The Common Constitutionalist

Benghazi Counterterrorism Response Team “Ruled Out From The Start”

May 19, 2013By the Common Constitutionalist

CBS News’ Sharyl Attkisson — last heard from explaining that although her bosses have been supportive of her Benghazi reporting, her network’s shows and producers don’t seem interested — has chased down another major scoop. This time, she quotes unnamed White House officials admitting that administration leaders determined they would not deploy a counterterror response team to Benghazi from the get-go:

The Foreign Emergency Support Team known as “FEST” is described as “the US Government’s only interagency, on-call, short-notice team poised to respond to terrorist incidents worldwide.” It even boasts hostage-negotiating expertise. With U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens reported missing shortly after the Benghazi attacks began, Washington officials were operating under a possible hostage scenario at the outset. Yet deployment of the counterterrorism experts on the FEST was ruled out from the start. That decision became a source of great internal dissent and the cause of puzzlement to some outsiders.

Thursday, an administration official who was part of the Benghazi response told CBS News: “I wish we’d sent it.” The official said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s deputy, Patrick Kennedy, quickly dispensed with the idea. A senior State Department official Thursday told CBS News, “Under Secretary Kennedy is not in the decision chain on FEST deployment” but would not directly confirm whether Kennedy or somebody else dismissed the FEST. [FEST leader] leader Mark Thompson says Benghazi was precisely the sort of crisis to which his team is trained to respond. While it was the State Department that’s said to have taken FEST off the table, the team is directed by the White House National Security Council.

So someone high up in the administration decided “from the start” that a FEST crew wouldn’t be sent to Benghazi, even though the team’s leader says his group was designed to handle exactly that sort of emergency. We don’t know who made the decision to shut down the FEST option, or why. These questions must be answered. The FEST chain of command resides inside the State Department and the White House. Attkisson reports that much like the Tripoli response team that was ordered to stand down twice, FEST members were shocked when their services weren’t required in Benghazi: Continue Reading

Posted in Business • Current Events • Economy • Government • Political Stuff

Schiff: We’re Heading For A Crisis Worse Than 2007

May 18, 2013By the Common Constitutionalist

Washington is engaged in a massive “campaign” to make Americans believe the economy is in recovery. But in reality the United States is at the brink of a devastating economic crash that will cause catastrophic market losses and impoverish millions.

That’s according to Peter Schiff, the best-selling author and CEO of Euro Pacific Capital, who delivered his frightening warning to investors in a recent interview on CCTV.

“The problem with politicians is they don’t want to level with the voters and tell them how bad the economy really is and what the cure for the disease is,” Schiff said.

The “disease” Schiff refers to is a toxic combination of our massive $16.4 trillion debt and the Fed’s continued devaluing of the dollar through its controversial 7-year long “easing” program.

The Fed is currently purchasing $85 billion a month in Treasury and mortgage bonds, a form of stimulus.

President Obama and like-minded politicians claim this stimulus has pushed the economy forward, boosting GDP and keeping inflation low.

But Schiff says “it’s another lie.”

In fact, according to Schiff, the government has done nothing more than create a “phony” economy that is “completely dependent on the ability to borrow more money that we can’t pay back.”

“The Fed knows that the U.S. economy is not recovering,” Schiff said. “It simply is being kept from collapse by artificially low interest rates and quantitative easing. As that support goes, the economy will implode.”

Posted in Current Events • Economy • Fun Stuff • Photography

How the Food Really Looks

May 18, 2013By the Common Constitutionalist

Ever felt that your fast food order didn’t look quite as appetizing as it did on the advertisement?

Photographer Dario D was fed up with disappointing purchases and decided to see how the food sold over the counter matched up to the promised product.

He bought burgers and tacos from some of the biggest chains in the United States and set them up in his studio for a professional standard photo shoot.

And the difference was clear to see.

Photographer Dario D decided to find out how many fast food products actually looked like their advert. This Big Mac couldn’t reach the same height as the advertised burger

When the photographer opened the Big Mac, he found that it was missing most of its lettuce

Dario D even found that the advertised Big Mac would be far too big for its box

The photographer found that most of the burgers he bought were not quite as tall as the ads promised they would be.

In fact, Big Macs would struggle to fit inside their boxes if they matched their picture.

And another McDonald’s burger, the Angus Deluxe Third Pounder, would have the same trouble.

Dario D embarked on the project following: ‘a lifetime of disappointment, bafflement, and rage’, posting the results on his website.

He gave Burger King’s Whopper a few tries, but after slightly squashed results could only conclude: ‘They need to fire the guy who does his yoga on top of the Whoppers.’

But despite the generous lettuce, the photographer found that the advertised Angus Deluxe was another McDonald’s burger that did not seem to fit in its box

For this Angus Deluxe third pounder burger, Dario D praised the amount of lettuce it came with

A McDonald’s Big N’ Tasty with cheese got a big green tick from Dario D as the burger that most closely matched its advert

In one side-by-side comparison, he showed the results of asking staff at different locations to make the Whopper look like its advert.

‘Both times, the cashiers turned and took strangely long, careful looks, as if nobody had ever requested that before,’ he said. ‘They said sure.’

Out of curiosity, Dario D complained about the ‘misleading’ adverts.

A member of Burger King’s Consumer Relations Team replied: ‘One may find the Whopper Sandwich as pictured in commercials more attractive because during photo sessions, professional food stylists are used to ensure the consistency and appearance.’

When he bought a Whopper from Burger King, Dario found that his purchase fell a little flat compared with the one packed with tomato, lettuce, onion and pickles in the ad

When he bought a Whopper from Burger King, Dario found that his purchase fell a little flat compared with the one packed with tomato, lettuce, onion and pickles in the ad

The photographer gave the BK Whopper another try – but it still couldn’t quite live up to its promise

Dario D then asked two different branches of Burger King to make burgers that looked like the advert – and these were the results

It wasn’t just burger chains where the food failed to size up to its commercial counterpart.

In Taco Bell and Jack in the Box, the tacos were thin compared with the packed shells in the adverts.

Of the Taco Bell results, he said: ‘Since these tacos are pretty dry and empty, I can only tolerate them with hot sauce, which, for me, is when they become good.’

With the help of a greenscreen and rotating chair, Dario D took each product’s photo at the most flattering angle he could before using digital software to show the advert and real product side-by-side.

He said: ‘I gave the items as fair a chance as absolutely possible’.

This is what the photographer, who documented his findings on his blog, was handed when he asked for Burger King’s Whopper Jr burger

It wasn’t just burgers that fell short of expectations. Dario D bought the crunchy taco on the right from Taco Bell, expecting something looking like the one on the left

Attribution: Daily Mail

Posted in Current Events • Government • History • International • Political Stuff • Terrorism

Benghazi Talking Point

May 18, 2013By the Common Constitutionalist

On Sept. 12, 2012, President Barack Obama vowed to “bring to justice” the perpetrators of the deadly attack in Benghazi, Libya. On Oct. 26, 2012, Obama said his “biggest priority” was bringing the “folks” in Libya responsible for murdering four Americans to “justice.” Tick, tock, tick, tock.

While White House press secretary Jay Carney sneers at the GOP’s “obsession” with what went wrong at the besieged Libyan consulate, Obama continues to ply his emptiest talking point. On May 13, 2013, more than eight months after the bloody disaster, Obama snippily reminded reporters that he had told us all back in September that “we would find out what happened, we would make sure that it did not happen again, and we would make sure that we held accountable those who had perpetrated this terrible crime.”

Woulda, coulda, shoulda. Justice delayed is justice denied.

A little more “obsession” from this administration with hunting down the jihadist killers would be a good thing. How about a little more anger directed at the perpetrators and a little less rage aimed at the conservative press? Nah. Team Obama seems more singularly focused on blaming its opponents, smearing whistleblowers and deriding those who are trying to hold the president to his words, words, words.

Perhaps with their newfound skepticism toward the lying liars of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the former lapdogs of the White House press corps will start asking questions like this: Where the hell is Sufyan Ben Qumu a.k.a. Abu Sufian bin Qumu?

Posted in Current Events • Fun Stuff • Science & Technology

Tooth Regeneration

May 17, 2013By the Common Constitutionalist

Scientists are studying how alligators renew their giant teeth in a bid to help humans who suffer dental problems.

Alligators have an average of 80 teeth at any one time – and 50 sets of replacements to last their lifetime.

The giant reptiles can go through 2,000 to 3,000 teeth in a lifetime, and researchers hope to find a way to replicate this process in humans.

Smile! An alligator can go through 2,000 to 3,000 teeth in a lifetime, and researchers hope to find a way to replicate this renewal process in humans

Most vertebrates can renew teeth throughout their lives whereas humans’ are naturally replaced only once.

This is despite the lingering presence of a band of tissue called the dental lamina – crucial to tooth development.

To uncover the chemical mechanisms of tooth renewal Professor Cheng-Ming Chuong and colleagues studied repetitive tooth formation in American alligators.

Alligators have well-organized teeth with traits similar to those of mammals – such as secondary palates and implantation in sockets of the dental bones – and are capable of lifelong tooth renewal.

Through a combination of molecular analysis and scanning techniques the researchers showed each alligator tooth is a complex unit of three components in different developmental stages.

These are structured to facilitate replacement once they are dislodged, says the study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Early on the alligator dental lamina forms a bulge at its tip that houses stem cells. Molecular analysis revealed that the initiation of the tooth cycle corresponds with the dynamic expression of an array of signaling chemicals.

The researchers believe the findings could help adults who have lost teeth or have ones that appear in addition to the regular number – a common condition called supernumerary teeth.

Professor Cheng-Ming Chuong, of Southern California University, said nature is a rich resource from which to learn how to engineer stem cells to regenerate hair, scales, nails and teeth.

He said: ‘These organs are at the interface between an organism and its external environment and therefore, face constant wear and tear.

‘Animals have evolved successful regenerative mechanisms to accommodate renewal with minimal functional interruption.

‘Feeding is critical for survival but teeth unavoidably face frequent injury and loss. Most vertebrates replace teeth throughout their lives.

‘Our goal here is to identify stem cells that can be used as a resource for episodic tooth renewal.’

Prof Chuong said reptiles and fish have robust regenerative powers for tooth renewal but living mammals can either renew their teeth one time or not at all.

The researchers believe the findings could help adults who have lost teeth or have ones that appear in addition to the regular number – a common condition called supernumerary teeth

He said: ‘Understanding how these signaling molecules interact in tooth development in this model may help us to learn how to stimulate growth of adult teeth in mammals.’

Attribution: Mail Online

Posted in Fun Stuff

Joke of the Day

May 17, 2013By the Common Constitutionalist

So once there was an Chinese man, A Mexican, and an American all in the same plane.

Now the chinese man Takes a pair of chopsticks and throws them out of the window.

Then he claims “We have too many of those in my country!”

Then the mexican grabs his jar of salsa, throws it out the window and says “We have to many of these in my country!”

Then the american picks up the mexican and throws him out of the window and claims “We have to many of these in my country!”

Posted in Current Events • Government • Political Stuff

The Obama Defense

May 17, 2013By the Common Constitutionalist

1 Comment

by: the Common Constitutionalist

On May 14, Dana Milbank of the Washington Post Stenographer wrote of our poor president. He called him “President Passerby”.

Milbank wrote pleadingly that Obama “needs urgently to become a participant in his presidency.”

Gee Dana, why start now? He’s done such a great job from the sideline or leading from behind.

That’s why polls all say the people hate his policies, but yet still love him. He has achieved something remarkable; a president that bears no responsibility for anything in the eyes of the low information voter. Quite an achievement.

Milbank writes of what he considers a “full frontal assault on the first amendment by his administration.”

It was a revelation that the Justice Department “had gone on a fishing expedition through months of phone records of the Associated Press reporters.”

And yet Milbank is surprised that his president seemed astonished by the news. He claimed: “as astonished as the revelation that the IRS was targeting conservative groups based on their ideology.”

Dana seemed quite bemused that Obama claimed he heard of such things on the news and was concerned: “now that Obama has learned about this extraordinary abuse of power, he’s not doing anything about it.”

Now, is Milbank really surprised by these “revelations” or is he, as is usually the case, colluding to provide cover for his monarch. I choose the latter.

Dana pointed out what Jay Carney had said about comparing Obama to Nixon: “Nixon was a control freak. Obama seems to be the opposite.”

I believe, no, I know that those in the press, and other assorted leftists are rapidly crafting the image of a completely uninterested leader – President Passerby – the drive-by president, if you will. He is Sgt. Barack Schultz: he knows nothing!

And just in case that excuse doesn’t fly with the Beyoncé and Jay-Z crowd, David Axelrod has a backup excuse.

Axelrod posited that the government is so “Vast” Obama couldn’t possibly have his finger on the pulse of every department. He stated: “part of being president is there’s so much beneath you that you can’t know because the government is so vast.”

Off topic alert: would this not be the perfect time for some conservative lawmakers to come forward and demand that we shrink the size of government? Why yes it would!

Anywho, now the leftists believe they have a great defense to insulate the King from the possible wrath of his peasants.

But wait… Now I’m confused. Let’s go back to when the Arab spring was welling up and subsequently spinning out of control. Remember, a White House spokesman named Tommy Vietor and what he said of Obama?

Vietor said the president didn’t need briefings because he is “among the most sophisticated consumers of intelligence on the planet.” If he is so bloody intelligent how could he know nothing? You don’t get to be that intelligent by being ill-informed. So which one is Obama; the smartest, most informed guy on the planet or Jerry Lewis playing President Passerby?

I’d say neither. Barack Obama is Philip Dru – Administrator. He is not the Chief Executive. He appears more like the head of human resources. Obama hires a person to head up a department and then moves on to the next hire. He bears no responsibility for that hire after the fact.

Posted in Business • Current Events • Fun Stuff • International • Travel & Adventure

Paradise for Sale

May 16, 2013By the Common Constitutionalist

1 Comment

The perfect gift for the billionaire who has everything has just come on the market – an idyllic tropical island tucked away in the Great Barrier Reef.

However, the Australian island is far from being a deserted getaway, as it hosts a 300-room luxury hotel and spa.

Daydream Island in Queensland, near the Whitsunday Islands, has doubtless shot to the top of the shopping list for the mega-rich after going up for sale for £75 million($114 million).

Daydream Island in the Great Barrier Reef has just gone on sale with a price tag of £75million

The gorgeous island boasts a 300-room hotel which offers its guests jet-skiing and scuba diving

Arriving visitors are greeted by an array of palm trees by the jetty as they first reach Daydream Island

Its hotel boasts a private golden beach for each guest, and the outdoor aquarium features 50 different corals and 80 types of sea life.

Moguls who are keen to enjoy snorkelling, jet-skiing, scuba diving and other aquatic activities will be keen to stake their claim to be the new owner of Daydream Island.

The island is to be passed on from one super-rich mogul to another – and hopefully the new owner is a fan of aquatic pursuits

The resort even has facilities for weddings, aimed at couples looking to make their big day even more special

The swimming pool at the Daydream Island resort overlooks waters containing the Great Barrier Reef

WHAT TO DO ON DAYDREAM ISLAND

Snorkelling: Visitors can explore the Great Barrier Reef, one of the world’s hotbeds of biodiversity

Jet-skiing: The tropical setting is perfect for watersports adventurers

Aquatic life: The island’s man-made reef hosts amazing tropical fish such as stingrays

Fishing: Visitors go out in boats to catch a tasty lunch or just indulge in a bit of sport

Mini golf: Less intrepid guests can enjoy a relaxed round before dinner

Flamboyant businessman Vaughan Bullivant snapped up the island in 2000, and is now hoping to hand it on to another entrepreneur after his retirement.

‘But I’m 65 now and looking to at some stage put my feet up and enjoy doing other things in life including more travel and spending time with my family, which has long been my goal,’ he said.

‘I intend to make sure that Daydream remains an industry leader and am looking for a suitable operator to take Daydream Island forward.’

Resort boss Phil Casey said that the island had never looked better, and claimed that its natural beauty had helped it thrive throughout the recession.

‘Daydream Island has just completed a very positive 12 months of trading which is extremely pleasing considering the tourism industry has had a very difficult time in recent years,’ he said.

‘The island’s management has worked hard to position Daydream as an Australian holiday destination of choice.

‘Visitors are voting with their feet and giving fabulous feedback about our beautiful island and the great times they are having there.’

He insisted the resort would not be sold to just anyone, and said he was confident the island would find a proprietor who is a good fit for the beautiful getaway.

The island boasts the world’s largest man-made coral lagoon enabling guests to get up close and personal with tropical fish

Welcome: Three ‘mermaids’ are perched in a corner of the island entertaining guests

Owner: Vaughan Bullivant bought the island in 2000 but has now decided to sell up on his retirement

Attribution: Daily Mail

Posted in Current Events • Fun Stuff • Government • International • Political Stuff • Terrorism

A Funny

May 16, 2013By the Common Constitutionalist

Posted in Current Events • Economy • Political Stuff

Jailhouse Rock

May 16, 2013By the Common Constitutionalist

from: James Daniel at the UK Daily Mail

Tennessee prisoners post Facebook pics and videos of drugs, cash and parties from behind bars

Whilst the idea of prison is to curtail ones freedom, it seems that tens of inmates in Tennessee are living life to the max, behind bars.

Videos and pictures posted to around 100 prisoners personal Facebook pages show the convicts are surrounded by drugs, money and even get to party, despite being in jail.

Inmates aren’t supposed to have even have internet access, let alone have their own cell phones which are forbidden in prisons.

This is the life! Inmates in West Tennessee jail post photos of themselves having fun whilst in the slammer

Hoarders: He may be banged up, but that doesn’t mean this inmate can’t enjoy a snack or two, or three…

A district attorney from West Tennessee says a change in the law has to occur to prevent postings like this from happening.

Mike Dunavant has one federal prison, three state prisons, and five county jails in his district.

He told WAFB that the prisoners are getting around a loophole in the law.

For although it is illegal to bring a cell phone into prison, it is not illegal to posses one once inside. He says that law needs to be changed.

‘It’s certainly offensive to victims of crime and to citizens of this state who really expect inmates will not have access to the Internet, not have the luxuries of Facebook as we have,’ Dunavant said.

He believes the prisoners behaviour to be disturbing, offensive and dangerous.

One inmate revels in being in the slammed: ‘Between me and you, this s*** ain’t half bad,’

Burning down the house: It seems the prisoners can get away with virtually anything – here they burn a t-shirt in a cell

Contraband: Cellphones are not allowed to be brought into jail, but once they are behind bars it’s not illegal to own one

The videos show the prisoners taking drugs, smoking, hoarding snacks, giving each other tattoos, and in one photograph, burning clothes inside a cell.

On one video, a convicted murderer, Rivera Peoples, posted pictures and video, showing off his contraband iPhone he somehow got in prison to operate his Facebook page.

In another, an inmate asks Peoples how much money has collected while in prison. Peoples responds, ‘I’m a thousand, definitely a thousand.’

Other inmates show pictures of large amounts of cash as well.

One picture shows an inmate showing off $200 while in prison and another shares the photo on his Facebook wall.

Other Facebook videos show inmates watching TV, singing and rapping.

A convicted burglar Martez Wright posted videos of his exploits while in jail in Memphis.

He is seen showing off what he claims is marijuana and then shows off various junk food and snacks he and his fellow inmates have managed to hoard.

Mo money, mo problems: One convict is making a fortune from selling other contraband goods including drugs

No dope: A prisoner shows off his marijuana in a Facebook post from behind bars

‘We’re hungry. About to eat a mother f****** feast. We’ve got scrumptious items we eat on a daily basis,’ Wright said.

Dunavant proposes stricter security screening for visitors and a cell signal blocking device inside prisons.

He hopes to have a proposal in place for law makers to consider when they reconvene in January.

‘Anyone who sees those videos, they’re going to be sickened by it. They’re going to be angry,’ said Verna Wyatt, executive director of Tennessee Voices for Victims, an advocacy group for crime victims.

The Channel 4 Newsteam which conducted the original investigation found inmates using Facebook not only to communicate instantly with family and friends, but also to talk to inmates in other prisons.

The fear is that despite being off the streets, the criminals can still organize drug crimes and violent crimes.

Lighting up: A prisoner lights a blunt in the comfort of his cell

On one occasion two inmates at different prisons contact one another by posting their phone numbers on each others wall.

Many of the families of the criminals’ victims have said they are outraged at the freedom the inmates are experiencing.

The victims’ families said when the criminals were sentenced to prison, they never imagined them posting photos of themselves to Facebook watching TV or burying themselves in junk food.

Plenty of possessions: This inmates cell looks more like the inside of a student’s dorm room with books, clothes and food all on display

Living it up: A prisoner shows the marijuana bags he has for sale behind the prison walls

Convicted murderer Brandon White, who killed Ryan Wright, posted pictures of his phone and holding $200 cash.

Ryan’s mother, Linda Wright told Channel 4: ‘That’s not punishment. That’s not any kind of punishment. It’s just like being out on the outside. It’s still freedom for them. We can never communicate again. And he [Brandon White] has access to be able to communicate with the outside world.’

The Department of Correction says every correctional facility struggles with contraband.

Some of the prisoners who have made postings online are now being investigated, especially those who are seen to be flaunting drugs.

The Tennessee Department of Corrections says 70 inmates at 14 prisons across the state have been disciplined and their offending Facebook pictures have now been removed.