Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band
This Friday there will be a free event for all Soldiers and Families at Hood Stadium. More than 50,000 troops and their families and members of the Fort Hood's local community are expected to participate in "Fort Hood Community Strong," a day for healing, fun and entertainment to uplift the spirits of the Fort Hood Community in the wake of the Nov. 5 shooting incident. Held at HoodSource: Theodore's World RSS Feed
From Kelly William Cobb of Americans for Tax Reform on Wednesday, December 9, 2009 5:54 PM
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s proposed state spending cap took its first step forward on Monday. Following a rally with U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann (R-MN-6) in the state capital rotunda, the Minnesota Senate Taxes Committee held its first hearing on a constitutional “Spending Accountability Amendment.” The measure would simply restrain general fund spending to the amount ofSource: Minnesota Democrats Exposed RSS Feed
Reporter's Note: President Obama unveiled his plans for Afghanistan last night, to mixed reviews. I, however, have moved on to a different subject in my daily letter to the White House.
Emirati traders follow the market's movements in Dubai as the stock market plunged Monday.
Tom Foreman | BIO
AC360° Correspondent
Dear Mr. President,
Well, the international markets continue to roil in the wake of news from Dubai that Dubai World (which, I was Source: AC360 RSS Feed
Sprint Nextel provided law enforcement agencies with customer location data more than 8 million times between September 2008 and October 2009, according to a company manager who disclosed the statistic at a non-public interception and wiretapping conference in October.
The manager also revealed the existence of a previously undisclosed web portal that Sprint provides law enforcement to conduct automated “pings” to track users. Through the website, authorized agents can type in aSource: Threat Level RSS Feed
Or shall we say "lack thereof" perhaps? So much that there are two new designs in the works for a new food stamp design in order to honor the 44th president's immaculate achievement...
Here's the ten dollar design which will now only be worth $2 ... ;
and the second is the dollar version which is worth shit and therefore will replace government issue toilet paper for at least the time being. You wanted hope and change, well you got it......
Source: Chicagoray RSS Feed
Buried in the ‘Science’ section (D1 of the print edition) of the New York Times:
E-Mail Fracas Shows Peril of Trying to Spin Science
By JOHN TIERNEY
Published: November 30, 2009
If you have not delved into the thousands of e-mail messages and files hacked from the computers of British climate scientists, let me give you the closest thing to an executive summary. It is taken from a file slugged HARRY_READ_ME, which is the log of a computer expert’s longSource: Sweetness Light RSS Feed
From the Times Ledger:
Following the advice of its Land Use Committee, Community Board 12 voted to allow a developer extra time to complete its projects, which had fallen behind schedule because of difficulty in getting financial help from banks.
The economy “makes it difficult for developers to complete their projects on time,” said CB 12 Land Use Committee Chairman Cardinal Sandiford.
Sandiford said the Land Use Committee recommended the board side with theSource: Queens Crap RSS Feed
From the NY Times:
New York State is running out of cash.
Without a budget deal, New York will be left with just $36 million in the bank by the end of December, according to current projections. And the money will last that long, officials say, only if the state chooses to fully exhaust its emergency reserves by tapping several billion dollars’ worth of temporary loans from its rainy-day fund and short-term investments.
For weeks, Gov. David A. Paterson has invoked theSource: Queens Crap RSS Feed
I've noticed a couple of libertarian economists who have said that the CRU scandal is no big deal. "Nothing much here," says Tyler Cowan. Robin Hanson says " this behavior has long been typical when academics form competing groups, whether the public hears about such groups or not," and that "academia works this way."
I think this last is, quite literally, a bizarre thing to say. (I gather that one of Hanson's projects is the idea of "prediction markets," which is a way of compellingSource: E pur si muove! RSS Feed
Yesterday I bought a car for my daughter. She was happy with a Honda Civic with no frills, but we got a great deal on one with a few extras. She was happy, it is a safe dependable car and that's all that matters. But....
Sure enough one of the last papers we had to sign was the mandatory binding arbitration clause all new car dealers have in their contracts. Luckily the card dealers were able to get out of the arbitration clause imposed by the manufacturer due to a bill passed by Source: Bay Area Houston RSS Feed
Long, active day today. It started prematurely with a 4:00 am wake-up call from the hotel operator. I didn't ask for it, but somebody apparently did. I'm guessing it was a Marine who called to get an early start back to base and gave them the wrong room number.
As we were getting ready to leave the hotel today there were dozens if not hundreds of Marines and their wives/dates checking out after last night's Marine Corp Ball.
Before leaving the hotel we did a little walking aroundSource: HolyCoast.com RSS Feed
RedState Morning Briefing
For November 25, 2009
Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.
Just a reminder, the Morning Briefing is going to take off Thanksgiving Day and the day after to recover from the rampant gluttony, screaming kids, football, and did I mention the deliciously delightful gluttony of Thanksgiving with my in-laws. They know how to use bacon drippings! Yum.
1. Words Mean Things
2. Job CreatorSource: Red State RSS Feed
Some miscellany for a rainy Sunday evening (here in Des Moines anyway):
Des Moines Register: Iowa poll shows Obama approval rating below 50% (not good in a state that overwhelmingly went for him) CQPolitics: Rating Change: Iowa GOP Gets Serious About Boswell Challenge (HT: Dave Price) The Iowa
Is the climate changing, and are we responsible? It is a hotly debated question. However, the lack of readily accessible data, and the reluctance of some of the climate researchers to make all their data and research material available to skeptics has made some of the skeptics suspicious that perhaps the work wasn’t entirely up to generally recognized scientific standards. Now it appears there may be evidence that the skeptics are right. The evidence comes in the form of massive numbersSource: PoliGazette RSS Feed
The Breakthrough Institute issued a new report Wednesday, and it’s not good news. Teryn Norris, a senior adviser at the institute, discussed the report – Rising Tigers, Sleeping Giant – in the diary Winning the Clean Energy Race: A New Strategy for American Leadership. You can read an overview and an abridged summary of the report here.
The report’s key message:
If the United States hopes to compete for new clean energy industries it must close the widening gap between Source: Daily Kos RSS Feed
Text and photos by Sarah Phelan
How much rope has the Obama administration given the US Attorney for Northern California Joe Russoniello (center) when it comes to prosecuting probation officers around the city's sanctuary policy?
-
The resignation of Gavin Newsom’s criminal justice director Kevin Ryan and his mayoral spokesperson Nathan Ballard
could give the mayor the chance to revisit his policy towards juvenile immigrants, smoke out US Attorney forSource: SFBG Politics RSS Feed
There was a time when American leaders did not bow to foreign princes.
Wesley Pruden delivers some well-deserved criticism of Barack Obama’s mistakes in presidential protocol.
So far it’s a memorable trip. He established a new precedent for how American presidents should pay obeisance to kings, emperors, monarchs, sovereigns and assorted other authentic man-made masters of the universe. He stopped just this side of the full grovel to the emperor of Japan,Source: Never Yet Melted RSS Feed
Mary Matalin
CNN Contributor
In today's publishing market, "Going Rogue" is a fat book at 432 pages, at a high price point of $28.99, with a massive (rumored 1.5 million) first printing, launched on the book world's version of a Royal Tour, where Oprah is Queen of the Universe and Barbara Walters is Duchess of the D.C.-Manhattan cognoscenti.
In today's political market, well before it was officially released, "Going Rogue" was reduced to a pinprick-sized,Source: AC360 RSS Feed
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Oh lovely. More fear mongering on another Sunday bobble-head show, this time from Bob Schieffer. Pat Leahy sets him straight on why the United States is perfectly capable of prosecuting terrorism cases.
SCHIEFFER: Well, you heard what the congressman said, Senator Leahy. Tell me why you think he’s wrong.
LEAHY: I think that Eric Holder, our attorney general, is right. I think the president is right in holding the trials ofSource: Crooks and Liars RSS Feed
Henny Penny prepares for battle, along with Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey & Turkey Lurkey
Imagine Dick Cheney shot up with lots of botox and wearing a blond wig. Or just watch the video from Fox yesterday morning:
I had already started writing this piece before I saw that clip. So the piece isn't really about the Republican determination to drag the country back into the "good old days" of Bush-Cheney. And the "little girls" in the title have nothing to do with the CheneySource: DownWithTyranny! RSS Feed
From the Associated Press:
U.S. President Barack Obama bows as he is greeted by Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko as he arrives at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009.
Of course his shameless minions, like ‘Baghdad Bob’ Gibbs will simply deny this ever happened.
Just like before.
Good for Locke for denouncing the hatefest about to be unleashed by Steven Hotze and a bunch of so called "religious" figures.
“As I have previously stated, I reject any association with the style of campaigning that was the subject of an article in the Houston Chronicle today. We have serious issues to deal with in our city that requires us to work together as one Houston and I trust that Houstonians will choose a new mayor based on the issues that effect our lives every day and not Source: Bay Area Houston RSS Feed
Given that the holiday season is practically upon us – yes, Bill O., I am not calling it Christmas, make what you will of it – some people’s attention is naturally turning to gift-giving. Now, even though our bollixed economy desperately needs a boost, I’m not urging mindless consumerism, like plunking down $95 for American Girl’s homeless doll.
But I always like giving books. Unfortunately, people like to return the favor and my stacks of must-reads continue to spread. If itSource: Daily Kos RSS Feed
Obama is the President of the United States, which we as Americans say is the greatest Country in the world, a Country that bows to no other.
Obama won't put his hand on his heart for our country. But he will bow to foreign leaders, bringing shame to our country.
I am getting sick and tired of our President denigrating our country, apologizing for all of us for things that deserve no apology, selling out our principles for marxists and socialists, turning our country into aSource: TwoConservatives RSS Feed
From NY1:
Consolidated Edison is looking for an increase in its gas rates.
The company has submitted two proposals to the state's Public Service Commission for a new gas rate and investment plan, as part of an effort to close a reported shortfall of $160 million.
The first plan calls for a hike on city residents of about 6.6 percent over three years. Businesses would see a 4.4 percent increase.
The utility has also offered up a one-year plan, calling for a 9.1 percentSource: Queens Crap RSS Feed
During the election, a picture was circulated showing that Obama refused to salute the American flag during the playing of our national anthem.
At the time, some people argued that it wasn't universally accepted that one should put their hands on their heart for the anthem, but only when saying the pledge.
This even though anybody who's been at a ball game, or at the entrance to a theme park, knows better.
But now Obama is the President of the United States. As such, he's not Source: TwoConservatives RSS Feed
From the Daily News:
About 150 students protested against the extreme overcrowding at Francis Lewis High School on Friday by holding homemade signs in the chilly air and chanting. Then they went inside, and the next group of about 100 eager student demonstrators emerged.
"We want to persuade the school to limit the number of incoming freshman each year," said senior Abdul Qureshi, 17, of Fresh Meadows. "The school's overcrowded and a lot of kids don't get personal attention."
Gen. Powell to President Obama on Af-Pak Strategy: "Take Your Time"
ABC Political Punch
Jack Tapper
November 11, 2009 3:01 PM
In an interview with Roland Martin on the Tom Joyner Morning Show this morning, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Colin Powell revealed that he recently advised President Obama to take his time in devising his strategy for Afghanistan andSource: Theodore's World RSS Feed
A developer called Zodttd is working on an N64 emulator for the iPhone 3GS, the iPhone 3Gs might just have enough power to run N64 games, and according to the developer it will only work on the iPhone 3GS and latest iPod Toich, which have the GPU and CPU and OpenGLES 2.0 support. Some of the high end N64 titles might not run on the emulator, as the developer hasn’t decided how the controls are going to work for various games. It certainly will be interesting to see how it turns out once itSource: British Blogs RSS Feed
From Iran’s Press TV:
‘We will clasp any hand extended sincerely’
Wed, 11 Nov 2009
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has urged the US administration to make real changes by ending its support for Israel.
“US President Barack Obama should make a big choice in order to realize his change motto,” Ahmadinejad said in Istanbul on Monday, IRNA reported.
Ahmadinejad was in Istanbul for the 25th Session of the Standing Committee for Economic andSource: Sweetness Light RSS Feed
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From MSNBC's Morning Meeting, Dylan Ratigan talks to author and former managing director for Goldman Sachs Nomi Prins about this week's article in the UK Times I'm doing 'God's work'. Meet Mr Goldman Sachs.
Think Progress has more--Goldman Sachs CEO says he’s ‘doing God’s work,’ rejects the idea that Goldman profits from gov’t support:
Last quarter, Wall Street investment bank Goldman Sachs made a $3.19 billion profit,Source: Crooks and Liars RSS Feed
Fourteen were killed at Fort Hood, not thirteen as reported all week long. Which official is correcting the death toll? I am. On the authority of being a mother who is multi-paragravida, meaning one who has given birth more than once, and on the authority of being a grand-mother of five souls, I can, I think, count straight about this particular tragedy.
Francheska Velez was a 21 year old woman, shot to death by Major Nidal Hssan at Fort Hood Army Base. Thirteen others wereSource: The Moderate Voice RSS Feed
The Pelosi Bill Was Rammed Through on Saturday, But Sunday’s Coming
Sarah Palin posted the following on her Facebook Page
by Sarah Palin
We’ve got to hold on to hope, and we’ve got to fight hard because Congressional action tonight just put America on a path toward an unrecognizable country.
The same government leaders that got us into the mortgage business and the car business are now getting us into the healthcareSource: Theodore's World RSS Feed
When I first looked at this photo, I thought, “that girl looks like Meghan McCain.”
After looking at the photo more carefully, I think that it really is her! She does live in Manhattan. She slimmed down a little since the summer.
My first paparazzi photo, and I wasn’t even trying.
* * *
Above is a photo of Meghan McCain borrowed from her Facebook album.
Source: Half Sigma RSS Feed
What happens after all the fear mongering that Iran is developing a nuclear weapons bunker turns out to be bunk?
U.N. inspectors found "nothing to be worried about" in a first look at a previously secret uranium enrichment site in Iran last month, the International Atomic Energy chief said in remarks published Thursday.
Mohamed ElBaradei also told the New York Times that he was examining possible compromises to unblock a draft nuclear cooperation deal between Iran and threeSource: Crooks and Liars RSS Feed
Officials in Afghanistan yesterday declared that Hamid Karzai (pictured above) was the winner of the country’s disputed presidential poll after cancelling a planned runoff election. The announcement came after Karzai’s main challenger, Abdullah Abdullah , dropped out of the race on the grounds that the vote would be neither free nor fair. “The Independent Election Commission (IEC) declares the esteemed Hamid Karzai as the president, because he was the winner of the first round andSource: British Blogs RSS Feed
Editor's Note: A new federal study shows that nearly one-third of states may have lowered their academic proficiency standards in recent years – a move that helps schools stay immune from sanctions under the No Child Left Behind law. The Department of Education study found that 15 states lowered their proficiency standards at the middle school level in basic subjects from 2005 to 2007. Were schools allowed to lower standards? And why? Randi Kaye is keeping them honest tonight.Source: AC360 RSS Feed
Eric Roux, a ‘legal representative’ of the Church of Scientology in France, seems relieved after the Criminal Court of Paris returned a verdict of fraud against the church – without imposing dissolution.
Days ago, a long-awaited verdict was handed down in the French criminal trial of the Church of Scientology. In the opinion of German columnist Dietrich Alexander of the newspaper Die Welt, the French branch of Scientology got off easy.
For Die Welt, Dietrich AlexanderSource: The Moderate Voice RSS Feed
Holy Joe says: "Revenge is a dish best served over and
over and over again." (Don't forget to click to enlarge.)
Our pals at CREDO Mobile and Democrats.com are gathering signatures for a petition to remove Lieberman from his chairmanship if he bolts to the Republicans-- as he says he has decided to do-- and filibusters the health care reform bill. We don't push too many petitions here but this is one I really recommend you consider signing. It makes more sense than most, to beginSource: DownWithTyranny! RSS Feed
How can we make a City that works for everyone?
That's the question the Working Families Party asks when deciding which policies and candidates to support in NYC.
And that's why, on Tuesday, we're backing Bill Thompson for Mayor.
Our current mayor has his own ideas about how New York City should work, but it has become increasingly clear that many New Yorkers are left out of his vision.
After eight years under Mayor Bloomberg, we are concerned thatSource: The Albany Project RSS Feed
NYTimes | The best symbol of the $787 billion federal stimulus program turns out not to be a construction worker in a hard hat, but rather a classroom teacher saved from a layoff.
On Friday, the Obama administration released the most detailed information yet on the jobs created by the stimulus. Of the 640,239 jobs recipients claimed to have created or saved so far, officials said, more than half — 325,000 — were in education. Most were teachers’ jobs that states said were savedSource: subrealism RSS Feed
Christopher Christie could very well become the next governor of New Jersey
Polls show that conservatives could very well win some major elections this week. Especially Republican candidate for governor of Virginia Robert McDonnell has nothing to worry about; he currently leads by more than 13%.
Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman is almost a sure winner. According to Democratic Pollster PPP, Hoffman is now leading his Democratic rival Bill Owens, by as much as 17%, 51%Source: PoliGazette RSS Feed
GOP nominee Dede Scozzafava, left, endorsed Democrat Bill Owens in New York's special House election following her recent decision to withdraw from the race.
By Bob Benenson, CQ-Roll Call
New York Republican House nominee Dede Scozzafava — a moderate who was abandoned by conservative activists for a third-party candidate — followed her stunning withdrawal from the contest Saturday with another shocker on Sunday: She has urged her supporters to vote for Democratic nominee BillSource: Vox Verax RSS Feed
He’s eight years old today, and has been living with us for the last three. When the Spousal Unit picked him up from the nice breed-rescue foster family in Pennsylvania, they told him [name redacted] was the “perfect” Papillon—good-looking, not noisy, reliably housebroken, used to leashes & crates, friendly with cats and other dogs. They couldn’t understand how his original family could ever have given him up! Forty-eight hours after arriving at our house, the New Guy jumpedSource: Balloon Juice RSS Feed
On this Reformation Day, I bring to your attention one of my favorite essays, penned by the president of Ignatius Press, Mark Brumley. Entitled, “Why Only Catholicism Can Make Protestantism Work: Louis Bouyer on the Reformation,” Brumley writes:
Interpreting the Reformation is complicated business. But like many complicated things, it can be simplified sufficiently well that even non-experts can get the gist of it. Here’s what seems a fairly accurate but simplified summary ofSource: Southern Appeal RSS Feed
From the Associated Press:
Republican in NY House race suspends campaign
ALBANY, N.Y. — Republican Dierdre Scozzafava has suspended her campaign for the New York House and is encouraging supporters to embrace Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman.
Campaign spokesman Matt Burns says she thinks dropping out of the 23rd Congressional District race is in the best interests of the party.
The announcement comes after a Siena College poll found she was in thirdSource: Sweetness Light RSS Feed
This morning the National Center for Education Statistics released a new report, Mapping State Proficiency Standards Onto NAEP Scores: 2005-2007. What the results make clear (for about the billionth time) is that government control of education has put us on a road straight to failure. Still, many of those who insist on living in denial about constant government failure in education will yet again refuse to acknowledge reality, and will actually point to this report as a reason toSource: Cato-at-liberty RSS Feed
The Washington Post reports:
President Obama has asked senior officials for a province-by-province analysis of Afghanistan to determine which regions are being managed effectively by local leaders and which require international help, information that his advisers say will guide his decision on how many additional U.S. troops to send to the battle.
Obama made the request in a meeting Monday with Vice President Biden and a small group of senior advisers helping him decideSource: PoliGazette RSS Feed
MSNBC's First Read:
the GOP’s brand is still a mess. According to the poll, just 25% have a positive opinion of the party (compared with 42% for the Dem Party), which ties the GOP's low-water mark in the survey and which is a worse score than it ever had during the Bush presidency. (Honest question: Can the party still blame Bush for their problems if their numbers have gotten lower since he left the scene?) In addition, only 23% approve of the way in which congressional Republicans Source: Daily Kos RSS Feed
I'm still trying to figure out the difference between a "saved" or "created " job. But AP finds out that the White House can't count very well. If the stimulus is really "Putting America to Work," then it's not doing it at the level the Obama administration claims.
An early progress report on President Barack Obama's economic recovery plan overstates by thousands the number of jobs created or saved through the stimulus program, a mistake that White House officials promise will beSource: Marathon Pundit RSS Feed
