Some Consider These as Qualificat​ions and Prerequisi​tes.....................from Rico

There clearly are some who would consider side-stepping the Constitution plus being an unethical liar and dishonest to be prerequisites for the Presidency these days. - That Comrade Hitlery has added murderess (Benghazi) to her list of qualifications is added icing on the collectivist cake for them And yes, she is next in line to become pResident after Comrade Barry. - There are now enough stupid voters and economic parasites (combined with ACORN-style voting fraud) to guarantee that she will 'win' too. It may have been Stalin who said the number of votes didn't count as much as who was counting the votes, but sensitive Communist murderer that he was he also remarked that one death was a tragedy, while one million deaths was merely a statistic. - I wonder were the four dead at Benghazi would have fallen for him? We already KNOW Hillary's position: "What does it matter?"

Warming Hobbits Hoisted on Their Own Petard.....................from Dan Friedman

[The Obama-run media has diverted our attention to the cliffhanger rescue of all aboard a ship frozen in the ice off Antarctica, while ignoring the real story. But some of the unwashed on the Web insist on bringing us the real lesson lurking behind the news. df]

thenationalpatriot.com, 2013/12/30

Summer in Antarctica – An EPIC Global Warming FAIL

There are an ever growing number of people in the world who shouldn’t be allowed to walk from their couch to their fridge without wearing a helmet and being guided by Sherpas with a certified EMS provider on standby and…74 OF THEM ARE ON THAT SHIP!!!!

By Craig Andresen

Obama's 2014 Big Lie: Income Inequality

 

 

 

By Alan Caruba

As the liberal disaster called Obamacare unfolds, President Barack Obama is already embarked on his next Big Lie: income inequality.

It’s useful to visit some of the planks of Karl Marx’s 1848 Communist Manifesto. They included abolition of private property—the keystone of capitalism—and the application of all rents of land to a public purpose. Marx advocated a heavy progressive or graduated income tax whereas a fair tax that treats all Americans fairly by taxing what you spend instead of what you earn. The current tax code is more than 73,000 pages! Marx wanted to eliminate all rights of inheritance and centralize credit by means of a national bank.

What Obama is talking about is socialism/communism when he claims that income inequality must be altered by more government intrusion into our lives and his claims are false. He said that “a dangerous and growing inequality and lack of upward mobility” is “the defining challenge of our time”

His objective is to further divide Americans by promising what government cannot and should not deliver. This is now the Democratic Party theme leading up to the midterm elections in November. He is right about one thing, only economic growth can provide the opportunity for Americans to increase their personal incomes, provide a choice of investments, and save more for the future. In his first five years in office, economic growth has been historically slow.

In a Wall Street Journal opinion commentary by Robert A. Grady he cites a 2011 study by Lee Ohanian and Kip Hagopian, “The Mismeasure of Inequality”, that concluded that “inequality actually declined 1.8% during the 16-year period between 1993 and 2009.” According to studies by the U.S. Treasury, the capitalist system in America, providing mobility (up or down), found that “considerable income mobility” in the decades 1987-1996 and 1996-2005, found that approximately half of those in the bottom income quintile in 1996 had moved to a higher quintile by 2005. They were decades, the 1980s and 1990s, in which the vast majority of Americans gained higher incomes.

In the past four and a half years since the recession officially ended, poor people and the middle class were hurt the most and opportunity slowed. Under Obama millions of Americans are out of work and dependent on government programs such as food stamps and unemployment compensation. The later ended for many on December 31. The inequality that Obama cites is the direct result of the failure of his economic programs as well as a dramatic surge in federal regulations that harm economic growth.

The Affordable Care Act—Obamacare—is discouraging full-time employment. According to Gallup’s payroll-to-population ratio, the proportion of the American population working full-time, has dropped almost two percentage points in the last year to 43.8%. Wall Street Journal columnist noted that Obama spent 2013 fund-raising for the Democratic Party “making 30 separate visits to wealthy donors” at “more than twice the rate of the President’s two-term predecessors. On the day following the September 11, 2012 attack that killed an American ambassador and three others in Benghazi, Obama flew to Las Vegas on a fund-raising trip.

In the year ahead you will hear him cite figures based on 1979 income rates to justify his call for more opportunity, but in 1979 the mean (average) household income of the bottom 20% of wage earners was $4,000. By 2012, it was $11.499, an increase of 186%. For the middle class, the increase was 211%. Despite the 2008 financial crisis, it still rose.

Did the rich get richer? Yes. But the rich earn their money from inheritance, from business development (jobs) and investment. Under communism there is no inheritance; the state gets it all. And the state owns the factories and instruments of production, as well as collectivizing agriculture. It maintains a “progressive” or graduated income tax.

Does the political theme of income inequality work? Bill de Blasio, New York’s new mayor, ran on an income inequality platform and will be sworn in by former President Bill Clinton who will be accompanied by his wife, Hillary.

Income inequality will be the theme of Obama’s forthcoming State of the Union speech, but like everything else he says it will be a Big Lie.

© Alan Caruba, 2014

Is Islam the Obstacle to "Peace"? (Let's Hope So)..................from Dan Friedman

[The real danger in Obama's plan is the "interim agreement," which would codify the Arab's (Islamic) claims to Jewish land and Israel's agreement to recognize them. Then all meetings going forward would use the "interim agreement" as ground zero for "final status" negotiations. Once Netanyahu signs off on the “interim agreement,” short of a highly unlikely backlash from the Israeli sheeple, there will be no turning back. He, Obama, Kerry, and Abbas are well aware of that. Question is, why would Netanyahu walk into such an obvious trap? The answer? Don't ask. Or alternately, Netanyahu is not his own man. df]

JPost, 12/31/13  

The World From Here: Will Abbas defy Islam for peace with Israel?

By DAN DIKER AND HAROLD RHODE

"Can Israeli concessions influence the Palestinians to sign an historic peace deal that ends the Arab-Israeli conflict once and for all?"

TAPS - Last Post in Holland

Perhaps you have already heard this young lady play Taps before, but you might not have heard 'the rest of the story'.

The American Cemetery and Memorial is in the village of Margraten, The Netherlands, about six miles from Maastricht. There lie buried 8,301 American soldiers killed in the battles to liberate Holland in the fall and winter of 1944-5. Sgt. Bill Dukeman, 101st Airborne Division, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Second Battalion, Company C (of "Band of Brothers fame) is buried there. He was killed in the battle of "The Crossroads" in northern Holland.

The Dutch hold an annual memorial concert every September at the above cemetery to remember and honor the Americans who died to free them in Operation Market Garden and subsequent efforts to eject the German army from Holland. Sgt. Dukeman, like many other fallen GIs, was "adopted" by a Dutch family. Dukeman's family in the States was contacted and hosted in Holland, and his grave site decorated each year by his Dutch "family." They keep his portrait in their home, displayed in a place of honor. Fathers pass this obligation down to their sons in Holland. This version of the original "taps" music is played by a 17-year-old Dutch girl named Melissa Venema; she's been playing is for the past five years. The conductor of the orchestra is Andre Rieu also from Holland.

Many of you may never have heard taps played in its entirety . The original version of Taps was called Last Post, and was written by Daniel Butterfield in 1801. It was rather lengthy and formal, as you will hear in this clip, so in 1862 it was shortened to 24 notes and re-named Taps.

Melissa Venema is playing it on a trumpet; the original was played on a bugle of course.

This is the epitome of Honor . . .

- STORMBRINGER SENDS

'Best Bits' (LOVE Advent 2013)

OUR GIRL AT 27................from Shelly

Hillary at 27 - Whew!! Her record is not very comforting and not admirable, either ! Yet, she will probably run for President. Interesting that a more lengthy treatment by the Daily Kos posted back in 2008, was recently removed from their site.

Becoming Venezuela, aspiring to Cuban....................from Rico

"Painting the tape" is a Wall Street staple. - End of month, and end of year it masks spotty actual performance and assures better bonuses. This year, 2013 ends with a simply stellar example of it. Look at the DJIA chart for the last trading day of 2013. - Note the 'magical' end-of-day ramp-up before the close. This allows the FTV and other teleprompter readers and talking heads to crow "the Dow ended it's best year snce 1995" (while ignoring the +39% increase in the Fed's balance sheet). There was a corresponding effort to smash Gold and Silver to create 'lows' in Gold and Silver for 2013 to mark a clear contrast to equities. - Just to drive the point home for the slower Muppets that 'paper good, physical bad' and for the sheeple tht 'everything is swell, no worries' in case they were to doubt the power of the Fed and the intellectual capacity of their betters. All said and done, in a Socialist Centrally Planned Paradise there is no point in worryig about facts or reality when there is an ample supply of misinformation, delusion, propaganda, and wishful thinking to get you through hard times! - The markets are UP, huzzah! We be better off now. Ahem. Tell that to the Venezuelans. - The Venezuelan market jumped +475% in 2013, and is UP 350,000% since 1992. See? Socialism is not only GOOD for you, but 'for your own good' too! [Pssst! Wanna buy a watch? Maybe a nice bridge?] Please to ignore that almost the last industries functioning in America now are tattoos, burger-flipping, and banking [looting edition]. 2014 will see a change from America becoming Venezuela, to becoming Cuba...thanks to Obamacare, but that is another topic.

H/T HJB

Kim Jong-un [HEARTS] Obamacare!

Pic Dump.................

Bonus Totty................

Why you have a hangover this morning and what you can do about it!...from TPC

Waking up this morning a little bit hungover? 

Hopefully the information in this article about hangovers will help you feel better today and avoid these same feelings the next time!

Read at The Political Commentator here.

News.................

Scaring Children about Climate - some good news, and some bad news at the end of 2013

 Halabja district to be made province

 AQAP suicide assault team targets security HQ in Aden

 Entire Military Has No Idea What Happened Last Night, But It Was Probably Bad

 7 steps that’ll land Obama in jail Obama pollster: reporters should stop covering polls in 2014 (can't blame him)

 NYT Had Reporter 'Talking to the Attackers' During Benghazi Massacre

Afghanistan-Pakistan: The Covert War

 How the West was lost by the selfie president

 State Dept. whistleblower has email hacked, deleted

Coercing Conformity

H/T Shelly

H/T DJ Elliott

2014 social collapse: Pessimism or Realism?...from TPC

Utilizing any number of different metrics, including the fact that the Obama administration is in power, social collapse in 2014 would not come as any great surprise! 

This article examines one specific aspect of societal collapse that may have already arrived.

At The Political Commentator here.

New Years Totty...............

The Political Commentator has reached a reader milestone!...from TPC

The Political Commentator has passed a blogging milestone with more than 100,000 visitors in the month of January and over 2,500,000 all-time!

Check it out at TPC here.

St. James's Church Apartheid Wall

Story here, "London's St. James's Church in Piccadilly Builds 'Apartheid Wall' to Demonize Israel":

In a climate in which every Jewish communal or religious event, every Jewish school and institution in Britain has to be guarded against attack, and in which there is a direct correlation between the emotive lies told about Israel and attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions, for one of your churches to lend itself to such incitement is simply obscene.

The ‘wall’ is of course a stunt. But the damage it has done to the Church of England is immense. Because what it does is put the Church on the side of lies and hatred against truth and justice. It has put the Church of England on the side of evil.

The only purpose of Israel’s security barrier is to save life and prevent mass murder. The only purpose of the St James’s Church ‘Bethlehem Unwrapped’ stunt is to stir up hatred.

More here.

Year-End Hotness

My second-annual edition.

Here, "Emily Ratajkowski: American Power's Woman of the Year for 2013."

Hot legs. Hot breasts. Nice face.

Pretty hot lady with accolades all around.

Click through for additional pics.

The People vs Winter..................

H/T Doverthere

Happy New Year Veterans.........................from Rico

A warm Happy New Year to my fellow veterans...those entering the new year with me, and those who never will again.

Bedtime Totty.................

Late News...............

You may properly regard obama as the sacrificia​l goat staked out for the tiger ....

 Dumping irrationality as a national strategy by Caroline Glick

France: The Looming Battle over Muslim Integratio​n

9 Reasons We're All Gonna Die in 2014 - If You Think Like a Liberal

Time to Stock Up on Incandesce​nt Bulbs Before They Go Out Permanentl​y

 2013 Man of the Year: The American Soldier

 Life in the Emerging American Police State: What’s in Store for Our Freedoms in 2014?

Exclusive: US “framework” calls for 80,000 Israeli West Bank evacuations to the big settlement blocs

 Putin vows 'total annihilation' of terrorists after Volgograd bombings

Zimbabwe ambassador to Australia: 'I cannot go back - I fear for my safety'

Kim Jong-un spends New Year's Eve skiing in his 'impeccable' resort

We Know They're Scum; Now Let's Get Rid of Them!............................from Dan Friedman

[Apparently, the sewers overflowed at the Democrat’s HQ, MSNBC, again. The pathetic low lives don’t know which way is up or down. Even though their stench is driving people away in droves, there must still be enough loose change to keep the idiots on the air. If anyone from MSNBC asks you to “lean forward,” insist they wear latex gloves first. Cleaning their clock in the House and Senate in November, and getting our White House back in American hands in 2016 is our best chance, and our last hope, for revenge.  df]

MSNBC Panel Makes Fun of Romney’s Black Adopted Grandchild (NR Online)

Democratic Party Panic

By Alan Caruba

On December 28th, the Democratic National Committee sent an email to “Obama for America” supporters. The subject line was “Impeachment.” 

“What do these people have in common?” asked the text as it quoted Republican James Inhofe of Oklahoma, Rep. Michele Bachman of Minnesota, Rep. Kerry Bentivivolio of Michigan, and Rep. Blake Farenhold of Texas, all of whom discussed the possibility of impeaching Obama, citing instances of official misconduct. The DNC said, “Republicans are actually excited about the idea.”

Ten days earlier, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chair of the DNC, had sent an email to supporters updating them on the party’s strategy to win elections in 2014. “What you need is good strategy, smart people, and ideas you’re proud to stand behind…” The one thing missing from the email was the mention of a single idea. No mention of Obamacare, amnesty, or any other Democratic policies.
 

When I visited Democrats.org on December 29, the website was telling members that “The economy could face a credit downgrade if Republicans continue to threaten to default on our loans.”  No mention of the first such downgrade in the history of the nation which occurred during Obama’s first term and was a response to the nearly six trillion dollars he had added to the nation’s debt.

Under the headline “Dirtier”, the DNC claimed that “All the gains we’ve made for our environment, like two million acres of preserved land and rivers will be on the line.”  That’s right, Republicans want dirtier air and water, and the way to protect the nation is to ensure that millions of acres cannot be used by Americans, especially if there is lots of coal or oil is under those acres. According to Wikipedia, “As of March 2012, out of the 2.27 billion acres in the country, about 28% of the total was owned by American citizens represented by the National Federal government according to the Interior Department.^” That’s right, more than a quarter of all the landmass of the nation is owned by the federal government.

The headline “Less Fair” was followed by “Our voter protection efforts and workplace equality work will be undone” but it is Democrats who oppose any state effort to pass laws that require proof of citizenship or even residency. And, under “Less Healthy” it accused all who want to “’Repeal Obamacare’. Need we say more?” Apparently a law that deprives you of your personal physician and imposes higher costs on government-approved healthcare insurance plans is a good thing.

Not only are we witnessing a full scale panic in the Democratic National Committee, we can read just how devoid of any truth and any sense any of their policies are. If a few Republicans in Congress had a passing comment on impeaching President Obama, it comes as no surprise whatever.

In late December, Forbes magazine published an article by Ira Shapiro, a senior fellow in constitutional studies at the Cato Institute and editor-in-chief of the Cato Supreme Court Review. The title was “President Obama’s Top 10 Constitutional Violations of 2013.” Shapiro didn’t even have to go back any further to include others during his first term.

Among those cited was Obama’s delay of out-of-pocket caps, a change that requires actual legislation. Similarly, the delay of Obamacare’s employer mandate was cited because, if Obamacare is the “law of the land”, such changes require action by Congress. Several other changes to Obamacare by the President were cited for the same reason.

Political profiling by the IRS was cited such as an internal BOLO, “Be on the lookout”. for organizations engaged in political activities, citing “Tea Party”, “Patriots” and “Israel” as words to identify them. The targeting continued through May 2013 until it was exposed. 

You can read Shapiro’s article here.

What Republicans and independents know and Democrats do not want to acknowledge is that Obamacare is, to use its most frequent description, “a disaster.” Many suspect that Obama was and is ineligible to be President. The birth certificate put forward by the White House has been declared a forgery. His Social Security number is suspect. It is common knowledge that his college records are all sealed even though he may have applied for admission as a “foreign student.”

So, yes, the Democratic National Committee has a lot to hide about the President and its support for legislation and regulations based on “climate change” and other liberal notions that lack the knowledge of science and warp its practice. It continues to advocate spending billions, if not trillions, the U.S. does not have. And, finally, the President’s foreign policies—not mentioned in its emails or on its website—have been a dismal failure, making the world more dangerous.

The Democratic Party has one thing going for it---the mainstream media. In the Sunday before the New Year, the New York Times published a 7,000-word article claiming that the attack on the Benghazi consulate where our ambassador and three others were killed was not related to al Qaeda. In the words of former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, “What difference does it make?” Answer: A lot. This “newspaper” is the U.S. equivalent of Pravda during the days of Stalin.

In November, Americans have the opportunity to remove Democratic Senators and Representatives who voted for Obamacare and replace them with candidates who believe the Constitution means what it says.

© Alan Caruba, 2013

Law Haw-Haw.....................from Rico

Few likely remember the character known as Lord Haw-Haw from WWII. - No matter I guess, today we have modern replacement. Law Haw-Haw. When a really bad 'joke' of a law is made and enacted by Congressional 'jokers' and then turned into an even bigger 'joke' by a Marxist 'joker' who ...while supposed to uphold the law instead changes-modifies-tweaks the law ignoring Congress...then we have the biggest damned joke of all time. ObamaCare is a Haw-Haw law, in a banana-fueled Marxist regime where there is no longer any rule of law. - It's probably for the best that Lady Liberty and the Constitutional Republic formerly known as the United States are no longer around to see what a travesty and JOKE the 'fundamentally changed' USSA has become today.

Victoria's Secret Swim 2014 Teaser

ZoNATION: Part Two--2013 in Review: Transparency Arrogancy

President Obama was elected with the promise of transparency. So why is this the President who has had NSA leaks, who's promises have been directly confronted by Edward Snowden, and an IRS scandal that only Nixon could have dreamed of. Transparency arrogancy is what this is.

How Absolutley Perfect........................from Rico

As everyone must surely be aware, New Year's Eve day is not exactly a 'busy' or 'high volume' trading day. How absolutely PERFECT then, is this crystal clear "in your face" paper manipulation by the Cartel? - This will have China backing up the truck to buy bullion at fire sale prices. Come to think of it, that is just what I should be doing right now instead of typing this! Oh yeah, running the stops and harvesting the Muppets to close out yet another year of criminal market rigging sends a perfect message. - This is exactly what the "wise guys" get those fat bonuses for...stealing with both hands in broad daylight.

 

Bibi Redefines "Chutzpah".......................from Rico

[I don't know about you, but I think the odds of Netanyahu attacking Iran's nuclear weapons facilities are slim to none - with “none” the heavy favorite. Bibi serves too many gods to have anything left for the One who protects Israel and the Jewish people. df]

Netanyahu Complains after Opening the Door to Free Terrorists

Jewish Press News Briefs

December 31st, 2013

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu led the move to free murderers of Jews to continue “peace talks” and then criticized the Palestinian Authority for celebrating the return of terrorists early Tuesday morning. He also said  after freeing the murderers, by itself a threat to further terror, that there will not be peace unless Israel defends itself from threats.

"The Tea Party Quiz" - Wild Bill

Are you Tea Party but don't know it? Bill helps you discover your standing.

Bonus Totty.................

It's all "fixed'.......................from Rico

Just like with LIBOR, the FX markets, and everything else you can think of ad nauseum (every market today is 'rigged' [read: fixed] by the central banks and their wise-guy cronies), the operating directive being "never give a sucker an even break" so it has been with precious metals market manipulation. - Yes, rigging. Fixing. This is now out of the realm of tinfoil hat 'conspiracy theory' and a cold, hard fact. Take a look at what Bloomberg has come up with! - Gold, on average, over 20 years, has been 'smashed' into the (pm) London fix. - Silver, on average, over 15 years, has been 'smashed' into the (am) London fix. Ann Barnhardt,to her eternal credit, was first to comment to the effect that if you were still in these markets you were either stupid, or on drugs in the wake of the MF Global/JPM-enabled heist of segregated customer funds. The system is now so completely and thoroughly rotten and corrupt, you have a better chance of 'winning' shooting craps against a guy who is using loaded dice. - Both she and none other than Jim Sinclair have long been warning the Muppets to GOTS (get out of the system) most ricky-tick [read: if not yesterday, NOW].

NewsBusted 12/31/13

LFL AUSTRALIA | WEEK 3 | WESTERN AUSTRALIA ANGELS vs. NEW SOUTH WALES SURGE

Tuesday Totty.................

What is the quenelle salute and why are Barack Obama and Tony Parker using it?...from TPC

This article explains what the quenelle salute is and why it might be used by famous athletes and politicians from Tony Parker to Barack Obama. Is it ant-Semitism, hate or something else?

At The Political Commentator here.

I am Jewish! I hate Pajama Boy!...from TPC

In two short sentences I have disproved the liberal argument that conservatives hate Pajama Boy because Pajama Boy is Jewish! 

At The Political Commentator here.

Fabulous Kennedy Summers Pictorial: Climax to the Year!

Great stuff.

A real beauty.

See, "Miss Kennedy Summers."

Smokin'! A real climax boys!

NYT's Benghazi Whitewash

See, "The New York Times Revives Benghazi Video Lie to Save Hillary."

Also, "The New York Times' Benghazi Whitewash," and "New York Times Report Claims 'No Evidence' of al-Qaeda Role in Benghazi Consulate Attack."


d

Critics Call for Boycott of Rose Parade Over Homosexual Wedding on AIDS Float

This is no joke and no hoax.

You can't make this sh*t up with the depraved regressive leftists.

See, "Homosexuals to Marry on Rose Parade Float — DURING THE ROSE PARADE!"

A San Diego woman is leading the call for a boycott, saying:

...the [homo] wedding is a slap to those that don't support it and the 30 states that haven't approved it.

"My stand is mainly to support the voters of California who have said no to this," said [Ms.] Grube.

Bedtime Totty................

Education [none], ObamaCare [doesn't care]..................from Rico

America's last Socialist President Jimmy Carter established the federal Department of Education, which has been either a huge failure (if you think kids should actually be educated) or a gigantic success (if you believe that an illiterate mouth-breathing populace is a good idea). I cannot tell exactly what Billy BJ was as a President, since he kept getting 'distracted' by....ahem, matters unrelated to politics....but suspect that if he had been able to control his urges may have been somewhere between Carter's Socialism and Barry's Communism. This segues neatly to Barry Whatever-his-real-name-is, the current pResident who is a flaming Marxist, make no mistake. Elected twice courtesy of an illiterate majority (thanks Jimmuh), his major 'achievement' in the namesake ObamaCare looks like it will accomplish what is advertised in this signage which was doubtless made by a burger-flipping graduate of government-run skools. Life does imitate art sometimes, as ObamaCare promises to be a real anus pounder for America.