Better to sit silently and look like a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

Nope... not calling you a fool..... but it was a phrase that came to mind when I was thinking about how people like to talk about things they have no clue about. http://www.geocities.com/ericsquire/articles/dogs/ginsburg050124.htm

Now, to some people, 6mph isn't much.... hell, to a lot of people, it's not even a reason to pull somebody over. HOWEVER, the officer was fully within his rights to do so..... and just because he did does not make him a dick, or a shithead, or anything of the sort. Perhaps he was simply looking for something to do that day and, if you will read up on the subject, he was only going to issue a warning ticket. Officers come across dangerous, and potentially dangerous situations every day.....get it? every. day. Even out here in corn county USA, there are officers who pull over cars, and as they are simply walking up to the stopped vehaile, they are shot and killed. But..wow... they don't do enough!! I'm sorry officers, but risking your lives every day only merits enough money to eek by.... unless gas prices go up even more, and then you'll need to get government assistance to provide food, rent, etc... but that's it..... only basic living expenses, because you don't deserve to have a life.... or any sort of fun...well, maybe you can get a copy of the notes from the town halls meeting last week..... but we're trying to save money by recycling, so only 2 copies of that will be circulated for your reading pleasure.

Pissed....... basically.... at you? hardly..... just the ignorance of society... a litigious society that feels that expressing their opinions after reading a few blurbs in a paper or online makes them a well informed public..... and God forbid if something happens for whatever reasons..... the lawyers will be on the phone before the blink of an eye, because... we all want a piece of the money, and the more people named in the lawsuit, the better.... that even has a name now.. it's called "Collective deep pockets".... oh, wait, the cops don't get any money, I forgot.

Yes, population matters a lot. If there are a million people in a place, and a hundred in another... statistically there will be more crime where there's more people. More crime, more risks, more danger, more room for error... and that in turn leads to more money. Just because there is a person who works in law enforcement, and they are out there, busting their ass day in and day out to help catch the criminal before they can break into your place......... just because it's a lowly C-O-P.... they don't deserve to have a house? I'm sorry... I missed the memo where they can only get the NICE boxes to live in. I use a computer (obviously)..... so that gives me the right to talk about how stupid programmers can't do something right, and they're overpaid? Nah... I don't think it does...... because no matter how much public information I read, there's always more that I don't know about going on...... so I would be talking about something I don't know about..... Just like law enforcement... until you have taken the classes, done the homework, and have had SOME type of first hand experience.... you can't say you are well informed about the topic. Don't assume you can walk the walk just because you attempt the talk.

There are plenty of cops out there who can't wear Dior, or Prada, or whatever....... but some of them STILL have more class than 99.99% of the population..... so the holier than thou attitude is bullshit. Law enforcement personnel simply do not get paid enough for what they do. Is 20k enough?? After they get gunned down pulling over a drug dealer.... are YOU going to tell the family that not only are cops overpaid, but they don't do enough to protect the public, and oh, btw, your loved one is dead, and hope you have enough money to make rent, the bills, AND have a funeral? This is something I love. This is something I'm devoting my life to, after devoting countless hours of studying and being inside a patrol car...... I can authentically talk the talk and walk the walk........

still not pissed AT you, but yes, you brought this on and got me fired up..... just a thought the next time you feel like spouting off on something you don't really know about (hint hint: ever notice how I don't talk about programming?)

Seriously, this makes me happy.....

You Are Oscar the Grouch

Grumpy and grouchy, you aren't just pessimistic. You revel in your pessimism. You are usually feeling: Unhappy. Unless it's rainy outside, and even then you know the foul weather won't last. You are famous for: Being mean yet loveable. And you hate the loveable part. How you life your life: As a slob. But it's not repelling as many people as you'd like!

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

sadness 2

Death Notice
Patrick D. McLaughlin
Age 17, of Manhattan, died Tuesday, May 9, 2006 at Silver Cross Hospital, Joliet.
He is survived by his parents Patrick M. and Linda nee Watson McLaughlin, two sisters Lindsay & Kelsey McLaughlin. Loving grandson of Robert & Louise Watson and Donald & Mary Agnes McLaughlin all of Manhattan. Dear nephew of Kathleen (Rich) Reichenberger of Lockport, Brenda (Phil) Valera of Joliet and Dennis (Alicia) McLaughlin of Manhattan. Close cousin to Daniel, Katie, Krista, Chase, Ashtyn, Jacob and Julia. Special friend of Amanda Burklow.
Preceded in death by one uncle Danny McLaughlin and a cousin Nicholas Valera. Patrick cherished his family and friends very deeply. He loved music, dirt bikes and race cars. He was especially fond of vacations with his family.
Funeral service for Patrick D. McLaughlin will be 7:45 A.M. Saturday, May 13, 2006 from the Forsythe Funeral Home, Manhattan, to St. Jude Church, 241 W. Second Ave, New Lenox, for Mass of Christian Burial 8:30 A.M. Interment, St. Joseph Cemetery, Manhattan. Visitation Friday, 3:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. Memorials to the charity of your choice will be appreciated.
Forsythe Funeral Home 507 S. State Street (Rt. 52)

Great Sadness

So I've slacked this week..... I have over 12 more hours of work to get in before tomorrow night... hmmm... it's gonna be close.

About 4pm today I amswered the house phone and it was a guy who coached youth football with my dad. I handed the phone to mom and she was the one to get the news that either early this morning or late last night, a kid we've known for years and years died. He overdosed.
Patrick was only 16 or 17, and a decision to 'get high' ended his short life..... in the end, I guess he did 'get high', when he left our world. It makes me think, because he was so close in age to all 3 of my brothers, and all 3 interacted with him on a regular basis at one point.... whether it was just hanging out, playing football........ and tonight I was thinking that at the wake and funeral, there will be many more people crying over him leaving...... but how many people actually think about that? Did Patrick ever think about who would be left when he was gone, or who would cry for him? I don't know if my brothers have thought about it, but I would be heartbroken if any of my brothers died.
What compounds this and makes it an even more miserable event is the timing..... he will be waked friday, and buried saturday..... and sunday is Mothers Day.

Rest in peace, Patrick.... rest and know you will be missed for the mischevious smile you had for every occaision, we will always miss and love you. God bless.

Go away already, or learn to speak ENGLISH in addition to your own language!

NEW YORK - Now that immigrants have grabbed the nation's attention, what next? Monday has been set aside for immigrants to boycott work, school and shopping to show how much they matter to their communities. But with some growing tired of street protests, and others afraid they'll be deported or fired for walking out, people are planning to support the effort in myriad ways.
Some will work but buy nothing on Monday. Others will protest at lunch breaks or at rallies after work. There will be church services, candlelight vigils, picnics and human chains.
The range of activities shows both how powerful the immigrants' rights movement has become in a matter of weeks, and that organizers don't yet have a clear focus on its next step.
"It's highly unpredictable what's going to happen," said Harley Shaiken, director of the Center for Latin American studies at the University of California, Berkeley. "What unites everyone that's going to do something on May 1 is they are making visible their strong feelings."
Thanks to the success of previous rallies plus media attention, planning for Monday's events, collectively called Un Dia Sin Inmigrantes — A Day Without Immigrants — is widespread.
Officials in Los Angeles braced for huge crowds: Assistant Police Chief George Gascon said as many as 500,000 people could take part.
In smaller cities such as Allentown, Pa., Omaha, Neb., and Knoxville, Tenn., immigrants and their allies have been going door to door with fliers, making posters and sharpening speeches. In New Mexico, restaurants cooked meals this weekend that they'll donate food for Monday picnics in Santa Fe and Albuquerque.
In Pomona, Calif., about 30 miles east of Los Angeles, dozens of men who frequent a day labor center voted unanimously to close Monday, said Mike Nava, the center's director.
"If anyone even comes around looking for work that day," Nava said, "the men want him suspended."
Some insist that a boycott is the next key step — beyond marches — to show the nation just how much economic power undocumented workers hold. "The marches are a tool, but they are being overused," said Mahonrry Hidalgo, head of the immigration committee of New Jersey's Latino Leadership Alliance. Like civil rights boycotts of decades past, he said, "this could finally be the spark for our people to advance."
In New Jersey, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania, people boycotting work will march to the offices of elected officials to urge them to support pro-immigrant legislation. In California, although a spokeswoman for Republican Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger said a boycott would "hurt everyone," Democratic state senators passed a resolution supporting walkouts.
Still, there's a big divide over the boycott's merits.
"To encourage people not to go to work or children not to go to school is counterproductive," Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., said Sunday on CNN's "Late Edition."
Opponents of illegal immigration spent the weekend building a fence to symbolize their support of a secure border. About 200 volunteers organized by the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps of California worked on a six-foot barbed-wire fence along a quarter-mile stretch of rugged terrain near the U.S.-Mexico border about 50 miles east of San Diego.
Many worry that not working or spending money will alienate business leaders, and that cutting classes sends an anti-education message. Even Los Angeles' Spanish-language disc jockeys, who helped fuel marches hundreds of thousands strong in recent weeks, have toned it down. "We have to demonstrate that we came here to succeed," said Eduardo Sotelo, whose morning show, "Piolin por la Manana," is syndicated nationwide.
Many of Monday's organizers are finding less contentious ways of joining.
Some marches and voter information meetings are scheduled for after work and school hours. Those who go to school or work are being urged to wear white clothes or white armbands. Several school districts have sent letters home to parents and threatened punishment if students have unexcused absences, but some plan to focus on immigration issues in classes and seminars on campus.
In each of New York City's five boroughs, thousands of workers are expected to take work breaks shortly after noon to link arms with shoppers, restaurant-goers and other supporters along city sidewalks for about 20 minutes. "This will symbolize the interdependence of all of us, not just immigrants, but all of society," said Chung-Wa Hong, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition.
Organizers in Phoenix hoped to have enough people to make a 25-mile human chain winding through the city to symbolize the unity of the Latino community on the day observed elsewhere around the world as International Workers' Day. However, they canceled that plan because of safety concerns and instead set out several smaller demonstrations.
Many hope that workers' bosses also will join their efforts — and some already are showing their support.
Some big businesses are shutting down operations, corporate spokesmen said: Six of 14 Perdue Farms plants will close; Gallo Wines in Sonoma, Calif., is giving its 150 employees the day off; Tyson Foods Inc., the world's largest meat producer, will shut five of its nine beef plants and four of six pork plants.
Greg Schirf, owner of Wasatch Beers in Utah, said that when some of his Latino employees sheepishly asked if they could take off Monday, he responded: "How about this? We'll just take a company holiday. We'll call it 'Latino Appreciation Day.'"
Such attitudes are quelling some of the anxiety that has bubbled up nationwide since federal officials arrested more than 1,100 immigrant employees and seven managers at 40 sites of IFCO Systems, which makes crates and pallets.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said he plans to step up workplace enforcement of immigration laws.
"During information we've been presenting to different organizations (about Monday's events), we usually spend 20 to 30 minutes just explaining if we were to have or not have a raid," said Houston activist Maria Jimenez of the Central American Resource Center. "We've seen a lot of fear in the community."
Many are expected to find solace in religious services.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops urged immigrants to attend Mass instead of boycotting, and suggested that churches toll their bells in memory of immigrants who died trying to come to the U.S

By ERIN TEXEIRA, AP National Writer


So let's step it up! If they won't buy things on Mondays, buy more.... if they won't work on Mondays, fill their jobs with citizens who will..... just because, once again, they want to refuse to do things by the book, and will rebel to have things done their way, it does not mean we always have to give in. And, btw, calling them 'undocumented' doesn't hide the fact that it's NOT LEGAL! (I specifically said not legal, because we know there seems to be a problem in our p.c. country with hurting peoples feelings and saying ILLEGAL!)

Hmmmm... I don't even know what I wanna call this post yet. It's New Years Eve, and among other things, I have work to finish, and other things to do before the year ends. I'm sooooooooooo friggin sick too! My head is just this huge bubble of pressure, and I just wanna take some Nyquil and sleep.....pffffffft! Like THAT'S ever gonna happen! Well, December 23rd, I got the Dakota.... yay! The Dakota rides again!!! (LOL.... for those of you that have known me for years and years, and all of my various e-mails and screen names... and know of how I had the best friggin truck that even survived being lit on fire!) It's got a big friggin' engine, which is still a downside... but the white paint with "gray" graphics turned out to be more of a purple/blue graphics...... it's soooooooo sharp! I'm gonna see if I can get a pic on here because I wouldn't re-paint it a different color now that I see what it looks like... I ACTUALLY like it! THEN, yesterday, on my way to work, I stop to get something hot to drink (yes, this cold is 2 days old now...bleh), and as I'm coming out of Casey's (yes, Casey's.... you know yer in BFE when the gas station is CASEY'S), this older guy asks me if I'd want to sell my truck...lol... I'd only had it a week! Anyway, my plan for tonight is to get some stuff done and then go out and celebrate. I'm not gonna get drunk, but I do plan on having some shots of straight vodka......mmmmmmmm, vodka! Ha Ha..... thinking back, I wonder if I can find someone with lemonade.... ;-) Love ya all, and have a safe and Happy New Year! ~MK p.s. Jen.... I went to leave you a post, and it wouldn't let me ;-p lol.... love ya lots and tell the hubby my resolution is to leave him more messages so he won't feel so left out! LMAO!!

Lemonade

If life gives you lemons....make lemonade? I would much rather find someone who life has given vodka to...... ah well. I might be getting my truck in a few days, if it all checks out well, and whatnot. A 1995 Dodge Dakota club cab, V8 318, 2wd, dual exhaust, leather interior, power windows (etc.), sliding back window, heat and ac work (even though I like the polish ac), white with gray details.... the only thing I would change is the 2wd to 4wd, the 8 cyl to a 6, and then the *cringe* white color, and it has 101,000 miles on it. On the upside, it will be paid off in 18 months..... then, (provided I get it)... depending on the shape it is in, I'll get it repainted to... wait for it.... solar yellow. :-) me likey!
hmmmmm.... for Christmas I think I want a remote start!! lol
kiss kiss
~MK