New Cartoon 11-27-2016

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"Donald Trump refused to say that he'd respect the results of this election. That's a direct threat to our democracy! " ~ Hillary Clinton 10/24/16

Hillary Clinton’s Team to Join Wisconsin Recount Pushed by Jill Stein

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/26/us/politics/clinton-camp-will-join-push-for-wisconsin-ballot-recount.html?_r=0

Boots and Bigger Threats

2,200 Marines Go To Libya, ‘What Happened to No Boots on the Ground’?

In all the reporting on the involvement of US Forces in Libya a report by WCTI Channel 12 News in New Bern, North Carolina seems to have gone by almost unnoticed.

Almost.

The News channel reports that 2,200 U.S. Marines have been shipped off the Libya. Hold on now - that deployment doesn't jive with Mr. Obama’s steadfast insistence that there will be “no boots on the ground” in Libya.

On March 20 WCTI reported that the Marines were shipping out. About 2,200 Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, or 26th MEU will take part. Their mission is to help end the violence directed at the Libyan people.

Oh. Good thing the Pentagon eliminated their amphibious transports that the modern Marines have no use for. Maybe they're just going so that they can keep singing their theme song? "To the Shores of Tripoli!?"

Read More, It's Canadian, eh.

Meanwhile, I wonder if we'll also be sending troops to a much more significant source of terror that's been aiming to actually harm the United States? Oh, didn't hear about that one, eh? Yeah, looks like the Unrest In Yemen Is A Major Setback For U.S. Counter-Terrorism Operations. Remember the UPS and FedEx bombs in toner cartridges? Yemen. Remember the Christmas Underwear Bomber? Yemen. Unrest and regime change in Yemen? Oh, oh, Shaggy.

Oh, and if that wasn't enough, Syria is also quivering on the brink of toppling over -- and while that sounds great, it's probably not great for the Western powers.

So we're engaging Libya. Missing Yemen and Syria. And of course the REAL fart in the car that no one's talking about is Saudi Arabia. Just how important is the Kingdom to the world of Big Macs and iPad2's? If you had to rank which country could be the greatest threat to the modern world's stability - Saudi Arabia should be on the top of your list. Arrogant leadership and oil producing power? Right there. Number 2? My answer would be Iran.

Where's Iraq on that list?

Black Friday Maddness!

Two years ago, a temporary employee working at a Wal-Mart in New York was killed when frenzied Black Friday shoppers trampled, and then suffocated him. A crowd of 2,000 shoppers stormed the locked doors of the store, broke through, injured the workers trying to hold the shoppers back and killing Jdimytai Damour. The subsequent OSHA investigation resulted in $7,000 fine to Wal-Mart because although there exists no OSHA standard on crowd control, employers have a general duty to provide a workplace free of recognized hazards that could cause serious injury or death, and, OSHA argued, Wal-Mart should have been aware of the hazards present in a riled-up, bargain-hungry crowd and should have provided adequate crowd control measures. They had created the mob, and then were unable to anticipate a mob - or then control that mob.

Wal-Mart has spent millions of dollars fighting the citation, arguing that this is an expansive reading of OSHA’s general duty clause. The case is currently before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), and a decision is expected soon. Not in time for this Black Friday, though.

Retailers and the media actively whip up consumers with early store openings, “doorbuster deals” for the first customers, and news stories (and don't forget all that awesome free publicity on local and national news outlet) about people camping outside of stores days ahead. This atmosphere creates a deal-crazed mob that endangers employees and consumers. Recognizing this, OSHA has sent a letter to major retailers detailing security measures that they should take to avoid a similar tragedy. Suggestions include setting the waiting area back from the entrance to control entry, as well as including breaks and turns in the waiting line to avoid crowd swells and pushes from the rear. You may recognize this type of line from your bank or Disney World. OSHA also suggests removing carts and other instruments that could be used as a battering ram. Come on, people?

If you are planning to participate in Black Friday events, be safe, be respectful, and remember that it’s just a goddamned laptop. Why don't you morons who are whipped up into this murderous frenzy go and get some internet access? I casually found the Target Toy Story 3 DVD for the same price as the 'doorbuster' on Amazon. Triple bonus - not standing outside, waiting in line, or paying taxes.

Double Standard in Gun Raid

Louisiana man gets five years for shooting two deputies during no-knock drug raid. He says he thought they were burglars, and actually called 911 during the raid.

“That’s something you have in Vietnam, not inside your house,’’ the judge told Henry. “We’re not in a war here. Seems like we are.’’

Your honor - it was the police that didn't follow the rules in the Constitution - not the accused.

Also, your honor - a Mosin Nagant isn't exactly a 'rare' weapon...

George Carlin FTW: FFC Says Curseword Crackdown Unconstitutional

WNYW/Ch. 5 anchor Ernie Anastos is caught on live television saying
"Keep f---ing that chicken" to weatherman Nick Gregory.

An appeals court ruling Tuesday declared the Federal Communications Commission's indecency rule unconstitutional.

The ruling, with provocative implications for evening TV. There's a chance this might loosen the tongues of pent up curse words the likes not seen since Howard Stern went from terrestrial radio to Satellite.

"The court says that dropping the F-bomb on prime time TV in front of kids is okay," said Dan Isepp of the Parents Television Council. "The door has been kicked down."

The group sided with the FCC and against six television stations, including FOX, ABC and CBS.

"I am shocked by such an anti-family decision," said FCC Commissioner Michael Copps. "This decision gives them the unfettered ability to air whatever content they want."

Nothing would change for at least 45 days as the FCC decides whether to appeal and - if the Supreme Court takes it up - until the case is ultimately decided.

The ruling only applies to broadcast TV in prime time and not to cable television.

If it stands, the decision would end the policy of fining broadcasters for foul language put in place after Bono used the F-word on the January 2003 NBC broadcast of the Golden Globes Awards.

"The FCC's indecency policy is unconstitutional because it is impermissibly vague," the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in a 32-page decision.

The ruling touched on everything from George Carlin's famous "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television" to foul words by Nicole Richie on a Billboard Music Awards show - one of several cases that led to the decision. The decision was filled with words routinely bleeped out on television, from bulls--- to d---head.

Holy Shit.

Want to Read more?

Quote of the Day

"He was trying to cover his tracks, but he left more clues than a guy walking into a bank to rob it without a mask. This guy left everything here but his wallet."

KEVIN B. BARRY, who retired in 2002 as a detective in the bomb squad of the New York Police Department, on the car bomb found in Times Square on Saturday night.

Good News, Attempted NYC Times Square Bomber Arrested!

Authorities arrested a Connecticut man, Faisal Shahzad, at Kennedy Airport early Tuesday in connection with Saturday’s failed Times Square car bombing. He's a naturalized United States citizen from Pakistan.

And that's the bad news, well, bad news if you're in the news media or the Administration. Here's why...

One could feel - almost taste - how badly the NY Times and the Huffington people wanted this to have been a tea bagger. Oh, the salvation, the dripping drool of desire for a big juicy steak of a Tea Bagger car bomb... and one that didn't work, so they could laugh at the failure?! Sorry guys, no such luck.

Nope. Instead, it looks like this one is blowback from our involvement in Pakistan and all the terminator drone missiles and overt action to kill people without making it look like we're killing people, with impunity on their country. For some reason, they're kind of pissed about that? Who knew?

In typical NYTimes fashion, they're spilling the beans and practically explaining to potential follow up would-be terrorists or insane people. (Most are in both camps). Today's Times has detailed everything that Faisal did wrong... How his explosives wouldn't have done anything substantial to the area, except scare some folks - and how to fix that. They also mentioned that there was a lot of evidence left behind in the car, and just how easy it was to find him.

Okay, that's great. Let's hear about that in ten or twenty years. In a boring book about it. Now your next terrorist is going to set his SUV Car bomb in a clean room and leave NO evidence of who did it - and it's going to be full of something a lot scarier than fireworks.

The other 'bad news' item was, of the 1000 suspected folks who have grievances with either NY, or Obama, or the Theater District, not one of them was domestic. So, this whole War on Terror might, just might, be legit and something that the Democrat party is going to have to take a little more seriously? Nah. If they were going to do that they would have dusted off some helmets and fake general costumes out of the Vietnam exhibit in the Smithsonian and pretended they were going to take the war from Bush, but now they were going to win it! Perhaps even they knew that they were throwing too much empty rhetoric at Bush to make that come off as even slightly genuine? Eh, they did enough -- They voted to go to war, and to keep funding the wars, and to expand the war in Pakistan. They just said that they're anti-war and that our troops are baby killers. And played hard-to-get by blackmailing the funding until they got their district a new roads project.

I don't know, to me, actions always speak louder than words.

What's next? Probably a pretty strict parking ban around Times Square first off. Second, fewer civil liberties for the rest of us. All while the NYTimes telegraphs how to pull a successful car bomb off for the next guy. Oh, and Blue SUV's will become the Ryder Trucks of terror clichés, if it isn't now already.

Homeowner Defends Self Against Sword Wielding Intruder

He brought a sword to a gun fight

TURLEY — A homeowner shot and killed a burglar Thursday night when the man threatened him with a sword, sheriff’s officials said.

The burglar who was shot at 6017 N. Owasso Ave. was identified as Billy Jean Tiffey III, 19, Tulsa County Sheriff’s Sgt. Shannon Clark said.

The homeowner, Michael Lish, and his wife arrived home about 10 p.m. to find the back door ajar and a window open, spokesman Clark said.

As Lish, who had a concealed-weapon permit, searched the house, an intruder wearing all-black clothing confronted him while wielding a sword.

The intruder made a threatening statement and walked toward Lish, so Lish ordered him to stop, Clark said. As the intruder continued to walk toward him, Lish fired one shot, striking Tiffey in the abdomen.

Tiffey dropped to his knees and reached behind his back, appearing to the homeowner asif he was reaching for another weapon, the investigation showed. Lish then fired a second and third shot, striking Tiffey in the chest area, killing him, Clark said.

Investigators found that Tiffey was also carrying a .38-caliber pistol, the homeowner’s 9 mm pistol, a knife and a stun gun.

Authorities interviewed the residents, and no arrests were made, Clark said. The case will be sent to the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office for further review.

Under Oklahoma’s “Make My Day” law, a person can use force — including deadly force — to defend his or her home.

Tiffey has a previous criminal record and had been on probation since Feb. 24 on counts of unlawful possession of a controlled drug and possession of paraphernalia, court records show.

He was arrested again Feb. 28 and then charged March 8 with driving under the influence and driving under suspension, court records show.

Lovingly Cut'n'pasted from Tulsa World, NICOLE MARSHALL AND MATT BARNARD

The Horrible Truth

Do you have a grocery loyalty card?

I think it's funny, because I gave them my old Fraternity walk-out name. In retrospect, I wish I had given the name Jeff Lebowski to get my Ralphs Club card.

However, the Costco corporation knows exactly how much coffee I drink and how often I need toilet paper. Which is great for their restocking computer, not so good if that computer becomes self aware - as it will be able to figure out exactly when I'll be sitting on the John.

Bottled Water is a BAD Idea

Good News, Everybody!

Only in the twisted world of doublespeak can the news of the elimination of another 247,000 jobs in July be turned into good news. It's as if those quarter of a million people WANTED to be fired. The unemployment rate, which has been rising for months, ticked down, to 9.4 percent from 9.5 percent in June. It was expected to touch double digits, which would have been politically devastating to Obama - just because the number 10 is so scary. However, no one has been keeping track of the number of people who are STILL unemployed, and how many people dropped out of the hunt for work, ceasing to list themselves as unemployed.

And let's pretend that there is a recovery coming from the Great Recession. Fine. But no one's hiring. There were still a quarter of a million people laid off. And they aren't all from Bears training camp.

And last week the government announced another significant improvement — the overall economy contracted at an annual rate of only 1 percent in the spring quarter! Wow! Contraction - good news! To their credit, it was vastly better than the fall and winter months. The New York Times says, "the two reports have convinced many forecasters that when the history of the Great Recession is written, these summer months will be the big turning point, when the economy started to grow again."

Or, what I think, it could be a slight pause in the hemorrhaging.

The fact is the Net Wealth of US Households has "declined from a peak of $22 trillion to just under $12 trillion in early March." The problem is compounded by the fact that Total US Household debt, as of first quarter 2009, amounts to roughly $13 trillion, and has stayed within that range for the last 3 and a half years.

"From the end of 2007 through Q1 of 2009, household equity has declined by 94%. Is it surprising that today's GDP number would have been a complete debacle if the consumer had been left alone to prop the U.S. economy, on whom 70% of the economy is reliant? Obama pulled a Hail Mary with the stimulus: without it there would be no debate America is in a depression right now." (more)

The boil down is that the consumer is out. Credit and home equity are all but dust and that's trouble for an economy that's 70% dependent on consumer spending for growth. Unless that fact turns around, don't start expect things to 'go back to normal' any time soon.

Add that to the trouble that the US Treasury is having in pawning our debt to China and other suckers - and then we'll start talking about inflation. Once inflation starts, you'll get your $500,000 back in your house equity - while you're buying bread for $10.

Hawaii Hates Kids

Hawaii is ending its universal health care plan for kids:

Hawaii is dropping the only state universal child health care program in the United States just seven months after it launched.

Gov. Linda Lingle's [R] administration cited budget shortfalls and other available health care options for eliminating funding for the program.

A state official said families were dropping private coverage so their children would be eligible for the subsidized plan.

"People who were already able to afford health care began to stop paying for it so they could get it for free," said Dr. Kenny Fink, the administrator for Med-QUEST at the Department of Human Services. "I don't believe that was the intent of the program."

It's never the intent of a government program, but it is a consequence of the action. State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is another example of this.

The program, created by Republicans in 1997, [What?! That's impossible!? Heartless Republicans giving away free health care to children?? Well, it's okay, because now they're taking it away.] has a tendency to crowd out private insurance. A study by the Bureau of Economic Research shows that 6 out of every 10 kids enrolled in SCHIP already had private insurance coverage prior to the creation of the program. That number jumps with the expansion passed earlier this year. People were dropping coverage to go with the cheaper, government run program. One could draw a similar conclusion directly to the health care proposal being pushed by Democrats in Congress for the National plan.

As John Stossel (ABC News) points out, "Of course it’s popular. People love getting free stuff." He also warns of the collapse of the system due to the unfunded liabilities.