Harris County GOP: 2007 HCRP Legislative Agenda

Harris County GOP: 2007 HCRP Legislative Agenda

RESOLUTION PROCLAIMINGTHE HARRIS COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTYLEGISLATIVE AGENDAFOR THE 2007 TEXAS STATE LEGISLATIVE GENERAL SESSION
Whereas, the 2007 Texas Legislature will convene in 2007 with a majority of both the Texas Senate and Texas House represented by Republican members, we the Harris County Republican Party Executive Committee urge the Republican members of the Texas Legislature to author, introduce, and pass legislation to accomplish the following legislative goals, as contained both in the 2006 State Republican Party Platform and in many 2006 Senate District Republican Convention Platforms in Harris County, and across the State of Texas; and
Whereas, thousands of Republican Precinct Chairmen and campaign workers worked tirelessly for the election of these Republican nominees to the State Legislature in the recent general election, the Harris County Republican Executive Committee asks that these legislative goals be assigned the highest priority and embraced, sponsored, and enacted by all members of the Republican majorities elected to both houses of the Texas State Legislature; and
Therefore, Be It Resolved, that the Harris County Republican Party Executive urges the Republican members of the Texas Senate and House of Representatives, as well as Governor Rick Perry and Lt. Governor David Dewhurst, to author, introduce, and pass legislation that will:
1) Lower the state property appraisal cap to 3% per year on all residential property;
2) Repeal the new HB3 business tax, as well as the old franchise tax;
3) Reduce state government spending to the level that balances the state budget, after eliminating the taxes listed above;
4) Enact a "Texas Abortion Ban" law, which would immediately go into effect when Roe vs. Wade is overturned by the US Supreme Court
5) Secure our southern 2,000+ mile Texas border with a high "Defense Wall", and take all possible state legislative actions to stop illegal immigration NOW!,
6) Prohibit the granting of citizenship to children of illegal aliens born in the United States and its territories;
7) Maintain the present system of election of Texas Judges by party affiliation and general election;
8) Prevent any further restrictions on campaign finance activities, i.e. McCain-Feingold, etc.;
9) Support passage of a "Jessica's Law" to protect our children.
10) Oppose legalization of gambling in Texas.
11) Support a Photo Identification requirement to vote, and oppose election "paper-trail" systems.
12) Establish English as Texas's official language.
13) Transfer the Texas State government's Public Integrity function from the Travis County District Attorney to the Texas Attorney General.
14) and pass all other State Legislative changes recommended by the 2006 State Republican Party Convention Platform, and 2006 Harris County Senate District Convention Platforms; and

Be it further resolved, that this Legislative Agenda of the Harris County Republican Party Executive Committee be forwarded to all Republican State Legislators, as well as Lt. Governor David Dewhurst and Governor Rick Perry.

No response from my State Senator

Almost 2 weeks ago I finally calmed down enough to write a letter to my state senator Kyle Janek, asking for him to explain why he voted against the rule change that Senator Patrick brought forth on the first day of the legislature. I have seen no response as of this time so I am going to re send the letter with the hopes that I will finally get a response. I am also going to forward the letter to Senator Patrick and the

House members get $132 a day to do nothing until Feb. 8

House members get $132 a day to do nothing until Feb. 8

OK I am going to put names and e-mail links with faces here for this one... this is just one more piece of proof that the rules that the Texas Legislature are antiquated and those in power are more interested in getting along than in healthy debate on the issues.

AUSTIN — House members will be collecting $132 a day for expenses while doing little work on legislation until Feb. 8 because a routine rules suspension fell victim Tuesday to partisan acrimony.
In yet another sign that the House is off to a rocky start following a failed effort to dethrone Speaker Tom Craddick, the leadership was unable to get the necessary four-fifths vote needed to suspend a provision in the Constitution that prevents committees from hearing legislation during the first 30 days of a session and the full House from debating bills during the first 60 days.
Thirty-three Democrats and one Republican, Rep. Robert Talton of Pasadena, voted to block the rules change. The last time the House failed to suspend the rules was in 1981.

During a colorful and contentious debate, members of the speaker's team warned that the public would not understand why lawmakers are collecting their pay and per diem but not working on legislation per diem.
"Do we just get paid to sit on our patooties?" asked Rep. Sylvester Turner, a Houston Democrat who supported Craddick on the rules suspension.

Other Democrats opposing the rules suspension said they didn't trust the leadership not to try to move bad legislation quickly through the committee process.

"The minority party has been totally disrespected for four years," said Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth.( Image on left)

Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa,(Image on Right) said the constitutional provision dates to 1930 when the public wanted to make sure that lawmakers gave due deliberation to new laws.

He noted that now Texans are able to watch committee hearings on the Internet and are more aware of the contents of bills.
Craddick said he doesn't bear any responsibility for the breakdown in the House. He blamed "a group that wanted to slow the process down."
In reality, little work gets done in the first month of the session as lawmakers take time to organize their committees and get to know the new members. The long hours and heavy lifting come near the end of each 140-day session.
Issues declared an emergency by Gov. Rick Perry — property tax relief for senior citizens and state tax rebates so far — can be considered.
And lawmakers can vote on a bill-by-bill basis to allow committee hearings, as they did for several transportation bills Tuesday.
"We are willing and able to suspend the rules for any individual piece of legislation that warrants early and expedited consideration," said Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco. "But we cannot wholesale waive our constituents' constitutional rights to be heard without a compelling reason."

Ok I am going to start at the bottom of this article and work my way up with commentary. Rep Dunnam, is wrong, plain and simple, our rights are for a fair and open government, not for stonewalling so that every thing can be pushed into the final 30 days of the session. If he was interested in doing his job he would be pushing for more open and extended debate so that each piece of legislation can be given a full and fair examination.

Craddick is right on about a small group of people including a RINO in Talton who are more interested in slowing things down so that there is chaos at the end of the session.

Burnam is a typical liberal who is crying about not getting his way because he is part of the minority, well now you know what it was like to be a Republican in the Texas Legislature until the 1990s.

Turner is right on the button, these people are up there to do a job and if they cannot be enabled to work during the whole time they are up there then why should they even be getting paid.

Talton has again shown that he is a RINO that needs to be voted out of office. He simply is there to consolidate power and is acting like a liberal Democrat who wants to take his ball and go home.

Your comments are appreciated.

Post # 200 Book review #2

Well I enjoyed sharing my last book/author review and got some good responses so I thought that post # 200 should be a good one, especially since I am suprised that I have posted this much. So I was sitting down trying to decide which series or single book I was going to review when I realized that I had the perfect candidate right on my desk.

David B. Coe is one of the authors that I found while trawling the book store shelves for something interesting, there I found his Winds of the Forelands series. Now usually when I see a series and each book is over 500 pages I am a bit of a cynic about the quality of the content, especially when there are 4 more books in the series. However once I got into the book I saw that the content was both well paced, and the characters are well developed. Granted the story does seem change speeds, simply because of the fact that there is a lot of extended ground travel, however the author does a good job of maintaining a consistant pace to the overall story despite this fact.

The first book Rules of Ascention does a fantastic job of setting the background for the whole storyline.

For centuries the Forelands were disputed by several tribes. Then came the magically gifted Qirsi--physically no match for their foes, but capable of mindsight, creating and controlling mists and fire, and bending solid matter to their purpose. After a Qirsi traitor betrayed his race to save himself, the Qirsi were defeated and dispersed among the seven realms of the Forelands. Those specially endowed Qirsi capable of multiple powers, the Weavers, were all put to death. For centuries the Forelands enjoyed relative peace. But when Tavis, the heir to the Kingdom of Curgh, is wrongfully blamed for the murder of a noble, the accusation sets in motion a series of events culminating in civil war. The ensuing chaos topples the throne in Eibithar and threatens to rain chaos on all the realms of the Forelands. Tavis, thrust into the center of deadly controversy and stripped of the protection of his family's nobility, turns to the Qirsi, his last remaining hope for redemption. But another Qirsi traitor, secretly fomenting fear and mistrust among the Dukedoms, seeks to destroy Tavis. Tavis must survive long enough to clear his name and save an entire kingdom. A powerful, compelling tale set in an unforgettable land, rules of Ascension will capture your heart and fire your imagination.

I have just completed the second book Seeds of Betrayal and am looking forward to continuing the series.

The Forelands have enjoyed relative peace in the nine hundred years since the Qirsi Wars, until the stability of the seven kingdoms is shaken by the brutal murder of Lady Brienne of Kentigern, newly betrothed to Lord Tavis of Curgh. Tavis, who is blamed for the crime, has escaped the dungeons of Kentigern and searches the Forelands for his love's killer. But already the Qirsi conspirators who murdered Brienne have taken their campaign of violence and deception to Aneira, Eibithar's hated neighbor, plunging that kingdom into turmoil. Now Tavis's search for redemption takes him into the stronghold of his realm's most bitter enemy. For the first time in nine centuries, war threatens to engulf all the Forelands. And there are whispers of a new Qirsi threat. A Weaver, they say, is behind the deaths, the betrayals. Nobles who have depended on Qirsi ministers suddenly fear those they have trusted. If the renegade Qirsi are indeed led by a Weaver, can this powerful sorcerer be found before he conquers the Forelands? And who wields magic potent enough to stop him?

That being said here are quick descriptions of books three Bonds of Vengance

For nine hundred years the Forelands knew peace, but unrest among the magical Qirsi people has blossomed into a conspiracy against the Eandi rulers. What started with an occasional "accidental" death of a lord has exploded into violence, rending the fabric of Forelands society. Led by a mysterious Qirsi "Weaver" with powers that can reach into the minds of others even in their sleep, the rebellion is now turning Qirsi against Qirsi, as it weakens alliances among the Eandi.Some Qirsi ministers are torn between plotting to overthrow the Eandi and staying loyal to their lords; others have been ready for a rebellion for a long time and are active in the burgeoning and increasingly violent rebellion. Even some Qirsi who oppose the rebellion are forced to take sides against their lords, while an Eandi lord in league with the conspiracy prepares for war against rival houses. Yet as the world tilts toward terrible upheaval, some stand firm against the chaos. Grinsa, a Qirsi gleaner, is trying to head off the war he knows would spell disaster for his own people as well as the Eandi. Traveling with Lord Tavis of Curgh as the young noble seeks revenge on the assassin who killed his betrothed and thus set the chaos in motion, Grinsa may be the only person who can stop the Weaver from shattering the long peace. But even Grinsa can't do it alone. His sister, Keziah, archminister to King Kearney, himself a staunch advocate of peace, works to prevent war, too. They may be too late, though, as realms plunge toward war, goaded by traitors within their gates.

Book four Shapers of Darkness

The Forelands are at war. The magic-wielding Qirsi and their Eandi masters have mobilized their forces. The Eandi have had to look beyond past differences to make alliances for the sake of the future, praying it isn't too late for them to change the outcome of the war. Tavis, an Eandi prince who was framed for murdering the princess to whom he was pledged, and endured torture before winning his freedom, has at last avenged her death. Still, the murder and its aftermath have brought war to the Forelands just as the Qirsi conspirators who bought his love's blood had intended. Now Tavis and Grinsa, a Qirsi shaper with more powers than he reveals, who saved Tavis when nobody else would believe his innocence, venture across the Forelands, risking death to help save the land they love . . . A powerful Qirsi weaver has brought this terrible war to the land, bending the minds of those he controls and of his enemies in an effort to forge alliances and mobilize forces to destroy the Eandi. His powerful magical ability estranges lovers, betrays leaders, and wreaks murder and death throughout the land. But even with his powerfully malign intelligence, he underestimates the mettle of his opponents. In a psychological duel with Grinsa, the Weaver's formidable powers are sorely tested. Grinsa withstands the Weaver's most powerful attacks at nearly the expense of his own life, and in the process discovers the Weaver's identity.Will Grinsa's challenge to the Weaver spell the end of the Weaver's reign of doom? Or has Grinsa's discovery come too late to help the Eandi cause? The answers lie in the growing war that may sunder the Forelands forever.

and Book five Weavers of War

In the four previous books of his epic fantasy series, David Coe has woven a complex tapestry of magic and politics, courage and betrayal, love and hate. Now, he brings the many strands of this enthralling series together in a climactic novel that will thrill readers of epic magical fantasy. For years the magical Qirsi people who live among the Eandi courts of the Forelands have conspired, weakening alliances among the realms. The renegades are led by a mysterious Weaver named Dusaan with powers that allow him to appear in the dreams of his followers and to bind the magic of many Qirsi into a single weapon more potent than any the Eandi have faced in a thousand years. Now, his planning begins to bear fruit. He reveals himself to friend and foe alike, knowing that none can stand against him. Dusaan takes control of the Empire and begins his march toward war, enlisting those who serve him in other realms to join the battle, as the ranks of his army swell.

I hope you pick these books up and find them as enjoyable as I have.

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Greatest hits, in the palm of your hand

For Better or for Worse creator slowing down, not retiring | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

For Better or for Worse creator slowing down, not retiring

First, the bad news: Lynn Johnston needs a break.
The cartoonist has, after all, written and drawn the popular comic strip For Better or for Worse for 28 years, in sickness and in health, without complaint, while Aaron McGruder (Boondocks), Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes) and others griped, took extended hiatuses and retired.
"What wusses!" she exclaims.
But Johnston turns 60 this year, and she wants to do things in life that are difficult to do while producing 365 comic strips a year.
"I want to travel and study and paint, and I want to spend some time with friends and family," Johnston says.
"We're starting to get to the stage when you go to funerals and that's where you reunite with friends," she continues. "I want to be able to spend time with friends while they're still alive."
The good news, however, is that Johnston isn't retiring. Instead, the strip — which appears in more than 2,000 newspapers, including the Houston Chronicle — will be transformed in September into what Johnston calls "a hybrid" of new and old material.
She will continue to write and draw, but the new material will serve to frame flashbacks consisting primarily of recycled material. These strolls down memory lane also sometimes will contain new material that amplifies, embellishes or completes story lines of old.
For instance, Johnston mentions a character, Deena, who was absent from the strip for a long time without explanation. In her head she knew why Deena disappeared, but she never got around to drawing it. Now she will.
For the most part, however, the continuing saga of the Patterson family will end. Characters will stop aging. Existing story lines will be wrapped up before the change. Think of the new format as a long goodbye.
This creative solution to the problem of cartoonist burnout will lessen Johnston's workload while still making the strip available to readers daily.
"I wanted to retire completely," says Johnston, who has never taken a break from the strip. Her thinking always was, "If Charles Schulz can do it, so can I," she said, referring to the creator of Peanuts, who drew his strip for just short of 50 years, giving it up only weeks before he died Feb. 12, 2000.
"I don't know whether it's my age or that I was raised on hard work," Johnston says, but while other cartoonists complained about oppressive deadlines her feeling was, "You've got a job — do it."
But now she says she'd love to be able, for the first time in almost three decades, to take a two-week vacation without first laboring nights and weekends to finish two weeks' worth of strips in advance.
Contributing to her decision is a neurological disorder — dystonia — that, though mostly in check, causes tremors.
It comes in handy when door-to-door salesmen visit. "I come to the door already shaking my head no," Johnston says with a laugh.
It's not nearly as bad as the tremors Schulz had in his later years that caused him to draw wiggly lines.
"I watched Sparky draw," Johnston says, using Schulz's nickname. "He had to hold his right hand with his left hand to keep it still."
Johnston's condition doesn't affect her drawing. She does, however, use assistants to do the lettering and to ink most of the drawings. Johnston draws everything in pencil and inks the characters but not the backgrounds.
When Johnston told Universal Press Syndicate, the company that distributes the strip to newspapers, that she planned to retire, executives suggested offering reprints to newspapers, similar to what United Feature Syndicate did with Peanuts after Schulz stopped drawing.
"That had never occurred to me," Johnston says. She came up with the idea of updating the material and framing the flashbacks with new work "to keep my hand in," she says.
Before the late 1980s, syndicates routinely hired new cartoonists to continue comic strips after their creators died or retired, but now top-selling creators get to retain ownership of their works. For Better or for Worse can pass to another cartoonist only if Johnston says so.
She tried it. She talked to another cartoonist about taking the reins. The other cartoonist, whom she did not name, demurred, saying that For Better or for Worse was Johnston's baby.
It really is. The Pattersons are based on Johnston's own family. She made the children — only two, Michael and Elizabeth, in the early years — three years younger than her own in hopes of sparing her kids from ridicule, though they still got ragged by their friends.
For Better or for Worse has blazed trails from the beginning. Not only was it the first family-centered strip created by a woman, but its characters also inhabited something like the real world instead of the usual timeless cartoon universe where nobody dies or moves away.
Michael and Elizabeth are adults now, and April, who was born (at home during an ice storm) in 1991, is a teenager.
The characters will stop aging in September because extending two story lines simultaneously would be too complicated. "Then you'd have a comic strip within a strip," Johnston says.
The flashbacks might be triggered by family members looking at photo albums or reminiscing about an incident, she says.
"We really don't know what it's going to look like until we start to do it," Johnston says. To her knowledge, no other cartoonist has done anything like this.
She started the strip 28 years ago with the same exploratory spirit.
Universal approached her about doing the strip after seeing three books of single-panel cartoons she'd done about childbirth. Back then, other comic strips about family life, such as Blondie and Hi and Lois, were done by men. In fact, Cathy, by Cathy Guisewite, was one of the few strips done by a woman. Seeing its success, Universal wanted to see a woman's take on home life.
Not sure how to go about it, Johnston relied on Guisewite for help.
Guisewite told her that she wrote her stories out "like little plays." Johnston took her advice and still follows it.
Initially, she'd intended to do a gag-a-day strip like most of the others on the comics pages. But whenever she'd write a gag, Johnston says, "I just kept saying to myself, 'But then what happened?' " Nor did she intend at first for the characters to age or for Farley, the family's first pet, to die or for Michael to have a friend who was gay. It just worked out that way.
Over the years, Johnston says she's been approached by television and movie producers, and an animated series was briefly based on the strip. But producers tend to want to relocate the family to the American Midwest or make other changes. Johnston, who lives in Toronto, likes what she calls the "uniquely Canadian" feel of the strip and doesn't want the characters changed in major ways.
There also was another problem: Because the characters age and evolve, by the time a movie could be written, shot and released, the script already would be outdated.
She acknowledges, though, that the coming format change, with its flashbacks, would work well on the screen.
She will use the time between now and September to finish existing story lines and provide an ending. "It will be a full family circle, one full generation," she says, noting that Michael, who was a child when the strip started, now has two children, just as his parents did in 1989 when For Better or for Worse began.

Norah Jones leaves comfort zone on Not Too Late

Norah Jones leaves comfort zone on Not Too Late

Norah Jones doesn't seem much like a late bloomer. The first superstar of popular music's Starbucks era sold some 15 million-plus copies of her first two albums and scooped up eight Grammys along the way — all before the age of 30.
With that kind of success, surprises can't come easily. They don't make financial sense, especially during a shaky time for the music biz.
Which brings us to Not Too Late, in stores today, an album that Jones could have recorded on autopilot while preparing to count her next influx of money. Instead, she takes a few daring turns, some of which have great payoffs. In the same way that her lovely second album was bolder and more interesting than her dreamy (and sometimes soporific) debut, this set finds Jones again trying to surprise herself, commendable for an artist with so many early successes.
Most noticable is the down-played role of the piano, which doesn't figure at all into the album's two best songs. Wish I Could is hinged on a haunting, old folk vibe and minimal backing by guitarist Jesse Harris and a pair of cellos. Jones also finds her perfect harmony companion on the tune: herself.
It's a curious way to open the album, but the breathy and sublime harmonies resonate even after Not Too Late has run its course.
Also sharp is the buzzing Broken. Jones grabs an electric guitar for the song, backed only by some bowed bass and cello. It also has one of the stronger lyrics on an album completely written or co-written by Jones. "Got blood on his shoes and mud on his brim," she sings. "Did he do it to himself or was it done to him."
The ong has a Tom Waitsy mood (mud, blood, etc.), no big surprise since Jones covered Waits on her last record.
Most of the rest of the album flits between somber heartbreakers and more cryptic politically tinged stuff.
The latter topic is also hit and miss. My Dear Country is fairly heavy handed (and, actually, not all that cryptic): "I love the things you've given me / I cherish you my dear country / But sometimes I don't understand / the way we play."
More interesting is Sinkin' Soon, a more vague critique of leadership in general: "We drifted from the shore with a captain who's too proud to say that he dropped the oar." OK, so it's not really all that cryptic, either. But Jones' voice and chops are her sharpest tools, and they're applied well on Sinkin'. It's a fetching chanty singalong with backing vocals offered by M. Ward and Daru Oda and a eerie guitjo played by Harris. The song's placement is peculiar, though. It's too sprightly and odd for the second slot, and seems a better fit deeper in the album closer to another strong track, Rosie's Lullaby.
But such eccentricities grow endearing on repeated play. Jones' boyfriend/bassist Lee Alexander produced the record, and the production gives off the feeling of being deliberately jumpy. Some songs are direct, others more obtuse. And others still, like the tired, familiar Thinking About You, are thrown out there so as not to alienate a few million of the 10 million who bought her debut.
It's not Jones' best album (that'd be the previous one), but it's an interesting artist's statement, nonetheless.
Jones continues to step outside what seems to be her comfort zone — torchy jazz pop — suggesting that her career could be consistently rewarding for years to come.

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Ben Maller

Former Duke Lacrosse 'Rape' DA Charged With Withholding Evidence, Misleading Court

Well here we go the other shoe has dropped. It now is looking even more like Durham County DA Mike Nifong, was so desperate to keep his job that he was willing to break laws, as well as fabricate the story of what happened in the Duke Lacrosse rape case. Read on and see for yourselves. As I said before in a posts on other blogs, this case stinks, and it will only be a matter of time before things come to light. Well the light is on again and the cockroaches are running for cover... What I see as important on this is highlighted...

Former Duke Lacrosse 'Rape' DA Charged With Withholding Evidence, Misleading Court

RALEIGH, N.C. — Former Duke lacrosse rape prosecutor Mike Nifong has been slapped with additional ethics charges by the state bar association, which has accused him of withholding DNA evidence and making misleading statements to the court.
The new charges by the North Carolina State Bar against Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong were announced Wednesday and could lead to his removal from the state bar, according to a copy of the updated complaint. Nifong last year indicted three men from the Duke lacrosse team on charges that they raped a stripper at an off-campus party in March of 2006.
Since the players were indicted, the rape charges have been dropped — although sexual assault and kidnapping charges still stand — the accuser has changed her story about what happened that night multiple times, and Nifong has come under heavy fire for his handling of the case, withholding evidence from defense attorneys and not coming forward with DNA evidence that may have exonerated the players. Nifong was to appear with his attorney at a procedural conference Wednesday morning to discuss scheduling and other administrative details of the ethics complaint. His presence was not mandatory.
Nifong's trial on the ethics charges is technically set for May 11, although bar officials said at Wednesday's hearing they expect it will be pushed back to June. On Tuesday, Nifong received an extension to respond to the ethics complaint. His lawyer, David Freedman, said he was unsure of the new deadline.
Nifong's office arranged for a private lab to conduct DNA testing as part of the investigation into allegations the three Duke players raped the 28-year-old woman hired to perform as a stripper at a party thrown by the lacrosse team.
Those tests uncovered genetic material from several men on the woman's underwear and body, but none from any lacrosse player. The bar complaint alleges those results weren't released to defense lawyers in a timely fashion and that Nifong repeatedly said in court he had turned over all evidence that would potentially benefit the defense.
Nifong's actions constitute a "systematic abuse of prosecutorial discretion... prejudicial to the administration of justice," the complaint read. The amended ethics complaint filed Wednesday points out 11 instances between May and mid-December when Nifong said in court or in court filings that he knew of no additional exculpatory evidence, additional results from DNA testing or conversations with the DNA experts that would help the defense.
But according to the bar complaint, testing conducted at DNA Security Inc. had concluded by April 10 that none of the samples provided to police by 46 lacrosse players matched any material recovered from the accuser's "rape kit." A week later, Nifong charged Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann with rape. In another example cited by the bar in its complaint, Nifong referred at a Sept. 22 hearing to repeated defense requests seeking full DNA results and any underlying information as a "witch hunt."
Defense attorneys were able to determine from other documents produced by Nifong that there may be additional test results they had not seen, the complaint said. They filed a motion in December that described the missing tests in detail.
At a hearing Dec. 15, the director of the DNA Security testified that he and Nifong agreed to include only DNA matches — and not the results finding no matches between the accuser and the tested players — in the report on his testing results. During the hearing, Nifong said he wasn't aware the test results were excluded from the report.
"The first I heard of this particular situation was when I was served with these reports — this motion on Wednesday of this week," Nifong said, according to the bar complaint.
Outside of court, the bar complaint said, Nifong gave a different version of events to a reporter. "We ... were trying to avoid dragging any names through the mud," Nifong said.
The bar charged Nifong in December with breaking four rules of professional conduct, including making misleading and inflammatory comments about the lacrosse team early in the case.
The bar could exonerate Nifong, give him a warning letter or disbar him. The state bar's new complaint alleges violations of the following rules: Prohibits an attorney from making false statements of material fact or law to a tribunal; prohibits "extrajudicial statements that the lawyer knows or reasonably should know will be disseminated by means of public communication and will have a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing an adjudicative proceeding"; and prohibits a prosecutor from making extrajudicial comments that have a substantial likelihood of heightening public condemnation of the accused. The bar's executive director, L. Thomas Lunsford II, said in a statement that, "the allegations in the amended complaint speak for themselves. Given the inordinate amount of publicity that this matter has already received and the fact that the criminal case is still pending, it would not be appropriate for the State Bar to elaborate publicly upon the substance of the complaint as amended."
Seligmann, Finnerty and Dave Evans have been charged with sexual offense and kidnapping stemming from the March 13 alleged incident. Defense lawyers have strongly maintained the players are innocent.
Nifong dropped rape charges last month after the woman wavered in her account of the alleged attack on key details. He stepped down from the case this month because the pending ethics charges created a conflict of interest. State Attorney General Roy Cooper has appointed two lawyers in his office to review the case.
Meanwhile, the Raleigh News and Observer reported Wednesday that with the North Carolina attorney general reviewing the Duke lacrosse case, the new prosecutors must weigh evidence gathered by Nifong's chief investigator, whose private detective career was marked by ethics complaints.
Click here to read the News and Observer story
Nifong hired Linwood E. Wilson, a gospel singer with limited experience working criminal cases, less than four months before the March 13 lacrosse team party at which the accuser claims the assault took place.

Ok so what do we have here....

A democrat District Attorney who is under pressure both because of his job performance as well as at the polls. He has a woman who is a minority come in and complain about being raped by a bunch of rich white college kids. All of a sudden he has his re-election locked down. He pursues the case like he should, however that is where he fails both the morality test as well as the ethics tests... He chooses to ignore the fact that DNA evidence shows that the "victim" was sexually active with multiple partners BEFORE she went to the party where she was "raped and sodomized with a broom" He then goes on to use this non-case as his platform for re-election. That is really sad that this is coming out now and that 3 young men have had their lives all but destroyed because of one man's desperate political situation

More links from this story

New Duke Lacrosse Sex-Assault Investigator Subject of Past Complaints
Too Early to Investigate Nifong' s Handling of Duke Lacrosse Case, Justice Department Says
Nifong Subpoenas Woman Accusing Duke Lacrosse Players of Sexual Assault
FOX Facts: Duke Case Timeline
Listing of many more stories regarding this case

Jim Butcher and the Dresden Chronicles

I am an avid reader of science fiction and fantasy books, the problem I have these days is the fact that I am very particular about what authors I will read. I am always willing to give an author a chance, that is how I found Jim Butcher, and his Dresden Chronicles. I was at the book store desperate to find some new reading material, since I really did not want to read the Lord of the Rings for the 10th time, when I found the first of Jim's Dresden series Storm Front. The first thing that caught my eye was the cover art, but then after reading the back cover of the book, I was intrigued.

Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he's the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the "everyday" world is actually full of strange and magical things -- and most of them don't play well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a -- well, whatever.
There's just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's black magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name. And that's when things start to get... interesting.
Magic. It can get a guy killed.

So here I am with a story about a wizard in modern day Chicago, dealing with black magic, murder, mobster, and a police force that thinks he is a nut job. Well who would not want to read this, so the book went into my stack of potential purchases. After about another thirty minutes of perusing the shelves I had about ten books sitting in a pile on the table in front of me. I narrowed it down to four and bought them, Storm Front was one of the four. Later that day when I got home I picked up Storm Front and started to read. Needless to say I was not disappointed, right from the start the book grabbed me and did not let me go. This book was different, not only in the story line but also in the fact that the hero of the story is not someone who you would expect to be a soft touch, Dresden is as much a hard case as he is a cynic, yet at the same time you can see the very dry sense of humor come through. For example this little bit at the end of chapter 1...

Besides which. If I was someone in this town using magic to kill people two at a time, and I didn't want to get caught, I'd make sure that I removed the only practicing wizard the police department kept on retainer. I liked my odds on the stairwell a lot better than I did in the cramped confines of the elevator.
Paranoid? Probably. But just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face

See what I mean, Harry Dresden is the type of character that you will either love or hate, plain and simple. But Butcher has not left Harry without suitable supporting characters, there is Bob, the spirit who is part frat rat, part encyclopedia for the arcane, Kerrin Murphy who is the Detective in charge of the Special Investigation unit of the Chicago PD, and there are many other people and creatures that cross Harry's path, both good and bad.

Butcher has nine books published in this series currently, and they have been so well received that he is now publishing in hardcover first. Another sign that the books have found an audience, is the fact that the Sci-Fi Channel now has a series based upon the books on Sunday nights at 8pm Central time. So if you are a fan of well written books and enjoy mysteries, and or science fiction, I would highly recommend this series.

Toddler's temper ousts family from plane

Toddler's temper ousts family from plane

ORLANDO, Fla. - AirTran Airways on Tuesday defended its decision to remove a Massachusetts couple from a flight after their crying 3-year-old daughter refused to take her seat before takeoff.
Federal Aviation Administration rules that children age 2 and above must have their own seat and be wearing a seat belt upon takeoff.
"The flight was already delayed 15 minutes and in fairness to the other 112 passengers on the plane, the crew made an operational decision to remove the family," AirTran spokeswoman Judy Graham-Weaver said.
Julie and Gerry Kulesza, who were headed home to Boston on Jan. 14 from Fort Myers, said they just needed a little more time to calm their daughter, Elly.
"We weren't given an opportunity to hold her, console her or anything," Julie Kulesza said in a telephone interview Tuesday.
The Kuleszas said they told a flight attendant they had paid for their daughter's seat, but asked whether she could sit in her mother's lap. The request was denied.
She was removed because "she was climbing under the seat and hitting the parents and wouldn't get in her seat" during boarding, Graham-Weaver said.
The Orlando-based carrier reimbursed the family $595.80, the cost of the three tickets, and the Kuleszas flew home the next day.
They also were offered three roundtrip tickets anywhere the airline flies, Graham-Weaver said.
The father said his family would never fly AirTran again.

Here is my 2cents...The parents are well within their rights to never fly Air Tran again, however anyone who has flown on a flight with a screaming child on board, knows how difficult it makes the flight in the first place. I have 2 children and have flown with them since the youngest was 3 months old. I made sure that I did everything that I could possibly do to make sure my children were at least calm and well behaved. Granted a 3 yr old child can be hard to control when they go flying of on a temper tantrum. However I do hold the parents responsible for the fact that they could not control child in a reasonable amount of time. That and Air Tran did refund the parents the ticket prices, and offered them flight vouchers for their troubles. AirTran did all they needed to do and they do have a business to run.

Your thoughts..

Bush to set goal of reducing U.S. gasoline use

Bush to set goal of reducing U.S. gasoline use

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -
President George W. Bush will ask Congress on Tuesday to set a goal of reducing American gasoline usage by 20 percent over 10 years, the White House said.
In a preview of his State of the Union speech, White House deputy chief of staff Joel Kaplan said Bush wants to achieve the target through improved vehicle fuel standards and increased production of alternative fuels.
Bush, under pressure from Democrats in control of the Congress for a more muscular policy on confronting global climate change, believes the projected growth in carbon emissions from cars, light trucks and suburban utility vehicles could be stopped in 10 years, Kaplan said.
Bush will ask Congress for the authority to reform and modernize Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards for cars with the goal of reducing projected annual gasoline use by up to 8.5 billion gallons, Kaplan.
Bush will say Congress should not legislate a specific number for a revised fuel economy standard, but instead use a size-based system in order to avoid compromising vehicle safety by building smaller cars, Kaplan said.
Some members of Congress would like to see an increase in the fuel economy standard for passenger cars.
Bush will set a goal of replacing 15 percent of projected gasoline use with alternative
fuels by 2017.

Headlines and comments

Web Site Kicks Sand in Faces of GIs in Iraq Asking for Mats to Ease Hardship of Sleeping on Ground You will just have to read this to believe it

Storm Hits Weather Community Over Climate Expert's Global Warming Claims More liberal faux science trying to be come mainstream, by shutting down the opposition

Thwarted Al Qaeda in Iraq Plot Would Have Smuggled Terrorists Into United States on Student Visas Any more reasons needed to close the borders

Mexico Holding 11 Iraqis With Fake Papers See previous article

Passports Now Required on All U.S.-International Flights Just an FYI for all of you world travelers.

Is Bush already a lame duck? Yes and that means more liberal legislation over the next 2 years.

Lawmakers Want Polygraph of Berger Over Stolen 9/11 Documents What do they want to know what type of underwear he was stuffing the documents into ..

Women in Business: Some Tips on Becoming a B-Word have an itch to scratch.

MySpace.com to Send Out Amber Alerts maybe some good will come from this site now

Oil Company Offers $50M in College Scholarships for Arkansas Town and who says oil companies are cruel and greedy

Tijuana Police Have Guns Confiscated, Issued Slingshots Just have to laugh at this one..

WHAT TEACHERS MAKE

WHAT TEACHERS MAKE

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?”
He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher,Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"
Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You Want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began...)
"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor. I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental...
You want to know what I make?" (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.)
I make kids wonder.
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.
I teach them to write and then I make them write.
I make them read, read, read.
I make them show all their work in math.
I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know in English while preserving their unique cultural identity.
I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.
I make my students stand to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, Because we live in the United States of America.
Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life. (Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)

"Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant... You want to know what I make?

I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make?"

Open Letter to Texas Senator Kyle Janek

After the first day of the Texas Senate and seeing the change in rules offered up by Senator Patrick shot down, I decided to compose a letter to my state senator and express my feelings toward his vote and the "business as usual" attitude that is in Austin. I would encourage everyone who has a Republican Senator to do the same, and always remember to be polite in your message. Also I would encourage everyone to send Senator Patrick a note thanking him for standing up for majority rule in the senate.
Links to the senators is below.

Senator Janek,

As a taxpayer, homeowner, and resident of both Texas and your district, I would like to know why you voted against the changes in the rules of the Senate that Senator Patrick brought forth on the first day of the legislative session. This includes the elimination of the blocker rule which requires 21 senators to approve that a bill comes up for debate and vote. Your decision to not support this change has done nothing to encourage the citizens of the state that the Senate is nothing more than a good ole boys club where nothing gets done. It also makes it look like you have forgotten all of the work that both Senator Patrick did in supporting your election but have forgotten that you are a public servant whose job in Austin is to serve District 17. I hope you realize that by not eliminating that rule you and your fellow Republican Senators have effectively undermined the power of the majority that you and you r fellow Republicans have in the senate and does everything to empower the MINORITY. That is not how our government was designed, nor should it be that way in the year 2007. I am becoming even more disappointed with the current group of Republicans in legislative positions every day, and actions or lack of action like this have me questioning weather yourself and the others that I have voted for to represent MY interests in Austin as well as Washington are either woefully corrupt, or simply on an overwhelming power trip that they do not care. I am watching the actions of both the Senate and House as well as Gov Perry and Lt Gov. Dewhurst to see where my support both financially and vote wise will be going in the future.
I would appreciate a response to my comments if possible and would be more
than happy to even visit with you about my concerns when you are in Katy
area.

Thank you,

Bill Weldon

Texas Senate

Katy superintendent discloses cancer, surgery and retirement

Here is the story, basically an attempt to make a quiet exit.

Katy .superintendent discloses cancer, surgery

Katy school Superintendent Leonard Merrell, who announced his retirement Wednesday, is being treated for prostate cancer and has recently undergone surgery, a school district spokesman said Thursday.
In a statement Merrell wrote to school trustees, he did not give any reason for ending a 12-year tenure during which he oversaw improved student performance and led the district through a period of explosive growth.
He also encountered some difficult times. Merrell's sharpest critics, members of a school watchdog group, often accused him of being out of touch with the district's needs.
Merrell's secretary, B.J. Alvarez, said the superintendent was in meetings Thursday and was unavailable to return calls.
In an interview with the Chronicle in March, Merrell said he had no plans to retire. "As long as I'm healthy and I enjoy the work, I'll keep doing it. If I ever get to the point that I don't enjoy it anymore, that will be the time to leave, because then it wouldn't be fair to the district," he said.
Merrell, 62, was hired in 1995 as he beat out a national slate of candidates. He told trustees Wednesday night he will retire June 30 when his contract expires, after serving 39 years in education.
"I'm disappointed and surprised but I understand that at some point in time a person has to make personal decisions," said Bill Moore, the district's chief financial officer.
School board president Judith Snyder said the board would use a national search firm to help select Merrell's replacement for the district, which has about 6,200 employees and an annual budget of $435.2 million for 2006-07.
"It is the intention of the board to complete the search and have Dr. Merrell's replacement before his retirement in June to provide a seamless transition," Snyder said.
Garland "Scooter" McMeans, the assistant superintendent for support services, said he is excited for Merrell but extremely disappointed for the district. Katy, a school district that grew from about 25,000 to more than 50,000 pupils during Merrell's reign, regained its Texas Education Agency "recognized" status in 2006, making it one of the largest districts in the state to earn the second highest ranking the agency designates.
Four bond elections passed from 1996 to 2006, totaling nearly $1.13 billion to fund new technology, renovation and repair work, and 20 new schools. Merrell also oversaw the construction of a multipurpose center named the Leonard E. Merrell Center, which also became a source of contention for the watchdog group.
The $23.5 million center was was funded through a tax increment reinvestment zone established by the city of Katy, Fort Bend County and Katy ISD in 1999.
In a 2005 interview with the Chronicle, Merrell said he was "humbled by, and very appreciative of, this honor. It came as a complete surprise and never at any time did I ever expect that the board would choose to name the facility after me."
But under the constant scrutiny of a school watchdog group, Merrell also had to deal with a number of controversies. One criticism was that district officials were harsh in enforcing applying zero tolerance discipline policies and did not use common sense. An e-mail controversy that resulted in several employees being disciplined for using school computers to discuss a school board election brought complaints from critics from within and outside of the district.
Fred Hink, a member of the Katy Citizen Watchdogs, criticized Merrell on Thursday as a "reactionary leader who never looked at the true business of running the school district."
Chris Cottrell,co-founder of the watchdog group, said the district is ready for new leadership.
But Anne Hodge, Katy Area Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive officer, praised Merrell's leadership. "I think he's been a coalition builder and one who understands the importance of developing strategic teams to address the problems in the community," Hodge said.
Lance LaCour, Katy Area Economic Development Council executive director, said Merrell's announcement came as a "somewhat of a shock." "It's probably going to be some big shoes to fill," LaCour said.

Now for my take on things. As much as I liked Dr. Merrell as a person, and I have met him on several occasions. His leadership skills left a lot to be desired. Look at the people who are praising him, and what they are saying, "coalition builder", "big shoes to fill". I am sorry but that is hardly a ringing endorsement of a man who has overseen one of the fastest growing school districts in the State and in the nation as well. Look at his record.

• 1.13 BILLION in debt over 10 years
• a multi purpose facility that only seats about 5ooo people funded by a TIRZ that has cost those that set it up millions...
• lack of common sense with regard to zero tolerance policy
• a district that has doubled in size but the quality of education has dropped.
• 6,200 employees and an annual budget of $435.2 million
• e-mail controversy that resulted in several employees being disciplined for using school computers to discuss a school board election

and then look at what the critics have said...
"reactionary leader who never looked at the true business of running the school district."
district is ready for new leadership.

Over all here is what I see. Dr. Merrell was a good man who was not prepared to run a district that was sitting on a population time bomb, like KISD was in 1996. He failed to be the aggressive leader that a fast growing district needs. He allowed land owners to take advantage of the districts fast growth and suck nearly 35 Million out of the district for land needed for schools. The districts growth planning group was horribly under informed, and the company that was doing the growth analysis was about 3 to 5 years behind in knowing what properties were being developed. He encouraged enormous pleasure palace campuses to be designed, and was the first superintendent to have a bond election fail, nearly had a second one fail. Dr. Merrell is a good person who did the best he could for the district, but the scope of the job far outdistanced the man, and I really thing that if he was not undergoing treatment for prostrate cancer, he would have resigned anyway this summer. His health just gives him a way to step aside with out having to worry about people questioning why he is leaving now after he fought so hard to get passed, but if only by the narrowest of margins.

Humbled Texas leaders take office in new era

This story even though it comes from the Chronicle speaks volumes for the state of leadership and everything else in Austin. Highlights are mine and comments to follow.

Humbled Texas leaders take office in new era

AUSTIN — The inauguration ceremony Tuesday for Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is about more than taking an oath of office. It is about taking the reins of power.
And while Perry, Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick all once ruled like the undisputed lords of their respective realms, times have changed. This year, each will come to the legislative negotiating table with political problems that could weaken him in the eyes of the others.
Perry won re-election last year with 39 percent of the vote. Craddick won re-election as House speaker last week with 45 percent of his members voting against him on a key procedural vote.
And Dewhurst is returning to a state Senate in which Democrats can force him to compromise because they have the votes to block anything from passing. Additionally, freshman state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, already has made it clear that he will be a maverick who tries to push the Senate to the right.
"Perhaps that translates back to the Big Three burying the hatchet," said Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, a key Craddick ally.
"Every place there's a different dynamic than we've had in previous years: a 40 percent governor, 40 percent 'no' votes against the speaker and then the Senate a few more issues for them out there," Chisum said.
The behind-the-scenes battles among the leadership were legendary between 2003 and 2005. Perry once got angry when Dewhurst failed to show for a leadership breakfast. On another occasion, Dewhurst told reporters he had filled in Craddick on some Senate plans on legislation, and Craddick replied by saying Dewhurst must have been talking to someone else.
And when negotiations on congressional redistricting stalled, Dewhurst said Craddick negotiated like "an Iranian cab driver."
In those days, Perry was the governor who had crushed his 2002 Democratic opponent. Dewhurst had the upper hand in the Senate, and Craddick was firmly in control of the House. The friction led to the Legislature failing to pass public school finance reform and property tax relief in either 2004 or 2005.
The atmosphere began changing during the 2006 election. Republican voters were demanding a solution. So was the Texas Supreme Court, which had declared the public school finance system unconstitutional.
With the hammer cocked on the electoral pistol, Perry, Craddick and Dewhurst came together to pass such legislation. Dewhurst said that began the healing. "This past spring, I was able to put together a very solid and constructive working relationship with Speaker Craddick that enabled us to put together bold elements in school reform," Dewhurst said. "He's told me, and I've told him, we each want to continue to build (on) the progress that we've made."
Craddick has been avoiding the media since the speaker's race began shortly after last year's election. His spokeswoman, Alexis DeLee, said the three leaders "like and respect" one another.
State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, said anyone observing the leaders has to remember Craddick is a state representative from Midland who is elected by House members, while Dewhurst is a statewide politician with hopes of winning higher office. "Dewhurst is concerned about the statewide constituency and the statewide press," Whitmire said. "Craddick is solid in his House district and his Midland constituency. ...

So they both have different pressures that they face as they go to work every day."
Perry said he thinks the tales of the leadership battles are overblown, as is the perception that he lost any clout by winning re-election with less than 40 percent of the vote. "When I take my hand off the Bible, I'll be 100 percent governor. I won't be 39 percent governor. I'll have 100 percent of the authority," Perry said. "When the session is done, take a look, and I believe we'll have had a pretty successful session."
At the moment, though, the scorecard is mostly blank.
Perry spent most of the election defending his programs. His biggest campaign promise was to obtain $100 million from the Legislature for border security — not a difficult task when the state has an unencumbered budget surplus of about $8 billion.
Aides have said Perry wants more line items in the higher-education budget so he can veto some spending.
The governor also wants to repeal or change the top 10 percent law, according to spokesman Robert Black. Perry also may want to consider some kind of exit test for some college graduates.
Dewhurst won re-election campaigning on a simple platform: protect children by passing a version of Jessica's Law that mandates life sentences or the death penalty for repeat child sexual predators and protect student athletes by putting an automatic external heart defibrillator in every school.
Dewhurst said, in the short run, the session's success will be measured by how "prudently" the state uses its surplus while also guaranteeing the major property tax cuts that have been promised.
Senate Finance Chairman Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, also said making sure the business tax will work as intended will be a legislative priority this year."All of that school finance reform is riding on the fact that that business tax will work as intended," Ogden said.

So it is not about serving the public interest but about Power? If the general population did not know that before they will by the end of the article. Perry comments about being a 100% governor after taking the oath on Tuesday, and not being a 40% governor, well Mr Perry, you have to realize that you will not be a Senator if you can only get 40% of the state wide vote in 4 years. As far as the infighting and other crap, the more they fight the better it is for the voters to see who of the 3 is the most conservative. I could go on and on about the fact that each of these 3 men face issues both with dealing with the other 2 but as well as credibility and believe-ability issues, that have knocked them from their ivory towers of power. And until I see Perry and Dewhurst pushing for smaller government, lower taxes, and more straight forward laws as well as stronger border protection, they will simply be 2 RINOcrats that need to have viable contenders facing them in the next set of primaries. Note to all conservatives, keep your eye on how Dewhurst handles Dan Patrick, as well as how Perry tries to work the room to get things done. You will see very early on in the session if they are going to have any political capital to spend, or if they will be for all reasonable discussions, lame ducks because of the fact that they have failed to listen to those that voted them into their positions.

Headlines from Texas Legislature.

Well as we end the first week of the Texas Legislative session here are what some of the headlines looked like. It looks like we have a RINOcrat as Governor who is not willing to lead like the conservative he campaigned as. WE shall see....

Texas legislators look for way around budget cap Typical crooked lawmakers, trying to find a way around the rules. I have an idea, use the surplus to start to build the border fence.

Perry defends illegal-immigrant tuition (w/video) Sucking up to big business and law breakers part 1

Perry to protect undocumented-immigrant tuition Sucking up to big business and law breakers part 2

Immigration may dominate Texas Legislature It should not dominate but since the Federal government has abdicated their responsibility we have to do something.

Bill would trigger abortion law if Roe is overturned Dan Patrick follows up on his word for getting this bill filed, now let's see if it even comes up for debate.

$14.3 billion more in state funds available This will be the real test for those in Austin to see how they ruin this surplus and end up putting us in a deficit mode in 2 years.

Capitol Annex Liberal Blog blasting any conservative legislation see who is right on these issues...

AP Interview: Perry says he's not interested in VP We all know that is true that is because he wants to be a Senator....

My first news and Headlines of the new year

Sorry it has taken so long to drop another of these out there, but I have been really busy at work and home. Hope to get back on to a more regular schedule here this week.


Air Force Staff Sergeant Relieved of Duties After Posing Nude in Playboy Had to start with this news article

Michelle Manhart's my space page

U.S. Embassy in Athens hit by terror attack it was only a matter of time

North Korea Seeks Giant Rabbits for Meat Production to Alleviate Food Shortage Kill the wabbit.....

Five Iranians Seized by U.S. Troops in Iraq Remain in Custody do you see any reason to be nice to Iran with things like this happening?

Where Parents Favor Baby Boys to Girls, China to Have 15M More Men Than Women in 20 Years

Texas Republican Congressman Ron Paul Files Paperwork for 2008 Presidential Bid Maybe we can get some honest debate in the next election cycle

Democrats Choose Denver for 2008 Presidential Convention Most liberal town East of the Rockies and West of the Appalachains

Investors Sue to Block Former Home Depot CEO's $210 Million Severance Package If only we could sue professional sports teams for outrageous contracts.

Casino Mogul Wynn Sues Insurance Company After He Pokes $54M Hole in Picasso Painting Why should his clumsy act come out of our pockets

Will David Beckham Spark a Star Ad War in the U.S.? Who cares...

14 Carter Center Advisers Resign Over Former President Jimmy Carter's Book and this is important because...

Rare Turtle Turns Up in Thailand After Two Decades Where are the enviromentalist and their party

California State Panel Votes to Restrict Navy Use of Sonar This makes no sense

Texas High School Teacher Charged Under 'Peeping-Tom' Law for Videotaping Girls Wrestling look it is a Drama Perv... Sad...

Perry defends tuition breaks to illegal immigrants

Perry defends tuition breaks to illegal immigrants Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry said Thursday he will oppose efforts to repeal a law, which he signed six years ago, giving tuition breaks to illegal immigrants attending state universities.
"I'm for leaving the law like it is because I think it serves a good purpose," (like encouraging illegal immigration...)he said. The governor also said he is willing to
consider legislation to expand the death penalty to repeat child molesters, even
if the victim isn't killed, but stopped short of endorsing the proposal.
"Let's have the debate and see how they do it," he said in an interview with
the Houston Chronicle.
Perry said he and the media may have failed to adequately educate the public about the tuition law.
State legislators have filed at least four bills to repeal the measure, which grants lower, in-state tuition to the children of immigrants who have lived in Texas at least three years, have graduated from a Texas high school and plan to become citizens.
Opponents say it is unfair to give the financial break to illegal immigrants when many U.S. citizens who are non-Texas residents have to pay more to attend college here.
"The only way that you can be eligible for that in-state tuition is if you are in the process of getting your citizenship," Perry said. "I think that's been highly overlooked in this debate."

Governor, no sir you are missing the point, you are with this law saying it is alright to enter this country illegally (one crime), attentend public schools without paying taxes to support them (which I see as theft of services) and then get in state tuition as long as you are "in the process of getting your citizenship? come on, wake up you pompus over hair sprayed fool. People can stretch the citizenship process out over the 4 to 6 years that it takes to graduate and then drop the citizenship process and go back to their home country with an education that cost them about 70% less than an honest citizen in of this country or any other student over here on a student visa is able to get.

However, under the law, students only have to promise that they will apply for
citizenship.
State Rep. Debbie Riddle, R-Tomball, sponsor of one of the bills to repeal the law, said she disagrees with Perry.
"What we are doing is grossly unfair to people who are here legally," Riddle said. "It gets down to the question: Are we going to continue rewarding people who cut to the front of the line and are not here legally."
On other immigration-related issues, the governor repeated his vow to seek $100 million to strengthen security along the border and said he opposes legislation to remove citizenship rights from the Texas-born children of immigrants.

That is indeed the question and if the Governor thinks that his stand on immigration and handouts for those that are here illegally will help him get to the White House or the Senate, he is sadly mistaken. It is quite clear that the Governor and his advisors have already forgotten that nearly 65% of the voters in the state voted against him and his policies. He needs to listen to what people are saying and pull his head out of his ass. As it is right not Perry is nothing more than a RINOcrat. And it is obvious that he has no clue what so ever what the population of this state want or are expecting from those in Austin.

Liars, Hippocrates, and Frauds

From the title you would think I am talking about lawyers, or politicians. No actually I am talking about a select few select coaches and professional sports owners. The list was a short one for a while but over the past few weeks it has seen several new members join the group.

Let us start with the star of the show Nick, "My heart was still in college" Saban. Here is a guy who is simply looking for the easiest way out of a tough situation. With all of the garbage that he has spouted the past two weeks about not being interested in the Alabama job and then all of a sudden signing a nice fat contract, the question comes up, will the recruits actually believe him when he comes knocking on their doors? This is a man who preaches about honesty, integrity, and commitment but he has yet to stay as the head coach of any one team for more than 5 years. Look at the list of schools/teams he has just up and left in a lurch because of his wonder lust. In reverse order of abandonment, Miami Dolphins, LSU, Michigan State. Do I really need to go any further. If the coaches in the SEC are smart they will use the fact that Saban has not seen a freshman that he recruited graduate since the mid 1990's and point out that he is one hot coaching job opening away from walking away from them as well.

Next on my list is Bobby" I am at Louisville for the long term" Petrino. He goes and less than one season after signing a 10 year extension, bolts to the NFL. This is after being interviewed for as many as 4 different positions last year in order to secure the extension that he signed and then bailed on after only 1 year. The good thing is Petrino has to pay the school 1 Million to break the contract, and I think that you will see more of these sorts of clauses in contracts to prevent schools from pillaging staffs.

It is one of those few times that I actually feel sorry for the kids that are on these teams. However it only lasts for a few moments, because they should know that about 75% of these men that are their coaches are looking for opportunities in which their own egos can be stroked and not looking out for what is best for the institution that they are working for, nor the young men that they are supposed to be teaching. The sad thing about this is that all it does is help reinforce the problem that is so prevalent in many minority communities, the absentee father. These young men see that it is alright to simply walk out on a commitment and not worry about the repercussions of those actions. That is really sad.

I was only going to talk about Saban and Petrino, however now that Todd Graham is leaving Rice as a direct result of Petrino leaving Louisville, and the Tulsa Coach leaving to go to Louisville, and Graham being hired as Tulsa coach less than 2 days after signing a contract extension. I applaud Graham for his hard work here on South Main but he is no better than the others that I have mentioned before. You can read the story about him leaving in the Chronicle.

I simply hope that Major Applewhite who was supposed to be named Offensive Coordinator at Alabama changes his mind and tries for the head spot at Rice, however the only thing that anybody should expect is that someone will be leaving somewhere and that some student athlete will end up getting the short end of the stick....