Month: September 2013

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Our Daily Thread 9-19-13

Good Morning!

On this day in 1777 the Battle of Saratoga was won by American soldiers during the Revolutionary War.

In 1891 “The Merchant of Venice” was performed for the first time at Manchester.

In 1957 the U.S. conducted its first underground nuclear test. The test took place in the Nevada desert.

In 1959 Nikita Khruschev was not allowed to visit Disneyland due to security reasons.  Khrushchev reacted angrily. Sorry, but Mickey don’t like commies. 🙂

And in 1982 Scott Fahlman became the first person to use 🙂 in an online message.

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Quote of the Day

“If at first you don’t succeed… so much for skydiving.”

Henny Youngman

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This one is just because I like it. 🙂

Today is also the birthday of one of my childhood favorites.

Today is Cass Elliot’s birthday too. So here she is, but without the other Mama and no Papas. Unless you count Johnny. Stick with it, after a solo she does a medley with Johnny. 🙂

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Does anyone have a QoD for us this morning?

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Prayer Requests 9-19-13

Who has a request or praise to share today?

Psalm 37:1-11

¹ Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.

2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.

7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm.

9 For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth.

10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more.

11 But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

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News/Politics 9-19-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

I’m feeling under the weather today. You folks are pretty much on your own. But here’s a few I did want to post.

From TheBBC  “Multiple sources in the Capitol Police department, which guards the US Capitol complex, have told the BBC that its highly trained and heavily armed four-man Containment and Emergency Response Team (Cert) was near the Navy Yard when the initial report of an active shooter came in at about 8:20 local time.

The officers, wearing full tactical gear and armed with HK-416 assault weapons, arrived outside Building 197 a few minutes later, an official with knowledge of the incident told the BBC.

According to a Capitol Police source, an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Washington DC’s main municipal force, told the Capitol Cert officers they were the only police on the site equipped with long guns, and requested their help stopping the gunman. When the Capitol Police team radioed their superiors, they were told by a watch commander to leave the scene, the BBC was told.”

“I don’t think it’s a far stretch to say that some lives may have been saved if we were allowed to intervene,” a Capitol Police source familiar with the incident told the BBC.”

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From TheFreeBeacon  “Under Secretary of State Patrick Kennedy said the government of Libya is not allowing U.S. law enforcement into the country to arrest individuals connected with the Benghazi attack because the Libyan government “is not in control to that degree” Wednesday in a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.

Kennedy explained ever since the events of September 11, 2012 the country has taken a “serious turn for the worse.”

Journalists, according to Kennedy, still have access to the country but the Libyan government’s authority is so diminished it is incapable of allowing the United States in to arrest people:”

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From CNSNews  “House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), appearing with other Republican  leaders on Wednesday, said the House will pass a continuing resolution  (CR) that defunds Obamacare and lets the Senate deal with it.

He also  indicated that Republicans will use debt limit legislation as leverage in an attempt  to cut spending.

Two other Republicans said their conference has agreed to “delay” Obamacare.”

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From TownHall  “Traditionally, an “interfaith” meeting would mandate that some sort of “faith” be present by all parties, but that is no longer the case with the Obama administration. The Secular Student Alliance, a national nonprofit dedicated to organizing nonreligious students, has been invited to help plan a national gathering for the President’s Interfaith and Community Service Challenge.”

“While it is curious that an organization that explicitly denies the existence of faith would be invited to an “interfaith” meeting, it is hardly the Obama administration’s first outreach to those lacking any belief in a higher power. Atheists were present at a 2010 “interfaith discussion” at the White House, which prompted criticism from religious leaders.”

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Our Daily Thread 9-18-13

Good Morning!

On this day in 1709 the creator of the first dictionary of the English language, Samuel Johnson, was born in England.

In 1793 President George Washington laid the actual cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol.

In 1851 the first issue of “The New York Times” was published.

In 1947 the U.S. Air Force was established as a separate military branch by the National Security Act.

And in 1955 the “Ed Sullivan Show” began on CBS-TV.

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Quotes of the Day

“The most important thing for me is having a relationship with God. To know that the owner, the creator of the universe loves you, sent His Son to die for your sins; that’s very empowering. Knowing Him and knowing that He loves me gives me encouragement and confidence to move forward.”

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“But, you know, we have these entrenched entities – and I’m talking about both  Republicans and Democrats – who believe that when you’re elected to office, you become some kind of member of the aristocracy, and that anyone who challenges you is attacking you and is unpatriotic. This is foolishness.”

Dr. Benjamin  Carson

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Today is this guy’s birthday.

It’s Kerry Livgren’s birthday too. He’s the lead guitar player.

Man that’s a lot of hair.

And here’s an old one from the Ed Sullivan Show.

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QoD

Do you have a nickname?

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Prayer Requests 9-18-13

Who has a request or praise to share today?

And it’s Wednesday, so don’t forget the folks in Gambia.

Psalm 36

¹The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.

2 For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.

3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.

4 He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.

5 Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.

6 Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, thou preservest man and beast.

7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.

8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.

10 O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.

11 Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.

12 There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.

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Peter’s Pack of Pickled Pigskin Picks- Week 3

Another week, more football!

Here are your choices, though actual competitive games seem slim pickin’s this time around. And once again, Boise State is playing on Friday night. Hey, don’t they know up there in the Northland that Saturday is the day for college football?  At any rate, since Arizona has a bye this week, I decided to go to AJ’s league for the tie breaker. That’s right, a battle for bragging rights in the Big Apple between Columbia of the Ivy League traveling to Fordham of the Patriot League. You’ll need to do your homework to figure out a final score, especially since this will be Columbia’s first game. Okay, have at it folks! Just get your entries in by 9:00PM EDT Friday night.

Boise State @ Fresno State – This is North versus South out West. Or should I say, the land of former Californians versus the Vegetable Capitol of the World. (At least that’s what I remember of the only time I’ve been to Fresno, miles and miles of farmland in a desert.)

Michigan State @ No. 22 Notre Dame – Spartans vs. Irish. One wonders how the ancient peoples of those names would have actually fared against each other. Or not.

Purdue @ No. 24 Wisconsin – B1G Ten. They forgot how to count, so they changed their logo. Now it looks like they can’t spell. And they haven’t figured out how to name their divisions. Legends and Leaders? Really? But they can play football, at least until they play the SEC in championship games.

Utah State @ USC – PAC 12. At least they could change their name when they added two more schools. Anyone else remember when it was the PAC-8?

Auburn @ No. 6 LSU – Perhaps a real matchup here. Both teams 3-0. Tigers vs. Tigers. Any other conferences have three teams with the same mascot? Any other conferences have half their teams in the Top 25? I didn’t think so.

Missouri @ Indiana – The third SEC Tigers face a (not-so) Big 10 foe. Or should I say “faux”. I can’t remember the last time Indiana had a great football program. Basketball, maybe. Too bad there aren’t hoops at either end of the field.

Tennessee @ No. 19 Florida – It’s not intentional that there are more SEC teams in this list. But what can I say?

Colorado State @ No. 1 Alabama – Figured everyone should get at least one game correct. And Kim is a ‘Bama fan.

No. 23 Arizona State @ No. 5 Stanford – This PAC-12 matchup features the only game with two teams from the Top 25. And Stanford’s first big test.

Tie Breaker: Columbia @ Fordham – Guess the winner and the score. Then if you get the closest and tie with another player, you win! The question is, who but AJ knows enough about these two 1-AA teams to even make an educated guess? (I think only AJ knows about these since he is from the area.)

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News/Politics 9-18-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open thread, as always.

Reports on the DC Navy Yard shooter show that once again, signs were missed, and mental problems were ignored. Rather than deal with these failures, they’ll just blame the weapons used.

From TheAP  ” U.S. law enforcement officials are telling The Associated Press that the Navy contractor identified as the gunman in the mass shootings at the Washington Navy Yard had been suffering a host of serious mental issues, including paranoia and a sleep disorder. He also had been hearing voices in his head, the officials said.

Aaron Alexis, 34, had been treated since August by the Veterans Administration for his mental problems, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the criminal investigation in the case was continuing. The Navy had not declared him mentally unfit, which would have rescinded a security clearance that Alexis had from his earlier time in the Navy Reserves.”

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Like I said above, they won’t address the failures that lead to this, or the ones that made it worse than it would have been.

From CNSNews  “My son was at Marine Barracks — at the Navy Yard yesterday – and they had weapons with them, but they didn’t have ammunition.   And they said, ‘We were trained, and if we had the ammunition, we could’ve cleared that building.’ Only three people had been shot at that time, and they could’ve stopped the rest of it.”

The Navy Yard shooting brings up the legitimate issue of carrying – and using – firearms on military installations.

Back in 1993, the Clinton administration virtually declared military establishments “gun-free zones.” As a result, the policy banned “military personnel from carrying their own personal firearms and mandates that ‘a credible and specific threat against [Department of the Army] personnel [exist] in that region” before military personnel ‘may be authorized to carry firearms for personal protection.” Indeed, most military bases have relatively few military police as they are in heavy demand to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan,” according to economist John Lott.

Additionally, Lott discovered that “every public shooting since at least 1950 in the U.S. in which more than three people have been killed has taken place where citizens are not allowed to carry guns.”

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Despite reports to the contrary, an AR-15 was not used in the shootings. The NY Daily News ran an inflammatory piece on their front page with photos of an AR-15. They jumped the gun. Can’t wait to see where the retraction gets buried. CNN kept referring to the weapon as an AR-15 shotgun, which is a non-existent piece of hardware. MSNBC did an animated version of events that had an AR instead of a shotgun as well. If you’re gonna report on this stuff, shouldn’t you have at least a basic grasp of what you’re talking about? And what about the editors? 🙄

From Mediaite  “Speaking before the press this afternoon, the Federal Bureau of Investigations confirmed that, despite early reports, current information indicates that there was no semi-automatic AR-15 rifle used in the Washington Navy Yard shootings that left 12 people dead. According to the agency’s investigation, deceased shooter Aaron Alexis entered the building armed with a shotgun and somehow obtained a handgun while inside the facility.

Regarding previous reports on the weapons used in the attacks, FBI Washington field assistant director Valerie Parlave said: “There’s been a lot of information circulating in the media over the past day. We caution against obtaining information from unofficial sources, and we ask that all inquiries be directed to the FBI.”

Yeah right. They’re too busy pushing their anti-gun agenda to let facts get in the way. Obama responds as you would expect. Shamelessly. Never let a crisis go to waste right Barry?

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We’re all well aware of the Democrats love of abortion, and the money the industry pours into their coffers. They’re even willing to go so far as to promise to reopen clinics closed for violations, not meeting standards, and unsanitary conditions in order to ensure the money keeps flowing to them, and that they get the pro-abortion votes. I’ve always considered this guy to be one of the slimiest people on the planet. Watching the video at the link just confirms it.

From Breitbart  “Virginia Democrat gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe has been caught on tape saying that, if elected, he will issue a directive to unilaterally allow abortion clinics that do not meet state health standards to remain open.”

“In the video, McAuliffe, who is running against pro-life candidate Ken Cuccinelli, reviewed the status of abortion clinics in Virginia:

I can do what I talked about, issue a guidance opinion by March to keep the remaining health centers open. I can do that myself as Governor. That’s why I said I’ll do that by March to keep the remaining, uh, Norfolk is closed. Fairfax is closed, or closing, so there will be 18 left. Only one of those 18 actually meet the, the requirements so they’ll all close if I don’t do that. But I will issue what’s called a guidance opinion by mid-March which will say that these regulations, I have, the General Assembly wasn’t definitive with the Board of Health as to the rules, I can give a guidance opinion to the Board of Health to grandfather in those remaining clinics to keep them open. That’s why this election is so important, and I will do that.”

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ACORN is back. I hate to say it, but NY deserves this type of leadership for allowing these people to continue their fraud. And for electing leaders who are using that fraud to their benefit. Sometimes you get what you deserve.

From TheNYPost  “Bertha Lewis played critical behind-the-scenes roles in the victorious Democratic primary campaigns of both Bill de Blasio for mayor and Kenneth Thompson for Brooklyn district attorney, The Post has learned.

“We’re baacccck. The right wing will have to deal with it,” Lewis chuckled.

Lewis, a co-founder of the Working Families Party, was an early backer and adviser to de Blasio.

ACORN’s successor group, New York Communities for Change, endorsed de Blasio for mayor in early spring, and a Lewis protege, NYCC field director Harold Miller, helped run de Blasio’s field operation.”

I think fraud operation is probably more accurate.

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Our Daily Thread 9-17-13

Good Morning!

On this day in 1778 the United States signed its first treaty with a Native American tribe, the Delaware Nation.

In 1787 the Constitution of the United States of America was signed by delegates at the Constitutional Convention.

In 1796 U.S. President George Washington’s Farewell Address was read before the U.S. Congress.

In 1862 the Battle of Antietam took place during the Civil War. More than 23,000 men were killed, wounded, or missing.

In 1937, at Mount Rushmore, Abraham Lincoln’s face was dedicated.

And in 1984 Reggie Jackson hit his 500th career home run. It was exactly 17 years from the day he hit his first major league home run.

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Quote of the Day

“The bottom line is, there have been a lot of nuts elected to the United States Senate.”

Charles Grassley

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Today is BeBe Winans’ birthday. So here he is with CeCe.

Today would be the birthday of Hiram King Williams. You know him as Hank.

And one I really like.

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Anyone have a QoD for us?

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Prayer Requests 9-17-13

Who has a request to share today?

Psalm 34

¹ I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

9 O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.

11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?

13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

16 The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

22 The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

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News/Politics 9-17-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, some good news. 🙂

From ChristianityToday  “For Abby Johnson, the closing of a single Planned Parenthood center demonstrated her dramatic reversal from abortion clinic director to leading pro-life advocate.

But for pro-lifers throughout the United States, it marked another exhibit in a hopeful trend—abortion centers are shutting down at an unprecedented rate. The total so far this year is 44, according to a pro-life organization that tracks clinic operations.

None was more telling for Johnson than the mid-July closing of the Planned Parenthood center in Bryan, Texas. It came less than four years after Johnson, burdened by her involvement with abortion, walked out of that clinic as its director and into the offices of the Coalition for Life.”

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Needless to say, some aren’t as happy about it.

From HuffPo  “At least 54 abortion providers across 27 states have shut down or ended their abortion services in the past three years, and several more clinics are only still open because judges have temporarily blocked legislation that would make it difficult for them to continue to operate. Nebraska and Massachusetts have each added one clinic since 2010, and the other 21 states and the District of Columbia, most of which have not passed new anti-abortion laws since 2010, were unable to accurately count their clinics because their health departments do not license abortion providers separately from other kinds of medical providers. The Huffington Post’s tally did not include hospitals that provide abortions.

“This kind of change is incredibly dramatic,” said Elizabeth Nash, state issues manager at the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research organization. “What we’ve been seeing since 1982 was a slow decline, but this kind of change … [is] so different from what’s happened in the past.””

“This has turned into a nightmare,” said Kat Sabine, executive director of NARAL’s Arizona affiliate. “The kind of efforts the women have to take to get family planning or abortion services are just incredible, and you can only get care if you can get out of the community to do it. If you’re on a reservation or rural part of the state, unless you have reliable transportation, you’re not going to get care.”

And then doom and gloom scenarios end exactly where you would expect them to.

Yep. Cries of a “War on Women” by Republicans. Yeah, we didn’t see that comin’……

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Next, the DC Navy Yard shooting.

From TheWaPo  “At least 13 people are dead and 14 others were injured after a gunman opened fire at the Washington Navy Yard on Monday, Navy officials said, spreading fear and chaos across the region as authorities sought to contain the panic.”

“D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier and Mayor Vincent C. Gray announced the mounting number of casualties in a series of news conferences. The suspected shooter, identified by the FBI as Aaron Alexis, 34, living in Fort Worth, is among the 13 dead. Alexis was a military contractor, one official said.”

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Why does this not surprise me?

From NYPost  “‘Are you sexually active? If so, with one partner, multiple partners or same-sex partners?”

Be ready to answer those questions and more the next time you go to the doctor, whether it’s the dermatologist or the cardiologist and no matter if the questions are unrelated to why you’re seeking medical help. And you can thank the Obama health law.

“This is nasty business,” says New York cardiologist Dr. Adam Budzikowski. He called the sex questions “insensitive, stupid and very intrusive.” He couldn’t think of an occasion when a cardiologist would need such information — but he knows he’ll be pushed to ask for it.

The president’s “reforms” aim to turn doctors into government agents, pressuring them financially to ask questions they consider inappropriate and unnecessary, and to violate their Hippocratic Oath to keep patients’ records confidential.”

But we’ve always been told it’s Republicans who stick their noses in what happens in private bedrooms and other people’s sex lives. Who knew? :roll:.

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Like I said last night, it’s good to be part of the exempt ruling class huh?

From NationalReview  “Prostitution. Bribery. Blackmail. Thuggery. Hypocrisy.

Those were just some of the incendiary words thrown around the U.S. Senate last week, and that doesn’t count what people said in private.

The Senate may still have a reputation as a genteel club, but lawmakers seemed to abandon rules of decorum completely last week in arguments about whether Congress should be treated like the rest of the country when it comes to Obamacare. 

Senator David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican, has demanded a floor vote on his bill to end an exemption that members of Congress and their staffs are slated to get that will make them the only participants in the new Obamacare exchanges to receive generous subsidies from their employer to pay for their health insurance. Angry Senate Democrats have drafted legislation that dredges up a 2007 prostitution scandal involving Vitter. The confrontation is a perfect illustration of just how wide the gulf in attitudes is between the Beltway and the rest of the country — and how viciously Capitol Hill denizens will fight for their privileges.”

It’s their “Precious.”

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We’ll finish today with a story related to yesterday’s on “Common Core Curriculum.” Or, if you prefer, you can call it what I do. Just another reason to home school.

From TheDC-Clothesline  “I am a high school English teacher. I became a teacher because I believe that literacy, which goes beyond just reading the words on the page, is an absolute necessity for maintaining our Republic. Proof of that is found in the many laws against reading certain texts, or against reading altogether, that have been passed down by every tyrant since literacy became available to the general population. A few examples of such tyrannical laws are the Taliban banning reading for any female or laws against teaching slaves to read or the Soviet Union’s banning of such books as A Wrinkle in Time, Where’s Waldo, and To Kill a Mockingbird. The communist Khmer Rogue in Cambodia so hated literacy that just wearing glasses was cause for execution. Literacy leads to freedom and tyrants know it.

 I have been teaching for over twenty years. Generally, I have been given either no curriculum or curriculum that was focused on skills, not specific texts. I would have to get those skills taught in whatever way I wanted to get there. Sometimes I was given more direction and that direction was generally pretty good including texts, key terms, supplemental stories, and suggested writing assignments. These directions were created at a school level by the teachers in the school. I helped write some myself. Mostly, I have had a lot of freedom in how I could achieve the learning goals. Not anymore.

Today I was in a professional development session for my school district. Our school system has swallowed the Common Core curriculum whole. Why wouldn’t they? The federal system has said that it is “voluntary”, but “voluntary” means that the district gets cut off from major federal funding if it does not adopt the standards, so “voluntary” is subjective. Here is what the Washington Post reported Sen. Charles Grassley has to say about Common Core:

Current federal law makes clear that the U.S. Department of Education may not be involved in setting specific content standards or determining the content of state assessments. Nevertheless, the selection criteria designed by the U.S. Department of Education for the Race to the Top Program provided that for a state to have any chance to compete for funding, it must commit to adopting a “common set of K-12 standards” matching the description of the Common Core.”

She then goes on to expose the ugly heart of Common Core. It’s a liberal educator/indoctrinators dream come true.

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