Slain Virginia Tech officer identified…(Posted: 9:07 p.m.) Virginia Tech Police have identified the officer murdered today during a traffic stop on campus as Deriek W. Crouse, 39, of Christiansburg. He joined the Virginia Tech Police Department on Oct. 27, 2007, and served in the patrol division. He is survived by his wife, five children and step-children, and his mother and brother.
Update at 5:08 p.m. ET: A weapon was recovered with the second body, a male, the university is reporting. There are no other victims.  Gunman is believed dead. 
Update: Secure in place alert has been lifted… (Posted: 4:31 p.m.) Law enforcement agencies have determined there is no longer an active threat or need to secure in place. Resume normal activities.  Virginia Tech Police, in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies, have determined that there is no longer an active threat or a need to secure in place. Resume normal activities.   (more…)

(WashingtonExaminer)…A flattering account of a meeting earlier this week in which former House Speaker Newt Gingrich met with a group of 63 conservative leaders is prompting angry reactions among at least some of the attendees.  The account appears today on Richard Viguerie’s Conservative HQ web site and is headlined with a claim that Gingrich received a “standing ovation” at the end of the gathering.  “That wasn’t a standing ovation, we were all getting up to leave,” said an attendee who requested anonymity. “It was a very skeptical audience, there were at least three very tense exchanges. It was anything but an endorsement meeting.”  Another attendee who also asked that his name not be used described the meeting’s atmosphere in similar terms, saying it was “very tense.”   (more…)

Meet Teddy Bear, Zooniversity’s talking porcupine.  He’s really cute…if you ignore the inch long incisors, and the obvious food aggression issues.

Sarah Palin:  Barack Obama is a phony!

(RightScoop)…Sarah Palin tonight encouraged our next GOP nominee to be passionate, fiery, but to bring solutions to the table so that we can undo what Obama has done to this country. She referenced Obama’s speech yesterday, saying he wants to transform our country into a socialist nation.
She also commented on his hypocrisy of attacking his opponents for not being civil and then turning around and doing the same thing. She calls it “Obama’s hogwash” and says that he is a phony and America is waking up to that and won’t put up with it for much longer.  She also noted that she isn’t ready to endorse a candidate, that Iowa is only the beginning and she expects things to continue to change until we finally get our nominee.
Here’s the full interview:

Your daily dose of Christie Porn…

Christie offers searing Obama rebuttal at RJC

(msnbc.com)…NJ Gov. Chris Christie blasted President Barack Obama as a “self-interested” and “timid” politician who has sat on the sidelines rather than offer a steady hand to a country that is “starving for leadership.”   (more…)

A little reminder to watch those curbs when you go shopping.  They can be dangerous!
*Of course Snopes has to go and be a wet blanket….well, maybe just a bit dampish.

Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened. ~ Anatole France

(ABCNews)…Pusuke, listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s oldest-living dog, died in Japan on Monday. He was 26 years old — or somewhere between 117 and 185 in “human years,” according to various calculations. There is no official method for converting dog years to human years. We did get him veterinary anesthesia machine for his health.   (more…)

Last Thursday night, President Obama delivered a few remarks before lighting the National Christmas Tree.  He made a rather curious reference to Jesus as a “manifestation”, then added, “He grew up to become a leader with a servant’s heart”.  When I hear the phrase “a servant’s heart”, I’m immediately reminded of Sarah Palin’s movie, “The Undefeated”, where it’s the title of Act I.  Coincidence?  After all, he is the greatest community activist ever.  But the following article nailed it for me.  What kind of Christian talks like this?
(RightScoop)…I’m pointing this out only because I don’t know any Christian who talks this way about the One who they believe is their Messiah. First here is what Obama said:  (more…)

How about a little something to make you smile after a long day?

(OutsidetheBeltway)…Herman Cain: No endorsements today or anytime soon. It looks like the rumors circulating this morning aren’t true, since Herman Cain himself said today that he’s not making any endorsement any time soon.
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This could explain why Newt had such flattering words for Cain upon the latter’s stepping down.  These men seem to like and respect one another, and If I recall correctly, Newt was the first one to openly defend Cain, while the others waited to gauge the political winds. 

(FoxNewsAtlanta)…Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain is set to announce he is endorsing former Speaker of the House and fellow Georgian Newt Gingrich for the Republican presidential nomination, a source tells MyFoxAtlanta.com.  The source says Cain is preparing to make the announcement Monday, but the details of the formal announcement are still being worked out.   (more…)