Movie Theaters Forced to Cancel Showings of Team America: World Police
Peter Suderman|Dec. 18, 2014 3:08 pm
After Sony Pictures announced yesterday that it was pulling the release of The Interview, a film about two American journalists sent to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, from its scheduled Christmas Day release after threats of movie theater terrorism, several theaters across the U.S. said that they would show Team America: World Police instead.
The basic idea was to replace one movie mocking the North Korean regime with another. Team America, an all-puppet comedy from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, pits its heroes against a sad-sack version of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. At the end of the movie, he’s impaled on a giant spike, and it’s revealed that he’s actually an alien cockroach. Fitting!
Now, however, it looks like moviegoers may not get to see either film on the big screen any time soon. The Daily Beast reports that theaters in Cleveland and Atlanta that had planned to make the switch say that Paramount, the studio behind Team America, has ordered them to stop. The Alamo Drafthouse in Texas, which also planned to show the puppet comedy, announced on Twitter this afternoon that due to “circumstances beyond our control” its Team America screening has ben cancelled.
Paramount apparently hasn’t provided any reason why it’s ordering the shows to be stopped.
Lady of Mount Carmel Church : Advent and Christmas Music
All are Welcome!
All are invited to an evening of music on Friday, December 19 at 7:30PM at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, One Passaic Street, Ridgewood. Features performance by the Junior Bell Choir, the Hand Bell Choir; The Instrumentalists; the Adult Choir and the Cantors. Free Will Offering.
SEC Chair Refuses Garrett Request To Shift Money To Hike FA Exams
DECEMBER 17, 2014 • TED KNUTSON
Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Jo White has refused a request from House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling and Capital Markets Subcommittee Chairman Scott Garrett to shift money within the agency to increase registered investment advisor exams.
On November 24, the two Republicans urged White to “immediately” reallocate resources to raise exams beyond the existing 9 percent per year and tell them how she was going to do it.
But in a December 16 reply, White refused.
Instead, she tried to focus their attention on the agency’s success at increasing exams with the same staff in the recent past.
The SEC chairman pointed out the agency increased the number of advisor exams by 20 percent in the last year. With roughly the same number of workers, the SEC did thousands of desk reviews of some advisors to find out if on-site exams, better examiner training and stronger data analysis of advisory companies are needed.
With the increases in efficiency, the percentage of advisor assets under management examined rose to 30 percent in 2014 from 25 percent in 2013. At the same time the number of advisor exams per examiner increased to 3.9 from 3.2, White said.
While Hensarling and Garrett didn’t specifically call for taking money and staff away from broker-dealer examinations and putting it into advisor exams, White said she was against it as a possible reallocation because the move could weaken broker oversight.
In their letter, the congressmen asked White to provide a timeline for considering a voluntary or mandatory program of third-party audits for advisors.
In her response, White said she has asked her staff to explore this option. However, she noted in the past advisors have objected it would be too costly.
She said they were also concerned about standards of third-party compliance reviewers and the possibility of conflicts of interest because outside firms could also be hired advisors for other functions.
Since the Hensarling and Garrett letter was sent, Congress raised the SEC’s budget by 11 percent for the current fiscal year. White and her two predecessors have said repeatedly the SEC needs more money to adequately regulate advisors.
from the spectator.org https://spectator.org/articles/61273/should-jeb-bush-switch-parties
Listening to all the stories about Jeb Bush and his angst over the conservative base of the Republican Party, the question occurred: Why doesn’t Jeb ease his conscience and his donors’ wallets and just switch parties? Go now, become a Democrat — and then form an alliance with the wife of the man the Bushes affectionately call their “brother from another mother.” That being the woman George W. Bush has dubbed as being “like my sister-in-law” — Hillary Clinton.
After all, the Bush/Clinton alliance has already been on display, as I unknowingly noted in this column when Governor Bush presented former-Secretary Clinton with the Constitution Center’s “Liberty Medal” last year. As Breitbart reported at the time:
“‘Former Secretary Clinton has dedicated her life to serving and engaging people across the world in democracy,’ said Bush, the Republican former Governor of Florida, son of a former president and brother of another. ‘These efforts as a citizen, an activist, and a leader have earned Secretary Clinton this year’s Liberty Medal.’
“The news launched the latest rash of Clinton-Bush stories, the current crop focusing on the assumed presidential candidacies of the latest son of former President George H.W. Bush to seek the White House, this time against the wife of former President Bill Clinton. (Both Bush 41 and Bill Clinton, it must be noted, are former chairs of the Constitution Center — the job now held by Jeb Bush.)
“These stories missed the point of what appears to really be going on with the Liberty Medal.”
The point that I went on to make was that the Liberty Medal had become the highest award for service to the Ruling Class. No one identified with the conservative movement has ever received the award and presumably ever will. On the other hand, the 2006 award was presented jointly to George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, with other recipients including Mikhail Gorbachev (2008), Jimmy Carter (1990) and Colin Powell (1992). Ronald Reagan? Margaret Thatcher? William F. Buckley, Jr.? Not on your life.
This added to another column I hadwritten on Jeb Bush’s fixation with re-writing the history of the Reagan-Bush era. Governor Bush was the subject of this 2012 New York Times storyheadlined “Jeb Bush Questions G.O.P.’s Shift to the Right,” which began this way:
Former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida said his father, George Bush, and Ronald Reagan would find themselves out of step with today’s Republican Party because of its strict adherence to ideology and the intensity of modern partisan warfare.
So there we go. Jeb Bush wants to be on an anti-conservative ticket in 2016. What better way to do that than pair up with the woman who famously took out after “the vast right-wing conspiracy”? A simple Clinton-Bush family conclave to decide who takes second spot and voila! Jeb makes the switch and they’re off and running! Best of all? Goldman Sachs will be so relieved not to have to do everything twice.
Ecuador Family Wins Favors After Donations to Democrats
By FRANCES ROBLESDEC. 16, 2014
MIAMI — The Obama administration overturned a ban preventing a wealthy, politically connected Ecuadorean woman from entering the United States after her family gave tens of thousands of dollars to Democratic campaigns, according to finance records and government officials.
The woman, Estefanía Isaías, had been barred from coming to the United States after being caught fraudulently obtaining visas for her maids. But the ban was lifted at the request of the State Department under former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton so that Ms. Isaías could work for an Obama fund-raiser with close ties to the administration.
It was one of several favorable decisions the Obama administration made in recent years involving the Isaías family, which the government of Ecuadoraccuses of buying protection from Washington and living comfortably in Miami off the profits of a looted bank in Ecuador.
The family, which has been investigated by federal law enforcement agencies on suspicion of money laundering and immigration fraud, has made hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions to American political campaigns in recent years. During that time, it has repeatedly received favorable treatment from the highest levels of the American government, including from New Jersey’s senior senator and the State Department.
file photo Freeholder tells Ridgewood group to develop plan to save Schedler House
MITCHELL READY FOR FRESH BERGEN FREEHOLDER BID
DECEMBER 18, 2014
Meeting up with Mitchell at the Bergen County Young Republican meeting in Saddle Brook this week, he confirmed to me that he is now officially a candidate to return to the body he left in 2014.
“Here’s my speech, you can quote me, ‘I am running for freeholder,’” said Mitchell, who won a convincing victory on a ticket headed by Kathe Donovan and Mike Saudino in 2010, but was defeated by a mere 68 votes in 2013 by now County Executive-elect Jim Tedesco.
Mitchell, by far the hardest campaigner I have personally seen in action, will be a force to be reckoned with. Most expect him to enter the convention as one of the favorites, if it even gets that far.
Most are expecting an announcement by Ramsey Councilman Ken Tyburczy in the coming days that he is also running. The field appears to be clearing for the first time in recent memory for the two candidates to enter the general election unscathed. While some names are being mentioned for the third seat (the unexpired term of Tedesco), none of the four candidates who entered the freeholder race last year – nominees Bernadette Walsh and Bob Avery, as well as Brian Fitzhenry and Dierdre Paul – seem likely to run at this point according to those I speak with around the county.
For the general election, Mitchell has made significant inroads in two areas that Republicans have struggled with. Hailing from overwhelmingly Democratic Cliffside Park, Mitchell shows relative strength in the southeastern Democratic bastion of the county. He has also made strong inroads with the growing Korean community through years of sincere outreach.
RENOVATIONS OF THE STABLE- PARKS AND RECREATION OFFICE
As many are aware, The Stable, which houses Ridgewood’s Department of Parks and Recreation, is undergoing some exciting renovations. New bathrooms and an outdoor shelter area will be available on the lowest level, while the main level will receive a new meeting room, much needed storage, and an updated kitchen.
Office hours will remain weekdays, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and we will continue to host our regular programs. Should we feel the need to move any programs as work progresses, we will notify all participants in advance and be sure the move is a convenient one.
Don’t hesitate to call the Recreation Office with questions – 201-670-5560.
Thank you to all who planned and worked, mentally and physically, to ring in the Christmas season, attract and please all the faiths in town, make everyone feel welcome, and spread friendliness and joy.
The music, speeches, tree decorated, Santa on his way, shops waiting a busy time … and then it rains.
My family and I moved to Ridgewood in 1950. I have led a very active volunteer life and was often involved with outdoor events, so I well know that awful feeling about the weather, so my heart goes out to all who were in charge for the lovely Christmas tree lighting event. Again, thank you to all.
After having raised a family in a house here in town, I moved to a then-brand new apartment near the railroad station and for years have enjoyed a view of the tree from my living room, so I have shared with so many the beauty of our village at Christmas.
Every week, I read your paper regarding the plans and dreams of the brave people who volunteer to tackle the past, present and not tested problems of the future. I would like to warn that going the way of a lot more apartments is going to change the feeling of the town, not only in appearance but the people whom would be interested in occupying them.
I do not know whether the apartments will be rentals or condos. They would draw different people. Really, neither would be particularly interested in the life of the town particularly if they commute to work. In many cases, if the tenants or owners are retired, there is a good chance they would have a second home some place other than New Jersey.
Children need their “own” special place, and a roped-off area with swings etc. is not the same as “my yard.” I have seen this happen.
Since I am really old, I do not think any place catering to people who need wheelchairs or visible showings of infirmities is exactly the environment you want on a main street of a village. I can imagine some of the comments people are thinking reading this, but let’s face it, you are thinking big changes for the town. Everything has to be put on the table. I do not think Ridgewood wants the reputation of catering to the elderly. God bless us, the elderly.
Seth Rogen: No regrets about making ‘The Interview‘
By Judy Kurtz
Before Sony Pictures pulled the plug Wednesday on the Dec. 25 release of “The Interview” amid terrorism threats, Seth Rogen told The Hill he had no second thoughts about the movie he co-wrote and directed.
Asked if he regretted focusing the movie around real-life North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, rather than an imaginary dictator, Rogen said, “No, not at all. I think it’s really funny.”
“I’m sure they’ll see it,” Rogen, 32, said at the time of North Korean officials, “and I’m sure they’ll hate it.”
Menendez, Clinton State Dept. Helped Secure Visa for Fugitive Banker’s Daughter
By Jonathan Dienst. Kevin Nious and Joe Valiquette
New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez interceded on behalf of an Ecuadorian woman who was banned from traveling to the U.S. because of allegations she had engaged in visa fraud.
The woman, Estafania Isaias, is the daughter of a fugitive from Ecuador convicted in absentia for bank fraud and whose relatives in Florida made significant campaign donations to the New Jersey Democrat’s 2012 campaign and the Democratic Party.
Current and former U.S. government officials tell NBC 4 New York that Estefania Isaias was barred from traveling to the U.S. in 2007 because she allegedly lied on visa applications to bring immigrant women to the U.S. to work as maids at her parents’ mansion in Coral Gables, Fla.
U.S. officials alleged Estefania Isaias had falsely claimed the women were her personal business assistants. Sources familiar with the matter said U.S. consular officials in Ecuador categorized her alleged wrongdoing as a form of “human smuggling.”
Bob Menendez, Marco Rubio Torch Obama Administration Over Cuba Announcement
Two longtime critics of Cuba made blistering statements Wednesday morning following the Obama administration’s announcement that the U.S. would normalize full diplomatic relations with the communist island, marking a significant policy shift not seen in decades.
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the outgoing Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair, praised the release of former USAID worker and prisoner Alan Gross, but sharply criticized the administration for the price it paid.
“President Obama’s actions have vindicated the brutal behavior of the Cuban government,” he said in a statement. “There is no equivalence between an international aid worker and convicted spies who were found guilty of conspiracy to commit espionage against our nation. One spy was also convicted of conspiracy to murder for his role in the 1996 tragedy in which the Cuban military shot down two U.S. civilian planes, killing several American citizens. My heart goes out to the American families that lost love ones on that fateful day.”
“Trading Mr. Gross for three convicted criminals sets an extremely dangerous precedent,” he added. “It invites dictatorial and rogue regimes to use Americans serving overseas as bargaining chips. I fear that today’s actions will put at risk the thousands of Americans that work overseas to support civil society, advocate for access to information, provide humanitarian services, and promote democratic reforms.”
The U.S. is reportedly looking to normalize relations by opening an embassy in Havana, as well as loosening current travel restrictions on the country.
Gruber is echoing a common sentiment among the American Left: You are too stupid to run your own life.
Jim DeMint / @JimDeMint / December 15, 2014
Key Obamacare architect Jonathan Gruber has been under a hot spotlight recently for disparaging comments he made about his fellow citizens.
In a series of videos taken at various conferences and lectures between 2010 and 2013, Gruber claimed that the effects of Obamacare had to be hidden from Americans because of “the stupidity of the American voter.” The Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor said that “lack of transparency is a huge political advantage” in writing such legislation and likened its critics to “my adolescent children.”
Gruber was echoing a common sentiment among the American Left: You are too stupid to run your own life.
Adding, well, injury to the insult, it’s been discovered that Gruber received almost $6 million in taxpayer dollars for his various services in designing and consulting on Obamacare.
This rolling disgrace culminated Tuesday in a particularly stern hearing by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which gave the penitent Gruber a thorough dressing-down.
Ouch.
While I hate to disagree with the formidable Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., I think Gruber should be given a medal for honesty!
Don’t get me wrong: Gruber’s erstwhile opinions about his fellow Americans are despicable. But he was only echoing a common sentiment among the American Left: You are too stupid to run your own life. It’s just rare that they tell us directly.
The attitude of the Washington political establishment in general—and liberal elites in particular—is that Americans aren’t smart enough to make their own decisions. The public must be cajoled, misled, threatened and flat-out lied to in order to achieve the greatest good.
Take, for example, Gruber’s assessment of the tax/fee argument at the heart of Obamacare’s passage and later Supreme Court fight:
This bill was written in a tortured way to make sure CBO [the Congressional Budget Office] did not score the mandate as taxes. If CBO scored the mandate as taxes, the bill dies. Ok, so it was written to do that.
This is absolutely true. Everyone in Washington—on both sides of the aisle—knows that this was a key maneuver in getting Obamacare passed. The scandalous thing here is not what Gruber said, but that he dared to admit it.
He follows in a grand tradition of progressives who posture themselves as champions of the common man, only to realize that the common man doesn’t necessarily share the same goals. Thus, regular Americans must be duped into acting a certain way. It’s for their own good, don’t you know!
This is a profoundly undemocratic mindset but all too common amongst those in power. Earlier this year the Associated Press recognized the Obama administration as the least transparent in history. This administration has prosecuted whistleblowers, attacked journalists and had the IRS put the squeeze on activist groups. It excuses this behavior with a “father knows best” attitude.
If you assume that your political opponents merely “cling to guns or religion” out of bitterness, it’s much easier to rationalize impinging upon the First and Second Amendments. If you’re convinced that folks couldn’t possibly live a healthy lifestyle on their own, you end upmicromanaging their lunches or downsizing their beverages.
You might even be tempted to mandate their healthcare options.
Thinking you know what’s best for the American people—better than they do, in fact—leads to a far greater violation of their best interests: taking away their freedom to decide for themselves.
Unfortunately, there are a lot more people in government who think like Jonathan Gruber.
Kidville Hosts Grand Opening Celebration for Ridgewood, NJ Location
Ridgewood, NJ; December 10, 2014) Kidville — named ‘best of’ by New York Magazine, WINNER – 2014 Parents Magazine Best Birthday Party Places and given a five star “extraordinary” customer rating in The Lila Guide: New Parent Survival Guide — will open its doors at The Old Post Office, 38 Oak Street, Ridgewood, New Jersey on Saturday, January 17, 2015. Owners Michael and Jessica Pickholz, Ridgewood residents, have organized a day full of free festivities for the public including live Rockin’ Railroad concerts, a magic show, art table fun, open play in Kidville’s state-of-the-art children’s gym, a bouncy house, giveaways and refreshments. The Celebration starts at 10:00 am.
“We are thrilled to bring Kidville to Ridgewood, and to give the community a safe, creative, upscale haven for our children to learn, play and grow,” said Mr. Pickholz. “Our facility will be the second largest Kidville in the United States. Centrally located in the historic Old Post Office building on Oak Street in downtown Ridgewood, the facility will have space for multiple art and dance studios, a theater room, a parent lounge with a flat screen TV and free wifi, a state-of-the-art gym and a unique retail boutique with products designed to enhance and foster all aspects of early childhood development including physical, mental, emotional, and social growth. Our facility and programs encourage and allow children to engage in educational, fun and stimulating activities with top-quality music, art, dance and physical education instructors in a bright, clean, nurturing atmosphere.”
Kidville offers a range of classes for children ages 0-6.
On Saturday January 17th, Kidville will host a grand opening celebration from [10:00am – 5:00pm], kicking off with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The event is open to the public and includes complimentary live Rockin’ Railroad concerts, a magic show, art table fun, open play in Kidville’s state-of-the-art children’s gym, a bouncy house, giveaways and refreshments from healthy mama® brand, East Coast Burger and Max Brenner Chocolate Bar.
“As residents of Ridgewood and the parents of two girls, both of whom are Kidville alumni, Michael and I are delighted to bring the versatile Kidville concept to our neighbors and other local families with young children. We are providing programs, classes and events that parents, like ourselves, want our children to experience and in which to participate,” said Mrs. Pickholz.
Kidville offers a wide range of developmental classes including Rockin’ Railroad, which features a live 4-piece band. Other signature programs include Run Wiggle Paint & Giggle, My Big Messy Art Class, Big Muscles for Little Babies, Kidville Gymnasts, Kidville Sports and Kidville University (Kidville’s Pre-School Alternative Program). The Ridgewood location features multiple studios, a state-of-the-art indoor playspace, retail boutique, and 16 different blowout birthday party themes including the Ultimate All-Star Gym Party, Royal Princess and Knight Party, Superhero Birthday Bash and the Sizzling Spectacular Science Party. Silver Membership is free with enrollment in any Kidville class, and upgrades to Gold, Platinum and Diamond levels are also available.
About Kidville
Kidville operates large, upscale facilities, catering to young children and their families. In addition to offering a wide range of developmental classes for newborns through six year olds, including Rockin’ Railroad, Run Wiggle Paint & Giggle, My Big Messy Art Class, Big Muscles for Little Babies, Ballet Tea Party, Kidville Gymnasts, Kidville Sports, Camp Kidville and Kidville University (Kidville’s Pre-School Alternative Program), Kidville also features an indoor playspace, birthday parties for children up to age nine, and a retail Boutique. Silver Membership is free with enrollment in any Kidville class, while upgrades to Gold, Platinum and Diamond levels are also available.
Kidville operates locations across the globe including New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Toronto and Dubai.
Visit Kidville on the web at www.kidville.com/ridgewood.
PSE&G – Energy Strong Gas Upgrade Project – Phase II has begun in the Lawns Area
Elements of the Gas Service Upgrade Project :
• Ferreira Construction will again use Village Police Officers for traffic control, like they did for the work in the East Glen Avenue area earlier this year.
• There will be no steel road plates used. All parties agreed to this.
• Trenches will be topped with hot mix I-5 asphalt mix, followed by final restoration later.
• The contractor’s crews would like to work 6 days per week, weather and Village permitting. No work on Sunday.
• Trenches will be generally 18-inches wide.
• House services will be done after the main work is complete, but coordinated to minimize natural gas service interruptions during the winter heating days.
• Ferreira will continue to use their current staging area. Some equipment will be left on streets overnight in the Lawns area.
• Work will not occur during inclement weather periods.
