Kate Upton for Elle Magazine

Well, an improvement over that big stupid black bitch, that's for sure.

At the New York Post, "Kate Upton: Yes, I'm religious and proud of it."

Also at London's Daily Mail, "'I felt terrible about myself for a solid month': Kate Upton on how she was treated like a 'toy' after her first racy Sports Illustrated cover."

Big Stupid Black Babysitter Kariasa Thomas Distracted by Facebook as 3-Year-Old Drowns

At iOWNTHEWORLD, "‘Hey everybody Im back n ready to act a fool’":

That was the last Facebook entry of a woman who was supposed to be babysitting four kids at a pool.

She should make an entry in Facedown Book, because that’s how one of the kids was found when she finally got around to rounding them up to leave.

The kid drowned just feet away from where she was lounging while Facebooking, talking on the phone and playing with her pit bull.

Also at New York Daily News, "Dallas woman distracted by Facebook as 3-year-old girl drowns: 
police."

Political Correctness Trumps Truth in Fort Hood Massacre

From Michelle Malkin, "3 forgotten facts about the Fort Hood jihad attack." Here are the three forgotten facts:

"– Fourteen victims fell on Nov. 5, 2009, not 13. Thirteen of our U.S. military personnel died in cold blood at the deployment center. But the death toll was actually 14. Pvt. Francheska Velez, 21, was pregnant when Hasan shot her during the first round of gunfire."

***

"– The victims were all unarmed. Soldiers inside the deployment center were and are forbidden from carrying weapons — either issued weapons or personal arms — on base."

***

"– Hasan’s military colleagues were more concerned with being accused of discrimination than with ridding our military of this known, deranged Islamic radical. In 2007, two years before he carried out his homicidal plan, Hasan laid out his murderous means, motives and Koranic inspiration for all to see."

RTWT.

Drudge: Fox News Shakeup as Megyn Kelly Moves to Primetime

Gateway Pundit reports, "FOX News Shakeup – Megyn Kelly Moves to Primetime."

And at the Guardian UK, "Should we care that smart women aren't having kids?" (via the People's Cube).

#Dodgers Do Heavy Damage to #Cardinals

Dodgers are staying hot.

At LAT, "Dodgers do heavy damage in 13-4 win over Cardinals":

ST. LOUIS — Fans were still finding their seats when St. Louis Cardinals rookie Shelby Miller threw the second pitch of the game to the Dodgers' Carl Crawford on Wednesday night.

Crawford hit a line drive directly at Miller, striking the right-hander's throwing elbow as the Busch Stadium crowd let out a gasp.

"I honestly thought he broke his arm, I've never seen a ball hit that flush on an elbow," the Dodgers' Skip Schumaker said.

The ball hit Miller with such force that it caromed off the pitcher and flew into shallow left field, enabling Crawford to reach second base with a double.

Miller was led off the field, and an inning later the Cardinals called on veteran Jake Westbrook, their scheduled starting pitcher for Thursday.

The Dodgers then jumped all over Westbrook with six runs in the second inning on their way to a 13-4 win, their sixth victory in the last seven games.

The Dodgers had a season-high 18 hits, including four by Crawford, and Schumaker and Andre Ethier each had four runs batted in.

After having their streak of consecutive road wins end at 15 here Tuesday night, the Dodgers' win also meant the club still has not lost consecutive games since June 20-21.

RTWT.

Plus, from Chris Erskine, "Dodgers' successes seem sweeter after their early struggles."

@MSNBC 'Mansplainer' Lawrence O'Donnell

Here's Julia Ioffe demanding to be recognized as the RUSSIAN EXPERT!

At the New Republic, "Dear Lawrence O'Donnell, Don't Mansplain to Me About Russia" (via Memeorandum).

The whole "mainsplaining" thing would have more kick if she'd called him a "mansplainer" on the air. Instead she waits until later for her backup feminist grievance programming to kick in and voilà, a fearsome "STFU mansplainer I'm a MF Russian expert blog post beatdown!" I guess it's really super brave if you take your outrage back to the blogosphere. Or safer. Lots of loser left-wing dolts to back you up.

'Hollywood Hypocrisy' on Hannity's

A great segment featuring Michelle Fields.

I tweeted Michelle and she liked it.

Professor Hugo Schwyzer Quits the Internet!

I can't believe what a f-king tool this guy is.

At Daley Gator, "DAMN! I just hate it when a famous blogger I never heard of stops blogging!"

And he's not really quitting the Internet. He's pumping up the controversy in advance of an impending reentry.

Here's this from the loser's interview at New York Magazine:

I had just gotten hired by Jezebel for a weekly column, and a huge discussion broke out: Do we want this guy, a professor who f-ked his students, who tried to kill a woman, not to mention straight, white, and middle class, to be the voice of male feminism?

Shoot, he should be overqualified, lol!

Not to mention names, but this is the kinda guy my idiot harassers should be going after. Doh.

In any case, more at the Frisky, "The Soapbox: On Hugo Schwyzer, Personal Essay Writing & Redemption."

Photo Credit: HackCollege, "Pasadena City College Offers Porn Class."

Leftists Outraged Over Wendy Davis 'Abortion Barbie' Comments

American Glob has it, "Hypocritical Libs Outraged Over “Abortion Barbie” Moniker For Wendy Davis."

And Abby Huntsman and Krystal Ball toe the hypocritical leftist line, you know because "Abortion Barbie is bad, while Caribou Barbie" is good:



More at Twitchy, "Wendy Davis labeled ‘Abortion Barbie’; Outrage from some who said nothing about ‘Caribou Barbie’."

'Distributed Internet Reputational Attack'

Well, it turns out I haven't blogged about this Charles Carreon dolt, but Robert Stacy McCain has, taking off on Popehat's epic beatdown on that idiot.

See, "‘Distributed Internet Reputational Attack’? Charles Carreon’s Self-Evident Absurdity."

And following the links we see this at Popehat, "An Open Letter to Charles Carreon."

And (I'm laughing as I link this) go to Carreon's "Rapeutation" blog.

"Reputational Attack"? The lulz.

BONUS: Head back over to the Other McCain for more on this Carreon dolt, "The @Popehat Reign of Terror and the Censorious Douchebag Charles Carreon."

How Low Will We Actually Go in the Age of Obama?

Pretty low, it turns out.

I caught Ace administering an epic beatdown to Jane Pratt on Twitter. Unfortunately, he was tweeting her old Twitter account and he moved on.

But reading the posts you can understand why the despair.

Lisa DePasquale was a little hurt that Jane Pratt, who was a childhood hero of hers for editing teen girls' magazines that appealed to the "Smart Girls," is now peddling Sydney Leathers' Idiot's Guide to Getting Older Married Men to Masturbate for You Over the Internet how-to manual.

I linked this in the sidebar yesterday -- but I assumed she was self-publishing or maybe had some kind of deal via, I don't know, Vivid Entertainment's literary imprint, if you can imagine such a thing.

Nope! Teen Girl's Magazine. (Correction: I'm told it's a women's magazine for girls who used to read the teen magazine Sassy. But see my note at the end.) Click the link to the see the story and read what Jane Pratt thinks is important information for teen girls.

How sad is this?

Teen magazines used to peddle the fantasy of becoming a Fashion Model.

Now they peddle the fantasy of becoming a Vagina Model.

This really made me sad for the pathetic current state of the human condition in America in the Age of Obama. How low will we actually go? When teen magazines are celebrating a half-wit's skill at baiting men into 'batin', how far are we from Idiocracy?

And see, "Slouching Towards Idiocracy."

BONUS: The original piece at xoJane, "ANTHONY WEINER'S SEXTING PARTNER SYDNEY LEATHERS REVEALS HER 10 SECRETS FOR SEDUCING A POLITICIAN.


It's all of a piece.

The left is succeeding in destroying the culture. The trick will be resisting despair. Leftist regressive overreach is upon now and we'll see some real political shifts in the upcoming elections.

Victoria Silvstedt Rule 5 — UPDATED!

Jeez, where's this woman been my whole life?

On Twitter perhaps.

Paradise island !! Looks like I'm on a different planet pic.twitter.com/rbpkJqHgRi
— victoria silvstedt (@vicsilvstedt) August 6, 2013

And at Egotastic!, "We Saw Victoria Silvstedt in Her Bikini, Now Let’s See Her in Playboy."

UPDATE: My good friend Bob Belvedere points out that Ms. Silvstedt's breasts are fakies. Actually, the Egotastic! photos are pre-surgery, it turns out, and checking around it's clear that she's seen better days. For example "Victoria Silvstedt Plastic Surgery Before and After Breast Implants and Lips." Also, "Victoria Silvstedt: Worst Plastic Surgery at Cannes?"

Hotshot Widow Juliann Ashcraft Fights for Survivor's Benefits

The City of Prescott's gonna lose on this one way or another.

And to listen to Ms. Ashcraft is heartbreaking. She's been making the rounds on the news shows after a contention battle with the city council.

Here's London's Daily Mail, "Devastated Arizona Hotshot widow left to raise four children alone is DENIED lifetime benefits after city claims her husband was a 'seasonal' firefighter."

This Jake Tapper interview was excellent.



More at ABC News, "New Bill Could Boost Benefits for Some Arizona Hotshot Families."

Doe-Eyed Jen Psaki Barely Survives Tough @JakeTapper Interview

Here's Milena Rodban on Twitter, "I'm not sure what Jen Psaki is smiling about... her glee at getting away with barely answering any of @JakeTapper's questions?"

Ding!

And see for yourself:



The last part of the issue deals with, ahem, "human rights," or as R.S. McCain aptly observes, the question of how far the Obama White House will kowtow to the radical homosexual lobby. See, "From Russia, With Hate: Sodomy Lobby Now Dictating U.S. Foreign Policy."

More at WaPo, "Obama cancels summit meeting with Putin." (Via Memeorandum.)

Hamas Summer Camp

Remember what I was saying the other day, "Al-Quds Day Rally, New York: 'Free Palestine — From River to the Sea...'"

Here's more from Obama's "peace" partners.

'We Are Trayvon' Ebony Cover

Look, we'll never have racial reconciliation in this country when stupid people in the black community continue to exploit popular culture for leftist race-baiting.

At the Urban Daily, "Ebony Magazine Dedicates Four Covers to Trayvon Martin [PHOTOS]":

On newsstands August 6th, Ebony Magazine named the issue “We Are Trayvon.” Three of the covers feature celebrity men in hoodies with their sons. Those men are Boris Kodjoe and his son Nicholas, Dwyane Wade and his sons Zaire and Zion, and Spike Lee and his teenage son Jackson.

Inside of the magazine, Jill Scott wrote a poem tributing the slain teen. Columbia University professor Dr. Marc Lamont Hill and Rev. Al Sharpton both contributed editorial pieces for the Trayvon Martin-dedicated issue. Finally, Ebony got an exclusive interview with the parents of Trayvon Martin Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin.

Hat Tip: Breitbart Sports, where there are hundreds of comments.

Scandalous Luxury Travel Spending by Academic Deans at UCLA

When we talk about the entitlement mentality of the leftist political class, it's amazing how frequently California leads the discussion of this reprehensible corruption.

KABC-TV Los Angeles had this the other day, "UCLA officials' travel expenses scrutinized."

And here's Brianna Keilar at CNN:

Mika Brzezinski: 'I don't see MSNBC going after Democratic presidential candidates and trying to hire them or trying to push them into forefront...'

Joe Scarborough calls out Brzezinski, hilariously so.

Allahpundit has a great rundown, "Scarborough: Let’s face it, MSNBC primetime is a mouthpiece for Democrats":

Can a statement that the world is round be newsworthy? Normally I’d say no but last night Matthews implied that it’s not so much that MSNBC is in the tank for O as that his and their views just happen to “coincide.” Mika Brzezinski also seems to think there’s some key qualitative difference between MSNBC and Fox News insofar as Fox, per its hires of former Republican candidates, is more of a mouthpiece for the party than her employer is. Which is funny, because not only has MSNBC made Obama confidants David Axelrod and Robert Gibbs contributors, the two of them are among Scarborough’s most frequent guests. If the network could give Jay Carney contributor status right now, in order to get talking-points milk fresh from the cow, no doubt they would. Note to Mika: The real difference between Fox and MSNBC is that Fox still cares about breaking news.

More at the link.

Don't Underestimate the al-Qaeda Threat

An editorial at USA Today, "Keep al-Qaeda's threats in perspective: Our view."

I'm skeptical al Qaeda is "overwhelmingly unpopular" across the Islamic world, as the piece argues. Polls routinely show high support for terrorism against the West, so it's hardly credible to say these same populations don't back al Qaeda in significant numbers. (See the Religion of Peace for a roundup of opinion, "A 'Tiny Minority of Extremists'?")

Otherwise, an interesting editorial.

And see, "U.S. evacuates embassy in Yemen; drones hit al-Qaeda."

@AceofSpadesHQ Teaches @AmandaMarcotte About the Facts of Life — Men Likes Boobs!

Side-splitting.

At Twitchy, "‘Know why men like boobs?’ Ace teaches Amanda Marcotte the facts of life with hilarious results."

.@amandamarcotte, discussing someone *not* named "Amanda Marcotte:" "The note of persecution is painful." Inded. http://t.co/btlIjolZVi
— DepressiveBlogger69 (@AceofSpadesHQ) August 4, 2013

Warning: Marcotte’s writing is not safe for sanity. The real war on women? It’s perpetrated by “feminists” like Ms. Marcotte. But, no worries! Ace of Spades is here to graciously teach her something about the facts of life.

Wink. "Christy, let's act like a lady."

OMG, Dana Loesch has just had it up to here with idiot Christy Setzer, on Hannity's last night.

Japan Unveils Biggest Warship Since World War II

Well, it's logical. At some point Japan's gotta be ready to defend itself against China, which is often openly bellicose toward regional adversaries --- and that's despite the huge U.S. presence in the region. (Or China is perceived as bellicose, often as the media and blogs pump up the atmospherics.) Expect to see further defense mobilization in Japan in the immediate years ahead.

At Pat Dollard, "Japan Counters China by Debuting First Aircraft Carrier Since World War II."

RELATED: At the New York Times, last April, "Japan Shifts From Pacifism as Anxiety in Region Rises."

'What are you going to do about it, grandpa?'

Actually, the headline's a quote from the New York Post, indicating what two witnesses heard Weiner say to his opponent. But the news clip indicates Weiner said, "But you do, grandpa." And interestingly, the clip also suggests that Weiner's got some Teflon mojo when it comes to the lewd tweeting scandal.

At Jammie Wearing Fools, "GOP NYC Mayoral Candidate to Weiner: 'I would appreciate if you would never touch me again”; Weiner: “What are you going to do about it, grandpa?'"

NewsBusted: 'Raul Castro transferring power in Cuba to younger generations...'

A good one, via Theo Spark.

Obama Schedules White House Meeting with Muslim Brotherhood Officials

Barack Hussein wants to keep those murderers in power in Egypt, and a Turkish delegation is overseeing the meeting.

(Head hits desk.)

At Atlas Shrugs, "OBAMA REPORTEDLY TO MEET WITH MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD OFFICIALS IN THE WHITE HOUSE."



PHOTO CREDIT: Gateway Pundit.

Californians Confused and Angry at Amber Alert on Cellphones

I give my iPhone to my youngest boy to use (pretty much all the time now), because he "can't find his charger" to his iPod. So last night he was in the back room watching TV for awhile and he comes out and says, "You got a couple of amber alerts." I'm like "WFT," thinking my son signed me up for some funky new apps or something. But turns out the state sent out its first amber alert by mobile devices yesterday, and a lot of folks aren't pleased.

See LAT, "Amber Alert: Californians confused, angry and startled":

Residents across California were startled overnight by cellphones that came to life in screeches and buzzes, awaking some and unsettling others with the state's first Amber Alert via text message.

Californians are no strangers to Amber Alerts, which are issued for critical child abductions. But for the first time Monday night, residents across the Southland experienced an Amber Alert issued via text message to their cellphones -- and got the full complement of a 10-second spurt of high-pitched noise and buzzing.

The message -- which included only basic details about a blue Nissan -- sent many customers into a tizzy of confusion, even anger. The text did not explain the circumstances.

Amber Alert Q&A: Why it happens, how to turn it off

The Amber Alert was issued after James Lee DiMaggio, suspected of killing Christina Anderson, 44, of Lakeside, allegedly kidnapped one or both of her children: Hannah Anderson, 16, and Ethan Anderson, 8.
Most newer phones are automatically set up to receive the alerts -- which look like text messages but are free -- meaning customers must contact their cell service provider to opt out of the program. Otherwise, customers will receive alerts tailored to geographic regions.

Well, this is the first I've heard of it. Don't know if I'll opt out, but if they become really frequent, probably yes. I'll get the same alerts on TV within a few minutes.

More at KABC-TV Los Angeles, "Amber Alerts on cellphones: A closer look."

The Truth About Benghazi

Erin Burnett's one-hour investigation starts now.

I'll have some thoughts on this later...

Wow, Even the Leftist Daily Beast Gets It: 'Nidal Hasan's Murders Termed 'Workplace Violence' by U.S.'

The White House obviously cares more about a mass-murderer who screamed "Allahu Akbar" before opening fire than it does for the victims who were gunned down.

It's no wonder why this president and his sick PC shock troops are so widely reviled.

Here's the Daily Beast:

Fort Hood victims suffering continues as government labels the murder of 13 soldiers "workplace violence" http://t.co/NNwE900dde

— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) August 7, 2013

The Old 'MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour' to be Replaced with New Politically-Correct 'Ifill/Woodruff NewsHour'

From Brian Stelter, at the New York Times, "Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff to Co-Anchor ‘NewsHour’" via (Memeorandum):

The PBS “NewsHour,” which was co-anchored for decades by the two men who created it, will soon be co-anchored by two women.

PBS announced on Tuesday that Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff would take over the nightly newscast in September, putting an end to the rotating anchor format that has been in effect for several years. Ms. Ifill and Ms. Woodruff will also share the managing-editor responsibilities for the program.

The appointments are another milestone for women on television and in journalism, seven years after Katie Couric became the first female solo anchor of a network nightly newscast. PBS noted in a news release that “this will mark the first time a network broadcast has had a female co-anchor team.”

The co-anchor arrangement harks back to the 1970s, when Jim Lehrer and Robert MacNeil founded the nightly newscast that was later named “The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour.” The two men jointly presented the program until 1995, when Mr. MacNeil retired. Mr. Lehrer continued to anchor it until 2011, when he retired. Their company, MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, remains in charge of “NewsHour,” and they were involved in the discussions that culminated in Tuesday’s announcement.

“If Gwen and I can be the team that Jim and Robin were, we will consider that a success,” Ms. Woodruff said in a telephone interview.

Asked what advice the two former anchors had given them, Ms. Ifill said in a separate interview, “They told us to stick close together and to stay friends.”

Ms. Woodruff and Ms. Ifill already are close, having crossed paths in Washington, where they both live, countless times, and having “appeared on endless panels together discussing women in journalism,” as Ms. Ifill put it.

Ms. Ifill, who is black, said that she and Ms. Woodruff were mindful of the broader significance of their appointment.“When I was a little girl watching programs like this — because that’s the kind of nerdy family we were — I would look up and not see anyone who looked like me in any way. No women. No people of color,” she said.

“I’m very keen about the fact that a little girl now, watching the news, when they see me and Judy sitting side by side, it will occur to them that that’s perfectly normal — that it won’t seem like any big breakthrough at all,” she added.

That is so much bull. In fact, Woodruff herself is a pathbreaking woman journalist, who anchored CNN's "Inside Politics" for 12 years starting in 1993; and through much of that time she worked with longstanding and highly-regarded CNN anchor Bernard Shaw, who is black.

The appointment of Ifill and Woodruff to co-host a nightly newscast is boring, un-pathbreaking news. They're both widely accomplished journalists (according to the standards of the profession, which I note because Ifill's a partisan hack IMHO), and obviously PBS went with the politically correct "two-women" route to staunch the bleeding from its viewership among the effete highly educated NPR demographic. It'll be a miracle if the show lasts half as long as Woodruff's did with "Inside Politics." Indeed, we're likely to see changes within 2-3 years at least. The program's been struggling for some time. I wish them well, frankly. I think the more diversity in the media marketplace the better, especially given the BuzzFeed-ization of political journalism.

Meaningless Criminal Charges Filed in Benghazi Attack Investigation

At the Wall Street Journal, "U.S. Files Sealed Charges in Benghazi Attack: Move Marks First American Response to Assault That Killed U.S. Ambassador to Libya" (via Memeorandum).

Read it all at the link.

The piece has an update and correction that reads, "The U.S. filed sealed charges against a number of individuals related to last year's attack on U.S. diplomatic posts in Benghazi, Libya. A headline on an earlier version of this article incorrectly said the U.S. filed sealed indictments."

So, the "charges" aren't really an "indictment," which means that no one's going to trial. Indeed, CNN reports that it's not clear if the administration plans to detain anyone, "It couldn't be learned when the United States plans to announce the charges or whether there is any intention to try to detain [Ahmed Abu] Khattala or the others."

This means nothing. The administration has never been serious about "bringing the terrorists to justice." Indeed, Obama's drone policy was driven by the need to actually avoid capturing militants, which would be a little inconvenient considering the Democrats bullshit hypocrisy on Guantanamo, trials in civilian courts and all the other leftist clusterf-k claims.

These people are basically traitors. It's sickening.

Fabulous at 50! Smokin' Helen Hunt Shows Off Her Hot Bathing Suit Body!

Well, I sure miss on her television.

At London's Daily Mail, "Helen Hunt shows off her sensational swimsuit body as she hits the beach for new movie."

And here's the background on the movie she's filming, at E! Online, "Helen Hunt to Direct, Write and Star in Family Drama Ride."

Democrat Targeting of Tea Party Groups is Part of the Left's Long-Time Assault on the First Amendment

From Bradley Smith, at the Wall Street Journal, "The IRS Attack on Political Speech":

The Internal Revenue Service's scandalous targeting of tea party and conservative groups refuses to die, as one by one the administration's explanations prove untrue.

We were told that the White House, like the rest of the country, learned about the program on May 10 through a planted question asked of then IRS official Lois Lerner at an American Bar Association conference. Turns out the White House knew earlier. We were told the targeting was the work of a few rogue IRS employees in Cincinnati. Then those employees insisted that they were being managed from Washington.

We were told that no political appointees were involved, but now we know the scandal goes at least to the office of Obama appointee and IRS Chief Counsel William Wilkins. We were told that liberal groups were targeted, too. But then the IRS's inspector general, whose report exposed the harassment, clarified that only conservative groups were targeted.

Now the administration line is that the scandal is nonetheless "phony." That assertion is part of a Democratic counteroffensive contending that the tea party and conservative groups applying for "charitable" tax status never should have sought such IRS approval.

Rep. Xavier Becerra (D., Calif.), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, argued on "Meet the Press" on May 19 that conservative groups were, "under the guise of a charity, [using] undisclosed millions of dollars to do political campaigns." At a May hearing, Sen. Bill Nelson (D., Fla.) claimed that the groups were supposed to spend their money on "charitable activities," and demanded of the IRS, "How could you all in the IRS allow the tax breaks funded basically by the taxpayer [to be spent] on these political campaign expenditures?"

Liberal columnist Jeffrey Toobin has also taken up the theme that the groups were seeking improper tax advantages. Writing in the May 14 issue of the New Yorker, Mr. Toobin argued that if approved by the IRS, the tea party groups would not pay taxes on contributions received. "In return for the tax advantage," he wrote, these groups "must refrain from traditional partisan political activity, like endorsing candidates."

This attack is wrong on the law, and cynical as politics. As these IRS apologists well know, liberal groups, such as Moveon.org, have long had the same tax status as that requested by the tea party and conservative groups—and that status is not of a "charity."

Charities fall under Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code, and they include the Red Cross, Boy Scouts, churches, private colleges and even overtly agenda-oriented organizations such as the NAACP and the Sierra Club Foundation. Contributions are tax deductible to the donor, and for that reason the organizations are prohibited from engaging in political activities.

Yet conservative groups targeted by the IRS did not seek tax status as charities. They were applying for designation as nonprofits operating under Section 501(c)(4) of the tax code, for "the promotion of social welfare." Contributions to 501(c)(4) organizations are not tax deductible, so there is no "tax break" for their donors. Nor do the groups themselves get a "tax advantage." Mr. Toobin argues that these groups should be reclassified under Section 527 of the tax code. More on that below, but 527 organizations also pay nothing in taxes. So there is no "tax advantage" to operating as a 501(c)(4).

So why was the IRS involved at all, and why does it matter? The answer is that the IRS scandal is part of a long-term assault on First Amendment rights. Thanks to "campaign finance reform," citizen groups must navigate a maze of government paperwork and apply to the IRS for a tax license to speak on politics. People literally need a lawyer to figure it out, and not just any lawyer, but one from the highly compensated and mostly Washington, D.C.-based bar practicing "political law."

Continue reading.

Smith's a former chairman of the FEC. He knows whereof he speaks. Frankly, this is the most lucid discussion of the "Section 500" tax categories I've read. Especially good is how he calls bull on all the fat-ass leftists defending the administration's authoritarianism. But this stuff has to come out in a political campaign to really pick up traction. The facts of Barack Obama's authoritarianism and corruption should be the centerpiece of a renewed conservative drive for Congress and the presidency. The scandals along with ObamaCare should be a perfect storm of disaster for Democrats seeking election. But the disgusting JournoList media bolsters the epic fail party in power, so it's a hard road ahead, either way.

So, I continue to stand in dissent and rebellion against the leftists destroying our once great country. But I'm still optimistic that the forces of good and decency can pull us back from the brink, and drive the Democrat-Socialists into long-term oblivion. God willing.

Escaped Python Kills Two Boys, 5 and 7, at New Brunswick Sleepover

I can't fathom the grief.

At London's Daily Mail, "First pictures of brothers, age 5 and 7, who were crushed in their sleep by 16-foot python that slithered into their room through a vent."

And an interesting post at Treehugger, "15-feet long African rock python escapes from pet store, kills two boys (age 5 and 7)."

Almost 30 Minutes with Kennedy!

Well, it's Kennedy and this Andy Schuon, but still.

At Reason, "Kennedy and Producer Andy Schuon on the Golden Age of MTV."

No Slutbags!

Another riot!

At the New York Post, "No Slutbags! Bogus 'interns wanted' flyers for Anthony Weiner popping up."

From Theo's

Nice.

"Bedtime Totty..."

Amazon's Jeff Bezos Buys the Washington Post

Fascinating.

At the Wall Street Journal, "Bezos Buys Washington Post for $250 Million: Amazon Chief's Deal Doesn't Involve Online Retailer but Shows Media Power Shift":

Amazon.com Inc. AMZN -1.06% Chief Executive Jeff Bezos is buying the Washington Post WPO +1.56% for $250 million in an out-of-the-blue deal that captures the newspaper industry's economic decline and the shift of power from old media to Silicon Valley.

The sale puts one of the most famous newspapers in the U.S.—the publication credited with breaking the Watergate scandal that led to President Nixon's resignation almost 40 years ago—in the hands of a Web businessman who rose to prominence only in the past 20 years.

It comes as many newspapers are struggling to survive. Print newspaper ad revenues fell 55% between 2007 and 2012, according to the Newspaper Association of America, as advertisers and readers have defected to the Web. Some newspapers have been forced to slash costs and in some cases file for bankruptcy. Just three days ago the New York Times Co. NYT -0.42% sold the Boston Globe for $70 million, having paid $1.1 billion for it in 1993.

The Internet is "transforming almost every element of the news business," Mr. Bezos said in a letter to Washington Post employees. "There is no map, and charting a path ahead will not be easy. We will need to invent, which means we will need to experiment," Mr. Bezos wrote.

He added that he won't be involved in the day-to-day management of the newspaper.

In an interview Monday, Washington Post Co. Chairman Don E. Graham praised Mr. Bezos's track record as a well-connected industry innovator with the patience to make difficult businesses profitable, but he acknowledged challenges.

"Jeff is a business person, not a magician. He is going to have to work as hard as everyone else to figure out the problem of news. But he brings a lot," Mr. Graham said.

Early this year, Mr. Graham brought in investment bank Allen & Co. to begin looking for someone to buy the Washington Post. The decision to sell had come after months of reflection among the company's board members, said one person familiar with the situation. Mr. Graham "couldn't see how to grow [the paper] and began to wonder if there was a better owner," the person said.

Mr. Graham spoke with many prospects directly, drawing on his extensive network in Silicon Valley. Mr. Graham, who has been an adviser to Facebook Inc. FB +2.99% chief Mark Zuckerberg, has spent years building relationships with technology titans, including Mr. Bezos, who had helped him make important hires such as Amazon veteran Vijay Ravindran, the head of WaPo Labs.

Several months ago, Mr. Graham's bankers reached out to Mr. Bezos, said a person with direct knowledge of the deal. Initially, Mr. Bezos held back, citing a lack of time to properly deal with a transaction. Then, in July, Mr. Bezos wrote an email to Mr. Graham saying, "If you're interested, I am," said another person familiar with the situation.

Mr. Bezos, who launched Amazon in 1995, is worth about $26 billion, courtesy of his stake in the e-commerce giant. As part of a planned stock sale, Mr. Bezos took in $185 million this month, representing less than 1% of his holdings. Forbes ranked him as the 19th most-wealthy man in the world, just ahead of Google Inc.'s Larry Page.

Mr. Bezos wasn't available for an interview.

Not available for a statement to WSJ, although here's his full letter at WaPo, "Jeff Bezos on Post purchase." (Via Memeorandum.)

And see, "Washington Post sale: Details of Bezos deal."

Now, if Bezos would just buy the Los Angeles Times I'd be set.

Al-Quds Day Rally, New York: 'Free Palestine — From River to the Sea...'

My god, the place was swarming with terrorists.

At Atlas Shrugs, "FORMER HAMAS-CAIR OFFICIAL SPEWS VICIOUS ANTISEMITISM AT 'AL QUDS DAY': ISLAMIC JEW-HATRED UNBOUND."

And at Silent Majority No More, "'Al Quds' Day – JEW HATRED & FASCIST LIES UNCHALLENGED in NYC."

Fascists, yes.

Sponsored by the Stalinist International Action Center Communists.

And their program? Push the Jews to the sea. They aggressively announce it every day. They want to eliminate the Jews from Israel, and once the Caliphate is restored they'll seek to spread Islamic rule across the rest of the world.

Always resist these people, the true representatives of leftism and Islam.

Sydney Leathers, Obama Democrat and Weiner Mistress, Shoots Porn Film for Hardcore Vivid Entertainment

Boy, that didn't take very long.

And, well, she says Weiner didn't take very long to, eh, you know what, so I guess it's fitting.

At London's Daily Mail, "Just when he thought it couldn't get any more humiliating. . . Anthony Weiner' sexting partner brings out her own X-rated movie":

Anthony Weiner's sexting partner has stripped down for the public as she filmed a video for a major porn distributor.

Sydney Leathers poses provocatively in a five-minute clip of the video, and talks about her virtual relationship with the disgraced congressman.

'He would always compliment me on my breasts and my butt and my feet, and he would always tell me I was the perfect height to wear heels,' the 23-year-old said.

Also at TMZ, "WEINER'S SEXTING PARTNER STRIPS NAKED -- In Hardcore Porn [PHOTOS]."

Hey, Democrats creating jobs!

Wonders never cease!

Added: The Other McCain links, "Will Sydney Leathers Porn Video Be Entitled, ‘Not Enough Latex on Earth’?" Thanks!

RNC Threatens Boycott of Network Debates Over Hillary Clinton Documentaries

At the Hill, "RNC warns networks: Drop Clinton movies or lose 2016 GOP debates" (at Memeorandum):

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus threatened to pull the group’s partnership with NBC and CNN for 2016 GOP presidential primary debates if the networks moved ahead with plans to air films on Hillary Clinton.

Rush calls the documentaries "four-hour mini-series commercials." And he says the GOP has "nothing to gain" by participating in the debates, which are solely designed to make the Republican candidate look bad.

Lady Gaga and Madonna Facing Punishment in Russia

Putin leads the world's biggest rogue regime.



More at Memeorandum.

Shakedown Scofflaw Tawana Brawley Finally Starts Paying Man She Falsely Accused of Rape in 1987

I saw this story the other day, but it's picking up traction.

Here's the background at the Washington Times, "Tawana Brawley found after decades, served court order for defamation case," and "Tawana Brawley, who faked rape, begins defamation payments 25 years later."

The New York Post tracked her down, and reported back in December, "25 years after her rape claims sparked a firestorm, Tawana Brawley avoids the spotlight."



And from yesterday's Post, "Pay-up time for Brawley: '87 rape-hoaxer finally shells out for slanderJust $431,000 to go."

And I guess there's no word from Al Sharpton, at Da Tech Guy's, "Al Sharpton useful to the Radical Left. Tawana Brawley not so much."

Also, from Gregory Kane, "COMMENTARY: It’s Time for Reverend Al Sharpton to Step Up Again For Tawana Brawley."

Headline Change on the DREAMers' Self-Deport Clusterf-k

Remember this, "Illegal Aliens Self-Deport in Latest 'Poor Me' Open Borders Shakedown Scam"?

Well, the whole scam's not turning out too well for the idiot DREAMers, who probably won't be allowed back in the county. The best part is how this puts Obama in a jam. The open borders shills aren't pleased by the sideshow either.

Thus, my headline change, at Twitter.

Bwahahah!!

Stupid Demonstration at Arizona Border Makes Fools of Supporters of #Immigration Overhaul. @MichelleMalkin http://t.co/9QBAZWIW0l

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) August 5, 2013

Melissa Debling for Zoo Today

Lovely.

All my brand new pics from last weeks @ZOO shoot is now online http://t.co/FndJXOKNCS pic.twitter.com/IyCwD7B9tF

— Melissa Debling (@MelissaD89) August 1, 2013

Dick Morris Explains Congress's #ObamaCare Exemption

He's so happy-go-lucky about it, and thus makes the Democrat #ObamaCare ghouls look that much more cartoonish.

You can't make up a more epic storyline for the monumentally corrupt political class.



And don't miss Patterico's smackdown of the utterly bankrupt Obama ghouls, "Utterly Corrupt Obama Rewriting ObamaCare Unilaterally (Again)." (At Memeorandum.)

VIDEO HAT TIP: John Hawkins.

Politico Changes Embarrassing Headline on OFA No-Shows — Hilarity Ensues

At Twitchy, "Lapdogs leashed? Politico runs cover for incredibly shrinking Obama cult, changes headline."

And earlier, "Schadenfreudelicious! More OFA Va. fail: Massive crowds in the ones attend Obama parties [pics]."

Hilarious!

“Sue Langley, faithful and dedicated @OFA volunteer starting off with introductions @OFA_VA pic.twitter.com/V4PLtE6GaL”

— OFA VA (@OFA_VA) August 4, 2013

#SadTrombone day for @OFA_Va http://t.co/HfqkLEzkjr Only one shows up? I've seen bigger crowds watch the grass grow!

— Sean O (@Sean_for_3) August 5, 2013

RT @whpresscorps: RT @BuzzFeedAndrew: Literally 1 person showed up to OFA's ObamaCare event in Virginia Sunday http://t.co/ceeBdq58wI

— HarrisFaulkner (@HARRISFAULKNER) August 5, 2013

Bet no one gets fired over this headline change RT @lachlan: Interesting headline change. http://t.co/QuloG9nhlz http://t.co/Gt865IZiQP

— Derek Hunter (@derekahunter) August 5, 2013

Man, this is getting too funny. The Dems are epic lulz!

Stella Creasy, Labour MP for Walthamstow, Decries Twitter Trolls and 'Wind-Up Merchants'

Here's the piece, "Stella Creasy MP: We can't leave Twitter to the trolls and wind-up merchants."

Louise Mensch is not pleased with the "wind-up merchants" bit:

Stella Creasy @stellacreasy MP,am a big fan, but worthless partisan Telegraph article, comparing @toadmeister and @DPJHodges to Katy Hopkins

— Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) August 5, 2013

That is really disappointing and kind of shameful. And a shabby attempt to shut down debate. Hodges and Toby Young both major figures

— Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) August 5, 2013

Toby Young runs a successful Free School and spearheaded the movement; Dan Hodges one of UK's foremost activists & bloggers @stellacreasy

— Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) August 5, 2013

To compare either to Katie Hopkins is so monumentally beneath you it renders your entire argument worthless. @stellacreasy

— Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) August 5, 2013

Katie Hopkins is just a mini shock-jock like Samantha Brick. To compare Young and Hodges to her = comparing Gove to her. Moronic

— Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) August 5, 2013

And here's this at the Guardian UK, "Katie Hopkins: queen of conflict."

Another leftist trying to "shut down debate." I'm shocked. Shocked!

China to Ditch One-Child Policy

It won't make much of a difference.

Human life is so degraded in China families will continue to practice infanticide. It's the result of a culture of collectivism and deprivation. And of leftism.

At Telegraph UK, "China to ditch its one-child policy as ageing crisis looms":

China's new leaders are close to abandoning the country's one-child policy, belatedly moving to avert an ageing crunch as the work force goes into sharp decline.

The official news agency Xinhua reported that the Family Planning Commission is studying proposals to lift the ban on a second child, if either parent is an only child. The body's spokesman said aim is to "improve" family policy, confirming leaks to Chinese newspapers that a major shift is in the works. The new rules are expected to come into force early next year, and may be extended to cover all families by 2015.

Jun Ma from Deutsche Bank said the new policies should shore up the pension system and inject stimulus as China's growth sputters. "As tens of millions of sibling-less people in China are now entering their child-bearing age, we expect this policy shift would induce a baby boom," he said.

The one-child policy dates back to 1971 in its original form and has led to 336m abortions and 222m sterilisations, often badly executed in poor regions. Recent abuses have caused uproar, with photos circulating on the internet of a young mother lying beside a fully formed baby after she had been seized by police for failing to pay the "social compensation fee" for an illegal child. She was forced to undergo an abortion just before her natural birth.

Premier Li Keqiang clearly views the policy an anachronism at a time when China is running out of workers, and faces a demographic time-bomb. There are currently five workers for every pensioner. This ratio will fall to two by 2035.

The policy has always been a patchwork of measures. Ethnic minorities are exempted. Farmers are allowed a second child if the first is a girl. The urban middle class can usually pay the fine, barely enforced in Shanghai where fertility rates are collapsing for other reasons. The shift in policy may come too late to avert an ageing shock. The workforce shrank by 3m last year, an inflection point that has come sooner than expected.

RTWT.

Leftists love all those abortions --- the more the merrier!

Congress's #ObamaCare Exemption

A great leader at the Wall Street Journal, "The President intervenes to give Members and staff a break":

To adapt H.L. Mencken, nobody ever went broke underestimating the cynicism and self-dealing of the American political class. Witness their ad-libbed decision, at the 11th hour and on the basis of no legal authority, to create a special exemption for themselves from the ObamaCare health coverage that everybody else is mandated to buy.

The Affordable Care Act requires Members of Congress and their staffs to participate in its insurance exchanges, in order to gain first-hand experience with what they're about to impose on their constituents. Harry Truman enrolled as the first Medicare beneficiary in 1965, and why shouldn't the Members live under the same laws they pass for the rest of the country?

That was the idea when Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley proposed the original good-enough-for-thee, good-enough-for-me amendment in 2009, and the Finance Committee unanimously adopted his rule. Declared Chairman Max Baucus, "I'm very gratified that you have so much confidence in our program that you're going to be able to purchase the new program yourself and I'm confident too that the system will work very well."

Harry Reid revised the Grassley amendment when he rammed through his infamous ObamaCare bill that no one had read for a vote on Christmas eve. But he neglected to include language about what would happen to the premium contributions that the government makes for its employees. Whether it was intentional or not, the fairest reading of the statute as written is that if Democrats thought somebody earning $174,000 didn't deserve an exchange subsidy, then this person doesn't get a subsidy merely because he happens to work in Congress.

But the statute means that about 11,000 Members and Congressional staff will lose the generous coverage they now have as part of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). Instead they will get the lower-quality, low-choice "Medicaid Plus" of the exchanges. The Members—annual salary: $174,000—and their better paid aides also wouldn't qualify for ObamaCare subsidies. That means they could be exposed to thousands of dollars a year in out-of-pocket insurance costs.

The result was a full wig out on Capitol Hill, with Members of both parties fretting about "brain drain" as staff face higher health-care costs. Democrats in particular begged the White House for help, claiming the Reid language was merely an unintentional mistake. President Obama told Democrats in a closed-door meeting last week that he would personally moonlight as HR manager and resolve the issue.

And now the White House is suspending the law to create a double standard. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) that runs federal benefits will release regulatory details this week, but leaks to the press suggest that Congress will receive extra payments based on the FEHBP defined-contribution formula, which covers about 75% of the cost of the average insurance plan. For 2013, that's about $4,900 for individuals and $10,000 for families.

How OPM will pull this off is worth watching. Is OPM simply going to cut checks, akin to "cashing out" fringe benefits and increasing wages? Or will OPM cover 75% of the cost of the ObamaCare plan the worker chooses—which could well be costlier than what the feds now contribute via current FEHBP plans? In any case the carve-out for Congress creates a two-tier exchange system, one for the great unwashed and another for the politically connected.

It's just terrible legislation, passed with the greatest of socialist intentions, and exempting the very people who "know" what's good for everyone else.

We need repeal. But we also need for Democrats to eat ObamaCare in 2014 --- ram it back down their throats, and they can choke on that crap-burger.

More at the link.

Yale Sex Week

This is not only interesting but the author, Kate Maltby, is hilarious.

At Telegraph UK, "What I learned at Yale Sex Week: porn never goes away when it's banned, Dave."

#TwitterSilence

A new protest campaign emerged after Britain's Caroline Criado-Perez was bombarded with violent threats on Twitter.

Twitchy reports, "Online threats inspire new Twitter rules, #TwitterSilence campaign."

Louise Mensch strikes the right tone, I'd say, arguing that less silence, especially less silence in identifying the harassment trolls, is the way to go.

#Twittersilence seems wrong to me; ignores major, positive steps taken by @Twitter just a day ago. Won't be joining.

— Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) August 4, 2013

And at the Washington Post, "Twitter apologizes to women abused online."

'So Friedrich Engels was gay...'

That's Meade's response to see this headline, at Althouse, "'How Friedrich Engels’ Radical Lover Helped Him Father Socialism'."

Well, it makes sense. "Radical lover" sounds so homosexual.

Click though for the full story.

Sabine Jemeljanova for Loaded Magazine August 2013

I've been lazy about posting my weekend Rule 5 roundups --- and I don't know when I'll be out of the funk. Stay tuned.

That said, everyone loves a pretty girl, as the Other McCain likes to say.

So here's Sabine Jemeljanova, via Egotastic!, "Sabine Jemeljanova Desperately Hot and Fully Loaded."

Also at the source.

PREVIOUSLY: "Sabine Jemeljanova at Egotastic!"

More later...

Rachel Reinhard Dislocates Elbow During Women's Skateboard Street Final — X Games Los Angeles

ESPN showed a different angle during the contest. A horrible fall. Her arm just crumpled beneath the full weight of her body. Gruesome.

This made me think of how the sport's norm is for no safety gear in the street contests. The vert skaters wear full gear, although I'd argue that safety gear's just as important for the street skaters, especially helmets.



More at ESPN.

'Most Serious Terror Threat in Years' Forces Closure of U.S. Embassies, Consulates

The Chicago Tribune reports, "Terror threat that closed embassies called most serious in years."

And Mandy Nagy has the hammering headline, at Legal Insurrection, "“Decimated” al-Qaeda causes U.S. to shut embassies and go on high alert."



PREVIOUSLY: "We've Got al Qaeda on the Run Alright ... In Africa, Stronger Than Ever!"

'Bodies Were Flying in the Air' — Horror at Venice Beach

It's an awesome boardwalk. You'd be just chillin', never expecting any problems.

The suspect was intent on killing. Witnesses are interviewed at the clip.



And a LAT, "Venice boardwalk crash: Man, 38, arrested on suspicion of murder," and "Venice boardwalk: Witnesses describe chaotic scene of hit-and-run."

Video here, "Venice Beach murderer getting into his car and plowing though innocent people." And moments after the hit-and-run, "Venice Boardwalk Tragedy."

Sunday Cartoons

At Flopping Aces, "Sunday Funnies."



Also at Randy's Rountable, "Friday Nite Funnies," and Reaganite Republican, "Reaganite's SUNDAY FUNNIES."

CARTOON CREDIT: William Warren.

Colin Powell Denies 'Salacious' Affair After Hacked Emails Go Public

This is just wow.

At the New York Post, "Salacious e-mail exchanges between Colin Powell and Romanian official Corina Cretu."

And at London's Daily Mail, "'You were my greatest love of my life': Deeply personal emails sent between Colin Powell and a blonde Romanian diplomat revealed by hacker but he DENIES having an affair."

Look, the guy drank the Obama Kool-Aid and went all RINO. This is no surprise considering the Democrats' salacious summer of scandal.

Meghan Rutledge Epic Premature Fist-Pump in Women's Moto-X Final — X Games Los Angeles

Astounding.

I clicked over to ESPN just in time to see this woman go up over the big jump, pump her fist, and then crash like Lindsey Jacobellis in the women's snowboardcross at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Twitter was lighting up with lulz (and some sympathy), and I sent Rutledge the Jacobellis video for a homework assignment.

Bucky Lasek Wins Gold Medal in Skateboarding Vert — X Games Los Angeles

This guy's cool.

He won bronze in 2011 when I attended with my boyz

At LAT, "Bucky Lasek wins vert gold medal at X Games."

Also, "At 40, skateboarding vert pioneer Bucky Lasek still gets ramped up":

Bucky Lasek stands atop the vert ramp hunched forward, right hand on his skateboard.

Above his tidy brown chin strip and mustache, deep lines crease his cheeks. He watches other boarders drop in at practice Wednesday.

Tom Schaar, 13. Mitchie Brusco, 16. Jono Schwan, 16. All young enough to be his kids.

But at 40, Lasek is far from just the old Buck.

He's the best in the sport today and possibly of all time. He proved that again Saturday, winning his fourth straight gold medal at the X Games in Los Angeles.

"When I look at some of my classmates and stuff on Facebook, it's pretty crazy," Lasek said. "I wouldn't expect those guys to be rolling in."

At an age when many men are going through crises, Lasek is at the peak of his career and showing no signs of slowing down. He won in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil, this April after a nine-year gold-medal drought in the event, and on Saturday became the first ever to four-peat.

Once a pioneer in the vert event, Lasek is now breaking ground as the oldest to compete, especially as the one to beat.

"This is the best year I've ever had in my life competitively," Lasek said.

It's more than that, said retired professional skateboarder Tony Hawk.

"His last few competition appearances were far and above better than anything he's ever done," Hawk said, "and better than anyone has ever ridden on the vert ramp."

That's so cool.

More at the link.

'If the bar ain't bendin', then you're just pretendin'...'

Hugh Jackman's a bad mf.

Via Twitter.

Senator Ted Cruz: 'Our Single Best Chance to Defeat #ObamaCare...'

Leftists are attacking Senator Cruz, obviously out of fear that his campaign against the ObamaCare monstrosity will be successful.

The law is failing and the idiot left has again embarked on one of its epic misadventures in cognitive dissonance.

Democrat Perverts and Sexual Harassers: What War on Women?

A great segment.

Emily Miller pulls no punches on the Democrat criminals and pervs.

And remember, this behavior is not a bug but a feature of disgusting Democrat existentialism.



And ICYMI, "Leftists Freak Out as GOP 'Flips the Script' with Democrats' War on Women."

High-Tech Japanese Toilets Vulnerable to Attack From Android App

Here's a change of pace for you.

And who knew the Japanese were into the bidet thing?

Live and learn, at the Verge, "Japanese toilet users vulnerable to Bluetooth bidet assaults."

And here's the video.

Nyjah Huston Wins at Street League Series — X Games Los Angeles

It's just wrapping up on ESPN.

This Nyjah kid is so talented it's ridiculous.



Earlier, "Nyjah Huston Tops Prelims at Street League Series — X Games Los Angeles."

Stop Islamic Terror!

I like the raised fist.

Via Blazing Cat Fur, "Yes!"



More, "Winding down," and "Can't argue with that."

Also, "Everybody's got a cause," and "Hezbollah flags the fashion accessory."

Professor Colin McGinn Resigns After Allegations of Sexual Harassment

It's all about gender equality these days, and dolts like this philosopher sure make it easy for the shakedown feminists.

At NYT, "A Star Philosopher Falls, and a Debate Over Sexism Is Set Off":

Ever since Socrates’ wife was painted as a jealous shrew by one of his pupils, women have had it tough in philosophy.

Thinkers from Aristotle to Kant questioned whether women were fully capable of reason. Today, many in the field say, gender bias and outright sexual harassment are endemic in philosophy, where women make up less than 20 percent of university faculty members, lower than in any other humanities field, and account for a tiny fraction of citations in top scholarly journals.

While the status of women in the sciences has received broad national attention, debate about sexism in philosophy has remained mostly within the confines of academia. But the revelation this summer that Colin McGinn, a star philosopher at the University of Miami, had agreed to leave his tenured post after allegations of sexual harassment brought by a graduate student, has put an unusually famous name to the problem, exposing the field to what some see as a healthy dose of sunlight.

“People are thinking, ‘Wow, he had to resign, and we know about it,’ ” said Jennifer Saul, the chairwoman of the philosophy department at the University of Sheffield in England and the editor of the blog What Is It Like to Be a Woman in Philosophy?

“I think that’s unprecedented,” she added.

Keep reading.

And following the links, here's Feminist Philosophers, "Letter From Concerned Philosophers."

McGinn's reply is here. (Apparently he's been blogging about the whole affair for months.)

And skim over this blog for a bit, What Is It Like to Be a Woman in Philosophy?

I don't know. I see mostly men being jerks around women. It's stupid. And it should stop. But the feminist mindset is so stultifying it's ridiculous. The tiniest perceived slight is sexism, so it becomes a no-win situation. Men are jerks. Women are looking for anything that can be called "sexism" to feed their victimization psychology. There's no way out, and again, no one wins.

Added: Althouse has a longer meditation on this, "Sexual harassment in academia: It depends what the distinction between 'logical implication and conversational implicature' is."

Obama Keeps 'Phony Scandals' Alive for August 3rd Weekly Address

Not only does he keep recycling his stale "middle class recovery" garbage, he's completely disconnected from the real news on the ground, like the bombshell CNN report on the dozens of CIA operatives in Benghazi last September 11. If leftist regressives tell you the president's doing a good job they deserve to be shot.

Continued Gender Integration Will Only Exacerbate the Problem of Sexual Assault in the Military

From the letters to the editor, at the Wall Street Journal, "West Point: Duty, Honor, Country and Fairness, Too":

The politically incorrect but unassailable truth is that the increased occurrences of sexual assault are the predictable results of a military that increasingly puts teenage and 20-something men and women together in close quarters for long hours under stressful conditions. Throw in intimate familiarity, few financial expenses and the catalyst of alcohol, and there exists a situation similar to any college dormitory.

Unfortunately, the continued gender integration of the military will only exacerbate the problem of sexual assault, not to mention unit morale and overall combat effectiveness. Efforts to combat military sexual assault through periodic power-point "training" and stern lectures by military lawyers will prove impotent against hormones and alcohol.

Daniel Barbeau
Irvine, Calif.

More letters at the link.

The backstory is from James Taranto, "A Strange Sort of Justice at West Point: Trent Cromartie was cleared of sexual-assault charges. But the cadet was kicked out of school anyway."

And again here it is, the consequences of cultural Marxism working its path of destruction "through the institutions."

Homosexual Teacher at Catholic School Fired After Marrying Partner

You think?

I'm not sure why someone like this is still Catholic.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Gay teacher at Glendora Catholic school fired after marrying partner":

A gay teacher at a Catholic high school in Glendora was fired after he married his partner and photos of the wedding were published in a local newspaper last month.

Ken Bencomo, 45, of Rancho Cucamonga was fired from his teaching position at St. Lucy's Priory High School days after he married his partner of 10 years.

He and Christopher Persky, 32, were among the first couples married at the San Bernardino County assessor-recorder's office after a U.S. Supreme Court decision that allowed gay couples to marry in California.

Photos of the ceremony were published in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.

Officials at St. Lucy's Priory had been aware of Bencomo's sexual orientation for about 10 of the 17 years he was employed by the school, said Patrick McGarrigle, Bencomo's attorney.

School officials specifically mentioned the wedding and the publicity it received during a meeting at which Bencomo was informed that he had been fired, McGarrigle said.

Bencomo, through his attorney, declined to comment.

"Ken was one of the school's star educators and the decision to terminate him because he lawfully married a man is just heartbreaking to him — it's crushing," McGarrigle said. "It shows a terrible error of judgment and complete disregard of Ken and what he has brought to the school."

Shoot, the guy was probably one of the brightest stars on campus, but he went and got married? What a freakin' dolt.

#Dodgers Tie Club Record With 12th Straight Win on the Road

Hey, it makes me happy.

At LAT, "Dodgers keep rolling, tie club record with 12th straight road win":

RECAP: @HyunJinRyu99 fans 6 as #Dodgers win 12th straight on road, 6-2 over Cubs. http://t.co/9WrJfWSq6d pic.twitter.com/hSH5ppClQ3

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 3, 2013

Say this for the Dodgers during their current hot streak -- they’ve been versatile.

They squeak out narrow victories, or clobber opponents, or use walk-off heroics. And sometimes, like Friday, they just sort of win.

Their 6-2 victory Friday over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field unfolded without much in the way of dramatics, unless you count the ejections of Manager Don Mattingly and second baseman Mark Ellis in the fourth inning.

But it was another win, which is almost all the Dodgers know these days. It was their 12th consecutive road victory, tying the franchise record set by the Brooklyn Robins in 1924. It gave them an 11-2 mark since the All-Star break and was their 29th win in 36 games overall.

And the Dodgers pulled it off all sorts of ways.

Hyun-Jin Ryu was at less than his best Friday, which seems to be a theme for him on the road, but was good enough to earn the victory and raise his record to 10-3. He became the first Dodgers rookie to win 10 games since Kaz Ishii in 2002.

Ryu went 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs and 11 hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out six.

But he was supported by enough offense from the Dodgers, and generally disinterested-looking play by a bad Cubs team, to make it hold up, and the Dodgers went to 59-49. It’s the first time this season the Dodgers have been 10 games over .500.

Continue reading.

Brawl Erupts in Taiwan Parliament Over Nuclear Power

Pretty amazing, actually.

We could use some of this passion in D.C., especially among the homo and metrosexual Democrats.

At WSJ, "Brawl in Taiwan Legislature Delays Vote on Nuclear Plant: Nuclear-Energy Safety Concerns Intensify After Japan's 2011 Earthquake."

Jessica Hometown Hottie

It's that time of year again, via Maxim:

Royal Baby's Birth Certificate

Sure, we have economic class stratification in this country, but you'll never see something like this.

Will & Kate list jobs as prince, princess on royal baby's birth certificate http://t.co/AboCNl9PeX pic.twitter.com/AiiN5iFa2s

— New York Post (@nypost) August 2, 2013

'Blurred Lines' Makes Robin Thicke White Soul's Leader

This song was too hot for most everybody when the video was first released.

But NYT's down with it, "Yesterday’s Style, Today’s Hits":

We first met Robin Thicke about a decade ago, zipping through the streets of Manhattan on a bicycle in his debut video, Jesus mane flowing behind him, then doing some sub-“Saturday Night Fever” moves in a freight elevator. The song was “When I Get You Alone,” and it sampled Walter Murphy’s “Fifth of Beethoven,” the 1976 disco-classical fusion, a hybrid of flash and seriousness that Mr. Thicke appeared perfectly comfortable with, even if few others were: wildly out of step with the sound of the time, his single never hit the American charts.

Jump forward to “Blurred Lines,” the song that has topped the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks now, and that has elevated Mr. Thicke from white-soul curio to pop certainty. There he is in the crisp video, chipper and smug, in a beautifully cut suit, frolicking with barely clothed models (in the version where they’re wearing clothes at all, that is). He has the look of a man finally coming into the privilege he was sure was his all along.

But don’t let the video’s modernism fool you: white-soul conservatism is the order of the day, and this hit is just as nostalgic as Mr. Thicke’s first single was, under a much cooler cover. “Blurred Lines” is influenced heavily by Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up,” and even with the producer Pharrell Williams’s clean, large drums and a sizzling, naughty guest rap by T.I., Mr. Thicke can’t help himself — he loves yesterday way more than today. That’s also clear from the bulk of his new album, also called “Blurred Lines” (Star Trak/Interscope), on which his hit is one of several songs that sound helicoptered in from three or four decades ago. Mr. Thicke may be the sound of now, but he’s only passing for contemporary.

With its full-band soul arrangements that hark back to disco and before, “Blurred Lines” is a loud reminder of the fundamental conservatism of white soul. Nostalgia is a frequent hallmark of white participation in black genres, a way of signaling respect and knowledge without presuming to reshape the art form’s present. It’s a safe space, guaranteeing an audience of nostalgists and that-white-boy-can-sing true-schoolers.

Hey, if it's conservative I can dig.

Plus, those hot nude wenches at the "unrated" version are to die for, mf.

More at the link.

Hungry Bear Goes Dumpster-Diving for Some German Food

This clip has been getting some play.

And see the Washington Post, "Hungry bear nimbly helps himself to leftovers in dumpster behind German restaurant in Colorado."

Leftists Freak Out as GOP 'Flips the Script' with Democrats' War on Women

The introduction to this clip is hilarious in how aggressively Chris Matthews asserts a conservative "war on women" --- which everyone knows only exists in the minds of Democrats. And now that we've got marquee Democrat headlines of disgusting Democrat dehumanization of women, Matthews is twisting in his seat at MSNBC, worrying about how the left's sexist women-groping, dick-exposing entitlement culture is somehow an aberration.

It's not. This is how leftists roll.



It turns out the RNC has been doing double-time getting the word out on all the disgusting Democrats sexism, and folks in D.C. are looking to tamp it down. See WaPo, "GOP finds its own ‘War on Women’."

And far-left extremist Katrina vanden Heuvel is not pleased, "The GOP misunderstands the ‘war on women’."

Nyjah Huston Tops Prelims at Street League Series — X Games Los Angeles

At Street League, "STREET LEAGUE AT X GAMES LA: PRELIMS RESULTS."



And at ESPN, "NYJAH HUSTON TOPS STREET LEAGUE PRELIMS."

Obama's Foreign Policy in Shambles

From the inimitable Charles Krauthammer, at this afternoon's Fox News All-Stars.



More at CNN, "U.S. issues global travel alert, to close embassies due to al Qaeda threat," and Pajamas Media, "Dozens of US Embassasies to Close Sunday Due to ‘Credible’ Terror Threat (Update: Worldwide Travel Warning)" (via Memeorandum).

'Can't a guy just go get a haircut without a bunch of femi-queer-Nazis bugging the f*** out of him?'

From my comment at Blazing Cat Fur, "Woman who identifies as queer feminist activist denied haircut at Westdale barbershop."