History for January 18

History for January 18 - On-This-Day.com:
Peter Roget 1779, Daniel Webster 1782, Oliver Hardy (Laurel & Hardy) 1892 


Cary Grant 1904, David Ruffin (The Temptations) 1941, Kevin Costner 1955 


1778 - English navigator Captain James Cook discovered the Hawaiian Islands, which he called the "Sandwich Islands." 


1788 - The first English settlers arrived in Australia's Botany Bay to establish a penal colony. The group moved north eight days later and settled at Port Jackson. 


1911 - For the first time an aircraft landed on a ship. Pilot Eugene B. Ely flew onto the deck of the USS Pennsylvania in San Francisco harbor. 


1929 - Walter Winchell made his debut on radio. 


1943 - During World War II, the Soviets announced that they had broken the Nazi siege of Leningrad, which had began in September of 1941. 


1943 - U.S. commercial bakers stopped selling sliced bread. Only whole loaves were sold during the ban until the end of World War II. 


1950 - The federal tax on oleomargarine was repealed. 


1975 - "The Jeffersons" debuted on CBS-TV. 


1990 - A jury in Los Angeles, CA, acquitted former preschool operators Raymond Buckey and his mother, Peggy McMartin Buckey, of 52 child molestation charges. 


1990 - In an FBI sting, Washington, DC, Mayor Marion Barry was arrested for drug possession. He was later convicted of a misdemeanor. 

Volunteers in 95% of state house districts have submitted Convention of States petitions - Convention of States

Volunteers in 95% of state house districts have submitted Convention of States petitions - Convention of States:

"We have fantastic news to share with you today: volunteers like you have submitted Convention of States petitions in 95% of the state house districts in the United States!

There are 4,861 house districts among the 50 states; state legislators have received petitions from 4,592 of them.

The following states have submitted petitions in every house district:"

Based Upon this Latest Poll, Al Gore’s Cash Cow Machine May Just Run Dry

Based Upon this Latest Poll, Al Gore’s Cash Cow Machine May Just Run Dry:

"Global warming, also known when politically expedient as climate change, has been blamed for everything from the lie that polar bears are endangered to terrorism, and it looks like Americans are on to the falsehood of global warming that has done nothing but warmed Al Gore’s pocketbook with tons of cash."

Slap in the face! Obama taps surprise source to fund amnesty

Slap in the face! Obama taps surprise source to fund amnesty:

"But even if Republicans were to defy the odds and stop the funding, Flores said Obama is already tapping into other money to accomplish his goals.

“He’s taking the fees from people who are trying to go through the legal immigration process properly,” he said. “He’s using those fees to pay for the cost of trying to allow the folks that are here illegally to jump to the head of the line.”

Warning: Disability Insurance Is Hitting the Wall

Warning: Disability Insurance Is Hitting the Wall | Economics21:
"The Problem
The problem in a nutshell is that Social Security’s disability trust fund is running out of money.
The latest trustees’ report projects a reserve depletion date in late 2016.
By law Social Security can only pay benefits if there is a positive balance in the appropriate trust fund (there are two: one for old-age and survivors’ benefits (OASI), the other for disability benefits). Absent such reserves, incoming taxes provide the only funds that can be spent.
Under current projections, by late 2016 there will only be enough tax income to fund 81 percent of scheduled disability benefits.  
In other words, without legislation benefits will be cut 19 percent.  "

What America Can Learn from the Islamist Attacks Against Charlie Hebdo in France

What America Can Learn from the Islamist Attacks Against Charlie Hebdo in France:

"What happened to the cartoonists at Charlie Hebdo was reprehensible, and we should unite in opposition to any attempt to suppress free speech. We should likewise support measures designed to limit such attacks in the future—but not at the expense of liberty, for as Benjamin Franklin said, “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

The co-workers of those killed at Charlie Hebdo chose the proper course of action in response to the barbaric murder of their associates. Rather than cowering in fear or radically changing their behavior, as terrorists hope to accomplish, they decided to continue—and even increase—publication. They, unlike most Americans, refused to surrender their freedom in pursuit of safety."

Illinois still trying to fire corrections official for second time

Illinois still trying to fire corrections official for second time « Watchdog.org:
"SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State officials still want to fire a man with a troubled work history, criminal convictions and a history of street gang affiliations from his $111,432-a-year job in the Illinois system.
But a state arbitrator has ruled Xadrian McCraven deserves his job back. 
Why he ruled that way remains a bit of a mystery.
Tom Shaer, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Corrections, said the agency couldn’t release its copy of the decision because the matter remains under appeal.
And Anders Lindall, spokesman for the union representing McCraven did not return repeated phone calls seeking comment.
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 represent McCraven.
Shaer said McCraven has a long and troubled history working for the state.
In fact, he has been fired twice from state jobs.
Corrections officials fired McCraven in January 2014 after a newspaper reported he had been arrested many times.
He’d previously been fired, in 2012, from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
Published reports indicated he was fired in 2012 after it came to light that he had been sending hundreds of lewd and inappropriate emails.
McCraven appealed that firing, and (DEMOCRAT) Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration decided to rehire him because of the cost of fighting the appeal, Shaer said."

Here we go: Feds move to ban all fried foods at day care centers « Hot Air

Here we go: Feds move to ban all fried foods at day care centers « Hot Air:

"Fear not, citizens! The government is here to save you from yourselves. And in keeping with the Remember the Children theme, the Department of Agriculture is submitting new guidelines for food served at any day care facility (including some private homes) which qualify for federal funding. This should be a resoundingly popular move, I’m sure. Let’s see what you’ve got."


Isn't it great to live in a country where the government will do all the thinking for you?

We have lost so many freedoms under the  Obama regime.  

And Barack Hussein wants it to get worse!-----Price of Electricity Hit Record High in U.S. in 2014

Price of Electricity Hit Record High in U.S. in 2014 | CNS News:
"Even as gasoline prices plummeted and the overall energy price index calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics declined, electricity prices bucked the trend in the United States in 2014.
Data released today by the BLS indicates that the electricity price indexes hit all-time highs for the month of December and for the year. 2014 was the most-expensive year ever for electricity in the United States.
The annual price index for electricity, published by BLS today, was 208.020.
That was up from 200.750 in 2013."

Did This Progressive Democrat Billionaire Fund the Ferguson Riots?

Did This Progressive Democrat Billionaire Fund the Ferguson Riots?:
"Per a report from the Washington Times, Soros “gave at least 33 million in one year” to groups that emboldened the rabble-rousers in Ferguson, using data the Times obtained from tax filings from Soros’ Open Society Foundations.
Starting in August of last year, buses of rabble-rousers, including Communist groups, arrived in Ferguson, Mo, funded largely with money traced back to Soros.
Communist front groups like Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment, the Organization for Black Struggle (they’re for  black struggle?), and Dream Defenders were all involved in forming the “Hands Up Coalition,” promoted as a so-called “grassroots” organization in Missouri."

How Multiculturalism Caused the Paris Terror Attacks

No. You won't see a Muskegon county city here---------The 50 Safest Cities in Michigan

The 50 Safest Cities in Michigan - SafeWise:
"We’ve spent a great deal of time examining FBI crime statistics from 2012, including violent crimes as well as property crimes, and compiled this detailed list of the 50 safest cities in Michigan with populations of at least 10,000 residents. 
While we’re calling it the “safest cities,” we’ve included all municipalities with more than 10,000 population."

The liberal war against men-------Sound Transit: Guys, stop 'manspreading' on the train

Sound Transit: Guys, stop 'manspreading' on the train | Local & Regional | Seattle News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News | KOMO News:
SEATTLE -- People who ride public transportation are fed up with a male behavior they consider rude and crude. 
They even have a name for it: manspreading.
Complaints are on the rise about men taking up too much space on trains and buses, and some local passengers say they've noticed the growing problem of manspreading.
"He's spreading himself across two or three seats so that other people, if it's crowded, don't have anywhere to sit," said bus rider Xana Vegsundvaag.
Vegsundvaag believes some men feel entitled to take up more space, which hurts other riders. 
One male train passenger was unapologetic about spreading out over two seats.
"I have this amount of space. 
I like this amount of space, can I keep this amount of space?" said Isaac Wenze.
While some men have claimed it's a matter of male comfort, Wenze said he just wants to protect his personal space.

Allen West: Al Sharpton Says Oscars are ‘Too White.’ I Say the NBA is ‘Too Black.’

Allen West: Al Sharpton Says Oscars are ‘Too White.’ I Say the NBA is ‘Too Black.’:

"Col. West has had enough and wrote on his website a piece that highlights the absurdity of Sharpton’s complaint.
 Col. West maintains that while Sharpton is upset that the Oscars are “too white,” Mr. West, a black man, is upset that the NBA is “too black.”

West writes:

Liberals may be terrible at handling the economy or protecting our nation, but they sure are entertaining. The latest side-splitter comes from the White House official court jester, Al Sharpton."

Here we go: Feds move to ban all fried foods at day care centers

Here we go: Feds move to ban all fried foods at day care centers « Hot Air:
Fear not, citizens! 
The government is here to save you from yourselves. And in keeping with theRemember the Children theme, the Department of Agriculture is submitting new guidelines for food served at any day care facility (including some private homes) which qualify for federal funding. 
This should be a resoundingly popular move, I’m sure. 
Let’s see what you’ve got.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is proposing strict new dietary guidelines for day cares that would prohibit them from frying food that is served to children.

Child care providers would also be formally required to provide children with water upon request, though they would face restrictions on how much apple juice and orange juice they serve.

One of the more notable provisions would restrict day cares from frying food on site and discourage them from serving pre-packaged fried food, such as chicken fingers, from the grocery store.

“While facilities would not be permitted under this proposed rule to prepare foods on site by frying them,” the USDA wrote in the Federal Register, “store-bought, catered, or pre-fried foods can still contribute large amounts of calories and saturated fat to a meal. Therefore, facilities are encouraged to limit all fried and pre-fried foods to no more than once per week.”

How Spending Sapped the Global Recovery

Ruchir Sharma: How Spending Sapped the Global Recovery - WSJ:
"Before anyone rushes to spend, however, it is worth noting that the big emerging nations—China, Russia and Brazil—have just tried a full-throttle experiment in stimulus spending, and it failed. 
The average growth rate for emerging economies excluding China has fallen to 2.5% today, from more than 7% at the height of the spending campaign.
The growth rate is the lowest in four decades, outside of a global recession.
For leaders in these countries, stimulus is now a bad word.
Their experiment began in late 2008.
As it became clear that falling Western demand was going to undermine growth in emerging economies, the leaders of these nations turned to the ideas of John Maynard Keynes, the Englishman who beginning in the 1930s advised governments to fight recessions with heavy government spending to make up for slumping consumer spending."

History for January 17

History for January 17 - On-This-Day.com

Benjamin Franklin 1706, Al Capone 1899 - Gangster, Nevil Shute 1899 Betty White 1922 - Actress, James Earl Jones 1931 - Actor, "Star Wars" trilogy as the voice of Darth Vader, Shari Lewis (Hurwitz) 1934 Muhammad Ali 1942 - Boxer, Jim Carrey 1962 - Actor, comedian ("Batman Forever," "Liar Liar," "The Mask"), Michelle Obama 1964

1893 - Hawaii's monarchy was overthrown when a group of businessmen and sugar planters forced Queen Liliuokalani to abdicate. 


1912 - English explorer Robert Falcon Scott reached the South Pole. Norwegian Roald Amundsen had beaten him there by one month. Scott and his party died during the return trip. 


1913 - All partner interests in 36 Golden Rule Stores were consolidated and incorporated in Utah into one company. The new corporation was the J.C. Penney Company. 


1934 - Ferdinand Porsche submitted a design for a people's car, a "Volkswagen," to the new German Reich government. 


1945 - Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg disappeared in Hungary while in Soviet custody. Wallenberg was credited with saving tens of thousands of Jews. 


1961 - In his farewell address, U.S. President Eisenhower warned against the rise of "the military-industrial complex." 


1966 - A B-52 carrying four H-bombs collided with a refuelling tanker. The bombs were released and eight crewmembers were killed. 


1998 - U.S. President Clinton gave his deposition in the Paula Jones sexual harassment lawsuit against him. He was the first U.S. President to testify as a defendant in a criminal or civil lawsuit. 


2001 - The director of Palestinian TV, Hisham Miki, was killed at a restaurant when three masked gunmen walked up to his table and shot him more than 10 times. 

PHOTOS: Muslims Around the World Burn Flags, Clash with Police During Protests Against Latest Charlie Hebdo Issue | Video | TheBlaze.com

PHOTOS: Muslims Around the World Burn Flags, Clash with Police During Protests Against Latest Charlie Hebdo Issue | Video | TheBlaze.com:

"Demonstrators clashed with police Friday in Pakistan, Jordan and Algeria as anger flared among Muslims over a French satirical weekly’s latest caricature of the Prophet Muhammad. A photographer with Agence France-Presse was shot and wounded, one of four people hurt in the Pakistan melee.

Supporters say the cartoon on the cover of Charlie Hebdo is a defiant expression of free speech following a terrorist attack on the publication’s Paris offices that killed 12 people on Jan. 7, but many Muslims viewed it as another attack on their religion."

Does it get any clearer?  

Pelosi GOES OFF on Republicans, Says We Should Support Executive Amnesty Because of Paris Attacks

Pelosi GOES OFF on Republicans, Says We Should Support Executive Amnesty Because of Paris Attacks:

"In keeping with this obnoxious mantra, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi used the recent terrorist attacks in France to jab Republicans who worked to thwart the continued funding of Obama’s executive amnesty.
 On Wednesday, Republicans in the House voted to separate the funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a move designed to ultimately allow Obama’s executive amnesty to stand, but without a single dollar allocated to fund the massive government project.
 On Tuesday night, as Republicans were set to defund Obama’s illegal amnesty granted via executive edict, Pelosi took to the House Floor and connected the executive amnesty order to the terrorist attacks in France."

Watch: The Slightly Awkward James Taylor Performance John Kerry Organized After Missing the Paris Unity Rally | TheBlaze.com

Watch: The Slightly Awkward James Taylor Performance John Kerry Organized After Missing the Paris Unity Rally | TheBlaze.com:

"The Obama administration on Friday tried to make up for its blunder of not attending France’s unity rally last weekend, by having James Taylor sing “You’ve got a friend” in France.

Taylor and Secretary of State John Kerry are reportedly old friends, and Kerry stood by as Taylor sang his signature song. Kerry said earlier in the week that he would travel to France, a scheduling change that was announced hours after the Obama administration was widely criticized for failing send anyone to France on Sunday."



Really?  

Buck Sexton, Who Used to Brief President Bush, Says This Is What He Would Say Today | Video | TheBlaze.com

Buck Sexton, Who Used to Brief President Bush, Says This Is What He Would Say Today | Video | TheBlaze.com:

"TheBlaze’s national security adviser Buck Sexton used to brief President George W. Bush during his days at the Central Intelligence Agency, and Glenn Beck asked him on Thursday what he would say if he was in the same role today.

Sexton warned that there are extremist cells in “every western country — including America — around the world,” and a series of terror attacks like the one suffered at the Charlie Hebdo magazine in France last week could “tear Europe asunder.”

"Study"-Evil college men got rape on their minds!-----Think ‘1 in 5′ is bad? Try ‘1 in 3!’

Think ‘1 in 5′ is bad? Try ‘1 in 3!’
A University of North Dakota study purports to show that one out of every three men would rape if they could get away with it.

As you may surmise, there are quite a few issues with the study.
The first is that the study’s sample was quite small: 73 men from one university (UND) who, for what it’s worth, were given extra credit for participating.
Second, 13 percent — nine men — said flat-out they would actually rape a woman.

The Washington Examiner reports:

The study is further tainted because it begins with a false premise — the often-repeated but thoroughly debunked statistic that one in five women will be raped during their college years. Researchers also “debriefed” participants after the study by “address[ing] rape myths.” Given the researchers’ propensity to believe the one-in-five myth, it’s anyone’s guess what sort of “rape myths” they were addressing and whether they were myths or just facts.The study’s lead researcher, Sarah Edwards, an assistant professor of counseling psychology, told Newsweek that her study shows men would rape if it’s not called rape. “The No. 1 point is there are people that will say they would force a woman to have sex but would deny they would rape a woman,” Edwards said.

Examiner writer Ashe Snow is quite skeptical: “Even in a world where college men take everything seriously, nine guys does not equal a mass epidemic of would-be rapists. A more sound reading is that nine college boys didn’t take the survey too seriously.”

Further, the margin of error in the study is quite significant......"

University Students DEMAND Authorities ‘PROSECUTE Defamatory Speech’

University Students DEMAND Authorities ‘PROSECUTE Defamatory Speech’:

"Today’s academic institutions are hardly salons of intellectual thought and curiosities; instead, the focus seems to be to indoctrinate and warp the thirsty minds of new adults who are experiencing the world for the first time without the watchful eyes of mom and dad.

Case-in-point: Clemson University students are demanding that their school “prosecute defamatory speech.”

Does Clemson University not have a single Constitution in their library for reference?

Campus Reform reports:

A group of Clemson students are demanding that the university “prosecute defamatory speech” to help correct a “pattern of social injustice” at the school."

Say this word and you might get vandalized

Say this word and you might get vandalized | The Black Sphere | TheBlackSphere.net | The Black Sphere | TheBlackSphere.net:
In case you weren’t aware, the Left wants to TELL you what to say. Whether it’s African-American when referring to black people, or calling taxes, “investments,” the Left want to control your speech.

So when a California paper had the nerve to say this, they were vandalized.

As reported at Fox News,

A California newspaper will continue to use the term “illegals” to describe people who enter the U.S. without permission, despite an attack on its building by vandals believed to object to the term.

The Santa Barbara News-Press’s front entrance was sprayed with the message “The border is illegal, not the people who cross it” in red paint, sometime either Wednesday night or early Thursday, according to the newspaper’s director of operations, Donald Katich. The attack came amid wider objections to a News-Press headline that used the word “illegals” alongside a story on California granting driver’s licenses to people in the country illegally.

Renewable Energy Advocate Falsely Claims Industry is Not Supported by Taxpayer Dollars [Michigan Capitol Confidential]

Renewable Energy Advocate Falsely Claims Industry is Not Supported by Taxpayer Dollars [Michigan Capitol Confidential]:

"An advocate of renewable energy claimed in a recent Detroit News op-ed that Michigan does not subsidize "clean energy." Dan Scripps, president of an industry trade association called the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council, wrote: “It is important to clear up another point: Michigan does not subsidize renewable energy. Clean energy, including wind and solar, receives no subsidies from the state of Michigan.”

The claim is contradicted by several sources."