Two articles that have pissed me off

While these two articles are not necessarily today's hot topics, they are two things I have been stewing about for a few days. I also felt like I needed to finish my "100 Things" post before putting these up.

This article is but one illustration of why I think PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) sucks.

This group of so-called animal lovers has publicly blasted Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter, after his tragic death from a stingray barb to the chest. Their website calls him a "cheap reality TV star" who made a career out of "antagonizing frightened wild animals."

I am one of the biggest animal lovers you will ever meet. Steve Irwin's show was not necessarily the kind I'd like to watch, but that was mostly because I am terrified of snakes. However, I certainly have always had deep respect for his sincere affection for animals. For PETA to publicly lambast a still-warm dead man is shameful.

This article is a perfect illustration of why radical Islam truly frightens me. The reaction of Muslims to a quote taken out of context from a 14th Century writing shows with perfect clarity that the controversial quotation still holds true: Islam is indeed a violent, evil, and inhuman religion. Its followers claim they "will go on until Islam takes over the world."

This is yet another reason why I support the war we are currently in, why I am going to get my concealed weapon permit on Friday morning, and why I am eternally grateful to live in a country where people are free to practice or not practice religion, however they see fit.

Neal Boortz said it best this morning. This is not a war on terror. Terror is a tactic; you don't declare war on tactics. This is a war on radical Islam.

Hopefully this finishes it off.

Ok, y'all, I know I've been seriously slacking on this 100 Things About Me deal.

So hopefully, this will satisfy your burning curiosity about the end of my list. I've got a couple of other blog posts pending, as well, but I felt like I should finish this list before I put those up. Since I crapped out at numbers 77 and 87 by saying this was taking too long, I'll start at 86.

86. I am a natural blonde. Seriously. I can prove it (with childhood and high school pics, you sickos).
87. I'm officially entering my third trimester of pregnancy. Good grief, how time has flown!!!
88. Correction to number 81: our daughter will be the SIXTH generation of first-born females. I am the fifth. When I was a baby, a photo was taken of the five generations sitting together. (Obviously, we were all alive at that time.) Since then, my great-great and great-grandmother have both passed away, and I don't have a relationship with my mother to speak of.
89. I had a pretty decent stepmother that I had hoped would make a pretty decent grandmother to my kids someday, but she died in March of last year.
90. I had also planned to ask my stepmother to teach me crocheting. I planned to ask her when I got pregnant, so we could make baby blankies together. I waited too long. I didn't get pregnant until about a year after she died.
91. My dad, knowing I wanted to learn, gave me all of her crochet supplies- hooks, tons of yarn and partial projects, and pattern books. I found a website with lots of pictures and taught myself.
92. I wouldn't trust my husband's parents with a puppy, much less a human child. Luckily, to make up for a shortage of grandparents, we have several loved ones who will be participating in our child's life.
93. In my collection, you will find music running the entire gamut: classical (Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Opera Babes, Bond); alternative (Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Tool, Franz Ferdinand); metal (White Zombie, Metallica); electronic/dance/ambient/disco (808 State, Jay Jay Johansen, Thievery Corporation, Depeche Mode, Moby, Röyksopp); lounge/big band (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Perry Como, Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Ray Charles); rap (Ice Cube, Outkast, Dr. Dre); and lots of stuff I can't categorize (Tori Amos, Ben Folds, Sarah McLachlan, Shakira).
94. I prefer the music of fat Elvis over that of skinny Elvis.
95. I have a huge stack of unread books at home, including some Dean Koontz and Tom Clancy, baby books, Where to Draw the Line by Anne Katherine, and others.
96. My issues of Vogue and Martha Stewart Living get combed thoroughly every month.
97. At the suggestion of my counselor, whom I have been seeing since January, I have been making use of the FLYLady program of housekeeping, cleaning, sanity saving, and organization for several months now. It's a fabulous and free service, and it's awesome for busy people who lean toward procrastination or perfection.
98. The clothing in our closets (yes, I do my husband's too) is organized by color, and all hung facing the same direction.
99. I have Magnetic Poetry words on my fridge- the Dog Lover and Shakespeare Lover sets. Below the compositions that have been created, all the words awaiting use are alphabetized into groups.
100. When I finally get to do the woodworking projects that currently await completion of our backyard shop, I will be making a Lazy Susan for my spice cabinet, and the spices will be alphabetized.
Bonus!
101. These things seem normal to me, but apparently many people think I'm a kook, my husband included.

~fin~