TexasTowelie
TexasTowelie's JournalCheck out this hateful flier from opponents of Plano's nondiscrimination ordinance:
Last week we reported that a Houston-based anti-LGBT group planned a petition drive to repeal the non-discrimination ordinance passed by the Plano City Council earlier this month.
Now, opponents of the ordinance have launched a website, PlanoEqualRights.com, dedicated to gathering signatures to place the ordinance on the ballot.
A group of 80 pastors opposed to the ordinance reportedly held an emergency meeting this week at Plano's Prestonwood Baptist Church, an evangelical megachurch that's also known as "Six Flags Over Jesus."
The Houston-based Texas Pastor Council, led by anti-gay bigot Dave Welch reports:
Jeff Mateer of Liberty Institute gave a legal analysis of why the Plano ordinance and others like it are a direct offense against First Amendments of religious belief, expression and “free exercise”. Dave Welch then closed the meeting with the “how to” of the referendum petition process. He explained that since Plano and Houston City Charter requirements for qualifying a referendum are nearly identical, the critical steps of signature gathering and having notarized are likewise the same so they could benefit from our experience.
Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2014/12/plano-update.html
Cross-posted in the Texas Group.
XTO Energy fined $2.3 million by federal agencies for West Virginia violations
Fort Worth-based XTO Energy has been fined $2.3 million for violating the Clean Water Act related to its drilling operations in the Marcellus Shale in West Virginia, two federal agencies said Monday.
The Environmental Protection Agency and the Justice Department said XTO, a subsidiary of Irving-based ExxonMobil, will also spend $3 million to restore eight sites damaged by unauthorized discharges of fill materials into streams and wetlands related to hydraulic fracturing activities, the agencies said.
XTO violated the Clean Water Act when it failed to obtain an Army Corps of Engineers permit to build well pads, road crossings, freshwater pits and other facilities related to the drilling. The state of West Virginia will receive half of the $2.3 million civil penalty.
The eight sites were in Harrison, Marion and Upshur counties in West Virginia, and totaled a mile of streams and nearly 3.4 acres of wetlands.
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/business/barnett-shale/article4827582.html
[font color=green]The feds are raking it in today with the fines.[/font]
Records detail allegations against Ray McDonald
SAN FRANCISCO -- A woman alleges former San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Ray McDonald sexually assaulted her after a night of drinking and after she injured her head in a fall by his swimming pool, according to court documents unsealed Monday.
The woman told authorities she has no memory of the sexual encounter that occurred in McDonald's San Jose house, which police say occurred Dec. 14 a few hours after the 49ers returned from a 17-7 loss to the Seahawks in Seattle. The court papers quote McDonald as saying in a text message that he believed the encounter was consensual. McDonald also told police the entire incident was captured "on his internal video system and was on his DVR in his room."
No charged have been filed, and the San Jose police continue to investigate. McDonald could not be reached for comment, and his agent, Tom Condon, didn't immediately respond to text and phone messages.
The court documents were written by San Jose police investigators to obtain a search warrant for McDonald's home.
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/nation-world/national/article4814403.html
French power and transportation company Alstom to pay $772 million to settle bribery charges
HOUSTON — French power and transportation company Alstom has agreed to pay $772 million in criminal penalties to settle federal bribery charges, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday.
U.S. authorities allege Alstom had a “widespread scheme involving tens of millions of dollars in bribes” paid to officials worldwide in countries including Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the Bahamas and Taiwan.
Alstom paid more than $75 million to secure $4 billion in projects around the world, federal authorities say.
General Electric announced plans to purchase Alstom’s power and grid business in a deal worth $17 billion earlier this year.
Read more: http://fuelfix.com/blog/2014/12/22/alstom-to-pay-772-million-to-settle-bribery-charges/
Continental Resources cuts nearly $2 billion from capital expenditures budget for 2015
HOUSTON — Oklahoma City-based Continental Resources continues to cut its 2015 budget in response to falling oil prices.
The exploration and production company said Monday that it plans to spend $2.7 billion on capital expenditures next year.
That’s down from the $4.6 billion budget it announced last month, which itself was a cut from a from its original $5.2 billion target.
The company also dramatically reduced its planned production growth. Last month, it told investors to expect 23 percent to 29 percent production growth in 2015. It’s pared that expectation back to projected growth of 16 percent to 20 percent.
Read more: http://fuelfix.com/blog/2014/12/22/continental-resources-announces-even-deeper-2015-cuts/
Fox News Host Disgustingly Lashes Out at Children Living in Poverty
In an attempt to apparently prove that there are no lows to which Fox News will not stoop, Outnumbered co-host Stacey Dash decided to attack the children of families living in poverty. Because, you know, children are apparently just greedy little moochers abusing the system and looking for a free handout.
Discussing a recent Census Bureau report that found that 65 percent of American children are living in a home receiving some sort of government assistance, Dash called it “slavery” before further elaborating on her ignorance.
“This is the Democratic party’s new version of slavery to me,” Dash said. “I am a believer in the American dream. But as long as you are told where you have to live, what you have to eat, what you have to wear, where you have to go to school, you will never know the true meaning of expression. And, the power and value of self achievement. You’ll never know what that is.”
Wait, what? Are children not supposed to be told where to live, what to eat, what to wear and where to go to school? Haven’t parents been making choices like that for children since… forever?
Read more and watch video at: http://www.forwardprogressives.com/fox-news-host-disgustingly-lashes-children-living-poverty-video/
Guess who won't find any gifts under the Christmas tree? Santa Shoots 2 At Detroit Gas Station
DETROIT (WWJ) – A man dressed as Santa shot two people at a gas station Sunday morning in Detroit.
Detroit police officials confirmed that the two victims — both 29-year-old men — were recovering from gunshot wounds following the incident at the Speedway on East Jefferson Ave. and I-375.
The festively dressed gunman, who is now in custody, told officers that he felt threatened after arguing with the pair and shot both men.
“An individual who was dressed as Santa and two other individuals got into some kind of confrontation,” said Detroit Police Officer Adam Madera. “Two of the individuals went to their vehicle; they believe that Santa felt maybe that they were going to get a weapon. He then shot these individuals.”
Read more: http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2014/12/21/man-dressed-as-santa-shoots-2-at-detroit-gas-station/
[font color=red]Bad Santa![/font] 
Crackpot Utopia: The Year in Republican Crazy, Part 3
Crackpot Utopia: A dream world as envisioned by republicans; a manifestation or expression of the deranged, warped alternate universe inhabited by republicans, at least in their minds. See also: Bachmannism, Boehneresque.1. Using fear, loathing, and paranoia to sell stuff
I've long been suspicious of drug companies flogging all sorts of medications on the teevee, specifically medications for ailments we never heard of as little as five years ago. So many of these ads can easily awaken the power of suggestion in any of us, sometimes to the point where any little pain in the head gets some folks worrying about brain tumors.
As for my own life, I know now that I probably had ADHD. I sat in class and my overactive daydreaming mind went places, wonderful places. The cure then was a teacher that could keep my attention. I learned how to focus, when I wanted to. Today, they would scare my parents and drug me. I turned out fine without the little pills.
-snip-
2. Arizona legalizes crack!
Well, it certainly does appear that rather than legalize marijuana, the state of Arizona has made the smoking of crack A-OK! Something has to explain how the state ended up with a legislature that came up with the Arizona Religious Freedom Bill. This is a classic case of bigots saying, "Hey, what about my rights?"
-snip-
3. Crazyspeak of the Year nominee No. 3:
It's hard to zero in on just one example of FOX's Archie Bunker showing off his crazy. O'Reilly is TV's most smugly pompous megalomaniac. Here he is at his defensive and most self-serving best (worst), referring to his childishly rude and pathetic "interview" of President Obama.
See more at: http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2014/12/crackpot-utopia-year-in-republican_21.html
More stadium news: Allen’s Eagle $69M Stadium on track to be repaired by graduation
The remaining repair work at the flawed Eagle Stadium appears to be on track barring any surprises, according to a briefing to the school board this week.
General contractor Pogue Construction and architectural firm PBK have indicated that they still plan to finish by graduation, said Greg Suttle, executive director of facilities.
But bad weather could throw things off, Superintendent Lance Hindt said.
The main scoreboard, which was the first phase on the repair list, has been fixed. The other five phases are in varying degrees of progress.
Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/allen/headlines/20141219-allens-eagle-stadium-on-track-to-be-repaired-by-graduation.ece
Texas A&M Kyle Field: West side comes down, fundraising rises by another $35 million
There were 10 to 12 distinct loud booms and then the west side of Kyle Field came tumbling down.
The site of the nine-level elevator shaft falling toward Wellborn Road was met with wild cheering from more than 5,000 spectators who watched from the Reed Arena parking lot. Another 2,000 were scattered across campus, police said.
The implosion - facilitated by 735 pounds of gelatin-based dynamite that rattled all the campus buildings and inched into neighboring Bryan - was swiftly followed by a massive cloud of dust that covered everything in its westward path with layers of dirt.
After the dust settled, crews from Lindamood Demolition began hauling away piles of debris, which is estimated to weigh 75,000 tons - 150 million pounds.
Read more and watch the video at: http://www.theeagle.com/news/a_m/kyle-field-west-side-comes-down-fundraising-rises-by-another/article_838f8bce-8923-11e4-94fd-37d263f1679a.html
Profile Information
Gender: MaleHometown: South Texas. most of my life I lived in Austin and Dallas
Home country: United States
Current location: Bryan, Texas
Member since: Sun Aug 14, 2011, 03:57 AM
Number of posts: 112,070
