Caroline Wozniacki Ousts Maria Sharapova at U.S. Open

At the New York Times, "Upsets Persist at U.S. Open as Caroline Wozniacki Ousts Maria Sharapova."

I think this describes it! @usopen pic.twitter.com/3tjWbJ2ztu

— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) August 31, 2014

Belgian Women Pour Fake Blood in Airport to Protest #Israel Arms Transport

Well, at least it was fake blood.

Sheesh.

At the Times of Israel.

Belgian women pour fake blood in airport to protest Israel arms transport http://t.co/dv9VkmUALv

— TOI Jewish Times (@TOIJewishTimes) September 1, 2014

Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton Nude Photos Leaked Online

Actually, a bunch of celebrities had their nude photos leaked.

At Variety, "Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton, Ariana Grande Among Celebrities Exposed in Massive Nude Photo Leak."

And at BuzzFeed, "Jennifer Lawrence, Ariana Grande, Kate Upton, More Celebs Have Alleged Nude Photos Leak In Massive Hack."

Actress Mary Winstead, whose photos were also leaked, is not pleased:

To those of you looking at photos I took with my husband years ago in the privacy of our home, hope you feel great about yourselves.

— Mary E. Winstead (@M_E_Winstead) August 31, 2014

#Angels Sweep #Athletics to Take 5-Game Lead in AL West

At the Los Angeles Times, "Angels complete four-game sweep of A's with 8-1 victory."

It feels great if you're an Angels fan, but man, this has been an astonishing collapse for the Athletics.

Sounds like team meeting going on right now in #Athletics clubhouse.

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) August 31, 2014

This is a pretty long closed-door meeting.

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) August 31, 2014

Melvin says team should be embarrassed. He feels bad for fans. #Athletics

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) August 31, 2014

Melvin held meeting to impart that to team. Cuts session with reporters short after blasting team's performance past three games.

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) August 31, 2014

Kazmir says #Athletics disappointed in selves. "This is not who we are."

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) August 31, 2014

Donaldson: "Something had to be said. ..this is a wakeup call. This is the time of year to be playing our best and we're playing our worst."

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) August 31, 2014

Kazmir questions Gerry Davis' professionalism with strike zone today, says he was hitting his spots every time with nothing to show for it.

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) August 31, 2014

Kazmir says Davis made "cry baby face" at #Athletics dugout last night, A's lodged complaint and Davis was reprimanded.

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) August 31, 2014

Norris says #Athletics cant piss away season after getting such good opportunity. "We have to figure it out."

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) August 31, 2014

#Athletics Drumbeat: Melvin airs team out; more on Kazmir/strike zone/Gerry Davis weirdness: http://t.co/7Hx4XOScB2

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) August 31, 2014

Bob Melvin: "That was embarrassing. The last 3 days the worst I've seen. #Athletics

— John Hickey (@JHickey3) August 31, 2014

#Athletics Derek Norris: "We've got to figure it out. Frustration, anger, disappointment, embarrassment all added up today."

— John Hickey (@JHickey3) August 31, 2014

#Athletics Brandon Moss on mgr Bob Melvin's closed-door meeting: "he's as tired of watching it as were are of doing it."

— John Hickey (@JHickey3) August 31, 2014

NBC's Richard Engel: Military Commanders, Former Officials 'Apoplectic' Over Obama's National Security Failures

Engel has been hitting the White House hard, but this report just rips the administration. And the Ryan Crocker interview at the segment helps bring down the hammer:

Asian-Bashing #Dems and Doormat Minorities Who Enable Them

ICYMI, from Michelle Malkin, a great piece.

Professor Charli Carpenter Boycotts #APSA for Placing an 'Undue Burden' on Her 'Gender-Conscious' Work-Life Balance

Boy, this might as well be a parody of the life of a far-left politically correct academic, except that it's not a parody. Behold this "brave" statement of "gender consciousness" from Professor Charli Carpenter, at the hate-site Lawyers, Guns and Money, "Why I Am Not at APSA This Labor Day":

I’m boycotting my professional organization for scheduling a conference so as to inhibit work-life-balance and pose an undue burden on parents in the profession, especially mothers. I’m boycotting APSA because they have done this year by year over the protest of their members. What began as an irreconcilable personal conflict for a parent of grade schoolers and partner to a dual-career spouse – what began, that is, as a simple work-life balance choice – has turned over the years into a political statement that I’ll continue to make until APSA’s policy changes.

I’m not saying APSA is an inherently family-unfriendly organization....

So starting when my daughter was 8, my husband and I decided to try a new system: alternating APSAs. Each year, one or the other of us would go from now on, and one would stay. This idea made sense in theory, but in practice it put strain on our family’s carefully cultivated and gender-conscious balance between work and family life, as we each navigated life on the two-body tenure track striving for equity both in child-rearing and career opportunities...

Oh brother. The drama is excruciating.

Wouldn't want to upset that "carefully cultivated and gender-conscious balance between work and family life." No siree!

Besides, child-rearing equity is important!

A little late for National Offend a Feminist Week, but Charli's "work-life balance" rants are precious, heh.

IMAGE CREDIT: Serr8d's Cutting Edge.

Professor Daniel Drezner Speaks at Another Controversial Conference Panel — #APSA2014

Dan Drezner is Professor of International Politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

Folks will recall that Drezner's blog was one of the first I used to read on a regular basis, over a decade ago. He quit the blog recently when Foreign Policy moved to a weekly column format for its online writers, and now Drezner's set up shop at the Washington Post as a contributor.

But Drezner's also known for his questionable ethics and intelligence when it comes to conference participation. Earlier this year he appeared on a panel with Holocaust denier William Lind, who has been described by Michael Goldfarb as a "paleoconservative Jew-baiter extraordinaire."

@mattduss @dandrezner try taking your lumps like a man and apologizing for elevating a holocaust denier—you did that, not anybody else.
— Michael Goldfarb (@thegoldfarb) July 3, 2014

Here's the report on the controversial event from Alana Goodman, "Antiwar Conference Featured Panelist Who Spoke at Holocaust Denial Conference."

So, with that kind of disgusting conference participation, one might expect Professor Drezner to be more choosy in aligning himself with enemies of Israel. (One might be even more likely to think so, as Drezner is himself Jewish.)

But no. It turns out Drezner spoke this weekend at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, at a panel called "Navigating a Career in International Relations." Well, "navigating" an IR career these days apparently means getting on the good side of the most vile anti-Israel academics in the field, Professors Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer, authors of the widely condemned book, The Israel Lobby.

At the APSA website, here's the panelist lineup for "Navigating a Career in International Relations":

Date: Saturday, Aug 30, 2014, 4:30 PM-6:00 PM

Location: Only those registered for the meeting can see room assignments. If you have registered, login to see rooms. Subject to change. Check the Final Program at the conference.

Co-sponsored by 18 International Security-33

Chair(s):

Leslie Vinjamuri
University of London, SOAS

Participant(s):

Helen V. Milner
Princeton University
Helen V. Milner
Princeton University
John J. Mearsheimer
University of Chicago
Daniel W. Drezner
Tufts University
Stephen M. Walt
Harvard University
Colin H. Kahl
Georgetown University
Jennifer M. Lind
Dartmouth College

Drezner, of course, is well-versed in the controversies surrounding Walt and Mearsheimer's The Israel Lobby. Indeed, back in 2005, he offered a robust defense of the embattled authors, going so far to argue that "Walt and Mearsheimer should not be criticized as anti-Semites, because that's patently false."

Really? "Patently false."

Well, the widely respected Anti-Defamation League, which describes itself as "the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency", would beg to differ. Here's this ADL response to Walt and Mearsheimer at the website, from 2006, "A Review of Mearsheimer and Walt's "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy" -- An Anti-Jewish Screed in Scholarly Guise."

And then there's the authoritative response from political scientist Eliot Cohen, who is the Robert E. Osgood Professor of Strategic Studies at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at John Hopkins University, at the Washington Post, in 2006, "Yes, It's Anti-Semitic."

I could go on listing eminent, reputable voices who have slammed The Israel Lobby for precisely what it is: hatred and bigotry.

But hey, nowadays hate and bigotry are apparently resume enhancers in the political science discipline.

In 2011, Professor Walt spoke at the far-left Code Pink's Move Over AIPAC! Summit, where attendees bestowed honors on the late White House correspondent Helen Thomas, whose later years where mired in controversy over vile comments she made, caught on tape, attacking Israel and suggesting that the Jews should "move back to Europe." Professor Mearsheimer, as well, has done little to clear his name of anti-Semitic aspersions, going so far as writing a book-jacket blurb for vicious Israel-basher Gilad Atzmon, who the ADL describes as:

... an outspoken and prolific promoter of classic anti-Semitic conspiracy theories about Jewish control over American foreign policy, and has written that Jews have a plan for world domination. He has trafficked in anti-Semitic canards such as the notion that Jews are responsible for the death of Jesus.

And here's Jeffrey Goldberg's dramatic headline on Mearsheimer, at the Atlantic, "John Mearsheimer Endorses a Hitler Apologist and Holocaust Revisionist." And see Commentary, "Mearsheimer’s Anti-Semitism Scandal." [Added: Don't miss Alan Dershowitz as well, at the New Republic, "Why are John Mearsheimer and Richard Falk Endorsing a Blatantly Anti-Semitic Book?"]

Drezner is no doubt aware of all the latest controversies surrounding Walt and Mearsheimer, although he obviously remains untroubled and unconcerned with his own reputation. It'd be one thing if Drezner had appeared on a panel to debate Walt and Mearsheimer on some topical issue in international politics (Obama's bumbling foreign policy; Israel's third Gaza war). But Drezner's appeared at a professional development panel, and thus gave a disciplinary imprimatur to the views of Walt and Mearsheimer.

I called him out on Twitter yesterday:

.@DanDrezner Well, hope you were spared the anti-Semitic tropes and slurs of Walt and Mearsheimer. Not spared: your honor. #TheIsraelLobby
— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) August 31, 2014

In all, a sad statement on the state of the field: Israel-hatred as a career-booster in political science.

Revolt Against the Brassieres

At Barnorama, "Join The Fight Against Bras, Today!"

Plus, elsewhere it's Rule 5 Sunday, at Pirate's Cove, for example, "Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup," and "If All You See……is CO2 infused beer killing the climate, you might just be a Warmist."

And at 90 Miles from Tyranny, "Morning Mistress."

Also, from last Sunday at the Other McCain, "Rule 5 Sunday: Peaches En Regalia."

BONUS FLASHBACK: "#NOAFW – Exclusive: Feminists Attempt to Brainwash Kate Upton."

Check back here for more regular babe blogging updates.

Joan Rivers on Life Support

It's all so unreal, as she just performed on Thursday night.

But by Friday, she was rushed to Cedars Sinai.

At London's Daily Mail, "Joan Rivers' celebrity friends take to Twitter to pray for her recovery as her family face agonizing decision over whether or not to turn off life support machine."

And on Twitter:

Remains on life support... http://t.co/Ea6GSCmvGQ

— DRUDGE REPORT (@DRUDGE_REPORT) August 31, 2014

JOAN NEEDS MIRACLE http://t.co/0GzPzfLdXO

— DRUDGE REPORT (@DRUDGE_REPORT) August 31, 2014

Yes, Indeed, Let's Be Mindful of What 'the Left has already accomplished...'

Demonic hate-troll Walter James Casper tweets:

#TheSixtiesCNN reminds me how much the Left has already accomplished, how much further we have to go, and the likelihood of our success.

— W. James Casper (@repsac3) August 31, 2014

Oh, and we have "further to go"?

Right. We certainly wouldn't want to waste any time destroying the rest of the moral and strategic order that's taken decent society decades to build. The 1960's saw the rise of the most "destructive generation," and pity the next generations of Americans, who will live in greater danger and less prosperity than those who came before.

But according to vile Utopian assholes like Walter James Casper III, all of this is progress.

More at Instapundit, "A FACEBOOK FRIEND WHO’S TOO MODEST TO WANT CREDIT HERE POSTED THIS...":

Let’s accept, arguendo, that the outgoing DIA chief is right, and that we are now in an era of danger similar to the mid-1930s. How did we get here? It’s worth looking back into the mists of time — an entire year, to Labor Day weekend 2013. What had not happened then? It’s quite a list, actually: the Chinese ADIZ, the Russian annexation of Crimea, the rise of ISIS, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the fall of Mosul, the end of Hungarian liberal democracy, the Central American refugee crisis, the Egyptian-UAE attacks on Libya, the extermination of Iraqi Christians, the Yazidi genocide, the scramble to revise NATO’s eastern-frontier defenses, the Kristallnacht-style pogroms in European cities, the reemergence of mainstream anti-Semitism, the third (or fourth, perhaps) American war in Iraq, racial riots in middle America, et cetera and ad nauseam.

All that was in the future just one year ago.

What is happening now is basically America’s version of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The President of the United States — supported to an exceptional extent by an electorate both uncomprehending and untrusting of the outside world — is Clarence the Angel, and he’s showing us what the world would be like if we’d never been born, Unsurprisingly, Bedford Falls is now Pottersville, and it’s a terrible place. Unfortunately we do not get to revert to the tolerable if modest status quo at the end of the lesson: George Bailey will eventually have to shell the town and retake it street by street from Old Man Potter’s Spetsnaz.

But the larger point here is not what’s happening, because what’s happening is obvious. Things are falling apart. The point is how fast it’s come. It takes the blood and labor of generations to build a general peace, and that peace is sustained by two pillars: a common moral vision, and force majeure. We spent a quarter-century chipping away at the latter, and finally discarded the former, and now that peace is gone. All this was the work of decades.

Look back, again, to Labor Day weekend 2013, and understand one thing: its undoing was the work of mere months.

Coco Crisp Scratched from #Athletics Starting Lineup for Second Day in a Row

Per Susan Slusser, on Twitter.

And Slusser at SF Gate, "A’s acquire Adam Dunn from White Sox."

The A's are in a slumpin' funk.

Donaldson says if he had answers for why offense struggling, "we wouldn't be struggling."

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) August 31, 2014

Asked about confidence level, outlook going into final month of season, Donaldson said, "I don't know. We'll see."

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) August 31, 2014

Donaldson said of recent team struggles, "Pretty much everything's been said. Everyone sees it." Team morale? "I think it's pretty obvious."

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) August 31, 2014

A couple of people have asked if the A's sound defeated. No, they sound like a mix of pissed and frustrated. Exactly as you would expect.

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) August 31, 2014

Bad News for Al Gore: Arctic Sea Ice Growing Thicker and Larger (GRAPHS)

At London's Daily Mail, "Myth of arctic meltdown: Stunning satellite images show summer ice cap is thicker and covers 1.7million square kilometres MORE than 2 years ago...despite Al Gore's prediction it would be ICE-FREE by now."

Also at WUWT, "‘The Arctic sea ice spiral of death seems to have reversed’."

Al Gore is such an ass.

More from Debra Saunders, at the San Francisco Chronicle, "Al Gore suit against Al Jazeera the height of hypocrisy."

Brutal Rise of Islamic State Turns Old Enemies Into New Friends

At WSJ, "Nations Long at Loggerheads, Such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, Find Common Ground in Bid to Curb Extremists":

In the brutal calculation of Middle East politics, the baseline for friendship has always been simple: The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

By that standard, the Islamic State extremist group is creating friendships aplenty. An odd set of bedfellows or potential bedfellows, transcending geographical, ideological and alliance bounds, is emerging from the ranks of those threatened by what many see as the most dangerous militant movement in a generation.

Shiite Muslim Iran and Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia, for instance, have been bitter foes since at least 1979, when the Iranian revolutionary government of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini hoped to inspire similar revolutions in the Sunni world. But both countries now fear Islamic State's armed radical Islamist movement, which seeks to usurp their own claimed leadership of the Muslim world.

That led Iran and Saudi Arabia to independently back the same candidate to lead Iraq, in a push for a new government that might unite Sunnis and Shiites to battle Islamic State. This week, Iranian and Saudi diplomats held a rare meeting to consult.

Turkey has long distrusted and worked against ethnic Kurds, especially a violent splinter group known as the PKK that operates out of the mountainous environs of northern Iraq. But the Turks looked the other way when Syrian Kurdish militias affiliated with the PKK played a starring role in the rescue from Islamic State fighters of thousands of Yazidis stranded on a mountainside.

Russia and the U.S. are at loggerheads in Ukraine and elsewhere, including the Middle East. But they agree that the sort of violent Islam practiced by Islamic State, which now controls large swaths of Iraq and Syria, endangers the global order in which both countries compete for influence.

Islamic State even has had a falling out with al Qaeda, the group that spawned it. Al Qaeda's official Syrian branch, known as the Nusra Front, is outflanked and mocked by Islamic State. So Nusra has joined the fight against Islamic State, clashing violently on the battlefields of Syria.

These countries and movements may be at odds over nearly everything else, but nothing focuses the mind like a mortal threat, say some analysts and former top security officials. Given not only Islamic State's savagery but its potential to overthrow regimes and spill over borders, they all seem to agree on only one thing: It needs to be stopped.

Lacking a coalition of the willing, the Obama administration should muster up a sort of alliance of the unwilling, these analysts argue. Whether that is possible, and whether the U.S. has the guile and clout to unite such disparate forces—either formally, or more likely in a combination of overt, covert and arm's-length arrangements—is an open question.

"It has to be patched together, somewhat ad hoc, with maybe some sort of informal and even clandestine agreements on who does what," says Zbigniew Brzezinski, a former U.S. national-security adviser.

More at that top link.

The Macan, Porsche's New 'Speed-Hunting' SUV

I've loved these cars ever since I was a little kid.

Some day. Some day.

At LAT, "The Macan, Porsche's New 'Speed-Hunting' SUV":

Pay no mind to the Porsche Macan's 18 cubic feet of cargo room, its capacity to carry five adults comfortably and its commanding view of the road. With 340 horsepower and reflexes that would make Catwoman jealous, the Macan S never got the memo that it's not a sports car. Porsche's speed-hunting pedigree shows in every corner of this all-new small SUV.

The Macan is the smaller sibling to the Cayenne, the German marque's original SUV, which sent Porsche purists into fits when it was introduced a decade ago but reaped huge profits in the U.S. and globally.

The company is hoping for similar success with the Macan, which is Indonesian for "tiger." For sale now, it's Porsche's play for the burgeoning compact crossover segment — one of the fastest-growing areas of the luxury vehicle market, fueled by wealthy empty-nesters, first-time luxury buyers and professional women.

More.

How Erin Andrews Stays So Fit

At Health Magazine, "Erin Andrews: On Staying Energized, Working Out, and Being Outspoken."

The September issue of @goodhealth is available today! pic.twitter.com/BbdSvjrpM8

— Erin Andrews (@ErinAndrews) August 15, 2014

Poland on Edge as Russia Carves Up Ukraine

So I guess I'm not the only one making World War II analogies in light of Russian aggression in Ukraine. If anyone would know the consequences of appeasement, it'd be the Poles.

At the Times of Israel, "Poland on edge 75 years after Hitler and Stalin carved it up":

Memories of World War II have been bubbling to the surface since Russia seized Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula in March.

WARSAW (AFP) — Poland marks the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II Monday with one eye on Russia, which invaded it during the war and is now throwing its weight around in neighboring Ukraine.

From the very first German shells fired at a Polish fort in Gdansk in the early hours of September 1, 1939, to the final days in 1945, Poland suffered some of the worst horrors of the war, chief among them the extermination of most of its Jewish population by the Nazis.

Nearly six million Poles, or about 17 percent of the population — including around three million Jews — died in the conflict.

Memories of the era have been bubbling to the surface since Russia seized Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula in March, and a fierce conflict began in the country’s east.

“To use military force against one’s neighbors, to annex their territory, to prevent them from freely choosing their place in the world — this provides a worrying reminder of the dark chapters of Europe’s 20th-century history,” Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski said in a newspaper opinion piece ahead of the anniversary.

Polish historian Andrzej Friszke meanwhile recalled the infamous Munich agreement that Britain and France signed with Nazi Germany in 1938, allowing it to annex swathes of Czechoslovakia in a failed bid to avert war...

More.

Coco Crisp Scratched from Starting Lineup for Tonight's #Angels-#Athletics Game

Via Susan Slusser, at the San Francisco Chronicle:

#Athletics Drumbeat: Crisp, Doolittle, Jaso updates: Melvin on the possibility of more "small ball." http://t.co/sIXEQvst3j

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) August 31, 2014

And here's the video from last night's game:



PREVIOUSLY: "#Angels Beat #Athletics 4-0 in Spectacular Rivaly Match at Anaheim Stadium."

High Expectations, New Traditions for #USC Football

Fresno State faces the Trojans at the Coliseum, starting in a couple of minutes.

At the Los Angeles Times, "USC's Steve Sarkisian hopes fans can embrace break with tradition":

There is a certain traditional look to USC football.

Traveler, the white horse, races down the sidelines during home games, right past the iconic USC song girls. The Trojans marching band performs "Fight On" after every USC first down. And fans need a program to identify the Trojans because they are the only players in major college football who have never had names on the back of their jerseys.

But change will be obvious the first time USC has the ball Saturday when the Trojans open the season against Fresno State at the Coliseum.

New Coach Steve Sarkisian has hit the fast-forward button on USC's offense.

Get ready for no huddles. For a quarterback mainly in the shotgun formation. Coaches relaying signs to players like baseball third-base coaches. Sideline staff holding giant cards featuring NFL team helmets, colors and various patterns and symbols.

ere is a certain traditional look to USC football.

Traveler, the white horse, races down the sidelines during home games, right past the iconic USC song girls. The Trojans marching band performs "Fight On" after every USC first down. And fans need a program to identify the Trojans because they are the only players in major college football who have never had names on the back of their jerseys.

But change will be obvious the first time USC has the ball Saturday when the Trojans open the season against Fresno State at the Coliseum.

New Coach Steve Sarkisian has hit the fast-forward button on USC's offense.

Get ready for no huddles. For a quarterback mainly in the shotgun formation. Coaches relaying signs to players like baseball third-base coaches. Sideline staff holding giant cards featuring NFL team helmets, colors and various patterns and symbols.

More.

First NFL Homosexual Michael Sam Cut by Rams

Heh.

You gotta love it, at Bleacher Report, "Michael Sam Cut by Rams: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction."

Plus, on Twitter:

Pro-tip: if you set up a ball player as the next Jackie Robinson, make sure he plays well, first. #MichaelSam

— Aaron Worthing (@AaronWorthing) August 30, 2014

#MichaelSam liberals once again proving it's not really about "equality" or "football abilities". They demand special treatment. #whatajoke

— Beanfrompa (@BeanfromPa) August 30, 2014

Michael Sam, the first openly gay player selected in the NFL draft, was cut Saturday by the St. Louis Rams http://t.co/WJqEzfoJLO

— Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) August 30, 2014

Hot Anais Zanotta Bikini Pics

At Barnorama, "Anais Zanotti Shows Off Her Love For France In A Hot Bikini." (Via Linkiest.)

Anais Zanotti + French Bikini = Amazing!! http://t.co/M8WOGjfPYx pic.twitter.com/eDh1WIkXmB

— WTF Facts (@WTFfactx) August 30, 2014

John Kerry's Demand for 'Global Coalition' Signals Cowardice, Weakness, and Appeasement

It's almost like a bad joke, although sadly this is for real.

The headline of Secretary Kerry's op-ed at the New York Times says it all: "To Defeat Terror, We Need the World's Help: John Kerry: The Threat of ISIS Demands a Global Coalition." (Via Memeorandum.)

Kerry proclaims the need for "a broad coalition" nearly a half a dozen times. And he tries to lend authority to his case by calling on the memory of "the first President George Bush and Secretary of State James A. Baker III," who raised a truly broad international coalition behind 500,000 American troops to evict Saddam Hussein from Kuwait in 1991. The U.S. today would be lucky to get 500 "special advisers" in Iraq to coordinate the precipitous withdrawal of all American diplomatic and humanitarian personnel.

Kerry's essay is the modern equivalent of the "peace in our time" diplomacy of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in 1938. It's a statement of avoidance-at-all-costs foreign policy that is the hallmark of the Obama presidency.

Pamela Geller has more, "Hiding From Behind: “Global coalition needed to stop Islamic State”":

More weakness and cowardice from the jihad sympathizer in the White House.

In the wake of Obama’s catastrophic failure in Iraq and Syria, the Obama administration is laying off on everyone else. The “Junior Varsity” team has conquered whole swaths of the Middle East and there is no stopping them. At least not while Hussein is in the White House.

Obama’s Secretary of State John Kerry, a NY Times editorial, which I am sure the Islamic State reads every morning over the pile up of heads and corpses,  is a “global coalition using political, humanitarian, economic, law enforcement and intelligence tools to support military force.” Obama has no global coalition. He has alienated every ally we had. Unlike George Bush who had a “Coalition of the Willing” of 48 countries.

This is just another embarrassing example of Obama’s impotence. The rise of the Islamic State is a direct result of Obama’s foreign policy — the disengagement and dismantling American influence and power in the Middle East and the world. The spread of jihad is the symptom of a vacuum. Whenever jihad wins, it is only by default: by the moral failure of those who evade the fact that there can be no compromise on basic principles (paraphrasing Ayn Rand).

We have the military, cultural, and moral superiority to defeat jihad. We choose not to. A global coalition needs a leader. Has anyone called Stephen Harper?

And don't miss Tom Maguire, "Save It For The Funny Papers, Or, The Long Slow Flip-Flop Into Light."

(Via Memeorandum.)

BONUS: Fox News reports, "Kerry: The Threat of ISIS Demands a Global Coalition."

The Science is Settled and You're Racist

Andrew Klavan is hilarious.

Andrea Tantaros Tells the Leftist Speech Nazis to Get Bent

At Twitchy, "Andrea Tantaros: I will not apologize for criticizing radical Islamic jihadism."

I will not apologize for speaking the truth about radical Islamic jihadism. Period.

— Andrea Tantaros (@AndreaTantaros) August 30, 2014

I sent that along to a couple of leftist Nazis. These are disgusting people and Ms. Tantaros towers over them in moral clarity, to say nothing of intelligence.

.@pcheung630 Yo, Andrea Tantaros told you and your leftist speech censors to take a hike: https://t.co/ADaQdCy8RG cc. @MMFA #Outnumbered

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) August 30, 2014

.@joannarothkopf Miss, Andrea Tantaros won't be apologizing to speech Nazis like you: https://t.co/ADaQdCy8RG Nor should she. Get a clue.

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) August 30, 2014

Terrorist Attack 'Highly Likely' in Britain

It's Kabuki theater.

Here's British Home Secretary Theresa May making her announcement on the elevated threat level in the U.K.:

The UK terror threat level has been raised to severe, meaning that a terrorist attack is "highly likely".

Theresa May, the Home Secretary, stressed that there was no information to suggest an attack was imminent.

She said the decision was taken as a result of the involvement of British fighters in the conflicts in Iraq and Syria.

It is the first time the threat level has been at “severe” since 2011 when it was reduced to “substantial”.

PREVIOUSLY: "'Severe' Terror Threat in Britain Amid Increasing Fears of U.K. Jihadists."

George Galloway Beaten Up — Left With Smashed Jaw

At Blazing Cat Fur:

The notoriously anti-Israel and anti-West Member of Parliament George Galloway has reportedly been beaten up on a London street tonight, with one news outlet reporting that Galloway has suffered a broken jaw at the hands of his attacker.

And Instapundit snarks, "COULDN’T HAPPEN TO A NICER GUY..."

Emma Kuziara Naughty Striptease

At Egotastic!, "Emma K. Poses for Sexy Photoshoot."

'Severe' Terror Threat in Britain Amid Increasing Fears of U.K. Jihadists

I think we're reaching the "overblown" phase of the latest threat about now.

That's not to say there isn't one. Only that while David Cameron continues to thread the multicultural needle, and President Obama admits he's got no strategy to defeat the terrorists, the opportunistic mass media has decided this is a good time to pump up the dangers of global jihad.

We'll probably die of political correctness first.

At BCF, "UK terror threat level raised to "Multicultural" - Jihadist attack now 'highly likely'."

And at Telegraph UK, "Britain facing 'greatest terrorist threat' in history":

David Cameron warns that Isil have made 'specific' threats against Britain as the terror threat level is raised.

Britain faces the “greatest and deepest” terror threat in the country’s history, David Cameron warned as he pledged emergency measures to tackle extremists.

The UK threat level was raised to “severe” — its second highest — meaning that a terrorist attack is “highly likely” in light of the growing danger from British jihadists returning from Iraq and Syria.

The Prime Minister said that the risk posed by Isil (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) will last for “decades” and raised the prospect of an expanding terrorist nation “on the shores of the Mediterranean”.

He disclosed that Isil had made “specific” threats against the UK and did not rule out military action to tackle the growing problem.

More than 500 Britons are believed to have gone to Iraq and Syria and at least half have returned, with some feared to be planning attacks here. One major plot has been foiled.

The warning came as it emerged that a laptop seized from Isil in Syria contained research on how to make a biological bomb and religious justification to use it against civilians.

On Monday, Mr Cameron will unveil a number of “uncompromising” measures to help tackle British jihadists and fill the “gaps in our armoury”.

They will include stopping British fanatics from travelling to or returning from the war zones by making it easier to seize their passports.

#Angels Beat #Athletics 4-0 in Spectacular Rivaly Match at Anaheim Stadium

I mentioned the playoff atmosphere in my post yesterday before the game, "Angels-Athletics Rivalry Has 'Playoff Feel'."

And there were no disappointments.

Mike DiGiovanna reports, at the Los Angeles Times, "Angels get A's for effort in 4-0 victory":

Ball squirted out of Coco Crisp's glove and over the wall. It's a 2-run HR for Iannetta for 2-0 #Angels lead, but what an effort by Crisp.

— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) August 30, 2014

That was #Angels C Chris Iannetta's first HR since May 25 vs. #Royals.

— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) August 30, 2014

Oakland center fielder Coco Crisp risked serious injury when he crashed into the wall in a gallant effort to rob Angels catcher Chris Iannetta of a two-run home run in the fifth inning Friday night.

Angels left fielder Josh Hamilton hurled his body into foul territory to make a superb diving catch of Alberto Callaspo's fifth-inning popup with two on, to which center fielder Mike Trout responded: "That's what I'm talking about, baby!"

Trout raced into the left-center-field gap and caught Stephen Vogt's drive before slamming into the wall to save a run in the fourth. And Angels ace Jered Weaver pumped his fist violently and screamed an obscenity into the air after getting Josh Reddick to fly to left with the bases loaded to end the sixth.

What the Angels-Athletics rivalry might lack in name-brand recognition or a decades-old history of bitterness, it is making up for in on-field intensity.

Emotions ran high again Friday night, as Weaver gave up three hits in seven shutout innings to lead the Angels to a 4-0 victory before an energized crowd of 41,177 in Angel Stadium...

More.

In an all-around phenomenal game, the Coco Crisp effort to snag Iannetta's home run was particularly dramatic.

I picked up tickets yesterday afternoon, so our seats were way up on the top level, almost all the way down the third base line. From my angle, the center-field fence was parallel with my view. I was talking to my son and not paying close attention when Iannetta came up to bat, but I saw him get some good wood on the ball and was wondering if it was going to go out of the yard. And then here come the outfielders to try to make a play. It took me a second to remember that Crisp was playing center, but as soon as he went up I knew, and he slammed into the wall hard. It looked like he robbed Iannetta of the homer, but we were too far away to see the ball pop out of the glove. And then Crisp jumped up and clutched his abdomen, finally doubling over in pain. I saw an usher or groundsman behind the center-field wall go over and pick up a ball, so I thought then that Crisp wasn't able to hold on. But the scoreboard hadn't recording the home run, and I didn't see the umpire signal the score. Pretty intense baseball, that's for sure. And so different watching it at the park than on television.

In any case, here's the Athletics home page with the video, "Crisp exits after crash into wall on stellar effort."

VIDEO: Review of #ISIS Social Media Messaging Reveals Intent to Sneak Across U.S.-Mexico Border

At Fox News, "Online posts show ISIS eyeing Mexican border, says law enforcement bulletin."

Also, from Brandon Darby, at Breitbart, "EXCLUSIVE: BREITBART TEXAS VERIFIES ISIS BORDER THREAT WITH LEAKED DOC."

And picked up at local CBS News Los Angeles:

Angels-Athletics Rivalry Has 'Playoff Feel'

I'm heading out in a few minutes for Game 2 of the Labor Day weekend series between the Angels and Athletics at the Big A.

The Los Angeles Times reports, "Angels-Athletics is becoming a real rivalry."

This four-game series with #Athletics and #Angels is really setting up nicely for some great drama this weekend. Playoff feel

— Sean Cunningham (@News10Sean) August 29, 2014

Putin Denies Russia Sent Troops Into #Ukraine

More on the story out of Russia, at LAT, "Putin denies invading Ukraine, warns West 'not to mess with us'."

PREVIOUSLY: "Putin Lashes Out at Kiev."

Eiza Gonzalez

At WWTDD, "Eiza Gonzalez Is No Miley Cyrus."

The Concept of Western World Order in Crisis

A magisterial essay, from Henry Kissinger, at WSJ, "Henry Kissinger on the Assembly of a New World Order."

Dr. Kissinger has a new book coming out as well, World Order.

Homosexual Daniel Ashley Pierce Violently Disowned by Family During Profanity-Laced 'Intervention'

Huffington Post has the story, via Memeorandum, "WATCH: Family Has Horrifying, Violent Reaction To Son's Coming Out As Gay (GRAPHIC CONTENT)."

"How not to react" is right.

BMW X5 Security Plus Bullet-Proof Car

A little out of my price range, although I could sure use one.

At WSJ, "BMW Unveils Bulletproof Car: Moscow Plays Host to Launch of Cars That Can Withstand AK-47 Fire."

Putin Lashes Out at Kiev

At the Wall Street Journal, "Putin Lashes Out at Ukraine Over Failure of Talks: Comments Come as Ukraine Says It Wants to Join NATO":

MOSCOW—Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday accused Kiev and its allies of backing peace talks only as a smoke screen to continue military operations, sidestepping allegations that Russia is funneling troops into eastern Ukraine to fight alongside separatist rebels.

Hopes for a diplomatic solution to the crisis have dimmed significantly in recent days. Putin's claims came as Ukraine's government proposed repealing a law banning membership in military blocs and moving toward joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which Russia considers a threat to its interests.

"The Ukrainian authorities must be forced to substantively start talks" with separatists in the east on greater autonomy, Mr. Putin told a youth forum in northwest Russia. He didn't specify how that would happen, but he blasted the West for allowing Kiev to continue fighting.

"You know what our partners' position boils down to?... 'yes, we must sit down at the negotiating table, but we need to let the Ukrainian government shoot a bit first,'" he said. "But that's not working. That has to be recognized."

Moscow has long called for Kiev to stop its military operation unconditionally, but previous cease-fires have fallen apart almost as soon as they were announced amid allegations from both sides of violations. Ukraine has said it is open to a truce but only if it is observed by both sides.

NATO said Thursday that more than 1,000 Russian soldiers are fighting in Ukraine in an incursion that appeared to be aimed at preventing Kiev from defeating the separatists on the battlefield.

Mr. Putin didn't specifically address the allegations from Kiev and the West, which other Russian officials denied. He said only that border violations by troops have happened on both sides and are a "technical" matter.

In unusually harsh language, Mr. Putin compared Ukrainian forces' tactics to those used by the Nazis in their invasion of Russia. "Sadly, it reminds me of World War II, when German fascist forces surrounded our cities, like Leningrad, and shelled population centers and their residents," he said. Kiev has denied those allegations.

Keeping up his defiance, Mr. Putin said that Russia wasn't involved in major conflicts, but would be ready to repel aggression. "Russia's partners...should understand it's best not to mess with us," he said.

Ukraine's proposal wasn't discussed at a Friday meeting of NATO ambassadors called to discuss the crisis, though the alliance's chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said NATO would "fully respect" any decision by Ukraine to try to join the alliance.

Ukraine had been seeking NATO membership under its previous pro-Western government in 2005, but the subsequent pro-Russian leadership passed the law banning bloc membership in 2010.

Ed Sheeran on Jimmy Kimmel Live

My son was there last night. Sheeran came on around 6:15pm.



And the interview is here, "Ed Sheeran on Elton John," and "Ed Sheeran's Sleepovers with Courteney Cox and Jamie Foxx."

The Obama Depression: In Poll, 7-in-10 Say Economy Has Permanently Changed for the Worse Since '09

The news articles and the survey report don't say it, but the findings from the new Rutgers University poll on the economy are nothing less than a devastating indictment of the Obama administration and its inept --- indeed, malicious --- handling of the economy since the crash of 2008.

Obama's 2009 stimulus bill was a boondoggle that proved Keynesian economics doesn't work.

Today, more than 5 and a half years since Obama took office, the national unemployment rate stands at 6.2 percent, and the most recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that unemployment in July increased in 30 states. We're still stuck in a tepid recovery, and Americans are hopping mad about it.

Here's the Rutgers report, "Unhappy, Worried, and Pessimistic: Americans in the Aftermath of the Great Recession":

The protracted and uneven recovery from the Great Recession has led most Americans to conclude that the U.S. economy has undergone a permanent change for the worse. Seven in ten now say the recession’s impact is permanent, up from half in 2009 when the recession officially ended. Much of this is rooted in direct experience. Fully one-quarter of the public says there has been a major decline in their quality of life owing to the recession, and 42 percent say they have less in salary and savings than when the recession began. Despite five years of recovery, sustained job growth, and reductions in the number of unemployed workers, Americans are not convinced that the economy is improving. Only one in three thinks the U.S. economy has gotten better in the last year and only one-quarter thinks it will improve next year. Moreover, just one in six Americans believe that job opportunities will be better for the next generation of workers, down from four in ten five years ago. These are some of the findings of a new survey conducted between July 24 and August 3, 2014 by the Heldrich Center with a nationally representative sample of 1,153 Americans.

Click through for the full report.

And then watch this astonishing focus group segment with pollster Frank Luntz on CBS News This Morning. The usual caveat is that focus groups are statistically insignificant, although the strong opinions held among the participants here, and the near universal disappointment among the participants, provides a crushing snapshot of the public sentiment with just over two months to go before the November midterm elections.

Jeffersonians Rally for Independence at the California Capitol

Fascinating.

At the Sacramento Bee:

After a rally at the Capitol marked by chants of “The time has come for 51!” and a surprise appearance by Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, supporters of the State of Jefferson presented their “declarations of separation” to the California Legislature on Thursday.

The declarations from Modoc and Siskiyou counties, expressing their desire to withdraw from California because of a lack of representation in Sacramento, marked the first official step in the secession movement’s long-running efforts to re-form as a new state in Northern California.
“We’re here not because we feel any ill will toward California,” said Mark Baird, a pilot and rancher from Yreka who has helped organize the Jefferson movement. “Our problem is (lawmakers) don’t have empathy for us because we’re so far away.”

Baird addressed a crowd of about 70 from across Northern California, clad in green shirts and carrying green flags bearing Jefferson’s seal. The yellow circle with two X’s stands for “double-crossed by Sacramento.”

Donnelly, a Republican from Twin Peaks in Southern California, showed up unannounced to support the rally, which frequently drew comparisons to the American Revolution through “taxation without representation” arguments and the “Don’t tread on me” snake logo.

“It’s time for another revolution,” Donnelly said. “A peaceful one.”

Keep reading.

Obama Signals No Immediate Plans to Defeat Islamic State

Actually, it's worse than "no immediate plans."

Obama admitted today that he's got no strategy to defeat ISIS.

At Twitchy, "Strategy? What strategy? Behold ‘the Obama Doctrine in one sentence’."

And at the Wall Street Journal, "Obama Says No Plans for Imminent Escalation of Operations Against Islamic State: Extremists Killed Nearly 500 This Week in One Syrian Province, Opposition Activists Say":

President Barack Obama signaled the U.S. has no immediate plans to escalate military operations against Islamic State extremists in Iraq or Syria, stressing the need to counter the group's advance while formulating a broader strategy to protect U.S. interests and allies.

Mr. Obama spoke on a day when Syrian opposition activists said the Sunni radical group had killed nearly 500 people since Sunday in the northeastern province of Raqqa, most of them Syrian troops captured on an air base seized by Islamic State fighters.

The president, who met with his national security team Thursday afternoon, said the U.S. is still developing its plan to root Islamic State out of Iraq and Syria, where it has captured large swaths of territory since June.

"We don't have a strategy yet," Mr. Obama said of potential plans for airstrikes in Syria. He said the long-term blueprint to respond to the growth of the militant group, also known as ISIS or ISIL, can't depend on U.S. actions alone.

"Rooting out a cancer like ISIL will not be quick, or easy, but I'm confident that we can and we will, working closely with our allies and our partners," Mr. Obama said.

The president walked back reports suggesting an immediate escalation of military operations, including potential airstrikes in Syria.

"We need to make sure that we've got clear plans so we're developing them," he said. He said he was more focused on military activity in Iraq and the need for a unified government in Baghdad to help combat militant forces. "My priority at this point is to make sure that the gains that ISIL made in Iraq are rolled back and that Iraq has the opportunity to govern itself effectively and secure itself," Mr. Obama said...

More.

Surfers Race to Catch Massive Waves Sparked by Hurricane Marie

It's biggest surf seen for quite some time.

At LAT, "Surfers race to catch massive waves across Southland."

More at the Costa Mesa Daily Pilot, "Newport's Wedge lives up to its reputation: 1 hurt in thundering surf: Crowds gather on Balboa Peninsula to watch the big waves as lifeguards stand ready."

And at the O.C. Register, "Monster highs: Massive summer swells bring out surf legends, gawkers, destruction,"  and "The Wedge pounds bodyboarders for 3rd straight day."

Plus, some video at WSJ, "Hurricane Marie Brings Epic Waves to Southern Calif."

Nina Agdal for Mambo Swimwear Summer 2014

She's from Denmark, a point my son noted in his 6th grade country project this last school year, heh.

At Egotastic!, "Nina Agdal Models Bikinis for Mambo, I Feel Snake Bit In My Sensitive Areas."

Buy Some Books

I'll be teaching all day. More blogging tonight.

Meanwhile, I'm still working on The Pity Party: A Mean-Spirited Diatribe Against Liberal Compassion.

Or search for more at the banner link:

Russia Sends Regular Forces Into #Ukraine

This is just bizarre.

Another reminder of bygone days, like the interwar period's Nazi run-up to WWII.

At LAT, "Ukraine says Russian armored vehicles pouring across border."

Brazil’s Valley of Beauties Appeals for Single Men

And Brazil's got some smokin' ladies down there too.

At the Telegraph UK, "Women of Noiva do Cordeiro, deep in the countryside of south-east Brazil, where men are scarce or work far away in the city, are left to shoulder the town’s burdens alone."

But read the article.

It's a bunch of controlling radical feminists at Noiva do Cordeiro. No man of self-respect would subject himself to the "rules" they've laid down. These women are going to remain lonely for a long time to come.

Election Models Converging on GOP Senate Majority

Well, I'm certainly bullish, but still, no reason to get too excited just yet.

That said, this is far-left MSNBC contributor Chris Cillizza, so you never know.

At WaPo, "All of the election models are starting to converge. And they are all pointing to a Republican Senate."

The election models are starting to converge. And they are pointing to a Republican Senate. http://t.co/BZYt0HMiw0 pic.twitter.com/CbIUddq3ZU

— Chris Cillizza (@TheFix) August 27, 2014

Maureen Dowd: Obama 'Outsourcing' Race Relations to Al Sharpton

MoDo's been on a roll lately.

At NYT, "He Has a Dream":

WASHINGTON — As he has grown weary of Washington, Barack Obama has shed parts of his presidency, like drying petals falling off a rose.

He left the explaining and selling of his signature health care legislation to Bill Clinton. He outsourced Congress to Rahm Emanuel in the first term, and now doesn’t bother to source it at all. He left schmoozing, as well as a spiraling Iraq, to Joe Biden. Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser, comes across as more than a messagemeister. As the president floats in the empyrean, Rhodes seems to make foreign policy even as he’s spinning it.

But the one thing it was impossible to imagine, back in the giddy days of the 2009 inauguration, as Americans basked in their open-mindedness and pluralism, was that the first African-American president would outsource race...

Keep reading.

#USC Cornerback Josh Shaw Suspended Indefinitely for Totally Lying About 'Hero' Story — #FightOn #Trojans

At LAT, "USC's Shaw suspended indefinitely for fabricating heroic story."

And from KCAL 9 News Los Angeles:

BREAKING: USC's Josh Shaw admits to school that he lied about how he suffered his ankle injuries over the weekend. pic.twitter.com/rdHzWmrhZN

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 27, 2014

#USC coach Steve Sarkiaisn on Josh Shaw: “We are extremely disappointed in Josh. He let us all down." Shaw has retained a lawyer.

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) August 27, 2014

Let's get the focus back on Saturday's game, instead of the distractions. Get fired up for Fresno State! #FightOn #BeatTheBulldogs

— USC Trojans Football (@uscfootball) August 27, 2014

PREVIOUSLY: "'Hero' Josh Shaw Investigation Hangs Over #USC Football."

New Child Fashion Necessity for In-Style Leftist Families: Striped 'Star of David' Holocaust Tees

Perfect leftist fashion item with a 1940s flair.

At Blazing Cat Fur, "Zara pulls plug on 'Holocaust shirt' for kids."

The company released a statement, indicating that the tee-shirts, with the "Star of David" on them, will be "exterminated":

The item in question, part of the Cowboy Collection for babies, was inspired by the character of the sheriff in Wild West movies. The word ‘Sheriff’ is visible on the star at the front of the item. Nevertheless, we can understand the sensitive context and connotation that was created. The item does not exist in Israel and as soon as the issue became clear, it was decided the product will be removed from shelves across the world and exterminated.

We sincerely apologize if, as a result, we have offended the feelings of our customers.

Yes, "sincerely." I'm sure.

Zara will destroy all of these shirts: http://t.co/a8ANyLkyYu pic.twitter.com/MoE2KNU46H

— Bloomberg News (@BloombergNews) August 27, 2014

New Jennifer Nicole Lee Photos from Miami Beach

At Egotastic!, "Jennifer Nicole Lee Spotted in South Beach."

Previously Jennifer Nicole Lee blogging here.

Political Correctness Helped Cover Up Child Sexual Exploitation in #Rotherham

More on the enormous depravity in Britain.

At Legal Insurrection, "Racial and religious targeting of white teenage girls — but investigators feared being labeled “racist,” according to independent report."

Also, commentary from Allison Pearson, at Telegraph UK, "Rotherham: In the face of such evil, who is the racist now?"

And at the Other McCain, "The Rotherham Horror."

PREVIOUSLY: "Sex Abuse Ignored in Britain: 1,400 Girls Raped by Muslim Sex-Trafficking Gangs as Police Feared 'Racism' Accusations."

VIDEO: Shirley Sotloff Appeals to Islamic State for the Release of Her Son, Steven Sotloff — #ISIS

An amazing development in the realm of international affairs. A bereaved mother appeals directly to the head of a transnational terrorist organization for the release of her son, held captive as a pawn in the terror war Islamic jihad is waging against the West. The video itself is particularly interesting for its production quality, and its apparent sponsorship by the New York Times. This is some kind of private party diplomacy that is extremely unusual. I'd have to research it, but we'd have to go back to the period of the 1980s, and the kidnappings conducted by the Islamic Jihad Organization in Lebanon, for something similar.

In any case, at the New York Times, "American Hostage’s Mother Issues Appeal to ISIS Leader: Plea to Islamic State for Release of Steven Sotloff" (via Memeorandum):

The mother of an American hostage being held by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria released an emotional video appeal to his captors on Wednesday. Shirley Sotloff, the mother of the 31-year-old freelance journalist Steven J. Sotloff, addressed her plea directly to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS and the self-declared caliph of the Muslim world.

Ms. Sotloff addresses Mr. Baghdadi as caliph, a title he bestowed on himself a few months ago, and calls on him to exercise his right to show clemency and follow the example of the Prophet Muhammad as previous caliphs did.

“I am sending this message to you, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi al-Quraishi al-Hussaini, the caliph of the Islamic State. I am Shirley Sotloff. My son Steven is in your hands,” she begins. “You, the caliph, can grant amnesty. I ask you please to release my child,” she continues. “I ask you to use your authority to spare his life.”

Mr. Baghdadi — an Iraqi national who was jailed briefly by American forces in 2004 — declared a caliphate this year after his group captured a significant chunk of territory in Iraq. His claim to authority has not been recognized by most Muslims. In addressing Mr. Baghdadi as caliph of the Muslim world, Ms. Sotloff’s appeal is almost certainly the first time a non-Muslim has acknowledged his authority, a move that may prove controversial.

More.

Miley Cyrus' Homeless Friend Has a Warrant Out for His Arrest

Ms. Cyrus was being touted as a "humanitarian" after Sunday's VMAs.

Now, not so much.

At ABC News:

Jon Stewart Epic 'Race/Off' Rant

Leftists are creaming over this, but what the heck? Stewart's a riot.

Watch: "Race/Off."

'Hero' Josh Shaw Investigation Hangs Over #USC Football

The original story is that he saved his nephew from drowning. Now, maybe not so much.

At LAT, "Josh Shaw situation hangs over preparation for USC season opener."

Will Photo of Kay Hagan Greeting President Obama Doom Her Bid for Second Term?

At USA Today, "Hagan greets Obama: The politics of a photo op in North Carolina."

Photo: Obama and Sens Kay Hagan, Richard Burr in Charlotte, NC via @AP_Images pic.twitter.com/zQrHsMUQYU

— Charles Dharapak (@Dharapak) August 26, 2014

She was bashing Obama just yesterday. It's hard out there for a Democrat.

Sen. Kay Hagan & Obama Tuesday in North Carolina.... http://t.co/KrMEZN9H6H

— CAROLYN ZORN (@zorn17) August 25, 2014

President Obama heads to North Carolina today. And Kay Hagan has to walk a tightrope. http://t.co/m2TQd8WJb7

— Post Politics (@postpolitics) August 26, 2014

Sex Abuse Ignored in Britain: 1,400 Girls Raped by Muslim Sex-Trafficking Gangs as Police Feared 'Racism' Accusations

Look, the Telegraph UK won't even call these guys Muslims, even though they're from Pakistan and all have Arabic-Islamist names.

See, "Rotherham sex abuse scandal: 1,400 children exploited by Asian gangs while authorities turned a blind eye." Also "Video: Police 'sorry' for failure in Rotherham child sex abuse scandal."

But see London's Daily Mail, "Revealed: How fear of being seen as racist stopped social workers saving up to 1,400 children from sexual exploitation at the hands of Asian men in just ONE TOWN."



And especially at Bare Naked Islam, "UK HORRIFIC REVELATIONS: How fear of being called ‘racist’ prevented social workers from rescuing up to 1,400 mostly white girl children from sexual abuse and exploitation by Muslim sex ‘grooming’ gangs in just one town!"

And Iowahawk on Twitter:

BBC says1400 underage girls were raped because officials afraid to describe perps; yet BBC won't describe them either http://t.co/YFtF5RRTvl

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) August 26, 2014

Guardian also afraid to describe the child rapists who the BBC and government were afraid to describe http://t.co/XevC9tMKLg

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) August 26, 2014

Keira Knightley for Interview Magazine September 2014

She's lovely.

At Interview, "KEIRA KNIGHTLEY BY PATRICK DEMARCHELIIER."

Joshua Muravchik: Making David into Goliath

Here's another highly recommended book, from Joshua Muravchik, Making David into Goliath: How the World Turned Against Israel.

'Eric Holder Is One of the Biggest Race-Baiters in This Entire Country...'

Andrea Tantaros is da bomb!

Left-Wing Revolt Plunges Hollande Into Crisis

At Telegraph UK:

The French president is forced to order a reshuffle after two dissident cabinet ministers launch an open rebellion against his economic policy.

François Hollande was forced to order his second reshuffle in less than five months today after a revolt within the cabinet threatened to cripple his presidency.

The Left wing of France’s ruling Socialist Party is furious over Mr Hollande’s shift to more centrist economic policies with the introduction of tax and spending cuts aimed at reducing the country’s huge budget deficit.

The outgoing government, headed by the reformist prime minister, Manuel Valls, was appointed in March with the aim of bringing an end to infighting and the cabinet’s apparent lack of direction.

However, it was plunged into crisis over the weekend by Left-wingers led by Arnaud Montebourg, the flamboyant economy minister.

He defied Mr Hollande’s authority by publicly urging him to discard austerity and break with what he described as deficit-cutting measures imposed on the eurozone by “the most extreme orthodoxy of the German Right”.

More.

The Neo-Neocons

Lolz.

Jean Kaufman (Neo-Neocon) oughta get a kick out of that headline, via Bret Stephens, at WSJ, "ISIS Makes Liberals Rediscover the Necessity of Hard Power":

So now liberals want the U.S. to bomb Iraq, and maybe Syria as well, to stop and defeat ISIS, the vilest terror group of all time. Where, one might ask, were these neo-neocons a couple of years ago, when stopping ISIS in its infancy might have spared us the current catastrophe?

Oh, right, they were dining at the table of establishment respectability, drinking from the fountain of opportunistic punditry, hissing at the sound of the names Wolfowitz, Cheney, Libby and Perle.

And, always, rhapsodizing to the music of Barack Obama.

Not because he is the most egregious offender, but only because he's so utterly the type, it's worth turning to the work of George Packer, a writer for the New Yorker. Over the years Mr. Packer has been of this or that mind about Iraq. Yet he has always managed to remain at the dead center of conventional wisdom. Think of him as the bubble, intellectually speaking, in the spirit level of American opinion journalism.

Thus Mr. Packer was for the war when it began in 2003, although "just barely," as he later explained himself. In April 2005 he wrote that the "Iraq war was always winnable" and "still is"—a judgment that would have seemed prescient in the wake of the surge. But by then he had already disavowed his own foresight, saying, when he was in full mea culpa mode, that the line was "the single most doubtful" thing he had written in his acclaimed book "The Assassins' Gate."

Stephens continues to skewer Packer with example after example, and then:

And then along came ISIS.

In the current issue of the New Yorker, Mr. Packer has an essay titled "The Common Enemy," which paints ISIS in especially terrifying colors: The Islamic State's project is "totalitarian." Its ideology is "expansionist as well as eliminationist." It has "many hundreds of fighters holding European or American passports [who] will eventually return home with training, skills, and the arrogance of battlefield victory." It threatened a religious minority with "imminent genocide." Its ambitions will not "remain confined to the boundaries of the Tigris and the Euphrates." The administration's usual counterterrorism tool, the drone strike, is "barely relevant against the Islamic State's thousands of ground troops."

"Pay attention to other people's nightmares," he concludes, "because they might be contagious."

Correcto-mundo. Which brings us back to the questions confronting the Bush administration on Sept. 12, 2001. Are we going to fight terrorists over there—or are we going to wait for them to come here? Do we choose to confront terrorism by means of war—or as a criminal justice issue? Can we assume the cancer in the Middle East won't spread so we can "pivot" to Asia and do some more "nation-building at home"? Can we win with a light-footprint approach against a heavy-footprint enemy?

Say what you will about George W. Bush: He got every one of these questions right while Mr. Obama got every one of them wrong. It's a truth that may at last be dawning on the likes of Mr. Packer and the other neo-neocons, not that I expect them ever to admit it.

Heh. You gotta love it.

The Angry, Disillusioned Music of the London Rapper Accused of Beheading James Foley

From Elias Groll, at Foreign Policy.

The music of the British rapper who reportedly beheaded James Foley is an angry testament to a miserable childhood. http://t.co/S4Xy6qro22

— Foreign Policy (@ForeignPolicy) August 25, 2014

Stop the Race to Judgment on #Ferguson

Deneen Borelli, on Hannity's last week.

And Jason Riley's very thoughtful as well:

'Holocaust Victims,' Relatives Challenge Elie Wiesel for Defending Israel

From Phyllis Chesler, at Big Peace.

A nice piece.

Egypt and United Arab Emirates Launch Airstrikes in Libya

The story's at NYT, "Arab Nations Strike in Libya, Surprising U.S."

And Lt. Col. Ralph Peters, at 7:30 minutes into this Megyn Kelly segment, slams the Obama administration: "Our erstwhile allies don't trust us anymore," because Obama'w letting the entire world go to hell.

Watch:

Black Suspect Arrested After Iraq Vet Beaten by Racial Mob Inflamed by Mike Brown and #Ferguson

"Life in post-racial America," via Instapundit.

At the New Orleans Times-Picayune, "Mississippi man beaten after he's warned restaurant wasn't safe for whites, witness says."

And at USA Today, "Witness: Beaten man told eatery 'not safe for whites'."

Also at Fire Andrea Mitchell, "Courtez McMillian beats West Point Marine Ralph Weems in Michael Brown revenge racist attack."

RT @famblog: Courtez McMillian beats white marine in Michael Brown revenge attack http://t.co/3NqirhEROU #tcot #tgdn pic.twitter.com/zq7GdXxFyD

— ┌П┐(•_•) (@exposeliberals) August 26, 2014

WHITE MARINE VET IN COMA AFTER BEING BEATEN BY BLACK MOB! ~Rebel III% http://t.co/8PcZp21pnM

— Conservative Freaks (@Freak1791) August 25, 2014