UPDATE on Magic Jack = Magic Crap (previous post)

UPDATE ON STORY (08/04/09): This was picked up by ABC t.v. in Philadelphia. Here is the video that appeared on television:

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/consumer&id=6941479&status=ok

********************************

Please leave comments and share your stories, good or bad, and your experiences with this product and/or the company itself.

My Cat’s Google Search

July 7, 2009

When I got on the computer this evening to check email, I discovered a Google search, and it actually came up with 2 results — and an alternate (“Did you mean…”)!!!  Since FluffyBoy the Cat, the four kittens (who need homes), and three dogs were the only ones home today, it had to be one of them; my bet is on either FluffyBoy or Remy (daughter Lauren’s chihuahua).

Here’s what I saw when I went on the computer tonight:
*click on the image for full size view*

Cat (or dog) Google Search Results

Who knew my pets were so techie??

Mark Sanford Emails

June 25, 2009

The State, a South Carolina newspaper who first broke the story of the missing Governor’s true whereabouts, has posted the following emails between Governor Sanford and his mistress, Maria.  I had to give some thought about even reading them, let alone posting them, as these must certainly tear at the heart of his wife, Jenny Sanford, who was once a very successful investment banker and later became her husband’s campaign manager for both congress and his governorship, and stood solidly by his side as he gained in his political career — even as he was being considered as John McCain’s running-mate, even as he entered into this extramarital relationship.

I decided (as many did) that the story of import here is that this man, the most powerful person in the state of South Carolina, had the temerity to go missing, not even telling his staff where he went.  This is utterly irresponsible for any governor, regardless of politics and policies, and he has shown that he cannot be trusted to tell the truth even to his close staff.  I realize that politicians routinely lie and have to maintain a certain level of political privacy in order to play the politics game, but these are not the actions that any citizen should expect out of any leader.

The fact that he was having an affair, while despicable, is truly between him and his wife.  Men and women in politics quite often have flings, and while I am personally revulsed by this, it does not necessarily affect the effectiveness of a leader.  The actions by the person are what matters, and the fact that Governor Sanford lied to his staff and then disappeared from sight for a week so that he could get his rocks off shows that this man cannot be trusted in the future to tell the truth and to not disappear to fulfill and hide his own selfish needs.

His affair has become political fodder because his actions expose his nature, which is to hide his embarrassing decisions at the detriment of those he serves.

Here now are his emails.  It’s sad to see that he lost the struggle to do what is right, and that he tore up his own family for his own libido.  My heart goes out to Jenny Sanford and her sons, and I hope that she can work through this horribly difficult time.

Exclusive: Read e-mails between Sanford, woman

Sanford-Maria e-mails shed light on governor’s affair

posted by The State newspaper, from TheState.com

———————————————-

From: Mark Sanford

To: Maria

Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2008 03:09:44 +0000

Dearest,

You are glorious and I hope you really understand that. You do not need a therapist to help you figure your place in the world. You are special and unique and fabulous in a whole host of ways that are worth a much longer conversation. To be continued …

Have been having a few email problems as I am getting email through an aircard at the farm, where access to computer world is more than tough. Please let me know if you have gotten my last two eamils (sic) so I know it is working in getting to your part of the world …

Another glorious day outside. Hope you are doing well, and am anxious to hear about your week. Know that I miss you. Unbeleivably (sic) hard to imagine it has been a week. Please also send your mailing address as I want to send you an insignificant something next week when I am back in civilization that I think you might find interesting given our conversation.

Want to write an indepth note with some thoughts on our visit when I know you are getting these emails. Hugs and much love. M

———————————————-

From: Maria

Sent: Friday, July 04, 2008 4:26 PM

To: Mark Sanford

Subject: RE:

My beloved, (hope you also change the dearest …)

I’am (sic) reading your last two mails sitting outside with a great seaview here in Ilhabela, a beautiful island near Sao Paulo. Have been thinking of you while watching the beautiful blue sea (a) great part of my day and remembering with a great smile on my face, the time we had spent together. As I told you before, you brought happiness and love to my life and (I) will take you forever in my heart. I wasn’t aware till we met last week, the strong feelings I had for you, and believe me, I haven’t felt this since I was in my teen ages, when afterwards I got married. I do love you, I can feel it in my heart, and although I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to meet again this has been the best that has happened to me in a long time You made me realized (sic) how you feel when you realy (sic) love somebody and how much you want to be beside the beloved. Last Friday I would had stayed embrassing (sic) and kissing you forever.

Don’t know why you think you bore me with the description of your farm. I am an urban girl but that doesn’t inhibit me from loving other things, specially if they are the ones you love. I was able to imagine the place with every single detail you wrote and had trassmitted (sic) me the love you have for your farm. It sounds to be a great and peaceful place and loved you had shared it with me.

Thanks for your beautiful words, I don’t know if I do need or not therapy but I have to find my new place in this new stage of my life. Life has been very generous with me and I want to return at least a little bit of what I have been given. I have time and think helping others who haven’t been as lucky as me will do me fine.

My address is (deleted by The State). It will be great finding at home once I am back, whatever you send me, I’ll keep it near my bed so as to feel you nearer.

Miss you so much… love you from the deepest of my heart. Sweet kisses.

———————————————-

From:

To:

Subject: RE:

Date: Tue, 8 Jul 2008 01:42:46 -0400

Beloved back to you…

Got back an hour ago to civilization and am now in Columbia after what was for me a glorious break from reality down at the farm. No phones ringing and tangible evidence of a day’s labors. Though I have started every day by 6 this morning woke at 4:30, I guess since my body knew it was the last day, and I went out and ran the excavator with lights until the sun came up. To me, and I suspect no one else on earth, there is something wonderful about listening to country music playing in the cab, air conditioner running, the hum of a huge diesel engine in the background, the tranquility that comes with being in a virtual wilderness of trees and marsh, the day breaking and vibrant pink coming alive in the morning clouds — and getting to build something with each scoop of dirt. It is admittedly weird but one of my more favorite ways of escaping the norms, constant phone calls and formalities that go with the office — and it probably fits with my weakness in doing rather than being — though you opened up a new chapter last week wherein I was happy and content just being. Last point worth further discussion. Afternoon projects had me outside and by days (sic) end I pretty much looked like a homeless person … but in this case a very content one. Enough about my love of heavy equipment and woods at sunrise …

While I was getting exhausted with one project after another at Coosaw work week, you were basking (I’m certain gloriously) on the beach..

Sounds great, hope to hear more about what sounds a great spot.

Will now finally get some sleep and write you a longer note with a few more profound thoughts tomorrow or Wednesday. In the meantime I send my love and hope you know I am thinking of you.. M

P.S. I do not want to raise expectations, when I say I will send something insignificant I promise I will do as I say! It wont (sic) be worthy of bedside placement … was just going to find the movie the Holiday as we had spoken of it last Thursday. Its music was pleasant and made me think of you — its mood and the notion of a holiday (wrapped up in our case over two days) certainly fit as well … (though our visit in some ways for me was as well less of a holiday than it was uncovering and realization of some things and feelings that again are worth longer conversation)

Had also hoped to find the cd of a song that played as I was flying home and also20made (sic) me think of you. Who knows if I can find the music … so all you may be stuck with is a long released movie — and if you put it by your bed I really be worried! Love you, good night and kisses back to you …

———————————————-

From: Maria

Sent: Wednesday, July 09, 2008 8:14 PM

To: Mark Sanford

Subject: RE:

My love,

I decided to rent a car and went by myself to the other side of the Island where it is located one of the best hotels. It’s name is DPNY Hotel and I find it quite interesting. I had lunch there in a restaurant on the beach with great seaview. I sat under a palm and ate a mixed green salad with grilled abacaxi (pineapple) and honey. in the afternoon I sunbathe and read on the beach. I ve started here “The age of turbulence” from Alan Greenspan which I highly recomend (sic) you. At five I left back to the small town had a coffee with pao de queijo (cheese bread which is something tipycal (sic) from Brazl (sic) and it’s delicious) read some magazines, walked around and finally back to meu Pousada that is hotel.

In the Island is taking place the sailing week and Rolex competition and this was the reason for choosing the place and also why luckily I am most of the time by my own. It may sound bad but it’s how I feel it. As I told you I shouldn’t have done this trip but I would have felt worst if I wouldn’t have come because it was too over the date, he is a very nice guy, great heart … but unfortunately I am not in love with him … You are my love … something hard to believe even for myself as it’s also a kind of impossible love, not only because of distance but situation.

Sometimes you don’t choose things, they just happen … I can’t redirect my feelings and I am very happy with mine towards you. Hope you have had a good day, guess with much work.

Send you all my love and goodnight kisses. Sweet dreams from down south. I’ll dream with you.

———————————————-

From: Mark Sanford

To: Maria

Subject: RE:

Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:24:54 -0400

Sweetest,

It was indeed a long day. I am most jealous of your salad under the palm tree.

Three thoughts in one note now that I have a moment. One the travel schedule is about to get real busy (and this distresses me for the way it may well make it more difficult to get your notes over the next few weeks), two unfortunately all the feelings you describe are mutual, and three where do we go from here?

One, tomorrow leave at 5 am for New York and meetings. Will think about you on its streets and wish I was going to be there later in the month when you are there. Tomorrow night back to Philadelphia for the start of the National Governor’s Conference through the weekend. Back to Columbia for Tuesday and then on Wednesday, as I think I had told you, taking the family to China, Tibet, Nepal, India, Thailand and then back through Hong Kong on world wind tour. Few days home then to Bahamas for 5 days on a friends boat for the last break of the summer. The following weekend have been asked to spend it out in Aspen, Colorado with McCain — which has kicked up the whole VP talk all over again in the press back home.

Two, mutual feelings. I have been specializing in staying focused on decisions and actions of the head for a long time now — and you have my heart. You have oh so many attributes that pulls it in this direction. Do you really comprehend how beautiful your smile is? Have you been told lately how warm your eyes are and how they softly glow with the special nature of your soul. I remember Jenny, or someone close to me, once commenting that while my mom was pleasant and warm it was sad she had never accomplished anything of significance. I replied that they were wrong because she had the ultimate of all gifts — and that was the ability to love unconditionally. The rarest of all commodities in this world is love. It is that thing that we all yearn for at some level — to be simply loved unconditionally for nothing more than who we are — not what we can get, give or become. There are but 50 governors in my country and outside of the top spot, this is as high as you can go in the area I have invested the last 15 years of my life — my getting here came as no small measure because I had that foundation of love and support so critical to getting up in the morning and feeling you could give and risk because you already had a full tank of love in the emotional bank account. Since our first meeting there in a wind swept somewhat open air dance spot in Punta del Este, I felt that you had that same rare attribute. Above all else I love that inner beauty about you. That gift of yours is going to make a tremendous difference in (The State deleted sons’ names) life — and in anyone’s life who is blest to be touched by yours — you need to rest very comfortably in that fact. As I mentioned in our last visit, while I did not need love fifteen years ago — as the battle scars of life and aging and politics have worn on this has become a real need of mine. You have a particular grace and calm that I adore. You have a level of sophistication that is so fitting with your beauty. I could digress and say that you have the ability to give magnificently gentle kisses, or that I love your tan lines or that I love the curves of your hips, the erotic beauty of you holding yourself (or two magnificent parts of yourself) in the faded glow of night’s light — but hey, that would be going into the sexual details we spoke of at the steakhouse at dinner — and unlike you I would never do that!

Three and finally, while all the things above are all too true — at the same time we are in a hopelessly — or as you put it impossible — or how about combine and simply say hopelessly impossible situation of love. How in the world this lightening [sic] strike snuck up on us I am still not quite sure. As I have said to you before I certainly had a special feeling about you from the first time we met, but these feelings were contained and I genuinely enjoyed our special friendship and the comparing of all too many personal notes (and yes this is true even if you did occasionally tantalize me with sexual details over the years!) — but it was all safe. Where we are is not. I have thought about it and in some ways feel I let you down in letting these complications come into a friendship that I hope will last till death. In all my life I have lived by a code of honor and at a variety of levels know I have crossed lines I would have never imagined. I wish I could wish it away, but this soul-mate feel I alluded too is real and in that regard I sure don’t want to be the person complicating your life. I looked to where I often look for advice and counsel, and in I Corinthians 13 it simply says that, “ Love is patient and kind, love is not jealous or boastful, it is not arrogant or rude, Love does not insist on its own way, it is not irritable or resentful, it does not rejoice in the wrong, but rejoices in the right, Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things”. In this regard it is action that goes well beyond the emotion of today or tomorrow and in this light I want to look for ways to show love in helping you to live a better — not more complicated life. I want to help (one of Maria’s sons) with film guys that might help his career, etc. I also don’t want you walking20away (sic) from some guy (I take it the younger guy you mentioned a t dinner) because of me — and what we both have to see as an impossible situation. I better stop now least this really sound like the Thornbirds — wherein I was always upset with Richard Chamberlain for not dropping his ambitions and running into Maggie’s arms. The bottom line is two fold, my heart wants me to get on a plane tonight and to be in your loving arms — my head is saying how do we put the Genie back in the bottle because I sure don’t want to be encumbering you, or your options or your life. Put differently, given I love you, I don’t want to be part of the reason you are having less than an ideal week in what sounds like a cool spot.

Lastly I also suspect I feel a little vulnerable because this is ground I have never certainly never covered before — so if you have pearls of wisdom on how we figure all this out please let me know … In the meantime please sleep soundly knowing that despite the best efforts of my head my heart cries out for you, your voice, your body, the touch of your lips, the touch of your finger tips and an even deeper connection to your soul. I love you … sleep tight. M

PS. I will make it a point in NY tomorrow to drop by a store and get that movie I promised to send your way … I am encouraged to know you will not keep it beside the bed least we have tangible evidence of two pathetic figures missing each other far too much to live a few thousand miles apart!

———————————————-

From: Maria

To: Mark Sanford

Subject: RE:

Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:22:29 +0000

You have not brought complication or are not bringing complication to my life, on the contrary you’ve fullfiled (sic) me with happiness and made me aware how you can feel when you love somebody. I can think with my head but only feel with my heart so I can’t avoid it even knowing is hopelessly impossible. The guy is the one I told you ,just three years younger than me, but I am not in love and won’t fall in love with time so I have to continue my way … be alone for some time and if I am lucky enough will someday feel towards somebody, what I today feel for you. At least you made me realized it can happen.

I don’t know if I did understood (sic) well about what was unsafe or not safe. Before our mails use to have other contents … if you want to go back to that and don’t write love things and so on because is not safe for you it’s ok with me, i (sic) love you and by no way would do something that can harm you, so please let me know.

I don’t know how we figure all this out and I am not interested in knowing. I prefer to think we’ll see each other again somewhere sometime in this life and in next. Will be missing you till then… . .

Have a great trip with the ones you love … they are the kind of trips you will never forget and for your boys will be unworthable (sic) not only because of the places they will visit but for sharing all that time with you.

Send you millions of kisses that will last till we get in touch again. best wishes from the deepest of my heart.

P.S.: I don’t want to put the genius (sic) back in the bottle because I truly believe in freedom. I never gave you sexual details but now you don’t need to imagine you can close your eyes and just remember. I’ll do the same.

Magic Jack = Magic Crap (live chat log)

UPDATE ON STORY (08/04/09): This was picked up by ABC t.v. in Philadelphia. Here is the video that appeared on television:

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/consumer&id=6941479&status=ok

********************************

The following is a chat log from today (06/22/09) with Magic Jack online customer service after “unlimited free local & long distance” phone service was shut down for “excessive use” — so apparently it’s not really unlimited!

Please wait for a site operator to respond.

You are now chatting with ‘Reed’

Reed: Hello, how may I help you?

Ms. Lee: I can’t make phone calls, when I tried I was directed to call a Dallas, TX number where I was told I have to “buy” minutes cause I use my phone excessively. The man won’t let me talk to a supervisor and I’d like a real working number to speak with a real supervisor of Magic Jack

Reed: I am sorry but we only do chat support service.

Reed: May I know what happen after making a call, does it go through? Or goes to dial tone?

Ms. Lee: Then tell me who exactly determines that I use my phone 20% more than the “average” user and not that the so-called “average” user just doesn’t make many calls?

Ms. Lee: It was going through then it stopped and now is only dead, no incoming or outgoing

Ms. Lee: when my doctor tried to phone today his office got voice mail that I cannot access

Reed: Thank you for your patience. I will transfer you to a higher level of support. Please hold while I transfer you.

Please wait while I transfer the chat to the best suited site operator.

You are now chatting with ‘Anika’

Anika: Hi!, I’m Anika and I will be assisting you. Allow me to read your previous conversation with the previous agent before I proceed in assisting your concern.

Ms. Lee: Thank you Anika, I’ll wait

Anika: Thank you.

Ms. Lee: Hello?

Ms. Lee: After all the trouble with magic jack today and having to speak with that idiot in Dallas who thinks he’s sly by identifying himself as the sole supervisor of magic jack and going by the name of Mr. Smith, I did a lot of internet searching and found that the Atty Gen of Florida sued your company and you were forced to settle this past April for fraudulent practices. Should I just phone my Atty General’s office? You may have heard of him or perhaps his dad, my AG is Joe Biden III

Anika: I am reading your previous chat with other agent Ms.lee and I am check your connection here in our end.

Ms. Lee: I was told I can only use my magic jack if I “buy” minutes pre-paid

Ms. Lee: Mr. Smith told me this several times today

Anika: I see

Anika: May I have your magicjack number please?

Ms. Lee: 302-200-1102

Ms. Lee: I’ve owned this for 4 months and was told I had UNLIMITED local and long distance

Anika: Please wait while I check that for you

Ms. Lee: I was NEVER told I would have my phone shut off permanently as Mr. Smith said today if I didn’t BUY minutes

Anika: I am checking on it Ms.lee.

Ms. Lee: ok

Anika: I have checked your account here in our end Ms.lee and you really need to purchase and International minutes in order for your service to continue.

Ms. Lee: I don’t make international calls. Therefore, I don’t need them. I only need the ‘Free unlimited local and long distance minutes’ which I was told I was going to be getting when I bought this in February.

Anika: But you agree on the magicjack TOS for magicjack proper use.

Ms. Lee: And I use it properly. I only make local and long distance calls

Anika: Please click this.

Anika: And read about 6.Proper Use.

Anika: So that you will know what the reason is.

Ms. Lee: I have section 6 up on the background of our chat, my sister who I was trying to call this morning emailed it to me from the attorney office she works at in CA. Her boss said it should be section 8 not 6, since in military terms, section 8 is crazy.

Ms. Lee: You can’t just turn off a person’s phone after 4 months because you think they talk too much. You don’t know why the phone is used or how or by whom.

Anika: Did you click the link that I gave you?

Ms. Lee: My daughter and myself are the only people who use it. I am disabled and home 24 hours a day. I have a daughter, 2 sons, 2 granddaughters and a grandson in NM. I have a brother in Hawaii and one in Texas. My mom is here in DE but is 50 miles from me. I have another daughter who lives with her husband 20 miles from me.

Ms. Lee: I can’t drive. I use a cane. In the past 9 months I have had 6 grand maul seizures and 2 major surgeries. I have 6 different doctors. I must have access to my phone. You need to read your own advertisements. I saw them all weekend on TV and they said UNLIMITED, nothing about having to BUY minutes!

Anika: There is no other way Ms.Lee but you have to purchase and International minutes.

Anika: Please click on the link that i gave your Ms. Lee so that you will know.

Ms. Lee: No there is another way, my AG Joe Biden III who lives about 10 miles from me. Also there is MSNBC, CNN, FOX, LA Times, NY Times etc. There is always a way!

Anika: But this is Magicjack Ms.lee and not  MSNBC, CNN, FOX, LA Times, NY Times.

Ms. Lee: I know but your company brags about rave reviews from these news organizations, I think they should know the truths behind magic jack and I already gave you a partial list of the people I need to keep in contact with, believe me they’ll be getting plenty of emails, letters and phone calls about this.

Ms. Lee: Also the AG and the BBB, I will file suit

Ms. Lee: Fraud is a crime in the United States, Anika and that is what has been committed by magicjack upon me!

Anika: If magicJack sees excessive use, including but not limited to, a customer whose usage is twenty (20) times more than the average magicJack’s customers usage, or systematic or intentional misuse, it reserves the right, in our sole discretion, to terminate your use of the magicJack device and/or Software immediately, and you will not be entitled to get a refund of any licensing fee or any other fee you may have paid to us.

Ms. Lee: Yeah, I read that. I asked the previous operator here, Reed, who decides I use 20% more than everyone else? Maybe everyone else uses 20% less than me. So you have all these people underusing the phone service so my being disabled and having only the phone to communicate with my family and friends shouldn’t be a hardship for your company.

Ms. Lee: Also, that was one of the things that you were already sued by the Florida AG for, cutting off service to people who had bought your magicjack based on your fraudulent advertising and the AG in Florida won for all the people you defrauded there.

Anika: You agree on the TOS when your purchase the magicjack.

Ms. Lee: As was stated in the Florida suit, this section six, prior to the April 2009 settlement was not clearly stated, therefore those of us who purchased our magicjack prior to the winning of this suit would be compensated and your company would as of April 2009 be stating your section 6 rule more clearly.

Ms. Lee: I bought mine in February 2009 prior to your company making this addition

Ms. Lee: Okay, Anika, if tos is all you’ve got then I guess I’m spinning my wheels with you. I need to move into action.

Anika: You agree that you are responsible for your own communications and for any consequences that arise from them. You agree that you will use the magicJack device in compliance with all applicable local, state, national, and international laws, rules and regulations.

Ms. Lee: Yes and my local, state and national laws rules and regs do not tell me how often I may talk on the phone. Please stop bringing up international as I’ve already told you several times I do not call international.

Anika: Yes I know Ms. lee again there is no other way to solve and fix your issue. you need to purchase an International minutes so that your service will continue even if you did not call internationally.

Ms. Lee: No I don’t need to purchase any minutes. I bought magic jack and paid for a year’s worth of service and didn’t receive it, that is fraud and fraud is illegal.

Anika: Its up to you Ms.Lee..

Anika: this is not a fraud because it is already written on the TOS and you also know about it.

Ms. Lee: Prior to seeing all of your fraudulent advertisements I had Verizon phone service and made just as many phone calls with them every single month for one flat monthly fee as they advertised. They didn’t come back at me and say I talk too much so I have to pay more because that would be illegal

Anika: Magicjack is different from a regular phone Ms.Lee.

Ms. Lee: No, it was not stated clearly prior to April of 2009 and I bought mine in February of 2009 so that makes it fraud

Anika: It is stated on 2007

Anika: Until now.

Anika: The TOS still remain.

Ms. Lee: Then why did majic jack have to settle with Florida customers whom they had committed this same fraud upon in April of 2009?

Anika: because there are some customer that are not reading the TOS.

Ms. Lee: Oh well, watch the news, and look for more lawsuits as I get the word out to others who don’t realize what they’ve been defrauded into by magic jack.

Anika: They are just agreeing on it without reading.

Anika: Okay Ms.Lee I will be checking on it.

Ms. Lee: Companies do not settle suits because customers aren’t reading agreements, they settle suits because they practice fraud by putting the important information in fine print

Anika: Even the law knows that every company have different rules to follow.] —————- support disconnected

UPDATE:

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/consumer&id=6941479&status=ok

America – A Nation of Pussies??

June 11, 2009

Since when did America become the Land of the Free, Home of the Cowards?  At what point did we decide our system of Justice was completely substandard and not to be trusted?  And why is it that our so-called elected leaders are leading the retreat into cowardice?

I’m speaking of people such as Chicago state Senator Marlin Stutzman (R), Oklahoma state Senator Randy Brogdon (R), former Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius (D) , and Lawmakers of all political parties in Oklahoma, South Carolina, Colorado, Georgia, and California, who are all protesting the idea of bringing some of the 240 people currently being detained in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (Gitmo).

These “detainees” (not Prisoners) are people who may or may not have done anything to be imprisoned for.  As far as I know, the people being held there have not been charged with anything despite being held for years — which is why they are called detainees.  Such was the case for the recently released Mohammed El Gharani, who was held at Gitmo for more than 7 years, from the time he was a teenager in 2001, and freed just this week when it was evident that he had done nothing wrong, nothing more than attending his church when it was raided by Pakistani soldiers.

I’m sure that some of these detainees are certainly dangerous criminals who must be brought to justice, and ALL of them must be held to American standards of justice since it was the United States who are holding them because they were captured for specific reasons.  We already have over 350 terrorists in federal U.S. prisons now, and none of them have escaped.  According to data provided by Traci L. Billingsley, spokeswoman for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, federal facilities on American soil currently house 216 international terrorists and 139 domestic terrorists. Some of these miscreants have been locked up here since the early 1990s. None of them has escaped. At the most secure prisons, nobody has ever escaped, period.*

Tell me, politicians, what are you afraid of?  Why are you so worried about housing and trying these people?  Do you seriously think that they’ll get off on a “technicality,” or that they will be paroled and set free to wander around our country?  Do you really think that, in the unlikely event that a convicted terrorist does actually escape, there won’t be a mob of Salt-Of-The-Earth Americans tracking that person down before any damage can be done?  After what the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 did on 9/11, there is no way that true terrorists can feel comfortable carrying out an attack against our beloved country on our own soil … but you seem to think we’re all a bunch of pussies who can’t handle really bad guys.  Why are you being such fear-mongerers, as if we’re little kids whom you don’t trust to cross the street?

Seems to me we’ve done a pretty good job for the past 200 years or so.  Are you sure you want to start wimping out now?  If so, then you don’t represent me, or the country I love.  If you are really such a coward, then you should prepare to be fired come next election cycle.

Prop 8 in California Headed to U.S. Supreme Court

Why I hope the injunction against Prop 8 FAILS

Yes, you read it right. Yesterday the California supreme court upheld Prop 8, which prohibits same-sex marriage. This was expected, but still very disappointing. Since that happened, I’ve heard that 2 attorneys are going to take this issue to the federal supreme courts to try to get Prop 8 overturned, and they are going to ask for a temporary injunction against Prop 8 until the issue is resolved in the higher courts. After giving it some thought, this idea bothers me, and if it goes the way I think it might should it be granted, it would probably be a setback for gay marriage in California.

[ Support equal marriage? Support this organization!! http://couragecampaign.org/ ]

There is a slim chance that the federal courts would allow the injunction and an even slimmer chance that they would overturn Prop 8* … the attorneys are raising the 14th amendment, specifically section 1 (Wikipedia has an excellent treatise on this). Even though it’s apparent to me that gay marriage fits perfectly into the spirit of the 14th amendment, the structure of the supreme court as it is now may shy away from the legality of Prop 8. It would be great if they overturn it, but I think an injunction would make things worse.

I thought about this from my perspective, and what I would do if I couldn’t get married, and then a window of time appeared where I could get married. What would I do? I would more than likely seize that opportunity and get married while I could. If there is a temporary injunction against Prop 8, people will run out and get married out of FEAR that they won’t be able to do so in the future, and that’s no way to commit your life to someone. Say the injunction is allowed, and then months down the road the supreme court says they’re not overturning Prop 8. Either my marriage will be annulled, or it will be valid, pending some point in the future, just as those 18,000 or so couples who got married before Prop 8 passed. The difference is, though, that those 18,000 couples were not acting out of fear, but of love, like any of us heteros say we do. There was a possible time limit for them depending on the outcome, but there wasn’t the pressure that there would be if an injunction was allowed.

What happens when people get into a “shotgun marriage”? They don’t really do so well. I would rather the issue was settled, either by the supreme court or by a new ballot measure next year, or both. Putting in a window when people have to feel pressured to get married only endangers the strength of the family unit as people get married for the wrong reasons.

I do feel that California’s Prop 8 was an illegal ballot measure, one that should have gone through the legislature instead of the voters, and I really hope that people will recognize that this is a civil rights issue that is properly protected under the 14th amendment. I also think it’s funny that Iowa is now a more progressive state than California.

Time to write a new ballot measure in CA for 2010 — please support this cause, and banish the despicable act of legalized discrimination forever!
http://couragecampaign.org/ <<—— contribute to end Prop 8

* The reason there is such a slim chance that the U.S. supreme court would overturn Prop 8 is because of this:

Federal law
The legal issues surrounding same-sex marriage in the United States are complicated by the nation’s federal system of government. Traditionally, the federal government did not attempt to establish its own definition of marriage; any marriage recognized by a state was recognized by the federal government, even if that marriage was not recognized by one or more other states (as was the case with interracial marriage before 1967 due to anti-miscegenation laws). With the passage of the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, however, a marriage was explicitly defined as a union of one man and one woman for the purposes of federal law. (See 1 U.S.C. § 7.) Thus, no act or agency of the federal government currently recognizes same-sex marriage.
(source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_the_United_States)

Jesus Had Two Dads, Why Can't I?

Names are in – time to vote!

I got a lot of suggestions for chick names, mostly in person but also online.  I’ve assembled 10 names that I can live with to be voted on.  Please vote for your 4 favorites — the top 4 will be the names I’ll use.

Thanks to everyone who gave their suggestions — all of them were appreciated, even if I didn’t select them for the final vote!

Raining and Snowing with Hail – oh my!

22 March 2009

It’s a blustery day, as has been forecast all this week.  It’s windy with showers, and the snow level is expected to get down to 3,000 feet or so (I’m at about 2400 ft).  A few minutes ago I went outside and was surprised to see rain, snow, and hail all coming down at the same time!  This is something I’ve never seen or heard of before, although I’m sure it’s not the first time it’s ever happened.

So what do you call that?  Anyone know if there’s a term for this?  Any amateur (or professional) meteorologists or climatologists out there who want to enlighten me?

* NOTICE *

March 05, 2008
 by Heidi

I apologize for the lengthy silence in the past week or two. I was away in Arizona with my husband for an annual business meeting, and I did not have the equipment nor the opportunity to submit any articles.

Hopefully I will be able to sit down and write something substantial before the weekend, as I continually come up with new ideas to share. This is a busy week for me at home, and I am also dealing with some medical issues that I hope will be resolved soon — nothing serious, just painful!

Thank you as always for visiting our page and reading, as well as leaving your comments and involving yourself in our discussions. We should be getting back into the swing of things soon, and there have been a number of exciting political, social, and newsworthy developments in the past week to talk about here.

Obama vs. Clinton: Who has the bigger toolbox?

February 17, 2008
by Heidi

This column is only about Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and is written for those trying to decide between these two candidates. If you have read any of my previous articles, you know that I favor Clinton as our next President, but I also have no dislike for Obama and would not be upset or angry if he wins the role. In my opinion, Clinton is a better, more competent choice. Obama sounds great, but we can’t be sure as a country what kinds of decisions he will make and how many mistakes will slow down his hopes and dreams for a better America.

There are hundreds of metaphors that come to mind about these candidates. Keeping in mind that I favor Clinton (but still like Obama), I will be describing my own visualizations that have come to mind with regard to these candidates, and in doing so I’ve tried to narrow them down to just a few that are very pertinent to the future of our country. And of course, I fully believe that this is a very crucial election, and we cannot afford mistakes at this point that will cost lives and limbs in war and could cost Americans their homes and jobs.

A Tale of Two Surgeons

Imagine that a loved one, a family member, has a serious head injury and needs precision treatment. You interview two doctors. One is a neurosurgeon who has a somewhat standoffish bedside manner, but who knows exactly where to cut and where to go to get the job done, and who has a great team to help out — including a spouse who is also a skilled doctor. The other doctor is fresh out of med school and so far has not made any mistakes, who has all the latest knowledge and information from books and observations, but who has not yet performed surgery of this magnitude. This second doctor is excited and inspiring, and will even throw in some plastic surgery free of charge.

Which of these two doctors would you choose, for your son or daughter, for your husband or wife, for your parents? One is experienced with many competent resources, and the other is optimistic and hopeful but without the experience of having had patients die in the past and learning from previous mistakes along the way.

An Example of Practicality

Last year the Democratic candidates were invited to a debate by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, a group dedicated to rights and equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. One of the topics discussed was the Clinton Administration’s military policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” When asked about the impact of this policy on the gay community, Hillary Clinton responded that this was the correct policy for that moment in history, and it is now time to be updated so that gays can serve openly. But she could see at that time in the 90s, when her husband Bill was President, that a bridge was needed between the negative social stigma against gays and the goal of equality for and acceptance of gays in America and the U.S. military. Without that “don’t ask, don’t tell” bridge, it was likely that our GLBT community would have fallen into the chasm that would have been a major setback for equality. (Please watch Hillary’s video on the link I provided above, as this also goes beyond the GLBT community and reaches into issues affecting a majority of Americans.)

With both candidates it’s about change, but more importantly it’s about change done the right way, with knowing which tools to use and when to use them being the key to make that change actually happen safely and with the biggest advancements toward the actual goals.

Let me ask you, what would Obama have done in the 90s with the goal of wanting gays to serve openly in the military, assuming that were his goal? Would he have charged ahead full-steam with that goal in mind, not concerned with the means to achieve that goal? Would he have made his policy go from no gays in the military straight to serving openly, without thinking of the ramifications of the public not accepting this yet? Assuming this is a common goal of the candidates (I don’t personally know if this is the case), which of them has made the mistakes necessary to reach success more quickly, without repeating the same mistakes?

Ask any successful businessperson or inventor, and they will tell you that the road to success is paved with bricks of failures. The more failures you have, the closer you are to achieving the best success. Success without mistakes along the way means you have learned less and your achievements won’t be as strong or lasting. While it can be argued that Hillary Clinton has never held any real political leadership title other than Senator, she has walked that road with a governor and with a president, and has as such shared both the successes and the mistakes in a very personal way, which is a thousand times more than Obama has done. Where are his mistakes? Where are his failures? How will he react when he hits a major bump in the road as president, or if America is attacked again? How will he react when his right-wing opponents viciously attack him, and his family, and his upbringing, and his religion, and everything else that is undoubtedly coming his way through the elections process? I think we already know how Clinton will handle these things, since she has been through all of them already.

These are the questions I am asking, and that I hope others are asking as well. I’d personally like to see Obama run a few more laps and see him fall down and get up and see how he refines his running techniques. No one can be “right the first time” every time.

The Bridge to Somewhere

In my opinion, GWBush has dug our country into an enormous hole, both financially and domestically and with our global reputation. The gap between the past and the future is wider than ever; if we keep going in the same direction that Bush has taken us, we will regress into a country that resembles 14th century Europe — a century, appropriately, marked by the Hundred-Years War, famine, religious dictatorship, and devastating climate change. It is exciting and inspiring to hear Barack Obama talk about our country’s future, where we should go and where we need to be. But he doesn’t talk about how to get there; just that we should get there. It’s great talk, but lacks the necessary substance and planning.

Clinton, on the other hand, has not only laid out the plans, but also has a huge chest of tools and knowhow to bridge that enormous gap. She has built many bridges, and has seen some of them topple for various reasons, and has learned how to make her bridge-building skills much better and stronger. She also knows many, many experts in the field — she has them on speed-dial, knows their names, and knows their professions so she won’t have to make 50 calls to get to the right person when she needs assistance.

Barack Obama has a little bridge building experience, but we don’t know how he’s supposed to undertake such a humongous structure with such a small toolbox and only a few numbers in his rolodex. He could probably get it done at some point, after a few false starts and taking the time to meet the right people and to learn about the tools he will need. And even then, after his bridge is built, he will lead us optimistically over it, but how can we be sure it is structurally sound? How long will it take him to build it, and with untested materials, and how many lives will be lost in the process of trial and error? I have no doubt whatsoever that Obama wants to help this country see better, more glorious days (as does Senator Clinton), and that his heart is in the right place, but where is his head?

The Choice is Ours

I’ve heard it said about voters in the two major parties: “Democrats want to fall in love, and Republicans want to fall in line.” This means that Democrats vote with their hearts for someone inspirational, and Republicans vote for a leader who tells them what to do and how to do it. To me, it seems that Democrats like to work from the bottom up, whereas Republicans prefer to do things from the top down (see Reagan’s Trickle-Down Economics). Both ways work in specific circumstances in different applications, but it seems to me that bridges are best built from the bottom up. In order to get that bridge built, it is critical that there is a competent leader to direct the construction of the bridge. If you go with Obama’s current leadership model, you need to hope that you can leap across the chasm or that you will grow wings before you hit the bottom. If you go with Clinton’s advice, you won’t have as much fun leaping over the edge, but you can be pretty sure that your children and loved ones won’t splatter the bottom of the canyon.

To me, Obama is a definite maybe, but Clinton is a definite absolute. Obama is exciting and could possibly do a good job (I’ve heard that he could go either way — either as beloved and popular as JFK or as disappointing and unpopular as Jimmy Carter). But Clinton has already been through the trenches and she already knows what to do and how to get it done.

Final Statement

My message to Democrats and to my fellow Independents is to vote with your brain. When you choose a husband or wife, there is a lot of heart involved, but the lasting benefits of the marriage are only achieved if you also use your head. The decision we make now is a commitment that we really need to think about, because it is a lifelong commitment with lasting consequences that will affect not only us, but generations to come, just like our last 2 elections have.

Just think about it. Please.