WASHINGTON — Backing down from their hard-line stance, House Republicans said Friday that they would agree to lift the federal government’s statutory borrowing limit for three months, with a requirement that both chambers of Congress pass a budget in that time to clear the way for negotiations on long-term deficit reduction.
The new proposal, which came out of closed-door party negotiations at a retreat in Williamsburg, Va., seemed to significantly reduce the threat of a default by the federal government in coming weeks. The White House press secretary, Jay Carney, said he was encouraged by the offer; Senate Democrats, while bristling at the demand for a budget, were also reassured and viewed it as a de-escalation of the debt fight.
The change in tack represented a retreat for House Republicans, who were increasingly isolated in their refusal to lift the debt ceiling. Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio had previously said he would raise it only if it were paired with immediate spending cuts of equivalent value. The new strategy is designed to start a more orderly negotiation with President Obama and Senate Democrats on ways to shrink the trillion-dollar deficit.
The controversial “Django Unchained” action figures have officially been DISCONTINUED … after several African American groups called for a boycott of the dolls … TMZ has learned.
Sources connected to the toy production tell us … shortly after advocacy groups like Al Sharpton’s National Action Network and Project Islamic Hope spoke out against the figurines … the Weinstein Company (which produced the film) reached out to the toy company and told them to put the kibosh on the toy line ASAP.
We’re told the toy company agreed, insisting they never intended to offend anyone … and halted production immediately.
Sources tell us … the toymakers only released somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,000 dolls before shutting down production.
I tuned in last night like many others, to see if I could forgive a man who used to command much of my respect. Lance Armstrong had a great chance last night to own it all. Oprah gave him the platform to take the bull by the horns and fess up to everything he was guilty of. That’s what I expected of him last night and I think that’s what Oprah expected. Sadly, Armstrong let us all down.
He admitted to using banned substances for every single Tour De France victory and for the first 15 minutes of the interview it seemed like this was going well. Then Armstrong took a weird turn, telling Oprah he never pressured a single teammate to do the things he was doing because he “never outright told them to use PEDs.” Oprah tried to make a point that Armstrong was the leader of his team and since he was so open about his steroid use, when he told a teammate that he wanted them to step up and do better, this pressure to take PEDs was implied. Oprah’s point was met by an argument over semantics. Armstrong conceded that he was supposed to lead by example but then pushed the fact that he never said the words “do steroids” so he was not guilty of pressuring anyone.
That was not the only time Armstrong claimed innocence based on semantics. Oprah asked him while he was doping, if he realized he was cheating. He answered with a clear and firm “no.” Oprah was blown away so she pushed the topic. “How could you not realize you we’re cheating?” Oprah asked. Armstrong then explained that he had looked up the definition of cheating and that it was defined as gaining an unfair advantage over an opponent or foe. He said that he never did that. Armstrong’s argument is that everyone else was on performance enhancing drugs so he never gained an unfair advantage.
Lance Armstrong struck me as a cheating spouse who was only owning up to what they were caught doing instead of owning the whole situation. I didn’t see his confession as genuine. Maybe it was just a sad attempt to stay relevant but he has attacked so many people for accusing him of things he really did that if he is not going to own everything and apologize to every person he sued, this whole interview is moot.
The topic of his ex teammate’s wife came up. Betsy Andreu had told people that she heard Armstrong tell a doctor that he had done a whole list of banned substances. Armstrong not only sued her for this but he called her a “crazy whore.” Andreu was under the impression Armstrong called her a “crazy fat whore.” Armstrong made a point of saying that he did call her a crazy whore but that he never called her fat. So I guess that makes it all better.
Armstrong didn’t lose all my respect by doing all the things he did. He lost my respect last night when he somehow confessed but still took almost no responsibility for what he did. He claimed it was all on him but everything he said last night leads me to believe that he still doesn’t see anything wrong with what he did.
Before I end this post, I’ll leave you with this final point. Mark McGwire used steroids to prolong a career of high production. A career where his home run and RBI totals were always high as long as he was healthy. Roger Clemens is without a doubt, one of the best pitchers to ever grace the mound. He used steroids when he saw his career starting to decline. He used them to keep an already very successful career going. Lance Armstrong would have been a nobody if he didn’t take PED’s. That’s the difference between him and every other great athlete that cheated. He built his career on lies.
PHILADELPHIA – A Philadelphia man was arrested by transit police Thursday for allegedly throwing a woman on the subway tracks at a station in the city’s Chinatown neighborhood, CBS Philly reports.
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority police said surveillance footage showed the man approaching the woman Tuesday afternoon on the subway platform asking for a light, before beating her.
“By the time I zipped my jacket back up, that’s when he was on me, on my neck,” the victim, who wished to remain unidentified, told CBS Philly. “I was just telling him, ‘I don’t have no money,’ and he was just like, ‘Shut up.’ ”
Authorities said the man then grabbed the woman by her ankles and threw her onto the tracks before walking away with her phone.
“I started trying to fight him back, and kick just as much as I could. And he grabbed me by the legs.” the woman said. “He seemed fine, he didn’t seem like he was crazy.”
SEPTA Police Chief Thomas Nestell said the woman was able to climb off the tracks and suffered only bumps and bruises.
“I am so happy that a train didn’t come on either side, because I don’t know what would have happened then,” the woman told CBS Philly.
Police arrested William Clark on Thursday afternoon, recognizing that he was wearing a jacket similar to the one seen in the surveillance video. Authorities said Clark has a previous criminal record, and it was unclear whether he knew the victim.
The art of henna, called mehndi in Hindi, involves the ancient sacred art of decorating the skin in temporary, ornate designs using a paste derived from the henna plant.
Henna paste is derived from the bush plant, Lawsonia inermis, commonly found in the Middle East and other areas where the climate is hot and dry. The bush is harvested, dried, and then crushed to eventually make the paste.
Associated with transformation and transcendence, mehndi is a beautiful, mysterious art form that has been used for centuries to adorn, heal, entice and to bless. In practice for over 5000 years in Pakistan, India, Africa and the Middle East, mehndi became fashionable in the West in the late 1990s, where its sometimes called henna tattoos.
In ancient Egypt mummies were decorated with henna designs for blessings and Cleopatra herself used henna for decorative purposes.
The act of creating a mehndi on your skin is a personal, sensual act in and of itself. Your design can range from something elusively subtle to a bold, all encompassing declaration of your sexual prowess to your partner.
Whether you’re artistic yourself or have a friend who is, your creation can be customized to fit the mood you desire. I recommend getting a prepared kit that includes all the tools and henna together so that everything you need is right at your fingertips. The following video demonstrates the traditional application method to the feet.
There are a number of symbols used within the art that have various meanings and uses. Here are some of the more popular symbols and blessings used within mehndi art:
Palm decoration ~ designs invoke images of opening and offering (usually sun, flower, mandala)
Back of hand decoration ~ acts as a shield-closing, defending, clenching-symbolizing protection.
Right hand ~ Male, Projective
Left hand ~ Female, Receptive
Feet ~ The feet are recognized as a point of divine contact, considered a holy junction,
where Human being and Earth meet.
Peacocks ~ beauty
Swans ~ success
Birds ~ messengers (between heaven and earth)
Butterflies ~ transformation
Parrots ~ messengers of love
Dragonflies~ rebirth
Fishes ~ a womans eyes
Scorpian ~ love and romance, its sting is analogous to Cupid’s arrow while being stung produces the same effects as being in love – glittering eyes, breathless, heat and feverish
Flowers ~ joy and happiness
Vines and leaves ~ longevity, devotion, perseverance, entwined lives and vitality
Lizards and snakes ~ seekers of enlightenment
Tortoise ~ Protection and fertility
Lotus Blossom ~ the light within / the awakening of the human soul. Grace, beauty, creativity, sensuality, femininity, and purity.
Sahasrara ~ thousand-petal lotus ~ uniting the soul with the ‘Divine Source’
Sun, Moon,and Stars~ deep and lasting love between lovers/partners
Paiselys ~ represent fertility and good luck
Eye ~ said to mirror back the ‘Evil Eye’
The bud ~ signifying new growth especially at the end of a drought, and thus represent new life, fertility and joy – or as a metaphor in bridal mehndi to symbolise the start of a new love and a new life.
ZigZag ~ this symbol means “rain” and represents fertility and abundance.
The game (chess board) ~ an ancient symbol which, in different variants, represents happiness and joyful moments.
Ripples ~ represent running water, which purifies and brings life. Also symbolizing human emotion.
Square ~ magical, used to heal and protect the sick.
I’m not sure which, but this video proves one of two things. Either this man is on something, or I am on something. That’s why I’m not understanding what he’s talking about.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christieblasted the National Rifle Association for an ad that pointed out President Barack Obama’s daughters have armed protection, calling it “reprehensible” and saying elected officials’ kids should be off-limits.
“I think any of us who are public figures, you see that kind of ad and you cringe,” he said during a news conference at which he announced a task force on guns and mental health.
Christie, a potential 2016 presidential contender, is the most prominent Republican to voice displeasure with the ad.
The spot calls Obama an “elitist hypocrite” for being skeptical of having armed guards at schools even though his daughters get Secret Service protection.
There’s growing angst among Republicans that the party’s House majority could be at risk in 2014 if the deep GOP divisions that emerged during the recent “fiscal cliff” negotiations persist in looming negotiations over a slew of budgetary issues.
Even as Republican officials maintain the GOP majority is safe, several lawmakers and longtime activists warn of far-reaching political ramifications if voters perceive Republicans as botching consequential talks on the debt ceiling, sequestration and a possible government shutdown.
“Majorities are elected to do things, and if they become dysfunctional, the American people will change what the majority is,” Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), a House deputy majority whip and a former National Republican Congressional Committee chairman, told The Hill.
Don’t look! This is something Republicans don’t want you to know. As far as they’re concerned, things are worse now under Obama than they were under Bush.
First-time claims for unemployment benefits plummeted by 37,000 in just one week, falling to 335,000 from 372,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said Thursday. That’s the lowest since January 2008.
The weekly number is much lower than economists had expected. Forecasts had predicted a total of 370,000 in the week ended Jan. 12, according to a consensus compiled by Briefing.com…
The weekly tally of jobless claims has improved dramatically over the last four years. Initial claims surged above 600,000 during the height of the recession, but by the end of 2011, had fallen below 400,000.
Last year, initial claims tended to stay in the range of 350,000 to 400,000, aside from a temporary bump due to Superstorm Sandy.
First Lady Michelle Obama rang in her 49th birthday with a brand spankin’ new Twitter account.
Her handle, @FLOTUS, jumped to more than 15,000 followers in the two hours after it sent its first tweet Thursday morning, and the number continues to climb.
Obama’s staff will manage the account. Tweets sent by the social media-saavy First Lady herself will be signed “-mo.”
Today at 10am, Joe Torre released a provisional 27 man roster for the World Baseball Classic. Above is a break down of that roster. The team has some powerful bats in Ryan Braun, Mark Teixiera, Giancarlo Stanton and David Wright. I like the team that was put together but I don’t love it. This is why Baseball was eliminated as an Olympic sport. Countries continuously brought their top talent and the U.S. shows up with a B team.
You have to love the strong outfield on Team USA but where is Josh Hamilton, Mike Trout and Bryce Harper? The infield looks pretty strong but where is Troy Tulowitzki? He was rumored to be on the roster but then come 10am and his name was left off. Another person who was oddly left off the roster is Andy Pettitte. He was confirmed to be on the team but was left off the roster due to his contract being uninsured. Pettitte is 40 years old and was injured for 3 months last season. So his contract was too risky to insure should he get injured.
Pettitte would have been a nice addition to what I think is a drab rotation behind Cy-Young winner R.A. Dickey but, where is David Price, Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander? That would have been a great group of guys to see on the mound along with Dickey. Nothing against Torre’s team, he obviously did his best but I’m wondering why all these guys said no to representing the United States.
The World Baseball Classic is very popular throughout the world but as long as MLB players keep turning down the opportunity to put on the red white and blue, it’s never going to be very popular in the U.S.
Team USA will begin there quest to dethrone Japan on March 8th at 9pm ET.
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