-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
According to a Wall Street Journal article, Richard Fisher, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, using Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, found that since June 2009 37% of all net new jobs in America were created in Texas. Even though Texas is an energy state benefitting from high oil and natural gas prices, Fisher touts Texas’ business friendly environment, its right-to-work laws, and its “tort reform”– a $250,000 cap on punitive damages.
The WSJ article even calls Texas “fiscally responsible.” That’s the same Texas with a $27 billion budget shortfall. The WSJ article also uncritically cites Texas’ statutory limits on mortgage borrowing, a regulation of the financial industry they would decry if Obama proposed it.
While the 37% figure is accurate, the details are what’s interesting. Texas has the highest percentage of minimum wage worker in the country. As the chart below shows, the level of minimum wage jobs has increased during Perry’s reign.
The median hourly earnings for all hourly-paid wage and salary workers in Texas stood at $11.20 per hour in 2010; nationally, the median was $12.50.
Texas also ranks number one in the percentage of residents without health insurance. Texas’ percentage is almost 28%. Massachusetts, with Romneycare, has the lowest at 4.7%.
According to The Economist, the state-level Gross Domestic Product of Texas grew by 2.6% last year, equal to the national average. New York grew by 5.1% and California by 1.8%.
Here is a listing of the Perry economic portfolio touted as a model for the whole country:
- Highest percentage of minimum wage jobs.
- Highest percentage of residents with no health insurance.
- A budget deficit of $27 billion.
- Lower than average wages.
- Average growth in GDP.
So, if you want a low paying job with no health insurance, Texas is your choice.
Sorry, my last two entries were off topic so I’ll jump back on. Won’t eat haggis, rarely drink and while I like sliced tongue I’m more of a pastrami (the
real thing so rare today) type.
NoWay,
i’m sorry you are pissed off and I would hate to see you go. However, to me the entire discussion about our having the keys to the kingdom is irrelevant. Anyone who comments here, or any other place on the internet can be identified, despite pseudonyms. I lack the skill or the interest but I’m well aware of the capability. however, to quote John Wayne: “A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do”..
Mike S.,
This is the comment he left after my response to his first comment:
“@Elaine, But clearly your not above a whole host of other lurid innuendo.”
A little while later in the thread I wrote:
“kderosa,
“Care to comment on the subject of this post? Do you think NASA was right or wrong to bring suit against Edgar Mitchell?
“You can carry on the discussion about fascists in your own mind. I couldn’t care less.”
And this:
“kderosa,
‘I repeat: Care to comment on the subject of this post? Do you think NASA was right or wrong to bring suit against Edgar Mitchell?”
*****
I certainly didn’t think my post about NASA’s lawsuit against the ex-astronaut would encourage a comment like the first one kderosa left on that thread. Evidently, he didn’t care to discuss the topic of the post.
I could only surmise that he was looking to start something–and I can only wonder what his motives were.
The above was in response to Roco’s 6:08 pm comment, which he did for kderosa. (wink, wink)
“I’m sure if this suit were brought during the Bush administration, you’d being saying “the fascist Bush government.” Now that the Obama administration is perpetrating this goofy suit, it’s simply “our government” with no mention of Obama.
Stay classy, Elaine.”
This was kderosa’s first comment on the thread he linked. An incitement that drew this attack
Elaine answered:
“kderosa,
I’m not in the habit of throwing around words like fascist, communist, Marxist. I’ll leave that to folks like you and some of the FOX News personalities and radio shock jocks.
I get information from the sources I use. I write about what I’ve learned from those sources. None of the sources for this story mentioned anything about Obama or fascism.”
I’ll let people judge who the original attacker and attempted thread hi-jacker was. (wink, wink)
On the Palin thread. Elaines first remark to you:
“kderosa,
Are you trying to tell me that Paul Revere went around ringing bells and shooting off warning shots to warn the British regulars “that they weren’t gonna be takin’ away our arms…and that we’re gonna be secure and we were gonna be free. And we we’re gonna be armed” when the purpose of his ride was to warn colonists about the British regulars?
Try again.”
From kderosa’s “neutral” reply:
“No. Palin never said specifically said that Revere was ringing bells and firing shots. This is merely your shameless paraphrasing of her actual words”
Calling the author of the post “shameless” sounds like an attack to me and it was wit an implication of her lying. Yet the man acts as if he is so innocent and merely being attacked by vicious people. (wink, wink)
HenMan, I have some haggis flavored potato crisps (chips). Got them from a concession vendor at the last highland games. Want some? This is the latest and greatest export from Scotland to the Colonies.
You can order your own and give some to your friends. Or to trolls, PRN.
http://www.mackies.co.uk/potato_crisps/flavours/haggis_cracked_black_pepper.aspx
O.S.-
You left out the last step:
Give the Haggis to the dog and go out for a nice steak.
http://blogs.cbn.com/beltwaybuzz/archive/2011/08/05/rick-perry-i-pray-for-the-president-everyday.aspx
the comments are the best part
i can’t help but think that at some point there was severe famine in europe. why else would someone look at a snail or some fungus that a pig just dug out of the ground and think “i can’t wait to sink my tooth into this”.
i’ll take my lambchops grilled, thanks.
Ingredients:
Sheep’s heart, lungs and liver
You may wish to have these cleaned by a butcher
Sheep stomach
You may use a beef bung if you do not have a sheep’s
stomach
3 cups finely chopped suet
One cup medium ground steel cut oats
You cannot use rolled or boiled oats–they cook out mushy
and gooey with no texture
Two medium onions, chopped into small bits
One cup beef stock
One teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
One teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon mace
Any other seasonings you like, used to taste
Technique:
Trim and remove excess fat and sinew from the sheep’s stomach. Place in a large pan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for an hour or possibly longer to tenderize. Drain and cool.
Heat the oats in a 300 degree oven until they are thoroughly dried but not browned or burned. Be careful to not actually toast them.
Chop the meat fine (discard the windpipe if present) and combine in a large bowl with the suet, oats, chopped onions, beef stock, salt, pepper, nutmeg and mace. Mix all the ingredients well. Stuff the meat and spices mixture into the stomach which should be over half full. Press out the air and tie or sew the open ends tightly with string. Make sure that you leave room for the mixture to expand or else it may burst while cooking. If it looks as though it may do that, prick with a sharp needle to reduce the pressure. Pricking with the needle or sharp skewer is important. If it explodes, haggis is really hard to get off the ceiling and walls.
Place in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for three hours. Avoid boiling vigorously to avoid bursting the skin (note previous warning about bursting).
Serve while hot. If guests are present, it is traditional to bring the serving plate to the dining room led by a piper. Cut the stomach bag open with a sgian dubh or dirk and serve.
NoWay:
” I think this comment demonstrates why I consider it reckless for JT to have given Buddha access to our information…. THAT PISSES ME OFF!”
****************
Then as a man of principle and given your sincere dismay with our host, I suppose we’ll be bidding you a fond adieu. That is what a man of principle would do, isn’t it?
Sayonara!
Former Federal LEO,
I noticed that you dismissed any possible involvement on the part of Kevin as it relates to the Buddha comment left on the Tea Party thread. I wanted you to know that my reason to believe possible involvement was not without due cause. Additionally, I think this comment demonstrates why I consider it reckless for JT to have given Buddha access to our information. Kevin and Buddha had the motive; they claim to have the means, and JT presented them with the opportunity to take it one step further. They no longer need to develop something to identify sockpuppets. JT gave them access to everything they need while considering the privacy of those who comment here to be of no consequence. THAT PISSES ME OFF!
Buddha is Laughing –“Did you say something, Koch sucker? My ears are a little clogged up and I’m not able to understand fluent propaganda troll today. That or it’s your perpetual “I know you are but what am I” that isn’t making any sense. Did I use a puppet to post an update to thread so I wouldn’t have to listen to your inane bullshit? Yes I did. I also admitted to it. And I also did it as a test of our current software under development to detect sock puppets (currently being refined by our very own Slartibartfast).
Yours is not the opinion I value. Call me a troll all you want. I have history (and a reputation) that proves otherwise. I’ll stand on the literal years of posting I’ve done here as evidence and your new comer yet already established reputation as a liar and a propaganda troll to show once again how full of crap you are, Rove-lite.” [Emphasis Added]
http://jonathanturley.org/2011/07/02/nasa-sues-former-apollo-14-astronaut-over-lunar-camera/#comment-244556
Bad storm here … keep losing my connection … will visit the site, Gyges
OS,
A man to have on your rugby team … 🙂
Best way to find a true Scotsman … mention cod-liver oil and watch who gets a panicked look in his eye and then runs to find a place to hide.
OS,
I’m a BJCP certified beer judge. I judge home-brew competitions pretty regularly. Outside of that I very rarely bother to sit down and write down my ratings. Talking about the beer with the people I’m with is way more fun to me.
OS and Blouise,
Also, just so you know… the oldest known recipe for Haggis is in an English Cookbook.
Blouse, now you have done it. Cod liver oil. How about Cod Liver Oil and The Orange Juice? The inimitable Hamish Imlach. A gigantic (in more ways than one) talent gone from us far too soon.
Gyges,
My son in law is a beer fanatic. He has an app from a website named “untappd” (no “e”) and every time he tries a new beer he enters the name … finds out what others think and then rates it. Before toasting we all have to wait for him to go through this app ritual.
Blouise and OS,
Now how does that saying go…
No true… somethingerather
OS,
“no one with a drop of Highland blood would disavow haggis.”
Ach … nothing but Scottish blood in me, born into the Clan Donald in the States from Inverness (Highland), Scotland and roots traced to William Aichensoune, Norman-Scottish family of Forfar(shire), County Angus, Scotland 1371 confirmed. Then (unconfirmed) to Johannes filius Ade 1300, Clan Gordon, Highlands.
I disavow haggis and cod-liver oil.
Gyges, there is a specialty brewery over in Asheville that makes a Celtic beer. A bit pricey, but good.
Never heard of Skull Splitter. I will look for it and the Wee Heavy as well. I once had a boss whose bucket list had a single item. He wanted to sample every beer there was. I don’t know what happened to him, but would not be surprised to learn that had succumbed to liver failure.
I never cared that much for heart, but I grew up on sliced tongue sandwiches. When I would tell the other kids at school what kind of “lunch meat” I had on my sandwich, they would make faces and refuse to look in my direction when I ate. Maybe I should have switched to Scope.