Marine Le Pen Interview

This woman is absolutely phenomenal.

I admire her more than any other world leader short of Benjamin Netanyahu.

At Foreign Affairs, "France’s Next Revolution? A Conversation With Marine Le Pen":

Marine Le Pen tells Foreign Affairs, "anyone would be better than Hillary Clinton." https://t.co/GIgw2MryPI

— Foreign Affairs (@ForeignAffairs) October 19, 2016

As the youngest daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of the right-wing French political party the National Front, Marine Le Pen grew up in politics, starting to campaign with her father at 13. Trained as a lawyer, she won her first election in 1998, as a regional councilor, and in 2011, she succeeded her father as party leader. She soon distanced herself from his more extreme positions, and eventually—after he reiterated his claim that the Holocaust was a “detail” of history—she expelled him from its ranks. These days, in the wake of the European migrant crisis, the terrorist attacks in Paris and Nice, and the Brexit vote, Le Pen’s nationalist, Euroskeptical, anti-immigrant message is selling well. Recent polls show her as a leading candidate for the presidency in 2017, with respondents preferring her two to one over the Socialist incumbent, François Hollande. Le Pen spoke with Foreign Affairs’ deputy managing editor Stuart Reid in Paris in September.

Antiestablishment parties, including the National Front, are gaining ground across Europe. How come?

I believe that all people aspire to be free. For too long, the people of the countries in the European Union, and perhaps Americans as well, have had a sense that political leaders are not defending their interests but defending special interests instead. There is a form of revolt on the part of the people against a system that is no longer serving them but rather serving itself.

Are there common factors behind Donald Trump’s success in the United States and yours here in France?

Yes. I see particular commonalities in the rise of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. Both reject a system that appears to be very selfish, even egocentric, and that has set aside the people’s aspirations. I draw a parallel between the two, because they are both success stories. Even though Bernie Sanders didn’t win, his emergence wasn’t predicted. In many countries, there is this current of being attached to the nation and rejecting untamed globalization, which is seen as a form of totalitarianism. It’s being imposed at all costs, a war against everybody for the benefit of a few.

When asked recently who you supported in the U.S. election, you said, “Anyone but Hillary.” So do you support Trump?

I was quite clear: in my view, anyone would be better than Hillary Clinton. I aim to become president of the French Republic, so I am concerned exclusively with the interests of France. I cannot put myself in an American’s shoes and determine whether the domestic policies proposed by one or another candidate suit me. What interests me are the consequences of the political choices made by Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump for France’s situation, economically and in terms of security.

So I would note that Clinton supports TTIP [the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership]. Trump opposes it. I oppose it as well. I would also note that Clinton is a bringer of war in the world, leaving behind her Iraq, Libya, and Syria. This has had extremely destabilizing consequences for my country in terms of the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and the enormous waves of migration now overwhelming the European Union. Trump wants the United States to return to its natural state. Clinton pushes for the extraterritorial application of American law, which is an unacceptable weapon for people who wish to remain independent. All of this tells me that between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, it’s Donald Trump’s policies that are more favorable to France’s interests right now.

The unemployment rate in France now stands at around ten percent, the second highest among the G-7 members. What are the roots of France’s economic malaise, and what solutions do you propose?

These days, everyone is proposing the National Front’s solutions. We recorded a nice ideological victory when I heard [Arnaud] Montebourg [a former economy minister in Hollande’s Socialist government] pleading for “made in France,” which is one of the major pillars of the National Front.

The unemployment rate is much higher than that because there are a bunch of statistical shenanigans going on—involving internships, early retirement, part-time work—that keep a number of French from being counted in the unemployment statistics.

There are a number of reasons for [the high unemployment]. The first is completely free trade, which puts us in an unfair competition with countries that engage in social and environmental dumping, leaving us with no means of protecting ourselves and our strategic companies, unlike in the United States. And in terms of social dumping, the Posted Workers Directive [an EU directive on the free movement of labor] is bringing low-wage employees to France.

The second is the monetary dumping we suffer. The euro—the fact of not having our own money—puts us in an extremely difficult economic situation. The IMF has just said that the euro was overvalued by six percent in France and undervalued by 15 percent in Germany. That’s a gap of 21 percentage points with our main competitor in Europe.

It also has to do with the disappearance of a strategic state. Our very Gaullist state, which supported our industrial champions, has been totally abandoned. France is a country of engineers. It is a country of researchers. But it’s true that it is not a country of businesspeople. And so quite often in history, our big industrial champions were able to develop only thanks to the strategic state. In abandoning this, we are depriving ourselves of a very important lever for development.

*****

Many credit the European Union for preserving the peace since World War II. Why are they wrong?

Because it’s not the European Union that has kept the peace; it’s the peace that has made the European Union possible. This argument has been rehashed repeatedly, and it makes no sense. Regardless, the peace hasn’t been perfect in the European Union, with Kosovo and Ukraine at its doorstep. It’s not so simple.

In fact, the European Union has progressively transformed itself into a sort of European Soviet Union that decides everything, that imposes its views, that shuts down the democratic process. You only have to hear [European Commission President Jean-Claude] Juncker, who said, “There can be no democratic choice against European treaties.” That formulation says everything. We didn’t fight to become a free and independent people during World War I and World War II so that we could no longer be free today just because some of our leaders made that decision for us.

What do you make of Germany’s leadership in recent years?

It was written into the creation of the euro. In reality, the euro is a currency created by Germany, for Germany. It’s a suit that fits only Germany. Gradually, [Chancellor Angela] Merkel sensed that she was the leader of the European Union. She imposed her views. She imposed them in economic matters, but she also imposed them by agreeing to welcome one million migrants to Germany, knowing very well that Germany would sort them out. It would keep the best and let the rest go to other countries in the European Union. There are no longer any internal borders between our countries, which is absolutely unacceptable. The model imposed by Merkel surely works for Germans, but it is killing Germany’s neighbors. I am the anti-Merkel.

What do you think of the state of relations between France and the United States, and what should they be?

Today, French leaders submit so easily to the demands of Merkel and Obama. France has forgotten to defend its interests, including its commercial and industrial ones, in the face of American demands. I am for independence. I am for a France that remains equidistant between the two great powers, Russia and the United States, being neither submissive nor hostile. I want us to once again become a leader for the nonaligned countries, as was said during the de Gaulle era. We have the right to defend our interests, just as the United States has the right to defend its interests, Germany has the right to defend its interests, and Russia has the right to defend its interests...

Still more.

Final Debate Unlikely to Change Minds

Well, yeah, the respective coalitions are pretty well locked in, but still ... perhaps there's a few undecideds out there.

At WSJ, "Voter Support for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Reverts to January Levels":

After all of this year’s election turmoil—the noisy clashes over Donald Trump’s comments on immigrants and women, the  Hillary Clinton email and family foundation controversies—public views of the two candidates have wound up right where they started in January.

Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton are no more liked or disliked than when the year started, nor have more people come to view the prospect of their election with optimism, Wall Street Journal/NBC News polling finds. And in a head-to-head matchup, Mrs. Clinton’s 10-point lead of today is exactly where it stood in January.

Those numbers suggest that while tonight’s debate may produce dramatic moments and big headlines, it is unlikely to change the trajectory of the race. The 2016 election might seem turbulent, with its battle of personalities, hacked emails and late-night tweets. But underneath, there has been more stability than volatility...

Actually, I suspect WSJ/NBC oversampled Democrats in their polling, but the truth will be in the results on November 8th. I'm ready.

Keep reading.

Deal of the Day: Save Big on Select Fiesta Kitchenware

At Amazon, Fiesta 6134M7RO Multi 11-pc Cutlery Set w/ Oak Block.

Plus, Sound Intone I65 Headphones with Microphone and Volume Control for Travel, Work, Sport , Foldable Headset for Iphone and Android Devices (White/gold).

Also, Levi's Men's 501 Original-Fit Jean.

BONUS: Kim R. Holmes, The Closing of the Liberal Mind: How Groupthink and Intolerance Define the Left.

The Case for Trump

From VDH.

Lindsey Pelas on Instagram

At WWTDD, "Lindsey Pelas and Her Ta-Tas Rule Instagram."

Go right to the source here.

Baseball's Booming Television Ratings

Baseball's doing great!

The NFL not so much, lol.

Baseball ratings this year are yuuuge https://t.co/PcBrQmp94q

— Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) October 18, 2016

I'm a Bible-Thumping Etiquette Teacher for Trump

Heh.

I love this.

From Diann Catlin, at USA Today:

I first encountered Donald Trump during the Republican Party primary debates. Night after night as he took on his opponents with vitriol and poorly chosen words, I would tell my husband, “I will NEVER vote for this man. He is simply Rude with a capital R.” I actually loved the night Sen. Marco Rubio dished it back, giving Trump a dose of boys-will-be-boys, and me a dose of front-seat boyish braggadocio.

I am not a reality TV viewer, and having never heard him utter “You’re fired,” I simply began listening to Trump relative to the key issues Americans face. Of course we need to secure the borders, and of course we need to improve job growth in America. We must lower our debt and we certainly must value the life of the unborn child. When I listened to the Trump children (who definitely would have seen their father in both good and bad times) speak of him with respectful reverence, I had to question my early summation of Trump.

Over the years earning a living as an etiquette teacher, I have met and corrected brash and character-challenged individuals. When I decided to vote for Trump, many of my friends said: “You, an etiquette consultant, can vote for someone so uncivil?” The more I encountered Trump in various televised interviews, the more I realized if his prickly corners were carved away, his strength on the issues would surface. I read his list of possible Supreme Court nominees and recalled how Obama’s liberal appointees had voted. I realized judgeship appointments would be crucial in the next years, and that Hillary Clinton would be appointing “Obamaesque” lawyers who would tilt the court even farther left.

I have taught the Bible, God’s Word, verse by verse for over 30 years. I like God’s ways. I know that he creates life in a mother’s womb. I know that he wants words of edification to come from our lips. I also know that he wants discerning believers to take part in government. Honestly, I find it embarrassing when evangelicals do not vote. To use as an excuse against voting that Trump is rude or worldly does not hold water, because God has always used imperfect people for his glory.

When God used David, whom he called a man after his own heart, he used a human David who not only committed adultery but murder. God uses people like Trump and like me who are sinners but whose specific issues, like the life of the unborn child, align with his word.

I kept weighing all I was seeing because deciding not to vote was not an option. One thing I know is that Barack Obama is as far from aligning with Christian values as any president we have ever had. And with 30 years of public service doing little for the issues Christians value, Clinton is simply more of Obama...

Keep reading.

Pre-Debate Handshakes Go Out the Window

This was the first thing I noticed at the last debate. The atmosphere was so tense you could cut it with a knife.

At NYT, "At Previous Debates, Melania Trump and Bill Clinton Shook Hands. Not Anymore":

This intensely antagonistic election has shattered another quaint campaign ritual: the handshakes between opposing candidates’ family members before a debate.

At previous debates, former President Bill Clinton has shaken the hand of Melania Trump — and sometimes the hands of the children of Donald J. Trump — as part of the predebate protocol.

It provides the audience in the room, and the people watching at home, with a moment of graciousness and a touch of celebrity.

But for the final debate, Hillary Clinton’s campaign wants a different setup, according to two people with direct knowledge of the situation who requested anonymity to speak candidly about debate negotiations.

That’s because at the previous debate, on Oct. 9 in St. Louis, the Trump campaign had an elaborate plan to parade three women who accused Mr. Clinton of sexual assault and rape into the family seating area and force Mr. Clinton to shake their hands as he crossed the room.

Had the Trump campaign succeeded, Mr. Clinton would have come face-to-face with the women on national television, a potentially humiliating and excruciating encounter. However, the Commission on Presidential Debates intervened, and the women — Juanita Broaddrick, Paula Jones and Kathleen Willey — never came close to Mr. Clinton.

But the Clinton side is not taking any chances at the final presidential debate, on Wednesday night in Las Vegas, and has apparently gained approval of a different protocol for the entry of the candidates’ spouses and families into the debate hall.

The new arrangement calls for the candidates’ spouses to enter the hall closer to their seats, rather than crossing the room, and each other’s paths.

That would avoid any potential for confrontations, given Mr. Trump’s penchant for dramatic stunts.

On Tuesday, an aide to Mrs. Clinton declined to comment on the change, and aides to Mr. Trump did not respond to an email seeking comment.

It is possible, of course, that further negotiations could result in a different arrangement, if both sides agree, by the time the debate begins at 9 p.m. Eastern.

But the unease over how the candidates’ families interact echoes that of the candidates themselves. At the debate in St. Louis, in a striking departure from tradition, Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Trump did not shake hands at the start, though they did at the conclusion of the 90 minutes.

The Clinton campaign is bracing for other possible Trump surprises at the debate, which seem more likely as the Republican nominee slips further in the polls...

More.

Iraqi and Kurdish Forces Push Closer to Mosul (VIDEO)

Holly Williams reports, for CBS News This Morning:



Also, at LAT, "Iraqi forces face Islamic State snipers, rockets and suicide bombers during Mosul offensive."

Allie Silva, Playboy's Miss October 2016 (VIDEO)

At Playboy, "Meet Miss October 2016 Allie Silva."

Polls Spell Trouble for Donald Trump?

WaPo was out with a 15 state survey yesterday which showed Hillary Clinton with multiple paths to an Electoral College victory. Not so much for Donald Trump, apparently, although I'm not that impressed.

Still, even the Los Angeles Times poll, the huge national outlier, is showing Trump's possibly fatal vulnerabilities.

See, "Even lots of Donald Trump's supporters are starting to think he'll lose the election":

Add another item to Donald Trump’s list of problems: More and more, his own supporters no longer think he can win, the USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times Daybreak poll has found.

As the two presidential nominees prepare for their final debate Wednesday in Las Vegas, the share of Americans who expect a Hillary Clinton victory is at the highest level since the poll began in July. Among Trump supporters, the share who think he will lose has grown significantly over the last month. That’s contributing to an election that increasingly seems headed to a lopsided finish.

The Daybreak poll asks people whom they plan to vote for and which candidate they expect will win. The question of voter expectations has often, although not always, proved to be a more reliable forecaster of election outcomes than asking voters their candidate preference.

Trump still has many fervent supporters who predict he will win, but, particularly among his voters who are college-educated or in higher-income brackets, expectations for a victory have dimmed.

Their optimism has faded as Trump’s standing in the race against Clinton has declined from a high point in mid-September. The Daybreak poll continues to show a small Trump lead, within the survey’s margin of error, while the other major surveys show Clinton ahead. But the surveys all agree on the trend of declining Trump support.

The descent started after the first presidential debate. Despite what some analysts predicted, the public airing of a videotape in which Trump could be heard boasting that he could get away with assaulting women because of his celebrity did not trigger a meltdown of his poll standing.

In the last few days, his support has shown signs of stabilizing at a lower level. That could mean Trump’s backing has reached a floor, although the evidence is not yet definitive.

In the polling averages, Trump receives support from about 41% of voters in a two-way matchup with Clinton and is a couple of percentage points lower in polls that include third-party candidates. That puts him in the range of lopsided losers including former Vice President Walter F. Mondale, who got 41% and lost 49 states to President Reagan in 1984, and Sen. Barry Goldwater, who took 38% against President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964’s Democratic landslide.

The country’s partisan division has hardened since those contests, and many more states align solidly with one party or the other. As a result, as the electoral map shows, even a Republican candidate with historically low levels of support can count on winning about 20 states with just short of 160 electoral votes and probably a few more than that. Clinton holds leads in states with 279 electoral votes — more than the 270 needed to win the White House — while five states remain too close to predict.

The decline in Trump’s standing, albeit small, has been enough to bolster Clinton’s edge in the largest of those toss-up states, Florida, where she has led in 10 consecutive polls over the last two weeks. Polling averages show her ahead by about 4 points there. Trump’s decline has also been enough to put at least one traditionally Republican state, Arizona, into the toss-up category.

The declining share of Trump voters who expect a victory could pose further problems for him. Expectations matter to campaign operatives, who try strenuously to project confidence about winning out of concern that voter beliefs about a loss can become self-fulfilling.

Keep reading.

Daina Ramey Berry, The Price for Their Pound of Flesh

Out January 24, 2017, at Amazon, The Price for Their Pound of Flesh: The Value of the Enslaved, from Womb to Grave, in the Building of a Nation.

And see her op-ed at the New York Times, "Nat Turner’s Skull and My Student’s Purse of Skin."

7-Year-Old Girl Tells the World That Down Syndrome Is 'Not Scary'

ABC 7 Los Angeles' Leanne Suter tweeted this beautiful story.

Also, on YouTube.

Voting for Jill Stein?

Not me, but I gotta say her attacks on Hillary Clinton are epic.

At Vox, "I’m voting for Jill Stein. It’s a moral choice. It reflects who I am as a person."

Hillary's Hacked Emails Present Grim Picture of the Woman Who's Supposed to Be Our Savior

This is awesome.

I'm surprised USA Today even published this letter.

See, "Don’t blame the hackers, blame the perpetrators: Your Say":

Let me start by saying both candidates are horrid and flawed. I cannot believe, as Americans, this is the best we can do to represent both parties in an election. Be that as it may, I agree with your comment saying that “if you fear something will become public, don’t do it” in the editorial “What WikiLeaks hack says about Clinton.” However, to bemoan the Russian government as seeking to damage democracy is going a bit far. I am not a Donald Trump fan but I am thankful that Russia (or whoever) hacked these emails and has exposed Hillary Clinton as the sneaky, conniving, lying person she is. Just as I am glad The New York Times exposed Trump.

People do not regret their crimes unless they’re caught, and this is what it’s all about. The Democratic National Committee and Clinton’s staff got caught and they’re embarrassed by it. If this is influencing the election by exposing the ever elusive truth, then I am all for it.

We all know we can’t get the truth from our news media. It’s a shame it has to come from another country. That is why this election is so contentious this year. Americans are tired of Washington and career politicians like the Clintons. This has allowed a candidate like Trump to become the voice of Americans. And his supporters will ignore anything thrown at them and stand by his side. If anything, it strengthens their resolve.

Maybe if the news media would do an honest job of reporting the truth, other parties/countries wouldn’t have to step in and do it for us. The American public has been duped by both candidates and the news media.

Doug Burns
Arcanum, Ohio

Four Killed as Drunk Driver Plunges Truck Off Coronado Bridge in San Diego (VIDEO)

This was over the weekend in San Diego.

Man, what a horrible killing.

At the San Diego Union-Tribune, "Driver in Coronado bridge crash is aviation electrician."

And at ABC News 10 San Diego:

Republican Party on the Verge of Extinction?

Well, if they lose their grassroots voter base they'll go instinct, although I'm not sure we're there yet. When Republicans lose competitiveness in congressional races, perhaps we'll be at a tipping point. But as long at the party can field candidates in those "down ballot" races everyone keeps talking about, they'll survive.

Presidential elections may well be another story, however, especially after this year.

An interesting piece at NYT:

Donald Trump and the G.O.P.: The Party of Lincoln, Reagan and, Perhaps, Extinction. Good Riddance #GOPe https://t.co/8LpRH1RmuE

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) October 17, 2016

The Leftist Media's Big 'Rape Culture' Lie

At the Other McCain, "The Big Lie: ‘Rape Culture,’ the UVA Hoax and the Democrat-Media Complex."

Emily Ratajkowski Shows Off Peachy Bikini Body on Fabulous Beach Holiday

She's so wonderful.

At London's Daily Mail, "She rocks! Emily Ratajkowski shows off her peachy behind in skimpy swimsuit as she plays the daredevil on another idyllic holiday.

And go right to Instagram.

BONUS: Topless at Egotastic.

Bella Hadid Posts Smokin' Bikini Beach Photo to Instagram

At London's Daily Mail, "'Where I'd rather be': Bella Hadid posts sexy bikini snap on the beach... after describing the toll Lyme disease has taken."

She's on holiday at Turks and Caicos.

Zilla was suffering from Lyme disease some time back, but she's been blogging more of late, and I hope she's doing better.

Deal of the Day: Sharkk COMMANDO Waterproof Bluetooth Outdoor Speaker

At Amazon, Sharkk COMMANDO Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker IP65 Outdoor Wireless Bluetooth Speakers with 24 Hour+ Battery Life.

Save on SanDisk Memory Products.

Plus, Sony Xperia XA unlocked smartphone,16GB Rose Gold (US Warranty).

Also, KIND Bars, Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein, Gluten Free, 1.4 Ounce Bars, 12 Count.

BONUS: From Michael Burleigh, The Third Reich: A New History.

Amber Lee's Monday Weather

Last night's forecast with Amber Lee, via CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Donald Trump's Untried Ground Game in Ohio

As they say, if Trump can't win Ohio, he's toast.

From Cathleen Decker, at the Los Angeles Times, "Ohio is crucial to win the White House. But there are few signs Trump is trying to get out the vote."

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

I'm cracking I cracked this book open today yesterday. I don't plan on reading it cover to cover, especially since I've got so many other books going at the same time, but I've got it out in front of me and plan to read the introduction just after I finish putting up a few blog posts.

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

Republican Party Headquarters Firebombed in Orange Country, North Carolina

Remember what I was saying about political violence in my previous entry?

Threats of violence are hardly the preserve of the right.

At the Charlotte Observer, "Pat McCrory: Firebombing ‘an attack on democracy’."

Orange County is 80 percent Democrat.

Animals representing Hillary Clinton and Dems in North Carolina just firebombed our office in Orange County because we are winning @NCGOP

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 16, 2016

More at Memeorandum.

Mi-Ai Parrish: The Arizona Republic Responds to Threats

I'm saddened by the intolerance and militancy that's accompanied this campaign.

Of course, I don't much care for the leftist media types who've endorsed Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump, because they're part of the problem. It's just a bummer that their support for Hillary is being validated, in their eyes, by the unhinged fringe elements issuing death threats to the media, etc.

In any case, this is an interesting read, and something of a sign of the times. If Hillary's elected, I'm not doubting an increase in political violence from the fringes, and it won't just be from "conservatives." We're seeing all kinds of intolerance lately, and it's not breaking down into neat little ideological ghettos.

I just published “How do we respond to threats after our endorsement? This is how” https://t.co/4Wg9f71iP3

— Mi-Ai Parrish (@publishorperish) October 16, 2016

New Polling Ahead of Wednesday's Presidential Debate (VIDEO)

I just don't buy the Wall Street Journal/NBC News survey finding Hillary Clinton with an 11-point lead. See, via Memeorandum, "Hillary Clinton Extends Lead Over Donald Trump to 11 Points."

And of course, here's the reason: WSJ/NBC reports an ideological breakdown of 43 pecent Democrat and Democrat-leaners, versus 36 percent Republican and Republican-leaners, and 12 percent independents.

See the Conservative Treehouse, "Media Polling Fully Exposed – About That NBC/WSJ Clinton +11 Point Poll..."

In contrast, the new Washington Post/ABC News polls shows a much closer race, with Hillary leading by just four points. See, ABC News, "Enthusiasm for Donald Trump Fades, Yet Partisanship Keeps It Close." And the partisan breakdown at the survey:

Partisan divisions are 33-25-33 percent, Democrats-Republicans-independents, in the full sample, 32-29-33 among registered voters and 33-31-31 among likely voters.

Of course most consumers of mass media polls don't know enough to break down surveys by partisanship, much less by registered voters versus likely voters. The most important measure for the November election is the likely voters statistic, which at the WaPo/ABC poll derives from a breakdown of 33 to 31 percent Democrats versus Republicans, with a whopping 31 percent independents (32-29-33 among registered voters). That's light years away from the breakdown for WSJ/NBC, which is reporting registered voters. Frankly, the latter's a bogus poll. But here you have all this whoop-de-do about Hillary's "double-digit" lead following the Access Hollywood scandal, which is totally preposterous.

Well, no need to get too worried about the polling. It's all over the place, dependent on the reporting methods and partisan breakdown.

Meanwhile, here's Newt Gingrich, from ABC's This Week, "Newt Gingrich: If media wasn't lined up against Trump, he'd be beating Clinton by 15 points."

Sunday Cartoons

At Flopping Aces, "Sunday Funnies."



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

Cartoon Credit: A.F. Branco, "Hillary doesn’t respect everyday Americans."

America’s Civilizational Paralysis

From VDH, at the Hoover Institution:

The Greek city-states in the fourth-century BC, fifth-century AD Rome, and the Western European democracies after World War I all knew they could not continue as usual with their fiscal, social, political, and economic behavior. But all these states and societies feared far more the self-imposed sacrifices that might have saved them.

Mid-fifteenth-century Byzantium was facing endemic corruption, a radically declining birthrate and shrinking population, and the end of civic militarism—all the last-gasp symptoms of an irreversible decline. Its affluent ruling and religious orders and expansive government services could no longer be supported by disappearing agrarians and the overtaxed mercantile middle class. Returning to the values of the Emperor Justinian’s sixth-century empire that had once ensured a vibrant Byzantine culture of stability and prosperity throughout the old Roman east remained a nostalgic daydream. Given the hardship and sacrifice that would have been required to change the late Byzantine mindset, most residents of Constantinople plodded on to their rendezvous with oblivion in 1453.

We seem to be reaching that point of stasis in postmodern America. Once simple and logical solutions to our fiscal and social problems are now seen as too radical even to discuss. Consider the $20-trillion national debt. Most Americans accept that current annual $500 billion budget deficits are not sustainable—but they also see them as less extreme than the recently more normal $1 trillion in annual red ink. Americans also accept that the Obama administration doubled the national debt on the expectation of permanent near-zero interest rates, which cannot continue. When interest rates return to more normal historical levels of 4-5% per annum, the costs of servicing the debt—along with unsustainable Social Security and Medicare entitlement costs—will begin to undermine the entire budget.

Count up current local, state and federal income taxes, payroll taxes, property and sales taxes, and new health care taxes, and it will be hard to find the necessary additional revenue from a strapped and overtaxed middle class, much less from the forty-seven percent of Americans who currently pay no federal income taxes. The Obama administration has tried to reduce the budget by issuing defense cuts and tax hikes—but it has refused to touch entitlement spending, where the real gains could be made. The result is more debt, even as, paradoxically, our military was weakened, taxes rose, revenue increased, and economic growth remained anemic at well below 2% per annum.

Illegal immigration poses a similar dilemma. No nation can remain stable when 10-20 million foreign nationals have crashed through what has become an open border and reside unlawfully in the United States—any more than a homeowner can have neighbors traipsing through and camping in his unfenced yard.

Likewise, there are few multiracial societies of the past that have avoided descending into destructive ethnic chauvinism and tribalism once assimilation and integration were replaced by salad-bowl identity politics. Common words and phrases such as “illegal alien” or “deportation” are now considered taboo, while “sanctuary city” is a euphemism for a neo-Confederate nullification of federal immigration laws by renegade states and municipalities.

Illegal immigration, like the deficits, must cease, but stopping it would be too politically incorrect and painful even to ponder. The mess in Europe—millions of indigent and illegal immigrants who have fled their own failed states to become dependent on the largess of their generous adopted countries, but without any desire to embrace their hosts’ culture—is apparently America’s future.

Keep reading.

Paulina Mikolajczak Adventures (VIDEO)

Via Playboy:



And check her cover pictorial here.

Sexy Outtakes: Caroline Wozniacki's Sports Illustrate Swimsuit Photo Shoot 2016 (VIDEO)

She's wonderful:




PREVIOUSLY: "Caroline Wozniacki Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Bodypainting (VIDEO)."

Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants

At Amazon, The Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads.

In nearly every moment of our waking lives, we face a barrage of advertising enticements, branding efforts, sponsored social media, commercials and other efforts to harvest our attention. Over the last century, few times or spaces have remained uncultivated by the "attention merchants," contributing to the distracted, unfocused tenor of our times. Tim Wu argues that this is not simply the byproduct of recent inventions but the end result of more than a century's growth and expansion in the industries that feed on human attention. From the pre-Madison Avenue birth of advertising to TV's golden age to our present age of radically individualized choices, the business model of "attention merchants" has always been the same. He describes the revolts that have risen against these relentless attempts to influence our consumption, from the remote control to FDA regulations to Apple's ad-blocking OS. But he makes clear that attention merchants grow ever-new heads, and their means of harvesting our attention have given rise to the defining industries of our time, changing our nature--cognitive, social, and otherwise--in ways unimaginable even a generation ago.

Hat Tip: The New York Review, "They’ve Got You, Wherever You Are."

From Yemen to Turtle Bay

From Caroline Glick:

Off the coast of Yemen and at the U.N. Security Council we are seeing the strategic endgame of Barack Obama’s administration. And it isn’t pretty.

Since Sunday, Iran’s Houthi proxies in Yemen have attacked US naval craft three times in the Bab al Mandab, the narrow straits at the mouth of the Red Sea. The Bab al Mandab controls maritime traffic in the Red Sea, and ultimately control the Suez Canal.

Whether the Iranians directed these assaults or simply greenlighted them is really beside the point. The point is that these are Iranian strikes on the US. The Houthis would never have exposed themselves to US military retaliation if they hadn’t been ordered to do so by their Iranian overlords.

The question is why has Iran chosen to open up an assault on the U.S.?

The simple answer is that Iran has challenged US power at the mouth of the Red Sea because it believes that doing so advances its strategic aims in the region...

Keep reading.

Pamela Anderson Visited Exiled WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange at Ecuadorian Embassy in London (PHOTOS)

Well, this is interesting.

At London's Daily Mail, "Pamela Anderson visits WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London ... laden down with snacks and a copy of Vivienne Westwood's new book."

RELATED: At the Independent U.K., "Vivienne Westwood blasts Hillary Clinton as 'evil': I wouldn't vote for Trump or Clinton - they are all the same."

Oh, I can see why Pamela Anderson's carrying along her book.

Donald Trump's Scorched-Earth Campaign (VIDEO)

Following-up, "Donald Trump Slams 'Rigged Election'."

At LAT, "Donald Trump has turned to scorched-earth campaigning. It could affect a lot more than the election":

As he fell further behind in polls and battled allegations of sexual misconduct in recent days, Donald Trump moved to darker corners. He sketched out conspiracies involving global bankers, casually threatened to jail his political opponent, and warned in increasingly specific terms that a loss by him would spell the end of civilization.

The distrust of U.S. institutions that Trump has nurtured among his core supporters is readily apparent.

One North Carolina man predicted in an interview that the military would probably assassinate Hillary Clinton if she’s elected president. A woman at an Iowa town hall for Trump’s running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, offered to join a revolution if Clinton prevails. Another man at an Ocala, Fla., rally was certain Trump would fire the FBI and scores of other federal bureaucrats in a housecleaning if he wins.

Many who have watched Trump’s campaign warn that the spread of such ideas may be only the beginning. The scorched-earth strategy Trump has adopted risks creating a lasting and bitter divide in American society, they say...

Frankly, I'm not worried.

If we were threatened by revolutionary insurrection, we'd have had it by now. Indeed, the closest we've seen to violent revolutionary unrest has been with the wave of anti-police protests and black lives matter. Where were all the media Cassandras when cities like Ferguson and Milwaukee were up in flames and leftists were agitating "burn it down!"??

Keep reading, in any case.

Donald Trump Slams 'Rigged Election'

At the Boston Globe, "Trump says the election is rigged — and his supporters are furious":

CINCINNATI — In an arena normally reserved for ice hockey, the Donald Trump crowd was on edge.

Some wore shirts with slogans like “[Expletive] Your Feelings” or, in reference to the female Democratic nominee, “Trump that Bitch.” Others had buckets of popcorn, ready for the show. When the media entourage entered, thousands erupted in boos.

Anger and hostility were the most overwhelming sentiments at a Trump rally in Cincinnati last week, a deep sense of frustration, an us-versus-them mentality, and a belief that they are part of an unstoppable and underestimated movement. Unlike many in the country, however, these hard-core Trump followers do not believe the real estate mogul’s misfortunes are of his own making.

They believe what Trump has told them over and over, that this election is rigged, and if he loses, it will be because of a massive conspiracy to take him down.

At a time when trust in government is at a low point, Trump is actively stoking fears that a core tenet of American democracy is also in peril: that you can trust what happens at the ballot box.

His supporters here said they plan to go to their local precincts to look for illegal immigrants who may attempt to vote. They are worried that Democrats will load up buses of minorities and take them to vote several times in different areas of the city. They’ve heard rumors that boxes of Clinton votes are already waiting somewhere.

And if Trump doesn’t win, some are even openly talking about violent rebellion and assassination, as fantastical and unhinged as that may seem...

Well, that wouldn't be good, but you can't say the political class hasn't brought this on themselves.

Keep reading, in any case.

Rhian from Manchester is Today's Page 3 Girl

Here's the lovely Rhian Sugden.

At the Sun U.K., "Rhian is stripping off, bit by bit..."

PREVIOUSLY: "Rhian Sugden Bouncy Bikini on Turkish Holiday."

Britney Spears on Holiday in Hawaii

At the Sun U.K., "GIMME MORE! Britney Spears surprises fans with TOPLESS bikini snap: The singer is enjoying a holiday in Hawaii alongside friends and family."

Is Islam a Religion of Peace? Is It Compatible with Western Liberalism?

I've had far-left students in my classes, when taking about Islam, and its inherent violence, say, "What about Christianity"? And I always say back, "What about it? Where are the Christian holy warriors slaughtering innocent apostates around the world on a daily basis?" And then these students have nothing to say. I don't go on after that, since I'm their teacher and I want to respect differences of opinion, but it's very difficult in our culture to teach politically charged topics, because leftists students have been poisoned by radical left-wing intolerance and political correctness. I've even had groups of students revolt against my teaching, groups of leftist students who protested against my "conservative" syllabus. I make this an example of what's wrong with our culture today, and I point out to the students their own hypocrisy and closed-mindedness. Needless to say, I'm not popular with groups like that, but I get more praise from the other students when this happens than from just about anything else.

It's amazing.

In any case, here's Ayaan Hirsi Ali. And buy her book, Heretic: Why Islam Needs a Reformation Now.

Lisa Damour, Untangled

In bestselling books, at Amazon, Lisa Damour, Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood.

BONUS: Nancy Jo Sales, American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers, and Peggy Orenstein, Girls and Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape.

Porsche's 2017 911 Turbo S (VIDEO)

Ever since high school, my dream of dream cars was a Porsche 911. Not necessarily a turbo, though, although the new 911 Turbo S is out of this world. (And obviously way out my price range, with a starting price of just over $200,000.)

I still think, when I'm a little older, that I'll find a way to pick up a pre-owned 911 one of these days. I'll save up for a while, if I need to. Gotta check that off my bucket list.

At LAT, "Auto Review: With the 2017 911 Turbo S, Porsche has made the perfect car a little more perfect":

Did the best just get better?

Porsche’s 2017 911 Turbo S is a faintly measurable fraction superior to the 2016 model. It’s so barely better that only a really first-rate driver would even notice.

I didn’t notice. To me, the 2017 version of this delicious sports car is virtually identical to its predecessor. Because that needed no improvement to impress me, I might not have been impressed by the upgrades.

They’re real, even if I can’t feel them. The 2017 911 Turbo S is equipped with bigger turbochargers, with larger impellers, plus modified cylinder heads and a throttle boost device designed to eliminate turbo lag.

Together, they help produce 20 more horsepower in the 2017 than was available in the identical 2016 version (580, up from 560), a 7-mphr increase in top track speed (205 mph, up from 198) and a 0.1 faster pace from zero to 60, (2.8 seconds, down from 2.9 — though the convertible version still takes that 2.9 seconds).

That makes this the quickest and fastest 911 ever built, and the quickest and fastest mass-production Porsche — after the limited-production 918 Spyder, which posted a 2.5-second sprint to 60 and a top track speed of 214 mph.

Somehow, along with the improved performance, the 2017 also offers improved fuel economy — about 2 miles per gallon better EPA mileage numbers — for a combined 21 mpg.

Like many of its Porsche siblings, the new 911 Turbo S is a rear-engine, all-wheel-drive roadster, designed as much for daily driving as for track-level performance...

More.

And be sure to watch that nifty video above.

The Press Buries Hillary Clinton’s Sins

From Kim Strassel, at WSJ:

If average voters turned on the TV for five minutes this week, chances are they know that Donald Trump made lewd remarks a decade ago and now stands accused of groping women.

But even if average voters had the TV on 24/7, they still probably haven’t heard the news about Hillary Clinton: That the nation now has proof of pretty much everything she has been accused of.

It comes from hacked emails dumped by WikiLeaks, documents released under the Freedom of Information Act, and accounts from FBI insiders. The media has almost uniformly ignored the flurry of bombshells, preferring to devote its front pages to the Trump story. So let’s review what amounts to a devastating case against a Clinton presidency.

Start with a June 2015 email to Clinton staffers from Erika Rottenberg, the former general counsel of LinkedIn. Ms. Rottenberg wrote that none of the attorneys in her circle of friends “can understand how it was viewed as ok/secure/appropriate to use a private server for secure documents AND why further Hillary took it upon herself to review them and delete documents.” She added: “It smacks of acting above the law and it smacks of the type of thing I’ve either gotten discovery sanctions for, fired people for, etc.”

A few months later, in a September 2015 email, a Clinton confidante fretted that Mrs. Clinton was too bullheaded to acknowledge she’d done wrong. “Everyone wants her to apologize,” wrote Neera Tanden, president of the liberal Center for American Progress. “And she should. Apologies are like her Achilles’ heel.”

Clinton staffers debated how to evade a congressional subpoena of Mrs. Clinton’s emails—three weeks before a technician deleted them. The campaign later employed a focus group to see if it could fool Americans into thinking the email scandal was part of the Benghazi investigation (they are separate) and lay it all off as a Republican plot.

A senior FBI official involved with the Clinton investigation told Fox News this week that the “vast majority” of career agents and prosecutors working the case “felt she should be prosecuted” and that giving her a pass was “a top-down decision.”

The Obama administration—the federal government, supported by tax dollars—was working as an extension of the Clinton campaign. The State Department coordinated with her staff in responding to the email scandal, and the Justice Department kept her team informed about developments in the court case.

Worse, Mrs. Clinton’s State Department, as documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show, took special care of donors to the Clinton Foundation. In a series of 2010 emails, a senior aide to Mrs. Clinton asked a foundation official to let her know which groups offering assistance with the Haitian earthquake relief were “FOB” (Friends of Bill) or “WJC VIPs” (William Jefferson Clinton VIPs). Those who made the cut appear to have been teed up for contracts. Those who weren’t? Routed to a standard government website.

The leaks show that the foundation was indeed the nexus of influence and money. The head of the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Ira Magaziner, suggested in a 2011 email that Bill Clinton call Sheikh Mohammed of Saudi Arabia to thank him for offering the use of a plane. In response, a top Clinton Foundation official wrote: “Unless Sheikh Mo has sent us a $6 million check, this sounds crazy to do.”

The entire progressive apparatus—the Clinton campaign and boosters at the Center for American Progress—appears to view voters as stupid and tiresome, segregated into groups that must either be cajoled into support or demeaned into silence. We read that Republicans are attracted to Catholicism’s “severely backwards gender relations” and only join the faith to “sound sophisticated”; that Democratic leaders such as Bill Richardson are “needy Latinos”; that Bernie Sanders supporters are “self-righteous”; that the only people who watch Miss America “are from the confederacy”; and that New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is “a terrorist.”

The leaks also show that the press is in Mrs. Clinton’s pocket. Donna Brazile, a former Clinton staffer and a TV pundit, sent the exact wording of a coming CNN town hall question to the campaign in advance of the event. Other media allowed the Clinton camp to veto which quotes they used from interviews, worked to maximize her press events and offered campaign advice.

Mrs. Clinton has been exposed to have no core, to be someone who constantly changes her position to maximize political gain...

And unless something changes in the next couple of weeks, Americans are about to elect this woman president.

But keep reading, in any case.

Deal of the Day: Save on STERILITE Ultra-Seal Food Storage Set, 36 Piece

At Amazon, STERILITE 03078601 Ultra-Seal Food Storage Set, 36 Piece.

Also, FIFA 17 - PlayStation 4.

And, Save on Seiko Metal Bracelet Watches.

BONUS: ICYMI, Volker Ullrich, Hitler: Ascent, 1889-1939.

Generation Adderall

This is an excellent essay, from Casey Schwartz, at NYT:

Generation Adderall. https://t.co/gYvyrZNBaZ

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) October 14, 2016

First Lady Michelle Obama Attacks Donald Trump for 'Sexual Predator' Comments (VIDEO)

She's going low after saying Democrats go high.

It's the Democrat-left that's dragged this entire election through the mud of personal character assassination. They always do. It's the only way they can win elections.

Julianna Goldman reports for CBS This Morning:

'Sharia-Compliant Soldiers for Allah Who Want Me Dead...'

Cristina Laila is hard to beat, heh.

On Twitter:

This is all I see now👉🏻EVERYWHERE. I. GO. I'm sick of seeing Sharia compliant soldiers for Allah who want me dead‼️ #BanIslam pic.twitter.com/rJD8ZjQKPm

— Cristina Laila (@cristinalaila1) October 13, 2016

And previously, "Cristina Laila Breaks the Internet!"

Total Meltdown

That's Time Magazine's title.

To me it's the left's meltdown, knowing that they were on the verge of losing the presidency, they went all Dr. Strangelove.

FWIW, "Inside Donald Trump’s Total Meltdown":

Donald Trump's meltdown returns to the cover of TIME https://t.co/Pos9cI6gJQ pic.twitter.com/sOsNMdEiRf

— TIME (@TIME) October 13, 2016

As the 2016 campaign moved into its final weeks, Trump had put the whole country on the rack alongside the Christian conservatives, stretching the sinews of American politics to the breaking point. While some voters were tugged toward the wincing sophistry of the conference call, a larger number pulled disgustedly into the ranks of #nevertrump. The candidate himself was consumed by petty grudges. The furor over the leaked recording seemed to liberate him. Free of the “shackles”–his own tweeted word–Trump reduced his campaign to a primal grunt.

It sounded, at times, like the last gasp of the angry white man. Trump threatened to throw his opponent in jail, bragged of avoiding income taxes and peddled an empty conspiracy theory about undocumented immigrants’ being given voter-registration cards. He insisted he was right to stoke the racial tensions of New York City during the Central Park jogger drama in the 1990s, refusing to accept the DNA proof that he had the case wrong. He promoted a fiction that Muslim friends of the San Bernardino, Calif., terrorists knew their plans but failed to alert authorities, and he injected a crude Russian propaganda effort into one of his rallies without a care about its inaccuracy. Another tape (it wasn’t easy keeping track) caught him agreeing as a radio shock jock labeled his daughter Ivanka “a piece of ass.” Having congratulated himself for keeping the first presidential debate slightly above the muck, in Round 2 he plunged into the wallow, deflecting attention from his own vulgarity by saddling Clinton with the alleged sexual sins of her husband and trying to seat Bill Clinton’s accusers in the front row.

Trump once said on the campaign trail that he would approve of torture as President, “even if it doesn’t work.” With four weeks left to Election Day, he seemed to be testing the proposition on the public. Unshackled, he flirted with unhinged and erased the emollient line between a campaign aimed at the base and one intended to debase.

While his followers reveled, his more reluctant allies squirmed. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Washington’s highest-ranking Republican, came within a whisker of withdrawing his endorsement of the party’s nominee, urged on by his wife, who marched for women’s rights while a student at Wellesley. Trump’s running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, considered quitting the ticket. Then, attempting a straddle, Pence released a stinging rebuke of Trump’s Access excesses before resuming his role as chief cheerleader. “I don’t find myself thinking a whole lot about party right now,” he said on Oct. 11.

But others could no longer stay silent. “Enough!” insisted former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, calling on Trump to withdraw. “Offensive and despicable,” declared Utah Governor Gary Herbert. “I cannot and will not vote for Donald Trump,” said Governor Robert Bentley of Alabama.

The Trump campaign, party insiders admit, could do irreparable damage to a generation of prospects by rendering them enablers. Rivals for the nomination, like Texas Senator Ted Cruz, had cozied up to him until they realized it was too late. Elected officials had hesitated to oppose him lest they rouse his army of pitchfork populists. Many of the leaders of the religious right repeatedly blessed a candidate who bats 0 for 3 on the biblical injunction to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly. Barring a last-minute surprise, Trump is on track to lose his race. The question now is whether he’ll destroy the party’s congressional majorities as well.

“It’s us against the world,” declared a digital ad from the Trump campaign on the morning after the debate. But it wasn’t clear whether his main foe in the final month would be Clinton or Republican officials. After his incendiary debate performance, he turned on Ryan and company with a gas can and lighter in hand. “Disloyal R’s are far more difficult than Crooked Hillary,” Trump tweeted of the fleeing Republicans. “They come at you from all sides. They don’t know how to win–I will teach them!” Almost immediately, his fans took up the chorus: Trump loyalists circulated a rumor that Establishment Republicans were behind the leak to the Washington Post of the disastrous tape. When protesters gathered outside the party’s white brick headquarters on Capitol Hill, the organizer turned out to be Trump’s Virginia campaign chairman. One sign waved at the RNC offices read, Better to grab a p-ssy than to be one...

Keep reading.

Volker Ullrich's New Biography of Adolf Hitler

At Amazon, Hitler: Ascent, 1889-1939.

I doubt we need a new Hitler biography at this point, but then, there's certainly a market for them.

Also, Michiko Kakutani book review.

The Democrat Echo Chamber

I've long attacked Glenn Greenwald as a fanatical Israel-hating leftist, but as you know, he's intriguing, and I've often admired his against-the-grain take on politics.

I know, I know. He's a traitor as well, but still. A broken clock's right twice a day.

In any case, at the Intercept, "In the Democratic Echo Chamber, Inconvenient Truths Are Recast as Putin Plots":

DONALD TRUMP, FOR reasons I’ve repeatedly pointed out, is an extremist, despicable, and dangerous candidate, and his almost-certain humiliating defeat is less than a month away. So I realize there is little appetite in certain circles for critiques of any of the tawdry and sometimes fraudulent journalistic claims and tactics being deployed to further that goal. In the face of an abusive, misogynistic, bigoted, scary, lawless authoritarian, what’s a little journalistic fraud or constant fearmongering about subversive Kremlin agents between friends if it helps to stop him?

But come January, Democrats will continue to be the dominant political faction in the U.S. — more so than ever — and the tactics they are now embracing will endure past the election, making them worthy of scrutiny. Those tactics now most prominently include dismissing away any facts or documents that reflect negatively on their leaders as fake, and strongly insinuating that anyone who questions or opposes those leaders is a stooge or agent of the Kremlin, tasked with a subversive and dangerously un-American mission on behalf of hostile actors in Moscow...

Keep reading.

U.S. Forces in Mosul Prepare for Decisive Battle Against Islamic State (VIDEO)

Holly Williams reports, for CBS This Morning:

America's Most Consistent Outlier: USC Dornsife/L.A. Times Presidential Election 'Daybreak' Tracking Poll

I've blogged this poll quite a bit, although I'm fully aware it's a funky outlier.

I kinda giggle when I see right-wing blogs pumping up the poll, since it's so far out somtimes it's ridiculous.

In any case, see this interesting analysis, at NYT, "How One 19-Year-Old Illinois Man Is Distorting National Polling Averages."

Devin Brugman Bikini Beachside

At London's Daily Mail, "Booty-ful display! Devin Brugman flaunts her pert posterior in revealing G-string bikini beachside."

It's always bikini season on Maui 🌴 @mondayswimwear pic.twitter.com/d7xrwKDz0n

— Devin Brugman (@devinbrugman) October 11, 2016

Deal of the Day: Save 20% or More on Select Yost Vises

At Amazon, Yost Vises 445 4.5" Utility Combination Pipe and Bench Vise.

More, Yost Bench Vises.

BONUS: From Michelle Malkin, Culture of Corruption: Obama and His Team of Tax Cheats, Crooks, and Cronies.

Donald Trump Campaign Manager Kellyanne Conway Berates ‘Wishy-Washy ’ Republican Leaders (VIDEO)

At ABC News, via Memeorandum.

Chicago Cubs Mount Spectacular Comeback to Defeat the San Francisco Giants in NLDS

Utterly amazing.

And by that I mean the Giants' collapse. They were up three runs and blew it. I almost don't believe it. You've gotta have a world class closer, but here you see Bochy just trolling through the entire bullpen?

I don't know what just happened. I think maybe I jinxed 'em, heh.

I feel sad for the Giants fans, but I would have really felt sad if the Cubs got knocked out of the playoffs. This could be their year. They haven't had a year since what, 1908? Gotta give it up for them. That was quite a comeback.

At the Chicago Tribune, "Cubs mount 9th-inning comeback to beat Giants in Game 4, win NLDS."

.@Cubs fans be LIKE ... pic.twitter.com/YsB1p1RmNl

— MLB (@MLB) October 12, 2016

And at the San Francisco Chronicle, "Giants season ends with huge ninth-inning bullpen collapse."

You can say that again.

Obama Justice Department Helped Hillary Clinton Avoid Political Fallout from Private Emails

This kind of coordination between the regime in power and the party's imminent presidential nominee is what you'd expect in a one-party dictatorship. And here we are, the entire political system, up in arms about politically incorrect lewd comments from 11 years ago.

The American democracy's barely functioning. Indeed, if it wasn't for an anti-American organization, WikiLeaks, we'd have likely never known about the true scale of depraved corruption among Hillary Clinton, the Obama regime, the Democrats, and the insidious left-wing party press.

At the Wall Street Journal, "Emails Show Hillary Clinton Campaign’s Response to Fallout":

WASHINGTON — Hillary Clinton’s political team sought to contain any potential fallout over her use of a private email server by communicating with government agencies, enlisting help of congressional allies and managing public statements, newly released emails show.

Hacked emails belonging to Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta were posted by the website WikiLeaks this week, showing her staff candidly debating the tone and substance of responses to media after the 2015 disclosure of her use of a private email server while leading the State Department during President Barack Obama’s first term.

In several electronic exchanges, Mrs. Clinton’s staff appeared to be in communication with government officials about the email issue. One campaign official is shown telling colleagues about a coming procedural step, which was part of the public record, that he suggests he learned from Justice Department officials.

In another case, an attorney for Mrs. Clinton appeared to know the contents of a State Department document release concerning speeches by former President Bill Clinton before it was made public.

Mrs. Clinton’s campaign hasn’t confirmed or denied the authenticity of the email trove posted by WikiLeaks, but a campaign spokesman said the release of apparently stolen internal communications showcases Russian attempts to interfere in the U.S. election on behalf of Mrs. Clinton’s Republican rival, Donald Trump. U.S. intelligence agencies have publicly accused Russia of directing hacks and leaks aimed at top Democratic Party officials, but they haven’t reached a conclusion in the specific breach of Mr. Podesta’s emails.

“The timing shows you that even Putin knows Trump had a bad weekend and a bad debate. The only remaining question is why Donald Trump continues to make apologies for the Russians,” said campaign spokesman Glen Caplin. The campaign declined to comment further.

Campaign spokesman Brian Fallon, who worked at Justice before joining the campaign in 2015, is shown in the emails to be giving a heads up about a preliminary hearing in a lawsuit brought by a Vice News reporter against the State Department. Justice Department attorneys were representing their colleagues at State in the matter. The information provided to Mr. Fallon was in the court’s docket.

“DOJ folks inform me there is a status hearing in this case this morning, so we could have a window into the judge’s thinking about this proposed production schedule as quickly as today,” Mr. Fallon wrote to his colleagues on the campaign.

The Clinton attorney, Heather Samuelson, is shown providing a detailed accounting of Bill Clinton speeches discussed in documents that were to be released by State. She also reported how much the former president, who commanded six-figure sums for his speaking engagements, was paid.

“There is one request where speaking fee would have been paid by Turkish govt—WJC’s office declined this,” Ms. Samuelson wrote, referring to Mr. Clinton. “And one speaking engagement with fee from Canadian government, which he did do.”

Ms. Samuelson didn’t immediately return a request for comment...

Well, of course Ms. Samuelson's unavailable for comment! This is an authoritarian regime we're talking about. They're completely unaccountable.

But keep reading.

Things are coming to a head in this country. A Trump win or not, things are gonna blow. Mark my words. Things are going to erupt around here. People will only take the abuse for so long. We're beyond the tipping point now. We're going to explode.

Will 'Fed-Up' Millennials Vote for Third Party Candidates?

I don't vote third party. Insignificant protest votes are a waste.

Frankly, I'll bet "fed-up" Millennials, if they don't like the choices, will simply decide to sit this one out. It's not like their cohort's voter turnout rate is overpowering, or anything.

In any case, from the front-page at today's USA Today:

Here's where fed-up Millennials are thinking about putting their votes. https://t.co/jefc6Zwb7W

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) October 11, 2016

Nice Photos at Theo's

Theo doesn't post these so much any more.

See, "Pic Dump..."

BONUS: "Another Great View..."

Joanna Krupa Gets Very Racy in Thong Panties on Instagram (PHOTOS)

She's a sweetie!

At London's Daily Mail:

Joanna Krupa goes topless in VERY racy Instagram post https://t.co/g7mR0hzea8 pic.twitter.com/oT91FEb1BY

— Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) October 11, 2016

Katie Pavlich, Assault and Flattery

Ms. Katie shamelessly plugged her book on Twitter last night ahead of the presidential debate.

And it's at Amazon, Assault and Flattery: The Truth About the Left and Their War on Women.

David Horowitz on Trump, the Left's Transformation, Campus Anti-Semitism, and More (VIDEO)

Here's David Horowitz speaking at the Beverly Hills Hotel last Wednesday, October 5, at FrontPage Magazine.

And out yesterday, at Amazon, The Black Book of the American Left, Volume 7: The Left in Power: Clinton to Obama.

Foreign Policy Magazine Endorses Hillary Clinton

I've seen and ignored a wave of Hillary Clinton newspaper endorsements as completely expected. Even USA Today issued an endorsement, and they never do.

That's true as well for Foreign Policy, which I thought worth reading, since international relations is my academic specialty (and I've been reading the magazine for over 20 years).

I actually had to laugh at this passage, since the editors might as well be describing Barack Obama:

He has promoted a delusional and narcissistic view of the world, one in which he seems to feel that the power of his personality in negotiations could redirect the course of other nations, remake or supplant treaties, and contain those tyrants he does not actually embrace.

At any rate, read the whole thing, as they say:

The editors of Foreign Policy have never endorsed a candidate for political office -- until now. https://t.co/2BvlgKcvDu pic.twitter.com/xJ0FJ0j7xc

— Foreign Policy (@ForeignPolicy) October 10, 2016

Mia Woolrich Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Casting Call 2017 (VIDEO)

Just lovely.

Absolutely lovely.

Via Sports Illustrated:

California's Proposition 64 Has Deeply Divided the Medical Marijuana Community

Lolz.

This is interesting.

At LAT, "The push to legalize pot for all has deeply divided the medical marijuana community":

Come November, medical pot dispensary operator Lanette Davies won’t be joining others in her industry in voting for Proposition 64, a measure that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

The initiative could create a flood of new customers for Davies’ nonprofit Canna Care pot shop, which is located in the back of an industrial park on the outskirts of Sacramento. But Davies fears the Nov. 8 ballot measure will result in big corporations driving out small operators, and the government setting steep taxes and fees on cannabis that will put it out of reach for many of her mostly low-income customers.

“Because of the double taxation and the permit fees, you are not going to have affordable medication,” Davies predicted as her customer bought a $33 bag of Jedi Kush marijuana. “The people who are going to suffer are those who are disabled, who are on low incomes. They are not going to be able to get life-saving medicine.”

She is not the only one concerned. Proposition 64 has split the medical cannabis community, with some seeing new opportunity and others fearing it will wreck a system that is working for nearly 800,000 medical pot card holders...

"Life saving medication."

That's good marketing, heh.

Frankly, "medical" marijuana's been a back-door legalization program for recreational users in any case, which has been the goal all along. I'm told that some dispensaries don't even ask for a "medical marijuana" card. You just cruise in there and cop your dope, bro.

So it's pretty rich that these hippies with the hip "Jedi Kush" baggies are all up in arms now that Big Marijuana's coming to town. Hey, you guys are the ones that got it going. Adapt or die, as they say.

Still more.

Why Did NBC News Sit on the Trump Tape for So Long?

Well, it's obvious that NBC wanted to have a big "October surprise," but the story leaked and the Washington Post actually got the scoop.

But see Jack Shafer, at Politico, "Stories get held at every news organization, but NBC doesn’t look good here, and no amount of finessing will make them look any prettier."

Black Assailants Responsible for Nearly 40 Percent of Premeditated Ambush Killings of Police Officers Since 2002

Well, so much for image of the angelic "unarmed" black male relentlessly targeted by "racist" cops.

Frankly, it's more likely the other way around.

At LAT:

These are the killers cops fear most https://t.co/ZG6kYklapl

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) October 10, 2016

Sabato's Crystal Ball: Second Debate 'Reinforces the New Status Quo'

Here's the latest from Larry Sabato and Co., "Clinton Adds to Her Electoral College Edge":

In the broad sweep of U.S. history, very occasionally one of the major parties simply disqualifies itself from the contest to win the White House by nominating an unelectable, non-mainstream candidate. We suspect that there will never be a better example than Donald Trump. The Republican Party chose a deeply divisive figure — one not supported by many senior figures in the GOP even before the release of Trump’s raunchy 2005 discussion with Access Hollywood’s (and now The Today Show’s) superficial, celebrity-worshipping Billy Bush. (Yes, he is of the Bush family, so a Bush finally speared Trump, however unintentionally.) Their X-rated discussion, and Trump’s insistence on discussing Bill Clinton’s sordid past, has caused voters to usher children out of the room when the TV news comes on. Is this the most embarrassing campaign ever? It must be close...

Keep reading.

Amy Adams Risks Wardrobe Malfunction at British Film Festival on Monday Night

At London's Daily Mail, "Wow! Amy Adams Goes Braless in Slashed Toga-Style Gown at British Film Festival on Monday."

Hillary Worried About Jihadists Entering With Refugees in Private Speech

Well, she was saying how refugees were part of the fabric of America at the debate last night. Like so much else, that's not what she said in private.

At Blazing Cat Fur.

Shailene Woodley Arrested

She's a cool chick.

At LAT:

Shailene Woodley was arrested while protesting Dakota Access pipeline in North Dakota https://t.co/X7aWIPiWGs pic.twitter.com/6TimGzYmJT

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) October 10, 2016

PREVIOUSLY: "Shailene Woodley Says 'No' to Lesbian Revolutionary Feminism — #RadFem."

Deal of the Day: Save on the Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe Carpet Cleaner

At Amazon, Hoover FH50150 Carpet Basics Power Scrub Deluxe Carpet Cleaner.

Also, KIND Breakfast Bars, Honey Oat, Gluten Free, 1.8 Ounce, 32 Count, and, KIND Bars, Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt, Gluten Free, 1.4 Ounce Bars, 12 Count.

More, AmazonBasics Apple Certified Lightning to USB Cable - 3 Feet (0.9 Meters) - Black.

And, Acer Chromebook CB3-131-C3SZ 11.6-Inch Laptop (Intel Celeron N2840 Dual-Core Processor,2 GB RAM,16 GB Solid State Drive,Chrome), White.

BONUS: Jay Cost, A Republic No More: Big Government and the Rise of American Political Corruption.

ICYMI: James E. Campbell, Polarized [BUMPED]

This one's especially timely as well.

James Campbell's new book, Polarized: Making Sense of a Divided America.

Don't Miss This Debate Analysis from Dan Balz at the Washington Post

I say "don't miss" it not because it's so great or anything, but for the breathless revelatory tone.

Dan Balz and other deans of the establishment media class were just shocked by what they saw last night. Utterly shocked. And they had a hard time writing about it, especially in terms of attempts at objectivity. Balz is so predisposed against Donald Trump is ridiculous, and I normally consider him a fairly balanced reporter. But again, these people were just shocked that Trump would take on the entire establishment with such authority and gusto. And they were in denial that he actually won.

Read on my iPhone last night right before bed and I tweeted:

Heh. Going where no man has gone before - with the people loving it! #Debates #DebateNight #DonaldTrump https://t.co/PMairIsmz8

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) October 10, 2016

Post-Debate Panel on Hannity's Last Night (VIDEO)

It's interesting. Listen to Laura Ingraham and Monica Crowley at the opening of the video especially. Nigel Farage comments as well.

We had CNN on last night, and folks there were literally in shock at what happened at the debate, in denial even at how well Donald Trump did.

I'll scroll some of CNN's videos later.

Meanwhile check this out:




PREVIOUSLY: "A CAUSTIC QUARREL: INTENSELY PERSONAL ATTACKS DOMINATE 2nd DEBATE."

A CAUSTIC QUARREL: INTENSELY PERSONAL ATTACKS DOMINATE 2nd DEBATE

That's the banner headline at this morning's Los Angeles Times.

And here's the story online, "Trump and Clinton swipe at each other in vicious second debate." And the analysis, "After a mediocre debate performance, Trump still faces an uphill climb."

I thought it was an energizing debate. I like a fighter, and Donald Trump's got a lot of fight left in him.

Deal of the Day: Velocity Exercise Magnetic Rower

At Amazon, Velocity Exercise Magnetic Rower: Resistance: DMC System (Drum Magnetic Control), Electronic Tension Control.

Also, KIND Breakfast Bars, Honey Oat, Gluten Free, 1.8 Ounce, 32 Count, and, KIND Bars, Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt, Gluten Free, 1.4 Ounce Bars, 12 Count.

More, AmazonBasics Apple Certified Lightning to USB Cable - 3 Feet (0.9 Meters) - Black.

And, Acer Chromebook CB3-131-C3SZ 11.6-Inch Laptop (Intel Celeron N2840 Dual-Core Processor,2 GB RAM,16 GB Solid State Drive,Chrome), White.

BONUS: Greg Grandin, The Empire of Necessity: Slavery, Freedom, and Deception in the New World.

Carmen Brundler Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Casting Call 2017 (VIDEO)

Exquisite!

Via Sports Illustrated: