Tom Hayden, The Long Sixties

I picked up a copy of this book years ago, although I never did read it.

I just pulled it off the shelf in light of the news of the man's passing. Might as well give a few chapters a whirl now that the dude's kicked the bucket.

At Amazon, Long Sixties: From 1960 to Barack Obama.

PREVIOUSLY: "Tom Hayden Has Died."

Tom Hayden Has Died

Hayden spoke at my college a few years back.

I never liked him personally. I always thought he was a bad person, a treasonous scoundrel.

In any case, at the Los Angeles Times, "'The radical inside the system': Tom Hayden, protester-turned-politician, dies at 76."

J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy Available on Kindle for $4.99

That's a deal!

At Amazon, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis (Kindle Edition).

BONUS: Robert S. Gordon, The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living since the Civil War.

Sunday Cartoons

At Flopping Aces, "Sunday Funnies."



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

Cartoon Credit: Legal Insurrection, "Branco Cartoon – Mirror, Mirror on the Wall."

Emma Roberts Rule 5

At Popaholic, "Emma Roberts Looking Like a Doll."

Below here is some random hottie!

But see more, at Drunken Stepfather, "STEPLINKS OF THE DAY."

At Pirate's Cove, "Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup," and "If All You See……is a world turned to desert because of fracking, you might just be a Warmist."

Plus, at Wirecutter's, "Your Good Morning Girl."

At 90 Miles from Tyranny, "Morning Mistress."

Lindsey Pelas, "Yo."

And at WWTDD, "Sara Jean Underwood Keeping the Rolls."

At Egotastic!, "Demi Lovato Hot Performance In Mexico."

Still more from Proof Positive, "Best of the Web* Linkaround."

The Chive, "Bad girls bend at the waist (44 Photos)."

BONUS: At Blazing Cat Fur, "University of Toronto Professor is Simply Not Insane."

As Trump Delivers His Gettysburg Address, Republicans Prepare for Civil War

A good piece, from Dan Balz, at the Washington Post.

Whatever happens is good. The GOP needs a shakeup.

The Coming GOP Civil War. #Gettysburg #MAGA https://t.co/latOV6zbwr

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) October 22, 2016

Horrific Tour Bush Crash in Desert Hot Springs: 11 Dead

You can see from the photos that the bus driver rear-ended the semi at full speed.

BREAKING UPDATE: Tour bus crash on I-10 has killed at least 11 people. https://t.co/uN4vLKMC0a

— The Desert Sun (@MyDesert) October 23, 2016

The bus was just moved away from the big rig @MyDesert pic.twitter.com/yj35wb6uE6

— Colin Atagi (@TDSColinAtagi) October 23, 2016

I-10 CRASH UPDATE: At least 10 people killed in crash involving tour bus and semi-truck on WB side, @KESQ reports https://t.co/Voc8NIxo6G pic.twitter.com/aQ6j5BZFFS

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) October 23, 2016

Leland Faust, A Capitalist's Lament [BUMPED]

A #1 new item, at Amazon, A Capitalist's Lament: How Wall Street Is Fleecing You and Ruining America.

In the Mail: David A. Keene and Thomas L. Mason, Shall Not Be Infringed [BUMPED]

This came yesterday earlier.

It's a lively read. I read the introductory chapter last night and I really recommend it.

At Amazon, Shall Not Be Infringed: The New Assaults on Your Second Amendment.

Dana Loesch on 'State of the Union' with Jake Tapper (VIDEO)

My friend Dana Loesch joined Gov. Jan Brewer, Sen. Bob Kerrey, and Bakari Sellers for this morning's CNN panel.

Watch, "Trump vows to sue every woman accuser after election," "Oprah on Clinton: 'You don't have to like her...'"

Great to see @jaketapper today for @CNNSotu ! Thanks for tuning in!https://t.co/DtjpFEftiP

— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) October 23, 2016

And buy Dana's book, Flyover Nation: You Can't Run a Country You've Never Been To.

The Economist Special Report on Russia: Putinism

"Ominous" is the word folks are using to describe this cover at the Economist.

Here's the report, "The threat from Russia: How to contain Vladimir Putin’s deadly, dysfunctional empire."

WikiLeaks sees the conspiracy there, a poorly veiled anti-Semitic conspiracy. Nasty:

The new sober cover of the Economist, which is controlled by Lynn de Rothschild, Clinton's "loyal adoring pal" https://t.co/oTCspy3ddR pic.twitter.com/KuRRfEELLJ

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) October 22, 2016

Reflections on Hillbilly Elegy

From Aaron Renn, at City Journal, "Culture, Circumstance, and Agency."

And, Amazon, J.D. Vance, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.

Bella Thorne at the Nail Salon

At London's Daily Mail, "Bella Thorne flaunts belly button on outing to nail salon wearing blue knitted hat and ripped hipster jeans."

BONUS: At Egotastic, "Bella Thorn in Tiny Daisy Dukes in Los Angeles."

New Elizabeth Hurley Bikini Shots

At London's Daily Mail, "Elizabeth Hurley, 51, flaunts her impeccably toned abs and perky bust in saucy selfie."

Glenn Beck in the Tank for Hillary Clinton?

Heh.

This was a Breitbart meme last week, "Glenn Beck: Electing Hillary Clinton 'Is a Moral, Ethical Choice'."

So here's his response, in a chat with Dana Loesch:



Here's the updated story at CNN, "Glenn Beck: Opposing Trump is 'moral' choice — even if Clinton is elected."

Old America vs. New America and the 2016 Election

I guess this is another way of talking about the Coalition of Restoration versus the Coalition of Transformation, which is Ronald Brownstein's formulation of the current realignment in American politics.

See Cathleen Decker, at LAT, "This election is much more than Trump vs. Clinton. It's old America vs. new America":

The contrast in the 2016 presidential election was as evident Thursday as it has ever been: Donald Trump spoke to a largely white audience in Ohio, a state that has traditionally picked presidents but finds itself somewhat marginalized this year.

Soon after, Michelle Obama, the nation’s first African American first lady, campaigned for Hillary Clinton in Arizona, a state where Latinos have changed the political environment so much that Republicans may well lose there for only the second time since 1948.

The dramas surrounding the Trump campaign have sometimes obscured an underlying reality of 2016: Trump and Clinton are running for the same job, but they are talking to and being sustained by two different Americas.

There’s the old one — a distinction not of age alone, but cultural perspective and outlook — that Trump appeals to as he courts white, rural voters and social conservatives. His support base is heavy with voters uneasy with the turns the country has taken in recent years and, broadly speaking, more comfortable with an era when white men like Trump ran things.

And there’s the new America, the one Hillary Clinton has homed in on with her appeals to women, gay and lesbian Americans, the young, and minorities.

Clinton is not a perfect representative of that new America  —  in part because of her long tenure on the political scene. But the themes on which she has conducted her campaign and popular surrogates like the Obamas have helped shore up her connection. So, too, has her historic reach to become the first woman president.

The focuses of the two candidates echo their parties’ strengths —Republicans with older and whiter voters, Democrats with younger, more culturally and racially diverse ones.

Their slogans also show their aim: Clinton’s is “Stronger Together,” an appeal to the patchwork of groups, many of them flexing new political muscle, that make up her base. Trump’s is “Make America Great Again,” a proposition that harks back to a time when a different, more homogeneous order prevailed.

Trump has never identified his target era, but his cultural references seem to push back decades. Thursday, at a rally in Delaware, Ohio, in a conservative and partly rural area north of Columbus, he brought up “The $64,000 Question,” a quiz show that went off the air in 1958.

In Arizona, before a diverse crowd of thousands, the first lady evoked groups that were often ignored in that era as she delivered a ringing speech on behalf of Clinton.

“We are a nation built on differences, guided by the belief that we are all created equal,” she said. “Hillary knows that our country is powerful and vibrant and strong, big enough to have a place for all of us and that each of us is a precious part of the great American story.”

At his rally, Trump spoke, as he almost always does, to a crowd made up almost completely of white voters. In what has become a common refrain, he framed the election in apocalyptic terms: “Either we win this election or we are going to lose this country,” he said.

To his followers, that threat is all too real. Judy Krauss, a 70-year-old retired teacher who attended the Trump rally, said she worries that “leftist liberals” are changing America for the worse.

“They’re already in the schools, already in the media, already in the Republican Party,” she said.

Michelle Churma, wearing a pin on her shirt with an image of a machine gun and the phrase “Plead the Second” — a reference to the 2nd Amendment —  said she feared the country would go “in an awful direction” if Clinton is elected.

“There’s an America that holds fast to the Constitution … the idea that everyone has an equal chance,” she said. The other believes “everyone has to have the same stuff … the government owes me.”

Earlier this fall, at a shopping mall not far from the rally site, representatives of the other America spoke of their discomfort with Trump.

“We’re married; he’s not OK with that,” said Terri Glimcher, 60, of Powell, Ohio, as she sat in the food court with her wife, Tammy McKey. They were able to marry after the Supreme Court legalized gay unions last year. “He wants to overturn that. And that’s scary.”

Downstairs in another part of the mall, Omeliah Nembhard, 21, said that she was no big fan of Clinton but that Trump struck at the fears of her immigrant family, which moved here from Jamaica.

“My family came here for opportunity, and Donald Trump is taking that away,” she said. “He’s taking America out of America. “

The version of America seen at the ballot box has changed dramatically over the years...

Still more.

Britt Bergmeister Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Casting Call 2017 (VIDEO)

She's fabulous:

Struggles of North Carolina Rural Voters (VIDEO)

This is interesting, even riveting in some respects.

Rural life is so different, and yet so beautiful. I love North Carolina. I love the mountain feel, the Appalachian feel.

Watch this clip, featuring white folks in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, from the PBS News Hour:

Donna Brazile Claims She's Being 'Persecuted' After Megyn Kelly Asks Her How She Obtained the Exact Same Question as Hillary Clinton at the March 13th Debate (VIDEO)

Truly despicable.

Talk about a rigged election. That's not up for debate.

The whole video's good, but go to 5:55 minutes at the clip:

'We will drain the swamp in Washington, D.C.'

Good.

There's a lot of draining to be done.

Here's Donald Trump at Gettysburg, "Trump makes 'closing argument,' again attacks accusers."

Trump: “We will drain the swamp in Washington, D.C.” https://t.co/tByfpF7dN5 https://t.co/FyVLPrVZyj

— CNN (@CNN) October 22, 2016

Reuters Calls the Election for Hillary

Crooked Hillary's been ahead in the Electoral College for almost the entire campaign, but Reuters is making a bid deal of her current lead. See, "Clinton far ahead in Electoral College race: Reuters/ipsos poll" (at Memeor
andum):

Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton maintained her commanding lead in the race to win the Electoral College and claim the U.S. presidency, according to the latest States of the Nation project results released on Saturday.

In the last week, there has been little movement. Clinton leads Donald Trump in most of the states that Trump would need should he have a chance to win the minimum 270 votes needed to win. According to the project, she has a better than 95 percent chance of winning, if the election was held this week. The mostly likely outcome would be 326 votes for Clinton to 212 for Trump.

Trump came off his best debate performance of the campaign Wednesday evening but the polling consensus still showed Clinton winning the third and final face-off on prime-time TV. Trump disputes those findings.

And some national polls had the race tightening a wee bit this week though others had Clinton maintaining her solid lead. But the project illustrates that the broader picture remains bleak for Trump with 17 days to go until the Nov. 8 election.

Trump did gain ground in South Carolina where his slim lead last week expanded to seven points, moving it into his column from a toss-up. Unfortunately for him, he lost ground in Arizona, which is now too close to call.

Additionally, he is facing a challenge for Utah’s six Electoral College votes from former CIA operative and Utah native Evan McMullin. The independent candidate is siphoning votes away from Trump in a state that is Republican as any in the nation. In some polls, McMullin is even leading. (The States of the Nation is not polling on McMullin.)

Utah, like almost all of the states, is a winner-take-all contest.

Keep reading.

Facebook Employees Pushed to Remove Trump's Posts as Hate Speech

Facebook employees threatened to quit over Trump, angry that Mark Zuckerberg allowed Trump's posts to stay up, even though, according to employees, his comments violated the social network's terms of service.

At WSJ.

Good on Zuck. But what you're seeing is the axis of ideological conflict going forward, starting very soon, in fact. And leftists are going to win, more and more. Conservative speech will be shut down as "hate speech." First it'll be on private services like Facebook, but if Hillary gets a couple of Supreme Court nominees confirmed, Court rulings may well chip away at longstanding protections for speech. Look for cases arising from the hotbeds of political correctness, America's college campuses.

The Movement for Prison Reform on the Right

From Megan McArdle, at Bloomberg, "How the Right Changed Its Mind on Prison":

One of the heartening developments of the last few years has been the emergence of a serious movement for prison reform on the right. These people are not simply coming over to the left-wing side; they have their own ideas about de-escalating mass incarceration, and an increasingly serious commitment to doing so.

Political scientist Steven Teles has just released a new book on the phenomenon: “Prison Break: Why Conservatives Turned Against Mass Incarceration.” I sat down with him on Thursday to ask him about the book and talk about what it might mean for the future of both criminal-justice reform and the Republican Party.

Keep reading.

Cornel West Lecture at Long Beach City College

The man is a real, live prophetic firebrand. I was amazed, practically shocked, at the power and intensity of his speaking.

And believe me, I'm generally not coming from his point of view. Still, pretty amazing talk.

College President Eloy Oakley tweeted:

Proud to intro @CornelWest to @LBCityCollege students & staff. Commitment to truth & action #equity #socialjustice pic.twitter.com/Fn8vMsroKq

— Eloy Ortiz Oakley (@EloyOakley) October 21, 2016

TY Dr. @CornelWest for speaking truth to @LBCityCollege students & staff. We were all blessed to hear your words. pic.twitter.com/6bC2UPJ7OO

— Eloy Ortiz Oakley (@EloyOakley) October 21, 2016

Also, check out West's latest book, Black Prophetic Fire.

Like I always say, it's better to know your enemies, so I read everything I can get my hands on, left and right. It makes me a better teacher frankly, and damn if Cornel West doesn't make some good points regardless of ideology.

See also, Democracy Matters: Winning the Fight Against Imperialism.

Deal of the Day: New Lady Gaga Album: $3.99 [BUMPED]

Hurry.

Offer ends in a little more than 14 hours.

At Amazon, Joanne [Explicit].

BONUS: Robert S. Gordon, The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living since the Civil War. (I'm loving this book.)

A Frightening Preview of Hillary's America

From Daniel Greenfield, at FrontPage Magazine, "Dark and Unaccountable":

Hillary Clinton, of all people, summed up this debate and this election best.

“What kind of country are we going to be?”

The Evita of Arkansas is a compulsive liar who has never told the truth in her life. But this time around she was right. This election does not come down to the personalities. It comes down to the kind of country we are going to have. And in the third debate, the one that took a break from the petty haranguing of media lackeys like Lester Holt and Martha Raddatz, the issues took center stage.

The core issue came into focus with the very first question asked by Chris Wallace. Wallace asked Hillary and Trump if their vision for the Supreme Court was based on the Constitution or not. Hillary launched into a spiel about a Supreme Court that would stand for class warfare and gay rights. The only time she mentioned the Constitution was when she insisted that the Senate was constitutionally obligated to confirm Obama’s nominee. That is her vision of the Constitution; a document that grants her power to reshape the country without regard to the Founders or any previously existing rights or freedoms.

It fell to Trump to speak of justices who would “interpret the Constitution the way the founders wanted it interpreted”. And that is the core issue. Personalities and politicians come and go. Today’s trending topic has been forgotten a day later. Outrages explode like fireworks and then fizzle out.

The weapons of mass distraction have been deployed and detonated. They keep going off in blasts of media gunpowder to divert our attention from whether we will live under the Constitution or under the Hillary. Will we have the rights and freedom bound into the Constitution or corruption justified with cant about the need to defend the oppressed by giving unlimited power to the oppressors.

The final debate finally focused on the issues. Instead of leading with the scandals, it asked about gun control, amnesty and open borders. It asked what kind of country are we going to be?

And, are we going to be a country at all or an open border weeping undocumented migrants destroying what’s left of the middle class as the masterminds rob the country blind while preaching piously to us about all the poor Syrians, Mexicans and LGBT youth they want to protect?

Americans have had a preview of the country that Hillary Clinton would create under Obama. They received yet another preview of it at a final debate in which Hillary echoed Obama’s Orwellian language in which endless spending was dubbed “investing” and in which government would save the middle class by regulating and taxing it out of existence for the greater good of the officially oppressed.

Hillary Clinton promised free college and cradle to grave education that would be debt free. Americans would be the ones plummeting deeper and deeper into debt to pay for degrees in gender studies. She promised viewers pie in the sky to be paid for by higher taxes on the rich. But as Trump pointed out, that’s the class that her donors come from. Did Warren Buffett and George Soros invest all that money into her victory just to pay higher taxes? Did they do it right after they bought the Brooklyn Bridge?

Or will Americans buy the bridge believing Hillary’s promise that she “will not add a penny to the debt”?

The only way Hillary can hope to do that is to appoint Bernie Madoff to be her Treasury Secretary.

When Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump wrangled over tax hikes or tax cuts, the debate is whether crooks like the Clintons should have a massive pot of taxpayer money to “invest” into their donors.

But beneath it is the same big question; do we live under the Constitution or under the Hillary?

In Hillary Country, just like in Obama Country, there are always more “investments” to make and you had better pay your “fair share”. There are always special identity group interests that need money. There are always more regulations, taxes, fines and fees. And it’s all for the children.

The ones that Hillary will grimace at when the cameras are on her and nudge away with the point of her shoe when the little red light turns off.

But there is no lie that Hillary Clinton will not tell and no lie that her pet media fact checkers will not back her up on....

Still more.

East Coast Hacking Vendetta

I blogged this morning and logged onto Twitter no problem, but then not too long later no dice.

I couldn't access the site, and I saw the news of the massive DDoS attack.

And now, at Bloomnberg, "The Possible Vendetta Behind the East Coast Web Slowdown" (via Memeorandum):

Millions of internet users lost access to some of the world’s most popular websites Friday, as hackers hammered servers along the U.S. East Coast with phony traffic until they crashed, then moved westward.
A global attack on one provider of Domain Name System services, Dyn Inc., took down sites including Twitter, Spotify, Reddit, CNN, Etsy and The New York Times for long stretches of time -- from New York to Los Angeles.

Kyle York, chief strategy officer of Dyn, said the hackers launched a so-called distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack using “tens of millions” of malware-infected devices connected to the internet. Speaking during a conference call Friday afternoon, York said Dyn was “actively” dealing with a “third wave” of the attack.

By Friday evening, Dyn said it had stopped the hacks. "As you can imagine it has been a crazy day," Dyn spokesman Adam Coughlin wrote in an e-mail. "At this moment (knock on wood) service has been restored."

Security professionals have been anticipating a rise in attacks coming from malware that targets the "Internet of Things," a new breed of small gadgets that are connected to the internet. That was after a hacker released software code that powers such malware, called Mirai, several weeks ago.

Gillian M. Christensen, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said the agency and the FBI are aware of the incidents and “investigating all potential causes.”

Keep reading.

Lady Gaga at the Bitter End Nightclub (VIDEO)

Following-up, "Deal of the Day: New Lady Gaga Album: $3.99."

At CBS News 2 New York:

Update on the K-12 Implosion

From Glenn Reynolds, at Instapundit, "K-12 IMPLOSION UPDATE: What Politicians Mean When They Ask for More Education Spending."

And see Reynolds' book, The K-12 Implosion.

BONUS: The Education Apocalypse: How It Happened and How to Survive It.

Wonder Woman's Visceral Impact (VIDEO)

The U.N. has named Wonder Woman the Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls.

This fills Lynda Carter with pride. And she makes a point that she first did this role 40 years ago. She looks great --- she looks like she could still do the role, va va voom!

At CBS This Morning:

More on Hitler and Nazi Germany [BUMPED]

I mentioned I was surprised by the publication of a major new Hitler biography, Volker Ullrich's, Hitler: Ascent, 1889-1939.

Mainly that's because there's been so much first rate research on the Nazi leader that I'm surprised historians came up with anything new.

When I was finishing grad school, Ian Kershaw published a two-volume biography that reviewers at the time said was unlikely to be surpassed. See, Hitler: 1889-1936 Hubris, and Hitler: 1936-1945 Nemesis. (I don't think I need to read too much more beyond Kershaw's work, but that's me.)

Then there's the famous biography from Joachim Fest, Hitler.

And also John Toland's bestseller, Adolf Hitler: The Definitive Biography.

Not to mention, Alan Bullock's Hitler: A Study in Tyranny.

I also linked Michael Burleigh the other day. See his masterful work, The Third Reich: A New History.

I'm interested in reading Richard Evans' work on the Nazi regime, in three volumes, The Coming of the Third Reich; The Third Reich in Power; and The Third Reich at War.

I was interested as well in Timothy Snyder's recent book, Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning, but he argues the Holocaust is analogous to the threat of global climate change, which even reviewers thought wacky. He's lost me on that. I think I'll pass.

Great Robert Costa Piece on the Crumbling of the Republican Party

This is a much better report than the one from the New York Times I posted earlier here, "Republican Party on the Verge of Extinction?"

Robert Costa used to be at NRO, and he's an outstanding reporter with excellent inside sources and a real feel for movement politics.

At WaPo:

#DonaldTrump-driven divide will consume #GOPe long after the election: https://t.co/Zee2HtbS7a #TRUMP #TRUMPTRAIN #MAGA #Rigged

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) October 20, 2016

How Russia Pulled Off the Biggest Election Hack in U.S. History

This is pretty intense, although for all the claims of Russia cyber-spying and hacking, I've yet to see what I consider rock-hard evidence. It's all technical and circumstantial. It's weird, frankly.

See Esquire, "Russia Hackers to Blame for Wikileaks Emails - Proof Vladmir Putin Was Behind the Clinton Email Hack."

Just read it at the link:

How Russia Pulled Off the Biggest Election Hack in U.S. Historyhttps://t.co/lsZlUq46EQ pic.twitter.com/WZ74Gs2eTL

— Tyler Coates (@tylercoates) October 20, 2016

Candidates Struggle to Remain Civil at the Al Smith Charity Dinner (VIDEO)

Actually, sounds like a pretty hilarious roast.

At New York Magazine, "A Night of Laughter, Charity, and Boos: The Candidates Struggle to Remain Civil at the Al Smith Charity Dinner."

'Johnny B. Goode'

Tuesday was Chuck Berry's 90th birthday, and the dude's still rockin'.

From Tuesday morning's drive-time, "Johnny B. Goode," at the Sound L.A., "Chuck Berry Is Still Rockin'":

Chuck Berry, who turns 90 today, has announced a surprising treat for his fans.

The rock and roll pioneer will release a new album in 2017. Titled Chuck, it's a collection of mostly new, self-written material featuring the band that backed him on over 200 shows at the Blueberry Hill Club in St. Louis -- including his children Charles Berry Junior (on guitar) and Ingrid Berry (harmonica) along with Jimmy Marsala (Berry's bassist of 40 years), Robert Lohr (piano), and Keith Robinson (drums).

Berry says in a statement that he's dedicated the project to his wife of 68 years, Themetta Berry. "My darlin' I'm growing old! I've worked on this record for a long time. Now I can hang up my shoes!"

Charles Berry Junior adds, "These songs cover the spectrum from hard driving rockers to soulful thought provoking time capsules of a life's work."

 And flashback to 2008, "Never Ever Learned to Read or Write So Well..."

Book Review: Nancy Isenberg's, White Trash

This is a great book review, from Professor Jefferson Cowie, at Foreign Affairs, "The Great White Nope: Poor, Working Class, and Left Behind in America."

Here's the book, at Amazon, Nancy Isenberg, White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America.

And an excerpt from Professor Cowie's review:

Most Americans are optimistic about their futures—but poor and working-class whites are not. According to a recent analysis published by the Brookings Institution, poor Hispanics are almost a third more likely than their white counterparts to imagine a better future. And poor African Americans—who face far higher rates of incarceration and unemployment and who fall victim far more frequently to both violent crime and police brutality—are nearly three times as optimistic as poor whites. Carol Graham, the economist who oversaw the analysis, concluded that poor whites suffer less from direct material deprivation than from the intangible but profound problems of “unhappiness, stress, and lack of hope.” That might explain why the slogan of the Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump—“Make America Great Again!”—sounds so good to so many of them.

A stunning U-turn in the fortunes of poor and working-class whites began in the 1970s, as deindustrialization, automation, globalization, and the growth of the high-technology and service sectors transformed the U.S. economy. In the decades since, many blue-collar jobs have vanished, wages have stagnated for less educated Americans, wealth has accumulated at the top of the economic food chain, and social mobility has become vastly harder to achieve. Technological and financial innovations have fostered economic and social vitality in urban centers on the coasts. But those changes have brought far fewer benefits to the formerly industrial South and Midwest. As economic decline has hollowed out civic life and the national political conversation has focused on other issues, many people in “flyover country” have sought solace in opioids and methamphetamine; some have lashed out by embracing white nationalist rage. As whites come closer to becoming a plurality in the United States (or a “white minority,” in more paranoid terms), many have become receptive to nativist or bigoted appeals and thinly veiled promises to protect their endangered racial privilege: think of Trump’s promise to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border and his invocation of an unspecified bygone era when the United States was “great,” which many white Trump supporters seem to understand as a reference to a time when they felt themselves to be more firmly at the center of civic and economic life.

Trump also loves to tell his audiences that they are victims of a “rigged” political system that empowers elites at their expense. On that count, the evidence supports him. Consider, for example, the findings of a widely cited 2014 study by the political scientists Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page, who researched public opinion on approximately 1,800 policy proposals (as captured by surveys taken between 1981 and 2002) and found that only those ideas endorsed by the wealthiest ten percent of Americans became law. This domination of politics by economic elites has produced the de facto disenfranchisement of everyone else—a burden experienced by the entire remaining 90 percent, of course, but perhaps felt most acutely by those who have fallen the furthest.

For poor and working-class white Americans, the profound shifts of the past few decades have proved literally lethal: beginning around 1999, life expectancy—which had been increasing dramatically for all Americans during the twentieth century—began to decrease for less educated middle-aged whites. Angus Deaton, the Nobel Prize–winning economist who discovered this trend along with his wife and collaborator, the economist Anne Case, speculated that this demographic group is “susceptible to despair” because they have “lost the narrative of their lives.”

Nancy Isenberg’s White Trash aims to uncover the historical roots of this social calamity and explain its political effects. It’s an ambitious book that doesn’t quite succeed but that is nonetheless frequently revelatory...

Keep reading.

University of Toronto Threatens to 'Silence' Professor Jordan Peterson Over Mandatory Gender-Neutral Pronouns 'Zie' or 'Hir'

Professor Peterson refuses to utter these completely insane "gender neutral" pronouns.

From Kelsey Harkness, at the Daily Signal, "University Threatens to ‘Silence’ Professor Protesting Genderless Pronouns."

Bestselling Item: Bluedio T2s Turbine Bluetooth Wireless Headphones [BUMPED]

At Amazon, Bluedio T2s Turbine Bluetooth Wireless Stereo Headphones with Mic, 57mm Drivers/Rotary Folding, Blue.

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.