I don't think I can fit into these anymore. I need the more generous style with more space in the hip and butt area, shall we say.
But if you're a fit young stud, check these out at Amazon, Levi's Men's Jeans 501 Original Fit.
BONUS: From Victor Davis Hanson, The Savior Generals: How Five Great Commanders Saved Wars That Were Lost - From Ancient Greece to Iraq.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
ISIS Exposed
I keep meaning to pick up a copy of Erick Stakelbeck's new book, ISIS Exposed: Beheadings, Slavery, and the Hellish Reality of Radical Islam.
So don't be like me. Get your copy today!
So don't be like me. Get your copy today!
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Ahmed Mohamed and the 'Islamophobia' Clock (VIDEO)
From Pamela Geller, "Pamela Geller, Breitbart News: Ahmed Mohamed and the ‘Islamophobia’ Clock":
FLASHBACK: "The Left's Attack on Pamela Geller Sanitizes Terrorism and Facilitates Murder."
A Muslim teen, fourteen-year-old Ahmed Mohamed, bought a strange ticking device to his school, MacArthur High School. His device caused alarm and fear, and he was detained for having what his teacher perceived as a bomb. Police officers said the electronic components and wires inside his Vaultz pencil case (which is the size of a briefcase) looked like a “hoax bomb,” according to local news station WFAA.More.
When questioned about what the device was, Mohamed wouldn’t answer. Now terror-tied Islamic groups like the Hamas-tied Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), their media lapdogs, and even Barack Obama are waging jihad against the school and the local police.
When police questioned the boy, WFAA reports, they said he was “passive aggressive” and didn’t give them a “reasonable answer” as to why he had brought his contraption to the school. “We attempted to question the juvenile about what it was and he would simply only say it was a clock. He didn’t offer any explanation as to what it was for, why he created this device, why he brought it to school,” said James McLellan of the Irving Police Department.
This whole thing smells like a setup. With ISIS in America, and young moderate Muslims fleeing to Syria to join the terror group, the response of MacArthur High School officials was rational and reasonable. At my website, PamelaGeller.com, I run news stories on a weekly basis of American Muslim teens who have been arrested for trying to join ISIS. Just this week, a Muslim teen from Philadelphia was arrested for an alleged plot to assassinate the Pope during his visit to the United States.
Every day we are warned of new terror threats, increased threat levels. But trying to protect school children is “Islamophobic.” And President Obama agrees, of course. Yes, he has weighed in; Barack Obama himself got into the act, tweeting to Ahmed: “Cool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It’s what makes America great.”
When I first heard about this story, I wrote at my website that it smelled fishy. Now, as more details have emerged, it positively stinks. The plot has considerably thickened. In what has become one of the most egregious of the faked hate narratives, the bomb hoax clockster turns out to come from a family that has a history of supremacist stunts.
The New York Daily News reported this Wednesday about Ahmed Mohamed’s father, Mohamed ElHassan Mohamed:
One of the earliest instances of the standout citizen making national news was in 2011, when he sensationally stood up to an anti-Islamic pastor and defended the Koran as its defense attorney. That mock trial at a Florida church ended with the book’s burning, to ElHassan’s claimed shock. In an interview with the Washington Post at the time, the devoted Muslim said he’d take on Rev. Terry Jones’ challenge because the holy book teaches that Muslims should engage in peaceful dialogue with Christians.Also in 2011, ElHassan debated Robert Spencer on the questionf of “Does Islam Respect Human Rights?” Clearly, he was trying to score a victory against a famous “Islamophobe” and thus win a name for himself. ElHassan has been looking for publicity and chances to fight against “Islamophobia” for a considerable period. Now he has seized it, going so far as to claim his son was “tortured” by school and law enforcement officials.
He finally has the cause he has been seeking for so long. School officials were being prudent, protecting the children. Irving, Texas has had its share of jihad and sharia. Two Muslim sisters, Amina and Sarah Said, were honor murdered by their father, execution-style, in Irving several years ago. He is still at large. And Irving, Texas is only half an hour from Garland, Texas – the site of a jihad shooting on a free speech event last May. And the news is regularly riddled with stories of young Muslims, all lovely, sweet achievers, who suddenly — go jihad...
FLASHBACK: "The Left's Attack on Pamela Geller Sanitizes Terrorism and Facilitates Murder."
Changes to Republican Party Primary Rules May Backfire
Seems to me this isn't a new problem. The GOP doesn't want a conservative. Party leaders wanted a streamlined caucus and primary schedule to quickly produce a nominee (a centrist nominee), as they always do. And of course Donald Trump's throwing a monkey wrench into the process.
See, "Party Rules to Streamline Race May Backfire for G.O.P.":
See, "Party Rules to Streamline Race May Backfire for G.O.P.":
In the starkest sign of how unsettled the situation is, what once seemed unthinkable — that Mr. Trump could win the Republican nomination — is being treated by many within the Republican establishment as a serious possibility. And one reason his candidacy seems strong is a change by the party in hopes of ending the process earlier: making it possible for states to hold contests in which the winner receives all the delegates, rather than a share based on the vote, starting March 15, two weeks earlier than in the last cycle. Ten states have said they will do so.Keep reading.
If Mr. Trump draws one-third of the Republican primary vote, as recent polls suggest he will, that could be enough to win in a crowded field. After March 15, he could begin amassing all the delegates in a given state even if he carried it with only a third of the vote. And the later it gets, the harder it becomes for a lead in delegates to be overcome, with fewer state contests remaining in which trailing candidates can attempt comebacks.
“Somebody like Trump, who is operating in a crowded field, could put this contest away early if the crowd doesn’t thin out,” said Eric Fehrnstrom, who was a senior adviser to Mr. Romney...
Sources: U.S. and China Negotiating Agreement to Refrain from Using Cyberweapons to Cripple the Other's Critical Infrastructure During Peacetime
Yeah, that oughta work, because we can really trust China.
At the New York Times, "U.S. and China Seek Arms Deal for Cyberspace."
At the New York Times, "U.S. and China Seek Arms Deal for Cyberspace."
Dozens Murdered as Pakistani Taliban Attack Mosque at Badaber Air Base, Outside Peshawar (VIDEO)
Pakistan, that bastion of peaceful bliss. Let's all sing John Lennon's "Imagine"!
At the New York Times, "Taliban Attack Kills 30 at Pakistan Air Force Base."
At the New York Times, "Taliban Attack Kills 30 at Pakistan Air Force Base."
'Modern Family' Actress Ariel Winter Shows Off Her New Figure After Breast Reduction Surgery
Well, she looks pretty good, although I guess she turned this into some kind of social justice campaign.
At London's Daily Mail, "The littler mermaid! Ariel Winter wears first low cut dress since her breast reduction surgery from 32-F to 34-D."
But see the Los Angeles Times, "'Modern Family' actress Ariel Winter's breast reduction puts the procedure in a spotlight."
At London's Daily Mail, "The littler mermaid! Ariel Winter wears first low cut dress since her breast reduction surgery from 32-F to 34-D."
But see the Los Angeles Times, "'Modern Family' actress Ariel Winter's breast reduction puts the procedure in a spotlight."
Donald Trump Responds to 'Obama's Muslim' Outrage on Twitter
At CNN, "Trump Tweets about Obama Muslim Silence Criticism."
And check the tweets, at Fire Andrea Mitchell!, "Boom! Donald Trump responds to Obama-Muslim whiners."
And check the tweets, at Fire Andrea Mitchell!, "Boom! Donald Trump responds to Obama-Muslim whiners."
FBI Using Retweets as Evidence Against Islamic State Terror-Wannabes
Heh.
I guess the FBI's so overwhelmed by the allure of ISIS that they've lowered the bar to sweep up every wannabe who even RTs Islamic State.
At Gizmodo, "The FBI Says Retweets Are Endorsements."
I guess the FBI's so overwhelmed by the allure of ISIS that they've lowered the bar to sweep up every wannabe who even RTs Islamic State.
At Gizmodo, "The FBI Says Retweets Are Endorsements."
Greeks Expect Little from Latest Elections (VIDEO)
Greek voters go to the polls -- again!
At WSJ, "Disillusioned Greeks Hope for Stability, and Little Else, From Sunday’s Elections":
At WSJ, "Disillusioned Greeks Hope for Stability, and Little Else, From Sunday’s Elections":
NAOUSA, Greece—Greeks are going to the polls for the third time this year on Sunday, but fewer of them than ever believe their politicians will end the country’s long economic crisis.Keep reading.
After a turbulent year including elections in January, a referendum in July, a showdown with Europe and the imposition of crippling capital controls, the only thing many Greeks hope for from Sunday’s new parliamentary elections is some calm that would allow them to get on with their lives and searches for prosperity.
“These constant elections bring everything to a halt in business. Nobody is hiring, everyone is waiting to see what will happen,” says Panagiotis Fountoulakis, a former information-technology manager who says he needs to find work again by this winter before his family’s savings run out. “Political stability is my big wish, but I’m not confident we will get it.”
Disaffection with politics and a potentially low turnout could decide who wins Sunday’s contest: Syriza and its leader, Alexis Tsipras—who stepped down as premier last month to trigger snap elections—or their conservative challengers New Democracy under Vagelis Meimarakis. The two parties are neck and neck, according to most opinion polls.
The victor will probably have to form a coalition government. In Greece such pacts are usually fractious and short-lived. Policies will be heavily constrained by the bailout agreement with Europe that Mr. Tsipras signed this summer, which imposes further fiscal retrenchment after five years of unpopular austerity...
Obama Administration Targets Innocent Chinese Americans in Massive Violation of Civil Liberties
From Joyce Xi, at USA Today, "To get my father, Xiaoxing Xi, FBI twisted America's ideals":
My father’s case reflects some of America’s most cherished ideals gone wrong. My father is a hard-working, innocent American who was presumed guilty. He devoted his life to academic research, for the sake of understanding the world around us better and contributing to his university and country — America. He had all that taken away from him in an instant.More, via Instapundit, who writes:
There is no escaping the geopolitics of our time and the influence that tensions between the U.S. and China have in our society today. Recently, the government has raised the specter of economic espionage with much attention on China. But as our country faces increased anxiety over China, the government is targeting innocent Chinese Americans...
I know, sorry, you thought you lived in America. You’re not the first Asian to make that mistake in the Obama era. But, you know, we’ve been “fundamentally transformed.” Hopey Changey!
Brazen Coyotes in Irvine
I've seen coyotes plenty of times around here, once right in my apartment complex.
They get used to being around people and they attack pets.
At KCAL News 9 Los Angeles, "Animal Control Officers In Irvine Use Paintballs to Turn Back Brazen Coyotes."
They get used to being around people and they attack pets.
At KCAL News 9 Los Angeles, "Animal Control Officers In Irvine Use Paintballs to Turn Back Brazen Coyotes."
Lawrence W. Reed, Ed., Challenging the Myths of Progressivism
Hey, thanks to the reader who picked up a copy of Excuse Me, Professor: Challenging the Myths of Progressivism through my Amazon links.
I appreciate the commission, of course, but I also appreciate learning about this book. It's a great topic.
Remember, I picked up a copy of Mark Bauerlein's similar edited volume, The State of the American Mind: 16 Leading Critics on the New Anti-Intellectualism. He's also the author of The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Don 't Trust Anyone Under 30), which is a classic.
And see The Digital Divide: Arguments for and Against Facebook, Google, Texting, and the Age of Social Networking.
I can't begin to tell you how big an issue this is. I think (and worry) a lot about basic student knowledge, for example, about knowledge about American history, things like the Civil War or the Bill of Rights. I mean, what really do they teach kids this days? Or, even if they teach this stuff, what are kids actually learning? In far too many cases, it's just not enough. And it's sad.
I appreciate the commission, of course, but I also appreciate learning about this book. It's a great topic.
Remember, I picked up a copy of Mark Bauerlein's similar edited volume, The State of the American Mind: 16 Leading Critics on the New Anti-Intellectualism. He's also the author of The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Don 't Trust Anyone Under 30), which is a classic.
And see The Digital Divide: Arguments for and Against Facebook, Google, Texting, and the Age of Social Networking.
I can't begin to tell you how big an issue this is. I think (and worry) a lot about basic student knowledge, for example, about knowledge about American history, things like the Civil War or the Bill of Rights. I mean, what really do they teach kids this days? Or, even if they teach this stuff, what are kids actually learning? In far too many cases, it's just not enough. And it's sad.
Web Developer Marco Arment Pulls Best-Selling Ad Blocker Off Apple's App Store
At WaPo, "Why the maker of a chart-topping ad blocker just pulled it off the App Store."
This is especially interesting, considering the recent posts at Legal Insurrection, where William Jacobson's trying to work out a fix to the loss of revenue from many readers using ad blockers. See, "You’re killing us – one ad block at a time (Update)," and "Advertising Networks Abuse Their Users."
This is especially interesting, considering the recent posts at Legal Insurrection, where William Jacobson's trying to work out a fix to the loss of revenue from many readers using ad blockers. See, "You’re killing us – one ad block at a time (Update)," and "Advertising Networks Abuse Their Users."
Tourists Disrupt Sea Turtle Nesting in Costa Rica
And those turtles are so adorable too.
But then, can't let a few hundred thousand nesting sea turtles ruin late-summer tropical party plans, right?
Be sensitive to nature and the environment? Pfft.
At the New York Times, "Tourists Thwart Turtles from Nesting in Costa Rica":
But then, can't let a few hundred thousand nesting sea turtles ruin late-summer tropical party plans, right?
Be sensitive to nature and the environment? Pfft.
At the New York Times, "Tourists Thwart Turtles from Nesting in Costa Rica":
MEXICO CITY — The day-trippers swarmed onto the beach to watch one of nature’s most extraordinary sights, hundreds of thousands of olive ridley sea turtles crawling out of the ocean to lay their eggs in the sand.More.
The turtles did not want the company. Scared off by the thousands of tourists massed along Ostional Beach on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast, snapping selfies and perching their children on the turtles’ backs, the ancient reptiles simply turned around and retreated into the sea.
“It was a mess,” said Yamileth Baltodano, a tour guide who was at the scene when the turtles were scared away two weeks ago.
What happened during the first weekend in September was a one-time event, when a confluence of factors allowed the utterly unexpected to take place. But it was a cautionary tale for the conservationists charged with protecting the turtles, which are classified as vulnerable, not to mention a social media sensation. Now Costa Rican officials are scrambling to make sure it does not happen again.
“We are reassessing the way we work and the way we tackle the issue,” Mauricio Méndez, deputy director of the Tempisque Conservation Area, which includes Ostional Beach, said in a telephone interview on Friday.
The olive ridley nesting season, from August through October, coincides with Costa Rica’s rainy season, which ordinarily provides a natural barrier that protects the turtles. During that time, the beach is all but cut off by the flood tide of the swollen Nosara River, which blocks access on bridges. Even in the dry season, the beach is accessible only by a four-wheel-drive vehicle driven by a local guide.
But this year, low rainfall caused by El Niño left the river all but dry, making passage to the beach easy.
Mr. Méndez said officials were working on changes before the next arrival, expected on Oct. 4. He said he hoped to double the number of police officers and security guards, and even to bring in the Coast Guard. Groups will only be allowed in with guides and will be limited to the edges of the nesting area...
California Wildfires Highlight Risks to Elderly, Less Mobile, Residents
Actually, some of those killed last week refused to leave their homes, although I agree the elderly are going to be more vulnerable.
At the Los Angeles Times, "Five wildfire deaths highlight vulnerability of isolated seniors in disasters":
Keep reading.
At the Los Angeles Times, "Five wildfire deaths highlight vulnerability of isolated seniors in disasters":
Some were pulled from the fire zone by relatives or neighbors, with or without their wheelchairs. At least a handful made the bumpy ride out in the back of a pickup through heavy smoke and fire-blackened debris — thanks to a former paramedic who breached the blockades.Some folks just want to go. At the accompanying photo, the caption reads, "Winnie Pugh was evacuated from her home by her sons after she refused to go with firefighters."
They arrived at area shelters with oxygen tanks, without their medications, anxious and in some cases disoriented. Then there were the ones who stayed behind —intentionally or not.
Of the three deaths reported so far in Lake County's devastating Valley fire, all were senior citizens, among them 72-year-old Barbara McWilliams, who suffered from advanced multiple sclerosis. Two other men who are believed to have died were in their late 60s.
The aging are woven into the fabric of Lake County, where 18% of residents have passed their 65th birthdays, versus 11% for the entire state. Some have flocked here to retire, drawn to the independent streak that favors community over government; others have aged in place, their grown children gone in search of better job opportunities.
And though it was unclear in the disaster's aftermath how many were living in the evacuation zone, officials said about 2,300 county residents rely on state-funded in-home care or delivered meals.
In the Rocky and Jerusalem fires, which burned to the north and northeast of the Valley fire in August and July, staff of the county Office of Adult Services were able to contact those living in "advisory evacuation zones" and offer transportation to shelters, program manager Todd Metcalf said.
But the Sept. 12 blaze "moved too quickly for us to perform outreach as we normally do," Metcalf said...
Keep reading.
Andrea Tantaros Photo from New York Fashion Week
She's quite the active Instagram user, as it turns out.
Here, "Enough politics. Time for some fashion. #nyfashionweek."
She's the hottest woman on Fox News.
Here, "Enough politics. Time for some fashion. #nyfashionweek."
She's the hottest woman on Fox News.
Hillary Clinton's New Hampshire Town Hall Sparsely Attended
Funny how the media reports I saw didn't mention that Hillary's event was mostly half full, if that.
See Ed Henry, on Twitter, ".@hillaryclinton town hall tonight in New Hampshire #concord #emptyseats," and "Wide shot @HillaryClinton event in #concord -- on positive side crowd enthusiastic, Clinton finding voice on message."
Hat Tip: Legal Insurrection, "Hillary New Hampshire Town Hall Empty."
See Ed Henry, on Twitter, ".@hillaryclinton town hall tonight in New Hampshire #concord #emptyseats," and "Wide shot @HillaryClinton event in #concord -- on positive side crowd enthusiastic, Clinton finding voice on message."
Hat Tip: Legal Insurrection, "Hillary New Hampshire Town Hall Empty."
House Votes to Strip Planned Parenthood Funding
At the Hill, "House votes to freeze federal funding for Planned Parenthood." (Careful the auto-play video.)
And watch, at CBS News 2 Los Angeles, "House Votes to Defund Planned Parenthood."
And ICYMI, "Death-Cult Leftists Spew Lies Attacking Carly Fiorina After Wednesday's GOP Presidential Debate (VIDEO)."
And watch, at CBS News 2 Los Angeles, "House Votes to Defund Planned Parenthood."
And ICYMI, "Death-Cult Leftists Spew Lies Attacking Carly Fiorina After Wednesday's GOP Presidential Debate (VIDEO)."
Donald Trump Taking Heat from Both Left and Right (VIDEO)
Watch Charles Krauthammer and Megyn Kelly, at Fox News, "Krauthammer on why Trump is taking heat from both sides."
RELATED: At the Hill, via Memeorandum, "Trump drops out of Heritage event after birther backlash."
RELATED: At the Hill, via Memeorandum, "Trump drops out of Heritage event after birther backlash."
Police Take Leslie Allen Merritt, Jr., Into Custody: Suspect in Series of Shootings on Interstate 10 (VIDEO)
Watch, at ABC News 10 Phoenix, "Police arrest suspect in string of Phoenix freeway shootings."
And at the Arizona Republic, "Phoenix freeway shootings suspect identified as Leslie Allen Merritt, Jr."
And at the Arizona Republic, "Phoenix freeway shootings suspect identified as Leslie Allen Merritt, Jr."
Friday, September 18, 2015
Jackie Johnson's Beautiful Weekend Forecast
I love this weather. A little hotter, and thank Heaven for it.
At CBS News 2 Los Angeles:
At CBS News 2 Los Angeles:
Fight Breaks Out as Japan's Parliament Approves Overseas Combat Role for Military (VIDEO)
At the New York Times, "Japan Approves Overseas Combat Role for Military":
Still more.
PREVIOUSLY: "U.S. and Japan Tighten Alliance in Face of Surging Threat from China."
TOKYO — In a middle-of-the night vote that capped a tumultuous struggle with opposition parties in Parliament, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan secured final passage of legislation on Saturday authorizing overseas combat missions for his country’s military, overturning a decades-old policy of reserving the use of force for self-defense.The war ended 70 years ago. I think Japan can change its constitution and join the status of normal countries who defend their own national security.
The legislation had been expected to pass; Mr. Abe’s governing coalition controls a formidable majority in the legislature. But analysts said the grinding political battle and days of demonstrations that accompanied the effort could hurt his standing with a public already skeptical of his hawkish vision for Japan’s national security.
The debate often doubled as a forum for airing views about Japan’s most important ally, the United States. Many were hostile.
“If this legislation passes, we will absolutely be caught up in illegal American wars,” Taro Yamamoto, a leader of a small left-leaning opposition party, said in a committee debate on Thursday. The debate ended with lawmakers piled on top of one another in a melee for control of the chairman’s microphone.
On Friday, Mr. Yamamoto held up the voting by taking a slow-motion “cow walk” to the podium to cast his ballot. Other opposition groups entered symbolic censure motions against Mr. Abe and officials in his Liberal Democratic Party or made long, filibuster-like speeches, often repeating the conviction that a military with expanded powers would end up being dragged into an unjustified American war.
“We must not become accomplices to murder,” said Mizuho Fukushima of the Social Democratic Party. Similar sentiments have been echoed — usually in less provocative terms — by newspaper columnists, political scientists and members of the general public.
The opposition’s obstructionist tactics delayed Mr. Abe’s victory until after 2 a.m., but could not prevent it.
." Mr. Abe’s critics have a variety of grievances against the defense legislation. Not least is the question of its constitutionality: In multiple surveys of constitutional specialists, more than 90 percent have said they believe that it violates Japan’s basic law, laid down by the United States in the postwar occupation, which renounces the use of force to resolve international disputes.
But a less abstract fear of being “caught up in war” has been just as important in fueling opposition to the legislation, exposing a strain of public unease about the United States-Japan alliance that is usually kept out of view...
Still more.
PREVIOUSLY: "U.S. and Japan Tighten Alliance in Face of Surging Threat from China."
Jessica Simpson Drunk on Home Shopping Network? (VIDEO)
I didn't know she was a lush.
At the Los Angeles Times, "Jessica Simpson's slurred speech on HSN sparks Twitter accusations of drunkenness."
And watch, at Entertainment Tonight, "Was Jessica Simpson Drunk During Her Live HSN Appearance?"
At the Los Angeles Times, "Jessica Simpson's slurred speech on HSN sparks Twitter accusations of drunkenness."
And watch, at Entertainment Tonight, "Was Jessica Simpson Drunk During Her Live HSN Appearance?"
Sponsors Drop 'The View' After Disrespectful Nurse Jokes
Countdown to cancellation.
At Instapundit, "WHEN CATTY PUTDOWNS BACKFIRE: Two sponsors drop ‘The View’ after nurse jokes."
And from Michelle Malkin, "Why 'The View' Is Bombing":
But keep reading.
At Instapundit, "WHEN CATTY PUTDOWNS BACKFIRE: Two sponsors drop ‘The View’ after nurse jokes."
And from Michelle Malkin, "Why 'The View' Is Bombing":
You would think that a groundbreaking TV show for women hosted by women would do its best every day to respect and uplift women.But not the disgusted, mean-spirited moral reprobates on "The View."
Instead, ABC’s “The View” — originally created by veteran journalist Barbara Walters to represent women “of different backgrounds, different generations and different opinions” — has devolved into an ear-splitting bickerfest of elite divas who scoff and sneer at those who do not enjoy their celebrity privilege or share their left-wing ideological values.
This week, the bratty, catty co-hosts’ targets included the young women who competed for the Miss America title. Michelle Collins, a “comedian” who recently joined the show after establishing herself as a Tinseltown “gossip queen,” savaged Miss Colorado Kelley Johnson. As the other anchors giggled out loud at Johnson’s video clip, Collins mocked the Rocky Mountain beauty not for her looks or her politics, but for a lovely, earnest monologue she performed during the pageant’s talent competition.
Wearing her hospital scrubs, sneakers and a stethoscope, the registered nurse recounted her conversations with a patient named Joe in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. When he requested changes in medications and treatments, Johnson explained to him that she couldn’t because she was “just a nurse.”
What she could do was provide kindness and comfort. One night, after discovering him in tears as the condition wore his spirits down, Collins told him he was “not just Alzheimer’s. You are still Joe.”
Joe responded gratefully: “Nurse Kelley … you are not ‘just a nurse.’ You are my nurse, and you have changed my life because you’ve cared about me.” With her voice cracking, Johnson shared her takeaway: “Patients are people with families and friends. You are not a room number or diagnosis in the hospital. You’re a person. … And Joe reminded me that I am a lifesaver. I am never going to be ‘just a nurse.'”
Using her two minutes on a national stage to give voice to her underappreciated colleagues, Kelley made the three million nurses in her profession and their families justifiably proud. And she prompted viewers like me to reflect on our gratitude for the countless nurses in our lives who’ve benefited from their talent, dedication and compassion...
But keep reading.
Russia Moves First Fighter Jets to Syria (VIDEO)
At the Wall Street Journal, "Russia Moves Its First Tactical Fighter Jets to Base in Syria":
PREVIOUSLY: "Syrian Refugees Lose Faith in Finding Solution to Country's Civil War."
Russia has moved jet fighters to a base in Syria for the first time, U.S. defense officials said Friday, a major military escalation that heightens fears Moscow is set to play a more direct role in propping up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.Keep reading.
The deployment of a small number of tactical jets came just hours before U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter spoke to his Russian counterpart about Moscow’s deepening role in Syria, a call that ended a long pause in high-level military communication between the U.S. and Russia.
U.S. defense officials said the nearly hourlong conversation was designed in part to help avert a confrontation in Syria between the U.S. and Russia, which have long been on opposite sides of the 4½-year-old civil war.
Russia’s decision to send in jets, however, is the clearest indication Moscow is preparing to use military might to help Mr. Assad as he clings to power.
U.S. policy in Syria, which has for years sought to avoid getting drawn into the protracted and bloody conflict, is at a turning point, prompted by the flood of refugees into Europe and the surprising Russian escalation.
In addition, the Obama administration is considering whether to scrap its troubled plan to arm moderate Syrians to battle the extremists of Islamic State, which controls much of Syria.
The direct involvement of Russian forces in the Syrian civil war on behalf of Mr. Assad would mark a new twist that could put American pilots, who regularly fly surveillance flights and airstrike missions, in substantially greater danger...
PREVIOUSLY: "Syrian Refugees Lose Faith in Finding Solution to Country's Civil War."
Top Dollar Trade-In for Your Phone
At Amazon, Trade-in: Get Top Dollar for Your Phone
.
Plus, check out Mark Steyn's edited collection, "A Disgrace to the Profession" The World's Scientists - in their own words - on Michael E Mann, his Hockey Stick and their Damage to Science.
.Plus, check out Mark Steyn's edited collection, "A Disgrace to the Profession" The World's Scientists - in their own words - on Michael E Mann, his Hockey Stick and their Damage to Science.
Syrian Refugees Lose Faith in Finding Solution to Country's Civil War
At Der Spiegel, "Abandoning Syria: Few Options Left for Stopping the War":
An exodus of tens of thousands is hemorrhaging out of Syria and into Europe. After four years of civil war horrors, people have given up completely on their country. Is there a shred of hope left for stopping the conflict and rebuilding?Still more.
Both men were Syrians -- a taxi driver and his passenger. They met during an hour-long drive in April from the airport in the southern Turkish city of Adana toward the east. Within a few minutes, they realized that they were from the same place, the northern port city of Latakia, which is controlled by the Syrian regime.
Things got tricky when the two men began to wonder whose side the other had been on.
They avoided direct questions for a while. Before, on the other side of the border, they may have shot at each other. But now they were sitting in the same car. Eventually, the driver began to tell his story. He had been a bank manager and had told jokes about Syrian dictator Bashar Assad. After an informer betrayed him to the government, a man from Syrian intelligence gave him a warning, saying: "Get out now. They're coming to get you in half an hour."
Then the second man told his story. He had been an architecture student. "I had nothing against Assad," he said. But checkpoints had been erected everywhere in recent weeks, where young men were forcibly recruited into the army. "I didn't want to die," he explained. The driver chuckled briefly, and then the two men went silent for a while.
"It's over," the driver finally said. "Yes," his passenger replied. They spent the rest of the trip discussing the best routes to Europe.
Can the Horrors Be Stopped?
A country is hemorrhaging people. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians are on the road, traveling to Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands, or they have already arrived, and millions will follow suit. The exodus is putting a long-ignored question back onto the political agenda in the West: What can be done to stop the horrors in Syria?
Four years after the beginning of the uprising, a quarter of a million are dead and the political proposals by the United Nations, the German foreign minister, the United States government and others sound very much like proposals in 2011: Negotiate, apply pressure and seek a political solution. The situation is complicated by announcements from France and Great Britain of their intention to participate in air strikes against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria. But what they overlook is that the overwhelming majority of Syrians are not fleeing from IS, but from Assad's barrel bombs, the Syrian Air Force and the generally hopeless situation.
IS primarily controls sparsely populated desert areas in eastern Syria. According to reports by the Syrian Network for Human Rights, Assad's soldiers killed about 11,500 people between January and August, while IS killed 1,800. Among civilians, at least 10 times as many people die as a result of the regime's attacks than at the hands of IS.
IS has made adjustments to cope with the air strikes. Its troops now tend to operate in towns, in which they prevent the residents from fleeing by erecting checkpoints and imposing draconian punishments. This prevents Western forces from effectively attacking IS.
The Assad Question
The refugees are responsible for growing political pressure to find ways out of the war, but their plight does nothing to change the status quo, which has led to the failure of every negotiated solution to date. Russia and Iran want to keep Assad in power, and the West is unwilling to overthrow him and oppose the Russian veto in the UN Security Council or jeopardize Iran's compliance with the nuclear treaty. Two UN special envoys have already failed to resolve this conflict situation, and a third one is heading in the same direction. Staffan de Mistura has announced new negotiations for October and wants to introduce decentralized task forces, but he has not even mentioned the central issue: Should the goal be to remove Assad or to allow him to remain in power?
The world had already made more headway in earlier negotiations. When influential Syrians from both camps met for secret negotiations at Château de Bossey on Lake Geneva in October 2013, everyone, after initial difficulties, was surprisingly in agreement. Even an advisor to Assad was acquiescent and was not opposed to a peaceful solution. "We will fight down to the last building in Damascus. But what happens after that? The country is ruined. No side can win or stop fighting."
The meetings were hosted by Switzerland's Center for Humanitarian Dialogue. As one participant recalls, both sides were exhausted and prepared to make extensive compromises. In the end, the negotiations failed because of one person: Assad. Everything was negotiable, but he had to go, the representatives of the opposition demanded. The participants agreed that a solution was in the hands of the Americans and the Russians.
If there is any solution for Syria anymore, it would have to be similar to the tentative plans suggested in 2013, which called for exiling Assad, his clan, key generals and their families. Those also included extensive amnesties for combatants on both sides, power to be handed over to local authorities -- and a common fight against IS. But this type of solution would have required military pressure on Assad, which Washington was never willing to agree to. Even a proposal to install no-fly zones in several Syrian border regions, so that people there could survive without air strikes, was repeatedly rejected...
Suspect Dead After Deputies Open Fire from Helicopter During Pursuit on I-215 in Devore
Man, this is rad!
At the Riverside Press-Enterprise, "DEVORE: Deputy shoots man to death during wrong-way I-215 pursuit (UPDATE)."
And at ABC News 7 Los Angeles, "CAR CHASE CRASH SHUTS DOWN NORTHBOUND 215 FREEWAY."
At the Riverside Press-Enterprise, "DEVORE: Deputy shoots man to death during wrong-way I-215 pursuit (UPDATE)."
And at ABC News 7 Los Angeles, "CAR CHASE CRASH SHUTS DOWN NORTHBOUND 215 FREEWAY."
Dana Loesch: 'Because holding up arms and legs for sale to the camera wasn’t enough...'
Heh.
At Twitchy, "This Dana Loesch tweet says ALL about ghastly media reax to Fiorina’s Planned Parenthood truths."
PREVIOUSLY: "Death-Cult Leftists Spew Lies Attacking Carly Fiorina After Wednesday's GOP Presidential Debate (VIDEO)."
At Twitchy, "This Dana Loesch tweet says ALL about ghastly media reax to Fiorina’s Planned Parenthood truths."
Media is circling the wagons on Fiorina’s Planned Parenthood remark. Because holding up arms and legs for sale to the camera wasn’t enough.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) September 17, 2015PREVIOUSLY: "Death-Cult Leftists Spew Lies Attacking Carly Fiorina After Wednesday's GOP Presidential Debate (VIDEO)."
'It's totally fake outrage from frauds who want to continue the dump of third-worlders on the country, including Muslim Jihadists, and voted for the guy who just gave a nuke to Iran...'
Heh.
That's Ann Coulter's quote, at the Hollywood Reporter, "Ann Coulter Calls Fury Over Jewish-Debate Tweet 'Fake Outrage': 'I'm Pro-Israel'."
And watch, via NYDN, "Ann Coulter Sparks Outrage Over ‘anti-Semitic’ Tweet, Rant About ‘Jews’ During GOP Debate." Also at Memeorandum.
And here's her book, Adios, America: The Left's Plan to Turn Our Country Into a Third World Hellhole.
That's Ann Coulter's quote, at the Hollywood Reporter, "Ann Coulter Calls Fury Over Jewish-Debate Tweet 'Fake Outrage': 'I'm Pro-Israel'."
And watch, via NYDN, "Ann Coulter Sparks Outrage Over ‘anti-Semitic’ Tweet, Rant About ‘Jews’ During GOP Debate." Also at Memeorandum.
And here's her book, Adios, America: The Left's Plan to Turn Our Country Into a Third World Hellhole.
Death-Cult Leftists Spew Lies Attacking Carly Fiorina After Wednesday's GOP Presidential Debate (VIDEO)
They're diabolical death-cult leftists, spewing despicable lies attacking Carly Fiorina for her comments --- her 100 percent accurate comments --- criticizing the Democrats on abortion during Wednesday's debate.
Here's the clip of Fiorina's comments, "Fiorina: Shame on us if we don't force Obama to veto Planned Parenthood."
Okay, now, you can see a 19-week-old baby placed in a metal surgical bowl after a botched abortion, kicking his legs, clearly still alive, kept there while technicians prepare to cut his face off to extract his brain. Watch, at 5:56 minutes, "Human Capital - Episode 3: Planned Parenthood's Custom Abortions for Superior Product." (Also at the Fresno Bee, "Anti-abortion video claims wrongdoing at Fresno, Stockton clinics.")
That's the left for you, the lying diabolical left.
At the Federalist, "Who’s Really Lying About the Planned Parenthood Videos? Carly Fiorina or the Factcheckers?"
And some of the links to the left's hateful, diabolical liars:
And she writes:
Here's the clip of Fiorina's comments, "Fiorina: Shame on us if we don't force Obama to veto Planned Parenthood."
Okay, now, you can see a 19-week-old baby placed in a metal surgical bowl after a botched abortion, kicking his legs, clearly still alive, kept there while technicians prepare to cut his face off to extract his brain. Watch, at 5:56 minutes, "Human Capital - Episode 3: Planned Parenthood's Custom Abortions for Superior Product." (Also at the Fresno Bee, "Anti-abortion video claims wrongdoing at Fresno, Stockton clinics.")
That's the left for you, the lying diabolical left.
At the Federalist, "Who’s Really Lying About the Planned Parenthood Videos? Carly Fiorina or the Factcheckers?"
And some of the links to the left's hateful, diabolical liars:
* At RH Reality Check, "Debunking Five Absurd Comments About Planned Parenthood From the GOP Debate."Now, see Mollie Hemingway, "The aborted baby the media claim does not exist."
* From the disgusting feminist slut Amanda Marcotte, "What Was Up With Carly Fiorina’s Grisly Abortion Rant?"
* From Caitlin MacNeal, at Josh Marshall far-left stink hole TPM, "Fiorina Stands by Her Bogus Debate Description of Planned Parenthood Vids."
* And from the congenitally stupid Sarah Kliff, at that other far-left stink hole, Ezra Klein's Vox, "Carly Fiorina is wrong about the Planned Parenthood tapes. I know because I watched them."
And she writes:
The media have consistently failed to cover the Planned Parenthood footage, and now they are covering up the truth. The reality is that babies of the same gestational age are having their organs harvested every day. These videos feature graphic footage of abortionists mangling babies to harvest organs to sell. They feature abortionists admitting that babies often survive those abortions. They show high-level Planned Parenthood officials encouraging this organ-harvesting scheme, acknowledged that it is happening, and attempting to skirt scrutiny from it.Lots more at Memeorandum.
The videos Carly Fiorina referenced do indeed exist, and they reveal the barbaric realities of the abortion industry.
Carly Fiorina Jumps Out to First-Place, Tied with Donald Trump, in Post-GOP Debate Poll
This is not unexpected, at all.
From Nice Deb, at Pajamas, "Post-Debate Poll: Fiorina Surges to First Place, Tied With Trump":
PREVIOUSLY: "Carly Fiorina Should Expect Greater Scrutiny After Powerful Debate Performance (VIDEO)."
From Nice Deb, at Pajamas, "Post-Debate Poll: Fiorina Surges to First Place, Tied With Trump":
A post-debate poll conducted by Gravis Marketing for One America News Network (OAN) shows Carly Fiorina jumping to first place at 22%, tied with Donald Trump. In their previous poll, Fiorina ranked 7th with 2.7% of the vote.Keep reading, via Instapundit, who writes, "It’s a real (robo-)poll, not an online poll."
The poll, taken immediately after Wednesday night’s GOP debate at the Ronald Reagan Library, has Marco Rubio rising to third place with 15 percent...
PREVIOUSLY: "Carly Fiorina Should Expect Greater Scrutiny After Powerful Debate Performance (VIDEO)."
Carly Fiorina Should Expect Greater Scrutiny After Powerful Debate Performance (VIDEO)
At the Los Angeles Times, "Carly Fiorina's post-debate moment is just a start: She needs support but faces more scrutiny":
Carly Fiorina fought and scraped her way to the top of the male-dominated business world, becoming chief executive of one of the tech industry's iconic companies.Keep reading.
She fought and scraped her way from an afterthought in the crowded Republican presidential field to the hands-down winner of Wednesday night's Reagan Presidential Library debate.
The question, now that Fiorina is having her moment: Does her underfunded campaign have the capacity to reap the benefits of her newfound momentum?
“We'll see if she capitalizes ... meaning raising some money so she can go out and begin making her case in the early states and beyond,” said Scott Reed, a veteran GOP strategist who is neutral in the Republican race. “The calendar has not changed. This is still a marathon and only candidates with the financial means are going to be able to go the distance.”
The first nominating votes in the contest are set for just over four months from now in Iowa, followed by New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. Then comes a sprawling succession of primaries and caucuses.
Larry Gerston, a longtime Fiorina watcher and emeritus professor of political science at San Jose State, said after her widely acclaimed debate performance that the hard part is just beginning.
“This will be her moment. Not [Wednesday] night, really, but the next two-three weeks, assuming the next few polls show she's moved up,” he said.
Fiorina had won positive reviews after the first debate in August and has been well-received in the early-voting states. But that has not translated into strong fundraising, key endorsements or the organizational strength needed to seriously compete for the nomination.
Republican donors, notably in California, have been intrigued by Fiorina's rise from an asterisk in the polls to the top tier of candidates, but many have held off on opening their checkbooks. Her debate performance could convince them to donate.
Fiorina's campaign declined to provide details about fundraising, but the candidate headlined a fundraiser Thursday night in Los Angeles hosted by notable GOP donors, including former Univision chief Jerry Perenchio.
“Mr. Perenchio is very proud of her; he thinks she won the debate and he will continue to support her,” said Cassandra Vandenberg, a political advisor to Perenchio, who has donated more than $1 million to the super PAC backing Fiorina.
The super PAC, Carly for America, said Thursday that it had already seen an uptick in donations since the debate.
“We have definitely seen an increase in fundraising, an increase in Web traffic and an all-around surge of support,” said spokeswoman Katie Hughes, though she declined to provide details.
For all the raves, there is the risk of getting too carried away...
Donald Trump Responds to Man Saying Obama is Muslim During New Hampshire Event (VIDEO)
Watch, at AP, "Trump: No Correcting Man Saying Obama is Muslim."
And at CNN, via Memeorandum, "Trump declines to correct questioner who says Obama is a Muslim."
And at CNN, via Memeorandum, "Trump declines to correct questioner who says Obama is a Muslim."
Maxboost iPhone 6 Screen Protector
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Plus, Ann Coulter's in the news, so here's a link to her new book, Adios, America: The Left's Plan to Turn Our Country Into a Third World Hellhole.
Plus, Ann Coulter's in the news, so here's a link to her new book, Adios, America: The Left's Plan to Turn Our Country Into a Third World Hellhole.
Thursday, September 17, 2015
While the Getting's Hot: Carly Fiorina, Rising to the Challenge: My Leadership Journey
She made mention of the themes in her book at last night's debate, but if you haven't read it you wouldn't pick up on them.
So, since she'll no doubt be dominating the news today, here's another plug for her book, at Amazon, Rising to the Challenge: My Leadership Journey.
IMAGE CREDIT: O.C. Register.
More blogging tonight.
So, since she'll no doubt be dominating the news today, here's another plug for her book, at Amazon, Rising to the Challenge: My Leadership Journey.
IMAGE CREDIT: O.C. Register.
More blogging tonight.
Will Donald Trump's Poll Ratings Collapse After Second #GOPDebate?
Personally, I think Carly Fiorina won the debate, and I'm not the only one. See Mark Hemingway, at the Weekly Standard, "Carly Fiorina, The Anti-Hillary."
And while Fiorina's going to get some kind of bump in the polls, the $64 million question is whether Donald Trump's going to take a dive. Some folks thought he gave a fine performance, at WaPo, for example, "Fiorina emerges in GOP debate, but Trump still dominates conversation."
In any case, let's see if the polling trends I mentioned yesterday hold firm. See, "No 2012 Frontrunner Polling Collapse Problem for Donald Trump."
Fiorina's been in single digits so long I'm skeptical that her moment on the big stage, no matter how impressive it was, will launch her up into Trump's territory. If anything, Ben Carson will fade a little bit, with Fiorina picking up some of his supporters. But well see. We'll see.
BONUS: Still more at the New York Times, "Candidates Use Second GOP Debate to Taunt Donald Trump."
And while Fiorina's going to get some kind of bump in the polls, the $64 million question is whether Donald Trump's going to take a dive. Some folks thought he gave a fine performance, at WaPo, for example, "Fiorina emerges in GOP debate, but Trump still dominates conversation."
In any case, let's see if the polling trends I mentioned yesterday hold firm. See, "No 2012 Frontrunner Polling Collapse Problem for Donald Trump."
Fiorina's been in single digits so long I'm skeptical that her moment on the big stage, no matter how impressive it was, will launch her up into Trump's territory. If anything, Ben Carson will fade a little bit, with Fiorina picking up some of his supporters. But well see. We'll see.
BONUS: Still more at the New York Times, "Candidates Use Second GOP Debate to Taunt Donald Trump."
Here's Ryan Anderson's New Book on Homosexual Marriage
They got into the debate on homosexual marriage and religious freedom at last night's debate, as well as the ideological fidelity of Chief Justice John Roberts. (On Twitter, some folks pointed out that Ted Cruz was hypocritical.)
In any case, here's Ryan Anderson's book, at Amazon, Truth Overruled: The Future of Marriage and Religious Freedom.
I really disagreed with Mike Huckabee. Folks need to flesh out the distinctions between Kim Davis' obligations as a public servant and elected official vis-Ã -vis her rights and responsibilities under the First Amendment. It's a complicated question, because while she has rights to freedom of religion, as a public official she could be violating citizens' protections against state sponsorship of religion.
In any case, here's Ryan Anderson's book, at Amazon, Truth Overruled: The Future of Marriage and Religious Freedom.
I really disagreed with Mike Huckabee. Folks need to flesh out the distinctions between Kim Davis' obligations as a public servant and elected official vis-Ã -vis her rights and responsibilities under the First Amendment. It's a complicated question, because while she has rights to freedom of religion, as a public official she could be violating citizens' protections against state sponsorship of religion.
'Peg, it will come back to you...'
From yesterday morning's school drop-off time, at the Sound L.A.
Too Much Time On My Hands
Styx
8:46 AM
London Calling
The Clash
8:35 AM
Peg
Steely Dan & Tom Scott
8:16 AM
Immigrant Song
Led Zeppelin
8:01 AM
Jeremy Corbyn During Prime MInister's Question Time (VIDEO)
Britain's Telegraph UK requires a subscription after you've reached your monthly limit, so just scroll down the topic page for the "Labour Party" for stories on yesterday's question time in Parliament. Apparently, new Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn used questions from the public while confronting Prime Minister David Cameron.
And see, "Jeremy Corbyn's day: From national anthem 'disloyalty' to 'brilliant' PMQs battle with David Cameron."
Also at Toronto's National Post, "New U.K. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn refuses to sing national anthem, accused of disloyalty." And from Anne Perkins, at the Guardian UK, "The national anthem may stick in Corbyn’s craw, but it is his job to sing it."
More, at the Independent UK, "Jeremy Corbyn will have to kneel before the Queen and kiss her hand - despite wanting to abolish the monarchy."
And see, "Jeremy Corbyn's day: From national anthem 'disloyalty' to 'brilliant' PMQs battle with David Cameron."
Also at Toronto's National Post, "New U.K. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn refuses to sing national anthem, accused of disloyalty." And from Anne Perkins, at the Guardian UK, "The national anthem may stick in Corbyn’s craw, but it is his job to sing it."
More, at the Independent UK, "Jeremy Corbyn will have to kneel before the Queen and kiss her hand - despite wanting to abolish the monarchy."
Donald Trump on Carly Fiorina: 'I think she's got a beautiful face and she's a beautiful woman...' #CNNDebate
Ms. Fiorina looked spectacular last night, even regal.
She didn't go as hard at Trump as some media reports indicated she would, but she did get in a zinger.
Here's the video of the exchange. Trump praises her beauty, which I think was the right thing to do, even a bit classy, considering that Trump's not known for being classy. Watch, "Trump on Carly Fiorina: 'She's got a beautiful face ..."
She didn't go as hard at Trump as some media reports indicated she would, but she did get in a zinger.
Here's the video of the exchange. Trump praises her beauty, which I think was the right thing to do, even a bit classy, considering that Trump's not known for being classy. Watch, "Trump on Carly Fiorina: 'She's got a beautiful face ..."
3-Year-Old Xander Poore Donates $20.00 to Charity Fund for Fire Relief Effort (VIDEO)
It's was his birthday money.
At KCRA News 3 Sacramento, "3-year-old donates $20 to fire fund, melts everyone's heart."
At KCRA News 3 Sacramento, "3-year-old donates $20 to fire fund, melts everyone's heart."
Nina Agdal's New York Apartment
She a crazy hot-mess babe.
At Sports Illustrated, from 2013, "SI Swimsuit model Nina Agdal's New York apartment."
PREVIOUSLY: "Nina Agdal on Instagram!"
At Sports Illustrated, from 2013, "SI Swimsuit model Nina Agdal's New York apartment."
PREVIOUSLY: "Nina Agdal on Instagram!"
Substance Made a Comeback in Second #GOPDebate
Following-up from earlier, "Donald Trump Goes Quiet When #GOPDebate Turns to Substantive Issues."
At WSJ, "Candidates fielded questions ranging from immigration and national security to the economy":
At WSJ, "Candidates fielded questions ranging from immigration and national security to the economy":
Very substantive #GOPDebate. #CNNDebate.
— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) September 17, 2015
Attitude met substance on a California debate stage Wednesday night. And if substance didn’t win, it at least made a comeback.Still more.
For two months, the Republican presidential race has been dominated by Donald Trump, whose approach has been to boast about his leadership style—“I’m a winner, I’ll negotiate great deals”—while skirting past detailed policy discussions.
The remainder of the field was left fuming, talking about Mr. Trump and seeing media coverage flow his way. What they weren’t doing was talking about their agendas.
That changed in the debate at the Reagan presidential library in California. While many of the questions posed by the CNN moderators began with a recitation of comments Mr. Trump has made, which left him still at the center of the conversation, his competitors managed to launch a conversation that, for the first time in weeks, got beyond the Trump orbit.
Sen. Marco Rubio got limited face time but made the most of it, explaining, for example, why he wouldn’t support President Barack Obama when he proposed limited airstrikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s troops: “If the United States military is going to be engaged by a commander-in-chief, it should only be engaged in an endeavor to win. And we’re not going to authorize use of force if you’re not put in a position where they can win.”
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush got his first chance on a debate stage to explain his immigration plan in detail and talk about judicial appointments. Ohio Gov. John Kasich got to explain his record in Ohio, as well as his determination to run an upbeat campaign that will give people “a sense of unity” in which he won’t attack others. Retired surgeon Ben Carson got to explain his health plan. Sen. Ted Cruz got multiple chances to strike a tough tone on Iran.
Indeed, the other candidates seemed to relish the chance to not talk about Mr. Trump. And, after having endured his criticisms of their records, energy, styles and even appearances, to begin striking back. Mr. Bush asked Mr. Trump to apologize to his Mexican-born wife for saying she influenced his thinking on immigration. (Mr. Trump declined.)
Jackie Johnson's Forecast for Thursday
From last night, at CBS News 2 Los Angeles.
It's going to be a nice day.
It's going to be a nice day.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Donald Trump Goes Quiet When #GOPDebate Turns to Substantive Issues
Funny thing is, this is exactly what my wife was saying during the debate.
At the O.C. Register, "Trump turns quieter once GOP debate turns substantive":
At the O.C. Register, "Trump turns quieter once GOP debate turns substantive":
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. – Amid the back-and-forth bickering over Donald Trump, the Republican presidential contest took a substantive and serious turn in Wednesday’s prime-time debate, with candidates wrangling over immigration, gay marriage and foreign affairs.More.
The policy shift quieted Trump, the brash billionaire who has roiled the GOP field, for long stretches during the debate that stretched past three hours and it appeared to come as a relief to other candidates who have struggled to break through.
Carly Fiorina, the only woman in the GOP field, was one of the main benefactors, launching an emotional plea for defunding Planned Parenthood, touting her experience in business and taking aim at Trump for derogatory comments he made about her appearance. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who came into the debate facing questions about whether he had the grit to take on Trump, also engaged directly with the real estate mogul while still trying to fulfill his promise to run a joyful campaign.
In one exchange that typified the broader battle within the Republican Party, Bush and Trump clashed over the influence of big-money donors who have helped the former governor raise more than $100 million. Trump, who is largely financing his own campaign, said of campaign contributors: “I understand the game, I’ve been on the other side my entire life and they have a lot of control over our politicians.”
At another point, Bush pressed Trump to apologize for comments he has made about Bush’s Mexican-born wife. Trump refused and called Bush “weak on immigration.”
As the contest lasted deep into the night, the candidates were polled on such matters as their choices for a woman to be depicted on the $10 bill and what their Secret Service code names would be if elected president. Bush drew the biggest applause when he picked “Eveready,” then turned to Trump to note it was a “high-energy” name — a nod to Trump’s criticism of Bush as a low-energy candidate. They smiled and slapped hands at that.
Trump’s unexpected rise and surprising durability is seen as a reflection of voters’ frustration with Washington and career politicians. As the son and brother of presidents, Bush more than any other candidate is seen as a representative of the status quo...
Evelyn Taft's Got Your Wonderful Wednesday Forecast
Here's some lovely Evelyn Taft eye-candy to hold you over while I watch the GOP debate.
I'll have all your hot take updates a little later.
I'll have all your hot take updates a little later.
Exclusive Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Intimates Video from Kate Upton's Rookie Shoot in the Philippines
Some afternoon Kate Upton Rule 5.
Watch, at Sports Illustrated, "Exclusive: Kate Upton's HOT Shower (VIDEO)."
Watch, at Sports Illustrated, "Exclusive: Kate Upton's HOT Shower (VIDEO)."
CNN Moves Prime-Time GOP Debate to 8 p.m.
Well, the "undercard" is lame. They should get rid of it.
At Politico, "The shift shortens the window between the main event and undercard debate:
Let's just get on with the main event. I guess Carly Fiorina's gonna rip Donald Trump a new one!
At Politico, "The shift shortens the window between the main event and undercard debate:
CNN has moved its primetime Sept. 16 Republican debate from 9 p.m. EDT to 8 p.m., eliminating the long gap between its main event and the earlier forum for second-tier candidates, the network told campaigns in a conference call Tuesday afternoon.Ho hum.
A CNN spokesperson confirmed the time change.
The earlier debate with candidates who polled at least 1 percent in three national polls will start at 6 p.m. EDT, ending at 7:45 p.m.
According to sources who were on the call, candidates will not give opening and closing statements though they will have a 15- to 20-second window to introduce themselves. Candidates will also have one minute to respond to questions and 30-second rebuttals, if their name is invoked by another candidate.
CNN anchor Jake Tapper, as moderator, will ask the majority of questions, supplemented by questions from CNN Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash and conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt...
Let's just get on with the main event. I guess Carly Fiorina's gonna rip Donald Trump a new one!
Poll: Sixty-Eight Percent of California Democrats Want Free Healthcare for Illegal Alien Criminals!
Well, here's some fodder for tonight's debate, from the home state electorate.
Migrant crisis? What migrant crisis? Democrats will take in everybody and give them luxury Cadillac health benefits on the public's dime. Must be nice to live in the left's Utopian never-never land, heh.
At the Los Angeles Times, "California voters sharply disagree on low-cost healthcare for immigrants":
Free healthcare for the entire world! Come on people now, just flood our freakin' borders!
More.
Migrant crisis? What migrant crisis? Democrats will take in everybody and give them luxury Cadillac health benefits on the public's dime. Must be nice to live in the left's Utopian never-never land, heh.
At the Los Angeles Times, "California voters sharply disagree on low-cost healthcare for immigrants":
California has adopted a series of laws in recent years to help people in the country illegally, and polls show broad support for a pathway to citizenship for the estimated 2 million such immigrants living in the state.Hey Dems, it's the land of milk and honey!
But it's a different story when it comes to providing them healthcare benefits.
California voters are sharply divided over whether free or low-cost health insurance should be granted to those who reside in the state without legal status, according to a new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll.
The poll found that about 48% of voters believed that immigrants who live here illegally should be eligible to receive free or low-cost health insurance through Medi-Cal or a similar program. A statistically equal 47% said the group should not be eligible, while about 6% said they didn't know or refused to answer the question.
Backing for the benefit is split along ethnic lines, with 69% of Latino voters but only 39% of white voters responding that the group should be eligible. And it had an ideological cast as well: 68% of Democrats supported eligibility, yet only 19% of Republicans agreed.
Opposition was most passionate among supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, 90% of whom opposed eligibility. Opposition among backers of other candidates ranked substantially lower.
Support has been growing for years among Californians for new immigration policies that would offer a path to citizenship for those in the country illegally. But Californians have remained somewhat conflicted, as the poll underscored, when it comes to offering costly services to those immigrants before they attain legal status.
Immigrant rights activists have pushed a proposal to provide state-funded healthcare for people who reside in California without legal status. They came close to succeeding this summer, but lawmakers scaled back the proposal after cost estimates ran into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Instead, legislators set aside $40 million in the most recent state budget to provide Medi-Cal coverage to children younger than 19 years old, regardless of legal status.
The responses might have been different if the question had focused on only children who are in the country illegally, said Drew Lieberman of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, a Democratic firm that conducted the poll with the Republican firm American Viewpoint...
Free healthcare for the entire world! Come on people now, just flood our freakin' borders!
More.
Republican Candidates Must Win Support of Disaffected Americans
At WSJ, "GOP Candidates Must Win Over Dissatisfied Voters":
SIMI VALLEY, Calif.—Whether or not Donald Trump remains the frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination, his supporters will be a potent political force that other candidates must confront.
The billionaire real-estate developer’s unexpected rise—and surprisingly durable popularity—is pointing to a surly mood among GOP voters that is not going away soon.
Mr. Trump’s detractors have spent weeks trying to devise the best line of attack to dethrone him. Now, some of his rivals are turning their attention to addressing the voters whose anger, frustration and mistrust of politicians seems to have elevated him to the top.
Jeb Bush recently described himself, as governor of Florida a decade ago, as a “disrupter” who upended the status quo in Tallahassee. Sen. Marco Rubio, reaching for ordinary-guy authenticity, is airing ads with “unedited” footage of him driving around Miami. Sen. Ted Cruz amplified his own anti-establishment message by inviting Mr. Trump to join him at a protest rally on the Capitol lawn.
“I don’t think there’s ever been a time when Washington has been more out of touch with the lives of everyday people than it is right now,” Mr. Rubio said in Iowa last weekend. “Both parties quite frankly are to blame. People want leaders who know what life is like in the real world.”
Wednesday night’s televised CNN debate will give GOP candidates another chance to attack Mr. Trump, empathize with his supporters, or both. Their calculations could carry big consequences down the road: If the party’s nominee moves too far to the right on issues such as immigration or bashes Washington with too much gusto, the GOP could lose general-election support from minorities and swing voters who are less hostile to government.
In the six weeks since the first GOP primary debate, there has been growing evidence of deep voter disaffection with Washington and the political establishment. In the shifting polls since then, candidates with the most experience have tended to lose ground while the least experienced candidates have surged.
According to polling averages compiled by Real Clear Politics, the candidates drawing more support are Messrs. Trump and Cruz, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and former Hewlett-Packard executive Carly Fiorina. Those who have lost ground include Messrs. Bush, Paul, and Rubio, as well as Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
“I like that Trump is throwing things out there,” said Gaige Gill, a social studies teacher in Mapleton, Iowa, as he waited to catch a glimpse of the real estate mogul at a tailgate party at Iowa State University last weekend. “I don’t know if that makes him a good president.”
The stiffest challenge to Mr. Trump’s dominance now is from Mr. Carson, another political amateur. In the latest New York Times/CBS poll, Republicans who favored those two candidates alone accounted for half of those surveyed...
No 2012 Frontrunner Polling Collapse Problem for Donald Trump
Well, this explains it.
At WSJ, "Donald Trump’s Enduring Lead Shows 2016 Not a 2012 Replay":
At WSJ, "Donald Trump’s Enduring Lead Shows 2016 Not a 2012 Replay":
Ever since Donald Trump gained altitude as a presidential candidate, experienced political hands have predicted that his balloon would soon pop.Still more. And click through for the graphics.
As evidence, they cite the 2012 primary. Republicans flirted with a rotating cast of candidates from outside the political mainstream before settling on Mitt Romney, a member of the party’s establishment wing.
But polling now says that a different story is unfolding this time around.
The Republican electorate seems much more unsettled than in 2012, suggesting a more difficult path for this cycle’s set of establishment candidates. Three polling measures show how different the 2016 cycle is from 2012.
To being with, Donald Trump has spent more days leading the Republican presidential field than did any of Romney’s challengers in 2012.
That’s one sign of how strong the hunger is among Republicans this year for a nontraditional candidate. Here’s another: Neither the first- nor the second-place spot in national polls is held by an establishment candidate.
he top two slots belong to Mr. Trump and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson. Jeb Bush is a fairly distant third in the Real Clear Politics average of polls.
In 2012, Mr. Romney faced repeated challenges from competitors, but throughout the campaign he was never lower than second in the RCP average. There was a distinct pattern to the 2012 numbers, with Mr. Romney in either first place or in second, with a new competitor rising or falling around him. That dynamic so far isn’t being repeated this year.
A third trend that marks 2016 as different from the last campaign: Establishment candidates have fallen to single-digit support in national polls...
InnoGear 100ml Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser Portable – Humidifier
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Open-Border Scumbags Call Out CNN, Demand Republicans 'Tone Down Rhetoric' on Illegal Immigration
Fortunately, I expect CNN's jonesing for some huge ratings, and will likely go all Lou Dobbs on these despicable "migrant advocates," a.k.a. far-left reconquista open-border thugs.
At LAT, "Advocates ask CNN to help tone down Republicans' rhetoric on immigration":
Still more.
At LAT, "Advocates ask CNN to help tone down Republicans' rhetoric on immigration":
A large coalition of immigrant rights groups is calling on the moderators of this week's Republican presidential debate to help tone down the heated rhetoric on illegal immigration that has dominated the GOP primary race.La Raza scumbag communists. Fuck 'em.
In an open letter to CNN, which is hosting the debate, 62 pro-immigrant organizations from around the country voice concern about "the increasing hatred and vitriol being directed towards both people of color and the immigrant community by certain presidential candidates."
"The upcoming presidential debate will be a test as to how much leeway can be given to the language of hate," the letter says, while calling on moderators "to help bring back a civil debate."
Republican front-runner Donald Trump soared in the polls this summer after making immigration a focus of his campaign. Trump has drawn attention to several immigrants in the country illegally accused of committing crimes and has vowed to build a border wall and end automatic citizenship for children born to immigrants without legal status. He has called Mexican immigrants criminals and rapists.
The letter cites a recent attack on a Latino man in Boston in which the suspect may have cited Trump as an inspiration. That and other recent episodes are evidence that "these harmful words will turn into violence against our communities," the letter says.
Signed by groups including the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, the National Immigration Law Center and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles, the letter also suggests a hashtag for those who will be tweeting the debate: #NoHateDebate.
When the crowded field of GOP candidates descends on Simi Valley for the debate Wednesday, they will be met with protesters from both sides of the immigration issue.
About four dozen organizations that support immigrants plan to rally outside the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, where the debate is being held, according to Jorge-Mario Cabrera of CHIRLA.
They will be competing with protesters who have likely been happy with the tone of this summer's debate.
The second rally, organized by tea party and anti-immigration groups, will be centered on the need to revoke birthright citizenship, according to organizer Ted Hilton. He said he and others had been working for years to end the practice, which most believe is a right protected by the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, with little results...
Still more.
Donald Trump Speaks at USS Iowa (VIDEO)
Full coverage at the Los Angeles Times, "Trump zeroes in on immigration in national security speech aboard battleship."
And watch, at Fox News 10 Phoenix, "Donald Trump speaks on the USS Iowa."
And watch, at Fox News 10 Phoenix, "Donald Trump speaks on the USS Iowa."
Hungary Arrests Migrants in Border Crackdown (VIDEO)
It's pretty interesting, at NYT, "Hungary Detains Migrants in Border Crackdown."
The crackdown is almost continent-wide at this point, because compassion!
Plus, video at Euronews, "'First arrests made' as Hungary cracks down on immigration."
The crackdown is almost continent-wide at this point, because compassion!
Plus, video at Euronews, "'First arrests made' as Hungary cracks down on immigration."
At Least 15 Killed in Southern Utah Flash Floods (VIDEO)
Most reports indicate that 12 people died, like the CBS Evening News video below.
But see the Los Angeles Times, "At least 15 killed, including nine children, in southern Utah flash floods":
And at USA Today, "Death toll rises to 12 in Utah flash flood; 1 still missing."
But see the Los Angeles Times, "At least 15 killed, including nine children, in southern Utah flash floods":
Before they turned deadly, the storms were a wonder.More.
Waterfalls spouted from the sides of the mountains. The rain came down so hard that some residents in the sister cities of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz. -- most famously known as the home of a fundamentalist Mormon sect -- had trouble seeing their backyards.
"It's crazy!" Lydia Wyler, 38, said as she shot video of the wind and rain thrashing the trees outside her Hildale house, laughing a little as her kids gaped in amazement.
The joy didn't last. At least 15 people -- including at least nine children -- were killed in flash floods that struck southern Utah on Monday.
In Zion National Park, at least three visitors were killed while exploring Keyhole Canyon when more than half an inch of rain fell in less than an hour, park spokeswoman Aly Baltrus said Tuesday.
“It would have flashed right after a rainstorm,” said Baltrus, who added that the group had a canyoneering permit for the area.
Four others who were exploring the canyon were missing Tuesday, and Baltrus said rescuers wouldn’t be able to go into the small canyon until conditions improved.
Tragedy also struck Hildale and Colorado City, the border cities together known as Short Creek.
Officials say that as two families were returning Tuesday from a visit to a nearby park, the group of three adults and 13 children stopped to watch the floodwaters that had blocked their path back to town. A wall of water suddenly came from behind and swept their vehicles away, killing at least 12 members of the group.
Three children survived, including one who was hospitalized overnight. One person is missing, and it's not clear whether the person is an adult or child. The youngest child in the group was 4 and the oldest a teenager.
"We're just greatly humbled by this, but we realize this is an act of God, and this is something we can’t control," said Hildale Mayor Philip Barlow. "We have to take what we receive and do the best we can."
But after describing the thousands of phone calls the community has received and the arrival of more search dogs to look for the missing, Barlow fell silent a few moments.
"Just never experienced this before," Barlow said softly...
And at USA Today, "Death toll rises to 12 in Utah flash flood; 1 still missing."
ICYMI: Morton Kondracke and Fred Barnes' Definitive Biography of Jack Kemp
So, I've finished The Devil's Pleasure Palace, which was excellent.
I've got a lot on my plate, with all these great books, but I'm going start tearing into Morton Kondracke and Fred Barnes' new book today.
Check it out, Jack Kemp: The Bleeding-Heart Conservative Who Changed America.
More blogging tonight!
I've got a lot on my plate, with all these great books, but I'm going start tearing into Morton Kondracke and Fred Barnes' new book today.
Check it out, Jack Kemp: The Bleeding-Heart Conservative Who Changed America.
More blogging tonight!
'We're So Sorry, Uncle Albert...'
I haven't been posting the drive-time music segments much, since Mark in the Morning premiered last year at the Sound L.A. It's a talk show. He doesn't play that much music. I'd much rather have Uncle Joe Benson on, but he's moved to the afternoons.
Oh well. Go with what you know, I guess.
From last Thursday's drive-time, "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey."
Oh well. Go with what you know, I guess.
From last Thursday's drive-time, "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey."
Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey
Paul McCartney & Linda McCartney
6:57 AM
The Boys of Summer
Don Henley
6:46 AM
Hey, Hey, What Can I Do
Led Zeppelin
6:32 AM
Dreams
Fleetwood Mac
6:13 AM
America's Reckless Refuge for Jihad
Yeah, here's a follow-up, and corrective, to Julia Ioffe's entry, "America Can — And Must — Do More to Help Europe's Migrants. Really?"
From Michelle Malkin:
Plus, buy Michelle's first bestseller, Invasion: How America Still Welcomes Terrorists Criminals & Other Foreign Menaces to Our Shores.
From Michelle Malkin:
On the anniversary week of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, President Obama is rolling out the welcome mat to tens of thousands of Syrian Muslim refugees. What could go wrong?Keep reading.
There’s no need to hypothesize. Our nation remains utterly incapable of screening out legitimate dreamers from destroyers, liberty-seekers from liberty-stiflers. Indiscriminate asylum and refugee policies rob the truly deserving of an opportunity for freedom — and threaten our national security.
It’s shameful that our leaders in Washington, sworn to uphold and defend our Constitution and our people, suffer chronic amnesia about the fatal consequences of open borders. I’ll keep reprinting my reminders. Maybe someday someone in a position of power will pay heed, throw political correctness out the window, and stop hitting the snooze button...
Plus, buy Michelle's first bestseller, Invasion: How America Still Welcomes Terrorists Criminals & Other Foreign Menaces to Our Shores.
Bernie Sanders Is Now the Democrat Party Frontrunner (VIDEO)
Well, Grandma Clinton's still ahead in national polling, but those first-in-the-nation caucuses and primaries are campaign killers. Remember, Hillary's getting clobbered in New Hampshire especially. Sanders could come off with so much momentum that he ends up mowing her down in South Carolina and beyond.
From Stephen Miller, at National Review, "Bernie Sanders Has an Inconvenient Message for the Democratic Party":
More here.
And yesterday's full Liberty University speech is here, "Bernie Sanders FULL SPEECH at Liberty University (C-SPAN)."
From Stephen Miller, at National Review, "Bernie Sanders Has an Inconvenient Message for the Democratic Party":
At Bernie campaign rallies, media almost always report crowd sizes like they’re reporting on a U2 concert, but the second he opens his mouth the tweets and the stenographing magically stop.Yeah, that's pretty interesting. Funny too, come to think of it.
There is little to no curiosity among our media elite about how a Democratic candidate for president is able to campaign on a shrinking middle class, record highs of unemployment, record lows of workforce participation, record wage stagnation, and record entitlement dependency, while a Democratic president simultaneously travels around the country touting his economic success on all counts. How is it allowed to go unnoticed that this candidate suggests that economic growth was better under Richard Nixon than under Barack Obama?
Last week, Obama administration officials took victory laps on social media and cable news over a new low in unemployment of 5.1 percent (a lower rate, they claim, than at any point during Reagan’s presidency). Meanwhile, Sanders, as a routine part of his campaign stump speech was lamenting that the real unemployment level is 10.3 percent, and that youth unemployment, including African-American youth unemployment, is hovering around 50 percent. How can both be true? It’s simply which rates the administration chooses to report, and more important, which rates the media choose to cover — or in Sanders’s case, not to cover.
It seems newsworthy that in the run-up to a pivotal election, a presidential candidate is not only actively campaigning against the record of a sitting president of the same party, but gathering auspiciously large crowds by doing so. Of course, if the media were to report on the fiery John Reed–inspired rhetoric Sanders is blasting out to his zombie hordes at sold-out arenas, the carefully crafted Hollywood script of Barack Obama’s successful presidency would come tumbling down.
More here.
And yesterday's full Liberty University speech is here, "Bernie Sanders FULL SPEECH at Liberty University (C-SPAN)."
Katy Perry Handprint Ceremony at TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood (VIDEO)
Big photos at PuffHo, "Katy Perry Leans In and Busts Out at Hollywood Handprint Ceremony."
And watch, at AFP, "Pop star Katy Perry has hands imprinted in Hollywood."
And watch, at AFP, "Pop star Katy Perry has hands imprinted in Hollywood."
Donald Trump in 1989: 'Bring Back the Death Penalty. Bring Back Our Police!'
Via Ann Coulter, who just loves her some Donald Trump.
And see Dana Pico, "#DonaldTrump and the White Working Class Voter."
And see Dana Pico, "#DonaldTrump and the White Working Class Voter."
Read this DJT full-page ad from 1989 and tell me @realDonaldTrump is a Johnny-Come-Lately "fake" conservative: pic.twitter.com/WF9ruXQkAS
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) September 14, 2015
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