Daily news sites

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












The headline and the text below is self sufficient. The ball is again in your court liberals.

AFRICAN AMERICAN NEWS -
Cosby, an outspoken voice on cultural issues, says the recent trial did not prove that Zimmerman had racist motives at any point during his confrontation with Martin. That means race shouldn't be a part of the conversation regarding the case.

"Let's not go into a racial discussion unless we really have something there," he told radio hosts Domenick Nati and Nate Foutz.

Cosby also blasted the news media and said that he had stopped paying attention to "high-profile" court cases after the Casey Anthony murder trial because journalists were so convinced she would be found guilty and yet she was not....

Regarding the Zimmerman trial, Cosby said that he did not think the state of Florida was able to prove its case against him. "I found that the prosecution did not tell the story well. And they lost," Cosby said.

Outspoken former NBA superstar Charles Barkley said he agrees with the verdict in the murder trial of George Zimmerman, but blasted the media for giving platforms to racists to "vent" their ignorance.

Barkley, 50, gave his assessment on the high-profile Florida murder trial to CNBC on Thursday, saying jurors simply did not have enough evidence to convict the former neighborhood watch volunteer in the 2012 killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

"Well I agree with the verdict," Barkley said. "I feel sorry that young kid got killed, but they didn't have enough evidence to charge him. Something clearly went wrong that night -- clearly something went wrong -- and I feel bad for anybody who loses a kid, but if you looked at the case and you don't make it -- there was some racial profiling, no question about it -- but something happened that changed the dynamic of that night."

Barkley recognized his take is "probably not a popular opinion among most people," but said the evidence pointed to an acquittal.

"I just feel bad because I don't like when race gets out in the media 'cuz I don't think the media has a 'pure heart,' as I call it," Barkley continued. "There are very few people who have a pure heart when it comes to race. Racism is wrong in any shape [or] form -- there are a lot of black people who are racist, too. I think sometimes when people talk about race, they act like only white people are racist. There are a lot of black people who are racist. And I don't like when it gets out there in the media because I don't think the media has clean hands."

Barkley, originally of Alabama, was named one of the NBA's all-time 50 greatest players in 1993, the same year he won the league's Most Valuable Player award. The 11-time All-Star retired after the 1999-2000 season and then began a successful career as a basketball analyst for Turner Network Television. He has also flirted with the idea of entering politics, announcing in 2008 that he intended to run for governor of Alabama before later changing his mind.

"Like I said, I feel sorry that young kid got killed, but just judging by the evidence, I don't think that guy should've went to jail for the rest of his life," Barkley continued. "Mr. Zimmerman was wrong to pursue, he was racial profiling, but I think Trayvon Martin -- God rest his soul -- I think he did flip the switch and started beating the hell out of Mr. Zimmerman. But it was just a bad situation."

Barkley then took aim at unnamed media personalities who allegedly allowed their own biases to show throughout coverage of the murder trial.

"The main thing I feel bad for is it gives every white person and black person who's racist a platform to vent their ignorance," he said. "That's the thing that bothered me the most. I watched this trail closely and I watched these people on television talking about it. A lot of these people have a hidden agenda. They want to have their racist views, whether they are white or black ... Their biases definitely come out. It was a bad situation. We all lost."

July 3, 2013
Restaurant Stocks to Buy That Have Crushed the S&P 500 in 2013



Click to enlarge.

What could possibly go wrong again?

Source Data:
St. Louis Fed: Custom Chart

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

(CNN) - Sen. John McCain, who lost in 2008 to the first African-American elected to the White House, said President Barack Obama's speech about race relations was "very impressive" and agreed that "stand your ground" laws should be re-examined, including those in his own state of Arizona.

"The 'stand your ground' law may be something that may needs to be reviewed by the Florida legislature or any other legislature that has passed such legislation," McCain said on CNN's "State of the Union."

Arizona is one of 30 states that have such laws, which give individuals certain legal rights in cases of self-defense. The law in Florida has come under scrutiny recently during the trial of George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer who shot and killed teenager Trayvon Martin last year during a confrontation.

Asked if he thinks Arizona should review the law, McCain said: "Yes, I do."

"And I'm confident that the members of the Arizona legislature will, because it is very controversial legislation," he told CNN chief political correspondent Candy Crowley.

McCain said he didn't agree with fellow Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who argued Friday the Obama administration is calling for a review of "stand your ground" laws as a way to further its agenda against Second Amendment rights.

"Isn't it time for America to come together?" McCain asked. "I'd rather have a message of coming together and discussing these issues rather than condemning.

"I respect (Cruz's) view, but I don't frankly see the connection," he added. {Read More}

Senator John McCain is both right and wrong.

In regard the first issue he is right in acknowledging the need to maintain an open and active mind in an honest dialogue over race relations. This implies (and he said as much) the nation as a whole has a ways to go in embracing racial and cultural diversity.

To the degree the President's press conference earlier in the week stated these sentiments he was spot on and can be considered as a Presidential attempt to facilitate such discussion. It was when he made the decision to play the race card (we all know when that was) that e lost the high ground. And, so it was with the Senator when he choose to pander to race rather than stick to the rational facts and give the President a pass in playing the race card.

With respect to the second issue, "Stand Your Ground" legislation, the Senator is 100% correct. These laws MUST be revisited and either scrapped or preferably rewritten with clear and definitive language with respect to when the use of deadly force is considered justified under the law. In addition, comprehensive gun safety and stand your ground training should be mandatory, at the individuals expense, and retraining and certification should be mandatory every two years to retain your license to carry.

Being the realist (and cynic) that I am I have absolutely zero doubt but what NEITHERthe left loonies or the right loonies will find much of the above acceptable. I mean, it is all about ideology, party loyalty, and gunning (pardon the violent expression, it is only rhetorical liberals) to be the winner take all. Even when it makes NO rational sense to do so.

Via: Memeorandum

Obviously this is the time of the year when I wear lots of dresses. You really don't see me in the cold season wearing dresses and skirts but I guess I'll reconsider that.
Now is all I want to wear. Colorful or white, short or long, I want them all as they are the most easy to pull off on hot days ( and of course the most comfortable)
Here today I have for you a geometric printed little cutie!

P.S. I also have for you a 15%coupon code: BITTERSWEET to use on Lulu's.com.
This is valid for US and Canada. Valid until 7/24/2013



                                                                               Dress: B.P Collection thanks to Lulu's.com/ Here 
                                                               Sandals: Zara/ option Here and Here 
                                                               Bangles bracelets: Joe Fresh/ option Here 
                                                                               Clutch: American Apparel/ similar Here and  Here 
                                                                               Sunglasses: Foster Grant/ similar style Here 




                                                                               

Herón Luciano Sixto López

Coatzacoalco, Veracruz, Mexico - On Wednesday, more than 40 human rights groups, immigrant rights organizations, undocument immigrant refuge shelters, and immigrant rights activists in a letter sent to Mexico's President Enrique Nieto demands for him to take action and to deal with what the groups are now calling a genocide of undocumented Central and South American immigrants travelling through Mexico on their way to the U.S. border. The coalition of Mexican groups, organizations and immigrant refuge shelters claim that President Neito has failed to commit military security forces and federal police along the Bestia (Beast/train of death) route to protect undocumented immigrants in Mexico. 

This Family Blood Feud Can't Be Ended
This Conflict Didn’t Begin In 1948 
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
*******************************

It is frustrating to see a US Secretary of State flitting back and forth between Arab countries and Israel in a non-stop quest for peace.  It is a fool's errand.  So long as the world remains,  that conflict will last until the last day of the last days of the end times.

We hardly ever hear it noted these days, but this is a family feud.  There is no conflict as vicious as a family conflict.  Family members know exactly which buttons to push to hurt their sibling the most.  And they push those buttons gleefully and with gusto.

Two half-brothers, sons of an old fellow from an ancient city of Sumer, called Ur, located on a former channel of the Euphrates River in a place we now call Iraq, began this mess many centuries before Christ. 

Contrary to what we are being and told -- and our young folks are being taught; the Arab/Israeli problem did not have its start in 1948.  Far from it.  The origin of this on-going battle between half-brothers  dates back thousands of years to Abraham, Sarah, (Isaac’s mother), and Hagar (Ishmael’s mother).

I have lifted out some scripture verses below to illustrate the story, as it appears in the story of the Children of Israel in the Bible.   To get the entire story on the origins of this conflict, even to the on-going battles between the half-brothers, Abraham’s children, we recommend you read the two chapters of Genesis… 16 and 17.  Once you have done that, you will have the background on the everlasting war between Abraham’s kids.  You will also see the hopelessness of any country, including the US, reaching a lasting peace agreement between the two.

Just as scripture stated, Ishmael’s children would have their hands raised against every man and every man's hand would be against them.

Don’t believe me?

Look at today’s newspapers.  There it is.  The story starts in the pages of Genesis and continues in the pages of the New York Times.

For the entire story read the 16th and 17th chapters of Genesis in the Old Testament (The Bible.)

Now… the story BEHIND the story:
*****************
Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian slave-girl whose name was Hagar, and Sarai said to Abram, "You see that the LORD has prevented me from bearing children; go in to my slave-girl; it may be that I shall obtain children by her. "And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her slave-girl, and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife. . . . 
                                                                         -0-
Genesis 16:  11-12
And the angel of the LORD said unto her(Hagar), Behold, thou [art] with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.

And he will be a wild man; his hand [will be] against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
                                                                       -0-
Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.                                                                      -0-
And Abraham said to God, "O that Ishmael might live in your sight!" God said, "No, but your wife Sarah shall bear you a son, and you shall name him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you; I will bless him and make him fruitful and exceedingly numerous; he shall be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this season next year."

The LORD dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as he had promised. Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him.
                                                                         -0-
The child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. So she said to Abraham, "Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac." The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you. As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring." So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
******************                                                 

Allow me to disabuse you of any thought that the conflict between Israel, and her Arab neighbors, will be ended anytime soon.  It isn’t going to happen.  It is a conflict, I am convinced, completely out of the hands of man.

Look.  I know that in our increasingly secular world making pronouncements like that above causes eyes to roll, and smirks to appear on the, faces of the, er, more sophisticated.  I get it. I do.  But, HEY! I know in what I believe and in WHOM I believe.  That, I am assured, is becoming extremely rare these days.

See. The thing is -- the "tiff" (as some see it) between Israel and her sibling is a three way affair.  It's between the Jews, the Arabs, and God.  There is no place for the US, the UN, or anybody else to intervene or interfere.  The sooner we recognize that -- the better understanding we will have of the "blood feud," the conflict, and the driving impetus with which it will continue until earth's last day.
        
© J. D. Longstreet

May 15, 2013
Forbes: America's New Manufacturing Boomtowns



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I doubt very much that we will make it to $1,700 per month (inflation adjusted) again. It's just a "conventional wisdom" opinion though.

As a side note, what could possibly go wrong from here? It's not like we're at the very upper edge of a long-term declining trend channel. It's also not like we are stuck there as if unable to punch through. Oh, wait. Never mind.

Source Data:
St. Louis Fed: Custom Chart

Milw., WI - Miguel Garza, owner of MG Oficinas is seen enjoying a family day at the annual Principe de Paz festival at the 2500 block of W. Scott St. MG Oficinas is a co-sponsor of the festival. The two day festival ends on Sunday. 

Velocity of money



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The line in black shows the historical velocity of money stock going back to 1869. The line in red shows the velocity of the M2 money stock going back to 1959.

Note the downward trend since the late 1990s. What does this mean? The "poning" of hyperinflation theories will continue until morale improves!

Source Data:
St. Louis Fed: Custom Chart

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It's just another panic pun day.



See Also:
Half-life (physics)
Half-life (video game)
Duplex (building)
Half Duplex (communications)

Source Data:
St. Louis Fed: Custom Chart

Click to enlarge.

I'd be last person to argue that 2nd order polynomials can accurately predict our long-term employment future. On the other hand, I'd be the last person to think Ben Bernanke can either.

July 19, 2013
The Market Ticker ®: The Problem With Ivory-Tower "Economists"


That's all right Ben. We may very well solve your conundrum in the decades ahead. Sigh.

See Also:
Trend Line Disclaimer

Source Data:
St. Louis Fed: Employed, Usually Work Part Time

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List of premature obituaries


Source Data:
St. Louis Fed: 1-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Rate
U.S. Treasury: Daily Treasury Yield Curve Rates

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

I listened to the full Presidential news conference this afternoon. Obama said some things that made sense. Then he made the following remarks that IMNHO told the nation in full agenda with respect to said issue. Having a in depth discussion of race relations might very well be appropriate and a general discussion is something that MOST American's would welcome. Using the Zimmerman verdict ks simply the WRONG event at possibly the right time.

However, don't expect the President, the Department of Justice, or the liberal media or ultra liberal populace to understand what this means. If I can find a video of the full and complete news conference it will be posted later.




Via: Memeorandum 


 Update: via You Tube. 

 

Your views and thoughts are most welcome. Left and or Right leaning...

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

LA Times - At least six people were arrested Thursday night in San Bernardino after rocks and bottles were thrown and officers and pedestrians were attacked in a protest against the George Zimmerman trial verdict.

The incident began about 8 p.m. as marchers moved south along Highland Avenue and were joined by others not initially involved with what was a peaceful protest at that point, according to police.

Protesters ended up at a Jack in the Box restaurant near Waterman Avenue and Baseline Street and began hurling rocks and bottles at passing vehicles and officers who arrived at the scene, said Lt. Mike Madden of the San Bernardino Police Department.

"They just saw the opportunity for civil unrest," Madden told the Los Angeles Times.

Officers gave orders to disperse. At that point, groups of people took off running and began attacking and robbing pedestrians, according to police.

Two of the six people arrested were taken into custody on suspicion of strong-arm robbery, Madden said.

Police late Thursday were still monitoring roving groups of people in the streets. {}

Not doubt the left is proud?

Via: Memeorandum

So going through my living room and dining room Pinterest boards made me realize that there is no way I could choose just one single style for either room. They are just too full of possibilities.


For the dining room we've got to have a big round table and super killer chairs. Duh.



I like the idea of books in the dining room. More of a library where they allow food, sort of.





OK, this one isn't a round table, but its good.


The living room, like the rest of the house will have tall ceilings, lots of beautiful moldings and big huge windows.







And many french doors out to the huge porch.

I don't think I even scratched the surface really. There is no way I could narrow it down. That's it, I'm just going to have to have several living rooms and dining rooms.

What about you? Do you have a style you dream about but don't have in your own home? Any feature you would add to a space if the sky was the limit? Want CoCo to make you a G&T for the afternoon?

Man remains in coma after being electrocuted while charging an iPhone 4.

Obama And The Manure Spreader

A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
****************
"For decades, a so-called anti-propaganda law prevented the U.S. government's mammoth broadcasting arm from delivering programming to American audiences. But on July 2, that came silently to an end with the implementation of a new reform passed in January. The result: an unleashing of thousands of hours per week of government-funded radio and TV programs for domestic U.S. consumption in a reform initially criticized as a green light for U.S. domestic propaganda efforts. So what just happened?"   SOURCE:  http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/07/12/us_backs_off_propaganda_ban_spreads_government_made_news_to_americans
 If you have ever wondered what would happen if you threw a truck load of cow manure into a fertilizer spreader,  you're about to find out!

It would seem that, finally, the Obama Administration has concluded that Americans are sufficiently stupid enough that they can now be plied with taxpayer funded lies gussied-up to appear as truthful messages from a "caring government" sometimes referred to as ... Aunt Nanna. 

The Obama Regime has decided we are dumb enough that we won't even notice that we are being manipulated by the machinations of dark forces within a government gone rogue.

As if that were not scary enough, after a bit of soul searching, I have concluded Obama is right.   I think we HAVE become just that stupid.

Once again, we warn that the US is beginning to favor the old USSR more and more, every day, under the Obama Regime.  Until NOW the people of the US have not had to bear-up under the strain of government sponsored propaganda broadcasts. In the Old USSR it was common practice.  In nearly all Marxist countries it is standard practice. Now that the US has adopted Marxism, under Obama's guidance and tutorship,  it will now be a part of every American's daily brain training by the government.

Until now, it was flat-out illegal to broadcast government propaganda in the US.  No longer.

    "Until this month, a vast ocean of U.S. programming produced by the Broadcasting Board of Governors such as Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks could only be viewed or listened to at broadcast quality in foreign countries. The programming varies in tone and quality, but its breadth is vast: It's viewed in more than 100 countries in 61 languages. The topics covered include human rights abuses in Iran; self-immolation in Tibet; human trafficking across Asia; and on-the-ground reporting in Egypt and Iraq."  SOURCE:  http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/07/12/us_backs_off_propaganda_ban_spreads_government_made_news_to_americans

For most Americans, I suspect the "BBG" is a completely unheard of organization.  Heck, I spent thirty years in the broadcasting industry and I rarely, if ever, heard their name brought up. 

Back in the day --you know -- back before America became stupid and people actually paid attention to things outside their thirty inches of personal space, folks had heard of entities such as: Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty, Middle East Broadcasting networks (including Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa), Radio Free Asia, and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting better known, at least among the domestic broadcasting community, as "Radio Marti."  

The BBG became an independent, autonomous entity on October 1, 1999, as a result of the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 (Pub.L. 105–277). BBG had 3,200 employees and a budget of US$535 million in 2002.  SOURCE:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadcasting_Board_of_Governors 

The 2012 budget request from BBG was $767 million.

"According to a series of reports beginning in 2004 and generated by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the BBG has struggled to live up to its mission. For instance, GAO highlighted a structural issue of the BBG in a 2004 report claiming that "organizationally, the existence of five separate broadcast entities has led to overlapping language services, duplication of program content, redundant news gathering and support services, and difficulties coordinating broadcast efforts."[10] The report also added that "marketing challenges include outmoded program formats, poor signal delivery, and low audience awareness in many markets." [10]

In April 2010, Senator Tom Coburn held up the appointments of the Obama administration, with the aim of drawing attention to the organization's perceived ineffectiveness, stating in an interview: "The BBG is the most worthless organization in the federal government. It's full of people who know nothing about media or foreign policy."[2] Senator Jim DeMint also attempted to use the nominations to force a hearing on the BBG, after frustrations with a perceived lack of congressional oversight over the organization.[2] Coburn had written an open letter to then-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in August 2010 citing "longstanding concerns regarding transparency and effectiveness of our taxpayer funded international broadcasting agencies under the purview of the Broadcasting Board of Governors." SOURCE:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadcasting_Board_of_Governors

Understand:  We are talking about the US government feeding propaganda to the American people.  Understand, too, that propaganda is information (or misinformation) that is spread for the purpose of promoting some cause, some action (or even some inaction) the government favors.  It is pure manipulation of the masses often described as "brain washing."  In the months and years ahead look for it anywhere as political propaganda (especially Marxist propaganda) can be, and often is, communicated via art, literature, and the movies.  

Just a few years ago, I would not be so troubled by this announcement.  Now, however,
with the American public having been dumbed-down by decades of government indoctrination in the so-called public education system, It is certainly conceivable that propaganda could (and I am now convinced -- WILL) be a very effective tool for the government to use to continue to shred the constitution and the rights guaranteed to the American people by it.

The inability to discern the difference between government propaganda and the truth will have dire consequences for freedom in America. In rather short order Americans will no longer know WHOM to believe and the more discerning among us will choose to believe no one!

If you have not done so already, then we advise you to dust off your "BS Meter", calibrate it, and prepare for the tsunami of Bovine Scatology coming your way from those wonderful people who brought you Obamacare.

© J. D. Longstreet