April 17, 2013 by the real Aj

Prayer Requests 4-17-13

Who can we pray for today?

And it’s Wednesday, so don’t forget to pray for Gambia. 🙂

Psalm 145

1 I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

²Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

³Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

⁴One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

⁵I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.

⁶And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.

⁷They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.

⁸The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

⁹The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

¹⁰All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee.

¹¹They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;

¹²To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.

¹³Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

¹⁴The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.

¹⁵The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.

¹⁶Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

¹⁷The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

¹⁸The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

¹⁹He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

²⁰The Lord preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.

²¹My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever

April 17, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 4-17-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

UPDATE

An arrest has/will/might, or may not be happening now. Confused? Me too.

From WeaselZippers

“BREAKING: ARREST IN BOSTON BOMBING IMMINENT OR ALREADY TAKING PLACE – UPDATE: SUSPECT ARRESTED – UPDATE: NBC SAYS NO ARREST – UPDATE: FOX NEWS CONFIRMS ARREST MADE – UPDATE: AP CONFIRMS – UPDATE: CELL PHONE RECORDS LED TO ARREST…”

The press conference which should hopefully provide some answers has been pushed back to 5:00PM EST

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Police say the Saudi man considered a “person of interest” in the Boston bombing is not a suspect.

From TheCable

“Director of National Intelligence James Clapper briefed members of the Senate Intelligence Committee behind closed doors in a pre-scheduled hearing that was supposed to focus on the budget, but Clapper began with an update of the bombings. Ranking Republican Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) emerged from the briefing and said he was told the 22-year old Saudi student who was injured during the bombings and remains in the care of a local hospital was no longer a focus of investigators.

“He was never categorized as a suspect; he was a person of interest. My understanding is that he totally cooperated and that he is no longer a person of interest,” Chambliss said.

Asked if there were any other persons of interest at this time, Chambliss said, “Not that I know of.””

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And we have more examples of people rising to the occasion, and helping where they could.

From TheTelegraphUK

“Out of the horror of the Boston marathon bombings, there emerged uplifting examples of human kindness as the city’s residents did all they could to help those caught up in the attack.”

“So many of the runners continued to run across the finishing line and onwards to the Massachusetts General Hospital, in a rush to give blood, that they had to be turned away.”

“A retired American Football star, Joe Andruzzi, who won the Superbowl three times with the New England Patriots, carried victims away from the carnage. All three of his brothers were firemen in New York who responded to the September 11 attacks on the Twin Towers.”

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Congress has responded to the Boston bombing. And of course some Dems go with the same old play book. Don’t let a crisis go to waste. And blame the Sequester.

From Politico

“With the Boston Marathon bombings less than 24 hours old, some on Capitol Hill are beginning to say the attack shows why Congress should’ve stopped automatic spending cuts from taking hold in March.”

“Hoyer added: “I think there are multiple reasons for ensuring that we invest in our security both domestic and international security. That we invest in the education of our children, that we invest in growing jobs in America and don’t pursue any irrational policy of cutting the highest priorities and the lowest priorities by essentially the same percentage.””

“Rep. Xavier Becerra of California, the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said that the first responders working Monday aren’t sheltered from cuts.

“We have to send you less money to help your first responders,” Becerra said.”

Barney Frank, and numerous hacks pretending to be journalists have joined in on this meme as well. But don’t be fooled by the drama. There is plenty of money for needed things like this. However Homeland Security would rather waste it, many times on things that have nothing to do with their mission. Just as a reminder, they waste it on things like this.

Millions squandered at Homeland over the past decade.

DHS Counterterror Centers Produce ‘a Bunch of Crap,’ Senate Finds

Zombie Apocalypse Training

$98,000 for an underwater robot in Columbus, Ohio, where there are no major rivers and few lakes nearby.

1.6 billion rounds of ammo.

50 million for new uniforms

And 2,700 new armored vehicles for patrolling American cities

They don’t have a revenue problem, they have a wasteful spending problem. They’ve wasted tons of money. But if Dems want to complain about Homeland budget cuts…..

Then I guess this should be pointed out since those in Congress and the press pushing this meme won’t mention it, since it doesn’t fit in the story they wanna tell.

From TheDailyMail

“Obama administration has SLASHED budget for domestic bombing prevention by 45 per cent, says former Homeland Security Assistant Secretary

$20 million budget under Bush became $11 million under Obama
Both administrations neglected domestic bombing prevention, devoting a tiny fraction of the $1 billion earmarked for IED prevention overseas
Obama issued a lengthy ‘National Policy for Countering Improvised Explosive Devices’ in February but a spokesman won’t say if it failed.”

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More horrible details from the Gosnell case.

So a CONTENT WARNING!!! for this one.

From CNSNews

“Gosnell did these very late-term abortions at his clinic in West Philadelphia assisted only by his wife, Pearl Gosnell, on the one day the clinic was closed, Sunday. Other clinic workers were not allowed to assist in these abortions and it is believed that many of the medical records of these procedures may have been destroyed, according to the grand jury report.

The grand jury report was released in January 2011. As it states, “This report documents multiple murders of viable babies. The evidence makes a compelling case that many others were also murdered. … It was Gosnell’s standard business practice to slay viable babies.”

“Gosnell made little effort to hide his illegal abortion practice,” reads the report. “But there were some, ‘the really big ones,’ that even he was afraid to perform in front of others. These abortions were scheduled for Sundays, a day when the clinic was closed and none of the regular employees were present. Only one person was allowed to assist with these special cases – Gosnell’s wife.””

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“Why Evangelicals Back Obama on Immigration (and Why They Should Agree on Guns and Climate Change, Too)”

From NationalJournal

“The most important milestone on immigration reform this weekend was not “The Full Marco” – Sen. Marco Rubio’s seven-show Sunday blitz. It was a story in The New York Times documenting a shift by evangelical Christians toward easing immigration laws.

Julia Preston reported:

“The shift among evangelical Christians could have a powerful effect on the fight in Washington, as Republican lawmakers, including many who have opposed any amnesty for illegal immigrants, look to see how much they can support measures to bring those immigrants into the legal system without alienating conservative voters.”

“Evangelical leaders, seeing the opportunity to expand their influence on a social issue beyond abortion and same-sex marriage, have broadly united this year behind a path to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally. They are conducting an ambitious push to sway Congress, including ad campaigns on Christian radio stations in five states, meetings with lawmakers, and a challenge to churchgoers to pray every day for 40 days using Bible passages that speak of welcoming the stranger.” ”

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And remember, vote fraud is a myth.

From Cincinnati.com

“Marguerite Kloos walked into court Tuesday as a nun who devoted her life to her religion. When she walked out, she was a convicted felon who escaped a prison term.

Kloos, 54, of Delhi Township, pleaded guilty to illegal voting, admitting to filling out and filing an absentee ballot for Sister Rose Marie Hewitt, Kloos’ friend who died before last November’s election.”

“Hers was one of three cases Hamilton County decided – so far – to prosecute from last fall’s elections.”

Nothin’ to see here folks. Move along.

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April 16, 2013 by the real Aj

Our Daily Thread 4-16-13

Good Morning!

On this day in 1705 Queen Anne of England knighted Isaac Newton.

In 1851 a lighthouse was swept away in a gale at Minot’s Ledge, MA.

In 1900 the first book of postage stamps was issued. The two-cent stamps were available in books of 12, 24 and 48 stamps.

In 1922 Annie Oakley shot 100 clay targets in a row, to set a women’s record.

In 1940 the first no-hit, no-run game to be thrown on an opening day of the major league baseball season was earned by Bob Feller. The Cleveland Indians beat the Chicago White Sox 1-0.

And in 1962 Walter Cronkite began anchoring “The CBS Evening News”.

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Quote of the Day

“Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

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QoD? Anyone?

April 16, 2013 by the real Aj

Prayer Requests 4-16-13

Who can we pray for today?

And please remember the victims of yesterdays attack, and the people of Boston.

Psalm 136:1-9

1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

²O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.

³O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

⁴To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.

⁵To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.

⁶To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.

⁷To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:

⁸The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:

⁹The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

April 16, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 4-16-13

What’s interesting out there today?

Open Thread

The obvious choice of course is the attack in Boston yesterday.

From TheBostonHerald

“Two huge explosions rocked the Boston Marathon finish line at Copley Square just before 3 p.m. today, killing three and injuring 144 at last count, including several traumatic amputations on streets crowded with runners, spectators and post-race partiers.

Many of those injured are children — including an 8-year-old killed in the blast, the Herald has learned. Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis said tonight there is “no suspect” and the death toll is now at three.

“We will get to the bottom of this. We will find out who did this and we will find out why,” said President Obama this evening. “They will feel the full weight of justice.”

We also know that at least 2 other unexploded bombs were found.

I think we can all agree with the President on this, regardless of who is responsible.

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One thing that always stands out to me when things like this happen is how people respond. As with 9-11, in the midst of tragedy, the best of America shines through. I watched quite a bit of coverage. I saw many people helping. I saw Police and first responders who rushed into to lend aid to the injured, unconcerned with their own safety. I watched runners and spectators doing what they could to help.

From NBCNews

“As runners and their loved ones fled bomb blasts that tore apart the finish of the Boston Marathon on Monday, many were taken in by locals who offered them shelter, food and a comforting hand.

Ali Hatfield, who traveled from Kansas City with two friends to run in the race, said she was touched when a mother brought her daughter out to offer help as the trio and their families wandered the streets of Boston’s Back Bay, unable to return to their hotel.

“I’m bringing my daughter her out here because I want her to see that there (is) good in people and I don’t want her to be scared,” she recalled the woman as saying.”

“Some Good Samaritans offered their homes, couches, cots and sleeping bags, while others, such as a local restaurant, offered free food, access to phones and a place to get together with other stunned racegoers.”

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There are many conflicting reports about a suspect, but until that’s confirmed, why speculate? We also have reports that CCTV may have recorded the bomber placing backpacks in a trash can at the scene. I’ll post more as it becomes confirmed by authorities. Unlike certain liberal news organizations, I won’t speculate on who did this. As expected they rushed to try and link this to “right-wing” extremists. I won’t dignify such idiocy by linking to their trash. It’s irresponsible. Let’s wait and see what the facts show before rushing to judgment.

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Police have confirmed that they searched a home in Revere, Mass. that was related to the bombing.

From FoxNewsBoston

“Police were seen carrying several large bags from a suburban Boston apartment that authorities say was searched in connection to the Boston Marathon bombing.

The bags were removed from the apartment on Ocean Avenue in Revere just north of Boston at about 2 a.m. Tuesday.”

“Massachusetts State Police confirmed that a search warrant was served Monday night but provided no further details.”

The FBI also participated. From TheAP

“The FBI took charge of the investigation into the bombings, serving a warrant late Monday on a home in suburban Boston and appealing for any video, audio and still images taken by marathon spectators.”

“WBZ-TV reported late Monday that law enforcement officers were searching an apartment in the Boston suburb of Revere. Massachusetts State Police confirmed that a search warrant related to the investigation into the explosions was served Monday night in Revere, but provided no further details.”

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The NYPost is reporting that a possible suspect is in custody, and that it was his home that was searched.

“Police took a 20-year-old Saudi national into custody near the scene of yesterday’s horrific Boston Marathon bomb attack, law-enforcement sources told The Post.

The potential suspect was questioned by the FBI and local police yesterday at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he was under heavy guard while being treated for shrapnel injuries to his leg sustained in the blast.

In late afternoon, a large group of federal and state law enforcement agents raided an apartment in a building in the Saudi man’s hometown of Revere, Mass.”

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April 15, 2013 by the real Aj

Our Daily Thread 4-15-13

Good Morning!

On this day in 1784 the first balloon was flown in Ireland.

In 1817 the first American school for the deaf was opened in Hartford, CT.

In 1861 U.S. President Lincoln mobilized the Federal army.

In 1865 U.S. President Abraham Lincoln died from injuries inflicted by John Wilkes Booth.

In 1912 the ocean liner Titanic sank in the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg the evening before. 1,517 people died and more than 700 people survived.

In 1947 Jackie Robinson played his first major league baseball game for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Previously he had only appeared in exhibition games.

In 1952 the first B-52 prototype was tested in the air.

And in 1986 U.S. F-111 warplanes attacked Libya in response to the bombing of a discotheque in Berlin on April 5, 1986.

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Quote of the Day

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

Corrie Ten Boom

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For music today we have 2 choices. The first is a request…

The second is for a birthday on today’s date…

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Now who has a QoD for us?

April 15, 2013 by the real Aj

Prayer Requests 4-15-13

Who has a request, praise, or update to share?

Psalm 135:1-5

1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the name of the Lord; praise him, O ye servants of the Lord.

²Ye that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.

³Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.

⁴For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.

⁵For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.

April 15, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 4-15-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

We’ll start with some good news this morning.

First, President Obama on Thursday recognized the Rev. Emil Kapaun with the Medal of Honor. It’s quite a story.

From the NYPost

“America traditionally bestows the Medal of Honor on those who display uncommon valor on the battlefield. But sometimes heroism doesn’t use a weapon.”

“Kapaun’s is a story of self-sacrifice so noble that surviving vets still speak of him with awe — and the Vatican is considering making him a saint.

At the moment of capture, as one soldier lay helpless with a broken ankle at the point of a gun, Father Kapaun pushed the rifle aside and lifted the wounded American up, carrying him 80 miles through what became known as the Tiger Death March.”

“In captivity, he gave away his own rations and stole grain to feed others, picked lice off men too weak to do so themselves, traded his watch for a blanket — which he cut up to make socks for those whose feet were freezing — and defied his Communist captors by saying Mass on Easter. Even before capture, he’d been awarded a Bronze Star for running through enemy fire to drag wounded soldiers to safety. He succumbed to the effects of starvation and neglect in 1951 at age 35.”

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I can’t help but think the media fears giving the Gosnell case the coverage it deserves. They know what it will do to public opinion on the matter. That’s important given the number of states advancing abortion restrictions. But it’s getting harder to ignore thankfully.

And it’s nice to see a “mainstream” show finally get it, but it’s on Twitter, not on the Nightline show.

From HotAir

“Gosnell might be the worst serial killer in history, says … “Nightline” anchor”

“Before you ask, searching ABCNews.com’s archives reveals multiple pieces on the Gosnell trial over the past month — all from the Associated Press wire. There’s no original content from ABC News itself unless I missed something. There is original content that mentions Gosnell dated from late January. It’s a story about … threats to late-term abortionists and how they’re not all monsters like that terrible man in Pennsylvania. So yes, they’ll mention him, as long as they can somehow spin what he did in service to The Cause. Of course.

And yes, they know about the case. And they’ll acknowledge it in lower-profile formats:”

Like Twitter.

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Some of the Newtown parents have lobbyists, complete with handlers? Now who do you suppose set all this up?

From Politico

“When a lobbyist for families of Newtown shooting victims called the office of Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) to set up a meeting, the first response was a standard D.C. offer. They could get a meeting with her staff, and Collins would stop by, they were told.

The families’ answer: not good enough. According to their lobbyists, the families have a rule against staff-only meetings: They won’t do them. They insist on sitting down with the senators themselves. The families wound up getting more than 15 minutes with Collins.

That rule is just one of the ways that the Newtown families, political novices just a few months ago, are proving to be savvy, effective advocates as they promote the gun legislation that has finally begun to move through the Senate. The families are well-educated, and many are well-off. They have been polished and sharp on TV. They’re mostly non-political, but quite accomplished in their own fields. With access to money and media, they’re using persistence, visibility — and, most all, their unique moral authority — to help prod Senate action. They also have their own lobbyists — several of them, in fact.”

Grassroots activism from the parents, or orchestrated and scripted astroturf from the White House?

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Business interests are not happy about the details leaked about the Immigration/Amnesty Bill. Funny, they didn’t seem concerned about reforms, or supporting them, while contributing to the problem by employing people at sub-standard wages and encouraging illegal immigration. They’ve discovered this will cost them money.

From Politico

“The business community has long supported the idea of immigration reform — particularly the high-tech sector and the construction industry, which badly need the workers.

What they don’t support are some of the specifics leaking out on a new immigration reform proposal expected Tuesday from the Gang of Eight.

Now, companies and trade groups — that have been pressuring the key Senate negotiators — are preparing to unleash their lobbying forces broadly on Capitol Hill in hopes of securing changes to the package.

And that could spell trouble for the bill since any significant change to even a single element could scuttle the delicately reached bargain, leaving final passage of a comprehensive immigration reform bill in serious jeopardy.”

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How 1960s Radicals Ended Up Teaching Your Kids.

From TheDailyBeast

“Last week, Rutgers University fired its mercurial basketball coach after he was videotaped “shoving, grabbing and throwing balls at players in practice and using gay slurs,” according to ESPN. Under pressure from school administrators, Rutgers’ athletic director, who had previously defended the coach’s behavior, resigned. It was an appropriate response: violent oafs should be fired from their university jobs for violent, oafish behavior.

On the same day ESPN broadcast the Rutgers tape, The New York Post reported that Kathy Boudin, a professor at Columbia University, was named the 2013 Sheinberg Scholar-in-Residence at NYU Law School. In 1984, Boudin, a member of the Weather Underground, a violent, oafish association of upper-class “revolutionaries,” pled guilty to second-degree murder in association with the infamous 1981 Brinks armored car robbery in Nyack, New York. Babbling in the language of anti-racism and anti-imperialism, Boudin assisted in ending the life of three people, including Waverly Brown, the first black police officer on the Nyack police force, and left nine children fatherless. She was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. In 2003, Boudin was released; by 2008 she had landed a coveted teaching position at an Ivy League university.

Indeed, Boudin’s Columbia University biography doesn’t mention her violent past, describing her simply as “an educator and counselor with experience in program development since 1964, working within communities with limited resources to solve social problems.” Neither does an official NYU press release announcing her new gig, instead explaining that Boudin “has been dedicated to community involvement in social change since the 1960’s.” Well, that’s one way of putting it. (Boudin didn’t respond to an interview request.)

Kick a student on the basketball court and you’ll lose your university job. Spend two decades in prison on radical chic murder rap and you’ll get one.”

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And last, some questionable tactics in Nevada being used on the mentally ill.

From TheSacramentoBee

“Since July 2008, Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital in Las Vegas has transported more than 1,500 patients to other cities via Greyhound bus, sending at least one person to every state in the continental United States, according to a Bee review of bus receipts kept by Nevada’s mental health division.”

“Nevada’s approach to dispatching mentally ill patients has come under scrutiny since one of its clients turned up suicidal and confused at a Sacramento homeless services complex. James Flavy Coy Brown, who is 48 and suffers from a variety of mood disorders including schizophrenia, was discharged in February from Rawson-Neal to a Greyhound bus for Sacramento, a place he had never visited and where he knew no one.

The hospital sent him on the 15-hour bus ride without making arrangements for his treatment or housing in California; he arrived in Sacramento out of medication and without identification or access to his Social Security payments. He wound up in the UC Davis Medical Center’s emergency room, where he lingered for three days until social workers were able to find him temporary housing.

Nevada mental health officials have acknowledged making mistakes in Brown’s case, but have made no apologies for their policy of busing patients out of state. Las Vegas is an international destination and patients who become ill while in the city have a right to return home if they desire, the state’s health officer, Dr. Tracey Green, told Nevada lawmakers during a hearing last month.”

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