This and That...

[Warph]

 

BREAKING>>> 9 Female Performers Injured During Ringling Brothers Fall (VIDEOS)

At least six female performers were seriously hurt during an acrobatic routine at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey Circus today in Rhode Island.

CBS 6 reported:

Nine Barnum and Bailey circus performers were injured Sunday in Providence, Rhode Island, after an apparatus used in their act failed, circus spokesman Stephen Payne said.

Eight of the performers fell when the hair-hang apparatus — which holds performers by their hair — failed, Paine added. One performer was injured on the ground, he said.

There were no details on the severity of the injuries, the spokesman said.

Multiple emergency units responded to the accident at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.

Published on May 4, 2014

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[redcliffsw]

Twice, Bush visited Greensburg after their tornado.  Lots of Federal assistance there.

Don't recall Eisenhower ever visiting Udall when the tornado hit there in the 1950's or any Federal money or intrusion there.  However, now the USA is more socialistic than ever and increasingly so.   

I think it's "Federal disaster aid" or is it aid to education?

     

[Warph]

Supreme Court: Opening prayers at council meetings constitutional

Published May 05, 2014
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/05/05/supreme-court-rules-in-favor-prayer-at-council-meetings/?intcmp=trending

The Supreme Court has upheld the right of local officials to open town council meetings with prayer, ruling that this does not violate the Constitution even if the prayers routinely stress Christianity.

The court said in a 5-4 decision Monday that the content of the prayers is not critical as long as officials make a good-faith effort at inclusion.

The ruling was a victory for the town of Greece, N.Y., outside of Rochester.

"The prayer opportunity in this case must be evaluated against the backdrop of historical practice," the majority wrote in its opinion. "As a practice that has long endured, legislative prayer has become part of our heritage and tradition, part of our expressive idiom, similar to the Pledge of Allegiance, inaugural prayer, or the recitation of 'God save the United States and this honorable Court' at the opening of this Court's sessions."

The majority justices further argued that the intended audience is not "the public, but lawmakers themselves."

In 1983, the court upheld an opening prayer in the Nebraska Legislature and said that prayer is part of the nation's fabric, not a violation of the First Amendment. Monday's ruling was consistent with the earlier one.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority, said the prayers are ceremonial and in keeping with the nation's traditions.

"The inclusion of a brief, ceremonial prayer as part of a larger exercise in civic recognition suggests that its purpose and effect are to acknowledge religious leaders and the institutions they represent, rather than to exclude or coerce nonbelievers," Kennedy said.

The American Center for Law and Justice, which filed a brief in the case backing the town of Greece, applauded the decision.

"This is a sound decision that recognizes the significance of our nation's heritage and tradition," Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the ACLJ, said in a statement.

But Justice Elena Kagan, in a dissent for the court's four liberal justices, said the case differs significantly from the 1983 decision because "Greece's town meetings involve participation by ordinary citizens, and the invocations given -- directly to those citizens -- were predominantly sectarian in content."

A federal appeals court in New York ruled that Greece violated the Constitution by opening nearly every meeting over an 11-year span with prayers that stressed Christianity.

[Warph]

ObuttHead's State Department Sponsoring Abu Dhabi Book Fair
Selling Anti-Semitic Books

(Your tax dollars, hard at work... Some of the dangerous hate books on sale)

Via Tom Gross:
http://www.tomgrossmedia.com/mideastdispatches/archives/001448.html

The U.S. State Department is listed as a "cultural partner" of the 24th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which is currently being held (from April 30 to May 5). Among the anti-Semitic publications on display at the fair (in both English and Arabic) – books which paved the way for The Holocaust – are "The International Jew," "Mein Kampf" and "The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion".

"The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion" is now reported to be the second most widely published book in the Arab world. It promotes anti-Semitic conspiracy theories that Jews are planning global domination.

Then other "cultural partners" for this year's Abu Dhabi International Book Fair include the French government TV channel France 24, National Geographic magazine, and the French Embassy. (There are, it should be noted, many other titles on display at the book fair, which are not anti-Semitic or have nothing to do with Jews.)

Several senior diplomats at the U.S. State Department, as well as a number of French Foreign Ministry employees (not those stationed in Abu Dhabi) subscribe to this website email list and one would hope they would take steps to have the Book Fair's organizers remove the anti-Semitic titles.

Similar anti-Semitic literature appeared at the 2014 Casablanca Book Fair and in the recent past at the Frankfurt Book Fair.

[Warph]

Hamas TV Kids Show Features Giant Bee
Imploring Children To Kill "All The Jews"

(Sick, sick, sick)

Via PMW:

Child host (Rawan): "Tulin, why do you want to be a police officer? Like who?"

Girl (Tulin): "Like my uncle." ...

Child host: "OK, so what does a policeman do?"

Nahul (adult in giant bee costume): "He catches thieves, and people who make trouble."

Child host: "And shoots Jews. Right?"

Girl: "Yes."

Child host: "You want to be like him?"

[Girl nods]

Child host: "Allah willing, when you grow up."

Girl: "So that I can shoot Jews."

[Nahul the bee claps his hands]

Child host: "All the Jews? All of them?"

Girl: "Yes."

Child host: "Good."

MEMRI TV brings you the latest death cult children's propaganda from Hamas, the episode of Pioneers of Tomorrow in which the evil killer bee Nahoul dies, because Israel prevented him from getting treatment for some unspecified giant bee disease. This leads to his replacement by Assud, the giant Jew-eating rabbit:

Hamas recently broadcast a kid's TV show in which kids who no older than 10 sang the virtues of suicide attacks and how they wished to blow themselves up to liberate Jerusalem and Palestine. The al-Aqsa TV program broadcast in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, translated by the MEMRI (Middle East Media Research Institute), featured the grandchildren of Umm Nidal, a former Hamas MP from Gaza who celebrated the deaths of her three sons who carried out suicide attacks against Israelis. Umm Nidal died in March in Gaza. Umm Nidal's granddaughter said she was proud of the actions of her father — who produced the first Kassam rockets to hit southern Israel — and wished to be a martyr for Hamas as well. Another granddaughter launched into a rousing speech in which she called "upon all Muslim mothers, daughters, and sisters -- Al-Aqsa Mosque expects us to be the next generation to march toward it. Do not spare us the commanders, the soldiers, and the martyrdom-lovers." "The mothers send their sons to victory or to paradise, Allah willing," she said. The assembled grandchildren of Umm Nidal, none of whom looked older than 10, then sang in chorus: "Jihad bestows pride and glory upon you when you become a martyrdom-seeker. Oh explosive device of glory -- with her blood she created freedom. Ask [suicide bomber] Fatima Al-Najjar how one should live a life of pride." If the children's message weren't clear enough, the announcer, a girl of an age with the grandchildren, told the Hamas TV viewers that "We should sacrifice our lives for the sake of the homeland, so that we can please God and liberate Palestine and Jerusalem." A second child presenter chimed in: "We should wage Jihad and persevere, in order to liberate this land. When one of us is martyred, we say that his life is precious, yet it is a cheap price to pay for the liberation and defense of the homeland.":

[Warph]

Poll: Just 31% of Dems View Their Vote In Midterms As "For" Obama, Down From 47%

(Still toxic)

Via CNN:
Republicans have a great advantage heading into the 2014 midterm elections, according to another poll. But this poll, conducted by the PEW Research Center and USA Today, suggests their advantage could be starker than it was even in 2010, when Republicans took control of the House of Representatives.

In a generic question about whether a voter supports the Democrat or the Republican in their own district, Republicans got 47% and Democrats got 43%. That's a switch from October, when Democrats held an advantage in a PEW poll.

More troubling, perhaps, for Democrats is that President Obama is not a draw for their voters. Just 31% of Democrats think of their vote as "for" the President. Four years ago, 47% of Democrats felt that way.

[Warph]

Video: Longest Ever Artillery Shot In Marine History Kills Group of Taliban Fighters More Than 22 Miles Away

(Bad A$$ Weapon

)

On February 12, 2012 the longest operational artillery shot in U.S. Marines history was fired from a M777 Howitzer. Marines dropped the 155mm M982 Excalibur round on Taliban insurgents 36 km away — more than 22 miles — in Helmand province, Afghanistan. It killed the group of Taliban fighters.

The M777 howitzer is a towed 155 mm artillery piece which made its first combat appearance in Afghanistan. The M777 is often combined with the Excalibur GPS-guided munition, which allows accurate fire at a range of up to 25 miles.

[Ross]

FROM WATCHDOG WIRE
Citizen Spotlight: Melissa Genson,
Judicial Watchdog

Lifting the mainstream media's 'Iron Curtain'

May 3, 2014
by Jackie Moreau

Aristotle, regarded as "The Father of Logic", once said, "At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice, he is the worst."

Do the laws created by man always serve justice? A citizen watchdog from Washington would object to that notion. Melissa Genson, the editor of Watchdog Wire – Northwest, exposed a juvenile Level II Sex Offender's unsavory social media activity after he had been accepted into a court-ordered rehabilitation program. The local sex offender remains under public protection because of his alleged remorse for molesting of a 5-year-old boy, despite the disturbing reality presented by Melissa to justice officials.

As this month's Citizen Spotlight, Watchdog Wire asked Melissa about her personal experience in this investigation and as a citizen watchdog:

What motivates you to be a citizen watchdog? It's not easy and you don't get paid. So what keeps you going?

I am motivated to help people who are treated carelessly and recklessly by those in power. They feel helpless. I also hate to see tax dollars wasted and misused, because I know how hard people work for their money.

How did you first get started as a citizen watchdog?

As a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Internal Auditor (CPA/CIA), I audited Washington State agencies in the 1980′s. I saw abuse of power at all levels. I saw how frequently government officials spoke in terms of tax dollars belonging to them, rather than belonging to the citizens. It opened my eyes. I have been watchdogging ever since.

What issue(s) are you most passionate about and why?

I am passionate about issues involving people whose voices can't be heard, like children. I am passionate about rural land use, because it is so easy for government to treat private property like public property. I am passionate about any government action where the rules are so complex that the ordinary citizen has a hard time understanding them.

What triggered you to dig deeper into juvenile sex offender Tahoe Wiseman's social media activity?

This was the worst case of absolute recklessness that I had ever seen on the part of multiple government officials. The little victim simply wasn't real to them. The victim's mother cried and told me, "Nobody cares what happened to my little boy." I told her I did, and I would do everything I could to get other people to care, too.

When government officials are allowed so much power and secrecy, and place so much confidence in their own experts that doesn't appear deserved, it is up to citizens to prove them wrong. Especially when the experts feel bulletproof, like they did in this case.

Quite simply, social media provided the proof I needed to show that the experts were wrong, and that justice had not be served. And if they were wrong in this case, then they were probably wrong in a lot of cases.

What was great was that ordinary teens and their moms were the ones to provide the evidence. In their own way, they were true watchdogs.

What did you learn from investigating this story?

I learned that citizen watchdogs need to focus more on the courts. I learned that there was not enough separation between the judge, the defense attorney, and prosecuting attorney. The prosecutor is supposed to be an advocate for the people, not part of one big happy courthouse family. I learned that the courts can rely too much on their own experts and not enough on common sense. Citizens tend to put judges and prosecutors on a pedestal, and assume that they are less likely to abuse power than other government officials. I learned that wasn't true. We need to remember that courts are simply another branch of government that needs watchdogging, too.

What has your experience been with the mainstream media? What advice do you have for them to better serve their audience?

Mainstream media has become simply another branch of the government. That's not the job of the press. I remember being a kid during the Cold War. We were taught that behind the Iron Curtain, the government ran the media, and citizens could only learn what they government wanted them to know. I remember the commercials for Radio Free Europe, explaining how important it was to get outside information to people living in those countries.

Mainstream media has created its own Iron Curtain, right here in this country. Mainstream media seems almost ashamed of ordinary American citizens, and the things they care about.

My advice to mainstream media is to remember your job. Your job is to question those in power, not be their mouthpiece. And stop ridiculing the concerns of ordinary people.

I think it's too late for a lot of mainstream media. The Internet has made citizen journalism accessible, and a viable alternative. We have become our own version of Radio Free Europe—just in our own country.

Who is your favorite Founding Father?

George Mason. "Virginia's Declaration of the Rights" was a masterpiece, and the basis of so many of our freedoms today.

How has Watchdog Wire helped you as a citizen watchdog?

Watchdog Wire has linked me up with so many people who can help me with resources and skills. It's great to feel connected to other people who are part of such a huge new revolution. It's a wonderful time to be involved in citizen journalism. There is so much access to information that allows us all to be better watchdogs.

What advice do you have for others who want to get involved?

Don't be intimidated. Don't feel overwhelmed by the mass of information out there. Take on one issue at a time, and take your research one step at a time. Learn how to get information from government agencies and officials. Don't feel like your questions are stupid. They are there to serve you, and not the other way around.

What can we do better? How can Watchdog Wire improve to help more citizens become watchdogs?

Watchdog Wire helped me so much. I think we all just need to get the word out. We need to let people know that it's okay to be a novice, and to learn as you go.

Jackie Moreau is the Managing Editor of Watchdog Wire. You can find her on Twitter as @Jackie_Moreau.

http://watchdogwire.com/blog/2014/05/03/citizen-spotlight-melissa-genson/

[Ross]

Worse than any horror movie you will ever see.

The damage is being done now and perhaps the effects will not be felt before I pass from this world, but who knows. Pray for May 16th to stop the carnage that is happening to our country. Even the state governments are rebelling against the Federal Government.

Why Obamacare is a Fantastic Success

By Wayne Allyn Root
There are 2 major political parties in America. I'm a member of the naïve, stupid, and cowardly one. I'm a Republican. How stupid is the GOP? They still don't get it. I told them 5 years ago, 2 books ago, a national bestseller ago ("The Ultimate Obama Survival Guide"), and in hundreds of articles and commentaries, that Obamacare was never meant to help America, or heal the sick, or lower healthcare costs, or lower the debt, or expand the economy.
The GOP needs to stop calling Obamacare a "trainwreck." That means it's a mistake, or accident. That means it's a gigantic flop, or failure. It's NOT. This is a brilliant, cynical, and purposeful attempt to damage the U.S. economy, kill jobs, and bring down capitalism. It's not a failure, it's Obama's grand success. It's not a "trainwreck," Obamacare is a suicide attack. He wants to hurt us, to bring us to our knees, to capitulate- so we agree under duress to accept big government.
Obama's hero and mentor was Saul Alinsky- a radical Marxist intent on destroying capitalism. Alinksky's stated advice was to call the other guy "a terrorist" to hide your own intensions. To scream that the other guy is "ruining America," while you are the one actually plotting the destruction of America. To claim again and again...in every sentence of every speech...that you are "saving the middle class," while you are busy wiping out the middle class.
The GOP is so stupid they can't see it. There are no mistakes here. This is a planned purposeful attack. The tell-tale sign isn't the disastrous start to Obamacare. Or the devastating effect the new taxes are having on the economy. Or the death of full-time jobs. Or the overwhelming debt. Or the dramatic increases in health insurance rates. Or the 70% of doctors now thinking of retiring- bringing on a healthcare crisis of unimaginable proportions. Forget all that.
The real sign that this is a purposeful attack upon capitalism is how many Obama administration members and Democratic Congressmen are openly calling Tea Party Republicans and anyone who wants to stop Obamacare "terrorists." There's the clue. Even the clueless GOP should be able to see that. They are calling the reasonable people...the patriots...the people who believe in the Constitution...the people who believe exactly what the Founding Fathers believed...the people who want to take power away from corrupt politicians who have put America $17 trillion in debt...terrorists?
That's because they are Saul Alinsky-ing the GOP. The people trying to purposely hurt America, capitalism and the middle class...are calling the patriots by a terrible name to fool, confuse and distract the public.
Obamacare is a raving, rollicking, fantastic success. Stop calling it a failure. Here is what it was created to do. It is succeeding on all counts.

#1) Obamacare was intended to bring about the Marxist dream- redistribution of wealth. Rich people, small business owners, and the middle class are being robbed, so that the money can be redistributed to poor people (who vote Democrat). Think about it. If you're rich or middle class, you now have to pay for your own healthcare costs (at much higher rates) AND 40 million other people's costs too (through massive tax increases). So you're stuck paying for both bills. You are left broke. Brilliant.

#2) Obamacare was intended to wipe out the middle class and make them dependent on government. Think about it. Even Obama's IRS predicts that health insurance for a typical American family by 2016 will be $20,000 per year. But how would middle class Americans pay that bill and have anything left for food or housing or living? People that make $40K, or $50K, or $60K can't possibly hope to spend $20K on health insurance without becoming homeless. Bingo. That's how you make middle class people dependent on government. That's how you make everyone addicted to government checks. Brilliant.

#3) As a bonus, Obamacare is intended to kill every decent paying job in the economy, creating only crummy, crappy part-time jobs. Why? Just to make sure the middle class is trapped, with no way out. Just to make sure no one has the $20,000 per year to pay for health insurance, thereby guaranteeing they become wards of the state. Brilliant.

#4) Obamacare is intended to bankrupt small business, and therefore starve donations to the GOP. Think about it. Do you know a small business owner? I know hundreds of them. Their rates are being doubled, tripled and quadrupled by Obamacare. Guess who writes 75% of the checks to Republican candidates and conservative causes? Small business. Even if a small business owner manages to survive, he or she certainly can't write a big check to the GOP anymore. Money is the "mother's milk" of politics. Without donations, a political party ceases to exist. Bingo. That's the point of Obamacare. Obama is bankrupting his political opposition and drying up donations to the GOP. Brilliant.

#5) Obamacare is intended to make the IRS all-powerful. It adds thousands of new IRS agents. It puts the IRS in charge of overseeing 15% of the U.S. economy. The IRS has the right because of Obamacare to snoop into every aspect of your life, to go into your bank accounts, to fine you, to frighten you, to intimidate you. And Obama and his socialist cabal have access to your deepest medical secrets. By law your doctor has to ask your sexual history. That information is now in the hands of Obama and the IRS to blackmail GOP candidates into either not running, or supporting bigger government, or leaking the info and ruining your campaign. Or have you forgotten the IRS harassed, intimidated and persecuted critics of Obama and conservative groups? Now Obama hands the IRS even more power. Big Brother rules our lives. Brilliant.

#6) Obamacare is intended to unionize 15 million healthcare workers. That produces $15 billion in new union dues. That money goes to fund Democratic candidates and socialist causes- thereby guaranteeing Obama's friends never lose another election, and Obama's policies keep ruining capitalism and bankrupting business owners long after he's out of office.

Message to the GOP: This isn't a game. This isn't tiddly-winks. This is a serious, purposeful attempt to highjack America and destroy capitalism. This isn't a trainwreck. It's purposeful suicide. It's not failing, it's working exactly according to plan. Obama knows what he's doing. Stop apologizing and start fighting.

Oh and one more thing...Conservatives aren't "terrorists." We are patriots and saviors. We represent the Constitution and the Founding Fathers. We are the heroes and good guys. Unless you get all this through your thick skulls, America is lost...forever.

[Ross]

Sanctions against Russia that are proven

Much has been said about what Obama should do to hurt the Russian economy.
To me the plan to destroy Russia is simple:

1) ban their use of coal
2) mandate that Russia goes on Obamacare
3) ban drilling on Russian public land
4) force Russia to comply with EPA and Dodd Frank regulations
5) re-define the full-time Russian work week to 30 hours
6) raise the Russian minimum wage
7) mandate overtime pay for government employees
demand the Russian Government provide welfare benefits to unqualified citizens and Illegal immigrants

This plan is proven and has been working in the U. S. since 2009.