T. H. White, The Once and Future King

At Amazon, T. H. White, The Once and Future King.

Shop Amazon

Thanks for your support. It's awesome and greatly appreciated.

Here's today's deals, at Amazon.

Also, AmazonBasics AA Performance Alkaline Batteries (48 Count) - Packaging May Vary.

And, Honeywell HCE322V Digital Ceramic Whole Room Tower Heater, Black.

More, PureClean Upgraded Automatic Robot Vacuum Cleaner - Robotic Auto Home Cleaning for Clean Carpet Hardwood Floor - Bot Self Detects Stairs - HEPA Filter Pet Hair Allergies Friendly - PUCRC25 V2 (White).

Plus, Buck Knives 0119 Special Fixed Blade Knife with Leather Sheath - 75th Anniversary Edition.

Here, Wireless Optical Stereo Gaming Headset Over ear Comfortable Headphones for PS4 PS3 Xbox 1 Xbox 360 PC Computer with Detachable Microphone(Connect with XBOX ONE via Microsoft adaptor or Kinect).

And, Samsung C27F398 27-Inch Curved Monitor (Super Slim Design).

BONUS: Roger Kimball, ed., Vox Populi: The Perils and Promises of Populism.

Christina Hoff Sommers Discusses 'Sex Panic' on Tucker Carlson's (VIDEO)

Following-up from last night, "The Great Sex Panic of 2017."

Watch:

The Great Sex Panic of 2017

We're in confusing times right now, that's for sure.

Here's Christina Hoff Sommers, "A panic is not an answer: We’re at imminent risk of turning this #metoo moment into a frenzied rush to blame all men."

(RELATED: "Beware the Rape Allegation Bandwagon.")

More on Matt Lauer

Following-up, "Matt Lauer Fired."

See this doozy of a piece at Variety, "Matt Lauer Accused of Sexual Harassment by Multiple Women (EXCLUSIVE)."

Omg this variety story on Lauer. Oh my god. https://t.co/Itzw15cuY6

— Hadas Gold (@Hadas_Gold) November 29, 2017

Shop Today's Deals

At Amazon, New deals. Every day. Shop our Deal of the Day, Lightning Deals and more daily deals and limited-time sales.

See especially, Destiny 2 - PlayStation 4 Standard Edition.

And, Transformers: The Last Knight -- Knight Armor Turbo Changer Optimus Prime, and Transformers: The Last Knight -- Knight Armor Turbo Changer Bumblebee.

And , CLIF BAR - Energy Bar - Blueberry Crisp - (2.4-Ounce Protein Bar, 12 Count).

More, LG 65UJ6300 - 65" Super UHD 4K HDR Smart LED TV (2017 Model) w/ Accessories Bundle Includes, SurgePro 6-Outlet Surge Adapter with Night Light, 2x 6ft. HDMI Cable & Screen Cleaner for LED TVs.

Plus, Philips Norelco Electric Shaver 8900, Wet & Dry Edition S8950/91.

BONUS: James Agee, A Death in the Family.

8 Million Could Die in Nuclear War with North Korea

That wouldn't be good.

At the National Interest:

8 Million People Could Die in a Nuclear War with North Korea https://t.co/mobYHD0AC3

— National Interest (@TheNatlInterest) November 29, 2017

Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2017

At London's Daily Mail, "Fallen Angel! Ming Xi bursts into tears backstage after taking a tumble during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai."

Also, "Making moves after The Weeknd! Bella Hadid puts on flirtatious display with singer Miguel during Victoria's Secret show in Shanghai...after that run-in with her ex at last year's catwalk," and "Ravishing in red! Bella Hadid flaunts her ample cleavage as she matches Taylor Hill and Sara Sampaio in crimson dresses at Victoria's Secret Fashion Show viewing party."

Plus, "Bra-vo! Candice Swanepoel teams lingerie with sheer sequinned pantsuit as she reunites with VS Angels for fashion show viewing party."

Matt Lauer Fired

Well, Charlie Rose. Now, Matt Lauer. If we could just get George Stephanopoulos fired we'd be cooking.

At Politico, "Longtime 'Today' host Matt Lauer fired from NBC for 'inappropriate sexual behavior'."

Also at Memeorandum, "NBC Fires Matt Lauer Over Sexual Misconduct Allegations."

Today's Deals

At Amazon, Shop Today.

See especially, GreenWorks 2600502 13 Amp 20-Inch Corded Snow Thrower.

And, Intex Raised Downy Airbed with Built-in Electric Pump, Queen, Bed Height 22".

More, Wave Premium Sleep Therapy Sound Machine – Soothing All-Natural Sounds Include White Noise, Fan, Ocean, Rain, Stream, and Summer Night - Includes Timer and USB Output Charger.

Also, Upgraded NutriChef Pro Soup Maker & Blender - Multifunction Machine - Hot and Cold, Juicer, Soup & Smoothie Maker - Food Warmer - Healthy Food - Pulse, Steamer, 1.7L, Black (PKSM240BK).

Plus, XCSOURCE 2x Car Vehicles 9LED Daytime Running Light DRL Kit Fog Lamp Day Driving Daylight.

And, Meguiar's G18211 Ultimate Paste Wax, 11 oz.

Still more, Mothers 05500 California Gold Brazilian Carnauba Cleaner Wax - 12 oz.

Here, Turtle Wax T-49R1 F21 Tire Foam and Shine - 18 oz., and Turtle Wax 50733 Complete ICE Premium Car Care Kit, 8-Piece.

BONUS: Joseph Heller, Catch-22 (50th Anniversary Edition).

Genevieve Morton 2018 Calendar Shoot

At Taxi Driver, "Genevieve Morton Topless for her 2018 Calendar Shoot."

Use code “Blackfriday” to get 15% off on https://t.co/Smq8FeWAAB today!! pic.twitter.com/x7kjCfGVAj

— genevieve morton (@genevievemorton) November 24, 2017

Head to https://t.co/Smq8FeWAAB to order your 2018 calendar pic.twitter.com/5FoBd2VpLP

— genevieve morton (@genevievemorton) November 26, 2017

Believe All Women?

Within limits.

Here's Bari Weiss, at NYT:

“Believe all women” is a powerful war cry, but it can be turned into a weapon to hurt us. Exhibit A: Roy Moore’s false accuser. My latest: https://t.co/TlpopSzH9m

— Bari Weiss (@bariweiss) November 28, 2017

The Old Man and the Sea

I spent the day with my young son yesterday, cruising around for books, going out for pizza, and then topping off the afternoon with a stop in Newport Beach. My son was so excited to walk around the pier, see the fishermen and examine their catch, and, most of all, rekindle some memories of previous visits down to the water.

We've taken away my son's digital items for a couple of weeks, because he's been having issues. No cell phone. No iPad. No tablet. He can watch television, but there's no inter-connectivity, which is good. It's amazing how much fun it is to just unplug. He was joyous. You talk. You communicate. You reminisce about the good times and you create new memories. I love my son so much and want him to be healthy and happy. Disconnecting helps.

More later. Have a wonderful day.

Just got home from the beach. Hey, that’s the old man and the sea! #NewportBeach #California pic.twitter.com/QIHEwrppy3

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) November 27, 2017

Neil Postman and Charles Weingartner, Teaching As a Subversive Activity

I teach to subvert the leftist narrative, and it works!

At Amazon, Neil Postman and Charles Weingartner, Teaching As a Subversive Activity.

Awesome Amazon Deals

For Cyber Monday.

At Amazon, All-New Fire HD 10 Tablet with Alexa Hands-Free, 10.1" 1080p Full HD Display, 32 GB, Black - with Special Offers ($99.00).

Also, All-New Fire 7 Kids Edition Tablet, 7" Display, 16 GB, Blue Kid-Proof Case ($69.99).

And, All-New Fire HD 8 Tablet with Alexa, 8" HD Display, 16 GB, Black - with Special Offers ($49.99).

More, Kindle Paperwhite E-reader - Black, 6" High-Resolution Display (300 ppi) with Built-in Light, Wi-Fi - Includes Special Offers ($89.99).

Still more, Kindle Essentials Bundle including Kindle 6” E-Reader, Black with Special Offers, Amazon Cover for Kindle – Black, Power Adapter, and special eBooks offer - $15 credit ($99.97).

Here, All Amazon Accessories Link.

BONUS: Steven Hill, Raw Deal: How the "Uber Economy" and Runaway Capitalism Are Screwing American Workers.

Mexico's Slums

No wonder migrants flee Mexico like the plague.

At LAT, "Mexico promised affordable housing for all. Instead it created slums":

Take a highway out of any Mexican city and you'll see rapidly-decaying slums, even though they're only a few years old. What went wrong? My LA Times investigation. https://t.co/JWPmnpjC8O

— Richard Marosi (@RichMarosi) November 26, 2017

Sixteen years ago, Mexico embarked on a monumental campaign to elevate living standards for its working-class masses.

The government teamed with private developers to launch the largest residential construction boom in Latin American history. Global investors — the World Bank, big foundations, Wall Street firms — poured billions of dollars into the effort.

Vast housing tracts sprang up across cow pastures, farms and old haciendas. From 2001 to 2012, an estimated 20 million people — one-sixth of Mexico’s population — left cities, shantytowns and rural ranchos for the promise of a better life.

It was a Levittown moment for Mexico — a test of the increasingly prosperous nation’s first-world ambitions. But Mexico fell disastrously short of creating that orderly suburbia.

The program has devolved into a slow-motion social and financial catastrophe, inflicting daily hardships and hazards on millions in troubled developments across the country, a Los Angeles Times investigation has found.

Homeowners toting buckets scrounge for water delivered by trucks. Gutters run with raw sewage from burst pipes. Streets sink, sidewalks crumble, and broken-down water treatment plants rust. In some developments, blackouts hit for days at a time.

Inside many homes, roofs leak, walls crack and electrical systems short circuit, blowing out appliances and in some cases sparking fires that send families fleeing.

The program cost more than $100 billion, and some investors and construction executives reaped enormous profits, hailing themselves as “nation builders” as they joined the ranks of Mexico’s richest citizens.

Meanwhile, the factory workers, small-business owners, retirees and civil servants who bought the homes got stuck with complex loans featuring mortgage payments that rose even as their neighborhoods deteriorated into slums.

The Times visited 50 of the affordable-housing developments from Tijuana to the Gulf of Mexico. It also reviewed thousands of pages of government and industry documents, and interviewed hundreds of homeowners, municipal leaders, housing experts, civil engineers, construction workers and government officials.

The American housing crisis and recession a decade ago also were marked by regulatory failures, and the U.S. economy eventually recovered. But the crisis in Mexico has been deepening.

Conditions at the developments vary widely. While some meet basic standards, rapid decay is evident at developments in or near every major city: Failed water systems. Unfinished electrical grids, wastewater systems and other infrastructure. Parks and schools that were promised but never materialized.

Many developments were built far from employment centers on marginal land — wetlands, riverbanks and unstable hillsides — with scarce access to water. Local officials rewrote zoning laws and approved developments with little or no review.

Developers downsized homes — building about 1 million one-bedroom units as small as 325 square feet, which is smaller than a typical two-car garage in the U.S. Many families of six, seven or more live in these postage-stamp dwellings, sleeping in laundry nooks and hallways.

Builders have all but abandoned hundreds of developments without completing infrastructure, resulting in a patchwork of public services.

In developments without working streetlights, youngsters wield flashlights to navigate pitch-black streets. In those without trash-hauling, people burn garbage in vacant lots to deter rats.

Tree stumps are placed in open manholes to alert children to the hazards of poorly maintained streets. Residents of water-parched neighborhoods lock the lids of rooftop cisterns to keep thieves from siphoning water.

The unfinished developments blight cities across the country. An estimated 300,000 people live in more than 40 incomplete tracts in the fast-growing Baja California cities of Tijuana and Ensenada.

In Mexico state, which surrounds Mexico City, developers have completed only 36 of the 235 developments started between 2005 and 2012, leaving 200,000 to 500,000 people in limbo, according to state records.

“It was a world of corruption,” said Alberto Uribe, the mayor of Tlajomulco, a suburb of Guadalajara. His predecessors in the city approved developments where the well water has run low for an estimated 300,000 people, he said. Water is now rationed, and many families receive water only every other day...

More.

Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters Crowned Miss Universe 2017

She's a beauty.

At USA Today:

#MissSouthAfrica Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters is crowned #MissUniverse 2017 https://t.co/khfcCxIdp4

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) November 27, 2017

Congratulations to Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, the winner of the 2017 #MissUniverse competition! pic.twitter.com/JYuQYc3Lvo

— Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) November 27, 2017

The face you make just before you take the @MissUniverse stage.

RT if you're tuning in to watch #MissUniverse on @vuzutv tomorrow morning? #SouthAfrica pic.twitter.com/WffMU2bMJ7

— Demi-LeighNel-Peters (@DemiLeighNP) November 26, 2017

Top 5.🇿🇦 #MisssUniverse #SouthAfrica pic.twitter.com/2XpflbDdso

— Demi-LeighNel-Peters (@DemiLeighNP) November 27, 2017

In Greenwich and Manhattan, Tax-Hike Fears Fuel Talk of Exodus

The poor, wealthy babies --- and all Democrats too. I feel terrible for them. (*Eye-roll*)

At Bloomberg, "Tax-Hike Fears Trigger Talk of Exodus From Manhattan and Greenwich":

Fears of a tax hike are fueling talk of an exodus in Greenwich and Manhattan https://t.co/EI8reC8OBj pic.twitter.com/IFp50a7VLB

— Bloomberg (@business) November 27, 2017

Even Bruce McGuire, founder of the Connecticut Hedge Fund Association, understands if wealthy Northeasterners flee the region due to changes in the tax code.

“It would almost be irresponsible if you weren’t thinking about moving,” he said.

The problem for the Connecticut hedge-fund set -- and, more broadly, for a lot of the Wall Street crowd -- is that Republican proposals in both the House and Senate would drive up taxes for many high-earners in the New York City area. By eliminating the deduction for most state and local taxes, an individual making a yearly salary of $1,000,000 -- a figure not uncommon in the financial industry -- would owe the Internal Revenue Service an additional $21,000, according to a preliminary analysis by accounting firm Marcum LLP.

Billionaire hedge fund managers have blazed the trail south in recent years. David Tepper, Paul Tudor Jones and Eddie Lampert are New York-area transplants to Florida, which has no personal income tax.

A final bill could still do away with the hike, but so far there are no signs coming out of Washington that will happen. Financially struggling New Jersey had the sixth-highest individual income rate this year, according to the Federation of Tax Administrators. New York ranked eighth and cash-strapped Connecticut 12th. Nine of the 10 states with the highest individual taxes, including Washington, D.C., voted Democratic in the 2016 presidential election.

Tax Refugees

No one interviewed for this story would talk openly about making plans to move, but Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is estimating that New York City alone could lose as much as 4 percent of its top earners if the bill becomes law. In Florida, where there’s no state income tax, there’s the sense that this is a great opportunity to lure disgruntled tax refugees.

The Miami Downtown Development Authority is throwing a party next month during the annual Art Basel show, and Nitin Motwani, a real estate developer, has invited wealthy Northeasterners who’ve expressed interest in moving to the area. Because the proposed tax changes are practically begging them to relocate, Motwani expects a crowd.

State and local taxes, also called SALT, “can and should be a major catalyst,” said Motwani, a development authority board member. Tax reform will “certainly be something we’re highlighting” at the party, in the Perez Art Museum. “Inertia is a tough thing, but you add on another tax bill and maybe that pushes you over the edge.”

Jennifer Delacruz's Cooler Sunday Forecast

She's so amazing. I could watch her weather forecasts all day.

At ABC News 10 San Diego:

Best-Selling Deals

*BUMPED.*

Okay folks, thanks for shopping my Amazon links for the holidays. I really appreciate it!

More, Today's Deals.

And, a best-seller, Philips Hue White Smart Bulb Starter Kit (4 A19 Bulbs and 1 Bridge, Compatible with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant).

Also, Nest Learning Thermostat 3rd Generation, Stainless Steel, Works with Amazon Alexa.

Plus, Ring Wi-Fi Enabled Video Doorbell in Satin Nickel.

More, Bluetooth Headphones, VAVA MOOV 28 Wireless Sports Earphones in Ear Earbuds with 8 Hours Playtime (IPX5 Splashproof, aptX Stereo, Magnetic Aluminum Design, Noise Cancelling Mic).

Here, Roku Streaming Stick+ | 4K/HDR/HD streaming player with 4x the wireless range & voice remote with TV power and volume (2017).

Still more, TP-Link Smart Plug, No Hub Required, Wi-Fi, Control your Devices from Anywhere, Works with Alexa and Google Assistant (HS100).

BONUS: Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings.

ICYMI: George Saunders, Lincoln in the Bardo

At Amazon, George Saunders, Lincoln in the Bardo.

Kendall Jenner Tops the List as the Highest Paid Model in 2017

At Forbes:

Announcing the world's highest-paid models of 2017:

1. Kendall Jenner
2. Gisele Bundchen
3. Chrissy Teigenhttps://t.co/hgRXVPBCez pic.twitter.com/1fBqmsEV3E

— Forbes (@Forbes) November 21, 2017

Kendall Jenner Nips in See Through White Top - https://t.co/nq6XcTDOM9 - pic.twitter.com/x6i7AXd2TN

— Taxi Driver (@TaxiDriverMovie) November 22, 2017

Gail Z. Martin, The Summoner

I'm on a fantasy posting jag, lol.

Here's more, at Amazon, Gail Z. Martin, The Summoner (Chronicles of the Necromancer, Book 1).

Vita Sidorkina

At Sports Illustrated Swimsuit:

😎 https://t.co/7EbO1kouSe pic.twitter.com/69ngKMGIEV

— SI Swimsuit (@SI_Swimsuit) November 25, 2017

Tori Praver Topless (VIDEO)

At Sports Illustrated Swimsuit:

Raica Oliveira Keeping Things Simple (VIDEO)

At Sports Illustrated Swimsuit:

Nancy Pelosi Defends John Conyers on Meet the Press (VIDEO)

Folks were tweeting about this like crazy.

Pelosi defends Conyers as 'an icon' https://t.co/uZwWdV3uXr via @kelseytam pic.twitter.com/HnCq8STgPH

— POLITICO (@politico) November 26, 2017

Zero tolerance for alleged sexual predation ... unless you've done good things in your life and you're in the right partyhttps://t.co/hh59Z8Y9xO

— Alex Burns (@alexburnsNYT) November 26, 2017

.@NancyPelosi: Accused Congressman Conyers is an "icon" in our country. #MTP pic.twitter.com/4QlKKJTIJP

— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) November 26, 2017

Nancy Pelosi: John Conyers is "an icon in our country" and "deserves due process."

Also Nancy Pelosi: Roy Moore is a "child molester!" https://t.co/B4KWvJXJ9q

— Nick Short 🇺🇸 (@PoliticalShort) November 26, 2017

Hard for Ds to claim moral high ground on sexual harassment when they respond like this to one of their own https://t.co/VIbTihKOoF

— amy walter (@amyewalter) November 26, 2017

Nancy Pelosi on MTP was pathetic and partisan regarding sexual harassment/assault.

— jeremy scahill (@jeremyscahill) November 26, 2017

#NancyPelosi proves that this so-called “accountability” moment we’re having, on sexual assault and harassment, is completely partisan. #MeetThePress

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) November 26, 2017

Cyber Monday is Going to be Yuge!

Lol.

Online shopping has really taken off. I love it, heh.

At USA Today:

Cyber Monday is forecast to be huge. The reason: can't shake a shopping habit https://t.co/YS8sDmqLKS

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) November 26, 2017

Stephen Kotkin, Stalin

*BUMPED.*

At Amazon, Stephen Kotkin, Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941.

Radicalism on the Rise in American Politics

From Joel Kotkin, at the Orange County Register:

The Republican Party’s road to the 2018 mid-terms looks increasingly like Pickett’s Charge, the Confederate assault on fixed Union positions that marked the high-water mark for the southern cause. After achieving its greatest domination of elective office in 80 years, the GOP seems likely to get slaughtered.

As at Gettysburg, bad generalship, an unpopular, clumsy Donald Trump, constitutes one cause for the imminent Republican decline. But the officer corps is also failing, as the congressional delegation seems determined to screw its middle class base in favor the remnant of those corporate plutocrats who finance their campaigns and the Goldman Sachs crowd to whom Trump has outsourced his economic policy. Steve Bannon’s support for demagogues like Roy Moore can only further weaken the party’s appeal, rapidly turning much of the business community, out of sheer embarrassment, into de facto Democrats.

Only one thing can save the Republicans from themselves: the Democrats. Although they have shown remarkable unity as part of the anti-Trump resistance, the Democrats themselves suffer deep-seated divisions. Most critically they are moving left at a time when more voters seek something more in the middle. Certainly this progressive tilt has done little to reverse their own declining popularity; public approval of the party has sunk to the lowest levels in a quarter century.

The rise of the radical base

“Who the goods wish to destroy, they first drive mad.” Today this old Greek adage seems particularly applicable to the Democrats. In the past the party produced leaders, and endorsed positions, that appealed across a broad swath of the population. With the Republicans forced to defend Trump, and ally with the marginalized far-right, a more centrist approach seems almost guaranteed to create success, as we saw recently in the Virginia elections.

But, sadly, the much heralded “resistance” to Trump has radicalized the party’s grassroots, giving enhanced power to militant groups like Black Lives Matter, as well as the most extreme green and gender fundamentalists. Clustered increasingly in large urban centers, Democrats are moving more quickly to progressive extremes than the GOP is shifting to the right; the percentage of Democratic voters tilting left since 1994 has grown from 30 percent to 73 percent. Moderates in the party, argues Wall Street investor Steven Ratner, face a “freight train coming at us from the left.”

The centrist approach used in Virginia should show the way, and succeeded largely by winning moderate voters from the affluent D.C. suburbs. But in California or New York rank and file, suburban Democrats have little voice against the organized and strident habitués of the core cities. The various cultural imperatives of the media, the universities, the progressive non-profit and well-funded community groups wash out all other voices.

Positions that threaten a Democratic resurgence

Three critical positions threaten a national Democratic resurgence. The first, and the most divisive, is immigration policy. Most Americans do not embrace the xenophobia of the Trump base, but they also do not favor such things as sanctuary cities, even here in California. They are not likely to celebrate immigrant law-breaking as does state Senate Leader Kevin de León, now challenging the more centrist Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s bid for re-election.

The second vulnerability revolves around a strong move to a single-payer federal system, a position endorsed by increasingly powerful groups like the Democratic Socialists of America and New York’s Working Families Party. To be sure, this may be more attractive to most Americans than GOP attempts to scuttle the current Obamacare system, but it would require a massive tax increase that would alienate moderate, middle-income voters. A plan to impose this system on California was deemed so expensive — essentially more than doubling the state budget — that Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon had to table it to the chagrin of the progressive lobby.

The third, and perhaps most critical, policy area relates more broadly to culture. Just as the antediluvian stances of a Roy Moore may make middle-of-the-road voters gag, many Americans also would have a hard time embracing such things as reparations, race and gender quotas, transgender issues, campus speech codes and even football protests celebrated by progressives. This aversion to identity politics appears particularly true for the middle American voters who swung in 2016 to Trump and the GOP.

We live in interesting times, that's for sure.

Still more.

Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear

More of the best fantasy, at Amazon, Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear.

Black Friday Mayhem

Following-up, "Black Friday Crowds Not So Bad, As Online Shopping Attracts More Holiday Consumers."

Turns out there was some of the usual mayhem this year, although not as bad as in the past. People still getting crazy out there.

At London's Daily Mail:

Black Friday mayhem: One shot outside Missouri mall as brawls close Alabama shopping center https://t.co/ksMNqiknfW pic.twitter.com/tZZE6lWHoy

— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) November 24, 2017

Black Friday Crowds Not So Bad, As Online Shopping Attracts More Holiday Consumers

Well, I picked up my toaster yesterday, and the line was around the store at my local Kohl's (below). Turns out that was mostly shoppers hunting down the "doorbuster" deals. I went back a little later and it wasn't so bad.

In any case, at LAT, "Black Friday mayhem may be a thing of the past":

The line at Kohl’s in Irvine. All the way to the back of the store. *SMH* #BlackFriday pic.twitter.com/3VqHSnxyOp

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) November 24, 2017

Chae Woong Bae and his girlfriend had steeled themselves to brave the Black Friday shopping chaos they’d watched on TV back home in South Korea.

But when the pair arrived at 4:30 a.m. Friday at a Target in North Hollywood for their first Black Friday outing, they were the only ones in line. No one else joined the queue for an hour, ahead of the store's opening at 6 a.m.

"On the TV, we see people fighting each other, so at first, we were a little scared to come today," said a disappointed Bae, 22. "I didn't expect it to be so quiet."

Once known for frenzied crowds that jostled for deals in packed stores, Black Friday in Southern California has become a more subdued scene. The rise of e-commerce has made savings available to anyone, anywhere — at any time.

To compete with online sellers, and each other, brick-and-mortar retailers have pushed discounts days and even weeks before the day once considered the critical barometer of the holiday shopping season.

The result: Consumers said stores and malls were less packed and more relaxed. It was a welcome change for some.

"If I had walked in and there was a massive crowd, I would have walked right out," said Amanda Solomon, 25, as she shopped with her mother at the Macy's at Westfield Century City mall.

"It wouldn't be worth the savings," her mother, Irene Castaldo, 63, chimed in.

National retail chains that open on Thanksgiving have largely moved doorbuster deals to Thursday night, making Black Friday a calmer shopping experience.

To get the same type of crowd "you've got to have the same type of early-bird specials on Friday as Thursday," said Britt Beemer, chairman and founder of America's Research Group, who has tracked holiday sales trends for 30 years. "And nobody does that."

Though stores may not seem as busy on Black Friday as in years past, analysts expect holiday retail sales to jump in 2017, a result of higher consumer confidence and gains in employment and disposable income.

The National Retail Federation predicts that retail sales in November and December could total between $678.75 billion and $682 billion, up from $655.8 billion last year.

Meghan O'Sullivan, Windfall

This looks awesome!

At Amazon, Meghan O'Sullivan, Windfall: How the New Energy Abundance Upends Global Politics and Strengthens America’s Power.

Robert Jordan, Wheel of Time, Boxed Set

Great for under the Christmas tree.

At Amazon, Robert Jordan, "The Wheel of Time," Boxed Set I, Books 1-3: The Eye of the World, The Great Hunt, The Dragon Reborn.

Also, "The Wheel of Time," Boxed Set II, Books 4-6: The Shadow Rising, The Fires of Heaven, Lord of Chaos.

Jennifer Delacruz's Cyber Saturday Forecast

It's the big shopping weekend --- tomorrow's "Cyber Saturday." I'll be hanging out, working on my car, shopping for books and stuff, and otherwise dawdling around.

More later.

Here's the lovely Ms. Jennifer, for ABC News 10 San Diego:

Shop Best Deals

In Electronics and Accessories, at Amazon.

Also, Shop Home and Office Printers.

More, Videos and Electronics.

And, GPS and Navigation Systems.

Still more, Deals on Televisions.

Here, Black Friday Deals.

Plus, Shop Selection of Drones.

More here, Cameras and Accessories.

And, Shop Watches.

BONUS: Jessica Bruder, Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century.

Black Friday Shopping

*BUMPED.*

I actually need a new toaster, lol. Mine blew out yesterday so I need to head out into the Black Friday scrum, heh. Probably going to head over to Kohl's here in a bit. Might be fun, for some shopping combat experience at least. Other than that, I'm going to buy some Christmas presents online. I hope you are too, and that's awesome if you're using my Amazon links for some of that.

Thanks again.

At Amazon, Today's Deals.

And especially, Instant Pot DUO80 8 Qt 7-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker and Warmer.

Save on Robot Vacuums, and especially, ECOVACS DEEBOT N79 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Strong Suction, for Low-pile Carpet, Hard floor, Wi-Fi Connected.

More, BLACK+DECKER 2-Slice Toaster, Red, TR1278RM, and Hamilton Beach Brushed Stainless Steel 2-Slice Toaster (22910).

Here, Amrapur Overseas | Goose Down Alternative Microfiber Quilted Reversible Comforter / Duvet Insert - Ultra Soft Hypoallergenic Bedding - Medium Warmth for All Seasons - [Queen, Coral Blue/Oatmeal].

And, Naukay - Business Travel Backpack,Durable Slim Laptop Backpack for Women & Men,College School Computer Bag Daypack with USB charging Port，Anti Theft Water Resistant backpack for 15.6 inch Laptop and Notebook.

More here, Craftsman 230-Piece Mechanics Tool Set, 50230.

Finally, LG Electronics OLED55B6P Flat 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart OLED TV (2016 Model).

BONUS: E.L. Doctorow, Billy Bathgate: A Novel.

Robert Jordan, The Great Hunt

You'll get hooked once you sink into Robert Jordan's "Eye of the World" series.

Fantastic reading.

Here's the second volume, at Amazon, Robert Jordan, The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time, Book 2).

Joy Villa: I'm Standing for the National Anthem (VIDEO)

She's so great!

For Prager University:

Hottest Bo Krsmanovic (VIDEO)

At Sports Illustrated Swimsuit:

Oleg V. Khlevniuk, Stalin

At Amazon, Oleg V. Khlevniuk, Stalin: New Biography of a Dictator.

Laura Ingraham, Shut Up and Sing

I posted Laura Ingraham's Billionaire at the Barricades a while back.

She's been pounding the populist hammer for some time, though.

See also, at Amazon, Laura Ingraham, Shut Up and Sing: How Elites from Hollywood, Politics, and the Media are Subverting America.

Marriage and Kids vs. Dogs and Netflix

I'd like to see actually statistics on this, but if it's anywhere near majority opinion, we can be relieved that humans will die out by self-extinction over the near few generations.

My god, what is wrong with these people?

It's Lauren Southern, in the U.K.:

Hundreds Dead in Egypt Mosque Massacre (VIDEO)

Well, that's not going to be good for those Thanksgiving memories.

At the Telegraph U.K., "Egypt mosque attack: At least 235 killed as militants shoot at fleeing worshippers after detonating bomb":

Egypt was last night reeling from the bloodiest terror attack in its history after suspected Isil fighters slaughtered at least 235 people during prayers by detonating explosives inside a Sinai mosque and then killing the worshippers in a hail of gunfire.

The terrorists struck a mosque in the remote town of Bir al-Abed in northern Sinai where hundreds of people had gathered for traditional Islamic prayers on Friday afternoon.

The attack began with a powerful explosion at the al-Rawdah mosque and gunmen leapt out of four off-road vehicles to kill people as they fled. Security officials and witnesses said the attackers used their vehicles to cut off escape routes and opened fire on ambulances as they reached the scene. More than 100 were wounded.

The gunmen appear to have escaped from the scene after the massacre before Egyptian security forces could arrive.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but suspicion fell on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's (Isil) affiliate in the Sinai desert, which has waged a bloody insurgency against the Egyptian military and the country’s Christian minority.

The worshippers at the al-Rawdah were mainly Sufis, who adhere to a mystic form of Islam. Isil considers Sufis to be heretics and has threatened them in the past.

The town of Bir al-Abed is home to around 2,500 people, all members of the Sawarka tribe. In conservative rural areas of Egypt it is usually only men who attend Friday prayers. With an attack so large it is believed that a significant portion of all the men in the village were either killed or wounded on Friday.

Abdel Qader Mubarak, a man originally from the village, said his entire family had been killed in the slaughter. "I can't talk, all my family are gone," he told The Telegraph.

The massacre is the worst terrorist attack on civilians in modern Egyptian history, and its death toll outstripped the 224 deaths caused when suspected Isil militants blew up a Russian airliner shortly after it took off from Sharm el-Sheikh in 2015.

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Egypt’s president, promised to respond with “brutal force” against the attackers.

“We will remain steadfast and will fight back with an iron fist. This attack will only add to our persistence on overcoming the tragedy and we will win the battle against the forces of evil,” Mr Sisi said.

"The army and police will avenge our martyrs and return security and stability with force in the coming short period.”

Despite Mr Sisi’s pledge, the security forces have struggled to contain the jihadist insurgency in Sinai and suffered heavy casualties...

More.

Here's Jennifer Delacruz's Black Friday Forecast

She usually works the holidays, but the video wasn't up last night in time for my blog weather report.

Any time's good for me, though.

Here's the lovely Ms. Jennifer, for ABC News 10 San Diego:

Kyla Grogan's Black Friday Forecast

Ms. Kyla's the new on-air meteorological talent at CBS News 2 Los Angeles.

It's been record Thanksgiving heat today, not to complain, of course.

Temperatures will be subsiding over the next few days, but it's still going to be lovely.

What It's Like to Be the Only Trump Fan at Thanksgiving

You gotta read this. The best, heh.

From Mark Bauerlein, at Politico:

Heh. This Is What It's Like to Be the Only #Trump Fan at Thanksgiving Dinner. https://t.co/iBBTsZ9Sxu pic.twitter.com/yw3i483L5D

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) November 23, 2017

Thanksgiving Shopping

Well, time to get going on your holiday shopping.

It's a great time of year! Tomorrow's Black Friday. There'll be all kinds of sales.

So get crackin', lol.

At Amazon, Today's Deals.

And see especially, ILIFE A4s Robot Vacuum Cleaner.

Also, GOOLOO 800A Peak 18000mAh Car Jump Starter (Up to 7.0L Gas or 5.5L Diesel Engine) Portable Power Pack Auto Battery Booster Phone Charger Built-in LED Light and Smart Protection.

More, Craftsman 9-31794 Slotted Phillips Screwdriver Set, 17 Piece, and Craftsman 56-piece Universal Mechanics Tool Set.

Plus, Pyramex Cap Style 4 Point Snap Lock Suspension Hard Hat.

And, AmazonBasics AA Performance Alkaline Batteries (48 Count) - Packaging May Vary.

Here, Samsung UN65MU6300FXZA 65" 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV (2017 Model) Plus Terk Cut-the-Cord HD Digital TV Tuner and Recorder 16GB Hook-Up Bundle.

BONUS: Oleg V. Khlevniuk, Stalin: New Biography of a Dictator.

Think Twice

About communism.

From Laura M. Nicolae, at the Harvard Crimson, "100 Years. 100 Million Lives. Think Twice":

"My father left behind his parents, friends, and neighbors in the hope of finding freedom. I know his story because it is my heritage; you now know his story because I have a voice. One hundred million other people were silenced." https://t.co/qgSm47yOMZ @lauramnic pic.twitter.com/AhAhPEvgQf

— Victims of Communism (@VoCommunism) November 21, 2017

In 1988, my twenty-six-year-old father jumped off a train in the middle of Hungary with nothing but the clothes on his back. For the next two years, he fled an oppressive Romanian Communist regime that would kill him if they ever laid hands on him again.

My father ran from a government that beat, tortured, and brainwashed its citizens. His childhood friend disappeared after scrawling an insult about the dictator on the school bathroom wall. His neighbors starved to death from food rations designed to combat “obesity.” As the population dwindled, women were sent to the hospital every month to make sure they were getting pregnant.

My father’s escape journey eventually led him to the United States. He moved to the Midwest and married a Romanian woman who had left for America the minute the regime collapsed. Today, my parents are doctors in quiet, suburban Kansas. Both of their daughters go to Harvard. They are the lucky ones.

Roughly 100 million people died at the hands of the ideology my parents escaped. They cannot tell their story. We owe it to them to recognize that this ideology is not a fad, and their deaths are not a joke.

Last month marked 100 years since the Bolshevik Revolution, though college culture would give you precisely the opposite impression. Depictions of communism on campus paint the ideology as revolutionary or idealistic, overlooking its authoritarian violence. Instead of deepening our understanding of the world, the college experience teaches us to reduce one of the most destructive ideologies in human history to a one-dimensional, sanitized narrative.

Walk around campus, and you’re likely to spot Ché Guevara on a few shirts and button pins. A sophomore jokes that he’s declared a secondary in “communist ideology and implementation.” The new Leftist Club on campus seeks “a modern perspective” on Marx and Lenin to “alleviate the stigma around the concept of Leftism.” An author laments in these pages that it’s too difficult to meet communists here. For many students, casually endorsing communism is a cool, edgy way to gripe about the world.

After spending four years on a campus saturated with Marxist memes and jokes about communist revolutions, my classmates will graduate with the impression that communism represents a light-hearted critique of the status quo, rather than an empirically violent philosophy that destroyed millions of lives.

Statistics show that young Americans are indeed oblivious to communism’s harrowing past. According to a YouGov poll, only half of millennials believe that communism was a problem, and about a third believe that President George W. Bush killed more people than Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, who killed 20 million. If you ask millennials how many people communism killed, 75 percent will undershoot.

Perhaps before joking about communist revolutions, we should remember that Stalin’s secret police tortured “traitors” in secret prisons by sticking needles under their fingernails or beating them until their bones were broken. Lenin seized food from the poor, causing a famine in the Soviet Union that induced desperate mothers to eat their own children and peasants to dig up corpses for food. In every country that communism was tried, it resulted in massacres, starvation, and terror.

Communism cannot be separated from oppression; in fact, it depends upon it. In the communist society, the collective is supreme. Personal autonomy is nonexistent. Human beings are simply cogs in a machine tasked with producing utopia; they have no value of their own.

Many in my generation have blurred the reality of communism with the illusion of utopia. I never had that luxury...

Keep reading.

Robert Dallek, Franklin D. Roosevelt

Just out this month, at Amazon, Robert Dallek, Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Political Life.

CBS and Dish Network Failed to Reach Agreement on New Carriage Deal

My wife's bummed. She watches a lot of TV, and of course CBS has some good prime time programming. She came to me last night and said, "That's a bummer about the CBS blackout." I'm like, "What blackout?" I thought it related to Charlie Rose's firing from CBS, heh. Don't know why we'd lose access to the entire network because of that perv, lol.

At Deadline, "CBS & Its Stations Go Dark On Dish Network As Deal Deadline Passes."

CBS & Its Stations Go Dark On Dish Network As Deal Deadline Passes https://t.co/48ad1RKEEF pic.twitter.com/O1PXuu6i7m

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) November 21, 2017

I'm going to watch football today, and CBS has the Chargers on this afternoon, so I'll miss that. Oh well. I'm only now returning to watching pro football, since it looks like the league's going to crack down on the anti-flag protests. The consumer boycotts have definitely had an impact.

LaVar Ball's Big Con

I feel bad for his boys, especially Lonzo, who's on the Lakers now, and a success in his own right. I wonder how long until Lonzo cuts his dad loose. LaVar's already damaged his other two sons' chances of making to the NBA, and that's not counting LiAngelo's shoplifting arrest in China. Troubles in the family, and it's too bad. Of course, it had to turn political with LaVar not thanking President Trump for his help in securing LiAngelo's release.

Here's Bill Plaschke, at the Los Angeles Times, "The big blowhard: LaVar Ball has made a living off the backs of his children":

LaVar Ball has not stayed in his lane; he's become shameless huckster running a con on the backs of his children https://t.co/aw8GMQx7At

— Bill Plaschke (@BillPlaschke) November 22, 2017

Just in time for the holidays, LaVar Ball has been good enough to advise us on one way to obtain a pair of his company's odd $495 sneakers.

The father of UCLA freshman basketball player LiAngelo Ball has spent the last week telling the world his son and fellow Bruins Cody Riley and Jalen Hill didn't really do too much wrong when they were caught shoplifting in three stores during the team's recent trip to China.

They were detained, confined to the country beyond their scheduled departure, released with the help of two presidents, publicly admitted their wrongdoing and are serving an indefinite team suspension.

But according to the family patriarch, a man whose publicity-seeking craziness has been excused because he is a good father, theft isn't that big of a deal.

To ESPN recently, Ball actually said, "It ain't that big of a deal.''

On CNN Monday night, he doubled down on the ignorance, saying, "The way I look at it, OK, [LiAngelo] was shoplifting. He wasn't physical. He returned it. He fessed up to it. … Nobody got hurt.''

Nobody got hurt? Nobody except the three shops from which the kids stole the items, his son's now-depleted team and, most of all, his son's shamed university.

When LaVar Ball said nobody got hurt, he meant LaVar Ball didn't get hurt. While his son was confined by the school to his Hangzhou hotel during the investigation, his father was out hawking shoes in cities as far as two hours away. While his son was watching his team's first game against Georgia Tech while sitting in that hotel, his father was actually in the stands, because who needs the kid on the court when you can peddle a branded T-shirt on TV?

LaVar Ball once seemed like a genius salesman worthy of examination, but in recent months the curtain has been drawn to reveal a shallow and shameless huckster. He once enhanced the Los Angeles sports landscape, but now he only infects it by continuing to bleat messages filled with delusion and disrespect. For someone who once epitomized sexism by telling a female sports-talk show announcer to "Stay in your lane,'' Ball has veered far from his original lane...

More.

Lindsay Shepherd

This is really troubling.

Best thing is, she recorded her inquisition, ha!

At Inside Higher Ed, "The Interrogation of a TA: University president apologizes after recording reveals how a graduate student was questioned over use of a video, which offended at least one student, of debate on nontraditional pronouns."

And the National Post, "Wilfrid Laurier University's president apologizes to Lindsay Shepherd for dressing-down over Jordan Peterson clip."

And watch Ezra Levant, at the Rebel, with excerpts from her recording. It's good:



And at tweet from Jordan Peterson on the abuse he's enduring. It's bad. Really bad:

Those who consider themselves my enemies have been posting these all around my home neighbourhood. pic.twitter.com/zF3Mc7Imsy

— Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) October 26, 2017

Leeann Tweeden

Following-up, "New Sexual Assault Allegations Against Al Franken."

Franken didn't assault this woman, Leeann Tweeden, but the photo of his mock-fondling her breasts is heavily damaging. And with more women coming forward, it doesn't look good for the guy. He was considered a 2020 prospect for the 2020 Democrat presidential nomination as well.

Heh, too bad.

Ms. Leeann posed on Playboy a while back, and other photos circulating online indicate she's got a huge rack:

New Sexual Assault Allegations Against Al Franken

He's not up for reelection until 2020, but I don't know if he's going to make that long. The pressure for his resignation is significant, and a Morning Consult poll out yesterday found half saying he should resign.

Not good for Al Franken, at Huff Post:

BREAKING: Two more women accuse Al Franken of inappropriate touching https://t.co/TdTJijO8LV pic.twitter.com/BIuhhadviG

— HuffPost (@HuffPost) November 23, 2017

There are some extremely depressing quotes in this story. https://t.co/S3xoM8aMAB pic.twitter.com/abGtO4OWng

— Nick Baumann (@NickBaumann) November 23, 2017

Piers Morgan Chews Out Dating Guru: ‘You Are A Repulsive Individual’

At Huff Post:

Piers Morgan chews out dating guru: "You are a repulsive individual" https://t.co/t2eRoVb5a8 pic.twitter.com/OVH6eOjtps

— HuffPost (@HuffPost) November 23, 2017

This seduction expert thinks British women are 'overweight' and 'entitled'

Watch the full debate: https://t.co/vuw078VG5o @piersmorgan pic.twitter.com/Xfc21gRb6C

— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) November 22, 2017

Republican Congressman Joe Barton Apologizes for Rude Nude Selfie

Well this kind of thing isn't so great for your career.

And, the issue for some is whether the good congressman is a victim of "revenge" porn. See this thread, "Earlier today Texas Tribune posted a story concerning Rep. Joe Barton (R-Ennis) that he issued an apology statement after it was learned a graphic image of him nude (apparently showing his penis), was circulating via social media."

And at the Texas Tribune:

U.S. Rep. Joe Barton has apologized for a graphic nude photo of him that circulated online. https://t.co/6JuABqgUEA pic.twitter.com/mWIOYQJ7S6

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) November 22, 2017

And from Elise Viebeck, of the Washington Post:

Rep. Joe Barton said he would report his lover to the Capitol Police if she exposed his secret sex life, w/ @mikedebonis: https://t.co/e4hcofGnA6

— Elise Viebeck (@eliseviebeck) November 23, 2017

Here's what @RepJoeBarton told his lover when she learned he was involved with other women. He doesn't leave much out. pic.twitter.com/xOyS5BI5qd

— Elise Viebeck (@eliseviebeck) November 23, 2017

Worth noting that the woman says she and Barton would text for hours, including when he was in committee meetings and on the House floor: pic.twitter.com/J359oRdzZY

— Elise Viebeck (@eliseviebeck) November 23, 2017

For those wondering about the revenge porn issue: good question. We listened to the tape. Barton brought up the Capitol Police because he was mad the woman learned about and was making contact with his other lovers. She was mad; he brought up the idea of an investigation.

— Elise Viebeck (@eliseviebeck) November 23, 2017

Here's what Barton had to say about it: pic.twitter.com/4UtoZ4OABt

— Elise Viebeck (@eliseviebeck) November 23, 2017

Finally, to sign off: if you were inappropriately propositioned by Rep. Barton or another member of Congress, we'd like to hear your story. Email us at mike.debonis@washpost.com and elise.viebeck@washpost.com.

— Elise Viebeck (@eliseviebeck) November 23, 2017