A good Day for the Constitution20:26 Sep 27 2007
Times Read: 618
PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) -- Two provisions of the USA Patriot Act are unconstitutional because they allow search warrants to be issued without a showing of probable cause, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken ruled that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, as amended by the Patriot Act, "now permits the executive branch of government to conduct surveillance and searches of American citizens without satisfying the probable cause requirements of the Fourth Amendment."
Portland attorney Brandon Mayfield sought the ruling in a lawsuit against the federal government after he was mistakenly linked by the FBI to the Madrid train bombings that killed 191 people in 2004.
The federal government apologized and settled part of the lawsuit for $2 million after admitting a fingerprint was misread. But as part of the settlement, Mayfield retained the right to challenge parts of the Patriot Act.
Mayfield claimed that secret searches of his house and office under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act violated the Fourth Amendment's guarantee against unreasonable search and seizure. Aiken agreed with Mayfield, repeatedly criticizing the government.
For over 200 years, this Nation has adhered to the rule of law -- with unparalleled success. A shift to a Nation based on extra-constitutional authority is prohibited, as well as ill-advised," she wrote.
By asking her to dismiss Mayfield's lawsuit, the judge said, the U.S. attorney general's office was "asking this court to, in essence, amend the Bill of Rights, by giving it an interpretation that would deprive it of any real meaning. This court declines to do so."
Elden Rosenthal, an attorney for Mayfield, issued a statement on his behalf praising the judge, saying she "has upheld both the tradition of judicial independence, and our nation's most cherished principle of the right to be secure in one's own home."
The Patriot Act greatly expanded the authority of law enforcers to investigate suspected acts of terrorism, both domestically and abroad.
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It is about time someone remembered why the Fourth amendment of the Constitution was written or that it existed in the first place. I have said this before, James Madison , did not put things in the Constitution for lack of better things to do. From what some historians write, Benjamin Franklin, was quite popular with the ladies of that time. Madison could have hung out with him and been quite the ladies man.
I am a little scared that someone who should have known how to read a fingerprint got it wrong and an innocent man got blamed for a bombing. Of course, we all know it is not as cut and dry in real life like Law and Order on TV, but we are not expecting the moon and stars to expect these people to get it right. Do not detain an innocent person and let the one who did it walk around scott free.
Bill O Reilly and Jon Stewart19:33 Sep 24 2007
Times Read: 634
If you want to watch a clip of Bill O Reilly insulting the people who watch the Daily Show, then go to You Tube and do a search for Jon Stewart. You will find a clip of him on The O Reilly factor.
Mr O Reilly thought it was a good idea to call people who watch Mr Stewart's show stoned slackers. Well, I am not stoned ( They took away my drugs. ) and I have to work for a living. So, if I am watching the Daily Show , I must have got confused and should have been watching Fox news.
If Bill jealous because during the last presidental election, the Democratic candidate, John Kerry bypassed his show ( Shows Kerry has some intelligence. ) and went straight to the Daily Show. Even if you did not vote for Kerry, you have to admit the guy has thick skin. Jon will poke fun at anyone at anytime ,at any place. He is an equal opportunity person with this.
I think O Reilly is actually wanting to win in the ratings war. Good for him and Fox News. Fox employs many people and they all need a job. In fact, having a job is quite preferrable to the employees of Fox News then being unemployed. However, stating that 18 to 25 years are on the same intellectual level as Jon Stewart is insulting both the audience and Mr Stewart. Since when did someone tell Bill he is the next Albert Einstein? I do not recall saying that myself. Whoever said it may say that Paris Hilton is the next Sophia Loren. Ok, reality is subjective then.
I do not want to watch the Daily Show to decide who I am going to vote for. I do not watch the O Reilly Factor to decide who I am going to vote for. If I based my vote on two tv programs, I hope my friends get together and take me to the mental institution. Bill who considers himself a serious newsman ( I would love to hear Edward R Murrow's take on that. He has left the planet. I quess we could always ask Dan Rather. ) , thinks he will win brownie points by talking bad about other networks and their tv hosts. Look Bill , people watch you. We love to see someone get upset. It is like watching a train wreck. You know you should not be looking, but you cannot take your eyes off of it.
The Coven of Purgatory14:35 Sep 23 2007
Times Read: 643
I had a little debate with myself while I smoked a cigarette outside a moment ago about whether I would write a journal entry about this coven. I have heard a lot about it and some have some very passionate views about it.
Dissent does not always equal disloyalty to quote a hero of mine. His name was Edward R Murrow. He was a journalist who got up in arms about democracy being made a sham by those who wanted to go on a Communist witch hunt. I am sure he would not agree with anyone hurting the country of his birth and would be horrified if a real threat got off scott free. He just did not like some of the methods he saw.
In a free society like the United States, that is to be expected. Someone will get annoyed and raise a fuss. The rave is not a free society. Cancer had specific intentions when he set up this site. That was his choice. It was also the choice of those who wanted to become a member. Rules are rules. Sometimes the rules are modified to benefit everyone. That does not mean we run rough shod over the staff.
There are currently 26 members of the coven of purgatory. One member is deleting his account. Well, that is his choice. He can take his ball and go play elsewhere on the Internet. The house and coven leaders have had issues with certain people . They make the decision to send people there. When you are in a house or coven, you are there until someone else says otherwise. If you want to leave, make sire. I do not know if the coven of purgatory blocks sires from leaving or it that is even possible.
I do not run a coven or house. I have no idea what that is like. I do not know if I would want to. I would have to have good strong assistant coven masters. I would have to get advice from anyone on the rave that has or is currently running one. Hell, I may have to have Cancer on speed dial. ( not really. He seems like one busy guy. He does not need me calling him or trying to get his number. I do not need to worry him like that.) I just know that with any leadership role comes the burden of heavy responsibility. You cannot make everyone happy. There will always be dissent. Even if the dissent is not logical or appreciated.
Found this in a Journal20:15 Sep 22 2007
Times Read: 649
The second, turned me off women for years, by being who she was.. an abused woman, turned abuser.
The following line was in journal on the Rave. The author is a friend of mine on here. I say this much if you have not talked to this person than you are missing out. If you care to know who it is, then private message me. I may tell you.
I agree that many of the formerly abused become the abuser. The next person gets to pay for the crimes of the previous person. That is why I am still single or at least one of the reasons. I have no desire to victimize another because my ex-husband was an abusive jerk. When I find someone that I think I can love without hurting, then I will enter into a relationship. If that does not happen, then being alone is better than hurting a good man and turning him off women anyday.
I have had men tell me it would be different with them. If you hear those words, be careful. You may be getting set up for the big suprise. You may find out that the only thing that is different is the person.
Do not tell a new partner you were abused right off the bat. Some people may think you are in a pattern of getting with abusive people. The bad ones are going to be planning on making you their next victim. The good ones may run away. Unless you are abusive yourself, then you can keep that to yourself for a hot minute. Let them get to know the you -you are today. If that suits them, then explain how you went through changes, were able to process those changes and still be a decent human being. IF you are not a decent human being, hopefully they will see that and run for the hills.
Happenings At Work16:44 Sep 18 2007
Times Read: 658
Two of my co-workers got fired yesterday. One I had written about earlier. She was the one who got overpaid, kept the check and was determined to question why she got paid lower the next week. I did not know what to say the time, because I thought she cannot be serious.
The other person that got fired was her roommate. They both worked on the same team as me. I am not happy these two young girls got fired. They are fresh out of high school. They moved from Blanket, Texas, to work and go to school in the Waco area. One of the girls comes from a well- off family. One does not . The reason they lost their jobs is because on Thursday they announced to one and all they were taking off on Friday to go to a Blanket High School football game. They were told by the supervisor to be at work. I am sure there are many sports fans that have to record games on TV, because they have to work. One of the girls has a brother that plays for Blanket high. While I applaud her support of her brother, I wonder if he wanted her to lose her job. I doubt it.
Both of these young girls have had jobs before, but they were part time jobs at fast food places. High school students do not typically make the best employees . Sometimes they do. I am sure every employer is aware that high school students have other things they must do. Graduating from high school should be the main goal. Once you are out of school though, the story changes. You have to go to work. Missing work will get you fired. That is just the bottom line. I have been fired. Now, I consider it a blessing. I know getting fired means I was at a job that did not fit me. It would be like me trying to wear a size five or size fourteen shoe. Something is not fitting.
I just hope they find jobs that will suit them. I hope they do not let one setback cloud their judgement or make them think bad things about themselves. You have to always make sure that another's misfortune is not your victory. That is never good or right. It is called be careful. The same thing is coming your way. You do not want someone to feel sorry for you. You just want someone to have some empathy and to try to understand that tomorrow they could be in your shoes.
Not All American Celebrities are Like Paris Hilton
20:10 Sep 16 2007
Times Read: 666
Darfur: a glimmer of hope on horizon
UK envoy finds renewed optimism that UN peacekeepers could bring an end to the slaughter
Tracy McVeigh, foreign editor
Sunday September 16, 2007
The Observer
A real and unprecedented opportunity for peace in Darfur is emerging after breakthrough talks between Britain and Khartoum last week, according to the UK's key envoy to the region, Mark Malloch Brown. A new optimism is building ahead of next month's crucial talks between some 13 rebel factions and the Sudanese government in Libya.
Malloch Brown, the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, met Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir on Tuesday. He said that the meeting had run on for twice as long as scheduled and that the two men had discussed 'with some emotion' the ancient ties between Britain and Sudan and prospects for lasting peace in the troubled Darfur region. 'There suddenly seems a lot of straws to grasp at,' said Malloch Brown. But he emphasised: 'The Sudanese government did some terrible things and we stood up against them,' adding: 'There is no room here for blind trust or naivety.'
In an interview with The Observer ahead of today's day of global action on Darfur, Malloch Brown revealed there are major logistical problems with the recently agreed deployment of a UN peacekeeping force. After much arm-twisting, Bashir had agreed to a UN resolution to send 26,000 peacekeepers to Darfur. They had been due to arrive in the country by mid-October, but 'as yet they have not built the base and not identified a water supply to support the troops,' Malloch Brown said. Britain and France are both working flat out to try to help facilitate the movement of a tranche of Rwandan and Nigerian UN soldiers. But it means it could be next year before the urgently needed buffer force is in place. The UN troops will join the over-stretched 7,000 African Union peacekeepers presently on the ground in Darfur to form a 'hybrid' army with a mandate to intervene with force where necessary.
Malloch Brown said UN commanders expected a fight. 'I'm sure the forces will be tested early on by "janjaweed" elements who want to humiliate it. But this is an enforcement force not an observation force. It will be stepping in to protect civilians who are under attack.'
The Darfur conflict began in 2003. It is an environmental war, a fight over the twin resources of land and water. When rebel groups began attacking government targets they met fierce retaliation from government forces and their sponsored Arab janjaweed militias. It left 200,000 civilians dead and two million displaced.
In an interview with the BBC World Service today, Gordon Brown called it 'one of the greatest humanitarian disasters of our time'.
The mass slaughter which saw then US Secretary of State Colin Powell declare a 'genocide' in Darfur, has receded, but 200 people still die in the region each month, victims of rampant political and criminal violence. Vicious factional fighting grips refugee camps and there is little or no policing on the ground to protect the vulnerable. Peace deals signed in 2004 and 2006 failed. Sanctions against Khartoum were weakened by resistance by China and the Arab League as well as hesitation from some African countries. But pressure came from unexpected sources as Darfur became a cause célèbre in the US led by George Clooney.
Malloch Brown believes that 'despite cynicism' the celebrity pressure worked and praised an 'exciting new activism' that was springing up among ordinary Americans. 'The Save Darfur Coalition has done a fantastic job of keeping the pressure on the American public. Bush and Blair both had a great deal of personal passion about Darfur. But there's a limit to what leaders can do if there isn't a heavy level of concern from the public.'
He defended the American stance on Darfur, claiming that its 'little advertised' sanctions had achieved a great deal by impeding Sudan's banking systems. He also revealed that there was never a chance that the international community would take military action against Khartoum. 'No one is up for deploying a military force in the heart of Africa... People do not want to do it and it has never been a realistic option, so there has always been an element of empty threat there.'
Asked for a measure of his hopes for peace in Darfur, Malloch Brown looks thoughtful. 'On a scale of one to 10 I'd say I'm now at seven. A month ago that would have been three.'
Today's 'Day for Darfur' is being marked by events in around 30 countries and the release of a charity record - with celebrity support from the likes of Matt Damon and Desmond Tutu. It was organised by a coalition of over 50 groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Save Darfur Coalition.
In London, marchers will go from the Sudanese Embassy to Downing Street where a rally including speeches from Malloch Brown and Andrew Mitchell, shadow secretary of state for international development, will take place.
'We are hopeful that these newly approved peacekeepers will help end the violence,' said Abdul Adam of the Darfur Union. 'But the reality is the situation on the ground has not changed. The attacks continue. People are still dying. It is up to the international community to ensure that these attacks on civilians stop and that we are on our way to returning peace to the people of Darfur.'
After years of the world failing to help Darfur, Malloch Brown and his fellow ministers want concrete moves at the 27 October meetings in Tripoli. 'These will not be short meetings,' he warns. 'But I think we can prevail.'
'The foot is in the door and we just need to get the knee and an elbow in there too before that door gets shut again. If we do not keep up the pressure there is always a very real risk it could come unstuck and flip back to slaughter in Darfur.'
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At least I know that not all American celebrities are like Paris Hilton . George Clooney does seem to care what is going on in the world. Paris is only caring about what is hot or not. If we got a group of Greek shipping heirs to care about Darfur, we might get Paris and her friends to throw their celebrity and some of their money in to help out.
Once again, the United States had to be shamed into doing something. When people are being slaughtered for land and water, the United States should do something. Our politicans go on and on about America's moral authority. Many things about America are moral, but many are not. If we have to shame our politicans about a genocide than that is not taking the moral high road. Let's worry about who is homosexual and has a agenda to turn the whole world gay. ( I have yet to see this gay agenda. I am upset. I am suppose to be a fag hag. Are they hiding their true agenda from me?) Forget that people are dying every month. You may say the article stated it is only two hundred now. Only 200 would be my response. Five people dying would be bad. 200 is a tragedy.
Two other countries, France and Great Britain , are taking the lead in trying to end a human tragedy. The United States is holding the hand of an Iraqi government that seems content to let other countries run the government. Which one seems to be the more humane , sensible operation? Stopping a genocide or going into a country removing a cruel, dictator and opening a country up to terrorism?
The Last Week or so04:12 Sep 16 2007
Times Read: 669
I did not make a trip to Houston this weekend. Plans were to do so, but we changed our plans mid-week , because of being tired and lower on funds than we would have liked. We do have plans to return to Harris County again.
Today was errand day. Oh what fun. Tomorrow is laundry day and a closet project. My friend Nthaniel thinks he is a comedian. He stated he thought I came out of the closet years ago. Yeah right. I am not gay. If I was I would scream it from the mountaintops. I have no problem with anyone's sexual orientaion or preference. I leave that hang-up to others. I have enough of my own, thank you.
We ended up at Bosqueville cemetry today. My roommate has a former co-worker buried out there. She died at the age of 23. Those graves are not being maintained. I saw many graves that were sunken in and overran with grass and other plants. I found myself picking up flowers and other things that were strewn any which way and replacing them neatly on graves. Some graves still had things from the funeral on them that were looking rough. I left them alone. I did not want to remove anything even if it made the appearance of the graveyard bad or the graves themselves. Many veterans are buried there. I spent two years in the navy. One guy had served in the navy. There were veterans from WWI, WW2, Korea and Vietnam. It is an older cemetry and I did not see graves for veterans from the current war in Iraq. I wish the families could maintain the graves better. I am sure many of the surviving relatives are busy and have relocated.
My roommate did something nice today. She bought a backpack for a young girl that needed it. She also got some school supplies for her. School has only been in session for three weeks here. I am glad she helped this young lady out. Her parents struggle and do many things for her. They should always be commended for the things they do. I hate it when people discount someone's parents. If the parents are trying to do right, someone should tell them they are doing a good job. It is something they need to hear. No-one deserves a medal for doing their jobs as parents. It is expected that everyone will. In this day and age, many do not do their job and no-one thinks twice about pointing that out. Well, I think it is high-time we point out the good as well. We need the balance.
Today was founder's day in Mc Gregor, Texas. I work in Mc Gregor. I did not go, but I am sure the residents of that town showed their hometown pride. I could not stand the crowds or the heat. I work with many from Mc Gregor and I do not normally hang with my co-workers on off days. They have lives and do not need to see me everyday.
My immediate supervisor, Jay, will be on vacation the next week or so. He will be missed. Jay is one fun-loving guy who gets the job done not by being a mini-tyrant. Oh, he gets serious when he has to, but I do not feel like my boss is a wannabe dictator. Thank God for that. The stories I could tell about my previous supervisor at EMSI. I will not tell no-one on the rave about that. It is a horror story that does not have a vampire. Maybe if it did , I would have enjoyed living it more. LOL! Vampires like the one that story needs are fictional characters. Why couldn't Lestat and Armand be real just for one day at EMSI? Hell, I would have dealt with Akaska for half a day there.
If anyone on here that reads this prays, please pray for one of my co-workers. Her name is Dawn. Light a candle if you wish. If you are Wiccan, please do what you do. She needs some good luck. Her life has been hard, but she tries more than most people I know. Plus, she is a good person. Most of you would like her. She is easier to deal with than yours truly by far. I find it amazing she likes me.
Well, that is just about all. Oh , I did get involved in a plot to overthrow the Polish government. (Just kidding. I do not have the enegry or desire to overthrow anything. Plus, it would be wrong. Hope that got your attention. LOL!!!) Hope everyone has enjoyed their weekend and is having a happy time. Good night and Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!
No Reasonable Loving Son Would Have Done This19:54 Sep 09 2007
Times Read: 698
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The 50-year-old man accused of causing his father's death to teach the Alzheimer's patient a lesson for stripping naked on the beach in Fort Lauderdale will face murder charges.
Robert Yurkanin Jr. is charged with felony murder in connection with the death of his 84-year-old father, Robert Yurkanin Sr., in June. Findings announced by a grand jury Thursday determined that Yurkanin will face first-degree murder charges.
Yurkanin Sr. was found unconscious and unresponsive on the beach in the 3500 block of Galt Ocean Drive on June 15. He was transported to Holy Cross Hospital, where he died the next day.
According to police, witnesses told detectives Yurkanin Jr. got upset with his father for taking off his bathing suit and dragged him into the water, saying, "This is the only way he is going to learn."
Once in the water, Yurkanin Jr. left his father's head submerged while attempting to put his bathing suit back on, police said. Yurkanin Sr.'s torso was submerged for periods of time while his legs were sticking out of the water, witnesses told police.
Police said that when Yurkanin Jr. brought his father to the shoreline, he didn't bring him completely out of the water and left his unconscious body at the water's edge, where incoming waves crashed over his body. Witnesses told police Yurkanin Jr. went for a swim in the meantime.
An autopsy concluded Yurkanin Sr. died from complications of a near drowning and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.
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If anyone stated the strain of taking care of a sick relative caused this man to do this, I would personally like you to come see me. I think you are crazy and need a shrink. Let's hope I do not assault you.
This was murder plain and simple. I wish this could be tried as captial murder. Do not tell me the father could have abused the man as a child. If that was the case, he should have left his father to a long term care facility and never taken him to the beach.
I have a friend with two grandmothers who are losing their minds. Neither one of them has to worry about being the victim of a drowning. One of the grandmothers was reported to Adult Protective Services for her own good. The family is more worried about her making someone else a victim with her less than stellar driving. My grandmother is suffering from the same disease as the man in the article, as my friend's grandmothers are too. I would personally hurt someone who wanted to teach these women that kind of lesson.
Trip to Houston07:21 Sep 09 2007
Times Read: 701
I know I promised in a prior journal entry to write more about the Jena 6 and will tomorrow.
Last night around ten-thirty, my roommate and I along with her daughter made a trip to Houston. My roommate's mother has been sick for quite some time. She has been in the hospital for months. I was glad to finally see her. She is skinnny as all get out though and very weak. She weights less than her eight year old granddaughter at this point. This makes me sad and angry all at the same time. She has always had a rough life and has had to fight for anything she has had. She is one of those people that is rough around the edges. No-one would ever confuse her with Jackie Kennedy Onassis, but that is fine with me. I love her just the way she is. Life has not been kind to her, but she has managed to push through one way or another. Some things it could be argued were a result of poor choices made on her part, but she is not one to let that hold her down or make her unable to have a good time. I am glad of that. Even as sick as she is , she still has her spunk . That is the part that makes her being sick somewhat bearable.
We rolled into Houston after two in the morning. My roommate and her daughter were hungry. We made a pit stop in Centerville which is about the half way point of the trip. By the time we get to Houston, both the little girl and I had to go to the restroom. I am suprised neither one of us pissed all over ourselves and the car. We finally found a Wal-mart and made a mad dash inside. Then , we went to the hospital, saw the friend and found a hotel room. On the way to the room, we stopped at an all night Shipley Donuts. I love their kolaches. Everyone who knows me well enough knows I was in heaven. So, we get kolaches and my strawberry milk. After the milk and two kolaches, I was ready for some serious sleep. I slept very well until 10 something in the morning. Then, it was back to the hospital. I love Italian food. (In fact, Friday night at work I had Luigi's for dinner.) It is in Mc Gregor, Texas, and I recommend it to anyone. My roommate had gone on and on about a place called Hasta La Pasta. That place beats Olive Garden anyday. I had the chicken florentine and it was good. Really good. Their stuffed mushrooms were good as well. If you are ever in Houston, Texas, and like Italian food, I would say pay the folks at Hasta La Pasta a visit. You will be glad you did.
After eating, it was back to the hospital. I was getting tired at that point. We visited for awhile and then it was back on the road to come home. I wanted to go by a place called the Magic Cauldron, but we did not have time. It would have been closed by the time we got there. We may go again next Friday , so I will go then. I am looking for something for my desk at work. On the way home, we stop at a Flying J's truck stop for gas. I know it was not the ghetto section of Houston, but you would not have know it by the fight in the parking lot. I was inside paying for gas and getting sodas. It took a minute , because the line was long, the girl behind the counter was dealing with the knuckleheads outside (they went to fighting again while I was inside) and I had two people's money. My roommate was paying for the gas and I was getting the sodas. I found out that the cops are slow to response to calls on that side of Houston. It is in a good neighborhood, but it is on the outskirts of town. I was like great! I was glad I was at a truck stop though. There were plenty of guys around to break up the fight before things got out of hand.
I lost track of where we were on the ride home. We were in Kosse, Texas, before I knew it . That meant we were 45 minutes from the house. I was glad by that point. I got tired of riding the night before. It might have been because I worked all day and had not gotten much sleep. I am glad I was not the one driving Friday night. I kept going to sleep until my roommate played AC/DC. That picked me right up.
I love to travel and so does my roommate. We are going to Dallas soon. Then it is on to Houston to see the Nutcracker ballet around Christmas time. We are also going to some Christmas festival in Louisiana the first week of December. She told me what part in the car on the way home, but I got distracted by some deer I saw. Now, I have no idea of where in the hell we are going for the festival.
I hope everyone reading this had a good weekend. I recommend traveling whenever you can. The end of the journey is just as good as the rest. It is always good to make it home.
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