An animated data-driven documentary about war and peace, The Fallen of World War II looks at the human cost of the second World War and sizes up the numbers to other wars in history, including trends in recent conflicts.
Visit http://fallen.io for the interactive version and more information
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Ted Cruz vows to trash climate treaty if elected president | National Observer
Ted Cruz vows to trash climate treaty if elected president | National Observer:
"Cruz said that the Paris treaty was simply an excuse for “ideologues,” to gain more government power, just day after 200 nations inked the deal to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
“Barack Obama seems to think the SUV parked in your driveway is a bigger threat to national security than radical Islamic terrorists who want to kill us. That’s just nutty,” said Cruz, who currently serves as a Republican senator."
"Cruz said that the Paris treaty was simply an excuse for “ideologues,” to gain more government power, just day after 200 nations inked the deal to limit global warming to 1.5°C.“Barack Obama seems to think the SUV parked in your driveway is a bigger threat to national security than radical Islamic terrorists who want to kill us. That’s just nutty,” said Cruz, who currently serves as a Republican senator."
Hillary Clinton’s Vulgarity Makes Trump Look Like Shakespeare!
Hillary Clinton’s Vulgarity Makes Trump Look Like Shakespeare!
The Shaming of the Shrew
A woman who is seeking the office of “Commander-in-Chief” should really show a little more intestinal fortitude.
The Shaming of the Shrew
I was astonished that Hillary Clinton wept as she decried bullying, after Donald Trump’s used of the word “schlong”.
A woman who is seeking the office of “Commander-in-Chief” should really show a little more intestinal fortitude.
The act is laughable, because her own use of profanity is so notorious that there are whole books on the subject!
A California friend, Bill Monroe, offers this example.
Hillary’s vulgar and nasty language is well documented. To directly quote her: ‘F**k off! It’s enough that I have to see you ****-kickers every day, I’m not going to talk to you too!! Just do your G*damn job and keep your mouth shut.’(From the book American Evita by Christopher Anderson, p. 90 – Hillary to her State Trooper bodyguards after one of them greeted her with “Good Morning.”)
That is not the only tome that documents Clinton’s legendary temper. Another book,Unlikeable: The Problem with Hillary Clinton, recounts an episode with Obama as the target ofone of her grand tirades.
Clinton requested a meeting with Obama, against the advice of hubby Bill Clinton, believing “she was being persecuted for minor, meaningless violations,” author Edward Klein writes.Clinton initially took a friendly approach during the meeting and Obama reacted as if he didn’t know what she was talking about, the book claims.“He was almost being deliberately dense,” a Clinton source said. “It really angered her.”Clinton lost her temper and called the president by his first name in an emotionally driven break with White House decorum, according to the book.“What I want for you to do is call off your f–king dogs, Barack!” Clinton allegedly barked at Obama, according to Klein’s account, which cited sources close to Clinton and Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett.
Obama got off lightly compared to her husband, according to an episode described in a third book, The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House.
[Author Kate Andersen] Brower gave an interview with CNN in which she is laughing and smiling while telling the story of Hillary Clinton’s violent, bloody attack on her husband the President of the United States.Apparently, spousal abuse is funny if committed by a feminist icon running for president.An example of how the political press is playing this comes from Politico, which published a lengthy book excerpt that left out Hillary’s alleged bloody attack on Bill.Politico did lead with the ‘lamp throwing’ incident which as the Clinton defenders might say, is ‘old news’. But Politico left out the damning alleged criminal attack.
If there is a description that Donald Trump used that should really trouble Hillary, it involved her lack of stamina.
“One thing with Hillary, she doesn’t have the strength or the stamina to be president. She doesn’t have it,” Trump said at a Wednesday-night campaign rally in Manassas, Virginia.“You ever see Hillary? And I said, ‘She doesn’t have the strength, she doesn’t have the stamina,'” Trump later said.
Between the weak economy, chronic civic unrest, and deteriorating international situation, the future POTUS will need to be on the go “from day one” and be able to make critical decisions at3 am in the morning. A candidate’s endurance will be serious consideration when making an informed vote in 2016.
Recapping some current news stories that underscore why the concerns about Clinton’s stamina are valid:
- The extended bathroom break from the recent Democratic debates.
- The blood clot Clinton had in her head, and the blood thinners that she takes required to prevent future clots from developing. Anticoagulants have an array of side effects, including abdominal pain and diarrhea.
- Clinton’s doctor recently reported the Democratic presidential hopeful suffers from hypothyroidism, which can lead to slowed metabolism, fatigue, weight gain, and other issues.
Perhaps the press drama over the word “schlong” is a diversion from the real term we need to focus on, “stamina”?
Clinton is likely to find that Americans are more inclined to vote for a warrior instead of a weeper in the next election.
Satellites show no ‘global warming’ for 18 1/2 years – No N. Pole warming for nearly 14 years – No S. Pole warming for 37 years!
Satellites show no ‘global warming’ for 18 1/2 years – No N. Pole warming for nearly 14 years – No S. Pole warming for 37 years! | Climate Depot:
U.S. has had no warming for 18 years
South Pole sees no warming for 37 years. 'For the whole of the satellite record, the South Polar region has had a negative trend. So much for a fingerprint of warming due to the enhanced greenhouse effect being greater warming at the Poles!'
The Pause: November 2015 Update
UAH v6.0 (University of Alabama Huntsville satellite) data for November were released a couple of days ago. Here are updated graphs for various regions showing the furthest back one can go to show a zero or negative trend (less than +0.01C/ 100 years) in lower tropospheric temperatures. For the second month of the climb towards the El Nino peak, there is still NO pause in the Northern Hemisphere trend. However, in some regions the pause has lengthened. Note: The satellite record commences in December 1978. The entire satellite record is now 37 years long- 444 months.
Globe:
There has been zero trend for exactly half the record, (and for an increase in CO2 concentration of 37 ppm).
"Christmas" everyday of the year for democrats-----Puerto Rico Misplaced $10 Million Of Federal Grant Money
Puerto Rico Misplaced $10 Million Of Federal Grant Money | The Daily Caller:
Seven years after a Puerto Rico government got $10 million in federal money to build a cemetery and bus station, neither one has been built, and local authorities claim to have no documentation about the projects.
The local government said it has no information about its own decisions, because the only copies of the paperwork are possessed by contractors who are holding it for “ransom.”
The contractors say they’re not cooperating because Puerto Rico stiffed them on payment.
In 2007, the Department of Housing and Urban Development gave the Municipality of Toa Alta, Puerto Rico $2 million to create a mausoleum.
The money was required to be spent by 2010.
This year, construction had not started, because of “problems accessing the project site,” which was on land that had long been owned by the local government itself.
Another $6 million-plus was for construction of a four-story building containing parking and a bus terminal, also distributed in 2007 and to be spent by 2010, and with no changes permitted.
By 2015, the abandoned frame of a five-story building sat on the site, with Puerto Rico demanding more federal money to complete the expanded project.
The federal money was supposed to be a loan, but HUD secured no collateral before disbursing the funds, leaving the department with little leverage to prevent an entity from walking away with the money, according to a report this month from the department’s inspector general.
“The records maintained did not properly account for program income, accounts receivable, and capital assets,” the IG audit found.
“The municipality did not maintain a general ledger for the Section 108 program.
The accounting record maintained was a check register that contained incorrect balances and transactions that were not recorded.”
These examples provide some insight as to why Puerto Rico is $70 billion in debt and seeking to declare bankruptcy to avoid paying its creditors..."
Seven years after a Puerto Rico government got $10 million in federal money to build a cemetery and bus station, neither one has been built, and local authorities claim to have no documentation about the projects.
The local government said it has no information about its own decisions, because the only copies of the paperwork are possessed by contractors who are holding it for “ransom.”
The contractors say they’re not cooperating because Puerto Rico stiffed them on payment.
In 2007, the Department of Housing and Urban Development gave the Municipality of Toa Alta, Puerto Rico $2 million to create a mausoleum.The money was required to be spent by 2010.
This year, construction had not started, because of “problems accessing the project site,” which was on land that had long been owned by the local government itself.
Another $6 million-plus was for construction of a four-story building containing parking and a bus terminal, also distributed in 2007 and to be spent by 2010, and with no changes permitted.
By 2015, the abandoned frame of a five-story building sat on the site, with Puerto Rico demanding more federal money to complete the expanded project.
The federal money was supposed to be a loan, but HUD secured no collateral before disbursing the funds, leaving the department with little leverage to prevent an entity from walking away with the money, according to a report this month from the department’s inspector general.
“The records maintained did not properly account for program income, accounts receivable, and capital assets,” the IG audit found.
“The municipality did not maintain a general ledger for the Section 108 program.
The accounting record maintained was a check register that contained incorrect balances and transactions that were not recorded.”
These examples provide some insight as to why Puerto Rico is $70 billion in debt and seeking to declare bankruptcy to avoid paying its creditors..."
GOP Candidate Makes Huge Move To Kill Obama's Gun Control Plan... This Needs EVERYONE's Support
GOP Candidate Makes Huge Move To Kill Obama's Gun Control Plan... This Needs EVERYONE's Support:"There is no question that President Barack Obama abhors the Second Amendment and will do whatever he can, whether within his scope of power or not, to infringe upon the natural gun rights enjoyed by all American citizens.
In fact, it is expected that Obama will issue some sort of executive order in the near future, ostensibly to tighten restrictions on firearms."
Must watch video!!!-----FLASHBACK: Obama Promises No Vacations For Himself As President
FLASHBACK: Obama Promises No Vacations For Himself As President [VIDEO] | The Daily Caller: "
Weasel Zippers has revived an old video of Barack Obama promising not to take vacations if he were elected president.
The video features then-Sen. Obama discussing his book “The Audacity Of Hope” with New York Times columnist Bob Herbert in 2008.
The future president was talking about how those running for president need to be prepared to “give their life to it.”
“The bargain that any president strikes with is, you give me this office and in turn my, fears, doubts, insecurities, foibles, need for sleep, family life, vacations, leisure is gone,” Obama said.
“I am giving myself to you.”"
Weasel Zippers has revived an old video of Barack Obama promising not to take vacations if he were elected president.
The video features then-Sen. Obama discussing his book “The Audacity Of Hope” with New York Times columnist Bob Herbert in 2008.
The future president was talking about how those running for president need to be prepared to “give their life to it.”
“The bargain that any president strikes with is, you give me this office and in turn my, fears, doubts, insecurities, foibles, need for sleep, family life, vacations, leisure is gone,” Obama said.
“I am giving myself to you.”"
History for December 26
History for December 26 - On-This-Day.com
Charles Babbage 1792- Mathematician and inventor, he is regarded as the pioneer of modern computers. Goerge Dewey 1837, Henry Miller (Valentine) 1891 Writer (Tropic of Cancer (1934), Black Spring (1936), Tropic of Capricorn (1939), His Sexus (1949))
Mao Zedong (Tse-tung) 1893- Chinese statesman, Richard Widmark 1914 - Actor, Steve Allen 1921 - Comedian, actor, composer. First host of "The Tonight Show." Films: The Benny Goodman Story (1955), The Comic (1969), Casino (1995). Scores: A Man Called Dagger (1968) and the CBS musical Alice in Wonderland (1985).
1865 - The coffee percolator was patented by James H. Mason.
1943 - The German battlecruiser Scharnhorst was sunk in the North Sea, during the Battle of North Cape.
1974 - Comedian Jack Benny died at age 80.
1982 - The Man of the Year in "TIME" magazine was a computer. It was the first time a non-human received the honors.
1990 - Garry Kasparov beat Anatoly Karpov to retain the chess championship.
1991 - The Soviet Union's parliament formally voted the country out of existence.
1996 - Six-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey was found beaten and strangled in the basement of her family's home in Boulder, CO.
2004 - Under the Indian Ocean, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake sent 500-mph waves across the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. The tsunami killed at least 283,000 people in a dozen countries, including Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Sumatra, Thailand and India.
Friday, December 25, 2015
McDonalds, Pizza Hut And KFC Refuse Muslim Demands To Serve Halal Meat - Muslims ENRAGED ⋆ US Herald
McDonalds, Pizza Hut And KFC Refuse Muslim Demands To Serve Halal Meat - Muslims ENRAGED ⋆ US Herald:"Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce special orders don't upset us,” unless of course if you happen to be Hong Kong’s chief imam, Mufti Muhammad Arshad who recently contacted McDonald’s, KFC and Pizza Hut who are the three biggest food chains with an offer they've just turned down, the offer, Islamic-certified Halal meat.
Arshad reportedly contacted the big three to request that they begin serving halal meat in many of their outlets. Halal means ‘permissible’ in Arabic."
Nice to see some backbone!
Something Happened on Christmas in 1955 That Liberals Don't Want you to Know About...
Something Happened on Christmas in 1955 That Liberals Don't Want you to Know About...:
"Earlier today we told you about how Bill Nye and his liberal friends are trying to convince you that “climate change” is responsible for the warm Christmas temperatures we are seeing across the country.
Turns out that facts can be really irritating for climate change alarmists.
From Real Science:
"Christmas Eve 1955 was much warmer.
Three fourths of the country was over 60 degrees, and Ashland Kansas, Geary Oklahoma and Encinal Texas were all over 90 degrees. Fort Lauderdale was 85 degrees.
All of the stations below were over 60 degrees on Christmas Eve, 1955.
Last winter, the East Coast had record cold.
That was ignored because it was “less than 1% of the Earth.”
But this week, the Eastern US defines the global climate.
In Irving Berlin’s 1954 musical “White Christmas” – the story line was 70 degrees in Vermont on Christmas eve and no snow.
That was why they were “Dreaming of a White Christmas”...
"Earlier today we told you about how Bill Nye and his liberal friends are trying to convince you that “climate change” is responsible for the warm Christmas temperatures we are seeing across the country.
Turns out that facts can be really irritating for climate change alarmists.
From Real Science:"Christmas Eve 1955 was much warmer.
Three fourths of the country was over 60 degrees, and Ashland Kansas, Geary Oklahoma and Encinal Texas were all over 90 degrees. Fort Lauderdale was 85 degrees.
All of the stations below were over 60 degrees on Christmas Eve, 1955.
Last winter, the East Coast had record cold.
That was ignored because it was “less than 1% of the Earth.”
But this week, the Eastern US defines the global climate.
In Irving Berlin’s 1954 musical “White Christmas” – the story line was 70 degrees in Vermont on Christmas eve and no snow.
That was why they were “Dreaming of a White Christmas”...
Where do heroes come from?
Glenn Reynolds: Where do heroes come from?:
"Last week, in my hometown of Knoxville, Tenn., a 15-year-old became a hero.
Zaevion Dobson, a football player at Fulton High School, threw himself on top of three girls as gang members released a hail of bullets in an apparently random retaliation for a shooting the day before.
Zaevion traded his life for the girls’ safety; he died after being struck by a bullet.
The shooting — and Dobson’s heroism — got national attention and even garnered a tweet from President Obama. There’s a GoFundMe page to establish a scholarship fund in his name.
And Fulton High School principal Rob Speas commented: “You really don't make a decision in those moments.
You just react.
And the way Zaevion reacted was to take care of other people.
A kid made a split-second decision to take care of others."
He’s right, and Dobson’s heroism speaks well of his family and his community.
Football encourages quick-thinking physicality, but how people react in that split-second is a reflection of the values they’ve absorbed over a lifetime.
Greater love hath no man, we are told by the Bible, than that he lay down his life for his friends.
We’d like to live in a world where such heroic tendencies are common, but if they were common, then they wouldn’t be heroic, would they?
But surely we’d like to live in a world where selfless heroism is more common.
I was thinking about this as I was reading Michael S. Malone’s new book, Running Toward Danger: Real Life Action Stories of Heroism, Valor and Guts, which is about the Boy Scouts’ medal for heroism and the estimated three to five million lives saved by scouts since 1910.
In creating the Honor Medal for courage and lifesaving, the Scouts wanted to encourage this sort of behavior in boys, and at first they succeeded all too well:
Inspired by the medal, scouts attempted rescues for which they weren’t trained.
Some died, and the Boy Scouts, together with the Red Cross, embarked on an ambitious training program in swimming and first aid, a program that continues to this day.
But training wasn’t enough.
As Boy Scout founder Dan Beard wrote years later, “Without that spirit — the spirit that willingly takes the great risk in an emergency — what use would be the knowledge of the best means to make water and fire rescues, to resuscitate, and the many other things the advanced Boy Scout learns?”
The Boy Scouts are unfashionable today, and so, in many quarters, are the qualities exhibited by the Honor Medal winners, or even by Zaevion Dobson.
Courage, quick thinking, an instinct to protect others — these all seem quaint, maybe even obsolete, to many today.
Even football is falling out of favor — too much physicality.
Elementary school students are told they can’t play tag because it involves touching.
College students cry for safe spaces and demand trigger warnings.
At Oberlin, even ethnic cafeteria food is too much to bear.
These days, it seems, we are less likely to exalt heroism than victimhood.
With that sort of culture, people like Zaevion Dobson seem even more miraculous.
Yet the world, as recent events demonstrate, still calls for heroism on a regular basis.
And it seems to me a society that exalts heroism, rather than victimhood, is a society that is likely to have a more desirable ratio of heroes to victims than one that works the other way.
Perhaps we should consider making some changes.
And to Zaevion Dobson, rest in peace.
Your actions represented the best in human action.
Whatever the state of the culture in general, you, and your family, and your friends, have every reason to be proud."
"Last week, in my hometown of Knoxville, Tenn., a 15-year-old became a hero.
Zaevion Dobson, a football player at Fulton High School, threw himself on top of three girls as gang members released a hail of bullets in an apparently random retaliation for a shooting the day before.
Zaevion traded his life for the girls’ safety; he died after being struck by a bullet.
The shooting — and Dobson’s heroism — got national attention and even garnered a tweet from President Obama. There’s a GoFundMe page to establish a scholarship fund in his name.
And Fulton High School principal Rob Speas commented: “You really don't make a decision in those moments.
You just react.
A kid made a split-second decision to take care of others."
He’s right, and Dobson’s heroism speaks well of his family and his community.
Football encourages quick-thinking physicality, but how people react in that split-second is a reflection of the values they’ve absorbed over a lifetime.
Greater love hath no man, we are told by the Bible, than that he lay down his life for his friends.
We’d like to live in a world where such heroic tendencies are common, but if they were common, then they wouldn’t be heroic, would they?
But surely we’d like to live in a world where selfless heroism is more common.
I was thinking about this as I was reading Michael S. Malone’s new book, Running Toward Danger: Real Life Action Stories of Heroism, Valor and Guts, which is about the Boy Scouts’ medal for heroism and the estimated three to five million lives saved by scouts since 1910.
In creating the Honor Medal for courage and lifesaving, the Scouts wanted to encourage this sort of behavior in boys, and at first they succeeded all too well:
Inspired by the medal, scouts attempted rescues for which they weren’t trained.
Some died, and the Boy Scouts, together with the Red Cross, embarked on an ambitious training program in swimming and first aid, a program that continues to this day.
But training wasn’t enough.
As Boy Scout founder Dan Beard wrote years later, “Without that spirit — the spirit that willingly takes the great risk in an emergency — what use would be the knowledge of the best means to make water and fire rescues, to resuscitate, and the many other things the advanced Boy Scout learns?”
The Boy Scouts are unfashionable today, and so, in many quarters, are the qualities exhibited by the Honor Medal winners, or even by Zaevion Dobson.
Courage, quick thinking, an instinct to protect others — these all seem quaint, maybe even obsolete, to many today.
Even football is falling out of favor — too much physicality.
Elementary school students are told they can’t play tag because it involves touching.
College students cry for safe spaces and demand trigger warnings.
At Oberlin, even ethnic cafeteria food is too much to bear.
These days, it seems, we are less likely to exalt heroism than victimhood.
With that sort of culture, people like Zaevion Dobson seem even more miraculous.
Yet the world, as recent events demonstrate, still calls for heroism on a regular basis.
And it seems to me a society that exalts heroism, rather than victimhood, is a society that is likely to have a more desirable ratio of heroes to victims than one that works the other way.
Perhaps we should consider making some changes.
And to Zaevion Dobson, rest in peace.
Your actions represented the best in human action.
Whatever the state of the culture in general, you, and your family, and your friends, have every reason to be proud."
FLASHBACK: Obama Promises No Vacations For Himself As President [VIDEO] | The Daily Caller
FLASHBACK: Obama Promises No Vacations For Himself As President [VIDEO] | The Daily Caller:"Obama went on to say that “the American people should have no patience for what’s going on in your head because you’ve got a job to do” and that people should only run for president if they’re willing to make that sacrifice.
When asked by the host if he could imagine himself making that kind of commitment, he said, “Sure.”
Reverend Franklin Graham Calls for Sharia Law to be Banned in the USA! - Eagle Rising
Reverend Franklin Graham Calls for Sharia Law to be Banned in the USA! - Eagle Rising:
"Some western governments are actually considering allowing Sharia law in certain Muslim communities in their countries—can you believe it? ISIS is imposing Sharia law on hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and Syrians who want to be free. Women are oppressed, Christians and minorities are persecuted and murdered, homosexuals are tortured and killed. President Obama seems to be at a loss as to what to do. Pray that God will give him and our leaders wisdom, and pray for all those living under Islam.
The article from the BBC that he had just read was titled Inside Mosul: What’s life like under Islamic State? It’s a brilliant piece that documents various everyday aspects of life and how different life is under the ISIS terrorists. Here’s a bit of what BBC found in Mosul."
"Some western governments are actually considering allowing Sharia law in certain Muslim communities in their countries—can you believe it? ISIS is imposing Sharia law on hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and Syrians who want to be free. Women are oppressed, Christians and minorities are persecuted and murdered, homosexuals are tortured and killed. President Obama seems to be at a loss as to what to do. Pray that God will give him and our leaders wisdom, and pray for all those living under Islam.The article from the BBC that he had just read was titled Inside Mosul: What’s life like under Islamic State? It’s a brilliant piece that documents various everyday aspects of life and how different life is under the ISIS terrorists. Here’s a bit of what BBC found in Mosul."
The IRS Can Nix Your Right to Travel: "They Could Revoke Your Passport on Your Honeymoon"
The IRS Can Nix Your Right to Travel: "They Could Revoke Your Passport on Your Honeymoon"
"Never mind the fact that the IRS itself has been unconstitutionally taxing most Americans for the past century.
If you are found to be delinquent in paying your taxes,the IRS can now revoke your passport, and prevent you from traveling until you’ve been cleared by the tax behemoth.
As USA Today reports:
A new enforcement provision passed by Congress and signed into law earlier this month allows the government to revoke the passports of seriously delinquent tax scofflaws — people who owe more than $50,000 to Uncle Sam.
“You could be on your honeymoon and they could revoke your passport,” said Tom Wheelwright, a certified public accountant and chief executive officer at ProVision Wealth Strategists in Tempe, Ariz.
Some details still need to be worked out, but the new passport rule indicates the government wants to get serious about collecting unpaid tax debts.
The IRS reported 12.4 million delinquent accounts owing nearly $131 billion in assessed taxes, interest and penalties in 2014.
In addition to going after delinquent taxpayers by revoking their passports, the FAST Act highway-transportation bill signed by President Obama on Dec. 4 also gives private debt collectors a shot at forcing taxpayers to make good on their debts.
The act includes a mandate that the Internal Revenue Service turn over certain unpaid tax delinquencies to private debt collectors...."
"Never mind the fact that the IRS itself has been unconstitutionally taxing most Americans for the past century.
If you are found to be delinquent in paying your taxes,the IRS can now revoke your passport, and prevent you from traveling until you’ve been cleared by the tax behemoth.
As USA Today reports:
“You could be on your honeymoon and they could revoke your passport,” said Tom Wheelwright, a certified public accountant and chief executive officer at ProVision Wealth Strategists in Tempe, Ariz.
Some details still need to be worked out, but the new passport rule indicates the government wants to get serious about collecting unpaid tax debts.
The IRS reported 12.4 million delinquent accounts owing nearly $131 billion in assessed taxes, interest and penalties in 2014.
In addition to going after delinquent taxpayers by revoking their passports, the FAST Act highway-transportation bill signed by President Obama on Dec. 4 also gives private debt collectors a shot at forcing taxpayers to make good on their debts.
The act includes a mandate that the Internal Revenue Service turn over certain unpaid tax delinquencies to private debt collectors...."
Why Japan is Obsessed with Kentucky Fried Chicken on Christmas
Why Japan is Obsessed with Kentucky Fried Chicken on Christmas | Arts & Culture | Smithsonian
Thanks to the successful “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!” (Kentucky for Christmas!) marketing campaign in 1974, Japan can't get enough KFC on Christmas Day
Thanks to the successful “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!” (Kentucky for Christmas!) marketing campaign in 1974, Japan can't get enough KFC on Christmas Day
The Colonel is ready for his Christmas closeup. © TWPhoto/Corbis
It’s Christmas Eve in Japan. Little boys and girls pull on their coats, the twinkle of anticipation in their eyes. Keeping the tradition alive, they will trek with their families to feast at … the popular American fast food chain KFC.
Christmas isn’t a national holiday in Japan—only one percent of the Japanese population is estimated to be Christian—yet a bucket of “Christmas Chicken” (the next best thing to turkey—a meat you can’t find anywhere in Japan) is the go-to meal on the big day. And it’s all thanks to the insanely successful “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!” (Kentucky for Christmas!) marketing campaign in 1974.
When a group of foreigners couldn’t find turkey on Christmas day and opted for fried chicken instead, the company saw this as a prime commercial opportunity and launched its first Christmas meal that year: Chicken and wine for 834 2,920 yen($10)—pretty pricey for the mid-seventies. Today the christmas chicken dinner (which now boasts cake and champagne) goes for about 3,336 yen ($40).
And the people come in droves. Many order their boxes of ”finger lickin’” holiday cheer months in advance to avoid the lines—some as long as two hours.
The first KFC Japan opened in Nagoya in 1970 and quickly gained popularity. (There are now over 15,000 KFC outlets in 105 countries and territories around the world.) That same year, at the World Exposition in Osaka, KFC and other American fast food chains like McDonald’s were met with great market testing results and helped jump start the westernized “fast food” movement in Japan. After the big commercial push in ’74, the catchphrase “Christmas=Kentucky” paired with plenty of commercials on TV caught on.
The “Americaness” and simplicity of the message rather than any religious associations with the holiday is what makes it appealing. The Financial Times reports:
“Japan is well known for taking foreign products and ideas and adapting them to suit domestic taste, and Christmas is no exception. A highly commercialised and non-religious affair, lots of money is spent annually on decorations, dinners and gifts. KFC is arguably the biggest contributor, thanks in part to its advertising campaign.‘One of the reasons the campaign lasted so long is that the message is always the same: at Christmas you eat chicken,’ said Yasuyuki Katagi, executive director at Ogilvy and Mather Japan, the advertising agency.”...
Read on!
Why George W. Bush Never Left D.C. Until the Day After Christmas
Why George W. Bush Never Left D.C. Until the Day After Christmas | TheBlaze.com:
"Like many Americans, U.S. presidents often take time off around the holidays.
However, according to journalist Joseph Curl, who previously covered the White House, former President George W. Bush went on Christmas vacation in a way that stands in direct contrast to President Barack Obama.
“[H]ere’s the thing: In December, we never left Washington, D.C., until the day after Christmas. Never. Mr. Bush and his wife, Laura, would always depart the White House a few days before the holiday and hunker down at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland,” Curl wrote in a 2013 column that was republished Thursday.
After a few years, curiosity finally got to the former Washington Times reporter and he asked a low-level administration official why.
“I still remember what she said,” Curl wrote.
“’So all of us can be with our families on Christmas.’”
“Who was ‘us’?
Hundreds and hundreds of people, that’s who.
Sure, the reporters who covered the president, but also dozens and dozens on his staff, 100 Secret Service agents, maybe more, and all of those city cops required whenever the president’s on the move in D.C.,” Curl added in his column.
However, things seemingly changed when Obama took office.
“[T]his president would never delay his trip to his island getaway. He’s off every year well before Christmas. Hundreds and hundreds head off with him, leaving family behind,” Curl wrote.
“No Christmas at home,” he added. “Instead, the Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort. Nice, but not exactly home.”"
"Like many Americans, U.S. presidents often take time off around the holidays.
However, according to journalist Joseph Curl, who previously covered the White House, former President George W. Bush went on Christmas vacation in a way that stands in direct contrast to President Barack Obama.
“[H]ere’s the thing: In December, we never left Washington, D.C., until the day after Christmas. Never. Mr. Bush and his wife, Laura, would always depart the White House a few days before the holiday and hunker down at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland,” Curl wrote in a 2013 column that was republished Thursday.
“I still remember what she said,” Curl wrote.
“’So all of us can be with our families on Christmas.’”
“Who was ‘us’?
Hundreds and hundreds of people, that’s who.
Sure, the reporters who covered the president, but also dozens and dozens on his staff, 100 Secret Service agents, maybe more, and all of those city cops required whenever the president’s on the move in D.C.,” Curl added in his column.
However, things seemingly changed when Obama took office.
“[T]his president would never delay his trip to his island getaway. He’s off every year well before Christmas. Hundreds and hundreds head off with him, leaving family behind,” Curl wrote.
“No Christmas at home,” he added. “Instead, the Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort. Nice, but not exactly home.”"
Obama Admin. Quietly Releases Several Sensitive Benghazi Documents, Emails on Christmas Eve | TheBlaze.com
Obama Admin. Quietly Releases Several Sensitive Benghazi Documents, Emails on Christmas Eve | TheBlaze.com:
"This morning, on one of the quietest news days of the year, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) released a stack sensitive documents regarding the terrorists attacks that took place in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012."
"This morning, on one of the quietest news days of the year, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) released a stack sensitive documents regarding the terrorists attacks that took place in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012."Man’s Facebook post about traffic stop goes viral
Man’s Facebook post about traffic stop goes viral | PHL17.com
TUCSON, Ariz. — A man’s Facebook post about a recent traffic stop is going viral.
Steven Hildreth Jr. says he was pulled over by the Tucson Police Department for a broken headlight. When the officer asked if he had any weapons, he told him he is a concealed carry permit holder and had a gun on his right hip.
Because his wallet was in his back-right pocket, the officer needed to disarm him to check his ID. Hildreth wrote about his experience with the officer and posted it to his Facebook page.
Hildreth’s Facebook post has been shared more than 135,000 times.
So, I’m driving to my office to turn in my weekly paperwork. A headlight is out. I see a Tucson Police Department squad vehicle turn around and follow me. I’m already preparing for the stop.
The lights go on and I pull over. The officer asks me how I’m doing, and then asks if I have any weapons.
“Yes, sir. I’m a concealed carry permit holder and my weapon is located on my right hip. My wallet is in my back-right pocket.”
The officer explains for his safety and mine, he needs to disarm me for the stop. I understand, and I unlock the vehicle. I explain that I’m running a 7TS ALS holster but from the angle, the second officer can’t unholster it. Lead officer asks me to step out, and I do so slowly. Officer relieves me of my Glock and compliments the X300U I’m running on it. He also sees my military ID and I tell him I’m with the National Guard.
Lead officer points out my registration card is out of date but he knows my registration is up to date. He goes back to run my license. I know he’s got me on at least two infractions. I’m thinking of how to pay them.
Officers return with my Glock in an evidence back, locked and cleared. “Because you were cool with us and didn’t give us grief, I’m just going to leave it at a verbal warning. Get that headlight fixed as soon as possible.”
I smile. “Thank you, sir.”
I’m a black man wearing a hoodie and strapped. According to certain social movements, I shouldn’t be alive right now because the police are allegedly out to kill minorities.
Maybe…just maybe…that notion is bunk.
Maybe if you treat police officers with respect, they will do the same to you.
Police officers are people, too. By far and large, most are good people and they’re not out to get you.
I’d like to thank those two officers and TPD in general for another professional contact.
We talk so much about the bad apples who shouldn’t be wearing a badge. I’d like to spread the word about an example of men who earned their badges and exemplify what that badge stands for.
#BlueLivesMatter #AllLivesMatter
TUCSON, Ariz. — A man’s Facebook post about a recent traffic stop is going viral.
Steven Hildreth Jr. says he was pulled over by the Tucson Police Department for a broken headlight. When the officer asked if he had any weapons, he told him he is a concealed carry permit holder and had a gun on his right hip.
Because his wallet was in his back-right pocket, the officer needed to disarm him to check his ID. Hildreth wrote about his experience with the officer and posted it to his Facebook page.
Hildreth’s Facebook post has been shared more than 135,000 times.
So, I’m driving to my office to turn in my weekly paperwork. A headlight is out. I see a Tucson Police Department squad vehicle turn around and follow me. I’m already preparing for the stop.
The lights go on and I pull over. The officer asks me how I’m doing, and then asks if I have any weapons.
“Yes, sir. I’m a concealed carry permit holder and my weapon is located on my right hip. My wallet is in my back-right pocket.”
The officer explains for his safety and mine, he needs to disarm me for the stop. I understand, and I unlock the vehicle. I explain that I’m running a 7TS ALS holster but from the angle, the second officer can’t unholster it. Lead officer asks me to step out, and I do so slowly. Officer relieves me of my Glock and compliments the X300U I’m running on it. He also sees my military ID and I tell him I’m with the National Guard.
Lead officer points out my registration card is out of date but he knows my registration is up to date. He goes back to run my license. I know he’s got me on at least two infractions. I’m thinking of how to pay them.
Officers return with my Glock in an evidence back, locked and cleared. “Because you were cool with us and didn’t give us grief, I’m just going to leave it at a verbal warning. Get that headlight fixed as soon as possible.”
I smile. “Thank you, sir.”
I’m a black man wearing a hoodie and strapped. According to certain social movements, I shouldn’t be alive right now because the police are allegedly out to kill minorities.
Maybe…just maybe…that notion is bunk.
Maybe if you treat police officers with respect, they will do the same to you.
Police officers are people, too. By far and large, most are good people and they’re not out to get you.
I’d like to thank those two officers and TPD in general for another professional contact.
We talk so much about the bad apples who shouldn’t be wearing a badge. I’d like to spread the word about an example of men who earned their badges and exemplify what that badge stands for.
#BlueLivesMatter #AllLivesMatter
BOMBSHELL: Obama Panicking After Secret Files on ISIS Fighter's Phone Reveals Shocking Truth
BOMBSHELL: Obama Panicking After Secret Files on ISIS Fighter's Phone Reveals Shocking Truth:"The website claimed that a dead militant’s phone reportedly had information on it proving that Turkish intelligence and the Turkish government were supporting the terrorists.
“The mobile phone was found with one of the killed ISIL leaders in the Northern parts of Salahuddin province two days ago,” Jabbar al-Ma’mouri, a commander of the Iraqi volunteer forces, reportedly said."
BREAKING: San Bernardino Families Reveal Sick Thing Obama Did During "Comforting" Photo-Op
BREAKING: San Bernardino Families Reveal Sick Thing Obama Did During "Comforting" Photo-Op:"On a stopover last week in San Bernardino, California, President Barack Obama was sure to visit with the families of those killed in the terrorist attack. As for the wounded and their families? Not so much."
President Lincoln and Christmas
Blog: President Lincoln and Christmas:
"Over the years, I've enjoyed reading presidential Christmas proclamations.
Some are more prominent than others.
Then there is President Roosevelt in 1941 after Pearl Harbor.
"Over the years, I've enjoyed reading presidential Christmas proclamations.
Some are more prominent than others.
President Washington always stands out because he set the table for others to follow.
President Truman in 1945 or the first peace time Christmas in a few years.
More recently, President Bush in 1991 or President GW Bush after 9-11.
They are all significant and a reminder that Christmas is a lot more than a day off or a vacation day for federal employees.
There is a religious meaning to the season no matter how much we try to replace it with secular messages.
There is a religious meaning to the season no matter how much we try to replace it with secular messages.
We think of Lincoln as the greatest president.
How did Lincoln spend Christmas week as president and president-elect?
Let's remember:
How did Lincoln spend Christmas week as president and president-elect?
Let's remember:
"In 1860, as President-elect, Lincoln received callers such as Thurlow Weed in Springfield, Illinois, and dealt with Cabinet issues. He was especially concerned that federal forts had been taken in the South.
On December 20 he received the stunning news that South Carolina had seceded from the Union.
In 1861 President Lincoln was deeply involved in Civil War problems such as the Trent affair, but found time on December 22 to attend services at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church.
On Christmas morning he held an important Cabinet meeting, but was able to entertain a large number of dinner guests by evening.
In 1862 President Lincoln again was absorbed with military matters and was preparing the final draft of the Emancipation Proclamation.
On December 23 he wrote to Fanny McCullough, whose father had been killed in action and had been a long-time friend of his. Both Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln visited Washington hospitals on Christmas Day.
In 1863 President Lincoln reassured the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society he had no intention of retracting the Emancipation Proclamation.
On Christmas Day he discussed the constitutionality of the draft with John Hay, one of his private secretaries.
In 1864 President Lincoln received the following dispatch from General Sherman, who had captured Savannah, Georgia:
"I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah with 150 heavy guns & plenty of ammunition & also about 25000 bales of cotton."
On December 26 Lincoln gave a Christmas reception at the White House."
Christmas 1860 must have been especially troubling as the President elect could see some very hard times ahead.
Merry Christmas or Feliz Navidad, as I grew up saying!
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