Greedy CCSD Faces Budget Shortfall Of $180,000,000

CCSD faces a budget shortfall of $180,000,000 in the fiscal 2012 year.
From the Las Vegas Sun: “Ouch,” one board member murmured.
The Clark County School District budget for fiscal 2012 is expected to be about $2 billion.
Jim McIntosh, the school district’s deputy chief financial officer, told board members that a $150 million of the shortfall is projected because of falling state funding, falling property tax receipts and expected employee pay increases when union concessions expire in the year beginning in July 2011. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/nov/17/school-district-faces-180-million-budget-shortfall/
Of course, what the writer of the article didn't write is that the district got a one year $57 million stimulus compliments of Harry Reid, Shelly Berkley and President Obama. Since this was a one time expenditure, the District hired a bunch of new employees, put the administrators who were reassigned to lower positions back into their former positions and rehired many of those who were laid off. At our school, we have fewer teaching staff but one more administrator and several more curriculum leaders. Is that good or bad- depends on who you talk to. We also have fewer students than last year.
Now, the District is saying they will have to layoff 2000 employees. But if the District wasn't so greedy in the Fall by accepting the bailout money, the shortfall will be much lower. And you know with the GOP in control of the House, they are not going to be sympathetic to school districts and other state and local government agencies to their financial problems and they shouldn't be.
So, because of the greed of the District, there will be another year of cutbacks, throwing the District into chaos. Again.

This Why Harry Reid Should Have Been Defeated

From the Sun: Republicans may not like it, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Wednesday he’s going to go ahead with bills to repeal a ban on gays serving openly in the military and provide undocumented college students and military recruits a chance to become American citizens.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/nov/17/reid-pressing-pass-dream-act-repeal-ban-gays-milit/
As far as Don't Ask, Don't Tell, I would not bothered if they pass it or not, with the caveat- no gay marriage on military bases in States that don't have gay marriage and no housing for gay couples, unless they are married. DADT was passed by Congress, so if Congress wants to get rid of it, I find that more tolerable than if a judge changed the law.
As far as the Dream Act, I am dead set against it. It is amnesty for illegals, no matter how you look at it and it is not fair for people who had to pay thousands of dollars and years trying to jump through hoops to become a legal U.S. citizen. (my ex-wife came here legally from Singapore and we had to jump through a lot of hoops and pay thousands for fees and lawyers. Of course, sometimes I wish I had not, but that's for another day)
And people wonder why Harry Reid should have been defeated. (Yes, I know, if Harry lost, he would still have a couple of weeks in the lame duck session) But at least the GOP will probably filibuster the Dream Act and probably DADT.
I guess this is what Harry Reid calls bi-partisanship.

Laurie (Bambi) Bembenek Near Death

From the Wisconsin State Journal: Laurie Bembenek, the former Milwaukee police officer and Playboy hostess convicted of a decades-old murder, is near death in hospice care near her home in Vancouver, Wash., according to a friend.
Ira Robins of Milwaukee said Bembenek, 52, has been suffering from liver and kidney failure, partially due to Hepatitis C. "She's almost gone," Robins said Wednesday. "She's been beaten up for so many years. They took her to hospice Sunday or Monday."
Bembenek, known as "Bambi" Bembenek, was convicted in 1982 of killing Christine Schultz, the ex-wife of her husband, Fred Schultz. Bembenek escaped from prison, fled to Canada, was recaptured and later entered a no contest plea to a reduced charge of second-degree murder. Prosecutors agreed to release Bembenek on time she already served.
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/crime_and_courts/article_6807402c-f2aa-11df-951e-001cc4c002e0.html
This is a case that captivated Milwaukee and much of the country for several of years. There was even a movie about her.
She was accused of killing the wife of a police officer that Bembenek had dated while the officer was still married. Bembenek was a police officer trainee at the time and when the accusations came out, she was fired.
She was convicted of murder, sent to prison and promptly escaped. She was recaptured in Canada.
She has always maintained her innocence and she was able to convince a judge to order a new trial. Instead of going to trial, she made a plea bargain and was able to get out of prison for time served. She has tried several time to get a pardon or have her conviction overturned and none of it has been successful.
I always thought she was not guilty, but I was a youngster then and so my hormones may have taken over my mind.
I hope she is out of pain.

Boy, I Got One Right

The day after I post about how the liberal must be hating Bristol Palin for being in "Dancing With The Stars" and she is in the semi-finals, word comes from Southwestern Wisconsin that a liberal went unhinged and shot his TV because of Bristol Palin.
From the Wisconsin State Journal: Bail was set Wednesday at $1,500 for a town of Vermont man accused of shooting his television after becoming enraged by Bristol Palin’s performance on “Dancing with the Stars,” threatening his wife and sparking a 15-hour standoff with Dane County sheriff’s deputies.
Steven N. Cowan, 66, will likely post the bail and be released from the Dane County Jail but was ordered by Court Commissioner Todd Meurer to report to the Dane County Bail Monitoring Program after he leaves the jail.
Cowan, who has bipolar disorder, became upset Monday night that Palin, the daughter of Sarah Palin, was appearing on “Dancing with the Stars,” according to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday. He brought a shotgun downstairs, shot the television, then reloaded the weapon and pointed it at his wife, Janice, the complaint states.
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/crime_and_courts/article_992c2354-f294-11df-991b-001cc4c002e0.html
Thank goodness it was just the TV and not his wife. I'd hate to see what would happen if Sarah Palin won the presidency. Mass suicide by liberals?
I think there will be more crazy liberal acts because of Bristol. ABC must be laughing all the way to the bank.

2nd CCSD Teacher Murdered In A Month

A second CCSD teacher has been murdered within about a month in Las Vegas.
From the Las Vegas Sun: The Clark County Coroner's Office said Wednesday that Franta's body was found Sunday behind a grocery store in the northwest valley.
The coroner determined she died of asphyxiation and ruled her death a homicide. Her body was found behind the Albertsons store at Tenaya Way and Craig Road.
Metro Police began asking for the public's help Tuesday in finding Franta, who taught at Irwin and Susan Molasky Junior High School. Police said she left her home about 7 p.m. Saturday in the 4300 block of Cranbrook Circle, near Torrey Pines Drive and Harmon Avenue, and didn't return.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/nov/17/coroner-body-found-behind-grocery-store-missing-te/
On October 20, 2010, a science teacher from El Dorado, Tim VanDerbosch, died after he was robbed, knocked out and the run over by a car.

And how did CCSD let's employees know bout these tragedies? They didn't. No even a district wide e-mail of condolence. Most CCSD staff had to hear about this through the media. Very pathetic, CCSD administration.
When I worked at other school districts, if a staff member died, there would a district wide e-mail and follow up e-mails with information about the funeral and how to donate money to the family. or even off a condolence letter/e-mail, saying something to the effect: We at CCSD are saddened to hear about the death of_____. Our condolences to the family and her friends. We will keep you updated to the date and time of the funeral and where donations can be made.
Now, CCSD administrators, is that so hard? No, it's not.
R.I.P Marybeth Franta and God bless your family and friends.

Update: The husband of the school teacher was arrested for killing Mrs. Franta. From the Sun:
Metro Police on Wednesday arrested the husband of a Las Vegas teacher whose body was found behind a grocery store this past weekend in the northwest valley.
Mark Douglas Franta was taken into custody at 4:55 p.m. and charged with murder in connection with the death of 49-year-old Marybeth Franta. Police said Mark Franta had reported his wife missing.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/nov/17/coroner-body-found-behind-grocery-store-missing-te/
Very sad, as now the two children of the couple are no parentless.

Can We One For Harry Reid, Sharron Angle, John Ensign and Dina Titus

Reid, Ensign, Angle and Titus are the four most despicable politicians in Nevada. They need to take one of these lie detectors with them, but then, they would never be able to sleep.

The best bit by Johnny Carson is when he says: Answer: Sis Boom Bah

Question: What is the sound of a sheep exploding.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlLmS54qn-I

h/t Dad29 http://dad29.blogspot.com/

UNLV-Wisconsin Badger Basketball Game This Saturday In Las Vegas

On Saturday, November 20th, The UNLV Rebels will play the Wisconsin Badgers at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. The game will start at 4:00 and will be broadcast on Versus (Cox cable 38 in Vegas)

The Badgers are ranked 25th in the ESPN/USA Today poll. UNLV is not ranked in the top 25 but is ranked 31. So, it should be a good game.

For those going to the game, tickets start at $20 and goes up to $103. These are the highest priced tickets of year, with the exception of the BYU game, which has the same prices.

I don't see any special Badger parties this weekend. But then, those visiting Las Vegas from Wisconsin, every day is party time

Even The Catholic Bishops Are Going Conservative

Two weeks ago, the United states turned from center left to center right in the 2010 elections.
Perhaps taking a clue from the voters, the Catholic bishops named Archbishop Timothy Dolan head of the United States Bishops.
From the New York Times: In a surprise move, the bishops that lead the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, elected Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York to be their president on Tuesday, rejecting the conference’s more liberal vice president. It was the first time in history that the bishops had not voted to elevate the vice president to the president’s post, affirming a conservative turn among the bishops....
The vote, which was close, cements Archbishop Dolan’s prominent profile in the leadership in the American church. He is already the prelate of the nation’s most visible diocese, is comfortable in the news media spotlight and was selected by the Vatican to help conduct an investigation of the church in Ireland, which has been devastated by a sexual abuse scandal.
The bishops passed over their vice president, Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson, who represents the more liberal “social justice” tradition of the American church and is known for advocating dialogue between Catholic liberals and traditionalists. Archbishop Dolan is a moderate conservative who is willing to put his affable and outgoing demeanor in service of a more assertively confrontational approach to the church’s criticshttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/us/17bishops.html?_r=1

Dolan has been a Archbishop in St. Louis, Milwaukee and now, New York. Why this man is not a Cardinal, is beyond me.
However, from the article: "Archbishop Dolan is a moderate conservative" (emphasis mine)
What the hell is a moderate conservative?

This Must Be Making Liberals Crazy

Bristol Palin is still alive and kicking on "Dancing With The Stars". As of today, she has reached the semi-finals- the top 4.
Not bad considering that all the liberals were laughing at her when she was named as a contestant.
Now that I wrote about this, I probably jinxed her.



If you look at the comments left at Bristol Palin's You Tube video's, they are very nasty from the compassionate liberals.

O.J. Files Another Appeal

Today, O.J. Simpson's lawyers filed another appeal of his conviction in Las Vegas in 2007. They are asking the Supreme Court to rehear their arguments.
From the Sun: O.J. Simpson's lawyers have filed a petition before the Nevada Supreme Court for a rehearing of the high court's Oct. 20 decision to uphold his robbery/kidnapping conviction stemming from a 2007 incident at the Palace Station Casino.
Simpson was convicted on 11 felony counts in taking items from memorabilia dealers from the hotel room. The 63-year-old NFL Hall of Famer is serving his sentence at the Lovelock Correctional Center.
The court on Oct. 22 upheld Simpson's conviction. Simpson and five other men tried to regain what Simpson believed was his personal property in September 2007 in a Las Vegas hotel room. Simpson was sentenced to a minimum of nine years in prison and a maximum of 33 years.
In the rehearing petition, which was filed Tuesday, Simpson's attorneys, Yale L. Galanter and Malcolm P. LaVergn, say the Clark County District Court that convicted Simpson had flaws in the way it picked the jury.
Their petition said the voir dire process, designed to weed out members of the jury panel who might have bias, was not extensive enough.
"Extensive probing questions were necessary and required in this case under the law," the petition says. "The Court's rationale that more questioning would not have provided additional securities misapprehends the law. Accordingly, a rehearing is warranted on the issue of restricting jury selection."
Simpson's attorneys also argued that the only two African-American members of the potential jury panel should not have been struck after they said they could follow the law.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/nov/16/oj-simpson-lawyers/
This reminds me of a scene from "A Few Good Men": Sam Weinberg: ""I strenuously object?" Is that how it's done? Hm? "Objection, your Honor!" "Overruled" "No, no. I STRENUOUSLY object." "Oh! You strenuously object. Then I'll take some time and reconsider.""

Space Alien Found At Red Rock... Or Not

Last week Rangers and Metro discovered some remains- a backbone to be precise- at Red Rock, in a remote area of the park. They send the Metro search and rescue team to gather the remains and implied they were human remains.
Well, today, they discovered they weren't human remains. From the Sun: A spine found by hikers at the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area last week that launched a search for more remains is not from a human, the Clark County Coroner's Office said today.
The Metro Police Search and Rescue Unit had recovered more remains — which police initially said were human — after the hikers discovered the spine Thursday.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/nov/16/coroner-remains-found-red-rock-canyon-arent-human/
Of course, they did not mention what animal/creature it was. so, maybe that is where they dump space aliens from Area 51.
But we know one thing for sure, it was not the bones from a liberal because everyone knows, liberals don't have a backbone.

How To Embarass The Hell Out A School Bureaucrat

From UPI: Denair Unified School District Superintendent Edward Parraz said Cody Alicea, 13, was told not to fly the U.S. flag from his bike while at Denair Middle School after complaints from other students, KCRA-TV, Sacramento, Calif., reported.
"(The) First Amendment is important," Parraz said. "We want the kids to respect it, understand it, and with that comes a responsibility."
Parraz said racial tensions boiled over at the school this year around the Cinco de Mayo holiday.
"Our Hispanic, you know, kids will, you know, bring their Mexican flags and they'll display it, and then of course the kids would do the American flag situation, and it does cause kind of a racial tension which we don't really want," Parraz said. "We want them to appreciate the cultures."
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2010/11/11/Student-told-to-take-US-flag-off-bike/UPI-77081289511876/

So, how did the kid and community react? See the video below:



Cody Alicea= Winner
Denair Unified School District Superintendent Edward Parraz= Loser



h/t Real Debate Wisconsin

Lame Duck Game

This is a nice shooting game of lame ducks in Congress, featuring our very own Harry Reid. To bad he was not a target. (just kidding) I was going to say that Metro cops should play this game, but their shooting seems to be pretty good today.

Here is the link to play: http://lameduckhuntgame.com/

h/t Real Debate Wisconsin

Pawn Stars Review: November 15, 2010

It's a night of reruns tonight for the Pawn Star show. Second week in a row, I believe.
In the first and second episode was first shown on August 16, 2010:
http://lasvegasbadger.blogspot.com/2010/08/new-season-for-pawn-stars-august-16.html

Some Pawn Stars News: Rick, Corey and Chumlee will be traveling to Reno on December 4 to do business. They also bring some store employees, so unless you have something interesting, you will probably be stuck with the regular store employees, the ones who do most of the work at the shop (with the exception of the Old Man who works at the shop most days and puts in 8 hours days, at least) http://www.mynews4.com/story.php?id=31513

American Restoration is on at 11:00 tonight, but it is a re-run. This cannot be good for Rick Dale's show if it is to stay on the air. (anybody else notice how Rick and Mike Rowe look alike, without Rick's tattoos, of course)

Well, have a nice week and thanks for stopping by.

Another Reason Not To Travel By Airplane

With the new scanners/x-ray machine that can see through clothes and see the naked body.
Imagine when you send 12 year old daughter or son going through the scanners and some TSA agent is looking at your kid's naked pictures.
Then, if you refuse to have your kids scanned, then they will have to be searched. This includes genitalia and breasts. This would be a child molester's dream job.
If you or I did this to our kids or a neighborhood kid, we would be charged with child pornography, sexual battery and be sentenced to many years or decades in prison. After getting out of prison, we would be classified as a sexual predator and our lives be ruined.
But if you are a TSA agent, you get paid to look at the child porn.
That's government working for you.
Unbelievable.

Green Energy Kills 42 In China

From Fox News: China's official Xinhua News Agency says at least 42 people have died in a Shanghai apartment building fire.
The fire occurred on Monday at a 28-story building that was under renovation. Earlier reports put the toll at at least eight dead and more than 90 injured.
A witness told Xinhua that building materials had caught fire, and the blaze spread to scaffolding and then to the 28-story building itself, which houses a number of retired teachers.

The cause of the fire: "The state-run news website Eastday.com cited a construction worker surnamed Qian who escaped from the 28th story as saying crews were installing energy-saving insulation when the fire occurred."

I blame Al Gore.

Bad Day To Be A Thug In Las Vegas

Today, in two separate incidents, Metro police officers shot and killed a thug, leaving two thugs dead and out of the DNA pool.
In the first incident, from the Las Vegas Sun:Metro Police said an officer fatally shot a man outside a convenience store this morning who threatened officers with what appeared to be a wooden walking stick.
Officers responded at 5:50 a.m. to Speedee Mart, 3011 E. Desert Inn Road, at the corner with Pecos-McLeod Drive after receiving reports of a man and a woman involved in an argument outside the store. Three officers arrived and noticed the argument appeared to be escalating, said police Capt. Patrick Neville, with Metro's homicide bureau.
Police said the man wasn't following the commands of officers. An officer tried to use a Taser on the man, but it appeared to have no effect on him, police said. The man then moved away from police, prompting an officer to use the Taser a second time, also with no results.
Neville said the officer then used "low-lethal force," in the form of a weapon that fires bean bags.
"It hurts, but it's not lethal," Neville said.
Police said that also didn't appear to have an effect on the man.
"They deployed a lot of strategies and a lot of lower-level force to get the individual in compliance," Neville said.
Police said the man had what appeared to be a wooden walking stick with a pointed end.
Neville said the man
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/nov/15/nv-police-shooting-vegas/
In the second incident, From the Sun: Three Metro Police officers shot and killed a man this morning inside a P.T.'s Pub in the eastern valley as the man was holding a bartender at knifepoint during a robbery attempt, police said.
Officers responded to reports of a robbery in progress about 10:30 a.m. at P.T.'s Pub, 2280 S. Nellis Blvd., near the intersection with Sahara Avenue. Police Capt. Patrick Neville, with Metro's homicide bureau, said officers arrived to find a 23-year-old man holding a female bartender at knifepoint.
The man wasn't complying with officers' demands, police said.
Three officers fired at the man, who was taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
A male customer at P.T.'s was injured during the robbery attempt, but police didn't know the extent of his injuries or what caused the injury. He also was taken to the hospital.
Investigators are reviewing surveillance video. Police also are interviewing at least five patrons who were inside the business at the time of the shooting.
Neville called the shooting an "extremely dynamic situation" in which the officers were forced to make a split-second decision about entering the bar, knowing that someone was being held hostage inside. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/nov/15/police-probe-second-shooting-involving-metro-polic/
From the looks of it, it sounds like the two shootings are legitimate and the cops should be exonerated, unless there is something that we have not heard about.

Another Reason Why I Don't Fly

From JohnnyEdge: I made my way through the line toward the first line of "defense": the TSA ID checker. This agent looked over my boarding pass, looked over my ID, looked at me and then back at my ID. After that, he waved me through. SAN is still operating metal detectors, so I walked over to one of the lines for them. After removing my shoes and making my way toward the metal detector, the person in front of me in line was pulled out to go through the backscatter machine. After asking what it was and being told, he opted out. This left the machine free, and before I could go through the metal detector, I was pulled out of line to go through the backscatter machine. When asked, I half-chuckled and said, "I don't think so." At this point, I was informed that I would be subject to a pat down, and I waited for another agent.A male agent (it was a female who had directed me to the backscatter machine in the first place), came and waited for me to get my bags and then directed me over to the far corner of the area for screening. After setting my things on a table, he turned to me and began to explain that he was going to do a "standard" pat down. (I thought to myself, "great, not one of those gropings like I've been reading about".) After he described, the pat down, I realized that he intended to touch my groin. After he finished his description but before he started the pat down, I looked him straight in the eye and said, "if you touch my junk, I'll have you arrested." He, a bit taken aback, informed me that he would have to involve his supervisor because of my comment...
At this point, I thought it was all over. I began to make my way to the stairs to exit the airport, when I was approached by another man in slacks and a sport coat. He was accompanied by the officer that had escorted me to the ticketing area and Mr. Silva. He informed me that I could not leave the airport. He said that once I start the screening in the secure area, I could not leave until it was completed. Having left the area, he stated, I would be subject to a civil suit and a $10,000 fine. I asked him if he was also going to fine the 6 TSA agents and the local police officer who escorted me from the secure area. After all, I did exactly what I was told. He said that they didn't know the rules, and that he would deal with them later. They would not be subject to civil penalties. I then pointed to Mr. Silva and asked if he would be subject to any penalties. He is the agents' supervisor, and he directed them to escort me out. The man informed me that Mr. Silva was new and he would not be subject to penalties, either. He again asserted the necessity that I return to the screening area. When I asked why, he explained that I may have an incendiary device and whether or not that was true needed to be determined. I told him that I would submit to a walk through the metal detector, but that was it; I would not be groped. He told me that their procedures are on their website, and therefore, I was fully informed before I entered the airport; I had implicitly agreed to whatever screening they deemed appropriate. I told him that San Diego was not listed on the TSA's website as an airport using Advanced Imaging Technology, and I believed that I would only be subject to the metal detector. He replied that he was not a webmaster, and I asked then why he was referring me to the TSA's website if he didn't know anything about it. I again refused to re-enter the screening area.
http://johnnyedge.blogspot.com/2010/11/these-events-took-place-roughly-between.html
There is more interesting information from Johnny's blog.
I have not flown for over 5 years now and I don't intend do so now. Our rights as an American have suffered deeply since 9/11. A little with Bush and a whole lot more with Obama.
The main reason I don't like to fly is because it makes me feel uncomfortable (ok, I'm scared to fly, especially with turbulence) and second is the loss of rights we are suffering at the hands of Federal government.
I'm not going to say this is a Obama problem, as G.W. Bush got the ball rolling, but Obama can stop it if he so chooses. But this is a blatant rights violation. Just as Johnny Edge says, if we, as private citizens, did what the TSA is doing, we would be arrested for sexual assault. But because they are from the government and they are there to help, the TSA can get away with it.
But on there other hand, this may be a job opportunity for sexual predators. They can get their thrills legally and reduce the dangers to the community they live in.
The TSA is out of control and the only way the TSA will stop is if people refusing to fly. Then the airlines will put pressure on the TSA and things will then change.

This Should Be Chris Christie' Theme Song

Tom Petty Won't Back Down
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So, You Want To be A NASCAR Driver

Holly Cain of Motorsports.fanhouse.com gives an inside look into Tony Stewart's life by following him for 48 hours.

Stewart is constantly on the move, putting in 12+ hours a day, when he is not driving. granted, Stewart is a part team owner and highly recognizable. This story could be written for about 20 regular NASCAR drivers like Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson and several others. The same kind of schedule is probably not true for drivers like Paul Menard, Dave Blaney, Travis Kvapil and Kevin Conway.

From the article: Considering Tony Stewart is a two-time NASCAR champion, household name and sports hero who stars in television commercials, has celebrity phone numbers on speed dial and is greeted most places he goes with cheers, high-fives, women fawning and kids wanting autographs. .. you might expect to find him with an entourage of personal assistants, chauffeurs and chefs and plenty of fun-filled down time before each upcoming race weekend.Instead, Stewart, dressed in jeans, a T-shirt and a new pair of Chuck Taylor Converse sneakers, drove himself to work -- as he does every day -- to a photo shoot in a nondescript building located in the back of an industrial complex in Mooresville, N.C.There was no fawning, no celebration when he ambled in the door -- still needing a shave. As for fun, well that depends on your definition of it. Down time? Never saw it....

And then, more than five hours, a couple hundred shots and a tornado warning later, at the end of the photo session, the photographers and Stewart's marketing team suddenly started shaking their heads and whispering nervously to one another from behind the cameras and bright lights.They had overlooked a detail and were now going to need to reshoot an additional series of photographs of Stewart holding up sponsor El Monterey's frozen Mexican food packages for promotional material the company would use next year. Extra-extra large burritos, chimichangas and frozen taquitos -- 17 variations of Mexican meals -- and Stewart had already posed with each one, smile on, in a shot list long enough to stretch from Charlotte to Tijuana.

From Part 2: Over the course of FanHouse's frantic, 48-hour, behind-the-scenes visit with the driver of the No. 14 Office Depot-Old Spice Chevy, time and again, no matter the situation, no matter the person he encountered, Stewart made each feel like they were the most important person in his life for that moment. He presented himself as if every event he attended was the most significant part of his day...

I was the same way. There were drivers I didn't like when I came into the sport and then I got a chance to hang out with them in a different setting and I was like, 'Wow, that guy is a really nice guy.' There are drivers in this sport that fans don't like that if they could spend a half hour with them their perspective would totally change. I've been that person."The thing I caution everybody is, that is not us 24-7, that's us in our work environment. Just like if you work in a high-stress job, you're probably not the most personable person while you're at work. There's two sides to our life, the professional side and the personal side and there's a big difference between the two.

He visited four states in two days, maintained good humor and a saint's patience during a nine-hour photo shoot, held an appreciation dinner, spent invaluable time with a terminally ill friend, signed autographs and posed for photos at a huge sponsor event and indulged a full two days of media requests -- all before getting to the race track for "work."..

And it's not just the high-profile events. Stewart is very active with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and NASCAR Foundation, typically spending time with sick children at every race venue all season long. He is equally active and helpful behind the scenes when the cameras aren't rolling.During a recent race weekend, Stewart came to see a very sick young man -- a Make-A-Wish Foundation patient -- who was waiting for his special moment with the driver in a private room in the track media center. The young man was in a wheelchair and barely able to speak. And during the visit itself, as Stewart spoke with him, the child's health was deteriorating so rapidly that an ambulance was called and a stretcher readied to take him to a hospital as soon as Stewart's time with him concluded. It was heartbreaking.

Part 1 http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/11/09/tony-stewart-nascars-everyman-gives-fanhouse-an-all-access-pa/?icid=main%7Chp-desktop%7Cdl4%7Csec1_lnk1%7C183903

Part 2: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/11/09/tony-stewart-part-two-a-champion-opens-up/

It's a great read if you like NASCAR and/or if you are an aspiring driver, like my son. I am sure this article also can be played out in other sports like football, baseball and basketball and how their athletes are kept just as busy or busier off the field than on it

This picture is probably not a highlight of Tony Stewart's day, but if you are going to be a star in NASCAR, it is something you have to put up with.

More False Stories From The Vegas Media

I wonder if journalism standards are lost in Ls Vegas. Earlier today, I pointed out that the LVRJ posted pictures from Aviation Nation could not have taken on Saturday. Not really a big issue, but it shows a lack of journalism interity.
Now, the Las Vegas Sun has gone and printed a completely BS article.
It involves a patient who went for heart surgery at a local hospital, spent some time in a coma and by the time he was discharged, he had a bed sore the size of a grapfruit, The Sun made it clear that the cause of sore was from a lack of turning the patient and neglect. well I call BS on their story.
From the Sun: Englestead underwent the surgery almost two years ago at Sunrise Hospital Medical Center and was discharged with an open sore the size of a grapefruit on his buttocks, so deep it exposed his tailbone.
Some health care experts refer to bedsores as “never events” — injuries that are not supposed to occur if the patient is shifted in bed so pressure isn’t placed too long on the same body part. Such injuries are considered so preventable that the federal government does not reimburse hospitals for treating them when they occur in the facilities.
The hospital responds:
Dan Davidson, Sunrise spokesman, said in an e-mail that although he was unable to discuss Englestead’s case in detail, “our review of the records indicates that unfortunately, this bedsore was unpreventable.”
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/nov/14/after-sugery-injury-uncured/
I have spent most of my adult life working with people who are susceptible to bedsores. I have seen numerous bedsores, but never the size of a grapefruit. Maybe a dime sized bedsore, but never the size of a grapefruit.
Bed sores can happen due not turning a patient or if a person urinates and poops in their bed. Well, since Mr. Englestead was in a coma, he more than likely had a catheter placed in him, so there would be no problem with urine. As as poop, I am quite confident that the staff just did not leave in that condition for hours at a time.
Further, the only way to get a bedsore on the buttocks is from the patient sitting on their tailbone for extended periods of time. You will not find this while a patient is lying in a hospital bed, instead you will find this injury from sitting in a wheelchair for an extended amount of time and this is not alleged in the article.
Further, the family stated that they never saw the patient turned. When family is visiting, more often than not, the nurses and aide do not want to interrupt the patients visit unless they had to. Mr. Englestead probably was turned before or after the family left.
Finally, the sure sign that this was abuse or bed sore. If a bed sore the size of a grapefruit did occur, it would have started with criminal charges. Bed sores do not happen over night, but takes days and weeks for a large bedsore to occur. A bed sore this size would have resulted in criminal charges of abuse and/or neglect of a patient. Further, nursing, nursing aides and doctor's licences would have been revoked and the hospital would have been fined thousands , if not hundreds of thousands of dollars, for the neglect. None of this happened.
So what did happen? From the Sun: Englestead underwent the surgery almost two years ago at Sunrise Hospital Medical Center and was discharged with an open sore the size of a grapefruit on his buttocks, so deep it exposed his tailbone.
Now, compare this to a description of a pinodal abcess: A pilonidal is an abscess which occurs in the natal cleft, or in layman's terms, the crack of the buttocks. The pilonidal is typically found near the tailbone. Pilonidal abscesses occur most frequently in men, but pilonidal abscesses do plague women...
Sometimes the pain only lasts for a day or so. If the pain increases, there is a good chance the pilonidal abscess is just increasing. The symptom which provides the most discomfort is when the abscess swells. When the pilonidal abscess swells, it fills up with a foul-smelling pus and blood. The swollen pilonidal abscess is very tender to the touch and may prevent the carrying out of daily details. When the pilonidal abscess has reached this point, medical attention is needed as soon as possible.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/169224/pilonidal_abscess_symptoms_prevention.html
I have assisted in treating people with pilonidal abscesses and I have had one myself, which I contracted in a hospital.
If the pilondial cyst ruptures, you end up with a whole under your tailbone and it can be deep and wide. The biggest one I helped treat was the size of an apple and it took months for the wound to heal. To treat the abscess, you have to put gauze inside the womb and at times, you have to remove dead skin. It is very painful and it describes what Mr. Englestaed had.
So, the Las Vegas has gone out and tried to ruin the reputation of a hospital and it's staff in an effort to sensationalize the news. That is so pathetic and I hope that the hospital and staff sue the Sun for libel.

LVRJ Lying About It's Photgraphs

Las Vegas Sun Picture

LVRJ Photo My Photo

This morning, I woke up to a beautiful morning. I went outside and got the paper and saw the front page picture. It was a picture of the Thunderbirds in a beautiful blue sky photo. But something was and I went upstairs and got the photo's that I took and the pictures were quite different. My pictures had clouds in them while the the LVRJ photo's had a clear blue sky. Hmm, I thought, maybe they were taken from the day before, but according to the bi-line, nope the pictures were taken Saturday. http://www.lvrj.com/news/aviation-nation-flies-over-valley-107897689.html

And all of the picture by the LVRJ show a clear day with no hints of clouds.
Well, maybe a different angle? Perhaps, but we were taking our pictures right next to the media center where they were taking pictures.
So, what gives? Did the LVRJ doctor the film? Did they use stock photo's from their files? Did they get the pictures from the Thunderbirds? Whatever is the case, they did not take the photo's of the Thunderbids on Saturday.

Makes me wonder what photo's the LVRJ have doctored.

Another Reason For Gov. Christie Is Presidential Material

Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey is not afraid to speak his mind and that, to me, is refreshing and presidential. In this clip, he takes on a superintendent the crazy pay increases he will receive.



Earlier in the day Christie discussed the Parsippany Board and Seitz at a town hall meeting in Toms River. “Let me tell you about the new poster boy for all that’s wrong with the public school system that is being dictated by greed,” the governor told the audience. “This contract is the definition of greed and arrogance. I’m going to be speaking out loudly and clearly every day I can about Lee Seitz. If Lee Seitz wants to try to put his greed and his arrogance ahead of the taxpayers of New Jersey, you elected me to stand up to people like Lee Seitz and others across the state and I will.”
The day before the meeting Seitz is quoted in the Daily Record as saying, “Because of the proposed salary caps, I have to look at my future and the financial welfare of my family. I certainly would have options if I didn’t feel the compensation in this district, or New Jersey, is appropriate.”
The governor reacted to Seitz’s veiled threats to leave New Jersey and go to a nearby state where there is no state salary. “I will say in response to Mr. Seitz, ‘Let me help you pack.’ We have real problems in our state that we have to fix and we don’t have the time, nor the money, nor the patience any longer for people who put themselves before our citizens,” Christie railed.
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/253174/my-new-favorite-christie-line-veronique-de-rugy#

Heidi Harris says Christie will never win because he is too fat. No, he won't lose because of that. He won in New Jersey, a blue state and the voters knew he is overweight. Besides, with about half the population over weight, he'll probably capture that demographic.

Bucky Badger Is Going to Be One Sore Badger Tonight

The Wisconsin Badgers defeated Indiana, 83-20 at Madison.
Every time Bucky scores, the mascot Bucky has to do push ups equal to the Badgers point total. On Saturday, Bucky had to do 573 push ups. There is going to be one sore Badger tonight. He probably worked harder than the football team.
From ESPN: Lynch didn't believe Wisconsin tried to run up the score, something former Minnesota coach Tim Brewster accused Bret Bielema of earlier this season. "I've always felt it was our job to stop the team and play the game," Lynch said. "We didn't do that very well."
Wisconsin beat FCS-member Austin Peay 70-3 this season, but this performance was much more impressive.
To put it in perspective, Wisconsin's men's basketball team failed to score 83 points in 30 of its 34 games last season, while the school's mascot Bucky did 573 push-ups over the course of the game.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=303170275

The Good, The So-So And The Ugly At Aviation Nation

The family went to Aviation Nation this afternoon for the 4th year in a row.

As usual, Nellis AFB puts on a good show and the aircraft they bring in is top of the line

The Good: The staff at Nellis were very helpful to everyone. The static airplane display was top notched, ranging from the C-5 Galaxy to gliders and a one seater Cessena and everything in between. The air show was great- you get to see the finest pilots in the world and some of the best airplanes flying over you ad putting on a great display.

The So-So: Again, we have been going for 4 years now and not much has changed. You see the same static displays and basically the same air show. It would be nice if they change things up again.

The Horrid: Parking and getting on buses at Nellis. To get to the air show, you have to park at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and then take a bus to Nellis. We had to wait about 45 minutes to get on a bus to Nellis. On the way back to the Speedway, we were in line a little over 2 hours. Some people waited almost 2 hours to basically cross the street from the Speedway to Nellis and then waited over two hours to get back to Speedway.

They didn't have enough buses and then when the buses showed up, people took their time to get on the bus. Some buses took 15 minutes to load- no excuse for that.

Because of Federal law, Nellis could not hire out the CCSD buses, who would have done a much better job and would have loaded the people in wheelchairs a lot faster.

So, if you go tomorrow, leave early to go to the Speedway and leave immediately after or during the Thunderbird show. Otherwise plan on waiting in line for at least an hour or more.

Washington Post: Obama: Don't Run In 2012

From Voxday: This is a critical moment for the country. From the faltering economy to the burdensome deficit to our foreign policy struggles, America is suffering a widespread sense of crisis and anxiety about the future. Under these circumstances, Obama has the opportunity to seize the high ground and the imagination of the nation once again, and to galvanize the public for the hard decisions that must be made. The only way he can do so, though, is by putting national interests ahead of personal or political ones.To that end, we believe Obama should announce immediately that he will not be a candidate for reelection in 2012.... We do not come to this conclusion lightly. But it is clear, we believe, that the president has largely lost the consent of the governed. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/12/AR2010111202846.html?sub=AR
It should be noted that one of the authors of the opinion piece is Pat Caddell, who is a Democratic pollster. The other author is Douglas E. Schoen who is also is another Democratic pollster. So, this isn't some crazy Tea Bagger or member of the GOP- Obama is being attacked from within the Democratic Party.
Another interesting part of the vox article: ...been hearing for six months that Obama is erratic, irrational, and paranoid (he may have reason for that last one). It's rumored the Democratic Leadership and the press have been covering this up since the night he was elected (something happened that night and there's lots of different stories) but he's gotten much worse. Every word he utters is canned and without a trace of spontaneity and this is being attributed to his use Anti-depressants... and worse.Last week I heard that the NYTs (not the WP) was going to do an editorial asking him not to run in 2012. Running off to Diwali after the huge defeat was seen as the last straw. Apparently he's not met with anyone from the Democratic party since the election debacle and refused to until this coming week. This has allowed Pelosi and her crew to make a move. A reasonable head of the Democratic party, Obama in this case, should have stopped that. But he didn't to say the least. He left the party twisting in the winds of fate.... The most fantastic charge of all is that Joe ***** Biden stays as far away from Obie as possible (and not the other way around as I've always assumed). Less surprising is Biden has brought up the 25th amendment. Not surprising in the sense that Biden wants to be prez and will never be elected." (stars mine) http://voxday.blogspot.com/2010/11/et-tu-brauchli.html

There's going to be a lot of infighting within the Donkey Party, especially in the Senate because the Dem's have a whole lot more of Senate seats up for grabs than the GOP.
This should be fun to watch.

h/t Dad 29 http://dad29.blogspot.com/

How To Build A 15 Story Hotel In 6 Days

I wonder if it includes plumbing and electricity?

What Am I Missing About Yucca Mountain?

Harry Reid proudly says he killed thousands of jobs at Yucca Mountain as he tries to kill the project. One of his arguments is that if Yucca is opened up, people will stop coming to Las Vegas. Well if this is true, then:

1. In Nevada, we were one of the few places in the United States that exploded atomic and nuclear bombs. " In the U.S.: Nevada (several sites; but the Nevada Test Site is the only currently open U.S. test site); Alamogordo, New Mexico; Carlsbad, New Mexico; Hattiesberg, Mississippi; Grand Valley, Colorado; Rifle, Colorado; Farmington, New Mexico; Hot Creek Valley, Central Nevada; Fallon, Nevada and; Amchitka, Alaska."
http://archive.greenpeace.org/comms/nukes/ctbt/read9.html
And people still come to Nevada.

2. Nevada is still collecting low level nuclear waste. "There have been seven operating commercial facilities in the United States licensed to dispose of low-level radioactive wastes. They are located at (1) West Valley, New York; (2) Maxey Flats near Morehead, Kentucky; (3) Sheffield, Illinois; (4) Beatty, Nevada; (5) Hanford, Washington; (6) Clive, Utah; and (7) Barnwell, South Carolina. At the present time, only the latter three sites are receiving waste for disposal; they are regulated by the states. The West Valley, Maxey Flats, Sheffield and Beatty sites have permanently stopped receiving wastes. Burial of transuranic waste is limited at all of the sites. Transuranic waste includes material contaminated with radioactive elements (e.g., neptunium, americium, plutonium) that are artificially made and is produced primarily from reprocessing spent fuel and from use of plutonium in fabrication of nuclear weapons"
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/radwaste.html
And people still come to Las Vegas and Nevada to party.

So, why are people so afraid of Yucca? Transporting material to Yucca? Fly the nuclear material into Yucca. We have B-52 bombers and other Air Force bombers that fly with nuclear weapons all over the Country and the world and we have not had a serious accident where anything nuclear was released.
Maybe people will think that people will stay away from casinos because of Yucca. Well, they are still coming to Nevada after above nuclear bomb testing, I don't people will stop coming because of Yucca.
Harry Reid and other Nevada's officials from both the Dem's and GOP are trying to kill the 1000's jobs that go with Yucca. Why, well Harry says it will be bad for business of the casinos. But people still come to Vegas despite above ground nuclear testing.
Others worry about polluting the ground water. Well, the NRC has been making sure that this will not happen.
Others worry about transportation through the Valley. Well, if we can fly nuclear bombs around the Country and the world, I am sure we can fly any nuclear material into Yucca.
So, we have Harry Reid, Jim Gibbons and other politicians running around saying No, No, No to nuclear power waste. Meanwhile, we have an unemployment rate around 17% and Nevada need jobs desperately. So, Harry, get off your soapbox and get Yucca Mountain moving again.

Good Luck To Desert Pines Boy's Soccer Team Tomorrow

The school I currently teach at, Desert Pines, the boys soccer team will be playing for the State championship tomorrow. They will be playing Legacy High school for the State Championship tomorrow at 10:00 at Bettye Wilson Park, which is by Cimmeron High School.

From the LVRJ: "Cruz Cortes hasn’t had many chances to score for Desert Pines’ boys soccer team.
When the Jaguars defender had a rare opportunity in Friday’s Class 4A state semifinal, he made good use of it.
Cortes took a deflection off a Bishop Gorman defender and buried it in the back of the net in the second overtime to lead the Jaguars past the Gaels 3-2 at Bettye Wilson Park, sending Desert Pines into its first state title match."

http://www.nevadapreps.com/boys/soccer/stories/CLASS_4A_Cortes_sends_Desert_Pines_into_title_date_with_Legacy.html

This was a battle of the haves and have nots. Desert Pines is a inner-city school while Bishop Gorman is a Catholic High School where many of the rich kids in the Valley go to.

So, good luck to the Jaguars as they go for our first State title in any sport.

BTW, the Jaguar JROTC, which I believe is the only Marine JROTC in the Valley, did a great job in the Veteran's Day Parade.

It's always good to see our high school, which has a poor reputation in the community, do positive things.

Big Shakeup At The LVRJ

Today, there was bloodletting at the LVRJ began when publisher Sherman Fredicks and Editor Thomas Mitchell were essentially were demoted/fired.
From the Las Vegas Sun: "In an apparent shake-up at the highest ranks of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the newspaper announced today that Publisher Sherman Frederick has left the post and will become a consultant and columnist, and Editor Thomas Mitchell was reassigned from newsroom boss to senior opinion editor.
Frederick also was replaced as CEO of Stephens Media, the owner of the R-J. He was replaced by Michael Ferguson, the chief operating officer of Stephens Media. Ferguson in turn named Bob Brown, the newspaper’s advertising director since 2001, as the new publisher, according to the newspaper.
The changes came as a surprise to R-J reporters, who said there was no advance warning before the news was published on the R-J’s website.
Ferguson, the new CEO, said decisions about the future of the R-J will be left to the new publisher, Brown, and his local management team. An announcement on a new editor will be made in the coming weeks, he said."
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/nov/12/review-journal-publisher-sherman-frederick-editor-/
So, why did this all happen?
Is it because Fredricks wanted out because of his health problems? He has had prostrate, heart and other medical problems in the past year or so.
And why was Mitchell reassigned? Was the stress it the stress of running a newsroom caused him to seek another job?
Or could it be, as the conspiracy theorists are saying, is it because the LVRJ put a lot into it's editorials in defeating Harry Reid? I doubt that as the LVRJ has always been against Reid, so why would this be different? Besides, Mitchell is a conservative guy, so I don't think the editorials will change much.
Is it because of the copywrite lawsuits? That is possible. I don't think Stephen's Media-parent company of the LVRJ, is making much, if any, money off the lawsuits and that the Righthaven company is probably charging the LVRJ more money than they are bringing in through court settlements. Fredricks defended Righthaven and the lawsuits and it caused a furor in the blogging world, with talks of boycotts by people who never have read the print version of the paper.
So, what is the reason? Maybe, just maybe, Fredricks just wants to retire and Mitchell wants a more comfy job and that are the only reasons.
I guess we will see in the next several weeks if there is a change in the how the paper looks and if the paper's opinion page will change.
It should be interesting to see if there will be other changes as well.

Tackiest Advertising Award: Ed Bernstein and Channel 8

Tonight was one of the few times I have watched Channel 8 CBS news out of Las Vegas.
Channel 8 was reporting live on the scene via Channel 8's helicopter about a fatal truck-pedestrian accident on Craig Rd by Clayton Ave. in North Las Vegas. The body of th 50 year old woman was still on the scene, covered up.
Then up in the upper right hand corner of the screen, there is an advertisement for Ed Bernstein, attorney. It said basically, "In an accident, call ED".
The covered body was still on the scene.
Talk about an ambulance chasing lawyer. To have the lawyer advertise during fatal accidents when the body was still at the scene is pretty disgusting. Stay classy, ED.
And lawyers wonder why people are disgusted with them. And Channel 8: To run an advertising while running a live fatal accident story is just plain disrespectful to the victim and just in poor taste in general.

November: Easy Month For CCSD Students

Clark County School District (CCSD) students are having a pretty easy month of November.

Students were off November 1 and because of the elections. They also had Nevada Day off, October 29th.

The students had today off, November 11 and 12th because of Veterans Day and a Family Day.

The students are giving thanks for having Thanksgiving and another Family Day for the day after Thanksgiving.

In addition, proficiency testing takes place November 15-18 at the high schools, so not much teaching will be going on those days.

It's time like this when I wish could adopt the Amish school schedule. They start school in early September, take weekends, Thanksgiving, Christmas and News Year Day off and the school year in late March or very early April. Then we can have 5 month summer vacation. Kids would love it but the parents would have a nervous breakdown by month 2.

Darwin Award Winner

From the Darwinawards.com: A handicapped man, annoyed that an elevator closed and departed without him, thinks it over before ramming his wheelchair into the doors not once, not twice, but three times in all--only to plunge down the now-empty elevator shaft to his death. Simultaneous success and failure combine to earn the 40-year-old lasting immortality as a Darwin Award winner.



http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2010-08.html

I Wonder If Harry Reid Suggested This?

In the "I Can't Believe This Is True" category, from Washington Examiner and Byron York: Members of a key panel created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the stimulus bill, have scheduled a meeting on November 22 to consider ways to prevent "fraud, waste, and abuse of Recovery Act funds." The meeting will be held at the super-luxe Ritz Carlton Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona.
The group is the Recovery Independent Advisory Panel, a sub-committee of the larger Recovery Accountability and Transparency board (sometimes known as the RAT board). The stimulus bill set up the Recovery Independent Advisory Panel, or RIAP, to make recommendations to identify and prevent waste of the bill's $814 billion in stimulus spending.
"The purpose of the November 22, 2010 meeting is to allow the RIAP to have an open dialogue, with input from the public, on issues relating to fraud, waste, and abuse of Recovery Act funds," says a notice in the Federal Register. Specifically, participants in the meeting will discuss various techniques to detect and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse, as well as larger issues of transparency and public awareness. Portions of the meeting will be open to the public, while other parts will be closed.
The Ritz-Carlton is located "in the midst of the picturesque Camelback Corridor, the city's premier shopping, dining and financial district," according the hotel's website. Hungry waste-and-abuse hunters can dine in the "casual elegance, relaxed atmosphere and uniquely inviting ambiance of the European-inspired bistro 24." Or they can enjoy Afternoon Tea in the "uniquely warm and inviting" Lobby Lounge. And at any time, waste-and-abuse watchdogs who also enjoy golf will be "just minutes from some of the best courses in the world," including the Tournament Players Club, the Arizona Biltmore, and several others.
And of course, there's one other element to the story: The board is holding a meeting in Arizona, home of the immigration law that President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder have condemned and are challenging in court, and a state that is also the target of boycotts by a number of left-leaning groups and local governments around the country. Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Obama-panel-probes-stimulus-waste----at-Ritz-Carlton-107236598.html#ixzz1526DZGlF
So, you have a board looking for waste and fraud from the stimulus spending and they choose the Ritz-Carlton in Phoenix, AZ.
Apparently, Buckingham Palace was already in use.
This is just a blatant waste of taxpayer money by the Obama administration. We all know that King Obama lives and travels like royalty, unlike any other president we have seen. And now his subordinates are doing the same thing.
How nice it is when you really don't care about the taxpayer money. And I am pretty sure Las Vegas could have held the same meetings for about 1/5 the cost and do just as good a job.
Liberal Democrats- gotta love them for their love of luxury at others expense.

Great Las Vegas Veterans Day Parade Until...

I've been watching the Las Vegas Veterans Day Parade on TV. It was great seeing the different veteran groups. Great Parade until...
The group in the parading advocating for universal health care.
Sharron Angle saying thank you for the veterans and her supporters and the TV host's behavior regarding Sharron Angle. Who cares about politics on this day. Though I wonder where Harry and his entourage were today? No where to be found and no comments on his Senate web site about Veteran's day. You stay classy, Harry!

Why doesn't Nevada Have Honor Flights For WWII Veterans?

When reading the Wisconsin newspapers, I have read a lot about Honor Flights leaving Wisconsin with groups of World War II Veterans for a day long trip to Washington D.C.. When in Washington D.C., they are treated to a day of visiting the different memorials in the city, including the WWII Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial.
This is happening all over the country and in fact, there are 38 States participating in Honor Flight, but sadly, Nevada is not one of the states.
Considering how many veterans move to Las Vegas and Nevada to retire, it is a shame that we don't have a Honor Flight Network organization.
For more information: http://www.honorflight.org/
It would be nice if someone with some prominence could start the program here in Las Vegas and Nevada. Or even someone with less clout could help start the program.
What a way to help our older veterans be recognized in ways that they never were when they were in the service.

Las Vegas Veterans Day Parade

On November 11, 2010, th City of Las Vegas will be putting on a parade on 4th street, from Gass to Ogden. It is the biggest Veteran's Day parade west of the Mississippi.

From the City's web site: The Las Vegas City Council has proclaimed Nov. 5-12 as Veterans Week, in honor of the many men and women who have served, and continue to serve, our country. The annual Veterans Day parade will be held Thursday, Nov. 11, downtown on Fourth Street, from Gass to Ogden avenues, beginning ized by VFW Post 1753, the parade is expected to honor and recognize more than 60 severely wounded troops for their sacrifices. http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/Find/23377.htm

I know there will be JROTC troops from the area high schools will be marching. There will be military equipment, Veterans and current activity members marching

This weekend, at Nellis AFB, Aviation Nation takes place. It is an all-day event and the air show is one of the biggest in the country. The events take place on Saturday and Sunday. You will have to park at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and then they will bus you into Nellis. They have entertainment throughout the day along with static displays of airplanes from many generations. You will be able to tour some of the larger planes and talk to the crew as well.
The Thunderbirds will be performing- because Nellis is home to the Thunderbirds, we will get some extra treats from them. There is so much to see and do at Nellis and the admission is free and and so is the parking at the Speedway. But you cannot walk into the gates at Nellis, you have to go to the Speedway. There is food, beer , soda and water available. There are not that many chairs to sit on throughout Nellis, so bring some lawn chairs along to the event.
It's a great event and you will have fun, but prepared to walk a long way.

So, please honor those who have served. Many of those that served, did so under very difficult circumstances. November 11 is the days for veterans and their families.

Thank you Veterans for all you do and have done for this wonderful country!!

One Of The First Things The GOP Should Investigate

When the Republicans take over in January, one of the first orders of business is to investigate the Obama's administration's handling of the oil spill crisis in The Gulf of Mexico and specifically, the drilling ban that was put in place by the Obama administration. This is a soap opera story that includes disaster, fraud, lies, jealousy and the middle finger stuck into the eyes oil companies and oil workers, that has caused the loss of 10,000's of jobs.
From Michelle Malkin: I’ve been covering Loathsome Cowboy/job-killer Ken Salazar’s ongoing corruption of science and environmental policy at the Interior Department for you extensively here. He has largely escaped mainstream scrutiny. But with a new House GOP majority and independent watch dogs on his tail, he may finally get the lasting ass-kicking he deserves.
As you’ll recall, Salazar and his minions were roasted by federal courts in June and July for fudging data and misrepresenting and contradicting what Obama-appointed scientists recommended regarding the administration’s deepwater drilling ban. In September, the courts again rejected the drilling ban before the White House finally relented in an election-season feint.
He refused to acknowledge his deception and instead strolled into a federal oil spill commish meeting and did this:
Undaunted, Salazar conjured up a “revised” moratorium rubber-stamped by oil spill czar Michael Bromwich, who sheepishly admitted that the new ban was “roughly congruent with the original moratorium.”
The sham changes would permit some drilling rigs to re-start operations – but only under onerous, fantasyland testing conditions that industry leaders say would be virtually impossible to meet. In short, Salazar’s “new” moratorium is a lot like Salazar himself: All hat, no cattle....
Now, the Interior Department inspector general has officially confirmed what whistle-blowing scientists exposed this summer. Salazar and the Obama eco-radicals doctored their moratorium report to mislead the public. Whose fingerprints were all over the lies?
Carol Browner, again.
The White House rewrote crucial sections of an Interior Department report to suggest an independent group of scientists and engineers supported a six-month ban on offshore oil drilling, the Interior inspector general says in a new report.
In the wee hours of the morning of May 27, a staff member to White House energy adviser Carol Browner sent two edited versions of the department report’s executive summary back to Interior. The language had been changed to insinuate the seven-member panel of outside experts – who reviewed a draft of various safety recommendations – endorsed the moratorium, according to the IG report obtained by POLITICO…
http://michellemalkin.com/2010/11/10/confirmed-obama-job-killlers-salazar-browner-lied-about-drilling-ban-rationale/

Obviously, the Attorney General will not investigate this because Eric Holder's sleeps in Obama's bed when Michelle is not around. (figuratively speaking, of course)
So, it will be up to GOP to investigate this fraud that Browner and Salazar and their staffs have perpetrated.
But then again, there are so many other problems the GOP needs to investigate, but this case should be on the top of the list.

Dina Titus Makes Blondes Look Bad

The Las Vegas Sun ran a story about Dina Titus and story clearly shows how pathetic and out of touch Dina Titus is. Titus also makes blondes of the infamous blonde jokes look intelligent.

First, it is reported that Titusis going back to UNLV, presumably to teach, though the job dog poop pickerupper on the UNLV campus probably has been filled. She is so under qualfied for the job because of her lack of ethics, she should never be allowed near students. But apparently, UNLV has no standards when it comes to whom they hire.

What lessons will you teach students about your re-election bid?
The story of this election will be the Supreme Court decision (that loosened campaign finance restrictions on corporations and outside groups). Almost $9 million spent against us from outside, unnamed sources, starting back in the spring with the health care vote. Just the amount of money that was poured into all the races from those kind of sources.

$9 million? Yeah right.
And the unions and other groups supporting you were just fine with you? Or is it just corporations that are evil and unions are good? Or, maybe Titus, you just don't believe in free speech? (Oh, by the way, didn't the Las Vegas Sun benefit from the Supreme Court decision? Or did they do the honorable thing and refuse campaign money from groups that benefited from the Supreme Court ruling. what do you think they did. Yup, didn't think the Sun refused any advertising money from these groups)

Anyways, from the article: Do you think that was the tipping point — the outside money?
Yes, because all of that money was negative money.

Umm, Dina, you had a ton of outside money running false commercials on your behalf. Some of the commercials were called out by the Las Vegas Sun as false.
It is also false to say that all of Heck's supporters ran false advertisements- some groups also put positive advertisements praising Joe Heck and his employment and service record. But I guess when you compare Joe Heck's accomplishments compared to Dina Titus's accomplishments, I guess I can see why Titus would think those ad's were negative.

Why do you think you lost?
It was a combination of things — the tough economy; anti-incumbency; a lot of the misinformation that got out there early about things like health care; $9 million in negative ads against us. My campaign team, though, ran a flawless campaign and I don’t think anybody will point out any problems we had, any mistakes we made.

Your campaign ran a flawless campaign? You mean all those false commercials were not flawless? All your lies on the campaign trail were not flawless. Flawless? No wonder people make fun of blondes.

Further, $9 million in ads against you? Show me the figures. Then show me the figures of all the money that was spent on your behalf. Whose numbers do you think will be higher.



Do you think it was fair for voters to lump you in with the Democratic establishment when you were new to Congress?
I was only there 18 months before the elections started so I wasn’t a longtime Washington incumbent. But I think it was just the mood. I was there, so I had to take the blame. I think it was an overall climate of anger and frustration, and I just happened to be in that place.

Well, maybe if you had not voted with Nancy Pelosi over 93% of the time, maybe people wouldn't have lumped you in with the Democratic establishment.


Any advice for your successor?
I don’t know Joe Heck. I don’t know what his priorities are. I know he mentioned that his idea for helping people in foreclosure was to bring down unemployment. Uh, good luck with that. I just hope that he’ll continue the (foreclosure) casework because the people in District 3 are hurting.
Umm, you don't Joe Heck but yet you run all those negative advertisements against him? Hello???
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/nov/10/secret-money-was-story-election-titus-says-us-supr/

Q. What do smart blondes and UFO's have in common? A. You always hear about them but never see them. And Dina Titus will never be confused with a smart blonde and hopefully we will never see her in politics or in a classroom again.

Sen. Jim Webb To Switch Parties?

Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) is thinking of switching parties, from Dem to GOP.
From Politics Daily: As you may recall, Webb was secretary of Navy under Reagan, but in 2006 ran as a Democrat against then-Sen. George Allen, ultimately defeating him.Kuhn's interview may spark speculation that Webb is laying the groundwork for a future party switch. Webb voted for health care reform, but tells Kuhn:
"I told him this was going to be a disaster," Webb recalls. "The president believed it was all going to work out."Kuhn goes on to note that Webb "identifies himself as a Democrat. But he has few Democratic leaders to identify with."
Policy differences aside, a practical reason Webb might consider changing parties is that in two years he could face either the current Virginia governor or attorney general or possibly a rematch against George Allen. Webb was able to win in 2006, a very tough year for Republicans, after Allen uttered the word "macaca," a pejorative term aimed at a Webb supporter of Indian decent. But for Webb, getting re-elected in 2012 could be tougher.
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/11/09/is-sen-jim-webb-hinting-at-a-party-switch/

It would not surprise me if there are some Democrat Senators who switch parties. especially if they are in a tough re-election fight. Look what happened to Arlen Specter of PA. When things get tough, Specter ran like a baby and he got his butt handed to him by the GOP.
But what does this give the GOP? Really, nothing. Allen could very well be defeated in two years, in which the Dem's are going to face another shellacking in the senate. If Allen switches, the GOP gains nothing- the Senate doesn't switch to the GOP.
So, the GOP should say to him- thanks but if you are interested in switching, do it after 2012.

More Democratic Party Dirty Tricks

From The Washington Examiner: Senator-elect Mark Kirk, R-Ill., is one of three senators elected Nov. 2 to fill seats vacated by individuals who joined the Obama administration. Illinois law requires that Kirk assume his office immediately following the election, but unnamed state officials say Kirk can't be sworn in until Nov. 29 due to "paperwork" delays. Kirk, who replaces Democratic appointee Roland Burris, won his election after promising to be a Republican vote against any attempts by Democrats to pass radical legislation during the lame duck session of Congress. The lame duck session that opens Nov. 15 gives shellacked Democrats two final weeks to pass legislation they failed to approve before the election. Burris will still sit with Senate Democrats if Kirk is not sworn in until Nov. 29.
The seeming inability of unnamed Illinois officials to complete "paperwork" as required by law in a timely manner contrasts mightily with West Virginia and Delaware, where no such delays will delay seating Joe Manchin and Chris Coons, respectively, who will take office on the first day of the lame duck session. That both are Democrats replacing Democrats and thus won't change the Senate's partisan balance of power is probably not coincidental. Let's not forget, either, that the Democratic political machine holding up Kirk's appointment may be the most corrupt since Tammany Hall. Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/Senate-GOP-should-filibuster-if-Kirk-is-delayed-1511503-107004978.html#ixzz14rIKXOOU

Yep, filibuster every bill the Dem's bring forward until Kirk is seated. I think that will speed up the process in Illinois.

City Of Riverside Police Officer Murdered

A City of Riverside CA. police was shot and killed just doing his job. Police Officer Ryan Bonaminio was shot and killed by a thug truck driver. From The Officer Down Memorial Page: Officer Ryan Bonaminio was shot and killed while involved in a foot pursuit in Fairmount Park at approximately 9:45 pm.
He had stopped a tractor trailer suspected of being involved in a hit-and-run accident a short time earlier. The driver of the vehicle fled from the vehicle into the park, with Officer Bonaminio in pursuit. A shootout ensued in the park in which Officer Bonaminio was struck at least once. The shooter returned to the truck and fled the scene.
http://www.odmp.org/officer/20565-police-officer-ryan-bonaminio

Here is a video of the suspect from the officer's dashcam, who they may caught.





Thank you officer for keeping the City of Riverside safe and now R.I.P.

One Of The Best Comedy's Of All Time Is On

When you mention Col Bat Guano, there can be only one movie and that is "Dr. Strangeglove, Or How I Learned To Love The Bomb".
This is Peter Seller's finest movie, even better than the Pink Panther movies, even though it is close. Slim Pickens is great in this film as well.





I wonder how many of the nuclear explosions were filmed in Nevada, where they have exploded above ground nuclear bombs. (And they worry about Yucca!?)

Watch the Russian Diplomat smile at Seller's comedy genius.