Barack Obama

Tribal Chiefs Walk Out of Keystone Talks, Demand Presidential Meeting

If you're the leader of a sovereign nation meeting with another sovereign nation to discuss a pipeline that will tote thick, sticky tar sands oil through your land if the project is approved, you might be just a little put out when the head of the other nation doesn't make time to sit down and talk ... More >>

The Five Most Bizarre Moments of the 2013 NRA Convention

There were plenty of moments that you expect from an NRA Convention. You expect to see fear-based rhetoric with the best of them -- you count on hearing the murmurs of confiscation and tyranny, of the misguided concept that the only way to keep a government at bay is the 9mm wedged into your wife's ... More >>

Michael Kroetsch: Charged & on the Run for Defacing Obama Mural

Houston police have charged but not yet arrested a 58-year-old man for the latest defacing of the eye-catching series of President Obama murals near the Breakfast Klub. Court documents show that Michael Dale Kroetsch has been charged with felony criminal mischief in the most recent act of vandalism ... More >>

Guess Who Is Bringing Ted Nugent to the State of the Union Address?

Texas Rep. Steve Stockman, arguably the Tea Party's No. 1 advocate on Capitol Hill, has already had an eventful first term his second time in Washington. About three weeks ago, Stockman said he was ready to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Barack Obama if Obama's proposed gun-contr ... More >>

Cover Story: The Canadian Pipeline Will Be Tearing Through Texas

If President Obama approves it, a 1,700-mile pipeline will be built from Alberta to the Texas Gulf Coast, connecting Canadian oil sand mines to our refineries. Proponents say something has to be done with the vast reserves to our North, and that bringing them in will lessen our reliance on oil fro ... More >>

Making a Killing in Obama's America

Killing Them Softly argues crime is just business.

Special Texas Edicion: Are There Any Mexican Virgins Who Wait Until Marriage?

And why do Mexicans use lard to refry their beans?

Speak Out: How Far Is Too Far When Musicians Talk Politics?

Imagine this: You go to a concert to see one of your favorite artists. Suddenly, mid-show, they start spewing political rhetoric. You disagree with their ideas, so you and many others leave. Free speech is something we claim to value in this country, but we are biased against opposing viewpoints. R ... More >>

Obama, Romney & "Binders Full of Women": Our Take on the Debate

Is it hackneyed to whine about presidential debates' failure to make candidates actually answer questions and to be held to the truth? Probably, but we'll do it anyway, if only for a moment. For most of Tuesday night's dick-measuring contest, we dreamed of a world where Hair Balls moderated debates, ... More >>

Obama Mural Defaced Once Again, But You Cannot Kill It

Uh-oh, did we just put "Obama" and "kill" in the same line? We'll expect our Secret Service call any day now. The Breakfast Klub's eye-catching Obama mural by Reginald Adams, which has been attracting attention at Alabama and Travis since 2008, has been defaced yet again. It should be used to such ... More >>

Last Night's Debate: Mitt Romney's Weird Half-Smile Forever Seared Into Our Brains

The Face was somewhere between the look you make while waiting for a fart to dissipate on the subway and the countenance furnished when your father makes a totally weird joke in front of your girlfriend. Pained, embarrassed, and wonderfully awkward. It's difficult to pinpoint what, exactly, was the ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Romney's 47-Percent Gaffe

We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning or afternoon from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula i ... More >>

It Ain't Racial, It's Just That Almost 80 Percent Of White Texans Support Mitt Romney

There hasn't been much presidential polling in Texas for good reason this cycle -- with Rick Perry disastrously out of the race, why bother? But the good folks at WPA Opinion Research have filled the void with a new post-Dem-convention survey, and no one should be surprised that it shows President ... More >>

DNC 2012: Who Had The Best Speech? Hint: Not The One Last Night

Three completely different emotions and narratives of the United States unfolded in each of the keynote addresses this week at the Democratic National Convention by two presidents and one first lady. In a way, all the speeches were spectacular displays of poise, command of the issues, and sheer lika ... More >>

Julian Castro: Three Things We Learned About San Antonio's Mayor At Last Night's DNC

At first, it seemed strange that, on one of the most important nights for Democrats, they would open with a a guy with a sprawling white smile who no one had heard of before. But hey, Dems must have thought, it worked in 2004 -- why not play this hand again? So they did, trotting out Julian Castro ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Ted Cruz & The GOP Convention Playbook

We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning or afternoon from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula i ... More >>

Documentary Will Tell You How Obama Will Destroy the World if Re-elected -- Bring Popcorn!

Houston audiences will have a chance Thursday to see what will become of the world if Obama is re-elected, with the premiere of the documentary 2016: Obama's America. Hint: it's not good. That's according to the filmmaker, Dinesh D'Souza, whose bestselling book, The Roots of Obama's Rage, serves ... More >>

Cover Story: Preppers Ready Themselves for When the Shit Hits the Fan

Preparing for Doomsday is as venerably American as cherry pie. Mormonism, America's most successful homegrown religion, even has hoarding food as one of its tenets. Some prep for a biblical Armageddon, while others do so for secular reasons. Maybe they just want to get out of the rat race and off t ... More >>

Obama's Mini-DREAM Act: Who Wouldn't Want These People As Citizens?

President Obama has thrown Republicans into a tizzy by having the Department of Homeland Security issue new guidelines, effective immediately, that put much of the defeated DREAM act into law. Obama announced that the following persons would be granted deportation waivers: People who came to the U. ... More >>

Election Eve Viewing Party

Politicians Singing: Where Does Colin Powell's "Call Me Maybe" Rank?

In what was a surprising move, at least to us, former Secretary of State Colin Powell broke into a bit of this year's song of the summer, "Call Me Maybe," today on whatever CBS is calling its morning show these days. Let's just say he didn't nail it. But was it the worst stab at singing by a moder ... More >>

How I Got Banned from the "We Survived Bush, You Will Survive Obama" Facebook Page

When I started following the popular We Survived Bush, You Will Survive Obama page I did so because I liked the sentiment it seemed to project of telling the doomsayers to breathe into a bag, pull on their big-girl panties and stop saying that the world was ending because of Obama's election. I was ... More >>

Crossing the Line: Welcome Back, Jim Crow

New laws in dozens of states could take out Barack Obama this fall.

Crossing The Line: Days of Rage

The U.S. Supreme Court and President Obama leave the undocumented and their allies no choice but to escalate civil disobedience.

Facebook's Top Recipients of Campaign Donations Includes...Ted Cruz?

With Facebook in the news for all types of political and financial reasons, different groups are looking at where the social-media giant spends its campaign cash. According to influenceexplorer.com, the top recipient of campaign funds from individuals connected to Facebook is Barack Obama, not surp ... More >>

Annise Parker Tweets Her Joy on Obama's Gay-Marriage Announcement

Mayor Annise Parker has tweeted her joy -- if not astonishment -- at President Obama's announcement today that he endorses same-sex marriage. "Wow! I was wrong. Call from White House. The President has stepped up and stated his support for recognizing relationships...like mine!-a" Parker got a cal ... More >>

Obama's Best Campaign Strategy: Keep Singing The Blues

After President Obama crooning Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" at a Harlem fundraiser became an unlikely iTunes sensation, even topping the ringtone chart, history is now repeating itself with his version of "Sweet Home Chicago" caught on an episode of PBS' In Performance at the White House Tuesd ... More >>

Super Bowl Ads: Bud Skews Decrepit, Clint Endorses Obama -- 5 Things We Learned

Another Super Bowl, another series of high-priced, high-stakes TV ads. What did we learn? These five things: 5. Budweiser has a hard-on for Prohibiition Because your target demographic is, we guess, is prople who remember fondly when beer was made legal again in 1933. 4. Never ever believe a baby ... More >>

10 Rock Stars the GOP Should Nominate for President

As the 2012 presidential race begins to heat up in earnest, Rocks Off can't help but feel that the front-runners for the Republican nomination are lacking a certain je ne sais quoi. Call it star power. Call it sex appeal. Whatever it is, these guys ain't got it. If the GOP is serious about wresti ... More >>

Obama's War on Weed

In a strange about-face, the president tries to hack medical marijuana off at the knees.

Debt Ceiling: The 10 Worst Tweets From the Texas GOP Congressional Delegation

Tweets don't fail me now​As the GOP debates whether it wants the Tea Party to drive it (and the country) off a cliff by playing games with the debt ceiling, we looked to Twitter for the updates from our state's congresssional delegation. Oddly, the Republicans didn't tweet anything like "Yes, ... More >>

Even While Accepting Help on Wildfires, Rick Perry Blasts Obama

Too little and late, Perry says.​President Obama today signed an order declaring 45 Texas counties to be disaster areas because of wildfires, and even while saying the action was "good for Texas," Governor Rick Perry couldn't resist criticizing Obama. "President Obama's decision to finally ap ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Rick Perry's Debate Guts

​We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involv ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Some People Don't Care About Space Shuttles

​We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involv ... More >>

Space Shuttle Blues: Obama Says He Had Nothing to Do With Decision

Right-wingers are salivating over this interview of President Obama by Brad Watson of Dallas's WFAA -- The Drudge Report has a huge headline, "First Time: Reporter Turns Aggressive With Obama." It actually turns out to be a standard give-and-take, with maybe a bit more pressing than usual (Obama co ... More >>

Obama Mural Defaced; Political Statement or the Work of a Hipster Wannabe?

Photo by Monica FuentesSplash town: A statement of artistic or political principles?​Since 2008, commuters coming off the Southwest Freeway have been met by a large mural version of Shepard Fairey's "Hope" poster of Barack Obama. It adorns a shop, across the street from the Breakfast Klub, th ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Rick Perry to the Rescue

​We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involv ... More >>

State of the Union Preview: Five Things You're Guaranteed to See

No Nancy Pelosi on the screen tonight​President Obama addresses the Congress and the nation tonight in the annual State of the Union, which has become a rite as ossified and rigid as any. You've got the humble heroes sitting with the First Lady, the various standing o's, the predictable post-s ... More >>

Herney The Great Is Really Doing It

Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group "Artist of the Week," bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn't awful? Email their particulars to sheaserrano@gmail.com. ​Shortly ago, we receive ... More >>

Lord, Now Right-Wingers Are Crying About "E Pluribus Unum"

When do the impeachment hearings start?​You live in the rational world, so you probably were unaware of the latest great scandal to engulf President Obama. (And no, we don't mean agreeing to tax cuts for millionaires/billionaires.) Luckily for Houston, we have Texas Sparke, the Houston Chroni ... More >>

Fa La La La La Impeach Obama Has a Nice Ring to It

Jingle bells, jingle bells, Obama is Hitler​Friday night at Rice Village, as shoppers strolled the area of shops and restaurants, they were greeted by a group of people assembling at the corner of University and Kelvin for what most onlookers thought would be the usual holiday offerings of "O ... More >>

Obama Shirt: Can't Vote. Reagan Shirt? Vote Away

The fashion police are everywhere​Shirts are fast becoming the new weapon of choice in Harris County's 2010 polling places.One woman told KHOU she was not allowed to vote because she was wearing an Obama shirt. The county issued an official warning against people wearing Obama shirts (or, if anyon ... More >>

Is The U.S. Education System Too Broken To Fix?

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday that isn't a national holiday, Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. Photo illustration by John Seaborn Gray​This Week's Panel: Fat Tony, Kyle Hubbard, Renzo, Brad Gilmore Not ... More >>

Remembering Our Friends, The Mujahideen

​Obama's Wars, Bob Woodward's new book about the President's management of the Afghanistan War, exposes some pretty significant divisions between Obama's civilian advisers and the U.S. military on strategy concerning what is now America's longest war: Book excerpts published yesterday sugges ... More >>

Obama Attempting Again To Brainwash Schoolkids

Those poor, unsuspecting minds​Remember the glorious fall of 2009, when the right-wing universe exploded in paranoid fear that President Obama was going to give a speech to schoolkids? Just like his Republican predecessors had?Talk radio frothed, politicians shouted and school districts scrambled ... More >>

KTRH "News": More Of A Joke Than Ever

Unfair and unbalanced, perhaps unhinged​KTRH used to be the radio-news powerhouse of southeast Texas, filled with aggressive and competent reporters who covered the city well.Now....well, budget cuts have affected all media, so it's no surprise the newsroom staff ain't what it used to be. But the ... More >>

Pop Rocks: They're Baaaaack!

As with government, we get the reality entertainment we deserve​Tonight marks the return of MTV's Jersey Shore. Season 2 moves the juice-headed, monosyllabic cast from East Coast to South Beach (which is still technically the East Coast, but let's not worry about that right now). The gang's a ... More >>

Obama & Bill White: Five Reasons The Former Mayor Can't Meet The Prez

Photo via White House Flickr group"Anyone seen Bill?"​President Barack Obama is visiting Texas -- including Houston -- next month to raise money for Democrats, but Bill White won't be appearing with him.White, in fact, has gone out of his way to be snippy about it, telling USA Today "I was in the ... More >>

Obama & JFK: Five Ominous Parallels Someone's Aware Of, Right?

The Secret Service is on the case, we hope​As the dog days descend upon us, the mind starts to wander.It may wander so much that it occasionally turns into Fox News, although this is not recommended. Same with trolling though right-wing blogs.It's a scary world out there, folks. And it brings to m ... More >>