Melissa's Musings(My opinionated view of life)

(Chicago, Illinois) – Last week Marine Sgt. Denis Kisseloff was laid to rest after succumbing to injuries he suffered on May 14 when his unit was attacked by terrorist insurgents in Afghanistan.  Tonight, on Memorial Day, thanks to an anonymous donor identified by Operation Homefront-Illinois in concert with Operation Homefront-Missouri, Sgt. Kisseloff’s two young children, both huge hockey fans, will be treated to attending Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals at the United Center in Chicago. Sgt. Kisseloff, a graduate of York High School in Elmhurst, and his family resided in St. Charles County, Missouri.  His wife passed away approximately two years ago and Sgt. Kisseloff’s children had been staying with their grandparents. “We were honored to provide Sgt. Kisseloff’s children with perhaps a little bit of joy during this very difficult time,” said Dan Proft, Chapter President for Operation Homefront-Illinois.  “It is a heartbreaking story.  But it is al...

Though U.S. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will not meet this week as planned, Netanyahu will be returning to Israel with an unequivocal guarantee that Israel's strategic capabilities will be maintained. Officials in Jerusalem reported on Sunday that Obama had promised that Israeli deterrence would be unharmed. This, despite Obama's decision to vote with the United Nations for a resolution singling out Israel over its alleged possession of nuclear weapons. The latest understandings with America are a “significant step up” in ties, the Jerusalem sources said. Continued

I just would like to take this time to remember all the fallen veterans this Memorial Day.  Freedom isn't free and I appreciate their sacrifice and their family's sacrifice as well.  Every soldier that shed his bled was someone's husband or wife, father or mother, son or daughter, aunt or uncle, cousin, good friend.  They are not a number, but a flesh and blood human being that deserves our respect, whether or not we agree, or even if they personally agreed about the war they fought and died in.  We are the 'home of the free because of the brave.'  G-D Bless them, their families, and America.

Noam Shalit, father of abducted IDF soldier First Sergeant Gilad Shalit, accused Israel of failing miserably as far as his son's plight is concerned. Speaking at the National Bar Association's annual conference in Eilat, Shalit said: “For four years an entire state, with all of the means at its disposal – two prime ministers, two defense ministers, two IDF chiefs of staff and and a head of [the Israel Security Agency] service – failed miserably, and I regret to say that there are no other words to describe it. [They have not been able] to bring Gilad home, although he is just a few kilometers away from the southern border of the State of Israel.” Continue reading... My own note:  I am sure the people in charge are doing everything they can, but as a mom I can totally empathize with the Shalits and their frustration under the circumstances.  I hope and pray along with the people of Israel that he will be home safe and soon.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court has denied ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's request to delay his corruption trial. The decision by Justice John Paul Stevens came shortly after the Obama adminstration opposed Blagojevich's request. The trial is now scheduled to begin June 3. Blagojevich had asked the high court to delay his trial until the justices rule first in pending cases about the constitutionality of the federal honest-services fraud law. Prosecutors have charged Blagojevich with violating the fraud law and other crimes. Supreme Court denies Blagojevich request for delay  

CHICAGO (STMW)  -- Mayor Daley's sarcastic remark last week about shoving a gun up the rear of an inquisitive reporter and firing a round apparently reached California. A San Jose, Calif., man was arrested Thursday for allegedly leaving a phone message at Daley's office threatening to do the same to the mayor, a source said. Continued  

By Perry Bacon Jr. and Ed O'Keefe Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, May 27, 2010; 6:57 PM The Senate Armed Services Committee voted Thursday to end "don't ask, don't tell," the controversial policy barring openly gay men and lesbians from serving in the military. The measure, which passed 16 to 12, includes a provision ensuring that no change would take effect until after the Pentagon completes a study about its impact on troops, due to Congress Dec. 1. The House was scheduled to vote late Thursday or Friday on an identical measure. Lawmakers there expect it to be approved, and the full Senate would vote on it next month. The provision, which lawmakers are attaching to a $726 billion defense funding bill, would take effect only if the Defense Department study determines that changing the policy would not affect the military's ability to fight wars or recruit soldiers. The legislation is a compromise between the administration and...

SKorea holds navy drill; NKorea scraps sea accord (OneNewsNow.com) KELLY OLSEN- Associated Press Writer - 5/27/2010 5:10:00 AM SEOUL, South Korea- Stung by a surprise underwater attack, South Korea flexed its muscles Thursday with anti-submarine drills and a U.S. general offered strong words of support as the allies sent a clear message to adversary North Korea: Don't try it again. Pyongyang, however, wasted little time in responding, saying it would launch "immediate physical strikes" against southern ships that enter its waters as tensions spiked further a week after Seoul blamed the North for torpedoing a warship. Inter-Korean political and economic ties have been steadily deteriorating since the February 2008 inauguration of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, who vowed a tougher line on the North and its nuclear program. But the sinking of the warship Cheonan and deaths of 46 sailors in March have returned military tensions _ and the prospect of ...

I’ve never been a fan of the Red Cross and have always advocated that people not give to that organization.  Whether it was providing cover for Nazi death camps during the Holocaust or providing aid and comfort to Hezbollah and HAMAS terrorists during their various wars against innocent Israelis and other victims (and saying it would aid Al-Qaeda, too) , the organization is despicable.  That’s not to mention the non-stop Red Cross aid to Palestinian and other Islamic terrorists, the use of Red Cross ambulances to transport HAMAS terrorists and their homicide belts, and disgusting way the Red Cross treated Israel’s version of the Red Cross, the Mogen Dovid Adom (Red Star of David), pursuant to Muslims’ demands. Continue reading...

By Chris Lee Fictional fantasy flick is missed opportunity and "insulting", claim critics Since its release, the video game franchise Prince of Persia has become notable for the acrobatic grace of its dagger-wielding, balloon pants-wearing hero as well as for what the games didn't do: affront gamers of Middle Eastern and Muslim descent with stereotypical depictions of people from the region as terrorists or religious zealots. Independent filmmaker and blogger Jehanzeb Dar, to name one such player, remembers his favorable first reaction to the swashbuckling action game, which is set amid the sands and ancient cities of Persia (as ancient Iran is known) and follows a hero with a magic sword caught between forces of good and evil. "You could see clearly the protagonist had distinct Middle Eastern features and darker skin," said Dar, 26, who pens the blog Muslim Reverie from Langhorne, Pa. "People could dev...

I cannot believe the audacity of this narcissist! http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/23628?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter                         By Dr. Lyle J. Rapacki    Wednesday, May 26, 2010 Barack Hussein Obama had served 14-State Governors in the United States, National Security Letters (NSLs) warning that the Governor’s actions in attempting to form “State Defense Forces” needs to be halted “immediately” or they will face arrest for the crime of treason.  The employment of NSLs was authorized by the Patriot Act introduced by George W. Bush.  Contained within the section related to these letters, it is forbidden for anyone receiving a NSL warning to even acknowledge the existence of said communication.                  ...

by Gil Ronen The Ministry of Tourism denies it paid the bill for White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and his family, after they dined on seafood at an Eilat restaurant. A report in Maariv-NRG said that Emanuel left the bill for the Israeli Tourism Ministry representative who accompanied his family, and other news sources added that the ministry paid the bill. MK Dr. Michael Ben-Ari of the National Union fired off a letter to the Attorney General in which he demanded that the bill be sent back to Emanuel. Emanuel is in Israel on a private visit, not an official one, with his parents, wife, children and other family members, to make preparations for his son's upcoming Bar Mitzvah. Upon arrival in Israel Friday, the Emanuels headed for Eilat, where they dined on seafood at a restaurant. What happened after the (unkosher) meal, which included cheviche (citrus marinaded seafood), calamari (fried squid), various fish, salads and hamburgers, is now...

By Jonathan Rosenblum What the scribe conveniently Left out --- and yet why the questions he raises matter Continue reading...

Two leading Italian supermarket chains will stop importing and selling produce from an Israeli company located in the West Bank. The decision by Coop and Nordiconad to stop importing fruits and vegetables from the Agrexco company, Israel's main exporter of produce, follows months of pressure from pro-Palestinian groups. Keep reading...

Israel says it will block a fleet of nine ships carrying international activists and supplies from reaching the Gaza Strip. The Freedom Flotilla, organized by the Free Gaza group, left from ports in Ireland, Greece and Turkey last week and is scheduled to arrive Thursday off the coast of Gaza. Israel has offered to transfer the humanitarian aid, including food, clothing and construction materials, to Gaza through an approved Israeli port.

Who in his right mind would be against health insurance for every child in Illinois? Certainly none of the politicians, health care providers, labor unions and special interests that in 2005 so enthusiastically bought into then- Gov. Rod Blagojevich 's All Kids program. Certainly not tens of thousands of illegal immigrants, the major beneficiaries of the program. From Citizen Action/Illinois to the Illinois Hospital Association, from the Chicago Teachers Union to the Peruvian Cultural Center, they all hailed it as some kind of nirvana. They were wrong. Now, five years later, All Kids has turned into just another government botch of a program that has failed to meet expectations. Except for its costs. Those, of course, wildly exceeded expectations. And helped state finances circle the drain. Beyond the bureaucratic muddle, blame Blagojevich and the Democratic-controlled legislature for perhaps the biggest problem with the law: Its cheap, comprehensive health care i...

HYUNG-JIN KIM- Associated Press Writer - 5/26/2010 5:20:00 AM SEOUL, South Korea- North Korea threatened Wednesday to block cross-border traffic and blow up any South Korean loudspeakers blasting propaganda northward after a six-year hiatus, as tensions soared over the sinking of a South Korean warship. The dramatic deterioration in relations came as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited Seoul Wednesday on the final leg of a three-nation Asian tour that was dominated by the March 26 sinking blamed on a North Korean torpedo attack Continued here...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- The Illinois House approved a new state budget Tuesday that would borrow billions of dollars, give the governor broad new control over spending and leave a mountain of unpaid bills at the end of the year. Republicans, and one or two Democrats, condemned the proposed budget as an irresponsible mish-mash of gimmicks and shady maneuvers. House Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego, called it "a budget that has a lot of duct tape around it. ... It doesn't really add up, but that's what we've grown accustomed to in the state of Illinois." Democratic leaders, however, defended it as the only realistic option when the state faces a $13 billion deficit but legislators reject both raising taxes and slashing spending. "The dollars aren't there," said Rep. Frank Mautino, D-Spring Valley. "We're left with very limited options and difficult choices." Gov. Pat Quinn's office said spendi...

http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=176507   Photo by: AP NYC board OKs ground zero mosque By ASSOCIATED PRESS 05/26/2010 08:38 Council wishes to empower the "silenced moderate Muslim voice." Talkbacks ( 30 )   NEW YORK— After hours of contentious public comment, a New York City community board voted late Tuesday to support a plan to build a mosque and cultural center near ground zero. "It's a seed of peace," board member Rob Townley said. "We believe that this is a significant step in the Muslim community to counteract the hate and fanaticism in the minority of the community." RELATED: Is a giant mosque at Ground Zero justifie...

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0510/prager.php3  For the entire commentary refer to the above link... 'With America more interested in being like Europe and being liked rather than in fighting its enemies, more and more countries are identifying with America's enemies than with America. Last week's three-way hug among the leaders of Brazil, Turkey and Iran was a clear example of such. Meanwhile, America is rapidly accumulating unpayable debts that will render it not very different from Greece. Indeed, California, once the grease of the American economy, has become the Greece of the American economy. As the Left's power increases, America's power recedes — and the world further deteriorates. Under Democratic Party rule, the Last Best Hope of Earth has decided that the United Nations and Western Europe deserve that title, not the United States. Those of us working to remove Democrats from power regard this November's election as not only...

  Chicago alderman among 32 arrested at immigration protest May 25, 2010 8:32 PM | No Comments As part of a budding nationwide campaign of civil disobedience, nearly three dozen immigration reform advocates were arrested today after marching to the Chicago office of a federal agency and blocking the front doors. Shouting "legalization not deportation" and hoisting signs that read "Boycott Arizona," a crowd of about 200 protestors gathered outside the offices of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and refused to move despite requests from Department of Homeland Security officers. Among the 32 protestors detained was Ald. George Cardenas (12th). "Today is a historic moment," Cardenas said in a speech to the group at Federal Plaza, where the march began. "A mom...

Unsafe cribs: Baby-products trade group faces investigation of safety seal - chicagotribune.com Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association 'knowingly are putting a seal of approval on a deadly product,' Illinois attorney general says

  Rosenblum's World of Judaica Latest to Leave For decades, Devon Avenue was a bustling rendezvous for Chicago's Jewish community, a street whose butchers and bakers had a regular mantra. "Who's next? Who's next?" they'd shout, trying to keep order amid a forest of waving arms. Shoppers would exchange bits of gossip with older folks stationed on street-corner benches; frantic buyers would beg a last-minute challah or brisket from shopkeepers closing up for Sabbath. But the scene on the 2900 block of West Devon Avenue was much different on a recent weekday afternoon: Where once drivers waited to pounce on a just-empty parking spot, hardly a car was visible. The stretch of Devon from California Avenue to the Chicago River (at Kedzie Avenue) is palpably changing. Rosenblum's, which has been a fixture for 37 years, soon will exit the area, joining a host of other Jewish businesses to leave. Chicago Hebrew Bookstore, Rosenblum's competi...

Germany After the EU and the Russian Scenario | STRATFOR By George Friedman Discussions about Europe currently are focused on the Greek financial crisis and its potential effect on the future of the European Union. Discussions these days involving military matters and Europe appear insignificant and even anachronistic. Certainly, we would agree that the future of the European Union towers over all other considerations at the moment, but we would argue that scenarios for the future of the European Union exist in which military matters are far from archaic.(continued at above link)

25 May 2010 The US State Department has said that the first round of Israeli-Palestinian proximity talks, which took place on 20 May, were "constructive". State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said "The talks were constructive and reflected both parties' commitments to reach an agreement that realizes the goal of two states and a more secure and prosperous future for both peoples," he said, but did not elaborate. Proximity, or indirect, talks were launched earlier this month under US auspices. Israel had wanted direct talks; the Palestinians resisted any talks until Israel instituted a complete freeze on settlement building. The Obama administration wants both sides to acknowledge each other's compromises as a trust-building measure. US officials have called on the Palestinians to acknowledge Netanyahu's partial settlement freeze and on Israel to recognize Palestinian steps to stem incitement. As well as the US Special Envoy to the region...

Pres. Obama definitely blinked today in the face-off between pro-enforcement and pro-amnesty Americans. His announcement of sending 1,200 National Guard troops to the border and asking for an extra half-billion dollars for border security shows that he and his advisors are acknowledging that most Americans sided with Arizona Gov. Brewer and against the Obama Administration in regards to the new Arizona enforcement law . HERE IS WHY OBAMA'S PROPOSAL DOESN'T WORK "Twelve hundred National Guard! 1,200! I'm mean really, are you kidding me, 1,200?" is what Rosemary Jenks (NumbersUSA Director of Government Relations) kept yelling in the phone at me a few minutes ago. "Are you saying that 1,200 is really a good-faith effort," I asked, not really sure what form of sarcasm I was going to get back. Rosemary put things immediately into perspective: "Do you understand that we currently have 20,000 Border Patrol, and they aren't coming cl...

The 7/7 bombings in London, in which Islamists killed 52 and injured 700, prompted British authorities to work with Muslims to avoid future violence. However, rather than turn to anti-Islamist Muslims who reject the triumphalist goal of applying Islamic law in Europe, they promoted non-violent Islamists, hoping these would persuade coreligionists to express their hatred of the West in lawful ways. This effort featured Tariq Ramadan (b. 1962), a prominent Islamist intellectual. For example, London's Metropolitan Police partially funded a conference Ramadan addressed and Prime Minister Tony Blair appointed him to an official " working group on tackling extremism ." Deploying an Islamist may have seemed like a original and clever idea but it was neither. Western governments have been allying without success with Islamists for decades. Indeed, they have been allying with Ramadan's own family. Dwight Eisenhower (center) received a Muslim delegation. Sai...

JPost.com | BlogCentral | In the Trenches | Dear German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Obama's secular socialist legacy Posted: May 25, 2010 1:00 am Eastern © 2010 Speculation abounds pursuant to what it is in Obama's past the he has taken such effort to keep secret. It ranges from questions about true citizenship to questions about his mental-health history to questionable areas of his personal life that presumably no leader would ever want revealed. Not so speculative are his ties to socialist orders and a secular socialist philosophy that goes much further than he wants the public to know – and his intent too leave a secular socialist government behind as his legacy. I believe his nominating Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court supports this. Let me explain. He has repeatedly denied and understated his associations to known socialists including, the recalcitrant domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, who Jack Cashill makes a compelling argument as having ghost written Obama's book "Dreams From My Father." In 2009, Gary Bauer c...

On the morning after that Obama-endorsed primary election disaster in Pennsylvania, the fourth major loss by Obama endorsees, the president welcomed Mexico's President Calderon to the White House. This guest of the United States opened by attacking one of the United States, and declaring the following: "I know that we share the interest in promoting dignified, legal and orderly living conditions to all migrant workers. Many of them, despite their significant contribution to the economy and to the society of the United States, still live in the shadows and, occasionally, as in Arizona, they even face discrimination." What I do believe many millions of American citizens wish our president would have told this Mexican guest – in private, or even publicly, is: "I deeply regret, sir, that as a guest of the United States you have used this occasion to denounce the government of one of the said United States – which citizens of your nation have so massively ...

By JACQUES BILLEAUD The Associated Press Tuesday, May 25, 2010; 3:02 PM PHOENIX -- The Obama administration plans to announce Tuesday that it will send as many as 1,200 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to improve border security, an Arizona congresswoman said. Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords also said in a statement released Tuesday that President Barack Obama will request $500 million in funding for border security. Part of Giffords' district borders Mexico. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer 's spokesman said the governor hadn't been told of the move prior to her office being contacted by The Associated Press and had no immediate comment. In 2006, President George W. Bush sent thousands of troops to the border to perform support duties that tie up immigration agents. The troops wouldn't perform significant law enforcement duties. That program has since ended, and politicians in border states have called for troops to be sent there to ...

Researchers have discovered that epicatechin, a compound in dark chocolate, may protect your brain after a stroke by increasing cellular signals that shield nerve cells from damage. An hour and a half after feeding mice a single dose of epicatechin, animals that had ingested the compound suffered significantly less brain damage following an induced stroke. Eurekalert reports: “While most treatments against stroke in humans have to be given within a two- to three-hour time window to be effective, epicatechin appeared to limit further neuronal damage when given to mice 3.5 hours after a stroke. Given six hours after a stroke, however, the compound offered no protection to brain cells.” Dark Chocolate Protects Against Brain Injury

Stanley Cup Finals begin in Chicago on Saturday Scott Fleischer News 5/24/2010 9:10 pm The Stanley Cup Finals schedule: Game 1: Philadelphia at Chicago, Sat., May 29, 7 PM Game 2: Philadelphia at Chicago, Mon., May 31, 7 PM Game 3: Chicago at Philadelphia, Wed., June 2, 7 PM Game 4: Chicago at Philadelphia, Fri., June 4, 7 PM Game 5 (If Necessary): Philadelphia at Chicago, Sun., June 6, 7 PM Game 6 (If Necessary): Chicago at Philadelphia, Wed., June 9, 7 PM Game 7 (If Necessary): Philadelphia at Chicago, June 11, 7 PM WSCR will have postgame coverage throughout The Stanley Cup Finals Stanley Cup Finals Begin in Chicago

HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press Writer 10:06 a.m. CDT , May 25, 2010 SEOUL , South Korea (AP) — North Korea declared Tuesday that it would sever all communication and relations with Seoul as punishment for blaming it for the sinking of a South Korean warship. The North also announced it would expel all South Koreans working at a joint factory park in the northern border town of Kaesong, the official Korean Central News Agency said in a dispatch monitored in Seoul late Tuesday. T...