Month: May 2014

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Our Daily Thread 5-20-14

Good Morning!

Today’s header photo is from Kare.

On this day in 1506, in Spain, Christopher Columbus died in poverty. 

In 1775 North Carolina became the first colony to declare its independence. This is the date that is on the George state flag even though the date of this event has been questioned. 

In 1861 North Carolina became the eleventh state to secede from the Union. 

In 1930 the first airplane was catapulted from a dirigible. 

And in 1969 U.S. and South Vietnamese forces captured Apbia Mountain, aka Hamburger Hill.

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Quote of the Day

“To pitch a perfect game wearing pinstripes at Yankee Stadium, it’s unbelievable. Growing up a Yankee fan, to come out here and make history, it really is a dream come true.”

David Wells

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Today is Jimmy Stewart’s birthday. So here’s some of Jimmy at his finest.

And this one is because I like it. From brandonheath

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Anyone have a QoD?

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Prayer Requests 5-20-14

Anyone have a request or praise to share today?

Psalm 111

¹Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.

2 The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.

3 His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever.

4 He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the Lord is gracious and full of compassion.

5 He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant.

6 He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen.

7 The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.

8 They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.

9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

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News/Politics 5-20-14

What’s interesting in the news today?

1. System wide.

From HotAir  “Add yet another VA facility to the deadly wait-list fraud scandal. The Daily Beast heard from a whistleblower in the Albuquerque VA organization that the same kind of wait-list fraud alleged at seven other facilities occurs in New Mexico as well. Veterans have to wait months to get medical attention, and any investigation may already be too late for some of them:

Add Albuquerque, New Mexico’s to the growing list of VA hospitals accused of keeping secret waiting lists to hide delays for veterans seeking medical care. And it may already be too late to get to the truth and find out what harm, if any, was done to veterans there—VA officials are already destroying records to cover their tracks, a whistleblower inside the hospital tells The Daily Beast. …

“The ‘secret wait list’ for patient appointments is being either moved or was destroyed after what happened in Phoenix,” according to a doctor who works at the Albuquerque VA hospital and spoke exclusively with The Daily Beast. “Right now,” the doctor said, “there is an eight-month waiting list for patients to get ultrasounds of their hearts. Some patients have died before they got their studies. It is unknown why they died, some for cardiac reasons, some for other reasons.”

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2. And the number of victims continues to climb as well.

From StarsAndStripes  “As controversy swirls around the Veterans Administration over deaths caused by delayed care, an investigation by the Dayton Daily News found that the VA settled many cases that appear to be related to delays in treatment.

A database of paid claims by the VA since 2001 includes 167 in which the words “delay in treatment” is used in the description. The VA paid out a total of $36.4 million to settle those claims, either voluntarily or as part of a court action.

The VA has admitted that 23 people have died because of delayed care, and is facing accusations that hospital administrators are gaming the system to conceal wait times, including using a “secret list” at the VA in Phoenix.”

“The number of dead veterans could total more than 1,100 from 2001 through the first half of 2013 — including 16 at the Dayton VA Medical Center and 11 at the Cincinnati VA — according to records obtained via Freedom of Information Act. These are instances in which the family of a veteran claimed that a death occurred after something went awry and the VA paid money to resolve the issue.”

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3. What does this teach us?

From NationalReview  “If our government has any obligation to fulfill its many promises on health care, it should be first and foremost to the men and women who served in our armed forces. But the scandal over hidden waiting lists at a growing number of veterans’ hospitals (seven so far) — wherein dozens of veterans died while waiting months for vital treatment, and the VA covered up the lengthy wait times — should make everyone wonder whether we can place our trust in a government-managed health-care system. The Dayton Daily News reported on Sunday that its investigation of a database of claims paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs shows that the words “delay in treatment” were used 167 times. The VA paid out a total of $36.4 million to settle the claims. There could well be many more cases of “death by delay” at the VA that never came to light.

Are there lessons in the VA scandal for the rest of us if Obamacare survives and even expands? You betcha. The first lesson is that as government expands taxpayer subsidies for health care, the demand will always outstrip supply.”

“There’s a lot to be mad about at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Michael Tanner of the Cato Institute notes that more than 344,000 claims for veterans’ care are backed up and waiting to be processed. It takes an average of 160 days for a veteran to be approved for health benefits, and the VA itself estimates that is has an error rate of at least 9 percent in processing claims. According to VA figures for 2012, as reported by the Washington Post, “a veteran who takes an appeal through all available administrative steps faces an average wait of 1,598 days.” That’s more than four years of waiting.

Obamacare will dramatically expand access to the health-care system at the same time that many surveys show doctors are likely to retire or cut back their hours. It is almost inevitable that we’ll see more waiting-list scandals as the need to ration care grows.”

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4. Gee Harry, don’t you think this makes you a hypocrite after all your ranting on the Koch Bros.?

From TheNYTimes  “Tom Steyer, the billionaire climate activist, recently contributed $5 million to a “super PAC” dedicated to keeping Democrats in control of the United States Senate, cementing his alliance with the party as the 2014 campaign swings into high gear.

Mr. Steyer, a retired hedge fund manager, has used some of his fortune in an effort to make climate change a more potent political issue in pivotal states like Florida, Iowa and Virginia. He is planning to raise $100 million to run campaigns on climate issues, including efforts to persuade lawmakers and the Obama administration to block the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

The contribution, confirmed by a Steyer spokesman and the super PAC, the Senate Majority PAC, makes Mr. Steyer the single largest contributor to the group this year as Democratic donors rush to provide funds to left-leaning groups. Republicans have relied far more heavily on political nonprofit groups that do not disclose their donors.

“Our candidates have faced a torrent of outside money of unprecedented scale,” Karyn Brockman, the Senate Majority PAC’s finance director, said in a statement. “As the leading Democratic super PAC, and the only one dedicated to keeping the Senate, we have had record-setting support, but we realize that we must continue to fight back.”

And another 40 million from Soros’ group as well. Yep, the Kochs’ are the problem. 🙄

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5. Back door gun control.

From TheWashingtonTimes  “Gun retailers say the Obama administration is trying to put them out of business with regulations and investigations that bypass Congress and choke off their lines of credit, freeze their assets and prohibit online sales.

Since 2011, regulators have increased scrutiny on banks’ customers. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. in 2011 urged banks to better manage the risks of their merchant customers who employ payment processors, such as PayPal, for credit card transactions. The FDIC listed gun retailers as “high risk” along with porn stores and drug paraphernalia shops.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department has launched Operation Choke Point, a credit card fraud probe focusing on banks and payment processors. The threat of enforcement has prompted some banks to cut ties with online gun retailers, even if those companies have valid licenses and good credit histories.

“This administration has very clearly told the banking industry which customers they feel represent ‘reputational risk’ to do business with,” said Peter Weinstock, a lawyer at Hunton & Williams LLP. “So financial institutions are reacting to this extraordinary enforcement arsenal by being ultra-conservative in who they do business with: Any companies that engage in any margin of risk as defined by this administration are being dropped.””

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Our Daily Thread 5-19-14

Good Morning!

Today’s header photo is from Janice.

On this day in 1535 French explorer Jacques Cartier set sail for North America. 

In 1796 the first U.S. game law was approved. The measure called for penalties for hunting or destroying game within Indian territory. 

In 1864 the Union and Confederate armies launched their last attacks against each other at Spotsylvania in Virginia. 

In 1911 the first American criminal conviction that was based on fingerprint evidence occurred in New York City. 

And in 1958 Canada and the U.S. formally established the North American Air Defense Command. 

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Quote of the Day

“A question that sometimes drives me hazy, am I or are the others crazy?”

Albert Einstein

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Today is Dusty Hill’s birthday.

And it’s Pete Townshend’s too. From MTVClassic1

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Anyone have a QoD?

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Prayer Requests 5-19-14

Anyone have a request or praise to share?

Psalm 110

¹The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.

4 The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.

6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.

7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.

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News/Politics 5-19-14

What’s interesting in the news today?

1. How many victims will it take before some heads roll over this? Good question.

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2. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before…..

Another already retiring scape goat “resigns” over the matter. It didn’t work then, and it won’t work now.

From TheWashingtonExaminer  “And then, news broke that one of Shinseki’s top aides had resigned. “Today, I accepted the resignation of Dr. Robert Petzel, Under Secretary for Health in the Department of Veterans Affairs,” Shinseki said in a statement. “As we know from the veteran community, most veterans are satisfied with the quality of their VA health care, but we must do more to improve timely access to that care. I am committed to strengthening veterans’ trust and confidence in their VA healthcare system.”

“By the way, the VA announced in September that Petzel would retire in 2014. And the White House announced May 1 that it intended to nominate Jeffrey Murawsky, director of the VA’s Illinois-based Great Lakes Health Care System, as his replacement.

That “timely access” line alludes to the topic of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing Thursday, at which Shinseki and Petzel both testified, following reports that VA staff cooked the books to hide the fact that veterans were waiting for care beyond the time mandated by department regulations, with some patients even dying before receiving treatment.”

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3. Judge Jeanine destroys the Obama admin’s version of events.

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4. Could it be that our poor excuse for border security and the Obama admin’s “Dreamer” policy are what is responsible for this?

Uh……  yeah.

From StarsandStripes  “Record-breaking numbers of children and teenagers caught in the U.S. illegally and alone have overwhelmed the federal government’s detention network, prompting officials to start housing up to 1,000 on a San Antonio Air Force base.

Kenneth Wolfe, an Office of Refugee Resettlement spokesman, said Friday that the Department of Defense has agreed to start temporarily housing children at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland starting on Sunday.

Resettlement agency officials used the base temporarily as an emergency shelter once before, in the spring of 2012, when the numbers of children caught crossing the border jumped sharply, leaving the federal government scrambling to find adequate bed space.

Since then, their numbers have continued to grow exponentially, driven by what advocates are calling a “humanitarian crisis” in Central and South America. Some 60,000 unaccompanied children and teens are expected this year – up from about 6,560 in 2011, according to the agency.”

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5. It looks like some Nigerians are starting to fight back against Boko Haram.

From CNN  ” Residents of three villages in northeastern Nigeria took security into their own hands this week, repelling attacks by Boko Haram insurgents and killing more than 200 of them, residents and officials said.

Hundreds of Boko Haram fighters stormed the villages of Menari, Tsangayari and Garawa in the ethnic Shuwa-dominated Kalabalge District on Tuesday. Boko Haram — the group responsible for the kidnapping of nearly 300 schoolgirls from the same region — was met with stiff resistance as locals put up a fierce fight, witnesses said.”

“n the three villages attacked Tuesday, gunmen arrived in dozens of all-terrain vans, armored tanks and motorcycles, but villagers quickly mobilized and engaged the attackers in a prolonged battle.”

“When news of the attack filtered out, people trooped out from nearby villages carrying arms.”

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Our Daily Thread 5-17-14

Good Morning!

And Happy Saturday!

Kim sent in this one. It’s a picture of “The Grade” that was discussed yesterday.

Kim The Grade

And this one is from Mumsee.

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On this day in 1792 the New York Stock Exchange was founded at 70 Wall Street by 24 brokers. 

In 1877 the first telephone switchboard burglar alarm was installed by Edwin T. Holmes.

In 1940 Germany occupied Brussels, Belgium and began the invasion of France.  

And in 1973 the U.S. Senate Watergate Committee began its hearings. 

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Quote of the Day

“Accuracy of language is one of the bulwarks of truth.”

Anna Jameson

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Today is Bill Bruford’s birthday, and tomorrow is Rick Wakeman’s. So yes, it’s Yes.

Tomorrow is Perry Como’s.

And tomorrow is also George Strait’s.

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Anyone have a QoD?

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Prayer Requests 5-17-14

Anyone have a request or praise to share?

Psalm 108

¹O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.

2 Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.

3 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.

4 For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.

5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth;

6 That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me.

7 God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.

8 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;

9 Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph.

10 Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?

11 Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?

12 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.

13 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.