My Blog

Sudanese President Charged with Genocide

robinfletcher — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:31:05 GMT

It's about time. Sudanese president charged with genocide for campaign of violence in Darfur Omar Hassan al-Bashir is first sitting president to be indicted for genocide Sudan: Possible international prosecution stupid and malicious About 300,000 have died in Darfur, U.N. says; 2.5 million forced from homes» (CNN) -- The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has filed genocide charges against Sudan's president for a five-year campaign of violence in Darfur. The U.N. estimates 2.5 million have been forced from their homes in Darfur. 1 of 4 Luis Moreno-Ocampo on Monday urged a three-judge panel to issue an arrest warrant for President Omar Hassan al-Bashir to prevent the deaths of about 2.5 million people forced from their homes in the war-torn region of Darfur and who are still under attack from government-backed Janjaweed militia. The five charges against al-Bashir include masterminding attempts to wipe out African tribes in the war-torn region with a campaign of murder, rape and deportation. In an exclusive interview with CNN's Nic Robertson in the Dutch city of The Hague, the prosecutor said: "After three years I have strong evidence that al-Bashir is committing a genocide. I cannot be blackmailed, I cannot yield. Silence never helped the victims. Silence helped the perpetrators. The prosecutor should not be silent." Read a transcript of the interview The judges must now decide whether to issue the warrant, although they have approved all 11 of Moreno-Ocampo's previous submissions to the court. If issued, the warrant would make al-Bashir the first sitting president to be indicted by the ICC for genocide. Watch as ICC prosecutor targets al-Bashir » The United Nations said Monday it is evacuating non-essential staff from Darfur "due to the recent deteriorating security situation," but the joint African Union-U.N. peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) vowed to maintain its operations. In his request, Moreno-Ocampo says there are reasonable grounds to believe that al-Bashir bears criminal responsibility for five counts of genocide, two counts of crimes against humanity, and two counts of war crimes. The alleged crimes stem from a brutal counter-insurgency campaign the Sudanese government conducted after rebels began an uprising in Sudan's western Darfur region in 2003. The United States and much of the world has already characterized the campaign as genocide. The authorities armed and cooperated with Arab militias that went from village to village in Darfur, killing, torturing and raping residents there, according to the United Nations, western governments and human rights organizations. The militias targeted civilian members of tribes from which the rebels draw strength. About 300,000 people have died in Darfur, the United Nations estimates, and 2.5 million have been forced from their homes. Watch a tour of Darfur's deserted Northern Corridor » Moreno-Ocampo says al-Bashir targeted three ethnic groups living in the region -- including the Fur group, for whom Darfur is named -- solely on account of their ethnicity. Al-Bashir bears responsibility, Moreno-Ocampo says, because he sat at the apex of the government. "For such crimes to be committed over a period of five years and throughout Darfur, al-Bashir had to mobilize and keep mobilized the whole state apparatus; he had to control and direct perpetrators; and he had to rely on a genocidal plan," Moreno-Ocampo wrote as background for arrest warrant request. Sudan's ambassador to the United Nations has already condemned the charges. "It is a criminal move that should be resisted by all," Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad said Friday amid reports that the charges were imminent. "We will resist it by all possible legal means." Mohamad accused Moreno-Ocampo of "playing with fire." Rape is a way of life for Darfur women In Khartoum, a crowd of about 2,000 people greeted al-Bashir, who seized power in a 1989 coup, when he arrived for an emergency meeting of his Cabinet Sunday to discuss the charges. When he saw the crowd, al-Bashir climbed onto a pickup truck and pumped his fist in the air, whipping the group into a frenzy. Some held signs saying, "You are joking... Ocamp-who?" and "Death to America." A high-ranking ambassador at the presidential palace called the possible prosecution stupid and malicious, and warned that the Sudanese people would see it as proof of a larger conspiracy against the country. Watch why Sudan's leader has support in China » In 2005, the Security Council cleared the way for possible war crimes prosecutions related to Darfur by the ICC, a permanent tribunal set up to handle prosecutions related to genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The court is based on a treaty signed by 106 nations -- excluding Sudan. The attacks in Darfur over the past five years have followed a common pattern, Moreno-Ocampo's evidence says. Members of Sudan's armed forces, often acting together with the militias and under al-Bashir's command, singled out villages and towns inhabited by tribal groups. Troops and militia members shot and killed civilians, and sometimes the Sudanese air force was called in to bomb villages and towns in support of the ground forces, the prosecutor's evidence says. Residents who fled were often chased and attacked or left to fend for themselves in the wilderness, the evidence says. The attacks, it says, undermined the ability of the targeted groups to survive in Darfur. The destruction of their homes scattered entire communities, and the pervasive rape and sexual violence against girls and women -- who are often targeted when they are out collecting firewood or water -- has torn families apart. Watch how UNICEF is trying to prevent rape in Darfur » "They are raping women, raping girls, raping in groups -- raping to destroy the communities," Moreno-Ocampo told CNN. "Rape is a tool in the genocide -- the most important tool today." The ICC has already indicted two men for Darfur crimes -- Ahmad Harun, Sudan's former minister of the interior who is now in charge of humanitarian affairs for the Sudanese government and militia leader Ali Kushayb -- but neither has been brought to justice. Once the ICC indicts someone, authorities in that person's native country -- or the country in which the indicted person is located -- have the power to detain the indicted person for trial at the Hague. Kushayb and Harun both remain in Sudan where they enjoy the protection of al-Bashir, Moreno-Ocampo said. Since they have not been arrested, the prosecutor says, it is unlikely al-Bashir will be -- and he says it will probably take a U.N. Security Council resolution for al-Bashir to be brought to justice. Senior Sudanese government leaders have previously told CNN that reports of atrocities in Darfur are exaggerated. "Yes, there has been a war and some people have died, but it's not like what has been reflected in the media," Interior Minister Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid said last month.

David Lee Roth is back for another jumpkick

robinfletcher — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 01:56:26 GMT

We have to get tickets before they break up again. Break out your spandex, parachute pants and hairspray!

Nevada's Most Infamous Bordello, Mustang Ranch, Back in Business

robinfletcher — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 04:31:32 GMT

Just got hired, no not at the ranch, on the movie. Get your mind out of the gutter! PATRICK, Nevada It made Nevada the only state where prostitution is legal. In its checkered history, it was burned down, rebuilt, shut down by the IRS and sold on eBay for the price of a modest home. Now it's back. In its 40 years, the self-proclaimed World Famous Mustang Ranch has seen the murder of a heavyweight boxing contender and an owner who skipped the country to dodge the feds. It has heard countless stories that never will be told and knows names that never will be uttered. Like the phoenix rising out of the ashes, the gaudy pink stucco buildings housing the cribs of its prostitutes are in a new location, under new management and looking better than ever. "It's like the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty. The Mustang's always going to be there to stay," said Love, using her working name. She was at the Mustang when Joe Conforte was running it and is back at the refurbished version. "They've made it even better than the original." Conforte, now 80 or 81 — not even he is sure — arrived in Nevada in the mid 1950s, coming from Oakland, Calif., where he worked as a cab driver who tended to steer his fares toward his prostitutes. He opened an illegal brothel in Wadsworth, about 25 miles east of Mustang and immediately locked horns with Bill Raggio — then the district attorney in nearby Reno and now the Nevada Senate majority leader. He tried unsuccessfully to set Raggio up with the underage sister of a prostitute. It cost Conforte 22 months behind bars and Raggio burned the Triangle River Ranch brothel as a public nuisance. Raggio said he had no response about the reopening of the Mustang Ranch. "It's not in this county, so I'm not going to comment," he said. "As to the Triangle River Ranch, it was declared a public nuisance by a court order." "The order said abate the nuisance, not burn it," Conforte said in an earlier interview. "I abated the nuisance," Raggio replied. Conforte married fellow brothel owner Sally Burgess and the two took over the Mustang Bridge Ranch about 10 miles east of Reno in 1967. Four years later, Storey County licensed it as the first legal brothel in the state, not to mention the country. Prostitution is legal in 10 of Nevada's 17 counties and tolerated in two others. Among the counties where it's illegal are those surrounding Reno, Las Vegas and the capital, Carson City, according to state Archivist Guy Louis Rocha. About 27 are in operation. Efforts to ban prostitution have gone nowhere in the Nevada Legislature, although Gov. Jim Gibbons has opened the door with a promise to sign any anti-brothel bill that lands on his desk. Gibbons said even his mother thought legal prostitution had its place in Nevada, believing that it was better to have prostitutes "regulated, controlled and tested than walking the streets of Reno." But the governor said times have changed. "That's an historical perspective but over the last half-century, we've matured," he said. Raggio — a foe of legal prostitution — said he had no intent to introduce an anti-brothel bill. "My take is if an anti-brothel bill is introduced into the 2009 legislative session it will come from a southern Nevada legislator," Rocha said. "Brothels appear to be safe in northern Nevada." While Conforte amassed a fortune from his 104-room brothel, he remained in constant trouble with the feds and with the local governments he couldn't buy off. A grand jury in Reno found close ties to Reno-Sparks officials in 1976, but there were no indictments. In 1982, a grand jury in the county where the Mustang Ranch was located determined that Conforte had unusual influence in the county and implicated the district attorney and the sheriff. Again, no indictments were returned after a 2 1/2-year investigation. In between, the Mustang Ranch was burned down in 1975 in an apparent arson. Conforte rebuilt. And in 1976, heavyweight contender Oscar Bonavena — managed intimately by Sally Conforte — was shot to death by a Mustang Ranch bodyguard. Conforte dealt mostly in cash and kept few records. By 1990, the IRS was fed up with his tax shenanigans and seized the ranch, putting the federal government in the unique position of running a brothel. It failed and the ranch was padlocked for the first time. The IRS auctioned off the beds, the bedding, the bidets — even the room numbers — to recover some of Conforte's tax debt. The brothel was sold for $1.49 million to a shell company overseen by Conforte and his attorney, Peter Perry. Conforte returned briefly to run the ranch, then fled to Brazil in 1991. The IRS got its final say in 1997 when it filed a $16 million tax lien, followed in July 1999 with indictments of Conforte and principals in his shell company on charges including racketeering and money laundering. Millions of dollars allegedly were wired to Conforte in Brazil. Federal agents, doing their best Men in Black, padlocked the gate where — according to Conforte — more than 1 million men had pressed the button that allowed them to be buzzed inside. Four years later, the brothel's new owner — the federal Bureau of Land Management — put the once infamous painted lady in the desert ignominiously up for grabs on eBay. Lance Gilman snapped it up for $145,100 — adding the $100 in the final seconds of bidding. "The Mustang Ranch was a historical site," Gilman said. "It was a business decision." Gilman, a real estate developer who opened the Wild Horse Resort & Spa in 2002, a brothel across the parking lot from the Mustang, estimates he has spent $6 million to move the 12 buildings four miles from Mustang to his property just off Interstate 80 in Patrick, then refurbish the decaying buildings. "They'd been sitting there unattended since '99," he said. Even before the ranch was shut down, it was showing its age. "It was getting a little bit dirty, we were all leaving it, no one cared," said Love, who prefers to be known by her working name. Gilman, with the money, and madam Susan Austin, with the eye for decor, stripped the property to the walls and remodeled. The parlor, where the girls line up, had to be stripped to its timbers and flown to the Wild Horse site, then completely rebuilt. "We spared no expense in refurbishing the original Mustang Ranch and turning it into one of the state's most luxurious brothels," Austin said proudly. "We kept the same pink stucco exterior of the buildings and spent a lot of time, thought and effort into decorating the massive entry parlor." It's a far cry from the declining days of the old Conforte Mustang, when the red carpet, the velveteen couches and even the flocked wallpaper all were showing their age. "We kept the essence of what was the Mustang Ranch. We just greatly enhanced and improved it," Austin said. Conforte, speaking in a teleconference from his beachfront hideaway in Brazil, praised the effort in his raspy Sicilian cant. "I want to thank Lance and Susan for going to all this work to get this place together," he said. "It turned out real, real, real good."

Can hardly wait!

robinfletcher — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:48:39 GMT

We got our tickets!!!

Gypsy Rose Lee

robinfletcher — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:46:18 GMT

I worked on another play last weekend doing costumes. It was the musical fable "Gypsy" based upon the life of the infamous stripper Gypsy Rose Lee. It was really fun and the Sondheim songs really kept everything moving right along. I researched more about her and the story is actually a lot darker than the play depicts. Thats to be expected I guess, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about how truly monstrous the mother was how crazy her childhood was. Their real life story is much more interesting and strange than this sweet little musical is.

So Good

robinfletcher — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 05:17:44 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebu0OBa1pus Thats right.

Huh?

robinfletcher — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 18:14:33 GMT

Why Are Media Calling Obama’s Super Tuesday Victory a Tie? By Noel Sheppard | February 6, 2008 - 13:07 ET newsbusters.org/blogs/noel...victory-tie Pop quiz, hotshot: If you win more states and more delegates than your competitor on Super Tuesday, is this a tie? It is if media say so. Consider if you will Barack Obama winning thirteen of the 22 states up for grabs Tuesday (New Mexico being still too close to call), and, according to multiple sources, taking home the most delegates. Isn't that a win? Not according to CBS News.com which offered readers the following headline: Dems Fight To A Draw On Super Tuesday Obama Wins Majority Of States, But Clinton Holds Slim Lead In Delegate Race Yet, inside the body of the article - buried deeply in the tenth paragraph - was the following tidbit (emphasis added): As the breakdown of states suggests, the race for delegates was close. CBS News estimates Clinton has won 641 of the night's available delegates compared to Obama's 643. Since the race kicked off with the Iowa caucuses Jan. 3, Clinton has won 900 delegates and Obama 824. Actually, as will be discussed later, these statements appear false. But before we get there, ABC News.com was just as evasive in calling a winner offering the following headline: Clinton Wins Delegate-Rich States; Obama Takes Most StatesDemocratic White House Contenders Battle for Votes, Delegates in 22 States Inside was the following: Neither Democratic candidate was able to declare a Super Tuesday victory. Well, that's actually not true, as Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe did indeed declare this a victory for the junior senator from Illinois: By winning a majority of delegates and a majority of the states, Barack Obama won an important Super Tuesday victory over Senator Clinton in the closest thing we have to a national primary. According to Politico's Mike Allen, one network seems to agree with the Obama camp (emphasis added): NBC News, which is projecting delegates based on the Democratic Party's complex formula, figures Obama will wind up with 840 to 849 delegates, versus 829 to 838 for Clinton. Clinton was portrayed in many news accounts as the night's big winner, but Obama's campaign says he wound up with a higher total where it really counts - the delegates who will choose the party's nominee at this summer's Democratic convention. With the delegate count still under way, NBC News said Obama appears to have won around 840 delegates in yesterday's contests, while Clinton earned about 830 - "give or take a few," Tim Russert, the network's Washington bureau chief, said on the "Today" show. As NewsBusters reported on January 19, media did the same three card Monty after the Nevada caucuses. In fairness, this race is indeed darned close. However, if Hillary ends up winning New Mexico, Obama would have beaten her in the state count Super Tuesday by a margin of 13-9, whilst apparently taking the most delegates, albeit by a scant few. And, according to Allen, Obama might actually now lead in the delegate count (emphasis added): The Obama campaign attached an Excel spreadsheet containing “state-by-state estimates of the pledged delegates we won last night, which total 845 for Obama and 836 for Clinton — bringing the to-date total of delegates to 908 for Obama, 884 for Clinton.” As such, shouldn't Super Tuesday be reported as an Obama victory, or did the Giants actually tie the Patriots in Sunday's Super Bowl? —Noel Sheppard is an economist, business owner, and Associate Editor of NewsBusters. Thank You Starfox

The Invitation

robinfletcher — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 03:49:02 GMT

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing. It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love for your dream for the adventure of being alive. It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon... I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow if you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain mine or your own without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it. I want to know if you can be with joy mine or your own if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful to be realistic to remember the limitations of being human. It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself. If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul. If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy. I want to know if you can see Beauty even when it is not pretty every day. And if you can source your own life from its presence. I want to know if you can live with failure yours and mine and still stand at the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes.” It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair weary and bruised to the bone and do what needs to be done to feed the children. It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back. It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments. ~Oriah

The Lost Boys

robinfletcher — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 01:03:56 GMT

I worked an off Broadway production of "Peter Pan" last night at the Pioneer Center. Five shows in three days. It was a marathon, but alot of fun too. We brought the girls and their sitter to last nights show and they loved it. Especially when they *flew* to Neverland, and the Crocodile with it's bid red glowing eyes and sharp teeth. I have to say Gary Kimble the actor playing Hook was brilliant.

I have a cold

robinfletcher — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 05:14:01 GMT

for the first time in a couple years. achy, tired, crabby. just took a mustard bath and steam rubbed herbal immune balm all over and lavendar oil to help me sleep drinking chamomile tea vitamin c and soup. got it from the kids need to take care. good~night. see you in a few days or so.

Preserve the Earth

robinfletcher — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 19:56:01 GMT

By the fabulous Caia Coopman

Faith

robinfletcher — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 04:13:29 GMT

Faith is taking the first step, Even when you don't see the Whole staircase. Martin Luther king I love this.

Creme Brulee Ice Cream!

robinfletcher — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 19:41:32 GMT

My favorite dessert translated, and well I might add, into an ice cream flavour. Sweet custard ice cream loaded with crunchy, yet delicate carmelized sugar swirls. Custard lovers, like me, are bound to appreciate this one. It might be too rich to top my caramel pecan pie...we'll just have to try it and see!

My Favorite Christmas Movie

robinfletcher — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 18:54:20 GMT

For all you Muppet's fans, it's a must have!!!

I'm a Happy Gal!

robinfletcher — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 00:00:26 GMT

My lovely friend Angel and her hubby Copper adopted me on Tribe--I'm bonafied! Guess that makes me their Bi-otch now. Also my LA girlfriend Zenia gifted me, just because, the most adorable Wonder Woman undies set!!! They are so cute! Thank You Sweetie! I Love 'em! Thank You All for being so cool and so generous. Muah-big smooch! It's good to be loved.

15 Days Until Christmas!!!

robinfletcher — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 23:12:48 GMT

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrap, but I have recycled some cute gift bags given to us. 2. Real or fake tree? Fake please. Not with our allergies, too much dust and mold, but I do love that pine scent. 3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the 2nd weekend in Dec, but this year we were early, a few days after Thanksgiving. 4. When do you take the tree down? On the second or third of January 5. Do you like eggnog? Oh yes! Especially the homemade version with booze. Rich, thick, creamy, sweet and nutty! Slurp! 6. Favorite gift received as a child? It was a I deam of Genie Doll from the base, complete with her bottle pad - round bed and all. Given to me by my favorite Grandma Sally. She always gave the best gifts. 7. Do you have a nativity scene? No, but I want one badly. For the table, not the lawn! 8. Hardest person to buy for? My sister-in-law, the one that has everything. It never seems appreciated, no matter what it is. 9. Easiest person to buy for? My husband. He likes whatever I get him, and we know eachother so well, it's always right. 10. Worst Christmas gift you ever got? A gold locket from a guy I had stopped seeing, our names were engraved on the back and inside was his photo with really scarry smile(play theme from "Psycho" here). 11. Mail or email Christmas cards? I love the whole idea of mailing them, and do, but sometimes it's email. 12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas hands down! A Jim Henson movie, but hard to find nowdays. My hubby and kids love Elf. It makes everybody laugh. 13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? November, sometimes before, but even if it's late I know exactly what I'm buying/making. 14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Only once, but the person knew it and wanted the gift. 15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Maple Sugar Candy and homeade Fudge. 16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? It depends on what the tree's theme is going to be. I like both. 17. Favorite Christmas song? The classic version of The Little Drummer Boy still brings tears to my eyes, and I like Annie Lennox singing Silver Bells. I listen to alot of Christmas Music during the holidays. Alot. 18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? This year, we will be staying home. Thankfully. We could travel, but no, not this year. 19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeers Only because of the song Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Donner, and Blitzen, Comet and Cupid....and do you recaaaalllll the most famous reindeer of all... 20. Angel on the tree top or a star? A big beautiful Angel in a purple gown with gold wings. 21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Day, but some from family on Christmas Eve. Stockings only after the presents have been opened. 22. Where are your favorite places to shop? We have small shops that I like to go to and a few online specialty stores for hard to find toys and craft fairs/Christmas bazzars. 23. Most annoying thing about this time of year? The Grinches. Those people that are angry about the traffic, crowds, snow, cold weather etc. and take it out on everyone. They should just stay home! 24. What I love most about Christmas? The Traditions and getting together with friends and family

Imagine

robinfletcher — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 22:48:58 GMT

Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky Imagine all the people Living for today... Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too Imagine all the people Living life in peace... You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will be as one Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can No need for greed or hunger A brotherhood of man Imagine all the people Sharing all the world... You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will live as one

Pimm's Fizz

robinfletcher — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 19:38:49 GMT

One of my favorite winter/fall cocktails. There is simply nothing more refreshing. 1 part Pimm's #1 1 part ginger ale - I prefer Vernor's add thinly sliced apples, cucumbers and oranges or lemons

If you do nothing else today, watch this. You Tube Gold = Leslie Hall

robinfletcher — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:52:17 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8WoyPEVRFo Shot in Ames, Iowa. With local peeps. This song is on the 3rd album by Leslie Hall. By request...the lyrics... Wick wicky wicky wack On the way to the club we pass a Dairy Queen You stop cause it you know it means so much to me We take the back seats out of your mini van Now we roll like a hummer or a full size sedan Now park this thing real close to the club And feel free to break out the golden lady rug And hold my hand when we approach the bouncer I don't wanna look like a hungry camp counselor CHORUS: Cause this is how we go out In my town roll down the windows Let Reba crack the bass Wave to the hot pocket people with the smiles on they're face Waiting and wanting just a good time on the dance floor Shake it if you wanna hear more Stomp once to hear Britney Now twice for Beyonce Now three times if you wanna hear me get nasty (girl get nasty) All I wanna do is the ziga-zig ahh A little louder now cause I can't hear yea You get me hotter than a stick a hot glue And I'm scrapbooking everything we do Ring ring ring- that's my cell Bring the bling when I sing of course I will Hand it to me to get the people shocked Myspaced by my lovers can you hear my beat talken It says I love you I arrive looking good and thankfully My pants do stretch which allow me to be Free on the dance floor but not a cheap date I poured the body glitter on cause I never hesitate Now my master plan is to shock then tease Break ever heart than bust my knees Proven and groven my brand new dance Might just be the greatest in the lands Then the crowd says ahhhhhh when I do my scissor kicks Then the crowd screams ohhhhh when I do my lady flips CHORUS It's two o'clock and the club is closed Everyone's heading home I'll see you next weekend Then I get a tip about a party Three blocks away Chorus (less)

WTF - Indeed

robinfletcher — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 19:18:14 GMT

When Jordan Fox was serving in Iraq, his mother helped organize Operation Pittsburgh Pride, which sends thousands of care packages to U.S. troops from his hometown, which prompted a personal “thank you” from the White House. When Fox was seriously injured in Iraq, the president sent what appeared to be personal note, expressing his concerns to the Fox family. But more recently, Fox received a different piece of correspondence from the Bush administration. The U.S. Military is demanding that thousands of wounded service personnel give back signing bonuses because they are unable to serve out their commitments. To get people to sign up, the military gives enlistment bonuses up to $30,000 in some cases. Now men and women who have lost arms, legs, eyesight, hearing and can no longer serve are being ordered to pay some of that money back. I watched the report from the CBS affiliate in Pittsburgh, and I kept thinking, “This can’t be right.” Apparently, it is. In Jordan Fox’s case, he was seriously injured when a roadside bomb blew up his vehicle, causing back injuries and blindness in his right eye. He was sent home, unable to complete the final three months of his military commitment. Last week, the Pentagon sent him a bill: Fox owed the government nearly $3,000 of his signing bonus. “I tried to do my best and serve my country. I was unfortunately hurt in the process. Now they’re telling me they want their money back,” Fox said. Look, if a soldier signed a contract, collected a signing bonus, and then quit, I can understand the military asking for the signing bonus back. But we’re talking about troops who volunteered, served, and were seriously injured. It’s not their fault they got hurt. How on earth is the Pentagon justified in asking for a refund? In Jordan Fox’s case, he doesn’t have $3,000 lying around to give the government, and his injuries are such that he had to give up on his goal of becoming a police officer. For what it’s worth, Fox’s congressman, Democrat Jason Altmire, has introduced a bill to prohibit the Bush administration from asking the troops for refunds. Mr. Altmire, D-McCandless, held a news conference yesterday at the Ross municipal building with Spc. Kaminski and other veterans to tout legislation he has authored to aid wounded soldiers. At the forefront was a bill introduced last week and sent to committee that targets a Defense Department policy preventing eligible soldiers from receiving their full bonuses if discharged early because of combat-related injuries. “Hard as it may be to believe, the Department of Defense has been denying injured servicemen and women the bonuses that they qualified for,” Mr. Altmire said. He said he drafted the legislation after hearing “outrageous” examples of bonuses being denied…. Mr. Altmire’s legislation, the Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act, would require the Defense Department to pay bonuses in full within 30 days to veterans discharged because of combat-related wounds. Seems like a no-brainer

Giving Thanks

robinfletcher — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 19:50:22 GMT

~I deeply appreciate and give thanks for everything - the food on my table, the opportunites of living here in the United States of America, my family, our friends and my life and good health. When you start noticing your Abundance ~ it grows!

ME - Quiz per Angel

robinfletcher — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 23:41:49 GMT

Q :If you could come back as anything what would it be? a famous ballerina, or blues/soul singer - like Aretha! Q :What is your favorite color? blue all shades, of heavenly blue Q:What are you most vain about? my hair and my skin Q: What are you most shy about? my tummy--right now it's a little too soft Q: If you could have somebody elses body whose would it be? I've always thought it would be fun to come back with Linda Carter's bod! Q: Who are your fantasy dinner party guests? All of my great grandparents and grandparents, two of whom i never met, obviously at a different dinner party than these: Mother Teresa, Elvis, Jesus Christ, Henri~Toulouse Lautrec, Mark Twain, Mae West, Emilia Earhart, Marilyn Monroe, Gahndi and Coco Chanel Q: If you were inventor what would you invent? a teleporter, as i loathe air travel or an android housekeeper Q: When are you happiest? when i'm creating Q: Who's your best friend? the handful i've had the longest are all the best. my husband of the last 8 years is a the very best friend i've ever had--aaaawwwwww! Q: What was your childhood nickname? Rocket or Rocky Q: Who's your worst enemy? don't really have any now-they underestimated me and now they don't exist...regret is my worst enemy now Q: What's you're most treasured possession? family heirlooms and photo albums Q: Who's your favorite fictional charater i like heroines that are beautiful inside and out, and are strong, romantic, risk takers who kick ass and take names i really love kathy in wuthering heights and little scout from to kill a mockingbird

Mahalakshmi

robinfletcher — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 05:00:37 GMT

Goddess of wealth, fortune, love and beauty.

dia de los muertos

robinfletcher — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:56:04 GMT

we have much to mourn, remember and celebrate at this time of honoring our loved ones.

buddah love

robinfletcher — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 05:42:47 GMT