Month: January 2014
News/Politics 1-13-14
What’s interesting in the news today?
1. First up today, two constitutional scholars, two very different interpretations.
First, Obama’s alleged abuse of executive orders will go before the Supreme Court today. You’d think he’d know better being the scholarly type, but no. Maybe this is why we can’t see his grades. 😯
From TheHill “Nothing less than the boundaries of executive power are at stake Monday as the Supreme Court considers whether President Obama violated the Constitution during his first term.
Oral arguments slated for Monday will center on a trio of recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that were deemed unconstitutional by lower courts.
If they uphold the decision, experts say the justices could endanger hundreds of NLRB decisions.
Even more significant are the ramifications for future presidents, with the court poised either to bolster or blunt the chief executive’s appointment powers.”
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2. Here’s what Ted Cruz has to say about it. And he actually knows what he’s talking about, unlike the president, who only plays a scholar on TV.
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3. Not many people would be surprised to hear that some colleges provide things to student athletes that other students don’t receive. This piece gives you a look at just how much help these kids receive, as well as exposing allegations of cheating, and players with 4th grade reading levels. (and in some cases under) And in yet another example of fans behaving badly, the professor exposing it is already received death threats. 🙄
From TheHuffPost “An NCAA investigation into the football program in 2010 expanded into a probe of how the nation’s first public university provides academic help to athletes. It led to a discovery of fraud in a department with classes featuring significant athlete enrollments.”
“In a CNN story this week, Mary Willingham said her research of 183 football or basketball players at UNC from 2004-12 found 60 percent reading at fourth- to eighth-grade levels and roughly 10 percent below a third-grade level. She said she worked with one men’s basketball player early in her 10-year tenure who couldn’t read or write.”
“The topic of balancing academics and athletics isn’t unique to UNC, such as the AP reporting in 2011 that 39 schools had at least 50 percent of football players clustering in one, two or three majors. But the scope of problems here has often left officials sifting through what happened as much as looking ahead.
The NCAA academic violations involved a tutor providing improper help on research papers. UNC later reported fraud in the since-renamed African and Afro-American Studies department, including lecture classes that didn’t meet, possibly forged signatures on grade rolls, unauthorized grade changes and poor oversight.”
I bet a visit from the DoJ is in UNC’s future too.
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4. Like with most things from this administration, the more details you know, the less you like it.
From TheDailyCaller “Education experts decried a new memo from the Departments of Justice and Education that instructs public schools throughout the country to cease punishing disruptive students if they fall into certain racial categories, such as black or Hispanic.
The letter, released on Wednesday, states that it is a violation of federal law for schools to punish certain races more than others, even if those punishments stem from completely neutral rules. For example, equal numbers of black students and white students should be punished for tardiness, even if black students are more often tardy than white students.”
““Schools also violate Federal law when they evenhandedly implement facially neutral policies and practices that, although not adopted with the intent to discriminate, nonetheless have an unjustified effect of discriminating against students on the basis of race.”
“Pullmann also worried about the effect on classrooms. She said she has spoken to teachers who experienced a breakdown in the classroom learning environment when policies like this were implemented.”
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5. Judge Jeanine Pirro is blasting Obama for failing to act on Benghazi and the IRS scandal while immediately turning the FBI loose on Christie.
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Our Daily Thread 1-11-14
Good Morning!
The weekend has arrived! 🙂
On this day in 1815 U.S. General Andrew Jackson achieved victory at the Battle of New Orleans.
In 1861 Alabama seceded from the United States.
In 1878, in New York, milk was delivered in glass bottles for the first time by Alexander Campbell.
In 1902 “Popular Mechanics” magazine was published for the first time.
And in 1958 “Seahunt” debuted on CBS-TV.
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Quote of the Day
“It’s not tyranny we desire; it’s a just, limited, federal government.”
Alexander Hamilton
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We’ve got 3 good ones today. 🙂
Today is Jim Bryson’s birthday. From MercyMeVideo
It’s also Dan Haseltine’s. So it’s Jars of Clay covering the Talking Heads. From NoiseTradeVideo
And it’s Jeremy Camp’s as well. From JeremyCampVEVO
Told ya. 🙂
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Anyone have a QoD?
Prayer Requests 1-11-14
Who would like to share a request or praise today?
Psalm 144
¹Blessed be the Lord my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:
2 My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.
3 Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!
4 Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.
5 Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6 Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.
7 Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;
8 Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.
10 It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.
11 Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:
12 That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:
13 That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets:
14 That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets.
15 Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.
Rants! and Raves! 1-11-14
It’s Saturday, so time for……
Rants! 😦
and
Raves! 🙂
News/Politics 1-11-14
What’s interesting in the news today?
Open thread. Feel free to share with the group. 🙂
1. The families of Benghazi victims and others have sent a letter to Speaker Boehner. The letter calls him out for his lack of effort and possible involvement in hiding what really happened in Benghazi. The letter pulls no punches.
From JudicialWatch “Dear Speaker Boehner,
We write to express our grave concern over the failure of your House of Representatives to extract the truth from the Obama administration concerning the attack on our diplomatic and intelligence facilities in Benghazi, Libya; and, the brutal deaths of Ambassador Christopher Stevens, U.S. Foreign Service Officer Sean Smith, and security officers Ty Woods and Glen Doherty.
To date, five (5) different committees of the House have conducted separate hearings, uncovering information in a piecemeal fashion lacking professional investigators. The five committees’ efforts are disjointed and uncoordinated. The Obama administration has benefited from that dysfunctional process to hide the truth. Hardly any Obama administration witnesses have testified – publicly or privately. You have resisted repeated calls for the creation of a select investigative committee with subpoena authority. It appears that you are satisfied to allow that state of investigative incoherence and ambiguity to continue. The last public hearing by any of the five committees was held in September – four (4) months ago. The families of the dead who fought valiantly to protect the mission and their families, the survivors, and the American people deserve better from you and your Members of Congress. They deserve the absolute truth from their government. Your failure to get the truth and hold public officials accountable increases the possibility of other repeat attacks and additional failures to defend Americans abroad.
On Sunday, December 29, 2013, the New York Times published a story concerning the Benghazi attacks that directly contradicts the sworn testimony of witnesses who appeared before various committees. Besides the obvious New York Times editorial and political objectives of inoculating Hillary Clinton and her 2016 presidential campaign from further criticism of her failures as Secretary of State, the story contradicts objective truth and established facts in a way that confuses the public. Your inaction and failure to lead on the Benghazi investigation directly contributes to the repetition of lies; a lack of accountability from responsible government officials; and the political advancement of persons who seek to continue to “fundamentally transform” the Constitution and our country. The New York Times recent publication proves the Benghazi story is not “going away.”
Your oversight of the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation has been without any meaningful effect or result. Not a single terrorist in this well-planned and executed military attack by radical Islamists has been apprehended. Ahmed Abu Khattala, a ringleader of the attack, granted long interviews to reporters in Benghazi cafes, while the Obama administration – and you – have done nothing. Nearly 16 months after the terrorist attack, the American public has no accountability and no plan of action from House leadership. The public is subjected to undisputed disinformation from a White House who calls the terror attack a “phony scandal.” While the White House repeats false and misleading information, you continue to ignore claims, documented by Rep. Frank Wolf, of intelligence officers being intimidated with multiple, punitive polygraph examinations and harassing non-disclosure agreement demands. If Benghazi is “phony” why are intelligence officers being threatened not to speak and subjected to polygraph exams? Why do you stand by passively?
Some analysts believe your inaction and passivity towards getting to the truth concerning Benghazi is because you were briefed on the intelligence and special operations activities in Libya as a member of the “Super 8.” You may possess “guilty knowledge.” We recall how then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi developed a form of “amnesia” concerning a documented briefing she received on so-called “enhanced interrogation techniques” – later termed “torture” for political purposes. Are you in the same position as your predecessor? Are you dodging a legitimate, thorough, coordinated investigation of Benghazi because it will damage your political position as Speaker?”
You can click any of the above text to read the rest. This is signed by numerous Generals, Admirals, Colonels, Captains and others.
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2. The Obama admin has finally gotten around to maybe actually holding someone responsible. But I wouldn’t hold my breath.
From TheWeeklyStandard “The State Department today publicly announced a $10 million reward “for information leading to the arrest or conviction of any individual responsible for the September 11, 2012 Benghazi attacks.” The announcement for the reward is posted on rewardsforjustice.net.”
“Because of “security issues” the offer of the $10 million reward had not been officially announced until today.”
More like delayed by lies and CYA from Obama and Hillary.
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3. The unemployment rate has dropped again. Fuzzy Math, as always.
From TheFederalist “According to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released this morning, the U.S. economy last month added 74,000 new payroll jobs, while the unemployment rate fell to 6.7 percent from 7.0 percent. Good news, right? Not really.
Yes, the unemployment rate has fallen significantly from its high of 10 percent in October of 2009. But it turns out the unemployment rate has been falling for a pretty depressing reason: people dropping out of the labor force. Last month, 347,000 workers dropped out, effectively sending the message that it wasn’t even worth looking for work anymore.”
“In June of 2009, the labor force participation rate was 65.7 percent (by way of comparison, the average over the last decade is 65.1 percent, while the peak was 66.5 percent in June of 2003). Since the end of the recession, that number has nose-dived. At the end of last month, it hit 62.8 percent — on par with what the U.S. experienced in the late 1970′s (although at the time, the number was on the upswing).”
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4. And we have another ObamaCare success story. 🙄
Firemen getting their hours cut, and communities having to fork out more taxpayer dollars because of it.
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Our Daily Thread 1-10-14
Good Morning!
On this day in 1911 Major Jimmie Erickson took the first photograph from an airplane while flying over San Diego, CA.
In 1920 the League of Nations ratified the Treaty of Versailles, officially ending World War I with Germany.
In 1943 President Franklin D. Roosevelt sailed from Miami, FL, to Trinidad thus becoming the first American President to visit a foreign country during wartime.
In 1949 vinyl records were introduced by RCA (45 rpm) and Columbia (33.3 rpm).
And in 1951 Donald Howard Rogers piloted the first passenger jet on a trip from Chicago to New York City.
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Quote of the Day
“I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.”
George Washington Carver
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Today is Jim Croce’s birthday.
It’s also Ronnie Hawkins’.
It’s also Michael Schenker’s, of the Scorpions and UFO. But this one is him paired on guitar with Warren DeMartini and Ratt for an acoustic show. Covering Fleetwood Mac and CCR. Gotta love YouTube, you can find anything there. 🙂
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Yesterday I mentioned some photos I took of the Lehigh river. Here are a few.
The 1st is the section where the ice jammed up, causing it to stack 6 feet high in some areas. This jam up caused the water to back up and rise about 18 feet. The 2nd photo is the flooded, frozen road. The 3rd is the entire river covered by ice further downstream. There was a car frozen up to it’s door windows further upstream because the lady driving it ignored the road closed signs and had to be rescued, but you couldn’t get to it.
Just click the pics for a larger view.
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Anyone have a QoD for us today?
Prayer Requests 1-10-14
Who would like to share a request or praise?
Psalm 143:1-11
¹Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
2 And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
4 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.
5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.
6 I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.
7 Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.
10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
11 Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
News/Politics 1-10-14
What’s interesting in the news today?
1. The WSJ has a piece on the differences between Christie and Obama when it comes to dealing with scandals.
From TheWallStJournal ” Governor Chris Christie apologized to New Jersey on Thursday for aides who closed traffic lanes in order to punish a Democratic mayor, and he fired a deputy chief of staff. We mention the IRS because Mr. Christie’s contrition contrasts so sharply with President Obama’s handling of the tax agency’s abuse of political opponents and his reluctance to fire anyone other than a military general for anything.”
“Which brings us to the Obama Administration, which quickly leaked to the media that the U.S. Attorney is investigating the lane closures as a criminal matter. Well, that sure was fast, and nice of Eric Holder‘s Justice Department to show its typical discretion when investigating political opponents.
This is the same Administration that won’t tell Congress what resources it is devoting to the IRS probe, and appears to be slow-rolling it. It has also doubled down by expanding the political vetting of 501(c)(4) groups seeking tax-exempt status. Lois Lerner, who ran the IRS tax-exempt shop and took the Fifth before Congress, was allowed to “retire,” presumably with a pension. Acting IRS commissioner Steven Miller resigned under pressure but no other heads have rolled. Yet compared to using the IRS against political opponents during an election campaign, closing traffic lanes for four days is jaywalking.
We raise this mostly because our media friends have been complicit in dismissing the IRS abuses, and for that matter every other legal abuse during the Obama years. The exception is the Edward Snowden theft of National Security Agency documents, which so far have exposed not a single example of law-breaking.”
Yet the media sure is all over this bridge thing, like good little lap dogs.
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2. The Youth Misery Index has hit an all-time high. (I didn’t even know there was one)
All I can say is sorry kids, but elections really do have consequences. You helped cause this. Now what are you going to do about it?
From TheCollegeFix “A Youth Misery Index that measures young Americans’ woes has skyrocketed under President Barack Obama and hit an all-time high.
The index, released Wednesday, was calculated by adding youth unemployment and average college loan debt figures with each person’s share of the national debt. While it has steadily grown over the decades, under Obama the figure has shot up dramatically, from 83.5 in 2009 to 98.6 in 2013.
The index has increased by 18.1 percent since Obama took office, the highest increase under any president, making Obama the worst president for youth economic opportunity, according to the nonprofit that released the figure.
“Young people are suffering under this economy,” said Ashley Pratte, program officer for Young America’s Foundation, which developed the index and calculates it annually using federal statistics. “They’re still living in their parent’s basements, unable to find full-time jobs that pay them what they need in order to pay back their debt.”
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3. We just had a story on the overbearing regulations from the Obama admin during his terms. Now we get an idea on what some of that over-regulation is costing the economy.
From TheWashingtonExaminer “New federal regulations cost the economy $112 billion in 2013, according to a newly released tally of government figures from the American Action Forum.
Led by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy and health care agencies, the federal government added 157.9 million hours of paperwork for U.S. workers.
American Action Forum, a right-of-center Washington think tank, found in an analysis of Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and Federal Register data released Wednesday that regulators have published $494 billion in net costs in final rules from 2009 through 2013.”
“The largest new burden in terms of paperwork came from an “obscure” rule relating to affirmative action and nondiscrimination for contractors. It would add 9.9 million hours of paperwork.”
Gee, why is that last part not shocking? 🙄
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4. Here’s an update on the story from yesterday about the DoJ crying racism (shocking right?) in school discipline.
From CNSNews “particularly in the case of minority students and other federally protected groups.
“Racial discrimination in school discipline is a real problem today,” said Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who joined Attorney General Eric Holder in speaking about the new guidance. Holder said “students of color and those with disabilities” often receive “different and more severe punishment than their peers.”
While the nation’s schools are under local control, they must follow federal civil rights and disability laws. And the new guidance for the nation’s schools could subject more of those schools to federal discrimination lawsuits. In fact, the crackdown already is happening, as CNSNews.com previously reported.
While the guidance is “voluntary,” it encourages schools to set up a “recordkeeping system” that tracks demographic information on misbehaving students, including their “race, sex, disability, age and English-learner status” along with the infraction, the discipline imposed, who imposed it, etc.”
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5. Once again the DoJ sticks it’s nose where it’s not needed. Now Lehigh University will be investigated for racism. Not because of any request from the victims, but an alumni in Connecticut who graduated in 1977. Any excuse to cry racism I guess. Doesn’t the DoJ, and this woman, have more important things to worry about than this?
From LehighValleyLive “The federal government is launching an investigation into allegations that Lehigh University has failed to properly address incidents of racial harassment on campus and created a racially hostile environment, a spokesman said.
Spokesman David Thomas said the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights has decided to investigate the complaint lodged in November by Lehigh University alumna Susan Magaziner.
Magaziner, of Connecticut, submitted the complaint on behalf of students after a Nov. 6 incident on campus where the multicultural dorm known as the Umoja House was vandalized with eggs and graffiti that included racial slurs. The crime remains unsolved, but Lehigh University police Chief Edward Shupp said the investigation is ongoing.
The vandalism followed the formation on campus of FBR, or From Beneath the Rug, in response to an off-campus fight involving a Lehigh University football player that members say was sparked by racial comments.”
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6. More glitches in the ObamaCare website. You might’ve thought you signed up, but that doesn’t mean you’re getting a policy.
From ABCNews “Record-keeping snags could complicate the start of insurance coverage this month as people begin using policies they purchased under President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul.
Insurance companies are still trying to sort out cases of so-called health insurance orphans, customers for whom the government has a record that they enrolled, but the insurer does not.
Government officials say the problem is real but under control, with orphan records being among the roughly 13,000 problem cases they are trying to resolve with insurers. But insurance companies are worried the process will grow more cumbersome as they deal with the flood of new customers who signed up in December as enrollment deadlines neared.
More than 1 million people have signed up through the federal insurance market that serves 36 states. Officials contend the error rate for new signups is close to zero.”
And the one million number is bogus. Just opening up an account and putting a policy in your shopping cart doesn’t mean you “signed up.” But since not many have actual policies, they had to do something to make the numbers look good. Fuzzy math is all that number is.
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Our Daily Thread 1-9-14
Good Morning!
On this day in 1861 the state of Mississippi seceded from the United States.
In 1902 New York State introduced a bill to outlaw flirting in public.
In 1929 The Seeing Eye was incorporated in Nashville, TN. The company’s purpose was to train dogs to guide the blind.
In 1936 the United States Army adopted the semi-automatic rifle.
In 1951 the United Nations headquarters officially opened in New York City.
And in 1969 the supersonic aeroplane Concorde made its first trial flight.
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Quote of the Day
“I am not a crook.”
Richard M. Nixon
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Today is Pam Thum’s birthday.
It’s also Bob Denver’s.
Good luck getting that outta your head. 🙂
And it’s also composer John Knowles Paine’s. So “The Tempest” from PhilRowlands.com
It’s Jimmy Page’s birthday as well. So Jimmy and Robert, un-Leded.
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Wandering Views 