On Meeting Bill

On Saturday, Bill Clinton gave a speech in Austin (see below story), and attend a lunch reception back in Houston, which I happened to be at. First off, let me say, I've never been a Clinton fan, since he is an ex-president, I did like meeting him. He is a great politican, though. When Bill walks into a room, he exudes charisma. He smiles, does photos, shakes hands, etc. He knows how to work a room and can really capture it. I've also met Hillary, but she isn't the campaigner he is. He looks a lot thinner than he did 10 years ago. He's rather tall but I have a few inches on him. I got a picture with him, but don't think I'll post it just yet.



He even chats it up with the wait staff.



I don't agree at all with what he said below, but it seems that politicians move left or right once they are out of office and wish to reclaim some spotlight. Newt Gingrich is now doing the same thing from the right.

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Former President Bill Clinton said on Saturday global warming is a greater threat to the future than terrorism and that the United States and other countries must "get off our butts" and do something about it.

Clinton, speaking to the graduating class at University of Texas' Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, said the United States must pursue policies that make "more partners and fewer enemies" and use "institutionalized cooperation" before there is catastrophic damage from global warming.

Barry Gets Beaned

Last Tuesday, I attended the Giants-Houston game when Barry Bonds got beaned by a pitch. When Bonds would come up to bat, he would get loudly booed. Contrast this to the fact that I was at the game in '02 when Bonds hit his 70th homer in the season and he was loudly cheered. I guess Americans don't like a cheater.

This photo is right after Barry Bonds got hit with the pitch. Since warning was already given to the Houston manager, Phil Garner, and the ump isn't happy


Garner and the ump argue it out. Since Houston was already down by 10 runs, he probably wanted to get tossed.


Finally, Bonds walks to first


Retired General Tommy Franks throws out the first pitch at the game the next day, a game Bonds didn't play

Quiet, Pat

Can someone tell Pat Robertson to retire? He's rather embarrassing.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- The Rev. Pat Robertson says God has told him that storms and possibly a tsunami will hit America's coastline this year.

The founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network has told viewers of "The 700 Club" that the revelations came to him during his annual personal prayer retreat in January.

"If I heard the Lord right about 2006, the coasts of America will be lashed by storms," Robertson said May 8.

He added specifics in Wednesday's show.

"There well may be something as bad as a tsunami in the Pacific Northwest," he said.

Robertson has come under intense criticism in recent months for suggesting that U.S. agents should assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was divine retribution for Israel's pullout from the Gaza Strip.

Dissecting a Media Story

Read the headline, and your head could easily fill with emotions such as "evil power corporation." However read the whole story and get a different picture. Oh, that clever media.

First let's wonder, how do you rack up a $1662.08 power bill? Is it in a month? So either, she runs a meth lab or this bill has been accumulating over several months. Since she is a social security recipient at 41, she must be on welfare since if she was disabled, the story would have clearly mentioned it in order to gain further sympathy.

Let's also review how $1662.07 was paid. The good taxpayers paid about $800. Then the donors to the Salvation Army paid $430 and the utility company ITSELF paid $430. All the woman was on the hook for was 1 cent, which she didn't pay. The headline should really read: Woman Doesn't Even Contribute 1 Cent to $1662.08 Power Bill.

Power Shut Off After Woman Owes a Penny
FLINT, Mich. - It was just a penny, but to Consumers Energy it was enough to cut off power in a local home. Jacqueline Williams, 41, of Flint had an electricity bill of $1,662.08 and paid all of it, except for one cent. That wasn't enough for the power company, which blacked her out for seven hours Wednesday.

The CMS Energy Corp. subsidiary told Williams the power would not be turned on until the penny was received.

"I went down there, paid my penny and got a receipt," Williams told The Flint Journal.

Shortly after, the electricity was turned back on.

"All of this for one penny," said Williams, who went to the state Department of Human Services for help in April and was told the agency would pay most of the bill.

But she was still short more than $500.

Williams, a Social Security recipient, went to the Salvation Army, where she received $430.67, and Consumers agreed to match $430.66 toward the bill.

However, she was still one cent short.

A Consumers Energy spokesman said that the utility had no choice in the matter, though he was not aware of any similar incidents where service was stopped for one cent.

"This was the first one I've heard about," said Terry DeDoes. He said the company has many programs to help people who fall behind in their utility bills.

Williams said she doesn't want to find herself in the same situation again.

"I'm praying to God I stay on top of my bills," she said. AP

Bush's Border Bluff

Last night, President Bush issued yet another address in support of amnesty for illegal immigrants. Let's take a look:

I was the governor of a state that has a 1,200-mile border with Mexico. So I know how difficult it is to enforce the border, and how important it is. Since I became president, we have increased funding for border security by 66 percent, and expanded the Border Patrol from about 9,000 to 12,000 agents. The men and women of our Border Patrol are doing a fine job in difficult circumstances, and over the past five years, we have apprehended and sent home about 6 million people entering America illegally.

So if there are 12-20 million illegals in the country, yet only 6 million were sent home, that means that increasing agents by 33% wasn't sufficient

By the end of 2008, we will increase the number of Border Patrol officers by an additional 6,000....At the same time, we are launching the most technologically advanced border security initiative in American history. We will construct high-tech fences in urban corridors, and build new patrol roads and barriers in rural areas. We will employ motion sensors infrared cameras and unmanned aerial vehicles to prevent illegal crossings...One way to help during this transition is to use the National Guard. So in coordination with governors, up to 6,000 Guard members will be deployed to our southern border

Promises for more border agents, high-tech security? Dandy, but do all of this first, then talk about the guest worker programs. But these practices into place, see what happens after 2 years, then discuss what to do with those here. Traditionally, there is action about amnesty and talk about border security. It's time for those roles to be reversed.

The problem is that the Guard or Border agents can be removed at any time after the defacto amensty legislation has been passed. I'd prefer something more concrete. In another 20 years, we could be facing another wave of illegals. According to the Census bureau, the foriegn born population was 13-14% between the Civil War and the Great Depression. However, research by the Heritage Foundation demonstrates how the 12-20 million would quickly become 100 million

It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World

Since the government refused to enforce the borders, claiming it was impossible, a bunch of civilians decided to do themselves to demostrate that it can be done. Well, now our government is tell the Mexicans where they are! Brilliant!

While Minuteman civilian patrols are keeping an eye out for illegal border crossers, the U.S. Border Patrol is keeping an eye out for Minutemen -- and telling the Mexican government where they are.
According to three documents on the Mexican Secretary of Foreign Relations Web site, the U.S. Border Patrol is to notify the Mexican government as to the location of Minutemen and other civilian border patrol groups when they participate in apprehending illegal immigrants -- and if and when violence is used against border crossers.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman confirmed the notification process, describing it as a standard procedure meant to reassure the Mexican government that migrants' rights are being observed. Daily Bulletin

George thinks his brother is great for being Prez. Two Bushes are enough for 1000 years. He's also mad if he thinks anyone will nominate his brother after his relative failure in the 2nd term.

President George W. Bush praised his brother, Florida governor Jeb Bush, as an "excellent" leader who would make a "great president" of the United States, according to news accounts.

"I think Jeb would be a great president. But it's up to Jeb to make a decision to run," Bush told reporters at a roundtable interview here with several Florida newspapers.

"I would like to see Jeb run at some point in time, but I have no idea if that's his intention or not," said the president, in comments published in the St Petersburg Times, and other dailies. AP

Forbes Magazine: Castro worth US$ 1 Billion

Forbes Magazine is saying that the Maximum Leader, leader of the free Cuban people, and envy of marxist professors in all of the free world is worth US$1 Billion. Last time I checked, that's more than George Bush, who is Hitler, and Castro has outlasted 8 U.S. Presidents. The man just keeps winning elections. Did I mention they have free health care? Who's moving to Cuba?

Morales in Bolivia

This month's "Most Underreported Story" goes to the Chavez-loving communist in Bolivia, Evo Morales, who moved yesterday to seize private industry. Companies and Government should take notice. This story should be much more prominent in the news, but leftiest reporters have hushed this up. Companies invested in a country and agreed to give reasonable royalties to the government, along with promises to higher a certain amount of locals. However, left-wing South American governments seized full control of this industry. And people wonder why fuel prices are high? Read the last paragraph as well! Did anyone hear about that? Does anyone talk about that? The companies who have invested billions into these drilling stations, pipelines, plants stand to lose it all. A US-based company was interested in building a LNG plant in Peru but is worried about the outcome of the Peruvian elections, of which Chavez keeps sticking his nose in.. Less supply = higher prices.

This should be a lesson to the American government as well. People should also keep China in mind. Companies constantly move operations to China for cheap labor. China sits quietly building its economy and its industry. We keep giving ours away. China knows that it is now still weaker, but it is waiting patiently. At some time in the future, China will nationalize all of its foriegn-owned industry, leaving America with serious problems.

A PAZ, Bolivia - President Evo Morales ordered soldiers to occupy Bolivia's natural gas fields Monday and threatened to evict foreign companies unless they give Bolivia control over the entire chain of production.

Morales sent soldiers and engineers with Bolivia's state-owned oil company to installations and fields tapped by foreign companies — including Britain's BG Group PLC and BP PLC, Brazil's Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Spanish-Argentine Repsol YPF SA, France's Total SA and U.S.-based Exxon Mobil Corp. The companies have six months to agree to new contracts or leave Bolivia, he said.

Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera said troops were sent to 56 locations around the country.

Soldiers took over major gas fields and refineries and, in the eastern city of Santa Cruz where much of the industry is based, occupied some oil company offices, said Tuffi Are, news editor at the El Deber newspaper, one of Bolivia's largest. He said about 100 soldiers were guarding the Petrobras refinery just outside the city.

Morales, a leftist allied with Cuba's Fidel Castro and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez in seeking to blunt U.S. influence in the region, had pledged to exert greater state control over the industry since winning election in December, becoming Bolivia's first Indian president.

..... It comes as Ecuador argues with Washington over a new oil royalties law and less than a month after Chavez ordered the seizure of oil fields from Total and Italy's Eni SpA when the companies failed to comply with a government demand that operations be turned over to Venezuela's state oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela SA. AP