EXHIBITION: “An Artistic Execution”

GALLERY: STUDIO DUENDE

ARTISTS: PERNIE FALLON and GUY GIERSCH

OPENING: Saturday, June 9 from 8–10 P.M.

HOURS: 11 – 5, Tuesday–Friday; 10 – 5, Saturday; and

by appointment (214)-592-9888 or artstudioduende@yahoo.com

New Art Gallery – Studio Duende – Opens at Old Prison in McKinney on June 9, 2007

In a place famous for its executions, Studio Duende celebrates its grand opening at the old Collin County Prison in downtown McKinney with a gala reception from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 9. At the new Studio Duende, an execution of a different sort is taking place on the second floor of the old prison located at 115 S. Kentucky, a half a block south of the McKinney’s Historic Square.

Designated as a Texas historic landmark in 1990, the prison was the site of the last legal execution in Collin County in 1922. Convicted of killing a man and sinking the corpse in a well, Mr. Ezell Stepp was shoved out of the upper window to hang. Accounts say that his head separated from his body when he reached the end of the rope.

Now hanging at the prison is “An Artful Execution”, the first exhibit of art works by gallery owners Pernie Fallon and Guy Giersch. Together with Carrie Garner’s Galleria d’Arte, housed on the first floor, and Aristeia Gallery on the third floor, Studio Duende embraces the vivaciousness that the community of talented local artists brings to the city.

Guy Giersch is McKinney’s Historic Preservation Officer and portrays Collin McKinney in the city’s nationally recognized ad campaign. In his photography, he portrays beauty. His photographs are as distinct as he is, playing with the dichotomy of body and soul – how seeing produces experiences and in turn, how experience tempers what one sees. His images range from landscapes to portraits to architecture. The balance Giersch maintains between seeing and experience gives his work its striking vitality.

Pernie Fallon’s hallmark has always been an emphasis on spontaneity, expression and intuitive creativity. Her first ring at the age of 14 won a national award and ignited her passion for becoming a masterful goldsmith and sculptor. Her 18K gold jewelry, set with semi-precious stones, is inspired by nature. Like nature, she never creates the same thing twice. Her love for the outdoors led to becoming a plein air painter, capturing the light in her color-drenched pastel and oil paintings. Whether her stroke is made with a goldsmith’s hammer or a sable-tipped brush, her touch is direct and skilled – expressing an endless and intimate exploration of beauty and nature.

In case you were wondering, duende translates into English as a spirit or force of artistic mystery – equivalent to one's soul – that drives an artist's inspiration.

At Studio Duende, you will probably not encounter the headless soul of Ezell Stepp, but you just might lose your head over the exceptionally well-executed paintings, jewelry, sculpture and photography.

June 1, 2007 – McKinney, Texas

PERFORMANCE: ART OSBORNE – Jazz Saxophone

GALLERIES: STUDIO DUENDE, ARISTEIA and CARRIE GARNER’S GALLERIA D’ARTE

WHERE: old Collin County Prison, 115 S. Kentucky, McKinney

HOURS: Saturday, June 2 from 3–6 P.M.

The Saxman Cometh

Make your prison break this Saturday, June 2 from 3 – 6 p.m. to hear the scorching jazz saxophone of Art Osborne on the patio of the old Collin County Prison. The old prison is the hottest new art venue in town – home to Studio Duende, Carrie Garner’s Galleria d’Arte and Aristeia. The work of these local artists sizzles with talent. The prison is the place to be cool during the Art & Jazz festival this weekend.

Art Osborne has traveled the world playing jazz saxophone. He has performed with many well-known stars including Captain Kangaroo, Doc Severenson, the Supremes, B.J. Thomas, Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson, Debbie Boone, Rich Little, the Temptations, Tom Jones, the Four Tops and many others. He is well-known in the Dallas Independent School district as the beloved “Mr. Bandman” where he produces an educational children’s TV show to engage students in learning and appreciating music.

On Sunday, June 3, a twelve-string guitarist will be playing on the prison patio during the Art & Jazz festival. Studio Duende, Carrie Garner’s Galleria d’Arte and Aristeia will celebrate their Grand Opening next weekend at the old Collin County Prison in downtown McKinney with a gala reception from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 9. The old prison located at 115 S. Kentucky, a half a block south of the McKinney’s Historic Square.

Remember...this weekend is the annual Art/Jazz festival in McKinney...come out and enjoy the fun!

"Running on Empty" Gas station owners close down due to high prices!

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Running on empty

Hit by high prices and fees, some gas station owners stop selling fuel

By THOMAS CONTENT
tcontent@journalsentinel.com
Posted: May 23, 2007

As gas prices hit another record last Friday, Jeff Curro couldn't take it anymore.

After owning the Shell gas station at 3075 N. 124th St. in Brookfield for 20 years, Jeff Curro has stopped selling gas. As gas prices rose, his profit margin dropped.

He wasn't a motorist at the pump fed up by the blur of numbers spinning higher as he filled his tank.

Curro is a gas station owner who has stopped selling gas to his own customers.

After selling gas at N. 124th and W. Burleigh streets for 20 years, Curro turned off his pumps at his Shell station in Brookfield when the price he was being asked to pay was just too much.

Including the wholesale cost of gas and other taxes and charges, he was being asked to pay $3.44 a gallon Friday, a day when the competing stations down the street were selling gasoline for $3.47.

"Three cents a gallon doesn't cut it," Curro said. "It doesn't pay the bills."

Add to that the money he loses every time a motorist uses a credit card at the pump, and there was no reason to keep selling gas, Curro said.

Credit card companies and banks get an average of 2.75% on every gallon of gas sold, and credit card processing fees now rank as the second-biggest expense for gas station operators, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores.

"The way I see it is, I'm doing all the work of providing the labor, the wages, the electricity, the lighting, the maintenance of the pumps, the repairs and the insurance, which is quite substantial," Curro said. "I'm doing all the work, and somebody else is getting fat on me."

Curro isn't alone in deciding to not sell gas anymore. Casey O'Gorman did the same thing. In business for 25 years near State Fair Park, his West Allis service station is now doing business exclusively as Auto Analyzers. The Shell name came down a few months back.

"I finally had to just pull the plug on it and say, 'I can't afford to do it anymore,' " O'Gorman said.
High wholesale prices

Curro and O'Gorman are leaving a relatively small and disappearing group of service station owners who both sell gas and repair cars.

Independent auto-repair shops face competition from car dealerships and quick-lube repair shops, and in the sale of gasoline, they compete against full-line convenience stores.

Most gas stations today double as convenience stores, and although they generate more than two-thirds of sales from gas, two-thirds of profit comes from in-store sales of cigarettes, drinks and food, according to the convenience store association.

When drivers are paying more, they think that means higher profits for the filling station, said Bob Bartlett, executive vice president of the Wisconsin Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Stores Association.

The case of the two Shell stations stopping sales of gas illustrates the challenges faced by independent station owners across the state, Bartlett said. Nine of 10 stations in the state are independently owned and run, he said.

Between Feb. 1 and Monday, Bartlett said, the average wholesale price paid by service stations in Milwaukee to buy gasoline rose from $1.66 to $2.94. Add in taxes paid to the federal and state governments, as well as transportation costs, and the average service station had to cover $3.47 on Monday, without charging any profit. On that day, stations were charging their customers $3.47 on average in Milwaukee, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

"People are upset about oil and gas prices, but it's not this guy right here," Bartlett said of the independent gas station owner. "He's not OPEC. He's not refining it. He's buying it kind of like I am, right at the end of the line here."
Sales up, profit down

Curro has been thinking about shutting down his gas pumps for about a year, and he has complained to his supplier about prices.

When he shut down his pumps, he was charging $3.59 a gallon, 12 cents higher than the competing stations nearby.

"Even at $3.59, I was making 15 cents, but I was still giving 10 of those cents to MasterCard," he said.

Nationally, the Association of Convenience Stores estimates that sales rose 12% but profit fell 23% industrywide last year, and for the first time, credit card fees were higher than the industry's profit.

Lower margins on the sale of fuel and credit card fees were the two main factors behind the drop in profit, the association said, as profit margins on the sale of fuel dipped to their lowest point since 1983.

Until January, O'Gorman and the predecessors at S. 84th St. and W. Greenfield Ave. sold gasoline on that corner since 1938.

He says he never made much money selling gas but started seeing margins nosedive last year when gas prices rose.

"More and more, it was crowding out my real form of income," O'Gorman said, referring to car repairs.

"Then you listen to the public, and they say we're gouging them. Who needs to listen to that? I'd need to have my head examined."

We should prolly feel thankful that our gas prices have not reached the national average yet...which as of Monday afternoon was $3.14/gal for regular unleaded...this picture was taken Sunday afternoon...in McKinney!

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."

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!!

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

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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.”

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

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!

(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.

The annual Relay for Life was held in McKinney on Friday night...really good turnout...really good cause!

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!

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.

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

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"...

Wanda King @ Cadillac...she rocked the house!

Dinner on the patio at Poppy's...

McKinney, Texas – March 22, 2007

Art Exhibit – “Inside Looking Out” at Carrie Garner’s
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 resident, Hunt is a perfect fit for Galleria d’Arte, which features works of art by local artisans. “We are extremely excited and proud to host Justin’s second McKinney art exhibit. Justin’s work is so thought-provoking and always creates a positive vibe throughout the gallery,” says Tamara Paquée, Director at Galleria d’Arte.

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 Antiques, Market Street, and Poppy’s Garden Café.

For further information, contact Carrie Garner’s Galleria d’Arte at 469-742-9509 or visit us online at www.carriegarner.com.

Tuesday night is karaoke night...

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

Pushrod at Cadillac on St Paddy's Day!

The Drop Top Rockets at Cadillac Pizza Pub in McKinney...

Photography is so much more pleasant when you have someone this easy on the eyes to look at thru the lense...

We are weighed down, every moment, by the conception and the sensation of Time.
And there are but two means of escaping and forgetting this nightmare:
pleasure and work.
Pleasure consumes us.
Work strengthens us.
Let us choose.-Charles Baudelaire

Every now and then you just gotta take some time and wind down, so yesterday a friend of mine and I went kickin around in the creek bottoms and shooting the simpler things in life out in the country...helps to put things in perspective to some extent...

McKinney, Texas – February 27, 2007

Art Exhibit – “Buy War Bonds” at Carrie Garner’s
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. At a young age, Kimbrell developed an ardent interest in modern art and music, allowing both aspects to greatly influence his art. While developing his style in college, Kimbrell favored the works of Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Edward Ruscha.

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 for four consecutive years. He has been honored with numerous awards, art scholarships, and grants.

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 Antiques, Market Street, and Poppy’s Garden Café.

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, offers a wide variety of original paintings, art glass, pottery, and jewelry crafted by local artisans. Galleria d’Arte is one of the hosts of “Second Saturdays” where art galleries and other downtown businesses extend their normal business hours to celebrate the arts and the community with live entertainment, spirits, and food.

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.

Lemme guess...the tooth faerie came early and I missed it...
actually this is an outtake from a shoot with Jackie of Pin-up Promotions for a St Paddy's Day flyer last week

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!

The fifth annual Krewe of Barkus Mardi Gras Dog Parade and Festival took place in downtown McKinney today and the turnout seemed to be real good...lots of folks came out to enjoy the happening on the square in really great weather...

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

---

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.

"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!" (author unknown)

CELEBRATE FAT TUESDAY IN DOWNTOWN MCKINNEY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20

Grab your Mardi Gras beads and head to downtown McKinney for the first annual
“Fat Tuesday – Nawlins Party” celebration! The fun begins at 5pm on Tuesday,
February 20.

Cadillac Pizza Pub (112 S. Kentucky Street) teams up with Poppy’s Garden Café (107 S. Church Street) and Aparicio’s (216 E. Virginia Street) to host a fun-filled Mardi Gras celebration.

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.

Today I yearn for a simpler and more peaceful time...



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

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

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!!!

Had us a little of the white stuff again this afternoon...very odd...flurry two days in a row and forecasted for tomorrow as well...not the norm in D/FW...hehehehehe...