Progressives Attack Pamela Geller and Counter-Jihad

I'd be interested to know how many people attacking Pamela Geller and the counter-jihad movement have actually read Anders Behring Breivik's manifesto, or his Internet posting at Document.no.

Breivik's papers is over 1,500 pages long and rambles on about everything from personal hygiene to the development of radiological weapons. The killer also lifts word-for-word the writings of authors who have focused on the existential fight against Islamist jihad. And given the nature of both the Norway massacre and extreme gotcha politics of ideological progressives, it took only minutes for blame to shift from the deranged murderer to the most prominent conservatives fighting for the preservation of freedom. It doesn't work the other way around. When Nidal Malik Hasan massacred 13 soldiers and civilians in November 2009 the progressive left and MSM mounted a massive cover operation for a man who yelled "Allah Akbar" before opening fire. Behold the politics of the information battlespace. The truth gradient doesn't favor those fighting for decency and justice. And it means those who know truth in their hearts and souls must redouble their efforts against the broadsides. And to remind people, right commentators were gathering their information from MSM outlets like the New York Times, which had this in its initial reporting:

Initial reports focused on the possibility of Islamic militants, in particular Ansar al-Jihad al-Alami, or Helpers of the Global Jihad, cited by some analysts as claiming responsibility for the attacks. American officials said the group was previously unknown and might not even exist.

There was ample reason for concern that terrorists might be responsible. In 2004 and again in 2008, the No. 2 leader of Al Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahri, who took over after the death of Osama bin Laden, threatened Norway because of its support of the American-led NATO military operation in Afghanistan.

Norway has about 550 soldiers and three medevac helicopters in northern Afghanistan, a Norwegian defense official said. The government has indicated that it will continue to support the operations as long as the alliance needs partners on the ground.

It won't matter much to the left, but the truth is supreme and righteousness floats to the top. Amid the cloud of death that still hangs, the debate will rage on the culpability of influence. So for what it's worth, here's a little round-up of those exploiting the dead to destroy their political enemies:

* Adam Server, "In response to Norway attacks, right-wing bloggers suddenly demand nuance."

* Balloon Juice, "“This rhetoric,” he added, “is not cost-free”."

* Booman Tribune, "Pam Geller Compares Herself to John Lennon."

* Charles Johnson, "NYT: US 'Counter-Jihad' Bloggers Heavily Influenced Oslo Terrorist."

* Daily Kos, "Norway killer found inspiration in American anti-Islamism."

* Dean's World, "Atlas Shrugs Blogger Pamela Geller an Inspiration for Terrorists."

* Roy Edroso, "Rightbloggers Discover the Real Victims of Norway Mass Murderer Breivik: Themselves."

* William Saletan, "If Muslims are responsible for Islamic terrorism, are Muslim-bashers responsible for the massacre in Norway?"

I'll have more on this later. Political and ideological debates are driven by an obscene double standard. To speak out against Islamist jihad is to be labeled "racist" or "Islmophobic." And it's frankly gut-wrenching to witness the left's vile opportunism amid the carnage.

And see Pamela's response: "MEDIA ASSASSINS."

RELATED: At New York Times, "Killings in Norway Spotlight Anti-Muslim Thought in U.S." (At Memeorandum.)

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Peter Island 2011

The water looks refreshing!

And in case you missed it, Bob Belvedere, "Rule 5 Saturday: Carrie-Anne Moss." And American Perspective, "A girl with a dragon tattoo, Rule 5."

BONUS: At Maggie's Notebook, "Rule 5 Saturday Night: The Ecclestone Sisters: Tamara and Petra."

EXTRA: At The Other McCain, "Rule 5 Sunday: Too Fast For Love."

Police Criticized After Norway Attack

At Telegraph UK, "Norway shooting: police response criticised":

The Norwegian police's response to Friday's killing spree has come in for intense criticism after it was disclosed how the operation was beset by a series of delays and blunders.

Transport problems, including a lack of helicopters and a boat that sank, meant it took an hour to apprehend Anders Breivik after he began his attack, police admitted.
There had also been anger among some of the grieving families after suggestions that a security guard at the summer camp had not been at his post and had failed to apprehend the gunman.

However, police officials confirmed he had been at the scene, but had been one of Breivik's first victims.

As the controversy over the police action grew, officials were forced to publish a revised timetable of events in an effort to explain why they response was not quicker.

Continue reading.

'Feeling of Hopelessness' Behind Norway Shooter's Motivations

Read the essay at Saber Point, "Norway Shooter Felt Democracy Offered 'No Hope,' Advocated Armed Struggle."

And of course folks should read the manifesto as well. I don't know how much was plagiarized --- could have been the bulk of it, actually --- but many sections weren't unreasonable at all. These are things most people won't consider (as Breivik's actions were supremely evil), but Stogie nevertheless lets the chips fall where they may:

After Timothy McVeigh blew up the federal building in Oklahoma, his violence was blamed on "right wing rhetoric." However, his violence was really based on leftwing, governmental extremism at both Waco and Ruby Ridge. This is not to justify his evil act, but to provide an accurate description of his motivations.

Now we have Anders Behring Breivik, another individual of McVeigh's ilk. His violence will again be blamed on "right wing rhetoric," but once again his actions are based on leftist political activities and a feeling of hopelessness in bringing change through democratic processes. Breivik's huge crime was largely caused by Gramscian leftist political strategy, which has been highly successful in undermining western culture and institutions over the past 75 years. Now, in response to that crime, we can expect more Gramscian propaganda and a continued feeling of alienation by conservative nationalists, who will be vilified once again for resisting the death of the West, and again painted as mad men bent on violence.

Norway Shooter Plagiarized 'Unabomber'

Actually, most of the manifesto was cut-and-paste with some personal commentary thrown it. Anders Behring Breivik was simply rounding up information to pull together some kind of program of resistance and revolution. It was fascinating reading. I spent a couple of hours looking over that thing. And that was just skimming, stopping to read passages, and then skimming some more. It's a huge paper. In any case see Telegraph UK, "Norway shooting: Anders Behring Breivik plagiarised 'Unabomber'."

The 32 year-old appears to have quoted verbatim large sections from the preaching of Theodore Kaczynski in his 1500 page online rant.

Breivik had “copied and pasted” almost a dozen key passages from the 69 year-old’s 35,000 manifesto, only changing particular words such as “leftist” with “cultural Marxist”.

It remains unclear what his motivations were, but experts said it appeared he had taken “inspiration” from Kaczynski whose two decade parcel-bomb terror campaign killed three people and 29 injured others.

Despite meticulous university thesis-style referencing through the manifesto, Norwegian bloggers discovered that passages quoting Kaczynski were not credited.

RTWT at the link.

PREVIOUSLY: "Anders Behring Breivik's Manifesto."

'The Left hasn't been this giddy since Rep. Giffords was shot'

That's Darleen Click, at William Jacobson's entry, "My challenge to Charles Lemos."

Along the same lines, Darleen has her interesting entry at Protein Wisdom, "Kind of sums up what passes for principle on the illiberal Left."

And more of this at POH Diaries, "Tragedy In Norway Compounded By Left-Wing Glee."

Plus, Mollie Hemingway writes a beautiful essay, "The Atlantic has this terrorist all figured out."

And then check this post from Power Line, "IN DEFENSE OF BLOND NORWEGIANS":

The relief–not to say glee–with which many liberals greeted the news that the Oslo mass murderer was a “tall, blond Norwegian” was palpable. Liberals pilloried those who ostensibly leaped to the conclusion, in the first minutes after the massacre began, that it was probably the work of Islamic jihadists. Scott noted earlier such attacks on Jennifer Rubin.

As far as I know, liberals haven’t attacked me for the post I did while the attacks were in progress. But what I wrote was, I think, typical:

The perpetrators of these attacks have not yet been identified, but they likely were Muslim terrorists.

Was that wrong? Not at all. Any time mass murder attacks take place, it is not just likely but highly probable that they are the work of Muslim jihadists. Over the last several decades, jihadists have launched hundreds if not thousands of terrorist attacks. They dwarf, in numbers, similar outrages perpetrated by anyone else. That is why, whenever a bomb kills innocent bystanders or an armed man guns down children, the first thing everyone thinks is that it likely will prove to be another instance of Islamic terrorism.

See also: "SOMEONE IS PUTTING WORDS IN JEN RUBIN’S MOUTH." (Via Memeorandum.)

Anders Behring Breivik's Manifesto

Here's the pdf file: "2083 – A European Declaration of Independence."

I'd say my previous analysis, which I posted prior to reading Breivik's full manifesto, holds up well. See: "Anders Behring Breivik — No Clear Ideological Program." But I can speak with more authority now. Note first that Richard Starr has read parts of the manifesto and has a response, at Weekly Standard, "The Manifesto Behind the Horror in Norway." I'm going to disagree a bit, though, for example:

The author is listed as "Andrew Berwick," which seems to be an anglicized pen name for Anders Breivik. but Mein Kampf may be a better analogy that the Unabomber manifesto. The man is a mass-murdering sociopath, responsible for a horrific bloodbath yesterday. He is an extremist, but he is not incoherent.

Actually, Breivik states a passionate loathing of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi program of the Third Reich, much of which was outlined in Hitler's early writings. (See the specific quotations appended below.) Also, while Breivik is obviously sociopathic, I disagree about his coherence. The guy's a criminal mastermind whose "program," as written, wouldn't fit a single major established party. He's explicitly "ethno-nationalist" but rejects the racial supremacy theories of Europe's historical hard-right parties. And Breivik hopelessly romanticizes an earlier time that is simply not coming back. He's crazy in that sense. A loner, rejecting intimacy and relationships that might jeopardize his "cause." He is conservative, but again the idea that he's "far right" is ridiculous in the European context. Nazis hated Jews. He loves them as preserving the crusading anti-Islamic history of the Medieval West. Most of all, the manifesto lays out a program of terrorism using all manners of paramilitary resistance, including deployment of weapons of mass destruction (and yes, nuclear and radiological weapons). We'll have to see upon further investigation, but if he's not acting alone then folks should be worried about what's ahead. But so far no larger movement has claimed alliance with or responsibility for the horrendous and evil carnage befallen Norway. We can both learn and remain vigilant, and of course pray for the families of those killed.

And it must be said, but obviously Breivik's crimes deserve complete condemnation, and no modern conservative should be sympathetic to what has happened. It's pure evil and Breivik's violence has no place in modern democratic societies. I won't hold my breath waiting for progressives to produce one mainstream conservative who backs it, although they're surely attempting so.

And the MSM's sticking to their ideological witch hunt, for example, at New York Times, "Norway Attacks Put Spotlight on Rise of Right-Wing Sentiment in Europe."

Anyway, here's some a few passages in chronological order:

Consolidating our forces in phase 1, 2 and 3

We must work hard in the coming decades to create and develop Anti-Jihad or other forms of Cultural conservative movements. Our objectives will be to recruit the youths of our society (15-30) whom will be the bulk of the physical defence of our cultural conservative ideology.

The cultural conservatives vs. the racial conservatives

Whoever manages to attract the youths of a society will have the best possibility to secure power and implement the changes of the given political ideology.

If racist organisations succeed where we have failed, then we know what will happen. Unfortunately for us, the intelligence agencies of Europe are currently doing everything they can to prevent the creation of any type of militia, that being CC’s or RC’s. The media on the other hand will go to great lengths to put us, the cultural conservatives (anti-Jihad movements etc.) in the same category as the racial conservatives. To them it’s black and white; According to them, everyone who is not considered “politically correct” must by default be racists or Nazis…

*****

Organisational work in Phase 1 (2009-2030)

We must spend the next 20 years wisely and continue our work on creating a pan European conservative consolidation, a new conservative political ideology (a political ideal) which has the potential to appeal to a MINIMUM of 20-35% of Western Europeans, including the bulk of our youth. The creation of cultural conservative student organisations in Universities all over Europe must be a priority.

In order to do this we have to agree on a consensus for creating a modern, “un-tainted”, cultural conservative, patriotic youth movement which will prevent our youths from joining NS or WN movements. This movement should be somewhat like the equivalent of Russias Nashi movement (Putins youth movement - 120,000 members aged between 17 and 25). They are anti fascist/anti Nazi, but still patriotic conservatives.

*****

The word "race", “white”, “ethnic” or "nationalist" for that matter should never be used in modern debates with adversaries or individuals who may have been subject to severe indoctrination. These words are so stained by history and post-war media coverage that you are basically just undermining yourself and the message you seek to communicate by actively using them. It’s wise to limit the use of all words that has stigma attached as well as or the cultural Marxist/multiculturalist mainstream media will attempt to label you as a bigot. If you use the word "race" you are basically contributing to committing character assassination of yourself or will contribute to self-defeat of the organisational goals you are representing. You need to understand the following; the modern European man/women has been indoctrinated or conditioned in a way that he is likely to run for the hill or active subliminous mental defensive blocks if you use rhetoric containing these words in your attempt to reach out to him or her. Ill try to explain this more throuroughly [sic] as this applies to me as well. In a world where the absolute arch sin is to be a Nazi, words who are associated with Nazis must be avoided at all costs, regardless of the justification for associating them with given ideology.

*****

3.4 Why armed resistance against the cultural Marxist/multiculturalist regimes of Western Europe is the only rational approach

It is counterproductive, even lethal to waste another five decades on meaningless dialogue while we are continuously losing our demographical advantage. We have never and will never be allowed to ever exercise any influence. The cultural marxist/multiculturalist elites nationally and in Brussels have for the last five decades created a resilient system whose objective is to ridicule, persecute, harass and silence us. They will continue to systematically marginalise us until the day when we are no longer a threat to them. The following arguments will further underline why any democratical or peaceful cultural conservative victory of significance is impossible ...

It is expected that native Europeans shall humbly watch and applaud their own annihilation and extinction. The fact that we are persecuted and harassed in our own countries does not violate our human rights because we are white Christians and therefore evil by default.

It is a pretty terrifying prospect that the prevailing ideology that dominates Western Europe long term will result in the extermination of people like me and you.

Nevertheless, it is the only plausible theoretical explanation of the current development. As such, multiculturalism is an inversed form of Nazism where white European Christians ends up at the bottom of the food chain instead of on top. Exactly how the Jews according to National Socialist doctrines automatically were blamed for everything that went wrong in society. Multiculturalisms doctrine teaches that “white racism” is the cause of all problems in our societies. The indigenous peoples of Europe are increasingly exposed to more violence, ridicule and persecution in cities all over Western Europe. This does not result in any sympathy whatsoever. The multiculturalists become increasingly hateful in their rhetorical attacks against us the more we are humiliated by Muslims, groups they mass import to our countries. This tells us everything we need to know about their real intentions.

*****

There have already been thousands of preemptive strikes from brave Europeans all over Europe. However, the majority of attacks have been impotent “poop in mailbox” operations with zero to little ideological effect. In order to successfully penetrate the cultural Marxist/multiculturalist media censorship we are forced to employ significantly more brutal and breath taking operations which will result in casualties. In order for the attack to gain an influential effect, assassinations and the use of weapons of mass destruction must be embraced. When employing such methods the Justiciar Knight becomes a force multiplier, he becomes a one-man army. The continuation of these “humiliating strikes” on the Multiculturalist system will contribute to destroy the cultural Marxist hegemony in Europe.

*****

The true definition of racism vs. the Marxist definition

Don’t let the multiculturalists define what racism is or isn’t. Keeping an African againsthis will in your basement as a slave is racism. Loving your extended family/your ethnic group and fighting for ethnic and/or indigenous rights does not make you a racist, quite the opposite in fact. It makes you a civil rights activist. Creating a pro-indigenous and/orpro-ethnic movement does not make it a “white supremacy” movement but rather an Indigenous rights movement or even a civil rights movement. Anyone who calls you a racist due to these reasons proves very clearly that HE is the real racist, as he obviously ONLY attacks European rights movements. He is therefore an anti-European racist supporting the anti-European hate ideology known as multiculturalism. The cultural Marxists/multiculturalists have gone to great lengths to change the very definition of the word; racist. Europeans having African slaves on a plantation WAS racist, the apartheid system WAS racist (deportation and a two state solution would have been the right way to go). However, loving your ethnic group and fighting for the interests of your tribe is NOT and will never be racist. Nevertheless, the cultural Marxist systems would have everyone think otherwise.

*****

Race-mixing and interracial relations; necessary to create the global utopia lead by the Marxist-Islamic UN or the ultimate crime?

The PCCTS, Knights Templar, obviously, does not have any pre-defined specific policies or principles concerning race-mixing. The following are my own views concerning the theme. I have for a long time dreaded the thought of writing an essay about this subject. Primarily because it is considered politically incorrect by even many of the most dedicated conservatives and it is considered an efficient way to commit character suicide for individuals who have ambitions to appeal to the bulk of the masses in this early stage of the European civil war. On the other hand, if you’re Arab, Pashtun, Kurd, Pakistani, Japanese, South Korean or belong to any other non-European tribe then it’s a completely different matter. Then it’s all about showing cultural tolerance and respecting their customs. But if you’re a European and say the same thing, God forbid, then you’re a monster. This double standard effectively shows us the anti-European nature of multiculturalism. A large amount of the current multiculturalist elites in the EU/US, the category A and B traitors specifically, are focused on the destruction of European culture, Christendom, European identity and there is not a more efficient way of destroying the core of everything European than facilitating the gradual deconstruction of the European ethnic groups. The norm and practice for adopting non-European babies has more or less been institutionalised, bio-laws have been restricted, mass non-European immigration has been encouraged along with allowing and even subsidising the non-European explosive birth rates. The sum of these deliberate genocidal practices when mixed with Marxist procreation policies (feminism) is equal to the demographical annihilation of European ethnic groups if they are allowed to continue.

*****

The great Satan, his cult and the Jews

Whenever someone asks if I am a national socialist I am deeply offended. If there is one historical figure and past Germanic leader I hate it is Adolf Hitler. If I could travel in a time-machine to Berlin in 1933, I would be the first person to go – with the purpose of killing him. Why? No person has ever committed a more horrible crime against his tribe than Hitler. Because of him, the Germanic tribes are dying and MAY be completely wiped out unless we manage to win within 20-70 years. Thanks to his insane campaign and the subsequent genocide of the 6 million Jews, multiculturalism, the anti-European hate ideology was created. Multiculturalism would have never been implemented in Europe if ithadn’t been for NSDAPs reckless and unforgivable actions. Eastern Europe would have remained free, the US and Russia would never have risen up as super-powers. The balance of power would have remained in Europe. And it would be a beautiful Europe with beautiful cultural conservative policies – very similar to the ones you now find in Japan and South Korea. Hitler almost destroyed everything with his reckless and unforgivable actions and he will forever be known as a traitor to the Nordic-Germanic tribes.

*****

3.153 Interview with a Justiciar Knight Commander of the PCCTS, Knights
Templar

The following interview was conducted over three sessions. It might be considered irrelevant to many people. However, I decided to add it as I personally would enjoy reading a similar interview with another resistance fighter. The interview covers politics, society and the struggle: the Western European civil war, the PCCTS, Knights Templar and other armed pan-European and National Resistance movements. It also covers personal reflectations and information. ...

Q: If you were to coin a word for the ideology or movement you represent, what
would it be?

A: Cultural conservatism or a nationalist/conservative direction known as the Vienna school of thought. As for the political movement; I would describe it as a National Resistance Movement, an Indigenous Rights Movement or perhaps a Conservative Revolutionary Movement. Justiciar Knights are not an ideologically homogenous group. Many Justiciar Knight Commanders would probably reject some of my personal views as I would with theirs. Some are deeply Christian while some are Christian agnostics or even atheists. Some are individualists while others not so much so, some puritans. The primary factors that unites us is that we are all nationalists, anti-Marxist, anti-Islam(isation), we support indigenous rights and we are revolutionary, willing to martyr ourselves.

Lawyer's Statement From Anders Behring Breivik

At Reuters:

In his first comment via a lawyer since his arrest, Anders Behring Breivik, 32, said he wanted to explain himself at a court hearing on Monday about extending his custody.

"He has said that he believed the actions were atrocious, but that in his head they were necessary," Geir Lippestad said.

The lawyer said Breivik had admitted to Friday's shootings at a Labour party youth camp and the bombing that killed seven people in Oslo's government district a few hours earlier.

However, "he feels that what he has done does not deserve punishment," Lippestad told NRK public television.

"What he has said is that he wants a change in society and in his understanding, in his head, there must be a revolution."

Added: From New York Times, "Police Say Oslo Suspect Admits ‘Facts’ in Massacre" (via Memeorandum).

Booman Tribune Endorses Norway Massacre in Demands for Economic Redistribution

This is a really convoluted take on the diabolical massacre mounted by the fundamentally crazed criminal madman Anders Behring Breivik.

See Booman Tribune, "Remembering History." There's a discussion of the rise of fascism in the twenties and thirties, then Booman shifts over to a psychotic rationalization for the violence, and suggests the left may adopt the same murderous tactics if the rich don't relinquish their wealth:

The horrible tragedy in Norway appears to have been carried out by one man. But his political beliefs are widespread and can lead quite naturally, and almost logically, to murder or even genocide. Similarly unrestrained reactions from the left can lead to violence against elites or even, in their view, confiscatory tax policies.

Rich people would be well served to remember that people will not stand by while they're living the high life if they have no jobs and are losing their homes. Our people are pretty well hypnotized by our televisions, so complacency has worked in our elites' favor even during this economic recession. But there is a snapping point. Like popcorn, at first it's just one or two kernels exploding. But the first kernels to pop are a precursor of what's to come.

Rather than grabbing their wallets, they ought to, you know, spread the wealth around. We'd all be better off in the long run.

This is frankly deranged.

I'm currently reading Anders Behring Breivik 1,500-page manifesto. I'm about a third of the way though, but Breivik's comments on capitalism are so far culturally anti-globalist and anti-transnational. Yet, Breivik's also fairly libertarian on markets (but still reading, so we'll see). But most of all is the fanatical hatred of progressivism and multiculturalism. There's literally nothing so far I've read that would lend itself to conclusions Booman's making. Folks can interpret this as they wish. The Norway murders were simply those of a criminal mastermind who'd had it with Europe's long march to multiculturalism. I'm seeing little similarities to the kind of economic disillusionment that gave rise to the specific ideological extremism in post-WWI Germany, or to European fascism in general. Breivik's responding to developments in post-WWII cultural Marxism. So while the Norway killer attacks leftism and identifies as culturally conservative, it's not the case of a coherent ideological program of Nazi-derived Aryanism or a more general tendency to brown-shirt politics. No doubt there are fine lines, but if someone leaned one way or the other reading this, it'd unlikely be toward the kind of command totalitarianism Booman champions. The dude (Booman) is sick.

PREVIOUSLY: "Anders Behring Breivik — No Clear Ideological Program." AND: "Just Awful: Progressives Ecstatic Over Anders Behring Breivik Alleged Ties to Right-Wing Extremism."

Key Quotes From Anders Behring Breivik's 1500-Page Manifesto

At Telegraph UK, "Norway shooting: quotes from Anders Behring Breivik's online manifesto":

"However, since I manifest their worst nightmare (systematical and organized executions of multiculturalist traitors), they will probably just give me the full propaganda rape package and propagate the following accusations: pedophile, engaged in incest activities, homosexual, psycho, ADHD, thief, non-educated, inbred, maniac, insane, monster etc. I will be labeled as the biggest (Nazi-)monster ever witnessed since WW2."

Also at Document.no, "Behring Breivik Copies From Unibomber" (in English and Norwegian).

PREVIOUSLY: "Anders Behring Breivik — No Clear Ideological Program." AND: "Just Awful: Progressives Ecstatic Over Anders Behring Breivik Alleged Ties to Right-Wing Extremism."

Amy Winehouse Sadly Joins 'The 27 Club'

London's Daily Mail has a exceptional report on the death of Amy Winehouse, "Tragic Amy Winehouse 'heartbroken' over split from Reg Traviss as she dies aged 27." (And at Memeorandum.)

Troubled singer Amy Winehouse died yesterday of a suspected drug overdose at her London home.

The 27-year-old star, who had fought a long and well-publicised battle with drink and drug addiction, was pronounced dead after police were called to her £2.5 million three-storey home in North London.

Her untimely death follows a long list of musicians who have all died at the age of 27, known as the 27 Club. They include rock legends Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain and Rolling Stone Brian Jones.

Amy was said to be devastated and ‘inconsolable’ after being dumped by her on-off boyfriend Reg Traviss, 34, just before she checked herself into The Priory rehabilitation clinic last month.

There's speculation that she killed herself: "Amy Winehouse Death a Suicide?"

But see the appreciation at New York Times, "For Winehouse, Life Was Messier Than Music."

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

#FuckYouWashington

From Hadear Kandil's Twitter stream, pure anti-American hatred:

She needs to GTF back to Cairo, loser Tahrir camel-smelling wench. Geez. By now I shouldn't be, but I'm still blown away sometimes by the freak-show progressive internationalists who hate the U.S. but stay here nevertheless, blathering about how horrible it is, all the while bringing down the quality of this great nation. These people are freakin' stupid. They suck. Stupid and diabolical. Go home freak-nut commies. You're not welcomed.

Retweeted by Leah McElrath, the fifth-column hater-commie who got called out for spreading progressive propaganda.

A bunch of losers, total ASFL.

Kate Upton — Next Big Thing

Well, I could've told 'em that.

At New York Daily News, "Kate Upton brings classic, voluptuous femininity back to fashion."

She's fabulous.

Bill Maher and Sexism

Steven Crowder (via The Blog Prof):

Anders Behring Breivik — No Clear Ideological Program

I linked previously to the New York Times's report: "Right-Wing Extremist Charged in Norway." The Times altered the headline at the newspaper's website, "Christian Extremist Charged in Norway" (and Memeorandum, at 7:50pm, had "Death Toll Rises to 92 in Norway Attacks"). And now it's altered it again, "Oslo Suspect Wrote of Fear of Islam and Plan for War." The Old Gray Lady is notorious for altering its news reporting, without citing changes, in furtherance of its progressive political agenda, so that's a glimpse on the witch hunt reporting that we're already seeing. FWIW, here's this from the introduction at the report:

OSLO, Norway — The Norwegian man charged Saturday with a pair of attacks in Oslo that killed at least 92 people left behind a detailed manifesto outlining his preparations and calling for a Christian civil war to defend Europe against the threat of Muslim domination, according to Norwegian and American officials familiar with the investigation.

Also, the Wall Street Journal has this, "Suspect Identified With Far Right." After a boilerplate lede, the report indicates:

While Oslo police have remained largely silent about Mr. Breivik's possible motives and background, the 32-year-old described himself on a now-shut down Facebook page as a Christian conservative with hobbies in hunting and body-building. He also had at one time been a member of the youth movement of the Norwegian Progress Party, which is widely considered as a right-wing populist party.

Populist parties are generally oriented toward elite opposition and economic injustice. Outright racist appeals are generally secondary or a function of economic dislocation. And in the European context "far-right" parties conjure images of the Nazis or the French National Front under Jean-Marie Le Pen. And for that matter, Norway's Progress Party has been shifting toward a moderate neo-liberal economic program for over a decade, attempting to downplay party schisms over immigration. So for all the media reporting, it's not definitely accurate to cite Behring Breivik as a "right wing extremist." He doesn't evince a coherent or systemic ideological program. I've read through portions of his Internet postings, translated from Norwegian. See: "This is a complete list of comments Anders Behring Breivik has left at Document.no." Positions that would normally be considered extreme right wing, especially in the traditional European context, aren't in evidence:

Anyway, we are not in a position where we can pick and choose our partners. That's why we have to ensure that we influence other culturally conservatives to take our anti-racist pro-homosexual, pro-Israeli line of thought. When this direction has been taken we can take it to the next level.

That's interesting, especially the anti-racist and pro-gay statements, and of course historic European right-wing ideologies were implacably anti-Semitic. And get this, at Telegraph UK:

Eyewitness reports from the island of Utoya, where the shootings took place, have also described a tall, blond haired, blue-eyed Norwegian man dressed as a police officer.

On the Facebook page attributed to him, Mr Breivik describes himself as a Christian and a conservative. It listed his interests as hunting, body building and freemasonry. His profile also listed him as single. The page has since been taken down.

The odd point is Behring Breivik's identification with freemasonry, which would contradict the media claims of him being at Christian zealot. New York Daily News also stresses freemasonry, "Who is Anders Behring Breivik? Norway shooting suspect's profile emerges."

All in all, most media reporting is lazy and incoherent. And to top it off, James Alan Fox, a criminology professor at Northeastern University, identifies Behring Breivik as a clinical mass murderer rather than an ideological terrorist. See, "Norway massacre fits the mold":

As details surface in the days and weeks ahead about Friday's massacre in Norway and about Anders Behring Breivik, the man believed to have perpetrated the bloodbath, we will hopefully be able to make some sense of what now seems so unfathomable. However, even with the sketchy information uncovered in the immediate aftermath of the shooting/bombing, the crime and the accused fit the mass murder mold in many respects. ...

Mass murderers do not typically see themselves as criminal, but instead as the victim of injustice. They often consider themselves as a heroic champion for right over wrong and their crimes as absolutely justified.

RTWT.

In sum, while no doubt Anders Behring Breivik dabbled in conservative politics and social movements, it's not the case that he had a clear cut ideological agenda. He identified as culturally conservative, but he did not attach his beliefs to classic racial supremacy theories or historic anti-Jewish movements of genocidal purity ("right-wing" by definition). He combined a frustration with the growth of Norway's multiculturalism with what would normally be seen as tolerance toward social and religious minorities. The latter points are tendencies that are championed by progressives. For Behring Breivik to exhibit these things, along with expressions of freemason beliefs, and a "hatred" of the modern institutional church, indicates a more complex pyschological profile than MSM outlets have portrayed. We saw a similar pattern of conclusion-jumping almost immediately upon the Jared Loughner shooting in Tuscon early this year.

RELATED: See the interesting discussion from Dana Loesch, at Big Journalism, "A Quick Lesson for Media on the Definition of “Right Wing”."

Also, from Mike McNally at Pajamas Media, "Can the Left Resist the Temptation to Exploit the Norway Attacks?"

Just Awful: Progressives Ecstatic Over Anders Behring Breivik Alleged Ties to Right-Wing Extremism

I had a brief Twitter exchange yesterday with Ruwayda Mustafah and Hena Zuberi. As information on Oslo's terrorism was still coming in --- and reports were going back and forth over a possible Islamist connection --- Mustafah tweeted: "@HenaZuberi @hindhassanmany Oh so there's still hope for bigots?" That's a dead link to @hindhassanmany, but Hena Zuberi was also going on about how bigoted it was to even consider Islamist jihad as the movement behind yesterday's attacks.

And now here's progressive Leah McElrath on Twitter, cheering a New York Times report that links to a video manifesto credited to Anders Behring Breivik, which as later uploaded to YouTube. And notice McElrath's good night tweet:

Well, that actually wasn't McElrath's last tweet. She took time to block JoannaOC in Minneapolis, who called her out for distributing progressive propaganda. McElrath gets angry for being called out, and claims she's saving lives. JoannaOC is trying to focus on the miracle of life and God's grace of survival. Leah McElrath is spreading left-wing propaganda and hate.

In any case, here's the main story at New York Times, "Right-Wing Extremist Charged in Norway" (via Memeorandum). Also trending today is James Fallows' attack on Jennifer Rubin, "The Washington Post Owes the World an Apology for this Item."

Michelle Malkin responds, "No, James Fallows, the Washington Post doesn’t owe “the world” an apology":

The death toll has risen to a staggering 90-plus in the Norway massacre.

It is evil in its most unfathomable depths. There are now reports of a possible second gunman/accomplice, according to CBS News and VOA. Howie at the Jawa Report says it well: “As a Christian I have to say I condemn his actions in the strongest terms. In fact the only praise I’ve seen of the attacks were not by Christians. This is cold blooded murder and no true follower of Christ could do such a thing. We pray for the victims, their families and for those who are injured to recover.” Here is a beautiful prayer for the people of Norway.

Here in America, many on the Left have reserved their greatest outrage not for the perpetrators of the crime, but for conservatives who — like many counterterrorism watchers and mainstream media outlets around the world — initially raised the entirely reasonable possibility that the gunman was a jihadist and who pointed to recent, specific death threats and plots against Norway and Norwegian government officials by Islamic militant groups and individuals.

Those initial assessments were wrong. I was wrong. As I noted yesterday and will reiterate again today for the reading comprehension-challenged:

…the context and timing most definitely suggested jihad and there should be no apology for reading the signs and connecting several large, obvious dots.

Unlike those who speculated that the Giffords’ shooter was a Tea Party activist and held onto the assumption even after it was disproved, I will not continue to insist that jihadists bear blame for this heinous attack if it turns out they played no role.

I will continue to be vigilant in thoroughly covering the global jihadist threat — and in condemning this heinous attack in Norway whoever is responsible.
Prayers for all the innocents. Standing with Norway.

Over at the Washington Post, Jennifer Rubin yesterday afternoon published a blog post mentioning some of the same information I brought to light yesterday morning as the news of the terrifying attacks broke — namely, that bloodthirsty Norwegian-based Muslim cleric Mullah Krekar was founder of Ansar Al-Islam and that jihadists have implanted themselves in every corner of the globe. She goes on to argue for continued, vigilant war against the global jihadists who remain at centuries-old, systemic war with us.

Atlantic editor James Fallows — in a prominent rant — is now clamoring for the Post to “apologize to the world” for Rubin’s post and fumes that the post has not been updated. There may be any number of reasons for her not updating yet and being offline — family obligations, Sabbath, etc. I’m pretty sure the reason is NOT that she’s purposely ignoring or misleading her readers or intentionally insulting/smearing “the world,” as Fallows seems to suggest. (In a similar meme, Twitter libs somehow have accused me of “falling silent” about the Norway horror despite the constant updating of my blog post throughout the day and night, in addition to day-and-night-long tweets as news developed.)

Check Michelle's blog for all the links. I wanted to quote at length. I linked yesterday to Jawa Report and The Other McCain, both of whom continued updating with reports on where the evidence was leading. In contrast, people like Charles Johnson used the attacks to score points on political enemies, posting a series of blogs attacking Pamela Geller and other counter-jihad bloggers, alleging their responsibility for terrorism in Norway. In fact, Anders Behring Breivik had no clear ideological agenda, and didn't appear to be an ideological or religious extremist.

I'll update with more, but I want to reiterate one of Michelle's key points:

Unlike those who speculated that the Giffords’ shooter was a Tea Party activist and held onto the assumption even after it was disproved, I will not continue to insist that jihadists bear blame for this heinous attack if it turns out they played no role.

I will continue to be vigilant in thoroughly covering the global jihadist threat — and in condemning this heinous attack in Norway whoever is responsible.

And that's the vital difference. Conservatives are anti-terror, no matter the source. Progressives are anti-conservative and turn a blind eye to terrorism unless it comes from the right.

That's evil and gets more people killed.

Amy Winehouse, 1983 – 2011

I got a sharp hit to the stomach upon seeing the news, at Bob Belvedere's, "NO SURPRISE: Amy Winehouse Found Dead – Overdose Suspected," and following the link there to Joy McCann, "Amy Winehouse Found Dead in Her London Flat."

I wasn't the biggest fan, but her substance abuse was troubling to me. A beautiful and talented woman, now lost to a blues singers' ugly death.

See New York Times, "Amy Winehouse, British Soul Singer With a Destructive Image, Dies at 27":

Amy Winehouse, the British singer who found worldwide fame with a smoky, hip-hop-inflected take on retro soul, yet became a tabloid fixture as her struggles with drugs and alcohol brought about a striking public career collapse, was found dead in her home in London on Saturday. She was 27.

The cause was not immediately known. The London police said that they had been called to an address in Camden Square in northern London on Saturday afternoon and found a 27-year-old woman, who had been pronounced dead at the scene. The police did not identify the body, but according to a report by The Associated Press, the London Ambulance Service said it was Ms. Winehouse.

The police said that they were investigating the circumstances of the death, but that “at this early stage it is being treated as unexplained.”

Ms. Winehouse’s American record label, Universal Republic, said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened at the sudden loss of such a gifted musician, artist and performer. Our prayers go out to Amy’s family, friends and fans at this difficult time.”

Instantly recognizable from the heavy makeup and high beehive hairdo she borrowed from the Ronettes, Ms. Winehouse became one of the most acclaimed young singers of the 2000s, selling millions of albums, winning five Grammy Awards and kicking off the British trend of retro soul and R&B that continues today.

Yet from the moment she arrived on the international pop scene in 2007, Ms. Winehouse had an image that seemed almost defiantly self-destructive. In songs like “You Know I’m No Good,” she sang alcohol-soaked regrets of failed romances, and for many listeners the lyrics to the song “Rehab” — which won her three of the five Grammys she took in 2008 — crystallized her public persona. “They tried to make me go to rehab,” she sang, “I said, ‘No, no, no.’ ”

I'll have more later. Fausta blogs Winehouse as well.

Added: Now a Memeorandum thread.

Lessons in Handling Plagiarism From Professor Panagiotis Ipeirotis

I had a nightmare class at UCSB in 1999, the second lecture class I taught as in independent instructor. It was a Black Politics class. I had a running battle with radical students throughout the quarter. I even had one dude pull me aside to say, "Hey, man, this is how you teach the class." I wasn't down hard enough on the Man, apparently. This dude, and some of his allies, wanted a course in victimology and racial recrimination. And I was doing straight civil rights developments and the political science of voting rights and redistricting. It started to be a nightmare. Students complained to the department that I graded their midterms "too hard." It was a big learning experience. And the final exam was the kicker. I caught a couple of black women cheating. They were passing their exam sheets back and forth with notes they'd written while writing their essays. They had arrows and diagrams tracing arguments. It was involved. When one of them turned in the exam I asked for the question sheet and she wasn't about to give it to me. I was like hello? This is what you do. So she reluctantly gave to me and later I turned the students over to the vice chair of the department. Within a couple of days I was called into the chair's office, Professor Lorraine McDonnell, who no one liked, and who had a reputation, basically, of piggy-backing off her husband, Professor M. Stephen Weatherford, a nice guy and sought-after research "quant" (a numbers and methods guy who sharpened research knives, which is hip in political science, a field that remains envious of the economics discipline for its much more formal and recognized academic rigor). Professor McDonnell threw me under the bus. (I ended up assigning grades to all students and being done with that class, and I moved on after that semester to teach at Fresno State.)

Anyway, check this piece at Inside Higher Ed, "Who Is Punished for Plagiarism?" (via Glenn Reynolds):

Panagiotis G. Ipeirotis has taken down the controversial blog post, but the debate is raging on without the original material.

Ipeirotis, a computer scientist who teaches at New York University's Stern School of Business, wrote a post on his blog last week called "Why I will never pursue cheating again." In it, he told the story of how he found that about 20 percent of a 100-person class had plagiarized -- and described the fallout from his accusations. While Turnitin led to his initial suspicions, and gave clear evidence for some of the students, it only cast doubts on other students. Many of them confessed only when Ipeirotis told the class that if he didn't hear from those who had cheated, he would report the incident immediately -- whereas in the end he included in his report the information that students had admitted what they had done.

So why does Ipeirotis consider the experience a failure? His students became antagonistic, he wrote on the blog post, and gave him lower teaching evaluations than he had ever received before. And those poor teaching evaluations were cited in a review that resulted in the smallest raise he had ever received.

Keep reading.

Ipeirotis' post is taken down temporarily. But Ruan YiFeng's Blog has excerpts. I like this:

“The process of discussing all the detected cases was not only painful, it was extremely time consuming as well.

Students would come to my office and deny everything. Then I would present them the evidence. They would soften but continue to deny it. Only when I was saying “enough, I will just give the case to the honorary council who will decide” most students were admitting wrongdoing. But every case was at least 2 hours of wasted time.

With 22 cases, that was a lot of time devoted to cheating: More than 45 hours in completely unproductive discussions, when the total lecture time for the course was just 32 hours. This is simply too much time.”

Students, in general, are inveterate liars when it comes to grades and classroom performance. I'd need more information, but this sounds like Ipeirotis' crucible from the trenches. You can't be an excellent teacher without failing a few times. And in this case there was something wrong, very wrong, with the course design. Exams and paper assignments have to be designed to prevent cheating. If he's doing research papers, there's got to be a way to create a project that students can't easily off load from the web. I still catch about one student plagiarizing a paper every year in World Politics, and usually a couple in American Government. And technically, you can't just fail them without due process. And to provide due process requires a formal administrative review and possibly hearing, and most professors don't even grasp the legal significance of the process. Since I've been a "traditional" professor on the issues, I had some experience dealing with problems at my college and soon I ended up leading a couple of workshops on academic discipline. It's the same stories over and over again. A lot of things you hear are just like what Professor Ipeirotis recounts. And that's why each professor has to develop an assignment regime that makes cheating hard, but they've also got to be ready to uphold standards. For the most part, my college today backs professors. Maybe students at community college aren't as powerful --- or their parents have less resources --- as students at competitive universities, but it pays to lay the administrative groundwork for upholding policies inside the classroom. Without that backing, teaching, inevitably, will be no fun.

Obama Slams Republicans in Debt Ceiling Press Conference

It's bluster, from the Bumbler-in-Chief.

At LAT, "Obama scolds GOP as debt talks break down: 'Where's the leadership?'":

In an unusual display of emotion, President Obama angrily responded to House Speaker John A. Boehner's abrupt withdrawal from talks on a debt ceiling increase, and summoned congressional leaders to the White House on Saturday for emergency talks to plot a new course before the Aug. 2 deadline.

"We have run out of time," the president said in a hastily-called news briefing, just moments after Boehner informed him of his decision.

On Thursday, Obama and Boehner appeared to be closing in on a deal that would have raised the debt ceiling through 2013, combined with spending cuts and entitlement reforms to achieve $3 trillion in deficit reduction.

But talks apparently broke down in a dispute over taxes. Obama, prodded by Democrats, insisted that any deal include new revenues in addition to spending cuts.

"This was an extraordinarily fair deal. If it was unbalanced, it was unbalanced in the direction of not enough revenue," Obama said. "It is hard to understand why Speaker Boehner would walk away from this kind of deal."

Not hard, actually. See Jennifer Rubin, "Boehner runs laps around Obama, again":

He’s been ridiculed by the media. Liberal spinners say he has lost control over the Tea Party. But in fact the Speaker of the House Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) had a plan, stuck to it, and is likely to get much of what he wants.

In a remarkable press conference revealed that he had a deal with the White House on large debt reduction and $800 billion in additional revenue to be achieved through tax reform and enhanced enforcement. Boehner brought out his “Jell-O” analogy once again to describe the White House. He said bluntly, “It’s the president who walked away from his agreement and demanded more money at the last minute.”

Boehner is the composed “adult in the room” now. He, excuse the expression, called the president’s bluff — a viable deal with no tax hikes and Obama blinked (or sloshed in the other direction, to follow the Jell-O imagery).

All of this followed Obama’s appearance in which he angrily accused Boehner of walking away from the deal. (According to Boehner, Obama upped the revenue figure at the last moment.)

Los Angeles Times Soft-Peddles Voter Unease With Democrats' Budget in California

At the Los Angeles Times, "California voters see some bright spots in grim budget":

Reporting from Sacramento — The budget approved by Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers last month was largely distasteful to voters, a new poll shows, but many felt the process went more smoothly than in past years, when political paralysis gripped the Capitol and left the state starved for cash.

The element of the spending plan that most troubled Californians was the threat of steep cuts in education. In addition, about half opposed reductions made in healthcare and other services, and more than half viewed the budget as unfair.

But the poll suggested surprisingly strong support for higher vehicle fees and a new fire levy, both of which are included in the plan. Voters were about evenly divided on paying sales tax when buying from online retailers such as Amazon.com — one of the budget's most controversial provisions that now appears headed for a statewide referendum.

Continue reading.

But also read the poll's internal data. The Times' report glosses over some key details. A plurality of 43 percent "oppose the state budget recently passed by the state legislature and Jerry Brown ..." And after a series of specific questions on the content of the budget, a plurality of 47 percent opposed "the state budget recently passed by the state legislature and Jerry Brown..." The more you know the worse it gets. Figures. And the budgeting was based on future anticipated revenues, which could be a gimmick. And a plurality of 44 percent of voters thought it was wrong to "force deeper cuts down the road." And exactly 50 percent of those polled favored cutting state subsidies to local governments, even after they'd been read this long lead-in to the question item:

Now let me read you a pair of statements that some people may make about the measure to eliminate local government subsidies provided to companies that build businesses and conduct other projects in blighted or run-down areas.

Supporters of this measure say that eliminating the subsidies would save the state 1.7 billion dollars. They say these subsidies have often been misused for projects in areas that don't need it, and the money would be better used to help balance the budget.

Opponents of this measure say that eliminating the subsidies would cost the state thousands of jobs. They say these subsidies are crucial to creating jobs and revitalizing neighborhoods, and now is not the time to make cuts that will prevent getting the economy back on track.

The prompt is framed as if subsidies are a good thing, with only the $1.7 billion in savings discussed at the middle of the paragraph. Still, half of those polled thought cutting subsidies was a good thing. There's more at the raw data file. If anticipated revenues fall short voters won't support deeper cuts to education. And voter support for the Amazon tax is tentative. It's going to be an important referendum campaign, apparently in 2012.

Kenneth Turan Movie Review: 'Captain America: The First Avenger'

At Los Angeles Times.

I'll probably take my youngest boy to see it today:

Afterburner with Bill Whittle: 'SHOOTER ONE-THREE'

Bill Whittle's a good man. And this is an excellent clip (via Instapundit):

NewsBusted: 'Many in media trying to portray Obama as a centrist'

Via Theo Spark:

Glenn Beck Visits Ma'ale HaZeitim

Beck meets with Yishai Fleisher:

Norway Youth Camp Death Toll: At Least 80 Killed

At NYT, "At Least 80 Are Dead in Norway Shooting."

And here's Judy Woodruff's report from this evening's PBS NewsHour. Finn Hagensen, in Oslo, indicates that the death toll could top 100 from the initial bomb attack in Oslo:

And at WSJ, "Terror in Oslo":

At our first deadline reports indicated that the attacks were the work of a jihadist group. Later in the evening evidence emerged that a suspect in the shooting attack on a youth camp was an ethnic Norwegian with no previously known ties to Islamist groups. Coordinated terrorist attacks are an al Qaeda signature. But copycats with different agendas are surely capable of duplicating its methods.

Whatever the case, the attacks demonstrate that Norway is no more immune than any other country to such atrocities, no matter what its foreign or domestic policies may be. If this does prove to be the work of Islamists, it will be noted that neither Norway's opposition to the war in Iraq nor its considerable financial and political support for the Palestinians spared it from attack.

In its hour of grief, we're confident that Norway, like other free societies beset by terror, will respond with conviction, courage and resilience.

Obama Losing Support From Progressives and Socialists

I have CNN on today. And I caught this Wolf Blitzer interview with Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. And at the introduction is Communist Reconquista 'MEChA Boy' Representative Raul Grijalva, cited as one of the "liberals" who disagree with Obama over entitlement reform. "Liberals." Right. Love that. Not.

And cited at the clip is CNN's new survey, "CNN Poll: Drop in liberal support pushes Obama approval rating down."

RELATED: At The Hill, "Obama blasts GOP, Boehner on debt: ‘We have run out of time’." (At Memorandum.)

Update: Linked at Right Klik. Thanks!

Anders Behring Breivik — Suspect in Norwegian Terror Attacks

There's a report at Britain's Sky News, "Norway Camp Shooting: 'As Many As 30 Dead'."

And Montse Gimferrer on Twitter links to Anders Behring Breivik on Twitter, and an identical message at a "Bild" feed.

Updates forthcoming ...

522pm PST: Okay, more at Sky News, "Suspect Held After Twin Attack In Norway."

Also, Bruce Bawer at Pajamas Media, "Norway’s Oklahoma City, or Its 9/11?"

6:55pm PST: London's Daily Mail has this, "Police dismiss initial fears Norwegian terror attacks were work of Islamist organisations." (At Memeorandum.)

Norway Island Youth Camp Massacre

An update to my previous report: "VIDEO: Terrorist Attack in Oslo, Norway."

The youth camp killings are tied to the bombings. See CSM, "Norway attacks: Details emerge about Utoya camp shooting."

Stockholm and Berlin - Norwegian Police confirmed the massive bombing in downtown Oslo this afternoon is linked to a shooting at a political youth camp west of the capital, though authorities declined to speculate on who was behind the attacks or what their motives might have been.

And the right wing angle at Telegraph UK, "Norway: dozens killed as terror attacks rock Oslo and youth camp."

At London's Daily Mail, "Blond Norwegian, 32, arrested over 'holiday island massacre' is linked to Oslo bomb blasts":

Police have linked the 32-year-old Norwegian man arrested for gunning down children on the holiday island of Utoya to the bomb blasts in Oslo.

Described as 6ft tall and blond, he is reported to have arrived on the island of Utoyah and opened fire after beckoning several young people over in his native Norwegian tongue.

Reports suggest he was seen loitering around the site of the bomb blast in Oslo two hours before the island incident - and minute[s] before the explosion.

More than 30 are believed to have been killed - seven in Oslo and between 25 to 30 on Utoya Island, 50 miles north of the capital.

It is not yet known what his motives were - whether he has been radicalised and was part of a militant Muslim group waging Jihad or was alternatively trying to further a home-grown political cause.

Also at Daily Mail, "MASSACRE AT KIDS' CAMP: More than 30 feared dead as terrorist opens fire at Norwegian summer camp and car bomb devastates Oslo."

Check Jawa Report for a huge live blog.

And expect updates ...

Bristol Palin: Fast Track to Adulthood, 'That's Not How I Pictured Losing My Virginity'

An intense interview with Dr. Drew Pinksy, at CNN.

She says that sex with Levi Johnston "wasn't rape," and then continues to discuss the emotional trauma of her first time:

Are Men Obsessed With Women's Breasts?

Okay, I'll be out for a little while.

So, to tide folks over, at Viral Footage, "A Stupid Question From MSNBC “Are Men Obsessed With Women’s Breasts?” [VIDEO]"

Plus, lots of good stuff at Linkiest.

And at Pirate's Cove, "If All You See…is an evil dog whose carbon footprint is bigger than a car’s, you might just be a Warmist."

And a Contessa Brewer flashback, "MSNBC's Brewer Displays Cleavage While Mocking Men Who Stare At Cleavage":

Man, progressives are all screwed up on their sexuality!!

Breaking! Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize-Winning Economist, Cites Blogger Amanda Marcotte as Expert on GOP Craziness!

This one is for the history books.

See "Conceder In Chief" (via Memeorandum):

Amanda Marcotte is right: of course the big problem is the craziness of the GOP. That said, I am among those in a state of suppressed rage and panic over the president’s negotiating strategy.

Keep reading. Krugman's a perfect netroots blogger who just happens to be one of the world's foremost academic economists. And links to Amanda Marcotte are good for your progressive creds!

Geez, that reminds me! Maybe this will trigger an update from R.S. McCain. See: "The Beast of Babylon Wears Bangs: Amanda Marcotte’s ‘Pure Feminist Evil’."

VIDEO: Terrorist Attack in Oslo, Norway

A report at New York Times, "Big Blasts at Government Buildings in Oslo; 1 Dead."

And Michelle has a big report, "Terror blast in Oslo – “massive vehicle bomb;” Update: Norway had taken action against jihadi cleric who threatened to kill politicians."

Added: At The Other McCain, "BREAKING: Explosions Blast Government Buildings in Norway; Terrorism Suspected UPDATE: Video Shows Damage in Oslo UPDATE: Two Explosions, ABC Says."

Also video at BBC, "Oslo: Bomb blast near Norway prime minister's office."

9:35am PST: A Memeorandum thread is here.

11:00am PST: At Pajamas Media, "First hints of Islamic connection in Oslo attack." And at Outside the Beltway, "Oslo Bomb Blast and Shooting Spree: Al Qaeda Suspected."

11:30am PST: Another video:

And at Astute Bloggers, "OSLO JIHADTERROR? UPDATE: 7 DEAD; BLAST FOLLOWED BY SHOOTING ATTACK NORTH OF OSLO."

Courtney Messerschmidt Gets Results!

I'm proud to announce that my neoconservative protégée continues her rocket launch into foreign policy prominence.

Carl Prine interviews Courtney, a.k.a. GSGF, at Line of Departure, "A Woman for All Reasons."

And the interview's starting to go viral, at Daily Dish, "FoReIgN PoLicY thEOry."

Yosemite Waterfall Deaths

The Los Angeles Times recently ran a piece on the surging Central Valley rivers, "Central Valley rivers are flowing stronger, faster, more fatally."

I used to live up in Fresno, so a lot of the names and places are familiar. And now there's dramatic news, of three presumed dead at Yosemite, after hikers ignored warnings.

See Los Angeles Times, "Witness tells of horror as 3 swept over Vernal Fall in Yosemite":

The three were members of a group of 12 from a Central Valley church that had hiked to the top of the waterfall, said Yosemite spokesman Scott Gediman.

Ignoring posted signs and repeated warnings, they had climbed over the metal-bar barricade to get in the Merced River about 25 feet from the edge of the falls.

As Gediman recounted what happened, it was a chain reaction. First one person was swept away, then a second one tried to rescue that person and then a third tried to save the other two. All three were swept over the waterfall.

They were identified as Ramina Badal, 21, of Manteca; Homiz David, 22, of Modesto; and Ninos Yacoub, 27, of Turlock.

Witnesses immediately called rangers, and search-and-rescue teams canvassed the waters downstream Tuesday. They were back out at first light Wednesday to continue the search, but by late morning park officials said they believed the three were dead.

Also, "Search for 3 people missing in Yosemite is hampered by raging river."

Plus, at Christian Science Monitor, "Yosemite waterfall accident a cautionary tale for Yosemite visitors."

Republicans Have a Shot at Winning the Youth Vote

According to Marget Hoover, at Wall Street Journal, "How the GOP Can Win Young Voters":

As the Republican field jockeys for position in the 2012 presidential primaries, it is no surprise to hear the candidates trying to bolster their authority by invoking the name of Ronald Reagan. Yet one critical demographic group will not automatically respond to Reagan's name: Young voters of the millennial generation, so named because they are the first to come of age in the new millennium.

The oldest members of this generation were just 8 years old when Reagan left office, so Republican candidates can't assume that invoking his name will win them over. But the eventual Republican nominee should strive to emulate the Gipper by finding a way to connect conservatism to this rising generation of voters.

Reagan brought an entire generation to the Republican Party in 1980, and in 1984 he won the youth vote by 20%. The GOP needs this kind of revolution again if it hopes to recapture the White House and create a sustained majority.

RTWT.

I think she makes a good case. And youth recruitment should be toward conservative values more generally, which are under assault by the armies of progressive pop culture nihilism.

And Hoover, who is the great-granddaugher of former President Herbert Hoover, has a new book out, which makes the case for capturing young people for the right: American Individualism: How a New Generation of Conservatives Can Save the Republican Party.

Congressman Allen West: No Apology for Little Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Video via Nice Deb:

And see Miami Herald, "Wasserman Schultz and Allen West's feud is political and personal.

RELATED: At Houston Chronicle, "Black Activists Slam Rep. Wasserman Schultz’s Targeted Attack on Black Colleague."

Bikini Beach Party Roundup

Well, time for a little Friday bikini blogging, honoring Rule 5.

Bob Belvedere will get your motors revving: "A Little Hump Day Rule 5: Marianne Gravatte."

Don't miss Randy's Roundtable, "Thursday Nite Tart - Lisa Marie Scott."

More, at American Perspective, Maggie's Notebook and Zilla of the Resistance.

Plus: Astute Bloggers, Blazing Cat Fur, Bob Belvedere, CSPT, Dan Collins, Doug Ross, Gator Doug, Irish Cicero, Left Coast Rebel, Mind-Numbed Robot, Legal Insurrection, Lonely Conservative, PA Pundits International, PACNW Righty, Pirate's Cove, Proof Positive, Saberpoint, Snooper, WyBlog, The Western Experience, and Zion's Trumpet.

And my friends Marathon Pundit and Marooned in Marin.

And check out Eye of Polyphemus.

And some unrelated political linkage, for Joy at Conservative Commune, "Contessa Brewer Beclowns Herself."

Drop your links in the comments!

Alabama Still Collecting Tax for Confederate Veterans

And not one of them is left alive.

Via Thomas Ricks, "Alabama still collecting taxes to support Confederate pensioners."

And this is evidence that conservatives like taxes? See AP Newswire:

Despite fire-and-brimstone opposition to taxes among many in a state that still has "Heart of Dixie" on its license plates, officials never stopped collecting a property tax that once funded the Alabama Confederate Soldiers' Home, which closed 72 years ago. The tax now pays for Confederate Memorial Park, which sits on the same 102-acre tract where elderly veterans used to stroll.

The tax once brought in millions for Confederate pensions, but lawmakers sliced up the levy and sent money elsewhere as the men and their wives died. No one has seriously challenged the continued use of the money for a memorial to the "Lost Cause," in part because few realize it exists; one long-serving black legislator who thought the tax had been done away with said he wants to eliminate state funding for the park.

Seems to me that if a memorial park is important and valued, people will agree to be taxed to pay for it. And this is another example of the power of government to tilt toward corruption and malfeasance. A memorial park is worth it, but not at the expense of deceit. See the Gadsden Times, "Time to end this tax":

We’re happy to see the park flourishing, and expect it to get a lot of business during the ongoing sesquicentennial celebration of the Civil War.

However, we question the fairness of this particular facility being subsidized to this level by the state — through a tax intended to pay for something that long ago ceased to exist — at a time when other historic tourist attractions in Alabama that receive money from the state’s General Fund are suffering because of budget cuts.

When those cuts were being formulated, Confederate history groups and others made it known they wanted the Mountain Creek park’s earmarked funding left alone, and it was. Support for the park is strong, so it’s likely to survive a vow by Rep. Alvin Holmes, D-Montgomery, to cut off its state money.

We don’t have an issue with the park getting state money, but it ought to come from the same pot similar attractions draw from.

Gay Barbarians

Turns out they've embraced the barbarian identity. Hey, if the shoe fits.

At Columbus Go Home, "Horde of Gay Barbarians Demand to be Disciplined at the Bachmanns’ “Pray Away the Gay” Clinic." (At Memeorandum.) Glitter today, high-grade ammonium nitrate fertilizer tomorrow.

Flying Legends 2011 Airshow

Video via Theo Spark: