Weekly Standard via Drudge Report

UPDATE:


Via Facebook.

The New York Times, naturally, had to get in on the latest scam theory with this April 22, 2013 piece written by Marcelo M. Suárez-Orozco and Carola Suárez-Orozco, the dean and a professor, respectively, at the U.C.L.A. Graduate School of Education and Information Studies who are, with Irina Todorova, the authors of  "Learning a New Land: Immigrant Students in American Society,"

The two brothers accused in the Boston bombings — Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, who was killed on Friday, and his brother, Dzhokhar, 19, who was captured later that day — were around 15 and 8, respectively, when they immigrated. Both attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin, that city’s only public high school. They were not part of our study, but they fit the demographic profile of the subjects of our research: birth to families displaced by war or strife, multiple-stage (including back-and-forth) migration, language difficulties and entry into harsh urban environments where gangs and crime are temptations.

(...)

Many newcomer students attend tough urban schools that lack solidarity and cohesion. In too many we found no sense of shared purpose, but rather a student body divided by race and ethnicity, between immigrants and the native born, between newcomers and more acculturated immigrants. Only 6 percent of the participants could name a teacher as someone they would go to with a problem; just 3 percent could identify a teacher who was proud of them.

It worked for a short time and some of the information is probably useful, but all in all, it's useless in explaining the brothers Tsarnaev who are - or, were - Muslim jihadi terrorists and the theory was dismissed by the majority of thinking people. Ultimately, NYT readers debunked the 'pity the poor little immigrant story' with their own stories of immigration, assimilation, and acculturation to the American milieu. This NYT comment to the Orozco story is most excellent and evokes strong connective feelings in me -

Kalidan - NY
One reason for the Muslim youth (whether native born or immigrants) that become radicalized while living in the relative comforts of the west has to do with identity.

Becoming who they become - hate filled nihilists vowing revenge and wishing destruction over imaginary grievances -seems much to do with finding community with others who think like them, and a psychosocial environment that gives them refuge from the cold loneliness and the grief of having put up with a large number of petty slights in the environment. Maybe so, but I don't want you to fix that.

As an immigrant, I find the cold, disinterested, disconnected America intensely attractive and meaningful. One can think, read, do, write what one wants; the freedom I cherish is afforded me because no one cares. I really like it this way.

I love that I am left alone. It is likely that the radicalized youth call it rejection, and hate it. They rush into the arms of hate peddlers.

It is not the responsibility of America (or Americans) to assimilate me. It is your sacred responsibility to follow the constitution that guarantees freedom for you, and from you. I will pay my taxes (rent money), and stay on the straight and narrow, I promise. You promise to remain what made you great: dispassionate, disinterested, and cherishing the freedom to be left alone above all else.

I did not lose my way to socially engineered Cuba, I came looking for the promise of the US. Please don't change it.

At 2:55PM, the first bomb exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. We saw the white smoke and heard the boom. About 15 seconds later, the second bomb exploded a block down the street echoing the first. As of this writing, 144 people are reported wounded, 3 people are dead. One of the killed is an 8 year old boy.

This is the view of the two coordinated bombs that most people have seen -

The media was quick to edit what was shown and seen. The pictures everyone saw were rather plain showing property damage and blood spattered victims who escaped with cuts. The severest injured were kept from the public's eyes

The first bomb was placed in front of the Lens Crafters store. One interior glass pane remained intact indicating the bomb was constructed to blast the ballbearing shrapnel outward into the crowd. The black spot is the position of the bomb. It was later covered with a sheet of plywood to preserve evidence.


This is the area in front of the Lens Crafters store and the photo is about as close as we were shown.


The aftermath of that same area is grizzly enough, but still keeps the true image of evil from us.


WARNING: THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS ARE VERY GRAPHIC
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The bomb was placed on the sidewalk and the shrapnel was blasted into the legs and lower bodies of the people in front of it. Limbs were ripped off and flung into the street where runners said they saw legs flying past them. The woman in blue had her leg torn from her body. A twisted leg and foot is under her, but may not be her leg.


This man lost both legs in the bomb blast and is lying in his own blood.


The women in the red jacket appears physically intact while those around her are horribly ripped apart. Near her hand is a boot and a bare foot. The shin bone is all that's left of the man's lower leg.


Having lost both legs, the man shown above receives aid to get him to an ambulance.

Authorities are questioning several "persons of interest," one of whom is a Saudi Arabian national arrested in a nearby park nearly an hour after the attack after people said he was acting strangely. Boston police say he is being cooperative, but denies any connection to the bombing. As of yet, no terror organization has claimed credit, neither has any individual.

I like bagpipes. No, make that LOVE bagpipes. Not so much though to buy 77 pipes and accouterments in a time of sequester and recession. The Department of Homeland Security thinks differently with Solicitation Number: PR20074261.

The DHS Customs and Border Protection requires the following items, Brand Name or Equal, to the following: LI 001: Carbon Bagpipe Drone Reed Set, 5, EA;
LI 002: Bagpipe Chanter Reeds-Easy, 12, EA;
LI 003: Bagpipe Chanter Reeds-Medium, 12, EA;
LI 004: Deluxe Bagpipe Bag Covers w/ Non-slip Grap Patch and Zipper, 5, EA;
LI 005: Drone Cords, 5, EA;
LI 006: Highland Bagpipe Tuner and Metronome with cases, 2, EA;
LI 007: Combination Tuner and Metronome, 6, EA;
LI 008: Black Polypenco Bagpipes w/ cases, 10, EA;
LI 009: Polypenco Bagpipe Chanter, 10, EA;
LI 010: Bellows Blown Blackwood Smallpipes in "A" w/ cases, 4, EA;
LI 011: Black waxed bagpipe hemp, 4, EA;
LI 012: Real Beeswax, 4, EA;
LI 013: Long Polypenco Practice Chanters, 10, EA;
LI 014: Bagpipe Tutor Book - VOL 1 C.O.P., 10, EA;
LI 015: Practice Chanter Reed, 10, EA;
LI 016: Rol of Pipe Bag Tie-In cord, 2, EA;
LI 017: Tapered Reamer, 1, EA;
LI 018: PiobMaster 2.3 CD ROM-Bagpipe music writing software, 1, EA;
LI 019: Pipe Band Base Drum Carrier, 2, EA;
LI 020: Folding Bass Drum Stand, 1, EA;
LI 021: Inverness Rain Cape, 14, EA;
LI 022: Glengarry Plain, 15, EA;
LI 023: Snare Drum Stand, 4, EA;
LI 024: Pipe Band Snare Drums-Black, 4, EA;
LI 025: Snare Carrier-Silver, 4, EA;
LI 026: 16" x 12" Pipe Band Tenor Drum, 4, EA;
LI 027: 18" Bodhran Pack w/ Beater, 4, EA;
LI 028: Deluxe triple function drum sling, 2, EA;
LI 029: Heavy Duty Tenor Drum leg rest, 2, EA;
LI 030: Drum-Mount Snare Drum stick bag, 4, EA;
LI 031: Heavy Duty Drum Key, 2, EA;
LI 032: Short Black Classic Tenor Mallets, 3, EA;
LI 033: Black Bass Beaters, 2, EA;
LI 034: TyFry Tenor Tutor Tenor Instruction DVD/CDROM, 1, EA;
LI 035: Snare Stick Set, 10, EA;
LI 036: Square Tenor/Snare Drum Case, 5, EA;
LI 037: Spats Canvas-White, 20, EA;
LI 038: Hose-Blue, 14, EA;
LI 039: Flashes-Red, 14, EA;
LI 040: Leather Day Sporrans-Black, 14, EA;
LI 041: Horsehair Sporrans, 14, EA;
LI 042: Sgian Dubhs, 14, EA;
LI 043: Shipping/Handling/Delivery, 1, EA;

Why do the DHS Pipers get sgian dubhs, but we can't take them on airplanes?

On this Holocaust Remembrance Day, it should be remembered there was a long time in between Moses and Hitler that Jews were not prepared. Never again.

Telling the assembled crowd at the fundraiser in San Francisco that California's Attorney General Kamala Harris was "by far the best-looking attorney general in the country," Obama went on to lie misspeak about the gun used at Sandy Hook Elementary School. He knew full well the long gun that was used is a semi-automatic, but went on to stress that it was a full-auto machine gun because he's losing the debate and semi-automatic weapons aren't as scary as full-autos and had to sex up the scare factor. NYC Mayor Bloomberg got in on the act during another interview unrelated to Obama's SF stunt. Bloomy went so far as to make the “bzzzjaaazzzztshazeet” machine gun sound that kids make when playing Army or Cops 'N' Robbers. He didn't do it right, so he obviously never played those games.

Via Jake Tapper and Hot Air:

Obama said,

“Now, over the next couple of months, we’ve got a couple of issues: gun control. (Applause.) I just came from Denver, where the issue of gun violence is something that has haunted families for way too long, and it is possible for us to create common-sense gun safety measures that respect the traditions of gun ownership in this country and hunters and sportsmen, but also make sure that we don’t have another 20 children in a classroom gunned down by a semiautomatic weapon — by a fully automatic weapon in that case, sadly.”

Michelle Obama described herself as a "busy single mother" during an interview with CBS affiliate WCAX. She quickly corrected herself by saying she's a "working mom" without explaining exactly what her job is.



However, Michelle may have had a good reason to think of herself as a single mom. While speaking at a fundraiser in Atherton, California, Barack Obama was hitting on California Attorneys General Kamala Harris,

“You have to be careful to, first of all, say she is brilliant and she is dedicated and she is tough, and she is exactly what you’d want in anybody who is administering the law, and making sure that everybody is getting a fair shake. She also happens to be by far the best-looking attorney general in the country — Kamala Harris is here."

Was Obama being sexist, wolfish, and boorish? Or is he just a cad? Whatever, he needs to pay more attention to his hormonal problem that pops up from time to time. Obama got himself in deep doo-doo back in 2008 when he addressed a reporter as "sweetie" which was demeaning and condescending, but he also said in a debate that Hillary Clinton was "likeable enough". Many people of all sexes and all political stripes heard that as arrogant and smug.

Maybe the rumors about separate vacations are more true than not. Maybe it's not all kumbaya in the White House residence.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette is a leading sponsor of federal bans on high-capacity ammunition magazines in the 112th and 113th Congresses. During a gun control debate Tuesday sponsored by the Denver Post, DeGette was asked how banning high capacity magazines - those holding 15 or more rounds - would reduce gun violence, the Honorable Congresswoman from Denver explained,

“I will tell you these are ammunition, they’re bullets, so the people who have those now they’re going to shoot them, so if you ban them in the future, the number of these high capacity magazines is going to decrease dramatically over time because the bullets will have been shot and there won’t be any more available.”

The audience was all atwitter with giggles. State Sen. Kevin Lundberg (R-CO) even sent a Tweet to DeGette, “Just so you know, magazines are reloadable.” National Rifle Association spokesman Andrew Arulanandam told the Post, "Two words - pretty stupid," and that the member needed help.

The Colorado GOP spokesman Owen Loftus responded on Wednesday,

“It’s extremely alarming that Rep. DeGette is running federal legislation to ban magazine clips, when she doesn’t even know what a magazine clip is. Rep. DeGette’s comments show that Democrats are more concerned with appeasing their radical base, than standing up for responsible, law abiding citizens.”

At the end there, I thought she going to complain about those blow-in advertising cards that always fall out of magazines when you pick them up. Of course, the recording was cut off, so she might have - I don't know. This just points up the problem with voting while Democrat.

Putting an organic label on ordinary foods tricks people into believing they are healthier and have better taste, say New York scientists.

I don't know about that. I was shopping yesterday and the guy in front of me bought organic labelled food. He was gaunt, pale, and wearing shorts over longjohns.

These are their leaders.

Sec of State Hillary Clinton testified about four dead Americans in Benghazi saying, "...what difference, at this point, does it make?"


You Tube

And that reminded me of this:


You Tube

Simba obviously learned from the past by avoiding the repeated action. Hillary has also obviously learned from the passed by again blaming others for her screw-up.

Jack Daniel's meets The Signpainter from Travis Robertson on Vimeo.

The signboard poster reads: "THERE'S THE EASY WAY, THERE'S THE FAST WAY AND THEN THERE'S THE BEST WAY."

The look was cute on Darth Vader, too.

 

Here's an article about Obama's "laserlike focus on jobs" that's failed to materialize and some other stuff I don't recall. This is the memorable sentence for me:

"[H]ave we become as a people so inured to Obama's failure that we no longer take note of it?"

I answered, "Yes," and stopped reading after that.




Obama's Cynical 'Laserlike Focus' On Jobs Turns To Lack Of Interest - Investors.com

ObamaCare will cause the Windmer Medical Center to stop delivering babies after March 31, 2013 because hospital authorities can no longer afford the service according to projected reimbursements under the new health care regime. The hospital had been delivering about 200 neonates per year since 2005 when the obstetrics program was restarted. WMC is 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh and the nearest obstetrics facility is ten miles away.

Citing remarks made by Chairman of the Board, the Honorable David C. Klementik, the statement said, "...It was a difficult decision, but coupled with the recent and potential future changes in WMC OB providers, industry trends and market analysis, the board concluded that the timeliness and cost of recruiting a new team of obstetricians may not be feasible and therefore, may not serve in the hospital's or community's best interest."

"During the transition period, WMC will work closely with its expectant mothers and is currently in preliminary discussions with local providers to accommodate future births," the statement read. "Extensive and personalized communications will be shared with all current patients, and a WMC liaison will be available to answer any questions or concerns."
(...)

Officials aren't sure how many jobs will be lost, and said, "We understand this change will be difficult for some of our dedicated employees and are working closely with the Human Resources Department to provide assistance as able throughout the transition and beyond to place them in other areas where there are opportunities due to openings and / or growth within the facility."

Only one solution - government must identify school children with appropriate aptitude, train them to be physicians, and place them where they are needed. This should also be extended to all other professions and trades so that every field is populated without shortage or excess from gymnast to neurosurgeon to plumber everyone is employed and following a government approved bliss for the betterment and benefit of The Homeland... and, of course, for the children.

This is so bogus. The first reason why not is a big clue:

"The construction of the Death Star has been estimated to cost more than $850,000,000,000,000,000. We're working hard to reduce the deficit, not expand it."

Real stories of real people defending against bad guys happen everyday across our nation. The following events took place in October 2012. All the names are real because we're proud of the good guys; the bad guys are in prison or dead, so who cares.

Zachary Rogers, 26, was working late one night at the 21st Amendment liquor store. It was just past midnight when an armed man wearing a ski mask entered the store and forced Rogers and another store employee, Alicia Grabarczyk, 25, down a hallway toward an office where the safe was kept. With a concealed handgun in his front pocket, Rogers chose his moment of opportunity carefully. In one quick motion, Rogers pushed Grabarczyk to the floor and fired at the armed robber. He then helped Grabarczyk into the office and out of the line of fire. Although the burglar had been struck, Rogers saw him raise his firearm. Rogers fired three more rounds at the gunman which proved fatal. Neither Rogers nor Grabarczyk were harmed. (Indianapolis Star, Indianapolis, IN, 10/11/12)

While at home with his wife and daughter, a homeowner prepared to go outside to investigate a sudden power outage. His wife asked him to carry his firearm with him as a precaution. As he opened the front door to step outside, three men charged him in an attempt to gain entry. The homeowner pushed his wife aside as he fell backward and fired at the intruders. His daughter, a student in her early 20s, hid in another room and called police. One of the three home invaders suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was listed in serious condition. The remaining two suspects managed to escape. The homeowner and his family were not seriously injured. (Sun Sentinel, Miramar, FL, 10/2/12)

Kendra St. Clair, a 12-year-old at home alone one day during her fall break, called her mother at work to say there was a man repeatedly ringing the doorbell and banging on the door. When no one answered the door, she said he disappeared. St. Clair’s mother instructed her daughter to get her .40-cal. Glock pistol and go into a bathroom closet. St. Clair heard him break in through the back door. As the man made his way through her home, 911 dispatchers kept St. Clair on the phone. He was inside the home for approximately six minutes before he made his way to the bathroom where St. Clair was hiding. When she saw the door knob begin to turn, she fired the gun. The 32-year-old intruder was taken into custody after being treated for a gunshot to the chest. (The Oklahoman, Durant, OK, 10/20/12)

George Polanin, 66, went to bed early one evening only to be awakened by noises coming from inside his home. He was upstairs and followed the sound of footsteps to the basement. When he reached the stairs, Polanin said he could see only the intruder’s feet. “ … I got my weapon and basically told him I had a weapon, it was loaded and I will use it,” Polanin said. He then ordered the intruder to come out as he dialed 911. Polanin held the intruder at gunpoint until police arrived. (Kenosha News, Kenosha, WI, 10/17/12)

Cindy Schachter, an employee at Furnari Jewelers, was working when two men entered the store around 4 p.m. Schachter’s boss, Anthony Furnari, was sitting at his desk facing the showroom. Something about the men made Schachter uneasy, so she gave her boss a quiet warning right before they pulled clothing over their faces and jumped over the counter. Furnari quickly pulled his .38-cal. handgun from his desk and fired several rounds at one of the suspects as he came toward him. Furnari was severely beaten as both men tried to gain control of his firearm. When Furnari fought back, the men grabbed a display of gold chains and fled. One suspect was later taken into custody after seeking treatment for several bullet wounds. It was last reported that the second suspect was still at large. Furnari suffered a broken nose, a concussion, multiple stitches to the face and hand, and a fractured rib. Schachter was reportedly unharmed. (The Republican, Chicopee, MA, 10/17/12)

Jack and Linda Dillon were roused from their sleep at approximately 2:45 a.m. when they realized someone had just broken into their home. The intruder gained entry through an unlocked window. He allegedly entered the home with intent to steal electronics. Linda called 911 as Jack retrieved a firearm and confronted the 29-year-old intruder in their living room. Jack fired when the man lunged at him. The intruder’s wound proved fatal. (The Morning Journal, Elyria, OH, 10/20/12)

Source: Armed Citizen

Gun ban is happening now. Earlier this morning, VP Biden announced Obama has EOs ready to issue as he sees fit to ban guns and/or accouterments in clear contravention of the Second Amendment. 

"The president is going to act," said Biden, giving some comments to the press before a meeting with victims of gun violence. "There are executives orders, there's executive action that can be taken. We haven't decided what that is yet. But we're compiling it all with the help of the attorney general and the rest of the cabinet members as well as legislative action that we believe is required."
Biden said that this is a moral issue and that "it's critically important that we act."
Biden talked also about taking responsible action. "As the president said, if you're actions result in only saving one life, they're worth taking. But I'm convinced we can affect the well-being of millions of Americans and take thousands of people out of harm's way if we act responsibly."

Source: Weekly Standard, "Biden: Obama Considering 'Executive Order' to Deal With Guns" by Daniel Halper 11:42 AM Jan 9, 2013