Yankee Philip

YankeePhilip Is going to be buried in HTML hell

2009-05-23T13:09:00.002-04:00

This novice screwed up.
I played where I shouldn't have and messed up the code.
YankeePhilip is Going to Become
YANKEEPHIL.BLOGSPOT.COM

. And here is the rest of it.

Bob McDonnell's latest ad

2009-05-22T16:37:00.001-04:00

This is two days old, so many might have seen it
. And here is the rest of it.

WHEN WILL THESE IDIOTS READ THE BILLS BEFORE THEY SIGN IT??????????

2009-05-22T16:32:00.002-04:00

.Other examples of Not Reading beneath the fold http://yankeephilip.blogspot.com/2009/03/read-it-first-on-healthcare-bill.html
http://yankeephilip.blogspot.com/2009/02/read-bill.html.

Liz Cheney Battles Again

2009-05-22T16:25:00.004-04:00

Listen to Liz Cheney battle Larry O'Donnell.
And here is the rest of it.

What the heck is "Guyliner"? Interview with Kis of American Idol

2009-05-22T16:20:00.001-04:00

. And here is the rest of it.

Newsbusted

2009-05-22T15:45:00.000-04:00

.Nothing Beneath the fold And here is the rest of it.

I just switched to Mozilla

2009-05-22T15:42:00.002-04:00

Sorry Mr.Gates, but you better get your act together. You might get knocked out of the top 10 richest, if people start losing confidence in Microsoft. And here is the rest of it.

DELETED THIS WEEK Saturday thru Wednesday

2009-05-22T01:08:00.004-04:00

I am guessing that I had some bad code on my blog. If anyone is looking for posts for this week prior to today, I deleted them. I don't know if that will work,but I am hoping. I am not a computer expert. . And here is the rest of it.

Malkin gets an AMAZING Hat Trick

2009-05-21T22:22:00.002-04:00

Pittsburgh over Carolina 7-4,Lead series 2-0.

Satan and Letang score 2 TKO's

Evgeni Malkin scored 3 goals in the defeat of the Carolina Hurricanes His 3rd goal was amazing. He dug the puck out from the boardson the left side of the net. Skated to the right side. He then pivoted and shot the puck behind him and up into the net. The defenseman never thought he could or would shoot from that angle.Hats rained down from the rafters.

Letang and Satan got involved in some fisticuffs in the final minutes. A carolina player came in hard,high, and late. It ended up with two fights. Both Hurricanes ended up losing.Nothing beneath the fold. And here is the rest of it.

Well he doesn't say BEER TAX

2009-05-21T17:29:00.002-04:00

Obama will veto this one, right??

According to the NY Post,Under a new Senate proposal, Congress would raise the federal excise tax on beer by 145 percent to more than $3 a case.
Uncle Sam also would snatch an additional $7 on a case of wine -- a staggering increase of 233 percent and an additional 20 percent on hard liquor sales.
"Buzz-kill doesn't even begin to describe this invasion," said a GOP congressional aide.
Not content just sticking it to alcohol drinkers, the lawmakers also proposed slapping new taxes on soda.

Well he doesn't say BEER TAX
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COMING TO A PRISON NEAR YOU ! ! ! !

2009-05-21T12:43:00.003-04:00

AP reports........
President Barack Obama forcefully defended his plans to close the Guantanamo detention camp Thursday and said some of the terror suspects held there would be brought to top-security prisons in the United States despite fierce opposition in Congress.
He spoke one day after the Senate voted resoundingly to deny him money to close the prison, (if I don't get my way, I am taking my ball and going home) and he decried "fear-mongering" that he said had led to such opposition. (Yeah, there is NO NEED to fear terrorists trying to free their comrades)
He insisted the transfer would not endanger Americans and promised to work with lawmakers to develop a system for holding detainees who can't be tried and can't be turned loose from the Navy-run prison in Cuba.
And here is the rest of it.

Anyone having a problem opening this blog?

2009-05-21T12:38:00.001-04:00

I seem to be having a problem. I get a note now and then that says "Internet Explorer cannot open Yankeephilip.blogspot.com..." Any ideas? . And here is the rest of it.

2009-05-21T12:16:00.002-04:00

The pretty 1/2 of Spark it Up writes..........
"How Would You Fix the Economy?"
The Business Section asked readers for ideas on "How Would You Fix the Economy?"

I think this guy nailed it!
Dear Mr. President: Please find below my suggestion for fixing America's economy. Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use thefollowing plan.
You can call it the Patriotic Retirement Plan: There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force.
Pay them $1 million apiece severance for early retirement withthe following stipulations:
1) They MUST retire. Forty million job openings -Unemployment fixed.
2) They MUST buy a new American CAR. Forty million cars ordered - Auto Industry fixed.
3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - Housing Crisis fixed.
It can't get any easier than that!
If more money is needed, have all members of Congress and their constituents pay their taxes...

Very good piece, funny, but obviously not serious. Lets do the math
40,000,000 people
x1,000,000 dollars
-------------
40,000,000,000,000 dollars.
That's a little more expensive than Stimulus.
I don't think our credit # is good enough for that loan.
And do we want to get a greater national debt?

But how about instead ,we free up a lot of cash?
Let's make Pensions, Social Security, savings interest, etc, tax free?
Lower the capital gains tax to 10-15%
Eliminate penalties from tapping IRA's,401K's, 457H's,etc.
I have a bunch. I would have paid off mortgage, so instead of losing a ton in the market, I would have saved paying interest for long time. Others would buy that car. Others would buy that RV and start retirement early and open up those jobs. It might not be $1,000,000 each, but it is a lot of money that would flood the market place.
And yes I know there are drawbacks.
"Who will support these people after they blow their savings?"
"How will we fund this program and that program?"
yadda,yadda,yadda.
Feel free to tell me why I am wrong.
Nothing beneath the fold.
. And here is the rest of it.

No disclosure on utility bills, but new labels for potato chips?

2009-05-21T11:51:00.003-04:00

Common sense, Democrat style

For the past two days, the Energy and Commerce Committee has been marking up the Waxman-Markey “Cap-and-Trade” bill. It will impose a huge, new cost on all energy (estimated at $4,300 per family each year) and destroy millions of American jobs.

Last night, Republicans put forward a straightforward amendment to require that utility bills indicate the increased cost of electricity that will result from this legislation. The Democrat majority on the Committee rejected this commonsense measure. That’s right: they actually voted against disclosing these costs to consumers on their utility bills!

Today, in another partisan vote, the Democrats have added an amendment to essentially require every new and existing home sold in America to be inspected and labeled as to its energy efficiency.
In addition, on a party-line vote, the Majority has included a mandated study on requiring all products sold in the United States, down to potato chips, to be labeled as to their CO2 “content,” showing how much CO2 is emitted in the manufacturing of each product.
Reprinted from Redstate And here is the rest of it.

NYT: OBAMA IS GOOD FOR THE BOTTOM LINE

2009-05-21T11:37:00.002-04:00

No Wonder they bow to Obama,

like he bows to Saudi royalty

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WOOOOHOOOO MANDATORY PAID VACATION

2009-05-21T11:03:00.003-04:00

Rep. Alan Grayson was standing in the middle of Disney World when it hit him: What Americans really need is a week of paid vacation.
So on Thursday, the Florida Democrat will introduce the Paid Vacation Act — legislation that would be the first to make paid vacation time a requirement under federal law.

According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, 28 million Americans — or about a quarter of the work force — don’t get any paid vacation. The center says that a lack of vacation causes stress and workplace burnout and that those evil twins cost the economy more than $300 billion each year. See the story here
The idea is that more vacation time = less sick time. And Happier,more productive workers.

YEA RIGHT CONGRESSMAN, We need a federal law for that. We need Washington to really really micromanage companies. Because we know they are sooooooooo good at it. The Social ecurity system is a model for the world. So is Walter Reed. We need the federal government running everything.
Those idiot bosses of companies never ever weighed the pros and cons of their employment strategy. The workers who said Yes to working with no paid vacation need to be protected from themselves. The Congressman must live in Disneyworld
. .

Delegates say no to Federal Strings.

2009-05-21T10:41:00.003-04:00

Local legislators renewed their opposition Wednesday to a potentially permanent expansion of unemployment benefits that could net the state $125 million in federal stimulus funds.

Del. Chris Saxman said if there were no federal stings attached, he would have supported the plan. However, he said in the long-run it would hurt small businesses that could be faced with the burden of higher fees. Additionally, he said the move could discourage businesses from hiring part-time employees that would cost more if they were let go.

"Employees are not going to hire those part-time employees, and they will say 'we'll do it some other way,'" Saxman said. "(They'll say) we don't want to incur that risk."

Saxman also called on the chamber to either support or oppose the unemployment benefit plan in order to give legislators a better understanding of what the will of local businesses is on the subject.
See the full Newsleader story here
Nothing Beneath the fold
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Earthquake in Roanoke.

2009-05-16T17:10:00.002-04:00

NOOOOO, I am serious.
The Roanoke Times reports........
The earthquake that hit the Roanoke Valley early this morning was a magnitude 3.0, the U.S. Geological Survey is now reporting, and the epicenter was 3 miles from Roanoke.Immediately after the quake, which was recorded at 4:08 a.m., the USGS originally said that it had registered at 2.6 on the Richter scale and that the epicenter was about 4 miles west-southwest of Roanoke, near the Cave Spring area. Later, the USGS reported that the quake was a 2.8.
See related post over at Cavalcade
. On February 21, 1774, a strong earthquake was felt over much of Virginia and southward into North Carolina. Many houses were moved considerably off their foundations at Petersburg and Blandford (intensity MM VII). The shock was described as "severe" at Richmond and "small" at Fredericksburg. However, it "terrified the inhabitants greatly." The total felt area covered about 150,000 square kilometers.
The three great earthquakes near New Madrid, Missouri, in 1811 - 1812 (December 11, January 23, and February 7) were felt strongly in Virginia. Reports from Norfolk and Richmond newspapers describe the effects in detail.
An earthquake, apparently centered in southwestern Virginia, on March 9, 1828, was reported felt over an area of about 565,000 square kilometers, from Pennsylvania to South Carolina and the Atlantic Coastal Plain to Ohio. Very few accounts of the shock were available from places in Virginia; it was reported that doors and windows rattled (MM V). President John Quincy Adams felt this tremor in Washington D.C., and provided a graphic account in his diary. He compared the sensation to the heaving of a ship at sea.
The August 27, 1833, earthquake covered a broad felt area from Norfolk to Lexington and from Baltimore, Maryland, to Raleigh, North Carolina - about 135,000 square kilometers. Two miners were killed in the panic the shock caused at Brown's Coal Pits, near Dover Mills, about 30 kilometers from Richmond. At Charlottesville, Fredericksburg, Lynchburg, and Norfold, windows rattled violently, loose objects shook, and walls of buildings were visibly agitated (MM V).
Another moderately strong, widely felt shock occurred on April 29, 1852. At Buckingham and Wytheville, chimneys were damaged (MM VI). The felt area extended to Washington D.C., Baltimore, Maryland, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and also included many points in North Carolina - approximately 420,000 square kilometers. This pattern was repeated on August 31, 1861. The epicenter was probably in extreme southwestern Virginia or western North Carolina. At Wilkesboro, North Carolina, bricks were shaken from chimneys (MM VI). The lack of Virginia reports may perhaps be ascribed to the fact that the Civil War was under way and there was rather heavy fighting in Virginia at the time. This shock affected about 775,000 square kilometers and was felt along the Atlantic coast from Washington, D.C., to Charleston, South Carolina, and westward to Cincinnati, Louisville, and Gallatin, Tennessee, and southwestward to Columbus, Georgia.
A series of shocks in quick succession disturbed the eastern two-thirds of Virginia and a portion of North Carolina on December 22, 1875. At Manakin, many chimneys were broken and shingles on one store were shaken off (MM VII). Damage to chimneys was reported from other places in Goochland and Powhatan Counties. At Richmond, the shock, which was accompanied by a rumbling noise, was severe and lasted from 20 to 30 seconds; plaster fell and several panes of window glass broke. There was general alarm in all parts of the city; many people ran out of their houses in fright. The total felt area was about 130,000 square kilometers.
The largest earthquake to originate in Virginia is historic times occurred on May 31, 1897. The epicenter was in Giles County, where on May 3, an earlier tremor at Pulaski, Radford, and Roanoke had caused damage (MM VI). Loud rumblings were heard in the epicentral region at various times between May 3 and 31. The shock on the latter date was felt from Georgia to Pennsylvania and from the Atlantic Coast westward to Indiana and Kentucky, an area covering about 725,000 square kilometers. It was especially strong at Pearisburg, where the walls of old brick houses were cracked and bricks were thrown from chimney tops. Springs were muddied and a few earth fissures appeared (MM VIII). Chimneys were shaken down at Bedford City, Houston, Pulaski, Radford, and Roanoke. Chimneys were also broken at Raleigh, North Carolina, Bristol and Knoxville, Tennessee, and Bluefied, West Virginia. Minor tremors continued in the epicentral region from time to time until June 6; other disturbances felt on June 28, September 3, and October 21 were probably aftershocks. On February 5, 1898, the residents of Pulaski reported additional chimney damage (MM VI). People rushed into the streets at Pulsaki and East Radford.
An earthquake on February 11, 1907, caused minor damage at Arvonia, Ashby, and Buckingham. At Arvonia, many people became terrified and ran from their houses (MM VI); although no damage was reported from Columbia, many ran from their homes. The felt area was small, approximately 14,500 square kilometers. Other shocks of lesser intensity occurred in the same area on August 23, 1908, and May 8, 1910.
The Shenadoah Valley region was strongly shaken by an earthquake on April 9, 1918. It was called the "most severe earthquake ever experienced" at Luray. Although little damage resulted, people in many places over the northern valley region were greatly alarmed and rushed from their houses (MM VI). Broken windows were reported at Washington, D.C. The tremor was noticed by President Wilson and his family at the White House; the President's secretary called a newspaper office to learn the cause of the terrifying noise. The felt area extended over 155,000 square kilometers, including parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Another shock on September 5, 1919, was felt in the same general region, although the total affected area was much smaller. It was strongest in the Blue Ridge Mountains south of Front Royal. At Arco, plaster fell and some chimneys were damaged (MM VI). Springs and streams were muddied in the epicentral area.
On December 26, 1929, a moderate shock at Charlottesville shook bricks from a few chineys (MM VI). It was reported felt in various parts of Albemarle County. A number of newspaper accounts gave the date of this earthquake as December 25. Giles County was strongly shaken again on April 23, 1959. At Eggleston and Pembroke, several chimneys were damaged, plaster cracked, and pictures fell from walls (MM VI). A wide area (about 7,500 square kilometers) of southwestern Virginia felt the tremor; a few places in West Virginia also reported the shock. .

2009 Stanley Cup Playoff Conference Finals

2009-05-16T13:02:00.003-04:00

The Chicago BlackHawks and the Detroit Red Wings face off at 3 PM on Sunday.

The National Hockey League announced the dates for the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoff Conference Finals, which begin in the Western Conference on Sunday, May 17 when the Detroit Red Wings host the Chicago Blackhawks. The Eastern Conference Final will match the Pittsburgh Penguins against the Carolina Hurricanes and will start on Monday, May 18. NBC and VERSUS will provide exclusive broadcast coverage of the Conference Finals. All games also will be carried on Sirius XM Radio. Start times and broadcast information will be announced when available. . And here is the rest of it.

icag

People's Republic of C'ville wants more of your money.

2009-05-16T11:59:00.003-04:00

Money (That's What I Want)

Charlottesville leaders are frustrated with the lack of federal stimulus money arriving.
To date, the city has received about $1 million in direct stimulus money, which is primarily intended for transit.

"We can use an infusion of these federal dollars to run with to create jobs or retain jobs, to rebuild our infrastructure, and the reality is that it's just not going to come as fast as a lot of us had thought," Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris said. See the Flying Lizards beneath the fold
. .

Sometimes it is hard to make an arrest

2009-05-16T11:19:00.004-04:00

The kick to the head delivered by an El Monte police officer to a car-chase suspect lying on the ground at the end of a televised high-speed pursuit was a legally justified “distraction blow," an attorney for the police union said today.

It is hard to imagine what it is like to arrest someone if all you see are the ones acted out on television or pieces of real arrests seen on Youtube or the local news.

I remember one particular arrest. It involved a man who was high on PCP. When I first observed him, he was holding a knife to a woman's neck. I had a perfect view of them. I could have legally shot him. The only problem was glass in between.

He saw me and started to flee. I kicked a roof door open and chased down the stairs after him. Other officers followed. Other officers came in the building from below. When I caught him, he lunged toward me.I knocked the knife from his hand with a baton. We started wrestling and punching. More officers arrive. The perpetrator is feeling no pain. We eventually handcuff him. He is led down to Police car.

When we arrive outside, there is a crowd gathering. We take the perpetrator around to the rear passenger door. I am holding the perp. As we are turning from back of car to side, the perp attempts to kick my partner in a very sensitive area. Before the impact, I pushed the perp face first onto trunk of car. It made a large thump, and splattered blood from his nose.

Yells and screams came from the crowd. "Police brutality", "He threw him down for no reason", "He didn't do anything"

This was pre-cellphone days, pre video days. If there had been, I am sure that the face first thrust and splatter would be all over the news, and not one picture of the perps leg rising in a kick.

The yells quieted down, when the real victim was lead out of building. She was bruised and her clothes torn. The crowds attention turned to her. She lived in the building and everyone knew her. They asked what happened. "That mother...... tried to rape me on the roof."

We didn't hear a thing then about Police Brutality.

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Mallard Fillmore

2009-05-16T11:10:00.000-04:00

Here is the beginning of my post. See more Mallard here.

Guest Editorial on Torture by Geoff Wilensky

2009-05-16T10:55:00.003-04:00

I realize that you have moved on to other things, but I feel examples of torture will give further insight as to what true suffering is.
I have studied torture for decades and watched films of it as well as interviewing some who have been tortured, or have seen their families murdered and arrested on mass.
Even I, a dyed in the wool Anglophile was sickened by the scars from beatings and rubber bullets pock marking the body of my friend in the I.R.A. He loved green Life Savers and Guinness.
1. V. I Volgin....Russian Agronomist.....1939I was placed in Cell Number 47. His cell was 35 Meters in area. There were upwards of 50-60 men per cell. The only air came in dribble ts from the cracks in the floor. There was no place to sit nor lay down. Food came in a rusty basin and the stench of rotten groats and cabbage sickened one. It was so crowded that the dead had no room to collapse.
2. V. Shalumov. It took 20 to 30 days to turn a man into a wreck. Work was a 16 hour shift in a mine. There were no days off, systematic starvation and ragged clothes. They slept in a ripped tent in temperatures downwards of 60 below zero. Beatings were the norm and they never ceased.. By the end of the mining season all the prisoners had been killed.
3. The Burma-Siam Rail Way. Instructions to supervisors....."There are some forces who show compassion to workers who need rest. Why should we waste compassion upon a crafty enemy who has killed thousands of our comrades? They should be treated as Cantonese coolies are." (Quote Abridged) The unfortunates chosen to build the rail way were greeted with these words "You are the remnants of a decadent white race and fragments of a rabble army. This rail way will go through even if your bodies become used as sleepers." Brutalized Korean guards (Korea had been seized by Japan in 1910} ruled by the club, fist, and bayonet. Prisoners were placed in groups of 10 or 20, if one escaped the others were instantly shot. Please note the film "The Bridge over the River Kwai" is not accurate.
4. Wansee Conference.....1942. Reinhard {Hang Man} Heydrich. "The Jews in the course of the Final Solution be brought to the east...for use as labor. in big labor gangs, with separation of sexes, the Jews capable of work will be brought to these areas and put to work employed in road building, in which task undoubtedly a great part will fall through diminution" "The remnant that is finally able to survive all this-since this is undoubtedly the part with the strongest resistance -must be treated accordingly, since these people, representing a natural selection, are to be regarded as a germ cell of a new Jewish development" Essentially they were to be worked to death and the rest shot or gassed.
5. Concentration Camps were invented by the English during the Boer War. The purpose was meant to cut into the supply of rebel forces who were humiliating the army. During the Cold War, in America, that idea was morphed into Strategic Hamlets. See Vietnam and Central America. Further examples of extreme torture
1. The rape of Nanking by the Japanese in 1937.
2. The hideous regimes, including cannibalism, of Idi Amin in Uganda and General Jean Bedel Bakossa in the Central African Republic. He declared himself Emperor and the cost of his "Napoleonic" coronation was the G.N.P for an entire year.
3. Caligula, Nero, Ivan the Terrible,[ he had a giant frying pan set up, for he was fascinated by the idea of cooking people. The army would force terrified citizens from their hovels to watch.], 4.Vlad the Impaler, it just never ends........
Have a little compassion for McCain when he came out against torture. only one who experienced it can truly understand.
Many years ago an African friend of mine from Eritrea witnessed, as he hid, his entire family beaten, arrested, and murdered by the Ethiopian Army. He became a guerrilla fighter at the age of 13. His hands so covered in blood and his heart hollowed out.....he was unable to bear the sight of people.My friend Samson's eyes were blinded by tears and demonic memories. He was only able to sleep or eat if he smoked marijuana to drown out the pain. I still do not know why he chose to tell it all to me.
There is a fine line between proper interrogation and torture. It s all in the mind. Some Americans get so hysterical from propaganda that they feel they are living in a Stalinist mode of operation...."Arrest...Try...Shoot".
Politicians and the media are again corrupting words for petty careerist and ideological ends. in conclusion...a member of the Japanese Secret Service Organ in Manchuria gave this definition of torture during the mid 30's. "When you fish...do you feel compassion for fish? Prisoners are like fish." This was told to an expatriate Blackshirt [Italy} whose family was kidnapped and he was forced into intelligence work. What he witnessed was so sickening he fled Manchuria. His family, unbeknownst to him, had been murdered.. And here is the rest of it.

"How Ahmadinejad Made Me A Believer"

2009-05-16T00:19:00.001-04:00

Roger L. Simon explains "How Ahmadinejad Made Me A Believer" - reaction to the Durban Conference - first in a series
. Subscribe at Pajamasmedia.

Zonation

2009-05-16T00:18:00.000-04:00

Nothing beneath the fold. And here is the rest of it.

I Kissed a girl and I liked it-Katy Perry

2009-05-16T00:00:00.002-04:00

I had never heard of her until American Idol.

I didn't see the show, but people were talking.

. And here is the rest of it.

More Americans “Pro-Life” Than “Pro-Choice”

2009-05-15T23:48:00.002-04:00

A new Gallup Poll, conducted May 7-10, finds 51% of Americans calling themselves "pro-life" on the issue of abortion and 42% "pro-choice." This is the first time a majority of U.S. adults have identified themselves as pro-life since Gallup began asking this question in 1995. See the rest of the poll here. And here is the rest of it.

Trade Wars Brewing

2009-05-15T23:37:00.003-04:00

CAN YOU SAY SMOOT-HAWLEY ???
Ordered by Congress to "buy American" when spending money from the $787 billion stimulus package, the town of Peru, Ind., stunned its Canadian supplier by rejecting sewage pumps made outside of Toronto. After a Navy official spotted Canadian pipe fittings in a construction project at Camp Pendleton, Calif., they were hauled out of the ground and replaced with American versions. In recent weeks, other Canadian manufacturers doing business with U.S. state and local governments say they have been besieged with requests to sign affidavits pledging that they will only supply materials made in the USA.

Outrage spread in Canada, with the Toronto Star last week bemoaning "a plague of protectionist measures in the U.S." and Canadian companies openly fretting about having to shift jobs to the United States to meet made-in-the-USA requirements. This week, the Canadians fired back. A number of Ontario towns, with a collective population of nearly 500,000, retaliated with measures effectively barring U.S. companies from their municipal contracts -- the first shot in a larger campaign that could shut U.S. companies out of billions of dollars worth of Canadian projects. See WaPo story here.
. Guest editorial by Geoff Wilensky
Welcome back to 1930. Smoot-Hawley here we come.
Investor's Business Daily Editorial Agrees with Me
Will History Repeat? Will Obama's "Stimulus" Bill be the new Smoot-Hawley??? .

5/15 Newsbusted

2009-05-15T16:14:00.001-04:00

Nothing beneath the fold. And here is the rest of it.

Pelosi Logic. It is so easy to follow.

2009-05-15T14:34:00.004-04:00

I was briefed, but not notified. 5 months later, I wasn't briefed, but I was informed by my chief of staff. Just because I was informed, that does not mean I knew. I need to be properly briefed. Even if I am informed, that doesn't mean I know. It is so simple, why can't you understand? A formal briefing of my chief of staff is not the same as a formal briefing of me. This is Washington.Information is not passed uphill. It only goes down..See a related post beneath the fold
So even though I was informed, I couldn't possibly know, even though I had all the information. But President Bush knew. And we all knew the war was lost then too. I didn't really know what I knew. Let me read this again to you to make it clearer. This was prepared by my new staffer, Eric Blair. I was informed, but not briefed. I knew, but didn't know. How can I be responsible. Did I say that Bush knew? Cheney knew too. Isn't bad that a former Vice President is speaking out like that. I was just complaining to Al Gore about it. He agreed that Vice President Cheney should not be allowed to speak out like that.See post here at RealRevo .

2009-05-15T14:32:00.000-04:00

H/T RealRevo
Nothing beneath the fold. And here is the rest of it.

For my last visitor.... Nixon and San Clemente

2009-05-14T18:14:00.003-04:00

President Richard Milhous Nixon

His San Clemente home, La Casa Pacifica

La Casa Pacifica is a mansion located on the beaches of San Clemente, California, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The home is known as President Richard Nixon's Western White House, used while working away from the official presidential residence, the White House..Short bio on President Nixon below the fold.
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States (1969–1974) and the only president to resign the office. He was also the 36th Vice President of the United States (1953–1961).

Nixon was born in Yorba Linda, California. After completing undergraduate work at Whittier College, he graduated from Duke University School of Law in 1937 and returned to California to practice law in La Mirada. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he joined the United States Navy and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander during World War II. He was elected in 1946 as a Republican to the House of Representatives representing California's 12th Congressional district, and in 1950 to the United States Senate. He was chosen by Republican Party nominee Dwight D. Eisenhower to be his running mate in 1952 and served as vice president from 1953 until 1961. Despite announcing his retirement from politics after losing the 1960 presidential election and 1962 California gubernatorial election, Nixon was elected to the presidency in 1968.

The most immediate task facing President Nixon was the Vietnam War. He initially escalated the conflict, overseeing secret bombing campaigns, but soon withdrew American troops and successfully negotiated a ceasefire with North Vietnam, effectively ending American involvement in the war. His foreign policy was largely successful; he opened relations with the People's Republic of China and initiated détente with the Soviet Union. Domestically, he implemented new economic policies which called for wage and price control and the abolition of the gold standard. He was reelected by a landslide in 1972. In his second term, the nation was afflicted with economic difficulties. In the face of likely impeachment for his role in the Watergate scandal,[1] Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974. Nixon was later pardoned by his successor, Gerald Ford, for any federal crimes he may have committed while in office.

In his retirement, Nixon became a prolific author and undertook many foreign trips. Though far from universally popular, he gained respect as an elder statesman. He suffered a debilitating stroke on April 18, 1994, and died four days later at the age of 81.

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My last visitor was from San Clemente California.

2009-05-14T17:48:00.002-04:00

I wonder if it was a member of the Nixon family? I think it is so cool that people are checking out my blog in areas far from Fishersville, Virginia .Today they were checking me out in India, Japan, Belgium, and Norway. It puzzles me sometimes as to why I get clicks from so far away. Today I have a good idea ....#1 Olivia Wilde . Annie Duke did it the other day. But usually it is all US politics and VA politics. Maybe it is military personnel, or expatriates. For you new bloggers, try Sitemeter.com . Nothing below the fold. And here is the rest of it.

StrictlyVA

2009-05-14T11:38:00.003-04:00

I have started contributing to a very,very,new blog called StrictlyVA.

The blog is dedicated to Virginia people, Virginia places and Virginia ideas.
Most posting will be political in nature.
The contributors are a collection of conservative bloggers from the state.. And here is the rest of it.

To the Brave Men caught in a very unfortunate situation

2009-05-14T11:28:00.004-04:00

My Prayers..........

The paths that brought six men together in a Baghdad military clinic traced across the globe, from South America to rural Missouri, from the islands of Alaska to deepest Antarctica, before intersecting in a tragic shooting spree.
My prayers go out tothe families of
Naval Commander Keith Springle, 52, from Beaufort, N.C.;
Dr. Matthew Houseal, 54, of Amarillo, Texas;
Army Sgt. Christian E. Bueno-Galdos, 25, of Paterson, N.J.;
Spc. Jacob D. Barton, 20, of Lenox, Mo.;
and Pfc. Michael E. Yates Jr., 19, of Federalsburg, Md., . And here is the rest of it.

#1 Olivia Wilde

2009-05-14T11:22:00.003-04:00

It is reported that ..........She may play Thirteen on House, but, according to Maxim, Olivia Wilde is No. 1.
The comely 25-year-old actress reigns supreme on the magazine's Hot 100 list, edging out runner-up Megan Fox for the top spot.. 1. Olivia Wilde
We may not know a McDreamy from a McNugget, but when it comes to TV doctors, there is only one who makes our body temperature rise. The pulse-quickening internist played by Olivia Wilde on House, M.D. is named Thirteen (which we presume is out of 10) and has a terminal illness that causes her to dabble in drugs and casual sex. (That's how we want to go!) But we were drooling over this N.Y.C. native long before she was injected into Fox's hit medical drama. Roles on small-screen faves The Black Donnellys and The O.C. introduced Olivia to the world, but it's her prehistoric part in this month's Year One that will put her on top of it. As the object of Cro-Magnon lust in the Judd Apatow-produced, Harold Ramis-directed, Jack Black-starring comedy, Olivia will surely knock moviegoers back to the Stone Age. Ugh!.

DHS Report on "Rightwing Extremism" Pulled.

2009-05-14T11:16:00.003-04:00

Obviously politically driven report

against military personnel was recanted

A contentious “Rightwing Extremism” report that warned of military veterans as possible recruits for terrorist attacks against the U.S. was not authorized, has been withdrawn and is being rewritten, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told Capitol Hill lawmakers. …
Ms. Napolitano said the report titled “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment,” is not the only report she has seen that says veterans are targets for recruitment by racist and other hate groups.
“It was an assessment, not an accusation,” Ms. Napolitano said.
“It didn’t say that,” [Rep. Christopher] Carney [(D-PA)] interrupted.
“That’s right,” Ms. Napolitano responded. “That is why it should not have gone out.”
Asked whether the person who wrote the report is still employed, Ms. Napolitano said, “Appropriate personnel action is being taken.”

H/T wash times.

Nothing beneath the fold. And here is the rest of it.

Obama's GM Government Motors-Outsourcing to China??

2009-05-14T11:07:00.002-04:00

The United Auto Workers charged last week that the Detroit automaker intends to almost double over the next five years the number of vehicles it imports to the U.S. from Mexico, South Korea, China and Japan.
"GM should not be taking taxpayers' money simply to finance the outsourcing of jobs to other countries," Alan Reuther, the union's Washington lobbyist, wrote in a letter to U.S. lawmakers.. "GM is reviewing various options," GM's China office said in a written statement received Thursday. "We are not discussing details of our future portfolio, beyond what we have disclosed in auto shows and our viability plans."
But the report reiterated the company's emphasis on first meeting demand in the Chinese domestic market.
"GM's philosophy has always been to build where we sell, and we continue to believe that is the best strategy for long-term success, both from a product development and business planning standpoint," it said..

Google Fact Check says Facts don't backup Biden

2009-05-14T11:00:00.002-04:00

"In his first quarterly report on the nation's stimulus package, Vice President Joe Biden uses anecdotes to paint a glowing picture of an economy on the rebound. In reality, the picture is incomplete and the colors far more muted."

Biden uses an article from Louisiana as his source apparently for painting a glowing pic of the economy. "Good times" are just around the corner. He talks about "Saving 150,000 jobs, when the country actually lost more than 1.3 million jobs. See the full story here or beneath the fold.. In his first quarterly report on the nation's stimulus package, Vice President Joe Biden uses anecdotes to paint a glowing picture of an economy on the rebound. In reality, the picture is incomplete and the colors far more muted.
It is not disputed that Washington is spending historic amounts of money at a rate far faster than normal. Workers are getting tax breaks, Washington is picking up a greater share of state Medicaid costs and road construction projects are beginning.
Even Recovery.gov, the Web site that has yet to live up to its billing as a one-stop way to track every penny, offers more information than typical government programs, and faster.
But the effect of that spending is less clear. Many of the claims the White House is making are based on anecdotes selected to fit the Obama administration's message. For instance, the report cites a newspaper article about workers being rehired at a factory in Chicago. That account is true, but is no more an accurate snapshot of the nation's economy than a story, not cited in the report, about a Roanoke, Va., railcar factory closing.
Capturing the full effect of the stimulus at this early stage is difficult, but the administration has set high bars for success. In championing those successes, however, the White House plays a little loose with the facts.
___
BIDEN SAID: First-time homebuyers are "driving increased activity in the home sales market," while mortgage and title companies are hiring more workers because of the first-time homebuyer tax credit included in the stimulus bill.
THE FACTS: The report cites anecdotes from a New Orleans business journal to back up the claim. It's true, buyers are taking advantage of the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credits. The IRS said more than 567,000 tax returns claimed the credit in just the first weeks of the program. But that hasn't provided an immediate turnaround in the market.
Since February, sales of existing homes have fallen 3 percent and new home sales are down .6 percent.
And the number of jobs in the real estate industry has declined by about 20,500, according to the Department of Labor.
There are signs that the housing market is improving. But the numbers suggest that if the market bottomed out, it did so in January, before the stimulus was passed.
___
BIDEN SAID: Employment agencies are placing more workers in jobs, and demand is up since February.
THE FACTS: The report cites an interview with an employment service manager quoted in the same New Orleans business article. The anecdote may be true, but it's impossible to extrapolate that any further, even just to New Orleans. The city has lost more than 200 jobs since February. Overall, Louisiana lost 16,085 jobs over the same span, according to the Department of Labor.
___
THE WHITE HOUSE SAID: The stimulus has created or saved 150,000 jobs.
THE FACTS: Since February, the nation has lost more than 1.3 million jobs, according to the Department of Labor. To make the case that the country created jobs over that same stretch, the White House has put forward a benchmark of jobs created "or saved." The argument is that the job numbers would have been even worse had it not been for the stimulus, and the difference between those numbers is a net positive.
To visualize that disconnect, consider this: The administration has promised to create or save 600,000 more jobs in the next 100 days. Even if the nation loses another 5 million jobs during that span (a highly unlikely prospect) the White House could still claim success.
There are few hard numbers when it comes to tracking stimulus jobs. The Obama administration numbers are based on estimates by the White House Council of Economic Advisers, based largely on a formula Obama's transition team put forward. It estimates the effect of tax breaks, government spending and social programs on job growth.
Spending money will put people to work. But spending has a cost. At some point, Washington will have to pay for this program, either by raising taxes or interest rates, and those policies typically hurt job growth. The Obama administration's job data do not take into consideration this back-end cost, an omission some economists, particularly conservative economists, say is a flaw in the analysis..

Volunteer calls for opposing federal stimulus money and its federal interference

2009-05-14T10:37:00.002-04:00

A letter from Americans For Prosperity

Volunteer of the Year,

Suzanne Curran,

gets recognition over at Swacgirl.

Ms.Curran writes......

Virginia’s budget is in dire straits due to

unrealistic expectations by the Kaine Administration.

Many budget items have been reduced for lack of revenue.

Federal “stimulus” funding is a one-time paycheck.

Next year, who will pay for programs underwritten by that money?

The Virginia General Assembly will be required

to find state tax money to cover them.
See video of Suzanne Curran getting her award beneath the fold
. .

Obama wants to control YOUR paycheck

2009-05-13T23:19:00.002-04:00

The Obama administration has begun serious talks about how it can change compensation practices across the financial-services industry, including at companies that did not receive federal bailout money, according to people familiar with the matter.
The initiative, which is in its early stages, is part of an ambitious and likely controversial effort to broadly address the way financial companies pay employees and executives, including an attempt to more closely align pay with long-term performance.. Administration and regulatory officials are looking at various options, including using the Federal Reserve's supervisory powers, the power of the Securities and Exchange Commission and moral suasion. Officials are also looking at what could be done legislatively.
Among ideas being discussed are Fed rules that would curb banks' ability to pay employees in a way that would threaten the "safety and soundness" of the bank -- such as paying loan officers for the volume of business they do, not the quality. The administration is also discussing issuing "best practices" to guide firms in structuring pay.
Management news editor Joanne Lublin tells Kelsey Hubbard how the government's past efforts to rein in executive pay have played out across the corporate world.
More
Table: See what 200 top CEOs get paid
Interactive Guide: How to read a proxy
Discuss: Should the government limit executive pay?
WSJ.com/ExecutivePay: News, pay data, more
At the same time, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D., Mass.) is working on legislation that could strengthen the government's ability both to monitor compensation and to curb incentives that threaten a company's viability or pose a systemic risk to the economy.
It is unclear how such a bill would fit with what the Fed and others are already considering. But any legislation passed would make it harder for policy makers to dial back limits once the financial crisis subsides.
Any new compensation rules would likely be rolled out alongside a broader revamp of financial-markets regulation that the Treasury is pushing. The compensation effort is the latest example of the government's increasing focus on aspects of the financial sector that once were untouched.
Regulators have long had the power to sanction a bank for excessive pay structures, but have rarely used it. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency last year quietly pressed an unidentified large bank to make changes "pertaining to compensation incentives for bank personnel responsible for assigning risk ratings," a spokesman said. Since 2007, it has privately directed 15 banks to change their executive compensation practices.
Government officials said their effort, which is just beginning, isn't aimed at setting pay or establishing detailed rules. "This is not going to be about capping compensation or micro-management," said an administration official. "It will be about understanding what is the best way to align compensation with sound risk management and long-term value creation."
Despite the banking industry's weakened state, it would likely try to push back against curbs on how financial firms can compensate people. Bank executives have complained to federal officials that strict rules could prompt some of their best employees to move to parts of the financial industry that aren't regulated, such as hedge funds, private-equity firms and foreign banks. They've also argued that paying substantial bonuses is integral to how the industry works.

"Our companies have already enhanced, strengthened and expanded the number of compensation programs that are tied to long-term incentives," said Scott Talbott, a senior vice president at the Financial Services Roundtable, a trade group.
Edward Yingling, chief executive of the American Bankers Association, said banks might be able to accept new rules "as long as they are general in nature and could be enforced on a case-by-case basis. What would never work is detailed regulation of compensation."
President Barack Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner have both blamed the way banks structured compensation plans for contributing to the financial mess. In February, Mr. Obama said executive pay helped lead to a "reckless culture and a quarter-by-quarter mentality that in turn helped to wreak havoc in our financial system."
Mr. Geithner recently instructed his staff to begin discussions with the Fed, the SEC and others about ways to address compensation practices.
During a recent congressional hearing, Chairman Ben Bernanke said the Fed was working on rules that will "ask or tell banks to structure their compensation, not just at the very top level but down much further, in a way that is consistent with safety and soundness -- which means that payments, bonuses and so on should be tied to performance and should not induce excessive risk."
In an indication of how broad the effort may become, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Sheila Bair said regulators need to examine compensation practices in the mortgage industry, suggesting new limits could stretch beyond banks.
"We need to make sure that incentives are aligned among all parties by making compensation contingent on the long-run performance of the underlying loans," Ms. Bair said on Tuesday.
The discussions follow a narrower effort by the administration to clip pay at firms that get federal aid. Earlier this year, it issued guidelines limiting salaries for top executives at firms that received funds under the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
Congress chimed in with even tougher rules curbing bonuses for top earners at the same firms, among other things. One rule bars firms receiving federal funds from paying top earners bonuses that equal more than a third of their total compensation.
The administration is still wrestling with how to marry those two efforts, which in combination are more punitive than officials intended. The Treasury is expected to issue new rules sometime in the next few weeks.
Write to Deborah Solomon at deborah.solomon@wsj.com and Damian Paletta at damian.paletta@wsj.com .

Varlamov "gits the jitters". Caps lose 6-2

2009-05-13T22:33:00.003-04:00

THANKS FOR A GREAT SEASON ! ! !

The Penguins pulled it out. Crosby had 2 goals. 4 others scored for Pittsburgh.

OV had a goal. And Mike Green got his "Stealth" stick with the 85 flex and did diddley with it.

Varlamov got the jitters. The 2nd goal of the game looked terrible. Next Year...

STANLEY CUP ! ! ! ! . .

LISTEN, PLEASE LISTEN ! ! !

2009-05-13T17:41:00.002-04:00

THIS SAYS SOOOOOO MUCH ! ! !
Listen to what he said 5 years ago.
.
And I’d like to interject a note of balance here. There are times when we all get in high dudgeon. We ought to be reasonable about this. I think there are probably very few people in this room or in America who would say that torture should never, ever be used, particularly if thousands of lives are at stake.
Take the hypothetical: If we knew that there was a nuclear bomb hidden in an American city and we believed that some kind of torture, fairly severe maybe, would give us a chance of finding that bomb before it went off, my guess is most Americans and most senators, maybe all, would say, Do what you have to do.
So it’s easy to sit back in the armchair and say that torture can never be used. But when you’re in the foxhole, it’s a very different deal.
Now Listen To What he said Last Month

H/T to Hotair.
Nothing beneath the Fold
And here is the rest of it.

Liz Cheney educates MSNBC talking heads

2009-05-13T10:59:00.002-04:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

They are telling VP Cheney to Shut Up. How come they haven't said that to President Obama?

Good Job By Scarborough.
Nothing Beneath The Fold. And here is the rest of it.

AFP applauds Bolling

2009-05-12T18:42:00.003-04:00

Americans For Prosperity issued a press release praising Bill Bolling

The Virginia chapter of the free-market grassroots group Americans For Prosperity (AFP-VA) today applauded Virginia Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling for signing the group’s “No Climate Tax Pledge.”You can see the full release over at StriclyVA. And here is the rest of it.

Is the President's slip showing?

2009-05-12T10:35:00.003-04:00

Harry Reid is having a fundraiser

The LA Times reports........Showing no restraint, the Democratic Senate majority leader's May 26 fundraiser at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace will feature Strip headliner Midler and songstress Crow, the biggest draw will be the commander in chief himself.

Obama is going to the fundraiser according to the NY Times

But I thought it was reported in the Wahington Post that "President Obama has repeatedly urged Wall Street executives to show restraint if they expect government help. "You can't get corporate jets. You can't go take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayer's dime, " Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy and All I wanna do beneath the fold

.

Latest Newsbusted

2009-05-12T10:01:00.000-04:00

. And here is the rest of it.

Newest McDonnell Ad

2009-05-12T02:00:00.002-04:00

This seemed to be EVERYWHERE today.
. And here is the rest of it.

Ovechkin gets some help from his friends

2009-05-12T01:45:00.003-04:00

NHL.com reports..........
When David Steckel, who was sitting to Alex Ovechkin's right at the podium, said the goal he scored 6:22 into overtime Monday night was the biggest of his career....

Ovechkin, who finished with three assists in Washington's 5-4 overtime victory at Mellon Arena, is thrilled when he gets help from his friends.....

Series tied at 3-3

Next Game Wednesday in DC at 7pm.

.

AUDIT PIPER PALIN ! ! ! !

2009-05-11T19:13:00.003-04:00

Piper and her buddy Nicole

Dems will rant,

"DID SHE PAY TAXES ON HER INCOME ! ! !"

The Anchorage Daily News reports..........Gov. Sarah Palin is clashing with a Juneau activist over what he calls "voyeur" bus tours past the governor's mansion that he asserts ruin the neighborhood to exploit her fame.Chip Thoma, head of Responsible Cruising in Alaska, has put up signs saying "Stop Local Tours" in the area near the mansion.

But it doesn't stop there........
A Mr.Joseph Russo writes........It seems that Governor Palin is so popular with tourists that thousands of people are walking from the docks to the governor's mansion in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the first family. Mr. Thoma feels that this -- along with Piper Palin's lemonade stand, trampoline and buoy swing -- is "bringing down the neighborhood." It seems that Mr. Thoma doesn't enjoy the Palin children very much. Grinch.
Nothing beneath the fold...

Dolly Becomes A Doctor, yeeeeeeeehaw

2009-05-11T15:08:00.005-04:00

Country cutie DOLLY PARTON

received an honorary PhD. She joked about her famous bra size.
The singer was awarded a College of Arts and Sciences doctorate at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville for her contribution to music and education.
The music legend received a standing ovation with her plain-talking speech.
She joked , "Just think, I am Dr. Dolly!

So when people say something about 'Double-D,' they will be thinking of something entirely different."

.

.

ATTACK ON THE 2nd AMENDMENT... AGAIN.

2009-05-11T14:41:00.002-04:00

I guess when Sen.Webb said President Obama wouldn't go after firearms, he was wrong, or just plain lying.Listen to the radio ad Webb sells his soul.

"Our family tradition of hunting and shooting are a way of life to me, and no government will ever take that away. I am an NRA member and I know that my friend Barack Obama will protect our second amendment rights. So don’t be misled about Barack Obama…I trust him to protect our right to keep and bear arms."
Obama’s Covert Gun Control Caper
Listen how President Obama wants to "protect our rights."
.
"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state,the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
Contact info for Senators beneath the foldContact Senator Webb and tell him not to ratify.
a href="http://www.blogger.com/warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Contact">Contact Senator Warner.

We are talking about MONEY ! ! !

2009-05-10T20:24:00.003-04:00

.
H/T to one Wise girl over at Spark it Up

.And a song for Wise girl beneath the fold..

Annie Duke, Poker Goddess

2009-05-10T13:13:00.003-04:00

Born and raised in Concord, New Hampshire ( I nearly became a cop there), Annie Duke grew up in a family who had cards and competition in the blood. In a home where card playing was the glue that held the family together, everybody not only wanted to win but needed to win.
Early in her childhood, Duke struggled to fit in as a liberal product of two teachers in a sea of conservatism and privilege on the grounds of the prestigious St. Paul’s prep school. Never feeling like she quite fit in, at the age of 18, Duke matriculated at Columbia University and thought to try her luck in the big city.
Pretty, smart and popular, Duke completed a major in English and Psychology at Columbia University intending to follow in the footsteps of her parents and becoming a teacher. Instead, she enrolled as a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania for Cognitive Psychology.
In 1991, while Duke was knee deep in doctorate research, she proposed marriage to an old friend, Ben Duke, packed up her life and research and left academia behind for Billings, CO. Living in romantic poverty with her husband, Duke began to play poker in local pokers rooms to pay the mortgage on their first home.

More below the fold...

. In 1994, at the suggestion of her brother, famed poker player Howard Lederer, Duke tried her hand at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. She ended up placing 13th in her first tournament, knocking her brother out of play. After winning 70K in her first month of competition, Duke and her husband made the move to Las Vegas so she could pursue poker professionally.
Over the course of the next decade, Duke established herself as one of the best poker players in the world. In 2004, Duke beat out an assembly of 234 players in the WSOP $2000 buy-in Omaha Hi/Lo Split and won her first WSOP bracelet. In August of the same year, Duke knocked out 8 of the worlds’ greatest poker legends and won $2 million in the No-Limit Texas Hold’em winner-take-all, invitation-only WSOP Tournament of Champions, established by ESPN and Harrah’s Entertainment. Duke now serves as a consultant for the online poker site UltimateBet.com to ensure that their rules of poker and tournament structure match those you would find in the famous poker rooms of the Las Vegas strip. Furthermore, she is sought after for her vast poker skills and knowledge, coaching the likes of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon on their poker game. .

Philbilly loves his country music.

2009-05-10T12:11:00.003-04:00

Country Roads Take Me Home

My thanks to Eileen and Marion

for singing this song for me

when I was a young child.

J. Freedom du Lac over at the Washington Post writes..........
But the Atkins song and others of its ilk -- from Jason Aldean's "Hicktown" and Miranda Lambert's "Famous in a Small Town" to Zac Brown Band's "Chicken Fried" and Josh Turner's "Way Down South" -- are narrowcasting to a specific community: the core country audience, whose roots aren't exactly in America's urban centers.....
The symbolism and prideful sentiments of the songs are intended to create a sense of belonging among people with similar backgrounds and lifestyles, or at least people who romanticize life in the rural South. (It's not a place; it's a state of mind.) To some listeners, though, it might sound as if the artists are closing ranks.
"Some of these songs seem to fall into the 'we're from Real America, and you're not' camp," says Peter Cooper, who covers country music for Nashville's daily newspaper, the Tennessean.....
Well Mr. du Lac, and Mr. Cooper, I spent a great deal of my life in Brooklyn, NY. I spent many days on the asphalt basketball courts next to housing projects. I road the subway to High School everyday. But Heck, I Do Love Country ! ! !
. First Country Song I ever bought.

.

"Death To Rush"

2009-05-10T10:33:00.004-04:00

Watch who chuckles.

Hey Wanda, Stop rewriting Rush. Rush NEVER said he wanted the country to fail. Just the opposite. He believes that if President Obama's agenda is enacted, the country will fail. Rush wants the country to grow, to prosper, not have debt as far as the eye can see. Rush wants America to remain the home of freedom. Rush wants Obama's implementation of policy to fail. Stop getting your Rush News from MSNBC......And Rush never wished death upon anyone like your Kidney failure comment.That is LOW, even for a mediocre comedienne . Was Senator Reid hoping for President Bush to succeed?.

Swacistani's earn the top 4 spots

2009-05-10T09:59:00.004-04:00

The top 4 BNN bloggers for the week, live within a few miles of eachother in the heart of Swacistan. Swacistan is an area about 30 miles West of the Peoples Republic of Charlottesville. In a modern atlas, it might be referred to as Augusta County and the cities within.(h/t to the mudfolk of Northern Harswanistan for the lovely name)
The top 4 bloggers have very similar views of the issues.
There seems to be some disagreement on the nuts and bolts of communication though.
We do try to keep the Valley voting right.
SWAC Girl (1)
Spank That Donkey (2)
Yankee Philip (3)
Fishersville Mike (4)
What ever happened to the Castle???

Nothing beneath the fold

They still haven't said WHO WAS ON AIR FORCE ONE

2009-05-09T19:55:00.004-04:00

Is this pic worth $328,835?

"I have concluded that the controversy surrounding the Presidential Airlift Group's aerial photo shoot over New York City has made it impossible for me to effectively lead the White House Military Office," Mr. Caldera said, noting that the fiasco had become "a distraction."

Mr.Louis Caldera is the sacrificial lamb, being led to the slaughter for the stupid photo op.

Who was on the flight?
Where is the passenger list?
Air Force One can hold a lot more people than the Lincoln bedroom.
The white house has not said who is paying for the $328,835 publicity pics.

Nothing beneath the fold.

Congresswoman Uses Tragedy to Screw with 1st Amendment

2009-05-08T17:57:00.004-04:00

Rep. Linda Sanchez, Democrat of California, has proposed a bill called "Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act" that would make it a federal felony to use blogs, text messages, and Internet messaging ("electronic means") to harass someone and cause them "emotional distress."
H.R. 1966 states........
Whoever transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication, with the intent to coerce ( does that mean to try to influence on an issue??), intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress (if Drudge has 1,000,000 hits on a negative story about Obama, I bet thatwould cause him some distress) to a person, using electronic means to support severe, repeated (does that mean if I have a bunch of posts about one politician?), and hostile behavior (is disagreement on policy hostile??), shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both....

["Communication"] means the electronic transmission, between or among points specified by the user, of information of the user's choosing, without change in the form or content of the information as sent and received; ...

["Electronic means"] means any equipment dependent on electrical power to access an information service, including email, instant messaging, blogs, websites, telephones, and text messages.
Maybe Congresswoman Sanchez should read the First Amendment of the US Constitution?

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

. This story was posted in the St. Charles Journal on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 by Steve PokinHis name was Josh Evans. He was 16 years old. And he was hot."Mom! Mom! Mom! Look at him!" Tina Meier recalls her daughter saying.Josh had contacted Megan Meier through her MySpace page and wanted to be added as a friend. Yes, he's cute, Tina Meier told her daughter. "Do you know who he is?""No, but look at him! He's hot! Please, please, can I add him?"Mom said yes. And for six weeks Megan and Josh - under Tina's watchful eye - became acquainted in the virtual world of MySpace.Josh said he was born in Florida and recently had moved to O'Fallon. He was homeschooled. He played the guitar and drums.He was from a broken home: "when i was 7 my dad left me and my mom and my older brother and my newborn brother 3 boys god i know poor mom yeah she had such a hard time when we were younger finding work to pay for us after he left."As for 13-year-old Megan, of Dardenne Prairie, this is how she expressed who she was:M is for ModernE is for EnthusiasticG is for GoofyA is for AlluringN is for Neglected.She loved swimming, boating, fishing, dogs, rap music and boys. But her life had not always been easy, her mother says.She was heavy and for years had tried to lose weight. She had attention deficit disorder and battled depression. Back in third grade she had talked about suicide, Tina says, and ever since had seen a therapist.But things were going exceptionally well. She had shed 20 pounds, getting down to 175. She was 5 foot 5½ inches tall.She had just started eighth grade at a new school, Immaculate Conception, in Dardenne Prairie, where she was on the volleyball team. She had attended Fort Zumwalt public schools before that.Amid all these positives, Tina says, her daughter decided to end a friendship with a girlfriend who lived down the street from them. The girls had spent much of seventh grade alternating between being friends and, the next day, not being friends, Tina says.Part of the reason for Megan's rosy outlook was Josh, Tina says. After school, Megan would rush to the computer."Megan had a lifelong struggle with weight and self-esteem," Tina says. "And now she finally had a boy who she thought really thought she was pretty."It did seem odd, Tina says, that Josh never asked for Megan's phone number. And when Megan asked for his, she says, Josh said he didn't have a cell and his mother did not yet have a landline.And then on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2006, Megan received a puzzling and disturbing message from Josh. Tina recalls that it said: "I don't know if I want to be friends with you anymore because I've heard that you are not very nice to your friends."Frantic, Megan shot back: "What are you talking about?"SHADOWY CYBERSPACETina Meier was wary of the cyber-world of MySpace and its 70 million users. People are not always who they say they are.Tina knew firsthand. Megan and the girl down the block, the former friend, once had created a fake MySpace account, using the photo of a good-looking girl as a way to talk to boys online, Tina says. When Tina found out, she ended Megan's access.MySpace has rules. A lot of them. There are nine pages of terms and conditions. The long list of prohibited content includes sexual material. And users must be at least 14."Are you joking?" Tina asks. "There are fifth-grade girls who have MySpace accounts."As for sexual content, Tina says, most parents have no clue how much there is. And Megan wasn't 14 when she opened her account. To join, you are asked your age but there is no check. The accounts are free.As Megan's 14th birthday approached, she pleaded for her mom to give her another chance on MySpace, and Tina relented.She told Megan she would be all over this account, monitoring it. Megan didn't always make good choices because of her ADD, Tina says. And this time, Megan's page would be set to private and only Mom and Dad would have the password.'GOD-AWFUL FEELING'Monday, Oct. 16, 2006, was a rainy, bleak day. At school, Megan had handed out invitations to her upcoming birthday party and when she got home she asked her mother to log on to MySpace to see if Josh had responded.Why did he suddenly think she was mean? Who had he been talking to?Tina signed on. But she was in a hurry. She had to take her younger daughter, Allison, to the orthodontist.Before Tina could get out the door it was clear Megan was upset. Josh still was sending troubling messages. And he apparently had shared some of Megan's messages with others.Tina recalled telling Megan to sign off."I will Mom," Megan said. "Let me finish up."Tina was pressed for time. She had to go. But once at the orthodontist's office she called Megan: Did you sign off?"No, Mom. They are all being so mean to me.""You are not listening to me, Megan! Sign off, now!"Fifteen minutes later, Megan called her mother. By now Megan was in tears."They are posting bulletins about me." A bulletin is like a survey. "Megan Meier is a slut. Megan Meier is fat."Megan was sobbing hysterically. Tina was furious that she had not signed off.Once Tina returned home she rushed into the basement where the computer was. Tina was shocked at the vulgar language her daughter was firing back at people."I am so aggravated at you for doing this!" she told Megan.Megan ran from the computer and left, but not without first telling Tina, "You're supposed to be my mom! You're supposed to be on my side!"On the stairway leading to her second-story bedroom, Megan ran into her father, Ron."I grabbed her as she tried to go by," Ron says. "She told me that some kids were saying horrible stuff about her and she didn't understand why. I told her it's OK. I told her that they obviously don't know her. And that it would be fine."Megan went to her room and Ron went downstairs to the kitchen, where he and Tina talked about what had happened, the MySpace account, and made dinner.Twenty minutes later, Tina suddenly froze in mid-sentence."I had this God-awful feeling and I ran up into her room and she had hung herself in the closet."Megan Taylor Meier died the next day, three weeks before her 14th birthday.Later that day, Ron opened his daughter's MySpace account and viewed what he believes to be the final message Megan saw - one the FBI would be unable to retrieve from the hard drive.It was from Josh and, according to Ron's best recollection, it said, "Everybody in O'Fallon knows how you are. You are a bad person and everybody hates you. Have a shitty rest of your life. The world would be a better place without you."BEYOND GRIEF INTO FURYTina and Ron saw a grief counselor. Tina went to a couple of Parents After Loss of Suicide meetings, as well.They tried to message Josh Evans, to let him know the deadly power of mean words. But his MySpace account had been deleted.The day after Megan's death, they went down the street to comfort the family of the girl who had once been Megan's friend. They let the girl and her family know that although she and Megan had their ups and down, Megan valued her friendship.They also attended the girl's birthday party, although Ron had to leave when it came time to sing "Happy Birthday." The Meiers went to the father's 50th birthday celebration. In addition, the Meiers stored a foosball table, a Christmas gift, for that family.Six weeks after Megan died, on a Saturday morning, a neighbor down the street, a different neighbor, one they didn't know well, called and insisted that they meet that morning at a counselor's office in northern O'Fallon.The woman would not provide details. Ron and Tina went. Their grief counselor was there. As well as a counselor from Fort Zumwalt West Middle School.The neighbor from down the street, a single mom with a daughter the same age as Megan, informed the Meiers that Josh Evans never existed.She told the Meiers that Josh Evans was created by adults, a family on their block. These adults, she told the Meiers, were the parents of Megan's former girlfriend, the one with whom she had a falling out. These were the people who'd asked the Meiers to store their foosball table.The single mother, for this story, requested that her name not be used. She said her daughter, who had carpooled with the family that was involved in creating the phony MySpace account, had the password to the Josh Evans account and had sent one message - the one Megan received (and later retrieved off the hard drive) the night before she took her life."She had been encouraged to join in the joke," the single mother said.The single mother said her daughter feels the guilt of not saying something sooner and for writing that message. Her daughter didn't speak out sooner because she'd known the other family for years and thought that what they were doing must be OK because, after all, they were trusted adults.On the night the ambulance came for Megan, the single mother said, before it left the Meiers' house her daughter received a call. It was the woman behind the creation of the Josh Evans account. She had called to tell the girl that something had happened to Megan and advised the girl not to mention the MySpace account.AX AND SLEDGEHAMMERThe Meiers went home and tore into the foosball table.Tina used an ax and Ron a sledgehammer. They put the pieces in Ron's pickup and dumped them in their neighbor's driveway. Tina spray painted "Merry Christmas" on the box.According to Tina, Megan had gone on vacations with this family. They knew how she struggled with depression, that she took medication."I know that they did not physically come up to our house and tie a belt around her neck," Tina says. "But when adults are involved and continue to screw with a 13-year-old - with or without mental problems - it is absolutely vile."She wanted to get Megan to feel like she was liked by a boy and let everyone know this was a false MySpace and have everyone laugh at her."I don't feel their intentions were for her to kill herself. But that's how it ended."'GAINING MEGAN'S CONFIDENCE'That same day, the family down the street tried to talk to the Meiers. Ron asked friends to convince them to leave before he physically harmed them.In a letter dated Nov. 30, 2006, the family tells Ron and Tina, "We are sorry for the extreme pain you are going through and can only imagine how difficult it must be. We have every compassion for you and your family."The Suburban Journals have decided not to name the family out of consideration for their teenage daughter.The mother declined comment."I have been advised not to give out any information and I apologize for that," she says. "I would love to sit here and talk to you about it but I can't."She was informed that without her direct comment the newspaper would rely heavily on the police report she filed with the St. Charles County Sheriff's Department regarding the destroyed foosball table."I will tell you that the police report is totally wrong," the mother said. "We have worked on getting that changed. I would just be very careful about what you write."Lt. Craig McGuire, spokesman for the sheriff's department, said he is unaware of anyone contacting the department to alter the report."We stand behind the report as written," McGuire says. "There was no supplement to it. What is in the report is what we believe she told us."The police report - without using the mother's name - states:"(She) stated in the months leading up Meier's daughter's suicide, she instigated and monitored a 'my space' account which was created for the sole purpose of communicating with Meier's daughter."(She) said she, with the help of temporary employee named ------ constructed a profile of 'good looking' male on 'my space' in order to 'find out what Megan (Meier's daughter) was saying on-line' about her daughter. (She) explained the communication between the fake male profile and Megan was aimed at gaining Megan's confidence and finding out what Megan felt about her daughter and other people."(She) stated she, her daughter and (the temporary employee) all typed, read and monitored the communication between the fake male profile and Megan .."According to (her) 'somehow' other 'my space' users were able to access the fake male profile and Megan found out she had been duped. (She) stated she knew 'arguments' had broken out between Megan and others on 'my space.' (She) felt this incident contributed to Megan's suicide, but she did not feel 'as guilty' because at the funeral she found out 'Megan had tried to commit suicide before.'"Tina says her daughter died thinking Josh was real and that she never before attempted suicide."She was the happiest she had ever been in her life," Ron says.After years of wearing braces, Megan was scheduled to have them removed the day she died. And she was looking forward to her birthday party."She and her mom went shopping and bought a new dress," Ron says. "She wanted to make this grand entrance with me carrying her down the stairs. I never got to see her in that dress until the funeral."NO CRIMINAL CHARGESIt does not appear that there will be criminal charges filed in connection with Megan's death."We did not have a charge to fit it," McGuire says. "I don't know that anybody can sit down and say, 'This is why this young girl took her life.'"The Meiers say the matter also was investigated by the FBI, which analyzed the family computer and conducted interviews. Ron said a stumbling block is that the FBI was unable to retrieve the electronic messages from Megan's final day, including that final message that only Ron saw.The Meiers do not plan to file a civil lawsuit. Here's what they want: They want the law changed, state or federal, so that what happened to Megan - at the hands of an adult - is a crime.THE AFTERMATH IS PAINThe Meiers are divorcing. Ron says Tina was as vigilant as a parent could be in monitoring Megan on MySpace. Yet she blames herself."I have this awful, horrible guilt and this I can never change," she said. "Ever."Ron struggles daily with the loss of a daughter who, no matter how low she felt, tried to make others laugh and feel a little bit better.He has difficulty maintaining focus and has kept his job as a tool and die maker through the grace and understanding of his employer, he says. His emotions remain jagged, on edge.Christine Buckles lives in the same Waterford Crossing subdivision. In her view, everyone in the subdivision knows of Megan's death, but few know of the other family's involvement.Tina says she and Ron have dissuaded angry friends and family members from vandalizing the other home for one, and only one, reason."The police will think we did it," Tina says.Ron faces a misdemeanor charge of property damage. He is accused of driving his truck across the lawn of the family down the street, doing $1,000 in damage, in March. A security camera the neighbors installed on their home allegedly caught him.It was Tina, a real estate agent, who helped the other family purchase their home on the same block 2½ years ago."I just wish they would go away, move," Ron says.Vicki Dunn, Tina's aunt, last month placed signs in and near the neighborhood on the anniversary of Megan's death.They read: "Justice for Megan Meier," "Call the St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney," and "MySpace Impersonator in Your Neighborhood."On the window outside Megan's room is an ornamental angel that Ron turns on almost every night. Inside are pictures of boys, posters of Usher, Beyonce and on the dresser a tube of instant bronzer."She was all about getting a tan," Ron says.He has placed the doors back on the closet. Megan had them off.If only she had waited, talked to someone, or just made it to dinner, then through the evening, and then on to the beginning of a new day in what could have been a remarkable life.If she had, he says, there is no doubt she would have chosen to live. Instead, there is so much pain."She never would have wanted to see her parents divorce," Ron says.Ultimately, it was Megan's choice to do what she did, he says. "But it was like someone handed her a loaded gun." .

Newsbusted

2009-05-08T17:52:00.001-04:00

Nothing beneath the fold.

Teaverton Yard Sale

2009-05-08T17:22:00.004-04:00

Fishersville Mike seems to be scared of Yard Sales.

That is a shame.

Because they are having a community yard sale over in Fishersville.

Put it on your calender

Annual Yard Sale!

Saturday, June 13th 2009

8:00 AM - 12:00 Noon

. Teaverton is located in Fishersville in the heart of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. A beautiful upscale community nestled in a quiet setting, Teaverton offers convenience to local and regional shopping. Augusta Medical Center [one of the Nation's top hospitals] is a quick five minutes away and offers an extensive array of services including an outstanding wellness center.
Located just off Route 250 in Fishersville allows for quick travel to either Waynesboro, Staunton, or Stuarts Draft, VA. The close proximity to I-64 and I-81 allow quick access to surrounding areas such as Charlottesville, Harriosnburg, and Lexington .

Directions

From I-64, exit 94, go North on 608, turn left onto 250, go a short distance and turn right at Westminister Rd, right by the Fishersville Baptist Church.

From I-81, exit 222, go East on 250 about 5ish miles or so, turn left onto Westminister Rd.,right by the Fishersville Baptist Church.

Spank the Donkey gets a tad "curious" I guess???

2009-05-08T16:48:00.003-04:00

He wrote Just Between You and Me (My ode to Phil Billy, he joined the Swac Corps, and left me on the corner)
Time and time again I see
A love that seemed strong was not meant to be
Broken hearts don't always mend
Left too unsure to try love again
But just between you and me
Baby I know our love will be
Just between you and me
Always I know our love will be
Just between you and me
Lovers often seem to say
Hearts can be blind to love gone astray
Always it's the same old song
Someone's been hurt by a love that's gone wrong
Just between you and me
Baby I know our love will be
Just between you and me
Always I know our love will beJust between you
Just between you and me
Words are sometimes hard to find
The silence can be so unkind
You always help me find my way
The love that we share grows stronger each day
Just between you and me
Baby I know our love will be
Just between you and me
Always I know our love will be
Seulement entre toi et moi
Means that our love will always be
Just between you and me
Baby I know our love will be
Just between you
Just between you and me

Just for a clarification......
1. I did not "leave anyone on the corner".
2. If anything, I was thrown under the bus, quicker than Obama's white grandmother.
3. I won't hand in any 3x5 card to anyone who kicks me out. I never would crawl back to any club, unit,team, etc, that kicks me out. Staying out doesn't automatically make me part of any team.
4. I had no idea that STD's feelings for me were so intense. Thank you Chris, but I don't swing that way. Bully for you to come out of the closet ! ! ! I had no idea. When you told me that you nearly got married when skiing. I didn't know it was in Vermont.
And by the way, I asked my wife to go to Chili's yesterday. She said, "I don't really like Chili's"
Try setting up T4T at Texas and she will go. Listen to video beneath the fold or go over to STD.
. .

Send this clip to your Representatives.

2009-05-08T16:03:00.002-04:00

OUTSTANDING JOB BY A TEENAGER
.H/T RealRevo
You can subscribe over at
TheTrueAmericans.

One of the Newest Valley blogs is taking big strides

2009-05-08T10:34:00.004-04:00

Del. Chris Saxman with Trixie

Augusta Conservative presenting tea bags to Sen. M.Warner

Augusta Conservative has an informative interview with Delegate Chris Saxman.See the full post beneath the fold, or click link above.. A Conversation with Delegate Chris Saxman
I had an opportunity to sit down with Delegate Chris Saxman and have a conversation about his experiences in the state legislator, where he stands on issues, and about his campaign.First off, I was surprised and refreshed by how accessible he is. He stated, “People come up to me and we talk all the time, I go to the local YMCA and use the elliptical and I connect with residents. I go to Food Lion and get groceries and people will stop me and ask questions, I love it.” He spoke about how he gives his email address and cell phone number out regularly. He spoke about the many town hall meetings he does and mountains of surveys that he puts out. “I don’t like being a politician that is constantly trying to get your attention. People don’t want to hear about politics every minute of every day. I respect their time and make myself as available as I can be.”Chris Saxman is a very down to earth kind of guy. He isn’t just an elected representative; he is a husband and father of four. When he is not fulfilling his role in government, he is running the family business, Shenandoah Valley Water. I was impressed by his story of getting into politics. “When I was a high school teacher of US History and Government, my students suggested I become more involved – so I did. That was 1992.” He spoke about how important it has been for him, being a delegate, to have grown up here in the valley. He delivered newspapers and cut the lawns of people he now represents in the House of Delegates.We also discussed the economy and job creation. I pointed out that his opponent wants to bring green jobs to the valley. Chris responded by saying, “We need all types of jobs. We can’t pick and choose what jobs will be created through government, that is not governments role.” He also said, “With unemployment reaching 10% in Virginia, residents want any job. They don’t want a government handout, they want to earn it.” He said, “When a person has lost their job, they also feel their dignity as a human broken by not being able to support their family, and they want that back, not a government handout.”We spoke about what his recipe for job creation would be. He said, “We need to learn from other states past mistakes. Virginia is the #1 state for business for a reason. We look at what other states have tried and we implement the changes that work at growing business and creating jobs. The lowering of the marginal tax rates and other taxes also help to create jobs.” He said, “If government is going to spend money to create jobs, it should be through investment in infrastructure, such as roads, schools, libraries, and other services that are already provided but need repair and improvement.”I asked him how he felt about being challenged in this election; he stated, “Anyone who tells you that they prefer a contested election to an uncontested one is not being honest. That being said, I do enjoy the arena of ideas and I am very much looking forward to this election.”We also touched on education. Chris has been a long time advocate of school choice and vouchers. He believes parents should be free to pull their child out of a school that doesn’t have the best learning environment and be able to take their tax money with them to another school. He said when you remove a child from the public school system and put them in either private or home schooling that the government actually saves money, even after you give the parents the school voucher. He referenced a statistic that showed the state of Virginia actually saves about 1 billion dollars a year on education due to private and home schools.We spoke about gun control and where he stands on the 2nd amendment. He said, “I have an A+ rating from the NRA; I carried Gun Rights legislation to the state government.” He recalled an instance in which he helped work out a deal that preserved a shooting range in Fairfax County.I asked him, “What are the most rewarding moments of your political career?” He stated, “Having ground broken on the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind, working to keep the Commonwealth Center open, and helping with the new Western State hospital, were among many things that I have been proud to help get through the state legislator.”I asked him if he considered himself a conservative. He said “Yes, absolutely. We should only spend taxpayer money on things that government should do. We should spend it well and in a way that we can expect measurable results, so that we can find areas for improvement. We also need to practice restraint and look for the time tested truths of what works and what doesn’t.”We also touched on Universal Health Care; I asked him what he thought of the idea. He stated, “I am completely opposed to it, show me one country where it has worked, and worked well.”My last question was what are your ambitions for public office? He stated, “Right now, to win in November.”Overall, I found Chris Saxman to be a very intelligent, well spoken, down to earth individual. He didn’t run from any question and took the time to explain and support his point of view until it was understood. Chris Saxman is running, as an incumbent this November, for the 20th house seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.Interview done by David A. Karaffa .

Posh Spice Strips down.

2009-05-07T20:34:00.003-04:00

Victoria Beckham might appear in almost nothing in her steamy Emporio Armani ads, but she was back to her fashionista self at the unveiling yesterday at Macy’s Herald Square in New York City. Sticking to Emporio Armani, Posh struck a pose with her 20-foot sexy banner ads in a black fitted tuxedo jacket with black jet beaded shoulders and black Swarovski crystal beaded leggings. Fans from all over crowded the main floor of the famous department store to catch a glimpse of Victoria in the flesh.

. span>

MachoSauce is now ZoNation.

2009-05-07T20:29:00.000-04:00

.
Nothing beneath the fold

The Government is STEALING AGAIN ! ! !

2009-05-07T19:00:00.002-04:00

They want to steal the land

in Pennsylvania where Flight 93 crashed.

They want to build a memorial. A $58 million, 2,200-acre permanent memorial and national park at the crash site near Shanksville
Plans were soon in the works for a memorial to honor the victims. Property owners say they realized that and were willing to cooperate and help make it happen.
But now that the government intends to take their land by eminent domain so the Flight 93 memorial can be built by the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, property owners say they're disappointed and surprised by the plan.
. The seven property owners own about 500 acres still needed for what will ultimately be a $58 million, 2,200-acre permanent memorial and national park at the crash site near Shanksville, about 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.
Patrick White, vice president of the families' group, said: "The families continue to support dedication of the permanent memorial by the 10th anniversary and that we are equally committed to working within the process with those landowners who are willing to sell."
"The thing to appreciate about the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution is that it provides for just compensation," he said.
The next step will be for the U.S. Justice Department to file a complaint in federal court. A court would have to decide the matter and would set a value on the land. .

"I came here as a young man and dreamed of building a great university in honor of Our Lady

2009-05-07T18:34:00.005-04:00

Notre Dame President John Jenkins' invitation of President Obama to give this year's commencement address and receive an honorary doctor of laws degree has sent shock-waves through the Catholic community and the pro-life world at large.See related post here

In response to the University of Notre Dame's invitation of President Barack Obama to deliver the commencement address there May 17, the Pro-Life Action League has erected two large billboards located near the South Bend, Indiana, campus.
The billboards, which went up May 4 on the Indiana Toll Road, Interstate 80/90, read, "NOTRE DAME: Obama is pro abortion choice. How dare you honor him," along with a picture of a baby in utero sucking its thumb.Brief history of Notre Dame below the fold. The University of Notre Dame, founded in 1842 by French priest Rev. Edward F. Sorin, C.S.C., of the Congregation of Holy Cross, is an independent, national Catholic university located in Notre Dame, Ind., adjacent to the city of South Bend and approximately 90 miles east of Chicago.
"I came here as a young man and dreamed of building a great university in honor of Our Lady," Rev.Sorin said.

.

GIVE ME CHICKEN OR GIVE ME DEATH ! ! !

2009-05-07T16:54:00.005-04:00

Starving victims

of the economic downturn

resort to food lines.

Sit-ins and protests followed the lack of food.

Ask not what Chicken your country can eat for you,

ask what chicken you can eat for free.

Oprah Sparks Riots At Kentucky Fried Chicken
KFC coupon customers ask: Where's the chicken?
Whoops, nevermind. It was just free chicken provided by Oprah.
Oprah offered coupons to all of her viewers that entitled them to one two piece grilled chicken meal. The download time frame has now expired, but the coupon is still redeemable at participating KFC® locations in the United States until May 19, 2009—excluding Mother's Day,
First problem was that the coupon server was way overloaded and it was damn near impossible to get the thing to download. Second problem, some managers didn't honor the coupons.
What do you think some customers did??
According to eyewitnesses, folks staged a sit-in after being denied free grilled meat with sides. Oprah KFC coupons causes riot, possible racial violence
But that wasn’t the only account of KFC-related violence. Another tipster visited the KFC at 42nd and Park in New York City, and said that “despite the very visible grilled chicken behind the register, the manager told everyone with coupons to leave and that the promotion was over for the day. “
“The people there are currently holding a sit-in and refusing to leave until they get their free chicken...or the cops are called. Racial epithets were being spewed, people who actually wanted to pay for chicken were facing a potential beatdown, and the manager ran from the screaming horde.”
No further reports from the Great Grilled Chicken Riots of ‘09 have come inSee related story here.

Employee Free Choice Act

2009-05-06T19:04:00.004-04:00

On Binding Arbitration.
Heritage.org.
H/T good Sense
About Heritage
The Heritage Foundation is the nation’s most broadly supported public policy research institute, with more than 410,000 individual, foundation and corporate donors. Heritage, founded in February 1973, has a staff of 244 and an expense budget of $61 million.

Our Mission
To formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.

.

Mark Twain Livesand Breathes in Augusta

2009-05-06T17:31:00.003-04:00

Here is 3 minutes of

Twain quotes in case

anyone needs help for future postings

I don't know the reasoning behind the sudden deluge of quoting Twain in Augusta.
Was it collusion between the bloggers?
Did some bloggers post in reply to another blogger

because they felt that the original was about them?

Or was it just totally coincidence?

The Samuel Clemens bug struck across the valley for 24 hours.
Or did Fishersville Mike just hope to bring it some attention.

WHO KNOWS???
Swacgirl 5/05/2009 05:46:00 PM

Spank the Donkey May 5, 2009 at 09:59PM
RightsideVA 5/05/2009 11:49:00 PM
Fishersville Mike May 6, 2009 at 02:41 PM(He quotes Groucho Marx)See a little Twain bio beneath the fold.
. .

Little Arlen Junior.

2009-05-06T17:28:00.001-04:00

Specter Will Be Junior Democrat

Specter will be put at the end of the seniority line on all his committees but one under a resolution approved on the floor late Tuesday.
Under the modified organizing resolution, Specter will not keep his committee seniority on any of the five committees that he serves on and will be the junior Democrat on all but one — the chamber’s Special Committee on Aging. On that committee, he will be next to last in seniority.
As a result, Specter — who as a Republican was ranking member on the Judiciary Committee and a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, as well as ranking member of the panel’s Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education — will now rank behind all the other Democrats. See the Roll Call article here. Nothing beneath the fold.

Pardon me.Would you have any Grey Poupon?

2009-05-06T16:53:00.003-04:00

Obama Orders his Burger with Dijon Mustard.

Even MSNBC edited their clip to avoid Dijon Mustard.
H/T to legalinsurrection
Nothing beneath the fold.

Hate Crimes. Does it matter why a crime is committed, or just that a crime is committed?

2009-05-06T16:18:00.004-04:00

Alcee Hastings says "isms"

are a waste of his time.

You can read beneath the fold his whole statement. Alcee Hastings is complaining about the inclusion of these "isms". He says that they are a great waste of his time.
They are not in today's bill, but will they be soon? The expanded list of hate crimes will grow and grow and grow as each group decides that they are important too. That their group identity is more important then their individuality. They will pay some lobbyist, and it will get attached to some other bill. Next thing you know, klemptomaniacs are a protected class. "I am not a thief, I am a member of a protected class".

If a person robs another and beats another because they are a member of a protected class, is the beating more severe? Is the loss from the robbery any greater? We already have laws against robbery and assault. If the robber robs you and says nothing, but he is thinking, "I am robbing this person because this person is a member of a protected class". Is that a worse crime than if all the robber says, "Give me all your money, you member of a protected class". He is just identifyng a member of the protected class, the same way that member might self-identify. And if you are robbed and beaten because you are NOT a member of a protected class, is that any less of a crime than if you are a member?
Throw the book at any robber, any assaulter. The motive behind it is not important. Send them to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.
I don't care if Iget robbed because I am black, white, gay, etc.....
I got robbed. I want the perp in jail.
. Here's what Hastings said, according to the GovTrack.US website:

Mr. Speaker, I have been on the Rules Committee a considerable amount of time, both in the minority and in the majority, and I have seen things come to the Rules Committee that I thought were trivializing the process, but yesterday took the cake for me.
We had an amendment offered by one of our colleagues to this particular legislation. I guess it was done in a creative fashion, and certainly the author of it did spend some time looking in the dictionary or creating new terms. And I apologize to our transcriber, but I am going to put in the Record what we have to put up with in the Rules Committee.

"The term sexual orientation," this proposed amendment said, "as used in this act, or any amendments made by this act, does not include apotemnophilia, asphyxophilia, autogynephilia, coprophilia, exhibitionism, fetishism, frotteurism, gerontosexuality, incest, kleptophilia, klismaphilia, necrophilia, partialism, pedophilia, sexual masochism, sexual sadism, telephone scatalogia, toucherism, transgenderism, transsexual, transvestite, transvestic fetishism, urophilia, voyeurism, or zoophilia."

All I can say is the late-night comedians need to come up there with me sometime so that they can get into the spirit of spuriousness that comes there on certain occasions.

This is serious business. Mr. Speaker, we can't legislate love, but we can legislate against hate. This legislation may not rid us of the intolerance and prejudices that continue to taint our society, but it will provide an added deterrent to those for whom these feelings manifest themselves into acts of violence. They will be fully aware that, should they commit a hate crime, there will be no lenience and they will not slip through the cracks of the American legal system.

Further, passage of this Hate Crimes bill will increase public education and awareness and encourage Americans to report hate crimes that all too often are silent.

Mr. Speaker, this bill addresses our resolve to end violence based on prejudice, and to guarantee that all Americans, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability--or all of these philias and fetishes and isms that were put forward--need not live in fear because of who they are.

I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this rule so that we continue to move this country toward fully achieving its promise of justice and liberty for all Americans.
.

Happy Fifth of Fourth

2009-05-06T08:59:00.002-04:00

HAHAHA He is so funny. Saying Welcome Quattro de Mayo, might be funny. Welcome Cinco de Quattro just sounds dumb. The obedient press corps laughs anyway.
. H/T Real Revo Why it is celebrated, below the fold.
During the French-Mexican War, a poorly supplied and outnumbered Mexican army under General Ignacio Zaragoza defeats a French army attempting to capture Puebla de Los Angeles, a small town in east-central Mexico. Victory at the Battle of Puebla represented a great moral victory for the Mexican government, symbolizing the country's ability to defend its sovereignty against threat by a powerful foreign nation.

In 1861, the liberal Mexican Benito Juarez became president of a country in financial ruin, and he was forced to default on his debts to European governments. In response, France, Britain, and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz to demand reimbursement. Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and withdrew, but France, ruled by Napoleon III, decided to use the opportunity to carve a dependent empire out of Mexican territory. Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large French force and driving President Juarez and his government into retreat.

Certain that French victory would come swiftly in Mexico, 6,000 French troops under General Charles Latrille de Lorencez set out to attack Puebla de Los Angeles. From his new headquarters in the north, Juarez rounded up a rag-tag force of loyal men and sent them to Puebla. Led by Texas-born General Zaragoza, the 2,000 Mexicans fortified the town and prepared for the French assault. On the fifth of May, 1862, Lorencez drew his army, well-

provisioned and supported by heavy artillery, before the city of Puebla and began their assault from the north. The battle lasted from daybreak to early evening, and when the French finally retreated they had lost nearly 500 soldiers to the fewer than 100 Mexicans killed.

Although not a major strategic victory in the overall war against the French, Zaragoza's victory at Puebla tightened Mexican resistance, and six years later France withdrew. The same year, Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, who had been installed as emperor of Mexico by Napoleon in 1864, was captured and executed by Juarez' forces. Puebla de Los Angeles, the site of Zaragoza's historic victory, was renamed Puebla de Zaragoza in honor of the general. Today, Mexicans celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla as Cinco de Mayo, a national holiday in Mexico.
.

Fellow Brooklynite, Dom Deluise Died. R.I.P.

2009-05-06T08:48:00.003-04:00

Dom DeLuise: Popular actor, comedian, chef dies
.Biography and Filmography below the fold. After attending the High School of Performing Arts in New York, rotund comic actor Dom DeLuise secured his first professional job, playing Bernie the Dog with a children's theater troupe. He went on to work at the Cleveland Playhouse, then briefly considered becoming a high school biology teacher before landing a part in the off-Broadway production The Jackass. While appearing on Broadway in Meredith Willson's Here's Love, DeLuise made his TV bow on The Garry Moore Show as Dominic the Great, a lovably inept magician. In 1964, he was featured in his first film, billed as "Dom DeLouise" in the apocalyptic nailbiter Fail-Safe. That same year, he starred with Carol Burnett and Bob Newhart on the short-lived TV variety weekly The Entertainers. After a second film appearance in the Doris Day starrer The Glass Bottom Boat (1965), DeLuise was signed to co-star with Rowan and Martin in a 1966 summer-replacement TV series. Two years later, he was hosting his own summertime weekly, The Dom DeLuise Show; one of the regulars on this outing was DeLuise's wife, comedienne Carol Arthur.

Soon afterward, his film career went into high gear thanks to director Mel Brooks, who cast him to excellent advantage in The Twelve Chairs (1970), Blazing Saddles (1974), Silent Movie (1976), History of the World -- Pt. I (1981), and Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993). Likewise tapping into DeLuise's extensive comic repertoire was actor/director Gene Wilder, who gave the pudgy funster carte blanche in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975) and The World's Greatest Lover (1978). And when Mel Brooks' wife, Anne Bancroft, decided to give directing a try herself, she fashioned a full-length vehicle for DeLuise, Fatso (1980). Not to be left out, DeLuise directed a film himself, the amiable crime caper Hot Stuff (1980). All in all, DeLuise was afforded some of his best screen moments as Burt Reynolds' manic sidekick in The End (1978) and the Cannonball Run flicks. As funny verbally as visually, DeLuise has provided voice-overs to such animated fare as Oliver and Company (1987), An American Tail (1987), All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989), and A Troll in Central Park (1994).

With all this activity, DeLuise still found time for additional television work, as star of the 1973 sitcom Lotsa Luck and the 1987 improvisational syndicated The Dom DeLuise Show; he is also credited for "additional oohs and ahhs" on the 1992 Saturday morning cartoon weekly Feivel's American Tails. A lifelong opera buff, DeLuise has been given the opportunity from time to time to perform with various opera companies; in 1995, he brought down the house at New York's Metropolitan in the role of Frosh the Jailer in Die Fledermaus. As indicated by his girth, DeLuise is quite the gourmand, and has published a book on his favorite gastronomic concoctions, Eat This: It Will Make You Better. Dom DeLuise is the father of three sons, two of whom, Michael and Peter DeLuise, have gone on to successful show business careers of their own. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Filmography
Horrorween (2009) (filming) .... Cameo
... aka Horrorween 3D (International: English title: copyright title) (USA: 3-D version)

Video Classroom Lesson 1: Space and Sea (2006) (V) .... Animated School Teacher
Bongee Bear and the Kingdom of Rhythm (2006) (voice) .... Myrin
"Duck Dodgers" .... Roy Serpenti (1 episode, 2005)
... aka "Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century" (USA: long title)
- Master & Disaster/All in the Crime Family (2005) TV episode (voice) .... Roy Serpenti
Breaking the Fifth (2004) .... Flealand Cunchulis
Girl Play (2004) .... Gabriel
Remembering Mario (2003) (voice) .... Mario
It's All About You (2002)
Always Greener (2001)
The Brainiacs.com (2000) (as Dom Deluise) .... Ivan Lucre
"Stargate SG-1" .... Togar / ... (1 episode, 2000)
... aka "La porte des étoiles" (Canada: French title: dubbed version)
- Urgo (2000) TV episode .... Urgo / Togar
Lion of Oz (2000) (voice) .... Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmanuel Ambrose Diggs
... aka Le lion d'Oz (Canada: French title)
... aka Lion of Oz and the Badge of Courage

An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster (1999) (V) (voice) .... Tiger
Baby Geniuses (1999) .... Lenny
My X-Girlfriend's Wedding Reception (1999) .... Father O'Rdeal
... aka Wedding Band (USA: working title) (USA: review title)
The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue (1998) (V) (voice) .... Jeremy
An All Dogs Christmas Carol (1998) (V) (voice) .... Itchy
"The Wild Thornberrys" .... Baby Condor (1 episode, 1998)
- Flight of the Donnie (1998) TV episode (voice) .... Baby Condor
An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island (1998) (V) (voice) .... Tiger
... aka An American Tail 3: The Treasure of Manhattan Island (USA)
"Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" .... Cousin Mortimer (1 episode, 1998)
... aka "Sabrina Goes to College" (USA: promotional title)
... aka "Sabrina" (USA: promotional abbreviation)
- The Pom Pom Incident (1998) TV episode .... Cousin Mortimer
The Godson (1998) .... The Oddfather
"Hercules" .... Bacchus (1 episode, 1998)
... aka "Disney's Hercules" (USA: complete title)
- Hercules and the Bacchanal (1998) TV episode (voice) .... Bacchus
"All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series" .... Itchy Itchiford / ... (18 episodes, 1996-1998)
- Charlie the Human (1998) TV episode (voice) .... Itchy Itchiford
- Fearless Fido (1998) TV episode (voice) .... Itchy 'Itch' Itchiford
- Dog eat Dog (1997) TV episode (voice) .... Itchy Itchiford
- The Big Fetch (1997) TV episode (voice) .... Itchy Itchiford
- Magical Misery Tour (1997) TV episode (voice) .... Itchy Itchiford
(13 more)
"3rd Rock from the Sun" .... Mr. Pollone (1 episode, 1998)
... aka "3rd Rock" (USA: promotional abbreviation)
... aka "Life As We Know It"
- Auto Eurodicka (1998) TV episode .... Mr. Pollone
"The Charlie Horse Music Pizza" (1998) TV series .... Cookie the Cook
"Dexter's Laboratory" .... Koosy / ... (2 episodes, 1997)
... aka "Dexter de Shiyanshi" (Hong Kong: English title)
... aka "Dexter's Lab" (USA: short title)
- Sports-a-Poppin'/Koos a la Goop a Goop/Project Dee Dee (1997) TV episode (voice) .... Koosalagoopagoop/Koosy
- Hunger Strikes/The Koos Is Loose/Morning Stretch (1997) TV episode (voice) .... Koosy
"Cow and Chicken" .... Dakota Governor / ... (2 episodes, 1997)
- I Am Ambassador (1997) TV episode .... Jean-Paul Beaver/Dakota Governor/Spotted Owl
- Power of Odor (1997) TV episode .... Mayor
"I Am Weasel" .... Frenchman #3 / ... (1 episode, 1997)
- Power of Odor (1997) TV episode (voice) .... Mayor/Frenchman #3/Neighbor #2
"Beverly Hills, 90210" .... Magic Morton (1 episode, 1997)
... aka "Class of Beverly Hills" (USA: teaser title)
- I Only Have Eyes for You (1997) TV episode .... Magic Morton
"Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man" .... The Governor (1 episode, 1997)
- A Star Is Abhorred (1997) TV episode (voice) .... The Governor
Killer per caso (1997) .... The Judge
... aka The Good Bad Guy
Boys Will Be Boys (1997) (TV) .... Chef
Shari's Passover Surprise (1996) (TV) .... Dom
... aka Lamb Chop's Passover Special
All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996) (voice) .... Itchy Itchiford
Toonstruck (1996) (VG) (voice) .... 'Fingers' the Cashier
Red Line (1995) .... Jerry
"Burke's Law" .... Vinnie Piatte (4 episodes, 1995)
- Who Killed the Hollywood Headshrinker? (1995) TV episode .... Vinnie Piatte
- Who Killed the Centerfold? (1995) TV episode .... Vinnie Piatte
- Who Killed the Lifeguard? (1995) TV episode .... Vinnie Piatte
- Who Killed the Motor Car Maverick? (1995) TV episode .... Vinnie Piatte
"The Ren & Stimpy Show" .... Big Kahuna (1 episode, 1993-1995)
... aka "VH-1 Ren and Stimpy Rocks" (USA: cable TV title)
- Pixie King/Aloha Hoek (1995) TV episode (voice) .... Big Kahuna
The Tin Soldier (1995) (TV) .... Mr. Fallon
Don't Drink the Water (1994) (TV) .... Father Drobney
"The Magic School Bus" .... Baker (1 episode, 1994)
... aka "Scholastic's The Magic School Bus" (USA: complete title)
- Gets Ready, Set, Dough (1994) TV episode (voice) .... Baker
"SeaQuest DSV" .... Nick Piccolo (1 episode, 1994)
... aka "SeaQuest 2032" (USA: new title)
- Vapors (1994) TV episode .... Nick Piccolo
A Troll in Central Park (1994) (voice) .... Stanley
... aka Stanley's Magic Garden (International: English title)
Il silenzio dei prosciutti (1994) .... Dr. Animal Cannibal Pizza
... aka The Silence of the Hams (USA)
"Married with Children" .... Floyd the Dog (1 episode, 1993)
... aka "Married... with Children" (USA: promotional title)
- Change for a Buck (1993) TV episode (voice) .... Floyd the Dog
"Diagnosis Murder" .... Buddy Blake (1 episode, 1993)
- Murder at the Telethon (1993) TV episode .... Buddy Blake
Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993) .... Don Giovanni
... aka Sacré Robin des bois (France)
Happily Ever After (1993) (voice) .... The Looking Glass
The Skateboard Kid (1993) (voice) .... Rip
"Fievel's American Tails" .... Tiger (13 episodes, 1992)
- Fievel, the Lonesome Ranger (1992) TV episode (voice) .... Tiger
- A Case of the Hiccups (????) TV episode .... Tiger
- A Mouse Known as Zorrowitz (????) TV episode (voice) .... Tiger
- Aunt Sophie's Visit (????) TV episode (voice) .... Tiger
- Babysitting Blues (????) TV episode (voice) .... Tiger
(8 more)
Almost Pregnant (1992) (V) .... Doctor Beckhard
Munchie (1992) (voice) .... Munchie
Die Abenteuer von Pico und Columbus (1992) (voice) .... Christopher Columbus
... aka Pico und Columbus (Germany: TV title)
... aka The Magic Voyage (USA)
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991) (voice) .... Tiger
... aka American Tail II (International: English title: informal title)
Driving Me Crazy (1991/I) .... Mr. B
... aka Trabbi Goes to Hollywood
"All My Children" .... Police Officer (1 episode, 1991)
... aka "All My Children: The Summer of Seduction" (USA: promotional title)
- Episode dated 5 March 1991 (1991) TV episode .... Police Officer
Timmy's Gift: Precious Moments Christmas (1991) (TV) (voice) .... Nicodemus
"Wake, Rattle & Roll" (1990) TV series (voice) .... Lippy the Lion
... aka "Jump, Rattle & Roll" (USA: new title)
Loose Cannons (1990) .... Harry 'The Hippo' Gutterman
"Timeless Tales from Hallmark" .... The Emperor (1 episode)
- The Emperor's New Clothes (????) TV episode (voice) .... The Emperor

"B.L. Stryker" (1 episode, 1989)
- Die Laughing (1989) TV episode
All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989) (voice) .... Itchy Itchiford
"21 Jump Street" .... Uncle Nick (1 episode, 1989)
- Woolly Bullies (1989) TV episode .... Uncle Nick
The Princess and the Dwarf (1989)
Oliver & Company (1988) (voice) .... Fagin
"The Dom DeLuise Show" (1987) TV series .... Dom (1987-1988)
Going Bananas (1987) .... Big Bad Joe
... aka My African Adventure (USA)
Spaceballs (1987) (voice) .... Pizza The Hutt
Un tassinaro a New York (1987) .... Captain T. Favretto
... aka A Taxi Driver in New York
An American Tail (1986) (voice) .... Tiger
Haunted Honeymoon (1986) .... Aunt Kate
"Amazing Stories" .... Guilt (1 episode, 1985)
... aka "Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories" (USA: complete title)
- Guilt Trip (1985) TV episode .... Guilt
Johnny Dangerously (1984) .... The Pope
Cannonball Run II (1984) (as Dom De Luise) .... Victor Prinzim / Captain Chaos / Don Canneloni
Happy (1983) (TV) .... Roger Hanover
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) .... Melvin P. Thorpe
... aka The Best Little Cathouse in Texas (Canada: English title: bowdlerized title)
The Secret of NIMH (1982) (voice) .... Jeremy
... aka Mrs. Brisby and the Rats of NIMH
Pelle Svanslös (1981) (uncredited) (voice: English version) .... Voice
... aka Peter-No-Tail
The Cannonball Run (1981) .... Victor Prinzim / Captain Chaos
History of the World: Part I (1981) .... Emperor Nero
... aka Mel Brooks' History of the World: Part 1 (USA: complete title)
Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) .... Doc
... aka Smokey and the Bandit Ride Again (UK)
Wholly Moses! (1980) .... Shadrach
The Last Married Couple in America (1980) .... Walter Holmes
Fatso (1980) .... Dominick DiNapoli

Hot Stuff (1979) .... Ernie Fortunato
The Muppet Movie (1979) .... Bernie the Agent
The Muppets Go Hollywood (1979) (TV) (also archive footage) (uncredited) .... Agent/Himself
The Cheap Detective (1978) .... Pepe Damascus
... aka Neil Simon's The Cheap Detective (USA: complete title)
The End (1978/I) .... Marlon Borunki
Sextette (1978) .... Dan Turner
The World's Greatest Lover (1977) .... Adolph Zitz
Diary of a Young Comic (1977) (TV)
Silent Movie (1976) .... Dom Bell
The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975) (as Dom De Luise) .... Eduardo Gambetti
... aka Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (USA: promotional title)
Only with Married Men (1974) (TV) .... Murray West
"Medical Center" .... Max (1 episode, 1974)
- The World's Balloon (1974) TV episode .... Max
Blazing Saddles (1974) .... Buddy Bizarre
... aka Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles or Never Give a Saga an Even Break (USA: poster title)
"Lotsa Luck" (1973) TV series .... Stanley Belmont (unknown episodes)
"The Roman Holidays" .... Mr. Evictus (1 episode, 1972)
- Hectic Holiday (1972) TV episode (voice) .... Mr. Evictus
Every Little Crook and Nanny (1972) .... Azzecca
Evil Roy Slade (1972) (TV) .... Logan Delp
"Kraft Music Hall Presents: The Des O'Connor Show" (1970) TV series .... Regular (unknown episodes, 1971)
... aka "The Des O'Connor Show" (UK) (USA: second season title)
Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? (1971) .... Irwin Marcy
Norwood (1970) .... Bill Bird
The Twelve Chairs (1970) .... Father Fyodor

"The Ghost & Mrs. Muir" .... Elroy Applegate (1 episode, 1969)
- Today I Am a Ghost (1969) TV episode .... Elroy Applegate
"The Dom DeLuise Show" (1968) TV series .... Host (1968)
What's So Bad About Feeling Good? (1968) .... J. Gardner Monroe
The Busy Body (1967) .... Kurt Brock
"The Dean Martin Summer Show" (1966) TV series .... Regular (1966)
... aka "The Rowan & Martin Show" (USA)
"The Girl from U.N.C.L.E." .... Stanley Umlaut (1 episode, 1966)
- The Danish Blue Affair (1966) TV episode .... Stanley Umlaut
"Please Don't Eat the Daisies" .... Arnold (1 episode, 1966)
- The Purple Avenger (1966) TV episode .... Arnold
The Glass Bottom Boat (1966) .... Julius Pritter
... aka The Spy in Lace Panties
"The Munsters" .... Dr. Dudley (1 episode, 1966)
- Just Another Pretty Face (1966) TV episode .... Dr. Dudley
Fail-Safe (1964) .... Sgt. Collins
Diary of a Bachelor (1964) .... Marvin Rollins

"Tinker's Workshop" (1954) TV series .... Tinker the Toymaker

Soundtrack:
1990s
1980s
1970s
An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster (1999) (V) (performer: "Who Will")
MGM Sing-Alongs: Being Happy (1997) (V) (performer: "Itchin' and A-Twitchin'")
MGM Sing-Alongs: Having Fun (1997) (V) (performer: "You Can't Keep A Good Dog Down")
MGM Sing-Alongs: Searching for Your Dreams (1997) (V) (performer: "On Easy Street")
All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996) (performer: "On Easy Street")
A Troll in Central Park (1994) (performer: "Welcome to My World", "Absolutely Green")
... aka Stanley's Magic Garden (International: English title)

All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989) (performer: "YOU CAN'T KEEP A GOOD DOG DOWN")
The 59th Annual Academy Awards (1987) (TV) (performer: "Fugue for Tinhors")
An American Tail (1986) (performer: "A Duo")
Haunted Honeymoon (1986) (performer: "Ballin' the Jack")
The 57th Annual Academy Awards (1985) (TV) (performer: "Ghostbusters")
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) (performer: "Watchdog Report/Texas Has a Whorehouse in It")
... aka The Best Little Cathouse in Texas (Canada: English title: bowdlerized title)

Sextette (1978) (performer: "Honey Pie")
The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975) (performer: "Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball): Singing at the Party; I Want You Now; Very Sexy Wine")
... aka Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (USA: promotional title) .

Latest newsbusted

2009-05-05T23:25:00.001-04:00

And here is the rest of it.

Shakin’ at the Station

2009-05-05T17:13:00.002-04:00

Shakin’ at the Station Kicks off its 2009 Season
“Cooler than Ever”

Central Shenandoah Crime Stoppers presents 2009 Shakin’ at the Station
with new and exciting changes.

Staunton, VA (Monday, May 4th, 2009) – Downtown Staunton will rock again this summer thanks to Shakin’at the Station. Central Shenandoah Crime Stoppers is encouraging people of all ages to come out beginning May 14th, every Thursday night this summer at 6:30pm to the Wharf Parking Lot in downtown Staunton to enjoy a night of music, dancing and all around good times at Shakin’at the Station. Best of all, all of the proceeds go to support local charities.

. Shakin’ at the Station has been a Staunton tradition for over two decades and this year promises to be the best year yet. Shakin’ at the Station will once again have many new enhancements this year starting with the location. Shakin’ at the Station will be moving to the parking lot just to the West of the current location. This new location will provide a longer duration of shade during the Shakin’ shows and will also allow for larger attendance. According to Cathy Simmons from the host charity Central Shenandoah Crimestoppers, “After breaking attendance records in 2008, it was time to move to the bigger parking lot to prepare for the 2009 crowds and to incorporate more kid friendly activities in the Kid’s Fun Zone. Again in 2009, Shakin’ will also have a variety of music with a local focus, be more diverse and offer something for everyone. This year’s line up will feature “Battle of The Bands” winner Southpaw, Nashville recoding artist Keith Bryant, East coast reggae sensation Jah Works, local favorites The Findell’s, Sun Dried Opossum and 2008’s most popular band Maybe2Morrow will get to play on both June 11th and August 27th. Also, we will once again feature some rising stars such as The Hacken’s Boys, MoneyPenny and The Level. The season kicks off on May 14tth and will continue every Thursday through August 27th except for the week of July 4th. The tradition of celebrating good times, good friends and Staunton’s Historic Downtown will continue. Julie Markowitz, Executive Director of the Staunton Downtown Development Association said, “It is impressive to see a group of organizers so willing to adapt to the needs of the community through the new enhancements this year. Cathy Simmons, Scott Heinz and the Shakin’ sponsors have considered the future direction of the event by moving it to a cooler and more merchant-friendly location, utilizing local and regional talent and by adding extended family activities.” says Julie Markowitz, of the Staunton Downtown Development Association. For the family or group of friends who wants to get together and spend some time outside this summer listening to good music and enjoying cold refreshments, Shakin’ at the Station offers the best value in the Shenandoah Valley. This year, as in years past, 100% of the proceeds from Shakin’ at the Station benefits local charities. For more information on Shakin’at the Station and a complete list of bands and dates you can visit www.stauntondowntown.org , www.abwholesaler.com/jdeiland and Facebook (Shakin Series). .

More Photo Op Cover-up.

2009-05-05T16:53:00.005-04:00

"We have no plans to release them," an aide to President Obama said.
"The photos . . . are classified -- that's ridiculous," NY Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., said.
The photos have not technically been "classified," a White House aide said, but they are being kept from public view.
The White House is hiding the pics they took of Air Force One and the Statue of Liberty. No word yet on who was on the jet at the time. No word yet on who is paying for the $328,835 publicity pics .Pics and links of incident below the fold.
Another Obama FOOTPRINT
Don't they have any concern for public safety?
$328,835 For a FREAKIN PHOTO OP ! ! !
"Mission Accomplished" vs. "Stealth Statue Mission"
.

Denise Richards Sings "Take me out to the Ball Game"

2009-05-05T16:42:00.002-04:00

The media are raking this woman,Denise Richards, over the coals for her performance. To me she sounds just like any regular baseball fan. She is not a professional singer.

Why was she asked to sing? Why was she there?

She was there to raise awareness for cancer research. The Cubs gave her space in the booth and in return they asked her to sing. She agreed.
She is just a regular fan.Richards, who is from Illinois,said she loved being at the famed Wrigley Field."You feel like it's old-school baseball," she said. "I love how the scoreboard isn't all digital. It's very authentic and traditional."She said she always loved baseball."I got into baseball with Charlie Sheen, her ex-husband,because he's such a fan," she said. "And I played T-ball. I was the only girl on the boys team and I loved it."
Her mom recently died from cancer.
. Nothing beneath the fold.

Australia wary of new diminished role of US

2009-05-05T15:56:00.004-04:00

Australia Published a "White Paper"

THE GOVERNMENT'S APPROACH TO DEFENCE PLANNING

This new Defence White Paper explains how the Government plans to strengthen the foundations of Australia's defence so that we are ready to meet the challenges of an uncertain strategic future.....
The Community Consultation Program found that the Australian community continues to support the concept that the ADF's primary function is to defend Australia and its interests. There is a broad consensus that the present strategic environment is relatively benign in terms of a major military threat to Australia. Given changing geostrategic circumstances, however, caution is also evident. Many in the community expect governments to maintain an effective military posture while ever the possibility of threat of attack, however remote, remains. Most Australians continue to support the alliance with the United States......
Major strategic surprises are always possible, and strategic shocks should be expected at some stage over the foreseeable future..........
If you read the entire paper, you will see that Australia is clearly worried about a weakened United States. They are fearful of surprises.......
If our allies see worries, don't you think our enemies might? Don't you think that we will become more vulnerable to attack. We have heard what the President wants to do to defense. Would a much smaller role really be a surprise?.
See the full post and a video beneath the fold.
H/T to United Conservatives and Westhawk . . Here is the full Australian White Paper.

Congressional Democrats work hard at protecting you........... if you are a pedophile.

2009-05-04T21:56:00.002-04:00

The Heck with You if you are a member of the Armed Services
Maybe they don't want a law that they may be guilty of?
. .

OV Tricks 'em, CapsWin 4-3

2009-05-04T21:46:00.004-04:00

Alex Ovechin scored a hat trick, littering the icewith lots of caps,puting the Caps up 4-2. It turned out to be the Game Winning Goal. With about 2 minutes left in the game, Sidney Crosby scores his own trick, 1 hat for his effort. It brings the Pens within 1 goal. Not enough. Alex and the Caps prevailed. The Caps lead the best of 7, 2 games to none.See the story over at ESPN. Nothing below the fold. . And here is the rest of it.

New Gun for Sister Sarah

2009-05-04T15:00:00.005-04:00

The National Rifle Association Foundation will present Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin with a new rifle next week. The "Alaskan Hunter" is the civilian version of a modified AR-15 rifle carried by U.S. troops overseas.It's engraved with Palin's name and adorned with a map of the state on the collapsible stock . The Big Dipper from the state flag is etched on the magazine well behind a vented barrel guard. See the Daily News story, filled with anti-gun sarcasm here. Take a peek at the NRA site here.

Time to leave Reagan behind

2009-05-04T14:42:00.002-04:00

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Saturday that it's time for the Republican Party to give up its "nostalgia" for the heyday of the Reagan era and look forward, even if it means stealing the winning strategy deployed by Democrats in the 2008 election, according a story in the Washington Times.
Well Jeb, old buddy, that has been the position of your family since Jan 20,1989. One of the first things your daddy did was break his "Read My Lips, No New Taxes" pledge. He wouldn't lower capital gains taxes. What happened next? A mild recession. He signed a bunch of bills that expanded the government. One thing he gave us was David Souter. Jeb,Jeb,Jeb forget nostalgia, just remember nothing succeeds like success. The policies of Reagan succeeded.
And I liked a lot about your brother. He did many good things, but Jeb, how about throwing away his veto pen? How about expanding government at many turns? Unfunded mandates? Expansion of the government. Jeb, your statement is old news in Kennebunkport. Nothing beneath the fold. . And here is the rest of it.

Jon Stewart, War Criminals & The True Story of the Atomic Bombs

2009-05-04T10:33:00.004-04:00

LeMay bombing leaflet

If you are history buff, or just wants to listen to a well produced video, and have 17 minutes to listen, click here. On August 1, 1945, five days before the bombing of Hiroshima, the U.S. Army Air Force dropped one million leaflets over Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and 33 other Japanese cities warning that those cities were going to be destroyed within a few days and advising the residents to leave to save their lives. One side of the leaflet had a photo of five U.S. bombers unloading bombs and a list of the targeted cities. The other side had the text.Front side of OWI notice #2106, dubbed the “LeMay bombing leaflet,” which was delivered to Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and 33 other Japanese cities on 1 August 1945. Read below the fold for more info on Lemay leaflet.

Office of War Information [OWI] presses were turning out leaflets that revealed the special nature of Hiroshima’s destruction and predicted similar fates for more Japanese cities in the absence of immediate acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam agreement. The Japanese text on the reverse side of the leaflet carried the following warning: “Read this carefully as it may save your life or the life of a relative or friend. In the next few days, some or all of the cities named on the reverse side will be destroyed by American bombs. These cities contain military installations and workshops or factories which produce military goods. We are determined to destroy all of the tools of the military clique which they are using to prolong this useless war. But, unfortunately, bombs have no eyes. So, in accordance with America's humanitarian policies, the American Air Force, which does not wish to injure innocent people, now gives you warning to evacuate the cities named and save your lives. America is not fighting the Japanese people but is fighting the military clique which has enslaved the Japanese people. The peace which America will bring will free the people from the oppression of the military clique and mean the emergence of a new and better Japan. You can restore peace by demanding new and good leaders who will end the war. We cannot promise that only these cities will be among those attacked but some or all of them will be, so heed this warning and evacuate these cities immediately.” (See Richard S. R. Hubert, “The OWI Saipan Operation,” Official Report to US Information Service, Washington, DC 1946.) By 9 August, more than 5 million leaflets about the atom bomb had been released over major Japanese cities. The OWI radio station beamed a similar message to Japan every 15 minutes. .

Condi Schools the Kids

2009-05-04T10:23:00.002-04:00

. H/T to Brutally Honest for vidThe Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of the press, and fair elections. Most of its 3,500-plus staff are engaged in field operations, with only around 10% in its headquarters.

The OSCE is an ad hoc organization under the United Nations Charter (Chap. VIII), and is concerned with early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation. Its 56 participating States are from Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and North America and cover most of the northern hemisphere. It was created during the Cold War era as an East-West forum.
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Lack of Congressional Action is a Carcinogen

2009-05-04T09:43:00.004-04:00

Transcript beneath the fold. . “When you talk about cancer, there are over 200 strains or more, so it covers a wide spectrum,” Specter said. “And it is integrated with the issue of stem cell research. It’s really scandalous we’re not using embryonic stem cell research. We passed the Specter-Harkin bill and it’s been vetoed. And, it’s not a matter of whether but when that will be done.”
“I’m very close to being chairman of Appropriations. I’ve been in the Senate for 28 years.” Specter said. “[Sen.] Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) is the only Republican ahead of me and if I’m re-elected in 2010 – and parties change every six years or so – and I’ll become the chairman. What I want to do is have a reevaluation of our priorities.”
“We have a budget of three trillion, one hundred billion dollars – that’s a staggering amount,” Specter said. “And, Nixon declared war on cancer in 1970. And if the war on cancer had been pursued with the same intensity as other wars, I wouldn’t have gotten Hodgkin’s and a lot of your friends wouldn’t have died of breast cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer.”
“I had a very tough primary last time, won by 1 percent, 50.6 to 49.4” Specter said. “My opponent was backed by the Club for Growth – all they want to do is cut taxes. They didn’t like the fact that I was for NIH research. So you take political risks when you want to spend money.”
“Why doesn’t the government spend enough money to cure cancer – and I can’t give you a sensible answer for that either,” Specter said. “I can tell you long before I got Hodgkin’s; I was chairman of the appropriations subcommittee. I took the lead, along with Sen. Tom Harkin, Democrat of Iowa, for raising the funding from 12 to almost 30 billion dollars. Some years we increased it as much as three-and-a-half million dollars. When those increases were made, there were a lot more grants, a lot more studies.”.

The Wrestler

2009-05-04T09:07:00.006-04:00

Evan Rachel Ward

I was never a wrestling fan. It wasn't my thing.

I decided to take a look at Mickey Rourke's latest anyway.

The fack that it had Brooklyn native Marisa Tomei gave it a little extra appeal.Marisa Tomei

So did the young lady pictured below, Evan Rachel Ward.

The Wrestler holds your interest. You are waiting for the good fortune to come the way of Randy Ramzinski. You keep waiting.

Randy "Ram" Ramzinski says that he wants better. He even tries to help himself a few times, but he keeps blowing it.He blows off his kid. He blows off a job. He does blow up his nose. He hangs out with a stripper. He goes to hookers. He has a heart attack from too much steroid use. The last scene of the movie leaves you wondering.............What happens to the Ram?. What happens to the Ram is probably the same as what happens to a lot of people that engage in self destructive behavior. They destroy themselves.You can watch the trailer here.

So Al Gore is making no money on his investments? Donating it all?

2009-05-03T19:04:00.002-04:00

That is what he seems to be saying. Listen to him.

BUT.............

At a conference for TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference,

just 2 months ago, Al Gore said,.......

"There are a lot of great investments you can make. If you are investing in tar sands, or shale oil, then you have a portfolio that is crammed with sub-prime carbon assets. And it is based on an old model. Junkies find veins in their toes when the ones in their arms and their legs collapse. Developing tar sands and coal shale is the equivalent. Here are just a few of the investments I personally think make sense. I have a stake in these so I’ll have a disclaimer there. But geo-thermal concentrating solar, advanced photovoltaics, efficiency, and conservation."

He said he has investments in "BIG GREEN".

BUT............

Al Gore was worth about $2 million or so when he left office in 2001. But after eight years he is reportedly worth a whopping $100 million.See my previous post here And what about his firm of Generation Investments? Do they give their profits away?I Love profits, but don't be a complete hypocrite and say you are doing it to be "green". Admit that you are in it for the greenbacks. . Generation is an independent, private, owner-managed partnership with offices in London and New York. The firm was co-founded in 2004 by Al Gore and David Blood.
Sustainable Investing for the Long Term
Generation's investment approach is based on the idea that sustainability factors—economic, environmental, social and governance criteria—will drive a company's returns over the long term. By integrating sustainability issues with traditional analysis, we aim to deliver superior investment returns.
We are closely aligned with our clients, and our performance is measured over the long term.
A Unique Research Platform to Analyze Global Challenges
Generation has built a global research platform to integrate sustainability research into fundamental equity analysis.
We focus on key drivers of global change, including climate change and environmental degradation; macroeconomics, poverty and development; water and natural resource scarcity; pandemics and healthcare; and demographics, migration and urbanization.
These global challenges pose risks and opportunities that can materially affect a company's ability to sustain profitability and deliver returns. Our research plays an important role in forming our views on the quality of the business, the quality of management and valuation..

"Court of Appeals is where Policy is made....."

2009-05-03T17:38:00.004-04:00

Appeals Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor
One of the front-runners for Souter's seat on the Supreme Courts lets the cat out of the bag.
We all knew it, but she said it on video.....
Is that what we want on the courts?
Is Congress and legislation a ruse?
.Read about another Yankee below the fold. First appointed to the court by Bush 41, She is a daughter of the Bronx, a child of the projects and the product of a single-parent household - and now Sonia Sotomayor has rocketed onto the list of potential nominees for the United States Supreme Court, according to this article in the NY Daily News.

Up from the Bronxdale Houses via Cardinal Spellman High School to serious consideration for the highest bench in the land. That's a hell of a journey, one that deserves note by the young in today's hard-scrabble city.

Whether or not President Obama taps Sotomayor to become the first Hispanic Supreme, whether or not she is confirmed by the Senate, her accomplishments stand her high in the ranks of New York doers.

On the merits, Sotomayor deserves to be among the select few studied for the slot that Justice David Souter is vacating. Her record on the federal bench, as both a trial and appellate judge, will be the most important yardstick for measuring her qualifications against a field of candidates.

May the best woman or the best man win.

For now, it's enough to savor the possibility of having a person of Sotomayor's background on the court.

Born in the Bronx in 1954 to parents from Puerto Rico, she was diagnosed with diabetes at 8. Her father, a factory worker, died when she was 9. Her mother supported Sotomayor and her brother, now a doctor, by working at methadone clinics.

More fluent in Spanish than in English, Sotomayor started school at Blessed Sacrament in Soundview. Then she moved on to Cardinal Spellman in Wakefield. In 1972, she made a huge leap to Princeton University, an Ivy League school that had started accepting women undergraduates only in 1969.

She aced the place, graduating summa cum laude and going on to Yale Law School, where she was an editor of a law journal. She moved on from there to work as a trial lawyer in the Manhattan district attorney's office, as an attorney in private practice and then as a federal judge.

The first President Bush, a Republican, appointed to Sotomayor to Manhattan Federal Court in 1992. President Clinton, a Democrat, elevated her to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in 1998.

There she has participated in rendering hundreds of decisions that would be subject to review should Obama show interest. As he must.

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Feminism is not a dirty word.

2009-05-03T17:08:00.006-04:00

It has been kidnapped

by the radical left wing of the Democrat party.

There are women who do exemplify true feminism and strength. You might not agree on every point with them, but...............
I don't believe this is the type of feminist that Fishersville Mike and The Other McCain want to offend this week.
Tina Hemond over at Degrees of Moderation posted her definition .
She says............
A Conservative Feminist .........

Holds the rights and advancement of women in the workplace, political arena and the home to be inviolate

Holds the rights of children to be loved, protected, and cared for in a manner which allows for a happy childhood to be paramount.

Demands equal pay for equal work.

Understands there are differences between genders. To deny biology is inherently imbecilic. Men are able to do many things that require strength that women either cannot or prefer not to do – Women are able to do many things given their biological make-up that men are incapable of doing. Celebrate who you are.

Understands, in relationship to gender differences, one is not better than, or less than the other, but equal to and in partnership with one-another.

Makes no judgment as to career choices other woman may make which includes the career of Mother and Wife.

Makes no judgment as to political affiliations.

Considers a women’s right to be feminine as paramount.
Read the rest below the fold.
Takes offense and objects to women in high-profile positions that are judged by the media and others by the following: clothing, hair style, emotions shown, emotions not shown.

Considers the Right to Life to be paramount.

Considers the Protection of Children and Women paramount under the law.

Considers the rights of rapists, pedophiles and those that prey upon women and children to be non-existent. There is no cure – there are mandatory sentences.

Understands the need to protect our borders as a national security issue; protecting our borders protects our children and our property.

Understands that the schools are not a substitute for rearing one’s children.

Understands that one “cannot have it all” unless one is willing to sacrifice: their children, their finances (pay daycare, pay housekeeper, pay landscaper, pay cook, pay accountant) and possibly their own self.

Understands that few women are able to “have it all” due to socio-economic boundaries yet, are unfairly expected to do so.

Holds that any country, religion and/or territory where women are not allowed to: drive a car, uncover their head, show an ankle, be in the company of men, or be treated as less than equal under the law in any manner should be held in the highest contempt.

Holds that any woman in a position of authority that panders or promotes a nation that does not extend equal rights to women and protection under the law should be considered anti-feminist.

Women who choose to become full-time mothers and household managers should be given family tax incentives as well as re-education opportunities when they are ready to pursue a first, second or third career. Children are a countries asset. Protecting a national asset should be a paid position with benefits. This should be a federal mandate.

A conservative feminist understands there are few to no role models for our children. Musicians, athletes, politicians, religious leaders, actors and actresses, all in the public arena; have proven to be corrupt by a media who celebrates rather than denigrates bad behavior.

Any person who celebrates the debauchery of women, including women themselves, should not be held in high esteem. Examples: women in positions of power who promote the interest of their husbands business over the rights of women, women in the media who promote themselves as nothing more than a sexual icon.

A women’s worth should not be judged by a man’s standards.

Fox News, The Heck With You.

2009-05-02T18:46:00.005-04:00

Alleged that

Obama Admin snubs Fox News

Johnny Dollar has a clip of Fox News being blackballed by President.
Another example of the lack of transparency by the Obama White House... You can subscribe to Johnny Dollar here .

Irony for Specter in the Senate.

2009-05-02T18:30:00.004-04:00

How is this for irony??
The Dems will use a "secret ballot" to decide if Specter, to decide on his seniority.
From THEHILL
One senior lawmaker who spoke to The Hill on condition of anonymity said that Reid does not have the power to let Specter keep his seniority earned as a Republican. “That can’t happen; seniority is decided by the caucus,” said the lawmaker, who said Specter’s place in the pecking order would be decided by secret ballot during the organizational meeting expected after the 2010 election. Senator Specter's comments below the fold.
Senator Specter Speaks on Employee Free Choice Act/Card Check

U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) spoke on the Senate floor concerning the Employee Free Choice Act/Card Check. Senator Specter’s full floor statement follows:
I have sought recognition to state my position on a bill known as the Employee Free Choice Act, also known as card check.
My vote on this bill is very difficult for many reasons.
First, on the merits, it is a close call and has been the most heavily lobbied issue I can recall. Second, it is a very emotional issue with Labor looking to this legislation to reverse the steep decline in union membership and business expressing great concern about added costs which would drive more companies out of business or overseas.
Perhaps, most of all, it is very hard to disappoint many friends who have supported me over the years, on either side, who are urging me to vote their way.
In voting for cloture - that, is to cut off debate - in June 2007, I emphasized in my floor statement and in a law review article that I was not supporting the bill on the merits, but only to take up the issue of labor law reform.
Hearings had shown that the NLRB was dysfunctional and badly politicized.
When Republicans controlled the Board, the decisions were for business.
With Democrats in control, the decisions were for labor.
Some cases took as long as eleven years to decide.
The remedies were ineffective.
Regrettably, there has been widespread intimidation on both sides.
Testimony shows union officials visit workers’ homes with strong-arm tactics and refuse to leave until cards are signed.
Similarly, employees have complained about being captives in employers’ meetings with threats of being fired and other strong-arm tactics.
On the merits, the issue which has emerged at the top of the list for me is the elimination of the secret ballot which is the cornerstone of how contests are decided in a democratic society.
The bill’s requirement for compulsory arbitration if an agreement is not reached within 120 days may subject the employer to a deal he or she cannot live with.
Such arbitration runs contrary to the basic tenet of the Wagner Act for collective bargaining which makes the employer liable only for a deal he or she agrees to.
The arbitration provision could be substantially improved by the last best offer procedure which would limit the arbitrator’s discretion and prompt the parties to move to more reasonable positions.
In seeking more union membership and negotiating leverage, Labor has a valid point that they have suffered greatly from outsourcing of jobs to foreign countries and losses in pension and health benefits.
President Obama has pressed Labor’s argument that the middle class needs to be strengthened through more power to unions in their negotiations with business.
The better way to expand labor’s clout in collective bargaining is through amendments to the NLRA rather than on eliminating the secret ballot and mandatory arbitration.
Some of the possible provisions for such remedial legislation are set forth in an appendix to this statement.
In June 2007, the vote on the Employee Free Choice was virtually monolithic: 50 Senators, Democrats, voted for cloture and 48 Republicans against.
I was the only Republican to vote for cloture.
The prospects for the next cloture vote are virtually the same.
No Democratic Senator has spoken out against cloture.
Republican Senators are outspoken in favor of a filibuster.
With the prospects of a Democratic win in Minnesota, yet uncertain, it appears that 59 Democrats will vote to proceed with 40 Republicans in opposition.
If so, the decisive vote would be mine.
In a highly polarized Senate, many decisive votes are left to a small group who are willing to listen, reject ideological dogmatism, disagree with the party line and make an independent judgment.
It is an anguishing position, but we play the cards we are dealt.
The emphasis on bipartisanship is, I think, misplaced.
There is no special virtue in having some Republicans and some Democrats take similar positions.
The desired value, really, is independent thought and an objective judgment.
It obviously can’t be that all Democrats come to one conclusion and all Republicans come to the opposite conclusion by expressing their individual objective judgments.
Senators’ sentiments expressed in the cloakroom frequently differ dramatically from their votes in the well of the Senate.
The nation would be better served, in my opinion, with public policy determined by independent, objective legislators’ judgments.
The problems of the recession make this a particularly bad time to enact Employees Free Choice legislation. Employers understandably complain that adding a burden would result in further job losses.
If efforts are unsuccessful to give Labor sufficient bargaining power through amendments to the NLRA, then I would be willing to reconsider Employees’ Free Choice legislation when the economy returns to normalcy.
I am announcing my decision now because I have consulted with a very large number of interested parties on both sides and I have made up my mind.
Knowing that I will not support cloture on this bill, Senators may choose to move on and amend the NRLA as I have suggested or otherwise.
This announcement should end the rumor mill that I have made some deal for my political advantage.
I have not traded my vote in the past and I would not do so now. .

Jeff Sessions needs help

2009-05-02T17:01:00.003-04:00

Call on the Senate Leadership. Tell them to remain "Robust".
Jefferson "Jeff" Sessions III is now looking to become the ranking member of the Republican Party on the Senate Judiciary.
There are calls from "establishment" Republican types to promote Chuck Grassley or Orin Hatch into that position.
If Grassley or Hatch get the job, it will take a "go along , get along" view of the party. Sessions is more likely to bring a leadership role to the position. He is more likely to take his job as leader of the opposition seriously. The others will more likely acquiesce to whatever Senator Leahy and his cronies recommend.
You know Leahy didn't bow down to the Republican majority. They fought tooth and nail. They fought hard enough to keep Sessions from the bench. Why should the Republicans do any less? Why should the Republicans become the lap dogs for the Democrats? Do we want another Supreme Court Justice that looks to Europe for guidance?
We need to urge Mitch McConnell to promote Sessions as the ranking member. We have to call Senator McConnell and let him know . We have to email him.
Mitch McConnell’s phone number is 202-224-3121. Video beneath the fold.. We must convince Senator McConnell to remain Robust..

Wild For Government Controlled Healthcare.

2009-05-01T21:50:00.006-04:00

Listen to Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois. She wants to be a Senator.
People complain about their insurance company not covering different things. They complain about their insurance company is only in it for the money. Wait till you get government insurance. You are old, Sorry, it is not in the budget. Upgrade your prosteic? Sorry, not in the budget. You are 40 and want a child? Sorry,not covered.It is against the government's rules.
Think of Walter Reed and the veterans. What is their healthcare like? When the profit motive is taken out of medicine, will we get the best and brightest? Will it still be a profession or just another government job?
I know someone in England. The person has been deaf since birth. I remember the huge hearing aid that shegot for "free". I never saw anything that big in US.
When you have a complaint, you will have to go to the Government Department of Healthcare Complaints. "Please stand in line #1". "Sorry, you are in the wrong line." "Healthcare will be like DMV. We know the people there want to work mostly, but it is a bureaucracy. .. Jan Schakowsky was elected to represent Illinois' 9th Congressional District in 1998, after serving for eight years in the Illinois General Assembly. On November 4, 2008, Schakowsky was re-elected to serve a sixth term in Congress. As Program Director of Illinois Public Action (1976-1985), the state's largest public interest organization, she fought for energy reform and stronger protection from toxic chemicals. As Director of the Illinois State Council of Senior Citizens from 1985-1990, she organized across the state for lower cost prescription drugs and tax relief for seniors, financial protection for the spouses of nursing home residents and other benefits for the elderly. She has been deeply involved in the fight to protect women's reproductive freedom.
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Why NOT to Worry About Swine Flu video

2009-05-01T16:14:00.001-04:00

If you want to subscribe click here

Sean Penn's wife dumps him.

2009-05-01T16:09:00.002-04:00

Sean Penn and Robin Wright apparently tried to make it work but now, it seems their marriage might be over for good. Penn and his actress wife are separating after 13 years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.. Spicoli talks to Penn (language warning).

Gore Gets A SMACK DOWN

2009-05-01T12:10:00.003-04:00

H/T to Rtside. The Rock sounds like he is talking about Global Warming, not Hulkamania.

Just say No......... ou juste dites non

2009-05-01T11:42:00.005-04:00

Reason TV video comparing France and US
Ou La Raison video en comparaison en la France et les Etats-Unis (pardonnez moi pour mon grammaire)
. Subscribe to Reason TV here .