Media Watch

Every year I have to unload on Walmart. It may be a sickness, but please bear with me just the same. The doctor says it’s therapeutic. When someone admits to you who they are on the inside, believe them. According to Walmart's own numbers, they employ 1,300,000 people across the country. By my math, a worker likely making under $13,000 per year needs to recognize that the fruits of his or her labor are padding the pockets of its owners to the tune of $13 billion in pure profit. Again, this is by Walmart's own admission. If you got out your calculator like I did, you probably figured out that $13 billion equates to an average of $10,000 per year skimmed from the pockets of each and every Walmart employee across this bountiful land. And these poor people are on welfare, which is, as you well know, an array of taxpayer-funded programs. While a manager gets to make a living wage – or at least today's median salary – which is $50,000, how do you suppose you'd feel as...

I'm not an attorney, so this article is merely a summary of what I've learned in the last five years researching a person's rights during police encounters. It's a common assumption that refusing to cooperate with police makes you look guilty, but there are three things you can say to an officer and he or she will recognize unequivocally that you're exercising rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Asserting your rights cannot give an officer justification to elevate an encounter from a consensual one to a seizure. Most people believe, as I do, that most cops are good. It's innate in most of us to want to cooperate with authorities. We want to be regarded as honest and helpful. And we believe demonstrating courteous behavior will result in the best possible outcome. We'll even thank an officer after being handed a $150 speeding ticket. But police officers are heavyweight fighters when it comes to citizen encounters and, believe me, you are no match for t...

I've said this isn't about Senator Grassley, but about the senior ruling class and the culture of submission to capitalistic gluttony they cultivate. Continuing to say yes to rehiring our own Congressional delegation is hypocritical and irresponsible in the face of a 10% Congressional approval rating. Members value their posture over their positions and getting re-elected over integrity. It's now our civic duty to change the culture in Washington in every single district. We start by dismissing incumbents any way we can.

It's often thought that the Fifth Amendment is something you invoke to cover guilt. In court, an innocent man will certainly take the stand in his own defense, right? After all, only someone who is guilty would choose not to take the stand. Chances are pretty good that you, too, believe this. But if you have an hour, I believe I'll convince you otherwise -- and possibly give you an eye-opening experience along the way. If you're innocent of a crime, there is no possible benefit in talking to the police. You may want to be regarded as cooperative and helpful, but in fact, only bad things can come of this choice. If at any point during the course of a long interview (interrogation, actually) it's discovered that you have broken any one of tens of thousands of laws, you've just set yourself up for prosecution and possible conviction -- and most certainly ruined your credibility with any jury. If you are guilty, you will certainly be convicted on statements and adm...

This is a quick demonstration of my Realistic PRO-38 10-Channel Direct Entry Programmable Scanner. The activity you hear is traffic from Des Moines PD on Sept. 14, 2013. I bought this radio new 26 years ago from the Radio Shack at Crossroads Mall in Fort Dodge. It still works perfectly. Manufactured by Uniden and sold exclusively at Radio Shack, the Pro-38 was released on Sept. 22, 1987 and retailed for $139.95. From the catalog: Ten Channels and 10-Band Coverage 139.95 [NEW FOR 88] Low as $15 Per Month* Available Sept. 22, 1987 29-29.7 Mhz 10-Meter Ham 29.7-50 Mhz VHF-Lo Band 50-54 and 144-148 Mhz Ham 136-144 Military Mobile 148-174 Mhz VHF-Hi Band 406-420 Mhz Government 420-450 Mhz Ham Band 450-470 Mhz UHF-Lo Band 470-512 Mhz UHF-Hi ("T") Realistic Pro-38. High quality and extended coverage at a break-through low price! Features LCD channel display, review key to display frequencies, keyboard-lock switch, audible low-battery indicator. Built-in speaker,...

8 oz pkg Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese 8 oz can Borden Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk 1/3 C ReaLemon Lemon Juice 1 t. Mccormick Pure Vanilla Extract 6-oz Keebler Ready Crust Graham Cracker Pie Crust 21 oz can Comstock More Fruit Cherry Pie Filling Beat one 8-oz package softened Philadelphia brand cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add one can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk until combined. Stir in 1/3 cup ReaLemon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Pour into a 6-oz prepared graham cracker pie crust. Cover and refrigerate for four hours. Top with a 21-oz can of pre-chilled cherry pie filling.

An "open letter" writer apparently named "Jim" has lifted this , directly or indirectly, from a letter Kent Ashcroft actually wrote to Dr. Laura (ca 2000), which has been passed around and copied -- and sometimes claimed as columnists' own words -- for many years. The spiel was countered last year by Des Moines radio talk show host Jan Mickelson.