Tenaj's Blog
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January 23, 2012, 1:54 pmNo Talking Points The GOP's Media Blaming Addiction
Don't know how to post this kind of video but here's the direct link. A must see for everyone. This is the real Newt.
http://newsroom.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/23/no-talking-points-the-gops-media-blaming-addiction/
January 23, 2012, 1:35 pmGOP - No Answers - Just Talking Points
January 21, 2012, 6:01 pmSC GOP voters focused on economy, beating Obama
SC GOP voters focused on economy, beating Obama
Published - Jan 21 2012 05:34PM EST
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Early results of exit polls in South Carolina show that for most voters, the economy was the top issue when picking a Republican presidential candidate.
Around a third of them said Saturday that someone in their household has been laid off in the last three years.
The preliminary data also show that when it comes to the qualities of their candidate, nearly half want someone who can defeat President Barack Obama in this fall's elections.
The conservative viewpoint of many of the state's GOP voters was also clear. Solid majorities consider themselves conservative and around the same number support the tea party. And well more than half say they are born again or evangelical Christians.
January 19, 2012, 6:53 pmGa. teacher resigns over slavery math lesson
Ga. teacher resigns over slavery math lesson
Published - Jan 18 2012 02:29PM EST
Associated Press
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) — A spokeswoman says a suburban Atlanta teacher has resigned after an investigation over third-grade students being assigned math homework with word problems about slavery.
One of the problems read: "Each tree has 56 oranges. If eight slaves pick them equally, then how much would each slave pick?"
Another was: "If Frederick got two beatings each day, how many beatings did he get in one week?"
Gwinnett County schools spokeswoman Sloan Roach said Wednesday an investigation has concluded into four teachers who gave out the assignments at Beaver Ridge Elementary. She says the school system accepted the resignation of one teacher but declined to elaborate on the rest.
Parents were angered by the math problems, and the NAACP had called for teachers to be fired.
January 18, 2012, 10:22 pmBut you can't piss on 'em
http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/marines-piss-on-taliban-dead-understanding-war-crimes/
WARNING - THEY USE BAD WORDS
January 16, 2012, 11:48 amRespect yourself
In honor of Martin Luther King
December 23, 2011, 1:41 pmMerry Christmas from Congress!
Tax cut lives on: Congress gives its approval
Published - Dec 23 2011 03:01AM EST
ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
President Barack Obama speaks during a news conference in the South Court Auditorium at the White House complex, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011, in Washington. The president was flanked at the White House by several people who commented on Twitter about how they would be impacted if the tax cuts were not extended. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
WASHINGTON (AP) — After weeks of bickering and doubt, Congress delivered a last-minute holiday tax cut extension to 160 million workers Friday along with further unemployment benefits for millions laid off in the nation's fierce recession and weak economic recovery. It was a convincing victory for President Barack Obama, a humbling retreat for House Republicans.
Back-to-back voice vote approvals of the two-month special measure by the Senate and House came in mere seconds with no debate, just days after House Republican leaders had insisted that full-blown negotiations on a full-year bill were the only way to prevent an immediate tax increase on Jan. 1.
Most members of Congress were already gone for the holidays, leaving behind just a few legislators to take formal action. Obama was leaving in the afternoon for a delayed vacation in Hawaii.
The measure passed despite lingering grumbling from tea party Republicans. It buys time for talks early next year on how to finance the year-long extensions.
It will keep in place a 2 percentage point cut in the payroll tax — a salary boost of about $20 a week for an average worker making $50,000 a year — and prevent almost 2 million unemployed people from losing jobless benefits averaging $300 a week.
Senate and House Republican leaders did gain a major win last week, winning a provision that would require Obama to make a swift decision on whether to approve construction of the Canada-to-Texas Keystone XL oil pipeline. To stop construction, Obama, who had wanted to put the decision off until after the 2012 election, would have to declare that it was not in the nation's interest.
Passage of the tax bill in the House ended a holiday season Republican confrontation with Obama and Senate Democrats that had threatened to hit 160 million workers with a tax increase on Jan. 1. But it backfired badly. Even Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell and the Wall Street Journal editorial board urged Speaker John Boehner and other House Republicans to act quickly and keep the tax cut in effect.
On Friday, an expressionless Boehner read from a piece of paper before him, gaveled the House's last session of the year closed and stepped off the podium on the Democratic side. He hugged the dean of the House, Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich.
"I wished him a Merry Christmas," Dingell said afterward. "I think he's somewhat at ease to have this mess of his back."
A full-year extension of the tax cut had been embraced by virtually every lawmaker in both the House and Senate but had been derailed in a quarrel over demands by House Republicans. Senate leaders of both parties had tried to barter such an agreement among themselves a week ago but failed, instead agreeing upon a 60-day measure to buy time for talks next year.
Thursday's decision by Boehner, R-Ohio, to cave in to the Senate came after days of criticism from Obama and Democrats. But perhaps more tellingly, GOP stalwarts including Republican senators and outside strategists warned that if the tax cuts were allowed to expire, Republicans would take a political beating that would harm efforts to unseat Obama next year.
House GOP arguments about the legislative process and what the "uncertainty" of a two-month extension would mean for businesses were unpersuasive, and Obama took the offensive.
Friday's House and Senate sessions were remarkable. Both chambers had essentially recessed for the holidays but leaders in both parties orchestrated passage of the short-term agreement under debate rules that would allow any individual member of Congress to derail the pact, at least for a time. None did.
The developments were a clear win for Obama. The payroll tax cut was the centerpiece of his three-month, campaign-style drive for jobs legislation that seems to have contributed to an uptick in his poll numbers — and taken a toll on those of congressional Republicans.
Obama, Republicans and congressional Democrats all said they preferred a one-year extension but the politics of achieving the goal, particularly the spending cuts and new fees required to pay for it, eluded them. All pledged to start working on that in January.
"There remain important differences between the parties on how to implement these policies, and it is critical that we protect middle-class families from a tax increase while we work them out," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said.
House GOP arguments about the legislative process and what the "uncertainty" of a two-month extension would mean for businesses were unpersuasive. The two-month version's $33 billion cost will be covered by a .1 percentage point increase on guarantee fees on new home loans backed by mortgage giants Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae — at a likely cost of about $17 a month for a person with a $200,000 mortgage.
"Has this place become so dysfunctional that even when we agree to things, we can't do it?" Obama said on Thursday. "Enough is enough."
The top Senate Republican, McConnell of Kentucky, was a driving force behind the final agreement, imploring Boehner to accept the deal that McConnell and Reid had struck last week and passed with overwhelming support in both parties.
Meanwhile, tea party-backed House Republicans began to abandon their leadership.
"I don't think that my constituents should have a tax increase because of Washington's dysfunction," freshman Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., said.
If the cuts had expired as scheduled, 160 million workers would have seen tax increases and up to 2 million people without jobs for six months would start losing unemployment benefits averaging $300 a week. Doctors would have seen a 27 percent cut in their Medicare payments, the product of a 1997 cut that Congress has been unable to fix.
Even though GOP leaders like House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., promised that the two sides could quickly iron out their differences, the truth is that it'll take intense talks to figure out both the spending cuts and fee increases required to finance the measure.
Just hours before he announced the breakthrough, Boehner had made the case for a yearlong extension. But on a brief late afternoon conference call, he informed his colleagues it was time to yield.
"He said that as your leader, you've in effect asked me to make decisions easy and difficult, and I'm making my decision right now," said Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., paraphrasing Boehner's comments.
Kingston said the conference call lasted just minutes and Boehner did not give anyone time to respond.
There was still carping among tea party freshmen upset that GOP leaders had yielded.
"Even though there is plenty of evidence this is a bad deal for America ... the House has caved yet again to the president and Senate Democrats," Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., said. "We were sent here with a clear set of instructions from the American people to put an end to business as usual in Washington, yet here we are being asked to sign off on yet another gimmick."
December 21, 2011, 9:37 pmA classic case of institutionized racism
Bank of America pays largest settlement in history over discrimination lawsuit
Published - Dec 22 2011 12:38AM EST
Robert Tilford, Charlotte City Buzz Examiner
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Bank of America has agreed to pay $335 million to settle very serious allegations that its Countrywide unit engaged in a “widespread pattern of discrimination” against qualified Hispanic and Black borrowers on home mortgage loans.
The settlement with the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) was filed Tuesday with the Central District court of California and is still pending court approval.
The DOJ says it’s the single largest settlement in history over residential fair lending practices. According to the DOJ's complaint, Countrywide over- charged 200,000 African-American and Hispanic borrowers by charging higher fees and interest rates than non-Hispanic white borrowers with a similar credit profile.
BUSTED BIG TIME!
The complaint says that these borrowers were charged higher fees and rates because of their race or national origin rather than any other objective criteria.
"These institutions should make judgments based on applicants' creditworthiness, not on the color of their skin," said Attorney General Eric Holder.
"With today's settlement, the federal government will ensure that the more than 200,000 African-American and Hispanic borrowers who were discriminated against by Countrywide will be entitled to compensation."
Charlotte, N.C.-based Bank of America Corp. bought the nation's largest subprime lender, Countrywide Financial Corp., in 2008 and used it to openly discriminate against certain borrowers. Dan Frahm, a Bank of America spokesman, said in a statement that the Bank of America “does not practice lending based on race.”
Yet the DOJ complain says otherwise?
Who are you going to believe?
Bank of America pays largest settlement in history over discrimination lawsuit
Published - Dec 22 2011 12:38AM EST
Robert Tilford, Charlotte City Buzz Examiner
“If B of A was telling the truth why did it settle then”, say Mark Gorge of Charlotte, N.C.
"We discontinued Countrywide products and practices that were not in keeping with our commitment and will continue to resolve and put behind us the remaining Countrywide issues," Frahm said.
The United States' complaint says that Countrywide “was aware” that the fees and interest rates that its loan officers were charging discriminated against African-American and Hispanic borrowers, but failed to impose meaningful limits or guidelines to stop it. By diverting certain borrowers into subprime loans from 2004 to 2007, the complaint alleges, Countrywide and B of A "harmed" those qualified African-American and Hispanic borrowers by forcing them to pay more.
Subprime loans generally carried costlier terms, i.e prepayment penalties and significantly higher adjustable interest rates that increased suddenly after two or three years, making the payments unaffordable and leaving the borrowers at a much higher risk of foreclosure.
B of A HURT AMERICA!
"Countrywide's actions contributed to the housing crisis, hurt entire communities, and denied families access to the American dream," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.
The settlement amount will be used to “compensate thousands of victims” of Countrywide's discriminatory mortgage loans from 2004 through 2007, when Countrywide originated millions of residential mortgage loans as the nation's largest single-family mortgage lenders. “B of A basically continued the practice of discrimination”, says Tom Adam of Charlotte, a civil rights advocate for African Americans.
“Thank God the Department of Justice investigated it and forced Bank of America to stop this type of lending discrimination. It sends a clear message to other financial institutions that they should not discriminate against people based on the color of their skin. This is a huge victory”, he said.
Lupe Lopez says “The discrimination against Hispanic and Latino Americans by B of A was systemic and ongoing. The DOJ investigation and lawsuit helped shine light on this practice and busted this racket. The settlement is proof of guilt, as far as I am concerned...we hope this sends a clear message to other banks that such behavior will not be tolerated.”
Robert Tilford
December 15, 2011, 7:03 amImage Photoshopped by Obama Haters
When I first saw this image in a fellow member's blog, my first thoughts were that it was photoshopped. I followed the image on the internet and ran into an Obama Hate website where articles and images and game plans of getting out the hate through emails. Promises of excessive postings to execute were going down the pipe.
They were off the chain. Especially a posting saying Obama was going to win in 2012, but it was twisted to mind bending. I wouldn't be surprised if it appeared here on LP. Since this came from it. This website is cheesy though. They are not true Republicans. They are just racist people. Haters.
They call Obama "Cooncracker." Here's the photo that appeared in a LP member's blog with comments disabled and the next one is to show you how easy it is to photoshop an image. The pixels right above his finger shows you how sloppy they were. I left it there. 
December 2, 2011, 11:26 amGinger Cheater Mad Girlfriend
November 17, 2011, 1:57 pmPhone # Porting HELL
I just went through 2 days and 10 people of phone # porting hell. Even though phone numbers do not belong to anybody, but whatever company you had it with from the very first beginning is the one that has control over it.
Even though I had my (home) phone number with TWC last, it didn't belong to TWC, it belonged to AT&T because i brought my phone number with me when I dissed AT&T and went to TWC.
AT&T's DSL sucked and their bills was 5 pages long with fees.
So, I was with TWC for two years and decided that I will give using my cell phone rather than having a cell phone and home phone. So I dissed my home phone. After 3 months and a much, much better deal I went back to TWC and wanted my old phone #back but that came with a price.
TWC had to send back my phone # after 45 days to AT&T according to the law. As far as AT &T was concerned that number didn't belong to them because I wasn't a customer so it goes into a black hole pool.
You would think that AT&T would have been like oh yeah we have the number in the pool, here take it. Did not happen. I actually had to become a customer of AT &T again before they would give the number to TWC. I got my credit report pulled, and a temporary cost of $20 a month until TWC snatch the number back.
What a trip.
November 11, 2011, 8:35 amOde to "Sparkling Green Apple"
How I lone for Bath and Body Works "Sparking Green Apple"
How perfectly wonderful it would be if BBW brought back Sparkling Green Apple Body Lotion, and Shower Gel. My favorite scent is gone and it's like a part of went with it. It was perfect and pleasant. Ladies you know what I'm talking about.
A friend told me once it reminded her of a sweet tropical shrub in the NC mountains they called "sweet bubbies."
It's been discontinued for years, and I've been burnt by sellers on Ebay and other places who has claimed to have it but all I received was something somebody concoted in their kitchen with the label.
It was my Calgon time. The scent of it just made me feel so good. Perfume was not necessary. You can walk into a room and people would say - "you smell good" and all you did was shower and use lotion.
I don't know what it is about that Green Apple Scent but BBW are the only people who got it right and much as I have asked them over the years they won't bring it back even when they bring back other favorites for a short period of time.
It was after Christmas one year and my daughters had loaded me up on BBW's Sweet Pea. At work, I walked into a friends office and she had Sparkling Green Apple on her desk and I said OMG my daughters gave me loads of Sweet Pea but I'm not fond of it. My friend was like "I love Sweet Pea, you want to trade" and that's what we did and I've been a Sparkling Green Apple lover since.
Every once in a while I'll send them a letter and I declare last night I almost started a petition. So I'm whinning and venting now over my lost love of BBW Sparkling Green Apple.
August 10, 2011, 10:35 amRoots of Migration Part 2
August 10, 2011, 10:33 amRoots of Immigration 1
I worked with the guy at the Museum that is responsible for these types of documentaries. We'd have a question/answer discussion with a group from all backgrounds/social/economic/education (mostly educators/wealty people) after screenings. (I'd be behind the film projector)
It'll always be something controversial, like "The Spirit of 34" union strikes and "Black is Black Isn't". I remember coming away from "Black is Black Ain't" - it's what you look like.
I think I know what would have been agreed on after this screening. It doesn't matter about the cause of an issue, it's the effect. And probably most people who hate on immigrants probably never heard of NAFTA. But this is part one. Couldn't get both videos in one post.
Last Edited: August 10, 2011, 10:34 am
July 18, 2011, 9:19 pm5th Gen Ipod Nano
I bought a 5th Gen Ipod Nano that had been used and synced to another computer and now I will have to erase my video that I have from class if I want to sync it to my computer which is already synced to another IPod. This is crazy.
I know the 5th gen Nano is vintage but it has a wonderful video camera and you can record radio songs. Too bad I can only watch them from the IPod and never be transferred to my computer.
There is a workaround but unless I know the other computer it is non and void. Of well. I didn't pay but $20 bucks for it so I'm still happen.
Hey I have a laptop that doesn't have Itunes Library on it. I wonder if it will sync to that.
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