History for January 20

History for January 20 - On-This-Day.com

Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday (US)

Happy Birthday! Buzz Aldrin

1885 - The roller coaster was patented by L.A. Thompson. 


1942 - Nazi officials held the Wannsee conference, during which they arrived at their "final solution" that called for exterminating Europe's Jews.

 

1981 - Iran released 52 Americans that had been held hostage for 444 days. The hostages were flown to Algeria and then to a U.S. base in Wiesbaden, West Germany. The release occurred minutes after the U.S. presidency had passed from Jimmy Carter to Ronald Reagan. 


1986 - The U.S. observed the first federal holiday in honor of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.


1997 - Bill Clinton was inaugurated for his second term as president of the United States. 


1999 - The China News Service announced that the Chinese government was tightening restrictions on internet use. The rules were aimed at 'Internet Bars.' 

Cities assure us they want more visitors. Yet, they tax those who visit. Ah, the liberal mind......New credit card parking meters in Grand Rapids: Which kind do you prefer?

New credit card parking meters in Grand Rapids: Which kind do you prefer? | MLive.com:
""We have to make a decision at some point which way to go, if we decide to go in a manner where we take credit cards," said Kimberly Miller, parking system manager.
"We take credit cards now at meters by using Parkmobile and we have no capital investment for that.""

Interesting only as a perfect example of democrat public relations posing as un-biased news. Read it all-----Minimum wage hike, to more than $9, will be key election issue

Minimum wage hike, to more than $9, will be key election issue | Detroit Free Press | freep.com
LANSING — Raising Michigan’s $7.40-per-hour minimum wage is becoming a key rallying point in the upcoming elections — with many Democrats and organized labor in favor, while many Republicans and the state Chamber of Commerce oppose the effort.
It was the first policy platform announced by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mark Schauer, who is calling for a boost in the minimum wage to $9.25 an hour.

Give the people the truth!----------------Candidates need better vetting

MARY KRAMER: Candidates need better vetting | Crain's Detroit Business:
"Last week, we saw a steady stream of bad-news items about Detroit councilman George Cushingberry Jr. Heck, the guy had barely gotten his president pro tem seat warm in City Hall.

It started with the now-famous traffic stop, but by week's end, reports included a temporary suspension of his law license for a past infraction, accusations by former clients of bad performance as an attorney and a personal bankruptcy filing.

Since most of the bad news actually occurred before the August 2013 primary, the question is: Where were the news media?"

This is a national disgrace-----Illinois home-care workers should not be forced into unions

George Will: Illinois home-care workers should not be forced into unions - The Washington Post:

"On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments about whether the Illinois government’s policy of herding home-care workers into unions violates the workers’ First Amendment rights.
It does.
.....The state government gave the SEIU and a rival union the names and addresses of all the freshly minted government employees.Pam Harris, who is suing to get Illinois’s system declared unconstitutional, gets a modest stipend from Medicaid to support her care for her disabled son. 
She remembers a young SEIU employee coming to her door to say just sign the card “so my boss knows I spoke to you.” 
A majority of caregivers in one Illinois program chose the SEIU.

TaxProf Blog: The IRS Scandal, Day 255

TaxProf Blog: The IRS Scandal, Day 255:

From the Q&A session of Panel #3: Tax Reform in a Time of Crisis: Institutional Perspectives at Friday's  Pepperdine/Tax Analysts Symposium on Tax Reform in a Time of Crisis:

Question:  On a scale of 1-10, 1 being no damage and 10 being permanent long range damage, how much has the IRS and tax administration been damaged by the current IRS scandal?  (And I would append to that the question: was it a scandal?)

Donald Korb (Partner, Sullivan & Cromwell; former IRS Chief Counsel):  I think it is incredibly damaging.  Frankly, I see it as one of the seeds of the next tax shelter era. ... And in terms of scandal, I don't think we really know. We have not been permitted to understand exactly what happened. So, who knows.

NRA News Special Report From Ginny Simone | "The Wrong House

Tired of the same old, same old blab from RINOs and Democrooks?----Alan Jager running as independent for state representative against Lamonte, Hughes

Alan Jager running as independent for state representative against Lamonte, Hughes | MLive.com:
"Jager said he has a goal of eventually running for governor. In that vein, he had been planning the run for the House of Representatives for at least a year and had previously considered running against Holly Hughes in the Republican Primary.
His divergent opinions – for gay marriage, against the affordable health care act, for marijuana legalization, for gun rights – were ripe for a run as independent, though."

How is this any different from the Mafia?--------------Millions in farm subsidies flow freely to DC residents who don't actually farm

Millions in farm subsidies flow freely to DC residents who don't actually farm | WashingtonExaminer.com:
"Washington, D.C., doesn't have many farms, or farmers.
Yet thousands of residents in and around the nation's capital receive millions of dollars every year in federal farm subsidies, including working-class residents in Southeast, wealthy lobbyists on K Street and well-connected lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
In neighboring Chevy Chase, Md., one of the nation's wealthiest communities, lawyers, lobbyists and at least one psychologist collected nearly $342,000 in taxpayer farm subsidies between 2008 and 2011, according to the watchdog group Open the Books."

Sen. Feinstein defends Hillary from Benghazi report; Brit Hume destroys claim with one question

Sen. Feinstein defends Hillary from Benghazi report; Brit Hume destroys claim with one question | Twitchy

Isn't it sad that this photo and caption would be a thought today?

One small step for a man......Blogger gets same speech protections as traditional press: U.S. court

Blogger gets same speech protections as traditional press: U.S. court | Reuters:
"Blogger gets same speech protections as traditional press: U.S. court
(Reuters) - A blogger is entitled to the same free speech protections as a traditional journalist and cannot be liable for defamation unless she acted negligently, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday.
Crystal Cox lost a defamation trial in 2011 over a blog post she wrote accusing a bankruptcy trustee and Obsidian Finance Group of tax fraud.
A lower court judge had found that Obsidian did not have to prove that Cox acted negligently because Cox failed to submit evidence of her status as a journalist."

Energy security, more jobs, cheaper energy costs and B Hussein says "NO"?-------Canada Has Had Enough Of Obama's Keystone XL Pipeline Delays

Canada Has Had Enough Of Obama's Keystone XL Pipeline Delays - Investors.com:

Energy: President Obama continues to drag out a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline. 
Meanwhile, the Canadians have been standing by while the administration dithers. 
Now they're tired of waiting.

'The time for Keystone is now," Canada's Foreign Minister John Baird said Thursday while speaking to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 

Canada has reached the point where the uncertainty has become intolerable. 

Baird said Canada needs an answer right away, "even if it's not the right one," because his country "can't continue in this state of limbo."

....What is clear is that the Obama White House, which has rejected the pipeline once, is afraid to make a decision.

Obama: Danger of concussions in NFL ‘no longer a secret’

Obama: Danger of concussions in NFL ‘no longer a secret’ | TheHill:
"President Obama said that he believed NFL players “know what they’re doing” and understood the impact that concussions could have on their long-term health in an interview with The New Yorker published on Sunday, adding that he would not let his son play pro football."

Folks, this worked out "great" for the Germans in the 1930s-----Teachers 'instructed' to teach 'all right wing extremist groups' are fascist

Teachers 'instructed' to teach 'all right wing extremist groups' are fascist [VIDEO] | The Daily Caller
“For example, take the novel Mary Shelley’s Frankestein, which is a great classic, we all know it,” he told he Daily Caller in an exclusive interview. “Just because it’s part of our culture.”

“What they do is give you about three or four pages of Mary Shelley, not a selection from Frankenstein, but just writing about Frankenstein, and then you will have four or five of a modern author talking about frightening stories that she heard as a child that have no relation to Frankenstein.
..“Then on top of that, and this is in a leading text book they have five and a half pages, two more pages than the words you get from Mary Shelly, five and a half pages of a skit from Saturday Night Live on Frankenstein.”

In the skit, Moore explains, an actor makes a comment about Frankenstein having green skin.

That the skit is concluded by Frankenstein saying,

 “Oh, so this is a race thing? What are you guys? A bunch of fascists?”

Moore also details teaching standards and notes about what the teacher wants to do at that point in the class.

“In the margin of the teachers edition, the teacher is instructed to explain the term ‘fascist’ to the students and to point out that the term ‘fascist’ is now applied to all right-wing extremist groups.”

Obama Picks Soros Crony to Lead NSA Probe

Obama Picks Soros Crony to Lead NSA Probe | CNS News:
"When President Obama needs help, he can always turn to one of the Soros inner circle.
In a speech on Jan. 17, Obama announced that his new Presidential Counsel John Podesta will lead a "comprehensive review of Big Data and privacy," following the NSA privacy scandal that has dogged his administration.

What he didn't mention was that Podesta is the founder of the liberal Center for American Progress. CAP has gotten $7.3 million from liberal billionaire George Soros since 2000 and was one of the keystone liberal think tanks founded after the Democrats lost the 2004 election. "

America's major media=Hitler's major media

WaterCar Panther - Fastest Amphibious Car in the World - www.WaterCar.co...

13 House Democrats offer bill demanding government study on Internet hate speech

13 House Democrats offer bill demanding government study on Internet hate speech | TheHill:

Thirteen House Democrats have proposed legislation that would require the government to study hate speech on the Internet, mobile phones and television and radio.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and 12 other House Democrats, would look at how those media are used to "advocate and encourage violent acts and the commission of crimes of hate."

........"This legislation will mandate a comprehensive analysis of criminal and hateful activity on the Internet that occurs outside of the zone of the First Amendment protection."

Buck halts at $1.1 million bus ‘Super Stop’

Buck halts at $1.1 million bus ‘Super Stop’ « Watchdog.org:
"ARLINGTON, Va. — Arlington County dubs itself a “world-class” community.
Such hubris has led to a $1.1 million bus stop.
The so-called “Super Stop” was to be the first of 24 along the Columbia Pike corridor, but a torrent of bad publicity halted the $24 million program as local officials retrenched."

TalCual: Venezuelan Government Is Fresh Out of Toilet Paper

Latin American Herald Tribune - TalCual: Venezuelan Government Is Fresh Out of Toilet Paper:
TalCual: Venezuelan Government Is Fresh Out of Toilet Paper
The country is torn between the claws of a paradox. It is something inexplicable, in light of reason. If there is enough money to buy stuff, as much locally as abroad, why toilet paper, for example, as indispensable as food, has suddenly become nearly a luxury item? 

The country is torn between the claws of a paradox. It is literally being strangled by a flurry of petrodollars spilled all over it, which leads us to guess there is an abundant supply of goods and yet, at the same time, a significant shortage of food products in particular.

It is something inexplicable, in light of reason. 

If there is enough money to buy stuff, as much locally as abroad, why toilet paper, for example, as indispensable as food, has suddenly become nearly a luxury item? 
When travelling abroad, Venezuelans come back home fully loaded with packs of toilet paper. 

But the toilet paper shortage is not limited to that very particular sphere: The paper to make newspapers also seems it won’t last long in this country.

WeMOG Monday

CROSS-COUNTRY SKI

Ski Crystal Valley Ski Trails

Monday, January 20

1:00

Car Pool: 11:00, Russ's parking lot, Holton Road, southwest corner.

Pit Stop: 12:00, Pentwater Monroe Road Convenience Store/Gas Station.  

Buy lunch or bring your own.

Hit the Trails: 1:00, Crystal Valley Trailhead.

Cancellation by 8:00 a.m. if weather dictates.

WeMOG Sunday 1:00

Ski tomorrow at 1:00 pm. 

 Meet at Coast Guard Park off from N. Shore Dr. in Ferrysburg. 

Will ski in N. Ottawa Dunes

 Plan on skiing a couple of hours.

Hikers and snow shoers also welcome!

Will cancel via email by 10 am if weather really nasty!

History for January 19

History for January 19 - On-This-Day.com:

Birth anniversary of author, poet, critic and editor Edgar Allan Poe (1809-49). Creator of “The Raven,” one of the most popular poems of the 19^th century, Poe was also the inventor of the detective story—although his fame rests in tales of the macabre.

175th birth anniversary of post-impressionist artist Paul Cézanne (1839-1906).

Birth anniversary of preacher and philanthropist Edgar J. Helms (1863-1942). He founded the program that became Goodwill Industries.

Birth anniversaries of Janis Joplin (1943-70), Robert E. Lee (1807-70), James Watt (1736-1819).

Happy Birthday! Michael Crawford,  Shelley Fabares, Dolly Parton

1793 - King Louis XVI was tried by the French Convention, found guilty of treason and sentenced to the guillotine. 


1966 - Indira Gandhi was elected prime minister of India. 


1977 - U.S. President Ford pardoned Iva Toguri D'Aquino (the "Tokyo Rose"). 


1996 - U.S. first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton was subpoenaed to appear before a federal grand jury. The investigation was concerning the discovery of billing records related to the Whitewater real estate investment venture.

Potato lobbists win!------Congress wants more potatoes in gov't program

Congress wants more potatoes in gov't program:
"WASHINGTON (AP) — Nutritionists say Americans don't need more white potatoes. Congress disagrees — again.
Lawmakers are encouraging the agriculture secretary to allow low-income pregnant and nursing mothers to buy white potatoes with the vouchers they receive as part of a government program. That goes against the advice of the Institute of Medicine, which advises the government on health issues. The institute has said recipients of such aid already eat enough white potatoes."

Global Warming Is A Back Door To Socialism - As Even The United Nations Admits

Global Warming Is A Back Door To Socialism - As Even The United Nations Admits - Investors.com:
"Power: As evidence discredits global warming, resistance to such facts by green elites reveals their real aim is bringing socialism in through the back door.
But don't take our word for it.
Listen to the climate change boss at the U.N.

Christiana Figueres, with the lumpy title of executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), came right out and said it:
Democracy is a poor political system for fighting global warming.
The really good model is communist China.

China is "doing it right," she told Bloomberg News Tuesday. 
"They actually want to breathe air they don't have to look at," she said with a straight face."

Number of Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents on Food Stamps Doubles

Number of Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents on Food Stamps Doubles:
"The number of Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) receiving food stamps zoomed from 1.7 million to 3.9 million between Fiscal Year 2007 and Fiscal Year 2010.
In that same period, food stamp recipients in total grew from 26 million to nearly 40 million.
One reason for the catastrophic growth in the number of ABAWDs is Barack Obama’s 2009 stimulus bill, which opened the door for states to waive the work provision required of ABAWDs. 
That work provision mandated that to continue receiving food stamps, after three months of being unemployed ABAWDs must work or perform some type of work activity 20 hours per week."

It's election time folks---------------Snyder encourages support for immigrants, pledges investment in early education

Holy crapoli!
He thinks employees create jobs, not employers.
Well, it sure has for police and social services.....
And that "....repopulate Detroit...." O baby, that gonna hurt.....
Snyder encourages support for immigrants, pledges investment in early education | Crain's Detroit Business

In his fourth State of the State address Thursday night, Gov. Rick Snyder pledged to make Michigan more welcome to immigrants, provide some tax relief for workers and continue to invest in early childhood education.

Snyder announced he will create the Michigan Office for New Americans through an executive order that is part of his strategy to attract well-educated immigrants to Michigan to help create jobs.

“We need to encourage immigration in our state,” Snyder said. “We need to focus on legal immigration and make sure people know Michigan is the most welcoming place.”

The office, he said, will be a coordinating resource and encourage entrepreneurship among foreign students studying in Michigan universities and food workers in the agricultural sector.

Brad Williams, vice president of government relations for the Detroit Regional Chamber, said he appreciated the governor’s comments on immigration.

“If you want to look at repopulating Detroit… immigrants always play a vital role,” Williams said. “We look forward to a day when we can welcome immigrants with open arms in the city and make Detroit the most immigrant friendly city in the country."

Find Out How Each Republican Senator Voted on $1.1 Trillion Spending Bill

Find Out How Each Republican Senator Voted on $1.1 Trillion Spending Bill:
"The $1.1 trillion spending bill passed the Senate on Friday with a vote of 72-26. All 26 votes against the bill came from Republicans while 17 so-called Republicans voted in support of the bill that increased government spending.
The following is a list of Republicans and how they voted. Sens. Saxby Chambliss (Ga.) and Tom Coburn (Okla.), did not vote.
The 17 Republicans who voted to pass the bill: "

Failed Leadership: Dem Lawmaker Admits ‘Nobody’ Read $1.1 Trillion Spending Bill Before Passing it

Failed Leadership: Dem Lawmaker Admits ‘Nobody’ Read $1.1 Trillion Spending Bill Before Passing it:
"In fact, on Thursday, Oregon Democrat Representative Earl Blumenauer scoffed at the idea that anybody would read the bills before they voted for them.
CNSNews.com asked Blumenauer: “The omnibus bill yesterday, it was 1,582 pages, did you have a chance to read all the pages before voting on it?”
Blumenauer laughed and said: “Nobody did!”
“Nobody did?” asked the reporter.
“Nope,” said Blumenauer."

Omnibus spending bill stuffed with Pentagon pork

Omnibus spending bill stuffed with Pentagon pork | WashingtonExaminer.com

The bill, for instance, includes $4 million for alcohol and substance abuse research, $12 million for Alzheimer’s research, $120 million for breast cancer research, $10.5 million for lung cancer research, $20 million for ovarian cancer research, $80 million for prostate cancer research, and more — all of which are nondefense activities and overlap research performed by the National Institute of Health.
A document prepared by the staff of Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., shows the omnibus bill is also stuffed with funding for weapons not even requested by the Pentagon, including $90 million for Abrams tank upgrades to maintain “critical industrial base capability,” $1.2 billion to the Navy's request to fully fund a second Virginia-class submarine in fiscal year 2014 (the Navy had requested partial funding), and eight additional MQ-9 Reaper UAVs on top of the 12 the Air Force requested. The Coburn document also shows that the omnibus funds research not requested by the Pentagon, including $6 million for human, social and culture behavior modeling, $46.7 million for weapons technology, and $70 million for common kill vehicle technology.

Where Will You Be?-Muskegon's Tammy Derouin

LIBERTY REVIEW:

There’s evidence of scandals, corruption, lies and deception. 

The most arrogant of them all, changing company rules without going through proper procedures. 

Your company manual was changed and you didn’t even know it.

State in the Worst Fiscal Condition Is…

State in the Worst Fiscal Condition Is… | TheBlaze.com:
"[Editor’s note: The following is a cross post that originally appeared on CNBC.com]:

A new study on the fiscal condition of the 50 states ranks New Jersey dead last, citing revenue shortfalls, budget practices and high levels of debt .

The healthiest states, on the other hand, are those benefiting from the domestic energy boom, including Alaska and the Dakotas."

Do cops need a warrant to search your phone? US Supreme Court will rule

Do cops need a warrant to search your phone? US Supreme Court will rule • The Register:
"The US Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a pair of cases to determine whether police need a warrant to search the mobile phones of people they have arrested.

The Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution forbids "unreasonable" search and seizure, but in 1973 the Supreme Court ruled that conducting a full search of an arrestee's person and belongings was not unreasonable, even without a search warrant."

Affordable Care Act impact: 1,000 fewer workers in West Michigan, survey finds

Affordable Care Act impact: 1,000 fewer workers in West Michigan, survey finds | MLive.com: "“Conservatively, there would be 1,000 more workers today in Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon and Allegan counties if not for the ACA,” Muller said.
“This is not even taking into effect the decrease in hours firms are making to keep employees at part-time.”
The report found 49 percent of firms already have increased employees’ share of health care costs."