Davey doesn't mince words:

I Don't Care What You Think

Oh, and don’t sign me up for Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Someone already tried that once and it didn’t sit well with me. Just having those fruits in my room will probably bring down the resale value of just about everything I own.

Personally, I’d rather have a pap smear done on my butt than go out and try to dance to music I don’t like and make an idiot out of myself. If I’m going to make an idiot out of myself I’m going to do it on my own terms.

Word to your mother.

My heart bleeds purple slush water for this scumbag:

Akbar Convicted of Murder in Grenade Attack

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — An Army sergeant was convicted Thursday by a military jury of premeditated murder and attempted murder in a grenade and rifle attack that killed two of his comrades and wounded 14 others in Kuwait during the opening days of the Iraq war.

Hasan Akbar, 34, now faces a possible death penalty, which the 15-member jury will consider at a hearing that begins Monday.

Prosecutors say Akbar told investigators he launched the attack because he was concerned U.S. troops would kill fellow Muslims in Iraq. They said he coolly carried out the attack to achieve "maximum carnage" on his comrades in the 101st Airborne Division.

Hangman's Noose.

UPDATE: YES!!!

Jury Returns Death Sentence in GI Killings

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - A military jury sentenced a soldier to death Thursday for a deadly grenade and rifle attack on his own comrades during the opening days of the Iraq invasion, a barrage that prosecutors said was triggered by religious extremism.

Sgt. Hasan Akbar, who gave a brief, barely audible apology hours earlier, stood at attention between his lawyers as the verdict was delivered. He showed no emotion.

Gov. Praises 'Minuteman' Campaign

SACRAMENTO — Calling the nation's borders dangerously porous, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday praised the private "Minuteman" campaign that uses armed volunteers to stop illegal immigrants from crossing into the U.S.

Schwarzenegger said in a radio interview that the federal government is failing to secure the border with Mexico, and he cast the hundreds of private citizens who have been patrolling the Arizona-Mexico border since April 1 as a popular response to government inaction.

"I think they've done a terrific job," Schwarzenegger said of the "Minuteman" volunteers, who plan to expand to California in June. "They've cut down the crossing of illegal immigrants a huge percentage. So it just shows that it works when you go and make an effort and when you work hard. It's a doable thing."

The governor added that, "It's just that our federal government is not doing their job. It's a shame that the private citizen has to go in there and start patrolling our borders."

Well have to wait and see....

The History Channel's Mail Call cause it's fun to watch Gunny Ermey blow stuff up....

Another POS is about to become room temperature:

Avila Guilty of Killing Samantha Runnion

SANTA ANA, Calif. — A jury convicted a factory worker Thursday of the 2002 kidnapping and killing 5-year-old Samantha Runnion, an Orange County girl whose death prompted a massive public outcry.

After deliberating for less than nine hours over two days, a jury of eight men and four women convicted Alejandro Avila, 30, of kidnapping, murder and two counts of sexual assault.

The same Superior Court jury will decide in a separate penalty phase if Avila should get life in prison without parole or the death penalty. Opening statements in the penalty phase were scheduled for Wednesday.

Samantha's mother Erin Runnion, in the front row of the courtroom, cried silently as verdicts were read. She hugged the prosecutor David Brent as the jury left the courtroom.

As the first verdict was read, someone in the audience said, "yes, yes." Avila bowed his head toward the defense table but showed no emotion.

And while some might say that putting Avila to death won't bring back Samantha and that maybe he should be sentenced to life in prison, I say no. Put this waste of skin to death - a painful one - since HE didn't give Samantha the choice to live or die.

And that 'bowing of the head' thing Avila did when the verdict was read?? It sure as shit was him praying to God for forgiveness - it was him realizing that he's practically dead meat in prison if he's lucky enough to evade the death penalty. I'm no expert, but from what I've heard people like Avila become hunted - like gazelle - in prison. It would seem that even among criminals, doing anything to children is a big NO-NO.

Once again I'm compelled to say the best way to deal with present and would-be future sexual preditors like this is to just BLOW THEIR BRAINS ALL OVER THE PAVEMENT.

FACT: Hemodialysis sucks. If anyone tells you different, they're selling insurance.

But...considering the alternative, dialysis is okay since death is so 'not me'....

Lately whenever I have dialysis - currently Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays - that I'm getting that tingly feeling in my feet right afterwards.

And it doesn't end that day - now I'm starting to get it the following morning and it's just a world of fun I'm here to tell you. But I just happen to be going to see my nephrologist this morning right after my Control Systems class, so I'll chat with her about it and see what can be done since - and I'm really uncomfortable 'whining' about this - it's making going to school & work a bit more difficult.

As for kidney donors, I haven't really kept up with who is getting screened for donation since it'll probably be a let down of some sort; most of my friends that have offered to donate have been rejected for minor reasons and after the third one I honestly do not inquire anymore. A kidney will become available eventually and when the time is right, it'll happen.

Nothing really much on the news radar that I'm up to blogging about....

...so I thought I'd share my latest desktop view which is the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter (Carrier Variant) like I posted about previously.

Good news: Pablo *patooey* Paredes' claim for conscientious objector status was denied

From Michelle Malkin's site:

PABLO PAREDES: CO STATUS DENIED

This just in...

Military deserter and anti-war Left poster boy Pablo Paredes has been denied conscientious objector status. His request for Other than Honorable discharge in lieu of a court-martial trial has also been denied. In a press release e-mailed this morning by his brother, the Paredes family reported:

Massive support activities for Pablo Paredes are being planned for May 10th. These activities will include a staged symbolic public trial to denounce the war and its immoral impact on Americans and Iraqis alike. The May 10th proceeding will include the participation of other public military resisters such as Camilo Mejia. In addition, many important figures from the political and activist community are expected to participate. More details will be made public shortly.

...The rejection of his CO and OTH are strong indication that the military intends to firmly punish Pablo Paredes for his decision to follow his conscientious (sic) and not support inhumane acts of aggression. Navy jags have attended Pablo’s public speaking engagements and have provided sworn statements that will be used against him in his Special Court Martial

Good.

To quote Emperor Palpatine from 'Episode VI: Return of the Jedi': You will pay for your lack of vision.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: this clown deserves all that's coming to him. Honestly, IMO he's not worth the power to blow him to Hell.

NOW - let's see how fast the anti-war goons 'forget' about Pablo....

UPDATE: I was just informed by an old friend that's far more knowledgeable on Star Wars that the quote You will pay for your lack of vision was from the Emperor - NOT Vader.

I feel sheepish now....the other geeks will harange me for this for weeks....

Democrats won't stop drivers license verification bill, Reid says

WASHINGTON — A controversial bill that would require states to verify the citizenship or legal status of anyone applying for a drivers license will likely become law because Senate Democrats don't have the votes to stop it, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said Monday.

Aimed at illegal immigrants, the so-called Real ID Act is expected to be included in a final version of an $81 billion spending bill to fund the war in Iraq, according to Reid, D-Nev. House and Senate lawmakers begin negotiating a final version of the spending bill this week.

Reid and most Democrats had fought for months against the Real ID measure and succeeded in keeping it out of the Senate version of the spending bill. But Reid said Democrats have decided they would not hold up passage of the Iraq war spending bill solely because it includes the Real ID Act.

In any case, it's nice to know that since the various states cannot seem to get their sh!t together on who should or shouldn't have a drivers license that (for once) the federal government steps in to take the matter to a conclusion.

(Brain neurons to John Hawkins at Right Wing News for the lead)

Just got this from my gal pal Stevie and it's hilarious!!

Enjoy!

Here are a few things to think about that you probably have never thought about:

• Can you cry under water?
• How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?
• If money doesn't grow on trees then why do banks have branches?
• Since bread is square, then why is sandwich meat round?
• Why do you have to "put your two cents in".. . but it's only a "penny for your thoughts"? Where's that extra penny going to?
• Once you're in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the clothes you were buried in for eternity?
• Why does a round pizza come in a square box?

Today at school, I encounted the annual Coming Out Day on Library Walk.

Being slightly curious, I walked close to the tent/booth that was set up for it and what did I see? A cardboard cutout of President Bush with a rainbow boa wrapped around his head. Next to the cutout was some sort of posterboard with a write-up about how 'the Prez was coming out'. I didn't even bother to read it because life is precious and those wasted seconds could have been put to better use playing video games or picking my nose. I just turned around and shook my head.

As I was walking away my friend Elly was asking why I was shaking my head. I explained quickly that while I couldn't give a fig about the Gay Pride movement (more like a bowel movement IMO), I was getting quite tired of having GAY-GAY-GAY-GAY-GAY shoved in my face and down my throat and that in my humble opinion the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered/WTF am I?? ™ movement was drawing more attention to themselves than would normally be deserved. I said that all this attention might be what causes some - not all, not a majority, but some - people to put the pinch on gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered/WTF am I?? ™ people and that someone might want to re-think their strategy on this.

Elly, being the open-minded liberal friend of mine (yes, I do have liberal friends) paraphrased what I had said with this:

When you have a junkyard dog snapping at your heels, the best thing to do is turn around and kick it in the chops....

BTW, Elly doesn't really refer to herself as a 'liberal' - she thinks that most of the barking moonbats on campus give the rest of the people left-of-center a bad reputation. She's right.

Now, to save some people a lot of vitriol about me being a 'homophobe' or 'anti-gay' or whatever, let me just say once again that while I don't give a rat's ass about the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered/WTF am I?? ™ movement, I'm not too keen on some guy with a three-day beard sliding up to me and asking 'Are you here for some fun??'. Sorry - it's just not my cup of tea....I dig chicks too much. Just get on with life, do your job, and don't make me adapt to your not-quite-normal lifestyle. I don't constantly scream about heterosexual relationships and that we're just the same, do I?

Why 'not-quite-normal'?? Well, let's invoke some basic biology/evolution here: male-female pro-creation results in offspring whereas male-male, female-female, or WTF am I??-WTF am I?? cannot pro-create and therefore their genetic material(s) are taken out of the herd's gene pool. Sounds harsh to put it in such a blunt description, but let's face it: life finds a way to continue through conception of offspring - Bruce/Bruce combos don't make the cut.

This actually came as a surprise this afternoon when I heard it on the radio driving to work:

Murphy resigns

SAN DIEGO – First the quarrelsome city attorney demanded that San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy quit. And last week Time magazine named Murphy one of the three worst big-city mayors in the country. Then came rumblings of a recall movement.

Less than five months after starting his second four-year term, Murphy, 62, announced this morning he will resign effective July 15.

"I now believe to be effective the city will need a mayor who was elected by a majority of the people and who has a clear mandate to take this city forward," Murphy said. "A good leader needs to know when it is time to move on and I believe it is time for me to move on and time to bring a fresh start to our city."

Now - the scary part is who will be the new mayor come Novemeber? Citizen Smash has a great round-up of the likely (and unlikey) candidates.

I can just hear the whining from New York now:

White House May Go to U.N. Over North Korean Shipments

WASHINGTON, April 24 - The Bush administration, facing a series of recent provocations from North Korea, is debating a plan to seek a United Nations resolution empowering all nations to intercept shipments in or out of the country that may contain nuclear materials or components, say senior administration officials and diplomats who have been briefed on the proposal.

The resolution envisioned by a growing number of senior administration officials would amount to a quarantine of North Korea, though, so far at least, President Bush's aides are not using that word. It would enable the United States and other nations to intercept shipments in international waters off the Korean Peninsula and to force down aircraft for inspection.

But if the United States was to just take matters into their own hands, that's wrong too.

I'm guessing it'll take North Korea popping a nuke somewhere in the region to get the UN's attention (HINT-HINT: Iran).

President Bush is trying to do things the 'nice' way - the way that the UN would *cough* like, but the United States will still be labeled as a 'cowboy nation' for trying to do things that other nations would like us to do.

Another 'protester' putting 'peace' back in the venacular:

Peace activist faces trial after crossing the line of civility

It started out as a typical Wednesday for Preckshot, a 49-year-old who stands about 5-foot-2 and has hearing aids in both ears. She was standing on her normal spot on Providence Road, holding her signs in support of American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. For nearly four years now, this has been Preckshot’s life from about 4:15 to about 5:45 in the afternoon once a week. She started her solo troop-support effort to counteract the peace protesters who stand a couple of blocks away at the intersection of Providence and Broadway. The peaceniks hold signs that say things such as "honk for peace" and "end the occupation."

They outnumber Preckshot every Wednesday, but she stands out there just the same, sometimes drawing another supporter or two to help her effort.

On this particular Wednesday - it was March 16 - her effort seemed to annoy a couple of the protesters. Not satisfied with their own peace protest, a pair of peaceniks grabbed their signs and made their way to Preckshot, who normally stands outside the Bloomers flower shop near Locust Street.

"Two of the guys from the corner walked down with a big sign that read ‘End the occupation,’ " she remembers. One of them started taking pictures of a Preckshot supporter across the street, she says. "At some point, the other guy starts coming toward me."

For a diminutive woman, Preckshot can handle herself. She’s a former police officer, and she isn’t easily intimidated. Still, a young man coming at her waving a sign in her face seemed a little aggressive, particularly from somebody supposedly advocating peace.

The man stepped closer. She backed off a step. He shoved a sign in her face, and she backed off once again.

"Don’t touch me!" she told him.

Then, she says, he pushed her.

"He started taunting me and reached out and pushed on my shoulder," Preckshot says. "Each time he pushed, it got a little harder. When I saw his hand come at me again, I grabbed it. I felt fearful."

As Preckshot pushed the man’s hand away, "he slugged me right in the face," she says.

Perhaps "Punch for peace" would have been a more appropriate sign.

And BTW, Rita isn't a slouch - she was named 'Citizen of the Year' in 2004 Military Officers’ Association of America for her (often) solo work at countering the *cough* peace activists in support of the U.S. military.

Rita: Kicking Ass & Taking Names!!

Here's a photo I took this afternoon while updating my anti-virus software.

One of my cats - Julie in this case - likes to sit up on my desk while I'm working and stretch out and 'tap' me on the mouse hand to get my attention.

BTW, cats and calculus do NOT mix well together.

Anyway, I thought I'd post a photo of my lazy cat demanding that I pay more attention to her than to my stupid computer.

Davey doesn't mince words:

I Don't Care What You Think

Oh, and don’t sign me up for Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Someone already tried that once and it didn’t sit well with me. Just having those fruits in my room will probably bring down the resale value of just about everything I own.

Personally, I’d rather have a pap smear done on my butt than go out and try to dance to music I don’t like and make an idiot out of myself. If I’m going to make an idiot out of myself I’m going to do it on my own terms.

Word to your mother.

My heart bleeds purple slush water for this scumbag:

Akbar Convicted of Murder in Grenade Attack

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — An Army sergeant was convicted Thursday by a military jury of premeditated murder and attempted murder in a grenade and rifle attack that killed two of his comrades and wounded 14 others in Kuwait during the opening days of the Iraq war.

Hasan Akbar, 34, now faces a possible death penalty, which the 15-member jury will consider at a hearing that begins Monday.

Prosecutors say Akbar told investigators he launched the attack because he was concerned U.S. troops would kill fellow Muslims in Iraq. They said he coolly carried out the attack to achieve "maximum carnage" on his comrades in the 101st Airborne Division.

Hangman's Noose.

UPDATE: YES!!!

Jury Returns Death Sentence in GI Killings

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - A military jury sentenced a soldier to death Thursday for a deadly grenade and rifle attack on his own comrades during the opening days of the Iraq invasion, a barrage that prosecutors said was triggered by religious extremism.

Sgt. Hasan Akbar, who gave a brief, barely audible apology hours earlier, stood at attention between his lawyers as the verdict was delivered. He showed no emotion.

Gov. Praises 'Minuteman' Campaign

SACRAMENTO — Calling the nation's borders dangerously porous, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday praised the private "Minuteman" campaign that uses armed volunteers to stop illegal immigrants from crossing into the U.S.

Schwarzenegger said in a radio interview that the federal government is failing to secure the border with Mexico, and he cast the hundreds of private citizens who have been patrolling the Arizona-Mexico border since April 1 as a popular response to government inaction.

"I think they've done a terrific job," Schwarzenegger said of the "Minuteman" volunteers, who plan to expand to California in June. "They've cut down the crossing of illegal immigrants a huge percentage. So it just shows that it works when you go and make an effort and when you work hard. It's a doable thing."

The governor added that, "It's just that our federal government is not doing their job. It's a shame that the private citizen has to go in there and start patrolling our borders."

Well have to wait and see....

The History Channel's Mail Call cause it's fun to watch Gunny Ermey blow stuff up....

Another POS is about to become room temperature:

Avila Guilty of Killing Samantha Runnion

SANTA ANA, Calif. — A jury convicted a factory worker Thursday of the 2002 kidnapping and killing 5-year-old Samantha Runnion, an Orange County girl whose death prompted a massive public outcry.

After deliberating for less than nine hours over two days, a jury of eight men and four women convicted Alejandro Avila, 30, of kidnapping, murder and two counts of sexual assault.

The same Superior Court jury will decide in a separate penalty phase if Avila should get life in prison without parole or the death penalty. Opening statements in the penalty phase were scheduled for Wednesday.

Samantha's mother Erin Runnion, in the front row of the courtroom, cried silently as verdicts were read. She hugged the prosecutor David Brent as the jury left the courtroom.

As the first verdict was read, someone in the audience said, "yes, yes." Avila bowed his head toward the defense table but showed no emotion.

And while some might say that putting Avila to death won't bring back Samantha and that maybe he should be sentenced to life in prison, I say no. Put this waste of skin to death - a painful one - since HE didn't give Samantha the choice to live or die.

And that 'bowing of the head' thing Avila did when the verdict was read?? It sure as shit was him praying to God for forgiveness - it was him realizing that he's practically dead meat in prison if he's lucky enough to evade the death penalty. I'm no expert, but from what I've heard people like Avila become hunted - like gazelle - in prison. It would seem that even among criminals, doing anything to children is a big NO-NO.

Once again I'm compelled to say the best way to deal with present and would-be future sexual preditors like this is to just BLOW THEIR BRAINS ALL OVER THE PAVEMENT.

FACT: Hemodialysis sucks. If anyone tells you different, they're selling insurance.

But...considering the alternative, dialysis is okay since death is so 'not me'....

Lately whenever I have dialysis - currently Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays - that I'm getting that tingly feeling in my feet right afterwards.

And it doesn't end that day - now I'm starting to get it the following morning and it's just a world of fun I'm here to tell you. But I just happen to be going to see my nephrologist this morning right after my Control Systems class, so I'll chat with her about it and see what can be done since - and I'm really uncomfortable 'whining' about this - it's making going to school & work a bit more difficult.

As for kidney donors, I haven't really kept up with who is getting screened for donation since it'll probably be a let down of some sort; most of my friends that have offered to donate have been rejected for minor reasons and after the third one I honestly do not inquire anymore. A kidney will become available eventually and when the time is right, it'll happen.

Nothing really much on the news radar that I'm up to blogging about....

...so I thought I'd share my latest desktop view which is the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter (Carrier Variant) like I posted about previously.

Good news: Pablo *patooey* Paredes' claim for conscientious objector status was denied

From Michelle Malkin's site:

PABLO PAREDES: CO STATUS DENIED

This just in...

Military deserter and anti-war Left poster boy Pablo Paredes has been denied conscientious objector status. His request for Other than Honorable discharge in lieu of a court-martial trial has also been denied. In a press release e-mailed this morning by his brother, the Paredes family reported:

Massive support activities for Pablo Paredes are being planned for May 10th. These activities will include a staged symbolic public trial to denounce the war and its immoral impact on Americans and Iraqis alike. The May 10th proceeding will include the participation of other public military resisters such as Camilo Mejia. In addition, many important figures from the political and activist community are expected to participate. More details will be made public shortly.

...The rejection of his CO and OTH are strong indication that the military intends to firmly punish Pablo Paredes for his decision to follow his conscientious (sic) and not support inhumane acts of aggression. Navy jags have attended Pablo’s public speaking engagements and have provided sworn statements that will be used against him in his Special Court Martial

Good.

To quote Emperor Palpatine from 'Episode VI: Return of the Jedi': You will pay for your lack of vision.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: this clown deserves all that's coming to him. Honestly, IMO he's not worth the power to blow him to Hell.

NOW - let's see how fast the anti-war goons 'forget' about Pablo....

UPDATE: I was just informed by an old friend that's far more knowledgeable on Star Wars that the quote You will pay for your lack of vision was from the Emperor - NOT Vader.

I feel sheepish now....the other geeks will harange me for this for weeks....

Democrats won't stop drivers license verification bill, Reid says

WASHINGTON — A controversial bill that would require states to verify the citizenship or legal status of anyone applying for a drivers license will likely become law because Senate Democrats don't have the votes to stop it, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said Monday.

Aimed at illegal immigrants, the so-called Real ID Act is expected to be included in a final version of an $81 billion spending bill to fund the war in Iraq, according to Reid, D-Nev. House and Senate lawmakers begin negotiating a final version of the spending bill this week.

Reid and most Democrats had fought for months against the Real ID measure and succeeded in keeping it out of the Senate version of the spending bill. But Reid said Democrats have decided they would not hold up passage of the Iraq war spending bill solely because it includes the Real ID Act.

In any case, it's nice to know that since the various states cannot seem to get their sh!t together on who should or shouldn't have a drivers license that (for once) the federal government steps in to take the matter to a conclusion.

(Brain neurons to John Hawkins at Right Wing News for the lead)

Just got this from my gal pal Stevie and it's hilarious!!

Enjoy!

Here are a few things to think about that you probably have never thought about:

• Can you cry under water?
• How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?
• If money doesn't grow on trees then why do banks have branches?
• Since bread is square, then why is sandwich meat round?
• Why do you have to "put your two cents in".. . but it's only a "penny for your thoughts"? Where's that extra penny going to?
• Once you're in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the clothes you were buried in for eternity?
• Why does a round pizza come in a square box?

Today at school, I encounted the annual Coming Out Day on Library Walk.

Being slightly curious, I walked close to the tent/booth that was set up for it and what did I see? A cardboard cutout of President Bush with a rainbow boa wrapped around his head. Next to the cutout was some sort of posterboard with a write-up about how 'the Prez was coming out'. I didn't even bother to read it because life is precious and those wasted seconds could have been put to better use playing video games or picking my nose. I just turned around and shook my head.

As I was walking away my friend Elly was asking why I was shaking my head. I explained quickly that while I couldn't give a fig about the Gay Pride movement (more like a bowel movement IMO), I was getting quite tired of having GAY-GAY-GAY-GAY-GAY shoved in my face and down my throat and that in my humble opinion the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered/WTF am I?? ™ movement was drawing more attention to themselves than would normally be deserved. I said that all this attention might be what causes some - not all, not a majority, but some - people to put the pinch on gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered/WTF am I?? ™ people and that someone might want to re-think their strategy on this.

Elly, being the open-minded liberal friend of mine (yes, I do have liberal friends) paraphrased what I had said with this:

When you have a junkyard dog snapping at your heels, the best thing to do is turn around and kick it in the chops....

BTW, Elly doesn't really refer to herself as a 'liberal' - she thinks that most of the barking moonbats on campus give the rest of the people left-of-center a bad reputation. She's right.

Now, to save some people a lot of vitriol about me being a 'homophobe' or 'anti-gay' or whatever, let me just say once again that while I don't give a rat's ass about the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered/WTF am I?? ™ movement, I'm not too keen on some guy with a three-day beard sliding up to me and asking 'Are you here for some fun??'. Sorry - it's just not my cup of tea....I dig chicks too much. Just get on with life, do your job, and don't make me adapt to your not-quite-normal lifestyle. I don't constantly scream about heterosexual relationships and that we're just the same, do I?

Why 'not-quite-normal'?? Well, let's invoke some basic biology/evolution here: male-female pro-creation results in offspring whereas male-male, female-female, or WTF am I??-WTF am I?? cannot pro-create and therefore their genetic material(s) are taken out of the herd's gene pool. Sounds harsh to put it in such a blunt description, but let's face it: life finds a way to continue through conception of offspring - Bruce/Bruce combos don't make the cut.

This actually came as a surprise this afternoon when I heard it on the radio driving to work:

Murphy resigns

SAN DIEGO – First the quarrelsome city attorney demanded that San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy quit. And last week Time magazine named Murphy one of the three worst big-city mayors in the country. Then came rumblings of a recall movement.

Less than five months after starting his second four-year term, Murphy, 62, announced this morning he will resign effective July 15.

"I now believe to be effective the city will need a mayor who was elected by a majority of the people and who has a clear mandate to take this city forward," Murphy said. "A good leader needs to know when it is time to move on and I believe it is time for me to move on and time to bring a fresh start to our city."

Now - the scary part is who will be the new mayor come Novemeber? Citizen Smash has a great round-up of the likely (and unlikey) candidates.

I can just hear the whining from New York now:

White House May Go to U.N. Over North Korean Shipments

WASHINGTON, April 24 - The Bush administration, facing a series of recent provocations from North Korea, is debating a plan to seek a United Nations resolution empowering all nations to intercept shipments in or out of the country that may contain nuclear materials or components, say senior administration officials and diplomats who have been briefed on the proposal.

The resolution envisioned by a growing number of senior administration officials would amount to a quarantine of North Korea, though, so far at least, President Bush's aides are not using that word. It would enable the United States and other nations to intercept shipments in international waters off the Korean Peninsula and to force down aircraft for inspection.

But if the United States was to just take matters into their own hands, that's wrong too.

I'm guessing it'll take North Korea popping a nuke somewhere in the region to get the UN's attention (HINT-HINT: Iran).

President Bush is trying to do things the 'nice' way - the way that the UN would *cough* like, but the United States will still be labeled as a 'cowboy nation' for trying to do things that other nations would like us to do.

Another 'protester' putting 'peace' back in the venacular:

Peace activist faces trial after crossing the line of civility

It started out as a typical Wednesday for Preckshot, a 49-year-old who stands about 5-foot-2 and has hearing aids in both ears. She was standing on her normal spot on Providence Road, holding her signs in support of American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. For nearly four years now, this has been Preckshot’s life from about 4:15 to about 5:45 in the afternoon once a week. She started her solo troop-support effort to counteract the peace protesters who stand a couple of blocks away at the intersection of Providence and Broadway. The peaceniks hold signs that say things such as "honk for peace" and "end the occupation."

They outnumber Preckshot every Wednesday, but she stands out there just the same, sometimes drawing another supporter or two to help her effort.

On this particular Wednesday - it was March 16 - her effort seemed to annoy a couple of the protesters. Not satisfied with their own peace protest, a pair of peaceniks grabbed their signs and made their way to Preckshot, who normally stands outside the Bloomers flower shop near Locust Street.

"Two of the guys from the corner walked down with a big sign that read ‘End the occupation,’ " she remembers. One of them started taking pictures of a Preckshot supporter across the street, she says. "At some point, the other guy starts coming toward me."

For a diminutive woman, Preckshot can handle herself. She’s a former police officer, and she isn’t easily intimidated. Still, a young man coming at her waving a sign in her face seemed a little aggressive, particularly from somebody supposedly advocating peace.

The man stepped closer. She backed off a step. He shoved a sign in her face, and she backed off once again.

"Don’t touch me!" she told him.

Then, she says, he pushed her.

"He started taunting me and reached out and pushed on my shoulder," Preckshot says. "Each time he pushed, it got a little harder. When I saw his hand come at me again, I grabbed it. I felt fearful."

As Preckshot pushed the man’s hand away, "he slugged me right in the face," she says.

Perhaps "Punch for peace" would have been a more appropriate sign.

And BTW, Rita isn't a slouch - she was named 'Citizen of the Year' in 2004 Military Officers’ Association of America for her (often) solo work at countering the *cough* peace activists in support of the U.S. military.

Rita: Kicking Ass & Taking Names!!

Here's a photo I took this afternoon while updating my anti-virus software.

One of my cats - Julie in this case - likes to sit up on my desk while I'm working and stretch out and 'tap' me on the mouse hand to get my attention.

BTW, cats and calculus do NOT mix well together.

Anyway, I thought I'd post a photo of my lazy cat demanding that I pay more attention to her than to my stupid computer.