November 2009 Archives

As the calendar moves towards the end of 2009, we should take a step back and marvel at what the new administration has been able to accomplish. Yes, I know this seems daunting at times, but we should remember that change always comes slowly. I was playing with my IPhone on vacation and came up on two new applications I had to download. Apple was offering the Federalist Papers and Common Sense for free. I...

In what could be a shoo-in for the Scrooges-of-the-Year Award, the Fort Bend County Tea Party Society (whatever that is) is encouraging its members to politicize the Sugar Land Tree Lighting ceremony on Thursday, December 3rd being held by the City of Sugar Land.  On the baggers' homepage, they have an announcement telling supporters to wear their Teabagger T-shirts to the lighting ceremony to be held at Sugar Land Center that evening.  Nice.As I looked...

I thought I would take the next week or so to talk more about energy, energy supply, and climate change.  We'll also talk about the politics surrounding these issues in the United States.COP15 is opening in Copenhagen on December 7.  COP doesn't stand for Copenhagen; it stands for Conference of Parties, annual meetings that grew out of an international treaty, called the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), entered into by 192 countries...

Make your reservations now, and hurry, there are only a few rooms left (oops, bad word choice for this event. Make that remaining.) The First National Tea Party Convention will be held at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, February 4-6, 2010, and the keynote speaker will be--drum roll please--Sarah the Quitter. Also on the roster of speakers, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. Two wingnuts for the price of one, what a bargain. Speaking of price, from the...

In an almost non-reported story, President Obama has ordered "hundreds, if not thousands" of registered lobbyists off of agency advisory boards and panels.  The policy, introduced several months ago, was reported yesterday by the Washington Post.  White House counsel for ethics, Norm Eisen, was quoted from a September blog post saying,"Some folks have developed a comfortable Beltway perch sitting on these boards while at the same time working as lobbyists to influence the government.  That...

We've all heard the expression "give it 100%" meaning maximum effort. Coaches have asked their players to "give 110%" which while physically impossible,  is a motivational tool urging members of the team to perform beyond their capabilities. But have you ever heard of giving it 193% ? Apparently the folks at the Fox affiliate in Chicago have. They put up this pie chart to show the results of a Fox News / Opinion Dynamics Poll:...

On November 27, 1942 in Seattle, Washington, Lucille Hendrix gave birth to a son she named Johnny Allen Hendrix. Johnny's father Al later changed his son's name to James Marshall Hendrix, better known as Jimi to rock music fans everywhere. Here's one of Jimi's best performances, in my opinion. His version of Bob Dylan's Like a Rolling Stone, at the Monterey Pop Festival in the summer of 1967:              ...

Give thanks today if any of the following pertain to you:You have your health.Your children are healthy and happy, and getting an education.You've shared a meal with family or friends today.You have someone in your life who loves you and thinks you are special.You have a roof over your head.You have clothes on your back.You have a job.You have something to look forward to tomorrow.You have the right to vote, and you've actually done it.Everything...

  Proclamation of ThanksgivingWashington, D.C.October 3, 1863 This is the proclamation which set the precedent for America's national day of Thanksgiving. During his administration, President Lincoln issued many orders like this. For example, on November 28, 1861, he ordered government departments closed for a local day of thanksgiving. Sarah Josepha Hale, a prominent magazine editor, wrote a letter to Lincoln on 28, 1863, urging him to have the "day of our annual Thanksgiving made a...

An oldy but goody for your Thanksgiving enjoyment:Have a great holiday...all of us are having a fun weekend and won't be posting much unless something newsworthy comes up.  Enjoy your family...and eat lots of turkey!Jefe...