Blue Cut Fire Update: I-15 Reopened in Cajon Pass (VIDEO)

Following-up from yesterday, "Blue Cut Fire Updates (VIDEO)."

At the Riverside Press-Enterprise, "Blue Cut fire burns into 3rd day, 15 Freeway fully reopening":

The southbound 15 Freeway through the Cajon Pass is in the process of re-opening, the California Highway Patrol reported shortly before 10 a.m. Thursday, after the massive Blue Cut fire forced it closed for the last two days.

The southbound lanes were closed Tuesday at Ranchero Road in Hesperia.

All off-ramps will remain closed, the CHP said in a tweet.

The northbound lanes of the 15 Freeway were reopened late Wednesday night.

For the third day, firefighters continued to battle back the flames of the enormous Blue Cut fire, which has ravaged nearly 30,000 acres of land and destroying about a dozen homes since Tuesday.

The latest numbers released Thursday morning have the fire at 31,689 acres and 4 percent containment, according to the San Bernardino National Forest Service. More than 1,500 firefighters are working to get the wildfire under control...

Also at the Los Angeles Times, "'Erratic' Blue Cut fire in the Cajon Pass more than 31,000 acres."

And at ABC News 7 Los Angeles, "SOME EVACUATIONS LIFTED AS FIREFIGHTERS MAKE PROGRESS ON 31,600-ACRE BLUE CUT FIRE."

John Prados, Storm Over Leyte

I'm overloaded with reading right now, and my fall semester's starting on the 29th, but this book looks excellent.

At Amazon, John Prados, Storm Over Leyte: The Philippine Invasion and the Destruction of the Japanese Navy.

I've Finished Robert J. Lieber's, Retreat and its Consequences

Following-up from previously, "A Defense Strategy for the New Administration."

Thornberry and Krepinevich reminded me that I've finished Robert Lieber's excellent new book, Retreat and its Consequences: American Foreign Policy and the Problem of World Order.

I particularly enjoyed Lieber's discussion of Europe, which is found in chapter 2, "Burden sharing with Europe: problems of capability and will." Lieber has a comparativist's grasp of the internal politics of the leading European nation-states, and his analysis of Germany's role, and Germany's realpolitik within the E.U., is both perceptive and troubling. Berlin advances a very hard-line against weaker E.U. members, like Greece, while at the same time pushing utopian schemes like Merkel's refugee policy, that end up forcing a second blow against the peripheral states, poorer regimes that must bear the extreme costs of the central E.U.'s "enlightened humanitarianism."

The chapters on Middle East politics and the BRICS are also excellent, especially the latter's discussion of BRIC free-riding off America's hegemonic leadership in power politics and international institutions. You'll find yourself infuriated at times as you plow through this chapter, especially because current U.S. leadership --- folks so committed to their own idealistic policies, like the Obama administration's climate change agenda --- is getting thrown under the bus of the world system's multilateral collective action problem.

It's a stunning eye-opener for those worried about the direction of U.S. foreign policy and America's continued primacy.

But like I said previously, "America will lead again, in both word and power. It's just a matter of the political dynamics." My hope, of course, is that the pendulum of preponderance swings back to favor American interests sooner rather than later.

In any case, Lieber's Retreat and its Consequences is a crackling good offering by a master of sweeping foreign policy analysis. The book would do well in either graduate or undergraduate courses in international politics or U.S. foreign policy. And frankly, it's just a good summer sparkler for the general reader as well.

A Defense Strategy for the New Administration

From Mac Thornberry and Andrew F. Krepinevich, Jr., at Foreign Affairs, "Preserving Primacy":

Should the United States fail to protect the global commons, no like-minded power will take its place. https://t.co/Kdh1RRWAIX

— Foreign Affairs (@ForeignAffairs) August 18, 2016

The next U.S. president will inherit a security environment in which the United States con­fronts mounting threats with increasingly constrained resources, diminished stature, and growing uncertainty both at home and abroad over its willingness to protect its friends and its interests. Revisionist powers in Europe, the western Pacific, and the Persian Gulf—three regions long considered by both Democratic and Republican administrations to be vital to U.S. national security—are seeking to overturn the rules-based international order. In Europe, Russian President Vladimir Putin has seized Crimea, waged proxy warfare in eastern Ukraine, and threatened NATO allies on Russia’s periphery. Further demonstrating its newfound assertiveness, Russia has dispatched forces to Syria and strength­ened its nuclear arsenal. After a failed attempt to “reset” relations with Moscow, U.S. President Barack Obama has issued stern warnings and imposed economic sanctions, but these have done little to deter Putin.

Nor has the administration’s “pivot” to Asia, now five years on, been matched by effective action. China continues to ramp up its military spending, investing heavily in weapons systems designed to threaten U.S. forces in the western Pacific. As a result, it is proving increas­ingly willing and able to advance its expansive territorial claims in the East China and South China Seas. Not content to resolve its disputes through diplomacy, Beijing has militarized them, building bases on natural and artificially created islands. The United States has failed to respond vigorously to these provocations, causing allies to question its willingness to meet its long-standing security commitments.

The lack of U.S. leadership is also fueling instability in the Middle East. In Iraq, the Obama administration forfeited hard-won gains by withdrawing all U.S. forces, creating a security vacuum that enabled the rise of both Iranian influence and the Islamic State, or ISIS. Adding to its strategic missteps, the administration fundamentally misread the character of the Arab Spring, failing to appreciate that the uprisings would provide opportunities for radical Islamist elements rather than lead to a new democratic order. The administration also failed to learn from the previous administration’s experience in Iraq when it chose to “lead from behind” in Libya, intervening to over­throw Muammar al-Qaddafi, only to declare victory and abandon the country to internal disorder. It then drew a “redline” over President Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons in Syria but failed to act to enforce it. The result is growing instability in the Middle East and a decline in U.S. influence.

The threat of Islamist terrorism has grown on the Obama administration’s watch. Al Qaeda and ISIS, both Sunni groups, have gained new footholds in Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, and even West Africa. Obama’s negotiations with Iran, the home of radical Shiite Islamism, have not curbed the country’s involvement in proxy wars in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen or its support for Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Palestinian territories. What the talks did produce—the nuclear deal—may slow Tehran’s march to ob­taining a nuclear weapon, but it also gives the regime access to tens of billions of dollars in formerly frozen assets. The ink on the agreement was barely dry when, in March, Tehran tested ballistic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear warhead, in blatant defiance of a UN Security Council resolution. Adding to all this instability, military competition has expanded into the relatively new domains of outer space and cyberspace—and will eventually extend to undersea economic infrastructure, as well.

With the current approach failing, the next president will need to formulate a new defense strategy. It should include three basic elements: a clear statement of what the United States seeks to achieve, an understanding of the resources available for those goals, and guidance as to how those resources will be used. The strategy laid out here, if properly implemented, will allow the United States to preclude the rise of a hegemonic power along the Eurasian periphery and preserve access to the global commons—without bankrupting the country in the process...

Sounds great.

Frankly, I'm not worried about the U.S. maintaining its material preponderance, even with China supposedly "catching up."

It's that we need robust, non-politically correct leadership. Global preponderance is a state of mind as well as an objective reality. I'd argue that President Barack Hussein wanted to chop the U.S. down to size, to attack U.S. global hegemony at home, for ideological reasons. He's still doing with his appeasement and apology tours.

America will lead again, in both word and power. It's just a matter of the political dynamics. A Hillary Clinton administration's just going to be four more years of Obama's failed policies. But the pendulum is going to swing back to American exceptionalism at some point. Of that I remain optimistic.

But keep reading, in any case.

Dafne Schippers, the Great White Hope

This woman is seriously bad-ass.

She beats all the black-African runners, which is mind-boggling to me.

Well, she almost beat Elaine Thompson last night, but she stumbled out of the blocks, then stumbled and rolled over the finish line after pushing enormous exertion to finish just a 10th of a second behind the winning time, taking the silver in the 200 meters. It was astonishing.

Either she's amped up on 'roids or the black chicks now have slower times because effective PED regulations and enforcement.

Either way, Schippers is the new Great White Hope of humanity.

At the Netherlands Times, "DUTCH SPRINTER DAFNE SCHIPPERS DISPLEASED WITH 200-METER SILVER MEDAL":

Dafne Schippers
Netherlands 🇳🇱
Sprinter
Twitter: @dafneschippers
Insta: dafne_schippers#Rio2016 #OnesToWatch pic.twitter.com/aTGCp8lLnP

— Telly Lad (@TellyLad) August 5, 2016

The Dutch athlete is disappointed in second place. “I hate this very much. I came here to get gold, and I didn’t do that”, she said to broadcaster NOS after the race. “I can’t enjoy this. Horrible.”

Thompson finished with a time of 21.78 seconds, Schippers finished at 21.88 seconds. Third place went to American Tori Bowie.

Also, from last week, at USA Today, "New kid in blocks: Dutch sprinter Dafne Schippers eyes gold."

The 'Bitch' Presidency

Radical feminists are worked up in a lather over the coming wave of "misogynist" attacks on Hillary Clinton as she (if she) assumes the presidency.

The argument's basically suggesting all the racist Islamophobic truther attacks on Obama squared.

See Michelle Cottle, at the Atlantic, for some epic lulz:

I'm thinking a Trump-Ailes union bodes ill for the ladies in general. Unless you happen to like dirty old men https://t.co/XlfLiOfcOO

— Michelle Cottle (@mcottle) August 17, 2016

Thanks to the Reader Who Bought Roger Scruton's, Fools, Frauds and Firebrands

It's a great book.

Scruton's a treasure.

Thanks so much to the reader who picked up a copy, and thanks to all of my readers for shopping through my Amazon links. It's much appreciated.

See, Fools, Frauds and Firebrands: Thinkers of the New Left.

Kellyanne Conway on CBS 'This Morning' (VIDEO)

Following-up from yesterday, "Kellyanne Conway Takes Over as Donald Trump's New Campaign Manager (VIDEO)."

At CBS:

Sarah Kendzior: Donald Trump is America's Greatest Threat

Ms. Sarah's a great writer, but I think for all her jaded commentary and warnings of American fascism, she sometimes goes over the top.

At Toronto's Globe and Mail, "Trump is right: The greatest U.S. threat is indeed from within. (It's him)."

Carissa Rosario Working Out (VIDEO)

Remember this lady?

Here, "Smokin' Hot Carissa Rosario Goes Topless Sunbathing in New York, Gawkers Run to the Rooftops!"

Well, she's at Playboy, "WATCH: Carissa Rosario with a Subtle Reminder to Renew Your Gym Membership (VIDEO)."

Charlotte McKinney Flaunts Hot Bikini Body in Santa Monica (PHOTOS)

Well shoot, I wish I was at the beach for that display of loveliness. Dang!

At Egotastic!, "Charlotte McKinney Barely Covered Bikini in Santa Monica."

And London's Daily Mail, "Baywatch star Charlotte McKinney makes a splash in tiny bikini as she patrols the beach."

The people's favorite bikini @Char_mck pic.twitter.com/UsQ70kDlmJ

— Charlotte McKinney (@charlottemckfan) August 18, 2016

Kelly Gale Playboy September Cover Model (PHOTOS)

At Sydney's Daily Telegraph, "Swedish-Australian model Kelly Gale stays covered up for Playboy."

Also at London's Daily Mail, "Sizzling! Victoria's Secret model Kelly Gale, 21, BARELY contains her ample assets as she poses in a sexy shoot on another clothed cover of Playboy."

And at the source, "Meet our cover girl Miss September 2016, Kelly Gale."

U.S. Swimmer Caught on Video Fighting Security Guard on Night of Alleged Robbery (VIDEO)

Hot Air has it, "Brazil: U.S. swimmers faked robbery to cover up assault — and we have video to prove it."

And at ABC News, via Memeorandum, "U.S. Swimmer Fought With Security Guard on Night of Alleged Robbery: Police Source."

Autostraddle Apologizes for Favorable Review of Seth Rogan's 'Sausage Party'

Here's an update from the outrage culture.

I don't read Autostraddle. Indeed, I'm only vaguely aware of Autostraddle. But the site published a positive review of "Sausage Party," a film I'm also only vaguely aware of. The editors pulled the piece, but the cached version is here, "Salma Hayek Is a Surprisingly Endearing Lesbian Taco in “Sausage Party”." (Available here as well.)

Well, did she play a lesbian taco in the movie? If so, then what's the problem with calling her a lesbian taco?

Here's the groveling apology from Heather Hogan, the editor who approved the abominably inappropriate piece in the first place, "We Messed Up" (via Memeorandum). Oh, how debased can you get?

I want to personally apologize to every reader who was hurt by the Sausage Party review. I failed you as a senior editor of this website and I failed you as an ally. I am wholly sorry for the pain and anger I caused you. I offer you no justification. I was blinded by my own whiteness existing inside a system of white supremacy. I must do better. I will do better. I also want to take full responsibility for not working more closely with the freelancer. This was not her fault. This was an editorial failure. I should have asked more critical questions about the film, especially since no one I know had seen it...

"Blinded by my own whiteness."

Oh brother.

I'm not white. But one of the things I've learned as a black conservative is that you can just destroy white PC leftists by accusing them of racist white privilege. They really do crumble, and if you have an actionable case under civil rights laws, that's all the more powerful. Keep that in mind when you're fighting the culture wars. You can just go all Alinsky on these people, turn the tables, use their own ammunition against them, and make 'em shut the fuck up.

In any case, I saw this story earlier today, at Heat Street, "Website Issues Apology After ‘Triggering’ Readers With Positive ‘Sausage Party’ Review."

Katy Perry Cigar Heels

Heh.

She's a crazy lady.

At London's Daily Mail, "Katy Perry steps out in cheeky cigar heels as she announces new shoe collection."

In Syria Strikes, Russia Deploys Bombers from Iran (VIDEO)

This is major.

Seen earlier at Hot Air, "Great Game Over: Russia launching attacks from Iran to defend Assad regime."

And see the New York Times, "Russia Sends Bombers to Syria Using Base in Iran":

MOSCOW — Russia launched a fleet of bombers bound for Syria on Tuesday from an Iranian air base, becoming the first foreign military to operate from Iran’s soil since at least World War II.

Russian use of the base, with Iran’s obvious support, appeared to set back or at least further complicate Russia’s troubled relations with the United States, which has been working with Russia over how to end the Syria conflict.

While American officials said they were not surprised by the Russia-Iran military collaboration, it appeared to catch them off guard, with no solid information on the Kremlin’s intentions. “I think we’re still trying to assess exactly what they’re doing,” a State Department deputy spokesman, Mark Toner, told reporters in Washington.

The arrangement, permanent or not, enables Russia to bring more firepower to the Syrian conflict, and far greater military flexibility. Analysts said the new arrangement could also expand Moscow’s political influence in the Middle East and speed the growing convergence of interests between Moscow and Tehran.

Continue reading the main story

From the air base, in Hamadan, northwest Iran, the Russian bombers destroyed ammunition dumps and a variety of targets linked to the Islamic State and other groups that had been used to support militants battling in Aleppo, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Historians and American officials said Tuesday that the Iranian decision to let Russia base its planes and support operations in Iran — even temporarily — was a historic one.

“This didn’t even happen under the shah,” said John Limbert, a former American foreign service officer who was stationed in Iran, referring to the reign of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi...

More.

You have to remember the convoluted politics of the conflict. First the U.S. wanted Assad "to go." But when Islamic State gained a stronghold, the Obama administration put Assad's ouster on the back burner, to focus on the jihad threat. But Russia and Iran both work to prop up the Syrian regime, so the Russian strikes on Islamic State aren't really designed as helping U.S. interests in some kind of U.S. entente with Moscow. Russia's helping Iran prop up Assad.

And it's Putin who's driving the current dynamics of international politics. Weird, actually.

'No matter what happens in November, all of my ideological alignments are predicated on defeating Democrats and leftists...'

My response to commenter "Gone With the Wind," here.

Nina Agdal Summer of Swim Coney Island (VIDEO)

She's so lovely.

At Sports Illustrated:

Jeff Bridges on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'

I'm on a Jeff Bridges jag, lol.

Watch, "Jeff Bridges Watches 'The Big Lebowski'."

My mini-review of "Hell or High Water" is here, "'Hell or High Water' is Great."

Linh and Marty Talk to Jeff Bridges (VIDEO)

It's Marty Bass and Linh Bui, of CBS News 13 Baltimore.

Watch, "Coffee With: Marty and Linh talk with Jeff Bridges about his new movie, 'Hell or High Water'."

I loved the movie.

My mini-review is here, with additional links, "'Hell or High Water' is Great."

Poughkeepsie's Arlington Fire District Roils Controversy Over American Flag Removal

So, the American flags were causing "liability concerns"?

What the fuck's "liability concerns"?

At the Poughkeepsie Journal, "Fire chairman seeks 'compromise' after American flag controversy":

Will flags return to Arlington Fire District trucks after their removal attracted national attention and criticism? A compromise may be in the works.

The chairman of the Arlington Board of Fire Commissioners said he's reached out to Chief Tory Gallante to discuss the possibility of a compromise about the use of American flags on fire trucks.

American flags were removed from three Arlington Fire District trucks Tuesday, sparking heated discussion on social media and disappointment from union members.

Gallante was directed by the board to remove the flags from the backs of the trucks during Monday's meeting. He declined to comment on specifics of why the decision was made but said he is “very disappointed with their direction.”

Arlington Fire Commissioner Chairman Jim Beretta said the board majority feel the flags are a "liability during normal operations for our people and other motorists," and that the board had not been consulted before the flags were mounted.

On Wednesday, Beretta told the Poughkeepsie Journal that he has reached out to Gallante and offered to sit down for a discussion with him "and whomever he wants to pull together ... to have an initial conversation on how we might come to a compromise, some solution."

Gallante said he, union members and board members are planning to meet on Thursday to "start discussing  flag matter."

"I hope eventually this will get resolved," Gallante said...

Plus, "Fire board should allow flags to fly."

I always love seeing the flags flying on fire trucks. I don't think it was "liability concerns" but "political correctness concerns" that guided the stupid decision to remove them.

Thank goodness for the backlash.

Via Memeorandum.

Blue Cut Fire Updates (VIDEO)

Following-up from last night, "Blue Cut Fire Closes I-15 Freeway at El Cajon Pass (VIDEO)."

At the Riverside Press-Enterprise, "What we know right now about the Blue Cut fire burning in the Cajon Pass":

The 15 Freeway, the main artery in and out of the High Desert, remains closed Wednesday morning as firefighters battled the out-of-control Blue Cut fire in the Cajon Pass overnight.

The massive wind-driven wildfire devoured 30,000 acres and multiple homes and buildings by Wednesday morning, forcing more than 80,000 people to evacuate their homes. No portion of the perimeter has containment lines...

More.

Also, live updates at the Los Angeles Times, "Live updates: Devastating Blue Cut fire in Cajon Pass consumes homes at rapid rate, burning out of control."

And ABC News 7 Los Angeles, "BLUE CUT FIRE CHARS 30,000 ACRES, MOVING CLOSER TO WRIGHTWOOD."

John McLaughlin Dies: Former Catholic Priest Hosted 'The McLaughlin Group' for 34 Years

He missed his first show in 34 years just last week.

I never really watched his show. I was still a Democrat when "The McLaughlin Group" was super prominent. By the 2000s, I rarely ever heard of the show, which had been overshadowed by cable news programming.

In any case, he was a fascinating guy.

At the New York Times:

John McLaughlin has died at 89. He helped reinvent political talk shows with his "McLaughlin Group." https://t.co/bp4QEsqvhs

— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 17, 2016

When Fr. John McLaughlin ran against the Vietnam war and won the GOP nomination for US Senate in Rhode Island pic.twitter.com/3lCGyTX5vV

— Steve Kornacki (@SteveKornacki) August 17, 2016

Kellyanne Conway Takes Over as Donald Trump's New Campaign Manager (VIDEO)

Well, Paul Manafort got the boot, no doubt because his close ties to Russia became a catastrophic liability for the campaign.

At USA Today, "Meet the new heads of the Trump campaign."

Also, at WaPo, via Memeorandum, "Trump shakes up campaign, demotes top adviser."

Out Next Tuesday: Ann Coulter, In Trump We Trust

ICYMI, at Amazon, Ann Coulter, In Trump We Trust: E Pluribus Awesome!

Sebastian Gorka and Sheriff David Clarke on #Hannity (VIDEO)

Two great guys.

They're not blinded by political correctness, thank goodness.

From last night's Hannity:



And ICYMI, "'Extreme Vetting' — Donald Trump's Terrorism Plan Calls for Limits on Immigration (VIDEO)."

Escalating Social Media Threats Against Dominique Heaggan, Officer Who Shot and Killed Milwaukee Suspect Sylville Smith

Talk about the dark web.

Keep in mind these are leftists. They're Democrat Party leftists, Black Lives Matter allies, and partisans of the thugs and criminals who burned Milwaukee down last weekend.

It's the #TNACW.

At the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "Social media threats intensify, focus on officer":

The unrest in Sherman Park after a fatal police shooting Saturday appears to have mostly abated, but the social media communication that helped fuel it has, if anything, intensified and focused on the officer.

The unrest in Sherman Park after a fatal police shooting Saturday appears to have mostly abated, but the social media communication that helped fuel it has, if anything, intensified and focused on the officer.

As of Tuesday, at least 3,000 people have shared a Facebook photo of the 24-year-old Milwaukee patrolman who fatally shot 23-year-old Sylville Smith – some of them adding furious and threatening comments.

“Now y'all see his face if he's seen anywhere in the city drop him,” read one post. Another called for a gun so the person could “shoot him right in his head.”

The posters gave the officer’s name, Dominique Heaggan, and some included his home address. The Journal Sentinel has independently confirmed his identity, which has not been released by the Police Department. He is also known as Dominique Heaggan-Brown.

The Journal Sentinel is naming the officer because his identity already is widely known and readily available.

Heaggan and Smith, both of whom are black, knew each other from the Sherman Park neighborhood, multiple relatives and friends have said.

Most people shared the same photo — Heaggan, in uniform and standing in front of a squad car — or shared stories of interacting with him on the streets.

Others urged restraint, saying to wait for all the facts before making up their minds, and asked people to not “destroy our own communities.”

Not only have social media posts been personally directed at Heaggan, some expressed broader anger at police and what they see as systemic problems — in law enforcement, in race relations, in the city of Milwaukee.

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, one Facebook livestream showed a group of men confronting a line of police officers in daylight, for more than 20 minutes. One of them said: “We want blood like ya’ll want it … eye for an eye. No more peace.”

On Monday afternoon, the District 7 police station was briefly closed because of threats, including shots fired nearby, according to Police Chief Edward Flynn. Police were not sure whether the station was targeted, and it reopened by 8 p.m.

Milwaukee police are aware of threats on social media, against both the officer and police in general, Flynn said Sunday. The officer, Flynn said, was staying with relatives out of town.

The Milwaukee Police Department did not respond to specific questions Tuesday asking for more information about the threats, including whether any arrests have been made.

Instead, it issued this statement: “MPD has noted a disturbing national trend where users of social media have identified officers involved in uses of deadly force, threatened the officers and their families, and demonized them. Locally, we are aware of some general threats against our officers. MPD takes these threats seriously and is investigating.”

More police will be targeted, just like in Dallas.

Mark my words. More police are going to be targeted and killed. I don't want to be right, but there's no other conclusion. We're literally dealing with an urban insurgency. Leftists are looking to destroy legitimate political authority and bring about a bloodbath.

But keep reading, in any case.

Blue Cut Fire Closes I-15 Freeway at El Cajon Pass (VIDEO)

At the Riverside Press Enterprise, "9,000-acre Blue Cut fire puts 82,600 under evacuation orders in Cajon Pass."

And at the San Bernardino Sun, "Blue Cut fire burns 9,000 acres in Cajon Pass, more than 80,000 evacuated."

Still more, at LAT, "Buildings burn, residents flee as out-of-control brush fire burns 9,000 acres in Cajon Pass."

And watch, at CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Poll: Zogby Analytics Has Hillary Clinton Up 2-Points Over Donald Trump, 38 to 36 Percent

I have no idea about the reliability of Zogby's polling.

Paul Bedard's making a big deal out of it, though. At the Washington Examiner, "Pow: It's just a 2-point race, Clinton 38%, Trump 36%" (via Memeorandum).

It's an online survey, which the Trump campaign prefers, apparently believing that anonymous polls are more reliable because respondents feel free to state their true feelings. I'm not sure how you measure that, although it's an interesting hypothesis. I guess the ultimate test will be on November 8th, when everyone votes.

In any case, go straight to Zogby, "Clinton and Trump in Statistical Tie; Trump Has Closed the Gap Among Older Millennials:

Trump has kept the race close by winning Independents. He is winning Independents 32% to 26% and has also closed the gap among older Millennials. Trump is tied with Clinton at 30% among 25-34 year old voters. Another interesting development is over the years we have tracked voting habits among NASCAR fans and Weekly WalMart shoppers. Ten years ago these groups tended to slant conservative and Republican. That trend has been reversed during the Obama Presidency, and these consumers tend to be more liberal and supporters of Democrats today. Trump has reversed this trend. Both NASCAR fans and WalMart shoppers favor Trump over Clinton. Donald Trump is winning NASCAR fans (44% to 36%) and weekly WalMart shoppers 41% to 36%.

Heh.

The crucial "Weekly Walmart" demographic lol.

This election's the best ever, no matter what happens.

I don't see head-to-head match-up numbers excluding the third party candidates at Zogby.

The Los Angeles Times "Daybreak" election poll now has Hillary up by roughly three of points, just about within the margin of error, 45.5 to 42.1.

Still, Hillary's still up by 6.7 percent in RCP presidential polling average. When that average comes back down to a couple of points or so, I'll give Zogby and the "Daybreak" poll a little more credibility.

'Hell or High Water' is Great

Following-up, "'Hell or High Water': Hollywood Makes a Pro-Gun Movie — Woot! (VIDEO)," and "Heading Out to 'Hell or High Water' in a Bit."

We saw it over at the Irvine 6 Theaters, next door to U.C. Irvine. That's an art house cinema now, but frankly, the movie should be playing massive multiplexes across the country. It's a classic, a much better movie that "No Country for Old Men," which won the best picture Oscar back in '08.

That's just my take, but "High Water" seemed so much more, well, real. It just seemed so genuine, like it was almost happening in real time right before your eyes. Plus, if you're a Jeff Bridges fan, don't miss it. He plays Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton, and his sidekick, Alberto, is Native American. Leftists will hate the movie for the over-stuffing of racist Indian jokes, but Bridges delivers these with so much heart that you know Hamiton's doing it out of love for his fellow Ranger. And besides, Alberto lets him have it mercilessly a few times as well, so you don't feel sorry for him. Their repartee is actually a bundle of laughs in an otherwise serious --- frankly macabre --- modern-day Western.

In any case, here's another review, at the Hollywood Reporter, "'Hell or High Water': Cannes Review."

I hope this film does well during awards season. It should definitely be up for best picture.

Bella Hadid for Vogue Paris

She's a "Generation Instagirl."

Here and here.

She's featured with Taylor Hill, whom I'm not familiar with. Well, I guess I am now.

Alice Goffman, On the Run

I'm reading Alice Goffman's, On the Run: Fugitive Life in an American City.

I like it, although I'm not unfamiliar with the controversy surrounding the book.

At the New York Times, "The Trials of Alice Goffman."

Heading Out to 'Hell or High Water' in a Bit

I need to see a movie. I don't want to sit around all afternoon.

Following-up from the other day, "'Hell or High Water': Hollywood Makes a Pro-Gun Movie — Woot! (VIDEO)."

At the Los Angeles Times, "Jeff Bridges, 'Hell or High Water' and refining the modern Western."

I love Westerns. My dad used to say "shoot 'em ups."

Even the leftist Daily Beast is pleased with this one, "‘Hell or High Water’ Is the Bullet-Riddled Antidote to this Godawful Movie Summer."

Rhian Sugden Bouncy Bikini on Turkish Holiday

Heh. She went to Turkey of all places, lol.

At WWTDD, "Rhian Sugden in a Bikini."

And at the U.K.'s Daily Express:

Lingerie model @Rhianmarie flaunts her incredible bikini body on the beach https://t.co/QDIgF3dizw pic.twitter.com/YGS6VrEL2N

— Daily Express (@Daily_Express) August 15, 2016

More on Twitter.

Rogers Ailes to Advise Donald Trump Ahead of Presidential Debates

Wow.

Is Roger Ailes Trump's magic man?

Heh. Someone needs to perform some magic, lol.

At NYT, via Memorandum:

Roger Ailes, the Fox News chief ousted over allegations of sexual harassment, is advising Trump before the debates https://t.co/aMbXnbHmkq

— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 16, 2016

Zika's Spread Helped Along by Brazil's Deep Poverty

I've been tweeting Olympics news with the #ThirdWorldGames hashtag, and you can see why after reading this piece at the Los Angeles Times.

Here, "Brazil defeated the mosquito that spreads Zika once before — few expect it to do so again."

Raw sewage runs through drainage canals, there's no running water in homes, and families don't have enough money to buy their own bug spray pesticides. It's a choice between fighting mosquitoes or putting food on the table.

Rita Ora Steps Out in Lace Slip Dress in New York

She's nice.

At London's Daily Mail, "Rita Ora steps out in a VERY revealing nude slip dress."

Previously, "Rita Ora for 'Lui' Magazine."

Green Party Candidate Jill Stein Attacks Hillary Clinton on Private Email Server (VIDEO)

If Bernie would have done this he might well have become the nominee.

At CNN:

Soak Up Summer Sales Event

At Amazon, Savings & Deals in Soak Up Summer.

Shop for books as well.

And check out the Back to School Event while you're at it.

Michael Kranish and Marc Fisher, Trump Revealed

The Trump campaign initially refused to cooperate with the authors of the book, but somebody had a change of heart and Donald Trump participated in 20 hours of interviews (according to the Los Angeles Times).

Who knows?

Maybe it's worth a look.

Out August 23rd, at Amazon, Trump Revealed: An American Journey of Ambition, Ego, Money, and Power.

'Extreme Vetting' — Donald Trump's Terrorism Plan Calls for Limits on Immigration (VIDEO)

Following-up from earlier, "In New National Security Speech, Donald Trump to Call for Ideological Screening for Terrorists."

As I wrote there, "Of course, he'll be savaged by the Islamo-coddling left-wing media."

Yep, it turns out one Politico hack claims Trump's plan will make the U.S. less safe. I know, leftist logic is just impeccable, heh.

And there's all kinds of left-wing rejoinders at Memeorandum.

Frankly, this "extreme vetting" plan is the best thing yet!

At LAT, "Donald Trump calls for 'extreme vetting' and an ideological test for would-be immigrants":

Since Donald Trump called for temporarily banning Muslims from entering the U.S., he has tried to expand, narrow or otherwise redefine the polarizing proposal that helped win him the Republican primary but has posed a greater challenge in the general election campaign.

On Monday, he added a phrase to his policy lexicon: “extreme vetting.”

To Trump, that means ensuring anyone entering the country shares American values.

The newest addition to Trump’s immigration policy came during a major speech on national security in Youngstown, Ohio, that featured an unusually subdued Trump reading uneasily at times from a teleprompter and repeating several false claims, including his assertion that he was early to oppose the Iraq invasion and the unsubstantiated pronouncement that the San Bernardino shooters’ neighbor saw bombs in their apartment before the attacks.

It followed days of criticism over Trump’s insistence that President Obama and Hillary Clinton founded Islamic State. Those comments, and other unscripted and unforced controversies, have helped distract from Trump’s core economic and anti-terrorism messages, push down his standing in polls and lead Republicans to once again urge him to curtail his improvisational style of campaigning.

Trump did not explicitly back down from his December proposal, still on his campaign website, for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on.”

He did not mention it, instead calling on the departments of State and Homeland Security "to identify a list of regions where adequate screening cannot take place," which would then be referred to to temporarily halt visas.

Trump spent more of his speech defining what he said was a new ideological test for those entering the U.S., comparing his plan to Cold War-era screening.

"We should only admit into this country those who share our values and respect our people," he said. "In addition to screening out all members or sympathizers of terrorist groups, we must also screen out any who have hostile attitudes towards our country or its principles – or who believe that Sharia law should supplant American law. Those who do not believe in our Constitution, or who support bigotry and hatred, will not be admitted."

Keep reading.

You can see how leftist media reports are highly critical, but of course Trump's plan is exactly what we need.

It's a great start.

On this issue alone I'd vote for Trump in a heartbeat. It's the crucial issue facing the country. We're at the crossroads. It's existential.

Leftists are going to hate it, obviously. The left is simple incapable of protecting American national security. If Trump's not elected, these issues are not going away. No doubt other candidates will again raise the prospect of "extreme vetting" to save the country.

It's a breath of fresh air.

Timely as Ever: Heather Mac Donald's The War on Cops

Well, after Milwaukee, time to re-up Heather Mac Donald's The War on Cops.

At Amazon, The War on Cops: How the New Attack on Law and Order Makes Everyone Less Safe.

You're gonna love this book.

I guarantee it!

More Books on the U.S. and China's Rise [BUMPED]

I posted a lot of links to books on China and U.S.-Chinese relations the other day, at my Deal of the Day roundup here.

And since I'm reading and thinking about this stuff this afternoon, I thought I'd post some more.

See, Aaron L. Friedberg, A Contest for Supremacy: China, America, and the Struggle for Mastery in Asia.

Also, Hugh White, The China Choice: Why We Should Share Power.

And, Yan Xuetong, Ancient Chinese Thought, Modern Chinese Power.

All of these works are reviewed by Professor Yuen Foong Khong, at International Security, "Primacy or World Order? The United States and China's Rise — A Review Essay."

BONUS: See Stephen G. Brooks and William C. Wohlforth, World Out of Balance: International Relations and the Challenge of American Primacy.

NBC Battleground Map: Clinton Surges Past 270 Electoral Votes

Well, it's something to think about at least.

Here, "Clinton Surges Past 270 Electoral Votes in NBC News Battleground Map."

Interesting that Florida, Nevada, Iowa, and Ohio are all "toss-up" states.

Latest @NBCNews battleground map shows a tough road for Trump. pic.twitter.com/fDDxhEoZad

— Ali Vitali (@alivitali) August 15, 2016

Well, compare to Sabato's Crystal Ball, which doesn't list any toss-up states, thus giving Donald Trump 191 electors. Either way, Trump's got a lot of ground to make up.

Here is our current Electoral College map. We've been at 347 Safe/Likely/Lean Clinton, 191 S/L/L Trump since March pic.twitter.com/7l8IpOGWwt

— Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) August 11, 2016

Donald Trump Course Correction

A sober editorial, at the Wall Street Journal:

WSJ lays down the gauntlet: either Trump course corrects now or he should drop out. https://t.co/Ly2FBnqHqp pic.twitter.com/mkEvDElT3c

— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) August 15, 2016

In New National Security Speech, Donald Trump to Call for Ideological Screening for Terrorists

Well good.

Of course, he'll be savaged by the Islamo-coddling left-wing media.

But this is great.

Via Jennifer Jacobs, at Bloomberg:

Trump will call for "screening test to admit only those who support US laws and values,” his aides say. https://t.co/btxhwbeU9M @kevcirilli

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) August 15, 2016

The Road Ahead for Populism

Some folks think Trump's powerful populism has already petered out. Many no longer support him, but they don't like Hillary either.

From Salena Zito, at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

“I am going to shut my eyes, hold my nose, vote, and then go home and disinfect myself,” https://t.co/CulEZ23ZkQ

— SalenaZito (@SalenaZito) August 15, 2016

Young Voters Flee Donald Trump

Well, he doesn't need to win a majority of young people, but still. He's only getting 20 percent of their support.

At USA Today:

ICYMI: New Millennials poll shows Clinton consolidating the support, if not the enthusiasm, of Sanders' voters: https://t.co/7lu4kTqcNl

— Susan Page (@SusanPage) August 15, 2016

Public Opinion on Poverty, Social Welfare, and Personal Responsibility

Opinions have changed very little since 1985, the last time thus survey was conducted.

And social welfare programs have failed to lift millions out of poverty. The number of Americans living below the poverty line is about 15 percent, and it's been stuck there since about 1970, five years after the start of the Great Society.

How much have we spent? It's in the trillions. And leftists still think we aren't doing enough. And if you look at the headline at the piece, the Times used the results to take a jab a Donald Trump's white working-class supporters. It's too predictable.

See, "How do Americans view poverty? Many blue-collar whites, key to Trump, criticize poor people as lazy and content to stay on welfare."

Must read: @latimes and @AEI revisit a landmark 1985 survey. How much as changed? https://t.co/H6VIwPzSP1 pic.twitter.com/mmL0OrxmER

— Megan Garvey (@garveylatimes) August 14, 2016

The Meaning of the 2016 Election

From Francis Fukuyama, at Foreign Affairs, "American Political Decay or Renewal?":

Trump’s policy pronouncements are confused and contradictory, coming as they do from a narcissistic media manipulator with no clear underlying ideology. But the common theme that has made him attractive to so many Republican primary voters is one that he shares to some extent with Sanders: an economic nationalist agenda designed to protect and restore the jobs of American workers. This explains both his opposition to immigration—not just illegal immigration but also skilled workers coming in on H1B visas—and his condemnation of American companies that move plants abroad to save on labor costs. He has criticized not only China for its currency manipulation but also friendly countries such as Japan and South Korea for undermining the United States’ manufacturing base. And of course he is dead set against further trade liberalization, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership in Asia and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with Europe.

All of this sounds like total heresy to anyone who has taken a basic college-level course in trade theory, where models from the Ricardian one of comparative advantage to the Heckscher-Ohlin factor endow­ment theory tell you that free trade is a win-win for trading partners, increasing all countries’ aggregate incomes. And indeed, global output has exploded over the past two generations, as world trade and investment have been liberalized under the broad framework of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and then the World Trade Organization, increasing fourfold between 1970 and 2008. Globalization has been responsible for lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty in countries such as China and India and has generated unfathomable amounts of wealth in the United States.

Yet this consensus on the benefits of economic liberalization, shared by elites in both political parties, is not immune from criticism. Built into all the existing trade models is the conclusion that trade liberalization, while boosting aggregate income, will have potentially adverse distributional consequences—it will, in other words, create winners and losers. One recent study estimated that import competition from China was responsible for the loss of between two million and 2.4 million U.S. jobs from 1999 to 2011.

The standard response from trade economists is to argue that the gains from trade are sufficient to more than adequately compensate the losers, ideally through job training that will equip them with new skills. And thus, every major piece of trade legislation has been accompanied by a host of worker-retraining measures, as well as a phasing in of new rules to allow workers time to adjust.

In practice, however, this adjustment has often failed to materialize. The U.S. government has run 47 uncoordinated federal job-retraining programs (since consolidated into about a dozen), in addition to countless state-level ones. These have collectively failed to move large numbers of workers into higher-skilled positions. This is partly a failure of implementation, but it is also a failure of concept: it is not clear what kind of training can transform a 55-year-old assembly-line worker into a computer programmer or a Web designer. Nor does standard trade theory take account of the political economy of investment. Capital has always had collective-action advantages over labor, because it is more concentrated and easier to coordinate. This was one of the early arguments in favor of trade unionism, which has been severely eroded in the United States since the 1980s. And capital’s advantages only increase with the high degree of capital mobility that has arisen in today’s globalized world. Labor has become more mobile as well, but it is far more constrained. The bargaining advantages of unions are quickly undermined by employers who can threaten to relocate not just to a right-to-work state but also to a completely different country.

Labor-cost differentials between the United States and many developing countries are so great that it is hard to imagine what sorts of policies could ultimately have protected the mass of low-skilled jobs. Perhaps not even Trump believes that shoes and shirts should still be made in America. Every industrialized nation in the world, including those that are much more committed to protecting their manufacturing bases, such as Germany and Japan, has seen a decline in the relative share of manufacturing over the past few decades. And even China itself is beginning to lose jobs to automation and to lower-cost producers in places such as Bangladesh and Vietnam.

And yet the experience of a country such as Germany suggests that the path followed by the United States was not inevitable. German business elites never sought to undermine the power of their trade unions; to this day, wages are set across the German economy through government-sponsored negotiations between employers and unions. As a result, German labor costs are about 25 percent higher than their American counterparts. And yet Germany remains the third-largest exporter in the world, and the share of manufacturing employment in Germany, although declining, has remained consistently higher than that in the United States. Unlike the French and the Italians, the Germans have not sought to protect existing jobs through a thicket of labor laws; under Chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s Agenda 2010 reforms, it became easier to lay off redundant workers. And yet the country has invested heavily in improving working-class skills through its apprenticeship program and other active labor-market interventions. The Germans also sought to protect more of the country’s supply chain from endless outsourcing, connecting its fabled Mittelstand, that is, its small and medium-size businesses, to its large employers.

In the United States, in contrast, economists and public intellectuals portrayed the shift from a manufacturing economy to a postindustrial service-based one as inevitable, even something to be welcomed and hastened. Like the buggy whip makers of old, supposedly, manufac­turing workers would retool themselves, becoming knowledge workers in a flexible, outsourced, part-time new economy, where their new skills would earn them higher wages. Despite occasional gestures, however, neither political party took the retooling agenda seriously, as the centerpiece of a necessary adjustment process, nor did they invest in social programs designed to cushion the working class as it tried to adjust. And so white workers, like African Americans in earlier decades, were on their own...

It's not just Trump who's agitating for a nationalist economic policy. The Democrats have been pushing protectionist proposals for some time, and Bernie Sanders was pretty much in sync with Donald Trump on the issues. Fukuyama broaches this, but he's a leftist, so won't give Trump any credit.

The winds of change are in the air, either way. The anti-globalist movement's just getting started, frankly.

But keep reading.

Sunday Cartoons

At Flopping Aces, "Sunday Funnies."



Also at Theo's, "Cartoon Roundup..."

Cartoon Credit: Legal Insurrection, "Branco Cartoon – Electroshock Therapy."

This Charlie Sykes Quote Getting a Lot of Play on Twitter

I'm not at all familiar with Charlie Sykes, although he's getting kudos left and right for these comments, via Oliver Darcy:

Interviewed @SykesCharlie recently for story on conservative media I'm working on. Worth reading what he had to say pic.twitter.com/cqsVOabG7Q

— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) August 14, 2016

It's interesting, although I don't think there'll be any kind of reckoning. Indeed, if Hillary wins things are just going to get worse. Conservatives are only just now catching up to the left in tweaking reality. Frankly, I don't like reality-tweaking, and I said so yesterday here, "First Woman to Medal in Six Olympics Ignored by Media Because She's Pro-Second Amendment — Except She Wasn't."

The god's honest truth is always going to come first for me. I'm not a big fan of talk radio, in any case, so I've got little at stake in this debate. Perhaps Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly are implicated here with their shows on Fox News, but even then I only tune in once in a while nowadays.

Things are going to hell in this country, and it's like Sarah Kendzior says: Even if Hillary wins the forces that have been unleashed during this campaign aren't going away. Where I differ with Kendzior is that I think this is a good thing. Let's break things up. We can start with blowing the current two-party system to smithereens. I just don't care anymore. If the GOP candidate is the only thing that's going to stop leftism, at least temporarily, than he'll have more support. But I don't consider myself Republican and most of the party leaders are establishment hacks who can FOAD as far as I'm concerned.

Thinking about it, this seems like a theme I'll be coming back to with some frequency as we move forward. Who knows what's going to happen in November, although I'd feel a lot better if Trump gained some traction against Hillary in the polls?

On that topic, we'll see...

Deal of the Day: Save Up to 45% on Osprey Backpacks [BUMPED]

At Amazon, Up to 45% Off on Osprey Backpacks.

More, Osprey Packs Celeste Daypack, and Osprey Comet Backpack.

Also, Save on Pogo Water Bottles.

Plus, Kindle Paperwhite E-reader - Black, 6" High-Resolution Display (300 ppi) with Built-in Light, Wi-Fi - Includes Special Offers.

Still more, Apple EarPods 827 In-Ear Stereo Headphones with Remote and Mic - White.

And, Shop Great Back to School Deals!

BONUS: From Jared Meyer, Uber-Positive: Why Americans Love the Sharing Economy.

Tessa Fowler [BUMPED]

ADDED: I might as well bump this to the top -- I forgot to link the Twitter photos previously.

Great photos on Twitter.

Last seen way back in January 2015, "Sunday Rule 5."

Another Sunday Rule 5

Again, these things take a long time to post, so Ima do a FMJRA (linking those who link back).

At the Rule 5 blogfather's, "Rule 5 Sunday: Gold Medal, Ahoy!"

And at Pirate's Cove, "Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup," and "If All You See……is a world turned to desert because Other People won’t buy local, you might just be a Warmist."

More, at 90 Miles From Tyranny, "Morning Mistress (Loses Her Bikini Bottoms)."

From Ms. EBL, "Hedy Lamarr: The Heavenly Body."

Still more, at Woodsterman's, "Fun With GIFs ~OR~ Rule 5 Woodsterman Style."

And some extra related linkage, at Drunken Stepfather, "BOUNCING POKIES STEPLINKS OF THE DAY."

Egotastic, "Camille Rowe In Hot Lingerie and Other Fine Things to Ogle."

At WWTDD, "Emily Ratajkowski Takes Her Tits to the U.N. and Shit Around the Web."

And that's Chantell at the photo, seen on Twitter as well, and previously, "Well, Here's Your Saturday Afternoon Rule 5."

If I missed you, and you're linking, tweet me and I'll update.

Thanks!

"Can anyone doubt for a single moment that, were 'people' like this to gain ultimate power over us as they so fervently, insanely desire, they'd be trotting their political opposition off to gulags just as fast as they could get them constructed — just as their ideological twins in the Soviet Union, Vietnam, Cambodia, and who knows how many other places did? Just as they always have done upon their ascension to power, no matter where on Earth they might be?"

I posted Cold Fury to the sidebar, but the entry just reminded me of this video I put up here long ago, at "The Cuban Archipelago."

But read the whole thing, from our buddy Mike, "How the Left “Debates”."

No doubt.

You'd be lined up and shot, by folks just like Che and his henchman after Cuba's "national liberation."

Pat Condell: Europe's Leaders Are Importing War (VIDEO)

Angela Merkel especially, but all the poxy "leader" scabs are implicated, especially the scum of the European Union.

Once again, the inimitable Pat Condell:

Race, Gender, and the 'Carceral State' [BUMPED]

It's far-left scholarship and criticism, but nevertheless interesting.

See Gabriel Winant, at Dissent, "Black Women and the Carceral State."

And reviewed there, Talitha L. LeFlouria, Chained in Silence: Black Women and Convict Labor in the New South, and Sarah Haley, No Mercy Here: Gender, Punishment, and the Making of Jim Crow Modernity.

Remember, this idea of the "mass incarceration" state is on the cutting edge of leftist thought, and it's obviously having a dramatic and dangerous impact on public policy (President Obama recently commuted the sentences of over 200 federal inmates, and not for just "non-violent" felonies either).

And see Elizabeth Hinton, From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime: The Making of Mass Incarceration in America.

Recall also that attacks on "mass incarceration" are central to Angela Davis's communist agenda. See, Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement.

Know your enemies, people. You gotta know your enemies.

Review of Robert J. Gordon, The Rise and Fall of American Growth [BUMPED]

See William Nordhaus, at the New York Review of Books, "Why Growth Will Fall."

Gordon's book is on my birthday list, heh.

And at Amazon, The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living since the Civil War.

Nobel Peace Prize Update: Obama Bombing Another Country, and Nobody Even Noticed! (VIDEO)

It's the far-left Lori Harfenist, at the Putin-backed RT America.

But you know what? Who cares? She's nailing it here.

Watch:

Milwaukee Riots After Police Shoot and Kill Black Armed Suspect (VIDEO)

There's not a lot of news coverage of the rioting, actually.

I had on Fox News for about a half-hour, and not even a short blip of a report.

I suspect folks have gotten so used to blacks burning down cities that it's hardly news anymore. Besides, getting the news out there would destroy the left's "Black Lives Matter" narrative (and help Donald Trump).

Rioters screamed "Black Power!" as a fillin' station went up in flames.

Obama's America.

See the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "Calm restored at scene of unrest as Clarke calls for National Guard," and "Man shot by Milwaukee police subject of witness intimidation case."

More at Twitchy, "Rioters make Milwaukee ‘like a war zone’ after police shooting of armed suspect [photos, video]."

And there's video here, at Ruptly, "USA: Angry protesters burn petrol station after police shoot and kill man in Milkwaukee."

Maggie Haberman: 'There's an Enormous Amount of Frustration' in Donald Trump's Campaign (VIDEO)

Following-up from last night, "Inside the Failing Mission to Save Donald Trump From Himself."

I know Trump attacked NYT for its pathetic left-wing bias, but honestly, d'you think there isn't "enormous frustration" in the campaign?

Maggie Haberman's a leftist, but she's also a consummate professional (IMHO), and I expect she's to not too far off the mark with what's going on.

Watch, from CNN this morning:

Inside the Failing Mission to Save Donald Trump From Himself

According to Alexander Burns and Maggie Haberman, Trump's allegedly "beyond coaching."

Tweeted by WaPo's Jenna Johnson.

Here's the deeply reported New York Times article that Donald Trump is so very angry about: https://t.co/qr2gSZgn57

— Jenna Johnson (@wpjenna) August 14, 2016

And here's Trump's response.

The failing @nytimes has become a newspaper of fiction. Their stories about me always quote non-existent unnamed sources. Very dishonest!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 13, 2016

It's worth a read, FWIW.

I think Maggie Haberman's pretty fair, for the most part.

'Men Going Their Own Way'

Heh.

Check out this very interesting post at the Other McCain, "Attention @MGTOW: Survey Question." And be sure to read the comments. I think R.S. McCain missed his calling as a psychologist:

Scapegoating the opposite sex for our romantic disappointments is a problem for both men and women. Learning to accept responsibility for your own problems means learning how to adjust your expectations to the reality of your situation, rather than blaming other people because your dreams haven't come true.

More.

BONUS: Helen Smith, Men on Strike: Why Men Are Boycotting Marriage, Fatherhood, and the American Dream - and Why It Matters.

The Presidential Horse Race at the L.A. Times 'Daybreak' Tracking Poll

I'm not giving up hope yet, although I'm not unrealistic either.

The "daybreak" poll is just one poll.

Still, the race is basically tied:

How are Trump and Clinton faring in our USC Dornsife poll? See for yourself: https://t.co/FAC5mBEGA3 pic.twitter.com/IytPGgQ2Gt

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) August 13, 2016

Panic is still sooo unsexy: Where the presidential race stands today: The USC Dornsife / Los Angeles Times poll https://t.co/gSyPTmNcCh

— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) August 12, 2016

First Woman to Medal in Six Olympics Ignored by Media Because She's Pro-Second Amendment — Except She Wasn't

I love the Gateway Pundit, but sometimes the posts over there don't match reality.

Here's the entry, "FIRST WOMAN to Medal in SIX Olympics Ignored by Media Because She is Pro-Second Amendment."

Actually, Rhode was featured very prominently at the front-page of this morning's Los Angeles Times, "L.A.'s most unsung Olympian continues to excel in her sixth Olympics."

And lots of Rhode coverage in the MSM on Twitter.

So, let's just stick to reality, okay.

There's plenty of media bias.

In the case of Kim Rhode, not so much.

ADDED: From Ed Driscoll, at Instapundit, "OLYMPIC OIKOPHOBIA: ‘Little Known’ Olympic Shooters Snubbed by Sponsors While Media Play Dumb." That's a good point about the corporate sponsors bailing out on Olympics shooters, although again, there's lots of media coverage. It's just not as sensational as fencers in hijabs, or what have you.

'Hell or High Water': Hollywood Makes a Pro-Gun Movie — Woot! (VIDEO)

From Ed Driscoll, at Instapundit, "DID HOLLYWOOD MAKE A PRO-GUN MOVIE? Hell or High Water Features Armed Citizenry."

Samantha Hoopes Whack-a-Mole (VIDEO)

Via Sports Illustrated:

Robert Paxton on the Question of Donald Trump and Fascism

An interview with Robert O. Paxton, at Slate, "Is Donald Trump a Fascist? Yes and no."

And here's Paxton's classic book, The Anatomy of Fascism.

Actually, I'd argue Trump represents an Americanized version of fascism, but it's like Paxton says, the term's so loaded with the weight of historical evil you don't want to use it loosely.

Saturday Morning Roundup

I'm going to post a lot of book links today. I've been slacking on my Amazon sales.

Meanwhile, from around the horn.

At Blazing Cat Fur, "Continental Breakfast."

And at the Other McCain, "In The Mailbox: 08.12.16."

Knuckledraggin', "Your Good Morning Girl."

Astute, "POLITICIANS AND PRESS IN TWIN FALLS, IDAHO DEFENDING JUVENILE MUSLIM RAPISTS."

Theo's, "Bike Week Daytona 2016 Bikini Babes..."

At Director Blue, "Larwyn's Linx: Hacker leaks phone numbers, email addresses of every House Democrat; Hillary’s protective wall around Chappaqua estate."

American Digest, "Season 3 of 'This Old Nag': Dragging Her Over the Finish Line."

Power Line, "NYTimes: Another Day, Another Hit Piece Against Donald Trump."

Maggie's Farm, "Maggie's Farm, "Durn Interestin' Roundup":

Roger here. Bird Dog has gone to the spa to take the waters. And by "spa," I mean tavern. And by "waters," I mean single malt. Anyway, he's left me to guard the chicken coop until he can finish his sabbatical, and make bail. I don't know what to talk about. That's because I'm not interesting, the way Bird Dog is...

BONUS: The Hostages, "Big Boob Friday."

Sebastian Gorka

He's great!

At Amazon, Defeating Jihad: The Winnable War.

Donald Trump Great Again

At Amazon, Great Again: How to Fix Our Crippled America.

David Horowitz, The End of Time

Did you read my post from the other day, "The Nature of the War Against Us"?

That was an excerpt from David Horowitz autobiographical, The End of Time.

What Teens Need Most from Their Parents

Well, they need a tremendous amount of attention and supervision.

I didn't realize how much until I wished I'd done more for my oldest son, who's having some early adulthood challenges now. (He'll be 21 in January.)

Yes, that's life, I know. But you always wish you'd done more to guide your kids, and provide a strong moral foundation.

It's weird when you think back on it, although my family's blessed that we're all together, doing well and healthy. You just think about it. Could you have done more? Have I been a good parent?

In any case, at WSJ:

The teenage years can be mystifying for parents. Sensible children turn scatter-brained or start having wild mood swings. Formerly level-headed adolescents ride in cars with dangerous drivers or take other foolish risks.

A flood of new research offers explanations for some of these mysteries. Brain imaging adds another kind of data that can help test hypotheses and corroborate teens’ own accounts of their behavior and emotions. Dozens of recent multiyear studies have traced adolescent development through time, rather than comparing sets of adolescents at a single point.

The new longitudinal research is changing scientists’ views on the role parents play in helping children navigate a volatile decade. Once seen as a time for parents to step back, adolescence is increasingly viewed as an opportunity to stay tuned in and emotionally connected. The research makes it possible to identify four important phases in the development of intellectual, social and emotional skills that most teens will experience at certain ages. Here is a guide to the latest findings...

Keep reading.

House GOP Task Force: Obama Administration Pressured Officials to Cook Intelligence on Islamic State (VIDEO)

There will be a reckoning one day.

This administration's making President Nixon and his plumbers look like pikers.

At Roll Call, "House GOP Report: Intelligence Officials Pressured to Alter Reports on ISIS; Analysis skewed to make U.S. campaign against ISIS look more successful, report says."

And watch, at Fox News:

Simone Manuel Becomes First Black American Woman to Win Gold in Individual Swimming

I'm so happy for her.

At the New York Times, "Rio Olympics: Simone Manuel Makes History in the Pool":

Tears of Victory for @simone_manuel​.https://t.co/BWGaUNiTHM https://t.co/6ISMPGyu0U

— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 12, 2016

RIO DE JANEIRO — Katie Ledecky’s roommate at the Olympics is setting records now, too.

Simone Manuel, who is sharing a room with Ledecky in the athletes’ village here, became the first African-American woman to win an individual event in Olympic swimming on Thursday night. She and Penny Oleksiak of Canada tied for the fastest time, an Olympic record in the women’s 100-meter freestyle: 52.70 seconds.

“I definitely think it raises some awareness and will get them inspired,” Manuel, 20, said about the significance of her accomplishment. “I mean, the gold medal wasn’t just for me. It was for people that came before me and inspired me to stay in the sport. For people who believe that they can’t do it, I hope I’m an inspiration to others to get out there and try swimming. You might be pretty good at it.”

Manuel and Oleksiak shaved 0.01 seconds off the Olympic standard of 52.71, set earlier in the Rio Games meet by Australia’s Cate Campbell. Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom won the bronze in 52.99.

The last time an American won gold in the event was 1984, when Nancy Hogshead and Carrie Steinseifer also tied and shared the gold medal with a time of 55.92 seconds.

Several black swimmers have won Olympic medals for the United States. The first female of African-American descent to make an American Olympic team was Maritza Correia, a member of the 400-meter freestyle relay team that won silver at the 2004 Athens Games.

Lia Neal, a Brooklyn native, won a bronze in a relay at the 2012 London Games and a silver in a relay here at the Rio Games.

Anthony Ervin and Cullen Jones, who are black, have won Olympic gold medals...

More.