Month: July 2013

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News/Politics 7-20-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open thread, so feel free to share. 🙂

First up, from “if I had a son”, to “it coulda been me”. 🙄

From WeaselZippers  ” President Barack Obama said Friday that “Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago” in his first live comments since the verdict last weekend in the case of Martin’s shooting death last year.”

“While he says the jury has spoken, he then goes on to essentially attack the jury by acting as though the decision was all about race.”

Always classy huh Mr. President? Stop acting like a community organizer, stop feeding the beast, and get back to work.

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And by beast, this is the kinda stuff his remarks, along with Sharpton and company, are feeding. It’s irresponsible. If you’re not gonna be constructive, then just be quiet.

From TheLATimes  “Organized “bash mob” crime rampages of roving groups attacking innocent people and businesses have been striking cities around the United States. Law enforcement agencies in Southern California have reported few similar problems — until now.”

“On Monday, a group of unruly young people broke off from hundreds gathered for a Trayvon Martin prayer vigil and rushed into a Wal-Mart on Crenshaw Boulevard, where they tossed merchandise and tried to break into a jewelry display case. 

In Hollywood on Tuesday night, a flash mob of thieves rushed down Hollywood Boulevard, stealing phones, knocking over tourists and vandalizing shops, according to police, who said it may have been related to the George Zimmerman verdict. Twelve people — 11 juveniles and one 18-year-old — were arrested on suspicion of robbery. “

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And on a related note, which by the way is completely unrelated, but this is their new meme, soooo….. Never let a crisis go to waste.

From HotAir  “Video: The media’s got a fee-vah and the only prescription is complaining about “Stand Your Ground” laws”

“A nifty medley from Andrew Johnson at the Corner of our media collectively deciding what social justice now requires after the Zimmerman verdict. (Dick Durbin announced just this morning that he’ll be holding a Senate hearing on “stand your ground” laws, on the theory, I guess, that state legislatures are somehow incapable of doing so themselves.) Anyway: Is it true, as many supporters of the verdict have claimed, that “Stand Your Ground” had nothing to do with the outcome of the trial? Well, yes. And no. But also yes.”

It’s almost like they’re all working off the same White House/DoJ talking points huh?  🙄

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Meanwhile, a judge rules she doesn’t like Detroit’s bankruptcy plan. She may have some legitimate points, but this ain’t one of ’em.

From DetroitNews  “Ruling the governor and Detroit’s emergency manager violated the state constitution, an Ingham County Circuit judge ordered Friday that Detroit’s federal bankruptcy filing be withdrawn.

“It’s absolutely needed,” said Judge Rosemary Aquilina, observing she hopes Gov. Rick Snyder “reads certain sections of the (Michigan) constitution and reconsiders his actions.””

““It’s cheating, sir, and it’s cheating good people who work,” the judge told assistant state Attorney General Brian Devlin. “It’s also not honoring the (United States) president, who took (Detroit’s auto companies) out of bankruptcy.””

Wait, what? Since when is it relevant in bankruptcy court if something is “honoring to the president”?

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And another case that has 1st Amendment implications…..

From TheRawStory  “A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that the First Amendment right to free speech does not prevent a New York Times journalist from giving testimony in a high-profile government leak case.

“In Friday’s ruling, a three-judge panel ruled on a 2-1 vote that there is no so-called “reporter’s privilege” under the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech, meaning journalists do not receive special treatment.

“The reporter must appear and give testimony just as every other citizen must,” wrote Chief Judge William Traxler. “We are not at liberty to conclude otherwise.””

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Our Daily Thread 7-19-13

Good Morning!

It’s finally Friday! 🙂

On this day in 1799 the Rosetta Stone, a tablet with hieroglyphic translations into Greek, was found in Egypt.

In 1848 the Women’s Rights Convention took place in Seneca Fall, NY.  This is where bloomers were introduced.

In 1909 the first unassisted triple play in major-league baseball was made by Cleveland Indians shortstop Neal Ball in a game against Boston.

In 1946 Marilyn Monroe acted in her first screen test. 

In 1960 Juan Marichal (San Francisco Giants) became the first pitcher to get a one-hitter in his major league debut.

In 1974 the House Judiciary Committee recommended that U.S. President Richard Nixon should stand trial in the Senate for any of the five impeachment charges against him. 

And in 1984 Geraldine Ferraro was nominated by the Democratic Party to become the first woman from a major political party to run for the office of U.S. Vice-President.

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Quote of the Day

“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”

Mark Twain

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We have lot’s of birthday musicians today. I had a hard time deciding since there are a bunch I liked at one time or another in my youth. And then I remembered I was the blog administrator and I could put up as many as I wanted. 🙂

First up, Brian May, from this band.

Next, we have Bernie Leadon, from this band.

And then Allen Collins, from this band.

Next up, Keith Godchaux, from this band.

And lastly, Danny Chauncey, from this band.

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Anyone have a QoD?

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Prayer Requests 7-19-13

Who has a request or praise to share today?

Psalm 121

1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.

6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

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News/Politics 7-19-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, some good news. And a tip of the hat to the great state of Texas. 😉

From TheAP  “Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed sweeping new abortion restrictions on Thursday that could shutter most of the state’s clinics that provide the procedure, a final step for the Republican-backed measure after weeks of sometimes raucous protests at the state Capitol.”

And another good news story thanks to the first.

From TheHill  “Planned Parenthood on Wednesday informed staff at three of its facilities in Texas that they would be closing, according to people familiar with the decision.

The three clinics are located in Bryan, Huntsville and Lufkin, Texas. They are closing in response to a new package of abortion restrictions signed into law on Thursday and funding cuts to Texas’ Women’s Health Program that were passed by the Texas state legislature in 2011. Out of the three Planned Parenthood clinics that are closing, only the Bryan clinic performs abortions.”

And expect more closings to come.

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The DoJ  is going forward with further attempts to find Zimmerman guilty of something.

From CNN  “The Department of Justice has asked the Sanford, Florida, police department to hold all evidence related to the George Zimmerman case, Sanford Capt. Jim McAuliffe said Thursday.”

And if you’re suffering from liberal white guilt over this, don’t worry, Chris Matthews has already apologized on your behalf. You’re welcome.

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In Benghazi news, NDA’s for all!

From TheWeeklyStandard  “Congressman Frank Wolf, a Republican from Virginia, said today on the House floor that survivors of the Benghazi terror attack have been forced to sign non-disclosure agreements:  “On Tuesday I raised the question of why none of the Benghazi survivors, whether State Department, CIA, or private security contract employees have testified publicly before Congress,” said Wolf.

“According to trusted sources that have contacted my office, many if not all of the survivors of the Benghazi attacks along with others at the Department of Defense, the CIA have been asked or directed to sign additional non-disclosure agreements about their involvement in the Benghazi attacks. Some of these new NDAs, as they call them, I have been told were signed as recently as this summer.”

Gee, I wonder why…? 🙄

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And in other terrorism news……

From InvestorsBusinessDaily  “If there’s any doubt the FBI’s gone soft on Islamic terror and may be  overlooking more Boston-style plots, witness the bureau chief’s recent Hill  testimony.

In a testy exchange with Republican lawmakers on the House Judiciary  Committee, FBI Director Robert Mueller reluctantly acknowledged FBI  counterterrorism training materials have been purged of references to “jihad”  and “Islam” and that counterterrorism agents have been restricted from doing  undercover investigations at mosques.

These outrageous policies likely contributed to the FBI missing signs of  radicalization in the Muslim community — including that of the Tsarnaev brothers  in Boston. The marathon bombers operated in plain sight of the FBI before  killing three and wounding 260.”

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And this is the last one for today. This is one state, NJ. Does anyone doubt that this doesn’t go on in every state?

From NewJersey.com  “An investigation by the state comptroller, released Wednesday, found “widespread fraud” in New Jersey’s school lunch program that’s meant to serve needy families.

The investigation found more than 100 people on public payrolls, or their family members, allegedly lied about their income so their kids could eat in school for free. Among those caught cheating were 40 school district employees and six school board members in Pleasantville, Newark and Paterson.”

“”Our investigations division ultimately uncovered false information on applications submitted by school board members, teachers, other school employees as well as state, county and local employees,” state Comptroller Matthew Boxer said. “What we found are people who work for the government, lying to the government about how much the government is paying them — all to benefit from a program that is designed to help those in need.”

More here as well.

Gov. Christie has called for firings in the matter. Some fraud charges are probably in order as well.

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Our Daily Thread 7-18-13

Good Morning!

On this day in 0064 The Great Fire of Rome began. Some say it was tomorrow the 19th, but I’ll go with History.com and just say today.

In 1914 six planes of the U.S. Army helped to form an aviation division called the Signal Corps.

In 1927 Ty Cobb set a major league baseball record by getting his 4,000th career hit. He went on to hit 4,191 before he retired in 1928.

In 1932 the U.S. and Canada signed a treaty to develop the St. Lawrence Seaway.

In 1936 the first Oscar Meyer Wienermobile rolled out of General Body Company’s factory in Chicago, IL.

In 1947 President Truman signed the Presidential Succession Act, which placed the Speaker of the House and the Senate President Pro Tempore next in the line of succession after the vice president.

And in 2001 a train derailed, involving 60 cars, in a Baltimore train tunnel. The fire that resulted lasted for six days.

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Quote of the Day

“If by chance some day you’re not feeling well and you should remember some silly thing I’ve said or done and it brings back a smile to your face or a chuckle to your heart, then my purpose as your clown has been fulfilled.”

Red Skelton

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My Dad always loved Red. He used to watch him every chance he got.

It’s this fella’s birthday.

I know I’m a Yankee and all, and don’t take this the wrong way, but… Yee-Haw! 🙂  That’s some serious playin’. 🙂

Next up, another birthday, and Widespread Panic, probably the ultimate cover band. 😯

You should hear them do Clapton. You’d think Eric was playin’ the guitar.

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Anyone have a QoD for us today?

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Prayer Requests 7-18-13

Who can we pray for today?

Psalm 119:159-176

159 Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O Lord, according to thy lovingkindness.

160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.

162 I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.

163 I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.

164 Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.

165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

166 Lord, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments.

167 My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly.

168 I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways are before thee.

169 Let my cry come near before thee, O Lord: give me understanding according to thy word.

170 Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word.

171 My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.

172 My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.

173 Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.

174 I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and thy law is my delight.

175 Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me.

176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments

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News/Politics 7-18-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, the Race Card, how original. 🙄

From CNSNews  “Addressing the annual NAACP convention in Orlando, Fla., Health and  Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said that opponents of  Obamacare are the same kind of people who opposed civil rights  legislation in the 1960s.”

“”The  same arguments against change, the same fear and misinformation that  opponents used then are the same ones opponents are spreading now. ‘This  won’t work,’ ‘Slow down,’ ‘Let’s wait,’ they say.”

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Holder wasn’t gonna be outdone.

Also from CNSNews  “The  nation’s top cop indicated that police treatment of black men and boys  is part of America’s (alleged) racial problem. “And we must confront the  underlying attitudes, mistaken beliefs, and unfortunate stereotypes that  serve too often as the basis for police action and private judgments,”  Holder said.

Just as his own father warned him about the police, so Holder says he has felt it necessary to warn his son:”

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And here’s a story on the NAACP conference Holder and Sebelius attended blackballing conservative black leaders.

From TownHall  “According to author and Fox News contributor Deneen Borelli and her husband, Tom Borelli, black conservatives have been blacklisted from the NAACP’s national conferences for years. When the Borellis, who are employees of the conservative group FreedomWorks, attempted to pay for booth space at this year’s 104th National NAACP conference in Florida, they were told there was no room for them despite plenty of exhibit space remaining open.”

Meanwhile Obama tells Telemundo that the reason Republicans are against his amnesty plan is because they fear minorities in the majority. Race baiters, from the top down.

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Jay Carney was shocked to hear about threats made to the Zimmerman family. Again, the first he’d heard there was a problem.

From TheWaPo  “A high school intern with the conservative Daily Caller Web site got into a testy exchange with White House Press Secretary Jay Carney Wednesday after asking if the White House would intervene to protect George Zimmerman from death threats in the wake of his acquittal on murder and manslaughter charges.

“Because of the death threats being received by George Zimmerman and his parents, is the president going to take any action for their security or are they on their own?” Gabe Finger asked.

Carney responded that he wasn’t aware of the threats and that Florida authorities would be responsible for handling them, but that Obama opposes “any violence of any kind” in response to the verdict in the Trayvon Martin case.”

Sure Jay.

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Liberals of all colors play along, so yeah, more white guilt. Always with the Race thing.

From Time  “If there is one hopeful note amidst all the anguish and recrimination from the  acquittal of George Zimmerman, it’s that growing numbers of white people have  come to appreciate whiteness for what it is: an unearned set of privileges. And  as a result of that dawning awareness, it’s become possible to imagine a day  when that structure of privilege is dismantled – by white people.”

Yeah. 🙄

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And a little more background on the Zimmerman prosecutors. Can you say “malicious prosecution”? Yeah, I knew you could.

From NationalReview  “And that was moderate. When Corey was appointed to handle the Zimmerman case, Talbot “Sandy” D’Alemberte, a former president of both the American Bar Association and Florida State University, criticized the decision: “I cannot imagine a worse choice for a prosecutor to serve in the Sanford case. There is nothing in Angela Corey’s background that suits her for the task, and she cannot command the respect of people who care about justice.” Corey responded by making a public-records request of the university for all e-mails, text messages, and phone messages in which D’Alemberte had mentioned Fernandez. Like Littlepage, D’Alemberte had earlier criticized Corey’s handling of the Fernandez case.

Not many people are willing to cross Corey. A Florida attorney I spoke with declined to go on record because of “concerns about retaliation” — that attorney has pending cases that will require Corey’s cooperation. The attorney mentioned colleagues who have refused to speak to the media for the same reason. And to think: D’Alemberte crossed Corey twice. He should get a medal.”

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And the CBC is up to their usual.

From TheHill  “Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) are readying a flurry of  bills in response to George Zimmerman’s acquittal on charges in last year’s  fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin.

The lawmakers are drafting proposals intended to rein in racial profiling;  scrap state stand-your-ground laws; and promote better training for the nation’s  neighborhood watch volunteers, among other anti-violence measures. CBC  members had remained largely silent throughout the trial, but following the  verdict, argued forcefully that, decades after the civil rights movement, the  nation’s criminal justice system still discriminates against blacks and other  minorities.”

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It’s odd that they’d want to scrap “Stand Your Ground”. Especially when you consider the facts.

From TheDailyCaller  “African Americans benefit from Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” self-defense law  at a rate far out of proportion to their presence in the state’s population,  despite an assertion by Attorney General Eric Holder that repealing “Stand Your  Ground” would help African Americans.

Black Floridians have made about a third of the state’s total “Stand Your  Ground” claims in homicide cases, a rate nearly double the black percentage of  Florida’s population. The majority of those claims have been successful, a  success rate that exceeds that for Florida whites.”

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And in non-race news, again, from the top down.

From TheWaPo  “The chief counsel’s office for the Internal Revenue Service, headed by a political appointee of President Obama, helped develop the agency’s problematic guidelines for reviewing “tea party” cases, according to a top IRS attorney.”

Like everyone didn’t already know this went back to the White House. 🙄

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And did anyone really believe it ended with phone tapping and e-mail snooping?

From TheACLU  “Automatic license plate readers are the most widespread location tracking technology you’ve probably never heard of. Mounted on patrol cars or stationary objects like bridges, they snap photos of every passing car, recording their plate numbers, times, and locations. At first the captured plate data was used just to check against lists of cars law enforcement hoped to locate for various reasons (to act on arrest warrants, find stolen cars, etc.). But increasingly, all of this data is being fed into massive databases that contain the location information of many millions of innocent Americans stretching back for months or even years.”

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More here from FoxNews  “Law enforcement officials also point out that the  technology is legal in most cases, automating a practice that’s been done for  years. The ACLU found that only five states have laws governing license plate  readers. New Hampshire, for example, bans the technology except in narrow  circumstances, while Maine and Arkansas limit how long plate information can be  stored.

“There’s no expectation of privacy” for a vehicle  driving on a public road or parked in a public place, said Lt. Bill Hedgpeth, a  spokesman for the Mesquite Police Department in Texas, which has records  stretching back to 2008, although the city plans next month to begin deleting  files older than two years. “It’s just a vehicle. It’s just a license  plate.””

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Our Daily Thread 7-17-13

Good Morning!

On this day in 1815 Napoleon Bonaparte surrendered to the British at Rochefort, France.

In 1821 Spain ceded Florida to the U.S.

In 1862 national cemeteries were authorized by the U.S. government. 

In 1866 authorization was given to build a tunnel beneath the Chicago River.  The project took three years and cost $512,709.

In 1941 the longest hitting streak in baseball history ended when the Cleveland Indians pitchers held New York Yankee Joe DiMaggio hitless for the first time in 57 games. 😦

In 1941 Brigadier General Soervell directed Architect G. Edwin Bergstrom to have basic plans and architectural perspectives for an office building that could house 40,000 War Department employees on his desk by the following Monday morning.  The building is now known as the Pentagon.

In 1954 the Brooklyn Dodgers made history as the first team with a majority of black players.

In 1955 Disneyland opened in Anaheim, CA.

In 1975 an Apollo spaceship docked with a Soyuz spacecraft in orbit.  It was the first link up between the U.S. and Soviet Union.

And in 1987 Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North and rear Admiral John Poindexter begin testifying to Congress at the “Iran-Contra” hearings. 

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Quote of the Day

“I stand fearlessly for small dogs, the American Flag, motherhood and the Bible. That’s why people love me.”

Art Linkletter

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Today is Mick Tucker’s birthday. Sweet.

No really, it is. 🙂

This is the problem with sweets, you can never stop at one.

I’d forgotten how much I liked these guys. And since there are very few musician birthdays or notable songs for today…..

But we do have one notable song released today in 1965…

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Anyone have a QoD for us?

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Prayer Requests 7-17-13

Who has a request or praise to share today?

And it’s Wednesday, so please remember Gambia. 🙂

Psalm 119:138-156

138 Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful.

139 My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy words.

140 Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.

141 I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts.

142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.

143 Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights.

144 The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.

145 I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O Lord: I will keep thy statutes.

146 I cried unto thee; save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies.

147 I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word.

148 Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.

149 Hear my voice according unto thy lovingkindness: O Lord, quicken me according to thy judgment.

150 They draw nigh that follow after mischief: they are far from thy law.

151 Thou art near, O Lord; and all thy commandments are truth.

152 Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever.

153 Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law.

154 Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word.

155 Salvation is far from the wicked: for they seek not thy statutes.

156 Great are thy tender mercies, O Lord: quicken me according to thy judgments.