Milwaukee Police Chief Tells The Truth about Violence

In the perspective of the Michael Brown incident, and the vilification of Officer Wilson, this video by the Milwaukee police chief makes an oft-missed point about the realities of violence in the black community and in some large cities.

See here:  http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/11/post_538.html

As counterpoint to all the protestations that are being made across the country by those who misguidedly believe that Micheal Brown needs to be avenged, why is it that there is so little caring, or indeed news coverage, for the 29 teenagers (13 - 19) who died in Chicago since Micheal Brown died?  Maybe because most of the murderers were also black?

See Breitbart: Media-Ignore-224-Teenagers-Killed-in-Chicago-Since-Michael-Brown-Was-Shot
(It appears this number is not really correct, and that the author grabbed the wrong number.  See the comments to the Breitbart article, and below on the heyjackass site.)  However, the expression of wonderment at the lack of publicity is the key point.

Here is a running list website that lists Chicago victims:  http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2014-chicago-murders   I am not sure that this site contains a full listing.
Here is another site:  http://homicides.suntimes.com/
And another:  http://homicides.redeyechicago.com/   11 Deaths between Nov 13 and 19.

It is interesting that these sites disagree on actual numbers.  EXCEPT, that the numbers are horribly high.

So, continuing my investigation, here is another site that has numbers similar to Brietbart, but the 244 number is for teens were shot and injured, while 29 teens were killed and total murders of all ages were 155 (74% black males).   http://heyjackass.com/  My impression is that Heyjackass has the best numbers, but I have not tried comparing to Chicago PD stats.

An scary stat on the Heyjackass site is the clearance rate for murders.  Only about 1/3 result in charges. 

Another stat of note:  Almost 80% of victims are black, while almost 69% of attackers are black.

Fast & Furious: Another FNDD on Nov 18

FNDD = Friday Night Document Dump

Judicial Watch has finally received the documents referenced in the Vaughn Index from early in November -  see my post on November 5.

Judicial Watch Statement on Release of Enormous Trove of DOJ Fast and Furious Documents

NOVEMBER 20, 2014

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it received from the Obama Department of Justice (DOJ) on November 18, 2014, a large production of documents pertaining to Operation Fast and Furious. The documents were forced out of the Obama administration through a June 2012 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request and subsequent September 2012 FOIA lawsuit (Judicial Watch v. Department of Justice (No. 1:12-cv-01510)).

A total of 10,112 documents, comprised of approximately 42,000 pages, were disclosed to Judicial Watch in the new production.  The documents are being posted and most are now available on the Judicial Watch Internet site at http://www.judicialwatch.org/fast-furious-documents-released/.

Judicial Watch is asking people, in a crowdsourcing manner, to search for interesting things (read illegal) in these documents.

Also note that many of these documents just released by the "most transparent administration in history" are completely or almost completely redacted.

Also note that no one has yet seen any of these documents display a desire to get to the bottom of what happened in F&F.  It is all about CYA, attacks on Sharyl Atkisson, and attempts to justify the assertion of executive privilege, etc.

IRS Scandal - 30,000 Lois Lerner Emails "Discovered"

Who would have thought?  After all this time, that 30,000 of Lois Lerner's emails would suddenly be "discovered" on disaster recovery backup disk driver?

In a standard Friday Night Document Dump (FNDD), the IRS has released a new batch of Lerner emails, subsequent to a lawsuit by Judicial Watch.

"Judicial Watch announced today that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) admitted to the court that it failed to search any of the IRS standard computer systems for the “missing” emails of Lois Lerner and other IRS officials. The admission appears in an IRS legal brief opposing the Judicial Watch request that a federal court judge allow discovery into how “lost and/or destroyed” IRS records may be retrieved." 

See here:  IRS admits to court it hasn't searched for missing lerner emails

This admission by IRS begs the reaction: Are you kidding me, this is computer operations 101?:  "IRS attorneys conceded that they had failed to search the agency’s servers for missing emails because they decided that “the servers would not result in the recovery of any information.” They admitted they had failed to search the agency’s disaster recovery tapes because they had “no reason to believe that the tapes are a potential source of recovering” the missing emails.  And they conceded that they had not searched the government-wide back-up system because they had “no reason to believe such a system … even exists.”"

Too Much Government?

In 1937, the US government had 100 agencies.

Today, one estimate says that 1370 agencies eat out our hearts and control our liberties.

This site says more than 2000:  http://www.ushistory.org/gov/8b.asp

Wikipedia says:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_federal_agencies_in_the_United_States

The Government doesn't know.  Even the CBO and the GAO don't know:  http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/03/the-government-has-no-idea-how-many-agencies-it-has/

This piece of government thinks it knows:  http://www.usa.gov/directory/federal/

And too many of them have armed agents:  http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/bite-the-bullet-weve-got-too-many-agencies-with-armed-agents/   "There are now 73 federal agencies that have armed officers, often called “special agents.” And all of these agencies now cordon off and enforce a federal fiefdom of the more than 4,500 criminal laws at the federal level and thousands of additional regulations that have sprung up in recent decades."  At least 25,000 officers.

And too many employees?  http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2466363/posts
For 2008:  "Number of Full-Time Federal Employees - 2,518,101 Part-Time - 250,785 Full-Time State - 3,818,577 Part-Time - 1,451,002 Full-Time Local - 11,039,250 Part-Time - 3,383,976
TOTAL - 22,461,69"

Disparate Impact Regulation Tossed by Federal Judge

Disparate impact is a dismal theory of political racial policy used by the Obama Administration to accomplish political ends and punish businesses.

It makes the bad assumption that statistics can explain the results of, principally, lending practices and housing and business practices "without showing evidence of actual discriminatory intent."

This is like being declared guilty before being proven innocent, the opposite of the foundational American legal principle of innocence until proven guilty.

See  WSJ, Nov 4, 2014, Opinion Section:  http://online.wsj.com/articles/disparate-impact-rejected-1415059893

Fast & Furious: Finally Proof that Eric Holder and White House Covered Up

Judicial Watch last week finally received the thousands of document they have been fighting for in Court for two years.

Oops, sorry, not the documents themselves!  But they have received the Vaughn Index.  This is the index of all the documents that the Government did not release because President Obama claimed Executive Privilege.

From this index it is obvious that many of the documents and emails are actually not covered by executive privilege.  Such as, emails between Eric Holder and his wife where they discuss how they are working on keeping the documents from becoming public. 

This process began when Eric Holder was about to be held in Contempt of Congress and Obama declared executive privilege in an attempt to protect the Attorney General for stonewalling Congress.  Holder resigned in August, two days after a judge agreed that the Vaughn Index (1307 pages) and the documents (15662) must be released.

Listen to the interviews with Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch on the NRA News Cam & Company on October 24.  Also listen to the Cam & Company interview with John Hinderaker on Oct 27.  See www.nranews.com

Also go to the Judicial Watch web site at www.judicialwatch.org   and see a summary:  http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-obtains-key-fast-furious-information/

"Based on a preliminary review of the massive document, Judicial Watch can disclose that the Vaughn index reveals:

• Numerous emails that detail Attorney General Holder’s direct involvement in crafting talking points, the timing of public disclosures, and handling Congressional inquiries in the Fast and Furious matter.

• President Obama has asserted executive privilege over nearly 20 email communications between Holder and his spouse Sharon Malone.  The administration also claims that the records are also subject to withholding under the “deliberative process” exemption. This exemption ordinarily exempts from public disclosure records that could chill internal government deliberations.

• Numerous entries detail DOJ’s communications (including those of Eric Holder) concerning the White House about Fast and Furious.

• The scandal required the attention of virtually every top official of the DOJ and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).  Communications to and from the United States Ambassador to Mexico about the Fast and Furious matter are also described.

• Many of the records are already publicly available such as letters from Congress, press clips, and typical agency communications.  Ordinarily, these records would, in whole or part, be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.  Few of the records seem to even implicate presidential decision-making and advice that might be subject to President Obama’s broad and unprecedented executive privilege claim.

UPDATE Nov 5:  On this day after the mid-term elections, where the referendum on President Obama's policies disclosed the depth of America's dislike for them, we learn of a Fast & Furious document dump on the eve of the election.

Yes, AG Eric Holder has finally released 64,280 pages of documents to the House Oversight Committee.  These are the ones mentioned in the Vaughn Index above.  Now we will really learn the  truth of Holder's malfeasance, of DOJ's obstructionism, and of the White House's part in this scandal.

See:  http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/391919/election-eve-dump-eric-holder-releases-fast-and-furious-documents-got-him-cited

See:  http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/nov/4/justice-dept-submits-64k-pages-fast-furious-docs/


Also from JW, news of a previous weapons trafficking operation carried out by a DOJ prosecutor in Arizona and how Holder slowed down exposure of its existence:  http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2014/10/dojs-fast-furious-prequel-failed-grenade-running-operation/ 

Why are there so many Questions about Barry Soetoro?

Because there are so many questions!  And the answers are confusing, non-existent, or conflicting.

Here's some more stuff about Barry's mom, Stanley Ann Dunham and her passports.

the-smoking-gun-in-the-obama-eligibility-case-stanley-ann-dunham-passport/

Psuedo-Social Justice Has Harmed the People It Intended to Help

Draft:

http://eaglerising.com/8439/psuedo-social-justice-harmed-people-intended-help/

Are Our Forests Really Overgrown?

Another fire is active within 20 miles of us today.  It is the Courtney Fire in Oakhurst and 21 structures have burned since it started yesterday around noon.  This comes on top of last week's Bridge Fire that almost destroyed 250 homes in Ponderosa Basin, near us.  Two other fires are active near Coulterville.

We all know it is year three of drought and everything is extremely dry.  But one of the real culprits here is the overabundance of fuels in the woods and a 100 years of fire repression without adequate management of fuel loads.  The inability of the Forest Services to properly manage lands due to excessive meddling and lawsuits by environmental groups is adding greatly to the problem.

So what does it mean to say there is too much fuel in the forests.  Well, over 100 years ago several naturalists made surveys of the forests from Arizona to Washington.  They counted numbers of trees per acre.  The general result was that the pine forests of then held about 30 to 40 mature trees per acre.  Smaller tress were regularly kept in check by ground fires.  Today, it is easy to see 300 to 400 trees per acre, many of which are small and midsize trees that constitute the majority of the fuel load, and the danger.

Here is an article that appeared last year during the huge, 400 sq. mile Rim Fire in Mariposa County and Yosemite Park.    Fire-in-Yosemite-offers-forest-management-lessons  It discusses the results of an ongoing survey that started 100 years ago and shows clearly the high fuels load.

Here is a quote:  "Big increase in tree density - A large part of the answer may be found in Stephens' interrupted expedition. His four-person research team was in the process of measuring tree diameters and densities on 15,000 acres that had been studied by the U.S. Forest Service in 1911.
The group found as many as 400 trees per acre on the land. That's compared with between 60 and 90 trees per acre in 1911. There was also between 30 and 40 tons of woody debris per acre on the forest floor, compared with 6 to 8 tons 102 years ago, Stephens said. Besides the dramatic increase in tree density, the researchers found more undergrowth species and, although there were still many old growth trees, the average size of the trees was smaller than in 1911, he said.
"We know the last fire in that area was in about 1905. That's 100 years without fire," Stephens said. "If you don't clear trees and brush and do some prescribed burning, you are eventually going to get a very closed forest that is very dense."

There is a little good news in some places around the Sierra.  I have been riding a lot of forestry roads and roads like Highway 4 Ebbett's Pass yesterday.   I am seeing more instances of Forestry and other agencies doing fuel reduction alongside the roads to about 100 yards back from the road edges.  They are trimming limbs, collecting dead-fall and trash, and cutting the medium size-infill trees for later burning.

I believe we need much more of this thinning, We we consider that the Rim Fire costs about $100 million, think of all the labor hours that could provide valuable jobs to forest workers.  Think of all the homes that could be saved from out-of-control fires.

Jerry Brown, are you listening?

Science - Rosetta Spacecraft Shows Us Comet 67P Up Close

The European Space Agency has finally, after 10 years and 5 loops around the Sun, inserted the Rosetta spacecraft into a matching orbit with Comet 67P.  And the pictures that are slowly coming back are amazing.

See here:  Rosetta-spacecraft-takes-amazing-3d-image-of-comets-topography

And what is the temperature of a comet?  About -70 Celsius:  rosetta-spacecraft-takes-comet-temperature

This link contains more amazing pictures:  Rosetta-comet-mission-photos-esa

Here is a summary of Rosetta's mission and designs: Rosetta-spacecraft-comet-landing-explained-infographic

Link to ESA site:  Rosetta_arrives_at_comet_destination

Rosetta takes about one image per day:  spaceinimages/Missions/Rosetta/

Science: Graphene is the New Wonder Material - Can it Stop a Nuclear War?

I watched one of those investment magic shows today.  You know the type, where they talk and talk but avoid mentioning the name of the companies they are hot on.  But it was one of the better ones.  Of course there is a big set of videos and report that you can get for "free".

Anyway, the gentleman is Dr. Kent Moors who supposed advises governments around the world about geo-political risks.  He had eight ways to capitalize on trends in the world that are scaring us all these days.  The main thrust was about the worrisome Kashmiri border between India and Pakistan.  He sees a fairly high possibility of war there in the next few years.

See video here:  The Zero Line - India and Pakistan
See here for the offer:  Money Map Press - The Great Game   It is worth watching for the state of the world assessment.

Anyway, eventually the video focused on the Indus River that starts in India and ends in Pakistan.  India has treaty rights to the water for power and irrigation.  If India shuts off the water, Pakistan is in big trouble and this could start a nuclear war.

So what is the money making opportunity?  It is in desalination of seawater.  And the company to watch is Lockheed Martin, who is developing Graphene as a desalination membrane.  This actually could become a major breakthrough in desal systems because graphene membranes are one atom thick and potentially much more efficient than todays membranes.

Nobel Prize for 2010:  Nobel prize for physics 2010 - Graphene

Lockheed Martin patent announcement of 2013 for Perforene:  Lockheed-martin-achieves-patent-for-perforene-filtration-solution

Perforene description:   Lockheed Martin - wanted-clean-drinking-water

Business Insider article:  lockheed-martin-desalination-graphene-filters-2013-3

Knowing that LM is involved makes the whole thing real for me.  However, it is obvious from the LM announcement that there is a lot of development work to be done yet.  During my Chevron Career I was involved with reverse osmosis desal and gas cleanup plants several times.  A new membrane that can reduce the plant size, and more importantly potentially reduce the power requirements would be a breakthrough indeed.

The other six opportunities present in "The Great Game" offer interesting ideas, but I am less enthused about some of them.  Good stuff to wonder about though.

Tryanny or Honest Mistake? Land Rover Seized by Feds

I've had dealings with California CARB about registration of foriegn vehicles.  I got it resolved and the people I dealt with were simple bureaucratics doing their jobs.  But that was 20 years ago.

It seems things are changing.  These folks had their Land Rover Defender seized because of a VIN number mix-up.  Maybe they got swindled by the previous owner, maybe it was never correct, maybe parts got replaced at some point.

For this huge crime, six vehicles and many agents swooped down on their property and grabbed the car.  They were from Homeland Security.  Now the folks can't find out where the car is located, or even get people to talk to them.  It looks like summary justify the bureaucratic way is about to happen.

See here:  federal-agents-storm-couples-property-seize-60000-car-violating-emissions-standards

This is plain stupid.  You don't need gun-toting federal law-enforcement agents to execute a car seizure.   This another case of the EPA and it sub-agencies turning into tyrannical law-unto-themselves.

The American People are being disrespected and mistreated too often these days.

Scandal: Harry Reid Obstructs Congress Continuously

He's been doing it for years.  Yet the people of Las Vegas keep electing him because the casino union workers think he brings them bacon.  In reality, he brings bacon to his rich friends and government cronies.  In reality he has been impeding the work of the Senate and is the real reason very little is getting done in Washington. 

See here for a tally of the blocked bills:  The Unpatriotic Laziness of Harry Reid

The Unpatriotic Laziness of Harry Reid

By Onan Coca

More evidence of the lies and cover-ups coming from President Obama and Harry Reid. Check out the stats coming from Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) office…
At the weekly press conference with Republican leaders Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins (KS-02) highlighted the 352 bills – 98% which passed with bipartisan support in the House – that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid refuses to bring up for a vote. The numbers never lie…
The numbers never lie. Currently, 352 bills that passed the House are awaiting action on Harry Reid’s desk. Of these bills:

- 98% passed with bipartisan support
- Nearly 70% passed with 2/3rds support or more
- Over 50% passed with no opposition at all
- And 55 were introduced by Democrats
And still, Harry Reid refuses to bring them up for a vote.
Why does the media continue to allow the unpatriotic laziness from Harry Reid to continue? Perhaps if the media spent a little more time being a government watchdog and a little less time being cheerleaders for the Democrat Party… our Congress would be getting more done? (Specifically, maybe Harry Reid would be getting more done?)

Why Trey Gowdy Should be President

As you know, I like Trey Gowdy very much.

Here are some video excerpts that show why:

republican-superstar-gives-important-speech-years/


These five videos are compendiums of significant Trey Gowdy speeches or questioning of witnesses:

Part 1:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZkTSiLtu31o#t=307

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=S_HIv3qDQ_s#t=4

Part 3:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=w7v7e5bdYLA#t=4

Part 4:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pZ-1n9ePoAU#t=3

Part 5:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FethZnvrKR8#t=4

NLRB, Ms. Reynolds:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MbNCYlZGs3A#t=13

Walker Wins, Unions Lose in Wisconsin

Unions have been used to having their own way for a long time.  Finally, in cases across teh country, some balance is being re-instated.  In Wisconsin, the right of speech once again trumps the desire of unions to force members to support their political campaigns by providing union dues.

Bold emphasis by me..

Unions Lose and the Public Wins Big in Wisconsin

Hans von Spakovsky and James Sherk    August 04, 2014  at Heritage Foundation

Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin had quite a good day on July 31 when the state supreme court upheld not only Wisconsin’s voter ID law, but also the 2011 budget legislation that severely curtailed the power of public unions to control the lives and salaries of state and municipal government employees.
In Madison Teachers, Inc. v. Walker, a majority of the court overturned a lower court decision that had enjoined various parts of the law and upheld it in its entirety. The 2011 law (Act 10) prohibited public unions from bargaining on issues other than base wages; prohibited municipalities from deducting union dues from the paychecks of public employees; imposed annual recertification requirements for unions; and prohibited any union agreement that would require employees who are not members of a union from having to pay union dues.
Various unions, including the AFL-CIO, challenged these provisions, claiming they violated their associational rights under the First Amendment and their equal protection rights under the 14th Amendment.
This ruling represents a huge victory for both Wisconsin taxpayers and the recipients of government services.
In tossing out these claims, the Wisconsin Supreme Court pointed out that, as the U.S. Supreme Court itself has said, public employees have no “constitutional right to negotiate with their municipal employer on the lone issue of base wages, let alone on any other subject.” Collective bargaining is “a creation of legislative grace and not constitutional obligation.” According to the court, “the plaintiffs’ associational rights are in no way implicated” by the law’s change to the state’s collective bargaining framework.
Union member are not restricted in any way from exercising their First Amendment right to associate together: they “remain free to advance any position, on any topic, either individually or in concert, through any channels that are open to the public.” But the union has no constitutional right to force the government to listen to what it has to say – or to require the government to negotiate only with the union.
Furthermore, unions can’t force the government to subsidize them through paycheck deductions for union dues from public employees who are members of the union – “no constitutional right exists for the deduction of dues from a paycheck to support membership in a voluntary organization.”
Unions also have no constitutional right to force employees who do not want to be members of a union to pay union dues. Because none of the challenged provisions involves constitutional rights and public employees are not a protected class, the unions’ equal protection challenge also failed under the court’s rational basis review.
The court also threw out an additional challenge to another Wisconsin law that prohibited the City of Milwaukee from paying the employee share of contributions to the city’s retirement plan.
This ruling, which removes the last legal challenge to Act 10, represents a huge victory for both Wisconsin taxpayers and the recipients of government services. Before Act 10, the Wisconsin state and local governments could not manage their workforces without union consent. Collective bargaining meant government unions had to agree with any changes to how the government operates. Government unions often use this power to hijack the government and make it serve their interests ahead of the public good.
Unions in the private sector cannot ask for too much without their companies prohibitively raising prices and losing customers to competing firms. But the government has no competition—it has a monopoly. Government unions do not have to worry about holding costs down or operating efficiently because the public has nowhere else to go. Without Act 10, Walker would have to either raise taxes or cut programs to balance Wisconsin’s budget.

Unions can’t force the government to subsidize them through paycheck deductions for union dues from public employees who are members of the union.

Government unions could live with either option, of course. What they did not want was what actually happened – eliminating the deficit by trimming their members’ benefits. Wisconsin government employees must now contribute toward their pension benefits and pay a larger portion of their healthcare premiums. They still make more than comparable private sector workers, but that gap has narrowed. These reforms allowed Walker to close a $3.6 billion budget hole and cut taxes by $2 billion.
Eliminating collective bargaining also allows governments to operate more efficiently. Local school districts saved tens of millions of dollars by shopping for more competitive health plans. The Wisconsin Education Association used to force districts to buy health benefits from WEA Trust. This plan charged inflated premiums. School districts can now spend those savings to better educate children.
Similarly union seniority systems meant Wisconsin schools had to lay off the newest teachers first—no matter how well they taught. In 2010 Megan Sampson won statewide recognition for excellence as a first-year English teacher. A week later Milwaukee Public Schools laid her off because the union contract required her to be let go first. That system benefited senior union members at the expense of new hires and children who need the best education possible. Act 10 eliminated this restriction. Wisconsin school districts can now hire and fire on the basis of what works best for the children, not the union members. Act 10 means the government can serve the public instead of unions.

Pitkin vs. Goliath - CO Road Closure

I think these videos tell the sad story for themselves.  The Forest Service, BLM and Parks are all trying to shut down the People's lands all over the country.

Pitkin v. Goliath Part 1

Pitkin v. Goliath Part 2 

Wow, the People win for once.

And then they win again:  citizen-activists-reopen-barricaded-blm-road-near-olathe/

A Win for Privacy - Cell Phones Can Not be Searched

The second 9-0 decision by SCOTUS has gone back to the Constitutional basics by reaffirming the 4th Amendment.  The Court decided that smart cell phones are different than older dumb phones because they can contain so much private information about their owners.

Here is a good writeup from a legal firm: 

Smart Aid for the World's Poor - Matt Ridley at WSJ

This is one of the most important articles I have read in years.  Matt Ridley is a UK Parliamentarian with an outspoken attitude and often right-on ideas. 

Context:  Since 1990, the number of the world's extreme poor has decreased by 50% because of globalization, free markets and the spread of easy to access energy and technology. 

To continue this trend, Ridley asks what are the five most important things people can do to continue the improvement.  He suggests the United Nations needs new goals that are discrete, quantitative and achievable.  He suggests using a method from Bjorn Lomborg, who has brought together 60 economists and asked that very question.

Ridley picks his own list of five, which I can agree with.  However, I would add number zero:  A massive improvement in sanitation, especially in countries like India, where malnutrition caused by chronic diseases is endemic and cultural. 

The entire article is at the WSJ for July 26-27, 2014.   
      Smart Aid for the World's Poor,  How can rich countries best help poor ones? 
See article here at WSJ:  smart-aid-for-the-worlds-poor

Ridley proposes these five ideas:

"What would my own list of five 2030 goals look like, based on the work of the Copenhagen Consensus group?

1. Reduce malnutrition. When children get better food, they develop their brains, stay in school longer and end up becoming far more productive members of society. Every dollar spent to alleviate malnutrition brings $59 of benefits.

2. Tackle malaria and tuberculosis. These two diseases debilitate huge populations in poor countries, but they are largely preventable and curable. In the most harshly affected countries, two people often do one person's work because one of them is sick. Benefit to cost ratio: 35 to 1.

3. Boost preprimary education, which costs little and has lifelong benefits by getting children started on learning. 30 to 1.

4. Provide universal access to sexual and reproductive health, which would save the lives of mothers and infants while enabling women to be more economically productive. It would also lower birthrates (when fewer children die, people have fewer children). Benefits could be as high as 150.

5. Expand free trade. This isn't considered sexy in the development industry, and it may seem remote from humanitarian issues, but free trade often delivers phenomenal improvements to the welfare of the poor in surprisingly quick time, as the example of China has demonstrated in recent years. One of the discoveries of the Copenhagen Consensus process is that incremental goals such as expanding free trade are often better than supposedly "transformational" goals. A successful Doha Round of the World Trade Organization could deliver annual benefits of $3 trillion for the developing world by 2020, rising to $100 trillion by the end of the century."

Some articles about sanitation in India:  

This article got me linking these two article.  Especially look at the chart comparing countries:  http://www.delhifoodbanking.org/index.php/latest-news/60-poor-sanitation-in-india-may-afflict-well-fed-children-with-malnutrition.html

or here at NYT:   http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/15/world/asia/poor-sanitation-in-india-may-afflict-well-fed-children-with-malnutrition.html?smid=tw-nytimes&_r=0 

 

More articles:

poor-sanitation-not-malnutrition-may-be-to-blame-for-indias-notoriously-stunted-children/ 

how-indian-states-stack-up-on-access-to-toilets

half-billion-indians-still-need-better-access-to-toilets

health-nutrition-unicef-india

http://www.gatesnotes.com/Development/Next-Great-Opportunity-Sanitation-for-Indias-Poor

What is Marriage? And Why Should the State Care?

This is the second best explanation I have ever heard for why marriage is between one man and one woman.  I can no longer find the first, unfortunately, although the arguments are similar.

See Ryan T. Anderson speaking at Standford University:  What is Marriage?

Here is the Q&A portion:  Q&A session

Executive Orders: Obama bans AK Imports

Obama Bans AK-47s with Executive Order 13662

July 17, 2014

From Freedom Outpost by Dean Garrison: obama-bans-ak-47s-executive-order-13662/

On Wednesday, Barack Obama used his powerful pen to effectively ban AK-47s, and other Kalashnikov Russian-made imports, indefinitely. This will include the import of parts and accessories so it affects current owners as well as those looking to make a new purchase. If you like your gun, you can keep it. Just don't expect to be getting parts for it without paying a small fortune.

The Executive Order was issued under the guise of punishing Russia with more sanctions. Considering AK-47s are one of the weapons that this administration, and certain members of congress, have been looking to ban, that excuse doesn't seem to hold much credibility. As John Galt said, "The good news is Obama has not banned Vodka imports from Russia yet, probably because he is the biggest homolush in Amerika."
Don't be fooled. There is always an agenda.
The ban is effectively against all AK-line Kalashnikov imports, which obviously covers much more than just AK-47s.
Kurt Nimmo reports:

Obama exploited the conflict in Ukraine to target the importation of the popular AK line of firearms manufactured by Kalashnikov Concern in Izhmash, Russia. The unconstitutional ban includes the Saiga line of rifles and shotguns.

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) attempted to soften the blow by stating the executive order does not outlaw Kalashnikov firearms legally purchased in the United States prior to the ban.

The OFAC, according to its website, "administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions based on US foreign policy and national security goals against targeted foreign countries and regimes, terrorists, international narcotics traffickers, those engaged in activities related to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and other threats to the national security, foreign policy or economy of the United States."

The criminalization of an entire line of foreign manufactured firearms is possible under "national emergency powers" and there is no appeal process.

No appeal process? I thought I was living in America.
Is this the "Hope and Change" that people voted for?
You can read the details of the sanctions here or you can simply stick a fork in your left eye if you are looking for something more pleasant.
Obama can play games all he wants but MSNBC viewers better not find out about this. In a recent poll, 88% of MSNBC viewers supported constitutional carry.
Wake up America. You are being lied to and the man in the Oval Office cares not what you think. He only cares about what he wants you to think.

11 Facts that Show We Live in a Country Run By Idiots

The following list has been attributed to comedian Jeff Foxworthy.  But Snopes says Foxworthy is not the author.

The original compiler is apparently a man named Fritz Edmunds.
1. If you can get arrested for hunting or fishing without a license, but not for being in the country illegally, you live in a country run by idiots.
2. If you have to get your parents' permission to go on a field trip or take an aspirin in school, but not to get an abortion, you live in a country run by idiots.
3. If you have to show identification to board an airplane, cash a check, buy liquor or check out a library book, but not to vote on who runs the government, you live in a country run by idiots.
4. If the government wants to ban stable, law-abiding citizens from owning gun magazines with more than ten rounds, but gives 20 F-16 fighter jets to the crazy leaders in Egypt, you live in a country run by idiots.
5. If, in the largest city, you can buy two 16-ounce sodas, but not a 24-ounce soda because 24-ounces of a sugary drink might make you fat, you live in a country run by idiots.
6. If an 80-year-old woman can be stripped searched by the TSA but a woman in a hijab is only subject to having her neck and head searched, you live in a country run by idiots.
7. If your government believes that the best way to eradicate trillions of dollars of debt is to spend trillions more, you live in a country run by idiots.

8. If a seven year old boy can be thrown out of grade school for saying his teacher's "cute," but hosting a sexual exploration or diversity class in grade school is perfectly acceptable, you live in a country run by idiots.
9. If hard work and success are met with higher taxes and more government intrusion, while not working is rewarded with EBT cards, WIC checks, Medicaid, subsidized housing and free cell phones, you live in a country run by idiots.
10. If the government's plan for getting people back to work is to incentivize NOT working, with 99 weeks of unemployment checks and no requirement to prove they applied but can't find work, you live in a country run by idiots.
11. If being stripped of the ability to defend yourself makes you more "safe" according to the government, you live in a country run by idiots.
If you are offended by this article,  you probably voted for the idiots who are running our country into the ground.

Here's a video with a slightly different list:  Idiots List

Math vs. Obamacare: Dave Ramsey Shows Why Math Wins

So, this is an older video by Dave Ramsey, but it bears repeating.  As usual, Dave gets to the heart of the problem.

Dave Ramsey on Obamacare Math

See also the comments at:  http://eaglerising.com/7395/remember-dave-ramsey-destroyed-obamacare/

Dan Bongino Tells Congress How to be Grown-up Politicians

I'll just repeat this note about how to be a grown-up politician:

Former Secret Service Agent and current candidate for Congress from the state of Maryland, Dan Bongino (R-MD) penned an important and powerful open letter to the corrupt political class in Washington, DC. He posted his observations to his Facebook wall and it’s something that every politician needs to read.

If, during my time as a Secret Service Agent, I had abused my authority as Lois Lerner did, I would be in jail.

If the current class of DC insiders and elitists expect the citizenry who empower them to take them seriously, then large-scale changes are in order.

First, stop talking to us as if we are an unintelligent class of buffoons. Telling us that you "lost" emails, in defiance of both common-sense and common-decency, is an insult to everyday Americans who would be arrested for providing the same excuse to the IRS.

Second, stop blaming the opposing Party, the weather, technology, the winter, prior presidents, and anything else not tied down, for a class of problems that are doing real harm to us right now. Anyone can place blame, but only real leaders take responsibility for problems, regardless of "who started it" (a tactic commonly used by children) and fix them.

And, finally, America is quickly growing hip to your faux aspirations of glory. We are looking for leaders, not political celebrities. Put down the canned talking points and use your heart, instead of the teleprompter, you may be surprised by what comes out.
America is craving statesmen in search of a better tomorrow, not politicians in search of the next DC cocktail party.

-Dan


Originally posted at:   http://eaglerising.com/7085/former-secret-service-agent-writes-open-letter-destroying-dc-political-class/#EAQ82C8YwRp7eul8.99

Marco Rubio: Makling Seqnse on Education, Immigration, Taxes, Jobs, etc.

Just go here:

marco-rubio-delivers-game-changing-speech/

Scandals: NLRB Appointments Struck Down by SCOTUS

In one of two a major wins for the People this week, The Supreme Court has ruled that President Obama's appointments to the National Labor Relations Labor Board last year were illegal.  Like many actions Obama has taken lately, he claimed executive privilege to make these appointments during what he call a "recess" by Congress.  The Court said, "Sorry, you are not king."

Scandal: IRS Looses Lois Lerner's Emails - Really?

This new Obama Adiminstration scandal has teh potential to bring down the President, just like teh loss of 18 minutes of Oval Office tapes did in Richard Nixon.

How can John Koskinen state to House Oversight that 7 hard disks crashed, conveniently 10 days after the House asked for more emails about the coverup of the persecution of conservative prospective 501c groups?  Emails exist on originating organization servers, on hard disks (if they are setup to store messages locally), on intermediate email servers, on recipient organization servers, on recipients' computers, and probably in the maw of NSA's Utah data farm.  So it is likely that Koskinen was lying or severely misinformed.

Now comes the revelation that the contract with the IRS' backup storage company, Sonasoft, was ended soon after the emails were "lost."

Can it get any better as a soap opera?   bombshell-irs-fired-back-company-sonasoft-shortly-lois-lerners-computer-crashed/

The question is:  What is so damaging hat is hiding in Lois Lerner's emails?  A direct link to the White House?  Direct instructions to persecute conservative groups?  Or worse?

Trey Gowdy Trains the Inspector General

I like Trey Gowdy.  Here's an example of why.

Trey Gowdy and IRS

Scandal or Treason: 12 More Terrorists Released

File this under:  You have got to be F'n kidding me!

See here:  obama-releases-another-12-jihad-terrorists-us-military-prison/

Soon, from the coast of Syria to western Chinese border will be a caliphate of Muslim extremists from ISIS, ISIL, Al Qaeda, Taliban, and other groups with three goals:
- to drive that whole region back to the 15th Century
- to act as a breeding ground for worldwide religious jihad against Western ways
- to kill as many infidels as possible

Some one has to stand up and say enough is enough.  Can you say Crusades?

I can't see it being Obama.  He is on vacation again in Rancho Mirage.  I don't think he knows a whit of what he is doing.  He certainly cannot decide to do things in a hurry...he needs to consider indeterminately, hoping that the problems will just go away. 

When 1700 Iraqi policemen got executed in mass graves yesterday, doesn't he get the message?  He and Prime Minister Maliki created this disaster in 2011 when they announced "victory" and began the pullout of US troops.

Scandal: America Invaded: Obama Encourages Child Invasion on Southern Border

In 2012, President Obama used an executive order (once again illegal) to grant effective amnesty to hundreds of thousands of "Dreamers," that is kids of illegal immigrants who have been raised in the US. 

Subsequent to this, administrative actions have extended this to many who are not accompanied by parents or guardians.  Since October 2013 to May 2014, about 47,000 have crossed the border.  The scandal is that this fact was being kept quiet, all the while military barracks in Texas, Arizona and other locations have been converted into what are essentially refuge camps.  Recently , the Administration has banned visitor to these camps.  They have also forbidden Border Patrol officers from carrying personal electronic devices so that they cannot take pictures inside these centers.  It is estimated that in the Nogales area almost 50% of CBP officers are working on the paperwork for these "kids."  They are being promised lawyers and advocates so that they can be processed into green card holders.

Worse, word has been going around in South and Central America that this order effectively means the US will not turn away any children who end up crossing the southern border.  So parents are making efforts to get them to the border.  Incredibly, newspapers and US consulates in Central America are spreading the word that this opportunity exists, thereby encouraging the inrush.

As predicted by local law enforcement in Arizona, the "kids" are now showing signs of serious diseases like tuberculosis, whooping cough, flu, malaria, etc.

Why do I put "kids" in parentheses?  because most of them are not really kids but teens and young adults.  Many have criminal backgrounds or are gang members.  This is why cameras have been taken away and access to the camps curtailed, so the truth of who they are can't be shown.

Soon after they arrive, many of the "kids" inquire about when they can get their Obama-phone.

Estimates are that in the next year, another 140,000 or more will show up and be accepted.

When the real (B6 BLS report) shows over 16% of working age people in the US  are still unemployed, how can the government justify this invasion?  I say it is not justifiable.  The prognosis for more wasted money, disease propagation and social disruption is unparalleled.  And all the far left-wingers can see is future voters.


UPDATE:  Homeland Security announced yesterday that none of these "kids" will be going back!  DOJ announced they will provide lawyers, which is patently illegal.

Charles Koch vs. Harry Reid

Lately Harry Reid has been vilifying The Koch Brothers for simply being successful.  And for speaking about their beliefs and backing that speech with support for political groups.  Harry Reid has been using the Alinski principles to make the Koch into the "great satans."  As usual Harry is wrong.  

The opinion piece below brings some balance and truth to the war.

This article was published in the Wall Street Journal on 2 April 2014.

I’m Fighting to Restore a Free Society
by Charles G. Koch
 
I have devoted most of my life to understanding the principles that enable people to improve their lives. It is those principles—the principles of a free society—that have shaped my life, my family, our company and America itself.
 
Unfortunately, the fundamental concepts of dignity, respect, equality before the law and personal freedom are under attack by the nation’s own government. That’s why, if we want to restore a free society and create greater well-being and opportunity for all Americans, we have no choice but to fight for those principles. I have been doing so for more than 50 years, primarily through educational efforts. It was only in the past decade that I realized the need to also engage in the political process.
A truly free society is based on a vision of respect for people and what they value. In a truly free society, any business that disrespects its customers will fail, and deserves to do so. The same should be true of any government that disrespects its citizens. The central belief and fatal conceit of the current administration is that you are incapable of running your own life, but those in power are capable of running it for you. This is the essence of big government and collectivism.

More than 200 years ago, Thomas Jefferson warned that this could happen. “The natural progress of things,” Jefferson wrote, “is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.” He knew that no government could possibly run citizens’ lives for the better. The more government tries to control, the greater the disaster, as shown by the current health-care debacle. Collectivists (those who stand for government control of the means of production and how people live their lives) promise heaven but deliver hell. For them, the promised end justifies the means.
 
Instead of encouraging free and open debate, collectivists strive to discredit and intimidate opponents. They engage in character assassination. (I should know, as the almost daily target of their attacks.) This is the approach that Arthur Schopenhauer described in the 19th century, that Saul Alinsky famously advocated in the 20th, and that so many despots have infamously practiced. Such tactics are the antithesis of what is required for a free society—and a telltale sign that the collectivists do not have good answers.

Rather than try to understand my vision for a free society or accurately report the facts about Koch Industries, our critics would have you believe we’re “un-American” and trying to “rig the system,” that we’re against “environmental protection” or eager to “end workplace safety standards.” These falsehoods remind me of the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s observation, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” Here are some facts about my philosophy and our company:  Koch companies employ 60,000 Americans, who make many thousands of products that Americans want and need. According to government figures, our employees and the 143,000 additional American jobs they support generate nearly $11.7 billion in compensation and benefits. About one-third of our U.S.-based employees are union members.
 
Koch employees have earned well over 700 awards for environmental, health and safety excellence since 2009, many of them from the Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration. EPA officials have commended us for our “commitment to a cleaner environment” and called us “a model for other companies.”
 
Our refineries have consistently ranked among the best in the nation for low per-barrel emissions. In 2012, our Total Case Incident Rate (an important safety measure) was 67% better than a Bureau of Labor Statistics average for peer industries. Even so, we have never rested on our laurels. We believe there is always room for innovation and improvement.
 
Far from trying to rig the system, I have spent decades opposing cronyism and all political favors, including mandates, subsidies and protective tariffs—even when we benefit from them. I believe that cronyism is nothing more than welfare for the rich and powerful, and should be abolished.
 
Koch Industries was the only major producer in the ethanol industry to argue for the demise of the ethanol tax credit in 2011. That government handout (which cost taxpayers billions) needlessly drove up food and fuel prices as well as other costs for consumers—many of whom were poor or otherwise disadvantaged. Now the mandate needs to go, so that consumers and the marketplace are the ones who decide the future of ethanol.
 
Instead of fostering a system that enables people to help themselves, America is now saddled with a system that destroys value, raises costs, hinders innovation and relegates millions of citizens to a life of poverty, dependency and hopelessness. This is what happens when elected officials believe that people’s lives are better run by politicians and regulators than by the people themselves. Those in power fail to see that more government means less liberty, and liberty is the essence of what it means to be American. Love of liberty is the American ideal.
 
If more businesses (and elected officials) were to embrace a vision of creating real value for people in a principled way, our nation would be far better off—not just today, but for generations to come. I’m dedicated to fighting for that vision. I’m convinced most Americans believe it’s worth fighting for, too.
 
[Mr. Koch is chairman and CEO of Koch Industries.]

Victor Davis Hanson - Perspectives that Make Sense

VDH is a college professor of History and a political commentator.  Victor Davis Hanson is the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University; his focus is classics and military history. He has had a long career in education.  He speaks and writes about history and current affairs, mostly from a principled conservative viewpoint that emphasizes that strong history of California and America in depending on freedom and market systems. He lives in Selma near Fresno and farms the family farm.

Today Jim Franklin on his KMJ Fresno radio show replayed a speech by VDH given at  the Sunbird Conservative Conference on April 14, 2014 in Fresno.  VDH talks about American exceptional-ism and the ways the liberal "collective" is destroying the American work ethic and conventional political structures.  Link to come: 

Because that speech is not yet available, here is a very similar speech that VDH gave at the Conservative Forum, Feb 5, 2014:  VDH at Conservative Forum

I admire VDH a lot becasue he can express in simple terms many of the basic current problems facing the country and the conservative movement.  In addition, VDH is uniquely relevant to the California Central Valley population because he grew up, lives and works here.  

Fun with Physics at Veritasium

I just discovered this guy, who has some link with Bill Nye the Science Guy.  He is Derek Muller, the curator of science video blog Veritasium.

Check out his video about Gravity Waves:  Gravity Waves

Also see the 2D Rubens Tube video:   2D Rubens Tube

His Facebook page has lots of cool stuff in aid of his quest to teach science.  https://www.facebook.com/veritasium

Here is his YouTube page:  http://www.facebook.com/veritasium

Airman Kolfage Writes to President Obama

I have nothing to add.  Here's one link to this letter:  Triple-amputee-soldier-hero-destroys-president-obama-open-letter/   You can find his Facebook page at:  Facebook for Brian Kolfage

Dear President Obama,

My name is Brian Kolfage, I’m a triple amputee and retired Air Force veteran who was severely wounded on September 11, 2004 in Iraq.

I nearly died in a war that most of your colleagues supported overwhelmingly, including the two presidents who came before you. Many citizens may not agree with waging war in Iraq to free the oppressed Iraqi citizens, but it’s something that warriors like myself have no control over. I joined to serve my country and to better my life.  I’ve seen things that you could never imagine, and they have made me the person I am today.

Mr. Obama, even though we have extreme opposite views, we have one thing in common, we both attended school in Hawaii. However, that’s where the similarities end.  You see, as you attended your exclusive, private school, I would ride my bike to Kaimuki High School in one of the roughest areas in Hawaii.  Every morning I would ride past Punahou, the exclusive private school you attended and I would notice all of the Bentleys, Maseratis, and fancy foreign cars that all the kids were dropped off in; wow it must have been extremely rough in Hawaii living that life, right? I could only imagine what it was like to have that kind of money. Fortunately for you, not many people are aware of the school that you and the upper class citizens of Hawaii attended. The tuition to attend your exclusive, private school was more than it cost me to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Arizona. You talk a big game when it comes to financial inequality, yet I’m quite sure you have no idea what it’s truly like to have to sacrifice. You were one of the elitist children in Hawaii.

After High School, we each chose very different paths. You were able to attend America’s finest Ivy League schools, while I pursued a career in the military, in hopes of earning a degree. What we have in life as children usually helps to set the tone for how we achieve success later in life. I worked to get where I am today, while it was HANDED TO YOU...Mr. Inequality.

I volunteered to go to Iraq on both of my deployments, and the second time I begged to go even after I wasn’t selected.  During that second deployment, I was ultimately placed on the team where I would lose both legs and my dominant arm.  Even though many Americans were against the war in Iraq, I’ve never asked myself if it was worth it after losing 3 of my limbs.

I am frequently reminded of the many young Iraqi children who would beg me for water, food, and toys while I was stationed in Iraq.  Children, who in all aspects made the poorest of poor American children look rich. You have no idea what it really means to be poor. It’s laughable that you, who would have no idea what it means to be poor would so frequently play the inequality card.

While I was in Iraq, our mission was to liberate the Iraqi citizens from a tyrant and that’s what we did. Never forget, it was your people who sent us there, like the Clintons, John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi & Carl Levin.  However, since the day you busted onto the scene you’ve been talking about ending the war and pulling the troops out, not understanding the blood sweat and tears that so many Americans and Iraqi’s invested.  And with complete disregard for every life sacrificed, every limb lost, and every broken family, you bailed on our mission to pursue an agenda that was completely centered on your re-election in 2012. If you didn’t bail on Iraq you were worried that you may not get re-elected and that’s a fact. Just before elections on Oct 11, 2012 you said “Al Qaeda is on the run and Osama bin Laden is dead.”  Look at Iraq now, they are in shambles and the Al Qaeda flag is flying freely.  Clearly, you’re unfit for duty as a Commander in Chief. You put your own agenda ahead of America’s agenda, and now you have single handedly ruined and destroyed nearly everything we gained in Iraq. It clearly means nothing to you, because the only thing that you’ve personally invested in that country was a promise to bail on them. However, people like me gave limbs, friends have died, and we’ve watched families destroyed by war’s aftermath.

I’m not placing blame on you for the war, I’m placing blame on you for destroying what we’ve worked so hard to build. You’re not a leader, you’re a community organizer. A leader would have stood up regardless of the situation and put America’s agenda first and that is ensuring a secure Iraq even after 10 years of war. But, you placed Barack first, just as Robert Gates confirmed in his new book. I can’t help but think of those poor kids who I gave water and toys to 11 years ago. They’re probably 15 or 16 years old now, and I can only imagine what it’s like for them to have their nation being torn apart yet again; all because of your poor leadership qualities. Regardless of why we went to Iraq, its water under the bridge. We went there, we waged war, and we not only owed it to our KIA’s but we owed it to the citizens of Iraq. We invaded their country and turned it upside down, and you bailed on them. You bailed on our soldiers and you’ve wasted every death and every limb, it’s all for nothing.  And to make matters worse you blame others for your failures

You’re just another elitist rich thug who’s pretended to live the rough life growing up in the inner-city. You’re only worried about your own agenda and furthering your party instead of taking care of Americans.  Your inability to be a leader at some of the most critical points has caused both of our wars to fail. You’ve been a joke to most of our veteran community and we have no faith in your ability to lead.

Senior Airman Ret Brian Kolfage USAF

“The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it.” — Lou Holtz

  

I will comment that there is smear campaign against Airman Kolfage that is vile.  It is sad that some on the left can be so mean:  Facebook-trolls-stalk-iraq-war-veteran-and-triple-amputee-brian-kolfage

I volunteered to go to Iraq on both of my deployments, and the second time I begged to go even after I wasn’t selected.  During that second deployment, I was ultimately placed on the team where I would lose both legs and my dominant arm.  Even though many Americans were against the war in Iraq, I’ve never asked myself if it was worth it after losing 3 of my limbs.

I am frequently reminded of the many young Iraqi children who would beg me for water, food, and toys while I was stationed in Iraq.  Children, who in all aspects made the poorest of poor American children look rich. You have no idea what it really means to be poor. It’s laughable that you, who would have no idea what it means to be poor would so frequently play the inequality card.

While I was in Iraq, our mission was to liberate the Iraqi citizens from a tyrant and that’s what we did. Never forget, it was your people who sent us there, like the Clintons, John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi & Carl Levin.  However, since the day you busted onto the scene you’ve been talking about ending the war and pulling the troops out, not understanding the blood sweat and tears that so many Americans and Iraqi’s invested.  And with complete disregard for every life sacrificed, every limb lost, and every broken family, you bailed on our mission to pursue an agenda that was completely centered on your re-election in 2012. If you didn’t bail on Iraq you were worried that you may not get re-elected and that’s a fact. Just before elections on Oct 11, 2012 you said “Al Qaeda is on the run and Osama bin Laden is dead.”  Look at Iraq now, they are in shambles and the Al Qaeda flag is flying freely.  Clearly, you’re unfit for duty as a Commander in Chief. You put your own agenda ahead of America’s agenda, and now you have single handedly ruined and destroyed nearly everything we gained in Iraq. It clearly means nothing to you, because the only thing that you’ve personally invested in that country was a promise to bail on them. However, people like me gave limbs, friends have died, and we’ve watched families destroyed by war’s aftermath.

I’m not placing blame on you for the war, I’m placing blame on you for destroying what we’ve worked so hard to build. You’re not a leader, you’re a community organizer. A leader would have stood up regardless of the situation and put America’s agenda first and that is ensuring a secure Iraq even after 10 years of war. But, you placed Barack first, just as Robert Gates confirmed in his new book. I can’t help but think of those poor kids who I gave water and toys to 11 years ago. They’re probably 15 or 16 years old now, and I can only imagine what it’s like for them to have their nation being torn apart yet again; all because of your poor leadership qualities. Regardless of why we went to Iraq, its water under the bridge. We went there, we waged war, and we not only owed it to our KIA’s but we owed it to the citizens of Iraq. We invaded their country and turned it upside down, and you bailed on them. You bailed on our soldiers and you’ve wasted every death and every limb, it’s all for nothing.  And to make matters worse you blame others for your failures

You’re just another elitist rich thug who’s pretended to live the rough life growing up in the inner-city. You’re only worried about your own agenda and furthering your party instead of taking care of Americans.  Your inability to be a leader at some of the most critical points has caused both of our wars to fail. You’ve been a joke to most of our veteran community and we have no faith in your ability to lead.

Senior Airman Ret Brian Kolfage USAF

“The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it."

— Lou Holtz

Read more at http://eaglerising.com/6087/triple-amputee-soldier-hero-destroys-president-obama-open-letter/#vsoOJfBwmMtOSW5t.99

Senior Airman Ret. Brian Kolfage is a real American hero. He has earned the right to speak out against the incompetence of the Obama administration... and so he does. Please take the time to read his open letter to President Obama which he released through 100 percent fed up.

Dear President Obama,

My name is Brian Kolfage, I’m a triple amputee and retired Air Force veteran who was severely wounded on September 11, 2004 in Iraq.

I nearly died in a war that most of your colleagues supported overwhelmingly, including the two presidents who came before you. Many citizens may not agree with waging war in Iraq to free the oppressed Iraqi citizens, but it’s something that warriors like myself have no control over. I joined to serve my country and to better my life.  I’ve seen things that you could never imagine, and they have made me the person I am today.

Mr. Obama, even though we have extreme opposite views, we have one thing in common, we both attended school in Hawaii. However, that’s where the similarities end.  You see, as you attended your exclusive, private school, I would ride my bike to Kaimuki High School in one of the roughest areas in Hawaii.  Every morning I would ride past Punahou, the exclusive private school you attended and I would notice all of the Bentleys, Maseratis, and fancy foreign cars that all the kids were dropped off in; wow it must have been extremely rough in Hawaii living that life, right? I could only imagine what it was like to have that kind of money. Fortunately for you, not many people are aware of the school that you and the upper class citizens of Hawaii attended. The tuition to attend your exclusive, private school was more than it cost me to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Arizona. You talk a big game when it comes to financial inequality, yet I’m quite sure you have no idea what it’s truly like to have to sacrifice. You were one of the elitist children in Hawaii.

After High School, we each chose very different paths. You were able to attend America's finest Ivy League schools, while I pursued a career in the military, in hopes of earning a degree. What we have in life as children usually helps to set the tone for how we acheive success later in life. I worked to get where I am today, while it was HANDED TO YOU….Mr. Inequality.

I volunteered to go to Iraq on both of my deployments, and the second time I begged to go even after I wasn’t selected.  During that second deployment, I was ultimately placed on the team where I would lose both legs and my dominant arm.  Even though many Americans were against the war in Iraq, I’ve never asked myself if it was worth it after losing 3 of my limbs.

I am frequently reminded of the many young Iraqi children who would beg me for water, food, and toys while I was stationed in Iraq.  Children, who in all aspects made the poorest of poor American children look rich. You have no idea what it really means to be poor. It’s laughable that you, who would have no idea what it means to be poor would so frequently play the inequality card.

While I was in Iraq, our mission was to liberate the Iraqi citizens from a tyrant and that’s what we did. Never forget, it was your people who sent us there, like the Clintons, John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi & Carl Levin.  However, since the day you busted onto the scene you’ve been talking about ending the war and pulling the troops out, not understanding the blood sweat and tears that so many Americans and Iraqi’s invested.  And with complete disregard for every life sacrificed, every limb lost, and every broken family, you bailed on our mission to pursue an agenda that was completely centered on your re-election in 2012. If you didn’t bail on Iraq you were worried that you may not get re-elected and that’s a fact. Just before elections on Oct 11, 2012 you said “Al Qaeda is on the run and Osama bin Laden is dead.”  Look at Iraq now, they are in shambles and the Al Qaeda flag is flying freely.  Clearly, you’re unfit for duty as a Commander in Chief. You put your own agenda ahead of America’s agenda, and now you have single handedly ruined and destroyed nearly everything we gained in Iraq. It clearly means nothing to you, because the only thing that you’ve personally invested in that country was a promise to bail on them. However, people like me gave limbs, friends have died, and we’ve watched families destroyed by war’s aftermath.

I’m not placing blame on you for the war, I’m placing blame on you for destroying what we’ve worked so hard to build. You’re not a leader, you’re a community organizer. A leader would have stood up regardless of the situation and put America’s agenda first and that is ensuring a secure Iraq even after 10 years of war. But, you placed Barack first, just as Robert Gates confirmed in his new book. I can’t help but think of those poor kids who I gave water and toys to 11 years ago. They’re probably 15 or 16 years old now, and I can only imagine what it’s like for them to have their nation being torn apart yet again; all because of your poor leadership qualities. Regardless of why we went to Iraq, its water under the bridge. We went there, we waged war, and we not only owed it to our KIA’s but we owed it to the citizens of Iraq. We invaded their country and turned it upside down, and you bailed on them. You bailed on our soldiers and you’ve wasted every death and every limb, it’s all for nothing.  And to make matters worse you blame others for your failures

You’re just another elitist rich thug who’s pretended to live the rough life growing up in the inner-city. You’re only worried about your own agenda and furthering your party instead of taking care of Americans.  Your inability to be a leader at some of the most critical points has caused both of our wars to fail. You’ve been a joke to most of our veteran community and we have no faith in your ability to lead.

Senior Airman Ret Brian Kolfage USAF

“The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it."

— Lou Holtz

Read more at http://eaglerising.com/6087/triple-amputee-soldier-hero-destroys-president-obama-open-letter/#vsoOJfBwmMtOSW5t.99

Triple Amputee Soldier and Hero Destroys President Obama in Open Letter

By Onan Coca / 10 May 2014 / 223 Comments

Share993 Tweet163 59 Reddit54 20

Senior Airman Ret. Brian Kolfage is a real American hero. He has earned the right to speak out against the incompetence of the Obama administration... and so he does. Please take the time to read his open letter to President Obama which he released through 100 percent fed up.

Dear President Obama,

My name is Brian Kolfage, I’m a triple amputee and retired Air Force veteran who was severely wounded on September 11, 2004 in Iraq.

I nearly died in a war that most of your colleagues supported overwhelmingly, including the two presidents who came before you. Many citizens may not agree with waging war in Iraq to free the oppressed Iraqi citizens, but it’s something that warriors like myself have no control over. I joined to serve my country and to better my life.  I’ve seen things that you could never imagine, and they have made me the person I am today.

Mr. Obama, even though we have extreme opposite views, we have one thing in common, we both attended school in Hawaii. However, that’s where the similarities end.  You see, as you attended your exclusive, private school, I would ride my bike to Kaimuki High School in one of the roughest areas in Hawaii.  Every morning I would ride past Punahou, the exclusive private school you attended and I would notice all of the Bentleys, Maseratis, and fancy foreign cars that all the kids were dropped off in; wow it must have been extremely rough in Hawaii living that life, right? I could only imagine what it was like to have that kind of money. Fortunately for you, not many people are aware of the school that you and the upper class citizens of Hawaii attended. The tuition to attend your exclusive, private school was more than it cost me to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Arizona. You talk a big game when it comes to financial inequality, yet I’m quite sure you have no idea what it’s truly like to have to sacrifice. You were one of the elitist children in Hawaii.

After High School, we each chose very different paths. You were able to attend America's finest Ivy League schools, while I pursued a career in the military, in hopes of earning a degree. What we have in life as children usually helps to set the tone for how we acheive success later in life. I worked to get where I am today, while it was HANDED TO YOU….Mr. Inequality.

I volunteered to go to Iraq on both of my deployments, and the second time I begged to go even after I wasn’t selected.  During that second deployment, I was ultimately placed on the team where I would lose both legs and my dominant arm.  Even though many Americans were against the war in Iraq, I’ve never asked myself if it was worth it after losing 3 of my limbs.

I am frequently reminded of the many young Iraqi children who would beg me for water, food, and toys while I was stationed in Iraq.  Children, who in all aspects made the poorest of poor American children look rich. You have no idea what it really means to be poor. It’s laughable that you, who would have no idea what it means to be poor would so frequently play the inequality card.

While I was in Iraq, our mission was to liberate the Iraqi citizens from a tyrant and that’s what we did. Never forget, it was your people who sent us there, like the Clintons, John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi & Carl Levin.  However, since the day you busted onto the scene you’ve been talking about ending the war and pulling the troops out, not understanding the blood sweat and tears that so many Americans and Iraqi’s invested.  And with complete disregard for every life sacrificed, every limb lost, and every broken family, you bailed on our mission to pursue an agenda that was completely centered on your re-election in 2012. If you didn’t bail on Iraq you were worried that you may not get re-elected and that’s a fact. Just before elections on Oct 11, 2012 you said “Al Qaeda is on the run and Osama bin Laden is dead.”  Look at Iraq now, they are in shambles and the Al Qaeda flag is flying freely.  Clearly, you’re unfit for duty as a Commander in Chief. You put your own agenda ahead of America’s agenda, and now you have single handedly ruined and destroyed nearly everything we gained in Iraq. It clearly means nothing to you, because the only thing that you’ve personally invested in that country was a promise to bail on them. However, people like me gave limbs, friends have died, and we’ve watched families destroyed by war’s aftermath.

I’m not placing blame on you for the war, I’m placing blame on you for destroying what we’ve worked so hard to build. You’re not a leader, you’re a community organizer. A leader would have stood up regardless of the situation and put America’s agenda first and that is ensuring a secure Iraq even after 10 years of war. But, you placed Barack first, just as Robert Gates confirmed in his new book. I can’t help but think of those poor kids who I gave water and toys to 11 years ago. They’re probably 15 or 16 years old now, and I can only imagine what it’s like for them to have their nation being torn apart yet again; all because of your poor leadership qualities. Regardless of why we went to Iraq, its water under the bridge. We went there, we waged war, and we not only owed it to our KIA’s but we owed it to the citizens of Iraq. We invaded their country and turned it upside down, and you bailed on them. You bailed on our soldiers and you’ve wasted every death and every limb, it’s all for nothing.  And to make matters worse you blame others for your failures

You’re just another elitist rich thug who’s pretended to live the rough life growing up in the inner-city. You’re only worried about your own agenda and furthering your party instead of taking care of Americans.  Your inability to be a leader at some of the most critical points has caused both of our wars to fail. You’ve been a joke to most of our veteran community and we have no faith in your ability to lead.

Senior Airman Ret Brian Kolfage USAF

“The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it."

— Lou Holtz

Read more at http://eaglerising.com/6087/triple-amputee-soldier-hero-destroys-president-obama-open-letter/#vsoOJfBwmMtOSW5t.99

Triple Amputee Soldier and Hero Destroys President Obama in Open Letter

By Onan Coca / 10 May 2014 / 223 Comments

Share981 Tweet161 58 Reddit53 20

Senior Airman Ret. Brian Kolfage is a real American hero. He has earned the right to speak out against the incompetence of the Obama administration... and so he does. Please take the time to read his open letter to President Obama which he released through 100 percent fed up.

Dear President Obama,

My name is Brian Kolfage, I’m a triple amputee and retired Air Force veteran who was severely wounded on September 11, 2004 in Iraq.

I nearly died in a war that most of your colleagues supported overwhelmingly, including the two presidents who came before you. Many citizens may not agree with waging war in Iraq to free the oppressed Iraqi citizens, but it’s something that warriors like myself have no control over. I joined to serve my country and to better my life.  I’ve seen things that you could never imagine, and they have made me the person I am today.

Mr. Obama, even though we have extreme opposite views, we have one thing in common, we both attended school in Hawaii. However, that’s where the similarities end.  You see, as you attended your exclusive, private school, I would ride my bike to Kaimuki High School in one of the roughest areas in Hawaii.  Every morning I would ride past Punahou, the exclusive private school you attended and I would notice all of the Bentleys, Maseratis, and fancy foreign cars that all the kids were dropped off in; wow it must have been extremely rough in Hawaii living that life, right? I could only imagine what it was like to have that kind of money. Fortunately for you, not many people are aware of the school that you and the upper class citizens of Hawaii attended. The tuition to attend your exclusive, private school was more than it cost me to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Arizona. You talk a big game when it comes to financial inequality, yet I’m quite sure you have no idea what it’s truly like to have to sacrifice. You were one of the elitist children in Hawaii.

After High School, we each chose very different paths. You were able to attend America's finest Ivy League schools, while I pursued a career in the military, in hopes of earning a degree. What we have in life as children usually helps to set the tone for how we acheive success later in life. I worked to get where I am today, while it was HANDED TO YOU….Mr. Inequality.

I volunteered to go to Iraq on both of my deployments, and the second time I begged to go even after I wasn’t selected.  During that second deployment, I was ultimately placed on the team where I would lose both legs and my dominant arm.  Even though many Americans were against the war in Iraq, I’ve never asked myself if it was worth it after losing 3 of my limbs.

I am frequently reminded of the many young Iraqi children who would beg me for water, food, and toys while I was stationed in Iraq.  Children, who in all aspects made the poorest of poor American children look rich. You have no idea what it really means to be poor. It’s laughable that you, who would have no idea what it means to be poor would so frequently play the inequality card.

While I was in Iraq, our mission was to liberate the Iraqi citizens from a tyrant and that’s what we did. Never forget, it was your people who sent us there, like the Clintons, John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi & Carl Levin.  However, since the day you busted onto the scene you’ve been talking about ending the war and pulling the troops out, not understanding the blood sweat and tears that so many Americans and Iraqi’s invested.  And with complete disregard for every life sacrificed, every limb lost, and every broken family, you bailed on our mission to pursue an agenda that was completely centered on your re-election in 2012. If you didn’t bail on Iraq you were worried that you may not get re-elected and that’s a fact. Just before elections on Oct 11, 2012 you said “Al Qaeda is on the run and Osama bin Laden is dead.”  Look at Iraq now, they are in shambles and the Al Qaeda flag is flying freely.  Clearly, you’re unfit for duty as a Commander in Chief. You put your own agenda ahead of America’s agenda, and now you have single handedly ruined and destroyed nearly everything we gained in Iraq. It clearly means nothing to you, because the only thing that you’ve personally invested in that country was a promise to bail on them. However, people like me gave limbs, friends have died, and we’ve watched families destroyed by war’s aftermath.

I’m not placing blame on you for the war, I’m placing blame on you for destroying what we’ve worked so hard to build. You’re not a leader, you’re a community organizer. A leader would have stood up regardless of the situation and put America’s agenda first and that is ensuring a secure Iraq even after 10 years of war. But, you placed Barack first, just as Robert Gates confirmed in his new book. I can’t help but think of those poor kids who I gave water and toys to 11 years ago. They’re probably 15 or 16 years old now, and I can only imagine what it’s like for them to have their nation being torn apart yet again; all because of your poor leadership qualities. Regardless of why we went to Iraq, its water under the bridge. We went there, we waged war, and we not only owed it to our KIA’s but we owed it to the citizens of Iraq. We invaded their country and turned it upside down, and you bailed on them. You bailed on our soldiers and you’ve wasted every death and every limb, it’s all for nothing.  And to make matters worse you blame others for your failures

You’re just another elitist rich thug who’s pretended to live the rough life growing up in the inner-city. You’re only worried about your own agenda and furthering your party instead of taking care of Americans.  Your inability to be a leader at some of the most critical points has caused both of our wars to fail. You’ve been a joke to most of our veteran community and we have no faith in your ability to lead.

Senior Airman Ret Brian Kolfage USAF

“The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it."

— Lou Holtz

Read more at http://eaglerising.com/6087/triple-amputee-soldier-hero-destroys-president-obama-open-letter/#vsoOJfBwmMtOSW5t.99

Triple Amputee Soldier and Hero Destroys President Obama in Open Letter

By Onan Coca / 10 May 2014 / 223 Comments

Share981 Tweet161 58 Reddit53 20

Senior Airman Ret. Brian Kolfage is a real American hero. He has earned the right to speak out against the incompetence of the Obama administration... and so he does. Please take the time to read his open letter to President Obama which he released through 100 percent fed up.

Dear President Obama,

My name is Brian Kolfage, I’m a triple amputee and retired Air Force veteran who was severely wounded on September 11, 2004 in Iraq.

I nearly died in a war that most of your colleagues supported overwhelmingly, including the two presidents who came before you. Many citizens may not agree with waging war in Iraq to free the oppressed Iraqi citizens, but it’s something that warriors like myself have no control over. I joined to serve my country and to better my life.  I’ve seen things that you could never imagine, and they have made me the person I am today.

Mr. Obama, even though we have extreme opposite views, we have one thing in common, we both attended school in Hawaii. However, that’s where the similarities end.  You see, as you attended your exclusive, private school, I would ride my bike to Kaimuki High School in one of the roughest areas in Hawaii.  Every morning I would ride past Punahou, the exclusive private school you attended and I would notice all of the Bentleys, Maseratis, and fancy foreign cars that all the kids were dropped off in; wow it must have been extremely rough in Hawaii living that life, right? I could only imagine what it was like to have that kind of money. Fortunately for you, not many people are aware of the school that you and the upper class citizens of Hawaii attended. The tuition to attend your exclusive, private school was more than it cost me to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Arizona. You talk a big game when it comes to financial inequality, yet I’m quite sure you have no idea what it’s truly like to have to sacrifice. You were one of the elitist children in Hawaii.

After High School, we each chose very different paths. You were able to attend America's finest Ivy League schools, while I pursued a career in the military, in hopes of earning a degree. What we have in life as children usually helps to set the tone for how we acheive success later in life. I worked to get where I am today, while it was HANDED TO YOU….Mr. Inequality.

I volunteered to go to Iraq on both of my deployments, and the second time I begged to go even after I wasn’t selected.  During that second deployment, I was ultimately placed on the team where I would lose both legs and my dominant arm.  Even though many Americans were against the war in Iraq, I’ve never asked myself if it was worth it after losing 3 of my limbs.

I am frequently reminded of the many young Iraqi children who would beg me for water, food, and toys while I was stationed in Iraq.  Children, who in all aspects made the poorest of poor American children look rich. You have no idea what it really means to be poor. It’s laughable that you, who would have no idea what it means to be poor would so frequently play the inequality card.

While I was in Iraq, our mission was to liberate the Iraqi citizens from a tyrant and that’s what we did. Never forget, it was your people who sent us there, like the Clintons, John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi & Carl Levin.  However, since the day you busted onto the scene you’ve been talking about ending the war and pulling the troops out, not understanding the blood sweat and tears that so many Americans and Iraqi’s invested.  And with complete disregard for every life sacrificed, every limb lost, and every broken family, you bailed on our mission to pursue an agenda that was completely centered on your re-election in 2012. If you didn’t bail on Iraq you were worried that you may not get re-elected and that’s a fact. Just before elections on Oct 11, 2012 you said “Al Qaeda is on the run and Osama bin Laden is dead.”  Look at Iraq now, they are in shambles and the Al Qaeda flag is flying freely.  Clearly, you’re unfit for duty as a Commander in Chief. You put your own agenda ahead of America’s agenda, and now you have single handedly ruined and destroyed nearly everything we gained in Iraq. It clearly means nothing to you, because the only thing that you’ve personally invested in that country was a promise to bail on them. However, people like me gave limbs, friends have died, and we’ve watched families destroyed by war’s aftermath.

I’m not placing blame on you for the war, I’m placing blame on you for destroying what we’ve worked so hard to build. You’re not a leader, you’re a community organizer. A leader would have stood up regardless of the situation and put America’s agenda first and that is ensuring a secure Iraq even after 10 years of war. But, you placed Barack first, just as Robert Gates confirmed in his new book. I can’t help but think of those poor kids who I gave water and toys to 11 years ago. They’re probably 15 or 16 years old now, and I can only imagine what it’s like for them to have their nation being torn apart yet again; all because of your poor leadership qualities. Regardless of why we went to Iraq, its water under the bridge. We went there, we waged war, and we not only owed it to our KIA’s but we owed it to the citizens of Iraq. We invaded their country and turned it upside down, and you bailed on them. You bailed on our soldiers and you’ve wasted every death and every limb, it’s all for nothing.  And to make matters worse you blame others for your failures

You’re just another elitist rich thug who’s pretended to live the rough life growing up in the inner-city. You’re only worried about your own agenda and furthering your party instead of taking care of Americans.  Your inability to be a leader at some of the most critical points has caused both of our wars to fail. You’ve been a joke to most of our veteran community and we have no faith in your ability to lead.

Senior Airman Ret Brian Kolfage USAF

“The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it."

— Lou Holtz

Read more at http://eaglerising.com/6087/triple-amputee-soldier-hero-destroys-president-obama-open-letter/#vsoOJfBwmMtOSW5t.99