THE CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY

THE BOB TELMOSSE CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY: HOSTED BY MR. BIGGS

For the past 26 years, the Bob Telmossé Christmas Giveaway has given away bikes, food, toys, and clothing to families in Colorado Springs at Christmas. Originally the giveaway began as a prank. In 1982, someone placed an ad in the Gazette saying that Bob Telmosse was giving away free food from his furniture store. After a crowd gathered in his parking lot, Bob decided to hold a real giveaway. Eventually it was moved to Christmas, and over the years the giveaway has included giving away food bags and frozen turkeys, gifts for children and parents, and clothing.

EVENT DATE: December 23, 2008

TIMES: 9:00AM - 3:00PM

LOCATION: Mr. Biggs Event Center, 5825 Mark Dabling Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80917 (map)

VOLUNTEER NEEDS: This event will need several hundred volunteers to help with every aspect of the event–crowd control, parking, helping kids pick gifts, gift wrapping, etc. Click here to find out more information and register directly with the Bob Telmosse Christmas Giveaway.



https://santa-bob.org/

SILENT NIGHT

Every year I go to a few retirement homes and play a few songs and talk about their origins & history... mostly just visit with people who might not have someone come that day.  If you know of a place that might enjoy some music & company please let me know. richard.

and now... CHRISTMAS

As mentioned this morning... I AM pretty darn specific about the season when it comes to movies, music, etc. It IS the best time of year and i only go with the good stuff. Let's start with movies. These are "musts".

1. "It's A Wonderful Life": it doesn't get any better... really.
2. "Joyeux Noel": A look at the "Christmas Truce" of 1914. In the middle of World War One there was magic... if only for a day or two.
3. "What Would Jesus Buy": funny and serious all at the same time. a harsh look at just how we can jump the track when it comes to the true meaning of Christmas.
4. "The Polar Express": let me get this right.... i get Christmas and trains and tom hanks a great story and animation all in one movie???
5. "A Christmas Story": my older brother told me about this movie a year or two before it hit it big. And for the record the one time someone tried to shoot me in the eye with a bb gun it hit me in the cheek. Then again, i do recall my brother and i throwing darts at each other one Christmas.
6. "Holiday Inn": the first movie in which the song "White Christmas" was featured. (not to be confused with "White Christmas". In college, we Tekes would get together every year to watch this and perhaps have a beverage or two.
7. "A Christmas Carol": frightened me as a kid. it is a classic. dickens is as good as they come, just a matter of which version you like.

Hope you make time to watch your favorites... or give me a heads up to one i might like. Merry Christmas

YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME

i love this photo. it says it all about the candidate and his campaign. just make it up and people will buy it. really. if i were him and someone suggested this... i would say "look, i'm be president pretty soon, i'll get the real deal... i'm pretty sure people know who and what i am... blue background and flag are one thing but some tacky, made-up "thing".... i don't think so... people are smarter than that... oh wait... they elected me." (again, just clearing the deck before the Christmas mood overtakes me and i sing Kumbaya right after i play silent night sitting by the fire.) (which i will post in short order)

why didn't the media publish these during the election

i'm just asking? (get it out of my system and get into the Christmas mood)

CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE THIS???

Below is an editorial from the L.A. Times. Please note that if you think the U.S. Constitution should be followed you are considered a "wacko". Also note the logic to change the Constitution based on "In a rapidly globalizing society, we can expect more candidates like Obama". Also note the attempt to put on an equal footing John McCain (who was born out of country because of a military father) and Obama who has a Kenyan father and has never proved he is a natural born citizen. How is it so simple to me... follow the Constitution... and difficult for the non-wackos to understand. Richard

Editorial
Who can be president
Challenges to Obama's victory are stuck in the past. The Constitution's requirements should be updated.
December 16, 2008


If the Supreme Court could weigh in on Al Gore in 2000, maybe it could prevent Barack Obama from taking office as well. That seems to be the motivation behind one of the wackier political movements of 2008, an Internet-fueled attempt to prevent Obama from assuming the presidency based on the discredited notion that he isn't a natural-born American citizen, as the Constitution requires.

It's not hard to dismiss the factual or legal basis for this claim -- as the Supreme Court did Monday when it declined to hear a case from a Connecticut man named Cort Wrotnowski. A similar case was rejected last week, and there are at least two other appeals pending before the court, though they almost certainly will meet the same fate. That's because there is abundant evidence that Obama was born in Honolulu in 1961.

But what if he weren't? For that matter, what if Republican candidate John McCain had been disqualified from the presidency, as some equally spurious lawsuits attempted, because he was born in the Panama Canal Zone? Should the fact that a candidate wasn't born in the United States and may have had parents who weren't U.S. citizens prevent him or her from running for this nation's highest office? Even a person who has lived in this country for nearly his or her entire life, such as a foreign-born child adopted by American parents, is barred.

The framers of the Constitution required presidents and vice presidents to be natural-born citizens because they feared that foreign monarchs would otherwise be free to intrude in U.S. affairs. There's not much reason to fear such shenanigans anymore, yet the anachronistic article remains and can only be removed through a constitutional amendment.

Speculation about California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plans for higher office spurred a movement for such an amendment a few years back, but it didn't go far. That's a shame, and not simply because it squelches the Austrian-born Schwarzenegger's political ambitions. Thousands of foreign-born Americans have served this country brilliantly as governors, statesmen, senators and soldiers, but we bar them from our top job, and worse yet, we prevent Americans from deciding for themselves whether they deserve to be elected because of a provision that no longer serves any practical purpose.


In a rapidly globalizing society, we can expect more candidates like Obama and McCain -- admirable leaders who may not have had a conventional American upbringing -- and the challenges to their qualifications might not be so easy for courts to dismiss. All the more reason to bring the Constitution into the 21st century, and make our democracy more democratic, by letting Americans vote for whomever they choose.

TOMORROW I'LL TALK ABOUT THIS KILLER'S CONNECTION TO A COLORADO SPRINGS CASE

Police say Fla. boy's 1981 murder is solved
7 hours ago

Authorities in South Florida say they've finally solved the 1981 killing of a boy whose father later gained fame as the host of "America's Most Wanted."

Hollywood police said Tuesday that a man long considered the lead suspect in 6-year-old Adam Walsh's death has finally been named as the man responsible for the crime. But he won't be tried: Serial killer Ottis Toole (AH'-tis TOOL) died in prison more than a decade ago.

Toole had confessed to the killing, but later recanted. He claimed hundreds of murders, but police determined most of the confessions were lies. Toole's niece told the boy's father, John Walsh, her uncle gave a deathbed confession.

John Walsh has said he believed Toole killed his son. He says not knowing was torture, but "that journey's over."

HERE'S A SAMPLE OF RECENT CRIME

Incident Date December 16, 2008 Time 4:30:00 PM Division Falcon Shift II
Title Robbery Location 3110 N. Nevada Ave.
Summary At about 4:30 PM today the Colorado Springs Police Department received a report that a robbery had just occurred at the Colorado National Bank, 3110 North Nevada Ave. The arriving officers determined that a Hispanic male in his early 20s used a handgun to rob the bank, and then left on foot running north. The victims described the suspect further as a Hispanic male with dark hair, about 5’5” tall, weighing 130-140 pounds. He was wearing blue pants and a blue down jacket with a “Broncos” emblem on the back. He obtained an undisclosed amount of cash.

Earlier, at about 4:05 PM, an attempted robbery was reported at Conway’s Red Top, 1228 E Fillmore Street. The suspect was armed with a handgun in this incident also. The suspect in this case is described as a Hispanic male in his 20’s with dark hair, about 5’6” tall with a thin build. He was wearing a grey jacket, blue jeans, white shoes and blue baseball cap. He left before obtaining anything of value.

No one was injured in either incident. Detectives from the Robbery Unit responded to assist with the investigation. They are currently looking into both incidents to determine whether they are connected.

Anyone with information about either crime is encouraged to call the Colorado Springs Police Department at 444-7000 or Crime Stoppers at 634-STOP.

Adults Arrested none


Incident Date December 16, 2008 Time 4:05:00 PM Division Falcon Shift II
Title Robbery Location 1228 East Fillmore Street
Summary Falcon Division patrol officers were dispatched to the Red Top Restaurant at 1228 East Fillmore Street on the report of a robbery with a weapon. The investigation revealed that an unknown male entered the store displaying a weapon and demanding money. The suspect was described as a hispanic male in his 20's, 5'5", thin build. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, grey jacket, white shoes, wearing blue baseball cap and sunglasses. The location and identity of the suspect are unknown at this time. A K9 track was attempted however the suspect was not located. No injuries were reported. Investigation is continuing.
Adults Arrested None


Incident Date December 16, 2008 Time 4:54:00 PM Division Sand Creek Shift II
Title Robbery Location 2839 E. Fountain Boulevard
Summary On Tuesday, 12/16/2008 at approximately 1655 hours, officers were dispatched to the Popeye's Restaurant located at 2839 E. Fountain Boulevard to investigate a robbery involving a handgun. A female employee had just left the restaurant to walk to her vehicle to make a bank deposit when she was contacted in the parking lot by a male. The male pointed a black colored handgun, possibly a revolver, at the female and demanded money. The female gave the male an unknown amount of money, and the male fled the area on foot, last seen running eastbound on Verde Drive. The female was not injured during the robbery. The suspect was described as being a Black male, approximately 20-25 years of age, 5'll", medium build, wearing a black jacket, black pants, and a black beanie style hat.
Adults Arrested



Incident Date December 15, 2008 Time 7:45:00 PM Division Sand Creek Shift II
Title Robbery Location 2705 Janitell Road
Summary On Monday, December 15, 2008, at approximately 1948 hours, officers were dispatched to the Shell Service Station/McDonalds restaurant located at 2705 Janitell Road to investigate a robbery. Three males entered the service station side of the building and demanded money from a male clerk. The clerk opened the cash register and the males grabbed an unknown amount of cash from the drawer. The males then ran from the business to a car parked to the east of the McDonald’s restaurant and drove out of the area. One of the males was armed with a dark colored handgun. No persons were injured during the robbery. The male suspect armed with the handgun was described as a Black male, approximately 16-20 years of age, 6'tall, 180-200lbs, wearing a dark colored jacket, possibly a dark colored hat and a red bandana over his face. The second suspect was described as a Black male, 16-20 years of age, 6', 180lbs, wearing a black and white patterned jacket and red bandana over his face. The third suspect was described as a Black male, also 16-20 years of age, 6', 180-200lbs, wearing a red jacket and red bandana over his face. The suspect vehicle was described as being an unknown make, dark gray colored hatchback.
Adults Arrested


Incident Date December 15, 2008 Time 4:01:00 PM Division Stetson Hills Shift II
Title Death Location 2510 Lelaray St.
Summary On 12/15/08 at approximately 4:00 PM, CSPD Stetson Hills Division officers were dispatched to 2510 Lelaray St. regarding a shooting. Upon arrival, an unresponsive teenaged male was located with a suspected gunshot wound to the head. The male was transported to Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced deceased a short time later. Members of the CSPD Homicide Unit responded to assist with the investigation. Although in the early stages of the investigation, the preliminary indication is that the male may have shot himself. The identity of the male has not been confirmed at this time.
Adults Arrested


Incident Date December 15, 2008 Time 12:45:00 PM Division Stetson Hills Shift I
Title Burglary Location 5023 Villa Circle
Summary Stetson Hills Officers were dispatched to 5023 Villa Cir, regarding a home invasion.
The suspects broke into the victim’s residence through the back attached garage door. Suspect #1 is a BM 20’s 509/ thin build, black hair and black jacket. Suspect #2 is a BM 20’s unknown height, / thin build, black hair and black baseball cap. The victim was sleeping at the time and when she and her Great Dane dog walked into the room where the suspects were the suspects turned and ran from the residence. It appears that the suspects did not take anything from the residence. K-9 tracked the suspects up to the area of 3100 El Canto Dr where it appears the suspects may have entered a vehicle.
Adults Arrested N/A


Incident Date December 14, 2008 Time 6:25:00 PM Division Gold Hill Shift II
Title Robbery Location 4900 Farthing Drive
Summary Gold Hill officers responded to a call for service regarding a home invasion in which the suspect/s approached a male victim as he was shoveling the snow on his driveway and demanded that he enter the residence where he had the victim tie his wife up prior to taking the male victim to a near by ATM where an undisclosed amount of money was taken. The primary suspect, described as a black male, 20's, thin wearing a ski mask, was accompanied by an unknown race accomplice driving a white SUV type vehicle. The victim,was located a short time later and as a precaution was examined by emergency medical personnel prior to his being released. Investigation continuing.
Adults Arrested N/A



Incident Date December 13, 2008 Time 8:48:00 PM Division Falcon Shift II
Title Robbery Location 1708 Dublin Blvd. (Papa Murphy's Pizza)
Summary Officers were dispatched to the Papa Murphy's Pizza store, 1708 Dublin blvd on a robbery. A single male suspect entered the business, pointed a handgun at the employees, and demanded money from the register and store safe. The suspect is described as a white male, 18-20, 601/thin,wearing a beanie cap, black ski type mask and a black hoodie. The suspect had a piercing on his left eyebrow. Suspect left the store with an undetermined abount of currency. The area was contained and searched using K-9 and the Air Unit. K-9 was able to track the suspect along a north fence area to a nearby apartment complex. The track was lost around the area of 1530 Dublin (Quail Creek Apartments). No one was injured during the robbery.
Adults Arrested


Incident Date December 13, 2008 Time 6:38:00 PM Division Stetson Hills Shift II
Title Robbery Location 4750 Shadowglen Dr.
Summary On 12/13/2008 at 1838 hrs., CSPD was notified of a weapons display at 4750 Shadowglen Dr. Upon arrival at 1847 hrs., Officers determined this was an attempted carjacking. The investigation revealed that the victim had pulled into his driveway when two males approached his vehicle from the bushes in front of his residence. One male stood back by the large pine tree in the front yard while the other male approached the vehicle. The male that approached the vehicle pointed a dark, unknown type handgun at the victim’s son first, who had just exited the vehicle, then at the victim. The victim started honking the horn and the suspects ran south from the scene. The suspects never said anything to the victim. The victim described the suspects as two unknown race males, late teens to 20’s, 5’7” to 6’0”, wearing dark clothes and red bandanas covering their faces. The victim was driving a 2005 Jeep Cherokee. Canine track was unsuccessful.
Adults Arrested None


Incident Date December 12, 2008 Time 4:14:00 PM Division Sand Creek Shift II
Title Burglary Location 2200 Farnsworth Drive
Summary The southeast portion of Colorado Springs has been experiencing a rash of home burglaries involving extensive damage to the residences and weapons being taken. On 12/12/08 at approximately 1614 hours Sand Creek Officers were responding to a shots fired call on Dover Drive when they contacted four juvenile males. One of those males had evidence from a burglary on his person. Two fresh burglaries were discovered in the immediate area. The juveniles were detained and transported to the Sand Creek Station where COMMIT Officers conducted interviews with the parents. Additional evidence was discovered as a result. Two burglaries were cleared as a result of this investigation and several more cases are expected to be cleared. Three of the four juveniles were transported to the Spring Creek Juvenile Detention Center on charges of First Degree Burglary and the fourth was released pending further investigation. COMMIT Officers are handling the investigation.
***UPDATE***
On 12/12/08 at approx. 2335 hours officers were dispatched to the area of 4825 Astrozon Bl on several reports of shots fired at that location. One witness had seen several juveniles jump out of a vehicle and run into 4750 Dover Drive. Officers arrived in the area and located the vehicle that the witness described. There were two handguns located inside the vehicle. The residence was contained and the occupants were ordered to leave. After several announcements, four juveniles exited the residence. No adults were present. A search warrant was completed and the residence was searched. No additional evidence was located. The juveniles contacted were released pending further investigation. 3 guns have been recovered in the investigation so far.
Adults Arrested N/A

GIRL NEXT DOOR PIN-UP QUEEN IS DEAD

Bettie Page was voted one of Playboy's 100 sexiest women ever. Several years ago I tracked her down and she agreed to a one on one exclusive interview. The story I did won an Associated Press Award in 2000. On Saturday morning I'll play the interview sometime between 6:00 and 8:00 a.m. Bettie had some flaws. She was naive and didn't always make the correct decisions... but it is amazing how she found God and walked away from one life and into another and stayed out of view for so long. At the end of the interview she told me how cute i was and gave me a kiss on the cheek. How many people can say they've been kissed by Bettie Page? Richard

Here is an associated press story on a woman who charmed several generations.

Bettie Page, the 1950s secretary-turned-model whose controverisal photographs in skimpy attire or none at all helped set the stage for the 1960s sexual revolution, died Thursday. She was 85.
Page suffered a heart attack last week and never regained consciousness. Before the heart attack, Page had been hospitalized for three weeks with pneumonia.
"She captured the imagination of a generation of men and women with her free spirit and unabashed sensuality," her agent said. "She is the embodiment of beauty."
Page, who was also known as Betty, attracted national attention with magazine photographs of her sensuous figure in bikinis and see-through lingerie that quickly were tacked up on walls in military barracks, garages and elsewhere, where they remained for years.
Her photos included a centerfold in the January 1955 issue of then-fledgling Playboy magazine. She latter helped contribute to her mysterious disappearance from the public eye, which lasted decades and included years during which she battled mental illness and became a born again Christian.
She rarely granted interviews but refused to allow her picture to be taken.
"I don't want to be photographed in my old age," she said. "I feel the same way with old movie stars. ... It makes me sad. We want to remember them when they were young."
The 21st century indeed had people remembering her just as she was. She became the subject of songs, biographies, websites, comic books, movies and documentaries. A new generation of fans bought thousands of copies of her photos, and some feminists hailed her as a pioneer of women's liberation.
Gretchen Mol portrayed her in 2005's The Notorious Bettie Page and Paige Richards had the role in 2004's Bettie Page: Dark Angel. Page herself took part in the 1998 documentary Betty Page: Pinup Queen.
Her career was launched one day in October 1950 when she took a respite from her job as a secretary in a New York office for a walk along the beach at Coney Island. An amateur photographer named Jerry Tibbs admired the 27-year-old's firm, curvy body and asked her to pose.
Looking back on the career that followed, she told Playboy in 1998, "I never thought it was shameful. I felt normal. It's just that it was much better than pounding a typewriter eight hours a day, which gets monotonous."
Nudity didn't bother her, she said, explaining: "God approves of nudity. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, they were naked as jay birds."
In 1951 Page cut her hair into the dark bangs that became her signature and posed in spiked heels and little else. She was often photographed with a whip in her hand.
Moralists denounced the photos as perversion, and Sen. Estes Kefauver of Tennessee, Page's home state, launched a congressional investigation.
Page quickly retreated from public view, saying later that she was hounded by federal agents who waved her nude photos in her face. She also said she believed that, at age 34, her days as "the girl with the perfect figure" were nearly over.
She moved to Florida in 1957 and married a much younger man (an early marriage to her high school sweetheart had ended in divorce).
Her second marriage also failed, as did a third, and she suffered a nervous breakdown.
In 1959, she was lying on a sea wall in Key West when she saw a church with a white neon cross on top. She walked inside and became a born again Christian.
After attending Bible school, she wanted to serve as a missionary but was turned down because she had been divorced. Instead she worked full-time for evangelist Billy Graham's ministry.
Born April 22, 1923, in Nashville, Page said she grew up in a family so poor "we were lucky to get an orange in our Christmas stockings."
The family included three boys and three girls.
After the Pages moved to Houston, her father decided to return to Tennessee and stole a police car for the trip. He was sent to prison, and for a time Betty lived in an orphanage.
In her teens she acted in high school plays, going on to study drama in New York and to win a screen test from 20th Century Fox before her modeling career took off.

JOE THE PLUMMER... KNIFE IN McCAIN'S BACK

Dear Joe,
Actually a lot of us Republicans had a problem with the bailout... including me. But here's the deal. If you really were afraid of Obama becoming president (and you should have been)you would realize that the economy was killing McCain. He had pulled even and actually ahead of Obama based on the "Commander In Chief"/3:00a.m. call issue. When the economy melted down it allowed Obama to pull ahead. McCain needed the economy issue to go away... and fast. Now all of a sudden you want to bash him (just like Beck did during the last weeks of the election... perhaps because he wanted Mitt to be able to run in 2012.. or perhaps because it would help him on the radio)and sell a book. Perhaps you and Beck ought to put "Country First". As for the book... i think i'll take a pass. If you think the bailout was bad (and it was)wait till you see what Obama and the Dems will do in the next 4 fours. As for Palin... of course she is the real deal... but i'm telling you right now... Beck will start to bash her in favor of Mitt. Mark my words. Richard

This is from the Associated Press:

TOLEDO, Ohio (Dec. 10) – Turns out that "Joe the Plumber" isn't such a big fan of John McCain after all.
America's most famous plumber said he was appalled by the Republican presidential candidate's reasons for supporting the government's $700 billion bank rescue plan, and he said they nearly caused him to abandon McCain.
A Campaign CelebrityLori King, Toledo Blade / AP6 photos Joe Wurzelbacher, America's most famous plumber, is lashing out at the man he once supported for president. On Tuesday, he said he was appalled by former GOP presidential nominee John McCain's reasons for supporting the government's $700 billion bank bailout plan. "I was angry," Wurzelbacher said. "In fact, I wanted to get off the bus after I talked to him."(Note: Please disable your pop-up blocker)
Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, who became a household name in the final weeks of the presidential campaign, said he asked McCain why he voted for the bank bailout and was stunned by some of the answers.
"I was angry," Wurzelbacher told conservative radio host Glenn Beck on Tuesday. "In fact, I wanted to get off the bus after I talked to him."
Wurzelbacher, who endorsed McCain a week before the election and joined him on the campaign trail, didn't say exactly what set him off, hinting that would be in his book that is due out this month.
He said the only reason he didn't get off the McCain bandwagon was "because the thought of Barack Obama becoming president scares me even more."
Wurzelbacher, 34, gained his national attention when Obama told him during a campaign stop that he wanted to "spread the wealth around" and their exchange about Obama's tax plan was widely reported. McCain repeatedly cited "Joe the Plumber" in a debate, saying Obama's plan would hurt people like him who want to own their own businesses.
Wurzelbacher also campaigned with vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. He had only praise for her, calling Palin the real deal.
"It disgusts me on how often they try to bash her just for her sincerity," he said. "She really wants to work for America."

THE LATEST ON THE NATURAL BORN CITIZEN ISSUE

Here is some of the latest info on the status of the obama saga... i will post a little later regarding the various ways this could pan out depending on whether it were to happen before or after the electoral college vote and whether it happens before or after obama is sworn in (though thnaks to the media you might already think he is president.) r2

WROTNOWSKI APPLICATION REFERRED TO FULL COURT BY JUSTICE SCALIA - DISTRIBUTED FOR CONFERENCE ON DEC 12

Posted in Uncategorized on December 8, 2008 by naturalborncitizen

PRESS RELEASE: 12.08.08 7:20 pm

Cort Wrotnowski’s emergency application for a stay and/or injunction as to the Electoral College meeting on Dec. 15 was today referred to the full Court by the Honorable Associate Justice Anotonin Scalia. It has been distributed for Conference of Friday December 12. The official case name is WROTNOWSKI v. BYSIEWICZ, United States Supreme Court Docket No. 08A469.

The Wrotnowski Supreme Court application was prepared by Leo Donofrio, Esq. and is centered on the same issue from Donofrio’s case which was discussed by the Supreme Court in its conference of December 5 - whether Barack Obama is not eligible to the office of President due to the fact that he was a British citizen at the time of his birth.

Tomorrow, Dec. 9 - Cort Wrotnowski will submit a supplemental brief concerning the newly discovered ineligibility of twenty-first President Chester Arthur due to his having been born as a British subject. This is relevant to the case at hand in that Justice Gray - who wrote the seminal opinion in United States v. Wong Kim Ark - was appointed by Chester Arthur.

The Wong Kim Ark case involves an important historical opinion that SCOTUS Justices will certainly consider as to the Obama natural born citizen issue.

The recent discovery calls into question the motivations of both Arthur and Gray since Arthur’s father was a British subject not naturalized at the time of Chester’s birth. In fact, William Arthur was not naturalized until 1843, fourteen years after Chester was born. In the light of historical retrospection, Justice Gray’s decision in Wong Kim Ark seems tailor made to the circumstances of Arthur’s birth.

Chester Arthur was born in 1829. The 14th Amendment wasn’t ratified until 1868, and Wong Kim Ark was decided in 1898. But under United States law in 1829 it’s not clear that Arthur would have even been considered a United States citizen at the time of his birth, let alone a “natural born citizen” eligible to be President. At best, he would have been a dual citizen of Great Britain and the United States.

It was proved earlier this week, by various articles in the Brooklyn Eagle printed circa 1880, and other authorities, that when Arthur was on the campaign trail as Garfield’s running mate he lied many times about his father’s emigration record, his parents’ life in Canada before coming to the United States, and his father’s age. Chester also burned his papers and falsified his birth year. It appears now that he was doing so to conceal the POTUS eligibility issue.

Every other President (who didn’t become eligible under the Article 2, Section 1 grandfather clause) was born to American citizen parents in the United States. The fact that he was a British subject at birth was first reported on Friday Dec. 5.

It must now be questioned whether the relationship between Chester Arthur and Justice Gray was influenced by Arthur’s eligibility problems and whether those issues effected Gray’s opinion and vote in Wong Kim Ark.

It must also be considered that the integrity of Justice Gray’s SCOTUS appointment might have been called into question if Chester Arthur’s POTUS ineligibility issues had become known.


All of the above is relevant to the issue of whether Barack Obama is a natural born citizen in that the core Supreme Court opinion in Wong Kim Ark must now be re-evaluated in lieu of the fact that the Justice who wrote the opinion was appointed by Chester Arthur.

Leo Donofrio will accompany Cort Wrotnowski to Washington D.C. tomorrow and both will be available for comment at 11:00 AM on the steps of the Supreme Court. This is not a rally, protest or vigil. If the media would like to discuss this historical brief and the issues discussed above, Donofrio and Wrotnowski will be available to answer any questions thereto.

Leo C. Donofrio, Esq.

Cort Wrotnowski


DONOFRIO APPLICATION DENIED - WROTNOWSKI APPLICATION STILL PENDING
Posted in Uncategorized on December 8, 2008 by naturalborncitizen
[UPDATE 12:23 PM The main stream media should stop saying SCOTUS refused to hear the case. It was distributed for conference on Nov. 19. They had the issue before them for for sixteen days. Yes, they didn't take it to the next level of full briefs and oral argument. But they certainly heard the case and read the issues. The media is failing to acknowledge that. The case and issues were considered. Getting the case to the full Court for such consideration was my goal. I trust the Supreme Court had good reason to deny the application. Despite many attempts to stop their full review, my case was placed on their desks and into their minds. Please remember that. It's important for history to record that.]

My application was denied. The Honorable Court chose not to state why.

Wrotnowksi v. Connecticut Secretary of State is still pending as an emergency application resubmitted to the Honorable Associate Justice Antonin Scalia as of last Tuesday. I worked extensively on that application and it includes a more solid brief and a less treacherous lower Court procedural history.

After six days, it’s interesting that Scalia neither denied it nor referred it to the full Court.

My case may have suffered from the NJ Appellate Division Judge having incorrectly characterized my original suit as a “motion for leave to appeal” rather than the “direct appeal” that it actually was. On Nov. 21 I filed official Judicial misconduct charges with the NJ Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct, and I updated SCOTUS about that by a letter which is part of SCOTUS Docket as of Nov. 22. The NJ Appellate Divison official case file is fraudulent.

On the chance that SCOTUS was looking at both my case and Cort’s case, I must stress that Cort’s case does not have the same procedural hang up that mine does. It may be that without a decision on the Judicial misconduct allegation correcting the NJ Appellate Division case file, SCOTUS might have been in the position of not being able to hear my case as it would appear that my case was not before them on the proper procedural grounds.

I did file a direct appeal under the proper NJ Court rules, but the lower Court judge refused to acknowledge that and if his fraudulent docketing was used by SCOTUS they would have a solid procedural basis to throw mine out.

I don’t know if it’s significant that Cort’s case was not denied at the same time as mine. His case argues the same exact theory - that Obama is not a natural born citizen because he was a British citizen at birth.

All eyes should now be closely watching US Supreme Court Docket No. 08A469, Wrotnowski v. Bysiewicz.


If Cort’s application is also denied then the fat lady can sing. Until then, the same exact issue is before SCOTUS as was in my case. Cort’s application before SCOTUS incorporates all of the arguments and law in mine, but we improved on the arguments in Cort’s quite a bit as we had more time to prepare it.

I was in a rush to get mine to SCOTUS before election day, which I did do on Nov. 3.

Cort’s case has a much cleaner lower court procedural history.

I’m not trying to play with people’s minds here. SCOTUS has not updated Cort’s docket and until they do there can be no closure. I was expecting, if they didn’t grant certiorari, that they would deny both cases at the same time so as to provide closure to the underlying issue. I hate to read tea leaves, but Cort’s application is still pending. That’s all we can really say with any certainty.

THE LATEST ON THE COURT FAILING TO DO THEIR DUTY

Supreme Court Won't Review Obama's POTUS Eligibility, Birth Certificate
By Liza Porteus Viana
Dec 8th 2008 10:32AM
Filed Under:eDemocrats, Republicans, Barack Obama, Breaking News, 2008 President


The Supreme Court today said it will not formally consider Barack Obama's eligibility to become president.

You guessed it - this is the case questioning the president-elect's citizenship and whether he is a "natural-born citizen" of the U.S.

Today's decision centered on an emergency appeal from New Jersey man Leo Donofrio, who says Obama is ineligible to be president because he was a British subject at birth. Donofrio said that since Obama had dual nationality at birth - his mother was American and his Kenyan father at the time was a British subject - he cannot possibly be a "natural born citizen." The Constitution says all U.S. presidents must be a natural-born citizen in order to hold office.

There's still one case pending before the judicial system giving those questioning Obama's eligibility a little bit of hope that their voices wil be heard.

Attorney Philip J. Berg of Lafayette Hill, Pa., argues that Obama was born in Kenya, not Hawaii. Federal courts in Pennsylvania have dismissed Berg's lawsuit but he's not giving up. He and others want Obama and the Democrats to produce the president-elect's "real" birth certificate to the world, instead of the copy that was posted on his FightTheSmears Web site over the summer. They worry that the Constitution is being threatened if the Electoral College gives Obama a pass.

"This is the biggest attempted hoax in the history of our country," Berg, who says he's a Democrat, told Politico. "Obama and [Democratic National Committee Chairman] Howard Dean should all be criminally indicted, tried and criminally jailed."

Obama's camp has been mum on this since the summer.

But I guess they feel they've said their piece and they're not going to fan the flames of any further conspiracy theories on the topic.

RICHARD RANDALL SAYS..... "IT'S YOUR JOB. DO IT."

I CAN'T TELL YOU JUST HOW ANGRY I AM...

UPDATE: The Supreme Court has turned down an emergency appeal from a New Jersey man who says President-elect Barack Obama is ineligible to be president because he was a British subject at birth.

The court did not comment on its order Monday rejecting the call by Leo Donofrio of East Brunswick, N.J., to intervene in the presidential election. Donofrio says that since Obama had dual nationality at birth -- his mother was American and his Kenyan father at the time was a British subject -- he cannot possibly be a "natural born citizen," one of the requirements the Constitution lists for eligibility to be president.

Donofrio also contends that two other candidates, Republican John McCain and Socialist Workers candidate Roger Calero, also are not natural-born citizens and thus ineligible to be president.

At least one other appeal over Obama's citizenship remains at the court. Philip J. Berg of Lafayette Hill, Pa., argues that Obama was born in Kenya, not Hawaii as Obama says and the Hawaii secretary of state has confirmed. Berg says Obama also may be a citizen of Indonesia, where he lived as a boy. Federal courts in Pennsylvania have dismissed Berg's lawsuit.

ODD HOW THE COST DOESN'T MATTER!!!!!!!

HERE'S THE DEAL. HE DOESN'T EVEN BOTHER TO COMPUTE THE COST. WHY? BECAUSE HE DOESN'T PAY... WE DO? AMAZING. HERE'S THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STORY WITH THE CRAZY PART IN BOLD (JUST SO YOU DON'T MISS IT)

President-elect Barack Obama said Saturday he wants to revive the economy through a job-creating public works plan on a scale unseen since the building program of the interstate highway system in the 1950s.
He offered no price estimate for the grand plan, how the money might be divided or the effect on the country's financial health at a time of burgeoning deficits.The ideas were outlined in the weekly radio address the day after the government reported that employers cut 533,000 jobs in November, the most in 34 years. They are part of a vision for a massive economy recovery plan Obama wants Congress to pass and have waiting on his desk when he takes office Jan. 20.
The president-elect's address never once used the word "spend," relying instead on "invest" or "investments," and pledging wise stewardship of taxpayer money in upgrading roads and schools, and making public buildings more energy-efficient.
"We won't just throw money at the problem," Obama said. "We'll measure progress by the reforms we make and the results we achieve — by the jobs we create, by the energy we save, by whether America is more competitive in the world."
Obama said his plan would employ millions of people by "making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s." He said state officials would lose the federal dollars if they did not quickly use the money to repair highways and bridges.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, a 1991 final estimate of the cost of the interstate system put it at $128.9 billion, with a federal share of $114.3 billion. The estimate covered only the mileage (42,795 miles) built under the interstate construction program. Construction of the system began in 1956 under President Dwight Eisenhower.
More than 5,000 highway projects are ready to go today, state transportation officials say, if Congress will pony up $64.3 billion as part of an economic aid plan. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, which compiled the list, said the projects would provide jobs and help reduce a backlog of crumbling roads and bridges.
A bipartisan group of governors recently met with Obama to press for some $136 billion in infrastructure projects in addition to money for health care costs.

BIGFOOT REPORTS NEAR FORT CARSON

OK... FIRST OFF, I'M NOT SAYING THESE ARE REAL... BUT I AM SAYING THEY ARE REAL INTERESTING. IT'S THE WEEKEND... A CHANGE OF PACE IS ALWAYS WELCOME. RIGHT?

YEAR: 2006

SEASON: Spring

MONTH: May

STATE: Colorado

COUNTY: El Paso County

LOCATION DETAILS: Area can be reached via HWY 115 from the north or south...Exit I-25 on South Academy BLVD and drive south to the intersection of Academy BLVD and HWY 155, then drive south approximately 20 minutes.

NEAREST TOWN: Colorado Springs or Fort Carson

NEAREST ROAD: HWY 115

OBSERVED: My son and I were turkey hunting on BLM land near Fort Carson, CO. We arrived in the area around 0930hrs. My son is only 3 and 1/2 years old, so we were moving slowly to find a good spot to set up. We were approximately 500 yards off the west side of Sate Hwy 115 in the Table Mountain area. We found a decent site to set up on and started our hunt. I called a few times with my diaphram calls and we heard one turkey gobble about 100yds away. My sun was busy playing with rocks right next to our site. At about 1030hrs I noticed a truck driving down a dirt road that runs through the area. I watched the truck drive through the area and as it turned down a left hand bend in the road, I caught some movement out the corner of my right eye. The movement was approximately 600yds away. I picked up my binoculars to get a better look, hoping it was a turkey coming in to my calls. When I got focused on the object, it definately appeared larger than a turkey, so I checked it out more and focused the lenses better. What I saw, I don't know for sure, but it appeared to be walking upright on its hind legs and and was covering a great deal of ground in a short span of time but was not running. I estimated the being to be approximately 6-7ft in height. It was walking northwest from my location. After about a minute or two it disappeared into some high brush and thickets. That terrain went up and over a little rise. I did not see anything else after that. We left the area about an hour later. I was shakin a little bit from excitement, but didn't want to hang around too much longer. I have told no one of this thinking myself to be a little crazy at the time, but I know I wasn't seeing things and it actualy hapened. I only tell this now to get it off my chest and let you guys determine if what I have said and seen is true or not. The temperature was warm and the sky was clear and sunny.

OTHER WITNESSES: Not really, my 3 yr old son was playing with some rocks in our set-up

OTHER STORIES: Have reviewed this site after the incident and found other sitings in this area

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Mid-morning to almost Noon time, sky was clear and sunny, temperature was warm

ENVIRONMENT: Mountainous, rocky terrain, just south of Cheyenne Mountain Air Station


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator David Petti:

After a telephone interview with the witness, a few details can be added to his report. He is a soldier stationed at Ft. Carson and was in between tours of Iraq at the time of this sighting. Prior to this incident, he had not even considered the possibility of these creatures being present in this area but a subsequent internet search convinced him that he may have actually seen a bigfoot because of the numerous other reports in the same general vicinity. For fear of ridicule, he has not discussed his apparent sighting with anyone but felt compelled to make it known and get it on the record.

From his vantage point, the figure was off to the west toward Table Mountain and was headed in a northerly direction toward Cheyenne Mountain and the southern slopes of Pikes Peak. The location is on or very near the El Paso and Fremont County line.

After first noticing the movement, he watched the figure in the distance by eye for almost a minute. Realizing that it was much larger than a turkey, he continued watching through his binoculars for another thirty to forty-five seconds. Due to the uniform dark-brown to black coloring and apparent size, he then thought he was looking at a bear, and then a bear on two legs, at which point he was stunned by the certainty that it was not a bear. The figure clearly walked on two legs for the duration of the sighting. The witness was struck by the apparent speed of the creature walking, but never running, which covered an estimated three to four hundred meters or more while he was focused in on it. He felt certain that, in comparison, he would not be able to cover that amount of distance in that time. The figure was in the open in high grass until he lost sight of it when it went into the brush and then behind a hillside. He kept watching in that direction for several more minutes but saw nothing more.


YEAR: 1999

SEASON: Winter

MONTH: December

STATE: Colorado

COUNTY: El Paso County

LOCATION DETAILS: about 5 miles south of Colorado Springs on highway 115 at the botttom of the hill on a part of the road that the locals call Red Hill.It was on the east side of the road at the end of a highway guardrail.

NEAREST TOWN: Colorado Springs

NEAREST ROAD: Highway 115

OBSERVED: I was driving down the highway in a tractor-trailer rig about 3:30a.m.I was driving about 65 mph.I went around a corner and on the left side of the road I saw something that at first I thought was a deer.This thing than stood upright and seemed to be more than 7 feet tall.I was able to look at it for just a moment as I was driving by.It had wide shoulders and an ape-like face.It's eyes were yellow like a cat's eyes when you shine a light on them.It just kind of looked at me when I went by.I wasn't able to see anything else.

OTHER WITNESSES: just myself

OTHER STORIES: none that I've heard of

TIME AND CONDITIONS: 3:30 am.The skies were cloudy.It was a dark stretch of road with no lights.

ENVIRONMENT: It is a mountainous area with pine trees and juniper bushes.There is a residential area on the west side of the road and Fort Carson Military Reservation on the east side.

A & G References: T16s R67w, section 11, SW4, NE4, 6th Prime Meridian


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow-up investigation report:

The report submitted by this fellow was quite thorough so my conversation with him yielded little additional information. However, I was impressed by his story.

The witness was driving his regular route, headed southbound on Hwy 115. It was pre-dawn and overcast, so the night was dark. The sighting occurred on the left (east) side of road lasting the short time the animal was lit by his headlights. While approaching the animal "it was kind of bent over, and as I got closer it kind of stood up." He then noted that it was not a deer or bear as he had begun to assume. It had "eyes in front not like a bear" and "was big with shoulders." He couldn’t tell the color of its fur.

He would’ve looked for tracks later but it snowed that day. He didn’t expect to find any.

The witness, like other Colorado Springs locals, knows the hill as “Red Hill” though it is not designated as such on the USGS quadrangle. Red Hill is approximately 6 miles south of the Fort Carson main gate. Hwy 115 follows the western boundary of Ft. Carson Military Reservation. This is also about 5 miles from NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) located inside Cheyenne Mountain.

THE LATEST ON THE OBAMA BIRTH CERTIFICATE

For the record... I, Richard Randall, think the law of the land, the constitution is important, and that ANYONE (including Barack Obama) should have to prove they are qualified to hold the highest office in the land. If he has nothing to hide he should prove it. He hasn't been willing to do so... so I want (and expect) the highest court in the land to force him to do so.
R2

This is the latest from the Chicago Tribune.
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider Friday whether to take up a lawsuit challenging President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. citizenship, a continuation of a New Jersey case embraced by some opponents of Obama's election.

The meeting of justices will coincide with a vigil by the filer's supporters in Washington on the steps of the nation's highest court.

The suit originally sought to stay the election, and was filed on behalf of Leo Donofrio against New Jersey Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells.

Legal experts say the appeal has little chance of succeeding, despite appearing on the court's schedule. Legal records show it is only the tip of an iceberg of nationwide efforts seeking to derail Obama's election over accusations that he either wasn't born a U.S. citizen or that he later renounced his citizenship in Indonesia.

The Obama campaign has maintained that he was born in Hawaii, has an authentic birth certificate, and is a "natural-born" U.S. citizen. Hawaiian officials agree.

Among those filing lawsuits is Alan Keyes, who lost to Obama in the 2004 Illinois Senate race. Keyes' suit seeks to halt certification of votes in California. Another suit by a Kentucky man seeks to have a federal judge review Obama's original birth certificate, which Hawaiian officials say is locked in a state vault.

Other suits have been filed by Andy Martin, whose case was dismissed in Hawaii, and by an Ohio man whose case also was dismissed. Five more suits, all later dismissed, were filed in Hawaii by a person who is currently suing the "Peoples Association of Human, Animals Conceived God/s and Religions, John McCain [and] USA Govt." The plaintiff previously sought to sue Wikipedia and "All News Media."

The most famous case questioning Obama's citizenship was filed in Pennsylvania in August on behalf of Philip J. Berg and sought to enjoin the Democratic National Committee from nominating Obama. The U.S. Supreme Court denied an application for an injunction and hasn't scheduled a conference on other aspects of the case. Earlier, a federal judge rejected it for "lack of standing"—ruling that Berg had no legal right to sue. In cases like this, judges sometimes believe the matter is best left to political institutions, such as the Electoral College or Congress, said legal scholar Eugene Volokh of the University of California at Los Angeles.

The remaining case with the highest profile is Donofrio vs. Wells. Because it was referred by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to other justices for conference, it gained undue importance for people unschooled in how the court works, Volokh said.

Many petitioners seeking stays of pending events have their cases distributed to the full court, he said. Of those, Volokh found that 782 were denied in the last eight years while just 60 were heard—and not all of those ultimately were successful.

WORKIN' MAN HERE

Students lie, cheat, steal, but say they're good

NEW YORK (AP) — In the past year, 30 percent of U.S. high school students have stolen from a store and 64 percent have cheated on a test, according to a new, large-scale survey suggesting that Americans are too apathetic about ethical standards.
Educators reacting to the findings questioned any suggestion that today's young people are less honest than previous generations, but several agreed that intensified pressures are prompting many students to cut corners.
"The competition is greater, the pressures on kids have increased dramatically," said Mel Riddle of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. "They have opportunities their predecessors didn't have (to cheat). The temptation is greater."
The Josephson Institute, a Los Angeles-based ethics institute, surveyed 29,760 students at 100 randomly selected high schools nationwide, both public and private. All students in the selected schools were given the survey in class; their anonymity was assured.
Michael Josephson, the institute's founder and president, said he was most dismayed by the findings about theft. The survey found that 35 percent of boys and 26 percent of girls — 30 percent overall — acknowledged stealing from a store within the past year. One-fifth said they stole something from a friend; 23 percent said they stole something from a parent or other relative.
"What is the social cost of that — not to mention the implication for the next generation of mortgage brokers?" Josephson remarked in an interview. "In a society drenched with cynicism, young people can look at it and say 'Why shouldn't we? Everyone else does it.'"
Other findings from the survey:
_Cheating in school is rampant and getting worse. Sixty-four percent of students cheated on a test in the past year and 38 percent did so two or more times, up from 60 percent and 35 percent in a 2006 survey.
_Thirty-six percent said they used the Internet to plagiarize an assignment, up from 33 percent in 2004.
_Forty-two percent said they sometimes lie to save money — 49 percent of the boys and 36 percent of the girls.
Despite such responses, 93 percent of the students said they were satisfied with their personal ethics and character, and 77 percent affirmed that "when it comes to doing what is right, I am better than most people I know."
Nijmie Dzurinko, executive director of the Philadelphia Student Union, said the findings were not at all reflective of the inner-city students she works with as an advocate for better curriculum and school funding.
"A lot of people like to blame society's problems on young people, without recognizing that young people aren't making the decisions about what's happening in society," said Dzurinko, 32. "They're very easy to scapegoat."
Peter Anderson, principal of Andover High School in Andover, Mass., said he and his colleagues had detected very little cheating on tests or Internet-based plagiarism. He has, however, noticed an uptick in students sharing homework in unauthorized ways.
"This generation is leading incredibly busy lives — involved in athletics, clubs, so many with part-time jobs, and — for seniors — an incredibly demanding and anxiety-producing college search," he offered as an explanation.
Riddle, who for four decades was a high school teacher and principal in northern Virginia, agreed that more pressure could lead to more cheating, yet spoke in defense of today's students.
"I would take these students over other generations," he said. "I found them to be more responsive, more rewarding to work with, more appreciative of support that adults give them.

Bushes Reject Impeachment Ornament... AS WELL THEY SHOULD

Tis not the season to post calls for impeachment on the White House Christmas tree.
A spokeswoman for first lady Laura Bush said Tuesday that the White House tree will not include an ornament by a Seattle artist that supports President Bush's impeachment.
Artist Deborah Lawrence said she wanted to salute Democratic Rep. Jim McDermott of Seattle, a longtime Bush foe who backs impeachment.
The nine-inch ball Lawrence created is covered with swirly red and white stripes and features a picture of McDermott. Tiny glued-on text hails the impeachment resolution.
Mrs. Bush had asked members of Congress to pick artists to decorate ornaments for the White House tree to showcase all 435 congressional districts.
Sally McDonough, a spokeswoman for Laura Bush, called the ornament inappropriate. "I think it really is a shame and, quite frankly, not very much in the holiday spirit," she said.
Instructions to the artists were very clear: to decorate the ornaments in a patriotic, red, white and blue theme, McDonough said. Lawrence's ornament was the only one of about 370 submitted for the White House tree that was rejected, McDonough said.
McDermott's office said the congressman had no role in the design of the ornament that was submitted.
"When the request came in, we contacted a local arts organization which selected an artist. We had no role whatever in the theme, design, etc.," said McDermott chief of staff Mike DeCesare.
Lawrence, a collage artist, frequently combines politics and satire in her work. She told The Washington Post she saw the ornament as a perfect way "to highlight Jim McDermott because he's a hero of mine."
"I was at first nauseated, then realized it was an opportunity," she said.

SANCTIMONIUS??? YOU MAKE THE CALL

I was called sanctimonius. I used to think i was confident, said i was aiming for humble, but confessed to being (at least in the past) arrogant. Hmmmm. YOU make the call. I can handle it.

Main Entry:
sanc·ti·mo·nious
Pronunciation:
\ˌsaŋ(k)-tə-ˈmō-nē-əs, -nyəs\
Function:
adjective
Date:
1603
1: hypocritically pious or devout


Main Entry:
ar·ro·gant
Pronunciation:
\-gənt\
Function:
adjective
Etymology:
Middle English, from Latin arrogant-, arrogans, present participle of arrogare
Date:
14th century
1 : exaggerating or disposed to exaggerate one's own worth or importance often by an overbearing manner 2 : proceeding from or characterized by arrogance

Main Entry:
con·fi·dent
Pronunciation:
\ˈkän-fə-dənt, -ˌdent\
Function:
adjective
Etymology:
Latin confident-, confidens, from present participle of confidere
Date:
circa 1567
1: full of conviction : certain 2: having or showing assurance and self-reliance
3: obsolete : trustful , confiding


Main Entry:
1hum·ble
Pronunciation:
\ˈhəm-bəl also chiefly Southern ˈəm-\
Function:
adjective
Inflected Form(s):
hum·bler \-b(ə-)lər\ ; hum·blest \-b(ə-)ləst\
Etymology:
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin humilis low, humble, from humus earth; akin to Greek chthōn earth, chamai on the ground
Date:
13th century
1: not proud or haughty : not arrogant or assertive2: reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission 3 a: ranking low in a hierarchy or scale : insignificant , unpretentious b: not costly or luxurious

Say it Ain’t So Plaxico! Under 2006 Law, Burress Looking at Prison Time

New York Giants’ Plaxico Burress, left, leaves Manhattan Supreme Court after his arraignment, accompanied by his lawyer Benjamin Brafman on Monday, Dec. 1, 2008.
A little less than a year ago, New York was cheering Plaxico Burress. The Giants’ wide-receiver had played an integral role in the team’s march to the Super Bowl, and had caught the winning touchdown pass in the crowning win against the Patriots.
Now it looks like Burress is about to get something else thrown at him: The Book. By now, even those who don’t know the gridiron from a waffle iron have heard that Burress got himself into a heap of trouble over the weekend by carting an unregistered and loaded handgun into a Manhattan nightclub and accidentally shooting himself in the thigh. And it looks like the penalty — aside from being suspended from the 10-1 Giants for the rest of the year — might be severe: possibly three-and-a-half years in prison.
The possible penalty is the result of a New York statute signed into law in November 2006 by then-Governor George Pataki. He and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg touted the law as a much-needed tough-on-crime measure. According to an NYT piece out Wednesday, defense lawyers at the time attacked the law as unduly harsh, largely because it eliminated exceptions and judicial discretion in imposing the sentence. One of the measure’s harsher critics at the time: Ben Brafman, a high-profile criminal defense lawyer (Mel Weiss was his client), who’s now been retained by Burress.
Brafman has continued to inveigh against the law’s fairness, telling the Times: criminal “laws. . . . that do not have exceptions for extraordinary circumstances are inappropriate . . . .” But Burress is still up against it. “Even if he pleads down . . . he would still face a minimum of two years in prison,” said another criminal-defense lawyer, Robert Gottlieb, to the Times.
Burress’s best shot is to avoid the “illegal possession of a loaded handgun” charge altogether. Though given the case’s high profile, says Gottlieb, that might be hard for Burress to avoid.

THE FIRST VOICE YOU HEAR !!!

When you call the Richard Randall Show this will be the first voice you hear. Anne Boswell answers phones and screens calls for me. She DOES NOT screen out certain callers, or opinions. I'm a big kid, I can take em all. But she will ask for your name and what you are calling about. I just thought you might like to put a face to the "first voice you hear".

WOULD YOU FAVOR THE PREZ RESIGNING... IF THIS HAPPENED???

You know what would really tick OFF the Democrats... Bush should resign now. Then Dick Cheney becomes President (that would really tick OFF the libs)!!! Then he appoints Condoleezza Rice as VP. Then Cheney resigns two weeks later and Condoleezza Rice, A Republican, becomes the first BLACK - WOMAN President!!!

I DON'T TAKE THIS ONE SERIOUSLY EITHER

THIS COMES FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES
CAN YOU IMAGINE?????????
BOY THIS BURNS ME.
RICHARD

Time for him to go

Thanksgiving is this week, and President Bush could make it a really special holiday by resigning.
Seriously. We have an economy that's crashing and a vacuum at the top. Bush - who just took a trip to Peru to meet with Asian leaders who no longer care what he thinks - hasn't got the clout, or possibly even the energy, to do anything useful. His most recent contribution to resolving the fiscal crisis was lecturing representatives of the world's most important economies on the glories of free-market capitalism.
Putting President-elect Barack Obama in charge immediately isn't impossible. Vice President Dick Cheney, obviously, would have to quit as well as Bush. In fact, just to be on the safe side, the vice president ought to turn in his resignation first. (We're desperate, but not crazy.) Then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would become president until Jan. 20. Obviously, she'd defer to her party's incoming chief executive, and Obama could begin governing.
As a bonus, the Pelosi presidency would put a woman in the White House this year after all. On the downside, a few right-wing talk-show hosts might succumb to apoplexy. That would, of course, be terrible, but I'm afraid we might have to take the risk in the name of a greater good.
Can I see a show of hands? How many people want George W. out and Barack in?
A great many Americans have been counting the days all year on their 2008 George W. Bush Out of Office Countdown calendars. I know a lot of this has been going on because so many people congratulated me when the Feb. 1 Bush quote turned out to be from one of my old columns. ("I think we need not only to eliminate the tollbooth from the middle class, I think we should knock down the tollbooth.")
This was not nearly as good as Feb. 5 ("We ought to make the pie higher") or Feb. 21 ("I understand small business growth. I was one.") But we do what we can.
In the past, presidents have not taken well to suggestions that they hand over the reins before the last possible minute. Senator J. William Fulbright suggested a plan along those lines when Harry Truman was coming to the end of a term in a state of deep unpopularity, and Truman called him "Halfbright" for the rest of his life.
Bush might not love the idea of quitting before he has a chance to light the Christmas tree or commute the execution of one last presidential turkey. After all, he still has a couple more trips planned. And last-minute regulations to issue. (So many national parks to despoil, so many endangered species to exterminate ...) And then there's all the packing.
On the other hand, he might want to consider his legacy, such as it is.
In happier days, Bush may have nurtured hopes of making it into the list of America's mediocre presidents, but somewhere between Iraq and Katrina, that goal became a mountain too high. However, he might still have a chance to avoid the absolute bottom of the barrel, a spot currently occupied by James Buchanan, at least in my opinion. Buchanan nailed down The Worst President title in the days between Abraham Lincoln's election and inauguration, when the Southern states began seceding and Buchanan, after a little flailing about, did absolutely nothing.
"Doing nothing is almost the worst thing a president can do," said the historian Michael Beschloss.
If Bush gives up doing nothing by giving up his job, it's possible that someday history might elevate him to the ranks of the below average. Better than Franklin Pierce! Smarter than Warren Harding! And healthier than William Henry Harrison!
The person who would like this plan least probably would be Barack Obama. Who would want to be saddled with the auto industry's problems ahead of schedule? The heads of America's great carmaking corporations are so dim that they couldn't even survive hearings run by members of Congress who actually wanted to help them. Really, when somebody asks you exactly how much money you need, the answer should not be something along the line of "a whole bunch."
An instantaneous takeover would also ruin the Obama team's plan to have the tidiest, best-organized presidential transition in history. Cutting it short and leaping into governing would turn their measured march toward power into a mad scramble. A lot of their Cabinet picks are still working on those 62-page questionnaires.
But while there's been no drama with Obama, we've been living a Technicolor version of "The Perils of Pauline." Detroit is tied to the railroad tracks and the train is coming! California's state government is falling into the sea! The way we're going now, by the time the inauguration rolls around, unemployment will be at 10 percent and the Dow will be at 10.
Time for a change.

THIS IS FUNNY... I DON'T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY

Are alien UFO fleets protecting Barack Obama?

A number of unusual photographs and videos have surfaced showing unusual orbs or discs either circling or flying past Obama rallies and events. Michael Luckman, a New York UFO researcher has compiled a list of these occurrences: One high quality video was filmed showing what appeared to be flying silver orbs at the October 4th Obama/Springsteen concert and rally, another UFO was filmed and seen by thousands in Colorado, a UFO was photographed at a Nevada rally and finally Orbs were photographed at Obama's Chicago victory rally.This has led some Ufologists to speculate that Obama is being guarded by fleets or squadrons of UFO's. 'Being the nation’s first African-American presidential candidate for a major party initially and now the first African-American President-elect, soon to be President, there are many nutcases out there who would be feeling threatened' one expert commented. 'Sadly, this nation has a pretty racist past and the old Jim Crowe laws existed in the lifetimes of many still around today. The Ku Klux Klan is still active and the idea of a black man as President is obviously creating waves of shock amongst America's extreme racist fringe'.Already a few attempts to assassinate the president have been foiled. 'Yep: sadly Obama is going to need that extra bit of protection. There are plenty of guns out there and some are in the hands of hard-core racists and white-supremacists.' our expert continued. many ufologists believe that Aliens find our petty racist squabbles primitive. 'If a civilisation has the technology to travel through vast distances of space, literally millions upon millions of miles it would probably have evolved to the point that such petty tribal rivalries have been long forgotten. Aliens probably would love to make themselves known to humanity but realise that we are simply too primitive to deal with them.' one Ufologist we interviewed commented. 'Our gut reaction would be to fire at them: that could be disastrous, if they can travel all the way to earth they could probably crush us as we could an ant'.
Nevertheless it is believed that some contact with aliens is taking place at the highest 'above top secret' levels. The previously hushed up Roswell incident came to light thanks to well known UFO researcher Stanton Friedman. Friedman claims that in July 1947 a UFO crashed near the Town of Roswell, New Mexico and Alien bodies, some still alive were retrieved and taken to a secret base known as 'Area-51' to be studied. The UFO is said to have been used in reverse-engineering projects. Since then a number of very high profile Americans and others have come forward and testified to US Government contact with alien visitors. The most recent being that of Edgar Mitchell, who was part of the Apollo 14 mission and the sixth man to walk on the moon. Other high profile acknowledgements of this phenomenon have come from the likes of former President Jimmy Carter and Paul Hellyer, Canada's one time defence minister. Obama has made the interesting choice of naming John Podesta as a co-chairman of the Obama-Biden Transition Project. Podesta was the final Chief-of-Staff for Bill Clinton and is an avid believer in UFO's who has heavily campaigned for the intelligence community to make public what they know about the topic. 'Podesta knows more that he is giving away' a source with military ties assured us. Is John Podesta liaising with Aliens to keep Barack Obama safe? 'Aliens would truly be welcoming the election of Obama as a sign of our maturity and ability to lay down old prejudices. They might see this as an important step towards openly revealing their presence amongst us and letting humans take their place as a small part of a much larger universal civilisation. They would realise the dangers Obama faces and they would be working either with the government or of their own initiative to keep him safe and protect his well-being'. One thing we can be sure about is that if they were able to get here they definately have the technology to do so and for that we can be thankful.

FOR THOSE WE HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR

I STILL SAY THE CONSTITUTION MATTERS

WHY I DON'T JUST LET IT GO. 1. BECAUSE THE CONSTITUTION MATTERS. 2. AS A FORMER TRIAL LAWYER I THINK HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROVE SOMETHING AS IMPORTANT AS THIS... ESPECIALLY WHEN THE PROOF IS SO EASY... AND IF THE PROOF IS NOT GIVEN THE QUESTION BECOMES... WHY IS SOMETHING BEING HIDDEN... I'LL BE YOU CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION. I AM NOT A SORE LOSER... I JUST THINK THE FOUNDING FATHERS PUT IT IN THE CONSTITUTION FOR A REASON, AND WE SHOULD FOLLOW THE CONSTITUTION.

A last electoral hurdle for Obama. A Web-driven challenge to his legitimacy targets members of the Electoral College.

Barack Obama has one election still to win before he moves into the White House, and by all accounts he’s a shoo-in. The Electoral College – that curious body created by the Founders to put one extra check on the popular vote – meets Dec. 15 to elect the president.
But across the US, a small band of Americans convinced that Mr. Obama is not a natural-born citizen, as the Constitution requires of presidents, are lobbying Democratic electors to take one last look at the notion that Obama was born in Kenya, not Hawaii.
The idea that Democratic electors would deny Obama the presidency strains the bounds of credulity. But the lobbying campaign points to the endurance of conspiracy theories pertaining to US presidents – and revives longstanding questions about the Electoral College itself.
“This does point out the frailty of the Electoral College system,” says Michael Mezey, an expert on the election process at DePaul University in Chicago. “The fact that in most states electors could make the decision to vote for somebody else … is a real vulnerability in the process. [Many Americans], in fact, tend to be amazed that these electors are real people.”
Here in North Carolina, the secretary of state’s office has fielded about 50 requests for names and contact numbers of electors – all public information. The last time so many people sought to contact electors was in 2000, amid a bid to urge electors to vote for Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore, who had won the popular vote.
“Most of the world thinks this is settled except for a few conspiracy theorists,” says North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall. “In the 2000 election … Republican electors felt under siege, and I expect the Democrat electors may end up feeling the same way [this time].”
Wayne Abraham, a Democratic elector in Greensboro, N.C., says he’s received three letters – two signed, one not – and one phone call about Obama’s citizenship.
“I was surprised, but I’m not worried about it,” he says, dryly. “As I said to the lady on the phone, I figured that the Bush administration had ample opportunity to investigate Senator Obama, and if they had discovered he was not truly a citizen they … would have let us know.”
A birth certificate from Hawaii
Many news organizations have debunked claims that Obama was born in Kenya to his 19-year-old American mother and his father, a Kenyan. The Obama campaign released a certificate of live birth from Hawaii in June, which would seem to have put the issue to rest. Critics, though, contend the document is a fake.
“It’s true that, if it’s not a totally impossible twist on actual facts that he’d been born in Kenya, [the Electoral vote] actually would have been quite tricky because of the statutory regime,” says Peter Spiro, an immigration law expert at Temple University in Philadelphia. “But it’s really a nonstarter because Obama was born in Hawaii.”
A disparate, Web-connected campaign appears to be driving the effort to contact electors ahead of the Dec. 15 meetings of the college in each state’s capital. It also includes a letter-writing effort to urge the US Supreme Court to intervene. One website, obamacrimes.com, has reportedly received 105 million hits in the past three months, speaking to the pervasiveness of the belief, perhaps fueled by Obama’s multiethnic background and globe-trotting childhood, that the president-elect was born abroad.
Legal challenges over Obama’s citizenship
Two pending lawsuits could yet get an audience before the Supreme Court prior to Dec. 15, and a movement is also afoot to sue secretaries of state over the certification issue. Some say the Founders intended the Electoral College to serve as the final certification board for candidates. The US has no other independent certification process, relying instead on vetting by courts, voters, and the press during the campaign.
“People are going after electors now because they can only vote for a qualified candidate, and [Obama] hasn’t shown he’s qualified,” says Philip Berg of Lafayette Hill, Pa., a Democrat and lawyer who has filed two lawsuits calling Obama’s citizenship into question. “I think we have enough trouble – we don’t need a fake president.”
Melanie Siewert, a stay-at-home mom in Kernersville, N.C., says her lobbying efforts mark the first time she’s been actively involved in the political process. The questions raised by lawyers like Mr. Berg, she says, are substantial enough to throw doubt on Obama’s eligibility.
“I’m not asking electors to overturn their vote, but really to, before we vote, to make absolutely sure,” says Ms. Siewert, who has contacted most of North Carolina’s 15 electors. “This is not being a sore loser or racist. This is just about ensuring that our leader is being truthful about who he is.”
Fueled by a historic presidential race that promised a dramatic shift in the direction of American power, the Obama citizenship flap, some experts say, shows that conspiracy theories still resonate with a subset of Americans. Over the years, the legitimacy of presidents from Thomas Jefferson to Abraham Lincoln has been questioned, though none about their citizenship status.
“Human beings will always go for myth because it’s compelling, dramatic, and, if it were true, it would be able to change history,” says Perry Leavell, a presidential historian and folklore expert at Drew University in Madison, N.J. “You can go back into the history of the American presidency and find over and over again people … who are prepared to believe the exact opposite of what all the data would say.”
Though many electors are bound by state law to cast their vote for the winning candidate, their constitutional role as federal agents means that any vote they cast on Dec. 15 will count. What’s more, their importance could come into sharper relief if new information about Obama’s citizenship status were to surface before Dec. 15, says James Ceaser, a political scientist at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
“The only time the electors’ role might change … is if something occurred during the election which afterwards made things look really strange,” says Mr. Ceaser. “That’s why I believe personally that human discretion should be involved in every decision until the last second, that nothing should be automatic.”

SO VERY MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR.

It is worth remembering the Edward Winslow letter dated December 13, 1621.
We set the last spring some twenty acres of Indian corn, and sowed some six acres of barley and peas, and according to the manner of the Indians, we manured our ground with herrings or rather shads, which we have in great abundance, and take with great ease at our doors. Our corn [i.e., wheat] did prove well, and God be praised, we had a good increase of Indian corn, and our barley indifferent good, but our peas not worth the gathering, for we feared they were too late sown, they came up very well, and blossomed, but the sun parched them in the blossom. Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after have a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors; they four in one day killed as much fowl, as with a little help beside, served the company almost a week, at which time amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest King Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain, and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.

Who does not thank for little will not thank for much. - Estonian proverb

Do not get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. - Galatians 6:9

We give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way. - ritual chant

Thanksgiving
For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, For love and friends, For everything Thy goodness sends. - Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

((( as i said on the air yesterday... i have been blessed so far beyond what i ever deserved. we are such a bountiful country it is easy to take for granted what we have, yet on this day we stop to remember just how blessed we are, and especially to share that blessing with others. i am so very proud of my country, this community, and you the people who listen and share your stories with me and the others who listen. let us always remember those who are not as fortunate as us, and always too... from Whom our blessings come. thankful, as always... richard )))

CAN YOU THINK OF ANY OTHER EXPLANATION?

HERE'S THE STORY. AND THE EXCUSE (I MEAN REASON OF COURSE). CAN YOU THINK OF ANY OTHER REASON THE PRESIDENT ELECT MIGHT BE GOING TO THE GYM INSTEAD OF SITTING IN A PEW. i'm just saying....

Obama Skips Church for Gym

Since the election, future President Barack Obama has traded Sunday morning pews for some quality time at the gym.
The Obamas have refrained from public prayer for fear their large retinue would disturb the church service, according to an anonymous aide.
Press reports say Barack Obama has skipped church for the gym on Sunday mornings since Election Day. An aide said the first-family-to-be didn't want to inflict their massive entourage on an unprepared church. Obama has kept a fairly low profile since the election, although he has made the occasional public appearance.
"They do not want to draw unwelcome or inappropriate attention to a church not used to the attention their attendance would draw," said the aide.
The Obamas haven't belonged to a church since the spring, after Barack Obama split with Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ because of controversial sermons by the pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. A videotape from one of Wright's sermons showed him damning America. Churches, especially African-American houses of prayer, played an important role in Obama's candidacy. Obama made campaign stops in churches. Congregations prayed for him on Election Day, and celebrated his victory.
Now, churches in Washington, D.C., are scrambling to lure the Obamas to their pews, even if Obama hasn't attended church in weeks.

(((( randall note: and people get upset when i say to pray for him... hmmm... he doesn't seem to be so good at doing it himself... or for his kids... i'm just saying that perhaps just perhaps he was not completely candid about the impressions he gave to the american public ))))

JUST FOR FUN

And aren't the weekends about fun? OK let's hit the rewind button and go back to the summer before last and take a look at the Union Pacific #844 as it comes through Colorado Springs. The location is Giuseppe's Old Depot Restaurant in downtown Colorado Springs. The train is returning from Pueblo to Denver as part of the first steam excursion to the Colorado State Fair. The train didn't run this year because of the DNC... but should return next year.



October 26, 1871, the first passenger train stopped at the soon-to-be Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Depot in the infant city of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The glorious parade ended in 1971, when the last passenger train faded from view...

GOTTA LOVE THE FRENCH... REALLY

THERE ARE FRENCH TROOPS WHO FIGHT AND DIE IN AFGHANISTAN. HERE'S THEIR TAKE ON THEIR U.S. COUNTERPARTS

The US often hears echoes of worldwide hostility against the application of its foreign policy, but seldom are they reached by the voices of those who experience first hand how close we are to the USA. In spite of contextual political differences and conflicting interests that generate friction, we do share the same fundamental values - and when push comes to shove that is what really counts. Through the eyes of that French OMLT (Operational Mentoring Liaison Teams) infantryman you can see how strong the bond is on the ground. In contrast with the Americans, the French soldiers don’t seem to write much online - or maybe the proportion is the same but we just have less people deployed. Whatever the reason, this is a rare and moving testimony which is why I decided to translate it into English, so that American people can catch a glimpse of the way European soldiers see them. Not much high philosophy here, just the first hand impressions of a soldier in contact - but that only makes it more authentic.

Here is the original French article, translated into english :

“We have shared our daily life with two US units for quite a while - they are the first and fourth companies of a prestigious infantry battalion whose name I will withhold for the sake of military secrecy. To the common man it is a unit just like any other. But we live with them and got to know them, and we henceforth know that we have the honor to live with one of the most renowned units of the US Army - one that the movies brought to the public as series showing “ordinary soldiers thrust into extraordinary events”. Who are they, those soldiers from abroad, how is their daily life, and what support do they bring to the men of our OMLT every day ? Few of them belong to the Easy Company, the one the TV series focuses on. This one nowadays is named Echo Company, and it has become the support company.

They have a terribly strong American accent - from our point of view the language they speak is not even English. How many times did I have to write down what I wanted to say rather than waste precious minutes trying various pronunciations of a seemingly common word? Whatever state they are from, no two accents are alike and they even admit that in some crisis situations they have difficulties understanding each other.

Heavily built, fed at the earliest age with Gatorade, proteins and creatine - they are all heads and shoulders taller than us and their muscles remind us of Rambo. Our frames are amusingly skinny to them - we are wimps, even the strongest of us - and because of that they often mistake us for Afghans.

Here we discover America as it is often depicted : their values are taken to their paroxysm, often amplified by promiscuity lack of privacy and the loneliness of this outpost in the middle of that Afghan valley. Honor, motherland - everything here reminds of that : the American flag floating in the wind above the outpost, just like the one on the post parcels. Even if recruits often originate from the hearth of American cities and gang territory, no one here has any goal other than to hold high and proud the star spangled banner. Each man knows he can count on the support of a whole people who provides them through the mail all that an American could miss in such a remote front-line location : books, chewing gums, razorblades, Gatorade, toothpaste etc. in such way that every man is aware of how much the American people backs him in his difficult mission. And that is a first shock to our preconceptions : the American soldier is no individualist. The team, the group, the combat team are the focus of all his attention.

And they are impressive warriors ! We have not come across bad ones, as strange at it may seem to you when you know how critical French people can be. Even if some of them are a bit on the heavy side, all of them provide us everyday with lessons in infantry know-how. Beyond the wearing of a combat kit that never seem to discomfort them (helmet strap, helmet, combat goggles, rifles etc.) the long hours of watch at the outpost never seem to annoy them in the slightest. On the one square meter wooden tower above the perimeter wall they stand the five consecutive hours in full battle rattle and night vision goggles on top, their sight unmoving in the directions of likely danger. No distractions, no pauses, they are like statues nights and days. At night, all movements are performed in the dark - only a handful of subdued red lights indicate the occasional presence of a soldier on the move. Same with the vehicles whose lights are covered - everything happens in pitch dark even filling the fuel tanks with the Japy pump.

And combat ? If you have seen Rambo you have seen it all - always coming to the rescue when one of our teams gets in trouble, and always in the shortest delay. That is one of their tricks : they switch from T-shirt and sandals to combat ready in three minutes. Arriving in contact with the ennemy, the way they fight is simple and disconcerting : they just charge ! They disembark and assault in stride, they bomb first and ask questions later - which cuts any pussyfooting short.
We seldom hear any harsh word, and from 5 AM onwards the camp chores are performed in beautiful order and always with excellent spirit. A passing American helicopter stops near a stranded vehicle just to check that everything is alright; an American combat team will rush to support ours before even knowing how dangerous the mission is - from what we have been given to witness, the American soldier is a beautiful and worthy heir to those who liberated France and Europe.

To those who bestow us with the honor of sharing their combat outposts and who everyday give proof of their military excellence, to those who pay the daily tribute of America’s army’s deployment on Afghan soil, to those we owned this article, ourselves hoping that we will always remain worthy of them and to always continue hearing them say that we are all the same band of brothers”.

(((( THANKS TO JOSH K. FOR SENDING THIS MY WAY... AND THANKS FOR HIS TIME AS A U-S PARATROOPER AND FRIEND ))))