Tom DeLay on Dancing with the Stars and surviving the first cut. I guess stranger things have happened on TV, but at the moment I can't think of any.
Does any one remember that this man had to resign from the U.S. House of Representatves in disgrace when he was indicted in the not-do-distant past?
Do you remember that he is credited by many as the person who single-handedly screwed up the voting districts in the state by having the state legislature (predominately Republican) re-draw the states districts into weird, twisted areas in order to raise the number of Republicans in the House of Representatives?
Do you remember that he is the one who allowed lobbyists to get out of control by allowing them unheard of access to the halls of Congress through the "K Street Project"?
Everyone thinks it's so "cute" and "interesting" that he is on Dancing with the Stars. After seeing his performances, I'm only sorry he can't be indicted for lack of talent and bad fashion (where are the fashion police anyway??)
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Monday 9/21: FCC Broadband Hearing in Austin
I just received this notice from my friends at Free Press.
The FCC has just announced that its first field hearing on the national broadband plan will take place on Monday in Austin!
This is your chance to help shape the future of the Internet in the United States. We need to make sure the FCC comes up with a plan to provide everyone with a fast, affordable and open Internet.
The FCC may not have given Austin much advance notice for this hearing, which is why it is essential that you show up to be heard. Bring your friends, too.
Here’s how you can get involved:
Attend the hearing:
When: Monday, Sept. 21, 9:00 a.m - 12:00 p.m.
Where: Texas University Club
2108 Robert Dedman Drive
Austin, Texas
(visit www.broadband.gov for more information).
Cost: Free
(See www.broadband.gov for more information)
Help get the word out in Austin. Contact your allies and friends in the area and ask them to attend the hearing. Post news of the event on Facebook and Twitter.
Encourage the FCC to take additional steps to engage the public. When planning field hearings, the FCC should provide the public with sufficient advance notice. Let the FCC know that less than a week's notice is not enough by voting for our idea on the agency’s newly released Idea Scale or on their blog.
Don't miss this chance to make your voice heard.
Thanks,
Misty Perez
Campaign Coordinator
Free Press
The FCC has just announced that its first field hearing on the national broadband plan will take place on Monday in Austin!
This is your chance to help shape the future of the Internet in the United States. We need to make sure the FCC comes up with a plan to provide everyone with a fast, affordable and open Internet.
The FCC may not have given Austin much advance notice for this hearing, which is why it is essential that you show up to be heard. Bring your friends, too.
Here’s how you can get involved:
Attend the hearing:
When: Monday, Sept. 21, 9:00 a.m - 12:00 p.m.
Where: Texas University Club
2108 Robert Dedman Drive
Austin, Texas
(visit www.broadband.gov for more information).
Cost: Free
(See www.broadband.gov for more information)
Help get the word out in Austin. Contact your allies and friends in the area and ask them to attend the hearing. Post news of the event on Facebook and Twitter.
Encourage the FCC to take additional steps to engage the public. When planning field hearings, the FCC should provide the public with sufficient advance notice. Let the FCC know that less than a week's notice is not enough by voting for our idea on the agency’s newly released Idea Scale or on their blog.
Don't miss this chance to make your voice heard.
Thanks,
Misty Perez
Campaign Coordinator
Free Press
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Show Some Respect
If you watched President Obama's speech to the joint session of Congress this evening, you may have noticed that one of the congressmen shouted something out when the President commented that no federal funds would go to cover health care for undocumented citizens.
That was Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC). He shouted out "You lie!"
In case you didn't see House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's face when it happened, she was shooting sabres (not daggers) at the representative.
His outburst is totally contrary to House Decorum and extremely disrespectful to the President and the Congress as a whole. He should be severely reprimanded if not censured. It is not the type of behavior one expects from a memeber of what is supposed to be a mature and august body - no matter your political leanings.
That was Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC). He shouted out "You lie!"
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
In case you didn't see House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's face when it happened, she was shooting sabres (not daggers) at the representative.
His outburst is totally contrary to House Decorum and extremely disrespectful to the President and the Congress as a whole. He should be severely reprimanded if not censured. It is not the type of behavior one expects from a memeber of what is supposed to be a mature and august body - no matter your political leanings.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
We're Not All From the Fringe in Texas
You know, I'm a proud Texan. I've lived in this state my entire life and I can't think of anyhwere else I would rather live.
We have so much to offer here and so much diversity in our population as well as our geography. Most of the people in our state are good, law-abiding citizens who are trying to get by in hard economic times (unemployment is around 8%) with little or no healthcare coverage.
We also have more than our fair share of people I would classify as "looney tunes" (no disrespect to the fine chartoon characters is implied).
Over this past weekend, on the steps of our state capital in Austin, a rally was held by two people seeking the office of governor in the next election in 2010. Both of these people advocate secession from the United States. Each of them are running as Republicans (coincidence??).
For a great read on this story, I could not do better than the report at Crooks And Liars. They have a pretty comprehensive story listed there.
As for the idea of secession, it's pure bullshit (pardon my French). For one thing it cannot and will not happen. Texas cannot secede from the U.S.
We could never stand alone as an independent nation. And, there is nothing in any treaty or document anywhere stating that Texas has the right to secede. Look at this great piece from Robert Schlesinger at US News. It's pretty amazing.
Governor Perry (or "Governor Good Hair" as the late, great Molly Ivans used to call him) should be voted out of office. He is an embarassment to the fine people of this state. And goodness only knows, in this state well-known for "looney" politicians and politics. we don't need any more embarassment (after all, look at the last embarassment that came from our state--What were you people thinking when you voted that piece of work into office???)
Again, please don't stereotype all of us from what you see in the news. Most of us are normal people just like everyone else across the country just trying to survive. We just don't have enough straight-jackets to go around for the nuts.
We have so much to offer here and so much diversity in our population as well as our geography. Most of the people in our state are good, law-abiding citizens who are trying to get by in hard economic times (unemployment is around 8%) with little or no healthcare coverage.
We also have more than our fair share of people I would classify as "looney tunes" (no disrespect to the fine chartoon characters is implied).
Over this past weekend, on the steps of our state capital in Austin, a rally was held by two people seeking the office of governor in the next election in 2010. Both of these people advocate secession from the United States. Each of them are running as Republicans (coincidence??).
For a great read on this story, I could not do better than the report at Crooks And Liars. They have a pretty comprehensive story listed there.
As for the idea of secession, it's pure bullshit (pardon my French). For one thing it cannot and will not happen. Texas cannot secede from the U.S.
We could never stand alone as an independent nation. And, there is nothing in any treaty or document anywhere stating that Texas has the right to secede. Look at this great piece from Robert Schlesinger at US News. It's pretty amazing.
Governor Perry (or "Governor Good Hair" as the late, great Molly Ivans used to call him) should be voted out of office. He is an embarassment to the fine people of this state. And goodness only knows, in this state well-known for "looney" politicians and politics. we don't need any more embarassment (after all, look at the last embarassment that came from our state--What were you people thinking when you voted that piece of work into office???)
Again, please don't stereotype all of us from what you see in the news. Most of us are normal people just like everyone else across the country just trying to survive. We just don't have enough straight-jackets to go around for the nuts.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Leave it to Barney Frank
Finally!
Someone has stood up against the loud-mouthed trouble makers at town hall meeting. And, it was none other than Congressman Barney Frank (D - MA). (See video below)
In an exchange with a woman who asked him why he was supporting President Obama's "Nazi" policies, Congressman Frank replied by asking her "What planet do you live on the majority of the time?"
When she began again to try get more attention, Congressman Frank then stated, "Ma'am, trying to hold a conversation with you is like holding a conversation with a dining room table and I'm just not interested."
YES!!!
I want to see more of the Democrats in Congress grow a set and start standing up to these people. Don't let them take over the discussion and disrupt the meetings. There is information to get out and you can't let them prevent it from happening.
Also, I think it's about time the Democrats take a stance and pass the Health Care Reform without the Republicans. Yes, I know. They want it to be bi-partisan. Well, I want them to remember how much got rammed through during the Bush Administration that they had little to no say in.
Message to the Democrats in the House and Senate: Show us your backbones and get the healthcare system fixed!
Someone has stood up against the loud-mouthed trouble makers at town hall meeting. And, it was none other than Congressman Barney Frank (D - MA). (See video below)
In an exchange with a woman who asked him why he was supporting President Obama's "Nazi" policies, Congressman Frank replied by asking her "What planet do you live on the majority of the time?"
When she began again to try get more attention, Congressman Frank then stated, "Ma'am, trying to hold a conversation with you is like holding a conversation with a dining room table and I'm just not interested."
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
YES!!!
I want to see more of the Democrats in Congress grow a set and start standing up to these people. Don't let them take over the discussion and disrupt the meetings. There is information to get out and you can't let them prevent it from happening.
Also, I think it's about time the Democrats take a stance and pass the Health Care Reform without the Republicans. Yes, I know. They want it to be bi-partisan. Well, I want them to remember how much got rammed through during the Bush Administration that they had little to no say in.
Message to the Democrats in the House and Senate: Show us your backbones and get the healthcare system fixed!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Digital Television Transition
For some time now, we've all seen the commercials about the transition to digital TV on February 17, 2009.
Many of the commercials state that if you don't buy a converter or have cable or satellite, your television will stop working. They even show pictures of television sets used as planters and recylce bins.
In one respect their statement is true. Your television will not work in the sense that it will have no signal to receive. However, it does still work.
Don't let anyone make you believe that you have to rush out and buy a new television before February 2009. If you have cable or satellite, you are good to go and won't have any interuption in your entertainment. If you use an external antenna or "rabbit ears", then you will need to get one of the digital converter boxes. You can get a coupon for here (2 per household).
I personally use an over-the-air antenna to receive my local channels. I will warn you that you will likely receive a better signal if you have an external antenna on top of your house. It really depends on the area where you live.
I live in Fort Worth, Texas. I'm about 30 miles from the transmission towers and I have buildings and hills between us. Not to mention, I live on a high-traffic road with alot of trucks and other vehicles that cause signal disruption. I have an HD reciever attached to my HD TV set.
Using an amplified indoor antenna, I can only receive a few of the channels (Fox, NBC, CBS, PBS) somewhat clearly, but there is still interference and constant signal drop. I cannot receive ABC, CW or any of the other local channels currently broadcasting in HD. Their signals are not strong enough for me to receive under the current conditions.
When I lived in Austin, I did not have this problem. I was only about 10 miles from the transmission towers and picked up all of the station without any signal loss using the indoor antenna.
"Why don't you switch to cable or satellite?" I hear you say.
Well, there are a couple of reasons:
Cable: The cost of cable is outrageous for the service you recieve. They charge you an arm and a leg for anything above basic. Then there are all the fees that are tacked on. By the time they are done, you are paying 80$ or more for very little. Add to that, when they say they have HD available, they are not exactly being truthful. Yes, they are transmitting an HD signal, but it is compressed quite a bit because they have limited bandwidth in which to transmit it.
Satellite: Satellite is slightly better price-wise. They don't have all of the extra fees that cable does. The only problem is that they want (in most cases) to charge you extra for HD service. While that may have been fine when HD was just coming out, it's ridiculous now that most all stations are available in HD anyway. And, like with cable the HD signal is actually compressed for broadcast. It's not compressed as much as cable, so the quality is considerably better.
Of course, as it stands now, the only true HD you can receive is over-the-air. The signal is not compressed and the audio and video are truly outstanding. Colors are extremely vivid. On some sets I've seen, it looks as if you are looking through a window at what is happening.
The only drawback is that most over-the-air broadcasters aren't fully utilizing HD. Now they have the ability to broadcast sub-channels to their regualr programming. Some use their sub-channels to air a 24hr weather radar (boring!). Some actually use it to broadcast educational / children's programming or additional network programming. One of the local networks uses on of their sub-channels to broadcast music videos. The choices are endless.
Unfortunately, it is, as I said under-utilized.
As for your TV, you will get a really good picture with a digital converter box if you don't have cable or satellite. If you want to get a better picture, you can upgrade to an HD TV set. But, the choice is yours. Don't let anyone fool you into buying a new TV you don't need or subscribing to cable or satellite unless you want to.
My rule of thumb is to wait. Usually within a year or two of new technolgy being released, they find a way to improve it and offer it at a lower price. Look at DVD and BluRay. That's one I'll be waiting on for a while too.
If you're interested in getting satellite for your HD experience click on the banner below.
Many of the commercials state that if you don't buy a converter or have cable or satellite, your television will stop working. They even show pictures of television sets used as planters and recylce bins.
In one respect their statement is true. Your television will not work in the sense that it will have no signal to receive. However, it does still work.
Don't let anyone make you believe that you have to rush out and buy a new television before February 2009. If you have cable or satellite, you are good to go and won't have any interuption in your entertainment. If you use an external antenna or "rabbit ears", then you will need to get one of the digital converter boxes. You can get a coupon for here (2 per household).
I personally use an over-the-air antenna to receive my local channels. I will warn you that you will likely receive a better signal if you have an external antenna on top of your house. It really depends on the area where you live.
I live in Fort Worth, Texas. I'm about 30 miles from the transmission towers and I have buildings and hills between us. Not to mention, I live on a high-traffic road with alot of trucks and other vehicles that cause signal disruption. I have an HD reciever attached to my HD TV set.
Using an amplified indoor antenna, I can only receive a few of the channels (Fox, NBC, CBS, PBS) somewhat clearly, but there is still interference and constant signal drop. I cannot receive ABC, CW or any of the other local channels currently broadcasting in HD. Their signals are not strong enough for me to receive under the current conditions.
When I lived in Austin, I did not have this problem. I was only about 10 miles from the transmission towers and picked up all of the station without any signal loss using the indoor antenna.
"Why don't you switch to cable or satellite?" I hear you say.
Well, there are a couple of reasons:
Cable: The cost of cable is outrageous for the service you recieve. They charge you an arm and a leg for anything above basic. Then there are all the fees that are tacked on. By the time they are done, you are paying 80$ or more for very little. Add to that, when they say they have HD available, they are not exactly being truthful. Yes, they are transmitting an HD signal, but it is compressed quite a bit because they have limited bandwidth in which to transmit it.
Satellite: Satellite is slightly better price-wise. They don't have all of the extra fees that cable does. The only problem is that they want (in most cases) to charge you extra for HD service. While that may have been fine when HD was just coming out, it's ridiculous now that most all stations are available in HD anyway. And, like with cable the HD signal is actually compressed for broadcast. It's not compressed as much as cable, so the quality is considerably better.
Of course, as it stands now, the only true HD you can receive is over-the-air. The signal is not compressed and the audio and video are truly outstanding. Colors are extremely vivid. On some sets I've seen, it looks as if you are looking through a window at what is happening.
The only drawback is that most over-the-air broadcasters aren't fully utilizing HD. Now they have the ability to broadcast sub-channels to their regualr programming. Some use their sub-channels to air a 24hr weather radar (boring!). Some actually use it to broadcast educational / children's programming or additional network programming. One of the local networks uses on of their sub-channels to broadcast music videos. The choices are endless.
Unfortunately, it is, as I said under-utilized.
As for your TV, you will get a really good picture with a digital converter box if you don't have cable or satellite. If you want to get a better picture, you can upgrade to an HD TV set. But, the choice is yours. Don't let anyone fool you into buying a new TV you don't need or subscribing to cable or satellite unless you want to.
My rule of thumb is to wait. Usually within a year or two of new technolgy being released, they find a way to improve it and offer it at a lower price. Look at DVD and BluRay. That's one I'll be waiting on for a while too.
If you're interested in getting satellite for your HD experience click on the banner below.
Republican Hypocrites
Listening to the news last night, I heard that several Republican senators were planning on killing the bailout to the automotive industry unless the union (United Auto Workers) agreed to cuts in their salaries and benefits.
The question that should be asked by everyone is this: Why should the auto workers have to accept cuts in their salaries when the people on Wall Street were not required to as well?
Wall Street and most of our largest financial institutions are to blame for the meltdown in our economy. Yet few have called for any of the people involved to be fired, let alone receive any kind of reduction in their earnings.
Once again, this is a prime example of Republicans (and some Democrats) wanting to punish the people who work the hardest and produce products in this country and reward those who sit on their lazy asses all day and rake in more and more money.
The question that should be asked by everyone is this: Why should the auto workers have to accept cuts in their salaries when the people on Wall Street were not required to as well?
Wall Street and most of our largest financial institutions are to blame for the meltdown in our economy. Yet few have called for any of the people involved to be fired, let alone receive any kind of reduction in their earnings.
Once again, this is a prime example of Republicans (and some Democrats) wanting to punish the people who work the hardest and produce products in this country and reward those who sit on their lazy asses all day and rake in more and more money.
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