Maobama Would Know

In his weekly radio and internet address, The Anointed One is once again trying to rally everyone to support his health care reform agenda. A couple of quotes really struck me as ironic.

"The history is clear: For decades rising health care costs have unleashed havoc on families, businesses and the economy. And for decades, whenever we have tried to reform the system, the insurance companies have done everything in their considerable power to stop us."

Okay, exactly who is this we? Dear Leader, you have only been in Washington (including as a Senator) for four years, which last time I checked is nowhere near decades. And when you were a Senator, health care wasn't even on your radar. You were much more interested in,and spent more time, running for President than anything else.

Obama said he would not abide "those who would bend the truth or break it to score political points and stop our progress as a country." He accused the industry of "filling the airwaves with deceptive and dishonest ads," sending money and lobbyists to Capitol Hill and paying for studies "designed to mislead the American people."

You are the chief truth breaker to score political points. And you do not want to just stop our progress as a country, you want to completely overhaul our country and turn into something none of our Founders ever wanted. Why else would you surround yourself with Communists (Van Jones), and those that love Mao (Anita Dunn), and wait... you idolize Saul Alinsky, right?

Bend the truth... Would that include having doctors that contributed to your campaign show up at the Rose Garden to bolster support for health care reform? What exactly did you have to promise them to get them there? Or planting a question from a campaign worker's daughter during your health care town hall meeting? This is controlling information, making sure the question covers some of your talking points. You even lied when you said you weren't stacking the deck. What do you call that, random chance?

You told the far left what they wanted to hear in the primaries to get the nomination. To be fair, you didn't have to change your views to do so. You were known as the most liberal senator in congress (shown through your voting record). Then you changed your tune in the general election, sometimes from day to day, according to your audience on the campaign trail. You are the king of deceptive and dishonest. You bend the truth constantly to promote your agenda. You also ignore vital information if it does not support said agenda. One example of this is the Congressional Budget Office putting the kibosh on the 1,100 page health care bill (HR3200), saying it would increase the deficit exponentially.




Maobama, if you want to see deceptive and dishonest, you need to look no further than the closest mirror.

Autistic Cub Scout Saves Teacher's Life

Finally... a story on ABC News that I really like. This boy is great. As the parent of a child with Autism, it gives me hope. This proves that there is the possibility for these kids to overcome life's hurdles.


Autistic Cub Scout Saves Teacher's Life

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New Prison/Rehabilitation Czar?

From the U.K. Mail comes this story:


Ex-judge Accused of Spanking U.S. Male Inmates in His Office and Awarding Them Reduced Jail Time in Return for Sex

By Mail Foreign Service
Last updated at 3:37 PM on 05th October 2009

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A former judge is facing life in prison after being charged with sexually abusing male inmates in exchange for leniency.

Respected circuit judge Herman Thomas, who was once the Democratic Party’s choice to be the first black federal judge in south Alabama, is accused of bringing inmates to his office and spanking them with a paddle.

His trial for charges of sodomy, kidnapping, sex abuse, extortion, assault and ethics violations is set to begin today.

The 48-year-old insists he is innocent and claims he was trying to mentor the inmates.

Thomas’s defence lawyer Robert ‘Cowboy Bob’ Clark has branded the accusers ‘lying felons’ who are trying to wreck the career of ‘a prestigious member of the Bar for over 20 years.’

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a leading civil rights group, has defended Thomas and claims race is behind his prosecution.

Thomas and his attorney blame the charges on politicians who don't like him.

‘There is no doubt that people assisted these inmates in telling these lies on me,’ Thomas said in April.

In an echo of sex allegations made against black Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas, Thomas's lawyer called the indictment ‘a high-tech lynching’.

‘They don't like uppity black folks, and that's what they consider Herman,’ Clark added.

Chief Assistant District Attorney Nicki Patterson said authorities began looking at Thomas after he changed a jail sentence in 2006 for his cousin, former Mobile County school commissioner David Thomas, even though the case was being handled by another judge.

Other cases that Thomas had taken over from other judges without their approval soon surfaced, she said.

Some inmates in those cases described being checked out of the jail for meetings with Thomas in his car or in his private office in the county courthouse.

First, there were reports of inmates having to pull down their underwear for spankings with a wooden paddle. Then came allegations of oral and anal sex, according to court records.

Mobile, Alabama, where Mr Thomas's trial will start today (file photo)

Noting that each of the alleged victims is black, Patterson says jail checkout records back up inmates' claims about trips to Thomas' private office, and other inmates spotted marks after paddlings.

There also is other evidence, according to court records, including one inmate's seminal fluid on the office carpet.

The inmates also were able to describe in detail Thomas' unmarked windowless office.

Thomas stepped down from the bench in 2007 after the allegations of paddling surfaced and just ahead of a judicial ethics trial that could have forced him out of office.

He was indicted on the more-serious charges this past spring by a Mobile County grand jury. If convicted of the most serious charges - sodomy and kidnapping - he faces from 20 years to life in prison.

The oldest incident in the charges dates to 1999, his first year as a circuit judge.

The first public claim against Thomas surfaced in lawsuits filed by an inmate in 2001 in Mobile circuit court and in federal court that claimed the judge offered to help him with his case in return for sex.

Both lawsuits were dismissed, and Thomas' reputation remained unblemished.

Retired Mobile County Circuit Judge Braxton Kittrell said people thought Thomas' personal interest in the defendants was a positive.

'Everyone thought he had a lot of concern for people who got into criminal difficulty. All of this was a surprise to everyone,' he said.

The case has shocked Thomas' friends and former colleagues.

'I've always had the highest regard for him. The allegations were a complete surprise to me and everyone else who knew him,' said Bob Edington, a prominent Mobile attorney and former Democratic state senator.

Prosecutors say they have 15 current and former male inmates lined up to testify in a trial that could take several weeks.

Thomas grew up in Mobile and returned home after law school at Florida State University to become an assistant district attorney.

At the time, the majority white county had no black judges, and local officials were concerned that a federal judge might end countywide elections for judges.

Local Democrats and lawyers recruited Thomas, and they got a Republican governor to appoint him to a vacancy in 1990. Thomas later won election to a full term.

He handled lower level cases as a district judge, but he moved up to a county circuit judgeship in 1999 and started handling the most serious crimes, including murder.

In 1997, Alabama's presidential advisory committee recommended President Bill Clinton appoint Thomas as the first black federal judge in the southern district of Alabama.

The nomination was never acted on after Thomas failed to get the American Bar Association's top rating and amid some squabbling within the party.

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Now a few thoughts from me:

Yes, I know that you are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, but it doesn't look good. This man could be the perfect 'Prison/Rehabilitation Czar'. He would be very enthusiastic about reducing prison population, which is something Democrats would be thrilled with. "Excuse me inmate, but would you be interested in time off for bad behavior?"



And why did I have to read about this story in a foreign paper? Mark Foley sent some e-mails (not saying what he did was right), and it was all over the MSM, but nothing about this story?

I predict he will be pardoned soon after any conviction by BHO, and then named the Prison/Rehabilitation Czar, bypassing all Congressional confirmation hearings. The "good" news is he should be able to work with Kevin Jennings, the Safe Schools Czar pretty easily. There is a shared office you wouldn't want to be sent to. Anybody see the potential for a spike in male teen suicide rates in schools when young boys are told to visit Kevin and Henry for chewing gum in class?

At Last!!!

These poor, delusional, Lions fans...if the government took over, the streak would last until 2050.


I know most of ya couldn't care less, and I can't say that I blame ya, but.....

The streak ends at 19. The Lions beat the Redskins today 19-14. I am not delusional. The Lions still have a loooong way to go before they are good enough to even whisper about playoff chances. Next year? Maybe, but probably more like two or three years down the road. Their last win was in December 2007, so for now one win will do (but please feel free to win some more this year, guys, if you can)!!

Oh, yeah, and I'm really sorry that this guy will not be able to get the 0-16 matching tattoo for this year- NOT!!

Word of the Day

Detroit- My Love Story

Yeah, I know, Detroit has it's problems. There are corrupt politicians (Kwame, anyone?), a sad sack football team that might not be able to beat a junior high squad, a socialized auto industry (except the company run by the owners of the aforementioned football team), budget problems, a failing school system, and a plethora of violent crimes. And as if there needs to be more, Children's Health magazine has an article out now called "The 100 Best (and Worst) Places to Raise a Family." Guess which city ranked 100? But, you know what? I still love the place. Let me count the ways.



1) You can't begin this list without the Detroit Red Wings. Yes, they lost in the Finals to Pittsburgh. But they are a bright spot in this city nonetheless. Detroit can always count on this team to compete year in and year out. Mr. Hockey (Gordie Howe), Captain Cup (Stevie Yzerman), Terrible Ted Lindsey, Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Osgood. Great players, great teams, and a winning tradition. They don't call it Hockeytown for nothing!



2) Ted Nugent, Bob Seger, Kid Rock, Motown. Plenty of great music has made it's way out of Detroit. Chances are you like at least some of these artists, also.



3) Detroit Tigers. Three games up in the AL Central. Their owner Mike Ilitch, also owns the Red Wings. The man treats his players very well, and fosters an environment that lends itself to success. There may not be a lot of good news in Detroit, but the Tigers are a lot of what is good in town right now.



4)Detroit Pistons. Big Ben is back and the Pistons will be a young, hungry team.



5) Detroit Lions. I know they stink right now, but you have to be a fan through thick and thin. Right now it is VERY thin. Is Matthew Stafford the answer? Too early to tell, but he needs A LOT of help around him. "Forward Down the Field".



6) Better Made Potato Chips. If you haven't tried them, go out and get some. If they don't sell them where you live, you can order them online. My personal favorite is the Sweet BBQ! This company was started in Detroit in 1930,and is still the best around.



7) Kowalski Hot dogs. Kowalski means Kowality!



8) Faygo Soda. Their Red Pop is the best. Again, try some if you never have. It can also be ordered online.



9) Your choice of water adventure sites. In Michigan, you are never more than six miles away from water. If you live in Detroit, it is not a far drive to any of the Great Lakes. Take a break from all the bad news and hit the beach. Don't forget to pack the Kowalski's, Better Mades, and Faygo, though.

There are so many other things I could have mentioned. The Great Lakes Invitational is a premier NCAA hockey tournament held at Joe Louis Arena every year between Christmas and New Year. Greektown is always a great place to visit. If history is your thing, try Greenfield Village to learn about Henry Ford.

I do not live in Detroit, but I do hope to end up very near there when hubby and I retire. I do love Detroit. Some of my reasons above may seem superficial or silly maybe, but we need a little laughter now. To those of you that live in Detroit, or anywhere in the Great State of Michigan- keep your heads up! There is plenty to be proud of. Detroit, and all of Michigan, is down right now, but not out.

Culture of Blame

I was always taught that if you want something , you need to work hard, and then maybe, just maybe, you will attain it. It did not matter what the 'it' was. You want to play basketball? There is the ball, and over there is the hoop. Get going. You want that 'A' on your report card? Do your schoolwork. Ask your teachers for help if you need it.

But even with my effort, I understood that there were no guarantees. I might start varsity basketball, I might get that 'A'....or I might not. Someone else might have worked harder, or maybe was just more talented, and deserved the spot on varsity. Just because I studied for Calculus, that doesn't mean that I mastered the concept enough for an 'A'. No guarantees.

It seems more and more every day that people expect things to be handed to them, just because. If you do not get something that you want, well then it must be the fault of someone else, right? It couldn't be that you weren't deserving, that maybe you didn't earn what you wanted?

This video from PJTV delivers this message much better than I ever could. It is long, but worth it. SILENT NO MORE!!!






As for our children, my husband and I agree that they will be taught that they must work for what they want. Working hard will give them a sense of pride and ownership in what they achieve. It will also teach them that sometimes the outcome is not what you wanted or expected, even though you tried your hardest. You can't always be the best, or always get what you want, but you can't get there by giving less than full effort.