Daily news sites

My second look from NYFW was featured in Elle.com and you will get to see more photos with this outfit tomorrow, here on my blog !
 If you want to see more photos from NYFW also check my INSTAGRAM page . Enjoy !

My first outfit at NYFW is all about digital print, burgundy and volume. A first was also the Fashion show Bogdan and I attended in N.Y. it felt amazing to part of such great atmosphere. You can see more photos from the fashion showHERE  .
You can also see a photo with this look featured on Quip Magazine HERE . More NYFW photos  coming soon!




                                                                     Pants: H&M/ another great pair Here and Here
                                                                     Sweater: BCBG Max Azria
                                                                     Sandals: Marc by Marc Jacobs/ similar Here
                                                                     Bracelet: Kate Spade/ different color Here 
                                                                     Bag: Innue/ different color Here
                                                                     Sunglasses: Betsey Johnson/ similar Here

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

Following is an interesting article. From the Washington Post opinion pages Marc A. Thiessen points out President Obama is not a regular attendee of his daily intelligence meetings. Hm...

How long had it been since President Obama attended his daily intelligence meeting in the lead-up to the Sept. 11 attacks on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Egypt and Libya? After all, our adversaries are known to use the anniversary of 9/11 to target the United States.

According to the public schedule of the president, the last time the Obama attended his daily intelligence meeting was Sept. 5 — a week before Islamist radicals stormed our embassy in Cairo and terrorists killed our ambassador to Tripoli. The president was scheduled to hold the intelligence meeting at 10:50 a.m. Wednesday, the day after the attacks, but it was canceled so that he could comfort grieving employees at the State Department — as well he should. But instead of rescheduling the intelligence briefing for later in the day, Obama apparently chose to skip it altogether and attend a Las Vegas fundraiser for his re-election campaign. One day after a terrorist attack.

When I asked National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor if the president had attended any meetings to discuss the Presidential Daily Brief (PDB) since Sept. 5, he repeatedly refused to answer. He noted that Obama had attended a principals meeting of the National Security Council on Sept. 10 and reiterated that he reads the PDB. “As I’ve told you every time you ask, the President gets his PDB every day,” Vietor told me by e-mail, adding this swipe at Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush: “Unlike your former boss, he has it delivered to his residence in the morning and not briefed to him.” (This new line of defense was echoed this morning by my Post colleague, Dana Milbank, who writes that Bush was briefed every day by his intelligence advisers because he “decided he would prefer to read less.”)

Vietor’s reply is quite revealing. It is apparently a point of pride in the White House that Obama’s PDB is “not briefed to him.” In the eyes of this administration, it is a virtue that the president does not meet every day with senior intelligence officials. This president, you see, does not need briefers. He can forgo his daily intelligence meeting because he is, in Vietor’s words, “among the most sophisticated consumers of intelligence on the planet.”

Truly sophisticated consumers of intelligence don’t see it as a sign of weakness to “be briefed” by the experts. Most of us, if we subscribed to a daily report on, say, astrophysics, would probably need some help interpreting it. But when it comes to intelligence, Obama is apparently so brilliant he can absorb the most complicated topics by himself in his study. He does not need to sit down for up to an hour a day with top intelligence officials, or hold more than 100 “deep dives” in which he invites CIA analysts into the Oval Office and gives them direct access to the commander in chief to discuss their areas of expertise. Such meetings are crutches this president does not need.{Read More}

It is not accurate to say the terrorist events of September 11th in Benghazi that took the American Ambassador's life, along with three others, or the violence in Egypt or Yemen would have been avoided had the President chose to attend his scheduled meetings. But it is a reasonable concern that he doesn't. Some meetings are considered so important that the CEO attend them all for the purpose of discussion and clarification. The meetings to discuss the Presidential Daily Brief (PDB)would seem, at least to this writer to be one of those meetings.

Via: Memeorandum

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

(AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

As the protests and violence spreads.

Yahoo News - SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Chanting "death to America," hundreds of protesters angered by an anti-Islam film stormed the U.S. Embassy compound in Yemen's capital and burned the American flag on Thursday, the latest in a series of attacks on American diplomatic missions in the Middle East.

American missions have been attacked this week in three Arab nations — Yemen, Egypt and Libya — that have faced persistent unrest and are struggling to restore law and order after last year's revolts deposed their authoritarian regimes.

The protests in Yemen and Egypt point to an increased boldness among Islamists who have become more powerful amid the turmoil since the revolts. In the past, protests have broken out over perceived insults to Islam from the West, but in Arab countries they never escalated to the degree of breaching embassies, suggesting now Islamists feel they can act with impunity.

The violence this week in Libya was of a different degree altogether. While protesters in other countries were unarmed, a crowd bristling with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades overwhelmed the American Consulate in Benghazi late Tuesday, killing the ambassador and three other Americans and ransacking the building. U.S. officials suspect the assault may have been a planned operation rather than a spontaneous mob assault.

In the Yemeni capital on Thursday, protesters smashed windows as they breached the embassy perimeter and reached the compound grounds, although they did not enter the main building housing the offices.

Angry young men brought down the U.S. flag in the courtyard, burned it and replaced it with a black banner bearing Islam's declaration of faith — "There is no God but Allah."

Yemeni security forces who rushed to the scene fired in the air and used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators, driving them out of the compound after about 45 minutes and sealing off the surrounding streets. It was not immediately clear whether anyone was inside the embassy at the time of the attack.

Demonstrators removed the embassy's sign on the outer wall, set tires ablaze and pelted the compound with rocks.

The Yemeni Embassy in Washington condemned the attack and vowed to ensure the safety of foreign diplomats and to step up security measures around their missions in the country.

It was similar to an attack on the U.S. Embassy in the Egyptian capital on Tuesday night. A mob of Libyans also attacked the U.S. consulate in the eastern city of Benghazi on Tuesday, killing American Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

Yemen is home to al-Qaida's most active branch and the United States is the main foreign supporter of the Yemeni government's counterterrorism campaign. The government on Tuesday announced that al-Qaida's No. 2 leader in Yemen was killed in an apparent U.S. airstrike, a major blow to the terror network.

The spreading violence comes as outrage grows over a movie called "Innocence of Muslims" that mocked Islam's Prophet Muhammad. The amateurish video was produced in the U.S. and excerpted on YouTube. {Read More}

As protests and violence over the America low budget film depicting the Prophet Mohammad in an unsavory light spreads to Yemen I find myself thinking we ought to pack up, bring out people home, and stop fueling the barbarians with American foreign aid.

America has lost four of our countrymen at the American Embassy in Benghazi and the insanity continues in Egypt. We can only hope it doesn't spread further, causing more loss of American life at he hands of barbarians. Barbarians lead by a religion its faithful would have us believe is founded on pillars of peace.

So lets bring our people home, cut all aid, every single penny of it, and let the barbarians fend for their own sorry as*es. Frankly my inner rage tells me we ought to incinerate the entire region. However, while the rage may be justified, and the desire to retaliate understandable, not all people in the region support the actions of the barbarians who live amongst then.

Getting the hell out of the "hell hole" and leaving the region to support and fend for itself may be the best thing for all concerned. We save billions upon billions in wasted foreign aid over time. The barbarians get what they want, the opportunity to slide back into the 7th century.

Of course doing this will require American security forces and the military to be even more nimble and battle ready so we can squash every attempt that will be made on our home soil by those barbarians that have managed to infiltrate our country along with those Muslims who mean us no harm and came here to find a better life in a freer country.

I am reminded of an old saying; "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." American foreign policy with respect to the Middle East highlights the wisdom of the quote quite well, don't you agree?

Via: Memeorandum

My first time at NYFW was an excellent experience and it would have been even more exciting if I could have honored the Polyvore invitation 3 nights in N.Y at Fashion Night Out... unfortunately I wasn't able to go then.
So Bogdan and I we went to N.Y to see and snap photos with fashionable people :)
Here are a few examples of our first day and tomorrow you will see my outfit and also photos from the first show that Bogdan and I attended !

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


As our nation continues in economic decline with a 16 trillion dollar debt, high unemployment (the actual UI rate, with neither the rEpublican or dEmocrat party having any real solutions, well other than warmed over and regurgitated practices of the past, isn't time America considers a real change in direction. Maybe by supporting a candidate with a track record of proven fiscal responsibility and success? A candidate that as governor actually vetoed 750 bills in the process of putting his state back in the black and creating budget surpluses.

America needs strong fiscal leadership provided by a leader with a backbone. One who will tell the truth and is not shy about taking necessary action to stop the hemorrhaging of the nation's arteries. Neither Barrack Hussein Obama or Willard Mitt Romney are men with both the integrity and backbone it will take to right the nation's ship.

So why not give a seasoned successful business and successful governor with a record of achievement a serious look. It is almost certain if you do you'll like what you see.

(CNN) -- Gary Johnson says there are three keys to his campaign being successful: he needs you to know who he is, he needs to be on the ballot in as many states as possible and he needs other libertarians to support him.

And for the next two months, Johnson, the Libertarian party candidate for president and acknowledged underdog, will be zig-zagging across the country to make those admittedly unique goals a reality.

That is the thrust of his argument: Once you get to know me, I swear you'll like me.

Johnson has fashioned himself the "clear alternative" to Republican candidate Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama in November's presidential election.

The most recent CNN/ORC International poll shows that 3% of likely voters and 4% of registered voters say they'd vote for Johnson. But the fact he is even included in a poll is enough to get Johnson excited.

"It is one thing if it gets reported that I am at 4% nationally," said Johnson, the former governor of New Mexico, "but I don't think I go down when people take a look at who I am and what I have done, I think it actually goes up."

And in some ways, he has proof to back that up.

Johnson first ran for governor of New Mexico -- a state with a majority of Democratic voters -- in 1994 as a Republican. He won in the Republican primary, defeating three other Republicans, and then defeated an incumbent Democratic governor by 10 points. After four years in office, Johnson ran again and won in 1998.

Johnson's popularity remained consistently high through his time as governor, leading one paper to remark that he was "arguably the most popular governor of the decade." {Read More}

Given our current State of the Nation, with the major parties running two VERY weak candidates what do we have to lose by thinking outside the box and voting for change? We may VERY well begin the road back to fiscal sanity and balanced budgets with actual job creation to boot.

I missed you!

To be totally honest, I think I miss the beach a bit more, but it is good to be home. We don't believe in easing back into things though as we got home and immediately are in to doc appointments, client meetings and of course, back to school. Pre-K is "super cool", in case you hadn't heard. (I feel the same way about Mother's Day Out)

Once I sift thru all the photos and goodies we brought back, I'll be sure to share. Two quick things learned on our trip though: #1- If I even win the lottery, I'm going to travel the country and go from flea market to flea market and #2 - The hubs has an untapped gift for making sand animals. Who knew? I'll save that last story for cocktail hour.

Back to my mountain of laundry, but I will leave you with this.
The living room fabric story has been decided and we are going for COLOR.

The short film was shot on 11 September 2010 in New York from 8pm to 11pm. The Tribute in Light is 88 searchlights placed next to the site of the World Trade Center to create two vertical columns of light in remembrance of the September 11 attacks.

This song has so much meaning behind it. The lyrics are truly beautiful, and you paint an amazing picture. People don't realize how much that day affected the children of the people who died. God Bless AMERICA!! Never Forget.

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


Gary Johnson is a vocal proponent of legalization of marijuana, making a compelling and rational argument for it. America's decades long war on drugs has produced little if any positive results. It has cost the American taxpayer billions, helped to create an expanding and violent illicit industry, and increased the number of incarcerated to record levels. It is time the nation rethink it's drug policies. Gary Johnson is on the forefront while President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are less than interested in addressing an issue that should be of growing concern for all Americans.

OPPOSING VIEWS - Gary Johnson, this year’s Libertarian Party candidate for president, spoke at a rally on Tuesday outside the Democratic National Convention. He criticized both President Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney for avoiding one of the nation’s most important political issues. Obama has laughed off or ignored persistent questions about marijuana legalization, while Romney is equally dismissive, calling the issue insignificant.

During his two terms as governor of New Mexico, Johnson established himself as the highest-ranking public official to call for a dramatic shift in the nation’s drug laws. He explains that during his two terms, he applied a cost-benefit analysis to every issue. Regarding costs of the war on drugs, he has cited the United States’ world-record incarceration rate and the fact that approximately half of current criminal justice expenditures deal with drug cases.

On his campaign website, the former governor also refers to the harms of alcohol prohibition and the parallel harms of current drug prohibitions, including the enrichment of organized crime and the associated violence. The site clearly states his support for legalizing marijuana, specifying that the federal government should “end its prohibition mandate” and allow the states to determine their own policies. This is one area where he agrees with former Republican presidential contender and libertarian icon Ron Paul, to whom he has compared himself and whose supporters he may be courting. {Read More}

Clearly Gary Johnson is once again acting like the only adult in the field.

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

Chicago teachers went on strike Monday. Rational individuals should ask themselves why the teachers union would think it reasonable to ask for more pay, benefits, or anything else for that matter when 71% of students are deficient in reading at the 8th grade level and 80% are deficient in math. It seems to this writer that they are expecting rewards for their incompetence.

Doesn't it seem reasonable that under performing teachers be fired (as happens in business) and replaced with individuals who are competent and care enough to teach our youth? Thus preparing them to compete in a globally competitive environment?

CNS News - Seventy-nine percent of the 8th graders in the Chicago Public Schools are not grade-level proficient in reading, according to the U.S. Department of Education, and 80 percent are not grade-level proficient in math.

Chicago public school teachers went on strike on Monday and one of the major issues behind the strike is a new system Chicago plans to use for evaluating public school teachers in which student improvement on standardized tests will count for 40 percent of a teacher’s evaluation. Until now, the evaluations of Chicago public school teachers have been based on what a Chicago Sun Times editorial called a “meaningless checklist.”

In 2011, the U.S. Department of Education administered National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests in reading and math to students around the country, including in the Chicago Public Schools. The tests were scored on a scale of 0 to 500, with 500 being the best possible score. Based on their scores, the U.S. Department of Education rated students’ skills in reading and math as either “below basic,” “basic,” “proficient” or “advanced.”

Nationally, public school 8th graders scored an average of 264 on the NAEP reading test. Statewide in Illinois, the 8th graders did a little better, scoring an average of 266. But in the Chicago Public Schools, 8th graders scored an average of only 253 in reading. That was lower even than the nationwide average of 255 among 8th graders in “large city” public schools.

With these NAEP test results, only 19 percent of Chicago public school 8th graders rated proficient in reading while another 2 percent rated advanced—for a total of 21 percent who rated proficient or better. {Read More}

Public sector teacher unions continue to demand more while refusing to address the deficiency in their performance as a whole. Such is the wonder as well as the curse of public sector unions. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was absolutely correct when he warned against public sector unions. In the 21st century we are beginning to see why. I'm quite certain that he would be pleased with Wisconsin and their current governor.

Via: Memeorandum

Hey guys, this is Jessica from The Aestate. So excited to be filling in for Elizabeth while she's enjoying her beach vacay. When she suggested a Room-to-Outfit post, I realized I'd never actually done one before. I'm not even sure how that's possible, but I didn't think the first one I ever did would be inspired by a nursery. However, the first room that came to mind is this gorgeous, edgy nursery done by Tamara Kaye-Honey for the 2012 Hampton Designer Showhouse. I'm kind of obsessed with the colors in this room...

{Tamara Kaye-Honey}

Room or outfit, I don't think you can ever go wrong starting with classic black or a deep grey. Mixed with white, they make a great basic color combo. Throw in some playful turquoise and coral and top it off with some sophisticated gold accents. Faux leather pants and leggings are quickly replacing jeans in my real-life wardrobe, btw. Most of them are just as comfortable as yoga pants but look so much more chic. Plus they look great paired with comfy flats and over-sized tops.

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

The second tier of the rEpublican pArty presidential ticket doing a bit of twisting. Given that flip flops and spinning of the facts seem to be increasing in popularity with the rEpublicans begs a question... Is anyone in the conservative camp concerned with integrity any more? This from the Atlantic.

Again, we expect politicians to shade and shape their version of reality. But getting a reputation for doing this, as Ryan is doing during the campaign, is a particular problem for someone who has been set up as a uniquely honorable truth-teller.

Which brings us to Ryan and Norah O'Donnell today on Face the Nation. She presented him with another of the partial-truths from his convention speech, which he has repeated afterward. This is his slam of Obama for cutting defense spending, without mentioning that he has voted for these same cuts. I mention this less for what it shows about Ryan than for what it shows about O'Donnell. Take a look for yourself.

Skip

On the merits of what O'Donnell was asking Ryan about, see Think Progress. This is an issue I have followed. Ryan's thinly shaved rationalization here is consistent with the three I mention from his convention speech, in that each involves the deliberate omission of a major, elephant-in-the-room complicating truth. And, before you ask, when Joe Biden, Barack Obama, or other Democrats go as far as Ryan has -- not in presenting their opinions, or political "visions," but offering gross distortions-through-omission of their own records -- they deserve exactly the same treatment. {Read More}

Bedfellows politics and integrity do not make.

Fortunately there is a viable and proven alternative to Romney/Ryan and Obama/Biden. The only question is... Will the American electorate bother to educate themselves. For certain the MSM won't bother to help.

Via: Memeorandum

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


Mitt Romney was all about repealing the ACA (ObamaCare) as his first priority if elected. As I recall he said he would do so on his first day in office. Once again Mr. Mittens Romney is changing his tune just a bit. Today on NBC’s “Meet The Press" he said he would keep some key aspects of the ACA in place.

TPM - Mitt Romney said Sunday that he likes parts of ‘Obamacare’ and will keep key provisions involving pre-existing conditions and young people.

“I’m not getting rid of all of health care reform. Of course there are a number of things that I like in health care reform that I’m going to put in place,” he said on NBC’s “Meet The Press. “One is to make sure that those with pre-existing conditions can get coverage. Two is to assure that the marketplace allows for individuals to have policies that cover their family up to whatever age they might like.”

The remarks appear to contradict Romney’s strong, unequivocal support for full repeal of the Affordable Care Act, which he has consistently held since the Republican primaries.

Politically, his comments risk drawing the ire of conservatives, who have been adamant that Republicans repeal the law in its entirety if elected. It’s a major gamble that could reflect Romney’s need to win over more independent voters, who support those provisions. {Read More}

One can just imagine Romney supporters now quietly asking themselves if indeed they can trust the candidate. One thing seems relatively safe to bet on, that there will undoubtedly be more flip flops from Mitt in the run up to November 6th.

For fiscal conservatives, independents, as well as libertarians there is a viable and proven alternative.

Via: Memeorandum

Back to boyfriend ripped jeans, this time with a simple white tee and blazer ( it seems to be the way I approach "the perfect suit":) I worn these metallic heels for my second time, but it's a first here on my blog. Also a first timer , I present you this Joe Fresh bag that I bought on my last trip in N.Y and now is one of my favorite. As accessories, I wore this wonderful bright necklace and a metallic leather bracelet, both received from Jeweliq.com.
This photo shoot ended with a fresh rain that was making my hair look like an afro, aka Tina Turner:) However, the rain didn't disrupt my happiness.
I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday !


                                                                   


                                                                    Necklace and bracelet: thanks to Jeweliq.com/ Here and Here 
                                                                    Blazer: thrift store
                                                                    Jeans: Levi's/ similar  Here
                                                                    Sandals: Boutique9/ another great design Here 
                                                                    Bag: Joe Fresh/ I also love this one  Here
                                                                    T-shirt: AE