Has anyone noticed that Rick Perry has suddenly become the darling of conservatives?

Let me back up. Has anyone noticed how utterly screwed up the Republican Party is in this primary process? Has anyone noticed how so many “conservatives” have gotten behind Rick Perry? Has anyone noticed how people have conveniently forgotten his record of betraying conservatives? Has everyone really just forgotten, just like that?

I want to emphasize, off the bat, that I do not support Kay Bailey Hutchison. She is undoubtedly a horrible candidate to be governor of Texas, and I can see no reason to support a pro-abortion woman who voted for the first bailout, or to paraphrase George Bush, “destroy capitalism to save it.” Laugh Out Loud. I haven’t seen any real conservatives supporting her candidacy, but if they do they’re just selling themselves out.

Where I’m going is that Rick Perry is not much better than Kay, and regardless, certainly isn’t the sort of guy that Texas Republicans, if they really have woken up to the folly of overarching government, should support. Yet, somehow, much of the “conservative” wing of the Texas GOP (which is the majority) has thrown its support behind Rick Perry without much qualification. This is an error which, if not pointed out, threatens the very basis of our integrity as a party.

Where to begin? If re-elected, Governor Perry will have served for 14 years as governor. Remember back in, oh I don’t know, 1994… when Republicans were running for Congress with three-term limitations? When we believed in term limits and tried to get that passed through the federal legislature? When Republicans said that politicians need to stay in office for only so long, because the longer they stay in office the more corrupt they become? When we believed in the grassroots guy getting elected to office on the basis of his or her beliefs?

But let’s not forget a few policy matters, in addition to the problem of longevity in office.

Remember the Gross Margins Tax of 2006?

If you don’t own a business as I do, you might not. In fact, I had a guy in my shop the other day telling me to my face that Rick Perry didn’t raise taxes as governor. This is something that the Perry campaign, and many within the Republican Party, either don’t know the facts on or are intentionally deceiving us about. The fact is, in 2006 Rick Perry pushed through the house the Gross Margins Tax, a new tax on business that was intended to replace the corporate franchise tax and lower property taxes by funding schools differently.

You might hear from conservatives that this was just a case of switching some taxes to another kind of taxes, or something like that. Pure gobblety-gook. The fact is that the Gross Margins Tax replaced a tax, the corporate franchise tax, which many small businesses did not have to pay. The increase in taxes is only confirmed by the fact that after the Gross Margins Tax was enacted, the state collected almost 50% more in business tax revenues. The increased tax was supposed to be offset by decreases in property taxes for school districts, and they declined slightly, but the overall property tax burden actually increased.

Therefore, a NEW BUSINESS TAX in addition to HIGHER PROPERTY TAXES have resulted in a significant increase in state revenue, and the taxation burden on small businesses in Texas has increased under Governor Perry.

Remember the Trans-Texas Corridor?

If you are an average Texan, you most certainly do. But if you have bought into the Perry delusion, you are likely trying your best to forget it if you haven’t already. Well, allow me to remind you.

Throughout the earliest part Rick Perry’s tenure as governor, his transportation department worked hard on figuring out how to make transportation in Texas more efficient, cost-efficient, and advanced.

Somehow, they arrived at the conclusion to build a web of enormous quarter-mile-wide toll roads throughout the state of Texas. Not only would these toll roads be enormous (and a destroyer of hundreds of square miles of farmland), under the original plan there weren’t even exit ramps. The TTC would be built over all existed roads and highways and you could travel from Houston to San Antonio without ever getting off of the toll road. If you think I’m kidding, look at the original plan, or rent a documentary called “Truth Be Tolled.”

I believe in free trade. But come on, you have to keep in mind when doing a project like this that you will be hurting ordinary Texans. Therefore it would perhaps make sense to offer some of the jobs involved in creating these damn roads to Texans. But not so. Partnership Cintra-Zachry, a partnership between Spanish toll-road developer (and operator, which means an outflow in revenues) Cintra and Texas’ Zachry Construction, was to create the entire thing. MOST of the money is going to Cintra, who will operate the roads.

Need an example of that? Look at State Highway 130, a toll road component of TTC that is already being built. This road between Seguin and Taylor, TX would cost $1.3 billion to build under a 2006 agreement with TxDOT. TxDOT will only be receiving between about 5 and 50% of the toll revenues depending on the success of the venture, and Cintra-Zachry’s own plan shows the expected revenue at close to $15 billion over 50 years.

What does this all mean? Governor Perry supported an international toll-road developer cleaning up by building toll roads in our state, toll roads which TxDOT would only see a fraction of the revenue of, and which in the process would use eminent domain to sweep up family farms.

There’s a reason, after all, that the vast majority of Texans consistently opposed the plan.

Remember Perry’s Mandatory HPV Vaccination of 2007?

In 2007 Governor Perry wanted to make Texas the first state to mandate the vaccine Gardasil for sixth-grade girls to prevent the sexually transmitted HPV virus which leads to cervical cancer.

This was one of the many “huh?” moments of the Perry administration, where he thought it would just be a great idea to go right over the heads of parents and force kids to be vaccinated by the government. Besides the obvious state intrusion, there also is the issue of the State of Texas essentially trying to protect kids from sexually transmitted diseases, something that goes against the entire regime of sexual health in Texas schools.

Whether or not you agree or disagree with the idea of the state doing that, it is an unprecedented and bizarre way to shift sexual education. “Hey there little girl, here’s a vaccine!”

The vaccine, furthermore, comes from Merck, the pharmaceutical giant. Merck had a track record, around the time this plan was announced, of sending high-priced lobbyists into the State Capitol building.

Although parents can always choose to immunize their kids, that’s their choice, not the government’s, to make. Rick Perry clearly doesn’t follow that logic.

All in all, I’m truly shocked to see so many Republican “conservatives” flocking to Rick Perry as if he is the reborn Texas Ronald Reagan. Give me a break, here is a guy for whom many conservatives have had an enormous amount of criticism over the past ten years. And yet we are somehow supposed to just get in line behind the guy who “isn’t Kay Bailey Hutchison.” Why? Because he’s handsome? Because he has a fine head of hair? Because he has been lucky in having a phenomenal Texas Legislature to deliver him an austere budget to sign each and every session? Because he’s an Aggie? C’mon.

When are we going to stop settling for mediocre Republicans? When are we going to demand Republican leaders who understand that the government is tyrannical and inherently corrupt, that taxes must be as low as possible, that we cannot bail out companies, that we can’t take people’s property, that we can’t force people to accept federal or state health mandates? In other words, when are we going to demand that Republican elected officials follow the damn platform? That’s my question.

I understand why many Perry supporters say that Kay Bailey is worse. She is. But compare Rick Perry to the Republican Platform, hell, compare him even to the (currently) minor candidate Debra Medina. Is he a conservative Republican to be proud of, to vote for, to support for 14 years in the governor’s mansion?

The answer seems to be an unequivocal “no.”

Bluză Fred Perry autentică. Purtată, dar în stare acceptabilă, mărimea L, din bumbac 100%. Are o cusătură mică la spate, greu sesizabilă.

Calitate: 2 stele

Preţ: 15 lei, plus 7 lei transportul oriunde în ţară.

Bluză de training retro red Perry autentică, în stare foarte bună. Mărimea L, din poliester 100%.

Calitate: 3 stele

Preţ: 100 de lei, plus 7 lei transportul oriunde în ţară.

This will be a quick one, but this is just to say that I’m engaged!  Here’s the story…

On Friday, November 27, Matt and I went out with a local photographer (Matt Trevino) who was doing some free couple’s portrait sessions to build his portfolio.  I had seen his ad on Craigslist and thought that it would be fun!  You know, I could network with another photographer (who has an awesome personality) and get pictures with my man!

We met with the photographer (who we’ll call Matthew just to make it clear between my Matt and Matthew so no one gets confused) near downtown.  After a couple of different location shots, we ended up in the theater district.  Here we are, posing for photographs and then Matt starts acting weird.

I ask, “Why aren’t you looking at the camera?” as I nod to where he’s supposed to be looking.  Duh, I mean, we are in a photoshoot!

Then he starts talking about how much he loves me and how fun this is.  As I’m standing there, I’m wondering why he’s talking about this now.  Haahaa.  There are pictures to be taken.

Then suddenly.

It hits me.

Holy cow.  HO-LY COW.

My mind starts racing.  No way is this really happening.  OMG.

Then he got down on one knee.  And holds up this pretty stinkin’ amazing sparkly ring.

And I said yes.

So there you have it.  That’s the not so short story!

There were some funny moments like when Matt, after forgetting what he was going to say, said, “I forgot where I was going with this.  I mean, I know exactly where I’m going with this!” or fumbling to get my promise ring off of my finger so that I could put my new ring on.  He now wears my promise ring on a chain around his neck as a symbol of our love, but that there is still a promise that has been made for purity.

He’s a pretty cool guy. 

If you want to see pictures of the ring, they are on my Facebook page.  If you aren’t a friend, just add me!  The pictures from the actual photoshoot will be put up here at a later date when I have them.  I’m excited to see them!

And, as a sneak preview of the Simpson’s family portrait session which happened on Friday morning before all of the excitement, here’s one of my favorites from the day…

With Love,

Rachel Perry

Tyler Perry must be uber successful now, because that is the only time you get lawsuits filed against you claiming copyright infringement and other such claims of fraud, abuse, and misrepresentation.

Earlier this month, Tyler decided to answer claims of coonery, launched by Spike Lee against Tyler’s work, that were never discussed between the two directors in private, or the many years that Tyler performed the plays that are the subject of his movies,which is just jealousy on the part of Spike, but a sign of Tyler’s success.

He recently donated a million dollars to the NAACP,http://www.afro.com/tabId/551/itemId/5398/Director-Tyler-Perry-Makes-Largest-Individual-Dona.aspx , making it the largest single donation to the organization from an individual.

He is truly reaching back and supporting our communities, as well as hiring a multitude of black talent , in front of, and behind the cameras. It was what we hope that all of our black celebrities would do for the audience that supports their product, and should be celebrated rather than torn down.

Today, TMZ.com is reporting that a lawsuit over copyright infringement has been lodged against Tyler Perry.

Tyler Perry used too much of the goodness of Jesus in his movie, “Madea Goes to Jail,” at least according to a new federal lawsuit obtained by TMZ.

The suit, filed by the personal representative of deceased gospel singer/songwriter Bertha James, claims Perry lifted an entire verse from a song James wrote in 1950 — “When I Think of the Goodness of Jesus.”

The suit claims Perry pilfered the verse and used it in “Madea” — specifically, “incorporating the entire Chorus in a monologue delivered by the main character in ‘Madea” referencing her deliverance from a jail sentence and leniency for repetitive criminal conduct, in a staged court proceeding presided over by ‘Judge Mabeline.’”

Bertha’s estate, which is also suing Lionsgate Entertainment, wants unspecified damages for copyright infringement.

I have fought tirelessly to protect and maintain our current copyright laws, as well as to strengthen them in order for future generations of family  to benefit off of the exploitation of our artistic creations.

I feel that in life, most artist never attain financial security from their work, so I stand on the fact that the inherited value of ones art that is gained after death, is the financial gain that we, as artist must protect for future generations of our family, in perpetuity.

The downside of that , are nefarious lawsuits such as this one, that appear to be an attempt to loosely tie in a phrase of words, into an infringement case.The standard of substantial similarity is clear, and any competent attorney could connect the dots of what is actually a protected element in a creation, and what is not, quite easily, before going to court.

In this case, it is a phrase from a song, that was not performed in the movie, but Madea may have said…”Prasise God”…in the movies.

This case will not meet that standard, and the launching of the case is whimsical at best.It will be dismissed summarily, which means that it will be thrown out of court, mark my words.

It appears to be a bid for public relations, but probably more like a sad attempt to extort money from Mr Perry, and to sully his pristine public image.

Stay strong  Tyler, the more successful you get, the more idiots will creep out of the woodwork to try to get at your wallet, no matter how good you are to our people.

Tyler Perry is the producer, along with Oprah Winfrey, for the new movie that is gaining Oscar buzz,”Precious”,that is in theaters now. Run out to see it and support Tyler against this ridiculous lawsuit.

Read the full story on TMZ.com, by clicking the link below…

http://www.tmz.com/2009/11/26/tyler-perry-lawsuit-copyright-infringement-bertha-james-jesus-praise-jesus-madea-goes-to-jail-lionsgate-entertainment/2#comments

Inquiry Frontload

I think that being grateful is a true measure of how much you enjoy life.  I’ve recently been contemplating doing an exercise in which you write down 1000 things you are grateful for.  That’s right.  You read 1000.  It’s a daunting task, but something I feel like I need to do because I take too much for granted.  So, here we go!

I’m thankful for…

0001.  My faith in God.

0002.  My family that I’ll be seeing in less than a week for Thanksgiving!

0003.  The beautiful colors that are in the trees right now.

0004.  Knowing that there are even better colors in terms of foliage up north.

0005.  That it is finally getting cool!

0006.  My wonderful boyfriend who teaches me knew things about myself all the time!

0007.  College.  I’ll miss ya, buddy!

0008.  My homegroup in Nac.  My goodness, you guys have made me a better person!

0009.  Hot tea (especially chai, peppermint, and green tea)

0010.  My cell phone.  What a wonderful way to keep in touch with people!

0011.  Communication.  Without it, life would be preeetty boring.

0012.  Painting.  I need to do this more.  It’s good for the soul.

0013.  Calendars and scheduling.  The more you get to know me, the more you’ll see how I like to plan.

0014.  My Grandma Lindsay’s peanut pralines and toffee.  A normal Christmas time occurrence.

0015.  Fans.  A must if you live anywhere where there is lots of warmth.  Plus, i now need mine to fall asleep!

0016.  Tips.  I currently work in a coffee shop.  Tips make my day so so so much better.  Plus, if you tip me, I might like ya better.  Just keep it in mind next time you are in a coffee place.

0017.  I’m thankful for the tips I made last year that let me go to Hawaii this past summer.

0018.  I’m thankful for the tips made this semester that are going to my new camera fund.

0019.  The Thai peanut noodles I’m eating right now with chicken.  I made it.  It is yummy!

0020.  The encouragement, support, and amazingness of my friends and family and clients who all believe in me.

With gratitude,

Rachel

BEHIND THE FOAM… A deeper look at Ponceman’s Halloween Shotgun

SAP here…

Having a brother with Down Syndrome has affected my life on every level. The upside of these affects are the fact that the simple joys in life are more enjoyable when I experience them with Ponce. He makes me laugh harder than anyone on the planet. He makes me cry in the sweetest, most cathartic way a human should cry. He also frustrates the hell out of me at times, but that’s all part of the growth process for both of us. I’m learning to be more patient and get the perks of living with the most hilarious person on the planet, while Ponce continues to grow smarter, wiser, funnier, and also experiences things in life that a lot of us take for granted.

It’s what I call The Magic Straw Theory. Remember the first time you ever saw someone put their finger on the end of a straw and pick it up and the liquid inside STAYED IN THE STRAW!?!?! That was some mind blowing shit back then when we were kids. Then you realized that YOU, YOURSELF, had the magic power in your own fingertips to pick up the straw and keep the liquid in there, free to drop it anywhere you wanted to!?!!?!?!?! sure, later in life it becomes commonplace. Nothing new here. You’ve done the magic straw bit a thousand times, maybe more. The novelty wears off. We take it for granted.

But with Ponce, that simple act of keeping liquid in a straw by sealing your finger over the sippy part of it is always fucking awesome.  That’s the thing I try to keep alive in myself. I am still wowed by the magic straw, as small a miracle as it may seem to those who have move past the ages of 5 and 6, it’s still something that excites me because it encapsulates the wonders and joys that this life has to offer.

Which brings us behind the foam. Yes, the beer foam of Ponceman’s 1st shotgunning of a beer. Ponce is a social butterfly. He is a charmer, he is a constant entertainer, and he loves to make people laugh. He also loves to do all the Just One of the Guys things like hanging out, playing video games, and any of the other endless things friends do when they get together. The catch is, a lot of friends drink beer and booze. As Ponce says, he can’t drink alcohol because he becomes an asshole. Thank the mighty powers that be that Ponce is wise enough to see this in himself. I’ve lost too many friends who lacked this bit of self awareness.

Cameron Johnson Chugs A beer

So, how do you get to hang out with the boys and do one of the ultimate acts in guy-hangin’-out history, shotgunning a beer, when you can’t drink? Non-alcoholic beer. So simple, so cheap. You see, shotgunning a beer is not about the effects of the alcohol for guys. It’s about the process, puncturing the can, getting the hole the right size, and the speeds you can achieve sucking down the foamy goodness in a race with your buddies to see who can chug the fastest.

It’s pure, uncut, bonding. And Ponce dove into it headfirst, and chest first. He wears his first shotgunned beer like a badge of honor. And he went back for more. O’douls be praised, you’ve made Ponceman’s life a little more full, along with his belly. Watch the joy, the smiles, the fun that mighty Ponceman has with me and his friends in these little videos.

SAP out…

Caitlin only lived in the same place as me for two semesters.  In those two semesters she challenged me to be a better person.  I’m proud to be her friend and wish I saw her more often.

Watch out!  She’s gonna be a world changer!

Two exciting tidbits:

• If you would like a session over the Thanksgiving break, I’ll be in Houston.  Spots are filling up, so let me know!
• If you haven’t voted for me (or if you have and are on a new computer) please vote here.  All the top ten finalist have already received a SmugMug site (which I totally wanted!  Amazing!), but having it customized to fit with my blog would be quite spectacular.  So please send a vote for me!

As always, thanks for reading!

Rachel

Come out and vote for Ponceman

For Los Angeles dwellers, there’s a wonderful weekly happening that makes our heart warm with cheesy joy. It’s Point Break Live! That’s right, the whole movie, performed onstage, every weekend, LIVE. The cool little twist… the audience votes for a fellow audience member to play the Keanu role of Johnny Utah… Ponce was born to play that role. Come out to the show and go nuts with us when he’s up there. Let’s make our Ponceman into an F.B.I. AGENT!

For the Ponceman Discount
AT THE DOOR…
So, for everyone who goes to see Point Break Live this Friday night, you get 2 for 1 tickets at the door by mentioning Ponceman.

This show might sell out, so…

For the Ponceman Discount
ONLINE…
Buy your tickets for the Friday Nov 20th 8pm show online here: https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/21401

When you checkout, fill in the “What ways did you find out about Point Break LIVE” box with PONCEMAN

When you pick up your tickets you will have a 2nd ticket free waiting for you.

We hope to see you there. More info Below.

Point Break Live!
The Dragonfly
6510 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Ticket Price: $20.00
Tickets by Phone: 866-811-4111 (Toll Free)
Beer is served at venue – You must be 21 or over with proper ID to get in.

CLICK HERE FOR SYNOPSIS AND REVIEWS OF THE SHOW

By Craig Thomas

Jared Perry

Mizzou’s Jared Perry, a senior wide receiver, will miss the rest of the season with a broken bone in his right leg. Perry got hurt in the second quarter Saturday against Kansas State.

According to the athletic department, it’s possible he could return for a bowl game depending on his recovery and when Missouri plays.

Perry has contributed heavily to the Missouri offense in his four years in Columbia. He ranks 7th in touchdown catches (13) and 8th in receiving yards (1,844) at Mizzou. He is 9th overall in catches with 137.

Sophomore Jerrell Jackson is now No. 1 on the depth chart at WR along with Danario Alexander and Wes Kemp.

From the new Texas Tribune.

Rick Perry leads Kay Bailey Hutchison by 11 points in a new Rasmussen survey that’s out this morning.

That poll has Perry at 46 percent and Hutchison at 35 percent, with Debra Medina getting the support of 4 percent of voters. One in seven voters didn’t have a favorite.

Most voters — 60 percent — think Hutchison should keep her job as U.S. Senator while she’s running for governor. Hutchison has said she plans to resign to run, but that’s now on hold as she waits to vote on pending health care reform plans. Only 26 percent said she should resign. As for healthcare reform, 76 percent strongly oppose “the health care reform plan proposed by President Obama and the congressional Democrats.”

The telephone survey included 798 voters, was done on November 11 (Wednesday), and has a margin of error of 3.5 percent.

The gubernatorial results are similar to those of The Texas Tribune Poll, released last week, which had the two leading candidates 12 points apart.

After the poll came out Senator Hutchinson announced her intention to stay in DC until after the March 2010 primaries.   Coincidence, I think not.  Here are two news articles covering her announcement.

WFAA, DFW

Dallas Morning News

And here of course is the Perry campaign’s response,

Statement From Texans for Rick Perry Spokesman Mark Miner:

“We are glad Senator Hutchison finally made a decision not to resign. It is unfortunate that while speaking about fighting in Washington for Texas, she also took the opportunity to attack Texas and our principled Republican leadership in the legislature. Governor Perry will continue to highlight the success of our great state and his vision for an even better future.”

Help us keep the momentum going by becoming a Perry Home Headquarters today!

A few days ago I entered a contest at MCP Actions for a new web design and a year pro subscription to SmugMug.

Here’s what I wrote -

“My heart longs for creativity and learning and teaching. As I am nearing the end of my college career I want to find a way to merge my love for photography and the ingenuity that goes into it while serving others and helping. I want to make it so that a portion of my profits goes to charity. Each month I plan on highlighting a Non-Profit so I raise awareness. I feel that using my craft, which attracts attention, to show what is happening in our neighborhoods, our cities, and our world, could better those around me and myself.

I would love the help of fusing this into a cohesive and thoughtful website that would make it much more appealing so I can reach more people. Thank you for doing this giveaway and good luck everyone!”

Now, I need your help to win this!  I would greatly appreciate your vote at http://mcpactions.com/blog/2009/11/15/vote-for-the-most-deserving-of-a-custom-website-25-off-smugmug-pro/

And because every post (even if it is a shameless self plug) is better with some photos, here are my beautiful friends Hannah and Leah.  These were taken a little while back, but I love them.

Now, go vote!

With love,

Rachel

Mayor Pat Fiacco

Students at Dr. A.E. Perry were treated to a special visitor as a result of their outstanding literacy skills. The grade seven and eight classes at Perry investigated Regina’s hot debate regarding plans to possibly construct a multi-million dollar dome stadium. Students reviewed media releases regarding the dome debate, putting together a persuasive writing piece. The students then posted their opinion pieces on our classroom blog sites and Mayor Fiacco took notice, eventually agreeing to visit the students in person to discuss the city’s plan for a new facility.

Students at MacNeil School also read the blogs and became interested in the issues. Therefore we made it possible for the MacNeil students to view Mayor Fiacco’s presentation by streaming it live via a secure, password protected, synchronous communication tool called Ustream. The MacNeil students also had the opportunity to participate in the discussion with the mayor by using a process called back-channeling, a relatively new instructional tool in K-12 education. Basically, a back-channel is an online conversation that takes place during a live presentation.

In many ways, our project challenges the traditional ways that instruction is delivered and resources and knowledge are shared. Learning can, and should be, authentic, meaningful, and networked.

The following is recount of the Mayoral visit prepared by a grade eight student at Dr. A.E. Perry School:

On Tuesday, November 10th the grade seven and eight students of Dr. A. E. Perry School received a visit from Pat Fiacco, mayor of Regina. His visit revolved around the topic of the proposed new dome and around the ways Regina is changing. Dr. Perry students weren’t the only to benefit from the visit though. The grade eight students from McNeil also took in Pat Fiacco’s inspiring words through Ustream, an online tool that allows video and audio streaming. This allowed them to watch the mayor speak but to also ask questions through the embedded chat feature.

Throughout the topics we discussed the main idea and discussion of interest was about Regina’s plans for a new dome. We were made aware though that the “dome” wasn’t only dome but an entertainment facility with the ability to be used for all sorts of cultural and sporting events, concerts, and trade shows. Mayor Fiacco argues that building a dome makes Regina a city of opportunity. He says it brings employment options, housing which can be built where Mosaic Stadium is now, and an opportunity to put Regina on the move.

A common question asked at our visit was where will spectators park? According to Mayor Fiacco, a multi-level  parking structure could be constructed and a public transportation shuttle service might be created. This would allow the inner city to be less busy with spectators’ vehicles attending the facility but to also save the Earth by having quite a few people transported by one mode of transportation.

The construction of the new facility also brings more hotels and restaurants to our city. As today’s youth, we will find out more about our future in January 2010 when we receive back the feasibility study stating whether we can afford this entertainment facility and whether this facility will really cost its pre-determined $350 million dollars. This project is lead by the provincial government and I am sure that they’ll make the right decision for our city and do what is best for us.

Overall, the visit from the mayor was greatly appreciated. It was amazing how he cared about today’s youth’s opinions and found the time in his schedule to come talk with us. It showed us what putting our opinions on a blog can do and shows us that we never really know who is reading and taking an interest in our writing.

Submitted by Courtney, grade eight student, Dr. A.E. Perry School

I wrote this earlier this year in response to the hue and cry raised by the southern states governors as they deplored the stimulus plan approved by congress. All declared that they would refuse to accept the stimulus money approved for their states to spend on economic recovery!

I have come to the conclusion that these Southern state governors are exercising a bit of quaint racism and economic apartheid by refusing to take all of the Federal stimulus money. It has been disturbing that no one has taken this particular approach in the punditocracy. I have yet to see a discussion that these are Southern state governors, all Republican, who have decided to secede from reality and the union on acknowledging we are in the middle of an economic disaster of their own parties making. They make the bogus claims that it infringes on states rights, oh please! The Washington Post reported:

Republican governors are sure that they don’t want to spend stimulus money. They just can’t agree which parts to reject. Or whether they’re allowed to. Or why.

These Southern political leaders are certain about their purpose, but not about the methods. They refuse to believe that they continue to be a part of the problem, and still think that as the party of No that they have all the right answers, and know in their hearts that the Right will prevail. In the end though their actions will hurt real people; the unemployed, poor and minorities. The New York Times editorial from February, just before Obama’s speech to Congress, seemed to take this approach.

Imagine yourself jobless and struggling to feed your family while the governor of your state threatens to reject tens of millions of dollars in federal aid earmarked for the unemployed. That is precisely what is happening in poverty-ridden states like Louisiana and Mississippi where Republican governors are threatening to turn away federal aid rather than expand access to unemployment insurance programs in ways that many other states did a long time ago.

Then Bobby Jindal gave the Republican response and decided to talk about Katrina and how Big government failed New Orleans and Louisiana.  After living in Alabama since last year, as the economic meltdown began to pick up steam, I have observed that if Governor Riley refuses even a part of the stimulus package, its impact will have been felt from the classroom to the bedroom. Since Alabama finances public education in part or in whole on sales tax, which is the most volatile revenue source, their will be massive cuts to education budgets across the state. The stimulus money could help mitigate this outcome, and prevent those cuts. The party of no, represented by these republican southern state governors, would rather throw the baby out with the stimulus bathwater.

• First Some Apple Basics
• Give Cider Some Latitude
• Classic Cider Nations

Wild rose blossom.

Apple blossom.

Apples (Malus sp.), pears (Pyrus sp.), quinces (Cydonia sp.), and loquats (Eriobotrya japonica) are termed pomes: fruit in which a fleshy, edible hypanthium layer surrounds a seed-containing core (ovary).

It's true that most people don't like to eat apple ovaries.

In better real ciders one might detect aromas or flavors of pear, rose, raspberry, cherry, and more. It is not that strange considering these fruits are all relatives of the apple.

The Latitude of Cidertude. Cidermaking is climate-driven. Apples tend to grow in a certain climate, one with a suitably long growing season and (typically) a winter with some freezing temperatures. Since fine cider is made from recently picked apples and apples are a bulky commodity to ship, pressing cider at or near the orchards makes sense.

In this country, the greatest apple growing regions are the Northeast, the mid-Atlantic states, the Great Lakes region, and the Pacific Northwest. In other words, apples seem to grow at between 40 and 50 degrees latitude in North America.

Popular cider-producing regions around the world. (Captured from Google Maps)

Cider Nations. Do you know that cider traditions are alive and comparatively well in other countries? Some have speculated that Prohibition or the post-WWII urban migration undermined real cider in this country. That discussion isn’t part of this article, but would be worth visiting in another installment.

The Palate Jack and some merry Welsh lads at the Welsh Perry & Cider Festival, at the Clytha Arms, near Raglan, Monmouthshire, Wales.

Savannah Dry Premium Cider - an astonishing aroma.

It is true that on a hot summer’s day a can of Strongbow or Magners hits the spot. Although to visit their websites, one imagines that soccer is more important than cider… but is it? Bulmers, who have diversified / bought out cider producers in several markets, have also been known to produce some dry, more traditional ciders. Good luck finding them.

Another region with a profound cider history is near Frankfurt, Germany. Here, along the confluence of the Main and Rhein Rivers, Frankfurters have established their own beverage identity – not with the beer of Franconia to the east, or wines of the Rheinland just west – but with appelwein. Known to us as cider and to locals as ebbelwoi, Frankfurt cider houses serve a small, but dedicated following.

A bevvy of bembels.

Back here in chilly New England, writing about cider makes one yearn for a taste, a taste of tart and sparkling local cider. TPJ

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Good curb appeal and large kitchen along with 4 bedrooms and 1.5 bath areas. Nice hardwood floors and a good size yard. Foreclosure, sold “AS IS”.

Click here to view full listing and more photo’s.

Presented to you by:
Iowa Realty
Steven Camerona
515-978-1289
stevencamerona@iowarealty.com

3 bedroom home with 2 bath areas and a large detached garage. Good size yard and large kitchen, some finish in the 3rd story. Foreclosure, sold “AS IS”.

Click here to view full listing and more photo’s.

Presented to you by:
Iowa Realty
Steven Camerona
515-978-1289
stevencamerona@iowarealty.com

El documental lo consegui en ingles y estos momentos estoy haciendo personalmente los subtitulos, como no puedo dedicarme el 100% de mi tiempo a esto……….(tambien tengo que estudiar) va a llevar tiempo……..espero poder terminarlo pronto de momento si a alguien le interesa obtener el video en ingles aca les dejo el link del torrent de donde lo baje

http://www.torrentreactor.to/torrents/view_2116428/BOY_INTERRUPTED_avi.html