Found a couple of interesting articles this AM on news wires and such...they are worthy of attention since Memorial Day weekend fast approacheth...
Oil prices surge on Nigeria unrest, US refinery woes
05.21.07, 8:59 PM ET
NEW YORK (XFN-ASIA) - World oil prices rose on Monday as the market saw no end to concerns over tight supplies caused by unrest in key crude producer Nigeria and output disruptions at US refineries, traders said.
New York's main oil futures contract, light sweet crude for delivery in June, gained 1.33 usd to close at 66.27 usd a barrel.
In London, Brent North Sea crude for July delivery added 1.07 usd to finish at 70.49 usd. In intraday trade, it climbed as high as 70.83 usd, a level not seen since late August.
Crude prices remained underpinned by concerns about abnormally tight supplies of gasoline in the
United States due to refinery problems, just as motorists take to the road this weekend at the start of the summer vacation driving season.
'With the country running on fumes for supply and another bad week for refiners with outages, or good luck if you look at it from the profit angle, the market seems to be adjusting to its bullish destiny,' said Phil Flynn of Alaron Trading.
Meanwhile, US gasoline prices continued to hit fresh record highs. The American Automobile Association (AAA) said the average national price of unleaded regular gasoline had jumped to 3.196 usd per gallon, the highest average it has recorded.
A month ago the price was 2.859 usd a gallon.
The AAA has forecasted 38.8 mln Americans will be on the roads this weekend, up 1.7 pct from last year.
Fresh unrest in Nigeria, where strikes are planned this week at two refineries, also drove prices higher.
'Crude futures were a little firmer today, supported by further attacks and kidnappings in Nigeria,' Sucden analyst Michael Davies said in London.
Reports of an attack early on Monday by unidentified gunmen on France's Total oil facility in Nigeria, an OPEC member, added to instability.
Nigerian oil unions threatened Sunday to launch a strike this week to protest against the planned sale of two government-owned oil refineries to private investors.
Representatives of the PENGASSAN and NUPENG oil workers unions told a joint press conference in Lagos that the strike against the proposed sale of the installations in the oil city of Port Harcourt would begin on Thursday.
The refineries, which have a combined production capacity of 210,000 barrels of crude per day, are subsidiaries of the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation that employs some 4,000
workers.
'What could stir things a bit are worries over the strike on 24 May that would affect the global crude market,' said Tobin Gorey, a Commonwealth Bank of Australia commodities strategist in Sydney.
Oil-rich Nigeria is Africa's biggest producer, accounting for 2.6 mln barrels per day of crude, but a quarter of that figure is currently lost to unrest in the restive oil-producing south.
Further price support this year would come from limited refining capacity in the United States, according to the Centre for Global Energy Studies, a London-based research body which published its monthly report on Monday.
'As long as ... capacity remains inadequate to meet gasoline demand and OPEC responds by restricting output to keep prices too high ... the oil market's current period of high and volatile prices will continue,' the CGES said.
The CGES also warned that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) must increase supplies to avoid oil prices spiking to record levels.
http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/...fx3744172.html
The other interesting piece of news:
"The news today that Kuwait had "unpegged" their currency from the "dollar" because of its rapid devaluation guarantees we will see more price increases in the near future."
------------------------------------------------------
As long as there is political turmoil in the Mideast things are not going to get any better...as long as the dollar continues to fall in value things are not going to get any better...a poster to a message I read frequently said it best:
" Anyone looking for sanity regarding gas prices is best off exhibiting some themselves and making serious adjustments to their lifestyle. It is probably best to do this before the hurricane season lobs a kill shot right into the Gulf of Mexico. In other words, things aren't going to get much better, and they may get significantly worse in the months (and certainly in the years) to come."
Friday, May 18, 2007
Looking for something fun to do on Thursday night? Look no further than Poppy's - where they have been having Salsa lessons on Thursday nights...its a blast! Eat some good food, have a couple a drinks, enjoy the company of friends, and then do Salsa and Merengue to some serious Latin music! Yeah...its a hell of a good time!!
Thursday, May 17, 2007
I find this article tremendously disingenuous...whether you or I support Ron Paul and his policies is not the issue to me, the simple fact is that the man has a right to be heard - and then let the people decide for themselves whether or not his politics have merit. To discourage debate sponsors and broadcasters from inviting him to the table is a slap in the face to the American way of life!
And so it begins: GOP leader starts petition to ban Ron Paul from future debates
And so it begins: GOP leader starts petition to ban Ron Paul from future debates
http://www.thestate.com/166/story/66451.html
One GOP leader has heard enough of Paul
The chairman of the Michigan Republican Party said Wednesday he will try to bar presidential candidate Ron Paul from future GOP debates because of remarks the Texas congressman made that suggested the Sept. 11 attacks were the fault of U.S. foreign policy.
Michigan party chairman Saul Anuzis said he will circulate a petition among Republican National Committee members to ban Paul from other debates. At a GOP candidates’ debate Tuesday night, Paul drew attacks from all sides, most forcefully from former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, when he linked the terror attacks to U.S. bombings.
“Have you ever read about the reasons they attacked us? They attack us because we’ve been over there. We’ve been bombing Iraq for 10 years,” Paul said.
Anuzis called the comments “off the wall and out of whack.”
“I think he would have felt much more comfortable on the stage with the Democrats in what he said last night and I think that he is a distraction in the Republican primary and he does not represent the base and he does not represent the party,” Anuzis said during an RNC state leadership meeting in Columbia.
“Given what he said last night it was just so off the wall and out of whack that I think it was more detrimental than helpful,” Anuzis said.
Anuzis said his petition would go to debate sponsors and broadcasters to discourage inviting Paul.
Paul’s campaign did not immediately return calls seeking comment Wednesday.
After the debate Tuesday, Paul said he didn’t’ expect his remarks to end his campaign.
“The last time I got a message out about my position on the war it boosted us up by tens of thousands and I didn’t change my position,” Paul said. “I think the American people are sick and tired of this war and want it ended.”
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Venezuela nationalises foreign oil rigs
Web posted at: 5/15/2007 4:9:7
Source ::: AFP
CARACAS • The Venezuelan government of firebrand President Hugo Chavez said yesterday it was taking control of oil rigs from multinational firms, in the latest of a wave of nationalisations.
Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez, who also heads the state-owned energy company PDVSA, said the firm had in the past ceded control of 18 offshore drilling platforms to foreign giants.
"These companies demand millions for the use of these machines. Faced with this situation, we have decided to nationalise this equipment," he told the official Venezuelan news agency ABN without elaborating.
Oil services firms present in Venezuela include US giants such as Halliburton, Baker Hughes and Schlumberger. At the start of his second six-year term in January, the leftist Chavez decided to nationalise "strategic" interests in sectors such as energy, telecommunications and power generation.
Chavez, whose government is flush with cash from booming oil prices, has been a repeated thorn in the side of the United States, which buys about half of Venezuela's daily crude production of three million barrels.
PDVSA is diversifying its supply of drilling machines used in oil exploration, and Ramirez said the first of a new batch from China would arrive in November. "The idea is to acquire 13 machines, with one arriving each month," the energy minister said.
"In parallel to this agreement, Venezuela will install an assembly plant for drilling machines and in a second stage, the objective will be to make these machines directly in the country," he said.
Meanwhile, President George W Bush rolled out yesterday plans to slash US reliance on oil supplied from unstable regions and so boost the energy-hungry country's defences against extremist attack.
The directive to cut gasoline usage by 20 per cent in the next 10 years will make the United States "more secure for generations to come," help economic growth and safeguard the environment, Bush said.
The so-called "20 in 10" plan was first laid out in Bush's State of the Union speech in January, seeking to slash US oil imports from the restive Middle East and make US energy supply less vulnerable to terrorism.
The president presented legislative proposals for Congress and ordered regulatory action from his cabinet members in charge of transportation, energy, agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by end-2008. "Our dependence on oil creates a risk for our economy because a supply disruption anywhere in the world could drive up American gas (gasoline) prices to even more painful levels," he said in the White House Rose Garden.
"Our dependence on oil creates a threat to America's national security because it leaves us more vulnerable to hostile regimes and to terrorists who could attack oil infrastructure.
"For all these reasons, America has a clear national interest in reducing our dependence on oil."
Bush urged Congress to pass legislation setting fuel economy standards that would result in quintupling the current consumption of renewable and alternative fuels to 35 billion gallons (133 billion liters) by 2017.
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Dis...0070515497.xml
Web posted at: 5/15/2007 4:9:7
Source ::: AFP
CARACAS • The Venezuelan government of firebrand President Hugo Chavez said yesterday it was taking control of oil rigs from multinational firms, in the latest of a wave of nationalisations.
Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez, who also heads the state-owned energy company PDVSA, said the firm had in the past ceded control of 18 offshore drilling platforms to foreign giants.
"These companies demand millions for the use of these machines. Faced with this situation, we have decided to nationalise this equipment," he told the official Venezuelan news agency ABN without elaborating.
Oil services firms present in Venezuela include US giants such as Halliburton, Baker Hughes and Schlumberger. At the start of his second six-year term in January, the leftist Chavez decided to nationalise "strategic" interests in sectors such as energy, telecommunications and power generation.
Chavez, whose government is flush with cash from booming oil prices, has been a repeated thorn in the side of the United States, which buys about half of Venezuela's daily crude production of three million barrels.
PDVSA is diversifying its supply of drilling machines used in oil exploration, and Ramirez said the first of a new batch from China would arrive in November. "The idea is to acquire 13 machines, with one arriving each month," the energy minister said.
"In parallel to this agreement, Venezuela will install an assembly plant for drilling machines and in a second stage, the objective will be to make these machines directly in the country," he said.
Meanwhile, President George W Bush rolled out yesterday plans to slash US reliance on oil supplied from unstable regions and so boost the energy-hungry country's defences against extremist attack.
The directive to cut gasoline usage by 20 per cent in the next 10 years will make the United States "more secure for generations to come," help economic growth and safeguard the environment, Bush said.
The so-called "20 in 10" plan was first laid out in Bush's State of the Union speech in January, seeking to slash US oil imports from the restive Middle East and make US energy supply less vulnerable to terrorism.
The president presented legislative proposals for Congress and ordered regulatory action from his cabinet members in charge of transportation, energy, agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by end-2008. "Our dependence on oil creates a risk for our economy because a supply disruption anywhere in the world could drive up American gas (gasoline) prices to even more painful levels," he said in the White House Rose Garden.
"Our dependence on oil creates a threat to America's national security because it leaves us more vulnerable to hostile regimes and to terrorists who could attack oil infrastructure.
"For all these reasons, America has a clear national interest in reducing our dependence on oil."
Bush urged Congress to pass legislation setting fuel economy standards that would result in quintupling the current consumption of renewable and alternative fuels to 35 billion gallons (133 billion liters) by 2017.
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Dis...0070515497.xml
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Summer must be on the way, as is usually the case this time of year in Tejas...but at 5PM today it was 88 degrees here in McKinney, which means it had to be hotter than hell down in Dallas...but thats the way it is this time of year...smart people would be inside enjoying some air conditioning on a day like today...but Norm and I went on another one of our now world famous adventures...this time to play with his new 10.5 fisheye lense...and I can tell ya that this lense ROCKS!
Thursday, May 03, 2007
(CBS 11 News) A handful of schools and businesses closed Thursday as electric crews worked through the night to restore power to as many as 300,000 customers.
Oncor Electric Delivery -- a newly re-named subsidiary of TXU -- calls this the fifth worth storm in the company's history.
Since Wednesday, about 100,000 customers have regained their service, but some areas could take up to a week to totally repair.
Traffic lights throughout the region have delayed drivers. Officials remind commuters that flash flooding may occur.
Oncor representative Chris Scheine says strong winds knocked down 12 towers southeast of Cleburne, which has caused many of the outages.
Officials say those trees need to be removed before electric crews can repair the power lines and replace poles. Oak Cliff seemed to take the brunt of the damage.
In a statement, the City of Dallas Public Information Office said: "Damage in the City of Dallas appears to be limited to downed trees, downed power lines, and power outages. It is widespread across the city with a large number of the downed trees in the Southwest area of the City. "
A tree at 7th and Willomet in Oak Cliff was uprooted and destroyed part of the of the sidewalk. Also in Oak Cliff, the roof was ripped off the Plymouth House Apartment complex. Officials believe straight line winds caused this damage.
Fort Worth city officials have told residents to place all debris out on the curb. Crews will begin picking it up Monday - as part of the regular collection schedule.
Pickup will continue until all debris is cleared and that could take weeks.
Also in Tarrant County, classes at Nolan Catholic School have been cancelled due to power outages.
Students at Grapevine High School were sent home at 10:30 Thursday morning because the power at the school was still out.
Mountain View College in Dallas also closed on Thursday because of the power outage.
Mansfield City Hall will be closed for the day because it has no power, but all other city buildings in Mansfield are open, officials reported about 8:30 a.m. Thursday.
The students at Allen High School are being sent home because of no power, district officials report. Although there is no power at Flossie Green and Kerr elementary schools, classes are in session and officials say teachers are "getting creative in how they deal with no power."
In Dallas ISD, about 15 schools are affected by the power outage.
Classes are in session, district official report, but "an assessment will be made school-by-school with TXU on when power might return." Sandra Guerrero with DISD Communication Services said buses are on standby to move kids to another location if warranted. Food Services is prepared to feed students wherever, she added.
Dallas County Mountain View Community College was among those without power and will open at noon.
Authorities clocked winds at 75-90 mph Wednesday night and at the height of the storm, 300,000 customers were without power.
The Dallas Police Department and Dallas Fire Rescue report they responded to more than 100 storm-related calls Wednesday night.
Across the state, three people have died in the past three days during these spring storms
Two people died earlier this week, when lightning hit in Cameron, and outside of Halesburg.
Emergency crews responded to dozens of high water rescues throughout the state
In Bexar County one woman drowned Wednesday when her car became stuck in the runoff from an overflowing creek.
In North Texas, rescuers saved a woman after her car was swept up in 2 feet of water near Oak Knoll.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Friday, April 27, 2007
Whew! I am tired today! For those who still live under the delusion that downtown McKinney is a dud during the week I am here to tell you thats not the case!...while the Cadillac Pizza Pub had the Vince Luhan Band playing good tunes for everyone until close, Poppy's had Banda Kenkajou playing salsa music... and some good folks from Art of Dance in McKinney out there teaching people how to salsa and tango - there was heaps and gobs of energy flowing at both places...
Last night also brought the grand opening of Rick's Chophouse at the Grand Hotel...
where I found these lovely ladies enjoying the charity benefit for McKinney Main Street, Samaritan Inn and Love Life Foundation...I probably owe the owner of Rick's Chophouse a public apology for barging in on his gala event with people all dressed to the tee and me wearing my levi's and a GMC hat, but I went there with someone who had been there earlier in the evening, to retrieve her purse...none the less I am sure it raised a few eyebrows when I walked in, and began blowing off flash and taking pictures, so I apologize for the intrusion even though I was there with good intentions...having said that the place looks fantastic and everyone there looked like they were having a great time...go try the place out, I am sure you will like it!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
McKinney, Texas – April 27, 2007
Alternative Furnishings Moves to New Location
Alternative Furnishings is proud to announce their new location at 105 W. Louisiana Street in historic downtown McKinney. The move is complete and Alternative Furnishings is open for business.
“We are very excited about our move. “The new location is a perfect place for us to beautifully display all our treasures,” says Charm Cameron, owner.
Specializing in architectural antiques, Alternative Furnishings will have a grand re-opening celebration on Saturday, May 19, from 7PM to 10PM. The public is invited to attend.
Alternative Furnishings is located just west of the square in downtown McKinney at 105 W. Louisiana Street.
Alternative Furnishings’ hours are Monday thru Saturday, 10am to 5pm and by appointment only on Sundays. For more information, call 972-547-0721.
Alternative Furnishings Moves to New Location
Alternative Furnishings is proud to announce their new location at 105 W. Louisiana Street in historic downtown McKinney. The move is complete and Alternative Furnishings is open for business.
“We are very excited about our move. “The new location is a perfect place for us to beautifully display all our treasures,” says Charm Cameron, owner.
Specializing in architectural antiques, Alternative Furnishings will have a grand re-opening celebration on Saturday, May 19, from 7PM to 10PM. The public is invited to attend.
Alternative Furnishings is located just west of the square in downtown McKinney at 105 W. Louisiana Street.
Alternative Furnishings’ hours are Monday thru Saturday, 10am to 5pm and by appointment only on Sundays. For more information, call 972-547-0721.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Ted Nugent wrote this? Good for him!
WACO, Texas (CNN) -- Zero tolerance, huh? Gun-free zones, huh? Try this on for size: Columbine gun-free zone, New York City pizza shop gun-free zone, Luby's Cafeteria gun-free zone, Amish school in Pennsylvania gun-free zone and now Virginia Tech gun-free zone.
Anybody see what the evil Brady Campaign and other anti-gun cults have created? I personally have zero tolerance for evil and denial. And America had best wake up real fast that the brain-dead celebration of unarmed helplessness will get you killed every time, and I've about had enough of it.
Nearly a decade ago, a Springfield, Oregon, high schooler, a hunter familiar with firearms, was able to bring an unfolding rampage to an abrupt end when he identified a gunman attempting to reload his .22-caliber rifle, made the tactical decision to make a move and tackled the shooter.
A few years back, an assistant principal at Pearl High School in Mississippi, which was a gun-free zone, retrieved his legally owned Colt .45 from his car and stopped a Columbine wannabe from continuing his massacre at another school after he had killed two and wounded more at Pearl.
At an eighth-grade school dance in Pennsylvania, a boy fatally shot a teacher and wounded two students before the owner of the dance hall brought the killing to a halt with his own gun.
More recently, just a few miles up the road from Virginia Tech, two law school students ran to fetch their legally owned firearm to stop a madman from slaughtering anybody and everybody he pleased. These brave, average, armed citizens neutralized him pronto.
My hero, Dr. Suzanne Gratia Hupp, was not allowed by Texas law to carry her handgun into Luby's Cafeteria that fateful day in 1991, when due to bureaucrat-forced unarmed helplessness she could do nothing to stop satanic George Hennard from killing 23 people and wounding more than 20 others before he shot himself. Hupp was unarmed for no other reason than denial-ridden "feel good" politics.
She has since led the charge for concealed weapon upgrade in Texas, where we can now stop evil. Yet, there are still the mindless puppets of the Brady Campaign and other anti-gun organizations insisting on continuing the gun-free zone insanity by which innocents are forced into unarmed helplessness. Shame on them. Shame on America. Shame on the anti-gunners all.
No one was foolish enough to debate Ryder truck regulations or ammonia nitrate restrictions or a "cult of agriculture fertilizer" following the unabashed evil of Timothy McVeigh's heinous crime against America on that fateful day in Oklahoma City. No one faulted kitchen utensils or other hardware of choice after Jeffrey Dahmer was caught drugging, mutilating, raping, murdering and cannibalizing his victims. Nobody wanted "steak knife control" as they autopsied the dead nurses in Chicago, Illinois, as Richard Speck went on trial for mass murder.
Evil is as evil does, and laws disarming guaranteed victims make evil people very, very happy. Shame on us.
Already spineless gun control advocates are squawking like chickens with their tiny-brained heads chopped off, making political hay over this most recent, devastating Virginia Tech massacre, when in fact it is their own forced gun-free zone policy that enabled the unchallenged methodical murder of 32 people.
Thirty-two people dead on a U.S. college campus pursuing their American Dream, mowed-down over an extended period of time by a lone, non-American gunman in illegal possession of a firearm on campus in defiance of a zero-tolerance gun law. Feel better yet? Didn't think so.
Who doesn't get this? Who has the audacity to demand unarmed helplessness? Who likes dead good guys?
I'll tell you who. People who tramp on the Second Amendment, that's who. People who refuse to accept the self-evident truth that free people have the God-given right to keep and bear arms, to defend themselves and their loved ones. People who are so desperate in their drive to control others, so mindless in their denial that they pretend access to gas causes arson, Ryder trucks and fertilizer cause terrorism, water causes drowning, forks and spoons cause obesity, dialing 911 will somehow save your life, and that their greedy clamoring to "feel good" is more important than admitting that armed citizens are much better equipped to stop evil than unarmed, helpless ones.
Pray for the families of victims everywhere, America. Study the methodology of evil. It has a profile, a system, a preferred environment where victims cannot fight back. Embrace the facts, demand upgrade and be certain that your children's school has a better plan than Virginia Tech or Columbine. Eliminate the insanity of gun-free zones, which will never, ever be gun-free zones. They will only be good guy gun-free zones, and that is a recipe for disaster written in blood on the altar of denial. I, for one, refuse to genuflect there.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/19/com...ent/index.html
WACO, Texas (CNN) -- Zero tolerance, huh? Gun-free zones, huh? Try this on for size: Columbine gun-free zone, New York City pizza shop gun-free zone, Luby's Cafeteria gun-free zone, Amish school in Pennsylvania gun-free zone and now Virginia Tech gun-free zone.
Anybody see what the evil Brady Campaign and other anti-gun cults have created? I personally have zero tolerance for evil and denial. And America had best wake up real fast that the brain-dead celebration of unarmed helplessness will get you killed every time, and I've about had enough of it.
Nearly a decade ago, a Springfield, Oregon, high schooler, a hunter familiar with firearms, was able to bring an unfolding rampage to an abrupt end when he identified a gunman attempting to reload his .22-caliber rifle, made the tactical decision to make a move and tackled the shooter.
A few years back, an assistant principal at Pearl High School in Mississippi, which was a gun-free zone, retrieved his legally owned Colt .45 from his car and stopped a Columbine wannabe from continuing his massacre at another school after he had killed two and wounded more at Pearl.
At an eighth-grade school dance in Pennsylvania, a boy fatally shot a teacher and wounded two students before the owner of the dance hall brought the killing to a halt with his own gun.
More recently, just a few miles up the road from Virginia Tech, two law school students ran to fetch their legally owned firearm to stop a madman from slaughtering anybody and everybody he pleased. These brave, average, armed citizens neutralized him pronto.
My hero, Dr. Suzanne Gratia Hupp, was not allowed by Texas law to carry her handgun into Luby's Cafeteria that fateful day in 1991, when due to bureaucrat-forced unarmed helplessness she could do nothing to stop satanic George Hennard from killing 23 people and wounding more than 20 others before he shot himself. Hupp was unarmed for no other reason than denial-ridden "feel good" politics.
She has since led the charge for concealed weapon upgrade in Texas, where we can now stop evil. Yet, there are still the mindless puppets of the Brady Campaign and other anti-gun organizations insisting on continuing the gun-free zone insanity by which innocents are forced into unarmed helplessness. Shame on them. Shame on America. Shame on the anti-gunners all.
No one was foolish enough to debate Ryder truck regulations or ammonia nitrate restrictions or a "cult of agriculture fertilizer" following the unabashed evil of Timothy McVeigh's heinous crime against America on that fateful day in Oklahoma City. No one faulted kitchen utensils or other hardware of choice after Jeffrey Dahmer was caught drugging, mutilating, raping, murdering and cannibalizing his victims. Nobody wanted "steak knife control" as they autopsied the dead nurses in Chicago, Illinois, as Richard Speck went on trial for mass murder.
Evil is as evil does, and laws disarming guaranteed victims make evil people very, very happy. Shame on us.
Already spineless gun control advocates are squawking like chickens with their tiny-brained heads chopped off, making political hay over this most recent, devastating Virginia Tech massacre, when in fact it is their own forced gun-free zone policy that enabled the unchallenged methodical murder of 32 people.
Thirty-two people dead on a U.S. college campus pursuing their American Dream, mowed-down over an extended period of time by a lone, non-American gunman in illegal possession of a firearm on campus in defiance of a zero-tolerance gun law. Feel better yet? Didn't think so.
Who doesn't get this? Who has the audacity to demand unarmed helplessness? Who likes dead good guys?
I'll tell you who. People who tramp on the Second Amendment, that's who. People who refuse to accept the self-evident truth that free people have the God-given right to keep and bear arms, to defend themselves and their loved ones. People who are so desperate in their drive to control others, so mindless in their denial that they pretend access to gas causes arson, Ryder trucks and fertilizer cause terrorism, water causes drowning, forks and spoons cause obesity, dialing 911 will somehow save your life, and that their greedy clamoring to "feel good" is more important than admitting that armed citizens are much better equipped to stop evil than unarmed, helpless ones.
Pray for the families of victims everywhere, America. Study the methodology of evil. It has a profile, a system, a preferred environment where victims cannot fight back. Embrace the facts, demand upgrade and be certain that your children's school has a better plan than Virginia Tech or Columbine. Eliminate the insanity of gun-free zones, which will never, ever be gun-free zones. They will only be good guy gun-free zones, and that is a recipe for disaster written in blood on the altar of denial. I, for one, refuse to genuflect there.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/19/com...ent/index.html
Thursday, April 19, 2007
The Virginia Tech tragedy
This is hard...I did not know any of those kids, but you have to have empathy for ALL those folks who were involved...the town, the school, the kids, the families...as each day passes this story gets a little stranger, making it harder I would expect for people to grieve and get on with their lives in whatever way they can...for now I have only one question: Why is it that this kid was diagnosed with a mental disorder of some sort two years ago and then not followed up on? How does something like this slip thru the cracks when you have documented evidence by both mental health professionals and the school...and yet he was allowed to carry on as if there was nothing wrong??? Have we gotten so PC that we allow this sort of thing to go unnoticed because we are afraid to hurt another's sensibilities?
I am sure the answers to these questions will be answered in time, maybe, but that will do nothing to ease the pain of all those who suffered loss in the meantime...the loss of life here is not only tragic, but seems to have been preventable to some degree...if the spin is correct...and thats a mighty damn big "IF"...
This is hard...I did not know any of those kids, but you have to have empathy for ALL those folks who were involved...the town, the school, the kids, the families...as each day passes this story gets a little stranger, making it harder I would expect for people to grieve and get on with their lives in whatever way they can...for now I have only one question: Why is it that this kid was diagnosed with a mental disorder of some sort two years ago and then not followed up on? How does something like this slip thru the cracks when you have documented evidence by both mental health professionals and the school...and yet he was allowed to carry on as if there was nothing wrong??? Have we gotten so PC that we allow this sort of thing to go unnoticed because we are afraid to hurt another's sensibilities?
I am sure the answers to these questions will be answered in time, maybe, but that will do nothing to ease the pain of all those who suffered loss in the meantime...the loss of life here is not only tragic, but seems to have been preventable to some degree...if the spin is correct...and thats a mighty damn big "IF"...
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Art Exhibit – “Inside Looking Out” at Carrie Garner’s
Galleria d’Arte April 14, 2007
Galleria d’Arte April 14, 2007
Justin Hunt, one of Galleria d’Arte’s most successful and popular artists, debuts his newest paintings at a gallery reception on Saturday, April 14, from 7pm to 10pm. “Inside Looking Out” will feature the largest exhibit of Hunt’s newest glass paintings. The exhibit will be on display through May 8, 2007.
Hunt, a multi-talented artist, is primarily focused on glass paintings. Using the ancient technique known as reverse glass painting, Hunt uses old windows and glass panel doors in their original framework for his canvases. Painting on the back side of the glass, Hunt must paint the image in reverse for the observer to perceive the image correctly. In essence, Hunt paints inside out and backwards!
The artist believes glass is not only a beautiful medium but also allows the observer to view art in a more untraditional manner. Many of Hunt’s subjects convey a bit of a dark tone with an underlying sense of hope and faith. “They function, in part, to counter the prevailing images forced upon us by the media and the entertainment industry. My mission is to convey a story with every figure I paint and having that story change with each individual observer,” says Hunt.
Hunt’s first exhibit was a resounding success, and as a result, he was invited to become a permanent, resident artist at Carrie Garner’s Galleria d’Arte. As a McKinney McKinney
Hunt’s work has made first-time art collectors of many gallery visitors, as the variety and breadth of Hunt’s subjects appeal to a wide audience. His portraits are studies of human emotion and expression, exquisitely painted with passion and feeling. Whatever the subject, Hunt’s style and individualism are strong qualities that are immediately evident in each of his creations.
Live entertainment by The Quentin Hope Trio, wine, and finger-foods await gallery guests and always assure a wonderful celebration of community and the arts. Co-sponsors of the reception are: A Twist of Lime, Alternative Furnishings, BLING!, Cadillac Pizza Pub, Main Street McKinney Market Square Market Street
For further information, contact Carrie Garner’s Galleria d’Arte at 469-742-9509 or visit us online at www.carriegarner.com.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Sheesh... these people don't have a friggin clue!
FIRST, they haven't a clue as to ANY connection between tittie bars n rape so the base premise is false.
SECOND, they are stealing 80% of the tax.
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'Stripper Fee' Would Benefit Sexual Assault Services
It is a problem most people don't want to talk about: Rape. Many victims of sexual assault never report the crime and don't get help. Now one group wants to make sure every victim of rape becomes a survivor. And it is calling on strip clubs to help.
"This is my first time ever speaking out." Lillian Moore's life spiraled out of control after years of abuse. "I was very self-destructive. I got into drugs. I got into bad relationships. I'm on a better path now."
She calls herself a sexual assault survivor, not a victim. She credits the Comal County Rape Crisis Center with helping her heal.
"The counseling I have received at this center has been a God-send."
To make sure all rape victims get the help Lillian did, a Houston lawmaker has filed a new bill that would require adult entertainment businesses, like strip clubs, to charge an extra $5 cover charge.
If it passes, the bill would generate more than $87 million dollars every two years in Texas. About $16 million would be set aside to fight sexual assault.
"This is a really great way to not tax people, because we're already over-burdened with taxes and fees."
Lynn Blanco, with the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA), says the extra $5 cover charge is a way to address a problem most people are ashamed to talk about and turn more victims into survivors, like Lillian.
"I have more stability. I'm more stable. I am able to stand up more for myself."
If the bill passes, the extra $5 cover charge would go into effect in September. Rape Crisis Centers all over the state, including here in San Antonio, would benefit.
http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=99deab6f-b680-44ac-9a98-9d71c19b48b9
FIRST, they haven't a clue as to ANY connection between tittie bars n rape so the base premise is false.
SECOND, they are stealing 80% of the tax.
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'Stripper Fee' Would Benefit Sexual Assault Services
It is a problem most people don't want to talk about: Rape. Many victims of sexual assault never report the crime and don't get help. Now one group wants to make sure every victim of rape becomes a survivor. And it is calling on strip clubs to help.
"This is my first time ever speaking out." Lillian Moore's life spiraled out of control after years of abuse. "I was very self-destructive. I got into drugs. I got into bad relationships. I'm on a better path now."
She calls herself a sexual assault survivor, not a victim. She credits the Comal County Rape Crisis Center with helping her heal.
"The counseling I have received at this center has been a God-send."
To make sure all rape victims get the help Lillian did, a Houston lawmaker has filed a new bill that would require adult entertainment businesses, like strip clubs, to charge an extra $5 cover charge.
If it passes, the bill would generate more than $87 million dollars every two years in Texas. About $16 million would be set aside to fight sexual assault.
"This is a really great way to not tax people, because we're already over-burdened with taxes and fees."
Lynn Blanco, with the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA), says the extra $5 cover charge is a way to address a problem most people are ashamed to talk about and turn more victims into survivors, like Lillian.
"I have more stability. I'm more stable. I am able to stand up more for myself."
If the bill passes, the extra $5 cover charge would go into effect in September. Rape Crisis Centers all over the state, including here in San Antonio, would benefit.
http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=99deab6f-b680-44ac-9a98-9d71c19b48b9
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Art Exhibit – “Buy War Bonds” at Carrie Garner’s
Galleria d’Arte March 10, 2007
Galleria d’Arte March 10, 2007
Following his triumphant exhibit in August, 2006, Carrie Garner’s Galleria d’Arte proudly welcomes back Jonathon Kimbrell, owner of Napkin Art Studios, at an art reception on Saturday, March 10, 2007 from 7pm to 10pm.
Kimbrell salutes “the greatest generation” with his newest works from his “Buy War Bonds” series. Kimbrell’s works grab your attention with his use of bright, bold colors. A master of mixed media techniques, Kimbrell’s talent is showcased by his artistic interpretations of nostalgic personalities like Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe, and iconic symbols like the old Phillips 66 and Gulf company logos. Through his coupling of sentimental images and cutting-edge artistic techniques, Kimbrell’s “Buy War Bonds” series is guaranteed to pique the interests of multiple generations of art lovers.
2006 was a breakout year for this young and ultra-talented artist, with numerous exhibits throughout Texas , Nashville , Tennessee , and Washington DC
Born in Houston , Kimbrell now resides in Mesquite
Graduating in 2004 from McMurry University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, specializing in painting, photography, and graphic design, Kimbrell was named outstanding artist of McMurry Univerisity’s Art Department
Join us for a fun-filled evening celebrating community and the arts. As always, music, wine, and finger-foods await gallery guests. Co-sponsors of the reception are: A Twist of Lime, Alternative Furnishings, BLING!, Cadillac Pizza Pub, Main Street McKinney Market Square Market Street
For further information, contact Carrie Garner’s Galleria d’Arte at 469-742-9509 or visit us online at www.carriegarner.com. For more information about Kimbrell, visit www.jonathonkimbrell.com.
Background: Carrie Garner’s Galleria d’Arte, located in historic downtown McKinney
Galleria d’Arte hours are Tuesday thru Friday: 11am – 5pm; Saturday: 10am – 5pm; by appointment only on Sunday and Monday. To schedule an appointment, please call 469-742-9509.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Sunday, February 18, 2007
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/individual/index.html
Read it, and then re-read it...ingest it, study it, and then make up yer own mind!
Read it, and then re-read it...ingest it, study it, and then make up yer own mind!
Friday, February 16, 2007
This is nothing short of a crying shame!...Whether its "binding" or "non binding" is of no consequence...its OK to oppose administration policy per se, in fact its our responsibility to question policy sometimes...but not OK to oppose the troops who do nothing more than follow orders from above! This will be highly demoralizing to those in the battlefield...for me personally, and for many other Americans, this sends the wrong message to the troops!!...This same ideology reared its ugly head in the Viet Nam era under a different disguise...Waiting now for Murtha's "slow bleed" bill to now hit the floor...
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
-- Douglas Adams
House Passes Resolution Opposing Bush's Plan to Send More Troops to Iraq
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
-- Douglas Adams
House Passes Resolution Opposing Bush's Plan to Send More Troops to Iraq
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,252382,00.html
House Passes Resolution Opposing Bush's Plan to Send More Troops to Iraq
Friday , February 16, 2007
WASHINGTON —
House Democrats on Friday sent the Bush administration the clearest message to date on Iraq by passing a resolution that opposes the president's plan to send an additional 21,500 troops to the war-torn country.
"The bipartisan resolution today may be nonbinding, but it will send a strong message to the president: we here in Congress are committed and supporting our troops,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the House floor. “The passage of this legislation will signal change in direction in Iraq that will end the fighting and bring our troops home safely and soon.”
House lawmakers wrapped up a four-day marathon debate leading up to the vote Friday. The Senate is expected to take up the debate for a test vote on Saturday. The resolution vote, however, won't alter Bush's policy in Iraq or stop the surge of troops into Baghdad.
Bush pitched his plan last month to send an additional U.S. forces into Iraq to quell sectarian violence there, igniting opposition from Democratic leaders and some Republicans.
Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., called Iraq a "defeat."
"What we now have in Iraq is a defeat. We cannot achieve the illusions of the Bush administration that we will be able to create a stable unified liberal democracy in Iraq that is pro-American," Waxman said on the House floor. "Instead, we have sectarian fighting, death squads and a disabled Middle East that threatens to be engulfed by the nightmare that we have unleashed."
Republicans warn the vote will embolden terrorists and insurgents, and send the wrong message to the troops on the ground, while Democrats argue that the troop surge will risk more American lives.
Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., asked fellow lawmakers to vote against the resolution, calling it "misguided and dangerous."
“You cannot support the troops if you are undermining their mission and challenging their commander in the field,” King said on the House floor. “By opposing this new policy, the supporters of the resolution are clearly undermining our new commander in Iraq at such a vital time at the conduct of this war.”
• Click here to read about Republicans' reaction to Democratic proposals to limit Iraq war funding.
Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., who chairs the House panel that oversees military spending, said he plans to introduce legislation that would end Bush's plan by setting limits on which troops can be sent and would prevent them from being sent back too soon or too poorly equipped. Troops going overseas for another tour would have to stay in the United States at least one year before being redeployed.
Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., told FOX News that Democratic attempts to cut off funding would put the nation at risk.
"It's going to make us more vulnerable. Democrats cannot walk away from this threat," Hoekstra said. "They cannot cut off funding on a larger scale because it will make us more vulnerable but I think that's exactly what they are doing. They are going to slowly squeeze this funding and limit the president's options."
Bush said Thursday he hopes Congress supports the troops.
"We have a responsibility. Republicans and Democrats have a responsibility to give our troops the resources they need to do their job and the flexibility they need to prevail," Bush said.
Republican military veteran lawmakers spoke in opposition to the resolution on Thursday.
"The enemy wants our men and women in uniform to think their Congress doesn't care about them," said Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Texas, who was a prisoner of war during Vietnam. "We must learn from our mistakes. We cannot leave a job undone like we left in Korea, like we left in Vietnam, like we left in Somalia."
Rep. John Tierney, D-Mass., who plans to vote for the resolution, said the goal in Iraq is undefined.
"The American troops are over there fighting so that we can exercise our constitutional rights and obligation to debate these issues and have an opinion on them," Tierney said. "If you listen to the troops when they come home or read their letters or the letters of their parents, they don't understand what the mission is anymore, the goal is undefined."
On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada announced that he would keep the Senate in session this weekend to force debate on the House-drafted resolution.
The decision means a delay in the scheduled President's Day recess, and will force Republicans to confront a "yes" or "no" vote on the president's new Iraq security strategy.
"It's a vote on whether or not Republicans support the surge," Reid said.
Reid said the Senate will consider the House resolution and no other alternatives dealing with Iraq. Reid has even given up on a resolution by Sens. John Warner, R-Va., and Carl Levin, D-Mich., that he championed two weeks ago. At that time, Republicans tied the Senate in procedural knots demanding debate and votes on a separate measure prohibiting Congress from cutting off funds for ongoing military operations in Iraq.
FOX News' Major Garrett and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
House Passes Resolution Opposing Bush's Plan to Send More Troops to Iraq
Friday , February 16, 2007
WASHINGTON —
House Democrats on Friday sent the Bush administration the clearest message to date on Iraq by passing a resolution that opposes the president's plan to send an additional 21,500 troops to the war-torn country.
"The bipartisan resolution today may be nonbinding, but it will send a strong message to the president: we here in Congress are committed and supporting our troops,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the House floor. “The passage of this legislation will signal change in direction in Iraq that will end the fighting and bring our troops home safely and soon.”
House lawmakers wrapped up a four-day marathon debate leading up to the vote Friday. The Senate is expected to take up the debate for a test vote on Saturday. The resolution vote, however, won't alter Bush's policy in Iraq or stop the surge of troops into Baghdad.
Bush pitched his plan last month to send an additional U.S. forces into Iraq to quell sectarian violence there, igniting opposition from Democratic leaders and some Republicans.
Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., called Iraq a "defeat."
"What we now have in Iraq is a defeat. We cannot achieve the illusions of the Bush administration that we will be able to create a stable unified liberal democracy in Iraq that is pro-American," Waxman said on the House floor. "Instead, we have sectarian fighting, death squads and a disabled Middle East that threatens to be engulfed by the nightmare that we have unleashed."
Republicans warn the vote will embolden terrorists and insurgents, and send the wrong message to the troops on the ground, while Democrats argue that the troop surge will risk more American lives.
Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., asked fellow lawmakers to vote against the resolution, calling it "misguided and dangerous."
“You cannot support the troops if you are undermining their mission and challenging their commander in the field,” King said on the House floor. “By opposing this new policy, the supporters of the resolution are clearly undermining our new commander in Iraq at such a vital time at the conduct of this war.”
• Click here to read about Republicans' reaction to Democratic proposals to limit Iraq war funding.
Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., who chairs the House panel that oversees military spending, said he plans to introduce legislation that would end Bush's plan by setting limits on which troops can be sent and would prevent them from being sent back too soon or too poorly equipped. Troops going overseas for another tour would have to stay in the United States at least one year before being redeployed.
Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., told FOX News that Democratic attempts to cut off funding would put the nation at risk.
"It's going to make us more vulnerable. Democrats cannot walk away from this threat," Hoekstra said. "They cannot cut off funding on a larger scale because it will make us more vulnerable but I think that's exactly what they are doing. They are going to slowly squeeze this funding and limit the president's options."
Bush said Thursday he hopes Congress supports the troops.
"We have a responsibility. Republicans and Democrats have a responsibility to give our troops the resources they need to do their job and the flexibility they need to prevail," Bush said.
Republican military veteran lawmakers spoke in opposition to the resolution on Thursday.
"The enemy wants our men and women in uniform to think their Congress doesn't care about them," said Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Texas, who was a prisoner of war during Vietnam. "We must learn from our mistakes. We cannot leave a job undone like we left in Korea, like we left in Vietnam, like we left in Somalia."
Rep. John Tierney, D-Mass., who plans to vote for the resolution, said the goal in Iraq is undefined.
"The American troops are over there fighting so that we can exercise our constitutional rights and obligation to debate these issues and have an opinion on them," Tierney said. "If you listen to the troops when they come home or read their letters or the letters of their parents, they don't understand what the mission is anymore, the goal is undefined."
On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada announced that he would keep the Senate in session this weekend to force debate on the House-drafted resolution.
The decision means a delay in the scheduled President's Day recess, and will force Republicans to confront a "yes" or "no" vote on the president's new Iraq security strategy.
"It's a vote on whether or not Republicans support the surge," Reid said.
Reid said the Senate will consider the House resolution and no other alternatives dealing with Iraq. Reid has even given up on a resolution by Sens. John Warner, R-Va., and Carl Levin, D-Mich., that he championed two weeks ago. At that time, Republicans tied the Senate in procedural knots demanding debate and votes on a separate measure prohibiting Congress from cutting off funds for ongoing military operations in Iraq.
FOX News' Major Garrett and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
CELEBRATE FAT TUESDAY IN DOWNTOWN MCKINNEY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20
Grab your Mardi Gras beads and head to downtown
“Fat Tuesday – Nawlins Party” celebration! The fun begins at 5pm on Tuesday,
February 20.
Cadillac Pizza Pub (
Each of these three participating restaurants will feature live blues bands and drink specials that are guaranteed to get your party started. Join in on the fun of a crawfish boil at Poppy’s Garden Café or Cadillac Pizza Pub (reservations encouraged) or have a casual bite to eat at Aparicio’s and then stroll the beautiful streets of historic, downtown McKinney, Nawlins’ style!
For further information, please call either:
Aparicio’s 214-733-8600
Cadillac Pizza Pub 972-547-DUDE (3833)
Poppy’s Garden Café 972-562-8386
The following editorial appears in the Wall Street Journal.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editor...l?id=110009668
REVIEW & OUTLOOK
Awaiting the Dishonor Roll
Congress "supports the troops" while emboldening the enemy.
Thursday, February 15, 2007 12:01 a.m.
Congress has rarely been distinguished by its moral courage. But even grading on a curve, we can only describe this week's House debate on a vote of no-confidence in the mission in Iraq as one of the most shameful moments in the institution's history.
On present course, the Members will vote on Friday to approve a resolution that does nothing to remove American troops from harm's way in Iraq but that will do substantial damage to their morale and that of their Iraqi allies while emboldening the enemy. The only real question is how many Republicans will also participate in this disgrace in the mistaken belief that their votes will put some distance between themselves and the war most of them voted to authorize in 2002.
The motion at issue is plainly dishonest, in that exquisitely Congressional way of trying to have it both ways. (We reprint the text nearby.) The resolution purports to "support" the troops even as it disapproves of their mission. It praises their "bravery," while opposing the additional forces that both President Bush and General David Petreaus, the new commanding general in Iraq, say are vital to accomplishing that mission. And it claims to want to "protect" the troops even as its practical impact will be to encourage Iraqi insurgents to believe that every roadside bomb brings them closer to their goal.
As for how "the troops" themselves feel, we refer readers to Richard Engel's recent story on NBC News quoting Specialist Tyler Johnson in Iraq: "People are dying here. You know what I'm saying . . . You may [say] 'oh we support the troops.' So you're not supporting what they do. What they's [sic] here to sweat for, what we bleed for and we die for." Added another soldier: "If they don't think we're doing a good job, everything we've done here is all in vain." In other words, the troops themselves realize that the first part of the resolution is empty posturing, while the second is deeply immoral.
All the more so because if Congress feels so strongly about the troops, it arguably has the power to start removing them from harm's way by voting to cut off the funds they need to operate in Iraq. But that would make Congress responsible for what followed--whether those consequences are Americans killed in retreat, or ethnic cleansing in Baghdad, or the toppling of the elected Maliki government by radical Shiite or military forces. The one result Congress fears above all is being accountable.
We aren't prone to quoting the young John Kerry, but this week's vote reminds us of the comment the antiwar veteran told another cut-and-run Congress in the early 1970s: "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?" The difference this time is that Speaker Nancy Pelosi and John Murtha expect men and women to keep dying for something they say is a mistake but also don't have the political courage to help end.
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), that
(1) Congress and the American people will continue to support and protect the members of the United States Armed Forces who are serving or who have served bravely and honorably in Iraq; and
(2) Congress disapproves of the decision of President George W. Bush announced on Jan. 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq.
Instead, they'll pass this "non-binding resolution," to be followed soon by attempts at micromanagement that would make the war all but impossible to prosecute--and once again without taking responsibility. Mr. Murtha is already broadcasting his strategy, which the new Politico Web site described yesterday as "a slow-bleed strategy designed to gradually limit the administration's options."
In concert with antiwar groups, the story reported, Mr. Murtha's "goal is crafted to circumvent the biggest political vulnerability of the antiwar movement--the accusation that it is willing to abandon troops in the field." So instead of cutting off funds, Mr. Murtha will "slow-bleed" the troops with "readiness" restrictions or limits on National Guard forces that will make them all but impossible to deploy. These will be attached to appropriations bills that will also purport to "support the troops."
"There's a D-Day coming in here, and it's going to start with the supplemental and finish with the '08 [defense] budget,'' Congressman Neil Abercrombie (D., Hawaii) told the Web site. He must mean D-Day as in Dunkirk.
All of this is something that House Republicans should keep in mind as they consider whether to follow this retreat. The GOP leadership has been stalwart, even eloquent, this week in opposing the resolution. But some Republicans figure they can use this vote to distance themselves from Mr. Bush and the war while not doing any real harm. They should understand that the Democratic willingness to follow the Murtha "slow-bleed" strategy will depend in part on how many Republicans follow them in this vote. The Democrats are themselves divided on how to proceed, and they want a big GOP vote to give them political cover. However "non-binding," this is a vote that Republican partisans will long remember.
History is likely to remember the roll as well. A newly confirmed commander is about to lead 20,000 American soldiers on a dangerous and difficult mission to secure Baghdad, risking their lives for their country. And the message their elected Representatives will send them off to battle with is a vote declaring their inevitable defeat.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editor...l?id=110009668
REVIEW & OUTLOOK
Awaiting the Dishonor Roll
Congress "supports the troops" while emboldening the enemy.
Thursday, February 15, 2007 12:01 a.m.
Congress has rarely been distinguished by its moral courage. But even grading on a curve, we can only describe this week's House debate on a vote of no-confidence in the mission in Iraq as one of the most shameful moments in the institution's history.
On present course, the Members will vote on Friday to approve a resolution that does nothing to remove American troops from harm's way in Iraq but that will do substantial damage to their morale and that of their Iraqi allies while emboldening the enemy. The only real question is how many Republicans will also participate in this disgrace in the mistaken belief that their votes will put some distance between themselves and the war most of them voted to authorize in 2002.
The motion at issue is plainly dishonest, in that exquisitely Congressional way of trying to have it both ways. (We reprint the text nearby.) The resolution purports to "support" the troops even as it disapproves of their mission. It praises their "bravery," while opposing the additional forces that both President Bush and General David Petreaus, the new commanding general in Iraq, say are vital to accomplishing that mission. And it claims to want to "protect" the troops even as its practical impact will be to encourage Iraqi insurgents to believe that every roadside bomb brings them closer to their goal.
As for how "the troops" themselves feel, we refer readers to Richard Engel's recent story on NBC News quoting Specialist Tyler Johnson in Iraq: "People are dying here. You know what I'm saying . . . You may [say] 'oh we support the troops.' So you're not supporting what they do. What they's [sic] here to sweat for, what we bleed for and we die for." Added another soldier: "If they don't think we're doing a good job, everything we've done here is all in vain." In other words, the troops themselves realize that the first part of the resolution is empty posturing, while the second is deeply immoral.
All the more so because if Congress feels so strongly about the troops, it arguably has the power to start removing them from harm's way by voting to cut off the funds they need to operate in Iraq. But that would make Congress responsible for what followed--whether those consequences are Americans killed in retreat, or ethnic cleansing in Baghdad, or the toppling of the elected Maliki government by radical Shiite or military forces. The one result Congress fears above all is being accountable.
We aren't prone to quoting the young John Kerry, but this week's vote reminds us of the comment the antiwar veteran told another cut-and-run Congress in the early 1970s: "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?" The difference this time is that Speaker Nancy Pelosi and John Murtha expect men and women to keep dying for something they say is a mistake but also don't have the political courage to help end.
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), that
(1) Congress and the American people will continue to support and protect the members of the United States Armed Forces who are serving or who have served bravely and honorably in Iraq; and
(2) Congress disapproves of the decision of President George W. Bush announced on Jan. 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq.
Instead, they'll pass this "non-binding resolution," to be followed soon by attempts at micromanagement that would make the war all but impossible to prosecute--and once again without taking responsibility. Mr. Murtha is already broadcasting his strategy, which the new Politico Web site described yesterday as "a slow-bleed strategy designed to gradually limit the administration's options."
In concert with antiwar groups, the story reported, Mr. Murtha's "goal is crafted to circumvent the biggest political vulnerability of the antiwar movement--the accusation that it is willing to abandon troops in the field." So instead of cutting off funds, Mr. Murtha will "slow-bleed" the troops with "readiness" restrictions or limits on National Guard forces that will make them all but impossible to deploy. These will be attached to appropriations bills that will also purport to "support the troops."
"There's a D-Day coming in here, and it's going to start with the supplemental and finish with the '08 [defense] budget,'' Congressman Neil Abercrombie (D., Hawaii) told the Web site. He must mean D-Day as in Dunkirk.
All of this is something that House Republicans should keep in mind as they consider whether to follow this retreat. The GOP leadership has been stalwart, even eloquent, this week in opposing the resolution. But some Republicans figure they can use this vote to distance themselves from Mr. Bush and the war while not doing any real harm. They should understand that the Democratic willingness to follow the Murtha "slow-bleed" strategy will depend in part on how many Republicans follow them in this vote. The Democrats are themselves divided on how to proceed, and they want a big GOP vote to give them political cover. However "non-binding," this is a vote that Republican partisans will long remember.
History is likely to remember the roll as well. A newly confirmed commander is about to lead 20,000 American soldiers on a dangerous and difficult mission to secure Baghdad, risking their lives for their country. And the message their elected Representatives will send them off to battle with is a vote declaring their inevitable defeat.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling doesn't it?
AUSTIN (AP) -- Gov. Rick Perry ordered Friday that schoolgirls in Texas must be vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer, making Texas the first state to require the shots.
The girls will have to get Merck & Co.'s new vaccine against strains of the human papillomavirus, or HPV, that are responsible for most cases of cervical cancer.
Merck is bankrolling efforts to pass laws in state legislatures across the country mandating it Gardasil vaccine for girls as young as 11 or 12. It doubled its lobbying budget in Texas and has funneled money through Women in Government, an advocacy group made up of female state legislators around the country.
Details of the order were not immediately available, but the governor's office confirmed to The Associated Press that he was signing the order and he would comment Friday afternoon.
Perry has several ties to Merck and Women in Government. One of the drug company's three lobbyists in Texas is Mike Toomey, his former chief of staff. His current chief of staff's mother-in-law, Texas Republican state Rep. Dianne White Delisi, is a state director for Women in Government.
Toomey was expected to be able to woo conservative legislators concerned about the requirement stepping on parent's rights and about signaling tacit approval of sexual activity to young girls. Delisi, as head of the House public health committee, which likely would have considered legislation filed by a Democratic member, also would have helped ease conservative opposition.
Perry also received $6,000 from Merck's political action committee during his re-election campaign.
It wasn't immediately clear how long the order would last and whether the legislation was still necessary. However it could have been difficult to muster support from lawmakers who champion abstinence education and parents' rights.
Perry, a conservative Christian who opposes abortion rights and stem- cell research using embryonic cells, counts on the religious right for his political base.
But he has said the cervical cancer vaccine is no different than the one that protects children against polio.
"If there are diseases in our society that are going to cost us large amounts of money, it just makes good economic sense, not to mention the health and well being of these individuals to have those vaccines available," he said.
Texas allows parents to opt out of inoculations by filing an affidavit stating that he or she objected to the vaccine for religious or philosophical reasons.
Even with such provisions, however, conservative groups say mandates take away parents' rights to be the primary medical decision maker for their children.
The federal government approved Gardasil in June, and a government advisory panel has recommended that all girls get the shots at 11 and 12, before they are likely to be sexually active.
The New Jersey-based drug company could generate billions in sales if Gardasil _ at $360 for the three-shot regimen _ were made mandatory across the country. Most insurance companies now cover the vaccine, which has been shown to have no serious side effects.
Merck spokeswoman Janet Skidmore would not say how much the company is spending on lobbyists or how much it has donated to Women in Government. Susan Crosby, the group's president, also declined to specify how much the drug company gave.
A top official from Merck's vaccine division sits on Women in Government's business council, and many of the bills around the country have been introduced by members of Women in Government.
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/02/02/D8N1PVG80.html
AUSTIN (AP) -- Gov. Rick Perry ordered Friday that schoolgirls in Texas must be vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer, making Texas the first state to require the shots.
The girls will have to get Merck & Co.'s new vaccine against strains of the human papillomavirus, or HPV, that are responsible for most cases of cervical cancer.
Merck is bankrolling efforts to pass laws in state legislatures across the country mandating it Gardasil vaccine for girls as young as 11 or 12. It doubled its lobbying budget in Texas and has funneled money through Women in Government, an advocacy group made up of female state legislators around the country.
Details of the order were not immediately available, but the governor's office confirmed to The Associated Press that he was signing the order and he would comment Friday afternoon.
Perry has several ties to Merck and Women in Government. One of the drug company's three lobbyists in Texas is Mike Toomey, his former chief of staff. His current chief of staff's mother-in-law, Texas Republican state Rep. Dianne White Delisi, is a state director for Women in Government.
Toomey was expected to be able to woo conservative legislators concerned about the requirement stepping on parent's rights and about signaling tacit approval of sexual activity to young girls. Delisi, as head of the House public health committee, which likely would have considered legislation filed by a Democratic member, also would have helped ease conservative opposition.
Perry also received $6,000 from Merck's political action committee during his re-election campaign.
It wasn't immediately clear how long the order would last and whether the legislation was still necessary. However it could have been difficult to muster support from lawmakers who champion abstinence education and parents' rights.
Perry, a conservative Christian who opposes abortion rights and stem- cell research using embryonic cells, counts on the religious right for his political base.
But he has said the cervical cancer vaccine is no different than the one that protects children against polio.
"If there are diseases in our society that are going to cost us large amounts of money, it just makes good economic sense, not to mention the health and well being of these individuals to have those vaccines available," he said.
Texas allows parents to opt out of inoculations by filing an affidavit stating that he or she objected to the vaccine for religious or philosophical reasons.
Even with such provisions, however, conservative groups say mandates take away parents' rights to be the primary medical decision maker for their children.
The federal government approved Gardasil in June, and a government advisory panel has recommended that all girls get the shots at 11 and 12, before they are likely to be sexually active.
The New Jersey-based drug company could generate billions in sales if Gardasil _ at $360 for the three-shot regimen _ were made mandatory across the country. Most insurance companies now cover the vaccine, which has been shown to have no serious side effects.
Merck spokeswoman Janet Skidmore would not say how much the company is spending on lobbyists or how much it has donated to Women in Government. Susan Crosby, the group's president, also declined to specify how much the drug company gave.
A top official from Merck's vaccine division sits on Women in Government's business council, and many of the bills around the country have been introduced by members of Women in Government.
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/02/02/D8N1PVG80.html
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Super Bowl XLI is over...it was wet and wild!...the Colts won...
Never again do we have to hear that an AFC team cannot beat an NFC team...
Never again do we have to hear that Peyton Manning had not been able to take his team to "the big game"...
Tony Dungy became the first black coach to win a Super Bowl...
Finally...these discussions can be laid to rest!!!
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Art Exhibit – “A Different Perspective” at Carrie Garner’s
Galleria d’Arte February 10, 2007
Galleria d’Arte February 10, 2007
Carrie Garner’s Galleria d’Arte is pleased to present “A Different Perspective” featuring original oil paintings by Henry David Potwin. Join us in the gallery on February 10, 2007, from 7pm to 10pm, as we celebrate Potwin’s debut.
Live musical entertainment by the fabulous Texas Gypsies ensures the gallery guests to a lively, fun-filled evening. Co-sponsors of the reception are: A Twist of Lime, Alternative Furnishings, BLING!, Cadillac Pizza Pub, Carmela Winery, Main Street McKinney, Market Square Antiques, Market Street, and Poppy’s Garden Café.
Born in
In the summer of 1965, Potwin met
Potwin traveled extensively throughout his life and has had a variety of art-related positions from a fine arts publisher in
Potwin’s style is self-described as conceptual realism. To quote the artist, “Painting is a synthesis that considers the myriad aspects of human awareness, expressed in visual form. Melding together philosophy, physics, sociology, emotion, mysticism, and eroticism with craftsmanship.”
With one look at Potwin’s paintings, you realize his broad variety of conceptual realism subjects range from landscapes to portraits to observations of the world. Potwin’s painting entitled Assortment is a statement on females’ serial love affairs, where men are consumed and discarded like chocolates. The painting depicts a bright pink, heart-shaped candy box with the lid tipped back to reveal a box full of portrait-embossed pieces of candy. In Potwin’s Plum Orchard, we are treated to a peaceful yet surprisingly energetic painting that prominently features a Van Gogh-radiant sun.
“My goal is to create a body of work that is multi-layered and resonates with common man as well as the initiated. And naturally, I’d like to find nice homes for my “children” as well!” says Potwin.
In 1994, Potwin was sentenced to federal prison which he describes as the most cathartic event in his life. “This black sense of loss became a lens that focused my innate creative drive to crystalline clarity”, says Potwin. Since his incarceration, Potwin has dedicated time to not only building his “family” of paintings but also to helping other inmates recognize their artistic and creative abilities by teaching art and music classes.
Growing up playing the guitar and singing, Potwin formed his first band at 14 years old, and his love of music continues to grow. Potwin has taken on responsibility for formally requesting recreational budget monies for musical and artistic programs at the correctional facility. “Believe it or not, during these past years as an art teacher to inmates, I have had the opportunity to light a spark in the minds of a considerable number of disenfranchised individuals who only lacked the encouragement and the opportunity to discover their latent talents. Their pride of accomplishment is my reward,” says Potwin.
Writing also plays a key role in Potwin’s life. The artist has recently undertaken the challenge of putting pen to paper. We are sure the results will be as complex and as intriguing as Potwin’s already conquered challenge of putting brush to canvas.
For further information, contact Carrie Garner’s Galleria d’Arte at 469-742-9509 or visit us online at www.carriegarner.com
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Am watching Admiral Fallon's confirmation hearings off and on...am wondering if new leadership will be any better than the old...am wondering if the Iraqi leadership and peoples have what it takes to bring about change...can an end be brought to the sectarian violence...clearly what we have done up to now is not working well...can't help but remember that failed foreign policy cost lives...and some of these lives would not be lost if the rules of engagement were changed to level the playing field...this is a question...how do you proceed?
Sunday, January 28, 2007
As you may have surmised by now the Cadillac Pizza Pub is my watering hole of choice...the food is good, the beer is cold, and the staff is both cordial and "hawt"...& its also right across the parking lot from the house, so I can walk there and back, not be behind the wheel, not endanger anyone else, and not endanger myself! It has live music on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Its a great place to watch people, and a great place to meet people. Its not to big and not to small, although on weekends it can get pretty damned crowded - none the less its a great place to let yer hair down some, meet some folks, and generally enjoy yourself. Its family friendly to until about 9 or 10PM - has games to keep the younger ones, and some older ones, occupied while you do whatever it is you do at the Cadillac...the rule of thumb is all younger children out by 9 or 9:30PM...a position I wholeheartedly embrace...when it becomes a gathering place for people from all walks of life, and from all socio-economic backgrounds to meet and socialize.
You are just as likely to find a birthday party going on inside as a book club meeting. The music is likely to be "blues"or "blues rock"...with an occasional pinch of acoustic jazz or hard rock just to add some spice to the place. If you're a sports fan you can watch your favorite team play ball on any one of the several TV's...lending credence to the idea that theres a little something for everybody at the Cadillac - which is one reason why it is my favorite watering hole...hell I am told there is even going to be a night for Karaoke...a pastime best reserved for others.
For a photo junkie like me the Cadillac is "da bomb". The great people and casual atmosphere make it a place I wanna be,and the cold beer and good food make it a place I'd rather be, and many nights me and my camera can be found there...taking pics of the people and the bands, and generally just enjoying myself like everyone else...and frankly...its just a damn nice way to spend time...
Friday, January 26, 2007
Monday, January 22, 2007
This last weekend brought more much needed rain to north Texas, and as thankful as I am to get it I gotta say that I was happy to see the sun come out on Sunday and the temperature rise to almost 60...I am told things will moderate though during the coming week with another chance or two of rain before next weekend...despite the bad weather early on things were buzzin pretty good at the Cadillac Pizza Pub over the weekend with Hash Brown on Friday night, and Wanda King there on Saturday night...seemed like folks wanted to get out and have a good time!...
Other interesting things to happen over the weekend included the announcement from the Clinton camp that Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was indeed throwing her hat into the ring for the 2008 Presidential race...good for her!!!...I guess...maybe a better way of putting it is good for the Democratic Party...I guess...our political system is based on the idea that anyone who can qualify (under the law) can run for office, and she will, no doubt, qualify, so I applaud her exercising of her right to run...I admit (Republican that I am) that at first this announcement really got under my skin...but the more I think about it the happier I am...I believe in freedom of choice, and so for me Senator Clinton will be nothing more than another choice, and voice, for the Democrats to choose from...the question of course, is will she offer any solutions to the problems facing the country now, or will it be the same old dog and pony show that is always a part of the electoral process? We shall see...and I shall keep an open mind about it...I am not sexist by any stretch of the imagination, well...maybe a little...and this announcement is certainly no real surprise...but in my own mind I have already decided that party affiliation can have no place in the upcoming Presidential race, because as a country we have some real serious issues to face ahead and some serious decisions to make - and frankly folks the two party system is not going to get it done this time...this time we need to think "out of the box" a little and vote for the person who has the best chance of turning some of these problems around - even if that person is an independent or a Democrat...more about this another day...
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Encore Art Reception at Carrie Garner’s Galleria d’Arte
this Thursday, January 18, 2007
A good time was had and disco was celebrated at Carrie Garner’s Galleria d’Arte in
Gallery guests were treated to wine, snacks, and lots of disco music, which kept everyone happy and warm.
Due to last weekend’s inclimate weather, Carrie Garner’s Galleria d’Arte will present an encore debut of “
“
This talented duo has no limits to their creativity. Intaglio and digital prints; copper leaf and pastel; paper and metal; encaustic; oil and acrylic paints; found and vintage objects are among the mixture of media this team uses as together they create unique, expressive works of art.
Please be sure to join us in the gallery on Thursday, and don’t forget to wear your disco clothes so you can dance the night away under our disco mirror ball! Prizes for the grooviest costumes will be awarded.
Carmela Winery will be in the gallery on Thursday evening to serve you their very best wines. And just across the street at Cadillac Pizza Pub, Delta blues band, KM Williams, will be blasting out the tunes. Alternative Furnishings and Market Square Antiques will also be extending their hours on Thursday evening.
Co-sponsors of the reception are Hotel Whiskey Aviation LLC,
We look forward to seeing you at Galleria d’Arte on January 18, 2007, 7pm to 10pm - and remember, it’s never a party without a disco mirror ball.
For further information, contact Carrie Garner’s Galleria d’Arte at 469-742-9509 or visit us online at www.carriegarner.com
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