Wednesday Blend

Welcome to the Monday Wednesday Blend! Lots of stories floating around the internet today, let’s  jump right in, shall we?

If faced with the same situation – I’d do exactly the same to save Buster’s life.  Alaskan woman punches a bear in the face in order to save her dachshund named Fudge.

Via Verum Serum  WEAC Union fails to bully School Board to vote against changes in an employee handbook in the New Berlin School District. The video embedded in the post is well worth watching, especially the party where the red shirted WEAC union supporters exit the building before the school board vote.

Obama’s green ‘article of faith’ Solyndra has announced plans to declare Chapter 11 bankruptcy despite being offered $535 million in a low interest loan from the federal government.

Pat Dollard wonders about the silence from MSM after left leaning blogger apologizes and explains his unauthorized use and editing of Robert Stacy McCain’s video of Michele Bachmann speaking to a Christian youth group.

Are Faux-Vintage photos from war photojournalists via applications such as Hipstamatic a realistic way to document the realities of modern conflict? As an enthusiast of Hipstamatic, Instagram and Camera+, I fully understand how the look of an image can drive emotions of the viewer.  I don’t see a problem of the choice of camera used by a photojounalist, we all have an agenda when shooting and choose our gear appropriately. I draw the line of fraudulently manipulating an image, for example, the infamous Iranian photo which adding more missiles than actually were fired and numerous Reuters images.  Photo-friends, what are your thoughts on this issue? Leave a message in the comment section.

All Hail Zombie – check out his green vs Tea Party rally. 

14 Years On – Her Work Continues

Her work continues – Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund

Fast & Furious Fallout: ATF Director Ken Melson Reassigned; US Atty for AZ Resigns

How far up the food chain will the fallout go?

What is the problem here? Ken Melson should be fired, not reassigned to a quiet area where the ATF hopes investigators forget he exists.

Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney for Arizona, Dennis Burke, has submitted his resignation to the Obama Administration effective immediately.

How far up the food chain does this go?

Pirated Video – Robert Stacy McCain Video Used To Smear Politican

Video copy write violations are a huge no-no in the blogosphere.  The bombastic blogger, Robert Stacy McCain called out a lowlife who grabbed his video off of YouTube and edited it in such a way as to smear Congresswoman and Presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann when she spoke at the Spirit Midwest Christian Music Festival.  The stolen and re-edited video was posted this blospot then Ken Layne at Wonkette picked up the video. Ken Layne or Wonkette have yet to post a retraction.

Robert Stacy McCain made his intentions clear in his Hot Air Green Room post:

[A]fter I learned that my video had been stolen and misused for such a defamatory purpose, I put up a blog post denouncing the smear, and sent an e-mail to the anonymous proprietor of the “On Knees” Web site. He then deleted his first lie and substituted another vicious smear as a “correction.” But his pirated and re-edited version of my video — a clear violation of my copyright, and of YouTube’s terms of service agreement — is still online. I have spoken to an attorney and fully intend that the perpetrator of this crime will be brought to justice.

RS McCain reports the lowlife who stole and edited his video issued an apology of sorts.  Copywrite infringement is still copywrite infringement, I say sue the pants of this dude.

Celebs4Kids – New PEACE Fund Initiative

Adrian Paul, famously known as Duncan Macleod in the television series ‘Highlander‘ has announced on twitter a new and rather cool initiative – Celebs4Kids ‘- give PEACE a hand.

Get your favorite celebrity to pose while making the Peace sign to help support the work of PEACE (Protect Educate Aid Children Everywhere) Fund. 

The PEACE fund was established in 1997 by Adrian Paul. The fund focuses on small, underfunded charities that are doing the heavy lifting in making positive differences in the lives of children worldwide. Remarkably the PEACE fund is able to provide 94% of revenues received to the selected charities. Poking around the website I was very pleased to see a section detailing the charities that receive funding from PEACE. Oh, wonders of wonders, there is a conflict of interest policy for this fund. Personally, this is a huge selling point, but I suggest to my readers and lurkers to focus on another selling point  – the high quality of the charities benefiting from this fund.

In these troubling economic times, when you may rethink donating to a charitable organization, knowing that nearly all of your donation will go directly to the children in need is a damn good reason to donate to the PEACE fund. 

Gimmie, Gimmie a Gibson after Midnight

Andrew Lawton reports on the surprising raid by armed Federal Department of Justice agents of the Gibson Guitar Corporation where they confiscated several pallets of wood, electronic files and guitars.  The impetus of their complaint – an obscure Indian law that frowns upon processing of this protected wood (East Indian Rosewood) by non Indian workers. Seriously, if Gibson hired Indian workers to work on the wood used in their guitars, the wood would not be considered illegal by the Federal Department of Justice.

Where does the Federal Department of Justice find authority to do this? In 1900, to protect our natural animal resources, President William McKinely signed into law the U.S. Lacey Act.  Lawyers representing Gibson Guitar Corporation have released a press release regarding this raid:

The Federal Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. has suggested that the use of wood from India that is not finished by Indian workers is illegal, not because of U.S. law, but because it is the Justice Department’s interpretation of a law in India. (If the same wood from the same tree was finished by Indian workers, the material would be legal.) This action was taken without the support and consent of the government in India.

Note this raid was conducted without the consent of the Indian Government. It should also be noted that the chief competitor of Gibson Guitar Corporation, C.F. Martin & Company, sells several types of guitars composed in part with the illegal ‘East Indian Rosewood’ and the CEO has a history of generous donations to the DNC. Yet to date, this company has remained unmolested by the Federal Department of Justice.

Upon review of U.S. Lacey Act, I found this section quite interesting:
The Lacey Act also makes it unlawful to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce any plant in violation of the laws of the United States, a State, an Indian tribe, or any foreign law that protects plants.

In 2009, the FLOTUS presented to France’s First Lady, Carly Bruni, a Gibson Hummingbird accustic guitar. Apparently, this model does contain Indian rosewood. Should FLOTUS expect a raid by armed members of the Justice Department anytime soon?

Limpy The Amazing Limping Blogger

Title H/T to Jimmie Bise a talented blogger and all around good guy.

At least now, I can walk with out the aid of crutches.  More importantly, I can remove the boot and drive to Kelly Drive and walk (not run) for a few miles.  This also solidifies the reality that my quest for a half marathon and full marathon this year will not happen. I’ve been basically reset with respect to running and will begin training in December for the 2012 Broad Street Run, Oddysey half marathon, ING Half Marathon, and the Philly Marathon.

I refuse to get angry over this unfortunate turn of events.  I’m going to attend both the ING Half and Philly Marathon this fall to support my fellow runners participating in the race. I may be down physically, but I am far from out of this race.

I am still committed to the chase of 26.2

 

Larry O’Connor on Fox & Friends

Larry O’Connor captures the perception of elitism of Gawker, DIGG and Salon.com as a factor in their dramatic slide from being the popular sites for news to being the has-beens of the digital world. You could also fault the decline to the credibility of the content produced at these sites.

Take Twitter, Facebook,  Google+ and combine it with awesomely good regional blogs and the need for ginormous news sites to provide breaking news and commentary is pretty much minimized, if not eliminated.  The Bigs (Big Journalism, Government, Peace and Hollywood) on the other hand have adopted a model that uncovers news stories; recent examples include; Weiner-gate, Pigford, ACORN, NPR and just about every time James O’Keefe goes undercover. This is what journalism used to do, a practice the other large news websites have abandoned and the traffic numbers reflect this.

Nat Geo Remembering 9/11

Tune in to National Geographic tonight at 10 pm for the world premier of Remembering 9/11

National Geographic Channel presents George W. Bush: The 9/11 Interview, a world premiere documentary that reveals exclusive, first-person insight into the former president’s experience following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. In the most in-depth on-camera interview he has ever given on the subject, President Bush recalls what he was thinking and feeling and what drove the real-time, life-or-death decisions he faced in the first minutes, hours and days after the most lethal terrorist attacks ever on U.S. soil. Hear in unprecedented, intimate detail what he grappled with as both commander in chief, and as a man concerned for his family and fellow citizens. George W. Bush: The 9/11 Interview also takes viewers behind the scenes with extensive archival footage and exclusive materials directly from his library that open a new window into his personal experiences during that historic day that changed the face of America, and the world, forever.

 

Honestly, I strongly encourage my readers and lurkers to watch this show.  This is a crucial part of the story of 9/11 abscured  for the past 10  years by those who sought to benefit politically on the tragedy of 9/11.  With that said, I have to say that I may not be able to bring myself to watch the show.  I have a difficult time viewing images of the death of Marcello Matricciano, Jose Angel Martinez and David Reed Gamboa Brandhorst.

To most people,  the victims of 9/11 are nameless, faceless vicitims. It seems cruel to say so but ask yourself , your neighbor or your best friend to give the name of at least one victim of 9/11. You and I both know the answer already.

Thanks to the efforts of the organizers of  ‘Project 2996‘ , I know three by name.  It makes 9/11 all the more personal to me, watching the towers burn is like watching their deaths. This is not the memory I want carry of Marcello, Jose, and David.

H/T: Mike’s America

Joey Vento Remembered

Fox News Neil Cavuto remembers Joey Vento:

Watch the latest video at <a href=”http://video.foxnews.com”>video.foxnews.com</a&gt;

He was, as my Italian dad would say, a “character.”

Blunt. In-your-face.

Not just “politically incorrect”…

Joey Vento was…

To hear his foaming-at-the-mouth liberal critics tell it…

“Incorrect,” period.

 

Joey was about living the city’s motto – ‘City of Brotherly Love’ – and his version was a needed jolt of tough love for those who fall into a trap of multiculturalism and struggle with a depressing lifestyle.  Joey didn’t see them as victims and gave clear instructions and encouragement to anyone who sought improvement in their prospects in Philly and in life.

Rest in Peace, Joey, Philly is a better place because of your work.

Watch the latest video at <a href=”http://video.foxnews.com”>video.foxnews.com</a&gt;