I told my sister I was going to make her a t-shirt printed with, "I borrow trouble."

I do love her, but sometimes, she drives me nuts.

1. Loves a bitch, Duck, loves a bitch.
   Pretty in Pink  (aviran first correct)
   
2. I could've been a rock singer, if only I hadn't been banned from MTV. Long story. But anyway, I only know that one song. Well, I do a mean "Puff the Magic Dragon," but only in the nude. Longer story.
   The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (flibbertygibit first correct)
   
3. I don't think I want to know a six-year-old who isn't a dreamer, or a sillyheart. And I sure don't want to know one who takes their student career seriously. I don't have a college degree. I don't even have a job. But I know a good kid when I see one. Because they're ALL good kids, until dried-out, brain-dead skags like you drag them down and convince them they're no good. You so much as scowl at my niece, or any other kid in this school, and I hear about it, and I'm coming looking for you!
   Uncle Buck  (SladeTheGreyFox first correct)
   
4. Well, would you look at all this? You all spared no expense this time, Byron. I gotta say, though, it's probably cheaper just to let me rob the damn thing.
   3:10 to Yuma (SladeTheGreyFox first correct)
   
5. How would you like to take a break from that fine lead-based paint... and learn about Dodgeball?
   (kind of a trick question)
   Dodgeball Instructional from Über-American Instructional Films  (Landlubber got this film within a film, though StephanieJ73 called it, just couldn't remember the name, and That_Bob_Guy, flibbertygibit, and SladeTheGreyFox all called it from being in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story)

Next week, I'll be on vacation, so at least for the summer, these will be an every other week thing, I do think the brilliant BrysonMC is still doing them occasionally, when he can. So you might check him, if you need a MMQ fix next week.

1. Loves a bitch, Duck, loves a bitch.
2. I could've been a rock singer, if only I hadn't been banned from MTV. Long story. But anyway, I only know that one song. Well, I do a mean "Puff the Magic Dragon," but only in the nude. Longer story.
3. I don't think I want to know a six-year-old who isn't a dreamer, or a sillyheart. And I sure don't want to know one who takes their student career seriously. I don't have a college degree. I don't even have a job. But I know a good kid when I see one. Because they're ALL good kids, until dried-out, brain-dead skags like you drag them down and convince them they're no good. You so much as scowl at my niece, or any other kid in this school, and I hear about it, and I'm coming looking for you!
4. Well, would you look at all this? You all spared no expense this time, Byron. I gotta say, though, it's probably cheaper just to let me rob the damn thing.
5. How would you like to take a break from that fine lead-based paint... and learn about Dodgeball?
   (kind of a trick question)

Forward: If you are looking for a post that demonizes, vilifies, or makes fun of one side or the other, keep looking.  I have many friends on all sides of the political spectrum, conservatives, liberals,  progressives, libertarians, etc.. I can disagree with and respect all views, and ask that others do the same.

Al, this is for you.

The United States is not a Democracy.

I've read the Communist Manifesto. I think it is a beautiful document. A beautifully naive document, but nonetheless beautiful. If communism or socialism (which, according to Marx is the natural stage in the evolution to communism) could exist in a vacuum, that is no power mad megalomaniacs in the bureaucracy, no lazy individuals—everyone truly giving according to ability and taking according to need—I would be on board. But, let's face it, as human beings we are flawed, we get greedy, lazy, jealous, etc. I think those traits tend to intensify when we are forced by the structure of our state to behave in a certain way.

I also think that when we are free to choose how to spend our money and time, human beings can be generous, kind, compassionate, and selfless.

I have also read Plato's Republic, the Magna Carta, the Charters of Freedom, On Civil Disobedience (Thoreau), Democracy in America (Tocqueville), among others. So, understand that my political views are steeped in history and I think it is important to understand what has happened over the many thousands of years and how ideas like liberty were so radical at various times throughout history.

Therefore, I have decided that I am voting for Senator McCain. I have the utmost respect for Senator Obama, from his time as a community organizer, time in the Illinois Senate, and his time as a U.S. Senator, I think he has more experience than most people give him credit for possessing. I would walk miles to hear Senator Obama speak in person. He is very inspirational. I hope he has a long career in public service, I think he has a lot to give.

However, I do not want a socialist president. I do not want Senator Clinton on the Supreme Court of the United States (which has been speculated was the deal the Senators made rather than having Senator Clinton as the VP candidate).

I am not a single issue voter. Never have been, unless I believe one of the candidates lacks integrity, and in this case I do not think that is the issue. If I were a single issue voter, I would stay home in November as both candidates have stances on issues important to me that are opposed to mine.

I do think the election, for me, comes down to the constitution and the bill of rights. Who will do more to preserve our unalienable rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. In this case, I think that candidate is Senator McCain.

Neither candidate has lit my fire politically, not like Representative Dr. Paul. I am a staunch constitutionalist. I favor states rights. I think the Federal government should protect our borders, engage in diplomacy and treaties with foreign nations, and settle disputes between states. Oh, that is over-simplifying of course, but I would rather our state governments, governments who more closely represent the people who elected them, make the laws that govern those people.

The United States is a Republic, and it is one that we need to work to preserve.

Yesterday, I grilled.

I hadn't grilled in almost 3 years. It was good. I did kebabs of marinated chicken breast with red bell pepper, green bell pepper, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and jalapeno peppers. I did Thai style satay. I did two separate kinds of marinated chicken breast.

I have chicken cooked for any purpose for the next week and a half.

I used my mom's old grill, and a mix of mesquite, pecan, and charcoal. I used no accelerant to start the fire. I am kind of a purist, I don't like gas grills. That's just me. My sister won't cook on anything but gas.

Meanwhile my little garden is coming along quite nicely, I have jalapenos, yellow bell, green bell, and banana peppers all coming in quite nicely. I have Thai basil, sweet basil, lavendar, and rosemary all growing like weeds. The tomatoes are flowering, so I know I'll get fruit. The mint is growing like crazy, mojitos anyone? I've even got some itty bitty cantalopes, no watermelon yet, but the vine is growing. The squash is coming along, but the zucchini had a set back and I almost lost it, however, there is new growth, which is a really good sign. Oh, my hibiscis has flowered every day for the last week. I forgot how green my thumbs can be.

Fresh veggies are the best. Now, if I could just talk my dad into letting me get a couple of pet chickens, you know, for the eggs.

 "Just remember, this summer when you are being innundated with all that bicentennial brouhaha, what you are really celebrating is that a bunch of aristocratic white slave owners didn't want to pay their taxes."

Happy Independence Day. We may not be perfect, but I wouldn't trade my citizenship for anything.

Maybe it is because my first Halloween costume was Bozo. I don't know why my mom would have done that to me, but, lets face it, Bozo, is kind of creepy.

Of course, at 1.5 years, I was too young to be creeped, but come on. My sisters got to be Batman and Superman that year. Me, I got totally screwed. I mean, why would they get such cool costumes, and I get the creepy clown?

And, no, I won't show you the photo.  

Maybe it is John Wayne Gacy.

Seriously, I mean, I dig a good historical serial killer thriller as much as the next gal, but Gacy was just....

Eew.

Creepy.

Maybe it is Pennywise. Oh, that Stephen King.

I read It when I was too young to have any business reading it. The thing about King's stories, is everything will be moving along sort of normal, in a Stand By Me sort of way for a hundred pages, then BAM! Psycho killer clown rips somebody's arm off.

Maybe it is the Simpson's, all those Treehouse of Terror episodes.

I mean Bart doesn't like clowns either. Really, can you blame him? I would not sleep in a clown bed for all the money in the world. I'd take a haunted house, or at least a haunted bathroom any day over a clown bed.

Whatever, the source of my clown creeps, there are just some days, when I feel closer to Bart than I would care to admit.

I don't like shrimp, or prawns.

The Texas Supreme Court has upheld a church's right to perform exorcisms. But what about individual freedoms?

( From the Associated Press) In a 6-3 decision, the justices found that a lower court erred when it said the Pleasant Glade Assembly of God's First Amendment rights regarding freedom of religion did not prevent the church from being held liable for mental distress triggered by a "hyper-spiritualistic environment."

Laura Schubert testified in 2002 that she was cut and bruised and later experienced hallucinations after the church members' actions in 1996, when she was 17. Schubert said she was pinned to the floor for hours and received carpet burns during the exorcism, the Austin American-Statesman reported. She also said the incident led her to mutilate herself and attempt suicide. She eventually sought psychiatric help. (more)

I find the dissenting opinion interesting:

But Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson, in a dissenting opinion, stated that the "sweeping immunity" is inconsistent with U.S. Supreme Court precedent and extends far beyond the Constitution's protections for religious conduct.

"The First Amendment guards religious liberty; it does not sanction intentional abuse in religion's name," Jefferson wrote.

I think too many religions (or individuals within a religion) today are abusive, either of the individual or in financial matters. But, it is a slippery slope, and one that must be tred very, very carefully. Freedom of religion is one of the fundamental pillars of this country, so many immigrants have come here to escape religious persecution by their government even before this was a country, and that freedom should be safeguarded. At the same time, how do we protect individuals from "abuse in religion's name?"

I would totally kick frakin-zombie ass.

Updated: Actually, I think the better question here is, which Xangaroos would you want to be trapped in the house with when the zombie outbreak occurs?

I know who I would want. (Flib, Lenore, Aviran, Tabin, AtomBlonde that's right, I am looking at you, and, that's just the short list the long list well, it's long....)

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