Monday, March 03, 2014

Putin Playing Chess, Obama Playing Marbles: Rep. Mike Rogers on U.S.-Russian Diplomacy | Video | TheBlaze.com




Putin Playing Chess, Obama Playing Marbles: Rep. Mike Rogers on U.S.-Russian Diplomacy | Video | TheBlaze.com:

 "U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) said Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been emboldened by the Obama administration’s diplomatic strategy of containment, which has given room to Putin’s push for geopolitical dominance.

Rep. Mike Rogers, “I think Putin is playing chess and I think we’re playing marbles,” the House Intelligence Committee Chairman told Fox News Sunday’s Chris Wallace. “And I don’t think it’s even close.”"




Kerry Grilled On ABC: ‘Any Indication At All That President Putin Is Taking Heed of What President Obama Is Saying?’ | Video | TheBlaze.com




Kerry Grilled On ABC: ‘Any Indication At All That President Putin Is Taking Heed of What President Obama Is Saying?’ | Video | TheBlaze.com:

"Secretary of State John Kerry said repeatedly Sunday morning that “all options are on the table” as the U.S. determines how to respond to Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula.

“The United States is currently considering all options,” Kerry told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos while appearing on “This Week.”"




G-7 Nations Suspend Planning for Russia Summit, Condemn Russia’s Military Action in Ukraine | TheBlaze.com




G-7 Nations Suspend Planning for Russia Summit, Condemn Russia’s Military Action in Ukraine | TheBlaze.com:

"The U.S. and six other nations — condemning Russia’s “clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine” — say they are suspending participation in the planning for an international summit in Russia this summer."




History for March 3

History for March 3 - On-This-Day.com 
Birth anniversary of the “Platinum Blonde” Jean Harlow (1911-37).
 
Birth anniversary of Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922).
 
Happy Birthday! Herschel Walker

1812 - The U.S. Congress passed the first foreign aid bill. 

1820 - The US House passed the Missouri Compromise.

1903 - In St. Louis, MO, Barney Gilmore was arrested for spitting. 

1910 - In New York, Robert Forest founded the National Housing Association to fight deteriorating urban living conditions. 

1931 - The "Star Spangled Banner," written by Francis Scott Key, was adopted as the American national anthem. The song was originally a poem known as "Defense of Fort McHenry." 


1938 - A world record for the indoor mile run was set by Glenn Cunningham. He ran the distance in 4 minutes, 4.4 seconds. 


1952 - The U.S. Supreme Court upheld New York's Feinberg Law that banned Communist teachers in the U.S. 


1969 - Sirhan Sirhan testified in a Los Angeles court that he killed Robert Kennedy. 



1978 - The remains of Charles Chaplin were stolen from his grave in Cosier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland. The body was recovered 11 weeks later near Lake Geneva. 



1991 - Rodney King was severely beaten by Los Angeles police officers. The scene was captured on amateur video. (California



1995 - A U.N. peacekeeping mission in Somalia ended. Several gunmen were killed by U.S. Marines in Mogadishu while overseeing the pull out of peacekeepers. 



Sunday, March 02, 2014

Putin cooks up Obama’s chicken Kiev moment - FT.com

Matt Kenyon illustrationPutin cooks up Obama’s chicken Kiev moment - FT.com:



Diplomacy is the US president’s preferred weapon. Now he must prove he can wield it

High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ca3e8250-a067-11e3-8557-00144feab7de.html#ixzz2urT0QQxO
In the dying days of the Soviet Union, President George H W Bush gave a speech in Kiev urging Ukrainian nationalists not to provoke Moscow. US conservatives dubbed it his “chicken Kiev” speech. Having long since been branded America’s appeaser-in-chief, President Barack Obama now confronts his own chicken Kiev moment. Can Mr Obama stand up to Vladimir Putin, the Russian fox circling the chicken coop? It is unclear whether he has the will and the skill – let alone the means – to do so. Yet the future of his presidency depends on it. There can be little doubt that Mr Putin wants to restore the boundaries of the Russian empire. Mr Obama must somehow find a way to frustrate him.

Top 10 Abusive Executive Actions by the Obama Administration


Top 10 Abusive Executive Actions by the Obama Administration:

 "A Hallmark of the Obama Administration
Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution requires the President to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.”
The President enjoys wide discretion in how to carry out the laws, but it is not within the President’s power to create the laws. 

Time and again, President Barack Obama has signaled his willingness to “go it alone,” acting without congressional approval.

When Congress refuses to accede to the Obama Administration’s liberal policies, the Administration imposes “laws” by executive fiat.
When the Administration disagrees with duly enacted laws or finds it politically expedient not to enforce them, it ignores or skirts the law or claims to have “prosecutorial discretion” not to enforce the law."



'via Blog this'

LeBron James swaps black mask for clear one at request of NBA - latimes.com

LeBron James swaps black mask for clear one at request of NBA - latimes.com:

LeBron James
LeBron James knows that what's in the best interest of the NBA is usually in his best interest, which probably is why he complied with the league's request to wear a clear mask to protect his broken nose Saturday night rather than the cooler-looking black one he wore Thursday.
No need for the Miami Heat forward to thumb his nose at the NBA, which prefers that players wear clear masks and goggles when protecting their faces and eyes.
"It's not a league rule, but it's the league's request that you don't wear the black one," James told reporters before a 112-98 victory over the Orlando Magic in Miami on Saturday. "The reasons they told me didn't make sense to me, but I'm just a player. I will abide by the request.


DRUDGE REPORT 2014®

DRUDGE REPORT 2014®: "PUTIN CALLS BLUFF: MILITARY MOVES IN!"





For much of his time in office, President Obama has been accused by a mix of conservative hawks and liberal interventionists of overseeing a dangerous retreat from the world at a time when American influence is needed most.

The once-hopeful Arab Spring has staggered into civil war and military coup. China is stepping up territorial claims in the waters off East Asia. Longtime allies in Europe and in the Persian Gulf are worried by the inconsistency of a president who came to office promising the end of the United States’ post-Sept. 11 wars.

Mass. Agency Breaks Silence in Pelletier Case, But Dad Tells Us He’s Not Fully Buying It | TheBlaze.com

                                         

...Time will tell.

Mass. Agency Breaks Silence in Pelletier Case, But Dad Tells Us He’s Not Fully Buying It | TheBlaze.com:

"The agency is withdrawing its motion, issued last week, to have Lou Pelletier, Justina’s father, held in contempt of court for breaking a gag order, an official said."




Damming News From Washington State

Damming News From Washington State - Slashdot:

Trax3001BBS writes"A 65-foot (20-meter) crack has been found in Wanapum Dam, one of the major dams along the Columbia River in southern Washington. Water levels are being lowered to both reduce water pressure and give the inspectors access to the area. 'Earlier this week, an engineer noticed a slight irregular "bowing" above the spillway gates near where cars can drive across the dam. When divers finally took a look under water they found a 2-inch-wide crack that stretched for 65 feet along the base of one of the dam's spillway piers.' The article goes on to say, 'Even if the dam doesn't fail, the significance of the damage is likely to require extensive repairs and that, too, could impact the entire Columbia River system. "All these dams coordinate to generate energy on a regional scope," Stedwick said. "If Wanapum is impacted, that has impacts on dams upstream as well as below." Upstream dams would be required to handle more water; there's only one lower dam (Priest Rapids). After that is the last free flowing section of the Columbia river. I've taken walks along that section, and I've seen it deviate (higher or lower) by amazing amount of water, so it can handle the changing flow rate. Making this situation more complex, a large group of people would like that particular dam removed, as well as the one above and below it (think of the fish!). On top of that, after the Priest Rapids dam (downstream from Wanapum Dam) is the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, once a site for Plutonium production. Either of these issues could generate a ton of attention. Personally, I'd like to give the engineer that noticed a slight irregular 'bowing' my congratulations."

War!

Lucianne.com News Forum - HomePage:"Late Breaking News!

 The interim prime minister of Ukraine today called the move by Russian forces to surround military bases in Crimea "a declaration of war." 

(CNN)
Speaking in a televised address from the Parliament building in Kiev, Arseniy Yatsenyuk called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to "pull back the military and stick to international obligations."



How can our "american" media give this moron a pass on this????------------------Obama Skips National Security Team Meeting on Russia, Ukraine

Obama Skips National Security Team Meeting on Russia, Ukraine | The Weekly Standard


History for March 2

History for March 2 - On-This-Day.com
Film premiere anniversaries: King Kong (1933) and Sound of Music (1965).
 

Birth anniversary of Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel (1904-91).
 

Birth anniversary of Sam Houston (1793-1863), first president of the Republic of Texas.
 

Happy Birthday!  Daniel Craig, Mikhail Gorbachev, Tom Wolfe


1807 - The U.S. Congress passed an act to "prohibit the importation of slaves into any port or place within the jurisdiction of the United States... from any foreign kingdom, place, or country." 

















1836 - Texas declared its independence from Mexico and an ad interim government was formed. 


1866 - Excelsior Needle Company began making sewing machine needles.
 

1877 - In the U.S., Rutherford B. Hayes was declared the winner of the 1876 presidential election by the U.S. Congress. Samuel J. Tilden, however, had won the popular vote on November 7, 1876. 

1887 - The American Trotting Association was organized in Detroit, MI


1917 - The Russian Revolution began with Czar Nicholas II abdicating.
 

1969 - In Toulouse, France, the supersonic transport Concorde made its first test flight. 

Saturday, March 01, 2014

TheBlaze Questions Jay Carney on New Proposed IRS Rules Critics Say Will Restrict Political Speech | TheBlaze.com


TheBlaze Questions Jay Carney on New Proposed IRS Rules Critics Say Will Restrict Political Speech | TheBlaze.com:

"Cruz also proposed to amend the Internal Revenue Code to use the Federal Election Commission’s definition to determine whether an organization is engaging in political activity, and to keep the IRS out of such matters.
The Democratic majority on the Senate Judiciary Committee rejected both proposals on a party-line vote.
“Nearly nine months ago, President Obama declared the IRS’s illegal targeting of conservative groups ‘intolerable and inexcusable,’ yet his administration has authored a new rule to specifically limit free speech for many of those groups, which are classified as ‘social welfare’ organizations,” Cruz said."




Great Lakes Approaching 100% Ice Cover – For The First Time On Record | Real Science

Great Lakes Approaching 100% Ice Cover – For The First Time On Record | Real Science:



ScreenHunter_90 Mar. 01 09.03Lake Ontario is the only major holdout, and the forecast there is for extreme cold during the next two weeks.

The Hotline's Senate Race Rankings: Republicans in Command - NationalJournal.com

The Hotline's Senate Race Rankings: Republicans in Command - NationalJournal.com:




The 2014 Senate landscape continues to look challenging for Democrats. Republicans can take back the chamber after eight years of Democratic control with a net gain of six seats, and the seven seats most likely to flip are held by Democrats in states President Obama lost in 2012.
The most important change since we looked at the Senate map three months ago is the glut of outside spending, particularly against Democratic incumbents in the majority-making seats of North Carolina, Louisiana, and Alaska. The nonprofit, conservative group Americans for Prosperity has dumped tens of millions into those states, beating up incumbents who now have--at best--50/50 chances of retaining their seats.

World's largest aircraft unveiled and hailed 'game changer' - Telegraph

World's largest aircraft unveiled and hailed 'game changer' - Telegraph:

The HAV Hybrid Aircraft
The world’s largest aircraft which can stay airborne for up to three weeks and will be vital in delivering several tonnes of humanitarian aid as well as transporting heavy freight across the world, has been unveiled.
The 300ft (91m) ship is part plane, airship and helicopter, and there are plans to eventually use it to transport hundreds of tonnes of freight across difficult terrain throughout the world as well as deliver aid to risky areas.

Planned Parenthood President: When Life Begins Not 'Really Relevant' in Abortion Debate | National Review Online

Planned Parenthood President: When Life Begins Not 'Really Relevant' in Abortion Debate | National Review Online:

The president of the country’s largest abortion provider said she didn’t think the matter of when life begins is pertinent to the issue.
“It is not something that I feel is really part of this conversation,” Cecile Richards of Planned Parenthood told Fusion’s Jorge Ramos on Thursday. “I don’t know if it’s really relevant to the conversation.”
When pressed, Richards said that in her view life began for her three children when she delivered them.
She explained that the purpose of her organization is not to answer a question that “will be debated through the centuries,” but to provide options for pregnant women.

Long waits frustrate callers to health exchanges - Yahoo News

Long waits frustrate callers to health exchanges - Yahoo News:

Long waits frustrate callers to health exchangesANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — For those trying to enroll through online health exchanges, help has long been advertised as just a phone call away.
Yet the challenge in some states has been trying to get a call through at all, never mind the multiple transfers once contact has been made.

Krauthammer’s Take: Obama Tells the World We Aren’t Going to Do Anything About Invasion of Ukraine | National Review Online

Krauthammer’s Take: Obama Tells the World We Aren’t Going to Do Anything About Invasion of Ukraine | National Review Online:

As reports are coming in that Russia has placed 2,000 troops in Crimea, within the borders of Ukraine, President Obama said that “the United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine.”
Charles Krauthammer responded on Special Report tonight saying, “The Ukrainians, and I think everybody, is shocked by the weakness of Obama’s statement. I find it rather staggering.”

Russia executes de facto takeover of Crimea region

My Way News - Russia executes de facto takeover of Crimea region
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) - Russia executed a de facto military takeover of a strategic region in Ukraine as the parliament in Moscow gave President Vladimir Putin a green light Saturday to proceed to protect Russian interests. 
The newly installed government in Kiev was powerless to react to the swift takeover of Crimea by Russian troops already in Ukraine and more flown in, aided by pro-Russian Ukrainian groups.
Putin's move follows President Barack Obama's warning Friday "there will be costs" if Russia intervenes militarily, sharply raising the stakes in the conflict over Ukraine's future and evoking memories of Cold War brinkmanship. 
The explicit reference to the use of troops escalated days of conflict between the two countries, which started when Ukraine's pro-Russian president was pushed out by a protest movement of people who wanted closer ties to the European Union.

» Michigan Township To Put Cameras ‘In Every Neighborhood’ Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!

» Michigan Township To Put Cameras ‘In Every Neighborhood’ Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!:

“We are recording images that a police officer would see if he or she were standing in the same place”
Mikael ThalenInfowars.com
February 28, 2014
Officials in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan are working with police to put surveillance cameras in every single neighborhood.

News from The Associated Press

AP PhotoNews from The Associated Press: "CHINA: TRAIN STATION ATTACK AN ACT OF TERRORISM"



BEIJING (AP) -- Knife-wielding assailants attacked people at a train station in southwestern China on Saturday in what authorities called a terrorist attack and police fatally shot five of the assailants, leaving 28 people dead and 113 injured, state media said.

Watch what Bill Maher said that made disgusted Bill Kristol shout, ‘that’s total bulls**t!’

Watch what Bill Maher said that made disgusted Bill Kristol shout, ‘that’s total bulls**t!’ - BizPac Review:
 "The Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol stepped out of his normally staid and proper character to call out HBO’s Bill Maher by calling a remark the“Real Time” host made Friday concerning the tea party movement, “total bulls**t.”
 Maher played the race card once again, and claimed that the tea party’s roots were in it’s displeasure over having a black president.
 “That’s bulls**t!” Kristol fired back. “That is total bulls**t! Even you don’t believe that. You’re just saying that.” 
 CNN contributor Margaret Hoover threw her support in for Kristol when Maher refused to back off his remarks.She indicated that the tea party got its start on purely economic issues, beginning with the Troubled Asset Recovery Program under George W. Bush.
 “It actually did start under President Bush,” she asserted.

 Watch the exchange below.