12-year-old accused in playground killing among youngest murder suspects in Michigan

12-year-old accused in playground killing among youngest murder suspects in Michigan | MLive.com:
"Kentwood's Jamarion Lawhorn, 12, has gained notoriety of his own - just a child himself, he allegedly killed a boy three years younger.
 He is accused of fatally stabbing Michael “Conner” Verkerke, 9, at a playground in a mobile home park on Bellewood Street SE, near 56th Street and Madison Avenue.
He was arraigned Tuesday, Aug. 5, on a charge of open murder by Kent County juvenile court referee Marie Kessler."

What Atheists Claim a Recruit Saw Inside a Military Enlistment Station Has Them Threatening Possible Legal Action | TheBlaze.com

What Atheists Claim a Recruit Saw Inside a Military Enlistment Station Has Them Threatening Possible Legal Action | TheBlaze.com:
“In July 2014, our client enlisted in the National Guard at the U.S. General Services Administration in St. Louis, Missouri,” read the letter. “During the swearing-in process, our client observed the government offering the aforementioned New Testament Bibles for free to military recruits.”

Bacon prices hit a new all-time high

Bacon prices hit a new all-time high | Fox News:
"Love bacon?  
Now, you're going to have to pay more than ever to get your hands on it.
The average price of bacon across America has risen 14 percent since June of last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Now bacon is going for a whopping $6.11 per pound, which is 41 percent higher than the per-pound price in June 2012.
In fact, according to the Huffington Post, bacon today is about 21 percent pricier than it was in the early 1980s after adjusting for inflation.
The three biggest factors affecting the current price are a porcine epidemic —a diarrhea virus killing pigs in the U.S. by the thousands—an ongoing drought that is raising pig feed prices, and a high demand, which would not surprise any one paying attention to the food scene for last few years.
Should bacon lovers be worried about a shortage?
In 2012, a British industry group said that a world shortage of pork and bacon was "unavoidable."
Britain's National Pig Association (NPA) says that pig herds in Europe are shrinking.
As if that isn’t bad enough, this trend was “being mirrored around the world.” "

Rangel gets racial: Tea party a bunch of 'white crackers'

Rangel gets racial: Tea party a bunch of 'white crackers' - Washington Times:
"New York Rep. Charlie Rangel wants the world to know:
Tea party members are a bunch of “white crackers.” 
 “It is the same group we faced in the South with those white crackers and the dogs and the police,” Mr. Rangel told the Daily Beast.
“They didn’t care about how they looked. It was just fierce indifference to human life that caused America to say enough is enough.”
 House Republicans didn’t get off any easier.
 The congressman likened them to terrorists:
“What’s going on is sabotage. Terrorists couldn’t do a better job than the Republicans are doing.”"

Less than 13% of registered voters showed up. We are DOOMED!--------Muskegon County Election Results

Muskegon County Election Results:

VIDEO: Juan Williams Pulled the Ultimate Race Card: ‘Only Old White People Want Obama’s Impeachment’

VIDEO: Juan Williams Pulled the Ultimate Race Card: ‘Only Old White People Want Obama’s Impeachment’:
"FOX News’ resident Progressive commentator Juan Williams is upping his playing of the race card lately. Williams, who criticized Obama as he backed Hillary Clinton in 2008 only to turn into an ardent Obama defender as elections near, made race-baiting and racially divisive claims about the Tea Party that can easily be proven to be untrue."

I love this guy!-------Amash after win: Ellis is ‘what’s wrong with politics’

Amash after win: Ellis is ‘what’s wrong with politics’ | WOODTV.com:

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD/AP) — After Republican U.S. Rep. Justin Amash beat challenger Brian Ellis in the Third Congressional District primary, he said Ellis’s campaign was “disgusting” and “despicable.”

The libertarian-leaning Amash was targeted by business groups as being too far outside the mainstream of his party. But Amash survived the challenge and is likely headed toward a third two-year term in the Republican-leaning seat that includes parts of five counties and the cities of Grand Rapids and Battle Creek.

Amash has made waves in Washington by bucking the GOP leadership. He is a favorite of grassroots and tea party activists.Ellis is an investment adviser who loaned $1 million to his campaign and received support from national, state and local Chambers of Commerce.

Amash had harsh words for his opponent at the end of his acceptance speech. He seemed upset that Ellis called earlier in the evening to concede the race, saying he declined the call.

“To Brian Ellis, you owe my family and this community an apology… for your disgusting, despicable, smear campaign,” Amash said toward the end of his victory speech. “You had the audacity to try to call me today after running a campaign that was called the nastiest in the country. I ran for office to stop people like you — to stop people who were more interested in themselves than in doing what’s best for their district.”

Amash also had strong words for former congressman Pete Hoekstra, who endorsed Ellis.

“I want to say to lobbyist Pete Hoekstra, you’re a disgrace,” he said. “I’m glad we could hand you one more loss before you fade into total obscurity and irrelevance.”

When speaking live to 24 Hour News 8 after his speech, Amash reiterated his earlier statements.

“(Ellis) ran a smear campaign. It was despicable. It was disgusting. And then he had the audacity to call me up and try to make nice. He’s what wrong with politics, people like him. And I stood up to these people. They lie, they smear, they distort, and then they think everything’s fine afterwards and it’s not fine,” Amash said.

“The people want honest representatives, people with integrity. And I’ll continue to do that. I’ll fight for liberty. I’ll follow the Constitution. And I’ll pay attention the details of legislation, not just the title,” he continued.

Watch Amash’s full live interview with 24 Hour News 8 following his victory via YouTube:

What the Government Reportedly Did Before Website Published Scoop on Huge Expansion of Terrorist Database Had Official Saying, ‘Our Bad’ | TheBlaze.com

What the Government Reportedly Did Before Website Published Scoop on Huge Expansion of Terrorist Database Had Official Saying, ‘Our Bad’ | TheBlaze.com:
"The U.S. government’s terrorism database has doubled in size from 2010 to the end of 2013 and more than 40 percent of the people on the list have “no recognized terrorist group affiliation,” according to classified government documents published by The Intercept."

The morning after: Muskegon-area election results summarized for those who slept last night

The morning after: Muskegon-area election results summarized for those who slept last night | MLive.com:

Here are the results:

Statewide ballot proposal

• Voters approved Proposal 1, a plan to phase out personal property taxes that small businesses pay on office equipment and manufacturers pay on industrial equipment. Full story here.

Local state lawmakers

• With 63 percent of the Republican vote, State Sen. Goeff Hansen, R-Hart, the incumbent, defeated primary challenger Nick Sundquist for the 34^th State Senate seat. Full story here.
• Republican Holly Hughes took 68 percent of the Republican vote, beating out competitors Kevin Erb and Max Riekse for the 91^st State House seat. Full story here.
• With 76 percent of the Republican vote, incumbent Amanda Price defeated challenger Matthew Wiedenhoeft in the 89^th State House of Representatives. Full story here.

Muskegon County officials

• Muskegon County Board of Commissioners chairman Ken Mahoney survived challenger Tony Barnes by a margin of only 76 votes in the Democratic primary for his seat on the commission. Brenda Moore topped three other candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for Muskegon County Drain Commissioner. Jeff Lohman beat Gary Foster and Stephen V. Vallier in the primary election for District 7 County Commissioner. Full story here.

Citizens in Israel make giant sign to send Obama a message, and it’s awesome

Citizens in Israel make giant sign to send Obama a message, and it’s awesome | Young Conservatives:

History for August 6

History for August 6 - On-This-Day.com

Birth anniversaries of Alexander Fleming (1881-1955); Lucille Ball (1911-89); Robert Mitchum (1917-97); Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-92) and Andy Warhol (1928-87).

Happy Birthday! Peter Bonerz, Dorian Harewood, M. Night Shyamalan

1914 - Austria-Hungary declared war against Russia. Serbia declared war against Germany. 


1945 - The American B-29 bomber, known as the Enola Gay, dropped the first atomic bomb on an inhabited area. The bomb named "Little Boy" was dropped over the center of Hiroshima, Japan. An estimated 140,000 people were killed. (8:16am Japanese time) 


1960 - Nationalization of U.S. and foreign-owned property in Cuba began. 


1965 - The Voting Rights Act was signed by U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. 


1981 - Fire fighters in Indianapolis, IN, answered a false alarm. When they returned to their station it was ablaze due to a grease fire. 


1986 - William J. Schroeder died. He lived 620 days with the Jarvik-7 manmade heart. He was the world's longest surviving recipient of a permanent artificial heart. 


1990 - The U.N. Security Council ordered a worldwide trade embargo with Iraq. The embargo was to punish Iraq for invading Kuwait. 





1997 - Apple Computer and Microsoft agreed to share technology in a deal giving Microsoft a stake in Apple's survival.

Some Are Calling This the ‘Most Important Video About Israel Ever Made’ — and It’s Taking the Internet by Storm | Video | TheBlaze.com

Some Are Calling This the ‘Most Important Video About Israel Ever Made’ — and It’s Taking the Internet by Storm | Video | TheBlaze.com:
"It’s been dubbed the “most important video about Israel ever made” — and it’s being widely circulated on the Internet amid the recent Gaza conflict."



This is a great video!

Eric Holder Makes a Startling Admission That Will Surprise No One

Eric Holder Makes a Startling Admission That Will Surprise No One:
"But, at least Holder is admitting what many have stated all along. Rather than act as he should as the lead attorney for America, he has worked as an activist and as Barack Obama’s personal attorney, doing his bidding and abusing his power to push the progressive agenda.
Perhaps we should not be surprised at Holder proudly wearing the label of activist 1000% and distorting his role of Attorney General in the process. After all, he did participate in an armed takeover of the ROTC office at Columbia University and his law firm defended terrorists who attacked and killed American citizens. When you look at his history, some may think the word activist is not a strong enough word to describe his actions and agenda."

Moron alert!------Not so bright: CA bill would require bb guns to be painted bright colors

Not so bright: CA bill would require bb guns to be painted bright colors - EAGnews.org powered by Education Action Group Foundation, Inc.:
"SACRAMENTO, Calif. – From the “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” file, a bill currently in the California Legislature would require BB guns and Airsoft Pellet guns painted bright toy colors so they won’t be mistaken for real guns.
Coloring BB guns (“BB” stands for “ball bullet,”) in bright colors will only give parents and children the impression that they are children’s toys, rather than recreational and target sport guns.
And criminals will start painting their AK 47s hot pink.
Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown signed 11 gun control bills into law and vetoed seven. More gun bills are on the firing line this year — even banning some BB guns."

Dem. Uses German Uniform To Represent U.S. Navy In Mailer

Dem. Uses German Uniform To Represent U.S. Navy In Mailer | The Daily Caller:

"Democratic lawmaker Julia Brownley sent a political mailer to her constituents in late July featuring a woman wearing fake military attire and a German Luftwaffe insignia — apparently unaware that the costume was not an official uniform worn by U.S. personnel."
...Brownley serves on the House Committee for Veteran Affairs and is ranking member on the House’s Subcommittee on Health, which oversees the VA. Her district includes Naval Base Ventura County, a large military installation near the southern California town of Oxnard that supports 19,000 naval personnel.

Is thinking now obsolete?

Is thinking now obsolete?:
"Talk-show host Geraldo Rivera says that there is no way Israel is winning the battle for world opinion.
But Israel is trying to win the battle for survival, while surrounded by enemies.
Might that not be more important?
Has any other country, in any other war, been expected to keep the enemy’s civilian casualties no higher than its own civilian casualties? 
The idea that Israel should do so did not originate among the masses but among the educated intelligentsia.
In an age when scientists are creating artificial intelligence, too many of our educational institutions seem to be creating artificial stupidity."

VA Accused of Misleading Congress in a Big Way | TheBlaze.com

VA Accused of Misleading Congress in a Big Way | TheBlaze.com:
“They tried to misdirect Congress and the American people away from the facts,” House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) told the Tampa Bay Times. “I think they got caught and now they are trying to modify their story…. The misdirection was, in fact, designed in Washington.”

Union thugs still trying to limit OUR shopping choices---------Wal-Mart superstore fight in Whitehall Township heading to appeals court

Wal-Mart superstore fight in Whitehall Township heading to appeals court | MLive.com:

"Marietti rejected an appeal of the township's decision by a group of seven White Lake-area residents and an anti-Wal-Mart group calling itself BOW NOT -- Back Off Wal-Mart, Not Our Town.
BOW NOT and the residents went to circuit court in October 2013 to appeal the township planning commission's approval of the Wal-Mart development.
They sued Whitehall Township, with Wal-Mart's real-estate company later added as a defendant at the company's request.
The plaintiffs have decided to keep the fight going.
"We're asking the court of appeals to hear our appeal of the circuit judge," Howard said. 
"We respect Judge Marietti but have a disagreement with his rationale on the ruling and want the court of appeals to take a hard look at it.
It's important to us and important to the community that that happens."

Mackinac Center offers teachers form to withdraw from MEA during 'August window'

Mackinac Center offers teachers form to withdraw from MEA during 'August window' | MLive.com

LANSING -- The Mackinac Center, a vocal opponent of the Michigan Education Association, is giving disgruntled teachers a form letter to use in voicing their desire to leave the union during the "August window."

Union by-laws require that MEA members submit formal withdrawal requests in August, a rule the Mackinac Center for Public Policy has railed against as violating the spirit and possibly the letter of the state's right-to-work law.

The Mackinac Center launched what they described as an "informational" campaign earlier this year about the withdrawal period, but said in June that the group was not encouraging teachers to leave the MEA.

"We're not encouraging anyone to opt out, we're simply providing information," F. Vincent Vernuccio, the group's director of labor policy, said in June. "We're encouraging people to think about if they want to opt out."

Now that the window is open, however, the Mackinac Center is taking a more active approach toward teachers leaving the union.

The group's "August Opt-Out" site, which previously offered information about the window, now has a withdrawal letter generator for teachers who want out of the MEA.

The form letter threatens legal action against the MEA for failing to honor withdrawal requests, and demands that the MEA legally justify any refusal to honor the request.

Mackinac Center spokesman Ted O'Neill contends the form letter still represents information for teachers in the union and isn't an attempt to encourage members to leave.

"We would prefer that the MEA be the ones to make this information available to their members. Since they’ve chosen not to, we felt someone had to step in and do this," O'Neill said. "It’s up to each member to do what they wish, whether that’s completely ignore it or fully utilize it."

According to the dictionary, “literally” now also means “figuratively”

According to the dictionary, “literally” now also means “figuratively” - Salon.com:

"Webster’s first definition of literally is, “in a literal sense or matter; actually.”
Its second definition is, “in effect; virtually.” 
In addressing this seeming contradiction, its authors comment:
“Since some people take sense 2 to be the opposition of sense 1, it has been frequently criticized as a misuse. 
Instead, the use is pure hyperbole intended to gain emphasis, but it often appears in contexts where no additional emphasis is necessary.”
So it’s okay to use literally to mean figuratively as long as you really, really, really need to do so?
Hmph."

What Will It Mean If The Potential Ebola Victim In New York City Actually Has The Virus?

What Will It Mean If The Potential Ebola Victim In New York City Actually Has The Virus?Officials tell us that the plane was rapidly quarantined and that they were tracking down anyone that had been in contact with that woman.
I don't know about you, but all of this is starting to remind me of some of the really bad Hollywood disaster movies that I have seen.
In my article yesterday, I included the following chart which shows how this Ebola outbreak is beginning to grow at an exponential pace...

Chicago Nonprofit Has Received Millions in Taxpayer Dollars — and Played Host to Some Pretty Racy Events | TheBlaze.com

Chicago Nonprofit Has Received Millions in Taxpayer Dollars — and Played Host to Some Pretty Racy Events | TheBlaze.com:
“As has been the practice in Illinois as witnessed by the $100 million Neighborhood Recovery Initiative now under investigation both state and federal the answer is yes,” Bivins said. “This is typical Chicago way politics, funnel state and federal monies to friends, donors through grants contracts and not for profits.”

Town treasurer on runaway spending: ‘There’s never anyone that says no’

Town treasurer on runaway spending: ‘There’s never anyone that says no’ « Watchdog.org:
"For residents of Charlotte, Vt., who want to know why the cost of living has risen dramatically in recent years, the town treasurer has the answer.
“At budget time, there’s never anyone that says ‘no’ to anything,” Mary Mead told Vermont Watchdog.
.....“I don’t understand why in such a small town certain departments have to increase in their expenses at such a rate,” Mead said."

Unreal: Look at what liberals now say is “sexist” to call your daughter…

Unreal: Look at what liberals now say is “sexist” to call your daughter… | Young Conservatives:
"From the Daily Caller:
"Have you ever called your daughter “princess” or, if you are a daughter, have you been called “princess” by anyone? 
If so, you are sexist scum."
This important pronouncement comes from Marquette University psychology professors Stephen Franzoi and Debra Oswald.
Franzoi and Oswald reported their findings in an article called “Experiencing Sexism and Young Women’s Body Esteem.” "

Oshkosh Saturday Air Show Highlights

Almost No Teachers In District's Low-Performing Schools Considered 'Ineffective'

Almost No Teachers In District's Low-Performing Schools Considered 'Ineffective' [Michigan Capitol Confidential]:
"For the last two years, every high school student in the Lansing School District received a letter from the district stating that all three high schools are on the state’s low-performing watch list.
The letters are mandated after a school is designated as one of the worst performing in the state by finishing in the bottom 5 percent academically.
Yet, according to the district, the effectiveness of its teachers is increasing significantly while it has had more schools put on the state’s low-performing watch list."

Today!

Devastating-----Vote No On Proposal 1?

Vote No On Proposal 1? | Right Michigan:

"It is my estimation that it was not necessary to place anything on the ballot to allow the reduction of that tax." Rose Bogaert WCTA

It’s seemed all too easy for this to almost slip right by, unquestioned as we fight our local political battles..

Folks have been trying to figure out the impact of proposal one.  The complicated gobbledygook language contained in multiple bills as a part of PA 80 has not helped, and the question remains: “Why is it necessary to have the voters act to ‘reduce’ taxes?” Before we as a state vote on ANYTHING, it ought to be at least reasonably explained.

Indeed, I don’t know anyone who likes the personal property tax, but will the ‘devil we know’ be replaced by one even more destructive? 
Rose Bogaert, of the Wayne County Taxpayers Association lays it out:

The News Media Now Reports All Weather as “Extreme”

The News Media Now Reports All Weather as “Extreme”:
In a desperate effort to keep the global warming hoax alive even though it is now called “climate change”, the meteorologically challenged print and broadcast media is now declaring all weather “extreme” these days.

The Media Research Institute recently analyzed broadcast network transcripts between July 1, 2004 and July 1, 2005, along with those between July 1, 2013 and July 1, 2014.
What it discovered was the network coverage of “extreme weather” had increased nearly one thousand percent!
As Sean Long reported, “during that time, extreme weather was frequently used by the networks to describe heat waves, droughts, tornadoes, hurricanes, and winter storms, and they often included the phrase in onscreen graphics or chyrons during weather stories.”
Thanks to Al Gore who continues to lie about global warming despite the fact that the Earth has been in a cooling cycle for seventeen years, the news media, print and broadcast, now substitutes its latest reincarnation, “climate change”, when reporting the weather.
It’s worth noting that the weather is what is outside right now wherever you are and climate is something that is measured in decades and centuries.
The one thing you need to keep in mind is that every form of weather has been around for much of the Earth’s 4.5 billion years.
Long before humans were blamed for causing it, they developed ways to adapt and survive, but tornadoes, hurricanes and floods, among other events, still kill humans with the same indifference to them that Mother Nature has always demonstrated.
Gore became a multi-millionaire based on the global warming scam
Gore became a multi-millionaire based on the global warming scam and, along the way; the U.S. wasted an estimated $50 billion on alleged “research” whose sole purpose was to give credence to it. 
Too many scientists lined their pockets with taxpayer dollars and many government agencies increased their budgets while falsifying their findings.