Year: 2014

Categories
Politics

Conservative Rabbi Blast Fox News – Bashing Gays Is Not a Religious Act

Shmuel “Shmuley” Boteach, a conservative rabbi who ran for office as a Republican and was endorsed by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), on Tuesday blasted Duck Dynasty reality star Phil Robertson for doing “tremendous damage to religion” with his anti-LGBT comments.

During a religion panel on Tuesday, Fox News host Gretchen Carlson asked CBN’s Wendy Griffith if she approved of a Bible study curriculum that was being branded with the “Duck Dynasty” name.

“I think it’s perfect,” Griffith replied. “They are just being who they are. They are people of faith. They realize that their fame could be short-lived and they’re making the most of it. They’re saying, you know, ‘We want to take a lot of people to heaven with us when we go so we’re going to do this, we’re going to bring it into the churches.’ I think it’s great.”

While Giffith seemed to have forgiven the recent remarks comparing homosexuals to terrorists, Boteach clearly had not forgotten.

“Amanda’s comment is very telling,” Boteach said. “The religious person hears a calling. It’s not career, it’s not about them, it’s about the wider contribution they can make to society in general. And that breeds humility.”

“But on this with Duck Dynasty, they’ve done tremendous damage to religion,” he added. “We have to stop making religion in America about bashing gays. They just have to forswear that stupid comment about comparing homosexuality to bestiality.”

And Boteach was just warming up: “You see the problem in America is we overlook all the heterosexual guys who are raping women, one in five, on the campus. We saw this terrible statistic that in Alaska…”

The rabbi was probably going to make a point about Alaskan women being raped at a rate three times the national average, but Carlson and Griffith cut him off.

“I don’t think that’s what they’re about,” Griffith argued.

“Bashing gays is not religion!” Boteach shot back. “What is religion is family dinners and combating the divorce rate.”

“If Christians want to buy this from somebody who’s made very bigoted and very stereotypical and very awful comments about women and African-Americans that’s their choice,” American Atheists Managing Director Amanda Knief pointed out. “But I am certainly going to find my moral leanings from someone else, not from reality TV characters.”

“Well, if people are interested, this church curriculum comes out in May,” Carlson said in conclusion.

Categories
Politics

Rush Limbaugh Should Be Happy – Sandra Fluke is Running for Office

Thanks to Rush Limbaugh, for putting the spotlight on Sandra Fluke. Her desire to run for office is a positive step forward for Democrats and the women’s movement.

Women’s rights activist Sandra Fluke appears to be moving forward with a run for Congress.

Fluke has filed with the California state Democratic Party to seek its endorsement in the race for retiring Rep. Henry Waxman’s (D-Calif.) seat, according to the state party Web site.

A state party delegate confirmed to Post Politics that Fluke has filed and paid the fee to appear on the ballot this weekend.

Fluke hasn’t officially announced her campaign or filed with the Federal Election Commission, and she didn’t immediately return a request for comment. But filing for the state party’s endorsement means she’s now officially part of the process.

Categories
Politics

A Human Skull, A Suicide Bomber’s Vest, Guns – What TSA Agents Found in 2013

TSA agents at Fort Lauderdale Airport in Florida came across a human skull in checked luggage last year

We may not all agree with some of the ways the TSA does its business, but it seems like they’re doing something right.

A shocking number of guns, weapons and explosive devices were pulled from checked luggage at airports by the Transportation Security Administration last year.

Some 1,813 firearms were seized at U.S. airports by TSA agents in 2013 – an increase of more than 16 per cent on 2012, according to the authority’s yearly report.

The weapons, discovered in carry-on bags at checkpoints, amounted to an average of five per day being found – and eight out of ten guns discovered were loaded.

Firearms were found by TSA agents at a total of 205 airports with Atlanta top of the list for the most firearms intercepted (111) in 2013.

After Atlanta, the top airports for weapon interceptions were Dallas/Fort Worth International in Texas (96 guns found); George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston (68 guns); Phoenix Airport (66 guns) and Denver International (51 guns).

Among the terrifying cache was a loaded .380 pistol with eight rounds, discovered on the lower left leg of a passenger at Bradley Hartford Airport in Connecticut.

In Pittsburgh, a loaded .45 with six rounds was found strapped to the ankle of a traveler. 

But it’s not just guns that TSA agents come across – there have been a number of alarming weapons – including one or two that appear straight out of the history books.

At Chicago Midway, a mace was found in a passenger’s bag. The weapon is a spiked metal ball on a chain attached to a wooden stick used to bludgeon victims.

In Indiana, authorities were faced with an inert suicide vest which was a training aid used by an explosives instructor.

While searching clay pots in a checked baggage location at Fort Lauderdale, officers discovered human skull fragments. Although not a threat to security, the area had to be cordoned off as a crime scene.

Ten canisters containing 24-pounds of black powder were discovered in checked baggage at Chicago Midway. 

A live blasting cap was found with an M60 fuse lighter in a passenger’s checked bag at the Manhattan Regional Airport in Kansas.

After an alarm went off at Anchorage airport in Alaska, officers found a 3.2oz flask of black powder, 22 feet of fuse, a large empty CO2 cartridge, and miscellaneous ammunition in a passenger’s bag.

Categories
Politics

Fox News Joins The Racist Against Coke – “This Diversity Thing” Ticked off a Lot of People – Video

Well this shouldn’t come as a surprise, so I wouldn’t spend too much time talking about Fox News and the role they’ve played in dividing this country, putting whites against blacks, rich against the poor, citizens against immigrants, straight folks against ‘The Gays’ and everyone against women and their right to make their own choices.

I will go straight into the present controversy – an inclusive Super Bowl ad by Coke that caused racists people in their mom’s basement all over this country, to rush to their keyboard and tweet their disgust. Fox News is following these people, warning Coke that their inclusive commercial will not be tolerated!

Eric Bolling from Fox apparently had a problem with Coke and their attempt at diversity, what he called “this diversity thing,” explaining that ‘America The Beautiful’ was “the wrong song” to use for their inclusiveness.

 “For whatever you gain in this diversity thing you’re going for, Coke, you blew it with a lot of people who are very, very patriotic about that song.”

“The problem here, and it’s not even bad if you have all the different cultures singing a song, showing America is a mix of different cultures, but don’t put it to ‘America the Beautiful.’ You used the wrong song. You ticked off a lot of Coke drinkers, you ticked off a lot of Americans.”
Shhhhh. Let’s not tell them that the song was actually written by a lesbian.

Categories
New York Politics

Bill de Blasio to Corporations – Time to Pay a Living Wage

New York City’s new mayor, Bill DeBlasio, has had enough of big corporations taking advantage of the city’s welfare system by paying notoriously low wages.

“If we’re subsidizing companies, we have every right to demand a living wage for the people they pay,” DeBlasio told WNYC’s Brian Lehrer on Monday.

DeBlasio is referring to the fact that millions of low wage workers depend on public assistance, like food stamps, to get by. A report in October found that American taxpayers shell out $3.8 billion per year to subsidize worker pay at the country’s top 10 largest fast food chains.

In October, de Blasio stood with fast-food workers in New York City who were protesting for higher wages. “The bottom line is, this is an unsupportable situation where every day hard-working people can’t make ends meet, and the companies involved certainly can do more,” he said.

The mayor is expected to soon introduce legislation expanding living wage protections in New York. Under a proposal introduced during his campaign this past summer, de Blasio would raise the wage for employees at companies receiving city subsidies — including some retail and fast-food restaurants — to $11.75 an hour with benefits.

Categories
Technology

Meet The New Microsoft CEO – Read His Letter to The Employees

Bill Gates did his part, now Microsoft has a new CEO.  His name is Satya Nadella, and this is his letter to the company.

From: Satya Nadella
To: All Employees
Date: Feb. 4, 2014
Subject: RE: Satya Nadella – Microsoft’s New CEO

Today is a very humbling day for me. It reminds me of my very first day at Microsoft, 22 years ago. Like you, I had a choice about where to come to work. I came here because I believed Microsoft was the best company in the world. I saw then how clearly we empower people to do magical things with our creations and ultimately make the world a better place. I knew there was no better company to join if I wanted to make a difference. This is the very same inspiration that continues to drive me today.
It is an incredible honor for me to lead and serve this great company of ours. Steve and Bill have taken it from an idea to one of the greatest and most universally admired companies in the world. I’ve been fortunate to work closely with both Bill and Steve in my different roles at Microsoft, and as I step in as CEO, I’ve asked Bill to devote additional time to the company, focused on technology and products. I’m also looking forward to working with John Thompson as our new Chairman of the Board.

While we have seen great success, we are hungry to do more. Our industry does not respect tradition — it only respects innovation. This is a critical time for the industry and for Microsoft. Make no mistake, we are headed for greater places — as technology evolves and we evolve with and ahead of it. Our job is to ensure that Microsoft thrives in a mobile and cloud-first world.
As we start a new phase of our journey together, I wanted to share some background on myself and what inspires and motivates me.

Who am I?

I am 46. I’ve been married for 22 years and we have 3 kids. And like anyone else, a lot of what I do and how I think has been shaped by my family and my overall life experiences. Many who know me say I am also defined by my curiosity and thirst for learning. I buy more books than I can finish. I sign up for more online courses than I can complete. I fundamentally believe that if you are not learning new things, you stop doing great and useful things. So family, curiosity and hunger for knowledge all define me.

Why am I here?

I am here for the same reason I think most people join Microsoft — to change the world through technology that empowers people to do amazing things. I know it can sound hyperbolic — and yet it’s true. We have done it, we’re doing it today, and we are the team that will do it again.
I believe over the next decade computing will become even more ubiquitous and intelligence will become ambient. The coevolution of software and new hardware form factors will intermediate and digitize — many of the things we do and experience in business, life and our world. This will be made possible by an ever-growing network of connected devices, incredible computing capacity from the cloud, insights from big data, and intelligence from machine learning.

This is a software-powered world.
It will better connect us to our friends and families and help us see, express, and share our world in ways never before possible. It will enable businesses to engage customers in more meaningful ways.
I am here because we have unparalleled capability to make an impact.
Why are we here?

In our early history, our mission was about the PC on every desk and home, a goal we have mostly achieved in the developed world. Today we’re focused on a broader range of devices. While the deal is not yet complete, we will welcome to our family Nokia devices and services and the new mobile capabilities they bring us.

As we look forward, we must zero in on what Microsoft can uniquely contribute to the world. The opportunity ahead will require us to reimagine a lot of what we have done in the past for a mobile and cloud-first world, and do new things.

We are the only ones who can harness the power of software and deliver it through devices and services that truly empower every individual and every organization. We are the only company with history and continued focus in building platforms and ecosystems that create broad opportunity.
Qi Lu captured it well in a recent meeting when he said that Microsoft uniquely empowers people to “do more.” This doesn’t mean that we need to do more things, but that the work we do empowers the world to do more of what they care about — get stuff done, have fun, communicate and accomplish great things. This is the core of who we are, and driving this core value in all that we do — be it the cloud or device experiences — is why we are here.

What do we do next?

To paraphrase a quote from Oscar Wilde — we need to believe in the impossible and remove the improbable.
This starts with clarity of purpose and sense of mission that will lead us to imagine the impossible and deliver it. We need to prioritize innovation that is centered on our core value of empowering users and organizations to “do more.” We have picked a set of high-value activities as part of our One Microsoft strategy. And with every service and device launch going forward we need to bring more innovation to bear around these scenarios.

Next, every one of us needs to do our best work, lead and help drive cultural change. We sometimes underestimate what we each can do to make things happen and overestimate what others need to do to move us forward. We must change this.

Finally, I truly believe that each of us must find meaning in our work. The best work happens when you know that it’s not just work, but something that will improve other people’s lives.

This is the opportunity that drives each of us at this company.
Many companies aspire to change the world. But very few have all the elements required: talent, resources, and perseverance. Microsoft has proven that it has all three in abundance. And as the new CEO, I can’t ask for a better foundation.

Let’s build on this foundation together.

Satya

Categories
Food And Recipes

The Unhealthiest Drinks at Starbucks

Starbucks: there’s something hypnotically reassuring about the place — from the placidly smiling mermaid on the logo to the cute barista who has your order ready by the time you get to the front of the line. But while the coffeehouse chain is famous for its laid-back vibe, you may not feel as relaxed once you learn these unnerving details about the nutritional content of some Starbucks favorites.

We combed through the worst offenders on the menu and rounded up the top least healthful drinks you can order from Starbucks. While some of these beverages contain enough sugar to induce a diabetic coma in a Shetland pony, others made our naughty list for more surprising reasons — like magnificent levels of cholesterol.

While we didn’t rank items on the super popular, not-so-underground secret menu, it should come as no surprise that drinks like the Cinnamon Bun Hot Chocolate, Caramel Snickerdoodle Macchiato, and Hot Butterbeer Latte — all available at any Starbucks location with a wink and a nod to your favorite barista — are all chart-toppingly caloric and blended with half a dozen super sugary syrups.

So how do you know what’s safe to order? There are a few easy ways to avoid sipping enough calories to please a hummingbird on a sugar bender: for starters, steer clear of items that leap out as especially decadent. If the term “Caramel Brûlée” is in the name, you know you’re not doing your waistline any favors. If you sometimes indulge in these little luxuries, however, you may not be prepared for exactly how badly they stack up nutritionally when we compare them to a Snickers bar — or even a bacon cheeseburger!

Worse still, some of the most innocent-seeming beverages were actually crammed with truly astonishing levels of carbs. Prepare for some troubling surprises: one of our biggest offenders, known as an antioxidant booster, seems like an especially healthful choice — until you look a little closer. Take a look at our slideshow to find out some surprising details that might make you reconsider your next drink order.

We based all of our comparisons on the venti size with whole milk, unless otherwise specified.

1. Peppermint Mocha

Is this the best way to accomplish your New Year’s resolutions? If your gym membership lapsed months ago, skip this dessert masquerading as caffeine: while high in Vitamin A, calcium, and iron, this sweet treat contains the same amount of saturated fat as a large serving of foie gras.

2. Chai Tea Latte

Brace yourself: while the Chai Tea Latte may sound healthful, it packs 340 calories — that’s more than a Taco Bell Beef Gordita Supreme — and although it is the least sweet option of all the items we’re reviewing, it still contains as much sugar as two melted Snickers bars.

3. Caramel Flan Latte

To burn the calories you intake drinking one of these bad boys, you would need to spend an hour and fifteen minutes biking. This drink is the carbohydrate equivalent of 6 ½ slices of wheat bread.

4. Caramel Brulee Latte

A cup of coffee is like the Caramel Brulee Latte the same way my apartment is like the palace of Versailles. This prime example of end-of-the-empire decadence jams 580 calories, twenty grams of fat, and eighty-five grams of carbs into its scant twenty ounces.

Categories
Climate change Featured

Nestlé Chairman Suggest Climate Change Is An Act of God – Humans Must Learn to Adopt

Peter Brabeck

In an interview with The Guardian, Nestlé Chairman Peter Brabeck argued against climate action, arguing the change in global temperature is natural and cyclical — a familiar point from the climate denier playbook. He worried that confronting the issue is similar to humans playing “God”:

Climate change is an intrinsic part of the development of the world. Since the world has existed we have had climate changes and we will have climate change as long as the world exists … For me the issue is more about what can we do in order to adapt to climate change and perhaps to try to gain more time … Are we God to say the climate, as it is today, is the one we have to keep? That’s the way it’s going to be? We are not God. What we have to assure is that climate change happens within a timeframe that humankind can adapt to.
If too much CO2 emission is accelerating climate change in a manner that will take away the possibility for us to adapt to it then we have a problem, but what I think is wrong to say is that we are going to stop climate change today. It’s not the natural approach. What we have to get to grips with is the speed with which climate change is happening and to have the same speed for us to adapt to it.

It is a strange position to take for a chocolate producer, because the $9 billion cocao industry faces a serious blow from climate change. By 2050, the land supplying half the world’s cocoa may become unsuitable for farming, because it will be too hot for the heat-sensitive cacao tree. It’s not the only food being ruined due to a drier, hotter climates: The supply for coffee, grapes, apples, peanut butter, and maple syrup is shrinking too. Brabeck’s strange logic here also suggests there is a ceiling to warming, regardless of how much pollution there is. But scientists have warned that even a 2 degrees Celsius threshold may already be out-of-reach.

Categories
Celebrities dead RIP

Report: 70 Bags if Heroin Found on Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Home

The NYPD reportedly found 70 bags of heroin labeled “Ace of Spades” or “Ace of Heart” in the apartment of Philip Seymour Hoffman, who was discovered dead of a drug overdose yesterday morning. Police have launched a citywide hunt for Hoffman’s drug dealer.

“An internal email went out to all supervisors asking if anyone has had any experience with those brand names of drugs,” a law enforcement source told The New York Post. “They’re going to try to find the source.”

Using something called a “nitro dump,” police hope to narrow down the dealer’s location. From the Post:

“Basically what that is, is any time we make a narcotics arrest we include the brand name on the arrest report and store it in our system so our investigators can see where those brands are being sold,” the source explained.

Once they determine a location, they can zero in on the dealer or dealers selling that particular brand.

Categories
Bridget Kelly Politics

Bridget Kelly Invokes 5th Amendment – Will Not Produce Documents

Governor Christie’s former deputy chief of staff, Bridget Kelly, will not turn over documents in response to a legislative subpoena, her lawyer said Monday, making her the second person to invoke constitutional protections against self-incrimination.

The information demanded by a legislative committee about the George Washington Bridge lane closures “directly overlaps with a parallel federal grand jury investigation,” a letter from attorney Michael Critchley, Sr. to the committee’s special counsel states. The letter, obtained by The Record, also cites her right to privacy.

“Moreover, providing the Committee with unfettered access to, among other things, Ms. Kelly’s personal diaries, calendars and all of her electronic devices amounts to an inappropriate and unlimited invasion of Ms. Kelly’s personal privacy and would also potentially reveal highly personal confidential communications completely unrelated to the reassignment of access lanes to the George Washignton Bridge,” Critchley wrote.

Already released records show that Kelly sent an e-mail to a Port Authority executive weeks before the lane closures: “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” it said. Christie fired Kelly last month after the e-mail surfaced. He also cut ties with his former campaign manager, Bill Stepien, whose attorney last week also declined to produce the documents requested by a subpoena

Categories
Politics

Chris Christie Shows Up at Boomer Esiason’s Roast

Roast… Roast… Roast… No, this is not a cheap joke about food because I’m talking about Chris Christie, I just love saying the word Roast.

Roast…

Video.

Categories
Nelson Mandela Politics

Contents of Mandela’s Last Will Revealed

Nelson Mandela left portions of his roughly $4.1-million estate to his wife Graca Machel, family members, staff, schools and the ANC, according to a summary of his will released Monday.

Two months after the death of the 95-year-old South African statesman, lawyers said wife Graca was entitled to half the estate, but may opt to receive only specified assets, including four properties in Mozambique.

Royalties from his books and other projects, as well as his homes in Johannesburg, Qunu and Mthatha were left to a family trust.

The home in Houghton, Johannesburg where Mandela died on December 5 will be used by the family of his deceased son Makgatho.

“It is my wish that it should also serve as a place of gathering of the Mandela family in order to maintain its unity long after my death,” the former statesman wrote.

Mandela’s children each received $300,000 in loans during his lifetime and will have that debt scrapped if it has not been repaid.

Mandela’s other bequeathments reflected a life in politics and championing education.

Mandela gave around $4,500 each to members of staff, including long-time personal aide Zelda la Grange.

The will also gave around $9,000 each to Wits and Fort Hare Universities, and the same amount to three other schools.

The African National Congress, which Mandela led to victory in the first democratic elections in 1994, will receive a portion of his royalties, between 10 and 30 percent of his royalties.

The cash will be used specifically to promote “policies and principles of reconciliation amongst the people of South Africa.”

The will was first written in 2004 and last amended in 2008.

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