Twitter Vows to 'Improve Our Policies' After Zelda Williams Terrorized by Demonic Hate-Trolls

Yeah, right. "Improve our policies"?

That's like a cruel joke.

At WaPo, "Twitter vows to “improve our policies” after Robin Williams’ daughter is bullied off the network."

'Jackie Blue'

From yesterday morning, after I dropped my wife off at work (because I needed the Jeep), at the Sound L.A. (I don't hear the Ozark Mountain Daredevils often on the Sound, which is why this stuck with me.)

Jackie Blue
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils
8:59 AM

Life In the Fast Lane (Live)
Eagles
8:48 AM

Let's Go
The Cars
8:42 AM

Bohemian Rhapsody
Queen
8:36 AM

Just the Same Way
Journey
8:33 AM

Bad Company
Bad Company
8:18 AM

While My Guitar Gently Weeps
The Beatles
8:13 AM

Should I Stay or Should I Go
The Clash
8:10 AM

Say You Love Me
Fleetwood Mac
8:06 AM

Carry On Wayward Son
Kansas
8:01 AM

The Islamic State Enforces Sharia

Part III, from VICE:

The Islamic State Terror Continues

From last night's NBC Evening News:

VIDEO: Maryland State Trooper Saves Man About to Jump Off 90-Foot Bridge

At the Baltimore Sun, "State trooper prevents man from jumping from I-95 bridge over Susquehanna River."

Pepperdine University Issues Statement on Professor Russell Burgos

They'll be more to come on this, that's for sure. Totally unprofessional. Makes the university look bad. And he's untenured. He could be fired.

At the Pepperdine Graphic, "Pepperdine addresses comments toward alumna Michelle Fields."

There's a longer statement from Pepperdine President Andrew Benton at the link. And a brief statement on Twitter and Facebook:

We are disheartened by recent comments directed toward Pepperdine alumna Michelle Fields …(cont.) http://t.co/iRuzSyHJDl

— Pepperdine Univ. (@pepperdine) August 11, 2014

And see all the coverage at Twitchy, "Prof. Russell Burgos’ Twitter account disappears; Pepperdine president Andrew Benton weighs in; Update: Benton tells Twitchy, ‘I.T. was my first contact after I learned about the situation’."

Gloria Borger: Hillary 'Stepped in It' with Criticism of Obama

I remember Gloria Borger from way back, like the 1980s.

She's was a longtime columnist for U.S. News and World Report. The woman doesn't age!

In any case, she's lefty but doesn't pull punches when it counts. I like her:

Fresno State Struggles with Unprecedented Changes in N.C.A.A.

College football's going to a playoff system. The BCS championship system is out. Oddly, as flawed as it was, quirks in the scoring allowed middle ranking, less-funded programs to excel. Boise State had some astonishing years, and Fresno State was always game to take on the big top-tier teams.

So, we'll see what happens now with the changes in the pipeline.

An interesting piece, at the New York Times, "In Middle Tier, College Sports Tries to Adjust: Fresno State and Others Challenged in Changing N.C.A.A. Landscape":

FRESNO, Calif. — As hundreds of universities try to make sense of the seismic jolts remaking the landscape of college sports, the only certainties appear to be that the rich are getting richer and that the poor will fall further behind. Stuck in the middle are universities like Fresno State.

With athletic ambition bigger than its budget, Fresno State represents the vast middle class in college sports. It is not in the top tier of success and prestige, but close enough to be tantalized by it. Centered in the heart of California, surrounded by the likes of U.C.L.A., Stanford and Southern California, it is perfectly positioned as a bellwether for how next-tier programs view the changes that seem destined to mostly help the nation’s top programs.

“Clearly we are moving away from parity,” Thomas Boeh, the Fresno State athletic director for nine years, said as he watched football practice on Monday morning. “We are certainly moving to a Darwinian model.”

As it turned out, Boeh’s own role did not survive the rest of the day. It was announced on Tuesday that Joseph Castro, the president of Fresno State, had reassigned Boeh from athletic director to special assistant to the president.

“In his new role, Boeh will serve as primary adviser to President Castro on the unprecedented changes occurring within the N.C.A.A. and Mountain West Conference due to recent labor actions and legislation,” the university said in a news release.

A search is underway for a new athletic director — one whose mission will be largely to raise more money to keep up with the changes coming to college sports.

On Monday, workers at Fresno State installed carpet in the football team’s decade-old locker room, part of a $500,000 remodeling that includes new, wider lockers for the players, more big-screen televisions and a neon-accented Bulldogs logo on the ceiling.

Next door, in the airy, $6.7 million Meyers Family Sports Medicine Center, which opened last fall, athletes from several Fresno State teams received treatment from an army of trainers. Next door to that, in a vast weight room with half a million dollars’ worth of new equipment, the women’s soccer team was led through workouts below a large Fresno State mural.

“Basically, we’re trying to look like a Cadillac on a Chevrolet budget,” Boeh said.

The athletics budget is about $30 million, below that of the 65 universities playing in the five richest conferences, which received preliminary approval from the N.C.A.A. last week to rewrite rules in their favor to basically allow their universities to spend more money on the athletes who fuel their programs. More than a dozen universities have athletic budgets of $100 million or more.

A significant court ruling on Friday, one of many cases that may upend the tradition of amateurism in college sports, could lead to more compensation for players — something that Fresno State, with 225 athletic scholarships, probably cannot afford to match.

“Does this become business as usual, where you do what you can to keep up?” Boeh asked. “Or is there a critical point where some institutions say we don’t want to play in this game anymore? To date, I haven’t heard of any institution say, ‘We’re not going to do all we can to stay competitive.’ ”

Continue reading the main story
Boeh cited 54 construction or renovation projects in his tenure. Outside the low-slung, concrete-block athletic department offices, backhoes rumbled in a patch of dirt that will become home to another department building next to an aquatic center that opened three years ago.

“You have to continue to move forward,” Boeh said. “The moment you decide to stand still, the rest of the industry goes by you very quickly.”

Fresno State has an admirable history of on-field success. It plays in the Mountain West, against universities like Boise State and San Diego State. Its football team was 11-2 last season, its men’s basketball team is on the rise, and its baseball and softball teams have won national championships in the not-so-distant past. Thanks largely to its relative isolation in California’s vast Central Valley, Fresno State has the full attention of a rapturous fan base.

But what if universities in the Big 5 conferences begin to offer stipends, or upgrade health insurance or allow greater access to agents? Can universities like Fresno State, and conferences like the Mountain West, afford to follow? Can they afford not to?

Tim DeRuyter is in his third season as football coach. Last year, Fresno State started 10-0 behind quarterback Derek Carr (a second-round draft choice of the Oakland Raiders in May) and was on the verge of crashing the big-money Bowl Championship Series when it was upset by San Jose State.

It won the conference championship and lost a bowl game to Southern California. In the off-season, DeRuyter signed an extension through 2018 that will pay him $1.4 million this year, with a chance at $750,000 in bonuses. It is big money at Fresno State, but typical in college football, where Alabama Coach Nick Saban has a base salary of $6.9 million.

DeRuyter estimated that half of his players were also recruited by programs in the bigger conferences — mostly lower-level teams in leagues like the Pacific-12. And he said about half of his players and their families might be enticed by the promise of cash stipends and more scholarship money, as the top conferences appear ready to offer.

“The chips have always been stacked against us,” DeRuyter said. “What you have to do is accentuate what you have to offer. Is getting another $1,000 worth more to a recruit than more playing time or winning a conference championship?” ...

'Hidden Cash' Calls It Quits

They don't want to go all commercial. It would lose the beautiful feel of philanthropy and private charity.

Click through at the link:

IMPORTANT announcement. This is difficult... Read: http://t.co/YnUoZnF3sN

— Hidden Cash (@HiddenCash) August 12, 2014

Not Mentioned as One of Robin Williams' Greatest Films

"One Hour Photo" was one of the first films that popped into mind at the news of his death. Sure, all the others mentioned are phenomenal, like "Dead Poet's Society" and "Good Will Hunting," in particular. But I just loved Williams in this stalker-thriller film:

Alessandra Ambrosio Bikini Perfect in Hawaii Blue

At Egotastic!, "Alessandra Ambrosio on the Beach in Hawaii."

Public Opinion Moving in Favor of Marijuana, Even as Medical Research Raises Fresh Alarms

From William J. Bennett and Robert A. White, at the Wall Street Journal, "Legal Pot Is a Public Health Menace":

The great irony, or misfortune, of the national debate over marijuana is that while almost all the science and research is going in one direction—pointing out the dangers of marijuana use—public opinion seems to be going in favor of broad legalization.

For example, last week a new study in the journal Current Addiction Reports found that regular pot use (defined as once a week) among teenagers and young adults led to cognitive decline, poor attention and memory, and decreased IQ. On Aug. 9, the American Psychological Association reported that at its annual convention the ramifications of marijuana legalization was much discussed, with Krista Lisdahl, director of the imaging and neuropsychology lab at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, saying: "It needs to be emphasized that regular cannabis use, which we consider once a week, is not safe and may result in addiction and neurocognitive damage, especially in youth."

Since few marijuana users limit themselves to use once a week, the actual harm is much worse for developing brains. The APA noted that young people who become addicted to marijuana lose an average of six IQ points by adulthood. A long line of studies have found similar results—in 2012, a decades-long study of more than 1,000 New Zealanders who frequently smoked pot in adolescence pegged the IQ loss at eight points.

Yet in recent weeks and months, much media coverage of the marijuana issue has either tacitly or explicitly supported legalization. A CCN/ORC International survey in January found that a record 55% of Americans support marijuana legalization.

The disconnect between science and public opinion is so great that in a March WSJ/NBC News poll, Americans ranked sugar as more harmful than marijuana. The misinformation campaign appears to be succeeding.

Here's the truth. The marijuana of today is simply not the same drug it was in the 1960s, '70s, or '80s, much less the 1930s. It is often at least five times stronger, with the levels of the psychoactive ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, averaging about 15% in the marijuana at dispensaries found in the states that have legalized pot for "medicinal" or, in the case of Colorado, recreational use. Often the THC level is 20% or higher.

With increased THC levels come increased health risks. Since Colorado legalized recreational use earlier this year, two deaths in the state have already been linked to marijuana. In both cases it was consumed in edible form, which can result in the user taking in even more THC than when smoking pot. "One man jumped to his death after consuming a large amount of marijuana contained in a cookie," the Associated Press reported in April, "and in the other case, a man allegedly shot and killed his wife after eating marijuana candy." Reports are coming out of Colorado in what amounts to a parade of horribles from more intoxicated driving to more emergency hospital admissions due to marijuana exposure and overdose....

There are two conversations about marijuana taking place in this country: One, we fear, is based on an obsolete perception of marijuana as a relatively harmless, low-THC product. The other takes seriously the science of the new marijuana and its effect on teens, whose adulthood will be marred by the irreversible damage to their brains when young.

Supporters of marijuana legalization insist that times are changing and policy should too. But they are the ones stuck in the past—and charting a dangerous future for too many Americans.

#Ferguson Police Charge Protesters, Fire Tear Gas — 'This Is No Longer a Peaceful Protest!' (VIDEO)

Via Ruptly:



Also at ABC News, "Ferguson Police Use Tear Gas While Again Clashing With Protesters."

PREVIOUSLY: "VIDEO: Teenager Michael Brown Had Violent Confrontation with Police Officer Before Shooting — #Ferguson."

VIDEO: Teenager Michael Brown Had Violent Confrontation with Police Officer Before Shooting — #Ferguson

At the New York Times, "Missouri Teenager and Officer Scuffled Before Shooting, Chief Says":

FERGUSON, Mo. — The police chief here on Wednesday offered some details of the shooting death of an 18-year-old African-American man by one of his officers.

The police chief, Thomas Jackson, said that minutes before the shooting on Saturday, the officer and the young man, Michael Brown, had engaged in a violent confrontation, in which the officer was hit in the face.

“The side of his face is swollen,” Chief Jackson said at a news conference, adding that the officer, who has been put on administrative leave, was treated at a hospital.

Chief Jackson has not released the name of the officer, citing fears for his safety and that of his family. The police say Mr. Brown was shot after he assaulted the officer and tried to take his gun — an account disputed by a witness, a friend of Mr. Brown’s who said his hands were raised when the last of several shots were fired.

The F.B.I. has opened a civil rights inquiry into the shooting, and the case is being investigated by the St. Louis County Police.

More.

Obama's Standing Among Voters Is Hurting #Democrats, Poll Finds

At McClatchy:

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is dragging down his party and hurting the prospects of fellow Democrats as they head into midterm elections that will determine who controls Congress, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll.

Obama is beset by problems at home and abroad. Just 40 percent of voters approve of the way he’s doing his job, tying his worst mark in three years and the second worst of his presidency.

Just 39 percent approve of the way he’s dealing with the economy and only 33 percent approve of how he’s dealing with foreign policy, the worst of his years in office.

By 42-32 percent, voters say their opinions of Obama make them more likely to vote this fall for a Republican than for a Democrat.

And for the first time this election cycle, more people said they’d vote for a Republican than a Democrat for Congress, by 43 percent to 38 percent.

“The Democrats are sputtering,” said Lee Miringoff, the director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion in New York, which conducted the national survey.

Republicans are making the campaign a referendum on Obama, hoping that discontent with the president will help them win control of the Senate and hold their majority in the House of Representatives.

Republicans need a net gain of six seats to gain control of the Senate, which many analysts see as within reach. The Republicans’ House majority, now 234 to 199, appears safe.

More.

Germany's Beautiful Scrap Metal Ladies

These women really went into the scrap metal business, and now they're planning a hottie calendar.

Video at Ruptly, "Germany: These Beautiful Scrap Metal Ladies Love Servicing Your Junk."

Brett Kimberlin Gets Hammered, Loses Vexatious Defamation Suit Against Bloggers

Robert Stacy McCain hasn't been blogging these past few days, as the vexatious trial brought by convicted domestic terrorist Brett Kimberlin went to court on Monday.

Kimberly got hammered, losing conclusively, his case against the bloggers thrown out. The defense attorneys never even had to put up their defense in court.

At Legal Insurrection, "Bloggers defeat Kimberlin defamation suit in state court trial."

And Popehat, "Bloggers Defeat Brett Kimberlin's Vexatious Defamation Case In Maryland."

This is how @rsmccain celebrates when he beats a defamation rap. pic.twitter.com/ceUdScb5CP

— daveweigel (@daveweigel) August 12, 2014

Zelda Williams, Robin Williams' Daughter, Attacked by Demonic Trolls on Twitter

At the Washington Post, "Robin Williams’s daughter Zelda driven off Twitter by vicious trolls."

And at the San Francisco Chronicle, "Trolls attack Robin Williams’ grieving daughter on social media."

Robin Williams' daughter quits social media thanks to horrible Internet trolls. http://t.co/s6qsookBv9 pic.twitter.com/WGSEXcIRKp
— SFGate.com (@SFGate) August 13, 2014

Also at London's Daily Mail, "Robin Williams' daughter forced off Twitter after internet trolls post fake photograph claiming to be her dead father."

Robin Williams Found Himself Increasingly Prone to Depression, Fought to Maintain Sobriety

At the Los Angeles Times, "Robin Williams' friends saw signs he was succumbing to depression":

The end was shockingly sudden: a belt hung on a door; an assistant's distraught call to 911. But the road that led to Robin Williams' apparent suicide at age 63 was a long one — and if you knew where to look, there were plenty of signposts indicating trouble along the way.

In the wake of Williams' death at his home here Monday, fans around the world have struggled to understand what could have led a man whose thousand-megawatt comic persona had brought so much joy to millions to such depths of despair. But Williams' closest friends and colleagues knew well that beneath his manic, Technicolor exterior, the actor had battled depression for years.

In recent months — as Williams wrestled with the cancellation of his CBS TV series "The Crazy Ones" and fought to maintain a sobriety that had at times proved fragile — those friends could see that he was losing that fight.

"He started to disconnect," comedian Rick Overton, a friend of Williams' since the 1970s, said Tuesday. "He wasn't returning calls as much. He would send texts and things like that, but they would get shorter and shorter."

Williams appeared to have died of asphyxia due to hanging, authorities said Tuesday. The actor's wife, Susan Schneider, had left their home that morning at 10:30. His assistant arrived about an hour later and found him hanging by a belt affixed to a closet door, slightly elevated in a seated position, Lt. Keith Boyd, assistant deputy chief coroner for the Marin County Sheriff's Department, told reporters. Recent cut marks were visible on his wrist, and a pocket knife was found near his body.

Boyd confirmed that Williams had "received treatment for depression" but declined to speculate on what may have led the actor to take his own life. Toxicology tests will be conducted to determine whether he had drugs or alcohol in his system. Boyd declined to say whether Williams had left a note.

Comedian and longtime friend Steven Pearl ran into Williams at a barbecue last month in the San Francisco Bay Area, and he could see that something was wrong. Williams, who had battled drug and alcohol addiction early in his career, had just come out of a stint in rehab in Minnesota, where he had gone, his publicist said at the time, to "fine-tune and focus on his continued commitment" to his sobriety.

"You could just tell something was off," Pearl said. "He seemed detached. It's hard to explain. He didn't seem like his usual self. My fiancee and I were like, 'Is he OK?' I didn't know it would get this dark."

More.

'This Isn't Mexico ... This Is America...'

Hmm, this is interesting.

It's a free country, so free you can fly the Mexican Red, White and Green and show your disrespect to Americans each and everyday.

My friend Tressy's not pleased:

@AmPowerBlog video from today in Ontario, Ca. https://t.co/iG4lJgG6kp

— Tressy Capps (@tlc2tweet) August 12, 2014

I'll update on the City of Ontario's code violations. That'll be a hoot if the make that Consuelo wench pull the damned flag.

The Slippery Slope of U.S. Intervention

From Micah Zenko, at Foreign Policy:

Three and a half years ago, Obama promised that military regime change was not the reason that the United States intervened in Libya, because that would have engendered tremendous opposition on Capitol Hill and among the American public. Rather, his singular military mission was centered on protecting civilians in Benghazi, which Obama told his advisors would entail airstrikes that would last "days, not weeks," according to a senior White House official. Today, President Obama's clear omission of Nouri al-Maliki's name as he welcomed "Prime Minister-designate" Haider al-Abadi might lead some to believe this latest U.S.-directed political transition is a fait accompli, but Maliki retains the loyalty of well-armed security forces within Baghdad. But if Iraq's political leadership remains murky, what is less so is that Washington has now put skin in the game in negotiating this transition government.

When you listen to administration officials today, assume that their claims of a limited, relatively short, and narrowly scoped intervention will turn out to be false. Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged that, in reversing the threat posed by the Islamic State militants, "The president has taken no option off the table." Meanwhile, an anonymous official stated that White House conversations have focused on limiting the intervention, because, "[Obama] did not want to create a slippery slope." But, when the United States intervenes militarily in another country it does not have control over the decline or slipperiness of that slope. The two most likely outcomes of the most recent U.S. attacks in Iraq are that the lives of some civilians will be saved in the near term, and that there will be a military commitment larger and longer than what administration officials presently claim.

Shoot. Intervene, I say. Obama should have never cut-and-run in the first place.

Robin Williams Oscar Acceptance Speech for 'Good Will Hunting'

I think the whole world is hurting this morning:



PREVIOUSLY: "Robin Williams Dead at 63."

London Tricycle Theatre's Hateful Anti-Israel #BDS

Louise Mensch tweeted about this the other day:

The Tricycle Theatre should be boycotted by every decent person in North London and especially every Jew or friend of Jewish people.

— Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) August 5, 2014

Crowds singing & chanting in protest outside the #TricycleTheatre in #Kilburn... The issue: http://t.co/4frl7daF95 pic.twitter.com/RvI5A64Ng1

— Cat Grant (@kittyonwheels) August 7, 2014

And here's a roundup:

* From Professor Michael Curtis, at American Thinker, "The Show Should Go On in London."

* From Seth Mandel, at Commentary, "Cultural BDS and the Tricycle Theater."

'Sweden ever so quickly has gone from so-called anti-Zionism to open anti-Semitism...'

At Legal Insurrection:

Swedish Jew visiting Israel told by friend: “Don’t come back here, you have no idea how bad it has become since you left.”

U.S. Air Drops to Yazidis Trapped on Mount Sinjar (VIDEO)

This used to be ITN video, but now they're ODN, so wtf?

Latest 'Leaked' iPhone 6 Images

At the Independent UK:

Latest 'leaked' iPhone 6 images tease quite metaphorical scratch-proof logo http://t.co/Q35ptEeYQ0 pic.twitter.com/wpo9GDblNL

— The Independent (@Independent) August 11, 2014

Plus, a great piece at WaPo, "Why surveillance companies hate the iPhone."

New Acer Chromebook 13

I've been using an Acer Chromebook since last Christmas and I like it. It's just for blogging.

So Acer's got a new HD model coming out with lots of memory, at the Verge, "Acer's new Chromebook 13 offers a high-resolution screen and all-day battery life."

Breaking: NBC's David Gregory Out at 'Meet the Press'

Ed Morrissey at Hot Air reports, "Politico’s “exclusive”: Gregory out at MTP, Todd in … maybe."

Politico’s “exclusive”: Gregory out at MTP, Todd in … maybe http://t.co/uHb6i2WdKn
— HotAir.com (@hotairblog) August 11, 2014

Chuck Todd likely to replace David Gregory on "Meet the Press" http://t.co/wt8A7ZsE56
— POLITICO (@politico) August 11, 2014

Robin Williams Dead at 63

Just now on Twitter:

Oh God. RT @HayesBrown: Robin Williams was found dead in his home, being investigated as possible suicide: http://t.co/ojgK3CtijU

— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) August 11, 2014

BREAKING: Robin Williams Found Dead http://t.co/c8dN6BUpuV

— Mediaite (@Mediaite) August 11, 2014

Breaking: Oscar winner and comedian Robin Williams has died at 63: http://t.co/0mnWFbnQhE

— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) August 11, 2014

Added: TMZ reporting Williams committed suicide:

Robin Williams Dead -- Commits Suicide http://t.co/X2cHUJOx8z

— TMZ (@TMZ) August 11, 2014

Hypocrisy Over Gaza

From Pat Condell, via Blazing Cat Fur.

GOP Prospects for Senate Takeover Continue to Improve

"Don't get cocky," as Instpundit always says. But this year things keep rolling in favor of the Republicans, so just keep your fingers crossed.

At the Washington Post, "Republican takeover of Senate appears more and more assured."

Republican Senate takeover chances continue to improve. http://t.co/t8kmuXe9ct pic.twitter.com/eMDJkKdbSO

— Chris Cillizza (@TheFix) August 10, 2014

Inside 'Antiwar' Obama's Push for Regime Change in #Iraq

Heh, you gotta love it.

Obama, the most far-left Senator in the Congress in 2007, campaigned against the Bush administration's policy of regime change in Iraq, and especially against the successful Petraeus surge, is now being reported as having an aggressive policy of toppling Shiite Iraqi dictator Nouri al-Maliki.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

From Eli Lake, at the Daily Beast, "Exclusive: Inside Obama's Push for Regime Change in Iraq":

ICYMI my piece on how Obama’s new Iraq war is both undeclared and more expansive that he first said. http://t.co/OaM3CUo3NA

— Eli Lake (@EliLake) August 11, 2014

No, Obama has not proposed toppling Iraq’s government by force like his predecessor once did. But the president has instructed his diplomats in Washington and Baghdad to find an alternative to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Since June those diplomats have quietly supported a member of Maliki’s own political party to be the next prime minister. On Sunday, the effort appeared to pay off, when a majority of Shi’ite politicians threw their weight behind Haidar al-Abadi, leading to Iraq’s president to instruct him to begin forming a new government.

“We have been working very quietly on the ground and sending messages to various parties that al-Abadi is a viable alternative,” one U.S. official told The Daily Beast.

The American push—which has not been previously reported—wasn’t the only factor that led to al-Abadi’s rise. Iraq’s deterioration in recent months led some of Maliki’s Shi'ite backers to pull their support of him. Last month, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the most senior cleric of the Shi'ite sect, wrote a letter to Maliki asking him not to seek a third term as prime minister.

But al-Abadi has been the United States’ preferred candidate since late June to replace Maliki, a man who Obama himself blamed over the weekend for creating the conditions for the current catastrophe that is engulfing Iraq. U.S. and Iraqi officials tell The Daily Beast that U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Robert Beecroft and Brett McGurk, the deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran, have pushed Iraqi politicians behinds the scenes to consider al-Abadi as a new Iraqi head of state.

Fanatical Anti-Israel-Hate-Fest in Chicago: 'Israel you will pay, your annihilation is on its way...'

Just when you think the left's eliminationist Jew-hated has gone DEFCON 2, here comes a new round of murderous anti-Zionism to take the hate to unprecedented levels.

At Progressives Today, linking Jonathan Hoenig, "Arabs Call For Destruction Of Israel In Massive Chicago March & Rally":

Fox News Contributor, Jonathan Hoenig, attended Sunday’s pro-Palestinian march in Chicago. He tweeted some vile images of the anti-jew hatred seething from some in America’s Arab-Muslim community.

Michigan Ave., Chicago, today. RT @JonathanHoenig "Israel you will pay, your annihilation is on its way" pic.twitter.com/zyUPzcvXh5

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) August 10, 2014

More at the link.

VIDEO: Hidden Cameras Show Traffickers Smuggling Aliens, Drugs Across Border 'No-Man's Land' in Arizona!

At NBC News, "Hidden Cameras Capture Smugglers Crossing Border 'No-Man's Land'":

TUCSON, Arizona – A cattle-ranching couple in southern Arizona hopes that dramatic hidden-camera video showing suspected drug or immigrant smugglers crossing their property will help persuade federal officials to shift resources southward to eliminate what they call a dangerous "no-man’s land” along the border.

“It just confirmed what we already knew,” Jim Chilton, who runs the 50,000-acre ranch with his wife, Sue, said of the video, which was filmed this spring by a border-security advocacy group. …“We have ceded to the cartels 20 miles, 30 miles inside the United States.”

For years, the Chiltons have publicly complained — even testified before Congress -- that their ranch southwest of Tucson, which shares a 5-1/2-mile border with Mexico, has been flooded with smugglers. They’ve told of surprise encounters with groups of migrants – some of them armed –- break-ins at their home and finding piles of trash and clothing left by the trespassers.

But they hope the new video footage will help others understand what they are up against.

“The fear we have is running across a group coming across with an AK-47 dressed in camouflage garb and carpet shoes and small backpacks on their backs carrying meth, crack or heroin,” said Jim Chilton.

With the Chiltons' permission, a border-security advocacy group placed hidden cameras on well-worn paths in March and April about 10 to 15 miles north of the international boundary with Mexico, which is marked on their ranch only by a four-strand barbed wire fence.

In June, the advocacy group, which posts its video on the website SecureBorderIntel.org, returned and recovered footage of suspected smugglers crossing the ranch in broad daylight.

Two of the groups carried large backpacks commonly used to hold bundles of marijuana.

Another group carrying smaller backpacks was dressed head-to-toe in camouflage. The man at the end of the line could be seen trying to sweep away their footprints in the sand.

The director of the SecureBorderIntel.org website asked not to be identified publicly, but provided NBC News with a statement explaining why his group posted the video:

“The United States government has failed to secure our land, air, and sea borders, despite the wishes of and responsibilities to the American people,” it said. “Our effort to document the porous border between the United States of America and Mexico serves as date and time stamped evidence of this failure.”

More.

HAT TIP: Glenn Spencer.

Government Google! Web Search Company Exec to Lead Fix-It Team for Failed Obama Websites!

Well, we had "Government Motors," so here comes "Government Google."

Just in time for the November elections!

Via the New York Times, "Ex-Google Engineer to Lead Fix-It Team for Government Websites":

Ex-Google Engineer to Lead Fix-It Team for Government Websites http://t.co/03sXnpJ6wa

— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 11, 2014

EDGARTOWN, Mass. — Faced with the politically devastating collapse of HealthCare.gov last year, President Obama’s White House staff lured Mikey Dickerson away from Google to save the day.

Mr. Dickerson will lead a new government team that is intended to identify and fix the government’s other failing computer systems and websites, officials said on Monday.

The decision to hire Mr. Dickerson full time is a blunt acknowledgment that even Mr. Obama’s government — with a leadership that embraced technology to win two national elections — has yet to fully adopt a Silicon Valley mind-set when it comes to cutting-edge computer systems and consumer-friendly Internet portals.

It is also a calculated bet that Mr. Dickerson can do from inside the government what he did as an outsider: break through the bureaucratic rules about technology procurement and standardized practices to inject a bit of innovative thinking across federal agencies.

“It was a very life-changing experience,” Mr. Dickerson said on Monday of his role in helping to save the health care website. He said that when he was asked to permanently leave his job at Google, “there was really not any way I could say no to that.”

White House officials said Mr. Dickerson would become the deputy chief information officer of the federal government and the administrator of the United States Digital Services Team, a small group of technology experts whose job will be to fix the government’s ancient and bloated websites.

Remember, Google executives have been one of the biggest sources of campaign cash for the Obama reelection machine, so it's not like there's no revolving door here or anything, wink, wink. At CBS News, "Google Political Donations: Where Company Execs Put Their Cash."

VIDEO: James O'Keefe 'Immigrates' Across Rio Grande to U.S. Disguised as Osama bin Laden

At Project Veritas, "Do You Feel Safe?":

Dressed in the trademark military jacket and dishdasha and donning an Osama bin Laden mask, O’Keefe asks, “Do you feel safe” before stepping into the Rio Grande and easily walking across the border into the United States.

The investigation took place in Hudspeth County, Texas, at a crossing commonly used by illegal immigrants and drug smugglers. In less than one minute, O’Keefe crossed the river, which is only 2-3 feet deep and 20 feet wide in that area. The crossing is outside of Fort Hancock, Texas and only six miles from Interstate 10 on the American side. On the Mexican side, an access road comes within 100 feet of the river. Footprints, recent campsites, litter and well-worn paths mark both sides of the river where O’Keefe crossed.

O’Keefe was not confronted by a single member of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

“If the President or Senator Reid or anyone else tries to tell you that our borders are secure, they are lying to you.

“Border security is national security. We were able to pick a well-traveled crossing, easily accessible from both sides, and cross unobserved by federal agents. Just six miles from our crossing is Interstate 10, and from there, the rest of the country. Do you feel safe?”

VIDEO: Iraq Helicopter Returns Machine-Gun Fire During Rescue of Yazidis on Mount Sinjar, Iraq — #ISIS

Via Blazing Cat Fur, "Helicopter rescue of Yazidis on Mount Sinjar, Iraq":

And from Jonathan Rugman on Twitter:

Unbelievable scenes on mt Sinjar. Saw small families trapped in middle of nowhere. Many of these people will die if not evacuated ASAP.

— Jonathan Rugman (@jrug) August 11, 2014

When our helicopter came under fire from IS the refugee crying started again. Children terrified by sound of machine gun fired in return.

— Jonathan Rugman (@jrug) August 11, 2014

When our helicopter came under fire from IS the refugee crying started again. Children terrified by sound of machine gun fired in return.

— Jonathan Rugman (@jrug) August 11, 2014

Family of Brooklyn Rabbi Killed in Miami Believes Shooting Was Anti-Semitic Hate Crime

Washington Free Beacon has the background, "Rabbi Shot Dead While Walking to Synagogue in Miami."

And at CBS News New York:



Also at the New York Post, "Family of rabbi shot in Miami say it’s a hate crime."

VIDEO: Obama Monitors His Golf Game in Martha's Vinyard While Genocidal Iraq Crisis Escalates

Here's the dramatic banner headline at the Washington Post, "Political crisis escalates in Iraq: Maliki remains defiant as new prime minister is named."

And here's CBS News This Morning's report on the president "monitoring" the genocidal crisis from the links.



More from the New York Times at Mememeorandum, "Political Crisis in Iraq Deepens as President Nominates a New Prime Minister."

L.A. Freedom Socialist Party: 'For a Socialist Secular Palestine!'

Stupid communists, once again proving just how really stupid they are.

Hamas is perhaps the most fanatically Islamist terrorist organization in the Middle East. Even ISIS has nothing on Hamas' genocidal religious hatred of the Jews, and Gaza is a cauldron of religious hatred from cradle to grave.

But give it up for this special Freedom Socialist Party activist at the clip. The Freedom Socialists are feminist lesbian revolutionaries. She'd probably be strung up by a crane if she spent more than just a few hours in any of the totalitarian Islamist regimes in the Arab world.

Gobsmacking stupidity:



More at Fouse Squawk, "Sunday in LA-Pro Hamas Rally," and "Videos of August 10 Pro-Hamas Rally in LA."

'Fury' of Hollywood for Israel-Bashers Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz

She's long been one of my favorite hotties, but then, I didn't know she was going to trash Israel.

At the Independent UK:

Cruz & Bardem continue 2 face 'fury' of Hollywood following 'genocide' lettr condemning Israel http://t.co/zCFpK0WRX9 pic.twitter.com/qEnJELDRae

— Adam Milstein (@AdamMilstein) August 11, 2014

Previously: "Growing Backlash Against Celebrity Attacks on Israel."

Race Riot, Blacks Looting in Ferguson, Missouri! — #STL

The background's at London's Daily Mail, "'No justice, no peace': Hundreds gather to protest death of 18-year-old black teen who was shot dead by a cop as police chief says victim got into fight with an officer."

Well, no peace, that's for sure.

At the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Violence breaks out near site of vigil for teen killed by police."

Live Blog: Looters stealing, damaging businesses in Florissant #STL http://t.co/YmEr03HXZq
— FOX2now (@FOX2now) August 11, 2014

Police are moving in. https://t.co/QqlwEL2Ynr
— Antonio French (@AntonioFrench) August 11, 2014

#Ferguson RT @rlippmann: Damage at the QuikTrip. The entire store is just about cleared out. pic.twitter.com/xWM2RZYmqB
— Rob Edwards (@RobertDEdwards) August 11, 2014

Sharpton will do nothing but escalate the situation. Legit faith and community leaders need to be on the streets in #Ferguson right now.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) August 11, 2014

Hey @DLoesch, I found this via Anthony French on Vine. https://t.co/o50fCLbuAr #ferguson #STL
— Ryan O'Hara (@OHaraSports) August 11, 2014

Dobbs Tire has also been smashed into in Dellwood. pic.twitter.com/lPd4kWk1Wb
— Antonio French (@AntonioFrench) August 11, 2014

Cuz nuthin sez "social justice" better than hurling a trash can into a bus stop shelter to protest a shooting ==> https://t.co/PIe74oCaNw
— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) August 11, 2014

Best rumor of the night: Column of tanks headed to Ferguson, Mo. http://t.co/pZ4vrTnL3v
— TwitchyTeam (@TwitchyTeam) August 11, 2014

SWAT now headed towards Walmart. Police with assault rifles have shut down W. Florissant in Ferguson, @AntonioFrench reports
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) August 11, 2014

Shots are being fired at the #Ferguson WalMart, @FOX2now reporter said he's leaving for his safety. #FergusonShooting
— Gloria Lloyd (@glorialloyd) August 11, 2014

Rioting in US as black student shot multiple times by police http://t.co/9AVvLol0aj (Photo: @PDPJ) #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/iFXVv4CRJf
— The Times of London (@thetimes) August 11, 2014

From America's inner-cities, to its national economy, the only thing holding our great nation back is the Democrat party.
— Brad Thor (@BradThor) August 11, 2014

Looting arson rioting - assaulting white supporters. Suddenly not giving a damn about "justice" Pity. #STL #Ferguson
— Barbara McMahon (@southsalem) August 11, 2014

Outrage over an unfortunate incident does not give you the right or justify the stupidity of rioting & destroying property. #Ferguson
— Shawn (@ShawnLivingLife) August 11, 2014

'Illegal Immigration = Human Trafficking' — #Anaheim Overpass Protest to #SecureTheBorder (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

Another overpass protest in Anaheim yesterday. Organizers are looking to keep the momentum going all the way to November.

"Stop Illegal Immigration!" #SecureTheBorder #Anaheim @FilmLadd @fuzislippers @CFLancop @SeeTac7 @audrey_russo pic.twitter.com/jnpIgsTTWG
— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) August 9, 2014

.@RSMcCain @MichelleMalkin #SecureTheBorder protest in #Anaheim #StopAmnesty https://t.co/UUG6EIHktr
— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) August 9, 2014

.@RSMcCain Gadsden Flag flying at #SecureTheBorders protest in #Anaheim. https://t.co/JvmZYIVMo9
— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) August 9, 2014

More protesters at #Anaheim #SecureTheBorder demonstration. @SpreadButter @PatDollard @Bree_mars #NoAmnesty https://t.co/27LveVZRq3
— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) August 9, 2014

Two weeks ago leftists attacked #NoAmnesty protesters and burned our flag. Not today mofos! @RSMcCain @SpreadButter pic.twitter.com/W0MATROlmp
— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) August 9, 2014

#Anaheim protest: Illegal Immigration = Human Trafficking! @AdamBaldwin @Instapundit @RSMcCain @Red__Rover #DEMS pic.twitter.com/F35ebp32mo
— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) August 9, 2014

#Anaheim #StopAmnesty protest: "Until You Wake Up We Will Fight For You." #SecureTheBorder #Ebola #Murrieta #TCOT pic.twitter.com/aV3YBlMnyg
— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) August 9, 2014

Horrors of the Islamic State

Part II of the VICE series, via Blazing Cat Fur, "Grooming Children for Jihad: Exploring the Horrors of the Newly Formed Islamic State."

Bikini Sunday Is Quite Relaxing

It is!

At Bro My God!

How to Take a Picture of a Severed Head

From Sebastian Meyer and Alicia P.Q. Wittmeyer, at Foreign Policy:

In the buildup to the premier of part one of VICE News' documentary, the company touted its journalist's "unprecedented access." Indeed, VICE's cameras appear to go deep into the caliphate, and the footage they capture is chilling: In the first two installments, based in Raqqa, Syria, children as young as 11 pledge loyalty to the caliphate, and IS members give brazen interviews that include pledging to "raise the flag of Allah in the White House." There are also happy scenes, of a sort: Men living under IS rule play with children in a river. And front and center, of course, are the demonstrations of Islamic State power: a tank spinning in circles; IS's signature black flag waving from a turret; a parade of stolen Iraqi weapons; a rally in which a crowd is prodded into a call-and-response: "The Caliphate!" "Established!"

In an email statement to Foreign Policy, VICE offered no details about the terms of the embed, nor did it share them in an interview with the Huffington Post. It said it offered "a previously unseen look at life under the control of this terrifying extremist group" and said filmmaker Dairieh "has worked in the region's most challenging environments ... and has extensive contacts."

Part I of the VICE series is here: "The Spread of Islamic State."

Sunday Cartoons

At Flopping Aces, "Sunday Funnies."


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

Still more at Legal Insurrection, "Branco Cartoon – Smidgen."

CARTOON CREDIT: William Warren.

Obama's Craven Political Fear of 'Another Benghazi' Drove Decision for #ISIS Airstrikes

Everything is political for Obama. He never makes a decision simply out of concern for the well-being of the American people.

At Director Blue, "NYT: Fear of "Another Benghazi" Political Debacle, Not Genocide, Drove Obama to Call For ISIS Airstrikes."

Stop hatin' all the time! http://t.co/cuy34OokEh #TCOT pic.twitter.com/59ob9U7ViB

— The People's Cube (@ThePeoplesCube) July 31, 2014

#Hamas Solidarity Gang Terrorizes School Bus in Australia, Shouts 'Kill the Jews'

More on the global outbreak of annihilitionist Jew-hatred.

At Australia News.com, "Bondi racist bus attack: Jewish schools on alert after eight males threaten to cut schoolchildren’s throats, five teenagers arrested."

And Arutz Sheva, "Australia: Anti-Semites Attack School Bus, Shout 'Kill the Jews': Drunken anti-Semites threaten Jewish girls: 'we're going to cut your throats!' Children, parents left traumatized."

This is very, very bad, not only because it happened, but for what it says about where things are moving. http://t.co/R0uHdc8SPx

— Caroline Glick (@CarolineGlick) August 7, 2014

Jewish schools on high alert after eight drunken men stormed a school bus in Bondi this afternoon. http://t.co/XdZQNMCjtN

— The Daily Telegraph (@dailytelegraph) August 6, 2014

Readin’, Writin’, and Social Justice Agitatin’

From Michelle Malkin:

It’s back-to-school season across the country. But in an increasing number of districts, “back to school” doesn’t mean back to learning. Under the reign of social justice indoctrinators, academics are secondary to political agitation. Activism trumps achievement.

In Massachusetts, the John J. Duggan Middle School will open on August 25 with a new name and mission. It is now a “social justice magnet school.” As a hiring advertisement for teachers explained earlier this year, the emphasis will be on “helping students develop the necessary skills to analyze and synthesize information and to generate empathy by looking at multiple sides of important issues facing the world, be that hunger, water quality, racial barriers, child labor or imbalance of power.”

Concise writing, as you can see, is not on the social justice pedagogues’ agenda.

Oh, and forget about memorizing times tables or mastering the scientific method. The new principal says the school’s primary job is teaching “fairness.” Duggan Middle School’s junior lobbying factory is “serious about creating 21st century global citizens, and it begins with understanding who we are as members of each of those communities.”

The ultimate goal of these social justice prep schools: creating left-wing political advocates.

At the Crescent Heights Social Justice Magnet School in Los Angeles, children will work on “action projects” tied to the “United Nations Millennium Development Goals.” Students will spend the academic year transforming into “agents of change.” Yes, they will learn language arts. But basic reading and writing are only a focus of the magnet school, the founders explain, because “we want our students to recognize injustice in their world or the world at large and be able to fully express their outrage, their plan of attack, their progress in this endeavor.”

In Chicago, Ground Zero for social justice brainwashing, the Social Justice High School (SOJO), follows a similar mission.

Activist teachers openly foster identity politics and systematically undermine individualism. Their specialties: “struggle and sacrifice.” SOJO’s mission statement sounds like a pot-addled Oberlin College freshman’s — er, freshperson’s — Sociology 101 term paper:

“Through collective community power, we commit to a conscious effort to overcome the intended historical obstacles that have been designed to disempower and divide our communities.”

At the Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School, also in Massachusetts, students won’t learn math. They’ll be taught “social justice math.” (Freire was a Brazilian leftist who wrote a social justice teacher’s Bible called “Pedagogy of the Oppressed.”)

His acolytes explain the push for radicalization of math: “Math is an instrument for detailing social justice issues and developing critical consciousness.” In the hands of progressive teachers, math “becomes an analytic tool to bring awareness to important world issues.”

In other words: One plus one equals “That’s unfair!”

New York City schools have been infested for years with city-funded math teachers who “train students in seeing social problems from a radical anticapitalist perspective,” as City Journal’s Sol Stern reported. As I’ve noted previously, the “Rethinking Mathematics: Teaching Social Justice by the Numbers” guide rejects traditional white male patriarchal methods of teaching computation and statistics in favor of politically correct number-crunching.

Out: Algebraic equations, geometric proofs and advanced calculus.

In: “Racial profiling, unemployment rate calculation, the war in Iraq, environmental racism, globalization, wealth distribution and poverty, wheelchair ramps, urban density, HIV/AIDS, deconstructing Barbie, junk food advertising to children, and lotteries.”

More.

VIDEO: NASCAR's Tony Stewart Hits and Kills Rival Kevin Ward During Racetrack Confrontation

I'm not embedding the clip, since YouTube will probably yank it. You can plainly see Kevin Ward get plowed over by Tony Stewart, and then Ward's limp, perhaps lifeless body is lying on the dirt track. Here, "Kevin Ward DIES - Tony Stewart Hits Kevin Ward And Killed Him."

The clip is embedded at the New York Times, "Nascar Star Tony Stewart Kills Driver During Confrontation on Racetrack."

#NASCAR has issued the following statement. pic.twitter.com/kPFQqZRXXz

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 10, 2014

More on @TonyStewart's decision not to race today at @WGI: http://t.co/w6k5NKwZdc pic.twitter.com/qb7r5qokHe

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 10, 2014

ICYMI: Here's what @StewartHaasRcng's VP of Competition, Greg Zipadelli, had to say earlier: http://t.co/lJbccTeW5m pic.twitter.com/beIuDaqVrn

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 10, 2014

I don't follow Sprint cars. Is that typical behavior, walking amidst speeding cars, trying to look tough & bad ass? @NASCARNAC @HouseCracka

— Vern Demerest (@TxAv8r) August 10, 2014

If any1 has watched any amount of Sprint Car racing, you know that this was bound to happen. It's dark and tempers run high #NASCAR

— Ric the Magnificent (@NASCARNAC) August 10, 2014

MUST SEE VIDEO: Judge Jeanine Slams Obama's 'Feckless' and 'Political Not Military' Foreign Policy

She's on fire, and be sure to stay with it to the panel, including Brigitte Gabriel especially, who just eviscerates Obama's ridiculously dangerous incompetence.

Angels' Albert Pujols Walk-Off Home Run Beats Red Sox 5-4 in 19th Inning

One of the longest games I've ever watched. My wife wanted to stay up but she had to hit the hay for work.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Angels start fast but need Albert Pujols' HR in 19th to beat Boston."

It's 2:15 a.m. Leaving ballpark. For full late coverage of #Angels' 19-inning win over #RedSox go to http://t.co/HVcgkS100m in the am.

— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) August 10, 2014

It's over: After a 1:30 review, Pujols HR stands, #Angels beat #RedSox, 5-4, in 19 innings and 6 hours 31 minutes.

— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) August 10, 2014

This is the FOURTH time in franchise history that #Angels have played 19 innings. And yes, I DID cover the last one, in OAK in 2013.

— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) August 10, 2014

At 6:14, this is now the longest time of game in #Angels Stadium history. 6:32 was longest in club history, last year's 19-inn job at OAK.

— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) August 10, 2014

Kate Moss Tells Off Justin Bieber

At HuffPo UK, "Kate Moss ‘Tells Justin Bieber He Needs To Behave' After Orlando Bloom Incident":

Supermodel Kate Moss is said to have 'told off' Justin Bieber over Orlando Bloom bust up...http://t.co/Tq2TRE9G3c pic.twitter.com/0QTnzl3FJq
— MTV UK (@MTVUK) August 6, 2014

The Sun reports that Biebs approached Kate at fashion designer Riccardo Tisci’s birthday bash, where he was hoping to impress the model, however, it didn’t exactly go to plan.

"She was giving Bieber some choice words like a teacher after the singer asked to be introduced,” a source tells the paper. "He'd gone up to say hi to her like his usual cocky self expecting her to gush over him. It was quite a slap in the face."

Jihad Black Flag, Communist Hammer & Sickle at #Hamas Anti-Israel Terror March in London (VIDEO)

Story at the Time of Israel, "Third London mass protest for Gaza in one month."

Also at Twitchy, "‘Farewell, Western Civilization': London overtaken by pro-Gaza demonstrators [photos]."

Third London mass protest for Gaza in one month http://t.co/zWCr0TcbYQ

— The Times of Israel (@TimesofIsrael) August 9, 2014

ICYMI 'Farewell, Western Civilization': London overtaken by pro-Gaza demonstrators http://t.co/jlU3P8GAwd Ignorant anti-Semites #tcot #pjnet

— CFLancop (@CFLancop) August 10, 2014

Seriously, London Gaza protesters, this can't happen. This is off message. So, so off message. http://t.co/raJYiW2jNl pic.twitter.com/LBB8UoGkIK

— Tom Gara (@tomgara) August 9, 2014

London Gaza rally: lots of Palestinian flags. Hezbollah flag. Gooners Against Apartheid banner. A black jihad flag. http://t.co/kzEsdEcoqW

— Tom Gara (@tomgara) August 9, 2014

London Gaza Pre-March 09082014 http://t.co/FaEoUdhC6S via @OccupyDemocracy #olsx

— Occupy News Network (@OccupyNN) August 9, 2014

Thousands march through London in protest at Israeli military action in #Gaza http://t.co/4OXTgCFQEW

— Louise Mezzina (@mezzDubai) August 10, 2014

FLASHBACK: From William Jacobson, on Thursday, "Anti-Semitism Erupts Globally."

VIDEO: New York City 'Day of Rage' — #Hamas Solidarity March for Extermination of Israel

A Day of Rage, sponsored by ANSWER Syracuse.



And at Arutz Sheva, "New York: Hundreds Protest Against Israel":

The protesters called for an end to U.S. aid to Israel.

Many demonstrators told 1010 WINS it’s no longer just about the firing across the border, it’s about Israel’s blockade of Gaza.

Some protesters said they don’t believe Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state.

“Israel has the power, Israel has political power, Israel has the money, Israel has everything, everything is at their resource. But the only option they think they have is to kill,” one protester said, according to 1010 WINS.

“Our tax dollars are going to Israel in support of this genocide,” Rula Yousef said. “Innocent children in Gaza have been slaughtered, bombs are being thrown at their houses as we speak and American stands by Israel.”

Some of the demonstrators chanted: "Free, free Palestine! Occupation is a crime!", according to The Associated Press (AP).

Mostafa Asadi, an engineer from Philadelphia who came to New York for the protest, said the current violence in the Middle East started more than six decades ago.

"The Zionists took Palestinian land and expelled them in 1948, and now Israel is trying to control the area," said Asadi, an Iran native who hoisted a sign that said: "Stop the U.S.-Israeli blockade of Gaza."

"The Israelis are racist," he told AP.

New Ellie Goulding Bikini Pics

At Egotastic!, "Ellie Goulding Bikini Boating Continues Nautically Natural in Spanish Waters."

Richard Nixon Resignation 40 Years Ago Today

Here's the archived report from the Washington Post, August 9, 1974, "Nixon Resigns."

At the video, historian Kenneth Davis offers a very interesting discussion of the impeachment, the history, and how it could happen again:

Pro-Terror #ANSWERLA Organizers: 'We Stand with Hamas!"

It turns out that Waylette Thomas, a 22-year-old organizer for Los Angeles ANSWER, was arrested at the August 2 protest on Wilshire. Her bail was set at $20,000 and the group sent out an appeal for donations.

Outrageous $20,000 bail for unjust arrest of young ANSWER LA organizer at #Gaza demonstration: http://t.co/g0g49z1uGo
— ANSWER Los Angeles (@AnswerLA) August 5, 2014

Well, according the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, Ms. Thomas is on record of enthusiastically supporting Hamas and its goals of the extermination of Israel. She stands with Hamas terrorism against the Jewish state.

See, "Supporting Palestinians should not mean supporting Hamas":

Banner from @AnswerLA march for #Gaza in Los Angeles RIGHT NOW! Let Gaza live! #FreePalestine! pic.twitter.com/xSqwJv80NI

— Peta Lindsay (@petalindsay) August 2, 2014

Last Saturday, our reporter Ryan Torok covered a massive anti-Israel rally in front of the Federal Building in Westwood. The crowd swelled to an estimated 1,500 to 3,000 people, outgrew the plaza, then spontaneously spilled onto the street, shutting down Wilshire Boulevard as it made its way east toward the Israel Consulate. The protesters chanted “Free Palestine!” and waved posters reading “Zionists, Get Out of Gaza Now!” and “Israel Is Mass Murdering Children.”

That was the message they wanted to send to Zionists. So, naturally, Ryan asked them: What message do they want to send to Hamas?
This is what they told him:

“They have to fire more rockets, and they have to fire stronger. They have to be more aggressive,” Darka Raicevic, a Serbian woman, said.

Jami King, 41, who lives in San Diego and drove to Saturday’s rally with her boyfriend, Ammar Khan, said: “I don’t have a direct message for Hamas. ... I just want the [Israeli] siege to stop and for people to sit down and figure out a solution. It’s not for me to say what Hamas’ part in that is.”

Khan, 36, a Pakistani and engineer: “Hamas, their biggest problem is not having a vision for the future and not having a long-term view. ... what we [the United States and Israel] do in response doesn’t justify that. ... Who are we to lecture them? The U.S. has lost its moral high ground.”

Waylette Thomas, 22, a member of the pro-Palestinian group ANSWER and a student at Cerritos College, to Hamas: “We stand with you.”

It’s not for me to say what Hamas’ part in that is. ... Who are we to lecture them? ... We stand with you. ... Fire more rockets.
Of all the hypocrisies in the Gaza conflict, this has got to be the most galling: There is no pro-Palestinian outcry against Hamas. No messages on Facebook or slogans on protest posters addressing its leaders. No pro-Gazan street protests calling on Hamas to stop firing rockets and stop digging tunnels.

Hamas is proud of the fact that its military wing, the Qassam Brigades, uses suicide bombers, rockets and hidden tunnels to kill or threaten Israeli civilians, including women and children. If people at a “peace” rally can’t stand in moral judgment of child murderers — well, we can forget peace.

Here’s the issue: If you want to scream at Israel for inflicting civilian casualties, fine. And if you want to protest President Barack Obama for supporting Israel, OK. But if you really care about the fate of the Palestinians, if you would prefer innocent Palestinians live rather than die, you should also send a simple, two-word message to Hamas: “Stop shooting.”

Hamas needs to get the message from the worldwide pro-Palestinian movement: Resistance to Israeli control and occupation is legitimate. Violent resistance is not. Pick your reason: because violence against Israeli civilians is immoral, or because it will never, ever work. Either reason will do, but just stop.

If Hamas had stopped shooting rockets, and the Palestinians instead had used all the tools of mass nonviolent protests to draw attention to their plight, is there any question that thousands of innocent Palestinians would be alive today, living in homes untouched by bombs?

Why is the pro-Palestinian movement not marching for justice and against violence? Why does it conflate support for the doomed tactics of Hamas with support for Palestinians?

That well-meaning souls on the streets of Los Angeles misguidedly support Hamas’ violence is especially mystifying because so much of the Muslim world opposes it. When the conflict began, Palestinian Authority officials lambasted Hamas. They know violence and unrelenting terror won’t bring about a lasting solution. How do they know? Because they’ve already tried it.

In the early 1960s, Yasser Arafat, influenced by the Muslim Brotherhood, proclaimed, “Liberating Palestine can only come through the barrel of a gun.” Arafat’s Fatah movement set off on a course of terror, which grabbed headlines, left thousands dead and pushed a just solution further and further away.

More.

Could Mitt Romney Ride to the Rescue of the Republican Party?

I'd love to see another Romney run, although I think Rick Perry's looking really good for 2016. So we'll see.

At Telegraph UK, "American Way: Could Mitt Romney ride to the rescue of the Republican Party?"

...since his 2012 defeat, Mr Romney has been proved right about a variety of issues. When he called Russia a "geopolitical foe" during a 2012 presidential debate, Mr Obama gibed: "The 1980s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy back, because the Cold War has now been over for twenty years."

Since that time, of course, Russia has annexed Crimea and massed troops on Ukraine's border. The shooting down of a Malaysian passenger plane in the east of the country is widely believed to have been carried out by Russian separatists. Advantage Mr Romney.

Within seconds of taunting Mitt over Russia, during that same debate, Mr Obama crowed: "Just a few weeks ago, you said you think we should have more troops in Iraq right now."

As I write these words, Islamic State militants are slaughtering Iraqi minorities having taken over Iraq's largest Christian city. This crisis might have been averted had Mr Obama decided to leave a small reserve force in Iraq. Another round for Mr Romney.
He was prescient about some other details, too, including Mali, where he was criticised for mentioning the rise of Islamist extremists in the northern part of the country.

More importantly, his more proactive foreign policy world-view seems to have been redeemed as the crumbling world we witness today stands as evidence of Mr Obama's failed foreign policy strategy, which has been dubbed "leading from behind".

But it wasn't just foreign policy. On the domestic front, Mr Romney warned about ObamaCare, saying that some of the "people who counted on the insurance plan they had in the past" would "lose it". In 2013, Politifact named the "if you like your plan, you can keep it" line their "lie of the year".

Perhaps this explains why a CNN poll released a couple weeks ago showed Mr Romney leading Mr Obama 53 to 44 in a hypothetical rematch of the 2012 election, though according to that same poll, he would lose to Hillary Clinton...

San Diego College Student Taylor Woolrich Lobbies for Concealed Carry at Dartmouth (VIDEO)

At KGTV-ABC10 News San Diego, "College student wants right to carry gun on campus."

Also at Fox News, "Ivy Leaguer plagued by stalker may drop out over school’s anti-gun policy."

And Ms. Woolrich has a commentary, "Dear Dartmouth, I am one of your students, I am being stalked, please let me carry a gun to protect myself."

'Cajon Crawl'

Good thing I had no plans to take the family to Vegas this weekend.

Via CBS News Los Angeles:

'Today, feminism has a major image problem...'

An interesting piece, at the New Republic, "Women's Studies Departments Are Failing Feminism."

Hat Tip: Instapundit, who writes: "THE NEW REPUBLIC: “Far from being sites of activism and empowerment, Berkeley’s Women’s Studies classes were weighed down by theory and jargon.” True, but since this article mindlessly parrots the discredited one-in-five-college-women-are-raped claim, maybe that’s just as well.."

Obama 'Is Not a Humanitarian President...'

Kirsten Powers slams President Obama for "sitting quietly by" while Christians are massacred in Northern Iraq.

After the 2:00 minute mark:

The Spread of Islamic State

At Vice, "The Islamic State (Part 1)."