Finally

WH press corps hammers Carney: How come Obama hasn’t produced his own debt-ceiling plan?

Since his unmitigated failure of a budget was unanimously defeated in the Senate, this president has refused to offer a specific plan of his own on virtually anything at all. Instead, he talks about “visions” and “contours” and “frameworks” — and tries to blame his opponents when his poor leadership is exposed. Over the last five days, the president has (a) undermined a bargain with John Boehner by introducing an unacceptable eleventh-hour condition, (b) rejected “out of hand” a bipartisan compromise that he found to be politically unpalatable, and (c) delivered a speech that painted his opponents as the intractable extremists. In light of this behavior, it’s entirely reasonable for Americans to wonder what, precisely, Barack Obama’s proposed solution might be. Today, the White House dismissively waived off that question as a GOP talking point and condescendingly inquired if the journalist who dared to ask it was capable of taking notes.

What Is War Good For?

Sparking Civilization, Suggest Archaeology Findings from Peru

ScienceDaily (July 25, 2011) — Warfare, triggered by political conflict between the fifth century B.C. and the first century A.D., likely shaped the development of the first settlement that would classify as a civilization in the Titicaca basin of southern Peru, a new UCLA study suggests.

"This study is part of a larger, worldwide comparative research effort to define the factors that gave rise to the first societies that developed public buildings, widespread religions and regional political systems -- or basically characteristics associated with ancient states or what is colloquially known as 'civilization,'" said Stanish, who is also a professor of anthropology at UCLA. "War, regional trade and specialized labor are the three factors that keep coming up as predecessors to civilization."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110725162529.htm

Things are heating up in DC

Boehner Plan Blows Up

 

Just heard from a friend on the Hill who is chief of staff for a GOP House member, who writes:
The Boehner plan just blew up. Reid has announced that Boehner’s plan is DOA in the Senate. He doesn’t even have the votes in the House. The deal is dead. Caucus not in the mood for compromise. That’s not why they got elected.

Read more: http://pajamasmedia.com/tatler/2011/07/26/boehner-budget-deal-dead/#ixzz1TFdezshF

The O update

Obama Threatens Another Veto...
Just hours after urging compromise...
Carney Admits Obama Has No Plan...

Update on mountain lion killed in Connecticut

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said today that results of genetic tests show that the mountain lion killed in Milford in June made its way to the state from the Black Hills region of South Dakota and is an animal whose movements were actually tracked and recorded as it made its way through Minnesota and Wisconsin.

http://www.middletownpress.com/articles/2011/07/26/news/doc4e2f1341de52f489437623.txt?viewmode=fullstory

How your federal Dollars are spent.

FDA Moves to Regulate Walnuts as a Drug

Big Government no longer has to pass the laugh test before expanding its power, which means any bureaucracy can regulate most anything that catches its attention. For example, the FDA is now cracking down on the “drug” we know as walnuts:

Because Diamond Foods made truthful claims about the health benefits of consuming walnuts that the FDA didn’t approve, it sent the company a letter declaring, “Your walnut products are drugs” — and “new drugs” at that — and, therefore, “they may not legally be marketed … in the United States without an approved new drug application.” The agency even threatened Diamond with “seizure” if it failed to comply.

Why California is doomed.

University of California Expands Diversity Bureaucracy While Cutting Back on Education

Money is so tight in the Age of Obama that even government-sponsored universities have been forced to cut back — especially in California, where the Governor  et al. are shoveling financial aide at illegal aliens who are committing a crime just by being in the country. Like the state government, the University of California is run by the left, as can be seen by its funding priorities:

California’s budget crisis has reduced the University of California to near-penury, claim its spokesmen. “Our campuses and the UC Office of the President already have cut to the bone,” the university system’s vice president for budget and capital resources warned earlier this month… Well, not exactly to the bone. Even as UC campuses jettison entire degree programs and lose faculty to competing universities, one fiefdom has remained virtually sacrosanct: the diversity machine.

Not only have diversity sinecures been protected from budget cuts, their numbers are actually growing. The University of California at San Diego, for example, is creating a new full-time “vice chancellor for equity, diversity, and inclusion.” This position would augment UC San Diego’s already massive diversity apparatus, which includes the Chancellor’s Diversity Office, the associate vice chancellor for faculty equity, the assistant vice chancellor for diversity, the faculty equity advisors, the graduate diversity coordinators, the staff diversity liaison, the undergraduate student diversity liaison, the graduate student diversity liaison, the chief diversity officer, the director of development for diversity initiatives, the Office of Academic Diversity and Equal Opportunity, the Committee on Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Issues, the Committee on the Status of Women, the Campus Council on Climate, Culture and Inclusion, the Diversity Council, and the directors of the Cross-Cultural Center, the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center, and the Women’s Center.

Obama on the what Dems read and watch

“For those of you who are of a Democratic persuasion are only reading The New York Times and watching MSNBC”

Gun Free Zones

YES. NEXT QUESTION?

Question of the Day: Are “Gun-Free Zones” Really “Target-Rich Environments”?

Speaking Of “Shared Sacrifice.”

 So the President wants “millionaires and billionaires” to “share in the sacrifice everyone else has to make.” Right. A couple of points: by “millionaires and billionaires” he means middle-class folks with a family income of $250,000 or above. By “sacrifice everyone else has to make” he means everyone except the 43.4 percent of tax filers who pay no federal income tax — many of whom, in fact, get a check from the government, i.e., from the other 50-odd percent who do pay federal income tax.(Remember this: the government has no money of its own: what money it disperses it gets from individuals and businesses.)

A “sacrifice everyone else has to make.” That sounds nice. What do you suppose it means? And what sacrifice do you suppose the President himself is making? Here’s an idea: Why doesn’t he figure out how much it actually costs to run the White House and then indulge in a little shared sacrifice by cutting (say) 20 percent.

Really? - White House Threatens to Veto Debt Ceiling Increase

 

By Pete Kasperowicz and Sam Youngman, The Hill
The White House on Tuesday released a two-sentence veto threat against the House Republican plan to cut $1.2 trillion over ten years, raise the debt ceiling by $1 trillion, and set up another $1.8 trillion in cuts by the end of this year.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/173613-white-house-issues-terse-veto-threat-against-house-gop-deficit-plan#ixzz1TF9JPiSy

 

WH Refuses To Release Obama Debt Plan: "We've Shown a lot of Leg"

Obama Says Phone Congress ... But Lines Jammed With Americans Who Say 'Reduce Spending!'

 

Telephone calls and emails flooded into the Capitol Tuesday, overwhelming the phone system and slowing computer servers after President Barack Obama urged voters Monday night to support the Democrats' debt-ceiling plan.

An internal email sent around to U.S. House offices said "House Telephone Circuits Near Capacity" and told users, "Due to the high volume of external calls, House telephone circuits serving 202-225-XXXX phone numbers are near capacity resulting in outside callers occasionally getting busy signals."

"The majority of calls that our offices have received have all been calls to reduce spending," the aide said.

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903999904576470012739907064.html#ixzz1TF8yaiyy

Why California is doomed

CA seeks bridge loan to pay bills...

Guv OKs financial aid for illegal aliens...

Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law Monday easing access to privately funded financial aid for undocumented college students. He also signaled that he was likely to back a more controversial measure allowing those students to seek state-funded tuition aid in the future.

How bad are the regs under Obama?

George Soros dumps investors to avoid new financial regulations...

Seeks to avoid Democrats' new disclosure rules...

More than 1,000 weapons unaccounted for in Fast and Furious

Oversight still seeking answers.

I thought this was his best line.

Boehner Responds to Obama’s Address: ‘The Bigger the Government, the Smaller the People’

 

Obama created the "crisis atmosphere."

Saying one thing to America, another to the Banks.

Obama to Banks: We're Not Defaulting

While officials from the Obama Administration raised their rhetoric over the weekend about the possibility of a debt default if the debt ceiling isn't raised, they privately have been telling top executives at major U.S. banks that such an event won’t happen, FOX Business has learned.

Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2011/07/25/obama-to-banks-were-not-defaulting/#ixzz1TEP4rxqF

Ford, Chrysler make less money, and Pelosi spends a lot of money in Detroit

This is the Morning Shift, our one-stop daily roundup of all the auto news that's actually important — all in one place at 9:00 AM. Or, you could spend all day waiting for other sites to parcel it out to you one story at a time. Isn't your time more important?

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1st Gear: Ford reported a profit that beat Wall Street expectations. Excluding one-time items, Ford's quarterly profit fell to 65 cents per share from 68 cents a year ago. Analysts, on average, had expected earnings of 60 cents per share excluding one-time items, according to Thomson Reuters. Revenue rose 13% to $35.5 billion. Net income of $2.4 billion in the quarter, or 59 cents per share, was down $201 million from a year ago when per-share net income was 61 cents per share. Ford has now posted eight straight quarterly net profits after recording net losses totaling $30 billion from 2006 through 2008.

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5th Gear: A trip by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, more than a dozen members of Congress and their aides to the January 2010 North American International Auto Show cost taxpayers about $35,000, according to documents released Monday. According to records obtained by FOIA, members of Congress spent $24,336 on commercial plane fare — which is cheaper than flying on military aircraft — plus $10,046 on expenses, including hotel rooms, taxis and meals. The congressional delegation rented 14 hotel rooms at $275 a night in Detroit; among other charges, it spent more than $700 in meals at Fishbone's restaurant in Greektown. Reps. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph; Tim Ryan, D-Ohio; and John Larson, R-Conn., as well as two aides, charged the government $135.87 for a meal at the Old Shillelagh in Detroit, according to a receipt. Mmm, bipartisan beer.

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Navy’s Next Wonder Weapon Combines a High Speed 25mm Gun With Deadly Laser

Boeing and BAE are building a weapon that combines a traditional M242 autocannon—which fires 175 rounds per minute with a range of 2.5 kilometers—with a high energy laser. They call it the Mk 38 Mod 2 Tactical Laser System.

The laser will be able to target and destroy surface and air targets like small boats and unmanned aerial vehicles. The Navy is excited about it because they can integrate it in current ships with little work.

Imagine if the Mexican Gov’t armed American Criminals

At least 122 guns from Fast & Furious have been found at Mexican crime scenes

CNN is catching up

CNN notices how out-of-touch Obama is

Nobody today is talking about tax hikes in Washington except …

Liberal sugar daddy ending his hedge fund

George Soros, the billionaire best known for breaking the Bank of England, is returning money to outside investors in his $25.5 billion firm, ending a career as hedge-fund manager that spanned more than four decades.

Soros, who turns 81 next month, will hand back the money, less than $1 billion, by the end of the year, according to two people briefed on the matter. His firm will focus on managing assets solely for Soros and his family, according to a letter to investors. Keith Anderson, 51, chief investment officer since February 2008, is leaving, said the letter, signed by Soros’s sons Jonathan and Robert, who are co-deputy chairmen.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/soros-returns-client-money-to-end-four-decade-hedge-fund-career/2011/07/26/gIQA2ZGWaI_story.html?hpid=z4

Unusual Health Remedies

Shave off your moustache to beat hay fever and sniff an apple to cure a headache... strange but scientifically proven health tips

We all know that you should eat at least five portions of fruit and veg a day, exercise regularly and cut down on saturated fat. But in recent years scientists have discovered a host of new — and rather more surprising — health tips and remedies.

Here, we reveal some of the more unusual advice for your well-being, including the virtues of chocolate milk and why high heels are good for you...

DITCH THE WHISKERS TO BEAT SNEEZES

Allergy prone: A moustache can aggravate hay fever by trapping pollen

If you’re prone to allergies, you might want to reconsider that moustache.

One study suggests that men who washed their moustaches twice a day with liquid soap used fewer antihistamines and decongestants. The reason?

Cleaning got rid of stuck pollen grains.

Dr Rob Hicks, GP and author of Beat Your Allergy, says: ‘Like clothing, skin and hair, a moustache will trap pollen throughout the day.

‘A man with hay fever might consider shaving off his moustache to see whether it makes a difference.

‘That would probably be easier and more effective than remembering to wash it twice a day.’

SNIFF AN APPLE TO STOP A MIGRAINE

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but it turns out they may have health benefits beyond that.

A recent study of 50 people by The Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation of Chicago found that the odour of green apple helped to reduce the severity of their migraines.

‘This may have something to do with the ability of pleasant fragrances to relax us and reduce tension,’ says Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at Somerville College, Oxford. ‘The odour may also help to distract people from thinking about the pain of the migraine.’

MORE “Cures”

WEAR HIGH HEELS TO SAVE YOUR KNEES

Welcome news: High heels, as favoured by Sarah Jessica Parker, can actually be good for you

KEEP TABLETS IN THE LINEN CLOSET

RETUNE THE RADIO TO LOSE WEIGHT

WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER GETTING CASH

DRINK CHOCOLATE MILK TO STAY FIT

USE SOAP, NOT SPECIAL HANDWASH

FLUSH WITH THE LID DOWN TO SAVE TEETH
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2018743/Strange-health-tips-Shave-moustache-beat-hay-fever-.html#ixzz1TDhMn7ZM

You know, you would have to be either very brave or very drunk to want either one of these

Revealed: The couple who 'had sex in front of children' at public swimming pool

Myron Helms, 33, and Victoria Cross, 40, of Indiana, made love in Roberts Park Family Pool in Connersville, Indiana last Sunday, police said. Helms is a reserve police officer with a neighbouring department. He allegedly had sex with Cross for around 30 minutes in the community pool. The couple have been charged with public indecency after going to the Fayette County Sheriff's Department.

I post this solely for Lisa, I make no claims that horses are good. Indeed, I believe the devil rides one.

Kidnap victim Jaycee Dugard turns to HORSE therapy to rebuild her life

Miss Dugard's mother Terry Probyn and family unification therapist Rebecca Bailey spoke to Good Morning America on Monday about how Miss Dugard is doing since she spoke exclusively to ABC News' Diane Sawyer and released her bestselling memoir, A Stolen Life. Mrs Probyn said: 'She wants to write more books. She wants to ride horses. She wants to grow and just give back.

Not really news, but it is nice to dream

Showboating Steven Spielberg fined for angering holidaymakers as he took Gwyneth Paltrow out on his £220m yacht

Angry sunbathers called police and coastguards because of the noise from the tender's powerful outboard motor after he ventured too close to the shore and breached maritime regulations. Coastguards were quickly on the scene at La Maddalena, a picturesque beauty spot off the north east coast of Sardinia, which is renowned as being a millionaire's playground.

Boehner is rock solid

You all know that I haven’t been John Boehner’s biggest fan.

But he’s starting to prove that a leopard can change his spots. Boehner is holding tough for real spending cuts. Tonight’s rebuttal to Obama’s speech was clear and convincing.

The Reid “plan” is a farce: a blank check for Obama through the 2012 election, with zero real spending cuts, as ZeroHedge so eloquently pointed out.

Euphemisms

The uses of euphemism

Obama’s speech last night was permeated with the comprehensive dishonesty and poll-tested euphemisms that constitute his contribution to the debt ceiling debate. Here are a few of the euphemisms Obama has contributed: revenues (taxes), shared sacrifice (taxes), asking for something (taxes), millionaires and billionaires (taxes on individuals earning more than $200,000 a year or couples earning more than $250,000 a year), the balanced approach (translation: taxes).

The euphemisms are almost laughable. Almost. Here is a paragraph of poll-tested pabulum:

What we’re talking about under a balanced approach is asking Americans whose incomes have gone up the most over the last decade – millionaires and billionaires – to share in the sacrifice everyone else has to make. And I think these patriotic Americans are willing to pitch in. In fact, over the last few decades, they’ve pitched in every time we passed a bipartisan deal to reduce the deficit.

Well, as long as you’re asking, I’d just like to say. No thanks, man, I already gave. And I’d like to “ask” a question of my own. Those patriotic millionaires and billionaires you’re “asking”: what’s stopping them from giving now?

Women want to be young

Mothers Have a Stronger Tendency to Mimic Their Daughters' Consumption Behavior Than Vice Versa

ScienceDaily (July 25, 2011) — How much do our children influence our consumption behavior? Much more than we thought. A new study by a Temple University Fox School of Business professor finds that teenage girls have a strong influence on the products their mothers buy solely for personal use, as in makeup or clothing, and that mothers have a much stronger tendency to mimic their daughters' consumption behavior than vice versa.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110725091718.htm

What is driving him?

WASHPOST/ABC: Blacks, liberals flee in droves...
SANDERS: Obama should face primary challenger...

OBAMA'S BASE CRUMBLES

Now, comes a new ABC News/Washington Post poll with a whole harvest of revelations, among them, strong indications that Obama's liberal base is starting to crumble. Among the nuggets:

Despite those hundreds of billions of blown stimulus dollars and almost as many upturn promises from Joe Biden, 82% of Americans still say their job market is struggling. Ninety percent rate the economy negatively, including half who give it the worst rating of "poor."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/07/obama-poll-jobs-democratic-base-crumbling.html

Obama Keeps Mum On A Word Dirtier Than 'Compromise'

(Left): Obama speaks to the nation in the East Room of the White House in a prime-time address. (Right): U.S. Speaker of the House of Representative John Boehner responds to Obama's address to the nation.

Washington may have become, as President Obama said on Monday, a place where "compromise has become a dirty word," but in the context of the menacing debt-limit crisis there was a far dirtier word he didn't utter.

Veto.

Obama speech: lots of words, no solutions

Irrelevance.

He does have a very big sense of himself, and can not seem to ever admit to a mistake.

Obama to patiently explain why everyone is unreasonable except him, and maybe also cause a market panic

Leadership.