Obama Golfs After Receiving Word of NYPD Shooting

Obama Golfs After Receiving Word of NYPD Shooting:

"President Barack Obama was briefed on the ambush killing of two NYPD cops while on the golf course in Hawaii this afternoon, according to the White House press pool report.

“The President has been briefed on the Brooklyn police shooting. White House officials continue to monitor the situation,” reported Wall Street Journal’s Carol Lee.

Obama endured harsh criticism for golfing minutes after issuing a statement on the beheading of James Foley at the hands of Muslim militants in September."

We got it on the web.... gotta be accurate! ------An Exclusive Look at Sony's Revised Cut of The Interview

Friday A/V Club: An Exclusive Look at Sony's Revised Cut of The Interview - Hit & Run : Reason.com:
"Seth Rogen's controversial comedy The Interview will appear in theaters after all, despite terrorists' threats to attack venues that show the North Korea–mocking movie.
But the studio has recut the picture to make it more palatable to Pyongyang. 
Watch below:"

Another reason to visit France-----Le Mont St Michel en Drone

History for December 23

History for December 23 - On-This-Day.com
Joseph Smith 1805, Harry Guardino 1925, 'Little' Esther Phillips 1935 


Frederic Forrest 1936, Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) 1964, Corey Haim 1972 


1823 - The poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement C. Moore (" 'Twas the night before Christmas...") was published. 


1856 - Ralph Collier was issued a U.S. patent for the first rotary egg beater with rotating parts. 


1888 - Following a quarrel with Paul Gauguin, Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh cut off part of his own earlobe. 


1913 - The Federal Reserve Bill was signed into law by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. The act established 12 Federal Reserve Banks. 


1941 - During World War II, American forces on Wake Island surrendered to the Japanese. 


1942 - Bob Hope agreed to entertain U.S. airmen in Alaska. It was the first of the traditional Christmas shows. 


1947 - John Bardeen, Walter H. Brattain and William Shockley invented the transistor. 


1948 - Former Japanese premier Hideki Tojo and six other Japanese war leaders were executed in Tokyo. They had been found guilty of crimes against humanity. 


1953 - Soviet secret police chief Lavrenti Beria and six of his associates were shot for treason following a secret trial. 


1968 - Eighty-two crewmembers of the U.S. intelligence ship Pueblo were released by North Korea, 11 months after they had been captured. 


1986 - The experimental airplane Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, completed the first non-stop, around-the-world flight without refueling as it landed safely at Edwards Air Force Base in California. 

The Reasons Behind Obama's Failures

The Reasons Behind Obama's Failures:

"Another reason for Obama’s failure was that he sought, in his words, to begin “the work of remaking America”. The entire American political system was designed by the Founding Fathers to frustrate his plans. The Constitution, with its checks and balances and its separation of powers, was intended to limit the government and prevent transient majorities from having their way.

Within those limits, Obama has actually – and from a conservative perspective, regrettably – done a lot:"

A $500 MILLION tax increase!------Taxing online purchases: 'Amazon Tax' bills shoot out of House in early morning session

And they tell us they want $1.9 BILLION more or they'll let the roads get worse?!!!!!
Taxing online purchases: 'Amazon Tax' bills shoot out of House in early morning session | MLive.com:
"Update: The Senate concurred with House amendments to the bills changing the effective date to Oct. 1, 2015. The bills will soon be on their way to the Governor.
LANSING, MI -- The Michigan House early Friday morning put its stamp of approval on a pair of "Main Street Fairness" bills that aim to extend the state's sales and use taxes to online retailers.
SB 658 and SB 659 extend the state's sales and use taxes to out-of-state companies with a physical "nexus" or presence in the state.
That would apply these taxes to companies like Amazon, which has a presence in the state but not a retail front.
Both bills have already passed the Senate, and passed the House 83-27 on Friday.
After a procedural OK from the Senate, the bills will be headed to Gov. Rick Snyder for his consideration.
Supporters of the bill include some retailers in the state who say that people come into stores and examine their products before buying them online to avoid sales tax."

Read about this MASSIVE cover-up!------What if Obama’s Climate Change Policies are Based on pHraud?

What if Obama’s Climate Change Policies are Based on pHraud? | Somewhat Reasonable:
"In the course of his studies, he uncovered something that he told me: “eclipses even the so-called climategate event.”
Feely’s work is based on computer models that don’t line up with real-world data—which Feely acknowledged in email communications with Wallace. Feely, and his coauthor Dr. Christopher L. Sabine, PMEL Director, omitted 80 years of data, which incorporate more than 2 million records of ocean pH levels."

As police are being murdered, this powerful video couldn’t be more appropriate | Video | TheBlaze.com

As police are being murdered, this powerful video couldn’t be more appropriate | Video | TheBlaze.com:

"Radio legend Paul Harvey lost his father when he was just three years old. The elder Harvey was a cop, killed in the line of duty."

Harvey knew what he was talking about in 1970 when he penned a powerful newspaper column called “What Are Policemen Made Of?”Of course, Paul Harvey also recorded the piece for his radio audience under the title, “The Policeman.” It has been shared thousands of times.

Time: The Real Threat To Cops Are Right-Wing Militias

Time: The Real Threat To Cops Are Right-Wing Militias | The Daily Caller
Time Magazine warned of a growing threat to cops nationwide in September 2010. 
The nationally renowned publication argued that sinister individuals would launch targeted attacks against police officers and even ambush them in their patrol cars.

Time alerted readers that these groups and individuals have a disturbing hatred of cops and that there was a real threat of “lone-wolf” attacks.

Who are these groups that present such a threat to police? 
Right-wing militias, according to Time.

In a lengthy six-page article entitled “The Secret World of Extremist Militias,” then-Time Contributing Editor-at-Large Barton Gellman made the case that America should be deeply worried about private citizens forming militias.

...Gellman goes on to claim that these groups have a “dangerous” ideology, which includes patriotism and a strong support for the Second Amendment.
He spends most of the article trying to link unrelated acts of violence by white supremacists to “patriot” militia groups, and attempts to coax his interview subjects to say they are ready to commit acts of terrorism.

...Since the article’s publication, there have hardly been any reported cases of violence stemming from individuals connected to the militia movement. 

...Meanwhile, the suspected gunman behind the Saturday ambush of two New York City police officers was certainly not a right-wing militant.
Ismaaiyl Brinsley was reportedly a member of the notorious prison gang, the Black Guerrilla Family, which espouses a mix of black nationalism and Marxism.
The gang declared “open season” on NYPD officers earlier in December following the non-indictment of the officer involved in the death of Eric Garner. (RELATED: Suspect In NYPD Cop Execution Sought Revenge For Mike Brown And Eric Garner)

A thorough search of Time’s archive produced no stories about the threat that communists, black nationalists or prison gangs pose to police.

Earth’s Climate Shows 2,000-Year Cooling Trend

Earth’s Climate Shows 2,000-Year Cooling Trend | Power Line
People who swallow global warming alarmism almost never know anything about the Earth’s climatic history.
Next time one of your friends or relatives starts giving you the global warming routine, ask him or her to graph the temperature history of the last 500,000 years.
Or 20,000 years.
Or 2,000.
Trust me: the supposed climate expert won’t be able to do it.
Yet putting the modest temperature increase of the latter half of the 20th century into historical context is the first prerequisite of any intelligent evaluation.

From Watts Up With That? comes a report on a new tree-ring study that covers the last 2,000 years.
Are tree-ring analyses valid? 
I don’t know, but the alarmists use them all the time, and they are certainly more reliable over a relatively reasonable time frame like 2,000 years.
The study finds that global temperatures have been gradually declining over that time:

...As the international team of researchers from the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Sweden and Switzerland describes it, this history depicts “a long-term cooling trend of -0.30°C per 1,000 years over the Common Era in northern Europe” (see figure below). Most important of all, however, they note that their temperature reconstruction “has centennial-scale variations superimposed on this trend,” which indicate that “conditions during Medieval and Roman times were probably warmer than in the late 20th century,” when the previously-rising post-Little Ice Age mean global air temperature hit a ceiling of sorts above which it has yet to penetrate.

This graph shows the long-term cooling trend as well as the relatively wide variations on smaller time scales. Click to enlarge:

Michigan panel seeks public advice on recycling; sets goal of statewide access by 2017

Michigan panel seeks public advice on recycling; sets goal of statewide access by 2017 | Crain's Detroit Business:
""To assist communities beginning a robust recycling effort, the DEQ is offering up to $600,000 during fiscal year 2015" as part of a pollution prevention grant program," the Department of Environmental Quality said in a statement.
It said that nonprofit organizations, local and tribal governments, local health departments, municipalities, and regional planning agencies may apply, with an April 1 deadline."

Listen to Rudy Giuliani’s Blistering Indictment of Those Who Set the Stage for Police Shooting | Video | TheBlaze.com

Listen to Rudy Giuliani’s Blistering Indictment of Those Who Set the Stage for Police Shooting | Video | TheBlaze.com:

"Appearing on Fox News on Sunday, New York’s former tough-on-crime mayor, Rudy Giuliani, spoke harshly of the cultural climate that led up to the fatal shooting of two NYPD officers on Saturday afternoon.
“We’ve had four months of propaganda starting with the president that everybody should hate the police,” Giuliani fumed."

Taxpayer Cost for Road Fix 'Compromise' Went from $0 to $1.9 Billion

Taxpayer Cost for Road Fix 'Compromise' Went from $0 to $1.9 Billion [Michigan Capitol 
The Michigan Senate’s plan to find more money for road repairs was a $1.2 billion gas and diesel tax increase.

The State House’s response was to shift some current state tax revenue to roads, with no net tax increase.
Leaders from both sides came up with a "compromise," which was adopted in the predawn hours of Dec. 19:
Increase state taxes and spending by $1.9 billion, of which just $1.2 billion goes to fix the roads, and the rest for other areas.
“It appears that everyone was at the table negotiating except the taxpayers,” said Leon Drolet, chair of the Michigan Taxpayers Alliance.
“And the deal reflects that.”
The latest round of efforts to find more money to "just fix the roads" began on Nov. 13 when the Senate passed its plan to increase gas and diesel taxes by that $1.2 billion over six years, with no reduction in other state taxes or spending.
Three weeks later, the House approved a comparable fuel tax hike, but with the increase offset by no longer imposing sales tax on fuel purchases.
This would have increased road funding with no net increase in taxes.
According to Gongwer news, House Speaker Jase Bolger said, "It takes two to compromise, and while I'm ready to compromise, it will take all parties to come to the table…”
The "compromise" that was adopted is a ballot proposal that represents a net tax hike of $1.945 billion, of which some 38 percent goes to spending that is unrelated to roads.

The Many Roles of Robert Davis: This Time He's a Convicted Felon Going Off to Prison

The Many Roles of Robert Davis: This Time He's a Convicted Felon Going Off to Prison –  Deadline Detroit:
"Sometimes it's hard to tell who Robert Davis is. 
He's a crusader against injustice and corruption. 
He's a union activist.
But on Thursday in U.S. District Court in downtown Detroit it was clear he was a convicted felon heading off to prison.
Heather Catallo of WYYZ reports that the former president of the Highland Park School Board, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for embezzling about $200,000 from the school district.
Davis had asked U.S. District Judge Art Tarnow for probation.
But Tarnow saw fit for Davis to do some time.
“It’s public property that you took – you took it from a system that couldn’t afford it," Tarnow said."

Ya think?-----How academia's liberal bias is killing social science

How academia's liberal bias is killing social science - The Week:
"I have had the following experience more than once: I am speaking with a professional academic who is a liberal.
The subject of the underrepresentation of conservatives in academia comes up.
My interlocutor admits that this is indeed a reality, but says the reason why conservatives are underrepresented in academia is because they don't want to be there, or they're just not smart enough to cut it. 
I say: "That's interesting. 
For which other underrepresented groups do you think that's true?"
An uncomfortable silence follows.
I point this out not to score culture-war points, but because it's actually a serious problem.
Social sciences and humanities cannot be completely divorced from the philosophy of those who practice it.
And groupthink causes some questions not to be asked, and some answers not to be overly scrutinized. 
It is making our science worse. 
Anyone who cares about the advancement of knowledge and science should care about this problem."

Hacking Collective Anonymous Says FBI Is Lying, "North Korea Is Not Source Of Hack"

Hacking Collective Anonymous Says FBI Is Lying, "North Korea Is Not Source Of Hack" | Zero Hedge

Having confirmed unequivocally, in a statement by the FBI and reiterated by President Obama, that "the North Korean government is responsible" for hacking Sony, it appears the YouTube-less 'evidence' the FBI provided is being questioned by the hacking-collective 'Anonymous' and former Lulzsec hacker Sabu. As The Daily Beast reports, the hackers blasted, the North Koreans "don’t have the technical capabilities," and added "we all know the hacks didn't come from North Korea, and "all of the evidence FBI cites would be trivial things to do if a hacker was trying to misdirect attention to DPRK." Meanwhile, on Saturday afternoon, Guardians of Peace, the hacking group that’s so far claimed responsibility for wreaking havoc on Sony, posted a message online mocking the FBI’s investigation - a series of gyrating animated bodies shrieking, "You are an idiot!"

As The Daily Beast reports,

While the FBI, President Obama, and George Clooney seem thoroughly convinced that the Guardians of Peace are the work of Pyongyang—the name “Guardians of Peace” comes from a quote used by former President Richard Nixon describing South Korea—many hackers online have questioned the allocation of blame from Day One, including former Lulzsec hacker turned government information Sabu, who maintains they “don’t have the technical capabilities,” and Anonymous, who wrote, “we all know the hacks didn't come from North Korea,” and threatened to launch further hacks against Sony if they don't release the film online.

Some of the world’s leading cybersecurity experts have also questioned whether North Korea is responsible for hacking Sony, claiming a decided lack of evidence or that it came from a group posing as North Korea as misdirection, such as Brett Thomas, chief technology officer of Redwood City, California-based online services company Vindicia:

How can those accused of sexual assault prove consent under 'yes means yes'? | WashingtonExaminer.com

How can those accused of sexual assault prove consent under 'yes means yes'? | WashingtonExaminer.com:

"Under this law, an accusation is as good as evidence. Does every sexual encounter need to be recorded and documented just in case some time in the future one person decides to call it rape? Under these policies, yes.

And don’t say that “this is an extreme or absurd scenario” line either, because we’re seeing sexual assault accusations treated this way already. These laws only stand to make the situation worse."

"Almost half" killed in junk cars means "more than half" were killed in newer cars. Great study!-------According to a research report, old cars kill American teen drivers

According to a research report, old cars kill American teen drivers - Flight Centric - Daily News: "According to the data from the US based Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), researchers conducted a study presenting the reason of high fatality rates of American teen drivers.
The lead author, Dr. McCartt said that, “almost half of teenage drivers killed on US roads in the past few years were driving vehicles that were 11 or more years old and often lacked key safety features.”

So, I guess it is a wrong decision to pass old cars to young drivers.
A recent study published in the journal ‘Injury Prevention,’ has found out that general reason behind the deaths of American teenage drivers is oldness of the cars they use.
Anne T McCartt and Eric R Teoh, the two authors who published the article in the journal, ‘Injury Medicine’ are the founding fathers of this shocking reason.
The lead author, Dr. McCartt said that, “almost half of teenage drivers killed on US roads in the past few years were driving vehicles that were 11 or more years old and often lacked key safety features.” So the question is do parents put their children’s lives in danger by giving the old cars to young, inexperienced drivers.

Congress Makes Christmas Come Early! Did Uncle Santa Bring You a Gift?

History for December 22

History for December 22 - On-This-Day.com
Giacomo Puccini 1858, Gene Rayburn (Rubessa) 1917, Barbara Billingsley 1922 


Steve Garvey (MLB) 1948, Robin Gibb (Bee Gees) 1949, Maurice Gibb (Bee Gees) 1949, Ralph Fiennes 1962 


1864 - During the American Civil War, Union Gen. William T. Sherman sent a message to U.S. President Lincoln from Georgia. The message read, "I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah." 


1894 - French army officer Alfred Dreyfus was convicted of treason in a court-martial that triggered worldwide charges of anti-Semitism. Dreyfus was eventually vindicated. 


1895 - German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen made the first X-ray, of his wife's hand. 


1961 - James Davis became the first U.S. soldier to die in Vietnam, while U.S. involvement was still limited to the provision of military advisers. 


1984 - New York City resident Bernhard Goetz shot four black youths on a Manhattan subway. Goetz claimed they were about to rob him. 


1989 - Romania's hard-line Communist ruler, Nicolae Ceausescu, was overthrown in a popular uprising. 


1990 - Lech Walesa was sworn in as Poland's first popularly elected president. 


1991 - The body of Lt. Col. William R. Higgins, an American hostage murdered by his captors, was found along a highway in Lebanon. 

She Stole a Car Right on Camera and Got Away With It. Then She Went Back to the Dealership to Complain. | Video | TheBlaze.com

She Stole a Car Right on Camera and Got Away With It. Then She Went Back to the Dealership to Complain. | Video | TheBlaze.com:

"Police have arrested some and are still looking for others involved in a car-stealing scheme in Hialeah, Florida, WFOR-TV reported Friday.

The scheme: Use falsified identification documents to waltz into a used car dealership and sign up for a financing deal.

The dealership was none the wiser until long after the perps had driven the cars off the lots."

DTE Energy wants to raise electricity rates

DTE Energy wants to raise electricity rates | Crain's Detroit Business:
"DTE Energy wants to raise electricity rates by 3.2 percent.
The Detroit News reports today that residential customers would see an average increase of nearly $10 a month.
The request was filed Friday at the Michigan Public Service Commission.
Rate cases can take many months, but DTE can implement the increase on its own in June while waiting for a decision from regulators.
The utility says it needs to charge more for electricity to pay for billions in improvements in the last four years..."

Michigan's Environment is Cleaner than it's Been in More than 100 Years

Michigan's Environment is Cleaner than it's Been in More than 100 Years [Michigan Capitol Confidential]:
"One of the reasons many find it easy to believe a narrative that the environment is consistently getting worse is, somewhat ironically, due to human technological advances.
Analytic devices that used to detect contaminants measured in parts per million are now able to find these materials in parts per billion, or even parts per trillion. 
This causes many to believe that conditions are worsening, judging that 1,000 parts per billion of a contaminant is worse than 10 parts per million, when 1,000 parts per billion is actually 10 times less than 10 parts per million.
Additionally, there were once only a handful of environmental advocacy organizations.
But now there are hundreds whose fundraising is enhanced by being provocative rather than presenting a balanced assessment. 
Moreover, there is a radical element in this movement that is anti-consumer and in favor a society regulated by an “enlightened” few. 
For this element, evidence of environmental progress and technological advancements seem to be of secondary importance.
Finally, against the evidence of history, many believe that if we can’t instantly solve a problem today, then it will still be a problem next year and next decade.
Dire predictions are often based on this misconception.
But the fact is that technology keeps improving at an accelerating pace, making humans better able to meet the environmental challenges of tomorrow and beyond."