Donald Trump to Keep Quiet on Hillary Clinton's Health Episodes, Will Release His Own Detailed Medical Report This Week

Someone tweeted yesterday that Donald Trump's quiet through Hillary's health scare yesterday must have been the most unnerving thing for the Clinton campaign. Trump's been disciplined, not making light of Clinton's fainting spell.

Well played.

At Bloomberg, "Trump Plans to Keep Quiet on Clinton's Health Issues."

And he'll be out later this week with his own health report. At CNBC, "Donald Trump says he'll release detailed report on his own health this week" (via Memeorandum).

Stan Wawrinka Can Beat Anyone at Tennis — Even Novak Djokovic

I like Djoko, but I was rooting for the underdog. Indeed, I'd never even watched Wawrinka.

It was a great match.

At WSJ:

Stan the Man! #StanWawrinka #NovakDjokovic #USOpen #USOpen2016 #Tennis https://t.co/5dddsUeBWG

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) September 12, 2016

Stan Wawrinka looks more like a lumberjack than a tennis player. Thick shoulders, burly chest, scruffy beard and mustache. He’s strong but unpredictable. He likes to point to his head during matches, because he knows that if he keeps his mind clear and his one-handed backhand flowing, he can beat anyone.

Wawrinka played another magical major final at the U.S. Open on Sunday, when he defeated top seed Novak Djokovic 6-7(1), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 in three hours and 55 minutes. In 2014, Wawrinka beat Djokovic in the Australian Open quarterfinals, before winning his first major title. He beat Djokovic again in the 2015 French Open final. He lost the first set in both of those matches, just like he did Sunday. His coach, Magnus Norman, has learned that there’s no need to worry.

“I know that he’s always going to come back,” Norman said. “He has more than one life in five sets.”

After a slow start on Sunday, Wawrinka, seeded third, punished Djokovic with strong serves, deep forehands and the one-handed backhand that Pete Sampras, winner of 14 major titles, once said made him jealous. Not even a medical timeout could slow him down. Wawrinka led 3-1 in the fourth set when Djokovic sat in his chair, took off his socks and had the trainer tape his broken, bleeding toenails. Wawrinka wasn’t pleased. He complained to the chair umpire. Djokovic apologized. And then Wawrinka swatted aside break points and held serve. He trailed 0-30 in the final game, but after saving 14 break points in the match, Wawrinka would bend no more. Djokovic missed a backhand on the final point.

“The more I win in a Grand Slam, the better I feel,” Wawrinka said. “When you play Novak, he’s a beast mentally. He’s going to push you.”

Keep reading.

MSM Hacks Now All of a Sudden Aghast by Clinton Campaign's Handling of Hillary's 'Medical Episode' (VIDEO)

The corrupt MSM operatives are now upset with the Clinton campaign?

They're practically working for the Clinton campaign. This would be like getting mad at your boss because he didn't tell you the company was filing for bankruptcy. The peons are always the last to know, and now they're howling with faux-outrage, hoping to save their own skin in the eyes of the public.

No wonder Americans hate the media. And no wonder the Democrat ticket's collapsing like a wet noodle.

Donald Trump's success is just the flip side of the establishment failure.

At Politico, "Press rips Clinton campaign's handling of health incident: Why didn't they just say she had pneumonia?:

NEW YORK — Hillary Clinton’s campaign is coming under fire for failing to disclose that she was diagnosed with pneumonia on Friday, and for saying she simply got “overheated” at the 9/11 memorial service in New York, when video showed her knees buckling as aides helped her into a waiting van.

It wasn’t until shortly after 11:00 a.m. ET Sunday that the campaign put out a terse statement saying that Clinton had “departed to go to her daughter's apartment, and is feeling much better.” There was no explicit acknowledgment that Clinton had left the ceremony earlier than planned, nor any mention of what looked to be a fainting spell.

Clinton herself sought to project that all was well, stepping outside of her Chelsea’s apartment some 45 minutes later. "I'm feeling great, it's a beautiful day in New York," she said, taking a moment to greet a small girl before piling back into the van to head home to Westchester County.

Not until 5:15 p.m. did the campaign revealed that she had in fact been diagnosed with pneumonia and put on antibiotics a day earlier, after what her doctor called a “follow-up evaluation of her prolonged cough.”

Lisa Bardack, Clinton’s physician, said that she had indeed become “overheated and dehydrated” on Sunday morning, but made no mention of her apparent collapse. “I have just examined her and she is now re-hydrated and recovering nicely,” Bardack said. Saturday’s examination, an aide said, took place at Clinton’s home in Chappaqua, New York.

At 10:16 p.m., the campaign said that "Clinton will not be traveling to California tomorrow or Tuesday." Clinton was scheduled to raise cash in both Los Angeles and San Francisco, and her campaign had previewed that she would also deliver a speech on the economy Tuesday. Clinton's Wednesday trip to Las Vegas is, for now, still on her schedule.

Frustration with the Clinton campaign’s handling of the incident boiled over among political journalists on Twitter...

Keep reading (via Memeorandum).

Amazon Best Sellers in Home & Kitchen [BUMPED]

Do some shopping today, at Amazon, Home & Kitchen - Best Sellers.

Also, Bounty Select-a-Size Paper Towels, White, 12 Huge Rolls.

And, HP 61 Black & Tri-color Original Ink Cartridges, 2 pack (CR259FN).

More, AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable - 6 Feet (Latest Standard).

Check out, GoPro HERO4 Silver.

And, KIND Breakfast Bars.

BONUS: The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (Authorized Edition).

Sunday Cartoons

At Flopping Aces, "Sunday Funnies."




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

Cartoon Credit: Legal Insurrection, "Branco Cartoon – Can’t Get Up."

Will the Democrats Dump 'Deplorable' Hillary?

Deplorable and overheated. Boy, what a couple of days.

At Instapundit, "Will the Democrats Dump ‘Overheated’ Hillary?"

Dem operative: @HillaryClinton #BasketOfDeplorables, hiding pneumonia for 3 days, + fainting video = "unchartered political territory."

— David Shuster (@DavidShuster) September 12, 2016

Republicans Go on Attack Over Hillary Clinton's 'Deplorable' Slur (VIDEO)

It's not been a good week for unhealthy Hillary.

At LAT, "Clinton apologizes for calling half of Trump's supporters 'deplorables'":

Republicans went on the attack Saturday after Hillary Clinton, during remarks at a fundraiser late Friday night, said that “you could put half of [Donald] Trump's supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables,” which she referred to as “racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic — you name it.”

In tweets, speeches and press statements, Trump, his running mate Mike Pence, and Republican officials accused Clinton of elitism and disrespect. Pence, the Indiana governor, said Clinton had insulted “hardworking Americans.”

“Hillary, they are not a basket of anything. They are Americans, and they deserve your respect,” Pence said during a speech to the conservative Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C.

The dueling statements increased the focus on racial and ethnic tension that already has dominated the 2016 campaign, often to Trump’s detriment. This time, however, it was Republicans who thought their opponent had wandered into political damaging territory.

Pence said Clinton’s “low opinion” of the American people disqualified her from being elected president. “The men and women who support Donald Trump's campaign are hardworking Americans — farmers, coal miners, teachers, veterans, members of our law enforcement community — members of every class of this country, who know that we can make America great again,” he said.

The Republican criticism prompted a quick, but partial, apology from Clinton, who said in a statement released early Saturday: “Last night I was ‘grossly generalistic,’ and that's never a good idea. I regret saying ‘half’ -- that was wrong.”

But Clinton went on to say that Trump had nevertheless repeatedly engaged in “deplorable” behavior throughout his campaign. She cited his attacks on a federal judge’s Mexican heritage, his comments about the parents of a Muslim soldier killed in Iraq, and his role as a leader of the birther movement that wrongly claimed President Obama was not born in the United States.

“I won't stop calling out bigotry and racist rhetoric in this campaign,” Clinton said.

In a call with reporters organized by the Republican National Committee, Trump supporters said that Clinton had been caught saying in private something she would not have said in public.

Her comment was “reprehensible, despicable, yet revealing,” said Cleveland Pastor Darrell Scott. “She was basically caught. She wasn’t expecting this to get out,” he said. “It demonstrates the type of person she really is.”

In fact, however, Clinton’s aides had invited reporters to watch her remarks at the fundraiser — something they often do not do (and Trump’s campaign almost never does) — and she had previously used a version of the “deplorable” remark in an interview.

All that suggests the remark may not have been one the campaign was trying to hide.

Indeed, some Republican strategists suggested that a campaign discussion of whether some of Trump’s supporters are racist — and, if so, how many — might be advantageous to Clinton...

More.

Georgia Gibbs Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Casting Call 2017 (VIDEO)

She's nice.

The Koran's Deadly Role in Jihad Terrorism

Following-up, "#NeverForget: 15 Years of Allahu Akbar-Itis."

I'm re-upping this classic piece from Nabeel Qureshi, at USA Today, "The Quran's deadly role in inspiring Belgian slaughter."

And if you haven't yet, buy Qureshi's book, at Amazon, Answering Jihad: A Better Way Forward.

PLAY X STORE Wireless Bluetooth Earhook Earbuds [BUMPED]

They're bestselling earbuds, at Amazon.

Here, PLAY X STORE Wireless Bluetooth Headphone Sweatproof Sports Earhook Earbuds.

And wireless is the wave, heh.

BONUS: Andrew Roberts, The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War.

#NeverForget: 15 Years of Allahu Akbar-Itis

The cause of September 11?

It's in the Koran.

See the incomparable Michelle Malkin:

This is what madness looks like.

“When the confrontation begins, strike like champions who do not want to go back to this world. Shout, ‘Allahu Akbar,’ because this strikes fear in the hearts of the non-believers.”

That’s what 9/11 lead hijacker Mohammed Atta wrote in the jihad checklist found in his baggage 15 years ago after the terror attacks took 2,996 innocent lives.

Seconds before United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania on that day, the last sound passengers heard was the hijackers chanting “Allahu Akbar.” The official transcript of the flight recorder translated the Arabic taunts:

10:03:02
Allah is the greatest.
10:03:03
Allah is the greatest.
10:03:04
Allah is the greatest.
10:03:06
Allah is the greatest.
10:03:06
Allah is the greatest.
10:03:07
No.
10:03:09
Allah is the greatest. Allah is the greatest.
10:03:09
Allah is the greatest. Allah is the greatest.

Over the past 15 years, Koran-inspired Islamic jihadists have shouted the crystal-clear refrain over and over and over again—as genuflecting jihad apologists shout even louder that their murderous deeds “have nothing to do with Islam.”

Keep reading.

Hat Tip: Astute Bloggers.

'Hillary Clinton's early departure Sunday from New York's 9/11 memorial ceremony thrust questions about her health to the forefront of the presidential race...'

This story is absolutely delectable.

At WSJ, "Clinton ‘Felt Overheated’ and Left 9/11 Ceremony."

You're going to see a lot of talk about this story over the next few days, and desperate leftist attempts to spin and cover up Hillary's ill health.

Heh, she was "overheated" on one of the mildest summer days you could imagine. See Paul Bedard, "Clinton 'overheated' on coolest day, just 75 degrees, breezy."

And at Instapundit, "FROM CHRIS CILIZZA, WHO JUST LAST WEEK WAS TELLING US TO QUIT WORRYING ABOUT HILLARY’S HEALTH: Hillary Clinton’s health just became a real issue in the presidential campaign."

Previously, "VIDEO of Hillary Clinton's 'Medical Episode' Will Change the Presidential Race."

VIDEO of Hillary Clinton's 'Medical Episode' Will Change the Presidential Race

Says Fox News political analyst Chris Stirewalt.

Watch, "Stirewalt: 'Jarring' video of Clinton will change the race."

Previously, "Hillary Clinton Rushed From 9/11 Memorial Service After Suffering 'Medical Episode'."

Kelly Brook Official Calendar 2017

See all the calendar photos at HawtCelebs.

At the Mirror U.K., "Kelly Brook poses NAKED on the beach for her calendar as she makes social media accounts PRIVATE."

And at the U.K.'s Daily Express, "Kelly Brook flaunts enviable curves as she strips NAKED for seriously racy calendar shoot."

Still more, at the Sun, "'I'M SWELL' Kelly Brook flaunts her fuller figure as she reveals she’s happier than ever now she’s got her curves back - Model has gained 26lbs since hectic schedule left her skinny and miserable."

Plus, flashback from 2013, "Phenomenal New Kelly Brook Sunbathing Pics From Cancun." (Very hot.)

And, "Wow! Kelly Brook is Packing on the Pounds!"

Fifteen Years Later, al-Qaeda Threat Has Grown

From Thomas Jocelyn, at the Weekly Standard, "The Al Qaeda Threat Grows":

Fifteen years after the September 11, 2001, hijackings, the al Qaeda threat is growing. Al Qaeda has the capacity to attempt a mass casualty attack inside the U.S. and Europe today.

Many assume that al Qaeda is a spent force, especially after the surge of Abu Bakr al Baghdadi’s Islamic State. But they are wrong. Years of erroneous assessments have clouded our vision of an enemy that remains committed to its anti-American cause...

Keep reading.

Hillary Clinton Rushed From 9/11 Memorial Service After Suffering 'Medical Episode'

At Instapundit, "LET’S HOPE IT WAS JUST ONE TOO MANY MIMOSAS AT BRUNCH."

Apparently, she "stumbled off the curb," her "knees buckled," and she "lost a shoe as she was helped into a van."

Also, at Fox News, via Memerandum, "Hillary Clinton has ‘medical episode’ at 9/11 ceremony, source says."

Added: There's video of Clinton getting in the van, at Sky News. She doesn't look well at all. Knees definitely buckled, "Hillary Clinton Leaves 9/11 Ceremony Feeling 'Overheated'."

Also, at WaPo, "Hillary Clinton’s health just became a real issue in the presidential campaign."

Hillary's numbers are going to tank this week. We're witnessing a real turning point in the campaign.

Deal of the Day: Bushnell Fall Sportsman

At Amazon, Simmons 801600 Volt 600 Laser Rangefinder, Black.

Also, Save on Bushnell Rangefinders.

BONUS: Yuval Levin, The Fractured Republic: Renewing America’s Social Contract in the Age of Individualism.

Hillary Has Regrets About 'Basket of Deplorables' Slur

Following-up, "Trump Campaign Seeks Clinton Apology Over 'Deplorables' Dig at His Supporters."

Her only regret is the media reported her vicious slur. And her only response is to double down with the campaign's alleged "apology."

At WaPo, "Clinton says she regrets labeling ‘half’ of Trump supporters ‘deplorable’."

Clinton says she regrets labeling 'half' of Trump supporters 'deplorable' - Washington Post: Washington PostC... https://t.co/PBvadjz30b

— Jupiter Flyer (@JupiterFlyer) September 10, 2016

Oh my gosh. This is horrible..she regrets, then goes off on racist. OMG! Can this get worse 😳#BasketOfDeplorables pic.twitter.com/EZwgNN0uyz

— Kambree Kawahine Koa (@KamVTV) September 10, 2016

Alt Right Press Conference at the Willard InterContinental Washington

Following-up from a couple of weeks ago, "I'm Not 'Alt Right'."

Not that it needs to be said, but I'm really, really not "Alt Right."

Sheesh, these people are scumbags.

From Betsy Woodruff, at the Daily Beast, "Alt-Right Leaders: We Aren't Racist, We Just Hate Jews" (via Memeorandum):

The racist, anti-semitic, white power group called the ‘alt-right’ has been mainstreamed thanks to Breitbart and the Trump campaign. And they are loving the attention.

Well, if they really said they want a movement without Jews (whom they "hate"), then that's indeed pretty racist. (And I know, religion isn't race, but anti-Semitism is regarded as a "racist" ideology, similar to white supremacy.)

At a presser today, Alt Right leaders discussed what they refer to as "the Jewish question" https://t.co/VssPMI0e75

— Betsy Woodruff (@woodruffbets) September 10, 2016

At The Willard today, Alt Right leaders mulled the possible superiority of East Asians to whites: https://t.co/VssPMI0e75

— Betsy Woodruff (@woodruffbets) September 10, 2016

Alt Right leaders say the white ethno-state will not include Jews but will have a good relationship w Israel https://t.co/VssPMI0e75

— Betsy Woodruff (@woodruffbets) September 10, 2016

Apple Unveils the iPhone 7

Following-up, "PLAY X STORE Wireless Bluetooth Earhook Earbuds."

Wireless really is the wave!

At LAT, "Farewell, headphone jack. Apple is killing you, but we'll never forget the decades we shared":

Apple made the first move to retire the audio jack on Wednesday, announcing that it will eliminate the jack from its flagship iPhone 7 smartphones.

When the device ships Sept. 16, it will come with a pair of wired earphones that plug into Apple’s proprietary charging port and an adapter that works with 3.5-mm plugs. The company also announced a pair of wireless earbuds called AirPods, priced at $159. Beats, the headphone maker that Apple acquired in 2014 for $3 billion, will offer its own range of wireless headphones.

The jack won’t disappear from electronics overnight, according to tech experts, who said decades of being the standard consumer audio jack has made the 3.5-mm port and its earphones pervasive.

“[But] this is a very big deal,” said Vince Ponzo, senior director of the entrepreneurship program at Columbia Business School. “When the world’s largest phone distributor and seller eliminates that piece of technology from its phones, it’s a big step toward doing away with that technology entirely.”

And that’s not hyperbole, because when Apple moves, the industry typically follows. The company was one of the first to get rid of serial ports on computers and move to USB ports. It got rid of ethernet ports on laptops, forcing customers to use wireless Internet. It got rid of floppy disks and CD and DVD players. And it all but got rid of buttons from cellphones. These are now the norm. With the iPhone 7, a wireless music listening experience could become the new normal.

Apple executive Phil Schiller said the decision to ditch the port “comes down to courage” — a statement that drew snickers from the crowd gathered at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco on Wednesday for the unveiling of the iPhone 7. He called the single-purpose technology “ancient,” taking up valuable real estate on an already compact device, and he spelled out hopes for a “wireless future.”

The new iPhone replaces the jack with another speaker, making the gadget twice as loud and allowing users to blast music for the first time in stereo.

The move will no doubt frustrate many customers who currently use wired headphones from third-party headset makers, or those whose junk drawers are filled with tangled earbuds for use when the current pair vanishes.

If Apple’s shift makes wireless earbuds commonplace, it will be a change mourned by those prone to losing things (imagine the frustration of digging through a purse to find only a single earbud). It will also irk anyone who doesn’t want to charge another device at the end of the day (Apple’s AirPods will run for five hours per charge.)

But the loss of the 3.5-mm jack won’t be felt for long, said Simon Hall, the head of music technology at the Birmingham Conservatoire, who said consumers will adapt.

“It’s going to be a change, but eventually it may be viewed as a storm in a teacup,” he said...

Keep reading.

Cliff Diver Almost Hit the Rocks at Crystal Cove (VIDEO)

This local story got a lot of coverage, here at home, at LAist, "Video: Cliff Diver Almost Smacks Into Rocks Diving Into Crystal Cove," and abroad, at London's Daily Mail, "'I thought I was f*****': Heart-stopping moment daredevil narrowly misses landing on ROCKS after leaping off a dangerously high cliff."

Watch, at CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Trump Campaign Seeks Clinton Apology Over 'Deplorables' Dig at His Supporters

Smart move by the Trump people.

The "deplorables" gaffe needs to stay in the news right up to November 8th, reminding voters how much Hillary hates them.

At WSJ:

Donald Trumps’s campaign sought an apology Saturday from his Democratic rival after Hillary Clinton took aim at the Republican’s supporters, suggesting that half of them are what she called “deplorables.”

Mrs. Clinton made the remark at a Friday night fundraiser, saying that Mr. Trump has given voice to the alt-right movement and has lifted up those who spew hateful speech.

“To just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right?,” Mrs. Clinton told donors in New York City. “The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic — you name it.”

The former secretary of state added that “some of those folks, they are irredeemable, but thankfully they are not America.” The Trump campaign quickly punched back, saying that Mrs. Clinton had revealed “her true contempt for everyday Americans.”

“This was Clinton, as a defender of Washington’s rigged system, telling the American public that she could care less about them,” said Jason Miller, senior communications adviser to Mr. Trump. “And what’s truly deplorable isn’t just that Hillary Clinton made an inexcusable mistake in front of wealthy donors and reporters happened to be around to catch it, it’s that Clinton revealed just how little she thinks of the hard-working men and women of America.” By Saturday morning, Mr. Trump’s campaign manager was urging Mrs. Clinton to make amends...

More.

PREVIOUSLY: "'Basket of Deplorables'."

Lady Gaga Flashes Too Much in London

Or at least so says one of the commenters at the piece linked by Althouse, "'Isn't there some classic rule, 'Underboob or underbutt, not both'?..."

And at London's Daily Mail, "Lady Gaga flashes some underboob as she gives onlookers an eyeful in London."

USC Trojans Say They're Ready Against Utah State Aggies

USC dropped out of the top 25 at A.P.'s college football poll after last week's ultimate shellacking at the hands of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

It's going to be quite interesting to see if they can redeem themselves a bit this weekend.

At LAT, "As USC tries to stabilize against Utah State, the energy — and the tension — ratchet up":

The entire USC defense streamed onto the field at the end of Wednesday’s practice, the Trojans’ last heavy-contact session before they attempt to stabilize their season against Utah State on Saturday.

For roughly 15 minutes, the defense had been working itself into a lather. After each pass breakup or big hit, the sideline buzzed, as if the players had consumed too much coffee. Now, on the last play, Adoree’ Jackson swatted away a long, might-have-been-a-touchdown pass down the far sideline.

So the defense sprinted to the end zone, circled around Jackson and danced.

USC has responded to the indignity of a 52-6 loss to Alabama and a head-spinning array of off-the-field incidents by increasing its intensity. A spirited, sometimes angry, edge punctuated the team’s practices this week. A brawl broke out Tuesday.

Running back Justin Davis said the emotion reflected the Trojans’ search for the “fire in the belly” that they lost during Saturday’s defeat. They hope they rediscover it.

“I know my team,” right tackle Zach Banner said. “And I know we’re going to bring it.”

The energy also has been a response to the upheaval that USC hoped it had left behind upon promoting Clay Helton to coach. The past two weeks of USC football have read like overwrought UCLA fan fiction.

National commentators pounded USC players who crawled out of the tunnel pre-game last week. Linebacker Jabari Ruffin was suspended for a half and required to write an apology letter for stomping on the groin of an Alabama player. JuJu Smith-Schuster, the team’s best receiver, sparked a fight at Tuesday’s practice, then stomped off in a huff and needed to be coaxed back to the field.

There was the heartbreaking: A key starter, center Toa Lobendahn, was declared out for the season after undergoing his third knee surgery.

There was the ridiculous: Steve Sarkisian, who was fired by USC last season for erratic behavior and alcohol-related incidents and later sued the school, took a job as an offensive analyst for Alabama, the team that had just embarrassed USC and already employs the Trojans coach who preceded him, Lane Kiffin...

More at that top link.

And Sarkisian? The Alabama folks sure know how to pile on the insults. Sark's the second USC head coach to go to 'Bama's program. Sheesh.

Alabama has hired Steve Sarkisian as an offensive analyst https://t.co/mSRyEWPFIX pic.twitter.com/IfQkNDdzKH

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) September 6, 2016

Charlotte McKinney Bikini Body on the Beach in Hawaii

At London's Daily Mail, "PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: Charlotte McKinney parades her killer body in coral string bikini while enjoying the Hawaiian sun and surf."

Caroline Wozniacki Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Bodypainting (VIDEO)

Watch, via Sports Illustrated, "Caroline Wozniacki Bodypainting Swimsuit 2016 - Sports Illustrated Swimsuit," and "Caroline Wozniacki's SI Swimsuit 2016 Outtakes - Sports Illustrated Swimsuit."

BONUS: "Kerber beats Wozniacki to reach U.S. Open final after capturing World No. 1 ranking."

Donald Trump Says Hillary Clinton Could Shoot Someone and Not Be Prosecuted (VIDEO)

Look, I don't doubt it.

As it is she's a criminal walking free right now.

At the New York Times (via Memeorandum), "Donald Trump Says Hillary Clinton Wouldn't Be Prosecuted Even if She Shot Someone."

'Need You Now'

Lady Antebellum hosted the Academy of Country Music Honors last night.

The award winners are here.

And from yesterday, at CBS This Morning, "Lady Antebellum reflects on road to hosting ACM Honors."

Dangers Rise as America Retreats

From awesome patriots Dick Cheney and Liz Cheney, at WSJ:

Fifteen years ago this Sunday, nearly 3,000 Americans were killed in the deadliest attack on the U.S. homeland in our history. A decade and a half later, we remain at war with Islamic terrorists. Winning this war will require an effort of greater scale and commitment than anything we have seen since World War II, calling on every element of our national power.

Defeating our enemies has been made significantly more difficult by the policies of Barack Obama. No American president has done more to weaken the U.S., hobble our defenses or aid our adversaries.

President Obama has been more dedicated to reducing America’s power than to defeating our enemies. He has enhanced the abilities, reach and finances of our adversaries, including the world’s leading state sponsor of terror, at the expense of our allies and our own national security. He has overseen a decline of our own military capabilities as our adversaries’ strength has grown.

Our Air Force today is the oldest and smallest it has ever been. In January 2015, then-Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno testified that the Army was as unready as it had been at any other time in its history. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert testified similarly that, “Navy readiness is at its lowest point in many years.”

Nearly half of the Marine Corps’ non-deployed units—the ones that respond to unforeseen contingencies—are suffering shortfalls, according to the commandant of the Corps, Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. For the first time in decades, American supremacy in key areas can no longer be assured.

The president who came into office promising to end wars has made war more likely by diminishing America’s strength and deterrence ability. He doesn’t seem to understand that the credible threat of military force gives substance and meaning to our diplomacy. By reducing the size and strength of our forces, he has ensured that future wars will be longer, and put more American lives at risk.

Meanwhile, the threat from global terrorist organizations has grown. Nicholas Rasmussen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, told the House Homeland Security Committee in July that, “As we approach 15 years since 9/11, the array of terrorist actors around the globe is broader, wider and deeper than it has been at any time since that day.” Despite Mr. Obama’s claim that ISIS has been diminished, John Brennan, Mr. Obama’s CIA director, told the Senate Intelligence Committee in June that, “Our efforts have not reduced the group’s terrorism capability or global reach.”

The president’s policies have contributed to our enemies’ advance...

Keep reading.

And ICYMI, "Jihad Terror Threat Now Worse Than 9/11 (VIDEO)."

Kristen Keogh's Saturday Forecast

It's overcast right now, although it warmed up pretty nicely yesterday.

It's awesome September weather, frankly.

Here's Ms. Kristen, via ABC News 10 San Diego:

Jihad Terror Threat Now Worse Than 9/11 (VIDEO)

At great piece from Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton, at USA Today:

Kean & Hamilton: Terror #jihad threat worse now than in 2001. #September11 https://t.co/WQmP9PIDk1

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) September 9, 2016

And watch, Sebastian Gorka at Fox News:

Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Instant Camera

One of the "fun" bestselling products at Amazon. And it comes in all kinds of colors, including sky blue and "fun" pink." (Heh, gotta keep that gay SSM demographic happy.)

Shop Amazon bestsellers here.

BONUS: More cameras at Amazon, "Receive a $200 credit with a select camera purchase: Buy one or more qualifying cameras below between August 21, 2016 and October 01, 2016 and get a $200 credit toward a future purchase in the Camera, Photo & Video Store."

Kendall Jenner for Vogue Germany

She's a good lady.

At London's Daily Mail:

Kendall Jenner frees the nipple for German Vogue 🙈 https://t.co/OtFN3cPL1B pic.twitter.com/74xdNFTcsm

— Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) September 9, 2016

BONUS: "Witchy woman! Kendall Jenner rocks voluminous black curls and ghostly blue skin tone in Marc Jacobs' latest wild advert."

'Basket of Deplorables'

At Bloomberg, "Clinton Calls Trump’s Supporters ‘Basket of Deplorables’."

Needless to say, Clinton's slur got lots of attention on Twitter yesterday.

At her fundraiser tonight, Clinton says there are two types of Trump voters: half are in the "basket of deplorables" pic.twitter.com/OSjalkNXar

— Ruby Cramer (@rubycramer) September 10, 2016

Probably wise not to muse about those who endure by clinging to guns & religion https://t.co/YgsfdhLZgr

— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) September 10, 2016

Recent meetings of "The Patriotic #Deplorables " pic.twitter.com/Sv7KVeBkJg

— TheLastRefuge (@TheLastRefuge2) September 10, 2016

Added: From Frank Luntz, "Tonight, Hillary Clinton just had her "47 percent" moment. Expect poll numbers to get even tighter after this one. #Deplorables."

Andrei Lankov, The Real North Korea

At Amazon, The Real North Korea: Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia.

North Korea has been a topic in my American government classes, so I'm intrigued about related readings. Besides, the Hermit Kingdom's in the news. See the New York Times, "A Big Blast in North Korea, and Big Questions on U.S. Policy."

Dear Mark Zuckerberg

At Norway's Aftenposten, "Dear Mark":

I am writing this to inform you that I shall not comply with your requirement to remove this picture.

Dear Mark Zuckerberg https://t.co/Rs16O7JEFy #aftenposten pic.twitter.com/ys8gZTY7Hc

— Espen Egil Hansen (@eghan) September 8, 2016

Also at USA Today, "Facebook reinstates iconic photo of 'napalm girl'."

I hate Zuckerberg. And I don't "hate" very often. But that's the emotion that comes to me right now. I just hate that dude.

NeverTrumpers and the Future of the Republic

From David Finch, at FrontPage Magazine:

Many NeverTrumpers espouse the sentiment that, by not voting for Trump, they are keeping their integrity intact and staying true to their principles.  Good Lord, the high mightiness of it all.

Is this really a matter of integrity?  Or is it hubris?

Think of the Constitutional Convention.  One of the main bones of contention was the issue of the slave trade, indeed of slavery itself.  Of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, about 25 owned slaves.  There were northern delegates that were adamantly opposed to slavery and many others that demanded federal regulation of the slave trade.

Whatever one thinks of Trump and his stance, for instance, on “free trade,” it pales in comparison to the issue of human bondage and the slave trade.  The Founders were arguing over issues much more paramount than Donald Trump’s “temperament.”  And yet, they came together with a compromise that codified and indeed, strengthened slavery, at least in the short term.  Why?

he answer is simple.  Divided, America would fall, to be carved up by European powers, and the nation we know as the United States would never have existed.  There was tremendous debate and huge disagreement over a great number of issues during the Constitutional Convention, slavery and the slave trade only being one of them.

Is this analogy overly dramatic?  I don’t think so.  Too many conservatives have a complete lack of understanding of the Left, their intentions and purpose and their utterly destructive goals.  Hillary Clinton, Tim Kaine and the rest of the leadership of the Democratic Party have run far afield of the Party of JFK, Harry Truman and even Jimmy Carter.  The Party is now led by hard core Alinskyite Leftists who, if they win, will complete the transformation that Barack Obama has started.  He has only been partially successful, but he has set the table and Hillary, getting her due, is, if nothing else very dogged and determined.  She will complete the task.  Forget the scandals and corruption for the moment; they are only devices for her and the Party to secure power.  It is power that the Left seeks, power to destroy what American represents.  To ignore the Democratic Party’s true intentions while refusing to vote for Trump under the guise of “principle” could be the fatal flaw which leads to the downfall of our Republic.

A Union was forged despite the vast gulf between those dedicated to freedom and those supporting slavery, solely because the Founders were men that were able to set aside their differences and their own stances of principle and pride.  Oh that we had such men with us today that were not easily consumed by their own hubris.

Police Photos Show 4-Year-Old Boy in Vehicle with Two Adults Overdosing on Herion

I hate drugs.

Starting with marijuana, which is a proven gateway to harder drugs, including marijuana.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Cops: Photos of 4-year-old boy with overdosed adults show heroin scourge."

Cops: Photos of 4-year-old boy with overdosed adults show heroin scourge https://t.co/Q4H3iFxYGf

— L.A. Times News 24/7 (@latimesfirehose) September 9, 2016

I Didn't Watch Last Night's Commander-in-Chief Forum

I didn't even know a "Commander-in-Chief Forum" was scheduled. In contrast, I can't wait to watch the first presidential debate, on Monday, September 26th. Indeed, I'm fired up about it.

At any rate, Matt Lauer came under heavy fire today, especially from angry leftists, heh.

See Michael Calderone, at PuffHo, "Matt Lauer Failed the Moderator Test."

More at Memorandum.

RELATED: From Stephen Green, at Instapundit, "ANGRY MOB OF WHITE JOURNALISTS TRYING TO INTIMIDATE A BLACK MAN..." You gotta click through to appreciate it.

Karolina Pliskova Beats Serena Williams at U.S. Open

Nothing lasts forever, namely Serena's No. 1 reign.

At USA Today, "Serena Williams stunned by Karolina Pliskova in U.S. Open semifinals."

And at WaPo, "Serena Williams loses in U.S. Open semis for 2nd year in row."

Karolina Pliskova: 4th woman to defeat both Williams sisters in the same Grand Slam with a 6-2, 7-6 win over Serena. pic.twitter.com/tfiGhSdm7i

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 9, 2016

'What is Aleppo?' (VIDEO)

I'm cutting this guy some slack.

Shoot, the war's gone on so long, it's almost like I yawn at the latest atrocities. Of course I care, but I know nothing's going to happen.

Still, the governor should have known better. He's running for president.

At NYT (via Memeorandum), "‘What Is Aleppo?’ Gary Johnson Asks, in an Interview Stumble."

This statement from Gary Johnson is epic. Obtained by @DavidWright_CNN pic.twitter.com/y1vjx2n15X

— Ashley Killough (@KilloughCNN) September 8, 2016

Mao Zedong Died Forty Years Ago; China Still Stuggles With His Monstrous Legacy

I don't like Mao.

Ten of millions died under his regime, perhaps more than 65 million people altogether

I shudder at how leftists insist China --- not to mention the Soviet Union --- wasn't really "communist." So-called "actually existing socialism" perverted and abandoned true communism (basically, utopian Marxism was never really tried), or so they say.

That's all lies. Monstrous lies, from the monstrous left.

In any case, from Sergey Radchenko, at Foreign Policy, "Mao the Man, Mao the God":

Mao Zedong was dying a slow, agonizing death. Diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in July 1974, he gradually lost control of his motor functions. His gait was unsure. He slurred his speech and panted heavily. The decline was precipitous. In 1956 Mao, then 62 years old, predicted he’d live until year 2000 before going up “to see Marx in Heaven.” In 1966 the septuagenarian swam in the murky waters of the Yangtze River to demonstrate his strength and vitality. But by 1976, on the 27th and final year of his reign, the “Great Helmsman” could breathe only when lying on his side, surrounded by doctors and nurses.

In his final months, Mao rarely received visitors. One of the last foreigners to see him alive was New Zealand’s Prime Minister Robert Muldoon, on April 30, 1976. The record of their conversation comes from New Zealand’s archives, and has just been published for the first time.

Before he was allowed to see the Chairman, his Chinese hosts asked Muldoon to be gentle with his handshake. According to Muldoon’s record, Mao “was assisted, almost lifted, from his armchair to a standing position,” to shake hands with him and his party only to “slump back in it in a state of seeming collapse.”

“What emerged from Mao’s mouth,” the record continues – “were occasional grunts and groans as he struggled to get out the necessary word. The interpreter/nurse, intelligent and gentle, would decipher these noises – sometimes seeming to peer into his larynx – and decipher them (presumably in Mandarin) to a male interpreter who put them into polished, often colloquial, English.” It was a sorry and shocking sight, and a poignant reminder of the horrific consequences of a man’s failure to part with political power.

Just days after meeting Muldoon, Mao suffered a heart attack, then one more in June, then again in early September. He died on September 9, at the age of 82.

It took years for Beijing to walk back the deification of the People’s Republic founding leader – to show that he was in fact “Man, Not God,” as the English language title of a Mao biography written by the leader’s former chief of bodyguards has it.

But the Chinese, and Mao himself, could be almost forgiven for thinking otherwise – especially during Mao’s last decade.

“Long live Chairman Mao! Love live Chairman Mao Zedong! Long, long live Chairman Mao!” Adulating worshippers crowded Tiananmen Square in the center of Beijing, hoping for a glimpse of Mao’s friendly and imperious face. By launching the Cultural Revolution in 1966, Mao wanted to tap into the Chinese people’s enthusiasm for him to feed the fading vigor of Communist revolution and to transform the ruling Chinese Communist Party – which he felt had grown rotten on the inside.

The Cultural Revolution upended China, causing chaos and misery. The mob ruled the streets in a hysterical orgy of violence. Hundreds of thousands were killed or driven to suicide, among them China’s president and Mao’s rival Liu Shaoqi, who died in prison in 1969. Mao delighted in the storm he unleashed. “All under the heaven is great chaos,” he told an Australian Communist visitor in 1968, linking unrest in China with student demonstrations in Europe and in the United States. China, Mao felt, was at the center of a new global revolution.

But it did not take long before Mao’s delight turned to disillusionment. In 1969 he called on the army to restore a semblance of order, appointing Minister of Defense Lin Biao as his heir-apparent. But Lin Biao, too, disappointed Mao. In 1971 he fled north after the uncovering of his son’s plot to assassinate Mao. Lin never made it: his plane crashed in Mongolia.

Aware of unleashing a chaos that he was no longer able to control, and fearful of Soviet invasion, Mao turned to the United States...

Still more.

And if you haven't yet, pick up your copy of The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression.

In other words, get the full story.

Shop Today

Hey, if you're doing any shopping online today, clicking through at my Amazon links is always appreciated.

I'm teaching all day. More blogging tonight and over the weekend.

Meanwhile, shop for books or whatnot.

Shop Kitchen & Housewares.

Also, Game Day Entertainment and Dining.

And, KIND Bars, Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt, Gluten Free, 1.4 Ounce Bars, 12 Count.

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

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

'Paint It Black'

The Sound L.A. axed "Mark in the Morning" last month.

At the O.C. Register, "Mark Thompson announces an emotional goodbye from Southern California morning radio."

The funny thing is, I was just starting to get used to the show. I know, I complained about not having enough music in the morning, but you get used to the shtick. Mark Thompson put on a pretty good gig.

In any case, the station decided to get back to more rock and roll, around the clock. Now Andy Chanley's on for the morning drive-time, with Gina Grad.

In any case, here's the Rolling Stone's from Tuesday, "Paint it Black":

Carry On Wayward Son
Kansas
7:17 AM

Barracuda
Heart
7:05 AM

Paint It Black
The Rolling Stones
7:01 AM

The Boys of Summer
Don Henley
6:55 AM

Cinnamon Girl
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
6:52 AM

Low Rider
War
6:39 AM

Panama
Van Halen
6:35 AM

DON'T FEAR THE REAPER
B.O.C.
6:22 AM

Proud Mary
Creedence Clearwater Revival
6:19 AM

Brass In Pocket
Pretenders
6:08 AM

Stand Back
Stevie Nicks
6:03 AM

Racist Denmark

Remember my post from February, "Rotten in Denmark: 'Growing domestic consensus that large-scale Muslim immigration is incompatible with European social democracy...'"?

Well, things are still pretty rotten over there, and racist, apparently. Or at least the Danish have abandoned any pretense of political correctness, instead calling out the massive influx of Islamic refugees as an existential threat to Danish society and culture.

This is a really blunt expose, at NYT:

‘I’ve Become a Racist’: Migrant Wave Unleashes Danish Tensions Over Identity. #Denmark #Refugees #Islam https://t.co/DTnB9l2pVw

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) September 7, 2016

Kelly Gale Playboy Miss September (VIDEO)

Following-up from a few weeks back, "Kelly Gale Playboy September Cover Model (PHOTOS)."

An Emerging Alliance Between Neocons and Hillary?

From Paul Gottfried, at FrontPage Magazine, "THE HYSTERICAL LEFT AND THE REST OF US":

Last week in Commentary, neocon publicist Noah Rothman brazenly or stupidly denied the obvious. Having learned that Hillary Clinton, in a speech before the American Foreign Legion, trotted out such phrases as “America the indispensable nation” and “American the exceptional nation,” Rothman attributes the belief that the Democratic candidate is a “closet neo-conservative” to the “hysterical left.” Rothman assails a nutcase Left for what may be self-evident to the rest of us: “It is in Clinton’s implicit admission that the next president must begin the work of repairing the damage done to geopolitical stability and American preeminence by Barack Obama that has them in a tizzy. But that’s not neoconservatism; it’s not even ideological. It is simply reality.” Further: “The left isn’t just furious at Clinton for failing to denounce her neo-conservative endorsers; they’re aggravated by the fact that she’s undermining Barack Obama’s legacy.”

The Left may have discerned a very real connection between Hillary and her “neo-conservative endorsers.” These endorsers come in two kinds: the outright toadies like Max Boot and Robert Kagan who have jumped aboard the Hillary express; and those “conservative” publicists like Erick Erickson, Kevin Williamson, Bill Kristol, George Will and Jonah Goldberg who are doing everything humanly possible to blacken the reputation and political viability of Hillary’s opponent, without explicitly declaring for Shrillery. It is also totally disingenuous to ascribe the obvious conclusion entirely to critics on the Left. The Right that is supporting Trump has assumed the same thing as “the hysterical left” about the neocons’ extremely cozy relation to Hillary.

Rothman engages in more mystification when he tells us that Hillary is embracing “reality” when she sounds like a neocon, without really being one.  But Rothman’s “simply reality” is profoundly “ideological,” his denials not to the contrary, and he asserts, even more misleadingly, that what he represents is a “conservative foreign policy.” Rothman’s “conservative foreign policy” means of course a neoconservative one, of the kind we encounter in explicitly neoconservative publications. But most Americans who view themselves as being on the Right might have second thoughts about Rothman’s “conservative” policy.

They might believe like Trump that we should destroy ISIS and stand by proven allies but unlike Commentary, Weekly Standard and the National Endowment for Democracy, these Americans whom Rothman pretends don’t exist are not interested in nation-building or exporting the present version of American liberal democracy to the far flung corners of the globe. Trump wins the support of such people because he seems to be reviving a realistic foreign policy (although I wish he would articulate it more consistently). There is nothing even vaguely “conservative” about what the neoconservatives intend to do internationally. Nor can I find anything that distinguishes them from Hillary on social policy. Whether the subject is immigration, gay marriage, or the rest of the LGBT agenda, neoconservative publicists stand with the Democrats or are at least delighted to accommodate them. Even more importantly, they don’t give a damn what kind of wackos President Clinton would appoint to federal courts.

Lest I be accused of painting with overly broad strokes, I should point out that some public figures long associated with the neocons have disengaged and are now enthusiastically backing Trump. Presumably these erstwhile friends of the neoconservatives, including Bill Bennett, John Bolton, Rudolph Giuliani, Newt Gingrich and David Horowitz, have ceased to be “conservatives” in the way in which the neocons would apply that term. That designation is now reserved for the Never-Trumpers and Hillary’s neocon advisers.  This may be a dishonest move but it’s also a daring one. Given their vast media resources and relatively cordial relations with the liberal Left, especially since they’ve begun to work directly or indirectly for Hillary, neoconservatives who are fighting Trump or have declared for the Democratic candidate may still be able to shape the “conservative” public conversation. In the 1980s the founding generation of neoconservatives managed to occupy the establishment Right and to neutralize opposition on the Right. In the end, they used their extensive media and philanthropic contacts to become the most powerful force in the conservative movement.

But this success may be hard to match in the present circumstances. For one thing, as the commentator David Goldman (Spengler) has observed, the parents of John Podhoretz and Bill Kristol were much more talented, resourceful leaders than those who are now running the family business. Bill Kristol “makes the mistake of thinking that he still matters.” He heads a movement that engages “in cultish self-adoration” and which has been consistently foolish in its statements about foreign policy, especially when young Kristol compared the disastrous Arab spring to the American founding. Spengler also expresses disapproval for the infantile fashion in which the neoconservatives have “crushed dissent ruthlessly and declared anathema upon anyone who questioned them,” or at least on anyone on the Right who questions their doctrinal authority.

The neocon second generation are also hemorrhaging what is left of their older advocates, much of whom have defected to Trump and the populist Right. These older allies have been among the more prominent and more articulate representatives of their side; and what is left of the neocon camp is now being led by self-absorbed mediocrities, who, as Spengler notes, inherited the status they never worked for and for which they lack serious qualifications. Others in their camp may find it hard to pretend to be “conservatives,” except for being associated with a neoconservative foreign policy that is in no way conservative. Despite all their media and philanthropic assets, the minicons are not working from the same strength as those who set up their movement and brought it to power.

In fact these clumsy operators are setting the stage for a new alliance on Right that may eventually sideline them. This front is slowly taking shape around Trump’s campaign; and whether or not he wins, a Right that stands in opposition to the second generation of neoconservatives is already emerging. In all likelihood this movement will be far more successful in gaining influence and media accessibility than was the Old Right of the 1990s, of which I was a frustrated part. Although purges have been a constant aspect of the conservative establishment, particularly since the neocons took it over in the late 1980s, this ostracizing process may not work anymore against the critics of Jonah, Noah, Rich and Erick. The personalities on the other side may be too prominent to be simply purged or denied the use of the “conservative” label. Some things do change; and unfortunately for Commentary, this may be one of them.

Actually, Commentary remains my favorite magazine on the conservative right. It's just that I'm waiting for this electoral season to blow over, and hopefully for things to get more back to normal. Of course, if Trump wins things may never be normal again on the right, but I won't worry too much about it: the Democrat-left will be out of power by then.

And by the way, I think I align with the older neocons, especially Norman Podhoretz, who is awesome. Frankly, I don't care much for John Podhoretz or Bill Kristol, the latter whom especially seems to have lost his marbles.

Hat Tip: Blazing Cat Fur.

'Medical Humanities in the Digital Age' at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

After reading this piece at the College Fix, "Professors tell students: Drop class if you dispute man-made climate change," I sent the following email to the instructors of the course, as well as the university administration:

Hello Chancellor Shockley-Zalabak:

According to an article at the College Fix, your campus will offer an online course called "Medical Humanities in the Digital Age" for the fall semester.

Apparently, the faculty members leading the course have sent enrolled students an email indicating, "The point of departure for this course is based on the scientific premise that human induced climate change is valid and occurring. We will not, at any time, debate the science of climate change, nor will the ‘other side’ of the climate change debate be taught or discussed in this course..."

The email goes on to tell enrolled students to, essentially, GTFO if you don't agree with the ideological agenda of this course.

This is an absolutely pathetic case of all the worst of institutional progressivism in American academe. For the record, the science of anthropomorphic global warming is not settled. In fact, the idea that "97 percent of scientists" agree with the hypothesis of man-made climate change is nothing more than an urban legend. The earth's climate has been changing for millions of years. We're currently in a long warming period that began in the 19th century. The question of humanity's carbon consumption contributing to changes in the global climate remains a matter of scientific investigation.

Moreover, to suggest, in a university course, that there should be no debate on a topic of great public interest and import is in fact the epitome of anti-science and irrationalism. Such statements of refusal to consider opposing ideas, much less to answer questions or concerns of skeptics, is the height of intolerance and anti-intellectualism.

I hope that you and your administration will think long and hard about the reputation that is accruing to your institution in light of the news of this course offering. No self-respecting scientist or scholar would dare be associated with such close-minded snobbery. I further hope that you and your administration are taking appropriate steps to remedy this shameful episode, and to restore the integrity of your school's standing as an institution of higher learning.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Donald Kent Douglas, Ph.D.
Irvine, California

Please join me in sharing your thoughts with the course instructors and the administration. The university's home page is here.

More, from Anthony Watts, "Intolerance by the Climate Thought Police at University of Colorado."

Deal of the Day: FoodSaver Vacuum Sealing System

At Amazon, FoodSaver 4840 2-in-1 Automatic Vacuum Sealing System with Bonus Built-in Retractable Handheld Sealer, Starter Kit, Heat-Seal and Zipper Bags.

Plus, Save on Classic Jewelry.

And, Save Up to 20% on Books.

BONUS: James McBride, Kill 'em and Leave : Searching for James Brown and the American Soul.

Hannah Ferguson, Samantha Hoopes, and Barbara Palvin in Strongman Competition (VIDEO)

Making sure readers get their babe-blogging fill for the day, heh.

Via Sports Illustrated:

Efforts to End Death Row in California

I've got to bone up on this. We've got two competing voter initiatives on the November ballot.

At LAT, "On death row, the effort to end the state's death penalty stirs both anxiety and apathy."

Wednesday Mini-Roundup

At Maggie's Farm, "Wednesday morning links."

And Egotastic!, "Hotter Than Hot: Miranda Kerr (VIDEO)."

Also, at the Other McCain, "Update From The Patriarchy™."

At Instapundit, "CHAOS UMPIRE RULES: Colleges Respond to Racial Tensions By Making Them Worse."

More, from Director Blue, "Larwyn's Linx: This Is Why You Don't See Hillary Much; This is the Flight 93 Election."

At S & L, "After Ten Years, Sweetness & Light Is Taking ‘A Hiatus’."

Sultan Knish, "Obama's Crime Against the Victims of ISIS."

At American Digest, "Fire on The Ridge: Even If You Live in Paradise It Can Quickly Become Hell."

Theo's, "Radical Islam in Decline?"

BONUS: At BCF, "BREAKING: Police Attacked By Knifeman In Terror-Hit Brussels Suburb."

PHOTO: Sabine Jemeljanova.

Reading Exodus

I read this book 30 years ago, but I picked up an old paperback copy while out used-bookstore shopping over the Labor Day weekend.

I'm already well into it.

At Amazon, Leon Uris, Exodus.

I love reading old-fashioned paperback books. I never go anywhere without a book.

Summer Never Ends

The "Bikini a Day" ladies, Natasha Oakley and Devin Brugman:

"In the beginning, in our apartment, even the kitchen cupboards were filled with bikinis."👙https://t.co/RODK9qRb8J pic.twitter.com/tfCLhzqSzO

— A Bikini A Day (@ABikiniADay) September 2, 2016

Ms. EBL Posting Pokies

Heh.

Ms. EBL liked my post from the other day, "Alessandra Ambrosio In Beverly Hills."

See, "There is a slight chill in the air..."

And you gotta love Rosie Huntington-Whiteley:

Alex Jones Remembers Phyllis Schlafly (VIDEO)

Following-up from Monday, "Phyllis Schlafly Has Died."

At InfoWars:

Zika Spraying in Florida (VIDEO)

At CBS This Morning:

Poll Vaulting: The Spurious Rise and Fall in College Football Rankings

I tweeted yesterday, A.P.'s college football rankings:

.@lamblock Texas ranked in AP Poll for 1st time with Coach Charlie Strong: https://t.co/xeWXYd8e7a cc. @PatriarchTree #Dawgs #RollTide

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) September 7, 2016

And this morning, at LAT. I'm surprised how much some of these rankings shifted:

As college football teams rise and fall in polls, don't discount those preseason opinions https://t.co/jmgjGm3GcZ

— L.A. Times Sports (@latimessports) September 6, 2016

ITT Technical Institute Shuts Down Operations at More Than 130 Campuses Nationwide

Uncle Sam pulled its federal student loans, and with the spigot gone dry, ITT went belly up.

Is there a better example of the federal student loan racket?

At LAT, "ITT Tech shuts down all its schools; one student says he's 'angry times 10 million'."

Glenn Greenwald: Leftist Media Protect Hillary Clinton (VIDEO)

I don't love Greenwald, although at least he's consistent.

At the Intercept, "The Unrelenting Pundit-Led Effort to Delegitimize All Negative Reporting About Hillary Clinton."

Journalists have dispensed with fake neutrality when reporting on Trump. But they shouldn't ignore Clinton's flaws. https://t.co/HZlv9pzJcE

— The Intercept (@theintercept) September 6, 2016

Jackie Johnson's Beautiful September Forecast

Well, it was absolutely perfect weather today.

I love this time of year.

Here's Ms. Jackie, via CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Fox News Settles With Gretchen Carlson; Greta Van Susteren Abrubtly Quits the Network

I taught political science all day, but did catch this headline at some point.

At NYT, "Fox Settles With Gretchen Carlson Over Roger Ailes Sex Harassment Claims."

Carlson settled for $20 million, which is freakin huge.

And Greta quit the network, apparently over contract negotiations --- and a release clause made her departure time sensitive. She tweeted earlier that the time to go was now.

I really like Greta. I hope she lands another network gig. She's so sweet and unassuming.

And see Hadas Gold, at Politico as well:

From my Facebook page pic.twitter.com/9kZdRVjViZ

— Greta Van Susteren (@greta) September 6, 2016

Greta Van Susteren abruptly leaves Fox Newshttps://t.co/sjJyLydqTw

— Hadas Gold (@Hadas_Gold) September 6, 2016

Added: There's a lot of detail at this CNN report, "Why Greta Van Susteren is leaving Fox News so suddenly."

I've Finished Alice Goffman's, On the Run

I really recommend it.

It's just a fascinating book, and Ms. Goffman's a fascinating scholar.

At Amazon, On the Run: Fugitive Life in an American City.

And don't miss the defense of Ms. Goffman, at the New York Times, "The Trials of Alice Goffman."

Shop Amazon: Bushnell Powerview Compact Folding Binoculars

These are some nice binoculars, and inexpensive.

At Amazon, Bushnell Powerview Compact Folding Roof Prism Binocular.

Also, in camouflage.

More here, New HD Bird Watching Optics at Unbeatable Prices.

BONUS: Coleman Montana 8-Person Tent.

Rise of the Populists: A Problem for Merkel and Germany

At Der Spiegel, "The state election in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania gave the right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany a significant boost. It is a challenge for Chancellor Merkel and the entire country":

The rise of the right-wing populist AfD party in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is a problem for Merkel and Germany: https://t.co/JSae52FwfS

— SPIEGEL English (@SPIEGEL_English) September 5, 2016

From a national political perspective, the eastern German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, with its sparse population of 1.6 million, is a lightweight and largely meaningless. Usually. But this time around, following state parliament elections held there on Sunday, the situation is different. This vote, after all, was essentially a referendum on Chancellor Angela Merkel and her policies, which makes it quite meaningful indeed.

The results of that referendum don't look good for Merkel. Her center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) lost four percentage points relative to the last time the state's voters went to the polls in 2011 for a result of just 19 percent -- while the right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany (AfD) brought in fully 20.8 percent of the vote. The party didn't even exist five years ago.

To be sure, the CDU hasn't done particularly well in the state for 20 years, but it is home to the chancellor's own parliamentary constituency, which means that the AfD has essentially staged a revolution in Merkel's backyard. And it did so by turning the elections into a single-issue vote: Merkel's refugee policies.

The strategy was so successful that the CDU has been relegated to being just the third-strongest party in the state, behind the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) and the AfD. It marks the first time in Germany that the anti-Merkel party has come out ahead of Merkel's party -- and in some parts of the German leader's electoral district, AfD was the strongest party of all.

For the chancellor, it is a political debacle. Merkel must now come to terms with a challenge at least as monumental as the one which faced her predecessor Gerhard Schröder back in the mid-2000s. Back then, the SPD chancellor found himself trapped between, on the one hand, having to explain his cuts to social welfare benefits and, on the other, the rise of the Left Party, a political movement to the left of the SPD that was fueled by exactly those cuts. In the end, he failed on both counts.

The parallels to Merkel's situation -- a CDU that has been divided by her approach to the refugee crisis combined with the rise of a right-wing protest party -- are significant. But the end doesn't have to be the same. The Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania vote, after all, is only symbolically a debacle for Merkel. Her position as chancellor isn't (yet) at stake.

Emotions over Reason

But the returns on Sunday made clear that an increasing number of voters, at least in Germany's east, are turning their backs on the established, democratic party system. Furthermore, it doesn't seem to matter much if the economy is improving, cities are being renewed and the tourist sector is doing well, all of which are the case in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which has been structurally weak since German reunification in 1990. And it is possible for a party to campaign on fears of refugees even in a state that very few foreigners call home.

In short, emotions would seem to have triumphed over reason. Facts took a back seat.

It is precisely here that the challenge lies for Merkel, a politician who has always staked her political success on clear arguments based on facts and figures. She will have to do more explaining and more communicating -- and she will have to embed her policies within an approachable, meaningful framework in order to keep her party behind her. She may also have to take a few rhetorical steps toward the CDU's Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), which has been sharply critical of her stance on the refugee issue. That could include admitting that she has made some missteps...

I expect her to double down, and she may well decide not to seek reelection, leaving office satisfied that her administration did the humanitarian thing. She'll leave to her successors to clean up the mess. Fortunately, Germany's wealthy and prosperous. It'll work out for them. Perhaps not so much for all the other European countries who were brought along for the refugee ride, largely against their interests.

More.