Month: February 2015

by

Our Daily Thread 2-28-15

Good Morning!

Welcome to the weekend! 🙂

And not just any weekend, but the one with the last day of Feb. and the first day of March in it!

Spring is 21 days from today!!!! 🙂

______________________________________________

On this day in 1849 regular steamboat service to California via Cape Horn arrived in San Francisco for the first time. The SS California had left New York Harbor on October 6, 1848. The trip took 4 months and 21 days.

In 1854 the Republican Party was organized in Ripon, WI. About 50 slavery opponents began the new political group. 

In 1956 a patent was issued to Forrester for a computer memory core. 

In 1979 Mr. Ed the horse died.

And in 1993 U.S. Federal agents raided the compound of an armed religious cult in Waco, TX. The ATF had planned to arrest the leader of the Branch Davidians, David Koresh, on federal firearms charges. Four agents and six Davidians were killed and a 51-day standoff followed. 

______________________________________________

Quotes of the Day

“Unfortunately, we don’t educate drivers enough to be respectful on the road.”

————

“Everything comes to those who wait… except a cat.” 🙂

Mario Andretti

______________________________________________

 Today is John Alden Carpenter’s birthday.

______________________________________________

Anyone have a QoD?

by

Prayer Requests 2-28-15

Anyone have something to share?

Psalm 73

¹Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.

2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.

3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4 For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.

5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.

6 Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.

7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.

8 They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.

9 They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.

10 Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.

11 And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?

12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.

13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.

14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.

15 If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.

16 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;

17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.

18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.

19 How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

20 As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.

21 Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.

22 So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.

23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.

24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.

26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

27 For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.

28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.

by

Our Daily Thread 2-27-15

Good Morning!

It’s Friday!!!

 Our header photo is another from Cheryl’s feeder. 🙂

______________________________________________

On this day in 1827 New Orleans held its first Mardi Gras celebration. 

In 1867 Dr. William G. Bonwill invented the dental mallet. 😯

In 1896 The “Charlotte Observer” published a picture of an X-ray photograph made by Dr. H.L. Smith. The photograph showed a perfect picture of all the bones of a hand and a bullet that Smith had placed between the third and fourth fingers in the palm. 

And in 1949 Chaim Weizmann became the first Israeli president. 

______________________________________________

Quote of the Day

“Into each life some rain must fall.”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

______________________________________________

 Today is Marian Anderson’s birthday.

And it’s Neil Schon’s too. Instead of Journey, let’s have Neil and Carlos instead.

______________________________________________

Anyone have a QoD?

by

Prayer Requests 2-27-15

It’s Friday, so don’t forget to pray for Mumsee, Mike, and the Nestlings.

Anyone else?

Psalm 72

¹Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son.

2 He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.

3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.

4 He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.

5 They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.

6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.

7 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.

8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.

10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

12 For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.

13 He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.

14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.

15 And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised.

16 There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.

17 His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.

18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.

19 And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.

20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

by

News/Politics 2-27-15

What’s interesting in the news today?

1. It ain’t broke, but they “fixed” it anyway.

From MSN/Reuters  “U.S. regulators on Thursday imposed the toughest rules yet on Internet service providers, aiming to ensure fair treatment of all web traffic through their networks.

The Federal Communications Commission voted along party lines, with Democrats in favor, to approve new “net neutrality” rules that seek to restrict broadband providers’ power to control download speeds on the web, for instance by potentially giving preference to companies that can afford to pay more.

The vote starts a countdown to expected lawsuits from cable and telecoms providers which argue that the tougher regulatory regime will stifle investments, hurting consumers. Republicans see Thursday’s move as a government power grab.

The new regulations come after a year of jostling between cable and telecom companies and net neutrality advocates, which included web startups. It culminated in the FCC receiving a record 4 million comments and a call from President Barack Obama to adopt the strongest rules possible.

The agency sought new net neutrality rules after a federal court rejected their previous version in January 2014.”

Let’s hope the courts overturn this power grab as well.

_____________________________________

2. And speaking of power grabs….

From TheNYPost  “President Obama was grilled Wednesday by anxious immigrants concerned about the fate of their undocumented relatives after a court ruling and a clash with Congress have left them in the lurch.”

“Immigration activist Erica Andiola, whose mom could be deported, asked, “What’s going to happen to my family? Given the fact that immigration reform, it’s not going to happen anytime soon and we know that because of the politics in Congress. What’s gonna happen in the meantime when my mom — and my family if immigration enforcement comes to my house once again?”

Obama said, “We’re still going to make sure your mom is not prioritized for enforcement. She should feel confident about that. I want her to feel confident about that short-term. Long-term, we need to get a path to citizenship.””

So he’ll continue to ignore the laws of this country.

_____________________________________

3. Harry Reid just feeds his ego.

From CNSNews  ““The President has the right to determine who is to be deported” when it comes to illegal aliens currently living in the United States, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) stated during debate on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) funding bill on Monday.

“The President has the right to determine who is to be deported, and the families of these DREAMERS are way down the list,” Reid declared.

“DREAMers” refer to illegal aliens who were brought to the United States as children and are currently being granted temporary amnesty under President Obama’s 2012 executive action.

Reid also accused Republicans of “attacking families” that “pose no security risk” to the United States by not funding Obama’s amnesty programs, a plan Reid said is “destined to fail.””

Not a security risk? I’m willing to bet that the numerous victims of illegal alien identity theft would say otherwise.

_____________________________________

4. So of course a president that thinks he’s above the law would want yet another AG who thinks the same.

From NBCNews  “Yhe office headed by the woman poised to become the next attorney general has used an unusual method to keep many of its prosecutions hidden from the public, an NBC News investigation has found.

Federal prosecutors in New York’s Brooklyn-based Eastern District pursued cases against secret, unnamed “John Doe” defendants 58 times since Loretta Lynch became head prosecutor in May 2010. Two of the 58 are terrorism cases.”

“Federal prosecutors around the country use a variety of techniques to keep the identities of defendants secret, often to protect cooperating witnesses or to help secure a plea deal. Methods include filing cases under seal to keep them off court dockets, or sealing the identities of some secondary defendants who have become cooperating witnesses.

The Eastern District’s use of John Doe, however, is conspicuous. None of the nation’s 93 other federal district courts has charged more than eight “Does” during the same time period, and the national average is under four. * In the two federal districts with similar pending criminal caseloads (approximately 3000 cases) — Arizona and the Southern District of California — there is only one case involving a “John Doe” defendant.”

_____________________________________

5. Walker wows ’em.

From NationalReview  “The governor, considered a top contender in the 2016 Republican presidential primary, got a quick standing ovation for his response — one of a number he got during his address.

After spending some time touting his strong domestic record as governor of Wisconsin, Walker sharply criticized the Obama administration for its ineffective strategy in the fight against the Islamic State, and its disapproval of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming address before Congress.

Looking to shore up his own bona fides on foreign policy, Walker went out of his way to tell the audience that, as governor, he receives FBI briefings about potential threats to his state. And he pointed to his 2011 face-off with public-employee unions as preparing him for these sorts of situations.

“If I can take on 100,000 protesters, I can do the same across the world,” he said.

Walker’s speech, one of the most anticipated of the conference, capped off the first day, and had the auditorium filled to capacity, including crowds standing alongside the walls.”

_____________________________________

6. Ben Carson was pretty good as well.

From TheDailyMail  “Dr. Ben Carson grabbed the Democratic Party’s third rail with both hands Thursday morning, launching a political attack based on his complaint that liberals are ‘making people dependent’ in majority-black American inner-cities.

Race politics have been the near-exclusive domain of the Democrats since the civil-rights era of the 1960s, and Barack Obama’s successful White House bid in 2008 solidified their position.

But Carson – the most prominent black Republican in the 2016 presidential picture – told the Conservative Political Action Conference near Washington, D.C. on Thursday that the Democrats now see African-Americans’ support as an entitlement – choosing to ‘keep them suppressed and cultivate their votes.'”

“Matthew Brown, a New York college student attending the conference, told Daily Mail Online that Carson is just hitting his stride.

‘He’s shaking people up and freaking people out,’ Brown said. ‘The days of a lily-white GOP are starting to fade, and the only people who seem to oppose this energetic and thoughtful black guy are the Democrats. That should tell you something.'”

_____________________________________

by

Our Daily Thread 2-26-15

Good Morning!

 Today’s header photo is from Cheryl.

______________________________________________

On this day in 1863 President Lincoln signed the National Currency Act. 

In 1870 New York City opened the first pneumatic-powered subway line to the public. 

In 1929 President Coolidge signed a bill creating the Grand Teton National Park. 

In 1930 New York City installed traffic lights.  

In 1991 Iraqi President Saddam Hussein announced on Baghdad Radio that Iraqi troops were being withdrawn from Kuwait.

And in 1993 six people were killed and more than a thousand injured when a van exploded in the parking garage beneath the World Trade Center in New York City.

______________________________________________

Quote of the Day

“Let’s make some funny pictures.”

Tex Avery

______________________________________________

 Today is Johnny Cash’s birthday, so it’s Johnny, with Anita.

And one more…

______________________________________________

Anyone have a QoD?

by

Prayer Requests 2-26-15

It’s Thursday, so please remember to pray for the folks in PNG, as well as Jo.

Anyone else have something to share?

Psalm 71:1-16

¹In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.

2 Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.

3 Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.

4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

5 For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth.

6 By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.

7 I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.

8 Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.

9 Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.

10 For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,

11 Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.

12 O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.

13 Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.

14 But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.

15 My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.

16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.

 

by

News/Politics 2-16-15

What’s interesting in the news today?

1. Not good news……

From Inquisitr  “ISIS is clearly feeling the pain after weeks of intense air strikes against it by the U.S.- led coalition fighting the spread of the terrorist organization in the Middle East.

 Employing its familiar tactics, the Islamic State is now threatening to execute the 150 Assyrian Christians they have taken hostage in Syria.

While initial reports suggested that between 70 and 100 people had been taken captive, according to the Daily Mail the true figure is thought to be almost double, including many women, children and elderly people.

It is thought that a new ISIS video is in the making which will address American President Barack Obama. It will tell him that if the air strikes don’t stop, the 150 Christian hostages will be killed.”

_____________________________________

2. Bibi declines a Democrat offer to meet behind closed doors.

From TheJerusalemPost  “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declined an invitation by Senate Democrats to meet during his visit to Washington next week, citing fears it might “compound the misperception of partisanship” surrounding the trip.

“I regret that the invitation to address the special joint session of Congress has been perceived by some to be political or partisan,” reads the letter, obtained by The Jerusalem Post. “I can assure you that my sole intention in accepting it was to voice Israel’s grave concerns about a potential nuclear agreement with Iran that could threaten the survival of my country.”

The letter was addressed to Senators Richard Durbin (D-Illinois) and Dianne Feinstein (D-California), who invited the prime minister to discuss his concerns in detail to Democrats in a closed-door environment, in addition to the address.

Netanyahu said he considers the speech an opportunity to address the representatives of the American people, and not of one particular political party.”

So the quarrel intensifies.

From MSN/AP  ” Trading barbs, the U.S. and Israel escalated their increasingly public spat Wednesday over Benjamin Netanyahu’s GOP-engineered congressional speech next week, with the Israeli prime minister accusing world powers of rolling over to allow Tehran to develop nuclear weapons. Secretary of State John Kerry openly questioned Netanyahu’s judgment on the issue.

The comments injected new tension into an already strained relationship between the close allies ahead of Netanyahu’s address to Congress next Tuesday. More Democratic lawmakers announced they would skip the speech, which was orchestrated by GOP leaders without the Obama administration’s knowledge.

Netanyahu hopes his speech will strengthen opposition to a potential nuclear deal with Iran, President Barack Obama’s signature foreign policy objective. U.S. and Iranian officials reported progress in negotiations this week on a deal that would clamp down on Tehran’s nuclear activities for at least 10 years but then slowly ease restrictions.”

_____________________________________

3. Vermont is considering legal action against Jonathon Gruber.

From RedAlertPolitics  “A Vermont state auditor is blowing the whistle on Obamacare architect Jonathan Gruber’s suspect “billing practices.”

In a memo sent to Administration Secretary Justin Johnson Monday, Auditor Doug Hoffer presents evidence that suggests Gruber “overstated” the hours worked on his economic modeling contract for the state, as reports the Burlington Free Press. Hoffer is therefore referring the issue to Attorney General William Sorrell, who himself expressed concern about the “serious questions” raised by the auditor.

The $400,000 contract began in July 2014, and thus Gruber was working on it when his comments about Obamacare’s “lack of transparency” and the “stupidity of the American voter” went viral last November.

The contract was renegotiated in November following the media reports of the MIT professor’s comments and Gruber’s billing was kept under watch.

“The evidence suggests that Dr. Gruber overstated the hours worked by the RA and that the Agency of Administration ignored the obvious signs that something was amiss,” the state auditor writes in the memo.”

_____________________________________

4. Are police abusing forfeiture laws? Sure looks like it.

From TheDetroitFreePress  “Thomas Williams was alone that November morning in 2013 when police raided his rural St. Joseph County home, wearing black masks, camouflage and holding guns at their sides. They broke down his front door with a battering ram.

“We think you’re dealing marijuana,” they told Williams, a 72-year-old, retired carpenter and cancer patient who is disabled and carries a medical marijuana card.

When he protested, they handcuffed him and left him on the living room floor as they ransacked his home, emptying drawers, rummaging through closets and surveying his grow room, where he was nourishing his 12 personal marijuana plants as allowed by law. Some had recently begun to die, so he had cloned them and had new seedlings, although they were not yet planted. That, police insisted, put him over the limit.

They did not charge Williams with a crime, though.

Instead, they took his Dodge Journey, $11,000 in cash from his home, his television, his cell phone, his shotgun and are attempting to take his Colon Township home. And they plan to keep the proceeds, auctioning off the property and putting the cash in police coffers.”

It’s been over a year, no charges, yet police refuse to return his property. There are numerous other examples as well.

_____________________________________

5. Looks like Obama isn’t the only one… 😆

From YouGov  “Only 71% of under-30s say they ‘love America’ compared to 93% of over-65s – but Americans tend to think Obama loves the country“

“YouGov’s latest research shows that Americans do tend to think that Barack Obama does, in fact, love America. 47% say that the president loves America, while 35% agree with Rudy Giuliani that the president does not. There is a predictably large partisan divide on the issue, however, with 85% of Democrats saying that he loves America and 69% of Republicans saying that he does not. Independents are roughly divided on the issue, with 42% saying he loves the country and 38% saying he doesn’t.”

“When Americans themselves are asked whether they love America, under-30s are noticeably less likely than their elders to say that they love America. 93% of over-65s and 90% of people aged 45 to 64 say that they love America, but only 71% of under-30s also say that they love America. 15% of under-30s say that they do not love America, while 14% aren’t sure.”

_____________________________________

6. Related to the above? 😆

From RedAlertPolitics  “American millennials really can’t catch a break.

If they aren’t getting bad news from the latest unemployment numbers or the student loan debt dollars, they aren’t getting disappointing news from a new study comparing them to the rest of the developed world.

The new analysis, released Tuesday by the Educational Testing Service, makes use of data collected by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development through a project called the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies, according to Inside Higher Ed.

It focused on millennials, defining the generation as those between 16 and 34, and focused on three areas of study — literacy, numeracy and problem solving.

The U.S. did not fare well.

The U.S. ranked last in both numeracy and problem solving. They were tied with Italy and Spain for last in numeracy and tied with Slovak Republic, Ireland and Poland in problem solving.”

_____________________________________