I’ve written a lot about Delta Airlines anti-Union shenanigans and Scott Walker like activities and had a nice conversation with Sam Seder about it on his Majority Report . How low has this company sunk since I talked to Sam about them? Huff Post Delta Air Lines is facing intense criticism after charging 34 U.S. soldiers returning from Afghanistan $2,800 in baggage fees. The incident came to light on Tuesday after a couple of the new-media savvy soldiers recorded a video about their ordeal and posted it on YouTube. “We showed up and found out we had too many bags,” said Army Staff Sgt. Robert O’Hair in the video, which was shot on their flight. “We had four bags, and Delta Air Lines only allows three bags. Anything over three bags you have to pay for, even though there’s a contract between the United States government and Delta Air Lines: When returning from Afghanistan on military orders, you’re authorized up to four bags.” O’Hair added that all the soldiers with a fourth bag had to pay $200 out-of-pocket. The total for the 34 soldiers was more than $2,800. O’Hair’s fourth piece of luggage was his weapons case, carrying the tools he used, in his words, to “protect myself and Afghan citizens while I was deployed in the country.” We’ve seen how JP Morgan Chase and mortgage companies have mistreated our troops over their homes and now comes this insult. Matt Cherette writes: Delta has since explained that it allows soldiers returning from active duty to check three bags at no charge if they’re traveling in coach (four for those few in first or business class), but the airline didn’t say whether it plans to reimburse the soldiers—who were returning from Afghanistan!—for the fees. That’s because Delta is horrible and hates freedom, obviously. UPDATED: Delta has now been shamed into changing their policy. Delta has changed its baggage policy for U.S. servicemembers in response to the controversy. Rachel R. put an updated post on the company’s blog on Wednesday, announcing the changes and stressing the airline’s appreciation for armed forces. Delta’s statement, from the site Gadling.com This is just another reason to boycott Delta Airlines: enlarge Credit: http://aroundtheworldblog.blogspot.com
Continue reading …Oh, poor Rep. Sean Duffy. He promised there would be a replacement for the Affordable Care Act after the Republican House repealed it over and over again, but he can’t seem to find one. Duffy, as you might recall, is the Tea Party freshman who was fretting over how he would make ends meet on a $174,000 per year salary. But he promised there would be a replacement (giggle) after they repealed the Affordable Care Act. And Honest Sean meant that, right? Via Think Progress : Freshman Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) promised during his campaign that he would only repeal health reform after finding a solution to replace it . However, he told a town hall meeting in his district this week that GOP leaders had convinced him to vote for repeal first, ensuring him that a replacement would be on its way. GOP leaders, Duffy said, told him that a replacement bill would be ready by the Spring. The fact that nothing has been proposed or debated all year has Duffy “very concerned”: DUFFY: I believe, if we’re going to repeal the president’s health care plan, we should replace it. I still believe that. As I dealt with the leadership, that was a concern of mine. And I got a commitment from leadership that we were going to come up with a replacement. And they told me we were going to do it in the Spring. In the Spring we haven’t come out with our replacement proposal and that has me very concerned. Because that what was we had talked about before we had the vote, “repeal and replace.” Duffy is either naive or playing a fool if he thought there would be any kind of replacement for the Affordable Care Act if it actually got repealed. Republicans want everything put in reverse, including Medicare and Social Security. They do not want Americans to have access to health insurance unless they have oodles of money to keep the profit margins fat. If they’re poor, or middle class, or have to choose between their health or their home, well…too bad. I’m not sure whether I want to laugh or cry when I watch Duffy squirm over this one. My sense is that he knew there would be no replacement, and he’s just playing the dupe to keep constituents from letting him have it.
Continue reading …The International Air Transport Association (IATA) unveiled its first mockup of a futuristic walkthrough screener that it says could shorten checkpoint lines and provide an even better security apparatus that would reduce the need for the much-hated airport pat down. The Checkpoint of the Future, as the IATA has billed it, will divide the security
Continue reading …Armed with dual analog sticks, front- and rear-mounted cameras, a multi-touch backing, 5-inch OLED touchscreen, sixaxis motion sensor, wifi, 3G (through AT&T, which sent a round of boos through the audience), and a slew of games designed to utilize its multiple control systems, the PS Vita is a packed-to-the-gills next-gen for the PS3. Retail price Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : [Geeks are Sexy] Discovery Date : 07/06/2011 14:18 Number of articles : 5
Continue reading …CNN analyst Roland Martin simply allowed DNC Chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz to say what she wanted about Republicans on his Sunday show Washington Watch, on TVOne. Schultz linked Florida GOP-backed voting proposals with Jim Crow laws and poll taxes, and said one has a better chance of being struck by lightning than see an instance of voter fraud. Martin not once challenged Schultz over her rhetoric. Schultz was referring to Republican-backed measures in certain states that require a photo I.D. to vote and trim the number of early-voting days, in order to prevent voter fraud. Schultz hit such policies as discriminatory. [Video below the break.] “[N]ow you have the Republicans, who want to literally drag us all the way back to Jim Crow laws and literally – and very transparently – block access to the polls to voters who are more likely to vote for Democratic candidates than Republican candidates,” Schultz insisted. After she spoke, Martin briskly moved on to the next question. The story was picked up by Politico and other online sources, and Schultz retracted her Jim Crow analogy a day later. Later in the interview, Schultz ridiculously added that “you're more likely to get hit by lightning than you are to see an instance of voter fraud in this country.” And again, Martin did not question her assumptions. At the end of the segment, Schultz was asked about Rep. Anthony Weiner's Twitter fiasco – one day before Weiner called his press conference and revealed that he had lied to the media for a week about the scandal. Schultz called Weiner's situation “a personal matter” and added “that's where it should be left.” A transcript of the segment, which aired on June 5, is as follows: ROLAND MARTIN: An ongoing effort underway in Republican-controlled state houses across the country, could be another. Republicans are backing measures that will require photo identification and other type of things, including cutting the number of days for early voting. Republicans say it will cut down on voter fraud. Critics contend it's a step backwards, and it would discriminate against the poor, elderly, students, people with disabilities, and minorities. Joining me to explain why Democrats are against this move is the chair of the Democratic National Committee, Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. We're glad you're here on Washington Watch. Rep. DEBBIE WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ (D-Fla.), DNC Chairwoman: Thank you Roland. Great to be here with you. MARTIN: Your home state – Gov. Rick Scott is leading one of these efforts, and for the life of me, I don't understand whenever I see Republicans or even Democrats contesting votes and things along those lines. We talk about this is the fundamental right to be Americans, but to put roadblocks up to – to – for voting makes no sense to me. SCHULTZ: Well, I mean if you go back to the year 2000, when we had an obvious disaster and – and saw that our voting process needed refinement, and we did that in the America Votes Act and made sure that we could iron out those kinks, now you have the Republicans, who want to literally drag us all the way back to Jim Crow laws and literally – and very transparently – block access to the polls to voters who are more likely to vote for Democratic candidates than Republican candidates. And it's nothing short of that blatant. MARTIN: Now, Georgia has a voter I.D. law that was passed, and the Obama Justice Department – they actually approved that particular law, saying it will not impact minority voters. But other states are looking to – to put into place voter I.D. laws. Your – the DNC’s position on those voter I.D. laws. SCHULTZ: Well, photo I.D. laws, we think, is – are very similar to a poll tax. I mean you look – just look at African-American voters as a snapshot. About 25 percent of African-American voters don't have a valid photo I.D. I mean – and – and the reason it's similar to a poll tax is because you've got the expense. You've got the effort. There's difficulties for s- — for many people in getting a photo I.D. So, you're literally just throwing a barrier in the way of someone who's trying to exercise their right to vote. And the reason that it's not necessary is because we already have very legitimate voter verification processes, signature checks that are already in place; and there is so little voter fraud, which is the professed reason the Republicans are advancing these – these laws. There's so little voter fraud, and I mean you're more likely to get hit by lightning than you are to see an instance of voter fraud in this country, but Republicans are imposing laws all over the country, acting like it's not – voter fraud is rampant, and it's ridiculous. (…) SCHULTZ: Rick Scott, the Republican governor of Florida, as part of his election reform law that he just pushed through the legislature, literally said to third party groups who register voters, “We're going to fine you a thousand dollars per voter if you don't turn the voter registration form in within 48 hours of registering that voter.”
Continue reading …Benny Blanko Ft Sir.Dubz – Bare Man On It Luca Bob Gotti “Love her madly” Runescape PROOF for my Account taken by … truthenize says: @za_101 @AussieGrit I see you forgot about the dictatorship in #chin where ur basing rights to the Internet r taken …
Continue reading …Tonight, CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 aired the first part of a three-part series called, “The Sissy Boy Experiment,” examining the effects of government-funded gender-normalizing therapy on a five-year old boy named Kirk Murphy in 1970. The therapy was carried out by disgraced Family Research Council co-founder George Rekers, whose three decade career in the conservative Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Think Progress Discovery Date : 08/06/2011 05:42 Number of articles : 5
Continue reading …UK fans go wild for Kim Kardashian as the reality star launches her new fragrance in the capital. (June 8)
Continue reading …The USS Carl Vinson arrives in Hawaii, making its first stop on US soil since its six-month deployment to waters around the Middle East and the Western Pacific. The carrier hosted a team of Navy SEALs who buried Osama bin Laden at sea. (June 8)
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