It's Halloween. A time when the curtains that separate life and death are thrown open, allowing movement between the worlds. It is an easy transition, and one that Johnny took this morning at 10:30am, GMT. He was 80.

Johnny was a charming old fellow, always quick with a joke, smoking his pipe by the gas fireplace. He wasn't very mobile, and he was often tired, but he never turned a visitor away, instead entertaining them while Mary made the tea.

He was a decorated WWII soldier who kept his medals framed with a pride of accomplishment - not a pride in the regime that awarded him.

At 15, Johnny came home from his part-time job in a mill in southern Poland, to find his sisters hysterical, and his parents missing. Within three days the news came: His parents were being held in a military camp called Aushwitz, and they would be released as soon as Johnny and his older brother "volunteered" for the army. Needless to say they were in uniform in very short order. True to their word, the Germans released Johnny's parents, but it was too late to save his mother. She had contracted TB at Aushwitz, and would die within two months.

Johnny hated his situation, but made the best of it. He was the type of person who always strove to be the best, no matter what he was doing. He was a decorated member of the 7th German Airborne Division when his unit was captured by the Allies, and he was turned over to the Polish Armed Forces. He was moved to a base in Scotland, where he met Mary. They have been married since 1947. Mary was by his side this morning.

Johnny leaves behind Mary, his three daughters and two sons, and his 13 grandchildren - my husband among them. He also leaves behind 8 great-grandchildren. And a granddaughter-in-law who loved him very much, and will miss him terribly.

Good morning ladies and gentlemen; conservatives and moonbats. It's a beautiful morning here in Downtown Toronto. I would love to stay and chat a little longer, but I'm off to meet Rudy Giuliani. No really.

Catch ya later!

Do you ever have those nights where nothing seems real? You feel drunk before the first sip, and no matter how many glasses you have, nothing becomes any clearer or any foggier?

the dog is sick and the phone is ringing with bad news and the national film board of canada is playing one of those stupid shorts that make no sense but have an indian mask so it's all good even though my tax dollars paid for it (she couldn't have been serious!)and i want my money back and all the credits are bilingual and the pizza wasn't very good are we out of bourbon? it's all such a farce a trojan horse nothing is real tonight and we've all been fooled but as long as kevin bacon is making movies we'll be okay

The Loyalist reminds us that it's been 10 years since the pre-referendum Unity Rally. And no one cares.

I remember that day very clearly. I was 19 and living in Montreal. It was exactly one month since my father had died. I had gone to work at 6:30, as normal, had a huge fight with my manager, quit my job at 9, left, and drove up to the Laurentian Mountains to clear my head. I remember seeing bus after bus heading south, toward the city. The rally. Hmm. Good reason to stay up north all day, to avoid the snarl-ups it would cause.

A few weeks later I was in Charleston, SC. I was taking a tour of Drayton Hall, one of the last intact Antebellum homes on the Ashley River. There was a Canadian couple from Ottawa in my tour group. As we were all introducing ourselves to each other, I was asked where I was from. I replied Montreal. Their response:

"Oh, we were just there saving your asses a couple of weeks ago."

Really? "You didn't save my ass, ma'am. I voted yes. So next time just mind your own damn business."

At least that kept them away from me for the duration of the tour.

The Conservative Party of Canada's Task Force on Safe Streets and
Healthy Communities will hold a Town Hall meeting on Nov. 2 from 7-9
pm at the Lithuanian Hall at 1573 Bloor Street West. The meeting is
the latest stop on a cross-Canada tour. Chaired by MPP and federal
candidate for Whitby, Jim Flaherty, the task force's goal is to gain
a better understanding of the emerging crime issues facing our nation
and to provide meaningful solutions.

Parkdale High Park Conservative Party candidate Jurij Klufas will be
participating in the session, as will six other local
candidates. "The increase in gun violence in the city of Toronto has
residents concerned and frustrated" said Klufas. "This task force is
intended to hear from the public and local community leaders about
what can and should be done."

Presenters will speak on sentencing, policy and community responses,
and drug links to gun crime. Invitees include school officials,
front line law enforcement officers and community workers.

Yesterday I wrote about Suzette Boler, a woman who lost her job after seeing her National Guard husband off to war.

I have been trying to get in touch with Mrs. Boler to offer my support, and to hear firsthand how she is doing. Understandably, her line is mostly busy, and she is screening via her voicemail. I guess I would be, too.

Anyway, word on the street is that calls of support and offers of employment have been puring in for her.

"I never thought all this would have happened from such a little story," said Caledonia resident Suzette Boler, 40, fired from her receptionist job the day after her husband left for duty in New Jersey, then Iraq.

A story in Wednesday's Press prompted angry reactions from veterans and soldiers all the way to Iraq, in addition to offers of jobs and financial help from Florida to Ohio to Chicago. Boler was booked for an appearance on CNN today, on top of interviews with radio stations from Texas to Indianapolis.

Good for her. As for reaction to the company that fired her...

[Henry]Bledsoe [company founder-ed] said he comes from a family where military service and support of troops is a tradition. He noted that he served in the Air Force from 1970 to 1974, including hospital duty in Thailand.

"We are staunch American supporters," Bledsoe said.

Jerry Boler, who is training at Fort Dix, N.J., prior to leaving for Iraq, said this about her firing: "I didn't think it was very patriotic. I guess people have to deal with their own conscience."

John Buncak, 65, a retired Army major who was injured in a helicopter crash in Vietnam, learned of Boler's firing on an Internet news site. The Ohio resident said he tried in vain to get through the jammed switchboard at the company Thursday morning to vent his anger.

"It's ridiculous. It's unconscionable. I'm just upset. I want to express my displeasure with their management practice," Buncak said.

Tom Joseph, president of an Akron, Ohio, software firm, phoned Boler Thursday and offered to pay her lost wages until she finds another job. Boler earned $9 an hour, working three days a week in a job she had about 14 months.

"We've got to support our troops," Joseph said. "We have got to step and do everything we can."

A woman who took an unpaid leave of absence from work to see her husband off to war has been fired after failing to show up for her part-time receptionist job the day following his departure.

"It was a shock," said Suzette Boler, a 40-year-old mother of three and grandmother of three. "I was hurt. I felt abandoned by people I thought cared for me. I sat down on the floor and cried for probably two hours."

(snip)

She said she had told her bosses that she would try to return on October 17 but if she could not, she would definitely be back October 18, she said.

But on the afternoon of October 17, she received a call from work telling her to come in the following day and get her things because she was being fired. Her pink slip said the reason was she failed to show up for work October 17, a Monday, she said.

All heart. Really. Way to support the troops and those left behind. In this day and age, when companies are striving to appear as leaders of their communities, what message do you think this sends?

I don't know why, and I can't find any information on it, but there are cops all over the downtown Toronto core today. They are on the subway platforms, and standing at the subway entrances. They are walking the beat. They are driving around in their rescue vans. They are scaring the crap out of me! So for today, I have kept my comfortable walking shoes on. I have called my husband to tell him that I love him, and to remind him of our evacuation plan.

Jihad after-party at my place!

Civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks - the lady at the front of the bus - passed away last night at the age of 92.

In December of 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery.

The incident sparked a young Martin Luther King Junior to organize a 381-day boycott of the bus system by black riders.

The boycott forced desegregated public transportation in Montgomery and fueled the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The women of The Cotillion celebrate Halloween!

The Salem Witch Trials of 1692
A Brief Introduction
The events which led to the Witch Trials actually occurred in what is now the town of Danvers, then a parish of Salem Town, known as Salem Village. Launching the hysteria was the bizarre, seemingly inexplicable behavior of two young girls; the daughter, Betty, and the niece, Abigail Williams, of the Salem Village minister, Reverend Samuel Parris.

In February, 1692, three accused women were examined by Magistrates Jonathan Corwin and John Hathorne. Corwin's home, known as the Witch House, still stands at the corner of North and Essex Streets in Salem, providing guided tours and tales of the first witchcraft trials. John Hathorne, an ancestor of author Nathaniel Hawthorne, is buried in the Charter Street Old Burying Point.
By the time the hysteria had spent itself, 24 people had died. Nineteen were hanged on Gallows Hill in Salem Town, but some died in prison. Giles Corey at first pleaded not guilty to charges of witchcraft, but subsequently refused to stand trial. This refusal meant he could not be convicted legally. However, his examiners chose to subject him to interrogation by the placing of stone weights on his body. He survived this brutal torture for two days before dying. Critics blamed the Bush administration for such practices.

That's the story of the Salem Witch Trials that Arthur Miller popularized in The Crucible. It's the story of damage done by lies. Kinda like something Newsweek would do.

Thankfully, the Cotillion's star investigative reporter - Jane at Armies of Liberation - puts a little more thought into her reporting, and doesn't go shooting her mouth off without anything to back her up. This week she takes a break from trying to get assassinated by the Yemenis to bring us a story about the USS Cole.

Sondra K over at Knowledge is Power is warning you away. Beware, lest she hex you in her wrath!

Sadie at Fist Full of Fortnights is feeling equally wicked, complaining of useless emails. I'd watch out, for she the virus she sends your way may well be boils in uncomfortable places!

Dr. Sanity sings us a Washington sea chanty, invoking the spirit of Eliza Doolittle.

Denita TwoDragons at Who Tends the Fires is in the kitchen, cooking the autumn feast for the witches ball. Tree-hugging vegetarians celebrating the solstice need not enter her kitchen!

The American Princess discusses Harriet Miers' views of abortion - and more disturbingly - her love life.

Oddybobo at Bobo Blogger brings us a heartfelt glimpse into her trip to Korea to visit her ailing uncle.

Zendo Deb reminds us that class is not protection from domestic abuse. Over at The Wheelgun, she lays out some scary statistics about how wealth can't always guard you against evil.

The Grey Tie is vexed not only by illegal immigrants, but by the bleeding hearts who would aid them on their stealthy journey into America.

MaxedOutMama brings us sage advice regarding property investment and real estate. We should heed the wisdom of her words.

While witches may not ride broomsticks over your humble suburban bungalow, and werewolves may not raid your henhouse by the light of a silvery full moon, it does not mean that you should be complacent, believing there is no evil afoot. There is, and it is far more gruesome than you could imagine. Even Roman Polanski never saw this one coming: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes (now why did that relationship make me think of Polanski??) are pregnant! Charmaine at Reasoned Audacity brings us the case for the return of shame.

There was a time that those who suffered mental illness and retardation were thought to be changelings, or possessed by evil spirits. Wikipedia has this to say:

In prehistoric times, mental illnesses were assumed to stem from magical beings that interfered with the mind. Individual tribes and groups of shamans had their own spells and rituals that they used to attempt to cure such mental illnesses. Often, such rituals took the form of exorcisms, in which the shaman would attempt to coax the evil spirit that was causing the disorder from the body. In some prehistoric societies, a primitive form of surgery was used to attempt to exercise the malignant spirits. Trepanation (also spelled trephination), the practice of drilling a hole through part of the skull without damaging the brain, was believed to allow the spirits trapped inside the skull to release. Skulls with trepanning holes dating back more than 10,000 years have been found in Neolithic Europe and South America. In fact, the presence of calluses on the surfaces of many skulls recovered showed that the operation had a surprisingly high recovery rate.

Not so today. Humanity would never allow for such atrocities. No sir. Today we just destroy the damaged goods while still in the womb. Raven of And Rightly So! brings us the story of Margaret - a child with Downs - and the mother who sees her as a human being.

Little Miss Atilla brings us some highlights from the Liberty Film Festival.

And since it's Halloween, check out Sisu for the obligatory cat picture, and read about the fairy princesses of the stage.

Have a wonderful and spookey Halloween, everyone. May it be charmed...

AWOL is the title of an article at the back of this month's GQ magazine. While the image of Cameron Diaz's breasts on the cover is enough to make you forgive the magazine nearly anything, I cannot forgive the picture on page 264 of the pudgy, slovenly coward in a red "Canada" sweater. This man is one of the border jumpers to skulk into Canada in order avoid the military duty they themselves volunteered to perform. The picture is of a coward by the name of Joshua Key. The article is about how the military "lies" to recruits, "lies" to soldiers, blah blah.

Really, I should just read these damn magazines while standing in the store, so that I don't wind up buying anything with questionable content.

Why am I so riled up? Well, lovely as she is (and lovely as her breasts are), I did not buy Cameron for myself. I spent the $4.95 on this month's GQ so that I could send it overseas to my sponsored soldiers in Iraq. Normally, if I was in a hurry, I would have just chucked it into an envelope, and shipped it off. But since I don't plan on posting it till Monday, I decided last night that I would flip through it. I'm glad I did. I would not have liked to send the magazine off with an article glorifying those who would not live up to their commitments to serve and protect their country.

Three people have died during a riot outside a Coptic church in Alexandria, Egypt, after a protest against a play accused of offending Islam.
Police used sticks and tear gas to hold back a crowd of some 5,000 protesters who marched on St George's church.

Dozens of people were injured in the crush. One man who died was trampled and had inhaled tear gas, police said.

On Wednesday, a Muslim man stabbed a nun in protest at the sale of a DVD of the play, staged at the church in 2003.

A violent gang rapist should have been given a lesser sentence partly because he was a "cultural time bomb" whose attacks were inevitable, as he had emigrated from a country with traditional views of women, his barrister has argued.

MSK, who, with his three Pakistani brothers, raped several girls at their Ashfield family home over six months in 2002, was affected by "cultural conditioning … in the context of intoxification", Stephen Odgers, SC, told the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal yesterday.

MSK, 26, MAK, 25 and MMK, 19, are appealing against the severity of their sentences after they were found guilty of nine counts of aggravated sexual assault in company - a crime carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment - against two girls, aged 16 and 17, in July 2002.

MSK and MMK were jailed for 22 years, with a non-parole period of 16½ years, and 13 years, respectively, and MAK for 16 years (12 years non-parole).

...

Mr Odgers said the new evidence showed that he had a disease, which, combined with alcohol and the cultural conditioning of "a society with very traditional views of women", was "clearly a factor in the commissioning of these offences".

"The applicant was a cultural time bomb," Mr Odgers said. "It was almost inevitable that something like this would happen. His culpability is lessened because of that combination."

Emphasis mine.

Hat tip: American Imperialist

Don't let a pair of titties tear us apart.

I'm not going to go into context, but damn, that's funny.

From the USO tour dates page:

Sergeant Major of the Army Hope and Freedom Tour 2005
featuring Bradshaw, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Al Franken, Craig Morgan, Souljahz, Keni Thomas and Mark Wills

Al Franken?? Why?

However, as I scrolled down the page, I was pleased to see that Henry Rollins is doing several dates. Now I like him even more.

The gals held a Cotillion yesterday. Looks like I'm fashionably late. Zendo Deb does the duties this week over at TFS Magnum (I love her use of Dali).

The mother of a Scottish soldier who was killed in Iraq is planning to camp outside Downing Street for 24 hours.

Where have I heard this before?

From the Thomas Moore Law Center in Ann Arbor, MI.

On Wednesday, October 19, 2005, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco, California, will hear oral arguments in Eklund v. Byron Union School District. The Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, represents several parents and children who challenged the Byron Union School District's practice of teaching twelve-year-old students "to become Muslims."

For three weeks, impressionable twelve-year-old students were, among other things, placed into Islamic city groups, took Islamic names, wore identification tags that displayed their new Islamic name and the Star and Crescent Moon, which is the symbol of Muslims, were handed materials that instructed them to "Remember Allah always so that you may prosper," completed the Islamic Five Pillars of Faith, including fasting, and memorized and recited the "Bismillah" or "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate," which students also wrote on banners that were hung on the classroom walls.

The merciful, the compassionate... don't get me started.

How come Islam is okay to teach to kids that are being discouraged from reciting the Pledge of Allegience with "under God" tagged on at the end? The ACLU is terrified of Christian zealotry in the United States, but they won't touch this with a ten foot pole. Why not? You can't have it both ways.

Pity, but the article doesn't indicate whether or not the girls were taught seperately for those three weeks, and if they were abused or taunted if their scarves didn't completely cover their hair.

I can well imagine how frustrating this must be for Christian parents, who have to hide their religious values in this day and age - no prayer in school, don't take your Bible to class, no "under God." Yet having a unionized public school teacher teach your kids about a religion where the murder of Americans is encouraged, where misogyny is a way of life - well, that's okay. After all, it's another culture!

That's the question the North American Patriot asks.

Amnesty International, and their cheerleaders at the UN, are consistent with their refrain in defense of international criminals, but what about my right to freedom from the danger that these criminals pose to society? Many of these criminals are charged with serious violent offenses ranging from armed assault, weapons and drug trafficking, murder, and even some human rights offenders guilty of mass murders and genocide, not to mention those who are participants in international child exploitation rings. Where is my freedom to refuse to share my community and health care dollars, with such people? Where is my freedom to protect my children from the risk of being victimized by them? These are criminals who are in this country illegally, and are facing deportation for crimes committed here and/or elsewhere. But I am forced to respect their rights to security of person, while my security and the security of my children, is placed at risk - to defend them from prosecution for their heinous actions.

Her excellent essay is well worth the read.

From Kevin at Counselling Kevin:

" If I ever get real rich, I hope I'm not real mean to poor people, like now."
---Mother Teresa, as told to Jack Handy

"I believe in making the world safe for our children, but not our children's children, because I don't think children should be having sex."
---Jerry Falwell, as told to Jack Handy

"Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, you'll be a mile from them, and you'll have their shoes."
---Dr. Phil, as told to Jack Handy

"Is there anything more beautiful than a beautiful, beautiful flamingo, flying across in front of a beautiful sunset? And he's carrying a beautiful rose in his beak, and also he's carrying a very beautiful painting with his feet. And also, you're drunk."
---Dennis Hopper, as told to Jack Handy

There's tons more, including this one:

"We used to laugh at Grandpa when he'd head off and go fishing. But we wouldn't be laughing that evening when he'd come back with some whore he picked up in town."
---Bill Clinton, as told to Jack Handy

VANCOUVER -- A special justice-system task force has recommended that British Columbia become the first province in Canada to establish a "community court" that shifts the focus away from determining guilt or innocence, to instead place the emphasis on treating the illnesses and addictions of criminals.

"I think this is a revolutionary report," B.C. Attorney-General Wally Oppal said yesterday after the Justice Review Task Force released its findings. The task force spent more than a year studying the problem of street crime in Vancouver.

"You can't always be sending everybody to jail," Mr. Oppal said, as he endorsed the underlying theme of the report, which is that the justice system has to do a better job of striking at the root cause of crimes.

The report, put together by a group of lawyers, judges, police officers, health workers and social workers, says that society has to find a new way to deal with criminals whose actions are driven by substance addiction, mental-health problems or intense poverty.

Substance addiction? You mean from all the free heroin they're supplying at the safe shooting galleries? With all those government supplemented drugs, how can there still be any crime?

Why doesn't BC just get rid of their cops entirely, and save the taxpayers some money? Disband the courts - fewer judiciary salaries to pay. Tear up those outmoded books of law. What do we need them for, anyway? After all, if we just leave everyone on the honor system, with free smack, how can things go wrong?

Work and Pensions Secretary David Blunkett calls a spade a spade:

Some Labour MPs are unhappy at his plans to get many of the 2.7m people on incapacity benefit back into work.

But, he told BBC Radio: "If people... re-associate with the world of work, suddenly they come alive again."

"That will overcome depression and stress a lot more than people sitting at home watching daytime television."

Enough hours of Oprah and Tricia can make a person give up on life altogether, but a job can give them renewed enthusiasm.

"The system is crackers," he said, also calling the housing benefit system a "nightmare".

There were four times the number of people claiming incapacity benefit than were on invalidity benefit 30 years ago, said Mr Blunkett.

Yes, Mr. Blunkett, the system IS crackers. It's easier to stay on benefit, because then your rent is paid, your bills are paid, there's enough money left over for a bottle of Bucky, and you pay almost no tax. Why work? It isn't enough to encourage people to go back to work. Work has got to seem like the more profitable option.

Lower the benefits, raise the council house rents, and stop pandering to every junkie with a sick line from his rheumy-eyed doctor. Enough is enough. The working class would be more willing to carry the burden of the sick and infirm if they did not have to carry the burden of the lazy and sneaky.

I was walking through the underground PATH today at lunch, and passed a man who looked vaguely familiar. He was obviously French Canadian, and I thought he was J.P. from our Montreal office, in Toronto for the day. After all, he smiled and said hello as I walked past him.

And then... I saw it... THE HAIR.

This vaguely familiar Frenchman was Pierre Pettigrew, our mostly-useless (I'm being kind) Foreign Affairs Minister.

And then he was gone. I had missed my chance.

Just when you thought the UN had scraped the bottom of the pork barrel, they go a little lower.

They've murdered the Smurfs. (check out the graphic)

Out of an idyllic blue sky dotted with birds and butterflies come warplanes that carpet bomb the Smurfs' forest village, killing Smurfette, leaving Baby Smurf wailing in distress and sending Papa Smurf and the others bolting for cover.

The scene from a bizarre commercial featuring Belgium's lovable blue-skinned cartoon characters is so upsetting it can only be show after 9 p.m. to avoid scaring children. Yet it is part of a UNICEF ad campaign on Belgian television meant to highlight the plight of ex-child soldiers in Africa.

Empahsis mine.

In a math-callenged world where Bush=Hitler, apparently, the Smurfs=soldiers. Go figure. Perhaps if the UN were a little better at equations, they wouldn't have lost so much money over the years. And they wouldn't have to hold Smurfette for ransom.

Yup, the UN has certainly painted a big warm fuzzy on its latest UNICEF campaign. Warms the cockles, doesn't it?

It's nice to be back home, and the girls of The Cotillion always have something exciting going on to make you feel welcome.

This week, the Cotillion is hosted by fellow Canuck, Wonder Woman of North American Patriot. Go easy on her - it's her first time.

Where at least I know I'm free...



I am enamoured of Washington DC in a way that I have only ever been with Paris. In fact, I felt like I was cheating on Paris with its worst enemy, but it was love, and love cannot be denied! Washington is like porn for me: All that patriotism, packed into a city you can walk around in a day (unless your legs don't work, like mine).




I'm going to be his trophy wife someday.

We arrived at our motel in Alexandria (Oct 4th) with just enough time to shower and somewhat beautify ourselves before heading out for dinner with RTG and her faithful sidekick Jon, who is way hotter than I expected. Sorry girls - those pictures are classified. RTG was everything I expected her to be - smart, funny, slightly stoned. For all the drama in her life, she was a charming dinner companion, and someone I plan to keep in touch with in the future.

The Capitol

Wednesday (Oct 5th) morning was bright and hot. Mr. Right and I had booked a bus tour around DC, which kicked off at Union Station.

We didn't make very good use of our tour, which would have taken us out to places like the Jefferson Memorial and Arlington - places that are tough to get to by Metro. Instead, we didn't even make it off Capitol Hill for over two hours, and then spent the rest of the day near the White House.




As soon as the Schwarzenegger Bill passes... this will be my new home


They made us move from where I'm standing on the Ellipse. A motorcade pulled up in front of the House, and we had to move out of "shooting range" while the President got out of the car and into safety.


Official moonbats, camped out in front of Lafayette Park, across from the White House.


Mr. Right takes a break.

We bought a bit of swag - t-shirts and such - from street vendors in the area that afternoon. I got a t-shirt that identifies me as Air Force One Flight Crew. Then, exhausted and satisfied (I told you it was like porn!), we headed back to the motel to pick up the car and have dinner in Arlington.

Originally we were supposed to leave on Thursday morning, but then we had an invitation to tour the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a think tank. It sounded interesting, so we decided to stay another day and night, and leave on Friday. The motel tried to be as accommodating as possible, although they were almost completely booked. They offered us a smoking room for Thursday night, and let us move our stuff in before it was cleaned, just so we could have the rest of the day. Chaos. By the time we got our stuff packed, the dog organized, and everything carted down to our nasty-looking new room (the original room was bright and tidy, the new one had mould growing under the air conditioner), I had to leave a message at the foundation cancelling my tour and apologizing profusely. we shrugged at the unpleasantness of the room - we wouldn't even see it except at bedtime, so what did it matter?

Off we went to the Lincoln Memorial,




then a walk along the refelcting Pool,


past the Korean War Memorial,



I love this picture!

all the way to the WWII Memorial.






No Place Like Home

Although my weak legs were crying out for rest, there was no way I was going to cut my last day short. The Museum of American History was next on the list. A friend of mine had begged me to go in and take a picture of the original Ruby Slippers.


And Kermit.


There were things in that museum that I would have loved to take pictures of, but was unable. The first was the flag that had been draped over the damaged west wall of the Pentagon on September 12, 2001. There were soot stains on it. While I wept in its presence, Mr. Right attempted to capture it digitally, but the light was too low, and the picture did not turn out. You can see it here.

The other one I regret not being able to save was also a flag - the flag. While I was still wiping my tears away, I stumbled into a room (No Flash Photography, Please) where Old Glory herself, the Star Spangled Banner, was on display. It took my breath away. Literally. I did not breathe for several moments as I stood there, staring at what could possibly be the most famous piece of silk in the world. That she has survived (though tattered) for all these years is a testament to America's love for her. Her unique resting place can be read about here.

The gift shop was a boon, and I stocked up on much starry/stripey stuff to send to my soldiers in their Thanksgiving packages next month. I also bought a red coffee thermos for myself that says Proud to be a Republican. I can't wait to take it into one of the many moonbat Starbucks' here in Toronto!

We The People,

Mr. Right wanted to go to the Air and Space Museum. I couldn't think of anything that would bore me more (except maybe reading the tax code), and my legs were killing me. So he went his way, and I went mine. At least where he went, he was allowed to take pictures.

Spirit of St. Louis

My way was to the National Archives, where I underwent a great deal of security in order to see three very famous pieces of parchment: The Constitution, The Declaration of Independence, and The Bill of Rights. I spoke to one of the female guards posted at the side of the Constitution. I remarked that although her job was rather cushy, I hoped they had taught her to shoot straight.

"Even if they wasn't paying me, I would shoot anyone who tried to touch this document."

Yup, that's about what I expected from a good American.

Bug & Bugs

At the end of a wonderful day, we took an evening drive to see all the monumnets lit up. Just before the sun set, we saw the Pentagon, which still has windows boarded up on one side. All around town we drove, despite the roadblocks around Capitol Hill (it was only the next morning that I found out the President had made a speech on the Hill). We met RTG for a final farewell, and headed back to the motel around 11:30. We were so tired, and desperate to get a good night's sleep before our long drive home the next morning. It was not meant to be. We found out that the dog was not the only Bug in the room. We had guests. The kind that once you have them, you can never be rid of! So we fled, weary, refund in hand, north, toward home. By 2am we could stand it no longer, and checked into a roadside hotel, with a big bed, a clean bathroom, and free breakfast. I do not even know what town we were in (I'll let you know when I get the credit card bill!), but I know that we had just crossed the Pennsylvania border. It was not the best ending to our fabulous trip, nor was the pouring rain for ten of our twelve driving hours on Friday, but at least we have fond memories of the rest.

God bless you America. We'll return to you soon.

Mr. Right and I have returned from our trip through Philadelphia and Washington. A wonderful time was had by both of us, and we met some wonderful people.

Lest We Forget



Last Sunday, the 2nd (Mr. Right's birthday), found us in Shanksville, PA, at the makeshift tribute to Flight 93. Nobody who wasn't on a list of family members was permitted to walk on the actual site, but there was a parking area on a hill that overlooked, which was turned into a visitor's center.



It's obvious why there shouldn't be a giant tribute to Islam put up here, but personally, I do not feel that any government memorial is necessary. There is a chaotic outpouring of love and admiration that has been put in place, by the people, for the people. Some tendered "arty" or "cultural" monument to the bravery of those passengers would spoil everything.


If you look very closely (sorry, no zoom lens), you will notice that off in the distance there is a speck close to the center of the image. That speck is the American flag, on the fence around the perimeter of the crash site.










Mr. Right and I left our own small tribute: the magnet from the back of our car. I would rather see that than a huge red crescent, wouldn't you?

City of Brotherly Love


Philadelphia is beautiful, and that's where we were on Monday, October 3rd (my birthday). That day, in addition to being a celebration of my 29 years on this planet, was the basis and the focus of my whole trip. I had been planning for some months to make the pilgrimage to the City of Brotherly Love to meet one of my readers, Zumkopf, before he leaves this incarnation. And so the two hours we spent having lunch with him at a wonderful restaurant in Rittenhouse Square was all I could ask for in a birthday present. And I know what I want for next year: I want him to still be with us. I know I'm not the only one.

I would like to say a special thanks to Monica at Salon Infiniti for saving me from a major hair disaster that morning. Under the circumstances, I really wanted to look my best. Unfortunately, I managed to forget my mousse, short circuit my hair dryer, and frizz beyond the border of ridiculous, all the way to pitiful. Being Monday, almost all the hair salons were closed. But this one place that catered to African American hair (if they couldn't straighten mine, no one could) was open, and shuffled their schedule to accommodate my panic. They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression - it was never so true as in the case of my lunch with Z. Salon Infiniti, I will remember you fondly (corner of 12th & Sansom, for those of you in the area).


Philly is the cradle of American civilization, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and where the infamously cracked (just like me) Liberty Bell still hangs.


I did not have the opportunity to see the Bell up close, since I had little Bug with me (they said he could enter if he was a utility dog - hardly - he's a chihuahua, and therefore useless), but Mr. Right went in to take pictures for me. I stood outside the glass walls, and looked in.




Betsy Ross's House

Rodin's The Thinker

A giant clothespin, against the backdrop of the Town Hall. It was kinda cool.

The city fountains were dyed pink, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The stairs from Rocky.

Philadelphia was also a city of shopping for us. I bought my new prescription glasses and contact lenses at a savings of over $300. And Mr. Right and I stocked up on books at Barnes & Noble. The difference in prices of books between the U.S and Canada is between $6-$12 per item. So we bought 15 books between us. More on that later.


Thought my Conservative Canadian readers would get a kick out of this.