27 perfectly timed photos

http://imgur.com/a/KoLmn

Big Mystery in the Perseus Cluster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3439YtdQZ1Y

How Saudi Arabia Helped Isis Take Over the North of Iraq

This is the best explanation of what's going on in the Middle East that I've read anywhere...

http://www.unz.com/pcockburn/how-saudi-arabia-helped-isis-take-over-the-north-of-iraq/

PERDUE'S BUSINESS RECORD

	Perdue touts business record in Georgia Senate bid Former CEO to face Kingston in GOP runoff

	Text Size: Small Large Medium

	Posted: July 12, 2014 9:37 p.m. Updated: July 12, 2014 9:34 p.m. This May 20, 2014, file photo shows Georgia Republican Senate candidate, David Perdue, right, greeting supporters after speaking at a primary election night party in Atlanta. Perdue, the cousin of former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, faces Rep. Jack Kingston in a GOP runoff July 22 in a race being watched nationally as Republicans seek to take control of the Senate. 1 of 1 View Larger By CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY Associated Press         This is the first of two candidate profiles planned ahead of the July 22 runoff.                 ATLANTA — David Perdue proudly points to his executive experience running major corporations as evidence that he's best positioned to tackle the nation's debt.              The former CEO of Dollar General and Reebok touts his business acumen while campaigning for Georgia's Republican Senate nomination and hopes to follow his cousin, former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, into politics. Voters will choose between Perdue and Rep. Jack Kingston in a runoff election July 22. The race has gained national attention as Republicans seek control of the Senate.             "I know what it takes to develop economic growth globally, and there are not that many people in Washington who know how to do that," Perdue said when announcing his campaign.             A closer look reveals a successful business executive comfortable with taking risks but who is not immune to criticism from investors and analysts. And that's created an opening for Kingston to attack.             "Just as my record as a member of Congress is being scrutinized, I think someone's business experience is relevant," Kingston said during a pre-primary debate.             Sara Lee Corp. gave Perdue, 64, his first major corporate job as senior vice president of Asia operations. During that time, the company added manufacturing and contracts in Asia, while in the U.S., a restructuring included dozens of plant closings and thousands of layoffs. The year Perdue left, Sara Lee announced plans to close at least four plants in Georgia.             After a stint with apparel company, Haggar Inc., Perdue moved to Reebok International in 1998 as a senior vice president. Within three years he had worked his way up to CEO of Reebok Brand. Financial analysts credited Perdue with helping revive the footwear company and improve its finances.             By July 2002, Perdue's success made him an attractive candidate to lead Pillowtex Corp, a North Carolina-based textile company that had just come out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. But instead of turning around, the company lost $27 million in seven months after emerging from bankruptcy protection. Pillowtex would end up closing four months after Perdue left. Some 7,650 people lost their jobs across the country, and the closing marked North Carolina's largest single job loss at the time.             "While Mr. Perdue spent four successful years at Reebok before Pillowtex and has an extensive background in consumer products and consulting, his eight months at Pillowtex were marked by a further deterioration in (financial) fundamentals and a plummeting stock," financial analyst Patrick McKeever told The Tennessean in April 2003.             Perdue has called what happened at Pillowtex tragic.             "My parents raised me to be the kind of leader that runs toward the burning building to try to help instead of running away from it and sitting on the curb and criticizing those that are trying to make a difference," Perdue said.             Michael R. Harmon, who served as Pillowtex's chief financial officer with Perdue, said a pension liability of at least $50 million didn't surface until after Perdue came to the company. Once Perdue and Harmon told the banks who owned Pillowtex about the pension fund problems, the banks decided to sell, Harmon said.             "That was definitely not what David signed up for," said Harmon. "He was brought in to grow the company, to turn it around, and he had a pretty good track record of that at Reebok. And the circumstances were just totally different from what he was told by the board and the bank."             Joining Dollar General as its CEO in April 2003 allowed Purdue to put Pillowtex behind him, and his time leading the company has served as the cornerstone of his bid for Georgia's open U.S. Senate seat. Within a year of Perdue's arrival, the company's stock price doubled. Sales rose, new stores opened and concerns over an SEC investigation eased. The board of directors extended his contract.             But in late 2006, challenges surfaced. Rising gas prices cut into customers' spending. Profits declined and stock prices dropped. Rumors of a buyout swirled, and the company announced plans to close 400 stores. A private equity firm purchased Dollar General in 2007 and assumed its debts in a $7.65 billion deal.             Perdue stepped down. While the company had grown under his leadership to about 8,200 stores with $8.5 billion in sales, some financial analysts and stockholders had complained of an aggressive growth strategy that ignored inventory problems and hurt the bottom line.             Perdue left Dollar General as a multimillionaire. Federal tax returns show he received nearly $42 million in income between 2007 and 2008.             But his wealth has also become a campaign issue. He's poured $3.1 million of his own money into the race, which has helped him keep pace with Kingston, but he's also been portrayed as an "out-of-touch elitist."             "My friend is telling everyone 'I can fix the problems in Washington,' yet as CEO of Pillowtex, he bankrupted the company and received a million dollars on the way out," said Kingston, 59, referring to Perdue during a debate before the primary.             Perdue continues to draw on his business experience as he campaigns, although his frustration over the attacks sometimes surfaces.             "You think you've had a good career until you see it through the eyes of other people," Perdue said with a smile during a campaign stop in May.

Rolling Stone //// 5 Most Dangerous Guns???????????????????????

Seriously?  Someone got paid for this?
When someone from the anti-gun kook crowd decides to write an article titled "The 5 Most Dangerous Guns in America," you would probably expect them to list makes, models, and calibers. Obviously, the presupposition is wrong - since a gun is only as dangerous as the person holding it - but still, you assume you'd see some specifics.  ...Something pedestrian like: The "The Colt .45 1911 will knock a huge hole in your head, so it's dangerous."
However, that's not what you get with Rolling Stone magazine.  At one time this was a publication about music, but now it pretty much covers whatever constitutes the prog "cause-du-jour."  This week, they published their list of the five most dangerous guns in America.  The ex-hippie rag couldn't be bothered to do any real research on a topic it so vehemently hates, so the mag took an easier path.
Number one on their list?

1. Pistols
Popular among handgun-owners, pistols are defined by their built-in barrel and short stock.

Personally, I've never owned a pistol with a stock, but hey, I guess Rolling Stone Magazine knows something I don't.  Regardless, that's a pretty broad category, don't you think? Maybe they'll do better with number two.

2. Revolvers
Revolvers, named for their rotating chambered cylinder, placed second in the ATF's ranking of guns found at crime scenes

Uh oh.  It doesn't look like it's going to improve - and you can see where they're going with this.  We'll set aside the semantic argument about whether or not a revolver is a type of pistol, and just point out the fact that Rolling Stone has decided to list wholesale categories of guns, rather than name any specific makes or models.
The list gets worse from here on out.

3. Rifles
Law enforcement agencies pulled more than 39,000 from crime scenes in 2012, firmly establishing this weapon — designed to be fired from the shoulder — in third place
4. Shotguns
Like rifles, shotguns are fired from the shoulder and may release a single projectile. Unlike rifles, however, one pull of a shotgun's trigger may also spray the target with round pellets, or shot.
5. Derringers
Derringers, small pocket or palm-sized pistols with one or two barrels, have no strict legal definition, but are included in the ATF's trace form as a category of firearm.

Maybe Rolling Stone is worried about cowboys who cheat during frontier card games, but Derringers? Really?  Frankly, we're surprised "B.B. Gun" didn't make the list.  After all, if you have one "you'll shoot your eye out."
Essentially, this list covers almost every firearm currently sold in the United States. If you're worried about which one is the most dangerous, relax. The answer is easy.  They’re ALL the most dangerous. Clearly, we need more gun control!
As always, we would point out that no gun commits a crime on its own.  No gun has ever robbed a liquor store, no gun has ever hijacked a car, and no gun has ever decided to shoot its wife in a fit of rage.  People commit crimes.  The tool they use to commit them is largely irrelevant. No gun is inherently dangerous unless it's poorly engineered and poses a risk to the law-abiding citizen firing it.
We anxiously await Rolling Stone's list of the "top five foods that choke people" including "breads," "fruits," "meats," "sauces," and "grains."
Be sure to "like" Robert Laurie over on Facebook and follow him on Twitter. You'll be glad you did.

Romney 2016

Romney 2016 Looking Increasingly Possible

July 8, 2014 by Sam Rolley 

 39 17

 

 4 223

As wild speculation about who will run for President in 2016 continues, a handful of recent events indicate that the GOP could be considering giving failed Republican candidate Mitt Romney yet another shot at the White House in the next election.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee recently launched a fundraising effort centered on “Romney Was Right” bumper stickers that supporters can get for a donation of $5.
“Let the world know that you made the right choice. Get your ‘Romney Was Right’ sticker today,” the NRSC says on its website. “Remember, every contribution supports our fight for a Senate Republican Majority.”
Meanwhile over at POLITICO, former assistant secretary of the Treasury under President George W. Bush and current investment firm CEO Emil Henry recently penned titled “The Case for Mitt Romney in 2016: I’m absolutely serious.”
Henry, the epitome of a political insider in Romney circles, argues that the failed 2012 GOP nominee could share the same latent electoral success of a stalled Presidential hopeful from decades past: Richard Nixon.
Nixon lost the 1960 general election and in 1962 was beat out for a lesser role as California’s Governor—but in 1968 fulfilled his Presidential ambitions to the surprise of many American political junkies.
Henry writes that— unlike failed Presidetial contenders such as George McGovern, Michael Dukakis, Bob Dole, Al Gore, John Kerry and John McCain— Romney could be poised for a more Nixonian track:

Could he defy the odds and make a comeback presidential bid capturing the GOP nomination after all the doubt, second-guessing and blame that accompany such a loss? According to the latest Quinnipiac poll, many Americans seem to think so—45 percent of voters said the United States would be better off today with Romney as president.
That was also the question on not just the minds but the lips of many at a recent private gathering in Utah known as the E2 Summit, Romney’s now-annual retreat for high-profile politicians, policymakers, innovators, entrepreneurs, business leaders, top bundlers and, of course, a core group of long-time Romney loyalists. (Disclosure: I served in multiple roles in the 2012 campaign, including adviser to the economic team, television surrogate and fundraiser.) Although the subject was not on any agenda or the topic of any speech or breakout session, virtually every meal, cocktail hour and coffee break included quiet ruminations over whether Romney could successfully run again.
The event was off the record, so I need to honor those ground rules, but suffice to say that many of speakers, some of the brightest lights of the Republican Party, and with no particular allegiance to Romney, saw great merit in a Mitt resurgence.

Henry provides three main reasons for the belief that Romney should emerge as the GOP standard-bearer once again in 2016:

1. Romney is re-emerging as the de facto leader of the Republican Party.
2. There is no natural 2016 GOP nominee and the field is highly fractured.
3. All failed nominees other than Romney were career politicians.

Read the full column here.
Henry isn’t alone in thinking that Romney could be a big name once again in 2016. During a recet appearance on Hardball with Chris Mathews, Representative Jason Chaffets (R-Utah) said that he believes Romney will run, adding that the former Massachusetts Governor would have his support.

Illegal Alien Arrested For Molesting 9-Year-Old Girl. Guess How Many Times He’s Been Deported?

Illegal Alien Arrested For Molesting 9-Year-Old Girl. Guess How Many Times He’s Been Deported?

32,452Shares By Mike Miller 20 hours ago

Authorities in Parker County, Texas have arrested an illegal alien suspected of molesting a 9-year-old girl in her own home. Even worse: 35-year-old Israel Andrade had already been deported from the U.S. – four times. 

The girl was asleep on the family couch when she was awakened by a man groping her. She told police he asked her to follow him to a bedroom where he had entered the home. Instead, she ran screaming into her parents’ room.

When her parents attempted to call 911, they discovered that their cell phones were missing. The mother drove to a nearby convenience store to call the police.

The investigation revealed that Andrade had visited relatives at a neighboring home the night before the attack. He was ultimately arrested at a different relative’s home – asleep on one of the stolen cell phones.

According to CBS-DFW, records from the Immigration and Naturalization Service show that Andrade has been deported from the U.S. on four different occasions: July 2003, Feb. 2004, Sept. 2009 and again in Dec. 2010.

Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler has had enough:

“Our border Sheriffs and the Texas Department of Public Safety are doing a phenomenal job with the current laws and available resources.

*

Yet, our Federal Government needs to step forward and aid us in enforcing the laws on our southern border. This type of injustice cannot be allowed to pass by for a sixth time.”

*

“How long will we have to tolerate this type of injustice? It is time for American citizens to make a stand and begin petitioning for tighter security at our borders in order to protect our citizens.”

Not only is the sheriff right, illegal alien crime continues to escalate throughout the country. Yet, of the Obama administration’s $3.7 billion request from Congress to deal with the current illegal alien crisis, less than 2% is earmarked to increase border security.

The question is, how many more Israel Andrades are entering America every day?

The Graphic Designer

In the end...

A perfect uppercut

A perfect uppercut

Kids can't use computers... and this is why it should worry you

http://www.coding2learn.org/blog/2013/07/29/kids-cant-use-computers/

What working in IT feels like...

Metropolitan Planning

Savannah Morning News June 30, 2014

Letters to the Editor Tuesday

Posted: June 30, 2014 - 9:18pm  |  Updated: July 1, 2014 - 7:59am

 

Veterans should stop whining over free care
Veterans should stop their whining and bellyaching over how long they have to wait for free health care paid for by my nickel.
These are not combat casualties coming off some battlefield against the latest country we’ve invaded. These are old guys who got old, smoked too much, drank too much and got old.
They didn’t do anything for me that I asked them to. Contrary to whatever U.S. political party was in power said, no Viet Cong or Arabs were ever going to come over the dunes at Tybee. All I see are Yankees from Atlanta.
So stop whining about what I give you for free.
If you want decent health care, then get it like everyone else: Pay for it.
BOB NEWLIN
Tybee Island