Atheists Want Their Own Military Chaplains:
"For weeks now Breitbart News has reported on religious liberty in the military, both the freedom of service members to share their faith and also the plight of military chaplains being censored on what they can say in religious counseling.
Now atheists are demanding their own chaplains. "
Wednesday, June 05, 2013
What Enron and the IRS Have in Common
Steven Law: What Enron and the IRS Have in Common - WSJ.com:
Any good CEO will tell you that ethical meltdowns like the IRS political-targeting scandal are rarely the work of a few rogue employees. Such messes are the result of a toxic culture that has been allowed to fester.
Any good CEO will tell you that ethical meltdowns like the IRS political-targeting scandal are rarely the work of a few rogue employees. Such messes are the result of a toxic culture that has been allowed to fester.
When I was chief of staff at the Labor Department, we investigated the ethical and financial disintegration of Enron in connection with the collapse of its pension funds in 2001. What we found was a small circle of certifiably bad actors who acted without regard for the law or for anyone else. Surrounding this inner circle was a culture that gave these employees tacit permission to run roughshod over others and break the law.
While lower-level Enron employees did their jobs honorably, senior management cultivated a malignant esprit de corps that corroded the company's ethics. The C-Suite view was that no one was smarter, faster or more aggressive than these executives. Mortals couldn't possibly understand what they did. That belief created its own closed-system logic, leading to deceptive accounting schemes, self-dealing and, ultimately, a battery of criminal convictions for Enron's top brass.
What does Enron's collapse have to tell us about the shocking revelations of IRS political targeting?
Plenty.
While lower-level Enron employees did their jobs honorably, senior management cultivated a malignant esprit de corps that corroded the company's ethics. The C-Suite view was that no one was smarter, faster or more aggressive than these executives. Mortals couldn't possibly understand what they did. That belief created its own closed-system logic, leading to deceptive accounting schemes, self-dealing and, ultimately, a battery of criminal convictions for Enron's top brass.
What does Enron's collapse have to tell us about the shocking revelations of IRS political targeting?
Plenty.
The Hidden Jobless Disaster
Edward Lazear: The Hidden Jobless Disaster - WSJ.com:
"First, the better measure of a strong labor market is the proportion of the population that is working, not the proportion that isn't.
In 2006, 63.4% of the working-age population was employed.
That percentage declined to a low of 58.2% in July 2011 and now stands at 58.6%.
By this measure, the labor market's health has barely changed over the past three years."
"First, the better measure of a strong labor market is the proportion of the population that is working, not the proportion that isn't.
In 2006, 63.4% of the working-age population was employed.
That percentage declined to a low of 58.2% in July 2011 and now stands at 58.6%.
By this measure, the labor market's health has barely changed over the past three years."
Increase In CO2 Means A Greener Earth, Say Researchers
Increase In CO2 Means A Greener Earth, Say Researchers - Investors.com:
"Carbon dioxide concentrations in our atmosphere recently hit the 400 parts-per-million mark.
So is all that CO2 scorching the planet?
No.
But it does seem to be making our deserts greener.
Listening to the global warming alarmists, one would think that man-made CO2 emissions are threatening the globe.
But that's speculation.
Let's deal in reality.
And the reality, according to Australian research, is that in this era of higher carbon concentrations, plant life in dry regions has grown lush.
The greening of the deserts is due to the "fertilization effect" — the impact carbon dioxide has on plant life."
"Carbon dioxide concentrations in our atmosphere recently hit the 400 parts-per-million mark.
So is all that CO2 scorching the planet?
No.
But it does seem to be making our deserts greener.
Listening to the global warming alarmists, one would think that man-made CO2 emissions are threatening the globe.
But that's speculation.
Let's deal in reality.
And the reality, according to Australian research, is that in this era of higher carbon concentrations, plant life in dry regions has grown lush.
The greening of the deserts is due to the "fertilization effect" — the impact carbon dioxide has on plant life."
RNC hires Facebook manager as chief technology officer
RNC hires Facebook manager as chief technology officer - The Hill's Hillicon Valley
“Pleased to announce we have hired Andy Barkett as the RNC's CTO,” RNC Chairman Reince Priebus tweeted Thursday evening.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) has hired a Facebook engineering manager as its new chief technology officer (CTO).
“Excited to get to work growing digital operation,” Priebus continued.
After suffering a tough loss in the 2012 presidential election, the RNC in March said the Republican Party must close the digital divide between the GOP and Democrats if it wanted to win the upcoming midterm elections and 2016 presidential race.
As part of that effort, the RNC said it wanted to hire a chief technology and digital officer by May 1 who would be responsible for recruiting a team of savvy data scientists, tech and digital advocates who would build a new data and digital operation for the upcoming contests.
Barkett's profile on the University of California, Davis Graduate School of Management website also lists experience as senior director of engineering at Livescribe, senior management consultant at Taos Mountain and technical program manager at Google.
On that page, Barkett is described as a “Renaissance man!” who is “[d]eeply interested in philosophy, literature, film and economics.”
Barkett received his Master of Business Administration from UC Davis in 2009. He also holds a bachelor's degree in political economy from the University of California, Berkeley.
How do you spell "mole"?
........yet another example of school idiocy
Instapundit » Blog Archive » THIS STORY WAS TOO LATE FOR MY USA TODAY COLUMN, but it’s yet another example of school idiocy: Boy…:
"THIS STORY WAS TOO LATE FOR MY USA TODAY COLUMN, but it’s yet another example of school idiocy:
Boy suspended for talking about guns on school bus.
“The principal told me that with what happened at Sandy Hook if you say the word ‘gun’ in my school you are going to get suspended for 10 days.”
The principal’s name is Darrel Prioleau.
But wait, there’s more: “The boy was questioned by the principal and a sheriff’s deputy, who also wanted to search the family home without a warrant.”
Sue ‘em and shame ‘em.
Posted by Glenn Reynolds at 11:31 pm"
"THIS STORY WAS TOO LATE FOR MY USA TODAY COLUMN, but it’s yet another example of school idiocy:
Boy suspended for talking about guns on school bus.
“The principal told me that with what happened at Sandy Hook if you say the word ‘gun’ in my school you are going to get suspended for 10 days.”
The principal’s name is Darrel Prioleau.
But wait, there’s more: “The boy was questioned by the principal and a sheriff’s deputy, who also wanted to search the family home without a warrant.”
Sue ‘em and shame ‘em.
Posted by Glenn Reynolds at 11:31 pm"
Average Teacher Salaries Climb
Average Teacher Salaries Climb [Michigan Capitol Confidential]:"New data released by the Michigan Department of Education shows that the average public school teacher salary in Michigan increased slightly for the 2011-2012 school year to $62,631.
This was up 1.7 percent from 2010-2011 year, but 0.6 percent less than the all-time high of $63,024 reported by the MDE for 2009-2010.
These figures include both conventional school districts and public charter schools, but the difference between these two types of schools was large, according to the data.
The average salary for charter school teachers was $42,864,[1] while the average for just conventional school teachers was $63,094.
Below are the 20 districts (with more than 100 pupils) that had the highest average teacher salaries in the state:"
Ex-DMC CEO Porter was visiting Panama on business, colleague says
Ex-DMC CEO Porter was visiting Panama on business, colleague ays | Crain's Detroit Business:
"Former Detroit Medical Center CEO Arthur Porter had both legitimate business reasons to visit Panama, and health concerns that could prevent him from making a similar trip to Montreal, where he awaits prosecution on corruption charges, some of his colleagues told Crain's this week."
"Former Detroit Medical Center CEO Arthur Porter had both legitimate business reasons to visit Panama, and health concerns that could prevent him from making a similar trip to Montreal, where he awaits prosecution on corruption charges, some of his colleagues told Crain's this week."
Jefferson County, Ala., Reaches Bankruptcy Deal
Jefferson County, Ala., Reaches Bankruptcy Deal - NYTimes.com:
"The refinancing agreement covers debt held by creditors that include JPMorgan Chase, which holds about $1.22 billion of the sewer debt, the biggest block; three bond insurers; and seven hedge funds, according to a term sheet circulated in a meeting of the county commission on Tuesday.
The terms call for these creditors to receive about $1.84 billion for the $2.4 billion of debt they now hold. The concessions were weighted most heavily toward JPMorgan, the term sheet said, “to increase the recovery of other sewer creditors.”
The bank is giving up $842 million, or about 70 percent, of the face value of its debt, according to people briefed on the negotiations. "
"The refinancing agreement covers debt held by creditors that include JPMorgan Chase, which holds about $1.22 billion of the sewer debt, the biggest block; three bond insurers; and seven hedge funds, according to a term sheet circulated in a meeting of the county commission on Tuesday.
The terms call for these creditors to receive about $1.84 billion for the $2.4 billion of debt they now hold. The concessions were weighted most heavily toward JPMorgan, the term sheet said, “to increase the recovery of other sewer creditors.”
The bank is giving up $842 million, or about 70 percent, of the face value of its debt, according to people briefed on the negotiations. "
Tax credit bonanza for illegal immigrants?
Tax credit bonanza for illegal immigrants? | The Daily Caller:
It pays to get Schumerized! Did you know that previously illegal immigrants who are legalized–like the 11 million immigrants granted Registered Provisional status by the Schumer-Rubio Gang of 8 bill–not only qualify for the Earned Income Tax credit (EITC) when they go to work (which seems reasonable enough to me) but may also get to apply for retroactive credits for previous years in which they were working illegally? Lawprofessor
Jan Ting of Temple University has the story. … Meanwhile, the Gang of 8 seems to have abandoned the idea of actually collecting back taxes from the vast majority of newly legalized (despite all the talk about how legalization isn’t “amnesty” because there are penalties etc,). But, hey, that doesn’t mean the IRS can’t send them back refunds!
Jan Ting of Temple University has the story. … Meanwhile, the Gang of 8 seems to have abandoned the idea of actually collecting back taxes from the vast majority of newly legalized (despite all the talk about how legalization isn’t “amnesty” because there are penalties etc,). But, hey, that doesn’t mean the IRS can’t send them back refunds!A visit to the IRS could actually be quite lucrative for many of newly Schumerized “provisionals.” The maximum annual EITC refund is a little over $5,000 per year for a person with two children who earns between about $13,000 and $17,000. You can can get $6,000 per year if you have three or more children. That means a potential refund check in the $15,000 range for three years of illegal, pre-amnesty work.
Tuesday, June 04, 2013
‘Muskegon Bike Time’ Potentially in Danger, Organizers Say
‘Muskegon Bike Time’ Potentially in Danger, Organizers Say | FOX17online.com:
If the new farmer’s market moved in, it would be at the heart of the 10 block ‘Bike Time’ route. David Burlingame, the Vice Chair of ‘Bike Time,’ said the board is trying to keep both.
“We’re working to resolve how the farmer’s market and ‘Bike Time’ can operate on the same Saturday of the year,” he said.
According to Warmington, he said they started talking with the city three weeks ago about how they can make it work for next year but, “they have indicated to us that they won’t be closing Western Ave.” and will not be making the farmer’s market available.
During that weekend, parking is already at a premium without the farmer’s market. Organizers say it’s crucial to keep Western Ave. open to allow that loop of motorcycles to flow around downtown.
On Monday, Muskegon Mayor Stephen Gawron said he is working on getting a meeting together to figure out a plan to have both events.
“We’ll be laying out some different possibilities with the ‘Bike Time’ festival and again I think we will allot many of their concerns,” he said.
Organizers say it needs to happen sooner rather than later, though.
“We have sponsors whose contracts are up and we have vendors who are coming here for seven years and we want to assure them that everything is going to remain the same,” Warmington said. “Even though city hall doesn’t think so, timing is of the essence, we need to have this put into place.”
This Is the Perfect Pinterest Picture, According to Science
This Is the Perfect Pinterest Picture, According to Science | Wired Business | Wired.com:
"Curalate, which helps companies optimize and monitor the images they post to Pinterest and Instagram, has a vested interesting in figuring out what Pinterest users like.
Their research found that the following characteristics were common among popular images — and all over Aunt Peggy’s salad."
This picture, attached to Paula Deen’s recipe for cucumber, tomato, and onion salad, embodies the chracteristics of the ideal popular Pinterest image. It has been repinned 307,000 times.
Photo: PaulaDeen.com
"Curalate, which helps companies optimize and monitor the images they post to Pinterest and Instagram, has a vested interesting in figuring out what Pinterest users like.
Their research found that the following characteristics were common among popular images — and all over Aunt Peggy’s salad."
This picture, attached to Paula Deen’s recipe for cucumber, tomato, and onion salad, embodies the chracteristics of the ideal popular Pinterest image. It has been repinned 307,000 times.
Photo: PaulaDeen.com
Vancouver's Free Heroin Clinic
SALOME: Vancouver's Free Heroin Clinic:
"Every day, Randy McKinley walks into a nondescript building located in downtown Vancouver to shoot up. For no cost at all, an examiner provides him with a sterilized syringe and pure narcotic, which he then injects into his blood stream.
After about 20 minutes or so, McKinley gets up and leaves, only to return two more times before the day is over."
"Every day, Randy McKinley walks into a nondescript building located in downtown Vancouver to shoot up. For no cost at all, an examiner provides him with a sterilized syringe and pure narcotic, which he then injects into his blood stream.
After about 20 minutes or so, McKinley gets up and leaves, only to return two more times before the day is over."
Census Bureau Refutes “Comprehensive Immigration Reform” Mantra—Obama Won Because Of Old Black Ladies (And Turned-Off Whites)
Census Bureau Refutes “Comprehensive Immigration Reform” Mantra—Obama Won Because Of Old Black Ladies (And Turned-Off Whites) | VDARE.com:
"In contrast to the fervent black effort to re-elect Obama, whites were strikingly unmotivated by Romney. The total white vote dropped from 100 million in 2008 to 98 million in 2012 (down two percent). Only 64.1 percent of eligible whites voted in 2012, down from 66.1 percent in 2008 and 67.2 percent in the recent high-water mark year of 2004. This was the first time in the history of the Census survey that whites were not the highest-ranking group in terms of their rate of voting.
Among Hispanics eligible to vote, gross numbers continued to rise—but the rate of those taking the trouble to vote dropped from 49.9 to 48.0 percent. The number of Hispanics who claimed to be eligible but didn’t bother to get to the polls soared from 9.8 million to12.1 million."
"In contrast to the fervent black effort to re-elect Obama, whites were strikingly unmotivated by Romney. The total white vote dropped from 100 million in 2008 to 98 million in 2012 (down two percent). Only 64.1 percent of eligible whites voted in 2012, down from 66.1 percent in 2008 and 67.2 percent in the recent high-water mark year of 2004. This was the first time in the history of the Census survey that whites were not the highest-ranking group in terms of their rate of voting.
Among Hispanics eligible to vote, gross numbers continued to rise—but the rate of those taking the trouble to vote dropped from 49.9 to 48.0 percent. The number of Hispanics who claimed to be eligible but didn’t bother to get to the polls soared from 9.8 million to12.1 million."
DOJ on ‘gays’: ‘Silence will be interpreted as disapproval’
DOJ on ‘gays’: ‘Silence will be interpreted as disapproval’:
"The document is chilling.
It’s riddled with directives that grossly violate – prima facie –employees’ First Amendment liberties.
Following are excerpts from the “DOJ Pride” decree.
When it comes to “LGBT pride,” employees are ordered:
“DON’T judge or remain silent. Silence will be interpreted as disapproval.” (Italics mine)
That’s a threat.
And not even a subtle one."
"The document is chilling.
It’s riddled with directives that grossly violate – prima facie –employees’ First Amendment liberties.
Following are excerpts from the “DOJ Pride” decree.
When it comes to “LGBT pride,” employees are ordered:
“DON’T judge or remain silent. Silence will be interpreted as disapproval.” (Italics mine)
That’s a threat.
And not even a subtle one."
Reasons to Mute Talk of Housing Recovery
Reasons to Mute Talk of Housing Recovery | Heartlander Magazine:
"The Case-Shiller index has never measured a 15.4 percent increase as seen in new home prices in a single month. It increased only 1.1 percent in March.
It would be uncanny if the April numbers showed a larger spike.
In contrast, the new home sales average price published by the U.S. Census Bureau has been extremely volatile since the housing downturn began.
Just in March, it had experienced an 8.8 percent drop in the average price for a new home"
"The Case-Shiller index has never measured a 15.4 percent increase as seen in new home prices in a single month. It increased only 1.1 percent in March.
It would be uncanny if the April numbers showed a larger spike.
In contrast, the new home sales average price published by the U.S. Census Bureau has been extremely volatile since the housing downturn began.
Just in March, it had experienced an 8.8 percent drop in the average price for a new home"
Student Hilariously Redeems Himself After Failing With the Cymbals During the National Anthem
Student Hilariously Redeems Himself After Failing With the Cymbals During the National Anthem | Video | TheBlaze.com:
"One might think that not much could go wrong for the band member charged with playing the cymbals.
But for an Illinois junior high student playing the clashing instrument during a school’s concert, something did go wrong, and he reacted in the only way he felt appropriate for the time."
I wouldn't call this "hilarious", just wonderful.
Watch the video and be proud of this young man.
"One might think that not much could go wrong for the band member charged with playing the cymbals.
But for an Illinois junior high student playing the clashing instrument during a school’s concert, something did go wrong, and he reacted in the only way he felt appropriate for the time."
I wouldn't call this "hilarious", just wonderful.
Watch the video and be proud of this young man.
Aircraft Carriers In The Great Lakes?
Aircraft Carriers In The Great Lakes? — Military Forum | Airliners.net
"I'm amazed that I had never heard about this before ! How many knew that at one point, the U.S. Navy operated aircraft carriers in the Great Lakes ? I just recently heard about this in an email from a friend.
Either shortly before or shortly after Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Navy realized that they were going to need a lot of carrier qualified pilots as quickly as possible, and Commander Richard Francis Whitehead came up with the brilliant idea to train them aboard two aircraft carriers in the Great Lakes.
The decision was made to take two old excursion steamships, the "Greater Buffalo", and the "Seeandbee" and convert them into aircraft carrier training ships. The Greater Buffalo became the U.S.S. Sable, and the Seeandbee became the U.S.S. Wolverine.
There were several reasons that two carriers were specially built for carrier pilot training on the Great Lakes. First, aircraft carriers were at a premium with none that could be spared for pilot training. Second, by having two carriers on the Great Lakes the Navy would not have to provide escort ships for their security. There would also be no need for armor or armament. This idea was the brainchild of Commander Richard Francis Whitehead (later Vice Admiral), aviation aid to the commandant, Ninth Naval District. The Chicago area was ideal for supporting such a carrier training program with the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Naval Air Station, Glenview, and Naval Aviation Mechanics' School on the Navy Pier.
One of the new pilots who trained on the U.S.S. Sable was former President George H.W. Bush."
"I'm amazed that I had never heard about this before ! How many knew that at one point, the U.S. Navy operated aircraft carriers in the Great Lakes ? I just recently heard about this in an email from a friend.
Either shortly before or shortly after Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Navy realized that they were going to need a lot of carrier qualified pilots as quickly as possible, and Commander Richard Francis Whitehead came up with the brilliant idea to train them aboard two aircraft carriers in the Great Lakes.
The decision was made to take two old excursion steamships, the "Greater Buffalo", and the "Seeandbee" and convert them into aircraft carrier training ships. The Greater Buffalo became the U.S.S. Sable, and the Seeandbee became the U.S.S. Wolverine.
There were several reasons that two carriers were specially built for carrier pilot training on the Great Lakes. First, aircraft carriers were at a premium with none that could be spared for pilot training. Second, by having two carriers on the Great Lakes the Navy would not have to provide escort ships for their security. There would also be no need for armor or armament. This idea was the brainchild of Commander Richard Francis Whitehead (later Vice Admiral), aviation aid to the commandant, Ninth Naval District. The Chicago area was ideal for supporting such a carrier training program with the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Naval Air Station, Glenview, and Naval Aviation Mechanics' School on the Navy Pier.
One of the new pilots who trained on the U.S.S. Sable was former President George H.W. Bush."
Peer-Reviewed Study Finds CO2 Not Responsible for Recent Warming
Peer-Reviewed Study Finds CO2 Not Responsible for Recent Warming | Heartlander Magazine:
"Conventional thinking says that the emission of human-made non-CFC gases such as carbon dioxide has mainly contributed to global warming.
But we have observed data going back to the Industrial Revolution that convincingly shows that conventional understanding is wrong," said Lu in a press release accompanying his study."
"Conventional thinking says that the emission of human-made non-CFC gases such as carbon dioxide has mainly contributed to global warming.
But we have observed data going back to the Industrial Revolution that convincingly shows that conventional understanding is wrong," said Lu in a press release accompanying his study."
Glacial Retreat Shows Warmer Temps 400-600 Years Ago
Glacial Retreat Shows Warmer Temps 400-600 Years Ago | Heartlander Magazine:
"A retreat of glaciers in the Canadian Arctic shows temperatures were at least as warm as today 400-to-600 years ago.
Scientists carbon-dated plant life exposed by glacial retreat in the Canadian Arctic and found the plants were between 400 and 600 years old. Meteorologist Anthony Watts explained how the carbon dating shows temperatures 400 to 600 years ago must have been at least as warm as today:
“[T]hese plants had to have a warm environment to grow in first, then they were covered by ice, emerging again after the LIA [Little Ice Age] ended."
"A retreat of glaciers in the Canadian Arctic shows temperatures were at least as warm as today 400-to-600 years ago.
Scientists carbon-dated plant life exposed by glacial retreat in the Canadian Arctic and found the plants were between 400 and 600 years old. Meteorologist Anthony Watts explained how the carbon dating shows temperatures 400 to 600 years ago must have been at least as warm as today:
“[T]hese plants had to have a warm environment to grow in first, then they were covered by ice, emerging again after the LIA [Little Ice Age] ended."
The Absolute Worst States for Job Hunting Law School Grads
The Absolute Worst States for Job Hunting Law School Grads - Jordan Weissmann - The Atlantic:
"New research shows which corners of the country have the biggest oversupply of young lawyers."
We're #1 again!
Oversupply of law school graduates by state. The darker the shade of red, the worse the surplus. Nevada, Wyoming, and Alaska technically have an under-supply.
"New research shows which corners of the country have the biggest oversupply of young lawyers."
We're #1 again!
Oversupply of law school graduates by state. The darker the shade of red, the worse the surplus. Nevada, Wyoming, and Alaska technically have an under-supply.
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