Oh my gosh! This just grows and grows and grows! Wonderful! (Watch it in "big screen") USAF Band Holiday Flash Mob at the National Air and Space Museum

▶ USAF Band Holiday Flash Mob at the National Air and Space Museum - YouTube: ""

'via Blog this'

Never forget--Pearl Harbor remembered

Sadly, I fear we already have forgotten just about EVERY lesson from that infamous day.
Pearl Harbor remembered - The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com:
"Thousands are expected at the US Navy base in Hawaii Friday to commemorate the lives of those lost in the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941."

Spartans WIN!

If you love your country, you won't keep your country if you give it to greedy socialists who run AARP---------AARP partner crafted Obama 'keep your plan' lie

AARP is bad people
AARP partner crafted Obama 'keep your plan' lie | The Daily Caller:
"The retired persons advocacy group AARP partners with the organization that helped craft President Obama’s “you can keep your plan” lie.

AARP, founded in 1958, is generating criticism from many of its members for heavily promoting Obamacare, which helps AARP’s bottom line to the tune of more than $1 billion. "

A lot of bruhaha for a small number of folks-----Same-Sex Weddings 17 Percent of Washington Marriages

And 1/4 of the 17% were from a different state
Same-Sex Weddings 17 Percent of Washington Marriages:
"SEATTLE
Gay weddings made up 17 percent of marriages in Washington this past year, the first year gay marriages were legal in the state, state officials reported Wednesday.

About 7,071 same-sex couples got married in Washington between December 6, 2012, and the most recent complete month of data, September 2013. There were 42,408 total marriages in the state during that time, according to the Washington State Department of Health.

So far, most of Washington state's same-sex marriages, 62 percent, were between two women."

L.A. County social workers strike over salary increases, caseloads

These pay numbers do NOT include overtime or BENEFITS and PENSION
L.A. County social workers strike over salary increases, caseloads - latimes.com:
"These workers, who earn between $41,328 and $86,436, will not be paid while striking.
Nearly 200 clerical workers in the department also failed to report to work."

The scurge of moobs---------------Does smoking pot cause man boobs?

Now that pot is officially the "asprin" of the millenium, what federal "fix" do ya think will come out of Obamacare to cure boy-hooters?
Does smoking pot cause man boobs? - CNN.com:
"A young man in his 20s -- let's call him George -- sits across from me in the exam room.
"Dr. Youn," he says, "I have man boobs."
I notice a not-so-unfamiliar smell wafting from his body.
It's the same odor that floated my way during a rock concert I recently attended.
"How long have you had a problem with this, George?"
"Hard to say.
But it seems to have gotten worse over the past year or so."
"George, the first thing you need to do is stop smoking pot. 
Marijuana could be causing your man boobs.""

The Simple Water Pump That's Changing Lives Across the World

The Simple Water Pump That's Changing Lives Across the World | Wired Design | Wired.com:
"But gear wasn’t the problem; the real challenge was changing behavior. “We spend all our time in the field, talking about irrigation and how much money they can make,” Fisher says. “Then we have to sell them a big-ticket item they’ve never seen before.” 
But it’s working.
Kick­Start has already sold 230,000 pumps, currently priced at $75 to $160 each.
Now they’re developing solar-­powered pumps, versions that can tap deeper water sources, and new financing models to reach more farmers.

The benefits are tangible: The pumps have increased farm incomes by 500 percent on average, helping move 740,000 people out of poverty. “If you’re poor, your number one need is a way to make more money,” Fisher says. Cheap, simple machines might be the best approach."

The federal government banned barges in Muskegon? ----Business group favors opening Muskegon port to river barges

I'm thinkin' there is more to the story..... like federal "free" money, union requirements, enviro-payola.......
Business group favors opening Muskegon port to river barges | Crain's Detroit Business:
"MUSKEGON — Michigan business interests are asking the U.S. Coast Guard to open the port of Muskegon to river barge traffic.
The Michigan Agri-Business Association and local leaders have scheduled a news conference for today in Muskegon to discuss the proposal, which the group says would bring more opportunities for economic growth.
The Coast Guard allows barges and other commercial vessels to operate along set routes in some navigable waterways.
Interest recently has risen in bringing barge traffic commonly seen on the Mississippi River and its tributaries to Lake Michigan.
The Coast Guard will be accepting public comment on the idea in coming weeks."

Finally, a reason to brave the danger and visit Detroit-------New bra boutique opening in Midtown Detroit

But isn't it kinda pathetic that the opening of this small store actually is news in what was a major American city?
New bra boutique opening in Midtown Detroit | Crain's Detroit Business:
"Busted! brings lingerie to the city, featuring options for ladies of all cup sizes."

Don't forget it is you (and me) who will pay these union scammers if a judge rules the Detroit pensions must be paid-----Detroit pension board trustees walk out of meeting during vote on legal contract

And if they pay no penalty, they'll continue their crooked secret deals, FOREVER! 
Detroit pension board trustees walk out of meeting during vote on legal contract | Detroit Free Press | freep.com
"The city’s two pension funds filed a request to appeal Judge Steven Rhodes ruling on Tuesday that Detroit is eligible for bankruptcy and that pensions can be cut in a forthcoming plan to resolve the city’s $18-billion debt and long-term liabilities. 
Detroit’s pension funds have maintained that the state constitution shields vested retirement benefits in bankruptcy, but Rhodes disagreed."

Peek at your pee! What The Color of Your Urine Says About You (Infographic)

What The Color of Your Urine Says About You (Infographic) — Health Hub from Cleveland Clinic

Remember, democrats assure us we aren't NOT paying our fair share.....right? ----House proposes 15-cent federal gas tax hike

And you thought only those nasty rich guys were gonna get stuck?
House proposes 15-cent federal gas tax hike [w/poll] - Autoblog:
"The cost of a gallon of fuel may go up if a Democratic representative from Oregon gets his way.
Earl Blumenauer has reportedly proposed a bill in the House of Representatives to raise the federal gas tax 15 cents per gallon in a bid to cover a shortfall in transportation funding (we told you so?).
The current federal tax is 33.4 cents per gallon on gas and 42.8 cents per gallon of diesel.

Union thugs and democrats working hard to toss all those workers into the unemployment lines-----Can Fast Food Jobs Really Be Replaced By Machines?

Can Fast Food Jobs Really Be Replaced By Machines? | The Skeptical Libertarian Blog:
"You bet: McDonald’s just added 7,000 touch-screen kiosks to handle ordering and cashier duties in its European stores."

Look for that Chinese label-----Entire New 13-Story Building Tips Over in Shanghai

Entire New 13-Story Building Tips Over in Shanghai: "This past Saturday, an entire apartment building in Shanghai collapsed.
To be fair, the building was under construction and thus unoccupied, but it's still a minor miracle that there was only one fatality."

Morons who majored in communications are America's "science filters". That ain't right-----Media’s Chicken Little Hurricane Predictions Fall Flat

Media’s Chicken Little Hurricane Predictions Fall Flat | Media Research Center:
"Hurricane season ended Nov. 30, with an all time-low for hurricanes.
The weak outcome didn’t fit the environmental disaster narrative the media had concocted leading up to hurricane season. ABC, NBC and CBS devoted broadcasts to scaring viewers with news of “devastating tornadoes, searing heat waves, withering droughts” and “powerful hurricanes.”
But they became strangely silent once the season finished … and next to nothing had happened."

Obama's war on America------The Government’s War on Long-Haul Truckers

The Government’s War on Long-Haul Truckers | National Review Online
Long-haul truckers are vanishing? Is there someone protecting this endangered species? God knows we have enough people fighting for the survival of the dunes sagebrush lizard.
...... as we learned how public policy dictated by bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., was affecting his life — and the lives of all long-haul truckers — for the worse: “Lately, though, Mr. Hernandez’s patience has been worn thin by a confusing tangle of rules, efficiency directives, and electronic devices that cap his speed, log his every move, and practically try to autopilot his truck. Magnifying the stress are more federal rule changes that took effect in July and are now roiling the industry.”

The federal agency that is doing all this is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), an agency within a bigger agency, the Department of Transportation.

Morons, thieves, lazy, scumbags. Hire them to "protect" your pension, and Detroit is what you get------------------------Pension financing is even more complicated than I thought.

Pension financing is even more complicated than I thought. | Public Sector Inc:

"Detroit City Manager Kevin Orr has charged (accurately) that over more than a decade the city’s main pension plan siphoned off over $750 million from the plan’s investments to pay so-called “13th checks” to both workers and retirees.

Union official and pension board member John Riehl, who was involved with these bonus payments, responded:
“Some say that if the board had invested those excess earnings funds over the 23-year period, the pension fund would be in better shape today. 
Given the numerous factors that influence fund performance over such a long period, it’s impossible to predict whether that’s true.”

Look, I know this stuff is technical and maybe I’m not bright enough to get it.
But can someone explain to me how putting another $750 million in the City’s pension could have failed to make it better off?
The worst you can do is lose it all, in which case you’re still even."

A somber anniversary-----My new friend, candidate Mark Schauer writes to tell me how our Gov. Snyder has been nasty to Michigan's wonderful union bosses.

 

Jim--

I can’t believe how many stepped up and contributed to our campaign in advance of the deadline last week. It was truly heartwarming to see so many of you supporting us.

Rick Snyder isn’t right for us. He is a constant roadblock to getting anything done for Michigan’s middle class families. Unlike Snyder, I am someone who has always stood on the side of worker's rights. That is why the month of December holds a somber anniversary for our state.

This coming Wednesday marks one year since Governor Snyder signed his reckless right-to-work legislation. This legislation made it harder for unions to organize to protect worker's rights, while putting more money in the pockets of corporate executives.

That is why my campaign is starting a petition to demand that Michigan repeal this anti-worker law. Can you click here and add your name to our petition today?

Thanks for standing up for Michiganders everywhere,

Mark

Blog: Arctic ice cap grows 29% in one year

Blog: Arctic ice cap grows 29% in one year:
"In the United States, President Obama still plans to bypass Congress, which like the American people is highly skeptical of the discredited-by-events predictions, and use administrative regulations and executive orders to impose drastic and expensive carbon restrictions on the American economy.
These will cost jobs and lower the standard of living particularly for lower income Americans, who can least afford the higher electricity, food, gasoline, and other prices that inevitably will result.
Global warming is the most expensive and widespread con job in the history of the world. 
There must be a terrible reckoning for the "scientists" and profiteers who have foisted this crackpot atrocity on the world."

To Propagandize The West, The Soviet Union’s Lenin Recruited A Corps Of Useful Idiots

In the USA we call them "journalists".
To Propagandize The West, The Soviet Union’s Lenin Recruited A Corps Of Useful Idiots - Investors.com:
"Lenin also feared that unless other countries went communist, his own revolution would be doomed to collapse under economic failure.

This drove him to try something new at the time: a special corps of "useful idiots." (The term is actually not Lenin's, but that of economist Ludwig von Mises.) These foot soldiers would push his revolution in every country — co-opting and subverting democratic processes, fomenting strikes, installing secret armies and, above all, propagandizing according to Moscow's dictates.

Useful idiots-----Princeton University Orchestra Debuts ‘Ballad for Trayvon Martin’

Princeton University Orchestra Debuts ‘Ballad for Trayvon Martin’:
"Trayvon Martin continues to be a subject of intense interest for the academic elite. The Princeton University Orchestra and the University Concert Jazz Ensemble is set to debut “The Ballad for Trayvon Martin” today, NJ.com reports.

The goal of the music, according to its composer, noted jazz artist Anthony D.J. Branker, is to pay homage to victims of racial violence.

“I simply want to make a connection,” Branker said, “whether it’s on a level of social consciousness, or music and expression.”

Branker said his composition “speaks to all of us to continue to work together so that children of any race, ethnicity or religious affiliation never have to meet such a tragic end.”"

OMG! "Dozens"! ------Dozens Protest ‘Slave Wages’ For Fast-Food Workers In Metro Detroit

I'm thinkin' these slaves wouldn't be all that unhappy with $7.00/hr and some McNuggets.
All "dozens" of them.....

Dozens Protest ‘Slave Wages’ For Fast-Food Workers In Metro Detroit « CBS Detroit:
"DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - Dozens of demonstrators lined up outside an east side Detroit McDonald’s restaurant in an effort to protest what one man called “slave wages” for fast-food workers.

The protest was just one of many taking place nationwide to raise pay in low-wage sectors to $15 an hour. Workers on Thursday are expected to walk off their jobs in Michigan and across the nation, including McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Subway, Wendy’s, Checkers and KFC.
Clergy, elected officials and community supporters are also expected to join workers on the strike lines."

Say what? "Economists are divided over whether..." increasing the cost of labor will reduce the demand for that labor?????? Fair wage protests at Michigan fast-food restaurants underway

Why don't these imbecilic "journalists demand a doubling of their pay?
Fair wage protests at Michigan fast-food restaurants underway | Detroit Free Press | freep.com:
"Economists are divided whether raising the minimum wage would make it harder for low-skilled workers to find employment and whether it would be a beneficial to the economy, a survey of experts taken by the University of Chicago’s Initiative on Global Markets Forum in February showed."

Texas Democrat Wendy Davis Donated $515 Of Her $235k Income To Charity, But Wants To Redistribute Your Earnings

Texas Democrat Wendy Davis Donated $515 Of Her $235k Income To Charity, But Wants To Redistribute Your Earnings | Independent Journal Review:
"The Democrats’ big abort-happy hope to capture the Texas governorship just released her taxes, and despite her wanting to take your money and give it to anyone who signs up to welfare, she didn’t give much herself.

In 2011, she earned $235,428, but gave a paltry $515 to charity. That’s less than one percent of her income, in fact, it barely scratches one-fifth of one percent.

Democrats are so charitable! Not with their own money, but with yours, of course.

2012 wasn’t much better, even though her income jumped to $284,183. That year, she gave just $950 in contributions to charity, This works out to a very generous three-tenths of one percent!

Amazing how hypocritical they are about your earned money, isn’t it?"

Amazing how, with zero science to back up the claims, pot went from illegal/bad for you to "desperately needed" for children----------Vote on medical marijuana bills allowing dispensaries, edibiles, pharmacy sales on hold

Vote on medical marijuana bills allowing dispensaries, edibiles, pharmacy sales on hold | Detroit Free Press | freep.com:
"The edibles bill is needed because many patients, especially seriously ill children, can’t smoke the product, Kowall said.

“The law has largely been reduced to smoking and vaporizing the marijuana,” Kowall said. “But after speaking with caregivers, most would prefer to ingest in ways other than smoking. They desperately need alternative delivery methods.”

Jim Powers of Centerline brought his toddler son Ryan, who has minimal change nephorsis, an autoimmune disease that attacks the kidneys, mostly in young children. Marijuana-infused oils have helped modulate his immune system and alleviate the symptoms of the disease.

“Out of desperation, we turned to cannabis oil and he went into remission, but the court of appeals ruled his medicine illegal,” Powers said."

Please Obama, don't stop innovation----Odon childbirth device: Car mechanic uncorks a revolution

This a pretty cool story
BBC News - Odon childbirth device: Car mechanic uncorks a revolution:
"We went to a hospital and sat - in our suits - in a room full of expectant mothers," Odon says.
"My friend was still sceptical, so when we went to see the doctor, at first he sat quite far away from me. But once he saw that the doctor was interested in this idea and quite impressed, he moved his chair closer and started saying 'we' have invented this!""

Why are we allowing our tax dollars to pay for racist, anti-white rants? ------White students fed up with black prof’s racial screeds, lawsuits fly

White students fed up with black prof’s racial screeds, lawsuits fly | The Daily Caller:
"The trouble began in English professor Shannon Gibney’s Introduction to Mass Communications class at Minneapolis Community and Technical College.
Though the class ostensibly has little to do with race, Gibney considers herself an activist on racial issues, and frequently invokes white privilege and oppression during class time, according to her students. (She has previously taught classes on race and gender.)

Recently, several white students announced that they had had enough with Gibney’s incessant racial screed. They interrupted her during a lecture, and said, “Why do we have to talk about this in every class? Why do we have to talk about this?” according to Gibney’s account of the incident, which was recorded by the City College News."

Obamacare Already Raises the Minimum Wage

Obamacare Already Raises the Minimum Wage

Another push is underway to raise the minimum wage. But what you probably haven’t heard is that Obamacare has already done that.

The plan on the table in Congress would raise the federal minimum wage above $10 an hour (which is higher than all existing state rates). Obamacare’s mandate on employers, however, is already scheduled to raise the hourly cost of hiring a full-time worker past $10 an hour.

....Unfortunately, this will make entry-level jobs harder to get. And these jobs are important. For the majority, they are stepping stones to higher pay and higher-skilled positions. As Heritage’s James Sherk and Patrick Tyrrell explain:

Two-thirds of minimum wage workers earn raises within a year. Entry-level jobs pay off in the long run for many workers. But if Congress adds a minimum-wage hike to the Obamacare mandate, many employees will never get that chance.

Of course, companies with 50 or more employees can avoid Obamacare’s mandate by cutting workers’ hours below 30 hours per week. An increasing number of employers announced plans to do exactly that before the Administration delayed the mandate a year. Fewer hours is not a good outcome for workers.

If you ever needed proof these "polls" are absolute bull-pockey, here it is-----Detroit ranks among happiest cities in U.S., according to new iPhone app

Detroit ranks among happiest cities in U.S., according to new iPhone app | Detroit Free Press | freep.com:
"The No. 1 smiling city, according to Jetpac: St. Louis, Mo., followed by Kansas City, Mo., and Columbus Ohio. In fact, seven of the 10 smiling-est cities are in the Midwest, including bankrupt Detroit, at No. 9."