History for March 21 - On-This-Day.com

History for March 21 - On-This-Day.com:

Birth anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750).

Happy Birthday! Matthew Broderick, Timothy Dalton, Gary Oldman, 

1928 - U.S. President Calvin Coolidge gave the Congressional Medal of Honor to Charles Lindbergh for his first trans-Atlantic flight. 

1965 - More than 3,000 civil rights demonstrators led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. began a march from Selma to Montgomery, AL. 

1972 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states could not require one year of residency for voting eligibility. 

1980 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter announced to the U.S. Olympic Team that they would not participate in the 1980 Summer Games in Moscow as a boycott against Soviet intervention in Afghanistan. 

1980 - On the TV show "Dallas", J.R. Ewing was shot. 

1994 - Dudley Moore was arrested for hitting his girlfriend. 

1995 - New Jersey officially dedicated the Howard Stern Rest Area along Route 295. 

2000 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had overstepped its regulatory authority when it attempted to restrict the marketing of cigarettes to youngsters. 

Best & Worst States to be a Taxpayer

Best & Worst States to be a Taxpayer | WalletHub®:

"Economic mobility – that is, our ability to climb the proverbial ladder – has a strong correlation to where we live.  
Children from Seattle whose families are in the 25th percentile in terms of income, for example, end up at roughly the same economic stature as kids from the median family in Atlanta.
Why? 
State and local taxes.  
At least that’s what a group of Harvard and Berkeley researchers collaborating on The Equality of Opportunity Project have to say.
They “found a significant correlation between both measures of mobility and local tax rates.”

Want to know which states have the most and least burdensome taxes?"

Government Agency Warns If 9 Substations Are Destroyed, The Power Grid Could Be Down For 18 Months

Government Agency Warns If 9 Substations Are Destroyed, The Power Grid Could Be Down For 18 Months | Zero Hedge:

Submitted by Michael Snyder of The Economic Collapse blog,

What would you do if the Internet or the power grid went down for over a year?  Our key infrastructure, including the Internet and the power grid, is far more vulnerable than most people would dare to imagine.  These days, most people simply take for granted that the lights will always be on and that the Internet will always function properly.  But what if all that changed someday in the blink of an eye?  According to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's latest report, all it would take to plunge the entire nation into darkness for more than a year would be to knock out a transformer manufacturer and just 9 of our 55,000 electrical substations on a really hot summer day.  The reality of the matter is that our power grid is in desperate need of updating, and there is very little or no physical security at most of these substations. 

If terrorists, or saboteurs, or special operations forces wanted to take down our power grid, it would not be very difficult.  And as you will read about later in this article, the Internet is extremely vulnerable as well.

When I read the following statement from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's latest report, I was absolutely floored...

"Destroy nine interconnection substations and a transformer manufacturer and the entire United States grid would be down for at least 18 months, probably longer."

Wow.

What would you do without power for 18 months?

Soooo, the libs are caught in another lie------Study: Top Donor Groups Mostly Fund Democratic Campaigns

Study: Top Donor Groups Mostly Fund Democratic Campaigns

A study of donations that corporations have made to political candidates in the last 25 years finds that most of the groups at the top of the list either exclusively fund Democrats or are mostly left-leaning. 

The study, from OpenSecrets.org, places Democratic funding organization ActBlue at the top of a list that only includes groups that donate individually to candidates or to organizations that make public the money they receive. They are also all "organizations that have historically qualified as 'heavy hitters'--groups that lobby and spend big." OpenSecrets explains that the advent of super PACs has made it easier for individuals to donate large sums of money in a way historically reserved for corporations, and the data is too new to reflect this. The group uses casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who alone would make it to second place on the list, as an example of someone who does not fit their definition of "heavy hitter" and has too little history to be placed on the list, as well as former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

With that caveat, the group released a list of the donors who have contributed the most in American politics since the beginning of the first Bush administration. Every organization in the top ten, with the exceptions of AT&T and the National Association of Realtors, either leans left or exclusively donates to Democrats:

Watch as 1000 years of European borders change

Watch as 1000 years of European borders change | loiter.co: "

Boy’s Suspension Over Finger Gun Is Upheld – But the Family Is Not Done Fighting

Boy’s Suspension Over Finger Gun Is Upheld – But the Family Is Not Done Fighting | TheBlaze.com

The suspension of a fifth-grader who pretended like his finger — a “level 2 lookalike firearm” — was a gun has been upheld by a Columbus, Ohio, schools hearing officer.

Nathan Entingh, 10, was previously suspended for three days from Devonshire Elementary School under a no-tolerance policy after he pointed his finger like a gun while “playing.” The school district was pelted with criticism after claiming the boy exposed other children to a “level 2 lookalike firearm.”

Screengrab via the Columbus Dispatch

On Monday, a hearing officer upheld the suspension and also reportedly offered to change the offense to committing a “volatile act,” school district spokesman Jeff Warner told the Columbus Dispatch. The offer was reportedly turned down by the boy’s grandfather, Bill Entingh, who said the family plans to appeal the ruling.

If the appeal is unsuccessful, the family will take the case to court, he said.

Because Bill Entingh is not Nathan’s legal guardian, Warner said the district doesn’t recognize his authority to make those types of decisions.

“I think it’s a huge leap to call a finger a gun and I think it’s terrible to suspend a 10-year-old for three days for playing,” the grandfather told the New York Daily News on Tuesday. “The principal made it look as bad as possible.”

It wasn’t immediately clear where Paul Entingh, the boy’s father, was during the hearing.

Michigan State's Branden Dawson changed his approach after injury, and it's working

Michigan State's Branden Dawson changed his approach after injury, and it's working | Detroit Free Press | freep.com:
SPOKANE, WASH. — It’s a little early for nostalgia, what with an NCAA tournament to play and likely another year ahead at Michigan State, but Branden Dawson took a moment Sunday evening to indulge his sentimental side.

He posted a picture of himself and Tom Izzo from earlier that day, hands clasped and sharing a moment on the stage at midcourt after a 69-55 win over Michigan to win the Big Ten tournament — and after Dawson was named most outstanding player of the tournament.

Here is what Dawson wrote to go with the picture: “Me and one of the greatest coaches I’ve ever played for. This man has pushed me through so much and not only is he a great coach but he’s a Leader, A Father figure, Motivator, Teacher, and a Mentor. He believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. I remember when I was ready to transfer after my freshman year but he was not going to let that happen. Thankful to have a great coach like Coach.”

It has been a three-year transformation for Dawson, accelerated during the junior forward’s nine-game absence with a broken right hand, then put on display for all to see during his beastly run through the conference tournament. His difference-making play is a primary reason East Regional No. 4 seed MSU (26-8) is a tournament favorite entering today’s opener against No. 13 seed Delaware (25-9).

And it made him think back to that freshman season and all those nights in MSU’s Wonders Hall with fellow freshmen Travis Trice and Brandan Kearney. They all talked about transferring, Dawson said Wednesday in Spokane, and Kearney ended up bolting to Arizona State midway through the following season.

It was “something every freshmen goes through,” Dawson said, and he didn’t get as far as contacting other schools. But the year was “a lot of frustration,” he said, compounded when he tore the anterior-cruciate ligament in his left knee in the regular-season finale.

“I just felt like I should have been getting more (playing time),” Dawson said, “even though I was starting. ... We weren’t used to coach (Izzo) and how he coaches, and how he was just always on edge all the time. We weren’t used to that coming out of high school and it was just a huge adjustment.”

OMG, the NYT gets it....sort of...........The Changing Face Of The Low-Wage Worker In America

The Changing Face Of The Low-Wage Worker In America | Zero Hedge:
"Climbing above the poverty line has become more daunting in recent years.
NY Times reports that the composition of the nation’s low-wage work force has been transformed by the Great Recession, shifting demographics and other factors."

How much are Michigan, Michigan State basketball teams worth?

How much are Michigan, Michigan State basketball teams worth? | Crain's Detroit Business:
"On the off chance that Michigan and Michigan State fans need any additional fuel for their internecine bickering, the fine folks at Forbes.com this week published a valuation of the nation's top college basketball teams.
Much like the conference tournament, MSU wins this one, too.
Using a variety of data sets, the financial news site determined that the Spartans are the 11th most valuable team at $17.1 million, with the Wolverines coming in at No. 14 at $14.2 million.
Louisville topped the list at $39.5 million, and the usual-suspect college basketball industrial-complex schools follow. Among Big Ten schools, Ohio State came in seventh at $22.9 million, followed immediately by Wisconsin at $21.1 million."

Drudge today-another important vacation plan

History for March 20

History for March 20 - On-This-Day.com:
Birth anniversaries of children’s educator and entertainer Fred Rogers (1928-2003), psychologist B.F. Skinner (1904-90), scientific management theorist Frederick Taylor (1856-1915).

Happy Birthday! Holly Hunter, William Hurt

1792 - In Paris, the Legislative Assembly approved the use of the guillotine. 



1852 - Harriet Beecher Stowe’s book "Uncle Tom’s Cabin," subtitled "Life Among the Lowly," was first published. 


1865 - A plan by John Wilkes Booth to abduct U.S. President Abraham Lincoln was ruined when Lincoln changed his plans and did not appear at the Soldier’s Home near Washington,DC. 


1885 - John Matzeliger of Suriname patented the shoe lacing machine. 


1922 - The USS Langley was commissioned. It was the first aircraft carrier for the U.S. Navy. 








1933 - The first German concentration camp was completed at Dachau. 


1967 - Twiggy arrived in the U.S. for a one-week stay. 


1981 - Argentine ex-president Isabel Peron was sentenced to eight years in a convent. 



1990 - Imelda Marcos, widow of ex-Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos, went on trial for racketeering, embezzlement and bribery. 


1995 - In Tokyo, 12 people were killed and more than 5,500 others were sickened when packages containing the nerve gas Sarin was released on five separate subway trains. The terrorists belonged to a doomsday cult in Japan. 


1996 - In Los Angeles, Erik and Lyle Menendez were found guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of their parents. 

1996 - The U.K. announced that humans could catch CJD (Mad Cow Disease).
 

Principal who told kids not to speak Spanish will lose job

Principal who told kids not to speak Spanish will lose job - Houston Chronicle:
"HEMPSTEAD - The Hempstead school board won't renew the contract of a principal who instructed her students not to speak Spanish, in a rapidly-evolving district where more than half of the students, like many Texas schools, are now Hispanic.
Hempstead Middle School Principal Amy Lacey was placed on paid administrative leave in December after reportedly announcing, via intercom, that students were not to speak Spanish on the school's campus. The Hispanic population of the rural area, roughly 50 miles northwest of Houston, is growing quickly, and Latino advocates say that it's important to allow Spanish in public schools.
"When you start banning aspects of ethnicity or cultural identity," says Augustin Pinedo, director of the League of United Latin American Citizens Region 18, "it sends the message that the child is not wanted: 'We don't want your color. We don't want your kind.' They then tend to drop out early.""

U.S. Navy Strategists Have a Long History of Finding the Lost

U.S. Navy Strategists Have a Long History of Finding the Lost - NYTimes.com:
"Yet it is the Office of Naval Intelligence — and particularly the submarine division — that has refined some of the most creative techniques for finding sunken ships, spent warheads and downed pilots in vast, uncharted waters.
Those techniques are now integral to forecasting by the intelligence community, economic prognosticators and the armed services, and will come into play if the Navy is asked to take a central role in the search for Flight 370.
“The same approach we used with Scorpion could be applied in this case and should be,” John P. Craven, the former Navy scientist credited with finding the Scorpion, said in a telephone interview. “But you need to begin with the right people.”"

Well, This Certainly Inspires Confidence

Well, This Certainly Inspires Confidence - Chicks on the Right - Chicks on the Right:

"I'm not gonna lie - I'm kinda freaking out about this. 

Because according to that sourcelink, the New Jersey Regional Operations Intelligence Center (ROIC) just came out with a report which monitors the threat level to the US power grid, and has determined that it's "inherently vulnerable" to "widespread sabotage."

Apparently, electric grid compounds across the US have faced an increase in "unauthorized intrusions by unknown individuals," y'all, including 8 in New Jersey alone between October of 2013 and January of this year.  EIGHT IN ONE STATE.  And there are lots more examples from across the country.

And if that's not scary enough, the sourcelink also indicates that US officials have already been concerned that the electrical grid is RIPE for a terrorist attack.  I mean, just think about what would happen if a huge section of the country lost power completely.  I guarantee you that within a couple of DAYS, it would be complete mayhem -  looting, murder, and other acts of total desperation would be inevitable.

Counterterrorism expert Patrick Poole warned that these attacks could be a “test-run” for a larger act of sabotage.

“While some of these incidents involving substations can be attributed to metal scavenging, it’s planned attacks, much like the one in San Jose, that have officials worried the most and raises a number of questions,” he said.  “Why was this substation targeted? What were they trying to accomplish with this attack? Was this a test-run for something larger? What the New Jersey ROIC report shows is that this fits into a larger pattern of incidents, which should be keeping someone at Homeland Security up at night.  The other big question is how many more of these incidents are going unreported?”

Somehow, I just don't get the sense that anyone at Homeland Security is up at night worrying about this, because they're too busy trying to figure out how to deport illegal aliens people more humanely. 

Kasparov: ‘Carter looks like Churchill in comparison’ to Obama

Kasparov: ‘Carter looks like Churchill in comparison’ to Obama | TIME.com

Didn't we used to call this a "Loan"?------Plan would allow Michigan students to attend college for 'free'

Plan would allow Michigan students to attend college for 'free' | Lansing State Journal

"The latest idea for making a college education affordable sounds simple enough — students can attend school for free.
But there’s a catch.
In return for free tuition, students have to agree to pay a fixed percentage of their future income for a specified number of years to a special fund that would in turn pay other students’ college bills."

Public education is child abuse--------Michigan teacher gives 5th graders non-alcoholic beer for history lesson

Michigan teacher gives 5th graders non-alcoholic beer for history lesson | Lansing State Journal | lansingstatejournal.com:
"LINDEN — A Michigan teacher made a poor choice by giving non-alcoholic beer to a class of fifth graders in a history lesson, a school official said.
 Superintendent Ed Koledo said the teacher allowed Hyatt Elementary students in Linden to sample O’Doul’s that had been brought to school by a student March 6 to represent ale common in the 1700s.
The students were told that many people drank ale at the time because water was sometimes dirty or unhealthy."

Jud Heathcote's influence on Michigan State remains strong long after retirement

Jud Heathcote's influence on Michigan State remains strong long after retirement | Detroit Free Press | freep.com:
"Izzo wanted to talk to Jud Heathcote. Heathcote wanted to talk to Denzel Valentine.

So Izzo passed the phone to Valentine, allowing his mentor and Michigan State predecessor — a guy who played the game in the 1940s for Colorado College and Washington State — a chance to give his sophomore guard some pointers. That’s the gentle way to describe Heathcote’s teaching style.

“He gave me some advice about my game — and he gave me some crap,” said Valentine, a knowing smile crossing his face, countless Jud stories from his father’s playing days at MSU stored in his memory."

Deaths of bighorn sheep in Arizona spark controversy over conservation effort

Deaths of bighorn sheep in Arizona spark controversy over conservation effort | Fox News:
"The first phase of a three-year plan by Arizona wildlife officials to bolster herds of bighorn sheep has resulted in the death of half the population, after the 31 sheep were transplanted at a cost of $150,000 into the Catalina Mountains where mountain lions killed 15 of the protected species within a few months."

Saturated fat DOESN'T cause heart disease after all

Saturated fat DOESN'T cause heart disease after all | Mail Online:
-Guidelines urging people to avoid fat to stave off heart disease 'are wrong'
-There is no evidence of a link between saturated fat and heart disease 
-Healthy polyunsaturated fats also do not reduce heart disease risk
-A dairy fat 'significantly reduces' heart disease risk"

WeMOG today hike cancelled! Dominos the replacment!

The weather really looks iffy for hiking.  So, lets do the domino get together at Traverse City Pie Co. at 2:00.  I have the separate room reserved for 2:00-4:00.  Bring domino's.  See you there.

Contact me if you have questions.

Sharon Clark @ wemogsharon@gmail.com

#4 seed gets SI cover?????-------Michigan State makes Sports Illustrated regional cover; Obama says they'll reach Final Four

Michigan State makes Sports Illustrated regional cover; Obama says they'll reach Final Four | Lansing State Journal | lansingstatejournal.com:

"Another day, more March Madness love for Michigan State.

 The Spartans get one of Sports Illustrated’s six regional covers this week, along with Arizona, Florida, Syracuse, Wichita State and the Connecticut women"

DRUDGE REPORT 2014®

DRUDGE REPORT 2014®:

In Poland, Biden Promises Allies Protection

In Poland, Biden Promises Allies Protection - NYTimes.com: "WARSAW — Citing the need for friends to “stand with one another,” Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. reassured Poland and the Baltic states on Tuesday that the United States would protect them from any Russian aggression like the actions the Kremlin has taken in Crimea."