Showtime's Dexter is one of my favorite shows of all time and this season has been the most suspenseful yet. Tonight Season 4 comes to a close with a much hyped finale that will supposedly blow the tops of our heads off and drive fans to therapy. There was one preview at the end of last week's episode and one scene posted at the Showtime website. Additional scenes can be found here. In one of the scenes Dexter's sister Deb tells him she knows who his mother is, and in another you see her putting the pieces together that Brian Moser, the Ice Truck Killer, is the son of Laura Moser, Dexter's mom. That is a pretty huge revelation, but it has already been released in previews. In the books, Deb finds out that Dexter is a killer. Will she figure that out in the television series as well?
There is supposed to be a major twist in the episode and the actress that plays Deb even said many fans might be lost over what happens. The show is amazing and consistently delivers so my expectations are high. There has been much speculation that Dexter's wife Rita and/or her son Cody will die at the hands of the Trinity Killer tonight. One of the other clues provided by "Deb" is that everyone matters in the end and that she hopes to see a darker Dexter next season. I don't have a good guess about what is going to happen, but there is one little thing that has never been resolved and I wonder if it will be addressed tonight. Dexter has never asked Rita about her first husband -- the one she never told him about. If she does die in tonight's episode I wonder if that will ever be addressed. The title of tonight's episode is "The Getaway." Could the Trinity Killer get away, or will Dexter need to get away? Or does the title refer to something altogether different? I read a comment from someone suggesting that Deb commits suicide tonight due to the revelations that take place. That would certainly result in some lost fans.I think one thing is safe to say... it won't be boring.
UPDATE: Just watched the finale and it was great. Unfortunately though the twist no one was supposed to see coming was guessed correctly by many, but they did at least lead up to it in a way that still gave it the element of surprise. Waiting for Season 5 will be torture.
UPDATE II: Spoiler alert. Don't read further if you don't want details. A couple of things bothered me about the ending. One is that the writers never tied up the loose end of Rita not telling Dexter about her first husband. Another is something I read on a Dexter message board. The commenter pointed out that if Rita was running back to the house to get her ID the cab would have been waiting. She would not have sent the cab away and called another one if she was in a hurry to get back to catch a flight and just needed to run in to get her ID. The Dexter writers are brilliant, but little stuff like that just drives me crazy.
UPDATE III: Great Julie Benz interview here and a live chat with John Lithgow is underway beginning at 3 p.m. at Showtime.
I love to bake, but sometimes it is nice to fix something quick and easy that makes people think you took time baking. If you need a baked good for work or school, but don't want to spend a lot of time cooking, the following recipe is the best. These candies are delicious and they are pretty and the hardest part of making them is unwrapping the Rolo candies. I posted this recipe a few years ago and a friend of mine I had not seen in a while said she was searching for it because someone at work made them and she was surprised to find it at my site. I don't even know if you can call this a recipe, but here it is:
Rolo Pretzel Candy
The recipe only calls for three ingredients, square flat pretzels, Rolo
candies and pecan halves. You just place the Rolo candy (unwrap first,
of course) on top of the pretzel, microwave and press the pecan into
the top of the half melted candy. I did a plate of 20 at a time and
microwaved them for about 30 seconds on high. They are extremely easy
to make, look really nice and are delicious.
If you want to try something a little more challenging (but still extremely easy), try Rachel Ray's Five Minute Fudge. It is quick and easy and can be decorated as a wreath for a lovely gift or party food and the recipe can be modified with just about any mix in you choose.
1 bag semisweet chocolate morsels (12 ounces)
9 ounces butterscotch morsels (3/4 of a 12 ounce bag)
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 can or package of walnut halves (8 ounces)
1/2 cup currants (a couple handfuls)
8-inch cake pan, lightly greased with softened butter
Candied red and green cherries, for garnish (optional)
Preparation
Place
a heavy pot on the stove and pre-heat it over low heat. Add chocolate
and butterscotch morsels and milk and stir until morsels are melted and
milk is combined. Save the empty condensed milk can. Stir in the
vanilla and remove the fudge from heat. Add the nuts and currants and
stir in immediately.
Cover the empty condensed milk can with
plastic wrap and center it in the greased cake pan. Spoon fudge into
pan around can, making sure to center the can if it drifts.
The fudge will set up almost
immediately. Garnish can only be added in the first minute or two that
the fudge is in the pan, so work quickly. Decorate your wreath with
"holly" made from cut candied red and green cherries. A wreath left
plain can be garnished with a pretty fabric bow when serving.
Chill covered in the refrigerator. Slice the fudge very thin when ready to serve – a little goes a long way!
Instead of melting the chocolate chips on the stovetop, I usually use the microwave. If you aren't used to melting chocolate in the microwave, the trick is to microwave for a really short time (like a minute or less) and then stir. Keep doing that at short intervals until completely melted, being careful not to scorch. This recipe is very versatile because you can use different types of chocolate chips and mix-ins. My mom got this recipe (or one incredibly similar) from a
friend many years ago and used to make this fudge with white chocolate chips, pecans
and chopped cherries.
I've posted this recipe the past couple of years and have tried several variations. One
that I found yummiest was made using one bag of Nestle's white
chocolate chips and one bag of Nestle's "swirls" chips (the white and
milk chocolate swirls). It makes a light brown fudge with a really
unique flavor. This really is super quick and easy.
I'll post my favorite fudge recipe in a separate post because it requires a bit more work (as well as a candy thermometer and a strong stirring arm), but this one is good. These two recipes can't be beat if you are looking for something quick and easy, yet still really pretty and yummy.
Michelle
Malkin followed up on a story Pulitzer Prize winner Nicholas Kristof
reported in the New York Times as evidence of the urgent need for
universal health care and she found some things the Pulitzer Prize
winner didn't find. It appears he didn't find them because he didn't
bother to look for them.
Today, I did something that Pulitzer Prize-winning
NYTimes columnist Nick Kristof apparently didn't do: I talked to a
spokesman at the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, Oregon.
I called them up after OHSU's Dr. Johnny Delashaw left a comment
about Kristof's piece spotlighting the horrible plight of John
Brodniak, an Oregon man with a neurological condition that he says no
one would treat.
Kristof used Brodniak's plight to argue for universal health care,
decry Brodniak's deadly lack of insurance (even though he got Medicaid
coverage in August), and lambaste doctors for refusing to treat
Brodniak due to low reimbursements.
Well, OHSU confirmed for me two things:
1) OHSU is a safety-net hospital not far from where Brodniak lives.
The hospital accepts all Medicaid patients and would not turn Brodniak
away.
Okay, are you ready for Number 2?
2) Brodniak is a patient at OHSU -- and has been a patient there for the past three weeks.
What amazes me (and Michelle makes this point in her piece as well) is
that Kristof reported that Brodniak had gotten Medicaid coverage, but
then cited the situation Mr. Brodniak was in as proof of the need for
universal health care. Huh? So this man who Kristof said could not get
adequate health care was a recipient of a government health care
program. That is typical of liberals though. Any failure by a
government program is not seen as proof that some things are better
handled by the private sector, but that the government program is
simply not big or far reaching enough. Read Michelle's full post. It is a jaw dropper.
If you live in North Carolina and want a puppy, I am the woman to see. The mama is a yellow lab and the daddy is some dog that got into our backyard fence. All the puppies are black and look like, well, you can see for yourself in the picture above.
There have been many opportunities over the past two years for those in the media to slow or stop the decline of their credibility, ratings and sales. Time and time again though, too many in the media have chosen to remain on a path to obsolescence. Michael Gerson recently wrote about how sad it is that objective journalism, especially traditional news gathering, appears to be going the way of the dinosaur. It is sad. Not just that it is becoming so difficult to find fair and impartial journalism these days, but that those in the profession have so many times this year alone ignored or buried stories that might have given the public renewed confidence in them.
We've seen two recent examples of this with the ACORN stories broken at Andrew Breitbart's Big Government site and with the global warming scandal dubbed ClimateGate. It is easy to understand why those in the mainstream media have found it difficult to cover these stories. In both cases the stories themselves serve as huge embarrassments for Big Media considering how long they either failed to report information relevant to the American taxpayers (in the case of the ACORN stories) or participated in perpetuating a fraud (through their promotion of global warming hysteria). The MSM could go a long way to redeeming themselves though if they simply chose to fairly and impartially investigate and report these two stories now. I don't expect to see that happen though. These are likely to not only be more missed opportunities for redemption, but further evidence for conservatives to point to as proof that most of those in the Mainstream Media deserve all the problems they are currently experiencing.
I have been reading Lucianne Goldberg's site Lucianne.com for many
years -- certainly before I had ever even heard of a blog. It is one of
the first places I go each day to find out what people are discussing
in the world of news and politics. Most days Lucianne chooses one
"blogtruth" of the day to feature in her must reads at Lucianne.com,
but other than that links to blogs have are not posted on the site.
Lucianne is, and has long been, a huge fan of blogs though. Now you can
read the blogs Lucianne loves on her aptly named new site, BlogsLucianneLoves.com.
Some blog posts from here and at Wizbang will be featured on the site,
along with posts from many other blogs you all know and love.
Congratulations to Lucianne on what I am sure will be one of my
favorite daily reads.
I feel really guilty because for the first time in quite a few years I am not cooking tomorrow. Not one thing. Not hosting Thanksgiving dinner as I've done the past few years. Not even cooking a side or dessert to take to someone else's house. I went back and forth over whether or not to cook, but everyone seemed to be going in different directions this year so we are just going to visit my mom who lives about an hour away and take her out to eat. Hopefully my dad will stop in sometime this weekend on his way to the beach or on the way back. To make up for my guilt I will share my sweet potato recipe with you all as I have done in years past. There are few measurements in this one. I typed it up off the top of my head one night a few years ago after making sweet potato casserole and pies (so where it says today or tonight it is referring to a previous Thanksgiving). Enjoy!
Sweet Potato Casserole/Pie Recipe
I think that what makes my sweet potato
casserole and pies really good is that I cook the potatoes whole in
their skins first. I never use canned sweet potatoes.Sweet potatoes are
really cheap (I paid 29 cents a pound today) and are really easy to
cook. Continue on to read the recipes, but don't even bother if you
want to use canned. It just won't taste the same if you do and the
texture and color are not as good either.
I
use my biggest pot (the same one I use when I make a big pot of
homemade soup) and put as many sweet potatoes in it as will fit (eleven
tonight). These are sweet potatoes you buy in the produce section, and
I boil them whole with the skin still on. Add water and boil for at
least 30 minutes, and up to an hour, until the potatoes are cooked
through and somewhat soft. The boiling time will depend on the number
of potatoes and the size of the potatoes. I just check one potato on
top periodically by inserting a small paring knife until the potato
feels soft inside. When ready, remove pototoes from heat and drain off
water. Run some cool water over the potatoes and let them sit in it
for a few minutes. Pour that water off and then begin to peel while
potatoes are still warm. Be very careful because the insides are very
hot. I cut off the very tip of each end, then I use my paring knife to
cut a slit in the skin the length of the potato. I then carefully
remove the skin by hand. It should slide right off, losing none of the
potato.
I then place the peeled potatoes into a large mixing bowl and mash
them with my potato masher or a large fork. If they have cooked long
enough they should be very easy to mash. Add to the potatoes one stick
of butter melted. Add two cups (or a bit more, to taste) of granulated
sugar, a cup of evaporated milk, four eggs, and a teaspoon of vanilla.
You can add a bit of cinnamon if you choose, but it is not necessary.
Pour sweet potatoes into two 2 qt. casserole dishes. If using pecan
topping, which I do because it is absolutely delicious, spoon topping
over casserole. Cover with casserole lid and cook in 350 degree oven
for forty minutes.Remove lid near the end of baking so that topping
will be crunchy. If using marshmallows, bake the casserole for forty
minutes, then top with marshmallows and put back into oven uncovered
and brown lightly.
Pecan topping recipe (enough for 1 casserole): mix together 1 c.
light brown sugar,1/2 stick of melted butter, 1 c. chopped pecans and
1/2 c. flour. Spoon over casserole and bake.
Instead of making two casseroles (they are very large and one will
feed a lot of people), you might want to do as I did tonight and after pouring potatoes
into one casserole dish, use the remaining mixture to make pies. Add
two more eggs to the potato mixture and a little cinnamon and pour into
two unbaked 9 in. pie shells. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until
set. If you don't need two large casseroles or pies, save half of the
mixture and freeze in plastic freezer container. Then whenever you want to make
a casserole or two pies, just thaw and continue instructions above. Or
you can pour mixture into unbaked pie shells, cover and freeze until
ready to bake.
Yesterday I drove down to Fayetteville to visit my friend, milblogger Sarah at Trying to Grok,
and to attempt to see Sarah Palin on her book tour stop at Ft. Bragg.
Sarah and I headed to Ft. Bragg a little after 8:30. When we were going
through the gate the security guy asked us if we were going to get a
book signed. Then he said something about selling it on eBay. I laughed
at the time, but when I got home I checked and evidently there are quite a few people doing just that. It was pretty interesting looking at the stories
accompanying some of the books for sale. There was a two book signing
limit and most everyone I saw in line had two books so there will
likely be more for sale as people sell one book to pay for the one they
kept. Capitalism at its finest.
Since my friend Sarah is pregnant and did not think she would be
able to stand in line long enough to make it to the signing, and
because I was hoping to report the behind the scenes workings, I asked
a friend who knows people in the Palin camp if it would be possible to
get a quick word with her. I had not heard back from the Palin people
by the time we left for Bragg, but as we were waiting in line at the
gate I got a call on my cell phone from someone on the Palin advance
team. He said he would meet us in the parking lot.
We
were taken into the PX "mall" up to the area where the book signing
would be taking place and were given a place to sit while we waited
for her arrival. From that vantage point we could see the activity of
the advance team. We were right next to the section partitioned off for
media. Shortly after we arrived we saw the media begin to trickle in.
They were not there long before they began interviewing those standing
at the front of the line -- people who showed up around 6 p.m. the
night before the signing.
Before long you could see the Palin bus pull up right in front of
the big glass entrance. That really got people buzzing about. Shortly
after that a small group of people came through the doors just in front
of Palin. Then Palin came in and came directly to me and Sarah
and another blogger (from Conservatives for Palin). She shook our
hands, waved to the crowd and went to work. She got in place at the
signing desk and the line began moving. The advance team had set up a
separate table to hold people's bags, coats and umbrellas so that they
would have nothing but their books in their hands when they went to the
signing table.
It was really interesting, and impressive, how efficiently the staff
handled the event. There were thousands of people at the event. I heard
the numbers 1000 and 1200 on the news all day, but there were easily
many times that number. Later in the evening I saw one television news
reporter say there were 4,000 in attendance. There had to have been at
least that many. The line was insane. It was wrapped up and down the
mall area leading up to the front of the PX where the signing took
place, and continued out the door and wrapped around the back of the
building farther than I could see. In many places, especially outside,
the line was five or six people wide as people stood talking to each
other while they waited.
Although each person only got a few seconds with Palin, no one
appeared to be disappointed. Even those who had waited for many, many
hours went away happy. It is no wonder. Palin looked directly at each
person, shaking many of their hands (even though they were told Palin
would not be doing that), and saying something to each as they went
through the line. When there was a brief opening in the line as people
were being prepared to go through, we were given a chance to get our
books signed. Palin's assistant sitting next to her let her know who we
were when we came through. Palin thanked us several times for what we do online and then asked
which one of us had the husband currently deployed in Afghanistan.
Palin then thanked Sarah for her husband's service.
Sarah Palin is a beautiful woman, but that is not what makes her
special. She truly has a charisma about her. It is more than that
though. She has an authenticity that allows her to connect. She has
been governor of a state, and has been a candidate for the second
highest office in the country, as well as now a multi-million dollar
author of a best selling book, but everyone in that crowd knew that she
had been attacked for many of the things they share in common with her.
She has been criticized, and often ridiculed, for her conservative
beliefs. Many of those people in line to see her share those same
beliefs. Many of them share modest backgrounds like the one that
preceded her career in politics.
I will describe the rest of our day at the Ft. Bragg book signing later today, including our chat with Palin's father.
Update: I posted additional pictures in an album on my Facebook page. They are not great quality due to all the people who kept stepping into my shots and considering I don't know how to use my daughter's camera which I took with me, but they should give you some feel for the event.
Update II: When I talked about people connecting with Palin, that has nothing to do with money or fame. Obviously Palin now has more money and fame than most of those who would be standing in line to meet her, but I think people can imagine Palin doing the same things they do with their families and friends. They can see her going to sporting events and goofing around with her kids (like I did this weekend). Many of them can also see her being bright and hardworking enough to serve in the highest office in the land. I think that combination is something people crave right now. They don't understand how the politicians in power today can be so out of touch with their view of what their government should be doing. Maybe some of them think that a hockey mom would understand that point of view better than an arugula-eating Harvard Law graduate whose wife wears $540 tennis shoes. Go figure.
Update III: Sarah posted her account of our Palin experience at Trying to Grok. Sarah was shocked that we would receive the same treatment the traditional media received. Okay, we got a little better treatment than most of the media there (we were even given chairs and offered Krispy Kreme!). But I think that just goes to show how smart Palin and her team are. They recognize and appreciate the power of new media and know that is one way to offset some of the crap they take from the MSM. I also believe Palin really did appreciate Sarah's husband's service and the fact that she was pregnant while he is in Afghanistan. In fact, that probably was as much to account for our extra special treatment as all the years we have been blogging.
Update IV: More from David at Conservatives4Palin who is glad we don't follow David Frum's advice.
I had a great time in Fayetteville today visiting with Sarah from Trying to Grok and visiting another Sarah who rolled into town. I have posted a few pictures I took on my Facebook page and will post a few here, along with an account of our little adventure, tomorrow so check back in then.
Thanks to the people on the Palin advance team for the hospitality. I'll have more about that in my full post.
Today my family went to Greensboro to attend a cheer competition where one of my daughters was competing. My other daughter, my nine year old, went to sit with her best friend and her parents, in another part of the arena. She texted me the picture above of the great view from her seat and then texted that she couldn't see me from her seat. Here is the text "conversation":
My daughter: Where are you?
Me: Sitting where we were when you left us.
My daughter: I can't see you.
Me: I am looking up at you and waving my arms.
My daughter: I know, I see you now. Stop, you look like an idiot.
The sad thing is that of my two kids, this is the one who doesn't generally think that I am an embarrassing dork.
When those in the MSM interview supporters of conservatives they get
extra special treatment. Just watch as MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell grills,
I mean interviews, a Palin supporter.
O'DONNELL: Well, her name was Jackie Seal and she voted in the last election,
not 13 years old as some have suggested. And it is important to point
out that when I walk and talk to a bunch of people up and down the
line, I say "Who wants to talk on camera?" Some people say, "I don't
want to talk." They're not ready to talk. Some people say, "I want to
talk, So, I walked down and met that man who had the shirt that said
Palin for president on it. And I said, "Is there a woman who will come
and talk about Sarah Palin?" And he grabbed that woman and pulled her
over. So, I did not choose that woman, it just so happens she
had a shirt on and was confused about Palin's position on the issues. I
think that is important to point that out. We do it with both sides of
the aisle, sometimes people are connected to a politician or someone
but know very little about them on the issues. This book
wouldn't tell you about the issues, it requires reading. It requires
examination. And so I think that that was a reflective moment in terms
of finding out just how much people are either confused about the
issues or didn't know about the issues. But, it is important to point out everybody we interviewed volunteered and that case, a previous voter and not 13 years old.
Jackie, the girl O'Donnell grilled has weighed in with the back story of the interview.
She is 17 years old so those who identified her as 13 or 14 were wrong,
but O'Donnell, who twice claimed she had voted in the last election,
was wrong as well. Read her full detailed account. She definitely
learned a valuable lesson.
In one day I met a role
model, and met the liberal media and their crafty schemes. I fell prey
to liberal bias, but I'd like to think I did an okay job. We always
want do-overs, and I can assure you if I had a do-over with Miss
O'Donnell you'd see a much more prepared (well rested) and ready to go
at it side of this 17 year old. But unlike Norah I didnt have my note
cards with me. I was forced to think on the spot and answer a gotcha
question. Her goal was clear, make this teenager look like an
uneducated Palin supporting buffoon. To liberals, and the 5 people who
watch MSNBC she succeeded. To conservatives, she was the only buffoon
during that interview.
I have no problem with a reporter asking the kind of question
O'Donnell asked, as long as it is in context and is done equally on
both sides of the aisle. I challenge O'Donnell to produce an example of
her similarly questioning an Obama supporter. When I said "context" I
was referring to the question fitting the type of interview. This was a
reporter questioning a person in line to get a book signed. O'Donnell
grilled this 17-year-old girl more vigorously than she does most of the
liberal politicians she interviews. She regularly lets Democrats repeat
their talking points on air without challenging or fact checking them.
There are many instances when their talking points are demonstrably
false, yet fail to even elicit a question from the "journalists" on
MSNBC. Here's a bit of advice for those on MSNBC, start treating all
your guests (including the liberal and Democrat ones) like Norah
O'Donnell treated 17-year-old Jackie Seal and maybe the public will
start taking you seriously. Who knows, if you did that maybe your
ratings would even improve.
I am loving the CMA awards this year. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood are great hosts. I have not yet been able to find a video of their duet "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Kanye" but will post it when I do.
There is a really good live blog here which includes the following line, "Jamey Johnson still looks like a homeless person who wandered into the Sommet Center." I love Jamey Johnson, but my kids said almost the same thing while we were watching, but instead of limiting it to Johnson, said "there are so many people there who look like hobos."
It is really cool that Darius Rucker won for new artist, even though he is far from new. He is new to country though and has had an incredible year, and I really like him so I'm glad he won. I liked him when he was Hootie, too, and his sound really isn't that much different now. I just about wore that first Hootie CD out.
There are some really cool performances tonight. Daughtry and Vince Gill were especially good. If you love country music tune in to ABC and enjoy.
Probably the favorite of my kids (and one of my favorites too) was Jason Aldeen's "Big Green Tractor." That has to be the sexiest redneck song ever written. Oh, and they got a kick out of Taylor Swift and her fans singing "Fifteen" and Billy Currington's "People Are Crazy." It still seems strange to me that my kids love country music. When I was a kid I thought country was for old people. I liked a few songs like "Devil Went Down to Georgia" and some Alabama and Kenny Rogers songs, and of course, "Elvira," but could not stand to listen to country radio. I was converted to country music in college, believe it or not. I guess it makes sense if you think about it. My kids have Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood and Kenny Chesney. I had Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn and George Jones. Great singers. Amazing singers, but not exactly anywhere close to my generation at the time. Come to think about it I turned on to country when the new generation of Randy Travis, Alan Jackson and Dwight Yoakam came along. Makes sense after all.
Wasn't it great seeing Barbara Mandrell for the first time in a long time and hearing Martina McBride sing "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool"?
Today is the 234th birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps. My husband is
a Marine Corps vet so I have a special place in my heart for Marines.
Take a minute today to thank a Marine for their service. (If you don't
know any personally, there are some you may know as blog readers --
people like Steve Schippert and Bob Hamer.)
Better yet, help a wounded warrior with a contribution to the Soldiers' Angels Valour - IT program.
Their annual fundraiser is almost over so they could really use your
help today. I am on Team Marines and we have almost reached our goal.
Here is a description of the work Valour - IT does (via Michelle Malkin):
Valour
IT provides adaptive technology to help severely wounded vets recover
faster, establish a support system, and regain their independence.
Since the program began, every single dollar raised by Valour IT has
been used to provide:
· 4,100+ voice activated laptops
· over 30 Wii systems
· and nearly 100 handheld GPS devices to wounded vets at:
Balboa Naval Hospital
Naval Hospital, Camp Pendleton
Brooke Army Medical Center
Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital
Madigan RMC
Walter Reed AMC
National Naval MC (Bethesda)
and VA centers nationwide.
Cassandra at Villainous Company has a Marine Corps birthday post and roundup including links to posts from around the blogosphere.
In honor of the day, take a minute to read
about Medal of Honor winner Corporal Jason L. Dunham, USMC or watch the
following video of President George W. Bush awarding the Medal of Honor
to Corporal Dunham, postumously.
The U.S. unemployment rate has now topped 10 percent.
This has been predicted for a couple of months now, but still YIKES! Of
course Obama warned us that if we did NOT pass the stimulus bill our
unemployment rate would reach 9 percent. Too bad he didn't tell us that
if we DID pass it, it would exceed 10 percent.
Update: Mark Tapscott makes the argument that unemployment is now a leading indicator.
Unemployment
has hit 10.2 percent, the highest level since the 1983 recession. Obama
administration officials will no doubt try to spin this latest bad
economic news by noting that unemployment is typically a "lagging
indicator." That was true in the old days, but it won't cut it in the
age of the global economy and Internet-driven 24/7 news cycle.
Unemployment may now be something of a leading indicator because
business executives make decisions about whether to invest in new jobs
much more quickly and based on vastly more data.
This is crossposted at Wizbang where Kim Priestap adds an interesting (and scary) thought.
Those in the media are spinning
hard in anticipation of Republican wins in some key races today. Many
news reports will try to lead you to believe the outcome at the polls
should be ignored and the focus should be on Republican divisiveness or
that any Republican wins are outliers, with absolutely no significance
or relation to the mood of the country as a whole. Don't believe it.
There are some close races that could go either way, but if Republicans
do well today it will be significant and the President and Democrats in
Congress know it. It will be very significant for those moderates in
the Congress still deciding which way to vote on health care. They are
looking at opinion polls and they are sticking their fingers up in the
air to figure out which way the political winds are blowing. They
should have a good idea when the polls close tonight.
Even if the GOP picks up some wins today, things could go either way
in 2010. Obviously the more races won today the better for Republicans
looking to next year, but a year is an eternity in politics. If you
don't believe me, just ask President Obama.
Update: I have seen a lot of people quoting Public
Policy Polling's projections on the NY-23 race. I don't know how
accurate they will be, but thought the following quote from Tom Jensen
on their blog was of note:
We think tonight will be very good for Republicans. Two of
the main reasons for that are superior party unity and pretty
overwhelming support from independents.
Ha! What I keep hearing from Democrats today is how Republicans are
divisive and driving moderates and independents away in droves. PPP is
a Democrat polling firm, but their analysis is very good
(even when I don't agree with it, I find it informative and
thoughtful). Evidently Jensen is not following the party line like
those in the media are today. Instead Jensen is reading the poll
results and they are undeniable.
In
NY-23 despite the presence more or less of two Republican candidates on
the ballot, Doug Hoffman is winning 71% of the GOP vote to Bill Owens'
67% of the Democratic vote. Hoffman leads Owens 52-30 with
independents.
In New Jersey Chris Christie is getting 82% of the Republican vote
while Jon Corzine is at 72% of the Democratic vote. Christie leads
52-29 with independents.
In Maine 77% of Republicans support the overturn of gay marriage
while 71% of Democrats are opposed to it. Independents say they'll vote
for it by a 52-46 margin.
In Virginia 94% of Republicans are for Bob McDonnell to 87% of
Democrats for Creigh Deeds. McDonnell is up 63-33 with independents.
More than undeniable, for Democrats, the rates of independent support for the GOP candidates is devastating.
Update II:Tom Elia
has the 2008 election results from New Jersey, Virginia and New York-23
for those who want to make comparison's with tonight's results.
Dan Riehl has a source saying Dede Scozzafava is no longer quietly supporting Democrat Bill Owens, but is making robo calls for him. Dan Karipides has a great post on the Scozzafava NY-23rd drama at Wizbang. The big question Dan Riehl and everyone is asking that we all, of course, know the answer to is whether or not the Republican party or individual contributors get any of their million dollars in campaign contributions back. I think another good question is whether or not Newt Gingrich can get his credibility back.
The pumpkin above was carved a few years ago by my husband. We have a big pumpkin on the front porch this year, but I am not sure whether or not we'll be carving it. Kind of depends on how much time we have. I got a lot of great ideas for pumpkin decorating from my daughter's fall festival at school recently. Each class decorates a pumpkin and sells them via silent auction at the event. Here are a few of my favorites:
Please click below to donate to Valour-IT, a project of Soldiers' Angels which provides adaptive laptops and other technology to those who need it. This is part of their annual fundraiser which runs through November 11. "This spirited competition raises money for technology that reconnects wounded warriors and supports their recovery." Here is some information about this very worthy organization:
Every cent
raised for Project Valour-IT goes directly to the purchase and shipment
of laptops and other technology for severely wounded service members.
As of October 2009, Valour-IT has distributed over 4100 laptops to
severely wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines across the
country, and is now expanding its mission to include other technology that supports physical and psychological recovery.
My most recent columns at American Issues Project address the record high unemployment rates and the priority the President has assigned to that and other issues. Check them out at AIP:
You know that song "I Was Country, When Country Wasn't Cool"? Well, when I read this story at Mediaite, I felt like singing "I liked Red Eye, when Red Eye kind of sucked." Because I did. I watched back when a blogger friend who shall not be named virtually groaned and IM'd "that show is soooo bad" when I mentioned that I was watching it. I then repeated a few of the lines Greg Gutfeld had said on the show and he had to admit they were funny. I think one was about Lindsay "Blowhan."
In the early days the show was pretty raunchy. Actually it still is raunchy, but it is much more consistent and has a faster pace than it did before. I feared it would not stick around long, but thankfully Fox spared the show the same fate as some of their other experiments. The new format and set, including the pre, mid and post show reports
from Andy Levy, are a big improvement over the earlier version.
One reason I love Red Eye is that it shows conservatives in a light not often enough seen on television. It reminds me of a book by Brian Anderson that I blurbed a few years ago -- South Park Conservatives. I can't speak for Brian, but if he were writing the book today I would not be surprised if he called it "Red Eye Conservatives." Liberals appear on Red Eye too, but we are used to seeing them as young and hip (or cool or whatever the adjective is these days). We are not so used to seeing conservatives that way.
I am an insomniac night owl, so I often watch Red Eye in real time, but I suspect they have a lot of viewers who watch on DVR. I have a couple of my favorite episodes saved on my DVR -- one being the episode where David Shuster is mocked mercilessly for his "teabagger" gag. Sorry, it wasn't technically a "gag" (I just couldn't resist the pun). It was supposed to be a news story, but it turned into the best gift Greg Gutfeld could have ever asked for. If you have not seen the show, check it out on Fox News. It isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I absolutely love it and especially love Gutfeld and his adorable mother who does occasional segments as a "senior correspondent." (The woman deserves a spin off, seriously.) Red Eye airs in the middle of the night so if you are not usually up all night be sure to set your DVR. I promise it doesn't suck any more. Not any more so than anything else on television anyway.
If you don't want to hear about the President and First Lady's anniversary date night then you might be a racist. Or something like that. From Mark Silva:
That a simple date at a relatively modestly priced Washington
restaurant to celebrate a wedding anniversary - the first for the first
couple in the White House - could generate as much venom as it has in
these e-pages (see the comments below) on a Sunday suggests something
deeply troubling about the American mood.
Silva notes Afghanistan and the cost to the public as raising ire, but then mentions (you knew it was coming) racism.
Unfortunately,
and this is the most troubling footnote of today's run of criticism for
the Obamas' night out, much of it is clearly inspired by something that
the former president, Jimmy Carter, identified in his recent
characterization of some of the most extreme criticism aimed at Obama
during recent months: The inability of a lot of people to accept a
black man as president.
If you caught Rush Limbaugh on Jay Leno tonight you know that Rush gave a great little lesson on capitalism. I don't have the transcript, but Leno was talking about excessive corporate compensation for those who don't "deserve" it, Wall Street, the bailouts, etc. It is amazing to me that so many have bought into the idea that someone who earned their money legally should not be entitled to keep it if they are not "deserving." The very thought is chilling. I mean who is going to decide who is deserving? How much of their money should they have taken from them, in taxes, forced government mandates, etc.? Instead of school children singing praises to Obama they should be learning some basics about how the government and the economy work.
Tonight driving my nine-year-old daughter to a school event, we passed a new community center that has not opened yet. We started talking about whether or not it might have a pool, or a gym or what else might be hidden behind the cool modern glass facade. My daughter asked if it would cost a lot to go to it. I told her since it is a community center (it is adjacent to a city park) that it would most likely be free, like the park is.
My daughter told me it was not free -- that if the city built it then we all paid for it with our tax money. I asked her how she knew that and she said last year her third grade teacher explained to the class that their families all paid her through their taxes and that when the teacher paid her taxes she was even paying part of her own salary. I am thankful that my child is learning something so fundamental and valuable in her public school. I was especially impressed that she took that lesson and applied it to the community center we were talking about. I just wish the same thing could be said for all the schools in the country.
UPDATE: Watch Rush's full interview with Leno here. He gave a really good little primer on capitalism and it was well received. The audience was fired up and sounded like they agreed with Rush on most things.
UPDATE II: In my latest column at American Issues Project I discuss some reasons people don't seem to understand the American economy better -- including the misinformation and spin they get on a day to day basis from politicians and the news media. Read the column at AIP.
Part of the entry above is crossposted at Wizbang.
If
before the election we had warned that our children in our schools
would be required to learn songs in praise of Barack Hussein Obama, we
would have been called paranoid lunatics. Well, it has happened more
than once already, but this latest case of Obamadoctrination takes the
cake. Just watch the video. The kids are not singing the praises of
this great country, or even the President. They are singing the praises
of "mmm mmm mmm Barack Hussein Obama."
Michelle Malkin has lots of details. Be sure to read her post with updates.
Update: Worse than the fact that these kids are
being told to praise "Barack Hussein Obama" or that all the time on
this could have been spent learning math or science or reading or even
a decent song, is this one line:
"He said red, yellow, black or white. All are equal in his sight."
Anyone who says those of us critical of this Obama
worship are overreacting, read that one line that was taught to
schoolchildren. I learned a remarkably similar song when I was a child,
but it was in "Sunday" school in church, not in my elementary school --
"Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight. Jesus
loves the little children of the world."
This creeps me out beyond belief. If my kids were in this school
they would not have stayed there ten minutes after I found out about
this. I wonder how those on the left would have reacted had a similar
song, except with George Bush as the idol of worship, been taught to
their kids in school. Rewind a few weeks and tell me again how those on
the right overreacted to the news that Dear Leader was going to be
addressing the nation's schoolchildren directly.
Update II:Pierre Legrand thinks back to the school speech and writes about a test posted at Smart Girl Nation
that was given in one school which suggests the original content of the
President's speech, before the uproar, was very different from what he
said in the speech he ended up giving.
Update III:Bookworm makes an excellent point
that as bad as this is, at least it is out in the open. For too many
years indoctrination has gone on in the public schools where it was not
so apparent.
The
blogosphere is abuzz with news of Andrew Breitbart's next big story set
to break at noon today. For the best rundown, read all of Mike Flynn
and John Nolte's "pre-game" report at BigGovernment.com. This story began at Big Hollywood with Patrick Courrielche's post
about an NEA conference call back in August in which the artists on the
call were encouraged to support many of President Obama's initiatives.
On
Thursday August 6th, I was invited by the National Endowment for the
Arts to attend a conference call scheduled for Monday August 10th
hosted by the NEA, the White House Office of Public Engagement, and
United We Serve. The call would include "a group of artists, producers,
promoters, organizers, influencers, marketers, taste-makers, leaders or
just plain cool people to join together and work together to promote a
more civically engaged America and celebrate how the arts can be used
for a positive change!"...
Backed by the full weight of President Barack Obama's call to
service and the institutional weight of the NEA, the conference call
was billed as an opportunity for those in the art community to inspire
service in four key categories, and at the top of the list were "health
care" and "energy and environment." The service was to be attached to
the President's United We Serve campaign, a nationwide federal
initiative to make service a way of life for all Americans.
It sounded, how should I phrase it...unusual, that the NEA would
invite the art community to a meeting to discuss issues currently under
vehement national debate. I decided to call in, and what I heard
concerned me.
There is much more to the story than just that call though.
But,
there is even a larger issue that hasn't yet received much attention in
the press. Among the Obama Administration officials on the call were
Buffy Wicks, Office of Public Engagement and the lead White House
official on the President's Serve.Gov initiative to promote national
service. Also on the call was Nell Abernathy, Director of Outreach for
Serve.Gov. One of their main goals on the call, it seems, was to
encourage artists to produce works that would reinforce the President's
call for service; specifically through the Serve.Gov web-portal.
As Dana Loesch recently reported at Big Government, the Serve.Gov
portal funnels citizens to volunteer or service projects connected with
ACORN and other leftist groups. The taxpayer-funded website is evolving
into a cyber-recruitment tool for the progressive movement.
So what did happen on that call? Was the NEA coordinating with the
White House to push their agenda on a group of artists eager for and
reliant upon the NEA for grants, or is the NEA telling the truth that
this call "was not a means to promote any legislative agenda"?
Read the two posts linked above and for more background see the NEA entry at Media Mythbusters.
If I were a betting man, I'd be betting big that the upcoming bombshell will relate to the NEA. You read it here first.
But I think Breitbart's overarching target is even bigger than that:
the national media as a whole. Just as the media was caught flatfooted
by the ACORN scandal, so too will they be rocked back on their heels by
the next bombshell.
If you follow all the links above and track the story as it has
evolved, you will see that there was plenty of "there" there and there
has been plenty of time for the national media to pick up on it. Yet
most in the mainstream media ignored it. I don't think they are going
to be able to ignore this one anymore. Tune in at noon.
Geez,
this one wasn't even thinly disguised. I don't know how often Media
Matters does this kind of thing because I almost never read them, but I
found a link to one of their posts at Digg and clicked on it because the title (Will Fox News hold Beck to its Dan Rather standard?) made me curious.
Here is the relevant part of the post by Jamison Foser:
Fox
News' Glenn Beck recently aired a video indicating that an ACORN
employee shot and killed her husband, without first bothering to verify
whether the husband is, in fact, dead. He isn't. The video is, in other
words, a fraud. But that didn't stop Beck from calling it evidence of
"murder" and perhaps even "premeditated murder." Of a person who is
still alive.
Sean Hannity aired it, too.
Here's a bunch of Fox News "reporters" who are outraged about the murder. Which didn't happen. Because the guy is still alive:
Got
that? Beck was being deceptive because he said the guy was dead. And
that the woman committed murder. Possibly premeditated murder! The
problem is, I saw that segment of Beck and I remembered that after
showing the video, Beck questioned whether or not the husband was even
dead. Media Matters posted the video though, so I wondered if I had
misunderstood what Beck had said. So I watched the following video
posted by Foser at Media Matters:
When
I watched the video Media Matters ran I immediately knew what was up
because they chopped Beck's commentary to bits and curiously left out
the part of it that completely contradicts their claim. I looked for
the Beck video at YouTube to make sure I was not misremembering his
commentary and here is a transcript of what I found.
Glenn Beck:
This is twisted, bizarre, macabre. I mean, is this theater? I'm not a lawyer. I'm not a jury. Um, but gosh
even to me it seems like this is a potential admission of murder and
the way she was describing doing some groundwork beforehand, you know
so everyone in town knew exactly what was going on, a case might be
made for premeditated murder. In fairness, I don't understand
people who stay in abusive relationships. I don't. I get it. I get it.
And maybe a jury might conclude that it was justifiable homicide. I
don't know but we haven't been even able to confirm from the state of
California whether Theresa's husband from ten years ago was killed. Or
if he's dead. Or if she even had a husband. Did she make the story up?
I don't know. Nobody is asking questions. See if the mainstream media will follow this one. This is shocking. It raises serious questions about what is going on inside of ACORN.
I
italicized the portion of the commentary Media Matters provided to
their readers in the mishmash video they put together. The parts they
omitted are not italicized. I put in bold the part of Beck's comments
that directly contradict Media Matters post. It is not like the
comments were made in a different Beck show, or even in a different
segment of Beck's show. They were part of the same paragraph if you
look at the commentary in written transcript. And the pieces they chose
to include in their video came from just before and right after the
part where Beck questioned if the husband was dead. There is NO WAY
that Media Matters could have seen Beck's commentary and not known he
questioned whether or not the husband was even dead. No way. I would
have argued that they could not have been any more deceitful in the way
they presented the material, but I would have been wrong. The
ridiculousness of the post continues.
After showing the video that is chopped off before Beck questions
whether or not the husband is still alive (which obviously negates the
basis of their attack on Beck), Foser posted a bunch of commentary from
Fox News people regarding Dan Rather and the fake Bush memos. Then
Foser asks:
Any chance we'll see this level of outrage directed at Glenn Beck for unquestioningly
airing an apparently fraudulent tape in order to portray an ACORN
employee as a murderer? Beck has, after all, been pretty clear that he
is trying to bring ACORN down.
Again, watch the unedited
video of Beck's segment, the one Media Matters didn't cut off in
midstream, or read the transcript provided above. Beck asked plenty of
questions, including whether or not the man was still alive. But Foser
wrote "Any chance we'll see this level of outrage directed at Glenn
Beck for unquestioningly airing an apparently
fraudulent tape in order to portray an ACORN employee as a murderer?"
Does he think his readers are not smart enough to go find the unedited
video.
I know my readers understand the difference between the nature of
the ACORN video and the Rathergate documents, but for those at Media
Matters I'll explain. The ACORN video is real. Whether or not the woman
was telling the truth when she claimed to have shot her husband has
nothing to do with the authenticity of the video itself unless Foser is
claiming James O'Keefe hired the woman to make up some lines and
deliver them on camera. Or maybe if it was butchered the way Media
Matters did Glenn Beck's commentary video. If neither of those things
happened then how is the ACORN video "apparently fraudulent"? The woman
may be a liar, but if she is indeed an employee of ACORN (which I don't
believe has been disputed), she was caught on camera, in an ACORN
office, giving advice to someone claiming to be a pimp trying to open a
brothel of underage illegal immigrant girls about how to hide the true
nature of his business in order and evade taxes and be eligible for
assistance. Glenn Beck was shocked by the statements from the ACORN
employee, in an ACORN office, and asked a series of questions,
including one about her claims about shooting her husband.
Is the argument that everything is cool if the woman was lying about
killing her husband? I have heard that one floating around -- that if
the woman's husband is not dead then the tapes are fake or fraudulent
or irrelevant. I would argue that it is much worse if ACORN hired a
woman who would lie to people coming into their office about killing
her husband, than if they hired a woman who (possibly in self defense)
shot and killed her husband.
Regarding the Dan Rather comparison -- do I really, seriously, have
to explain how that is different from supposedly seasoned professionals
at CBS news and 60 Minutes putting on the air documents that were
supposedly 30 years old, but were obviously produced with a relatively
recent version of a Word processing program (superscript and all)? I
won't get into all the ways CBS failed to do due diligence on the
documents that were so obviously inauthentic, but it is interesting
that those on the left are comparing the ACORN video to the Rathergate
docs in an effort to save ACORN's bacon, or to save their President who
has a history with ACORN. To me it sounds like desperate, grabbing at
straws, how the heck are we gonna spin this one, crazy talk.
For those who would like to see the unedited version of Beck's commentary in full, here is the video:
This is the best news I have heard in a long time. Matt Burden, of milblog Blackfive
fame, is one of my favorite people. He is passionate about his
country's future, but is also always thoughtful and reasonable. He is
entering a new phase of service now.
For
more than 20 years, I've served my country, fighting to protect and
preserve the American freedoms, rights, and values that make this
country great, first as an Airborne Soldier - and then as one of the
leaders of the Internet political revolution that has held arrogant and
corrupt leaders accountable from city halls all the way to Washington
D.C.
After much thought and one helluva exploratory committee, the green
light is on and I'm ready - I have decided to run for office. I will
change Illinois' political landscape and culture of corruption. But I
can't do it without your help.
Please help Matt.
He is one of the good guys. He has shown his commitment to his country
time and time again, and soon, hopefully, he will be allowed to show
that commitment through service to his congressional district. Matt is
asking for a mere $10 to help him in his run. If you can, please send
some love his way.
The post below is what I found on the front of Daily Kos today. If you want to see just how confused, upset and downright afraid liberals are of the tea party movement, look no farther.
Using the name "teabaggers" in an attempt
to diminish the tea party movement? Check. Trying to downplay the
number of protesters by mocking them as "thousands of millions"? Check.
Saying tea party protesters are racist? Check.
They have to mock and exaggerate and call names because if they look at the crowds honestly they'll have to cry.
Here is what I don't think you'll be seeing on the front page of the liberal blogs:
Update II: More from Melissa Clouthier on liberal reaction to the 9/12 protests. Rick Moran on how the dispute over numbers is meant to mask the history being made.
Update III: No number of pictures, even those appearing in the Obama loving media, even those showing crowds that appear every bit as large as those at O's inauguration, will convince some people. I really hope they continue to live in denial. It will make the November 2010 election results even more of a shock.
Update IV: Check out the entry currently posted at Wikipedia for the 9/12 march on DC:
On September 12, 2009, over 75,000 Tea Party protesters gathered in Washington, D.C. to march from Freedom Plaza to the United States Capitol.[62][63]. While hundreds of thousands of people indicated that they planned to attend[64], and as many as 30,000 registered in advance [65], actual turnout was estimated by many as far less[66][67][68]. DC Park Police reportedly called an estimate of 30,000 "generous".[69]
"The
pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge
structures collapsing, have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness,
and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended
to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed;
our country is strong. A great people has been moved to defend a great
nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest
buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts
shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve."
- President George W. Bush, September 11, 2001 Address to the Nation
In the past Republicans have been criticized by Democrats anytime they reminded the country
of the attacks of September 11. It is not possible to
honor the sacrifice of those who ran into the buildings when everyone
else was running out, unless we remember, and remind the country, of what happened that day.
It is important not only to remember those who lost their lives on that day, but to remember the kind of insanity and hatred that led the hijackers to murder.
"The people who did this to us are monsters; the people who
cheered them have hate-sickened minds. One reason they can cheer is
that they know we would never do to them what their heroes did to us,
even though we could, a thousand times worse. They know that when we
hunt down the monsters, we will try hard not to harm the innocent.
Those are the handcuffs we willingly wear, because for all our flaws,
we are a decent people." -- Dave Barry.
Whether criticized for it or not, I think it is also important that
we remember what it felt like on that day. I was watching the Today
Show and saw the second plane hit the tower in real time. I remember
shock, disbelief, and sadness, but most of all a vulnerability that did
not exist on September 10. That feeling stayed with me for quite some
time. I had felt it to a much lesser extent when the WTC was bombed
years earlier, but 9/11/01 was, obviously, on a level never before seen
in our nation's history. When I heard the announcement that the
Pentagon had been hit as well, and then saw video of the gaping hole,
my only thought was "we have been attacked and we are at war."
That feeling has faded a good deal over the years since there have
been no new attacks on our soil, but we must remember that there are
still people in this world who would like nothing better than to see a
repeat of 2001. President Bush said "these acts shattered steel, but
they cannot dent the steel of American resolve." I fear the American
resolve has been dented a bit. Hopefully taking time today to remember
the events of September 11, 2001 will help firm up that resolve.
Over the past few years I have done several 9/11 tributes and memorials
-- the preceding two paragraphs were repeated from something I wrote
last year on 9/11. Here are links to some of those posts: September 11, 2008, September 11, 2007, September 11, 2006
Part of the Department of Education’s suggested lesson plan to go
along with President Obama’s speech to school children this week was
for teachers to ask students, “Why is it important that we listen to
the President and other elected officials… Why is what they say
important?”
A better question might have been, “Why is it important that elected
officials listen to the people they represent? Why is what the people
say important?”
So much of the President’s current problem with his approval ratings
can be traced back to these simple questions. Whether it be the
stimulus package, the bailouts and control over private industries, a
growing deficit or the health care debate, many Americans believe those
in power don’t care what they think or what they have to say.
I did not take my children out of school today, nor did I write a
note excusing them from listening to Obama's speech to the
schoolchildren of America. This morning I told my daughters to be very
respectful during the speech and that we could talk about it when they
got home. I didn't make them write a report or anything, but my 4th
grader gave me a report of sorts in the car on the way home and I asked
her if she wanted to type it for me. She was excited to do it and
started the first sentence as a report, but I told her not to do
anything formal, just simply to type out what she told me in the car.
She cut it short to go play with a friend before dinner, but this is
what she wrote.
OnSeptember8th, 2009, I watchedPresident Obama give his speech. Some kids got a note from
their parents and got to do fun stuff instead. I was very jealous. I listened to him talk about school and how it
was the first day of school (although it wasn’t) and other boring stuff for
FIFTEEN MINUTES! To a kid that’s a
looong time in school.
During the speech, my friend and her friend were talking,
and my teacher said they were being very disrespectful to the president, the
leader of our armed forces (blah, blah, blah and some other stuff).
Later, in
the library, a kid in my class said that he was very happy that Obama beat
McCain. I asked him why. He said (and this is the funny part) that he would
bring back slavery and raise taxes! I
said how do you know that? He said, “Because
I watched the news” and I said “You don’t watch the news if you think that!”
and it was basically back and forth from there. But when he said he said HE knew more than MY
MOM, it was a fight worthy of a war. I
was so mad I broke my pencil and later, my crayon.
The dispute ended there, thankfully far short of a
war. The blah, blah, blah was not meant to be disrespectful, that is
just what she says when she can't remember exactly what else was said.
I provided the italics because that part of the story was what I found
most shocking. I have not yet talked to my 8th grader about the speech
because she had cheer practice after school. I didn't get a call from
her teacher or the principal yet though, so I assume she didn't get
into any trouble (of the pencil breaking variety or otherwise).
Update: Get a middle school student's reaction (and her mom's) at Bookworm Room.
In my new column at Townhall I explain why I believe conservatives who were unsuccessful reforming the mainstream media, are now replacing it.
What is happening now is something those in the conservative
movement might not have ever dreamed possible. Although the goal of
reforming the mainstream media has not been achieved, something more
amazing has. In some ways the outlets conservatives hoped would provide
balance to the mainstream media, are becoming the mainstream.
Something happened last week that underscored this phenomenon.
News outlets like the New York Times and NBC and ABC evening newscasts refused to cover
the revelations surrounding President Obama’s “green jobs” czar, Van
Jones. When those revelations of Jones signing a 911 “Truther”
petition, calling Republicans a—holes and claiming white polluters were
poisoning black communities reached the point that Jones was forced to
resign, some of those news outlets had to cover the resignation. What
should cause them embarrassment and damage any shred of credibility
they have left as reliable news sources is that many of them had
neglected to inform their audiences of any of the events leading up to
the resignation.
I saw Ed Mitchell on the Food Network tonight on Throwdown with Bobby Flay in a battle of BBQ ribs and beans. I remember eating at Mitchell's BBQ in Wilson and loved the collards, banana pudding and sweet potatoes. After many problems the Wilson restaurant was closed down, but Mitchell is in Raleigh now at The Pit, which is in a restored warehouse downtown. I have not eaten there, but after seeing those BBQ ribs and beans I will have to make a trip. He has one of the best websites I have ever seen for a restaurant. The food looks a little fancier than I remember it in Wilson, but I am sure it tastes every bit as good.
I
don't think most Democrats realize what a bad place they are in right
now. There is still over a year before the mid-term elections, but
unless there is a significant change in direction they are going
straight over the cliff. I'm not saying that. Charlie Cook is. In somewhat different words.
Listening
to two briefings -- one by a Democratic pollster who had just conducted
a survey for a group favoring health care reform, the other by a
Republican pollster more skeptical of the reform plans -- I felt as if
I were hearing a pair of reports by the National Transportation Safety
Board on the same plane crash. But in sorting through the problems
facing President Obama and congressional Democrats, focusing too
narrowly on their disastrous handling of health care would be a
mistake...
...With 14 months to go before the 2010 midterm election, something
could happen to improve the outlook for Democrats. However, wave
elections, more often than not, start just like this: The president's
ratings plummet; his party loses its advantage on the generic
congressional ballot test; the intensity of opposition-party voters
skyrockets; his own party's voters become complacent or even depressed;
and independent voters move lopsidedly away. These were the
early-warning signs of past wave elections. Seeing them now should
terrify Democrats.
"Terrify." I didn't say it.
Charlie Cook did. I really don't think Democrats are fully feeling it
yet though. I think they are in shock and denial. And they are so far
to the left that I don't know if they are going to be able to move fast
enough to the center to save their backsides. Obama has time, but all
those congressmen and women facing voters next year are going to have
to seriously boogie to get there.
Today I will join a couple of my favorite North Carolina bloggers, John
Hawkins and Scott Elliott, on the Bill LuMaye show on AM 680 WPTF.
This will be the first radio show I have done "in studio" so I am
looking forward to getting a behind the scenes look. If you are in the
Raleigh listening area tune in at 4:10 p.m. If you aren't you can go to
the WPTF website to listen online.
I have a new column up at Townhall.com, Obama's Kryptonite. In it I discuss some of the reasons Obama's approval numbers have taken a dive. John Hawkins has a great column at Townhall today about five liberal lies about Obamacare. There is lots of other good stuff there too, including one of my favorite columnists -- David Limbaugh. Check it out.
If you have been reading my blogging since 2004 you might remember "Miracle Child" Molly Kate.
Her mom tells her story and her reasons for opposing any form of
government run health care system in an open letter to President Obama (posted at Hot Air). Here is an excerpt:
Our
daughter has hydrocephalus and this chronic and incurable condition has
required 58 surgeries and numerous tests and hospitalizations through
out her 22 years. I can speak to the current controversy over "health
care reform" with our long experience with American health care and
insurance.
I believe our current health care system, even while riddled with
imperfections and purposeful corruption (mostly done by the
government), is the absolute best in the world. I would not trade one
second of our experience for any other alternative system here, or
anywhere else on the planet. And I'd pay again every cent of the
hundreds of thousands of dollars we (and our insurance company, a
private company we contracted with by choice) paid to keep our daughter
alive. No one ever questioned our choice to do everything possible to
save our daughter. We did not have to answer to any bureaucrat why she
was less valuable or viable than any other child or debate the merits
or costs of countless surgeries for a condition that would certainly
require more. When she needed care, she got it immediately, without
applying to an office for approval. When we ran out of insurance (at
surgery 37), we fought for another way and got it through a group
healthcare plan for our business. Which had the advantage of giving our
15 employees health care too...there are silver linings even in the
worse situations. We gave up many things for the rest of our family and
our future to ensure her health care. But, really, we would do it all
again.
Fred Barnes has a nice tribute to his friend, Robert Novak, who passed away yesterday at the age of 78.
It’s not too much to call Novak journalism’s last honest man in
Washington. Ideologically, he was conservative, the more so the older
he grew. He was quite up front about this. But he didn’t cover for his
allies or mistreat his adversaries. If a conservative Republican
disappointed him, Novak would let you know.
He was unique in another way: his reporting. His column, which he
wrote for four decades with Rowland Evans, had a slant and plenty of
analysis. Its strength, however, consisted of big scoops or nuggets of
fresh reporting. No other columnist could match this. Appearing three
days a week in the Washington Post, it was a column that couldn’t be ignored.
The relentless, remorseless reporter -- the Prince of Darkness, as
he fashioned himself publicly -- was only one side of Bob Novak. The
other was a kind man, a patriot, a doting grandfather, a pal of liberal
and conservative journalists alike, and a mentor to many younger men in
the media, including me.
Every cent
raised for Project Valour-IT goes directly to the purchase and shipment
of laptops and other technology for severely wounded service members.
As of October 2009, Valour-IT has distributed over 4100 laptops to
severely wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines across the
country, and is now expanding its mission to include 
