History for January 25

History for January 25 - On-This-Day.com:

Also the birth anniversaries of W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) and Virginia Woolf (1882-1941).

30 years ago, in 1984, the Apple Macintosh computer debuted, selling for $2,495.

1858 - Mendelssohn’s "Wedding March" was presented for the first time, as the daughter of Queen Victoria married the Crown Prince of Prussia. 


1915 - In New York, Alexander Graham Bell spoke to his assistant in San Francisco, inaugurating the first transcontinental telephone service.


1924 - The 1st Winter Olympic Games were inaugurated in Chamonix in the French Alps.
 

1959 - In the U.S., American Airlines had the first scheduled transcontinental flight of a Boeing 707. 


1971 - Charles Manson and three female members of his "family" were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit murder and seven counts of murder in the first degree. They were all sentenced to death for the 1969 killings. The sentences were later commuted to life sentences. 


1981 - Jiang Qing, Mao's widow, was tried for treason and received a death sentence, which was subsequently commuted to life imprisonment.

1998 - The Denver Broncos beat the Green Bay Packers 31-24 in Super Bowl XXXII. The Broncos had lost 3 previous Super Bowl appearances with quarterback John Elway.
 

1999 - In Louisville, KY, man received the first hand transplant in the United States. 

A brave conservative standing tall!-----Dave Agema – Press Release 01/24/2014

Dave Agema – Press Release 01/24/2014:

"I want to affirm that my goal is for a better life for all residents of Michigan.

I have learned much over the last several weeks and will use the lessons learned to improve on my abilities to further the best interests of all people of Michigan, through my role as a proud member of the Republican National Committee.

I have received great response at packed audiences, drawing voters to the GOP.

I fully intend to honor the trust and fulfill the responsibilities to those in the Michigan Republican Party that elected me."

Meggings: The Downfall of the Human Race Has Finally Arrived

Meggings: The Downfall of the Human Race Has Finally Arrived | Independent Journal Review:
"Modern society seems determined to blur the lines between male and female with the help of activist groups, political campaigns and RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Well, here is one more contribution to the final downfall of the human race – meggings.
Yup.
You read that right. Meggings.
Leggings…for men. 
Some of you may actually approve of this fashion trend. 
Far be it from me to offend your aesthetic preferences but I think there is only a limited, specific set of scenarios in which wearing meggings is reasonable."

Both Ruger and Smith & Wesson Will Stop Selling New Guns in California Due to Microstamping Law

Both Ruger and Smith & Wesson Will Stop Selling New Guns in California Due to Microstamping Law:
"The California microstamping law was never about reducing violent crimes, it was always about limiting access to firearms.
It looks like they have succeeded. Smith and Wesson has issued an official statement on the matter (see below) while Dan Zimmerman was able to confirm Ruger will also stop offering new semi-automatic firearms in California.
According to the Calguns Foundation, the microstamping law will effectively remove all semi-auto firearms from California’s list of approved firearms in the coming years as well as drastically reduce the number of available firearms this year. 
Manufacturers must get their gun onto that list before it can be sold in the state of California."

Kelly Jean Gagnon Arrested with 19 Grams of Heroin and 13 EBT Cards!

Kelly Jean Gagnon Arrested with 19 Grams of Heroin and 13 EBT Cards!
 "A Massachusetts woman, Kelly Jean Gagnon, 37, was arrested with 19 grams of heroin tucked into her bra in Taunton, Mass, along with 13 EBT cards.
Boston Herald writer, Howie Carr, asks Governor Deval Patrick, “how’s that crackdown on welfare fraud coming…” "

Well, Gov Christie eats 7-8 times a day. Why not the kids?---------------Christie Proposes Education Changes

Christie Proposes Education Changes - My9 New Jersey:
"One of the big education announcements that he made in Camden is plans for an after-school dinner program for kids in six of the city’s schools. 
Research has shown that when kids are hungry, that affects not just their academic performance, but also their behavior.
During his state of the state address, Christie had a lot to say about his plans for the education system in New Jersey.
“Life in 2014 is very much different from life 100 years ago and it demands something more for our students. It is time to lengthen both the school day and the school year in New Jersey,” Christie said."

Young, Educated and Leaving Michigan

Young, Educated and Leaving Michigan - Metro Times Blogs | Metro Times Blogs:
"One thing they’re not mentioning is that there is one cohort that remains on its way out of the state: educated young Michiganders.
New data from Michigan’s Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives shows that young, educated people, a demographic closely linked to economic performance, are still leaving the state of Michigan, apparently unimpressed by what the state has to offer them.
Ryan J. Gimarc, an economic analyst at the bureau, tells us that, in 2012, for the eighth year in a row, Michigan suffered a net loss of young.

So he boinked a lesbo and now he's gotta pay?-----Sperm Donor To Pay Child Support, U.S. Court Orders

I'm thinkin' he's real hard up or she's real hot.

And I kinda doubt the "hot".



Sperm Donor To Pay Child Support, U.S. Court Orders | TIME.com:

"What began with a Craigslist ad from a lesbian couple calling for a sperm donor in rural Topeka, Kansas ended in court on Wednesday with a judge ordering the donor to pay child support.

 William Marotta claims to have waived his rights as a parent during the process, but Shawnee County District Judge Mary Mattivi maintained that the parties did not enlist a licensed physician, which nullifies his claim to being a sperm donor. 

 “In this case, quite simply, the parties failed to perform to statutory requirement of the Kansas Parentage Act in not enlisting a licensed physician at some point in the artificial insemination process,” Mattivi wrote in her decision, according to AP.

 The case to have Marotta declared the father was filed by Kansas Department for Children and Families in October 2012.

He could now effectively be held responsible for around $6,000 in assistance already provided by the state along with future child support payments."

Majority Say Obama Administration Is Incompetent and Obama Is Not Even Paying Attention

Majority Say Obama Administration Is Incompetent and Obama Is Not Even Paying Attention | Independent Journal Review:
"A clear majority of the American people say that the Obama administration is not competent to manage the affairs of the U.S. government, according to a Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday.

Those who believe the Obama administration is incompetent weigh in at a clip of 53-42 – a margin of 11 points. In addition, more people believe that the president is not even paying attention to what’s going on than the contrary: 47-45. (That may be because the president finds out about all those “phony scandals” by reading about them in the news.)

The president gets a negative score on a number of policies, but gets a pass for his handling of the war on terror:"

Watch What Happens When Jesse Watters Asks Hollywood Celebs If They Are Disappointed With Obama

Watch What Happens When Jesse Watters Asks Hollywood Celebs If They Are Disappointed With Obama | Video | TheBlaze.com:

Pot amnesty box at airport a high priority for sheriff

Pot amnesty box at airport a high priority for sheriff | Aspen Daily News Online:
"Pitkin County Sheriff Joe DiSalvo said Friday that he hopes to have an amnesty box in place at the Aspen airport, aimed at people unaware it’s illegal to carry cannabis on airplanes, by the time the first recreational pot shop opens in Aspen.

The county on Feb. 12 could approve rules for recreational marijuana, and at least one operator of a medical marijuana shop has said he will be ready to provide recreational pot for non-patients above the age of 21 the next day. Recreational marijuana is already available at a shop in Carbondale.

With that in mind, DiSalvo said he would like to see a drop box installed somewhere in the terminal by then. Akin to what banks use, a container could be installed into a wall to allow bags of marijuana, pipes and other accouterments to be dropped in anonymously before a person heads through security.

Common Core Standards - Fact and Fiction

It's Not Global Warming: Don't Blame Man For California's Drought

It's Not Global Warming: Don't Blame Man For California's Drought - Investors.com

Well, yes, the climate is changing. 
It always has. 
It always will. 
But what's driving the contemporary changes? 
Man or nature?

One plausible explanation is that offered by meteorologist and climate blogger Anthony Watts.
"The cause is the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and a weak to neutral and persistent La Niña pattern that some are calling 'La Nada,'" he wrote last week.

Watts backs his point by citing a 2013 scientific paper published in the journal Climate Dynamics that says "the current southwestern U.S. drought is associated" with "a minimum in the Pacific Decadal oscillation (PDO) index."

Droughts happen. 
They are not a new phenomenon that popped up only after man began to pump high volumes of carbon dioxide into the sky. 

They predate record-keeping by a few millennia, if not longer.

One of California's driest periods was in 1863-1864 when the state was scorched by the Great Drought. Water Resources lists other "large-scale" multi-year droughts in 1918-1920, 1923-1926, 1928-1935 and 1947-1950.

Others have followed, but what's common to each of these former events is that they preceded what might be called the current global warming era.

Double standards in election law will destroy our country------------Conservative author and pundit Dinesh D’Souza charged in campaign finance case

Conservative author and pundit Dinesh D’Souza charged in campaign finance case - The Washington Post: "“This office and the FBI take a zero tolerance approach to corruption of the electoral process,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement.

“If, as alleged, the defendant directed others to make contributions to a Senate campaign and reimbursed them, that is a serious violation of federal campaign finance laws.”"
....The indictment was the result of a routine review by the FBI of campaign filings with the FEC by various candidates after the 2012 election, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
......Straw-donor cases have been brought against prominnent individuals from time to time. 
For example, in 2011, a prominent Los Angeles attorney, Pierce O’Donnell, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of making $20,000 in donations to the presidential campaign of former Sen. John Edwards and reimbursing straw donors.

Conservative filmmaker behind anti-Obama documentary indicted for violating election law

Conservative filmmaker behind anti-Obama documentary indicted for violating election law | Fox News
The conservative filmmaker behind a hit anti-Obama documentary was indicted Thursday night on charges he violated federal campaign laws, in what a close colleague is calling a “selective prosecution.”
Dinesh D'Souza, whose “2016: Obama’s America” is the second-highest grossing political documentary of all time, will appear in U.S. District Court in New York Friday.
The indictment states the 52-year-old best-selling author and activist will be charged with one count of illegally donating to a Senate campaign and one count of causing false statements to be made to authorities in connection with the contributions.
FoxNews.com has confirmed that the donation in question was made to Republican Wendy Long, who lost a 2012 Senate bid against New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
D’Souza is accused of directing various donors to give contributions to Long’s campaign totaling $20,000, and then reimbursing them. 

Individuals are only allowed to donate a maximum of $5,000 to a candidate per election cycle.

Money for Nothing

Money for Nothing [Michigan Capitol Confidential]:
At a press conference Wednesday, Gov. Rick Snyder explained why he wants to give $350 million in state money — which he insists is not a bailout — to Detroit.

Details are lacking, but Gov. Snyder says he wants an "investment" from state tobacco revenue settlement funds to match a generous offer of support from private foundations. He says this would protect Detroit pensioners and the Detroit Institute of Arts collection.

Gov. Snyder says this is not a "bailout" but a "settlement" because a bailout (I am paraphrasing) involves giving money to bankers and not getting anything in return. This seems a bit of a stretch.

Dictionary.com’s second entry on "bailout" reads: "an instance of coming to the rescue, especially financially: a government bailout of a large company." (Emphasis in the original.)

Last week, I listed just some of the reasons Detroit should not be bailed out. Among them, taking precious state resources that could be used for other state spending (road funding, for example) to give to Detroit is fundamentally unfair to all those Michigan residents who were never part of the Detroit equation. It requires statewide residents to give up something of value (future government services or tax cuts) to cover the bad policy decisions and mismanagement of Detroit.

US Pacific Commander Warns "Risks Are Growing" Between China & Japan

US Pacific Commander Warns "Risks Are Growing" Between China & Japan | Zero Hedge:
"While it is becoming increasingly clear that tensions between Japan and China (and in fact most of the Asian nations) are escalating; the fact that Admiral Samuel Locklear - commander of US forces in the Pacific - believes "risk calculations are growing," as the two large powers have a disagreement but are not willing to talk to each other, shows this is more than just talk.
As The AP reports, Washington's treaty obligations to its ally Japan mean it could be sucked into a conflict."

Tammy D now weekly at The Muskegon Tribune----Where will you be?

Where will you be?:

"Unfortunately, our first line of fact checkers, the press, went over to the dark side years ago. 

If we would have been paying attention, we would’ve realized the press was no longer a good source of information.

Had we checked out the information ourselves, we would’ve been armed for the next round.

 Instead, we’re standing in the middle of the ring, blindfolded with our hands tied behind our back."

Say it ain't so!-------------------------The Days Of $7.99 Netflix May Soon Be Over

The Days Of $7.99 Netflix May Soon Be Over:

 "Netflix is finally talking seriously about increasing prices.

 For years, the streaming service in the U.S. has cost $7.99 per month.

But analysts have said that in order for Netflix to cover its high content and expansion costs -- and more recently, to cover potential increased costs due to net neutrality issues -- it would only be a matter of time before the streaming video service had to increase its prices.

 That time may be soon.

 In its letter to shareholders on Wednesday, Netflix said that it hopes "to offer new members a selection of three simple options to fit everyone's taste.""

So, if I take 2, the constipation will offset the diarrhea and everything will be "just right"?

For the Consumer

Applies to cyclobenzaprine: oral capsule extended release, oral suspension, oral tablet

Along with its needed effects, cyclobenzaprine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Some side effects of cyclobenzaprine may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

Less common or rare

• Bloated feeling or gas, indigestion, nausea or vomiting, or stomach cramps or pain
• constipation
• diarrhea

History for January 24

History for January 24 - On-This-Day.com:

Birth anniversary of actor/comedian John Belushi (1949-82).

 Happy Birthday! Neil Diamond, Mary Lou Retton, Yakov Smirnoff

1908 - In England, the first Boy Scout troop was organized by Robert Baden-Powell. 


1965 - Winston Churchill died at the age of 90. 


1972 - The U.S. Supreme Court struck down laws that denied welfare benefits to people who had resided in a state for less than a year. 


1989 - Ted Bundy, the confessed serial killer, was put to death in Florida's electric chair for the 1978 kidnap-murder of 12-year-old Kimberly Leach. 

De Blasio ‘getting back at us’ by not plowing: UES residents

De Blasio ‘getting back at us’ by not plowing: UES residents | New York Post:

"It really is a tale of two cities — this time with the tony Upper East Side getting the shaft!

Huge swaths of the city’s wealthiest neighborhood had been not been plowed by early Tuesday evening, leaving 1-percenters out in the cold, according to the city’s own map of snow-plower activity. 

“He is trying to get us back.

He is very divisive and political,” said writer and life-long Upper East Side mom Molly Jong Fast of Mayor de Blasio."

What could possibly go wrong.......Snyder seeks 50,000 work visas to lure immigrants to Detroit

Snyder seeks 50,000 work visas to lure immigrants to Detroit | Crain's Detroit Business:
 "During a morning event at the IDEAL Group, a family-owned manufacturing and construction company in southwest Detroit whose founder is the grandson of Mexican immigrants, Snyder announced his plans to try to secure 50,000 work visas for the city over five years. 
The type of visas involved are not currently allocated by region or state, but rather go to legal immigrants who have advanced degrees or show exceptional ability in certain fields.
Under the governor's unique proposal, one-quarter of the nation’s 40,000 annual EB-2 visas would be designated for such immigrants willing to live and work for five years in Detroit."

Fact-Free Left Turns Blind Eye To Socialism's Failures Of The Past

Fact-Free Left Turns Blind Eye To Socialism's Failures Of The Past - Investors.com

President Obama seems completely unaware of how many of the policies he is trying to impose have been tried before, in many times and places around the world, and have failed time and again.

Economic equality? 
That was tried in the 19th century, in communities set up by Robert Owen, the man who coined the term "socialism." 
Those communities all collapsed.

Media shocked that criminals not flooding legal checks-----Colorado gun checks surge in 2013, but only 1.8 percent are rejected

Colorado gun checks surge in 2013, but only 1.8 percent are rejected - The Denver Post:
"While Colorado politicians went head-to-head under the gold dome in 2013 over gun-control legislation, firearms dealers made money hand over fist.

More people tried to buy a gun in 2013 than in any year in the state's history.
Nearly 400,000 criminal background checks were processed by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation for would-be gun purchasers — or 16 percent more than in 2012, itself a record-breaking year.

Despite a new law that expanded background checks to include all gun sales, 2013 data show that only 1.9 percent of checks were denied.
The denial rate is lower than it was in 2012, prior to the new law.
In 2012, 2.1 percent of sales netted denials."

Here It Comes - More Leading Economists Call For Capital Controls

Here It Comes - More Leading Economists Call For Capital Controls | Zero Hedge:

In a speech to the American Economic Association earlier this month, the pair suggested that rich economies may need to resort to the tactics generally reserved for emerging markets.

This is code for financial repression and capital controls.

The idea behind capital controls is simple: create barriers to restrict the free flow of capital. And if you’re on the receiving end, capital controls can be enormously destructive.

But for politicians, capital controls are hugely beneficial; once they trap funds within their borders, the money can be easily taxed, confiscated, or inflated.

Historically, capital controls have been used in ‘desperate times’. Too much debt. Too much deficit spending. Wars. Huge trade deficit. Intentional currency devaluation. Etc.

Does any of this sound familiar? It’s no surprise that policymakers have once again turned to this ‘desperate measure’. They’re already here.

Iceland has capital controls, over five years after its spectacular meltdown. We can also see capital controls in Cyprus, India, Argentina, etc.

I’ve been writing for years that capital controls are a foregone conclusion. This is no longer theory or conjecture. It’s happening. And every bit of objective evidence suggests that the march towards capital controls will quicken.

This is a HUGE reason to consider holding a portion of your savings overseas in a strong, stable foreign bank where your home government won’t as easily be able to trap your savings.

Our schools are more babysitter than educational----When Kids Get A Snow Day, Working Parents Forced To Scramble

When Kids Get A Snow Day, Working Parents Forced To Scramble « CBS Philly:
 "MALVERN, Pa. (CBS) — It’s always a stress for working parents when schools are closed, trying to figure out how to care for the kids while still having to work.
......“But it generally does require some shuffling and some, ‘Hey, it’s time to be quiet, Mom has some conference calls.’ “"

Even Big Labor Leftists say real unemployment number is over 10 percent

Ken Braun: Even Big Labor Leftists say real unemployment number is over 10 percent | MLive.com

A pool of “missing workers” as large as the economy of Illinois is being ignored by the official unemployment rate, according to a think tank run by America’s big labor unions.

These workers have disappeared from the labor force since the start of the Great Recession in 2008, having given up looking for work. 

If their plight were counted accurately the December 2013 unemployment rate would zoom from the “official” 6.7 percent to a whopping 10.2 percent.

An official number this high has not been recorded since 1940, the year before American entry into World War II.

Using U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that factor out changing demographics - such as a growing number of retirees - the Economic Policy Institute reportconcludes nearly 6 million additional Americans would be looking for work today if we used the labor force participation standard in effect for 2008 and earlier.

New App Will Scan Your Date’s Face to See If They’re a Sex Offender

New App Will Scan Your Date’s Face to See If They’re a Sex Offender | Betabeat:
"There’s a soon-to-be-released app that identifies strangers by using a creepshot a user uploads of them, to further enable your cyberstalking ways.
This latest advancement in technology is an app called NameTag.
It works by users uploading a snapshot of a person, where it’s then scanned and compared to publicly available social media accounts and dating website profiles. 
It also scans criminal databases, like the National Sex Offender Registry, to identify pervs.
What results is a detailed dossier of your subject, allowing you to commence your private browser-backed creeping."

Obama 'Threatens Fox News Reporter's Career' For Digging Too Deep into the Benghazi Story.

BREAKING: Obama 'Threatens Fox News Reporter's Career' For Digging Too Deep into the Benghazi Story... | RedFlagNews.com
Fox News anchor Greta Van Susteren charges that the Obama administration tried to press her to shut down a colleague’s reporting on the jihadist attack in Benghazi, Libya, that cost the lives of a U.S. ambassador and three other Americans.

Van Susteren asserted recently on her blog that the administration made an extensive effort to conceal what happened in Benghazi. She cited U.S. officials’ refusal to include the Fox News Channel in several Benghazi briefings along with a warning that her colleague’s career would be ruined if she persisted in her reporting on the attack.

The Fox News host recalled a “disturbing phone call from a good friend in the Obama administration” shortly after the Sept. 11, 2012, attack, which the administration initially blamed on a protest of an anti-Islam video.

“In this call, my friend told me that my colleague Jennifer Griffin, who was aggressively reporting on Benghazi, was wrong and that, as a favor to me, my friend in the administration was telling me so that I could tell Jennifer so that she did not ruin her career,” Van Susteren wrote.

Van Susteren said that in her 20-plus years in the business, she had never received a call to try to shut down a colleague.