Haggard and wife to appear on "Divorce Court" to tout strong marriage

This made me more than a little nauseous this morning. Experienced male-prostitute buyer, cheater and meth user Ted Haggard is actually going on Divorce Court (with his faghag wife) and speaking with Judge Lynn Toler. They claim the interview is all part of an effort to show how a marriage can survive even the worst of times...

But wait, there's more...

"This is part of Ted's journey," Gayle Haggard said. "It's made him a better man. I see what has happened as a divine rescue."

Divine rescue? OMG. This woman needs to get a clue and her husband needs to just go away. By the way, they are being paid an undisclosed amount of money for the interview. Sheesh.

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Happy St. Patty's Day from St. Paul

The revelers were out in full force over the noon hour today in downtown St. Paul. I managed to avoid most of the drunks, (although there were a lot of them). I just wish I was feeling the same alcohol-induced intoxication that I observed. I also wish I didn't have to wait until 5 to join them.

One last thing...we all know the cops are going to be out in full-force tonight, so keep your drinking at home OR just take a cab.

This AIG bonus fiasco is giving me a headache!

I have been waiting to see how this unfolds, and it does not look good. Despite the chiding Obama gave AIG, it appears that they are under no legal obligation to listen.

If the American people truly own 80% of this "company", how can our hands be tied? Let's just get this over with, declare bankruptcy, fire all the incompetents who did this, and start over.

There are a few petitions being circulated, please sign them and pass along the info.

This one at MoveOn says "Under no circumstances should the AIG executives who helped create the financial crisis receive bonuses. That's our money and you should do whatever it takes to get it back."

And here is the petition at FireDogLake that needs your signature.

Get writing!

UPDATE:
More links to relevant info:

Bailout King AIG Still to Pay Millions In Bonuses

AIG employees should return bonuses or face high tax

NY AG issues subpoena to AIG

We've made some changes at OpenCitizen

As you may have already noticed, I made some substantial changes to OpenCitizen over the weekend. The whackjobs and heroes sections have been incorporated into the main page and I added sections on some of my favorite interested - legos and origami. I have also expanded the about me section to reveal a little bit more about your favorite blogger, Troy.

Please let me know what you think, I welcome all comments, suggestions and gripes.

Bristol Palin will not marry baby's daddy. Surprise, surprise.

We knew it was a lie from the start...Bristol and Levi are not getting married, despite the fact that as recently as last month the wedding was still on.

This is what happens when young loose girls get pregnant and moms tell them the only birth control they should rely on is abstinence. How did that work out for you, Bristol?

Stand up and accept responsibility for your actions, Mother Palin should have raised her kids right, obviously she was more concerned with her career than her family. Sheesh.

Full story...

Science triumphs over fantasy at last!

President Obama signed the Stem Cell Executive Order and Scientific Integrity Presidential Memorandum today, simultaneously, the U.S. joined the ranks of the scientifically enlightened.

He said, "By doing this, we will ensure America's continued global leadership in scientific discoveries and technological breakthroughs. That is essential not only for our economic prosperity, but for the progress of all humanity."

"That is why today, I am also signing a Presidential Memorandum directing the head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop a strategy for restoring scientific integrity to government decision making. To ensure that in this new Administration, we base our public policies on the soundest science; that we appoint scientific advisors based on their credentials and experience, not their politics or ideology; and that we are open and honest with the American people about the science behind our decisions."

WOW. All I can say is that it's about time.

Full statement on the White House website.

Michele Bachman anti-Obama, anti-American

Michele Bachman, the joke of Minnesota and the House of Representatives, once again placed politics over the good of our country.

In an interview yesterday with Bill Bennett, she summed up her beliefs this way:

"We need to do everything we can to thwart them (Democrats) at every turn to make sure that they aren't able to, for all time, secure a power base that for all time can never be defeated."

She is sounding more and more like Rush. I wonder if she also pops pills and cheats on her partner like most Republican politicians. What a horrid woman. What's next? Taking candy from children and beating small animals? Sheesh.

More info at Think Progress.

Tatiana is back on Idol - woohooo!!!

Tatiana del Toro, the Idol wannabe that many love to hate, was given another chance by the judges Wednesday night. Tatiana was selected as one of the 12 finalists in the competition. Her over-the-top mannerisms and unusual laugh make her a front runner, or "dark horse" as the judges like to say.

Glad she's back, aren't you?

(and I KNOW I am going to hear about this...)

So it's come to this, Rush IS the Republican party!

And I couldn't be happier. His twenty minute speech at CPAC turns into 60, and the crowds cannot get enough. A bigoted, drug addicted, adulterous liar. PERFECT for the Republicans, and yet, just more of the same.

If this keeps up, the Democrats will have no problem gaining seats in both houses, and will continue to aggressively promote our progressive agenda. Long live democracy!

I woke to a flood this morning. Sheesh.

At 4:30 this morning I heard a vacuum cleaner running in the hall of my building. I got out of bed and stepped in water on the way to the front door. A waterline burst, and flooded the hallway AND the storage locker - MY storage locker - so I am spending the morning day going through wet cardboard boxes and salvaging all I can.

*UPDATE: They are now ripping apart my place looking for water damage. Not the way I was planning on spending my day off.

Yeah, I want to go see Britney.

This week my friend Theresa asked me if I wanted to go with her to see Britney Spears and the Pussy Cat Dolls in concert. Her husband didn't care to go, and she thought of me right away. Of course my immediate reaction was a resounding YES, then I found myself slightly embarrassed to respond in the same fashion as a 15 year old girl, not a 40-something year old man (not that I really care).

Tickets are sold out, but we can find them on Craig's List for $150 each. Aaaargh...what to do...?

McDonald's would rather a customer get killed than have an employee intervene.

Fast food giant McDonald's has denied workers compensation benefits to a minimum wage employee who was shot when he ejected a customer who had been beating a woman inside the restaurant.

A representative of the administrator for McDonald's workers compensation plan explained that "we have denied this claim in its entirety as it is our opinion that Mr. Haskett's injuries did not arise out of or within the course and scope of his employment."

I hope no big-wig from McDonald's is ever in trouble when I am on the clock. Sheesh, completely disgusting.

Full story...

US jobless hits 5 million, sets record high

February is shaping up to be another brutal month of job losses: The number of laid-off workers receiving unemployment benefits hit an all-time high of nearly 5 million, and new jobless claims are at levels not seen since the early 1980s.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that the number of people receiving regular unemployment benefits rose by 170,000 to 4.99 million for the week ending Feb. 7, marking the fourth straight week continuing claims have hit a record.

And yet, we have Republicans voting against a stimulus package that will help put Americans back to work. Sheesh.

Full story...

We got the stimulus in spite of the Republicans!

With just three Republican votes, Congress passed a $787.2 billion stimulus plan that President Obama calls a 'once-in-a generation' chance to act boldly and transform the US economy.

The bill aims to create (or save) 3.5 million jobs and help stressed families pay for food, housing, and health care. At $575 billion in spending and $212 billion in tax breaks, the plan also aims to leverage new economic activity and growth.

The Republicans have always been bad winners, and now that they have lost by a landslide, they are bitter losers. Sheesh, what a sorry bunch.

Full story...

GOP Senator Gregg withdraws as commerce nominee

President Obama's choice for commerce secretary, Senator Judd Gregg, withdrew his nomination on Thursday, saying there were "irresolvable conflicts" between him and the administration.

Gregg had agreed to promote the President's agenda, but then decided he wouldn't. Saying one thing, then doing another. Soooo Republican of him.

Full story...

We have a deal!

House and Senate negotiators reached agreement today on a stimulus plan with a cost of about $789 billion after scaling down the versions passed by both houses, congressional leaders announced.

"The differences between the Senate and House versions were resolved," Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters this afternoon.

He said the final version "creates more jobs than the original Senate bill and spends less than the original House bill." The bill passed by the Senate yesterday totaled $838 billion. The House version approved last week had a price tag of $819 billion.

Now that wasn't so hard, was it?

Full story...

Republican Steele's Campaign Spending Questioned

Michael S. Steele, the newly elected chairman of the Republican National Committee, arranged for his 2006 Senate campaign to pay a defunct company run by his sister for services that were never performed, his finance chairman from that campaign has told federal prosecutors.

Corruption and the Republican party...the RNC will never change.

Full story...

Unemployment rises in 98% of cities

In a sign that job losses are felt in every corner of the nation, unemployment rates rose in 98% of metropolitan areas across the country in December, according to a recent government report.

The Labor Department is expected to report Friday that the economy lost another 500,000 jobs, according to a consensus estimate of economists surveyed by Briefing.com. The national unemployment rate is expected to rise to 7.5% from its current level of 7.2%, its highest rate since January 1993.

And ther are politicians who are still uncertain we are in recession. Sheesh.

Full story...

Finally, a president that cares about children

President Barack Obama sees expansion of government health insurance to millions of lower-income children as a first step of several to come in providing coverage for all Americans.

Ending a two-year effort by Democrats, Obama signed legislation Wednesday that will allow about 7 million children to continue coverage through the State Children's Health Insurance Program and allow an additional 4 million to sign up.

This is EXACTLY why having a democrat in the oval office is good for America. Good for us.

Full story...

Government finally launches criminal probe in peanut recall

Responding to reports of shoddy sanitation practices and inspections, federal health officials have opened a criminal investigation into the Georgia peanut-processing plant at the center of the national salmonella outbreak.

The Obama administration on Friday pledged stricter oversight of food safety to prevent breakdowns in inspections.

Officials say Peanut Corp. of America sold tainted peanut products to food makers. At least 529 people have been sickened as a result of the outbreak, and at least eight may have died because of it. More than 430 products have been recalled.

How bad does it have to get until someone responds. Shesh.

Full story...