Thursday, November 29, 2012
Barker's Newsbites: Thursday, November 29, 2012
I miss Glenn Beck's television show on Fox.
(Note: The moment "He Whose Name Dare Not Be Mentioned" reads the above line he's gonna freak... so... let's all pray he's not taking a sip of hot coffee at the exact moment the above words register...)
(*HUGE FRIGGIN' GRIN*)
Anyway...
What I like about Beck is that he's one of the few media figures who actually expand my informational horizons beyond mere "details" inherent in the very concept of "news."
Beck's show was not only entertaining; it was informative! (And I'm talking informative at a sophisticated level!)
(Note: "He Whose Name Dare Not Be Mentioned" is right now literally sputtering... talking aloud to himself... let's hope he's not with clients!)
(*CHUCKLING*)
Anyway... at the moment I'm reading Beck's new novel, "Agenda 21".
(Note: It's being claimed that Beck did no writing... that he simply bought the rights to the work of Harriet Parke - who is listed as co-writer. In any case, the book is the book.)
So far it's a pretty good read. A bit over the top, but then again, wasn't Animal Farm, 1984, Atlas Shrugged, and so on and so forth?
No... I'm not claiming that Agenda 21 is an "instant classic" let alone "timeless classic." I'm simply pointing out that thought provoking writing need not be "realistic" in terms of detail, but rather that it must reflect a concept that has roots in reality.
Anyway...
My like-minded friends might wanna read Beck's (Parke's) Agenda 21.
But pushing the book isn't my point here...
Nope! What I'm actually asking you all to do is to read the following "reviews" - one (poison) penned by Sarah Cypher and carried in Slate; another (poison) penned by "Thinking Blue" and carried in the Daily Kos.
Wow...
Just... wow...
Folks... it's not simply the hatred that shine through. No. It's the totalitarian mindset on review!
Ya know... I was originally planning on highlighting what I'm referring to... but on second thought... I'm not going to. I'll leave it to you - my readers - to decide whether I have a point or not.
One final thought on "Beck hatred": You'll find it all over the web. Google "Beck + Agenda 21" and you'll come across "commentary" that makes Cypher and "Thinking Blue" sound reasonable and measured in comparison!
Anyway, folks... on to newsbites! (As always... found within the Comments section of this post!)
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http://www.cnbc.com/id/49993082
Companies are racing the clock to hand out billions in special dividends before year end — and some of them are taking on debt to do it.
(*HEADACHE*)
Taking advantage of [artificial Federal Reserve dictated] super-low interest rates, companies have been issuing debt at a record rate this month.
* BUT... BUT... BUT...
Some say they plan to use the proceeds to fund dividends and share repurchases.
* SO... IT'S AKIN TO TAKING OUT CASH ADVANCES ON YOUR CREDIT CARD - FULLY INTENDING TO KEEP A LONG-TERM BALANCE - AND THEN GIVING THE MONEY AWAY AS CHRISTMAS GIFTS SO AS TO MAKE YOURSELF LOOK FLUSH...
(*SIGH*)
The latest is Costco, which announced a $7-a-share payout to stockholders Wednesday and is issuing bonds to pay for the $3 billion dividend.
* AND... IS... GOING... INTO... DEBT... TO... PAY... FOR... THE... $3 BILLION... DIVIDEND...
* FOLKS... IT'S THE MORTGAGE SCAM ALL OVER AGAIN! TAKE THE MONEY NOW AND IF AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE YOU CAN'T KEEP UP WITH DEBT REPAYMENT... SIMPLY GO BANKRUPT!
Fearing a tripling of dividend tax rates next year, companies have found one-time payouts and early payments of quarterly dividends as a way to beat some of the impact of the "Fiscal Cliff."
* HELL OF A TAX CODE WE HAVE, HUH, FOLKS! MAKES YA PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!
(*SMIRK*)
On Tuesday, issuance for the month surpassed $100 billion, making it the busiest November ever and on track to possibly be the busiest month of 2012, according to IFR.
* FOLKS... YOU UNDERSTAND THAT "ISSUANCE" IS A FANCY WORD FOR "TAKING ON DEBT." AND THIS DEBT... IT'S NOT BEING TAKEN ON TO EXPAND THE BUSINESSES... IT'S NOT BEING INVESTED IN R&D... IT'S SIMPLY BEING GIVEN AWAY TO EXISTING STOCK/BOND HOLDERS!
* OH... AND AS TO THE PORTION BEING USED FOR "STOCK REPURCHASES"... THAT'S SIMPLY A GIMMICK ALLOWING THE BOARD AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT TO FURTHER CONSOLIDATE POWER USING CORPORATE (RATHER THAN PERSONAL) RESOURCES AND THEREFORE CREATING CORPORATE (RATHER THAN PERSONAL) RISK.
http://www.khou.com/news/local/-Surveillance-video-shows-man-shot-by-Valero-store-clerk-throw-first-punch-181127601.html
As family members of a man who was shot by a Valero clerk in southeast Houston, TX., called for the store clerk’s arrest, the store owner released surveillance video.
Alexander Calloway, 21, and his two cousins were trying to enter the gas station on Martin Luther King and Belarbor around 3:30 a.m., but the store was locked.
The young men got into an argument with the clerk, who unlocked his door and came outside, police said.
Someone punched the clerk in the face and the clerk pulled out his gun and shot Calloway in the stomach, according to HPD.
* NOT "SOMEONE" - CALLOWAY! (THEY HAVE IT ON VIDEO!)
Calloway’s cousins rushed him to a fire station on Cullen at Selinsky, and paramedics transported him to Ben Taub Hospital in critical condition.
* I WONDER IF THE TAXPAYERS WILL BE PAYING FOR CALLOWAY'S MEDICAL CARE...
On Tuesday, the store owner played the surveillance video for KHOU 11 News. It showed the store clerk being punched by Calloway before the clerk opened fire.
* YEP! THAT'S WHAT I SAID!
Community members marched in front of the store and demanded justice.
* "COMMUNITY MEMBERS," HUH? YEAH... SOUNDS LIKE SOME COMMUNITY... SOME MEMBERS...
(*SNORT*)
Calloway’s father blamed the clerk for what happened to his son.
* OF COURSE HE DOES!
(*GUFFAW*)
“I’m just hurt,” said Alexander Calloway. “He didn’t have to shoot my son. He didn’t have to shoot my son.”
* I WONDER IF THE FATHER HAS A CRIMINAL RECORD. I WONDER IF THE SON DOES... SEALED OR NOT...
The store owner, who has stood by his employee’s right to defend himself, said the clerk no longer has a job.
(*JUST SHAKING MY HEAD*)
“For the sake of the community, we feel very strongly that he won’t be coming back to work,” said George Hlaiheo.
* FOLKS... YOU'RE READING WHAT I'M READING... (AND THIS IS TEXAS!)
Activist Quanell X said both men shared blame for what happened.
* "ACTIVIST...?!?!" (IS THAT LIKE A "COMMUNITY ORGANIZER...?")
* "QUANELL X...?!?!"
(*GUFFAW*)
“We want the store merchants to respect us but we must respect them,” he said.
* I'VE GOT A BETTER IDEA: KILL ALL THE SCUMBAGS.
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2012/11/28/phil-matier-oakland-crime-rate-worries-city-officials/
Burglaries are up a startling 43% in Oakland, CA., this year compared to last, part of an ever-growing crime problem in the city.
* NOTHING "STARTLING" TO ME!
According to the latest numbers from the Oakland Police Department, more than 11,000 homes, cars or businesses have been broken into so far this year – translating to about 33 burglaries a day.
(*SARCASTIC CLAP-CLAP-CLAP*)
The most popular targets have been cars with more than 5,700 burglarized so far this year.
(*SARCASTIC THUMBS UP*)
One of the most likely reasons for the sharp uptick in crime – city officials said they believe it’s the gradual loss of police officers from the force.
* YA THINK...???
(*SNORT*)
The city could be down to a little more than 600 officers by February, which would be 200 fewer than in 2008. Even with another 40 expected to graduate from Police Academy, they will be rookies and there is already talk of trying to contract with outside agencies for support.
* HARD TO AFFORD REAL-TIME WORKERS WHILE PAYING OUT THE ASS FOR RETIREES!
* FOLKS... UNDERSTAND... "LIBERAL" ECONOMICS DON'T WORK. SOONER OR LATER THE PONZI SCHEME COLLAPSES. JUST BECAUSE IT'S GRADUAL DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT HAPPENING - JUST ASK ANY CRIME VICTIM IN OAKLAND.
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/dc-takes-top-honors-worst-graduation-rate-us
Washington, D.C., had the worst high school graduation rate in the country in 2011, according to state-by-state statistics released Monday by the U.S. Department of Education.
* AND, FOLKS... SERIOUSLY... IF THAT DOESN'T TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW...
The district received $98.3 million dollars in federal funding during 2011.
* PISSED AWAY... PISSED AWAY... PISSED AWAY... (AT LEAST LOTS OF IT APPARENTLY WAS!)
Second from the bottom is Nevada, the home state of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), with a 62% graduation rate.
(*SNORT*)
* SERIOUSLY... FOLKS... COM'ON... IT'S NOT JUST "COINCIDENCE" THAT IN STATES AND CITIES WHERE DEMOCRATS RULE... (*SIGH*)
* NO... LET ME "PARSE" THAT. VERMONT ACTUALLY HOLDS SECOND PLACE HONORS (RIGHT BEHIND IOWA) WHEN IT COMES TO "BEST GRADUATION RATES." HMM... WHAT IS IT ABOUT VERMONT...
(*RUEFUL CHUCKLE*)
* FOLKS... LIKE FACING IT OR NOT... DEMOGRAPHICS HAS A HUGE IMPACT ON RESULTS. THE MORE BLACKS AND HISPANICS... (*SHRUG*)
* I KNOW... I KNOW... SOUNDS LIKE RACISM FOR THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO DEFLECT THE REALITY OF THE STATS... BUT, FOLKS... THE STATS ARE THE STATS...
(*SHRUG*)
* TWO-PARTER... (Part 1 of 2)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324469304578145881558310020.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop
Several Republican senators continue to oppose the possible nomination of Susan Rice, currently the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, to be secretary of state in President Obama's second term. Their opposition stems largely from Ms. Rice's repeated insistence, five days after terrorists murdered four Americans at a U.S. facility in Libya, that the slaughter stemmed from spontaneous Muslim rage over an amateur video. Sen. John McCain at one point called Ms. Rice "unfit" for the job.
* SHE IS UNFIT. BUT ULTIMATELY THE REASON SHE'S UNFIT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH "INCOMPETENCE" IN A TRADITIONAL SENSE. NO. RICE LIED BECAUSE SHE WAS INSTRUCTED TO LIE. OBVIOUSLY! BUT HOW TO PROVE IT? THE DEMS CONTROL THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH AND - WITH THE SENATE - HALF OF THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH. THEY'VE THOROUGHLY POLITICIZED THE TOP RANKS OF BOTH THE MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE SERVICES AND AS FOR THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT...
(*SNORT*)
* FOLKS. OBAMA SHOULD BE IMPEACHED AND REMOVED FROM OFFICE. BUT THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. YES... BY ALL MEANS THE REPUBLICANS SHOULD DO WHATEVER THEY CAN TO PREVENT RICE FROM ACTUALLY BEING PROMOTED... BUT IN TERMS OF "HER" BEING THE PROBLEM... NO... OBAMA AND "THE CHICAGO WAY" ARE THE PROBLEM.
The president has said that Ms. Rice should not be criticized because she "had nothing to do with Benghazi" and so couldn't have known better when she gave her false account. According to Mr. Obama (and to her), she simply repeated talking points provided by an amorphous and anonymous "intelligence community."
(*ROLLING MY EYES*)
* FOLKS... AGAIN... THERE'S NO "CONSPIRACY THEORY" BEHIND THE CHARGES AGAINST RICE. JEEZUS... JUST THE FACT THAT RICE WAS CHOSEN AS ADMINISTRATION SPOKESPERSON INSTEAD OF HILLARY... THE SECRETARY OF STATE... OR PANETTA... THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE... OR PATRAEUS... THE CIA DIRECTOR... OR TOM DONILON... OBAMA'S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR... TELLS YOU ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW.
* RICE SERVED AS WILLING DUPE AND EVEN THOUGH ANYONE WITH A BRAIN REALIZES THIS, THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THAT OBAMA WILL TRY AND REWARD HER (ONE WAY OR THE OTHER... IF NOT WITH A NOMINATION TO BE SECRETARY OR STATE THAN WITH SOME OTHER REWARD) AND BRAZEN BENGHAZI OUT.
But Ms. Rice did know at least a couple of things. She knew that she had nothing to do with Benghazi.
(*SNORT*)
* YEP...
* TO BE CONTINUED...
* CONCLUDING... (Part 2 of 2)
Rice knew that the video story line was questionable, as Sen. Dianne Feinstein (chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence) and administration officials had already suggested publicly that the attack was al Qaeda-related.
And she knew that the president had a political interest in asserting that al Qaeda wasn't successfully attacking senior American officials but was instead "on the run," as he maintained on the campaign trail.
Senators might therefore ask Ms. Rice why she was put forward to speak about Benghazi, and what part her personal ambition might have played in her willingness to assume the role known during the Cold War as "useful idiot."
* WILLING DUPE... USEFUL IDIOT... SAME THING!
Ms. Rice might also be asked what she knew about al Qaeda's operations in Libya. As a member of the U.N. Security Council and its "Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee," she is privy, for example, to information about the al Qaeda-affiliated Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, which is under sanctions and, according to the council, "maintain[s] a presence in eastern Libya."
(*SMIRK*)
Senators might also explore Ms. Rice's broader record at the U.N. Why, for example, did she think it was appropriate to absent herself from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's September speech to the General Assembly, the purpose of which was to offer the global community a painstaking explanation of why Iran must be stopped before it can weaponize its growing stock of enriched uranium.
Then there is the matter of U.S. participation for the past three years in the U.N. Human Rights Council, alongside such paragons as China, Cuba, Russia and Saudi Arabia (soon to be replaced by Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Ivory Coast and Venezuela). Ms. Rice has continually defended America's presence on the council while boasting to Congress that the U.S. "succeeded in getting Iran to withdraw its candidacy last year." She omitted that, in return, the Obama administration stood aside while Iran was elected to the U.N.'s top women's rights body, the Commission on the Status of Women.
(*GUFFAW*)
Faced with the Human Rights Council's obsessive condemnations of Israel, Ms. Rice told Congress in April 2011 that "the results there were worse when America sat on the sidelines. . . . Israel was relentlessly bashed." America's "engagement and leadership," she said, "are paying dividends." Yet two weeks earlier, the council had concluded its March 2011 session by adopting more resolutions bashing Israel than at any other session in its history.
* FOLKS... THIS ISN'T "INCOMPETENCE." IT'S POLICY! IT'S THE OBAMA POLICY THAT RICE CHAMPIONS NOT JUST BECAUSE THAT'S HER JOB, BUT BECAUSE IT'S HER IDEOLOGY AS WELL!
On the critical issue of Iran's nuclear program, Ms. Rice has been able to achieve only one sanctions resolution, in June 2010, and with less support than any of the multiple Security Council resolutions passed during the George W. Bush administration.
With respect to the ghastly scenario in Syria, Ms. Rice's efforts in the Security Council have been stunningly meager. The Russians (with whom America supposedly "reset" its relationship) and the Chinese have her thoroughly stymied.
Other examples, of both her inexplicable absences from the U.N. and her inconsequential presence, could be adduced.
* YEP. BUT THESE ALREADY HIGHLIGHTED WILL HAVE TO SERVE.
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