Senate Dems plan new round of Iraq votes

Can they figure out that they voted to go into the war, and unfortunately we are stuck in a door-to-door urban war? The US can sweep a battlefield in day over anyone, but we as a country lack the stomach for a long drawn out battle. It is not our soldiers; it is public opinion. Congress voted to go with the President, now they cannot stomach the battle.

Unfortunately we are getting piss poor leadership on how to fight this battle. As a conservative it is hard for me to admit, Bush as a President is in the bottom third of Presidents. If he had any brains, we would be pulling the troops out of the cities and shutting down the boarders. Put in Special Forces with the Iraqis, but shut down Iran and Syria's influence.

Really getting sick and tired of Bush's push for the Amnesty bill too.

Just Like I Said

Paris Hilton is getting harsher treatment than if she was a nobody for several reasons.

1. It outraged the public that she was let out early.
2. She is a celebrity, and public pressure was made to make her serve more of her sentence in jail than on an early release.
   

Why does Paris get so little support that most celebrities get? I think most of it is that more people see Paris as a porn star than as a movie star. Hollywood ignored her too.
Worst of all, Paris has her own very large demons. In lots of ways, I do feel very sorry for Paris. There was this book put out a couple of years ago ranking the 100 most harmful people to the United States. Paris's parents were ranked in there for doing such a lousy job raising her. I think that there is more truth than the author originally thought.

Video of an F-15 Landing On Just One Wing

What a Kick But Airplane. I have heard of this happening before. The first time I heard of it the wing was taken off in a lighting strike. I was expecting to see the footage of that landing not a totally different story.

Paris Hilton ordered to LA jail's medical wing

Let's get to the point; Paris is back in jail only because she is a celebrity. If you go to jail for violating your parole for drunk driving, typically you will spend the first 2-3 nights in jail or the weekend. Then you will be put on a tether. This was no special treatment. The mistake the Sheriff made was not to state that this is a very common practice.

With Paris being put on a tether that is like being sent to her bedroom for jail. I had a friend that was put on a tether and they would call and ask where he was when he went out in his back yard to far. For Paris this would be like being restricted to two or three rooms of her house. If you stray to far from your house, first they will call your home. If you do not answer, you are deemed to be violating your parole. When they make the call, they will also send a patrol car by to verify that you are actually at home and not using call forwarding to your cell phone. There will also be several unannounced visits to your home by the local police to verify that you have not taken the tether off and put it on your dog or cat and go out for the night.

What is the advantage of using the tether system, it keeps the jails less crowded. It costs less to run, than an inmate for the night. It allows for the convict to work and provide for their family, versus becoming even more of a burden to society.

What are the down falls of this system, it can be considered not that hard of a punishment and people are more likely to violate the drunk driving laws again. People that are sent to jail for drunk driving for 30 days are forced into 30 days of sobriety. People that are put on tethers can get drunk as a skunk each night.

The United States needs to look at becoming even harsher in its drunk driving penalties. Muslim countries, drunk driving gets you beheaded. European countries, if you kill someone drunk driving you get a death sentence (carried out quickly). European countries if you get caught driving drunk you lose your drivers license for life. It is a lot harder to get a drivers license and a car in Europe than in the USA.

The biggest positive for putting Paris back in jail, she is very likely to quit drinking. This might be a low point in her life and enough to change her ways.

A Letter to My Senator about the Illegal Immigration (Amnesty) Act

To the Honorable Senator Debbie Stabenow,

Please do what ever it takes to kill The Illegal Immigration Act. What I as your constituent would like to see is that we as a Nation do is to enforce our current laws, and stop the flood at the border. This needs to be done first. Completing the fence, hiring more Boarder Patrol Agents, and increasing the funding to the Boarder Patrol can accomplish protecting the boarder.

The Immigration Law needs to incorporate the protection of the Boarder Patrol Agents in using deadly force. I understand that there are two agents that have been sent to prison for shooting an illegal immigrant involved in the drug trade and presented a gun. Agents like this should receive accommodations, not sued or sent to prison. The agents must be allowed to protect them selves. The criminals should not have more protections or rights than the agents that are protecting my family and yours.

As to the illegal immigrants, these people should not be rewarded with citizenship or a permanent visa. They should be treated as a criminal. The current laws need to be changed to not give citizenship to children that are born in the United States by parents that are here illegally. Enforcement should be placed upon companies that employ employees that their Social Security number does not match their name. Enforcement must be increased on companies employing illegal immigrants. We do not need to deport the illegal immigrants, if we dry up the jobs they will leave on their own. We already have the laws in place, we just need to enforce them, not make more new laws.

As to the argument that the illegal immigrants are the only ones willing to do jobs the people that are here legally are unwilling to do, is a total lie! The truth is that the illegal immigrants are the only ones willing to do the job at the low wages the employers want to pay. There are people willing to do the jobs, just not such a low rate of pay.

If the United States of America wants to help our third world neighbors to the south, help the countries stop the corruption in their governments. The corruption in Mexico and all of our neighbors to the south is the cause of the utter poverty, not the greedy corporations. I speak of this on personnel knowledge from working in Mexico for a major tier one automotive supplier for nearly a year.

The enforcement of our countries immigration laws will help our country in many ways:

• I will decrease our healthcare costs of illegals showing up in emergency rooms for health care.
• It will also decrease our welfare costs.
• It will free up the classrooms and reduce the demand for bilingual classes.
  

Once this bill is killed, and funding is provided and put in place to secure our boarders, then this country can start working on a new LEGAL IMMIGRATION Act. The lack of security of our boarders this long after 9-11, is a shame of all the politics in Washington DC.

Sincerely yours,

Piet Van

Another Letter/Response to My Congressman

To the Honorable Fred Upton,

I would like to thank you for the reply to my letter about the ads purportedly stating that you are against President Bush and the War on Terror. I believe you that you did not put out the ad and that you believe that the Troops are important to you. Although, from reading your letter I have trouble understanding where you stand. Your letter’s answer was filled with so much political double speak, I really don’t know where you stand.

I saw a Marine in an interview on television where he stated, “You can not support the Troops and not support the President at the same time. If you don’t support the President, you are not supporting the Troops too.” I think that Marine was absolutely right!

Your answer does not reflect that level of support. As a matter of fact, it is very disappointing. I can appreciate your concern for our Troops. Although, as one of your constituents I would expect an answer of, your supporting the President and encouraging him to do what ever it takes to succeed in this War on Terror. If you disagree with the Presidents and his Generals methods, those conversations should be in private, anything different puts our Troops in jeopardy. This would include letters to your constituents.

The next subject:

The Illegal Immigration (Amnesty) Act, please do what ever it takes to kill this bill as it tries to make its way through conference. What I as your constituent would like to see is that we as a Nation do is to enforce our current laws, and stop the flood at the border. This needs to be done first. Completing the fence, hiring more Boarder Patrol Agents, and increasing the funding to the Boarder Patrol can accomplish protecting the boarder.

The Immigration Law needs to incorporate the protection of the Boarder Patrol Agents in using deadly force. I understand that there are two agents that have been sent to prison for shooting an illegal immigrant involved in the drug trade and presented a gun. Agents like this should receive accommodations, not sued or sent to prison. The agents must be allowed to protect them selves. The criminals should not have more protections or rights than the agents that are protecting my family and yours.

As to the illegal immigrants, these people should not be rewarded with citizenship or a permanent visa. They should be treated as a criminal. The current laws need to be changed to not give citizenship to children that are born in the United States by parents that are here illegally. Enforcement should be placed upon companies that employ employees that their Social Security number does not match their name. Enforcement must be increased on companies employing illegal immigrants. We do not need to deport the illegal immigrants, if we dry up the jobs they will leave on their own. We already have the laws in place, we just need to enforce them, not make more new laws.

As to the argument that the illegal immigrants are the only ones willing to do jobs the people that are here legally are unwilling to do, is a total lie! The truth is that the illegal immigrants are the only ones willing to do the job at the low wages the employers want to pay. There are people willing to do the jobs, just not such a low rate of pay.

If the United States of America wants to help our third world neighbors to the south, help the countries stop the corruption in their governments. The corruption in Mexico and all of our neighbors to the south is the cause of the utter poverty, not the greedy corporations.

The enforcement of our countries immigration laws will help our country in many ways:

• It will decrease our healthcare costs of illegals showing up in emergency rooms for health care.
• It will also decrease our welfare costs.
• It will free up the classrooms and reduce the demand for bilingual classes.
  

Your Comment is that this bill is currently in conference in the Senate. As I understand it the Bill must come back to the house because there is a tax included in the bill. When this bill comes back to the House, the Bill needs to be killed. I am sure you are aware the Senate cannot create a tax, kill the bill under this pretext.

Once this bill is killed, and funding is provided and put in place to secure our boarders, then this country can start working on a new LEGAL IMMIGRATION Act. The lack of security of our boarders this long after 9-11, is a shame of all the politics in Washington DC.

Sincerely yours,

Piet Van

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

This was forwarded to me by my dad, author unknown:

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts o r air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter an d drank Kool-aid made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because, WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computer! s, no Internet or chat rooms........ WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team.

Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

If YOU are one of them. CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.

While you a re at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!

The quote of the month is by Jay Leno : "With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

eBay Question That Warmed My Heart

We were cleaning our toy room in our basement that you could not walk through because of all of the toys. Over the years my son had built up an extensive Bionicle collection. So we took a picture and put up for auction on Fee Bay (eBay). Here is the question young Rozwell wrote:

"Enter your question hereHi, we made a bid on this set. I am almost 9 years old and I love Bionicles. I am looking for sets 8531-8536..the nams are Pohatu,Onua,Gali,Tahu,Lewa,and Kopalia. Are any of these in the sets you are selling? Let me knw please, Rozwell"

While cleaning out our basement, it made me sick to my stomach just thinking of how much money we had spent on all of the toys over the years. Salivation Army got one heck of a donation yesterday.

No matter how good my son does on the auction, the question from young Rozwell, made it worth it all. Good Luck Rozwell, I hope you have bid enough and have a chance to win it at the end of the auction.

I Heard Back From My Congressman

Please see the reply:

After reading it, and it looks like he actually read my e-mail, I can not figure out how much he really is in support of our troops or not.

Putting it blunt, when you vote to send troops to war, troops die. Our countries worst fears were realized when we ended up in a door-to-door fighting in the cities. There is no going back. In his letter the 80% of Iraq want us out of Iraq. I can agree to that to an extent. Why don't we seal off all of the boarders and let Iraq do the fighting like we have in Afghanistan?

I really can't tell where my congressman stands trying to read through all of the double talk in this letter. Although he does state that the ad was put up by a liberal organization as a slam ad against him. I’ll give him a bye on that one; no way to prove that it was or was not paid for by him.

As you note no politician is willing to say one word of what we will do about Iran and Syria. Although it is not congresses place, pressure needs to be put on our lame duck Republican President to put his pants back on and line up the B-52's and carpet bomb the Mullahs in Iran back to before the Stone Age.

We also need to fund the building of some brand new B-52's. Maybe some new engines and electronics suite, but that is one of the best aircraft the Air force ever had built for them, that and the A-10. I think they need to build some more new A-10's also. I would love to see a naval version of an A-10. Anything has to be better than the F/A-18, but I cannot see a better attack aircraft than the A-10. Why not a naval version of the A-10 for the navy. They already have one Hoover on an aircraft carrier the S-3.

To The Honorable Fred Upton

To The Honorable Fred Upton

I was very upset to see this ad on WZZM TV 13 at approximately 11:10 PM on Monday 14-May-07. This ad propertied stated that you are against the war on terror and the troops in Iraq. By this you publicly went out against the President. As a stout Republican, your continuance on this stance will cause me to seek a different representative in the next primaries.

I am a very proud veteran and very stout supporter of national defense. Has the President made mistakes in Iraq, too many. Public statements by Congressmen contrary to the Presidents foreign policy are unacceptable when our service men and women are at war. I consider it at the level of treason.

If I wanted a cut and run congressman or woman I would have voted for a Democrat. I believe the rest of your district feels the same way. I voted for a Republican under the expectation of tax cuts and strong national defense.

Sincerely,

A highly disappointed constituent