten and Lt. Col. Joseph J. Fenty.

Army Sgt. Jeffery S. Wiekamp, 23, of Utopia, Texas; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum N.Y.; died May 5 when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter he was traveling on crashed during combat operations east of Abad, Afghanistan, in the Kunar province. Also killed were: Pfc. Brian M. Moquin Jr., Spc. David N. Timmons Jr., Spc. Justin L. O'Donohoe, Sgt. John C. Griffith, Sgt. Bryan A. Brewster, Staff Sgt. Christopher T. Howick, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher B. Donaldson, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Eric W. Totten and Lt. Col. Joseph J. Fenty.

Army Spc. Justin L. O'Donohoe, 27, of San Diego; assigned to the 71st Cavalry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum N.Y.; died May 5 when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter he was traveling on crashed during combat operations east of Abad, Afghanistan, in the Kunar province. Also killed were: Pfc. Brian M. Moquin Jr., Spc. David N. Timmons Jr., Sgt. Jeffery S. Wiekamp, Sgt. John C. Griffith, Sgt. Bryan A. Brewster, Staff Sgt. Christopher T. Howick, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher B. Donaldson, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Eric W. Totten and Lt. Col. Joseph J. Fenty.

Army Spc. David N. Timmons Jr., 23, of Lewisville, N.C.; assigned to the 71st Cavalry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum N.Y.; died May 5 when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter he was traveling on crashed during combat operations east of Abad, Afghanistan, in the Kunar province. Also killed were: Pfc. Brian M. Moquin Jr., Spc. Justin L. O'Donohoe, Sgt. Jeffery S. Wiekamp, Sgt. John C. Griffith, Sgt. Bryan A. Brewster, Staff Sgt. Christopher T. Howick, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher B. Donaldson, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Eric W. Totten and Lt. Col. Joseph J. Fenty.

Army Pfc. Brian M. Moquin Jr., 19, of Worcester, Mass.; assigned to the 71st Cavalry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum N.Y.; died May 5 when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter he was traveling on crashed during combat operations east of Abad, Afghanistan, in the Kunar province. Also killed were: Spc. David N. Timmons Jr., Spc. Justin L. O'Donohoe, Sgt. Jeffery S. Wiekamp, Sgt. John C. Griffith, Sgt. Bryan A. Brewster, Staff Sgt. Christopher T. Howick, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher B. Donaldson, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Eric W. Totten and Lt. Col. Joseph J. Fenty.

Army Pvt. Alva L. Gaylord, 25, of Carrollton, Mo.; assigned to the 110th Engineer Battalion, Missouri Army National Guard, Kansas City, Mo.; died of injuries sustained May 5 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his RG-31 Mine Protected Vehicle during a combat clearing operation in Qasr Ar Riyy, Iraq.

May 06, 2006
Army Staff Sgt. Dale J. Kelly Jr., 48, of Richmond, Maine; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry (Mountain), Maine Army National Guard, Brewer, Maine; killed May 6 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M1083 cargo truck during combat operations in Diwaniyah, Iraq. Also killed was Staff Sgt. David M. Veverka.

Army Staff Sgt. David M. Veverka, 25, of Jamestown, Pa.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry (Mountain), Maine Army National Guard, Brewer, Maine; killed May 6 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M1083 cargo truck during combat operations in Diwaniyah, Iraq. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Dale J. Kelly Jr.

Marine Cpl. Cory L. Palmer, 21, of Seaford, Del.; assigned to the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died May 6 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio of wounds sustained May 1 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.

Marine Sgt. Matthew J. Fenton, 24, of Little Ferry, N.J.; assigned to Marine Forces Reserve's Inspector and Instructor Staff, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Fort Devens, Mass.; died May 6 at National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., from wounds received April 26 while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Anbar province, Iraq.

Marine Lance Cpl. Leon B. Deraps, 19, of Jamestown, Mo.; assigned to the 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; killed May 6 while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Anbar province, Iraq.

May 07, 2006
Army Staff Sgt. Emmanuel L. Legaspi, 38, of Las Vegas; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Friedberg, Germany; died of injuries sustained May 7 when his unit came under enemy small arms fire during combat operations in Tal Afar, Iraq.

May 08, 2006
Army Staff Sgt. Gregory A. Wagner, 35, of Mitchell, S.D.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 147th Field Artillery, South Dakota Army National Guard, Yankton, S.D.; died of injuries sustained May 8 when an improvised fire projectile struck his Humvee during combat operation in Baghdad.

May 09, 2006
Army Spc. Aaron P. Latimer, 26, of Ennis, Texas; assigned to the 562nd Engineer Company, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; died May 9 in Mosul, Iraq. The circumstances of his death are being investigated.

May 10, 2006
Marine Sgt. Alessandro Carbonaro, 28, of Bethesda, Md.; assigned to the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died May 10 at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, from wounds received May 1 while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Anbar province, Iraq.

May 11, 2006
Marine Lance Cpl. Jason K. Burnett, 20, of St. Cloud, Fla.; assigned to the 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died May 11 in a vehicle accident in the Anbar province, Iraq. Also killed were Lance Cpl. David J. GramesSanchez, 2nd Lt. Michael L. Licalzi and Cpl. Steve Vahaviolos.

Marine Lance Cpl. David J. Grames Sanchez, 22, of Fort Wayne, Ind.; assigned to the 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died May 11 in a vehicle accident in the Anbar province, Iraq. Also killed were Lance Cpl. Jason K. Burnett, 2nd Lt. Michael L. Licalzi and Cpl. Steve Vahaviolos.

Marine 2nd Lt. Michael L. Licalzi, 24, of Garden City, N.Y.; assigned to the 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died May 11 in a vehicle accident in the Anbar province, Iraq. Also killed were Lance Cpl. Jason K. Burnett, Lance Cpl. David J. GramesSanchez and Cpl. Steve Vahaviolos.

Marine Cpl. Steve Vahaviolos, 21, of Airmont, N.Y.; assigned to the 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died May 11 in a vehicle accident in the Anbar province, Iraq. Also killed were Lance Cpl. Jason K. Burnett, Lance Cpl. David J. GramesSanchez and 2nd Lt. Michael L. Licalzi.

Army Pfc. Eric D. Clark, 22, of Pleasant Prairie, Wis.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; killed May 11 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat patrol operations in Baghdad. Also killed was Pfc. Stephen P. Snowberger III.

Army Pfc. Stephen P. Snowberger III, 18, of Lopez, Pa.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; killed May 11 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat patrol operations in Baghdad. Also killed was Pfc. Eric D. Clark.

Army Spc. Armer N. Burkart, 26, of Rockville, Md.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; died May 11of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat patrol operations in Baghdad.

May 12, 2006
Army Spc. Brandon L. Teeters, 21, of Lafayette, La.; assigned to the 8th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 12 in Ludwigshafen, Germany, of injuries sustained April 20 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Bradley Fighting Vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad.

Marine Lance Cpl. Adam C. Conboy, 21, of Philadelphia, Pa.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; killed May 12 as a result of a non-hostile incident in Anbar province, Iraq.

May 13, 2006
Marine Lance Cpl. Richard Z. James, 20, of Seaford, Del.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed May 13 while conducting combat operations in the Anbar province, Iraq.

Army Spc. Ronald W. Gebur, 23, of Delavan, Ill.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 13 of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Baghdad.

May 14, 2006
Army Maj. Matthew W. Worrel, 34, of Lewisville, Texas; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Ky.; killed May 14 when their aircraft was shot down during combat operations in Yusufiyah, Iraq. Also killed was Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jamie D. Weeks.

Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jamie D. Weeks, 47 of Daleville, Ala.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Ky.; killed May 14 when their aircraft was shot down during combat operations in Yusufiyah, Iraq. Also killed was Maj. Matthew W. Worrel.

Army Chief Warrant Officer 4, John W. Engeman, 45, of East North Port, N.Y.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 312th Regiment, 30th Enhanced Separate Brigade, Clinton, N.C.; killed May 14 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Baghdad. Also killed was Master Sgt. Robert H. West.

Army Master Sgt. Robert H. West, 37, of Elyria, Ohio; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 312th Regiment, 30th Enhanced Separate Brigade, Clinton, N.C.; killed May 14 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Baghdad. Also killed was Chief Warrant Officer 4, John W. Engeman.

Marine Lance Cpl. Jose S. MarinDominguez Jr., 22, of Liberal, Kan.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; killed May 14 while conducting combat operations in the Anbar province, Iraq. Also killed was Lance Cpl. Hatak Yuka Keyu M. Yearby.

Marine Lance Cpl. Hatak Yuka Keyu M. Yearby, 21, of Overbrook, Okla.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; killed May 14 while conducting combat operations in the Anbar province, Iraq. Also killed was Lance Cpl. Jose S. MarinDominguez Jr.

May 15, 2006
Army Staff Sgt. Marion Flint Jr., 29, of Baltimore, Md.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, Fort Carson, Colo.; killed May 15 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat patrol operations in Baghdad. Also killed was Pfc. Grant A. Dampier.

Army Pfc. Grant A. Dampier, 25, of Merrill, Wis.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, Fort Carson, Colo.; killed May 15 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat patrol operations in Baghdad. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Marion Flint Jr.

Army Capt. Shane R. Mahaffee, 36, of Alexandria, Va.; assigned to the 489th Civil Affairs Battalion, Army Reserve, Knoxville, Tenn.; died May 15 in Ludwigshafen, Germany, of injuries sustained May 5 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat patrol operations in Hillah, Iraq.

May 16, 2006
Army Staff Sgt. Santiago M. Halsel, 32, of Bowling Green, Ky.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died of injuries sustained May 16 when an improvised explosive device detonated while he was conducting a dismounted clearance mission during combat operations in Baghdad.

May 17, 2006
Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class (Petty Officer 3rd Class) Lee Hamilton Deal, 23, of West Monroe, La.; assigned to 2nd Marine Division Fleet, Marine Force Atlantic, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; operationally assigned to the Regimental Combat Team-5, I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed May 17 as a result of enemy action in Anbar province, Iraq.

May 18, 2006
Army Lt. Col. Daniel E. Holland, 43, of San Antonio; assigned to the 352nd Civil Affairs Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 18 of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Baghdad. Also killed were 1st. Lt. Robert A. Seidel III, Sgt. Lonnie C. Allen Jr. and Pfc. Nicholas R. Cournoyer.

Army 1st. Lt. Robert A. Seidel III, 23, of Gettysburg, Pa.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died May 18 of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Baghdad. Also killed were Lt. Col. Daniel E. Holland, Sgt. Lonnie C. Allen Jr. and Pfc. Nicholas R. Cournoyer.

Army Sgt. Lonnie C. Allen Jr., 26, of Bellevue, Neb.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died May 18 of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Baghdad. Also killed were Lt. Col. Daniel E. Holland, 1st. Lt. Robert A. Seidel III and Pfc. Nicholas R. Cournoyer.

Army Pfc. Nicholas R. Cournoyer, 25, of Gilmanton, N.H.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died May 18 of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Baghdad. Also killed were Lt. Col. Daniel E. Holland, 1st. Lt. Robert A. Seidel III and Sgt. Lonnie C. Allen Jr.

Marine Cpl. William B. Fulks, 23, of Culloden, W.Va.; assigned to the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died May 18, at Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, from wounds sustained May 1 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.

May 19, 2006
Army Staff Sgt. Christian Longsworth, 26, of Newark, N.J.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 19 from wounds sustained when his convoy came under enemy small arms fire during combat operations in the Oruzgan province, Afghanistan.

May 21, 2006
Marine Lance Cpl. Benito A. Ramirez, 21, of Edinburg, Texas; assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; killed May 21 while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Anbar province, Iraq.

May 22, 2006
Marine Sgt. David R. Christoff, 25, of Rossford, Ohio; assigned to 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; died May 22 from wounds sustained while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Anbar province, Iraq. Also killed was Lance Cpl. William J. Leusink.

Marine Lance Cpl. William J. Leusink, 21, of Maurice, Iowa; assigned to 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; died May 22 from wounds sustained while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Anbar province, Iraq. Also killed was Sgt. David R. Christoff.

May 23, 2006
Army Spc. Michael L. Hermanson, 21, of Fargo, N.D.; assigned to the 164th Engineer Battalion, North Dakota Army National Guard, Minot, N.D.; died May 23 of injuries sustained when his RG-31 Mine Protected Vehicle came under improvised explosive device, rocket propel grenade and enemy small arms fire while on a route-clearing mission during combat operations in Abayachi, Iraq.

Marine Pfc. Steven W. Freund, 20, of Pittsburgh; assigned to 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; killed May 23 while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Anbar province, Iraq. Also killed was Lance Cpl. Robert G. Posivio III.

Marine Lance Cpl. Robert G. Posivio III, 22, of Sherburn, Minn.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; killed May 23 while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Anbar province, Iraq. Also killed was Pfc. Steven W. Freund.

May 25, 2006
Army Capt. Douglas A. Dicenzo, 30, of Plymouth, N.H.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany; killed May 25 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Baghdad. Also killed was Spc. Robert E. Blair.

Army Spc. Robert E. Blair, 22, of Ocala, Fla.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany; killed May 25 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Baghdad. Also killed was Capt. Douglas A. Dicenzo.

Army Pfc. Caleb A. Lufkin, 24, of Knoxville, Ill.; assigned to the 5th Engineer Battalion, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.; died May 25 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., of injuries sustained May 4 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his RG-31 mine protected vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad.

May 26, 2006
Marine Lance Cpl. Kevin A. Lucas, 20, of Greensboro, N.C.; assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed May 26 while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Anbar province, Iraq.

May 27, 2006
Army Spc. J. Adan Garcia, 20, of Irving, Texas; assigned to the 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died May 27 in the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., of injuries sustained May 22 when his convoy encountered small arms fire in Baghdad, after returning from an explosive ordnance mission.

May 29, 2006
Army Spc. Jeremy M. Loveless, 25, of Estacada, Ore.; assigned to the Army's 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; killed May 29 when his Stryker came under enemy small arms fire during combat operations in Mosul, Iraq.

Army Capt. James A. Funkhouser, 35, of Katy, Texas; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 29 of injuries sustained when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during reconnaissance patrol operations in Baghdad.

May 30, 2006
Marine Cpl. Richard A. Bennett, 25, of Girard, Kan.; assigned to Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron-169, Marine Aircraft Group-39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died May 30 following a non-hostile helicopter accident May 27 near Taqaddum, Iraq. Also killed was Capt. Nathanael J. Doring.

Marine Capt. Nathanael J. Doring, 31, of Apple Valley, Minn.; assigned to Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron-169, Marine Aircraft Group-39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died May 30 following a non-hostile helicopter accident May 27 near Taqaddum, Iraq. Also killed was Cpl. Richard A. Bennett.

Army Spc. Bobby R. West, 23, of Beebe, Ark.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 30 of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated during dismounted patrol operations in Baghdad.

May 31, 2006
Army Spc. Brock L. Bucklin, 28, of Grand Rapids, Mich.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died May 31 of a non-combat related cause in Balad, Iraq.

Army Sgt. Benjamin E. Mejia, 25, of Salem, Mass.; assigned to the 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; died May 31 of non-combat related causes in Marez, Iraq.

Army Cpl. Alexander J. Kolasa, 22, of White Lake, Mich.; assigned to the 704th Main Support Battalion, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 31 of non-combat related causes in Baghdad. "

These are just the fallen from May. 

 

Guilty Pleasures

I wasn't kidding about being burned out. I'm sick to death of politics, theism, etc etc. It's a never ending not-so-merry-go-round that I'm stepping off of for a while.

So to take our minds off of Hate mongering neocon windbags,  Republikkkan politics and the tragic breakup of Madonna and Britney, here's me airing my guilty pleasures.  What are yours?  Be honest and I'll only point a laugh a little . . . 😉

1. Disco Music.

I love it.  LOVE IT. I can't help it. And I know y'all secretly love it too. I have proof.

The bf is a DJ. (and though I'm clearly biased -he's brilliant.)He recorded a mixture of music from Saturday Night Fever for me. I listen to it while driving.

When I am at a stoplight, with my windows open and the Bee Gees falsetto singing "Night Fever" (or "If I Can't Have You"by Yvonne Ellman) I see people stopped in their own cars start to groove.

It's okay to admit it. Love disco music and love it loud.

2. Cartoons

Aqua Teen Hunger Force PowerPuff Girls  Space Ghost

and my atheist cred would be revoked if I didn't list the unholy duo:

The Simpsons and Family Guy (American Dad is not bad either)

3. B-movies

Movies I consider "B-movies" (read: Bad movies 🙂 ) fall into a few cateogires.

A. Sappy Chick Flicks – Granted, you'd have to know me IRL to know exactly how out of character this guilty pleasure is. I am *so* not a chick flick girl. But, even I can admit, I love some of them. Like While You Were Sleeping and Kate and Leopold (what red-blooded straight women could resist a movie with Hugh Jackman and Liev Screiber? Not this one.)

B. So-Bad-They-Are-Excellent Movies

Like Class of 1999 Best. Bad. Flick. EVER. and Barb Wire.

In this category you will also find Deathwish 4 and pretty much anything with Steven Segal in it. More favorite terrible movies.

4. Talk Origins Feedback Section – If you ever need an intellectual pick-me-up, or if you need an ego boost, go look around the feedback setion. You'll come across either a feast for your brain cells and info you might not have had before, or you'll come across the absolute worst apologetics for religion and/or the funniest attempts at refuting evolution ever. Highly recommended.

5.  Last (but definitely not least) – Dlisted.com. I love this mother fucking site. I hate celeb gossip, I don't know who 80% of the people this bitch talks about are, and I don't care. The ascerbic wit, the undying irreverence for all things irrelevant. I love this mother fucking website.  

These are just some of mine. These are the ones I'm willing to admit too. 😉 Now, back to the scheduled vacation. Be back soon.

 

New Digs!

Needed a change of scenery. My old blog hoster had a lot of problems, and frankly I like wordpress a hell of a lot better. (Thanks, Ron!) So – welcome to the Escapee's new digs. I'm in the process of moving everything so bear with me – I'm "technilogically" handicapped.