http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=%5C%22Chicago Fri, 24 May 2013 17:35:16 -0400 Liveleak http://edge.liveleak.com/80281E/u/u/ll2/logo.gif http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=%5C%22Chicago Thu, 23 May 2013 19:17:49 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=015_1369349365 HabsForever http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominik_Ha%C5%A1ek :) http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=015_1369349365 HabsForever Dominik Hasek - Pardubice, Czechoslovakia Czech Republic, Canada, United States, Chicago Stadium, Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Corel Center, Joe Louis Arena, Chicago, Buffalo, Ottawa, Detroit, 1998, Nagano, Olympics, Pardubice, Prague, Hockey, NHL, National Hockey League, Hall of Fame, Hockey Fri, 24 May 2013 13:43:47 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=087_1369415969 Tama7866 It was my first time visit to the United States, in Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, when I was told to stand up and wait right next to a wall. I felt all my blood falling down to my knees as if I had been told that they would take me to Guantanamo, Cuba. Thirty minutes later, an officer came to tell me: "There is a problem with your name!" and asked me to follow him. He took me to a room and asked me to wait there. As I was sitting, I kept cursing, "It's not because of my name; because of Bin Laden, the idiot." Then I was directed to an investigation room, where another officer started querying me. Because my passport had a VISA to Iran, he asked what my purpose was for going there. I answered that my purpose was tourism. By that time he let me out, I had already missed my flight to Nashville. It was the twenty fifth hour since I flown from Bahrain, and I was totally exhausted. I started looking for my sister; and, after seven hours of searching I found her crying. It turned out that she had been told that I was returned back home. If my name had been Jackson, I would not have had all that trouble! After the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City, by the so-called Islamic terrorists, the world is no longer the same. Because of them, I was stopped and hassled in that airport, millions of Muslims are harassed everyday, and more than one billion Muslims are thought of as potential threats! Because of these terrorists, "42% of Americans of low personal religiosity, and 65% of high personal religiosity perceive Islam as violent" (Christianity Today). I do not blame them because, if I were in their shoes, I would think the same way. If all I were to see and hear about Muslims is what the media broadcast, I will never differentiate between violence and Islam. However, Bin Laden is not Islam, nor does he represent it. Islam is misunderstood by non-Muslims but also by many who falsely claim to be Muslims, like those terrorists. There is no way any Christian, Jew, or Muslim can come out and say he represents all Christians, Jews, or Muslims respectively. There is not a way all Christians, Jews, or Muslims come with one clear definition of their holy scriptures. If this were the case, we would not have seen all these sects diverging from each other in each religion. However, in every religion, one will find extremists who claim the utmost knowledge of its doctrines, although unfortunately, they always go above, beyond, and against such doctrines. One day, I heard a person stating on the news: "Islamic extremists are fighting the United States because it's a Christian country." But I do not agree with him. The mosques bombed by Al-Qaeda during the last year in Iraq were not churches full of Christians! The bakery that was destroyed in Iraq last couple of months was not a US military camp! Most of the time the people that are beheaded day-after-day by Al-Zarqawi's group are not Christians, Jews, or other westerners! The terrorists kill Muslims everyday, and most victims are civilians. Why are they doing this? It is clear that this is not a holy war strictly against non-Muslims but anyone who thinks differently from the terrorists. Some of you non-Muslims might think that the terrorists are like this because Islam's teachings lead to this ideology (i.e. because of the Jihad concept). Well, I strongly disagree. The Koran makes the definition of Jihad very clear: "Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors" (2:190). As is the case in all countries, fighting in Islam is mandatory whenever a foreign invasion is in place; however, God asks us not to start the fight. On the contrary, Bin Laden continues to use the concept of Jihad to back his ideas, but he miscalculates it. Jihad is a broad concept; it literally means "struggle." The greatest Jihad is the struggle with the self to get rid of what God forbids. The minor Jihad is the fighting for the Islamic Ummah (community) whenever during an invasion or an all-out war. The Prophet Muhammad has asked Muslims not to cut trees or harm old people, women, and children. Muhammad himself used armed force only when it was necessary. For example, in the battle of Ahzab, in the beginning of Islam, this was a clear aggression on the part of the unbelievers in Mecca, who had traveled 300 miles from Mecca to Medina to attack Muslims. The Prophet ordered a trench be dug in order to avoid armed confrontation instead of going to war with them (Athar, Shahid). God says: ... if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our apostles with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land. (Koran 5:32) Many people question the use of suicides by most of these terrorists, and whether or not it has a base in the religion. Al-Qaeda cheats many people by convincing them that, by committing suicides, they will be considered martyrs who will get to heaven. However, hell is the final destiny for such practices. In Islam, anything that indirectly harms the self is prohibited; such as alcohol, pork, tattoos, etc. So, if directly harming the self is allowed, then there would be a clear contradiction in the religion itself! The life and body are sacred in Islam, and nothing justifies harming them; God says, "... And spend of your substance in the cause of Allah, and make not your own hands contribute to destruction ..." "... Nor kill yourselves: for verily Allah hath been to you Most Merciful! ..." "...Whether open or secret; take not life, which Allah hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law ..." (Koran 2:195, 4:29, 6:151). Islam, the word itself, means "peace and submission." One of the attributes of God is As-Salaam, the peace giver. The path of Islam is called the path of peace. The ideal society in Islam is called Darus-Salaam. That is the city of peace. It is for this reason that Jerusalem was originally named as Salem, city of peace, by Canaanite Righteous King Melchisedeck, a contemporary of Prophet Abraham and was changed later to Urousalem and then to Jerusalem. The mission of Islam, as given to Prophet Mohammad, was "to be merciful to mankind" the Quran (Athar, Shahid). If one really investigates Islam, one will understand that terrorists' practices have nothing to do with its doctrines; that explains why, in spite of the 11 September attack, more than 30,000 Americans have converted to Islam since then (The Learn the Bible), and Islam is currently the fastest growing religion, according to the Guinness Book of World Records 2005. If Islam is proven to be a religion of tolerance, why would some of its practitioners turn to intolerance? There many reasons, especially politics. Why does Al-Qaeda not have its main base in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, etc.? Why did Osama Bin Laden left Arabia? Where was Al-Qaeda created? Who supported it? Al-Qaeda was not wanted in Arabia, so its members went to Afghanistan, where they received the support and money from many countries, including the United States, to fight the invading Russians. With Al-Quaeda's barbarian mentality, it was the best choice. However, Al-Qaeda expanded, seized Afghanistan, and then, using Islam for justification, started blowing-up buildings and people everywhere. We must all remember that not all terrorists are Muslims! There is a lot of terrorism in Ireland, Latin America, and Sri Lanka, where Muslims are not present. As a result of these misguided terrorists, Islam and Muslims are put first in the list whenever any bad disaster happens. Thank God, the Tsunami was not blamed on Muslims! The real problem is that many countries now are issuing statues that limit the freedom of individuals in the name of limiting terrorism. It extends to imprisoning suspected people, just because of their appearance. One of my friends, who wears veil, was asked in the Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to take off her clothes in front of God and everybody; to make sure she was not carrying any weapons of mass destruction! Muslim girls are forced to remove their Islamic head scarves in Germany and some other western countries; where is the freedom? This was the case in France, so a number of girls shaved their heads so as not to show their hair! The world should understand that Islam is all about fighting such barbarian practices. The world should understand that we Muslims are against terror and with the war on terrorism. However, to fight terrorism, the world should understand who the real terrorists are, who support them, and how to not to pull the trigger on the wrong target. The world should no longer sleep, and I hope it will awake one day to learn the truth about Islam versus the terrorism. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=087_1369415969 Tama7866 Islam Versus Terrorism (A view from the profiled) Muslim,Islam,Terror,911,WTC,Terrorism,debate,death Thu, 23 May 2013 20:05:10 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e40_1369353690 swordblow_25 http://m.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/23/woolwich-attack-terrorism-blowback Two men yesterday engaged in a horrific act of violence on the streets of London by using what appeared to be a meat cleaver to hack to death a British soldier. In the wake of claims that the assailants shouted "Allahu Akbar" during the killing, and a video showing one of the assailants citing Islam as well as a desire to avenge and stop continuous UK violence against Muslims, media outlets ( including the Guardian ) and British politicians instantly characterized the attack as "terrorism". That this was a barbaric and horrendous act goes without saying, but given the legal, military, cultural and political significance of the term "terrorism", it is vital to ask: is that term really applicable to this act of violence? To begin with, in order for an act of violence to be "terrorism", many argue that it must deliberately target civilians. That's the most common means used by those who try to distinguish the violence engaged in by western nations from that used by the "terrorists": sure, we kill civilians sometimes, but we don't deliberately target them the way the "terrorists" do . But here, just as was true for Nidal Hasan's attack on a Fort Hood military base , the victim of the violence was a soldier of a nation at war, not a civilian. He was stationed at an army barracks quite close to the attack. The killer made clear that he knew he had attacked a soldier when he said afterward: "this British soldier is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." The US, the UK and its allies have repeatedly killed Muslim civilians over the past decade (and before that), but defenders of those governments insist that this cannot be "terrorism" because it is combatants, not civilians, who are the targets. Can it really be the case that when western nations continuously kill Muslim civilians, that's not "terrorism", but when Muslims kill western soldiers , that is terrorism? Amazingly, the US has even imprisoned people at Guantanamo and elsewhere on accusations of "terrorism" who are accused of nothing more than engaging in violence against US soldiers who invaded their country . It's true that the soldier who was killed yesterday was out of uniform and not engaged in combat at the time he was attacked. But the same is true for the vast bulk of killings carried out by the US and its allies over the last decade, where people are killed in their homes, in their cars, at work, while asleep (in fact, the US has re-defined "militant" to mean "any military-aged male in a strike zone"). Indeed, at a recent Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on drone killings, Gen. James Cartwright and Sen. Lindsey Graham both agreed that the US has the right to kill its enemies even while they are "asleep", that you don't "have to wake them up before you shoot them" and "make it a fair fight". Once you declare that the "entire globe is a battlefield" (which includes London) and that any "combatant" (defined as broadly as possible) is fair game to be killed - as the US has done - then how can the killing of a solider of a nation engaged in that war, horrific though it is, possibly be "terrorism"? When I asked on Twitter this morning what specific attributes of this attack make it "terrorism" given that it was a soldier who was killed, the most frequent answer I received was that "terrorism" means any act of violence designed to achieve political change, or more specifically, to induce a civilian population to change their government or its policies of out fear of violence. Because, this line of reasoning went, one of the attackers here said that "the only reasons we killed this man is because Muslims are dying daily" and warned that "you people will never be safe. Remove your government", the intent of the violence was to induce political change, thus making it "terrorism". That is at least a coherent definition. But doesn't that then encompass the vast majority of violent acts undertaken by the US and its allies over the last decade? What was the US/UK "shock and awe" attack on Baghdad if not a campaign to intimidate the population with a massive show of violence into submitting to the invading armies and ceasing their support for Saddam's regime? That was clearly its functional intent and even its stated intent . That definition would also immediately include the massive air bombings of German cities during World War II. It would include the Central American civilian-slaughtering militias supported, funded and armed by the Reagan administration throughout the 1980s, the Bangledeshi death squads trained and funded by the UK , and countless other groups supported by the west that used violence against civilians to achieve political ends. The ongoing US drone attacks unquestionably have the effect, and one could reasonably argue the intent , of terrorizing the local populations so that they cease harboring or supporting those the west deems to be enemies. The brutal sanctions regime imposed by the west on Iraq and Iran, which kills large numbers of people, clearly has the intent of terrorizing the population into changing its governments' policies and even the government itself. How can one create a definition of "terrorism" that includes Wednesday's London attack on this British soldier without including many acts of violence undertaken by the US, the UK and its allies and partners? Can that be done? I know this vital caveat will fall on deaf ears for some, but nothing about this discussion has anything to do with justifiability. An act can be vile, evil, and devoid of justification without being "terrorism": indeed, most of the worst atrocities of the 20th Century, from the Holocaust to the wanton slaughter of Stalin and Pol Pot and the massive destruction of human life in Vietnam, are not typically described as "terrorism". To question whether something qualifies as "terrorism" is not remotely to justify or even mitigate it. That should go without saying, though I know it doesn't. The reason it's so crucial to ask this question is that there are few terms - if there are any - that pack the political, cultural and emotional punch that "terrorism" provides. When it comes to the actions of western governments, it is a conversation-stopper, justifying virtually anything those governments want to do. It's a term that is used to start wars, engage in sustained military action, send people to prison for decades or life, to target suspects for due-process-free execution, shield government actions behind a wall of secrecy, and instantly shape public perceptions around the world. It matters what the definition of the term is, or whether there is a consistent and coherent definition. It matters a great deal. There is ample scholarship proving that the term has no such clear or consistently applied meaning (see the penultimate section here , and my interview with Remi Brulin here ). It is very hard to escape the conclusion that, operationally, the term has no real definition at this point beyond "violence engaged in by Muslims in retaliation against western violence toward Muslims". When media reports yesterday began saying that "there are indications that this may be act of terror", it seems clear that what was really meant was: "there are indications that the perpetrators were Muslims driven by political grievances against the west" (earlier this month, an elderly British Muslim was stabbed to death in an apparent anti-Muslim hate crime and nobody called that "terrorism"). Put another way, the term at this point seems to have no function other than propagandistically and legally legitimizing the violence of western states against Muslims while delegitimizing any and all violence done in return to those states. One last point: in the wake of the Boston Marathon attacks, I documented that the perpetrators of virtually every recent attempted and successful "terrorist" attack against the west cited as their motive the continuous violence by western states against Muslim civilians. It's certainly true that Islam plays an important role in making these individuals willing to fight and die for this perceived just cause (just as Christianity , Judaism , Buddhism , and nationalism lead some people to be willing to fight and die for their cause). But the proximate cause of these attacks are plainly political grievances: namely, the belief that engaging in violence against aggressive western nations is the only way to deter and/or avenge western violence that kills Muslim civilians. Add the London knife attack on this soldier to that growing list. One of the perpetrators said on camera that "the only reason we killed this man is because Muslims are dying daily" and "we apologize that women had to see this today, but in our lands our women have to see the same." As I've endlessly pointed out, highlighting this causation doesn't remotely justify the acts. But it should make it anything other than surprising. On Twitter last night, Michael Moore sardonically summarized western reaction to the London killing this way: I am outraged that we can't kill people in other counties without them trying to kill us!" Basic human nature simply does not allow you to cheer on your government as it carries out massive violence in multiple countries around the world and then have you be completely immune from having that violence returned. Drone admissionsIn not unrelated news, the US government yesterday admitted for the first time what everyone has long known: that it killed four Muslim American citizens with drones during the Obama presidency, including a US-born teenager whom everyone acknowledges was guilty of nothing. As Jeremy Scahill - whose soon-to-be-released film "Dirty Wars" examines US covert killings aimed at Muslims - noted yesterday about this admission , it "leaves totally unexplained why the United States has killed so many innocent non-American citizens in its strikes in Pakistan and Yemen". Related to all of these issues, please watch this two-minute trailer for "Dirty Wars", which I reviewed a few weeks ago here : NoteThe headline briefly referred to the attack as a "machete killing", which is how initial reports described it, but the word "machete" was deleted to reflect uncertainty over the exact type of knife use. As the first paragraph now indicates, the weapon appeared to be some sort of meat cleaver. UPDATEIn the Guardian today, former British soldier Joe Glenton, who served in the war in Afghanistan, writes under the headline "Woolwich attack: of course British foreign policy had a role". He explains: "While nothing can justify the savage killing in Woolwich yesterday of a man since confirmed to have been a serving British soldier, it should not be hard to explain why the murder happened. . . . It should by now be self-evident that by attacking Muslims overseas, you will occasionally spawn twisted and, as we saw yesterday, even murderous hatred at home. We need to recognise that, given the continued role our government has chosen to play in the US imperial project in the Middle East, we are lucky that these attacks are so few and far between." This is one of those points so glaringly obvious that it is difficult to believe that it has to be repeated. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e40_1369353690 swordblow_25 Was the London killing of a British soldier 'terrorism'? soldier, england, UK, woolwich, terrorism, iraq, afghanistan, islam, muslim, attack, london, usa, america Thu, 23 May 2013 18:22:26 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b60_1369345919 aydeo The horrible event of the Behaeading in Woolwich reminded me another horrific similar case which took place in Israel in February 14,1992 and got the name 'Night of the Pitchforks' - Three Arabs from Israel, members of the Islamic movement, infiltrated into an IDF military recruit training base near Kibutz Gal'ed (Near Mt. Carmel) and butchered 3 young soldiers in their sleep, and wounded a fourth one. The Nahal Brigade Basic Training Recruits spent a week in field training near Kibbutz Gal'ed in Ramot Menashe . The killers entered the Basic Training Recruits encampment at night and killed the three soldiers in their tents - squad leader Guy Friedman, and two recruits Yakov Duvinsky and Yuri Perda - using knives , axes and a pitchfork which they were equipped with. The killers were eventually caught by the Israeli security forces after intelligence led them to the house where the murder weapons were hidden. When they reached the house, they found a concrete wall which was not yet dry, arousing their suspicion. After digging up the concrete they found the murder weapons - the pitchfork, knives and axes which were used by the militants to kill the soldiers. After examining the weapons, an investigation led the Israeli security forces to the killers themselves. The killers, Ibrahim Hasan Machmud,Muhamad Hasan Machmud and Achmed Ahbaria, recruited by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization, were convicted and sentenced to three consecutive terms of life imprisonment . The story was reported on The Sun,Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Pitchforks Photos: The victims http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b60_1369345919 aydeo The Night of the Pitchforks- When Muslims Butchered soldiers in their sleep, using a pitchfork and axes Night of the Pitchforks,Islamic Jihad,Butchered,Soldiers,Basic training,Sleep,Axes,Pitchfork,Behaeading in Woolwich Wed, 22 May 2013 12:10:44 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=797_1369238943 mtnmanx Then decks her. KTFO. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=797_1369238943 mtnmanx Chicago school guard pushes girl down stairs guard pushes girl down stairs, chicago school guard, student pushed, student ktfo, student knocked out Tue, 21 May 2013 23:55:15 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f0c_1369194534 Mullet Over Asks Judge for seond chance. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f0c_1369194534 Mullet Over 51 year old Chicago Woman arrested 396 times. Chicago, 396 arrests, parole likely, rehabilitated Fri, 17 May 2013 21:16:32 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=0e9_1368839281 xdan91x 13 year old Chicago rapper Lil Mouse slaps and threatens 3rd grader. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=0e9_1368839281 xdan91x Chicago rapper Lil Mouse slaps 3rd grader for snitching. Chiraq, Chi-Town, kids, rapper Wed, 22 May 2013 19:05:42 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c29_1369263769 Luke 22 36 . http://www.jonmcnaughton.com/ . I like to paint pictures that express how I feel about what is happening in America. We have a disease. It's infecting every aspect of our society and it's time we did something about it. Some of these people I really like and some I don't, but for the sake of our health, our children and our sanity, we need to take drastic action quickly. What if we could bring them all together, put them on a deserted island and quarantine them for say a hundred years? They believe they have all the answers to everything. But every liberal idea I've ever seen has led to total failure. If they were right, their new island home would be a utopia before long. Let's look at the most liberal communities in the country. New York City, Detroit, Chicago...how are they doing? Yes, I say let's quarantine them and let nature take its course. You might have this disease if you believe: We should remove guns from law-abiding citizens who have a right to protect themselves, and leave them in the hands of criminals who will acquire the firearms illegally anyway they can. How many gun-free zones do you know that have low murder rates? The same liberals who are trying to save us, turn around and demand abortion rights for women at the expense of over 53 million human lives. Raise the national debt to meet the continued demand for welfare and entitlement spending at the expense of our country's economic future. Fight a war against terrorism without identifying who the enemy is because of political correctness and then allow illegal aliens to cross the border by the millions. Provide kid glove treatment to Islamic radicals and unfriendly regimes and then show religious intolerance to Jews and Christians. Allow a minority of Gay Rights Activists to dictate the definition of marriage and force Christians to comply. Use environmentalism to thwart the energy interests of Americans at a time of great financial stress and national security. McNaughton Answers to Liberal Questions: Why are you making fun of these people? Most of my paintings are serious in nature, (although liberals find them amusing) this one is more of a satire. This means to me, that although it is humorous on the surface, the underlying message is very serious. Liberals use humor relentlessly as a tool to suppress conservative ideas. As always, if my paintings can cause someone to think about or debate the serious issues, it was successful. Are you selling prints of this? No, there are copyright restrictions. There are some things more important than money. My hope is to help people wake up to effects of liberalism in America. Do you think all liberals are bad? Well, yes, but I'm talking about their ideologies, which are destructive. I have many liberal friends. I know many good people that for some unfortunate reason are infected by the disease. How did you decide whom to include in the painting? I chose well-known liberals in different fields that influence Americans every day. There are many more who I could have included that I think are spreading the disease. Perhaps, some liberals will be pleased if they were included in the painting; like a "badge of honor." Why is Satan in the painting? Are you saying these people are Satanic?? I don't know that. Perhaps most of them are just deceived. Satan is what I call the "Number One Liberal." Liberalism is about control. Satan wants to promise you everything in exchange for your freedom. He uses lies; deceit and compulsion to have you do his bidding. In the end, you are left with nothing. How has any liberal idea ever ended well? It is instant satisfaction at the expense of your soul. Yes, liberalism is a disease. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c29_1369263769 Luke 22 36 Jon McNaughton: Liberalism is a Disease . Jon McNaughton, Liberalism, Disease, Obama, Satan, New York City, Detroit, Chicago, abortion, welfare, entitlement, terrorism, political correctness, illegal aliens, religious intolerance. Mon, 20 May 2013 17:17:09 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=da0_1369084316 Die Humans Preseason rarity, Bob Probert in an epic mismatch. Probert was considered the heavyweight Champ of the NHL during the majority of his career and perhaps the greatest ice fighter there ever was, Zettler on the other hand wasn't known as a fighter but he sure managed to piss off the wrong guy. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=da0_1369084316 Die Humans Bob Probert beats on Zettler ko, tko, fight, beatdown, punch, die humans, die noobs, chicago, nhl, bob probert, hockey fight, 1-0 Probert Thu, 23 May 2013 11:45:26 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=cdf_1369323834 cajunmojo The Senate will finally confront one of the architects of the subprime mortgage crisis today, hauling a tax-dodging, union-busting, bank-breaking, billionaire member of the "one percent" before the Senate Commerce Committee... to consider her confirmation as Secretary of Commerce in President Barack Obama's Cabinet.In the same week that the Senate grilled the CEO of Apple, Inc. about the low taxes it pays due to maintaining large cash deposits overseas, the Senate will roll out a warm welcome to Chicago heiress Penny Pritzker, who runs what Forbes called "one of the grandest and most successful family tax-avoidance schemes ever." Instead of being lectured about her patriotism, Pritzker is being praised to the heavens, with fellow Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) claiming that the heiress to the Hyatt hotel fortune "has broken through the glass ceiling with her extraordinary intelligence and business acumen." The enthusiasm is bipartisan; fellow Illinoisan Mark Kirk is also on board . Pritzker has a rather dubious record of public service, most recently serving on the board of the Chicago Public Schools, which just yesterday approved plans to close forty-nine failing schools. Her most notable public "contribution" has involved raising and bundling millions of dollars for President Obama's lavish political campaigns. Unions dislike Pritzker as well, and at least one has opposed Pritzker's nomination based on its many battles with the Hyatt hotel chain regarding working conditions and wages. The left grassroots is also visibly irritated by the choice, seeing Pritzker's nomination to Commerce as the pay-to-play, Chicago cronyism that it is. But the fix is in. When future generations look back at this moment and wonder how Washington failed to hold Wall Street--or itself--accountable for the subprime crisis, they will understand that Washington never really cared about anything but its own political prerogatives. With the right political friends, you can get away with anything. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=cdf_1369323834 cajunmojo TAX-DODGING, UNION-BUSTING, SUBPRIME MORTGAGE BANKER HAULED BEFORE CONGRESS Penny Pritzker, Senate Commerce Committee, democrats, liberals Thu, 23 May 2013 00:15:11 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b03_1369281958 BekasKhan By Susanna Kim ABC News Blogs A pizza mission to U.S. military service members in Afghanistan has made the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest pizza delivery. The non-profit, Pizza 4 Patriots , a 501(c)3 registered non-profit based in Illinois, has been sending pizzas to military service members abroad for the last five years. Last summer, Pizza 4 Patriots and shipping company DHL organized their biggest delivery yet: 30,000 pizzas to service members in Kandahar, Bagram and Camp Bastion in Afghanistan in celebration of Independence Day. The delivery began June 21, 2012. DHL donated its services (pictured above) and loaded the pizza shipments at a service center in Chicago. Ian Clough, CEO of DHL Express U.S., said he was grateful to Pizza 4 Patriots and proud of DHL's "dedicated employees." "Feedback from U.S. troops who received the care packages has been heartwarming as they truly appreciate the recognition for their valuable service," Clough said in a statement. Mark Evans, the retired Air Force master sergeant who started Pizza 4 Patriots, said he has been working with Guinness since last summer for the record. After the necessary affidavits from witnesses were on record, Guinness officially recognized the delivery in April and notified Evans this month. Evans said he is "completely pleased and overwhelmed." "The world record is secondary to taking care of our soldiers and sending them a slice of home," Evans said. The 12-inch pizzas were made by Great Kitchens, Inc. in Illinois with some donated ingredients and funded by various donors. Earlier this year, Pizza 4 Patriots sent 21,000 pizzas to military members serving abroad during the Super Bowl. Next up, Evans is raising enough money to send 25,000 pizzas to troops across the world for this Independence Day. In Photos: Over-the-Top Fast Food Creations Also Read Pagination Previous Astronaut Chris Hadfield Performs David Bowie's 'Space Oddity' From... Space Loading... http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b03_1369281958 BekasKhan Pizza Delivery to Afghanistan Troops Set Guinness Record Afghanistan, troops pizza delivery Wed, 22 May 2013 19:26:41 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f86_1369264919 USMC_SRT Starting in January 2014, female Marines will be required to perform the same minimum of three pull-ups as required for male Marines. This new standard for female Marines does not concern poolee Paige C. Colburn of Monroe, N.C., because she is already performing nine dead-hang pull ups.Colburn, who joined the Marine Corps Delayed Entry Program on Jan. 22, departed for recruit training on April 8. She is well aware of the new standard, but she plans to show others females are more than capable of meeting and exceeding the new standard. "I am able to show what I have worked so hard for," Colburn said, referring to her progression from two pull ups when she joined the DEP. "I never thought I would do nine pull ups. Now my goal is to reach 10." Colburn's recruiter, Sgt. Christopher A. Moberg, of Recruiting Substation Monroe, Recruiting Station Columbia, said accountability is crucial in preparing young enlistees for the rigors associated with recruit training. The rotary-wing aircraft mechanic and former CH-46 crew chief said he and his fellow Marines expect their poolees to give 100 percent effort throughout their time in the DEP. This means poolees attending physical training sessions held every week, to include monthly pool functions. Colburn is an example of a poolee who exceeded Moberg's expectations. She not only attended every possible training event, which often included working out six days a week with a full-time job, but she also served as a leader among fellow poolees with less than three months in the program. "She tends to downplay her own abilities, but she becomes unstoppable once she overcomes that," Moberg said. "A lot of people follow her. When someone falls out of a run, we don't have to tell her to go back to get that person. She doesn't quit, and she's not selfish at all. She leads by example."He said he and his fellow recruiters take an invested interest in each poolee's development in the program. They want to ensure every poolee is mentally, morally and physically prepared for recruit training. Their training progression ensures poolees like Colburn are able to exceed standards. They also encourage poolees to take on leadership roles while in the DEP. This includes leading physical training sessions with the guidance and mentorship of their recruiters. This method draws out the leadership potential within each enlistee. Colburn demonstrated her abilities during RS Columbia's annual Female Pool Function held on Feb. 23, which evaluated each female enlistee's ability to perform under intense stress. Drill instructors from Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., attend the event each year to create an atmosphere similar to recruit training. During the event, drill instructors demand speed, volume, and intensity from poolees. This year's event served as an opportunity to test each female poolee's ability to perform pull-ups. Colburn performed seven deadhang pull-ups during the event, two less than her current max. "I was nervous because I did not know what to expect," Colburn said. "Everyone hears about drill instructors and sees them in YouTube videos, but it's difficult to understand without experiencing it firsthand. But weirdly enough, I wasn't scared. I knew I had to keep a straight face, but I was smiling on the inside. It was everything I hoped it would be." Sgt. Alejandra Hernandez, a drill instructor with Company N, 4th Recruit Training Battalion, led the event and took the opportunity to inform the female enlistees about the future challenges they have to expect in recruit training. The Chicago native, who has more than two years of experience as a drill instructor, said the Marine Corps is implementing more physical training focused on upper-body strength. She identified several activities, including the push press and clean press, in an effort to provide poolees with an idea of what to expect and how they can best prepare for the challenges to come. "There are a lot of changes coming," Hernandez said. "We will be conducting more combat conditioning. Recruits have to start preparing themselves before they ship to recruit training or else they will struggle even more." Hernandez, who will serve as a senior drill instructor with her next platoon, said the majority of recruits in her previous platoon could not perform any dead-hang pull ups upon arrival to recruit training. The majority of those recruits were able to perform an average of three pull ups upon graduation. She used Colburn as an example of a recruit who will not only be successful in meeting the physical demands of recruit training, but also as a recruit who will be able to take on leadership roles, such as that of a guide or squad leader. "I will be looking for recruits who can do it," Hernandez said, noting the ability to perform above the physical fitness standard. "I will be looking for her to motivate other recruits. She could motivate recruits and help them to do more pull ups." Colburn said she lives to help others. She believes her experience in the DEP has helped her to realize her calling, and she has met every opportunity to help with enthusiasm and determination. "I want to help others, to walk, to run, to lift, whatever the case may be," Colburn said. "It's all about being a leader in any way, shape, or form." http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f86_1369264919 USMC_SRT Female Marine Poolee Raises Bar for Success USMC, Marines, Fitness, Women