Security Tight for New Year's Eve

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With New Year's Eve on the way, security efforts across the United States have been "ramped up in an unprecedented way" through the end of the week, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Tuesday.
The U.S. government will keep the terror threat alert level at orange -- the second-highest on the five-tiered, color-coded scale -- for the rest of the week as officials remain concerned about airline security, Ridge said.
On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security announced it was ordering non-U.S. air carriers to place armed government officers on some flights to, from and over the country.
Some major cities such as New York; Washington; Chicago, Illinois; and Las Vegas, Nevada, plan to close parts or all of their airspace on New Year's Eve, when huge crowds traditionally gather to celebrate in public.
Ridge said people who go to New York's Times Square on New Year's Eve will be safe. "I don't think there's a city that has done more and sustained a higher level of security and protection than New York City," he said.
The Department of Homeland Security is working with New York officials and providing additional assistance at their request, he added. (Full story)
The department asked foreign air carriers to place marshals aboard some flights because "there's a continuous stream of threat reporting that we've seen now for two years that al Qaeda continues to look at commercial aviation, passenger traffic, as either a target or as a weapon," Ridge said, adding that the information comes from credible sources.
Airliners that fail to place marshals on board the flights may be refused government permission to land or fly over the United States.
Some reports have suggested that al Qaeda pilots may have infiltrated staffs of non-U.S. air carriers. click here full story

68% Believe the NSA Should Allow Intercepting

December 28, 2005--Sixty-four percent (64%) of Americans believe the National Security Agency (NSA) should be allowed to intercept telephone conversations between terrorism suspects in other countries and people living in the United States. A Rasmussen Reports survey found that just 23% disagree.
Sixty-eight percent (68%) of Americans say they are following the NSA story somewhat or very closely. Rasmussen Reports

December 28 Today in History

Today In History - December 28, 2005
Dec 28, 2005 3:00 am US/Eastern
(AP) Today is Wednesday, December 28th, the 362nd day of 2005. There are three days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:

On December 28th, 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance.

On this date: In 1694, Queen Mary the Second of England died after five years of joint rule with her husband, King William the Third.

In 1832, John C. Calhoun became the first vice president of the United States to resign, stepping down over differences with President Jackson.

In 1846, Iowa became the 29th state to be admitted to the Union.

In 1897, the play "Cyrano de Bergerac," by Edmond Rostand, premiered in Paris.

In 1917, the New York Evening Mail published a facetious -- as well as fictitious -- essay by H.L. Mencken on the history of bathtubs in America.

In 1937, composer Maurice Ravel died in Paris.

In 1944, the musical "On the Town" opened on Broadway.

In 1945, author Theodore Dreiser died in Hollywood. In 1973, Alexander Solzhenitsyn published "Gulag Archipelago," an expose of the Soviet prison system.

Ten years ago: CompuServe obeyed a German order to suspend member access to 200 Internet newsgroups deemed pornographic.

President Clinton vetoed a 265 (B) billion-dollar defense bill, saying it would waste money on an unneeded missile defense system. (Congress failed to override the veto.)

Five years ago: The Census Bureau released its first numbers from the 2000 national count; they showed that America's population had risen to 281 (m) million, 421-thousand-906, up 13-point-two percent from 1990.

One year ago: The US Agency for International Development said it was adding 20 million dollars to an initial 15 million-dollar contribution for Asian tsunami relief as Secretary of State Colin Powell bristled at a United Nations official's suggestion the United States was being "stingy."

Activist, author and intellectual Susan Sontag died in New York at age 71.
Actor Jerry Orbach died in New York at age 69.
Today's Birthdays: Actor Lou Jacobi is 92. Bandleader Johnny Otis is 84. Comic book creator Stan Lee is 83. Former United Auto Workers union president Owen Bieber is 76. Actress Dame Maggie Smith is 71. Rock singer-musician Charles Neville is 67. Rock singer-musician Edgar Winter is 59. Rock singer-musician Alex Chilton (The Box Tops; Big Star) is 55. Actor Denzel Washington is 51. Country singer Joe Diffie is 47. Country musician Mike McGuire (Shenandoah) is 47. Actor Chad McQueen is 45. Country singer-musician Marty Roe (Diamond Rio) is 45. Actor Malcolm Gets is 41. Actor Mauricio Mendoza is 36. Comedian Seth Meyers is 32. Rhythm-and-blues singer John Legend is 27. Actress Sienna Miller is 24. Actress Mackenzie Rosman is 16.

Back Behind Bars - Rapalo

Reynaldo Rapalo's freedom of six days was terrifying to us all. He hung out near Bird Road with the homeless, went to a Christmas party and selected two women cooking a pig for victims. He stalked and considered seriously assaulting these women. While Rapalo was at large, officers guarded two prosecutors who are handling the case, as well as Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. He told police the only thing that kept him from commiting more crimes was his desire to escape to Honduras. A citizen's tip led authorities to Rapalo on Monday night. Initially, he told detectives he was a homeless man from Nicaragua and was worried about being deported. Thank the Lord, this monster is back behind bars. My previous posting of this story Click here

P.S.
On our late local news at 11 p.m. I heard the news that the officials had just arrested him moments before they went on the air. It was still in the process of the arrest, so no footage was available yet. I was so happy and able to sleep better knowing this information right away. The women previous mentioned had angels guarding them no doubt.

Tsunami Disaster One Year Later

Dec 26, Galle: President Mahinda Rajapaksa says there is no challenge that cannot be overcome by a nation that has awakened as one. This was proven in the weeks immediately after the December 26th tsunami disaster a year ago.
The President said the joint effort made by the citizens of the country to recover from the disaster amazed the rest of the world. the rest of the article

Click here for video and another article : A day of remembrance both here at home and around the world as survivors, friends and family mark the one year anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami that swept away more than 200,000 people in 12 countries.

Jesus' Birthday - Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve

The last minutes are running out!! It is almost Christmas - WOO HOO!!!

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!!

Rapist on the Streets of Miami Again

Rapalo is on the loose again. I remember when we were terrorized when he was roaming the streets over a year before finally being captured. It is shocking that our jails are allowing dangerous criminals to escape. He is not the only one lately; it seems we have been hearing often about escapees and budget cuts. Reynaldo Rapalo is extremely dangerous and they need to comprehend him immediately or shoot him one. He has confessed to raping seven females from ages 11 to 79 yrs old and attempting to attack four others. Yes folks, you heard me right a 11 yr old child to a 79 year old woman that could be your grandmother. He is an illegal immigrant from Honduras and was dubbed by Miami police the “Shenandoah Rapist”.

As of today, the reward total is $16,000 and if anyone has any tips please call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
On a poll conducted by our local TV station, citizens believe by 97% that Rapalo will rape again.
Reynaldo Rapalo
Age: 34
Height: 5’4”
Weight: 140 lbs.
His DNA was linked to the crimes committed in the Little Havana and Shenandoah areas of Miami and was arrested September 2003. This escape has been in planning for over 3 months.

''We fully realize he represents the worst kind of threat possible,'' said
Miami-Dade Police Director Robert Parker.
Click Here to the Miami Herald

This is the kicker, he raped a little girl and by her not testifying the court system let him back on the streets prior to his last arrest. All along, they knew he was an illegal alien why the hell didn’t they deport him that very moment? He came to this country in 2000 and has been committing crimes since then. While the rapes were occurring, he lived and stayed in the same area. Most people and law enforcement believe Rapalo is still in our area.

“Rapalo was considered armed and dangerous, possibly carrying a small-caliber
handgun, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. He was also
dressed in black when he escaped, according to a witness who saw him drop to the
ground using the tied-up bedsheets, and left his jail uniform behind.” Full Story-WSVN

Iranian Prez Bans Music from the West

TEHRAN, Iran — Hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has banned all Western music from Iran's state radio and TV stations — an eerie reminder of the 1979 Islamic revolution when popular music was outlawed as "un-Islamic" under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Today, though, the sounds of hip-hop can be heard blaring from car radios in Tehran's streets, and Eric Clapton's "Rush" and the Eagles' "Hotel California" regularly accompany Iranian broadcasts. Full Story

Other excerpts:

The ban applies to state-run radio and TV. But Iranians with satellite dishes can get broadcasts originating outside the country.

He also has issued stinging criticisms of Israel, calling for the Jewish state to be "wiped off the map" and describing the Nazi Holocaust as a "myth."

The council has also issued a ban on foreign movies that promote "arrogant powers," an apparent reference to the United States.
The probibitions mirror those imposed in neighboring Afghanistan during the Taliban regime, which imposed a strict version of Islamic law, including a ban on music and film. The Taliban was ousted by a U.S.-led coalition in late 2001.

You know I am THANKFUL and BLESSED to live in a FREE COUNTRY!!! It sure is awesome!!

Important Foreign Political News

Afghanistan Inaugurates Elected Parliament
KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghanistan inaugurated its first popularly elected parliament in more than three decades Monday, a major step toward democracy following the ouster of the hardline Taliban. Full Story

Bolivia's presidential race
Evo Morales Vows to Stop U.S.'s Anti-Coca Programs
COCHABAMBA, Bolivia — The leftist who claimed victory in Bolivia's presidential race on Monday repeated his promise to end a U.S.-backed program to eradicate coca plants, saying the crop that provides the raw material for cocaine is part of Bolivian culture. Full Story
EXCERPTS:
Morales has been an irritant for Washington for years while he has built close ties with Cuban President Fidel Castro and Chavez. A State Department report earlier this year referred to him as an "illegal-coca agitator."
Evo Morales has promised to become Washington's "nightmare"!!

Russian Intelligence Chief: U.S. Bases Near Russia a 'Threat'
MOSCOW — Russia's foreign spy chief said military forces from other countries deployed at bases along Russia's periphery are a threat to the nation, a Russian news agency reported Monday.
In comments that appeared directed at U.S. forces deployed on bases in former Soviet countries, the Interfax news agency quoted Sergei Lebedev, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, as saying that Russia no longer had a "main adversary" as during the Cold War. Full Story

Iraq's Election a Huge Success

Oldest Woman Alive 116 years young

Ecuadorian woman, 116 years old, has had her last rites read, but still oldest alive, Guinness says

Bloody Santa - Freedom of Speech?

Can you believe it? Again but worse if you can imagine!! Click Here to my previous post of Santa hanging from a tree Don't tell me that this is a small issue in reference to Christmas, people are going to an all time low that I have never witnessed in my entire life. The pictures are so bad that I can only post this one because of how gruesome the others are. My heart breaks for children and how traumatizing this must be for them to see in person or on the news. This story was aired on our local station but it is in N.Y. This story makes me sick to report it, but for ones that think there is no war against Christmas this only shows just how bad it has gotten. I do not even want to hear the free of speech defense again. This is outragous!!

(CBS4 News) NEW YORK A New York City family’s holiday decoration is giving new
meaning to the phrase, “You’d better watch out.”

In the family’s yard,
there’s a bloody, bearded Santa Claus hanging from a tree. Old Saint Nick is
holding a bloody knife and a beheaded Barbie.

The family members are
reportedly non-practicing Jews, who want to make a holiday statement with their
disgusting display, protesting the commercialization of Christmas.

Their
16 year old daughter came up with the idea, based on the movie, “Silent Night,
Deadly Night.” Full Story and Pictures

To an upbeat site of Jews and many groups that are defending Christmas Jews For Fairness "Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation" Don Feder was on Fox N Friends this morning.

Governor Denies Clemency for Tookie

Breaking News: Arnold Denies Clemency!!! Starting at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday morning as scheduled. Stanley Tookie William's execution! He murdered four innocent people and was one of the founders of the Crips. (gang)

UPDATE: Excution Tuesday a.m December 13, 2005

Wrong Poster Guy for abolishing the Death Penalty in CA, in my opinion!!
My heart breaks for the victims and the families. Perhaps all the protestors will forget about this story on Wednesday.

Saddam's Days are Numbered

Saddam Tells Judge: 'Go to Hell' Saddam Hussein told the judge overseeing his trial in Iraq to "go to hell" Tuesday and threatened not to return to an "unjust court" when it reconvenes on Wednesday. Read more.

Simple mesh gave Iraqi woman hope

A simple piece of mesh, costing just £65 in the UK, was able to save an young Iraqi woman from a life of misery and rejection.
The woman had suffered a severe prolapsed uterus and doctors in Iraq feared they might have to give her radical surgery or even a hysterectomy.
This would have meant that the 23-year-old would probably have been left sterile and might never marry.
UK experts say that because of the value placed in Iraq on marriage and the ability to have children, that this woman would probably have been ostracised, been a financial burden on her family and might even have taken her own life to escape what she saw as her increasing shame. Click here: Full Story

"The girl was a farmer doing heavy jobs with lifting. She was a virgin and
apart from the problem with her prolapsed uterus she was in good health.

"It was very successful.

Andrew Mathieson, (pictured above) a senior lecturer from the
University of the West of England, who organised the Iraq trip in June, said
that without the surgery he had feared for the girl's life.

"By the age of 30 she would have probably killed herself.

"The common form of suicide is for such girls to pour petrol over
themselves and ignite it. They die in agony as a result of the severe burns.

"When you get an opportunity like this you seize it. It was the
first time this operation had been carried out in Southern Iraq and
everything worked like a dream thanks to Charles Cox Kim Hinshaw and Andrew
Mathieson."

A wonderful story coming from Iraq, so happy for this young girl.

Onassis heiress weds in Sao Paulo

One of the most lavish weddings of recent years has been taking place in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo.
Greek billionairess Athina Roussel Onassis, 20, has exchanged vows with Brazil's Olympic horse-rider Alvaro Alfonso de Miranda, 32.
Tight security was in place for the ceremony in the immaculate gardens of an art museum in the city.
Ms Onassis, whose fortune is estimated at about $2.7bn, met her future husband at a riding academy in Belgium in 2002.
She is a granddaughter and sole heiress of the late Greek shipping tycoon, Aristotle Onassis. Click Here for Full Story

Fox airs Winning Iraq: The Untold Story

Sat., Dec. 3 at 9 p.m.
ETRepeats: Sat. at midnight
Sun., Dec. 4 at 5 a.m. ET
Hosted by David Asman

Terror attacks always make it to the evening news. But is that the complete picture of what's happening in Iraq? We wanted to find out.
While Americans debate whether we're winning the war in Iraq, we sent FOX News correspondent Greg Palkot and a production team to crisscross Iraq for almost six weeks. You'll see extraordinary reporting — from outside the protected enclaves in Baghdad — a portrait of Iraq that you don't see on the evening news.
This documentary includes reports about peaceful vacations spots, a vibrant Iraq economy, plus interviews with grateful Iraqis and stories of average people triumphing over the terrorists by going about life every day.
One way the terrorists hope to defeat us is by wrecking Iraq's economy. Since you don't see or hear much business news out of Iraq these days, you might assume the terrorist plan is working. But that's not what we found on our travels.
Plus, the terrorists say they're out to win the hearts of the Iraqis. But we'll report on how U.S. troops are beating them on that score, as well.

Tune in this weekend for a candid investigation of who is really winning in Iraq. Source-Fox News

Gateway Pundit has an excellent post on this story Hope all will watch and read more in reference to this story.

Atheist filed suit to Remove Memorial Crosses

Atheist group wants memorial crosses removed, can you believe it? It is no longer a war on just Christmas it is way bigger. Holiday Assault? Christianity? Below is a story reported in the Salt Lake City Tribune.

A lawsuit filed by the American Atheists in U.S. District Court on Thursday
seeks to remove steel crosses that dot roadways throughout Utah and memorialize
Utah Highway Patrol troopers who have died in the line of duty. The suit has
drawn harsh reaction from family members of the fallen troopers and promises to
be the source of an emotional battle. The crosses, which stand about 12 feet
high and bear the trooper's name and the UHP insignia, were erected starting in
1998 and serve as a memorial for 14 troopers who have died since 1931. About
nine of the crosses are on public land and all of them are placed near the spot
where the troopers lost their lives. Full Story

This battle continues all over our country and getting more and more vicious everyday. I feel we have to stand up for what we believe in and stop these attacks on Christmas and our right to be Christians in our own country. The 5% of our population including the Atheist groups and the ACLU has to be stopped.

Prison Inmates on the Loose in FL

Now TWO Escapees are on the run in my backyard!!

Two Fla. Inmates on the Loose

VERO BEACH, Fla. — Two Indian River County inmates are on the loose. Sheriff's deputies are searching for Edward Roberson and Marty Finney who escaped overnight.
The escape was caught on a surveillance tape. Sheriff's officials say the men got out through a small space in a shower area, then through two chain-link fences with barbed wire.
The two may be armed and dangerous and authorities say they could still be in the Vero Beach area.
A third inmate who also escaped has been caught.

What the heck is going on with all these escapes? Perhaps if the death penalty was enforced more, we would not have to worry about over-crowding, budget cuts and most importantly this rash of escapes. How many have been reported just in the last few months? This is a serious problem!

Just Say Merry Christmas

Capitalizing on the colored-bracelet phenomenon, a group urging Americans to "just say Merry Christmas" is offering a red and green wristband to help push its cause.
Operation: Just Say Merry Christmas is offering the bracelets for $2 each.

Full Story-Worldnetdaily