Oh brother...

*The Cowboys are done, and it's a good thing considering that they stunk the place up today. (the Eagles beat them 44-3).
*I still say that Wade Phillips looks lost on the sideline.
*Jerry Jones needs to quit making bad deals like trading for and then overpaying Roy Williams and not kicking Pacman off of the team.
*The Dolphins/Jets game was highly entertaining, however. Why are the commentators saying that Favre is finished? I'm betting he comes back; he won't want his career to end like this.
*It's great to see Keith Olberman busted back to sports commentator by NBC. Even the higher ups there have had enough of his incredibly obvious left slant on everything he reports.
*I saw Frank Caliende at the Winstar Casino Friday night with my sons. He was incredibly funny. Great show. I laughed the hardest at his Madden imitations.
*My glasses broke. I traveled all over Denton to find a pair of the same kind of frames that I have now, and they all told me that this style is discontinued. Jeez, it's a racket. If I can't match the frames to the lenses I have (which are still perfectly good), I will have to pay for new frames and lenses.

How two faced can you be?

How can the mainstream media tout Caroline Kennedy as a good choice for Senator, but absolutely crucify Sarah Palin as a potential Vice-President?

Easy answer: because Caroline is a democrat from old money.

To me, this proves Ann Coulter's basic thesis in "Treason" that the mainstream media is controlled by liberals. Sarah clearly has more political and governing experience than Caroline has, but Caroline is clinging to the Kennedy name (although that is not her husband's name) and she favors murdering children sleeping in their mother's wombs (aka "pro-choice).

Where is the comedienne who will come out with an over the top imitation of princess Caroline in an effort to ruin her political chances?

After all, what is the Vice President but the President of the Senate. You say it frightens you that she is one death away from the Presidency if she is VP? You say this because of her inexperience? Take a look at what you are inaugurating as President in a few weeks! You should really be scared that Nancy Pelosi is the third person in that succession for the Presidency.

I have witnessed the media's shameful manipulation for their liberal ends in this Presidential election, but this manipulation in favor of Caroline Kennedy is so blatant that only a moron would fail to see it.

Guinness is the way to go

What have I been telling you?

Guinness Draught is a light beer

Obama clears himself of wrongdoing...again

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=6520182&page=1

Once again, we get a big news story that King Barack has once again cleared Rahm Emmanuel, his new white house chief of staff, of any wrongdoing in the Blago scandal. This declaration comes from the King Barack transition team.

When an impartial investigator finds that Barack and his minions do have dirty hands in that deal, will these same liberal "news" outlets report it with the same vigor?

Blago is Obama's "Whitewater", the scandal that followed the Clintons into the white house. It was the scandal that they couldn't get rid of no matter how much the main stream media covered for them.

Business as usual for the liberal wing: if they say a thing often enough, no matter how untrue, they think it will evolve into a truth. Sorry, simply repeating a lie does not make it the truth.

Cowboys get an Early Christmas present

http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/

The Cowboys get a gift when the Bucs lose to the Chargers and the Eagles lose to the Redskins. Apparently, according the Cowboys blog at the DMN, they only need to win next weekend to get into the playoffs. However, they do have to beat Philly in Philly in December.

Lost time.

By the way, who do I see to get those three hours back that I spent watching the Cowboys give that game away last night?

Romo poll?

I don't understand the results of this Romo poll by the Dallas Morning News indicating that fans have lost faith in Romo's ability to quarterback the team to a Super Bowl. I watched him march the team down the field twice in the fourth quarter with, what should have been, winning scores against Baltimore.
Is it Tony's fault that the defense gives up two huge runs from scrimmage to give the Ravens two easy touchdowns after they had made the Ravens earn every yard in the first three quarters?
Is it Tony's fault that the linebackers can't stop a running play when it counts?
Is it Tony's fault that Owens can't make a catch unless he is wide open?
Is it Tony's fault that Roy Williams can't seem to run a pass pattern well enough to get open once in awhile?
Is it Tony's fault that his starting running back is out, and that his number two running back is out?
Is it Tony's fault that the rookie running back can't block a blitz at all?
I definitely join the call to get rid of Wade Phillips. Jerry must have lost his mind to put this guy in charge of the team. I think Jerry must have lost his mind, anyway, bringing in every troublemaker, malcontent, and has-been to play on this team.
I don't think that Jason Garrett is the answer yet. These guys need a coach with a strong personality to lead them and give them discipline.

An Eye for an Eye.

I read this story and felt nothing but sympathy for the woman who was the victim. Apparently, she rejected a suitor who promptly poured sulphuic acid over her head blinding and disfiguring her. The assailant was captured, and his punishment is that he will have five drops of the acid put in each of his eyes. Apparently, the punishment has yet to be carried out. I am anxious to find out if it actually occurs. If so, will the AP and DRC report it.

I am not quite certain of the purpose of this story. I think these liberal news outlets want to illustrate the barbarism of this country. If this man really committed this heinous crime, the punishment seems very reasonable.

Does this story make you think of how much our crime rate would drop with more severe and certain punishments for the guilty? Does this story make you hate the barbarism of the middle east? Does this story make you feel empathy for the victimized Iranian people?

Fascinating.

Well, I certainly feel better now...

So, I get home from the office and pick up today's Denton Wretched Chronicle, and I see a blurb of a story on page 3 where Obama's own attorney has reviewed the situation and found that Obama had no direct contact with the Illinois governor, you know, Blago the Corrupt. Perhaps the attorney should look at the photo run in the paper showing Barack and Rod standing side by side in 2005, but all that aside, I am just going to pick a place to start with that.

So he had no direct contact. You all better get used to King Barack not having direct contact with anyone. That is why he has a cabinet, assistants, and a host of staff members to take care of his contacts for him. We also know that Rahm Emmanuel had alot of contact with Blago, and he is the king's right hand, apparently.

I can't tell you how many attorneys have come and told me that their clients are not guilty of whatever crime they are accused of. The attorney is an advocate for a side in a controversy. Decisions of guilt or not should be based on evidence, not pronouncements by attorneys for one side or the other.

Why would the DRC print such a story from such a notoriously liberal source? Because they want you to believe in Barack. They, like the rest of the liberal main stream media, want you to accept and believe in Barack. Therefore, they print a story that says nothing, absolutely nothing. Barack's lawyer says Barack had no direct contact with Blago.

Please read the news with a critical eye, people.

Detroit's salvation?...and I don't mean the government

This is what will save the U.S. automotive industry.

I read an article about this car in the Denton paper back before Thanksgiving.

Supposedly, it is designed to go 40 miles on an initial charge of the batteries.

It also contains a gasoline motor that is there solely for the purpose of charging the batteries while you drive. The motor is a generator that cyles on and off as the vehicle needs power to the silent electic drive motor.

The article said that Volt can travel at highway speeds, and with the generator cycling to charge the batteries, it can get over 100 miles per gallon of gasoline traveling up to 640 miles without a stop at a gas station.

It is due to be released in 2010 by Chevrolet.

If they do, I will be there to buy one.

followup on Mumbai Massacre

I hear from the Wall Street Journal Radio and this story, that there is a huge movement of people asking for the removal of the Prime Minister or promising to vote him out and all of those who are responsible for the weak intelligence community and for failing to protect the citizens from terrorists.
If Barack Obama does nothing else, he needs to protect the citizens of this country. That is the most important duty of the President.

Corruption in Illinois, continued.

There is something stinky about this Illinois Governor investigation.
The reports I hear and see indicate that Blagojevich has been under investigation for years now because he has been suspected or corrupt behavior for some time.
Apparently, there are wiretap recordings of Blagojevich talking at length to different people about how this was a gold mine, and he wanted to get rich off of it (I am referring, of course, to appointing a replacement for Barack's vacated Senate seat).
It appears that some of the potential buyers were actually identified, such as, Jesse Jackson, Jr., who allegedly offered a half million dollars in campaign funding for Blagojevich with a promise of a million more later.
King Barack says he never talked to Blagojevich about this, but if that's true, why is the Governor heard on the wire tapes to say "All Obama offered was gratitude"? If he didn't talk to Barack, did he talk to one of Barack's loyal minions?
Why would this U.S. Attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, run this investigation for so long and then stop it right before he has the second rat in the trap (referring of course to the person who might actually purchase the appointment from the governor)?
Isn't the buyer just as crooked and corrupt as the peddler?
Were they afraid that they might have to arrest someone close to the new President? Rahm? Axelrod? or the new President?
Why would an investigator do all of that work for all of that time, showing that much patience, and then spring the trap prematurely?
And why have they let Jesse Jackson, Jr., off the hook so quickly and completely when he is specifically named as making an offer? Do they not actually have Jesse Jr's voice on any of the taps?
It seems to me that they had the seller, so they really just needed to exercise a little more restraint and patience and they would have had yet another corrupt politician in their grip.

Side note: I heard a report on the Wall Street Journal radio station that a poll of Illlinois voters showed that something like 82% think that Blagojevich should immediately resign his officer over this. But further, they said that about like 85% of the voters polled said that Blagojevich was doing a poor job governing the state. How did this guy get elected in the first place?

Side note #2: This appointment of Tom Daschle as the Secretary of Health is a little frightening. Supposedly, he is to be the front man for the health care reform. This is the guy that got soundly defeated in his own state by a Republican challenger because he was such a stark raving socialist. The people of South Dakota had enough of that representation. But now, King Barack puts him on the cabinet to inflict him on the entire nation? The guy can't win in his own state, so he gets a cabinet seat?

Washington State abomination

I actually got wind of this story by reading Bill O'Reilly's column last week, so I decided to hunt for the source story. I found it in "The Olympian" at olympian.com. Apparently, the state of Washington has had a Nativity scene in front of the Capitol for years. This year, however, the "State Department of General Administration" gave a group of atheists, known as the "Freedom from Religion Foundation", a permit to erect a placard next to the Nativity scene. The placard says "there are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but a myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."
This is not so incredible in our world when so many elements seek to destroy God and the importance of Jesus' life on earth. I feel sorry for these people. How can you have hope if you don't have God? Moreover, if you don't believe in God or Heaven or Hell, then you must believe that this is the highest plain of our existence. There is no immortality at this level of existence; therefore, they must believe that when we die, our existence ends. If this the best we have to hope for, what about those with the misfortune of being born with less than a chance at a normal life? So many children are born with mental or physical defects. Is this the end for them? Is there no hope of the resurrection of the spirit where even these people can be in the presence of God?
Of course there is hope. To renounce the existence of God is to claim that we are the highest creatures in existence. Is that not the height of arrogance? Is that not the total absence of humility?
For the State of Washington, or any other governmental entity, to allow this kind of public insult to the Christians of the world is reprehensible. If the people who allowed this are elected officials, I certainly hope they are voted out in the next election. I'm pretty sure that won't happen because of the strength of certain liberal contingents and the willingness of weak minded fools to follow them on this issue.

Divorce humor.

Yesterday's "Non-Sequitur" comic strip. It just struck a funny chord with me.

Corruption of the stupid, for the stupid, by the stupid

I just read this story on Yahoo.com about the Governor of Illinois arrested to trying to sell King Barack's vacated Senate seat to the highest bidder. Unbelievable!

I will try to watch MSNBC and CNN to see how they try to spin this, or even if they will report on it since the guy is a democrat.

DVD releases upcoming

The Dark Knight (Dec. 9)

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Dec. 16)

Death Race (Dec. 19)

Anyone know of any others that look good?

Remake of a movie that was great the first time.

This is Gort from the original version of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951) starring Michael Rennie and Patricia Neal. The remake with Keanu starts on Friday. The original of this is a fantastic movie even by today's standards. I watch it every time it appears on any classic movie station. For this remake to be worth the trouble of making and going to see, it better be terrific (but I suspect it will be). I intend to see it.

"Klaatu, Barada, Nikto"

BTW, were those the magic words that made Oklahoma number 1 again? Or was it ...well never mind. Sorry, 'Horns.

More wasted tax money

The government has released the first installment of federal aid to Mexico to the tune of $160 million of a $400 million package to battle the drug trade and drug violence in Mexico. Now where do you suppost most of that money is going to end up?
If you said in the pockets of corrupt Mexican government officials and persons notorious for violating human rights of all kinds, including murder and torture, then you would be absolutely correct.
Just another example of the misappropriation of U.S. tax dollars by the government. I would like to know who believed this to be a good idea.
Not only are we opening our borders to the flights of illegal aliens, we are funneling hundreds of millions of dollars to feed corruption south of the border.
Can you think of better ways to spend that money?
How about hiring and outfitting officers and troops to patrol and manage the border problems? How about funding domestic ways to battle drug trafficking and abuse in our own country? It seems to me that methamphetamine is a much bigger problem here than cocaine is in Mexico.

I'm not sure about this...

It appears that OU has leapfrogged Texas to get to the number 2 spot in the BCS. I am an OU fan, but I don't really think that is right. Texas did beat them. If it is between OU and Texas for the spot in the B12 championship, I think Texas should be there with OU right behind them for the national title shot if Texas fails to beat Mizzou. The B12 title game will be tough. It will be in Kansas City where the weather is generally terrible this time of year.

I am looking forward to the title games, though. The SEC title game should be very entertaining, too.

Oklahoma State/Oklahoma game

This has been a great game. If State wins, Texas Tech is in the B12 championship game against Missouri (who lost a tough one to Kansas today). If OU wins, they will likely be in the championship game against Missouri. Either way, the Longhorns are out of the championship.

A couple of notes:

Someone from UT has hired a plane to fly over the pregame in Stillwater reminding everyone that they beat OU 45 to 35.

Brent Mussberger keeps calling T. Boone Pickens "Boone T. Pickens". I guess Mussberger will not be in the will. heh-heh.

The News...and the Beat (Down) goes on

In the Wednesday Denton Record-Chronicle:
1. On the front page, we see that Lori Forgay brings us the breaking news that the cost of groceries is going up. Is this really front page news? Does the DRC think that Lori Forgay is the first person to stumble across this news? Guess what, we have definitely noticed it at our house. I haven't seen this kind of inflation since the Carter administration, which perhaps comes from the Bush administration resembling the Carter administration as it winds down (you know, the crappy foreign relations and giving tax dollars away to charity). Anyway Lori, thanks for the heads up on that one.
2. After that earth shattering front page story on the price of groceries, we see on page 16A a story about the revolution in Thailand. This seems to be more appropriate front page news, but it it buried in the later pages. Arguably, the most unstable part of the world is even more unstable.
3. Liberal columnist Richard Reeves throws in this 2 cents worth on how the Republican party can come back. He says we should stop listening to Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham, and Sean Hannity. He argues that we should what...adopt the platform of the democratic party. I got news for you, Richard, President Bush has been acting like a Dem for quite a while now, and what did it get his party? He has been taking tax dollars and giving them away for nothing, he has not been promoting the interests of a sovereign America, he has supported amnesty for illegal aliens, and he has been promoting socialism. Hell, the dem's should love him. I really can't believe Reeves is attempting to tell the GOP how to operate. To me, that's a little like letting Satan set your moral compass.

4. And to get away from the paper, Mark Levin reminds us of President-elect Obama's cocaine use for which he seems to have no remorse or apology...but who cares, right? Some role model. Do you remember a Supreme Court nominee named Robert Bork who was turned away by the Senate because he admitted to using marihuana in college? Actually, it was because he was a strict conservative legal scholar who believed in constitutional originalism. I also recall the liberal mainstream media beating on President Bush about some of his wild collegiate times. I guess (thanks to the "philosophy" of permissiveness of the sixties), our future leaders are going to be dopeheads of one kind or another as long as they support the liberal platforms pushed by the mainstream media (i.e.-the New York Times, the Washington Post, NBC, CBS, CNN, and so on).

The Thursday Record-Chronicle:
5. I see a story fit for the front page. It seems to me that, as a nation, we have taken our eye off of the ball since 9-11. "Muslem extremists" stormed restaurants, hotels, and a hospital in Mumbai, India, shooting people. The story indicates that the assassins were targeting Britons and Americans in that rampage. At least 78 people were killed and 200 wounded in the attacks. A witness that got out said that the killers were yelling "Who has U.S or U.K. passports?" So the Mulem extremists strike again.
6. There is a wonderful letter by Shirly Spellerberg, the former mayor of Corinth, about how ignorant those enthusiastic Obama voters really were. I love seeing that kind of information. Anyone want to show me that she is incorrect with this data?
7. Walter Williams has a column in the paper today. If you don't know, I am a fan of his writing. I enjoy this logic and hard facts to support it. Plus, I am all in favor of freedom, which we seem to be willing to give away out of panic.

8. A recent Dear Abby column that showed up in yesterday's paper was fascinating. I, at first glance, thought it had been submitted by former democratic presidential candidate John Edwards. The letter is written by the wife. She says that she has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Apparently, her husband of 8 years has put her on notice that, should she become physically incapacitated to where she can't perform her "wifely duties", he wants theright to choose a "sex buddy" (odd choice of words to me) to have sex with when she can't. He claims that she is not fulfilling her marriage vows. Of course, Abby points out the hyprocrisy of his point of view noting that his vows included "till death do us part". I would go further in saying that, first of all, it is simply wrong to cheat on your wife, period. But it is really, really sorry to cheat on a wife who is sick. (Got that, John Edwards?) Anyway, it looks like she really picked a winner.

9. And finally, I have to hand it to King Barack for his recent edict to the big three car manufacturers. He told them that they really should forego bonuses, pay increases, and maybe even consider reducing their own bloated salaries before they run to Congress for bail out money. Good advice, indeed. I hope those guys take it. I hope Obama takes his own advice and cuts some of the bloat out of the federal government, as well.

And to sum up...

1. The Cowboys won and looked much better doing it. I hardly call a rebuilding 49 er team any kind of real test.
2. Alabama is #1, Texas is #2, Oklahoma is #3, and Texas Tech is #7. If Oklahoma loses to Oklahoma State (which is extremely possible), the B12 South is between Texas and Texas Tech, and since Tech already beat Texas, Tech would get to face Missouri in the B12 championship. Also, Alabama may very well get knocked off by Florida in the SEC championship game.
3. The Mavs are back winning again.
4. Mike Musina retired from the Yankees, so that's one less pitcher who can shut out the Rangers.
5. "The Mentalist" is my new favorite show, at least, until the next season of "Dexter" is released.
6. But if Oklahoma beats Oklahoma State, Oklahoma might end up in the B12 championship in spite of the loss to Texas. I would be good with that.

New Profile Photo

Yep, that's a new picture...and that's Paris (not Texas) behind me (just in case you were wondering).

Finally...

The company that bought up all of the episodes of MST3K is finally releasing a new set. This was quite possibly my favorite show ever. This release has:
Future War
Laser Blast
First Spaceship on Venus
Werewolf
Funny Stuff!

This looks like it could be a good read

I need to get a copy of this book.

Good documentary

My boys gave me a copy of this documentary. I watched it and enjoyed it. I would recommend it whether you are a fan of hers or not. By the way, if you haven't figured out that I am a fan, you haven't been paying attention.

ICE Sting

And I hear from the "Wall Street Journal" radio station that the Feds have arrested an ICE (That's Immigration and Customs, formerly INS) for accepting over $8000 in bribe money from an undercover officer to look the other way while illegal aliens were being smuggled into the country. Not only are the border agents out funded and out manned, they can't even trust their own to follow the rules and do the job properly. I like to see turncoats and traitors rooted out of their holes. They caught one, but how many more disheartened border agents have turned to making money after seeing the futility of stopping something that our own government does not really want stopped?

Leonard, you got it wrong

Leonard,
You got it wrong (as usual). The southern Republicans don't blame those groups for anything. They blame the federal government for pandering to them by passing laws that promote racism and sexism through affirmative action programs. I am really surprised that we are all not insulted by the lowering of hiring standards in order to get a quota of some particular group into a profession or job.
It is our federal government that promotes these things as they have slowly eroded the power of the states to have and use the powers under the United States Constitution. You remember, those powers not specifically granted to the federal government were reserved to the States. The federal government usurps more and more power, even to the point of performing acts not authorized under the Constitution.

And on a positive note...

Finally, a jury was able to cut through the in the latest Muslim Charity Trial. For years, they were able camoflage their support of evil by sending some funds to worthwhile charities. Perhaps the victory won't have much substance, though. I suspect that Obama and his people will look to pardoning these people so they can carry on their nefarious activities right under our noses.

Obscene Airline CEO salaries

Check out this video link about the CEO of Japan Air Lines sacrificing in the difficult times that the rest of his employees are suffering to keep the planes operating and the airline running. The amazing part is the obscene salaries of the American CEO's while they seek government handouts to keep their lines running. Also, they claim they need to add fees for baggage checking and so forth. Really? How about cutting out billions in fat from their overhead?
Are these guys really this valuable to their companies?
(Thanks to emailer for sending me this story)

The kind of information that we need

This is the kind of information that we need to combat the socialists in Washington who keep wanting to give away tax money. $35.8 billion lost is medicare and medicaid billing errors.
How many other places are there where billions are wasted in carelessness or bad decision making?

Historic Bait and Switch

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernake

Secretary of the Treasury Henry M. Paulson, Jr.

These two gentlemen have succeeded in the biggest bait and switch on the largest group of people in American history. Is the rest of America as goofy as the Pennsylvania constituents of Rep. Murtha? What does it take to insult your intelligence?

If you hire a contractor to build a house for you, and he is taking money from your account presumably to pay the subcontractors who do the work, but he decides to use the money in some other way, do you not want that individual in jail? Would you not like to see him in a place where he can never defraud anyone else again?

Are we sheep to merely be sheared?

Venus and Jupiter in the sky tonight.

The two bright stars in the western sky at sunset are Venus and Jupiter. Venus is the brighter of the two.

I just pass this on because that kind of stuff just fascinates the heck out of me. There is so much other stuff going on out there, it's amazing how important we really perceive ourselves. Are there really no others out there?

Obama job questionaire

I printed a copy of the job questionaire to work in the Obama administration. I think I will see how I would answer these questions.

Cowboys win to get to 6 and 4.

Cowboys knock off the Redskins. We may make the playoffs yet.
...However, have you ever seen a more lost looking head coach on the sidelines than Wade Phillips. I haven't seen anyone look that clueless since Dave Campo was the 'Boys' head coach. I watched the game with my sons last night, and it became a running gag about the alzheimer's patient loose on the Cowboys' sideline.

The Record Chronicle actually exhbits rational thought?

Check this link.
Do I detect the DRC editorial staff exhibiting some understanding of the hatchet job that the liberal media did on Sarah?
It would appear so.
Every once in a while a lucid moment occurs over there.

Oklahoma State vs Colorado

I am sort of halfway listening to the Oklahoma State against Colorado game, and I heard that security in the stadium in Boulder had to hunt for some person using a laser pointer. Apparently, he was shining it in the eyes of the OSU quarterback.
Can't one of those things do some serious damage to a person's retinas if shined directly in his eyes?
What gets into some people?

A New Friend...

I know that you all know who this is: the prophet.

I did not know that Dr. Admire had such a great understanding of the new president elect, BHO. Dr. Admire hit the nail right on the head with his comments about BHObama (See Denton Record Chronicle letter to editor for November 15, 2008). Those of you who think Obama has miraculously changed from the left wing radical that he has always been are deluding yourselves. He and his ilk hate this country, and they will not protect us. Say what you want about President Bush, but there were no attacks on American soil during his watch. Protecting the nation is first and most important job of the President. If he can't do anything else, he should do that.

When I think I have seen everything, the liberal women confound me. Susan "Estrogen" Estrich's column in the paper today violently and insultingly attacking Sarah Palin was particularly nauseating. It is amazing how the so-called elightened modern woman will turn on one of their own merely because she embraces conservative values. I mean, seriously, does a woman candidate automatically have to support socialism and the murder of children to be accepted by other women?

The bright side of that vicious attack is that the Republicans are on the right track with her. The more they protest her, the more we see that they fear her as the future.

Plus, do not forget how the liberal media selected our Republican candidate for us. We cannot let that keep happening. The left loved McCain because they knew he couldn't win. Moreover, he was so middle of the road, he was practically a democrat himself.

I see that President Obama will be the first "Youtube" President by broadcasting his weekly addresses on youtube.com.

Also, pay attention as he moves to take away our sovereignty as a nation by handing us over to dominion of the United Nations and a world economy lead by some kind of a world bank. Even Switzerland, the country whose main industry is banking, wants no part of the "European Union".

Finally, for now, Iran is upset over dropping gasoling prices in the US. OPEC has alread cut production by 1.5 million barrels. Iran is asking for a further cut in production by 1.5 million to 3 million barrels.

You all do remember that Obama was never in favor of increasing domestic oil production. Crazy Nancy Pelosi adjourned Congress during the height of the gasoline crisis. She does not want to increase domestic production.

Now that gas prices are going back down to where they should be...you know...back to the level which allows America to actually function, the people in power are going to do all they can to drive the price back up. Obama and Pelosi won't be happy until our economy is as screwed up as the European economy. (I know our economy is messed up now, but it is still better than Europe's.)

The Bail Out Campaign was a Total Pack of Lies.

Boys and Girls, you have been flim flammed by the guys pushing the big government bail out plan. (See the story at the link below)
After the "bipartisan" effort to shove the big bank bailout down our throats in such a hurry, they have stopped think and realized that the buying up of bad loans perhaps wasn't the best use of the taxpayers' money. They have yet to buy up one single bad note. Did they not tell us that this money was to buy up the bad loans to free up funds to open up the credit market? I believe that was what was said all along. Now, they have changed the plan. They have tricked the easily duped Congress into approving a huge expenditure of tax funds for a socialistic goal. But now they are not using it for was was advertised. They are using it however they see fit. Your Congres has just given these dreamers and scammers a blank check. How about them apples? For the most part, they are merely buying stock in existing banks that have gotten themselves in trouble with bad loans. Now they are considering a boisterous request by the auto industry to spend some of the $700 billion of the bailout money on saving the big three auto makers.
The UAW spent alot of money getting BHO elected President, and now they want some return on their investment.
The point of this is that you, the American public along with your Senators and Representatives have been utterly and completely conned by the proponents of this massive socialistic effort. We are now at the mercy of tyrants who will dictate to you how to use your money.
"Crazy Hank" Paulsen is not elected by any people, and he has never been elected. He is appointed as a quasi-dictatorial "expert" in the national economy.
The bottom line is this: the economy must be free to work under the rules that govern a free economy. Businesses supply products or services in return for revenue. Most of these will come to termination because their product or service is no longer desirable, and they were not able to adapt with updated or upgraded products or services. Maybe their product is obsolete or someone else made it better for the same or less money. For whatever reason, businesses fail and go bankrupt all the time. The auto industry is in trouble because they have let the labor unions increase their overhead to the point that they cannot compete with the overseas car makers unless the government intervenes with extra taxes or import tariffs on the imported (higher quality) cars. Plus, the American auto maker had historically had difficulty making vehicles that are as reliable in the long term as Japanese or German machines.
Therefore, the US Government is being asked to pour billions of tax dollars into a poorly run business that makes an inferior product just to keep them in business. They do not have to adapt to the times or make a superior product. They get to keep making the same poorly engineered American cars, selling them at inflated prices, and paying top dollar to executives that got them in this mess in the first place.
Why are we letting these Treasury guys steer us down the road to socialism?
Let the bad businesses fail for crying out loud. When they fade away, other more clever and enterprising individuals will start businesses that make a superior or upgraded product (provided of course that the government does not regulate them out of business). We have to say "NO MORE!" to these people. They said that approving the bailout plan would stop the fall of the stock market, but it is still falling, isn't it. They said it would get the economy moving, but it hasn't. Retailers are predicting the worst Christmas selling season in recent history. The people with money don't trust these guys, and you shouldn't either.
EVERY SINGLE CONGRESSMAN WHO VOTED FOR THIS PLAN SHOULD BE DEFEATED AND REMOVED FROM OFFICE IN THE VERY NEXT ELECTION! THEY HAVE CONNED THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT OUT OF BILLIONS OF OUR TAX DOLLARS. WE HAVE TO STOP THEM. HOW CAN YOU LET THIS GO ON?

I might...

...put my Second Anniversary rant back up. It's all true.

I do not need...

Anger Management Classes, and my blood pressure is just fine, thank you.

B. Hussein Obama to begin his Rule...uh...administration

I keep hearing and reading Stories, like this one on CNN, about all of the things that BHO is going to do when he takes office.
One theme I keep getting from him is an intense desire to kill or allow the killing of unborn children. Read that story in the link and see that he wants to further the exploitation of dead babies by increasing the use of their cells, and he wants to fund groups that promote abortions here and in foreign countries.
I am getting more and more nervous about this guy.
PALIN 2012!
I also heard a scary thing on the radio yesterday. They were playing tape from an Obama staffer discussing the aims of his administration, but the woman said that "Mr. Obama was looking forward to starting his Rule, not administration or service to the people.
This is the way they see it people: "King B. H. Obama".
If you're not nervous about this guy yet, you might just be crazy.

PAY DAY

I do love payday-Friday, don't you?

Perfect Timing

Texas Tech is playing Oklahoma State at 7:00 this evening, and I have to go to a dinner party. As you can guess, this was planned by the women. Cheeez!

Denton Guyer H.S. finally beats Ryan H.S.

Denton Guyer defeats Denton Ryan by a Score of 42 to 28. I know you most of you all don't care, but I was really surprised. Ryan has been the power around here for so long, and everyone has been kicking Guyer (the newest high school in Denton) since they joined the district. Well, I guess there is a new football power in town. How fun.

IRS rules force retirees to sell some stock for tax purposes

http://usgovinfo.about.com/b/2008/11/07/irs-forces-retirees-to-sell-stock-in-bad-market.htm
Wow! You know, just because you can do a thing does not mean that you should do a thing. Do the officers of the IRS have no discretion in this matter? You should read this article. This is not the time for people to have to sell stock. Can you imagine working hard all of your life and then having your government flush it down the commode for you?
Well, get ready, because that is what you all have just elected as a president and a congress.
BTW, I can't wait for the "I told you so" moment, because it will come!!!

What a great game

Texas Tech 39

Texas 33

Texas Tech is now ranked number 2 in the nation, but Texas falls only to 4th.
Tech still has to deal with Oklahoma State next weekend, and Oklahoma State gave the horns all they wanted.
Then they have an open date before they have to take on Oklahoma.
This is really going to be interesting to me.

This is the link to the story about the current rankings:
http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/8749968/Texas-Tech-passes-Penn-State-in-BCS-standings

As for those Dallas Cowboys...you know, it can only hurt so much for so long before the numbness sets in. That's all I got to say about that.

GUNS UP!

Don't have too much fun, tonight.

I think we are cancelling Halloween at our house tonight...mostly on account of apathy. (Picture contributed by emailer. Thank you. Good stuff. It kind of reminds me of the Calvin and Hobbs comic strip where he would build his snowmen in various poses.)

October 30

1. Early voting ends tomorrow.
2. Listened to about as much of Obama's infomercial as I could stand (which wasn't much). Hopefully, he has shown enough of his "spread the wealth" mentality for the average voting American to pull the switch against him.
3. The funny thing about Obama winning (if anything about that could be funny) will be to watch him take money from those rich liberal supporters of his. I would love to see their faces when their tax rates go through the roof to support is trillion dollars worth of "special (socialist) projects."
4. the Obama/Pelosi/Reid triumvirate will not protect the country against outside invaders. (Obama and his associations are dangerous.)
5. Health scares are absolutely mortifying. Whether they are something or nothing, they can be a real drain in the soul.
6. That which does not kill us makes us stronger. (Nietzsche) (spelling error corrected by contributor...thanks)
7. The Cowboys play the Giants this weekend without Romo, and now, without Whitten. I don't know if I can look.
8. However, those Longhorns to go to Lubbock to take on the Red Raiders. That will be fun. Go Red Raiders!

Mavericks season opener tonight

Tonight is the first game of the season. They have to play the Rockets right off the bat. It looks like we are still stuck with Jason Kidd. Cuban is the only one crazy enough to trade the point guard of the future for a guy at the end of his career. I doubt if any other team would be willing to give up anything for Kidd.
However, they did announce that the Mavericks get to host the 2010 NBA All Star Game, which should bring some buckage to Dallas.

Voting

I voted today.
Early voting ends tomorrow, apparently.
If you didn't early vote, be sure to vote on Tuesday.

Stuff that happened today

October 27, 2008.

1. I finally found out that Daylight Savings Time ends next weekend so I guess we get to start driving home from work in the dark.

2. Some man stopped by the Wise County Courthouse wanting to know where he could go do his early voting. I told him I wasn't sure, but it was definitely not at the County Clerk's Office across the street. (reference earlier post about the sign)

3. It was cold this morning.

4. We are making another attempt to see the Impressionists Exhibit at the Kimbell Art Museum this week.

5. I usually like Halloween, but I don't think I have given it two thoughts this year. What's up with that?

6. Was is me or did everyone seem particularly apathetic about this day?

7. I am totally creeped out by the giant spider in my last post.

8. The people who bought all of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes are finally releasing another 4 movie set. Supposedly it is the 20th anniversary special, but I think I could have made better choices for movies than what they chose. See: http://www.mst3k.com/

7. The author of Liberally Lean just posted the same lame photo that he posts every year when the Texas Tech vs. Texas game is right around the corner...pretty girls, though. I am eager to see the Red Raiders knock those Longhorns out of the number 1 slot. The Big 12 is going to be a real rumble this season. Don't be surprised if Texas Tech ends up playing for a national championship. They have just achieved their highest football ranking in 32 years.

8. There is always alot of work to do, and guess what, there always will be.

9. Once again, I-35 southbound going through Denton was totally jammed up to a near standstill going through town up to the South Loop 288 exit. What is up with that? Are there really that many people driving south on I-35 at the end of the day. I remember with southbound was always clear. It was the northbound traffic from Dallas, Carrollton, and Lewisville that was always so bogged down.

Are you kidding me?

What in the world ever possessed me to think that I would ever want to go Australia? This is a photo that has been circulating on the internet along with a story of this gigantic spider eating a bird that has been caught in it's web. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24540399-5009760,00.html
Here is the link to the story about it. I think there are more photos.

There should not be a place in the world with bugs this big. This is like something from Robert Heinlein's Storm Troopers.

Note: the guy who found it named it "Tiger" because it got a "birdie". (okay, not so funny...maybe a little funny?)

Today

Just a few observations on a Sunday:

1. We went to the Kimbell Art Museum in FW to see the "Impressionists" Exhibit. We got there shortly after noon, and the line for tickets was 2 hours long. I couldn't believe that so many people would want to see that, and I couldn't believe that the Kimbell wasn't more prepared for an onslaught of cultured North Texans. They had one ticket counter and one line. We gave up. We are going to try again, but November 2 is the last day for the exhibit.

2. I watched "Casino Royale" again as my cigar time movie. The last segment of the movie where the girl dies in the elevator is shot in Venice. I watched as 007 ran through the streets of Venice in and around St. Mark's Square, and I thought, "I've been there, I've stood there, I've seen that view, I've been in that bank..." It was a really cool feeling.

3. The Cowboys won...thank goodness. I am very worried about this year's team.

4. I will never, ever understand women...and that will probably be my downfall.

5. I sent out a call to my writing group since I had not heard from any of them in months (at least it seems like months). They replied. We can set up a meeting.

6. I have gone back to work on the novel with renewed vigor. I think it could shape up to something good. Perhaps I may even know what it needs to spice it up a bit.

7. This Obama guy may very well be our next President. I am very afraid of this for reasons already stated, but mainly, I fear an unrestrained democratically controlled congress with the always insane Pelosi/Reid leadership team.

8. This credit crunch falls squarely on the shoulders of the democratic party during the Clinton administration. Bill Clinton lead Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac down this path, and now we and our children will pay for it forever. That is another part of the Clinton legacy.

Response to anonymous comment

An anonmymous commenter left this for the previous post.
It is meant as a shot at President Bush, I'm sure. I have also taken my shots at President Bush.

An informed citizen would watch more than Fox News. What is it called when government takes tax payers dollars and gives it to churches for "faith-based initiatives?"

Taking money from taxpayers for any reason other than a legitimate purpose of government is wrong and unconstitutional. Taking tax money for a charitable purpose or to give to a church under whatever trumped up reason is wrong. However, no one has stopped it because this is the kind of thing that liberals like. This is the gradual liberalization of the Bush presidency. This comes from listening to liberal complainers and trying to do things to appease them instead of shutting them up by doing what is right.
So...I think it wrong to give tax money to churches. I think it is wrong to give tax breaks to churches. I think the government is wrong to use tax money for any other than a real purpose of government: to defend the nation, to keep the roads and national parks, to pay government employees and other things along those lines. It is not to give endowments to the arts, to fund Planned Parenthood, to pay able bodied people who choose not to work or who have become disabled by their own drug abuse, to make charitable donations, or to subsidize any religion.
Understand?

The Forgotten Man

Obama says "spread the wealth."
But what about the people who worked hard to actually produce the wealth? What about the concept of a man living by the sweat of his own brow (instead of living off of the sweat of another man's brow)?
The guy who is coerced out of his earnings by the government is truly the forgotten man. The so-called "deserving recipients" get the press and receive the sympathy, but who sympathizes with the guy that works to take care of his family?
“They are always under the dominion of the superstition of government, and forgetting that a government produces nothing at all, they leave out of sight the first fact to be remembered in all social discussion -- that the state cannot get a cent for any man without taking it from some other man, and this latter must be a man who has produced and saved it. This latter is the Forgotten Man.”
These are the words of William Graham Sumner, brilliantly analyzed and applied to 21st century America by Amity Schlaes in her recent book, The Forgotten Man.
No economy was ever saved by taking assets from those who earned them and giving them to those who did not. Obama promises the ruin of our national economy to the point where he and the democratically controlled congress can take as much of your money as they wish for whatever purpose they deem fit.
A government produces nothing. It cannot give a dollar to anyone without taking it form someone else who actually produced the dollar.
Welfare money was money taken from earning taxpayers.
Charitable contributions in the name of the United State of America are made up of money taken from people who worked and paid taxes.
If I walk up to you, reach into your pocket, take money, and hand it to someone else that I believe "needs" it more than you, I have just committed theft, and therefore, I should be taken to jail.
If I reach into my own pocket and give money to someone else, I am committing real charity without injuring anyone else in the process.
A Congress lead by crazy people (Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid) cannot be allowed to run over the free market economy unchecked...and Obama will not keep them from continually reaching into your pocket for more and more of your earnings to support their inane programs.

The Shiloh Morning Inn in Ardmore, Oklahoma...

...is a fantastic place to spend a weekend. We just got back from there, and I can't say enough nice things about it. It is fairly isolated from the town. At night, the only sounds to be heard are the cattle mooing in the darkness. It was extremely peaceful. Plus, the food was wonderful. Linda and Bob are extremely gracious hosts. Linda is a fabulous cook. By far, this was the best Bed and Breakfast I have ever experienced. We had tickets to the Gary Allan concert at the Winstar Casino. The show was okay, but Cindy likes country music far more than I do. The best part of the weekend was our stay in Ardmore. It was a very nice weekend getaway.

I love this sign...

...in front of the Wise County Clerk's Office.
It's saying, "we want you to vote, but you can't vote here."
Anyway, you can't miss it; it dominates the intersection of Walnut and Trinity on the square in Decatur. What a great sign.

News Story on Strahan Trial

This is the story that appeared in the Wise County Messenger on October 12, 2008, after the Strahan trial in Decatur.

WCMessenger.com News Headlines
Strahan receives 4 life sentences
By Chris Butler
Published Sunday, October 12, 2008

A Newark man was sentenced to four life sentences Thursday after a Wise County jury found him guilty on four counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Johnny Strahan, 40, was also found guilty on seven charges of possession of child pornography and sentenced to 10 years on each count.In both cases, jurors gave Strahan the maximum punishment allowed under the law. District Judge John Fostel ordered the sentences be stacked rather than run concurrent. Strahan will have to serve at least 30 years for each life sentence. In all, Strahan, who has been jailed since April of 2007, will have to serve 144 years before he would be eligible for parole, District Attorney Jana Jones said.The jury of eight women and four men deliberated for about an hour before announcing the guilty verdicts.

The trial began Tuesday, with Strahan issuing a plea of not guilty to each charge. He told Fostel that he did not want to testify on his own behalf. TestimonyA 14-year-old girl testified that she was living with her maternal grandparents at the time Strahan sexually abused her on multiple occasions. According to the arrest affidavit in the case, the girl said she was abused since around the age of 9. Strahan was an older family member who was also living at the house. The girl became emotional during her testimony and her eyes sometimes faced the floor as she talked about him.She didn't tell anyone in her family about the abuse because she said she was afraid. She said in her testimony that she often saw Strahan act aggressive with other people, and she feared he would hit her if she told anyone what was happening. She also witnessed Strahan looking at child porn on his computer, according to her testimony. The girl eventually told a neighbor about the abuse. The neighbor said she immediately called the authorities.

The girl's biological mother testified that she left the girl and her other daughter, now 17, with their maternal grandparents in Newark because she suffered from bipolar disorder and couldn't care for her children. She also said that she once had a sexual relationship with Strahan while she was married to another man, only a few weeks before she learned she was pregnant with her younger daughter. She said the 14-year-old girl resembles Strahan, adding he is probably her biological father, although she isn't positive.

Prosecutors also introduced seven pieces of evidence of child pornography. Investigator Brian Norris said he conducted a search of Strahan's room and found several computers and pornographic material. He found a Bowie-type knife under the mattress. Norris collected a computer as evidence.John Day, with the Secret Service North Texas Electronic Crimes Task Force, said he found 1,050 images on the hard drive of Strahan's computer, and he guessed about 900 images contained child pornography.

Jurors were then shown the seven images from a projector onto a screen. Panels were placed in the windows of the doors entering the courtroom as to not offend anyone passing by in the hallway, prosecutors said.

Closing Arguments
In closing arguments, defense attorney Bill Ray told jurors that prosecuting attorneys Paige McCormick and Kevin Henry didn't prove that Strahan was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of any of the charges.

"No one proved that John Strahan was the only person who had access to (his) room," Ray said. "There were six or seven people living in that house at the time. Sure, we have a little girl here who looks like her life has fallen apart, but that doesn't prove anything." Henry, however, said that Ray's closing arguments were "unbelievably hard to listen to." "What else can you say when you represent one of the biggest perverts in Wise County?" said Henry. "He is one of the lowest forms of perversion. Witness after witness told us that he always keeps the door to his bedroom locked. "Nevertheless, I can't prove to you that gremlins from the Kremlin didn't come in to that room and put those pics on that computer," he continued. "I would ask you to use your common sense." Henry went on to describe Strahan's bedroom as "a chamber of horrors."

Life in Prison
After returning the guilty verdicts, jurors next had to decide Strahan's punishment: life in prison. During the punishment phase, the 17-year-old girl testified that Strahan began sexually abusing her when she was 11 years old, several years before he began abusing her younger sister. She also testified that he forced her to wear red thong panties when he molested her. Law enforcement officials later found those panties underneath Strahan's mattress.

Aggravated sexual assault is a first degree felony, and possession of child pornography is a third degree felony.

Copyright 2008 Wise County MessengerPO Box 149, 115 South Trinity, Decatur, Texas 76234
940-627-5987 FAX 940-627-1004 www.wcmessenger.com webmaster@wcmessenger.com

Have I underestimated my Congressman?

Could it be that I underestimated the resolve of my Congressman against the rising tide of socialism at the hands of the liberals and democrats?
In my earlier letter, I asked him, point-blank, whether or not he voted for the Economic bail out bill.
In this letter, he responds that he voted against it both times. Good man!
As long as he stands against Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Frank, and the new liberalized President Bush, he has my vote.

Dear Mr. Henry:

Thank you for contacting me regarding H.R.1424, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act that recently passed the US House of Representatives. I appreciate hearing from you on this very important matter.

As you may know, the Secretary of Treasury, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Congressional leadership, President Bush, and various financial experts, asked Congress for decisive action to prevent dangerous harm to our nation's economy. The situation presented to Congress included failures in our credit markets, extreme bank vulnerability, and a threatened economic depression. In response, the United States Senate passed H.R. 1424 on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 by a 75-24 vote. H.R. 1424 then passed the House of Representatives on Friday, October 03, 2008 by a 263-171 vote. The nearly $800 billion package was rushed through the House of Representatives in a little over a week and did not adequately protect tax payers from Wall Street liability or address the causes of this market failure, for those reasons, I voted against the emergency rescue package on Monday, September 29, and again on Friday, October 3.

In my view, legislative time would have been better spent shoring up systems designed to protect the American middle class. This bill did not do enough to protect Oak Street and Elm Street despite the endless references to the impact on Wall Street and Main Street. H.R. 1424 gives the Department of Treasury the authority to borrow money from foreign banks to appease the foreign banks that lost money investing in our housing market, this is wrong. With this vote, Congress gave up the ability to control these funds and acted without appropriate oversight to protect the taxpayer. We responded to questionable investing with questionable spending of tax payer funds. Wall Street is made up of a well paid, sophisticated group of institutional investors who are well aware of the risks and benefits of investing. Wall Street must repay the good faith provided by tax payers by picking up the tab that resulted from unsound investment vehicles tied to the housing market.

Although I disagreed with the emergency financial package, I am dedicated to working towards results. Congress has a responsibility to fix the cause and hold those responsible for this situation accountable for their actions. We have a duty to protect American taxpayers from more debt, higher taxes, and untold risk due to market failures or our legislative response. Ultimately, the government entities responsible for regulatory authority over financial markets never exercised the proper oversight over complex 21st century financial instruments. The Government Sponsored Entities (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are in need of systemic changes to the way they do business and our federal programs need improved flexibility to better avoid risk and respond to crisis.

While Congress debated the large spending package, federal agencies took the opportunity to embrace steps recommended by Members of Congress. I am grateful the Securities Exchange Commission acted to end short selling stock without actually possessing it; and modifications to ensure "fair value accounting" within banking institutions. I also defend the important steps that are being made at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; your money is safer today because of their continued response. I am encouraged by these steps that protect American assets from financial risk, and I look forward to recommending more changes in the future.

Congress was given a small window of time to consider this very expensive program and as a result, it will carry long-term financial implications that must continue to receive scrutiny. This government action was not right, it was heavy handed, and we were right to question the government's ability to intervene and the tax payer's right to object to payment. As we move forward, I will continue to keep you informed of my progress and I hope you will continue to support my efforts to protect your financial assets, and your freedom from government intervention. "Too big to fail" is a phrase our government should use only once and only when looking in the mirror.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me. I appreciate having the opportunity to represent you in the U.S. House of Representatives. Please feel free to visit my website (www.house.gov/burgess) or contact me with any future concerns.

Sincerely,

Michael C. Burgess, M.D.

Member of Congress

Added Dr. Laura's Blog to "My Blog List"

As a general rule, my favorite things are things that make sense to me. This includes people or things I understand because we have congruent thought processes. I like Dr. Laura for her reading on right and wrong.
There is right and there is wrong, and if it isn't right, then it's wrong. When you compromise, you settle for being wrong because you move away from what is right.
Anyway, I added Dr. Laura's blog to "My Blog List" on my blog page. It already is listed as one of my favorites. Her radio show tends to get a bit tedious, but I truly enjoy her writings.

CSI Miami

I enjoy CSI Miami for a couple of reasons. I think that the Miami show is more dramatic and showy than the Vegas version with William Petersen.

Above is "Calleigh", one of the investigators on the show. The female characters are way more attractive than the female characters in Vegas.

It is fun to watch Caruso try to make "Horatio Cain" a cool characther. You just have to watch him to see that he has tapped into some kind of acting formula. Notice how he turns kind of sideways and talks into his shoulder when he is delivering a line.

Caruso's problem is that he is in Miami, and therefore, has juxtaposed his characther against James "Sonny" Crocket, probably the coolest guy ever on television. (See: Miami Vice, all 5 seasons)

New Inquiry/Letter to my Congressman

To The Honorable Michael C. Burgess:
Dr. Burgess,
Did you vote in favor of the "Bail Out" Bill that recently passed Congress and was signed by the President?
I heard many news and radio broadcasts trying to convince the American people that this was critical to the survival of the economy of our nation. After President Bush signed the bill, some Congressmen (Senators and Represetatives) are now telling us that the impact will be long delayed. I also hear about a flagging stock market because of a lack of faith in the ability of the bail out bill to save the economy after all. My fear is that we just encumbered our future and our children's future for nothing other than a grandstand play by a Congress with a very low approval rating.
I also want to thank you for your past responses to my inquiries.
Kevin L. Henry

WTF!?! Romo out for 4 weeks?

Romo has a broken finger on his throwing hand? He will be out for 4 weeks? If that is true, he won't be any good in 4 weeks. His hand will be messed up until next season. They will have to depend on Brad Johnson, the quarterback of the 2002 Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is 40 years old, but old backups have done the job before (recall Earl Morral who started all 14 games for the 1968 Baltimore Colts in leading them to the Super Bowl).
This is very bad for the Cowboys this season.

Highway 380 this morning

Highway 380 is still blocked up with the construction. I think I will consider an alternate route into Decatur. How long is this nonsense supposed to go on?

Trial this week in Decatur

I was in trial this week in Wise County. The end result was 4 life sentences and 7 ten year sentences. It was a tough battle, and the defense attorney was very good at his job. I learned alot about forensic computer examination and evidence retrieval. It was a very interesting case. That is why I had no entries in my blog this week. This job is picking up the pace. I have a nonjury trial next week that I have to get ready for now. Also, we may have to try a case in Jack County at the end of the month. Wow.

Highway 380

Here we are driving back from Decatur to Denton this afternoon. The DOT has it closed down to one lane for a long stretch, so their solution is to take turns stopping traffic each way. As a result, the traffic is backed up for miles in each direction. The trip is taking twice as long as it should. I took this picture trying to depict the line of westbound vehicles just sitting there while we went by.
It makes you wonder if this really is the best solution they can come up with.

I loved being in Paris

Above is a photo of me in front of the Louvre. I didn't get to see enough of that place alone.

I took this picture of the Eiffel Tower as we walked by on the way to dinner on the last evening.

They took a photo of me on the last night of the tour in Paris. I want to go back and just spend a week or two in Paris.

Could I have dog like this?

...instead of these three moronic animals I am stuck with?

I got a new car

Relax, guys. The payments are the same as the Nissan Sentra. That car just wasn't cool enough for me. Seriously though, I really enjoy driving this one around. I have never had a sports car before.

Congressman Burgess responded to my last letter.

Dear Mr. Henry:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the emergency financial package that continues to be debated in the House of Representatives. I appreciate hearing from you on this very important matter.

Congress was only given a small window of time to consider a very expensive program with long term financial implications. It was not right, it was heavy handed, and we were correct to question the bill before the House. We must determine the government's ability to intervene and the taxpayer's right to object to payment. Congress must shape this compromise to focus on taxpayer protections without losing sight of this opportunity to reorganize and upgrade our regulatory barriers. In doing so, we will encourage a system more adaptable to 21st century financial markets and more protective of tax payer exposure.

This will require major surgery to excise this financial cancer from our system. Just as importantly, we need to provide the preventive medicine to stop any future occurrence of this dire situation.

Legislative time must be spent shoring up systems designed to protect American consumers. First and foremost, modifications to ensure fair value accounting within banking institutions such that mortgage backed securities that continue to have value are not arbitrarily deemed to be without worth. Additional provisions should included an increase in FDIC protection; an end to "naked" short selling (short selling stock without actually possessing it); and modifications to ensure "fair value accounting" within banking institutions; and finally by telling Wall Street to pick up the tab that resulted from reckless speculative investments tied to the housing market.

Let us remember some of the lessons from prior economic difficulties and consider reinstituting flexibility within the FDIC that help provide troubled banks additional backing if they do appear to be ultimately viable. Congress should approve a "net worth certificate" similar to what was enacted in the 1980s for the savings and loan industry. This action resolved $100 billion insolvency in the saving banks for a total cost of less than $2 billion. The FDIC should purchase net worth certificates in troubled banks that the FDIC determines can be viable if give more time.
Although I disagreed with the emergency package in its current form, I do believe Congress has a responsibility to act and act swiftly. Regulations can only be effective if the regulators do their job. Unfortunately the government entities responsible for regulatory authority over financial markets never exercised the proper oversight. These are complex 21st century financial instruments that require compulsive adherence to existing regulation. Since they were not up to the task, taxpayers are faced with the moral hazard of bailing out a well paid, sophisticated group of institutional investors who were well aware of the risks and benefits of investing.

This process is far from concluded. Once a legitimate compromise is offered that limits the expense, fixes the problem, and restores accountability to the system, I will be ready to offer my support. "Too big to fail" is a phrase our government should use only once and only when looking in the mirror.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me. I appreciate having the opportunity to represent you in the U.S. House of Representatives. Please feel free to visit my website (www.house.gov/burgess) or contact me with any future concerns.
Sincerely,
Michael C. Burgess, M.D.
Member of Congress
I think I need to call b***s*** on this one Congressman because I see where the bail out bill passed.
I have seen several calls for the entire Congress to be overhauled if this bill passes. I think that is an excellent idea. Our current Congress is mired in scratching the backs of one another and Washington establishment instead of taking care of us, the American citizen.