Thursday, April 28, 2016

DISPATCHES FROM THE EDUCATION APOCALYPSE: Relax, it’s OK for cheerleaders to look hot

Instapundit » Blog Archive » DISPATCHES FROM THE EDUCATION APOCALYPSE: Relax, it’s OK for cheerleaders to look hot: The news …:
DISPATCHES FROM THE EDUCATION APOCALYPSE: 
Relax, it’s OK for cheerleaders to look hot:
The news hit hard on the University of Washington campus. The students can’t believe it. I can’t believe it. Can you believe it?
Cheerleaders, it turns out, are expected to have a certain look.
“U-Dub” students (hey, that’s just one letter away from U Dumb!) were unloading on social media, crying to counselors and fleeing to safe spaces after the cheer team posted an infographic describing the look to strive for if you’re planning to try out for the squad. (In the routinely craven manner of all universities, the UW spirit program ordered the graphic removed and called in nine tons of smelling salts for those affected.)

I repeat: The graphic was aimed only at young women seeking to be cheerleaders. Pasty-faced Womyn’s Struggles majors attending rallies in shapeless sweatshirts, and black-clad Emily Dickinson fans emoting agonized coffeehouse verse were not the target audience. It takes all kinds to make up a student body: dimpled, flirty blond girls with Southern accents and sour, achy ones who cut themselves among them.

“I can’t believe this is real,” Jazmine Perez, the student government’s director of programming told the Seattle Times. “One of the first things that comes to mind is objectification and idealization of Western beauty,” she harrumphed.
C’mon colleges, go all the way; ban your sports programs, or make this the look of your cheerleaders!

U.S. plots with United Nations to expand Syrian refugees from 10,000 to 200,000

U.S. plots with United Nations to expand Syrian refugees from 10,000 to 200,000 | Washington Examiner:
"In a move around the standard refugee settlement process in America, the United Nations and the administration are scheming to find other ways to boost the number of Syrians entering the country, from 10,000 this year to possibly 200,000.
U.S. officials, meeting with United Nations human rights officials in Geneva, joined in a project that looks to "alternative safe pathways" to setting Syrian refugees in America and Europe that include pushing colleges and universities to offer tuition programs and encouraging Syrians already in the country to open their homes to those who've fled the war-torn Middle East nation.
The plan already has one victory.
Last week, the University of Southern California revealed that it is offering five free tuition programs for Syrian refugees, including one in the school's journalism program.
..."Refugees and government officials are expecting this crisis to last 10 or 15 years.
It's time that we no longer work as business as usual ... UNHCR next month is convening a meeting to look at what are being called 'alternative safe pathways' for Syrian refugees.
Maybe it's hard for the U.S. to go from 2,000 to 200,000 refugees resettled in a year, but maybe there are ways we can ask our universities to offer scholarships to Syrian students..."

Obamacare disaster will be Obama’s enduring domestic legacy - The Washington Post

Obamacare disaster will be Obama’s enduring domestic legacy - The Washington Post:

"With Obamacare, Obama wanted to restore America’s faith in big government. Instead, the opposite has happened. Today, 69 percent of Americans say big government is “the biggest threat to the country in the future” (ahead of big business or big labor).

This Is The End: Venezuela Runs Out Of Money To Print New Money

This Is The End: Venezuela Runs Out Of Money To Print New Money | Zero Hedge
Back in February, when we commented on the unprecedented hyperinflation about the be unleashed in the Latin American country whose president just announced that he would expand the "weekend" for public workers to 5 days...
... we joked that it is unclear just where the country will find all the paper banknotes it needs for all its new physical currency
After all, central-bank data shows Venezuela more than doubled the supply of 100-, 50- and 2-bolivar notes in 2015 as it doubled monetary liquidity including bank deposits. 
Supply has grown even as Venezuela has fewer U.S. dollars to support new bolivars, a result of falling oil prices. 
This question, as morbidly amusing as it may have been to us if not the local population, became particularly poignant recently when for the first time, one US Dollar could purchase more than 1000 Venezuela Bolivars on the black market (to be exact, it buys 1,127 as of today).
And then, as if on cue the WSJ responded: "millions of pounds of provisions, stuffed into three-dozen 747 cargo planes, arrived here from countries around the world in recent months to service Venezuela’s crippled economy. 
But instead of food and medicine, the planes carried another resource that often runs scarce here: bills of Venezuela’s currency, the bolivar.
The shipments were part of the import of at least five billion bank notes that President Nicolás Maduro’s administration authorized over the latter half of 2015 as the government boosts the supply of the country’s increasingly worthless currency, according to seven people familiar with the deals.
More planes were coming: in December, the central bank began secret negotiations to order 10 billion more bills which would effectively double the amount of cash in circulation. That order alone is well above the eight billion notes the U.S. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank each print annually—dollars and euros that unlike bolivars are used world-wide.
Where things got even more ridiculous for the government where the largest bill in denomination is 100 Bolivars, is how much physical currency it needed, and the cost to print it..."

Texas school district grapples with refugee influx, 75 student languages

Texas school district grapples with refugee influx, 75 student languages | EAGnews.org: "AMARILLO, Texas – Amarillo Mayor Paul Harpole wants state lawmakers to know his city has more than its fair share of refugees, as evidenced by the dozens of different languages spoken in Amarillo schools.
“We have 14 different refugee languages that we report to the state,” Christina Ritter, ESL Program Supervisor for the Amarillo Independent School District, told the Amarillo Globe-News.
Ritter said with all dialects considered, “We have 75 different spoken languages in our schools.”
The myriad of different languages of refugees flooding into the city’s schools puts a massive financial burden on the district to educate the students and quickly meet federal mandates..."

My Dad's sub-----Silent Service S01 E06: The Bergall's Dilemma

Noon-toon


‘Stunning…Hypocrisy’: New Video Hits Back at ‘Big Business Bullies’ For Reaction to Transgender and ‘Religious Freedom’ Laws | TheBlaze.com

‘Stunning…Hypocrisy’: New Video Hits Back at ‘Big Business Bullies’ For Reaction to Transgender and ‘Religious Freedom’ Laws | TheBlaze.com:

“We produced this video because the elected leaders of North Carolina should be commended, not threatened with big business boycotts,” Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, told TheBlaze.

He continued, “Despite the fact that a majority of voters support this common-sense policy, [North Carolina] Governor [Pat] McCrory and state leaders continue to receive threats from big corporations who say they will stop doing business in North Carolina unless they allow local government to impose these bizarre bathroom and locker room policies.”

Perkins went on to decry what he believes to be “stunning” hypocrisy coming from these businesses — a sentiment that was also advanced in the video that Perkins’ organization released on Monday.

Watch the video titled, “Corporate Hypocrisy: Big Business bullies North Carolina & Mississippi,” below:"

Denmark To Tax Red Meat In Fight Against Climate Changing Cow Farts

Denmark To Tax Red Meat In Fight Against Climate Changing Cow Farts:
"Something smells rotten in the state of Denmark.
If anything proves that the global warming nonsense has gone too far, this is it.
At  Constitution.com  Philip Hodges tells us that the Danish Council of Ethics voted in favor of taxing red meat for the purpose of curbing global warming.
Why are they doing this?
Because the climate change gurus do not believe that all global warming is man-made, up to ten percent of those greenhouse gasses are created from the methane in cow flatulence (if that’s really the case my older brother is responsible for another ten percent).
The folks in Denmark are taxing red meat in the hopes that people will stop eating it...
Of course, changing people’s behavior and eating habits will only work to curb global warming, if there is a link between carbon dioxide and the global climate.  
But the problem is…CO2 has been increasing but the temperature hasn’t. 
In fact despite what you may have heard the earth hasn’t gotten warmer in almost nineteen years.
Based on the satellite data, there has been no global warming since June 1997..."



How Many Millennials Now Reject Capitalism? The Number Will Stun You.

How Many Millennials Now Reject Capitalism? The Number Will Stun You. | Daily Wire
A new survey conducted by Harvard University found that a majority of millennials now reject capitalism.
The Harvard poll asked young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 what they thought about capitalism, socialism, and the role of government. 
The results left those conducting the research scratching their heads.
A majority of the respondents, 51%, said they do not support capitalism, only 42% having a favorable view of it.
...The Post notes that Harvard's results align with previous studies, including a 2011 Pew Research Center poll that found the 18-29 demo split on whether or not capitalism was a good thing, 46% saying yes, 47% saying no, while more of them, 49%, had a positive view of socialism.
In other words, those either in college or fresh out are consistently more likely to have negative views of capitalism."

Is Male Rape More Common at College Than in Prison? Yes, Suggests the White House.

Is Male Rape More Common at College Than in Prison? Yes, Suggests the White House. - Hit & Run : Reason.com:
"If statistics are true, young men sentenced to prison should breathe a sigh of relief: "At least I wasn't accepted to Harvard."
Today in difficult-to-fathom statistics: sexual abuse is actually more prevalent on college campuses than it is inside U.S. prisons—if information cited by the White House is to be believed. 
Even crazier: male college students are in greater danger than male inmates.
Since that doesn't actually make a lot of sense, perhaps we should be questioning whether the reports are underreporting prison rape, overreporting college rape, or both.
...But this explanation seems lacking when one considers the data on sexual assaults against men. Oft-cited surveys published by The Washington Post / Kaiser Foundation and the Association of American Universities put the college male victimization rate at between 5 and 8 percent.
The sexual assault rate for male prison inmates, however, is 3.7 percent, according to the White House report.
In other words, the sexual assault rate for men in prison is half what it is for male college students.
...But I have a very difficult time believing that male prisons are significantly safer—for men—than university campuses are.
Try taking that idea to its logical conclusion.
Imagine the parents of a young man who has been sentenced to four years in a federal penitentiary: instead of crying, they should breathe a sigh of relief and say, "At least he wasn't admitted to Harvard."...

Comedian Steven Crowder Dishes Out Brutal, Nearly 5-Minute ‘Reality Check’ to ‘Social Justice Warriors’ When They Interrupt Event | Video | TheBlaze.com

Comedian Steven Crowder Dishes Out Brutal, Nearly 5-Minute ‘Reality Check’ to ‘Social Justice Warriors’ When They Interrupt Event | Video | TheBlaze.com:

"Comedian Steven Crowder mercilessly tore into so-called “social justice warriors” when they disrupted his opening remarks within seconds of him taking the stage.

Crowder was scheduled to “tell some jokes” and discuss free speech at the University of Massachusetts on Monday night alongside other speakers, including conservative firebrand Milo Yiannopoulos and former philosophy professor Christina Marie Hoff Sommers. However, the comedian quickly ditched his prepared material to give his vocal critics a “reality check.”

Detroit Schools 'Misplace' $30 Million from Feds for Pensions

Detroit Schools 'Misplace' $30 Million from Feds for Pensions [Michigan Capitol Confidential]:
"The Detroit News reported this week that the U.S. Department of Education allegedly gave Detroit Public Schools $30 million to help it pay required contributions to an employee pension fund, but the school district never sent the money into the state-run system. 
The $30 million was supposed to cover pension contributions for DPS employees whose pay came from federal grants.
ForTheRecord says: For a clear example of how the rising cost of maintaining a defined benefit pension system is strangling school budgets, one need look no further than the Detroit school district. Employment has been cut in half, from 15,465 full-time employees (FTEs) in 2007-08 to 7,280 in 2014-15. (Enrollment fell an equivalent amount.)
Despite the decline, the district paid 65 percent more per employee for required pension contributions in 2014-15, or $13,527 per full-time employee.
In 2007-08, the total cost for half as many employees was $126.5 million, or $8,181 per FTE."

AM Fruitcake


History for April 28


History for April 28 - On-This-Day.com
James Monroe 1758 - 5th U.S. President, nickname: The Last Cocked Hat, (Nelle) Harper Lee 1926 - Author ("To Kill A Mockingbird"), Saddam Hussein 1937 - Iraqi leader


Jay Leno 1950 - Comedian, television talk show host ("The Tonight Show"), Mary McDonnell 1953 - Actress, Penelope Cruz 1974 - Actress


1789 - A mutiny on the British ship Bounty took place when a rebel crew took the ship and set sail to Pitcairn Island. The mutineers left Captain W. Bligh and 18 sailors adrift.


1914 - W.H. Carrier patented the design of his air conditioner.


1919 - The League of Nations was founded.





1932 - The yellow fever vaccine for humans was announced.


1945 - Benito Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci were executed by Italian partisans as they attempted to flee the country.


1988 - In Maui, HI, one flight attendant was killed when the fuselage of a Boeing 737 ripped open in mid-flight.


1992 - Fail!-The U.S. Agriculture Department unveiled a pyramid-shaped recommended-diet chart.


1996 - Liar!--U.S. President Clinton gave a 4 1/2 hour videotaped testimony as a defense witness in the criminal trial of his former Whitewater business partners.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

LIBERTY REVIEW

LIBERTY REVIEW:

http://www.libertyreview76.blogspot.com/2016/04/veered-to-left-by-tammy-derouin-ill.html

Veered To The Left

By Tammy Derouin

I’ll never forget the first time I saw an individual openly promoting and supporting a self-proclaimed democratic socialist in my hometown.  I was on a walk and for a brief moment I was surprised.  But, considering everything that has happened over the last several years, it shouldn’t have been that surprising.  When the course of the path offered two options, I had to chuckle when he naturally veered to the left and I went to the right.

I continued my walk knowing that my chosen path would always be freedom and independence which includes capitalism and limited government. I struggle to understand what makes an individual think that more government control is what’s best for this country.  After all, it was the free market which propelled the United States to become an economic world leader. 

Our country was founded on the beliefs of freedom and independence.  Self-reliance was once a positive attribute.  What happened to us?  Did life get too difficult?  Why would we willingly trade our freedom for a life of government control?  Do we need to be told how we should live, believe and think?  That’s not freedom.

It’s been almost a year since the T-shirt he was wearing caused me to pause and once again acknowledge just how much our nation has fundamentally transformed.  Lawns and car bumpers now display campaign signs in hopes of a democratic socialist becoming the President of the United States.  What a transformation!

The Democratic Party has two options..... 

Your Devices' Latest Feature? They Can Spy On Your Every Move

Your Devices' Latest Feature? They Can Spy On Your Every Move | IFLScience:
"Your gadgets could be providing a window that any hacker could see right through to spy on you.
Your laptop has a video camera built into it.
When it’s recording, a little green light blinks on so you’re aware you’re being recorded.
But it can be instructed to videotape your activities without the green camera light being on. 
And this is not just an in-laboratory warning of a hypothetical danger; it has actually been done, by over-eager school officials and by peeping Toms.
At least you can turn off your laptop: when it is shut, the camera can see only “the other side” of the laptop.
But this quick fix doesn’t apply to sound recording devices, like microphones.

  • ...Your smart home monitor knows how many people are in your house and in which rooms at what times. 
  • Your smart water meter knows every time a toilet is flushed in your home. 
  • Your alarm clock knows what time you woke up each day last month. 
  • Your refrigerator knows every time you filled a glass of cold water. 
  • Your cellphone has a GPS built into it that can track your location, and hence record your movements. 

...Perhaps you don’t care about the privacy of criminals.
But note that surveillance is not just of known bad actors, but also of suspected bad actors.
...And it’s not just law enforcement overreach we have to worry about.
Technologies like Finspy are commercially available today to install malware on your computer or phone and “recruit” it to spy on you.
Such technologies could be used by anyone, including the “bad actors,” without the cooperation of your device manufacturer or service provider.
...Finally, this may feel futuristic, but I assure you it is not. 
The FBI was already using a cellphone microphone to eavesdrop on organized crime as long as a decade ago.
Commercial interests are not too far behind in doing much the same, with the purpose of targeting a better sales pitch.
Our omnipresent networked devices raise big questions that we should openly debate.
How we balance these costs and benefits will determine the type of society we live in."

Medicare Withholds New Heart Procedure

Medicare Withholds New Heart Procedure - MediBid:
"In the past, the only way to repair a damaged aortic valve was open-heart surgery.
In 2011, the FDA approved a medical device to repair the heart using a catheter in the leg artery called the Sapien 3.
The cost of the new valve is the same as cracking the chest, but has lower risks and is an easier procedure to perform. 
Medicare fears that more elderly patients will want their hearts repaired with this new technology, so strict coverage rules have been set in place.
...Studies show that the replacement valves are superior to risky open-heart surgery, including mortality and risk of stroke.
...As the government continues to regulate medicine and ration care, medicine cannot evolve with scientific advancement..."

Sears Makes Shocking Announcement... Welcome to Obama's America

Sears Makes Shocking Announcement... Welcome to Obama's America:

"Sadly, the 130-year-old retail icon, founded in Chicago in 1886, wasn’t the only one cutting jobs or stores. Another two retail giants, Macy’s and JCPenny, shuttered 12 and 39 stores, respectively.

According to WND, among the other stores that have closed locations in the past year are Abercrombie & Fitch, Barnes & Noble, Chico’s, Children’s Place, Coach, Fresh & Easy, Gymboree, JCPenney, Macy’s, Office Depot, Pier One and Pep Boys."

Students demand UW raise sports ticket prices to fund diversity efforts

Students demand UW raise sports ticket prices to fund diversity efforts
"...University of Wisconsin Madison students demanded more funding for diversity initiatives at an open forum Monday night, even though the administration has already succumbed to many of their previous demands.
One student at the forum, according to the Wisconsin State Journal, suggested that the university raise ticket prices for athletic events in order to help fund opportunities for disadvantaged students.
The forum was called after hundreds of UW students staged a walkout last week to protest the recent arrest of a classmate who allegedly vandalized several on-campus buildings, costing the university $4,000 in repair, and was billed as an opportunity for the administration to address their concerns.
...At last week’s walkout, for instance, students added “community control” of the UW police department to their list.
Over the past year, though, the university has responded to several student demands by establishing a cultural competency program for incoming freshmen and increasing the number of mental health counselors available to minority students..."