Thursday, September 18, 2014

History for September 18

History for September 18 - On-This-Day.com
Samuel Johnson 1709, Greta Garbo 1905, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson 1905 


Robert Blake 1938, Fred Willard 1939, Frankie Avalon 1939 


1759 - The French formally surrendered Quebec to the British. 


1789 - Alexander Hamilton negotiated and secured the first loan for the United States. The Temporary Loan of 1789 was repaid on June 8, 1790 at the sum of $191,608.81. 







1830 - The "Tom Thumb", the first locomotive built in America, raced a horse on a nine-mile course. The horse won when the locomotive had some mechanical difficulties. 



1850 - The Fugitive Slave Act was declared by the U.S. Congress. The act allowed slave owners to claim slaves that had escaped into other states. 


1927 - Columbia Phonograph Broadcasting System made its debut with its network broadcast over 16 radio stations. The name was later changed to CBS. 


1947 - The United States Air Force was established as a separate military branch by the National Security Act. 


1955 - The "Ed Sullivan Show" began on CBS-TV. The show had been "The Toast of the Town" since 1948. 


1963 - "The Patty Duke Show" premiered on ABC-TV. 


1981 - A museum honoring former U.S. President Ford was dedicated in Grand Rapids, MI


1997 - Ted Turner, U.S. Media magnate, announced that over the next ten years he would give $1 billion to the United Nations. 


1998 - The U.S. House Judiciary Committee voted to release to videotape of President Clinton's grand jury testimony from August 17. 

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Steal from our veterans. Get a "get out of jail free" card------VA Manager Steals From Veterans To Build Dream House

VA Manager Steals From Veterans To Build Dream House | The Daily Caller:
"A former Veterans Affairs supervisor has been sentenced for stealing up to $20,000 of government property, a recent Justice Department release announced.
From 2010 to 2013, 48-year-old Venita Godfrey-Scott directed her employees to use materials and supplies intended for VA medical center upkeep on her own house.
These taxpayer-funded home improvement projects included “a deck in her backyard, carpet installation, and various kitchen, bathroom and basement improvements.”
She also instructed employees to buy other necessary materials with her government-issued credit card, and had them work on these projects during normal work hours, when they were being paid by the VA.
Godfrey-Scott was a facilities supervisor, responsible for “carpentry, paint, locks, doors, and other minor construction projects,” for the VA Medical Center in West Haven, Conn. (RELATED: VA Medical Center Coke Ring Busted)
She plead guilty to the charges in May 2014.
While she faced a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, she will serve only four years of probation, and 120 hours of community service. "

Peeling a very expensive onion-----Michigan Supreme Court must hear no-fault FOIA case

Michigan Supreme Court must hear no-fault FOIA case - Politics Blog - The Detroit News:
"Several states have no-fault auto insurance, by which insurers pay the medical bills of people injured in auto accidents regardless of whose fault the accident is.
Michigan is the only state in the nation in which this reimbursement is unlimited.

This has led in part to Michigan’s highest-in-the-nation auto insurance rates. Adding fiscal insult to bodily injury is that victims of auto accidents in no-fault states use more medical services and pay higher prices for the same services used by other patients.

The real problem, however, is the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association (MCCA.) This legislatively-created body is made up of the state’s automobile insurance companies and manages the state’s catastrophic claims fund. The MCCA figures in order to keep the no-fault pool adequately funded, Michigan auto owners must pay an extra $186 for their auto insurance, per vehicle, per year. In this manner, the MCCA has collected a hefty $15 billion in assets for the state’s catastrophic claims fund. 

The MCCA denied a Freedom of Information Act request for its secret formula filed by the Coalition Protecting Auto No-Fault (C-PAN) and the Brain Injury Association of Michigan (BIAMI.) Both groups are clearly on the side of keeping no-fault insurance intact, yet they cite a study which shows Michigan auto owners may be paying 15 percent more than we have to to keep the MCCA properly funded. They may be right. In 2012, for example, the MCCA reportedly took in $69 million more than it paid out.

Ted Cruz Says Obama’s Plan for Islamic State is ‘Defined by Its Confusion’ | TheBlaze.com

Ted Cruz Says Obama’s Plan for Islamic State is ‘Defined by Its Confusion’ | TheBlaze.com:
"Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) had harsh words for the Obama administration’s plan to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, after a hearing in which Obama’s military strategists said there is no military solution to the terrorist group.
“The Obama administration’s plan to combat ISIS is defined by its confusion,” Cruz said after a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, referring to one of the acronyms used for the Islamic State."




Morons teaching our kids. Never heard 'bout this on NPR.........Wisconsin school district spends $167k on lawyers before dropping $8k dispute

Wisconsin school district spends $167k on lawyers before dropping $8k dispute - EAGnews.org
FREDONIA, Wis. – Taxpayers in Wisconsin’s Northern Ozaukee School District are learning a very expensive lesson about public school spending.

Money_Down_The_Toilet 337x244Residents of the small town of Fredonia recently learned the district has already spent roughly $167,000 in legal fees on an $8,000 lawsuit over a storm water dispute with a school neighbor, who is also a school board member, Fox6 reports.
Board member and adjacent property owner Kendall Thistle “says it all started back in 2006, when a new residential development caused excess storm water to flow across the school’s property and onto his. So Thistle built a berm to protect his farm,” the news site reports.
“The school district says that berm caused flooding on school property” and created a safety hazard for students, and paid $8,000 to fix the problem permanently, according to Fox6.
The district also voted to sue the Thistles to recover the money in February 2011, and the case has been tied up in the courts since. After three years of legal wrangling, ballooning legal costs eventually convinced school board members to drop the lawsuit this May.
Ozaukee County Judge Paul Malloy scolded district officials over the “imprudent” lawsuit this spring, pointing out the obvious fact that it “never should have gotten this far” and the district elected leaders will “need to answer to their electorate,” Fox6 reports.

Common sense. Not hysteria. What a concept!-------5 Things About Bobby Jindal’s Energy Plan

5 Things About Bobby Jindal’s Energy Plan - WSJ
Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana hopes to emerge as a leading policy thinker in the field of potential GOP presidential candidates. He released an energy plan Tuesday that in some ways is more nuanced and moderate than ideas espoused by other candidates. The 43-year-old governor’s energy plan includes a number of proposals championed by other Republicans, including expanded domestic energy production and the elimination of environmental regulations that target coal-fired power plants. Here’s five more surprising things you should know.

1 AMERICA FIRST

2 SUPPORTING EXPORTS, WITH NUANCE

3 GOING AFTER IOWA’S SACRED COW

Mr. Jindal calls to gradually phase out a federal mandate requiring increasingly large amounts of biofuels, mainly from corn-based ethanol, to be blended into the nation’s gasoline supply. Considered the bellwether for presidential politics, Iowa is also the country’s biggest producer of corn and this mandate is considered a sacred cow in the state. Signaling the importance of this mandate to presidential politics the last go-around, then-GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s energy plan supported it in 2012.

4 A MUTED NOD TO RENEWABLE ENERGY

Renewable energy, including wind and solar, get a fair bit of ink in the report, but Mr. Jindal’s recommendations don’t include some of the biggest priorities for the industries, including extending the production tax credit for the wind industry or pushing a federal renewable portfolio standard. Still, his commitment to renewables is more than a lot of other Republicans, and his long-term goals for the industry, including reforming the tax code and other financing mechanisms, could help boost renewables.

5 PAYING ATTENTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Mr. Jindal also has a whole section devoted to climate change, which is more than most Republicans have given the issue.
But he takes positions directly at odds with environmentalists—and, likely, with whoever becomes the Democratic presidential nominee—by questioning the role humans play in global warming and calling on the U.S. to withdraw from climate talks led by the United Nations.

He look like Obama's son?------Yolanda Reyes homicide: Witness says co-worker Shawn Jarrett was particularly 'friendly' to victim

What?
No marches?
No wall to wall TV coverage?
No screams of racism?!!!
No.
Just another day of black on white crime in the crazy land we call America.
Yolanda Reyes homicide: Witness says co-worker Shawn Jarrett was particularly 'friendly' to victim | MLive.com:

YolandaReyes.jpg
 "WALKER, MI -- Convicted murderer Shawn Jarrett was particularly "friendly" to co-worker Yolanda Reyes in the days before the Grand Rapids mother went missing and later turned up dead, newly released court documents show.
.....Detectives said Reyes' homicide has many similarities to other crimes that Jarrett committed in the past. 
In two of three assaults, he knew the victims and, in fact, was their next-door neighbor.
Following the 1982 homicide of a neighbor in Pennsylvania, Jarrett tried to get rid of three stolen watches. 
One of those belonged to the victim, police said."

EPA Doubles Number of Coal Plant Closings

EPA Doubles Number of Coal Plant Closings:
"In the run-up to the “People’s Climate March” scheduled for September 21, the non-partisan U.S, General Accountability Office (GAO) just doubled its estimate for coal plants expected to retired to comply with the Obama Administration’s new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the next decade.
EPA recently proposed or finalized four regulations that will negatively impact coal-fired generation that provides 37% of America’s electricity.
New regulations include:

(1) Cross-State Air Pollution Rule;
(2) Mercury and Air Toxics Standards;
(3) Cooling Water Intake Structures regulation; and
(4) Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals regulation.

The GAO in 2012 stated that “between 2000 and 2011, 150 coal-fueled units with a total net summer generating capacity of 13,786 MW have been retired.” The GAO said that in response to regulations and factors such as low natural gas prices, companies might retire or retrofit about 7%, or one in 13 existing coal-fueled plants.
The GAO warned at the time that these actions may “increase electricity prices” and “affect reliability–-the ability to meet consumers' demand—-in some regions.” 
.....The updated impact will result in the loss of 42,192 megawatts, over three times the amount of production shuttered between 2000 and 2011. GAO emphasized “This level of retirements is significantly more retirements than have occurred in the past.”
....Residential utility rates rose in every year of the Obama Administration according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA).

See Which Countries Islamic State Fighters Are Coming From | TheBlaze.com

See Which Countries Islamic State Fighters Are Coming From | TheBlaze.com:
"Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty put together the infographic below, drawn from CIA data, showing how many fighters different countries have contributed to the Islamic State’s 30,000-strong army.
It turns out the U.K. and France are contributing more fighters than many Arab nations including Egypt, Libya and Yemen (though on a per-capita basis, Muslim Arab nations lead the world in numbers of Islamic State fighters)."


OUTRAGE: Principal bans and removes American flags from students’ trucks on 9/11

OUTRAGE: Principal bans and removes American flags from students’ trucks on 9/11 - Wounded American Warrior:
"Excerpted from WND: A South Carolina high school principal’s decision to confiscate American flags from students’ vehicles on 9/11 has promoted meetings this week between school officials and outraged students.
WSPA-TV reported Principal Aaron Fulmer removed the flags from vehicles parked at Woodruff High School in Spartanburg, claiming rules forbid anything that creates a disturbance or draws an “unusual amount of attention.”

Obama: My Plan Makes Electricity Rates Skyrocket

And we ain't buildin' no more .........Power grid groans, blackouts roll through L.A. area as heat wave nears peak

Power grid groans, blackouts roll through L.A. area as heat wave nears peak - LA Times:
"Power outages linked to L.A.'s intense heat wave rolled across the city Tuesday.
As temperatures approached dangerous highs, harried crews restored service to one area only to be sent to another blackout.
The scorching heat wave has pushed demand for electricity to an all-time high, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power dispatched extra crews to respond to damaged equipment that had left thousands of customers without service.
As of 10 a.m., there were 3,300 customers without power, most of them in Los Feliz and Hollywood."

Ummm. An inconvenient truth?----Study: Domestic Violence Is A Widespread Scourge Among Latino Families

Study: Domestic Violence Is A Widespread Scourge Among Latino Families | Fox News Latino

Domestic violence is extremely widespread among Hispanic families, according to a study released Monday by the Allstate Foundation.
Sixty-four percent of respondents in a nationwide survey of Hispanic women said they personally knew a victim of abuse, while 30 percent admitted to having been abused themselves.
Asked whether physical, sexual, emotional or financial abuse was their reason for escaping from a dangerous relationship, 88 percent put physical abuse in first place, while 39 percent named financial abuse.

Read it all and demand change before it is too late-----The War on Poverty Has Been a Colossal Flop

The War on Poverty Has Been a Colossal Flop

Today, the U.S. Census Bureau will release its annual report on poverty. This report is noteworthy because this year marks the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson’s launch of the War on Poverty. 
Liberals claim that the War on Poverty has failed because we didn’t spend enough money. 
Their answer is just to spend more. 
But the facts show otherwise.Since its beginning, U.S. taxpayers have spent $22 trillion on Johnson’s War on Poverty (in constant 2012 dollars). Adjusting for inflation, that’s three times more than was spent on all military wars since the American Revolution.
The federal government currently runs more than 80 means-tested welfare programs. 
These programs provide cash, food, housing and medical care to low-income Americans. 
Federal and state spending on these programs last year was $943 billion. (These figures do not include Social Security, Medicare, or Unemployment Insurance.)

One third of the U.S. population received aid from at least one welfare program at an average cost of $9,000 per recipient in 2013.





Over 100 million people, about one third of the U.S. population, received aid from at least one welfare program at an average cost of $9,000 per recipient in 2013.
If converted into cash, current means-tested spending is five times the amount needed to eliminate all poverty in the U.S.
rectorchart
But today the Census will almost certainly proclaim that around 14 percent of Americans are still poor. The present poverty rate is almost exactly the same as it was in 1967 a few years after the War on Poverty started. Census data actually shows that poverty has gotten worse over the last 40 years.
How is this possible? How can the taxpayers spend $22 trillion on welfare while poverty gets worse?
The answer is it isn’t possible.  Census counts a family as poor if its income falls below specified thresholds. But in counting family “income,” Census ignores nearly the entire $943 billion welfare state.

For most Americans, the word “poverty” means significant material deprivation, an inability to provide a family with adequate nutritious food, reasonable shelter and clothing. But only a small portion of the more than 40 million people labelled as poor by Census fit that description.

The typical family that Census identifies as poor has air conditioning, cable or satellite TV, and a computer in its home.
















The The media frequently associate the idea of poverty with being homeless. But less than two percent of the poor are homeless.  Only one in ten live in mobile homes. The typical house or apartment of the poor is in good repair and uncrowded; it is actually larger than the average dwelling of non-poor French, Germans or English.
According to government surveys, the typical family that Census identifies as poor has air conditioning, cable or satellite TV, and a computer in his home. Forty percent have a wide screen HDTV and another 40 percent have internet access. Three quarters of the poor own a car and roughly a third have two or more cars. (These numbers are not the result of the current bad economy pushing middle class families into poverty; instead, they reflect a steady improvement in living conditions among the poor for many decades.)

There Were 124 Reports on Bush’s Approval Rating in First Half of 2006 — Compare That to Reports on Obama’s in First Half of 2014: ‘Incredible’ | TheBlaze.com

There Were 124 Reports on Bush’s Approval Rating in First Half of 2006 — Compare That to Reports on Obama’s in First Half of 2014: ‘Incredible’ | TheBlaze.com:
"The media study appears to have originated at the Media Research Center, which analyzed past ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts earlier this month to determine how many times public opinion polls were referenced for each president during the specified time frame:"


EBOLA!!!------DRUDGE REPORT 2014®

DRUDGE REPORT 2014®



Headline of the day!------Muskegon's Pere Marquette is not a nude beach: Man charged with indecent exposure

Muskegon's Pere Marquette is not a nude beach: Man charged with indecent exposure | MLive.com: "MUSKEGON, MI – It's fairly common knowledge that Pere Marquette Beach in Muskegon is not a "clothing-optional" attraction.
But Kevin Donald Majeski, 50, thought he had reason enough when he allegedly stood next to a black Cadillac on Sept. 2 around 4:30 p.m. along Beach Street completely naked, according to Muskegon Chief Assistant Prosecutor Timothy Maat.
He's since been banned from the beach for the rest of the year, Maat said, and was charged with a misdemeanor."

History for September 17

History for September 17 - On-This-Day.com
J. (John) Marriott 1900, Hank Williams, Sr. , Roddy McDowall 1928 


Anne Bancroft 1931, John Ritter 1948, Jimmie Johnson (Jimmie Kenneth Johnson) 1975


1787 - The Constitution of the United States of America was signed by delegates at the Constitutional Convention. 


1862 - The Battle of Antietam took place during the American Civil War. More than 23,000 men were killed, wounded, or missing. The Rebel advance was ended with heavy losses to both armies. 


1872 - Phillip W. Pratt patented a version of the sprinkler system. 


1920 - The American Professional Football Association was formed in Canton, OH. It was the precursor to the National Football League (NFL)


1932 - Sir Malcolm Campbell set a speed record when he reached 276.27 mph over a half mile. 


1961 - The Minnesota Vikings were debuted as the new National Football League (NFL) team. 


1962 - U.S. space officials announced the selection of Neil A. Armstrong and eight others as new astronauts. 


1964 - "Bewitched" premiered on ABC-TV. 


1965 - "Hogan's Heroes" debuted on CBS-TV. 


1966 - "Mission Impossible" premiered on CBS-TV. 


1972 - "M*A*S*H" premiered on CBS-TV. 


1983 - Vanessa Williams, as Miss New York, became the first black woman to be crowned Miss America. 

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Journalist Once Held by Islamic State Militants Reveals Why He Believes Beheading Victims Appeared So Calm Before Their Deaths | TheBlaze.com

Journalist Once Held by Islamic State Militants Reveals Why He Believes Beheading Victims Appeared So Calm Before Their Deaths | TheBlaze.com:
"One of the many elements surrounding the Islamic State’s horrific beheadings has been questions surrounding why — and how — the victims appear so calm just seconds before dying.
A French journalist who was once held by the terror group believes that the captives likely didn’t realize what was about to happen."




Funding the navigators: Florida's Obamacare helpers get another $6.8 million

Funding the navigators: Florida's Obamacare helpers get another $6.8 million « Watchdog.org: "TALLAHASSEE — Round two of Obamacare open enrollment is eight weeks away, and the Obama administration is once again spending millions on “navigator” outreach programs.
 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced last week it’s handing out $60 million in new funding for 90 organizations.
Florida was among the top states, garnering nearly $6.8 million — only Texas received more.
The grant recipients are tasked with continuing sign-up efforts aimed at enrolling eligible participants in mostly government subsidized health insurance plans.
The funding is going to states where the federal government either runs a health insurance exchange or partners with state officials."


U.S. State Department Orders 160,000 Ebola Hazmat Suits

» U.S. State Department Orders 160,000 Ebola Hazmat Suits Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!:
options_header"The U.S. State Department has ordered 160,000 Hazmat suits for Ebola, prompting concerns that the federal government is anticipating the rapid spread of a virus that has already claimed an unprecedented number of lives. 
In a press release posted by Market Watch, Lakeland Industries, a manufacturer of industrial protective clothing for first responders, announced that it had signaled its intention “to join the fight against the spread of Ebola” by encouraging other suppliers to meet the huge demand created by the U.S. State Department’s order of 160,000 hazmat suits.
“With the U.S. State Department alone putting out a bid for 160,000 suits, we encourage all protective apparel companies to increase their manufacturing capacity for sealed seam garments so that our industry can do its part in addressing this threat to global health,” states the press release."

Ted Cruz Says Obama’s Plan for Islamic State is ‘Defined by Its Confusion’ | TheBlaze.com

Ted Cruz Says Obama’s Plan for Islamic State is ‘Defined by Its Confusion’ | TheBlaze.com:
"Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) had harsh words for the Obama administration’s plan to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, after a hearing in which Obama’s military strategists said there is no military solution to the terrorist group.
“The Obama administration’s plan to combat ISIS is defined by its confusion,” Cruz said after a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, referring to one of the acronyms used for the Islamic State."


EXCLUSIVE: Ambassador John Bolton: Obama has Gone Schizophrenic when it Comes to Foreign Policy

EXCLUSIVE: Ambassador John Bolton: Obama has Gone Schizophrenic when it Comes to Foreign Policy:
"The always-candid Bolton explained that not only is President Obama wrong on the issue of ISIS and the threat they pose to the United States, but that his entire foreign policy is predicated upon Obama’s lack of belief in America’s right to serve as a superpower. "

A Closer Look at the Size of the U.S. Tax Code And What It Costs Americans Begets the Question: Why?

A Closer Look at the Size of the U.S. Tax Code And What It Costs Americans Begets the Question: Why?:
"As of right now, the federal tax code runs more than 70,000 pages.
And that is just the federal code. 
Each state and many local areas have their own codes and requirements as well. 
It takes precious time and money to understand and then comply with these regulations.
Take a look at how these have changed over the years:"

Screen Shot 2014-09-15 at 9.33.42 AM

Most idiotic comment of the month-- Michigan just raised its minimum wage -- will job growth follow?

Susan J. Demas: Michigan just raised its minimum wage -- will job growth follow? | MLive.com: "Michigan's minimum wage just rose 75 cents on Sept. 1.
The minimum hourly rate is now $8.15, up from $7.40. By 2018, the minimum will hit $9.25.
Tipped employees will see an increase from $2.65 to $3.10 per hour.
So will economic prosperity follow?"