Nov 20, 2008 | 11:30 PM
Category:
News
$40 MILLION DOLLAR TEXAS LICENSE PLATE PLAN GOES BELLY UPYour chance to buy pink Texas license plates or other vehicle license plates with unusual colors and backgrounds has bitten the dust.
The private firm the state selected to boost sales of personalized
license plates, MyPlates, is shutting down, the company announced
Thursday.
The first-of-its-kind public-private partnership, which began Aug. 1,
was unable to withstand the slowdown in the economy and consumer
cutbacks on discretionary spending.
MyPlates was selling more than 20 different types of plates, with plans to generate $40 million in revenue for the state over the next five years.
Oh, well, I guess I won't be buying a pink license plate.
Nov 20, 2008 | 11:06 PM
Category:
News
ALASKA GOVERNOR SARAH PALIN PARDONS TURKEY DURING SLAUGHTERSome videos you just have to see to believe. On Thursday, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin appeared in Wasilla in order to pardon a local turkey in anticipation of Thanksgiving.
This proved to be a slightly absurd but ultimately unremarkable event. But what came next was positively surreal.
After the pardon Palin proceeded to do an interview with a local TV station while the turkeys were being SLAUGHTERED in the background!! Seemingly oblivious to the gruesomeness going on over her shoulder, she carries on talking for over three minutes. Watch the video below to see for yourself. Be warned, it's kind of gruesome.
The television photographer asked Palin in advance whether she wanted to do the interview with turkeys being slaughtered in the background. Palin said, "Oh, no problem."??
Some people have no problem seeing a turkey killed, while others wouldn't want to see that on television.
Palin should have used better judgment and done the interview without the turkey slaughter in the background.
Again, Palin shows poor judgment!
Nov 20, 2008 | 10:53 PM
Category:
News
HOUSTON LAWMAKERS PLEAD WITH PRESIDENT TO COMMUTE SENTENCESTwo Houston-area congressmen, Ted Poe and John Culberson, have joined a handful of lawmakers are asking President Bush to commute the sentences of two Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting a now convicted drug smuggler and covering it up.
The House members say Bush should commute the sentence of the two men before he leaves office to show his concern for law enforcement officers and the danger of their jobs. They asked the Justice Department to recommend the agents' cases to Bush.
The lawmakers pushing for the pardon of the Border Patrol agents say his action on their plea will be a barometer for other pardons.
Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean were sentenced to 11 years and 12 years, respectively, after being convicted in 2006 of shooting now-convicted drug smuggler Osvaldo Aldrete Davila of Mexico and trying to cover up the incident.
Congressman Culberson says lawmakers will pressure President-elect Barack Obama to show leniency to the agents if Bush does not.
What do you say? Should President Bush commute the sentences of the two former border patrol agents pictured above?
Nov 20, 2008 | 10:37 PM
Category:
News
FEDERAL HOMELAND SECURITY'S BUMBLING EFFORTS Protecting the United States from a terrorist attack is one of the most important roles the Department of Homeland Security has on its plate.
Surprisingly, though, Homeland Security officials are bungling that responsibility.
Last year, Homeland Security coughed up $12 billion for 48 projects to improve security at our nation's borders, airports, ports and waterways. The projects include border surveillance and screening equipment, nuclear detection equipment and systems to track terrorist finances and resources.
The 48 projects required "milestone reviews and annual reviews" to ensure the projects were on schedule and within budget.
The results so far?
Federal auditors found that the Department of Homeland Security failed to monitor 45 of the 48 projects. Four of the projects have fallen behind schedule.
The auditors concluded that Homeland Security is doing a "poor" job of providing oversight to ensure the protection we need and want is put in place as quickly as possible and within budget. And more importantly, that the security works!
Homeland Security officials plan to spend an additional $60 billion on security enhancements.
We can only pray that the Department of Homeland Security finally learns how to do an effective job. Our lives may depend on it.
Nov 20, 2008 | 7:29 AM
Category:
News
AUTOMAKERS' STOCK RACING TO BEING WORTHLESSWhose stock will become worthless first? General Motors or Ford Motor Company.
Just a week ago, analysts were saying that GM would get there first, but the worsening financial squeeze for the automakers has Ford rushing to the head of the pack.
Ford stock has now plummeted to $1.26 a share, with GM stock worth $2.79 a share.
While the executives of Ford, GM and Chrysler took a political hit from members of Congress for flying to Washington, D.C. in corporate jets to ask for a $25 billion bailout, two of the CEOs also showed their true colors when asked whether as a symbolic gesture, they would be wiling to work for $1 a year.
(Pictured above: The Big Three CEOs -- Richard Wagoner of General Motors, left, Robert Nardelli of Chrysler and Alan Mulally of Ford)
Richard Wagoner of General Motors said, "I don't have a position on that. Wagoner's total compensation was $15.7 million in 2007.
Alan Mullay of Ford said, "I think I'm okay where I am." Mullay's 2007 total compensation was $21.7 million.
Drum roll please!
Robert Nardeli of Chrysler said he is willing to work for a $1 a year, as a condition to receive a federal bailout.
It's a shame that these three executives don't fully understand the importance of symbolic gestures as their companies fight for survival and beg for the taxpayers' help.
Nov 19, 2008 | 11:04 PM
Category:
News
SO MUCH FOR PROVIDING TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH A QUALITY EDUCATIONRemember when the State Board of Education got tough with high school athletes by adopting a rule that said they could not play if they did not pass in school.
Now, the Board of Education is adopting a new rule this week that allows students the option to begin substituting up to four athletic class credits to meet high school graduation requirements.
Is this positive education reform? The new rule does absolutely nothing to improve the minds of young athletes.
Board agenda item
New math and science requirements make it impossible for a student athlete to play four years of sports, so the board is adopting this new rule as a counter to the new math and science requirements, so athletes can graduate even if they go out for sports for four consecutive years.
Well, so much for making education a top priority.
Nov 19, 2008 | 10:40 PM
Category:
News
TEACH TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS ABOUT GOD IN SCIENCE CLASSCynthia Dunbar, the Fort Bend County attorney and teacher who is a member of the State Board of Education, now wants students in Texas public schools to be taught in science classes that God created the universe.
Dunbar said she would like to see intelligent design taught in public schools, a concept she considers "at least as viable, if not more so, than evolution."
The State Board of Education is slated to decide on the science curriculum that every public school student in Texas learns about science for the next 10 years.
And that's not all. Because Texas buys more textbooks than every other state except California and publishers would rather not create separate editions for smaller states, the books ordered here will end up in classrooms across the country.
Dunbar is a mouth that keeps on giving.
In the Church Report Online, Dunbar tossed another verbal bomb at President-elect Barack Obama, saying, “Barack Hussein Obama would make a great Leader… of an Unconstitutional, Infanticidal, Communistic, Dictatorial Regime.”
Dunbar's columnIn the column, Dunbar labels Obama “barbaric” and compares him to Hitler.
Dunbar's mouth, if she keeps it up, could end up costing the State of Texas billions of dollars in federal education funds.
Nov 19, 2008 | 10:33 PM
Category:
News
AL-QAIDA MAKES IT CLEAR IT DOESN'T WANT PEACE WITH AMERICAAl-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri insulted Barack Obama in the terror group's first reaction to his election, calling him a demeaning racial term implying that the president-elect is a black American who does the bidding of whites.
The message appeared chiefly aimed at persuading Muslims and Arabs that Obama does not represent a change in U.S. policies
Al-Zawahri also called Obama — along with secretaries of state Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice — "house negroes."
Speaking in Arabic, al-Zawahri uses the term "abeed al-beit," which literally translates as "house slaves."
Al-Zawahri said Obama's election has not changed American policies he said are aimed at oppressing Muslims and others.
He said Obama's plan to shift troops to Afghanistan is doomed to failure, because Afghans will resist.
Here's hoping our troops are able to track down al-Zawahri and put him away for the rest of his life, or better yet, kill him.
Nov 19, 2008 | 10:27 PM
Category:
News
LET TEXAS PRISONERS LIGHT UP, SAYS INDICTED STATE LAWMAKERHey, let’s change state law to allow inmates in Texas state prisons to smoke, says an indicted state lawmaker.
The idea comes from Dallas state Representative Terri Hodge (pictured below), who is facing trial on federal charges of bribery, fraud and conspiracy.
Hodge has introduced a bill that would require the prison system board to let inmates, their visitors and prison employees to light up.
See the bill here
The prison system already lets employees smoke outdoors and in private vehicles.
Texas Department of Criminal Justice tobacco policy
Prisoners should continue to be denied the right to smoke. These people are in prison to pay for their crimes. Giving up tobacco should be part of their punishment.
Nov 18, 2008 | 9:41 PM
Category:
News
WHERE DID WE COME FROM?Did God create the universe?
A first-time statewide survey shows that science faculty at public and private universities in Texas soundly reject intelligent design arguments, embracing instead modern evolutionary theory.
The study released this week by the nonpartisan Texas Freedom Network showed that 98 percent of professors thought that modern evolutionary theory is largely correct.
The study can be found here
The study comes as the State Board of Education prepares to discuss on Thursday revising the way biological evolution is taught in public schools in the state.
What do you think? Should both the theories of intelligent design and modern evolutionary theory be taught in schools?
Nov 18, 2008 | 9:37 PM
Category:
Political
WHO’S RIGHT -- PRESIDENT BUSH OR THE EEOC?President Bush is at odds with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over discrimination based on religion.
Bush plans to issue a new rule banning recipients of federal money from discriminating against doctors, nurses and other health care workers who refuse to perform or to assist in the performance of abortions or sterilization procedures because of their religious beliefs or moral convictions.
But the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says the planned rule would result in discrimination based on religion. Courts have defined discrimination based on religion broadly to include moral or ethical beliefs as to what is right and wrong.
I think Bush’s proposed rule is reasonable, but medical institutions that allow medical personnel to refuse to perform or assist should be ready to plug in other personnel who are willing to fill in.
If people don’t like the rule, they can take their business elsewhere.
Nov 18, 2008 | 9:33 PM
Category:
News
CHRISTIAN COLLEGE CRUNCHWe’re hearing so much about the big three automakers needing a $25 billion bailout, but who’s going to help Christian colleges struggling to stay in business during the economic meltdown.
In just the last few weeks, three Christian colleges, Cascade College in Portland, Oregon, Vennard College in Iowa, and Pillsbury Baptist Bible College in Minnesota announced they would be closing.
In addition, another Christian institution, Taylor University, announced last month it would close the undergraduate program at a branch campus in Indiana.
There are about 4,400 colleges in the United States, and the American Council on Education has records show that only four closed in 2007.
I don’t have an answer for Christian colleges faced with the prospect of ceasing operations due to a cash crunch, but I hope we keep these institutions in mind in our prayers and thoughts. These institutions have a role in the fabric of our society, a role that should continue.
Nov 18, 2008 | 9:30 PM
Category:
Political
WASHINGTON, D.C. TO GET BOWLED OVER IN A SEA OF HUMANITYPicture this for a moment. Everyone who lives in Harris County heads to Washington, D.C.
If all 3,935,855 residents of Harris County went to D.C., the body–to-body crunch in the nation’s capitol city (population 589,000) would be overwhelming.
But as difficult as it is to imagine that many people going to Washington, District of Columbia and federal officials are now estimating that as many as four million people are expected to attend President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration and inauguration parade on Jan. 20.
The biggest inaugural crowd appears to be the 1.2 million people who are said to have attended events at the 1965 inauguration of Texan Lyndon Johnson.
Nov 16, 2008 | 9:37 PM
Category:
News
HOMOSEXUALITY IS A “DISEASE” THAT CAN BE CURED, PROCLAIMS PASTORA Dallas preacher who has been offering a message of “Why Gay is Not O.K.” provided his answer today (Sunday) on whether gays are born that way.
First Baptist Church of Dallas pastor Robert Jeffress says homosexuality is a “sin virus” that is “filthy and degrading.”
Jeffress said, “Some people are inclined toward homosexuality but, ladies and gentleman, the good news of the gospel is regardless of the sin tendancy you inherited, Christ came to die for you, so you don’t have to stay the same way you are.”
So to the bottom line, Jeffress believes by accepting Christ, a homosexual can turn into a heterosexual!
Jeffress, however, left the door open on the argument that there is a gay gene: “Maybe there is a link to homosexuality but it has not been proved at this point.”
Jeffress claimed homosexuals are responsible for 70 to 80 percent of the HIV/AIDS cases in the United States. One big problem with Jeffress’s claim, though., the U.S. government’s Centers for Disease Control says the pastor is wrong, as you can see below in the CDC’s own breakdown on HIV/AIDS cases diagnosed in2006, the latest year for which figures are available:
If the Baptist minister is going to preach against what he views as the evils of homosexuality, he should make sure to get all his facts straight. I think that's the least God would expect of him.
As a heterosexual, I don't accept the pastor's argument that homosexuality is a "sin virus" that can be cured by accepting Christ. That may be the case for some who are confused about their sexuality, but for many, I believe that's how they were born.
Dr. Jeffress urged church members to do the following for gays:
- Devote time to pray for them
- Don’t argue with them
- Demonstrate compassion
Nov 16, 2008 | 9:24 PM
Category:
Political
SARAH PALIN NEEDS TO PUT ON HER THINKING CAP What should the Republican Party to recraft its weak image and draw voters back to its ranks?
Sarah Palin fielded that question in a nationally broadcast television interview. What did she say? Palin said she didn't have any, then droned on, on other issues.
Palin energized the conservative base in John McCain’s failed presidency bid, but when it comes to opinions for reviving the Republican Party, …well, she’s short on offering some productive answers.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is batting down the hype that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin heads into 2012 as the frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination.
Gingrich says, “I think that she is going to be a significant player, but she’s going to be one of 20 or 30 significant players. She’s not going to be the de facto leader.”
Palin refuses to rule out a presidential bid in 2012
If Palin wants to be taken seriously in 2012, she’ll have to actually think of some avenues for breathing life into the ailing GOP and show that she has a vision for the party's future.
