Blogger action figures....

Courtesy of Marko....
Pick a blogger from your blogroll, then pretend they have their own action figure. What accessories would be likely to come with the toy, if you ventured down to the local emporium of many things?

Without further ado, I present the LawDog action figure.
Comes complete with Church Gun, and Pink Gorilla Suit.
By pressing a button on his back, he can be made to utter any of several prerecorded messages, including snippets of Shakespearean plays and curses involving several assorted deities.
Also included is one fishing lure, which fits into the figures nose...
Scale copy of Shakespearean plays, horsewhip and trout available separately.

Bilbo and Gandalf and Gollum, oh my.....

Via Wil Wheaton, I see that Peter Jackson has agreed, in conjunction with New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc, to make not one, but two movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien's work, "The Hobbit". Oh, yesss, my precioussssss.....
I have waited most of my life for this. The Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit, on the silver screen...words can not express the wonderfulness of this. Of course, we have no date of expected release, and as yet, no director. I don't expect to see it released until 2011 or so, but when you have waited this long, a few more years don't matter, so long as it is done correctly.

Reason for the season...

I've been posting a lot of secondhand stuff lately, just news articles, and quizzes, links to other places...At any rate, not a lot in the way of original content. I'd like to get back to more productive posts, get my muse fired up again. I've been having a lot of good ideas for fiction lately, and my hope is that blogging will help with that.
The title stems from a seasonal pet peeve of mine. Every year, as Halloween passes, and retail starts the push for Christmas, as time draws closer, the inevitable bickering begins between the Christians and the "non-believers", be they pagan or athiest, jewish or wiccan. The "look at me" Christians tend to start it by denouncing the commercialization of their Holy Day, and feel obligated to throw in a complaint about using the term, "holiday party" instead of Christmas party. The Wiccans feel compelled to rebut this with how the Catholic Church "stole" the festival from ancient pagan celebrations as a way to convert people to Christianity. This year, we had Asatruar pointing out how it was actually the old Roman Saturnalia that the church overran in their conversion of the heathens, and when they got to Northern lands, merely continued it, as it had proven a successful tactic once before. They also point out that Jesus could not possibly have been born in December, as the shepherds are described as still having sheep in the fields. (Thank you for the historical viewpoint. I love my Asatruar brethren, but sometimes we get our noses wedged so firmly in the history books that we tend to stumble over things.)
My point is, it doesn't matter what the "reason for the season" is in your particular viewpoint. Regardless of whom stole what from whom, or what you want to call it, this time of year has taken on a life of its own. Yule, 12 days, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzza, Festivus or Winter Solstice, is it too much to ask that we celebrate our particular flavor in private, and accept that not everyone celebrates in the same way? Is it too much to ask that we all resolve to be just a little bit more decent to one another? Not every day, mind you, I'm just saying, for a few weeks each year, maybe we could practice a little bit of tolerance, pull our noses out of other folks' business, and just wish them well, so long as they aren't physically harming us?
Instead of pulling down the pentacle decorations, or getting all eaten up inside over a manger scene, how about you start a quiet dialog with your neighbor who wears the funny robes and smells of incense? Or your coworker who went on a mission last year? If you can't do that, maybe just wish them well, in whatever manner comes naturally, be it Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays or what have you. For those being greeted, if the greeting doesn't conform to your personal beliefs, could you just accept it in the manner it was given, which was someone wishing you well? Do we have to fight? Over something as silly as a ritual greeting? When I sneeze, and a Christian says, "bless you", it does not offend me. When I make a purchase at a local store, and the clerk tells me to have a "blessed day", I take it in the spirit it was given.
That's all I am saying, people. Be nice to one another, just for a little while. In a couple of weeks, this will all be over, and we can go back to sharpening the knives and lighting the fires under the oil pot.

How many five year olds?

36

Looking for payday loans?

The Rogers Indicator of Multiple Intelligences

The Rogers Indicator of Multiple Intelligences created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Intrapersonal You prefer your own inner world, you like to be alone, and you are aware of your own strengths, weaknesses, and feelings. You learn best by engaging in independent study projects rather than working on group projects. People like you include entrepreneurs, philosophers and psychologists. Intrapersonal 93% Bodily/Kinesthetic 89% Verbal/Linguistic 89% Interpersonal 89% Musical/Rhythmic 82% Visual/Spatial 79% Logical/Mathematical 79%

Evil....

How can you kill your own child? Beat her to death, because she won't call you "sir"?
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/11/28/child.remains.ap/index.html

HOUSTON, Texas (AP) -- The stepfather of a 2-year-old girl lost control and beat her to death because she wouldn't say "please" and "yes sir," an attorney for the girl's mother said Wednesday.

Police believe 2-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers is "Baby Grace."

1 of 3

A body found last month in Galveston Bay is believed to be that of the little girl, Riley Ann Sawyers, though DNA tests are pending.

Her mother, Kimberly Dawn Trenor, and stepfather, Royce Clyde Zeigler II, were arrested Saturday.

Trenor's attorney, Tommy Stickler Jr., also said Wednesday that Trenor is pregnant.

According to court documents, Trenor, 19, told police she and her husband killed the girl in July and hid her body in a shed before dumping it in the bay.

Stickler said Zeigler, 24, was overwhelmed by his sudden fatherhood and didn't know what behavior to expect from a toddler. Trenor moved with her daughter from Mentor, Ohio, to Texas in June to be with Zeigler, whom she met online.

Zeigler wanted his wife to spank Riley with a belt when she failed to say things like "please" and "yes sir" or "no sir," Stickler said Wednesday. Zeigler didn't believe Trenor was doing it, however, because the 2-year-old's behavior wasn't changing. Watch Riley's grandmother recall "a very wonderful little girl" »

The fatal beating happened after Zeigler stayed home from work to make sure his wife was following his discipline plan, Stickler said.

In her statement to Galveston authorities, Trenor said the girl was beaten with leather belts, had her head held underwater in a bathtub and then was thrown across a room, her head slamming into a tile floor.

Although the affidavit said the couple abused Riley over a four- to six-hour period, Stickler said it wasn't a continuous event. Instead, Zeigler grew increasingly enraged as he spanked Riley and she kept forgetting to do things the way he wanted.

"There was never an intention to beat Riley to death," he said.

At one point, Trenor wanted to call an ambulance but Zeigler wouldn't let her, saying they would both be arrested if officials saw her injuries, Stickler said. Instead, Riley was given some over-the-counter pain medication.

When Riley later stopped breathing, Zeigler performed CPR on her tiny body, Stickler said.

Neal Davis III, Zeigler's attorney, said Trenor's story isn't believable.

"She is placing all the blame on Royce, but I think that once the facts come to light, once the timeline's established and the evidence is combed through ... I think her credibility is gonna become a big issue," Davis said.

Trenor and Ziegler were arrested after investigators spent weeks trying to identify the girl they dubbed "Baby Grace," whose body was found in a plastic box floating in Galveston Bay. Riley's paternal grandmother in Ohio had called police, thinking a sketch of the dead child might have been the granddaughter she hadn't seen in months.

Trenor and Zeigler remained jailed Wednesday on charges of injury to a child and tampering with evidence. Bail was set at $350,000 each.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

The mother and father should be doused in gasoline, lit on fire, and drug behind a pickup until dead.
She was two years old. I just have no words for monsters like these. My wife and I tried for four years to have a child, and had given up when she became pregnant. We've since tried for four more, without success. My daughter is the most precious thing in the world to me. How is it people like these are entrusted with the care of children?
There is no excuse. Whatever Hell might exist, these people belong in it.

Which Action Hero am I?

Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0 created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Batman, the Dark Knight As the Dark Knight of Gotham, Batman is a vigilante who deals out his own brand of justice to the criminals and corrupt of the city. He follows his own code and is often misunderstood. He has few friends or allies, but finds comfort in his cause. Batman, the Dark Knight 100% Maximus 67% Lara Croft 67% James Bond, Agent 007 67% Neo, the "One" 58% William Wallace 58% The Terminator 50% Indiana Jones 50% El Zorro 33% Captain Jack Sparrow 33% The Amazing Spider-Man 25%

Marko Kloos knocks one out of the park...

This I believe...

I usually agree with what Marko says. Today, however, he wrapped up my political beliefs in a tidy little package. Go read it.

Somehow I missed posting this-Medal of Honor

Lieutenant Michael Murphy, USN was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor Monday.

Summary of Action
Operation Redwing
June 28, 2005

On June 28, 2005, deep behind enemy lines east of Asadabad in the Hindu Kush of Afghanistan, a very committed four-man Navy SEAL team was conducting a reconnaissance mission at the unforgiving altitude of approximately 10,000 feet. The SEALs, Lt. Michael Murphy, Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Danny Dietz, Sonar Technician 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew Axelson and Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (SEAL) Marcus Luttrell had a vital task. The four SEALs were scouting Ahmad Shah – a terrorist in his mid-30s who grew up in the adjacent mountains just to the south.

Under the assumed name Muhammad Ismail, Shah led a guerrilla group known to locals as the "Mountain Tigers" that had aligned with the Taliban and other militant groups close to the Pakistani border. The SEAL mission was compromised when the team was spotted by local nationals, who presumably reported its presence and location to the Taliban.

A fierce firefight erupted between the four SEALs and a much larger enemy force of more than 50 anti-coalition militia. The enemy had the SEALs outnumbered. They also had terrain advantage. They launched a well-organized, three-sided attack on the SEALs. The firefight continued relentlessly as the overwhelming militia forced the team deeper into a ravine.

Trying to reach safety, the four men, now each wounded, began bounding down the mountain's steep sides, making leaps of 20 to 30 feet. Approximately 45 minutes into the fight, pinned down by overwhelming forces, Dietz, the communications petty officer, sought open air to place a distress call back to the base. But before he could, he was shot in the hand, the blast shattering his thumb.

Despite the intensity of the firefight and suffering grave gunshot wounds himself, Murphy is credited with risking his own life to save the lives of his teammates. Murphy, intent on making contact with headquarters, but realizing this would be impossible in the extreme terrain where they were fighting, unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his own life moved into the open, where he could gain a better position to transmit a call to get help for his men.

Moving away from the protective mountain rocks, he knowingly exposed himself to increased enemy gunfire. This deliberate and heroic act deprived him of cover and made him a target for the enemy. While continuing to be fired upon, Murphy made contact with the SOF Quick Reaction Force at Bagram Air Base and requested assistance. He calmly provided his unit’s location and the size of the enemy force while requesting immediate support for his team. At one point he was shot in the back causing him to drop the transmitter. Murphy picked it back up, completed the call and continued firing at the enemy who was closing in. Severely wounded, Lt. Murphy returned to his cover position with his men and continued the battle.

An MH-47 Chinook helicopter, with eight additional SEALs and eight Army Night Stalkers aboard, was sent is as part of an extraction mission to pull out the four embattled SEALs. The MH-47 was escorted by heavily-armored, Army attack helicopters. Entering a hot combat zone, attack helicopters are used initially to neutralize the enemy and make it safer for the lightly-armored, personnel-transport helicopter to insert.

The heavy weight of the attack helicopters slowed the formation’s advance prompting the MH-47 to outrun their armored escort. They knew the tremendous risk going into an active enemy area in daylight, without their attack support, and without the cover of night. Risk would, of course, be minimized if they put the helicopter down in a safe zone. But knowing that their warrior brothers were shot, surrounded and severely wounded, the rescue team opted to directly enter the oncoming battle in hopes of landing on brutally hazardous terrain.

As the Chinook raced to the battle, a rocket-propelled grenade struck the helicopter, killing all 16 men aboard.

On the ground and nearly out of ammunition, the four SEALs, Murphy, Luttrell, Dietz and Axelson, continued the fight. By the end of the two-hour gunfight that careened through the hills and over cliffs, Murphy, Axelson and Dietz had been killed. An estimated 35 Taliban were also dead.

The fourth SEAL, Luttrell, was blasted over a ridge by a rocket propelled grenade and was knocked unconscious. Regaining consciousness some time later, Luttrell managed to escape – badly injured – and slowly crawl away down the side of a cliff. Dehydrated, with a bullet wound to one leg, shrapnel embedded in both legs, three vertebrae cracked; the situation for Luttrell was grim. Rescue helicopters were sent in, but he was too weak and injured to make contact. Traveling seven miles on foot he evaded the enemy for nearly a day. Gratefully, local nationals came to his aid, carrying him to a nearby village where they kept him for three days. The Taliban came to the village several times demanding that Luttrell be turned over to them. The villagers refused. One of the villagers made his way to a Marine outpost with a note from Luttrell, and U.S. forces launched a massive operation that rescued him from enemy territory on July 2.

By his undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit and inspirational devotion to his men in the face of certain death, Lt. Murphy was able to relay the position of his unit, an act that ultimately led to the rescue of Luttrell and the recovery of the remains of the three who were killed in the battle.

This was the worst single-day U.S. Forces death toll since Operation Enduring Freedom began nearly six years ago. It was the single largest loss of life for Naval Special Warfare since World War II.

The Naval Special Warfare (NSW) community will forever remember June 28, 2005 and the heroic efforts and sacrifices of our special operators. We hold with reverence the ultimate sacrifice that they made while engaged in that fierce fire fight on the front lines of the global war on terrorism (GWOT).

-NSW-

Hungry....

I want a midnight snack badly...Am I getting one? No. Know why? 'Cause Julie turned out all the lights before she came upstairs....No way am I going downstairs in the dark all by myself...No dogs, no lights, just poor stupid Byron, waitin' to be zombie food....Everyone knows you leave a light on downstairs at night, because then the zombies don't get you. And if you do forget, and turn it off, you freakin' go downstairs with the person who's hungry, because the zombies don't come after two people,not at first. They only go after the stupid people who wander off alone, then there's a big crash and the zombie's trying to get at you, so you run, and the zombie follows you back to the previously secure location where everybody is holed up, and then you get back in, but now there's a hole in the fortifications,and the zombies know about it and they come in full force, and you all have to run before you'd planned, and your getaway vehicle isn't ready yet, so not everybody makes it. Only a couple people get away, all because somebody turned off the stupid freakin' lights downstairs, dammit!
What the hell....turnin' off all the lights..I don't know what she was thinking, here I am on the midnight scared of zombies diet, sittin' up on the web instead of eating...
Yes, I know there are no zombies downstairs,andthey aren't real...
Still not going down there, zombies ain't gonna get me, man. It's always that guy who gets eaten, the one who stands there and says, "there's nothing to be afraid of, (insert monster here) isn't real, you guys are chicken!!!*CHOMP!*
Yeah, I'm staying upstairs until daylight. Maybe noon. And when I do go down, I'm takin' a flashlight, man...AND Julie's gonna go down in front of me,'cause she turned off the "no zombie" light......

Yeah, I'm a freak. So?

Not much to say...

I don't have a lot to say today. I've been fighting a bug off again on again for two weeks now. Haven't been able to take off of work, too much to do. I really need a couple days rest. However, between work, a three year old, and business stuff, there's no time to get well. I guess I oughta see a doctor, but I haven't been able to find one since we moved to Oregon three years ago. The ones nearby are all overbooked and not taking new patients. Closest I've found is an hour away, and even those are hard to find. about six months ago, I found one. An hour away, but he was a great doctor, didn't try to talk down or act superior, worked with me on my problems. I saw him twice, then he left the office to work elsewhere. It takes about two weeks to get an initial appointment. I live so far off the beaten path, doctors can't make a lot of cash here, so to find a really good one is rare. Urgent care is $100 out of my pocket if I go. Funny, you'd think I would have good medical care, working for local government...Our healthcare plan sucks...
But, overall things are looking up...

Transformers...

As a kid, one of the first cartoons I remember, after looney toones, is Transformers. I saw the movie Tuesday night, and I have to say, the 20 year wait was worth it. Getting the original actor for the voice of Optimus Prime was perfect. When I heard that voice, I got chills. Watching the movie was like being a kid again. I bought the movie expecting to be disappointed, but hoping for more. Wow. The eye candy....

So, I knew it had been a while since I'd posted, but I hadn't realized just how long...
Today, I saw that Strings(over in the link sidebar) had posted about me, so I thought I'd better write something for you good folks to look at. When I logged in, I see I haven't posted since JULY??!! Thor's Beard!!!
Well, what's on my mind? The wife and I own a belly dance studio in the small "city" where we live. 8700 people, not what I consider a city, but I digress. Anyhow, there is an organization here called SHEM. It's a group put together by various local churches. They help out the needy with food, utility bills, sometimes shelter, and so forth. We read in the local paper a few weeks back that they are having financial trouble, and might be forced to close. Wife and I discussed it, and offered to do a fund raiser for them, inviting other styles of dancers and performance groups. I was going to do some fire breathing, a little fire staff spinning, a good time, and helping a good cause. The office staff were overjoyed to have our offer, moved to tears on the phone.
Yesterday, wife calls the SHEM office, and finds out the Board of Directors has refused our fund raising offer. They do not feel as though belly dance is appropriate, but they'd like our fire dancers at their luaus!!!! Umm, WTF, over! Aren't hula dancers mostly naked??
I am appalled(but not too surprised) that we are not allowed to help, due to ignorance and bigotry. Many of our students are very conservative Christians. We have children who take our classes. This is NOT exotic dancing like you would find in a strip club...
Oh, well. Anyhow, welcome to y'all, and thanks to Strings for the link. I will make sure to post more often.....

How will you die?

Via Strings(over on the sidebar! Look, linkys!)

Your Famous Last Words Will Be:

"So, you're a cannibal."

What Will Your Famous Last Words Be?

People look at me funny when they find out I carry a gun inside my home...
This is why I do....

Mother/son gangraped/tortured by 10 suspects in their teens....

A group of 10, some as young as 14, tricked the mother into opening her door, then took turns raping her, and torturing her son. They also forced the son to have sex with his mother...

There is no punishment heinous enough for these monsters...

Good to know.....

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Chris Benoit....

I watch WWE fairly regularly, with greater or less interest, depending on how much the writers screw up the storylines. I enjoy the extreme athleticism of the wrestlers, and don't particularly care that it's scripted. After all, so are action movies..
Chris Benoit was among my favorite wrestlers, an amazing athlete, and respected by everyone he worked with. By all accounts, he was a genuinely nice guy. His death is really bothering me, particularly since it's come out that he killed his wife and son before taking his own life. On camera, you could see, even when he tried to put on a frightening persona, that he was a big teddy bear. Seemed like a real family man...
What happens to make someone decide not just to kill himself, but to take his wife and child with him? He had an amazing career. I know there had been a recent cancellation of his upcoming pay per view match, with the reason being given as personal issues. That most likely means he pissed off somebody he shouldn't have. I simply can't imagine harming my daughter, even were I at the point of ending my own life, the thought of killing my child goes against everything I am..What happened in his head? How do you break that sacred trust?
"Mother is the name for God on the lips and hearts of children..."
How do you look into your childs eyes and kill them?
I'm so sick right now...
Earlier today, I read a blog by someone whose son drowned yesterday...Followed by Ambulance Drivers account of responding to a dead infant call...Now this...I need to go hold my daughter...

Well, shoot.....

I got into my old blog by accident this morning, so I guess I'll have two blogs...I have no idea what I'll fill them with..

I can't access my old Blogger account.....

So I'm making a new one.....
Here's the old one, if you are interested...
Loud Mouthed Snook


More to come soon...