Sarah McKinley is a popular person, but, at least she is an honest one.

While the Lawrence O'Donnell show "The Last Word" spoke with Ms. McKinley and she stated, "I don't own an assault weapon and wouldn't use one," was on the Anderson Cooper 360 show in person stating "It was a 12 gauge." Anderson, of course, was building her up to be a pundit and she handed it back to him on a silver platter. I am sure she was happy to speak for herself and I am quite confident if she could relive the moment of the attack in her home over again, she would prefer not to.

This is a Remington 870 pump 12 gauge shotgun. It is considered the choice for THE SENSIBLE SURVIVALIST.

I know something about that gun. 12 gauge shotguns are nothing to play with it. They have a heck of a kick and they are the guns that have 'slugs' which are the shell with one projectile in it rather than 'shot' which are pellets.

No, I don't own a gun and I won't own a gun, but, I do know about what I speak otherwise why write about it.

This is a slug. That is about the exact size of a slug, too. So, they are easy to find in a draw or gun cabinet and these guns load really easily. So, what better than a simple gun that does significant damage at close range.

The video below shows a Remington 12 gauge pump being loaded and unloaded through pump action. No one could put any more shells in the gun, so the idea the gun that honest Sarah McKinley needed was deprived of ammunition in her actions of self defense is a lie.

How to load a shotgun.

Senator Ted Cruz is an islamophobe. Does it show? Bigot!

By what occurred today, Carl Levin may be spending too much time with Ted Cruz and his manipulation of language with dialogue of our military focus. "No it isn't containment, it is prevention." I guess Iran is getting vaccinated.

Ted Cruz is a departure from normal yet alone normal Senate format. The guy is a jerk.

...Departing from the normal format (click here) at Senate hearings, Cruz had the committee staff play a clip of Hagel’’s appearance on an Al Jazeera call-in program, during which a caller suggested that Israel had committed war crimes. During his response to the question, Hagel did not anything to refute the caller’s statement.

“Do you think the nation of Israel has committed war crimes?” Cruz asked Hagel after the clip was played.

“No I do not, senator. I’’d want to look at the full context of the interview, but to answer your question, no,” Hagel said....

It was one of the five things the sane people of Texas believed bizarre about the guy. Someone needs to provide the future Secretary of Defense a copy of the interview.

4) Ted Cruz Is An Islamophobe: (click here) At a campaign event earlier this month, Cruz touted another of the Tea Party’s favorite conspiracy theories, claiming that “Sharia law is an enormous problem” in this country. Although it is common for far right politicians to claim that American law is somehow being replaced with Islamic law, these claims have absolutely no basis in reality. Few American courts have ever even mentioned Sharia or Islamic law, and those that have generally only do so in contracts or similar cases where a party before the court agreed to be bound by Sharia law.

I just can't stand the number of women veiled on the fashion runway in New York City these days, can you? And the number of women thrown out of the university is appalling.

...“In response to questions from attendees, (click here) Cruz said he hoped to see U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder impeached and opposed the law that prohibits tax-exempt churches from endorsing candidates from the pulpit.

When asked about whether he viewed “Sharia Law” as a problem in the United States, Cruz said “Sharia law is an enormous problem.”...

Cruz needs to be impeached. The only reason he was elected is his fancy credentials to Rhenquist. The man has been nothing but bizarre. I doubt if the former Chief Justice would have endorsed him at all. Just another bizarre lawyer playing with words again.

..."In a speech on the floor of the Senate (click here) you referred to Israel's military campaign against the terrorist group Hezbollah as a, quote, 'sickening slaughter,'" said Cruz. "Do you think it's right that Israel was committing, quote, a 'sickening slaughter,' as you said on the floor of the Senate?"

As with so much else today, Hagel was caught short, and tried to explain why "slaughter" might occur if "war crimes" didn't. It was another hit he should have seen coming; the Weekly Standard, in a morning cheat sheet of Hagel quotes, reported that Hagel "accused Israel of carrying out a 'sickening slaughter' in Lebanon."...

Since when is "sickening slaughter" not a part of the American dialogue. How does anyone believe White Phosphorus was identified as a cruel instrument of war, by remaining silent? Where was Cruz in Vietnam when defoliants were deployed? Sickening slaughter is sickening slaughter and it needs to be dealt with. At least Senator Chuck Hagel is willing to speak the words and see the wrong doing.

The entire Republican questioning was misleading. They were trying to set him up as an idiot. He hardly was. He was the most decent man in the room and it was refreshing to hear someone with backbone to finally address those idiots.

But it's misleading. Hagel's full speech is available on C-SPAN, and here's the larger context of the quote.

How do we realistically believe that a continuation of the systematic destruction of an American friend, the country and people of Lebanon, is going to enhance America's image and give us the trust and credibility to lead a lasting and sustained peace effort in the Middle East?

The sickening slaughter on both sides must end, and it must end now. President Bush must call for an immediate cease-fire. This madness must stop. The Middle East today is more combustible and complex than it has ever been. Uncertain popular support for regime legitimacy continues to weaken governments in the Middle East. Economic stagnation, persistent unemployment, deepening despair, and wider unrest enhance the ability of terrorists to recruit and succeed....

These are the domestic violence statistics from the State of New Jersey.

I do believe New Jersey is doing a good job as the most densely populated state in the country. Help can only happen when women report. Same with rape.

Reporting is a good thing. Women in New Jersey report domestic violence and seek the assistance of police. I am sure there are some instances where police were met with bad news, but, when one looks at the increase in of the arrests made when the abused is protected by court order there is empowerment. When the abused meet the authority they receive counseling to seek a court order for protection. This is good work by women's shelters to seek empowerment of the abused when police are called to the scene.

Highlights of the 2010 domestic violence statistics are listed below: (click here)

• There were 74,244 domestic violence offenses reported by the police in 2010, a 1 percent increase compared to the 73,709 reported in 2009.

• Murders decreased 3 percent in 2010 (38) when compared to 2009 (39). 

• Assaults accounted for 42 percent (31,234) and harassment accounted for 44 percent (32,598) of the reported offenses in 2010.

• Arrests were made in 31 percent (22,738) of the offenses reported for 2010, an increase of 2 percent when compared to arrests made in 2009.

• The most frequent day of domestic violence occurrences was Sunday (12,721).

• For the twenty-eighth consecutive year, the most frequent hours of domestic violence incidents were between 8:00 p.m. and midnight, when 26 percent (19455) of the offenses were reported.

• Children were involved or present during 31 percent of all domestic violence offenses occurring in 2010.  Specifically, 4 percent (3,129) were involved and 27 percent (19,842) were present.

• Wives were the victims in 18 percent (13,371) and ex-wives were the victims in 3 percent (2,438) of the reported domestic violence offenses in 2010.  Overall, females were victims in 75 percent (55,919) of all domestic violence offenses.

• The number of domestic violence complaints that had prior court orders issued against the offender increased from 13,821 in 2009 to 14,245 in 2010.  This is an increase of three percent.

• Alcohol and/or drugs were involved in 26 percent (19,298) of the reported offenses occurring in 2010.  Alcohol involvement alone accounted for 23 percent (17,393) of the total domestic violence offenses reported....

Guns and alcohol don't mix. Needless to say, alcohol rehab would improve these statistics immensely, but, the state can only require such behavior changes in a court of law.


• Persons age 60 or over were victims in 4 percent (2,806) of all reported domestic violence offenses that occurred in 2010. Elderly were the victims in 21 percent (8) of the domestic violence murders (38).

• Domestic violence does not occur at a regular frequency, but when viewed as a ratio of its occurrence to a fixed time interval, one act of domestic violence would occur every 7  minutes and 5 seconds.

• Domestic violence offenses arising from a dating relationship accounted for 15 percent (11,104) of the state total.  

• There were 3,246 total arrests involving domestic violence restraining orders reported by police in 2010.  Of these, 1,906 were arrests for violations of a restraining order only, while 1,304 were arrests for violations of a restraining order with an offense arrest.

The gun laws in New Jersey help prevent domestic violence deaths.

- Long guns and hand guns require state permits to purchase.

A lifetime purchaser identification card is required for any firearm purchase. An additional permit is required for each handgun purchase.

Firearm registration is not required.

The police maintain a record of all handgun transfers.

There are no owner license required. Carry permits are required for handguns only.

New Jersey is a "may-issue" state for concealed carry. (click here) Permit applicants must "specify in detail the urgent necessity for self-protection, as evidenced by specific threats or previous attacks which demonstrate a special danger to the applicant's life that cannot be avoided by means other than by issuance of a permit to carry a handgun."

Not everyone is issued a concealed carry permit just for the asking. It prevents casual use of Concealed Carry. The brevity of Concealed Carry is considered serious in New Jersey. The NRA wants interstate recognize of Concealed Carry Permits. What? Concealed Carry is a serious issue that should not be taken lightly. Why should anyone from one state be allowed to transport weapons across state lines?

There is no regulation of open carry for long guns. Hunting, okay? I mean what else do you do with hunting shot guns? 

If I recall correctly, hunting is limited to shot guns in New Jersey. There are many communities and homes in New Jersey. It is believed rifles would send the bullet to far and penetrate walls during hunting. So, bullets are not permitted to hunt. Shotguns are allowed and hunting permits issued. 

I also remember, in order to get a hunting permit the demonstration of a class on handling the gun is required. One class, once in a lifetime. After the initial class and submission of proof for the first permit, consecutive permits are issues when the expired permits are provided as proof. It works. A permit holder has their name on it. ID.

"Shot" are pellets. They generally don't penetrate the walls of homes. Pellets will disperse over distance, so hunting occurs fairly near the game. There are shotgun shells with one large pellet in them, but, they are usually only used for deer; they will blow birds apart. Pellet shells work well in hunting. I have witnessed family hunters being successful in New Jersey and having enjoyed their accomplishment.

There is regulation regarding handguns when it comes to open carry.

Open carry is allowed only with a concealed carry permit, and is generally not practiced.

The State of New Jersey does not preempt local restrictions on long guns or hand guns, except with an occasional provision. They allow local ordinance to regulate the presence of guns in the community. Who better to understand the community than the local mayor and council? 

There are assault weapon laws on long guns and handguns.

New Jersey prohibits the possession of "assault firearms", and of magazines that can hold more than 15 rounds of ammunition. Firearms and magazines acquired before May 1, 1990 and registered with the state are grandfathered in.

NFA (National Firearms Act) weapons are restricted.

Possession of automatic firearms is prohibited without a state license, which is generally not granted.

These weapons are ridiculous and not necessary. 

The new regulations the Congress will pass has to be sure not to impinge upon state gun laws that work. There should be no pressure on the people of New Jersey to change their success in preventing death among their citizens. Please. The focus in cases where regulations work, should be to prevent migration of weapons into the state from other states. Thank you.

It is a rather incredible video. DHS is correct, run and run fast; even if you carry a gun. Heroes don't always succeed.

The video is correct to be released. There are too many dead Americans daily. Adults don't think about these issues in their lives.

The video is also correct in that the events leading up to gunmen where they don't belong is unpredictable. I would think people would begin to discuss their strategy and know where their exits are in the work place.

We have seen gunmen with body armor and tear gas enter our lives unexpectedly, there is no defending from it. The only real way to prevent these events is to work and play in secure buildings or areas. Turning the American Landscape into the OK Corral is the worst idea for this country.

We have a national emergency. There are too many guns on the street in the hands of the wrong people we cannot predict or understand and the necessity for this video proves it.

The Sequester. The law passed to reduce the National Debt hangs in the balance until March.

The Republicans hope to weezil out of the military cuts. Someone needs to monitor the military contracts now that the debt ceiling has been suspended. There are shenanigans, has to be. Suspending the debt ceiling will encourage overruns, especially the the F35.
This is what the Republican Party is doing for the country. The borrowing of the USA will be suspended May 15, 2013 according to this bill. There can be a lot of damage done to the country with military overruns until then. That is three and a half months. Someone needs to sit on the military budget before the Republicans blow up the domestic budget.
On the other side the Democrats should take this opportunity to structure the domestic cuts which will take effect on May 15. But, I find it more than interesting the last few bills that have passed the Congress were not met with cuts to fund them. Hee-haw.
By Lisa Mascaro

January 31, 2013, 1:06 p.m.

...The final bill was approved 64-34. (click here)

Obama is expected to swiftly sign the legislation as lawmakers gear up for the next budget showdown: deep automatic spending cuts that will begin to hit the economy on March 1 if nothing is done to stop them.

The $1.2 trillion in cuts had once been considered so severe they would force Congress to the negotiating table to devise an alternative deficit-reduction strategy.

But with a month to go before the cuts begin, Congress appears unable to reach a compromise over tax and spending alternatives....

Republicans make a very fatal assumption.

The assume the people of this country would approve of war when they state "Everything is on the table." The Republicans have no authority to even state that. Everything on the table is a political dialogue for the GOP, but, there is a lot that has to happen before the USA will ever enter into a war with boots on the ground again. We have been through a hideous war in Iraq and won't repeat it. To return to the Middle East with troops would be a commitment to a forever war and the country won't do it.

As a matter of fact, the Democrats need to make "Everything on the Table" an election issue for 2014.

With the Middle East experiencing so much disarray there is no way the USA is  going to declare war on Iran and CONTAINMENT by bombing of nuclear and/or military facilities of any country is as far as our military involvement goes. We are not going to war with Iran with troops, it won't happen and if Iran ever thinks they will invade Israel, they need to think again. They'll be stopped before they reach their own border.

If Republicans believe entering the word prevention into the dialogue with the country will automatically TRIGGER another war in the Middle East they are completely "W"rong.

McCain's best opportunity to forever war in the Middle East is only 90 days without the intimidation of Congress to approve a War Powers Act. McCain wants another Rumsfeld that will do anything to push the Congress in THEIR BELIEF war is necessary to protect the national defense of the USA. So, to McCain, he doesn't want Hagel because he might actually have something to say to Congress that would never justify a forever war. And quite frankly, that is the absolute truth. While Hagel would never blink to defend the country he also won't be manipulative to put unreasonable pressure on the nation to go to war.

Prevention is bullshit, it has no place in the national dialogue. Forbid McCain should be disappointed because the country has committed to containment, but, not war. Too bad.

Cut the military budget and get on with the sequester. The Republicans have until March to ADJUST where the cuts are happening. They should get on with it, March is around the corner, especially considering the House is never in session. The House has turned the work week into a four day weekend. They need to pass a bill for the entire country reflecting their pathetic calender so we can all have the same time off to spend the fabulous salaries we all make.

This is such a joke, Lindsay Graham assaulted Hagel today after he backed a woman who testified to fantasy at the Senate hearing on guns yesterday.

There is a lot to be out of the mainstream about. Containment is a valid defense of the USA.

By TIM MAK | 1/31/13 1:26 PM EST

Chuck Hagel stumbled (click here) Thursday during questioning on Iran, inadvertently saying the Obama administration supports “containment” and calling the country an “elected legitimate government.”

"I support the president's strong position on containment, as I have said," the former Republican senator from Nebraska told the Senate Armed Services Committee considering his nomination for Defense secretary....

He didn't stumble. He knows the policies. The answers to the questions by the Senate Committee are not yes and no answers. Because they aren't yes or no answers that is stumbling? That is nonsense.

The Obama administration supports preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, rather than containing it.

Playing with semantics. Containment IS preventing. I don't care if it was Hillary, okay? People are playing with words.

“As you know, our policy is prevention, not containment,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Fox News on Tuesday. “We have, through the hard work we’ve undertaken with the international community, imposed the toughest set of sanctions — international and bilateral — on any country.

The question is WHAT IS PREVENTING? War? Bombs? What does preventing mean? Oh, it might mean containment, gee whiz.”

"I misspoke and said I supported the president's position on containment. If I said that, I meant to say we don't have a position on containment," Hagel said.

Lawyers. He said President Obama instead of WE (meaning the USA). Lawyers, the pickers of nits. We do or we don't is not the issue, the issue is will he go to war if containment fails. Sanctions are containment, I hate to tell the Senate Committee that.

"We do have a position on containment, and that is we do not favor containment," Levin said. "I just wanted to clarify the clarify."

Prevention is a bullshit word. Either there is containment of the building of the nuclear capacity through diplomatic engagement or there is bombing. I don't care if Levin has trouble with CONTAINMENT. The current strategy of the USA is containment. Prevention is not a strategy. "Everything is on the table." Containment is not prevention? The USA has containment and if that is unsuccessful then there is a military solution. There is prevention! It is black and white and the use of the word prevention is a nice sounding word for bombing and/or boots on the ground.

Using the word prevention is a methodology to lie to the American people.

It is very interesting what comes out in these hearings, isn't it? The word prevention is being used to temper the dialogue with Neocons, like McCain with the public. Oh, McCain is such a nice old guy, isn't he, he wants to prevent the nuclear capacity of Iran. Forbid the public should know he is not preventing squat, he is 'Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.'

Prevention is a political word to work around the question, "Will and when will the USA bomb Iran's nuclear facility?" It is nonsense and if I were Chuck Hagel and I was picked on about the word prevention I would be as confused as he was. 

There is no such thing as prevention unless you get a flu shot!

"Doc Popcorn" is a start up franchise with some success. The franchise is three years old. OBAMA.

Yes, Seriously! (click here) The Doc Popcorn Franchise Concept is fun, will 

make you smile and is one of the fastest growing snack franchises on the 
planet. But don’t take our word for it—listen to what our POPrietors have to 
say about the serious fun of owning a Doc Popcorn Franchise.

I am always somewhat skeptical about franchises. Publicity campaigns to 
bring awareness is fine for new franchises, but, there needs to be plenty of 
market research and market share for new franchise holders. 


The franchise provides ads and all that stuff that builds reputation, but, the 
franchise owners are the ones that are the backbone of the company. The new franchise owners pay a significant up front investment and then a share of the profits to their franchise to promote the company. 

Popcorn is popular and this franchise concentrates on quality of ingredients as natural with many varieties. So, it may be popular for new franchise owners. But, every new owner needs to know the potential for market share before launching into the investment. I would think the franchise would provide help with that if not at least insight.

Why not cut the budget when it makes sense.

The President's Jobs Panel were all Wall Street. They don't have answers. The States are setting up their own jobs panel. Maine, New York have focused on their specific needs.

The Jobs Council ideas were lacking. Their ? new ? ideas were no brainers. I don't blame President Obama for disbanding them.

Obama jobs panel pushes tax reform, domestic drilling (click here)

By Matt Spetalnick

WASHINGTON | Tue Jan 17, 2012 4:02pm EST

...The panel, a who's who of corporate titans, has generated dozens of mostly modest proposals since it was created last February. Obama has acted on many of them through use of executive powers.

But some of their bolder ideas have lagged and the overall benefit to the still-sluggish job market remains uncertain. Despite that, Obama said "those small, incremental steps, they add up."...
Maine

January 23 

The Associated Press

AUGUSTA — Maine business leaders (click here) will join legislative leaders in announcing the members of a special committee that will look for ways to create jobs and improve the state's economy.

Maine State Chamber of Commerce President Dana Connors will join Senate President Justin Alfond of Portland and House Speaker Mark Eves of North Berwick for Wednesday's announcement at the State House. The Democratic leaders in December announced the formation of the 15-member Joint Select Committee on Maine's Workforce and Economic Future.

Its mission is to report out legislation to strengthen Maine's work force and help Maine's small businesses thrive.

The committee chairs are Senate Majority Leader Seth Goodall of Richmond and House Majority Leader Seth Berry of Bowdoinham, both Democrats.

New York sought to find where there was potential for more jobs, economy and investment. Every state is unique. While the federal government helped for awhile, the particulars of LOCAL ECONOMIES are the expertise of the state. 

Nov. 13, 2012

N.Y. yogurt industry creates jobs, panel concludes (click here)

By Krishna Ramanujan

A boom to the New York dairy industry -- partly due to yogurt production that has more than doubled since 2005 -- means more jobs in the state and a growing sector in an otherwise sluggish economy. And Cornell plays a major role in new product innovation and dairy workforce training.

Such were the conclusions of a panel of Cornell experts and state and industry leaders who spoke at an open forum, "The yogurt revolution: How can New York support and expand this economic boom?" Nov. 8 on campus.

The event also included a tour of the $105 million renovation to Stocking Hall, which will include a pilot plant where industries can develop new products, and a 12,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art dairy processing plant, where students and industry professionals can get hands-on training and dairy products will be processed for use on campus. The facilities are slated to open in spring 2013....

The new educational facility is an investment made to increase the opportunities to local economies. I wish New Jersey did the same thing with the old American Cyanamid research facility in West Windsor. It is a ready made facility for research of all kinds with ready to use agricultural facilities. New Jersey should have expanded their state university to that facility. The place was not that expensive to purchase and the teaching faculty already exists within the NJ university system.

But, every state should be carrying out their own jobs council and now with more stable budgets there is no reason not to convene one. The state needs to be able to make the investment at the findings of the panel, but, those investments will be returned in time. 

Expanded job base means expanded tax base. Win-win investment.

The so called success of the Iraq Surge under Bush was due to higher fatalities.

The Iraq War ‘Surge’ Myth Returns (click here)

January 17, 2013

Exclusive: To win Senate approval as Defense Secretary, former Sen. Chuck Hagel likely will be forced to bow before Official Washington’s cherished myth of the Iraq War’s “successful surge.” To tell the more nuanced truth would open Hagel to another round of neocon attacks, writes Robert Parry....

So much for Assad. The USA carried out high amounts of civilian casualties in Iraq. There are estimates outside what can actually be counted extending to 600,000.

110,991 – 121,282 (click here)

Further analysis of the WikiLeaks' Iraq War Logs may add 12,000 civilian deaths. The Iraq Surge was a knee jerk reaction by Bush and Condi Rice. The Iraq Study Group had returned a verdict on the lack of strategy by Bush. He could have been impeached for using the USA military without a strategy for the defense of the USA. The USA military is not suppose to be an arm to the Plutocrats. The body counts on both sides of the equation was building without a clear strategy to victory. So, Bush put more boots on the ground and proceeded to kill at will.  In the tables on this epage of "Iraq Body Count" (click here) it is easy to note the increase in civilian deaths in January 2007. The daily deaths escalated from 16 in 2006 to 22 in 2007. The Iraq Study Group concluded their study December 6, 2006 and "The New Way Forward" / The Iraq Surge was deployed January 2007. So, it is completely obvious The Surge was successful because larger number of people died. SOME citizens of real conscience, rather than political directive, might not call The Surge a success so much as a slaughter. Senator Hagel is correct. He is facing men he had as colleagues and has faced before with the same outcomes. He differed in opinion from votes then and he differs in opinion from their enthusiasm for killing today. He will be a remarkable Secretary of Defense. He actually balances the cost of human loss of war with political benefits and the actual success of the cost of the defense of the country. I am quite confident the Former Senator Obama and Former Senator Hagel had agreements no media serve ever bothered to register. He is the President's choice for a very real reason. Senator Hagle stated in order to look at The Surge and the opposition to it one has to look at the entire war and it's reasons for engagement. He is correct. Senator McCain prefers to cherry pick his focus and justify the votes for the war. McCain is political in his Sentorship, Hagel is not.

Any discerning voter will realize the widespread political manipulation by Republicans of our democracy.

John Kerry, 27-year-old former navy lieutenant who heads the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), receives support from a gallery of peace demonstrators and tourists as he testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington, D.C., April 22, 1971.  (AP Photo/Henry Griffin)

Republicans do what is best for their party and not our nation. The manipulation of the Secretary of State appointment was for a chance Brown would be returned to the Senate for Massachusetts and in place of a distinguished Senator with longevity. Brown after all is the Wall Street darling defeated by a brilliant economist in Elizabeth Warren. Republicans love retribution to give the glow of being undaunting and victorious. 

This is not to say the new Secretary of State isn't a welcome member of the Obama Executive Branch. He and his gracious wife will be welcome partners to our international relationships. But, the tirade the Republicans carry out can't be ignored with the nomination of a man perfectly qualified and probably better qualified than anyone on the committee to the Executive Branch.

I find it absolutely astounding to realize Republicans threw over the petroleum industry interests for those of the banks.

By MICHAEL R. GORDON

Published: January 29, 2013

...The nomination (click here) was approved by a vote of 94 to 3. Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, Republicans of Texas, and Senator James M. Inhofe, Republican of Oklahoma, opposed the nomination. Mr. Kerry voted “present.”...

For real? The Republicans cast aside a potential Secretary of State that could have signed off on the pipeline? Wow. The petroleum industry is nothing compared to revenge. Okay then.

Susan Rice has six figure investment in controversial Canadian oil pipeline
8:10 AM 11/29/2012
...According to her May 2012 (click here) financial disclosure, Rice has an investment in TransCanada Corporation worth between $300,000 and $600,000. TransCanada is angling for the State Department’s permission to build the final portion of the Keystone XL pipeline — a 1,700-mile conduit for crude oil between Canadian deposits and Texas refineries....

He just needs to be himself.

The inarticulate guy who fought for his country, made it to the Senate and now  is becoming the Secretary of Defense.

As a Senator he was different from his colleagues because he actually did research for the votes he cast.

Gee, you think a 'regular guy' might know more than all the wealthy lawyers and power brokers?

I wish him the best today.

The sovereign nation of Lebanon never authorized arm shipments to Hezbollah.

What is difficult to understand here?

Assad, in his shipment of arms to Hezbollah in Lebanon was an attack on the nation of Lebanon. We have seen this before with Assad. He is attempting to carry out attacks within Lebanon to destabilize that nation.

Russia, in backing Assad in shipments into the sovereign nation of Lebanon to extremist networks, namely Hezbollah, is backing the killing of innocent people in the region.

Hello?

What makes the United Nation and/or the United States believe their humanitarian aid will ever reach the people of Syria if the war is escalated into Lebanon. There is no condemning Israel. All the criticism is misplaced and a strategy of violence by Russia and Assad.

Kuwait's emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, presides the donors' conference on Syria

Last updated: January 30, 2013 2:52 pm

Donor countries (click here) led by oil-rich Gulf states have hit a target of $1.5bn in aid to help millions of Syrians suffering civil war, but the pledges are seen as only a first step towards relieving the deepening crisis.

Aid agencies welcomed the commitments at an international conference in Kuwait on Wednesday but warned that much more money and better targeting of assistance would be needed over the expected “long haul” of a conflict that is already almost two years old.

In the latest sign of how far the war remains from either a military or political resolution, the leader of the main umbrella opposition group called for the first time for talks with President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, only to be rebuffed by his colleagues....

Does Russia actually believe Assad wants this humanitarian aid to reach the people he hates with his entire soul? 

One of the pillars of the Quran is CHARITY. While Assad has no charity of his own people, he does need to get out of the way of the Gulf nations to carry out theirs.

Russia is out of line in it's criticism of Israel.

While Russia sees a hands off policy in allowing the carnage in Syria, the fact Israel stopped weapons leaving the country was for its own defense. Sometimes I think Russia has no appreciation for the neighborhood they so sorely neglect in stabilizing the region.

While Russia seems to have the stomach for massacres the rest of the world does not. Those destroyed weapons would have escalated the tension in the region and would have ultimately resulted in 'The Evil Israel' bombing Gaza or some other area. Those weapons would have been deployed eventually and strikes to stop them would have resulted anyway, only it would have taken more lives.

I sincerely believe Russia is interested in escalation of tensions and not reduction of violence. There is nothing to state otherwise, so the Russian criticism of Israel is hideous for the attempts of Russian oligarchs to move munitions into Syria and increase the killing. Russia states all parties need to be at a table for talks while they authorize escalation of weapons into Syria. That is hardly a policy of stabilizing the country, unless, the only people alive after the shelling is the Assad family.

Russian diplomacy to achieve a common ground in Syria has failed. When is Russia going to realize its folly and the fact THEY were responsible for the problem Israel faced and was forced to make a decision. The problem here is Russia.

VOA News

January 31, 2013

...The Russian Foreign Ministry (click here) says such action, if confirmed, amounts to "unprovoked attacks" against a sovereign nation, in violation of the United Nations charter.

Differing accounts of the Wednesday airstrike have emerged, with Syrian authorities saying Israeli jets fired on a military research facility near Damascus, killing two people.

Israeli and Western news media reported an Israeli airstrike at a different location, close to the Syrian-Lebanese border.  They say the target was a convoy delivering missile parts to Hezbollah, the strongly anti-Israel Shi'ite militia based in Lebanon.

Hezbollah condemned the attack in a statement Thursday and expresses its "full solidarity" with Syria....


It is NOT an unprovoked attack! If Russia doesn't understand that, they

are not and have not paid attention to the long standing assessment of the

region, then Israel's actions are completely defensible at any UN Security 

Council. Unlike Syria, Israel operates its military to PREVENT deaths of 

citizens and not cause them.

Video of tornado in Adairsville, Georgia - 30th January 2013 LIVE (click title to entry - thank you)

At least two people were killed when a powerful line of storms in the Southeast spawned tornadoes, demolishing homes and businesses, downing trees and flipping more than 100 cars and several tractor-trailers on a major interstate in northern Georgia....

Jindal doesn't have a right to cut Medicaid when it is primarily paid for by the rest of us.

As long as medicaid for Hospice is going back online in Louisiana, the only state that practices that level of immorality is Oklahoma.

To the left is a chart of the monies Louisiana has for Medicaid spending. Louisiana's Medicaid funding is primarily supplied by the rest of the nation. 

Originally published January 23, 2013 at 12:06 PM
Page modified January 23, 2013 at 4:52 PM

Gov. Bobby Jindal's (click here) administration scrapped plans Wednesday to shutter Louisiana's Medicaid hospice program in February, meaning the state will continue to provide end-of-life care to people on their death beds who can't afford private insurance....

The Republicans cut $651 million in Medicaid money from Louisiana as an austerity measure. At least that much survived the cuts and was provided to the state.
Louisiana loses Medicaid funding in quick-fire email negotiations 
By Bruce Alpert, NOLA.com | Times-Picayune 
on July 08, 2012 at 6:39 AM, updated July 11, 2012 at 11:11 PM
Washington -- The transportation bill (click here) that became law Friday cuts Louisiana's Medicaid budget by $651 million. It could have been worse. Much worse. Just days before House and Senate negotiators reached an agreement on the bill; House Republicans were asking that twice as much be cut from Louisiana's Medicaid budget to offset funding in the mammoth bill.... 

Are we getting tired of burying our young people yet?

One of the reasons Chicago is having such a high gun violence rate is because the surrounding states do not have gun laws tight enough to back Chicago. So, those that want guns to carry out crime simply laugh at the idea of regulation at this point. This is the same complaint Mayor Bloomberg has, but, New York has strong regulation laws and they have cooperation from the immediate neighborhood in the Northeast. Mayor Bloomberg still states his continued gun problem is due to out of state guns coming into NYC.

Michigan has strong gun content in the state. There is a road called "Michigan Avenue" that runs from Chicago to Dearborn, Michigan and then into Detroit. There are also trains between the two cities. So, gun access that cannot be found in Chicago can be found in Michigan.

Wisconsin is no different. Wisconsin requires to registration if firearms, licensing of owners, permit to carry or permit to purchase. Basically, the borders are open to those so inclined to to purchase guns. 

Illinois tries:

Illinois residents are required to have a Firearm Owners Identification Card, issued by Illinois State Police following a background check. FOID cards are not available to people convicted of a felony, domestic violence, assault or battery, people who are the subjects of orders of protection, people who have been a patient of a mental institution within the past five years, people who have been determined by courts to be mentally defective, and illegal immigrants.

Illinois requires a card to carry to prove a citizen has passed all the checks and can have guns. The problem is the card is good for ten years. So, unless there are checks on the cards regularly, which I am confident doesn't happen, by the time the card has to be renewed in ten years a lot can happen that would actually disqualify the holder.

Indiana tries:

IC 35-47-2-1 (click here)
Carrying a handgun without being licensed; exceptions; person convicted of domestic battery
     Sec. 1. (a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) and section 2 of this chapter, a person shall not carry a handgun in any vehicle or on or about the person's body without being licensed under this chapter to carry a handgun....

It is time for the Illinois Governor to consider deploying the National Guard to Chicago to secure the city from the vast numbers of guns and yes, that means taking those from the hands of criminals, gangs and anarchists. What will probably occur is a large number exiting the city. That would be a good thing so the most dangerous neighborhoods can be cleaned of their weapons. It is a dangerous operation for the National Guard, but, I am confident they are up to it considering they have had intimate experience in urban warfare in recent history.

Read more here: http://www.bnd.com/2013/01/19/2464556/what-do-the-current-gun-laws-in.html#storylink=cpy