Thursday, October 22, 2009
Crossroads Mall, OKC... now owned by you and I, so let's move in??
OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - A $29 billion trail from the Federal Reserve's bailout of Wall Street investment bank Bear Stearns ends in a partially deserted shopping center on a bleak spot on the south side of Oklahoma City.
The Fed now owns the Crossroads Mall, a sprawling shopping complex at the junction of Interstate highways 244 and 35, complete with an oil well pumping crude in the parking lot -- except the Fed does not own the mineral rights.
The Fed finds itself in the unusual situation of being an Oklahoma City landlord after it lent JPMorgan Chase $29 billion to buy Bear Stearns last year.
That money was secured by a portfolio of Bear assets. Crossroads Mall is the only bricks and mortar acquired through bailout. The remaining billions are tied up in invisible securities spread across hundreds, if not thousands, of properties.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
The Grating Communicator
by Ann Coulter
10/21/2009
The Obama administration has attacked Fox News in order to prevent government corruption stories broken on Fox from bleeding into the other media, which are all-consumed with daily updates on Levi Johnston's Playgirl spread and Carrie Prejean's breast implants.
That's understandable. But I think the administration should have picked someone other than David Axelrod to deliver the claim that Fox News is "not really news," inasmuch as Axelrod was behind the leak of scurrilous allegations in Jack Ryan's sealed divorce papers when he was running for a Senate seat against Obama. Talk about vicious personal gossip.
Now that Fox has been branded an untouchable, the teacher's-pet media are jubilant.
In Newsweek, Jacob Weisberg wrote a column saying liberals should refuse to appear on Fox News, pointedly concluding, "And no, I don't want to come on 'The O'Reilly Factor' to discuss it." Considering that Weisberg is a 107-pound weasel with a speech impediment, this is on the order of Weisberg's announcing that he's not interested in appearing in the next "Ocean's Eleven" movie with George Clooney.
The strangest thing about all the invective against Fox is that it is happening in a world that contains MSNBC. At least Fox News primetime hosts, and many of their guests, know something about politics. MSNBC's primetime lineup presents an array of people who sound like earnest college kids who just walked up to a Common Cause table, and the sum-total of what they know about politics is what they read in the brochures.
In the past week, both Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann have rolled out the Willie Horton ad, claiming that it marked the beginning of vicious personal attacks in politics, as opposed to what it was: The most devastatingly relevant campaign commercial in all of American history.
You can always astonish college kids by telling them the true story of Willie Horton. Among the jaw-dropping facts are:
-- In the '80s, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that a prison furlough policy had to be extended to convicted murderers, who were ineligible for parole.
-- Even the Massachusetts Legislature, which contained about three Republicans, realized this was insane, and quickly passed a bill excluding first-degree murderers from the weekend furlough program. But in a desperate bid for the ACLU's Brain-Dead Liberal of the Year Award, Gov. Michael Dukakis vetoed the bill.
-- Horton, who was later released under this program, was in prison for carving up a teenager at a gas station and then stuffing his body into a garbage can. (He had already been convicted of attempted murder in South Carolina -- through no fault of his own, the victim survived.)
-- Even after Horton used his Dukakis-granted furlough to rape and torture a Maryland couple in their home for 12 straight hours, the Greek homunculus issued a statement reaffirming his strong support for furloughing murderers.
-- The Bush campaign commercial about Dukakis' furlough program never showed a picture of Horton. In fact, the actors playing "criminals" passing through a revolving door in the ad were all white.
-- Voters considered it relevant that a candidate for president was so beholden to the ACLU that he backed an idiotic furlough program that released first-degree murderers.
Every informed student of the 1988 campaign knows that the Bush ad didn't show Horton's picture. And yet in Keith's discussion of Bush's allegedly vile, racist use of Willie Horton, he used a phony version of the ad, doctored to include a photo of Horton.
I don't blame Keith personally for this blatant distortion: He gets all his research material from Markos Moulitsas and other left-wing bloggers, so he can't be held responsible for the content of his show. Keith's principal contribution to the program is his nightly display of self-congratulation and pomposity.
Remember, Keith, like his MSNBC colleague Contessa Brewer, majored in "communications" in college, not a research-related field, such as political science. In his coursework, he learned such skills as: Dramatically Turning to Camera, Hysterical Self-Righteousness, Pausing Portentously and Gravely Demanding Apologies/Resignations From Various Public Figures.
Given this background, it's understandable that Keith will make errors. As viewers witnessed recently, he can't even pronounce the name of prominent American economist and philosopher, Thomas Sowell. (Although he did spend three weeks at a Berlitz course in Arabic honing his pronunciation of "Abu Ghraib" to razor-sharp prissiness.)
The bloggers and Keith bring different skill sets to the game. They provide the tendentious half-truths, phony opinion polls and spurious social science, while Keith provides his booming baritone, gigantic "Guys and Dolls" suits and gift for ridiculous, fustian grandiloquence. Keith is far better equipped than, say, the pint-sized, girly-voiced, Frito Bandito-accented Markos Moulitsas to deliver the party line.
But here's the fly in the ointment: Keith has once again been victimized by left-wing blogs into thinking that the 1988 Bush ad showed Willie Horton's picture, when in fact, Horton's race was deliberately scrubbed from the ad.
by Ann Coulter
10/21/2009
The Obama administration has attacked Fox News in order to prevent government corruption stories broken on Fox from bleeding into the other media, which are all-consumed with daily updates on Levi Johnston's Playgirl spread and Carrie Prejean's breast implants.
That's understandable. But I think the administration should have picked someone other than David Axelrod to deliver the claim that Fox News is "not really news," inasmuch as Axelrod was behind the leak of scurrilous allegations in Jack Ryan's sealed divorce papers when he was running for a Senate seat against Obama. Talk about vicious personal gossip.
Now that Fox has been branded an untouchable, the teacher's-pet media are jubilant.
In Newsweek, Jacob Weisberg wrote a column saying liberals should refuse to appear on Fox News, pointedly concluding, "And no, I don't want to come on 'The O'Reilly Factor' to discuss it." Considering that Weisberg is a 107-pound weasel with a speech impediment, this is on the order of Weisberg's announcing that he's not interested in appearing in the next "Ocean's Eleven" movie with George Clooney.
The strangest thing about all the invective against Fox is that it is happening in a world that contains MSNBC. At least Fox News primetime hosts, and many of their guests, know something about politics. MSNBC's primetime lineup presents an array of people who sound like earnest college kids who just walked up to a Common Cause table, and the sum-total of what they know about politics is what they read in the brochures.
In the past week, both Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann have rolled out the Willie Horton ad, claiming that it marked the beginning of vicious personal attacks in politics, as opposed to what it was: The most devastatingly relevant campaign commercial in all of American history.
You can always astonish college kids by telling them the true story of Willie Horton. Among the jaw-dropping facts are:
-- In the '80s, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that a prison furlough policy had to be extended to convicted murderers, who were ineligible for parole.
-- Even the Massachusetts Legislature, which contained about three Republicans, realized this was insane, and quickly passed a bill excluding first-degree murderers from the weekend furlough program. But in a desperate bid for the ACLU's Brain-Dead Liberal of the Year Award, Gov. Michael Dukakis vetoed the bill.
-- Horton, who was later released under this program, was in prison for carving up a teenager at a gas station and then stuffing his body into a garbage can. (He had already been convicted of attempted murder in South Carolina -- through no fault of his own, the victim survived.)
-- Even after Horton used his Dukakis-granted furlough to rape and torture a Maryland couple in their home for 12 straight hours, the Greek homunculus issued a statement reaffirming his strong support for furloughing murderers.
-- The Bush campaign commercial about Dukakis' furlough program never showed a picture of Horton. In fact, the actors playing "criminals" passing through a revolving door in the ad were all white.
-- Voters considered it relevant that a candidate for president was so beholden to the ACLU that he backed an idiotic furlough program that released first-degree murderers.
Every informed student of the 1988 campaign knows that the Bush ad didn't show Horton's picture. And yet in Keith's discussion of Bush's allegedly vile, racist use of Willie Horton, he used a phony version of the ad, doctored to include a photo of Horton.
I don't blame Keith personally for this blatant distortion: He gets all his research material from Markos Moulitsas and other left-wing bloggers, so he can't be held responsible for the content of his show. Keith's principal contribution to the program is his nightly display of self-congratulation and pomposity.
Remember, Keith, like his MSNBC colleague Contessa Brewer, majored in "communications" in college, not a research-related field, such as political science. In his coursework, he learned such skills as: Dramatically Turning to Camera, Hysterical Self-Righteousness, Pausing Portentously and Gravely Demanding Apologies/Resignations From Various Public Figures.
Given this background, it's understandable that Keith will make errors. As viewers witnessed recently, he can't even pronounce the name of prominent American economist and philosopher, Thomas Sowell. (Although he did spend three weeks at a Berlitz course in Arabic honing his pronunciation of "Abu Ghraib" to razor-sharp prissiness.)
The bloggers and Keith bring different skill sets to the game. They provide the tendentious half-truths, phony opinion polls and spurious social science, while Keith provides his booming baritone, gigantic "Guys and Dolls" suits and gift for ridiculous, fustian grandiloquence. Keith is far better equipped than, say, the pint-sized, girly-voiced, Frito Bandito-accented Markos Moulitsas to deliver the party line.
But here's the fly in the ointment: Keith has once again been victimized by left-wing blogs into thinking that the 1988 Bush ad showed Willie Horton's picture, when in fact, Horton's race was deliberately scrubbed from the ad.
Brodie Myers
For those of you following Brodie Myers, a 3rd grade student at Westwood Elementary who was a semi-finalist for the Today's Show Kid Reporter, I wanted to let you know that he won!!!! He will now go back to New York for the finals! Thank you to all of you for your support and encouraging words for Brodie and his family!!!!! Jill Metzger, Principal Westwood Elementary 502 S Kings Stillwater, OK 74074 405-533-6370
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Madison Ann.... first Moffat flu victim... hopefully the last...
From Ann to me just now....
Maddie is home with the flu, they put her on the tramaflu or whatever and sent her home to get better. So they may not be able to make this weekend for Kaitlyn's birthday, she was really upset about that. She just started running a fever last night, will have to see how she does in the next couple of days.
To our family... Maybe won't be too sick, anyway, just remember to wash your hands and don't let people cough all over you.
remember... 5 days after fever goes to normal is the time to stay away from others...
Maddie is home with the flu, they put her on the tramaflu or whatever and sent her home to get better. So they may not be able to make this weekend for Kaitlyn's birthday, she was really upset about that. She just started running a fever last night, will have to see how she does in the next couple of days.
To our family... Maybe won't be too sick, anyway, just remember to wash your hands and don't let people cough all over you.
remember... 5 days after fever goes to normal is the time to stay away from others...
This is regarding our old neighbors to the east... used to buy feed from us...
This is what I know relayed from Pam Cartmell
Hello all....
I just spoke with Rocky (Malinda's mother). Malinda is in the end stages of her battle. Greg has taken her back to Tulsa because she did not want to pass away at home. They have said she only has a matter of days now. They have increased her pain medication and she is not responsive. Rocky said that the kids were supposed to come and visit tonight.
I'm writing this with a heavy heart and I know you have one as you are reading this. However, Malinda's faith is what has allowed her to fight as long as she has and has earned her a place in God's beautiful kingdom. It will be our faith that will take us forward in our lives and to heal. I ask that you pray now for all of Malinda's family as they prepare for this transition.
I will let you know of any more news that I hear.
Love in Christ,
Pam
I just spoke with Rocky (Malinda's mother). Malinda is in the end stages of her battle. Greg has taken her back to Tulsa because she did not want to pass away at home. They have said she only has a matter of days now. They have increased her pain medication and she is not responsive. Rocky said that the kids were supposed to come and visit tonight.
I'm writing this with a heavy heart and I know you have one as you are reading this. However, Malinda's faith is what has allowed her to fight as long as she has and has earned her a place in God's beautiful kingdom. It will be our faith that will take us forward in our lives and to heal. I ask that you pray now for all of Malinda's family as they prepare for this transition.
I will let you know of any more news that I hear.
Love in Christ,
Pam
Monday, October 19, 2009
hehe from Heather...
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!
Two brooms were hanging in the closet and after a while they got to know each other so well, they decided to get married.
One broom was, of course, the bride broom, the other the groom broom.
The bride broom looked very beautiful in her white dress. The groom broom was handsome and suave in his tuxedo. The wedding was lovely.
After the wedding, at the wedding dinner, the bride-broom leaned over and said to the groom-broom, 'I think I am going to have a little whisk broom!'
'IMPOSSIBLE !' said the groom broom.
Are you ready for this?
'WE HAVEN'T EVEN SWEPT TOGETHER!'
........................
..............
Oh for goodness sake...Laugh, or at least groan.
Life's too short.
Vote Brodie....
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
To vote again, text your choice of #2, to 622639. Standard text messaging rates apply and voting ends on Tuesday, October 20 at 5pm EST.
you can log in here on computer to see the main page and find out more...
If you download music and like Lyle Lovett... here is a link to buy the new album
Lyle Lovett - 'Natural Forces" new record comes out today.
You can purchase the entire CD for 3.99 today at
http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Forces/dp/B002SDSDEW/ref=dm_tw_lyle_lovett#productPromotions
enjoy!
This record rocks.. you can preview it before buying but it's only at this price for 24 hours, not sure how much longer.. shhhhh don't tell Ann I bought it.. she will kill me.. haha....
You can purchase the entire CD for 3.99 today at
http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Forces/dp/B002SDSDEW/ref=dm_tw_lyle_lovett#productPromotions
enjoy!
This record rocks.. you can preview it before buying but it's only at this price for 24 hours, not sure how much longer.. shhhhh don't tell Ann I bought it.. she will kill me.. haha....
From my friend Ragan comes this review of the movie "Where the Wild Things Are"
Best little blurb to describe the best movie of the year (for me) "Where the Wild Things Are":
"It’s not a kid’s movie. It’s not a movie for kids. It’s a movie made from the mindset of a child. We’re not ever going to truly know the impact of this film, because it’s near impossible to understand the child’s mind. They think every is OK, awesome, or boring, and most can’t articulate beyond that. And if you’re sitting there thinking my kid is different it probably means you’ve fed them some answer to the question. The lessons learned are subtle and almost not worth stating … Don’t bite your mom, you can’t make everyone happy, be sorry for being mean. We know these things. Maybe kids need to hear them. A book that didn’t have much to say (it’s nine sentences long) might just be a movie that could speak volumes."
"It’s not a kid’s movie. It’s not a movie for kids. It’s a movie made from the mindset of a child. We’re not ever going to truly know the impact of this film, because it’s near impossible to understand the child’s mind. They think every is OK, awesome, or boring, and most can’t articulate beyond that. And if you’re sitting there thinking my kid is different it probably means you’ve fed them some answer to the question. The lessons learned are subtle and almost not worth stating … Don’t bite your mom, you can’t make everyone happy, be sorry for being mean. We know these things. Maybe kids need to hear them. A book that didn’t have much to say (it’s nine sentences long) might just be a movie that could speak volumes."
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