tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846190411064781102011-10-10T17:39:55.896-07:00Common sense social and political commentary.JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.comBlogger281100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-78199363260069691082011-01-14T06:59:00.000-08:002011-01-14T08:59:20.839-08:00

The following is a proposed bill to protect Americans while not, in any way, infringing on the rights of gun owners or their Second Amendment protections: @font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-60296046239941495712011-01-12T08:08:00.000-08:002011-01-12T08:16:19.225-08:00

A congresswoman is shot and the woman is Jewish. So here comes Sarah Palin to cause a train wreck. "I agree with the sentiments shared yesterday at the beautiful Catholic mass held in honor of the victims. The mass will hopefully help begin a healing process for the families touched by this tragedy and for our country," says Palin. Then there is this from the former partial term governor, "

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-74580107924305165162010-08-29T09:35:00.001-07:002010-08-29T09:35:59.601-07:00

Is it possible that art is imitating life in the case of Fox News' Glenn Beck? In the 1976 movie "Network" writer Paddy Chayefsky's brilliant script tells the story of network news anchor Howard Beale, played by Peter Finch, who after some personal tragedies becomes depressed, drinks heavily as the ratings for the evening news broadcast decline. President of the news division Max Schumacher,

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-78526841366667392572010-08-18T10:31:00.000-07:002010-08-18T10:31:05.060-07:00

"And I can make a firm pledge: under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 will see their taxes increase – not your income taxes, not your payroll taxes, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes." President Obama spoke those words during a speech in Dover, NH on Sept. 12, 2008. The Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, widely referred to as the Bush tax cuts,

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-59427572264392998262010-03-14T06:56:00.000-07:002010-03-14T06:56:03.175-07:00

karl Rove was kind enough to add to the ever futile attempt of old, conservative white men who do not want the "Mad Men" version of the world they grew up and still want to exist, to change. Watching Rove and the others continue their fight has in many ways has become like watching a wolverine backed into a situation facing no escape yet fighting viciously in an unsuccessful attempt to save it's

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-36782579642827812462010-02-28T07:29:00.000-08:002010-02-28T07:33:38.206-08:00

Monday morning in the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi will direct the Clerk to read the following bill and then call for a vote: An act to provide for the health and well being of all American citizens, provide that health and no or little cost to any individual and to build the best health system possible. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-67499848813516503822009-11-30T11:52:00.000-08:002009-11-30T11:52:55.530-08:00

Lakeland (Wash.) Police Department Sgt Mark Renninger and officers Ronald Owens, Tina Griswold and Greg Richards were shot and killed in apparent premeditated execution-style murders on Sunday morning at Forza Coffee Company coffee shop, in Tacoma, Wash. Pierce County Sheriff's Department spokesman Ed Troyer in describing the murders used the words "execution" and "ambush" in statements to the

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-30864495288851553182009-11-29T10:36:00.000-08:002009-11-29T10:36:23.139-08:00

Concerns are being expressed about the U.S. Justice Department plan to try Kali Sheikh Mohammed and four other terrorists at the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York at 500 Pearl St. in Manhattan. This courthouse is just blocks from where the World Trade Centers attacks occurred on Sept. 11, 2001. Those expressing concerns note that the site of the trial in New

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I use to hate Sarah Palin, but now I love Sarah Palin. I'm not only going to vote for Sarah Palin for president in 2012, I'm going to volunteer and work 24/7 to help get her elected. I'll stuff envelopes, knock on doors, make phone calls, threaten black voters in Florida not to vote, deliver illegal cash contributions to campaign headquarters, plant false stories about Obama and his family on

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-36241966110742765042009-10-05T08:13:00.000-07:002009-10-12T12:45:31.501-07:00

Facing an unemployment rate of 25 percent and the economic turmoil of the Great Depression, President Roosevelt’s administration proposed and congress passed the National Industrial Recovery Act in May of 1935.A major component of the act was establishment of the Works Progress Administration.The WPA was funded with an initial $4.8 billion (approximately $76 billion in today's dollars). The

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-39945096260996946882009-09-23T05:12:00.000-07:002009-09-23T08:56:37.727-07:00

On Monday, May 3, 1948, Douglas Edwards anchored the first regular broadcast of the news by a major television network. Then named The CBS-TV News aired at 7:30 p.m. on the east coast and ran for 15 minutes with no commercials.The Tuesday, September 22 broadcast of the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, ran for 21 minutes with 9 minutes of commercials, or was it 15 minutes of commercials?As

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-14476479180939446572009-08-13T13:25:00.000-07:002009-08-13T13:57:43.215-07:00

If you have had a two-year-old you are certain to remember how two-year-olds behave when they want something. They act out.This acting out includes screaming, yelling, lying, hitting, jumping up and down and of course holding their breath.Whatever it takes to get their way. Now a good parent knows that if you give into this once, the child will do again and again knowing it works.Sen. Charles

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Hello Sarah. Please have a seat.We know you are planning to write a book. So we wanted to offer some free grammar lesson from The Grammar Doctor.Today a punctuation lesson, specifically, quotation marks.Quotations marks generally are used to indicate material that is spoken or written by someone else. They can also be used to specify titles of things such as poems, stories or articles. There are

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-15257968010971886302009-08-08T05:14:00.000-07:002009-08-08T09:51:23.901-07:00

Many politicians often get things wrong the first time.It's when you defend your decision, even after it is pointed out to you that everyone west of Eta Carinae, a star in the Milky Way galaxy, knows you are wrong, that you have a problemThat is the case for Greenwich, Conn. Housing Authority Commissioner Bernadette Settelmeyer.It all started when the city's housing authority approved a

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-75065067097032446252009-07-17T17:39:00.000-07:002009-07-27T19:15:17.756-07:00

How ironic.Walter Cronkite dies. CBS issues a press release and CNN, MSNBC and even Fox begin extensive and continuous coverage.Does CBS preempt its regular programming to run continuous coverage of the life of Cronkite?No. CBS and their programming geniuses continue to run a show ironically titled "Ghost Whisperer."A call to CBS News National Desk in New York is answered by a woman who says they

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-71706557721288420352009-07-07T12:47:00.000-07:002009-07-07T13:43:06.778-07:00

Katie Couric and CBS News who made Michael Jackson their lead story on the CBS Evening News for most of 11 days since her death pulled a major blunder on Tuesday. The network switched from the not yet completed Jackson memorial to Couric and her talking heads and then to commercial while Jackson's body was removed from the Staples Center and a final prayer was read.No doubt CBS wanted to score

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-79320023291817022032009-07-03T11:01:00.000-07:002009-07-03T11:16:55.881-07:00

A memorial for a great creative artist is certainly a worthy and noble endeavor for a society. To honor great artists in any field makes a society a better place.Using public funds to stage such a memorial is certainly the necessary first step. Reimbursement of the public funds spent by money earned in the commercial market that is the result of that death is a necessary second step.There is

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-82605915438078079752009-06-12T12:13:00.000-07:002009-06-12T13:02:51.515-07:00

Gov. Sarah Palin and her husband Todd were outraged at an event this week. The governor and her husband joined the rest of the nation in expressing their sadness and sorrow over the event.The governor took time from her busy scheduling studying domestic and foreign policy issues to make the rounds of media outlets for interviews and even took time to issue press releases.It is only understandable

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-27547704457804786422009-02-26T08:41:00.001-08:002009-02-26T09:02:45.179-08:00

The judge in the bail hearing of Sarasota, Fla. hedge fund manager Arthur G. Nadel, has agreed to release Nadel on $5 million bail. However, the arrangement further requires $1 million in cash and the bond must be supported by four "financially responsible people" without a financial connection to the case or to Nadel or his former company.Nadel,who is charged with one count of securities fraud

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-2897519953137474982009-02-17T11:38:00.000-08:002009-06-14T12:40:11.318-07:00

FLORIDA FOLLOWS NEW RULES FROM HOMELAND SECURITY REGARDING ID'S - DOES IT HAVE FLAWS - WELL YES, A FEW.Here are the new rules as released by the Sarasota County Tax Collector Barbara Ford - Coates: "Florida now requires additional documents for people renewing or obtaining their Florida driver license or identification card, according to Sarasota County Tax Collector Barbara Ford-Coates.

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-44619036595220589142008-12-16T08:01:00.000-08:002008-12-16T08:22:09.734-08:00

Muntadar al-Zaidi: An American StoryBy JT TavaresSo what’s next for the shoe-throwing Iraqi journalist? I realize you may not know and haven’t memorized the name Muntadar al-Zaidi yet. That’ll change.Here’s what’s in store for the soon-to-be-famous Iraqi reporter who threw his shoes at President George W. Bush. The man who will soon surpass Joe “The Plumber” Wurzelbacher as 2008’s most

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-54464206272505707562008-12-10T18:47:00.000-08:002008-12-11T12:11:20.604-08:00

Where are Shi Huang and Li Si when you need them?By JT TavaresFor those of you without a master’s degree in Chinese history, Shi Huang founded the Qin Dynasty in 221 B.C.E., and Li Si served as Huang’s Prime Minister.More to the point, these guys burned books – lots and lots of books.Including the books of Confucians.Confucians were the followers of Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.).

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-8977582526024957932008-12-08T13:19:00.000-08:002008-12-08T13:36:48.082-08:00

Poor Bill and HillaryBy JT TavaresThey’re in debt.Secretary of State nominee Hillary Clinton loaned $6.4 million to her campaign to be president and now she, and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have only a few million left in savings, his $1.162 million in pension and expenses as a former president and her Senate salary. Oh, and don’t forget the millions in book royalties and speaking

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-8316608831114909252008-11-28T16:10:00.001-08:002008-12-01T13:08:01.222-08:00

How about trying the old math instead?By JT TavaresSeven trillion dollars, give or take a few hundred billion, is the approximate amount the government has given, loaned or pledged to banks, insurance companies, mortgage friends Fannie and Freddie, JP Morgan, WaMu, the Big Three auto manufactures and others.This must be part of that new math those simpletons like columnists, bloggers and

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-19612468475790250302008-11-21T19:27:00.000-08:002008-11-23T09:14:04.432-08:00

Here we go again?By JT Tavares"Read my lips, no new taxes," was the now infamous line written by Peggy Noonan for President George H. Bush in 1988 which he delivered during his acceptance speech at the Republican Convention. A campaign promise he infamously broke once in office. The reason given for the change was the necessity to reduce the national deficit."I think that it would be

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-63429380169431813502008-11-17T13:46:00.000-08:002008-11-21T19:23:42.116-08:00

Enter the PalinitesBy JT TavaresI love seeing a Sarah Palin quote in writing. It makes me realize that I wasn’t losing my hearing or going insane when I listened to her actually say it."My concern has been the atrocities there in Darfur and the relevance to me with that issue as we spoke about Africa and some of the countries there that were kind of the people succumbing to the dictators and the

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-34987271980917712082008-11-17T11:41:00.001-08:002008-11-17T11:42:06.124-08:00

CrudeBy JT Tavares“Hey, Shirley, I’ll have a draft, a shot of Jack Daniels and a barrel of Texas Light Crude.”“There you go, JT. That’ll be $142.85, or do you want me to start you a tab, darling?”“Shirley, you’ve got to be kidding. I don't mind paying $140. for a barrel of Texas Light Crude, but $2.85 for a shot and a beer — that's outrageous. Did you guys raise your prices again?”OK, here it is,

JT Tavareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14323777233027646558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484619041106478110.post-8950707797891178572008-11-17T11:31:00.000-08:002008-11-17T11:43:42.994-08:00

No floods in FallujahBy JT Tavares"Shirley, damn it, you're out of peanuts, again.""Oh shut up JT and read you're damn paper," said Shirley, my beloved bartender.“Well, we are really sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, but the U.S. government can’t afford to give you a grant of $32,407 to clean out and rebuild your flooded home here in Iowa because we are spending that amount every 10 seconds on our war

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