Saturday, August 16, 2014

Navy Removes All Signs of Christ From Military Hotel Rooms

Navy Removes All Signs of Christ From Military Hotel Rooms:
"The Navy is pushing for the mass removal of Bibles in hotel rooms across the country, yet U.S. soldiers are being encouraged to respect Muslims," said AFA President Tim Wildmon. "Where is the priority here—in a country founded on religious freedom? Take Bibles out of hotel rooms but support an Islamic observance. This is a truest definition of a double standard."
Earlier this summer, soldiers were told to respect the rights of Muslims during Ramadan, which ended July 28, through a directive at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, a Department of Defense medical and graduate school in Bethesda, Md., that urged members of the military to show respect to Muslim colleagues."


Guess Who Al Gore Is Suing | TheBlaze.com

Guess Who Al Gore Is Suing | TheBlaze.com:
"David Boies, Gore’s attorney, said in a statement that Al Jazeera America “wants to give itself a discount on the purchase price that was agreed to nearly two years ago.” He said the suit was filed in Delaware Court of Chancery on Friday."

Michigan 9th most expensive state to own a vehicle in, auto insurance driving cost

Michigan 9th most expensive state to own a vehicle in, auto insurance driving cost | MLive.com:
"Michigan has the ninth highest cost of car ownership in the country when you take repairs, insurance and gasoline costs into account, according to financial publisher Bankrate.com.
The average cost of a vehicle’s repairs, insurance and gasoline in Michigan is $2,375 per year.
That’s the ninth highest in the nation.
The highest cost is $2,705 per year in Wyoming and the lowest cost is $1,942 in Iowa.
Michigan is a standout in the Midwest, where car ownership is generally less expensive. 
That’s reflected in the numbers posted by surrounding states Wisconsin ($2,018), Indiana ($2,200) and Ohio ($1,973).
The biggest driver of Michigan’s higher numbers is insurance costs, according to Bankrate.com Data Journalist Stacy Jones."

Building fail sheds light on N. Korean priorities

Building fail sheds light on N. Korean priorities:
"In a country that sorely needs to improve its basic infrastructure, there is no public debate over whether North Korea really needs a new luxury ski resort, or a 105-story pyramid-shaped hotel that has been a Pyongyang landmark for more than 20 years, but has yet to open for business. 
Questioning the value of megaprojects held up as symbols of progress and national pride in North Korea is taboo.
Housing, however, hits closer to home.
"This accident happened because they broke the rules and methods of construction," Pyongyang resident Pak Chol told The Associated Press after the accident was reported by the state media.
"We must make sure that this kind of terrible accident never happens again, by sticking to the proper method of building."
"Symbolically, to have a newer building go down in the heart of the city is quite bad indeed," said Geoffrey See, managing director of the Singapore-based nonprofit Choson Exchange, which conducts training on economic policy, entrepreneurship and law in North Korea.

Top Obamacare Official: ‘Please Delete This Email’ | TheBlaze.com

Top Obamacare Official: ‘Please Delete This Email’ | TheBlaze.com:
"Congressional investigators are demanding answers from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Marilyn Tavenner after she reportedly instructed a subordinate to “delete” an Obamacare-related email conversation involving key White House officials."

Ken Braun: $15 minimum wage protesters will get fast food burger robots hired sooner

Ken Braun: $15 minimum wage protesters will get fast food burger robots hired sooner | MLive.com:
"The fast food of the future will likely be served by one or two high tech workers operating very smart robots. 
It will be science fiction fantasy come true for most of us.
Whether it becomes science fiction horror for the low skill, entry level workers of the future depends on the bad public policy choices we do or don’t make today.
After a convoluted drama involving both a failed ballot initiative and ultimately a new law this spring, Michigan’s minimum wage will be hiked up to $9.25 per hour in 2018.
But this didn’t stop 40 picketers from hitting the streets of Flint at the end of July to protest outside a local McDonald’s.
According to the MLive story, demonstrators were from “D-15,” a coalition of Big Labor and “faith-based” organizations that agitate for a $15 minimum wage and unionization of minimum wage workers."

Store owners guard Ferguson businesses with their own guns

Store owners guard Ferguson businesses with their own guns | FOX2now.com:
"FERGUSON, MO (KTVI) – FOX 2 reporter George Sells interviews store owners that brought their own weapons to guard their store from looters.  
They talked to police who the owners say were in the parking lot at Dominos and would not help.  
The owners are not sure that they’re going to stay in business.
Police will be holding a press conference at 2pm to address the looting that occurred overnight."

Massive (50%-70%?) Faculty Layoffs at Cooley Law School

TaxProf Blog: Massive (50%-70%?) Faculty Layoffs at Cooley Law School:
Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School is delivering pink slips to faculty and staff in all of its Michigan campuses.
Sources in Lansing who are being laid off say the cuts are deep, upwards of 50 percent, according to one. 
Another said the impact could be as high as 70 percent. 
A Cooley spokesman disputed the amount, but said he did not have numbers.
“We have non-disparagement and confidentiality clauses upon which our severance packages hinge so I cannot say anything on the record and very little off the record other than to confirm that the cuts to faculty and staff are significant and I am among those in that category,” shared one faculty member, who spoke under condition of anonymity. 
“Plus I am really, really pissed.” 
... Cooley, the country’s largest law school by enrollment, boasted a faculty of 271, full time and part time, according to its website.James Robb, associate dean of external affairs and senior counsel to the school, confirmed the layoffs are underway. 
They are a “painful but necessary” process to help “right-size the organization,” he said. 
... WMU Cooley Law School has seen more than a 40 percent drop in enrollment over the past few years. 
Cooley has raised tuition by 9 percent. 
S&P gave it a negative rating at the end of last year. 
...When asked if the cuts were as deep as 50 percent Robb said, “I think you’re hearing wrong.” ... Robb said he expects the layoff process to be completed by the end of August.

If Obama had a son........[Video] Florida Couple Both Grab Handguns and Open Fire on Home Invader, Killing Him

[Video] Florida Couple Both Grab Handguns and Open Fire on Home Invader, Killing Him:
"A would be home invader in Florida found out the hard way that you don’t want to mess with an armed couple.
Marquise Trevel Yates broke into a home in Jacksonville, Florida around 6:30am.
Yates became involved in a physical altercation with a male homeowner after threatening him.
At some point during the altercation, the homeowner was able to access a personal firearm.
He exchanged fire with Yates, who was also armed.
During the same time, the homeowner’s wife grabbed a second handgun and also opened fire on the suspect.
Yates was found deceased inside of the home he broke into, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
According to News4Jax,
The Cokers [the homeowners] were taken to UF Health with non-life-threatening injuries consistent with blunt force trauma, according to JSO.
“If we had not had a gun in our home, we would be dead,” Pam Coker said from the hospital Friday. 
“I’m convinced of that. 
That guy was strong and he was not going to stop. 
Nothing was going to stop him.” 
Pam Coker said she was getting ready for work when Yates kicked in the deadbolted wooden back door and burst into the home. 
“He came at me, was chasing me,” Pam Coker said. 
“Had a gun in his hand.”"

Guess who was missing at funeral of highest ranking officer killed in combat since Vietnam War

Guess who was missing at funeral of highest ranking officer killed in combat since Vietnam War:
"General Greene, 55, became the highest-ranking fatality in the war in Afghanistan after an Afghan military police officer opened fire on Aug. 5th, 2014."

Teachers lounge vending machines exempt from new federal snack rules

Teachers lounge vending machines exempt from new federal snack rules - EAGnews.org powered by Education Action Group Foundation, Inc.:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The school teachers lounge is a respite from more than just bratty kids. 
It’s a safe zone from the long arm of Michelle Obama’s food police.
Students are already revolting against the newly-implemented school snack regulations that affect what is sold in vending machines.
They will probably be equally upset to learn the vending machine just across the hall – in the teachers lounge – is exempt from the regulations.
.....Actionforhealthykids.org provides more details:
The nutrition guidelines cover all foods and beverages SOLD on the school campus in student areas. This includes vending machines, school stores, snack shops, coffee carts, and a la carte lines – basically anything sold outside of the school lunch and breakfast programs. Fundraisers that take place throughout the school day are also part of the rule. Teachers’ lounges are exempt from the regulations.

Jesse, Al, Barry on the way...... I'm sure----------Pregnant woman punched in Brooklyn knockout game: 'I was worried about the baby'

Pregnant woman punched in Brooklyn knockout game: 'I was worried about the baby' - NY Daily News
It may be the most cold-hearted case of the knockout game yet.
A 33-year-old punk punched a pregnant woman in the face so hard that she lost consciousness. 
But the creep was quickly arrested, just blocks away, cops said Friday.Jannatul Ferdous — two months from her due date — told the Daily News she was horrified for her unborn child.“I was scared and worried about the baby,” the 34-year-old victim said at her home in Brooklyn.
The suspect, Willie Stephens, doled out the unprovoked smack at 3:45 p.m. Thursday, as Ferdous strolled down Monroe St. near Ralph Ave. in Bedford-Stuyvesant, police said.
The brazen haymaker to the victim’s eye left her out cold.
“She was walking with my mom and a man slapped her and she fell down,” said a neighbor, who wouldn’t give her name.
“He just did it for no good reason!”

Minister Who Called Out Black Community Following Ferguson Riots Has a Message for Al Sharpton

Minister Who Called Out Black Community Following Ferguson Riots Has a Message for Al Sharpton | Video | TheBlaze.com:
The leader of the Blame Game
"On Tuesday, Johnathan Gentry became an Internet sensation when he went on rant against the black community following the riots in Ferguson, Missouri, and the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown. Friday, he doubled down in a passionate appearance on Fox News, calling out everyone from President Obama to the NAACP and Al Sharpton."


Enemy in New ‘Visceral Single Player’ Video Game Resembles Racist Tea Partiers — and Part of the Mission Is to Physically Disable or Kill Them | Video | TheBlaze.com

Enemy in New ‘Visceral Single Player’ Video Game Resembles Racist Tea Partiers — and Part of the Mission Is to Physically Disable or Kill Them | Video | TheBlaze.com:
"A new first-person shooter from Electronic Arts allows individuals to physically harm and kill an enemy that resembles a group of racist Tea Partiers."



More Harsh Winters Could Spell Disaster For Electrical Grid

More Harsh Winters Could Spell Disaster For Electrical Grid | The Daily Caller:
If you thought last winter was bad, get ready for a potentially worse winter in parts of the country this year. But another record-setting winter could mean more than higher heating bills and snow fights.
Harsh winter weather combined with coal-fired power plant closings could spell trouble for many households across the country who will desperately need to keep the lights and heat on this winter.
Joe Bastardi, chief meteorologist at WeatherBELL Analytics,told the Wall Street Journal Live that current weather patterns are “flowing along right now into the type of El Niño situation that is notorious for giving the United States cold, snowy winters, especially in the southern and eastern part of the United States, relative to the averages.”
Temperatures last winter set new record lows for huge swaths of the U.S. The stretch from December 2013 to February 2014 was the “34th coldest such period for the contiguous 48 states as a whole since modern records began in 1895,” reports the Weather Channel.
But the harsh winter did more than just chill the air, it sent demand for heat and power surging and brought the electrical grid to near its breaking point. Natural gas power plants lacked the supplies and infrastructure to keep the lights on and green energy was unable to generate power in fierce winter weather.
Bastardi noted that another harsh winter “would be significant because we were within one power plant last year of having the grid overload.”
“This year, if you get the kind of winter that we had in 2009-2010 or 2002-2003 with the nation’s grid on the ropes the way it is and some of these regulations that I hear about coming down that are supposed to close plants on January 1st… this could be a very, very big economic impact on the winter,” Bastardi continued. “And we’re very concerned about that.”
....“We’re closing an enormous amount of coal generation, through a variety of rules, and a good number of those plants are set to retire next April,” Philip Moeller, chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, told Platts Energy Week. “But most people would say about 90% of that capacity was running and used and necessary during the polar vortex events.”
“So the question is: Are we going to have mild weather for the next 2-3 years? If so, we can probably get through it,” Moeller said. “But if we have more extreme weather events, like we had this winter, and that power is no longer available, we could be in a real situation that’s not good for consumers.”
Moeller added that blackouts were a “possibility” for parts of the country where large amounts of coal retirements are taking place or that rely too heavily on natural gas for electricity generation — like New England.
....“The question we should be asking is, what happens when that capacity is gone? Hoping for a mild winter isn’t a viable strategy. We can’t have a-hope-and-a-prayer policy,” she added.

USAF Thunderbirds at Oshkosh 2014

History for August 16

History for August 16 - On-This-Day.com
In 1977, Elvis Presley died at Memphis, TN.


In 1948, baseball great Babe Ruth died at New York City.

Birth anniversary of T.E. Lawrence--Lawrence of Arabia (1888-1935).


Birth anniversary of Menachem Begin (1913-92).


Birth anniversaries of Fess Parker (1924-2010) and Amos Alonzo Stagg (1862-1965).

Happy Birthday! James Cameron, Frank Gifford, Kathie Lee Gifford, Madonna, Julie Newmar, Lesley Ann Warren




1812 - Detroit fell to Indian and British troops in the War of 1812. 


1923 - Carnegie Steel Corporation put into place the eight-hour workday for its employees. 


1954 - Sports Illustrated was published for the first time. It was claimed that 250,000 subscriptions had been sold before the first issue came off of the presses. 


1954 - Jack Paar replaced Walter Cronkite as host of "The Morning Show" on CBS-TV. 


1984 - The U.S. Jaycees voted to admit women to full membership in the organization. 


1999 - In Russia, Vladimir V. Putin was confirmed as prime minister by the lower house of parliament. 

Friday, August 15, 2014

BREAKING: The First Shots Of World War III May Have Just Been Fired In Ukraine

BREAKING: The First Shots Of World War III May Have Just Been Fired In Ukraine:
"Ukrainian artillery destroyed the majority of a Russian invading force that passed through a rebel-held part of the Ukrainian border, according to the Ukrainian President Petro Poreshenko. The Ukrainian President  brought up the incident while talking with British Prime Minister David Cameron."

Dems Stand Against the Law of the Land: Vow to ‘Fix’ the Hobby Lobby Decision

Dems Stand Against the Law of the Land: Vow to ‘Fix’ the Hobby Lobby Decision:
"Have you noticed that Democrats are quick to tout the phrase “it’s the law of the land” when it suits their political needs? We have heard that repeated ad nauseum as they defend the massive government overreach of Obamacare. They have done so while simultaneously also attacking the Second Amendment. Now, there is another upheld law that they do not like, so like clockwork, they have gone on the attack."

World Burns; Obama Dances

World Burns; Obama Dances:
"Barack Obama has consistently demonstrated one thing during his presidency. He will not let any turmoil or controversy occurring around the world or in this country get between him and a vacation, or a party, or fundraising, or a golf trip. No, Obama has his priorities in order, though they don’t make sense to the rest of us."




Unbelievable: What Obama Just Did To Israel Could Allow Hamas To Take Control Of The Conflict

Unbelievable: What Obama Just Did To Israel Could Allow Hamas To Take Control Of The Conflict: "According to recent reports, the U.S. government has not only failed to defend Israel to the satisfaction of many Americans, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; it is actively denying the country access to weaponry needed for its current military campaign."

City of Flint wants councilman to pay the cost of his own prosecution in drunken driving case

City of Flint wants councilman to pay the cost of his own prosecution in drunken driving case | MLive.com: "FLINT, MI -- The city wants Councilman Eric Mays to pay the cost of his own prosecution -- more than $13,000 -- in his impaired driving case.
Special Prosecutor Michael Gildner is asking Flint District Court Judge Nathaniel Perry to assess the attorney fees when he sentences Mays for the misdemeanor on Friday, Aug. 15.
Mays called the request "sour grapes," but Gildner said it was the result of the councilman's "antics and long-windedness" in court and his refusal to accept offers to settle the case.
"By statute, we are allowed cost recovery in drunken driving cases," Gildner said.
"We've asked for that (in this case). It's something I do in every one of my cases."
Mays was charged with five misdemeanors in relation to a Nov. 30 arrest when police said they witnessed him outside a disabled car, which was facing the wrong way on Interstate 475 at about 3 a.m."

ABC News Reporter Repeatedly Presses White House Deputy Press Secretary With This ‘Very Simple Question’ | Video | TheBlaze.com

ABC News Reporter Repeatedly Presses White House Deputy Press Secretary With This ‘Very Simple Question’ | Video | TheBlaze.com:
"White House Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz was grilled Wednesday by a reporter who asked if President Barack Obama was being “hypocritical” for accepting money from those attempting to use a tactic to avoid U.S. tax laws — a practice the president has condemned."

38 Years of Unemployment Data Displayed in One Map

38 Years of Unemployment Data Displayed in One Map

French warned travelers to avoid Ferguson area

French warned travelers to avoid Ferguson area:
"NEW YORK – For the past year, a French government website has warned French travelers to avoid visiting the area north of downtown St. Louis were the police shooting of a black teen Saturday sparked violent, racial tensions that now are being addressed by the White House.
The French government website “France Diplomatie” carries a security warning for St. Louis, that reads in French: “St. Louis: Eviter le quartier nord entre l’aéroport et le centre-ville, mais la navette reliant l’aéroport est sûre.”
It translates to: “St. Louis: Avoid the northern area between the airport and the city center, but the airport shuttle is safe.”"

Embarrassing: Obama Just Got Lambasted By A Leader Of Another Country For Something Inexcusable

Embarrassing: Obama Just Got Lambasted By A Leader Of Another Country For Something Inexcusable:
"The French Minister Laurent Fabius has a message about Iraq for Mr. Obama: Get back to the White House and do something."

Community Paddle: Final 2014 event part of Michigan Maritime Celebration on Saturday

Community Paddle: Final 2014 event part of Michigan Maritime Celebration on Saturday | MLive.com:
PictureMUSKEGON, MI – The third and final Community Paddle on Muskegon Lake this summer will launch Saturday, Aug. 16 as part of the revamped Michigan Maritime Celebration.
Paddlers will begin to gather at the city of Muskegon's Harbour Towne Beach on the west end of Muskegon Lake at 9:30 a.m. The Community Paddle will take off from the beach at approximately 10 a.m.
...Those wanting to participate in Saturday's Community Paddle should have a life jacket that meets recreational boating regulations.
At the end of the Community Paddle, Guys Ultimate Kayak Service LLC will conduct a kayak race competition at about noon. Sponsored by Guys Kayaks and Kalamazoo Outfitters, the event will try to find the "fastest paddler in the county," owner and organizer Guy DeBor said.
Guys Kayak will provide all of the kayaks and equipment for the 50-yard competition on Muskegon Lake. The course will be a 25-yard sprint to a buoy and back. The competition will be split into divisions for individuals, tandems along with two- and four-paddler relay teams. The winners will be determined through a series of single-heat elimination races.

Who is going to pay to clean up metro Detroit flood damage?

Who is going to pay to clean up metro Detroit flood damage? | Detroit Free Press | freep.com:
"As metro Detroit recovers from this week’s historic flood and assessors start tallying the damage, one key question keeps popping up in neighborhoods and city halls:
Who is going to pay to clean up the mess? 
Homeowners want to know. 
So do business owners and local officials, who are scrambling to figure out how much total damage was done. So far, the cities hit by flooding have determined that 33% to 50% of homes were damaged.
That’s more than 34,000 structures.
 But new reports of flood damage keep coming in — the latest involving a half-dozen basements collapsing in Warren, Center Line and Clinton Township after floodwaters receded. And streets and highways are still buckling.
Whether federal aid becomes available remains uncertain.
But if Warren is any indication, the price is going to be astronomical, and government aid will be vital.
“If the federal government can help flood-damaged communities in various countries in the world,” Warren Mayor Jim Fouts said Thursday, “I think they can help flood damage in the city of Warren and southeast Michigan.
Like someone said to me, this was a biblical storm with biblical cost.”
 ■ Related: Metro Detroit cities report flood damaged 33% to 50% of homes, businesses
 ■ Insurance: Many flooded basements won’t be covered
Fouts said Monday’s heavy rains damaged 18,047 structures in Warren worth $1.2 billion — not including damage at the police department, district court, community center and the 10 police cars destroyed.
Plus, 1,000 abandoned vehicles on Warren roadways had to be towed."

Consultant: Muskegon County's wastewater facility has 'as much debt as equity'

Consultant: Muskegon County's wastewater facility has 'as much debt as equity' | MLive.com: "MUSKEGON, MI – A third-party consultant has recommended a conservative financial approach at the Muskegon County Wastewater Management System.
Utility Financial Solutions Vice President Dawn Lund spoke at a meeting of the Muskegon County Board of Commissioners Tuesday, Aug. 12.
She recommended against taking on additional debt for capital improvements, and in favor of a series of scheduled increases to the wholesale sewer rates it charges cities and townships.
...."There is as much debt in the system as there is equity in the system," Lund said. The system has about $65 million in debt and its remaining equity is worth roughly the same amount, she said.
.....To keep money for repairs coming, Lund recommended Wastewater facility increase its wholesale rate for receiving sewage by 4.3 percent every year for the next five years – 2015-2019. 
Last year, the rate was increased by 5.2 percent."(almost 30% increase in 6 years!)

How the U.S. Power Grid Is Like a Big Pile of Sand

How the U.S. Power Grid Is Like a Big Pile of Sand - NationalJournal.com:
"... The Wall Street Journal gave us quite a scare.
"The U.S. could suffer a coast-to-coast blackout if saboteurs knocked out just nine of the country's 55,000 electric-transmission substations on a scorching summer day," Rebecca Smith wrote.
It's no secret that North America's three massive power grids, the interconnected systems that transmit electricity from power plants to consumers, are not invincible.
The U.S. power grid is, in fact, big enough to fail.
In other words, the grid may be not be the "right" size—big enough to distribute power efficiently, but small enough to prevent widespread blackouts, such as the 2003 blackout that cut power to 50 million people in the U.S. and Canada for two days."

14 Reasons Why The U.S. Economy's Bubble Of False Prosperity May Be About To Burst

14 Reasons Why The U.S. Economy's Bubble Of False Prosperity May Be About To Burst | Zero Hedge: "Did you know that a major event just happened in the financial markets that we have not seen since the financial crisis of 2008?  
If you rely on the mainstream media for your news, you probably didn't even hear about it.  
Just prior to the last stock market crash, a massive amount of money was pulled out of junk bonds.  
Now it is happening again.  
In fact, as you will read about below, the market for high yield bonds just experienced "a 6-sigma event". 

But this is not the only indication that the U.S. economy could be on the verge of very hard times. 
Retail sales are extremely disappointing, mortgage applications are at a 14 year low and growing geopolitical storms around the world have investors spooked. 
For a long time now, we have been enjoying a period of relative economic stability even though our underlying economic fundamentals continue to get even worse. 
Unfortunately, there are now a bunch of signs that this period of relative stability is about to end. 
The following are 14 reasons why the U.S. economy's bubble of false prosperity may be about to burst...

#1 The U.S. junk bond market just experienced "a 6-sigma event" earlier this month.  In other words, it is an event that is only supposed to have a chance of 1 in 500 million of happening.  Billions of dollars are being pulled out of junk bonds right now, and that has some analysts wondering if a financial crash is right around the corner.

#2 The last time that we saw a junk bond rout of this magnitude was back during the financial crash of 2008.  In fact, as the Telegraph recently explained, bonds usually crash before stocks do...

The credit market usually leads the equity market during turning points, as happened when credit markets cracked first in 2008.
Will the same thing happen this time around?

#3 Retail sales have missed expectations for three months in a row and we just had the worst reading since January.

#4 Things have gotten so bad that even Wal-Mart is really struggling.  Same-store sales at Wal-Mart have declined for five quarters in a row and the outlook for the future is not particularly promising."

DOJ Official Had No Response to This Simple Yet Scathing Tweet From CNN’s Jake Tapper | TheBlaze.com

DOJ Official Had No Response to This Simple Yet Scathing Tweet From CNN’s Jake Tapper | TheBlaze.com:
"The Obama administration has been heavily criticized by members of the press for aggressively targeting whistleblowers and even the journalists who break the stories. In fact, the DOJ recently ordered reporter James Risen to testify against one of his confidential sources who reportedly leaked classified information about the CIA in 2006."


Yikes! They can't sell out of UM or OSU or NEB tix?!!!-------Michigan State University | Online Ticket Office | Event/Item List for "Football Home Games"

What happens when you hold the customer in contempt.
Michigan State University | Online Ticket Office | Event/Item List for "Football Home Games":