excelsior!

MythBusters Stars Kari Byron, Tory Belleci and Grant Imahara Are Leaving the Show

2014-08-22T13:04:00.000-04:00

From E Online -

"It's the end of an era for MythBusters: Kari Byron, Tory Belleci and Grant Imahara are leaving the series. Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman announced the fan-favorites would depart the show at the end of the Thursday, Aug. 21 episode of the hit Discovery program.

Kari and Grant took to Twitter to share their feelings with fans after the announcement."

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The Religion of Peace Strikes Again

2014-08-22T12:34:00.001-04:00

From Dr. Hurd -

"Over and over, we’re told that Islam is a “religion of peace” and other nations have a right to choose the form of government they wish, and so long as the majority wants it — it’s valid.

Over and over, it’s likewise repeated that Israel — a paragon of civil liberties and individual rights when compared to beheading gangs like ISIS — is no better or worse (usually much worse) than any sort of gang of religiously fanatical thugs a bunch of politicized Muslims elect to cobble together.

The issue is deeper than Middle East politics. It’s about moral relativism, who it benefits and who loses the most by its toxic pretense."

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Blimp Over Bluffdale

2014-06-28T14:45:00.000-04:00

This fron Becky Akers at Lew Rockwell blog -

"In what may be the cleverest protest yet against the NSA’s criminality, the patriots at the Tenth Amendment Center joined the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Greenpeace in flying a blimp over the agency’s “Collect-it-all” monolith in Bluffdale, UT. The blimp’s sign read, “NSA, illegal spying below.”

Imagine “working” for the NSA and spying, so to speak, that rebuke overhead as you stride to your eavesdropping post of a morning. Talk about demoralization!"

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Obama seeks $500 million from Congress to help “moderate” Syrian rebels

2014-06-28T14:36:00.000-04:00

From Jihad Watch.org -

"Doesn’t Obama know that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has bulldozed the part of the Syria/Iraq border that it controls? Doesn’t he know that there are no significant forces in Syria that want a secular state, but only various bands of pro-Sharia Islamic supremacists? Doesn’t it occur to him how incoherent it is to want to arm these people in Syria and fight against them in Iraq? For there is no significant difference between the “rebels” fighting Assad and the “extremists” fighting Maliki.

“Obama seeks $500 million from Congress to help moderate Syrian rebels,” Reuters, June 26, 2014:"

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Rothschild Crony Capitalist Summit Plots Against Free Markets

2014-06-25T11:48:00.001-04:00

From The New American -

Under the guise of re-defining and improving what they inaccurately called “capitalism,” top insiders representing institutions that control some $30 trillion in assets met at a Rothschild-sponsored “Inclusive Capitalism” summit in London to push what sounded suspiciously like global tyranny. From the IMF boss quoting Karl Marx to crony capitalist CEOs and central bankers pushing radical notions of “sustainability,” the globalist bigwigs consistently blamed what little remains of the free market for the horrific failures of socialism, central banking, and Big Government. Ironically, many of the attendees enriched by fleecing taxpayers via government were tripping over themselves to advocate more wealth redistribution and taxes.

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Spain Arrests Freed Gitmo Captive Running Jihadist Recruitment Network

2014-06-25T11:31:00.001-04:00

From Judical Watch -

"In a story unlikely to receive attention from the mainstream media in the United States, a former Guantanamo Bay captive has been arrested in Spain for operating what authorities there say is a sophisticated jihadist recruitment network.

Spanish media is reporting that the one-time Gitmo prisoner is a 46-year-old Moroccan named Lahcen Ikassrien, who heads an Islamic cell that recruits fighters for the Syrian and Iraqi-based terror group known as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Ikassrien and seven others were arrested in Madrid recently as part of a dozen raids on terrorism cells in the Spanish capital, Madrid.

The ISIL has received global attention recently for its terrorist activities in Iraq, where the extremist group seized the country’s second-largest city of Mosul. A number of international press reports have revealed that ISIL militants have massacred and captured Iraqi soldiers during the raid. Ikassrien, who spent four years at the U.S. Military prison in southeastern Cuba, recruited and sent jihadists to Iraq via Turkey, according to Spanish authorities cited in the news story."

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House Passes Bill to Curb NSA

2014-06-20T08:17:00.001-04:00

Found at NewsMax -

"The US House of Representatives approved late Thursday a bill that would restrict the electronic surveillance powers of the National Security Agency (NSA).

The margin was wide, 293 to 123, for the bill attached to the defense budget for 2015, which begins October 1.

For now, however, the bill will have no effect on the NSA as it has not been debated by the Senate.

But the message from the lower house is clear."

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Kids Can Tell When You're Not Telling the Whole Truth

2014-06-18T22:08:00.000-04:00

At New Republic -

"In an upcoming paper, to be delivered at the annual conference of the Cognitive Science Society in July, Schulz and Gweon will explore the flip-side of this problem: how children react to too much information. They found that children prefer teachers who do not spend time offering information that they already know—or that they can infer from what they already know. It’s not that children hate know-it-all’s, but they do make calculations in order to learn more efficiently, say Schulz and Gweon. Learning, they conclude, isn’t just about acquiring knowledge of the world; it’s also about learning how to learn."

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Latest Data Shows Spike in Prices of Food, Oil, and More

2014-06-18T21:45:00.001-04:00

At Reason.com -

"Consumers were hit hard by a range of price increases last month, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Here are some highlights from the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which tracks the changes in costs of household goods:

The food index rose 0.5 percent in May after increasing 0.4 percent in each of the three previous months.

The index for food at home increased 0.7 percent, its largest increase since July 2011.

The gasoline index rose 0.7 percent."

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Did White House Keep Taliban Trade a Secret Because Congress Opposed It?

2014-06-04T15:02:00.000-04:00

From Reason -

"When the Obama administration arranged the trade of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl (accused of being a deserter) for five members of the Taliban held in Guantanamo Bay, lawmakers accused the administration of violating a law requiring the White House give Congress a month's notice before transferring or releasing these prisoners. The White House said it had moved quickly when an opportunity arose.

Today, though, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) wondered whether the real reason the administration didn't tell Congress was because it knew Congress would oppose the deal, as it has in the past."

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The Ambassador and the Post Office: A Lesson on Freedom from India

2014-06-04T14:50:00.000-04:00

From Capitalism Magazine by Thomas Sowell -

"At one time, people in India had to get on a waiting list to buy Hindustan Motors’ Ambassador automobile, even though it was an obvious copy of Britain’s Morris Oxford of some decades earlier. The reason was simple: the Indian government would not allow cars to be imported to compete with it.

The fact that the Ambassador was a copy is hardly an automatic reason for condemnation. The first Nikon camera was an obvious copy of a German camera called the Contax, and the first Canon was an obvious copy of the Leica. The difference is that, over the years, Nikons and Canons rose to become state of the art, during both the era of film and in the new digital age."

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Laissez Faire Capitalism - Minnesota Now Requires Folks to Actually Be Convicted Before Seizing Their Stuff

2014-05-16T17:32:00.000-04:00

Post by Laissez Faire Capitalism.

Marriage: It’s Complicated

2014-05-14T17:40:00.000-04:00

From Capitalism Magazine by John Stossel -

It’s wedding season! More Americans get married in June than in other months. Why June? The timing seems pretty arbitrary if you look up its history.

Some claim it’s because June was named after Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage.

Others say it’s because in the 1500s, people took their annual bath in May, which meant they probably smelled best around this time of year. (Be thankful for modern times.)

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Soros in Vermont: Leftist billionaire behind state’s call to keep money out of politics

2014-05-06T16:04:00.001-04:00

From Vermont Watchdog -

"Despite the Legislature’s intent to keep money out of politics in Friday’s vote for a constitutional convention, the move was a victory for billionaire George Soros, whose financial backing of The Young Turks and Wolf PAC helped influence state lawmakers.

“In Vermont we were told it was impossible … but actually we did win on the Senate floor, and it was because volunteers from all across the country called in to constituents in Vermont, who then called their representatives. Now it has passed the Vermont House — this is a huge moment,” Cenk Uygur, founder of Wolf PAC, said during a weekend broadcast of the Young Turks.

The House of Representatives on Friday voted 95-43 to pass JRS27, a joint resolution to “limit the corrupting influence of money in our electoral process … by overturning the Citizens United decision.” The resolution cleared the Senate in March by a 25-2 margin."

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Hat tip: Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity.

Senate Moves to Debate Energy Savings Bill, Keystone Bid Stalls

2014-05-06T15:33:00.000-04:00

At Newsmax -

"The U.S. Senate agreed on Tuesday to begin debate on a bipartisan energy efficiency bill, but seems unlikely to pass it unless lawmakers agree on how to proceed with the long-delayed Keystone XL oil pipeline project.

The Senate voted 79 to 20 to advance the legislation, the first big energy bill to reach the Senate floor since 2007.

Offered by Democrat Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Republican Rob Portman of Ohio, the White House-backed bill would save energy through tougher building codes and by making federal government offices install new technologies."

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Uncovered IRS emails show Lerner talked with DOJ about pursuing 'political' groups

2014-04-16T17:40:00.002-04:00

From FoxNews -

"Newly uncovered emails show Lois Lerner, the key figure in the IRS scandal, was talking with the Justice Department about going after groups seeking tax-exempt status, just days before she publicly acknowledged the agency was targeting Tea Party and other organizations.

The emails, obtained by Judicial Watch and first reported by TownHall.com, are another indication the targeting may have stretched deeper into the Obama administration. Lerner, the director of the agency’s Exempt Organizations division before retiring last year, initially said the targeting was limited to agents working in the IRS’ Cincinnati field office.

However, a series of inspector general and congressional probes since the scandal broke last year appear to show the targeting of mostly conservative-leaning groups seeking tax-exempt status was orchestrated in Washington."

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Thousands of artifacts seized at rural Indiana home

2014-04-02T22:11:00.000-04:00

From The IndyStar -

"Robert A. Jones, special agent in charge of the Indianapolis FBI office, would not say at a news conference specifically why the investigation was initiated, but he did say the FBI had "information" about Miller's collection and acted on it by deploying its art crime team.

FBI agents are working with art experts and museum curators, and neither they nor Jones would describe a single artifact involved in the investigation, but did say it is a massive collection. Jones added that the cataloging of all of the items found will take longer than "weeks or months."

"Frankly, overwhelmed," is how Larry Zimmerman, professor of anthropology and museum studies at IUPUI described his reaction. "I have never seen a collection like this in my life except in some of the largest museums.""

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Ft. Hood shooting was reportedly 'soldier on soldier' incident

2014-04-02T20:48:00.000-04:00

From Fox News -

"A shooting at Ft. Hood that reportedly left at least four dead -- including the shooter -- and 14 injured Wednesday was a "soldier on soldier" incident without any preliminary terrorism link, a senior Department of Homeland Security source told FoxNews.com.

A senior law enforcement official tells Fox News that at least four people, including the gunman, died in the shooting and 14 were injured, but there was no immediate information on the condition of the injured.

The Homeland Security source, who stressed the information was preliminary, added that there was "currently no [counter terrorism] nexus" and said it appears the shooter killed himself."

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'Ban Bossy': A Bad Remedy for a Fictional Problem

2014-04-02T20:19:00.000-04:00

From Reason -

"The War on Bossy, led by Facebook boss Sheryl Sandberg, has been roundly criticized and even lampooned from left, right, and center. Sandberg’s proposal to banish "the other B-word" because it’s a common and damaging putdown for assertive girls has met with various objections, from "Why not teach girls to be bossy?" to "Why not teach both girls and boys not to be bossy?" to "Why not address real sexist barriers instead of playing language cops?" But the campaign has its supporters too, including famous ones such as singer Beyoncé Knowles and pundit Arianna Huffington. And now there is a backlash against the backlash, with some saying that “Ban Bossy” is based on real evidence both of the word’s sexist use and of a still-strong, pervasive negativity toward female leadership."

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TSA wants armed police at airport checkpoints

2014-03-26T18:51:00.000-04:00

Reported at USA Today -

"The Transportation Security Administration is proposing that armed law-enforcement officers help guard airport checkpoints during busy times, in reaction to the November shooting of a TSA officer in Los Angeles.

TSA Administrator John Pistole said the proposal followed a comprehensive review, after a gunman killed TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez and wounded three others at Los Angeles International Airport.

A 26-page report released Wednesday made 14 recommendations, including having a police presence at checkpoints and ticket counters during peak travel times."

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Health Law Birth Control Coverage before Justices

2014-03-23T19:38:00.003-04:00

From NewsMax -

"The Obama administration and its opponents are renewing the Supreme Court battle over President Barack Obama's health care law in a case that pits the religious rights of employers against the rights of women to the birth control of their choice.

Two years after the entire law survived the justices' review by a single vote, the court is hearing arguments Tuesday in a religion-based challenge from family-owned companies that object to covering certain contraceptives in their health plans as part of the law's preventive care requirement."

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Philosophy Professor Wants To Criminalize Scientific Dissent

2014-03-17T21:04:00.001-04:00

As reported at Reason blog -

"In 2012, in a proceeding straight out of the Inquisition, an Italian court convicted six scientists for providing "inexact, incomplete and contradictory information" in the lead-up to the earthquake. Now, a philosophy professor says that case may provide a worthwhile example for the treatment of scientific dissenters—specifically, "climate deniers who receive funding as part of a sustained campaign to undermine the public’s understanding of scientific consensus.""

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Defiant Americans: A Third of Uninsured Refuse to Buy Obamacare

2014-03-17T20:58:00.002-04:00

From NEWSMAX -

"A third of Americans currently uninsured still have no intention of buying health coverage even though they are required to do so by the Affordable Care Act, according to Bankrate's latest Health Insurance Pulse survey.

Thirty-four percent contacted by telephone said they still have no intention of buying insurance. Most, 41 percent, cited cost as their reason, while 17 percent said they oppose Obamacare and 13 percent said they are healthy and don't need insurance.

Fifty-six percent of those surveyed said they do plan to purchase health coverage."

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Kathleen Kane defends decision to stop probe of Philly Democrats

2014-03-17T20:53:00.000-04:00

Reported at The Morning Call -

"Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane on Monday said that she believed crimes were committed by five leading Philadelphia Democrats ensnared in a sting operation — but that the case was so bungled by her predecessor that it couldn't be prosecuted.

Responding to a report in the Philadelphia Inquirer on Sunday that the five were captured on tape accepting cash, gifts or money orders, Kane said Monday she was right to drop the investigation.

"I believe that we have evidence that certain legislators were taking money and that's a crime," Kane told reporters at a late morning news conference in Harrisburg."

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Who Says “Unity” is Such a Good Thing?

2014-03-14T21:42:00.001-04:00

Essay from Dr. Hurd.com -

"In fact, on all the important matters, the two parties agree. Raising the debt limit? Yes. Raising taxes? Yes. Increasing spending, along with the debt, into a fictitious infinity? Yes. Increasing regulations and government power over nearly all activities of daily life, way outside the parameters of the original U.S. Constitution? Of course.

The two parties differ only in style and the precise cost of our bankruptcy. But in all substantive respects, the most recent budget deal by Congress is the fiscal equivalent of the Gulf of Tonkin “bold” movement towards disaster.

I recently read a story about Ronald Reagan’s presidency. Whether the story is true or not isn’t the point. It illustrates where most of America is."

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