Monday, October 28, 2013
Benghazi consulate attack: British contractor 'warned US repeatedly about security'
Benghazi consulate attack: British contractor 'warned US repeatedly about security' - Telegraph:"British contractor 'Morgan Jones' speaks publicly about Benghazi consulate attack that resulted in death of Ambassador Chris Stevens
..."I was saying 'these guys are no good. You need to get them out of here'," he told CBS News, adding that he repeatedly cautioned that they were "not going to stand and fight" if they came under fire.
"In the end I got quite bored of hearing my own voice saying it," he said.
Gregory Hicks, Mr Stevens' deputy, has said they requested more security for the mission and were frustrated by the refusals of senior State Department officials in Washington.
Speaking to CBS for a 60 Minutes special, Mr Jones said Stevens was indeed concerned about the compound's security and had sought his advice just hours before the attack commenced."
Sunday, October 27, 2013
High school cheerleader car wash violates enviromental laws
High school cheerleader car wash violates enviromental laws | The Daily Caller:"This is what happened to Lincoln High Schoolcheerleaders trying to raise money to attend a national competition in April.
The San Jose Mercury reports that local environmental officials warned the high school cheerleaders that their car wash violated the city’s water discharge laws.
“We had a visit from the city of San Jose Environmental Services Department who said that the car washes at Hoover [Middle School] are in violation of water discharge laws, therefore we had to cancel this and all future car washes,” said an email that was sent out to neighborhood email lists on Oct. 18."
Lou Reed RIP: 20 Essential Tracks | Music News
Lou Reed: 20 Essential Tracks | Music News | Rolling Stone:"20 Essential Lou Reed TracksA look back at the legendary rocker's best moments from the Velvet Underground and beyond"
Detroit Pensioners Face Miserable 16 Cent On The Dollar Recovery
Detroit Pensioners Face Miserable 16 Cent On The Dollar Recovery | Zero Hedge:
It is the same kind of violent and anguished repricing that all unsecrued creditors in the coming wave of heretofore "denialed" municipal bankruptcy filings will have to undergo. Starting with Detroit, where as Reuters reports, the recovery to pensioners, retirees and all other unsecured creditors will be.... 16 cents on the dollar!... or less than what Greek bondholders got in the country's latest (and certainly not final) bankruptcy.
From Reuters:
On Friday, city financial consultant Kenneth Buckfire said he did not have to recommend to Orr that pensions for the city's retirees be cut as a way to help Detroit navigate through debts and liabilities that total $18.5 billion.Buckfire said it was clear that the city did not have the funds to pay the unsecured pension payouts without cutting them."It was a function of the mathematics," said Buckfire, who said he did not think it was necessary for him or anyone else to recommend pension cuts to Orr."Are you saying it was so self-evident that no one had to say it?" asked Claude Montgomery, attorney for a committee of retirees that was created by Rhodes."Yes," Buckfire answered.Buckfire, a Detroit native and investment banker with restructuring experience, later told the court the city plans to pay unsecured creditors, including the city's pensioners, 16 cents on the dollar. There are about 23,500 city retirees.
MUCH better photos and video in link--Watch from four angles the former Sappi paper mill power plant come down by explosions
Watch from four angles the former Sappi paper mill power plant come down by explosions | MLive.com: "MLive Muskegon Chronicle photographers were positioned at four different locations along the southern Muskegon Lake shoreline, Sunday morning Oct. 27 to record the demolition of the former Sappi paper mill power plant. This video shows each of those views as the 200-foot section of the building was brought down by several closely timed explosions. The public was kept at least 1,000 feet away from the blast site and was not allowed on the 119-acre site. In addition, Lakeshore Drive was closed to prepare for the explosions.
This particular section of the plant was constructed in the late 1980s and was the last major addition to the mill, which began operation producing paper on the site at 2400 Lakeshore in 1900 as Central Paper Company.
The S.D Warren Company purchased Central Paper in 1953 and operated by that name until Sappi Ltd. of South Africa purchased the mill in 1994.
The plant closed in 2009 and the site was sold in 2011 to Melching Inc., a demolition company based in Nunica.
At its peak in 1975, employment at the mill reached approximately 1,200 employees."
Detroiters on hook for millions used to renovate schools now empty or demolished
Detroiters on hook for millions used to renovate schools now empty or demolished | Detroit Free Press | freep.com:"Over the next 27 years, Detroit property owners will be on the hook to pay more than $437.8 million for renovations made to schools that now sit unused, trashed or demolished, a boon to scrappers and home to vagrants and feral cats.
Voters approved $2.1 billion in bonds in 1994 and 2009 to pay for capital improvements on Detroit Public Schools buildings and still owe $1.5 billion.
Today, 110 of those buildings are empty or have been torn down, but Detroiters still have to pay for the $106 million spent on renovations plus interest, according to a Free Press analysis.
They’ll be paying off that tab until 2040.
Meanwhile, they also still have to repay $331.8 million, plus interest, that was spent building or renovating schools that DPS is now renting out or has sold — mostly to its competitors."
Jonah Goldberg Mocks 'Racist, Extremist, Hostage-Taking Democrats Who Want to Delay ObamaCare'
Jonah Goldberg Mocks 'Racist, Extremist, Hostage-Taking Democrats Who Want to Delay ObamaCare' | NewsBusters:"Jonah Goldberg on Fox News’s Special Report Friday marvelously quipped, “I’m scandalized by these racist, anarchist, extremist, hostage-taking Democrats who want to delay ObamaCare which is the law of the land” (video follows with commentary):"
'Creepy Uncle Sam' is back in Halloween-themed Obamacare ad
'Creepy Uncle Sam' is back in Halloween-themed Obamacare ad - WAFF-TV: News, Weather and Sports for Huntsville, AL:
"But are you afraid of Uncle Sam stealing your Halloween candy?
A creepy Uncle Sam?
Thanks to the latest video from the "free-thinking, liberty-loving" group Generation Opportunity, the reality of signing up for Obamacare is as scary as any horror movie.
In their latest YouTube video "Halloween Horror 2013 – Get the Door, Chad – Creepy Uncle Sam," the savvy social media group continues to take on President Barack Obama's signature legislation, and renames it "Scary Care.""
"But are you afraid of Uncle Sam stealing your Halloween candy?
A creepy Uncle Sam?
Thanks to the latest video from the "free-thinking, liberty-loving" group Generation Opportunity, the reality of signing up for Obamacare is as scary as any horror movie.
In their latest YouTube video "Halloween Horror 2013 – Get the Door, Chad – Creepy Uncle Sam," the savvy social media group continues to take on President Barack Obama's signature legislation, and renames it "Scary Care.""
A black box in your car? Some see a source of tax revenue
A black box in your car? Some see a source of tax revenue - latimes.com:"The devices, which track every mile a motorist drives and transmit that information to bureaucrats, are at the center of a controversial attempt in Washington and state planning offices to overhaul the outdated system for funding America's major roads.
The usually dull arena of highway planning has suddenly spawned intense debate and colorful alliances. Libertarians have joined environmental groups in lobbying to allow government to use the little boxes to keep track of the miles you drive, and possibly where you drive them — then use the information to draw up a tax bill."
'We've reached the end of antibiotics': Top CDC expert declares that 'miracle drugs' that have saved millions are no match against 'superbugs' because people have overmedicated themselves
'We've reached the end of antibiotics': Top CDC expert declares that 'miracle drugs' that have saved millions are no match against 'superbugs' because people have overmedicated themselves | Mail Online"Srinivasan, who is also featured in a Frontline report called 'Hunting the Nightmare Bacteria,' which aired Tuesday, said that both humans and livestock have been overmedicated to such a degree that bacteria are now resistant to antibiotics.
‘We're in the post-antibiotic era,' he said. 'There are patients for whom we have no therapy, and we are literally in a position of having a patient in a bed who has an infection, something that five years ago even we could have treated, but now we can’t.’."
Blog: Rep. Joe Wilson Vindicated
Blog: Rep. Joe Wilson Vindicated:
But, now, as we look back on 5 years of Barack Obama, we see that Obama and his Administration do lie. And they lie a lot.
- Both Eric Holder and Barack Obama stated that "Fast and Furious was a program begun in the Bush Administration". That was a lie. The Bush Administration had, in fact, shut down any efforts to track illegal shipments of guns to Mexico because it was a dangerous and untenable undertaking.
- Hillary Clinton, Susan Wright and Barack Obama all stated that the attack in Benghazi was caused by Islamist spontaneous reaction to an anti-Islamist video produced in the United States. We know now - and they knew then - that the attack in Benghazi was a well planned effort by well armed Islamic extremists with connections to Al Qaeda.
- The President assured us that "..... the IRS targeting of conservative groups like the Tea Party..." was an isolated instance of rogue IRS employees in the Cincinnati office. We now know that the senior levels of the Administration (e.g., the Treasury Department General Counsel, the Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Treasury, and the Office of the White House Counsel) were acutely aware of these plans to target these conservative groups and were worried about these
- The President and the National Director of Intelligence reassured the American people time and time again that the phone calls and emails of Americans were not being monitored and recorded as part of our intelligence programs. We know that to be false and, further, we now know that our electronic spying is international in scope and technologically sophisticated.
Dept Homeland Security Preparing For Riots On Nov 1 2013 -You Won't Believe why!
Dept Homeland Security Preparing For Riots On Nov 1 2013 -You Won't Believe Why!
TaxMan-in-a-box--------A black box in your car? Some see a source of tax revenue
A black box in your car? Some see a source of tax revenue - latimes.com:"The devices, which track every mile a motorist drives and transmit that information to bureaucrats, are at the center of a controversial attempt in Washington and state planning offices to overhaul the outdated system for funding America's major roads.
The usually dull arena of highway planning has suddenly spawned intense debate and colorful alliances. Libertarians have joined environmental groups in lobbying to allow government to use the little boxes to keep track of the miles you drive, and possibly where you drive them — then use the information to draw up a tax bill."
Obamacare’s Magical Thinkers 3
Obamacare’s Magical Thinkers | National Review Online:
Was the government of the United States aware that CGI had been fired by the government of Canada and the government of Ontario (and the government of New Brunswick)?
Nobody’s saying.
But I doubt it would make much difference.
Asked by Mother Jones to explain why Obama the candidate uses the Internet so effectively but Obama the government is a bust, his 2008 tech maestro Clay Johnson put it this way: “The first person that you need in order to start a Web company would be a Web developer; the first person you need to start a government-contracting firm is an attorney.”
The problem with Obamacare isn’t the website design, it’s the nature of government procurement in an unaccountable bureaucracy serving 300 million people.
Nobody’s saying.
But I doubt it would make much difference.
Asked by Mother Jones to explain why Obama the candidate uses the Internet so effectively but Obama the government is a bust, his 2008 tech maestro Clay Johnson put it this way: “The first person that you need in order to start a Web company would be a Web developer; the first person you need to start a government-contracting firm is an attorney.”
The problem with Obamacare isn’t the website design, it’s the nature of government procurement in an unaccountable bureaucracy serving 300 million people.
Despite the best efforts of President Obama and doting tweeters in Jersey City, government isn’t groovy.
The standard rap on Obamacare is that it’s turned America’s health system into the DMV. If only.
I had cause to go to the DMV in Twin Mountain, N.H., the other day.
In and out in ten minutes.
Modest accommodations, a little down-at-heel, nothing cool about it at all.
But it worked just fine.
Friendly chap, no complaints.
Government can do that at the town level, county level, even (more sparingly) at the state level.
The standard rap on Obamacare is that it’s turned America’s health system into the DMV. If only.
I had cause to go to the DMV in Twin Mountain, N.H., the other day.
In and out in ten minutes.
Modest accommodations, a little down-at-heel, nothing cool about it at all.
But it worked just fine.
Friendly chap, no complaints.
Government can do that at the town level, county level, even (more sparingly) at the state level.
But a national medical regime for 300 million people?
Not in a First World country.
And, when you’re mad enough to try it, the failure is not the insignificant enrollment numbers, but the vaporization of the existing health plans of 119,000 Pennsylvanians, 160,000 Californians, 300,000 Floridians, 800,000 in that tech tweeter’s New Jersey . . .
That’s the magic that happens when you disdain the limits of prosaic, humdrum, just-about-functioning government.
Perhaps things will get so bad the coolest president ever will no longer seem quite so hip. But, alas, you’ll have to wait three years for a hip replacement.
That’s government health care for you.
Not in a First World country.
And, when you’re mad enough to try it, the failure is not the insignificant enrollment numbers, but the vaporization of the existing health plans of 119,000 Pennsylvanians, 160,000 Californians, 300,000 Floridians, 800,000 in that tech tweeter’s New Jersey . . .
That’s the magic that happens when you disdain the limits of prosaic, humdrum, just-about-functioning government.
Perhaps things will get so bad the coolest president ever will no longer seem quite so hip. But, alas, you’ll have to wait three years for a hip replacement.
That’s government health care for you.
— Mark Steyn, a National Review columnist, is the author of After America: Get Ready for Armageddon. © 2013 Mark Steyn
Nation headed over ‘food stamp cliff’
Nation headed over ‘food stamp cliff’ - The Hill's On The Money:
There is little chance that Congress will act to avert what hunger activists call the “food stamp cliff” — a cut to benefits that will affect some 47 million beneficiaries, including children and the elderly.
The cut takes effect on Nov. 1, and will bring an end to a funding increase that Democrats wrapped into President Obama’s 2009 stimulus law.
"“We have never seen a cut like this affecting all beneficiaries,” said Lisa Davis of the food bank network Feeding America.
“With the government shutdown and other national and international issues going on, many people have no idea this is coming.”
Davis said that food banks are bracing for an influx of the needy as the holiday season approaches, and are concerned about keeping up with demand after donations wane in January.
“We’re hugely concerned … this will affect 23 million kids,” said Tom Nelson of Share Our Strength, a group focused on child hunger.
“At a minimum we can’t accept more cuts.”"
There is little chance that Congress will act to avert what hunger activists call the “food stamp cliff” — a cut to benefits that will affect some 47 million beneficiaries, including children and the elderly.
The cut takes effect on Nov. 1, and will bring an end to a funding increase that Democrats wrapped into President Obama’s 2009 stimulus law.
"“We have never seen a cut like this affecting all beneficiaries,” said Lisa Davis of the food bank network Feeding America.
“With the government shutdown and other national and international issues going on, many people have no idea this is coming.”
Davis said that food banks are bracing for an influx of the needy as the holiday season approaches, and are concerned about keeping up with demand after donations wane in January.
“We’re hugely concerned … this will affect 23 million kids,” said Tom Nelson of Share Our Strength, a group focused on child hunger.
“At a minimum we can’t accept more cuts.”"
The New Federal Wedding Tax: How Obamacare Would Dramatically Penalize Marriage
The New Federal Wedding Tax: How Obamacare Would Dramatically Penalize Marriage:"One bizarre feature of the Senate-passed health care bill is its pervasive bias against marriage.
Under the bill, couples would face massive financial penalties if they marry or remain married.
Conversely, couples who cohabit without marriage are given highly preferential financial treatment.
If the Senate bill becomes law, saying “I do” would cost some couples over $10,000 per year."
Health reform: Computer says no
Health reform: Computer says no | The Economist:"A HANDSOME man told television viewers to pick up their phones and shop.
“The phone number…is 1-800-318-2596,” he said on October 21st.
“I want to repeat that: 1-800-318-2596.”
This was not a microwave salesman, but the president of the United States.
Barack Obama urged Americans to buy health insurance by phone, by mail and in person, because the website for his most important domestic reform does not work."
In what kind of alternate liberal universe could this happen?--------Hillary Clinton To Receive American Patriot Award
Hillary Clinton To Receive American Patriot Award:"Ironically, Clinton receives the award on November 14, which is around the time 60 Minutes is running a special detailing its attempts to "get to the truth about what happened in Benghazi."
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Obamacare’s Magical Thinkers 2- CGI. A name to remember.....
Obamacare’s Magical Thinkers | National Review Online:
The witness who coughed up the intriguing tidbit about Obamacare’s exemption from privacy protections was one Cheryl Campbell of something called CGI.
This rang a vague bell with me.
CGI is not a creative free spirit from Jersey City with an impressive mastery of Twitter, but a Canadian corporate behemoth.
Indeed, CGI is so Canadian their name is French: Conseillers en Gestion et Informatique. Their most famous government project was for the Canadian Firearms Registry.
The registry was estimated to cost in total $119 million, which would be offset by $117 million in fees.
That’s a net cost of $2 million.
Instead, by 2004 the CBC (Canada’s PBS) was reporting costs of some $2 billion — or a thousand times more expensive.
This rang a vague bell with me.
CGI is not a creative free spirit from Jersey City with an impressive mastery of Twitter, but a Canadian corporate behemoth.
Indeed, CGI is so Canadian their name is French: Conseillers en Gestion et Informatique. Their most famous government project was for the Canadian Firearms Registry.
The registry was estimated to cost in total $119 million, which would be offset by $117 million in fees.
That’s a net cost of $2 million.
Instead, by 2004 the CBC (Canada’s PBS) was reporting costs of some $2 billion — or a thousand times more expensive.
Yeah, yeah, I know, we’ve all had bathroom remodelers like that.
But in this case the database had to register some 7 million long guns belonging to some two-and-a-half to three million Canadians.
That works out to almost $300 per gun — or somewhat higher than the original estimate for processing a firearm registration of $4.60.
Of those $300 gun registrations, Canada’s auditor general reported to parliament that much of the information was either duplicated or wrong in respect to basic information such as names and addresses.
But in this case the database had to register some 7 million long guns belonging to some two-and-a-half to three million Canadians.
That works out to almost $300 per gun — or somewhat higher than the original estimate for processing a firearm registration of $4.60.
Of those $300 gun registrations, Canada’s auditor general reported to parliament that much of the information was either duplicated or wrong in respect to basic information such as names and addresses.
Sound familiar?
Also, there was a 1-800 number, but it wasn’t any use.
Sound familiar?
So it was decided that the sclerotic database needed to be improved.
Sound familiar?
READ THIS-We're doomed-The New Normal?
The New Normal? | Zero Hedge:"This artificial prosperity plan for Wall Street has the added benefit of allowing the captured politicians in Washington D.C. to continue their $1 trillion per year deficit spending with no consequences for their squandering of future generations’ wealth.
Bernanke and Yellen will never taper, because they can’t.
The Fed balance sheet will continue to grow by at least $1 trillion per year until they crash the financial system again.
Except this time, there will be no money printing solution.
We are all trapped like rats in this monetary experiment being conducted by evil mad scientists.
No one will get out alive.
Welcome to the new normal.
Now eat your cheese."
Aussie PM: carbon tax is ‘socialism masquerading as environmentalism'
Aussie PM: carbon tax is ‘socialism’ | The Daily Caller:Australia’s newly elected prime minister pulled no punches when giving his thoughts on the country’s carbon tax, which he says must be abolished as quickly as possible.
“The carbon tax is bad for the economy and it doesn’t do any good for the environment,” Abbott told The Washington Post.
“Despite a carbon tax of $37 a ton by 2020, Australia’s domestic emissions were going up, not down.
The carbon tax was basically socialism masquerading as environmentalism, and that’s why it’s going to get abolished.”"
Barackie, you're doin' a heck of a job.........CGI Federal in charge of nearly $2 billion in Sandy relief
And a great quote from the democrat memory bank: http://www.hark.com/clips/ccgkzjpjgn-brownie-youre-doing-a-heck-of-a-jobCGI Federal in charge of nearly $2 billion in Sandy relief | The Daily Caller:
"Mr. Nelson presented that the State received a $1.7 billion allocation in CDBG Disaster Recovery aid from HUD to aid impacted businesses and residences.
He stated that the State’s Action Plan was approved on April 26, 2013 and HTFC is currently in a phase of implementing the program.
He stated that in this phase, the corporation needs to stand-up its recovery programs as soon as possible to deliver critical resources, and in order to do so, the corporation requires immediate access to consultant services to assist in policy and procedure development, training, surge capacity, and call center assistance, and stated that CGI Federal Inc. could provide such services.
The resolution was passed and scheduled to “take effect immediately.”
The Associated Press revealed Tuesday that a mere $700 million of the $60 billion federal aid package – 1.2 percent of the total funds – has been given to victims of super storm Sandy.
Nearly a year after the devastating storm, a majority of the 24,000 families that have requested monetary assistance have yet to receive a penny from the federal aid package."
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