Happy Black Friday! Or something. Did you have a great Thanksgiving? Did you brave those crowds in search of great deals? I can tell you, I think I'm about over Black Fridays forever. It just never works out for me. I'm sure it's my lack of a system, or a particular deficiency in my genetic makeup or whatever. But I'm glad I missed this:
PEPPER SPRAY AT WAL-MART BLACK FRIDAY - Yeah, so this happened. People are crazy. In other news, water is wet.
BLACK FRIDAY RAP SHEET - CBS News has quite an impressive list of consumer insanity.
OCCUPY BLACK FRIDAY FIZZLES - But you knew it would, didn't you? Seriously, it is becoming more and more obvious that the Occupiers aren't the sharpest tools in the shed.
OK, enough Black Friday mess. You have more important things to think about. Like:
WELCOME HOME FROM THE POOCHES - This actually had me laughing and crying at the same time.
CHERRY COKE FLOAT CUPCAKES - What is a Friday Favorites without amazing food?
AMAZING PHYSICAL ABILITY - This guy has kinetic talent like you won't believe. Just watch.
CHUCK NORRIS - WORLD OF WARCRAFT - All I have to say about this is "AHAHAAHAAHAHA!"
HOW THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE WAS DEVELOPED - An interesting video that explains in about ten minutes how our jacked-up, beautiful language actually picked up so much from elsewhere.
NEWS 92 FM DEBUTS IN HOUSTON - This week the long-awaited return of Houston radio news icons Lana Hughes and JP Pritchard finally occurred on their new station, along with many other familiar names, such as Brent Clanton and Mike Barajas. You can hear their first hour ever from Monday here.
COMPARING SNL SKITS - An interesting read about the presidential candidates treatment at the hands of the SNL writers
And now, in Corruption Watch this week:
BAD BUDGETING IN MICHIGAN - Although that isn't all that's wrong with this Wayne County executive, it's where you start. This guy is unbelievable. What they did to Meals on Wheels should be criminal.
SEIU TAKING UNION DUES FROM MEDICAID - Stop whatever you're doing on click on this story now. I'll wait. OK, you back? Did that just piss you off? It should. While we're seeing a lot of arguing over bait issues on the conservative side, this stuff quietly happens, and we aren't watching.
OCCUPY COSTING CITIES OVER $20 MILLION - Gateway Pundit has the breakdown. I'd like to see how much Tea Parties cost the cities. Oh, wait, we paid our own way...
SUPERCOMMITTEE FAILS TO REACH AGREEMENT - In other news, the sky is blue.
TEXAS REDISTRICTING MAPS - Texas gets the shaft - AGAIN - from the Civil Rights Act. Even when you win, you lose.
MORE ON SOPA - STOP ONLINE PIRACY ACT - The main thing you need to know about any legislation from Washington DC is that whatever the name of the act is, it will do nothing that you think it will, and have a ton of "unintended" consequences that are all bad.
THE LITTLE RED HEN - My take on an old children's story, retold for the Age of Occupy
I almost forgot - SADDLE UP TEXAS VIP TICKETS - The VIP Dinner tickets (sold separately from admission tickets) are on sale now! Buy the admission tickets here - they're going up in price in a few days!
And finally, in this week's PEOPLE I ADORE, meet JOHN NOLTE - Editor-in-Chief of BIG HOLLYWOOD. He watches all the dreck in Hollywood so we don't have to. And he cheerfully takes on the Left whenever he can, and mocks the media for their skewed coverage. You need to keep up with Nolte. Follow him on Twitter too.
And on this week's READING LIST, I'm working my way through THE END OF PROSPERITY from Arthur Laffer, Stephen Moore and Peter Tanous. Written right before the 2008 election, it's uncanny how much of the subsequent events they predicted. So much smart in one book is bound to be an education. Heed the warnings, people; these guys know what they're about.
So that's what's up this week - remember tomorrow is Small Business Saturday, and Monday brings on Cyber Monday, so today isn't the end-all of shopping. Hang out with the family instead!
Hello, my pretties! What a week it's been! This post may have to hold you over a couple of weeks, in case my planned Turkey Coma extends into next Friday. So let's hop into the yummy goodness with:
ALTON BROWN'S TURKEY (BAKED) - Yeah, cinnamon? Really?
BLACKENED TURKEY - Do this if you have no life and like to impress people with how much time it took you to do this.
PAULA DEEN'S DEEP-FRIED TURKEY - Well, I'd watch Alton Brown's SAFER method before ever trying this. Somehow it's more fun for me to watch people do this than actually do it myself.
And when you're looking for things to do with turkey leftovers:
PIONEER WOMAN'S TURKEY TETRAZZINI - Warning, food porn alert!
TASTE OF HOME'S TOP TEN - There's bound to be something here that won't be difficult to fix. The problem with most leftover recipes is they take almost as much work as the original turkey, or they're too simple to be anything but leftovers that taste like Thanksgiving dinner.
BEST 50 THANKSGIVING SIDES - in case you were looking for something new to try. I tell you, my mom's buttery sliced potatoes and corn pudding never seem to make it to the table at the holidays; I'll have to change that.
And for dessert...
THAT PIE ON THE COVER OF PARADE MAGAZINE - You know it looked so pretty. You didn't know it was this easy!
CHOCOLATE HOT MESS - OK, it's really called Chocolate Mess Cake, but since it's made in the crockpot, I like my name for it better. Set it and forget it until it's time to eat.
AWKWARD HOLIDAY PHOTOS - No comment. You haven't see mine.
"SODA" V. "POP" MAP - This is stranger, and probably more defined, than the Mason-Dixon line.
AWESOME STREET ART - You can hardly believe some of these.
OK, time to check in with OCCUPY!!!
OCCUPY MOM GETS ARRESTED - Remember that FL mom who abandoned her family to go to Occupy Wall Street? Yes.
OCCUPY SOME TRUTH - The Army You Have's great song in response to OCCUPY
QUESTIONS YOU DON'T HAVE TO ASK TEA PARTY - Watch this, and ponder the mysteries of the movements.
BEN SHAPIRO WALKS THROUGH OCCUPY LA - The photo essay says a lot about the Occupiers, and not what they probably want said.
OCCUPY AIN'T NO TEA PARTY - There. I said it.
In other news:
ICYMI - 60 MINUTES ON CONGRESSIONAL INSIDER TRADING - Yeah. These are the people who write the laws. We're doomed.
BACKLASH AGAINST THE BOOMERS - Great analysis of what those hippies did to our country.
SOPA PRIMER - The next threat to internet freedom? Here's where to start looking for information on the Stop Online Piracy Act.
WHEN "I QUIT" WASN'T ENOUGH - Check out this statement from a commodities broker about why she is getting out of the business.
THINGS TO START HOARDING NOW - Angel suggests some things you probably didn't think of, whether preparing for bad weather, power outages or random zombie apocalypses. You never know.
Oh! I almost forgot!
PEOPLE I ADORE - This week I want to tell you about PAT DOLLARD - Pat writes for the BIG sites; Big Government, Big Peace, Big Hollywood. Pat also has a Twitter account which you should follow if you want to keep up with, oh, just about anything.
And this week's READING LIST features Charles Dickens' BLEAK HOUSE, which is excruciating only because I have to keep referring to the notes for terminology. Essentially, I'm almost halfway through, and the book is exploring how a whole bunch of unconnected people get caught up in this horribly twisted legal mess of a case. Yeah, seems kind of timely, actually.
On a very serious note, in our family this year, we've suffered the loss of both my father and father-in-law within four months. This will be our first Thanksgiving, Christmas etc without them. I just wanted to say, make your memories count. Whatever fuss you might have with someone, think about whether that is where you want to put your energy with your precious amount of time together. OK, have a Happy Thanksgiving, be sweet to each other and enjoy the holiday.
I remember in 2007 the Texas GOP held a straw poll in Fort Worth. I snagged an invite to it by virtue of participating in past convention cycles, and made the trip. But by some strange series of events I got there too late to participate and was locked out. This certainly didn't leave a good impression.
This year the Republican Party of Texas debated repeating the event, and decided against it. That's probably a good thing, too, because in 2007 the poll was restricted to "party insiders" like me, and not at all representative of Republican primary voters. That's a problem, because you know who won the Texas straw poll in 2007? Duncan Hunter. Yeah, I know, I feel the same way.
Texas always gets the shaft. Think about it - Texas doesn't get to vote until Super Tuesday on March 6. By that time, several of the candidates will have left the race and Texans will get to choose from the leftovers remaining candidates. What kind of choice does that really amount to?
Like I said, Iowa, New Hampshire and a host of other states vote in caucuses or primaries before Texas does, and some candidates will likely drop out if they think their results in those states can't keep campaign money coming in. By the first week of February 2008, for instance, Mitt Romney was already out of the race. Now, I won't make any of the obvious snarky comments about that, but really; each candidate that drops out early in the race means fewer choices for states not named Iowa and New Hampshire.
But what can we do?
The SADDLE UP TEXAS STRAW POLL is what.
Several groups have banded together to put on a Texas Straw Poll that is open to more than just the "insiders." The goal is not to steer people towards one candidate or another, or promote only the Texas candidates Perry and Paul, or to promote a "tea party" candidate; but to host a poll that more likely reflects the actual Republican primary voters.
The event is scheduled for January 12-14, just DAYS after the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire primary. Candidates who might be short on cash after those races won't necessarily have to quit the race after those two states anymore. A good showing in a Texas straw poll could breathe new life into a campaign that has been demoralized by trying to court voters who live in a very small portion of the country.
In addition, for the first time, Texans could have a significant impact on the presidential race. Texans deserve this; what state has a stronger economy than Texas? What state has created more jobs? What state gained more electoral votes after the 2010 Census? Texas leads the nation in so many ways. Why shouldn't Texans be leading politically as well? Not necessarily Texas politicians, but Texas VOTERS?
Texans deserve a voice, and we want to help them have it.
There are no huge sponsors behind Saddle Up Texas. No Koch funding, no GOP mega-fundraisers, no massive checkbooks. It's just conservative folks looking to give Texans an opportunity they've never had - a chance to make a difference.
Join us - check out our WEBSITE, LIKE it on FACEBOOK, FOLLOW it on TWITTER, get your tickets (only $45 until Dec 10, which includes admission to all three days) spread the word and make your plans to help us make Texas history!
Another week, another Friday, and admit it, a Friday on 11-11-11 and Veteran's Day just makes it even more special. So let's see what's happening this week in the interwebs:
FOXFIRE BOOKS - I know I obsess about zombies a lot, but really; in a zombie apocalypse, wouldn't you want to know how to do all the things you need to do to get food and shelter and generally stay alive? Or, say, if the economy goes in the tank, wouldn't you like to have skills to get along until some order returns? This is where you need to start. The Foxfire books were written as to document the lifestyle and skills of Appalachia, and almost everything in the books can be done today with a little study. Plus, it's just interesting, reading the stories of the old-timers. You never know when you'll need to know how to make moonshine, or dress a hog or something.
BLACK FRIDAY ADS - Whether or not I go insane and join the Black Friday mob really depends on two things: having money and getting past the turkey coma. Until then, I plan to check out the ads and see if there's anything worth staying up for, or saving up for. Anything look good to you?
THAT KID FROM JERRY McGUIRE - I care ZERO about celebrities, but these pictures of Jonathan Lipniki, now 21, just sucked me right in. Check him out - you probably won't believe it.
LANA & JP BACK ON THE AIR - Lana Hughes and JP Pritchard return to Houston's airwaves on a new all-news station, KROI 92.1 FM! This is wonderful news to all who listened to them for over 25 years in Houston and trusted them for all the news. I cannot tell you how glad I am that they're returning! I have missed them so!
I TOLD MY KIDS I ATE THEIR CANDY - Jimmy Kimmel is a sick, sick bastard, and the results are kinda funny.
CENTER FOR AMERICA - John Ratzenberger (Cliff Claven from Cheers) tries to help people get back to work. Check it out.
ANOTHER HERMAN CAIN ACCUSER - But this time, it's one who you'll want to support.
BAD LIP READING - This time they take on Michelle Bachmann. I swear, I don't know how they do this, but it's hilarious and I want more.
THE CAIN-GINGRICH DEBATE - CSPAN put it on their site, and you can see it (or rewatch it) here. Not a debate, from what I'm hearing, but a far cry from what passes for a debate these days.
Speaking of debates, RICK PERRY's LETTERMAN TOP TEN APPEARANCE - where Perry gives the Top Ten Excuses for his brain freeze in the debate this week. Hi-larious, and a good example of what our side has to learn to do to win in the mass culture.
And in Occupy news this week:
SHOOTINGS - Yeah, I remember how difficult it was to keep the body count down during tea parties, and dealing with all the drugs. Sigh.
BANK PROBLEMS - Evil, evil banks, will you please hold our money? We need it for bail for getting arrested while protesting you. Or something.
THE RAP SHEET - John Nolte is keeping track, so you don't have to.
WE ARE THE 1% - The best response yet to the OCCUPY phenomenon.
In this week's PEOPLE I ADORE, I want to feature one of the best Twitter follows you can have - KEVIN EDER. Kevin is prolific, engaging, clever, and isn't afraid to speak out on anything that's bugging him. He also boosts others frequently, sharing his influence to help people with a smaller reach. He's good people, and you can also catch him on Facebook.
And finally, the Reading List this week features another Terri Blackstock book DAWN'S LIGHT. This is a series about EMPs shutting down power all over the world, and now people cope. It focuses on a Christian family's journey through the most difficult challenges they've ever faced, but the leap of imagination needed to think about the situations detailed isn't a large one. I always come away with "What would I do in this scenario?" questions, and will be thinking about it for a long time after I finish it.
So there it is, your Friday goodness. Happy 11-11-11, Happy Veteran's Day, Happy November, and check out the Saddle Up Texas Straw Poll this week - tickets should be going on sale today!
Ehhh, not really. What, did you think things were actually CHANGING or something?
Silly you.
For the record, before the rant, unofficial election results found here:
City of Houston
Texas Ballot Propositions
If you know me at all, you know I've worked for years to educate voters on issues as well as on the elections process. I've developed and hosted dozens of training classes, given scores of speeches, written innumerable articles and blog pieces, answered tens of thousands of phone calls and e-mails, and submitted thousands more informative articles to my sphere of influence over Facebook and Twitter and other platforms.
I'm not your average bear.
What I am is passionate - passionate about helping people navigate the political system and understand how to change things where they are. It's what I've done for years, long before there was a tea party. I know most people aren't into politics the way I am, and that's okay - there's more to life than politics. But I've always believed that on some fundamental level, people get the government they deserve; and a disengaged electorate is certainly begging for an intrusive, bloated, out-of-control government.
Congratulations, people. You've still got it. Here are some facts to peruse. No casting of blame yet, just reporting the facts.
- Only 13% of Houston's registered voters cast a ballot in the mayor's race
- District C had the highest turnout, with over 18%
- A 1% increase in turnout in most races would have been able to change the outcome of that race if focused on one candidate
- Out of 18 city races, only 4 will go to a runoff
- Statewide, no ballot proposition received even 5 1/2% of turnout
I lost a family member last week, and another earlier this year, each of whom had worn this country's uniform to defend our rights, each of whom had an abiding interest in politics and the success of this country. I can't believe their service receives this kind of turnout in the way of thanks. That isn't thanks; it's an upraised middle finger.
More later; I'm just too angry to be civil right now.
Friday's back, is it? I hope you had enough with last week's installment to keep you busy. This is a week when I could use a good laugh, so let's jump right in, shall we?
ZOMBIE UNIVERSITY - If Halloween doesn't last long enough for you, and it takes too long between episodes of The Walking Dead, you can study your zombie theory here. Bonus: PUPPETS!
FATHER/BRIDE DANCE - You've seen all the boring ones; get a load of this clever bride and her fabulous father.
FORGOTTEN PUNCTUATION - My sister found this one. Grammarian that I am, I did not know these punctuation marks.
OPTICAL ILLUSION WATERFALL - This guy is waaaaaay clever. I'm still trying to figure out how this was done.
EDIBLE BOOKS - I'll have to spend more time perusing this site, because this? Totally rocks.
SPEAKING OF FOOD - More funny food pictures. Caution: some aren't exactly, um, clean.
STILL MORE FOOD - Hee! Google-eyed pickles, even.
AS SEEN ON TV - I admit it - I've always been a sucker for commercials. Infomercials just made it worse. At least now I can still see what the latest thing is without having to sit through crappy television shows anymore.
And the best news in OCCUPY WHATEVER this week:
THE JOB FAIR AT OCCUPY DC - This is hilarious, trust me. Accuracy In Media scores big with this one.
OCCUPY OAKLAND VANDALIZED WHOLE FOODS - Yeah, crunchy businesses? You're just praying the crocodile eats you last. Whole Foods at least was standing up against the Obamacare mess. Watch out, Men's Warehouse - this truce won't last.
PROTESTING LIKE EUROPE DOES - If the left wants us to become like Europe, at least the Occupy protesters are making an effort to lead.
OCCUPY IOWA CAUCUSES - I swear, anyone taking these people seriously as a movement for positive change needs to lose my number, and fast.
TEST YOUR POLITICAL IQ - 11/11 right here. What did you get?
In this week's PEOPLE I ADORE, well, it isn't really one person, it truly is PEOPLE. I bring you MISFIT POLITICS! They just launched their website this week, and it's full of goodness like THIS, and also THIS. I mentioned them for Friday Favorites #2, but now their website can start getting the attention it deserves!
And on the READING LIST this week, I'm reading Call of the Wild with the Little Critter. She's reading it for school, and I read everything that she does. It's still a good story.
See you next week, and in the meantime, be good. It's getting near the holiday time, and you know who else makes lists... I'm just sayin'.
