Another incident with the Secret Service—8 days ago—not reported to Clancy, Obama, or Congress

I don’t know why Eric Holder criticizes the Ferguson police when the Secret Service can’t even keep the President out of harm’s way and act like the Keystone Cops (silent film comedies).

“Learning that top-ranking Secret Service officials — including the second-in-charge of President Obama's own personal detail — went out drinking, then plowed their government car into a barrier at the White House, would ordinarily ignite shock among administration officials and lawmakers.

Instead, that news Wednesday led only to disappointed head-shaking in Washington, where scandals involving the agency now seem to appear regularly.” CNN report

Interfered with a crime scene, and a supervisor wouldn’t allow them to be tested for blood alcohol for sobriety.  Then the story wasn’t released for over a week.

“[Joseph P.] Clancy has told lawmakers he learned of the allegations Monday, according to people familiar with the discussions. That is five days after the incident, which involved two of his most senior agents, including a top member of President Obama’s protective detail.

Lawmakers did not learn of the episode, however, until it was reported by The Post on Wednesday.” Bomb investigation

Hillary Clinton wasn’t very SMART

http://oig.state.gov/system/files/isp-i-15-15.pdf

OIG made seven recommendations to improve the use of record emails by Department of State employees and mission staff members.

• OIG recommended establishing a process to review record email usage across missions and bureaus, as well as issuing guidance to Department of State employees and mission staff members that specifies their record-keeping responsibilities, provides examples to guide choices among cables and record and working emails, and suggests the establishment of record email policies.
• OIG recommended convening functionally defined focus groups to identify practical examples of official records;
• canvassing through focus groups in all bureaus periodically to identify obstacles to the use of SMART for record emails and cables;
• establishing an Electronic Records Management Working Group to advise on record emails and related issues;
• making introductory and refresher courses on records management a requirement for Department of State employees.
• OIG also recommended expanding the Foreign Service Institute’s current record email training curriculum to include hands-on SMART client and classroom training
• additional material on record-keeping requirements.

A tasty breakfast drink and an easy lunch

The last two days I decided I’d try for my fruits at breakfast.  Usually I have either an apple or an orange, and maybe nuts. But this was really good.

In a blender:

One small banana
Two really large strawberries (or several small)
One slice of fresh pineapple
Frozen blueberries (not sure, maybe 1/3 cup)
¼ cup of orange juice
Some orange peel (cooked and sugared)
About two tablespoons of almond meal

This made about 2 1/4 cups of a very pretty purple drink (red and blue make purple) with some texture. Really good. I have no idea what the nutritional value is.

----------------------------------------

Pierogies are pasta filled with whipped potatoes, and this product includes spinach and feta.  Some ethic groups like to make these, but I think it looks like a lot of work. I drop 3 in boiling water for about 7 minutes, and about 3 minutes in drop in some fresh baby spinach.  Makes a great lunch. This package costs about $2.00.

A different view on Ferguson and Obama

Ron Christie, a black Republican, has a different take than the main stream media, many Obama lap dogs—and it was actually published in The Daily Beast, a left wing, on-line news source. Rare.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/03/12/media-and-obama-are-to-blame-for-latest-ferguson-tragedy.html#

“. . . most Americans never should have even heard about a shooting involving Michael Brown and police officer Darren Wilson. Every day in communities large and small, criminals commit crimes that elicit interaction from the police. In the instant case, it is a fact that Michael Brown committed a crime in a small town on August 9, 2014, failed to heed Officer Wilson’s instructions, and was shot to death when the officer thought his life was in danger. The shooting never should have happened—a young man never should have committed a crime and never should have rushed at a police officer. . .”

“. . . On matters of race involving local police investigations, President Obama has not been shy about injecting himself into the narrative while shaping the desired outcomes. In 2009 when Harvard Professor Henry Louis “Skip” Gates had a disagreement with a Cambridge police officer outside of his home leading to his arrest, the president opined that the officer “acted stupidly.” Never mind that Mr. Gates didn’t have his keys and was thought to be breaking into a home by the police officer in question. What I found revealing at the time is that the president offered the Gates incident as showing how “race remains a factor in this society today” when the facts revealed race had nothing to do with the interaction between a professor and a police officer.”

And there’s much more.

Ron Christie is CEO of Christie Strategies LLC. He previously served as special assistant to President George W. Bush and deputy assistant to Vice President Dick Cheney from 2001 to 2004. He has written three books on race and politics in America.

Unequal childhoods and unequal adulthoods

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xq_iCMgP2Q

It will take about an hour to watch this lecture by Annette Lareau as she follows up her original research (early 2000s) on children in middle class and working class families, with how they did as young adults. I’d noticed in stores how differently some parents talk to their children (who may be in the shopping cart).  Although these days, they may be talking on the phone!  Often I wish they’d just shut up.  My goodness, they talk and talk and talk.  But some don’t.  Low income parents talk much less to their children, and by the time kids get to school there is an enormous gap in vocabulary.  But her research goes a lot deeper—about how middle class families “untie knots,” research ways to do things better, get the better school, or teacher, or activity. They have different social networks, they marry different people, and live in different neighborhoods which have different schools.

It’s worth watching.  But I don’t buy any government solution for this which we’ll hear from the academics.   The common complaint will increasingly be “white privilege,” but Lareau found similar attitudes in black and white families who are in the same socio-economic class. Fathers are more likely to be present in the middle class families; parents have more education; more sibling rivalry in middle class families; more talking; more boredom among middle class kids; and middle class kids stay “younger” longer with fewer responsibilities.  Race was not as big an issue as values and attitudes. Many middle class teaching approaches are the opposite of what works with low income kids. Drilling and memorization work well for them—just not for the teachers. Immigrant parents seem to have stronger academic standards for their children which may be lost by the 3rd generation.

I’m still in Virginia!

How big is this state, anyway?  I’ve ridden my exercycle, Gold’s Gym Power 210 Spin, 380 miles since Christmas using an online program called “Tools to Keep you Active” into which you can log your biking, running or walking, and it will show you a photo of where you are.  And I’m still in Virginia!

Black mayor of Selma wouldn’t play the media game

When asked to compare his city to the Selma of 50 years ago, Mayor George Evans said there was less crime then.  There’s more unemployment now and although there are jobs, the population doesn’t have the skills to fill them.

Jason Riley of the Wall Street Journal says, “Liberalism, moreover, tends to ignore or play down the black advancement that took place prior to the major civil-rights triumphs of the 1960s and instead credits government interventions that at best continued trends already in place. Black poverty fell 40 percentage points between 1940 and 1960—a drop that no Great Society antipoverty program has ever come close to matching. Blacks were also increasing their years of schooling and entering the white-collar workforce at a faster rate prior to the affirmative-action schemes of the 1970s than they were after those programs were put in place to help them.”

Minimum wage particularly hurts youth and disadvantaged

“European nations with the highest minimum wages have unemployment rates that are twice as high, on average, as those with no minimum wages. Especially hard hit by minimum wages is youth employment, which averages more than 25% in these countries.

Compare this to those countries in Europe with no federally mandated minimum wages. Most instead have wages that are privately negotiated between workers, unions, and employers. It's an infinitely better system than a one-size-fit...s-all federal minimum wage. Wages are determined by workers and companies, raised when both parties agree, applied to specific jobs, and do not apply to the whole country. In other words, they are market wages.

National minimum wages, on the other hand, are an arbitrary number, determined by politicians, manipulated through a political process, and applied to every sector, industry, and job in the entire country, regardless of skill, merit, or productivity. It is the economic equivalent of 'intelligent design.'

And it harms the poor, the uneducated, and the disadvantaged. The people who desperately need entry level work experience to begin a career. They are denied the opportunity, because the government tells companies they're not allowed to hire such people unless they do so at an economic loss.” Unbiased America

SOURCE: http://www.tradingeconomics.com/cou…/youth-unemployment-rate

http://stats.oecd.org/index.aspx?queryid=36324

https://cambridgesustainability739.wordpress.com/…/singapo…/

http://www.thelocal.it/…/…/italy-plans-national-minimum-wage

Hillary on the phone scandal

Eric Holder gets what he wants

More riots and 2 seriously wounded policemen.  Now actually, the rioters and Holder and Sharpton would have been happier with dead cops, because removing the police chief was never what this was about.  Ferguson’s ticket writing for minorities?  That’s a laugh.  It’s below the national average.  And if a community is predominately minority, why wouldn’t the majority of traffic stops be for minorities.  Should white police be fired as the community demographics change?

The Democratic party can’t survive if Americans--black, white, Asian, male and female, gay and transgendered, young and old-- all get along because the “diversity” meme, which actually means little tight boxes, is essential for their votes.

http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=702

An estimated 17.7 million persons age 16 or older indicated that their most recent contact with the police in 2008 was as a driver pulled over in a traffic stop. These drivers represented 8.4% of the nation’s 209 million drivers. A greater percentage of male drivers (9.9%) than female drivers (7.0%) were stopped by police during 2008. White (8.4%), black (8.8%), and Hispanic (9.1%) drivers were stopped by police at similar rates in 2008. Stopped drivers reported speeding as the most common reason for being pulled over in 2008. Approximately 85% of drivers pulled over by police in 2008 felt they had been stopped for a legitimate reason. In 2008, about 74% of black drivers believed police had a legitimate reason for stopping them compared to 86% of white and 82% of Hispanic drivers.
http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=4780

http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=4914

Capitalism and the Rule of Love

All systems are made of people who fail, and some of those people are evil.  But capitalism is the best of the bad, and offers the world the most loving system.  This article was originally published in 1953, and the author Clarence Philbrook (1909–1978) contends that interventionism and extensive government serve the rule of love less well than capitalism does: “capitalism does less violence to the rule of love than would any other system so far conceived.”  This is important for liberal Christians of the 21st century to know—pushing our responsibility off on to government is not loving, especially when it does such a poor job.

The link is to a descriptive abstract, but the full article will open in pdf. http://econjwatch.org/articles/capitalism-and-the-rule-of-love?ref=articles

“Capitalism is capable of giving us a much better society than we have known. Even apart from its fabulous tendency toward increased production, immense change expressive of the rule of love is available in that depression can be largely eliminated and inequality of income mitigated, both of these by methods quite in keeping with the logic of the system. Moreover, fantastically more brotherly love than has ever been exercised can be given expression through individual attitude, decision, and action in a capitalistic society. But if we repudiate that system by making changes which conflict with its essential mechanism, we give up one of the few protections we have against the evil that is in us.” ECON JOURNAL WATCH 11(3)
September 2014: 326-337.

These are the people many want to give more power

Where do we get these data managers who work for the federal government? Are they like school children who get passed along to the next grade level, only for step increases?  Maybe we should hire some known hackers to straighten it out.  Millions of Social Security card holders don’t exist—or if they do they are using someone else’s record.

The review found that one individual opened bank accounts using Social Security numbers for individuals born in 1869 and 1893.

The official database of active Social Security numbers showed that both beneficiaries were alive, meaning they would be older than 145 and 121 years, respectively.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2015/03/10/thousands-of-u-s-workers-older-than-100-that-might-be-social-security-fraud/

Who believes Hillary?

I have two e-mail addresses (my faculty address at Ohio State, and my Road Runner).  I used to have three (Medscape) so I could access and send e-mail when not at my own computer. If you have a Medscape in your address book, just delete it.  I don’t use it. I don’t use my phone for e-mail, although do occasionally text.

I have never had a problem “carrying around 2 devices.” Does anyone believe anything a Clinton says? She doesn’t lie as well as Bill, but Democrats haven’t changed. They believe the lies. And I don’t think the Obama Administration is being her friend.  Remember, during the 2008 campaign it was not the Republicans who leaked all that dirty laundry about Obama—it was the Clinton campaign.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/03/10/3-reasons-why-hillary-clinton-convenience-argument-on-her-email-controversy-probably-wont-work/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/03/10/hillary-clinton-emails-blackberry/24725993/

President El-Sisi and President Obama don’t agree about ISIS and Islam

http://www.trevorloudon.com/2015/03/egyptian-president-crushes-jihadists-while-obama-coddles-them/

Trevor Loudon a conservative writer and political activist from New Zealand was interviewed about the world situation on the Glenn Beck show Monday night.  Links many of the world problems back to Putin. This story is from The Blaze and was posted at his blog, New Zeal.

“While President Sisi’s Ministry of Religious Endowments has granted 400 preaching permits to Salafist leaders, his move to close down 27,000 mosques — in the world’s most populous Arab country — is as dramatic as it is telling.

Consideration of such a policy would be unthinkable in America, as it would be seen as a violation of religious freedom, even if the facilities in question were to house those espousing anti-social and anti-American acts bordering on treason.

In fact, under President Obama America has taken a diametrically opposed approach: Actively seeking to partner with mosques, and creating significantly tougher standards for surveilling them.”

President Sisi of Egypt sees the Muslim Brotherhood as the root of ISIS and Islamic jihad and has banned the organization.  Obama welcomes the Brotherhood at the White House. Obama attempts to embrace Iran and reject Israel.

Here’s a interview which ran on Fox News; and he was very careful about what he said about Obama—nothing negative. It’s well worth watching.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/03/09/exclusive-el-sisi-urges-arab-ready-force-to-confront-isis-questions-if-us/

Another Arab at MEMRI opines on Obama’s strange anti-Israel, pro-Iran behavior.

"I will conclude by saying the following: Since Obama is the godfather of the prefabricated revolutions in the Arab world, and since he is the ally of political Islam, [which is] the caring mother of [all] the terrorist organizations, and since he is working to sign an agreement with Iran that will come at the expense of the U.S.'s longtime allies in the Gulf, I am very glad of Netanyahu's firm stance and [his decision] to speak against the nuclear agreement at the American Congress despite the Obama administration's anger and fury. I believe that Netanyahu's conduct will serve our interests, the people of the Gulf, much more than the foolish behavior of one of the worst American presidents. “ Saudi daily Al-Jazirah, columnist Dr. Ahmad Al-Faraj  http://www.memri.org/

And no DDT

In slightly more than a year, the Americas have seen more than 1.24 million cases of chikungunya virus, a mosquito-borne disease that causes high fever and debilitating joint pain.

But there are hopes for a vaccine. http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/Vaccines/50288

National napping day

was apparently yesterday, to help you gain back that hour you lost due to the crazy, useless thing called Daylight Savings Time.  It doesn’t save daylight.  There will always be the same number.  But here’s some interesting factoids about naps. http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-3423/What-You-Need-to-Know-About-Napping-Infographic.html

I have a black belt in napping.

Pittsburgh has the best deal for home owners

http://www.hsh.com/finance/mortgage/salary-home-buying-25-cities.html#cleveland

In Pittsburgh home buyers would need an annual income of $32, 617 and the median home price is $135,000.

http://www.trulia.com/property/3191271042-116-Woodgate-Rd-Pittsburgh-PA-15235

But in San Francisco, at the other end, buyers would need an annual income of $142,338 to buy a home in the median range of $742,900!

http://www.trulia.com/homes/California/San_Francisco/sold/7146643-138-Shakespeare-St-San-Francisco-CA-94112

A 7 month old girl was murdered by a relative with a saw. No protests—she wasn’t a policewoman.

“A 7-month-old girl was found dead in the Little Village neighborhood Monday morning, her throat cut by a power saw, authorities said.

Police found the child, identified as Rose Herrera, after being called to a building in the 2800 block of South Avers Avenue on the West Side about 9:40 a.m., according to police and the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Authorities said a relative, a 52-year-old woman, used a circular saw to cut the baby's throat, apparently because she wouldn't stop crying. The woman initially tried to shove something in the baby's mouth -- possibly cloth -- to get the girl to quiet down, a source said.

The woman then tried to kill herself and was found by another relative, according to authorities. The woman was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was stable and in police custody.

Detectives were conducting a "domestic-related murder investigation," police said.”

http://touch.redeyechicago.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83010570/

There were 11 people shot, 3 of whom were killed in the Chicago area yesterday—including a 2 year old boy and a 5 year old boy.  I think the student protesters in Madison concerned that an unarmed criminal was killed after bizarre behavior should start out for Chicago, and interview some police. How would they like the job of taking pre-schoolers to the hospital or finding a baby with her throat cut. 

http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83011459/

Why do unarmed men battle police who are armed?

Maybe because they are already criminals and don’t want to go back to jail, or they are accustomed to taking risks and have escaped in the past?

In Madison: White Officer Matt Kenny shot unarmed (racially ambiguous) Tony R0binson, 19, who was on probation for armed robbery and whose school/police records show ADD, anxiety and depression. The writer for Reuters opined, “Robinson tended to an impulsive risk-taker and faced a choice between a middle-class lifestyle and the gang world.”  Police had been called to investigate reports of an assault and a man dodging cars in traffic.  The suspect was followed into a dwelling where the officer was struck in the head and he then shot the man (called a teen by Reuters).

In Denver: A 37 year old black man, Naeschylus Vinzant, was shot by police in Aurora, Colorado, who were seeking a male who was wanted for kidnapping and robbery and was known to be armed and dangerous.  He was shot while they attempted to take him into custody.  He was on parole and had removed his ankle monitor. Meanwhile, there were many other black men shot by black men/non-police, whose stories didn’t get into the Columbus Dispatch because the shooter was not white.

In Ferguson:  Eric Holder’s Department of Justice has taken over local police control in a town that is predominately black.  Traffic stops and the court system are for mostly blacks and therefore they are racist and profiling.  In my opinion, Holder is pouting because he couldn’t pin anything on the police after Michael Brown’s death and has decided to crush them or break the city budget.

http://www.wnd.com/2015/03/obama-pressing-for-federal-control-of-local-police/#!

Abortion doesn’t take just ONE life

 

Abortion interrupts the entire lineage of that unborn child. While it’s true that abortion has killed approximately 57 million unborn children in the United States since 1973, this number excludes the millions upon millions of future generations that have been snuffed from existence.

http://onlineforlife.org/blog/abortion-is-not-just-an-economic-issue/