Fresh-Faced Reporters ... You Think?

I'm looking at this New York Times story, which has a pictures of Lindsey Boerma of National Journal, and I'm thinking this young lady might as well be sitting in one of my American government classes. Shoot, she looks like she could be hanging out at the mall with my oldest son on the weekends! Makes you kinda get nostalgic for David Broder. Sheesh!

See: "Covering 2012, Youths on the Bus."

For decades, campaign buses were populated by hotshots, some of whom covered politics for decades, from Walter Mears to David S. Broder to Jules Witcover. It was a glamorous club, captured and skewered in Timothy Crouse’s best-selling “The Boys on the Bus,” about the 1972 campaign.

Now, more and more, because of budget cutbacks, those once coveted jobs are being filled by brand new journalists at a fraction of the salary. It is not so glamorous anymore.

For these reporters the 2012 campaign is both the assignment of a lifetime and the kind of experience that is tying their stomachs in knots. Three of them are just out of college. One just got engaged. And none of them seem quite sure what to expect from more than a year on the road.

“We hear all this stuff, all this advice,” said Rebecca Kaplan, 23, who is giving up her apartment in Washington’s Chinatown for the duration of the campaign. “But I don’t think we’ll fully realize what’s going on until we get out there.”

And see The Other McCain, "A Special Kind of Stupid." (At Memeorandum).

Libyan National Transitional Council

That's the first I've seen of that term, at the description from this video at Telegraph UK:

Also, "Libya: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi vows to continue the war and retake Tripoli."

See also New York Times, "Son Denies Rebels’ Claim That Qaddafi Is Cornered":

TRIPOLI, Libya — A top official of Libya’s transitional government said Wednesday that its fighters had cornered Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi in a desert redoubt 150 miles from the capital and were exhorting him to give up, in what would bring a sense of finality to the prolonged uprising that routed him and his family from Tripoli a week ago.

But one of Colonel Qaddafi’s fugitive sons, Seif al-Islam el-Qaddafi, threw a new if improbable taunt at the rebels even as they said they had closed in on his father, vowing in an audio statement that loyalists would never surrender and insisting that “victory will be near.”

“Our leadership is fine,” he said in the statement broadcast on the Al Rai television channel of Syria and other Arab broadcasting outlets. “We are drinking tea and coffee.”

Seif al-Islam gave no indication in the statement of his precise whereabouts except that he was in a Tripoli suburb, and it was not clear if his remarks had been prerecorded. But the statement itself raised the possibility of more fighting and underscored the ability of the Qaddafis to frustrate the alliance of rebel forces that has become the effective government of Libya.

Maybe folks should hold off on this talk of a "transitional council." You gotta get that old council out before you can transition a new one.

There Are No Coincidences in Presidential Politics

From Chris Cillizza, at Washington Post, "Coincidences don’t happen in presidential politics. Ever" (via Memeorandum):

There are no coincidences in presidential politics.

Strategists spend hours poring over every word a president utters, every policy position he takes and every state he visits, a level of attention to detail that makes happenstance virtually nonexistent.

And so, when the White House announced today that President Obama would deliver his much-anticipated jobs speech on Sept. 7 at 8 pm — the exact same day and time that the 2012 Republican candidates are scheduled to debate in California — the idea that the timing was purely coincidental was, well, far-fetched.

It’s clear that this White House saw an opportunity to drive a major — and direct — contrast between President Obama and his potential Republican rivals and took it.

Keep reading.

Petty and small sounds about right.

Also at Lonely Conservative, "Obama Calls for Joint Session of Congress for New Economic Plan Speech, On Same Night as GOP Debate," and Legal Insurrection, "Just say No to Obama Joint Session of Congress campaign speech."

UPDATE: At NYT, "Obama Reschedules Economy Speech at Boehner’s Request":

President Obama acquiesced to a request from Speaker John A. Boehner on Wednesday to move the date of his proposed address to a joint session of Congress to Thursday Sept. 8, after Mr. Boehner all but rejected Mr. Obama’s request to speak next Wednesday.

Solyndra

Solyndra, the Northern California solar panel manufacturer, has filed for bankruptcy and will cease business operation. The firm received $535 million from the Obama administration's Energy Department as part of the big stimulus push during the first year of the Obama interregnum. See LAT, "Solar panel firm Solyndra to cease operations," and Pirate's Cove, "Solyndra, Maker Of Solar Panels, Ceases Operations, Lays Off 1,110."

And from Ed Morrissey, "Solyndra shuts its doors" (at Memeorandum):

At one time, Solyndra was the poster child for Barack Obama’s promise of a green-jobs explosion. Today, the solar-energy technology manufacturer a poster child for the failure of his stimulus, his green-jobs push, and social engineering in general. Solyndra abruptly shut its doors today and declared bankruptcy, two years after getting over a half-billion dollars from the Obama administration’s Porkulus...

Solyndra's failure is a devastating indictment against President Barack Obama and his administration's disastrous social engineering of industrial economics. I can't wait to see campaign ads next year featuring Obama touring Solyndra with BANKRUPT overlaid on screen, along with a voice-over hammering the sheer stupidity of the "green jobs" agenda.

Democrat Congressional Leadership Has No Comment on Rep. Andre Carson's 'Hanging on a Tree' Allegations Against the Tea Party

At Washington Examiner, "Reid, Pelosi silent on 'Jim Crow' accusations" (via Memeorandum).

Democratic Congressional leadership remains silent about a Democratic congressman's claim that Tea Party members of Congress would "like to see [black Americans] hanging on a tree."

The top-ranking Democrats in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives - Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., Sen. Dick Durbin, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., - have not responded to The Washington Examiner's requests for comment on this issue. They have not supported or contradicted, or even acknowledged, the accusation leveled by Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind., that their Tea Party colleagues in Congress would like to see Carson murdered.

Repeated efforts to contact Minority Leader Pelosi about her caucus-member's claim produced no response, except that The Examiner was told that her press secretary would respond "at his discretion."

Well, they want us to go "straight to Hell," so I'm not surprised.

Also at The Blog Prof, "The 'New Civility'(Cont'd): Congressional Black Caucus: Racist Tea Party Wants Black Americans ‘Hanging On a Tree’."

'I Didn't Change. The World Changed'

From Daniel Henninger, at Wall Street Journal, "In an interview, Dick Cheney says 'It's important to have people at the helm who are prepared to be unpopular'."

I think Dick Cheney's been the rock of American public life for the last 10 years. He's unruffled in his convictions, more impressive as he got older.

RELATED: The left's revulsion of the former V.P. is picking up over at Memeorandum. See especially, ABC News, "Former Powell Chief of Staff: Cheney “Fears Being Tried as a War Criminal”." And click through at Memeorandum for Conor Friedersdorf's attack on Cheney. Friedersdorf's an airhead.

9/11, Ten Years After: The Costs of Security — More Domestic Surveillance

Continuing my blogging on the Los Angeles Times' September 11 series, see: "A key Sept. 11 legacy: more domestic surveillance."

PREVIOUSLY: "9/11, Ten Years After: The Costs of Security — Has All the Spending Paid Off?"

More on Larry Derfner

See the reaction from readers at Jerusalem Post, "Firing a ‘Post’ columnist – the pros and cons." The responses are compelling and surprisingly compassionate. No doubt folks crave a full airing of opinions, although I think the one line of criticism worthy of even deeper consideration is the idea that Derfner had stopped making reasoned arguments and had become basically an attack dog against everything he hated. If so, perhaps Jerusalem Post might have waited until the controversy died down and then quietly given Derfner notice that his brand of invective commentary was no longer in tune with the expectations of quality writing at the publication. As I noted on Monday, what's bothersome is not so much Derfner's views, but that they were so well accepted on the anti-Israel left. That is, progressive widely endorse the idea that Israeli civilians deserve to die. That thought seems alone to be beyond rational discourse, and perhaps to the realm of simply terrorist agitation. Even the New York Times offers a super sympathetic report on Derfner, "Israeli Columnist Is Fired for Writing That Palestinian Terrorism Is ‘Justified’." Checking the essay one finds a link to Dimi Reider despicable essay (cited at my entry on Monday) offering massive historical lies to justify Derfner's commentary. I know it's the Times, but some reporters are still doing a good job, and I normally enjoy Robert Mackey's blogging at The Lede. He fell short on this one though, omitting some of the more heated criticism of Derfner's perfidy.

And see Barry Rubin's comments, "Larry Derfner Should Be Debated, Not Fired." Rubin says it's not left or right but truth versus lies (to which I disagree, with reference, for example, to the comments at New York Times, where again we see how entrenched is leftist progressive anti-Semitic bloodlust). That said, Rubin's right: Derfner shouldn't have been fired over this.

BONUS: Check Camera's post, and follow the links for additional commentary, "Larry Derfner Will Not Be Rattling The Cage Anymore at the Jerusalem Post."

NewsBusted: 'Obama's job disapproval rate has hit a record high'

Via Theo Spark:

Video Rip-Off 'Who Likes White People?' Continues Viral Distribution Despite Debunking

I haven't posted on this yet. Robert Stacy McCain has some copyright issues he's been dealing with, over a video clip of Michele Bachmann he made weeks ago in Iowa. Some idiot progressive thief stole the video and edited to make it appear that Congresswoman Bachmann had made racist comments. Just tonight Robert reports that gay rights extremist Perez Hilton posted the clip, and this is after the smear's been widely debunked. See: "No Honor Among Thieves, No Curiosity Among Journalists: Perez Hilton Re-Pirates Video, CBS News Repeats Smear."

CBS News also picked the purloined video as the top viral video of the week. Read all about it The Other McCain.

Jane Jamison of Uncoverage.net Has Died

I like her blog. There are so many out there that sometimes a blog has to really make an impact before gaining attention, and Uncoverage.net is one of those. See Robert Stacy McCain for the details: "Jane Jamison, R.I.P." And John Hawkins has more: "Jane Jamison From Uncoverage Has Passed Away."

Please join me in a prayer for Jane, and for her friends and family.

AP Interview With Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani

It's getting close to the 10-year anniversary, so expect lots of 9/11 coverage across the media-sphere over the next couple of weeks. See "AP Interview: Post-9/11 politics of Rudy Giuliani" (via Memeorandum).

'Take Me to the River'

Heard it during yesterday morning's drive time, at The Sound LA:

7:02 - She Talks To Angels by Black Crowes

7:08 - Who'll Stop The Rain by CCR

7:18 - Wonderous Stories by Yes

7:21 - Let 'em In by Paul Mccartney

7:26 - Take Me To The River by Talking Heads

7:32 - Hey Joe by Jimi Hendrix

7:35 - In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins

7:49 - Space Oddity by David Bowie

7:53 - Black Dog by Led Zeppelin

7:58 - Don't Stop by Fleetwood Mac

I'll be back for more blogging tonight!

Bob Belvedere's Got Your Rule 5 Fix

See: "Rule 5 News: 26 August 2011 A.D."

Drew Barrymore is fabulous, by the way.

Hugs and Thanks to Maggie Thornton

Maggie picked my piece on teaching the Gettysburg Address: "Donald Douglas: A Professor Teaching Real Political History."

And from the comments there:

In today’s American world, this professor is a gem!

Well, thank you!!

More at Maggie's Notebook.

Also, a warm appreciation goes to Gator Doug: "The DaleyGator supports our friend, Donald Douglas."

I get by with a little help from my friends.

Rick Perry's Surge May Force Mitt Romney to Shift Gears

At LAT:

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney may be forced to shake up his strategy to win the Republican presidential nomination now that Texas Gov. Rick Perry has seized the top spot in the latest Gallup poll.

Among Romney's likely shifts: softening his focus on New Hampshire, the first primary state, and starting a more aggressive campaign in Iowa, where the race actually begins.

Romney invested heavily there in 2008 and fell short. But this time, a battle between Perry and Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota for supremacy among Iowa's social conservatives could create an opening for his more moderate brand of conservatism.

Also up for discussion inside the Romney camp: an accelerated advertising push, including attack ads against Perry.

"This nomination fight will not be a coronation," said Scott Reed, a GOP strategist who is neutral in the race. "He's got to show that he's willing to fight for it."

Romney's been campaigning as the inevitable nominee, but that's obviously not going to cut it.

Uncle Onyango!

You gotta love the "long lost" uncle.

Barack Hussein calls him "Uncle Omar."

At London's Daily Mail, "Obama's 'lost' Uncle Omar held in jail for being 'illegal immigrant'... after he was arrested for drunk driving."

Also at Telegraph UK, "Barack Obama’s uncle on drink driving arrest: 'I will call the White House’."

Britney Spears at VMAs: The Modern-Pop Definition of 'Statuesque'

From Spencer Kornhaber, at The Atlantic, "Lady Gaga and Britney Spears Share a Surreal Moment at the MTV VMAs." Here's the kicker:

The two almost kissed, and then broke off at the last moment. But Gaga kept leering, standing uncomfortably close to Britney as she attempted to give a barely felt acceptance speech. What's more, Britney had to simultaneously thank the world and introduce the next performer, Beyonce Knowles. It was a moment of weird indignity for Spears: a younger star awkwardly hogging the spotlight, a roughly contemporary diva waiting in the wings to take the stage.

But the optics of the things were the most striking. Britney, at 29, remains sturdily, conventionally beautiful. Outfitted in boots and a short but glamorous black dress, she appeared the modern-pop definition of "statuesque." And then there was Gaga as Calderone: blonde hair replaced by dark mop, her features elfin and unspectacular, her get-up shapeless and drab, her stature tiny. By pairing the two for a kind of lifetime achievement award, MTV was necessarily asking us to contrast the women. Gaga, it seemed, had picked out her shtick for the night in part to play up that contrast. And why not? With her endless parade of costume changes and her guilt-free lyrical message, Gaga's obsessed with remaking standards of beauty and achievement so that they're set by individuals, not establishments. She's the incredible, cross-dressing, anti-Britney.

Video at the link, in case this one gets yanked.

RELATED: At London's Daily Mail, "What a difference four years makes: Britney Spears gets her sparkle back as she returns to scene of THAT awful MTV performance."

Larry Derfner Fired by Jerusalem Post

Well, let's go straight to the source: "I got fired by the Jerusalem Post today."

I got fired by The Jerusalem Post today. The paper got hundreds of notices of cancellations of subscription after my blog post (“The awful, necessary truth about Palestinian terror”) of Sunday last week; the reason being given for my firing, though, is the substance of the essay, despite the apology I published later. A page-one notice to this effect will be published in the Post tomorrow.

The pro-terror Mondoweiss has the full essay, "Read the post for which Derfner was fired: "‘The awful, necessary truth about Palestinian terror’."

Jawa Report applauds: "Jerusalem Post Writer Larry Derfner Fired for Justifying Palestinian Terror."

And here's this, from Isi Leibler, "Justifying Murder – An Abomination" (at Memeorandum):

Derfner is an Israeli Jew professionally employed by the only English-language newspaper in Israel. For him to justify the barbaric murder of his own brothers and sisters on a public website represents the ultimate abomination. It is unforgiveable.

Presumably in response to massive protests directed against him, Derfner “apologized” a week after his article appeared and deleted it from his website. However, he had the chutzpah to reiterate the justification for terrorism, merely stating that he does not endorse the murder of fellow Israelis. This is neither a retraction nor an apology.

His obscene and callously insensitive remarks are likely to haunt him for the rest of his life.

Some may question Derfner's dismissal (I'm not bothered by it, but I wouldn't have called for his firing). What bothers me is that Derfner's ideas are frankly mainstream among the Israel-hating left. That is, Derfner was only stating publically the exact thoughts of the progressive Israel-delegitimation industry. See, for example, Dimi Reider's obscene endorsement of Derfner, and his claim that it's Caroline Glick who should be fired: "Jerusalem Post fires Larry Derfner over blog post." And there's more than 50 comments at Mondoweiss as this post goes live, almost all in support of Derfner. I mean seriously, it's like bloodlust:

For wannabe international lawyers, I can’t overemphasize that at times, attacks on civilians are perfectly legal and legitimate. The proper language is “protected non-combatants.” Jewish Zionist settler-colonists in the Occupied Territories cannot be considered protected non-combatants by any stretch of the imagination.

And Phillip Weiss enters the comments to add:

Larry, are you out there, do you want to post any response to the many comments at this site? Let me emphasize, you have my great sympathy on this occasion, and I like to think that your best work will flow from this very painful and upsetting incident...

So, again, while I wouldn't have called for Derfner's termination, it's clear that his words were not only incitement to terrorism, but that his views are perfectly representative of the progressive, neo-communist left's eliminationist ideological agenda. And once again, this is what I point out repeatedly at this blog. It's not leftist opposition to Israeli policies. It's leftist opposition to Israel and the Jews. It's the dawn of the new Shoah. And I will stand up against these satanic progressive fuckers as long as I live.

Flooding Devastates Vermont and Catskills: Irene Death Toll at Least 35 People

At NYT (via Memeorandum):

CHESTER, Vt. — While most eyes warily watched the shoreline during Hurricane Irene’s grinding ride up the East Coast, it was inland — sometimes hundreds of miles inland — where the most serious damage actually occurred. And the major culprit was not wind, but water.

As blue skies and temperate breezes returned on Monday, a clearer picture of the storm’s devastation emerged, with the gravest consequences stemming from river flooding in Vermont and upstate New York.

Here in southern Vermont, normally picturesque towns and villages were digging out from thick mud and piles of debris that Sunday’s floodwaters left behind. With roughly 250 roads and several bridges closed off, many residents remained stranded in their neighborhoods; others could not get to grocery stores, hospitals or work. It was unclear how many people had been displaced, though the Red Cross said more than 300 had stayed in its shelters on Sunday, and it expected the number to grow.

In upstate New York, houses were swept from their foundations, and a woman drowned on Sunday when an overflowing creek submerged the cottage where she was vacationing. Flash floods continued to be a concern into Monday afternoon. In the Catskills, where Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo led a helicopter tour of suffering towns, cars were submerged, crops ruined and roads washed out. In tiny, hard-hit Prattsville, what looked like a jumble of homes lay across a roadway, as if they had been tossed like Lego pieces.

“We were very lucky in the city, not quite as lucky on Long Island, but we were lucky on Long Island,” Mr. Cuomo said. “But Catskills, mid-Hudson, this is a different story and we paid a terrible price here, and many of these communities are communities that could least afford to pay this kind of price. So the state has its hands full.”

And see also LAT, "Irene death toll rises to 35 amid cleanup effort."

Look, this was a devastating storm for many people, and thus I was irked this morning to see some media reports suggesting that Irene was "hyped." William Jacobson, who rode it out, was not pleased: "Irene wasn’t overhyped in train- and drive-through country."

RELATED: Dan Drezner blogged the hurricane, a little more seriously this time, compared to 2005, when he dissed Katrina coverage as "hurricane porn." That's around the time I stopped reading Drezner on a daily basis. See: "We interrupt normal blogging about the rest of the world to freak out about THE BIG STORM!!!!" Idiot.

Gaddafi Family Members in Algeria

At Los Angeles Times, "Members of Kadafi family flee to Algeria":

Members of Moammar Kadafi's family, including his wife, daughter and two of his sons, have fled to Algeria, the government of the neighboring country said Monday.

Algerian state television reported that Kadafi relatives who arrived Monday through a border crossing included the deposed Libyan leader's wife, Safiya, his daughter, Aisha, and two of his sons, Hannibal and Mohammed. The group also included an undisclosed number of Kadafi's grandchildren, Algeria said.

The Algerian government said it had informed both the United Nations and the Libyan rebels' Transitional National Council that the group had arrived.

But there was no answer to a much bigger question: Where was Moammar Kadafi himself?

Also at NYT, "Qaddafi’s Wife and 3 of His Children Flee to Algeria."

'A Million Miles Away'

From Sheri Donovan, at The Sound LA, "Sheri's iPod Pick o' The Day":

And previously, from May 2009: "And There Was Nothing Left to Bring Me Back..."

RELATED: At OC Register, "A ‘Sound’ move: Sheri Donovan joins Larry Morgan on 100.3."

Libya Vindicates Obama? And Humanitarian Intervention?

I don't think the administration had a clue, but President Obama will get a lot of credit for toppling Gaddafi.

And this will generate a big debate among specialists in international relations. See Anne Marie Slaughter's piece, at Financial Times, "Why Libya sceptics were proved badly wrong":

Let us do a thought experiment. Imagine the UN did not vote to authorise the use of force in Libya in March. Nato did nothing; Colonel Muammer Gaddafi over-ran Benghazi; the US stood by; the Libyan opposition was reduced to sporadic uprisings, quickly crushed. The regimes in Yemen and Syria took note, and put down their own uprisings with greater vigour. The west let brutality and oppression triumph again in the Middle East.

This is the scenario many wise heads were effectively arguing for with their strong stands against intervention to stop Col Gaddafi. Over the months those analysts have reminded us of their views, calling Libya a quagmire. This week one of the leading proponents of that position, my friend and colleague Richard Haass, shifted gears – but only to remind us just how hard the road ahead in Libya is likely to be.

I do not know anyone, regardless of the side they took in the initial debate, who thinks this task will be easy; indeed, the battle against Col Gaddafi is not yet won. But not so fast. Before we focus on what must happen next, let us pause for a minute and reflect on that initial debate and the lessons to be learnt.

Keep reading.

Dr. Slaugther omits mention that Islamists could come to power in Libya, which in the end might not be much better than having Gaddafi. True, Muammar is about as bad as they come, and as I said all along in the case of Mubarak's Egypt, there's little satisfaction in standing up for a dictator. But the euphoria of the Arab Spring has long evaporated and a real security dilemma is emerging in the region that's forcing folks to reckon with change. Israel, of course, comes to mind, but a larger systemic transformation toward more widespread Islamism won't be good. It's already bad enough as it is.

More on this at Foreign Affairs, from Stewart Patrick, "Libya and the Future of Humanitarian Intervention: How Qaddafi's Fall Vindicated Obama and RtoP."

9/11, Ten Years After: The Costs of Security — Has All the Spending Paid Off?

At LAT, "Is Homeland Security spending paying off?":

A decade after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, federal and state governments are spending about $75 billion a year on domestic security, setting up sophisticated radio networks, upgrading emergency medical response equipment, installing surveillance cameras and bombproof walls, and outfitting airport screeners to detect an ever-evolving list of mobile explosives.

But how effective has that 10-year spending spree been?

"The number of people worldwide who are killed by Muslim-type terrorists, Al Qaeda wannabes, is maybe a few hundred outside of war zones. It's basically the same number of people who die drowning in the bathtub each year," said John Mueller, an Ohio State University professor who has written extensively about the balance between threat and expenditures in fighting terrorism.

"So if your chance of being killed by a terrorist in the United States is 1 in 3.5 million, the question is, how much do you want to spend to get that down to 1 in 4.5 million?" he said.

More at that top link.

John Mueller's a progressive who basically opposed the Iraq war, and was wrong about public support for the deployment. I don't trust him on homeland security issues and the war on terror.

Anyway, the Times is running a series on the tenth anniversary of 9/11. I'll have more, with some of my own commentary and analysis.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle Steps in it With Comments on NATO Bombing in Libya

What's most interesting is that this is Germany, where the use of military force has been contentious throughout the post-WWII era. See WSJ, "German Foreign Minister Takes Hit for Libya Stance."

Westerwelle is a leader for the Free Democratic Party, a center-right party most famous for having Hans-Dietrich Genscher serve as foreign minister during the crucial years at the end of the Cold War. But the FDP is internationalist and has a reputation of angering Israel back in the day (the Munich Olympics in 1972). But again, I'm just fascinated by the debate on the deployment of German military force. It's an amazing thing that after 65 years German military power is far from normalized. It's true of Europe generally, that the continent tends to rely on the U.S. for major military operations, but these things don't last forever. And Germany's the one strong economy in a sea of Euro-gloom. Maybe folks ought to step up a bit over there and provide some leadership in foreign policy. This is pretty ridiculous.

Behind on Babe Blogging

I've been slackin' on my Rule 5. So, let's get started over at Maggie's Notebook, "Rule 5 Saturday Night: Olivia Munn."

And super hot as always, from Bob Belvedere, "Rule 5 Saturday: Carla Ossa."

But check Eye of Polyphemus, who has Kate Beckinsale, one of my favorites. Plus, The Daley Gate has "The Daley Babes." Over at Randy's Roundtable we've got "Thursday Nite Tart: Holly Weber" and "There Was a Football Game Last Night."

And from Zion's Trumpet, "TGIF and Pretty Redheads."

And I've blogged Lucy Pinder's calender, so a review might be in order: "VIDEO: Lucy Pinder Sexy 2012 Calendar."

BONUS: At Pirate's Cove, "If All You See…is a wonderful, wonderful tree cleaning the air of carbon pollution, you might just be a Warmist...", and "Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup."

And at Blazing Cat Fur, "Because It's Friday...and it's Ginger Rogers."

I know I'm leaving out a few good friends, but I'm tired. Drop me a comment or an e-mail and I'll get you linked up on a unique post. Regular blogging should be picking up again over the next few days.

O.C.'s Ocean View Team Wins Little League World Series

Hey, great local news.

At LAT, "Huntington Beach's Ocean View team wins Little League World Series," and "Ocean View Little League players maintain perspective."

Update on Hurricane Irene

At Bloomberg, "Hurricane Irene's Damage: Deaths, Flooding, Power Losses State-by-State."

And an awesome photo-essay at London's Daily Mail, "Floodwaters rise across Northeast submerging whole neighbourhoods underwater as millions without power warned they may not have electricity for weeks."

And at New York Times, "Storm Damage Largely Spares New York."

The Desperation-of-Deprivation Myth

From Mark Steyn, at National Review, "The West has incentivized non-productivity on an industrial scale" (via Glenn Reynolds).

Just go read it all.

More Socialist Agitation From the Hate-America Left

I read the Salon interview with Michael Kazin yesterday. How many times can progressives keep hitting their heads against the wall? Infinitely, it turns out. ASFLs

So, check the reaction from Linkmaster Smith, "Why Does Conservative Light Suck At Supporting Lefty Darkness?" And also at Lonely Conservative, "Lefties Upset that Americans Haven’t Embraced Their Economic Policies."

Lonely Con makes a point that's worth stressing: Progressives have not been unsuccessful, but they won't be happy until they've decimated the last remnants of American exceptionalism. That's how much they hate America.

PREVIOUSLY: "Nouriel Roubini Video: Karl Marx Was Right" (and the links therein). Those progs sure do keep smacking their heads!!

Man Accused of Stalking via Twitter Claims Free Speech

At NYT, "Case of 8,000 Menacing Posts Tests Limits of Twitter Speech" (via Memeorandum).

Even the Buddha of compassion might have been distressed to be on the receiving end of the diatribes that William Lawrence Cassidy is accused of posting on Twitter.

They certainly rattled Alyce Zeoli, a Buddhist leader based in Maryland. Using an ever-changing series of pseudonyms, the authorities say, Mr. Cassidy published thousands of Twitter posts about Ms. Zeoli. Some were weird horror-movie descriptions of what would befall her; others were more along these lines: “Do the world a favor and go kill yourself. P.S. Have a nice day.”

Those relentless tweets landed Mr. Cassidy in jail on charges of online stalking and placed him at the center of an unusual federal case that asks the question: Is posting a public message on Twitter akin to speaking from an old-fashioned soapbox, or can it also be regarded as a means of direct personal communication, like a letter or phone call?

Twitter posts have fueled defamation suits in civil courts worldwide. But this is a criminal case, invoking a somewhat rarely used law on cyberstalking. And it straddles a new, thin line between online communications that can be upsetting — even frightening — and constitutional safeguards on freedom of expression.

Continue reading.

The stalking is not just on Twitter, but includes blog posts as well. The federal prosecutor handling the case likens the tweets, which are direct communications, and unsolicited, as "handwritten notes." These in turn may be found to constitute criminal harassment. Still, most folks see the prosecution as a stretch. See Doug Mataconis, "Is “Twitter Stalking” Free Speech?" Basically, the harassment has to be demonstrably threatening. In this case, clearly the lady's being stalked, and bad. But short of actually contact or evidence of some kind of violent plotting, it's better to stand up for speech. The solution is more speech. And as we've seen around here, progressives can't handle the truth, and when it's directed at them they blow past acceptable boundaries and engage in stalking behaviors that cross the line. Indeed, many a blogger has been forced offline from such trolling, and progressives count on the mob to destroy political enemies all while protected by the First Amendment. Just stand up to these idiots. They melt when faced with facts and logic, and they resort to lies, libel and destruction. ASFLs.

Hurricane Politics

Think Progress is going after conservatives over a 6-year old hurricane that hit during the term of a president who's no longer in office: "Right Wing Tries New Tactic To Soften Bush’s Katrina Debacle: Say Obama’s Leadership On Irene Is Just For Show." (At Memeorandum.)

The Soros-backed goons single out John Hinderaker for particular scorn, attacking him pathetically as a "Koch Industries lawyer."

So, let's see what that's all about, at Power Line, "HOW TO POLITICIZE A HURRICANE":

It remains to be seen whether Irene turns out to be the Comet Kohoutek of hurricanes, but President Obama is taking no chances. He posed for a photo-op today, pretending to have something to do with the potentially-severe weather event. AFP headlined: “Obama takes charge at hurricane command center.”

*****

I’m sure it’s a relief to everyone on the East Coast to know that Obama is personally directing hurricane response efforts. Never mind that he isn’t competent to organize a Little League baseball team; today’s charade obviously is a corollary of the Hurricane Katrina fiasco, in which America’s mass media committed group malpractice, somehow managing to blame the inevitable consequences of a severe weather event, magnified by incompetent local authorities in New Orleans, on the Bush administration. Obama is setting the stage to receive praise, rather than blame, no matter what actually happens between now and when Hurricane Irene blows itself out.

Continue at the link above.

And see Bob Williams, "Shifting Blame in the Katrina Tragedy." If the pathetic progressive trolls want to go back 6 years to drudge up a blame game, they need only look to their own party to find responsibility for the left's criminal failure to protect Gulf Coast citizens in 2005.

Sunday Cartoons

More cartoons at Flopping Ace and Reaganite Republican.

RELATED: "Biden Golfed in Hours Preceding Hurricane."(Via Memeorandum.)

'I Have a Dream'

Today's the anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, speech:

I'll try to put something up on this later, but check USA today, "Prayer service pays tribute to Rev. Martin Luther King."

And check Linda Valdez, at Arizona Republic, for just how screwed up the left's vision of Dr. King is today: "Today's Dems, progressives would disappoint Rev. King."

The dream is alive. Blacks have squandered much of it, IMHO. Not all of them, but an awful lot have no clue on how much equality they enjoy today. But more later ...

Beware the Danger of the Right!

I just read this phenomenal essay from Robert Stacy McCain, "The Politics of Fear."

I get a shout out as well!

The Slow Disappearance of the American Working Man

At Business Week.

For generations, American workers kept up with technological change by achieving higher levels of education than their parents. High school education became the norm as the country progressed from an agrarian society to an industrial one. After World War II, increasing numbers of Americans went to college as the economy became more complex. But for reasons not fully understood, college graduation rates essentially stopped growing for men in the late 1970s, shortly after the Vietnam War ended, perhaps in part because draft deferments were no longer an inducement. Women, on the other hand, continued to pursue college degrees in greater numbers and have been more responsive to the changing economy in other ways, taking many of the nursing and technician positions in the expanding health-care industry and making greater headway in service jobs.

While unemployment is an ordeal for anyone, it still appears to be more traumatic for men. Men without jobs are more likely to commit crimes and go to prison. They are less likely to wed, more likely to divorce, and more likely to father a child out of wedlock. Ironically, unemployed men tend to do even less housework than men with jobs and often retreat from family life, says W. Bradford Wilcox, director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia.

Keep reading.

It's a changed economy. The traditional working man will be back to work when the economy comes back. But those outsourced jobs and the declining returns to college education are probably permanent features of the American post-industrial economy. Again, with growth, new opportunities will open up for those in construction and services, and of course the college educated will see more opportunities in the professional sectors like law and finance. I wouldn't read too much into it beyond that. We've been seeing variations on these trends for decades.

More on this stuff later.

'I Admire Your Passion'

My classes went really well last week. And recall on Tuesday I mentioned that I'd be covering Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address during lectures. Well, I stress how President Lincoln appealed to Thomas Jefferson in the first paragraph of the Address, where he wrote:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

The Civil War was not initially fought for the emancipation of the slaves, but for the preservation of Union. After Gettysburg the correlation of forces was shifting, and when Lincoln was asked to present at the dedication for the Soldiers' National Cemetery, he put great effort into composing a dedication that would transcend divisions and unify the continued campaigns around an elevated set of war aims focusing on human freedom and the American experience. Should the country be forever divided, it was very well possible that the spark of liberty would forever "perish from the earth."

While presenting the discussion to my students, I pull up my photo of President Lincoln's statue at the Lincoln Memorial, and I ask if students have visited Washington, D.C. A lot of students have not been to the nation's capital, so I share how I felt when I've visited, and I stress how deeply affected I have been, and how especially moving is the Lincoln Memorial. My textbook features a photograph of the left-hand wall of the Memorial, where the Address is engraved, and I mention how there are always people sitting down beneath it, reading quietly in appreciation. And then I remind students that Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of the Memorial. And if you visit, make sure to look for the inscription at the top of the steps, where it says that MLK delivered his speech from that very spot, August 28th, 1963. And I recite for my students how Dr. King challenged the country to "live out the true meaning of its creed, that all men are created equal." And I draw the line of liberty back from Dr. King to Abraham Lincoln to Thomas Jefferson, and I remind folks that while this nation was indeed founded in crisis --- the crisis of slavery --- our greatness lies in our charter documents, pieces of parchment holding the political philosophy that pushes Americans to a higher moral standard, a template of universal goodness, one that still shines bright in the world. And we as citizens can't just stand on the sidelines hoping that the American democracy will continue, but that we have an obligation to ourselves and our fellow citizens to continue the work of our forefathers, to continue to ensure that democracy "shall not perish from the earth."

In any case, I do enjoy the discussions with students, and after my very last class on Tuesday, a young woman named Rebekah came up after I dismissed the class, and she said to me, "You know, Dr. Douglas, I admire your passion." I thanked her and I returned the compliment, because she's been very engaged in class, asking questions and volunteering to lead the discussions. Moments like that are what really make teaching meaningful. I hope I have a lot more of these over the course of the semester.

Also, related, I blogged Steven Givler's recent essay on the New York Times, where he mentioned we might benefit from the example of community college professors, and after I commented at the post, Steven wrote:

Hi Donald, I was actually thinking of you when I mentioned the community college.

As I always say, conservatives are good people. And I'm strengthened by the periodic feedback I receive that I am indeed doing something that is good and decent, and those efforts are not entirely overlooked by both my students and those who have followed my writing. Those of us of good moral standing know that decency and right always prevail, but we can never let our efforts wane, for Satan's toilers stalk along the sidelines, looking for a chance to weaken us and pave the way for darkness to spread across the land. We have faced the danger in history and we have come near to it again of late. Thankfully, the Obama interregnum is now half past, and we can soon push to victory in 2012 and reclaim some of the liberty that the dark side has vanquished.

Be strong dear friends and readers. I'm still in the fight.

A Mindless, Nihilistic Dirge In Praise of a Godless Universe

From Kathy Shaidle, "Where’s Guy Fawkes when you need him?":

In honor of goddam Jack Layton, the goddam bells on the goddam Peace Tower played goddam “Imagine” — a mindless, nihilistic dirge in praise of a Godless universe.

Kathy's talking about the Ottawa Peace Tower, and the memorial for the late New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton.

This reminds me of idiot Bonejob Brendan Keefe, who murderously hates David Horowitz, because the latter has rightly excoriated radical socialist progressivism as a nihilist project of hate, demonization and destruction. Sometime back, I commented at Bonejob's, and he whined like a child:

I would say in particular that this phrase from your blurb of his book -- "the freakish nihilism of the radical left" -- doesn't even make sense in light of what this book of his is supposed to be about: "the Left has continued to advance its socialist schemes …" Stipulating for the moment that We have such an Agenda, it can hardly be said to be nihilist to have one -- to seek to advance a different social order (or to foist one upon you, if you insist) is not at all the same thing as wanting to do away with any and every social order, just for the sake of destruction.

Blah. Blah. Blah. Bonejob has no reply to David Horowitz or to the right's perfectly accurate description of progressivism as sick, disgusting nihilism, and I hammer idiot Bonejob for his ignorance:

And seriously, you should at least read the book (cited at the link below) before you blow off "nihilism." The left has recycled Soviet Marxism-Leninism, giving a pass to the murder of 100s of millions. When those apologies for totalitarianism --- what leftist refer to as "actually existing socialism" --- become a defense of a failed ideology, all you have left is utter nothingness, hence nihilism. Try to fit that into your vocab, big boy.

It goes on like this, with Bonejob continuing to act like a child, typing some kind of dissing epithet, "Blargh," and finally throwing up his hands in defeat:

I was not typing "Blargh" in response to your effort to twist the definition of nihilism to fit your own preconceived notions. It was in response to everything else.

For Bonejob, "being your age" means calling your opponents crazies worthy of being mocked. It means adopting a postmodern collectivist epistemology that rejects the accepted usage of words such as nihilism. That's typical, since progressives can't respond to arguments on the merits, and frankly must resort to outright lies and intimidation to win the day. It's pathetic. David Horowitz knows whereof he speaks when pointing out the true nature of leftist ideology as a nihilistic project of hate and nothingness.

And that brings me back to Kathy Shaidle, because she's right on. For as much as I love The Beatles, John Lennon's "Imagine," while beautifully idealistic, is ideologically evil. And that's why progressives love it. Their idealism is not about improving the world but destroying it. Every left-wing progressive scheme of grand 20th-century state-level socialiist "improvement" ended in the camps. And despite the 100s of millions who have been exterminated on the road to leftist heaven, they keep trying. That's nihilist. It's so despicably stupid as to make pure evil simply banal. And Kathy links to Dennis Prager, "Why the Right Fears Transforming America -- and the Left Seeks It," who writes:

Lennon's utopia is our dystopia. A world without God to give people some certitude that all their suffering is not meaningless is a nightmare. A world without religion means a world without any systematic way of ennobling people. A world without countries is a world without the United States of America, and it is a world governed by the morally imbecilic United Nations, where mass murderers sit on its "human rights" councils. A world without heaven or hell is a world without any ultimate justice, where torturers and their victims have identical fates -- oblivion. A world without possessions is a world in which some enormous state possesses everything, and the individual is reduced to the status of a serf.

Liberals [progressives] frequently criticize conservatives for fearing change. That is not correct. We fear transforming that which is already good. The moral record of humanity does not fill us with optimism about "fundamentally transforming" something as rare as America. Evil is normal. America is not.

The Islamic Supremacist Propaganda Machine Cranks Out Another 'Islamophobia' Report

From Robert Spencer, at Frontpage Magazine.

And see the new report from the Horowitz Freedom Center, "Islamophobia: Thought Crime of the Totalitarian Future."

Thanks goodness for David Horowitz.

George Harrison Documentary

Longtime readers will recall that before my new found infatuation with The Beatles, I've long been intrigued by George Harrison, and I was sad when he died so young. So you can bet I'm excited about the new documentary coming out from Martin Scorsese, "George Harrison: Living in a Material World."

See Rolling Stone, "George Harrison Hits the Big Screen in Scorsese Doc."

The schedule is here.

Justice Bradley Attacked Justice Prosser

Progressives sought to destroy Wisconsin State Supreme Court Justice David Prosser on the basis of a false allegation: that he had Justice Ann Walsh Bradley in a chokehold during the courthouse altercation. The radical left had it out for Prosser, and frankly smeared his reputation as part of a demonization campaign to get him off the court. Bradley's story started to fall flat very early on, and of course the special prosecutor did not file charges in the end, because the allegations were bogus. And now there's release of the special prosecutor's report. I've just skimmed things so far, but your first shot should be William Jacobson, "Turns out WI Justice Ann Walsh Bradley was the one with the anger management problem." And then check out this phenomenal entry at Althouse, "I've finally waded through the "chokehold" investigation file."

Expect more analysis on this later, but it's clear that Justice Prosser was defending against an attack from Justice Bradley, who charged him with fists raised, as Althouse reported from the beginning.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ann Althouse on Flickr.

BONUS: From David Blaska, "Where does David Prosser go to get his reputation back?":

There are some people who need to apologize to Mr. Justice David Prosser now that he has been cleared and soon. They took a shallowly researched and preposterous allegation -- that Prosser held fellow justice Ann Walsh Bradley in a chokehold -- and ran to the guillotine with it.

Aqsa Parvez Memorial

Via Reliapundit:

And see Atlas Shrugs, "AQSA IN ISRAEL," and Jihad Watch, "Aqsa Parvez Memorial Grove dedication in Israel, August 24."

Hurricane Irene News

Well, it's been hot summer weather in the O.C. today, with temperatures in the mid-90s. But Hurricane Irene is bearing down on the East Coast and there's a lot of developments.

At NYT, "City Orders 250,000 People to Evacuate," and "This Storm, Bloomberg Responds Differently." And at LAT, "Airlines cancel nearly 5,000 flights because of Hurricane Irene." But see Dr. Jeff Masters' WunderBlog, "Irene's eyewall collapses; further intensification unlikely."

BONUS: From Nate Silver, "A New York Hurricane Could Be a Multibillion-Dollar Catastrophe" (via Memeorandum).

Second-Quarter GDP Revised Down

At Reuters, "Second-quarter GDP trimmed, spending raised."

Romney Leads in Latest Reason-Rupe Public Opinion Survey

At Reason, "Romney Edges Perry in New Reason-Rupe Poll; Obama's Approval Rating at 47% and Congress' at Just 14%; Nearly 75% of Voters Open to 3rd-Party Candidate." Well, polls sure are more interesting when you have such lovely ladies analyzing the results:

Jon Huntsman on PBS NewsHour

He hedges on higher taxes for the wealthy, but that's where he was going with the discussion. He's RINO as far as I can tell. I doubt he'll go very far, and personally, I don't think he should be considered as running-mate for one of the top-tier candidates. See The Hill, "Huntsman says if elected he would call on wealthy to ‘sacrifice’." And at the clip, scroll forward to about 4:40 minutes:

Rebels Bust Gaddafi's Bunker

A huge report at London's Daily Mail, "Missed him by minutes: How rebels and special forces came close to snaring Gaddafi." Also at Telegraph UK, "Libya: rebels surround apartment block 'hiding' Col Gaddafi."

Plus, at LAT, "Eww! Moammar Kadafi (hearts) Condoleezza Rice." And Memeorandum.

Attack of the Leftist Hate Zombies

Well, what do you know? I get by with a little help from my friends.

At Bob Belvedere's Camp of the Saints, "Right Wing Bloggers Under Relentless Attack:

Donald’s enemies have even started a blog to harass him with [americannihilistblog.blogspot.com — I will not dignify their deplorable behavior with a ping].

That Donald is heated in his words is understandable: these people have attacked his honor and dignity and some are trying to get him fired [see here for the latest vile attempt to get him terminated from his job and here]. The man is under threat from several redoubts. Also, he realizes that what they are doing is what Leftists have done throughout history and he knows well that, if they can get away with it regarding him, they will be emboldened to increase the intensity and scope of their attacks on others of the Right. His attackers are the mongers of fear. They are the merchants of intimidation. All opposition must be silenced. Donald Douglas must be utterly destroyed.

Exactly.

Be sure to read the whole thing. I really appreciate the support.

See also, The Other McCain, "The Infinite Viciousness of the Online Left."

PREVIOUSLY: "REPSAC = W. JAMES CASPER = HATE." And, "Carl Salonen Libelous Workplace Allegations of Child Pornography and Sexual Harassment at Long Beach City College."

'Stairway to Heaven'

AoSHQ is a big Zeppelin fan, so here's this for my Thursday place-holding video.

And check Ace of Spades for some hot blogging throughout the day.

Marco Rubio at the Reagan Library

Via The Blog Prof:

More on Widener Law School Controversy

At Legal Insurrection, "Widener Law School loses major donor over Connell case."

This case is far from played out. Nice blogging by William Jacobson.

NewsBusted: 'Obama and the First Family now enjoying vacation in Martha's Vineyard'

Via Theo Spark:

REPSAC = W. JAMES CASPER = HATE

W. James Casper is pure hatred. His whole blogging world is all about sponsoring threats and seeking to destroy others. He's allied in yet another campaign of hate (top result is American Nihilist's satanic program of death and destruction). Freakin' commie asshat. Because RACIST = REPSAC = HATER has come to this, thinly veiled death threats, this post is for the record.

'I intended for American Nihilist to be a one off joke on the silly "nihilist" meme you created. I sent invites to all the "nihilsts" I could find, thinking we'd all just have a quick laugh at the expense of the silly little meme, & that'd be it... But some of 'em wanted to sign up, and once they did, and started writing--in character--it became something better than the one off joke I intended...'

*****

Yeah, it became a repository of hate.

Scroll through W. James Casper's record of hate at the link.

Progressives Go Nazi on Katy Perry After She Tweeted 'Pray for Israel' in Support of Jewish State

At Hot Air, "Twitterverse couldn’t take it when Katy Perry tweeted, “Pray for Israel”." And at The Blaze, "POP STAR KATY PERRY ATTACKED AFTER TWEETING AN APPEAL FOR HER FOLLOWERS TO ‘PRAY FOR ISRAEL’."

And see especially Michelle, "What happened when Katy Perry tweeted “Pray for Israel”."

Progressivism is an ideology of hate and death. Same satanism, different day.

With Glenn Beck by the Temple's Walls

From Barry Rubin, "Glenn Beck’s program in Israel went off without a hitch."

Gotta Love Those Ukrainian Protesters

At The Other McCain, "Not All Feminists Are Ugly and Humorless."

If the video gets pulled, check: "Naked Protest in front of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Kiev, Ukraine."

And the headline at Instapundit: "NSFW: The Ukraine Girls Really Knock Me Out. They leave the West behind."

Apple's Deep Bench

See Wall Street Journal, "Apple Has Deep Bench":

There are few chief executives who are as closely identified with a company as Steve Jobs has been with Apple Inc. Now that he is stepping down as chief executive— although he will be chairman—it will largely be up to his deputies to make sure that the company continues to stay ahead of the competition with trend-setting products and services that impress consumers.

Since Mr. Jobs returned to Apple in 1997 after being ousted in 1985 from the company he founded, he has brought the company back from the brink of bankruptcy, revived its Macintosh computer business and played an unusually important role in the introduction of ground-breaking products like the iPod, iPhone and iPad.

As CEO, he provided a charismatic persona and sharp instinct for knowing what consumers want. But his bench is considered a strong management team that has largely stayed out of the limelight until now.

Continue reading.

RELATED: At New York Times, "Without Its Master of Design, Apple Will Face Challenges."

Libya Could Be Unstable For a Long Time

Lively discussion from Jeremy Scahill, on Morning Joe.

China Backs Libya Rebels

Just now they're backing the rebels?

At Reuters, "China turns to Libya rebels, urges "stable transition'."

China urged a "stable transition of power" in Libya and said on Wednesday it is in contact with the rebel National Transitional Council, the clearest sign yet that Beijing has effectively shifted recognition to forces poised to defeat Muammar Gaddafi.

Obama Vindicated on Libya?

An "In the Arenda" debate, at Politico.

Here's Soren Dayton:

I think that the whole "lead from behind" argument on Libya is a bit of a red herring. The U.S., along with allies and a UN resolution, enforced a no-fly zone. Clearly, getting rid of Qadhafi was the right thing to do. However, the process left quite a lot to be desired. There is already talk of much less support for the next UN resolution because the military activities went well beyond the scope of the UN resolution. It will be much harder to get the next resolution.

At the same time domestically, Obama clearly violated the War Powers Act, something he claimed earlier to hold dear. He showed himself a hypocrite while aligning much of the GOP against the intervention. However, Congress showed its utter incompetence in not claiming some degree of authority over the situation.

Actually, I like John Yoo's take on the war, although I wasn't so gung ho on it myself. See, "We Don't Need U.N. Approval to Save Libyan Lives." But also from Smitty at TOM, "Who Should Be Embarrassed, Mr. Yoo?"

Allen West on Libya, Egypt, etc.

Via Legal Insurrection:

Libya's Limitless Potential, for Good or Evil

From Victor Davis Hanson, at National Review:

The U.S. is in no mood to follow up our military intervention with a postbellum reconstruction program, and we have no idea which factions among the rebels will assume power, or even the nature of the various special interests. So, until the dust settles, no one quite knows whether this is 1917 Russia, 1979 Iran, 2003 Iraq, or 2011 Egypt and Tunisia, or a little of everything.

But RTWT.

Sources: Michelle Obama Spending $10 Million in Taxpayer Money on Vacations

At London's Daily Mail, "Expensive massages, top shelf vodka and five-star hotels: First Lady accused of spending $10m in public money on her vacations" (via Memeorandum).

Image Credit: The People's Cube.

Baby Tossed From Parking Structure Dies: Mother Sonia Hermosillo, Charged With Attempted Murder, Got Parking Validation After Alleged Crime

At LAT, "Baby dropped from parking structure dies."

Also, "Mom got parking validated after baby allegedly dropped from garage," and "Mother suspected of throwing baby from garage was 'calm, stoic,' police say."

Hurricane Irene

At Miami Herald, "Bahamas taking a battering from Cat 3 Hurricane Irene," and USA Today, "Powerful Hurricane Irene menaces Bahamas." Also at New York Times, "Hurricane Irene Gains Strength as It Batters the Bahamas."

Journalists 'Captive' at Rixos Hotel in Tripoli

A live blog at Telegraph UK, "Libya live: British journalists 'captive' in Tripoli hotel."

Parrots in Irvine

I didn't have my camera. But I was out with the whole family last night and we stopped at 7-11 for refreshments. My wife and oldest boy went in and I waited with my youngest in the Jeep. Next thing I know I see this woman walk out of the 24-Hour Fitness across the parking lot and she comes over near us with her mouth just gaping. She looked like she was talking to herself and I didn't see a phone or a headset. I said to my son, "What is that lady doing?" We had the music on loud so I couldn't hear anything outside. But then I looked over at the wild olive trees and I saw them. Wild parrots were munching away. I've never seen them before. Indeed, I didn't even know we had them. So checking online, the O.C. Register has this, from 2006, "Parrots prosper in Orange County":

Parrots might be gravely endangered in their native rain forests, but not in Orange County, where they've taken up residence in large flocks, attracting both love and hate from people who share their space.

There's a mystery attached to the birds' presence. No one is exactly sure how they got here. One popular theory is that their ancestors escaped from commercial bird importers, surviving because they were wild birds that knew how to forage for food. Another is simply that they migrated north from rain forests in Central and South America.

Large flocks exist in Orange, Santa Ana, Tustin and elsewhere in the county. Some flocks can number hundreds of birds. They generally eat fruit and nuts of exotic plants that, like themselves, have been imported from tropical climates.

Amazon parrots found here include endangered red-crowned parrots, lilac-crowned parrots, red-lored parrots, white-fronted parrots, yellow-headed parrots and blue-fronted parrots. They can be distinguished by stocky bodies and short, squared tails. Mitred parakeets are also common here.

More from Oscar Gonzales.

P.S. My smarty-pants oldest son comes back and I say, "Hey, check out those parrots!" And he says, "I saw them. They escaped from PETCO."

More Cuts Likely to California Higher Education

At LAT, "State colleges, universities may need to make more budget cuts":

Students starting the school year at California Community Colleges this week will pay higher fees and have fewer courses from which to choose. At California State University campuses, students will find their classes packed, fewer library books available and the ranks of part-time faculty thinned.

That dismal picture could worsen if the state's financial problems force colleges and universities to make additional budget cuts mid-year, leaders of the systems said Monday during a conference call with reporters.

As it is, the state's 112 community colleges will offer 5% fewer classes this fall, Chancellor Jack Scott said. Based on projected annual demand, an estimated 670,000 students who otherwise would enroll in at least one class will not be served, he added.

Community college students, whose fees already have risen to $36 per unit for this school year from $26 last year, are likely to face a further increase if state revenue doesn't meet projections. State funding to the two-year colleges was reduced $400 million for this year. Further cuts would trigger an additional $10 per unit fee increase for spring 2012.

Continue reading.

I think it was $10 to go to community college back in 1979. That's when the state still promised a basically free college education to all those who could benefit.

Rebels Prepare for Libya Transition

At WaPo, "Libyan opposition leaders prepare for transition":

BENGHAZI, Libya — With rebel fighters celebrating in the streets of Tripoli on Tuesday, opposition leaders in this eastern Libyan city now face tough questions about how they will guide the country through what is expected to be a tumultuous transition.

Some observers have begun to question whether the rebels — ostensibly led by the Benghazi-based Transitional National Council — are up to the task of restarting a failed economy after six months of war, restoring peace, and assuring Libyans and foreign benefactors that they are capable of leading the country.

The rebels have been plagued by infighting almost from the moment they first rose to challenge Col. Moammar Gaddafi, and the friction has not subsided despite celebrations on Tuesday as rebel fighters stormed the leader’s compound in Tripoli.

The top rebel commander was assassinated last month in a case that remains unsolved, but that has spurred furious accusations among various rebel factions. When an investigation of the killing bogged down, rebel council chief Mustafa Abdul Jalil dismissed his cabinet.

Concerns about the rebel leadership deepened on Tuesday after Gaddafi’s most influential son, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, appeared in public despite rebel claims that he had been captured.

“The Transitional National Council is not without its problems,” said Geoff Porter, an analyst with North Africa Risk Consulting. “Its decision-making process is unpredictable and far from transparent. . . .This suggests that future dealings with the council are going to be prickly, challenging and uneven.”

That doesn't sound so hot. More at that top link.

Also at LAT, "Kadafi vows victory or 'martyrdom' in Libyan uprising," and NYT, "Qaddafi Defiant After Rebel Takeover." But see Chicago Tribune, "Rebels overrun Gaddafi HQ, say he's 'finished'."

'Under Pressure'

Well, I'm back to my weekday commute and tuning into The Sound LA regularly. And that's good. I had Foster the People on the brain there for a while.

Anyway, this should hold readers over until tonight when I'm back home and can blog. That Queen concert is something else, by the way, and David Bowie's live version is below. Until then...

Debbie Wasserman-Schultz Heckled Off the Stage at Iowa State Fair

Oh, this is the best!

At The Other McCain, "Debbie’s Very Bad Day in Iowa":

RTWT.

Great coverage from R.S. McCain in Iowa. The dude couldn't get all that stuff posted at the time.

Courageous Trannies

Kathy Shaidle has some Canadian transsexual sick fuck losers she's dealing with. See: "The tyranny of trannies: even their failures, they insist, are ‘courageous’."

I posted on this previously, with reference to my (anti-)American pro-gay, possibly pro-pedo hate blogging ASFL W. James Casper: "'Trannies are pretty much at the bottom of any “courage” measurement system, somewhere below wedding planner and used car salesman'."

RELATED: The LULZ write themselves with these freaks. See, "'Asshole of the Day'," and "W. James Casper: 'I Was in the Pool!!'"