Saturday, April 08, 2017
History for April 8
History for April 8 - On-This-Day.com
Guatama Buddha 563 BC - 'The Enlightened One' in the Buddhist faith, Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg 1896 - Song lyricist ("Over the Rainbow," all of the songs in The Wizard of Oz), Sonja Henie 1912 - Ice skater
Elizabeth "Betty" Ford (Bloomer) 1918 - Wife of 38th U.S. President Gerald R. Ford, founder of the Betty Ford Clinic, Seymore Hersh 1937 - Investigative reporter, Kofi Annan 1938 - United Nations secretary-general
1864 - The U.S. Senate passed the 13th Amendment (S.J. Res. 16) by a vote of 38 to 6.
1913 - The Seventeenth amendment was ratified, requiring direct election of senators.
1946 - The League of Nations assembled in Geneva for the last time.
1952 - U.S. President Truman seized steel mills to prevent a nationwide strike.
1974 - Hank Aaron hits 715th home run breaking Babe Ruth's record.
1975 - Frank Robinson of the Cleveland Indians became first black manager of a major league baseball team.
1986 - Clint Eastwood was elected mayor of Carmel, CA.
1987 - Los Angeles Dodgers executive Al Campanis resigned over remarks he had made. While on ABC's "Nightline" Campanis said that blacks "may not have some of the necessities" to hold managerial jobs in major-league baseball.
Friday, April 07, 2017
Nuclear Option: Forget RussiaGate, Rice Scandal Constitution Crisis - Breitbart
Nuclear Option: Forget RussiaGate, Rice Scandal Constitution Crisis - Breitbart:
"This is jaw-dropping, bombshell information.
Not because it reveals Susan “Benghazi was about a video” Rice to be a liar. We already knew that.
Not because it exposed the Obama administration as the most nakedly partisan presidency in modern history, willing to use even the most sacred powers of the federal government for political purposes. We already knew that too.
What is so astonishing about the revelation that Ms. Rice"
"This is jaw-dropping, bombshell information.
Not because it exposed the Obama administration as the most nakedly partisan presidency in modern history, willing to use even the most sacred powers of the federal government for political purposes. We already knew that too.
What is so astonishing about the revelation that Ms. Rice"
Should Democrats Move Left in Down-Ballot Races? | RealClearPolitics
Should Democrats Move Left in Down-Ballot Races? | RealClearPolitics
“Bernie would have won.”
If you’ve been following progressive politics (or just browsing random corners of the internet) over the past several months, you’ve probably seen this argument.
The basic idea is if Democrats had nominated Bernie Sanders in 2016, they would have kept working-class whites in the fold, prevented Donald Trump from winning key states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, and kept him out of the White House.
It’s impossible to know if that argument is true -- hypotheticals like that are inherently unprovable.
But some progressives have been making an interesting move of late:
They’ve been importing the Bernie-would-have-won argument into discussions about how Democrats can win down-ballot going forward.
Specifically, they argue that if Democrats were to pull to the left on economics and emphasize those issues, they would be able to win majorities in the House, Senate and a number of states.
...I looked at past data and found that while such a strategy might not help Democrats win back the House and Senate, it could help them win back the presidency..."
“Bernie would have won.”
If you’ve been following progressive politics (or just browsing random corners of the internet) over the past several months, you’ve probably seen this argument.
The basic idea is if Democrats had nominated Bernie Sanders in 2016, they would have kept working-class whites in the fold, prevented Donald Trump from winning key states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, and kept him out of the White House.It’s impossible to know if that argument is true -- hypotheticals like that are inherently unprovable.
But some progressives have been making an interesting move of late:
They’ve been importing the Bernie-would-have-won argument into discussions about how Democrats can win down-ballot going forward.
Specifically, they argue that if Democrats were to pull to the left on economics and emphasize those issues, they would be able to win majorities in the House, Senate and a number of states.
...I looked at past data and found that while such a strategy might not help Democrats win back the House and Senate, it could help them win back the presidency..."
Military Deterrence & Trump’s Leadership Abroad: Principles for Foreign Policy-Victor Davis Hanson | National Review
Military Deterrence & Trump’s Leadership Abroad: Principles for Foreign Policy | National Review
"After eight years of withdrawal, what rules should the U.S. follow to effectively reassert itself in world affairs?
The most dangerous moments in foreign affairs often come after a major power seeks to reassert its lost deterrence.
The United States may be entering just such a perilous transitional period.
Rightly or wrongly, China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Middle East-based terrorists concluded after 2009 that the U.S. saw itself in decline and preferred a recession from world affairs.
In that void, rival states were emboldened, assuming that America thought it could not — or should not — any longer exercise the sort of political and military leadership it had demonstrated in the past. ...In reaction,
Amid such growing chaos, a return to former (and normal) U.S. deterrence would inflame such aggressors and be considered provocative by provocateurs.
Accordingly, we should remember a few old rules for these scary new crises on the horizon.
1. Avoid making verbal threats that are not serious and backed up by force. After eight years of pseudo-red lines, step-over lines, deadlines, and “game changers,” American ultimatums without consequences have no currency and will only invite further aggression.
2. The unlikely is not impossible. Weaker powers can and do start wars. Japan in December 1941 attacked the world’s two largest navies based on the false impression that great powers which sought to avoid war did so because they were weak..."
Lots here, read on!
"After eight years of withdrawal, what rules should the U.S. follow to effectively reassert itself in world affairs? The most dangerous moments in foreign affairs often come after a major power seeks to reassert its lost deterrence.
The United States may be entering just such a perilous transitional period.
Rightly or wrongly, China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Middle East-based terrorists concluded after 2009 that the U.S. saw itself in decline and preferred a recession from world affairs.
In that void, rival states were emboldened, assuming that America thought it could not — or should not — any longer exercise the sort of political and military leadership it had demonstrated in the past. ...In reaction,
- North Korea increased its missile launches and loudly promised nuclear destruction of the West and its allies.
- Russia violated its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and absorbed borderlands of former Soviet republics.
- Iran harassed American ships in the Persian Gulf and issued serial threats against the U.S. China built artificial island bases in the South China Sea to send a message about its imminent management of Asian commerce.
- In Syria and Iraq, the Islamic State killed thousands in medieval fashion and sponsored terrorist attacks inside Western countries.
Amid such growing chaos, a return to former (and normal) U.S. deterrence would inflame such aggressors and be considered provocative by provocateurs.
Accordingly, we should remember a few old rules for these scary new crises on the horizon.
1. Avoid making verbal threats that are not serious and backed up by force. After eight years of pseudo-red lines, step-over lines, deadlines, and “game changers,” American ultimatums without consequences have no currency and will only invite further aggression.
2. The unlikely is not impossible. Weaker powers can and do start wars. Japan in December 1941 attacked the world’s two largest navies based on the false impression that great powers which sought to avoid war did so because they were weak..."
Lots here, read on!
Susan Rice unmasking scandal cries out for a grand jury | Fox News
Susan Rice unmasking scandal cries out for a grand jury | Fox News:
"Whether this misconduct was accomplished through the unmasking of sensitive information, the dissemination of raw intelligence signals information, or the leaking of classified information by bureaucrats who owe their primary allegiance to the shadow government as opposed to the Constitution, all individuals involved in this effort must be subjected to a vigorous and impartial investigation.
The American people deserve to know the truth about how their government operates and the true reasons for the decisions it makes.
And, individuals who violate our laws must be brought to justice without delay."
The American people deserve to know the truth about how their government operates and the true reasons for the decisions it makes.
And, individuals who violate our laws must be brought to justice without delay."
Thousands of brokers exit HealthCare.gov as plan commissions go unpaid - Crain's Detroit Business
Thousands of brokers exit HealthCare.gov as plan commissions go unpaid - Crain's Detroit Business:
"Each year since the launch of HealthCare.gov, insurance broker Craig Paulson faces a difficult question: Should he continue to sell individual market plans even though insurance companies increasingly refuse to pay commissions?
If his Utah-based insurance brokerage firm, Altura Benefits, stops selling exchange plans, consumers may be left with lower-quality coverage or none at all.
In the past year, Aetna announced it would stop paying any commissions on the individual market in Utah. Molina Healthcare later announced that it wouldn't pay for commissions on special enrollment plans.
...Paulson isn't alone in his dilemma.
More insurance companies around the country are refusing to pay brokers commissions on higher-tier exchange plans or special enrollment sales as the companies face financial losses on the federal marketplace, according to Ronnell Nolan, CEO of Health Agents for America, which represents independent insurance brokers.
"It's the Wild West out here, and companies are doing what they can to survive," Nolan said..."
Read on!
"Each year since the launch of HealthCare.gov, insurance broker Craig Paulson faces a difficult question: Should he continue to sell individual market plans even though insurance companies increasingly refuse to pay commissions?If his Utah-based insurance brokerage firm, Altura Benefits, stops selling exchange plans, consumers may be left with lower-quality coverage or none at all.
In the past year, Aetna announced it would stop paying any commissions on the individual market in Utah. Molina Healthcare later announced that it wouldn't pay for commissions on special enrollment plans.
...Paulson isn't alone in his dilemma.
More insurance companies around the country are refusing to pay brokers commissions on higher-tier exchange plans or special enrollment sales as the companies face financial losses on the federal marketplace, according to Ronnell Nolan, CEO of Health Agents for America, which represents independent insurance brokers.
"It's the Wild West out here, and companies are doing what they can to survive," Nolan said..."
Read on!
Someone's gettin' rich...and it ain't you!-----Idaho's $4.3 Million Solar Project Generates Enough Energy to Run ONE Microwave Oven
Idaho's $4.3 Million Solar Project Generates Enough Energy to Run ONE Microwave Oven
Sandpoint Solar Roadways project cost $4.3 million and took 6.5 years to develop.
Sandpoint Solar Roadways project cost $4.3 million and took 6.5 years to develop.
An Idaho solar project cost $4.3 million to build and is creating enough electricity to run one microwave.
Andrew Follett at The Daily Caller reported:
An expensive solar road project in Idaho can’t even power a microwave most days, according to the project’s energy data..." Read on!
Carson discovers massive HUD Fraud under the Obama administration
Carson discovers massive HUD Fraud under the Obama administration:
"after the first review, Obama staffers had to correct a whopping $520 billion in bookkeeping errors.
When the IG remained unable to issue an opinion for fiscal years 2015 or 2016, he gave Obama staffers a three-month extension. Thus, their reprieve allowed them to fix $3.4 billion in 2015 errors and $516.4 billion in 2016 errors."
When the IG remained unable to issue an opinion for fiscal years 2015 or 2016, he gave Obama staffers a three-month extension. Thus, their reprieve allowed them to fix $3.4 billion in 2015 errors and $516.4 billion in 2016 errors."
Protect yourself!!-----Put down your coffee and admire the sheer amount of data Windows 10 Creators Update will slurp from your PC • The Register
Put down your coffee and admire the sheer amount of data Windows 10 Creators Update will slurp from your PC • The Register:
"Next week Microsoft will begin the slowish rollout of its big update to Windows 10, the Creators Update... (Read it all!)
...Then there's the information collected in Full mode, which includes everything in Basic plus your user settings and preferences, your browser choice, lists of your peripherals, the apps you use to edit and view images and videos, how long you use the mouse and keyboard, all the applications you've ever installed, URLs to videos you've watched that triggered an error, URLs to music that triggered an error, time spent reading ebooks, text typed in a Microsoft web browser's address and search bar, URLs visited, visited webpage titles, the words you've spoken to Cortana or had translated to text by the system, your ink strokes, and more.
...If you're running Windows 10 Enterprise, or one of the Windows Server 2016 editions, you have some finer grain controls over what gets sent back.
Everyone else will get either Full or Basic, judging from these screenshots of the Creators Update build: http://choice.microsoft.com/en-us/opt-out
Microsoft's default settings ... No privacy at all
When Dems Loved the Nuclear Option
When Dems Loved the Nuclear Option
"When Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid triggered the nuclear option for most presidential appointees in 2013, Democrats were ecstatic.
MSNBC’s Chris Hayes cheered the move as “an affirmative win for democracy,” while his colleague Rachel Maddow gushed “This is a huge freaking deal. This is like 3-inch headlines. This is like people who don’t even care about politics really ought to care about this!”
"When Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid triggered the nuclear option for most presidential appointees in 2013, Democrats were ecstatic.
MSNBC’s Chris Hayes cheered the move as “an affirmative win for democracy,” while his colleague Rachel Maddow gushed “This is a huge freaking deal. This is like 3-inch headlines. This is like people who don’t even care about politics really ought to care about this!”
On CNN, political analyst Paul Begala praised Reid's maneuver, explaining it was necessary because Republicans had “so abused” the filibuster that Democrats couldn't take it anymore.
Ron Brownstein, also on CNN hailed the decision as a forward-thinking move: “The idea of requiring a super majority for the president to appoint his nominees just is anachronistic...”
Read on!
Video via the Political Heat:MUST SEE!!
Could this be?-----The Syrian Gas Attack Persuasion | Scott Adams' Blog
The Syrian Gas Attack Persuasion | Scott Adams' Blog
"According to the mainstream media – that has been wrong about almost everything for a solid 18 months in a row – the Syrian government allegedly bombed its own people with a nerve agent.
Because the best way to make that happen is to commit a war crime against your own people in exactly the way that would force President Trump to respond or else suffer humiliation at the hands of the mainstream media.
"According to the mainstream media – that has been wrong about almost everything for a solid 18 months in a row – the Syrian government allegedly bombed its own people with a nerve agent.
The reason the Assad government would bomb its own people with a nerve agent right now is obvious.
Syrian President Assad – who has been fighting for his life for several years, and is only lately feeling safer – suddenly decided to commit suicide-by-Trump.
Because the best way to make that happen is to commit a war crime against your own people in exactly the way that would force President Trump to respond or else suffer humiliation at the hands of the mainstream media.
And how about those pictures coming in about the tragedy.
Lots of visual imagery.
Dead babies.
It is almost as if someone designed this “tragedy” to be camera-ready for President Trump’s consumption.
It pushed every one of his buttons.
Hard.
And right when things in Syria were heading in a positive direction.
- Interesting timing.
- Super-powerful visual persuasion designed for Trump in particular.
- Suspiciously well-documented event for a place with no real press.
- No motive for Assad to use gas to kill a few dozen people at the cost of his entire regime. It wouldn’t be a popular move with Putin either.
- The type of attack no U.S. president can ignore and come away intact.
- A setup that looks suspiciously similar to the false WMD stories that sparked the Iraq war.
I’m going to call bullshit on the gas attack.
He does it with a fake response, if he’s smart..."
It’s too “on-the-nose,” as Hollywood script-writers sometimes say, meaning a little too perfect to be natural.
This has the look of a manufactured event.
My guess is that President Trump knows this smells fishy, but he has to talk tough anyway.
However, keep in mind that he has made a brand out of not discussing military options.
He likes to keep people guessing. He reminded us of that again yesterday, in case we forgot.
So how does a Master Persuader respond to a fake war crime? He does it with a fake response, if he’s smart..."
Read on!
Dems Tell Teachers To Trash Global Warming 'Denier' Books | The Daily Caller
Dems Tell Teachers To Trash Global Warming 'Denier' Books | The Daily Caller:
"Three senior House Democrats asked U.S. teachers Monday to destroy a book written by climate scientists challenging the environmentalist view of global warming.
The Democrats were responding to a campaign by the conservative Heartland Institute copies of the 2015 book, “Why Climate Scientists Disagree About Global Warming” to about 200,000 science teachers."
The Democrats were responding to a campaign by the conservative Heartland Institute copies of the 2015 book, “Why Climate Scientists Disagree About Global Warming” to about 200,000 science teachers."
• Chart: Huge Increase In Americans Denied Entry To Canada | Statista
• Chart: Huge Increase In Americans Denied Entry To Canada | StatistaAccording to a report in Montreal newspaper La Presse, the number of Americans being denied entry to Canada is growing rapidly..."
History for April 7
History for April 7 - On-This-Day.com:
W.K. Kellogg 1860 - Industrialist in food manufacturing, most known for founding of the Kellogg Company, Walter Winchell 1897 - Vaudeville performer, journalist, radio commentator, Billie Holiday 1915 - Jazz singer
James Garner (James Scott Bumgarner) 1928 - Actor ("Rockford Files", "Maverick"), Wayne Rogers 1933 - Actor ("M*A*S*H"), David Frost 1939 - TV host ("That Was the Week that Was")
1864 - The first camel race in America was held in Sacramento, California.
1922 - U.S. Secretary of Interior leased Teapot Dome naval oil reserves in Wyoming.
1933 - Prohibition ended in the United States.
1940 - Booker T. Washington became the first black to be pictured on a U.S. postage stamp.
1945 - The Japanese battleship Yamato, the world’s largest battleship, was sunk during the battle for Okinawa. The fleet was headed for a suicide mission.
1948 - The musical "South Pacific" by Rogers and Hammerstein debuted on Broadway.
1953 - IBM unveiled the IBM 701 Electronic Data Processing Machine. It was IBM's first commercially available scientific computer.
1980 - The U.S. broke diplomatic relations with Iran and imposed economic sanctions in response to the taking of hostages on November 4, 1979.
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