For Your Consideration

Hostage Jill Carroll's Release

I was elated when the news broke about US Journalist, Jill Carroll, being released after being held hostage in Iraq, by an Islamic group calling themselves the Revenge Brigades for 82 days.

I am still elated she is alive and well, but I am now disturbed at the way her comments after her release were reported.

I have heard other reporters describe her comments about the ordeal as “praise” for her captors.  I for one don’t feel that is the case.

Miss Carroll related that she was treated well, was not beaten, and was allowed to take showers and use the bathroom when she wanted.

Miss Carroll may be accurately describing conditions of her captivity and she may be thankful her ordeal was not more like that suffered by others, like Nick Berg, whose beheading was filmed to increase the shock and horror of the American public and for inciting more fanatical Islamic terrorism.  But I think her comments fall far short of praise.

Think about it.  You are free to use your bathroom at will.  It is something so small, so ingrained and so normal that we usually don’t even consider it a freedom.  Thankfully, the closest most of us will ever come to this, is traveling as a passenger in a car with a driver who has a stronger, larger bladder than we do.  It was not praise.  She is just thankful she was not forced to use a discarded tin can as a toilet, or was not kept bound and forced to suffer the indignity of soiling herself.  Thankful that she was not beaten, or murdered on film for the viewing pleasure of those who hate anything and anyone even remotely connected with America.

At the time she was taken hostage, the driver of her vehicle was shot to death.  She was taken captive, shown in tears on TV, and held for 82 days not knowing her eventual fate.  I am sure any person in that situation would misperceive any humane treatment as an act of kindness.

It is nothing more than a version of the now famous Stockholm syndrome, where a hostage eventually becomes emotionally connected to their captor.

Reporters describing Carroll’s comments as “praise” are either so ignorant they should not be reporters, or they are twisting the facts to support their view of the situation.  You be the judge.

The “Revenge Brigades” are murderers and kidnappers.  They are so ineffectual, that they must resort to gunning down a vehicle’s driver and taking a reporter hostage…they deserve no praise and framing Jill Carroll’s comments as such is flat wrong.

Immigration Vs. Integration

Immigration vs. integration, that really should be the center of this whole immigration mess.

Why the heck are we turning our magnifying glass at Mexicans?  Most Mexican immigrants I have been exposed to, want nothing more than to integrate into American society, to find work, live their lives and to seek out their version of “The American Dream”.

We shouldn’t be debating that issue at all…These are not the people we should be seeking with a vengeance, to deport back to their home countries.

We should be looking at preventing and removing people who have no wish to integrate into American society.  Those who are determined not to learn enough of the English language to get by in our society without undue assistance.  We should be looking at those whose beliefs and values lead them to lash out violently against our country, and of course those who participate in criminal activity.

We should be much more concerned with religious fanatics who advocate violence against our country…concerned with individuals involved in organized crime…involved in terrorism…involved in human slavery.  These are some of the people I would target for deportation, not just focusing the full intensity of the debate on Mexicans.

It is really pretty simple.  If you are here illegally and you are caught…you get sent packing.  But so far as intentionally targeting illegal Mexican migrant workers instead of going after some fanatical cleric…no way.

I would much rather see one venom spouting, hatred preaching, mind-twisting scumbag deported rather than 500,000 illegal migrant workers.

So for me it is about integration.  Yeah, yeah, I know…it’s a free country, and I’m thankful for that.  I just wish those who refuse to integrate enough to live and let live, would go home, to where they so obviously had it sooooo much better.

Too bad the Ku Klux Klan is homegrown in the USA…I’d love to see them sent off to whatever passes for their version of Utopia…perhaps a trailer park on the pristine white snowfields of Antarctica.

Sorry…just splurging on a little wishful thinking.

Child Molesters Need To Live In As Much Fear As Victims And Parents - Donny Deutsch, Oprah, The Today Show are to be commended for their efforts

Today's post is a guest opinion column by a very good friend.

Here it is, reprinted entirely:

First, I think it is important to give credit where credit is due, Donny Deutsch, Perverted Justice, Oprah , the Today Show, and everyone else who is getting on the bandwagon to expose these child molesters for who they are and how they work are doing great work. This is one of the best uses of the media I've seen in a very long time and one that should be extended.

Now, here is the part that some of you genteel readers will likely be appalled or shocked by and for that . . . I'm not really sorry, it needs to be said and considered.

The reason many of these pedophiles and child pornographers continue to operate is because they have no real fear. The very worst thing that can happen to them if they don't commit murder is that they end up in jail, maybe (though highly unlikely) with a life sentence. It isn't enough.

The reason that parents fear pedophiles beyond the obvious impact to their children is that they don't know when or where a violent act might occur . . . and pedophiles should feel exactly the same way. Children are easy to identify, pedophiles are not . . . until we mark them.

I'm going to stop short of suggesting vigilantism because I'm not condoning breaking the law . . . yet.

But, I am suggesting that if people respond to a chat room offer to come over and have sex with a 13 year old girl and then they show up naked with beer in hand that they be violently arrested where they stand. There should be no gentle verbal warnings about putting their hands behind their back. They should be taken down aggressively and with full force. They should then be paraded in the condition in which they arrived or now exist on foot to the police station with a helium balloon over their head with a banner affixed that says "Child Molester." There is no question of whether or not these people are guilty, whether they intended to go through with it or not is not relevant. They showed up, even if they didn't do it this time, statistics show that they would likely offend in the future.

I extend my ideas about this to include people who have child pornography in their possession, members of NAMBLA, and anyone else who preys on children in this manner.

Once they are booked, they should then immediately be exposed on the news for at least the next 24 hours, who they are specifically, where they live and where they work.

There should be a one strike and you're out for life rule. They molest a child, they are convicted, they get a mandatory life sentence, after all, they left a child with something they'll deal with for the rest of their life. No parole, no exceptions, when they are too old to function in prison, they get euthanized.

Finally, they need to be marked for life so that people can see who they are and know them for what they are. A large tattoo covering the surface of their forehead should be sufficient, one that says "Given the chance I'll molest your child."

Some people have suggested that chemical castration might be a reasonable option . . . not nearly fearful enough, gather up a couple of ranch hands they have experience, they know what to do, televise it.

If we have to put them back into society, it isn't without a giant sign planted in their lawn and on their door that says "Warning, I Want To Molest Your Child."

Finally they'll be fearful about when and where they might be accosted and abused, they'll spend their hours fearing that someone might break into their house just because they are child molesters (assuming that my idea of one strike and you are out for life wouldn't get passed) and terrorize them.

I recognize that fear alone won't stop all of them, but it will have a major impact on many of them and if the fear created by everything I've suggested isn't enough . . . then maybe it is time for vigilante style justice, I think people in the United States are getting fed up enough with this that they'd likely support it.

Insurance Companies (Playing A Losing Game)

I am not pleased at all with insurance companies.  To be honest with you, my wife is currently fighting with one.  I won’t mention the company’s name, but I WILL go so far as to say their practices ARE reptilian (you figure it out).

Anyway, the whole mess has me really looking at our insurance industry, and I’m really pretty sickened.

From the small amount of web research I have done, it is obvious that it is routine for insurance companies to fight any claim tooth and nail.  No wonder premiums are so high.  The sheer cost of maintaining their standard procedures must be staggering!  It is common for these companies to drag these cases out for months and years hoping a claimant will miss a filing deadline and the case will be dismissed or that they can force a settlement.  In addition, they retain lawyers, investigators and SIU’s (Special Investigation Units…you know…the guy who follows you will a video camera).  All on our dime.

They also fund vast studies and hire data analysts to sort through the numbers to tell them what cars are most likely to be stolen in what part of the country, what ages of drivers are most likely to be in an accident, and what cars are most costly to repair.  They proudly wave these studies about, saying they are providing a great service to the motoring public…What a load of horseshit!  It is nothing more than the equivalent of a professional gambler doing their homework.  They do these studies so they can boost profits and limit liability.  Just like in Vegas…the House always wins.

One company we dealt with seemed to make in a standard practice to alter our rates and billing frequently and without notification.  We didn’t catch it at first, we just wrote them a check.  In fact we did it for months before we caught it and called them on it.  They stammered out some lame ass excuse and did finally credit our account.  Needless to say, we no longer do business with that company.

In addition to all their “normal” operating expenses they make commercials hoping to attract your business.  Lots of commercials.  Heck, sometimes it seems they are single-handedly funding broadcast TV.  Neanderthals, lizards, helping hands, cartoon characters, and traffic accidents are all common themes.  The commercials proudly featuring multiple accidents get me the worst.  Just how much of your insurance premium goes to purchasing 5 or 6 vehicles, hiring a film crew, stunt drivers, closing off roads to be used and then filming more accidents than most drivers will ever have over a life time…all for a 30 second commercial, which costs them a small fortune every time it is aired.

Oh yeah…that’s our money being well spent, and that’s just your cars.  These guys also have their hooks in your home, retirement, business and your very health care.  Oh man…I’d get sick but it would cost me a fortune.

The more I think of it…the more those two, cupped, “Good Hands” look like they are reaching out to be filled with money from our pockets.

Zarex, Zarex Everywhere, But Not A Drop To Drink

In a post awhile back, I made mention of Zarex, a fruit drink concentrate, I enjoyed as a child growing up in Connecticut.

That single mention of Zarex has driven a fair amount of traffic to my blog.  It seems there is a fairly large number of baby boomers out there who also crave this highly sweetened syrup, either because of nostalgic reasons, or like me…they made the mistake of trying it in it’s pristine and undiluted state.  Those like me, crave Zarex as is it were a version of liquid crack.

The blog’s Zarex driven traffic, made me start an Internet search for the stuff.  My efforts have been both frustrating and tantalizing.  I see many mentions of others seeking out Zarex as if it were the Holy Grail which would somehow return them to their childhood.  I also see reports of sightings and potential sources, which all seem to dead-end somewhere.  It would seem that Zarex is as elusive as Bigfoot.

Unlike Bigfoot, I believe Zarex is still around.  I did find mention that Zarex was once distributed by a Dairy in the state of Maine.  This led me to a search which revealed a Portland Maine based company, Absolute Marketing and Design, which touts Zarex as a client and designed the new logo pictured here.

I emailed the marketing company asking for any info they could provide me as a means to contact the company or to get my sweaty hands on a bottle of Zarex (Described by at least one cyber-surfer, as “The Nectar of the Gods”).  I have yet to receive any response.

So I continue to seek the Grail.  If you care to assist or are familiar with a source of Zarex…by all means post it here to be shared with the desperate and starving masses.

Battery Blues and the TV Remote

My family consumes batteries at an alarming rate.  Darned near every electronic gadget in my home, is either powered or capable of being powered by batteries.  Flashlights, radios, MP3 players, portable gaming systems, the computers keyboard and mouse, smoke detectors, cameras, wireless headphones, and even my latest acquisition…a battery powered Gillette Fusion razor, just to name a few.  We are probably personally responsible for contaminating millions of cubic feet of dirt at the local landfill with whatever toxic chemicals prompt battery manufacturers to warn us to dispose of in a “proper manner”.

Not only are they supposedly nasty to the environment, but they are expensive, and I can’t seem to buy enough of them to prevent my teenagers from disassembling one device to get batteries for another device they feel is more important at the time, and it’s driving me crazy!

Believe me when I tell you there IS NO device more important to have working batteries in than my TV remote.  Not if you don’t want to experience my wrath anyway.  I hate going through the ritual of the dead remote.  Point remote at TV and click.  If nothing happens, repeat.  If nothing still happens, depress TV selector and repeat step one.  If STILL no response, lean forward and extend arm fully so remote is CLOSER to the TV.  If still no response, open remote only to find children have swiped the batteries…Yell at children.  Then cannibalize another device (preferably one of theirs) for batteries.  It is a never-ending cycle.  A cycle that simply MUST STOP AND STOP NOW!

Why the hell doesn’t someone develop a TV remote like my wireless phone?  It plugs into a nice little recharging cradle, when not in use just place the remote in the cradle…it charges and is less likely to be misplaced (another gripe of mine).  My phone has lasted a couple years and is still going strong.  It would save me money and help to protect the ground water from my carelessly tossing dead batteries in my garbage can.  I would gladly pay extra for such a device, especially if they included the “pager” type of means to locate a lost remote like my phone is set up to do.

But, please do it fast and spare my children from the fate I suffered as a child…I WAS my father’s TV remote.

Judge Conner Follows Judge Cashman Down The Wrong Path (Slapping Child Molesters On The Wrist)

Ohio’s Franklin County Common Pleas Judge John Connor must be either mentally incompetent or certifiably insane.

It seems he has decided to follow a path most recently blazed by Vermont’s Judge Cashman.  He handed down a sentence of probation for a self-confessed child molester.  I am inclined to believe that Vermont’s Cashman, felt incarceration did not work when it came to rehabilitation of sexually offenders and on that opinion I agree.  However Cashman lost sight of the fact that incarceration at least prevents sexual offenders from accessing other victims.  After much scrutiny Cashman did change the sentence he had handed down.  Judge Conner’s decision to follow this path only serves to illuminate his callous disregard for the safety of the children of Ohio or his utter incompetence.

This has all come to light thanks in part, to a plea-bargain which allowed Andrew S. Selva, who had been indicted on 20 counts of child rape and 2 counts of gross sexual imposition, to plea guilty to only two counts of sexual battery.

Selva sexually abused two boys repeatedly over a three-year period of time, and for his crimes…Selva gets five years probation, with stipulations that he be electronically monitored for the first year, receive counseling and check in with his probation officer once a week.  I could see that type of sentence handed down for shoplifting, not for the repeated sexual abuse of two children.

It would appear the judge was swayed more by psychologists who thought incarceration would be counter productive to Selva’s prognosis, than by the judicial systems obligation to provide a fair environment for victims to seek redress and justice.

I agree with alternative sentencing where there is no incarceration, but only for NON-VIOLENT CRIMES.

This goes way beyond the pale and this type of judicial grandstanding can only result in a public backlash, which will take us onto very dangerous ground.

A ground swell of public opinion advocating the death sentence for child molesters is gaining support.  This type of injustice is fueling that reaction.  On a gut level I agree with it, but I fear we would end up with the same situation that the “Lindberg” kidnapping law inspired.  Since that law made kidnapping an offense punishable by death, kidnappers learned to kill their victims in an attempt not to be caught.  The punishment for kidnapping was no worse than for murder and dead men tell no tales.  I certainly don’t want child molesters learning to kill their victims in an attempt to avoid being caught.

Judge Conner has stated that he will not step down from his position and feels he upheld his oath of office. He further related that Judges should not be subjected to political pressure whenever they hand down a sentence.  That is a valid argument that Conner has no business hiding behind.  Unfortunately, Conner used his discretion to hand out just the type of light sentence that will ensure voters will take steps to REMOVE that discretion from all judges.  He has become a major part of the problem, and is responsible for a horrible miscarriage of justice and should be immediately removed.  His previous legal troubles with DUI and cocaine possession alone should be enough to show he is unsuitable to sit on the bench.

St. Patrick’s Day and The 6 Circles of Hangover Hell

I don’t drink much anymore, but when I do I seem to end up on the wrong end of what has become known, in this country, as binge drinking.

Due to my seeming inability to have one or two drinks and call it good, I have learned to avoid the issue almost all together, but St. Patrick’s Day makes that hard.

St. Patrick’s Day is something I have never fully understood.  Our Americanized version of it appears to be nothing more than a holiday trumped up by breweries and greeting card companies.

While it is actually a celebration of a Saint’s life, a man taken captive and held in forced servitude.  While captive he learned the Celtic language, later escaped and studied Christianity.  He later returned to Ireland to seek converts and helped to overthrow the Druids.  March 17^th is actually the date on which he died.

I looked but could find no mention of a single drop of green beer in his history.  Not that it really bothers me, as most of our holidays have lost any resemblance to their historic origins.  Maybe it’s a good thing, because most of the holidays would be either scary or so somber as to drain any celebration out of them.

So we celebrate and we drink…a lot.

So for those of you out there who will be washing down corned beef and cabbage (actually I can think of nothing which would be worse to sick up) with pitchers of green beer, I present to you the 6 Circles of Hangover Hell.

I found this on the website for Modern Drunkard Magazine.  I had no idea such a thing existed and cannot decide if it is a bad joke or just folks celebrating bad behavior.  Either way, I wish the 6 circles did not seem so familiar or ring so true to me.  At least it reminds me of why I try to avoid this stuff.

Putting Child Molesters On Notice…Kind Of

The other day, the state of Idaho, signed into law, a bill that eliminates the statute of limitations on reporting sex offenses against children.

I am thrilled.  It eliminates the old statute, which required a victim to report the abuse before they turned 23 years of age.

Why is it important?  Because this law will enable those who have been subjected to some of the worst and longest term abuse a chance to be heard and to seek justice.

Imagine the worst possible case scenario…a child abused by an immediate family member over many years.  Subjected to living with and relying on their abuser.  Forced to live with that abuse until they are old enough to move out from under the roof of their abuser.  That person is left dealing with the misplaced shame, on top of trying to start a life for themselves.  Is that person likely to work up the courage to come forward within some arbitrarily set legal time frame?  I think not.

So now the clock is no longer working against Idaho’s victims of child molestation.  The only problem I see is that the law was not made retroactive.  So from this day forward these victims have a chance to seek justice.  Those who have already turned 23 are to forever remain victims without a legal voice because of the stroke of a pen.

It is a fairly well put together law and will likely not face the challenges other laws have faced from the ACLU, like the zoning laws which seek to drive sex offenders out of town by setting distance restrictions around schools, parks and places where children gather.

I encourage all of you to push your own states to pass such a law…only ensure it is made retroactive.

On a related note…a big bravo goes out to Idaho’s Canyon County Sheriff’s Office.  Their Deputies are volunteering their time to personally visit with all known sex offenders in the county, to ensure they are up to date and complying with the sex offender registry laws by checking place of residence, employment, and vehicle data.  They are forwarding all violations for potential prosecution.  They have vowed to visit each offender at least twice a year for these checks. All thanks to the Deputies’ voluntary efforts.

Irreversible Thoughts on Iran, Nukes, Short Memories and Blame

It seems odd to me how things in Iran have looped around again and are catching us surprised.  So here we are again.

In January 1981 I was a high school senior at a high school just outside of Washington DC. And on the 20^th my parents took us downtown to watch the parade and inauguration of President elect, Ronald Reagan.  It was not really anything that interested me that much at the time.  But things changed rapidly when it was announced that the US hostages that had been held in Iran had been released. What seemed like the entire city, flooded out onto the streets and made their way to the National Christmas (“Holiday” if you are of an overly sensitive bent) tree, which had been left unlit to remind our nation of the hostages.  The tree was lit and we were treated to one of the finest fireworks displays I have ever seen.  At that point I was ignorant enough to think the whole mess was over.

When I entered the Army in 1983, my drill sergeants made sure I knew that wasn’t the case.  Iran was used as the boogieman.  Iran, we were told was where we would be sent to fight and die.  Iran was a constant dark companion in our training and even made it’s way into the marching cadences we sung while we developed blisters and shin splints marching to and from firing ranges.

Graduates of my basic training never went to Iraq.  Instead they fought in Panama and Grenada.  They died in the La Belle disco in Berlin, and in Somalia.  They also helped to end the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia. They would eventually lead younger soldiers in the first Gulf War and later to Afghanistan and back to Iraq.  Somewhere along the way we learned to overlook Iran.

Now Iran has announced their nuclear energy program is “irreversible”.  A program most of the world fears is a cover to produce weapons grade nuclear materials.  We are trying to work with NATO to get Iran to stop, but things just aren’t working out that way.  So sanctions, it seems, will be the next step.

I only mention this because this is the stuff that will be forgotten if military action is ever deemed necessary.  Yep, this is the stuff that will vaporize from people’s memories.  Wiping their collective slates clean, so they can cluck their tongues at the heartless American government whose sanctions hurt civilian men, women and children…to point their un-bloodied, self-righteous fingers at whatever President is forced to deal with the issue with potential military force.

Their intentional ignorance will ensure that they can lay the blame squarely at the feet of America.  All this will be forgotten somehow, despite having memories so sharp they will surely remember the US interfering in Iran decades ago.  Oh they’ll remember that.  Everything from the support of the Shaw of Iran to lending support to Iraq when it was thought to be in our interest to do so.  We were wrong to fall into the “Enemy of my enemy is my friend” trap, I agree.  However it disturbs me that anything we try to do the “right” way is soon forgotten.

So fault won’t lay with Iran’s defiant determination to go forward with their nuclear program, despite any repercussions.  Nope, just wait and see…it will all be our fault.

For those of you who know or remember military cadences, I can clearly hear this one in my head…”Here we go again…”.