For the kid who has everything...

Found this at www.theaustralian.com

The British Royal Navy is selling a decommissioned aircraft carrier to raise money in the face of impending budget cuts
.
The HMS Invincible, which played an important role in the 1982 Falklands War, will be auctioned on a military disposal website. No price has been set.

The military said in a statement today that all options - including the sale of equipment - will be considered during these challenging financial times.

The Invincible was decommissioned in 2005 after 25 years of active service.

Prince Andrew was based on it during the Falklands War when he served as a helicopter pilot.

Just a little something for playing around in the pond.

But, but, but, isn't this "torture"??

By Jerry Seper
-
The Washington Times
8:36 p.m., Sunday, November 28, 2010

The self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff" in America, Phoenix's Joe Arpaio, who has survived six separate inmate lawsuits trying to stop him from playing Christmas music, will begin playing the tunes again this year - starting Monday with "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,""Frosty the Snowman" and "Feliz Navidad."

The 8,000 inmates also will hear, among others, "A Christmas Kwanzaa Solstice," "Over the Skies of Israel," "Ramadan," "Llego a La Ciudad," "Let it Snow" and "Rodolpho El Reno de la Nariz Rojita."

"Maybe the holiday music can help lift the spirits of the men and women who are away from friends and family during the holidays, not just the inmates, but the dedicated men and women who work in the Maricopa County Jails," the sheriff said in an announcement Sunday.

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, to which Sheriff Arpaio was first elected in 1992 after a 25-year career at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), has played the holiday songs all day, every day, during previous seasons. The latest inmate lawsuit was dismissed in federal court in December 2009.

Sheriff Arpaio has long expressed his fondness for Christmas music, especially "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and anything by Alvin and the Chipmunks, so it was with some glee last year that he announced in a red-and-green press release that the lawsuit had been dismissed and the music would begin.

"We keep winning these lawsuits. Inmates should stop acting like the Grinch who stole Christmas and give up wasting the court's time with such frivolous assertions," the press release read.

Inmates have sued six times claiming that being forced to listen to the Christmas songs 12 hours a day was in violation of their civil and religious rights and a cruel and unusual punishment, but U.S. District Judge Roz Silver disagreed, dismissing the case and denying claims for $250,000 in damages.

The court issued a summary judgment saying it found no evidence of fact, so Sheriff Arpaio was entitled to the judgment as a matter of law.

In upholding the decision, the court said the sheriff was free to "inject the holiday spirit into the lives of those incarcerated over the holiday season in the third-largest jail system in the U.S."

Sheriff Arpaio has noted that his music selections have been multiethnic and culturally diverse, from all religions and ethnicities. He told The Washington Times that in addition to tunes by Alvin and the Chipmunks, the music included the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Bing Crosby and Doctor Demento.

"All people everywhere deserve a little Christmas cheer," he said.

Sheriff Arpaio catapulted to national attention when he cracked down on the thousands of illegal immigrants who swarm daily through his county; put inmates in pink jumpsuits and underwear; worked them in chain gangs; housed them in tents in the Arizona desert; and fed them bologna sandwiches.

The sheriff is no stranger to controversy, although his philosophy of "zero tolerance towards the criminal element" has been embraced by his deputies and the community alike.

Most recently, he has come to the attention of the federal government. He was notified in March 2009 by the Justice Department that he may have unfairly targeted Hispanics and Spanish-speaking people for arrest. In October 2009, the Department of Homeland Security revoked the authority of his federally trained deputies to make immigration arrests in the field.

Tired of waiting for the federal government to secure the U.S.-Mexico border and concerned about the potential terrorism threat that the lack of border security posed, he assigned deputies in 2006 to monitor his 9,226-square-mile county for illegal immigrants. He targeted the illegals under an anti-smuggling law that state lawmakers passed to fight drug trafficking.

"My message is clear: If you come here and I catch you, you're going straight to jail," he said at the time. "We're going to arrest any illegal who violates this new law, and I'm not going to turn these people over to federal authorities so they can have a free ride back to Mexico. I'll give them a free ride to my jail."

In September, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Phoenix accusing the sheriff's office of failing to turn over documents sought since March 2009 that federal prosecutors say comply with its probe of purported discrimination, unconstitutional searches and seizures, and English-only policies in his jails that discriminate against those with limited English skills.

The sheriff has described the lawsuit as "harassment," saying thousands of pages of documents have already been turned over by his office to federal prosecutors. He said the lawsuit made it "abundantly clear that Arizona, including this sheriff, is Washington's new whipping boy."

Earlier this month, the sheriff announced the creation of an armed "Immigration Posse" to combat illegal immigration. Among those signing up were Hollywood actors Steven Seagal and Lou Ferrigno, along with Dick Tracy and Wyatt Earp.

Fighting Justice Department accusations that his office discriminated against illegal immigrants during arrests, Sheriff Arpaio said the civilian posse of more than 50 members gives citizens a chance to fight the problem inundating their border state.

"Law enforcement budgets are being cut and agencies are losing personnel and yet the battle to stop illegal immigration must continue," said the sheriff, who heads the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. "Arizona is the busiest port of entry for people being smuggled in from Mexico, Latin and South America. So asking for the public's help in this endeavor makes sense, especially given the success the posses have experienced over the years."

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has investigated, arrested or detained more than 42,000 illegal immigrants during the past three years.

(Story ends here. My comments follow.)

I'm posting this for two reasons. First, the whole article strikes me as funny. Seems the good sheriff will supposedly try to accommodate all tastes while at the same time pissing off almost all his "guests" during the playing of this music. As an example; Alvin and The Chipmunks? I'd rather have root canal work done. But that's just me.

Second, and this goes back to Alvin & Co., I'm reminded of how up in arms so many human rights types got over the playing of "Barney's Theme" to the inmates at Gitmo. Seems it was deemed "torture" because they were really disgusted by it (I can identify, that song is a constant at my home. It's something I consider temporal punishment in this life. Any time in Purgatory should be brief.).

But evidently there's no righteous outcry from the Christian hierarchy, MSM, cultural elites, etc. when the ones subjected to teeth-grating, hair pulling, wishing-you-could-jam-chopsticks-through-your-eardrums, "music" are run of the mill criminals. Guess that won't give the same warm fuzzy feeling as a heart bleeding for those who want to kill us all on general principles.

Damned if I can understand it. Double standards of this sort don't make sense to me and never have. If something in the way of "Barney's Theme" is cruel and unusual punishment for Gitmo detainees, Alvin and The Chipmunks should merit equal consideration when played for the average felon. But you don't hear the hue and cry for one as you did for the other. As I noted, the glamor and "chic" may not be there.

It puts the whole "torture" issue and it's lack of consistency in an interesting light.

Drug cartels operating within Texas...

Found this at Moonbattery;



Somebody tell me again why our borders should remain open, tell me again how illegal aliens present no problem to our nation, tell me again why we shouldn't just put up an electrified fence on the border, top it with concertina wire and mine the perimeters on both sides for fifty yards.

In the meantime I'll be practicing at the range. My little farming community is only 500 miles from McAllen, in this day and age thats just spitting distance from point A to point B. Our area has a large percentage of illegals, all you have to do is drive through the nearest city past the rest area those morons in the city council put up for the illegals. The place is always packed.

If you think they're all innocent of anything to do with the cartels then let's talk about a piece of a bridge I'm trying to sell. You can have it for a purely nominal fee.

Mamma mia, that'sa spicy meat-a-ball!

And the rest of the pizza must have been pretty good too. But not worth $2,600.

BRISTOL, Conn., Nov. 28 (UPI) -- A woman in Bristol, Conn., says she ordered $30 worth of pizza only to find her bank account drained of $2,600.

"The guy at the register was using the credit card," Katie Boucher said. "He was pushing all kinds of buttons, and my husband knew something fishy was going on. The receipt printed out for $2,600 for our $30.50 pizza." (And she didn't start screaming right then and there? God must love stupid people, there are so many of them.)

Actually, it was a debit card linked to her checking account, WFSB-TV, Hartford, reported.

She went home, checked her account and saw not only was it empty, it had accrued $230 in overdraft fees, WFSB-TV said Friday.

Boucher called her bank and was told it would take up to 10 days before the $2,600 made it back into her account. She was advised to go to the pizza place and work it out with the owner.

She tried.

"He wanted to give me my money back in pizza," Boucher said. (At thirty bucks a pop that would come out to about eighty seven pizzas. What a deal, sounds like it's time for her and the husband to work it out ON the owner!)

The proprietor of Amano's Pizza allegedly threw her out. (She should have stayed until he called the cops. They might have persuaded the fool to pony up the money.)

"I don't like people coming in here and telling me what to do," Von Manolitsis said. "This is my business." (Guess this guy never heard of customer satisfaction. Maybe he thinks his pizzas are actually worth $2,600.)

Manolitsis eventually said he would make good on the money, WFSB-TV said. (Mighty big of him. What a guy!)

Boucher said she'll be relieved when the cash is in her hand. (She might not want to hold her breath, the guy doesn't sound like he's "customer oriented".)

And does anyone else remember this commercial?

Quote of the day...

"You don't want to listen to the right and the left -- the extremes," he said. "You don't want to listen to Keith Olbermann and Rush Babe [Limbaugh] and Rachel Minnow [sic] or whatever that is, and Glenn Beck. They're entertainers. They couldn't govern their way out of a paper sack -- from the right or the left. But they get paid a lot of money from you and advertisers -- thirty, fifty million a year -- to work you over and get you juiced up with emotion, fear, guilt, and racism. Emotion, fear, guilt, and racism."--Al Simpson, former Republican Senator from Wyoming and current co-chair of B.O.'s Debt Commission.

Actually, I think the man makes a good point there.

How soon before we see vigilante committees?

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) - Someone set fire to an Islamic center on Sunday, two days after a man who worshipped there was accused of trying to blow up a van full of explosives during Portland's Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Other Muslims fear it could be the first volley of misplaced retribution...(Here's the rest of the story)

IMO this could be an instance of John & Joan Q. Public getting damned sick and tired of hearing how Islam is a "religion of peace" every time some jihadist wannabe acts out and there is almost zippo condemnation of that "religion" from the MSM or the authorities. Hell, there's more trash talk about the Catholic Church and it's stand against abortion, homosexual acts, etc. than we ever hear about followers of the Pedophile Prophet.

I'm not condoning acts of arson, just commenting on the probable exasperation of the man in the street.

It's a historical fact that when the authorities are perceived as ineffective somebody will take matters into their own hands. Just read up on the history of vigilantes.

Thoughts on the pro life vigil....

My parish, in following the instructions from our bishop, held a prolife vigil last night.

Nice affair, about an hour long. Both priests and the deacon were there.

But our parish has over 10,000 registered members, there MIGHT have been 50 people there.

It took place right on the heels of the five o'clock Mass. I understand a lot of folks couldn't make it. Hell, my wife had to stay home with the kids in order for me to go so there go four registered members right there.

But you'd think in a parish this size with something as well publicized as the vigil there would have been a lot more bodies in attendance.

I'm not trying to talk myself up for being there, most prolife events I have to pass on. This was an exception. So I can't set myself up, there are too many other events I miss.

But just as an overall note, 50 out of 10,000 is half of one per cent.

That just strikes me as pitiful.

Have a Happy Turkey Day...

Me and the rest of our clan...

New Jersey's new "anti-bullying" law...

TRENTON, New Jersey, November 24, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The New Jersey legislature has pushed through a new law targeting gay bullying and establishing a statewide “Week of Respect.” The law, a project of local homosexualist groups, passed just one week after hearings were held on what is being called the most far-reaching legislation of its kind in the United States.

Known as the “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights,” the bill not only forbids bullying of students based on their sexual orientation, but establishes a tight framework mandating the reporting and investigating of homosexual “bullying” incidents, creates a task force to protect homosexual students at each school, and provides for school personnel to be trained in anti-bullying technique.

The bill also establishes a statewide “Week of Respect” to be observed in early October of each year, during which the school will host programs on “harassment, intimidation, and bullying prevention.” The provisions of the bill extend to public universities.

The bipartisan-sponsored bill easily passed both the House and Senate Monday evening, 72 to 1 and 30 to 0 respectively. New Jersey Senate and House panels had catapulted the bill into the legislature a week before, Nov. 15, the same day hearings were held.

Garden State Equality, the Anti-Defamation League, and the New Jersey Coalition on Bullying Awareness and Prevention, among others, have been working on the bill for more than a year; Equality lauded the passage of the “dramatically bolder” approach it helped craft.

Under the new legislation, each school is mandated to report to the board of education twice per school year the precise number of reports of mistreatment of homosexual students, “the status of all investigations, the nature of the bullying ... the names of the investigators, the type and nature of any discipline imposed on any student engaged in harassment ... and any other [anti-bullying] measures imposed, training conducted, or programs implemented.” A “grade” gauging each school’s compliance with the law will be posted on the school’s and school district’s website.

In a provision added to the final bill, it states private schools are “encouraged to comply” with its provisions, and exempts from censure “legitimate” expression of religious beliefs in private faith-based schools.

The bill also provides that anyone convicted of “bias intimidation” against homosexual individuals will be forbidden from any form of employment at a public school.

Rabbi Noson Leiter of Torah Jews for Decency, who was present at the state capitol when the bill passed, condemned proponents for rushing the 23-page bill through “without even time for the legislators to read it, much less the public to see what it’s all about.”

“[Schools under the bill] wouldn’t just be teaching not to bully, they’d be teaching why not to bully. Knowing the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) crowd, they’re certainly going to be propagandizing respect,” Leiter told LifeSiteNews.com.

Leiter said that the press conference after the bill passed was suddenly shut down when the rabbi attempted to ask a proponent, the parent of a bullied child, whether she “can sympathize with religious parents with children in the public school system who would now be bullied under the current legislation.”

“They didn’t want me to have a platform to have that question,” he concluded.

It is unclear whether New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie will veto the bill. Christie, who is now famous for his staunch fiscal conservatism, has vowed to veto same-sex “marriage” legislation. Leiter said he has spoken with the governor’s office and felt that his message was heard; however, homosexualist groups have expressed optimism that Christie would condone the bill.

Peter Sprigg, Family Research Council’s Senior Fellow for Policy Studies, called the bill “unfortunate” and urged Christie to veto the measure.

“It is unfortunate that a bill in the New Jersey legislature to tackle the very real problem of bullying in schools has been hijacked to serve a politically correct social agenda, by defining ‘harassment, bullying, and intimidation’ in terms of the characteristics of the victim, rather than in terms of the nature of the bullying behavior,” Sprigg commented.

To contact NJ governor Chris Christie:
Office of the Governor
PO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625
609-292-6000
http://www.state.nj.us/governor/contact/

(Story ends here. My comments follow.)

Okay, there are several levels where I just don't "get" this topic. Call me obtuse but it's there. Here's a short list:

1) The whole "anti-bullying" mindset that makes a routine childhood situation into a major crisis. No, bullies should never be encouraged or tolerated. Having been the target of jerks older & larger than myself during childhood, I know a bit about being a hapless victim, one who has the choice of getting creamed in a fight or earning the reputation of "coward". I survived, despite the lack of support from my parents (another story there). I learned from it, if my kids are bullied I'll cheerfully get involved to the point that everyone is gonna know who the old fat guy with the big mouth is. But we're talking about a normal childhood situation here. I don't get why it's so damned necessary for legislation to be passed.

2) The focus on a child's sexuality. Hey, kids are confused about sex. End of story. A fair number of adolescent boys are fearfully suspicious they'll turn out as gay as possible (again, been there and done that). IMO boys should be treated as boys, girls as girls and don't try figuring out if the boys will become interior decorators and the girls stevedores. Do the best you can with what you've got, don't pander to eccentricities that will resolve themselves over time. I don't understand why the focus is so strong on children's sexual identification. IMO it's nothing but harmful.

3) The need for ANY of this to be addressed via government action. Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS) applies. Getting the government involved is not a way to simplify things.

In addition to my own bafflement, I've serious doubts as to how a child being raised to have traditional values (such as my own Catholic beliefs) will NOT be subject to scorn and derision (read "bullying") by school authorities trying to zealously toe the line on laws such as this. When one group in society is made into a protected class it'll always be at the expense of others.

Bottom line on things like this, let the adults minimize their involvement and have the kids sort it out by themselves. 99% of children DO survive childhood, it's the adults you have to worry about.

Just my opinion.

TSA theme song?

For best viewing, turn off the Playlist at the top of the blog.

This is good but for some reason I can't get the theme from "Deliverance" out of my head. (H/T Thoughts of a Regular Guy)

How the Israelis get it done...

I've mentioned before how our TSA agents should be brought up to the standards of their Israeli counterparts. Here's an article comparing their security checks in that nation as opposed to our own; http://biggovernment.com/jdunetz/2010/11/23/why-they-dont-need-to-touch-your-junk-at-israeli-airports/

I loved this little zinger: "As the United States defends against the ever expanding threat of Muslim terror, right here on our home turf, success depends on throwing off the shackles of political correctness and adopting the methods of our ally Israel."

TSA bumper stickers...

Found at Moonbattery. FWIW I'll restate that I personally have never had problems with TSA agents.

Pity party in progress...

There are some days this whole autism thing just sucks on toast. God's will be done.

The Pope on receipt of the Eucharist....

Oh boy, here comes the latest flap for the Catholic blogosphere between the "trads" and the "spirit of VatII" groups. Found this via Pewsitter at angelqueen.org;

Pope Benedict has said in a new book that he is not opposed to the practice of receiving Communion in the hand. However he goes on to explain that he wants to encourage the reception of Communion on the tongue, kneeling, out of respect for the Real Presence in the Sacrament.

In a long interview with German journalist Peter Seewald, which is being published in a new book: ‘Light of the World’, out this Tuesday, the Holy Father says: “I am not opposed in principle to Communion in the hand; I have both administered and received Communion in this way myself.”

But, he explains: “The idea behind my current practice of having people kneel to receive Communion on the tongue was to send a signal and to underscore the Real Presence with an exclamation point. One important reason is that there is a great danger of superficiality precisely in the kinds of Mass events we hold at Saint Peter’s, both in the Basilica and in the Square. I have heard of people who, after receiving Communion, stick the Host in their wallet to take home as a kind of souvenir.

“In this context, where people think that everyone is just automatically supposed to receive Communion — everyone else is going up, so I will, too—I wanted to send a clear signal. I wanted it to be clear: Something quite special is going on here! He is here, the One before whom we fall on our knees! Pay attention!

“This is not just some social ritual in which we can take part if we want to.”

(End of story. My comments follow.)

I receive in the hand. I prefer receiving in the hand. Until there is provision for the possible dropping of the Host off my tongue I will continue to receive in the hand. If receipt in the hand is outlawed before that happens I'll comply just as I should. Won't like it, but I'll comply. I DON'T like the increased chance of the Host dropping on the floor.

Yes, I know the Host can be dropped out of someone's hand. I've seen it happen a couple of times. But I've better faith in the control of my fingers reaching for the visible Host than hoping whoever is distributing Communion can properly place it on my tongue (either one of which I can't see).

It's all about respect for Christ. I don't wish to chance dropping His Body on the floor. End of story. I know I'm repeating myself but everytime I've tried explaining this on other sites it's like I'm speaking Greek. Nobody gets the frigging point.

If someone else doesn't agree with my line of reasoning for receiving, so be it. As I said, it's about my respect for Christ and mine alone. Coincidentally, "respect" is more often than not what is cited for receipt on the tongue (check the story). Whatever. I don't understand it, but if thats how you roll then so be it. According to the Pontiff, either way is acceptable.

And until there's a plate under my chin held by an altar server, I WILL RECEIVE IN THE HAND!!

BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THE HOST TO DROP ONTO THE FLOOR!!

Period.

The Pope and condoms...

As I understand it, the Pope responded to a question to which he gave a very specific answer.

He wasn't endorsing the use of condoms to prevent pregnancy.

He wasn't endorsing their use in recreational sexual relationships.

He was stating that an HIV positive male prostitute using one to prevent spreading his disease was taking a first step in getting some sort of morality back in his life. That was it. A first step and not a perfect one either ( a perfect first step would involve totally abstaining from sex, period ).

Not much there to get confused or excited about IMHO. Just further elucidation of Church beliefs.

This is beyond senseless...

I found the above photo on Drudge, there have been others like it. The other day I sighted one where a nun is being wanded by a TSA agent wearing a hajib. That one always looked just a tad phony (it's been around for years) so I always pass on it.

But this one is undoubtedly the real McCoy.

C'mon, just what is the justification of the extensive search of the old guy? Don't tell me it's a way to apply equal treatment to all because there is absolutely no reason to apply equal treatment to all. When was the last time a terrorist act was attempted by a guy like this? Really.

Am I saying we should "profile"? You bet your sweet ass I am! Put the heat on those ethnic/religious groups that provide the overwhelming vast majority of terrorists in this world. Is that racist? Is that Islamophobic? Is it sexist?

You know, I just don't give a rat's patoot. One thing I know it is, plain COMMON SENSE!!

TSA screening and pat downs...

The fools who claim it's the norm in Europe are right, at least as far as twenty years ago. That was when I was stationed in Italy and witnessed first hand what measures were taken there.

Profiling? Don't even bother complaining, it was a fact of life. The word that was put out via the military grapevine said that anyone unlucky enough to enter Italy behind a Muslim was in for a very looonnnggg wait. They went over the followers of the Pedophile Prophet with a fine toothed comb.

Intrusive pat downs? They were the norm. Just try arguing with an unsmiling member of the Carabinieri over that. Those boys were thorough and had zippo sense of humor.

Living just across the large pond called the Mediterranean Sea kind of gave the folks there an entirely different mind set about security. I recall that when a Marine colonel was captured and hung by Islamists in Lebanon, the local Carabinieri sent armed patrols through local schools where American children attended. Needless to say, it scared the hell out of a lot of kids. They hadn't seen that in Kansas.

So do I think that in this post 9/11/01 world, after the Shoebomber, Christmas Jockey Short Jihadist and other fools caught before they acted out their 7th century fantasies that we should follow Europe? Actually I'm ambivalent about that one.

Our TSA agents aren't anywhere near as professional as those Italian national cops I saw. There are too many verifiable stories of this nature; http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/airport-staff-exposed-womans-breasts-laughed/story-e6freon6-1225955345734 that indicate just the opposite.

I've never personally had problems with the TSA, since I may never fly again I may never deal with incompetent TSA agents. Lucky me.

But if I DID fly I'd want to know that the group in charge of air travel security was at LEAST as competent as their Israeli counterparts. You know those boys are good, they have to be. When was the last time you heard of an EL AL plane being hijacked?

If I went through a body scanner I'd want detailed information about radiation exposure, complete assurance that any scans of my wife and daughter would be immediately destroyed and knowledge that everyone would be subjected to the same treatment. That includes followers of the Pedophile Prophet, especially since it's their coreligionists that make all of this necessary.

I'd also like to be free to carry a firearm onboard. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

Finally, at the same time I'm undergoing all of this scanning, poking and prodding, I'd like to rest secure in the knowledge that my government has at last stopped kissing Islamic ass and started going after all the creeps that necessitate this. As a nation we've been altering and tightening our flight security for decades solely because no one is willing to go root out the assholes that have done this since the '60's. Isn't it about time we REALLY got serious about protection of our freedoms and privacy? If that means we're the meanest kids on the block than so be it.

If all those conditions were in existence then I'd be first in line to defend the body scans and pat downs.

Let me know when it happens, I'm not waiting. Instead I believe this will continue to be a political football with all kinds of concessions made to Muslims, a unionizing of the TSA that will make firing incompetents impossible and a further acceptance in the erosion of our freedoms, security and rights.

Break Time.

It is what it is. Back later.

Well this clears things up a lot!

Click for further edification: The World of Obama — A Glossary

Palin, 2012 and my political crystal ball.

I've been wondering what Sarah Palin's game is since resigning as Alaska's Governor. Some times it felt like she was testing the waters of a Presidential candidacy, sometimes not. I've always felt she isn't going to go away, she's several scores to settle with both sides of the political aisle and seems to relish being a power broker. At the same time she has to realize how the deck is stacked against her direct involvement.

But now I think I might have a good guess. She'll continue playing the endorsement game, with every win of a candidate she backs her status as kingmaker grows. She'll cheerfully eat that right up, because it seems to really irritate the powers that be when she seems to influence things. Think of her as the zombie soccer mom who won't go away.

When 2012 arrives she'll come out with a full throttle endorsement of a Presidential candidate. That candidate will be Michelle Bachmann.

Just a hunch of mine and most likely as wrong as a football bat. But hey, this is my blog and I'm entitled to air whatever LoonyTunes belief I have without fear of the boys in white coats.