Monday, October 31, 2011

Israeli DM: No Plans to Attack Iran

Israel's Defense Minister, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, stated that the Jewish state has no plans to attack Iran in the works. He stated that no decision had been made on such a move.

He made these comments after speculation that the Gilad Shalit deal was a precursor to an attack:

"There is great convergence between us and the Americans regarding the diagnosis and the characterization of the situation in Iran," Barak said. "We know the Iranian leadership's goals, its determination and how it evades the world. We know what happened in Pakistan, we know what happened in North Korea and we see the immunity they have because of it. One should ask: Would Europe have intervened in Libya if Gadhafi had possessed nuclear weapons? Would the U.S. have toppled Saddam Hussein if he had nuclear weapons?"

Barak said that the Israeli public should not be concerned about the Iranian threat.

"I refuse to be intimidated, as if Iran could destroy Israel, " Barak said. "Israel is the most powerful country, from Tripoli to Tehran. There is no reason to be afraid of anything."

Israel must be concerned about rumors-- whether or not any attack is actually planned.



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Liberals Create Video In Which They Violently Murder "Republicans" (Warning, Graphic)

No one believes liberals' claims they are "civil" and that Republicans are not.  No one ever did.

Once again showing that their accusations are baseless, a group of liberals have created "Republican Zombie Defense."  To explain their site (which slams Republicans and sells merchandise), they have created a video.

The video begins, "They're out there!  Lurking, hungry to seize control!  Brain-dead zombies: Republicans!"  And within 15 seconds, viewers are welcomed to images like this:
But have no fear, there are Democrats who will rip the heads of Republicans off of their bodies:
And after a quick discussion about Health Care, Democrats shoot a Republican with an automatic weapon:
Then, after a blond says, "Ban divorce for straight people," she chainsaws a Republican:
While laughing hysterically:
After this, a "Latino" man (a Democrat) takes a Republican's head off with a baseball bat:
After this, a racist stereotype blows up a woman with a grenade, then happily holds up her internal organs, screaming, "Oh yes, we can:"
They then plug their merchandise.

To put it simply, this is one of the most racist, violent, and vile video I have ever seen.

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Planned Parenthood: Herman Cain is a Racist

Planned Parenthood really needs to be more original:
Naturally, Planned Parenthood is none too happy about Cain reopening the door to its ugly past. The director of African American media for the organization’s Action Fund (its lobby arm) was quick to reply to Cain’s Sunday appearance with firm language and the substantiating evidence of a study from a less-than-neutral research institute.

“It is simply unacceptable for those who oppose legal abortion to use inflammatory and divisive language based on race to push an ideological agenda,” Veronica Byrd said in a statement. “Herman Cain is wrong on the facts and clearly out of the mainstream in his attack on Planned Parenthood.”

She also cited a study that suggests fewer than 10 percent of Planned Parenthood facilities are in primarily black neighborhoods. But, as LifeNews.com points out, that study came from the Guttmacher Institute, which has extensive ties to the abortion industry. Other research suggests the percentage of minority-targeted clinics is far higher.
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Video- Cain Denies Sexual Harassment Allegations



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Study: No Global Warming in Last Decade

For your perusal:

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Who is behind the Herman Cain Allegations?

The traditional wisdom would point to the liberal media smear machine.  We have all heard this story before.  The left has gone out of its way to bring racism into the discussion about Mr. Cain.  I have only heard one comment about race coming from the right about Herman.  But, we have all heard plenty coming from the left.  The fact that we, as conservatives, would like a black man is something that they just can't accept.  The narrative that we are racists runs so deep within the liberal left meme they just can't let it go.


But, the truth is that they are not the only ones that could be to blame.  Both Romney and Perry have something to gain from these stories.  Romney is getting his first real taste of competition in the polls with Herman.  Perry has fallen so low in the polls over the past month that he may be getting desperate.  While his statement today on Fox News Sunday says that he understands that this is a marathon, not a sprint.  But he is at about 7% in the last national poll.  


Rick Perry also just hired new staff.  Staff that worked on the Rick Scott for Governor campaign.  That was a very dirty campaign.  These staffers are perfectly willing to get into the dirt to get their candidate elected.  Mitt has been running for president for more than four years.  He isn't going to let it go as easily this time as he did in the last cycle.  


We don't know what the truth of these allegations are.  We know that he did not ask for sex.  Apparently, the allegations are about comments he made that two women found objectionable.  Allegedly they were given cash settlements when leaving the employment of the association.  As a person who has worked in the non profit world for many years, this is not uncommon.  It is normally much cheaper for the organization to pay the claim than to fight it in court.  The gag order put on the settlement is also a very common occurrence as well.  


I certainly hope that Perry or Romney are not behind these allegations.  I would hate to think that anyone would sink this low in order to win the primary.  But it isn't something that is out the realm of possibility.  We now know that the Hillary Clinton campaign leaked many of the most damaging allegations against Obama to the right wing press, because they didn't feel they could release the information without being called racists.  


I would like to know where this information came from.  Don't you?  


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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Huntsman Sr: Son Would Win Election in China

Jon Huntsman's father really supports his candidacy for the White House, but he might have expressed his opinion just a little too enthusiastically to Deseret News when saying "if he were running for President of China, he would have already won the election," while making a point about his low name recognition in this country.

This is a problem for many reasons, including the fact China doesn't allow its people to vote, but particularly because you have to be a member of the Communist Party; elected by the Communist Party and trusted by, of course, the Communist Party in order to even be considered for the presidency, which is figurehead in the nation.

I'm pretty sure Huntsman's father, who is one of the most charitable people in our country, wasn't implying his son was a beloved figure in communist circles, but it definitely doesn't help a campaign struggling to gain traction by suggesting it would win in one of the most oppressive nation's on earth by a political system that rivals the Soviets.

What say you?

P.S. - This is why I keep writing about Huntsman's campaign, even though it has already died, because of the entertainment value and because we could all use a "don't try this at home" course for potential candidates to the White House in the future....

Occupy Wall Street Quote of the Day


“We’ve got five bike-powered generator systems that are coming from Boston and we’ve got five more plus other ones that are going to supplement as well so we’re completely, completely off the grid"
Lauren Minis - Occupy Wall Street Protester on New York City removing the gas powered generators due to safety reasons.  


My question is are they going to ask the homeless back to ride the bikes for them?  



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Two Women Accuse Cain of Sexual Misconduct

From Politico:
During Herman Cain’s tenure as the head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s, at least two female employees complained to colleagues and senior association officials about inappropriate behavior by Cain, ultimately leaving their jobs at the trade group, multiple sources confirm to POLITICO.

The women complained of sexually suggestive behavior by Cain that made them angry and uncomfortable, the sources said, and they signed agreements with the restaurant group that gave them financial payouts to leave the association. The agreements also included language that bars the women from talking about their departures.

In a series of comments over the past 10 days, Cain and his campaign repeatedly declined to respond directly about whether he ever faced allegations of sexual harassment at the restaurant association. They have also declined to address questions about specific reporting confirming that there were financial settlements in two cases in which women leveled complaints.

POLITICO has confirmed the identities of the two female restaurant association employees who complained about Cain but, for privacy concerns, is not publishing their names.

Cain spokesman J.D. Gordon told POLITICO the candidate indicated to campaign officials that he was “vaguely familiar” with the charges and that the restaurant association’s general counsel had resolved the matter.
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Great Read Over at Verum Serum

I don't normally tend to tell people to check out another site, but Verum Serum has an excellent piece.  He decided to spend a day with the Occupy crowd and took plenty of pictures.  Take a look and be amazed... or not.  They're exactly as you would expect, but still intriguing.  Just a taste:

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No Surprise: Another Rape at OWS Reported

From the New York Post:
Wall Street protesters in Zuccotti Park battened down the hatches yesterday as the early October snow turned their tents into igloos, but the close quarters also made easy pickings for one predator.

A sex fiend barged into a woman’s tent and sexually assaulted her at around 6 a.m., said protesters, who chased him from the park.

“Pervert! Pervert! Get the f--k out!” said vigilante Occupiers, who never bothered to call the cops.
“They were shining flashlights in his face and yelling at him to leave,” said a woman who called herself Leslie, but refused to give her real name.

She said that weeks earlier another woman was raped.

“We don’t tell anyone,” she said. “We handle it internally. I said too much already.”
"We handle it internally?"  Dear God, don't these people realize that while they're being morons, more people are getting raped?  And they still protect them?  This is why Occupy Wall Street will fail.  More than the fact that no one (other than Democrats) supports them.  More than the fact that they're delusional (the Soviet Union existed for almost a century on only delusions).

No, OWS will fail because of internal strife.  There are enough people in the movement that will realize that the lies that they've been told are just that:  lies.  Add to that arguments, thievery, and violence against each other, and the "movement" is going down and it will be right quick.

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Video- OWS Protester Pushes Over Police Officer on Motorscycle

Because they're just so peaceful:

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Obama: Pelosi "was One of the Best Speakers of the House this Country ever Had;" She'll Be Again

Showing that he is utterly disconnected with the American public, President Obama said Saturday that Representative Nancy Pelosi was one of the greatest Speakers of the House in history.  He also stated that she would be back as Speaker of the House after the 2012 election.

At the National Italian American Foundation gala, Ms. Pelosi introduced Mr. Obama, who bluntly stated, "I am biased, but I think Nancy was one of the best Speakers of the House this country ever had."

Not realizing the tremendous disapproval that met Ms. Pelosi during her terms and the massive economic catastrophe that she oversaw, Mr. Obama pushed forward. "She was no doubt the best Italian American Speaker of the House we ever had," he continued.

Ms. Pelosi was indeed the first and only Italian-American Speaker of the House, so technically Mr. Obama is correct. He finished off his heavy praising of Ms. Pelosi by saying, "I believe that she will be the best Speaker of the House again in 2013."
Pelosi
This statement heavily implies that, not only will Democrats win back the House by heavily defeating Republicans, but that the American people will vote to put a party back in power that they cast down just last year. Whether Americans will do that is left up to you, but the statement is almost mind-boggling.

Other than this, the most notable thing involving Nancy Pelosi was her defending of companies getting waivers for ObamaCare. In it, she stated that McDonalds and the state of Maine were "small companies."

And this is the person that Mr. Obama wants to put back into power.

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Boston PD Probing Threats Against Personnel Possibly From "Occupy" Movement

From Boston.com:
Boston police are investigating threats against department personnel that may be linked to the Occupy Boston movement, the commissioner said today.

In a brief statement, Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis confirmed the investigation but would not dislcose the nature of the threats. He also did not identify who was targeted.

“The Boston Police Department is investigating harassment attempts and threats directed at department personnel,” Davis said. “These threats appear to be generated by those either involved [in] or sympathetic with the Occupy Boston movement ... We are taking the appropriate steps to address any potential concerns.”

While Occupy demonstrators and the officers monitoring them have generally avoided clashes in the tent city in Dewey Square since the movement began, police did arrest more than 140 protesters two weeks ago in an adjacent area of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway.
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Saturday, October 29, 2011

Poll: Herman Cain Leads in Iowa

From The Des Moines Register:
Herman Cain and Mitt Romney top The Des Moines Register’s new Iowa Poll, with the retired pizza executive edging the former Massachusetts governor 23 percent to 22 percent in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

Cain has surged 13 percentage points since the first Iowa Poll of the caucus cycle, conducted in late June. His rise has come despite spending little time in Iowa recently, campaigning here just once since the Aug. 13 Iowa straw poll, where he placed fifth.

Likewise, Romney has campaigned in Iowa just three times this year, but he retains a core network of supporters from his near-constant presence in the state during his first presidential bid four years ago.

In the new poll, Congressman Ron Paul of Texas is the only other candidate in double digits, in third place with 12 percent.

The Iowa caucuses are scheduled for Jan. 3. The Iowa Poll, a Register exclusive since 1943, is a much-watched indicator of how candidates are faring in the nation’s leadoff caucus state.
Cain
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Video- OWS Protester: "I Will Personally... Arrest the Police... I have a pair of handcuffs!"

This is both the dumbest and most hilarious thing I've seen today.  What a moron:


Here's a quick transcript of the funnier ranting:

Protester- You have committed violations of state and federal law.  If you continue with your activity, I will personally come to Oakland and arrest Every. Single. Officer involved.


Further said acts will be a declaration of war!  You have twenty-four hours to respond.

Failure to abide by the laws of the United States will result in the arrest of every single officer involved in these arrets [sic]... I have a pair of handcuffs and I know how to use them!  So you better think twice...

You will suffer a wrath more hellacious than Satan himself!  Do.  I.  Make.  Myself.  Clear?!

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No Surprise: Occupy Oakland Hurting Business

From SFGate:
Nearby, small merchants complained that the camp has hurt their businesses, and they fear that a "general strike" called by protesters for Wednesday could further discourage customers. Meanwhile, big companies said the street protests affected their daily operations, and some Oakland residents said they were worried that police, busy with protesters, are even less able to respond to crimes in their neighborhoods.

What business owners said they fear is that the camp will devolve into chaos again, something some said has already begun.

The owner of Sankofa African Arts and Jewelry said that on the two mornings since protesters returned, her front doorway has reeked of urine.

She said her business has declined by 80 percent since Occupy Oakland began.

"I really, really want them to leave," said the owner, who gave only her first name, Ellen. She has owned her business for 17 years. "What they are doing is making business worse."
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Compilation: 40 Examples of OWS Violence, Perversion, and Anti-semitism (With Pictures, Videos)

Occupy Wall Street is one of the most egregiously immoral "movements" in the past several decades.  Reports of rape, violence, public masturbation, and rabid antisemitism define OWS.  These crimes and hatred are not isolated incidents, despite the lies that have been promoted in the Main Stream Media.  To prove this point, I have compiled 40 examples in picture, video, and article form beneath.

OWS and its supporters can deny the truth, but we (the true 99%) will not.

Examples of perversion/perverted public acts:

Woman raped by Occupy Cleveland Protester: http://cleveland.cbslocal.com/2011/10/18/occupy-cleveland-protester-alleges-she-was-raped/

Fourteen-year-old statutory-raped at Occupy Dallas by several men: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/10/24/accusations-of-teen-runaway-sexual-activity-at-occupy-dallas/

"Pimping" of under-aged girls at Occupy New Hampshire: http://www.unionleader.com/article/20111028/NEWS03/710289961

Public masturbation at Occupy Madison causes them to lose their permit: http://www.punditpress.com/2011/10/occupy-madison-loses-permit-because.html

Occupy Missoula gives 11-year-old boy alcohol: http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/29545387/detail.html


Calls to violence in video:



Calls to violence in forum, Twitter, signs, and pamphlets:

An OWS flier asks: "When should you shoot a cop?" http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/10/14/violence-breaks-out-during-occupy-wall-street-march-on-wall-street/

From Twitter and the OWS Forum:
Link
Link
Link

Link
Signs from protests:

Violence in pictures:



Violence in news articles:

A long list of crimes from the Portland Police Bureau: http://www.portlandonline.com/police/pbnotify.cfm?action=ViewContent&content_id=2534

Police officer tackled while driving scooter: http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/148372/violence-follows-occupy-wall-street-march

OWS throws bottles, garbage at the police: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/10/14/violence-breaks-out-during-occupy-wall-street-march-on-wall-street/

Fights erupt among Occupy Wall Street protesters: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2011/10/report-fights-erupt-between-occupy-wall-street-protesters/1

Oakland Police Department reports: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/100688407/Oakland-Police-Department--OccupyOakland-Press-Release-Oct-25-2011

Insane people running the asylum:

OWS Hires Alchemists, Faith Healers in Order to "Levitate Building:" http://www.punditpress.com/2011/10/ows-hires-alchemists-faith-healers-in.html




Antisemitism on full display:
Link
Link
Link
Link
Link; Expletive Blurred

Antisemitism in video:





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Video- Solid New Attack Ad Against Romney

Made by the Jon Huntsman campaign. Unfortunately for Huntsman, it's not going to change the fact that no one will notice him or care. Good ad regardless:

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Opposing Democrats Is Not Treason

Watching some comments stream out of Capitol Hill these days are very depressing, especially when they treat legislative dissent and opposition as impediments to our democratic-republic, rather then successes. I think the Democratic response to Republicans opposing the President's "jobs bill" is exhibit a.

Congressional Democrats are treating opposition to the "jobs bill" as near treasonous, accusing Republicans of placing politics over country, even though it's country that has shaped the parties. Despise it as they may, we have two major national parties to represent the two major national ideologies - and considering they are not designed to agree on much, conflict is inevitable.

And then you take into account the stimulus bill that was passed in early 2009. House and Senate Democrats passed that bill without input from congressional Republicans and the results were undesirable: unemployment increased when it was supposed to decrease; the national debt soared and it became a fruit basket of waste.

So why would we pass another stimulus bill that has the exact same prescription - only this time with taxes on the wealthy.

Democrats should learn something from this: dissent is not treasonous and, of course, it shouldn't have to be said, but those who repeat failure (stimulus) are only bound to fail (jobs bill) again.

What say you?

Video- Herman Cain Bad Lip Syncing/ Bad Lip Reading

Funny:

Also watch the Mitt RomneyMichelle Bachmann, and Rick Perry Lip-Sync
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Woman Charged with Pimping Teen Recruited at Occupy NH Rally

Just like the Tea Party, right?  Right?:
A city woman is accused of pimping a 16-year-old girl she met in Victory Park during the Occupy NH demonstrations.

Justina Jensen, 23, of 341 Hanover St., is charged with felony prostitution. Police allege Jensen met a teen at the local protest, which is an offshoot of Occupy Wall Street, and used the Internet to arrange a first liaison for the girl with a man who turned out to be an undercover police officer.

Police said the teen's mother called them Thursday about noon to say her daughter was missing and that her photograph had been posted on a website advertising adult party entertainment.

Court documents show the mother told police she and a friend had used the website to negotiate a deal for the friend to pay for sex with the teen.

Investigators looked at the website and found the girl's photo posted there, along with pictures of three other women, in an advertisement offering men to “come and have fun with four beautiful ladies” in Manchester.
Jensen
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Obligatory Cardinals Win World Series Article

Great, if little-viewed, Series.

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Washington Ready to Negotiate with Mullah Omar

From the Telegraph:
Her comments [have] been taken as a significant shift in American policy from moves to divide the Taliban-led insurgency and isolate Mullah Omar, the man who sheltered Osama bin Laden as he plotted the September 11 attacks, to an acknowledgement of his leadership.

It follows the disclosure earlier this month that American officials had met leaders of the Haqqani Network, the powerful Taliban faction blamed for some of the most devastating attacks on American and Nato forces in Afghanistan, including last month's attack on the US embassy in Kabul in which seven were killed and 19 wounded.

Earlier this week the faction's commander Sirajuddin Haqqani warned Washington that only the Quetta Shura, led by Mullah Omar, could negotiate a peace deal and that his fighters would not be divided from its leadership.

In an appearance before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mrs Clinton said the United States would continue to "fight, talk and build" in Afghanistan and Pakistan to "test whether these organisations have any willingness to negotiate in good faith".

She said there was "evidence going both ways" on its intentions, citing the Haqqani Network's response to a Pakistan-brokered meeting in August between US officials and Ibrahim Haqqani, the brother of the group's top leader Jalaluddin Haqqani.
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Friday, October 28, 2011

MSNBC Analyst: GOP Sees Herman Cain as a 'Black Man Who Knows His Place'

Disgusting:

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Report: Israeli 1000-1 Prisoner Swap may be "Prelude to Attack on Iran"

From the Washington Times:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to execute a 1,000-for-1 prisoner exchange last week despite his frequently voiced opposition to such lopsided deals is seen by several Israeli military commentators as an effort to “clear the deck” before possibly undertaking an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Amir Oren, the veteran military analyst for Ha'aretz newspaper, took note of Israel’s exchanging 1,027 Palestinian convicts for army Staff Sgt. Gilad Schalit, who had been captured by Hamas in 2006. Mr. Oren wrote that the price paid by Mr. Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak “can be interpreted only in a context that goes beyond that of the Gilad Schalit deal.”

He noted that Israeli leaders in the past have shown a readiness to absorb “a small loss” in order to attain a greater success, generally involving “some sort of military adventure.”

Mr. Oren also noted that, until recently, Mr. Netanyahu had faced opposition to attacking Iran from Army Chief of Staff Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi and Mossad intelligence chief Meir Dagan. Both retired earlier this year and have been replaced by men believed to hold a different view on Iran.
Galid Shalit
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A Survey on Marriage for Our Readers

Supporters of marriage are needed for an online research study concerning communication messages about how marriage is defined within the United States.

Share your opinions by Nov. 7. Click here to take the survey, or copy and paste this link into your browser: http://pennstatecomm.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_5q0jBQGKH2DXFWs

The survey takes less than 15 minutes to complete. You are eligible to participate if you are at least 18 years old. This research study is being conducted as part of a doctoral dissertation at The Pennsylvania State University. It is NOT funded or commissioned by any political, religious, or advocacy organization.

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Occupy Madison Loses Permit Because Protesters were "Publicly Masturbating"

Once again, I feel the need to point out that members of the Tea Party never did anything like this.

Occupy Madison has temporarily been denied an extension in their protesting permit because members of the movement violated "public health and safety conditions." The group also did not properly fill out the form.

City officials cited several specific reasons for their decision. The most notable was repeated complains from a nearby hotel, which stated that protesters were "publicly masturbating" in full view of passersby.

The city also cited health violations because the group had "no restrooms," implying that the protesters may have been defecating in public as well.
Protesters
Paul Streeter, an OWS spokesman, responded to the situation: "[The protest] is indeed a work in progress," he said. "We will continue to address issues as they come up."

On the permit, Madison Fire Prevention Officer Jerry McMullen stated, "You can't be affecting the safety and health of other people around you. With the public health violations and the complaints I've heard, I don't believe it meets the spirit of the ordinance to a street use permit."

He went on to say, "You can tell us what your proposals are, but we have no idea what you are doing, how you are doing it or what your safety and security plan is. We have nothing in writing to back it up, and we usually require that all events have [written plans]."

In the meantime, Occupy Madison has relocated to a different location.  They hope to be back as soon as possible.

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OWS Organizer: Hey, Let's Call President Obama "His Excellency" (Like a King)



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Bosnia Terrorist Attack

An Islamist terrorist has launched a shooting attack against the US embassy in Sarajevo, Bosnia. This attack wounded several guards and the gunman is now under arrest.
Embassy spokeswoman Sanja Pejcinovic would not go into details of the apparent attack. 
"We can confirm there has been an incident in front of the embassy. The building is closed and we are waiting for the police to seal off the area," she told AFP.
Bosnian national radio said police were searching the vicinity of the embassy for possible accomplices.

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OWS Protester Threatens to "Stab Reporter in Throat" (With Video)

Early Friday morning Fox News NY Reporter John Huddy was threatened by an Occupy Wall Street protester, who rushed at him, tearing at his microphone. After the fray, the man told Huddy that he would "stab him in the throat," and then brandished a pen.

Huddy then was talked to by other Occupy Wall Street protesters, who seemed to take the crazed person's side. While the reporter was talking with these people, the assailant kept loudly mumbling, "I have a meeting with Bloomberg." He then wandered towards the news camera, blankly staring at it for a moment.
The assailant, staring at the camera
The man then fled, but was arrested by the NYPD shortly after.

This is just another incident in what is becoming a hefty list of violence related with the Occupy Wall Street movement. Earlier this month, an NYPD officer was tackled by a protester, while cars and buildings were burned in Rome by OWS members.
The assailant arrested
Fox News NY also had a report of their own, including video of the aftermath.  You can watch it below:

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Those Who Read the Past Write the Future

Unfortunately most of what we are taught in History survey classes in American schools consists of simplistic formulas.  Formulas designed to persuade those forced to attend the government controlled education mills that they should ride the same ideological hobby horses as whoever currently has the power to select textbooks and prescribe curricula.   Whether it was the rabidly pro-American imperial History of yesteryear that pushed lines such as, “We never started a war and never lost one,” and “We turned a raw wilderness into a civilized nation.” or, if it is the rabidly anti-American propaganda of today spouting lines such as, “America was founded by deists who used serial genocide and economic fascism to steal a nation, pollute the earth, and poison the sea” neither are correct. Both versions are merely two sides of an extremely myopic view which does not seek to discover nor promote the truth but instead seek to mold the next generation into what they think will be foot soldiers in their own crusade. 
History, if it has any value at all is that it fulfills two goals.  First, the study of History should provide context.  A text without a context is a pretext and we must have context so we can understand how we as a people became who we are, how the world became what it is, and where it might go next.   Secondly, the study of History should help us learn from and hopefully avoid the mistakes made by those who have gone before so we can leave a better world to those who come after.   However, as stated above, these are rarely the goals of History education.  The reason why is summed up in a joke only Historians seem to get. 
Objectivity. 
Most people in the world believe objectivity exists.  They act as if the stories presented in survey of history classes are “the facts ma’am and nothing but the facts.”  I was once part of this blissful herd.  I was a self-taught Historian before I took the plunge and studied to become a card carrying member of the profession.  I was captured by the allure of History when I was nine years old.  Nothing in the world made any sense.  What I was taught and saw at home conflicted 180 degrees from what I was taught at church.  What I was taught at church conflicted 180 degrees from what I was taught at school.  What I saw on the streets appeared real because it seemed to be the way the world actually worked, but it was out of synch with my home my church and my school.  Not knowing myself well enough to know that I am a person who operates best when things make sense and the world appears orderly I was confused and uncomfortable living in a world so out of joint. 
Consequently when I learned in the third grade that there were histories of the world available I latched on to them like a drowning man latches on to a life preserver.  I began reading History books every day.  They became my raft in a swirling sea of confusion creating an orderly world of sequential reality that I used to build my bridge to the first positive value of History, gaining a coherent understanding of how we as a people became who we are, how the world became what it is, and where it might go next. However, I was a rebellious child. A child who never moved to the second value of History.  I never learned to profit from the mistakes of those who went before.  Following those in my family who went before I walked out of traditional education at age sixteen figuring I knew enough to make my way in the world.  Twenty plus years of manual labor later I thought it might be a good idea to finish my education. 
When I finished my Bachelor degree in History I realized that a Bachelor degree in History is good for two things, it can help you become the manager of the electronics department at Wal-Mart and it opens the door for a Master Degree in History.  Since I was determined to become a History professor, I chose the latter.  On my first day of graduate school this budding self-taught Historian had to grit my teeth as a professor told our class, “There are no facts, and History is only what Historians say it is.” 
Of course I had to run up after class to argue, “How can you say there are no facts?  Look at the Vietnam War.  We know it happened.  We know when it started and when it ended.  Those are facts and we can know them!”  After listening calmly to my impassioned tirade the professor quietly said, “Maybe there’s another side to that story.” 
This rude awakening sent me on a journey of discovery: searching for the other side of the story.  Along the way I contributed my first chapter in a History book.  My research helped me realize there is more than one side to every story.  There are often conflicting facts, overlapping timelines, and always another way to look at everything.  The truth of this is displayed in an endless series of quotes.  Napoleon once said, “History is a set of lies agreed upon.”  Voltaire said, “History is a pack of lies we play on the dead.”  Ambrose Bierce said, “God alone knows the future, but only an historian can alter the past.”  And one of my favorite philosophers, Anonymous sagely added, “The certainty of history seems to be in direct inverse ratio to what we know about it.” 
What is the purpose of this self-revealing stroll down memory lane?  It isn’t for the purpose of either self-actualization or confession.  Both of those goals were achieved long ago.  It is instead my attempt to lead you my loyal reader (for those will be the only ones left after such a lesson in historiography) to the second value of the study of History.  I am encouraged by the multitudes of people who are today engrossed in this study.  So many of the recently awakened yearn to know the History of America, they long to know how our Constitution was written by whom and why.  I am here to remind everyone we need to look at all sides, consider every angle, and remember everyone has a point of view, even Historians, and objectivity is in reality subjectivity in a grey flannel suit. 
Remember that second value of History?  It should help us learn from and hopefully avoid the mistakes made by those who have gone before so we can leave a better world to those who come after.   If we merely exchange the unabashedly anti-American lenses of the present for the unquestioning pro-American lenses of the past we will be blind to what we really need to see. 
The complexity of reality defies the easy interpretations of partisan politics.  Has America always been right?  No, the jingoistic refrain of “My country right or wrong” will lead those who blindly salute it into supporting what is wrong as easily as what is right.  Has America always been wrong?  No, the view currently used to indoctrinate the youth in our public schools which sees America as an imperialistic power that used genocide, racism, and naked aggression to build a hegemonic empire forget all the good America has accomplished.  This view presents an America bent on maintaining the privileges of the rich over the rights of the poor and leads those who imbibe its venom into ignoring that America was founded as the world’s greatest experiment in personal liberty and economic freedom. 
Both views are too simplistic for people who want to break free of the matrix and see the world for what it truly is: a struggle between those who wish to control mankind for their own benefits and those who wish to see man set free so he can become all that he may be. 
This is a call for those who have taken the bread and circus blinders off their eyes not to replace them with another set.  Today we don’t have to rely on what we have been taught. We can use the Internet as a portal into every perspective imaginable, histories beyond counting, and all the great works of mankind.  Read broadly, study extensively and think for yourself.  Don’t exchange the purveyors of self-serving pap on the left for the purveyors of self-serving pap on the right.  Open both ears, hear both sides, use the mind God gave you, and find the center path.   
America has done some things wrong.  America has done some things right.  When it all is brought to the scales, when enough is seen to grasp the big picture, it is the non-objective view of this Historian that America has provided more freedom for more people than any other country that has ever existed.  It is also my opinion that powers of anti-freedom have sought to regain control since the Revolution, and if those who have been too busy working and raising families don’t spend enough time to learn what History teaches we will soon earn the reward for the failure to hold on to the past.  We will lose the future.
Dr. Owens teaches History, Political Science, and Religion for Southside Virginia Community College.  He is the author of the History of the Future @ http://drrobertowens.com © 2011 Robert R. Owens drrobertowens@hotmail.com  Follow Dr. Robert Owens on Facebook or Twitter @ Drrobertowens

NYPD Sergeants Threaten to Sue OWS Protesters

I don't remember the police suing the Tea Party:
"Deeply concerned" police sergeants are coming out swinging today against obnoxious Wall Street protesters, saying they plan to "pursue legal action" against demonstrators who injure any of its members.

Ed Mullins, president of the NYPD's Sergeant’s Benevolent Association, said his group plans to pursue legal claims against Occupy Wall Street protesters should they cause injury to any of its 5,000 members.
“In light of the growing violence attendant to the 'Occupy' movements across the country, particularly as evidenced by the recent events in Oakland, I am compelled to place these so-called 'occupiers' on notice that physical assaults on police officers will not be tolerated," he said.

Mullins added that any "assault on a police officer is not only punishable as a felony in the State of New York, but will also be met with swift and certain legal action by the SBA, which will seek monetary damages against any individual who causes injury to a New York City Sergeant.”

He said over 20 cops have been injured in Occupy Wall Street-related incidents.

"I am deeply concerned that protesters will be emboldened by the recent rash of violent acts against police officers in other cities. New York’s police officers are working around the clock as the already overburdened economy in New York is being drained by 'occupiers' who intentionally and maliciously instigate needless and violent confrontations with the police," said Mullins.
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What Do You Know, Catholic University has Crosses and Pictures of Jesus on Campus

Who would have thunk it.  A private Catholic university has pictures of Jesus and crucifixes on campus.  Gee, what a surprise.  But apparently this appears to be a surprise to some Muslim students who feel the university is not doing enough to provide them a place to pray that doesn't have catholic symbols.  


I am a strong and fervent believer in the right to practice your faith.  People should feel free to pray in this country.  We were, in part, founded on this tradition.  These students want to pray, then have at it.  But, do they really have to attend a Catholic University?  


Catholic University is a private institution.  Therefore, it is under no obligation to take down any symbols of their faith.  Period.  End of story.  But of course some activist Muslims are trying to file a lawsuit to force the university to give them a room to pray in that doesn't contain any of the symbols of the faith that is practiced by them.  


This is about getting special treatment.  Not equal treatment, which is what our country is based upon.  If a Jewish student were to go to Catholic University the same would be true.  The same for a fundamentalist Christian, who does not believe in using the image of Christ.  If you are going to be a student of this school you must accept the traditions and the use of the symbols of which created the school.  Obviously they are not discriminating against anyone as they will accept students regardless of religious affiliation.  Although, they would be not breaking any laws if they did.  


The Constitution only guarantees that the government does not discriminate based on religion.  It has no jurisdiction for a private institution.  Private institutions are free to discriminate as they so choose.  


I have an idea, if you don't like crosses and pictures of Jesus at your college, go elsewhere.  


Watch an interesting debate on the topic here.  




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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Quote of the Day - TSA Screener Edition

“Get your freak on girl”


A TSA agent's note attached to a passenger's sex toy.  


Lovely.  


The TSA has announced this agent will be fired for leaving an inappropriate note.  You just can't make this stuff up.  


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20,000 Evacuated from German City after Huge WWII Found

Wow:
German authorities on Thursday evacuated more than 20,000 people after an unexploded World War II bomb was discovered in the city of Halle, officials said.
The unexploded 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) wartime bomb was discovered by a man digging a ditch. At least 20,000 people, including all 500 patients at a local hospital, were forced to evacuate the area, the German dpa news agency reported.

Local police chief Bernd Wiegand said everyone within a radius of 800 meters (0.5 mile) was ordered to evacuate. Six schools and the city's hospital had to close as a result.
Relatives rushed to the city to pick up elderly parents from rest homes. Meanwhile, hospital and ambulances moved out 17 prematurely born babies who had been in 24-hour care at the hospital, according to dpa.
The detonators of many unexploded bombs dropped on Germany by the British and United States air forces 70 years ago have rusted away. However, disposal teams said the device found in the center of the city of Halle was still very dangerous.
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A Little Diddy for the Occupiers

I couldn't resist.

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What the... Barack Obama’s new ally: Rick Perry?

According to left-leaning Politico, yup:
President Barack Obama’s political machine is increasingly making common cause with Texas Gov. Rick Perry against a shared enemy: Mitt Romney.

Romney is the opponent Democrats most fear, and whom Obama strategists view as the near-certain Republican nominee. Yet even among strategists who assume Romney will be Obama’s opponent, Perry’s newly feisty performance on the campaign trail has raised hopes that he may drag out the primary fight and bloody Romney ahead of the main event.
Obama supporters aren’t exactly coordinating attacks with Perry. But the Texas governor and national Democrats are reinforcing and amplifying a single, sharply negative message that benefits them both: that Romney is a soulless political opportunist who doesn’t deserve the presidency.

It’s a familiar attack that could resonate with voters in both the primary and general elections — and that strategists say can be delivered from the left and right with almost equal effect.

“It will be hard for Romney to beat Obama if he can’t get out from under the flip-flop narrative,” said former Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Karen Finney. “It plays into concerns the primary voters have that he can’t be trusted [and it’s] equally important in a general election against an incumbent president people like and trust.

“It’s not just that there is an alignment of interests” between Obama and Perry, Finney said. “But more importantly, it illustrates how vulnerable Romney is on this issue.”
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OWS Cooks Protesting Making Food for "Freeloaders"

Wait, wait, wait, I thought they were in favor of giving this away for free and helping the "needy."  Now they're against it?  They really do stand for absolutely nothing:
The Occupy Wall Street volunteer kitchen staff launched a “counter” revolution yesterday -- because they’re angry about working 18-hour days to provide food for “professional homeless” people and ex-cons masquerading as protesters.

For three days beginning tomorrow, the cooks will serve only brown rice and other spartan grub instead of the usual menu of organic chicken and vegetables, spaghetti bolognese, and roasted beet and sheep’s-milk-cheese salad.

They will also provide directions to local soup kitchens for the vagrants, criminals and other freeloaders who have been descending on Zuccotti Park in increasing numbers every day.
o show they mean business, the kitchen staff refused to serve any food for two hours yesterday in order to meet with organizers to air their grievances, sources said.

As the kitchen workers met with the “General Assembly’’ last night, about 300 demonstrators stormed from the park to Reade Street and Broadway, where they violently clashed with cops.

Officers made at least 10 arrests when rowdy demonstrators refused to get out of the street and stop blocking traffic. A dozen cops on scooters tried to force them back to the sidewalk.

There were no reported injuries.
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Are You Ready for Halloween? Well, Here are Some Great Costume Ideas

 You can start with making fun of women who are starving themselves to death.  This comes complete with bone barrette and measuring tape to check your disappearing waistline.  Hey, why not a tumor costume?  
 Or, if you find that not your thing, you can move on to the Anne Frank costume.  I think you may just want to add a Nazi leading you away in handcuffs off the camps for your death.


If you have a partner, you can be 9/11.  An airplane and the twin tower building.  


There is nothing wrong with being creative and having fun with Halloween, but do we really have to be ghoulish about it?  


H/T to Heeb Magazine
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OWS Protester: This Stalin Fellow Seems Like a Nice Guy; He Certainly Never Killed Anyone



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Perry Opposes Confederate License Plates

Presidential candidates from the old Confederacy have always had to work harder than non-southern folks because of the historical stigma that remains from the days of slavery and segregation. Just look at the short political soul searching by Haley Barbour earlier this year and the stories that came out from the media.

Well, this time the candidate (Perry) himself is bringing up controversy by opposing vanity license plates that would honor the old Confederacy and raise money to place markers on the graves of Confederate veterans. While this issue has been ranging in Texas for months, the national media has remained silent, but now it isn't.

With both national (Wall Street Journal), and state (Statesman) media covering the Perry position, this story has exploded across the internet, which should help Perry's image among voters who saw him as a cowboy, but it could very well alienate voters in the southern primaries, especially South Carolina, which has a similar licence plate.

So what say you - did Perry make the right decision to stand against these license plates before the media got ahold of the story, or did he allow his presidential ambitions stand in the way of freedom of speech and pride?

Fantastic Letter from the So-Called "1%-ers"

Turn around:
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Barack Obama and the Infantilization of America

From the Wall Street Journal:
Breaking from the great American journalistic tradition of speaking truth to power, the San Francisco Chronicle publishes this cutesy puff piece on the most powerful man in the world: "President Obama spent only a few hours in San Francisco on Tuesday, but he took just seconds to prove once again why he's the baby whisperer." It seems that when the president arrived at the airport, he "spotted 6-month-old Josie Knight, who was crying while being held by her mother, Gina Odom, 37, of Oakland."

Obama heroically took "the squalling infant into his arms" and repeated, "It's OK," until she calmed down. "Obama bounced gently and held her for about 10 seconds before flashing a smile and returning her to Odom."

But this isn't just a harmless human-interest story about a baby-kissing pol. It's a metaphor.

Here's ABC News, reporting on the speech the president gave in Fog City: "At a million-dollar San Francisco fundraiser today, President Obama warned his recession-battered supporters that if he loses the 2012 election it could herald a new, painful era of self-reliance in America."

Oh no! Horror of horrors! Obama is the only thing standing between us and having to rely on ourselves! And do you know what they call people who rely on themselves?

Adults.
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