Well, I worked for a while helping others who had been affected by the ice storm.  It’s a crying shame these days when people expect the Federal government to show up and fix everything.  FEMA didn’t declare the area a national disaster and people started whining that they needed and deserved just as much or more money than the people in New Orleans or Galveston got.  For what???  Okay….you live in an area where ice storms DO happen and you lose your electricity for 3 weeks.  But didn’t we all originally not have electricity in our homes?  Didn’t we have to make do with oil lamps and no video games or TV??  Here’s an idea — make a disaster kit!!  It’s not hard to do; can be done rather inexpensively; and is something you NEED because a disaster is UNEXPECTED!!  What an idea!!  It’s a crying shame that if we all had to depend on human love and kindness to get us through the tough times that people would complain about that and then expect the government to cough-up support.

So, not long after that the family and I moved across the state and I’ve been enjoying myself.  Okay….I wasn’t thrilled with the huge amounts of snow that I’m not used to.  Nor was I elated to find out that I’m allergic to pollen that wasn’t native to the area where we lived but is EVERYWHERE around here!!  But, it’s a nice area and things are starting to feel like home again.  Well….hospitals don’t, but the new house does.

See….for those who’ve not followed me in Facebook or on Red Light Center, I ended up in the hospital with my heart doing strange things.  They could get my blood pressure down but not my pulse.  I’ve been poked and prodded and it feels like I’ve had everyone but the lady who takes your money in the cafeteria come and stick something in some orifice of mine to try to figure this out.  What’s the answer so far?  It’s all in my head.  Yeah….right….  So, I continue to see doctors and psychiatrists and watch my savings dwindle away as I stay at home unable to work.

But I am having some fun!!  For those who know about Red Light Center, I’ve been VERY busy there!  If you’ve never heard of it, go to the link on my “Postings of a Mature Nature” page and click on the link.  It’s like Second Life, only much better in my opinion!!  Anyway, I’m a working girl there.  Yes….you  heard me correctly….Working Girl.  And I don’t feel bad or ashamed of it one bit.  True, it’s all cartoony/avatar/RPG sex and relationships — but it’s fun!  And I’ve actually met quite a lot of very nice people from all over the world.  Well, I’m not a very successful Working Girl.  Oh don’t get me wrong!  I’m VERY good at pretend sexting over the Internet and helping others live-out fantasies in a safe environment.  It’s just that I don’t have a whole lot of time to be online.  But, I’ve been able to help get the Working Girls/Guys (yes, there are guys doing it too!) organized and am now one of the Working Girl/Guy Advisory Board Lead Members.  What does that mean?  Not much other than I help new Working Girls/Guys learn the rules and regulations of the Red Light Center and its other properties – Rude.com, Virtual Vancouver, the former There.com, and many new Virtual World Webs that are created every day.  I also teach classes on sexuality in-world and help raise money for charities by having auctions.  People auction off services of all types — decorating, clothing textures, even “erotic services” that can be done in-world.  For $20(US) per month, it’s a fun hobby and I feel like I’m helping others.  Plus, if you make Rays (similar to Linden Dollars in Second Life) which is the in-world currency, you can exchange them with others for actual money because it takes Rays to buy properties and clothing and there are some who are SO addicted to the game that they want every Ray they can get their hands on!  And, that’s how we raise money for charity.  Later this month there’s going to be an auction for Autism Speaks and we’re even holding an in-world vigil for Take Back the Night to help raise awareness about sexual and domestic violence.

See….we’re not all sex-crazed computer geeks….

Oh…and the porn reviews that you see off to the side in the widgets.  Yeah, I’ve done a few new ones but they’re not with AdultMaven.  AdultMaven decided they’d rather stop paying money for people to do work and just exchange more porn for what you write.  Great….like I need MORE crappy porn that no one wants to watch in my house!!  I did start working with AdultMoviesToday and have been reviewing classic titles (from the 1980s & 1990s) that are being remastered for DVDs.  It’s fun but still a work-in-progress, so not a money-maker either.  But at least I don’t have to watch five hours of someone trying to insert something somewhere that it shouldn’t be.  People say I must have the best job, watching porn.  Trust me — after a while you want to rip your own head off than see some of what people consider “erotic.”

So where does that leave me now?  Well….I’m in a new town making new friends and still enjoying all my old ones from Facebook and Red Light Center.  I’ve still had a few hits on the articles I’ve written here and, amazingly enough, some people still comment on them.  Thanks, y’all.  At least I’ve got a place to put these silly ideas and opinions of mine.  Maybe I’ll get back to writing more….if y’all want to read it?? (Hint, hint!)  So, let me know and maybe we can start our journey’s anew.

I guess y’all heard about the ice storms that ran through the Midwest this past week. Well, I lost power in my house at 7 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Still no power. Took me over an hour to get to the closest town with power and a computer I could use for a bit to leave this Bulletin.

There are over 12 power lines down just on the road I live on alone! Many of the main lines that feed the towns are destroyed and the power company says it will be about 5 weeks before I get power back!

My family and I have been camping out in the living room to save heat and share oil lamps. At least we’re not stupid like others who try to use carbon monoxide producers for heat….there have been casualties in my region from CO. Also, one house exploded when they tried to use a propane heater and it leaked — the gas lamp they used for light ignited the propane and the tank exploded. I could see it from my house!!

Anyway, I won’t be online very much, as you can tell. Please forgive my absence during this time. It’s hard enough staying warm — I’m glad I had 3-weeks worth of food and water stored in my emergency kits. Hopefully we’ll be able to get out and find somewhere that has items we’ll need before we run out in a few weeks.

Thanks and I hope y’all are doing well! I’ll post pics if/when I can ever download my digital camera!

Sacha Kinksky

The NRA’s “top story” on their Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) page is about an absurd idea that for some strange reason is gaining support.  Even more shocking, some of the states where it’s beginning to become popular are states that have concealed carry laws and are considered “gun friendly.”

Ammunition Accountability is a company that states they have the solution to gun crime.  By laser micro-etching a serial number on the base of the projectile that matches with the serial number on the inside of the cartridge it’s fired from, they plan to sell ammunition in boxes with unique codes that can be tracked and recorded by law enforcement.  They admit that they won’t be able to identify “who pulled the trigger” but “will provide law enforcement with a valuable lead and a starting point to quickly begin their investigations.”

They also are pressing legislation which would require an ammunition code database.  The database would hold the barcode of each box of ammunition sold along with the state-issued ID of the person who purchased it.  Where will the mainframe that stores all this personal information be located?  Conveniently, they haven’t answered that question yet.

You might be thinking, “But if the bullet will be able to identify where it came from, wouldn’t that be a good thing?  We could finally catch everyone who uses a gun illegally!”  Wrong!!  That’s what they want you to think because they believe you’ll blindly assume that people who commit crimes with guns purchase their own ammunition at retail outlets like law-abiding gun owners do.  If you own some of the newly serialized ammunition, you won’t be able to reload your own ammo; you won’t be able to share with your friends; and you won’t be able to resell your surplus ammunition as you can now.

Ammunition Accountability has done their homework.  They know that ammunition is most typically sold in boxes of 20 or 50 rounds per box.  They know that there are 12 common handgun and assault weapon calibers — and they’ve not said what they plan to do for those “uncommon” calibers.  They’ve shown that even ammunition as small as .22 caliber and 12-gauge shotgun pellets can be etched and will be required as well to carry the marks.  They also know that it will cost each manufacturer between $300,000 and $500,000 for each etching unit set.  You should know where the money to pay for the cost comes from; and I can guarantee the incoming administration isn’t going to offer a stimulus package to fund it.

So instead of eliminating the firearms themselves, they want to eliminate the ammunition.  If the cost becomes prohibitive and the hassle too great, most consumers won’t bother to buy what they need and will go without.  And if you don’t have ammunition, your firearm becomes either an unwieldy club or an expensive paperweight.

Again I hear those saying, “But you don’t get it!  People will just stock-up on ammunition before any legislation takes effect.  And those who reload their own ammunition and blanks will just keep doing it.  So what’s the problem?”

Well, if you look at the sample legislation proposal, you’ll see where they want “all handgun and assault weapon ammunition manufactured or sold in the state after January 1, 2009, to be coded by the manufacturer” along with a list of calibers required to have the codes.  That’s a little hard to enforce at this date if the individual state hasn’t adopted the proposal yet, but what’s some correction fluid and a date change to those who want to oppress gun owners?

But the biggest part that thwarts the stockpiling and reloading theories above is the next section.  “No later than January 1, 2011, all non-coded ammunition for the calibers listed in this chapter, whether owned by private citizens or retail outlets, must be disposed.”

So….  No more stockpiling currently made ammunition.  No more reloading.  What ammunition company is going to make projectiles and casings with matching codes that some hobbyist could mix up and have non-matching numbers found at a crime scene?  The liability and threat of lawsuits will quickly squash any idea of them catering to those who’ve been reloading for years.

“And while you’re standing in line to turn over your newly contraband ammunition, you must certainly own a firearm that it fits, so why not surrender that to us as well?” the uber-liberals will chant.  Thousands upon thousands of legal gun owners who are tired of the hassle and can no longer afford to buy the ammunition they need will blindly hand them over just to be rid of the hassle, especially if a monetary “reward” is offered as is currently done in many areas today.

So let’s recap:  You’ll only be allowed to purchase the ammunition that has been coded and you’ll be required by the government to surrender all non-coded ammunition, cases, and projectiles.  Criminals who steal guns will be sure to pilfer longer through your personal belongings looking for every last coded round so they’ll be able to pass blame on you since they (well, most anyway) won’t be stupid enough to purchase their own.

You’ll have to ensure that you pick up every shell casing you arrived with at the gun range and hope some unscrupulous person doesn’t pocket one of yours to use in illegal reloading.  Plastic ammunition casings, such as those used in shotguns, can’t be etched so many crimes will be committed with shotguns, for which the desire will increase and more will be stolen.  Yes, the metal bases of the shotgun cartridges can be etched, but for now the individual pellets can’t — but I’m sure they’re working on that as we speak.

It will take up to three weeks to produce the amount of ammunition made daily when the etching system is added.  No imported ammunition will be allowed because it’s not etched — so there goes firing some of your collectible firearms more inexpensively or if no American companies make that caliber.  You’d be required to keep meticulous records if you buy, sell, or loan ammunition even with friends and family members.  Oh, and they quietly tuck in a five cent-per-round tax for good measure.  It’s not only effective when your originally purchase the rounds but if you transfer them as well, which will be properly documented in your paperwork for every individual serial number registered in the official database, right?

Don’t think you’re safe if you’re a black powder enthusiast/re-enactor/hunter.  It’s only small stretch of the imagination to know that if they won’t allow you to make your own projectiles for cartridge ammunition they won’t allow you to cast your own or even purchase black powder itself.  Besides, they’ll write it under environmental legislation because lead is bad for you anyway and get away with it.

So let’s get back to the question of “Where is the NRA?”  It’s my personal belief that because HR 1022 which would ban several types of firearms isn’t a huge media sensation they’ve decided not to worry about it.  And because Ammunition Accountability is working on a grassroots platform and dealing with the states instead of a national audience, The Ammunition Accountability Act isn’t seen as a national threat and, therefore, not something they can raise big wads of cash with yet.  Oh sure, they’re an organization that is there to help gun owners protect their Second Amendment rights — but they’re in it for the money too.  That’s what runs this country.  If we depended on human love and kindness we’d all be in a lot of trouble these days.

The Democrats, Bradys, and other anti-gun organizations are working feverishly to prevent anyone from privately owning any type of firearm.  They prey on the sheep-like quality of the typical citizen to blindly follow whatever the government says and to give up easily.  It’s up to each individual to decide where they stand on this issue.

Recently posted on the Internet and passed through emails was the proposed gun ban list created by the Democrats in Congress who knew there was no way they could pass it while a Republican sat in the White House.  Now, the radical left sees its opportunity to take guns from law-abiding owners and collectors in the same way that Australia, Great Britain, and Canada have done.  Oh…and their crime rates spiked after legal guns were surrendered to the government, in case you missed that.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said this summer after the Supreme Court struck down the District of Columbia’s restrictive gun ban:

I think it still allows the District of Columbia to come forward with a a law that’s less pervasive.  I think the court left a lot of room to run in terms of concealed weapons and guns near schools.”

I think we can all agree that guns near schools is a bad idea.  We don’t want our children in danger.  That begins with responsible parents and adults ensuring their guns are secured and that their children are educated in gun safety!  And if she’s grasping at straws to reinstate a law that was clearly struck down by the highest court in the country, you can bet Pelosi is ready to team-up again with Sarah Brady to ensure no private citizen can legally own a firearm within our boundaries.

Notice the emphasison “legally” since most gun crimes are committed with an illegally-owned or stolen firearm….but they don’t want me to tell you that.

As a “bitter, clinger to my guns” type of person, I’m not terribly happy about this.  You would think that the Democrats had learned from past mistakes — losing their majority control during Bill Clinton’s tenure because of the outrage over the assault weapons ban, for example.

Surveys conducted show that between 1.5 and 2.5 million Americans report every year that they have used a firearm for defensive purposes and that 1-in-6 believe that it saved their life.

With the proposal that the Democrats have leaked, the U.S. Attorney General would have the power to add “any semiautomatic rifle or shotgun originally designed for military or law enforcement use, or a firearm based on the design of such a firearm, that is not particularly suitable for sporting purposes, as determined by the Attorney General.”  Wow — they’re just vague enough to encompass every type of firearm ever designed!  And remember, President-elect Obama’s pick for Attorney General is Eric Holder.  He wrote a brief in the Supreme Court case supporting the position that private citizens have no right to own a working firearm in their home.

If you’d like to read the entire proposed bill (HR 1022, 110th Congress) you can find it here.  Oh, sure, many will point out Section 4, the “grandfather provision” to those who legally own or collect these firearms.  However, if memory serves me correctly, she once said she’d have every gun turned-in and no one would privately own a firearm if she could find a way to make it legal.

What happens to veterans’ organizations and reenacting societies if they can’t legally own firearms?  I don’t think funeral services or historical tributes will have the same panache as guys stand around saying, “Bang! Bang!”

What happens when the rogue military member or police officer, who is allowed to have a weapon in their possession by the nature of their career, decides to commit an illegal act with that firearm?  The citizen being threatened would have no recourse to defend himself.  And don’t even try to tell me that military and law enforcement personnel wouldn’t commit a crime like that….read your local news for examples.

Criminals will have weapons regardless of what laws and restrictions the Democrats propose.  They don’t care about laws; that’s why they’re criminals.  Law-abiding citizens will have no way to defend themselves if their Second Amendment rights are infringed.  And don’t suggest that they should call the police to let them deal with it — in December, St. Louis Alderman Charles Quincy Troupe told his constituents to acquire guns and learn how to use them because the city’s police can’t protect them.  Ever wonder why it’s got one of the highest crime rates in the nation?

Thomas Jefferson said, “No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.  The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.” (1 Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334)

Oh, I’m misinterpreting that you say?  How about this one….

Adolf Hitler said, “The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to permit the conquered Eastern peoples to have arms.  History teaches that all conquerors who have allowed their subject races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by doing so.” (April 11, 1942)

Am I advocating the overthrow of the government?  Hell, no….don’t be stupid.  But even Mao Tse-tung in 1938 said, “Every Communist must grasp the truth, ‘Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.’”  That’s why they’re not allowed to own any.  However, I strongly believe that my right to legally own and use a firearm has prevented me in the past from becoming a victim instead of being able to be here to excercise my First Amendment rights.

Business owners in Cairns believe the same culprit is responsible for the break-ins and cash register thefts at the Sapphire Bar as well as three break-ins at the Laneway Adult Shop in recent days.  He reportedly would smash through walls and squeeze through tight areas (the original report said “tight holes” but I wasn’t going there).

The owner of the adult shop, who wished to be named only as Vogue, said that in a first unreported break-in, the man had stolen five dolls and had sex with one of them.

“He has been taking the dolls out the back and blowing them up and using the dolls and leaving them in the alley,” he said.  “It is totally bizarre.  It is a real concern that someone like that is out on the street.”

Vogue said a sex toy also went missing in the second break-in and that the offender had a liking for the doll model named “Jungle Jane,” which had been taken on both occasions.  He said he was dumbfounded that the burglar also had the “weird” habit of cleaning up the mess he had made after entering the building.  The burglar again smashed through a wall in the roof area of the shop earlier this week but was scared off by a newly installed alarm system.

Vogue and David Sharman, the owner of the Sapphire Bar that has an entry (original report stated it’s a “rear entry” but, once again, I try to remain tasteful) in the same alley as the adult shop, both believe they have been targeted by the same thief.  Both men said fleeting video images showed the burglar as being a tall, skinny Caucasian.  He has left DNA evidence at the crime scene.  No kidding….

Mr Sharman said in regards to one break-in at his business:  “The burglar smashed a hole near the top of the roof line. He then clambered 15m down a sheer wall.  He (only) took the surveillance recorders – we found them in the bin.”

So what’s the big deal?  Why should either side get their dander up?

Let’s review the history of The Wilderness, where U.S. Grant first met Robert E. Lee on the field of battle and the outcome of the Civil War in the east was foretold.  Lt. General Grant arrived from Vicksburg, Ms., and took command of the entire U.S. Army and put himself with the Army of the Potomac.  His orders were to chase down General Lee.  Grant had realized that to win the war he had to defeat Lee and ignored taking Richmond as many had advised and attempted before.

On May 2, 1864, Grant led his men across the Rapidan River at three separate points and converged on the Wilderness Tavern.  It was from there that the Confederates only a day earlier had launched their attack on the right flank of the Union Army at Chancellorsville.  Grant had no desire to fight within the Wilderness.  But, for Lee, it was imperative to bring the Union soldiers into the thick woods where their superior number would prove ineffective as Grant could not bring them all to bear.  Being deep in the woods, Grant’s superior artillery couldn’t be utilized, something that Lee counted on in his tactical maneuvering.

The battle became horrific when part of the woods caught on fire.  Injured soldiers from both sides were trapped.  Hundreds burned to death before their comrades who were defenseless to save them.

Many consider the battle to have ended in a draw, but it became a huge turning point of the war because the Union Army of the Potomac didn’t retreat back across the Rapidan River.  Grant pushed his men farther south and Lee was forced to hurry his troops to Spotsylvania Court House, 10 miles to the southeast.  Although Lee’s troops had been able to inflict serious casualties on the Union, Grant pressed forward in a war of attrition.  This led to the ultimate downfall of Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia.

So, knowing the history of the battle and what a major turning point it is in American history, why would someone propose building near this “hallowed ground?”

Well, the ground being proposed as the site of the new Wal-Mart isn’t owned by the National Park Service.  The Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park only comprises 2,773 acres (11.22 square-kilometers) of the original battle area.  The Civil War Preservation Trust has a copy of the map of the proposed area here.  The location Wal-Mart wishes to build on is actually across a highway and approximately over a mile from the actual area of battle.

True, it is where MG John Sedgwick mustered his troops (Sedgwick was killed at the battle of Spotsylvania Court House after declaring Confederate sharpshooters couldn’t “hit an elephant” before being shot below the left eye).  But a muster area isn’t as vital to the actual history of the battle as the front-line battle area is.

In defense of the historic preservationists who say that all of the land is sacred, the outlined positions on the maps are approximate.  No one was there drawing the maps during the battle.  The woods were so dense that it was easy for units to get lost and trying to remember where your line was became difficult.  They weren’t even able to entrench, which leaves a lot of the typical archeological proof found on most battlefields missing.  Even temporary battlements were destroyed and eroded after a few years.  Even veterans of the battle often said in their memoirs that they weren’t exactly sure of their locations.  Remember, GPS wasn’t invented back then – so all maps really have to be suspect.

Wal-Mart, even though many see it as evil incarnate for the way it moves into small towns and the mom-and-pop stores suffer, does bring jobs and tax revenue to Orange County if it is allowed to build.  The entire population of the county was listed as 25,881 after the 2000 Census, so I’m sure it could use the help.

Having visited the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania, I can see where commercial building outside of the actual NPS area has been contested but it doesn’t detract from the serenity of the “hallowed ground” preservationists strive to protect.  I have also visited Nashville and Franklin, Tenn., where the battlefields have been completely obliterated by urban sprawl.  These important areas are forever lost and forgotten by most.

 While I appreciate the work that the Civil War Preservation Trust and other organizations do to prevent other battlefields from going the same way, this argument over Wal-Mart building a new store has been raging since 2008.  True, the celebrity list signing petitions is impressive.  But Wal-Mart also has shown that the proposed store would be built behind a bank and a small strip mall already there.  No one is asking the NPS to move any already protected boundaries and nor is Wal-Mart planning something as large as Disney had in 1994 at Manassas, Va.

The National Park Service is partly to blame for this whole mess.  Back when the land was inexpensive and available, no one imagined that people would want to build in such a remote area.  Urban sprawl wasn’t as prevalent as it is now and the land started to be developed.

The “scandal” of Wal-Mart “invading” a historical battlefield could be construed as a fund-raising scheme by historic preservation groups.  By keeping the story in the forefront of the media, more people will rush to their aid and donate time and money to crush the “evil empire” of Wal-Mart.  People who may have heard the arguments months ago may have forgotten or see the continued struggle as a reason to donate more in order to keep the land preserved.

But the land will still be preserved, regardless of whether or not Wal-Mart builds.  The Military Park isn’t going anywhere unless the entire federal government begins to collapse and the funding isn’t renewed.  Even then, it would go on sale and I’m pretty sure one or more of the celebrities on the petitions would chip in for it.  There are many more battlefields that are in more danger of being completely destroyed that could use the attention.

The “appointment” has to be certified by Illinois Secretary of State Jessie White who has said emphatically that he won’t approve anyone the governor names.  U.S. Senate leaders have also stated they won’t accept anyone Blago nominates, either.

So why make the “appointment” anyway?  Well, he may feel indebted to do so since Burris contributed $4,500 to Blagojevich’s campaign.  His timing was appropriate as it was received while the embattled governor was in the middle of fighting charges of ethical misconduct.

What’s odd is that Burris recently was heard being critical of Blagojevich’s alleged corruption dealings.  He even spoke negatively against Blagojevich when he was expressing his interest in the vacant seat while in the same breath praising Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s attempt to have the governor declared unfit to serve by the Illinois Supreme Court.

Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn said the decision to announce the “appointment” was “an insult to the people of Illinois.  We believe in clean government, and Rod Blagojevich has unclean hands.”

Really, Pat??  Amazing statement since Quinn stood on-camera with Burris as he touted his interest in the President-elect’s vacant Senate seat.  Maybe he’s talking more about Blagojevich, but doesn’t it speak volumes about with whom someone associates?  Burris has continually campaigned for the seat, even though he’s been a bit more quiet about it since the charges were fired.

Burris isn’t unremarkable, though.  He was the first black politican elected to a statewide office.  He’s a native of Centralia, Ill., and even graduated from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale before studying at the University of Hamburg in Germany and finally earning a law degree from Howard University.  He served as Illinois’ comptroller from 1979 to 1991.  He then served as the state’s attorney general from 1991 to 1995.  He also served as the vice-chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1985 to 1989.

His political career hasn’t been without heartache — he lost the gubernatorial nomination in 1994, 1998, and 2002, the last loss coming to Blagojevich.  In 1995, former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley defeated him for the nomination to that city’s highest office.

Burris runs the lobbying and consulting firm Burris & Lebed Consulting, which might make him ineligible to serve in an Obama administration position but it doesn’t disqualify him from serving in the Senate.  However, his own ethical fortitude might be questioned as you look farther back into his past.  His tenures as comptroller and attorney general saw many, many contracts approved from contributors and many questionable contributions — just like most every Illinois politician before or since (the only exception I can think of would be the late Senator Paul Simon, who defeated Burris).  A Chicago Tribune article in 1994 even noted that he “sweetened his state pension with a loan from his own political fund.”

Even though President-elect Obama and late-Senator Simon’s daughter, Sheila, have stated that he is a person to be admired, Burris may have dashed any hopes of holding the seat by allowing Blagojevich to move forward with the “appointment.”  Obama’s statement reads:

“Roland Burris is a good man and a fine public servant, but the Senate Democrats made it clear weeks ago that they cannot accept an appointment made by a governor who is accused of selling this very Senate seat.  I agree with their decision, and it is extremely disappointing that Governor Blagojevich has chosen to ignore it.  I believe the best resolution would be for the Governor to resign his office and allow a lawful and appropriate process of succession to take place.  While Governor Blagojevich is entitled to his day in court, the people of Illinois are entitled to a functioning government and major decisions free of taint and controversy.”

Blagojevich railed at the cameras and reporters as he left the press conference and said that he didn’t want the allegations against him to taint his nominee.  Well, Rod, it will and it has.  And Burris’ record doesn’t help the situation any, either.

I guess the newest hope for 2009 is that Illinois will find a politician that isn’t of the same political machine-driven fabric that has led to generations of cronyism and political corruptness.

A Plains Township, Penn., family didn’t know they had a squatter in their attic until local police and their K-9 officer located a man in their home.  Stanley Carter, 21, was charged with criminal trespass, several counts of burglary, theft, and receiving stolen property.

Carter had reportedly been staying with friends in the shared duplex when they asked him to leave.  The friends then filed a missing persons report a few days before Christmas after he went missing December 19th.  He accessed the shared attic space through a trap door.

Stacy Ferrance, owner of the home, said that Carter came out of his hiding space wearing her daughter’s pants and her sweatshirt and shoes.  Ferrance notified the police when a laptop, iPod, and cash were found missing on Christmas Day.  She called again the next day after finding footprints in her closet — the location of the other trap door leading to the attic.

Carter kept a list of everything he had pilfered from Ferrance’s home and even labeled it “Stanley’s Christmas List” in order to log all the items he “donated” to himself.  Police found the list as they were going through the inventory of what he took.

Ferrance said she had heard noises but thought they were caused by her children.  “From what I gather, he was helping himself to my home, eating my food, and stealing my clothes,” she said.

No….it wasn’t the detective’s fault that the commode wasn’t operating properly.  He was investigating the theft of a handgun, cash and jewelry from a Jensen Beach, Fla., home.  The 21-year-old suspect was staying in a Port St. Lucie hotel where the detective met with him.

Obviously forgetting where he hid some of his stash, the suspect allowed the detective to use the restroom.  When the toilet wouldn’t flush, he removed the cover from the tank and found the stolen handgun and three loaded magazines.   The suspect was charged December 22 with grand theft and grand theft of a firearm.

So, again, I ask what is it with Port St. Lucie?  Is it really a haven for stupid criminals?  Or, is it simply the unlucky victim of the press that seems to be able to highlight the inane acts of its citizens and passers-through?  Whatever the situation, I daresay that the city’s Convention and Visitors’ Bureau will probably have an uphill climb if things don’t change.

The accused robber, who was arrested in his Cary, Ill., home was easily tracked.  How?  Well, he use his October pay stub to write the note.  Half of it was left with the teller; the other half was found outside the bank’s front doors.  And, as with most pay stubs, it had his name and address clearly listed.

Money and the desire for more will make people do stupid things.  However, I’m not quite convinced that the stupidity shown in this instance could be solely blamed on it.  And I certainly wouldn’t consider this even remotely close to being the “heist of the century.”  Remember….proper planning prevents poor performance!