The above title is somewhat true, pending on who's perspective you entertain. Certainly the thousands of people who have witnessed UFO phenomenon can attest to that. Maybe it was swamp gas, maybe it was aliens. We don't know. And there are things in this world I can graciously admit to being ignorant of. However, there is one thing I can not... And that is the logic and reasoning behind the family court system.
Go ahead and roll your eyes. "Rags is on another rant about the family court, doesn't she have anything else to talk about?"
No, in fact, I don't.
The epiphany I had yesterday occurred just after seeing my ex husband, the complete asshole that used me as his personal punching bag for nearly eight years, drinking beers with my 13 and 11 year old in tow...... at my 5 year old's father's house. This situation jarred me a bit. The idea of these two men, both of which are lousy fathers and even worse spouses, socially mingling together was quite disturbing. And to know that my 5 year old has not been a priority in her father's life (he has no time for her) made it ultimately betraying.
Back to my enlightenment of an idea that still bears no answer for me.
The question really is "Where is the line?"
Side tangent with me if you will...
It's Wednesday, and the trash can is over flowing. The garbage truck is due to come Thursday morning at the crack of dawn. I say to my husband:
"Baby, can you take the garbage out?"
"I'll get to it"
time lapse 1/2 hour
"Honey, the garbage, can you take it out?"
"Yup, in a minute"
time lapse another hour
"My love, the garbage really needs to go out"
"ALRIGHT! I TOLD YOU I WOULD, NOW QUIT NAGGING ME!!"
Nagging....
Ok, Same scenario. Wednesday night, the trash is over flowing. I say to my husband:
"Baby, can you take the garbage out?"
"Mmm Hmmm"
time lapse to crack of dawn Thursday morning as the garbage truck passes our house
"Honey, the garbage truck just passed. Did you take the trash out?"
"Dammit! Why didn't you remind me???"
So you see, there is a fine line between reminding and nagging....
There is another fine line- in the family court world... Its the line between educating and alienating
Any normal, loving mom, who has lost custody of their child to an abusive dad can attest to this. I am about to go off on my rant now. Bear with me.
A family lives in a neighborhood for many years, and one day out of the backpack of your child do you find a letter from the school that Pedophile A has moved within blocks of your home. Well, aren't we all tickled by this prospect. So, you take your daughters and sons to the kitchen to have the talk. The stranger talk. You pull his picture up on line to show your baby what this bad bad man looks like and you tell him how to stay safe. You map out a route for her to walk to school in, you even follow behind for extra precaution. You point out "safe homes" and teach him to use a pay phone. Or buy her a cell phone 'just in case'. You educate her. Educate, educate, educate. Every day, driving home the need to stay safe.
The teachers hear her talking to classmates relaying what to do if approached by this pedophile. 'She is so smart! Mom did a great job educating her. Now she's sharing her safety tips with friends. That pedophile doesn't stand a chance in this neighborhood!' And his teacher calls you. Praises you for your preventative measures! You're a PTA hero!
Now, after all that education, all the time spent trying to keep your child safe. All the countless hours going over back up plan after back up plan... What if some Judge forced you to send your child to that same pedophiles house, because you EDUCATED her on how dangerous he is.
The family courts do not see this as pro-active planning in the effort to protect. They see this as Alienating.
When that pedophile you are trying to protect your child from is that child's father, the family court system does not allow the mother to keep that child from harm's way. Mom is ORDERED to hand her child over into the hands of the devil. The judge will even arrest and jail the mother for interfering with dad's access time. And then the unthinkable happens. For daddy dearest, raping his child on the weekends isn't enough. He takes mom to court and sues for sole custody and guess what? He is almost guaranteed to get it. Then he can rape her at will. And there is nothing mom can do about it. Dad has arranged it that mom can no longer see her because she has alienated him from his child's life by EDUCATING HER, she is no longer allowed to see her baby because Dad now needs to 'deprogram' her from mom's verbal abuse.
So the child is forced to live with her father. Forced into being raped and beat. Neglected and abused. Tortured. And mom is forced to dump thousands of dollars and hours into a system that failed to protect her child to begin with.
This is how it is everyday for many of us. We are forced to hand our children over to someone who will continually abuse them. We are forced often with our lives and freedom to watch the assaults unfold. We are forced to endure the shame and humiliation with our child because it is the aftermath we most often witness. We are forced stand by, and wait on our lawyers or a law guardian's word that this time will be different. New judge, new laws, new Law Guardian, new county. But the result is always the same if not worse. The new judge grants dad more time, or strips mom of all her parenting rights. Forces mom into living in a car because dad needs child support. That is his right as sole custodian. It is his right to interfere with mom's access because its in the best interest of the child to not hear bad things about dad from mom... far better is it for dad to abuse the child than for mom to protect her.
So where is the line between educating and alienating?
It must lie somewhere in the vicinity of that other line.... the one between Justice and Family Court.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
A failure to communicate?
Most of you, if you had been following us on the dailybs, will know my plight with the American Custody Battle.
In the 3 years since I started that series, oh how educated I have become. I have gotten beat up web wise by some of the more illustrious father's rights' groups. And the threats to my inbox have been amusing at best. Oddly enough, they prove my point about what that gender is truly like at their core.
Some of you may remember from earlier stories that I was married oh so many years ago. This man, and I use that term loosely, was the most violent of people. He wasn't always that way however. In the beginning of our relationship he was kind and loving. That changed almost immediately after we got married. No, that's not true, it was happening before we wed but not with such frequency. However, it was after we wed me being a whole 18 years old, that it really started to turn.
What I find confusing about the whole situation of victims in a violent marriage is the shame in which people look upon us. We get the gambit of questions;
"Are you stupid?"
"Why would you stay?"
"I can't believe you're dumb enough to put up with that"
"How can you be so stupid"
Ladies and gentlemen, let me ask you something. If your son or daughter, or mother or father for that matter went to war and got captured by the enemy, was held as a POW for 7 years and then finally managed to be released but not without damage.. Would you then ask that person why he stayed or how she could have been so stupid to get caught?
Guess what? Marriage to an abusive man is the SAME EXACT THING..
He beats on us, starves us, drags us out of bed for no apparent reason at all of hours of the night. Our bones get broken, we get raped and tortured... the only difference is its happening in our home and not in some foreign country somewhere. We are held prisoner for years. Threats of and actual abuse forces us to stay. And then comes the terror of knowing that if, IF you can escape, chances are he'll kill you. 80% of domestic violence homicides occur AFTER she leaves for help. That means a victim has less that a fifth of a chance of surviving.
Now here's the bloody part. We escape, and somehow manage to survive long enough to get to court and file for divorce, file for custody and basically beg our GOVERNMENT for help in protecting our children... And some family court judge, an idiot in a black robe, hands our young children off to that very same man we escape from. The one that decided raping us wasn't enough, he had to move on to our young daughters. So that now, we worry about how much torture our children are suffering. When we intercede to protect a life that cannot protect itself we get held in contempt of a court order and thrown in jail.
Why do we stay? Because its so much less stressful and damaging to be able to protect our children from him, than it is to protect them from the family court system.
That's why.
In the 3 years since I started that series, oh how educated I have become. I have gotten beat up web wise by some of the more illustrious father's rights' groups. And the threats to my inbox have been amusing at best. Oddly enough, they prove my point about what that gender is truly like at their core.
Some of you may remember from earlier stories that I was married oh so many years ago. This man, and I use that term loosely, was the most violent of people. He wasn't always that way however. In the beginning of our relationship he was kind and loving. That changed almost immediately after we got married. No, that's not true, it was happening before we wed but not with such frequency. However, it was after we wed me being a whole 18 years old, that it really started to turn.
What I find confusing about the whole situation of victims in a violent marriage is the shame in which people look upon us. We get the gambit of questions;
"Are you stupid?"
"Why would you stay?"
"I can't believe you're dumb enough to put up with that"
"How can you be so stupid"
Ladies and gentlemen, let me ask you something. If your son or daughter, or mother or father for that matter went to war and got captured by the enemy, was held as a POW for 7 years and then finally managed to be released but not without damage.. Would you then ask that person why he stayed or how she could have been so stupid to get caught?
Guess what? Marriage to an abusive man is the SAME EXACT THING..
He beats on us, starves us, drags us out of bed for no apparent reason at all of hours of the night. Our bones get broken, we get raped and tortured... the only difference is its happening in our home and not in some foreign country somewhere. We are held prisoner for years. Threats of and actual abuse forces us to stay. And then comes the terror of knowing that if, IF you can escape, chances are he'll kill you. 80% of domestic violence homicides occur AFTER she leaves for help. That means a victim has less that a fifth of a chance of surviving.
Now here's the bloody part. We escape, and somehow manage to survive long enough to get to court and file for divorce, file for custody and basically beg our GOVERNMENT for help in protecting our children... And some family court judge, an idiot in a black robe, hands our young children off to that very same man we escape from. The one that decided raping us wasn't enough, he had to move on to our young daughters. So that now, we worry about how much torture our children are suffering. When we intercede to protect a life that cannot protect itself we get held in contempt of a court order and thrown in jail.
Why do we stay? Because its so much less stressful and damaging to be able to protect our children from him, than it is to protect them from the family court system.
That's why.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Ricki's Rave: Sheriff Joe Arpaio
This is from an email that I received. I have raved over Sheriff Joe ever since I first heard about him. We need more Law Enforcement officials that are more like Sheriff Joe.
You all remember Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona, who painted the jail cells pink and made the inmates wear pink prison garb. Well..........
Mericopa County was spending approximately $18 million a year on stray animals (cats & dogs). Sheriff Joe offered to take the department over and the County Supervisor said okay. The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily. He now has prisoners who are experts in animal nutrition and behavior. They give great classes for anyone who would like to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given the to the care of prisoners, and had them place in dog shows.
The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million. [The writer] adopted a Weimaraner from a Mericopa County shelter. He was neutered, and current on all shots, in great health, and even had a microchip inserted the day he was adopted. Cost = $78.
The prisoners get the benefit of about $.28 an hour for working, but most would work for free, just to be out of their cells for the day. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc. He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals.
I have long wondered when the rest of the country would take a look at the way he runs his jail system, and copy some, if not all, of his ideas. He has a huge farm, donated to the county years ago, where inmates can work, and they grow most of their own fresh vegetable, doing all the work and harvesting by hand.
He has a pretty good sized hog farm, which provides meat, and fertilizer. It fertilizes the Christmas tree nursery, where prisoners work, and you can buy a living Christmas tree for $6-$8 for the Holidays, then plant it later. [The writer] has six trees in his yard from the prison.
Sheriff Joe was re-elected in 2008 with 83% of the vote. He painted all the buses and vehicles with a mural, that has a special hotline phone number, where you can call and report suspected illegal aliens. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement wasn't doing enough in his eyes, so he had 40 deputies trained specifically for enforcing immigration laws, started up his hotline, and bought 4 new buses just for hauling folks back to the border. He's kind of a 'Git-R Dun' kind of Sheriff.
TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO:
He is the Maricop County Sheriff in Arizona. He has been elected to five consective, 4 year terms as Sheriff. Why does he keep getting re-elected? Here's why:
Sheriff Joe created the "Tent City Jail":
He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them.
He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails. Took away their weights Cut off all but 'G' movies.
He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects.
Then He Started Chain Gangs For Women So He Wouldn't Get sued For Discrimination. He took away cable TV until he found out there was a Federal Court Order that required cable TV for jails so he hooked up the cable TV again only let in The Disney Channel and The Weather Channel.
When asked why The Weather Channel he replied, "So they will know how hot it's gonna be while they are working on my chain gangs."
He cut off coffee since it has zero nutritional value. When the inmates complained, he told them, "This isn't the Ritz/Carlton....If you don't like it, don't come back."
More on Sheriff Joe:
With temperature being even hotter than usual in Phoenix, the AP reports: About 2,000 inmates living in a barbed-wire-surrounded tent encampment at the Maricopa County Jail have been given permission to strip down to their government-issued pink boxer shorts. On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing boxers were either curled up on their bunk beds or chatted in the tents, which reached 138 degrees inside the week before. Many were also swathed in wet, pink towels as the sweat collected on their chests and dripped down to their pink socks. "It feels like we are in a furnace", said James Zanzot, an inmate who has lived in the tents for 1 year. "It's inhumane." Joe Arpaio, the tough-guy sheriff who created the tent city and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink, and eat bologna sandwiches, is not one bit sympathetic. He said Wednesday that he told all of the inmates: "It's 120 degrees in Iraq and our soldiers are living in tents too. And, they have to wear full battle gear, but they didn't commit any crimes so shut your mouths!"
Maybe if all prisons were like this one there would be a lot less crime and/or repeat offenders. Criminals should be punished for their crimes - not live in luxury until it's time for their parole, only to go out and commit another crime so they can get back in to live on taxpayers money and enjoy things taxpayers can't afford to have for themselves.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
United States Overhaul?
Obama just signed a ground breaking bill for these United States making it against the law to not carry health insurance.
Forgive if I don't jump up and down... bad back, you know.
A bad back which I have chosen to let get worse.
A bad back that has been injured and re-aggravated by a 'tough love' father and futher harmed by a growth spurt in junior high.
A bad back that then got tortured and tormented by 3 pregnancies, an abusive husband and lousy lumbar support in the Pontiac.
A bad back, which has gone unchecked in 30 years - Not because I lacked medical coverage- as I can count the amount of days on one hand in my whole life I was uninsured- but because I don't particularly care to venture to a doctor. My own choice, ergo, I have no one to blame but myself. But when it hurts bad enough (by this I mean I can't walk, or reach the IB Profren, or the bottle of vodka) I 'll go see the back doc... and he will work his magic, prescribe me a miracle pill whom only the pharmaceutical companies profit from because in the midst of curing my back, this divine medication will also cause me to have diarrhea, headaches, rashes, spontaneous muscle movements, a loss in appetite, and my cervix to grow a vine of grapes. All of which I will need to purchase more pills for to combat the side effects for the wonder pill that cured my back.
But, thank God, Obama overhauled American health-care.
And he did so without a majority to be in favor of it.
He did so without permission from me or anyone I know for that matter to fuck with our bodies and paychecks.
And who makes the money from this?
I'm not... in fact I believe this bill will cause me to lose a few more dollars and many more nights of sleep. Simply because the land of the free and brave has now become the land of "Shut up and do as you're told"
Ok. I can accept that. I can do as I'm told in the name of 'its good for you'. Sweet Jesus knows that's exactly how tough love dad raised me.
But if the man who is president can illegally pass socialist legislation, why must we only attack the medical profession? Let's open the drawing board up to my idea.
Wait... you might love this one... read on:
Ready?
CLOSE THE FUCKING BORDERS.
That's it. Shut down the entrances to the U.S of A.
I'm not simply referring to illegal immigration.
I mean the whole ball of wax. No more Chinese made yo-yoes. No more sneakers from India, Japan or England. And no more petrol.
If it can be made in the States then it stays in the states.
Sounds horrifying, doesn't it? True, true, I'll relent to your fear of losing ninety nine cent jewelry. And your car. And your plastic, well, everything.
But hear me out.
By closing the borders and shutting down our need for foreign oil we also shut down our dependency on foreign dollars. And we force auto makers in these here united states to revamp their cars, trucks, bikes, gators and whatever to GREEN POWER hence making it environmentally friendly; saving our kids thousands of dollars and diseases. And somebody has to build these new transports THUS GIVING AMERICANS JOBS!
Wait, I got more.
We also open industry back up in the states because now, we still need shoes and clothes and dog food and somebody has to make these products> MORE JOBS!
We lose the possibility of some psychotic jabbering towel head habeeb from blowing up any more of our buildings because NO ONE IS ALLOWED IN ANYMORE!
Americans having jobs and buying American products.. oh wait for it... GENERATES CAPITAL FOR THE GOVERNMENT!!
Well HOLY FUCKING DUH!
Shutting down our borders decreases the risk of tainted foreign food products being shipped here! No more mad cow, unless it is an American Mad Cow (no, I don't mean Hillary).
No more work visa's for a camel jockey to come here and produce psycho babble in our convenient stores because God Dammit I want to buy my beef jerky from an American Asshole, not a foreign one who can't find 64 different English words to curse me down in. And this makes more jobs for... YOU!
And with more jobs, because people have no choice but to buy American, comes more money to go have my fucking back checked out in the first place!
Buh-Bye Welfare! Everyone works now so we no longer need you!
Buh-Bye emissions! Everyone can look at a clear blue sky without haze and smog because we have electric or french fry oil powered vehicles built by french fry eating Americans.
Buh-bye health care overhaul that makes this a fucking communist state because this COUNTRY WAS BUILT BY ME, FOR ME AND OF PEOPLE LIKE ME!
And I will gladly sacrifice the lumbar crushing, broken door, no horn working Pontiac to be able to shit in peace!
My favorite quote from nearly 20 years ago:
"I'm the enemy, 'cause I like to think; I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech and freedom of choice. I'm the kind of guy who likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder, "Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecued ribs with the side order of gravy fries?" I WANT high cholesterol. I wanna eat bacon and butter and BUCKETS of cheese, okay? I want to smoke a Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section. I want to run through the streets naked with green Jell-o all over my body reading Playboy magazine. Why? Because I suddenly might feel the need to, okay, pal? I've SEEN the future. Do you know what it is? It's a 47-year-old virgin sitting around in his beige pajamas, drinking a banana-broccoli shake, singing "I'm an Oscar Meyer Wiener". "
Thank you.
Forgive if I don't jump up and down... bad back, you know.
A bad back which I have chosen to let get worse.
A bad back that has been injured and re-aggravated by a 'tough love' father and futher harmed by a growth spurt in junior high.
A bad back that then got tortured and tormented by 3 pregnancies, an abusive husband and lousy lumbar support in the Pontiac.
A bad back, which has gone unchecked in 30 years - Not because I lacked medical coverage- as I can count the amount of days on one hand in my whole life I was uninsured- but because I don't particularly care to venture to a doctor. My own choice, ergo, I have no one to blame but myself. But when it hurts bad enough (by this I mean I can't walk, or reach the IB Profren, or the bottle of vodka) I 'll go see the back doc... and he will work his magic, prescribe me a miracle pill whom only the pharmaceutical companies profit from because in the midst of curing my back, this divine medication will also cause me to have diarrhea, headaches, rashes, spontaneous muscle movements, a loss in appetite, and my cervix to grow a vine of grapes. All of which I will need to purchase more pills for to combat the side effects for the wonder pill that cured my back.
But, thank God, Obama overhauled American health-care.
And he did so without a majority to be in favor of it.
He did so without permission from me or anyone I know for that matter to fuck with our bodies and paychecks.
And who makes the money from this?
I'm not... in fact I believe this bill will cause me to lose a few more dollars and many more nights of sleep. Simply because the land of the free and brave has now become the land of "Shut up and do as you're told"
Ok. I can accept that. I can do as I'm told in the name of 'its good for you'. Sweet Jesus knows that's exactly how tough love dad raised me.
But if the man who is president can illegally pass socialist legislation, why must we only attack the medical profession? Let's open the drawing board up to my idea.
Wait... you might love this one... read on:
Ready?
CLOSE THE FUCKING BORDERS.
That's it. Shut down the entrances to the U.S of A.
I'm not simply referring to illegal immigration.
I mean the whole ball of wax. No more Chinese made yo-yoes. No more sneakers from India, Japan or England. And no more petrol.
If it can be made in the States then it stays in the states.
Sounds horrifying, doesn't it? True, true, I'll relent to your fear of losing ninety nine cent jewelry. And your car. And your plastic, well, everything.
But hear me out.
By closing the borders and shutting down our need for foreign oil we also shut down our dependency on foreign dollars. And we force auto makers in these here united states to revamp their cars, trucks, bikes, gators and whatever to GREEN POWER hence making it environmentally friendly; saving our kids thousands of dollars and diseases. And somebody has to build these new transports THUS GIVING AMERICANS JOBS!
Wait, I got more.
We also open industry back up in the states because now, we still need shoes and clothes and dog food and somebody has to make these products> MORE JOBS!
We lose the possibility of some psychotic jabbering towel head habeeb from blowing up any more of our buildings because NO ONE IS ALLOWED IN ANYMORE!
Americans having jobs and buying American products.. oh wait for it... GENERATES CAPITAL FOR THE GOVERNMENT!!
Well HOLY FUCKING DUH!
Shutting down our borders decreases the risk of tainted foreign food products being shipped here! No more mad cow, unless it is an American Mad Cow (no, I don't mean Hillary).
No more work visa's for a camel jockey to come here and produce psycho babble in our convenient stores because God Dammit I want to buy my beef jerky from an American Asshole, not a foreign one who can't find 64 different English words to curse me down in. And this makes more jobs for... YOU!
And with more jobs, because people have no choice but to buy American, comes more money to go have my fucking back checked out in the first place!
Buh-Bye Welfare! Everyone works now so we no longer need you!
Buh-Bye emissions! Everyone can look at a clear blue sky without haze and smog because we have electric or french fry oil powered vehicles built by french fry eating Americans.
Buh-bye health care overhaul that makes this a fucking communist state because this COUNTRY WAS BUILT BY ME, FOR ME AND OF PEOPLE LIKE ME!
And I will gladly sacrifice the lumbar crushing, broken door, no horn working Pontiac to be able to shit in peace!
My favorite quote from nearly 20 years ago:
"I'm the enemy, 'cause I like to think; I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech and freedom of choice. I'm the kind of guy who likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder, "Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecued ribs with the side order of gravy fries?" I WANT high cholesterol. I wanna eat bacon and butter and BUCKETS of cheese, okay? I want to smoke a Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section. I want to run through the streets naked with green Jell-o all over my body reading Playboy magazine. Why? Because I suddenly might feel the need to, okay, pal? I've SEEN the future. Do you know what it is? It's a 47-year-old virgin sitting around in his beige pajamas, drinking a banana-broccoli shake, singing "I'm an Oscar Meyer Wiener". "
Thank you.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
America and Nazi Germany......Do we see the similarity?
Truly is the Greatest Country in the World. Don't Let Freedom Slip Away
By: Kitty Werthmann
What I am about to tell you is something you've probably never heard or will ever read in history books.
I believe that I am an eyewitness to history. I cannot tell you that Hitler took Austria by tanks and guns; it would distort history. We elected him by a landslide - 98% of the vote.. I've never read that in any American publications. Everyone thinks that Hitler just rolled in with his tanks and took Austria by force.
I believe that I am an eyewitness to history. I cannot tell you that Hitler took Austria by tanks and guns; it would distort history. We elected him by a landslide - 98% of the vote.. I've never read that in any American publications. Everyone thinks that Hitler just rolled in with his tanks and took Austria by force.
In 1938, Austria was in deep Depression. Nearly one-third of our workforce was unemployed. We had 25% inflation and 25% bank loan interest rates.
Farmers and business people were declaring bankruptcy daily. Young people were going from house to house begging for food. Not that they didn't want to work; there simply weren't any jobs. My mother was a Christian woman and believed in helping people in need. Every day we cooked a big kettle of soup and baked bread to feed those poor, hungry people - about 30 daily.
The Communist Party and the National Socialist Party were fighting each other. Blocks and blocks of cities like Vienna, Linz, and Graz were destroyed. The people became desperate and petitioned the government to let them decide what kind of government they wanted.
We looked to our neighbor on the north, Germany, where Hitler had been in power since 1933. We had been told that they didn't have unemployment or crime, and they had a high standard of living. Nothing was ever said about persecution of any group -- Jewish or otherwise. We were led to believe that everyone was happy. We wanted the same way of life in Austria. We were promised that a vote for Hitler would mean the end of unemployment and help for the family. Hitler also said that businesses would be assisted, and farmers would get their farms back. Ninety-eight percent of the population voted to annex Austria to Germany and have Hitler for our ruler.
We were overjoyed, and for three days we danced in the streets and had candlelight parades. The new government opened up big field kitchens and everyone was fed.
After the election, German officials were appointed, and like a miracle, we suddenly had law and order. Three or four weeks later, everyone was employed. The government made sure that a lot of work was created through the Public Work Service.
Hitler decided we should have equal rights for women. Before this, it was a custom that married Austrian women did not work outside the home. An able-bodied husband would be looked down on if he couldn't support his family. Many women in the teaching profession were elated that they could retain the jobs they previously had been required to give up for marriage.
Hitler decided we should have equal rights for women. Before this, it was a custom that married Austrian women did not work outside the home. An able-bodied husband would be looked down on if he couldn't support his family. Many women in the teaching profession were elated that they could retain the jobs they previously had been required to give up for marriage.
Hitler Targets Education - Eliminates Religious Instruction for Children:
Our education was nationalized. I attended a very good public school. The population was predominantly Catholic, so we had religion in our schools. The day we elected Hitler (March 13, 1938), I walked into my schoolroom to find the crucifix replaced by Hitler's picture hanging next to a Nazi flag. Our teacher, a very devout woman, stood up and told the class we wouldn't pray or have religion anymore. Instead, we sang "Deutschland, Deutschland, Uber Alles," and had physical education.
Our education was nationalized. I attended a very good public school. The population was predominantly Catholic, so we had religion in our schools. The day we elected Hitler (March 13, 1938), I walked into my schoolroom to find the crucifix replaced by Hitler's picture hanging next to a Nazi flag. Our teacher, a very devout woman, stood up and told the class we wouldn't pray or have religion anymore. Instead, we sang "Deutschland, Deutschland, Uber Alles," and had physical education.
Sunday became National Youth Day with compulsory attendance. Parents were not pleased about the sudden change in curriculum. They were told that if they did not send us, they would receive a stiff letter of warning the first time. The second time they would be fined the equivalent of $300, and the third time they would be subject to jail. The first two hours consisted of political indoctrination. The rest of the day we had sports. As time went along, we loved it. Oh, we had so much fun and got our sports equipment free. We would go home and gleefully tell our parents about the wonderful time we had.
My mother was very unhappy. When the next term started, she took me out of public school and put me in a convent. I told her she couldn't do that and she told me that someday when I grew up, I would be grateful. There was a very good curriculum, but hardly any fun - no sports, and no political indoctrination. I hated it at first but felt I could tolerate it. Every once in a while, on holidays, I went home. I would go back to my old friends and ask what was going on and what they were doing. Their loose lifestyle was very alarming to me. They lived without religion. By that time unwed mothers were glorified for having a baby for Hitler. It seemed strange to me that our society changed so suddenly. As time went along, I realized what a great deed my mother did so that I wasn't exposed to that kind of humanistic philosophy.
Equal Rights Hits Home:
In 1939, the war started and a food bank was established. All food was rationed and could only be purchased using food stamps. At the same time, a full-employment law was passed which meant if you didn't work, you didn't get a ration card, and if you didn't have a card, you starved to death. Women who stayed home to raise their families didn't have any marketable skills and often had to take jobs more suited for men.
In 1939, the war started and a food bank was established. All food was rationed and could only be purchased using food stamps. At the same time, a full-employment law was passed which meant if you didn't work, you didn't get a ration card, and if you didn't have a card, you starved to death. Women who stayed home to raise their families didn't have any marketable skills and often had to take jobs more suited for men.
Soon after this, the draft was implemented. It was compulsory for young people, male and female, to give one year to the labor corps. During the day, the girls worked on the farms, and at night they returned to their barracks for military training just like the boys. They were trained to be anti-aircraft gunners and participated in the signal corps. After the labor corps, they were not discharged but were used in the front lines. When I go back to Austria to visit my family and friends, most of these women are emotional cripples because they just were not equipped to handle the horrors of combat. Three months before I turned 18, I was severely injured in an air raid attack. I nearly had a leg amputated, so I was spared having to go into the labor corps and into military service.
Hitler Restructured the Family Through Daycare:
When the mothers had to go out into the work force, the government immediately established child care centers. You could take your children ages 4 weeks to school age and leave them there around-the-clock, 7 days a week, under the total care of the government. The state raised a whole generation of children.. There were no motherly women to take care of the children, just people highly trained in child psychology. By this time, no one talked about equal rights. We knew we had been had.
When the mothers had to go out into the work force, the government immediately established child care centers. You could take your children ages 4 weeks to school age and leave them there around-the-clock, 7 days a week, under the total care of the government. The state raised a whole generation of children.. There were no motherly women to take care of the children, just people highly trained in child psychology. By this time, no one talked about equal rights. We knew we had been had.
Health Care and Small Business Suffer Under Government Controls:
Before Hitler, we had very good medical care. Many American doctors trained at the University of Vienna . After Hitler, health care was socialized, free for everyone. Doctors were salaried by the government. The problem was, since it was free, the people were going to the doctors for everything. When the good doctor arrived at his office at 8 a.m., 40 people were already waiting and, at the same time, the hospitals were full. If you needed elective surgery, you had to wait a year or two for your turn. There was no money for research as it was poured into socialized medicine. Research at the medical schools literally stopped, so the best doctors left Austria and emigrated to other countries.
As for healthcare, our tax rates went up to 80% of our income. Newlyweds immediately received a $1,000 loan from the government to establish a household. We had big programs for families. All day care and education were free. High schools were taken over by the government and college tuition was subsidized. Everyone was entitled to free handouts, such as food stamps, clothing, and housing.
Before Hitler, we had very good medical care. Many American doctors trained at the University of Vienna . After Hitler, health care was socialized, free for everyone. Doctors were salaried by the government. The problem was, since it was free, the people were going to the doctors for everything. When the good doctor arrived at his office at 8 a.m., 40 people were already waiting and, at the same time, the hospitals were full. If you needed elective surgery, you had to wait a year or two for your turn. There was no money for research as it was poured into socialized medicine. Research at the medical schools literally stopped, so the best doctors left Austria and emigrated to other countries.
As for healthcare, our tax rates went up to 80% of our income. Newlyweds immediately received a $1,000 loan from the government to establish a household. We had big programs for families. All day care and education were free. High schools were taken over by the government and college tuition was subsidized. Everyone was entitled to free handouts, such as food stamps, clothing, and housing.
We had another agency designed to monitor business. My brother-in-law owned a restaurant that had square tables. Government officials told him he had to replace them with round tables because people might bump themselves on the corners. Then they said he had to have additional bathroom facilities. It was just a small dairy business with a snack bar. He couldn't meet all the demands. Soon, he went out of business. If the government owned the large businesses and not many small ones existed, it could be in control.
We had consumer protection. We were told how to shop and what to buy. Free enterprise was essentially abolished. We had a planning agency specially designed for farmers. The agents would go to the farms, count the live-stock, then tell the farmers what to produce, and how to produce it.
"Mercy Killing" Redefined:
In 1944, I was a student teacher in a small village in the Alps. The villagers were surrounded by mountain passes which, in the winter, were closed off with snow, causing people to be isolated. So people intermarried and offspring were sometimes retarded. When I arrived, I was told there were 15 mentally retarded adults, but they were all useful and did good manual work. I knew one, named Vincent, very well. He was a janitor of the school. One day I looked out the window and saw Vincent and others getting into a van. I asked my superior where they were going. She said to an institution where the State Health Department would teach them a trade, and to read and write. The families were required to sign papers with a little clause that they could not visit for 6 months. They were told visits would interfere with the program and might cause homesickness.
In 1944, I was a student teacher in a small village in the Alps. The villagers were surrounded by mountain passes which, in the winter, were closed off with snow, causing people to be isolated. So people intermarried and offspring were sometimes retarded. When I arrived, I was told there were 15 mentally retarded adults, but they were all useful and did good manual work. I knew one, named Vincent, very well. He was a janitor of the school. One day I looked out the window and saw Vincent and others getting into a van. I asked my superior where they were going. She said to an institution where the State Health Department would teach them a trade, and to read and write. The families were required to sign papers with a little clause that they could not visit for 6 months. They were told visits would interfere with the program and might cause homesickness.
As time passed, letters started to dribble back saying these people died a natural, merciful death. The villagers were not fooled. We suspected what was happening. Those people left in excellent physical health and all died within 6 months. We called this euthanasia.
The Final Steps - Gun Laws:
Next came gun registration.. People were getting injured by guns. Hitler said that the real way to catch criminals (we still had a few) was by matching serial numbers on guns. Most citizens were law abiding and dutifully marched to the police station to register their firearms. Not long afterwards, the police said that it was best for everyone to turn in their guns. The authorities already knew who had them, so it was futile not to comply voluntarily.
No more freedom of speech. Anyone who said something against the government was taken away. We knew many people who were arrested, not only Jews, but also priests and ministers who spoke up.
Totalitarianism didn't come quickly, it took 5 years from 1938 until 1943, to realize full dictatorship in Austria. Had it happened overnight, my countrymen would have fought to the last breath. Instead, we had creeping gradualism. Now, our only weapons were broom handles. The whole idea sounds almost unbelievable that the state, little by little eroded our freedom.
After World War II, Russian troops occupied Austria. Women were raped, preteen to elderly. The press never wrote about this either. When the Soviets left in 1955, they took everything that they could, dismantling whole factories in the process. They sawed down whole orchards of fruit, and what they couldn't destroy, they burned. We called it The Burned Earth. Most of the population barricaded themselves in their houses. Women hid in their cellars for 6 weeks as the troops mobilized. Those who couldn't, paid the price. There is a monument in Vienna today, dedicated to those women who were massacred by the Russians. This is an eye witness account.
"It's true..those of us who sailed past the Statue of Liberty came to a country of unbelievable freedom and opportunity.
America Truly is the Greatest Country in the World. Don't Let Freedom Slip Away
"After America, There is No Place to Go"
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Had to pass on this email......
JOE LEGAL vs. JOSE ILLEGAL
You have two families: "Joe Legal" and "Jose Illegal"..
Both families have two parents, two children, and live in California ..
Joe Legal works in construction, has a Social Security Number and makes $25.00 per hour with taxes deducted.
Jose Illegal also works in construction, has NO Social Security Number, and gets paid $15.00 cash "under the table".
Ready? Now pay attention...
Joe Legal: $25.00 per hour x 40 hours = $1000.00 per week, or $52,000.00 per year. Now take 30% away for state and federal tax; Joe Legal now has
$31,231.00.
Jose Illegal: $15.00 per hour x 40 hours = $600.00 per week, or $31,200.00 per year. Jose Illegal pays no taxes. Jose Illegal now has
$31,200...00.
Joe Legal pays medical and dental insurance with limited coverage for his family at $600.00 per month, or $7,200.00 per year. Joe Legal now
has $24,031.00.
Jose Illegal has full medical and dental coverage through the state and local clinics at a cost of $0.00 per year. Jose Illegal still has $31,200.00.
Joe Legal makes too much money and is not eligible for food stamps or welfare. Joe Legal pays $500.00 per month for food, or $6,000.00 per
year. Joe Legal now has $18,031.00.
Jose Illegal has no documented income and is eligible for food stamps and welfare. Jose Illegal still has $31,200.00.
Joe Legal pays rent of $1,200.00 per month, or $14,400.00 per year. Joe Legal now has $9,631.00.
Jose Illegal receives a $500.00 per month federal rent subsidy. Jose Illegal pays out that $500.00 per month, or $6,000.00 per year. Jose Illegal still has $ 31,200.00.
Joe Legal pays $200.00 per month, or $2,400.00 for insurance. Joe Legal now has $7,231.00.
Jose Illegal says, "We don't need no stinkin' insurance!" and still has $31,200.00.
Joe Legal has to make his $7,231.00 stretch to pay utilities, gasoline, etc.
Jose Illegal has to make his $31,200.00 stretch to pay utilities, gasoline, and what he sends out of the country every month.
Joe Legal now works overtime on Saturdays or gets a part time job after work.
Jose Illegal has nights and weekends off to enjoy with his family.
Joe Legal's and Jose Illegal's children both attend the same school. Joe Legal pays for his children's lunches while Jose Illegal's children get
a government sponsored lunch. Jose Illegal's children have an after school ESL program. Joe Legal's children go home.
Joe Legal and Jose Illegal both enjoy the same police and fire services, but Joe paid for them and Jose did not pay.
Do you get it, now?
If you vote for or support any politician that supports illegal aliens...
You are part of the problem!
It's way PAST time to take a stand for America and Americans!
~Ricki
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Taboo....
Its long been said that the two worst subjects to discuss while in the company of strangers are Religion and Politics. I have always loved ranting about today's government and the socialists that control it. From Father's rights to the petty debate of health care its always been a great source of pleasure for me to verbally demolish and otherwise destroy that which you have called a free society. But in all my years of writing I don't believe I have ever touched on the insanely popular debate on whether a Deity exists.
My esteemed colleague, co-writer and best friend in the whole wide world and I agreed along time ago to disagree on the subject of supreme power in the heavens. She grew up in a local church... actually, the very one my ex-husband's father preaches at. Not that this influenced my decision any on converting to athiestism, but it sure did spark the questions I had that ultimately led to my education and thus my disacknowledgement of The Almighty.
It was when I was out with my sister yesterday, she being a devout christian to the extreme of the sense, that I opted to share my beliefs with you, my loyal reader. My sister, having faith for many, many moons now was contorted with questions. I could see in her face that the things she had come to believe all this time were not reconciling the drama and pain the world has caused her. Every religion, every bible teaches that faith in God will heal you. Every religion indeed teaches that faith is blind, and God is merciful. And every religion teaches tolerance of others; but it also teaches that their belief is the only TRUE path.
I was brought up Catholic... as most Sicilians are. Rosaries and butter lambs were a daily way of life for me. But even at the tender age of 4 I remember crying in church because some dude was hanging from half a tree bleeding all over the place above the alter. What the fuck kind of shit is that? And they call this a family atmosphere? I can tell you, sweet reader, that I would not allow any of my children to witness such a thing, let alone week after week with very little explanation other than "Give money" and "God's Will".
So, in my twenties, I began questioning existence of a higher authority. How can a God allow hurricanes and disease and hunger if he is so loving? Answer; "God's Will". If he "Wills" this to happen, then that is one sick fuck. Who does that really? If anyone of us, save the lunatics that spark violence and rampage, saw a dying man on the street corner, would we not offer a cloth or a ride to the local ER? Would we allow our loved ones to parish from Cancer, AIDS, Sickle Cell Anemia or any other disease because its "Our Will"? I'm telling you, that is one crazy bastard.
Now if religion teaches us that death and disease are God's will, then wouldn't logic teach us that this Cat in the Sky is the greatest serial killer of all time? And he has never been caught!! In fact, he is revered and idolized for his acts. God's Will. What a crock.
Now religion also teaches us that its not for us to know why it is God's will. I'm sorry, but this guy really has a good thing going for him. He can kill, screw, mame, and otherwise destroy any man woman or child.. even animals, and he gets worshiped for it. I really want his job. If I so much as spank my kid, I could go to jail and this guy gets to fuck up who ever he wants and gets praised???? Talk about job perks. I wonder what his health care coverage is like.
So we die, and its taught that we go to a heavenly place... And its taught that eventually there will be a day of judgment where all dead souls of history will be resurrected to account for their lives. All Dead Souls. Do you know how many people die world wide a day? Its like 1500. EVERYDAY. So you multiple that times history and you get a number into the trillions of gazillions! But they'll all be resurrected? Now that is a feat. And not only that, but His kid will come to decide who gets the permanent axe and who moves on to an Eden like Earth. Between you and me, I wouldn't let my kid decide what socks I should wear let alone who gets to live or die for eternity. I wouldn't be added to the "eternity list" if my kid wrote it... But the guy that makes Sour Patch Kid's would.
Speaking of parenting, is the Almighty not the worst parent you have ever heard of? He lets his kid get tortured for his beliefs his whole life.. starves him for 40 days..... and then has him beaten and killed and we are taught that this was a loving act? Poor kid didn't even have butter for his bread at his last supper. Not to mention he was a rebel 20 year old who partied too hard turning water to wine. Let me find out MY SON is at a party whipping up jungle juice.. I would beat his ass.
Ok, so back to the gruel we are fed.. Does the question arise in your sweet head of why we are taught this? The very same reason we teach our own children that if they do something naughty they will go to time out. Time Out to children is Hell to adults. Same difference. Father Baker's, boot camp, go to your room; These are all variations of Hades.
And yet we look into the sky and hope for someone else, not to worship, but to blame. That's what "God" is for the entire world. A Reason. A reason to blame for the death of a loved one. A reason to go to war. A reason to explain the things our infinitesimal minds cannot understand. "God" is simply the easiest way out. Its easier than saying "He had a heart attack because he stuffed his face with 40 pounds of grease a day" we can rather say "Its God's Will." We don't want to think about our mother's or father's decaying in the ground with worms and roaches spreading feces and carcasses all through their eye sockets so we say "He is with his father in heaven" and that makes us feel better. We have little theory as to why humanity exists so we create a convenient story about ashes and ribs. And this is more believable than a UFO. This is more believable than evolution. This is more believable than horoscopes and ghosts.
Please don't get me started on a talking snake. You and I both know if you were to tell anyone that you and a boa had a conversation in the produce section you would be kindly sedated and escorted to a rubber room.
But Mankind... in fact 80% of mankind, believes in some variation of this bed time story. A tale that was spun with the sole intent to control the masses, the same reason we spin tales to our children. Folk lore and superstition force us to hold on to this belief structure simply out of a "Knock on wood" theory and not for fact.
"God's Will" "Blind Faith" "Dogma" and "He works in Mysterious Ways"
Bull shit.
My esteemed colleague, co-writer and best friend in the whole wide world and I agreed along time ago to disagree on the subject of supreme power in the heavens. She grew up in a local church... actually, the very one my ex-husband's father preaches at. Not that this influenced my decision any on converting to athiestism, but it sure did spark the questions I had that ultimately led to my education and thus my disacknowledgement of The Almighty.
It was when I was out with my sister yesterday, she being a devout christian to the extreme of the sense, that I opted to share my beliefs with you, my loyal reader. My sister, having faith for many, many moons now was contorted with questions. I could see in her face that the things she had come to believe all this time were not reconciling the drama and pain the world has caused her. Every religion, every bible teaches that faith in God will heal you. Every religion indeed teaches that faith is blind, and God is merciful. And every religion teaches tolerance of others; but it also teaches that their belief is the only TRUE path.
I was brought up Catholic... as most Sicilians are. Rosaries and butter lambs were a daily way of life for me. But even at the tender age of 4 I remember crying in church because some dude was hanging from half a tree bleeding all over the place above the alter. What the fuck kind of shit is that? And they call this a family atmosphere? I can tell you, sweet reader, that I would not allow any of my children to witness such a thing, let alone week after week with very little explanation other than "Give money" and "God's Will".
So, in my twenties, I began questioning existence of a higher authority. How can a God allow hurricanes and disease and hunger if he is so loving? Answer; "God's Will". If he "Wills" this to happen, then that is one sick fuck. Who does that really? If anyone of us, save the lunatics that spark violence and rampage, saw a dying man on the street corner, would we not offer a cloth or a ride to the local ER? Would we allow our loved ones to parish from Cancer, AIDS, Sickle Cell Anemia or any other disease because its "Our Will"? I'm telling you, that is one crazy bastard.
Now if religion teaches us that death and disease are God's will, then wouldn't logic teach us that this Cat in the Sky is the greatest serial killer of all time? And he has never been caught!! In fact, he is revered and idolized for his acts. God's Will. What a crock.
Now religion also teaches us that its not for us to know why it is God's will. I'm sorry, but this guy really has a good thing going for him. He can kill, screw, mame, and otherwise destroy any man woman or child.. even animals, and he gets worshiped for it. I really want his job. If I so much as spank my kid, I could go to jail and this guy gets to fuck up who ever he wants and gets praised???? Talk about job perks. I wonder what his health care coverage is like.
So we die, and its taught that we go to a heavenly place... And its taught that eventually there will be a day of judgment where all dead souls of history will be resurrected to account for their lives. All Dead Souls. Do you know how many people die world wide a day? Its like 1500. EVERYDAY. So you multiple that times history and you get a number into the trillions of gazillions! But they'll all be resurrected? Now that is a feat. And not only that, but His kid will come to decide who gets the permanent axe and who moves on to an Eden like Earth. Between you and me, I wouldn't let my kid decide what socks I should wear let alone who gets to live or die for eternity. I wouldn't be added to the "eternity list" if my kid wrote it... But the guy that makes Sour Patch Kid's would.
Speaking of parenting, is the Almighty not the worst parent you have ever heard of? He lets his kid get tortured for his beliefs his whole life.. starves him for 40 days..... and then has him beaten and killed and we are taught that this was a loving act? Poor kid didn't even have butter for his bread at his last supper. Not to mention he was a rebel 20 year old who partied too hard turning water to wine. Let me find out MY SON is at a party whipping up jungle juice.. I would beat his ass.
Ok, so back to the gruel we are fed.. Does the question arise in your sweet head of why we are taught this? The very same reason we teach our own children that if they do something naughty they will go to time out. Time Out to children is Hell to adults. Same difference. Father Baker's, boot camp, go to your room; These are all variations of Hades.
And yet we look into the sky and hope for someone else, not to worship, but to blame. That's what "God" is for the entire world. A Reason. A reason to blame for the death of a loved one. A reason to go to war. A reason to explain the things our infinitesimal minds cannot understand. "God" is simply the easiest way out. Its easier than saying "He had a heart attack because he stuffed his face with 40 pounds of grease a day" we can rather say "Its God's Will." We don't want to think about our mother's or father's decaying in the ground with worms and roaches spreading feces and carcasses all through their eye sockets so we say "He is with his father in heaven" and that makes us feel better. We have little theory as to why humanity exists so we create a convenient story about ashes and ribs. And this is more believable than a UFO. This is more believable than evolution. This is more believable than horoscopes and ghosts.
Please don't get me started on a talking snake. You and I both know if you were to tell anyone that you and a boa had a conversation in the produce section you would be kindly sedated and escorted to a rubber room.
But Mankind... in fact 80% of mankind, believes in some variation of this bed time story. A tale that was spun with the sole intent to control the masses, the same reason we spin tales to our children. Folk lore and superstition force us to hold on to this belief structure simply out of a "Knock on wood" theory and not for fact.
"God's Will" "Blind Faith" "Dogma" and "He works in Mysterious Ways"
Bull shit.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Ricki's Rant: Toddlers & Tiaras
So, I decided to start a discussion on our Facebook page. Here is what I started with:
"What does everyone think of Toddlers & Tiaras? Putting little girls in ten pounds of makeup, the frilliest dresses a mom can find, and prancing them around on stage to be judged on how big they smile.
I personally think this is ridiculous. I think it is a bunch of moms that never had the chance themselves and are living through their children. Yes, there are some dads that do this too. But, if you have ever watched the show, you can see these kids don't even want to do this, or the ones that do have been turned into the most spoiled brats alive! I saw one girl that her mother fed her pixie sticks all day to keep her awake until it was her time on stage! Come on! Let the girl take a nap for Christ's sake!"
Please feel free to leave your comments here, or on our Facebook discussions tab. Feel free to start your own discussion while you are there too!
"What does everyone think of Toddlers & Tiaras? Putting little girls in ten pounds of makeup, the frilliest dresses a mom can find, and prancing them around on stage to be judged on how big they smile.
I personally think this is ridiculous. I think it is a bunch of moms that never had the chance themselves and are living through their children. Yes, there are some dads that do this too. But, if you have ever watched the show, you can see these kids don't even want to do this, or the ones that do have been turned into the most spoiled brats alive! I saw one girl that her mother fed her pixie sticks all day to keep her awake until it was her time on stage! Come on! Let the girl take a nap for Christ's sake!"
Please feel free to leave your comments here, or on our Facebook discussions tab. Feel free to start your own discussion while you are there too!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Update: Ricki's Rant on Juvenile Justice System
This morning my husband traveled down to Edinburgh to pick up our son and take him to court. When they got to the courthouse, our lawyer was there trying to get to the prosecutor before he went into court. No luck. Then, they find out that they are not even on the docket for the day and that they can not get him on the docket....too full. Court started at 9am. At 9:30am, they see the judge walk out of the court room with his cup of coffee, leaving for the day. "Full day", our lawyer says, "don't overwork yourself!"
They find out that our son is to turn himself in at the jail. So, they head to the jail and find out that the Sheriff there is not a big fan of this judge. He could not figure out why the judge put out a warrant for him before the two days we were given to have him in court. When paperwork was found, they read that the warrant was actually issued on Tuesday and, according to what the judge wrote, if our son didn't turn himself in by this morning, my husband would have had a warrant issued.
So, after processing our son and having the warrant rescinded, they are able to schedule court for Tuesday morning. Our lawyer was able to talk to the prosecutor and find out that they are willing to accept the program as part of his punishment. They were going to recommend 21 days house arrest and 4 months probation, but will change that to spending his probation time in the program. If, for any reason, he leaves the program, he will have to serve his house arrest and probation. Okay, fine. One problem. Is the program going to allow him to leave again for another day in court?
My husband called the director of the Hoosier Youth Challenge Academy. This time he had to ask for another day away for court. The director was happy to allow it for our son. He said that our son has been doing very well, and knows that he wants to be there and wants to make something of his life.
I can not say enough about this program. I hope that someday every state is able to have this program in place for their at-risk youth. I hope someday that this can be something that the courts can recommend as a rehabilitation program for our young boys and girls that want to get on the right path and out of the system.
I was able to go with my husband this afternoon to return our son to the program. On the way there, I asked him about some of the things they have to do. He said that they are up every morning at 6am. They are in bed by 10:30pm. They are only allowed to drink water from their canteens. They eat what they are given. They do not complain about anything, or they are made to do push-ups until they agree that what they have been asked to do is the best thing for them. They have already taken a CPR class. They wear military fatigues and boots while they are doing their physical training. He knows the proper way to do a push up. He knows the proper way to dress. He knows that what we have done for him is what he needs to do to become the man he wants to become. He thanked us today and that was the greatest thing I have heard in a long time!
They find out that our son is to turn himself in at the jail. So, they head to the jail and find out that the Sheriff there is not a big fan of this judge. He could not figure out why the judge put out a warrant for him before the two days we were given to have him in court. When paperwork was found, they read that the warrant was actually issued on Tuesday and, according to what the judge wrote, if our son didn't turn himself in by this morning, my husband would have had a warrant issued.
So, after processing our son and having the warrant rescinded, they are able to schedule court for Tuesday morning. Our lawyer was able to talk to the prosecutor and find out that they are willing to accept the program as part of his punishment. They were going to recommend 21 days house arrest and 4 months probation, but will change that to spending his probation time in the program. If, for any reason, he leaves the program, he will have to serve his house arrest and probation. Okay, fine. One problem. Is the program going to allow him to leave again for another day in court?
My husband called the director of the Hoosier Youth Challenge Academy. This time he had to ask for another day away for court. The director was happy to allow it for our son. He said that our son has been doing very well, and knows that he wants to be there and wants to make something of his life.
I can not say enough about this program. I hope that someday every state is able to have this program in place for their at-risk youth. I hope someday that this can be something that the courts can recommend as a rehabilitation program for our young boys and girls that want to get on the right path and out of the system.
I was able to go with my husband this afternoon to return our son to the program. On the way there, I asked him about some of the things they have to do. He said that they are up every morning at 6am. They are in bed by 10:30pm. They are only allowed to drink water from their canteens. They eat what they are given. They do not complain about anything, or they are made to do push-ups until they agree that what they have been asked to do is the best thing for them. They have already taken a CPR class. They wear military fatigues and boots while they are doing their physical training. He knows the proper way to do a push up. He knows the proper way to dress. He knows that what we have done for him is what he needs to do to become the man he wants to become. He thanked us today and that was the greatest thing I have heard in a long time!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Ricki's Rant: The Juvenile Justice System Is Failing Our Youth
I am the step-mother of 3 teenage boys. One of them is a 17 year old that has been lead down the wrong path. Last year, he came to live with us, by his choice. He had bad grades in the school that he was in, and was hanging around the wrong kids. We enrolled him in school where we live, and prayed that he would turn his grades around since he was not hanging out with friends all the time. Unfortunately, that wasn't meant to be. His grades continued to fail, and numerous times we were told by teachers that he was falling asleep in class. He just didn't care. It didn't matter that we had taken most privileges away, he just kept getting worse.
We had found out about a program that is offered here in the state of Indiana. It is called The Hoosier Youth Challenge Academy. Basically, it is a boot camp for at-risk teens, boys and girls. They live on campus for 5 1/2 months and do physical training. They are put through a GED program and offered GED testing at the end of the program. The last week of the program involves meeting with colleges, military recruiters, and they have a job fair. The program is 100% funded by our state and federal government. The facility that we have here in Indiana is at Camp Atterbury which is run by the Army National Guard.
This program only takes in 150 cadets every 6 months. We went through an entire process to get our son into this program. It started with an informational seminar where we turned in the application. He was then chosen to be interviewed. Then we got some bad news.
It wasn't that our son was not chosen, it was that he had gotten into some trouble while visiting his grandmother. He was left at her house alone, though we had told her that he was grounded and not to hang out with any of his friends that live near her. He decided that since he was alone, he would have some friends over. One, or more, of his friends brought alcohol to the party. He made a bad choice and decided to drink with his friends. The party got a little loud and the landlord came over to investigate. The landlord that lives in the apartment attached to this one that these kids were partying in. The landlord that is also a town cop. Yes, stupid teenagers!
Now, we all have been there. You want to be cool. You don't want your friends to call you a pussy, so you partake in the drinking. That is what he did, and he got caught. He got caught so bad that while the landlord was calling for on duty officers to show up and break up the party, all of his friends took off and left him there to take the punishment alone. Great friends, huh? However, he has decided not to be a snitch. He will not give up the names of any of his friends that were there with him. He was taken to the police station, and the landlord called his grandmother to come pick him up. My husband and I were not notified until the next morning. Why? I have no idea. Seeing as we had custody of him, we should have been called before the grandmother, but what do I know?
So, charges were filed and a date in court was set. First, he had to meet with the probation office. By the time his probation meeting came around, we had gotten word that he was accepted into the program. However, one of the rules is that there are not to be any pending court cases when you go into the program. So, we had our work cut out for us to get this court thing resolved. We went to the probation meeting with paperwork in hand. The paperwork outlined the program so we could show them the opportunity that our son was given to turn his life around. You would think that they would take one look at what this program is all about and use it to their advantage that they do not have to put this boy through the judicial system, should he make it through the program. Nope! They still set a court date. January 19th.
Our son was set to start the academy on January 10th. We contacted our lawyer to see what we could do. Time was not on our side. The probation meeting was just a few days before the academy start date. We sent all of the paperwork to our lawyer and he said he would contact the court and see what he can do to get things postponed until our son graduates the program. Great! That is what we want. We aren't asking them not to punish him their way, we just want to give him a chance to go through this program that is not easy to get into.
The date was getting closer, and after numerous calls to the lawyers office with no return calls, we had to make a decision. We decided to take him to the academy. Again, if we have to pull him out, we will. We got him signed in, they whisked him away and got in his face right away. It was like watching day 1 of basic training. Drill Sergeants yelling in the kids' faces as they were trying to enter the building. Kids yelling, "Sir, yes, Sir". It was a breath of fresh air to see our son getting the discipline that he needed. It was also quite humorous to see the moms walking away with tears in their eyes knowing that their son/daughter was getting yelled at and being made to do the right thing like they should have been all along. Mom's wanting to turn around and hug their children and tell them it is going to be okay. No, Mom, it isn't. Your son is about to be made a man. He is about to see that the world is not something he can just spit on and feel like he can get his own way. That is not why you put him in this program. You put him there to make him a better person. Deal with it and walk away. Come back on family day.
So, now our son is in the academy, we are getting letters from him every day. We are still waiting to find something out. Court day arrives and we decided we were going to show up on our son's behalf. We still had not heard back from our lawyer. Apparently they do not approve of this in Hendricks County Indiana. If you do not show up with a lawyer, they don't even want to talk to you. If you do not show up with the accused, they really don't want to talk to you. We gave them the paperwork and neither the judge or the prosecutor wanted to hear about it. They said that they had never heard of such a program and they didn't even believe us that he was actually there. The boys that went before his name was called received, at most, 6 months probation. One of the boys was on his second offense. So, was this going to be the same recommendation that was made for our son's punishment? 6 months probation? We have him in a program that is 10 times that punishment! The judge and the prosecutor weren't hearing it. They gave us 48 hours to produce our son in court or warrants would be issued for our son, and my husband! What?
So, we again try to contact our lawyer....success this time. A little late, but we were able to go meet him in his office. He said that he had tried many times to contact the prosecutor and the probation office but no one was calling him back. The reason we hadn't heard from him......my husband was giving him the wrong number to call back. He had his cell number backwards. Damnit!
So, what do we do now? Our lawyer went to the courthouse this morning to try to talk to the prosecutor again. Again, he was told that we have to produce our son in front of the judge. He has to have his day in court. They will not postpone this case. Now we have to call someone at the academy and let them know that we have to pick him up. But, first, my husband decides that he is going to try to see if we can get him back in after he goes to court. According to the rules, once you leave the academy, you are not allowed back. The director of the academy was very understanding. He said that our son is doing very well in the program and he is willing to work with us. The court's recommendation is 6 months probation. If we can get them to set the probation up so that he does not have to go to weekly meetings with his probation officer, instead have the academy check him in to say that he is still there, then he can go back.
So, what we have here is a program that is out there that works with these kids to keep them on the right track to becoming productive citizens. On the other hand, we have a judicial system that wants to slap him on the wrist and take away his chance at bettering himself. Making him just another high school drop out working at McDonald's, or even scrounging off the system collecting welfare! What seems like the better choice to you?
No wonder these kids that get into trouble are not getting better. There is no guidance from the courts. They just want you to do what they want you to do and that is that. My husband put it best when he said that the judge is just trying to show the world how big his pecker is.
We were never asking that the courts not punish our son, we were only asking that they postpone their punishment until he returns from the academy. Give him 6 months probation, but do it after he returns. He is basically in jail as it is! Stuck in the middle of nowhere Indiana on a military base with someone screaming at him to wake up at 5am everyday, then he has to have lights out at 9:30 every night. All day long they eat what they are told to eat, they do the physical activity they are told to do, they go to class when they are told to. Argh! It pisses me off that the courts do not see this as the better option for him!!!!
Below is a video showing what this program is about. I think more states need something like this, and they need to get the funding to put more kids through it.
For more information on the National Guard Youth Challenge Program, click here.
States that currently have a program in place: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California has 2 facilities, Florida, Georgia has 2 facilities, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Puerto Rico
States that currently do not have a program in place: Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont
If your state is on the list of those that do not currently have this program, I suggest that you write as many letters as you can to as many government officials as you can. Try your best to get this program in place for your children. For their children. For your friends' children. This is a program that should be nationwide.
We had found out about a program that is offered here in the state of Indiana. It is called The Hoosier Youth Challenge Academy. Basically, it is a boot camp for at-risk teens, boys and girls. They live on campus for 5 1/2 months and do physical training. They are put through a GED program and offered GED testing at the end of the program. The last week of the program involves meeting with colleges, military recruiters, and they have a job fair. The program is 100% funded by our state and federal government. The facility that we have here in Indiana is at Camp Atterbury which is run by the Army National Guard.
This program only takes in 150 cadets every 6 months. We went through an entire process to get our son into this program. It started with an informational seminar where we turned in the application. He was then chosen to be interviewed. Then we got some bad news.
It wasn't that our son was not chosen, it was that he had gotten into some trouble while visiting his grandmother. He was left at her house alone, though we had told her that he was grounded and not to hang out with any of his friends that live near her. He decided that since he was alone, he would have some friends over. One, or more, of his friends brought alcohol to the party. He made a bad choice and decided to drink with his friends. The party got a little loud and the landlord came over to investigate. The landlord that lives in the apartment attached to this one that these kids were partying in. The landlord that is also a town cop. Yes, stupid teenagers!
Now, we all have been there. You want to be cool. You don't want your friends to call you a pussy, so you partake in the drinking. That is what he did, and he got caught. He got caught so bad that while the landlord was calling for on duty officers to show up and break up the party, all of his friends took off and left him there to take the punishment alone. Great friends, huh? However, he has decided not to be a snitch. He will not give up the names of any of his friends that were there with him. He was taken to the police station, and the landlord called his grandmother to come pick him up. My husband and I were not notified until the next morning. Why? I have no idea. Seeing as we had custody of him, we should have been called before the grandmother, but what do I know?
So, charges were filed and a date in court was set. First, he had to meet with the probation office. By the time his probation meeting came around, we had gotten word that he was accepted into the program. However, one of the rules is that there are not to be any pending court cases when you go into the program. So, we had our work cut out for us to get this court thing resolved. We went to the probation meeting with paperwork in hand. The paperwork outlined the program so we could show them the opportunity that our son was given to turn his life around. You would think that they would take one look at what this program is all about and use it to their advantage that they do not have to put this boy through the judicial system, should he make it through the program. Nope! They still set a court date. January 19th.
Our son was set to start the academy on January 10th. We contacted our lawyer to see what we could do. Time was not on our side. The probation meeting was just a few days before the academy start date. We sent all of the paperwork to our lawyer and he said he would contact the court and see what he can do to get things postponed until our son graduates the program. Great! That is what we want. We aren't asking them not to punish him their way, we just want to give him a chance to go through this program that is not easy to get into.
The date was getting closer, and after numerous calls to the lawyers office with no return calls, we had to make a decision. We decided to take him to the academy. Again, if we have to pull him out, we will. We got him signed in, they whisked him away and got in his face right away. It was like watching day 1 of basic training. Drill Sergeants yelling in the kids' faces as they were trying to enter the building. Kids yelling, "Sir, yes, Sir". It was a breath of fresh air to see our son getting the discipline that he needed. It was also quite humorous to see the moms walking away with tears in their eyes knowing that their son/daughter was getting yelled at and being made to do the right thing like they should have been all along. Mom's wanting to turn around and hug their children and tell them it is going to be okay. No, Mom, it isn't. Your son is about to be made a man. He is about to see that the world is not something he can just spit on and feel like he can get his own way. That is not why you put him in this program. You put him there to make him a better person. Deal with it and walk away. Come back on family day.
So, now our son is in the academy, we are getting letters from him every day. We are still waiting to find something out. Court day arrives and we decided we were going to show up on our son's behalf. We still had not heard back from our lawyer. Apparently they do not approve of this in Hendricks County Indiana. If you do not show up with a lawyer, they don't even want to talk to you. If you do not show up with the accused, they really don't want to talk to you. We gave them the paperwork and neither the judge or the prosecutor wanted to hear about it. They said that they had never heard of such a program and they didn't even believe us that he was actually there. The boys that went before his name was called received, at most, 6 months probation. One of the boys was on his second offense. So, was this going to be the same recommendation that was made for our son's punishment? 6 months probation? We have him in a program that is 10 times that punishment! The judge and the prosecutor weren't hearing it. They gave us 48 hours to produce our son in court or warrants would be issued for our son, and my husband! What?
So, we again try to contact our lawyer....success this time. A little late, but we were able to go meet him in his office. He said that he had tried many times to contact the prosecutor and the probation office but no one was calling him back. The reason we hadn't heard from him......my husband was giving him the wrong number to call back. He had his cell number backwards. Damnit!
So, what do we do now? Our lawyer went to the courthouse this morning to try to talk to the prosecutor again. Again, he was told that we have to produce our son in front of the judge. He has to have his day in court. They will not postpone this case. Now we have to call someone at the academy and let them know that we have to pick him up. But, first, my husband decides that he is going to try to see if we can get him back in after he goes to court. According to the rules, once you leave the academy, you are not allowed back. The director of the academy was very understanding. He said that our son is doing very well in the program and he is willing to work with us. The court's recommendation is 6 months probation. If we can get them to set the probation up so that he does not have to go to weekly meetings with his probation officer, instead have the academy check him in to say that he is still there, then he can go back.
So, what we have here is a program that is out there that works with these kids to keep them on the right track to becoming productive citizens. On the other hand, we have a judicial system that wants to slap him on the wrist and take away his chance at bettering himself. Making him just another high school drop out working at McDonald's, or even scrounging off the system collecting welfare! What seems like the better choice to you?
No wonder these kids that get into trouble are not getting better. There is no guidance from the courts. They just want you to do what they want you to do and that is that. My husband put it best when he said that the judge is just trying to show the world how big his pecker is.
We were never asking that the courts not punish our son, we were only asking that they postpone their punishment until he returns from the academy. Give him 6 months probation, but do it after he returns. He is basically in jail as it is! Stuck in the middle of nowhere Indiana on a military base with someone screaming at him to wake up at 5am everyday, then he has to have lights out at 9:30 every night. All day long they eat what they are told to eat, they do the physical activity they are told to do, they go to class when they are told to. Argh! It pisses me off that the courts do not see this as the better option for him!!!!
Below is a video showing what this program is about. I think more states need something like this, and they need to get the funding to put more kids through it.
For more information on the National Guard Youth Challenge Program, click here.
States that currently have a program in place: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California has 2 facilities, Florida, Georgia has 2 facilities, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Puerto Rico
States that currently do not have a program in place: Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont
If your state is on the list of those that do not currently have this program, I suggest that you write as many letters as you can to as many government officials as you can. Try your best to get this program in place for your children. For their children. For your friends' children. This is a program that should be nationwide.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Ragi's Rant:
I was listening to NPR the other morning. This is quite a common occurrence for me while driving alone taxiing one life form or another to their desired destinations.
This woman was droning on and on about how Manhattan, yes New York's own little financial mega-structure, is a racially degridated institution. Stating African American's only account for something to the tune of 3% of the executive population in the big apple. One wall street big wig was quoted to have said he was merely lucky to have had the fortune in the industry that he has had... when Nazi Stat woman claimed it wasn't luck that bought this hard working kid a position in the CEO suite, it was simply because he was white.
Hold on, my dear reader.. Put your ACLU cards away and quit trying to call Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton to run amok over me. I am not prejudice... Had you read our disclaimer you would have learned that I hate EVERYONE EQUALLY. Black, white, male, female... hell, the fucking pigs aren't safe from us with their bastard swine flu shit. If you've existed, then you're open ground for my ridicule.
So getting back to corporate America being racially segregating against the poor African American Community... I say BULL SHIT! If the fucking AAC (short for African American Community... pay attention) would get off their ghetto asses and go to college which I might interject that FUCKING GOV'T WILL PAY YOU TO DO SOLELY BECAUSE YOU ARE BLACK (how's that for racial irony?) and yet here I sit broke and education-less because I am WHITE and not eligible for minority relief??? STOP KILLING EACH OTHER and learn something. Maybe then the big apple would have more black CEO'S to fall back on. As it stands statically, the AAC makes up about 14% of our country... yet they make up 80% of our jails and another 76% of our welfare receivers nation wide. WTF? Stat Nazi claimed that because AAC makes up said 14% then they should comparably account for 14% of our national executive level.
BAH! If they laid off the gangs, crime and drugs, maybe then they would make up a higher percentage of the WORKING CLASS. WORK, you know that thing in which one does to earn a paycheck?
Look, I get no breaks because I am white. In fact, unlike the AAC, I don't even get an all white TV channel to watch. I can't listen to all white music and GOD FORBID I be proud that I am white, just as they have their cultural pride, then I am deemed a racist. Do I get a foundation that ensures me a college education? Nope, that would be racist. To top it all off, I can guarantee that a less qualified or educated black woman will beat me out for a position merely because she is black. I am never going to get a job, and education or a break simply because I am white. If this same said woman that beats me out for a job then sucks at it.. I can't sue the company based on racial segregation. I just have to take it up the ass.
So, in this socialist society, we WHITE AMERICANS will just have to figure out how to rewrite the constitution so that maybe we can get a break too.
This woman was droning on and on about how Manhattan, yes New York's own little financial mega-structure, is a racially degridated institution. Stating African American's only account for something to the tune of 3% of the executive population in the big apple. One wall street big wig was quoted to have said he was merely lucky to have had the fortune in the industry that he has had... when Nazi Stat woman claimed it wasn't luck that bought this hard working kid a position in the CEO suite, it was simply because he was white.
Hold on, my dear reader.. Put your ACLU cards away and quit trying to call Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton to run amok over me. I am not prejudice... Had you read our disclaimer you would have learned that I hate EVERYONE EQUALLY. Black, white, male, female... hell, the fucking pigs aren't safe from us with their bastard swine flu shit. If you've existed, then you're open ground for my ridicule.
So getting back to corporate America being racially segregating against the poor African American Community... I say BULL SHIT! If the fucking AAC (short for African American Community... pay attention) would get off their ghetto asses and go to college which I might interject that FUCKING GOV'T WILL PAY YOU TO DO SOLELY BECAUSE YOU ARE BLACK (how's that for racial irony?) and yet here I sit broke and education-less because I am WHITE and not eligible for minority relief??? STOP KILLING EACH OTHER and learn something. Maybe then the big apple would have more black CEO'S to fall back on. As it stands statically, the AAC makes up about 14% of our country... yet they make up 80% of our jails and another 76% of our welfare receivers nation wide. WTF? Stat Nazi claimed that because AAC makes up said 14% then they should comparably account for 14% of our national executive level.
BAH! If they laid off the gangs, crime and drugs, maybe then they would make up a higher percentage of the WORKING CLASS. WORK, you know that thing in which one does to earn a paycheck?
Look, I get no breaks because I am white. In fact, unlike the AAC, I don't even get an all white TV channel to watch. I can't listen to all white music and GOD FORBID I be proud that I am white, just as they have their cultural pride, then I am deemed a racist. Do I get a foundation that ensures me a college education? Nope, that would be racist. To top it all off, I can guarantee that a less qualified or educated black woman will beat me out for a position merely because she is black. I am never going to get a job, and education or a break simply because I am white. If this same said woman that beats me out for a job then sucks at it.. I can't sue the company based on racial segregation. I just have to take it up the ass.
So, in this socialist society, we WHITE AMERICANS will just have to figure out how to rewrite the constitution so that maybe we can get a break too.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Haiti Earthquake 2010
On January 12th at approximately 5pm, the people of Haiti experienced a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that has left thousands homeless and thousands more feared dead. Many countries have sent volunteers to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts.
Looking through photos, I am sure, does nothing to show us what devastation is actually there. People are walking over the bodies of loved ones to get to those that may still be alive, trapped in several feet of rubble.
The presidential palace, a once beautiful structure, has crumbled to pieces.
I can't even imagine what these people are going through. They are already a poor country. Many of their homes, just make-shift shacks, now lay flat on the ground.
How we can help:
Relief organizations are asking that you do not send items, but instead money. Too many items are sent that are not needed, and only take up space in a warehouse. With monetary donations, the organizations can purchase the items that they know are needed.
Do not just go to any website to donate money. There are already scam artists trying to profit from this tragedy.
Cell phone users can text "Haiti" to the number 90999 and donate $10 to the Red Cross. The amount will be added to the donor's cellphone bill.
http://www.redcross.org/
http://www.care.org/
http://www.unicef.org/
The end of the world as we know it?
Now, I know there are several of you out there saying, "It's starting! The end of the world is near." Not really. There is a major fault line that rips right through this area. It happens, even though we pray that it doesn't. The largest recorded loss of life from an earthquake was back on January 23, 1556. 830,000 perished in an 8.0 magnitude quake.
As castasrophic as this quake seems to be, with it's estimated 50,000 dead, it is still #25 on a list of deadly earthquakes. Many of which happened before any of us were even alive!
Natural disasters happen. It has nothing to do with the Mayan calendar people. Though we never wish for these things to happen to anyone, they do happen. Earthquakes are very unpredictable. It is the only natural disaster that we get no warning of.
Do your part in helping this nation that will take years to rebound from this. Send your donations, volunteer with the Red Cross, spread the word on how everyone else can help. If you have a rich relative, talk them into giving that little bit more that you know they do not want to part with!
Pray for the people that are affected most by this tragedy. Pray for the people that have volunteered to help with the rescue and recovery. Pray for the families that still have not received word that their loved ones are alive or dead. Pray.
How we can help:
Relief organizations are asking that you do not send items, but instead money. Too many items are sent that are not needed, and only take up space in a warehouse. With monetary donations, the organizations can purchase the items that they know are needed.
Do not just go to any website to donate money. There are already scam artists trying to profit from this tragedy.
Cell phone users can text "Haiti" to the number 90999 and donate $10 to the Red Cross. The amount will be added to the donor's cellphone bill.
http://www.redcross.org/
http://www.care.org/
http://www.unicef.org/
The end of the world as we know it?
Now, I know there are several of you out there saying, "It's starting! The end of the world is near." Not really. There is a major fault line that rips right through this area. It happens, even though we pray that it doesn't. The largest recorded loss of life from an earthquake was back on January 23, 1556. 830,000 perished in an 8.0 magnitude quake.
As castasrophic as this quake seems to be, with it's estimated 50,000 dead, it is still #25 on a list of deadly earthquakes. Many of which happened before any of us were even alive!
Natural disasters happen. It has nothing to do with the Mayan calendar people. Though we never wish for these things to happen to anyone, they do happen. Earthquakes are very unpredictable. It is the only natural disaster that we get no warning of.
Do your part in helping this nation that will take years to rebound from this. Send your donations, volunteer with the Red Cross, spread the word on how everyone else can help. If you have a rich relative, talk them into giving that little bit more that you know they do not want to part with!
Pray for the people that are affected most by this tragedy. Pray for the people that have volunteered to help with the rescue and recovery. Pray for the families that still have not received word that their loved ones are alive or dead. Pray.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Welcome to the new Ricki and Ragi Rants and Raves site!
Good evening all you former members of the BS.
Allow me to introduce ourselves
"Ricki and Ragi" are the former co-writers of Sean Krause's illustrious website TheDailyBS.Com.
You may remember our high jinx on line or on air. The three of us had a chemistry together that formed an internet family relaying everything from serious, hardcore news to the insane side of media. From Caylee Anthony to various forms of feces we entertained, educated and otherwise raped the innocent minds that existed before the BS.
In February of last year, our sweet creator and instigator lost his battle with cancer. We tried like hell to keep the BS going for him, for his memory but alas.... it wasn't the same without Dr. Krause. So we let it die, with him.
Knowing that we couldn't keep quiet for long we decided to revamp the site, a whole new look, a whole new feel so that Ricki and Ragi could continue to entertain and deliver the news but without feeling like we were letting him down.
I believe Sean would be proud of us now, for making it our own. For not having the essence of the BS leave us, but only the name.
You'll still find the world's most bullshit titles here. You'll still find The American Custody Battle Series. You'll still find the wacky humor and intense investigative journalism that Sean brought to it... But you'll find just the duo now.
This site will always hold honor and memory to he who built us.
But it will spin in a way that only Ricki and Ragi could twist this cycle we call life.
Welcome to Ricki and Ragi's Rants and Raves. We encourage your comments, we applaud your word of mouth advertising and promotion of us, and we support all life forms that want to do something ridiculously idiotic so that we (and our readers) may insult and injure your pride for it.
And yes, we are still "No holds barred". We do not discriminate against race, color, creed, social class, no class, or anything of the like. If you fuck up, we'll nail you on it.
Welcome to Rick and Rags house.
~RAGIannie
Allow me to introduce ourselves
"Ricki and Ragi" are the former co-writers of Sean Krause's illustrious website TheDailyBS.Com.
You may remember our high jinx on line or on air. The three of us had a chemistry together that formed an internet family relaying everything from serious, hardcore news to the insane side of media. From Caylee Anthony to various forms of feces we entertained, educated and otherwise raped the innocent minds that existed before the BS.
In February of last year, our sweet creator and instigator lost his battle with cancer. We tried like hell to keep the BS going for him, for his memory but alas.... it wasn't the same without Dr. Krause. So we let it die, with him.
Knowing that we couldn't keep quiet for long we decided to revamp the site, a whole new look, a whole new feel so that Ricki and Ragi could continue to entertain and deliver the news but without feeling like we were letting him down.
I believe Sean would be proud of us now, for making it our own. For not having the essence of the BS leave us, but only the name.
You'll still find the world's most bullshit titles here. You'll still find The American Custody Battle Series. You'll still find the wacky humor and intense investigative journalism that Sean brought to it... But you'll find just the duo now.
This site will always hold honor and memory to he who built us.
But it will spin in a way that only Ricki and Ragi could twist this cycle we call life.
Welcome to Ricki and Ragi's Rants and Raves. We encourage your comments, we applaud your word of mouth advertising and promotion of us, and we support all life forms that want to do something ridiculously idiotic so that we (and our readers) may insult and injure your pride for it.
And yes, we are still "No holds barred". We do not discriminate against race, color, creed, social class, no class, or anything of the like. If you fuck up, we'll nail you on it.
Welcome to Rick and Rags house.
~RAGIannie
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Under Construction
We currently have the blog under construction, but don't worry, we will be up really soon!
We look forward to sharing our views with you once again!
We look forward to sharing our views with you once again!
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