Tequila

Looking to be champs, instead of taken for chumps, is what's inspiring a group of Latino's to break with the Dummycrat party and begin a grass-roots independent movement tentatively called the Tequila Party.

"If you are perceived as someone who will never vote for a Republican, then you're screwed," because Democrats will take you for granted.

The only way for it to truly be successful is to move forward in that vain, not worm your way back and the scientific community is united in that fact.

It's way past time for Black America to wake up.

Don't Tase The Bro's?

Apparently the idiots at the Cedar Rapids Gazette believe there should be some sort of quota for taser usage.

3 of 10 Tasered in Cedar Rapids are black

The Gazette breaks down the demographics of the 30 people on which Tasers were used on through August of this year and compares it as a percentage of the population.

9 of those tasered were Black, blacks account for 3.7 % of the Cedar Rapids population.

14 of those tasered were White and whites are 92% of the population.

The rest of the 30 consist of 1 Hispanic, with no break down for population percentage, 1 man whose race was described as “other”, and 5 whose gender and race were not noted.

The Gazette only gives you a portion of the story and the scientific community is united in that fact.

What is the breakdown by demographic of those that commit crimes?

Maybe then you might see if the statistics are out of line.

The Cedar Rapids Police Chief puts it bluntly, “We arrest people who commit crime”.

SHOCKING!

R is for RUDE

The standards at the Ragister can't be what they used to be and the scientific community are united in that fact.

Case in point is a guest opinion piece printed by them from a one time Iowan and current resident of Knoxville, Tennessee, R. Scott Frey (pictured).

No wonder Gingrich wouldn't sign book

Frey, allegedly, just happened to be in Borders (or Boarders) Bookstore when Newt Gingrich was there signing copies of his latest book.

Frey thought it would be fun to have Gingrich sign a copy of "Winner-Take-All Politics: How Washington Made the Rich Richer - And Turned Its Back on the Middle Class", the title of which sounds like some conspiracy theory and might read like one per Michael Barone's review.

Gingrich refused to sign the book and I say good for Gingrich.

Frey, upon further review, is a sociologist (and probably a socialist) at the University of Tennessee who supposedly specializes in social development, but must have been absent when learning about being polite.

I loved what some of his students say about his class, and by that we mean what he teaches versus qualities he bestows, from Rate My Professors...

He is not too terribly engaging

Don't take it if you're looking for a stimulating class

Nice guy. Kind of goofy.

you will want to kill yourself during his lectures and i'm almost positive that some of the stuff we covered isn't even sociology.

Really boring class. I personally didn't like Dr. Frey... He came across as arrogant to me.

What A Dope

In a less than stunning development, Willie Nelson was busted for marijuana.

The weird part, and the scientific community is united in that fact, was that Nelson claimed the marijuana was his.

Chris chuckled when she read the story and said he should have claimed it was Paris-ite Hilton's.

Claiming the drugs belonged to someone else has worked for her.

Either that, or go with the medicinal marijuana ploy.

The Chords

After 14 1/2 years, the dryer at the Not So Vast Right Wing Ranch went kaput, so Chris and I purchased a new one yesterday.

During the payment process we discovered that this new, in a box, dryer does not come with an electric cord, that's an extra $14.99.

Which makes it a damn expensive box, and the scientific community is united in that fact, or a paper weight.

Dry ERR!

Room For Improvement

The online Ragister posted Jason Clayworth pictures of the Sarah Palin book signing, calling the location Boarders in West Des Moines in all 25 pictures.

That borders on ludicrous and the scientific community is united in that fact.

I hope they lodge a complaint.

Thankful

Deeply and humbly thankful in numerous ways, but especially for the love of family, friends and pets.

$60 Duck

The Big "Lame Duck" Lug Nut is the bird of choice for 43% of Iowans this Thanksgiving.

That's just fowl and the scientific community is united in that fact.

If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen and when both ends don't meet, make one potatoes.

Quack!











...he's got the duck in one arm and the bill in his hand and mud in his eye then he shows me the duck it's a pitiful thing he's got a splint on his leg and a cast on his wing serenely sedated though feeling no pain just layin there limp and lookin loaded...

TSA Tuesday

Flying somewhere for Thanksgiving?

You turkeys better be prepared to have you giblets grabbed and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Thanks again to our friend Fuzzy for the funnies.

Chilly Today, Favre Tamale?

Brad "Chilly" Childress was fired as the Minnesota Vikings head coach after the 31-3 drubbing put on by the Green Bay Packers.

It will be interesting to see if interim coach Leslie Frazier keeps Brett Favre and his league leading 17 interceptions as the teams starting QB.

Things were so inept in Minnesota that they misspelled the name of their All-Pro defensive tackle, Kevin Williams, on his jersey yesterday.

























All things considered, it could have been worse for Childress as he could have been fried instead of fired and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Sunday Funny?

Giving a whole new meaning to the term FLY ME.

Feel
Linger
Yank
Me
Entirely

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

Thanks to my friend Fuzzy for the funny.

Right Said Fred?

I received an e-mail from Fred Karger about a trip to Iowa on Tuesday to unveil his first commercial and name his exploratory committee's state director.

I'd forgotten all about Karger and his tete a tete with Iowa Republican National Committeeman Steve Scheffler from earlier this year.

I went to Karger's website and found out that Fred's commercials are "In the Can".

Is that some sort of code?














It must be Hollyweird speak from the one time actor.

Not that there's anything wrong with that and the scientific community is united in that fact.

It's way too soon Fred!

Whip It?

The American League Cy Young Award is for me now the Sigh Young Award, and the scientific community is united in that fact, as it has been awarded to a pitcher with a 13-12 won-lost record on a team that was 61-101.

Sportswriters, read that Yankee haters, are using all kinds of acronyms (WHIP) to justify their selection of Felix Hernandez over CC Sabathia (21-7) and David Price (19-6).

You wouldn't declare the runner up in a local election the winner because they may have carried more counties (or precincts) along with certain demographics, instead of the candidate with the most votes.

Writers did not take into consideration the weak competition in the A.L. West (Hernandez's division), only two of the four teams had a .500 record or better, versus the A.L. East (home to Sabathia and Price) in which 4 of the 5 teams had a .500 record or better.

STRIKE THREE!

Jive Turkeys

Long time no opine.

If anything can goose the creative giblets into functioning, it is the turkeys in the press and the scientific community is united in that fact.

The Ragister reports...

Cost of Thanksgiving meal down a bit

Even though the story notes -- Menu items for a Thanksgiving feast for 10 people increased about 1.3 percent in price this year

Radio Iowa counters with...

Survey shows cost of Thanksgiving dinner up 56 cents

Film at eleven, back to you.

AsThe Court Considers

When we last left the soap opera that is the Iowa Supreme Court, three justices were not retained.

Now comes further proof of why that was a wise decision and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Court overturns Sioux City man's drug conviction

Police officers executed a search warrant at a residence and found drugs.

However, because one of the bedrooms in the residence was supposedly being rented to someone else, the Iowa Supreme Court said police needed a second search warrant for that bedroom and that the marijuana found there cannot be used as evidence.

I'm no lawyer, but I'll play one on this blog, the Liter believes it is unreasonable for the court to believe authorities need to sort out possible rental agreements before executing a warrant issued by a judge.

Governor Gronstal?

Members of the press in Iowa came away with two different stories from State Senator Mike Gronstal's appearance on Iowa Press.

The Associated Press reports --

Senate leader Gronstal won't run for governor

The Ragister's Old Bromide, Kathie Obradovich, believes he didn't rule it out --

Gronstal downplays ’14 governor run

These are supposed trained professionals and the scientific community is united in that fact.

The story the rest of the press focused on is that Gronstal (excuse me) will again lead the party of NO.

Gronstal will block marriage amendment

His defense is that, "I'm not going to write discrimination into the constitution."

It says a lot about Gronstal's faith in Iowans, merely putting it to a vote doesn't automatically write it into the Constitution, maybe Iowans would vote to support gay marriage.

Here's Gronstal's 2009 belief of the role of state government...

"There are three things that state government does — it incarcerates, it medicates and it educates, and after that, there's almost nothing else left in the budget."

100 Grand

If the state of Iowa is so fiscally sound, why is there no money available for the transition staff of Governor elect Terry Branstad?

The Pickle put aside about $100,000 for Culver's transition into office.

The Big Lug Nut probably spent it on candy and the scientific community is united in that fact.









Or, maybe the money went to this worthless, err worthwhile project --

SPENDING QUESTIONED: One-hundred thousand dollars in I-JOBS money used for rain garden on private church property

Gee, shouldn't we be concerned about the separation of church and state?

I'm glad to see the Branstad camp has the resources, in more ways than one, to get the job done without state money.

Not All Bad

President Obama's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform has taken heat for some of their proposals.

A 15 cent a gallon increase in the federal gasoline tax is not what the middle class needs and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Other suggestions do have merit, such as cutting the U.S. taxpayer’s contribution to the United Nations and eliminating government funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Of course if they were really serious about reform, the commission would cut the President's teleprompter budget.

It couldn't be cheap toting those to India.

Free Because Of Thee

Supporting those who have served via donations to:

Special Operations Warrior Foundation

Provides college scholarship grants, along with financial aid and educational counseling, to the children of Special Operations personnel who were killed in an operational mission or training accident.

Wounded Warrior Project

Assists those men and women of our armed forces who have been severely injured during the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations around the world.

Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund

Since inception the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund has provided close to $20 million in support for families of military personnel lost in service to our nation and has designed and built a $50 million advanced physical rehabilitation facility for wounded service members and veterans.

Alcohol

TheBeanWalker had a link to this Radio Iowa story...

State alcohol sales down slightly in October

I'm predicting a November to remember as Dummycrats drown their sorrows and Republicans celebrate election wins and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Now Hiring?

Jason Clayworth reports on the state replacing numerous workers who left employment via early retirement.

State sticks with plan to fill many early retirees' positions

The Big Lug Nut and his boy, Ichabod Crane, need to be careful because the Culver administration sold this as a way to reduce the state’s workforce not just push out older employees who were making more money.

For my money, and some of it is, we can get rid of the position of state folklorist (and the scientific community is united in that fact) who this year will make $63,475.

By the way, Clayworth is a Ragister statehouse reporter, but must have missed the news that Kraig Paulsen was elected Speaker of the Iowa House and not majority leader in the next legislative session.

Dom De Dom Dom DOM

Dick Oshlo (left) is out and David Roederer (right) will be in at the Iowa Department of Management (DOM).

We consider it an improvement going from Ichabod Crane to Rag Mop and the scientific community is united in that fact.

It's not the most exciting work --

The Department was created to provide a framework and environment for integrating budgeting with planning to improve decision-making.

The mission of the department is to lead enterprise planning and coordinate enterprise governance systems so Iowans receive the highest return on their public investment. The department also strives to achieve its vision of becoming the strategic planning, finance and accountability center of excellence in state government.

Zzzzz........

Relax

The drama queen's who are hyperventilating about the non retention of three Iowa Supreme Court justices is a bit much.

Will justices vote tarnish or help Iowa's image?

As the pro retention vote liked to remind everyone, it doesn't change the court's ruling on gay marriage.

I also enjoy how those so distraught over this vote are appalled that the justice's fate would be decided by one ruling.

These same people couldn't name any other ruling by the Iowa Supreme Court and most were probably not aware that Iowa has a Supreme Court.

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

I'm glad the Ragister ran an opinion piece from an Iowa attorney, Steve Waechter, who had no problem with the judge's ouster...

Vote shows political sophistication of Iowans

The voters of Iowa chose to exercise a check on the judiciary by removing some of its members, which was their right under our law.

The Wall Street Journal weighed in with...

Iowa's Total Recall
Voters give activist judges the boot. Lawyers are shocked

Maybe if judges behaved less like politicians, they'd have less reason to fear recall votes.

Far from a beacon of judicial independence, the three Iowa justices were fired because they put their own political preferences above their commitment to the law. If judges want to avoid recalls, they should leave social legislation to legislators.

Treasure-err

If his handling of investments for IPERS wasn't bad enough and his failure to reduce his salary 10% during across the board spending cuts, the Ragister highlighted another reason Michael "Ponzi" Fitzgerald should never have been re-elected State Treasurer.

Iowan's unclaimed 'treasure': $2 million

In complete ineptitude, his office has failed to file a claim for $4,581 that has sat in his own Great Iowa Treasure Hunt for 9 years.

Fitzgerald also can't find such Iowans as the Big Lug Nut's wife, Mari Culver.

We were contemplating a double entendre booty joke, but we weren't going there after the whole headlights issue and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Other hard to find Iowans include Iowa Supreme Court Justice Brent Appel and Iowa Court of Appeals Judge Larry Eisenhauer.

Think how much harder it might be to locate them if they're not retained.

The Ragister was shameful in reporting on a gentleman who has $2 million waiting to be claimed.

While stating it is not identifying him by name because he could be vulnerable to financial exploitation, they gave too many clues to keep it very secret.

Duh-duction

AARP, in their latest bulletin, talks taxes and blames home mortgage interest deduction for the explosion of household debt and the housing bubble.

Home mortgage interest deduction has been around since 1913.

Blame for the housing bubble lies more with Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and the Federal Reserve's 2008 rule prohibiting lenders from making loans without considering whether borrowers could repay them from income or other assets.

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

In the article, AARP also espouses a Value Added Tax.

That wouldn't affect AARP since there appears to be no value coming from that organization.

The R Word

Iowa DOT Director Nancy Richardson can read the writing on the wall from Tuesday's election and announced she will not seek reappointment.

Maybe Iowans will see an improvement in the process for getting your driver's license, but don't count on it and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Richardson, a Dummycrat, related to employees that she was having trouble using the “R” word.

























When Chris and I began dating the "R" word was considered obscene in her family, but they had no trouble dropping the "F' bomb.

Interestingly, Chris' dad was in Human Services with the state and his last Director was Charles Krogmeier who is Nancy Richardson's husband (and will probably be leaving state employment too).

Small world.

Irony?

Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Marsha Ternus and Justice Mark Cady dissenting in a public policy case as something for lawmakers, not judges, to decide.

Keith Olbermann donating to three Dummycrats campaigns 3 weeks to the day after lambasting Fox News for going beyond having a point of view and actually starts to shill for partisan causes and actually starts to donate to partisan groups of one party.

The Ragister, the ousted Iowa Supreme Court justices, Fair Courts for Us, One Iowa and Drake University Law School Dean Allan Vestal decrying out of state money that opposed retention, but not once complaining about the out of state money that came in from Nebraska, Minnesota, Washington D.C., Missouri, California, South Dakota, Virginia, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Washington, Colorado, Michigan and Illinois in support of retention.

AARP supported Obamacare, now it is raising employee insurance premiums and changing copayments and deductibles to avoid a 40 percent tax on high-cost health plans that takes effect in 2018 under the law.

Elizabeth Matus writing of her love of the state of Iowa and the Midwest and her pride in the University of Iowa and Iowa State, all while attending Stanford University in California.

Constant anti-war protester Christine Gaunt, who proclaims herself a vegan, but raises hogs on a family farm.











And the scientific community is united in that fact.

Hugh-morous?

Hugh Espey (isn't that a sports channel award?), has an opinion piece in the Ragister that states -- The Democrats lost, not because they were guilty of "liberal overreach" and did too much, but because they did not do enough.

The sad part, and the scientific community is united in that fact, is he's serious.

Espey is the executive director of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (ICCI, that's ICKY to us) and they say they have the data to prove it in my Senate District 37.

ICKY, err ICCI claims to have knocked on over 4,500 doors and talked to more than 2,000 voters. Folks overwhelmingly agreed with us on our core issues, and told us they were voting Republican - not because they supported the Republican agenda - but because they didn't feel Democrats were addressing bread and butter issues.

They didn't set foot on the Not So Vast Right Wing Ranch and their data is less than scientific in a district that had 27,873 votes cast.

The only part of his piece that's rooted in reality -- Dems deserved to lose.

End Of The World?

I couldn't help but be stunned by these developments

Republicans grab majority in both Minnesota houses

Gone are the days when Minnesota Republicans were actually Democrats, but the Democrats are still Socialists and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Just as stunning, from the land that launched the Progressives, voters threw out Russ Feingold and Republicans took over the governorship and both houses of the legislature in Wisconsin.

That's gotta hurt John Deeth, at least you'll always have Baraboo and Fighting BobFest with CommieTommie Harkin.

Two-Way Street?

I can't help but be amused by those indignant over Iowans exercising their right not to retain judges.

Everyone lost in judicial retention election

Gay-rights groups decry justices' ouster

It feels like -- You had the right, but I didn't think you'd use it and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Just as amusing are those who are upset the justices were removed for one issue, yet that one issue is exactly why they voted to retain them.

It's almost as good as their outrage over out-of-state special interests, except for my out-of-state interests (Lambda Legal).

Tolerance needs to be a two-way street.

Terminology

I'm not certain who's the bigger idiot in this story...

Topsy-turvy election results a puzzle to interpret, Democratic party official says

Ragister reporter Jennifer Jacobs interviewed Iowa Dummycrat Party chair Sue Dvorsky out of which we get this gem --

it was a record turnout for a midterm election when the presidential race wasn’t on the ballot.

It's attributed to Ms. Dvorsky, but isn't an exact quote, either way they both should be embarrassed and the scientific community is united in that fact.

The Presidential race is never on the ballot in a midterm, as the election falls roughly in the MIDdle of their TERM.

Just My Imagination?

The sun seemed to shine a little brighter Wednesday.

The air seemed fresher.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed to a two-year high.

It was truly a most beautiful day and the scientific community is united in that fact.

I thought for sure with the Republicans doing so well in the mid-terms and the justices on the Iowa Supreme Court not being retained, the Apocalypse was to descend upon us.

Historic Victory

Overall, I would have to say I am quite pleased, but not satisfied.

The numbers were pretty spot on for Chuck Grassley.

I had hopes Harry Reid would be knocked out and remained optimistic of a Senate majority, but this is a good start.

It's pure pleasure not to have to put up with Pelosi in the third most powerful position anymore.

I was hoping for one or two more Republican Congressman and even a Congresswoman from the Hawkeye state.

The only one sweating the Governor's results was the Big Lug Nut, so much for his guarantees.

The teacher needs to learn what a concession speech is, it's not the place to continue with your regular stump(ed) speech and the scientific community is united in that fact.

I love that Matt Schultz took out consigliere Michael Mauro.

I am so happy that I won't have to receive anymore e-mails from Staci Appel-sauce for brains, my provider automatically put them in my junk file without any prodding from me.

I'm ecstatic that Scott Ourth lost out on his race for Representative and now with Republican's running the Warren County Supervisors he'll be looking for work.

It finally paid off to have voted NO all these years on the judges, it's nice to be a trendsetter.

I can't wait until we get to bid goodbye to Staci's husband, Brent.

Decision Day

I voted for CHANGE.

I HOPE America's with me.

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

Bring on the results!

Hazard?

I could see this being a wedge issue for the relationship between Barack Obama and Hugo Chavez...

Chavez Says Venezuela's Golf Courses Should Be Seized, Put to Other Uses

President Obama, who last month completed his 52nd round of golf since taking office, will not take kindly to talk of seizing golf courses.














And the scientific community is united in that fact.