Dennis Miller calls out Harry Reid in the style and manner in which only Dennis Miller can.

It’s short, sweet and brutal…

I wonder if Harry Reid will understand any of it including the fact that it is about him?

Ouch.

Pat Gray is currently interviewing another victim of Johnny Sutton prosecution. He was also a Border Patrol Agent.

He is going to jail today.

His name is Noe Aleman, Jr.

 

He was trying to legally adopt, and had legally adopted, his wife’s three nieces (aren’t they precious?).

He has a website. This is his Official Statement explaining how everything transpired. 

Please keep the Aleman family in your prayers, along with the Ramos and Compean families.

What is our country becoming???

Unsettling and disturbing news this morning:

For 50 years, it’s been one place in Houston where the destination is the journey.

The 35-horsepower locomotive of the Hermann Park train pulls its little open-air cars through a dark tunnel, weaves under tall pine and live oak trees, winds past playgrounds and ponds, goes over a bridge and chugs back into the station.

All of that could change in September, when the Slusky family’s “Buffalo Rides” concession at Hermann Park comes to its final stop.

[h/t: Houston Chronicle for text and photo]

Thankfully, it appears that the non-profit Hermann Park Conservancy will be stepping up (by paying all capital costs, btw) to install and operate an upgraded train. Good for them and us.

We couldn’t help be disturbed, however, by the following caption to the above photograph (emphasis’ in bold and italics added by LST).

An end of an era looms for the little Hermann Park choo-choo train that’s been operated by the Slusky family for 50 years. A proposal would update the train with a route that would include more stops and a link to Metro Rail.

Um, given some of METRO’s difficulties of late, are we certain linking up a choo-choo full of children to the rail-line is really such a good idea?

Late last week, LST’s own Matt Bramanti noted a less-than-overwhelmingly persuasive Houston Chronicle subscription marketing ploy–i.e., an opportunity to learn the answer to that most pressing of questions, “Who buys the most lottery scratch-off tickets?”

On Sunday came the shocking news–it turns out that most lottery tickets (including newly introduced $10, $20, $25, $30, and even $50 per scratch-off games) are purchased not by well-educated, gainfully-employed, sober, and affluent citizens, but by stone-stupid, marginally-employed, frequently intoxicated poor folks.*

Who’da guessed that?

The painfully baffling thing here is that the Chronicle (and sister-publication the San Antonio Express-News, where the two reporters are based) actually have a bit of a nice story here. The Texas Lottery Commission really does appear to have tried to justify these more expensive tickets with claims that they would be purchased by the affluent, not the poor.

Anyone with half a brain in their head knows that that argument is on-it’s-face absurd; $30 scratch-off tickets simply mean that poor people who shouldn’t be gambling any of their money are simply going to lose what meager funds they have that much quicker. And the fact that an organ of government–the Texas Lottery Commission–is responsible for taking advantage of these folks is a moral outrage, and a public shame.

I just can’t figure out why a solid, legitimate, clear-cut story–”State government preys on economically disadvantaged”–had to get slopped over with a “Fun Facts Feature!” article lede.

* (OK, the reporters aren’t quite that blunt, but you get the drift.)

UPDATED–OK, at least the AP gets it; compare this “serious news” take that gets right to the point with the breezy style of the original.

I’d like to extend a very big, genuine “Thank You” to everyone who donated during last week’s 2007 Spring Begathon–

Toby H., Scott B., Heather S., William T., William L., Donald C., Bernadette W., Pete W., Michael C., William D., Michael R., Edwin G., Carolyn O., Michael S., Eddie W., Judy S., Thomas S., Nancy J., Woody F., Helen P., Patrick G., George B., Matt C., Milt P., Deborah F., Debra G., Sherri A., Michael S., Rebecca W., Rodney V., Marcus B., Sandra S., Jeff E., John P., James M., Shannon T., “Urban P.”, Patrick P., “Custom T.D.”, Sally S., Richard H., Tom William M., W.F.M. Inc., Tommy L., Matthew A., David H., Jim H., Tobin E., Kathrine B., Michael M., David R., Charles C., Sam J., Robert L., John V., Jacqueline K., David S., Steven M., Jefferey B., Lance J., Robert S., Joseph B., John F., David M., Edd Hendee, Noe S., Randall N., Peter B., Steve D., Scott C., Jim L., Angela P., Doris T., David D., Leslie F., Mike K., Jeffrey C., Sam O., Drew W., Kimmon J., Fred R., Clifton A., Kerri C., Gerald H., Charles G., David (not Benzion) B., Eric P. Johnson, Robert L., Ken R., Todd W., Randy B., David R., Matt L., and Steve W.

There are a couple of names in there that represent “snail mail” checks sent to our PO Box, but as always happens, I’m certain a few more checks will show up in coming days. If your name isn’t mentioned here because I haven’t received your check yet, please know that I am very grateful, and in fact thank you by name (to myself and anyone standing around me) when I open your envelope. I’ll make a note to mention your name in a future “thank you.”

Also, I’d like to take a moment to thank a few demented souls who–as hard as it is to believe–have seen fit to make contributions to LST in previous weeks and months without us even having to ask! Lawrence C., SD + FM J., Gail B., A.E. A., Matt L., John P., Darrel Y., Sonia A., William L., Thelma S., Cheryl J., EricP.Johnson., David S., Woody F., Howard B., and Jessie B.

The Bandwidth Beast has been sated, and LST’s hearty band of volunteer bloggers will soon be enjoying a token of my (and your) appreciation.

I just wish there was some way I could thank all of you personally. Of course, that could start to get a bit expensive and difficult to coordinate. Perhaps I could just choose one donor and do something special for them, as sort of a representative “thank you” to the entire group.

Hmm, but what? I honestly don’t have any idea, but I’ll give it some thought over coming days. Feel free to leave your suggestions in comments.

Finally, whether your donated or not, a sincere thank you to all of you readers! Please don’t forget that one of the most important ways you can support LST is to spread the word, letting friends, family and coworkers know that we’re here and why you like to read us. Take a moment today, think of someone who doesn’t know we’re here and fire off a quick email introducing them to the site!

We promise to try to not embarrass you too much.

Thanks again,

David Benzion, Publisher

In an effort to be helpful, click the pick for more emergency toilet ideas.

BTW Hat tip southerntragedy

 

——————–

Job Wanted–Prepress production operator seeking day shift position with opportunity to eventually advance into supervisory role. Candidate has over seventeen years experience in the printing industry working in diverse fields from newspaper to high-end clients including Pepsi, Mary Kay Cosmetics, R. J. Reynolds, Donruss Sports Trading Cards, etc.

Applicant has a B.A. in Communication Arts and has a wide range of experiences from graphic design and ad building to preflight and prepress service. Project experience is also widely diverse including packaging, multi-page layout and trading cards. Interested parties should contact candidate with resume request via email at “cchd AT houston DOT rr DOT com”.

——————–

Get paid to tell us what you think– Register to participate in one of our focus groups; earn money telling us what you think about politics, your community and consumer goods. Click here to learn more and sign-up!

——————–

——————–

Dawn Wolf Design– LST’s full-service graphic designer of choice. Talented, professional, competitively priced; a generous LST volunteer, we could not recommend her more highly. | 713-781-8900 | website

——————–