Tom Faranda's Folly

CNN's Gloria Borgia: Obama defeated by his own bureaucracy

... And his own philosophy ...

 

Obama vs Bush reception at West Point

Telling!

 

Joan of Arc - anniversary of her execution today

Joan of Arc Burned Alive: History Today

The charges against Joan of Arc were brought about by scholarly religious experts in Rouen, France. They charged her with heresy and rejecting the authority of the church. They claimed she did this by listening to direct and divine messages from God instead of those from the church but Joan of Arc refused to compromise her beliefs.

On May 24, she was sentenced; Joan would be handed over to nonreligious authorities and to be executed. Fear overcame her and she retracted her statement of beliefs and her sentence was then changed to life in prison.

While in prison, Joan of Arc was ordered to dress like a woman and she complied but changed back into her male clothing just a few days later. When the judges asked her why she was wearing male clothing again, the answer she gave sealed her fate.

Joan told the judges that St. Catherine and St. Margaret were disappointed in her for going against her beliefs to satisfy the church. Joan of Arc was then classified as a relapsed heretic and ordered, on May 29, to be put to death.  At the Place du Vieux-Marche in Rouen, her last request was to have a priest shout prayers and hold a crucifix for her to see as she died. On May 30, 1431, Joan of Arc was burned alive at the stake. Joan of Arc was sentenced to death for her beliefs and thirty years later, she was found to be not guilty. Joan was canonized (made a saint) by Pope Benedict XV in 1920 at St. Peter’s Basilica. Her legend now lives on as Saint Joan of Arc.

Must see: from Christian children of Jerusalem to Pope Francis

This video was sent to me by my friend Bernadette. It's less than four minutes long. It's interesting and sad, but since I know nothing about the situation, I can't form any judgement.

30% of the world is overweight

USA is still the heaviest country. Of the top ten, the only country on the African continent is Egypt. The audio improves as the two minute video runs.

 

CNN headline: "U.S. economy shrinks, but it's not a big deal"

The economy contracted by a full 1% in the first quarter of 2014. But it's not a big deal because the President is a Democrat so it can't be a big deal "A slump was entirely expected, and economists aren't too worried. They forecast a bounce back in the spring."

Hit the link - lots of excuses.

Brace yourself. The U.S. economy looks like it went on a roller-coaster ride at the start of the year.

Even NPR commentators think Obama is clueless on foreign policy

NPR's Mara Liasson. I didn't watch the West Point speech, but I haven't heard any pundit who thought it was even halfway coherent. Liasson is the first commentator here, but all three of them are interesting.

 

Pete du Pont, monthly WSJ columnist, says "Farewell"

DuPont - actually Pierre S. du Pont IV, and an heir to the Du Pont fortune, a card-carrying member of the 1% - has written an always intelligent monthly Journal column. He served as a two term governor of Delaware, 1977-1985, and evidently did a good job.

At 79 years old, I guess he's decided to call it a day. I always liked his columns. His last one is 12 paragraphs long and I've excerpted the first four -

Farewell. Some thoughts on the views that have animated this column.

This will be the last of my columns for this publication, so I thought it fitting to note the views that have most influenced these writings. Foremost is my appreciation of America's character and strength and my opinion that the only earthly thing that can stop this great country is a national failure of will or a continual series of misguided political decisions.

My optimism is driven primarily by the ingenuity and resilience of America's people. A nation of more than 300 million will have its share of lawbreakers, slackers and charlatans, but America is so much more filled with people who are wise, honest and hardworking. The capacity of Americans to sacrifice—greatly at times—for others is truly impressive.

This is why I so often stressed that individuals, families and businesses should as much as possible be the ones making decisions instead of politicians and bureaucrats, no matter how well-intentioned. Some will argue against this view, and it is certainly true that individual decisions will not always provide the optimal result. But it is just as certainly true that this approach will work better over the long term than one-size-fits-all diktats of government. From the five-year plans of the former Soviet Union to ObamaCare, the troubles that can befall a country from top-down government control and political attempts to pick winners and losers are obvious.

My optimism has also been fueled by what history shows is the amazing ability of our economy to generate jobs, innovation and better standards of living, not just for our nation but for the world. We are rightly seen as the land of opportunity, and it is no wonder people from other nations flock here.

 

CNN: Barbara Eden talks about "Jeannie" 50 years later

As CNN tries to promote their "The Sixties" series. Barbara Eden will be 83 years old in August.

 

50 Cent throws worst first pitch ever

For the Mets of course. He better stick to rapping. Of maybe he can take over as their closer?

 

Maya Angelou

UPDATE: Brigid tells me she "saved a beautiful poem she (Angelou) had written after 9/11".

86 years old.

Tim - another javelin PR and 5th place in the CHSAA intersectionals

CHSAA, as in the highly competitive Catholic HS Athletic Association. Below is his 154'4.5" throw for fifth place. All the throwers with better throws (the winner was 160'10.5") were seniors. Tim finished 15 feet ahead of the next junior or underclassman.

One more meet to hopefully push his personal record higher, this Sunday. Brigid and I were sitting in the stands at Icahn Stadium. By the way, the PA announcer was celebrating his 82nd birthday - he's been announcing at Catholic League meets for a long time!

 

WSJ: "Myth of the Climate Change 97%"

Yeah, the idea that 97% of scientists agree that humans are causing global catastrophe is BS. Of course, we already knew that.

Here's a brief but comprehensive op ed in the Wall Street Journal. It's 16 paragraphs long; I'm excerpting just two, as an example.

What is the origin of the false belief—constantly repeated—that almost all scientists agree about global warming?

In 2013, John Cook, an Australia-based blogger, and some of his friends reviewed abstracts of peer-reviewed papers published from 1991 to 2011. Mr. Cook reported that 97% of those who stated a position explicitly or implicitly suggest that human activity is responsible for some warming. His findings were published in Environmental Research Letters.

Mr. Cook's work was quickly debunked. In Science and Education in August 2013, for example, David R. Legates (a professor of geography at the University of Delaware and former director of its Center for Climatic Research) and three coauthors reviewed the same papers as did Mr. Cook and found "only 41 papers—0.3 percent of all 11,944 abstracts or 1.0 percent of the 4,014 expressing an opinion, and not 97.1 percent—had been found to endorse" the claim that human activity is causing most of the current warming. Elsewhere, climate scientists including Craig Idso, Nicola Scafetta, Nir J. Shaviv and Nils- Axel Morner, whose research questions the alleged consensus, protested that Mr. Cook ignored or misrepresented their work.

NJ Governor Christie: "The Miracle of Adoption"

Christie promotes adoption, while signing an adoption bill. He has an adopted sister! Nice 2 minute video.

 

Mets stumbling along; fire their hitting coach?!

The hitting coach? That's like a restaurant changing their grocery store because the chef is lousy.

They also released their closer.

Mets fire hitting coach Dave Hudgens, release Jose Valverde

"This is a very difficult decision to make. I've known Dave for many years, decades," Alderson said. "Our situational hitting is not where we want it to be."

Maybe the Mets need new hitters?

Memorial Day, Croton, 2014

As always, nice attendance with about 250 people. Pretty good for a town of under 7,000.

Christine Turturro, The Croton Harmon HS junior, who has sung "Amazing Grace" every year for the last several years.

 

Mayor Weigman did a nice job, reading briefly from some WW II letters.

The closing prayer by the pastor of Holy Name, Fr. Brennan, who is also a Vietnam veteran.

Pew Research News IQ quiz

Sent to me by my friend Dennis - who scored 100% - A short quiz on what you know in the news.

Here's the quiz: Pew Current Affairs quiz

Here were my results -

You answered 11 of 13 questions correctly.

See below how your results compare with the 1,052 randomly sampled adults who took part in our national survey and review how you responded to each question. For more findings from the survey, read "What the Public Knows – In Words, Pictures, Maps and Graphs."

You scored better than 91% of the public, below 4% and the same as 5%.

Pope Francis organizes Israeli-Palestinian meeting at the Vatican

BETHLEHEM, West Bank — Israeli and Palestinian leaders accepted an invitation to the Vatican next month from Pope Francis, who urged the two sides to make sacrifices to achieve peace Sunday during his first visit as pontiff to the Middle East.

"The time has come for everyone to find the courage to be generous and creative in the service of the common good," Francis said at a welcoming ceremony in Bethlehem hosted by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. "The climate of instability and a lack of mutual understanding have produced insecurity, the violation of rights, isolation and the flight of entire communities, conflicts, shortages and sufferings of every sort."

A festive atmosphere greeted Francis in Bethlehem's Manger Square, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, where posters of the pope, called baba in Arabic, hung in every shop window. Riding through the crowd on his way to Mass, the pope was greeted by cheers of Viva al-Baba! or "Long live the pope!"

John McCain: "The Scandal That Shadows Memorial Day"

The Senator, Vietnam POW, and former Presidential candidate.

I put some excerpts below the link, but it's only 12 paragraphs, so read the whole thing.

The government has failed in its responsibility to veterans. Where is the administration's sense of urgency?

It is therefore the height of shame and tragedy that on this Memorial Day the nation is seized with the unfolding scandal of the government's failure to meet its highest responsibility to veterans and wounded warriors. At least 26 Department of Veterans Affairs health-care facilities are under investigation for chronic mismanagement, deceitful and self-serving behavior, and inadequate provision of care. Whistleblowers allege that these and other failures at VA facilities may have led to the deaths of some 40 veterans. Simply put, America's veterans are losing confidence in the one government agency that exists solely to care for them.

******

Unfortunately, as this scandal at the VA escalated for nearly two months, President Obama was nowhere to be seen. There were expressions of anger through presidential proxies, but nothing from the commander in chief himself. And when the president finally did speak about the crisis on Wednesday, there was only a recitation of talking points, expressions of confidence in the system, without a real sense of emotion and urgency.

******

The sad fact is that the same charges then-Sen. Obama levied against his predecessor's stewardship of the VA in 2008—that it was "an outrage," "a betrayal," that "we are all dishonored"—are no less true today, just as Mr. Obama's vaunted campaign promises to reform the VA system had few results. The VA is arguably in worse shape more than five years into his presidency than when Mr. Obama took office. Yet even today, the president seems to be treating this as a political problem to be managed, not a national crisis to be solved.

2 minutes of FAST women!

The World Relay championships, held over the last few days in the Bahamas.

Here's an upset -

If you like this sort of stuff, here's the Universal Sports Network youtube channel with many of these races from the last few days.

 Universal Sports Network

Bob Dylan - turned 73 yesterday

Ok, here's a good one. a duet with Tom Petty. Hit this link to learn the genesis of the song, which surprised me - Knockin' on Heaven's Door.

Kardashian News Flash

Picked this up off Ann Althouse' blog.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West got married.

I know, who cares?

Very interesting WWII 3 minute video, "Then and Now"

I came across this at the beginning of May. Most of the photos are from the Normandy town of St. Mere-Eglise. If you saw the movie The Longest Day (who hasn't?) the town name will mean something.

NY Times offers a rather odd look at NY's Cardinal Dolan

I am no fan of the Cardinal, but this is a funny portrayal. Most of the pictures they use present him as a kind of Italian Renaissance Prince.

In Era of Humble Pope, Earth Shifts Under Cardinal Dolan

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan lives in a 19th-century Madison Avenue mansion that connects to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. A cook and two housekeepers serve him and three other priests. A driver chauffeurs him around, though in a Chrysler minivan.

It is a comfortable, if not necessarily extravagant, lifestyle, one in keeping with that of past archbishops of New York. But in the age of Pope Francis, who has captured the world’s imagination by rejecting many luxurious trappings of the papacy, is the cardinal’s lifestyle humble enough?

******

“It’s not that he’s out of favor or irrelevant,” said John Allen, who wrote a book with Cardinal Dolan and now reports for The Boston Globe. “But both in terms of who Rome listens to in the American church, and setting priorities for the American church, I think there’s no question that Tim Dolan is no longer the prime mover in that regard.”

Cardinal Dolan is still on several important Vatican committees, and in the United States, remains the preferred bishop to speak on television. He is a master communicator, pithy and gregarious. But the buzz that followed him into the conclave to select Francis as pope in March 2013 — that he himself could be a papal candidate — has dissipated.

“He’s not out in the cold, but neither is he the rising star anymore,” said Pat McNamara, a church historian and author of a forthcoming book on New York Catholicism.

When it comes to lifestyle, the pope is challenging the model of the bishop as royalty of the church and increasing popular expectations that bishops act more like humble parish priests, truly getting to know their people. It is a call that Cardinal Dolan said he had certainly reflected upon.

“I hope and pray that I was living a fairly simple life beforehand,” the cardinal said. “But I do have to examine my own conscience and ask: ‘Am I too comfortable? Do I take too much for granted? Are my priorities where they should be?’ ”

My friend Chris Slattery, interviewed by lifesite news.

Chris and his organization were instrumental - along with some others - in Tim becoming our son.

 Chris Slattery interview with Lifesite News

In China; good catch - man catches baby falling from 2nd fl. window

Former Yankee Willie Randolph talks baseball & "The Yankee Way"

Pretty good. On the WSJ website.

 

Why (?) the Democrats agreed to take part in the Benghazi investigation panel

According to Politico, to provide cover for Hillary Clinton.

Clinton allies pressured Dems on Benghazi

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) publicly considered boycotting the panel, an idea that Clinton supporters feared would leave the potential 2016 candidate exposed to the enemy fire of House Republicans.

So Clinton emissaries launched a back channel campaign, contacting several House Democratic lawmakers and aides to say they’d prefer Democrats participate, according to sources familiar with the conversations. Pelosi’s staff said they have not heard from Clinton’s camp.

On Wednesday, Pelosi appointed five Democrats to the committee, giving Democrats another crucial mission in the months ahead of what was already a tough election year: act as Clinton’s first line of defense.

“Republicans are making it clear they plan to use the power of the Benghazi Select Committee to continue to politicize the tragedy that occurred in Benghazi, which is exactly why Democratic participation in the committee is vital,” a Democrat close to Clinton world said. “Inevitably, witnesses ranging from Secretary Clinton to Secretary [John] Kerry will be subpoenaed to testify, and the Democrats appointed to the committee will help restore a level of sanity to the hearings, which would otherwise exist solely as a political witch hunt.”

Assemblyman Lalor PR regarding veterans benefits in NY State

I am on Lalor's email list, even though he's not my Assemblyman. Lalor is a marine corp vet of the Iraq war.

This PR was sent out last night, after the prior one sent earlier in the day.

http://kmlny.com/posts/update-silver-tries-to-dodge-lalors-question-what-was-wrong-with-bills-to-help-vets

For Immediate Release

May 21, 2014

Contact: Chris Covucci - (845) 309-2654

UPDATE: Silver Tries to Dodge Lalor's Question: "What Was Wrong with Bills to Help Vets?"

Albany, NY - (5/21/14) – New York State Assemblyman Kieran Michael Lalor (R,C,I - Fishkill) is asking Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to explain exactly why the Assembly Democrats voted to kill 10 pro-veteran bills sponsored by Republicans in the Veterans' Affairs Committee. Lalor's press release on the issue earlier today struck a nerve. Responding to Lalor in the Daily News, Silver tries to use misdirection to obscure the fact that these bills that would help veterans were killed in committee solely because they were sponsored by Republicans. 

"Speaker Silver should explain exactly why Assembly Democrats killed these bills without any debate," said Lalor. "Silver claims there were problems with the bills, but there was no committee debate. Assembly Democrats just reflexively voted to kill the bills. Silver claims the bills were rejected because of technical and fiscal issues. What were the technical issues? Silver should go through bill-by-bill and identify these so-called technical problems. Silver claims he was worried about the fiscal impact of the bills. New York has a $138 billion budget and the only time Sheldon Silver is worried about spending is when it comes to letting vets go to the park for free. Silver has $420 million to give away to Hollywood, but he insists on charging vets admission to state parks? The Republican bills were killed because of politics, plain and simple." 

"Speaker Silver, how many statewide Republican bills have made it out of the Veterans' Affairs Committee in the last year? Or the last 10 years?"asked Lalor. "If the bills weren't rejected out of partisanship, then what was it? We need a point-by-point explanation from the speaker."

Lalor continued, "The committee didn't do its job and debate the bills to explain why they were killed. Silver owes us a point-by-point explanation of each bill. Each one of these bills would help veterans. If each bill had a chance for an up-or-down vote it's hard to imagine they wouldn't pass unanimously. But, in committee Assembly Democrats feel free to kill these pro-vet bills just to spite Republicans."

The bills killed in committee are:
A.04132: Provides veterans of the armed forces of the United States with a pass that gives them access to all state parks and recreational facilities without the charge of any admission.

A.3201:  Provides that the periods of the Iranian Hostage Crisis and from November 21, 1979 to October 20, 1981 be "time of war" periods for civil service credit.

A.0467: Requires the executive director of the office of real property services to create a list of documents which support a veterans eligibility when applying for real property tax exemptions.

A.3202:  Grants real property tax exemption to service disabled veterans with a VA disability rating of 60% rating regardless of whether he or she served during a “period of war”.

A.5029: Includes the war on terrorism which commenced in 2001, within the definition of "period of war" for purposes of the veterans alternative property tax exemption.

A.5255:  Declares the Vietnam Veterans of America to be benevolent orders and grants such organization various benefits available to specified veterans' organizations.

A.5852: Amends the Real Property Tax Law, to read that "active duty" means full time duty in the United States armed forces, including duty of reservists called up during wartime regardless of time period, other than active duty for training.

A.6497:  To allow New York State to apply, pursuant to the U.S.  Department  of Veterans  Affairs  Aid  to  States  for  Establishment,  Expansion and Improvement of Veterans Cemeteries, for  the  funds  and  approval  to acquire  land  for  and  establish,  operate  and maintain a veteran's cemetery in Seneca County.

A.8152:  Grants recognized veterans' organization free use of pavilions at state parks, other state recreational facilities, and historic sites.

A.8626: Allows an otherwise qualified veteran to receive the eligible funds exemption or the alternative veterans property tax exemption on his or her primary residence if the residence is owned by a limited liability company (LLC) which is owned by the veteran.

 

###

 

Assemblyman Kieran Michael Lalor, a former teacher at Our Lady of Lourdes in Poughkeepsie, is a Marine Corps veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and a frequent guest on the Fox News Channel. Lalor is of counsel to the law firm Gaines, Novick, Ponzini, Cossu & Venditti. He is a graduate of John Jay High School, Providence College and Pace Law School and lives in Fishkill with his wife Mary Jo and their four young children Katie, Riley, Mikey and Kieran Jr..

www.KMLNY.com

 

Nat Hentoff comes out for Rand Paul

Hentoff, who used to write for the Village Voice and is pretty well recognized as a constitutional/first amendment expert. he's now 88 years old and still on the ball!

My pro-Constitution choice for president

For me, Paul made real a fantasy I’d long held: that someone running for the presidency, as he clearly is, would focus insistently on what it means under our Constitution to be an American – with basic individual rights and liberties no government has the authority to suspend or erase.

During that crisply related filibuster, for example, he told a sizable, but briefly attentive nation:

“Your government was given a few defined powers (by the Constitution), enumerated powers. … But your liberties are many. … When you read the Ninth and 10th Amendment(s), it says that those rights not explicitly given to government are left to the states and the people. They’re yours, not to be disparaged.”

Hearing that, I wondered how many Americans know what is in the Ninth and 10th Amendments. Do you?

As a matter of fact, without looking them up, I don't! My bad.

For me, Paul made real a fantasy I’d long held: that someone running for the presidency, as he clearly is, would focus insistently on what it means under our Constitution to be an American – with basic individual rights and liberties no government has the authority to suspend or erase.

During that crisply related filibuster, for example, he told a sizable, but briefly attentive nation:

“Your government was given a few defined powers (by the Constitution), enumerated powers. … But your liberties are many. … When you read the Ninth and 10th Amendment(s), it says that those rights not explicitly given to government are left to the states and the people. They’re yours, not to be disparaged.”

Hearing that, I wondered how many Americans know what is in the Ninth and 10th Amendments. Do you?

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2014/05/my-pro-constitution-choice-for-president/#dIbJj2ZhW2Wvp9wt.99

40 years later, Led Zeppelin accused of Stealing Stairway to Heaven riff

UPDATE: "If there's a bustle in your hedgerow ..." Here's more from the NY Daily News -  Music & Arts Led Zeppelin sued, accused of lifting riff for 'Stairway to Heaven' from another band

For decades, Stairway to Heaven the most requested song on FM radio.

Led Zeppelin accused of stealing famous Stairway to Heaven track Band sued over claims they stole most famous riff from support act

A group called Spirit is attempting to block the re-release of Led Zeppelin IV after claiming its late guitarist, Randy California, should be given a written credit on the 1971 track because of its resemblance to their 1968 song, Taurus.

Spirit’s bass guitarist, Mark Andes, argues that Led Zeppelin would have heard the song when the two bands were on tour together in the late 1960s – and may then have copied it for what became their best-known hit song.

He told Bloomberg BusinessWeek: “It would typically come after a big forceful number and always got a good response. They would have seen it in that context.

Jimmy Page, say it ain't so! You can listen to it here, wuth a little extra at the end.

Rugby: in 37 seconds, why New Zealand will continue to roll

Sent ot me by Brigid's niece June, who is Australian.

The high school player is Tongan, but living in Auckland, so you know which Country he'll represent.

All three tries in the first twenty minutes (that last dummy would be an easy one to buy ...). He weighs just short of 300 lbs.

Here's a link to the three minute version - http://youtu.be/-93oAF4qtSQ

 

Dave Tuttle's new eatery

Just written up in LoHud. Nice picture of Dave if you hit the link.

Sounds great - will be trying very soon.

Ralph and Dave’s in Verplanck: Dockside Seafood and Drinks

Just in time for the outdoor dining season, we’ve got a new restaurant with river views in Westchester on our hands. Ralph and Dave’s, a casual seafood restaurant with lots of great drink options, is opening this week in Verplanck in the former home of Hudson Bistro.

******

Ralph and Dave’s will offer seafood and steaks, with a heavy lean on all things seasonal and local. Some of the area businesses that will be supported at the new spot include Newburgh Brewing Co., Slovenia Vodka, Black Cow Coffee and Fishkill Farms. Located right next door to the Viking Boatyard, dockside service will be available.

Chemistry joke gets student suspended

Suspended for this? Come on...

Paris Gray, upstanding vice president of her about-to-graduate high-school class in Jonesboro, Georgia, was suspended last Friday when administrators figured out what her yearbook quote meant.

"Administrators were not pleased once they figured it out."

It read:

When the going gets tough, just remember to Barium, Carbon, Potassium, Thorium, Astatine, Arsenic, Sulfur, Uranium, Phosphorus.

So, when the going gets tough, just remember to [Ba][C][K] [Th][At] [As][S] [U][P].

 

Hit the link. It's assinine to suspend her for that - she should get a star!

Tim gets third in the javelin at the County Championships

And a new PR of 150'11". There was no real chance of him finishing higher than third, since the first (191') and third (168') ranked throwers in the state were competing, but he did edge ahead of his fourth place seeding. No one else was over 138'. It's interesting that Jack O'Brien and Mike Gabrielsen, the two throwers ahead of Tim, both went to Hendrick Hudson HS, and both are going to West Point. We know both families and Tim played Little League years ago with Mike.

Here's his PR throw; I let the tape run to pick up the audio of the measurement.

 

Samurai stuntman makes a living dying

Off the WSJ website.

 

More from CNN on firing of NYT's Jill Abramson

I posted this CNN offers "inside story" on the NY Times firing Jill Abramson yesterday. Interesting reporting and opinions. How many people get fired for being "brusque"? This could also be called "Hypocrisy Watch at the Times".

And Carly Fiorina - another high-powered woman leader - chimes in.

High School football player throws a 40 yard pass - to himself

I'm impressed.

CNN offers "inside story" on the NY Times firing Jill Abramson

At 72 years old, Ken Auletta has a fine reputation as a reporter. "Jill was just a difficult person." !?!? The last conversation: "lawsuit"? If I were betting, I'd say "yes".

 

Another "exercise as anti-aging pill" video - 70 y o fellow

I guess I'm into these type videos. on May 1st I put up this one, 77 y o woman - Exercise as "anti-aging pill"

And then yesterday CNN: Mom does 215 lb. max (deadlift) at 40 weeks pregnant and now Sonny who started bodybuilding when he was 44.

I must say though, I don't find Bodybuilding as a sport very attractive. Training for fitness, sports, health, all fine. But bodybuilding, not interested.

Still, the discipline and hard work; you have to be impressed.

CNN: Mom does 215 lb. max (deadlift) at 40 weeks pregnant

A crossfitter. And she gives a good interview.

Here's her blog. Crossfit and pregnant.

 

Amazing! My State Senator keeps promise; term limits himself out of his seat

Greg Ball stepping out - and not running for any other office. An Air Force Academy graduate and good guy.

 

Friday Funnies: "The School Master"

One of the Kings of Deadpan humor.

 

Rush Limbaugh wins "Author of the Year" award for Children's Books

This will drive some people crazy.

Here's the story:

Conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh won the "Author of the Year Award" at the Children's Choice Book Awards for his book Rush Revere and The Brave Pilgrims: Time-Travel Adventures with Exceptional Americans, in which Rush Revere and a talking horse named Liberty travel back in time to visit the pilgrims.

Here's the video

Rugby: 7's World Series, London finals

New Zealand All Blacks again.

 

Amazing videos: Cat saves little kid from being mauled by dog

Wow. And I'm a dog lover - but hey!

 

And here's more.

More on the response to the Harvard "Black Mass"

I'd already posted something here. The Harvard University "Black Mass" and the response

And here is a bit more. 

NY Times fires Jill Abramson, their first woman Executive Editor

UPDATE: What about her NY Times tattoo?

The article is from The New Yorker, and six paragraphs long, if you hit the link. Evidently the discharge wasn't amiable - and is another example of the Times "do as I say, not as I do" approach to many issues.

... Abramson discovered that her pay and her pension benefits as both executive editor and, before that, as managing editor were considerably less than the pay and pension benefits of Bill Keller, the male editor whom she replaced in both jobs.

“She confronted the top brass,” one close associate said, and this may have fed into the management’s narrative that she was “pushy,” a characterization that, for many, has an inescapably gendered aspect. Sulzberger is known to believe that the Times, as a financially beleaguered newspaper, needed to retreat on some of its generous pay and pension benefits; Abramson had also been at the Times for far fewer years than Keller, having spent much of her career at the Wall Street Journal, accounting for some of the pension disparity. Eileen Murphy, a spokeswoman for the Times, said that Jill Abramson’s total compensation as executive editor “was directly comparable to Bill Keller’s”—though it was not actually the same. I was also told by another friend of Abramson’s that the pay gap with Keller was only closed after she complained. But, to women at an institution that was once sued by its female employees for discriminatory practices, the question brings up ugly memories. Whether Abramson was right or wrong, both sides were left unhappy. A third associate told me, “She found out that a former deputy managing editor”—a man—“made more money than she did” while she was managing editor. “She had a lawyer make polite inquiries about the pay and pension disparities, which set them off.”

A very interesting article, if you are a Timeswatcher.

Annual dementia test

From my friend Ellen, who is NOT demented.

I scored 50% (two out of four correct) so I suppose I'm halfway there ...

Yep, it's that time of year again for us to take our Annual Dementia Test.

 

 

 

Exercise of the brain is as important as exercise of the muscles. As we grow older, it's important

to keep mentally alert. If you don't use it, you'll lose it!

Here is a very private way to gauge how your memory compares to your last test.

Some may think it is too easy, but ones with memory problems may have difficulty -

that's if you can remember

Take this test to determine if you're losing it or not. Maybe, have lost it totally already!

 

Spaces below are so you don't see the answers until you've determined your answer.

 

OK, relax, clear your mind, and now begin.

 

#1. What do you put in a toaster?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer: 'bread.' If you said 'toast,' just give up now, and go do something else.

 

And please, try not to hurt yourself!

 

 

# 2. Say 'silk' five times. Now spell 'silk.' What do cows drink?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer: Cows drink water.

 

Question #3.

 

# 3. If a red house is made from red bricks, and a blue house is made from blue bricks, and a

pink house is made from pink bricks, and a black house is made from black bricks, what is a green

house made from?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer: Greenhouses are made from glass.

 

If you said 'green bricks,' why are you still reading this??? PLEASE, go lie down - have a glass a wine and enjoy the rest of the day!!!

 

But, if you said 'glass,' go on to Question #4.

 

# 4. Do not use a calculator for this:

 

You are driving a bus from New York City to Philadelphia.

 

     In Staten Island, 17 people got on the bus.

In New Brunswick, 6 people get off the bus, and 9 people get on.

In Windsor, 2 people get off, and 4 get on.

In Trenton, 11 people get off and 16 people get on.

In Bristol, 3 people get off, and 5 people get on.

And, in Camden, 6 people get off, and 3 get on.

You then arrive at Philadelphia Station.

 

 

Without going back to review, how old is the bus driver?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer: Oh, for crying out loud!!!

 

Don't you remember your own age?!? It was YOU, driving the bus!!!

 

If you pass this along to your friends, pray that they do better than you.

P.S.: 95% of people fail most of the questions!!!

 

12 pianists playing one piano - at once

From my friend Ellen. Pretty cool.You get the point after two or three minutes.

The more amazing thing is the choreography.