Evening Snack (5/4)

Home sale fee increase in works

Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle’s plan to double the fee paid by sellers of homes and other property – a fee increase that would cost sellers of property $142 million over the next two years – survived the first attempt by Republicans to kill it Thursday.

The man has no shame! Anybody want to buy a house, fast? BEFORE Doyle’s foolishness further trashes the real estate market?

Brothers accused of beating man with shovel

Two teenage brothers are in custody after they allegedly beat an 18-year-old Fond du Lac man with a shovel Thursday afternoon on the corner of Lincoln Avenue and West Division Street.

The brothers, ages 14 and 18, are expected to face substantial battery charges next week, said Major Kevin Lemke of the Fond du Lac Police Department.

That is absolutely insane. What the hell is wrong with people these days?

NRA: Don’t Ban Gun Sales to Suspects

The National Rifle Association is urging the Bush administration to withdraw its support of a bill that would prohibit suspected terrorists from buying firearms. Backed by the Justice Department, the measure would give the attorney general the discretion to block gun sales, licenses or permits to terror suspects.

In a letter this week to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, NRA executive director Chris Cox said the bill, offered last week by Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., “would allow arbitrary denial of Second Amendment rights based on mere ‘suspicions’ of a terrorist threat.”

I’m a bit confused on this. As a life member of the NRA, I sure don’t want terrorists to get their hands on guns, but then again, I don’t want anyone to be denied their rights.

Bombs found hidden in walls of new school

“We found artillery shells that were being literally built into the ceiling,” said Major General William Caldwell, the senior US military spokesman in Iraq. “We found artillery shells, again all hooked up with wires, being built into the floors. We found propane tanks – two very large propane tanks – built into the floors under the stairwells.”

Just who was doing the building?

Man gets life for enticing a minor

Dallas prosecutors believe the men with Willie Atkins in the videos could be high-school age minors but they have not been able to identify them. There is no evidence Mr. Atkins told his sexual partners about his HIV status and he rarely used condoms.

Animal. Plain and simple.

TSA Loses Hard Drive With Personal Info

The Transportation Security Administration has lost a computer hard drive containing Social Security numbers, bank data and payroll information for about 100,000 employees.

How do you lose a hard drive? I knew they were inefficient in some areas, but who totes around a hard drive? Aren’t they usually attached to a whole computer?

Buddha Paintings Found in Nepal

Paintings of Buddha dating back at least to the 12th century have been discovered in a cave in Nepal’s remote north-central region by a team of international researchers who were tipped by a local sheep herder.

Cool!

Bush Warns Dems Against Weakening Abortion Policies

President Bush is warning Democratic leaders that any attempt to weaken federal policies that restrict abortion will be met with a veto.

White House deputy press secretary Tony Fratto said Friday that the warning, issued in letters to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, was intended to stop abortion amendments from being added to spending bills and other legislation that Congress will be considering in the coming weeks.

I would think it would be in the nation’s best interest to restrict killing babies. The Democrats just seem to WANT to kill their possible voting base of the future. Where’s the sense in that?

Pacman appeal hearing set for May 11

Titans cornerback Pacman Jones will meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on May 11 to appeal his season-long suspension.

I really hope they don’t reinstate this guy. A strong message to these prima donas might go a long way to stop future players from behaving like jackasses.

Affirmative Action

I have been serving on a legislative committee for the past 7 months or so. I didn’t say anything, because, well, I wasn’t ready to talk about the experience and what I’ve learned. I went into this committee with an open mind, looking to learn, hear new ideas, etc. After yesterday, and the evils rants I heard from the father of a so called “leader” in the black community, I realized, nothing was ever going to change.

I’m an extremely optimistic person. I’m happy because I know G-d loves me, and I try to share that love through actions. What I heard as a ‘prayer’ last night on the audio at Badger Blogger made me realize that the poverty pimps are in control. Even though some of the people that are on the committee with me talk about change, improvements, etc., it’s nothing more than “whitey done held me down, gimme more”, “YOU owe me”. I admire the passion of Lena Taylor, and I do believe she is sincere in her desire to make improvements. I don’t agree with her politics, obviously, but her drive is amazing. However, I think we have a system right now that is broken and needs to be fixed. The same old status quo, and then more of the same, throwing money at the problem, is not going help anyone in the community, black, white, or Hispanic. By community, I mean the entire state, not just Milwaukee or Madison.

I am truly saddened by this realization. I had hope, but it’s fading fast. When you hear the hatred expressed by Michael McGee, Sr. with Jr. cackling in the background, agreeing with the filth, it’s time to realize the reason why nothing will change.

I wonder if the folks in the north realize that there is more bigotry and prejudice up here than you’d find in the south? Southerners learned how to get along, for the most part, a long time ago. Isn’t it time for the people in Milwaukee to turn their backs on the ugliness the occurred nearly 200 years ago, and look to the future? A strong education, a willing heart, and respect for yourself and your fellow man (generic) is what seems to be lacking in all areas of the country.

Maybe I shouldn’t have talked about this just yet, but I had to get it off my chest. There is nothing affirming in the actions I’ve witnessed.