No one ever explained where the question originated, but it was used randomly by youngsters and adults alike – “How now, Brown Cow?” [See hardfacts’ comment below for the history of the phrase 😉 ]
If a youngster had made a complete mess of an assigned chore, the question was a bemused inquiry, “How now, Brown Cow?” which could be responded to or not. Either way, the questioner would likely just start helping to straighten things up and get the wagon back on the road, so to speak.
It might also actually be addressed to a brown cow encountered in the barn yard, just for the sake of conversation. In that case, no reply was expected.
We had a good relationship with our one or two milk cows – they were gentle and useful. They did not have individual names – all were called Bossy. How we felt about close physical proximity to them depended somewhat on what time of year it was – more about that in a minute. (more…)

(Via Seattle Times)  About 8,000 Washington residents who are purchasing health insurance on the state’s fledgling exchange marketplace may be getting less of a subsidy than they thought they had coming to help pay for it.
The exchange, called the Washington Healthplanfinder, said Friday that a calculator on its website mistakenly overestimated tax credits for about 6,000 applications that cover about 8,000 people, said Michael Marchand, communications director at the Washington Health Benefit Exchange, which operates Healthplanfinder.
The error represents a setback for the state-run exchange, which has received favorable reviews once it got up and running as one of the few online marketplaces established under the Affordable Care Act that has a functioning website and is posting strong enrollment figures.  (read more)

Here’s Why

 (USA Today) The Rev. Al Sharpton threatened to boycott high-end Barneys New York on Saturday amid racial profiling allegations brought forth by black shoppers in New York City.
“We’ve gone from stop and frisk to shop and frisk, and we are not going to take it,” Sharpton said during a weekly rally at his National Action Network’s headquarters in Harlem. “We are not going to live in a town where our money is considered suspect and everyone else’s money is respected.”
Joining Sharpton at the rally, Kirsten John Foy with National Action Network said the civil rights activist would be meeting with Barneys officials Tuesday to discuss the allegations. Sharpton called for a boycott of the store if the luxury retailer’s response is inadequate. (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 †

Fitting this comes out today – considering we posted this earlier.
(Via WeaselZippers)  Apparently the NSA has been bugging the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, since 2002. According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, President Barack Obama told Merkel on Saturday that he would have stopped the bugging had he known about it.
https://twitter.com/boulevard_blum/statuses/394248326939680768
However, Bild is reporting that not only did Obama know about the bugging, but that he himself personally ok’d it in 2010, and stepped up surveillance on Merkel, calling for a “comprehensive dossier” on her.  According to Bild:  (continue reading)

[National Journal] It took a tea-party insurrection that disabled the federal government and wrecked the Republican brand, but after months of handwringing, establishment Republicans are preparing to attack ultraconservative ideologues across red America.

Emperor Rove

From Alabama to Alaska, the center-right, business-oriented wing of the Republican Party is gearing up for a series of skirmishes that it hopes can prevent the 2014 midterm election from turning into another missed opportunity. This will not be a coordinated operation. It will be messy, ugly, and prone to backfiring. And if the comeback succeeds, it will be in fits and starts, most likely culminating in the selection of a presidential nominee in 2016.
“Hopefully we’ll go into eight to 10 races and beat the snot out of them,” said former Rep. Steve LaTourette of Ohio, whose new political group, Defending Main Street, aims to raise $8 million to fend off tea-party challenges against more mainstream Republican incumbents. “We’re going to be very aggressive and we’re going to get in their faces.”
(more…)

Here’s the latest Afterburner – Bill Whittle’s take on Common Core:
The YouTube ID of Zx5qSJ37lk0#t=166 is invalid.
This link will take you to the video at billwhittle.com, which includes the script from the video:
(more…)

Once you get in the car, you can’t get off ’til the ride’s over…

You have probably seen multiple written accounts, stories and publish articles, recently about a growing international backlash.   This stems from revelations that under the specific direction of President Obama  the NSA (National Security Agency) has been spying upon a growing contingent of international leaders. 
Our allies are furious with the NSA for spying on them and their respective leaders.   Consequently U.S. credibility and trust has been deconstructed.
Indeed, by recent count the list of Allied Western nations rising in open opposition to President Obama, and his administration, stands around 35.  That’s THIRTY FIVE.
It is against that bold and visible backdrop we wish to draw back your attention.

In July of 2012, during his Term-two presidential bid, President Obama gave a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Reno, Nevada. His speech was specifically constructed to outline his accomplishments:

“Because we’re leading around the world, people have a new attitude toward America.” “There’s more confidence in our leadership. We see it everywhere we go.”
– Barack Obama July 2012

At the time many of us just about fell out of our seats. With quick dispatch, and working purely from immediate memory, we outlined the following:

[2012]  There are many administration claims that I shake my head when I hear, but this one is perhaps the worst. It is a complete and utter fallacy to proclaim President Obama’s foreign policy has been even remotely successful. This is just freestyle off the top of my head, but consider: (more…)