Friday, February 28, 2014

Good stuff--what I was able to get to

I'm posting this now, though I have over 100 e-mails I have not had time to read, and may ever get to--sorry. I have surgery through a bronchoscopy Monday to debride the "slough" (dead cells) that has built up on the juncture of my new lung and old body, which is restricting my air intake and causing coughing, though my O2 sats remain good. Hopefully that will fix it and things will settle down. ~Bob

Comment from a client of Tiger Tooth Mountain Resume Service
Bob, Thanks for reviewing my cover letter and giving me some of interview questions. I sent the check. I will email you next couple of days to check on it. Also I want to let you know I was really happy and appreciated your help. I want you to know that if I have any questions I will contact you. --T.Y.

Conflicts of interest common in Legislature -- Robert A. Hall
Letter to the Editor of the State Journal.

NYT/CBS Poll: Six Percent Say Obamacare is Working, Should Remain Intact. By Guy Benson 
Excerpt: Katie wrote up one major element of the new New York Times/CBS News poll -- namely that nearly six in ten Americans are disappointed in Barack Obama's presidency -- but there are additional pieces of data worth teasing out and underscoring as well: (1) The president's approval rating has once again slumped to 41 percent overall, with a majority disapproving of his performance. 

Ukraine official: Russia has launched 'armed invasion' in Crimea
Excerpt: Russian troops moved into Crimea Friday, U.S. officials told Fox News, prompting Ukraine to accuse Russia of an "armed invasion." At the White House, President Obama said the U.S. government is "deeply concerned" by reports of Russian "military movements" and warned any violation of Ukraine's sovereignty would be "deeply destabilizing." (Boy, Russia is risking getting a sharply-worded note from Obama and Kerry! ~Bob)

Putin’s Ukraine Gambit: Meanwhile, Obama fails to understand that American inaction creates a vacuum. By Charles Krauthammer
Excerpt: Henry Kissinger once pointed out that since Peter the Great, Russia had been expanding at the rate of one Belgium per year. All undone, of course, by the collapse of the Soviet Union, which Russian president Vladimir Putin called “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the [20th] century.” Putin’s mission is restoration.

Ukraine and Our Useless Outrage: The history of Obama’s foreign-policy posturing bodes ill for the future of Ukraine. By Victor Davis Hanson
Excerpt: President Obama issued yet another one of those sorts of warnings to stop the violence to Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych just before protesters drove Yanukovych out of office. “There will be consequences if people step over the line,” Obama threatened.

Obama about to repeat Iraq disaster. By Jennifer Rubin
Excerpt: Reuel Marc Gerecht of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies is likewise gloomy: “We will likely have civil war in Afghanistan within a year or so. It’s reasonable to guess that Ayman az-Zawahiri could even reappear in Jallalabad, which is where bin Ladin landed in ’96. This could become excruciatingly surreal and dangerous. Possibly even a greater defeat for the United States than Obama’s flight from Iraq and the red-line fiasco in Syria.” The danger here is that Afghanistan’s central government crumbles, the most dogged Taliban fighters gain the upper hand and back will come the jihadis (although many have found a home in Syria thanks to that Obama foreign policy debacle). 

Sickening update on this story: Dozens Killed in Attack on Nigerian School
Excerpt: Islamic militants set fire to a locked dormitory at a school in northern Nigeria, then shot and slit the throats of students who tried to escape through windows during a pre-dawn attack Tuesday. At least 58 students were killed, including many who were burned alive. (Now, don't get judgmental; remember your Progressive Principles. All cultures are equally valid, and murders by Islamic Militants following the Qur'an's injunction, "I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them" [Quran (8:12)] have nothing to do with Islam, which is a Religion of Peace. ~Bob)

Which Policies Bring Economic Growth?
Excerpt: A review of economic literature confirms that small government policies strengthen economic growth, says John Hood, president of the John Locke Foundation.
The John Locke Foundation assembled a summary of 528 economic policy articles published from 1992 to 2013. The studies presented strong evidence that limited, not big, government is best for economic progress. 112 of the academic studies focused on state and local taxes.

The Truth about the One Percent
Excerpt: Concern over "income inequality" has swept the nation, but the crusade against the top 1 percent is based on dubious assertions. ... These figures indicate that the vast majority of the top 1 percent earned salaries in small and medium-sized businesses, not large financial firms. Moreover, the top 1 percent includes a growing number of athletes, entertainers and coaches. The minimum salary in the NBA, the NFL and MLB is sufficient to put every player in the top 1 percent automatically. The federal government raised $900 billion in individual income taxes in 2010, $350 billion of which came from the top 1 percent. That same year, the top 1 percent earned 36 percent of their income from salaries and wages -- 22 percent came from businesses, farms and partnerships, while only 19 percent came from capital gains.

The liberal agenda: Being good to liberals. By George F. Will
Excerpt: Still, bleak judgments about the stimulus spending miss the main point of it, which was to funnel a substantial share of its money to unionized, dues-paying, Democratic-voting government employees. ... through the proper prism, most liberal policies succeed because they can hardly fail. Each achieves one or both of two objectives — making liberals feel good about themselves and being good to liberal candidates.

The Curse of Modern Man. By Taki Theodoracopulos
http://takimag.com/article/the_curse_of_modern_man_taki/print#ixzz2uZS1ug1n
Excerpt: My question is: Why doesn’t [London's "Queen of the Luvvies"] Stephen Fry ask for boycotts against anything Saudi or Nigerian, where homosexuality is punished by death? I’ll tell you why: Because criticizing Muslims might get his head blown off—cut off, rather—and Nigerians are black, hence above criticism and boycotts. In Nigeria, corruption pervades life top to bottom and is getting worse, not better.

Hawaii Spends $120 Million on Obamacare Exchange, Enrolls...4,300 People. By Guy Benson 
Excerpt: This Obamacare horror story will no doubt be summarily discarded by Harry Reid, but Hawaii's taxpayers may take notice anyway. Remember, Hawaii is one of those enlightened, down-for-the-cause states that happily agreed to fully implement Obamacare -- the sundry failures of which have been lamely and inaccurately blamed on less cooperative states. The law is "going to be smoother in places...where governors are working to implement it rather than fight it, "President Obama told a cheering audience of partisans in late September.

AP Exclusive: Few Army Women Want Combat Jobs
Excerpt: Only a small fraction of Army women say they'd like to move into one of the newly opening combat jobs, but those few who do say they want a job that takes them right into the heart of battle, according to preliminary results from a survey of the service's nearly 170,000 women.

Mt.Gox site disappears, Bitcoin future in doubt
Excerpt: What was once the world's largest trading platform for bitcoins is now a blank page.
The Bitcoin-trading website Mt.Gox was taken offline late Monday, putting at risk millions of dollars put there by investors who gambled on the digital currency. (Bitcoin always struck me as a Ponzi Scheme, like Social Security. I'm naturally conservative, so there was no danger I'd invest a farthing in it. ~Bob)

Federal Fly Swatters: Pit Bulls vs. Poodles
Excerpt: It may come as a surprise to many, but the Library of Congress has its own SWAT team, 85 bodies strong. Learning this elicited a chuckle from me and a recollection of a classic Seinfeld shtick: the Library Cop. It otherwise isn't a laughing matter. A Library of Congress SWAT force showing up outside your door, to paraphrase Mr. Bookman's closing line, would be worse than a pit bull sicced on a poodle.

Open letter to John Kerry - Greater Men have Tried. By Paula R. Stern
Excerpt: Dear Secretary of State John Kerry: Because of my respect for the United States, I will attempt to afford you the honor you think you so richly deserve. It’s hard to speak to you with anything but anger, hard to feel the need, again, to start from the beginning because you clearly choose to ignore history in your quest for glory. It is a quest destined to fail but its outcome, even, or more accurately especially, in failure, will hurt Israel. Greater men than you have tried to make, to force, peace on the Middle East. I promise you, you will fail too. You will fail because you are not addressing the root cause of the problem. You, like so many before you, take the easy way out. Blame Israel. It is so easy to do, and so stupid. (Hanoi John is still out there, as arrogant and stupid as ever, maybe even more so. The Israelis have his number, and we can only shake our heads in embarrassment that he is the official representative of our country. --Del)

Excerpt: Kerry Kennedy played the Catholic card in her drugged-driving trial Tuesday, producing an actual Irish priest who testified that in the 41 years he’s known the jet-setter — from the days she lived in Virginia to the time she cracked up her Lexus SUV in Westchester — he’s never seen her on a bender.

Moore on Global Warming Hoax From The Patriot Post
Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore testified before a Senate committee this week, admitting that any link between human emissions and global warming is dubious at best: "There is no scientific proof that human emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) are the dominant cause of the minor warming of the Earth's atmosphere over the past 100 years." He added, "Today, we live in an unusually cold period in the history of life on earth and there is no reason to believe that a warmer climate would be anything but beneficial for humans and the majority of other species. There is ample reason to believe that a sharp cooling of the climate would bring disastrous results for human civilization." Moore's remarks are exactly right, and his final point is especially important: The implications of a cooler climate are much more severe than the symptoms that would result from a warmer one. The global warming hoax is being destroyed from a growing number of unlikely sources.

Islamists demand levy from Christians in Syrian city
Excerpt: An al Qaeda splinter group has demanded that Christians in a Syrian city it controls pay a levy in gold and curb displays of their faith in return for protection, according to a statement posted online on Wednesday.

Excerpt: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will undoubtedly reduce seniors’ access to care. A huge chunk of the funding for ObamaCare is derived from cutting $716 billion from the Medicare program over the next decade. For instance, one provision cuts the fees paid to physicians who treat Medicare enrollees by 25 percent. Another provision — the Independent Payment Advisory Board — will have the power to slow Medicare spending by curtailing increases in Medicare provider payments. A third strike reduces funding for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, which cover one-quarter of Medicare beneficiaries. Compared to traditional Medicare, MA plans provide approximately $825 annually in added benefits to (mostly) moderate-income enrollees.

Why David Cameron's "Northern Alliance" May Reshape Europe. By Fraser Nelson
Excerpt: If David Cameron were to divide Europe up, he’d make some crude distinctions. There would be the basket cases, like Italy, Spain, Greece, France — examples, by and large, of how countries should not be run. Then there’d be the former Soviet bloc, sceptical about Brussels because they recently escaped a remote, controlling bureaucracy and don’t want to repeat the experience. Then come the good guys, the people with whom he intends to reshape the continent: the Germans, the Dutch and the Scandis. This is the group that the Prime Minister has started referring to as his ‘Northern Alliance

California College Student Teaches School $50,000 Lesson on Constitution.
Excerpt: A California college student who was blocked last year from handing out copies of the Constitution gave his school a lesson in civics and the law, winning a $50,000 settlement and an agreement to revise its speech codes.

Sleeves and the Fine Art of Misdirection. By Andy Weddington
Excerpt: Magicians entertain. The grand ones, illusionists extraordinaire, command the stage, and audience. And much of their act revolves around deception and mastery of misdirection. That is - 'hey folks, look here and not over there or look over there and not here.' In fact, misdirection is the heart of good magic. It's not uncommon for a magician to hike up coat sleeves or roll up shirt sleeves and confidently exclaim, "See, nothing up my sleeve!" Breaches of integrity are purposeful and, well, an integral part of the illusion act.

Syrian Christians Reduced to Dhimmitude, Treaty Of Submission Signed.
Excerpt: I’m telling you, this is the reality of Islam 101, it’s what the jihad is all about, the instituting of the sharia. In the end, you either convert, submit to second class dhimmitude, or face death.

Connecticut to gun owners: "Hey, did you TRY to register?'--SUCKERS! By Moe Lane
Excerpt: You see, these are the people that tried and failed to register their firearms… and it’s absolutely dwarfed by the people who refused to tell the state of Connecticut about their newly-illegal firearms. You know what will happen to those people? That’s right: probably nothing at all. Those people vote, and they’ll still have those votes in November unless the state of Connecticut has suddenly developed a way to arrest, detain, and felony convict en masse several hundred thousand people*.

ManBearPig Blamed for Future Rapes. Gay Patriot Blog
Excerpt: The Schizophrenic Rape Hysteria of the left continues unabated. Did you know Global Warming causes rape?

Israel Sees Record Number of Asylum Seekers [1,705] Leave Country in February. By Ben Hartman
Excerpt: [Interior Minister Gideon] Sa'ar credits the figures to the new anti-infiltration amendment, the opening of the Holot detention facility for African migrants, greater of enforcement against Israelis hiring illegal migrants, the one-time grant that was increased from $1,500 to $3,500 and a general climate that he says is not rewarding for those migrating to Israel illegally.

The Pause and the Cause. By Mark Steyn
Excerpt: Handing out his awards for "sustainability" at Buckingham Palace the other day, the Prince of Wales made a few remarks about "climate change" and attacked "powerful groups of deniers" as a "headless-chicken brigade" ignoring the scientific evidence. It's pretty funny to be called a "headless chicken" by a guy who runs around saying the sky is falling. In 2009 His Royal Highness gave a speech saying we had only 96 months left to save the planet. Ninety-six months? That would be July 2017 — which is only three and a half years off. On the other hand, it's almost twice as far away as January 2016, which is the official final storewide-clearance date for Al Gore's 2006 prediction of the end of the world.

Rigor Mortis. By Mark Steyn
Excerpt: Thanks to everyone who's contacted me since I decided to countersue Michael Mann. That's the main reason I didn't set up a formal "legal defense fund" or "legal defence fund" (as we'll come to in a moment). Because I'm going on legal offense against an abusive litigant. (If you'd like to be a part of the pushback, please consider supporting me by buying a SteynOnline gift certificate: They never expire, so when my new book comes out later this year you won't have to rummage down the back of the sofa for the loose change.)

Michael E Mann: "Sloppy and Unethical" By Mark Steyn
Excerpt: You don't have to be sued by Michael E Mann to have a certain antipathy toward him. It's been fascinating to discover how many people there are who believe in "anthropogenic global warming" and believe in climate science but really, strongly dislike Mann, his methods, and his promotion of himself as sole proprietor of Global Warming, Inc. I quoted a few of them the other day, but you have to be both secure in your career and have a certain toughness to come out against him in public.

Raise Minimum Wage to $14 an Hour Using This One Weird Trick! By Ann Coulter
Excerpt: The minimum wage is the perfect Democratic issue. It will screw the very people it claims to help, while making Democrats look like saviors of the working class, either by getting them a higher wage or providing them with generous government benefits when they lose their jobs because of the mandatory wage hike. Of course, the reason American workers’ wages are so low in the first place is because of the Democrats’ policies on immigration. Republicans might want to point that out.

Ben Shapiro Crashes UCLA Divestment from Israel Hearing, Resolution Defeated 7-5. By Paul Bois
Excerpt: On Tuesday night, the UCLA undergraduate student government heard public testimonies for nearly 9 hours — from 7 p.m. until 4 a.m. — on whether or not the university should go forward with a resolution to boycott and divest from businesses that allegedly “profit from the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank.” The meeting, attended by over 500 people, began at 7 p.m. Tuesday night and ended 6:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. Ben Shapiro, TruthRevolt.org Editor-in-Chief and UCLA alum, crashed the divestment hearing to blast both the student sponsors and those considering the anti-Semitic measure.

Soros and Saudi Arabia Finance a Non-Profit War in Israel. By Daniel Greenfield
Excerpt: Israel is a small country and most Israeli Jews and Arabs already know that the conflict is stirred up by interested parties. They know that rocks don’t just get thrown randomly at soldiers and confrontations between Jewish and Arab villages are often staged by interested parties who don’t even live there. The conflict was always externally encouraged, whether it was the British and the Nazis playing spy games or Iran and the Soviet Union funneling money and instructions to terrorists, but the perpetuation of the conflict has interwoven a mesh of conflict profiteers into the country, from hordes of stringers and journalists looking for a conflict photo or terror interview to sell, and over to the networks of non-profit organizations stirring up violence on an even larger scale and for even uglier motives.

Muslim Converts Jailed for Murder of UK Soldier - Killers Dragged Kicking and Screaming from Court
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/lee-rigbys-killers-michael-adebolajo-3186715#ixzz2uW6N9eNy
Excerpt: The widow of murdered soldier Lee Rigby told a judge of her endless heartache today - just moments before his brutal killers were dragged kicking and screaming to jail

Shapiro: Why Americans Disliked Piers.
Excerpt: This week, CNN's Piers Morgan announced that "Piers Morgan Live" would be coming to an ignominious end sometime in March. His replacement has not yet been chosen. But his television demise came not a moment too soon for millions of Americans who had tired of his sneering nastiness. (I am an Yank and lived in the UK for 30 years. Whenever I encountered Britons who'd deigned to actually visit the USA, they always said the same thing when they came back: "Everyone was so friendly and generous! They couldn't do enough for us! We had a wonderful time!" Whenever I encountered Americans visiting the UK, they always said the same thing: "What's wrong with these people? Who do they think they are?" --Kate. I've been to the UK at least 20 times, found most people very friendly and helpful. Of course, I spent 95% of my time there in Scotland. ~Bob)

John Steinbeck: "Socialism is Just Another Form of Religion and Thuss Delusional." By Daniel Greenfield
Excerpt: On the 112th anniversary of his birth, the left prefers to remember John Steinbeck as the author of Grapes of Wrath, not the patriot and CIA agent. In 2012, the Central Intelligence Agency released documents indicating that Steinbeck had offered to spy for his country. The author planned a tour of Europe in 1952 and asked the agency if it needed anyone on the ground. (God, Si! Religion, No! -Kate.)

The End of the World Powers. By Daniel Greenfield
Excerpt: The only thing less appealing than selfishness is the complete absence of self. The only thing less appealing than empire is an anti-imperialism that so thoroughly negates its own power that it has no influence and no reason to exist. Post-American America exists to destroy itself. Until that changes, it has nothing to offer the world except membership in a suicide pact.
           
Excerpt: "I saw 12 bodies lying motionless on the ground and other 8 people were wounded in the thunderous explosion. The security forces immediately cordoned off the roads leading to the scene of the attack," an eyewitness told Garowe Online. Shabaab, al Qaeda's affiliate in Somalia, quickly claimed credit for the attack, and said more are to come.

Florida special election a test for ObamaCare? By John Roberts
Excerpt: Special elections rarely attract this much attention. But the race for Florida's 13th Congressional District is a hot one -- with so much at stake in November, what happens here is seen as a possible indicator of how the midterm elections could break. (Despite spin from both sides every time, I don't believe specials tell you much. ~Bob)

IDF Restructuring Syrian Border Defenses Due to Jihadi Threat
Excerpt: As Syria's brutal civil war drags on, Israeli military officials are preparing to deal with a rapidly changing security reality brought on by an influx of Islamic jihadists from throughout the world. In this new emerging landscape, both Shi'ite and Sunni terrorist entities grow more powerful and enjoy access to advanced weapons

Marco Rubio is Back! Watch Him Destroy Democrats’ Love of Cuba
Excerpt: Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) took a big tumble in popularity polls among Republicans when he supported John McCain’s Senate effort on comprehensive immigration. Since then he has been quietly toiling at building back up his reputation among conservatives – first, by apologizing for his role in immigration reform. Second, by embracing conservative efforts on many different fronts – like fighting abortion, supporting limits on executive power and standing with Rand Paul against President Obama on drones and with Ted Cruz against funding Obamacare.

Progressive Chameleons: The difficulty of beating an opponent who doesn’t believe in much of anything. By Jim Geraghty
Excerpt: The Obama era is a particularly frustrating period for the Right, as each passing year reveals the extraordinary difficulty of beating a foe who holds few if any inviolable positions or beliefs.

Wounded Warriors Project A Legal Scam. By Alex Graham
As we are coming to find out, wounded Vets are big money. Considering I’m 146% disabled, I’m trying to figure out how to tap into this. The only thing I can see is to start my own 501(c)(3) and start cooking the books with a big $300 K a year salary for my work. (Actually, $300k a year isn't large for the CEO of a charity that size. But I looked at the WWP 990 federal tax return on guidestar.com. In my view, as a retired non-profit executive, they spend far too much on advertising, travel, meetings, rent, salaries, and other overhead, and too little on wounded warriors. ~Bob)

The Alcatraz Gang: Eleven American POWs in Hanoi’s Notorious Camp. By James S. Robbins
Excerpt: Picture yourself locked “in a dimly lit, windowless concrete box, approximately nine feet long by four feet wide,” with a bamboo mat and a bucket, one or both of your ankles locked in irons, left there like a caged animal. Now imagine spending two years there, alone—the isolation interrupted only by routine interrogation and occasional torture sessions, some lasting days—and you are getting close to describing the experiences of a handful of American prisoners of war whose North Vietnamese hosts had designated them as troublemakers. These were the men of Alcatraz. (The book is highly recommended, and the article following is really an eye-opener that a lot of Americans should be reading. --Del)

Lessons on the New Left from the Hanoi Hilton. By Lloyd Billingsley
Excerpt; C-SPAN’s Brian Lamb recently interviewed Lee Ellis, author of Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton.The book is a valuable primer on history that many Americans have forgotten or know only in part. Leading with Honor is also an introduction to characters all Americans should get to know better, such as Tom Hayden and Jane Fonda. Ellis came to know the pair under different circumstances. (A new book on the treatment of our POWs by the communists in Viet Nam. A subject that deserved more attention at the time, and deserves it still to this day. The North Vietnamese were guilty of very clear war crimes, the POW treatments being one of several during and after the war. But oddly, hardly anyone has ever really taken notice of any of it. Somehow the media and academia that were frothing at the mouth about alleged bad acts by Americans could never make the transition to very provable and extensive bad acts by the other guys. And our media and academia haven't changed much since then. --Del)

France's Reckoning: Rich, Young Flee Welfare State. By Dale Hurd     
Excerpt: France's day of reckoning has arrived: Its wealthy, best and brightest are saying goodbye to a nation they believe doesn't want them to succeed or become affluent. According to one poll in Le Point, half of all young adults in France would leave the country if they could because the future looks so bleak. (A country where they super tax the rich, have a tremendous welfare system, and stifle creation of new businesses and entrepreneurism, and gee, it's doesn't seem to be working out well. Maybe there's a lesson here for the USA somewhere? --Del)

New Benghazi Witnesses: Susan Rice's "best information" has gotten better
Excerpt: National Security Advisor Susan Rice appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday and said that when she had appeared on several news outlets back in September 2012 to state that the attack on an American diplomatic installation in Benghazi was a “spontaneous reaction” to an American-made film that appeared on YouTube she had used “the best information we [the White House] had at the time.” Senator John McCain responded to her statement Sunday that it left him “almost speechless.” (Wow, they aren't even smart enough at the White House to just stick with ignoring Benghazi and hoping it gets forgotten. To let Susan Rice come out with comments again at this point in time, when anyone who doesn't know it was a planned attack by pros and that the people at Benghazi knew it and said so at the time, has been either in a coma or somewhere in the mountains where there are no signals from TV, radio, or Internet. But hey, great, bring it up again and let McCain and other just ridicule the heck out of you, and keep the knowledge of the atrocity up in lights. --Del)

Worth Reading: The fabulous life of your US legislator
Excerpt: Match your U.S. lawmaker with the corresponding charges on his or her fundraising expense account, and one can get a textured glimpse of exactly what it takes these days to charm donors. For example, which congressman spent $91,000 in 2013 for a getaway at Dorado Beach Club, a luxury resort in Puerto Rico known for its championship golf courses and plantation-style residences? That would be Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, who has lamented the widening income gap that separates rich and poor and has been a forceful advocate for a minimum wage hike. (I hate to pass on stuff from Al Jazeera, but this article is to interesting to ignore. And it's bipartisan! --Del. To be fair, keeping up with the Obamas is expensive. ~Bob)

Alienating Those Who Defend Us
Excerpt: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced that budget cuts will reduce the size of the U.S. Army to 440,000 soldiers - its lowest number since 1940. However dangerous and unwise, Mr. Hagel's cuts are only the latest steps in the steady alienation of American society from those who defend us.

Global Warming to Cause More Rapes
Excerpt: Here is liberal logic at its finest. This ludicrous claim should show you the desperation of the left. And always remember that the rest of the solar system has had climate change too. (Oh no, Martian rape! --JB).

CINCO DE SHUT-UP: Court Rules School Can Ban American Flag Shirts Because They Upset Mexicans
Excerpt: The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled officials at a Northern California high school were right to place concern of racial violence over freedom of expression rights. (Shouldn't they be taught that the American flag reigns supreme here in America and if that insults their sensibilities, then Mexico is not that far away and I'm sure we could provide transportation. --JB)

Memo to Reid: Cancellation pain in ObamaCare increasing

Excerpt: Getting into ObamaCare may be the easy task. Getting out of an ObamaCare plan — well, as we’ve noted before, that can be painful indeed, and the pain is getting worse. WFLV-TV in Florida finds that ObamaCare resembles Hotel California … you can check out any time you want, but you can never leave (via Daniel Halper):

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Some Great Stuff Today

Older, but a "Must Read": Two Americas. By Bob Lonsberry
Excerpt: The Democrats are right, there are two Americas. The America that works, and the America that doesn’t. The America that contributes, and the America that doesn’t. It’s not the haves and the have nots, it’s the dos and the don’ts. 

Must Read: When Failure Is Success: For Obama’s supporters, what matters is not what he does, but what he says and represents. By Victor Davis Hanson
Excerpt: Losing a job is freedom from job lock. A budget deficit larger than in any previous administration is austerity. A mean right-wing video caused the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi. Al-Qaeda was long ago washed up. The Muslim Brotherhood is secular. Jihad is a personal journey. Shooting people while screaming Allahu akbar! is workplace violence. Unaffordable higher premiums and deductibles are the result of an Affordable Care Act. Losing your doctor and your health-insurance plan prove you will never lose your doctor and your health-insurance plan — period! Being a constitutional lawyer means you know how to turn the IRS and the FCC on your enemies. Failure is success; lies are truth.

Great Column: The Coming Collapse of the Welfare State. By Daniel Greenfield 
Excerpt: By 1965, when Medicare was plugged in, the birth rate had fallen back to 19.4. For the first time in ten years fewer than 4 million babies had been born in a country of 195 million. Medicare had been added in the same year that saw the single biggest drop in birth rates since the Great Depression. There could not have been a worse time for Medicare than the end of the Baby Boom. Today in a nation of 317 million, 4.1 million babies are being born each year for a birth rate of 13.0 per 1,000. 40.7% of those births are to unmarried mothers so that it will be a long time, if ever, before they pay back into the system, and most will never put back in as much as they are taking out. (Yup. See: The Coming Collapse of the American Republic. http://tiny.cc/g02s4. ~Bob)

Always Good: The 'Fairness' Fraud. By Thomas Sowell
Excerpt: It seems as if, everywhere you turn these days, there are studies claiming to show that America has lost its upward mobility for people born in the lower socioeconomic levels. But there is a sharp difference between upward "mobility," defined as an opportunity to rise, and mobility defined as actually having risen. That distinction is seldom even mentioned in most of the studies. It is as if everybody is chomping at the bit to get ahead, and the ones that don't rise have been stopped by "barriers" created by "society."

Worth Reading: The Vision Thing. By John Goodman 
Excerpt: Here is the sad truth: Even though the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) is a Rube Goldberg contraption that no one can explain and even though its rollout has been a complete disaster and even though the delay of one provision after another makes it seem as though the entire enterprise is coming apart…Even with all that, Barack Obama in his sleep can articulate a clearer vision for health reform than Republicans and all their think tanks combined — after spending four years thinking about it!!! Granted, the president’s vision is often deceitful. When he says insurance companies will no longer be able to cancel your insurance after you get sick, he neglects to say that this has been federal law since the time of the Bill Clinton presidency. But even if they insist on being honest, can’t Republicans come up with a convincing message of their own? Let’s see if we can help them out.

Surprise: Obamacare to Increase Healthcare Costs of 11 Million Small Business Workers. By Katie Pavlich
Excerpt: A new report shows at least 11 million small business workers and their employers will see their health insurance costs skyrocket thanks to Obamacare. More from the Washington Post:

Excerpt: If President Obama—or anyone else—is expecting that Medicaid will be Obamacare’s salvation, look elsewhere. The president said last week that “We’ve got close to 7 million Americans who have access to health care for the first time because of Medicaid expansion.” But even The Washington Post’s “fact checker” gave President Obama four Pinocchios for that statement (and said the enrollment numbers are iffy as well).

WaPoFact Checker: Obama's claim that 7 million got 'access to health care for the first time' because of his Medicaid expansion. By Glenn Kessler
Excerpt: The Fact Checker has written several times about the fuzziness of the Medicaid numbers issued by the Obama administration. But it is like playing whack-a-mole. Every time we rap someone for getting it wrong, the same problem pops up someplace else.

ObamaCare and My Mother's Cancer Medicine. By Stephen Blackwood  
Excerpt: The news was dumbfounding. She used to have a policy that covered the drug that kept her alive. Now she's on her own. (Just one more story of the little "glitches" with the plan that was going to make everything better for everyone, and at lower cost, too. Well.... not exactly. --Del)

Excerpt: The president promised that Obamacare would bend the cost curve downward. The cost curve for running the site is bending upward. Dramatically:

Dem Senate Candidate Sics Lawyers to Silence Cancer Patient in Anti-Obamacare Ads. By Guy Benson
Excerpt: Democrat Congressman Gary Peters is running for US Senate in Michigan, where he's facing a strong Republican opponent in former Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land. Like other Democrats across the America, Peters is worried sick about the political impact Obamacare -- a law for which Peters voted in 2010. Unlike many others, however, he's taken the extraordinary step of dispatching a team of lawyers to bully Michigan broadcasters into refusing to air a television ad that's critical of the healthcare overhaul.

Evidence of Job Loss. From The Patriot Post
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius may stubbornly insist that ObamaCare isn't destroying jobs, but the Advanced Medical Technology Association, an industry trade group, says otherwise. Just the medical device tax "has resulted in employment reductions of approximately 14,000 industry workers and forgone hiring of 19,000 workers," the group says. "The total job impact of the tax on industry employment was approximately 33,000." On top of that, the indirect effect of the tax was to eliminate "as many as 165,000 jobs." Jobs are also being sent overseas, while companies cut back on research and development, slow down investment and forego plans for new facilities. But Sebelius says "there is absolutely no evidence" of this, so move along.

Worth Reading: Saudi Arabia: The Middle East’s Real Apartheid State. By Daniel Greenfield 
Excerpt: There is a country in the Middle East where 10 percent of the population is denied equal rights because of their race, where black men are not allowed to hold many government positions, where black women are put on trial for witchcraft and where the custody of children is granted to the parent with the most “racially superior” bloodline. This Apartheid State is so enormously powerful that it controls American foreign policy in the Middle East even as its princes and princesses bring their slaves to the United Kingdom and the United States.

Ukraine arrest warrant for fugitive Viktor Yanukovych
Excerpt: Ukraine has issued an arrest warrant for fugitive ousted President Viktor Yanukovych, the interior minister says.

Stain - Upon Stars and Buttons and Badges and Medals and Emblem. By Andy Weddington
Excerpt: Shiny stars and buttons and badges and medals do not a Marine general make. Nor does shiny metal make any Marine.

Piers Morgan and CNN Plan End to His Prime-Time Show
Excerpt: There have been times when the CNN host Piers Morgan didn’t seem to like America very much — and American audiences have been more than willing to return the favor. Three years after taking over for Larry King, Mr. Morgan has seen the ratings for “Piers Morgan Live” hit some new lows, drawing a fraction of viewers compared with competitors at Fox News and MSNBC. (Huh. Purveying Progressive Propaganda doesn't get you high ratings. Who knew? ~Bob)

12 Reasons Why Everyone Hates Piers Morgan. By James Delingpole
Excerpt: Today blogger Guido Fawkes tweeted his excitement about the news of Piers Morgan's demise from his primetime slot on CNN. Lots of people are evidently elated about this, and Guido took to his MediaGuido Twitter account to recall a personal memory about his last conversation with the late founder of this very parish, Andrew Breitbart. Here are twelve reasons why the shade of Andrew Breitbart isn't the only one on cloud nine on this, the happiest of days.

New Haven divided by growing income disparity
Excerpt: The divide between New Haven's have and have-nots is growing, and at a more rapid clip than the state and the country, according to an analysis by DataHaven, which collects and analyzes demographic information on the region. The gap in earnings between the top fifth of Greater New Haven households and those at the bottom fifth of the income ladder increased by 20 percent from 2006 to 2012, according to DataHaven. The chasm between the region's rich and poor expanded at a rate three times faster than the national average and much faster than statewide growth in income disparity. (Makes me want to shed a tear…as always with NHR, don’t miss the comments. --GS)

The Green Gulag. By Daniel Greenfield
Excerpt: 8,000 people die in the UK every year due to what is being called "Fuel Poverty". Fuel Poverty is a trendy term for those who can't afford to heat their home because all the solar panels and windmills, the coal bans and the wars on fracking have made it too expensive for people not to freeze to death. The left, which never misses a chance to blame profiteering for the failure of its policies, is staging "Die-Ins" outside energy companies to protect the real "Die-Ins" that they caused.

It is Islamophobic to note that all 10 nations with the death penalty for homosexuality are Muslim.
Excerpt: Here are the 10 countries where homosexuality may be punished by death.

Kerry Kennedy's Defense to DUI, Fleeing Scene of Accident: She's a Kennedy and Her "Human Rights Work" Would Suffer if She's Jailed.
http://weaselzippers.us/176299-kerry-kennedys-defense-to-dui-fleeing-scene-of-accident-shes-a-kennedy-and-her-human-rights-work-would-suffer-if-shes-jailed/
Excerpt: She is also the ex-wife of Gov. Andrew Cuomo; she should be let go because of that too. But, on the positive side, when she fled the scene, she didn’t leave anyone to drown, like Uncle Ted did…Via NY Post.

A Socialism Spill on Aisle 9. By Daniel Greenfield
Excerpt: Weighing a can of food in your hands that you need but cannot afford wonderfully focuses the mind on the real, but at the cocktail parties of the Friends of the Working Class, everything is wonderfully unreal. Life is full of possibilities, vacations, conferences and elections. There are no hard facts, only ideas and slogans. Everything and everyone does what you want them to.

Excerpt: Hassan Abboud, a top official in the Islamic Front and Ahrar al Sham, has posted a series of pictures of Abu Khalid al Suri on his Twitter feed. Al Suri was Ayman al Zawahiri's chief representative in Syria until he was killed by a suicide bomber this past weekend.

Egyptian Army Targets Sinai Jihadists
Excerpt: The Egyptian army is conducting a wide military operation in the Sinai to crack down on Islamic movements that use the area as a launching pad for terrorist operations. As part of that campaign, soldiers have exchanged fire with a man named Yousef Mohamad Hamads Hassan, who belongs to "the extremely dangerous and takfiri group, Ansar Bait Al Maqdis,"an army spokesman wrote on Facebook, according to the Egyptian daily Al Masry Alyoum.

MARINE: Strict Rules Of Engagement Are Killing More Americans Than Enemy In This Lost War. By Paul Szoldra
Excerpt: When I deployed to Afghanistan as an infantry squad leader in 2004, I had the utmost confidence in my superiors, our mission to restore order to Afghanistan, and to help the Afghan people. At the time of my deployment, we had clear rules of engagement (ROE): if you ever feel that your life is threatened, you can respond with force to include deadly force. (We've heard this before, and again someone with experience is spelling it out. War is not a parlor game that you add on a couple of pages of special rules to make it more challenging. He is right. Let our guys really fight to win, or get them the hell out. --Del)

Barack Obama's New America
Excerpt: We have watched numerous changes take place in this country in the last 30 years – probably some of the most significant cultural, economic, and constitutional transformations this nation has ever seen. In the process we have witnessed the world respect for America diminish enormously, and our respect for the laws and the standards.

Military Cuts to pre WWII size
Excerpt: Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, warned that the cuts would hurt military readiness. And he said the country is only in this position because the Obama administration and Congress will not seriously take on cuts to entitlements.

NYPD Surveillance Upheld Despite AP Campaign. By Patrick Dunleavy
Excerpt: A federal judge in New Jersey dismissed a lawsuit last Thursday that was brought by several Islamic activist organizations, including the Muslim Students Association and the Muslim Foundation, against the New York City Police Department. The plaintiffs accused the NYPD of violating their civil rights through a program which including surveillance and intelligence gathering of the Muslim community in New Jersey.

Militants Attack Presidential Palace in Somalia. By Mohammed Ibrahim and Nicholas Kulish
Excerpt: In a deadly attack on the heart of the Somali government, multiple explosions and a firefight erupted on Friday near the presidential palace in Mogadishu, killing 12 people, nine of them militants, officials said. The Shabab, the militant Somali Islamist group, claimed responsibility.

Mohamed Morsi accused of passing state secrets to Iran
Excerpt: Egypt's ex-president and Muslim Brotherhood figurehead could face capital punishment if found guilty of espionage. (Wait--a president can't pass secrets to Iran? Who knew? ~Bob)

Excerpt: So they came up with the Alien and Sedition Act which promised to punish both recent legal immigrants as well as American citizens themselves. And so the Federalist legislation called for deporting any legal immigrant with less than fourteen years of American residence for any remarks they expressed in opposition to Federalist law....or for any political expression that might hold the Congress, or the President in contempt. And American citizens who dared to criticize the government were subject to two years in prison and a monetary fine that would have bankrupted the average citizen. And, indeed, a significant number of citizens were rounded up and thrown in prison for daring to oppose "big government". Fortunately Thomas Jefferson was alive and fighting against these all-controlling tyrants. Jefferson, always fearful of the growth of government power, mounted fierce opposition to this maniacal power grab. The acts proved so unpopular that the Federalists lost thousands of party members who fled to Jefferson's Republican party. American anger was such that Jefferson and his Republicans were swept into office in the election of 1800 and Jefferson and the Congress promptly ended the Alien and Sedition Act and restored the individual freedoms outlined in the Bill of Rights. Sadly, Barack Hussein Obama, just two generations removed from a Kenyan heritage, has chosen to, by executive order, implement many of the deplorable aspects of the Alien and Sedition Act. So massive is his ego that he cannot stand to have his decisions questioned, either by the Judiciary, the Congress, or the American people.

Excerpt: The council members appear to have received this man’s appeals with some impatience. However, make no mistake: there will be many more incidents like this, with calls for the implementation of Sharia morals police and Sharia restrictions on the freedom of speech growing louder and more insistent. And then city councils and other governing bodies will be forced either to articulate and implement a defense of Western principles of free expression, or capitulate. Right now the latter looks much more likely.

Worth Reading: Black History Lessons from the GOP: The Republican party has a proud history of brave, independent-minded public servants. By Kevin D. Williamson
Excerpt: Conservative may not have a lot of use for Black History Month, but it does provide us with an occasion for something fruitful: remembering when the Republican party was home to a fair number of legitimate bad-asses — gun-toting, slavery-fighting, fearless men and women who led lives of astounding personal courage and political consequence. ... “She drinks whiskey, and she swears, and she is a Republican, which makes her a low, foul creature.” That was one schoolgirl’s description of Mary Fields, a.k.a. Stagecoach Mary, who is an obvious candidate for induction into the inaugural class in the American Bad-Ass Hall of Fame.

Israeli warplanes 'strike eastern Lebanon'
Excerpt: Israeli jets have carried out air strikes in eastern Lebanon near the border with Syria, Lebanon's state news agency says. Israel's military has not commented although an Israeli security source quoted by Reuters said there had been "air force activity in the north".

Gutting our Military
Excerpt: The gutting of our military is based on a political strategy not a military strategy. We no longer have a military strategy in this dangerous world. While ObamaCare is devastating to so many Americans, gutting our military has the potential of creating a national disaster that we my not be able to overcome. Our military will now be the same size as the Turkish military. China has 2 million in their military, and Russia has 1.2 million. Out of our projected 440K force, we will have less than 100,000 combat troops on the ground. It is so naive to think the US will not be involved in a major conflict. We are in big trouble. --GBH (From a retired Marine MajGen. ~Bob)

Turkey PM Erdogan says 'tapped' phone call to son 'fabricated'
Excerpt: Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has angrily condemned as fabricated an audio recording that appears to show him talking to his son about hiding large sums of money. He said the recording, allegedly tapped and posted on social media, was a "treacherous attack". (He must be from Chicago. who knew? ~Bob)

Pakistan air strikes against militants in tribal areas
Excerpt: Pakistan's military have launched air strikes against suspected militant hideouts in the north-west, killing at least 30 people, officials say. Fighter jets bombed targets in the North Waziristan tribal area on Tuesday, officials said.

US presses Iraq on reports of Iran arms deal
Excerpt: The US has said it is "seeking clarification" over a report that Iraq has signed a deal with Iran to buy arms in violation of a UN embargo. State department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that if the $195m (£117m) deal for weapons and ammunition was confirmed, it "would raise serious concerns". (This might require deeper bowing and more apologies from Obama. ~Bob)

Nigeria school raid in Yobe state 'leaves dozens dead'
Excerpt: Suspected Islamist militants from the Boko Haram group in north-eastern Nigeria have attacked a school and shot some students, the military has said. Dozens of pupils are reported to have been killed. Police told Reuters that all the dead were boys and that some of the bodies "were burned to ashes".

Ugandan 'homosexuals' named in Red Pepper paper
Excerpt: A Ugandan tabloid has named the country's "200 top homosexuals", a day after President Yoweri Museveni signed into law a bill toughening penalties for gay people. Red Pepper's list appeared under the headline: "Exposed", raising concerns of a witch-hunt against gay people. (Remember, Progressives, all cultures are equally valid. except, of course, the middle class American culture that nurtured you and gave you freedom and prosperity. ~Bob)

Ex-Guantánamo detainee Moazzam Begg held in Birmingham terror raids
Excerpt: Begg, released from Guantánamo without charge, arrested with two men and a woman on suspicion of Syria-related offences.

Homeowner shoots and kills armed robbery suspect
Excerpt: A Detroit woman surprises an armed robbery suspect in her home. He pointed a gun at her head, but the woman was armed. Bullets started flying and the suspected ended up dead. (Tisk, tisk. She should have called police--they would surely have brought a rape test kit and body bag for her. ~Bob)

Video: 'I didn't have time to get scared': Surveillance camera captures the moment mother opens fire on home invaders with assault rifle
Excerpt: This is the dramatic moment a mother-of-two opened fire with an assault rifle on intruders who tried to smash their way into her home. The woman took action after three hooded individuals kicked down the door of her Detroit home on Monday night where she lives with her two young children. She fired off rounds in a bid to deter the would-be burglars, later saying she 'didn't have time to get scared'. (what it is with these women who are willing to use--shudder--guns rather than be robbed, raped and murdered in Progressive Paradise Detroit? ~Bob)

Elections Decided By Rapists, Murderers and Pedophiles. By Floyd Brown
Excerpt: But Barack Obama’s Attorney General, Eric Holder, has a different vision. You see, in America, felons have traditionally returned to society with restricted rights. In some states, they lose the right to vote. In many jurisdictions, they lose the right to sit on a jury. And more widely, they’re prohibited from serving as law enforcement officers. These restrictions are intended to protect society. But Holder is upset with this tradition, and he wants to see it changed. 

Cheney: Obama Would Rather Fund Food Stamps Than the Military
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Chuck-Hagel-useful-idiot-military/2014/02/24/id/554514#ixzz2uNIaIPs5
Excerpt: The military cuts announced Monday by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will hurt future presidents' ability to protect the country, says former Vice President Dick Cheney. "I've obviously not been a strong supporter of Barack Obama, but this really is over the top. It does enormous long-term damage to our military," Cheney said Monday on Fox News Channel's "Hannity." 

An Al Jazeera Anchor's Bloody Call
Excerpt: A prominent Al Jazeera anchor with close ties to the Muslim Brotherhood issued a statement praising the murders of police officers and advocating attacks on journalists who stand with Egypt's current government. (Al Jazeera--Al Gore's Fossil Fuel Fairy Godmother. ~Bob)

Susan Rice and the retreat of American power. By Richard Cohen
Excerpt: Susan Rice ought to stay off “Meet the Press.” The last time she was on, she misrepresented what led to the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi, Libya. On Sunday she was back, this time misrepresenting critics of the Obama administration’s Syria policy. Last time her misrepresentation was unintentional. This time it wasn’t. I prefer it, though, when she doesn’t know what she’s talking about.

Liberal Atheists Up In Arms Because The Bible Is in Hotel Rooms
Excerpt: Annie Laurie Gaylor, of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, is on a mission to do away with Christianity. It’s a step by step process, and one of those steps is centered around a hotel at Iowa State University. Atheists of course will not be satisfied with forcing their beliefs in the classrooms. They’ll keep going until Christianity is no longer tolerated, while forgetting that Christianity is at the foundation of what made this the most tolerant, charitable, and prosperous nation in the world.

Ares Armor Tactical Store Threatened with Fines & Jail Time for AR-15 Sign
Excerpt: Ares Armor is a small tactical company that operates a store in National City, California. Recently the town of National City disapproved of a sign displayed at the National City store location and told the store, "Take down the sign or go to jail. We do not approve of guns...or you."

Excerpt: We are not in the situation of the Ukraine, however that turns out, but the events in that Eastern European country should remind us all of the sad condition of our nation, how much we now need an American Spring in the USA. Not a Spring like the Arab Spring, of course, which was and is a nightmare beyond anyone’s wishes, but something more like the original Prague Spring that remade the Czech Republic into the vibrant country and society it is today. The Obama administration has been the culmination of the advancement of state intrusion into our lives that began roughly a hundred years ago and has reached such a point that the originality and the intentions of our country are barely recognizable. (GOP should be portraying Hillary as an Alinskyite as well. --Barb)

Trey Gowdy Blasts ‘Stunningly Arrogant’ Susan Rice: “I Get Tougher Questions In The Bojangles Drive-Thru”
Excerpt: Trey Gowdy on Greta Monday night blasted Susan Rice for her lack of regret over lying about the Benghazi attack in which 4 Americans die/ Gowdy called her “stunningly arrogant” and said she was continuing to peddle a “false narrative.” Rice blamed the misstatement on faulty intelligence. But Gowdy wasn’t buying it. 

Dr. Ben Carson’s Prescription For America: Courage
Excerpt: Dr. Ben Carson, who garnered popularity and support from American conservatives when he criticized President Obama during a 2013 National Prayer Breakfast speech, spoke to a packed house in Southeast Missouri on February 22nd. Though he discussed a challenging childhood, an even more challenging career, a dishonest media, and a corrupt WashingtonD.C., his rallying cry was for unity and courage in America…. “Alinsky knew the power of unifying and having meaningful dialogue, which is why he said never have a conversation with your enemy because in so doing you humanize him, “and your job is to demonize him.”

Sebelius' cuts in home health care funds could jeopardize hundreds of thousands of jobs
Excerpt: Discussing the impact of ObamaCare on jobs, she said last week in Orlando, “There is absolutely no evidence and every economist will tell you this, that there is any job loss related to the Affordable Care Act." But Sebelius herself, using discretion granted her by the Affordable Care Act, cut the maximum allowed by law from home health care funds. The cuts were deep enough that officials offered a damaging prediction of the impact saying, it was estimated that approximately 40 percent of providers would have negative margins.


Excerpt: If this Harvard University student got her way, free speech on campus would be abolished and professors with dissenting views fired, because radical leftism is the only permissible political philosophy and the First Amendment is a barrier preventing modern colleges from fulfilling their proper role as indoctrination camps. Her name is Sandra Korn. She is a senior at Harvard and columnist for the Harvard Crimson.