Daily news sites| Find Breaking World News
Latest Updates

Soft Shades



Today's outfit  is the last post from Poshlocket project. I wanted to end this wonderful collaboration with a modern-chic look. I chose, as my last jewelry piece, this wide, skull-print bracelet in white-gold combination as being the perfect modern accessory and shiny finish to this outfit. I will define this look as a blush parade, with a burst of red and shiny elements. I mixed this pair of pants-that seems to be the key piece of this look, because of the print and gold touches -with an ivory basic top. The more eclectic the pants, the cleaner and simpler the top should be- this is one of the rules that I follow when I want to obtain a minimalist effect. The pale rose coat keeps the same tone with the entire outfit, including the white bag; all that pops up are the red heels, that are like cherry on the top of the cake :)
I hope you enjoy this pastel outfit!



                                                                          Coat: vintage/option Here 
                                                                          Top: Carolyn Taylor
                                                                          Bracelet : thanks to Poshlocket.com /Here
                                                                          Pants: H&M/ another great design Here 
                                                           Heels: Nine West/ similar Here
                                                                          Bag: vintage




The Data is There GOP, Will You Use It or Ignore It?...

by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny



As the republican party looks to rebuild the question is; will it understand the reason(s) for its 2012 election loss to a very vulnerable incumbent? Or, will it seek to make excuses and hang on to the old order? Hopefully smarter heads like Governor Jindal will gain control of the republican party power levers and steady a badly faltering party.

NationalJournal - In the weeks before Election Day, both Republicans and Democrats were nervous about their poll numbers. Both sides of the aisle have smart pollsters, they reasoned, so how could the numbers that Democrats were seeing diverge so sharply from the numbers the Republicans were seeing? Deep down, I wrote at the time, both parties secretly worried that their side was missing the boat.

Now we know which side needed its polls unskewed. Before Election Day, Republicans confidently predicted they would pick up seats in both chambers of Congress, and that Mitt Romney would win the White House. The results shattered those predictions, and with them any sense of security in the numbers coming out of some of the best-regarded polling firms on the right.

"Everyone thought the election was going to be close. How did [Republicans] not know we were going to get our ass kicked?" lamented Rob Jesmer, head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. "I don't understand how we didn't know. That's the part that's most puzzling and frustrating and embarrassing."

The underlying causes of the errant numbers are the assumptions that the pollsters made about the nature of the electorate. Most pollsters believed the electorate would look something like the voters who turned out in 2008, just with slightly lower numbers of African-Americans, younger people, and Hispanics heading to the polls.

But exit polls actually showed a much more diverse electorate than the one forecast. Black turnout stayed consistent with 2008, Hispanic turnout was up, and younger voters made up a higher percentage of the electorate than they had four years ago. White voters made up 72 percent of the electorate, according to the exits, down 2 points from 2008 and a continuation of the two-decade long decline in their share of the electorate.

That meant that even though Mitt Romney scored 59 percent of the white vote -- a higher percentage than George W. Bush won in 2000 and 2004, higher than Ronald Reagan in 1980 and matching George H.W. Bush's 1988 score, when he won 426 electoral votes in 40 states -- it wasn't enough to overcome the 80 percent support that Obama scored among nonwhite voters. {Read More}

The conservative principles of fiscally responsible government plays well with responsible people. The GOP will simply have to find a way to market this principle and significantly increase the size of its tent by recognizing the socon and neocon agenda needs to be jettisoned. At least in their present state.

Via: Memeorabdum

Listen Up GOP...

by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty
-vs- Tyranny



Governor Jindal is one of the reasonable and thinking politicians in the republican party. There are others. The future of the party depends on it listening to Governor Jindal and those who share his views and recognize that indeed America and her demographics are changing. If the party expects to remain relevant and have a significant impact it simply MUST accept this reality.

Conservatism is a viable opposing political force to progressivism. Principals of a true fiscally conservative governance can work. However, if the majority of the electorate view it as essentially a special interest dedicated to the perseverance of the interests of only the wealthy class then conservatism becomes a mute point to the non wealthy. The perceptions people have are their reality. For the republican party to survive it must first change itself if it is to have a chance of changing perceptions.

Politico - Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal on Monday called on Republicans to “stop being the stupid party” and make a concerted effort to reach a broader swath of voters with an inclusive economic message that pre-empts efforts to caricature the GOP as the party of the rich.

In his first interview since his party’s electoral thumping last week, Jindal urged Republicans to both reject anti-intellectualism and embrace a populist-tinged reform approach that he said would mitigate what exit polls show was one of President Barack Obama’s most effective lines of attack against Mitt Romney.

“We’ve got to make sure that we are not the party of big business, big banks, big Wall Street bailouts, big corporate loopholes, big anything,” Jindal told POLITICO in a 45-minute telephone interview. “We cannot be, we must not be, the party that simply protects the rich so they get to keep their toys.”

He was just as blunt on how the GOP should speak to voters, criticizing his party for offending and speaking down to much of the electorate.

“It is no secret we had a number of Republicans damage our brand this year with offensive, bizarre comments — enough of that,” Jindal said. “It’s not going to be the last time anyone says something stupid within our party, but it can’t be tolerated within our party. We’ve also had enough of this dumbed-down conservatism. We need to stop being simplistic, we need to trust the intelligence of the American people and we need to stop insulting the intelligence of the voters.”

Calling on the GOP to be “the party of ideas, details and intelligent solutions,” the Louisianan urged the party to “stop reducing everything to mindless slogans, tag lines, 30-second ads that all begin to sound the same. “ {Read More}

A bright start in a dimming political party. Are you listening Rove, Limbaugh, Hannity, and et all? If not you sure as hell ought to be.

Oh, I almost forgot, and Eric Dondero over at Libertarian Republican as well as he seems to be gaining some notice and notoriety following the election.

Via: Memeorandum

Mitch McConnell Loses Big On Election Day


WASHINGTON, Nov 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell set two top goals for the 2012 election: a Republican takeover of the Senate and the defeat of President Barack Obama.

By Thomas Ferraro

He achieved neither.

Starting in January, he will be up against a president he tried and failed to bring down, with a Senate minority weaker by two.

"We all had a bad day," said Josh Holmes, chief of staff of McConnell's personal Senate office.

While there is no sign of any immediate threat to his job as minority leader, McConnell is facing intensified criticism from the right, which has seen him for some time as too "establishment."

McConnell blocked much of Obama's agenda the past two years, including his call to increase taxes on the wealthiest Americans. But some conservatives complained that he was not sufficiently hardline. They were outraged, for example, when he compromised with Obama and agreed to increase the debt limit in 2011 and extend a payroll tax cut.

McConnell is also looking over his shoulder at his own re-election prospects in Kentucky in 2014 and the possibility of a primary challenge from the right, which could limit his flexibility in negotiations over pressing tax and spending issues such as the "fiscal cliff."

To fend off a possible challenge by a candidate backed by the conservative Tea Party movement, McConnell hired Jesse Benton as his campaign manager - a political strategist with Tea Party ties.

"McConnell will be in the middle of a battle for the heart of the party," said James Thurber of American University's Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies. "The Republican Party is shifting to the right under his feet. He may not survive."





Smiling in the rain



Rainy days are good reasons for me to wear black and leather jackets as impermeable cover :) But as you know, I always like to "animate"my outfits with colors and today is no exception. So, to vibrate this look a little bit more, I added this green silk shirt, that I wore before {here} and these striped sleeves( thanks to ch-armz.com)Speaking about sleeves, I think they are not just practical but fun to mix with different patterns too, for a bold mix result.(Here you can find more options )Accessories are the second round of colors as sunglasses(courtesy to zeroUV), my Cynthia Rowley bag and this glass ring(a present from Bogdan)
This is my way to color the black and bright up my day .
Have a excellent week everyone !



                                                                               Leather coat: Frenchi/ option Here
                                                                               Shirt: vintage
                                                                               Sleeves: thanks to ch-armz.com/ Here 
                                                               Jeans : thanks to Lulu's.com
                                                                               Ankle boots: Sam Edelman/ option Here 
                                                                               Bag: Cynthia Rowley/ option Here
                                                                               Ring: MOMA store N.Y
                                                                               Sunglasses: thanks to zeroUVHere 





lonny is good. real good

Happy Monday all!

I've got a crush. I'm going to get a poster to hang on my bedroom wall. I might even get an airbrushed t-shirt to wear around town. I'm in mad love and his name is Lonny. (sorry hubs) I've always thought he was cute, but until the November issue, I never realized how in love I was. Makeovers, Sister Parish, Heather and Jenny. It's just damn good, and that's all there is to say. Oh Lonny.




all images via Lonny

It's cold, dark and rainy here. The perfect day to cuddle up with some pretty pictures. And if you aren't having the same weather I am, just pretend you are and enjoy some time with a good publication.

Speaking of the weekend, how was yours? Do anything exciting? Don't tell me about RHOA, I haven't watched it yet!

Florida Win For Obama 332 E Votes vs Romney 206 E Votes

Florida Win For Obama 332 E Votes vs Romney 206 E Votes

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- President Barack Obama was declared the winner of Florida's 29 electoral votes Saturday, ending a four-day count with a razor-thin margin that narrowly avoided an automatic recount that would have brought back memories of the 2000 election.
No matter the outcome, Obama had already clinched re-election and now has 332 electoral votes to Republican challenger Mitt Romney's 206.
The Florida Secretary of State's Office said that with almost 100 per cent of the vote counted, Obama led Romney 50 per cent to 49.1 per cent, a difference of about 74,000 votes. That was over the half-per cent margin where a computer recount would have been automatically ordered unless Romney had waived it.

Customized gift



  Last Sunday outfit was a comfortable one and I wore it for the first time together with 2 wonderful gifts. This custom made bag, with my name on it, came from Italy and I have a deep love for Renato Ascoli brand and a wonderful friendship with Sofi Ascoli. What a difference can make a great bag in an outfit! Visit their online shop HERE to see many other quality designs and let me know what you think.
The story behind this brand is interesting as well and you can read about it here.
The second gift is represented by these ankle boots, thanks to Polyvore and Madison Harding, the designer. These boots are the perfect boyish Fall shoes, comfortable and stylish. To complete this look, I added my new hat and I was good to go!





                                                                               Bag: thanks to Renato Ascoli.comHere
                                                                               Sweater: Dockers/ option Here
                                                                               Jeans: Zco jeans/ option Here
                                                                               Ankle boots: thanks to  Madison Harding/ Here 
                                                               Hat: Calvin Klein/ similar Here 
                                                                               Brooch: vinatge






 This

Interesting, Pass It Along...

Interesting, Pass It Along...
by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty
-vs- Tyranny


The following was e-mailed to me by a Rational Nation USA "regular." I thought it worth posting as it makes a whole lot of sense. Feel free to use as you might see fit.

Friends - I have received and read this at least two times before now and sent it on to a few folks and so far it hasn't done anything for us. I would be really surprised if ANY congress person would consider it or any part of it. After all most people look out for themselves first and then the government which is why we now have, after the last election, exactly what we had before it. Look for four more years of deviousness and gridlock by BOTH sides.

We hear a lot about welfare, corporate and otherwise. Well in my opinion the benefits that our politicians give themselves are nothing more than political welfare and border on fraud. Why is it that after just a few years our congressmen/women receive such wonderful benefits for life when our brave women and men in the military barely get enough to survive. after offering up their lives so the politicians can give themselves these benefits?

We survived a Revolutionary War, a Civil War, a Great World War (the 1st one), the Second World War, Korea, Vietnam, and many other smaller wars. Lets pray that we can survive this War on Our Freedoms!

Right or wrong that is my opinion and why I am glad I am as old as I am... A regular reader of RN USA.

Subject: Warren Buffet - please read...takes 1 minute--VERY IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US ...

Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the best quotes about the debt ceiling:

"I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC. "You just
pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more
than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible
for re-election.

The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds)
took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple!
The people demanded it. That was in 1971 - before computers, e-mail,
cell phones, etc.

Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took one (1) year
or less to become the law of the land - all because of public pressure.

Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to
a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask
each of those to do likewise.

In three days, most people in The United States of America will
have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed
around.

Congressional Reform Act of 2012

1. No Tenure / No Pension.

A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no
pay when they're out of office.

2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social
Security.

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the
Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into
the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the
American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.

3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all
Americans do.

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise.
Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system and
participates in the same health care system as the American people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the
American people.

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void
effective 12/1/12. The American people did not make this
contract with Congressmen/women.


Congress made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in
Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers
envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their
term(s), then go home and back to work.

If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will
only take three days for most people (in the U.S. ) to receive
the message. Don't you think it's time?

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!

Nouveau in !




 I just spice up my wardrobe with these two pairs of shoes. Nine West red suede heels and the second one, these vibrant colorful snakeskin pumps. I was never a fan of "snakes, actually they terrify me, but for having the pattern on small accessories, I will say "YES".
Browsing the internet these days, looking for some printed shoes, I stumbled over these particular shoes that caught my attention immediately.
Can't wait to wear them and you will get to see a first sneak peek on Instagram .



                                                                          Snakeskin pumps: Deena&Ozzy/similar Here
                                                                          Red heels: Nine West/ similar Here




An Untimely Resignation Raises Many Questions...

by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty
-vs- Tyranny



General David Petraeus has resigned his post as Director of the CIA citing his extramarital as the reason. President Obama has accepted the directors resignation while praising the General/s service to his country.

General Petraeus was slated to testify before Congress on Benghazi November 15th. Maybe it's just me but something smells with respect to this sudden occurrence. It is highly unlikely that a respected and dedicated military man would resign over the issue of a extramarital affair.

Presidents, most recently William Jefferson Clinton have sailed through the stigma of infidelity with flying colors. It is indeed unlikely the reason for General Petraeus stepping down has anything to do with his all to common human failings.

It seems a bunch more likely that the General was pressured to step down because he may have been unwilling to be the fall guy for the failure of the State Department and Obama to respond appropriately to the Benghazi security lapses.

Hopefully the truth on Benghazi will come out and the nation will learn the depth of the possible missteps by the Obama administration that may be responsible for the death of an ambassador and three other Americans.

That likelihood was made just a bit more unlikely with the untimely resignation of General Petraeus.

The story from Politico:
David Petraeus resigned his post as director of the Central Intelligence Agency on Friday, citing an extramarital affair.

Petraeus visited the White House on Thursday to ask President Barack Obama to accept his resignation “for personal reasons,” he said in a statement to CIA staff. “After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair. Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours.”

The FBI is investigating Paula Broadwell, author of the biography “All In: The Education of General David Petraeus,” for improperly attempting to access his email, law enforcement officials tell NBC News.

An intelligence source confirms to POLITICO that the FBI had been investigating Petraeus after accidentally learning of the affair. He was pushed to exit before it all came out in detail.

“Director Petraeus was encouraged to get ahead of it and take control of the situation because it would eventually come out,” the source said.

A White House official told POLITICO that the White House was informed of the issue Wednesday, and Obama was told Thursday.

“The president met with General Petraeus yesterday. In that meeting, Petraeus offered his resignation and explained the circumstances behind it,” the official said. “The president accepted [Petraeus’s] resignation in a phone call this afternoon.”

The resignation comes as the intelligence community remains under pressure over the attack in Benghazi that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others. Petraeus was slated to testify next Thursday at a closed Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Benghazi.

In a statement, Obama said he accepted Petraeus’s resignation and expressed confidence in Michael Morrell, the agency’s deputy director, to take over as acting director. Morell will testify in Petraeus’s place next week {Read More}

Some may believe the "official story", such as the gullible and the Obama supporters with blinders on. which may be over half the country. Those with inquiring minds however want to arrive at the real story. Hopefully it will prove our suspicions wrong.

Via: Memeorandum

Post Election Musings...

Post Election Musings...
by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty
-vs- Tyranny


The week certainly has been interesting to say the least. Interesting but really a week with no surprises and no real change.

rEpublicans, having failed to successfully make the case for sending Obama back to Chicago are already busy trying to figure out "What Went Wrong." Good luck with that. You guys had four years to figure it out after 2008 and you simply put the same suit back up with a different caricature filling it out. Again the American people rejected the candidate. Oops.

Better luck in 2016. People won't be expecting much though. Other than maybe watching the rEpublican tent grow smaller while listening to Limbaugh, Hannity, Rove, and the rest of the talking heads of the rEpublican good old boy network power structure. It will be fun watching the party whose election it was lose in 2012 try and come up with a winning strategy for 2016. Suggestion, change not only your suit but your glasses as well.

Speaker Boner is signaling possible short term compromise with the democrats to avoid fiscal Armageddon the first of this coming year, the result of across the board automatic domestic and defense spending cuts. Short term, really Mr. Boner? Why what a surprise. Short term fixes for long term problems is what DC is best at. The partisans should be good at it, they've been doing it for a very long time. Plenty of blame to go around. Saving that subject for another day.

And the dEmocrats, well, they won the day. Like it or not, even though the President's margin of victory does not a mandate make he out foxed the other fox. Congratulation Mr. President. Now is your opportunity to forge a winning coalition with the rEpublicans. Perhaps you should inquire if Mr. Clinton would give you a hand in steering a successful centrist course for the next four years. Reasonable people I'm guessing would applaud such an attempt.

Making government work for the people requires more than just short term solutions. It requires so much more than ideological bickering, warfare, and ultimate refusal to put the interests of the counties fiscal responsibilities first and foremost. It requires more than being just a Federal Santa Claus as well. Again, another subject for another day as there will certainly be ample opportunities for discussion.

America is changing, it has been almost since the countries infancy. In many ways the changes have been positive and good for the nation, in other ways not so much. Demographics are changing, America is becoming more diverse with each passing year. Many in the rEpublican party it seems want to stop the flowing current of societal change and thereby stop time in its tracks. Change is never easy, it is often misunderstood, and more often than not it is resisted.

The key to a successful future lies in finding a way to integrate changing demographics and a more liberal social order with a conservative and sensible fiscal policy. One that recognizes government's proper role in a free and civil society yet at the same time allows for and expects individual responsibly and initiative.

For me one of the best post election telephone interviews was done by Betty Liu on Bloomberg Television's "In the Loop" with Ron Paul. Representative Paul is retiring at the end of his term. Hopefully his voice will continue to be heard for a very long time to come.



The Washington Times - Rep. Ron Paul, whose maverick presidential bids shook the GOP, said in the wake of this week's elections that the country has already veered over the fiscal cliff and he sees no chance of righting ship in a country where too many people are dependent on government.

"We're so far gone. We're over the cliff," the Texas Republican told Bloomberg Television's "In the Loop" program. "We cannot get enough people in Congress in the next 5-10 years who will do wise things."

Mr. Paul, who is retiring after 12 terms in the House, said voters on Tuesday rejected Mitt Romney because he had opposed the government bailout of General Motors and Chrysler.

"The people in the Midwest voted against him: 'Oh, we have to be taken care of!' So that vote was sort of like what we are laughing at in Greece," Mr. Paul said.

"People do not want anything cut," he said. "They want all the bailouts to come. They want the Fed to keep printing the money. And they don't believe that we've gone off the cliff or are close to going off the cliff. They think we can patch it over, that we can somehow come up with some magic solution. But you can't have a budgetary solution if you don't change what the role of government should be. As long as you think we have to police the world and run this welfare state, all we are going to argue about is who will get the loot."

Political give and take, arguments over governing philosophy and ideology is well and good. Being able to do so is after all what makes America great. That protected right to criticize our elected government, and criticize it strongly when necessary is a right we all hope we never lose. However, when the political and ideological differences result in continuing gridlock and stratification, as well as bringing us closer to the precipice isn't it time to begin thinking outside the box of conventional wisdom and find solutions? The question goes to both sides Mr. Reid, Mr.Boehner , AND Mr. President.

Update: - Mr. Krudman advising the President to "hang tough." Like I have said, more gridlock to come. Brace yourself America, as it is sure to continues to get ugly. The Age of Divisiveness, time both sides looked in the mirror. My opinion and I'm sticking by it.

Update 2x
BuzzFeed Politics - President Barack Obama has been elected twice by a coalition that reflects the diversity of America. Republicans have struggled to win with ever-higher percentages of the shrinking share of the population that is white men — "a Mad Men party in a Modern Family world," in the words of one strategist.

But at America's founding, only white men could vote, and the franchise has only slowly expanded to include people of color, women, and — during the Vietnam War — people under 21. These maps show how American politics would have looked in that undemocratic past.

It would be a VERY good idea for the rEpublican party to check out the following maps provided in this link. They just may provide a clue as to why the rEpublican party has lost two successive national elections.

Via: Memeorandum

if i had a million dollars

I went hunting again. Not for anything in particular. Just for relaxation. I take great pleasure in walking quietly thru a huge warehouse of eye candy with no one pulling on me, whining at me or asking if we can leave.

This trip seemed to have a chinoiserie theme. I found a million and one things that I wouldn't mind adding to my pad. But again, just looking. Here are just a few.

Let's walk, shall we?
This chair was in excellent condition. It had the original fabric but that would be easy to replace. All the little details on this thing - the curved arms and legs, the swoop in the seat. Die.

 My youngest is all about elephants. Think this is too much for a 20-month-old?

 This picture does not do this screen justice. The colors in this thing are amazing and the condition was like new. This whole thing was hand painted, which I guess was why it was mucho $$. Hell, if I had painted that whole thing I would probably demand a cool million.

 Beautiful twin beds for a chinoiserie bedroom. Killing me.

I have a version of these dudes in blue and white but I'd never seen them in such crazy colors. I think the dude on the right will be pleased with the new law passed in Colorado and Washington. He looks...happy.

Fabulous coffee table.

 And then. I saw these. A PAIR of the most wonderful sconces I ever did see. And let me tell you,  I've seen my share of sconces.

I considered chaining myself to them and refusing to leave until they were gifted to me. They would go to a good home and would be petted and massaged daily. I would give these sconces anything they wanted. Except for the money they were asking. And if I want to be responsible about the whole thing, they were really big and I don't think I have anywhere that they could go. Except my dining room. Or the living room. Or my sconce room. It could happen.

How I love my little antique mall down the street from my house.

Done any window shopping lately? Ever had something you would throw yourself on the floor for? Wanna go in on the sconces? We can share them.