Gene Locke comments on Hotze endorsement

Mean Gene found what he was looking for, an endorsement from the hate monger Steven Hotze. You can see the endorsement card front and back here. Look for Gene to back pedal out of this endorsement faster than a republican getting caught at a hooker convention with a bag full of condoms.
Locke, who sought the endorsement from Hotze once he realized that his black/brown coalition wasn't working out as he thought it would, had this to say:
"I am screwed. The bloggers are goingSource: Bay Area Houston RSS Feed

Chocolatey Pecan Goodness

Here for posterity or until blogger gives out is my version of the Chocolate Pecan tart. Got the recipe from ninme 's twitter and am quite proud of myself on several counts. First: thanks to the need to convert weights to volumes, this required more Math than recipes usually do (well...okay, more guessing, but I am still quite pleased it didn't ooze all over the place). And I hadn't the right sort of tart pan, so this was shaped free-form. And I thought to add bourbon. So I was feelingSource: Wheat Weeds RSS Feed

Newspaper Days restocked at Hastings after it sells out

Now that I have chastised the local media for running the usual Christmas shopping stories I will hypocritically provide one of my own:
When I stopped by Hastings in joplin about an hour ago, I discovered all copies of my new book, Newspaper Days, had sold out (I checked, no one had hidden them; they were actually purchased). I supplied some more, so the book should be back on the shelves by now, or at the latest by tomorrow morning.
The first signing for Newspaper Days isSource: The Turner Report RSS Feed

Iowa Politics Insider: Stewart Iverson considering a run for House

Former Senate Majority Leader and Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Stewart Iverson is considering a run against Rep. McKinley Bailey, a conservative Democrat.

“I’m not going to make any decisions until probably sometime after the first of the year,” Iverson, 59, said today. “If I were to

Source: BlogNetNews.com/Iowa RSS Feed

Google Sorry For Image Of Michelle Obama

From the UK’s Telegraph:

Google apologises for racist caricature in Michelle Obama search results

Google has apologised after a racist caricature of Michelle Obama became the top result for users searching for pictures of the US First Lady.

By Matthew Moore
25 Nov 2009

Anyone typing "Michelle Obama" into Google Images this morning was presented with an altered photo depicting the US president’s wife with animal features.

In a rare move, GoogleSource: Sweetness Light RSS Feed

Introducing Ed Krause, Congressional Candidate NC-11 Republican Primary

Here are his goals if elected to Congress according to a handout he gave me:
1. Revive our economy by reducing taxes so that individuals and corporations can have more capital to spend and invest to increase jobs. Throwing stimulus money around to people such as ACORN will not accomplish anything.The national debt must be dealt with by controlling Federal spending. My top priority would be to recruit industry for this area. We are blessed to have a good labor force, beautifulSource: Thunder Pig RSS Feed

Cheney Finds Lack of Decision on Troop Increases in Afghanistan "Inexcusable"

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George Stephanopoulos just had to give Liz Cheney some more air time on his bobblehead show in another of his "fair and balanced" panels. Sorry Liz but what's "inexcusable" is your daddy helping to get us into this quagmire in the first place. I still want to know when she's signing up for the military if she wants to keep beating those war drums.

WILL: The danger is that the president is going to be seen as escalating this war.Source: Crooks and Liars RSS Feed

Mural pictures the Newtonia we remember

(The following is my column for this week's Newton County News.)
Though illustrations of the Civil War are featured prominently in the newly created Newtonia mural, other scenes, more quiet scenes, are the ones that make Carthage artist Sherry Pettey’s work so appealing to me.
After the work is officially unveiled during a 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, ceremony in the Newtonia Community Building, not only will the community’s Civil WarSource: The Turner Report RSS Feed

Americans paying attention to health care debate?

Sen. Harry Reid accused Republicans of trying to dodge a full Senate debate on health care.

Ed Hornick
CNN

November and December tend to be a typically slow time for Congress as it wraps up business before a new session begins.

But not this year.

The Senate is expected to soon return to health care reform, the legislative lightning rod of 2009. Most analysts expect it to be an engaging debate.

But will Americans be paying attention as theySource: AC360 RSS Feed

Europe is Our (Insert Female Pejorative Here)

-By Warner Todd Huston

**And now a word from my inner swaggerer…

Europe is a chick’s name. That’s right, you heard me. The word Europa from which Europe is derived is of feminine gender in origin. In Greek mythology Europa was a Phoenician princess abducted by Zeus. Zeus disguised himself as a bull to pull off the caper.

So, what do we have? Let’s review: Europe is a defenseless but pretty chick fooled by a bunch of bull and ravaged by a God.

Yep. SoundsSource: Stop the ACLU RSS Feed

What’ll the speech do to the election campaign?

Or is this just an irrelevance?

So there we have it. The hardy annual ritual of the Queen’s Speech when David Cameron and Gordon Brown have to walk alongside each other as they progress from the House of Commons to the House of Lords.

There was a time when this was a much bigger news event than it is today because it was the event that saw the revelation of the legislative programme. Mr. Brown has downgraded it a touch with his now annual announcement a few months earlierSource: Political Betting RSS Feed

Morning Briefing for November 18, 2009

RedState Morning Briefing
For November 18, 2009

Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge. 1. Don’t Let Them Vote for a Government Takeover of Health Care Before They Vote Against It

2. RedState Interviews Gov. Sarah Palin

3. The Left’s ‘Fair’ Trial

4. Polls Show Public Not Buying The Case For Terror Trials

5. Co-Sponsor Complaint Free Wednesday

Source: Red State RSS Feed

Dem Pays Taxes So She Can Take Office

From the St Louis Post-Dispatch:

Democrat pays her taxes so she can be candidate

By Jake Wagman

Sunday, Nov. 15 2009

ST. LOUIS — A day before she clinched the nomination to fill a vacancy in the Missouri House of Representatives on Saturday, St. Louis Democrat Hope Whitehead paid a visit to City Hall.

Not to mobilize supporters, but to pay hundreds of dollars in outstanding taxes.

Her trip downtown was more than just civic duty. Under stateSource: Sweetness Light RSS Feed

Obama Fails as CIC and Plummeting Military Morale

German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, wearing body armour, disembarks from a plane on arrival in Kabul November 12, 2009, as he makes a surprise visit to Afghanistan to meet with military commanders and to inspect German Army, Bundeswehr, troops stationed there. Reuters

NO OBAMA VISIT to the TROOPS! ~ Wild Thing

.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd lays a wreath in observance of Remembrance Day during aSource: Theodore's World RSS Feed

Day laborer news roundup

From the Indypendent:
In recent months some local residents have complained to the police of the day laborers presence around the Park. On several occasions police have removed the men, who use the park’s restrooms and benches during and after their meal, from the park.
In one incident on July 17th, 2009, the NYPD removed several men eating their Tuesday morning meals from the after receiving a 911 call claiming that men were urinating in public. Brynes responded in a statementSource: Queens Crap RSS Feed

Needn't Have Worried

David Gray/Reuters
Chinese officials banned this t-shirt, fearing it would offend Obama during his first visit to China.
Apparently they never heard about Anita Dunn or the manufacturing czar. Anyway, not to worry: Shamelessly pinched from American Digest.
I know, it's just a photo op and he's playing nice, but I still find it rather extraordinary he let himself be photographed in that. I used to think the funniest aspect of The Ryskind Sketchbook's lampoons of Hillary wasSource: Wheat Weeds RSS Feed

Brooklyn has worst case of "Bloomblight"

From the Daily News:
The city's count of stalled construction projects in the borough [of Brooklyn] has surged 42% since it began tracking them this summer, according to the Department of Buildings' latest statistics.
Brooklyn has the most stalled sites of any borough, with a total of 245. This makes up nearly half of the 527 buildings sitting unfinished citywide after the collapse of the housing market sent many developers packing.
"They went forward with all this stuff, and Source: Queens Crap RSS Feed

Climate bill would be a boon to farmers

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has argued that for American agriculture, the income benefits from climate and clean energy legislation will outweigh the costs (see “USDA: Economic benefits of climate bill for farmers ‘easily trump’ the costs“).  Unrestricted greenhouse gases emissions would certainly be a disaster for farmers (see “A Stormy Forecast for U.S. Agriculture“).  In this CAP repost, guest blogger Tom Kenworthy, looks at some recent studies on the direct economicSource: Climate Progress RSS Feed

USNA Subbed Mids To Look More Diverse

USNA subbed mids to look more diverse

Navy Times

By Philip Ewing

Staff writer

Naval Academy leaders removed two midshipmen from a color guard that performed at the World Series last week because they were white men, and replaced them with a non-white man and a white woman so the academy could present a more “diverse” profile, according to several sources, a move that has reportedly angered mids and alumni.

Source: Theodore's World RSS Feed

Cutler's "Pick 5" means Bears Hibernate For This Years Playoffs

There's no way in hell this team will make the playoffs this year as their "star"QB threw 5 picks in the game, 2 right in the end zone of the opposing team, costing them anywhere from 6 to 12 possible points including a game winner, a pass which also ended up in the hands of the victorious Forty Niner's, costing the Bears a badly needed win.
The 49's, who are led by all time former Bear great Mike Singletary, a player who saw plenty of these heartbreaking, slop filled games in his timeSource: Chicagoray RSS Feed

Tea Baggers, Clones, and The Holocaust

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c The Men Who Stare at Votes www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show
Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

John Stewart ridiculed the tea party protests against health care reform and their comparisons between health care reform and the Holocaust (video above). He later demonstrated how Sean Hannity used video from another date to inflate the size of the crowd (video below):

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Source: Liberal Values RSS Feed

The Queen of Australia holds private audience with Trooper Mark Donaldson, VC

The Queen receives Trooper Mark Donaldson at Windsor Castle, 10 November 2009. The Australian soldier received the Victoria Cross, the military's highest honour, in January after displaying extraordinary gallantry under fire in the southern Afghan province of Oruzgan in September 2008.
Photo © Press Association
More from Professor David Flint.

Source: The Monarchist RSS Feed

FOR SALE – MiniConcrete Truck

This mixer is for sale right now and will sell the truck with it. First come first served on this one, it is ready to go. The truck is a 1991 Chevrolet 3500HD with a 7.3 Diesel and a 5 speed trans. New Clutch, pressure plate, throwout bearing etc.. Just installed new glow plugs and it starts and runs great.

The mixer will carry 2 3/4 yards easily, if the mix is dry 3 yards is no problem at all. The mixer itself weighs 3000 lbs empty. Fully loaded it weighs 15,000 lbs. Hydraulics areSource: ALBANYS INSANITY RSS Feed

The Democratic Party: Still Looking Out for Women's Health!

If only women didn't have those drippy, icky parts that make God-loving conservative politicians so edgy, politicians wouldn't be forced to do things like this to us. But women do have those icky parts, and thus we should understand that our job is to hush up - and be grateful for whatever crumbs we get.

Those crumbs, however, do not include routine gynecological care, nor do they include birth control. (Why am I so convinced that somewhere in this bill, Viagra is covered?)

Source: Crooks and Liars RSS Feed

MP vermin may escape reform.

A dof of the cap toAll Seeing Eyewho pointed outthisgem: Prof Sir Ian Kennedy, head of the new body charged with rewriting the rules on MPs' expenses, has beenquoted as saying he had "no obligation" to accept everything that Sir Christopher Kelly has suggested.So who knows, MP's may well keep their cushy taxpayer funded 2nd homes, keep on employing their dribbling retarded offspring as advisors, their web fingered restricted gene pool wives as "support staff". They will keep on boozing inSource: British Blogs RSS Feed

Resurgence of credit card offers

I'm sitting here doing a little shopping online. I found a great coupon for 25% off and free shipping at Coldwater Creek, and then found some really great bargains in their online outlet. So picked up a few items and I'm ready to check out, when now I'm faced with another offer -- an additional 20 percent off if I open a Visa account with them. Since I only spent $50 today, that saves me $10. But I have to admit, I'm tempted to go back and pick up a couple of other things that I wasSource: RedStateBlues RSS Feed

C&L's Late Nite Music Club with Brandi Carlile

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I've been listening to Brandi's new album, Give Up the Ghost. It's a somewhat subdued record, but it also shows her real maturation as an artist. There's no knockout track like "The Story," but it really showcases both her amazing voice and her band's superb musicianship and songwriting. "Dying Day" stands out, so I went looking for a video of it, and found this remarkably good live version, taken last month in Salt Lake City, atSource: Crooks and Liars RSS Feed

Stealth Mode

Times in the Papamoka household have come to the bottom. With the coming divorce and separation of my family has come some deep thoughts and personal retrospect. The economy sucks and their are fifteen or more people applying for every job that I apply for. I'm going to say a fond goodbye to all my friends here at Papamoka Straight Talk for now. I'm packing up the house to move out and into a new adventure in life. All of the pictures of my girls, our life, and just the basics thatSource: Papamoka Straight Talk RSS Feed

NYT Implies Hasan Has ‘Contact PTSD’

From the always understanding New York Times:

A news photographer records footage of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan’s apartment door in Killeen, Texas. Painful Stories Take a Toll on Military Therapists

By BENEDICT CAREY, DAMIEN CAVE and LIZETTE ALVAREZ

November 8, 2009

Many of the patients who fill the day are bereft, angry, broken. Their experiences are gruesome, their distress lasting and the process of recovery exhausting. The repeated stories of battle and loss Source: Sweetness Light RSS Feed

Ida in the Gulf

NHC English translation:

• Ida is in the Gulf of Mexico, rapidly heading north with a target anywhere within a hundred miles either side of Mobile-Pensacola.
• The inner center of the storm remains modest in size, but tropical-force winds could extend up to a radius of fifty miles from the center.
  
• Ida is likely to weaken quickly as it encounters colder waters and air temperatures over the next 36 hours.
  
• It might or might not be a hurricaneSource: Pensacola Beach Blog RSS Feed

Human rights ruling against classroom crucifixes angers Italy

There was uproar in Italy yesterday over a ruling by the European court of human rights that the crucifixes that hang in most Italian classrooms are a violation of religious and educational freedoms.The seven judges, whose decision could prompt a Europe-wide review of the use of religious symbols on public premises, said state schools had to "observe confessional neutrality".Except on the far left, the ruling met with condemnation among Italian politicians and was denounced by the Vatican.Source: British Blogs RSS Feed

A 'literary miracle' crowned by Oprah

Editor's note: Eileen Pollack is director of the MFA Program in Creative Writing at the University of Michigan and taught Uwem Akpan, author of "Say You Are One of Them." Akpan's book is the choice of the Oprah Book Club, which will be discussed November 9 at 9 p.m. ET on CNN.com Live or Oprah.com.

Uwem Akpan and Eileen Pollack at a holiday dinner.

Eileen Pollack
Special to CNN

Even among the hundreds of applications, this one stood out. MostSource: AC360 RSS Feed

Sen. Shawn Mitchell: The Wonder Years

The thing about the modern, socially networked, Google-preserved Internet is that sometimes things pop up in it that you'd just as soon leave in the land of undocumented youthful indiscretions--and once there, they never really go away. A particularly sharp example of this was last year's controversy over Senate candidate Bob Schaffer's son's racism-festooned Facebook page, though more benign--and frequently hilarious--examples abound.

Apropos, we were forwarded this Facebook pic ofSource: ColoradoPols.com - Front Page RSS Feed

Parents of 2 Nevadans killed in Iraq to receive first Gold Star license plates issued

Tom Jacobs, public information officer for the Department of Motor Vehicles, shows a sample of the Gold Star plates that will become available Monday for families of servicemen killed in the line of the duty Nevada Appeal Gov. Jim Gibbons on Monday will present the state’s first Gold Star license plates to the parents of two soldiers killed in action in Iraq.

Roger Varela, a Fernley resident and the founder of the Gold Star Families of Northern Nevada, will receive plate 0001,Source: The Two Malcontents RSS Feed

$100 reward for the anonymous robodialer.

Someone is making anonymous robodial calls concerning the race for Houston City Controller. Whoever is making the calls is doing so anonymously and spreading false information. It is bad enough that the Mayor and the Harris County Democratic Party has issued a statement:
The Harris County Democratic Party and its leaders would not stoop to making anonymous telephone smears against any candidate – let alone one as competent, capable, and loyal to the Democratic Party as Ronald Green.As Source: Bay Area Houston RSS Feed

Ognibene tries deception (with Gallagher's help)

Got a robocall tonight. A young male voice said that they were representing the Gay and Lesbian Coalition and urging me to vote for Liz Crowley because she is the only candidate in the 30th district council race that is 100% for gay marriage.
TRUTH: There is no Gay and Lesbian Coalition.
TRUTH: There is another robocall going out saying not to vote for Bloomberg and that Crowley is pro-gay marriage.
TRUTH: These calls came courtesy of the Ognibene campaign in an effort toSource: Queens Crap RSS Feed

Obama job approval continues to slide

Barack Obama came into office with a 62% job approval number, but that has dropped to 48% by October. Rasmussen offers a month-by-month look at Obama's failed presidency.
From Rasmussen Reports:The president's ratings dipped slightly in October after stabilizing in September.
In October, for the third straight month, 39% Strongly Disapproved of the president's performance. The number who Strongly Approved fell two percentage points to 29%, the president's lowest full-monthSource: THE CENTRIST RSS Feed

Monday, 2nd November 2009

Howzit
To add to my woes of Saturday, my ISP keeps losing connection to the internet - so this posting will not be an easy job - but I will attempt to get it out in good time.
Foreign currency mid-rates updated...
-o00o-
"The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) is said to have detained a group of soldiers accused of stealing guns from Pomona Barracks in Harare two weeks ago to the Chikurubi Maximum Prison for interrogation.
Zimbabwe Prison Services (ZPS) sources saidSource: The Bearded Man RSS Feed

50on50: Ad world's worship of 18-49 year-olds? Blame it on Dick

_________________________________________________________________________________

Michael Schulder
CNN Senior Executive Producer

I’ve been feeling good about the case I’ve been building to destroy the mythical status of the 18-49 year old audience “demo.” Feeling pretty darn good, until I called Turner Broadcasting’s chief of audience research. His name is Jack Wakshlag.

And if I didn’t have the resilience I’ve built up as I’ve Source: AC360 RSS Feed

Caffeinated Thoughts: Latte Links (11/1)

Number of comments: 1

Some miscellaneous links for you to check out on a beautiful Sunday evening (warm here in Des Moines).

Galyn Wiemers: Blame Pastors and Parents, Not Schools and Sitcoms Dan Riehl: Clueless Republicans Clapham Community: What Happened To The Public Servants? Out of Ur: On Virtual Churches In

Source: BlogNetNews.com/Iowa RSS Feed