World News Korner

Courtesy of HuffPo:

Chili’s and Sonic became the latest national chains to wade into the gun debate on Friday, announcing in apparently coordinated statements that firearms are no longer welcome in their restaurants.

In separate statements to The Huffington Post, the companies said that they were asking customers not to openly carry firearms in their eateries, following a similar move by Chipotle earlier this month.

“We recognize that the open carry of firearms creates an uncomfortable atmosphere and is not permitted under many local liquor laws,” Ashley Johnson, a spokeswoman for Chili's' parent company, Brinker International, said in an email. “So, we kindly ask that guests refrain from openly carrying firearms into our restaurants and we will continue to follow state and local laws on this issue.”

A Sonic spokesman said the company will defer to local laws with respect to storing guns in vehicles, but said it will no longer permit firearms in its dining areas.

“We’re asking that customers refrain from bringing guns onto our patios or into our indoor dining areas,” said Patrick Lenow, Sonic's vice president of public relations.

What did I say about the outcome from having all of these open carry dipshits walking around with their metal penis extenders on display? And I hope that many other eating establishments will follow suit.

Yesterday somebody provided a link that labeled these 2nd Amendment fetishists, "Ammosexuals."

THAT is going to be my new label going forward.

Damn I don't have a Sonic up here to reward with my business, and the Chili's up the street just closed, but I'm sure there are a few more in town so I think I will plan to eat there sometime this week.

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Courtesy of the Daily Beast:

At a rally for longshot Senate candidate on the bayou, Sarah Palin got choked up on Thursday.

Sarah Palin, a former reality television star, appeared at rally for Rob Maness, the Tea Party candidate for Senate in Louisiana in New Orleans today, and promptly mocked President Obama for that “hopey-changey stuff.”

But moments later, Palin’s eyes welled with tears at a very Obama-esque notion, when Maness, a retired colonel in the Air Force, describing spending 32 years “soaring above our fruited plain and seeing our purple mountains majesty. Because when you are high above the land of the free there is simply no red or blue states, just the United States of America.”

Maness choked up as well, while it took Palin, standing to his side, several moments to dry her eyes and compose herself.”

Okay let me get this straight.

Sarah Palin did NOT get choked up when Native Alaskans were freezing and starving to death during the winter of 2009, her eyes did not "well up with tears" over news of the shooting deaths at Sandy Hook (After which she claimed to have bought Todd a new gun in response to all the "anti-gun chatter coming from Washington.") and she certainly was not overcome with emotion when Gabby Giffords was shot in the head.

Yet when some nobody Tea party candidate in New Orleans regurgitates a line originally used by President Obama she suddenly remembers she has tear ducts?

Yeah, I call bullshit on that.

I found the video of the event (The remarks in question start at the 9:00 minute mark.) and the camera did not catch Palin's tears, and until I see video proof to the contrary I think I will remain skeptical.

The only emotions I have witnessed from this woman are anger, hate, and almost overwhelming jealousy. And I am convinced that is about the depth of her emotional sensitivities.

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Courtesy of The Hill:

Secretary of State John Kerry late Thursday dismissed former Vice President Dick Cheney's comments knocking the Obama administration’s Afghanistan withdrawal plan.

“Any advice from him really has no meaning to me with respect to what we’re doing today,” Kerry said on PBS Newshour.

Kerry said he’s not surprised Cheney would say something “negative” and “wrong.” “Dick Cheney was completely wrong about Iraq, and we are still struggling with the aftermath of what Dick Cheney and his crew thought was the right policy: To go in and start a war of choice for the wrong reasons. And they turned topsy-turvy the entire region with respect to Sunni and Shia and the relationships there,” Kerry said.

The Bush administration, Kerry said, was “deeply, deeply wrong” in the policy it pursued.

This needs to be repeated by members of the administration, Democrats, and journalists, over and over again.

Just the fact that Dick Cheney is still out free, and allowed to criticize this administration's handling of the two wars that he helped start, is a slap in the face to every veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to the families of the soldiers who died fighting for a lie.

P.S. You can watch the entire interview with Gwen Ifill here.

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Courtesy of TPM:

Iowa state Sen. Joni Ernst (R), a candidate for U.S. Senate, said Thursday that the recent mass shooting near the University of California, Santa Barbara was an "unfortunate accident."

During a televised primary debate, a moderator asked Ernst about the shooting because of an ad she ran that shows her firing in a shooting range and promising to "unload" on Obamacare.

"Mrs. Ernst, a viewer wrote us saying in light of the shooting of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, the shootings at the Aurora, Colo., theater, and most recently at the UC Santa Barbara campus, 'we have a Joni Ernst in the television ad that is running continuously on all local television stations that contains violent imagery pointing a gun directly at the viewer and vowing to quote ‘shoot them down’ and hateful language directed toward their opponents. Is this really what politics has become in this country?'" the moderator said. "Mrs. Ernst, what do you say to this viewer?"

"Yes, I would say to this viewer that what happened in that shooting and that stabbing is an absolute tragedy," Ernst said. "However, I remain firm in my commitment to the Second Amendment. I have been endorsed by the NRA in this race, and again, just because of a horrible, horrible tragedy, I don’t believe we should be infringing upon people’s Second Amendment rights."

Ernst was then asked if she would go back and change her political advertisement cited above.

"I would not -- no. This unfortunate accident happened after the ad, but it does highlight that I want to get rid of, repeal, and replace Bruce Braley’s Obamacare," Ernst replied, referring to a Democratic Senate candidate. "And it also shows that I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. That is a fundamental right."

Yeah let's continue to protect the rights of people to murder our fellow citizens because they were cut off in traffic, hated their job, or could not lose their virginity.

Remember with the Right Wing our right to walk the streets safely always takes a back seat to their right to walk around with weaponry so that they can live out their childish Rambo fantasies.

No wonder Sarah Palin rushed to endorse her.

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Courtesy of Odd News:

A Georgia man who allegedly had too much to drink and then started shooting at a Memorial Day Weekend rodeo was taken out of action by a cowboy's lasso.

Celestino Moras wounded three people after he allegedly shot into a crowd with a pistol at an annual church picnic and rodeo in Bartow County.

The incident began after Moras, who was not invited to the event and showed up intoxicated, was asked to leave. Moras became agitated and started firing, causing as many as 300 people to run off, WSB TV reported.

After Moras ran out of bullets, a cowboy lassoed him and others guests beat on him until law enforcement officials arrived.

Since this happened in Georgia, who also have the stand your ground laws, I am very surprised this guy got away with a simple beat down.

I guess Wayne LaPierre was wrong.

It's not a good man with a gun that stops a bad man with a gun. It's a good man with a lasso.



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Courtesy of Politico:

Benghazi — and a pointed rebuttal to Republican critics who’ve laced into her over the incident — in a much-anticipated chapter of her forthcoming book, “Hard Choices,” obtained by POLITICO.

“Those who exploit this tragedy over and over as a political tool minimize the sacrifice of those who served our country,” Clinton writes in the gripping chapter, “Benghazi: Under Attack.”

Casting doubt on the motivations of congressional Republicans who have continued to investigate the attacks, including with an upcoming House select committee, Clinton continues: “I will not be a part of a political slugfest on the backs of dead Americans. It’s just plain wrong, and it’s unworthy of our great country. Those who insist on politicizing the tragedy will have to do so without me.”

The 34-page chapter is Clinton’s most complete account to date of the attack and its aftermath. Her tone is less defensive than defiant: Clinton takes responsibility for the “horror” of the loss of life in Benghazi, but puts it in the context of “the heartbreaking human stakes of every decision we make” — and she accuses adversaries of manipulating a tragedy for partisan gain.

There has been, she writes, a “regrettable amount of misinformation, speculation, and flat-out deceit by some in politics and the media,” but new information from “a number of reputable sources continues to expand our understanding of these events.”

Boy you KNOW this is going to cause the Right Wing to become apoplectic in response to this chapter.

Politico goes on to suggest that Clinton is offering a blueprint for Democrats to use against the Benghazi allegations.

After reading this I am even more excited about Hillary's upcoming appearance on Fox News in June.

I think it very likely might be a blood bath.

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Courtesy of WSVN:

Authorities are investigating after a 6-year-old boy shot his grandfather during a family barbecue, Sunday.

Police arrested Juan Manuel Martinez, Jr. after his 6-year-old nephew discharged Martinez' unattended rifle and killed Martinez' father, Juan Manuel Martinez, Sr. "It's not his fault. He didn't know what he was doing. He's just a little boy. I love him. He's my family. I love all my family," said Martinez as he was embraced by his brother Marco Martinez.

The victim's family describe Martinez, Sr. as a hardworking man who made his money driving trucks after he arrived in the U.S. from Mexico. His family said he also volunteered his time as a youth baseball couch.

On Sunday, Martinez, Sr. and his son were having a barbecue with family and friends at their home off Northwest Fourth Street and Eighth Avenue in Homestead. According to police, Martinez, Jr. was showing off his assault rifle. He then passed the gun to his father who then set the loaded gun on a table and left it unattended for a moment. During that time Martinez, Jr.'s 6-year-old nephew gained access to the rifle and pulled the trigger fatally shooting his grandfather in the chest.

You know at our family picnics we usually have potato salad and burgers. And everybody leaves their weaponry at home.

The idea that these people thought it was appropriate to bring out a loaded firearm and pass it around with children milling about, is completely indefensible to me.

But this is the kind of country we live in now, where it is apparently reasonable to have deadly firearms around small children and beloved family members.

And if somebody dies? Well that is just the price you pay to live in America.

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Hannity interviews Palin at the Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans.

Of course the first questioning Hannity asks is about the VA scandal.

Let the word salad begin!

"I think there's a lack of understanding on our commander-in-chief's part, what the mission of the military is, and why it is that we owe a debt of gratitude that's manifested in benefits paid to those who already earned them. When it comes to what our military's all about. And you know that was really evident in his speech the other day to the cadets at West Point. Weak speech where truly it was...it was illustrated by his words that he just doesn't understand why our young troops especially are those who would volunteer to sacrifice all for the freedoms in this country."

Yes, of course it is the PRESIDENT who does not understand the military mission. You know the guy who ended two wars and is trying to get our troops home to their families, and out of war zones that they had no business being in in the first place. (For a much better take on the President's West Point speech I refer you to this article over at Slate.)

And by the way you lunatic, cadets do not enter the military to "sacrifice all." They really hope to survive their military careers, and someday retire with a chestful of medals and some stories to tell their grandchildren, NOT to bleed out on foreign soil so that America can gain access to their oil.

Next Hannity asks the moron about the "Obama Doctrine."

She starts with a snide comment, "What is the Obama Doctrine? And do you believe in it?" Which brings laughter from the crowd, at which point she asks them if they remember that, alluding to her 2008 interview with Charlie Gibson (Whose name she forgets. "Mr. Reporter, from wherever.") and her terrible response to the question about the Bush Doctrine.

Then another helping of word salad.

"No it's beyond isolationist even. Again he not being a believer in American exceptionalism. In what it takes to remain a superpower. And not for any kind of arrogance in our country, but to actually be that shining light, that...that beacon upon a hill that other countries can look at and count on to be an example, they wishing to emulate it, and that was the Reagan Doctrine."

Hannity then brings up Dick Cheney's remarks about the President being weak, whihc of course Palin is happy to chime in on.

"Yeah and that was a great interview with the former Vice President when he said that..uh..this is a very, very weak president, and it's not that we are weak as a country, but we are so unreliable now under Obama. But even more than the effect that it has on other countries, my concern is the effect that his doctrine, his policies, his attitude has on those volunteering to serve this country. To those whom we owe a debt of gratitude."

Of course this leads to talk about the VA which allows Hannity to ask the question that Palin has been waiting all night to answer, "Is the VA a death panel for many?"

"That's a great point!" (Well of course it is.)

Hannity then asks for a show of hands among his handpicked audience as to how many think it's death panel, and of course hands shoot up all through the crowd.

Of course Palin is loving this.

"Well that is what government run health care will result in. It's inefficient. It takes away choices. And isn't it ironic that that those who are willing to sacrifice all, to put their life on the line, to allow the freedom of choices in health care, and economic decisions, and everything else, our soldiers, our airmen, our Marines, they're the ones getting screwed by the VA and our commander-in-chief is in charge of this ultimately."

Wait, the military is killing people overseas, and risking their lives, so that we can have better healthcare choices, and so that we can decide whether to open an IRA or not? Has anybody told them this?

Hannity and Palin then agree that the prisoners at Gitmo and illegal aliens in this country are receiving better benefits than the veterans, which of course is nonsense.

There is more to the interview during which Hannity and Palin discuss upcoming primaries and their vision for the Republican party moving forward, but seriously it is all bullshit, that I do not feel like transcribing.

The nicest thing I can say about this interview is that at least Palin managed to shower and get her wig under control for this one.

Update: By the way the President just, very reluctantly, announced the resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki.

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Courtesy of HuffPo:

Richard Clarke, the nation’s top counterterrorism official under former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, accused Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney of committing war crimes in their 2003 invasion of Iraq during an interview Tuesday with Democracy Now! that will air next week.

"I think things that they authorized probably fall within the area of war crimes. Whether that would be productive or not, I think, is a discussion we could all have,” said Clarke, who resigned in 2003 after the Bush administration's decision to invade Iraq. “But we have established procedures now with the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where people who take actions as serving presidents or prime ministers of countries have been indicted and have been tried.”

In the first-ever judgment of its kind, Bush and seven other top members of his administration were convicted in absentia of war crimes in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2012 for the unlawful invasion of Iraq.

“So the precedent is there to do that sort of thing. And I think we need to ask ourselves whether or not it would be useful to do that in the case of members of the Bush administration,” Clarke continued. “It’s clear that things that the Bush administration did -- in my mind, at least, it’s clear that some of the things they did were war crimes."

If I were ever to be asked what great injustice I would want to see rectified it would be that the entire Bush administration be prosecuted for war crimes and imprisoned for life.

Or executed. I am not usually a proponent of the death penalty, but in this case I would make an exception.

How George Bush can walk among the people of this country without every other American attempting to assassinate him for sending thousands of American soldiers to their death for a lie, is something that I just don't understand.

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So is that clear?

The parts of the Bible that are true are the ones that don't contradict modern values and social norms, or have not been subjected to scientific review.

The other parts were never supposed to be taken literally, except of course they were, and thousands, nay millions, died for not respecting the rules laid out in those ancient texts.

Still confused? Well then this video is certainly not going to help clear that up.

So clearly the Bible is the inerrant word of God, except for the parts that aren't. But we don't know which parts those are since nobody seems to know who wrote any of the parts, and the original writings have all been lost over time.

And this is the religion that has dominated the world for centuries.

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Courtesy of Knox News:

Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, former presidential candidate Rick Santorum and other conservative heavyweights will be at Smokies Stadium next month for an event titled “America’s Last Stand.” (I wonder how Santorum feels about the fact that his picture is smaller than Palin's? After all he actually had the balls to run for President.)

The former Alaskan governor and presidential candidate will be joined by former New York judge Jeanine Pirro (God she's a nasty bitch.) and one-time congressman Col. Allen West, who both now contribute to the Fox News Channel. Country crooner John Michael Montgomery and Cuban singer Jon Secada will provide entertainment.

The event is sponsored in part by the Sevier County Tea Party.

You know Custer had a last stand, didn't turn out so well for him.

I wonder what this one is all about?

The night’s theme, “America’s Last Stand,” is meant to motivate local voters and encourage them to take control of the country’s political future, said Sevier County Tea Party Chairman Steve Osborn.

“Being proud to be an American is not an arrogant frame of mind, it’s a knowledge we’ve been blessed with the greatest nation in history and we could easily lose it if the people don’t wake up soon,” he said.

Oh it's an opportunity to grift off of the dimwitted paint chip eaters. Should have known.

Of course these morons have already lost the country that they think are fighting to retain. For instance it is perfectly okay for women to vote now, interracial relationships no longer end in a lynching, and public education is no longer taught using the Bible as a textbook.

You know I think this might be the first time that Palin has been back to Tennessee since she sent that poor kid to jail for guessing her Yahoo mail password.

Must be nice to return to a place where she had one of her very few victories in life.

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Going to sit down for Fox News interview. Might want to start praying for them now.

Courtesy of The Washington Post:

Fox News Channel will do an interview with former secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton next month on the heels of her memoir release date.

Fox News's Bret Baier and Greta Van Susteren will conduct a joint interview with Clinton on June 17, the network announced Thursday. It will come one week after the June 10 release of Clinton's memoir, "Hard Choices."

I don't usually watch Fox News, but I will be sure to catch this as it will be a chance to watch Hillary respond to some of the Fox News conspiracy theories in person.

I have no doubt she will chew both of these lightweights up and spit them out.

Greta is probably going to be too star struck, and too busy girl crushing, to ask anything of substance, but Baier has a history of being a disrespectful douchenozzle.

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Courtesy of WBIW:

A Clifford woman was hit by a bullet Saturday night while shopping at the westside Walmart in Columbus. That's according to a report from The Republic.

Columbus Police Chief Jon Rohde was at the store at about 8 p.m. Saturday night when he heard a gunshot. Rohde told The Republic that 56-year-old Tony E. Ward of Columbus had been carrying a .22 pistol in a holster on his waistband. The gun fell from his waist and discharged.

The bullet went through a soda bottle in a cart and struck the right arm of 26-year-old Virginia Thompson, who was pushing her newborn baby when the gun went off. The bullet hit the outside of Thompson's arm and after treatment by paramedics she declined to be taken to the hospital.

Of course the man had a permit for his gun so there was no arrest.

After all this is the price for living in America. Every once in a while you have to avoid incoming gunfire.

And remember kids, guns don't kill people, they only barely miss their child and wound them in the arm when dropped.




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Courtesy of Raw Story:

A Florida woman is accused of drowning one child after trying to poison another, in what she described as accordance with a local pastor’s sermon, WPEC-TV reported on Wednesday.

Kimberly Dawn Lucas is currently being held in Palm Beach County Jail in connection with the death of her former partner’s 2-year-old daughter and the attempted killing of the child’s 10-year-old brother at their home in Jupiter on Monday.

Investigators said Lucas attended a sermon by Metropolitan Community Church pastor Lea Brown this past Sunday that covered the Biblical story of Abraham readying himself to sacrifice his son on orders from God, only to be stopped by God at the last minute.

Lucas is accused of trying the same thing — trying to kill the two young children she was helping to raise, but she wrote in a suicide note that God didn’t step in and stop her, at least in the case of the 2-year-old girl. Lucas’ own suicide attempt failed. Police reportedly found Lucas’ message typed on a computer in the home.

“In YOUR WORDS “WHEN YOU ARE LAYING IN BED AT NIGHT REMEMBER YOU F*CKING DID THIS TO YOURSELF!” the note stated. “Lea’s sermon really, really touched me yesterday but God never told me to stop. Hell is what we [go] through on Earth. Enjoyed your life with possiblego [sic] out without us, he manage but give you finally what you what want because apparently over the past 20 years I was not able to. Love you Always Kimberly.

"What harm is there in taking the Bible literally?" they always ask.

Simply put some people are too emotionally fragile, or mentally unstable to be subjected to religion.

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Okay so the guy in the middle of the picture is Sgt. Dakota Meyer, who just received the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor.

Apparently his reward for that is to be subjected to a truly banal interview by Sarah Palin.

Here are a sampling of the questions she supposedly asked:

Now that you’re out of active duty, what are your short- and long-term goals?

While you were serving our country, what was your favorite or most valuable experience?

ZZZZ. Oh sorry, nodded off there for a bit.

Of course this is Guns and Ammo, so there must be a few questions about...you know...guns and ammo.

You grew up in the outdoors and value the traditions of American sportsmen. What can we do to get others involved in the hunting, shooting and the outdoor lifestyle?

How can we get more people involved in firearms and to realize shooting them is a safe and healthy sport?

What was the first gun you ever fired and when?

"Does your daddy load your guns for you when you go hunting?"

Sorry I added that last one.

The answers to those questions are just as boring as the questions. In fact the entire "interview" feels like it was conducted by e-mail and only attributed to Palin in order to attract interest.

But here's my question.

Just how many phones does this crazy woman own?

Okay so now that Palin's fake reality show is coming to an end, and Fox News is essentially done with her, is she now down to freelancing as a reporter for whatever Right Wing magazine will give her a couple of dollars?

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Courtesy of the Movoto Blog:

This stunning time lapse of Anchorage places you right in the middle of what you could only hope to see in person. I’m talking about the Northern Lights, and they’ll absolutely give you chills.

Cinematographer Zan Butler transforms the dark, cold winter into a season of understated beauty. Watch as the open spaces that surround the city fill the frames and push any sight of people into the margins. Apart from the slight flashes of distant streetlights, winding cars, and overhead planes, the icy mountains and waterways are undisturbed.

Just imagine, I get to see this everyday.

My daughter occasionally gets on my case for not wanting to visit the lower 48, or leave the country. But I always say why should I, when I am constantly amazed by what is just outside my very own door?

Kind of a nice change after that whole everything's on fire video I shared earlier, don't you think?

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The above graphic may seem a little over the top, I mean who in their right minds would drink from the glass on the right? (Personally I would have to be damn thirsty to drink from the one on the left either.)

However it is really not as exaggerated as you might want to believe.

For example in India millions of devoted Hindus travel to the Ganges River for its supposed purification capabilities, but in fact it is terribly polluted and potentially fatal.

There was also a report in 2013 that the holy water used in Catholic ceremonies could prove lethal.

And then of course there are the times when religious people drink what they believe to be miracle water only to discover that it's actually aphid excrement.

But then I guess one could simply rationalize explosive diarrhea as God working in mysterious ways.

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Courtesy of Multichannel News:

With Amazing America with Sarah Palin about to end its run, Sportsman Channel is getting “unplugged” with a new original series about people living off the grid.

Premiering June 5 at 8 p.m. (ET) America Unplugged, hosted by former U.S. Navy SEAL Cade Courtley, will look at the stories of eight Americans who have chosen to live off the land, including generating their own electricity. The network says about 400,000 Americans are living off the grid.

Marc Fein, executive vice president of programming and production for Sportsman Channel, says Amazing America, featuring Palin, the former vice presidential candidate, generated big increases in viewership in its timeslot from a year ago. It also generated buzz for the network. There have been renewal discussions, but no decision has been made at this juncture.

Now this does not mean for sure that Palin's show is off the air permanently. However considering how hard the Sportsman Channel pushed this show in the beginning it is a little odd that they seem uncertain as to its fate.

I have to say that I would be surprised if it came back considering that it only started in April, to lukewarm reviews, and that it has garnered very little attention even though Sarah Palin herself has been in the news multiple times since its premiere.

By the way, what kind of a series only lasts two months?

I think the best answer to that question is, a terrible one.

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Courtesy of azfamily.com:

A toddler accidentally shot and killed his younger brother at a Payson apartment on Tuesday.

According to the Payson Police Department, the boys were playing in an apartment at 303 S. Ash Street at around noon when they discovered a gun.

The 3-year-old shot the 18-month-old in the head. The victim was rushed to Payson Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

The mother and the two children were visiting a 78-year-old friend at his apartment which is in the same complex where they live.

They had only been there 10 or 15 minutes when the boys got into another room where they found the gun.

Police said, the mother was looking for the boys and just as she walked through the door of that room the 3-year-old boy fired the gun.

A lot of pro-2nd Amendment advocates would have you believe that the majority of gun owners are uber responsible individuals with gun safety training, who treat their weapons carefully, and keep them secured when not in use.

But there is substantial evidence to prove that such is not the case.

I would say that a large percentage have a gun in their home that they really don't think about that often unless they hear a bump in the night, or decide to blow off steam at a shooting range.

The owners seem to often consider the weapons to be more of a tool then an instrument of death, and do not treat it with the kind of respect that is called for when dealing with an object that can even accidentally discharge and end a human life.

It is really this lack of responsibility, and the vast numbers of weapons in our community, that puts all of us at risk.

All it would take is stricter guidelines for the purchase and ownership of these weapons, a comprehensive registration process, and some mandatory training, to dramatically reduce the number of accidental deaths in this country.

Personally I feel badly for this mother who had every right to assume that there was not a deadly arsenal only feet away from her children.

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Courtesy of the Washington Post:

Phil Robertson, the controversial star of the hit TV show "Duck Dynasty" will address the upcoming Republican Leadership Conference on Thursday.

Robertson will talk to the annual confab in the evening of its opening day, the conference announced Tuesday. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) are among the people also scheduled to speak Thursday evening at the conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.

That's right Republican party keep right on openly embracing the intolerant, misogynist, and xenophobic.

After all that IS your base.

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Courtesy of the Washington Post:

Two-thirds of Americans in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll disapprove of the Republican strategist raising questions about Clinton's age and health in advance of her potential presidential run. The lopsided negative reaction to Rove's commentary -- just 26 percent approve of his topic of criticism -- includes majorities of every age group as well as Democrats and independents. Republicans split evenly on the issue, with 45 percent approving and 46 percent disapproving of Rove broaching the issue.

In the overall category, combining all political groups it was 66% to 26% disapproval. For Democrats it was 84 to 11 percent. Independents 64 to 27. And of course as pointed out in the above paragraph only the Republicans were evenly split on the issue.

Of course since most Republicans will undoubtedly vote against Clinton based simply on principle, and every other demographic is turned off by this, it is probably not something that the rest of the GOP should adopt as a viable method of attack against Hillary.

Of course this information comes too late to stop a certain Grizzled Mama from stuffing her Naughty Monkey pumps into her gaping maw.

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Courtesy of the Kiss of Death's Facebook page:

Steve Lonegan gave liberals a fright in 2013 by putting on a fight like the Garden State had never seen against liberal Cory Booker in the special election for U.S. Senate. (Actually he lost in 55% to 44% during a special election which historically favors Republicans.) Never backing down from his conservative principles, Steve won support from Democrats, independents, and a unified GOP in his campaign. This good mayor isn’t done fighting for what’s right! 2014 has called him to run for the open U.S. House seat in New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District, an area he carried by five points in the Senate election.

Steve is the type of conservative leader we need. He believes in the free market principles this country was founded on because he has seen first hand how they can lead to success. Overcoming adversity in his own life, Steve built his successful business from the ground up and was elected mayor of Bogota, NJ. In Washington, he will be a dedicated fighter for lower taxes, balanced budgets, and lessening the burdens of regulation on small businesses. Todd and I enjoyed joining our friend Mark Levin in getting to know Steve and his wife Lorraine on the campaign trail, and I know these patriots are just the type of fighters we need in Congress.

As Palin mentions she endorsed Lonegan back in 2013 as well, and of course he lost. Same will probably hold true this time.

Lonegan gave it his all last time, whihc included questioning Cory Booker's sexuality. But still came out the loser.

Of course for me the most iconic moment of that campaign came during his concession speech.


Oh yeah, the consummate compassionate conservative.

I think I will very much enjoy watching this blowhard lose again.

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Sarah Palin sure can pick winners can't she?

Courtesy of TPM:

Samuel Wurzelbacher gave his condolences this week to the families of the victims of the mass shooting near the University of California, Santa Barbara. But no tragedy is going to stop "Joe The Plumber" from defending the Second Amendment.

In an open letter published Tuesday on the website Barbwire, Wurzelbacher went out of his way to explain to the victims' parents that the deaths won't undermine his "Constitutional rights."

"I am sorry you lost your child. I myself have a son and daughter and the one thing I never want to go through, is what you are going through now," wrote Wurzelbacher, who became something of a mascot for John McCain's failed 2008 presidential campaign. "But: As harsh as this sounds – your dead kids don’t trump my Constitutional rights."

I think that just about sums it up.

To these people who believe that the 2nd Amendment is the MOST important part of the Constitution, there is nothing that they hold more dear.

Not even the lives of our children.

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Gotta love that free speech.

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Courtesy of Radar Online:

RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned that Johnston has dragged Palin back into court in Alaska in a bid to get more time with their five-year-old son, Tripp, and to curb Palin’s repeated trips out of state with the boy.

“I was never EVER ok with u taking my son anywhere or put[ting him] on your tv show,” Johnston snaps in bitter text messages submitted as evidence in the case, and only Radar has all the details.

Radar also finally learned that there has never been a legal custody agreement between Levi and Bristol, and that all of this time he has been at her mercy as to when, and for how long he could see Tripp. (Just another way that he was screwed over by Rex and Tank.)

Instead of having a solid visitation agreement, Bristol just up and took Tripp whenever she wanted to, and often this came as a surprise to Levi:

“Hey I thought our flight left tomorrow, but it leaves midnight tonight,” a supposed text from Palin sent January 6, 2014, reads.

“When does my son get back?” Johnston’s response reads. “I told u … There is not chance you are taking him there for another 3 months. TRIPP wants and needs his father, Bristol. U need to let him stay with me or fly him back up to me when I’m back from work. That’s completely reasonable.”

“Look Levi, bfeore sunny got involved in this, you were fine with me being in school,” Palin snapped back in the alleged text. “Tripp is enrolled in school in AZ and will be back when I’m done with training.”

Johnston insisted, “Tripp needs to be in Alaska. We’re [sic] the rest of his family is. How can u be so selfish and no I was never EVER ok with u taking my son anywhere or put on your TV show. It’s all crap. He deserves more then [sic] that. He needs his dad and my family just as much as yours. And more importantly. Tripp needs stability and a routine and sports. And all that. I really hope and pray u put 2 and 2 together one day. It’s not right. Or fair to our son.”

“Go ahead and ask him if he want to stay with dad or go with u,” he taunted. “Bet he says dad. Just saying Bristol. Tripps old enough to tell u what he wants now.”

I have been told that Levi often did not even realize that Tripp was out of town until days after he left.

I remember that Sadie would complain bitterly that there would be agreed upon visitations, often around holidays and birthdays, and then at the last minute Bristol would simply cancel, without bothering to give a reason.

Hopefully this time there will be an actual agreement that will protect Levi and his parental rights, and introduce some stability into the child's life.

Which by the way is more than Bristol apparently ever had.

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Courtesy of Raw Story:

Rev. Franklin Graham told a group of conservative pastors that he loves LGBT people enough to warn them they risked falling into the “the flames of hell.”

“I love them enough to care to warn them that if they want to continue living like this, it’s the flames of hell for you,” Graham said Thursday night at the Watchmen on the Wall National Pastor’s Briefing in Washington, D.C.

“Now, if you don’t like that, don’t get mad at me,” Graham said. “I didn’t write the rule book. Almighty God wrote it, and it’s a sin against Him.”

He said religious leaders were stifled by political correctness.

“We don’t want to be called a homophobic,” he said, “and I tell people, listen, I’m not afraid of homosexuals, I’m really not — matter of fact, I love them.”

Graham, who has repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for his anti-gay policies, cautioned the pastors not to compromise in their teaching.

“Listen gentlemen — we live in a world where there is so much compromise,” said Graham. “This city that we’re in, that’s all they do is compromise. We cannot go down that road because you and I are going to have to stand before God one day and give an account to Him, and you don’t want Him to say from His lips, ‘You were a coward.’”

A man who openly praises Vladimir Putin who is invading neighboring countries and murders reporters who dares to question him, and who condemns men and women for loving in a way that he does not condone.

And yet he claims to love the people who he insists must deny their nature and live a life with love or sexual fulfillment.

Fuck him.

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Courtesy of Slate:

If you’ve followed the story of Uganda’s infamous “Kill the Gays” law over the past few years, you’re probably aware that prominent American evangelicals like Scott Lively and Lou Engle have been harshly criticized for their role in introducing a strain of zealous social conservatism—including an especially vicious condemnation of homosexuality—to Africa. But media reports of this phenomenon have been mere hints compared to the dense epidemiological survey that God Loves Uganda represents. Williams’ vision of the relationship between American missionary groups—like the Kansas City-based International House of Prayer that he profiles here—and the Ugandan government and culture is one of contagion, infection. Early in the film, an animated map of the globe shows salvation spreading like a plague across the world. A little later, a young woman on her first mission trip to the country describes her goal as one of virality:

"One of my greatest hopes is to deposit what I’ve kind of received at IHOP, that DNA of prayer and worship. DNA replicates itself, and so I think that everybody wants to replicate their values and the core parts of who they are."

And as Williams shows, the evangelical movement’s vector-teams have been successful—images of spirit-struck white people wailing and “rapid-fire” praying for Africa in Missouri transform into scenes of wild-eyed Ugandan ministers screaming at strangers in a traffic jam, of white-walled rooms full of people jumping and flailing and lifting chairs in the air, of sweat-drenched Africans speaking in tongues. Williams has created a zombie movie, only the dreaded mutation is one of hateful Christian ideology rather than cells: Call it “World War C.”

Tracing the origins of this epidemic prove upsettingly simple. “The West has been in a decline,” Lou Engle, founder of prayer rally program “The Call,” explains in the gruff, breathy, slightly crazed tone that a certain kind of minister uses to convey his fervor. “But right now I think that Africa, it’s the firepot of spiritual renewal and revival. It’s very exciting to me.” America is becoming increasingly resistant to his bigoted version of Christianity; time to find greener pastures elsewhere. And as another missionary explains, Uganda is the perfect place: “50 percent of the population is under 15 years old. … What [we] can do is limited, but we can multiply ourselves in these young people.” Add that to the strategy of tying aid and charity work to values exportation in order to ensure a captive audience, and it’s easy to see why many Ugandans so readily accept the evangelical message.

I discovered the sordid side of evangelism and missionary work right here in Alaska, after finding out how the early Christian workers separated families, punished children for speaking their native languages, and renamed them with Biblical names while insisting that they forget their birth names.

What I learned up here was more than enough to put me off religion for the rest of my life, but when you research the spread of Christianity throughout the world, the brutality, oppression, and destruction of ancient customs and beliefs is enough to make a truly moral person sick to their stomach.

World War C, is the perfect description of the plague that has swept this planet and which continues to tear apart communities, turn family members against each other, and inspire hatred toward homosexuals and those unwilling to leave the religion of their ancestors.

If you have not yet seen the film, worry not, you can see it right here.

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Okay so as we have discussed before this last Saturday there was a convention in Wasilla that featured speakers like Rafael Cruz, Sharron Angle, and the Bundy Ranch supporter who thought protesters should hide behind their women.

As I posted later there was absolutely NO coverage from any of the local press.

Until now.

Yesterday Amanda Coyne, formerly of the Alaska Dispatch, posted this story on her blog.

Here are some of the lowlights:

There’s going to be a time, I predict sooner rather than later, when reasonable Republicans aren’t going to be able to sit through a speech like the one given at the Alaska Republican Assembly convention in Wasilla by Assembly President Sharron Angle, the Nevada politician who ran for Senate in 2010.

“One out of every six bundlers on the Democratic side is homosexual,” she told the 150 or so people at the Wasilla Sports Complex on Saturday. “Are you starting to see the trend? If we want to stop their agenda we have to stop their money,” she said.

One day reasonable Republicans in the room will get up and walk out, in the same way they’d walk out if she substituted “black” or “Hispanic” for “homosexual. “

Coyne then goes on to report that there were apparently none of these "reasonable Republicans" of whom she speaks, because everybody kept their seats and clapped politely.

So who was there? Among the attendees:

Reps. Bill Stoltze, Lynn Gattis, Shelley Hughes, Wes Keller, and Lora Reinbold. Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan worked the room. Sen. Lesil McGuire made an appearance, as did Russ Millette, the former GOP chair who just announced that he was running for governor as a Republican. Bill Walker had a booth, manned by his running mate Craig Fleener. Anand Dubey, who’s running for state House in West Anchorage, and John Cox, a candidate for the U.S. House, were there. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan also had a booth. Mead Treadwell had a presence. Joe Miller was there, getting the most shout-outs from the speakers. (Hmm, no mention of Sarah Palin? How interesting.)

Most of them sat or stood around the edges, chatting with occasional passersby, and occasionally even rolling their eyes at some of the speakers’ more fulsome pronouncements. None of them, however, left. The people in the room represented a slice of the electorate that they’re going to need in in the primary, and they can’t afford to offend them.

In other words these were the nuttiest of the wingnuts, and these politicians realized that in this state in order to win a primary, that is exactly who they needed on their side.

Coyne goes on to report that the other speakers were just as crazed as Angle:

You can say a lot about Sharron Angle, but at least she doesn’t yell. Two of the other keynote speakers did a lot of that. For hours. God. Guns. Socialism. Obama.

Richard Mack, a sheriff from Arizona, yelled about how Alaska should be able to elect sheriffs. Right now!!!

“Are you a David?” he yelled. “Do you have the courage to go against the Goliath?… Did you know that gun control is against the law?… How many God given rights are in the First Amendment?”

“Five!” he yelled.

Ted Cruz’s father Pastor Rafael rounded out the afternoon. Like the sheriff, the senior Cruz’s voice rose. But the sheriff’s shouts seemed aimed at hitting you, individually, in your gut. The senior Cruz’s voice was the voice of stern pastors everywhere, the one that rips right through you, through the walls, into some land beyond that only they envision.

“Nobody is taking my gun or my bible,” he shouted. “Vote according to principle.”

"Nobody is taking my gun or my bible." Wow if that does not sum up the essence of the conservative wing of the Republican party I don't know what does.

Coyne does not report on exactly how many people showed up on Saturday, but if her tweeted photo from the convention is any indication, not very damn many.

Alaska Republican Assembly in Wasilla: Lots of politicos. Most creative? Treadwell's posse in neon shirts. #aksen pic.twitter.com/q4YBvKC5zu
— Amanda Coyne (@Amanda_Coyne) May 24, 2014

Let me just reiterate how glad I am that I did not waste my Saturday at this gathering of mental midgets.

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The purpose of life is to nurture and protect those that follow our own.

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As all of you know I posted about Palin's hypocrisy concerning Hillary's health right after she made her clumsy attempt at an attack last week.

Sadly for Andrew Sullivan he was out of the office that week. However now that he is back in front of his laptop, he is ready to take Palin head on.

First Sullivan takes a moment to agree with Palin about the importance of a candidate releasing their medical records when running for office. Then he reminds his readers that he was vilified for doing the exact same thing in regard to Palin in 2008:

When did Palin actually release something about her health? She released a two-page letter from her doctor one hour before polling day.

No records at all. Was she subjected to a press grilling? I know of no reporter who asked her to verify her Trig stories; there were no questions ever about her weird stories about giving a speech while having contractions or getting on an airplane eight months pregnant and already in labor. The McCain campaign never asked her for verification or explanation of any of these stories. Those of us who did ask were then ridiculed and slimed by the press and the campaign.

These facts need to be remembered when Palin tries to rewrite history. And one above all: all Hillary Clinton needs to do, if she is to follow Palin’s example, is to wait until an hour before the polls open, and release a brief doctor’s note saying nothing is wrong. Somehow, I don’t think the press will let her get away with that. Which raises the question of why the press let Palin get away with the same thing. And still do.

EXACTLY!

And that is really the crux of the argument put forward by those of us taunted with the "Trig Truther" label.

IF Palin had released comprehensive medical records, or released a verifiable birth certificate for Trig, then I think she could have legitimately mocked those who kept accusing her of faking her pregnancy, or continued questioning the circumstances surrounding it.

However to this day, she has done neither.

Nor are their any pictures of her bare pregnant belly, no testimonials of any friends who felt a baby kick, or any photos of her in the delivery room holding her newborn. (Which by the way is something that I believe EVERY mother has in their possession.)

And let me just say how nice it is to see that Andrew has not stepped away from the babygate controversy. He obviously rarely has need to bring it up, but if Palin gives him an opening he is certainly not shy about taking it.

And isn't Palin an idiot for giving it to him?

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Courtesy of Mother Jones:

Two videos posted on YouTube on May 19 by the San Antonio chapter of Open Carry Texas—since removed from public view but obtained by Mother Jones—show its armed members being refused service at both restaurants. The two companies have not made official statements on open carry but have since indicated that they are reviewing their policies. From the nervous and angry reactions of some patrons to comments from some of the gun activists themselves, it's not difficult to see why these spectacles haven't been winning many people over.

When a young woman approaches the group in Chili's and expresses her dismay, a guy with an assault rifle strapped across his back offers her a flyer. "Um actually, there's children here," she replies, "and you're a dumbass." As she walks away one member of the group comments mockingly, "Yes, I'm a dumbass," and then says of her, "must be Moms Demand Action," referring to the national gun reform group.

In the Sonic video, as the thwarted gun group lingers in an adjacent parking lot, one member says: "I just wish I had my kids in there when that one dumb chick come up and started rattin' her mouth."

Personally I think these inbred morons should keep right on showing up at restaurants with those long guns and their bellies hanging over their belts.

They might literally do more to usher in stricter gun control laws, than the recent mass shootings have managed to do.

Which, of course, is nothing.

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Courtesy of TPM:

"Have we learned nothing? These things are going to continue until somebody does something," Richard Martinez said in an interview with CNN. "So where the hell is the leadership? Where the hell are these people we elect to congress that we spend so much money on? These people are getting rich sitting in Congress, and what do they do? They don't take care of our kids. My kid died because nobody responded to what happened at Sandy Hook."

Martinez's son, Christopher, was the last of six victims allegedly killed by Elliot Rodger before the suspected shooter took his own life. An emotional Martinez had railed against "craven, irresponsible politicians" and the National Rifle Association for their support of gun rights at a Saturday press conference. He redoubled his criticism of Congress in his interview with CNN, calling lawmakers a "rudderless bunch of idiots."

A visibly angry Martinez expressed dismay that no legislative action has been taken since 20 elementary school students were killed by shooter Adam Lanza in Newtown.

"Those parents lost little kids. I had 20 years with my son. That's all I'll ever have," he said. "But those people lost their children at 6 and 7 years old. How do you think they feel? And who's talking to them now, who's doing anything for them now? Who is standing up for those kids that died back then in an elementary school? Why wasn't something done? It's outrageous."

It is outrageous. It's outrageous that no mater how many people die from gun violence everyday in this country, that our politicians are too cowardly to stand up and fight against a lobby that is really not nearly as powerful as we are led to believe.

And the most heartbreaking thing of all is that after we are finished lamenting this latest shooting, and after our memories start to fade, we will all go back to our lives as if it never happend until the NEXT terrible massacre occurs, and you know it will, which angers us enough to yet again speak out and demand that something be done to stop the violence.

But of course very little actually will change, and more grieving parents will soon join the Sandy Hook parents, and Mr. Martinez, in asking WHY.

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Courtesy of Raw Story:

A California Republican touted his commitment to Second Amendment rights and support from pro-gun groups a day after a deadly shooting rampage in a recorded phone call made to voters.

A spokesman for Tony Strickland, who is running for the state’s 25th congressional district, said the robocall was scheduled before a 22-year-old killed seven people and wounded seven others Friday night in Isla Vista.

The calls, which pointed out that Strickland was a founding member of the NRA Member Council and former California Rifle and Pistol Association Legislator of the Year, were made Saturday to voters outside of Los Angeles.

“Tony has been a longtime supporter of the rights of citizens to keep and bear arms and will continue to oppose, and actively fight, any legislation that would take away our Second Amendment right to bear arms,” the call stated. “As the founder of the Freedom Firearms Coalition and with a lifetime ‘A’ rating from the NRA, we can count on Tony Strickland to protect our constitutional rights.”

The problem with gun violence in this country is NOT due to the fact that there is not enough money spent on helping those with mental health issues, though in fact there is not. It is that there are simply too many Goddamn guns on the streets, and they are MUCH too readily available, to ANYBODY, regardless of why they may want to purchase them.

To put it simply, you can shoot somebody to death whether you are mentally ill, too drunk to make rational choices, to angry to think clearly, or too young to know what you are doing.

But you CANNOT shoot somebody to death if you do not have a gun with which to do it.

THAT should be the focus for keeping us safe.

And insensitive, asshole politicians like this one, do nothing but exacerbate the problem.

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President Obama placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington Cemetery.

Courtesy of the Obama Diary:

President Obama on Monday honored all the Americans who have given their lives for their country, from the Civil War of a century-and-a-half ago to the Afghanistan war that is wrapping up this year. In Memorial Day remarks delivered a day after a surprise visit to Afghanistan, Obama said the U.S. troops there “are coming home” from the conflict that began a month after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. “By the end of this year, our war in Afghanistan will finally come to an end,” Obama said during the annual Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. During his speech, Obama praised veterans from all the nation’s wars. “Everything that we hold precious in this country was made possible by Americans who gave their all,” Obama said.

Here you can find the video of the President's remarks.

Though there is much to criticize, the President took no cheap political shots.

Because it would be disrespectful to their memories to do so, and a REAL leader recognizes that.

And of course last night President Obama went to honor the troops still with us and tell them that he is going to get them out of harm's way as soon as possible.

Because a REAL leader also tries to limit the number of new headstones that are placed in Arlington Cemetery during his term in office.

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Courtesy of the NewsMiner:

A massive wildfire pushed by wind in Alaska's Kenai Peninsula south of Anchorage continued to explode in size, leading to mandatory evacuations of 1,000 structures, officials said Sunday.

The number of people told to flee their homes isn't clear, said Michelle Weston, spokeswoman with the Alaska Interagency Management Team, which includes the state Division of Forestry and federal and local officials.

Officials said that as of 4 p.m. Alaska time, the fire covered nearly 243 square miles and may continue to grow as it burns in the 1.9 million-acre Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.

Reports came in last night that the fire had jumped the Kenai River, putting the town of Sterling in jeopardy as well.

The air quality in Anchorage continues to be pretty bad, and I went outside just now and there is a definite smell of smoke in the air.

The good news is that it is supposed to rain tomorrow, and that should help quite a bit.

At least that is what we are hoping for.

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Courtesy of Lady Liberal Libation's Facebook page:

Enjoy this long, glorious spring weekend, and please never forget the true meaning of Memorial Day. We set this time aside to honor the men and women who for generations have ensured our safety and our ability to spend a day like this in freedom and peace. They are more than just names on gravestones in national cemeteries and battlefields. They were someone’s child, sibling, spouse, parent, and friend. As President Reagan said, on Memorial Day we remember “those who were loved and who, in return, loved their countrymen enough to die for them.”

Thank you, God, for instilling the passion for freedom in these patriots. Thank you for equipping America with the resources to defend the liberty You have given us. (Did she just thank God for the Military Industrial Complex? You know, the people who donate millions of dollars to politicians so that they will keep starting wars that allow them to sell their murderous products to the government.)

Please remember our active veterans today as well as those who have fallen. Every American should feel outrage at any injustice done to our veterans seeking what was promised them when they volunteered to defend the homeland. They are owed the health care they have already paid for. Friends, be determined to right the wrongs our vets face today. (Ah, gotta twist that knife buried in President Obama's back, don't you nasty?)

President Lincoln knew our military heroes as "those who gave the last full measure of devotion” for our freedom; let’s continue Lincoln’s legacy of respect and always keep faith with our veterans. They, more than any, deserve our country’s unending respect and gratitude.

- Sarah Palin

Reagan, Lincoln, did you ever notice that Palin likes to mention the same American presidents that Barack Obama said that he admired in past speeches and comments? Calling Dr. Freud.

Yes today is a day to honor our fallen soldiers who gave their lives in service of our country.

However it should not be a day for half term governors, failed reality stars, and current D-list celebrities to attack the President of this country, while pretending to care about the deaths of the actual soldiers whose lives were put in the kind of jeopardy that her own political connections protected her own son from facing.

In other words this should be a day free from hypocrisy.

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