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Wall Street Journal reports school districts in California are grappling with a newly enacted, first-of-its-kind law that spells out rights for those students who don't identify as being the gender of their birth.


California law AB 1266, the first such statewide legislation in the country, grants students who identify themselves as transgender the right to choose the sports teams and extracurricular activities—as well as the bathrooms and locker rooms—that correspond to their gender identities. Backers of the measure say transgender children have been subject to bullying in such settings and have thus taken to avoiding using the restroom or participating in athletics.

There are no firm estimates of how many such students might attend California schools, and no specific guidelines for determining if a youngster should be considered transgender.
Signed by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown last summer and taken effect this month, AB 1266 is now facing a closely watched repeal effort by opponents, who argue that students of different biological sexes should remain separated.

"Forcing boys and girls to share the same bathroom, locker room and shower facility is in itself bullying," said Tim LeFever of Privacy for All Students, a Sacramento-based group leading the repeal effort. By passing the law, Mr. LeFever said, legislators demonstrated a "real lack of sensitivity for other individuals."

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CBS News reports a Ugandan court on Wednesday ordered the deportation of a British man facing criminal charges related to images of him having sex with another man.


As Uganda and other countries in Africa begin enforcing laws against homosexuals, a kind of anti-gay fervor is taking hold across the continent. It is illegal to have gay sex in most African countries. Gays in many parts of the continent face severe harassment, physical threats, judicial punishment, and sometimes worse.

In Nigeria on Wednesday, thousands of protesters demanded the executions of 11 men arrested for belonging to gay organizations.

Demonstrators threw stones into the Shariah court in the north Nigerian city of Bauchi until security officials fired into the air. The judge closed the court abruptly so the accused men could be safely returned to prison.

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Voting with your feet is more difficult when the value of your house drops by 45% and you're equity is turned upside down. Economic migration is stifled by the structural constraint of real estate ownership and other modern issues including a massive level of ignorance and outright foolishness. As a result there has been an acceptance of the false solutions offered by the federal government and the Federal Reserve such as the unprecedented infusion of more than $5 trillion dollars into the economy (both federal spending and Federal Reserves QE series),   a move that has led us to the Mother of all Financial Bubbles.

When the big one comes, are you going to be where you want to be?

The economy cycles, period. From that simplistic perspective we know there will be another downturn.

However when you consider the consequences of years of bailouts and artificial stimuluses into our broken economic system will the next downturn be the big one? Will it be the mother of all crashes?

Lessons of our recent past;  people have been much more reluctant to relocate over the last five years than they were in past economic calamities. Today, as home owners, our personal ties and debts are far deeper. This in part has lead people to accept the wrong answers spelled out above over the idea of fixing the problems.

The government offers false security and tightens the vice of control over us.

When it comes, 5 months from now or 5 years, will you be where you want to be?

As I see it the next crash will be much more devastating and the effects prolonged, perhaps decades,  your families physical location may be  a much bigger issue.

Considering the trends in NYC and the recent statements of Governor Cuomo informing conservatives that they are not welcome in New York, would you want your family to be in the ultra liberal region of New Jersey / New York?  Will you be protected?  

I do not believe the issues of the past have been solved, in fact I believe that the state of our nations banking  and business system is in dire straights. Corrupted in fact. The principle causes of our problems have been obfuscated with more debt and deception by the progressives in both political parties and the boardrooms and management ranks of the mega corporations and mega banks.

We more closely resemble fascist Germany in the late twenties than the America I was born into. Then it was the industrial machine working in lock step with the Nazi war machine. Today it's Information tech giants like Google and Facebook (others) working with our government to  spy on us while the federal government deploys military armaments to police forces across our land.

We can't seem to protect our boarders but our police forces can engage in small wars. Against whom?  

With the housing price recovery at hand in many parts of the country it is important to keep a firm grasp on the recent past. Don't be caught with 'no way out' next time?

The migration rate increase from the liberal centers such as NY and Chicago and California continues. Weigh your situation with care and in addition to traditional retirement planing I suggest you also plan your families "way out" for when the big one hits.

People do vote with their feet, people do walk away from what is being forced on them. People do choose  to not participate in the destruction of society.

Looking into the future I think most people will agree that they'd benefit by a plan that enabled them mobility in the next crash.  The opportunity to pickup stakes and start over in a better place.

If you are in NJ or Illinois or NY do you want to be stuck there?

THE BOTTOM LINE

Retirement and Financial planning today require new strategies to protect against rogue government activities and devastating tax increases. When you commit to a location as a property owner understand the full ramifications of your choice.

Is Affirmative Action To Blame?
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
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Whether or not it was intended, Barack Hussein Obama is our affirmative action President.

We Americans have been living with the nightmare of affirmative action since President John F. Kennedy used the words in Executive Order 10925  on March 6, 1961, to promote actions that were intended to achieve non-discrimination.

President Lyndon Baines Johnson, who followed JFK, issued Executive Order 11246 in 1965, which required government employers to take "affirmative action" to "hire without regard to race, religion and national origin".  (Read more at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affirmative_action)

Affirmative action is intended to promote the opportunities of defined minority groups within a society to give them equal access to that of the privileged majority population.

Many believe affirmative action has been a plague upon the nation ever since JFK and LBJ saddled us -- or "yoked" us -- with it.

One of the chief complaints has been, from day one, that persons unqualified for jobs were given preference for those jobs over applicants who were far more qualified through training, experience, education, etc. than the person who wound up with the job due solely to his/her race.

Somehow, we muddled along until 2008 when America made it's worse affirmative action mistake of them all.  America hired an unqualified person to be President of the United States -- based on his race. 

Within four years the US had sunk to third-world status with an international visage indistinguishable from that of a "banana republic." 

In 2012 the loyal opposition from the Right offered up a moderate candidate to oppose Obama and the conservative wing, the base of the loyal opposition, stayed home -- in droves -- and the affirmative action hire was re-hired for another four years.

And we wonder why the country is in such bad shape.

In an article at wnd.com, famous journalist Nat Hentoff  " ...  also pointed out that Obama was the only editor of the Harvard Law Review to never publish an article, something that went virtually unnoticed when voters considered his qualifications.

“See, that was a case of affirmative-action and people feeling, ‘Hey we ought to do something important, symbolically, and here’s a black guy, and he’s articulate, so we’re gonna do this.’”

Hentoff mentioned that former U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, the man Time Magazine once called “the most doctrinaire and committed civil libertarian ever to sit on the court,” once personally lectured him that “Affirmative-action on a racial basis is a total violation of the 14th Amendment, no doubt about it.”

And, referring to Obama’s presidency, the journalist said, “That’s what that kind of affirmative-action did for us.” -- SOURCE:  http://www.wnd.com/2014/01/liberal-icon-urges-obama-impeachment/#eQiW0EAYuiVfltk4.99

We have opined many times over what we believe is Mr. Obama's abuse of power, especially his abuse of executive orders.  He has made a fine art of circumventing Congress and governing by fiat, or by decree, much as a king, or a dictator.

Just recently the President said:   “I’ve got a pen and I’ve got a phone … and I can use that pen to sign executive orders and take executive actions.” -- SOURCE:  http://www.wnd.com/2014/01/liberal-icon-urges-obama-impeachment/#eQiW0EAYuiVfltk4.99

The American legislative system, the Congress, was intended, indeed, it was designed to be slow and ponderous.  Making laws SHOULD be slow, arduous, and ponderous.  Citizen's freedom is at stake. 

Obama is simply ignoring the constitution and, pretty much, doing as he pleases -- and NOBODY IS CALLING HIM ON IT!

Where is the spine, the intestinal fortitude, the cahones, the GUTS to say to the President: "Sir, you are way out of bounds.  You are acting outside the boundaries set by the constitution on the office of President of the United States?"  Is it not the duty of the co-equal branch of the government to represent the people, especially when the people are pleading for them to confront the President and stop his dictatorial machinations while they still can? 

What are they afraid of? WHO are they afraid of?  The inaction of the Congress, especially the  GOP controlled House of Representatives, certainly does not instill confidence in the people of the country that the Republicans can take the necessary bold steps to right the nation if placed in charge of the House and Senate in November. 

Mr. Obama cannot be allowed to continue his reign as America's first dictator.  Understanding that the impeachment process will get no farther than the US Senate, the House of Representatives has a duty to bring impeachment proceedings against the President regardless.

But -- it's not going to happen.  The House is not going to start impeachment proceedings against President Obama, at all.  They're scared.  That's right.  The Republican controlled House of Representatives is scared that such a maneuver would look "political."  So?  Aren't they politicians?  Isn't this what they do ... political stuff, I mean?  Of course it is.  It's just another lame excuse from a spineless bunch of limp-wristed RINO's who form the hierarchy of the Republican Party today.
I would remind the GOP that nothing is guaranteed.  The Mid-Term Election, looks good for the Republicans -- right NOW.  But ten months can be an eternity in politics and the tables can quickly turn. 

Just a few short decades ago, America's horizon was unlimited. America was the land of dreams and opportunity.  In the past five years, just half a decade, we have seen those horizons drawn in until they have begun to suffocate us and smother freedom and liberty with a thick blanket of rules, regulations, and laws many of which do not pass the constitutionality test, let alone the smell test.

One house of our bicameral Congress is controlled by Socialists/Marxists, our President is a Marxist and a would-be dictator, Our Supreme Court is, many believe, compromised by the political Left, while our electorate is consumed by ignorance and apathy.

 With all this considered, to simply say that turning America around will be difficult, may be the understatement of the century!

But -- lest we forget ... we are AMERICANS!  Facing and overcoming adversity is what we do. It is the American character.

As a nation, we made a huge error, a mistake, in 2008 and then we compounded the error in 2012. We got ourselves into this mess -- now we have to get ourselves out of it.

Whether, or not, Obama is an affirmative action president is an open question.  What we do know is this:  It WILL take affirmative action -- by the men and women who are supposed to lead this country -- to remove him.

Their inaction to date is inexcusable.

J. D. Longstreet

Photos courtesy of Marco A. Cruz

National Journal reports  Sen. Ted Cruz is training his rhetorical fire on President Obama's State of the Union speech.


The Texas Republican, who attracted the spotlight in October with his defund-Obamacare campaign that led to the shutdown, is planningto spend the days leading up to Tuesday's speech on five key issues for conservatives, Cruz said in a statement Wednesday.
"As the president prepares his State of the Union address, he has signaled he has no intention of clearing the air," Cruz said. "The lack of accountability in Washington is creating a crisis of confidence in this country."

Cruz plans to ask Obama to focus on the IRS investigation into conservative groups, National Security Agency surveillance, the economy, Benghazi, and Obamacare.
Cruz's questions to Obama indicate the possible presidential contender's tack going forward. The approach also comes soon after Cruz hired Paul Teller, the former top aide to the House Republican Study Committee who was dismissed amid allegations he shared information with conservative outside groups.

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Bangor Daily News reports a former Calais man was found guilty Wednesday of committing sex crimes against two teenagers.


A Washington County Superior Court jury found Seth Larkin guilty of gross sexual assault and unlawful sexual contact. Judge Robert Murray ordered Larkin, 28, held without bail as he awaits sentencing within the next few weeks....

While Murray and attorneys for both sides were considering bail and scheduling issues, Larkin’s mother, Viola Francis, began screaming at the mother of one of the victims. Court security personnel escorted Francis from the courtroom, and order was restored.

Larkin could be sentenced to serve up to 30 years in prison on the charge of gross sexual assault and up to five years for the other crime.

Attorneys for both sides must file sentencing memoranda by Feb. 12, and Larkin will be sentenced no later than the first week in March.

The two female victims testified Tuesday during the two-day trial. In addition, Larkin’s former girlfriend testified that he threatened retaliation against the two teens if they went to the authorities. Larkin testified in his own behalf, denying any wronging.

The crimes took place May 25, 2013, in the Calais apartment where Larkin lived with his former girlfriend, Mary Mitchell.

The two young women, aged 16 and 18, who were visiting Mitchell and spent the night in the apartment, testified that the sexual encounters occurred with Larkin the next morning.

Larkin was alone with the two young women briefly in a bedroom and said he wanted to see their breasts and would expose himself, the 16-year-old testified. Later, she was in a bathroom with him and Larkin took her hand and placed it on his exposed genitals, she said. She said she pushed her way out of the bathroom and went downstairs.

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