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May 31, 2006

The more things change...

Back to work today. I was only off two days, Friday and Tuesday with the office being closed on Monday. You would think I was off for six weeks with all the crap I had to deal with upon arriving today. I was not even in the building two minutes and had a stack of issues on my desk and three people needing my attention. It's nice to be needed but geeze let me at least get the door to my office open. I am trying ot coach people in my office to not give up and pass the buck when an issue arises they cannot solve but rather to seek out the solution. Sometimes it's like banging my head against the wall as some feel an entitlment not to have to put too much effort in as long as someone else is around who can solve their problem. The new person so far has stuck to a schedule where she comes in an hour late and leaves a half hour early. So that should be interesting as time goes on. I hope to transfer in the near future so I am not going to get too involved in that situation. Crazy is still her usual self but starting to tick off a very good employee. I am trying to act as a buffer between them and take more responsibility for supervising him because he really contributes to the success of our office. This is something Crazy cannot see since it happens outside of her net surfing viewing area.

Another employee at one of our offices quit today. She was a great person to work with and an asset to her branch and the company. I am afraid she may be only the first if the current compensation issue is not resolved by upper management. The problem is that the quarterly incentive program for managers was restructured and not to the favor of managers with its unrealistic goals. So for the first quarter payment, which was recently paid out, the amounts were much less than people expected including my own. So for a lot of the employees here who were lured away from other companies with the nice incentive package it has been kind of a rude awakening. So with a mini rebellion starting to ignite (this company has several thousand managers), changes need to be implemented before a lot of talent is lost.

I'm pretty loyal to my company, but it amazes me how little comprehension corporate higher-ups can have of employee morale and understanding of the real world we do business in to make the huge profits our company and its shareholders realize.

May 30, 2006

Can he robot dance?

Countdown with Keith Olberman on MSNBC is one of my regular shows. Love his Oddball segments and his "nightly worst person in the world" feature. But tonight he is off and has a guest host who is like robot. No facial expression, no personality and talks in monotone. How did someone like this get on the air. Did the producer bring in his cab driver? His pharmacist? Was everyone with a personality at MSNBC off today? I hate it when my news shows are messed with. Still better than Fox.

Day by day

Back to work tomorrow. I guess I have to go back since I need a paycheck. I have been both active and lazy the last few days, not worrying about the clock or planning too much ahead and feeling the need to figure out what to do. The weather has been great so I have been outside a lot either working out or just hanging out and walking around. I put up new curtains and blinds in my apartment and if I do say so myself, they look pretty good. After a few good games of racquetball with Paul today, I gave the place a good cleaning. I'm a pretty neat person and my place never gets too dirty, just in a state of disarray now and then but when it gets a good cleaning I always vow to not let it get untidy again so I can love the way it looks all the time. But of course since I say that every time, clearly I don't stick to it. Plus I need some magical piece of cleaning aparatus for hardwood floors. I also did a lot of relaxing. My sleeping habits have been good since I got my new bed. I'm surprised what a difference it made. If only someone had suggested I get a new bed sooner.

Quote

Quote sent to me during an online discussion today

Faith that can't stand to be questioned isn't faith at all....

May 29, 2006

Holiday

Today was Memorial Day. My first in Pittsburgh. And Memorial Day is a day for cooking out especially when the sun is out. Myself, Paul, and Alison had our cookout complete with chicken cooked on the grill and all kinds of munchies. Dessert was ice cream with strawberries. It was a great day to relax and enjoy the holiday.

Later after eating we went and saw the latest X-Men movie. I liked it. And since I have not seen the first two, I will have to now rent them. I don't really know why I did not see the others, it was not intentional, just never saw them. The action was good as the mutant community starts its own civil war over a "cure" for mutantism (is that a word?) is developed by a drug company CEO who has a mutant son of his own and who winds up refusing to take the "treatment". The re-born Dark Phoenix and the amazing superior powers she holds over all the other mutants is another lightening rod for the struggles between those who are a part of the mutant race.

Besides seeing an interesting storyline with attention getting action, I also saw the metaphor for the gay community. Instead of tolerance, those with outdated views or agendas see a "fix" or cure for what does not fit into their views of what society should be. The so-called "cure" for what is genetic in nature and the people who cannot realize the mutants need acceptance and not a cure is a timely and thought provoking aspect.

Good story and good special effects. And now I want to see the first two installments

May 28, 2006

Business as usual in D.C.

It doesn't matter if a politician is Republican or Democrat, there are ethically challenged individuals on both sides of the aisle. The latest brouhaha, of which there may be a new scandle before I finish typing this so I'll be quick, involves Rep. William Jefferson,a Democrat whose home and congressional office was searched by the FBI. One alledged crime is taking bribes. Evidence was seized during these searches that is making leaders from both parties crying foul at the process of law that every other citizen would go through under the same circumstances. And once again our "leaders" give the impression that they are above the laws that apply to you and me.

I'm sure pigs are finally flying all over Washington since the Justice Department and FBI are treating members of congress like actual real US citizens who commit real crimes.

So anyway the leaders from both parties are making themselves look more foolish each day as they decry the searches and investigation. However, someone needs to read the constitution to them. It does not, as they claim, offer complete protection against arrest while congress is sitting in session. There are some variables to that, but not when a felony is involved and certainly not just to answer questions from law enforcement. Heck even a sitting President can be supeoned to answer questions.

BTW, on the bribery charges that Rep. Jefferson is denying the FBI has confessions from the businessman who gave the bribe and a member of his own staff as well as the actual bribe caught on tape. The bribe, 90K in cash was found in his home kitchen freezer ! Probable cause?? Yeah I think so.

Could it be that his collegues are complaining not for solidarity reasons, but rather beacuse their own transgressions may come to light during this investigation and ones that it may spawn?

May 26, 2006

Warning

DO NOT go see Scary Movie 4. Worst piece of cinematic crap ever. I don't know why I thought it may be funny. I'm easily amused (no really!) and I can appreciate silly or spoof movies, (Airplane, Naked Gun, Austin Powers, Spaceballs etc) but watching vomit slide down the screen would be more enjoyable than this movie.

Wasting gas

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So me Paul and Alison are heading out to dinner last night. We get on the freeway and Alison says she thinks she may have left her car running at home in the closed garage since she couldn't find her keys before we left. Now Paul and I tell her she would never do that and not to worry. We are totally trying to reassure her she could never do that. But to save her from worrying about it all through dinner, I exited the freeway and backtracked 500 miles to their house. Ok it was only a few miles but it's my story and I get creative license. Anyway, we get back and sure enough her car is running. I think it would have run out of gas soon since her gas light was on at least before anything bad happened because it had been running for awhile and nothing was noticable in the house or basement where the garage is located. They have a very quiet car since we did not notice it running from inside the house or when we left to get in my car. Since everything turned out ok, I can be amused by it and may bring it up from time to time.

BTW, we had a nice dinner and a homemade cake (yellow with chocolate frosting) with BANANA ice cream !!! I think it was so enjoyed by all that it will now be a staple in the house of Alison and Paul. Thanks to everyone who sent me cards and goodies. Since I didn't check my email last night, I awoke to some funny e-cards today to start my day off!

May 25, 2006

Go me, go me, It's my birthday.....

So far I have been taken out to breakfast and lunch, gotten a cake and present at work, and am about to head out with Alison and Paul for dinner and treats. I also got serenaded via phone by Grace and b-day greetings from Lil and company at my old office in Michigan. Birthdays are fun. And I don't have to go to work tomorrow!

May 24, 2006

FYI

I'm going through a Swing/Big Band/Jazz phase in my music listening enjoyment. I have been on iTunes all evening.

I learned something today

During meetings, conference room doors should remain open so as to allow the escape of the ever hovering fog cloud created by fellow employees gaseous emissions. It would make it a bit easier to concentrate.

Back in the News

While no laws can stop a demented heartless group like the Phelps clan, it's good to see they are being enacted and enforced.

Arrests At Phelps Clan Funeral Demo
by The Associated Press

(Seaford Delaware) Five people face criminal charges after a weekend confrontation with members of a Kansas group that believes U.S. military casualties are God's retribution for America's support of homosexuality, authorities said Monday.
Members of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., gathered in Seaford on Sunday for a protest in conjunction with the funeral of Marine Cpl. Cory Palmer, who died earlier this month from injuries suffered in Iraq.
The Kansas group, carrying signs reading "God Hates Fags," "Fags Doom Nations" and "Vengeance is Mine, Sayeth the Lord," was met by a crowd of about 1,000 angry counter-demonstrators shouting "USA! USA!" as well as various taunts and obscenities.
Passing motorists honked their horns and hundreds of motorcycle riders revved their engines in an attempt to drown out the church members" shouts. Some counter-demonstrators hurled eggs, stones and water bottles.....

hate free.bmp


This next story amazes me. I guess our military isn't stretched too thin. This is so absurd because there are no constitutional grounds for this to stand. Men and women wanting to serve their country, you know like citizens and human beings, are denied. What an outrageous assault on people wanting to serve and are much needed in our militray. Congress needs to get a backbone and for once just do what's right and repeal this ridiculous law.

(Washington) The armed forces discharged an average of two people a day in 2005 for being openly gay a group advocating for LGBTs in the military said on Wednesday.
Citing newly released data for 2005 the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network said the rate of discharge has remained relatively consistent each year since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. But, it added that the numbers represent a 40% decrease compared with years prior to the attacks.
A total of 742 military personnel were discharged under the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" ban on openly gay service members, up from 668 discharges among the services in 2004.
"The time has come for the Pentagon to call on Congress to repeal "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,"" said SLDN executive director C. Dixon Osburn.
"The law deprives our nation of thousands of skilled men and women who could be instrumental in fighting the war on terror. Our national security suffers because of 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell." ......

May 23, 2006

Already looking to the weekend

The weather is going to be pretty nice in the coming days. I think I need to go exploring and take some pictures.

Work has been less annoying this week

Crazy has been on vacation this week. That means I have had to deal with her issues. The new boss has already started lining up tasks for her and creating tracking sheets to hold her accountable. Hee hee, this is gonna be good. I am going to bring popcorn to work next week so I can sit back and watch the drama.

Purchases

Two needed items have been crossed off my "need to purchase" list. Now just twenty more and my list will be empty. I bought a new bed which will be delivered on Friday and a new air conditioner. I am really excited about the new bed. Even though I think my current situation is fine, an assertion others who think I'm nuts (I won't name names but you know who you are ! ) seem to disagree with, I am looking forward to a comfy bed. What a pain switching out the A/C was. Putting in the new unit was fine, but lifting out the big hulking energy burning 20 year old unit that came with the apartment and carting it away was quite a challenge. The new unit has a remote control so I don't have to walk all that way across the living room over to the window, thus maximizing my sitting on my ass time. I wondered if I bought a large enough A/C, but since I was about blown over when I turned it on and can feel the air stream across my apartment on the opposite wall 26 feet away, I think it will be fine.

May 21, 2006

Happenings

Lots happening this weekend. Celebrations ensued as Friday it was Paul and Alison's anniversary and Saturday was Paul's birthday. Laurie (Paul's mom) was in town and together we had some nice meals, saw The Davinci Code (still don't see what all the controversy is about) and visited Point State Park at the edge of downtown.

Laurie also gave me an early birthday present, one of her hand sewn quilts. It's very nice. It's good timing too since I get my new bed (finally) this week.

View image

Tonight group outing at Walnut Street Grill for dinner before going to Bingo. Yes I said Bingo. It is a fundraising bingo event for Handmade Arcade. So I will honing my competative bingo skills for a good cause. Should be interesting.

May 18, 2006

Series Finale

Funny up to the end. Jack and Karen = best comedy team ever.

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DaVinci worries pope

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"The man on the left, the one wearing a fabulous vintage chiffon-lined Dior gold lame gown over a silk Vera Wang empire waist tulle cocktail dress, accessorized with a 3-foot beaded peaked House of Whoville hat, and the ruby slippers Judy Garland wore in the Wizard of Oz, is worried that The DaVinci Code might make the Roman Catholic Church look foolish."

Thanks to original poster who passed along !

Big words

In a meeting today when I was giving a synopsis of an upcoming promotion and did a little Q&A session, I used the word "Ergo." Then I spent the rest of the meeting wondering if I used it correctly until I was able to look it up afterwards. I did.

I think God also said "keep your mouth shut"

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (May 18) - In another in a series of notable pronouncements, religious broadcaster Pat Robertson says God told him storms and possibly a tsunami will hit America's coastline this year.
Robertson has made the predictions at least four times in the past two weeks on his news-and-talk television show "The 700 Club" on the Christian Broadcasting Network, which he founded.
Robertson said the revelations about this year's weather came to him during his annual personal prayer retreat in January.
"If I heard the Lord right about 2006, the coasts of America will be lashed by storms," Robertson said.

HMMMM, so there may be some storms this year. WOW, what magical insight this man has.

At least he isn't praying for them to happen.
Aren't most people who hear voices medicated?

I wonder if God charges like .99 a minute or would he be toll free?

May 17, 2006

Hello there

Thanks to Lil, I now have a new favorite snack to add to my list of munchies: Peanut butter dipped pretzel rods. YUM.
Life has been pretty busy lately, not much blog time but inspiration will come soon.

Peace out

May 15, 2006

Seven Things

List making the rounds and sent to me...

7 Things to do before I die:
Skydiving (Paige, when?? Wasn't it by the time we were 30 ??)
Road trip and photograph Route 66
Be a freelance contributor to one of my favorite magazines. I got opinions and issues.
Go on a cruise
Be content
Find true love
Learn all the names of the bridges in Pittsburgh

7 things I cannot do:
Be around snakes
Stop worrying
Dance without feeling really clumsy, no matter how hard I try to get jiggy
Figure out my destiny, what can I do to make the world better?
Run a 6 minute mile (or a 7 or an 8)
Roll my tongue
Have enough patience for all the things that piss me off

7 things I say most often:
Crap
Doh
I cannot reverse fees unless its bank error
Hey what's up?
Just leave it on my desk, I'll take care of it
"Sigh"
WTF

7 movies I would watch over and over:
Casablanca
Brokeback Mountain
Team America
Austin Powers
A Few Good Men
Office Space
Matrix

7 songs that have special meaning to me:
Holes in the Floor of Heaven
Good Day to Run
Luck be a Lady
Yesterday
Light my Fire
Lazy Mary
Once Bitten Twice Shy

May 14, 2006

Al Gore SNL intro

CURRENTLY NOT WORKING. NBC is having issues with copyrights, BOOO. We'll see if it comes back up. Anyway, it was a funny speech by Al Gore after being elected Pres in 2000. He talked of huge budget surplus and how we are loved around the world by all countries. He also promoted gving a charity handout to the oil companies who were hurting by gas costing .19 / gallon. "after all, they would help us in hard times right?" he said.

More weekend

After a good nights sleep, Sunday was a day to celebrate Mother's Day. We all went to Walnut Street Grill for brunch. A nice meal and nice time was had by all. Unfortunetly, the time always come when the Michiganders have to hit the road and goodbyes have to be said. That is always a bummer, but no time dwell on it because there was work to be done. Specifically helping Paul hang some stained glass that was acquired at the auction yesterday. Thanks to my gopher abilities a successful installation was done and it looks great.
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Weekend

Grace and Jerry came into town Friday night. It is so nice to have them in town for a visit. Saturday we attended an auction at Alison's gallery. I tried to bid on a couple items, but the price wars soon got out of my reach but Grace, Jerry, Alison, and Paul were able to acquire some nice pieces. Later was some shopping and then drinks and a nice dinner at the Waterfront. After dinner it was time for cake and early birthday presents !! WooHoo, I love presents. It was a very enjoybale day and now I am very full and fighting to stay awake so I'm off to bed in the hopes of falling into a deep sleep for nine or ten hours.

May 10, 2006

Sexy innocent pie

You Are Cherry Pie
You're the perfect combo of innocent and sexy
Those who like you enjoy a contradiction

Something good from Washington

Congress Moves To Limit Phelps Clan
by The Associated Press

May 10, 2006 - 1:00 pm ET

(Washington) The House of Representatives has voted to restrict demonstrations at military funerals, a measure aimed at a Kansas church group that has carried its anti-gay message to the last rites for those killed in Iraq.

"We will not allow the repugnant acts of a few to define who we are as Americans," said Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Steve Buyer, R-Ind., before the 408-3 vote on the "Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act." Buyer spoke at a news conference joined by motorcyclists who attend military funerals to shield families from the anti-gay protesters.

Protesters, led by the Rev. Fred Phelps of Topeka, Kan., claim that U.S. military deaths in Iraq are a sign of divine punishment for America's tolerance of gays.
Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., chief sponsor of the bill, said he took up the issue after attending a military funeral in his home state where mourners where greeted by "chants and taunting and some of the most vile things I have ever heard." ..........

http://www.patriotguard.org/

www.anysoldier.com
http://www.americasupportsyou.com

Gross

Went for a long walk after dinner tonight through the hills and neighborhoods of Squirrel HIll. I went all over and on my way back I got a bug in my eye. I could not get it out. It hurt a little and I could totally feel it in there. I was stopping and using parked car mirrors trying to get it out. Mind you, I was about a mile and a half away and in jeans and non-athletic shoes so running back up hill most of the way was not an option. So I hurriedly walk back wondering if it is alive and trying to get to my brain in order to lay its eggs. Upon arrival, I head striaght for the bathroom mirror and perform some self surgery with a Q-tip, digging and poking all around my eyeball. After lots of squishy swabbing I finally found the little sucker and performed a disgusting yet relieving extraction of it and some eye boogers to boot.

May 09, 2006

Mucho randomness

Had meeting downtown today. Ended way early. A few of us were thirsty. Cocktails always taste better during work hours.

Some hoochie mama on the bus today was having a cell phone conversation about orgasms that was loud enough for all thirty or so people to hear every detail. I hate it when I forget my iPod.

There is a spontaneous roadtrip in my near future. The open road calls. I know it's not totally spontaneous if I'm thinking about it but the when and where is totally up in the air. Maybe drive until something looks interesting?

Wal-Mart has officially become more evil than the devil by wanting to trademark the Smiley Face. Yes that yellow icon is in their corporate sights.

Things you can bribe me with:
Crown Royal - Special Reserve
Banana bread, banana ice cream, banana jelly bellies, banana pie.
Chicken enchiladas and peanut clusters
Shiny things
Guilt
Actually, just about anything. I'm easy

May 07, 2006

Got Milk?

MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Nearly 4,000 mothers set a world record this week for the largest number of women simultaneously breast-feeding their babies in the same place, organizers said ......

That's a whole lot of nipples peaking out there. I guess it's one way to get your city in the world record book. I wonder who thought of the idea?

May 06, 2006

United 93

Just got back from seeing United 93. Very intense movie. The movie was made to happen in real time of the events that terrible day. It had been put together from flight recorders, transcripts from air traffic controllers and military people, and interviews with the people the plane passengers called in the flight's final minutes. It brings all the stories heard and reported about flight 93 together into a powerful true drama. It was very much a mixture of being on the edge of your seat to being a bit sad and finally when you could take it all in, anger. For me the movie highlighted how much red tape and inability to communicate between the FAA, the federal government, and the military occurred.

The point in the movie where the passengers become aware of what exactly is happening and figure out what there fate will be if they do not do something, is the most dramatic period of the film. A point this movie also made for me, was that these passengers did everything that the other players (FAA, military etc) did not do in time, and that is communicate, keep their wits about them, and take action. While their heroic acts did not save their own lives, their actions in the face impossible odds kept the plane from hitting its intended target in Washington. So even though the events of 9-11 are well documented, this movie takes you through the specific events surrounding this flight and gives additional insight into not only the heroic passengers, but also the challenging job controllers have and how they remain professional in the face of unimaginable events as they unfolded on the morning of 9-11.

Intense and well done.

May 05, 2006

Newsworthy day

There has been a lot of news coverage and opinions by pundits and bloggers recently regarding Zacarias Moussaoui, the wanna-be martyr and wana-be participant of 9-11. Found guilty, he is destined to rot in a super-maximum security prison until he dies. Many are of the opinion that he should have been put to death. The jury diasagreed and instead sentenced him to die in prison. While I wouldn't shed a tear over him being given the death penalty, I think it was a good decision for the jury to make primarily for two reasons.
One, robbing him of the martyrdom that he so desired and letting him sit day after day and year after year comtemplating his failure is better than handing him his spiritual victory.
And two, this shows America is better than those who continue to follow in his footsteps by not killing for the sake of killing. Values, law, and tolerance mean something and can be an example shown to the rest of the world.

Solitary confinement without any contact with the outside world has a way of making you be forgotten and therefore insignificant. Let's hope that is now his fate.

Also:
The New York Times had an ediotorial today about the use of "presidential signing statements" used by Bush on laws that come across his desk that he must put his signature on. However in his case I'm sure it is just a big "X." These are used instead of a veto and literally allow the president to assert his authority to not follow the law. WTF??? This was used on the recent legislation about torturing war prisoners and he basically said his administration was above the law.
Checking historical facts leads one to discover that he is the only president since Thomas Jefferson to not reject by veto a single act of congress.
It amazes me that his administration thinks it is above the law and that the cornerstones of our constitutional government, checks and balances, does not apply to them. This should scare people.

Is it just me or...

Is there something disturbing about the toilet paper commercial with the bears in the woods? It's not as bad as the "mom do you ever have not so fresh days..." but still weird.

May 03, 2006

Today

Among other things such as borish and ignorant people in the world of Brent today, I was able to get a crapload of work done. And believe me, a crapload is a lot. My to-do list is much shorter now. it's a good feeling I have to enjoy while it lasts.

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My commute home took an hour and twenty minutes instead of the normal 25 thanks to an accident just before the Sq Hill tunnel. But I was still able to get a run in. It felt good, the sun just starting to go down and a little breeze was blowing off the water. It made feeling like I was losing a lung just a little more bearable.

My bonus/incentive money, much to my and my fellow employee's dismay is not coming in this weeks pay but rather in the next, which is a whole two weeks away. Bummer

Ramblings, rants, and quotes

Preaching? Start with the person in the mirror. Readings and discussions and listening to idiots got me going today...Sorry for the mishmash of info.


Electing Gay Bishop Like 'Terrorist Bomb'
by Kim Cuitis, Associated Press

May 3, 2006 - 7:00 pm ET

(San Francisco, California) What's left of unity in the Episcopal Church is at stake heading into a weekend election for bishop of California that sets up a major clash over gays' role in the church.

Three of the seven candidates are openly gay, and choosing one of them to head the Diocese of California would further alienate Episcopal conservatives already feeling betrayed that the church approved a gay bishop three years ago. It could also fracture the strained relationship between America's 2.3 million Episcopalians and their parent body, the worldwide Anglican Communion.

A vote against a gay bishop would likely preserve the fragile truce.

The Rev. Paul Zahl, dean of the conservative Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pa., likened the election of a gay bishop in California to "a terrorist bomb, which is timed to destroy a peace process."

Anglicanism, which includes the U.S. Episcopal Church among its 77 million followers in 164 countries, has been torn over the issue of gay clergy for years.......
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The following link is a good eye opening site. It was done in response to Jerry Fallwell, but the issues and points made are wide ranging. A couple of the quotes and info below are taken from it. Take a look.
http://www.fallwell.com/

What would Jesus do?
During his earthly ministry...

Jesus never called a gay person a sinner.
Jesus never called a gay person immoral.
Jesus never asked a gay person to change.
Jesus never condemned a single gay person.
Jesus never judged a single gay person.
Jesus never quoted scripture against a single gay person.

"I distrust those people who know so
well what God wants them to do because
I notice it always coincides with
their own desires."
..........Susan B. Anthony

"You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do."
.........Anne Lamott, author
---------------------------------------------------------
And don't even get me started on those who misquote or selectivly quote the bible.

And the "love the sinner, hate the sin" bullshit...A big cop out.

"sigh"

May 01, 2006

A good read, buy it now

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I fought the law and the law won...

The coke addled shit for brains ass that dared rip off my branch is now sweating it out in jail. I did some digging last week and discovered that he was on probation for similar offenses. A little more digging found the name and number of his parole officer who I had a nice conversation with before putting him in touch with our fraud department. He called back today to tell me he had been arrested for this and other recent offenses in the area and has used up his second chances as far as the courts will be concerned.

Bravo Karma, take a bow:
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