Apple Yanks 'Jew Or Not Jew' From French App Store. Have the French lost their minds? Mais oui!

Verne Strickland Blogmaster / September 16, 2011

First Posted: 9/15/11 08:35 AM ET Updated: 9/15/11 11:00 AM ET

By The Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple Inc. has removed a mobile app, called "Jew or Not Jew?", from its online App Store in France.

The app let users consult a database of celebrities and public figures to determine if they are Jewish or not. Its removal follows a complaint from a French anti-racism group that threatened to sue the iPhone and iPad maker.

The app, "Juif ou pas Juif?" in French, was selling for 0.79 euro cents ($1.08) in France until it was cut on Wednesday. SOS Racisme had argued that the app violated France's strict laws banning the compiling of people's personal details without their consent.

Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr said the app did violate local law, so it was removed from the French App Store. It is still available outside France, however, and currently sells for $1.99 through Apple's U.S. App Store.

Under the French penal code, stocking personal details including race, sexuality, political leanings or religious affiliation is punishable by five-year prison sentences and fines of up to euro300,000 ($411,870).

Such laws were enacted in the decades following the Holocaust, which saw some 76,000 Jews deported from Nazi-occupied France to concentration camps. Fewer than 3,000 returned alive.

In a statement, SOS Racisme had called on Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple to remove the app from its online store and be more vigilant about the applications it sells.

In an interview, published Wednesday in Le Parisien newspaper, app developer Johann Levy said he developed the app to be "recreational."

"I'm not a spokesman for all Jews, but as a Jew myself I know that in our community we often ask whether a such-and-such celebrity is Jewish or not," Levy, a 35-year-old Franco-British engineer of Jewish origin, is quoted as saying.

"For me, there's nothing pejorative about saying that someone is Jewish or not," he said. "On the contrary, it's about being proud."

He said he compiled information about famous people around the world from various online sources.
Developers that offer apps through Apple's App Store are responsible for making sure their apps are in line with local laws.

Apple has removed numerous apps from the App Store since it launched in mid-2008 for violating myriad restrictions it imposes on developers. In June, it shunned an app called "ThirdIntifada" following complaints that it glorified violence against Israel. Apple said it violated developer guidelines by being offensive to large groups of people.

VS: SO APPLE FEARS 'THE JEWISH QUESTION' MIGHT BE OFFENSIVE TO LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE? THEY SHOULD ALSO BE SENSITIVE TO THE CONCERNS OF SMALL GROUPS OF PEOPLE, WHO GENERALLY ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE OF ALL. N'EST-CE PA?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/15/apple-jew-or-not-jew-france_n_963791.html?icid=maing-grid7|maing6|dl11|sec3_lnk1|96202

NC ranked as 10th poorest state; McIntyre lives in Robeson, poorest county in NC. Where's the bacon?

Verne Strickland Blogmaster / September 16, 2011

Poverty scandal: NC 10th poorest state; Robeson poorest county in state. This is McIntyre country. 

HOW MANY MORE TRIES WILL THE EXCESSIVELY INCUMBENT DEMOCRAT GET?

First Posted: 9/15/11 02:24 PM ET   Updated: 9/15/11 02:47 PM ET

The U.S. Census Bureau released two pieces of widely followed data this week — one on poverty and the other on median income for 2010. The most interesting findings in this release were the state-by-state figures, especially when compared to national averages. 

A closer look at the statistics shows that a relatively small number of states suffer such widespread levels of low income and poverty that they skew the national numbers downward.

The national poverty rate last year was 15.1%. That is up from 11.3% in 2000 and is the highest it has been since 1993. Over 46 million people lived below the poverty line in 2010. The cut-off for that line is households of four people who made under $22,314. The other troubling news was that median income per household nationwide was an inflation-adjusted $49,445. This is about the same as in 1989 and down 2.3% from 2009. Economists fear that Americans are not consumers. It is easy to tell why when their real income has been frozen in place for more than two decades.
The problems of poverty and low income are as much local as national. The poverty rate is 21% in Mississippi. The state also has the lowest median income at $36,850. Mississippi is among the states with the worst education systems, highest obesity levels, highest unemployment, and lowest rates of health insurance coverage. The state is an economic black hole, and it shows in the way people suffer there. And, as is true with black holes, it is nearly impossible for the residents of Mississippi to escape their difficult financial situations. There is a dearth of federal programs that target specific states and cities based on local economic need.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed census data from all 50 states on median income, poverty rates, unemployment, and lack of health insurance. We then identified the ten states that have the lowest median income. We also looked at why low-income households are concentrated in these states and what, in some cases, has been done to reverse the difficult situations.

These are the poorest states in America, according to 24/7 Wall St.:

10. North Carolina in Top Ten -- in poverty! Are we proud or what?

Median income: $43,275
Poverty rate: 16.1% (tied for 9th highest)
Without health insurance: 16.7% (13th highest)
Unemployment: 10.1% (9th highest)

North Carolina has one of the lowest median incomes in the country. It does not perform much better on other metrics related to poverty. There have been a number of programs implemented to help combat poverty in the state recently. One example is the No Kid Hungry program which aims to end childhood hunger in North Carolina by 2015. According to information from the program, "more than 1 in 4 children in North Carolina do not get sufficient food."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/15/americas-poorest-states-_n_964058.html?icid=maing-grid7|maing6|dl1|sec1_lnk3|96106 

America's Poor , America's Poorest Cities , America's Poorest States , US Poverty , Census Poverty , Joblessness , Slidepollajax , Us-Poverty-Rate , Business News From 24/7 Wall St.:

What are the 5 poorest counties in North Carolina?

Answer:

 

The five poorest counties in North Carolina are (by poverty rate):

1. Robeson (23.8%)
2. Tyrrell (23.5%)
3. Halifax (23.2%)
4. Warren (21.8%)
5. Edgecombe (21.5%)

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_5_poorest_counties_in_North_Carolina

BROKE? HUNGRY? JOBLESS? WONDERING WHERE TO TURN? GO HERE FIRST:
 
 www.MikeWorksforMe.com

And as your Seventh District NC Congressman, he has been working for you for about 14 years, give or take a few evictions, foreclosures, crop failures, and trips to the local soup kitchen. Do you hope the day will come soon when he's not working for you anymore?

        Mike McIntyre

              From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mike McIntyre
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 7th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 1997

 

 




Read more at 24/7 Wall St.

Conservative GOP congressional candidate Ilario Pantano addresses 9/11 Freedom Rally!

Verne Strickland Blogmaster / September 16, 2011

Ilario addressed the 2nd Annual 9/11 Freedom Rally Sunday afternoon.  Unlike the official ceremonies this rally, welcomed all 9/11 first responders and the families of 9/11 victims and featured prayers from clergy members in attendance.  The rally focused both on remembering the events of 9/11 as well as remaining ever vigilant in the face of the threats from Islamic terrorists that still confront our nation and our friends around the world.

A large crowd turned out for the event, despite the terrorist threats that were revealed late last week, for what proved to be a very moving and powerful event!

To view Ilario's speech go to:
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2011/09/video-ilario-pantano-at-the-afdisioa-freedom-rally.html

Here are some pictures from the event:









Pantano Calls On McIntyre to Support Congressman Scott's "Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act!"

Call Congressman McIntyre and Tell Him to Vote for this Important Bill! 

Our friend, Congressmen Tim Scott, a great Conservative from our neighboring district in South Carolina, has introduced the “Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act” (H.R. 2587). This bill would "prohibit the National Labor Relations Board from ordering any employer to close, relocate, or transfer employment under any circumstance."

As you are probably aware, the Obama appointees on the National Labor Relations Board are attempting to block Boeing from building a new plant in the Right to Work State of South Carolina.  This is a clear attempt by the NLRB to dictate to a private business how it may operate and where it may operate.  And it’s an obvious ploy by the Obama Administration to pay back the Big Labor leaders for their unwavering support of his campaign and the campaigns of his liberal supporters in Congress.  And the NLRB is acting in this manner, despite the fact that the NLRB’s decision could stop the creation of thousands of new jobs.
How this shakes out is very important to the people of North Carolina and the future of our state’s economy.  Like South Carolina, North Carolina is a Right to Work state and next time it could be the NLRB trying to stop a business from expanding its operations into North Carolina and creating thousands of jobs here.  Ilario strongly supports Congressman Scott’s bill and his efforts to reign in the NLRB.

See update on USA DOT COM 
http://usadotcom.blogspot.com/2011/09/house-passes-bill-to-pull-nlrbs-fangs.html

Unfortunately, our current Congressman, Mike McIntyre, has remained silent on this issue, probably because of the hundreds of thousands of dollars he takes in campaign cash from Big Labor.  McIntyre’s vote may be needed to pass this bill, so we would like to urge you to call McIntyre at (202) 225-2731. Please call today!

State House Speaker Thom Tillis in revealing candid interview with Star-News.

House Speaker Thom Tillis holds a town hall meeting on Aug. 19, 2011, in New Bern. (AP Photo/The New Bern Sun Journal, Nick Mathews)

Verne Strickland Blogmaster / September 15, 2011

By Patrick Gannon
Patrick.Gannon@StarNewsOnline.com

The Tillis Legislative Townhall Meeting rolled into Wilmington today to hold court with constituents in an open forum at Cape Fear Community College.

In an advance interview, the StarNews asked House Speaker Thom Tillis questions about his future, the recent legislative session and a proposed constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and woman, among other issues. Here are the questions and answers:

 

 StarNews: Why did you decide to do town halls across the state?

Tillis: It's really to provide a more direct communication with the citizens and to really give them an opportunity to understand things. There's never enough print or airtime to talk about the mechanics of certain things, to really explain to them how the budget process worked … how the veto process worked … how we did have bipartisan cooperation on a lot of key measures.

StarNews: Was this at all an attempt to counter criticism over recent salary increases to your staff?

(Note: Tillis was criticized earlier this year for giving members of his staff raises as the General Assembly eliminated thousands of jobs in the state budget).

Tillis: Interestingly enough, at probably only two of the events that question has come up. It was really a part of a suggestion from our communications folks to kind of get out there and continue to communicate after we get out of session. Historically, what happens is we go into session and then we go away. There is a nine-month lull, except for people back in their districts. This is just a better way to continue communicating.…

StarNews: From A through F, how would you rate your job performance in your first long session as speaker?

Tillis: If I'm rating our legislature's results – not me as an individual, but what we accomplished in the legislative session – I'd give it an "A." And the reason for that, it was short, the shortest since 1973. By all accounts, the most productive since they've been keeping legislative records in terms of the number of matters that we actually took up that were ultimately ratified and became law. And thirdly, because we had some pretty sweeping reforms that past legislators that arguably had more leadership experience failed to get done. And I'm talking about bipartisan measures like annexation reform, workers' compensation reform, regulatory reform, medical malpractice reform, general tort reform and redistricting.

StarNews: If you are re-elected in 2012, would you want to be speaker again?

Tillis: Yeah, I would. I would absolutely run for speaker. It will be my last term in the legislature, and I would run again. I was the co-sponsor of a bill to limit the terms of speaker for two consecutive terms. I've personally term-limited myself out anyway, so I will be leaving the legislature.

StarNews: Do you think a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage could negatively impact economic development efforts or dissuade some businesses from opening here, as opponents of the measure have suggested?

Tillis: Interestingly enough, at probably only two of the events that question has come up. It was really a part of a suggestion from our communications folks to kind of get out there and continue to communicate after we get out of session. Historically, what happens is we go into session and then we go away. There is a nine-month lull, except for people back in their districts. This is just a better way to continue communicating.…

StarNews: From A through F, how would you rate your job performance in your first long session as speaker?

Tillis: If I'm rating our legislature's results – not me as an individual, but what we accomplished in the legislative session – I'd give it an "A." And the reason for that, it was short, the shortest since 1973. By all accounts, the most productive since they've been keeping legislative records in terms of the number of matters that we actually took up that were ultimately ratified and became law. And thirdly, because we had some pretty sweeping reforms that past legislators that arguably had more leadership experience failed to get done. And I'm talking about bipartisan measures like annexation reform, workers' compensation reform, regulatory reform, medical malpractice reform, general tort reform and redistricting.

StarNews: If you are re-elected in 2012, would you want to be speaker again?

Tillis: Yeah, I would. I would absolutely run for speaker. It will be my last term in the legislature, and I would run again. I was the co-sponsor of a bill to limit the terms of speaker for two consecutive terms. I've personally term-limited myself out anyway, so I will be leaving the legislature.

StarNews: Do you think a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage could negatively impact economic development efforts or dissuade some businesses from opening here, as opponents of the measure have suggested? 

Tillis: I think one thing that seems to be lost on everybody is that this is already the law, and it was also a law that was supported by and voted on by (former) Speaker (Joe) Hackney, (D-Orange). …If he genuinely believes it's a jobs impact, why hasn't he proposed a bill that would repeal the current law? All this does is set a different threshold for repealing that law at some point, and it provides a bulkhead against activist judges that may try to repeal it and become the 121st legislator.

StarNews: Do you believe there are enough votes in the House to put that amendment on a ballot next year?

Tillis: There are a couple of permutations going around that have to do with the dates and the language. My own personal interest is to make sure the language is clear so that if there was any risk that the business community would view this negatively or preventing them from being able to have a competitive position, then my own instructions to the members who are working on the language is that we have to be very clear there. I would not want any interpretation that would cause this somehow to be construed as constraining businesses, so they're working on the language. There's discussions going on about the timing of the referendum, whether it happens in May or November. All of those things are being sorted out as we speak.

StarNews: There has been some criticism lately on Republicans focusing on issues such as the marriage amendment while the unemployment rate is increasing. What is your response to that criticism?

Tillis: I would say that the reason we did the constitutional session was precisely to avoid the risk of distraction while we were in the main session. And I think again the results speak for themselves. We've cut $1.5 billion in taxes, we cut the scope of government and we passed five of the most sweeping reform measures that directly relate to the economic conditions and job creation over any legislature that I've heard anyone report back in the past 20 years.

StarNews: It looks like Southport area residents have already killed a proposed annexation and Monkey Junction residents near Wilmington are well on their way to doing the same. What do you say to the cities that stand to lose the opportunity to annex?

Tillis: I think if 60 percent of the property owners have spoken and said there is no value being provided to us, that the towns have more work to do to convince them that there's a value to the annexation. That's fundamentally what the reform law was all about.… Some of this is a direct result of an inappropriate use of power in the past, not necessarily out of Wilmington or anywhere east. But of the 550 or so municipalities across this state, I've been presented with several examples of annexations that were just absolutely inappropriate. They were taking of property, submission of the tax bill and no meaningful value being provided back to that new annexed property. And that's what the annexation reform bill fixed.

Patrick Gannon: (919) 854-6115

On Twitter: @StarNewsPat

House passes bill to pull NLRB's fangs in government case against Boeing -- symbolic win for S.C.

 STUNNING REBUKE TO OBAMA AND NLRB -- BUT SENATE PASSAGE DOUBTFUL

Verne Strickland Blogmaster / September 15, 2011

By SAM HANANEL

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The House has passed a bill that would undermine the government's case accusing Boeing Co. of retaliating against union workers.

  The measure approved on a 238-186 vote would limit the National Labor Relations Board's enforcement power. It would prohibit the agency from ordering any employer to shut down plants or relocate work, even if a company violates labor laws.

House Republicans say the board shouldn't have power to dictate where a private business can locate. The NLRB alleges that Boeing punished union workers in Washington state for past strikes by opening a new plant in right-to-work South Carolina. Boeing denies the allegations.

Unions say the bill would gut worker protection laws. But the bill isn't expected to get a vote in the Democratic-controlled Senate, which it must pass to become law.

House Republicans are poised to express their anger over the government's politically contentious labor case against Boeing Co. by passing a measure that would curb the National Labor Relation's enforcement powers.
The bill would prohibit the agency from ordering an employer to shut down plants or relocate jobs, even if a company illegally retaliates against unionized employees by moving work.

Republican lawmakers say the board should not have the power to dictate where a private business can locate. Union leaders claim the bill would render toothless the board's ability to enforce labor laws when companies simply eliminate work to get rid of employees who are pro-union.

The bill is likely to pass the GOP-controlled House easily on Thursday but isn't expected to get far in the Senate, where Democratic leaders have no plans to let it come to a vote. It will serve as an issue for congressional and presidential candidates in the 2012 elections.

GOP lawmakers have vilified the NLRB for filing a complaint in April that alleges Boeing punished union workers in Washington state when it opened a new production line for its 787 airplane in South Carolina, a right-to-work state.

South Carolina Republican Rep. Tim Scott, who sponsored the bill, says the board's action threatens 1,100 jobs in his hometown of Charleston.

"My legislation will remove the NLRB's ability to kill jobs," Scott said. "The government, especially the unelected board, does not need to be involved in the business decision of the private sector."

Republicans and their allies in the business community have gone after the NLRB for more than a year, as the agency has issued a spate of union-friendly decisions and rules. The Boeing case has become a major political issue and a rallying cry for GOP presidential candidates courting voters in South Carolina's early primary stakes.

Democrats say the measure would give companies a free pass to punish employees for simply exercising their rights to organize.

"The bill before us guts the very fundamental rights of American workers to fight for better wages and working conditions and it makes it easier for companies to outsource American jobs overseas," said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass.

Boeing has denied the allegations, saying it opened the Charleston, S.C., plant for valid economic reasons. The case is pending before an administrative law judge in Seattle and could last years.

The complaint by the board's acting general counsel, Lafe Solomon, does not seek to shut down the Boeing plant. The company would be required to move the new 787 production line to Washington state. But Boeing officials say the South Carolina facility was built specifically for construction of the 787. The company says a ruling for the government would effectively require Boeing to close the $750 million plant and lay off more than a thousand new workers there.

Solomon said the decision to file a complaint was not politically motivated, but based strictly on evidence that Boeing violated the law. He said Boeing executives made a number of public statements indicating the new plant was built in South Carolina out of frustration over costly strikes by the Machinists union in Washington state, including a 58-day work stoppage in 2008.

"The decision had absolutely nothing to do with political considerations, and there were no consultations with the White House," Solomon said in a statement this week. "Regrettably, some have chosen to insert politics into what should be a straightforward legal procedure."

Boeing officials claim the board took the statements out of context and say they can point to a number of legitimate reasons for locating the new production line in Charleston.

President Barack Obama has not taken a formal position on the case, saying he is reluctant to interfere with an independent government agency. Obama has said companies need to have the freedom to relocate but must follow the law when doing so.

Obama's Jobs Act tour to NC more about politics than policy -- Congresswoman Renee Ellmers

 Verne Strickland Blogmaster /  09/14/11

'Time to Pass Real Jobs Legislation' by Congresswoman Renee Ellmers

Today the President brought his American Jobs Act tour to North Carolina. Unfortunately the President’s long-awaited plan (and promotional tour) are more about politics than policy.  Not only is the President late with his jobs proposal, but he is pursuing an approach that will do nothing to create an environment for job creation.  The President’s plan is a repackaged version of the failed “stimulus” strategy that has resulted in sustained unemployment of over 9 percent.  To make matters worse, he wants to pay for this $447 billion spending bill with tax increases, many of which will likely result in higher energy costs to American consumers.

The people of North Carolina understand that the government inserting itself into the free market is never going to be the answer to this jobs crisis.  Instead we need to remove excessive government regulation that is hampering job growth.

According to a September 2010 report from the Small Business Administration, total regulatory costs amount to $1.75 trillion annually—enough money for businesses to provide 17.5 million private sector jobs with an average salary of $100,000. House Republicans have worked since January to reduce the regulatory burdens that have kept businesses from hiring, but Harry Reid is standing in the way of prosperity and job creation in this country because he refuses to take up the jobs legislation the House has passed.

New reports out this week brought more bad news on the jobs front, highlighting just how critical the situation is.  The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) optimism index showed confidence in the future of the economy down to 88.1 – the weakest number since July 2010 and the sixth month of decline in a row from 89.9 in July. The number of small-business owners saying they expected the economy will improve six months from now fell to the lowest level since 1980.
A report released this week from the Census Bureau shows the national poverty rate hit 15.1 percent in 2010 – the highest level since 1993 – with 46.2 million Americans living in poverty. This is the largest number of people living in poverty since the census began tracking poverty figures in 1959.  With this many people in such dire circumstances, there is no time to waste on failed policies and political stunts.

When the President spoke in Raleigh today he said it was time to “finally get Washington to act.”  He said Americans “need action now.” What he did not say is that House Republicans have been in action, working on the issue of jobs since taking office in January. 

House Republicans have a plan for job creation that focuses on creating jobs in the private sector. House Republicans have passed at least a dozen jobs bills since January.  Eleven of those bills have been and still are waiting for Senate action.  (Track the progress of this legislation at http://majorityleader.gov/JobsTracker/).

The President said it is time to act now.  Actually it is past time to act.  But this is not the time to engage in class warfare pitting Americans against each other and it is definitely not the time to pass another round of so-called “stimulus” spending that has already failed so miserably.

http://ellmers.house.gov/



Follow this link to read more blog posts.

President Obama's visit about N.C. jobs -- or his own? Now see here.

Verne Strickland Blogmaster

By: Justin Quesinberry 
NBC 17

Published: September 14, 2011

RALEIGH, N.C. -- President Barack Obama will be in the Triangle Wednesday to discuss jobs, but some critics say the stop is more about his job than those of North Carolinians. He will stop at Apex manufacturer WestStar and then N.C. State University.

"We call him the campaigner-in-chief because everywhere he goes, even if it is something to do with the presidency, he always finds time to politically fundraise for himself and for others,” said Rob Lockwood, director of communications for the North Carolina Republican Party.

Robert Gibbs, former White House press secretary and current Obama campaign adviser, disagrees.
"Tomorrow's stop is not about the president's job, it's about the jobs of North Carolinians,” he told NBC-17 Tuesday night.

Gibbs was in Chapel-Hill speaking to students at UNC Tuesday evening. He told NBC-17 the president chose the Triangle for a reason.

“He understands the importance in the Triangle of the research triangle park, those research universities, job training, businesses connected with learning institutions to create a workforce for the jobs that are being created out there,” Gibbs said.

President Obama was to speak about jobs at N.C. State, where Gibbs attended school. The university recently lost 741 positions, the most of any school in the UNC system under the Republican-created state budget.

“The state, in terms of what the state legislature’s doing, is doing the best they can to bear the brunt of the imposition of the national economy, which is President Obama’s,” Lockwood said.

He argues President Obama’s reason for coming to the Triangle has less to do with the reasons Gibbs listed and more to do with North Carolina’s recent status as a battleground state. Lockwood points to President Obama’s stop at WestStar as an example.

"The president's visit is about American jobs, but he's visiting a company owned by a democratic donor who is creating more jobs in Costa Rica, potentially, than he is in North Carolina right now,” Lockwood said.

The owner of the company, Erv Portman, said he does not know why the White House chose his business for a presidential stop.

“A thousand dollars does not buy you access to the President,” he said.

His company employs 24 people at both sites in Apex and Costa Rica, Portman said.

The line between campaign issues and the President’s jobs push is thin. Gibbs said jobs are “the first, second and third most important issues,” in the 2012 campaign.

“I really think there’s probably about 90 percent of what people are concerned about are jobs and the economy. That’s what’s on the president’s mind almost all his time and that’s what will be on his mind tomorrow,” he said.
Vice-President Joe Biden will be in the Triangle Thursday for a private fundraising event.

http://www2.nbc17.com/news/2011/sep/14/president-obamas-visit-about-nc-jobs-or-his-own-ar-1389543/?referer=None&shorturl=http://bit.ly/pJRJla