I don't think this is a problem. To me it is much easier to wear it openly than try and conceal it. I know it will have it's down side.. Some will say the bad guys will kill you just to get your gun,, well there are a lot of what if's, and open carry to me is the way to go. I know the libs will have a field day with this one.
Associated Press
Nov. 30, 2008, 12:14PMShare Print Email Del.icio.usDiggTechnoratiYahoo! BuzzFORT WORTH — Saying Texas firearm laws are overly restrictive, a group of gun advocates is lobbying state lawmakers to permit wearing handguns in plain view.
With the legislative session scheduled to begin in January, supporters of "open-carry laws" have placed ads on billboards in Houston and San Antonio and on taxis in Austin.
The Texas campaign is expected to intensify Tuesday with a radio message in Fort Worth, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin. The ad says, "We don't hide our colors, do we?" and encourages Texans to sign an online petition asking lawmakers to make Texas a place where people can openly wear their guns. More than 28,000 people have signed it so far.
"We are targeting Texas," said Mike Stollenwerk, co-founder of www.opencarry.org, in a story Sunday in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "Get ready for a showdown in Austin come January."
Stollenwerk said Texas is one of the nation's most pro-gun states and promised an "awakening" when "Texans realize how restrictive their rights are."
Texas is one of six states — along with New York, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Florida and South Carolina — in which handguns can't be worn in plain view. The other 44 states, in the parlance of gun advocates, are known as "open-carry" states.
Ralph Carroll, 48, said he views an open-carry law as another way for him to protect his three children. He said fears about increased gun violence after the passage of Texas' concealed-carry law haven't happened.
"I just simply want to ensure I have self-protection if the need arises," said Carroll, who lives in Van Zandt County. "The same reason I wear my seat belt, carry a spare tire and have a working fire extinguisher."
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Group targets Texas for law to openly carry guns
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Strange Cloud Formations Over Houston Lately
I am not one to look up at the sky often, but lately, I have noticed some strange cloud formations. Like the other day, there was not a cloud in the sky and all of a sudden I see this plane flying overhead at a very high altitude and it is leaving a strange trail behind it. At first I thouht it was just a contrail, which after 21 years in the Air Force I am use to seeing, but contrail break up pretty fast. This one didn't break up at all, it just kept getting wider and wider. Anyone ever see anything like this. Oh, I saw not long ago cloud formations being formed in the shape of an X and I saw two planes leaving these trails behind them. I took this pic the other day of one, and I think I will start watching the sky more from now on. Anyone have a clue what this is???
Man kills wife, himself in house full of relatives
Hell of a way to start the holildays.
A man terrorized a house full of relatives early today before killing his estranged wife and shooting himself in the head, authorities said. The man, who died at the scene, was simultaneously shot by a Harris County Sheriff's deputy, police said.
As many as 20 people, including children, were hiding in closets and bedrooms in the home in the 7000 block of Pouter as they took cover, said Lt. John Legg, of the Sheriff's Office.
The man apparently shot his wife as deputies arrived shortly before 5 a.m., Legg said.
Family members identified the couple as Charles Smith and Myrtle Smith. The two had been married 39 years but separated in September.
Myrtle Smith, 59, moved into her 41-year-old daughter's home on Pouter a month ago, relatives said.
"They figured he wouldn't find them if they moved over here," said Willy Terry, Myrtle Smith's brother.
Relatives said they met at Myrtle Smith's house to celebrate her daughter's 41st birthday. Charles Smith, who was 60 or 61, they said, came to the door with a gun.
When deputies arrived, Legg said, the man was pressing a gun to his head and told deputies he wasn't coming out of the house. As officers spoke to him through a door, he momentarily placed the gun down, then picked it up with the barrel aimed toward his head and a deputy, Legg said.
After a brief verbal exchange, he fired as he was simultaneously hit by a blast from a deputy's shotgun, Legg said.
"At that time, the suspect's firearm and the deputy's firearm go off. The deputy was concerned he was going to be shot," Legg said. "It does appear at this time that the suspect took his own life."
More information is expected as the investigation continues.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Wednesday Hero
Lance Cpl. Samuel Joyce, from Boston, accepts a bagfull of toys during the Toys For Tots 5k Run at Fleet Activities Yokosuka. Runners donated new toys to the local Marine's Toys for Tots program.
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams. Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
Men Like This Gave Us FREEDOM for America
I read this over at this great blog
and thougt it was worth passing on. To ofte we forget and overlook the old folks. You never know who you may be overlooking or what you can learn from just a short conversation.
As I came out of the supermarket that sunny day, pushing my cart of groceries towards my car, I saw an old man with the hood of his car up and a lady sitting inside the car, with the door open.
The old man was looking at the engine. I put my groceries away in my car and continued to watch the old gentleman from about twenty five feet away.
I saw a young man in his early twenties with a grocery bag in his arm, walking towards the old man. The old gentleman saw him coming too and took a few steps towards him. I saw the old gentleman point to his open hood and say something.
The young man put his grocery bag into what looked like a brand new Cadillac Escalade and then turn back to the old man and I heard him yell at the old gentleman saying, "You shouldn't even be allowed to drive a car at your age." And then with a wave of his hand, he got in his car and peeled rubber out of the parking lot.
I saw the old gentleman pull out his handkerchief and mop his brow as he went back to his car and again looked at the engine. He then went to his wife and spoke with her and appeared to tell her it would be okay. I had seen enough and I approached the old man. He saw me coming and stood straight and as I got near him I said, "Looks like you're having a problem."
He smiled sheepishly and quietly nodded his head. I looked under the hood myself and knew that whatever the problem was, it was beyond me. Looking around I saw a gas station up the road and told the old man that I would be right back. I drove to the station and went inside and saw three attendants working on cars. I approached one of them and related the problem the old man had with his car and offered to pay them if they could follow me back down and help him.
The old man had pushed the heavy car under the shade of a tree and appeared to be comforting his wife. When he saw us he straightened up and thanked me for my help. As the mechanics diagnosed the problem (overheated engine) I spoke with the old gentleman.
When I shook hands with him earlier he had noticed my Marine Corps ring and had commented about it, telling me that he had been a Marine too. I nodded and asked the usual question, "What outfit did you serve with?"
He had mentioned that he served with the first Marine Division at Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal. He had hit all the big ones and retired from the Corps after the war was over. As we talked we heard the car engine come on and saw the mechanics lower the hood. They came over to us as the old man reached for his wallet, but was stopped by me and I told him I would just put the bill on my AAA card.
He still reached for the wallet and handed me a card that I assumed had his name and address on it and I stuck it in my pocket. We all shook hands all round again and I said my goodbye's to his wife.
I then told the two mechanics that I would follow them back up to the station. Once at the station I told them that they had interrupted their own jobs to come along with me and help the old man. I said I wanted to pay for the help, but they refused to charge me. One of them pulled out a card from his pocket looking exactly like the card the old man had given to me. Both of the men told me then, that they were Marine Corps Reserves. Once again we shook hands all around and as I was leaving, one of them told me I should look at the card the old man had given to me. I said I would and drove off.
For some reason I had gone about two blocks when I pulled over and took the card out of my pocket and looked at it for a long, long time. The name of the old gentleman was on the card in golden leaf and under his name........ "Congressional Medal of Honor Society."
I sat there motionless looking at the card and reading it over and over. I looked up from the card and smiled to no one but myself and marveled that on this day, four Marines had all come together, because one of us needed help. He was an old man all right, but it felt good to have stood next to greatness and courage and an honor to have been in his presence.
God Bless America, our Veterans and Troops.
Fly Fishing In Montana
Americans really know how to relax and enjoy life and what a better way than this. Ya just gotta love it.
Frozen turkey used to club carjacking suspect
I would love to here the story he tells when he is in jail..Yea, I got my ass kicked by a women and a turkey.
Associated Press
Nov. 24, 2008, 12:41PMShare Print Email Del.icio.usDiggTechnoratiYahoo! BuzzRALEIGH, N.C. — Stopped. Cold turkey.
North Carolina authorities say a shopper clubbed an alleged carjacker with a frozen turkey as he tried to steal a woman's car in a grocery store parking lot Sunday.
Police say 30-year-old Fred Louis Ervin of Raleigh stole money from a gas station before running across the street to a Harris Teeter store in a town just south of Raleigh. Garner police say he began beating Irene Moorman Bailey while stealing her car.
Other shoppers came to her rescue, including one who hit Ervin with the turkey. Police did not release the person's name.
Despite serious head injuries, Ervin got away in Bailey's car and hit several other cars as he fled. But police arrested him a short time later.
He faces several charges including assault inflicting serious injury. Ervin was hospitalized today in good condition, a hospital spokeswoman said. He had not yet been assigned a lawyer and was to appear in court Dec. 30.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Interesting Geography
I didn't know but two of these facts (dumbass)
I am getting tired of politics, so might as well let some good information enter the old databank
Alaska
More than half of the coastline of the entire United States is in Alaska .
Amazon
The Amazon rainforest produces more than 20% the world's oxygen supply.
TheAmazon River pushes so much water into the Atlantic Ocean that, more than one hundred miles at sea off the mouth of the river, one can dip fresh water out of the ocean. The volume of water in the Amazon river is greater than the next eight largest rivers in the world combined and three times the flow of all rivers in the United States .
Antarctica
Antarctica is the only land on our planet that is not owned by any country.
Ninety percent of the world's ice covers Antarctica . This ice also represents seventy percent of all the fresh water in the world. As strange as it sounds, however, Antarctica is essentially a desert. The average yearly total precipitation is about two inches Although covered with ice (all but 0.4% of it, ie.), Antarctica is the driest place on the planet, with an absolute humidity lower than the Gobi desert.
Brazil
Brazil got its name from the nut, not the other way around.
Canada
Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world combined. Canada is an Indian word meaning ' Big Village .'
Chicago
Next to Warsaw , Chicago has the largest Polish population in the world.
Detroit
Woodward Avenue in Detroit , Michigan , carries the designation M-1, so named because it was the first paved road any where.
Damascus , Syria
Damascus, Syria, was flourishing a couple of thousand years before Rome was founded in 753 BC, making it the oldest continuously inhabited city in existence.
Istanbul , Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey, is the only city in the world located on two continents.
Los Angeles
Los Angele's full name is El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula -- and can be abbreviated to 3.63% of its size: L.A.
New York City
The term 'The Big Apple' was coined by touring jazz musicians of the 1930's who used the slang expression 'apple' for any town or city. Therefore, to play New York City is to play the big time - The Big Apple. There are more Irish in New York City than in Dublin , Ireland ; more Italians in New York City than in Rome, Italy ; and more Jews in New York City than in Tel Aviv, Israel .
Ohio
There are no natural lakes in the state of Ohio , every one is man made.
Pitcairn Island
The smallest island with country status is Pitcairn in Polynesia , at just 1.75 sq. miles/4,53 sq. km.
Rome
The first city to reach a population of 1 million people was Rome , Italy in 133 B.C. There is a city called Rome on every continent.
Siberia
Siberia contains more than 25% of the world's forests.
S.M.O.M .
The actual smallest sovereign entity in the world is the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (S.MO.M.). It is located in the city of Rome, Italy, has an area of two tennis courts, and as of 2001 has a population of 80, 20 less people than the Vatican. It is a sovereign entity under international law, just as the Vatican is.
Sahara Desert
In the Sahara Desert , there is a town named Tidikelt, which did not receive a drop of rain for ten years. Technically though, the driest place on Earth is in the valleys of the Antarctic near Ross Island . There has been no rainfall there for two million years.
Spain
Spain literally means 'the land of rabbits.'
St. Paul , Minnesota
St. Paul, Minnesota , was originally called Pig's Eye after a man namedPierre 'Pig's Eye' Parrant who set up the first business there.
Roads
Chances that a road is unpaved in the U.S.A : 1%, in Canada : 75%
Texas
The deepest hole ever made in the world is in Texas . It is as deep as 20 empire state buildings but only 3 inches wide.
United States
The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one-mile in every fivemust be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.
Waterfalls
The water of Angel Falls (the World's highest) in Venezuela drops 3,212 feet (979 meters). They are 15 times higher than Niagara Falls .
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
An email from Texas to the other 49 states.
By: bridgesr Nov 19, 2008 - 10:53 am
Texans are not whining about the elections.
Ok, Folks. Texas has given you complainers plenty of time to get used to the election results. After listening to all the whiners after the election, some folks from Real Texas have decided that we might just take matters into our own hands.
First, a little history lesson. It's our independent nature
to point out the people who enjoy the Texas Lifestyle have the right to secede and form our own country (it was in the agreement that annexed Texas as a state), whenever the people of Texas choose to do so. Some other states also have this right. The difference is, Texas has actually pulled that trigger before.
Yes, Texas was an Independent Republic before it became a state and can secede. Nothing inherently prohibits that from taking place.
Let's get this straight. John McCain, a real American hero, carried Texas by over a million votes. Texans can still smell the fires of the Twin Towers . We would also honor President Bush. George Bush simply did what any Real Texan would do and that is to go try his best to annihilate anyone who was responsible for attacking us. We don't fault him for that. We applaud that sort of behavior. It's Texas politics, Texas style.
We're ready to secede.
Don't get me wrong. We like ya'll — We just don't want to be like ya'll.
#1: Barak Obama becomes President of the United States (all the other 49 states).
#2: Ross Perot becomes the next President of the Republic of Texas and invites John McCain to be an honorary Texan. We honor our heroes in Texas and honor their service. McCain is welcome here and he can be Secretary of the Texas Navy. Native Texan George Foreman will be Secretary of Defense. After
that is all said and done, we wish Mr. Obama well. We really do.
#3. We expect one of Perot's first acts as President of the Republic will be to tear down the border wall and erect a 10' wall around Austin to keep the "Austin Weird" folks in and away from the rest of us. If they will
just pipe their Texas music out over the wall, it will keep the rest of us happy. (Just kidding my Austin relatives on that one.)
#4. Willie will be Secretary of Agriculture and music. Wonder what he will grow?
So what does Texas have to do to survive as a Republic? Here's a few things to be aware of. Texas is the 11th largest economy on the planet. We are bigger than Spain and right behind Great Britain. We are also
bigger than Russia . We are an economic force to be reckoned with. We have a constitutional amendment to balance our budget….and we do it (are you listening California?). We also have a multi-billion dollar budget surplus this year. We are so big, we have our own
power grid. Yes, that's true.
What else?
NASA is in Houston . (we will control the space industry).
We refine over 85% of the gasoline in the United States.
Defense Industry? We have over 65% of it. The term "Don't mess with Texas," will take on a whole new
meaning.
Oil - we can supply all the oil the Republic of Texas will need for the next 300 years. Obama states? Sorry about that.
As David Werst said, "We like ya'll, we just don't want to be like ya'll." You can buy oil (pronounced like ya'll) from us instead of terrorist countries that hate you. We will love you for paying so much to us instead of Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Kuwait and others.
You don't want to 'drill baby drill' or put up with those
nasty oil wells? Well, we do and we know how to do it without polluting the land, air, and sea. BTW-We have our own ports and shipping lanes. We're also not
"waiting on our FEMA check" to rebuild Galveston . We are doing it right now as we speak.
Natural Gas - Again we have all we need and again, it's just too bad about you blue Obama states who don't want drilling. We've been driving around with those big tanks in the backs of our pickups for years now. We'll switch over to compressed natural gas. Obama will figure a way to keep ya'll warm….according to your need. Or, you could use ocean waves, or make friends
with Hugo Chavez or what's his name in Iran .
Computer Industry - we currently lead the nation in
producing computer chips and communications: Small places like Texas Instruments, Dell, EDS, Raytheon, Motorola, Intel, Austin Technology Centers, etc., etc. The list goes on and on.
Health Centers - We have the largest research centers for cancer research, the best burn centers and the top trauma units in the world, and other large health centers.
We have enough colleges to keep us going: UT, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Texas State University, Rice, SMU, TCU, University of Houston, Baylor, UNT, Texas Women's University, etc. Ivy grows better in the south anyway. By the way, we play some pretty good football and baseball at those schools.
We have a ready supply of workers (just open the
border when we need some more).
But, we won't have an illegal immigration problem. Former Texas Governor candidate Kinky Friedman solved that. He proposed we pay 5 Mexican generals a million a year to control illegal immigration-folks coming
from Mexico to Texas illegally. For every illegal that slips through, we deduct $10,000. Wonder how many will get across the border into Texas? We won't need a
Border Patrol.
We like tourism. Come stay a while. Enjoy a Cowboys game or go to Six Flags over Texas ….then go home. We don't need any more Californians or New Yorkers coming here and messing things up. Or, they could live in Austin where we can keep an eye on 'em.
We have control of the paper industry, plastics, insurance, etc. In case of a foreign invasion, we have the Texas National Guard and the Texas Air National Guard. We don't have an army but since everybody down here is heavily armed and has at least six rifles and a pile of ammo, we can raise an army in 6 hours if we need it. That's the Texas way. When the tower sniper started shooting in Austin a few years back, citizens piled out of their cars and pickups and started returning fire within 2 minutes. Our citizens are
licensed to carry handguns on their person.
We have a saying down here: "If you mess with the bull, you're gonna get the horn." And an even more remarkable finding from the past….
Average Murder per 100,000 residents in counties won by Bush: 0.1 of one percent.
Average Murder per 100,000 residents in counties won by Gore: 13.2.
In Texas, even some of our school teachers carry guns. We won't surrender our kids to nuts and terrorists without a fight. Don't even think about messing with us.
If you want the sticker, click on it…
If the situation really gets bad, we can always call the
Texas DPS and ask them to send over a couple of Texas Rangers.
We are totally self sufficient in beef, poultry, hogs and vegetable produce and everybody down here knows how to cook them so that they taste good. Don't need any food.
Arts? Bob Wills is still the king, but we also like
different types of music, Country….and….Western. We even have our own beer. Lone Star, The National Beer of Texas . This just names a few of the items that will
keep the Republic of Texas in good shape. There isn't a thing out there that we need and don't have. Just keep on reading David Werst's Real Texas Blog for more
details on how to be a Real Texan.
Now to the rest of the United States under President Obama:
Since you won't have the refineries to get gas for your cars, We'll sell you gas too. We'll call the gas company Texasco or something like that. Happy to do it.
You won't have any TV as the space center in Houston will cut off your communications or ask you to pay for the signal. It will be Texas Direct TV. Hank Jr. will move here and be in charge of programming
Did you know we don't even have an income tax?
We have all we need here in God's country and like I've already said, if we don't have it, we don't need it. We will have cheap, plentiful energy. The new Texas Secretary of Energy, T. Boone Pickens will be
putting up thousands of wind generators all over the west Texas plains and since everybody else thinks Texas is full of hot air, we might as well take advantage
of it.
Good luck. Ya'll are gonna need it.
Signed, The People of Real Texas
Why a gun is better than a woman...
Don't get mad ladies, I just found this and thought it was kinda funny>>>
10. YOU CAN TRADE AN OLD 44 FOR A NEW 22
9. YOU CAN KEEP ONE GUN AT HOME AND HAVE ANOTHER FOR WHEN YOU'RE ON THE ROAD
8. IF YOU ADMIRE A FRIEND'S GUN AND TELL HIM SO, HE WILL PROBABLY LET YOU TRY IT OUT A FEW TIMES
7.YOUR PRIMARY GUN DOESN'T MIND IF YOU KEEP ANOTHER GUN FOR BACKUP
6. YOUR GUN WILL STAY WITH YOU EVEN IF YOU RUN OUT OF AMMO
5. A GUN DOESN'T TAKE UP A LOT OF CLOSET SPACE
4. GUNS FUNCTION NORMALLY EVERY DAY OF THE MONTH
3. A GUN DOESN'T ASK," DO THESE NEW GRIPS MAKE ME LOOK FAT"
2. A GUN DOESN'T MIND IF YOU GO TO SLEEP AFTER YOU USE IT
AND THE NUMBER ONE REASON A GUN IS FAVORED OVER A WOMAN....
1. YOU CAN BUY A SILENCER FOR A GUN!!!!!!!
Interesting information
You have to wonder how much worse it will become in the near future
I wanted to give everyone a heads up that if you tend to give gift
cards around the holidays, you need to be careful that the cards will be
honored after the holidays.
Stores that are planning to close after Christmas are still selling the cards
through the holidays even though the cards will be worthless January 1.
There is no law preventing them from doing this. On the contrary, it is referred
to as 'Bankrupcy Planning). Below is a partial list of stores that you need to be
cautious about.
Circuit City (filed Chapter 11)
Ann Taylor- 117 stores nationwide closing
Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug ,and Catherine's to close 150 stores
nationwide
Eddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores and more after January
Cache will close all stores
Talbots closing down specialty stores
J. Jill closing all stores (owned by Talbots)
Pacific
Sunwear (also owned by Talbots)
GAP closing 85 stores
Footlocker closing 140 stores mo re to close after January
Wickes Furniture closing down
Levitz closing down remaining stores
Bombay closing remaining stores
Zales closing down 82 stores and 105 after January
Whitehall closing all stores
Piercing Pagoda closing all stores
Disney closing 98 stores and will close more after January.
Home Depot closing 15 stores 1 in NJ ( New Brunswick )
Macys to close 9 stores after January
Linens and Things closing all stores
Movie Galley Closing all stores
Pep Boys Closing 33 stores
Sprint/Nextel closing 133 stores
JC Penney closing a number of stores after January
Ethan Allen closing down 12 stores.
Wilson Leather closing down all stores
Sharper Image closing down all stor~s
K B Toys closing 356 stores
Loews to close down some stores
Dillard's to close some stores
Wednesday Hero
55 years old from Fort Belvoir, Virginia
Call it breaking the brass ceiling. Ann E. Dunwoody, after 33 years in the Army, ascended Friday to a peak never before reached by a woman in the U.S. military: four-star general.
At an emotional promotion ceremony, Dunwoody looked back on her years in uniform, said it was a credit to the Army—and a great surprise to her—that she would make history in a male-dominated military.
"Thirty-three years after I took the oath as a second lieutenant, I have to tell you this is not exactly how I envisioned my life unfolding," she told a standing-room-only auditorium. "Even as a young kid, all I ever wanted to do was teach physical education and raise a family.
"It was clear to me that my Army experience was just going to be a two-year detour en route to my fitness profession," she added. "So when asked, `Ann, did you ever think you were going to be a general officer, to say nothing about a four-star?' I say, `Not in my wildest dreams.'
"There is no one more surprised than I—except, of course, my husband. You know what they say, `Behind every successful woman there is an astonished man.'"
You can read the rest of Gen. Dunwoody's story here.
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Teenager, father in critical condition after shooting
Strange things happen during a full moon.
A man and his teenage son are in critical condition after the boy reportedly shot his father before turning the gun on himself during an argument in their north Galveston County home Sunday afternoon, authorities said.
The 16-year-old boy and his father were involved in an argument — the cause of which remains unknown — in their home on Lazy Lane about 3:20 p.m. when the teen got a pistol and shot his 59-year-old father once in the head, said Galveston County Sheriff's Office spokesman Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo.
The boy's mother, who witnessed the incident, called 911, Tuttoilmondo said.
As sheriff's deputies entered the home, in an unincorporated area between the towns of Kemah and Clear Lake Shores, they spotted the teen with the pistol and ordered him to drop it.
However, the boy moved out of their view and also shot himself in the head once, Tuttoilmondo said.
The man and his son were taken to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, where they are reported to be in critical condition.
No further information was immediately available.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Tom Burnett Senior: “We have an Islamist design here that can't go forward, please.”
Powerful video of Tom Burnett Senior and Alec Rawls at the August 2nd Memorial project meeting. The clip below is Part 1 of Alec’s new video exposé, starting with Mr. Burnett 's appeal to the American people to please help him stop the Park Service from planting a giant Islamic shaped crescent atop his son's grave.
Part one: it points to Mecca. Clip covers the Mecca orientation of the giant crescent, the phony redesign, and the crescent-topped minaret. Lots of unaired news video and animated graphics, bookended with the coolest spaghetti western music ever.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Death row inmate put to death for Crosby teen's murder
Have you noticed that as of late there is not much in the news about protesters over the death penalty. I didn't even know this guy was to be put down untill today. Do the crime in Texas and you will pay.
HUNTSVILLE — Before being put to death Wednesday, George Whitaker III apologized for taking the life of his ex-girlfriend's sister in an attack more than a decade ago that also left the victim's mother and a younger sibling permanently injured.
"I apologize for the pain and suffering I caused," said Whitaker, in an address to 16-year-old Shakeitha Carrier's parents, who did not witness the execution. "I pray Lord, please forgive me."
He then smiled at his own family members as they watched his final moments through a window in Texas' death house. He told them not to forget him and asked them to take care of his two children.
As the lethal drugs began flowing, he said: "You all take care. I love y'all. I'm going on to sleep."
Minutes later, Whitaker, 37, was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. He was the 16th prisoner to be put to death this year in Texas, the nation's busiest capital punishment state. Three more Texas prisoners are set to die next week, including one from Harris County.
Whitaker, a former mechanic, was sentenced to death for taking Shakeitha Carrier's life during a home invasion in 1994. The teen was his former girlfriend's sister.
He was said to have been despondent about the breakup with Catina Carrier about two months before the murder.
On June 15, the day of the shooting, Whitaker went to the Carrier home in Crosby, east of Houston, to return items his former girlfriend left when she moved out of his home.
Carrier's mother, Mary Carrier, refused to let him into her home and instead told him to put the belongings on the porch.
"The expression on his face," Carrier testified, "it didn't look right to me." Whitaker brandished a gun and pushed his way into the house, court records show. Mary Carrier ordered her 5-year-old daughter Ashley to go upstairs as she begged Whitaker not to hurt her children. Whitaker shot Mary Carrier and then ran upstairs and pistol-whipped Ashley into unconsciousness.
Mary Carrier said she heard her daughter Shakeitha, known as Kiki, plead with Whitaker. "I heard Kiki cry, 'George, please don't! And then a shot," Mary Carrier said during Whitaker's trial.
Whitaker went to his truck to reload his gun and shot Mary Carrier a second time as she ran for help. Kiki died from the gunshot wound to her head. Ashley survived but suffered some permanent brain damage while Mary Carrier no longer has use of her right hand.
Catina Carrier was not home at the time.
Whitaker had exhausted all of his appeals days before the execution.
On Monday, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles unanimously rejected a clemency petition to commute Whitaker's death sentence to life in prison.
Person Of The Week
I know most of you have most likely seen ths, but I think it's worth watching again. We do have heros at home.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Wednesday Hero
25 years old from Fulton, New York
2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division
December 3, 2006
Spc. Kenneth Haines joined the United States Army in September 2000 as a fire support specialist and had been assigned to his unit for just over three years. He deployed to Iraq in October of 2006.
During his time in service, he received several military awards and decorations, including the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and National Defense Service Medal.
Spc. Haines was killed by an IED that was detonated near his vehicle while on patrol in Abu Hishma, Iraq.
All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Tribute to Our Military On Veterans Day 2008
As a retired member of the Armed Forces of this great country, I would like to thank each and every one of you from WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afganistan for you service. Stay strong and proud.
For Our Military
I saw this over at Airman Mom and thought I would help pass it along to all of our military friends both current and past. Hand Salute.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Man's massive child porn collection included newborns
Not much I can say about someone like this. The article says it all.
A Central Florida man who had a massive child-pornography collection that included victims as young as newborns was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison Wednesday.
Tony Guerra, a former food-services worker at what was then called Disney-MGM Studios, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of receiving and distributing child pornography.
In 2007, investigators found more than 5,000 images and videos of child pornography on Guerra's roommate's computer. In court documents, an investigator estimated the oldest of the children in the images was no more than 6.
During Wednesday's hearing, FBI Special Agent Nick Savage called Guerra's child pornography "the largest collection of infants and babies I've ever seen."
"This was an extremely shocking collection of child pornography," he said.
The FBI began investigating Guerra, who was living in Kissimmee, Fla., after receiving a tip from Australian authorities.
Investigators recovered Internet chats from the computer where Guerra and more than 30 other people discussed child pornography.
Guerra told others his preferred age was zero to 12 years old and that he likes hearing children scream. In one chat, Guerra referred to wanting a 2-year-old. Guerra also suggested a man go to Disney to look for girls.
Investigators learned that Guerra persuaded a man in Australia to sexually abuse his 6-year-old daughter and 6-month-old granddaughter, record the abuse and share it with him.
Several of the people Guerra communicated with also have been arrested.
Guerra made a brief statement and told the judge, "I'm sorry for what I did."
A psychologist testified that Guerra had both motor and social delays throughout his life, he is socially awkward and never developed normal relationships with males or females.
The psychologist said that at some point, Guerra became interested in pornography and then progressed to viewing child pornography.
Guerra showed little emotion throughout Wednesday's testimony and often held his head down. He appeared to briefly cry during a recess when a woman in the courtroom called out that she loved him.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Gable asked U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven to sentence Guerra to 20 years in prison.
Defense attorney Peter Warren Kenny asked the judge to sentence Guerra to the minimum — five years. He said Guerra is an "extremely damaged young man" who needs treatment.
Scriven accepted Guerra's plea agreement and ordered him to serve 130 months in prison. After prison, Guerra will be placed on probation for life.
Austin PD seeks shooting suspects; 7 schools closed
This is kind of strange. AK's body armor. hummm
By JANET ELLIOTT Austin Bureau
Nov. 6, 2008, 11:27AMShare Print Email Del.icio.usDiggTechnoratiYahoo! BuzzAUSTIN — A man armed with an assault rifle and wearing body armor was shot and killed by a rookie police officer in an early-morning shootout on this city's east side.
The shooting came after an attack that left two other men wounded and spurred Austin school district officials to call off classes at seven campuses in that area for the day.
Police Chief Art Acevedo praised the young officer as a hero. The dead suspect is believed to have been involved in the earlier shooting that left two people wounded at a nearby residence.
The fatal shooting occurred after a chase in which a pickup truck that was seen leaving the residence crashed into a closed hamburger stand while fleeing police.
Five men ran away from the truck, one of them firing an AK-47 at police, Acevedo said.
The rookie officer, whose name has not been disclosed, returned fire, killing the man, the chief said.
"What we really are pleased with is the fact that our officers responded to this very critical scene,"Acevedo said. "As a result of the heroic efforts by one of our young cops — he's only been around since January, he's a brand-new police officer — the only loss of life was that of the suspect that was out there trying to cause mayhem in our community."
Another suspect was taken into custody, and police are questioning a second "person of interest," Acevedo said.
Nearby Reagan High School and six other schools are closed until tomorrow, the chief said, as a precaution while police pursue two and possibly three other suspects.
No students or staff members had arrived at the schools before the closures were announced.
The initial call of shots being fired at the residence came in at 3:58 a.m. Arriving officers heard gunshots, Acevedo said, and chased the fleeing pickup.
The two men who were shot at the residence are in stable condition at a hospital, the chief said.
Officers blocked off a half-mile radius and a SWAT team is looking for the additional men, who are believed to be armed and dangerous.
Police have not released the names of any of the people involved in the incidents.
A cashier at a Randalls store where police and news media had taken over much of the parking lot said she lives in the neighborhood and had not heard of previous problems.
She was shocked to hear that an officer had been involved in the deadly exchange of gunfire.
"I feel sorry for the officer," said the woman, who wouldn't give her name because of company policy.
janet.elliott@chron.com
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Wednesday Hero
41 years old from Raleigh, Arkansas
31st Combat Support Hospital
March 07, 2004
Cpt. Gussie Jones was born in Arkansas and was one of eight children. She began her Army career by enlisting in 1988 as a personnel clerk and climbed to the rank of a sergeant.
In 1986, Jones earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Arkansas Central University. She was selected to attend the Army Enlisted Commissioning Program and earned her second bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University in 1998. It was in nursing.
Her career as a registered nurse and a commissioned officer began in September 1998 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. In 2002, after completing a course in critical-care nursing, she was assigned to Beaumont Army Medical Center, where she became a mentor.
"She was a very dedicated person and was always smiling, said a co-worker and friend, Capt. Susan Gilbert. If anyone asked her to do something, she would do it. And she was very kind and gentle and patient with the patients."
Cpt. Jones died of a heart attack while on duty in Baghdad, Iraq. During her 15 years of military services, Jones received a Joint Service Commendation medal, four Army Commendation medals and three Army Achievement medals.
"She was so much a part of their team, and so her death must really affect their morale," Gilbert said. "I'm very worried about the other soldiers because they've lost their battle buddy."
All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
Kidnappers kill Mexican boy with acid injection
I have heard of a lot of ways to kill someone, but this is a first for me. These people need to be hunted down and the same thing done to them. This is just crazy.
By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ Associated Press
Nov. 3, 2008, 3:35PMShare Print Email Del.icio.usDiggTechnoratiYahoo! BuzzMEXICO CITY — Kidnappers killed a 5-year-old boy by injecting him with acid after his family sought police help — a new low even for Mexico's brutal kidnapping gangs.
Mexico City Attorney General Miguel Mancera said today that assailants injected the acid into the boy's heart and buried him on a hill outside the capital — a death that showed the plague of kidnappings for ransom afflicts the working class as well as the wealthy.
A kidnapper seized the child at a street market in the gritty borough of Iztapalapa on Oct. 26 and the boy was killed three days later, Mancera's office said in a statement.
Prosecutors said kidnapper hailed a taxi to carry the child to a house in neighboring Mexico state. The taxi driver later saw the boy's image on a television announcement seeking information on the kidnapping and returned to the market to alert the child's parents.
Authorities said the kidnappers asked for 30,000 pesos ($23,000) in ransom but killed the child after hearing police were looking for the boy.
Anti-kidnapping prosecutor Juan Maya told Reforma newspaper that the abductors knew the boy's parents, who he said are street vendors in Iztapalapa, but spokemen for the agency could not immediately confirm that today.
Mancera said five suspected kidnappers, including a 17-year-old, have been arrested.
The child's death recalled the recent kidnap and slaying of Fernando Marti, the 14-year-old son of a sporting goods magnate whose death prompted a national outcry against crime.
Young Marti's decomposing body was found in the trunk of a car even though his family reportedly paid a ransom. Prosecutors said a federal lawman was part of the gang that kidnapped Marti.
Outrage over that case prompted more than 100,000 people to march through Mexico City in August to demand an end to endemic police corruption and rising crime.
On Monday, dozens of people left messages on Reforma's Web site expressing outrage at the 5-year-old's death. Some called for Mexico to reinstate capital punishment.
"They should definitely give the death penalty to these people, who have no conscience," wrote a man who identified himself as Eric Aguilar of Mexico City. "Keeping them alive only guarantees a hidden danger for the rest of society."
Mexico has one of the world's highest kidnapping rates, according to the anti-violence group IKV Pax Christi. Kidnappings are up 9 percent this year and average 65 per month nationwide, according to the federal Attorney General's Office, which blames a growing web of drug cartels, current and former police officers and informants who point out potentially lucrative victims.
Most kidnappings go unreported for fear of police involvement. The nonprofit Citizens' Institute for Crime Studies estimates the real kidnapping rate to be more than 500 per month.
