Wednesday, April 16, 2014

History for April 16

125th birth anniversary of Charlie Chaplin (1889-1975).

Birth anniversaries of Henry Mancini (1924-94), Peter Ustinov (1921-2004), Wilbur Wright (1867-1912).

Happy Birthday! Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Bobby Vinton

1705 - Queen Anne of England knighted Isaac Newton.

1912 - Harriet Quimby became the first woman to fly across the English Channel.

1917 - Vladimir Ilyich Lenin returned to Russia to start Bolshevik Revolution after years of exile.

1922 - Annie Oakley shot 100 clay targets in a row, to set a women's record.

1922 - The Soviet Union and Germany signed the Treaty of Rapallo under which Germany recognized the Soviet Union and diplomatic and trade relations were restored.

1943 - In Basel, Switzerland, chemist Albert Hoffman accidently discovered the the hallucinogenic effects of LSD-25 while working on the medicinal value of lysergic acid.

1951 - 75 people were killed when the British submarine Affray sank in the English Channel.

1972 - Apollo 16 blasted off on a voyage to the moon. It was the fifth manned moon landing.

1972 - Two giants pandas arrived in the U.S. from China.

1975 - The Khmer Rouge Rebels won control of Cambodia after a five years of civil war. They renamed the country Kampuchea and began a reign of terror.

1987 - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sternly warned U.S. radio stations to watch the use of indecent language on the airwaves.

1992 - The House ethics committee listed 303 current and former mostly democrat lawmakers who had overdrawn their House bank accounts.

1996 - Britain's Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah, the Duchess of York, announced that they were in the process of getting a divorce.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

$100K-Plus Earners Pay 72% of Federal Income Taxes | CNS News

$100K-Plus Earners Pay 72% of Federal Income Taxes | CNS News:

"Taxpayers earning $100,000 or more a year pay 71.6% of the nation’s share in individual federal income taxes, according to the latest data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from 2011."

EPA Concedes: We Can’t Produce All the Data Justifying Clean Air Rules | CNS News

EPA Concedes: We Can’t Produce All the Data Justifying Clean Air Rules | CNS News:

" Seven months after being subpoenaed by Congress, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy conceded that her agency does not have - and cannot produce - all of the scientific data used for decades to justify numerous rules and regulations under the Clean Air Act."

Every thuggish, bully jokes about their power----Tax Audits Are No Laughing Matter

Tax Audits Are No Laughing Matter - WSJ.com:
Updated May 18, 2009 12:01 a.m. ET

Barack Obama owes his presidency in no small part to the power of rhetoric. It's too bad he doesn't appreciate the damage that loose talk can do to America's tax system, even as exploding federal deficits make revenues more important than ever.

At his Arizona State University commencement speech last Wednesday, Mr. Obama noted that ASU had refused to grant him an honorary degree, citing his lack of experience, and the controversy this had caused.

He then demonstrated ASU's point by remarking, "I really thought this was much ado about nothing, but I do think we all learned an important lesson. I learned never again to pick another team over the Sun Devils in my NCAA brackets. . . . President [Michael] Crowe and the Board of Regents will soon learn all about being audited by the IRS."

Just a joke about the power of the presidency. Made by Jay Leno it might have been funny. But as told by Mr. Obama, the actual president of the United States, it's hard to see the humor. Surely he's aware that other presidents, most notably Richard Nixon, have abused the power of the Internal Revenue Service to harass their political opponents. But that abuse generated a powerful backlash and with good reason. Should the IRS come to be seen as just a bunch of enforcers for whoever is in political power, the result would be an enormous loss of legitimacy for the tax system

Obama Surgeon General Pick Wants Your Doctor to Spy On You, Report Your Guns to the Feds

Obama Surgeon General Pick Wants Your Doctor to Spy On You, Report Your Guns to the Feds (Updated) | Top Right News:

"Barack Obama picked far left 36 year-old organizer Vivek Murthy as the next Surgeon General.
Not for his medical expertise but for his activism.
Murthy was the co-founder and president of “Doctors for America,” which began as “Doctors for Obama in 2008.”
Murthy calls guns a “public health threat” and believe gunowners should be forced to pay higher healthcare premiums and taxes under ObamaCare.
He also wants doctors to ask patients, including children, if there are any firearms in their home.
This would be included on their file that would be shared with several government agencies under Obamacare."

16 Signs That Most Americans Are NOT PREPARED For The Coming Economic Collapse

16 Signs That Most Americans Are NOT PREPARED For The Coming Economic Collapse | Ready Nutrition

#1 Could you come up with $2000 right now? According to a shocking study that was just released, most Americans could not…

Forty percent of individuals in the U.S. said they could not or probably could not come up with $2,000 if an unexpected need arose, according to research by Atif Mian of Princeton University and Amir Sufi of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

#2 In that same study, Americans were asked the following question… “Do you have 3 months emergency funds to cover expenses in case of sickness, job loss, economic downturn?” An astounding 60 percent of people that responded said that they do not.

#3 Another study found that less than one out of every four Americans has enough money stored away to cover six months of expenses.

#4 Some people are actually trying really hard to get ahead, but admittedly that is really tough to do when we are all being taxed into oblivion.
In fact, it was reported this week that Americans now spend more on taxes than they spend on food, clothing and housing combined.

#5 Right now, more Americans are dependent on the government than ever before. In fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 49 percent of all Americans live in a home that currently gets direct monetary benefits from the federal government.

#6 It is estimated that less than 10 percent of the entire U.S. population owns any gold or silver for investment purposes. That is a stunning number.

#7 It has been estimated that there are approximately 3 million“preppers” in the United States. But that means that almost everyone else is not prepping.

#8-16 The following are nine more statistics that come from a survey conducted by the Adelphi Center for Health Innovation. As you can see, a significant portion of the population is not even prepared for a basic emergency that would last for just a few days…

44 percent don’t have first-aid kits
48 percent lack emergency supplies
53 percent do not have a minimum three-day supply of nonperishable food and water at home
55 percent believe local authorities will come to their rescue if disaster strikes
52 percent have not designated a family meeting place if they are separated during an emergency
42 percent do not know the phone numbers of all of their immediate family members
21 percent don’t know if their workplace has an emergency preparedness plan
37 percent do not have a list of the drugs they are taking
52 percent do not have copies of health insurance documents

What do you think is going to happen to these people once the economy collapses and there is chaos in the streets?

How are they going to survive?

EPA Concedes: We Can’t Produce All the Data Justifying Clean Air Rules

EPA Concedes: We Can’t Produce All the Data Justifying Clean Air Rules | CNS News:
"Seven months after being subpoenaed by Congress, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy conceded that her agency does not have - and cannot produce - all of the scientific data used for decades to justify numerous rules and regulations under the Clean Air Act."

More Obama Tyranny: USDA Issues New Rules About What Your Children Will Eat

More Obama Tyranny: USDA Issues New Rules About What Your Children Will Eat:

"Issuing edicts like the Politburo, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Monday that they will be banning the selling of anything deemed unhealthy in schools.

The rules are to officially take hold in July and they mandate that in addition to micromanaging school cafeterias, the rules will prohibit vending machines that sell anything but fruit, dairy products, whole-grain foods, lean-protein products or vegetable items that are less than 200 calories, or 350 calories for “entrees.”

I’m sure Michelle is thrilled…

The USDA stated...

Small U.S. Colleges Battle Death Spiral as Enrollment Drops

Small U.S. Colleges Battle Death Spiral as Enrollment Drops - Bloomberg:

"Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen has predicted that as many as half of the more than 4,000 universities and colleges in the U.S. may fail in the next 15 years.
The growing acceptance of online learning means higher education is ripe for technological upheaval, he has said."

Obama has Proposed 442 Tax Hikes Since Taking Office

Obama has Proposed 442 Tax Hikes Since Taking Office | Americans for Tax Reform:
"Since taking office in 2009, President Barack Obama has formally proposed a total of 442 tax increases, according to an Americans for Tax Reform analysis of Obama administration budgets for fiscal years 2010 through 2015.
The 442 total proposed tax increases does not include the 20 tax increases Obama signed into law as part of Obamacare.
“History tells us what Obama was able to do.
This list reminds us of what Obama wanted to do,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

The number of proposed tax increases per year is as follows:
-79 tax increases for FY 2010
-52 tax increases for FY 2011
-47 tax increases for FY 2012
-34 tax increases for FY 2013
-137 tax increases for FY 2014
-93 tax increases for FY 2015

Perhaps not coincidentally, the Obama budget with the lowest number of proposed tax increases was released during an election year:
In February 2012, Obama released his FY 2013 budget, with “only” 34 proposed tax increases.
Once safely re-elected, Obama came back with a vengeance, proposing 137 tax increases, a personal record high for the 44th President."

'Electile Dysfunction': JD Winteregg Ad Warns Voters Against 'a Boehner Lasting Longer than 23 Years'

'Electile Dysfunction': JD Winteregg Ad Warns Voters Against 'a Boehner Lasting Longer than 23 Years'
Speaker John Boehner's primary challenger is going there.

In a provocative new video from GOP candidate J.D. Winteregg, an announcer asks if Boehner suffer from "electile dysfunction"?

Ex-CBS Journalist Active in Covering Benghazi, Fast & Furious Describes ‘Chilling Effect’ Obama Admin. Has on Reporting | Video | TheBlaze.com

Ex-CBS Journalist Active in Covering Benghazi, Fast & Furious Describes ‘Chilling Effect’ Obama Admin. Has on Reporting | Video | TheBlaze.com:

“It never runs,” she continued. “Or it dies the death of a thousand cuts, as some of us say. If it’s something they don’t want it will be changed and revised and shortened and altered so much that it’s a shadow of its former self if it does air.”
Attkisson, who had been active in covering the aftermath of the Benghazi terror attacks and the Fast and Furious scandal, abruptly announced she had resigned from CBS News last month. According to Politico, sources said Attkisson had grown increasingly frustrated by what she perceived as a liberal bias at CBS News.
In her Fox News interview, Attkisson described what she says is a “chilling effect” the Obama administration has on reporters."

This has been LEGAL in New York?!!!!!------NY limiting acceptance of welfare debit cards

NY limiting acceptance of welfare debit cards | WHEC.com:

"New York's new budget contains amendments to a social services law intended to keep welfare recipients from spending government money on alcohol, gambling or strippers.
The measure, scheduled to take effect at the end of May, prohibits gaming facilities, liquor stores, adult entertainment venues and some other retail outlets from accepting electronic benefit transfers from public assistance recipients."

Survey shows ObamaCare sending premiums rising at fastest clip in decades

Survey shows ObamaCare sending premiums rising at fastest clip in decades | Fox News:

"A recent survey of 148 insurance brokers shows that ObamaCare is sending premiums rising at the fastest clip in decades.

"For the last, about, five years they've been doing this survey, so this was the largest percentage increase in any quarter since they've been doing (it)," said Scott Gottlieb of the American Enterprise Institute."

Algorithms + Cameras = Awesome

DailyDirt: Algorithms + Cameras = Awesome | Techdirt

DailyDirt: Algorithms + Cameras = Awesome

Digital cameras are almost everywhere, and they're getting smaller and smarter.
Whole new categories of cameras are being developed that don't need lenses or don't need large sensors.
Instead, algorithms are being used to manipulate digitized light rays to create impressive images without traditional camera components.
Here are just a few examples.

Rambus is developing a super tiny camera that could be embedded in almost anything.The imaging from this lensless sensor is pretty low resolution, but it's good enough for many situations, and it could even record video. [url]
Capturing 3D images with a single lens camera can be done without moving the camera. The trick is done by taking a picture of the same object but focused at different depths. The technique is called "light field moment imaging" and uses an algorithm to create the stereoscopic images. [url]
Bell Labs is working on single pixel, lensless cameras. The technique used here is called "compressive sensing" and relies on a randomized array of apertures to collect multiple snapshots that can re-create a high-resolution image. The applications aren't exactly obvious, but perhaps astronomers or photographers of slow-moving subjects would be interested. [url]

Bullied Student Records Bullies, Gets Threatened With Felony Charges For Violating Wiretapping Law

Bullied Student Records Bullies, Gets Threatened With Felony Charges For Violating Wiretapping Law | Techdirt:

Here comes another story highlighting the danger of schools "outsourcing" their disciplinary problems to law enforcement. As we've stated before, this does nothing more than turn routine misconduct into criminal behavior, which is a great way to derail a student's future.

A Pennsylvania teen, who claimed to have been bullied constantly (and ignored by school administration), made an audio recording of his tormentors using a school-supplied iPad. He brought this to the school's attention, which duly responded by calling the cops… to have him arrested for violating Pennsylvania's wiretapping law. (h/t to Techdirt reader btr1701)

[The student's mother, Shea] Love says that upon fielding her complaint, Principal Scott Milburn called South Fayette Township police Lieutenant Robert Kurta to the school to interrogate her son in the presence of Associate Principal Aaron Skrbin and Dean of Students Joseph Silhanek. The defendant testified before Judge McGraw-Desmet that he was forced to play the audio for the group and then delete it. Love says by the time she arrived at the school, her son was surrounded by school officials and the police officer and was visibly distraught. She says Milburn defended the teacher's response to the classroom disturbance.

The administration, rather than consider targeting the recorded bullies, instead called the cops believing (on advice from district lawyers, no less) that they had a felon in their office.

Congressman Lamar Smith on Lawless Obama Administration: ‘I Can’t Wait to Hold it Responsible’

Congressman Lamar Smith on Lawless Obama Administration: ‘I Can’t Wait to Hold it Responsible’:

"ON THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION’S LAWLESSNESS:

“I have never seen an administration who doesn’t respect the rule of law as much as this administration. They go out of their way to undermine laws, to ignore laws, to change laws, to try to make laws through executive order. We’ve never seen anything on this scale before.”

“We need to remind the president that he swore to uphold the Constitution. He swore to uphold the laws of the land, not undermine them, and not try to make them up.”

'Tax Freedom Day' falls three days later this year

'Tax Freedom Day' falls three days later this year | The Daily Caller:
"According to a report released Monday by the Tax Foundation, this year Tax Freedom Day falls 111 days into 2014, on April 21.

By April 21, to group says, Americans will have made enough to pay the $3 trillion in federal taxes and $1.5 trillion in state taxes — more than they will spend on food clothing and housing combined.
Tax Freedom Day is later than it was last year, due in large part to the slow economic recovery, the tax policy research group argues.
“Tax Freedom Day is three days later than last year due mainly to the country’s continued slow economic recovery, which is expected to boost tax revenue especially from the corporate, payroll, and individual income tax,” authors Kyle Pomerleau and Lyman Stone write.
If federal borrowing is included, the group calculated that Tax Freedom Day would fall 15 days later on May 6."

History for April 15

History for April 15 - On-This-Day.com:

United States

: Income Tax Pay Day

Happy Birthday! Roy Clark, Emma Thompson, Heloise Cruse Evans

1817 - The first American school for the deaf was opened in Hartford, CT.

1865 - U.S. President Abraham Lincoln died from injuries inflicted by John Wilkes Booth.

1871 - "Wild Bill" Hickok became the marshal of Abilene, Kansas.

1912 - The ocean liner Titanic sank in the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg the evening before. 1,517 people died and more than 700 people survived.