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See Shorty Shackled…a Summary

So notorious short-statured pedophile Richard W. Thompson is in the news again…along with the judge that thinks his stature and general presence wouldn’t bode well in jail.

There’s a petition drive in Sidney, Nebraska, focused on collecting the resignation of judge Kristine Cecava. I get the sense her decision wasn’t necessarily well received. Given the pedophile got off virtually with a slap on the wrist and a welcome mat to reoffend I can understand why.

A transcript of the sentencing hearing shows that Cecava considered a number of issues when determining Thompson’s sentence, not only his height.

“So I’m sitting here thinking this guy has earned his way to prison but then I look at you and I look at your physical size,” Cecava is quoted as saying in the transcript. “I look at your basic ability to cope with people and, quite frankly, I shake to think what might happen to you in prison because I don’t think you’ll do well in prison.”

Thompson was charged for having sexual contact last summer with a girl who is now 14.

“I truly hope that my bet on you being OK out in society isn’t misplaced,” Cecava said at the sentencing hearing. “It’s very hard to keep you in society when I know the risk is another child getting hurt.”

She shakes to think what might happen to him in prison?!?!? What about the girl he sexually molested, and on at least two occasions? Do you not think she shakes each and every day she knows this criminal is not behind bars?

Ms. Cecava, your decision on letting him be out in society truly is misplaced. You yourself state that you know there is a risk in another child getting hurt. LISTEN TO WHAT YOU ARE SAYING. How hard is it to put it together?

Of course, we should all be ashamed as her intentions are completely misunderstood:

Lincoln attorney Bernie Glaser, who said he’s been Cecava’s friend and colleague for 33 years, said her ruling has been misunderstood. The prosecutor didn’t ask for prison time, Glaser noted, and the judge took other factors into account when deciding that prison wasn’t right for Thompson including his mental capabilities and information contained in a pre-sentence report that is not public.

“We need more judges like her,” Glaser said. “I think they should be proud they have a judge like her.”

God help us if we get any more judges like her. …and God help the victims of any criminal that they might feel sorry for.

The petition drive in Sydney has garnered over 700 signatures - pretty substantial for a small Nebraska community.

In the meantime, “Top Cop” Jon Bruning, Nebraska’s Attorney General has filed his appeal on the judge’s sentence in this case:

An appeal has been filed on Wednesday of a judge’s decision to sentence a sex offender to probation instead of prison based in part on his height.

Attorney General Jon Bruning and Cheyenne County Attorney Paul Schaub filed the appeal with the state Appeals Court. They said the sentence handed down last week to Richard W. Thompson of Sidney was excessively lenient.

I’ll say!

Schaub said he supports the appeal based in part on the recommendations of the victim, her counselor and custodian — all of whom said Thompson should be sent to prison.

Let’s hope that the victim - the REAL victim - is finally listened to.

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…of Pedophiles and Abuse from One Pissed Off Mom

I think back to when I was twelve. The last thing I would have *ever* wanted was to have sex - especially with an adult. As a matter of fact, at the age of 8 or 9, my sister’s neighbor offered me a dime to stand on his chest (I was wearing a dress and obivously he wanted to look up it). I ran to the nearest adult to tell. There are some people that are just sick and perverted. Some of these less-than-human beings want society to endorse their behavior and try to twist it around so it sounds “okay.” They aren’t fooling anyone.

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch pedophiles are launching a political party to push for a cut in the legal age for sexual relations to 12 from 16 and the legalization of child pornography and sex with animals, sparking widespread outrage.

I would certainly *hope* this would spark widespread outrage. Society carries a general sense of what is right and wrong, for the most part, apart from the smattering of sadistic freaks like these people.

The Charity, Freedom and Diversity (NVD) party said on its Web site it would be officially registered Wednesday, proclaiming: “We are going to shake The Hague awake!”

The party said it wanted to cut the legal age for sexual relations to 12 and eventually scrap the limit altogether.

…and here they go trying to rationalize their unnatural tendencies:

“A ban just makes children curious,” Ad van den Berg, one of the party’s founders, told the Algemeen Dagblad (AD) newspaper.

“We want to make pedophilia the subject of discussion,” he said, adding the subject had been a taboo since the 1996 Marc Dutroux child abuse scandal in neighboring Belgium.

“We want to get into parliament so we have a voice. Other politicians only talk about us in a negative sense, as if we were criminals,” Van den Berg told Reuters.

Get a clue, dumbass…if you act on any of these tendencies or view porn involving children you ARE a criminal. Of course you should be treated as such. I want to make pedophila the subject of discussion, too. How to limit it. How to make you pay for any harm you might inflict on an innocent child should you act on your sick, disgusting, perverted thoughts. How to make convicted pedophiles get the death penalty for their crimes against children. Oh and your argument that children are curious? Nice. Try to make it seem like you are doing it for the children when you just want a way to get away with fulfilling your sick fantasies.

Even the Dutch are shocked by this news. And we all know it takes a lot to shock the Dutch.

“They make out as if they want more rights for children. But their position that children should be allowed sexual contact from age 12 is of course just in their own interest,” anti-pedophile campaigner Ireen van Engelen told the AD daily.

Hey…didn’t I just say that?

I have to admit, the party certainly doesn’t appear credible when they have such outlandish demands…

The party wants private possession of child pornography to be allowed although it supports the ban on the trade of such materials. It also supports allowing pornography to be broadcast on daytime television, with only violent pornography limited to the late evening.

Toddlers should be given sex education and youths aged 16 and up should be allowed to appear in pornographic films and prostitute themselves. Sex with animals should be allowed although abuse of animals should remain illegal, the NVD said.

The party also said everybody should be allowed to go naked in public and promotes legalizing all soft and hard drugs and free train travel for all.

Private posession of child pornography but ban trading it? So in other words, home movies of their sick acts on children so they can relive it over and over? Toddlers given sex education? WTF? Sex with animals, huh? Where’s the animal rights activists. I find it funny that humans having sex with animals is okay, but abuse isn’t? Um, isn’t having sex with an animal both unnatural and abusive?

I have an idea. Let the party be formed. Let people register for it so they can “have their voice.” Buy the mailing list and weed out the population one sick, twisted pedophile at a time. How a population of people can justify their sadistic and harmful fantasies and acts is unfathomable to me. I don’t think even the Dutch will allow this to get traction.

==============================================

UPDATE: Raven has more over at her place. As hubby and I were chatting on this, he did raise a good point. Let’s not underestimate the Dutch’s ability to roll over and let somethng like this pass. While I’m not certain even *they* would go down that road, Raven reminds us that their laws regarding right to life (or in their case right to murder) as well as other social laws are quite liberal.

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Memorial Day

They fell, but o’er their glorious grave
Floats free the banner of the cause they died to save.

~Francis Marion Crawford

We will always remember.
We will always be proud.
We will always be prepared,
so we will always be free.

~Ronald Reagan

It is easy to take liberty for granted,
when you have never had it taken from you.

~Dick Cheney

This nation will remain the land
of the free only so long as it is
the home of the brave.

~Elmer Davis

Taps~

Day is Done…
Gone the Sun…
From the Hills…
From the Plains…
From the Sky…
All is Well…
Safely Rest…
GOD is Nigh…..

================================

A beautiful Memorial Day Tribute from Romeocat’s trip to D.C. is posted over at her place. Please stop by and be inspired!

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Shorty Gets Probation - Part II

Regarding Kristine Cecava’s decision to let Shorty run free - her choice to put child molester Richard Thompson’s safety ahead of children, she will feel the wrath of Nebraska’s “top cop.” Jon Bruning is my HERO!

OMAHA, Neb. – Height should have nothing to do with justice, Nebraska’s top law enforcement officer said on Thursday.

District Judge Kristine Cecava of Cheyenne County on Tuesday sentenced Richard Thompson, 50, on two counts of sexually assaulting a minor. He given 10 years of probation by a judge who said the man was too small to survive prison.

On Thursday, Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning said he’ll appeal the decision.

Jon Bruning has proven time and again where children stand with him - they are a top priority. He has made some tough, yet warranted decisions regarding kids (Matthew Koso is one that comes to mind, not to mention Internet safety) and stands firm in his conviction to make sure kids are safe.

This quote from Bruning says it all:

“I don’t care if he’s 3 feet tall,” Bruning said. “If you abuse a child, you’re going to pay a price.”

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…Brought to You by the ACLU

On May 3, 2006, U.S. District Judge Gordon Thompson ordered the city of San Diego to remove the mountain-top cross within 90 days or face a fine of $5,000 a day. This judge found (in 1991) that the 29-foot structure violates “separation of church and state.” The case has become an issue of public policy and has remained in the courts. This ridiculous situation was brought to you by none other than the ACLU.

In an effort supported by Christian advocacy groups nationwide, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders met with White House lawyers in Washington, D.C., to ask President Bush to issue an executive order that would save the Mount Soledad cross after a judge ruling in a case brought by the ACLU ordered it removed.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., also discussed the issue yesterday with Vice President Dick Cheney.

Sanders told the Copley News Service the president’s lawyers “indicated it’s going to be tough to get this done and we’re going to have to work real hard, and they’ll give us as many options as they can.

From Thomas More Law Center:

Please help the Thomas More Law Center (TMLC) and other concerned groups and citizens to save the 43-foot cross that was erected atop Mount Soledad in San Diego, California 50 years ago to honor our nation’s veterans by signing the petition below! On May 3, 2006 Federal District Judge Gordon Thompson ordered San Diego officials to remove the historic Mt. Soledad Cross in accordance with an order he issued in 1991. The City must remove the cross within 90 days or face fines of $5,000 per day thereafter. However, the fight is not over.

Ask President Bush to take the land under the federal government’s powers of eminent domain.

Please stop over at their website to send a note to President Bush and support this effort to preserve a part of American history.

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Child Molester Not Considered “Safe” in Prison Gets Probation

I am in awe (and not in a good way) about how criminals can be treated as victims. Be prepared to be furious:

SIDNEY, Neb. — A man found guilty of sexually assaulting a child has been given 10 years of probation by a judge who said the man was too small to survive prison.

District Judge Kristine Cecava of Cheyenne County on Tuesday sentenced Richard Thompson, 50, on two counts of sexually assaulting a minor.

Cecava told Thompson in court that his crime “is absolutely inexcusable” and that he deserved a long sentence. But she expressed concern that the 5-foot-1-inch Thompson would be especially imperiled by prison dangers.

Yes. You heard that right. Poor Mr. Child Molester might get himself hurt in prison because he’s short-of-stature so let’s give him a piddly-ass 10 year probation sentence. Why can’t I feel any empathy whatsoever for this scum of society? C’mon. Does the 50-year-old guy not understand that there are consequences to the crime he committed? Of course he does. So he deserves the same consequences that the 5′9″ child molester gets. THE PUNISHMENT SHOULD FIT THE CRIME. The molester is *not* the victim here and I find it egregious that a judge would give him a lessened sentence for this reason.

Anyone who follows these types of cases knows rehabilitation for pedophiles and child molesters is virtually fruitless. So do *you* think 10 years of probation is going to keep Mr. Thompson away from another child? Talk about a slap on the wrist:

Thompson will be electronically monitored the first four months of his probation, and he was told to never be alone with someone under age 18 or date or live with a woman whose children were under 18. Cecava also ordered Thompson to get rid of his pornography.

I’m *sure* he’ll listen. If I was a betting person, I’d say we’ll be reading about him and his next victim in the not-too-distant future. What an avoidable tragedy that is.

UPDATE: Jon Bruning, Nebraska’s Attorney General is my hero! Take *that* Cecava!

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Amber Harris, Angel in Heaven

Living in the Omaha area, this story has been headlined since Amber’s disappearance in late November.

OMAHA (AP) — The case of Amber Harris is now a homicide investigation after human remains found last week in a city park were identified as those of the missing 12-year-old girl.

Police Chief Thomas Warren said at a news conference Friday that the remains found May 11 in a shallow grave in Hummel Park were identified through DNA analysis.

A cause and time of death have not been determined, he said. Police have not been able to determine how long the remains were in the park, he said.

“It would be pure speculation for me to suggest when the death actually occurred,” Warren said.

The condition of the remains and preliminary results from an autopsy were determining factors in the decision to classify the death as a homicide, Warren said.

There are no suspects, he said.

Amber was last seen alive getting off a school bus near her home in north Omaha on Nov. 29.

Warren said there were articles of clothing found at the site where the remains were found, and indications were that they belonged to Amber.

I feel for the family. They have been searching for her since her disappearance and have been very persistent. Billboards of Amber’s picture have been up all over Omaha and “America’s Most Wanted” did a piece on the case in the hopes there would be more leads. While no one wanted this case to end discovering Amber’s death, being able to put Amber to rest will hopefully provide some closure for the family. Six months of investigating and not knowing what happened to your child must be a sheer hell.

The Harris family raised a number of concerns about the handling of the case, including the police department’s initial concerns that they may be suspects in the case. I’m certain that more will come out on this in the future. My initial thoughts? I couldn’t see from the outside in that they were treated in an inappropriate way, but I’m only exposed to what the media reports on.

Is Omaha a terrible place? No…much of Omaha reminds me of growing up - I feel relatively safe. But when my eight year old asks me why I won’t let him walk to school alone, thoughts of cases like this loom in my mind.

Little Amber - your pain was likely gone long ago, but now you can rest in peace. For the Harris family - may God’s healing hands rest on your hearts and give you some closure and whatever peace you can find.

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The Lessons “Mama” Taught Rachael Ray

Many fans of Rachael Ray often wonder about the journey she took to get where she is today. I came across this great article called “School of Mama” in the Albany Times Union. You can read the full story here.

When David Letterman asked Rachael Ray if she went to culinary school, she had a great reply:

“I went to the school of Mama!” Ray exclaims.

How many of us could say that very thing? I personally went to the school of Mama, too, with Dad as the assistant principal. Both of my parents were outstanding cooks with completely different experiences. Mom, being born and raised in the Southwest taught me some amazing cooking techniques. She also took some tours with Dad in Germany and Spain, learning the cooking styles there as well. Dad came from the North and can make outstanding stews, chilis and cooks with venison unlike most I know. He also took a tour in Thailand and taught me a few things about Thai cooking (my favorite Asian cuisine).

Rachael started wowing the crowd early, or so it seems:

“My mother was the type who always wanted her kids around her,” Ray explains. “She didn’t want us with baby sitters. We all grew up in restaurants.”

So it came as no surprise to Scuderi when, at age 11, Rachael presented her with a Mother’s Day dinner fit for an Italian queen: a plate of spinach lasagna pinwheels in a Gorgonzola sauce with blanched asparagus.

“It was a feast for the eyes,” remembers Scuderi. “She arranged the asparagus around the plate to look like the sun shining.”

Rachael’s Mama, Elsa Scuderi, learned a lot about cooking and life in the kitchen herself.

“The kitchen was the center of our home,” she remembers. “There were a lot of mouths to feed, and we had to learn about food. My mother made wonderful pies and breads, and my dad was great with meats, stews and sauces.”

On weekends, Scuderi’s father, the late Emmanuel Scuderi, would teach the young Providenza (her given name) the finer points of cutting meat, proper food temperatures and canning vegetables from the garden.

“He’d take a whole piece of meat and season it with herbs and garlic, put it in a hot oven for half an hour then turn (the oven) off and leave it for a few hours and it would be tender and succulent. His food was magnificent,” says Scuderi.

“We had to learn about food, learn a little Italian and go to church,” she says. “If we did those things really well, we got into the rumble seat and went for a matinee and an ice cream.”

It sounds like Grandpa Emmanuel was the pillar of the family.

When a tree fell near the family’s home, Emmanuel left it where it was and carved seats into it for all the children.
“We went out and took food there and listened to his stories,” recalls Scuderi. “Life was good with him. He was a high-spirited, energetic person. There’s a saying by Churchill: ‘as soft as the driving fog and as resistant as marble,’ and that describes Dad.”

Ray also credits her late grandfather for being the genesis of the family’s sense of closeness and their love of cooking.

“My grandfather and I were best friends,” she recalls. “He loved to cook and grow his own food. In my family, there was always good food. It was Italian stinky cheese, fresh greens and sauces,” says Ray. “We weren’t kids who had Pop Tarts and crap like that; I was a food snob by age 7.”

Mama - and business manager for Rachael - is proud of her daughter.

But Scuderi says her daughter has taken the essence of her family’s cooking and made it her own. “Rachael can take anything I cook and shorten it.”

Anyone who watches Rachael Ray regularly hears her references to being a “Ho-Jo” girl (for those of you born much more recently than I, that would be “Howard Johnsons”). Not many realize that it was at Ho-Jos that she worked for her Mama. I really love this quote from Rachael:

“She was a tough manager,” Ray confirms. “If you’re not a hard worker, look out. And God help ya if you show up stoned or drunk.”

Both Mama and daughter admit they’ve learned much from each other.

“For Elsa and Rachael, working in a restaurant was never just a job, it was something they loved,” says De Santis [Elsa’s former manager at Howard Johnson’s]. “It doesn’t surprise me that Rachael is so successful. She gets it from her mother.”

In return there are a few things Rachael’s passed on to her mother.

“I’ve learned that you don’t have to stand in a kitchen for four hours to get dinner — Rachee taught me that,” Scuderi says with a laugh. “I’m learning to have more fun and enjoy life. But I love French sauces and bean cassoulets and mint salads — I’ll always take the time for that.”

Great lessons that move far beyond the kitchen.

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For you “24″ Fans

Um, clearly another takeover is needed.

CTU was a shambles, so of *course* Homeland Security came in and saved the day. Thank GOD they arrived. I don’t know what would have happened without them.

But there’s so much hate. So much finger-pointing. So much that needs to be protected and fixed.

Which leads me to only one conclusion. The best way to fix this would be to stage another takeover.

…but this time it will be done right. Instead of sending in a department such as Homeland Security, an agency should come in that is impartial and only does what is right for everyone. And this agency has an acronym, so they would fit right in.

Bring in the ACLU!*

=====================

*um, if you believe I’m serious, you are either 1) a card-carrying member of the ACLU or 2) you are merely crazy or 3) all of the above.

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Hmmmm….a Bit of Fishing Here?

Do you think they are looking for a news story?

OMAHA, Neb. — President George W. Bush’s speech on immigration will be carried live on KETV and KETV.com at 7 p.m. Monday.

As a result, ABC’s “Oprah Winfrey Legend’s Ball” will move to 7 p.m. next Monday, May 22.

Monday’s season finale of “Grey’s Anatomy” will not be pre-empted.

Feedback to: programming@ketv.com

Hmmmm…methinks they are stirring the pot a bit.

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Would You Call this “Justice Served?”

A man who molested a child for approximately 2 years gets a sentence of 5 years (and is eligible for parole once 85% of the sentence is served (emphasis mine):

BELVIDERE | A Carbon County man who sexually assaulted a girl in Phillipsburg drew a five-year sentence Friday.

William Robinson, 25, of the 200 block of Delaware Avenue, Palmerton, molested the child between September 2002 and Nov. 8, 2004, when the child was 2 to 4 years old, authorities said.

Robinson will serve his sentence in the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Avenel, N.J., a correctional institution for sex offenders deemed repetitive and compulsive.

Charges of aggravated sexual assault and child endangerment were dismissed as part of an earlier plea bargain. He pleaded guilty to sexual assault by contact. The victim knew Robinson, authorities said.

Robinson must serve 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole. He is subject to parole supervision for life and the Megan’s Law sex offender registration requirements.

I know I must sound like a broken record to some of my readers, but does it really seem fair that this man sexually molests a child between the age of 2 and 4 and can get a sentence of 5 years? HE SEXUALLY MOLESTED A CHILD FROM THE AGE OF TWO UNTIL FOUR YEARS OF AGE. Oh, and do you want to know why he stopped? Because he was caught - and arrested. Do you want to know what will likely occur once he is free from prison? He’ll find another two year old and start over. And so goes the cycle of molestation.

I’m so sick and tired of reading articles about how the criminal should be rehabilitated. I think all of the money spent trying to rehabilitate such scum should go toward counseling for the victims instead. They are the ones that will spend the rest of their lives haunted by an unprovoked, forced molestation.

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…of Mothers and Fine China

Oh, the stories she’d tell! Those special times each year that prompted the unveiling of the “fine china” always brought with them the stories from years ago, when that china came into the family.

Mom had two sets of beautiful china. She always said to me as a little girl that the china would be mine someday. Even then I was excited. Each Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, the china would come out of the hutch and would have to be washed and set at the table. Sometimes it was just the three of us, sometimes other family and friends came to partake of my mom’s fabulous culinary skills. It never mattered to me when we ate on that china. It made the meal special. I didn’t even mind that the china couldn’t go into the dishwasher and had to be washed by hand.

The first set of china Mom owned she gave to me as a young newlywed. Since we didn’t have a good place to put it (we weren’t long into the residence of our “starter” home…no dining room, you see), we had it in a box in the “storage” room. Then, upon the planned arrival of our firstborn, the room needed to be cleared out in preparation for a nursery. Then the accident came and a rather large item fell upon the box of special china, smashing a few of the pieces. The pattern had been discontinued and I felt like I had shattered a small corner of my childhood. That new legacy would carry on to my children…and my children’s children. Mom didn’t need to know such a horrid tale and we quickly stowed away the remaining pieces for safe keeping.

Oh, but the other set of china. You should see it. A full service for twelve, with all of the extra serving dishes. A beautiful design of soft, small grayish flowers with the pieces edged in platinum. This set remains on display in the beautiful hutch of my youth. I look at it almost every time I go into my childhood home. This, too, is china that is supposed to come to me someday. Out of Mom’s two sets of china, this one was the most used. I have to admit, it’s my favorite of the two. Mom’s story about the day she bought the china goes back to a time in the 1950s, when Mom and Dad were stationed in Germany and Mom went to the Bx with a friend. The china was there, and Mom fell in love with it. She was amazed to see the price of $2.50 per five-piece setting. She and Dad entertained quite a bit in their military travels and she thought it would be the perfect set to use for just that…and at $2.50 a setting she bought service for twelve. Upon sharing her good find with other friends, one asked her to accompany them to the Bx a couple of weekends later. During that visit, it was unveiled by a store employee that the china was $25.00 per five-piece setting and just a couple of weekends ago they accidentally sold it at $2.50 per setting. Mom didn’t feel guilty enough to own up to being the purchaser, but she felt guilty enough to buy the serving dishes for the set. All told, she got an amazing deal on some china, and a great story, too!

Momma got very sick with cancer and we lost her close to a year and a half ago. Dad wanted to keep the china for now - of course he should - that beautiful hutch couldn’t bear to be empty. Pieces were rearranged in the hutch to Dad’s liking and that’s where it sits currently. Dad has taken a liking to another lady and, not wanting to be alone, asked her to move in with him. He was firm in his stance about no marriage until this week when it was announced that it was likely he and his lady-friend would likely get married late in the summer. Dad’s words “life’s too short” ring true in my ears. I want Dad to be happy and it seems that he has found this happiness with her. Selfishly, though, on my drive home all I could think about were the sentimental treasures in Dad’s house and what may happen should Dad pass on to Heaven before his new wife does. …and yes, that selfish thought was about the china. I don’t know her…would she keep it? Was Dad love-struck enough to change the will? Would I be able to pass down that full set of china to my daughter when she moves into her first home? Or would I need to give her the china with the missing pieces that resides in my home? All selfish thoughts I know, but I couldn’t prevent them from trickling in.

When the kids and I arrived home from our visit with Dad, the house was empty. When hubby arrived home a bit later he said he had a Mother’s Day gift for me that he couldn’t wait until tomorrow to give to me. My hubby does an amazing job of giving me gifts that choke me up, but when I peeled away the tissue I wasn’t prepared for this.

I immediately burst out in tears. I told him “I wasn’t expecting this” to which he said “um, neither was I!” He shared his story about how he had filled his cart with things he knew I would enjoy and use (a Calphalon wok, cutting boards, a nice bottle-opener set for wine to name a few) he also knew I was interested in some new wine glasses and we needed some new champagne glasses so thought he would take a look at what they had. As he headed back there, the broken china pieces flew into his head and he started looking at china and started looking at place settings that could come close to replacing that set with one I could pass down to our daughter someday. One he found the set, he ran back to the other parts of the store and put back everything in the cart. He knew he had found the “right” Mother’s Day gift for the softie also known as his wife.

But as the story unfolded, and I shared with him the news of the day - of Dad likely getting married, of my sorrow at what might happen to those sentimental items should Dad go first - it became clear to both of us that we had a little angel named “MOM” up in Heaven guiding my heart and hubby’s shopping cart. So with a little help from her, no matter what happens to that beautiful Noritake in the hutch at Dad’s house, the tradition of passing along the family china will continue…and now we have a story of our own to tell.

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Send A Prayer

Fellow Munuvian and Jawa co-blogger Demosophist has lost his brother-in-law. Throw him a nice thought, please.

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Thank God Criminals are Stupid!

So, not only does this disgusting pig of a human being decide to take pictures of him with a young child, he then firms up his own stupidity!

BALTIMORE — A man was arrested on child porn charges after pawning a laptop computer that contained photos of him engaged in sexual conduct with a 5-year-old girl, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

The owner of the pawn shop contacted police after the images were discovered.

Brian Dotson, 45, of Bel Air was identified as the man in the pictures, in part through a cartoon-character tattoo on his left bicep, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

He could get up to 30 years in prison on the federal child pornography charges. He was also charged in state court with rape and sexual abuse.

It is moments like this that you appreciate the fact that criminals are, by nature, stupid.

I imagine his conversation with inmates in prison will go something like this:

Inmate: So, Dotson, whatcha in for?

Dotson: Sexual Assault on a minor. Why?

Inmate: Just wondering…how did you get caught? Why would you do that shit anyway?

Dotson: Well, I wasn’t with her when I got caught. I got caught because they found our pictures on a computer I pawned at the pawnshop.

Inmate: BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! What a LOSER!

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Gratuitous Rachael Ray Blogging

Fort Wayne’s “Journal Gazette” had an opportunity to run an interview with Rachael Ray as she was on her way to the Daytime Emmys.

I think the questions people ask in an interview are pretty crazy, but it does expose that other people are even nuttier:

Q. Your shows are basically shot in one take. Ever make a mistake that made you drop an f-bomb?

A. I cook like a sailor when I’m at home. It’s so funny. But I’ve never slipped and cussed on air. I have gotten in trouble, though, in the most obscure ways. One time I was using portobellos and I said, “You know, I just pop the tops off and leave the stems because they’re too woody, I can’t even make a good stalk out of them. They’re so tough, you know.” So I said, “Just pop the tops off because the stems are a bit of a gyp.” I got this hate mail from a Gypsy who said I was being derogatory to Gypsies. I didn’t even know that was the origin of the expression. Really! But whatever. I get in trouble for the most bizarre stuff sometimes, not meaning to. Sometimes I’ll throw salt over my shoulder, you know if I spill some, for good luck. And people write in saying, “Who’s cleaning up all that salt on the floor?” I’m like, “Dude! Why do you care? My dog is licking it up, OK?”

Q. They want the idea, the image of you getting the mop bucket after the show cuts.

A. I don’t know. Sometimes they get angry at me for tasting my own food, or touching something. You know, dipping my finger in the sauce. I’m like, “I’m not cooking for you. I’m here alone with my vegetables. Do you mind if I taste my own food?”

And those of you on the edge around your seat about a mini Rachael or John running around…

Q. Speaking of moms, when can your mom expect grandkids?

A. Never! I love children. I want to work with children and food. It’s my pet thing in life and I love being around kids. They’re funny. They’re much smarter than adults, in my opinion. And much more honest. And I love cooking with them. But I just don’t physically have the time to have any. It would have to be an immaculate conception, first of all. I’m rarely home. And you know, me and my husband love being parents to my little Isaboo (her dog). We like furry kids. And I just don’t have enough time to do it properly, and I don’t think you should have kids just for vanity’s sake or to use a name. Or just because your clock’s ticking.

Q. Plus, the name Suri is taken now.

A. And the name Suri is taken, which is hugely disappointing. So what’s the point in any of us having kids?

As you know, Rachael Ray was recently recognized by Time as one of the “100 People Who Shape Our World.” For those of you who are always looking for pics of Rachael Ray, here she is at the Time event with hubby John. Enjoy!

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