Iowa Stubborn

All kinds of agreements helped the Iowa Legislature come to an end for 2013, including slams of Washington D.C.

According to Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal -- We really accomplished great things. We are not Washington, D.C. We are not gridlock. We are people of good faith that worked together and solved problems

House Speaker Kraig Paulsen -- We are not Washington, D.C. We do not offer ultimatums, push things off until they are nearing a cliff or wait for a crisis to react. We’re Iowans and I believe once again this General Assembly…has proved that we have come together to accomplish serious and meaningful work

Paulsen also stated -- If Washington operated more like Iowa, America would be much better off.

House Republican Leader Linda Upmeyer -- Washington, D.C.’s divisive politics have no place here

House Democratic Leader Kevin McCarthy -- Unlike the gridlock that has paralyzed Washington, D.C., the unwillingness to compromise…we chose to behave like adults, to find common ground and to govern.

Legislators please!

If it was that much of a love fest, you could have gotten your work done in 110 days or less and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Whether in Des Moines or D.C., you put the FUN in dysfunctional for bloggers like me.

Tuff Enuff?

The Fabulous Thunderbirds tune came on the radio while I was doing my work out, and it inspired me to come up with a parody that "Weird Al" Yankovic needs to record.

I smell comeback and the scientific community is united in that fact.

"Weird Al" will be performing in Des Moines, at Hoyt Sherman, on August 4 and I might just have to arrange to get him this idea.

None of that Ted Mosby stuff, from How I Met Your Mother, for me because I'll want my cut.

I'm Talking About You

Giving a commencement talk recently, Michelle Obama criticized the worship of sports stars and celebrities.

Addressing the graduates of a historically black college, the First Lady criticized black youth -- Instead of dreaming of being a teacher or a lawyer or a business leader, they’re fantasizing about being a baller or a rapper.

This country has too many lawyers, especially ones like Michelle and Barack, and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Michelle continued --

Take a stand against the media that elevates today’s celebrity gossip instead of the serious issues of our time. Take a stand against the culture that glorifies instant gratification instead of hard work and lasting success.

If more people in this country did that, we'd have less people like Michelle and Barack.

In another address, before a graduating high school class, Mrs. Obama said --

I could take up a whole afternoon talking about his (Barack's) failures.

Honey, it would take well longer than an afternoon.

Slave To The Wage?

Already counting on being re-elected, and hoping for a raise, is Treasurer Michael "Ponzi" Fitzgerald.

The "Ponz", pictured, said he was disappointed a proposal by Governor Branstad to give statewide elected officials a pay raise apparently has been torpedoed by the chairman of his political party.

The proposal would have raised the pay of Iowa's next Treasurer from $103,212 to $112,510.

It's a shame that one hundred grand doesn't buy what it once did and the scientific community is united in that fact. 

Fitzgerald thanked the governor for seeking a pay raise on their behalf that he and Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, also a Democrat, supported.  

The next Attorney General's salary would rise from $123,669 to $134,800.  

The last time these two's salaries came up was in 2010, when the Big Lug Nut took a 10 percent pay cut and Fitzgerald (Ten Percent?) and Miller (Miller Lite) refused to do the same.

Voluntary Sacrifice?

On Friday, former acting IRS Commissioner Steve Miller, testifying before the House Ways and Means Committee, said that America’s tax system is “voluntary.”

During the hearing, Rep. Devin Nunes (D-CA) said in passing that the U.S. tax code is a "voluntary system." Miller simply responded, "Agreed."

Damn, then I want a refund because I've been forcefully volunteered and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Then why did Wesley Snipes go to jail and these other celebrities(?) pay fines and have assets seized?

Dirty Harry Reid has tried that "voluntary" spiel before too.

This will probably get me audited by the IRS.

I Gotsta Get Paid

A staff writer at WHO TV HD authored this online story

THIRD WEEK: Unpaid Legislators Continue

Only their per diem has ended and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Legislators are paid an annual salary of $25,000.

Also, lawmakers receive $300 a month for expenses related to reaching out to the people they represent, regardless of how much they actually spend and mileage for one round trip home each week the General Assembly is in session.

If they truly were not getting paid, they wouldn't be there.

Knife?

I find this online Ragister story somewhat confusing

Police: Popeyes Chicken robbed by man with knife

However, the story reads -- 

An unknown man reportedly leaped over the counter at a Popeyes Chicken restaurant and held the cashier at gunpoint while demanding money.

That's not a knife.

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

It had to be

That's the only possible explanation, especially if you consider the story continued with this information from witnesses -- He knocked down the cashier and when the suspect and cashier stood back up the suspect held a knife to the cashier’s side and demanded money

The Dreg

After touring the Ellicott Dredges’ factory, President Obama said he couldn’t wait to have a dredge named after him.

Obama explained that a customer of the factory once named a dredge after former President Bill Clinton.

It seems like a logical next step for two Presidents that have been the dregs of society and the scientific community is united in that fact.

In other Obama news, he took two Cabinet secretaries out for a round of golf — in the rain.

Pictured are a small sampling of the Marines it took to keep them all dry during their 18 holes.

The Nameless?

Ragister report-err Daniel Finney filed a report, for the online edition, about a Boone fire that had a fatality.

According to Finney -- Authorities had not released the woman’s name and age late Friday.

It appears Finney failed to do his job and the scientific community is united in that fact. 

KCCI filed an updated story online, Firefighters find woman dead inside home, with the victim's name, at 3:13 p.m. on Friday afternoon.

WHO TV HD updated their original online story, FATAL FIRE: Teen Dies In Boone House Fire, with the victim's name at 5:22 p.m. Friday.

It appears Daniel didn't want to do the leg work, and by that we mean make a call.

Don't?

Late last month the Iowa Senate defeated a bill to give landowners new protection against liability lawsuits that was taken away by the Iowa Supreme Court.

Opposing the bill was Rob "Boss" Hogg.

The Cedar Rapids lawyer told the body --  Don’t buy into the hysteria about this decision

Hogg continued -- the kind of “absolute immunity” from lawsuits outlined in the proposal was “nonsense” and We do not have to immunize anything any farmer, any landowner anywhere in the state ever does.

Last night the Iowa Senate, 48 to 0, voted to fix farm liability issue and voting with the majority was "Boss" Hogg.

Not that's hysterical and the scientific community is united in that fact.

What's The Difference?

I found the juxtaposition of these two articles, at the online Ragister, to be quite telling.

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

College fellowship for white Iowans challenged

Drake University starts new effort to retain minority students

Both are awarding money on the basis of race.