Tiddly Inks Darling Diva Challenge

This week our Tiddly Inks Challenge is Darling Divas. I couldn't help but go with Flora, one of the Tiddly Inks Gothic Pin-Ups. Tell me this girl doesn't look like a DIVA, with her voluptuous hair (and bod) and gorgeous vintage outfit? I was sort of getting a French vibe so I went with beautiful flocked DP and a border from the GCD Studios Paris Nights collection. The striped mat is from DCWV La Creme Stack. The both mats are cut with my Nesties Mega Ovals and Mega Classic Scalloped Ovals LG and I've added a flocked sticker by Stampendous behind her. The quote is from Mae West (it's missing a "very" but it wouldn't fit in the oval, LOL). Can you think of a bigger diva?

Flora was colored with Copics and popped for dimension as are the the sentiment ovals. The vintage looking brads are by Recollections. Besides our fabulous Diva Challenge at Tiddly Inks, I'm also entering this in the Sweet Stampin Oh La La Challenge which is either something French, or cheeky/saucy. (I'd call this is both, HeeHee!) Be sure to stop by the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog for tons of inspiration by the rest of the Tiddly Inkers and we hope you can play along. Pop over to Christy's Blog for a peek at a new image and a little freebie, too. And if you haven't already, scroll down for my BBTB2 Blog Hop Post and leave a comment for a chance to win a $40 gift certificate from Custom Crops.

- Yes! -

BBTB2 Celebrations Cake Challenge and Blog Hop

Happy Memorial Day! I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend and is ready for a fun Blog Hop with BBTB2, but first, please remember to say a little prayer of thanks to those who have sacrificed to keep our county free. This week our super sweet and uber talented DT sister Carole has chosen the cake from the Celebrations cartridge. You should have arrived from Carole's Blog if you're hopping along. This is a pretty simple cake and there's lots you can do to dress it up, but when I found the fabby DP from the DCWV Sweet Stack, I pretty much left it plain and let the paper do the work. This cut comes without an attached candle, so after welding the regular cuts together in DS for the card base, I welded the shadow of the cupcake from Doodlecharms to the first mat. The sentiment is from Sweet Treats. Both the candle and the word "wish" are covered in German Glass Glitter in Sea Shell available at Custom Crops. I love this stuff! It gives a cool texture that you can't get from any of the other glitters around and is particularly gorgeous on vintage projects. Lots more colors available too.

The popped layers aren't that obvious from the front, but they're there. I have to say this is one card that really does look cuter IRL. The only embellies are the gold adhesive beads and a single tiny Prima rose. (I've shown amazing restraint this week, LOL)

Here's a peek at the inside of the card. When you're making a shaped card with a delicate base like this one, it's important to reinforce the card back. Instead of just a single mat of the regular cake cut, I added an additional shadow of the cake plate AND topped it with a regular cut of the cake plate to make sure it was sturdy enough to stand. Now hop along to our beautiful Krista's Blog. Krista's gorgeous, cheery creations never fail to make me smile but don't forget to leave a comment here before you go for a chance to win a $40 gift certificate to Custom Crops. Be sure to check out their Memorial Day sale too. They are giving away a free stamp with every order. Also, if you don't have a blog, please check back next Saturday for the winner and leave a way to get in touch with you or you'll miss your prize.

Macabre Monday EMO Challenge

This week at Haunted Design House our sponsor for our Macabre Monday Challenge is Simply Betty Stamps. WooHoo! In honor of her fabulous EMO stamps, the challenge is to use elements on your project that begin with the letters E, M, and O. My image is Zombie Christian, one of the Zombie Teens collection of clear and rubber stamps. He is colored with Copics and Gel Pens and fussy cut and popped from the background. My elements are E=torn Edges on the fab Grunge Checkerboard digi paper from Tiddly Inks and Skull border from the Toasting Properly Paper set, M=METAL, as in the metal paper clip holding the computer generated sentiment, and O=the color ORANGE.

Here's a closer look at Christian. Is he not one cool DUDE? Fabulous detail on this image and so much fun to color! Christian is one of the Everyday Zombie Teens and there is is a new release of Summer Zombie Teens as well. I'm thinkin' this would be a great belated birthday card for a teenage boy. I'm sure you'll want to play along with this challenge for a chance to win some Simply Betty Stamps of your own. The rest of the Minions have more fabulous inspiration for you so don't forget to pop by Haunted Design House and check them out.

Whimsical Wednesday Tag Challenge

Okay, it doesn't look like a tag, but I'm using some "artistic license" here. I made it as a tag, so it IS a tag. My DH looked at it and said "Why are you calling it a tag? Isn't it kinda BIG?". I'm calling is a tag because that's what the Whimsical Wednesday challenge is. Make a TAG! Honestly, I started out designing a proper tag, but it took on a life of it's own, and who am I to stop the creative juices when they're flowing like wine (No, I wasn't drinking when I made this, I promise!) Anyway, I had leftover bird parts (OOOh, that sounds like something the cats dragged in...literally, EEEeeewww) from my BBTB2 Challenge card this week and was afraid I'd lose them so I assembled another version. See the first HERE. The bird is from Florals Embellished and I cut it using the silhouette feature in two shades of blue (at 4 inches) and had enough cuts to actually do 3 versions (so you just may see version 3 showing up in the near future on something else. Hope you're not TOO bored with it.) Of course I had to cut a bunch of white bases, but they're easy compared to the silhouette cut. If you're gonna do this bird, cut it BIG, like I did and use the multi-cut feature on 2 and you'll be good to go. "Fly" came from Straight from the Nest and it's cut at 5 inches. The sizing on Cricut always cracks me up. It is 5 inches from the top of the "F" to the bottom of the swirl but it's 12 inches long! Yeah, I'd say it's a BIG tag! LOL

Nothing too fancy going on here. I welded the shadow of "Fly to the shadow of the bird using DS and then added the layers. I cut 2 extra regular white layers so I could pop the wings making it look a bit more like it's flying and then popped the whole thing on the tag. My bling is a little subtle. I've used adhesive pearls, but yes, it's a TAG! See the ribbon hangy things on top? So what would I use such a huge tag for? How about a big Graduation gift, like a computer, or TV or better yet, a CAR! Works for me. I'm also entering it in the Allsorts Challenge, Things with Wings, and the Anything Goes Challenge at a brand new Challenge Blog called Crafting for All Seasons.

- berlin - 

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Jaybo sent this one through - if you are in Berlin please don't miss it - it will be quite a great event.
We featured Anthony Lister in Issue 002, and for some time he has been one to watch. His style is like no other, and is pushing the boundaries in contemporary art.


You know what they say. Like minds. And thats exactly what is happening here. Like minds have organized a truly unique event and they're inviting you to participate. What could be better?

.

THE EXPERIMENT

a Marathon with Anthony Lister.
Tools, brushstrokes, spraypaint, electric guitar, doubts and hopes, hate and love, heroes on the walls, fallen dreams, questions and answers, visibles and invisibles - Mr. Lister will take the challenge to paint about, with and for Berlin. 6 days and 6 nights of permanent creativity, to be watched online and then concretely discovered on the very last day.

6 days and nights in the creative life of this unique artist, who is sharing his struggle with new materials, with jetlag and hangovers, who is driving us around town with his natural approach to Berlin and finally gives us back his wonderful images of true versions of these unique moments.

We are very proud and happy to see you for the first strokes of this experiment with cold drinks and soft tunes .

 

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Other great artists have been a part of this great project.

See you for yourself!

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HERAKUT LIVE PAINTING from stylemag on Vimeo.

JayboMonk vs. RemiRough from stylemag on Vimeo.

Marco Grassi aka PHO from stylemag on Vimeo.

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- Milk Bar, Soho -

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Recently we caught up with one of Issue 004 features in Milk Bar, Soho - London. Our man is a daily customer and didn't need to convince us this is the best coffee in town. It might even be the best Cappuccino I've had in London... for now. 

Ala Champfest Mag are regulars now also - and can recommend Milk Bar to everyone.

You won't be disappointed. 

Cruise through Soho and stop by. There are seats out the front and your coffee of choice goes down best with some Soho people-watching. Life is good, right.

Milk Bar

3-5 Bateman St

W1D 

Open - 8am-7pm Mon-Fri; 9am-6pm Sat, Sun

Espresso £1.80, Flat White £2.50

 

 Milkbar photo via http://www.australianedge.net/page/57/

- in season -

There's nothing better than fresh flowers in the studio to keep you content while you sit writing emails each morning.

Even though London weather is classified as gloom at the moment - when we should be basking in the summer sun - there is one good thing about this time of year.

Peony's are in season. 

This is the best time of year.  Visiting the Columbia Road Flower Market each week, there is something new in season and choices are endless.

Our favourite flower by far, it makes choosing a bunch a breeze. Just make sure you shop around first, and choose a good looking bunch.

-

oh . . my .. days

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Sold-out.ch

A great idea - free for anyone to post their link. Click on anything you find interesting - abit of click and explore. Find Ala Champfest on there along with Purple Magazine. The site is used very frequently so there is something new to find each time you hit it up.

The Altered Alice "Time" Challenge

Honestly I have but a few moments to spare. I've been trying to enter The Altered Alice Challenge for months and things have conspired against me. Not exactly what I had planned, but it works. Have to post. I'll be back!

I MISSED IT!!!! I'm gonna CRY!!!!! SERIOUSLY! This card did not want to happen. I originally designed it in Cricut Craft Room LAST WEEK and it WOULDN'T CUT! WTF! I spent hours learning the program only to find out that the ONLY cartridge I chose to use (Celebrate With Flourish) wasn't recognized by the new software, huh? the words are from All Mixed Up which sort of fits. Don't get me started on this... Well, no time to redesign because I had DT projects to do and post and gee, maybe some laundry and cooking? So this week I redesigned the card in DS. But colors and patterns? and worse yet, I'm feeing BLIND with new contacts and I had another appt TODAY which was even WORSE! Just kill me now. Maybe I should hang up all this crafting stuff. Between that and arthritis. Maybe time to put this old girl down. (Can you tell I've had a couple of glasses of wine with lunch? Probably a bad idea, but... ) the fab stamps are The Octopode Factory. And blind me had a B--tch of a time coloring them but I was DETERMINED! But it was all for NOUGHT because I MISSED the CHALLENGE. SERIOUSLY, SHOOT ME NOW!!!! (But not until I have another glass of wine!) Now I wish I taken the time to flock and emboss the hat, oh well...

UPDATE!!!!!! Lynne to the RESCUE!!!!! The clock to Linky was 7 minutes fast so I was entered! WooHoo!!!!!! I love you Lynne! Thanks so much. (Bet you guys think I'm nursing a hangover, but I'm not, HA!)

And ANOTHER update!!! WooHoo! I'm so happy and proud to be among the Honorable Mentions for this challenge! What an honor to be chosen. The entries were AMAZING! See them HERE, and thank you so much!

Illinois Dems roll out congressional map that clobbers GOP

Crain's Chicago Business reports:

a state that now has 11 Republicans and eight Democrats in the House is likely to have as many as 12 Democrats under the new map

Never has been losing a House seat so much fun for the Democrat party.

Video: CNNs Jack Cafferty slams Obama for trip to Europe during tornadoes; WaPo blasts Obama on Israel policy

Obama's trip overseas is a total disaster. He screwed up a toast to the Queen of England, screwed up relations with Israel, and looked like a buffoon in both instances. Which he is. The timing of his trip wasn't so good either. CNN's Jack Cafferty on Obama's trip:

And then there is the Washington Post, no bastion of conservatism to say the least. In this piece by Jennifer Rubin (HT: memeorandum), she all but calls Obama a complete moron: In Britain Obama repeats his error on Israel

President Obama is in Europe, supposedly trying to dissuade the Europeans from participating in the Palestinians’ attempt to gain statehood without offering peace to Israel. At his press conference he, no surprise to his critics, revealed he really doesn’t have a clue how to proceed when he described the major issues between the parties...

Alan Dershowitz points out the key error that Obama made on the Middle East policy, one so fundamental one can only imagine it was his idea rather than anyone with a modicum of experience in the Middle East. Dershowitz explains:

There is no way that Israel can agree to borders without the Palestinians also agreeing to give up any claim to a “right of return.” As Palestinian Prime Minister Fayyad Salaam once told me: each side has a major card to play and a major compromise to make; for Israel, that card is the West Bank, and the compromise is returning to the 1967 lines with agreed-upon adjustments and land swaps; for the Palestinians, that card is “the right of return,” and the compromise is an agreement that the Palestinian refugees will be settled in Palestine and not in Israel; in other words, that there will be no right to “return” to Israel.

President Obama’s formulation requires Israel to give up its card and to make a “wrenching compromise” by dismantling most of the West Bank settlements and ending its occupation of the West Bank. But it does not require the Palestinians to give up their card and to compromise on the right of return. That “extraordinarily emotional” issue is to be left to further negotiations only after the borders have been agreed to.

That is what has gotten sophisticated observers, including Democrats, on Capitol Hill so riled up...

It’s not some misunderstanding about Obama’s position on the 1967 lines, unfortunately. No, this is the same pattern that has driven American Jewish leaders and pro-Israel congressmen to distraction for over two years, as Dershowitz notes:

Once again, President Obama, by giving the Palestinians more than they asked for, has made it difficult, if not impossible, for the Palestinians to compromise. Earlier in his administration, Obama insisted that Israel freeze all settlement building, despite the fact that the Palestinians had not demanded such action as a precondition to negotiating. He forced the Palestinians to impose that as a precondition, because no Palestinian leader could be seen as less pro-Palestinian than the American President. Now he’s done it again, by not demanding that the Palestinians give up their right of return as a quid for Israel’s quo of returning to the 1967 borders with agreed-upon land swaps.

Democrats are loath to admit the president doesn’t know what he is doing, so they are left trying to convince themselves and others that this is a fuss about nothing. The most honest defense I heard from a pro-Israel Democratic staffer was to acknowledge that Obama had made mincemeat out of the “peace process” but to remind me that talks aren’t going anywhere anyway. In essence, “no harm, no foul” and look at all the hardware and military support we’ve given Israel

So at best, Obama is incompetent and doesn't know what eth heck he's doing. At worst, he does know and is doing it anyway. In either case, it's bad.

Taxpayers Pay For This Big Doubledipper (Video)

Illinois Review
 

Video: DC Liberals Sign Petition to Ban Conservative Websites

Via the Media Research Center on YouTube:

After hearing news the other day that the Obama administration had appointed a new position to monitor and push back against negative online press we thought some liberals in DC might think it wasn't enough. So we sent Joe Schoffstall out to see just how far liberals would go to silence conservative speech. Joe went around Georgetown in DC with a petition to "Ban Conservative Hate Sites". Here is what went down.

You can see what's to come from a mile away, even if you're blind:

So much for that whole 1st amendment thing, eh? That is just so... progressive of them, no?

GOP presidential hopefuls shift on global warming

USA Today

NPR Ombudsman Finally Questions Soros Funding

AIM

WP Reporter Harold Meyerson Explains His Commitment to Socialism (Video)

Harold Meyerson, who's a columnist at the Washington Post, and a leader of the Democratic Socialists of America explains his commitment to socialism. Just a reminder, Harold Meyerson is a leader of an extremist group that clearly wants to get rid of private property:

We are socialists because we reject an international economic order sustained by private profit

So, don't be fooled by Meyerson's misleading statements on socialism. You can't have private property without a private profits.

Mayor Bloomberg releases redacted taxes, details gifting

The New York Post

Coming To You Soon: Your Own Online Music Locker, Courtesy of Apple

TPM

Good news: Top tax rate to jump to 62%

The Founding Fathers set up a system where we live under the law, rather than the whims of man. In that regard, teh federal government was supposed to be by design limited. And it was until the 1930s when entitlements came into being despite their being unconstitutional. We no longer live under a limited government, and I'd like to see someone claim we do when that government steals 62% of the fruits of your labor: A 62% Top Tax Rate?

Media reports in recent weeks say that Senate Democrats are considering a 3% surtax on income over $1 million to raise federal revenues. This would come on top of the higher income tax rates that President Obama has already proposed through the cancellation of the Bush era tax-rate reductions.

If the Democrats' millionaire surtax were to happen—and were added to other tax increases already enacted last year and other leading tax hike ideas on the table this year—this could leave the U.S. with a combined federal and state top tax rate on earnings of 62%. That's more than double the highest federal marginal rate of 28% when President Reagan left office in 1989. Welcome back to the 1970s.

Here's the math behind that depressing calculation. Today's top federal income tax rate is 35%. Almost all Democrats in Washington want to repeal the Bush tax cuts on those who make more than $250,000 and phase out certain deductions, so the effective income tax rate would rise to about 41.5%. The 3% millionaire surtax raises that rate to 44.5%.

But payroll taxes, which are income taxes on wages and salaries, must also be included in the equation. So we have to add about 2.5 percentage points for the payroll tax for Medicare (employee and employer share after business deductions), which was applied to all income without a ceiling in 1993 as part of the Clinton tax hike. I am including in this analysis the employer share of all payroll taxes because it is a direct tax on a worker's salary and most economists agree that though employers are responsible for collecting this tax, it is ultimately borne by the employee. That brings the tax rate to 47%.

Then last year, as part of the down payment for ObamaCare, Congress snuck in an extra 0.9% Medicare surtax on "high-income earners," meaning any individual earning more than $200,000 or couples earning more than $250,000. This brings the total tax rate to 47.9%.

But that's not all. Several weeks ago, Mr. Obama raised the possibility of eliminating the income ceiling on the Social Security tax, now capped at $106,800 of earnings a year. (Never mind that the program was designed to operate as an insurance system, with each individual's payment tied to the benefits paid out at retirement.) Subjecting all wage and salary income to Social Security taxes would add roughly 10.1 percentage points to the top tax rate. This takes the grand total tax rate on each additional dollar earned in America to about 58%.

Then we have to factor in state income taxes, which on average add after the deductions from the federal income tax roughly another four percentage points to the tax burden. So now on average we are at a tax rate of close to 62%.

More from The Lonely Conservative and Wake up America. A video report:

Right back to the 1970's. So perhaps Chris Matthews really is the prophet that he fancies himself as being:Video: Chris Matthews Calls Obama ‘President Carter’

Blagojevich judge dismisses some defense arguments in 'an ironic and jocular tone of voice'

The Chicago Sun-Times

State Tax Collections Increase by 9.1% in the First Quarter, Largest Annual Gain in Almost Five Years

Carp Diem

The Art of The Steal - Official Trailer

YouTube. Please watch the trailer down below. This is a disturbing story.

The Art of The Steal - Official Trailer

YouTube. Please watch the trailer down below. This is a disturbing story.

Audio of Rosie O'Donnell: Global Warming Causing Deadly Tornadoes

Well, that didn't take long. The authorities barely had time to release the names of the missing people in Missouri after the killer tornado, dead people's bodies were still warm, and Rosie O'Donnell jumped onto the scene to claim that that particular tornado was caused by... global warming!

Too much snow was blamed on global warming after the same alarmists claimed there would be less. No matter what the weather does, it's due to global warming. Via The Radio Equalizer.

MA solves education problem: iPads for kindergartners

Deficit? What deficit? Taxechusetts has solved the crisis of education costs skyrocketing while test scores are simultaneously plummeting: buy iPads for 5 year olds. Uh - what? The heck is a 5-year old going to do with an iPad exactly? Watch episodes of Dora?

Keep you kids home. Homeschool. You'll be happy, your kids will be happy.

How Democrat Michelle Rhee Went From School Voucher Opponent to Advocate

Breitbart T.V.

Court: Dearborn violated free speech rights of Christians it arrested

An update from last year's post on this issue: 4 arrested for being Christians on public street in Dearborn arraigned on charges of "disturbing the peace". In Dearborn - aka Dearbornistan - it is considered 'disturbing the peace' to be standing on a public street proclaiming that you are a Christian. Here's the description from Dearborn authorities via The Detroit News last year:

...the four "chose to escalate their behavior, which appeared well-orchestrated and deliberate"

Of what behavior do they speak? Here's the video for some background:

Watch the above video again. They were outside the festival. And their camera equipment was confiscated when they were arrested. Yesterday, a federal appeals court smacked Dearborn something fierce for the gastopo tactics: Dearborn violated free speech rights, Appeals Court rules

A federal appeals court today invalidated a leafleting ban in Dearborn, ruling the city violated a man's free-speech rights when he was blocked from trying to convert Muslims to Christianity.

The 2-1 decision by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sends the case back to federal court in Detroit, where the city and Police Chief Ronald Haddad could be held liable for damages.

George Saieg, a Christian Arab American from California, sued Dearborn for being prevented in 2009 from handing out literature at the annual Arab International Festival on Warren Avenue. The festival will be held again next month.

The appeals court today said the city's ban is not reasonable and that the city and Haddad violated Saieg's First Amendment right to freedom of speech.

"Absent an injunction, Saieg will continue to suffer irreparable injury for which there is no adequate remedy at law," the court concluded.

Hopefully, the City will pay and furthermore will stop persecuting Christians. More from Answering Muslims: Free Speech Victory in Dearborn, Michigan!

Maybe I shouldn't say "in" Dearborn, since the city only sought to suppress free speech in this case. An outside court (the United States Court of Appeals) had to impose Constitutional law on the city.

Dearborn hosts an annual Arab Festival on Warren Avenue. During the festival, the street is reserved, but the adjacent sidewalks are not reserved and therefore remain public property. Hence, prior to 2009, many people would distribute pamphlets, DVDs, CDs, etc., on the public sidewalks. However, when Ronald Haddad took over as Chief of Police, he announced that no one would be allowed to distribute materials on the public sidewalks. Indeed, he insisted that no one would be allowed to distribute materials within five blocks of the festival. (He justified his decision by claiming that he needed to keep the area clear for pedestrian traffic.)

From a Constitutional perspective, this was quite disturbing, as the government was officially limiting free speech on public sidewalks. Moreover, those of us who attended the festival noticed that security only enforced the policy on Christians. Muslims remained free to distribute their materials.

...Lower courts had ruled in favor of Dearborn (i.e. that Dearborn police could stop people from exercising their freedom of speech on the public sidewalks adjacent to the festival). The appeals court reversed the decision on Constitutional grounds.

In 2009 these same people were attacked at the Muslim festival:

Federal judge rules corporate donation bans unconstitutional

Hot Air

Rick Perry Says He Will Consider White House Run

The Statesman reports:

Gov. Rick Perry today gave his strongest indication yet that he may run for president.
“I’m going to think about it” after the legislative session ends Monday, Perry said. He added, “But I think about a lot of things.”
For years, Perry has said that he would not run for president and that he had no interest in the job. He has often said that he has said no to the presidential question in as many ways as he could.
But he and his advisers have inched closer to saying he may run all week, following the announcement that Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels would not enter the GOP field. A couple of days ago, he told Greta Van Susteren on Fox News that a run was tempting.

The GOP's strongest potential candidate , right now.

We knew that: Barney Frank admits to helping gay lover land job at Fannie Mae ’91

Barney Frank isn't just any run of the mill Democrat hypocrite. This the the alpha hypocrite. From the memory hole: Barney Frank 2003: "Fannie, Freddie not in crisis." Barney Frank 2010: I never said that and YouTube doesn't exist. Barney Frank was by the way having a gay affair with a Fannie Mae executive while he and the Democrats attacked the regulator of the giant GSEs when they were trying to regulate them, squelched all 17 warnings coming from Bush. The rest, as they say, is history. An amoral one at that. Speaking of, more on that Fannie Mae/gay lover angle from The Boston Herald: Barney Frank knocked on his Fannie

U.S. Rep. Barney Frank admitted he helped his ex-lover land a lucrative post with Fannie Mae in the early 1990s while the Newton Democrat was on a committee that regulated the lending giant — but he called questions of a potential ethical conflict “nonsense.”

Imagine that...

“If it is (a conflict of interest), then much of Washington is involved (in conflicts),” Frank told the Herald last night. “It is a common thing in Washington for members of Congress to have spouses work for the federal government. There is no rule against it at all.”

...Asked if he should have disclosed his efforts to help Moses land the job at Fannie Mae, Frank said: “It was widely known. It was out there in the public. It’s nonsense.”

The GOP wasted no time, nor should they have:

“Just when you think you’ve heard the worst, Democrats in Massachusetts take shameless politics to a new low,” said Tory Mazzola, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. “The fact that Barney Frank didn’t see this as a conflict of interest is alarming by itself, but it’s so deceitful that it really shows voters that he’s not looking out for them in Washington.”

Recently there was this case of projection involving Frank: Barney Frank Calls Republicans Morally Stupid Bigots. Frank himself was at the top of the list of those that caused the mortgage meltdown:

Barney Frank - always looking out for his own Fannie.

UPDATE: Via Instapundit:

NOW IT’S BARNEY FRANK’S MOM who — well, whose group — turns out to have gotten Fannie Mae money.

Houston Overtakes Chicago as United's Number 1 Hub

USA Today reports:

It may surprise many travelers to learn that, after 80 years of supreme reign, Chicago is no longer United Airlines' biggest hub. According to Chicago ABC affiliate television station WLS, with Continental and United Airlines joining forces, Houston now claims the distinction of being the new, combined United Airlines' largest hub.

Not only has Houston outgunned Chicago for the No. 1 spot, United's management and Houston's mayor announced a $1 billion expansion and terminal renovation project this week, according to WLS.

"Chicago's hometown airline is still headquartered here with 3,000 jobs," says WLS, but "Chicago O'Hare operates 607 United flights per day, edged out by Houston's 630 each day, giving it the honor of biggest hub."

Another sign of Chicago's decline.

Rand Paul’s Passionate Speech Against the Patriot Act

The Blaze

Flashback: Rockefeller- Bush-Eugenics Connection

Exploring Bush

Fannie, Freddie regulator criticizes FOIA bill

Marketwatch reports:

The regulator for government seized mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on Wednesday afternoon took issue with a Republican bill that would subject the two firms to new Freedom of Information Act transparency.

CA elementary school castrates Nemo the Clownfish, indoctrinates kids about being transgendered

Dude - what's my gender???

Folks - keep your kids home. Homeschool has not only been rewarding for my wife and I, but our kids have blossomed. And neither of us have any formal training whatsoever in elementary education, which says a lot about where elementary ed is at this point in time. Gone are the days when teachers used to drill kids in math, writing and reading. Welcome to the days when actual useful ed is replaced by "gender diversity."Via memeorandum: Transgender Clownfish? Gender Diversity Lesson at California School Riles Critics

A gender diversity lesson at a California elementary school that featured single-sex geckos and transgender clownfish has angered conservative critics, who question its appropriateness for in-class instruction.

Students in all grades at Oakland's Redwood Heights Elementary School got an introductory lesson on the topic on Monday. Fox News was allowed to sit in on the lessons, which included teachings to kindergartners and fourth-graders.

The lessons were presented by an outside anti-bullying educational group called Gender Spectrum, paid for with a $1,500 grant from the California Teachers Union.

Shocker that the teachers union was involved in indoctrinating children into deviancy, no? Instead of math, the kids are being subjected to inculcation including that there are different ways to be a boy:

The Government's War on Cameras

Reason T.V.

Obama's Millions for Fannie, Freddie Executives

The Daily Beast reports:

Over the last two years, the Obama administration has approved a whopping $34.4 million in compensation to the top six executives of the financially troubled Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage giants, and lacks the necessary protections to ensure such compensation is even warranted.

The largesse flowed to the six executives even though the two companies they run struggle to staunch billions of dollars in losses, remain in government conservatorship, and must compensate taxpayers for assuming the companies’ liabilities during the mortgage crisis. To compensate taxpayers, Fannie and Freddie are tapping Treasury Department funds to pay required 10 percent dividends each quarter to the U.S. government.

Barack Obama believes in subsidizing the inefficient: in style.

Blagojevich Was Not Alone in Illinois Political Corruption

The Chicago Daily Observer reports:

Today, many of Blagojevich’s former friends and playmates deny knowing him or they are keeping their distance. Erstwhile friends such De Leo, Saviano, Quinn and so many others have vanished or suffered selective forms of political amnesia. Another former member of the Illinois State Senate, Barack H. Obama, used to count Blagojevich and the political wheeler dealer Antonin “Tony” Rezko as his friends and allies. President Obama, US Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-9th) and the newly elected Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel used to actively court Blagojevich when they were attempting to climb the rungs of the political ladder or seeking favors. Emanuel and his family members actually contributed to Blagojevich’s campaign fund on a reliable basis. Schakowsky, herself, sought to be named to the US Senate vacancy.

These opportunistic relationships soured when Obama’s career eclipsed that of Blagojevich and when the governor was impeached and removed from office. Nevertheless, there are numerous examples of both Emanuel and Obama trying to elbow their way into photographs in order to stand in close proximity to Blagojevich when they were absolute beginners and he was the established careerist. Emanuel actually succeeded Blagojevich in Congress in 2002 when the Elvis impersonator vacated the seat to run for the Governor’s Mansion. During that campaign and in the early stages of his Congressional career, Emanuel was all over Blagojevich like white on rice. Both men lived within one mile of each other in Chicago, an easy jog for Blago, until Emanuel foolishly made an estimated $80,000.00 legal mistake and rented his principal residence to tenants in 2009. In any event, it was not an accident that Emanuel was chosen to serve as the President-elect’s emissary when suggestions were made as to suitable appointees to the vacant US Senate seat. Blago and Rahm were political allies at one time and their relationship was viewed as the closest to being salvageable before the US Attorney came a calling.

Who could forget the video of Obama endorsing Blago down below?

Berkeley Unified School District was ranked among the worst in California for serving African American, Hispanic and low-income students, according to a recent study by Education Trust-West

The Daily Californian reports:

The Berkeley Unified School District was ranked among the worst in California for serving African American, Hispanic and low-income students, according to a recent study by Education Trust-West, an advocacy group based in Oakland.

The study, released April 27, gathered Academic Performance Index scores of students from 146 California school districts across the state. The districts were then ranked based on a combination of college-readiness, improvement of scores over time and gaps in achievement between white and minority students.

The school district was given a “D” overall, along with several other East Bay districts, and received an “F” for a wide achievement gap — coming in at 125 out of 126 schools measured in that category.

Doesn't Berkeley care about educating minorities? A truly great moment in Blue America.

Video: Fmr Clinton Adviser Walks Off Set Amid Heated Debate

The aftermath after this story broke: Video: Hot Mic Catches Clinton Hoping Dems Don't Use NY-26 Victory "As An Excuse To Do Nothing". The topic came up in a Fox News segment, and a former Clinton adviser ended up storming off:

The guy claimed 3 times that the GOP plan would kill senirs and then insisted that that was not fear mongering. This from the party that pulled $500 BILLION from Medicare to pay for ObamaCare.

Where's Tony Rezko?

The Washington Examiner

Irony: DNC Chair Wasserman Schultz Blasts GOP For Favoring Foreign Car Makers, Herself Drives Foreign Car

Ed Schultz was right about one thing before being suspended without pay for calling Laura Ingraham a slut - DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz is an utter joke. Apparently she can't see past the current political attack, even though she does what she accuses the other side of doing. Via memeorandum: DNC chairwoman doesn't drive American

The chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) appears to drive a foreign car, despite criticizing Republican presidential candidates for supposedly favoring foreign auto manufacturers.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), the chairwoman of the DNC, ripped into Republican presidential contenders who opposed President Obama's 2009 bailouts for General Motors and Chrysler.

"If it were up to the candidates for president on the Republican side, we would be driving foreign cars; they would have let the auto industry in America go down the tubes," she said at a breakfast for reporters organized by The Christian Science Monitor.

But according to Florida motor vehicle records, the Wasserman Schultz household owns a 2010 Infiniti FX35, a Japanese car whose parent company is Nissan, another Japanese company. The car appears to be hers, since its license plate includes her initials.

For her part, Wasserman-Schultz is a contradiction in and of herself: Idiotic: Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) OK with "Bush Tax Cuts", but wants term "ObamaCare" banned from House floor. More from  Weasel Zippers and RedState

UPDATE: DNC chief attacks GOP field on American ‘exceptionalism’. And how's this for irony from a pro-abort (statistically, half of aborted babies are female): DNC Chair: Republicans Are Waging a ‘War on Women’. More from Nice Deb, Gateway Pundit and American Spectator

‘The View’: it’s AOK to Call Women ‘Slut’

I guarantee this would not be the case had this been Sean Hannity rather than liberal Ed Schultz:

Ex-Fannie executive defends Barney Frank:Says pol didn’t have ‘influence’ in former lover’s hire

The Boston Herald reports:

The Fannie Mae executive who hired U.S. Rep. Barney Frank’s former lover was a campaign donor and once worked for the congressman — but denies the Newton Democrat’s recommendation played a role in the controversial 1991 hiring.

Gerald McMurray, a retired Fannie Mae senior vice president, told the Herald yesterday that Frank “didn’t have any influence” in the hiring of the congressman’s former companion, Herb Moses, to a position with the mortgage giant.

It makes you feel much better about Fannie.

Senate GOP blocks recess appointments

Politico

Dearborn violated free speech rights, Appeals Court rules

The Detroit News reports:

A federal appeals court today invalidated a leafleting ban in Dearborn, ruling the city violated a man's free-speech rights when he was blocked from trying to convert Muslims to Christianity.

The 2-1 decision by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sends the case back to federal court in Detroit, where the city and Police Chief Ronald Haddad could be held liable for damages.

Some people like the free market in speech.

Why Public Transportation Can't Work In America

New Geography reports on how public transportation isn't the future of America.

Video: Hot Mic Catches Clinton Hoping Dems Don't Use NY-26 Victory "As An Excuse To Do Nothing"

The Dems know that Medicare is bankrupt. The know it, but are choosing to do nothing about it on account of scoring cheap political points. In a candid moment, a hot mic gets Bill Clinton speaking the truth:

Video: Manhole Cover 'Dances' in Detroit

It's been very wet here in the Detroit area for a few weeks now. So much so that the storm sewers have such a high water flow that pressure gradients significant enough to lift manhole covers have appeared, such as this one:

Video: DNC Chair Wasserman Schultz Claims that by stealing $500 Billion From Medicare, Dems Added 12 Years of Solvency to It

Wasserman-Schultz, like other Democrats, overwhelmingly voted for ObamaCare that, in part, diverted $500 billion from Medicare to fund ObamaCare. Now she claims that the theft of half a trillion dollars from the program is extending it? Yup:

With that theft of the money, doctors are going to get their Medicare reimbursement rates cut substantially, which will lead to many doctors simply not taking Medicare patients at all. And this is going to help the program... how?

Video: Bill Clinton Tells Dems to Stop Playing Politics with Medicare, Defends Paul Ryan

For the first time in our history just entitlement spending by itself is greater than all federal tax revenues combined:

Instead of fixing the problem, the Democrats have punted, not even coming up with their own budget! Instead, they are content simply attacking, via demagoguery and demonization, the GOP that by the way did pass a budget. At least one Democrat is awake and seems to want to actually fix the problem rather than scoring cheap political points at the nations expense: President Clinton Tells Dems to Stop Playing Politics with Health Care

More here: Bill Clinton tells Democrats to do something about Medicare defends Paul Ryan

And via memeorandum: Bill Clinton to Paul Ryan on Medicare Election: ‘Give me a Call’.  More from Ann Althouse, Outside the Beltway, Fox Nation, Gateway Pundit, Don Surber, Ben Smith', The Lonely Conservative and National Review

Video: 2 Girl Scouts Assert Cookies Are Bad For Environment

This is the result of government education filling kids' heads with environmentalist crap rather than actual education:

Exit question: can the two girl scouts read, write and perform math at their grade level?

A New One for Tiddly Inks

This new Imagination stamp from Tiddly Inks really took me back. I used to just get lost in books, especially during summer vacation. I spent hours and hours outside, transported to worlds unknown. Oh, to have that time again! I have to apologize for the coloring. I'm having a bit of trouble with new contacts that I hope to have corrected on Friday, but in the meantime, my close up vision stinks. Besides that, I printed the image quite small to fit into my Nesties Labels Seven die and tried that "dotty" technique with my Copics on much of the background, somewhat unsuccessfully. (Oh crap! Now that this is posted I realize I didn't finish coloring in the bunnies' ears and noses either. Well, At least that's fixable!)

I wanted the image to look like it was a part of the book so I cut several of the largest size Labels Seven and cut a Classic Rectangle out of the top one. Then I curved and popped the layers. I added a little twine bookmark for embellishment. The DP is Heidi Grace as is the "imagine" rub on. The top words are just how I felt during those carefree summer months. They are also rub-ons from K&Co. Don't forget the Manly Men Challenge at the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog this week and stop by Christy's blog for a peek at the new images and freebie at the Store. I"m also entering this in My Partner in Crafting Crime's Twine, Jute, or String challenge.

MI Teacher Rewarded With $135,000 For Threatened To Kill Herself and The Principal

In the real world, you get fired for something like this, thrown in the can and charged under the law. But in the artificial world propped up by thousand-page union contracts, you don't even get a slap on the wrist. Instead, you collect a bounty. From The Detroit News: Threaten the boss, win $135,000

...Upset at being suspended for two weeks for showing the R-rated movie "The Butterfly Effect" to an advanced psychology class without permission, Brown apparently went off her nut and threatened to kill herself and Principal Karl Heidrich.

Her threats were overheard by others who reported them to police.

In today's zero tolerance environment, a student who made such a threat would be expelled from school immediately, with little recourse for getting back in.

Brown, as a teacher, was placed on administrative leave, and her pay and benefits continued while school authorities figured out what to do.

What the district wanted to do, of course, is what any reasonable employer would do in that situation — fire the employee who made the threats in the interest of workplace safety.

But that's not such a simple decision when the employee is a teacher protected by both a union and tenure. The district, the Jackson Citizen Patriot reported, feared that getting rid of Brown the old-fashioned way would take months and a lot of cash.

The tenure law gives teachers the right to appeal a dismissal to the State Tenure Commission, a process that can take up to six months and cost $75,000. And the commission's decision can be appealed in court, adding to the cost and time consumed.

So Stockbridge instead entered into negotiations with Brown to convince her to leave voluntarily. Last month she did, with a $50,000 severance payout. When added to the pay and benefits earned while Brown was on leave, the cost to the district is $135,000.

For the union types that claim everything in that union contract is there to help educate the children, explain the above. Also, explain this that I posted on just recently: Video Report: Union’s ‘Last In, First Out’ Rule Forces Layoffs For Best and Brightest Teachers From Poor/Minority Schools

Exit question: how long before the above teacher is hired in Wisconsin?: The 'New Civility' (Cont'd): WI Teacher Charged With Sending Death Threats to GOP Lawmakers

Sharia In Germany: No Jail for Violent Child Rape - His Mom told him to do it

This is how far Germany has fallen, kowtowing to evil in letting violent child rape go unpunished:

The Obama Wreckovery: "Stubborn" Jobless Claims Still Keep On Climbing Higher

The establishment MSM continues to call the high jobless rate "stubborn" implying that something else is fighting the Obama policies and that it's not his fault. In fact, it is. 2 1/2 years after he pushed through the stimulus boondoggle after promising it would create 3.5 million NEW jobs and keep the unemployment under 8%, the unemployment rates continues to be above 9% (National Unemployment Rate At 9% More Than 2 Years After Obama Promised It Would Never Go Above 8%; Labor Participation Rate Still At All-Time Low) and 3 million jobs have been lost rather than gained. Welcome to the Obama wreckovery. Via memeorandum: Stubborn Jobless Claims Still Keep On Climbing Higher

The predictable result of liberal policies

New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly climbed to 424,000 last week from a revised 414,000 in the prior week, pointing to a painfully slow improvement in the nation's job markets.

The Labor Department on Thursday revised the prior week's claims number up from an originally reported 409,000.

Economists surveyed by Reuters had forecast that claims last week would decline to 400,000, rather than rise.

The four-week moving average of unemployment claims, considered a better measure of trends since it smoothes out weekly variations, eased slightly to 438,500 from a revised 440,250.

Last week marked the seventh straight week in which claims topped the 400,000 level...

And from al Reuters: Corporate profits fall, jobless claims up. And Bloomberg: U.S. Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Climbed Last Week. After 2 1/2 years of economic disaster, how do they expect anything else?

UPDATE: Via drudge:

• Sale of seized homes at 28% -- 6 X normal...
• UPDATE: GDP 1.8%...

Video of Charles Krauthammer: How the Media Will Try to Help Re-elect Obama

The media ought to fill out tax forms with their advocacy of Obama as an in-kind contribution:

Via BreitbartTV. To the media, Obama is too big to fail. Speaking of the Obama voter: Rush Handles the Quintessential Obama Voter

Michael Moore: Since Obama "controls" car companies, he should force them to build trains, not cars

It it perhaps most ironic here that Moore wants to dismantle the auto industry, since he gained fame in the 'documentary' Roger and Me where he focused on the negative effect of supposed corporate greed on GM workers. After all, Moore has been caught calling cars "WMDs responsible for global warming". More along those lines in the current news: Michael Moore Urges Obama to Destroy the Automobile

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

"The auto thing is a good example too of where I wish Obama would just, if he would just ratchet it up another notch. Yes, he saved the jobs of all my friends back in Michigan. But now that we sort of control the car companies, let's get them doing mass transit. Let's get them doing things that are going to save this planet. Because the internal combustion engine is not going to get us to the 22nd century. That's just not going--we're not going to have a planet. That has to stop. And I just thought: gee, we have this power. You know, you can do things." -Michael Moore

So Moore only drives a bicycle and uses mass transit to get around, right? Yeah - I didn't think so. Exit question: if we ban the automobile and heavy equipment like bulldozers, what will Moore use to illegally fill in the wetlands at his luxurious mansion to expand his beech?