The pause continues – Still no global warming for 17 years 9 months

When are people going to wake up and smell the bullsh!t?

According to the RSS satellite data, whose value for May 2014 has just been published, the global warming trend in the 17 years 9 [months] since September 1996 is zero (Fig. 1). The 213 months without global warming represent more than half the 425-month satellite data record since January 1979. No one now in high school has lived through global warming.

The hiatus period of 17 years 9 months is the farthest back one can go in the RSS satellite temperature record and still show a zero trend. But the length of the pause in global warming, significant though it now is, is of less importance than the ever-growing discrepancy between the temperature trends predicted by models and the less exciting real-world temperature change that has been observed.

Friday Funny

Memorial Day 2014

Sunday Funny

Study rejected for publication because it was 'less than helpful' to the climate cause

So typical of the Science fascists.

A scientific study which suggests global warming has been exaggerated was rejected by a respected journal because it might fuel climate scepticism, it was claimed last night.

The alarming intervention, which raises fears of ‘McCarthyist’ pressure for environmental scientists to conform, came after a reviewer said the research was ‘less than helpful’ to the climate cause.

Professor Lennart Bengtsson, a research fellow at the University of Reading and one of five authors of the study, said he suspected that intolerance of dissenting views on climate science was preventing his paper from being published.

If he and his four co-authors are correct, it would mean that carbon dioxide and other pollutants are having a far less severe impact on climate than green activists would have us believe.

THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT STRIKES BACK

This should remove Karl Roves self satysfied smirk.

With decisive primary victories by U.S. Senate candidate Ben Sasse in Nebraska and U.S. House candidate Alex Mooney in West Virginia, the establishment’s dream of electing more status quo-supporting candidates has been stopped after just one week. Sasse and Mooney, both fine conservative candidates, ran smart races and closed strong.

When Thom Tillis won the U.S. Senate primary in North Carolina last week (which took millions in establishment funds to make happen), D.C. elites, along with the mainstream media, were giddy as they wrote a seemingly never-ending stream of conservative candidate obituaries.

I was entertained by the tone of the pro-Tillis celebratory stories rolling off the establishment’s printing presses. It's as if the Washington establishment had done a good job of governing and had earned the victory. It's as if the elites are tackling our debt crisis, lowering taxes, securing our border, and actually repealing Obamacare.

92,594,000: Americans Not in Labor Force Hits All-Time Record; Participation Rate Matches 36-Year Low

Obama sets yet another low water mark.

(CNSNews.com) - A record 92,594,000 Americans were not in the labor force in April as the labor force participation rate matched a 36-year low of 62.8 percent, according to data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In March, according to BLS's non-seasonally adjusted data, there were 91,630,000 Americans not in the labor force. In April, that increased by 964,000 people to an all-time record of 92,594,000. The previous record was 92,534,000, set in January of this year.

Post-ABC News poll shows Democrats at risk in November as Obama’s approval rating falls

If this holds, look for a Republican landslide like you've never seen.

Democrats face serious obstacles as they look to the November elections, with President Obama’s approval rating at a new low and a majority of voters saying they prefer a Congress in Republican hands to check the president’s agenda, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Obama’s approval rating fell to 41 percent, down from 46 percent through the first three months of the year and the lowest of his presidency in Post-ABC News polls. Just 42 percent approve of his handling of the economy, 37 percent approve of how he is handling the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and 34 percent approve of his handling of the situation involving Ukraine and Russia.

Sunday Funny

Happy Easter

Graphic of the Day

MSNBC is in serious trouble

This network is truly unwatchable.

This is the story of MSNBC in a nutshell: It rose to prominence on its criticism of George W. Bush, peaked during Barack Obama's historic 2008 campaign, and, by criticizing Republicans and championing liberal causes, sustained its viewership in the years that followed.

Until now.

MSNBC suffered harder loses in 2013 -- in terms of both viewership and revenue -- than either of its competitors at Fox News and CNN, according to Nielsen data featured in a new Pew Research report. Prime-time viewership declined by a staggering 24 percent (nearly twice the loss sustained by CNN and four-times that sustained by Fox News). Daytime viewership fell by 15 percent, even as it rose at both of the other networks.

Sharyl Attkisson: There Is Coordination Between Reporters And Politicians

Of course there is, moreso now than ever.

Responding to comments regarding a Phoenix television reporter yesterday who initially claimed that the White House pre-screens questions from reporters, Attkisson said,

“I wouldn’t surprised if sometimes there is that level of cooperation with some questions. If I need something answered from the White House and they won’t tell me, I’ll call our White House Correspondent. They’re friendlier with the White House Correspondents in general. So the White House Correspondent may ask Jay Carney or one of his folks about an issue and they will be told ‘ask that at the briefing and we’ll answer it.’ They want to answer it in front of everybody.

They do know it’s coming and they’ll call on you. There’s that kind of coordination sometimes. I wouldn’t be shocked if there’s sometimes more coordination. I don’t think it’s everybody on every briefing, every day. I’m pretty sure it’s not. But I think people would be surprised at the level of cooperation reporters have in general with politicians.”

NBC's 'Today' Finds It 'Surprising' Obama Not On List of Greatest Leaders

They would...

On Thursday's NBC Today, co-host Savannah Guthrie touted an exclusive preview of Fortune magazine's list of the world's 50 greatest leaders and wondered about one name that was absent from the ranking: "Bill Clinton comes in at number five and makes the cover. There are a lot of other notable names here. Tell you what, though, there may be some talk about one leader who did not make the list, the leader of the free world, President Obama. Fortune tells us he was not overlooked, he just did not make the cut." [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]

Co-host Matt Lauer reacted: "Yeah, that's surprising." He then noted leaders who "did make the cut": "Pope Francis takes the top spot. Congratulations to him....Some other folks you may recognize, Bono, Derek Jeter – yes! – Angelina Jolie, and Malala Yousafzai."

Dem Senator on MSNBC: Russia’s “Weak” Invasion Proof of Obama’s “Strength”

Black is white, cold is warm, up is down, it never stops with these lying Pos's

If Russia invades Alaska, just think how weak Putin will look then.

Senator Chris Murphy went to the Ukraine. Then he came back to appear on Chris Hayes’ All In on MSNBC to explain how everything is just fine.

“Frankly the fact that we are here today with a very weak Russia, having the entirety of the Ukraine turn away and having engaged in a panicky reaction is partly a result of the United States’ strength on this issue, standing with the protesters,” Senator Chris Murphy said.

Graphic of the Day

Sunday Funny

Thanks RR.

Government Workers Cost 45% More Than Private Sector Workers

Well you could knock me over with a feather.

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced on March 12th that the total cost of employing a state or local government worker is 45% more than an equivalent worker in the private sector.

For the month of December 2013, employers in private industry spent an average of $29.63 per employee hour worked, but the equivalent cost for a government worker averaged $42.89 per hour. Not only do government employees average 33% higher pay than those in the private sector, their pension and retirement benefit costs are now an incredible 254% higher also. Given that compensation formulas for federal, state, and local government are comparable, it should come as no surprise that this year spending by the U.S. government will exceed revenue by an all-time high of $744.2 billion, and our gross national debt is a stunning $18.5 trillion.

U.S. Producer Prices Fall, Offer Little Sign Of Inflation Pressure

These people obviously haven't been to the grocery store or gas station in the last 5 years.

U.S. producer prices fell in February, dragged down by falling costs for services and offering little sign of a pickup in inflation pressures.

The Labor Department said on Friday its seasonally adjusted producer price index for final demand dropped 0.1 percent last month.

U.S. inflation has held at a very low level in recent years because of a persistently high unemployment rate. This is expected to push the Federal Reserve to keep its benchmark interest rate near zero for many more months even as the central bank dials back its monetary stimulus.

McCain 'Seriously Considering' Running for Reelection to Senate

I'd far prefer he'd seriously consider retirement.

Undeterred by a recent Public Policy Polling poll that showed he has only a 30% job approval in his native Arizona, Sen. John McCain said on Fox Business’ “Cavuto” that he is considering running for reelection. McCain denied the poll was accurate, saying, “There is a bogus poll out there. I can sense the people of my state.

When I travel around, which I do constantly, they like me, and I am very grateful.” McCain said he was “seriously considering” running for reelection in 2016, and would make the call “early next year.” He did reject the idea of running for president, allowing, “I’m afraid that it is not a viable option.”

World debt reaches $100 trillion, U.S. share 58 percent

Prosperity is impossible with a debt load of this crushing immensity.

Global debt outstanding, that is, all debts public and private, reached $100 trillion in mid-2013, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) quarterly review revealed.

Credit outstanding has grown by more than $30 trillion since the financial crisis began in 2007.

When compared to data compiled by the Federal Reserve, the U.S. share of the $100 trillion is almost three-fifths — with about $58 trillion credit outstanding nationwide at the end of the second quarter in 2013.

Unions Pi$$ed

They were for it before they were against it.

A national union that represents 300,000 low-wage hospitality workers charges in a new report that Obamacare will slam wages, cut hours, limit access to health insurance and worsen the very “income equality” President Obama says he is campaigning to fix.

Unite Here warned that due to Obamacare's much higher costs for health insurance than what union workers currently pay, the result will be a pay cut of up to $5 an hour. "If employers follow the incentives in the law, they will push families onto the exchanges to buy coverage. This will force low-wage service industry employees to spend $2.00, $3.00 or even $5.00 an hour of their pay to buy similar coverage," said the union in a new report.

MSNBC Blasts Paralyzed Pro-Lifer Greg Abbott’s “Matchstick-Thin Legs”

MSNBC sets yet another new low for liberal"journalism"

Fresh from his becoming the republican nominee for governor in the Lone Star State, Greg Abbott is now the subject of attack by left-wing cable television station MSNBC. The liberal “news network” is following friends of Wendy Davis in going after the pro-life Texas gubernatorial candidate over his physical disability.

The Truth Revolt web site reports on MSNBC’s horrible comment:

GregAbbott5On Friday, MSNBC reporter Zachary Roth described Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, who is paralyzed from the waist down, this way:

The simple sight of him in his wheelchair—matchstick-thin legs dangling in front of him as he maneuvers himself around—is enough to set him apart from the parade of conservative Republican white men who talk about helping the job creators and seem never to have suffered a day in their lives.

New Post-ABC News poll: Keystone XL project overwhelmingly favored by Americans

Of course it is, it makes perfect sense to everyone except Obama and the additional 22% of imbeciles in this country.

Americans support the idea of constructing the Keystone XL oil pipeline between Canada and the United States by a nearly 3 to 1 margin, with 65 percent saying it should be approved and 22 percent opposed, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. The findings also show that the public thinks the massive project, which aims to ship 830,000 barrels of oil a day from Alberta and the northern Great Plains to refineries on the Gulf Coast, will produce significant economic benefits. Eighty-five percent say the pipeline would create a significant number of jobs, with 62 percent saying they “strongly” believed that to be the case. At the same time, nearly half of those interviewed — 47 percent — say they think Keystone will pose a significant risk to the environment.

Fox News poll: Obama's approval hits new low

Fox news usually polls Obama higher than most so it must be really really bad.

President Obama’s job approval rating hits a record low this week, as a majority of Americans say his administration has mostly failed at growing the economy, creating jobs, improving health care and the country’s image.

That’s according to a Fox News poll released Wednesday.

For the first time in a Fox News poll, fewer than four voters in ten -- 38 percent -- approve of President Obama’s job performance. Fifty-four percent disapprove. Before now Obama’s worst job rating was 40-55 percent in November 2013. Last month 42 percent approved and 53 percent disapproved (February 2014).

Lois Lerner Refuses to Answer Questions Before Congress, Pleads the Fifth Again

Shocked I tell you, SHOCKED!

Appearing in front of the House Oversight Committee Wednesday morning Lois Lerner, former head of tax exempt groups at the IRS, refused to answer questions asked by lawmakers by pleading the Fifth Amendment. Earlier this week, Lerner's attorney William Taylor confirmed to Committee members in an email that she would testify. Lerner was issued a subpoena last summer after admitting the IRS singled out conservative groups for extra scrutiny.

"On the advice of my counsel I respectfully exercise my fifth amendment right and decline to answer that question," Lerner said.

Kerry lands in Ukraine with promise of $1 billion in U.S. aid

That's the liberals answer to everything.....throw money at it and it will get better

The Obama administration said Tuesday it is working with Congress on $1 billion in loan guarantees for Ukraine, while a top Senate Republican said President Obama must undertake a “fundamental reevaluation” of the U.S. relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin after his invasion of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula.

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said the loans “will be aimed at protecting the most vulnerable Ukrainian households” from the impact of needed economic reforms. He said the reforms will help to restore financial stability and economic growth in that nation.

Sunday Funny

RussianTroops Take Over Ukraine's Crimea Region

Why not, he certainly has nothing to fear from this country under the Obama administration

SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine (AP) — Russian troops took over the strategic Crimean peninsula Saturday without firing a shot. The newly installed government in Kiev was powerless to react, and despite calls by U.S. President Barack Obama for Russia to pull back its forces, Western governments had few options to counter Russia's military moves.

Ignoring President Barack Obama's warning Friday that "there will be costs" if Russia intervenes militarily, Putin sharply raised the stakes in the conflict over Ukraine's future evoking memories of Cold War brinkmanship.

U.S. fourth-quarter growth cut to 2.4 percent

Figures.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government slashed its estimate for fourth-quarter growth as consumer spending and exports were less robust than initially thought, leaving the economy on a more sustainable path of modest expansion.

domestic product expanded at a 2.4 percent annual rate, the Commerce Department said on Friday. That was down sharply from the 3.2 percent pace reported last month and the 4.1 percent logged in the third quarter.

Jobless claims climb unexpectedly

Any bad news oncerning thw economy is "unexpected" when it comes to the MSM particularly the clueless MSNBC.

The number of people who applied for U.S. unemployment benefits jumped by 14,000 to 348,000 last week to match a five-week high, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected claims to total 335,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis. The average of new claims over the past month, a more reliable gauge than the volatile weekly number, was unchanged at 338,250.

Girl Scout CEO Makes YouTube Plea Against Cookiecott

Wish they had stayed out of fray. Unfortunately we won't be buying this year.

There is now little doubt that the Girl Scout cookie boycott is having an effect on cookie sales this year.

Girl Scout spokesman Kelly Parisi went on The O’Reilly Factor this week to try and defuse the mounting controversy, and Girl Scout executives have sent threatening letters to their critics.

Girl Scout CEO Anna Marie Chavez took to YouTube on Thursday to deny all charges leveled by the boycotters and to deny at least one charge they haven’t even made.<.p>

“Recently, various individuals and organizations announced their intention to boycott GS cookies this year, based on mistaken beliefs about our movement," Chavez said. "These same individuals also believe the Girl Scouts has become too political.”

Rep. John Dingell (88) calls it quits (after 58 years)

Making a lifelong career out of squatting in Congress....precisely the opposite of what the framers intended.

Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), the longest-serving House member in history, will retire at the end of his term, he told the Detriot News in an interview.

"I'm not going to be carried out feet first," Dingell told the paper. "I don't want people to say I stayed too long."

Dingell, 88, has been in Congress since 1955 and is the longest-serving member in congressional history.

Sunday Funny

Thanks RR.

Abortions outnumber live births among NYC's black community

A truly abhorrent statistic.

Abortions outnumber live births among African American women living in New York City, according to a new health report.

Newly released Department of Health and Mental Hygiene figures show black women had 31,328 'crude induced terminations' in 2012, compared with 24,758 'live births'.

The terminations comprised more than 42 percent of the Big Apple's total number.

Cruz to CNN: Global warming not supported by data

Yep.

, questions whether global warming is real, arguing that the "data are not supporting what the advocates are arguing."

"The last 15 years, there has been no recorded warming. Contrary to all the theories that – that they are expounding, there should have been warming over the last 15 years. It hasn't happened," said Cruz.

Cruz spoke to CNN in an exclusive interview following an event here to promote his new energy plan, which he says he will formally introduce in the Senate next week.

BTW Arctic ice is up 30% this year.

Only 79% of Obama voters would vote for him again

Paging Captain Hindsight. Clear thinking Americans always knew better.

Given a chance to do it all over again, only 79 percent of those who voted for President Obama would vote for him again and 71 percent of Obama voters now inclined to vote for somebody else “regret” their vote to reelect the president, according to a new poll.

The Economist/YouGov.com poll found that Obama would lose enough votes in a rematch with Mitt Romney that the Republican would win. “90 percent of people who voted for Romney would do it again, compared to only 79 percent of Obama voters who would,” said the poll.

“Clearly Romney fares better, although he had fewer voters to begin with. As a proportion of the voters each of them actually received in 2012 (66 million for Obama and 61 million for Romney), the GOP candidate ends up with 55 million votes retained to Obama’s 52 million. Not exactly a wipeout. It’s also unclear for any poll that hypothetically revisits 2012 how much it says about renewed hope for Mitt Romney – who has notably been liberated from the scrutiny of a presidential campaign ­– rather than about dissatisfaction with an incumbent president who has spent the last year defending his administration over leaks, scandals and Obamacare roll-outs,” added the poll.

Criminologist: 'More Youngsters Killed in Bicycle Accidents' Than with Guns

Any is too many, however, this gives you some perspective.

Responding to a recent report that Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America (MDA) and Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) conducted about the dangers of guns in public schools, Northeastern University criminologist James Alan Fox said the annual risk of gun-related death in school is "well below one in two million," and "many times more youngsters are killed annually in bicycle accidents."

Because of this, Fox said he "trusts [MDA and MAIG] would support a national helmet law as quickly as a gun restriction."

According to USA Today, the report by MDA and MAIG claims "44 shootings" took place in schools since the heinous crime at Sandy Hook Elementary in December 2012. Rather than argue with that figure, Fox shows that it is "lower than two decades ago when gang violence was especially problematic at school settings."

81% of people receiving public housing benefits vote Democratic – and that’s just the tip

Democrats have well known this for decades.

Perhaps I spend too much time lurking around left-leaning blogs, but there are many myths taken as fact without any additional analysis.

One of the most prominent? The notion that red states take the most aid from the government.

Mitt Romney sparked outrage during the 2012 election for his comments about the “47 percent” of Americans who are dependent on government. Romney was actually quoting the percentage of Americans who pay no federal income tax, not the percentage of people who receive government aid, which is a slightly larger 49 percent.

In an article published before Romney’s gaffe, liberal economist Paul Krugman blogged that “Aaron Carroll of Indiana University tells us that in 2010, residents of the 10 states Gallup ranks as ‘most conservative’ received 21.2 percent of their income in government transfers, while the number for the most liberal states was only 17.1 percent.”

Sid Caesar Dead

One of the funniest guys on the planet.....back when they didn't feel the neccessity to be shockingly disgusting to be that way.

Chart of the Day

Suicide Bomb Instructor Accidentally Kills Iraqi Pupils

They wanted to die in an explosion for the cause....they got their wish.

BAGHDAD — A group of Sunni militants attending a suicide bombing training class at a camp north of Baghdad were killed on Monday when their commander unwittingly conducted a demonstration with a belt that was packed with explosives, army and police officials said.

The militants belonged to a group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, which is fighting the Shiite-dominated army of the Iraqi government, mostly in Anbar Province. But they are also linked to bomb attacks elsewhere and other fighting that has thrown Iraq deeper into sectarian violence.

Sunday Funny

Thanks RR.

Sunday Celebration

One of my twins set two school records yesterday.... Was the first freshman in scool wrestling history to win a Regional Chaampionship and was the first wrestler ever to achieve 25 wins in his freshman season. CONGRATULATIONS NATHAN!

Friday fait accompli

Cut threw all the crappola spin and it boils down to just this: 1,154,000 Fewer Americans Working Today Than 6 Years Ago

U.S. Adds 113,000 Jobs, in Latest Worrying Sign on Growth

Appears that an increasing number of Americans are excaping dreaded “job lock.”

WASHINGTON—The labor market in January registered weak gains for the second straight month, a slowdown that could heighten fears about the economic recovery and may lead some to call on the Federal Reserve to reconsider its easy-money strategy.

U.S. payrolls increased by a seasonally adjusted 113,000 in January, the Labor Department said Friday. Job growth improved compared with December's gain, which was revised up by just 1,000 to 75,000, but was well below last year's average pace. The November increase was recast up by 33,000 to 274,000.

The unemployment rate, obtained through a separate survey, fell to 6.6% last month from 6.7% in December, the Labor Department said.

Public School Students Suing Over Tenure

It may be an excercise in futility but BRAVO.

There are times where someone actually takes a stand and gives me hope that we can eventually roll back the progressive liberal tide and bring sanity back to our country. One such instance is taking place in California, where nine public school students and their families are suing the state over its laws governing teacher tenure, seniority, and the last hired, first fired practice. The aim is to dismantle a system that keeps bad teachers in the classroom; a system that teachers unions fully support. The lawsuit, filed by an advocacy group called Students Matter on behalf of the students, is arguing that such laws violate the Constitution's equal protection guarantee in that such practices ensures that not all students have access to good education.

The system currently in place in California makes it virtually impossible to hire a bad teacher, and student performance isn't even taken into account when reviewing the effectiveness of a teacher. The normal modus operandi is to automatically give each teacher a satisfactory grade. It comes as no surprise to us that the state of California and the teachers union are fighting this lawsuit tooth and nail. There's no way that they're going to have a little something like accountability enter into the equation. Teachers need to live a consequence-free environment to fully indoctrinate the youth of California. The teachers union cries about funding and bellyache about being 49th in the nation (counting all fifty states - unless you're Obama in which case it's fifty-seven - and the District of Columbia) in teacher-to-student ratio. Sounds bad until you realize that the average teacher has a class of 21 students. From kindergarten to high school graduation, I only had three classes that had less than thirty students or more: Latin I, Latin II, and Chemistry II. Somehow I did pretty good as did the vast majority of my peers. Such complaints are distractions that the progressive left makes to brainwash us into throwing more money into the education pit to further fuel their takeover.

Wednesday Funny

Colorado high school to students: No celebrating America. But Cinco De Mayo is just fine.

Unbelievable.

Students and parents at a Colorado high school are outraged after administrators turned down their request for a spirit week day honoring America because it might offend non-Americans.

"They said they didn't want to offend anyone from other countries or immigrants," a 16-year-old member of the student council told me. "They just really did not want to make anyone feel uncomfortable."

The student council at Fort Collins High School had proposed having a day to celebrate the United States during next week's Winter Spirit Week. The young people pitched "'Merica Monday" - and invited their classmates to dress in patriotic colors. Their proposal was promptly shot down by administrators.

"They said they didn't want to be exclusive to any other country," a 17-year-old member of the student council told me.

Global Warming Graphic of the Day

It's Official: Sandra Fluke Files for Congress

The slut constituency...

Sandra Fluke has made it official: she has filed to run for the congressional seat being vacated by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) after 40 years. The birth control advocate who shook up the 2012 presidential campaign does not live in the 33rd district, but is eligible to run for the seat. She will be facing off against local Democratic stalwart Wendy Greuel, who narrowly missed winning the Los Angeles mayor's race last year, among others.

Graph of the day

DOJ Report: Firearm-Related Murders Down 39% Since 1993

Manufacturing slows sharply in January, sends new orders reeling

Expect more "quantitative easing". It's the only thing keeping the economy afloat.

U.S. manufacturing grew at a substantially slower pace in January as new order growth plunged by the most in 33 years, driving overall factory activity to an eight-month low, an industry report showed on Monday.

The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said its index of national factory activity fell to 51.3 last month, to its lowest level since May 2013, from a recently revised 56.5 in December.

January's figure was also well below the median forecast of 56 in a Reuters poll of economists, missing even the lowest estimate of 54.2. Readings above 50 indicate expansion.

The Movie: Son of God

This looks like a definate must see.

From the award-winning producers of the record-breaking miniseries The Bible, Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, comes Son of God, the larger-than-life story of The New Testament, to be released by 20th Century Fox on February 28, 2014. Son of God is a major motion picture that brings the life of Jesus Christ to the big screen like never before.

Told with the scope and scale of an action epic, the film features powerful performances, exotic locales, dazzling visual effects and a rich orchestral score from Oscar®- winner Hans Zimmer. Award-winning actor Diogo Morgado portrays Jesus as the film spans from his humble birth through his teachings, crucifixion and ultimate resurrection.

Saturday Funny

Friday Funny

Holder Confirms Obama Ready to Use Executive Order on Guns ‘in Absence of Meaningful Action’

There responsibility is to enforce the laws already on the books not legislate new ones. Memo to the Wite House, DO YOUR JOB!

Attorney General Eric Holder said at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today that President Obama is open to using an executive action to push through gun-control and/or associated mental health measures that haven’t found approval in Congress.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), one of the top proponents of new gun-control measures in Congress, noted that Obama only made a “very brief” reference to gun violence in his State of the Union address.

“But I hope, and I hope you will join me in the view that the president remains completely committed to ending gun violence in this country, adopting common sense sensible measures like background checks and mental health initiatives; a ban on straw purchases and illegal trafficking,” Blumenthal said to Holder at the Justice Department oversight hearing.

U.S. jobless claims rise more than expected

After 233 consecutive "unexpecteds" isn't it time to expect this?

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose more than expected last week, but the underlying trend suggested the labor market continued to heal.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 19,000 to a seasonally adjusted 348,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims for the prior week were revised to show 3,000 more applications received than previously reported.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast first-time applications for jobless benefits rising to 330,000 in the week ended Jan. 25.

The four-week moving average for new claims, considered a better measure of underlying labor market conditions as it irons out week-to-week volatility, edged up 750 to 333,000.

NBC News poll: Pessimism defines the state of the union

Pretty much because there is decidedly nothing to be positive about.

As President Barack Obama enters his sixth year in the White House, 68 percent of Americans say the country is either stagnant or worse off since he took office, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

Just 31 percent say the country is better off, and a deep pessimism continues to fuel the public's mood. Most respondents used words like “divided,” “troubled,” and “deteriorating” to describe the current state of the nation.

On the eve of Tuesday’s State of the Union address, more than six-in-10 Americans believe that the nation is headed in the wrong direction and 70 percent are dissatisfied with the economy.

Graphic of the Day

School ditches rules and loses bullies

Some common sense from the Public School system, imagine that.

Ripping up the playground rulebook is having incredible effects on children at an Auckland school.

Chaos may reign at Swanson Primary School with children climbing trees, riding skateboards and playing bullrush during playtime, but surprisingly the students don't cause bedlam, the principal says.

The school is actually seeing a drop in bullying, serious injuries and vandalism, while concentration levels in class are increasing.

Principal Bruce McLachlan rid the school of playtime rules as part of a successful university experiment.

"We want kids to be safe and to look after them, but we end up wrapping them in cotton wool when in fact they should be able to fall over."

Climate Change Implicated In Polar Bear Stress

Maybe the bears were stressed by warmists chasing them around with tweezers.

A group of researchers say they have established a new biomarker for how stressed polar bears are about climate change.

Last year, a team reported that fluctuations in climate and ice cover are closely related to stress among polar bears in East Greenland as indicated by levels of the stress hormone cortisol in hair samples. The team is hopeful this type of analysis will be beneficial once others learn that it can now be done with much greater reliability.

"Nobody else has done this so far," says Jerrold Meyer of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who calls himself a behavioral endocrinologist. "We've not only been one of the key developers of the technique but we have also have worked very hard to demonstrate its reliability and validity. In collaboration with Melinda Novak, chair of the psychology department, we were among the first to show in a major controlled study that a prolonged or major life stress does lead to a demonstrable increase in cortisol in hair. Now we're making the technique available to others and we hope it spurs new collaborations with our lab."

Quote of the Week

Rand Paul: 'If There Was A War On Women, I Think They Won'

U.S. Braces for Coldest Month of the Century

If Global Warming gets any worse we’re all going to freeze to death.

America is set for the coldest month of the century as weather forecasters predict yet another freezing blast of Arctic air - putting Super Bowl Sunday in jeopardy.

Teams have been warned to stay on high alert for changes to the scheduling of the first Super Bowl to be played in an open-air stadium. Temperatures have already hit record lows, at times making parts of the U.S. colder than the North Pole, and are expected to plunge in the coming days.

Meteorologists are forecasting yet another snow storm for the East Coast, which will arrive on Monday First Super Bowl to be held in open-air stadium set to be hit by freezing cold.

Teams on high alert game in New Jersey on February 2 could be postponed.

Welcome to Jobless America

If there was a Republican in the White House this economy would be hailed an unmitigated disaster.

It is becoming laughable to hear the Obama administration talk about a so-called “recovery.” Supposedly, this “recovery” started in June of 2009; however, in reality our economy is on life support and the latest jobs figures just confirm this horrible news.

In the government’s December labor report, the nation’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.7 percent, which is our lowest rate since October of 2008. While this may be heralded as good news, it is truly disturbing. Unfortunately, only 74,000 new jobs were added last month, the worst job growth numbers since January of 2011.

This is anemic job creation, a fraction of the 200,000+ new jobs needed each month just to keep pace with the nation’s population growth. It is even more shocking since most analysts predicted approximately 193,000 new jobs in December.

Even worse, of the new jobs, 40,000 were temporary positions, not what wage earners need to care for their families. Not surprisingly, the average work week for Americans dropped to only 34.4 hours. So, there are few full time jobs being created and on average Americans are working less. No wonder there are 47 million Americans on food stamps and over 50 million people who are considered poor.

The reason the unemployment rate dropped is that an astounding 347,000 Americans left the work force in December. This means that 5 times more Americans exited the labor pool than located new jobs. Our country now has 91.8 million Americans not in the work force. These are Americans who are receiving benefits, living off their savings or living on the streets. Many of these Americans have given up any hope of finding work and for these poor individuals; the hope of the American dream is over.

Friday Funny

More Companies Dump Employee Insurance for Obamacare

A totally predictable consequence.

This week, another major U.S. retailer—Target—announced that it will be cutting health coverage for its part-time workers in response to changes stemming from the president’s health care law.

Target scales back on health coverage Associated Press Target to drop health policies for part-timers Los Angeles Times Target to stop healthcare coverage for part-time workers Reuters Aetna could be forced out of Obamacare: CEO CNBC [$$] ObamaCare's Missing Uninsured The Wall Street Journal The Minneapolis-based company now joins the likes of Home Depot and Trader Joes, among others, that have decided to dump part-time employee coverage to save on health care costs.

Just Hit The NOAA Motherlode

I wouldn't put ANYTHING past these people.

I spent the evening comparing USHCN V1 and V2 graphs, and discovered a huge discrepancy between their V1 and V2 adjustments.

This is their current US graph. Note that there is a discontinuity at 1998, which doesn’t look right. Globally, temperatures plummeted in 1999-2000, but they didn’t in the US graph.

But when they switched to V2, they started adjusting older temperatures downwards, and left post-2000 temperatures more or less intact. This created a huge jump (greater than one degree) downwards for all years prior to 2000.

By the time they are done corrupting the data, they have hidden the decline and created a strong warming trend, with 1998, 1999 and 2006 being the three hottest years. Prior to corruption, 1999 and 2006 aren’t even in the top ten.

Hacking expert David Kennedy says he cracked HealthCare.gov in 4 minutes

And you thought things were screwed up now.

The man who appeared before Congress last week to explain the security pitfalls of HealthCare.gov took to Fox News on Sunday to explain just how easy it was to penetrate the website.

Hacking expert David Kennedy told Fox’s Chris Wallace that gaining access to 70,000 personal records of Obamacare enrollees via HealthCare.gov took about 4 minutes and required nothing more than a standard browser, the Daily Caller reported.

“And 70,000 was just one of the numbers that I was able to go up to and I stopped after that,” he said. “You know, I’m sure it’s hundreds of thousands, if not more, and it was done within about a 4 minute timeframe. So, it’s just wide open.

“You can literally just open up your browser, go to this, and extract all this information without actually having to hack the website itself,” he said.

Sunday Funny

Thanks RR.

Number of Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents on Food Stamps Doubles

Disgusting. It's what happens when you create a generation of dependendents.

The number of Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) receiving food stamps zoomed from 1.7 million to 3.9 million between Fiscal Year 2007 and Fiscal Year 2010. In that same period, food stamp recipients in total grew from 26 million to nearly 40 million.

Spending on food stamps now totals somewhere around $80 billion, twice what the number was in Fiscal Year 2008.

Presently, the work waivers foisted on the states by Obama allow ABAWDs to receive food stamps indefinitely--without working or preparing for work.

Graphic of the Day

Draw your own conclusions.

A Tale of Two Scandals

Typical, cover for your allies, crucify the opposition

The media overreact on Christie, but underreact on the IRS.

Yes, liberal bias does play a role in explaining why — as Newsbusters.org reports — the major networks have had 44 times more coverage of Chris Christie’s “Bridgegate” scandal than they have had on anything related to the IRS political-targeting scandal that began last May.

Jonathan Alter, speaking on MSNBC, has dismissed the comparison by saying that “there are not ongoing revelations [in the IRS story]. If there were ongoing revelations in the IRS matter, that would still be a story.” He made his claim only four days after news broke that the Justice Department had chosen a significant Obama donor to head its investigation of the IRS, creating the obvious perception of a conflict of interest.

But it’s also true that a large part of the difference in coverage is owing simply to the laziness of journalists, for whom anything connected to a future presidential election trumps delving deeply into more complicated topics.

Happy Ending Story of the Day...Three guys try to rob an old man who has a .357

State police said three suspects arrived at the home of David Braman, 69. The suspects, Francois Muchanic, 31, of Susquehanna, Dylan Brewer 20, of New Milford and Evan Hess, 20, of Forest City were driven to the residence by Muchanic’s girlfriend, Erica Major, 30, of Susquehanna.

Muchanic knocked on Braman’s door wearing a ski mask. The victim opened his door carrying a loaded 357 Smith and Wesson revolver. Muchanic told Braman he was having car problems and needed to use his phone, according to state police.

Trooper Mark Mulvey said Braman tried to close the door when he realized Muchanic was wearing a ski mask. State police said Muchanic then forced his way into the home and began assaulting Braman and knocking him to the ground.

Braman fired three shots at Muchanic and hit him once in the groin.

Nice aim!

Obamacare meltdown on schedule: Only a quarter of Obamacare enrollees are 18-34

No wonder they wrote in a "bailout provison".

According to figures released by HHS, only one quarter of the 2 million Obamacare enrollees who signed up through December are young adults - 18-34. On the other side of the coin, fully one half are 45-64.

The White House says that 25% enrollment of young invincible is enough to prevent the dreaded "death spiral" for the program, where older, sicker enrollees far outnumber the younger healthy ones, thus leading to skyrocketing insurace premiums.

But there are no figures available that show how many enrollees have actually paid their first month's premium, nor is there any breakdown of how many in the 18-34 age group are healthy and how many are sick.

Ex-NFL Great Dryer: GOP Establishment Afraid MSM Will Call Them Bigots

Fred Dryer, the former All-Pro NFL defensive end and Hollywood actor of shows like Hunter and Cheers, is furious at the Republican establishment for waging war against the Tea Party.

He sees the establishment as surrendering to the mainstream media and accepting its stereotypes about conservatives.

Appearing on Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot channel 125 with Breitbart News Executive Chairman and host Stephen K. Bannon, Dryer said it was the "dumbest thing" for the GOP establishment to abandon constitutional principles when the country – and the constitution – is center right.

He blasted GOP establishment honchos like Ed Gillespie for doing nothing but watering down conservative candidates.

You're right Fred.

Sunday Funny

Thanks RR.

Job growth weak, raising questions about Fed move

Brother are we screwed.

Job creation stumbled in December, with the U.S. economy adding just 74,000 positions even as the Federal Reserve voted to take the first steps in eliminating its stimulus program.

The unemployment rate dropped to 6.7 percent, below economist estimates and due primarily to continued shrinkage in the labor force. The labor force participation rate tumbled to 62.8 percent, its worst level since January 1978.

The monthly job creation was the worst in nearly three years and well below the upwardly revised 241,000 in November.

Graphic of the Week

Wednesday Funny

Heard Enough BS About the "Polar Vortex"?

Here's a bit more...

In 1974, Time Magazine blamed the cold polar vortex on global cooling:

‘Scientists have found other indications of global cooling. For one thing there has been a noticeable expansion of the great belt of dry, high-altitude polar winds —the so-called circumpolar vortex—that sweep from west to east around the top and bottom of the world.’

Another Ice Age? – TIME

Forty years later, Time Magazine blames the cold polar vortex on global warming:

‘But not only does the cold spell not disprove climate change, it may well be that global warming could be making the occasional bout of extreme cold weather in the U.S. even more likely. Right now much of the U.S. is in the grip of a polar vortex, which is pretty much what it sounds like: a whirlwind of extremely cold, extremely dense air that forms near the poles.’

Federal judge strikes down Chicago gun law

An Obama appointee, go figure.

A federal district court judge in Chicago ruled Monday that the city’s ban on gun sales is unconstitutional.

In a 35-page opinion, Judge Edmond E. Chang from the Northern District of Illinois wrote that the city’s law “goes too far.” Chang was appointed by President Obama in 2010.

Chang delayed the effect of his ruling, however, in order to allow the city time to respond. In his opinion, he acknowledged the city’s “stark reality” of thousands of shooting victims and murders each year.

“But on the other side of this case is another feature of government.: certain fundamental rights are protected by the Constitution, put outside government’s reach, including the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense under the Second Amendment,” he wrote. “This right must also include the right to acquire a firearm.”

Michelle Obama spending extended vacation at Oprah’s Maui home

Filming the latest installment of "Mob Wives" no doubt.

Michelle Obama is spending her extended Hawaiian vacation at Oprah’s “exquisite” Maui getaway, The Daily Caller has learned.

While White House pool reports indicate the first lady stayed behind this week in Hawaii to chill out with friends before her 50th birthday, there weren’t many specifics. But sources with direct knowledge tell TheDC that the first lady is relaxing in Maui at Oprah’s estate with CBS’ Gayle King, Valerie Jarrett and Sharon Malone, who is Attorney General Eric Holder’s wife.

Sunday Funny

Thanks RR.

Obamacare birth control mandate doesn't violate nuns' rights: US

Well if it doesn't than nothing does.

The US Justice Department on Friday asked the Supreme Court to throw out a challenge from a nuns' group against a birth control mandate in the Obamacare health reform law.

The Little Sisters of the Poor had asked the US high court to exempt it from the controversial birth control clause, saying that providing birth control was contrary to its religious beliefs.

The US government, in its written response, asked the court to lift the temporary block on birth control, arguing that the provision does not apply to the nuns anyway.

The Little Sisters' lawsuit is "not about the availability or adequacy of a religious accommodation," the Justice Department brief said.

Frozen Out: 98% of Stories Ignore That Ice-bound Ship Was On Global Warming Mission

Now there's a bonafide "inconvenient truth".

A group of climate change scientists were rescued by helicopter Jan. 2, after being stranded in the ice since Christmas morning. But the majority of the broadcast networks’ reports about the ice-locked climate researchers never mentioned climate change.

The Russian ship, Akademic Shokalskiy, was stranded in the ice while on a climate change research expedition, yet nearly 98 percent of network news reports about the stranded researchers failed to mention their mission at all. Forty out of 41 stories (97.5 percent) on the network morning and evening news shows since Dec. 25 failed to mention climate change had anything to do with the expedition.

Oregon Mother: I Can’t Afford Obamacare For Myself, 1-Year-Old Son

Another Obama Kool-Aid drinker stumbles on reality.

PORTLAND, Ore. (CBS Seattle/AP) — One Oregon mother says that she is unable to afford health insurance for her and her 18-month-old son because it’s too expensive.

Kate Holly, 33, tells KOIN-TV that she originally championed President Barack Obama’s signature health care law because she thought it would help people in her situation.

“I’ve been a cheerleader for the Affordable Care Act since I heard about it and I assumed that it was designed for people in my situation,” Holly, a freelance yoga instructor, told KOIN. “I was planning on using the Affordable Care Act and I had done the online calculator in advance to make sure I was going to be able to afford it.”

New Years Funny

Earlier from the Rose Parade.

HAPPY NEW YEAR