Month: January 2013

Categories
Entertainment

How to Get Along With an Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)

Artwork/Amy Conton

Aquarians are extremely intelligent and interesting people to be around. They challenge the status quo, show you new ways of looking at the world and really force you to question yourself and everything around you. However, they can rub some people the wrong way. Understand how an Aquarius works so you can appreciate these individuals to the fullest.

Engage in some intellectual rapport with your Aquarius friend or acquaintance. There’s nothing that an Aquarius appreciates more than mental stimulation. Talk about politics, philosophy, psychology and science to really get her gears turning.

Avoid letting yourself take anything personally in any kind of debate that may naturally occur between you and an Aquarius. It is Aquarius’ nature to grow extremely opinionated and contrary while debating, and he may even take the exact opposite position on a topic to simply force you to see the other side. They are constantly questioning ideas, and while they may be very dogmatic about a concept one day, they might not be the next. Do not let this get to you. If you are bothered by having your ideals coming into question, decline to participate in debate.

Expect an Aquarius to be unpredictable. She may be gregarious, personable and extroverted one day and be quiet and thoughtful the next. She is also given to wild experimentation in her way of doing things. Do not be disturbed by this, it simply comes along with the type of person who is constantly questing for some kind of truth.

Grow a bit of a thicker shell if you’re the sensitive type, because Aquarius tends to “call it like he sees it.” This can be viewed as overly assertive and tactless by some, but Aquarius is just trying to cut past the fluff so that he can get to the center of the matter. If an Aquarius touches on your insecurities or hypocrisies (big or small), it’s better to listen to what he has to say than get angry at him because it is more productive.

Understand that Aquarius can be a very unemotional and detached sign. When growing to be closer and closer friends, you may intuitively start expecting a more sensitive side to emerge that you can open up to. Don’t be disappointed if this does not happen. You can still pour your heart out to an Aquarius and explain every overpowering emotional experience you’ve ever undergone, and she will listen with her undivided attention. It is simply that she processes these things more like a scientist fascinated by how you work, than a sympathizing ear. This does not mean she doesn’t love you or care about you–it’s just the way she is.

Tips & Warnings
As long as you don’t come off as close-minded or emotionally clingy, you have a great shot at making a friendship with an Aquarius work.

h/t  e How

Categories
Entertainment

“Auf Wiedersehen America!” Says Tina Turner

Tina Turner

GENEVA (AP) – Tina Turner is on her way to becoming a Swiss citizen.

The American rock diva has lived in the Zurich suburb of Kuesnacht since the mid-1990s. The local Zuerichsee-Zeitung newspaper said on its website the local council announced its decision to grant the 73-year-old Turner citizenship in an official notice published in Friday’s edition.

The decision still requires formal approval from cantonal (state) and federal authorities.

How Fitting: “You Better Be Good To Me”  Tina Turner

h/t The Associated Press

Categories
Politics

Unemployment Claims At Record Lows. Stock Market At Record Highs

Are things getting better in the economy? Seems that way. Here’s proof.

The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly unemployment benefit applications dropped 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 330,000. That’s the fewest since January 2008.

The four-week average, a less volatile measure, fell to 351,750. That’s also the lowest in nearly five years.

The decline may reflect the government’s difficulty adjusting its numbers to account for layoffs after the holiday shopping season. Layoffs spike in the second week of January and then plummet. The department seeks to adjust for those seasonal trends, but the figures can still be volatile.

If the trend holds up, fewer applications would suggest the job market is improving.

And this. Despite shares in Apple falling over 12% on Thursday, the market still closed today at record highs.

The bull market kept its momentum Friday as the Standard & Poor’s 500 index closed above 1,500 for the first time since Dec. 10, 2007, and the Dow Jones industrial average finished less than 30 points from breaking 14,000.

It was the fourth straight week that Wall Street’s three major indexes finished higher, with the S&P 500 and the Dow hitting new five-year highs again.

Yep! I’ll say that things are definitely getting better. 🙂

Categories
Barack Obama Democratic Mitt Romney Newt Gingrich Politics Rick Santorum White House

So, You Say You Wanna Be President

Word is out that VP Joe Biden is looking to throw his hat into the ring for president in 2016. Not for nothing, but if I were to go with the present mood of the country, I’d have to say that Hillary Rodham Clinton (Stop! We all know she’s running lol!) stands a better chance of becoming the Democratic nominee than the beloved Joe. And it won’t be because Mrs. Clinton is the better politician, or the more experienced legislator or even better liked than Biden. It’s what she isn’t that’s more likely than not going to give her a clearer shot as successor of the Obama Administration.

I don’t think the country has experienced this much diversity since John Fitzgerald Kennedy became the first Irish Catholic American to hold court in the Oval Office. That major feat seems like small potatoes compared to the election of a Barack Hussein Obama to the White house.

Thirteen years into the 21st century and America is slowly showing signs of embracing its diversity, the main reason why its so attractive to others born outside its perceived borders. Whichever way you may wish to see it, for better or for worse, President Obama and his Administration have successfully ushered in The New Vanguard in American politics.

THE ERA OF THE ‘NEW VANGUARD’ IN AMERICAN POLITICS

In the 2009 appointment of his Cabinet members, Obama’s choice of seven women (including Hillary as his Secretary of State), nine racial and ethnic minorities and only eight white men among its 21 members–whose overall age averaged 54 years–made his the most diverse Cabinet in history according to political analysts. It’s predicted that his new Cabinet selections, once completed, will also reflect more accurately what America looks like today.

As it should.

It doesn’t help the resistance to this change, that Americans–particularly the young voters who came of voting age within the last ten years or so–have witnessed the slow, embarrassing decay and deterioration of an antiquated Republican Party. It offers such a clear juxtaposition of how we no longer want our politics to look and act as opposed to what we do want.

Virtually unknown, seemingly untainted and un-corrupted by Big Money lobbyists, grass-rooted, youthful, innovative, broad-minded, humanist, energized and unafraid…these are the adjectives being applied to NewPolitician_5.0!

And just to be fair, Clinton and her people should not consider her a shoe-in for the candidacy in four years (remember how that worked out in ’08? Not so good.) There are quite a few politically aspirant stars out there who have cut their teeth on this new political vibe and are looking to go supernova in the American political galaxy. Gays and Lesbians, Latinos, Asians, young white and black men and women, the secular, the handicapped, Little People and even Mormons!…anyone can step up to the plate at any inning and upset her whole game, hoping for the opportunity to represent America, as seen through their eyes. Whether they’ll be the political trailblazers that these difficult times call for, well–only time will tell.

As it should.

Categories
Sports Super Bowl

All Eyes On Ray Lewis

Every now and then, sports gives us a story worth paying close attention too. I am of course speaking of the up coming Super Bowl but I’m not talking about the Harbaugh brothers. Don’t get me wrong, a brother on brother Super Bowl is very interesting especially when the brothers are both head coaches. However, I’m talking about a story that started back in 1996 when a 21 year old kid was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens and went on to lead the team in tackles with 110 that year.

Ray Lewis needs no description of how impressive his 13x Pro Bowl career has been. He has been the heart and soul of the the Ravens since the late 90’s and here he is, once again at the center of an amazing playoff run. The difference between this year and years passed is this playoff run will be his last. Just after the season ended with a loss to the Bengals, Lewis announced that he would retire at the end of the teams playoff run bringing a legendary career to an end. It seems his teammates wanted to make sure they could put off his retirement as long as possible. The Ravens have gone on an unlikely Super Bowl run in true underdog fashion.

The team has beat the Colts, Broncos and Patriots to earn a trip to the big game against the 49ers. They haven’t been the favorites so far and the Super Bowl is no different. They’ll go into the final game of the season with one single goal and its the same goal the Giants had last year; FINISH.

So my pick for you’re Super Bowl champions is none other than the Baltimore Ravens, and before you call me crazy, I’ll remind you all that I did successfully pick the Super Bowl teams. So my guess is that come February 3rd, Ray Lewis will hoist his second and final Lombardi trophy bringing a story book ending to an incredible career spent entirely with one team. That’s something that has become extremely rare.

Categories
Mitch McConnell Politics

Harry Reid Explains Why He Caved On Filibuster Reform

So yes, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid caved on filibuster reform, despite telling various reporters that changing the filibuster has to happen. In an interview with Rachel Maddow back in October 2010, Reid said, “this has to change. It’s wrong what they’re doing, cause it’s has never happened before. The Republicans, just this time, have abused the system. And it’s gonna have to change. We’re gonna have to look at ways to change that, because there should not be a 60 vote threshold in the Senate.”

Then on Thursday, when he had a chance to change the filibuster, Reid went back on his “no-60-votes-threshold” claim and for some strange reason, he basically left the filibuster in place.

But he has a reason…

Ezra Klein summed it up best when he said, “Reid and McConnell have come to a deal on filibuster reform. The deal is this: The filibuster will not be reformed.”

Categories
Abortions Featured new mexico war on women

New Republican Bill – Rape Victims Having Abortions are “Tampering With Evidence”

Cathrynn Brown
Cathrynn Brown

This bill is being pushed in New Mexico by… guess who… a Republican! She wants to throw rape victims in jail for aborting a pregnancy due to rape. That’s right, if this bill goes through, the victim of a rape would then go to jail if she aborts the rapist’s seed!

We have seen multiple attemps by Republicans to exert FREEDOM on the bodies of women by telling them what they can and cannot do with their own body. This FREEDOM was on full display during the 2012 elections when contraceptives, rape and abortions played a major role in the voting booths. Americans spoke up loud and clear by voting for candidates with more progressive ideas on the rights of women over their own bodies, but like everything else, Republicans fail to accept the results of the election.

Huffington Post reports that House Bill 206, introduced by state Rep. Cathrynn Brown (R), would charge a rape victim who ended her pregnancy with a third-degree felony for “tampering with evidence.”

“Tampering with evidence shall include procuring or facilitating an abortion, or compelling or coercing another to obtain an abortion, of a fetus that is the result of criminal sexual penetration or incest with the intent to destroy evidence of the crime,” the bill says.

Third-degree felonies in New Mexico carry a sentence of up to three years in prison.

We are now back to their War on Women. Time to dust off the hashtag #WarOnWomen!

Categories
Mitch McConnell Politics

Filibuster Deal Reached – Republicans Are Happy

Well, the word on the street is that a “deal” was reached on Filibuster reform. This “deal” was negotiated between Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid and Republican Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell.

According to reports, this new “deal” will make some changes to how filibusters are done. These changes are:

  • Make it harder to filibuster the “motion to proceed,” which allows the Senate to start debate on a piece of legislation. Senators can still filibuster the actual legislation.
  • Eliminate some of the procedural hurdles to send legislation to a conference with the U.S. House to resolve differences between competing bills.
  • Make it easier to confirm certain judicial nominations. It does not apply to Cabinet positions, circuit court nominations or Supreme Court nominations.

Notice any changes yet? No? Well you’re not alone. Anyone looking at this “deal” is left wondering exactly what did Harry Reid get in return. He basically allowed Mitch McConnell and the Republicans to continue blocking bills just because they feel like it. And what did  Reid and the Democrats get in this “deal?”As far as I could see, nothing.

Republicans are ecstatic though! Said Republican Senator Lamar Alexander, “We all want the Senate to function. I’m optimistic about it.”

Yes Lamar, you should be. You basically have things just the way they were before this so-called “deal” was reached.

You hear this all the time… Democrats have no backbone. Well based on what happened with the filibuster, you’d have to agree that at least in this case, that saying is correct.

Categories
Technology twitter

Now You Can Embed Videos Into Your Tweets With Twitter’s ‘Vine’

Today, Twitter unveiled Vine, a new service that allows users to take videos on their cell phone, then embed that video into their tweets.

Vine videos are limited to a maximum of six seconds, and play in a continuous loop. They are shot using the Vine app, and users can choose to have sound on or off, as can anyone who encounters a Vine video in a tweet or blog post. In a blog post, Vine co-founder and general manager Dom Hofmann wrote that, “Posts on Vine are about abbreviation — the shortened form of something larger. They’re little windows into the people, settings, ideas and objects that make up your life. They’re quirky, and we think that’s part of what makes them so special.”

The six-second limitation on Vine posts appears to be Twitter’s new atomic unit for video. A Twitter spokesperson said, “The team tested various video lengths, ranging from about 4 seconds to 10 seconds, as they were building Vine. They found that six seconds was the ideal length, from both the production and consumption side.”

See example below:

Categories
Benghazi Benghazi Politics

Hillary Clinton’s Voice Cracked, Republicans Say She’s Acting. Boehner Cries Constantly, That’s Okay

When I say the words, Cry Baby, who do you think of. That’s right, Republican House Speaker John Boehner is the first person that comes to mind. Boehner will cry long streaming tears at the drop of a dime and everyone is okay with that.

But yesterday as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified about the events in Benghazi, including the four Americans who died – people she knew personally – she was understandably shaken up, her voice cracking at times.

The same Republicans however, who sit and watch Boehner cry on almost a daily basis, is calling this an act by Mrs. Clinton.

This from BuzzFeed:

Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson pressed Clinton on why her office wasn’t able to immediately discover whether the Sept. 11 attacks on the U.S. consulate in Libya were executed by terrorists or spontaneous protesters. He repeatedly asked her why she didn’t pick up the phone that day and find out the facts, to which Clinton eventually responded sharply, “With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans. What difference, at this point, does it make?”

“I’m not sure she had rehearsed for that type of question,” Johnson told BuzzFeed Wednesday afternoon, after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing. “I think she just decided before she was going to describe emotionally the four dead Americans, the heroes, and use that as her trump card to get out of the questions. It was a good way of getting out of really having to respond to me.”

He said it was clear, at other points during the hearing, that Clinton was working off a set of talking points, but that his questions “got under her skin” because “they’re just so common sense.”

“I just don’t think she had an answer to that,” he said. “Maybe it embarrassed her. Maybe she hadn’t thought of it that way.”

Categories
Featured New York

Cop’s Cannibal Friend Describes Eating Black Woman And White Child

Officer Gilbert Valle III

Last October, 28-year-0ld iNYPD officer Gilbert Valle III, aka the Cannibal Cop, was arrested and charged with “conspiracy to kidnap, cook, and eat” up to 100 women. In court on Wednesday, prosecutors provided additional online chats (some online conversations were released in October) between Valle and one of his online cannibal buddies, who uses the screen name “Moody Blues.” This Moody Blues character was, apparently, far more experienced than Valle, who hadn’t actually eaten anyone yet.

According to the New York Post, Moody Blues boasted about having eaten both a “black woman and a small child.” Valle’s response? “I’ve not had a young white woman. Looking forward to it.”

After that, Moody Blues shared some of his favorite recipes: “I also love roasting whole pelvises, mind you only did that with the little one so far.”

There was also this exchange:

Moody Blues: “If we get someone…and we finish the meat early, would you go for another?”

Valle: “Yeah. I think we would have to give it time though.”

Moody Blues: “Why? Go for a completely different type. I’d love to eat another child.”

And Moody Blues described the taste of human flesh, saying it “isn’t quite like pork, but very meaty.”

So, just another normal day in court for everyone.

h/t Gawker

Categories
Barack Obama Politics

John Boehner: Obama Wants To “Shove Us Into The Dustbin Of History”

I was watching a program on MSNBC today and saw a clip from Republican House Speaker, John Boehner. Apparently, it is the Speaker’s belief that President Obama is out to get the Republican party. Mr. Boehner thinks that the President is out to “annihilate the Republican Party.”

The Hill reports Boehner as saying

“Given what we heard yesterday about the president’s vision for his second term, it’s pretty clear to me that he knows he can’t do any of that as long as the House is controlled by Republicans,” Boehner said in a speech Tuesday to The Ripon Society. “So we’re expecting over the next 22 months to be the focus of this administration as they attempt to annihilate the Republican Party.

“And let me just tell you, I do believe that is their goal — to just shove us into the dustbin of history.”

Exit mobile version