Monday, December 29, 2014

MARK LEVIN: Yes, this Administration has Blood on its Hands

Via Newsbusters, Mark Levin opens up a can on the racialists:

My blood has been boiling, I've been grinding my teeth, listening to all this, watching this, two dead police officers, murdered. President of the United States issues a statement, a written statement. The attorney general of the United States always wants to debate race (with this "nation of cowards"), nowhere to be found. Another coward, another phony. Yes, they do have blood on their hands. No, they didn't kill these police officers. But they have created an environment with their political war against the cops in this country borne out of Ferguson, Mo., with a police officer there whose career is destroyed, who has a death warrant on his own head, was defending himself and shot a thug who first tried to take his pistol and then returned for more!

And out of that, out of that, the president of the United States and the attorney general of the United States, that piece of crap Sharpton, wherever he shows up, isn't it funny, things seem to happen, usually violence. Out of that we get riots! Stores are burning in Ferguson, Mo. People are throwing Molotov cocktails. People are shooting their guns. The liberal Democrat governor pulls back on the National Guard. The police have to walk around with their hands in their pocket, afraid to do anything to protect the citizenry. Borne out of what? A lie! A fraud! Because Michael Brown didn't have his arms up in the air. He was trying to assault, again, if not kill a police officer!

You won't believe how Common Core tries to teach kids subtraction

You'll think this is satire, but Michael Snyder assures us that it is anything but.

...A massive federal takeover of education known as “Common Core” is attempting to impose nationwide academic standards on public schools throughout the entire country. Thanks to the backing of billionaire Bill Gates, endless promotion by the U.S. Department of Education, and financial bribes to state governments by the Obama administration, 45 states and Washington, D.C. have already agreed to implement the full Common Core standards in their schools. Unfortunately, these “standards” are doing to public education what Obamacare is doing to our health care system – absolutely ruining it. Just look at how basic math instruction has changed. Posted below is a comparison between the “old method” of subtraction and the “new method” of subtraction being taught in many of our schools. When I first came across this on Facebook, I thought that it was a joke…


...I thought that there was no possible way that this could be real. I really thought that this must have come from some sort of parody website.

But it is actually true.

Here is another example of this. The following is an incredibly bizarre Common Core math problem and the response by one very frustrated parent that has gone viral all over the Internet recently...

Did the Saudis and the US Really Collude to Smash Oil Prices?

By Andrew Topf

The oil price drop that has dominated the headlines in recent weeks has been framed almost exclusively in terms of oil market economics, with most media outlets blaming Saudi Arabia, through its OPEC Trojan horse, for driving down the price, thus causing serious damage to the world's major oil exporters – most notably Russia.

While the market explanation is partially true, it is simplistic, and fails to address key geopolitical pressure points in the Middle East.

Oilprice.com looked beyond the headlines for the reason behind the oil price drop, and found that the explanation, while difficult to prove, may revolve around control of oil and gas in the Middle East and the weakening of Russia, Iran and Syria by flooding the market with cheap oil.

The oil weapon

We don't have to look too far back in history to see Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter and producer, using the oil price to achieve its foreign policy objectives. In 1973, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat convinced Saudi King Faisal to cut production and raise prices, then to go as far as embargoing oil exports, all with the goal of punishing the United States for supporting Israel against the Arab states. It worked. The “oil price shock” quadrupled prices.

It happened again in 1986, when Saudi Arabia-led OPEC allowed prices to drop precipitously, and then in 1990, when the Saudis sent prices plummeting as a way of taking out Russia, which was seen as a threat to their oil supremacy. In 1998, they succeeded. When the oil price was halved from $25 to $12, Russia defaulted on its debt.

The Saudis and other OPEC members have, of course, used the oil price for the obverse effect, that is, suppressing production to keep prices artificially high and member states swimming in “petrodollars”. In 2008, oil peaked at $147 a barrel.

Turning to the current price drop, the Saudis and OPEC have a vested interest in taking out higher-cost competitors, such as US shale oil producers, who will certainly be hurt by the lower price. Even before the price drop, the Saudis were selling their oil to China at a discount. OPEC's refusal on Nov. 27 to cut production seemed like the baldest evidence yet that the oil price drop was really an oil price war between Saudi Arabia and the US.

However, analysis shows the reasoning is complex, and may go beyond simply taking down the price to gain back lost marketshare.

“What is the reason for the United States and some U.S. allies wanting to drive down the price of oil?” Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro asked rhetorically in October. “To harm Russia.”

Many believe the oil price plunge is the result of deliberate and well-planned collusion on the part of the United States and Saudi Arabia to punish Russia and Iran for supporting the murderous Assad regime in Syria.

Larwyn's Linx: Crime as Politics

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Nation

Crime as Politics: Victor Davis Hanson
The TRUE Great Failure of Barack Obama: Moe Lane
The latest battle in the long leftist war: The anti-police protests: John Ruberry

334 blacks killed 2014 in Chicago – no riots: FAM
Black Lies Matter: Bryce Buchanan
Looking Back: The Good, The Bad And The Progressive: Derek Hunter

Why We Need Broken Windows Policing: City Journal
Leftist Protesters Forfeit Any Moral Standing They Might Have Had: GayPatriot
Thousands Support Police In “Sea Of Blue” Rallies Across The Country: WZ

LA police shot at while sitting in their patrol car, LA under tactical alert : Scoop
Everyone Says Jeb Bush Is A Conservative – Except Conservatives: CHQ
Contrary to WH Claims, Only Tiny Fraction of 'Surge' Border-Jumpers Deported: CIS

Economy

The Law of the Lots: AmInt
BANNED: Obama to Save You From Evil Donut Sprinkles!: Wizbang
Gerard Depardieu was right! France scraps its 75% ‘super tax’: Twitchy

Scandal Central

The border invasion continues...: RRW
Bill de Blasio Turned His Back On The NYPD: That’s Why They Returned The Gesture: Jay Caruso
Supreme Irony: That Awkward Moment When Anti-Police Protesters Call Police: WZ

Climate & Energy

Regulation gone wild – Christmas lights are the next target of nanny state: WUWT

Media

Winning Quotes in the MRC’s Annual Awards for the Year’s Worst Reporting: MRC
Hey GQ, can’t find any crazy Democrats? Here are 16: Kyle Smith
The 50 Best Conservative Columnists Of 2014 (7th Annual): John Hawkins

Searching for the Next Michael Brown: Colin Flaherty
Same Old Script: Chris Muir, DBD
James Woods tweets photo just in time to explain CBS’s RIDICULOUS Obama headline!: BPR

COUNTDOWN! Good Guys of 2014: Watchdog
Media Nearly Silent After NC Cop Thwarts NYPD-Style Assassination Attempt: Bob Owens
Protesters Descend on Redskins Stadium Before Cowboys Game: Sooper

Bob Woodward: The world is CLEARLY NOT safer now than a year ago: Scoop
Hatemail: STFU Edition (Language Warning): Dana Loesch
Ferguson Protestor, Once Lauded for Non-Violence, Arrested for Arson and Burglary: Mediaite

World

Writer at American Thinker: What is America’s survival plan?: RRW
Our Administration’s Working Hard to Keep Terror Groups off UAE Terror List: Sara Noble
Canada Rejects U.N. Arms Treaty: Robert Farago

Geert Wilders Was Right: Uzay Bulut
Turns Out ISIS is Bad at Governing: AmInt
Sweden: Immigration controversy heats up as mosque is set ablaze: RRW

Sci-Tech (courtesy BadBlue Tech News)

The Enormous Implications Of Facebook Indexing 1 Trillion Of Our Posts: Josh Constine
Israel-from-space pics take off online: Times of Israel
55 quotes that defined the tech industry in 2014: GeekWire

Cornucopia

Sony: ‘The Interview’ Has Made Over $15 Million Online: Variety
How Dumb of Me: Norman Hooben
Austrian filmmaker uncovers apparent secret Nazi nuclear complex: JPost

Image: Sony: ‘The Interview’ Has Made Over $15 Million Online
Sponsored by: Boehner REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS; Your step by step guide to replacing the SPEAKER!

QOTD: "[The IRS] responding to a subpoena, tells congressional investigators that it cannot produce 28 months of Lois Lerner’s emails because the hard drive they were stored on failed, and the hard drive was thrown away, and the backup tapes were erased, and no printed copies were saved — contrary to the IRS’s own record-keeping policy, which was eaten by the IRS’s dog. “It was just one crazy thing after another,” states the IRS, “and it got us to thinking: All these years we’ve been subjecting taxpayers to everything short of rectal probes if they can’t produce EVERY SINGLE DOCUMENT WE WANT, and here we lose YEARS worth of official records! So from now on, if taxpayers tell us they lost something, or just plain forgot to make a tax payment, we’ll be like, ‘Hey, whatever! Stuff happens!’ Because who are we to judge?”" --Dave Barry's Year End Review (via American Digest)

Sunday, December 28, 2014

HERE THEY ARE: The 2014 Fabulous 50 Blog Award Winners #Fab50

The moment you've been waiting for is here.

The votes are in. The anxious nominees' fingernails have been chewed down to the quick.

Winner - 2014 Fabulous 50 Blog AwardsAnd at least one blogger just excused himself to go to the bathroom (number two, apparently, based upon the length of time he's been gone).

So we're more than pleased to announce the winners of the 2014 Fabulous 50 Blog Awards, the most prestigious new media awards in the conservative blogosphere.

Or, at the very least, in the 993 area code.

These awards recognize a variety of blogs and websites operating in the conservative hemisphere of the Internet, all of which have worked tirelessly to promote conservatism, free market capitalism, fiscal sanity, the sovereignty of the individual, and otherwise protect America from the cockroach-like Statists -- some in very unique ways.

So, without further ado, may I have the envelopes, please?


Larwyn's Linx: Not peaceful protests: Promoting a race war that will lead to "communist revolution"

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Nation

Not peaceful protests: Promoting a race war toward "communist revolution": Zombie
Meet The Agitators Behind The New York Protests And Cop Killings: NoisyRm
'Car plowed us down': LA demonstrators burn flag, block traffic: Twitchy

Muslim Congressman’s Ferguson Panel has Al Qaeda, Taliban Speakers : Tatler
Cops assassinated: the result of allowing an evil lie to grow: Lloyd Marcus
Partners in protest: The anti-Israel, cop-bash link: William Jacobson

A Mississippi Burning – The Curious Case Of Jessica Lane Chambers: Treehouse
A City on the Brink: Matthew Hennessey
'Liberated' Obama builds momentum: The Hill

De Blasio Speaks At Cops Funeral, Thousands of Police Officers Do This: Federalist
Oof: Bill de Blasio spurned by NYPD at Rafael Ramos funeral: Moe Lane
23,000 cops mourn slain brother at funeral: Post

Economy

Surprise: Medicaid Recipients Could See Significant Access Reductions: RWN
Marc Cuban Warns of a Massive Crash in the Education Market: Mac Slavo
Dem pols attempt to sic Feds on successful Wisconsin school choice program: EAG

Scandal Central

Unanswered Benghazi Questions: Second in a Series: Sharyl Attkisson
Sharyl Attkisson: Docs indicate ATF was using Fast and Furious to justify new gun regs: Thomas Lifson
IRS Says it ‘Mistakenly’ Penalized GOP Candidate Christine O’Donnell For a Second Time: RWN

Climate & Energy

Where Have I Seen This Before?: MB
Snow leaves thousands of motorists stranded in French Alps: Phys.org
Man Goes To Bear Country To See Bears, Gets Mauled, Blamed On “Climate Change”: Cove

Media

Alone for Christmas: Mark Steyn
Obama, Liberals Shocked; Discover Most Americans Still Want To Choose Own HealthCare: DownTrend
Oh, you wretched tallists!: Sweasel

Listen To Martin Luther King Jr Instead Of Al Sharpton: Hideout
Moonbats Celebrate Christmas by Assaulting Nativity Scenes: MB
Don Lemon Is Officially One Of The Worst Parts Of Journalism In 2014: Uproxx

World

The Destruction of the Middle East: Denis MacEoin
The Jihadist Connection to Epidemic Child Abuse: James Lewis
Van Plows Through Christmas Shoppers, While Driver Shouts ‘Allahu akbar’: IOTW Report

Iranian Army Social Media: IRGC Troops At Lebanon-Israel Border: MEMRI
As Russia’s Economy Collapses, Putin Cancels Holidays: WZ
Kim Jong-Un's People Call Obama A Horrible Racial Slur After The Interview Is Released: Perez Hilton

Sci-Tech (courtesy BadBlue Tech News)

Coca-Cola Headquarters Disconnects Office Voicemail in Effort to Increase Productivity: The Daily Meal
AirAsia Flight Goes Missing Between Indonesia and SIngapore: Slashdot
Outstanding photos of the X-15, the fastest manned aircraft ever made: Gizmodo

Cornucopia

Thanks Sammie, and you can keep the shirt: MOTUS
The baby from Teletubbies reveals herself: Telegraph
$82,000 stolen from "social justice" nonprofit paid for plastic surgery, trips, Victoria's Secret: Trib

Image: Pic Of The Day: Justin Ramos Wears His Father’s Police Jacket At Funeral
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: New: BadBlue Real-Time Sports News, 24x7x365

QOTD: "New York City’s anti-cop activists are scrambling for cover now that two NYPD officers, Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, have been slain in cold blood on a Brooklyn street by a suspected gang member seeking revenge for the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. For the last several weeks, Gotham has been the scene of nightly, inflammatory protests against the NYPD. An assortment of self-proclaimed social-justice activists have disrupted traffic, assaulted officers, and demanded an end to Broken Windows policing. The city’s progressive elites, including Mayor Bill de Blasio and city council speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, have accommodated the protesters—offering them aid and comfort in the media, entertaining their wilder claims, and standing silent as they defamed the NYPD as racist killers....

...An institution can absorb only so much slander. Are the cops overly sensitive to criticism? If so, they have good reason: like officers Liu and Ramos, they put their lives on the line every day. They go to work every morning knowing that this could be the day they don’t come home. Not many of us can say that we understand what that feels like. Certainly, few of the angry undergraduates and middle-class trustafarians shutting down freeways and lying down in the middle of Grand Central know anything about it.

Bill de Blasio’s New York is an upside-down world, where a police force responsible for transforming a crime-plagued metropolis into the safest big city in America can be openly defamed—and where two more NYPD families [spent] Christmas in mourning. " --Matthew Hennessey

Saturday, December 27, 2014

SNYDER: Junk Bonds are the Canary in the Economic Coal Mine

By Michael Snyder

Do you want to know if the stock market is going to crash next year? Just keep an eye on junk bonds. Prior to the horrific collapse of stocks in 2008, high yield debt collapsed first. And as you will see below, high yield debt is starting to crash again. The primary reason for this is the price of oil. The energy sector accounts for approximately 15 to 20 percent of the entire junk bond market, and those energy bonds are taking a tremendous beating right now. This panic in energy bonds is infecting the broader high yield debt market, and investors have been pulling money out at a frightening pace. And as I have written about previously, almost every single time junk bonds decline substantially, stocks end up following suit. So don’t be fooled by the fact that some comforting words from Janet Yellen caused stock prices to jump over the past couple of days. If you really want to know where the stock market is heading in 2015, keep a close eye on the market for high yield debt.

If you are not familiar with junk bonds, the concept is actually very simple. Corporations that do not have high credit ratings typically have to pay higher interest rates to borrow money. The following is how USA Today describes these bonds…

High-yield bonds are long-term IOUs issued by companies with shaky credit ratings. Just like credit card users, companies with poor credit must pay higher interest rates on loans than those with gold-plated credit histories.

But in recent years, interest rates on junk bonds have gone down to ridiculously low levels. This is another bubble that was created by Federal Reserve policies, and it is a colossal disaster waiting to happen. And unfortunately, there are already signs that this bubble is now beginning to burst

GELERNTER: States Can End "Executive Amnesty" Without a Lawsuit

Writing in National Review, Josh Gelernter offers a very different spin on the "nullification" debate. While acknowledging that the judiciary has consistently ruled against the nullification doctrine, insisting only it has the authority to declare laws unconstitutional, Obama's "Executive Amnesty" is something very different from a law.

This week, Tennessee became the 25th state to join a lawsuit against the president’s executive amnesty order. The lawsuit may work, but there’s another, more direct, and considerably more interesting redress against executive overreach [first p]roposed in 1798 by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.

...The nullification doctrine posits that, as the federal government is the product of the Constitution, and the Constitution is a compact of the states, it’s the states that have the final say on any law’s constitutionality. If a state determines that a law exceeds the terms of the compact to which it agreed, it has the right to nullify that law within its own borders.

Jefferson and Madison’s idea was for states to declare the Alien and Sedition Acts null and void. Instead of joining a lawsuit against the executive amnesty, those 25 states could simply deem the executive amnesty null and void, and refuse to recognize illegal aliens’ work permits or issue them driver’s licenses.

Why, you wonder, would that be better than filing a lawsuit? In a certain sense, it wouldn’t — because winning that suit would strike down Mr. Obama’s order in all 50 states. Which is not an unlikely outcome, given the order’s extremely shaky legal footing. However —

The judiciary has consistently ruled against the nullification doctrine, asserting its unique, judicial right to declare laws unconstitutional. But this executive order isn’t a law. And given its extremely shaky legal footing, it isn’t difficult to imagine a federal bench recognizing the states’ right to disregard federal orders that don’t clearly have the force of law. And that would be a tremendous — tremendous — blow against the executive’s assumption of legislative powers.

But in the shorter, directer term: It [nullification] would force the Obama administration to go on offense, suing the states to enforce a law that isn’t a law. And I don’t think that case can be made.

I think this is an intriguing idea. Gelernter notes that your state's governor and attorney general should be contacted, especially if you live in a red or purple state.

Nullification may be a non-starter under normal circumstances, but nullifying non-laws should be anything but controversial.


Hat tip: BadBlue News.

EXCELLENT NEWS: Mainstream, Moderate Muslim Group Cheers Unveiling of ISIS Flag on Mt. Everest

Yes, really. Muslim Matters is a news hub for all things Islamic, with a special focus on Western countries. MM has a mere 425,000 "likes" on Facebook, which indicates it is quite mainstream.


Of course, he's not just holding up a book; he's also holding up a flag. And not just any flag, the black flag of ISIS.


When even Al-Arabiya is reporting that ISIS has committed crimes against humanity, you may want to rethink the cheerleading, fellows. To wit, "Massacres, beheading boys as young as 15, and amputations and lashings in public squares that residents -- including children -- are forced to watch figure on the list of crimes, as does the widespread use of child soldiers, stoning women to death for suspected adultery and holding women as sexual slaves and forcing them to bear children for the fighters."

Or is ISIS now what passes for moderate, mainstream Islam?


Hat tip: BadBlue News. Reference: "Know Your Terror Flags."

Larwyn's Linx: The Party of the Rich

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Nation

The Party of the Rich: Thomas Lifson
Likely GOP 2016 Field Diverse but Not Hyphenated: LI
Dear Gop: Show, Don’t Tell: Jonah Goldberg

Obama's Alternate Universe: Sara Noble
Mexican Cartel claims they have kidnapped Border Patrol agent: WAW
Only One-In-Four Obamacare Enrollees Returning To Sign Up Again: Robert Gehl

Erica Garner Tweets Link That Could Get Cop's Family Killed: Sara Noble
Race Rioters Target Fox News HQ: Here’s What They’re Planning: ConTrib
Several arrests made regarding threats against cops: NYPD: Fox

Thousands Pay Tribute To Murdered NYPD Rafael Ramos: Treehouse
Ferguson Protesters Abuse Janitor at Police Union Headquarters: ProgsToday
‘Shots fired’ at Chicago WinterWonderfest brawl: Twitchy

Economy

Justice Department Grants Linked to Cop-killing Rap Video: Alex Newman
Common Core: Why are 10th graders reading 50 Shades of Grey type books?: EAG
Welfare drug testing pilot program signed into law by Michigan Gov.: FreeRep

Scandal Central

Unanswered Benghazi Questions: First in a Series: Sharyl Attkisson
Judge Laura Johnson Frees Thug Who Assaulted Police: MB
Boehner and GOP Allowed Obama to Add thousands of Amnesty Workers With 2015 Budget: Wizbang

Climate & Energy

Tomorrow’s Weather Today: Matthew Hennessey
Google Goes Off the Climate Change Deep End: Paul Driessen
Oil companies struggle to sell off assets in down market: James Osborne

Media

Loathsome Sharpton: Cops Speaking Out Against NYPD Murders are ‘Cheap Demagogues’: JWF
Left-leaning AP says police killings of blacks is year’s top story; I vote for Meriam Ibrahim: Allen West
Former Washington and Lee student expelled following rape accusation, sues school: CI

We Have a Moral Divide, Not a Racial One: Dennis Prager
Al Sharpton "a Vulgar Human Being" According to Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke : J4A
HILARIOUS: Boehner Wishes Merry Christmas – Social Media Responds With Anger: RWN

World

Obama Wants Group With Ties To ’93 And ’01 WTC Attacks Removed From Terror List: Shoebat
Bachmann: Obama Supports 'Agenda' of Muslims Who want to Turn 'U.S.' into 'Islamic Caliphate': Shoebat
I wonder how many more Muslims are now working in DHS?: BNI

Obama Promises to End 'Combat Mission' in Afghanistan 'Next Week': Daniel Halper
Christians on the Run from Iraq : Nina Shea
Winning: The Triumph Of Islamic Terrorism: StrategyPage

Imagine No Religion: Theodore Dalrymple
Nearly 20,000 People Marched In Anti-Islam Demonstration In Germany Yesterday: WZ
Horror night in Swedish Muslim ghetto: gang raped, raped until bleeding with a gun: 10News.dk

Sci-Tech (courtesy BadBlue Tech News)

Possible Hack Of Sony, Microsoft Game Console Sites: Scott Neuman, NPR
Review: Smith & Bradley Sans-13: Jerking the Trigger
The Greeks designed forerunner of the modern computer: CFP

Cornucopia

The Left Is Upset With This Bad Bad Leroy Brown Parody About Michael Brown: IOTW Report
Don’t Tread on Metal: Nicholas James Pell
Skeptical Football: The NFC South Isn’t The Worst Division In NFL History: 538

Image: ‘Feed the Pigs’: Woman Arrested After Throwing Bacon in Police Department
Sponsored by: Boehner REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS; Your step by step guide to replacing the SPEAKER!

QOTD: "Where was President Obama throughout the long night of the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya? What decisions did the Commander-in-Chief make and what actions did he take while Americans were under assault on foreign soil? Considering that the U.S. embassy in Egypt had already been overrun earlier in the day, and that further attacks on other U.S. facilities were anticipated throughout the night, how involved was the President in tracking the volatile, regional developments?" --Sharyl Attkisson

Friday, December 26, 2014

Best Public School Signage Evah

A post by Leslie Eastman at Legal Insurrection set me off an a hunt for the signage behind this story. It didn't take long:

I suspect Santa will be bringing former New Jersey principal Antoinette Young a dictionary for Christmas this year.

A large sign outside a New Jersey elementary school that misspelled “December” appears to have cost the principal her $108,000 a year job.

The Bergen Record says the sign outside School 20 in Paterson also notified people of the date for “progress reepor” and contained a backward numeral 1.

City school board member Corey Teague circulated a photo of the error-filled signage and complained why nobody noticed for more than a week. December was spelled “Dicember.”

“If this is how the administration takes care of signage, how can we expect the students to do better? We must be held to a higher standard,” he wrote in an email accompanying the photo.

Days after Teague brought up the sign, education officials announced that the principal, Antoinette Young, was being demoted and transferred to another school.

By all means, libs, let's make sure that the poorest kids and their parents have no choice when it comes to their education.

Let's lock them into failing public schools where there's literally no accountability for teachers or administrators.

Because teachers' unions are for the children, right?


Hat tip: BadBlue News.

WHY, OF COURSE HE DOES: Eric Holder's DOJ Funds Rap Videos Extolling Cop-Killing

By Evan Gahr

The Obama administration’s Justice Department funneled at least $1.5 million in grants to a New York legal-aid group featured in a new rap video that depicts two young black men aiming handguns at a white police officer.

Some may find the lyrics eerily similar to the social media postings of the man accused of shooting and killing two New York City police officers execution-style in Brooklyn on Saturday.

The video for “Hands Up,” which also shows a white police officer gunning down a black motorist wearing a hoodie, contains lyrics suggesting revenge for much-publicized deaths of black men in confrontations with police.

Credited to rappers Uncle Murda and Maino, the video is subtitled “Eric Garner Tribute,” a reference to a black man who died while being pinned and restrained on a sidewalk by New York police officers.

The taxpayer money that went to the organization shown in the video, the Bronx Defenders, comes from a Justice Department program named for Edward Byrne, a New York Police Department officer who was shot dead at close range in 1988.

>>> Watch the Entire Video at Bottom

Among the lyrics to “Hands Up”:

For Mike Brown and Sean Bell, a cop got to get killed

’cause I’m black, police think they got the right to shoot me

No jail time, their punishment is death’s duty

… By any means necessary let’s make them respect us

Police investigators say that hours before he shot Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos as they sat in their squad car in Brooklyn, Ismaailyl Brinsley wrote these words on his Instagram account: “I’m putting wings on pigs today. They take 1 of ours, let’s take 2 of theirs.”

THE TIME IS NOW: An Article V Convention To Shrink Government and End Political Corruption

By Jim Rubens

Every two years, we hear that the coming election is a historic watershed.

Then on November 5, faced with the choice between making the hard choices needed to tackle our nation’s big challenges and positioning themselves for the next election, most Washington politicians instantly fixate on the next election.

Meanwhile, our national debt and unfunded future promises have mounted to a crushing $100 trillion. Our economy is fueled almost entirely on printed money and is producing too few living-wage jobs. Federal power is so dangerously concentrated that Washington now monitors much of our personal communication and controls the curriculum in our local schools.

Regardless of Republican or Democrat control, we are stuck with the Ex-Im Bank (half of whose taxpayer subsidized loan guarantees go to just one company, Boeing), corn ethanol mandates, the Raisin Control Board and sugar import restrictions (all drive up food cost to benefit a handful of agribiz campaign contributors), and the M1 Abrams tank upgrade program (lives on despite fervent opposition by the sequester-constrained Pentagon because program suppliers are spread across 173 Congressional districts). Congress rams through hyper-complex, purposefully unintelligible 2,000 page bills, unread by members and written by special interest lobbyists seeking economic and regulatory privileges at the expense of ordinary citizens.

Little has changed over the past thirty years, other than that the underlying problems have grown worse. Only by amending our constitution can we force Washington to exercise fiscal discipline, address systemic political money corruption, and relinquish power back to the states and the people.

There are two means provided in Article V to amend the constitution. All 27 amendments to date have been proposed by Congress and ratified by the necessary three-quarters of the states. But our constitution’s framers had the immense foresight to anticipate a Congress so corrupted by political careerism as to be incapable of self-reform and therefore provided a second and as yet unused amendment route. If the legislatures of two-thirds of the states (now 34) pass resolutions applying for a convention to debate and shape proposed amendments, Congress is compelled to call an amending convention. If a convention agrees on the language of one or more proposed amendments, legislatures or conventions of three-quarters of the states (now 38) must agree to ratify.

Twenty-four states, including New Hampshire, have already applied to Congress to call a convention to shape an amendment to require a balanced federal budget, other than in times of emergency. Supermajorities of the American people also want term limits for members of Congress, a smaller federal government, and a means to reign in systemic political corruption. Several national organizations on the right and left are asking state legislatures to apply for a convention to address one or more of these subjects.

Larwyn's Linx: The Use and Abuse of Democratic Freedoms

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Nation

The Use and Abuse of Democratic Freedoms: Roger Kimball
Newspaper Editor: Ferguson Protesters Should Wage War Against Cops: RWN
780,000 Good Men And Women In Blue: RWN

Garner’s daughter posts address of cop in hopes of murder: WAW
SWAT teams guard NYPD stations after social media threats; 7 arrested: Twitchy
Anti-cop punks in Oakland trash Christmas tree, smash windows: Twitchy

Bill de Blasio told NYPD not to arrest bottle throwing protesters: FAM
Michelle Obama's school lunch program based on junk science: Rand Simberg
Why was all-A Grosse Pointe teen killed on Detroit street?: Tresa Baldas

Unions to Recruit Illegals Covered by Obama Amnesty: Tea Party
Feds sign $7.8 million lease to house new immigration workers: The Hill
Will Jeff Sessions Strike Back In 2015?: W. James Antle III

Economy

Unions launch recruiting push for immigrants protected by Obama actions: Fox
Shocker: Obama Administration Manipulated GDP Data: Howard Richman
New NLRB rules give unions workers’ email addresses and phone numbers: Fox

Scandal Central

House Interim Report on IRS Scandal: IRS No Longer a Neutral Tax Collector: Sara Noble
DHS Department Using GPS Devices To Track Illegal Aliens Caught, Set Free At Border: WZ
HHS won’t say if it’s preparing for a Supreme Court Obamacare nightmare: Jason Millman

Climate & Energy

Hot Stuff, Cold Logic: Richard Tol
David Suzuki, High Priest of Global Warming, Torn to Shreds on Australian Public TV: MB
States, biz groups back coal company in EPA climate rule lawsuit: Timothy Cama

Media

The Ku Klux Con Job Award for Smearing Conservatives with Phony Racism Charges: NB
A Whopping 95% Of Black Americans Say Racism is a Signature National Issue: DownTrend
Man flips out when flight crew wishes him ‘Merry Christmas’; is kicked off plane to cheers: Unyielding

MARK LEVIN: “Yes they do have blood on their hands!”: Scoop
Top Trey Gowdy Rants From 2014: Western
Airline passenger tossed off plane after going nuts over staff’s ‘Merry Christmas’: John Hawkins

World

Obama's White Whale: Kenneth R. Timmerman
No Christmas Celebrations In Mosul, Iraq This Year: GWP
Santa as Hostage: ISIS Slaughters Reindeer in Christmas Message to Infidels: GWP

Israeli Girl Badly Burnt By Firebomb Tossed At Car: WZ
For third time this week, shots fired at Paris Jewish target: Times of Israel
IDF deploys Iron Dome near Netivot, Beersheba in wake of rising Gaza tensions: JPost

Germany: Over 17,000 Citizens Sing “Christmas Carols” in Streets… Muslims Are Furious: ConTrib
Like leftists here, Muslims torch police cars in Sweden: FAM
Why Does Nobody Want to Play with Turkey?: Burak Bekdil

Sci-Tech (courtesy BadBlue Tech News)

How Many Stars Did It Take To Make Us?: Fraser Cain
Gravity Sketch Tablet Lets You Draw In Mid-Air: Fastcodesign
Hubble Sees the Beautiful Side of Galaxy IC 335: Red Orbit

Cornucopia

A Different Kind of Christmas List: 7 Best Unreliable CarMax Cars: Jalopnik
What it looks like inside your car’s engine: Holy Kaw!
How Do VC’s and Angels Value a Company?: P&F

Image: Hillary Clinton looks to shore up support on the left
Sponsored by: Boehner REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS; Your step by step guide to replacing the SPEAKER!

QOTD: "Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic front-runner for president, is working hard to shore up support among liberals in hopes of tamping down a serious challenge from the left in the battle for the 2016 nomination.

Clinton has aligned herself firmly with President Obama since the November midterms on a range of liberal-friendly issues, including immigration, climate change and opening diplomatic relations with Cuba. In an impassioned human rights speech this month, she also condemned the CIA’s use of harsh interrogation tactics and decried cases of apparent police brutality against minorities.

The recent statements suggest a concerted effort by Clinton to appeal to the Democratic Party’s most activist, liberal voters, who have often eyed her with suspicion and who would be crucial to her securing the party’s nomination." --Anne Gearan

Thursday, December 25, 2014

COMING SOON: The Sixth Annual Fabulous 50 Blog Awards... #fab50

Forget the Pulitzers! Flush those stinking Nobel Prizes! There's only one award ceremony worth watching and let's all admit it.

Every year at this time we are pleased to announce the winners of the Fabulous 50 Blog Awards™, recognizing the year's 50 most important blogs and websites in the conservative world. No debates. No voting. No nominations. Just facts. Immutable truths, chiseled in stone and then forged on Zeus' anvil for all of human history. No prize carries more panache, more prestige, or more sex appeal than a Fab 50 Award, save something you might find in a Crackerjacks box.

If you are a winner, click the award badge that you would like to use, then copy the text in the HTML block below to paste into your template. Losing blogs are free, of course, to utilize the bold fresh LOSER badge.

300 x 400 Deluxe200 x 267 Midsize
180 x 241 Intermediate160 x 185 Mini200 x 267 LOSER

HTML to use in your template:

Related:
2013 Fabulous 50 Blog Award Winners
2012 Fabulous 50 Blog Award Winners
2011 Fabulous 50 Blog Award Winners
2010 Fabulous 50 Blog Award Winners
2009 Fabulous 50 Blog Award Winners.

And be sure to press your browser's Reload button continuously from now until New Year's Eve to make sure you don't miss this epic event, which is definitely slated to be televised on ESPN 8 ("The Ocho"), as far as you know.

Larwyn's Linx: What Christmas Really Means, And Why The Left Hates It

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Nation

What Christmas Really Means, And Why The Left Hates It: Joshua Pundit
Merry Christmas 2014: A Light Unto All Mankind: Publius
Texas Delivers Epic Bad News to Liberals Waging War on Christmas: ConTrib

The Left Discovers You Shouldn’t Collectivize Guilt : Charles C. W. Cooke
Officer Near Ferguson Kills Black Teen Who Pointed Gun At Him: Clash
Riot Police Needed To Protect Christians at Midnight Mass in STL: GWP

The IRS: Just One of Dozens of Uncooperative Agencies: Kevin D. Williamson
Al-Qaeda’s Younger Brother in Florida: Joe Kaufman
NY Fire House Flees After Cops Next Door Threatened by Black Gang: GWP

Washington Power Is Flowing Away: Michael Barone
Free Men Bear Arms: Captain's Journal
Machine Gun-Firing ex-Police Chief Now Claims He Was FBI Informant: Bob Owens

Economy

Public Pension Doom Begins to Descend: MB
The Shocking-But Not Surprising-Moody's Report on NJ Pensions: SBS
The $800 Billion Leveraged Loan Blacklist?: Pension Pulse

Scandal Central

Feds Preparing for 2015 Surge of Unaccompanied Children Across Border: WS
Belatedly Released and Revealing Fast & Furious Docs: Sharyl Attkisson
Corruption at DHS Inspector General's office does serious damage: Dan Cadman

Climate & Energy

EPA can't regulate lead bullets, says federal court: Zack Colman
We don't need more laws: Glenn Harlan Reynolds
The EPA wants you to build green fires in your fireplace this winter: Blaze

Media

"The Interview” really does subvert North Korea’s regime": Rich Klein
2014 Power Rankings: 25 Most Loved and Hated Conservatives in America: IJR
The President, Al Sharpton, and the Corruption of Modern Liberalism: Peter Wehner

Student Reporter under Attack at Brandeis for Reporting On anti-Police Tweets: LI
Pope says Islam is religion of peace, then begs Muslims to condemn violence: Robert Spencer
National Geographic Misidentifies Judaism's Holiest Site: CAMERA

World

Obama State Department Working With Designated Islamic Terror Group to Whitewash Them: FreePost
Turkey’s Two Thugs: Claire Berlinski
Spare a Christmas prayer for the suffering MidEast Christians: Nick Gray

No, North Korea Didn’t Hack Sony: Marc Rogers
Malmedy massacre survivor 'wanted to stay as still as I could': Stripes
Navy looking into whether alleged bin Laden shooter told too much: Stripes

Sci-Tech (courtesy BadBlue Tech News)

Inadvertent Algorithmic Cruelty: MeyerWeb
Helicopter Drone Makes First Flight from Navy Destroyer: DefTech
Lockheed Gets NASA Funding for the SR-72 Hypersonic Spy Drone: Erik Schechter

Cornucopia

YouTube will stream 'The Interview' on Christmas Day: Exam
Travel Posters from A Pre-Castro Cuba: Beast
Mayweather vs. Pacquiao unlikely to happen: Boxing News 24

Image: Isaac Levitan, "March" (1895)

QOTD: "Consider, if you will, the recent behavior of Salon’s Joan Walsh, who yesterday suggested in earnest that the conservative-led condemnation of the “climate” that supposedly provoked the shootings in New York City represented the unconscionable “politicization” of murder. “To blame the peaceful movement against police brutality that’s emerged nationwide,” Walsh wrote, is “the worst in demagoguery.” “Right wingers,” she added, “are using a terrible tragedy to make sure that no one can find middle ground.” Prima facie, I concur with Walsh, of course. But what, we might ask, has finally led her to this conclusion? After the shooting of Gabby Giffords in 2011, Walsh fretted dramatically about “the rhetoric of violence”; asked aloud, “Will any prominent conservatives denounce ‘reload’ and ‘crosshairs’ imagery?”; inquired dishonestly, “Is it really controversial to suggest that the overheated anti-government rhetoric of the last two years, with its often violent imagery, ought to be toned down?”; described Sarah Palin’s pretty standard political-campaign map as “unconscionable”; hoped that Republicans would find it in their hearts to “listen to Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, who denounced ‘the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about the government’ at a Saturday night press conference”; played a remarkably dishonest game of “But Anyway . . . ,” repeatedly noting that there was “no evidence” that Jared Loughner had reacted to any right-wing rhetoric before insinuating in the next breath that he must have; and, when her well was running dry, went so far as to suggest without any attestation at all that the shooter was a registered Republican.

Later, talking characteristically out of both sides of her mouth, Walsh proposed that “even if Tuscon exists in a vacuum,” it would still be the case that the “Tea Party’s violent rhetoric is dangerous.” Naturally, these accusations were part of a trend. Two years earlier, Walsh had cynically blamed conservative talk-radio for a shooting at the National Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. The perpetrator turned out to be a neo-Nazi." --Charles C. W. Cooke

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

YES, I WILL SAY IT: Merry Christmas, Everyone!

By Richard Larsen

“I’m offended every time I hear a Christmas Carol, or see a nativity scene, or see a cross, especially if it’s all lit up. Even the Santa Claus and decorations bug me because I know that it all has to do with Christmas.” Such was the comment made on a California radio talk show a few years ago, by a fellow who chose to take offense at the season, rather than look for the good.

It really is disconcerting that there are some who suffer great angst over a national holiday that is intended to acknowledge not just the birth of Jesus Christ, but our humanity and commonality.

Calvin Coolidge said, “Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.” When explicated in those terms it’s hard to imagine anyone taking umbrage at the celebration of Christmas.

Some are quick to take offense at various elements of our culture, and this time of year such relapses seem to increase significantly. Confucius is credited with saying, “He who takes offense when none is intended is a fool, and he who takes offense when offense is intended is a bigger fool.”

That seems appropriate consideration for any who take offense at what is not intended to offend. Some, like the aforementioned caller, take offense from displays like nativity scenes or menorahs, appellations like “Christmas Trees,” or greetings like “Merry Christmas,” and even music that may make reference to He whose birthday we celebrate as a national holiday. No offense is intended, but a free and open expression of anything with a hint at religiosity creates an anxiety for some even as our celebration of Christmas continues to morph into more of a secular celebration.

Each of us determines for ourselves whether we will be offended. And it’s not just about Christmas or religious expression; it’s about everything in life. When we are offended, we’re making a conscious decision to grant someone else control over our attitude. If we allow others to offend us, whether intentional or otherwise, we sacrifice control of our attitudes to someone else.

50 Real Numbers From 2014 That Almost Defy Belief

By Michael Snyder

2014 was quite a bizarre year, wasn’t it? The past 12 months brought us MH370, Ebola, civil war in Ukraine, civil unrest in Ferguson, the rise of ISIS and the fall of the Democrats in the midterm elections. Our world is becoming crazier and more unstable with each passing day, and I have a feeling that things are going to accelerate greatly in 2015. But for the moment things are relatively quiet as much of the world stops to celebrate the holiday season, so now is a good time to look back and see where we have been over the past year. The facts that I am about to share with you sound false, but they are all quite true. If you doubt any of these facts, just click the link on the number to find the source. It has been said that truth is stranger than fiction, and that was definitely the case during the past 12 months. In no particular order, the following are 50 numbers from 2014 that sound fake but that are actually real…

2.5 – Researchers have discovered that characters in cartoons for children are 2.5 times more likely to die than characters in adult dramas. But as long as those characters look cute and make funny noises it must be okay.

$4.20 – The price of ground beef just hit a brand new record high of $4.20 a pound. Exactly 10 years ago, it was just $2.21 a pound. What do you think Clara Peller would say about this?

19.8 percent – This holiday season, nearly 20 percent of all American families are on food stamps. But since the stock market is soaring, most of the rest of the country doesn’t seem to care.

$20 – If you want to “lock down that new man for Christmas”, you can buy a positive pregnancy test on Craigslist for just 20 dollars.

29.0 years – The average age when a man in America first gets married has reached an all-time high of 29.0 years. Thus the need for the fake pregnancy tests.

31.1 percent – An astounding 31.1 percent of all U.S. young adults in the 18 to 34-year-old age bracket are currently living with their parents. But the good news is that demand for tacky basement decor is at an all-time high.

Ruining Christmas

By Alan Caruba

As usual, those for whom laws, ethics, and good will mean nothing have come together to try to ruin Christmas for the rest of us.

Christmas means different things to different people and depends to a large degree on age. For the young it is a magical time of getting gifts. As one grows older it is a time of giving gifts and sending cards. And for the very old who have outlived many family members and friends, it is tinged with sadness. In between is an orgy of advertising using Santa Claus to sell cars and much else.

I will begin with a fulsome condemnation of those who go to court or raise a cry about the presence of Christmas displays or any religious symbol on “public land.” The Constitution does not -- in any way -- forbid this. It forbids “the establishment of religion” which was understood to mean laws that made a particular religion a state religion such as the Church of England that exists today. The fact that some courts today do not understand this does not change the meaning or intent of the Constitution.

Christmas 2014, it must be said, is fraught with all manner of threats to our society and our nation.

Larwyn's Linx: Here It Comes – McConnell Says More Important to Say “Yes” To Big Government Than Attempt to Defund ObamaCare

Send us tips! Bloggers: install a Larwyn's Linx widget. Get real-time news, 24/7, at BadBlue.

Nation

Here It Comes – Mitch McConnell Won't Defund ObamaCare: Treehouse
GOP Scrooges Hit Lee and Cruz: Jeffrey Lord
Democratic Obamacare supporters: Doctors are watching: Tori Richards

The Danger of Being A Cop In The United States: AC Spollen
Jeb Bush vs. Ted Cruz: Ben Shapiro
NYC: 911 Dispatchers Chattered About How They "Deserved It": Ace

Conservatives Must Crush Any Opposition To Senator Mike Lee: CHQ
Blame Game In NYC Cop Killings' Demonization Double Standard: Jonah Goldberg
All Life Matters: Jahi McMath’s Journey: Michelle Malkin

OC City Officials: Police Union Hired Team To Spy On Them: CBS LA
Creator of Controversial Gun Violence PSA Defends Herself: Vocativ
Judge throws out AZ sheriff's immigration suit against Obama: Reuters

Al Sharpton refuses to stop race hustling protests: FAM
Dear Bill de Blasio: Start Acting Like The Mayor of NYC: Mike Peters
Editorial In NYC College Newspaper Called For Violent Protests: Lid

Economy

Irrational exuberance in action, that 5% GDP growth number is a total fraud: WyBlog
Did Chicago Public Schools Use Grant as a Political Slush Fund?: Michael Volpe
Stockton, Detroit Exit Bankruptcy with Pension Systems As-Is: F&H

Scandal Central

Attkisson: Earnest Personally Hiding Obama Benghazi Night Photos: Pam Key
MUCH More Than a Smidgen--Issa Releases Report On IRS Targeting Of Tea Party Groups: Lid
Cop Killer Ismaaiyl Brinsley Attended Mike Brown-Eric Garner Rally: GWP

Climate & Energy

Columnist Finds ‘Downside’ to Low Gas Prices, They ‘Undo Progress’ on Green Energy: MRC

Media

Al Sharpton and New York Agitators Say They Will Not Pause Protests For Grieving Cops: Treehouse
Brandeis nutjob now claims she’s a victim: Allen West
If today’s media were reporting WWll: IOTWreport

World

Marking the End of Britain: MB
The Islamization of France in 2014: Soeren Kern, Gatestone
ISIS Says It Will Conquer Europe Soon, Undertake Religious Cleansing And Kill Ruthlessly: IB Times

Sci-Tech (courtesy BadBlue Tech News)

Why I love Microsoft’s fitness band, and what it means for the Apple Watch: Cult of Mac
Programmatic Predictions for 2015: Liz Rutgersson
Next Bond Villain May Drive Jaguar’s Jaw-Dropping C-X75: Car and Driver

Cornucopia

Christmas From Eve to Mary: Erick Erickson
Mele Kalikimaka 2014: MOTUS
BYU Football: Safety Kai Nacua Blasted for Cheap Shots: Lost Lettermen

Image: Christmas From Eve to Mary
Sponsored by: Boehner REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS; Your step by step guide to replacing the SPEAKER!

QOTD: "Going by objective standards of reason and fairness, Al Sharpton is not to blame for the assassination of two New York City cops over the weekend. Nor are New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, President Obama or any of the protesters and activists they supported, encouraged and allied themselves with. Going by what we know, the only person to blame is the man police identified as the killer, Ismaaiyl Brinsley.

This is the standard I’ve upheld in this space for years, when one madman after another has killed and maimed in the name of one cause or another. It’s also been necessary to uphold this standard when madmen have killed for no political cause whatsoever, but politicians and journalists have been determined to claim otherwise.

The most glaring example of this was the horrible 2011 shooting spree in Tucson that claimed six lives and horribly wounded then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. The shooting occurred during a period of maximum liberal paranoia about the tea party movement. And in a riot of groupthink, much of the elite media convinced itself — absent any evidence — that the killer, Jared Loughner, was inspired by, variously, Sarah Palin’s Facebook map of congressional races (there were targets over various districts where Palin wanted Democrats defeated), Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann’s overheated speeches and other forms of what New York Times columnist Paul Krugman called “eliminationist rhetoric.”

Indeed, Krugman’s response to the Tucson shooting was indicative of this thinking. In a column titled “Climate of Hate,” Krugman began: “When you heard the terrible news from Arizona, were you completely surprised? Or were you, at some level, expecting something like this atrocity to happen? Put me in the latter category.”

In other words, Krugman, like countless others, had his explanation ready before the event even transpired." --Jonah Goldberg