September 25, 2005

75 things...



  1. I am fast approaching my 36th birthday.
  2. I married a younger man.
  3. I am a proud Mommy to two beautiful little girls.
  4. I am married to the love of my life.
  5. I met my husband through a dating service.
  6. I knew within two weeks of our first date I would marry him.
  7. My divorce from "husband" #1 wasn't final when I met my current & last husband.
  8. I left a mentally & verbally abusive first marriage.
  9. 6 years later, I still am recovering from that marriage.
  10. I am thankful I had no children with "DH" #1.
  11. I am and always will be Pro-choice.
  12. I am Pro-Stem cell research as well.
  13. I am a Democrat.
  14. I vote my conscience, not my party.
  15. I have never voted a straight ticket..
  16. I tell people the truth, even if it will hurt ones feelings.
  17. I will warn them the truth will hurt before I tell them & make them promise not to get mad at me, then ask them if they still wish to know the truth.
  18. I am a pet person
  19. Until I had children, I would have NEVER evacuated without my pets.
  20. When my apartment caught on fire in my early 20's, I refused to leave until I found my cat.
  21. My dog was smarter then I when she ran out the door with my mother.
  22. The EMT's gave me crap for looking for my cat instead of leaving my apartment.
  23. I told them thanks for their opinoins but they could go take a flying leap off the nearest bridge.
  24. I probably wasn't that nice about it just then.
  25. The fire was contained to our patio.
  26. Now that I have children, I would die protecting them.
  27. I now know how my mother felt all of those times when I heard her say "Just wait until you have kids, then you'll understand"
  28. I never knew complete unconditional love until I held my own innocent infants in my arms.
  29. I am undeceided about having anymore children.
  30. I believe in God.
  31. I haven't been to church since 1999.
  32. I don't miss church.
  33. The holy Rollers that roam my neighborhood streets every six months annoy the living $hit out of me.
  34. This "list" is much harder to compose than I thought it would be.
  35. I have been doing a lot of work on myself in order to understand some of the choices I've made in my past & how I could have made better ones.
  36. I have been doing alot of deep emotional healing lately.
  37. I have been forgiving myself instead of beating myself up about my past.
  38. I had to understand some things about myself before I could forgive myself for actions in my past.
  39. I am AMAZED that such a wonderful man had & does accept me...even with all of my emotional baggage & screwed up family.
  40. I am not as close to my family (parents & brothers) as I originally thought.
  41. I am much closer to my sister than I ever realized after her visit in August.
  42. I call my grandparents & grandmother every weekend.
  43. I have been doing that for the past five years.
  44. I met a lady in Wal-Mart today with a 1 month old baby girl named....Charlotte! We were both a little "surprised".
  45. Today I was feeling pretty good about myself & it must have showed because perfect strangers kept walking up to me & starting conversations with me!
  46. It felt good.
  47. DH even noticed that I seemed very relaxed & happy for the first time in many months.
  48. I am beginning to think all of this work I've been doing on myself is beginning to show on the outside.
  49. I purchased the material to make a mermaid costume for Charlotte today.
  50. I am actually looking forward to sewing for a change.
  51. Since I have been taking time to relax before bed, usually go to bed a decent hour & rediscover my love of reading...I have fewer scowl lines on my face.
  52. I am talking more & yelling less.
  53. I am using self hypnosis to destress & release some of the baggage acquired from my decesions & experiences.
  54. I have been successful in my efforts to stop my mother gossiping about other family members.
  55. I truly am finally learning to love myself again.
  56. My postive changes have shown up in Elizabeths actions & reactions.
  57. Since I have relaxed, my infant Charlotte is sleeping better & is a much happier baby.
  58. I am happier since I don't talk to my mother or brother more than 3 times per week anymore.
  59. I am beginning to think my relationships with certian family members was toxic.
  60. I watch too much CNN.
  61. I love all shades of the color green.
  62. I am having fun planning the landscaping of or soon to be new property & home.
  63. The soon to be new owner of our current home likes the way I painted our girls bedrooms & wants to keep them that way!
  64. It is surprising because he is a late 50 something single man with no grandchildren...yet.
  65. I still take too much comfort in comfort foods.
  66. Mount Washmore has reappeared in my hallway.
  67. I don't feel guilty about it at all.
  68. It's liberating not to put so much self worth in my house keeping skills (or lack thereof)
  69. Just because my mom was Suzy Homemaker doesn't mean that I have to be.
  70. My house isn't a health or safety hazzard so who cares!
  71. I will be stopping this list at 75.
  72. I am getting VERY tired.
  73. This list has actually helped me get many things off my mind.
  74. I often think too much.
  75. I am a Libra...100%.

September 17, 2005

Enneagram Test

Enneagram Type 6 - The Loyalist
Conflicted between trust and distrust
People of this personality type essentially feel insecure, as though there is nothing quite steady enough to hold onto. At the core of the type Six personality is a kind of fear or anxiety. This anxiety has a very deep source and can manifest in a variety of different styles, making Sixes somewhat difficult to describe and to type. What all Sixes have in common however, is the fear rooted at the center of their personality, which manifests in worrying, and restless imaginings of everything that might go wrong. This tendency makes Sixes gifted at trouble shooting, but also robs the Six of much needed peace of mind and tends to deprive the personality of spontaneity. The essential anxiety at the core of the type Six fixation tends to permeate the personality with a sort of "defensive suspiciousness." Sixes don't trust easily; they are often ambivalent about others, until the person has absolutely proven herself, at which point they are likely to respond with steadfast loyalty. The loyalty of the Six is something of a two edged sword however, as Sixes are sometimes prone to stand by a friend, partner, job or cause even long after it is time to move on.
Sixes are generally looking for something or someone to believe in. This, combined with their general suspiciousness, gives rise to a complicated relationship to authority. The side of the Six which is looking for something to believe in, is often very susceptible to the temptation to turn authority over to an external source, whether it be in the form of an individual or a creed. But the Six's tendency towards distrust and suspicion works against any sort of faith in authority. Thus, two opposite pulls exist side by side in the personality of enneatype Six, and assume different proportions in different individuals, sometimes alternating within the same individual.
The truly confounding element when it comes to typing Sixes is that there are two fundamentally different strategies that Sixes adopt for dealing with fear. Some Sixes are basically phobic. Phobic Sixes are generally compliant, affiliative and cooperative. Other Sixes adopt the opposite strategy of dealing with fear, and become counterphobic, essentially taking a defiant stand against whatever they find threatening. This is the Six who takes on authority or who adopts a dare devil attitude towards physical danger. Counterphobic Sixes can be agressive and, rather than looking for authorities, can adopt a rebellious or anti-authoritarian demeanor. Counterphobic Sixes are often unaware of the fear that motivates their actions. In fact, Sixes in general, tend to be blind to the extent of their own anxiety. Because it is the constant back drop to all of their emotions, Sixes are frequently unaware of its existence, as they have nothing with which to contrast it.
Because Sixes so frequently fail to appreciate the extent of their own fear, they often mistype themselves. It is common for instance, for female Sixes to mistype as Twos, especially if they are identified with a helper role, but Sixes have a much more ambivalent attitude towards relationships than do Twos, who generally know exactly what they want. Sixes, failing to recognize their anxiety, can mistype as Nines, but Nines have the ability to relax and to trust in others, neither of which come easily to Sixes. Sixes can mistype as Fours, especially if they have artistic inclinations, but they lack the Four's self-absorption. They can mistype as Fives, especially if they are intellectual, as many Sixes are, but unlike Fives, Sixes tend to be practical. Finally, conterphobic Sixes can easily mistype as Eights, but they lack the Eight's self-certainty.

_______________________________________________
Enneagram Type 5 - The Investigator
Thinkers who tend to withdraw and observe
People of this personality type essentially fear that they don't have enough inner strength to face life, so they tend to withdraw, to retreat into the safety and security of the mind where they can mentally prepare for their emergence into the world. Fives feel comfortable and at home in the realm of thought. They are generally intelligent, well read and thoughtful and they frequently become experts in the areas that capture their interest. While they are sometimes scientifically oriented, especially with the Six wing, just as many Fives are drawn to the humanities and it is not at all uncommon for Fives to have artistic inclinations. Fives are often a bit eccentric; they feel little need to alter their beliefs to accomodate majority opinion, and they refuse to compromise their freedom to think just as they please. The problem for Fives is that while they are comfortable in the realm of thought, they are frequently a good deal less comfortable when it comes to dealing with their emotions, the demands of a relationship, or the need to find a place for themselves in the world. Fives tend to be shy, nonintrusive, independent and reluctant to ask for the help that others might well be happy to extend to them.
Fives are sensitive; they don't feel adequately defended against the world. To compensate for their sensitivity, Fives sometimes adopt an attitude of careless indifference or intellectual arrogance, which has the unfortunate consequence of creating distance between themselves and others. Trying to bridge the distance can be difficult for Fives, as they are seldom comfortable with their social skills, but when they do manage it, they are often devoted friends and life long companions.
Fives are usually somewhat restrained when it comes to emotional expression, but they often have stronger feelings than they let on. Few people know what is going on beneath the surface, as Fives have an often exaggerrated need for privacy and a deep seated fear of intrusion. Because of their sensitivity and their fears of inadequacy, Fives fear being overwhelmed, either by the demands of others or by the strength of their own emotions. They sometimes deal with this by developing a minimalistic lifestyle in which they make few demands on others in exchange for few demands being made on them. Other Fives make their peace with the messiness of life and engage it more fully, but they almost always retain their fears that life is somehow going to demand more of them than they can deliver.
Fives, especially with the Four wing, sometimes mistype themselves as Fours. Such Fives recognize that they have strong emotions and don't identify with the often extremely cerebral portrait of type Five. But, Fives, unlike Fours, always retain some degree of discomfort when it comes to the expression of their emotional states. However much facility they may gain with it, the language of emotion is not their native tongue.

Would you like to take this test?

Here is the link:

http://www.eclecticenergies.com/enneagram/test.php

September 13, 2005

Bush Takes Responsibility

Bush Takes Responsibility for Blunders

September 13, 2005 9:20 PM EDT

WASHINGTON - President Bush for the first time took responsibility Tuesday for federal government mistakes in dealing with Hurricane Katrina and suggested the calamity raised broader questions about the government's ability to handle both natural disasters and terror attacks.
"Katrina exposed serious problems in our response capability at all levels of government," Bush said at a joint White House news conference with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.
"And to the extent that the federal government didn't fully do its job right, I take responsibility. I want to know what went right and what went wrong," said Bush.
Facing sharp criticism and the lowest approval ratings of his presidency, Bush scheduled a speech to the nation from Louisiana for Thursday evening. It will be his fourth trip to the devastated Gulf Coast since the storm struck two weeks ago.
It was the closest Bush has come to publicly faulting any federal officials involved in the hurricane response, which has been widely criticized as disjointed and slow. Some federal officials have sought to blame state and local officials for being unprepared to cope with the disaster.
Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., welcomed Bush's conciliatory remarks. "Accountability at every level is critical, and leadership begins at the top," she said.
Other Democrats were less charitable.
"The season has come for Americans to look homeward ... instead of continuing to spend billions of dollars in Iraq," said Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va.
And Louisiana's Democratic governor, Kathleen Blanco, accused the Federal Emergency Management Agency of moving too slowly in recovering the bodies. The dead "deserve more respect than they have received," she said at state police headquarters in Baton Rouge.
Meanwhile, R. David Paulison, in his first full day on the job as acting FEMA director, told reporters in Washington the government would step up its efforts to find more permanent housing for the tens of thousands of Hurricane Katrina survivors now in shelters.
"We're going to get those people out of the shelters, and we're going to move and get them the help they need," Paulison said.
Bush selected him to replace Michael Brown, who resigned on Monday after being recalled as the top onsite disaster-relief coordinator. Brown, a Republican lawyer with little previous disaster-management experience, drew fierce criticism for his handling of the crisis.
Paulison, a career firefighter with 30 years of rescue experience, said he was busy "getting brought up to speed." Bush promised him in a Monday night phone call that he would have "the full support of the federal government," Paulison said.
The storm displaced a million people, destroyed large areas of cities and communities and heavily damaged roads, bridges, canals and oil and natural gas facilities.
Bush's acceptance of responsibility came in response to a reporter's question on whether the United States was capable of handling another terrorist attack, given its halting and widely criticized response to Katrina.
"That's a very important question," Bush said. "And it's in our national interest that we find out exactly what went on - so that we can better respond."
"I'm not going to defend the process going in, but I am going to defend the people who are on the front line of saving lives," he added. "I also want people in America to understand how hard people are working to save lives down there in not only New Orleans, but surrounding parishes and along the Gulf Coast."
Also on Tuesday:
-Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said teams of federal auditors would scrutinize billions of dollars worth of government contracts. "We're going to cut through red tape, but we're not going to cut through laws and rules that govern ethics," he said. Congress has appropriated more than $60 billion for reconstruction. The Democratic National Committee accused the administration on Tuesday of "giving no-bid contracts to Bush's political cronies."
-Farm-state Democrats said they would ask for emergency money for farmers pummeled by Katrina as well as those struggling under high energy prices, drought and other natural disasters. Energy costs alone will shave farm incomes for North Dakota farmers by one-third to one-half, said Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D.
-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said some military aircraft and other equipment may be able to move out of the Gulf Coast soon. "We've got to the point where most if not all of the search and rescue is completed," said Rumsfeld, who is attending a NATO meeting in Berlin. He said nothing will be moved out of the area without the authorization of governors, the military leaders there and the president.
-A group of Democratic senators pressed Congress for a $5 billion upgrade of communications equipment that would make it easier for police, firefighters and other law enforcement authorities to talk to each other during emergencies. A similar measure was rejected in July as part of a homeland security bill. "They must be able to communicate with each other. This is a life and death issue," said Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.

http://start.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20050913/43264ec0_3ca6_1552620050913-1566403208

One year anniversary of Purple Puddles

Happy Birthday Purple Puddles!

This past Saturday my hubby decided we were going to go for a drive. We went for a drive alright! We were gone 6 hours! We first stopped off at Goldfield. It is a tourist trap that was built on the original sight on a gold mining town from the 1890's.
This is Elizabeth in a giant birdcage located on the street below the bordello. Why there is a huge birdcage I do not know. It was a cute photo op though.
This is picture taken at our 2nd stop in Tortilla Flats. I'm not sure of this formations name but my hubby called it "Nipple Rock". I guess it DOES look like a giant nipple huh. Kinda reminds me of how mine looked when I was breast feeding! LOL!
Here is "Princess Dribble" sitting in the one room schoolhouse in Tortilla Flat. It is filled with the history of the town, including articles, books & information about the owners both past & present.
The only restaurant in Tortilla Flat has walls & ceilings that are papered in currency both US & foreign. It is said that the last time the $$$ totaled over $80,000. They also counted currencies from 68 different countries. I can believe it because just sitting at our table I counted 27 different currencies.
This is a picture of the Superstition Mountians.

Our drive continued up to Roosevelt Lake & was very relaxing. This will be the last "drive" we will be taking before we move into our new home. I have less than a month to get everything packed up. Do you think my hubby will be any help? Surely you jest! On his days off he will be on Child Watch while I pack, toss & mark the boxes. I do manage to get a few boxes packed daily while caring for the kids, but when you have little ones it seems like everything you do takes 3X as long as it would normally.

I need to get packing now.






September 11, 2005

AT LEAST 2,985 souls lost

On September 11, 2001 at least 2,985 souls were lost in four attacks on America.

  • 8:48 am American flight 11 hits the first WTC tower.
  • 9:06 am United Flight 175 hit the second WTC tower.
  • 9:38 am American Flight 77 hits the Pentagon.
  • 9:59 am the second tower collapsed
  • About 10 am United Flight 93 crashes into a field near Shanksville, Pa
  • 10:28 am the first tower falls.

Here is a link to a list of the victims names.

http://www.september11victims.com/september11victims/victims_list.htm

I remember being disturbed from a deep sleep by the telephone ringing & ringing & ringing. I thought to myself "Dammit! This had better be something pretty important!" I answer to hear my mother on the phone telling me to turn on Channel 3. I do so to see footage of a plane crashing into the WTC! I was still on the phone with my mom when I saw the second plane hit the other tower & heard myself saying "Oh..no, no, no! Oh my God, Mom did you see that? Where is Crissy today? I'll call Jon & make sure she is okay" My heart was racing & I was concerned but not panicked...yet. I was trying to remain calm as I was just out of the first trimester of my pregnancy with DD #1. I kept watching the TV, unable to turn away but too horrified to fully comprehend what I was seeing. After about 3 hours of trying every 10 minutes or so, I reached my BIL Jon. He told me my sister Crissy was on base & they were at the highest security level. He didn't know when she would be able to leave the base but at least he knew she was safe. After I hung up the phone & contacted my grandparents, my mother, father & brothers I began to sob uncontrollably. I was deeply saddened, realizing that thousands of people probably died & relieved that my dear sister was safe.

In the following days, the reporting on the attacks was unending. It got to the point that I just turned off the TV & the radio because I couldn't listen to anymore. It was too upsetting & it wasn't good for the baby.

Fast forward to September 11th, 2002. Our dear sweet Baby Elizabeth was with us...happy & healthy. We attended a event at a local park. There were pictures of rescue workers, the buildings before & after the attacks & of several 9-11 related things. The number of victims was just an incomprehensible number...until I saw the flags. The small American flags placed all over the grass, each with a card & a name attatched. The white cards were for the victims of the WTC, the red cards were for the victims on the airplanes...Flight # & airline included while the blue cards were for the rescue workers. The silence was indescribable...people were treating it like a cemetery. In fact for us in AZ...it was a cemetery of sorts.

I don't need to be reminded by the media of that day. Those images have been forever burned into my mind. I know that as a nation we will never forget those that perished on September 11th, 2001. I know that I personally will never forget that day or the kind words & images of candles people burned, vigils people held & prayers people sent to America from all over the world.

Let us hope that someday...the madness will end.

http://www.911da.org/911faqs.html#attacks

http://www.time.com/time/photoessays/shattered/

http://www.september11news.com/

http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Crime/Types_of_Crime/Terrorism/September_11th_Attacks/

http://911digitalarchive.org/

http://www.sites.si.edu/exhibitions/exhibits/september_11/main.htm

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/graphics/attack/pentagon_7.html

September 08, 2005


My three sweethearts...Elizabeth, Scooter & Baby Charlotte


My best friend Barbie & Baby Charlotte


My Hubby giving baby Charlotte her first driving lesson

(no the engine wasn't running)

Last weekend we took the girls to my best friends lodest 4th birthday party. It was at a place called Amazing Jakes. The food was decent & the rides were plenty. The place was a complete zoo though. Elizabeth was having a blast. My Sciatica was acting up by the time we were ready to leave. That & my feet were aching like mad. I sure would like my body to get back to normal pretty soon!


September 04, 2005

Chief Justice Rehnquist Dies of Cancer
September 04, 2005 9:22 AM EDT
WASHINGTON -William H. Re Chief Justice hnquist, who oversaw the high court's conservative shift and presided over the impeachment trial of President Clinton, died Saturday evening. He was 80 years old and had spent 33 years on the Supreme Court.
Rehnquist's death opens a rare second vacancy on the nation's highest court and gives President Bush, whose election Rehnquist helped decide, an opportunity shape the makeup of the court for years to come.
"The Chief Justice battled thyroid cancer since being diagnosed last October and continued to perform his duties on the court until a precipitous decline in his health the last couple of days," court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said in announcing his death.
Rehnquist was surrounded by his three children when he died at his home in suburban Arlington, Va. His wife died in 1991.
Rehnquist was appointed to the Supreme Court as an associate justice in 1971 by President Nixon and took his seat on Jan. 7, 1972. He was elevated to chief justice by President Reagan in 1986.
The death leaves Bush with his second court opening within four months and sets up what's expected to be an even more bruising Senate confirmation battle than that of John Roberts.
It was not immediately clear what impact Rehnquist's death would have on confirmation hearings for Roberts, scheduled to begin Tuesday.
The last time there were simultaneous vacancies at the court was 1971, when Justices Hugo Black and John Marshall Harlan retired in September, about a week apart. Rehnquist, then a Justice Department lawyer, urged the Nixon administration to move fast in replacing them and wound up being appointed to Harlan's seat himself.
Rehnquist presided over Clinton's impeachment trial in 1999, helped settle the 2000 presidential election in Bush's favor, and fashioned decisions over the years that diluted the powers of the federal government while strengthening those of the states.
Arberg said plans regarding funeral arrangements would be forthcoming.
Bush was notified of Rehnquist's death shortly before 11 p.m. EDT.
"President Bush and Mrs. Bush are deeply saddened by the news," said White House counselor Dan Bartlett. "It's a tremendous loss for our nation." The president was expected to make a personal statement about Rehnquist on Sunday.
Many court watchers had expected the ailing chief justice to step down over the summer, which would have given the Senate a chance to confirm his successor while the court was out of session. Instead Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement to spend time with her ill husband. Bush chose Roberts, a former Rehnquist clerk and friend, to replace O'Connor.
Rehnquist said on July 14 he would remain on the bench as long as his health allowed.
The president could elevate to chief justice one of the court's conservatives, such as Antonin Scalia or Clarence Thomas, but it's more likely he will choose someone from outside the court.
Possible replacements include Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and federal courts of appeals judges J. Michael Luttig, Edith Clement, Samuel A. Alito Jr., Michael McConnell, Emilio Garza, and James Harvie Wilkinson III. Others mentioned are former Solicitor General Theodore Olson, lawyer Miguel Estrada and former deputy attorney general Larry Thompson.
Rehnquist could be an enigmatic man. Stern and cold on the bench, he had a deep throaty laugh and warm side away from it.
In his courtroom is was not uncommon for the chief judge to snap at lawyers who exceeded their time. Behind large glasses he would peer down from the bench, sometimes raising his eyebrows to an exaggerated arch at their responses.
But when he set aside his court robes, Rehnquist emerged as a family man and beloved boss who remembered even the tiniest of details about those who worked for him in his many years at the Supreme Court.
He was a lifelong sports fan, trivia buff and a student of history who spoke often to local historical societies.
Rehnquist, who loved to play tennis well into his 70s, announced last October that he had thyroid cancer. He had a trachea tube inserted to help him breathe and underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments. He appeared frail at Bush's inauguration in January and missed five months of court sessions before returning to the bench in March.
On the court's final meeting day of the last term, June 27, Rehnquist appeared gaunt and had difficulty as he announced the last decision of the term - an opinion he wrote upholding a Ten Commandments display in Texas. His breathing was labored, and he kept the explanation short.
He had no public appearances over the summer, although he was filmed by television crews in July as he left the hospital following two nights for treatment of a fever.
Rehnquist had an extraordinary career, with many historic milestones.
In 1999, he presided over Clinton's impeachment trial from the presiding officer's chair seat in the Senate, something only one other chief justice had done. A year later he was one of five Republican-nominated justices who voted to stop presidential ballot recounts in Florida, effectively deciding the election for Bush over Democrat Al Gore.
Rehnquist, who championed states' rights and helped speed up executions, is the only member still on the court who voted on Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision legalizing abortion. He opposed that decision, writing: "Even today, when society's views on abortion are changing, the very existence of the debate is evidence that the `right' to an abortion is not so universally accepted as (Roe) would have us believe."
He believed there was a place for some religion in government. He wrote the 5-4 decision in 2002 that said parents may use public tax money to send their children to religious schools. Two years later, he was distressed when the court passed up a chance to declare that the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools is constitutional.
"The phrase 'under God' in the pledge seems, as a historical matter, to sum up the attitude of the nation's leaders, and to manifest itself in many of our public observances," he wrote.
Rehnquist leaves without accomplishing the legal revolution he had hoped for as the nation's 16th chief justice. As Rehnquist read it, the Constitution lets states outlaw abortion and sponsor prayers in public schools but bars them from giving special, affirmative-action preferences to racial minorities and women. The court he led disagreed.
In 2003, for example, the court preserved affirmative action in college admissions and issued a landmark gay rights ruling that struck down laws criminalizing gay sex, both over Rehnquist's objections. And last year, Rehnquist disagreed when the court ruled that the government cannot indefinitely detain terrorism suspects and deny them access to courts
Rehnquist was somewhat of a surprise choice when Nixon nominated him to the court in 1971. He was a 47-year-old Justice Department lawyer with a reputation for brilliance and unbending conservative ideology when he was chosen to fill the seat of retiring Justice John Marshall Harlan. Rehnquist, who practiced law in Phoenix before moving to Washington, was the court's youngest member.
For years he was known as the "Lone Ranger" for his many dissents on a then-liberal court that left him ideologically isolated on the far right. Succeeding appointments of conservative justices and Rehnquist's elevation by President Reagan to the federal judiciary's top job in 1986 transformed his role into one of leading and nurturing an increasingly conservative Supreme Court.
Rehnquist was the force behind the court's push for greater states' rights. The chief justice has been the leader of five conservatives, sometimes called "the Rehnquist five," who generally advocate limited federal government interference.
Those five - Rehnquist and O'Connor, Scalia, Anthony Kennedy and Thomas - have voted together to strike down federal laws intended to protect female victims of violent crime and keep guns away from schools, on grounds that those issues were better dealt with at the local level. They split, however, in a recent decision upholding the federal government's right to ban sick people from smoking marijuana even in states that have laws allowing the treatment.
The Rehnquist five were together in the Bush v. Gore decision, which critics predicted would tarnish the court's hard-won luster. The closing paragraph of a book Rehnquist wrote on the court's history may stand as his answer to criticism.
Rehnquist noted that the court makes "demonstrable errors" from time to time, but he added, "It and the country have survived these mistakes and the court as an institution has steadily grown in authority and prestige."
Rehnquist, a widower since 1991, dodged questions about his legacy in a March 2004 interview. He said that he tried to keep the court running smoothly and keep the peace among the justices.
Within the court, Rehnquist was a far more popular chief justice than his predecessor, Warren Burger. Liberal Justice John Paul Stevens said in 2002 that Rehnquist brought "efficiency, good humor and absolute impartiality" to the job. Some justices complained that Burger was heavy-handed and pompous.
Rehnquist's grandparents emigrated to the United States from Sweden in 1880 and settled in Chicago. His grandfather was a tailor, his grandmother a school teacher. Rehnquist grew up in Wisconsin, the son of paper salesman and a translator.
He at first had planned to be a college professor, but a test showed him suited to the legal field. In 1952, he graduated first in his class at Stanford University's law school, where he briefly dated O'Connor, the high court's first female justice.
Rehnquist caused great amusement when he departed from tradition by adding four shiny gold stripes to each sleeve of his black robe in 1995. The flourish was inspired by a costume in a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta.
Rehnquist has led a quiet social life outside the court. Until recently, he walked daily, as tonic for a chronic bad back, and played tennis with his law clerks. He enjoyed bridge, spending time with his eight grandchildren, charades and a monthly poker game with Scalia and a revolving cast of powerful Washington men. He liked beer, and smoked in private.
The only chief justice older than Rehnquist was Roger Taney, who presided over the high court in the mid-1800s until his death at 87. Rehnquist was also closing in on the record for longest-serving justice. Only four men were on the court 34 years or longer.
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On the Net:

Supreme Court: http://www.supremecourtus.gov/

September 02, 2005

If you are easily offended...DON'T READ THIS POST!

!!! President Bush SUCKS !!!

Wake up people! All of you that voted to keep the big dufus in office...I'm sorry that he has made you look stupid. I voted for Kerry & I admit that I'm not sure he would have been that much better than Bush, but I'd rather have Kerry in office over THAT idiot!

Reports are comming in that other countries are offering support to the US & the our Prez says that he never asked for support. HELLO LITTLE BUSH....you OBVIOUSLY need help in New Orleans. Criminals & rapists have taken over the city, there are people that have been evacuated & are DYING due to lack of meds, food, water & over exposure to the elements while members of the NOPD are QUITTING their jobs due to the anarchy! A man chose DEATH by jumping off an overpass instead of living in trash, human excrement, polluted water, no shelter, amongst human corpses & having nothing to eat or drink since he was evacuated to "safety". Gee....it sure doesn't sound or look "safe" to me. I noticed that you flew over the scene in AF1 instead of stopping & touring the makeshift hospital at the airport in NO. Sorry Little Bush but you don't belong in office. YOU NEED HELP FROM PLACES OUTSIDE OF THE US! ACCEPT IT YOU IDIOT! I think your father would have even accepted help from outside the US in a time like this.
Hospitals cannot be evacuated because armed gangs of people are shooting at the helicopters, they are hijacking water trucks & trucks with supplies & seem to have gone insane. Others are trapped & some of those survivors are probably in hiding.

As for the looters & criminals...there is NO excuse to take things you don't need. There is no excuse to rape people because you can. (Use your hairy palm & his ten sisters for pleasure if you have to) all of you SOBs should be shot & or castrated! Excuse me but WTF are you going to do with electronics whe there is no power & no way to hock your "loot" for anything. Why do you need to grab bags & bags of $100+ tennis shoes...sorry asshole but nobody will be looking at your feet anytime soon. Keep it up & you may get to be somebody's whore in the joint though. Of couse we cannot forget the people going after "Bling". Sorry but call it what is....JEWELRY! Be it jewelry for your ears, neck, wrist, fingers or maybe even your buttcrack...it's JEWELRY! BUY SOME! After all, the BLING will be perfect to accesorise the newest hip fashions this fall. Let's call it..."Infectious Wastewater Chic". Oh that's right...you will be running around in "Diddy's" latest clothing stolen from the nearest department store, probably still reeking of raw sewage that your nose will be accustomed to. That is IF you survive the heat, lack of food,&likleyhood of several diseases if you stay there or don't end up with the rest of the convicts that are inside the prisons at this moment. To stand in front of national newsmedia cameras & boast that "I's gotza git me new chews so I's a takin-em" & expect NOT to get caught eventually? You truly ARE stupid. People like you should not be allowed to breed!!!

The only looting I can understand is looting for food, water, diapers & such. I wouldn't be above it to put food in kids stomachs.

My heart aches for all of the vicitms that are acting within the confines of the law just trying to escape horrible conditions. I cannot imagine having one of my children or spouse die while we were waiting for help & safe transport out of the city. Then to have rabid residents cause even MORE destruction than the storm did....that is inexcusible.

If this post offened you...it wasn't meant to. This is MY blog & MY thoughts. If you don't like them then don't respond to this post. That is why the warning is in the title.







September 01, 2005

Links to blogs & such about the mess in New Orleans

Some links I've found about New Orleans.

I will post more as I find them.

My prayers are with all of the people that got stuck there through no fault of their own. I've been watching too much CNN I think. What seems to be & not be happening is just SO sad & gut wrenching. I am SO thankful that I have no family or loved ones there personally. I am ALSO thankful that our board member Sabrina got out with her children & that the board is pulling together to help her out. I cannot even begin to imagine what must be going through her mind.

http://www.livejournal.com/users/interdictor/

http://neworleans.metblogs.com/

I saw this on New Orleans met blogs...
"I don't want to see anybody do anymore goddamn press conferences. Put a moratorium on press conferences. Don't do another press conference until the resources are in this city. And then come down to this city and stand with us when there are military trucks and troops that we can't even count."
:Mayor nagin on WWL Radio
I won't say I was ever a huge Ray Nagin fan. He's done a good job and all. But when I heard this, I instantly became his biggest fan. I think his anger and frustration speaks the minds of many Louisiana Residents. People will say he's lost composure but I disagree. I think his comments are exactly what needed to be said and I applaud him for saying it. I especially like his acknowledgement of the drug problem and its impact on this situation that no one wants to talk about. Thanks for putting the smackdown on 'em for us- they cearly needed it.
Link to the transcript on cnn.com:


http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/02/nagin.transcript/index.html

There's a link to an audio file on the front page of cnn. If you have a broadband connection and speakers it's well worth listening to.
Happily, as I started this entry, cnn was showing the arrival of exactly what Mayor Nagin asked for this morning


http://metroblogging.com/

http://www.truthlaidbear.com/

http://www.boingboing.net/2005/08/29/katrina_approaches_n.html

http://www.boingboing.net/2005/08/29/katrina_approaches_n.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6210240/

http://www.foxnews.com/

http://www.cnn.com/