I watch the news religiously. Local, national, news programs, news and political talk shows. I watch news. I want to be an informed citzen because I vote.

But I do not remember this being on any local news show that I wantch. Maybe I missed I. I admit I don’t watch ALL the local channels.

Staffers at the Houston office of GOP Rep. John Culberson (R) must have gotten quite a surprise on Thursday when they looked outside to see more than 100 constituents gathered for a funeral. But this wasn’t a typical funeral — these Texans were gathered to mourn the loss of good, high-wage jobs in their state.

Mourners circled around a mock casket for “Good Jobs,” and Taps played in the background while Rev. Louis Dorsey eulogized. “I used to be middle class!” one woman cried out during the ceremony. Constituents also chanted “Hey, hey, what do you say? How many jobs have you killed today?”

DORSEY: My brothers and my sisters, we are assembled here today to mourn the passing of the jobs in Texas. Jobs died because of a steady influx of minimum wage jobs, tax breaks for corporations and the super-rich, and the policies of politicians like Rep. John Culberson.

Dorsey went on to say, “Good jobs were much loved and appreciated by all here today. This loss is tragic because it is the result of reckless greed on Wall Street and in Congress. While the grief we endure for the loss of Good Jobs is great, we must not let this tragedy continue to happen.” A longer version of the video is available here.

The rally was organized by Good Jobs = Great Houston, and was intended to illustrate “how politicians like Culberson are deliberately pursuing policies that are killing jobs across Texas.” The constituents at Culberson’s office included unemployed workers who want the congressman to start prioritizing their needs over corporate balance sheets.

According to the organization, they seek to hold Culberson accountable “for voting for legislation that could kill 1.8 million jobs nationwide and over 200,000 in Texas.” Texas is currently tied with Mississippi for the highest percentage of minimum wage jobs in the nation, while “the median hourly earnings for all Texas workers was $11.20 per hour in 2010, compared to the national median of $12.50 per hour.”

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I have taken to fixing a martini after work these days. For a while I was working my way through the Top 50 American Beers list.

Even with the huge beer selection at Spec’s and The Ginger Man I am running out of available beers on that list.

So since I had to buy some vermouth for some recipe some time back, I thought I’d better use it. So martinis it’s been the last week or so.

Running across the recipe for the favorite martini of Joy from Hot in Cleveland’s was a bonus because I really like the show too!

This is a wedding cake martini Joy is whipping up for Elka’s bachelorette party!

Joy’s Liquid Therapy is a weekly cocktail recipe especially for fans of Hot in Cleveland. Stir up some trouble, be glamorous and let your inner lush soar — but be warned, Joy likes her sips just like her men: strong and fresh! (And for the teetotalers in the house, you can always omit the booze to make a still-refreshing beverage.)

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 oz. Amaretto
1/2 oz. vanilla vodka
1 oz. pineapple juice

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and then strain into a cold cocktail glass. Cheers, mates!

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Time for another Daily Dose series of photos!

This time around picture proof that you are not as dumb as the next guy.

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Irene NYC from Buffalo Picture House on Vimeo.

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Every season since about the 2nd or 3rd I’ve thought Dancing With The stars couldn’t locate any smaller “stars” or any fewer un known celebrity names.

But I think they are so close to the bottom of the barrel now they have to call it quits. I mean really…

The new cast of “Dancing With the Stars” was revealed Monday, and boy is it an eclectic crowd. There’s a Kardashian, cable news anchor and former George Clooney girlfriend in the mix. Who else made the cut? Watch and see.

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Time for another Daily Dose series of photos!

This time around picture proof that you are not as dumb as the next guy.

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Time for another Daily Dose series of photos!

This time around picture proof that you are not as dumb as the next guy.

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A lone Tomb Sentinel, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), walks his tour in humble reverence during Hurricane Irene in Arlington National Cemetery, Va., Aug 27. Members of The Old Guard have guarded the Tomb every second, of every day regardless of weather or holidays since April 6, 1948.

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Time for another Daily Dose series of photos!

This time around picture proof that you are not as dumb as the next guy.

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Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann claims the U.S. has more energy resources than any other country but isn’t exploiting them because of “radical environmentalists.”

Bachmann said with shale oil, natural gas and coal, the United States shouldn’t be “begging” others for oil and energy supplies.

She said “we are the king daddy dogs when it comes to energy,” but that environmentalists are preventing resources from being tapped.

With untapped oil reserves in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and off the nation’s coasts, shale oil in Western states, and rich natural gas and coal deposits, she said the U.S. “is sitting on a mother lode of treasure.” As president, Bachmann said she would unlock those resources and eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency.

“The radical environmentalists have demanded that we lock up all our energy resources,” she added. “President Bachmann will take that key out of the door. I will unlock it.”

The crowd at the upscale retirement community cheered wildly.

Damn tree huggers