Police Fire Tear Gas at Protesters in Oakland, California

At The Lede:

1:40 a.m. [EST] Updated - Police officers shot several rounds of tear gas into a crowd of hundreds of protesters from the group Occupy Oakland on Tuesday night, as the protesters tried to re-enter an area outside of City Hall that the police had cleared of their encampment on Tuesday morning.

“It sounded like bombs,” said Joaquin Jutt, 24, a digital animator who was among the protesters. “There was a stinging and burning in my throat, eyes and nostrils. My eyes burned like there was hot sauce in them.”

And a nice photo-blog, at J.P. Dobrin's, "PHOTOGRAPHY OF POLICE DISMANTLING OCCUPY OAKLAND."

German Officials Reopen 1980 Oktoberfest Bombing Investigation

This is interesting.

At Der Spiegel, "Oktoberfest Bombing Under Review: Officials Ignored Right-Wing Extremist Links":

It was less than two weeks before the Oct. 5, 1980 German parliamentary election, and the CSU and its then Bavarian state governor and chancellor candidate, Franz Josef Strauss, were not interested in right-wing extremist terrorism. In their worldview, the threat always came from the left. The social climate was toxic, and the Strauss camp, and others, treated left-wing extremist terror group the Red Army Faction (RAF) and its sympathizers as Germany's public enemy number one.

What did not fit into this worldview was the idea that right-wing extremist groups were at the same time developing their own, loosely defined terrorist network, with cells in Hamburg, Nuremberg, Esslingen near Stuttgart, as well as in Antwerp and Bologna. Not surprisingly, efforts to investigate the threat from the far right were half-hearted at best.

For three decades, the official explanation for the Oktoberfest attack involved the theory of a confused "sole perpetrator." In May 1981, after just eight months of investigation, the Bavarian State Office of Criminal Investigation (LKA) postulated this theory in its "final comment" on the case. The Federal Prosecutor's Office also noted that there was "no evidence whatsoever" that "third parties" could have influenced Köhler. Case closed -- or so it seemed.

Until now, this final comment was the only document relating to the case that had been made available to the public, while the investigation files on which it had been based remained unknown. Now SPIEGEL has evaluated these files for the first time, in addition to dossiers from the former East German secret police, the Stasi, and other records, some of which were formerly classified -- a total of 46,000 pages.

Bikini Calendar Photoshoot Whistler, Canada

Via Theo Spark:

'The Internet Creates a Misinformed Electorate'

I don't think so, but interesting discussion, in any case.

At Business Week:

Inaccuracies, lies, and innuendoes racing throughout the cyberworld give voters a false sense of knowledge about political candidates. Pro or con?

Lindsay Lohan Nude!

Well, not yet actually.

It was the big celebrity buzz yesterday, in any case.

At LAT, "Lindsay Lohan may be in Playboy — now use your imagination."

The Post-Global Warming World

From Wall Street Journal (at Theo Spark):

The science on climate change and man's influence on it is far from settled. The question today is whether it makes sense to combat a potential climate threat by imposing economically destructive regulations and sinking billions into failure-prone technologies that have their own environmental costs.

Well, WaPo's Eugene Robinson says the debate's over.

Right. Freakin' idiot.

Homosexual Extremists Attempt to Get New Jersey Teacher Fired for Posting Alleged 'Anti-Gay' Comments on Facebook

A little late getting to this, but considering what's been happening here, it's worth weighing in.

See Los Angeles Times, "New Jersey teacher in trouble over anti-gay Facebook comments." And New Jersey Online, "Union Township school officials investigate teacher who allegedly made anti-gay remarks on Facebook":

The case raises broader questions about rights of teachers to speak freely in the age of social media.

No doubt.

Also at The Blaze, "GAY ADVOCATES PETITION TO HAVE TEACHER FIRED AFTER SHE POSTED ANTI-GAY MESSAGES ON FACEBOOK."

WikiLeaks May Shut Down

Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of cyber-terrorists.

At Forbes, "Wikileaks to Close Over Funding Blockade?"

The Romney Implosion?

Perhaps Mitt Romney's still the "inevitable" nominee, but all of a sudden he looks more vulnerable, and decidedly un-conservative.

At The Other McCain, "Herman Cain Builds Lead Over Romney, Rick Perry 5th in New CBS/NYT Poll." Perhaps 21 percent isn't that bad, right? Well, ICYMI, on one of the hottest conservative causes of the year, and Romney waffles? See WSJ, "Romney Riles Conservatives by Declining to Weigh In on Ohio Union Referendum," and RealClearPolitics, "Romney Steers Clear of Union Fight in Ohio." And Dave Weigel, "In Ohio, Mitt Romney Punts on Health Care and Union Rights."

It's not a hard issue. We've had practically a year of Wisconsin politics. Folks on both sides are mobilized on collective bargaining, and Romney waffled. See Michelle as well, "Battleground: Ohio."

Matt Bai, at New York Times, says Romney's doing just fine: "Why It’s Good for Romney to Be at 21 Percent."

UPDATE: Linked at The Other McCain. Thanks!

Occupy Oakland 'Anarchist' Speaker Calls for 'End of Liberal Democracy'

Via Founding Bloggers, on Twitter:

Also, at Los Angeles Times, "Police raid Occupy Oakland encampment, arrest dozens."

Lots more at Memeorandum and Verum Serum. Also, at Hot Air, "Video: “The Man” 1, Occupy Oakland 0; Update: Protesters try to re-enter park."

The Once and Future German Problem

My dad used to always warn against the eventual rise of Germany after World War II. It's a question that's always fascinated me. Germany's already wielding tremendous influence amid all the economic turmoil, but if the Eurozone crashes say goodbye to a united Europe and the promise of peace it established.

At Washington Post, "In Europe, new fears of German might."

BERLIN — For decades, Germany’s role in Europe has been to supply the cash, not the leadership. With fresh memories of war, the continent was cautious about German domination — and so were the Germans themselves.

But the economic crisis has shaken Europe’s postwar model, and Germany increasingly calls the shots. As countries struggle to pay their debts, only Chancellor Angela Merkel has enough money to haul them out of trouble. And the price Merkel is demanding — more control over how they run their economies — is setting off alarm bells in capitals across the continent.

In Athens, protesters dressed up as Nazis routinely prowl the streets, an allusion to the old model of an assertive Germany. In Poland, accusations that Germany has imperial ambitions became a campaign issue in the recent presidential election.

And although German leaders have sought in recent weeks to soothe others’ fears in advance of high-level meetings in Brussels on Sunday and in coming days, the tone has sometimes sounded pugilistic.

Germany reengineered its culture after 1945. And I expect its role as economic powerhouse will satisfy renascent nationalist aspirations for European dominance. But there were predictions of a return to multipolarity and armed conflict in the years following the end of the Cold War. Hyper-institutionalization in the European project made that an impossibility. But times change. A lot depends on the role of the United States, whether we stay engaged in NATO and continue to keep Germany down, as we had throughout the postwar era. Is war among the leading European powers even a possibility at this point? Well, probably not --- I haven't heard a lot of calls for territorial revisionism, for example --- but you can't rule these things out. The pillars sustaining the peace are giving way. See Joshua Goldstein's recent essay, "Think Again: War."

RELATED: Anne-Marie Burley (Slaughter), "The Once and Future German Question."

Public Divided Over Occupy Wall Street Movement

This should send some tingles down the legs of the Occupier-in-Chief's communist base.

At Pew Research, "Tea Party Draws More Opposition than Support."

About four-in-ten Americans say they support the Occupy Wall Street movement (39%), while nearly as many (35%) say they oppose the movement launched last month in New York’s financial district.

By contrast, more say they oppose the Tea Party movement than support it (44% vs. 32%), according to the latest survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and The Washington Post, conducted Oct. 20-23 among 1,009 adults. One-in-ten (10%) say they support both, while 14% say they oppose both.

If the media bothered to cover the endemic anti-Semitism, public defecation, rat-infested conditions, outdoor sex, and revolutionary communism, I doubt you'd see this level of support. That's why bloggers are essential to getting the truth out on these idiot commies. See: "'Occupy Wall Street' Almost Entirely Socialist/Marxist."

IMAGE CREDIT: Bosch Fawstin, at Pajamas Media, "Seven Images That Will Make The Occupiers Cry."

Update on Zilla's Resistance Honor Roll

A follow-up to my earlier entry: "Conservatives Stand Up! — Zilla's Resistance Honor Roll Keeps Getting Bigger!" And Zilla's is here: "Stand Against Evil - Never Let it Win."

I didn't get a chance to link everybody up last time, and I've also been getting support via e-mail. Maggie Thornton sent this, "Harrassment":

Donald, the Left must deeply hate that you have classrooms of young minds in front of you every day. You are in their dominion, Education, and they believe they own it. How dare you treat with those they believe they own. You are their nightmare. Then you are bold enough to leave the classroom and share with your blog readers the insanity of promoting the destruction of capitalism and all that made this country great. You write from strength, with passion, and moral vision. I will pray that you be given the energy and will to prevail against this evil. Never forget that you are on a good and righteous mission.

Maggie

I don't, Maggie. And I appreciate the support.

And Jimmie Bise published a response to the progressives at his blog, "Beware the Howling Mob." Jimmie starts with a discussion of Ann Coulter's phenomenal book, "Demonic," and then writes:

My friend Zilla has been the subject of the left-wing mob, to the point where she ingeniously erected a Troll Tollgate which allows people to yell at her to their heart’s content so long as they fill up her tip jar for the privilege. Thus far, though, Zilla’s thuggish trolls have restricted their activities to childish rants in the comment sections of her blog posts.

Donald Douglas, on the other hand, has suffered that and far more. Left-wing agitators have gone after him, very personally and directly. They have dedicated a blog to his personal destruction and have attempted to get him fired on several occasions over the past three years. So far, they have failed, but their efforts have cost Donald countless hours of his time and, I will assume, some nontrivial amount of money to defend himself from the baseless attacks.

And all he did was give voice to his conservative political opinions.

Smitty, in a post on the subject, noted that it is not sufficient to the left that they prove their ideological opponents wrong. They must oppress. They must take away your ability to speak freely. We can complain about how unfair they are to us, but it won’t matter. They will not change. That is what they do. That is who they are. Progressivism over the decades is nothing but instance after instance of pure power politics: the rule of the howling mob, the haughty “We won”, the vicious “push back twice as hard”.

Here’s the thing, though. That exercise of power requires a faceless mob. When we begin to name and shame the offenders, the power diminishes. Their mob tactics require that they remain numerous and anonymous and that the victim remain isolated. When we band together and identify them as the thugs they are, their courage runs away like water.

It’s time we made the cowards run.

Just keep an eye on these people, Jimmie, and don't let your guard down. They're merciless bastards!

Also, Tania at Midnight Blue stands up as well: "A Progressive Attack on Conservative Blogger." And at Invincible Armor, "Stand With American Power Against Intimidation and Harassment."

Thanks!

And very interestingly, The Independent Realist has administered a brutal flogging to stalking asshat W. James Casper. In fact, Independent Realist engaged RACIST = REPSAC only to come away convinced he wasted his time on an epic loser. See, "Repsac3, W. James Casper — The Final Word." And from the conclusion there:

So there you have it. The whole sordid story of my involvement with a paranoid delusional. I gave him his chance to defend himself, and instead he now spends his days and nights tapping away on his keyboard writing post after post about the evil me and the conspiracy I am leading to ban him from the internet. The comment queue for this blog is filled with his rants are his blogs. As I have no desire to fuel his paranoia any further (not to mention that I don't enjoy playing games with the mentally ill), I am done with him. He cannot be rational or logical, and has slid down into irrational delusions. I fear for his sanity, and I can only hope that he will seek professional help, and not harm himself or others.

The Independent Realist has two other entries, here and here. Amazing isn't it? It took Independent Realist about two seconds to pin down W. James "Costanza" Casper. The idiot's completely deranged. It's too freakin' obvious. Indeed, Casper the hate-blogger responded with some incoherent ramblings attempting to deflect Independent Realist's devastating takedown, only to get hammered by one of his own progressives in the comments! His commenter calls out RACIST = REPSAC as crossing the line, indicating that Casper's campaign of intimidation is becoming "a real drag." Of course, you can't help someone who refuses wise counsel. RACIST = REPSAC's a nut case. A raving hatemonger and lunatic. He rambles at the post, spewing lies about how he's going to stop stalking me, and then says screw it, and starts up again with a new sets of rants.

Clinical.

Kudos to The Independent Realist. Thanks for taking this idiot Casper out back for a smackdown! The dude needs some help, no doubt. Sad.

Useful Idiots of Occupy Wall Street Get Lesson in Communism

Via Reaganite Republican, "Former Soviet Citizen Confronts Historically Ignorant OWS Boneheads re. 'Socialism'."

Miranda Kerr Fantasy Bra

This is the big event every year at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

See Sydney Morning Herald, "Miranda Kerr's Fantasy come true."

RELATED: From 2009, at WSJ, "Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Shows Off $3 Million Harlequin Fantasy Bra."

What's in the Bag? Shannan Click Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2011

Some Rule 5:

Previously: "Shannan Click Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2011."

And at The Other McCain, "Rule 5 Sunday."

A Hearing Aid That Cuts Out All the Clatter

I had profound hearing loss when I was 21 years-old. I regained some of my hearing and use a hearing aid. So as you can imagine, this story rings particularly true.

At New York Times:

After he lost much of his hearing last year at age 57, the composer Richard Einhorn despaired of ever really enjoying a concert or musical again. Even using special headsets supplied by the Metropolitan Opera and Broadway theaters, he found himself frustrated by the sound quality, static and interference.

Then, in June, he went to the Kennedy Center in Washington, where his “Voices of Light” oratorio had once been performed with the National Symphony Orchestra, for a performance of the musical “Wicked.”

There were no special headphones. This time, the words and music were transmitted to a wireless receiver in Mr. Einhorn’s hearing aid using a technology that is just starting to make its way into public places in America: a hearing loop.

“There I was at ‘Wicked’ weeping uncontrollably — and I don’t even like musicals,” he said. “For the first time since I lost most of my hearing, live music was perfectly clear, perfectly clean and incredibly rich.”

His reaction is a common one. The technology, which has been widely adopted in Northern Europe, has the potential to transform the lives of tens of millions of Americans, according to national advocacy groups. As loops are installed in stores, banks, museums, subway stations and other public spaces, people who have felt excluded are suddenly back in the conversation.

Continue reading.

Obama Unveils 'Son of Stimulus' for Housing Assistance

Critics called the administration's now-failed jobs initiative the "Son of Stimulus." And now it turns out the housing assistance program has an offspring. See Alana Goodman, "Obama’s New Housing Plan Purely Political." And Felix Salmon's not wasting any breath on it, "Obama's pathetic refinancing initiative."

But see WSJ, "Obama Housing Plan Highlights Sharp Political Split" (via Google):

President Barack Obama on Monday went where his Republican White House rivals have so far refused to go. He asserted that Washington should help Americans refinance their mortgages at lower rates.

The president's move to expand an existing, little-used program underscored his administration's belief that government has a role to play in restoring the health of the nation's broken housing market. In contrast, Republican presidential hopefuls have been loath to address the housing issue at all, in part because they blame government for causing the financial crisis and housing mess.

In 2008, Republican presidential candidate John McCain proposed that the government buy up home mortgages that exceeded the value of houses, then re-issue them at market value. "He got killed," said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the economic adviser who had urged Mr. McCain to make the proposal.

Months later, the tea-party movement took off after CNBC analyst Rick Santelli's on-air tirade in February 2009 after the new Obama administration suggested it would try to aid homeowners. "How many of you people want to pay for your neighbor's mortgage that has an extra bathroom and can't pay their bills?" he asked.

Ever since, politicians from both parties have feared aggressive action that would smack of welfare for McMansion dwellers.

Well, yeah. Bailing out over-leveraged homeowners? Still not popular.

Levi's 'Go Forth'

At Astute Bloggers, "LEVI'S GO FORTH: SELLING JEANS BY PROMOTING POLYTHEISM AND ANARCHISM?"

Dana Loesch: Occupy Wall Street Endorsed by Nazis

And boy, did she kick up a storm on the radical left.

See: "Media Matters’ Eric Boehlert Still Needs To Provide Proof For His Arguments *UPDATE: David Duke Endorses."

RELATED: More Nazi backing for OWS at Pamela's.

Muammar Gaddafi Allegedly Sodomized After Capture

It's pretty awful, but seriously? Folks are going to get worked up about this? The dude promised to go "house to house" to cleanse the "greasy rats" from Libya.

There's commentary at CBS News, "GlobalPost: Qaddafi apparently sodomized after capture." (Via Memeorandum.)

Or go straight to the source, "Gaddafi sodomized: Video shows abuse frame by frame (GRAPHIC)."

Down But Not Out: Investors and Home Buyers Returning to Inland Empire

From the front-page at yesterday's Los Angeles Times, "Inland Empire is showing early stirrings of recovery."

Few places have been as devastated by the Great Recession as the Inland Empire, a region of 4 million people encompassing Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Unemployment has tripled since 2006. Home values have plunged 56% in Riverside County and 60% in San Bernardino County. Nearly 12,500 foreclosure notices were filed in the three months that ended Sept. 30.

Yet amid the stillborn subdivisions, abandoned storefronts and crowded unemployment offices, there are early stirrings of recovery.

Well, praise be Obama! (Or Jerry Brown — our local Democrat messiah!)

We even had unemployment come down to 11.9 percent from 12.1 percent. Booming!

Obama Doctrine: How Obama Blew It In Iraq

From Bruce Kesler, at Maggie's Farm:

After 9-years of US sacrifices, President Obama's rush for the exits in Iraq and the incompetence of his administration is seen again, with very probable bad consequences for Iraq's ability to withstand internal discord and external influence from Iran. The US is left with little but a likely buffer protecting Iranian interests and a sanctions evasion route that allows Iran greater freedom from Western pressure. Once again, each time over and over, Obama blows US interests into the crapper.

No doubt.

RTWT.

RELATED: From Pejman Yousefzadeh, "Leaving Iraq the Wrong Way."

How Many More People Does Obama Need to Kill to Get Reelected?

See James Taranto, "Lethal Weapon '08: Who'd have thought Obama would kill more Arab tyrants and terrorists than Bush?"

European Leaders Debate Severe Options for Accord

At WSJ (via Google):

BRUSSELS — European leaders took their first steps toward a new plan to stem the euro crisis, admitting that their last grand plan, agreed to only three months ago, has failed.

The new effort, which leaders hope to finalize at another summit on Wednesday, involves a sweeping recapitalization of European banks, a substantial restructuring of Greece's debts, a bigger bailout fund, and even possibly fresh efforts to entice sovereign-wealth funds in China and elsewhere to come to Europe's aid.

Continue reading at that link.

Banks are writing off some of their Greek loans, and lots more capitalization is needed. See also Der Spiegel, "German Parliament Slows Euro Rescue Decisions," and Telegraph UK, "David Cameron vows to reclaim EU powers amid looming rebellion."

Who Wants to Be Evaluated by Students?

Well, interestingly, I'll be passing out my own student evaluation forms next week, as part of my post-tenure review cycle. This happens every three years after the fourth year of employment (and the final probationary evaluation, when one is granted tenure). I don't mind them at all. I get decent reviews, and it's my political science colleagues who'll be using them to do a brief write up for their post-tenure committee reports. I imagine the dean and higher ups in the administration might be interested in them, but I doubt they do anything more than accept the recommendations from the department committees. The buzz on campus, however, is the latest union negotiations with the college over "student learning outcomes," which if implemented college-wide, could be used in evaluating faculty. (These SLOs could be combined with student evaluations in way way or another.) Needless to say the union's not falling in line for this. So many factors (outside of the classroom) determine student success that using SLOs in evaluating faculty would be seriously flawed, and worse, prone to really awful abuse if faculty retention decisions are made with them. I mention all of this as background for this piece at Minding the Campus, "Who Wants to Be Evaluated by Students?" Read the whole thing at the link, and here's this from The Barrister, at Maggie's Farm:

The notion that students evaluate profs as if school were American Idol seems perverted to me. School is not infotainment. I can be an entertaining speaker and did some litigation in my distant past, but I would never teach where my career, even in part, depended on student evaluations. When teaching, I like to be a demanding SOB, intolerant of anything short of excellence and keeping people on their toes. In the end, people are thankful for my demanding attitude.

RELATED: One of my favorite articles on this, "Something Wrong in Our Schools? Let's Blame Teachers."

Vanuatu

Robert Stacy McCain tweeted the other day, "Just updated my profile to include 'future U.S. ambassador to Vanuatu'."

I thought that was kinda funny at the time, but even more so now, with this piece on Vanuatu at Sunday's travel section at Los Angeles Times, "Vanuatu islands: Get happy, get a little wild."

The background on that ambassadorship at The Other McCain, "Memo From the National Affairs Desk to the Herman Cain Presidential Campaign."

The Tax Reform Evidence From 1986

From Martin Feldstein, at Wall Street Journal:

Congress's Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction is struggling to find $1.5 trillion in cuts over the next 10 years. This is a unique opportunity to use tax reform to reduce future budget deficits while lowering individual tax rates.

The Tax Reform Act of 1986, enacted 25 years ago last Friday, showed how a tax reform that includes lower rates can change incentives in a way that grows the tax base and produces extra revenue. The 1986 agreement between President Ronald Reagan and House Speaker Tip O'Neill reduced the top marginal tax rate to 28% from 50%. A conservative Republican and a liberal Democrat could agree to a dramatic reduction in top rates because the legislation also eliminated a wide variety of tax loopholes.

A traditional "static" analysis that ignores the response of taxpayers to lower tax rates indicated that those combined tax changes would leave total revenue unchanged at each income level. But the actual experience after 1986 showed an enormous rise in the taxes paid, particularly by those who experienced the greatest reductions in marginal tax rates.

RTWT.

Jennifer Lopez Breaks Down on Stage

At People Magazine.

And lots of pics at London's Daily Mail, "Jennifer Lopez runs off stage sobbing after singing about lost love... (but at least she looked sensational in nude skintight catsuit)."

PREVIOUSLY: "Jennifer Lopez Hot New Fiat Ad."

Executive With Schizoaffective Disorder Uses Job to Cope

My wife and I are both like this. It's not schizophrenia, but keeping busy with work helps combat symptoms of severe anxiety. And now psychiatrists are finding large-N support for the tendency.

At New York Times, "An Executive Job as Defense Against Mental Ills."

Mitt Romney Offered Healthcare to Illegal Immigrants

Well, I doubt this will derail his "inevitability," but you never know. The inconsistencies are piling up.

At Los Angeles Times, "Medical help for illegal immigrants could haunt Mitt Romney":

The Massachusetts healthcare law that then-Gov. Mitt Romney signed in 2006 includes a program known as the Health Safety Net, which allows undocumented immigrants to get needed medical care along with others who lack insurance.

Uninsured, poor immigrants can walk into a health clinic or hospital in the state and get publicly subsidized care at virtually no cost to them, regardless of their immigration status.

The program, widely supported in Massachusetts, drew little attention when Romney signed the trailblazing healthcare law. But now it could prove problematic for the Republican presidential hopeful, who has been attacking Texas Gov. Rick Perry for supporting educational aid for children of undocumented immigrants in Texas.

"We have to turn off the magnet of extraordinary government benefits," Romney said at the recent Fox News-Google debate in Florida.

Perry has defended the Texas program, saying it is better to educate young people, even if they are in the country illegally, to help them become productive members of society.

Similarly, supporters of the Massachusetts program note there are ultimately higher costs for denying care to sick patients regardless of their immigration status.

The Massachusetts program, which cost more than $400 million last year, paid for 1.1 million hospital and clinic visits. It's unclear how many undocumented patients benefited because the state does not record that data.

The Romney campaign referred questions to Tim Murphy, who served as Romney's state health and human services secretary. Murphy said the governor never intended the Health Safety Net to serve undocumented immigrants.

Right.

"Never intended." Just like Romney never intended to hire illegal immigrants, like the ones the Boston Globe reported on in 2006: "Illegal immigrants toiled for governor: Guatemalans say firm hired them." And here: "Lawn work at Romney's home still done by illegal immigrants."

Gaddafi Killed by Shot to the Head

Well, you think?

It's not like it took a forensic medical examiner to figure it out.

See CBS News, "Autopsy: Qaddafi was killed by shot to head." (Via Memeorandum and Doug Powers at Michelle's.)

Hillary Clinton Warns Iran on U.S. Withdrawal From Iraq

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made the rounds on the Sunday talk shows. Here's she's seen with Christiane Amanpour, where she announces that "no one should miscalculate our commitment to Iraq, most particularly Iran":

See New York Times, "Clinton Defends Iraq Withdrawal Plan."

Springtime for Islamists in Tunisia?

At LAT, "Tunisia vote could shape religion in public life":

This nation that inspired revolution across the Arab world is facing another bellwether moment that may again foreshadow what happens throughout the Mideast in the intensifying battle between secularists and Islamists over the role of religion in shaping public life.

Tunisians will vote Sunday for a constituent assembly that will set the course for a new government and write the nation's laws. Islamists, suppressed for decades by autocratic rule, are poised to win big, a prospect that has liberals and secularists worried about the future of civil liberties.

The outcome will be the latest evolution in a tumultuous year of Arab rebellion that last week saw Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi killed and his half-naked body laid out in a souk's cold-storage locker, a gruesome show of contempt that would have been unthinkable just a few months ago.

But it has been a year of the unfathomable: Here in Tunisia, the suicide late last year of a desperate fruit seller launched an uprising that in January brought down President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. With quickening speed, revolt spread to Egypt, where President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown weeks later. Today, as the words "Arab Spring" have become the catchy lexicon of rebellion, the entrenched leaders of Yemen and Syria face gathering forces arrayed against them.

The pressing concerns facing Tunisia mirror those of other countries trying to advance beyond the grip of tyrants. Voters here say they do not want the vital issues of joblessness, economic problems and widening youth disenchantment to be eclipsed by an Islamic agenda.

But ambitions of Islamists have been simmering for years in a region where police states arrested their leaders and muffled the voices of fiery clerics. Freedoms brought by the Arab Spring are reigniting debates between Islamists and secularists, but also between ultraconservative and moderate Muslims over how deeply religion should permeate society.

Also at WSJ, "Large Numbers Turn Out for Tunisian Vote" (via Google):

Democracy activists across the region hope that a successful vote here could galvanize pro-democracy movements that have flagged amid violent regime crackdowns, as in Syria, Bahrain and Yemen, and by a pushback by old-guard counterrevolutionary forces, as in Egypt.

Among the countries that have overthrown leaders, Tunisia presents the most fertile seedbed for democracy, say analysts: It has a relatively large and educated middle class. Women enjoy a measure of equality unmatched in the Arab world. The country has a tradition of civil rule both before and after January's revolution. With a relatively homogenous population of 10 million, the country also suffers from few ethnic and sectarian rifts.

The question is the degree to which Tunisia's vote will apply to the likes of Egypt, Libya, Yemen or Syria, where uprisings have been bloodier and rife with internal tribal, sectarian or regional tensions. Tunisia may stand as an aspirational example, analysts say—or as a bar set too high.

Dan Neil Reviews the 2012 Honda Civic

This is Neil's "Rumble Seat" column, which used to be exclusively at the Los Angeles Times.

Now (also?) at Wall Street Journal, "Honda's Sporty New Civic, Heavy on the 'Ick'":

And just like that, a giant stumbles. The redesigned 2012 Honda Civic—one of the most successful cars in U.S. auto history, a nameplate burnished with the grateful tears of generations of Americans—is a dud. A sham. A shud. Massive fail, LOL.

Civic's U.S. sales were down 26% in September and 15.6% year-to-date, a cratering rivaled only by the 15.7% decline registered by the Honda Accord. Some part of the losses was caused by supply-chain issues associated with the April earthquake; the greater part, surely, is bad press. The Civic sedan/coupe recently got scratched off the Consumer Reports list of Top Five recommended cars—which for Honda is like getting your name scratched off the frontispiece of the family Bible.

Over at the Honda fan site vtec.net they're in the midst of a high-tech Spanish Inquisition, with John Mendel, American Honda's executive vice president for sales, as guest of honor. It ain't pretty.

I've just spent two weeks enjoying the company of the 2012 Civic Hybrid sedan (see sidebar) and the Si sedan—the sport-tuned version with a 201-hp four-banger, a limited-slip differential, and a six-speed manual gearbox to slap around—and, to damn them with faint praise, they're actually pretty good cars. Still, they do not burn with Honda's once-routine overachievement, and the ire the company faces reflects the high expectations and great trust consumers have placed with the brand. In other words, merely decent feels like a betrayal from Honda.

What's going on with these cars? I have a theory....

Keep reading.

I've had three Honda Civic LX sedans, the second two with GPS navigation systems. They're awesome cars. But Honda does this every couple of iterations. They alienate the car's core fan base, perhaps attempting to appeal to a larger, family demographic, etc.

In any case, I used to read Neil's column every Wednesday at the Los Angeles Times. I thought I read something of his over there a few weeks back, but he might be syndicating his reviews now across different newspapers. He's fun to read, in any case.

Gilad Shalit Release

Gilad Shalit was released last Tuesday. I posted a couple of times on the Israel/Hamas deal, but I didn't have the chance mid-week to comment on Shalit's homecoming. He looks ghastly. That's what five years of being held hostage does to you. Terrorists terrorize. Not enough to eat. No loved ones to care for and have care for you. It burns inside the think of what in God's name drives these people to such barbarism. But he's home, and that in itself is a blessing, even if there may be more just like him.

I'm reminded after checking over at Melanie Phillips' blog, and she links to a couple of her essays: "The infernal choice," and "Journalism? No, cruelty and propaganda."

Occupy London Protests Close Down St. Paul's Cathedral for First Time Since World War II

At Telegraph UK, "St Paul's Cathedral announces closure due to 'Occupy' protesters":

It seemed a gesture of Christian tolerance when a clergyman at St Paul’s Cathedral told police to allow anti-capitalist protesters camped outside to continue their demonstration.

But the alliance appeared to be faltering yesterday as St Paul’s closed for the first time since the Blitz, claiming it had no choice because of the dangers posed by the growing numbers on its doorstep.

Successes Overseas Are Unlikely to Help Obama at Home

Not only will there be little gain politically, but we could be witnessing a weakening strategic situation in the Middle East. Lots of instability across the region combined with a declining U.S. presence. This is a major transformation in international politics, but the concerns are at home, and Obama needs some successes on that front. See NYT:

WASHINGTON — President Obama’s announcement that the last American soldiers will leave Iraq by the end of this year capped a momentous week in which he could also take credit for helping dispatch one of the world’s great villains, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi.

Conventional wisdom holds that none of this will matter to Mr. Obama’s frayed political fortunes, which will be determined by the economy rather than the notches he is piling up on his statesman’s belt.

Yet Mr. Obama’s withdrawal from Iraq — a campaign pledge kept — and the successful NATO air campaign in Libya — with no American casualties, and at a tiny fraction of the cost of Iraq — allowed him to thread a political needle: reaffirming his credentials as a wartime leader while reassuring his Democratic base that he is making good on the promises that got him elected.

This one-two punch may also strengthen the president’s hand against his eventual Republican opponent, according to Mr. Obama’s supporters, by depriving Republicans of a cudgel typically used on Democratic presidents, that they are weak on national security. The swift and fierce criticism of his Iraq decision by the Republican candidates shows how reluctant they are to cede this advantage to him.

“There is an aggregate effect to all the president’s foreign policy successes,” said Bill Burton, a former White House aide who is a senior strategist at Priorities USA Action, a political action committee backing the Obama campaign. “The notion of who is a stronger leader will be deeply influenced by the promises the president kept.”

As the Rich Go, So Goes Much of the Economy

At Wall Street Journal, "The Wild Ride of the Wealthiest 1%."

An amazing report:

During the past three recessions, the top 1% of earners (those making $380,000 or more in 2008) experienced the largest income shocks in percentage terms of any income group in the U.S., according to research from economists Jonathan A. Parker and Annette Vissing-Jorgensen at Northwestern University. When the economy grows, their incomes grow up to three times faster than the rest of the country's. When the economy falls, their incomes fall two or three times as much.

The super-high earners have the biggest crashes. The number of Americans making $1 million or more fell 40% between 2007 and 2009, to 236,883, while their combined incomes fell by nearly 50%—far greater than the less than 2% drop in total incomes of those making $50,000 or less, according to Internal Revenue Service figures.

Walid Phares: The Strategic Situation in the Middle East

An interesting discussion, with Lou Dobbs interviewing Walid Phares. The U.S. could have worked to slow the pace of change in the states of the Arab Spring, especially Egypt. And the U.S. could have countered Iran's influence by negotiating a long-term basing deal deal in Iraq, but we're pulling out now.

The New York Times has some related reports: "Despite Difficult Talks, U.S. and Iraq Had Expected Some American Troops to Stay," and "U.S. Scales Back Diplomacy in Iraq Amid Fiscal and Security Concerns."

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

Glenn Reynolds links to the New York Times, "Ailment Can Steal Youth From the Young."

Glenn updates with some reader correspondence.

'The Ides of March'

Saw it Friday night.

I enjoyed it, although a number of things about the film tell me more about director and star George Clooney than about politics. Clooney's character is Mike Morris, a governor of Pennsylvania running for the Democratic presidential nomination. Morris is portrayed as a matter-of-fact progressive, proclaiming his unabashed secularism. He says his only religion is "the Constitution" and within ten days of taking office he'll pass legislation putting internal combustion engines on a bee line to extinction. It's really eye-rolling stuff. Morris repeats the mantra that he wants to make America great again. The closest model is Bill Clinton in 1992, and not just with echoes of economic nationalism. Morris is not the model of propriety we find out, in a plot twist that's key to the entire show. For me it was the movie's Machiavellian power games that ring true, and I'd recommend it in that sense, and for the crisp cinematography, solid acting, and for bringing things toward the climax relatively quickly. In any case, I'm avoiding plot spoilers here, so let me hand it over to A.O. Scott for some more background: "Estranged Bedfellows." And also, Kenneth Turan, "Movie review: 'The Ides of March'." If you're out to the movies this next week you might give this film a go.

VIDEO: Britney Spears 'Criminal'

It's controversial.

At London's Daily Mail, "True Romance: Britney Spears' casts boyfriend Jason as her lover for steamy sex scene in her music video."

Also, at MTV, "Britney Spears' 'Criminal' Director Talks Gun Controversy," and "Britney Spears Director Leads Us Through 'Criminal' Video."

Gaddafi Wearied of Life on the Run

At New York Times, "In His Last Days, Qaddafi Wearied of Fugitive’s Life.

And at Telegraph UK, "Gaddafi's final hours: Nato and the SAS helped rebels drive hunted leader into endgame in a desert drain."

RELATED: At London's Daily Mail, "Rebel fighter answered Gaddafi daughter's desperate phone call and told her: Old Fuzzhead is dead."

Misogyny 'Straight Up' – Bill Maher: Michelle Malkin Would Name Her Vibrator 'Obama'

Remember racism straight up?

Well, here's your misogyny "straight up," via Noel Sheppard at NewsBusters (at Memeorandum):

And, of course, I don't see Rachel Maddow, that great champion of the oppressed, putting up any objections. That's misogynist. Where's the progressive outrage?

Michelle's probably kicking with her family, enjoying her weekend. But look for another awesome roundup next week on how "tolerant" are these progressive hacks.

Keep up the fight, Michelle! I'm standing with you!

UPDATE: Linked at The Other McCain, "Is Anyone Slimier Than Bill Maher?"

Occupy Wall Street and the Jews

The key thing about the rash of anti-Semitism we've seen out of Occupy Wall Street is not that it's shocking, but so mainstream. I'm not shocked at all by it. I write about this stuff all the time. One reason progressives work so hard to shut me down and shut down this blog is because I continually and relentless shine a light of moral approbation on their Jew-hatred. Not enough people do this, in my opinion. People must think that anti-Semitism lingers only in the extreme fringes of the aging millenarian right-wing, the last gasp of a few Nazis. But it's not that. As I've noted numerous times, Jew-hatred is the premiere organizing position of today's progressive-left movement. And while some remind us not to worry too much about Israel, say, since it's more vibrant and economically stronger than its regional enemies, I think there's never a good time be complacent about these things, especially since Jew-hatred seems to gain more mainstream acceptance by the day. The events of the last two months in New York and around the country have shown what it's like when the big media outlets and top political officials pooh-pooh the hate. "First they came…"

A particularly perverse version of such enabling can be seen in Michelle Goldberg's, "One Percent," at the Jewish magazine Tablet. Goldberg keeps stressing how Occupy Wall Street is "anarchist," and hence, there's no way to control or ostracize the "minimal" numbers of anti-Semitic members:

Occupy Wall Street lacks tools for enforcing any sort of discipline, or ostracizing troublemakers. When someone at a Tea Party rally holds a particularly offensive sign, as many have, the movement can denounce them. But there is no one at Occupy Wall Street to do the denouncing.

Somehow Goldberg can write this with a straight face, after she writes earlier in the essay that the organizing model at Zuccotti Park has "has fostered, for the most part, a spirit of volunteerism and cooperation." So which is it? Anarchy or cooperation? If there's cooperation among activists, there's not an "inability to enforce some kind of order." All these idiots have to do is get in the face of the Jew-hating freaks and have them GTFO. What's the problem?

Well, the problem is that Goldberg is a typical progressive Jew who sees the main danger to Jewish life emerging on the right. Sure, Goldberg probably really does cringe at the blatant anti-Semitism. I just think she's too stupid to realize she's attached to the wrong side. Not so for MJ Rosenberg, a Media Matters "fellow" and epitome of Jewish neo-communist extremism. See Rosenberg's piece, "Exploiting anti-Semitism to destroy Occupy Wall Street," at the Jewish Journal:

An ugly old tradition is back: exploiting anti-Semitism to break the backs of popular movements that threaten the power of the wealthiest 1 percent of our population. It is being used to undermine the Occupy Wall Street movement, which has conservatives in a state of near panic....

Because utilizing anti-Semitism directly would not succeed in this country today, the reactionary defenders of the economic status quo are using the flip side of the coin: the fear of being labeled anti-Semitic. They are accusing Occupy Wall Street of anti-Semitism, relying on the old myth that Wall Street is Jewish and hence that opposition to Wall Street’s agenda is just opposition to Jews.

There's more at the link, and Rosenberg gets hammered at the comments. He's a really bad act, and his ravings are truly the product of the most perverse neo-communist class-warfare tropes. He turns my stomach.

In any case, the video above is the trailer for "Unmasked: Judeophobia and the Threat to Civilization." Phyllis Chesler references it at her entry, "An Open Letter to the ‘Good Liberal’ Who Ignores Occupy Wall Street’s Jew Hatred." And she notes there:

Unmasked ... shows us the Parisian mobs (leftists and Islamists) crying “Death to the Jews” in 2001. We see and hear angry, hate-choked speeches delivered on American campuses which characterize Israel as a “Nazi, Apartheid” state. We see Israeli soldiers confiscating 50 tons of ship-borne weapons in 2010 — weapons which included rockets with the capacity to attack the Israeli Navy and even more sites in civilian Israel. We see what really happened when armed Turkish mercenaries violated international law and attacked Israeli soldiers on the Mavi Marmara. We are reminded that Israel was condemned for exercising its legal right to self-defense, and that Israel brings all goods and supplies into Gaza after first checking for weapons. The “blockade” of Gaza exists to keep weapons out that are being expressly brought in to exterminate Israelis.

When I ran into anti-Semitism in the early 1970s, I at first believed it could be contained, even resolved, if Israel only Did Something Else.

I was wrong. No matter what else or what more Israel did or could do, it would ever have been enough. Israel’s crime is an essential and existential one. It exists. This is unforgivable. It remains a permanent offense to Arabs and Muslims. In 2000, when Arafat launched his Second Intifada, I knew that Wiesel’s bloody beast was back. In 2003, I published a book about it: The New Anti-Semitism: The Current Crisis and What We Must Do About It.

What I first began writing and talking about nearly a decade ago has here been brought to life, expanded, and dramatically enacted in this film.

Read the whole thing.

Chesler indicates that the war against the Jews is a war of the information battlespace. It's a battle of the minds over the social construction of right and wrong in the contemporary age. If big media silence on the #OWS Jew-hatred is any sign, we've got a lot of work to do.

UPDATE: Linked at PACNW Righty, "Occupy Wall Street and the Jews."

Socialism and Occupy Wall Street

Progressive nitwit Matthew Yglesias has this at The New Republic, "How Occupy Wall Street Is a Rational Response to a System That’s Failed" (via Memeorandum).

Yglesias' (idiotic) essay is part of the series, "‘Liberalism and Occupy Wall Street,’ A TNR Symposium." I read Fred Siegel's piece earlier, which is much better, "Occupy Wall Street and the Return of the McGovernites":

The editors of The New Republic are wiser than they know in trying to keep their distance from the Zuccotti Park protesters. In their zeal to recapture the spirit of the 1960s, the Occupy Wall Streeters are replicating the very processes that produced the current crack-up of liberalism. But if the editors arrived at the right conclusion, they came to it by a false path, one which has produced a fundamental misunderstanding of the history of American liberalism.

The core of the TNR editorial lays out what in principle is an honorable and essential difference between liberals and radicals. Unlike radicals, “liberals,” says TNR “are capitalists.” But that underlying premise of the editorial is belied by the historical record.

Herbert Croly, the founder of TNR, understood himself as a radical for whom the use of the then uncommon term “liberal” was merely a euphemism for an American sort of socialism. Croly spoke of his seminal book, The Promise of American Life—the founding document of American liberalism—as “socialistic.” It’s true that it was only in the 1930s that many at TNR openly referred to themselves as socialists. But looking back, in 1931, Edmund Wilson argued strongly for liberals to give up Croly's "gradual and natural approximation to socialism" and to embrace socialism openly.

The period from roughly 1950 to 1970 was the anomaly. It took the concussive effects of the Communist conquest of Eastern Europe in the wake of World War Two to temporarily pull liberalism off its socialist path.

The radicals of the 1960s deployed their justified opposition to the Vietnam War to blind themselves to the consequences and meaning of statism and Stalinism. Their aggressively willed ignorance produced the 1972 McGovern platform which re-wrote the traditional program of the European socialist parties in the American language of rights. Employment, educational quality, and housing were to become matters of right subject to the power of judicially supervised bureaucracies.

Since then the distinction between liberalism and anti-capitalist radicalism has been continuously effaced by the rise of a vast regulatory state staffed, in part, by public sector unionists. Statism in America eschewed a European-style ownership of the means of production. Rather its aim has been, in the name of good and defensible causes such as a cleaner environment, to run as much of the economy as possible through government, directly and indirectly. The upshot is that the American percentage of GDP devoted to government has reached European levels. And by and large liberals approve of this trend. According to a February 2010 Gallup survey, 53 percent of Democrats and 61 percent of liberals have a positive image of socialism. The Gallup findings were backed up by a December 2010 Rasmussen survey which found that 42 percent of Democrats—the people whom former Presidential candidate Howard Dean described as “The Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party”—think that the government should manage the economy completely.

More at the link.

One of the things about American socialists (radical progressives) is how vehemently they deny their essential commitment to socialism (radical progressivism). I like how Siegel speaks truth to power: American "liberalism" really is socialism. Some of the major writers of the 20th century had no qualms about applying the proper terminology. But since socialism is deeply unpopular in the United States --- at least those policies explicitly labeled socialist --- the left must adopt evasive language and ideological misnomers. Matthew Yglesias claims he's "liberal" but he's one of the biggest mainstream socialists writing today.

Anway, Siegel doesn't go far enough with his analysis. He lamely piles on the attacks on Wall Street, when we know that the same bureaucratic explosion he elaborates is what brought about the housing crash in the first place. (See, "Wall Street Did It?") Big government socialist statism is killing us. Folks like Matthew Yglesias have their fingers on the triggers, or on the meat cleavers, be that as it may.

The Romney-Cain Ticket

Reliapundit and I were talking about it last week: "COULTER ENDORSES ROMNEY-CAIN."

And now Coulter is putting that pitch into overdrive, on Sean Hannity's, for example. At Lonely Conservative, "Ann Coulter: How About a Romney/Cain Ticket?"

Frankly, I'm still pulling for Michele Bachmann, but time's running out, and money. At Time Magazine, "New Hampshire Staff Exodus Augurs End Times for Bachmann Campaign." Also, from Allah, "Iowa: Cain 37, Romney 27, Paul 12, Gingrich 8."

Folks know I respect Mitt Romney, and I do think a Romney-Cain ticket would be attractive. So, let's see how things play out. The consensus is that Romney's the one. See LAT, "Mitt Romney may win the GOP presidential nomination by default."

Romney's Guilty Republican Syndrome

From Kim Strassel, at WSJ:

As the GOP casts about for a response to Occupy Wall Street, at least one prominent Republican isn't sweating it. In the war over class, Mitt Romney is already waving a white flag. And therein lies one of his chief liabilities as a Republican nominee or president.

The Occupy masses don't have a unified message, though the Democrats embracing them aren't making that mistake. President Obama helpfully explained that the crowds in New York and elsewhere are simply expressing their "frustrations" at unequal American society. The answer to their protests is, conveniently, his own vision for the country. If wealthier Americans and corporations are just asked to pay their "fair share," if "we can go back to that then I think a lot of that anger, that frustration dissipates," said the president.

This is a campaign theme in the making, and one with which Mr. Obama has already had plenty of practice. Congressional Democrats, too, see the value of pivoting off Occupy Wall Street to build an election-year class-warfare argument.

Keep reading.

Romney's been playing some class warfare games of his own, apparently, hoping to nip Democrat attacks in the bud. Not working so well, it turns out:

'I Won't Back Down'

This is really cool. The second album sides request yesterday at The Sound LA was Tom Petty's, Full Moon Fever, Side 1. And guess who makes an appearance at this old MTV-style video clip:

PREVIOUSLY: "Oh! Darling (I'll Never Do You No Harm)."

Gaddafi Stole a 'Staggering' $200 Billion in Libyan Assets

At LAT, "As Libya takes stock, Moammar Kadafi's hidden riches astound":

If the values prove accurate, Kadafi will go down in history as one of the most rapacious as well as one of the most bizarre world leaders, on a scale with the late Mobutu Sese Seko in Zaire or the late Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines.

Yeah, and some dude at The Guardian is bawling about how Gaddafi didn't get a "private" death. Like he deserved it, idiot.

Really Amazing Pictures of Ann Althouse at Sunset

Just head over there and check it out, "Autumn Sunset."

I don't think I could take as beautiful of photographs, even if I had that kind of photo gear. Simply wonderful.

Wall Street Did It?

Don't blame big banks for the flailing economy and housing crash, notes IBD:

... based on the number of toxic loans in the system in 2008, the government was responsible for not just a simple majority, but more than two-thirds. It's quantifiable — 71% to be exact (see chart). And the remaining 29% of private-label junk was mostly attributable to Countrywide Financial, which was under the heel of HUD and its "fair-lending" edicts.

Via Memeorandum and Verum Serum.

PHOTO CREDIT: That Mr. G Guy.

The End of the Euro?

I've been keeping tabs on this. I think the end is near, especially as Europe's economy is becoming segmented into the healthy and sick, with Germany the healthiest of all.

See Bruce Thornton, at Defining Ideas (via Instapundit):

The champions of the European Union once touted it as a “bold new experiment in living” and “the best hope in an insecure age.” But these days “fear is coursing through the corridors of Brussels,” as the B.B.C. reported in September. Such fear is justified, for the nations of Europe are struggling with fiscal problems that challenge the integrity of the whole E.U.-topian ideal. Greece teetering on the brink of default on its debts, E.U. nations squabbling about how to deal with the crisis, debt levels approaching 100 percent of GDP even in economic-powerhouse countries like Germany and France, and European banks exposed to depreciating government bonds are some of the signposts on the road to decline.

A monetary union comprising independent states, each with its own peculiar economic and political interests, histories, cultural norms, laws, and fiscal systems, was bound to end up in the current crisis. All that borrowed money, however, was necessary for funding the lavish social welfare entitlements and employment benefits that once impressed champions of the “European Dream.” Yet, despite the greater fiscal integration created by the E.U., sluggish, over-regulated, over-taxed economies could not generate enough money to pay for such amenities. Now, the president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, admits, “We can’t finance our social model.”

This financial crisis means the government-financed dolce vita lifestyle once brandished as a reproach to work-obsessed America is facing cutbacks and austerity programs immensely unpopular among Europeans otherwise used to amenities like France’s 35-hour work week, or Greece’s two extra months of pay, or England’s generous housing subsidies that cost $34.4 billion a year. No surprise, then, that from Athens’ Syntagma Square to Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, austerity measures attempting to scale back government spending have been met with strikes, demonstrations, boycotts, and protests, some violent, on the part of citizens for whom such government entitlements have become human rights. In fact, such transfers of wealth have been formalized as rights in Articles 34 and 35 of the E.U.’s Charter of Fundamental Human Rights.

Continue reading.

RELATED: From Tyler Durden, at Zero Hedge, "It's Baaack: FT Deutschland Pronounces Deutsche Mark's Return, Prices Itself At 4.11 DM." (Also via Instapundit, who hedges on Zero Hedge.)

Gaddafi's Burial Delayed

At Sydney Morning Herald, "Gaddafi on display in freezer as row rages over killing," and Washington Post, "Libyans line up to see Gaddafi’s body on display; groups call for probe into death."

Dr. Karen Ruskin on Ezra Levant's 'The Source'

At BCF, "The repetitive chanting betrays a cult-like lack of self empowerment and displays a sense victimization."

Late Friday Rule 5

What the heck?

I haven't posted any Rule 5 for at least a week.

See Bob Belvedere, "A Little Hump Day Rule 5: Elisabetta Gregoraci."

And at Maggie's Notebook, "Rule 5 Saturday Night: Valentina Zelyaeva," and Pirate's Cove, "If All You See…is a Gaia friendly bike and an evil water bottle, you might be a Warmist."

Randy's Roundtable, "Thursday Nite Tart: Ashley Hartman."

Also, from Soccer Mom, "Julianne Hough - Rule 5."

BONUS: From Theo, "Bedtime Totty..."

Drop your links in the comments if you'd like to be added...

UPDATED: Proof Positive has this: "Friday Night Babe: Natalia Vodianova!"

Oh! Darling (I'll Never Do You No Harm)

It's album sides by request all weekend long, at The Sound LA. Pretty fitting that Abbey Road was up first, and here's "Oh! Darling":

New Footage Shows Muammar Gaddafi Begging for His Life

At Telegraph UK, "Rebels argued over whether to kill Gaddafi as he begged for his life."

Obama's Cut and Run from Iraq

At NYT, "U.S. Troops to Leave Iraq by Year’s End, Obama Says."

And see Max Boot, at Commentary, "The Iraq Withdrawal Is Nothing to Brag About."

And check the roundup at Memeorandum.

Roundup: Death of Muammar Gaddafi

Here's the top story at this morning's New York Times front-page: "Violent End to an Era as Qaddafi Dies in Libya." And video of the final moments is at London's Daily Mail, "Who shot Gaddafi? New video shows blood pouring from dictator immediately before death but mystery surrounds coup de grace."

Check back for updates.

Conservatives Stand Up! — Zilla's Resistance Honor Roll Keeps Getting Bigger!

The freak leftist fascists are unrelenting, but again I'm overwhelmed by the awesome moral support I'm seeing across the blogosphere. So, here's a follow-up to my earlier entry, "Huge Shout Out to Ladd Ehlinger!"

Thanks again to Zilla, by the way. She had oral surgery the other day. But I got a tweet shortly thereafter, and she was doing fine! (And ICYMI, see "Stand Against Evil - Never Let it Win.")

And well, before I forget, at word of thanks to SHOUT FIRST, ASK QUESTIONS LATER. The support is much appreciated.

Also at WyBlog, "Free Speech for thee but not for me?":

Donald was the first guy to link WyBlog, way back when I was starting out. And he got me hooked on Twitter too. He's a gentleman and a scholar; really. We don't always agree, but that's OK. Disagreeing without being disagreeable seems to be purely a right-wing / conservative trait. The politics of personal destruction was invented by the Left, and they're masters at it. Silence is Golden, unless it's their own shrill cacaphony which of course must be tolerated by all.

If Free Speech is to mean anything it absolutely must mean that the other guy has the inalienable right to say things you don't like. There is no right to not be offended. Sorry, but that's the truth.

Thanks Chris!

Also, check Bob Belvedere, "Right Wing Bloggers Under Relentless Attack: The Battle Rages On":

Donald, the man behind American Power, has been subject to efforts by these radicals to get him fired from his job as a college professor. He has posted a Roundup on Progressive Campaign of Workplace Intimidation and Harassment that I urge you to read all of, including the links, so that you can get a real understanding of th extent of these attempts to destroy this good man and hurt his family. What the Left is doing to him is but one instance of many that I fear will grow in number as the Progressives become more desperate. By having rejected tradition and morality and, thus, decency, the Left is free to achieve their end [the silencing of all opposition] by any means necessary. There is nothing to restrain them; God-like, they have given themselves license to do as they see fit.

And more, at Marooned in Marin, "Standing With a Fellow Blogger & Friend Against Vicious Attacks By Leftists":

Just as The Lonely Conservative writes here, I have also found it ironic how liberals, Leftists, whatever you want to call them, have always claimed to be such great champions of free speech and free expression. Yet when someone has a different point of view, the Left are always the first ones who try to obscure and censor differing opinions. We saw it during the Prop 8 campaign in California, where lists of people who donated to defend traditional marriage had their workplaces and or businesses distributed in order to punish and silence them.

There is nothing traditionally liberal about that. In fact, it is the totalitarian and fascistic face of the Left that has also existed in nations where Americans spilled their blood to defeat their tyrannical regimes. If you want to disagree with another point of view, fine. But when it comes to threatening one's livelihood, libeling critics, falsely accusing them of crimes, etc--that crosses a line. Not only that, it shows how these Leftists cannot support their own arguments, and must silence their dissenters by any means necessary. Which is the essence of totalitarianism.

It is for this purpose that I stand with my friend and fellow blogger against these attacks.

I'll continue updating.

Meanwhile, thanks to Blazing Cat Fur for linking some time back.

And Adrienne's Corner.

And Doug Ross.

And Invincible Armor.

And Right Wing News.

And That Mr. Guy.

And The Pagan Temple has a really interesting take on things, "Donald Douglas — Struck By The Poison Of Progressive Ideology."

BONUS: Maggie Thornton e-mailed a while back and I've been meaning to post her comments. I'll get to that over the next few days, and anyone else I might have missed.

Thanks again, everybody!

Outrage Over Exotic-Game Animals Hunted Down in Ohio

Strange story. And look for activists pushing for even more regulations.

At WaPo, "Dangerous exotic animals turned loose, hunted down in Ohio." And at NYT, "Police Kill Dozens of Animals Freed on Ohio Reserve."

Kristin Cavallari Bikini Pics!

She looks great.

See Celebslam, "Kristin Cavallari is in love again."

Hyatt's Houston Sugar Land Hotel Cancels Tea Party Event on Islam

From Pamela Geller, "The Quisling Cowards at the Hyatt Place Sugar Land Caved to Intimidation," and "Across the Pond the Hyatt's Craven Quisling Cancellation Makes News."

And following Pamela's links takes us to London's Daily Mail, "Hotel cancels Tea Party event after learning that anti-Islam activist was due to be a speaker."

Cain's Stimulating '9-9-9' Tax Reform

Arthur Laffer's down with it, at Wall Street Journal:

It used to be that the sole purpose of the tax code was to raise the necessary funds to run government. But in today's world the tax mandate has many more facets. These include income redistribution, encouraging favored industries, and discouraging unfavorable behavior.

To make matters worse there are millions and millions of taxpayers who are highly motivated to reduce their tax liabilities. And, as those taxpayers finagle and connive to find ways around the tax code, government responds by propagating new rules, new interpretations of the code, and new taxes in a never-ending chase. In the process, we create ever-more arcane tax codes that do a poor job of achieving any of their mandates.

Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain's now famous "9-9-9" plan is his explicit proposal to right the wrongs of our federal tax code. He proposes a 9% flat-rate personal income tax with no deductions except for donations to charity; a 9% flat-rate tax on net business profits; and a new 9% national tax on retail sales.

Mr. Cain's 9-9-9 plan was designed to be what economists call "static revenue neutral," which means that if people didn't change what they do under his plan, total tax revenues would be the same as they are under our current tax code. I believe his plan would indeed be static revenue neutral, and with the boost it would give to economic growth it would bring in even more revenue than expected.

Continue reading.

Dirty DUIs

A bizarre story, at LAT, "Coming Clean on 'Dirty DUIs' in Contra Costa County."

Romney Strikes Back After Lousy Performance at CNN Debate in Las Vegas — UPDATE: Ad Pulled!

More background on the CNN debate at Riehl World View, "Don't Stick A Fork In Perry, He Isn't Done, Yet."

Mitt Romney obviously agrees.

At Politico, "Team Mitt Romney video tries to remind on Rick Perry."

UPDATE: The ad was pulled. See Hot Air, "Brutal new Romney ad: Rick Perry’s a moron; Update: Romney pulls ad?"

And here's a copy of it:

Bank of America's Death Rattle

I bailed out of Bank of America a couple of years ago, after my wife and I consolidated some of our accounts. But the service was getting just awful.

And here's this at Protein Wisdom, "'Not With a Bang, But a Whimper: Bank of America's Death Rattle'."

And follow the links over there.