Fire & Hammer: How the Renewed Mind Sees God

Fire & Hammer: How the Renewed Mind Sees God

STOP OR I WILL .... UH .... Sketch?

Another ridiculous use of zero tolerance:

From the Tucson Citizen:

Chandler school suspends boy for sketching gun
The Associated Press

Chandler school officials have suspended a 13-year-old boy for sketching a picture that resembled a gun, saying it posed a threat to classmates.

But parents of the Payne Junior High School student said the drawing was a harmless doodle of a fake laser, and school officials overreacted.

I just can't believe that there wasn't another way to resolve this," said Paula Mosteller, the boy's mother. "He's so upset. The school made him feel like he committed a crime. They are doing more damage than good."

The Mostellers said the drawing did not show blood, bullets, injuries, or target any human. They said it was just a drawing that resembled a gun.

But Payne Junior High administrators thought the sketch was enough of a threat and gave the boy a five-day suspension, later reduced to three days.

Chandler district spokesman Terry Locke said the sketch was "absolutely considered a threat," and threatening words or pictures are punishable.

The school did not contact police and did not provide counseling or evaluate the boy to determine if he intended the drawing as a threat.

School officials issued the suspension Monday afternoon. They notified the student's father, Ben Mosteller. He met with school officials and persuaded them to shorten his son's suspension from 5 days to 3.

Ben Mosteller said that when he came to the school to discuss his son's punishment, school officials mentioned the seriousness of the issue and talked about the massacre at Colorado's Columbine High School — the site where two teenagers shot and killed 12 students and injured 24 others in 1999.

The Mostellers said the Columbine reference was extreme and offensive.

They have contacted the district's governing board about the incident involving their son.
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Um

er

um

yeah

uh

hmmmmmmm

Can we say political Correctness gone awry? This article frustrates me SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much.

First, I drew pictures of guns when I was in school...and I dont seem to remember that being a threat to anyone, I mean seriously, what was the worst I could do? Inflict a paper cut?

Second, the doofus principal suspended a student for drawing something that was relatively harmless...if I had gotten suspended for every drawing I ever made that would be considered a "threat" to someone, I never would have went to school.

Third....where is the ACLU in this? SILENT as usual. They are too busy going after Christians for spreading the good news. I hope these parents sue....and win...and political correctness gets thrown out the damn window with the garbage where it belongs.

AAAAAARARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHh

RIP Rico

From the Tucson Citizen:

Services to be planned for DPS dog Rico, 7

CARLI BROSSEAU

Tucson Citizen

Rico, a prolific drug-sniffing dog for the Department of Public Safety, on Monday became DPS' first K-9 officer to die in the line of duty when he was struck by a tractor-trailer near Benson.

The 7-year-old Belgian Malinois had been pursuing a pair of suspects who leapt from a pickup a DPS officer had stopped for speeding, the agency said.

About 967 pounds of marijuana were found in the pickup, DPS said. Two men are in jail, charged with transporting drugs and fleeing police.

During four years of service, Rico contributed to the seizure of about 68,000 pounds of marijuana, five pounds of heroin, 85 pounds of cocaine, 95 pounds of methamphetamine and $800,000 in cash, DPS said in a news release.

"Rico was extremely important to our unit," Sgt. Ray Kennedy, who is in charge of the unit, said Tuesday at a news conference, wiping away a tear. "These dogs become part of our family."

Like the other three Tucson-area DPS dogs, Rico lived with his handler, who DPS has not yet named.

Rico was hit by an 18-wheeler around 7:10 p.m. near milepost 287 on Interstate 10, Sgt. Paul Castellano said at the conference.

Rico ran into the interstate as two suspects were being handcuffed, he said.
The suspects, Miguel Angel Mendivil, 25, and Marco Antonio Miranda-Siqueiros, 28, were booked into Pima County Jail, a jail clerk said. Mendivil is being held without bail, and bail for Miranda-Siqueiros is $75,000, she said.

The suspects, both of whom are illegal immigrants from Mexico, have been charged with transportation of marijuana and unlawful flight from law enforcement, the jail clerk said.

Charges may be added after an attorney general review, Castellanos said.
DPS said it has no information about the tractor-trailer that killed the dog.
Memorial services for Rico are being planned, Castellanos said.

Funds in memory of Rico can be sent to 3370 N. Hayden Road 123-411, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 or put in Wells Fargo account 070-388-6168 under the name of Aleca.
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Ok...a few things:

1. I met this dog while doing some work at the Tucson area DPS HQ. He was friendly when in the station (where generally everyone is a friendly) Smart dog...>VERY smart.

2. I saw the aftermath of this while coming from church last night...saw the position of the DPS patrol cars, the suspect vehicle and the debris in the road....something is missing from this story.

The suspect vehicle was on the north side of the freeway, which would put it in the open expanse of the state trust land that runs along the freeway. (yeah I know, I have double negatives there...sue me...sue me) The K9 patrol car was parked on the shoulder of the north side of the freeway. The debris was strewn through the #1 lane of westbound travel.

One can certainly PRESUME or ASSuME that the suspects attempted to flee North, but then crooks arent that smart are they? Maybe they decided to flee South towards the center median...which would make sense as it would stop the officers in their tracks or slow them down waiting for traffic to clear.

What I can not figure out....is why the dog was released as the suspects were being handcuffed? Not very smart on the part of the handler.

Also, why would a trained K9 officer release his dog on a freeway? Of course, I assume that the dog was released off leash...nothing in any article indicates that the dog was on or off leash.

Whats the point? I dont, I am tired and need to go bed...just consider it the ramblings of a tired man.

RIP Rico, Good boy, job well done.

They just couldnt bring themselves to say it..........

Liberal media bias? NAH ... NOT HERE!!!!!!!!


From Yahoo News:

CIA missed chances to tackle al-Qaida By KATHERINE SHRADER, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 15 minutes ago



WASHINGTON - The CIA's top leaders failed to use their available powers, never developed a comprehensive plan to stop al-Qaida and missed crucial opportunities to thwart two hijackers in the run-up to Sept. 11, the agency's own watchdog concluded in a bruising report released Tuesday.

Completed in June 2005 and kept classified until now, the 19-page executive summary finds extensive fault with the actions of senior CIA leaders and others beneath them. "The agency and its officers did not discharge their responsibilities in a satisfactory manner," the CIA inspector general found.

"They did not always work effectively and cooperatively," the report stated.

Yet the review team led by Inspector General John Helgerson found neither a "single point of failure nor a silver bullet" that would have stopped the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

In a statement, CIA Director Michael Hayden said the decision to release the report was not his choice or preference, but that he was making the report available as required by Congress in a law President Bush signed earlier this month.

"I thought the release of this report would distract officers serving their country on the front lines of a global conflict," Hayden said. "It will, at a minimum, consume time and attention revisiting ground that is already well plowed."

The report does cover terrain heavily examined by a congressional inquiry and the Sept. 11 Commission. However, the CIA watchdog's report goes further than previous reviews to examine the personal failings of individuals within the agency who led the pre-9/11 efforts against al-Qaida.

Helgerson's team found that no CIA employees violated the law or were part of any misconduct. But it still called on then-CIA Director Porter Goss to form accountability boards to look at the performance of specific individuals to determine whether reprimands were called for.

The inquiry boards were recommended for officials including former CIA Director George Tenet, who resigned in July 2004; his Deputy Director for Operations Jim Pavitt; Counterterrorism Center Chief Cofer Black and the agency's executive director, who was not further identified. Other less senior officials were also tagged for accountability reviews, but identifying information was removed from the report's public version.

In a statement, Tenet said the inspector general is "flat wrong" about the lack of plan.

"There was in fact a robust plan, marked by extraordinary effort and dedication to fighting terrorism, dating back to long before 9/11," he said. "Without such an effort, we would not have been able to give the president a plan on Sept. 15, 2001, that led to the routing of the Taliban, chasing al-Qaida from its Afghan sanctuary and combating terrorists across 92 countries."

In October 2005, Goss rejected the recommendation for the inquiry boards. He said he had spoken personally with the current employees named in the report, and he trusted their abilities and dedication. "This report unveiled no mysteries," Goss said.

Hayden stuck by Goss's decision.

Providing a glimpse of a series of shortfalls laid out in the longer, still-classified report, the executive summary says:

• U.S. spy agencies, which were overseen by Tenet, lacked a comprehensive strategic plan to counter Osama bin Laden prior to 9/11. The inspector general concluded that Tenet "by virtue of his position, bears ultimate responsibility for the fact that no such strategic plan was ever created."

• The CIA's analysis of al-Qaida before Sept. 2001 was lacking. No comprehensive report focusing on bin Laden was written after 1993, and no comprehensive report laying out the threats of 2001 was assembled. "A number of important issues were covered insufficiently or not at all," the report found.

• The CIA and the National Security Agency tussled over their responsibilities in dealing with al-Qaida well into 2001. Only Tenet's personal involvement could have led to a timely resolution, the report concluded.

• The CIA station charged with monitoring bin Laden — code-named Alec Station — was overworked, lacked operational experience, expertise and training. The report recommended forming accountability boards for the CIA Counterterror Center chiefs from 1998 to 2001, including Black.

• Although 50 to 60 people read at least one CIA cable about two of the hijackers, the information wasn't shared with the proper offices and agencies. "That so many individuals failed to act in this case reflects a systemic breakdown.... Basically, there was no coherent, functioning watch-listing program," the report said. The report again called for further review of Black and his predecessor.

While blame is heaped on Tenet and his deputies, the report also says that Tenet was forcefully engaged in counterterrorism efforts and personally sounded the alarm before Congress, the military and policymakers. In a now well-known 1998 memo, he declared, "We are at war."

The trouble, the report said, was follow-up.

The inspector general did take exception to findings of Congress' joint inquiry into 9/11. For instance, the congressional inquiry found that the CIA was reluctant to seek authority to assassinate bin Laden. Instead, the inspector general believed the problem was the agency's limited covert-action capabilities.

The CIA's reliance on a group of sources with questionable reliability "proved insufficient to mount a credible operation against bin Laden," the report said. "Efforts to develop other options had limited potential prior to 9/11."

The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Jay Rockefeller, said the CIA has learned from the past and has corrected many of these shortcomings, but has to do more.

"Sadly, the CIA's 9/11 accountability review serves as a sobering reminder that the Bush Administration policies for the past six years have failed to capture or kill Osama bin Laden," the West Virginia Democrat said. "Nor have the administration's policies deprived Osama bin Laden and other senior al-Qaida leaders of the safe haven they need to plot against the United States."

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Ok...anyone notice the name that is SORELY missing from this article?

Anyone?

Hint: Begins with a C

AND YET....they take the opportunity to bash President Bush, instead of taking the opportunity to point out the failures of the past President, IN ADDITION to the shortcomings of the current President.

Anyone who says that the media is not biased in its reporting has their proverbial head in their proverbial sphincter.

Thank God for common sense thought .. eh?

PS...to the co-author on this blog....gimme a lil bit of time to answer your email...its complicated and have little to no time on the net.

Sunday humor

Hillary Clinton's amended family tree

Judy Barnes, a professional genealogical researcher, discovered that Hillary Clinton's great-great uncle, Remus Rodham, a fellow lacking in character, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana.

He was hanged in 1889. The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows.

On the back of the picture is this inscription: "Remus Rodham; horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial Prison 1883, escaped 1887, robbed the Montana Flyer six times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889,"

Judy e-mailed Hillary Clinton @ NY.Gov for comments.Hillary's staff of 20 professional image adjusters cropped Remus' picture, scanned it, enlarged the image, and edited it with image processing software, so that all that's seen is a head shot. The accompanying biographical sketch read as follows:

"Remus Rodham was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory.

His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad. Beginning in 1883, he devoted several years of his life to service at a government facility, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad. In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency. In 1889,
Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when
the platform upon which he was standing collapsed."

(And that's how it's done, folks.)
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Also spotted on a bumper sticker....very creative if you ask me

In big RED letters It says RUN HILLARY RUN

At the top of the sticker it says: "Democrats place on rear bumper"

At the bottom of the sticker it says: "Republicans place on front bumper"

Thats all the laughs I want to muster for today.

Screw the left.

Its all BUSH' FAULT!!!!!!!!!

I can just hear it now (sarcasm intended)

Bridge falls into Mississippi River

By PATRICK CONDON, Associated Press Writer
22 minutes ago



MINNEAPOLIS - The entire span of an interstate bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River during evening rush hour Wednesday, sending vehicles, tons of concrete and twisted metal crashing into the water.

The Interstate 35W bridge, which stretches between Minneapolis and St. Paul, was in the midst of being repaired when it broke into several huge sections.

The Homeland Security Department had received no indications Wednesday night that the collapse was related to an act of terrorism, department spokesman Russ Knocke said in Washington.

"We continue to monitor the situation. At this time, there's no indication of a nexus to terrorism," Knocke said.

It was not clear how many people were injured. WCCO-AM reported that one body was seen being pulled from the area, covered with a blue sheet.

A burning truck and a school bus clung to one slanted slab, while at least eight cars and a truck were submerged in the river.

The bus had just crossed the bridge before it crumpled into pieces, and broadcast reports indicated the children on the bus exited out the back door.

Ramon Houge told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he was on his way home from work on the bridge when heard a rumbling noise, saw the ground collapse and cars go down.

Traffic was bumper to bumper and hundreds of people would have been involved, he said. He said cars backed up as best they could and he parked in a construction zone and was finally able to turn around and drive off the bridge. "It didn't seem like it was real," he said.

Dozens of vehicles were scattered and stacked on top of each other amid the rubble. Some people were stranded on parts of the bridge that aren't completely in the water.

Local television stations captured video of injured people being carried up the riverbank. There was no official word on injuries, but dozens of rescue vehicles were there. Divers were also in the water.

Gregory Wernick Sr., Rockford, Ill., drove over the bridge shortly before the collapse. He stopped to get a drink nearby and heard commotion so he went back.

"I figure I crossed about 10 minutes before it happened," he said. "That's just too close to call."

He was standing about 200 feet away on top of a parking ramp with large group of people.

"I've never seen anything like this," he said.

The Homeland Security Department had received no indications Wednesday night that the collapse was an act of terrorism, department spokesman Russ Knocke said in Washington.

"We continue to monitor the situation. At this time, there's no indication of a nexus to terrorism," Knocke said.

The arched bridge, which was built in 1967, rises about 64 feet above the river. Workers have been repairing the 40-year-old bridge's surface as part of improvements along that stretch of the interstate, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported on its Web site.

___________________________

I can hear it now....Bush is to blame. Something about how he conspired to kill however many people. Or maybe its because he didnt fund some pork project in the past and therefore they werent able to spend an extra 2 bucks on a special bolt.

Give it time...the moonbats will blame him for it

From the insanely ridiculous file

Hollywood pigeons to be put on the pill

Mon Jul 30, 4:57 AM ET



LOS ANGELES - Hollywood residents believe they've found a humane way to reduce their pigeon population and the messes the birds make: the pill.

Over the next few months a birth control product called OvoControl P, which interferes with egg development, will be placed in bird food in new rooftop feeders.

"We think we've got a good solution to a bad situation," said Laura Dodson, president of the Argyle Civic Association, the group leading the effort to try the new contraceptive. "The poop problem has become unmanageable and this could be the answer."

Community leaders planned to announce the OvoControl P pilot program, which Dodson believes is the first of its kind in the nation, at a news conference Monday.

Dodson said representatives from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals contacted her group with the idea to use OvoControl P. Other animal rights groups, including the Humane Society of the United States, support the contraceptive over electric shock gates, spiked rooftops, poisons or other methods.

It's estimated about 5,000 pigeons call the area home. Their population boom is blamed in part on people feeding the birds, including a woman known as the Bird Lady, who was responsible for dumping 25-pound bags of seed in 29 spots around Hollywood.

OvoControl P has been registered with the state Department of Pesticide Regulation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Developed by Rancho Santa Fe-based Innolytics, the substance contains nicarbazin, which interferes with an egg's ability to develop or hatch, said Erick Wolf, Innolytics chief executive.

The pilot program was expected to show results within a year, and the Hollywood area's pigeon population is expected to shrink by at least half by 2012, Dodson said.

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What does this have to do with anything? Nothing

Why am I posting it? No reason...just good clean humor

Who can guess what I REALLY want to say?

BTW...stop the world...I want to get off, this roller coaster bites ass