Update

Kent is still touch & go. Latest news is his intra-cranial pressure has returned to normal and he is just sedated rather than in a coma. He had a few bad episodes over the last few days, but they noticed they only occurred when he was left alone. So the hospital is allowing him to have a visitor pretty much around the clock. I'm not reading much into that, but all we can do is continue to pray for the best.

One for the, "Be thankful for what you have" file.

Story here. I just noticed that this may require registration, so I'll copy it below.

Where to start. I can only imagine what Kent's families are going through. I've only known him since 1997, but it was a fast friendship. He was the best man at my wedding. We hadn't seen each other in a few years since we all moved away from Paris, but we still kept in touch via Email and the phone. I am still hoping to someday re-move to the DFW area and pick up where we left off.

Kent, we're praying for you to recover, God-willing, and return to your friends and family as the vibrant, wonderful person that you are.

Amanda and all of the people who Kent affected in his life, we are praying that you have the strength to get through this trial no matter what the outcome.

STORY:

3 sought in attack of man on I-35W

By Deanna Boyd

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH - Steven "Kent" Schnable planned to spend Thanksgiving afternoon at his mother-in-law's house, celebrating the holiday with his wife and loved ones.

Instead, his family and friends kept vigil at John Peter Smith Hospital, praying that the 38-year-old Fort Worth man lives.

Schnable suffered a skull fracture and a serious brain injury early Thursday in a road-rage attack that police believe may have been a case of mistaken identity.

Relatives have been told that he has less than a 50 percent chance of surviving. If he does live, he would probably do so in a vegetative state.

"We're all just praying and hoping that he'll get out of this with as little repercussions as possible," said his wife, Amanda. "It's unfathomable that this would happen to him. He, of all people, did not deserve this."

Police say Schnable was forced off the road about 2:35 a.m. Thursday and assaulted by the driver of a blue pickup, who then fled the scene with two passengers.

"While we are still looking for the reason for this assault, we believe it could be misidentification of a truck that cut them off," said Cheryl Johnson, a Fort Worth homicide detective.

Boys' night out

Schnable, a project manager at Sabre, had spent a "boys' night out" with friends at the Cowboys dance hall on Texas 360 in Arlington. When the bar closed, Schnable and his friend Phillip Howell headed home.

They planned to get something to eat before returning to Schnable's home in east Fort Worth. They never made it.

Somewhere along the way, the driver of a blue pickup drove up behind Schnable's white Ford F150 and began flashing his bright lights.

"He never had a chance to get over," Howell said. "By the time he could, that truck had swerved over in the middle lane."

Howell, who is from Rockwall, said he is unsure where they were when that encounter occurred. He said he is unfamiliar with the Fort Worth area and had been drinking.

Johnson believes that the incident may have begun on westbound Interstate 30.

Howell said that, after the blue pickup passed Schnable's pickup, the driver cut back in front of Schnable. The truck then passed five or six cars on the road's shoulder, spraying gravel in its wake.

"We were just watching him, and a white pickup came over and cut him off," Howell said. "I didn't think anything else about it."

Later, on southbound Interstate 35W, the two pickups crossed paths again. Howell said Schnable was exiting onto Rosedale Street when the driver of the blue pickup cut in front of him.

"He came off it at an odd angle and slammed on his brakes," Howell said.

Schnable was forced to screech to a halt.

Three men got out of the pickup. The two passengers, one with a belt wrapped around his hand, approached Howell while the driver confronted Schnable.

Howell told police that all three were Hispanic men who appeared to be in their 20s.

The passengers did not strike Howell, but police believe that the driver assaulted Schnable.

A woman who lived nearby told police that she looked outside and saw one of the men, presumably Schnable, get hit in the face and fall to the ground, according to a police report.

Johnson said police do not know whether Schnable was hit with something or whether he hit his head on the ground.

"If the other two ... were not involved in his assault, they need to contact me immediately to avoid prosecution," Johnson said.

Howell said he believed that his friend had just been beaten up, not critically injured.

"I went over and put him on his side and was trying to wake him up," said Howell, who flagged down a passing MedStar ambulance. "He was snoring, and I just assumed he got hit and knocked out."

On Thursday morning, Howell sat in shock in his friend's living room as Olga McMurry, Schnable's mother-in-law, updated him on the prognosis.

"The Kent that we know and love is not with us anymore," McMurry said.

Howell sat stunned.

"Not in a million years would I have thought anything like this could have happened," he said.

An uncertain future

Amanda Schnable grew up next door to her future husband but had little contact with him. He was eight years older, and that seemed like a huge age difference at the time.

"They were only there for a couple of years before they moved away, but our families kept in touch," Amanda Schnable said. "I heard about his family over the years, but I didn't see him again from age 6 until I was 19."

Amanda was a student at Texas A&M University when she canceled a date and met her parents in Grapevine to watch Schnable's sister sing at the Grapevine Opry.

There, she and Kent Schnable got reacquainted.

"I told his mom that night I was going to marry him," Amanda Schnable said.

They dated for four years. Six-and-a-half years ago, they married.

Amanda Schnable said her husband enjoys music, working with computers and boating. She struggled to make sense of how, in one morning, the future of such an active, loving man could become so uncertain.

"He was a good man and never hurt anyone," she said. "He went out of his way for everybody, and he did not deserve any of this. He's one of the kindest people I've ever known.

"If they [his attackers] saw all the people at the hospital, they would know this, too."

Police need help

Police are asking for help in finding the three men suspected of being involved in Thursday morning's road-rage attack. The vehicle is described as a blue two-door Chevrolet or GMC pickup that appeared to flare out at the bottom. Anyone who may have seen the truck that morning or who may know the identity of the occupants is asked to call Detective Cheryl Johnson at (817) 392-4338 or Crime Stoppers at (817) 469-TIPS.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Do they think of us, at home?

Jesus, democrats are stupid.

You idiots couldn't pull together enough votes to overcome a 500 vote deficit in Florida in 2000. Now you want to continue with a bullsh!t recount in Ohio to overcome about 140,000 votes. Keep it up. That's exactly the attitude that's going to win back all of the votes you blew in the last two election cycles. Story here.

OK. Texas has some sickos too.

Plano mother severs baby daughter's arms, calls 911.

You say that like it's a bad thing...

Anti-election Iraqi clerics killed.

So what? Maybe we need to whack a few more of these insurgent stoking a--holes and the rebels might start to get the message.

I've always said Wisconsin has the most creative criminals.

Man hunting illegally on other's property kills five and wounds three.

Quick Christmas Joke.

Just before Christmas, Santa Claus gets a surprise visit from the Federal Aviation Administration. The examiner walks slowly around the sled, looking at each of the reindeer harnesses, the runners, and the sled's body. Then he weighs Santa and performs balance calculations to determines the sled's payload.
'Ok, everything checks out,' he says while stepping into the sleigh. 'But you've still got to pass the flight-test.'

Saint Nick jumps in, then notices the FAA examiner has a shotgun sitting across his lap.

'What's that for?' gulps Santa.

'Technically, I'm not supposed to tell you this,' winks the examiner, 'but you're going to lose an engine on take-off.'

Oh please Mr. Chairman, Save me from these low taxes!!!

So I see that Plainfield voted down the proposed zoning changes that would have allowed for the construction of a 140k seat racetrack and convention center. The dimbulbs interviewed on the TV must all have been Kerry voters. The only thing they were concerned about was potential traffic and fumes. (First off the track would have been less than a mile from a freeway and second when was the last time your cars were checked for emissions? Now go put that cigarette out you hypocritical jackass.) That's a fantastic reason to stick a knife in the biggest economic development to come to eastern Connecticut since, well, since I can remember. (You sure could tell whose side the news was on. The only film clip of racing they showed during the report was Matt Kenseth splattering into the tire barrier on pit road about a month ago.)

What the hell do you idiots think you are? Litchfield? You're not a frigging bedroom community that foppish New Yorkers in their Cayenne S Turbo's flock to on the weekends to escape another state they can't afford so they can buy forged antiques at inflated prices from other anti-locality morons who complain that their cell phones don't work, but damn isn't that horizon view impressive. You are a quickly aging textile mill community that no outsiders ever pause in except to borrow your plumbing during their flights to and from the casinos and you currently have a tax base that includes approximately zero industry. What are you going to do when your town finally goes broke and you are subsumed in a hostile buyout by your other good buddies, the Mashantuckets? (Boy, they sure add to the local tax coffers, don't they. Ohhhh, Riiight. They Don't.)

I feel sorry for the local residents who supported the track project either out of a love for potential local auto racing, or as a way to pull the town out of an anti-industrial slide that began forty years ago and is continuing at an ever increasing rate.

How about this. The next required tax increases must be shouldered entirely by the people who killed the track project? You gotta hit these morons where it hurts. In their wallets. Fortunately, given where their heads seem to be, you'll be slapping them across the face at the same time.

Geeky time waster

Build and fire a trebuchet.

Oh. Well that's entirely different...

California man charged with single count of attempted murder for paralyzing his girlfriend with a rifle while she was on her way to have an abortion.

Story Here.

Another view of the Marine shooting the "helpless" terrorist story

From Mac Owens in The Corner:

This is just one most don't hear: A young Marine and his cover man cautiously enter a room just recently filled with insurgents armed with Ak-47's and RPG's. There are three dead, another wailing in pain. The insurgent can be heard saying, "Mister, mister! Diktoor, diktoor (doctor)!" He is badly wounded, lying in a pool of his own blood. The Marine and his cover man slowly walk toward the injured man, scanning to make sure no enemies come from behind. In a split second, the pressure in the room greatly exceeds that of the outside, and the concussion seems to be felt before the blast is heard. Marines outside rush to the room, and look in horror as the dust gradually settles. The result is a room filled with the barely recognizable remains of the deceased, caused by an insurgent setting off several pounds of explosives.

The Marines' remains are gathered by teary eyed comrades, brothers in arms, and shipped home in a box. The families can only mourn over a casket and a picture of their loved one, a life cut short by someone who hid behind a white flag. But no one hears these stories, except those who have lived to carry remains of a friend, and the families who loved the dead. No one hears this, so no one cares.

This is the story everyone hears: A young Marine and his fire team cautiously enter a room just recently filled with insurgents armed with AK-47's and RPG's. There are three dead, another wailing in pain. The insurgent can be heard saying, "Mister, mister! Diktoor, diktoor (doctor)!" He is badly wounded. Suddenly, he pulls from under his bloody clothes a grenade, without the pin. The explosion rocks the room, killing one Marine, wounding the others. The young Marine catches shrapnel in the face.

The next day, same Marine, same type of situation, a different story. The young Marine and his cover man enter a room with two wounded insurgents. One lies on the floor in puddle of blood, another against the wall. A reporter and his camera survey the wreckage inside, and in the background can be heard the voice of a Marine, "He's moving, he's moving!" The pop of a rifle is heard, and the insurgent against the wall is now dead.

Minutes, hours later, the scene is aired on national television, and the Marine is being held for committing a war crime. Unlawful killing. And now, another Marine has the possibility of being burned at the stake for protecting the life of his brethren. His family now wrings their hands in grief, tears streaming down their face.

Brother, should I have been in your boots, i too would have done the same. For those of you who don't know, we Marines, Band of Brothers, Jarheads, Leathernecks, etc., do not fight because we think it is right, or think it is wrong. We are here for the man to our left, and the man to our right. We choose to give our lives so that the man or woman next to us can go home and see their husbands, wives, children, friends and families.

For those of you who sit on your couches in front of your television, and choose to condemn this man's actions, I have but one thing to say to you. Get out of you recliner, lace up my boots, pick up a rifle, leave your family behind and join me. See what I've seen, walk where I have walked.

To those of you who support us, my sincerest gratitude. You keep us alive. I am a Marine currently doing his second tour in Iraq. These are my opinions and mine alone. They do not represent those of the Marine Corps or of the US military, or any other.

Sheesh!

What's this guy trying to do? 3-up John Edward's family sob-story?

Harry Reid, whose mother evidently did laundry for prostitutes after having not graduates high-school, elected Senate Minority Leader.

Gravy.

Sausage in it or not. Wife says no. I say yes.

This could be a long night.

Boy, I'd like to have their money.

I just helped my daughter buy a USED 2004 Honda Civic with 3200 miles on it. It was originally leased in early August and returned in late October because the people who leased it didn't like it. What did they think they were getting? A Cadillac? It's a stripper Civic. Cheap, small and economical. I think I'd have to live with something rather than exchange it for a several thousand dollar loss two months after the original purchase.

Must be nice.

I have GOT to find a Hardee's

Mmmmm, Mmmmm, Good.

Don't put me out fools, I'm protesting...

Man sets self on fire in front of White House.

OK you lefty whiners...

About 50 spots in Cuba just opened up. Story here. Get the hell outa my country!

Hendrick Motorsports Plane Crash Prelim.

Here's a link to the preliminary NTSB data on the crash of Hendrick's Beech 200. Seems like after a missed approach, the plane was set to an incorrect direction or altitude and flown into a hillside. I wonder if they'll be able to come up with more details eventually?

I'm assuming that these were Kerry voters.

From a town that went for Kerry by 16 votes out of a total of 13,300 or so cast comes a story that the left should be jumping all over. A couple's religious rights were violated by the local police when they were arrested while planning to sacrifice their three children on the alter of a church. The story has everything. Religious oppression, post-partum abortion. Maybe this is what the democrats should promote as their family values.

Story here.

Guilty.

Well. The jury was finally allowed to deliberate for more than six minutes without losing one of its members and it cam back with two separate guilty verdicts.

First Degree Murder for killing his wife
Second Degree Murder for killing his unborn son.

The difference between the verdicts is intent. First degree says he intended to kill his wife. Second degree says that, although his actions led to the death of his unborn son, he had not intended to kill him.

How frigged up is that on how many different levels? Ya gotta figure that if he intended to kill his wife, he wasn't really expecting her to deliver the baby smiling afterwards. And second, Who actually decided that you could be charged with killing a foetus anyway? Last I heard, abortion was legal. A constitutional right, even.

Hmmmm. A more fitting end, maybe?

So, Yassir Arafish was flown from the frog capital of the earth to Egypt for his funeral. Anybody else wish a bunch of Israelis had hijacked the damned plane, flown it to ramallah and blown the damned thing up on the tarmac?

CMA Awards.

I've never believed that Kix Brooks could sing, but did anybody notice that his mic and mandolin were turned absolutely OFF during the Brooks & Dunn song?

He knew. He made mention of it a bit later in the show. Speaking to Dunn, Brooks said, "You got to sing a song tonight, I guess she might......."

Funny.

Yeah. Sincerity... We can fake that...

Nancy Pelosi, Flaming California democrat, on Lou Dobbs last night:

PELOSI: I know, but the public was not fully aware of that. Now that they are proclaiming their mandate, I think it will be clear to the public and easier for us. This presents an opportunity for Democrats, with our agenda, for a new partnership for America's future, for job creation, et cetera, that we go out there and make a clear distinction. This is our moment in the Congress without the presidential race and all of the eclipsing of the bread-and-butter issues that the administration successfully did with some of the so- called values issues. And we have to define what values are. Values are, of course, being persons of faith and family and love of country. They also are about ministering to the needs, as it says in the Gospel of Matthew, of the least of our brethren.So we have to grow the middle class and expand it. We have to protect the environment, which is God's creation. We have to meet the needs of the American people. We have to reach to a higher purpose, and I believe we have that opportunity now.

DOBBS: Minority Leader, I'm just -- I'm just a simple fellow, secular as I can be. Are we going to hear every politician now, because of exit polls, start couching every issue in moral or religious terms?

PELOSI: I believe that you will see more of that, but I quite agree with you, that we have to get to the issues that are the role of government. I think on the values side, the so-called religious issues side, we have to enlarge that issue, because what we're in danger now in our country is the blurring of the issue of church and state. But I as a devout Catholic was concerned when bishops -- some bishops, not all bishops said that it was a sin to vote for John Kerry. That's absolutely wrong. And that -- our own Constitution is at stake if they think that they can blur the issue of church and state.So I think that, as President Kennedy said when he ran in 1960, imagine then, they didn't want religion to have a strong role. At that time, he said, "The issue is not what church I believe in, the issue is what America I believe in." And that's where we have to take this issue.

Cute. (No gloating here.)

Interesting. Click Here.

One down, 55 million to go....

Protest suicide at WTC site.

At least they didn't drag it behind a truck

Rabid bat used as Hacky-sack.

The Commandments are racist. (If you're a moslem extremist.)

"In the Netherlands, artist Chris Ripke reacted to the murder on Theo Van Gogh by an islamic fundamentalist by painting a mural with the text "Gij zult niet doden" ("Thou Shalt Not Kill"), one of the ten commandments of the Christian religion. But because the head of the nearby mosque complained to the police that this was 'offensive' and 'racist', the cops came and sent in city workers to sandblast the mural. A local journalist, Wim Nottroth, who wanted to protest against this by standing in front of the mural was arrested."

A little different New Hampshire analysis...

From Lawrence Henry in The American Spectator Online:

"The increasing liberalization of New Hampshire is spillover from the west, from Vermont. And Vermont's liberalism comes from New Yorkers who have made that state into a New England theme park for their amusement."

How to get a Federal Marriage Amendment

First, get a state amendment up for vote in the next midterm elections in every last vulnerable democratic senator's home state.

Next, Bring the amendment up for a vote in Congress before the elections.

Then, wait for the fun. Either the senators will vote for the amendment or the people will most likely vote them out.

Done.

Ahh. The end of the '60's....

I wonder if JFK2 knew he was going to be the last man to die for THAT mistake?

Wow. What a week!

W is handily re-elected. I get an unexpected work-related financial assist. And to top it off, Yasser Arafat dies in France.

Can it get any better than this?

Update: Christ. And 48% of the American people voted for a medical system like the one that has managed to screw up this jackass's death. Looks like Arafish is still twitching. Hey, W. Can we afford a few Green Beret's for a day or so?

Here's a quickie...

Since I've been told for the past four years that Bush stole the election, wasn't really elected and served illegitimately since 2000, would that make him eligible to run again in 2008???

So. What's left?

Since the media and the Moore-ons blew their entire wad of anti-Bush capital over the last two years, what the hell are they going to do for the next four years? They were so blind to the possibility that us uneducated yokels might turn out in numbers high enough to even preclude any recount bullshit, that they forgot to keep a few hole cards hidden.

On top of that, they're not running against Bush anymore. So does anyone think the same kind of personal attacks will matter a whit when repeated ad nauseum again? Bush is in the enviable position of effectively having nothing to lose. Pass a flat tax! Pass a supermajority requirement for congress to raise taxes! Drop the hammer to clean up Iraq! Invade and democratize Iran! And I'm only talking between now and the inauguration!

Today is a good day. @:-)

52% to 46%

Not bad for the Litchfield County Returns. Here is the entire breakout:

	Bush Cheney	Kerry Edwards	Nader	Other
Barkhamsted	995	1124	30	12
Bethlehem	1337	922	31	21
Bridgewater	628	521	15	10
Canaan	219	378	17	5
Colebrook	429	458	20	10
Cornwall	296	625	13	10
Goshen	954	715	15	12
Harwinton	1762	1308	47	32
Kent	713	1038	16	10
Litchfield	2375	2164	44	31
New Hartford	1950	1874	42	29
New Milford	7174	5854	129	80
Norfolk	3556	3439	60	44
Plymouth	2773	2737	56	58
Roxbury	715	727	14	9
Sharon	649	897	15	18
Thomaston	2272	1582	34	40
Torrington	8175	7362	184	160
Warren	427	342	10	9
Washington	941	1242	17	15
Watertown	6954	4146	121	101
Winchester	2532	2577	89	33
Woodbury	3260	2519	41	39
Totals:	51086	44551	1060	788	97485
	52%	46%	1%	1%

OK Lefties, take this mandate and stick it in your ear.

Now that's how to have an election. Never mind the BS about Ohio. With W ahead by 145k and only 250k in total absentee, military and provisional ballots to count, the entire 250k would have to break nearly 80:20 for Kerry for him to squeak out a win. Regardless of the democratic electioneering to come, that is about as likely as winning the lottery WHILE being struck by lightning.

Senate, +5 republican seats. Daschle Head of the senate democrats ousted. House showing gains. W leading by 4+ million in the popular vote. I believe that America has spoken. And they have told Soros, Moore and the gang to go F*ck themselves.

On another note, I was right about Litchfield county. It looks like we were the only county in CT to tip to Bush.

Jesus Christ.

I hope Susan Estrich has a cold, because otherwise she has the most annoying voice EVAR!

(My wife thinks she's actually a man..)

The polls close in 90 minutes...

I call Florida for Kerry!





Urr, Sorry, Had an attack of cBS-itis...

Back to my Just Wondering Post from 10/27

Sounds like there may be a pile of last minute flying crap from the New York Times tomorrow morning.

This has a reasonably high Ewwww Coefficient

Doctors are preparing to develop procedures for the first total facial transplant.

Story Here.

It will be a boon to burn victims, but can you imagine the implications?

Catholicism you can use!

A great quote from Mel Gibson during an interview about the current culture wars and California's proposed bill to publicly finance cloning for stem-cell research, "If you see a big scary Philistine standing there with a massive army behind you, and you're only about five feet tall and you've got a rock, you run at him, and you drop that mother on his ass."

Clinton's Legacy to be revealed tomorrow

Well, If this election is close, we're going to finally get to see the true legacy of the dynamic duo, Clinton/Gore.

What with the fraud enabled by the Motor-Voter Bill and the ludicrous, crass litigiousness of the last election, Clinton and Gore can be held collectively responsible for destroying American Electoral Democracy.