Traveling salesmen were some things for sure, but they were not primarily a joke in prairie farm country in Montana in the ’50s.

~They were  mostly unnecessary. Farmers did not plan to buy things from traveling salesmen because if they needed something they went to town and bought it and figured the business of acquisition was best handled that way. They didn’t think it showed good judgment to make unplanned purchases from an unknown source with limited inventory who showed up uninvited. That just didn’t makes sense on a lot of levels.

The one exception to that rule for our family was the Watkins man. His presence and the fragrance that wafted in the door with him was always welcome, along with his merchandise.

The smell of Watkins salve takes me back to the kitchen on a November night at the end of the day, or to a cold and windy April afternoon as Dad comes in for coffee. The chapping of his hands from the raw work of repairing barbed wire fences takes him to the old red can to spread on some farmer-style healing. After darkness falls on such a day, the pungent aroma lingers in the living room where he had spent the evening reading before heading to bed after banking the coal for the night.**

~They were a nuisance. They didn’t have a clue about how not to be a pest during spring planting, fall harvesting, evening chores or afternoon gardening. Half the time they didn’t know how to drive in the mud or change a tire, so the local farmers helped them out when they got in trouble on the roads. (more…)

NEW YORK (TheBlaze/AP) — Dinesh D’Souza, the conservative scholar who made the documentary “2016: Obama’s America,” pleaded not guilty on Friday to charges that he violated campaign finance laws and was released on $500,000 bond. His travel was also reportedly restricted to the United States.  (link)

The Blaze follows-up:   The filmmaker behind the anti-Obama documentary “2016: Obama’s America” was released on $500,000 bond, which some — even in the legal community — argue was excessive.

We looked into these claims and uncovered a number of violent and disturbing offenses that resulted in bail amounts less than D’Souza was required to put up. While it’s not a comprehensive list by any means, here are nine cases where violent suspects had to put up less for bail than D’Souza:  (continue reading)

BigfurHat@iOTW Notes the “creepy factor” of the NSA for Kids website.  https://www.nsa.gov/kids/

In my humble opinion, it’s not really all that creepy.

Central U.S. Government agencies have been doing this for years under a few semi-secretive programs that measure IQ, aptitude and propensity for problem solving. In the modern era it’s appropriately called DAAD’s.

What’s new is the platform, the internet.   In the “olden days” it was puzzle books and subscriptions.   Or, sometimes trade craft engagement could come from word of mouth (old school word for networking) inside various educational platforms such as “Spelling Bees”, “Debate Teams” or the various state “science fairs”, the latter still being predominantly utilized today. (more…)

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

I keep wondering why we are not seeing this story in our U.S. broadcast media – the potential cinematography is prime for interest ?  ….In a scene that veered from primeval to apocalyptic, demonstrators used sticks to hit barrels and sheets of metal, creating a savage drumbeat as a backdrop, while billows of smoke rose from piles of burning car tires….

KIEV, Ukraine — With President Viktor F. Yanukovych and antigovernment demonstrators at an impasse here, a cease-fire disintegrated on Friday night as the Ukrainian capital convulsed in renewed violence and fire bombs lit up the night sky.

Civil unrest spread across the country earlier on Friday as protesters laid siege to government buildings in at least nine other cities — occupying some and thronging outside others. (more…)

The story will play into the anti-stop/frisk narrative – Heck, it might even be pushed by them, I don’t care – this is a level of brutality and wrongful conduct – even if it happened “by accident”.

PHILADELPHIA, PA –  He was the only one who didn’t run. Now Darrin Manning may never father children after his encounter with a police officer earlier this month.

While on his way to a basketball game after school, the straight-A student and his teammates had an encounter with officer Thomas Purcell.   Apparently one of the teammates may have said a snide remark to the officer, who then approached them. The boys ran, but Manning stopped and stayed. “I didn’t do anything wrong,” he said to Philly.com.

What happened next is hard to believe. Darrin was handcuffed, frisked, and his genitals were pulled and twisted with such force by the female officer that they literally tore off. (more…)

A recent article at The Hill talks about the possibility of Eric Cantor seeking Speaker of The House position in 2014.    We believe the possibility of the determination will actually be made in May of this year based on one single election not that far away from Ohio.

If Matt Bevin can successfully remove Mitch McConnell from the Decepticon ranks one of the shockwaves will be the ground quaking under the other chamber’s leadership.

FYI – The Speaker of the House does not need to be a politician.   Nor does The Speaker need to be an elected member of the House.   By constitutional framework the House Speaker can be anyone, any U.S. Citizen.   

I would suggest Mark Levin should be the next House Speaker. 

WASHINGTON DC – Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has cleared the way for Eric Cantor (R-Va.) to succeed John Boehner as the next Speaker.

Ryan this week said he’s not interested in becoming Speaker, preferring to head the influential Ways and Means Committee in 2015. Boehner has repeatedly said he’s not retiring at the end of this Congress, but that hasn’t tamped down speculation that the Ohio Republican is considering retirement.

The Hill recently surveyed dozens of Republicans in the House and the consensus was that the only lawmaker who could defeat Cantor is Ryan. (more…)

UPDATE 12:43 PM PST: McCain has been censured by a voice vote at the Arizona Republican Party State Committeemen meeting. This is his second censure by the Arizona GOP this month and the sixth of Arizona’s fifteen counties to censure McCain. (Via Breitbart)

“Damn Extremists”!   ..”Don’t worry little John, the Jihobbits can’t get us all”….

Jim Hoft at GateWayPundit asks:

Democrats are hemorhaging over Obamacare and the destruction of the US health care system. One-sixth of the economy is affected and millions of Americans were repeatedly lied to by Democrats in order to get the law passed. So what do Republican leaders plan to do this year? Pass amnesty.

On its face it does seem ridiculous.   However, there really is a good reason for The Republican Party to approach it.   Notice it’s the “Republican Party Leadership” doing this push -meaning, John Boehner and Mitch McConnell- not the rank and file.

“There is definitely a growing mood of confusion and aggravation among conservatives in the House over the immigration issue right now,” one House GOP aide said in an email to Breitbart News, adding that many on the right find the “political logic” of riling up the party’s base so close to a low-turnout midterm election baffling.  “Do we really want to just give up the midterms like this?” the aide asked.   (via Breitbart link)

Here’s what’s going on. (more…)

Nothing for nothing, but at a certain point you just gotta say George Zimmerman is stuck on an escalator built like an Escher Staircase.    Current Destination – Hateville.    

Get a flipping grip world – it’s a painting.   Get that?  

A Painting !

(Via Daily Mail)  George Zimmerman’s recent foray into the art  world hasn’t exactly earned him much critical praise. But it’s definitely  garnered him some attention – so much so that it could potentially get him sued  by one of the largest news-wire services on earth.

For his latest painting, the man acquitted of  murder in the shooting death of unarmed Florida teen Trayvon Martin has painted  a portrait of Florida State Attorney General Angela Corey, who is the woman who  decided to charge Zimmerman with murder in Martin’s death. (more…)