My son died for the sins of George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld. This administration did this.--Nick Berg, the father of the beheaded kid from West Chester said in an interview with radio station KYW-AM.

Oh, don't mind him. He's grieving and he can say whatever he wants with nary a word being challenged while doing so. The only thing is, he's so full of sh*t he could be a speech writer for Ted Kennedy. Did Dubya order his kid into Iraq? Or did he go there of his own free will looking to make a quick buck, which by the way, used to be the American way? Remember? Capitalism.

More shocking pictures were seen by our elected types who could barely contain their revulsion and outrage. Expect to see some of them nominated for Oscars later this year. Let's be serious, shall we? In Washington D.C., interns, i.e., sex kittens and boy toys get chewed up and spit out faster than a gross of Bazooka Joes at a little league game. One deranged nymphomaniac managed to end up in the reverses rather than on her hands and knees at the Watergate Hotel. Big whoop!

It was pretty disgusting, not what you'd expect from Americans. There was lots of sexual stuff - not of the Iraqis, but of our troops.-- Norm Coleman (R-Minn.).

It's hard to believe that this actually is taking place in a military facility.--Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

It was significantly worse than I had anticipated. Take the worst case and multiply it over several times.--Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore).

I don't know how these people got into our Army.--Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.).

A few reactions to the 45-minute viewing session our Congress birds had which included Pfc. Lynndie England's gang bang performance, X-rated phots and videos, and other images of "torture", humiliation and intimidation.

I don't know how these people got into our Army? We don't know how so many drunkards and perverts got into our government? Is Barney Frank still renting out young men by the hour? Who's Gary Condit dating these days?

More shocking pictures. Blah, blah, blah. Is it just me, or is the military not conducting an investigation? Do we really need our politicos to be writing porno reviews on a daily basis? Don't they have votes to buy or something? And still...STILL...not a single Iraqi was beheaded. Maybe if Lynndie had a few more drinks a head or two might have been chewed off.

I was very disappointed...

...after following the link at the Leader's web site and reading the letter Dante Zappala, Sherwood Baker's brother, forwarded to the president, but allowed everyone else to read through first. Sorry, kiddies, but it was boorish to the point of being completely amateurish, disrespectful on purpose, and so factually challenged I almost felt embarrassed for the author. Almost. But not knowing what they are talking about never stopped the folks that are yet to sit in on a single daily intelligence briefing. When some local calls the president a liar, is that an original thought on their part? Or did the constant media drumbeat finally tell him what he thought? Repetition is reputation. Heyna?

Why, the president is a liar. WHAO! That's a f**kin' new one! Did you deduce that all by your lonesome. I am seriously impressed. 60 Minutes awaits your genius.

I understand that Baker's parents and siblings refer to themselves as "peace activists," but Baker signed-up and then he nobly served when called upon to do so. If he was overly impressed with their political stance, he might have chosen not to serve so capably. He went against their wishes, he paid a stiff price for his loyalty and patriotism, and now his own brother is not respecting his decision by attacking his commander-in-chief.

One more time for the activists out there: The absence of war should in no way be confused with peace. Dummies.

What the hell! While I'm being completely honest, I might as well go all the way and get myself in trouble again. What's up with a family that receives word that a family member was been killed in action in a far away land, and then rushes right out front and lines up for the cameras? It struck me as very odd that day and it hasn't aged well with the passing of a couple of weeks.

If I had just received word that my brother was blown all to heck and some gorp from WNEP banged on my front door a few hours later, he'd likely be the recipient of a few threats, an F-bomb or two and a work boot sailing his way. You know what I'm saying here? Leave us the muck alone.

My brother got killed in action. It's time to attack your, not my president. Sorry, man, but I see that as lame beyond reproach. That sure was a short grieving period. No? Send me all of the nasty e-mail you want. That's how I feel.

Well...

No more Frasier. That's it. Last night's episode was the grand finale, kiddies. Kelsey Grammer has been playing that character for twenty years, eleven years on Frasier. And I am happy to point out that I never viewed a single episode of any show that 'Frasier' ever appeared in.

I've got much more important stuff to do. Like damaging my ear drums beyond repair (At least, that's what they tell me), crushing my 12 ounce aluminum recyclables with one hand and watching baseball. To each their own.

Sorry Nancy & Kev...

...but as disturbing as it may be, I want to watch the Berg video, including the audio, now and again so as to keep myself focused on whom it is exactly that needs to be defeated. Bush isn't the enemy, some common criminals vowing their allegiance to God are the enemy. And I wanna be reminded of that every once in a while. Much like the way I watch the video of the towers dropping into the streets below on that terrible September morning.

Those agenda-driven (Like they're f**king not!) TV news outlets will not show us atrocities perpetrated upon us for more than an hour or two, but when we force someone to don a strap-on dildo in a prison somewhere, those very same TV outlets go 24/7 with the images that make us (Bush) look bad in the eyes of the world.

I wish to be reminded. I need to seethe now and again. And I'll get a chance to do just that tomorrow as 4,000 flags representing 4,000 folks needlessly killed will be displayed in Kirby Park. Others may heal, but I won't.

What do you get when you splice the Paris Hilton video with the video of naked Iraqi men?

Ready?

Torture.

Can you guess...

...where I was this morning?

That van serves as the headquarters for the volunteers that still mass and search the woods in Sweet Valley and the surrounding environs for that girl that disappeared in February.

She could have run off with some new beau, but I'm not buying into any of that. They say she disappeared in the middle of a cold dreary night without taking her coat, her purse or her cigarettes. And yet, her friends down at the Pikes Creek mini-market claim that she was a chain-smoker. Are alarm bells going off? A chain-smoker that goes for a lengthy walkabout without her smokes? I can't picture it.

There's some foul play afoot out there in Back Mountain.

The thunderstorms...

...were rolling in about an hour ago, so Gage and I went out on the front porch to watch the lightning strikes kill innocent trees on the west side of the river. Of course, once the kid trained his eyes westward, the friggin' lightning starts striking everywhere except where Gage happens to be looking. So we waited. And we waited some more. Finally...some nasty lightning fires away right in front of him and he let loose with: "It blinked. The sky blinked."

Whatever. I thought it was cute.

Gotta go. I've got a two day weekend ahead of me and it feels real good. Tomorrow will mark the first time I ever marched in a parade. The thing is, as much as I believe the Healing Field is a remarkable undertaking, it sure would be preferable if we didn't need to plant 4,000 flags in Kirby Park. And it sure would be neat to have those observation decks 110 stories above New York City still open to the public. And it would be swell if the members of our military were bored as all hell right about now. And it'd be real cool if we didn't allow ourselves to be divided by a few bitter plutocrats and a few crazed and lawless religious idiots.

Hey. You don't suppose we might find ourselves confronted by some sort of imbecilic protestors at the park tomorrow, do you?

Larry! You wanna pick up a couple of dozen eggs on your way down to Ross Street in the morning?

CYA