Drudge Retort: Skizziks's blog

Israel Jails Man for Refusing Divorce

skizziks — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:33:34 -0500

Israel's supreme rabbinical court of appeals has upheld a life sentence against a man who has refused for 10 years to give his wife a divorce. Meir Gorodetzki has been jailed since 2001 for refusing to grant a bill of divorce, called a get, to his wife Tzviya Esther. Rabbinical courts have sole authority in the country over marriage and divorce. The court has previously ordered Gorodetzki to be denied visitors, including his children, and letters or phone calls in jail. "If the appellant is released from prison before he has divorced his wife, she will remain an agunah (a woman bound to her husband) for ever ... Anyone who allows this would be considered as if they had shed her blood," said Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger.

U.S.A. Overtakes Canada in Economic Growth

skizziks — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:33:24 -0500

It's going to get harder for Prime Minister Harper and his ministers to keep boasting that Canada is No. 1 among economic rivals.

As the year unfolds, analysts say it will become increasingly apparent that Canada no longer leads the G7 in economic growth and job creation.

And as unlikely as it seems, it's the United States -- the land of crippling trade deficits, high unemployment and government debt -- that's likely to relegate Canada to second place, if not third behind Germany.

Don't look now, they say, but the U.S. is likely to beat out Canada in economic growth this year and leave its northern neighbour at the starting gate in terms of jobs creation.

"Death To Christians" - but first, send more money

skizziks — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:20:14 -0500

Two cars and a stone fence near the Valley of the Cross Monastery in Jerusalem were vandalized overnight Monday in a suspected 'price tag' attack.

The cars and fence, discovered Tuesday morning, were covered with anti-Jesus graffiti. The words "Migron", "Death to Christians" and Jewish Stars of David were spray-painted on them, and the car's tires were slashed.

"I am a priest and I forgive," Father Claudio of the monastery, which is administered by the Greek Orthodox church, told Reuters. The monastery is also believed to be built on the spot where the tree from which Jesus's cross was made stood.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the words "price tag" were also painted by the vandals in the rare attack on a Christian shrine in Jerusalem.

Archbishop to U.S. Troops: Obamacare Is a Blow to a Freedom

skizziks — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:22:57 -0500

Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who leads the Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, wrote a letter to be read at all Sunday Masses for U.S. military personnel around the world that said that a regulation issued by the Obama Administration under the new federal health care law was "a blow" to a freedom that U.S. troops have not only fought to defend but for which some have recently died in battle. "It is a blow to a freedom that you have fought to defend and for which you have seen your buddies fall in battle," the archbishop wrote.

Unemployment drops to 8.3 pct. after hiring burst

skizziks — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:04:27 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In the most impressive surge for the job market since early last year, the United States added 243,000 jobs in January, far more than economists expected. The unemployment rate dropped to 8.3 percent, the lowest in three years.

Hiring accelerated across the economy and up and down the pay scale. The high-salary professional services industry added 70,000 jobs, the most in 10 months. Manufacturing added 50,000, the most in a year.

"This is a very positive employment report from almost any angle," said Brian Bethune, an economics professor at Amherst College.

Payroll Boost - Employment Picture Improves

skizziks — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:56:44 -0500

Feb 3 (Reuters) - Friday's stronger-than-expected U.S. employment report showed accelerating demand for temporary workers alongside broad jobs gains, raising expectations that an improving labor market will boost earnings at companies that provide temporary workers.

The January jobs report showed 20,100 temporary payrolls were added last month and gains in prior months were revised higher. The government report confirmed improving U.S. demand for temporary workers that had emerged from at ManpowerGroup and Kelly Services Inc (NasdaqGS: KELYA - news) , whose recent earnings reports beat Wall Street expectations.

Intel. Study Links Low I.Q. Prejudice Racism Conservatism

skizziks — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:34:30 -0500

Are racists dumb? Do conservatives tend to be less intelligent than liberals? A provocative new study from Brock University in Ontario suggests the answer to both questions may be a qualified yes.

The study, published in Psychological Science, showed that people who score low on I.Q. tests in childhood are more likely to develop prejudiced beliefs and socially conservative politics in adulthood.

Rectal Exam Amendment Attached To Anti-Abortion Bill

skizziks — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:08:17 -0500

To protest a bill that would require women to undergo an ultrasound before having an abortion, Virginia State Sen. Janet Howell (D-Fairfax) on Monday attached an amendment that would require men to have a rectal exam and a cardiac stress test before obtaining a prescription for erectile dysfunction medication.

"We need some gender equity here," she told HuffPost. "The Virginia senate is about to pass a bill that will require a woman to have totally unnecessary medical procedure at their cost and inconvenience. If we're going to do that to women, why not do that to men?"

Indiana Welfare Drug Test Bill Foiled

skizziks — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:32:28 -0500

A Republican member of the Indiana General Assembly withdrew his bill to drug test welfare applicants Friday after Democrats amended the measure. "There was an amendment offered today that required drug testing for legislators as well and it passed, which led me to have to then withdraw the bill," said Rep. Jud McMillin (R-Brookville). The Supreme Court ruled drug testing for political candidates unconstitutional in 1997. In the past year Republican lawmakers have pursued welfare drug testing in more than 30 states and in Congress.

Santorum: Homosexuality Unhealthy for Society

skizziks — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:32:40 -0500

When a woman asked Rick Santorum at a Stuart, Fl., campaign event why her gay son doesn't have the same rights as a straight person, he told her that certain rights are reserved for people who perform activities that are "healthy for society." "There are certain things that government does that gives people privileges in order to promote activity that are healthy for society and are best for society," Santorum said. "Mothers and fathers coming together, forming healthy marriages, having children and raising those children."

I'm Under Arrest For What ? 50 Bizarre Laws

skizziks — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:01:58 -0500

Alabama......It's illegal to wear a fake mustache that causes laughter in church.Alaska........Whisperin g in someone's ear while he's moose hunting is prohibited.Arizona.......Cutti ng down a cactus may earn you a twenty-five-year prison term.Arkansas......It's illegal to mispronounce the name of the state of Arkansas.California.......You may not eat an orange in your bathtub.Colorado.....It's unlawful to lend your vacuum cleaner to your next-door neighbor (Denver).Connecticut......A pickle cannot actually be a pickle unless it bounces.Delaware.....It's illegal to get married on a dare.

Orthodox IDF Enlistees Boycott If Women Sing

skizziks — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:31:47 -0500

A small rebellion broke out in the heart of the national-religious world this week over the issue of women singing in the army. Dozens of pre-army youth from several yeshivot have signed a petition in the past few days vowing not to enlist in the army until religious soldiers are exempted from army ceremonies in which women sing.

Abortion Rate Higher Where It's Illegal

skizziks — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:05:24 -0500

Abortion rates are higher in countries where the procedure is illegal, according to a new study published in the medical journal Lancet. In regions of the world with more restrictive abortion laws, the rate was higher and 95 to 97 percent of abortions were unsafe. "An abortion is actually a very simple and safe procedure," said lead researcher Gilda Sedgh of the U.S.-based Guttmacher Institute. All of these deaths and complications are easily avoidable," said Sedgh, the study's lead author.

Don't Look Now, but the Deficit Is Shrinking!

skizziks — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:42:45 -0500

Don't look now, but the deficit is shrinking. A little.

Take a look at the December Monthly Treasury Statement. It tallies how much money the government collects and spends each month. Comparing a single month from the current fiscal year, which started in October 2011, to the previous fiscal year, can be complicated. A payment of taxes or benefits and wages on the last day of the month one year and on the first day of the month the next year can make for volatile year-to-year comparisons. But as the fiscal year goes on, these wrinkles tend to be smoothed out.

Obama Wants Power to Shrink Goverment

skizziks — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:31:46 -0500

President Barack Obama, who wants Congress to give him greater power to shrink the federal government, said he'd start by merging six trade and commerce agencies with overlapping programs. Obama will call on Congress to give him a reorganizational power last held by Ronald Reagan. A consolidation authority would allow him to propose mergers that promise to save money and help consumers. "We can do this better," he told a business group. "These abstract arguments about who's conservative or who's liberal. ... You guys are just trying to figure out, how do we make things work? How do we apply common sense? And that's what this is about."