Revenge

10-28-2005 Revenge

Suppose you were an idiot and suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.--Mark Twain

What's that old adage? Oh, yeah...an absence of war does not equate peace. Somebody better get Cindy Sheehan on the blower and tell her she ought not lick those leftover acid-dipped stamps from the '68 protest march.

WashingtonPost.com
World Expresses Dismay Over Iran Remarks
By JILL LAWLESS
The Associated Press
Thursday, October 27, 2005; 10:38 AM
LONDON -- Governments around the world expressed shock and scorn Thursday at the Iranian president's call for Israel to be "wiped off the map," and several summoned Tehran's envoys in their capitals for a reprimand.
However, Israeli calls for Iran to be expelled from the United Nations over the remarks by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were not immediately taken up by other nations.
In a speech Wednesday, Ahmadinejad denounced Israel and said a new wave of Palestinian attacks "will wipe this stigma from the face of the Islamic world." Citing the words of the founder of Iran's Islamic revolution, the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Ahmadinejad said: "Israel must be wiped off the map."

We wouldn't want Bush to give the order to invade Iran, would we? Nah, nah. Better stick with the diplomacy and the U.N. sanctions route. That works every time it's tried in a parallel universe just over there yonder a ways.

And we had better deliver a very stern warning to Iran. If you manage to nuke Israel anytime soon, we will be very, very upset and suspend the shipments of soccer balls to all Third World countries. We're serious. Ask those Mexicans.

The Citizens Voice
Vigil participants express opposition to war in Iraq
By:Robert Kalinowski
10/27/2005
As the candles for Wednesday night's peace vigil in Wilkes-Barre were being lit, Mary Vitale posed some questions to fellow opponents of the Iraq War.
"Where are all the families in this area?" Vitale asked. "Where are all our veterans?"
Vitale was among six people gathered on Public Square to mark the grim milestone of 2,000 U.S. deaths since the war began in March 2003. The five others included a Kingston couple, their two teenage daughters and a 59-year-old former Air Force captain representing Veterans For Peace.
David Martin, who served in the military from 1968 to 1973, opened the 6:30 p.m. event by reading from a sheet of names of U.S. servicemen and women from Pennsylvania killed in Iraq.
The others held signs, such as "2,000 DEAD," "Pray for the families," and "Bring the soldiers home" during the 20-minute vigil. "I think it's a sad milestone," Martin said. "It's a foolish war. It's an illegitimate war."
The Tunkhannock man was among a handful of people who gathered on Public Square to protest the war each Tuesday for a period of time last year. He believes public opinion is finally beginning to sway as the death toll continues to mount, the insurgency shows no signs of dwindling and no exit strategy has been defined.
Mary Kline, 37, said she organized the vigil after getting an e-mail request from MoveOn.org, a Democrat-leaning Political Action Committee.
The organization was hosting anti-war vigils nationwide Wednesday night.
"A year ago I held a sign that said 1,000 dead and I'm here a year later with a sign that doubled. That scares me," the Kingston woman said. "It makes you wonder where everyone else is to support these people."

God luv 'em, they're entitled to their opinions they co-opted from MoveOn.org, but at this point, listening to these half-wits prattling on and on with the same tired talking points is akin to listening to the Chant of the Ever Circling Skeleton Family at maximum volume. For those of you born before the advent of the gerbil-powered record players, that was a reference to a David Blowie tune from the 70s.

CHEETAH! CHEETAH! BUDDHA! BUDDHA!

"Where are all the families in this area?"

Um, I imagine they're all busy doing humdrum family things never to be confused with saving the world by way of some parafin sticks. It's painfully obvious they weren't trying to display some sort of hack-kneed moral superiority by staging a protest that nobody really gives a flying funk about.

Reminds me of the nimrods with the 'Save The Wild Animals' license plates on their cheezy plastic cars. Oooooh! You care. You care more than I do. I should be ashamed of myself for not caring as much as you do. I must atone for my lack of caring by getting myself a pink 'Save The Beavers' T-shirt. If only those superior do-gooders knew that the funds generated by those animal plates go to prop up both the Philly and Pittsburgh zoos. Talk about not doing your homework before displaying your obvious moral superiority in public. Whew! There's a word for those people. That's right...dummies.

It's a foolish war. It's an illegitimate war."

It's an illegal war. It's a immoral war. It's a war for oil. It's a war to revenge Daddy Bush' Gulf War shortcomings. It's a war for oil pipelines. It's a war for Amoco and Exxon. It's a war for the Neocon chicken hawks. It's a war for (insert the latest). Blah, blah, f>cking blah. Think, people. You've got a world-wide war simmering right in front of your eyes, and yet, the only enemy you see is the one who sent Al Gore back to Alpha-Male land.

Funny, when Bill Clinton said there were WMDs in Iraq, no one doubted it for a nanosecond. When the U.N. rattled their wiffleball bats over Iraq's WMDs, we supported the latest newfangled sanctions that were put in place, but never enforced. When Madeleine Albright said much the same thing, we were cursing that dangerous country. When John Kerry repeated those WMD accusations, it was getting to be old news already. But when Bush said there were WMD in Iraq...well, that was a bald-faced lie. Some of you people should take a moment to listen to yourselves. I am truly embarrassed for you. I piss in your general direction on most days, but, still, part of me feels bad for you.

I'm not feeling upbeat about your chances in life being that you're so easily manipulated by banal political rhetoric. But, you do have my sympathies. And if I may be so bold, I'll pay the freight iffin' you're willing to have your reproductive tracts surgically altered. There's no sense polluting the world any further.

You people just don't get it, do you? It doesn't matter what you do to Bush. You can work to trash his approval ratings. You can have him impeached. You can burn candles. And you can toss him into a 20-gallon pot with some chicken base and dumplings to help feed the poor. But the fact remains that the murderous Jihadists and murderous tyrants will still have to be dealt with. Put one of your Michael Moore disciples in the White House if you must, but the loons with the bomb belts will still be working to blow your entire family to smithereens.

And try this on for size. Did you read what Iran's new top dog had to say about Israel? What do you think the Israelis are going to do when they determine that Iran is getting really close to producing an exportable nuclear weapon? They don't have the capibility to refuel fighter/attack aircraft all the way to Iran, so their other option is to launch tactical nukes from one of their three German-built diesel submarines.

Do you really think that by making George Bush go away, you're going to make the war go away? Not bloody likely, kiddies. In my opinion, we've been treated to opening salvos so far. Hang on to your candles, dimwits. The road ahead will likely get very, very bumpy.

Republican vs. Democrat? I don't think so. At this point I see all of that political infighting as a distraction from the actual battle, most of which still awaits us.

I know, I know. He stole the election and he gave a tax cut to the rich. And what happens when the same bullspit gets repeated enough?Like I said, I'm not feeling upbeat about your chances in life.

Speaking out against a war in the middle of the town square with a candle in your hand is not being patriotic. More to the point, it's politicking. And if MoveOn.org put you up to it--you're a hapless marionette.

Prattle on.

A liberal is a man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel.--Robert Frost

Democrats suggested the indictment was just the tip of the iceberg. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the case was larger than Libby and "about how the Bush White House manufactured and manipulated intelligence in order to bolster its case for the war in Iraq and to discredit anyone who dared to challenge the president."--Breitbart.com, 10-28-05

Gotcha. I can follow that (?). So, the two-year investigation wasn't really about who outed a CIA agent. Rather, it was about something altogether different. At least, that's what the lightweight Senate Minority Leader is now saying. We're suddenly back to square one: Bush lied. Um, just like his predecessor did.

It's all about political revenge. If you can't win the political day, you toss around frivolous indictments, and then those under indictment are put at risk of being ensnared in something or other, one way or another. This has been tried during every administration since Nixon, so is any wonder that Washington D.C. has come to symbolize debilitating gridlock while the world as a whole has grown increasingly volatile, if not outright hostile?

So much for fixing social security. So much for fixing medicare. So much for taking care of any important business. I hate to have to smack you local Democrats in the chops, but all that seems to matter to your heroes in D.C. is obliterating Dubya's second term agenda. Our enormous and long-festering problems will just have to wait until after the next presidential election to be addressed. That's where we're at, kiddies. Reign in the spending, buy some iodine pills and hunker on down. The plain fact is, it's party first, country second.

That slippery slope that America has become just got a helluva lot more slippery. And when '9/11: The Sequel' finally comes down--our economy is going to implode.

"Scooter" Libby is toast. Great. Let's party while we still can. Criminalizing politics will only serve to scare away this country's best and brightest from "public servce."

Keep it up. Just keep it up. If I don't end up face down in a killing field somewhere, I'll see you at the re-education camps. Praise be to Allah, while the Democrats seek out their revenge for whatever it is that has them frothing at the mouth these days. What's the latest? They're not still stuck on Diebold, Halliburton and Big Oil, are they?

The Republicans have a few slushballs of their own.

Junior BAR-R-R-NES...Oh, Junior BAR-R-R-R-NES. YOU GUNKY!!!

The first half of the following e-mail was sent in response to the callers of WILK. The second part was definately meant for the host. It's a total gas being able to argue about baseball with chicks. Nice change of pace.

From the e-mail outbox
Suzie Q,
Dr. No, otherwise known as minority commish Steve Urban, can spin and twist this Valley Crest decision any which way he likes, but the bottom line is the county is now out of the nursing home business and the trail of red ink will finally dry up. However it came to be made, the long-overdue and correct decision was made by Todd and Skrep. And for that they deserve some serious kudos rather than derision.
As for the Astros wearing skirts is concerned, why would MLB dictate to them that the roof had to be closed or open when the Twins were allowed to turn their giant fans on and off during the '92 (I think) World Series. When the Twins came to bat, those massive fans located directly behind home plate had the wind blowing out. But when the Braves came to bat, the fans were switched off and the air in the Metrodome went stagnant. The Astros were not allowed what they percieve to be their advantadge, but the Twins were allowed to alter the friggin' Gulf Stream. Sounds to me as if the MLB brass picks and chooses who should be allowed an advantadge.
I'm just sayin'.
Markie in Nord End
Zod in '08!!!

Actually, it was during the '91 World Series when the Twins were allowed to cheat. Oh, and, it's the Jet Stream that blows through them northern states, not the Gulf Stream. But you knew what I meant. Anybody remember Kent Hrbek, literally, wrestling Ron Gant off of first base only to be called out by an umpire with knee caps where his eyes should have been? Then again, does anybody even remember Kent Hrbek. It's not like he gave you any reason to other than by cheating and getting away with it during a World Series broadcast.

Massive fans? Like, people you mean? You crack me up, Babs.

From the e-mail inbox October 26, 2005
News from Luzerne County Commissioners Gregory A. Skrepenak and Todd A Vonderheid on the Future of Valley Crest
This past week, Luzerne County Majority Commissioners Gregory A. Skrepenak and Todd A. Vonderheid voted to end the role of Luzerne County as owner/operator of the Valley Crest Nursing Home. That vote, along with round-the-clock phone calls over the next two days, resulted in ability of Complete Healthcare Resources (CHR) of Horsham, PA and the United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 1776 to sit down without using Luzerne County as a go-between, and strike an agreement in principal that was overwhelmingly approved by the union membership Tuesday night..
For nearly two years, the Commissioners had been negotiating with UFCW and CHR to transition our 45 year old nursing home to CHR over the next two years – that plan would have cost taxpayers over $8.5 million. The Majority Commissioners knew they simply could not allow that to happen, and had to force CHR and UFCW together immediately. The vote they cast last week to work toward moving Luzerne County out of its operational role did just that. After January 1, 2006, Luzerne County and its taxpayers will be out of the nursing home business, Valley Crest residents will be able to stay in familiar surroundings, and employees will keep their jobs.
The following is an opinion piece that appeared in area newspapers this past weekend which provides more detail. Please take the time to read it, and feel free to forward this email to friends and concerned Luzerne County Taxpayers.
If we’ve learned one thing in the past 22 months as Commissioners for the people of Luzerne County, it’s that you can’t make things better, if you do nothing. Our decision recent to save the people of Luzerne County millions of dollars by initiating the closing of the Valley Crest Nursing Home, was our best, most informed attempt to do something, and make Luzerne County and its government better.
It was an agonizing call, but now it’s paid off.
The motion that we voted for at our Commissioners meeting on October 19th authorized that the first steps be taken “to end Luzerne County’s role as owner/operator of the Valley Crest Nursing Home.” It drew passionate, emotionally-charged protest from about a dozen Valley Crest employees and their union representatives who were present, as well as half-dozen family members of two Valley Crest residents. We felt their pain, but tried to make it clear to them and all residents of Luzerne County, that we really didn’t want to move out the residents, fire the workers and close the doors; just extract Luzerne County and its taxpayers from the financial burden of running the facility.
Today, we’re excited, and quite frankly, extremely relieved to tell you, that our decision spurred dialogue between an outside company and the union which represents Valley Crest employees, and a deal is being finalized that will keep Valley Crest residents in their present home, keep the excellent staff at Valley Crest employed, and transition both groups into a brand new, state-of-the-art facility within the next two years.
As you probably know, Complete HealthCare Resources of Horsham, Pennsylvania, had been working with Luzerne County and the Valley Crest employees union to craft a similar deal for the past several months. When CHR proposed taking over the home’s administration and building a new long-term care facility, we saw it as a viable alternative, even if it meant the County would still have to absorb an 8 million dollar loss during the transition. The only hurdle was a contract for Valley Crest’s unionized employees that would make it feasible for CHR to take on the project. County negotiators headed by County Manger/Chief Clerk Sam Guesto believed they’d done that when they presented a final offer which included a moderate wage increase and benefits concessions in a package that went far beyond what workers make at most other nursing homes in Luzerne County. Last Monday, we were stunned when those Valley Crest employees turned down a final contract offer that was key to a future for the home.
At that point, it appeared the deal was off. Neither of us wanted to tell hundreds of our treasured, ailing, older residents that they’d have to move to new, unfamiliar homes. We truly didn’t want to tell hundreds of dedicated, valued employees that they’d soon be out of jobs. But at the end of the day we knew that if we personally guaranteed the utmost compassion and assistance for Valley Crest residents during the difficult transition from County-provided care, along with plenty of notice, support, and a negotiated severance package for their care providers, the decision to close would be the best choice for all 317,000 residents of Luzerne County.
If you looked past the emotion of the situation, that decision was clear-cut. Over the last 5 years, Valley Crest has lost over 20 million dollars, not due to waste or poor performance on the part of the County or its employees, but because it’s a 1950’s nursing home, laced with asbestos and lacking basic amenities like air conditioning, that doesn’t meet today’s health and safety standards. Its inefficient design requires more workers to care for residents, resulting in a higher worker-to-patient ratio, and greater expense than you’d find at any new, modern, efficient nursing home anywhere in Luzerne County. Even though County Budget and Finance Director Sam Diaz and Valley Crest Administrator Jim Miller worked tirelessly to slash the home’s 2004 deficit from $7 million to just over $3 million, that’s as far as they could cut without hurting patient care and putting up red flags for State regulators. That meant last year alone, over $3 million dollars of Luzerne County taxpayer’s hard-earned money had to be poured into a facility just to compensate for its inadequacy When we topped that with a potential $70 million-plus solution to inmate housing and staff and community safety issues at our crumbling prison, and tax revenue shortfalls which will force us to borrow up to $14 million dollars this year to cover expenses, we knew we couldn’t absorb the losses at Valley Crest for another year, let alone build a new home on our own.
Valley Crest’s financial drain on our County and our residents had to end. And now it will.
Our vote to begin closing procedures sent Complete HealthCare and the union into fast, serious negotiation of a deal without a County subsidy. Based on worker approval of a contract, and State approval of the transfer, both of which we are confident will happen, CHR plans to start administrating Valley Crest no later than January 1, 2006, keep all of its residents in familiar surroundings until their new home is built, and ensure they’ll be surrounded by the workers they’ve adopted as family. The County will provide the license, and continue its obligation to bring the existing building up to life/safety codes. We’ll also receive an amount yet to be determined for land on which CHR will build its new facility. But the residents of Luzerne County won’t have to absorb an 8-million dollar loss over the next two years that was part of the original deal.

It’s a win-win-win situation, which emerged from our willingness and ability to make the kind of difficult decisions which you elected us to make. We appreciate your continued confidence and trust, and pledge to continue to do our very best, no matter how tough it gets.

I deleted that stupid forum page of ours. I've about had it with the anonymous drivel that seems to fuel so much of what the internet has become. If you cannot attach your name to your comments you do not deserve to be heard. That's where I've arrived at.

Last night I visited that assinine blog created to trash our police department and post after post after post is little more than slander posted by anonymous cowards. He sells drugs. She has roaches. She beats her kids. He beats her kids. She's an alcoholic. He sells drugs at the pizza parlor. She's a slut. She also takes it in the ass. Oh, and the cops suck.

What it all amounts to is everybody hiding behind the curtain of anonymity is a tough guy ready to mouth off in less than a moment's notice. In a nutshell, it's useless and regrettable bilge.

If you've got something clever to add to this eclectic mix, send your comments along and properly identify yourself. No more fraidy cats.

And you wanna know what, or who finally caused me pull the plug on the anonymous bilge? Jim McCarthy. If I was a sitting councilman, the very last thing I would do would be to engage an internet madman such as myself, especially when you consider that the internet is not big on rules of engagement. I could have sliced and diced his comments to pieces and tried to embarrass him. I could do anything I want to with what he sends my way. But he sent them along just the same, and...he clearly identified himself. In my mind, coming from a local elected politician, that requires some balls, if not some confidence in one's self. Now, if someone who's got something to lose isn't afraid to battle it out on the internet, then what's up with so many of you?

Scared, heh? No problemo. They're waiting for you over at Doughnuts R Us.

Did you know Becky takes it in the ass?

From the e-mail inbox Mark,
I need your help! In December I will ge throwing a 25th Anniversary party formy sister and I would like to borrow a few of your CD's like from the 50-60-70-80's like a mix of music. My son will be doing the music and I told him I'd ask you if I'd be able to borrow some CD'sfrom you.
Hope you are enjoying your vacation, come Monday it will be all over and back to the old grind.

TXXXX

Borrow my freaking CDs? Are you huffing PVC glue again? Take my wife. Take my kids. Take my Mother's ashes. But get off of the CD kick!

The Citizens Voice
Cars and bicycles must both pay attention
10/26/2005
Editor:
Reading the "Your Voice" article on Oct. 19 pertaining to bicyclists really hit home with me. The reason being that I feel the same way except I feel strongly about the cyclists' safety as well.
First of all, bikes do have the right to be on the roads (most-depending on area). The main problem as I see it is people just don't pay attention.
I operate both a bike and an automobile. I read the street signs, one in particular says "share the road" with a little picture of a bicycle just beneath.
That sign is there for the safety of both bikes and cars. I notice a lot today of people driving cars while being on the phone, eating, drinking, putting on lipstick, etc. They are the same people that miss the road signs, go right through yield signs, don't use blinkers, and frankly just are not paying attention.
When you get behind the wheel of a car, it is your obligation to pay attention to your surroundings. You must be responsible and drive defensively. The same rules apply to bikers.
Of all the drivers bothered so much by us bikers, I ask for this: read your road signs, obey the road signs, use your blinkers, pay attention to your surroundings, get off your phones, be responsible for your choices, and share the road, as the sign says.
Lisa Perry
Mountain Top

I'm good with all of that.

Helmsman Sulu was gay??? Whoa! I guess that would explain why Spock never, ever beamed down to the surfaces of any planets all alone with him.

Captain, anal sex is highly illogical.

Rosa Parks is set to lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda. No one should have a problem with that. All that the lady demanded was some dignity. Hers truly was a shot heard round the world.

Me gots to go. All of a sudden, I'm knee-deep in grandkids (rodents).

Later