That wasn't a debate

The ‘debate’ on CNN right now makes me want to vomit…projectile vomit….profusely!! Ron Paul is obviously being skipped over. This isn't a debate it's a McCain/Romney love-fest! What a disgrace!

It would only be interesting if McCain jabbed that damn ‘Sharpie’ into Romney’s eye. Hell, I might even consider voting for John then. If nothing else it would make this farce of a ‘debate’ more exciting. I keep hoping Ron will get up and walk off.

Just for fun I'll remind people that within the last few months I have single-handedly humiliated McCain's Alabama cheerleader Troy King and made Romney's cheerleader State Treasurer Kay Ivey apologize to my son for insensitive remarks she made directed at those who think evolution holds more water than Jesus.

I guess that adds up to me not having many friends in the White House if someone other than Ron Paul gets elected. Oh well....not much different than the previous 33 years of my life.

MRI today

My arthritis has been pitching a nasty fit lately. I went to the doctor on Monday and after looking at my X-rays they decided to do an MRI. Every major joint in my body is eat up with osteoporosis and I am only 33. I finally got a doctor who recognizes this condition for what it is and didn't tell me, "Well, you're too young for that." Instead, he listened when I told him about the flare-ups and when I told him that pain medication is fine...but that for long term purposes I had no desire to take pain medication every day. He mentioned Boniva or Fosamax as a possible treatment.

I am looking forward to seeing my spine and the places in it that hurt so bad. C-1 thru C-7 are covered with bone spurs and I would not be surprised to find that most of the rest of my spine is as well. L-5 is what is giving me the most problems right now.

Fund Schools Not Prisons

On last Friday's edition of For the Record Dr. Joe Morton, Superintendent of Alabama Schools, was the guest. Alabama is facing major budget cuts to the education system. By major I mean to the tune of $500 million. At about 39 minutes into the show Dr. Morton states that if we spent more on education now we would spend less on prisons in the future. Needless to say I was very happy to hear those words that I have been saying for what seems like forever. I don't imagine Dr. Morton would want to publicly join with me in advocacy efforts to reduce the size of our prison system....but I'll write him and ask him anyway.

Watch the show.

State Treasurer Apologizes to My Son

Yesterday I posted about my son attending the Leadership in Action Network conference in Montgomery and about some comments Alabama State Treasurer Kay Ivey made in her remarks to the audience. I emailed Mrs. Ivey's office and asked her to apologize to my son.

I clearly apologize to you for any appearance of casting discredit. You are obviously a person with aspiration. I wish you well. Sincerely, Kay Ivey

There was further explanation of her comments in the email but they were nasty and cast doubt on her sincerity.

I know it may seem like I am nit-picking or causing trouble for the fun of it, but I dare say that if an Atheist had addressed the audience and used their disbelief causing others to feel discredited due to their beliefs there would have been far more complaints than this single one.

I am not anti-religion or anti-Christian. I respect everyone's human right to believe or not believe in whatever they choose. It's when church and state collide like this that I protest. Religious belief, or lack thereof, is a private, deeply personal matter. Mixing it with state is the best way to lose that freedom to choose.

Spelling Champions

(Bell Nall pictured far left)

My daughter Bell recently competed in the spelling bee at her school....which she won. Winning sent her on to the county competition, which took place last week in Dadeville, AL. I was out of town that day but called her when she got home and asked how the spelling bee went. "Mom", she said, "You're not gonna believe it but I misspelled 'sarcasm'. How ironic is that?"

I cracked up. She is one of the most sarcastic kids I have ever met. I am still extremely proud of her for competing and winning one phase of the spelling bee. She's a great kid!

Love you Bell

Here is the story in our local paper.

State of the Union Address

Wow! If only Bush meant any of what he actually said...that would have been a great speech. Knowing, however, that he means none of it I am convinced that all of those standing ovations were brought about by his newfound ability to say a mouthful of big, intelligent-sounding words without fucking them up!

Although there were a few slips.....

Kay Ivey owes my son an apology

My son Alex is a member of the Leadership in Action Network at his school. This weekend he took his second trip to meet leaders in Alabama state government and to hear them speak. One speaker was State Treasurer Kay Ivey.

Now, I do not know Mrs. Ivey, have never had any dealings with Mrs. Ivey and until today had no reason to dislike Mrs. Ivey. That's all changed now.

I asked my son how the trip went and he said it was great until Mrs. Ivey spoke. He said out of the blue and near the end of a very good speech she stated the following, "I am only speaking for myself...but if you are one of those people who believes we evolved out of a pile of goo, that you have no purpose in life...then you should just crawl back to the pile of goo you came from."

Now that isn't verbatim and is second-hand...but it is still intact enough to really piss me off.

We are an Atheist family. My children have always been free to choose religion or leave it alone. Thus far they have chosen to leave it alone. They are creatures of logic and therefore waste no time on things that are obviously illogical to them. However, being Atheist does not mean that we believe we have no purpose in life. Not at all. It simply means that we found our own purpose instead of trying to pull it out of a book written thousands of years ago.

My children have been raised to be respectful of the beliefs of others no matter how fairy-tale death-cultish they are. Why can't state leaders show the same respect to the rest of us? Why do they always have to insert their irrelevant religious beliefs into every thing they do? Do they really think that every smart kid in Alabama is a Christian who ignores science?

I'd like Kay Ivey to apologize to my son. She had absolutely no right to throw in that statement about her personal beliefs at a state function and she made my son feel very uncomfortable and out of place. Who gives a rat's ass what she thinks of people who don't think and believe the same things that she does?

I've just sent her the following email. We'll see what happens.

Mrs. Ivey,

My son Alex attended the LAN conference at the Embassy Suites in Montgomery on Jan. 28, 2008 and he heard you speak there. He mentioned that your remarks about evolution ("If you believe you came from a pile of goo....") made him feel very uncomfortable. You see, we are an Atheist family and we feel evolution has more credibility than creationism. We also are firm in our convictions that our purpose in life is as meaningful as yours and everyone else's. As an elected official you should be more respectful of the views of others. We elected you to keep track of our money....not proselytize to our youth at a function that has absolutely nothing to do with your religious beliefs.

I believe you owe my son an apology. You can call him at 251-650-2271 or email him at *****************

Regards,
Loretta Nall

War on Drugs Unsuccessful

A wonderful LTE appeared in today's editorial section of the Birmingham News. It was penned by a gentleman named William A. North. I do not know Mr. North personally but would sure like to meet him and recruit him for our advocacy work. I do know that Mr. North is the Asst. D.A. in Bessemer, AL and thought very highly of by my firend Ralph Hendrix at UAB. Mr. North, if you happen to be reading this please email me.

Here's the letter

War on drugs unsuccessful:

Jim Henderson, vice president of the Alabama Narcotics Officers Association, recently wrote a letter complaining about reduced funding for drug task forces ("Not enough money for war on drugs," The News, Wednesday). These are, he wrote, "the front line on the war on drugs, in which about 26,000 Americans die each year."

While I have great respect for Henderson and his fellow officers, I would like to offer another view. By any objective measure, the war on drugs begun decades ago has been a great failure. The present availability of controlled drugs has never been greater, as interdiction from both foreign and domestic suppliers has proved to be virtually impossible.

Many or most of the 26,000 deaths to which Henderson referred were the result of criminal activity actually caused by the war on drugs, rather than from the direct use of drugs. Indeed, I would challenge Henderson to provide evidence of even one death that was a result of the use of marijuana, the most commonly used illicit drug.

The fact is, the war on drugs has resulted in the imprisonment of thousands of nonviolent drug users (the Alabama Department of Corrections Web site gives the figure of about 7,000 currently incarcerated for drug offenses). It has diverted millions of dollars from the criminal justice system in a futile effort to interfere in the private lives of citizens and, consequently, greatly inhibited efforts to combat other crimes.

The war on drugs has further had a devastating effect on the black community because of the disproportionate number of black males who have been or are in prison for drug offenses.

William A. North
Birmingham

Here is the LTE I submitted today.

Dear Editor,

I read with GLEE Narcotic's Officer Jim Henderson's cry-baby piece about BYRNE Grants being drastically reduced in the 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill. My first thought was "HALLELUJAH, Congress finally did something right!!"

In case no one has noticed the US drug war is an abject failure as far as eliminating drugs and drug use go. I can get drugs in any city and town anytime day or night and so can anyone else who is seeking them. They are cheap and plentiful.

If the number of people dying due to drugs is grounds for a war, as Officer Henderson inferred, then why is there a war on marijuana, since it doesn't kill anyone?

Here is a list of the annual causes of death in the US.
Tobacco 435,000
Poor Diet/Physical Inactivity 365,000
Alcohol 85,000
Microbial Agents 75,000
Toxic Agents 55,000
Motor Vehicle Crashes 26,347
Adverse Reactions to Prescription Drugs 32,000,
Suicide 30,622
Firearms 29,000
Homicide 20,308
Sexual Behaviors 20,000
All Illicit Drug Use 17,000
Drugs Such As Aspirin 7,600
Marijuana 0

According to a recent story in the Birmingham News 50% of all drug arrests in Alabama are for simple marijuana possession. How many people die in drug raids carried out by SWAT teams where marijuana is the only drug involved? A 92 year-old great-grandmother, named Kathryn Johnston was murdered in 2006 by an Atlanta narcotics task force after an informant fingered her house as a place where drug sales were taking place. No drugs were found in the house so the cops planted some marijuana after they killed her in hopes of being able to cover their behinds. Narcotics task forces are also notorious for shooting people's beloved pets.

I also take issue with Officer Henderson's fear mongering about funding for drug courts, treatment and prevention being cut. The BYRNE grant money, which is the bread and butter of drug task forces, has rarely been used for treatment and prevention and never for drug courts. It could be allocated for those things, but priority for those grants is given to multi-jurisdictional drug task forces according to the ADECA website. Besides, what happens to the money police seize in asset forfeiture?

The drug war isn't working. Why keep pumping money into a program where repeated failures are used as justification for continued existence and more funding? And for what benefit to society? More destroyed families, more bodies in our inhumanely overcrowded prisons, more death and disease, easier access to drugs for our children, devastated communities and the loss of our Constitutional rights and civil liberties? Should we really be paying for that? I hope they never get their funding back. Perhaps now they'll be forced to go out and fight real crime like burglary, rape, arson, car-jacking and murder. According to the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center those clearance rates are ABYSMAL.

Respectfully Submitted for Publication,
Loretta Nall

Stop the Deadly No-Knock Drug Raids

Sign this petition to stop no-knock drug raids in the US!!

Pictures from Obama's stop in BHAM

First, let me say I am a Ron Paul supporter until he is no longer in the race. However, if he does not get the Republican nomination and chooses not to run as an Independent then I have to vote for someone else. Barak Obama is the most likely choice in that instance. When I received an invitation to attend his rally in BHAM I decided to go and check him out.

He is an exciting man, and excellent orator and just oozes charisma. However, that doesn't tell me anything about how he will be as President. I had hoped to have the opportunity to ask questions yesterday but that didn't happen. I stayed for the first hour of Obama's speech and then had to leave because the chairs in Bartow Arena are hell on an arthritic back.

Here are some pics from yesterday. Please forgive the poor quality of the ones of Obama. By the time he took the stage my batteries were low and unfortunately it shows in the quality of the photos.

Great News! Narc Task Forces lose federal grant money!

This letter appeared in yesterday's editorial section of the Birmingham News

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

*Not enough money for war on drugs: *

Alabama has 31 law-enforcement, multijurisdictional, drug task forces that
are primarily funded through federal funds.

The task forces are the front line on the war on drugs, in which about 26,000 Americans die each year. The vast majority of these task forces
operate in rural areas where law enforcement does not have the resources to
protect the citizens.

Congress recently passed the 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Bill. This bill
included a cut of about 67 percent of the funding to local law-enforcement
drug task forces. The Byrne-JAG (Justice Assistance Grant) has been
authorized at a level of $1.1 billion by the U.S. Senate. However,
continuous budget cuts have resulted in the reduction of funding to the
level of $170 million for the 2008 budget. This figure also includes funding
for drug courts, treatment and prevention.

In comparison, the 2007 budget had a somewhat acceptable level of funding at
$520 million. The citizens of Alabama need to be aware of this drastic cut
in funding. These drug task forces will not be able to be effective, or
exist, at this funding level.

Jim Henderson

Vice president

Alabama Narcotic Officers

Association

Birmingham

Let's pick this apart piece by piece.

Alabama has 31 law-enforcement, multijurisdictional, drug task forces that are primarily funded through federal funds.

So, we have 31 federalized drug cop units operating within our borders. That's a HUGE amount.

The task forces are the front line on the war on drugs, in which about 26,000 Americans die each year.

I wonder if the number of deaths he is attributing to the 'war on drugs' are deaths caused by overdose, spread of disease, gang violence or a combination of those things? Where does he get that number? Let's say that 26,000 people die from an overdose using illegal drugs. Is that really enough to declare a war? Look at this annual causes of death in the US chart.

Tobacco = 435,000

Poor Diet and Physical Inactivity = 365,000

Alcohol = 85,000

Microbial Agents = 75,000

Toxic Agents = 55,000

Motor Vehicle Crashes = 26,347

Adverse Reactions to Prescription Drugs = 32,000

Suicide = 30,622

Incidents Involving Firearms = 29,000

Homicide = 20,308

Sexual Behaviors = 20,000

All Illicit Drug Use, Direct and Indirect = 17,000

Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Such As Aspirin = 7,600

Marijuana = 0

If the number of people dying due to drug use is grounds for a war then why no war on tobacco, alcohol, automobiles, firearms, people who make poor eating choices, prescription drugs, sexual behaviors and aspirin? And why in the hell is there one on marijuana, since it doesn't kill anyone? According to a recent story in the Birmingham News 50% of all drug arrests in Alabama are for simple marijuana possession. How many people die a year in drug raids where marijuana is the only drug involved? All drug task forces do is round up low level users and 'dealers' who generally only sell enough to support their own habit. They never get major kingpins because if they did they would be out of a job.

The vast majority of these task forces operate in rural areas where law enforcement does not have the resources to protect the citizens.

Finally, an admission that the drug war is a way to centralize the power of the federal government in rural areas.

Congress recently passed the 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Bill. This bill included a cut of about 67 percent of the funding to local law-enforcement drug task forces.

Hooray! Congress finally did something right!

The Byrne-JAG (Justice Assistance Grant) has been authorized at a level of $1.1 billion by the U.S. Senate. However,continuous budget cuts have resulted in the reduction of funding to the level of $170 million for the 2008 budget. This figure also includes funding for drug courts, treatment and prevention.

Very, very little of the many millions that have poured into this state in the form of Byrne Grants has ever been used for treatment, drug courts and prevention. The ADECA website states that emphasis for receiving a BYRNE Grant is based on (a) The number one priority is for multi-unit drug task forces, all other programs from the 28 approved BJA list will receive a lower priority as established by the Drug Advisory Board.

Well, maybe they used some of it to pay DARE officers...but that doesn't really count as prevention, since DARE has ever been shown to prevent drug use and has actually been shown to increase it among kids.

I don't have a breakdown right this second on how the BYRNE Grant money was used. Cops tend to circle the wagons when you ask questions about oversight, accountability for the money and so forth. Same with asset forfeiture. How much do they get to keep? But, if the money was actually used for drug courts and treatment then how come Alabama is still struggling to get drug courts in all 67 counties and how come we have an appalling lack of treatment beds available in this state? Obviously the majority of BYRNE grant money has not been used on those things.

In comparison, the 2007 budget had a somewhat acceptable level of funding at$520 million. The citizens of Alabama need to be aware of this drastic cut in funding.

Thanks for the heads up buddy!

These drug task forces will not be able to be effective, or exist, at this funding level.


That is indeed the best news I have heard in a long time. That means fewer 3 a.m. no-knock drug raids where women holding infants get their heads blown off. It means fewer bullshit warrants and kangaroo trials.

Let's take a minute and see what kinds of things are done in this country by drug task forces who are funded by BYRNE grants and what other bad things we can expect a reduction in.

Tulia, Texas
Mansfield, Ohio
Atlanta, Georgia
Huntsville, Alabama
A long list of people killed by drug task forces.

The drug war isn't working. Why keep pumping money into a program where repeated failures are used as a justification for continued existence and more funding?

Also worth noting is the babyish whining going on over at AlaNarc because their toy money got cut. I thought big boys didn't cry? Wussies! Now they'll be forced to go out and fight real crime like burglary, rape, arson, car-jacking and murder. According to the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center those clearance rates are ABYSMAL.

Then check out the National Narcotics Assoc. newsletter about their 2000 convention in Montgomery, AL. Here is a picture of these fearless drug warriors getting drunk in front of Hank Williams grave.



Ain't they cute? Aside from the obvious irony of them publicly ingesting a drug that causes more death and disease than all illegal ones combined their choice of Hank William's grave site as a place for this picture baffles me. Didn't Hank Williams die of an alcohol/barbiturate Singapore Sling combo overdose while laid out in the back seat of his Cadillac?

Military Tactics No Use Against Drugs

Wrote this a few weeks ago and it was published in today's Montgomery Advertiser. This version is slightly edited from the one I sent in.

Letters
Military tactics no use against drugs

I read with dismay and disgust the story "Iraq vet uses military tactics to fight drugs." This approach is wrong on so many levels.

There is no sane, logical explanation for ever placing an Iraq war veteran, who might have a real bad case of PTSD, in charge of provocative, rebellious, adolescent children. That is just asking for trouble.

I am used to soldiers coming out of combat and being hired as drug SWAT team officers, which is a horrible idea, but placing them in schools? That has to be the worst idea ever.

How long until Principal G.I. Joe has a flashback and decides to engage in hand-to-hand combat with a student over a Tylenol?

You can get over an addiction, but you can never get over a conviction. It teaches kids to depend on the government to fix a problem that isn't the government's business to begin with. Drug use is a private family matter, a health and social issue and should be treated as such.

Drugs are not living things, cannot fight back and therefore cannot have a war waged against them. It's a war on American citizens, a war on American children. By all accounts the drug war has been an abject failure, as drugs are cheap, of high quality and plentiful to anyone who wants them.

Loretta Nall
Alexander City

What the drug war brings us

AL.com

Hoover officer injured in police chase at I-459 north ramp
Posted by Birmingham News staff January 23, 2008 1:55 PM

A Hoover police officer was injured during a police pursuit that ended at the top of the entrance ramp to Interstate 459 north at U.S. 31, near the Riverchase Galleria.
Hoover police Capt. Jim Coker said Officer Mike Lucas suffered leg injuries that were not life-threatening and was being treated at Brookwood Medical Center. Coker said the officer was attempting to place a spike strip on U.S. 31 to stop the suspect when he was struck by the suspect's vehicle, a van.

After hitting Lucas, the suspect drove to the top of the I-459 ramp, where a Birmingham patrol car nudged the van in an attempt to spin it. The suspect crashed, rolled his van and was ejected. He was handcuffed and taken to UAB Hospital.

Birmingham police started the chase in north Birmingham after an officer spotted a suspect involved in a possible drug transaction, said Birmingham police Sgt. Dexter Cunningham. The officer questioned the man, who refused to cooperate and could not present valid identification. They got into a short foot chase before the suspect jumped back in his van and took off.

The pursuit traveled from Interstate 59 northbound to I-459 southbound with the suspect tossing drugs along the way, said Jefferson County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Randy Christian. The chase involved more than a dozen law enforcement vehicles from Birmingham police, Hoover police and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department.

Cunningham said the suspect twice rammed a Birmingham police officer's cruiser during the pursuit. The suspect fled down I-459 south, exited at Galleria Boulevard, turned left onto John Hawkins Parkway and then left again onto U.S. 31, where he tried to get back on I-459 heading north.

I was in Birmingham today at the time this happened. It is only by chance that I was not in that exact area at the time of the crash. So many innocent lives were risked over what amounts to nothing.

Most people commenting on this thread at the link above obviously don't care if drug users live or die. Many of them seem to wish that drug users were all dead anyway. So, why do they support these high speed chases where EVERYONE on the road is at risk as opposed to the drug user only? Why not just let said drug user go home peacefully and potentially harm/kill his/herself on drugs? Why chase them at high rates of speed and endanger the lives of people who have nothing to do with the drug war.

The story says that the suspect "threw drugs out the window."
What kind of drugs were they? Were any drugs actually recovered? What kind? Or was the officer just talking smack?

See, the drug war brings us things like high speed police chases that endanger the lives of everyone on the road. I was most happy to read in today's editorial section of the BHAM News the whiny diatribe by the narcotics association officer because they will no longer have the money to do stupid shit like this.

So, a guy wants to buy drugs and get high. What business is that of anyone else's? If he is allowed to go about his business un-harassed chances are the only person who will be hurt is him. Some might say "But he could hurt someone else"... but, the truth is, in this country we aren't supposed to arrest people for what they might do. Some will say, "But he hurts his family" and that may be true...but that is a FAMILY matter and not a law enforcement one. Who hasn't done something that hurt their family at some point? Should they go to jail for everything they do that their family claims to be hurt by?

While drugs can be dangerous the laws surrounding them magnify every danger associated with them a thousand-fold. Organized crime rises, violence rises and preventable death and the spreading of disease rises. Just like it did with alcohol prohibition. When alcohol prohibition was repealed liquor runners and brewers stopped having shoot outs with the cops and turf wars over alcohol ended. When is the last time you saw the Budweiser man and the Coors man having a shoot out in the grocery store over shelf space?

We don't need a drug war. It can never be won. Even if you hate drugs you have to admit it will never be won. It is meant to be waged...not won. Even cops will tell you they'll never get it all...if they did get it all they would work themselves right out of a job.

Drug use and drug addiction are health and social issues. The sooner we wise up and accept that the sooner we will all be safer on the roads and in our communities.

I'm spending my $800 on

WEED!!!

Sorry President Bush...the only thing that will be stimulated with that $800 of the economic stimulus package is ME. There's some great weed around just now too, so could you hurry up and send it before all the supply returns to Mexican brick weed that tastes like it was cured in the tires of the 18-wheeler that brought it across the border.

Thanks!

(Note: To all law enforcement officials reading my blog...I'm just kidding)

This Guy Needs a Bud Light Commercial

(Sung) Real Men of Genius

(Spoken) Today we salute you Mr. "Slow Down there's a cop ahead headlight flasher guy".

(Sung) Mr. Slow down there's a cop ahead headlight flasher guy.

(Spoken) Your brazen attempts to warn fellow speeders of impending highway doom in the form of a ticket despite your own peril are truly commendable

(Sung) He needs commending

(Spoken) When I am driving 95 miles per hour on 280 your flashing lights are a more welcome sight than water in the Sahara desert.

(Sung) Who needs a fuzz buster?

(Spoken) You have through your own altruistic act saved me many thousands of dollars in speeding tickets and probably more than a few jail visits for having weed on me

(Sung) God Bless you

(Spoken) So flash on home Mr. Slow down there's a cop ahead headlight flasher guy and crack open an ice cold bud light, but watch out for those unmarked cars

(Sung)Those Sneaky bastards

(Spoken) Because if you get taken to jail we're all screwed

(Sung) Mr. Slow down there's a cop ahead headlight flasher guy

Anti-Taser Clothing?

Damn! Why didn't I think of that?

Maybe one day we can rig it to also be an anti-taser taser wherein the flow of electricity is redirected back to the taserer who is subsequently tasered.

COPS: The Biggest Gang of All

AG to protest possible parole for killer of Etowah County lawman

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- Alabama Attorney General Troy King plans to appear at today's parole board hearing for Connie Tozzi. King said he will oppose the convicted killer's release from prison.

Tozzi was convicted of murdering Etowah County Drug Task Force Commander Chris McCurley and for the attempted murder of three other task force officers - Gary Entrekin, Rick Correll and Khris Yancey on October 10th, 1997. She is serving four sentences of 40 years each.

Tozzie and a co-defendant, Ezra Petersen, were found guilty. While on death row, Petersen hanged himself.

The hearing starts at 9 a.m.

Troy King needs to sit down and shut the fuck up! If the drug enforcement thugs wearing badges and uniforms had shot and killed these two people they would never have seen the inside of a jail cell, much less had the Attorney General protest their release. They would have been promoted, gotten a pay raise, given jobs at the AG's office and cheered as 'heros' for their murder of two people over something that will not trigger the death penalty in Alabama.

I am so sick of this shit. If cops don't want to get shot then why the fuck did they sign up for the job? If they don't want to get shot then why do they go rambo-ing into peoples homes at 3 a.m. and treat them like Iraqi's....over some inanimate substance? Do they not expect to get shot in those situations? Don't the cops realize that the citizenry is fast losing any respect for them.

Cops are the biggest, thuggiest gang in the fucking world and they have government sanctioning to be. Don't wanna get shot at???? Then don't join a gang. Ain't that what your mama told you?

This is perhaps the worst thing of all about the drug war. One side is prevented from fighting back, prevented from protecting home and property and demonized in the media. How can you have a war if one side isn't allowed defend itself? What would you call a war where one side is prevented from fighting back? Sounds more like genocide to me.

The drug war must end. Drug use in and of itself should not be a crime. Drug addiction is a medical issue and not a criminal one. Many people can and do overcome addiction with treatment. But not if the fucking thug cops put a bullet in their head first. I feel absolutely NO SYMPATHY for cops who get killed while conducting drug raids. In my opinion they are straight up asking for it. They engage in HARM MAXIMIZATION so it's only fair that they feel a little HARM REDIRECTION once in a while. Call it Karma.

Kudos to Mr. Ezra Peterson who denied the thug state the opportunity and satisfaction of taking his life with the death penalty. In that situation suicide is what I would have done too.

Loretta's Candle Shoppe

Back in 2000 I started making candles as a hobby and as a sort of therapy. It beats the shit out of Prozac, I can tell you that much. Anyway, I discovered that I really enjoyed the art of making candles. I started out using two-piece plastic molds in just about every shape you can possibly imagine. Hearts, ropes, Buddha's, Virgin Mary's, pot leaves, peace signs. You name it I probably had a mold for it.

Later I ventured into a more difficult form of candle making and started experimenting with something called hurricane-shell candles. These are made with metal molds and hollow cylinders that fit inside the mold. It involves stuffing molds with things like sea glass, silk flowers...I've even used peppermint during the holidays.

Back in 2002, before the Tallapoosa County gestapo charged in and tried to wreck my life, I had a thriving candle business in Alexander City. I made the candles in my kitchen in my spare time, (still do), and sold them to bank executives, lawyers, and the wives of the Presidents and managers of Alabama Power. I worked two full-time jobs and one of them was waitressing at an exclusive hunting lodge in Kellyton, AL called Five Star Plantation. The presidents and CEO's of Alabama Power and people like Tommy Tuberville were frequent guests. They brought their wives and one day I made $800 on the hurricane-shell candles.

When police raided my home they took my scales that I used to weigh ingredients for the candles. In court the D.A. closed his argument by saying that the only purpose for scales was weighing marijuana. I still laugh about that statement.

Anyway, I had to put making candles on the back burner and fight a five-year court battle. But, I decided a few weeks ago to start making hurricane candles again for the fun of it and for the potential extra cash I can bring in on the side. Any one of my reform projects can always use extra cash and offering an original product like this is a good way to bring some in. Below are some of the candles I have made this week.

This is my current favorite hurricane-shell candle. It is a hexagon with dark pink gerbera daisies embedded in it. It is absolutely stunning when lit.


One of the unlit hurricane-shell candles. They make interesting conversation pieces.


This is the same hexagon shaped candle (pictured unlit above) with bright orange gerbera daisies and pieces of orange cathedral glass.


This square one is made with glass hearts in the bottom and dark pink flowers on each side.


The inside of the hurricane candle is hollow and never burns. Instead, you place a votive candle in the center and the shell with embedded flowers or glass glows like a lamp.


I sell these for $30 plus shipping and handling. If you'd like one please email me.

This crazy dog!

With the recent cold snap we decided at Casa Nall to reinforce the plastic over the windows. On Saturday my husband took a roll of plastic to our son's room. The dog followed him. He cut off a piece of plastic and proceeded to staple it to the outer edge of the window. When he was done with that one and ready for the next piece of plastic he reached down only to find that it was gone. He came walking back in the living room and asked if the kids or I had been back there and moved it. I told him no and said jokingly that the dog must have hidden it from him. He looked in a few different places...but no luck. He returned to my sons bedroom and a few minutes later I heard him say, "Well I'll be damn...the dog did hide it" and then "you jackass." Turns out the dog had taken the roll of plastic and hidden it under the opposite end of the bed from where my husband had laid it down.

Some people swear that dogs can't plot and scheme. I beg to differ. This one plots and schemes all the time. He seems to have this mischievous little sense of humor. I can see it in his eyes.

King Dodges Flak

Last week Danny over at Doc's Political Parlor had a report that Attorney General Troy King showed up at an event in his hometown of Elba wearing a flak jacket.

Of course, we Alabama bloggers had a field day with that report.

And it appears that we are seriously rattling ol' Troy's cage. According to the Political Skinny in today's Press-Register

During a stop in Mobile last week, Attorney General Troy King said he had not heard online rumors that he has been regularly wearing a flak jacket -- but he would not say whether they are true.

"That comes from a tabloid Internet Web site, and we do not respond to rumors or tabloids," King Chief of Staff Chris Bence quickly replied to a question directed at King. "I'm not going to confirm or deny."

A site dedicated to Alabama politics claimed King wore a flak jacket to an event in his hometown of Elba this month, during which state Sen. Jim my Holley announced he was leaving the Democratic Party to become a Republican.

The site said King wears the flak jacket "everywhere."

"That I'm wearing a flak jacket?" King asked with surprise. King pulled open the lapel of his blazer and asked a Press-Register reporter, "You want to see?"

No flak jacket was visible.

This reminds me of LBJ's strategy of "Make the bastard deny it!"

I bet he left the flak jacket home with Trixie. Word is he had it emblazoned with a giant T and presented it to her like a it was a letterman jacket along with his class ring.

I seem to remember that right after Troy King was appointed Alabama Attorney General he decided it would be cool to participate in a raid on a 'gambling establishment' in Troy, Alabama. If I remember correctly he suited up in SWAT gear, including a flak jacket and kevlar, and charged in with the rest of the anti-bingo SWAT team and took out those dangerous and sinful electronic game machines. Seems like there was a photo, too.

Now, I can't seem to find that in any news archives...because I'm not willing to spend any money looking for it. I already spent money to send him the pig, ya know? But, some of my news hound friends in the Alabama media with access to that sort of thing for free should look it up. It also seems like that particular incident wasn't the only one involving Troy King suiting up in a flak jacket and participating in some raid or another on inanimate objects.

I could be wrong about the whole incident or where it took place....but I clearly recall a story involving Troy King, a SWAT team to raid inanimate objects and a flak jacket.

Isn't it outrageous that a SWAT team would actually conduct a raid on inanimate objects? I bet they all feel really silly when they go home at night.

UPDATE: A reader from Birmingham sent me this news story from the Troy Messenger about the gambling raid King participated in. The same reader was also able to look up the AP version of the story which clearly states that King participated in the raid. Thanks much friendly and helpful reader!

Here is the AP story from August 14, 2004.

Officers raid Troy gambling hall; AG says more may follow The Associated Press State & Local Wire August 13, 2004, Friday, BC cycle

The Associated Press State & Local Wire


August 13, 2004, Friday, BC cycle


SECTION: State and Regional

LENGTH: 496 words

HEADLINE: Officers raid Troy gambling hall; AG says more may follow

BYLINE: By PHILLIP RAWLS, Associated Press Writer

DATELINE: TROY, Ala.

BODY:
Law enforcement officers raided a plain metal building on the outskirts of Troy Friday, seizing 60 video gambling machines and surprising customers who were feeding dollar bills into the machines.

"Bad day. Friday the 13th," customer James Johnson said as he left.

Johnson, a retiree, said he played the games for recreation. "I guess I'll have to start fishing," he said.

District Attorney Gary McAliley said officers arrested Ray Grant, 58, of Troy. They accused him of being one of the operators and charged him with misdemeanor possession of gambling devices and possession of gambling records. Each is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine.

McAliley said the case will be reviewed by a grand jury and more charges are possible against Grant and others.

Attorney General Troy King, who participated in the raid, said his office has received complaints about similar businesses in other parts of the state, and his office will work with local law enforcement to review the complaints. He indicated the Troy raid would not be his last.

"This sends an important message to people who have machines that pay out in cash and violate state law," he said. "Illegal gambling will not be tolerated in Alabama."

Police Chief Anthony Everage said his department seized 47 video gambling machines in raids in July 2003. After several months of quiet, he started getting complaints about a new operation about two months ago, he said.

Among those complaining were people who had operated video gambling halls, citing an Alabama law, but had to close them last year after a state appeals court ruled that games of chance were illegal.

"Other people have asked us, 'If these people can reopen, why can't we?"' McAliley said.

The business was in a normal-looking metal building with no sign and a grass parking lot. A handwritten piece of paper on the door listed the hours of operation for the six-day-a-week business but gave no indication what was inside. Officers said customers learned of the business through word of mouth.

Inside, 60 video gambling machines - named Queen Bee, Funny Fruit and Alabama Nudge - were arranged in four rows. A counter offered free soft drinks and snacks.

Troy officials said proving gambling charges is difficult and that's why they relied on the attorney general to bring in two gaming experts - one from his staff and one from New Jersey - to examine the machines and prepare evidence for court.

As D.R. Sertell took apart the first machine, he carefully pulled out pieces of paper folded behind the money container and said, "This is the smoking gun."

Sertell, chairman of Casino Horizons Corp. in Vineland, N.J., unfolded the manufacturer's directions, which he said described how to set the payout between 65 percent and 90 percent of the money put in by customers.

"That proves the computer controls the outcome," rather than the skill of the player, which is illegal in Alabama, he said.

Don't Make Me Whoop Out the Pig

Birmingham News columnist John Archibald wrote a column yesterday about Rep. John Rogers bill to repeal the ban on sex toys.

John Rogers out to bust ban on sex toys

Call it the Rep. John Rogers Sex Act.

Oh, heaven forbid. Please don't call it that.

Call it instead the "John Rogers Sex Toy Legalization Law," or the Rogers "Self Satisfaction Is OK By Me" bill.

No? Then just say Free the Vibes. And now I'm feeling flushed.

Actually, Rogers' bill, prefiled in the Alabama House, is far more mundane than all that, in name and content.

House Bill 12 is brief and simple. It would do little more than its 18-word synopsis:

"Under existing law, the sale of devices for sexual stimulation is prohibited. This bill would delete this provision."

Now don't get all hot and bothered. The last time Rogers tried to end the ban on personal sex products, he was garroted in the House. He got an award in 2003 for introducing the "deadest" bill of all.

But since then, the great state Alabama, where we still officially dare defend our rights, has been pulled through the national wringer for its in-your-bedroom encroachment on civil liberties.

Alabama Attorney General Troy King has continued a bizarre and costly battle against good vibrations. The state of self-satisfaction in Alabama has been litigated and debated across the state and country.

READ THE REST

I just sent John Archibald the following email:

Hi John,

Read your column on Rep. Rogers bill to repeal the ban on sex toys. I don't know if you saw all of the hysterical things that happened after Troy King indicated he might trouble the legislature with this issue again in 2008 in hopes of making the anti-obscentiy law tougher (could it really be tougher?). I started a "Sex Toys for Troy King drive" on my blog and kicked it off by mailing him an inflatable, penetratable pig. I thought about sending a human type blow-up doll but did not want to encourage Troy to breed outside of his own species :) Now, I guess my gifting of the pig to Troy would count as a legislative purpose or a law enforcement purpose.
Anyway, the Press-Register ran four stories, three editorials and four editorial cartoons on the subject of the pig. It hit radio and TV stations all over the Southeast and went global with the internet. DAME Magazine ran the story as did the Village Voice and it is slated to be out in the next issue of Rolling Stone. Here is a link to all that happened. Once you click it read from the bottom up so it will all make sense.
Sex Toys for Troy King

Now, if Troy is foolish enough to launch any sort of protest of Rep. Rogers bill to repeal he law then he will get smacked around much harder than he has thus far. Not only do I have an adult pig costume and a volunteer to wear it I also have access to a leash-trained pot-bellied pig named "Luscious" who is more than willing to crash a few press conferences.

Boy Howdy I am looking forward to this legislative session. Don't make me whoop out the pig Troy!

Best,
Loretta Nall

Another Nall Champion!!

A few days before my daughter Bell had an emergency appendectomy she won the spelling bee at her school. I was away from home and didn't learn about it until Sunday of last week. Didn't even know there was a spelling bee taking place. Bell hadn't mentioned it and had not been given a study book. She says they no longer give out books and instead direct kids to a website. Bell didn't study and won anyway. She was supposed to have her picture taken for the paper on Monday but she was in the hospital.

Her teacher sent a note home on Friday letting me know that the county spelling bee is going to be held in Dadeville this coming Wednesday. She wanted to make sure Bell had permission to go and compete in this second round.

Y'all keep your fingers crossed for my young'un. She always does us proud!

More Snow Pictures

I take back what I said about James Spann

No sooner than I hit 'publish' on the "Where's the Snow?" post it started snowing. These are giant snowflakes too. Thanks for pushing the snow button before Bell woke up James. I appreciate that.

Took my puppy out to see what he thought of it. He wants to bark at it, pounce on it and try to eat it. The snow isn't very cooperative though. But Snoot sure is fun to watch. Here are a couple of shots I got of him a few minutes ago.

So, ummm where's the snow?

I got up this morning expecting to see a few inches of snow on the ground and more falling out of the sky. According to James Spann, Tallapoosa County (where I live) is in the major snow zone. Guess what? Ain't a snowflake nowhere. Doesn't even feel cold enough to snow.

I'm gonna have to have a talk with James Spann if there isn't some snow by the end of the day. On Jan. 10th he predicted huge storms with tornado's all across Alabama. That prediction prompted school and business closings statewide. My whole family stood in front of the window and waited for some cows to come flying by spinnging around so fast that they were mooing in a Doppler effect. That didn't happen either. In fact, it never did anything but rain in my neck of the woods.

My daughter is really looking forward to this snow...has been for days Mr. Spann. I am beginning to lose faith in your weather forecasting abilities....and I've been relying on you for my weather for 28 years. Didn't anyone ever tell you that it isn't nice to tease children? Now....go push the snow button on the weather machine that Dan says you have in the basement at ABC 33/40 before Bell wakes up.

Crooks & Liars

I am currently reading a book by John Grisham called "The Innocent Man." It's about two men who were wrongfully convicted on murder in a small Oklahoma town. One of them was sentenced to death. It is the only non-fiction courtroom drama Grisham has ever written. And I am rivited.

I have seen the very things written about in this book play out in courtrooms all over Alabama. Not the murder stuff....but the way police lie when they testify, how prosecutors withhold evidence from the defendant, how judges look the other way when people's rights are clearly being violated and when an indigent defendant's legal representation is clearly inadequate and how jail house snitches are used.

I guess the jail house snitching is probably what gets me the most. There is a news story in today's Birmingham News about that very thing.

County jail inmate emerges as possible witness in trial for slaying of Fairfield officer

A surprise witness surfaced Thursday who is expected to testify Demetrius Jackson Jr., accused of killing one police officer and wounding another, has made incriminating statements since he has been in the Jefferson County Jail.

Jackson, of Fairfield, is on trial in the Bessemer Division of Jefferson County Circuit Court, charged with killing Fairfield Officer Mary Smith and the attempted murder of Officer Erick Burpo. The shootings happened when the two officers answered a call about suspicious persons.

Inmate Runyan Richardson wrote Assistant District Attorney Ted Mills a letter - which Mills received Wednesday - saying he had information to help the prosecutors' case.

Outside the jury's presence, Richardson testified he had made no deals in exchange for his testimony.

Circuit Judge Teresa Petelos stopped the questioning, and asked Richardson if he had any pending cases. Court records show Richardson has robbery and assault charges pending in Birmingham.

Apparently, this guys word that "he's not guilty of assault and robbery" wasn't good enough to keep him out of jail, but now that he claims to have 'heard something'about the shooting of a cop he's suddenly an honest feller whose word is as good as gold. If he has charges pending then you know the prosecution is going to cut a deal with him to testify against Jackson Jr. in the killing of a Fairfield police officer. Hmmmm....

Here's another thing and I know I will take some shit for saying it.....but I'm gonna say it anyway. First, this isn't a drug related case as far as I am aware.

But, I get so sick and tired of every time a cop gets killed in a drug raid everybody bawls, and carries on and acts like they never expected it and like every cop is a fucking hero. You should expect to be shot at when you go Rambo-ing into someones house at 3 a.m. with flash bang grenades, yelling and screaming and waking up children and dogs and not identifying yourself as a cop. If a cop gets killed during a drug raid then a death penalty is almost a given for the person who fired the gun. No matter that the cops didn't identify themselves and had the wrong house. No matter if you were doing what any parent would do to try and protect your family when you thought you had an intruder.

Yet, when cops raid the wrong house looking for weed and kill innocent people they get away with it. They also get away with it when they raid the right house and kill somebody. They justify it by saying "There was a small amount of marijuana in the house." They kill people over something that can't kill you and something that isn't even punishable by the death penalty. They get to be judge and jury. And generally they get promoted instead of prosecuted. They find ways to justify shit like this.

It makes me so sick that they get away with it. Complete immunity from their actions. If all life is precious, then someone who gets killed for smoking pot is as precious as the cop who occasionally takes a bullet when he/she goes charging into someone's home in the wee dawn hours. I don't see why people get so upset about cops getting killed....wasn't dodging bullets in the fucking job description?

Note: I don't advocate or condone killing of drug users or cops. There are other ways to work out conflict. This case, as far as I know, isn't drug related. I am sorry that Officer Smith lost her life. I know she has a family that loved her and needed her. I am using this story to mainly illustrate the critical imbalance in how justice is doled out using snitches who cannot be trusted and how cops get away with murder of citizens but citizen's get the death penalty for killing cops.

Love Stuff Appeals Sex Toy Ruling

(Loretta Nall pictured in center presenting a large laminated poster of the Sex toys for Troy editorial cartoon to the clerks at Love Stuff in Hoover, AL.)

The Birmingham News is reporting that Love Stuff in Hoover is appealing the sex toy ruling.

An attorney for a Hoover store that sells vibrators and other sexual devices has filed an appeal with the Alabama Supreme Court, asking that part of the state's anti-obscenity law be declared unconstitutional.

Huntsville lawyer Amy Herring, who represents the Love Stuff store on U.S. 31, appealed the decision of Jefferson County Circuit Judge Robert Vance Jr., who ruled on Nov. 2 that the law was in accordance with the Alabama constitution. The law bans the sale of sexual devices except for medical, scientific, educational, legislative, judicial or law enforcement purposes.

Vance ruled in Love Stuff's favor in another part of that case. He rejected the city of Hoover's claim that Love Stuff violated a law against "adult-only" businesses operating within 1,000 feet of homes, schools and day care centers. Vance ruled the law was too vague because it did not define "adult-only" businesses.

Rep. John Rogers has already pre-filed a bill to repeal the ban on sex toys, I have repeatedly humiliated Troy King for going on two months now for his insertion of himself into this debate and now Love Stuff is asking the Alabama Supreme Court to declare part of the law unconstitutional.....which it clearly is.

Amazing what one inflatable pig can do!

Let's hope the Supreme Court makes the right decision and doesn't end up like Troy King did when he last broached this topic.

There are more pigs where Troy's came from!!

Governor Riley STRICKEN with Aristocracy Syndrome

Danny over at Doc's Political Parlor is reporting that Governor Riley wants the assault on the Senate floor forgotten. Apparently Gov. Riley has succumbed to the condition known as 'aristocracy syndrome'. Little is known about this condition, in which elected officials become convinced that they are entitled to live by a different set of rules than the ones they impose on the rest of us. There is no cure.



I am no fan of either Bishop or Barron so I have no dog in this fight. But violence against another person is not something that should be forgotten. It should be denounced....very forcefully it should be denounced and Senator Bishop should face very severe consequences for his actions.

Emergency Appendectomy

My daughter Bell had to have an emergency appendectomy yesterday. She woke up with a belly-ache and said it had awakened her in the night. I made her an appointment for the doctor. The earliest I could get was 1 p.m. She got up at 9 a.m. pale as a ghost and holding her right side. I knew then what we were dealing with and rushed her to the pediatrician's office. He agreed that it was an appendicitis and sent her directly to the hospital for a surgical consult.

They were able to do the surgery laproscopicly and she was awake and eating withing 2 hours. A few hours later she was up on her feet. She got to come home this morning and says she isn't in pain but is more just sore.

Laproscopic surgery must beat the shit out of being sliced open. Either that or I am a pansy when it comes to pain. I had my appendix out in 1998 and they did it the old fashioned way. It hurt something awful when I woke up and hurt for weeks afterward. I was taking dilaudid for pain. Bell has only asked for pain medication twice since coming out of surgery.

Here are a couple of gory pictures from the surgery. I think they are neat.

The offending Appendix



In the Bag

Troy King: The Man in Flak!

(I stole the title of this post from one of the commentor's at Doc's Political Parlor)

Troy King gets weirder by the day.

Danny over at Doc's Political Parlor is reporting that Troy King showed up to mingle with a group of supporters in his home town wearing a flak jacket.

It's HYSTERICAL! Go Read It!!!

I guess if you can't show up in dominatrix drag then a flak jacket is the next best thing.

Marc Emery Agrees to 5 years in plea deal

The Vancouver Sun is reporting that Marc Emery, my great friend and mentor, has agreed to a 5-year prison sentence to be served in Canada.

MARC EMERY AGREES TO FIVE YEARS IN CANADIAN PRISON

VANCOUVER - Marc Emery, Vancouver's self-styled Prince of Pot, has
tentatively agreed to a five-year prison term in a plea bargain over
U.S. money laundering and marijuana seed-selling charges.

Facing an extradition hearing Jan. 21 and the all-but-certain
prospect of delivery to American authorities, Emery has cut a deal
with U.S. prosecutors to serve his sentence in Canada. He also hopes
it will save his two co-accused - Michelle Rainey and Greg Williams,
who were his lieutenants for so much of the past decade.

The three were arrested in August 2005 at the request of the United
States and charged even though none had ventured south of the border.
Since then, they have been awaiting the extradition hearing. With the
proceedings about to begin, Emery says his lawyer brokered the best
deal possible.

If accepted by the courts in both countries, Emery said he will serve
the full term and not be eligible for Canada's lenient
get-out-of-jail-early rules.

"I'm going to do more time than many violent, repeat offenders," he
complained. "There isn't a single victim in my case, no one who can
stand up and say, 'I was hurt by Marc Emery.' No one."

He's right. Whatever else you may think of Emery - and he grates on
many people, what is happening here is a travesty of justice. Emery's
case mocks our independence as a country. Prosecutors in Canada have
not enforced the law against selling pot seeds and all you need do is
walk along Hastings Street between Homer and Cambie for proof.

There are numerous stores selling seeds and products for producing
cannabis. Around the corner, you'll find more seed stores. You'll
find the same shops in Toronto and in other major Canadian cities.

The last time Emery was convicted in Canada of selling pot seeds,
back in 1998, he was given a $2,000 fine. Emery has flouted the law
for more than a decade and every year he sends his seed catalogue to
politicians of every stripe.

He has run in federal, provincial and civic elections promoting his
pro-cannabis platform. He has championed legal marijuana at
parliamentary hearings, on national television, at celebrity
conferences, in his own magazine, Cannabis Culture, and on his own
Internet channel, Pot TV.

Health Canada even recommended medical marijuana patients buy their
seeds from Emery. From 1998 until his arrest, Emery even paid
provincial and federal taxes as a "marijuana seed vendor" totalling
nearly $600,000.

He is being hounded because of his success. The political landscape
has changed dramatically as a result of Emery's politicking for
cannabis. Emery challenged a law he disagrees with using exactly the
non-violent, democratic processes we urge our children to embrace and
of which we are so proud.

But along the way he has angered the anti-drug law-enforcement
community - the same gang that insists we must continue an expensive
War on Drugs that has failed miserably for more than a quarter
century and does more harm than good.

READ THE REST

Five years in a Canadian prison with no 'good time' will no doubt suck out loud. However, when considering that Marc was facing life in an American prison it looks like a sweet deal to me. I just spoke with Marc last week about this very thing. At that time he was adamant that he would not take a plea deal. We discussed his motivations for that and when he was done explaining I had to agree with his decision. I also admired it and could see myself being as obstinate as a mule if I were in his position. However, I am very happy to read this morning that he has changed his mind. I hope that the US authorities accept the deal and Marc never has to leave Canadian soil.

I love you Marc. This is the right decision. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise.

The Useful Idiot

Usually when I get super-retarded comments on the site I just reject them. However, I got one today that is so incredibly asinine that I simply must share it with my readers. This person, and others like them, are what I call useful idiots in the political arena.

hi, my name is Watch Out, thats right watch out, because you people don't see me coming. Did you know that SEX is 100% better without a sex toy. did you know that sex toys are oftened used for sex crimes against children. If someone has a legitimate need for this device, they can buy it at a drugstore. I even think a person should have a doctors prescription for this. do you want your 11 or 12 year old child looking at porn and playing with sex toys at their friends houses. I know this BECAUSE IT happened to me, I blocked it out for 20 years, and I still have emotional issues today. So I think all of you are a bunch of stupid fools!!! signed WATCH OUT, cause i am just gettin started. ***********

There are many problems with this type of illogic.


"Did you know that SEX is 100% better without a sex toy."

First, there really should have been a question mark after 'toy'. Where is the science to back up that statement? This is nothing more than the opinion of an anonymous person. Maybe, in their experience, sex has always been better without a sex toy. So, in their mind, we should outlaw sex toys, because, hey, if Watch Out doesn't need one then, you don't either. That makes about as much sense as me saying I can't have good sex without a sex toy, therefore, we should pass a law that says everyone must use a sex toy during sex.

did you know that sex toys are oftened used for sex crimes against children.

There again the question mark thing. More importantly though, no, I didn't know that sex toys were often used in sex crimes against children. I don't think I have ever heard that anywhere ever before. Show me proof. You could potentially use anything in a sex crime against a child. If someone used a common household item, like a wooden spoon, would you seek to outlaw those too? Adult novelty items have absolutely nothing to do with sex crimes against children. People who commit sex crimes against children would do it no matter what devices were available.

If someone has a legitimate need for this device, they can buy it at a drugstore. I even think a person should have a doctors prescription for this.

Drug stores in Alabama don't carry adult novelty devices. And...who cares what you think about why someone needs one and what they should have to go through to get it? What are you...the Alabama Sex Czar? Who appointed you so?> Did I get a vote on it?

do you want your 11 or 12 year old child looking at porn and playing with sex toys at their friends houses. I know this BECAUSE IT happened to me, I blocked it out for 20 years, and I still have emotional issues today.

Does anyone want their 11 or 12 year-old child playing with a sex toy under any circumstances? Why, of course not! This is where parental responsibility comes into play. Know who your children are going home with. Sounds like your parents failed in that duty if what you say happened is true. Just because when you were 11 or 12 you went to a friends house and saw or played with a sex toy and claim to be emotionally damaged from it does not mean that sex toys should be outlawed. Just because your parents were irresponsible does not mean that everyone else is, or that everyone else should be punished for the failings of your parents. No doubt you have emotional issues and, I'll give you a point or two there for being honest, but your whole philosophical bent is that, because you had some sort of bad experience with a sex toy that sex toys should be outlawed for everyone else. That is what eventually becomes 'legislation by anecdote' and you are what I call a useful idiot.

Politicians use people like you because you will actually get up in front of a crowd and say space case stuff like this. You confuse three or four volatile issues, sex toys, sex crimes against children, children having access to sex toys and 'emotional damage' from a sex toy (that's really hysterical) and what happens is, once people hear the words 'sex crimes against children' the blinders go on and they hear and see nothing else. Not even Jesus himself could cure them of such irrational blindness.

Sex toys are inanimate objects and are incapable of hurting anything of their own accord. They don't have any accord to speak of. They are made of plastic or rubber after all. This is not an issue that has anything to do with children. Or sex crimes. Or sex crimes against children. No rational person believes that it is. Unfortunately, the State House is not filled with rational people and, people tend to become completely irrational when any sex issue is being discussed. I expect Attorney General Troy King and others like Senator Hank Erwin or Rep. Gerald Allen will scoop you up and parade you about as their "poor victim who was assaulted by a dildo" poster child.

Boy Howdy this legislative session is shaping up to be a doosie! I can't wait til Feb. 5.

See you in the halls Watch Out. I must warn you, however, that if you show up at the State House you will be surrounded by fake dicks and, because of your emotional issues with such things, it could get really uncomfortable.

I like this picture

My friend Christie has been delayed in getting her pics of the New Orleans trip out. She's had one surgery since we got back and is going to have another one this week I think. Anyway, during our meeting the other night at her house she showed the pics she has to me. I selected a few out of the many that she took and sent them to myself. This is one of my favorite ones. In this one we were all on a break from the conference and so we did what most everyone does at 10 a.m. on Bourbon St. and that is proceed to drank a lil'. Michael is having one of the only two drinks he had in New Orleans...which was a free shot that came with the purchase of a frozen, fruit-flavored 'tub-o-liquor'.

I really miss Michael.

Go to church or the Devil will get you!

On I-65 N on private property between Montgomery, AL and Birmingham, AL sits this amazing sign. (click photo for larger view)



I have wanted a picture of it for years but never had a chance to get one. Today, however, I had my new camera with me and I snapped this shot at around 80 miles per hour without even looking at my aim. It's a damn good camera.

This is one of the strangest signs I have ever seen. It is fear-based....but honest somehow. Look at that Devil and his scythe. And isn't it just great how the fear is used to get people through the doors of a religion that worships a God that is supposed to be loving and forgiving? But...if I don't go hang out with a bunch of hypocrites on Sunday morning and listen to some dull-ass man ramble on for what truly seems like an eternity...then I get burned in a lake of fire forever and ever and ever and ever.

Hmmmm....sounds like mafia fire insurance if you ask me.

Despite my extreme misgivings of religion and my total disbelief in God, Jesus and the Devil I really like this sign. It makes me laugh...and my daughter says the Devil on the sign looks like the "Deviled Ham" guy. You know....she has a point.