Thursday, 31 May 2012
News..........
CDR Salamander: Diversity Thursday
Loose Lips Sink Ships or ???
Syria: West may be forced to seize Bashar al-Assad's toxic gas stockpile
Former Dem Rep. Artur Davis: Why I'm becoming a Republican
Polish prime minister: A statement of "regret" for what Obama said from a White House spokesman isn't good enough; Update: Polish president sends letter
Christian College Says ObamaCare Will Double Insurance Costs
Gosport remembers '82
'China detains hundreds in Tibet over self-immolation protests'
Syria: rebel army issues ultimatum on ceasefire
Fate of Chagos Islands to be decided
Virgin Galactic cleared for rocket-powered test flights
Donald Duck embroiled in holocaust controversy in Germany
Group of ‘ordinary people’ gather to buy Queen Elizabeth a new Royal yacht
The Courage of the Poles Transcends Obama ‘Misspeaks’
Ottawa considers high-altitude drones for Arctic surveillance
Charles Taylor’s heavy sentence a stark warning to world leaders
US think tank: Iran site buildings 'completely razed'
King Says Saudi Arabia Would Need Nukes to Counter Iran Arsenal
Wednesday, 30 May 2012
Armed EPA Agents Visit Ashville Man
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| EPA headquarters in Washington, DC |
By Alan Caruba
Sometimes a small incident says volumes about a large government agency. In this case the Environmental Protection Agency.
Around 1.45 PM on May 23, Ashville, North Carolina resident Larry Keller was in the midst of an international call which he had to cut short in order to answer his front door. He found two armed agents of the EPA who were accompanied by an Ashville Police officer.
According to a May 24 news story in the Ashville Tribune, a weekly newspaper to which I am a contributing columnist, the agents had blocked his and his neighbor’s driveways with their cars. They had driven all the way from Raleigh to confront him.
What had he done? The unannounced visit had been occasioned by news that Dr. Al Armendariz, a regional EPA administrator whose 2010 lecture had been videotaped and been released by the office of Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) on April 25th. In the lecture, Dr. Amendariz had said that the agency’s “general philosophy” was to “crucify” oil and gas producers.
He compared the agency’s “philosophy of enforcement” to the way, as a Wall Street Journal editorial reported, “Romans used to conquer little villages in the Mediterranean. “They’d go into a little Turkish town somewhere, they’d find the first five guys they saw and they would crucify them, And then you know that town was really easy to manage for the next few years. The point is to ‘make examples’ of alleged lawbreakers.”
The case in point had been Range Resources, a driller who had been exonerated of charges of water pollution as the result of fracking. As the Wall Street Journal noted, the reference to executions “raise(d) questions not only about” not only Dr. Arnendariz’s comments “but the EPA’s larger impartiality and judgment.”
Keller, who describes himself as “a bit of a political activist” had emailed the EPA Director of External Affairs, Dr. David Gray, saying “Hello Mr. Gray. Do you have Mr. Armendariz’s contact information so we can say hello?”
That was enough to dispatch two armed agents to his front door. He was told by one agent that “…my choice of words in the email could be interpreted in many ways.” They did not identify themselves, but asked if he had ever been arrested. He responded swiftly that he had not. When he asked for a copy of his email, they refused to provide it because “the case was still under investigation.”
His wife arrived home and the agents did not want a witness so “They left in a big hurry.”
The Ashville Tribune by Catherine Hunter quoted Keller who described their attitude as "accusatory" reporting that he compared "their tactics to those of Nazi Germany SS methods.”
Keller contacted the agent’s supervisor, Michael Hill, and was told that the incident with Dr. Armendariz “had prompted so many emails and calls that authorities in Washington, DC ordered an investigation.”
Keller’s email inquiry to contact Dr. Armendariz was treated as a threat when it clearly was not. Since when is trying to contact an EPA administrator a crime?
“I want the world to know,” said Keller, “the government is reaching into the privacy of our homes and computers. I’ve never been so offended by the power of government in my life.”
Do we really want an EPA that uses such tactics against a citizen who has merely indicated an interest in contacting one of their administrators to comment on what he had said during a lecture?
Do we really want an EPA whose working “philosophy” regarding the oil and gas industry is to “crucify” it in order to regulate it and, as we know, is trying to thwart drilling, as well as to end the coal industry that provides an energy resource that produces one half of all the electricity in the nation?
It is, as noted, just one small incident, but it reflects the way the EPA functions in a presumably free society. Over the years I have read of many incidents in which the EPA has asserted powers to impede the most innocent actions of citizens and it is long past the time when this agency is reined in by Congress.
The only option at this point is to rid the nation of the Obama administration, crack down on the EPA, and rid us of the threat it poses in its efforts to deny entire industries from providing the energy the nation requires and attacks our agricultural and ranching communities for practices that reflect its normal operation.
As they used to advertise horror films, “Be afraid. Be very afraid.” An EPA that operates on the basis of intimidating its chosen enemies and that seeks to intimidate citizens inquiring about it, is reason enough to be afraid.
© Alan Caruba, 2012
Obama Flubs at Medal Ceremony; No Comment from Bob Dylan
Obama sparked outrage in Poland after mistakenly referring to Nazi death camps as "Polish death camps." At the same ceremony, Obama also honored the great American hero and defender of liberty, Bob Dylan...wait, is that right? Plus, Jay Carney is asked about Solyndra on this PJ News Break with Scott Ott.
Corpses and Rhetoric Still Piling Up in Syria...........from Dan Friedman
[Linguistically speaking, this Syria business is turning into a real crisis for the “international community.” They’ve already worn out most of the vocabulary used in official circles to express “shock,” “dismay,” and “condemnation,” yet Assad gives no sign he’s letting up. Not to worry, though. White House sources tell me Obama has freed up a few of his campaign’s top copywriters to create a fresh batch of rhetoric. It should be ready to go by fall. df]
The Miami Herald, 5/30/12
UN observers in Syria discover 13 bound corpses
BEIRUT -- U.N. observers have discovered 13 bound corpses in eastern Syria, many of them apparently shot execution-style, the monitoring mission said Wednesday.
The announcement comes days after a massacre in Houla, in the central Homs province, which killed more than 100 people and prompted worldwide condemnation against the regime of President Bashar Assad. The Syrian government denied its troops were behind the killings and blamed "armed terrorists."
Late Pic Dump..........
Just trying out the new bigger layout any problems viewing please leave a comment
Late Late News...........
Where's George W Bush? How a two-term president became the quiet man of US politics
BLACKFIVE: The N.Y.T.'s Scott Shane Still Shilling
Iraq: A satellite state of Iran?
Spain scuttles clean-energy subsidies; promptly watches the industry go down like a sinking ship
Big Statues Produces a Larger-Than-Life Bronze Spartan for the 10th Mountain Division 3rd Brigade Combat Team
French jobless claims hit highest this century
California raids 9/11 fund to cover deficits and other govt expenditures
Republicans, Democrats agree: No one cares about Obama's to-do list
CSI hotel room: Best Western goes high-tech to clean
White House: Obama misspoke on 'Polish death camp'
Liberal Boston Globe Debunks Michelle Obama's Politicization Of 'Food Deserts'
Longtime Democratic House member Reyes upset in primary
Warren on the Ropes: Pressure Mounts as Democrats Start to Bolt
101-year-old WWII Navy man credits clean living as he goes for gold at veteran games
That Professor Obama Dog Won't Hunt Anymore
SpaceX Dragon capsule prepares for return to Earth
Remembering David Littman, a Warrior for Human Rights
Pelosi's tax ploy demolishes Democrats' leverage
Center Honors Former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, Major General Jack Singlaub, Bradley Foundation
GOP Super Pacs to spend up to $1 billion
Employers asked to favour state school children over private Seriously WTF!!!
Facebook crashes below $30 in 'worst IPO in a decade'
Barack Obama has insulted 38 million Poles with his crass and ignorant 'Polish death camp' remark
Has the worst recovery ever left 6.5 million jobs on the table?
Obama’s Absurd Claim About Judaism
'Topless' models banned from comic convention
Supervolcanoes with power to 'destroy civilisation' explode far more rapidly than scientists had believed - and one could be bubbling under U.S. right now
and finally......
Victoria Jackson picked Joe Dan's tune for a new Anthem thingy...thing
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Late News.............
Saudi boosts OPEC output despite price drop
Admiral Harvey Breaks in to the Open
Texas Senate Primary Moves to Runoff
Arthur Davis, Former Black Caucus Member, Switches to GOP
Translation? Jeb very open to VP
FL Republican Chair: Bill Nelson "defends" right of dead, noncitizen voters
Renewable Energy Can't Run the Cloud
Stocks tumble as outlook in Europe dims
London, France's sixth biggest city
3 Things Flame Tells Us About The Future Of Cyber Warfare
Chess championship braced for 'Armageddon' decider game
Trojan targets Iranian and Syrian dissidents via proxy tool
Conservatives campaign against insurance exchanges
http://tinyurl.com/6w27rdv
Should Obama get to pick who lives and dies?
The euro-crash is coming. Will Ireland vote to be part of it?
Baghdad Launches Tender For Energy Development
Editors Note:
I have widened the template to 1250 pixels if anybody has a problem viewing the new size please leave a comment. This should allow us to post bigger pictures and videos.
Can somebody please help me?...from Mike Haltman at TPC
Help me to understand that is!
Relax! This is not a cry for a donation to keep TPC on the air or for any other type of material aid.
This is a call for help in understanding. Understanding in terms of how the admitted heavy drug use by Barack Obama is not enough to make his quest for a 2nd-term in office a non-starter!
Why is this incredibly large character flaw simply glossed over where the admission by Bill Clinton that he puffed but didn't inhale created a media firestorm that had an impact on his drive for the White House?
Why is this topic seemingly off limits in the same way the Obama-Reverend Wright connection is off limits, radical connections and friendships with the likes of Bill Ayers are off limits, the holes in his resume from the college years are off limits, questions surrounding the actual location of his birth are off limits and, well, you get the idea!
Read the rest of the story at The Political Commentator here.
Businessman Faces Backlash Talks About Appearing on Obama’s Enemies List
Frank VanderSloot grew up a poor kid in rural Idaho. His father made $300 a month. His clothes came from the Salvation Army. Yet through determination and hard work—and with the help of America's free-enterprise system—today he's the successful CEO of a global supplier of wellness products.
VanderSloot said his life changed forever on April 20. That's when President Obama's campaign created the first presidential "enemies list" since the Nixon era. Eight private citizens were singled out for their donations to Romney. They committed no crimes, sought no attention, and yet they became the subject of Obama's scorn.
Watcher's Council "Greece, Spain and Syria on the brink" Edition!...from Mike Haltman at TPC
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| Source |
The Watcher's Council: Over 30 articles from some of the top conservative bloggers around the world and all in one easy to read location!
If it's Wednesday (and sometimes early Thursday) that can mean only one thing! That the
time has come for the weekly collection of article nominations at the Watcher's
Council to make themselves known!
This week’s Watcher's Council article offerings are dedicated to some of the crises that have the potential to come to a head at any time.
The Eurozone as a whole, save for Germany, is in the throes of severe recession with Greece and Spain serving as the current flash points for bankruptcy, sovereign default (not the first time for Greece, only the most recent) and the potential for even more severe social unrest.
These countries could quickly upset the charade that EU leaders are attempting to foist on the world which is that by throwing more money at these countries and in return getting promises for fixing their fiscal houses, that somehow the problem will be solved there. That likely won't happen and even if it did the problems with the rest of the PIIGS will still exist.
In Syria the slaughter of women and children by the al-Assad government shows no signs of abating with the only constant being that of Obama administration inaction to help stop it.
Where the President was quick to step in during the relatively non-violent "Arab Spring" in Egypt that resulted in what will likely be a Muslim Brotherhood takeover of the government there, he is MIA in the bloodbath occurring in Syria.
The only difference that I see for the urgency in Egypt was that Mubarak was a friend of the U.S. and Israel so apparently, at least according to the Obama administration he had to go, whereas al-Assad is anti-U.S. and anti-Israel so his ouster seems to be far less urgent...
The Eurozone as a whole, save for Germany, is in the throes of severe recession with Greece and Spain serving as the current flash points for bankruptcy, sovereign default (not the first time for Greece, only the most recent) and the potential for even more severe social unrest.
These countries could quickly upset the charade that EU leaders are attempting to foist on the world which is that by throwing more money at these countries and in return getting promises for fixing their fiscal houses, that somehow the problem will be solved there. That likely won't happen and even if it did the problems with the rest of the PIIGS will still exist.
In Syria the slaughter of women and children by the al-Assad government shows no signs of abating with the only constant being that of Obama administration inaction to help stop it.
Where the President was quick to step in during the relatively non-violent "Arab Spring" in Egypt that resulted in what will likely be a Muslim Brotherhood takeover of the government there, he is MIA in the bloodbath occurring in Syria.
The only difference that I see for the urgency in Egypt was that Mubarak was a friend of the U.S. and Israel so apparently, at least according to the Obama administration he had to go, whereas al-Assad is anti-U.S. and anti-Israel so his ouster seems to be far less urgent...
To read these 30+ articles and to find out more about the Watcher's Council visit The Political Commentator here.
BRAVO SIERRA ALERT: US Special Forces 'parachuted into North Korea'
The general officer quoted in the article isn't only smoking dogfood he's drinking the bongwater. His claim that ANYBODY is parachuting into North Korea is right up there with Santa Claus & the Easter Bunny conspired with George Soros to give us Barack Hussein Obama as revenge on the American people for succumbing to George Bush's mind control techniques.
It's telling that the Telegraph posts a picture of regular Marine grunts unloading an Amphtrack. Heads up Newsboys - THIS is what Special Forces soldiers in Korea look like . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . STORMBRINGER SENDS
News...........
Does military service still matter for the country's highest office?
Naked man who chewed off other man's face could be a zombie (not really)!
Douche of the Week: Chris "The Real Hero" Hayes
NEA to "Reorganize" Amid Unprecedented Membership Losses, Budget Shortfalls
ISAF kills al Qaeda's 2nd in command for Afghanistan
'Inside an al Qaeda stronghold in Yemen'
The Enigma 1,800 Miles Below Us
Texas honor student jailed for missing too much school
New app can provide a quick screening for mental illness
Ask Matt: What do the highest paid bank CEOs make?
Ferrari, Maserati shut Italian plants after quake
Stay connected while you go: Bathrooms go high-tech
Idaho calls 'Five Wives Vodka' offensive to church
Eight states get waiver from No Child Left Behind
That UC San Diego-Obama DOJ Settlement: Racial Socialism Via Sweetheart Deal
Inside North Korea
Green energy doesn't trump rural beauty, judge rules
Severed foot sent to party office in Canada
India to open super highway to Burma and Thailand
Chilly Peace: German-Russian Relations Enter a New Ice Age
Demanding the Truth about Obama
Iran blames Israel for ongoing violence in Syria
The judgment of Leveson
and some Florida News from Jeff......
Stocking Florida's lakes and rivers
Single flowers for singular heroes
Man Sentenced In Federal Feather Selling Case
Red Brick Run to honor fallen soldier
Local highway patrolman retiring after 33 years
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