August 24, 2013 by the real Aj

Prayer Requests 8-24-13

Who would like to share a request or praise?

Psalm 16

1 Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.

²O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;

³But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.

⁴Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.

⁵The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.

⁶The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

⁷I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.

⁸I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

⁹Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.

¹⁰For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

¹¹Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

August 24, 2013 by the real Aj

Rants! and Raves! 8-24-13

It’s Saturday, so you know what that means….

Rants! 😦

and

Raves! 🙂

August 24, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 8-24-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up today, the Obama admin refuses to do anything about those responsible for Benghazi. Even when begged by the team he sent to investigate and track the attackers.

From FoxNews “Two weeks after the Obama administration announced charges against suspects in the Benghazi attack, a large portion of the U.S. team that hunted the suspects and trained Libyans to help capture or kill them is leaving Libya permanently.

Special operators in the region tell Fox News that while Benghazi targets have been identified for months, officials in Washington could “never pull the trigger.” In fact, one source insists that much of the information on Benghazi suspects had been passed along to the White House after being vetted by the Department of Defense and the State Department — and at least one recommendation for direct action on a Benghazi suspect was given to President Obama as recently as Aug. 7.”

“We put American special operations in harm’s way to develop a picture of these suspects and to seek justice and instead of acting, we stalled. We just let it slip and pass us by and now it’s going to be much more difficult,” one source said, citing 1,200 prisoners escaping two weeks ago. “It’s already blowing up. Daily assassinations, bi-weekly prison escapes, we waited way too long.”

The special operators are starting to get frustrated at the lack of action, and Fox News has been told by multiple sources that one special forces leader “literally yelled” at former Libyan Chief of Mission William Roebuck “and told him, ‘so you’re willing to let these guys get away with murder?'” The outburst was “met with crickets,” the sources said.”

Just pathetic.

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A military jury has convicted the Ft. Hood terrorist on all counts.

From TheAP ” military jury on Friday convicted Maj. Nidal Hasan in the deadly 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, making the Army psychiatrist eligible for the death penalty in the shocking assault against American troops by one of their own on home soil.

There was never any doubt that Hasan was the gunman. He acknowledged to the jury that he was the one who pulled the trigger on fellow soldiers as they prepared to deploy overseas to Iraq and Afghanistan. And he barely defended himself during a three-week trial.

The unanimous decision on all 13 counts of premeditated murder made Hasan eligible for execution in the sentencing phase that begins Monday.”

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The DA in Christopher Lane’s murder investigation has decided it was not a hate crime. Can’t say I agree.

From NBCNews “Three juveniles allegedly involved with the Aug. 16 shooting death of Australian college athlete Christopher Lane will not be charged with a hate crime, the Duncan, Okla., district attorney said Friday.

“At this point, the evidence does not support the theory that Christopher Lane was targeted based upon his race or nationality,” said District Attorney Jason Hicks. “The evidence is insufficient to establish that race was the primary motive in the murder of Christopher Lane.”

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Both sides in the Paula Deen fiasco have agreed to drop the suit. It will be interesting to see if those who fired her will now do the right thing.

From MSNTV “Lawyers signed a deal Friday to drop a discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuit against celebrity cook Paula Deen, who was dumped by the Food Network and other business partners after she said under oath that she had used racial slurs in the past.

A document filed in U.S. District Court in Savannah said both sides agreed to drop the lawsuit “without any award of costs or fees to any party.” No other details of the agreement were released. The judge in the case had not signed an order to finalize the dismissal.”

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And these last two go together. The liberal posters over at Buzzfeed are up in arms over an anti-abortion/Planned Parenthood piece they ran. Buzzfeed is defending themselves by saying it was on a community post, not an official one from them. Some liberal commenters are talking of wanting such talk censored. Liberals don’t like the truth about abortion being exposed. You decide for yourself. Does this need censoring?

From BuzzFeed “8 Outrageous Things Planned Parenthood Was Caught Doing

The nation’s largest abortion provider has been caught doing some incredibly offensive, appalling, and illegal things. Find out what they’ve been covering up…”

It then goes on to present it’s case, with the help of the work done by LiveAction.org. You’ll recognize some of them, we’ve covered them here. Like I said, they don’t like truth coming out.

From Observer.com “BuzzFeed came under fire today after the viral site ran a post slamming Planned Parenthood.

“8 Outrageous Things Planned Parenthood Was Caught Doing,” submitted by a community contributor, the anti-abortion group PersonhoodUSA, has unsurprisingly not been a hit with BuzzFeed’s core readership.

BuzzFeed editor in chief Ben Smith said that the site is still figuring out aspects of opening up BuzzFeed’s platform to community contributors. “We’ve been adjusting the labeling, and we’re in the process of figuring out where and whether we should draw lines about what’s appropriate on what we conceived as an open platform, like Facebook and Twitter. It’s an interesting, and complicated, question but we’re inclined to leave the platform as open as possible,” Mr. Smith told us in an email.”

Censorship isn’t necessary. Allowing differing opinions let’s folks decide for themselves. What do they have to fear? If it’s no true, rebut it.

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August 23, 2013 by the real Aj

Our Daily Thread 8-23-13

Good Morning! 🙂

1,000!

This is our 1,000th post here at WV’s. Can you believe it? 🙂

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On this day in 1839 Hong Kong was taken by the British in a war with China.

In 1944 Marseilles was captured by Allied troops during World War II.

In 1959 in the Peanuts comic strip, Sally debuted as an infant.

In 1962 the first live TV program was relayed between the U.S. and Europe through the U.S. Telstar satellite.

And in 1982 Gaylord Perry (Seattle Mariners) was tossed out of a game for throwing an illegal spitball.

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Quote of the Day

“So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good.”

Helen Keller
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It’s Tex Williams’ birthday.

It’s Michael O’Brien’s birthday too.

And it’s also Jimi Jamison’s, from this band. Gotta love the 80’s. 🙂

Makes me wanna watch a Rocky movie. Again. 🙂

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QoD?

What do you like best about Wandering Views, and is there something we could add/do that you think would make it better?

August 23, 2013 by the real Aj

Prayer Requests 8-23-13

Anyone have a request or praise to share today?

Psalm 15

1 Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

²He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

³He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.

⁴In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.

⁵He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

August 23, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 8-23-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open thread, so what have you got?

UPDATE!

Maj. Nadal Hasan has been found guilty on all counts in the Ft. Hood shooting trial.

Can’t find a link yet, but I’ll get it up when one’s available.

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First up, a scathing rebuke for the Obama admin and DoJ.

From JudicialWatch “That kind of whipping from a federal judge has got to hurt though it’s unlikely to deter the administration from spending more taxpayer dollars to file frivolous lawsuits against employers who use the checks to screen job applicants. Judicial Watch wrote about this a few weeks ago when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency that enforces the nation’s workplace discrimination laws, sued two large companies that screen criminal background records claiming that the checks disproportionately exclude blacks from hire.

That violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, according to the Obama administration, which has pushed hard to deter companies from using criminal background checks to screen job applicants. Of interesting note is that the EEOC conducts criminal background checks as a condition of employment and credit background checks for most of its positions. For some reason, it’s not discriminatory against minorities when the agency does it.”

“In a scathing 34-page opinion published this week, U.S. District Court Judge Roger Titus lambasted the administration’s expert data, writing that it was “laughable”; “based on unreliable data”; “rife with analytical error”; containing “a plethora of errors and analytical fallacies” and a “mind-boggling number of errors”; “completely unreliable”; “so full of material flaws that any evidence of disparate impact derived from an analysis of its contents must necessarily be disregarded”; “distorted”; “both over and under inclusive”; “cherry-picked”; “worthless”; and “an egregious example of scientific dishonesty.”

There are simply no facts to support a theory of disparate impact, the judge writes, further stating: “By bringing actions of this nature, the EEOC has placed many employers in the “Hobson’s choice” of ignoring criminal history and credit background, thus exposing themselves to potential liability for criminal and fraudulent acts committed by employees, on the one hand, or incurring the wrath of the EEOC for having utilized information deemed fundamental by most employers.”

Ouch.

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Next up, the Manning case gets even worse.

From Today “Bradley Manning, the Army private sentenced to military prison for leaking classified documents, revealed he intends to live out the remainder of his life as a woman.

“I am Chelsea Manning. I am female,” the Army private wrote in a statement read on TODAY Thursday. “Given the way that I feel, and have felt since childhood, I want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible. I hope that you will support me in this transition.”

““I also request that, starting today, you refer to me by my new name and use the feminine pronoun (except in official mail to the confinement facility),” Manning continued in the statement. “I look forward to receiving letters from supporters and having the opportunity to write back.”

“Coombs said he is “hoping” that Fort Leavenworth “would do the right thing” and provide hormone therapy for Manning. “If Fort Leavenworth does not, then I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure they are forced to do so.”

So publications like HuffPo are happy to play along with his delusions by calling him Chelsea. And he has other supporters too.

From HuffPo “The military policy against providing hormone therapy to prisoners like Chelsea Manning raises “serious constitutional concerns,” an American Civil Liberties Union official said Thursday.

Chelsea Manning, who used to be known as Bradley Manning, announced Thursday she wants to live her life as a woman. But under military policy, it may be impossible for her to begin making the transition from behind bars as she serves a sentence in relation to her disclosures to WikiLeaks.

“The Army does not provide hormone therapy or sex-reassignment surgery for gender identity disorder,” Kimberly Lewis, a spokeswoman for the Fort Leavenworth, Kan., military prison where Manning is expected to serve her sentence, told NBC News.”

“”In response to Chelsea Manning’s disclosure that she is female, has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, and will be seeking hormone therapy as a part of her transition during her incarceration, public statements by military officials that the Army does not provide hormone therapy to treat gender dysphoria raise serious constitutional concerns,” Chase Strangio, staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Project, said in a statement.”

Constitutional issues? Give me a break. 🙄

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The Obama admin wants the govt. to rate colleges and define what’s a good school and what isn’t.

From CNSNews “Speaking at the University of Buffalo, President Barack Obama today unveiled an ambitious new plan for the federal government to create a national rating system that will define what a good college is and financially reward or punish colleges depending on how they rank in the government’s system.

He said he intends to have the rating system in placed by the fall of 2015 and intends to work with Congress to enact legislation linking federal aid to colleges to the rating system.

As outlined by Obama, this rating system would look at essentially materialistic and financial characteristics of a college as opposed to intellectual and moral ones.”

How about you mind your own business Mr. President? I can’t help but think you have more pressing matters to attend to, like doing your actual job.

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And we’ll finish with this one. Social justice, left leaning Christian style.

From Breitbart “The NAACP of North Carolina has created a handbook for clergy to enable them to use Bible verses to promote what has been called “Christian Socialism.”

The North Carolina chapter of the NAACP is a “lead organizer of the Moral Monday rallies,” and Rev. William Barber, who is reportedly an “organizer and frequent keynote speaker,” has often used the handbook to denounce Republicans in North Carolina’s legislature for “trying to move the state backwards” by supporting issues like Voter ID laws, which North Carolina’s governor recently signed into law.

Their rallying slogan is, “Forward together, not one step back” and the tax-exempt organization advocates a brand of “Christian Socialism.” The handbook suggests using a Bible verse that offers “an alternative paradigm for interpersonal and communal engagement that can serve as a critical rejoinder to the policies of our state government.”

As Pete Kaliner of WWNC pointed out, the handbook also advocates strong central government for socialist policies while criticizing the North Carolina GOP for one-party rule:”

Sounds like a great idea….. 🙄

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August 22, 2013 by the real Aj

Our Daily Thread 8-22-13

Good Morning!

On this day in 1762 Ann Franklin became the first female editor of an American newspaper, The Mercury, of Newport, RI.

In 1775 the American colonies were declared to be in a state of open rebellion by King George III.

In 1846 the US annexed New Mexico.

In 1902 in Hartford, CT., President Theodore Roosevelt became the first president to ever ride in an automobile.

In 1938 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers appeared on the cover of Life magazine.

And in 1984 the last Volkswagen Rabbit rolled off the assembly line in New Stanton, PA.

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Quote of the Day

“When placed in command, take charge.”

H. Norman Schwarzkopf

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It’s Paul Colman’s birthday, so here he is with help from his daughters. 🙂

It’s also the birthday of Josef Strauss.

And it’s John Lee Hooker’s as well. So here he is with another guitar great.

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Anyone have a QoD?

August 22, 2013 by the real Aj

Prayer Requests 8-22-13

Who has a request or praise to share?

Psalm 13

1 How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

²How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?

³Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

⁴Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

⁵But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

⁶I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

August 22, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 8-22-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

These first two shoot more holes in the meme from the Obama admin and Dems that there is no evidence to suggest that ObamaCare is causing employers to cut hours. It goes with the increased cost for insurance, and some who are losing what they currently have.

It’s also why about 75% of new jobs were part-time. This is not helping the economy to recover. Quite the opposite.

From HuffPo/Reuters “U.S. businesses are hiring at a robust rate. The only problem is that three out of four of the nearly 1 million hires this year are part-time and many of the jobs are low-paid.

Faltering economic growth at home and abroad and concern that President Barack Obama’s signature health care law will drive up business costs are behind the wariness about taking on full-time staff, executives at staffing and payroll firms say.

Employers say part-timers offer them flexibility. If the economy picks up, they can quickly offer full-time work. If orders dry up, they know costs are under control. It also helps them to curb costs they might face under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

And there’s also a new study out on the issue of ObamaCare’s effects on coverage.

From CNBC “Mid- and large-sized companies overwhelmingly expect health-care costs to increase under Obamacare—and most are eyeing possible changes to their health insurance offerings because of a looming excise tax for pricier plans under the health-care reform law, a new survey of employers finds.

In fact, 40 percent of 420 companies surveyed by Towers Watson said they will be changing their insurance plans’ designs in 2014 in light of the coming excise tax as well as to control employee-related health costs.

And nearly 60 percent of the companies view private health insurance exchanges as a possible way to control their health-care and administrative costs by shifting the work of insuring their workers off to those exchanges in the future.

But most of those companies—which collectively employ 8.7 million people—don’t have firm near-term plans to do so.”

Yet.

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We’re all aware of the numerous pitfalls, delays, and missed deadlines that have plagued ObamaCare. Looks like Dodd-Frank has the same problem with missed deadlines. The Obama admin isn’t real punctual with anything.

From NationalReview “A Congressional Research Service report this week revealed that the Obama administration has missed precisely 50 percent of its deadlines in implementing Obamacare — and with the Dodd-Frank financial-reform law, they’re doing even worse. More than half of the law’s 279 deadlines so far — 61.6 percent — have been missed by July 15, according to a new report.

The law firm DavisPolk has been publishing reports on Dodd-Frank’s progress for a while now, and they explain “the pace of rulemaking has been remarkably consistent over the past three years” — but it’s been consistently far behind the pace actually set by the law. Since the deadlines are dispersed, some months have been particularly rough — April 2011 saw regulators hit a serious cold streak, missing 26 deadlines that month. Dodd-Frank requires a variety of federal agencies — the SEC, the Fed, the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, etc. — to actually write the new financial-market rules that Congress merely outlined in the 2010 law.

Three years after the law was passed, not even half of the law’s rules have been finalized.”

🙄

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Next up, an interesting read, which is surprising considering it’s from Rolling Stone. I don’t agree with some of their ideas for solutions, but it’s a good read.

With a CONTENT WARNING!!! for some language.

From RollingStone “Obama had already set himself up as a great champion of student rights by taking on banks and greedy lenders like Sallie Mae. Three years earlier, he’d scored what at the time looked like a major victory over the Republicans with a transformative plan to revamp the student-loan industry. The 2010 bill mostly eliminated private banks and lenders from the federal student-loan business. Henceforth, the government would lend college money directly to students, with no middlemen taking a cut. The president insisted the plan would eliminate waste and promised to pass the savings along to students in the form of more college and university loans, including $36 billion in new Pell grants over 10 years for low-income students. Republican senator and former Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander bashed the move as “another Washington takeover.”

The thing is, none of it – not last month’s deal, not Obama’s 2010 reforms – mattered that much. No doubt, seeing rates double permanently would genuinely have sucked for many students, so it was nice to avoid that. And yes, it was theoretically beneficial when Obama took banks and middlemen out of the federal student-loan game. But the dirty secret of American higher education is that student-loan interest rates are almost irrelevant. It’s not the cost of the loan that’s the problem, it’s the principal – the appallingly high tuition costs that have been soaring at two to three times the rate of inflation, an irrational upward trajectory eerily reminiscent of skyrocketing housing prices in the years before 2008.”

“Next up is the government itself. While it’s not commonly discussed on the Hill, the government actually stands to make an enormous profit on the president’s new federal student-loan system, an estimated $184 billion over 10 years, a boondoggle paid for by hyperinflated tuition costs and fueled by a government-sponsored predatory-lending program that makes even the most ruthless private credit-card company seem like a “Save the Panda” charity. Why is this happening? The answer lies in a sociopathic marriage of private-sector greed and government force that will make you shake your head in wonder at the way modern America sucks blood out of its young.”

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Last night Ichiro Suzuki singled to left for his 4,000th career hit. Although some came professionally in Japan, it’s an impressive accomplishment from a guy who’s been fun to watch for his entire career.