August 28, 2008

Stop Domain Subsidies about to go into the toilet

According to this in the Statesman, the ballot language is set...

Shall the City Charter be amended to prohibit the City from entering into future agreements to provide financial incentives in connection with the development or redevelopment of property that includes one or more retail uses, and to stop the City from providing financial incentives under certain existing agreements in connection with the development or redevelopment of property that includes one or more retail uses?

And with that, I'd like to take my hat off and salute Stop Domain Subsidies... for thoroughly fucking this up. Y'all took a perfectly good opportunity and turned it into a giant, smelly dog turd. ONE OR MORE RETAIL USES?!?!! Why not just 86 all mixed use?!?! What a fabulous idea.

Of course, the outcome of this was ENTIRELY predictable once Linda Curtis of Independent Texans got her stupid little rat brain involved in the effort. You may remember Linda as one of the masterminds (the Idiots Stall were the others) who told the Lege last session that SB 792 was great and then went and told everyone that it was a real moratorium on tolling and the TTC.

Which, of course, it wasn't.

You people are too incompetent to achieve anything. The fact that anyone listens to you is a testament to their own stupidity. Take a bow, Linda. Now you've managed to have a hand in the ruination of two important efforts.

For many of us, SDS represented a necessary effort to stop tax payer funded subsidies for projects with questionable economics and job creation characteristics (i.e., retail). However, the language is now so broad that it includes some very necessary mixed use (residential, light commercial and retail) developments that are a key parts of the City's effort to establish Transit Oriented Developments.

It's very disheartening to see this effort dragged down into worthlessness. So, yeah, you should vote against this miasma of an amendment to the city charter.

Posted by mcblogger at 12:46 PM | Comments (0) | | TrackBack (0)

I'm gonna keep using the 'R' word, but thanks!

The Statesman ran this recently from a mother who doesn't like the free use of the word retard...

This is not about censorship or political correctness. This is a civil rights issue. It's about the right to be treated with dignity and respect as a human being. The disability community is glad to have the opportunity for a public discourse about the R-word.

So, you speak for the whole community? Allrighty...

I shudder at even typing the N-word, though many have few reservations about using the word "retard." When I was a child, was used only to refer to people with actual intellectual disabilities. Now, however, the R-word has fallen into casual use.

Many don't realize that people with intellectual disabilities are four to 10 times more likely to be victims of crimes. They might not know that people with intellectual disabilities were among the first victims of eugenics in Nazi Germany. Perhaps they don't realize that "termination" rates are between 89 percent and 94 percent for those diagnosed, in utero, with Down syndrome. Many families cite the cruel treatment by society as a reason for termination.

WOW. I never even thought that someone would be such an ASSHAT as to completely separate the usage of the word ENTIRELY from the context. And throw in Nazi's, all at the same time.

As a mom, even before having a child with a diagnosis, I realized how my views shaped my child and how powerful words can be. We avoid using the word "fat" in our household; instead we focus on what is "healthy." We avoid even using the word "stupid;" instead we discuss "smart" choices or "better" decisions.

Stop using the R-word. You can educate other people about its harmful ramifications.

I'm just gonna say this... when people use the word today, they aren't using it to describe someone with a mental health disability. Consider it synonymous with UNBELIEVABLY STUPID. I can't even remember the last time I heard it used to refer to someone who had a MHD. And quit whining about how offensive it is to you in general.

I'm so sick of shit like this. Feel good, meaningless crap. What she wants she's unable to ask for which is a more perfect world where everyone treats everyone with dignity and respect. I get that. However, it's the impossible dream and frankly, we'd all be bored to hell.

Posted by mcblogger at 09:33 AM | Comments (1) | | TrackBack (0)

It's a Man's (Political) World

What we learned this week:

Another man on man duo are nominated for POTUS and VP by the Democratic Party.

A high-powered, smart, opinionated woman is man-handled into become a simpering wifely, motherly, sisterly caricature of herself in order to make herself palatable to the American public (Michelle).

A high-powered, experienced national leader is reduced to "oh, what a good girl she is for gracefully exiting the stage". (Hillary) Gotta love it when a qualified woman is patted on the head for doing what she has always done - put country above self. The condescending bullshit about "if she had made a speech like that when she was running, she'd be the nominee now" has got to stop. The hope and change, looking for a Savior crowd weren't noticing that she's been that kind of leader, been that kind of speaker all along.

We have a nominee who surrounds himself with male advisors (well he's added a few women since the end of the primaries) and whose Texas leadership team is all male. Obama, you can do better than that and my suggestion is you start name dropping some high-powered qualified women who will be some of your closest advisors in your White House.

We've come a long way baby and if this is our time and this is our moment, I'd like to see where smart, talented, qualified women fit into that scenario.

Posted by Boobilicious at 06:36 AM | Comments (0) | | TrackBack (0)

August 27, 2008

Great speeches overcome objections, but not ignorance

After Hillary Clinton’s rousing speech, CSPAN had their call-in segment. A woman from Alabama said she would not vote for Obama because of the radical talk he had heard as a member of “that” black church. Another woman from California, whose speech seemed slurred by intoxication, rambled on about this and that. However, her premise was she was not going to vote for any Democrat because she didn’t like giving her tax money to lazy people, and that the Dems were socialist.

This is more than anecdotal. From all the conversations and what has been spoken and printed, we find this is a disturbing attitude of many. Are they a tiny minority? After seeing current polling data, I think not.

From now until the election, do we need to waste time and energy talking to people - many in despair of personal tragedy caused in general by contemporary American conservatism and specifically by policies initiated and enacted by Republican Party rule - who will never vote for Obama?

Why is it wrong to leap to conclusions about what is in the heart of people who feel the need to denigrate equality, diversity, compassion, and the common good.

Let them fester in their own cesspool of racism and hatred.

We have our work cut out.

Posted by Captain Kroc at 07:02 PM | Comments (0) | | TrackBack (0)

Austin Chronicle Best Of...

The AusChron is once again running their 'Best of...' list. I've found the thing to be largely hit or miss mostly because these things seem loaded down vote-wise by granola fucks who think healthy food ROCKS and that Ginny's Little Longhorn is just unbelievably cool because they have Lone Star... and not much else.

Not to mention that this ballot is arduous...ChronPeople, I salute you for taking the inputs from these ballots and turning them into awards. That's an assload of work. And I hope you're well compensated for it. Seriously, you deserve a fucking amazing party and the kind of bonus money that would make Paris Hilton blush.

But back to the voting... Here's a link directly topolitics and personalities. And here are a few of our humble suggestions...

Local Issue - Traffic Congestion/Mass Transit

News Story - Toby's reign of EVIL ends

Scandal - That Brewster is STILL on Council

Elected Official - Will Wynn

State Legislator - Eddie Rodriguez.

Council Member - He Who Stands Up To Toby

Unsung Behind-the-Scenester - Matt Curtis

Job - Following behind Mindy Montford with one of her signs after the County Convention

Public Service - Cleaning up shit? Somewhere? We really are not at all about this.

Nonprofit Group - Human Rights Campaign

Activist - Garry Brown

Local Politics Blog - Your choice... we'd say go for us, but honestly while we are based in Austin, we write as much about the rest of the state and the country as we do about Austin. And the last time I checked, there are only about 500 people who are physically IN Austin who read us on a daily basis. I think more people read us in Dallas than here... and I HATE Dallas like a motherfucking rash.

BOR would also be a good choice, as would EOW and TK.

Local Politics Blogger - Eh, vote for Mayor McSleaze. I want to see him get angry if he wins.

Grassroots Movement - Texans for Mark Thompson (seriously, WAS there a bigger surprise in the primary?!?!?!)

Environmentalist - Marguerite Jones. The rest of those fools are triflin'.

As for the rest of the ballot, feel free to fill out as much as you'd like. Just say nothing of that Place That Shall Not Be Named In Midtown Where You Can Still Smoke Inside. And tell them Trudy's is your favorite restaurant.

Posted by mcblogger at 12:48 PM | Comments (2) | | TrackBack (0)

Senator Carona and his 'business'

I think HOA's are really just a step above extortionists. But that's me. However, I'm sure anyone who has dealt with an HOA managed by Senator John Carona's company would probably agree. Apparently, the Senator from North Dallas has decided to run his company into the ground by taking in payments... and doing no work.

Principal Management Group wouldn't go on camera, but said the association has been without a board for five years. Now the 300 or so homes are predominately rentals and getting the landlords to pay has been impossible.(KTRK13)

Oh, that's not true... HOA's have the ability to foreclose. In fact, they can scare first lien holders (if the unit is financed) into paying the back HOA dues and setting up a mandatory escrow account as part of the note repayment to make sure there is never a time when HOA dues go into arrears again. I know because the servicing division at a bank I worked for did it. HOA dues are serious business. The problem is, there's no board and with no board, there's no oversight. Which means the residents have to go through an arduous process to rid themselves of the albatross. And the garbage it's left on their doorsteps.

Kudos to Harris County Commissioner El Franco Lee for stepping up to the plate and helping these folks out. And shame on Senator Carona for NOT taking the time to make things right.

Please click through here and help Rain Minns, the Democrat running to unseat Carona, today.

Posted by mcblogger at 09:51 AM | Comments (0) | | TrackBack (0)

August 26, 2008

Cinton to PUMA's : Really?

Hillary Clinton asked some of her erstwhile supporters "Do you really want to vote for John McCain?" during her speech tonight at the DNC.

Now, John McCainis my colleague and my friend. But we don't need four more years of the last eight years. More economic stagnation and less More high gas prices and less energy work. More foreclosures and higher prices and less help for the middle class. More wars and less diplomacy.

John McCain wants to privatize social security. And in 2008, he still thinks its okay that women don't earn equal pay for equal work. With an agenda like that, it makes sense that John McCain and George Bush will appear together in the Twin Cities -- because these days they are awfully hard to tell apart.

Yes, ma'am. They are. And in November, I'll join YOU in voting for Barack Obama.

Posted by mcblogger at 11:17 PM | Comments (0) | | TrackBack (0)

Blaming the Democrats...

I LOVE BLAME! I love it when one of my subordinates, whom I've asked to perform a task, blames someone else in the office (usually a peer) for failing to complete it. Nothing makes me happier than knowing that the job I expected to get done, wasn't done. Well, nothing except knowing who to blame for the failure.

Oh, I'm just kidding... I usually berate the dick who didn't perform the task. Over the phone since my office is far, far from me.

Bush, on the other hand, likes to berate his peers. For high gas prices...

"This Congress has been one of the most unproductive on record. They've failed to address the challenge of high gas prices," the president said. "They need to send me a bill next month that I can sign so we can bring relief to drivers, small business owners, farmers and ranchers and every American affected by high prices at the pump."

You should never believe a liar, which is what makes this AP story sooo intriguing. It's also interesting because there are no counterquotes from the Democrats. Nothing except some lame thing from Pelosi about allowing some limited offshore drilling. Which Bush says isn't enough. And we should take his word on that because he's been right all along. He was:

1) Right about deficits not mattering.
2) Right about WMD's
3) Right about that whole Axis of Evil thing
4) Right about Vladimir Putin's soul
5) Right about how tax cuts would trickle down
6) Right about how the economy wasn't having problems
7) Right about how energy price increases (which have gone on every day since he entered office) were temporary.

The funny thing is that Bush says all this without a hint of irony since HIS party was in charge during most of the run up in gas prices. In fact, when refiners continued to gouge retailers and consumers, Bush and the Republicans did nothing. As Exxon's profits soared and Americans started to buckle under the pressure, Bush and the Republicans did nothing. Except blame Democrats who weren't in power.

The funny thing about this is that none of it is the fault of the Democrats. However, because of how retarded their leadership is in the Congress, it'll come across that way and in the end they'll fall over themselves to give the Republicans what they want.

They'll whine about how the polling data was too strong and how the R's had talking points that were engineered to win over an audience. I know this because I've heard it for two years. The reality is that none of you are really smart enough to get how to control message and win a debate in real time.

So, just save us all the time and trouble... and give in. God knows none of you know how to browbeat and intimidate the other side into caving in to you. Democrats don't do that. Well, they don't anymore.

Posted by mcblogger at 02:25 PM | Comments (0) | | TrackBack (0)

Lulu and Lolly's video

Remember Lulu and Lolly? Here's their first video...

Posted by mcblogger at 12:32 PM | Comments (0) | | TrackBack (0)

Frank Corte in a box?!

There IS a structure on the empty lot that Frank Corte calls home. It's a mailbox.

View image

Now, the question is, can he live in it? I guess I could have called this post 'DICK (in a box)'.

Posted by mcblogger at 08:58 AM | Comments (0) | | TrackBack (0)

Dear DNC and Barack Obama Campaign,

I am in the hospital this morning getting treated for the diabetic coma I suffered last night watching day one of the convention.

I hung on with my insulin shots until Nancy Reagan took the stage to speak adoringly of her husband. Then, I passed out.

Now that we have wasted 1/4 of the convention encouraging middle America to change channels, can we move on to kicking John McCain in the nuts?

Perhaps you can encourage Hillary to beat the living crap out of McSame tonight instead of blathering on about unity. And then, perhaps Bill Clinton can beat the living crap out of McLame tomorrow night. And then, Obama can beat the living crap out of the Republican failures on Thursday night at the football game.

This would be a step in the right direction. Not to mention, improving my health.

Posted by Boobilicious at 08:07 AM | Comments (0) | | TrackBack (0)

August 25, 2008

Tom Delay COULD get off on a technicality

According to the Statesman, there is a very real possibility that Delay could walk on corruption and money laundering charges due to a technicality. Apparently, the law has been narrowly applied by an all Republican Appeals Court (no, I'm not making this up) to only cash transactions.

Delay and Co. used checks. So you can obviously see how that's different and all. I guess if they'd used wire transfers it would have added still another wrinkle to this convoluted bullshit. What's most irritating about this is DeGuerin.

Money-laundering charges against former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay and two indicted co-conspirators may be dismissed because the 2002 campaign finance case involved checks and not cash, a lawyer for DeLay said Sunday night.

"We win," said Dick DeGuerin, DeLay's lawyer, "because there's nothing but checks in the case."

Yes. You win. Because of a technicality created by how an appeals court looked at the law. Much like... actually, exactly like a drug dealer whose conviction is overturned because there wasn't probably cause for the traffic stop that resulted in his original arrest (where they discovered his 'distribution business and inventory'). Should feel good, Dick. You've worked hard to make sure a demon remains free to roam the Earth.

DA Earle is not a happy monkey as one might expect...

Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle said the check-versus-cash argument is absurd: "The court's reasoning is like saying that you can get away with murder if you pay the hit man with a check."

Prosecutors can file a motion for a rehearing before the appellate court.

But there's still more dick. Kind of like in a porno...

"If this is how it ends," DeGuerin said, "it means every crime Ronnie Earle indicted Tom DeLay for was not a crime."

No, it means you helped him dodge his criminality based on a technical issue. And a partisan court bought the argument.

Of course, all of this is largely irrelevant. Delay's seat is gone. He's gone as a political force. He's a washed up loser who will be stepped on every time he pops his crooked head up. So, if that's all... then no big deal.

And thank you, Ronnie Earle for having the stones to take this on.

Posted by mcblogger at 09:07 PM | Comments (0) | | TrackBack (0)

Really, Target? Really?

I'm guessing an overwhelming number of Target shoppers are retards who think plastic shopping bags are a swell idea for baby playtime.

What the hell does that say about me since I shop at Target? Oh, and underneath... ideas for "ways to reuse this bag". Idea #1? A trash bin liner. Clever, these people who design the bags at Target.

Posted by mcblogger at 03:42 PM | Comments (0) | | TrackBack (0)

The Transportation Daisy Chain

A certain political consultant emailed the release of the Republican Leadership (now ain't that just one hell of an oxymoron?) regarding their willingness to work with one another. After reading it, I responded to him with

Craddick sucks off Dewhearst sucks off Perry eats out Delisi sucks off Craddick?

To which he responded

I'd rather not have that image in my mind, but, yes, I think you have it about right.

Here's the gist...

Highlights of the new plan:

Stop funding the Texas Department of Public Safety with gas tax funds, and divert those millions to road construction. DPS could instead be funded with general revenue tax funds.

What an AWESOME idea, y'all! We've only been asking for it for years but it's good to see that you're finally doing what we told you to do. Next, find the revenue to fund DPS without the gas tax. Good luck with that, R's. WITHOUT taking away CHIP.

Create a special Transportation Finance Corporation to allow Texas-based investment funds to directly invest in state transportation projects.

Rutro! This is the kind of place where you people normally take a nosedive. Here's the inside skinny... the folks at Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs (whatup, peeps!) are having problems selling toll bonds. Which means that road privatization has pretty much ground to a halt along with everything else in the debt markets, at least everything risky (read: toll revenue bonds). If Texas had issued tax-backed revenue bonds and indexed the gas tax (AS ADVISED YEARS AGO) they wouldn't have had any problems selling off the debt. However, toll bonds (much like subprime and Alt A mortgage credits) are questionable at best, valueless at worst. Which means nothing is selling and there's no way for Perry and his cronies at Zachry (and THEIR friends, Cintra (Bluebonnet)) to get the money to buy the roads. Burka has some great stuff up on just how successful road privatization has been. For investors.

So, now that private money has evaporated to finance your questionable plans, you morons want to dip into the underfunded public pensions!??!?!?! Lemme guess, you'll be giving the investment banks a cut on that transaction to work as adviser, right? And, of course, Zachry will be brought in to manage everything and take a cut. Annually. So, what does that leave for the pension fund?

Great idea, you guys! Precisely what I'd expect from folks with the intellectual capacity of sparrows.

Authorize perhaps as much as $5 billion in bonds for additional highway construction projects. Voters approved a constitutional change in November 2007 to allow these bonds, but legislation is still needed to authorize them.

Oh, those tax backed bonds! Yeah, you should totally issue those. Here's the thing, though... at some point, you R's are going to have to finally admit to folks you've been lying to them about the possibility of having economic growth, good public infrastructure and excellent services (schools, fire and police) all while paying less in taxes. Simply put, you've been selling (but not delivering) a free lunch. It's worked so far because no one's been real hungry. Now they're starving and they want something to eat.

EOW nails it and picks up on what the Statesman (and other major media sources) have always missed. These aren't REAL solutions, it's a shell game designed to make it appear that something is happening... and to put off the day when the bill really comes due.

The really wonderful post on all this comes from Paul Burka at Texas Monthly who lays it out beautifully.

The reality that no one on the R side wants to admit is that their ideology is fundamentally flawed. In the real world, privatization does not always work to the benefit of consumers, especially in the absence of substantive GOVERNMENT oversight. An old school economic conservative can you tell you that. In fact, I've done it several times. We, unlike the ideologues running the government who've never really worked in business, know from first hand experience that private enterprise can be every bit as wasteful as big government.

And we hate waste, whether it's Democratic or Republican. And crony capitalism is definitely waste.

One last point, there appear to be those who still want to parrot the old estimate that our transportation funding shortfall is $80-100 bn. It's NOT. It's not even close especially when you aren't building TODAY for capacity you won't need until the late 2040's. As a side note, I'd also like to ask the Lege to set up an independent body, appointed by the LEADERSHIP from both parties in the Lege, to audit TXDOT and what they are paying suppliers. I find it UNBELIEVABLE that true road constructions costs have escalated more rapidly than anything other than gold bullion.

Posted by mcblogger at 09:06 AM | Comments (0) | | TrackBack (0)

August 24, 2008

Won't you think of the children?

When you tell the WillCo Republicans to FUCK OFF?

That's right, kids! We knew it would come sooner or later but now the douchebags at the Williamson County Republican party are asking Diana Maldonado to give money to Fred Barron that she didn't receivefrom Fred Baron.

John Edwards had an affair. Fred Baron helped the woman in the affair out. It had nothing to do with Annie's List. Or Diana Maldonado.

Of course the WillCo R's want to talk about this. They can't talk about their record of leadership which has resulted in tolling being the primary method of financing new road construction. Low investment in non-freeway infrastructure, high taxes and developmental disarray that makes Downtown Austin look positively tranquil.

And let's not forget about T. Don Hutto.

Much of this failure and inadequacy is directly the result of Ogden, that asshat Gattis and Krusee the Time Traveler. The citizens of Williamson County are making a decision to give Democrats, like Diana Maldonado, a chance to come in and put things right.

Posted by mcblogger at 02:57 PM | Comments (0) | | TrackBack (0)

August 23, 2008

The good news...

... is that The Obama did not pick Chet Edwards (still hating on you, douchebag! Are we the only people in the Tex-o-sphere who really think this guy is a walking, talking, pile of pond scum?) to be our Vice Presidential nominee.

He did (and you had to know the bad news was coming, right?) pick the Senator from MBNA, Joe Biden of Delaware. Mostly because of his foreign relations experience since he's all the time negotiating cease-fires, treaties and trade pacts. But let's focus on his previous life as the Senator for the Credit Card issuers...

Keep in mind that Biden wasn't intimidated into voting for the Bankruptcy Bill in 2005. The guy OWNS his seat and will until he either retires or dies. He not only voted for it, he actually worked to bring other D votes to it in an effort to reach a bipartisan consensus with the Republicans on a bill that allowed a hospital or doctor to take your home for unpaid (and grossly inflated) medical bills. It also made sure that unsecured creditors could take your house as well. Isn't that nice?

The real jewel was making it almost impossible to obtain a bankruptcy under Chapter 7 of the code. For the uninitiated, that's the type of bankruptcy that allows an overwhelmed debtor to wipe the slate clean and start over. It's a cornerstone of our country, the ability to a debtor to seek the relief of bankruptcy. Of course, there were always those who abused and gamed the system. Rather than going after those people by giving courts more latitude, Congress (including Joe Biden) decided instead to go the other way and restrict everyone's access to the courts.

Some say Joe is a fighter. That remains to be seen. What we do know is that he's been an unabashed defender of financial corporations vs. consumers for decades. But then, of course, so has McCain. At least The Obama doesn't have that baggage.

No, I'm not excited. How can you be over an old man who eats soup at lunch with reporters?

Posted by mcblogger at 12:50 PM | Comments (2) | | TrackBack (0)

Meanwhile, In My Spam Folder

Okay, in case you have somehow managed to avoid the news, Joe Biden will either be next Vice President of Earth or the fall guy if this whole Hope and Change thing does a Lakehurst in November.

Meanwhile... The last twenty-four hours have seen an explosion of Paris Hilton-related umm, err, headers....

The Last Temptation of Paris Hilton

For something to count as a temptation, don't you occasionally have to say "no"?

Paris Hilton denies screwing Ron Paul

Thanks for that image, guys!

Paris Hilton Donates Income To Children's Hospital From Mini-Me Sex

Paris Hilton's Peach - The Secret Ingredient on Iron Chef

Paris Hilton Gives Birth To Twins...Aliens

John McCain To Paris Hilton: "Cosmo, bayatch!"

And get those alien babies the hell off my lawn!

Posted by mayor mcsleaze at 07:40 AM | Comments (0) | | TrackBack (0)

August 22, 2008

Jokes of My Father's : Hangin' out

GRANDPA'S FISH
1. Rented boat = $75.00
2. Bait = $ 10.00
3. Camera film = $22.50
4. Showing the world that BIG fish and having it posted on the Internet....

PRICELESS

No, this isn't my father.

Posted by mcblogger at 01:52 PM | Comments (1) | | TrackBack (0)

Is Kate Snow retarded?

I read PL's synopsis of the Good Morning America interview of Bill Clinton and was left with only the title of this post as a question in my mind.

Seriously, Kate, you had a man who HAS been President, who is still playing a part on a stage far larger than you can imagine, still working to make life better for those less fortunate and all you can think to ask him about is the GODDAMN PRIMARY?!?!?!?

Granted, morning television isn't for people like me (those with IQ's over 130). BUT COME ON...

(This was originally written on the 4th, however I got a little backed up with MY LIFE and didn't have a chance to post. So, why do it now? Because Kate Snow is a fucktard.)

Posted by mcblogger at 10:20 AM | Comments (0) | | TrackBack (0)

Ladies, I give you...

The NYT Fall Fashion preview... or at least an abbreviated version. Break out those cards and let's help out the economy!

Posted by mcblogger at 09:01 AM | Comments (0) | | TrackBack (0)

August 21, 2008

Hey You Kids! Get The Hell Off My Lawns!

OMFG!

McCain unsure how many houses he owns

Is it cold in here? It feels cold. Cathy, where's my sweater? No, not that one. The one with the zipper.

Is it July yet? I thought it was July. Or Tuesday. I can never tell them apart.

It was the messboys, I tell you. I knew the messboys ate the strawberries. Durn their hides. Why isn't there any whipped cream?

Posted by mayor mcsleaze at 07:11 PM | Comments (0) | | TrackBack (0)

So Gaydar is Real

Another recent study, this time from Tufts University (like THAT doesn't sound like its full of poofs), is lending evidence to the idea that, No Shit Sherlock, Gaydar might work!

Published in July's Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, the study claims that people could guess fairly accurately ("better than chance") whether men were gay or straight by looking at photos of their faces.

For the study, 15 undergraduate students, both male and female, were shown photos of faces of 90 men, evenly divided between gay and straight. The photos were taken from Internet personal ads and from Facebook. The study's lead author, graduate student Nicholas Rule, says men were used in this study for convenience, because they have a greater presence on the Internet than women.

The researchers found that subjects could accurately determine in 50 milliseconds — one-twentieth of a second — whether the men were gay or straight about 60 percent of the time. Rule says all the subjects were accurate 55 percent to 70 percent of the time.

WOW. This is stunning news. To further test this out, I have placed a series of photos below for you to test your skills. Leave a comment with your guesses.

Supersize "So Gaydar is Real"

Posted by spamburgler at 04:13 PM | Comments (1) | | TrackBack (0)

DFA endorses McClelland!

Hurray, John!

Go throw him a few bucks while you're at it and help beautify the Texas House... by taking Myra Crownover out of it.

Posted by mcblogger at 01:55 PM | Comments (0) | | TrackBack (0)

Krazy like a Keel

Donna Keel, whose only distinguishing feature seems to be her decision to marry a Keel, is running for State Representative against Valinda Bolton way down southwest... in southwest Travis County. Developers love her, mostly because she views the environmentally sensitive area as nothing more than empty land on which endless mini-malls filled with dry cleaning shops, frozen yogurt stores and nail salons may be built. All those low wage retail jobs also mean she's a brill promoter of economic growth.

No one ever said Donna was smart or a protector of the environment. On the smart thing, she did, after all, marry a Keel which is a small step above marrying a Manson. By virtue of the fact that the Keels haven't killed anyone. At least no one that we know of. What we do know is that her bother-in-law and winner of the 2008 LAMEST HAIRCUT IN THE WORLD is Terry Keel and he's the one forcing her to do this. Because, in his new role as parliamentarian, he wants a buddy since all CradDICK does is repeat him. One has to assume that Donna had met Terry prior to marrying the other Keel (the one who gave her the glam name). One has to wonder about the sanity of ANYONE willing to marry into that family with eyes wide open.

Can you tell we don't like Terry? Oh, there's a reason... Terry has all the integrity of a homeless drunk, he'll do anything for a dollar, much as a drunk will for a bottle of MD20/20. From scuttling real ethics reform to helping Tom CradDICK stay in power, Terry was a miserable failure as a State Representative. Now he's firmly supporting his sister-in-law. Just what we need... feathered hair, part 2.

Supersize "Krazy like a Keel"

Posted by mcblogger at 10:28 AM | Comments (2) | | TrackBack (0)