March 30, 2015

A timely quote from an unexpected source: r.e. Indiana's legal follies

"Let's be 100-percent clear: Indiana's brand new Religious Freedom Law is a measure that fell off the stupid tree and hit every branch on the way down. And I say that as not only a conservative, but a religious conservative."

Jake Novak, supervising producer of Power Lunch, CNBC

March 30, 2015

Iran Backs Away From Key Detail in Nuclear Deal

Source: NYTimes

BREAKING NEWS Sunday, March 29, 2015 9:16 PM EDT
Iran Backs Away From Key Detail in Nuclear Deal
With a negotiating deadline just two days away, Iranian officials on Sunday backed away from a critical element of a proposed nuclear agreement, saying they are no longer willing to ship their atomic fuel out of the country.
For months, Iran tentatively agreed that it would send a large portion of its stockpile of uranium to Russia, where it would not be accessible for use in any future weapons program. But on Sunday Iran’s deputy foreign minister made a surprise comment to Iranian reporters, ruling out an agreement that involved giving up a stockpile that Iran has spent years and billions of dollars to amass.
READ MORE »


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/30/world/middleeast/iran-backs-away-from-key-detail-in-nuclear-deal.html?emc=edit_na_20150329

March 29, 2015

Spring at my back door

It's too cold to stay out long. But that will change directly, as they say in the South

March 27, 2015

A shout out to Alfredo from my Piggy Banks

Alfredo pointed out to us in a post here that the Sony NEX 7 was on sale at B&H Photo Supply. The reduction was so drastic that I took the opportunity to buy this camera which I had been wishing for for a pretty long time.

It got here today, I just put it the battery and installed the CD for it and here is one of my very first shots in honor of Alfredo, plus my piggy banks are thanking you for not being totally empty.

March 27, 2015

Other than Gov. Mike Huckabee who is on with Bill Maher tonight? See their names here

Fmr. Rep Barney Frank,

S.E. Cupp,

Zachary Quinto and

Prof. Jay Famiglietti

10 pm HBO - Then the show VICE - then a repeat at 11:30 pm

March 26, 2015

One Pilot Was Locked Out of Cockpit Before Crash in France

Source: NYTimes

BREAKING NEWS Wednesday, March 25, 2015 7:34 PM EDT
One Pilot Was Locked Out of Cockpit Before Crash in France
As officials struggled Wednesday to explain why a jet with 150 people on board crashed in relatively clear skies, an investigator said evidence from a cockpit voice recorder indicated one pilot left the cockpit before the plane’s descent and was unable to get back in.
A senior military official involved in the investigation described “very smooth, very cool” conversation between the pilots during the early part of the flight from Barcelona to Düsseldorf. Then the audio indicated that one of the pilots left the cockpit and could not re-enter.
“The guy outside is knocking lightly on the door and there is no answer,” the investigator said. “And then he hits the door stronger and no answer. There is never an answer.”
He said, “You can hear he is trying to smash the door down.”
READ MORE »
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/26/world/europe/germanwings-airbus-crash.html?emc=edit_na_20150325

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/26/world/europe/germanwings-airbus-crash.html?emc=edit_na_20150325

March 25, 2015

Andy Borowitz wants to be the first to tell: President Signs Executive Order Making Cruz Ineligible

...................................for Obamacare


Our President is ever so decisive these days, and he is Barry on the spot in my book


WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) — Just hours after Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told CNN that he had no choice but to sign up for Obamacare, President Barack Obama signed an executive order making Cruz ineligible for coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

“Clearly, the hardship of receiving Obamacare was causing Ted a great deal of pain,” the President said. “This should take care of that.”

March 24, 2015

Times-Picayune Column Calls For Bobby Jindal’s Resignation

for what its worth I second that suggestion this sleeze needs to go


Author: Deborah Montesano March 23, 2015 9:26 pm

The leading newspaper in New Orleans, The Times-Picayune, ran a column on Friday telling Governor Bobby Jindal that “it’s time to quit.” Basically, journalist Robert Mann’s argument is that the governor has abandoned Louisiana for higher ambitions.
On Monday, much of what Mann said was reiterated and supported by New York Times columnist Charles Blow. Blow’s article is titled, “Gov. Jindal’s Implosion.”

Mann said that Louisiana has such enormous problems, it deserves the attention of a full-time governor — say, Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne, who is apparently eager to fill the position. Among Louisiana’s biggest problems are a high poverty rate, terrible health outcomes, a ‘fractured’ healthcare system, and a confused, underfunded education system.

One of Mann’s many beefs is a concern about the gutting of education funding. He’s a faculty member of Louisiana State University’s School of Communication. Due to a dramatic fall in oil prices, Jindal was faced with a big budget gap for this year and his new budget has to address an ever bigger shortfall. According to a February article in Politico:

The president of Louisiana State University said earlier this month that the state’s flagship school is preparing for a 40 percent cut in its operating budget next year.

A 40 percent cut for an institution responsible for over 30,000 students! What kind of miracle will LSU need to stay viable under such a draconian change?

A better question is, Where is Jindal during this crisis? He’s both off on a Quixotic quest for the White House and out of reach of those who might be able to do something about the state’s problems. Lt. Gov. Dardenne has reportedly met with Jindal only 2-3 times in several years. Legislative leaders have virtually no access to the governor.

Just how Quixotic Jindal’s odyssey is was made clear in Charles Blow’s column. Citing a new CNN/ORC poll of Republicans and independents leaning Republican, Jindal comes in almost at the bottom of candidates that participants were most likely to support for president. He achieved 1 percent. As Blow put it:

Even ‘none/no one’ got 6 percent.

After a number of embarrassing missteps on the national stage, Jindal is sounding increasingly desperate, tripping over his words and making obviously racist statements. Last week, he declared that immigrants must believe in ‘American exceptionalism.’ Noam Chomsky, national treasure and philosophers’ icon, dismissed the concept during a recent appearance at Arizona State University (the author was in the audience). He called ‘American exceptionalism’ just another religion — a ‘secular religion.’

While the national audience apparently has little use for the governor and his antics at this point, Louisiana, too, is tiring of his presence — or non-presence. Jindal’s approval rating in the state has fallen to 28 percent.

Mann put the obvious into words:

You seem to be constantly in search of stunts to gain attention, so maybe resigning is what you’ve been looking for.

Resign. Have another brief moment in the national spotlight. And give the job to someone who might roll up his sleeves on behalf of Louisiana.

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/03/23/times-picayune-column-calls-for-bobby-jindals-resignation/

March 23, 2015

Gov. Brown’s "face palm moment" about Ted Cruz —Timely Today

California Governor Jerry Brown did not mince words. Discussing climate change he summarily dismissed the ignorance of Ted Cruz as seen in the above snippet. (video in the link)
Chuck Todd and Governor Jerry Brown were discussing the dire straits that California has found itself in with its record drought. In the discussion Todd asked Jerry Brown if his state's condition could be attributed to climate change. Brown's answer was deliberately measured. He acknowledged that in fact climate change is real. However he noted that one event is not enough to blame on climate change. His answer had the necessary caution to ensure it could not be used as a political gotcha.

While the governor did not want to single out California in the aggregate of climactic events, one has to draw that conclusion given the peer reviewed studies supported by over 90% of scientists. Chuck Todd then played a clip of Ted Cruz's willful ignorance displayed on Seth Myers show where he lied about the scientific data on climate change. Governor Jerry Brown's response was epic.

"What he said is absolutely false," Brown said. "Over 90% of the scientists who deal with climate are absolutely convinced that the human activity, industrial activity, generation of CO2, methane, oxides, nitrogen, and all the rest of those greenhouse gases are building up in the atmosphere. They are heat trapping. And they are causing not just warm, drought in California, but severe storms and cold in the East Coast. So it's climate disruption of many different kinds. And that man betokens such a level of ignorance and a direct falsification of existing scientific data. It's shocking and I think that man has rendered himself absolutely unfit to be running for office."

That could not be said any better. Ted Cruz is a clear and present danger not only to thinking Americans but to the entire well being of the country. His effect on policy would be fatal.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/03/22/1372530/-Governor-Jerry-Brown-on-Ted-Cruz-that-man-betokens-such-a-level-of-ignorance?detail=facebook_sf[/}

March 19, 2015

A Hanging in Mississippi this afternoon - posted with heavy heart and worry

http://www.wjtv.com/story/28564604/coroner-body-found-hanging-in-claiborne-county

Coroner: Hanging in Claiborne County

Posted: Mar 19, 2015 3:10 PM EDT Updated: Mar 19, 2015 4:20 PM EDT
By Donesha Aldridge, Web Content Manager/Producer


CLAIBORNE COUNTY, Miss. - A death investigation is underway in Claiborne County after body was found Thursday.

The coroner said there was a hanging in the county.

Sheriff Marvin Lucas said they found a body on Old Rodney Road in Port Gibson.

Authorities have not released the name of the person found.

MBI and the FBI are investigating.

The Claiborne County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is asking the U.S. Department of Justice to step in and investigate as well.

We have a crew headed to the scene. We will update this story as more details become available.