… can help make a miracle ~
Tomorrow is the last day to drop off shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. It’s not too late to “build” one online. And of course, you can donate to this wonderful cause all year long.
One small shoebox…
Posted in Comfort & Joy
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Saturday Shorts – 11-23-13
Random links of interest, concern or curiosity from the past week or so, that deserve at least a SHORT mention:
Hysterical Hypocrisy on Filibusters from NYT ~ All “nuclear options” aren’t created equal. It’s comically obvious whose side the Fish Wrap of Choice is on.
New York Times: “Ignoring whatever truth doesn’t fit our agenda since 1851.”
Infographic Shows How 10 Corporations Control Almost Everything We Buy ~ Seriously. Everything in the grocery store anyway. Good info to have I guess, particularly if you’re planning a boycott. 🙂
Coal: the cleanest energy source there is? ~ Wow!
Researchers have discovered a stunning new process that takes the energy from coal without burning it — and removes virtually all of the pollution.
Now Obama has even less excuse for his war on coal (Not that he’s inclined to let science get in the way of his agenda.).
Speaking of wars, we’re also battling the progressives’ War Against Achievement ~ Great article from Thomas Sowell. Those who overcome adversity, excel against the odds, are no longer considered inspirational; victimhood is where it’s at. We’re raising a bunch of hapless sheep.
Obama Lies ~ Yes, we know. 🙄 And here’s a website that does its best to keep track of, and chronicle, the profusion of falsehoods that the country has been subjected to over the last five years.
How the Sexual Revolution ruined friendship ~ So true – and so very depressing. Honestly, I feel so sad for the younger generation.
Here’s more social wreckage from the 60’s ~
A giant Teutonic brothel; Prostitution in Germany ~ Ostensibly to remove the “stigma’ of being a hooker, in 2001 Germany passed legislation giving prostitutes full rights to health insurance, pensions and other benefits. And now ~
… Germany has turned into a giant brothel and even a destination for European sex tourism. The best guess is that Germany has about 400,000 prostitutes catering to 1m men a day.
Is America on the Verge of Becoming Humpty Dumpty? ~ Are we so far gone we can’t be fixed? We’re darn close ~
Americans who once stood proud of their country have descended into apathy, bought into the multiculturalism farce, sold their freedom for government control and turned away from God after buying a bill of goods sold by outsiders.
An Inside Look at JFK’s Presidential Yacht, “Honey Fitz” ~ In keeping with the current news theme du jour. Some cool pix of the 93-foot wooden yacht that ~
… was originally built in 1931 by Defoe Shipyard in Bay City, Michigan for Sewell Avery, a prominent businessman from Chicago, who mostly used it to cruise around Lake Michigan.
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Obamacare Navigators: adrift in corruption
Intrepid investigative reporter James O’Keefe (Project Veritas) has lately been on the case of the Obamacare Navigators. And to say he has his work cut out for him would be a huge understatement.
Corruption, fraud, collusion – felons with access to people’s personal data… sounds like ACORN. Oh wait – it is – in a way. Amid the other flotsam and jetsam the founders of that now-defunct organization have actually resurfaced in the Navigator swamp.
Michelle Malkin has been reporting on the shady Navigator Corps for months now ~
• Obamacare “Navigators”: Another Sebelius Snitch Brigade?
• Seedco: Obamacare’s fraud-stained navigators
• What a coincidence: ACORN founder’s organization serving as Obamacare navigators
• Sebelius totally re-establishes America’s confidence: It’s possible for convicted felons to become Obamacare navigators 😯
O’Keefe’s recent investigation is further confirmation of the scams being run by these folks (and the feds are complacent – if not complicit!). Here’s Sean Hannity reporting on Project Veritas’ latest revelations ~
“When you watch this video it has to send a chill down your spine”
Unbelievable. Counseling applicants to flat-out lie; federal employees telling enrollees to deliberately defraud the federal government? Shouldn’t that be a felony or something – at least in the real world we used to live in?!
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It’s really telling when the Enroll America guy figures he and the “Navigator” (investigative reporter) are automatically on the same page;
“Rule #17 – Whatever it f****ng takes.” (wink-wink)
Sadly, by now it’s just axiomatic; wherever you find progressives, you can bet you’ll find deceit and corruption. It’s just how they operate.
We’ll need a thousand more James O’keefes to root them all out.
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Related:
The Umbrella Man
A curious little side story from that infamous day in Dallas 50 years ago today ~
And yet…
Die-hard conspiracy theorists will never let go.
I found these random comments at a site that will remain unidentified to protect the otherwise innocent, who just happen to be afflicted with over-active imaginations ~
• Strange and totally ineffective. I never read or saw anything in the ‘press’ that made mention of this ‘protest’.
• Did he come forward on his own or did the FBI locate him?
• What is not discussed (and would be of more value) is did he open the umbrella at a specific time as a signal ?
• Was the umbrella a signal, and the protest the excuse?
• I don’t think we will ever know, because I would bet the Umbrella Man was sanctioned long ago.
Cue the Art Bell theme music…
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Founding Wisdom [Flouted by the Foolish]
I have lived, sir, a long time; and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?
~ Benjamin Franklin ~
Posted in Timeless Principles
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We’re all racists now
There she goes again…
In a recent interview with the BBC, Medal-of-Freedom recipient 😯 and chat show host, Oprah Winfrey, said Obama faces challenges because he is African-American ~
When asked if some of the challenges faced by Obama were down to the color of his skin, Winfrey, who had been a high-profile backer of his presidential campaign, said: ‘There’s no question’.
She highlighted an incident in 2009 when Republican congressman Joe Wilson called out ‘you lie’, as Obama gave a speech to Congress. (Never mind that he was lying.)
‘I think there’s a level of disrespect for the office that occurs,’ she said. ‘And that occurs in some cases … because he’s African American. There’s no question about that. And it’s the kind of thing no one ever says, but everybody’s thinking.’
Because of course there couldn’t possibly be any other reason that “older white people” would be dismayed with our (incidentally, 1/2 white) president (his marxist/redistributionist/anti-Christian/anti-American/disdainful/deceitful tendencies notwithstanding).
I suppose we could give Oprah the benefit of the doubt… Perhaps Ms. Winfrey isn’t familiar with the definition of the word “prejudice” ~
prejudice n. 1) an adverse judgement or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge or examination of the facts; 2) the act or state of holding unreasonable preconceived judgments or convictions
I dunno, sounds an awful lot like what she’s doing… casually dismissing those she’s never even met as racist. Assigning nefarious motivation to people she’s never even listened to. Pre-judging…
While Winfrey may have focused on the treatment of African-Americans in the U.S. and under Apartheid, she added: ‘As long as people can be judged by the color of their skin, problem’s not solved.’
As long as people like Oprah judge people “by the color of their skin” – and their age – “problem’s not solved.”
Oh the hypocrisy of livin’ large in Oprah Land.
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Frankly, this whole “racist” thing is so last century. It’s merely become an accusation to throw at people with whom you refuse to have a civil conversation. A dismissive label that the Left pastes on people who they want to shut up. A way to avoid having a legitimate discussion (because the Left will always lose in the arena of ideas).
And, if you can flashback to the schoolyard for a second, you’ll realize it’s actually the grown-up incarnation of an immature, childish response to frustration, as in; “Oh yeah? Yeah? Well – you’re a poopy butt!”
No facts, no discussion, just slander and name-calling.
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Refreshingly, here’s a British dude who’s just decided to embrace the epithet ~
(Video via the Right Scoop)
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Related:
“Oprah in the wrong – Obama critics aren’t ‘racist'” ~ Horace Cooper, co-chairman of the Project 21 black leadership network (who happens to be – um, black) says most complaints about Obama have to do with his failed leadership, not his skin color ~
“(I)t is infuriating when someone like Miss Winfrey, who has obtained the benefits and the success, to go there (the UK) and place these nasty slurs on the amazing American people.”
Posted in Arrested Development, Unvarnished
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CHRISTmas Shopping
Although almost every U.S. retailer relies heavily on the annual boost in sales during “the holidays,” not all of them are willing to acknowledge the reason for the season. They’re more than happy to take your money but – like Scrooge – the words “Merry Christmas” never cross their lips. Can’t risk “offending” anyone can we?
If you want to shop where the Christian holiday isn’t ignored HERE”S the annual “Naughty or Nice” list from the American Family Association (AFA). A company’s advertising is the main criteria used to determine whether they’re “Christmas friendly” or not. AFA welcomes your input ~
Want to report on a company? Send your detailed report to christmas@afa.net. Please know that we receive hundreds of reports (emails) each day. We are unable to respond to each one personally, but your report will be read by one of our staff.
Note: AFA does not list local or regional companies. Only nationally-recognized companies will be listed. This list only reflects a company’s “Christmas” advertising and does not take into account other corporate policies AFA may not agree with.
They’ve grouped retailers into three categories: those who are “for” Christmas, those “against” and those who are “marginal.”
Here’s the definite “against” list:
• Barnes & Noble
• Family Dollar
• Foot Locker
• Limited Brands
• Maurice’s
• Office Depot
• Pet Smart
• Radio Shack
• Staples
• Supervalu
• Victoria’s Secret
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Should you happen to be in the UK this season be sure to patronize John Lewis, a retailer who unabashedly embraces Christmas ~
Posted in Comfort & Joy, Unvarnished
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ObamaCare Ads reflect low view of college students
Good news America: the future is not totally bleak. Today’s college kids aren’t all the nympho slackers the O’ministration seemed to be counting on with their latest ObamaCare ad campaign. Here’s what Campus Reform thinks of the “Bros & Hos” outreach ~
Unlike young Barry…
“My generation does not only think about sex, birth control or getting hammered. In some states the youth are seeing health insurance premium increases of 250 percent, our affordable bare bones plans are being cancelled because of Obamacare and nearly 44 percent of recent college graduates are underemployed.”
~ Caleb Bonham
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Related:
Not only do they denigrate them with insulting ads, they also give em the shaft ~ Students suffer ObamaCare sticker shock as premiums soar, plans get cut
Posted in Unvarnished
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U.N. issues more UNreal resolutions
Last Thursday the mini megalomanics at the United Nations ignored reality yet again, adopting nine resolutions condemning Israel for violating the human rights of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, of Palestinian refugees, and even of Syrians in the Golan Heights.
Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch (a non-profit group that aims to hold the United Nations accountable to the principles outlined in its own charter), explains just how ludicrous these votes have become ~
… by the end of its annual legislative session next month, the General Assembly will have adopted a total of 22 resolutions condemning Israel—and only four on the rest of the world combined. The hypocrisy, selectivity, and politicization are staggering.
One of the resolutions…
… mentions the word “Syria” no less than 10 times—yet said nothing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s massacre of more than 100,000 of his own people. 😯
Screenshot of YouTube video – just before vote on 9th resolution.
After the ninth vote last week, the charade was so blatant it seems a UN interpreter couldn’t keep from mentioning – figuratively speaking – that the emperor had no clothes. Hillel Neuer described what was a rare blip of sanity amid the day’s farcical proceedings: Hot mic catches UN interpreter saying anti-Israel votes are ‘a bit much’ ~
Under the mistaken impression that she was speaking only to colleagues, the interpreter uttered the following words into the headphones of every UN delegate, and before a live webcast audience worldwide:
“I think when you have… like a total of ten resolutions on Israel and Palestine, there’s gotta be something, c’est un peu trop, non? [It’s a bit much, no?] I mean I know… There’s other really bad s#*t happening, but no one says anything about the other stuff.”
Exactly right. There’s lots of really bad s#*t happening around the world. As Neuer points out specifically with regard to Syria ~
Now, whatever one’s view on who rightfully owns the Golan, for the UN at this particular moment to call for anyone to be handed over to Assad’s rule—even as his massacres continue unabated—is both logically absurd and morally obscene. With Israeli hospitals now treating dozens of Syrians who escaped their country’s bloodbath, the resolution is simply surreal.
While the UN continues to embrace their upside-down analysis of international events, some of their convenient victims are actually wising up to who the true oppressors are ~
Even Gazans no longer buy Hamas’ lies, as this Gaza-based reporter writes for AllVoices:
Quite frankly, the party responsible for all the crises in the Gaza Strip is Hamas, which has failed in managing Gaza’s affairs since it seized it in 2007, because it relied on illegal ways to obtain goods and petroleum through the tunnels between Egypt and Gaza.
Last week, Ala al-Rafati, Hamas’ economy minister, confirmed that the closure of tunnels since June has cost Gaza around $230 million monthly.
This is the amount that Hamas obtains from taxes imposed on the entry and exit of goods through tunnels.
Unfortunately, Hamas does not spend this amount ($230 million monthly) on Gaza ‘s population, but only for Hamas’ members. This is clear to all the people of Gaza who suffer so much from its rule.
Source: Elder of Zion
The plain truth is, the United Nations – with their warped world view – long ago out-lived their usefulness. As Daniel Greenfield (at Front Page Mag) aptly describes them ~
The UN is a democracy of dictators. It’s a consensus of human rights violators that the few countries which have human rights are really the bad guys.
Israel is a convenient target and distraction from the horrible things going on in Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, Cuba, North Korea and a hundred other places.
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Related:
Arutz Sheva (Israel National News) reported on Thursday’s incident ~ ‘Hot Mic’ Catches UN Disbelief at Anti-Israel Bias ~
A Geneva-based organization, UN Watch, caught the mishap and posted it on social media sites, as did Israel’s UN mission. Israel’s Foreign Ministry has been cited as being delighted at the video, which has gone viral […]
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addressed the mishap on Sunday at a cabinet meeting. “I hope nothing happens to the translator as a result, but I can assure her of a job here in the State of Israel, should it come to that,” he stated.
Posted in Unvarnished
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The Specter of Benghazi
Received this moving poem via email [Hat-tip: UncleGlenn] – origins unknown. I guess it’s been around a while. And it needs to stay around – till our feckless commander-in-chief is held accountable for this tragedy ~
May this story haunt the White House – and the man in it – until the day that America finally learns the Truth.
Posted in Good vs.Evil, Unvarnished
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Turns out dandelions are good for something after all
Imagine that! Those annoyingly persistent weeds, the bane of every groundskeeper and proud homeowner, actually have a redeeming value. Science Daily reported last month that the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME) in Germany, has developed a way to make “Rubber from Dandelion Juice” ~
(The researchers) are building the first ever pilot system to extract vast quantities of dandelion rubber for making tires: an important milestone on the path to rubber procurement in Europe.
Don’t get too excited about harvesting your own dandelion crop just yet ~
For production, only the Russian variety of our domestic plants can be used […]
The natural product obtained in this manner (via juice extraction) exhibited the same quality as the conventional rubber from rubber trees that has been imported from subtropical countries and used in tire production. However unlike the conventional rubber, it could be harvested more cost-effectively, better cultivated and grown in Germany as a sustainable raw material — even on land areas not previously suited for agricultural crops.
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Sometimes I envision God beaming down from heaven like a proud father; I knew they’d figure that one out eventually. Everything in My creation serves a purpose for mankind.
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Related:
This is just one of hundreds (thousands?) of recent uses for our planet’s vast diversity of flora and fauna that the relatively new science field of biomimetics has discovered. As Creation-Evolution Headlines says, there appears to be no end of ways to imitate nature’s designs. All scientists have to do is keep an open (and Darwin-free) mind.
Posted in Comfort & Joy, Timeless Principles
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Saturday Shorts – 11-16-13
Random links of interest, concern or curiosity from the past week or so, that deserve at least a SHORT mention:
What Are The Off-White Boxes That Are Going Up On Utility Poles All Over Seattle? ~ (O)ther major U.S. cities have been installing vast networks of surveillance cameras and listening devices. No problem. Just Big Brother watching every single move you make.
First a building, then a bridge and now… Man marries tree in Argentina’s capital 😯 ~ Since “marriage” has been essentially rendered meaningless, anything goes now.
“…such perversions of marriage only appear less shocking as they become more frequent.”
Bros and hos: Obamacare’s bread and circuses ~ Pandering to the lowest common denominator. And transforming our young people into a bunch of horny robots.
Thus Spake Obama ~ Yet another excellent commentary on the incompetence of our neo-monarchy by the incomparable Mark Steyn ~
The most telling line, the one that encapsulates the gulf between the boundless fantasies of the faculty-lounge utopian and the messiness of reality, was this: “What we’re also discovering is that insurance is complicated to buy.” Gee, thanks for sharing, genius. Maybe you should have thought of that before you governmentalized one-sixth of the economy[…]
It’s Barry’s world; we just live in it.
Pittsburgh bishop won’t comply with HHS mandate, even if it shuts down Catholic schools ~ Amen. Here’s one bishop willing to put God first – where he belongs – before government ~
In 2012, (Bishop) Zubik described the mandate as “’a slap in the face’ that says ‘To Hell with you!’ to Catholics and religious freedom.”
If more Christians were loyal to a “Higher Authority,” we could collectively shut down Obamacare.
America once banned slavery and segregation; now it bans trans fats and light bulbs ~ Yes, once upon a time we had our priorities straight. And acted on the courage of our convictions. Now we just let ourselves be bullied into doing whatever the oligarchy demands.
Report: Businesses Cut Full-time Workers to Meet Obamacare Mandate ~
New sign at the border:
Welcome to America: the “Part-time Nation”
Illegal immigrants – please turn around
We can no longer afford to feed ourselves – let alone you!
Kirsten Powers slams White House Obamacare excuses: ‘My blood pressure goes up’ ~ Story at the Daily Caller (with video) ~
If I want to keep the same health insurance, it’s going to cost twice is as much. There’s nothing substandard about my plan. All of the things they say that are not in my plan are in my plan[…]
… there’s no explanation for the doubling of my premiums other than the fact it’s subsidizing other people.
They need to be honest about that — that that’s the reason they don’t want to change it,” she continued. “It’s because they’re basically taking the people who are responsible enough to get health insurance in the individual market and asking them to subsidize other people.
Great that Power’s is finally seeing the light; too bad it took so long. We could have used her on our side before the last election.
Minister defends adoption stance ~ Irish politician not afraid to speak the truth ~
“The natural order, whether one believes in God or whether one believes in evolution, the natural order is for a man and a woman to have a child and therefore that has made my views on adoption very, very clear and on raising children very, very clear.”
The Return of the Chimney Sweep ~ An interesting irony; the evolution of progressivism has come full circle.
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