Sunday, January 31, 2016

CALLER:  And I remember at that time, ironically, you were talking about how the media says that you scare away 24-year-old women. So I laughed at the irony of that situation.  I challenged my wife, who was my girlfriend at the time, and I said, "Hey, will you listen to him?" and she reluctantly agreed, and would you imagine? In one week's time she was hooked.  Absolutely hooked.

RUSH:  No kidding.  Normally it takes six weeks. We encourage six weeks here.  But you pulled it off faster. She did it in one week.

CALLER:  One week, one week.  You know, the first few days I didn't hear much out of her, and on her lunch she would listen from the monologue from like 12 to 12:30, and she's like, "Man, he's making sense. He's making sense."  And, sure enough, you're a regular topic. And, for three years, I just wanted to let you know --

RUSH:  You know, it had to be culture shock.

CALLER:  Oh, yeah.

RUSH:  What do you think she thought she was gonna hear?  I mean, she hears all this just BS they say about this program.

CALLER:  She heard MSNBC, you know? She's since become so far right-wing.  I'm just absolutely proud of her.  She's a big Cruz girl and Trump supporter also at the same time.
The media says that Rush scares away 24 year old women? That seems mighty specific. I think that Limbaugh repulses men and women of all ages.

Rush should take a college course in statistics. One person is a mighty tiny sample to be boasting about.

I guess it shouldn't surprise me that the caller refers to his wife as a girl. Obviously, she's no feminazi.

Here is more from the same radio broadcast:
RUSH:  You hang on, and Snerdley will get your FedEx address, and we're gonna --

CALLER:  Great.

RUSH:  -- send you some Rush Revere stuff.
CALLER:  You don't have to do that, thank you.

RUSH:  Gonna send you some Rush Revere stuff.

CALLER:  Thank you so much. I highly appreciate that, Rush.

RUSH:  For your daughter, the little cuddly Liberty doll, which is a great, great --

CALLER:  Thank you.  We absolutely love you.  My father turned me on to you, but I didn't start listening 'til I was about 18, now I'm 29, I listen to you every day almost if I can, depending on my work schedule.

RUSH:  Well --

CALLER:  But I always go to RushLimbaugh.com, check out the transcripts, et cetera.

RUSH:  That's awesome.

CALLER:  We absolutely love you.

RUSH:  I can't tell you how flattered I am, how much --

CALLER:  Oh, thank you.

RUSH:  -- I appreciate it.  So hang on, we'll send your daughter, she'll grow into this stuff, she'll eventually like the Liberty doll. I mean, she may even like that now.  And we'll send some stuff, audio versions of the books and a real book signed, and I'll throw a picture in there or something.  So you just hang on, this is how we'll do it.  As we get our hooks into another future American adult, one child at a time here on the EIB.

Yes, just like all the "great" religions of the world Rush believes in getting them when they are young.

I had to look up EIB. It means The European Investment Bank. However, one person with a big fat idiotic ego thinks that it means "excellence in broadcasting".

Nye’s Wet Dream Is Very Demanding?

Bill Nye ‘The Science Guy’ is Demanding That NASCAR Make This Huge Change to Save the World:
Anyone who loved Bill Nye ‘The Science Guy’ as a kid is likely disappointed to see that he’s become a flaming liberal spouting global warming rhetoric lately. His latest crazy scheme is to convince NASCAR to use electric cares instead of using fuel — you know, for the environment.
How stupid is this? No, not Bill Nye, but someone who could write a sentence that is so biased that they can't imagine a world that has flaming liberals in it. The author, Cassy Fiano, should know that many of us feel the Bern. Also most scientists believe all that "global warming rhetoric".

A race with electric cars would still be a race. If the speed freaks complained that the electric cars didn't go fast enough, perhaps it would encourage scientists and engineers to innovate and make them go so fast that you couldn't see them.

I must say that I do admit that racing electric cares is a crazy scheme.

More Hot Air From Hot Air

The "New York Times" is endorsing John Kasich on the Republican side and Hillary Clinton on the Democratic side.

A Chance to Reset the Republican Race:
The battle to be the Republican choice for president has been nasty, brutish and anything but short. The hope among some Republicans is that the Iowa caucuses on Monday and the New Hampshire primary on Feb. 9 will promote a candidate who can appeal to the half of their electorate that doesn’t support the two current front-runners.
Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, though a distinct underdog, is the only plausible choice for Republicans tired of the extremism and inexperience on display in this race. And Mr. Kasich is no moderate. As governor, he’s gone after public-sector unions, fought to limit abortion rights and opposed same-sex marriage.
This endorsement seems to be very upsetting to Ed Morrisey, and it seems he must expel some hot air.

I think that he wanted them to endorse Jesus, as expelled here: Sunday reflection: Luke 4:21–30:
“Sunday Reflection” is a regular feature, looking at the specific readings used in today’s Mass in Catholic parishes around the world. The reflection represents only my own point of view, intended to help prepare myself for the Lord’s day and perhaps spark a meaningful discussion.
Love never fails. This is the message of the prophets; it is the message of the Gospels. Even in Nazareth, where repentance and introspection get discarded for anger and retribution, the light of Christ will lead people back to their faithful union with the Lord. God does not brood over injury or rejoice over wrongdoing but eternally hopes in our return to Him through our own free will, for our sake. That is the love, or caritas or agape, to which we are called, and which brings us closest to God.

Gil Fulbright For President

"I may not be qualified to be president, but a dramatic camera angle can make me look like a president." - Gil Fulbright




Donald Trump is not qualified to be president, and nothing can make him look like a president. I'd rather vote for Gil Fulbright than vote for Donald Trump. I think that Trump would do things that would be destructive. I don't think Fulbright would do anything, and maybe that would be a good thing. At least he would tell the truth. I also think that Fulbright would give better speeches than Thedonald.

"Honest Gil" Fulbright isn't a real candidate. He's an actor, and Gil's campaign for the White House is a satire that's been viewed more than three million times on social media.

It makes you chuckle, but there is a serious point to his pitch.

"He's just shining a light on how politicians are routinely being bribed by special interest lobbyists, and swaying their votes in their favor, and the people who are left out are we, the American people," said Josh Silver, the director of represent.us, the grassroots organization behind Gil Fulbright that's working to pass laws combating the influence of moneyed interests in American politics.

"To be successful," said Reynolds, "you would need to have these guys in Congress vote against their self interest, right?"

"Well, that's why we're doing what we're doing," Silver said.
It is my belief that the world would be a better place if people stayed home on Sunday morning and watched "CBS Sunday Morning".

Philip Glass Was Born On January 31, 1937



Philip Glass:
Philip Morris Glass (born January 31, 1937) is a classical American composer. He is considered one of the most influential music makers of the late 20th century. His music is also often controversially described as minimal music, along with the work of the other "major minimalists" La Monte Young, Terry Riley and Steve Reich.

Glass has distanced himself from the "minimalist" label, describing himself instead as a composer of "music with repetitive structures".

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Corporate Criminals

United States Senator Elizabeth Warren today released a report titled Rigged Justice: How Weak Enforcement Lets Corporate Offenders Off Easy. The report, the first in an annual series on enforcement, highlights 20 of the most egregious civil and criminal cases during the past year in which federal settlements failed to require meaningful accountability to deter future wrongdoing and to protect taxpayers and families.

"Much of the public and media attention on Washington focuses on enacting laws. And strong laws are important - prosecutors must have the statutory tools they need to hold corporate criminals accountable," the report states. "But putting a law on the books is only the first step.  The second, and equally important, step is enforcing that law.  A law that is not enforced - or weakly enforced - may as well not even be a law at all."

"When government regulators and prosecutors fail to pursue big corporations or their executives who violate the law, or when the government lets them off with a slap on the wrist, corporate criminals have free rein to operate outside the law. They can game the system, cheat families, rip off taxpayers, and even take actions that result in the death of innocent victims-all with no serious consequences."
Next I'd like to see someone go after government criminals and hold them accountable.

Quote Of Note - Elizabeth Warren

"The next president can rebuild faith in our institutions by honoring the simple notion that nobody is above the law, but it will happen only if voters demand it." - Elizabeth Warren

Tony Levin And Tony Levin

Tony Levin was born on January 30th, and Tony Levin was not.

I wonder if they have ever played in a band together?

For Abe Vigoda Fans

Remembering Abe Vigoda On ‘Barney Miller’ Saturday:
Loveable character actor Abe Vigoda, who died Tuesday at age 94, will be saluted with a 12-episode marathon of his best episodes on “Barney Miller” Saturday (4-10 p.m., Antenna TV).
As they say, check your local listings.

Antenna TV also broadcasts "Barney Miller" on a regular/daily basis. I've been tuning in sometimes and enjoying this very non-violent cop show. I've also been enjoying "Newhart" on Antenna TV.

Again, as they say, check your local listings.

Steve Marriott Was Born On January 30, 1947

Steve Marriott was not just a singer.



Steve Marriott:
Stephen Peter "Steve" Marriott (30 January 1947 – 20 April 1991) was an English musician, songwriter and frontman of two notable rock and roll bands, spanning over two decades. Marriott is remembered for his powerful singing voice which belied his small stature, and for his aggressive approach as a guitarist in mod rock bands Small Faces (1965–1969) and Humble Pie (1969–1975 and 1980–1981). Marriott was inducted posthumously into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of Small Faces.

I do not know where the above video is from. I do not know if it is available on DVD. Does anyone reading this have any information? If so, please share.

Friday, January 29, 2016

Testing Testing Testing

Comments are welcome.

Is this thing on?

Suddenly, I Think Less Of Warren Buffett

Oh No!!! Rush Is Kinda Sorta Making Sense

Here is Rush Limbaugh talking about last nights GOP debate:

Well, that's the larger point here is that I've had it said to me if once it's been 10 times, that people are a little worn out with these debates ending up being debates between the moderators and the candidates, not the debates between the candidates and the candidates themselves.  And it comes across as gotcha.  And of course the moderators say, "No, our job is to vet these people for you.  Our job is to expose them."
I kinda, sorta agree with Mr. Limbaugh. The debates are not really debates, they are question and answer sessions.

However, let's look at what is missing here.

First: Megyn Kelly is a woman. She asks the candidates "hard" questions and makes them look stupid. Using his dog-whistle Rush does tell us that she should be put in her place. I tend to believe that Rush wouldn't be so upset if the moderator was a man. By the way, Donald Trump is a women-hating chicken.

Second: The debates actually used to be debates. The League of Women Voters used to sponsor the debates. Now we have The Commission on Presidential Debates (notice the doublespeak name), and now we no longer have debates. Also, no more third party candidates allowed. The Commission on Presidential Debates "was created by and for the Republican and Democratic parties and often submits to their nominees’ wishes at the expense of voter education." By the way, Donald Trump is a women-hating chicken.

Third: A smart person is unlikely to fall for a "gotcha" question. Hillary Clinton comes to mind. (I'm not a big fan.) Also, I tend to think that "gotcha" questions don't exist, because a smart person would not get "got". By the way, Donald Trump is a women-hating chicken.

I don't know how Mr. Limbaugh feels about it, but I would rather keep the journalists out of the debates. I would rather see someone who has actual experience moderating debates be the moderator. Do university professors still do this? By the way, did I mention that Donald Trump is a women-hating chicken?

Funny And Upsetting At The Same Time

Five things that atheists don’t want you to know:
This is an experiment in PuffHo/BuzzFeed/Thrillist clickbaiting. So, here goes:  “Five Things That We Atheists Don’t Want You to Know About Us.”
If you are curious, then click the above link. It's worth your time. You need to see it, to see what I think is funny. Kudos to Jerry Coyne. I think he might have another career as a humorist specializing in parody.

The reason I think that this is upsetting is because it is all too real.

On the one hand is the fact that some people (too many people) actually believe the five things.

On the other hand is the fact that there are way too many internet sites that use all kinds of gimmicks to try to get people to their site, and click, click, click... Sites like these make me run, not stay. (10 Things To Improve Your Sex Life.) I don't bookmark them. I really hate the techniques that they use. Jerry Coyne mentions three sites. There are probably thousands and things seem to be getting worse. Thank Ceiling Cat for Mr. Coynes site. It tends to be very civil there, and it actually has words that you can read. Lots of them. I don't know how he does it.

Let's set content aside for a moment. There are some horrible religious and right-wing sites out there. I mean this from a design perspective. Pop-up crap, java-script crap (I don't go to marketwatch.com anymore because without java-scipt all you see is a blank page), ads and other stuff that gets in the way so much it becomes hard to find the content. Another thing that is irksome are pages that refresh every half second. Also all kind of moving things that take your attention away from everything else. I find it hard to read when something on the page is moving. Things slide out from the side, and things slide out from the bottom. This is all very annoying to say the least. When I look at the content I tend to think that it's all crap as well, but that's another story.

Many religious and right-wing sites are full of ads that simply promote themselves. As an example try Anne Coulter or Rush Limbaugh. Gee, you would think that the world revolved around them.

Try religionnews.com or rightsidenews.com to see an example of an annoying pop-up that wants you to subscribe to them. To be fair religious and right-wing sites are not the only ones to do this.

I wonder how many people are driven away from a site because of its bad design?

How did Google ever become successful without all of this crap, I'll never know.

Other than mine, do you have a unfavorite crappy site suggestion that fits this description?

The Republican Candidates Are Acting Worse Than Second Graders

Jeb Bush misses his teddy bear. Donald Trump acts like a bully and then is afraid when someone stands up to him. Ted Cruz resorts to mocking the bully when he is not around. 

GOP rivals mock Trump, try to make the most of his absence:
Absent Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidates strained to take advantage of a rare opportunity to step out of the front-runner's shadow in Thursday night's debate — a staid, policy-heavy contest that offered a glimpse of what the GOP contest might have been without the unpredictable businessman.

Still, the candidates couldn't resist mocking Trump, who boycotted the final debate before Iowa kicks off voting in the 2016 campaign on Monday.

"I'm a maniac and everyone on this stage is stupid, fat and ugly," said Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who is competing with Trump for the lead in Iowa. Cruz then thanked his fellow candidates for showing Iowa voters respect by showing up.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a frequent target of Trump, said with a wry smile, "I kind of miss Donald Trump; he was a teddy bear to me."
All of this seems incredibly childish to me, especially Trump being afraid of a little girl.

Is Anyone Checking The Facts?

No one ever really doubted that Donald Trump could pull off a major counter-programing feat -- even when competing with a GOP debate that was expected to draw millions of viewers.
He did it Thursday night, dazzling a crowd of hundreds of enthusiastic supporters by announcing that he had raised more than $6 million for veterans in one day -- $1 million of it from his own checkbook. "We love our vets," he said.
Isn't this bribery and playing on people's emotions on a grand scale?

The GOP is the reason we have so many disabled vets in the first place.

Whatever happened to "Throwing money at a problem is not a solution", which is one of the typical criticisms of liberals by conservatives. (I do realize that conservatives want charities and churches to be the ones "throwing the money".)

Don't get me wrong, six million to help veterans is a good thing. I just don't trust Trump.

The GOP Scrapes The Bottom Of The Barrel And Finds Icky Stuff

Unfortunately for Americans the GOP and the media insist on shoving all the things from the bottom of their barrel down our throats.

Femi-Nazi Obama Comments On Luxury Items For Women

Good news if you’re a female resident of California, Utah and Virginia: You might soon join the minority of U.S. women who aren’t taxed on their periods.

Currently, 40 states tax feminine hygiene products, a June 2015 report from Fusion found. While 45 states have tax exemptions for “necessities” like groceries, tampons—strangely—are considered “luxury” or otherwise inessential items, and are therefore subject to state taxes.

Meanwhile, in 15 states (and D.C.) that do tax tampons, candy is considered a tax-exempt staple grocery. Some products viewed as tax-exempt necessities are questionable, to say the least: In New York, admission to live circus performances is not taxed, but feminine hygiene products are.
At home, there’s hope for women who live in the majority of states that still somehow consider tampons a luxury. The issue has been getting a lot of press lately, with even President Obama admitting he doesn’t understand why the tax exists.

When asked this month by YouTube personality Ingrid Nilsen why tampons are considered luxury items in so many states, the president replied, “I suspect it’s because men were making the laws when those taxes were passed.”

Trump Tax Plan

Simply put, Trump’s plan to lower the tax rate paid by American’s wealthiest citizens likely would not be revenue-neutral for the federal government, and in fact would likely increase the deficit unless economic growth took off to an unprecedented degree and/or Trump changes his plans to increase military spending significantly.
To be sure, any tax plan proposed by any potential president rarely is adopted and enacted as-is by Congress. And given the rabid partisanship in Washington, Trump’s plan—even if Republicans were to continue their majorities in the House and Senate—probably would not emerge unscathed. That said, the Trump tax agenda is generally one that most Republicans would support in principle, and if largely adopted, would be a boost for dividend-paying stocks and for the owners of those stocks.

Dumbass Quote Of Note - Ted Cruz

"I’m a Christian first, American second, conservative third and Republican fourth. I’ll tell ya, there are a whole lot of people in this country that feel exactly the same way." - Ted Cruz

James Jamerson Was Born On January 29, 1936



James Jamerson:
James Lee Jamerson (January 29, 1936 – August 2, 1983) was an American bass player. He was the uncredited bassist on most of the Motown Records hits in the 1960s and early 1970s (Motown did not list session musician credits on their releases until 1971) and is now regarded as one of the most influential bass players in modern music history. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. As a session musician he played on 30 Billboard #1 hits, as well as over 70 R&B #1 hits, more than any other bass player in both categories.
Jamerson's discography at Motown reads as a catalog of soul hits of the 1960s and 1970s. His work includes Motown hits such as, among hundreds of others, "Shotgun" by Jr. Walker & the All Stars, "For Once in My Life," "I Was Made To Love Her" by Stevie Wonder, "Going to a Go-Go" by The Miracles, "My Girl" by The Temptations, "Dancing in the Street" by Martha and the Vandellas, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Gladys Knight and the Pips, and later by Marvin Gaye, and most of the album What's Going On by Marvin Gaye, "Reach Out I'll Be There" and "Bernadette" by the Four Tops, and "You Can't Hurry Love" by The Supremes.
I'm about 100% sure that this video is lip synced to the original recording. Therefore, I'm about 100% sure that the bass player is James Jamerson.

Nice sax solo too. Does anyone know who is playing the sax solo?

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Growing Secularist Voting Bloc

Atheists Will Assemble Outside GOP Presidential Debate to Protest and Make This Key Demand:

Atheist activists are planning a demonstration outside of the Republican presidential debate in Iowa on Thursday evening, where they will publicly demand “a separation of religion from government,” according to a press release announcing secularists’ intentions.

The protest, which will be held outside of the Iowa Events Center — the site of the final GOP debate before the caucuses — is intended to help bring about awareness of the issues that atheist, agnostic and “non-theist” voters care about, while also touting free speech.

The tagline for the event is, “Keep Your Theocracy Out of Our Democracy.”

Rory Moe of the Central Iowa Coalition of Reason said that demonstrators hope to shed light on a growing, secularist voting bloc.

Because Tom DeLay Knows A Thing Or Two About Criminal Charges

Following the (heavily redacted) release of more than 80 percent of the e-mails from her private server and a letter the intelligence community inspector sent to high ranking lawmakers on Capitol Hill, Hillary Clinton may soon face criminal charges, according to former U.S. House Majority leader Tom DeLay.
I'm not sure I would cite Tom DeLay as a reliable source.

Comments Are Welcome

Feel free to comment on anything.

The Puritan Hard Drive

Can an atheist buy a Puritan Hard Drive? Can a Catholic buy one?

Too Many Guns? It's Obama's Fault

Gun Salesman of the Decade: Barack Hussein Obama:
The voice of the American people is heard loud and clear through gun sales.
Secondly, on December 02, 2015, it was reported that Black Friday gun sales broke all previous records, this information coming directly from the FBI.

Fortune magazine reminds us, that on December 21, 2012, shortly after the alleged Sandy Hook incident, when the government started upping its rhetoric on restricting gun rights, that Americans headed out to the stores and armed up in droves.

In other words, Barack Hussein Obama is the gun salesman of the last decade.
The alleged Sandy Hook incident?

Because the author of "Gun Salesman of the Decade: Barack Hussein Obama" did not correctly link to "the alleged Sandy Hook incident" I'll assume that it is an alleged link. Just joking. Unfortunately it is real. Here is the link. Do people actually believe this? That no children died? I mean, come on, even Victoria Jackson believes that children died.

The author of "Gun Salesman of the Decade: Barack Hussein Obama" is Bradlee Dean. He is a Son Of Liberty. He also does a show on the Genesis Communications Network.

Bradlee Dean may have been on LSD when he wrote "Gun Salesman of the Decade: Barack Hussein Obama" because he quotes some mighty strange Bible verses.

Here are some examples:
Disarming Americans in the face of domestic terrorism, and telling Americans that this will help combat ISIS? Really? (Psalm 94:20)
Remember America, Barry cannot go a day without thinking about the first graders that were allegedly shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary. Yet, no administration to date has advocated the murder of innocent children in the womb more than this criminal (Proverbs 6:17).
So, what Americans are being told by this lying administration fails the test of truth. In fact, the opposite is true (Isaiah 5:20).
Over the last 7 years of this, as well as the preceding administration, Americans have been under attack because of the crimes of the administrations. To parallel these crimes against the people, consider that our forefathers threw off the tyranny of King George for such activity with the cry of Thomas Jefferson, “Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God” (Romans 12:21).
I didn't know that the Bible has hyperlinks.

I assume that Bradlee Dean owns a few guns. If he is an example of a responsible gun owner, then we are all doomed. No wonder these guys are against background checks.

This can't be real, can it? Maybe I've been punked. I sure hope so.

Why does God want us to have guns?

And if God really does want us to have guns, why can't people like Bradlee Dean see that Obama is doing HIS work?


Quote Of Note - Son House

“Yes I’m gonna get me religion. I’m gonna join the Baptist Church. You know I wanna be a Baptist preacher. Just so I won’t have to work” - Son House

Imaginary Leftists Tell You Stuff

From A Chris Pratt Instagram Post:

prattprattprattIt's 3:20am. I got picked up for work at 6:45am yesterday. I'm not good with math, especially after being up for approximately 61 hours but I think I've been up for over 77 hours. I did a table read for Guardians of the Galaxy 2 this morning and then shot all day on Passengers and just now wrapped some 144 hours later. Weirdly both films, which iI'l be shooting back to back, are being shot in Atlanta at Pinewood studios. We have the best crew. Total rock stars busting their asses. And the stuff we're shooting. My God. I can't wait for you to see it. I go back in in about 8 hours to do more. I am doing what I love. It doesn't feel like work. Even though it is. I'm having fun. I'm overcome with joy and gratitude. I felt like posting this to say to anyone out there chasing your dream... Fifteen years ago I felt the same passion I feel today, but I had very little opportunity. I had to hustle hard and go hungry. I had to eat sardines and figure out how to get gas money. And I never had a plan B. I never stopped believing. Ever. Don't give up. Apply constant pressure for as long as it takes. It will break before you do. Go get it. 

This post from Chris Pratt somehow inspired this rant from Steven Crowder:
Leftists tell you that you can’t make it in America. Leftists tell you the cards are stacked against you. Leftists tell you hard work isn’t enough. Leftists tell you that you can’t pay for your own healthcare. Leftists tell you that you can’t get paid what your worth. Leftists tell you social classes are immobile.

Essentially, leftists are telling you that Chris Pratt’s words are a lie.
Can you connect the dots? I can't.

There are no citations and no quotes from actual leftists. We just have a right-winger telling us what his imaginary leftists tell us.

I Assume That Norway Has No Roads And No Bridges

I'm scratching my head over this one.

Ellie Goulding says she had a lucky escape in Norway recently.

The singer posted a photo of her all-terrain vehicle sinking into a lake after the ice cracked and says she was minutes away from going under with it.

The picture shows the belt wagon she was travelling in with tour photographer Conor McDonnell half-submerged in the frozen water.

Conor also shared the image, which shows the vehicle and a starry sky, and said they were close to disaster.

He said: "So me and Ellie Goulding weren't going to post about this but we decided that it's too mad of a story not to tell.
What? Why? Huh?

Perhaps they want a Darwin Award.

Trump - The Failure, Trump - The Huckster, Trump - The Weasel

All of the quotes cited are from: Losses, regrets and questions at companies Trump endorsed.

Failure Number One, The Trump Network:

"We're all going to be successful together," Trump declared enthusiastically about the business that had just been rechristened The Trump Network after he struck a licensing deal with the three men running it. He said he believed this new venture — "our company" — would become the "biggest in the industry."

"This is going to be something that's really amazing," he said.

Less than a year later, some of the company's biggest salespeople stopped getting paid. By 2012, Trump's licensing contract ended and the owners sold the business. The Trump Network was no more.
Failure Number Two, The Vitamin Company:
His remedy: Join the sales team of a business that sold, among other things, specially tailored vitamins based on a user's urine analysis. Anyone with drive, and $497 to pay for a special "FastStart" marketing kit, could begin raking it in. They would profit not just from their own sales of Trump-branded products, but from convincing other go-getters like themselves to start selling. Anyone they recruited would have to pass on a cut of their sales to them, and those recruits, in turn, could get a cut from their own recruits.

It was a multi-level marketing company, like Avon, Amway and Mary Kay.
"What he said on stage that night and what actually happened are two different things," said former saleswoman Jenna Knudsen. She said she lost her house and car after the paychecks dried up.
Failure Number Three, Trump University:
Trump University, a school offering his insights into getting rich in real estate at three-day seminars, was different from the vitamin company. Trump was a founder and an owner, and he portrayed himself as taking an active role, shaping the curriculum and vetting the instructors.

"My father did it, I did it," went one ad, referring to the fortunes they made in real estate, "and now I'm ready to teach you how to do it."

The closest most students got to the mogul was a life-sized cardboard cutout. A 2013 lawsuit from the New York attorney general and two class actions in California claim the three days of instructions were largely useless, and that students paying $1,495 to attend were misled. Worse, students at the seminars were told to max out their credit cards to pay tens of thousands dollars more for additional "Elite" training that, the lawsuits claim, was also largely unhelpful.

"I wasted my entire life savings on Trump," said former Trump University student Nelly Cunningham in an affidavit for the New York case. She added, "I feel like such a fool."
Failure Number Four, The Phone/Utility Company:
Trump has also endorsed ACN, a provider of telephone and other services that uses a Trump Network-like system of salespeople recruiting other salespeople, each paying an "initial fee" of $499 to join. The North Carolina company has come under fire from regulators in Canada and Australia and two U.S. states, Montana and Maryland, accused of making false promises to build its business. The company has fought the charges, and succeeded in getting the cases dismissed, save for the one in Maryland, which is still pending.

The Montana accusations were especially harsh. In 2010, the state's securities regulator claimed ACN ran an "illegal pyramid promotional scheme" — relying too heavily on fees from new salespeople to generate income — and issued a cease-and-desist order. Regulators dropped the charge that same year after ACN agreed to refund money lost by salespeople and to improve training.

The next year, 2011, Trump featured the company on his TV show, "The Celebrity Apprentice." He never licensed his name to the company. His role was limited to promoting it, which he did so repeatedly. Earlier, he had appeared in an ACN video calling it a "great company." And in the past two years, he gave at least three speeches at ACN events, earning $1.35 million in fees, according to figures released by the Federal Election Commission.

Wenling Babbitt, 48, said Trump's endorsement helped persuade her to join Xoom Energy, an ACN-controlled utility. A neighbor and her son, already on the salesforce, said that she could cut her gas bill if she switched to Xoom and, if she got others to switch, could make money. Then they mentioned the billionaire's name.

Babbitt said she and her husband each spent $499 to join Xoom, but then her husband noticed the gas bill for their San Diego home had gone up, not down. She said it took a half-dozen calls to get ACN to switch them back to their old utility, and her view on Trump has soured.
Trump and his lawyers basically say that Trump is not responsible for any of this.

Basically, it seems that Trump didn't fail, his "companies" did. Trump seems to have made money by screwing lots of other people. What is motivating him to run for president? If past patterns are any indication, it seems that he wants to become even richer while screwing all the rest of us. Although he might give Sarah Palin and his lawyers a few crumbs along the way.

Instead of "Make America Great Again" Trump's campaign slogan should be "Put Trump In The Trump House As Your New Huckster-In-Chief".

Arthur Rubinstein Was Born On January 28, 1887


Arthur Rubinstein:
Arthur Rubinstein, KBE (January 28, 1887 – December 20, 1982) was a Polish American classical pianist. He received international acclaim for his performances of the music written by a variety of composers and many regard him as the greatest Chopin interpreter of his time. He was described by The New York Times as one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century. He played in public for eight decades.
Liebestraum:
Liebesträume (German for Dreams of Love) is a set of three solo piano works (S.541/R.211) by Franz Liszt, published in 1850. Originally the three Liebesträume were conceived as lieder after poems by Ludwig Uhland and Ferdinand Freiligrath. In 1850, two versions appeared simultaneously as a set of songs for high voice and piano, and as transcriptions for piano two-hands.
Liebestraum No. 3 is the last of the three that Liszt wrote, and the most popular, and can be considered as split into three sections, each divided by a fast cadenza requiring dexterous finger work and a very high degree of technical ability.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Dumbass (And Biased) Quote Of Note - John Nolte

"(Michael) Moore isn’t some run-of-the-mill celebrity pitching his latest blockbuster. He is an anti-American propagandist, a fabulously wealthy hypocrite, and a degenerate liar." - John Nolte

Ad hominem:

adjective

1. appealing to one's prejudices, emotions, or special interests rather than to one's intellect or reason.

2. attacking an opponent's character rather than answering his argument.
Actually, I think John Nolte is confusing Michael Moore with Donald Trump.

Ammo

Have you ever noticed that the first four letters of Ammon Bundy spell ammo?

Because The World Needs More Guns

Did you know that Ted Nugent sells ammo, handguns, and rifles?

Welcome to Ted Nugent Ammo: (If the link doesn't work, try turning javascript on, and you can see Ted pointing a gun at you! What fun!)

Ted's ammo is back and better than ever!

“Nobody has more absolute fun with guns than my family. Like millions of American families, these utilitarian tools and works of art serve us well in all manner of good, clean, legal, safe fun, recreation and competition. Our American Dream is measured in ballistics.” –Ted Nugent

Whether you are looking for a defensive load, hunting load, or a great load for target shooting Ted Nugent has you covered!

All of our components are first rate and our hand inspected quality is second to none! You can have the confidence that your weapon will function reliably and at a higher level of consistency and performance every time you pull the trigger. Trust your life and you biggest hunts to the ammo that is made here in the USA just for you!
For some reason, Ted Nugent thinks that guns are like millions of American families.

The Inmates Have Taken Over The Asylum

David Brooks: Stay Sane America, Please!:

In every recent presidential election American voters have selected the candidate with the most secure pair of hands. They’ve elected the person who would be a stable presence and companion for the next four years. I believe they’re going to do that again. And if they’re not, please allow me a few more months of denial.
Denial? Secure pair of hands? George W. Bush?

Sex Sells

David Brooks: The Anxieties of Impotence

Ross Douthat: My Sarah Palin Romance

Did You Know?

Did you know that Glenn Beck did not go to college, and only has a high school diploma? Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Did you know that Glenn Beck is an ordained minister with the Universal Life Church Monastery? I think there's something wrong with that.

The Universal Life Church has an online ordination program and claims to have ordained 20 million ministers. John Lennon? George Harrison? Paul McCartney? Ringo Starr? Hugh Hefner? Kevin Smith? George Takei? Hunter S. Thompson? Madalyn Murray O'Hair? Conan O'Brien? Ministers all!

Mr. Limbaugh, Please Help Me!!!

The sun is shining. I don't know what that means. I need Rush Limbaugh to tell me what to think. I trust Rush on this because he has no degree in any science field. I trust Rush because he has no college degree of any kind. I trust Rush because he is one of the one percent of scientists who do not believe in climate change. Oops, I forgot that he is not a scientist.

Help me Rush, please tell me what to think about climate change now that the sun is shining. I don't see any snow. What is going on?

This Is Just Plain Strange

GLENN BECK AT CRUZ RALLY: We need to bring in more Atheist Marxist immigrants:

Glenn Beck told voters at a Ted Cruz rally in Iowa, that we needed to bring more “Atheist Marxists” in the United States.

According to Matthew Boyle at Breitbart News, Beck’s stated that Ted Cruz would take risks to bring as many Marxist atheists as possible into America from foreign lands, with hopes that they might become conservative Christians.

“So when we look at immigration, let’s remember that people—if they want to come here and want to be Americans—they renew us,” Beck stated.

I guess, according to Beck’s logic, America must be completely destroyed before it can be renewed. That is exactly what will happen if we import a bunch of Godless, immoral Atheists. We have enough immoral American Atheists the way it is. Dealing with them is enough.

Beck is a complete loon.
Divided they fall.

Unlike Glenn Beck I think the United States would be better off if every citizen became a Marxist atheist.

Atheists are not immoral as a group, by the way.

Un-American Activities

If Senator Joseph McCarthy were alive today, would he go after companies like Johnson Controls and charge them with Un-American Activities?

Johnson Controls Inc. and Tyco International PLC have announced a $14 billion merger, with the resulting company pretending to be “Irish.” This is called an “inversion” and is all about dodging taxes.

Johnson Controls is actually based in Milwaukee. Tyco is based in Princeton, N.J. but became “Irish” through its own prior tax-dodging inversion(s).
An inversion allows corporations to pretend to be non-U.S. companies and dodge taxes while still getting the full benefits of our country’s taxes: roads and other physical infrastructure, advanced legal system, educated workforce, police and other protections, military protection, and so on.
This is very Un-American. Paying taxes is patriotic. Tax inversions amount to grand theft on a very large scale. This will not lower your taxes. Whatever happened to "made in America"?

It's ironic to think of Bernie Sanders and Joseph McCarthy as allies. 

Just Wondering

Has anyone ever asked Donald Trump if he will keep the money he will be paid if he becomes president? Would he give it to the people of Flint?

Let's Open The Doors Of The Clown Car And Rumage Around

The sins of the father...

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz 

What he said then: On Tuesday, Ted Cruz called the Bundy standoff the "the unfortunate and tragic culmination of the path that President Obama has set the federal government on.” He added that the reason he believed the story was "resonating" was that the Obama administration has put American liberty "under assault...we have seen our constitutional liberties eroded under the Obama administration." 

What he's saying now: In an email to Mediaite, Cruz's Press Secretary Catherine Frazier said of Bundy's remarks, "Those comments are completely unacceptable.”
Obama is responsible, just like the Charlie Hebdo writers were responsible for their own deaths.

Trump: Nevada Rancher in Position to 'Cut a Good Deal' With Feds:
Billionaire real estate developer Donald Trump thinks Nevada cattle rancher Cliven Bundy is in a strong position to cut a deal with the government and should do so before violence breaks out.

"It's over the top. It's very strong. I like him, but you also have to say … you do have a certain law," Trump said Wednesday on Fox News Channel's "Hannity."

"I like his spirit, his spunk," Trump said. "He ought to go and cut a good deal right now.... What are they going to do, shoot each other?"
I think that Trump's "art of the deal" is really the "art of coercion".

I thought that the Republican Party was the "law and order" party. Whatever happened to that?
The notion of Black Power advocated by SNCC leaders captured some of the frustrations of African Americans at the slow process of change in gaining civil rights and social justice. African Americans pushed for faster change, raising racial tensions. Journalists reporting about the demonstrations against the Vietnam War often featured young people engaging in violence or burning draft cards and American flags. Conservatives were also dismayed about the many young adults engaged in the drug culture and "free love" (sexual promiscuity), in what was called the "hippie" counter-culture. These actions scandalized many Americans and created a concern about law and order.

Nixon's advisers recognized that they could not appeal directly to voters on issues of white supremacy or racism. White House Chief of Staff H. R. Haldeman noted that Nixon "emphasized that you have to face the fact that the whole problem is really the blacks. The key is to devise a system that recognized this while not appearing to." With the aid of Harry Dent and South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond, who had switched to the Republican Party in 1964, Richard Nixon ran his 1968 campaign on states' rights and "law and order." Liberal Northern Democrats accused Nixon of pandering to Southern whites, especially with regard to his "states' rights" and "law and order" positions, which were widely understood by black leaders to symbolize southern resistance to civil rights. This tactic was described in 2007 by David Greenberg in Slate as "dog-whistle politics." According to an article in The American Conservative, Nixon adviser and speechwriter Pat Buchanan disputed this characterization.
Remember the good old days? Well, they are still with us in the form of racism and bigotry. According to Ted Cruz it's still the black man's fault. If Cliven Bundy was an armed black hippie who smoked dope would Trump still want to "deal" with him? He would probably advocate bombing the shit out of him. It's the right-wing Christian thing to do.

If Problem, Then Solution

Ronald Reagan had things backward when he said "Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem."

It was the United States Government that solved the problem of Ammon Bundy and his minions.

It's as simple as that.

Do we want a civilized society or do we want vigilante justice?

Rush Limbaugh Is Fucking With My Mind

It's snowing outside. Climate change is a hoax.

Wait. It stopped snowing. Climate change is real.

Hold on, now it's raining. What does that mean?

Now it's snowing again. Climate change is a hoax.

Still snowing. Climate change is still a hoax.

It stopped snowing and the temperature is above freezing and all the snow has melted. Climate change is real.

It's snowing again. Climate change is a hoax... ad infinitum...


"New Ground" - Stargate SG-1

I watched Stargate SG-1 last night. I saw the episode titled "New Ground". I enjoyed it very much, although the character named Rigar gave me the creeps. He is too close to reality. He is very similar to all of the GOP presidential candidates, as well as many past and present GOP bigwigs.

Here is a sample of some of the dialogue of "New Ground". (Thanks to stargate.wikia.com):

Parcy: What if they are telling the truth? What if it is the gateway and the Optricans are right?
Rigar: No, it's a lie.
Parcy: How can you be sure?
Rigar: I am sure because we have not spent our lives praying to a god who does not exist and many of our people have not lost their lives fighting a meaningless war. I won't accept that. I have studied the book of Nefertum word for word, cover to cover. It is the truth.
Here is a synopses from Gateworld:
An underlying theme of this episode is the ideological war between religion and science. Nyan is a true scientist, who has no unfounded allegiance to abstract belief, but is eager to change what he believes when presented with new evidence. The Bedrosians are dedicated to their faith, and are presented as arrogant and stubborn -- unwilling to consider that their beliefs might be wrong, even when presented with hard evidence. This dichotomy is manifested in the characters of Nyan and Rigar.
Here is my favorite bit of dialogue from this episode:
TEAL’C: You wish to use me to further your scientific aspirations, do you not?
NYAN: You are proof that my theories have been all wrong…
TEAL’C: Then perhaps you would be better off if I were no longer alive.
NYAN: TEAL’C, I’m a scientist. When I find evidence that my theories are wrong, it is as exciting as if they were correct. Scientific advance in either direction is still an advance.

A Good Bloom County




https://www.facebook.com/berkeleybreathed

A Good Jesus And Mo

Flat:

flat

Elmore James Was Born On January 27, 1918



Elmore James:

Elmore James (January 27, 1918 – May 24, 1963) was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and band leader. He was known as King of the Slide Guitar, but he was also noted for his use of loud amplification and his stirring voice.
James was strongly influenced by Robert Johnson, as well as by Kokomo Arnold and Tampa Red. James recorded several of Tampa's songs, and even inherited from his band two of his famous "Broomdusters", "Little" Johnny Jones (piano) and Odie Payne (drums). There is a dispute as to whether Robert Johnson or James wrote James' trademark song, "Dust My Broom".

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Serial Anti-Catholic Bigots?

Bill Donohue offends yet again. Bill Donohue is a serial anti-atheist bigot. He offends me.

BILL MAHER OFFENDS YET AGAIN:

Bill Donohue comments on Bill Maher’s latest assault on decency:

When serial anti-Catholic bigots Bill Maher and Seth MacFarlane get together, it is a sure fire recipe for new lows in tastelessness. And that’s what we got on HBO last Friday night, as MacFarlane appeared on “Real Time with Bill Maher.”

“…you’re so lucky that you do cartoons,” Maher told the creator of Fox’s “Family Guy,” “because the things you get away with in cartoons—I’m so jealous of …”
Notice that Bill Maher offends with capital letters. He must be a MAJOR OFFENDER.

Using the phrase "serial anti-Catholic bigots" seems odd to me. It's kind of like bigotry in installments, sort of like bigotry that is turned off for awhile, until the next installment of bigotry comes along.

I think that Catholics have no right to judge others on decency. Can you say PRIESTS WHO RAPE CHILDREN!

It doesn't take much for Bill Donohue to be offended, but whenever he is, I feel a little bit more happy. Kudos to Bill Maher and Seth MacFarlane. And, I don't even like "Family Guy."

The End Of Snow? But It Snowed Once In NYC Herd Mentality

It all started about two years ago when the features editor at Powder magazine and the author of “Deep: The Story of Skiing and the Future of Snow” wrote an Opinion piece for the NYT. Porter Fox is not a scientist and the "End of Snow?" was more about being a skier and winter sports enthusiast than it was about climate change.

Enter Rush Limbaugh:

Here we have this major blizzard that has stormed the Northeast. Two years ago, the New York Times had a story in which they're serious about "the end of snow" because of climate change and global warming. At the time they wrote it, the key slopes were empty and bare -- or way, way, way below normal. And so (capitalizing and politicizing everything, which the New York Times does) it became a big story essentially saying that we're looking here at the end of snow.

Very soon, in the next 20 years, it could be the end of snow.

There might not be any more snow!

Well, which is absolutely flat-out ridiculous. It is worse than journalistic malpractice.
It was not a story, it was an opinion piece by someone who does not work at the NYT! The NYT was not "serious about 'the end of snow' because of climate change and global warming," Porter Fox was! How can this be "capitalizing and politicizing everything" on the part of the NYT? It was an opinion piece, from the paper that publishes David Brooks and Ross Douthat! How can an opinion piece written by someone who does not work at the NYT be "journalistic malpractice?" If someone tried to sue the NYT about this they would be laughed out of court. Why isn't Rush Limbaugh laughed off of the airwaves?

Then others jumped on The "End of Snow?" But It Snowed Once In NYC Herd Mentality bandwagon following Limbaugh's "leadership" of taking what Porter Fox wrote out of context and confusing him for a corporation.

Climate changers shocked and puzzled by snow in January and So Much for the End of Snow...

More will probably follow, even as the temperature rises and all the snow melts.

Also, Rush and his dittoheads are likely to continue to ignore what Porter Fox actually was writing about, things like:

Low Business for Snow Business as Ski Resorts Struggle This Winter

Warmer Winters Mean Higher Stakes for Ski Resorts


Warm weather pushing earnings downhill at area ski resorts

Warm Christmas Leaves Ski Slopes Stranded

Not everyone is thrilled with a warm December

I know, I know... Limbaugh is a "comedian" not a journalist. The thing is, he's not at all funny.

Quote Of Note - Chaz Stevens

"It’s really unseemly for a Satanist to bitch and moan." - Chaz Stevens

But, It's Warm Today In NYC

It is above freezing in NYC today. Does that fact give Climate Change deniers pain in their brain? How much cognitive dissonance can they take?

Climate changers shocked and puzzled by snow in January:

So, how are the settled science climate changers, global warmers, global coolers going to explain last weekend's "snowmageddon" "snowcalypse" (not my words), where several more inches than normal of the white stuff temporarily buried a large section of the eastern United States? But...but...snow in January, snow in winter wasn't supposed to happen anymore, according to the Great Minds of Science who have built a nice money-making racket on denying reality.
There are no "climate changers." There are scientists and intelligent citizens, and we are not "shocked and puzzled by snow in January." We are concerned about the future of human life on this fragile planet of ours.

Will Rush Say He Was Wrong?

RUSH: I saw the funniest thing over the weekend during show prep. When was this? It was on, I guess, Saturday. Here we have this major blizzard that has stormed the Northeast. Two years ago, the New York Times had a story in which they're serious about "the end of snow" because of climate change and global warming. At the time they wrote it, the key slopes were empty and bare -- or way, way, way below normal. And so (capitalizing and politicizing everything, which the New York Times does) it became a big story essentially saying that we're looking here at the end of snow.

Very soon, in the next 20 years, it could be the end of snow.

There might not be any more snow!

Well, which is absolutely flat-out ridiculous. It is worse than journalistic malpractice. It's just flat-out ridiculous.
As I write this it is 43 degrees in NYC, and it is raining. By Limbaugh's own logic this is proof of Global Warming and Climate Change and Rush owes us a retraction.

Carly Fiorina Is A Big Fat Liar

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO and Chairman Carly Fiorina can't compete on this score, never having ever held political office. So at this week's GOP debate she raised the ante, making the most extreme statement about Planned Parenthood of anyone in the field.

"As regards Planned Parenthood," she said, "anyone who has watched this videotape, I dare Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama to watch these tapes. Watch a fully formed fetus on the table, its heart beating, its legs kicking while someone says we have to keep it alive to harvest its brain."
I dare Carly Fiorina to crawl under a rock where she belongs. I dare Carly Fiorina to stop lying about Planned Parenthood.

A grand jury has indicted two anti-abortion activists who made undercover videos alleging Planned Parenthood illegally sold fetal tissue to researchers for a profit, and said the abortion provider committed no wrong.

The grand jury in Houston, which investigated Planned Parenthood after the Center for Medical Progress released its undercover footage last year, indicted the center's founder and another activist on Monday — the first criminal charges against anyone in the anti-abortion group since the videos surfaced last year.

The videos provoked outrage among Republican leaders nationwide and prompted investigations by Republican-led committees in Congress and by GOP-led state governments. Planned Parenthood officials have denied any wrongdoing and say the videos are misleading.

Center for Medical Progress CEO David Daleiden and activist Sandra Merritt each face a felony charge of tampering with a governmental record, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Daleiden also faces a misdemeanor count related to purchasing human organs.
Planned Parenthood has said a few clinics in two states used to accept legally allowed reimbursement for the costs of providing tissue donated by some of its abortion clients. In October, Planned Parenthood announced that it would no longer accept reimbursement and would cover the costs itself.

The group called Monday's indictments the latest in a string of victories since the videos were released, saying 11 state investigations have cleared the nation's largest abortion provider of claims that it profited from fetal tissue donation.

Wayne LaPierre Is A Terrorist

A father and son are killed in a shootout with another father and son in a gun store in Mississippi. Everybody feel safe yet?:
Courtesy of the Sun Herald:  

A father and son were killed in a shootout with another man and his son at a gun store Saturday in Pearl River County's Henleyfield community. 

Pearl River County deputies responding to the shooting on Mississippi 43 about 3:15 p.m. found the store owner and his son dead in the store, Chief Deputy Shane Tucker said. 

The owner's wife was working at the store when two customers, a man and his son, entered to pick up a firearm that had been repaired. 

"There was some contention about a $25 fee," Tucker said.
Wayne LaPierre and the NRA fill me with terror.

In its broadest sense, terrorism is any act designed to cause terror. In a narrower sense, terrorism can be understood to feature a political objective. The word terrorism is politically loaded and emotionally charged.

Jimmy Van Heusen Was Born On January 26, 1913



But Beautiful was written by Jimmy Van Heusen.

Jimmy Van Heusen:

Jimmy Van Heusen (born Edward Chester Babcock; January 26, 1913 – February 6, 1990) was an American composer. He wrote songs for films, television and theater, and won an Emmy and four Academy Awards for Best Original Song.

Monday, January 25, 2016

Are There New Atheists Because There's A New God?

Are the "New" Atheists like laundry detergent? Are they new and improved? Should we throw away the old atheists, or should we recycle them?


Rush Limbaugh Pulls Anecdotal Evidence Out Of His Ass And Shoves It Down Our Throats

If Rush Limbaugh can deny the existence of Global Warming, can I deny the existence of Rush Limbaugh?

This is a story from February 7th of 2014. I wonder how many people will remember this. February 7, 2014, two years ago coming up on two years ago, the headline, New York Times: "The End of Snow?"

"Over the next two weeks, hundreds of millions of people will watch Americans like Ted Ligety and Mikaela Shiffrin ski for gold on the downhill alpine course. Television crews..." Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And they go to on talk about all the Olympic events that had to be canceled because of lack of snow, lack of snow is a big problem, lack of snow all over the world is because of climate change and global warming and could we be at the beginning of the end of no snow? The end of snow. "The same could happen in the United States, where in the Northeast, more than half of the 103 ski resorts may no longer be viable in 30 years because of warmer winters." The end of snow, New York Times, February 7th, 2014.


Using anecdotal evidence:
Using arguments such as "Wow, it's really cold today! Global warming, my ass!" or "See! It's snowing in Atlanta for the first time in years!" to argue that "global warming" misuses numerical data, since even without global warming, there are fluctuations in local temperatures. Global warming refers to an overall average increase in temperatures of air and water. Additionally, global warming will result in some local areas that are cooler, despite the global average increasing.

Strangely enough, this is a common argument used by Fox News and other right-wing organizations who often claim scientists are only using anecdotes of hot weather as proof of global warming when the exact opposite is true. Even more strange, when someone asks where the global warming is because it's snowing where they live, and someone else responds back with "It's 75 and sunny here, and I'm north of you and up in the mountains" there is often a lingering silence. Apparently anecdotal evidence isn't allowed to work both ways.

http://www.xkcd.com/1321/

Here is the NYT link to The End Of Snow?

Rush Limbaugh cites a NYT article that was published February 7, 2014 that says "The same could happen in the United States, where in the Northeast, more than half of the 103 ski resorts may no longer be viable in 30 years because of warmer winters." Rush seems to not know the meaning of the word could. He also seems to think that the year is 2044.

Liberal Sportscasters Deliver Sermons

“You have some sports media people who are more open and blatant about their left-wing liberal bias than in the news media.”

He then added that liberalism is in “direct opposition to what makes sports work,” saying the bias could damage the media’s credibility.

“Liberalism, I find it in direct opposition to what makes sports work. If these clowns aren’t careful, they’re going to kill the very industries from which they derive their living. They’re gonna damage their credibility … look what’s happening to the NFL now,” Limbaugh said.

The radio host went on to say that if there was recently a shooting, a commentator on a nationally televised game will go on to “deliver you a sermon” on the shooting at halftime.

“Now, it’s almost when you watch a nationally televised game with nationally known commentators you sit there, wait for it to come. If there’s a gun shooting, you wait for somebody at halftime to deliver you a sermon on it.”
I don't follow sports, so I don't have a clue as to what this is all about. If I did follow sports, I don't think I would have a clue as to what this is all about.

For Your Next Dinner Party

Amazing Ways to Serve the Body of Christ

The NRA Is A Terrorist Organization

It is my belief that it is more likely that I will be shot and killed by a 2nd Amendment Gun Nut than by an Islamic terrorist. The thought of a nearby white American male with a concealed weapon fills me with more feelings of terror, than the thought of a nearby Muslim trying to live his/her life as an American.

Good Times with Guns:

Man who inadvertently /accidentally shot the women sitting in front of him at a screening of the new Benghazi movie says he brought a gun to the theater because he was afraid there might be a mass shooting at the theater.
I disagree with Josh Marshall. This shooting was not inadvertent and it was not an accident.

Texan accidentally exercises his 2nd Amendment right on himself during church. Dammit Jesus!:
Courtesy of the Longview News-Journal: 

Sulphur Springs police say a man accidentally shot himself in the foot Wednesday evening at a church. 

Police said at about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, officers responded to a shooting at the Davis Street Baptist Church in Sulphur Springs. Officers discovered a person, who was not identified, had accidentally discharged his pistol and shot himself in the foot. 

The victim sustained a minor wound, and no one else was hurt.Police said the shooting happened in the church's family life center.

For some reason the fact that this happened in the "family life center" makes it seem especially ironic.

Once again the best thing that can be said about this is that at least he didn't shoot somebody else.
If I had the power I would change the 2nd Amendment and abolish the NRA. Right now!

Remind me again why God allows these things to happen?

Remind me again why anyone allows these things to happen?

Oh yes I remember. FREEDUMB.