Danielle Gersh's Scorching Weather Forecast

It won't be too bad along the coasts and in the L.A. and Orange County metro areas. But when you get inland, especially to the deserts, you're looking are very hot temperatures, and into the triple digits early in the week.

Just dish up a scoop of ice cream for your old man, and have a Happy Father's Day!

Here's the lovely Ms. Danielle, for CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Hadas Malka Murdered by 'Palestinian' Jihadist in Terrorist Stabbing Attack in Jerusalem

An evil and horrifying story, made all the more horrific by the BBC's initial coverage of the murder.

See Twitchy, "BBC deletes tweet about three Palestinians killed after deadly stabbing; Now guess who did the stabbing."

Sad news #Breaking as Police announce that Hadas Malka has died of her wounds in today's attack in #Jerusalem. pic.twitter.com/XA8CYSzytH

— Peter Lerner (@LTCPeterLerner) June 16, 2017

Katie Hopkins tweeted her response today.

The @BBCNews doing their bit pre #AlQuds tomorrow. Stoking tension. LOOK pic.twitter.com/aLHaxF6che

— Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) June 17, 2017

Also at the Jerusalem Post, "ADAS MALKA, KILLED BY TERRORIST AT DAMASCUS GATE, REMEMBERED AS LOVING, BRAVE WARRIOR."

Stunning Helen Flanagan in Salmon-Pink Bikini on Holiday in Spain

At London's Daily Mail, "Flanagan shows off her enviably lean figure in a pink bikini as she enjoys a fun-filled family holiday with cute daughter Matilda."

BONUS: At the Sun U.K., "OWN GOAL! Coronation Street’s Helen Flanagan accidentally flashes her bra as her top rides down in front of thousands of Celtic fans - The cobbles beauty laughed off the wardrobe malfunction as she took part in a lap of honor."

Violetta Komyshan at Premiere of 'Baby Driver' in Los Angeles

At London's Daily Mail, "Sheer daring! Ansel Elgort's girlfriend Violetta Komyshan wears revealing dress to Baby Driver premiere in LA ... before cutting some shapes with her beau on the dance-floor."

Also, at Taxi Driver, "Violetta Komyshan in Completely See-Through Dress."

Glenn Reynolds, The Education Apocalypse

I read this one a couple of years ago, and it's great!

At Amazon, Glenn Reynolds, The Education Apocalypse: How It Happened and How to Survive It.

Joel Kotkin, The New Class Conflict

I've got this one on order, Joel Kotkin, The New Class Conflict.

Richard Florida, The New Urban Crisis

*BUMPED.*

At Amazon, Richard Florida, The New Urban Crisis: How Our Cities Are Increasing Inequality, Deepening Segregation, and Failing the Middle Class—and What We Can Do About It.

Phoenix Expected to See High of 110 Degrees Today (VIDEO)

Watch, at ABC News 10 Phoenix, "DANGEROUSLY hot this weekend!":

It will be dangerously hot Saturday as we're expected to see a high of 110.

Actually, according to the report, it could 120 on Tuesday. But more at USA Today:

It could hit 120 degrees in #Arizona, Southwest this weekend https://t.co/fNSStuJWrG via @USATODAY

— Beth Duckett (@Beth_Duckett) June 17, 2017

Added:

The NWS has already issued excessive #heat watches for Friday into early next week across the Southwest: https://t.co/sXoaAXBD3C pic.twitter.com/9Im1iOM0IT

— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) June 14, 2017

A heat wave will arrive late this week in California and across the southwest US - here's how you stay safe https://t.co/asAP108BNk 🌡️☀️😓 pic.twitter.com/WdUfr2aETC

— NWS (@NWS) June 14, 2017

Reader Poll: Should Conservatives Disrupt Leftists?

The poll's at Legal Insurrection, "To disrupt like the Left, or not to disrupt: that is the question (Reader Poll)."

I've already weighed in, here, "Let's Not Parrot the Left, Laura Loomer and Jack Posobiec."

I've added this comment at Legal Insurrection, in reply to Ms. EBL (who links this Instapundit post, which links AoSHQ):

Actually, Ace isn’t arguing we should use violence. He’s talking about boycotts and blacklisting. Yeah, let’s do that. He doesn’t say to violently shut down left-wing public performances like a bunch of special snowflakes. So-called conservatives have lost their minds. The vote here is running almost 75 percent in favor of shutting down speech — SPEECH — you don’t like. You want to parrot the left, conservatives? Are you going to start hitting antifa leftists over the head with bike-locks, like anarchist Eric Clanton up in Berkeley? No. Are you going to start throwing bricks through the windows of businesses, like the riots on Telegraph Avenue, simply because people like Milo are scheduled to speak? No. Or at least, I’m not. That way lies much more polarization and violence, which purportedly conservatives don’t want. So what’s it going to be?

We won't have debates in this country if conservatives want to fight violent leftists with more violence. That's not what Ace was arguing.

Here's Jennifer Delacruz from the 11:00pm Weather Report Last Night

Following-up from last night, at 10:19pm, "Amber Lee's Hot Weather Forecast."

Ms. Jennifer wasn't up yet, but here she is now:

Tuong Vu, Vietnam's Communist Revolution

*BUMPED.*

At Amazon, Tuong Vu, Vietnam's Communist Revolution: The Power and Limits of Ideology.

Scott Pelley Signs Off at 'CBS Evening News' (VIDEO)

I like Pelley.

I quit watching ABC News years ago, when Democrat George Stephanopoulos became one of the most important personalities at the network. And same thing for NBC, after the Brian Williams fiasco. Yeah, I know, Pelley's a leftist as well. But I've been watching CBS Evening News exclusively for this last few years, and it's fairly balanced --- or, as balanced as you're likely to get from the elite networks in any case.

Here's the lowdown, at the New York Post. It's cutthroat in that business, "Scott Pelley out of ‘CBS Evening News’":

Scott Pelley is out at “CBS Evening News,” Page Six has exclusively learned.

Sources tell us that “Poison Pelley’s” office was being cleared out Tuesday while the anchor was away on an assignment for the network’s news magazine “60 Minutes.”

We’re told he’s being shifted permanently to “60 Minutes.”

Insiders tell us that CBS News president David Rhodes “is making [Pelley] move to ‘60 Minutes,’ ” and that the pair “don’t get on.”

Another TV insider said that while Pelley’s ratings have been down, “There’s also been friction between him and [Rhodes].”

Added a source, “[Pelley] was pushed out of the ‘Evening News.’ It’s been coming for a long time. This could have been handled better — [Pelley] is away on a story, and they’re cleaning out his office. It’s not the correct way to treat the face of CBS News.”

And by the way, I stopped watching any television news for about six weeks this semester, especially as the Russia conspiracy became too much to handle.

I expect that's going to be more of the norm going forward. I prefer to filter what news I get through blogs and Twitter. It's that, or frankly no news at all, and that's hard for me, as a political science professor.

Amazon Buys Whole Foods for $13.7 Billion (VIDEO)

At Bloomberg, "Amazon to Acquire Whole Foods for $13.7 Billion."

There's talk now of breaking up Amazon under federal antitrust legislation.

I just want to keep blogging my Amazon Associates book business, lol.

At CBS Evening News, from last night:

New Erin Andrews Bikini Pics

At Bro Bible, "Erin Andrews in a Bikini is Something We Haven’t Seen, Well, Pretty Much Ever, Until Today."

And at RealClearHealth, "Erin Andrews Does Rare Bikini Photoshoot for Health Magazine: Fox NFL sideline reporter has battled health scares and sexism, but hasn't broken stride."

Erin Andrews – Health Magazine USA July/August 2017 Issue https://t.co/ku9sWQyKJy pic.twitter.com/o8HrrGSjKD

— juststarz (@juststarz) June 15, 2017

Minnesota Officer Acquitted in Killing of Philando Castile

Man, did Valerie Castile let loose about the verdict. Righteous indignation!

Breaking News: The Minnesota officer who fatally shot Philando Castile was acquitted of all charges https://t.co/JmTnv4v7B4

— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 16, 2017

'Mad as hell,' #PhilandoCastile's mother reacts to not guilty verdict: https://t.co/JFCN7XJDaA

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) June 17, 2017

"My son loved this state. He had one tattoo on his body, and it was of the Twin Cities," Valerie Castile said. "My son loved this city, and this city killed my son."

Valerie Castile also addressed the crowd directly after leaving the courthouse, expressing her disappointment.

"The system continues to fail black people, and it will continue to fail you all. Like I said, because this happened with Philando, when they get done with us, they coming for you, for you, for you and all your interracial children," Valerie Castile said. "Y'all are next, and you will be standing up here fighting for justice just as well as I am."

Let's Not Parrot the Left, Laura Loomer and Jack Posobiec

Look, all these so-called conservative Trump supporters are applauding Laura Loomer and Jack Posobiec, after the two tried to shut down the Caesar production of Shakespeare in the Park last night.

While I definitely think the right should practice more of the left's Alinsky politics, I don't agree in this case. It's about speech. You can't complain about leftists shutting down conservatives speakers if your response is just to ape them with the exact same bullying and violence. I'm not tweeting a whole lot about this, since I'd prefer not to lose a bunch of followers. But frankly, folks on the right are being stupid and über-tribal. I rarely agree with Ben Shapiro, but I agree with him here:

Stupid snowflake garbage. Pathetic. https://t.co/bBVb99D0mt

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) June 17, 2017

Police Say 58 People Are Missing, Presumed Dead in #GrenfellTower Fire (VIDEO)

At the Guardian U.K, "Grenfell Tower fire: 58 'missing, presumed dead' says Met amid protests at May's leadership - latest."

And at Sky News.

Met Police says first #GrenfellTower victim has been identified; 58 people are missing and are assumed to be dead - the number may increase pic.twitter.com/gjyi28sJHM

— Sky News (@SkyNews) June 17, 2017

Nice Tattoo

Seen on Twitter:

pic.twitter.com/FSKbZHDGgH

— SEXYBOOTY 👉ILI 😜 (@VENTULINAF430) June 16, 2017

Morning Coffee

I'm having my coffee right now, although not with this woman, lol.

pic.twitter.com/0imUseYx3M

— Jessica Miller (@camstarwar) June 17, 2017

Alonzo Hamby, For the Survival of Democracy

At Amazon, Alonzo Hamby, For the Survival of Democracy: Franklin Roosevelt and th Crisis of the 1930s.

Doctors Give Update on Steve Scalise's Condition (VIDEO)

Rep. Scalise was very close to death.

The doctors are now much more confident of his recovery than they were on Wednesday, but he's not out of the woods yet, by no means.

Amber Lee's Hot Weather Forecast

I don't see video of Jennifer Delacruz posted tonight, which is strange, since she tweeted she'd be doing the weather through the rest of the week.

No matter, here's the lovely Ms. Amber for CBS News 2 Los Angeles. It's heating up, people. Wasn't too bad today. I hung around the apartment most of the day, but Father's Day's going to be scorching. Keep your daddy cool and hydrated.

Eitan D. Hersh, Hacking the Electorate

At Amazon, Eitan D. Hersh, Hacking the Electorate: How Campaigns Perceive Voters.

'Megan Leavey' Review (VIDEO)

I liked it.

It's not the biggest blockbuster you'll ever see, but I really like Kate Mara, so I made it a point to see this one. Plus, I rarely miss a war movie. I went to the early-bird budget matinee, so the theater was almost empty. I don't see the opening weekend numbers online, although at least the movie's not straight to DVD. It's heavy on the personal relationships, especially Corporal Leavey's relationship to her dog, Rex. It's a tear-jerker as well, but a true story.

It's worth a look, either way. Most refreshingly, the director eschewed any inclinations towards leftist antiwar anti-Americanism. Indeed, the conclusion's hella patriotic, but I'll leave it at that not to spoil things.

See also the Los Angeles Times, "Review: 'Megan Leavey' tells a tale of two war heroes: a woman Marine and her bomb-sniffing K-9":

It’s also a movie that doesn’t wear its issues on its stripes. Without feeling the need to brand itself either a woman-in-the-military movie or animal-activism yarn, [director Gabriela] Cowperthwaite quietly goes about humanizing everything so that both of these elements, which might get treated as hot-button topics elsewhere, gain a kind of understated momentum all their own. Sure, that gives it the slight tinge of a chummy, politics-free, armed-services recruitment video — especially when Common’s around to play the supportive sergeant always this-close from breaking into a smile. But the battle scenes are direct and tense, if not exactly original, and even when the screenplay tosses in a burgeoning flirtation with a fellow K-9er (the charming Ramon Rodriguez), “Megan Leavey” makes it feel like an extra color in a soldier’s story, not a predictable story beat for a heroine...

RTWT.

J. Kael Weston, The Mirror Test

We're sending more troops to Afghanistan, and President Trump has given Defense Secretary James Mattis authority to set troop levels for that entire deployment.

So, I suppose this is a good time to re-up J. Kael Weston's recent book on the conflict, now out in paperback.

At Amazon, J. Kael Weston, The Mirror Test: America at War in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Rage is All the Rage

From Peggy Noonan, at the Wall Street Journal, "A generation of media figures are cratering under the historical pressure of Donald Trump":

NOONAN: Rage All the Rage -- and It's Dangerous... https://t.co/TeZApk0FMB

— DRUDGE REPORT (@DRUDGE_REPORT) June 16, 2017

What we are living through in America is not only a division but a great estrangement. It is between those who support Donald Trump and those who despise him, between left and right, between the two parties, and even to some degree between the bases of those parties and their leaders in Washington. It is between the religious and those who laugh at Your Make Believe Friend, between cultural progressives and those who wish not to have progressive ways imposed upon them. It is between the coasts and the center, between those in flyover country and those who decide what flyover will watch on television next season. It is between “I accept the court’s decision” and “Bake my cake.” We look down on each other, fear each other, increasingly hate each other.

Oh, to have a unifying figure, program or party.

But we don’t, nor is there any immediate prospect. So, as Ben Franklin said, we’ll have to hang together or we’ll surely hang separately. To hang together—to continue as a country—at the very least we have to lower the political temperature. It’s on all of us more than ever to assume good faith, put our views forward with respect, even charity, and refuse to incite.

We’ve been failing. Here is a reason the failure is so dangerous.

In the early 1990s Roger Ailes had a talk show on the America’s Talking network and invited me to talk about a concern I’d been writing about, which was old-fashioned even then: violence on TV and in the movies. Grim and graphic images, repeated depictions of murder and beatings, are bad for our kids and our culture, I argued. Depictions of violence unknowingly encourage it.

But look, Roger said, there’s comedy all over TV and I don’t see people running through the streets breaking into laughter. True, I said, but the problem is that, for a confluence of reasons, our country is increasingly populated by the not fully stable. They aren’t excited by wit, they’re excited by violence—especially unstable young men. They don’t have the built-in barriers and prohibitions that those more firmly planted in the world do. That’s what makes violent images dangerous and destructive. Art is art and censorship is an admission of defeat. Good judgment and a sense of responsibility are the answer.

That’s what we’re doing now, exciting the unstable—not only with images but with words, and on every platform. It’s all too hot and revved up. This week we had a tragedy. If we don’t cool things down, we’ll have more.

And was anyone surprised? Tuesday I talked with an old friend, a figure in journalism who’s a pretty cool character, about the political anger all around us. He spoke of “horrible polarization.” He said there’s “too much hate in D.C.” He mentioned “the beheading, the play in the park” and described them as “dog whistles to any nut who wants to take action.”

“Someone is going to get killed,” he said.

That was 20 hours before the shootings in Alexandria, Va.

The gunman did the crime, he is responsible, it’s fatuous to put the blame on anyone or anything else.

But we all operate within a climate and a culture. The media climate now, in both news and entertainment, is too often of a goading, insinuating resentment, a grinding, agitating anipathy. You don’t need another recitation of the events of just the past month or so. A comic posed with a gruesome bloody facsimile of President Trump’s head. New York’s rightly revered Shakespeare in the Park put on a “Julius Caesar” in which the assassinated leader is made to look like the president. A CNN host—amazingly, of a show on religion—sent out a tweet calling the president a “piece of s—” who is “a stain on the presidency.” An MSNBC anchor wondered, on the air, whether the president wishes to “provoke” a terrorist attack for political gain. Earlier Stephen Colbert, well known as a good man, a gentleman, said of the president, in a rant: “The only thing your mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin’s c— holster.” Those are but five dots in a larger, darker pointillist painting. You can think of more.


Too many in the mainstream media—not all, but too many—don’t even bother to fake fairness and lack of bias anymore, which is bad: Even faked balance is better than none.

Yes, they have reasons...

Jennifer Delacruz to Fill-In for the Rest of the Week

Following-up from last night, "Jennifer Delacruz's Record-Breaking Weather Forecast."

The lovely Ms. Jennifer will be bringing us the weather through the weekend, if I'm reading this tweet correctly.

She's so lovely.

Filling in at the weather center for the rest of the week! Tune in for your heat wave forecast at 7 on @10News #SanDiego #Weather ☀️ pic.twitter.com/tzieyT60rv

— Jennifer Delacruz (@10NewsJen) June 16, 2017

Yoko Ono Will Share Credit for John Lennon's Iconic 'Imagine' (VIDEO)

I had a student last semester claim that John Lennon was one of our "political leaders," or at least "past leader," along with Martin Luther King, Jr., etc., if I remember correctly. That's how deeply the popular leftist culture has burrowed into and infected the youth demographic. They don't know anything. They don't know history going back even to last year, much less the 1960s and '70s. It's out of control.

In any case, from Sarah Hoyt, at Instapundit, "FINALLY! WE CAN STOP BLAMING JOHN ALONE: Yoko Ono gets credit for John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’."

Trump Administration Rescinds DAPA (Deferred Action for Parents of Americans)

This is big. Freakin' really big.

More immigration news: The Trump admin just killed DAPA https://t.co/VyPPTzEaLs

— Jon Passantino (@passantino) June 16, 2017

Promise Kept: Trump Admin Rescinds DAPA Amnesty Program https://t.co/RdQR7QVr55 pic.twitter.com/iDjajYnJgx

— The Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 16, 2017

The Trump admin just rescinded DAPA, which would have given legal status to undocumented parents with US children pic.twitter.com/9KzSaLbfAZ

— Marcelo Rochabrún (@mrochabrun) June 16, 2017

Local immigration lawyer says Trump Administration's decision to rescind DAPA will not impact Dreamers: https://t.co/k5D3zfbUU3

— #NBC7 San Diego (@nbcsandiego) June 16, 2017

Jennifer Delacruz's Record-Breaking Weather Forecast

It was hot today in the O.C., but not sure if it was record-breaking (I'll check later, lol).

But parts of San Diego County were just a couple of degrees over the record for this day, and there's some real record heat coming over the next week, especially in the desert areas.

Here's the beautiful Ms. Jennifer, for ABC News 10 San Diego:

Bob Lewis, The Feminist Lie

*BUMPED.*

At Amazon, Bob Lewis, The Feminist Lie: It Was Never About Equality.

Laura Ingraham: Terms Like 'Resistance' Create a 'Moral Duty to Physically Resist' President Trump (VIDEO)

Watch, at RCP, "Ingraham On GOP Shooting: Terms Like 'Resistance' Create 'Moral Duty to Physically Resist' Trump":

LAURA INGRAHAM: It's a level of viciousness and vitriol that we see on social media but usually that's an anonymous thing. But now people are emboldened and they are saying it in person. They're doing chalk drawings of people and their families on their driveways so they wake up in the morning and they see a chalk drawing.

I think Charles is right. This apocalyptic language we hear on other cable networks, where these are supposedly very respected hosts who get up every morning and say, 'Will be republic survive Donald Trump?' In other words, the resistance is a physical resistance. If you believe your survival is at risk, you have the moral duty to physically resist that. And I think this freak yesterday took it to heart.

The full video from the panel is here, at Fox News' Special Report, "Will calls for unity among lawmakers hold up?"

Glacier National Park, in Montana's Rocky Mountains

So beautiful.

Found at Deborah Feyerick's Twitter feed.

Our most popular pic last week: @GlacierNPS by Daniel Ewert #Montana pic.twitter.com/bga4QpaPdR

— US Dept of Interior (@Interior) June 11, 2017

New York Deli Clerk Suffers Broken Jaw in Avocado Attack (VIDEO)

These thugs were mad about their food order?

These kinds of stories should be getting national coverage, but since the perps are black, it's verboten.

CAUGHT ON CAM: Deli clerk suffers broken jaw after 2 men pummel him with avocados, bananas in NYC deli: https://t.co/IKO6BWjfbQ pic.twitter.com/yoaTuRjuXt

— NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) June 14, 2017

WATCH: Angry customers pelt bodega clerk with avocados https://t.co/3NcqAWYwiN pic.twitter.com/tYdQsFREO9

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) June 16, 2017

Sarah Palin Threatens New York Times with Libel Lawsuit

The full story's at Hot Air, "Palin Should Sue The NYT For Its Editorial Blaming Her For Inciting The Gabby Giffords Shooting; Update: “Sickening”; Update: NYT Corrects; Update: Palin Considers Lawsuit."

But if you were on Twitter last night you would have seen the outrage. NYT's editors blamed the Gabby Giffords shooting on the bogus and debunked meme of the "GOP climate of hate" and the "cross-hairs map" that allegedly put then-Representative Giffords' life in danger.

(1/2) @nytopinion - commonsense suggestion by a journalist, am talking to attorneys this AM and exploring options. BTW, wonder.. pic.twitter.com/jACvxwUBZH

— Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) June 15, 2017

(2/2) ...WHY someone would no longer be in public eye? Think constant libel & slander have anything to do with it? 🤔

— Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) June 15, 2017

This paragraph in today's NYT editorial on Alexandria shootings is offensively, quasi-Stalinistically wrong: https://t.co/nWhhcHfMso pic.twitter.com/LkJFifUh73

— Jeff B/DDHQ (@EsotericCD) June 15, 2017

Are you fucking kidding me? https://t.co/z9oXkYnm2l

— John Ekdahl (@JohnEkdahl) June 15, 2017

Helps to remember the NYT is playing politics when GOP representatives were FUCKING TARGETED FOR ASSASSINATION.

— John Ekdahl (@JohnEkdahl) June 15, 2017

We published an editorial last night on the shooting at the G.O.P. men's baseball team practice field in Alexandria.

— NYT Opinion (@nytopinion) June 15, 2017

We got an important fact wrong, incorrectly linking political incitement and the 2011 shooting of Giffords. No link was ever established.

— NYT Opinion (@nytopinion) June 15, 2017

We're sorry about this and we appreciate that our readers called us on the mistake. We've corrected the editorial. https://t.co/t1FZ3iEYQJ pic.twitter.com/k7WW5uJIQO

— NYT Opinion (@nytopinion) June 15, 2017

This Isn't a Gun Issue (VIDEO)

Here's Dana Loesch. She'll be on Tucker's show tonight, which just started. I'll update with that video later:

This isn’t a gun issue, it’s a rhetoric issue. Twice in one month a far leftist decided to express dissent via murderous rampage.

— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) June 15, 2017

President Trump: 'We Are Showing the World We Will Not Be Intimidated...' (VIDEO)

Trump's statement before the congressional baseball game, which is now underway:

Trump: “By playing tonight, you are showing the world that we will not be intimidated” by threats to our democracy https://t.co/s8EWMir4LI

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) June 15, 2017

Today's Deals

At Amazon, Gold Box Deals.

See, especially, Dremel Multi-Tools.

Also, WEIYI 100-Watt Portable Solar Generator Power Station Power Inverter-Gas-free With Outputs AC 110V (Max 150Wh) 2USB-3.5A ,3DC-12V/15A, Charged by Solar/AC. Built-in Li-on Battery Capacity 40800mAh.

And, Mountain House Just In Case...Essential Bucket.

More, Kirkland Signature Trail Mix 4 Pounds Each (Pack of 2).

Here, G4Free Outdoors Large Pop Up Beach Tent Instant Easy Up Cabana Large 3-4 Person Anti UV Portable Automatic Sun Shelter For Sport Fishing and OuterEQ Instant Tent Camping Tent 3-4 Person.

BONUS: Bertrand Russell, A History of Western Philosophy.

Matt Walsh, The Unholy Trinity

*BUMPED.*

At Amazon, Matt Walsh, The Unholy Trinity: Blocking the Left's Assault on Life, Marriage, and Gender.

Tibby Muldoon Rule 5

Putting up that last post reminded me of the good old days of Rule 5 blogging.

Bob Belvedere used to post some great stuff, at Camp of the Saints, for example, "Rule 5 Saturday: Tibby Muldoon."

Danica Patrick Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (VIDEO)

This reminds me of TrogloPundit, seven years ago! lol.

See, "TrogloPundit's a Danica Patrick Hog!"

Nancy Pelosi Blames GOP for 'Politics of Personal Destruction', Blasting Republicans for 'Criticizing Left-Wing Rhetoric' (VIDEO)

Well, so much for the agreement, comity, and unity among Democrats and Republicans we saw yesterday. (Anyone who knows anything about politics knows it was fake anyway, especially the minority leader's comments.)

So, here you go with thing getting back to normal on Capitol Hill today, at Free Beacon, "Pelosi blames GOP for starting politics of personal destruction in the 1990s," and "Pelosi rips into Republicans for criticizing left-wing rhetoric before shooting: 'How dare they?'"

ICYMI: Camille Paglia, Free Women, Free Men

Following-up, "Camille Paglia: On Trump, Democrats, Transgenderism, and Islamist Terror."

At Amazon, Camille Paglia, Free Women, Free Men: Sex, Gender, Feminism.

Look Who's Outraged by Protests Against Sharia Law

At WND, "U.S. MUSLIMS OUTRAGED BY PROTESTS AGAINST ISLAMIC LAW: Does CAIR Want Shariah to Replace Constitution?"

Um, yes?

#CAIR Islamophobia Watch: Islamophobia and Trumpism are bringing disparate right-wing groups together. https://t.co/wjqRJgpHPg

— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) June 14, 2017

BONUS: At Fouse Squawk, "Act for America 'No Sharia Rally' in San Bernardino."

Steve Scalise's Condition is Worse Than People Think

From last night, from MedStar Washington Hospital Center:

Updated condition of Rep. Scalise. Please find the statement here: https://t.co/1mt8o5wp8u

— MedStar Washington (@MedStarWHC) June 15, 2017

Congressman Steve Scalise sustained a single rifle shot to the left hip. The bullet travelled across his pelvis, fracturing bones, injuring internal organs, and causing severe bleeding. He was transported in shock to MedStar Washington Hospital Center, a Level I Trauma Center. He underwent immediate surgery, and an additional procedure to stop bleeding. He has received multiple units of blood transfusion. His condition is critical, and he will require additional operations. We will provide periodic updates.

And just now, at People Magazine:

‘He’s in Some Trouble:’ Donald Trump Says House Whip Steve Scalise’s Condition Is Worse Than People Think https://t.co/cVj41oPjKv

— People Magazine (@people) June 15, 2017

Democrats and Republicans Don't Just Disagree About Policy — They Despise Each Other With the Burning Hatred of a Million Suns

It's true.

Even more interesting is that the New York Times published something true!

Here, "How We Became Bitter Political Enemies":

“If you go back to the days of the Civil War, one can find cases in American political history where there was far more rancor and violence,” said Shanto Iyengar, a Stanford political scientist. “But in the modern era, there are no ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ — partisan animus is at an all-time high.”

Mr. Iyengar doesn’t mean that the typical Democratic or Republican voter has adopted more extreme ideological views (although it is the case that elected officials in Congress have moved further apart). Rather, Democrats and Republicans truly think worse of each other, a trend that isn’t really about policy preferences. Members of the two parties are more likely today to describe each other unfavorably, as selfish, as threats to the nation, even as unsuitable marriage material...

Keep reading.

Ben Garrison on Far-Left Terrorism

On Twitter:

New #BenGarrison #Cartoon "Lighting the Fuse" words lead to actions
The Radical Left is the Mainstream Lefthttps://t.co/Oj98iIxEAZ pic.twitter.com/C1ffwjMdAE

— BenGarrison Cartoons (@GrrrGraphics) June 15, 2017

Rebecca Bagnol by Matthieu Sonnet (PHOTOS)

At P Magazine, "'Golden Years' - Rebecca Bagnol by Matthieu Sonnet MQ Photoshoot."

Also, at Drunken Stepfather, "REBECCA BAGNOL OF THE DAY."

Camille Paglia: On Trump, Democrats, Transgenderism, and Islamist Terror

At the Weekly Standard, "In a wide-ranging interview Paglia talks about Donald Trump's successes, how Chuck Schumer emboldened the "resistance," why the left can't condemn Islamist terrorism, and 'the cold biological truth that sex changes are impossible'."

Robert Spencer, The Complete Infidel's Guide to Free Speech

*BUMPED.*

No one trolls the left as hard as Robert Spencer, heh.

Out July 24th, and available at Amazon, The Complete Infidel's Guide to Free Speech (and Its Enemies).

Stuart Varney: 'The Left Has Broken the Rules of Free Speech and Decency' (VIDEO)

A great video, at Fox Business, "The Left, media fueling the climate of violence? FBN's Stuart Varney argues the Left and the media are continuing with partisan attacks, even in the wake of the shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise."

Southern Poverty Law Center Demonized Steve Scalise, but Now Distances Itself from Shooter Who 'Liked' SPLC on Facebook

SPLC's the real "hate group."

At Truth Revolt.

SPLC President: The SPLC condemns all forms of violence. Our hearts are with those who were injured today. https://t.co/fzMVEWuSZQ pic.twitter.com/8qSbuJgr2O

— SPLC (@splcenter) June 14, 2017

Gwen Stefani for Revlon (VIDEO)

Total bombshell babe.

Man.

Riveting Appearance by Rep. Ron DeSantis on Tucker Carlson's (VIDEO)

Fascinating details of the shooting yesterday.

Quite riveting viewing.

Get a Life Hateful Leftists! (VIDEO)

It's the inimitable Mark Steyn, on Tucker's earlier today:

Jackie Johnson's Sunny and Hot Forecast

A huge high pressure pocket is hanging out over the Pacific, and it's moving onshore over the remainder of the week into next. It's going to be really hot.

Here's the beautiful Ms. Jackie, for CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

James Holland, The Battle of Britain

*BUMPED.*

At Amazon, James Holland, The Battle of Britain: Five Months That Changed History — May-October 1940.

Bryan Adams Photographed the Beautiful Amanda Murphy for Issue 55 of Zoo Magazine

At Art Department Work, "BRYAN ADAMS FOR ZOO MAGAZINE."

And at Drunken Stepfather, "AMANDA MURPHY AND HEATHER KEMESKY BY BRYAN ADAMS OF THE DAY."

Unhinged Rhetoric About 'Nazis' and Trump Derangement Syndrome Leads to Bloodshed

Yep. That's about it.

From Ed Driscoll, at Instapundit, "DEMOCRATS’ 2011 NEW CIVILITY PLEDGE GOING SWIMMINGLY."

Also, "OH, THAT LIBERAL FASCISM. ‘F*ck Steve Scalise’: HuffPost writer Jesse Benn wishes ‘violent resistance’ were more ‘organized’."

I'm blocked by this idiot Huffington Post "Jesse Benn," whom I've never heard of before. 🤔#Alexandria

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) June 14, 2017

More Than 12,000 Tweets Have Called for President Trump's Assassination

Actually, that's probably on the low end of the count.

But see London's Daily Mail:

More than 12,000 tweets have called for Trump's assassination since the inauguration. https://t.co/xgE6BqdhTn

— Stefan Molyneux (@StefanMolyneux) June 14, 2017

Status of Victims in Alexandria Shooting

I pulled my earlier entry, "George Washington University Hospital Spokeswoman Confirms One of the #AlexandriaShooting Victims Has Died."

However, Kevin Lewis, at WJLA-TV Channel 7 News Washington, D.C., has not corrected his tweet from this morning, "Spokeswoman w/ GWU Hospital confirms one patient has died and the other remains in critical condition..."

Frankly, besides updates on Rep. Scalise, there hasn't a lot of news on the status of the other victims. But according to CNN, the others are recovering from their injuries.

See, "GOP House Whip Steve Scalise in critical condition after shooting at baseball practice":

Washington (CNN): Rep. Steve Scalise, a congressional staffer and members of the Capitol police force were shot Wednesday in Alexandria, Virginia, during Republicans' early-morning practice ahead of a charity baseball game.

President Donald Trump said the alleged gunman had been killed. Federal law enforcement officials identified the alleged shooter as James Hodgkinson, 66, of Belleville, Illinois.

At least six people including Scalise, the third ranking member of House Republican leadership as the majority whip, were hospitalized.

Scalise was in critical condition after surgery, according to So Young Pak, spokeswoman for MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Scalise is out of his first surgery, according to a Scalise aide. It is not clear if he will have a second surgery. His wife Jennifer and their two young children are traveling up from New Orleans to Washington now to be with him.

A congressional staffer, Zach Barth, was also shot in the leg and has since been released from the hospital. Matt Mika, a lobbyist for Tyson Foods and former staffer, was also identified as one of the victims. He was out of surgery and in critical condition as of Wednesday afternoon, according to a statement from his family.

House Speaker Paul Ryan also identified two members of the Capitol Police who were injured, Crystal Griner and David Bailey. In a statement, Capitol Police said Griner was in "good condition in the hospital having been shot in the ankle," and that Bailey "was treated and released having sustained a minor injury during the incident."

Rep. Roger Williams, a Texas Republican, was also hospitalized and released with an injury to his ankle.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Mika was in surgery and in critical condition, according to a statement from his family...

Huffington Post Scrubs Jason Fuller Article Calling for President Trump's 'Execution'

Hat Tip: NewsBusters, "HuffPost Spikes Contributor Demanding Execution of Trump."

The piece is still up in cached version, however.

Here, "Impeachment Is No Longer Enough; Donald Trump Must Face Justice":

Impeachment and removal from office are only the first steps; for America to be redeemed, Donald Trump must be prosecuted for treason and — if convicted in a court of law — executed.

#AlexandriaShooting Suspect James Hodgkinson Wanted to 'Terminate the Republican Party...'

Following-up, "#AlexandriaShooting: Democrat Suspect James Hodgkinson Killed After Opening Fire on Republican Lawmakers."

At the Belleville News-Democrat, "Belleville suspect killed in congressional shootout wanted to ‘terminate the Republican Party’":

#Belleville suspect James Hodgkinson #killed in congressional #shootout belonged to anti-GOP groups. #Alexandira https://t.co/NF7KbWKM1I pic.twitter.com/2AIMiVmJxY

— News-Democrat (@bellevillenewsd) June 14, 2017

The accused shooter who was killed during gunfire at practice for a congressional baseball game Wednesday morning was from Belleville.

The shooter was James T. Hodgkinson of Belleville, who belonged to a number of anti-Republican groups, including one called “Terminate the Republican Party.”

President Donald Trump said Hodgkinson died during gunfire exchanged with congressional security workers.

Hodgkinson, 66, owned a home-inspection business. Hodgkinson was a licensed home inspector from 1994 to 1997, when his license expired, according to records from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. He also held a license from 2003 to 2016, but it was not renewed.

Two days ago, Hodgkinson posted an angry tweet about President Donald Trump on Facebook.

“I Want to Say Mr. President, for being an ass hole you are Truly the Biggest Ass Hole We Have Ever Had in the Oval Office,” he wrote on Facebook.

Hodgkinson is a member of a number of anti-Republican groups on Facebook, including one called “Terminate the Republican Party.”

▪  “The Road to Hell is Paved with Republicans”

▪  “Donald Trump is not my President”

▪  “President Bernie Sanders”

▪  “Illinois Berners United to Resist Trump”

▪  “Boycott the Republican Party”

▪  “Expose Republican Fraud”

▪  “Terminate the Republican Party”

The FBI was investigating Hodgkinson’s postings on social media. Agents from the FBI and other federal investigators arrived Wednesday morning at Hodgkinson’s two-story home on the outskirts of Belleville. Spokesman Dillon McConnell of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, said the agency is “conducting emergency traces for a handgun and a rifle,” but declined to identify the weapons types.

Hodgkinson took a Democratic ballot in the primary election in 2016.

In 2012, Hodgkinson took part in a protest outside the downtown Belleville post office. He said he was part of a “99%” team drawing attention to the amount of money and political power the top 1 percent of Americans acquired.

Aaron Meurer is a neighbor of the Hodgkinsons and said he noticed in the last two months James had been gone. The alleged shooter’s wife Suzanne told him her husband was travelling.

“She said that he went on a trip. She wasn’t real specific,” said Meurer, unclear whether the couple had split up recently.”He’s been gone for the last two months, so I haven’t seen him around too often.”

Meurer said he occasionally cut his neighbor’s grass to help out. He didn’t know the neighbors well, just socialized from the lawn, and said his neighbor would fire guns on his rural property, commonplace in the open area outside of Belleville...

More.

#AlexandriaShooting: Democrat Suspect James Hodgkinson Killed After Opening Fire on Republican Lawmakers

I woke up a few minutes before 6:00am on the West Coast, and checked my phone only to see the news of the Alexandria shooting on Twitter.

I got up and made coffee. I watched the news and tweeted for three hours. It's almost too classic a story-line, given the relentless, literally 24/7 climate of hate against conservatives, Republicans, and --- most of all --- President Trump.

Now leftists are declaiming any responsibly for the assassination chic they've been promoting and glorifying, and they're denouncing efforts to "politicize" the shooting. I can't be calm and quiet in a time like this. My tweeting was extremely reserved, mainly because I've been waiting for the facts and trying to comprehend what happened. But watching the congressional statements on TV a few minutes ago, I don't know if I'd have been able to get up there lyricize about our "common humanity." I don't believe we have a common humanity. The shooter, James T. Hodgkinson, was a fire-breathing anti-Trump fanatic. He was a Democrat Party volunteer for the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign. The Democrat Party leftist establishment has blood on its hands. One of the victims has died. The shooter was killed by police on the scene. When I read news that children as young as 10-years-old were on the scene, ducking out of the line of fire, my eyes got a little misty. This isn't the way it should be in this country, but it's not surprising. We're in a civil war. It's a cultural civil war, to be sure, but it's increasingly becoming a martial civil war involving guns, bombs, knives, and a specific left-wing ideological campaign to murder political enemies. And indeed this violent agitation is coming exclusively from the left. The Democrats are the Antifa party in Washington, and they're facilitating violence, along with the so-called cultural "elite," like Kathy Griffin and the theater ensemble putting on "Shakespeare in the Park" in New York, where "Caesar" is "President Trump" who is bloodily stabbed to death.

It's a climate of hate and it's bringing about its intended death and destruction. So, let's not have some stupid far-left "Imagine" moment where we all hold hands and throw daisy-chains in the air. This is serious business. If I were in Congress I'd call it like it is and hold my colleagues accountable for promoting political assassination.

There's a time for comity and uplift. There's a time for grieving. But there's also a time for outrage. Let's put the focus on where it should be, and that's on the left's campaign of obstruction, destruction, and targeted political killings of ideological opponents. Enough is enough indeed.

.@BernieSanders condemns shooter who volunteered on his campaign: "I am sickened by this despicable act... I condemn this action." pic.twitter.com/kQoa6hCYhJ

— ABC 7 News - WJLA (@ABC7News) June 14, 2017

BREAKING: Shooter named as James T. Hodgkinson, 66, of Belleville, Ill. https://t.co/1qZZCwSZL8

— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 14, 2017

‘Seek help’: David Frum HAMMERED for ‘fallacious and ghoulish’ response to Alexandria shooting https://t.co/WjvFeFjsYP

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 14, 2017

‘Stop talking’: Ezra Klein’s reaction to Alexandria shooting involves ‘a BIG lie’ https://t.co/OjVvs1adYq

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 14, 2017

‘You are sick’! This guy’s response to Alexandria shooting may be the worst yet https://t.co/yWVZqjgmuz

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 14, 2017

‘What’s wrong with you?’ ‘Anti-racism strategist’ Tariq Nasheed slammed for Alexandria shooting reaction https://t.co/3JYRixxQIy

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 14, 2017

‘Hateful PR*CK.’ Verified account tweets/deletes VILE thread on Alexandria, targeting GOP https://t.co/wh5oXQPLZm

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 14, 2017

Alexandria shooting suspect reportedly dead; Purportedly wanted ‘to destroy Trump’ https://t.co/zighmGqdXF

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 14, 2017

‘BAN WHITE MEN!’ Shaun King embarrasses himself more than EVER with bizarre Alexandria rant https://t.co/Ls05Drv0F8

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 14, 2017

‘What a moron’! WATCH: Terry McAuliffe’s gun control plea contains some VERY fuzzy math https://t.co/kRlyvGolkC

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 14, 2017

Wait, WHAT? Newsweek’s detail about Rep. Scalise sends heads to desks https://t.co/JPa9xFivrn

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 14, 2017

‘Nailed it’: GOP Rep. Mo Brooks issues ‘perfect’ defense of 2nd Amendment after Alexandria shooting https://t.co/q9oXyFJAn2

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 14, 2017

‘Republicans are CHEATING us’: Hodgkinson’s hometown paper publishes his letters to the editor https://t.co/MPD49obBry

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 14, 2017

John Foran, Taking Power

At Amazon, John Foran, Taking Power: On the Origins of Third World Revolutions.

NBC News Star Katy Tur 'Doesn't Support the LGBT Community'

There's all kinds of controversy with this woman.

She was featured in a big New York Times puff-piece the other day, notes NewsBusters, "Poised, Witty, Truth-Teller to Trump: NY Times Gurgles Over 'Katy Tur on the Rise'."

Folks on Twitter attacked the Times for its "sexist" headline, so the editors changed it, of course. See Poynter, "The New York Times has changed the headline on its Katy Tur profile (again)." (Also at the Hill.)

And now her dad's attacking her as a transphobe. That's gotta hurt, considering her dad's now a trans woman. At Mediaite, "Zoey Tur Slams Daughter Katy Tur for Being 'Transphobic' in Blistering Facebook Post."

Frankly, Ms. Katy's often seen on MSNBC, which is far-left. So that "transphobic" slur's gonna leave a mark.

Stella Maxwell on the Runway

At Taxi Driver, "Stella Maxwell, Victoria's Secret Angel, in See-Through Blouse on the Moschino Runway."

Also, at London's Daily Mail, "Taking sexy to the Max(well)! Stella bares ALL on the runway in sexy sheer gown before hanging out with devoted girlfriend Kristen Stewart after Moschino show."

The Slow Fade to Social Depravity

On Twitter:

New Gallup poll tells a tale on the state of our culture, and it’s not good https://t.co/ZTw4tH2q5i

— LifeSiteNews.com (@LifeSite) June 13, 2017

Anyone who knows me personally knows that I am not a pessimist; however, what I am going to say might cause angst among some in the pro-life and pro-family movement, especially Catholics.

A recent Gallup poll exposed three terrible truths. First, we are not succeeding in transforming hearts and minds to cultivate and sustain a Culture of Life. Second, we are losing the younger generation to materialism, secularism and moral relativism. Third, the moral compass and Christian conscience in America is systematically being phased out of existence while indifference and tolerance of evil fill the void.

I readily admit that I usually place little emphasis upon polls; however, the results of this survey highlight and parallel trends we see around the world. Societies are radically rejecting centuries of Judeo-Christian beliefs concerning life and family while embracing a secular view of life and the human person.

How did we get here? It's been a slow fade. The acceptance of homosexual marriage. Normalizing it. Flaunting it. Adoring it like a god. https://t.co/HEarItXX5J

— Terri Green (@TerriGreenUSA) June 13, 2017

And don't forget normalizing transgender ideology and depravity. Christian values are playing defense. It's an assault on decency.

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) June 13, 2017

Carlo D'Este, Bitter Victory

At Amazon, Carlo D'Este, Bitter Victory: The Battle for Sicily, 1943.

Eric Helleiner, The Great Wall of Money

At Amazon, Eric Helleiner, The Great Wall of Money: Power and Politics in China's International Monetary Relations.

Collapse of Political Stability in Britain

This is good, at NYT.

Voters are not fools. Government performance matters, and performance has been lacking for May's Tories, especially on the economy.

In Britain, “people are switching loyalties, not tribally, but like consumers" https://t.co/DoGIM6Piti

— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) June 11, 2017

In the Mail: H.G. Adler, Theresienstadt, 1941-1945

*BUMPED.*

My copy came today yesterday Wednesday last week, via Cambridge University Press, and available at Amazon, H.G. Adler, Theresienstadt, 1941-1945: The Face of a Coerced Community.

Evelyn Taft's Warming Weather Forecast

Hey, great weather. Sunny and bright in Irvine today, and not too hot.

I can't complain.

That high pressure is on the way, however, and inland temperatures will get into the double-digits over the next few days (and look out in the high deserts, where it'll be scorching).

Here's the lovely Ms. Evelyn, for CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Forget James Comey: The Real Story is Russia's War on America

This is interesting, from Molly K. McKew.

At Politico:

Forget Comey. The Real Story Is Russia’s War on America https://t.co/KE4fySDTFH

— POLITICO Magazine (@POLITICOMag) June 13, 2017

Wendy Lesser, Why I Read

At Amazon, Wendy Lesser, Why I Read: The Serious Pleasure of Books.

Rat Infestation at Villa Park Elementary School (VIDEO)

This was my elementary school!

I attended Villa Park Elementary for 4th through 6th grade.

Not good. Not good.

At CBS News 2 Los Angeles, "Rat Infestation Spreads at Orange County Elementary School."

Today's Deals

At Amazon, Gold Box Deals.

See, especially, Father's Day Watches.

And, Amazon Echo - White.

More, Mountain House Just In Case...Classic Assortment Bucket.

Plus, AmazonBasics Apple Certified Lightning to USB Cable - 6 Feet (1.8 Meters) - White.

Here, Mad Grit: The Best Double Camping Hammock Includes: 2 Free Bonus Hanging Tree Straps and Carabiners - Ultralight Portable Compact Parachute Nylon Perfect for Outdoor Backpacking, Beach, Backyard, Camping.

BONUS: Catherine Merridale, Lenin on the Train.

Stop Pretending You're Not Rich

Here's Richard V. Reeves, at the New York Times:

Opinion: "Imagine my horror at discovering that the United States is more calcified by class than Britain" https://t.co/h25WWCkqUy

— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 11, 2017

And his book's out tomorrow, at Amazon, Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Middle Class Is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why That Is a Problem, and What to Do about It.

Rule 5 Monday

Well, here's to get things going, at the Other McCain, "Rule 5 Sunday: Summertime Girls."

Also, at Odie's, "Elevators ~OR~ Rule 5 Woodsterman Style."

And, a Page 3 flashback, "FILM STRIP: Sabine Jemeljanova is more than just a roaring success as a model after starring in spoof horror - The model turned actress enjoyed howls of laughter in Strippers vs. Werewolves - along with a few hairy moments."

(On Twitter as well, "Sexy Sabine Saturday.")

More, at Drunken Stepfather, "SELENA GOMEZ OF THE DAY." Plus, at Taxi Driver, "Selena Gomez Slight Nipple Peek."

BONUS: Amber Rose.

Difference Between 'Social Activists' and 'Social Justice Warriors'

Seen on Twitter:

Truth pic.twitter.com/YMwkZFwPi0

— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) June 11, 2017

W. August Mayer, Islamic Jihad, Cultural Marxism, and the Transformation of the West

*BUMPED.*

My copy came yesterday last week.

I'm so glad I came across this little tome.

At Amazon, W. August Mayer, Islamic Jihad, Cultural Marxism, and the Transformation of the West.

Jennifer Delacruz's Drizzle and Fog Forecast

It's going to be cloudy and wet on the coasts, but warmer inland. And then the high pressure's coming for the middle of the week, with increasing temperatures.

Time to get out and enjoy some of the beautiful weather we've got on tap!

Here's the beautiful Ms. Jennifer with the forecast, for ABS News 10 San Diego:

Democrats See Growing Split Between Party and Base

With Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party basically coming out the winner in Britain's general election, we saw all kinds of quick hot takes about how Democrats should have nominated Bernie Sanders (at least on Twitter).

I also saw someone (I've forgotten who) arguing that the populist/nationalist wave has crested (at 538?). I guess that means hardcore socialists are about to come to power, right?

Actually, no. The fact is Corbyn's still the leader of the shadow cabinet. We'll see if we have another election in Britain this year, as some have argued, but in the U.S. it's well over a year until the congressional midterms. A lot can happen in the meanwhile. And for 2020? Won't Bernie be pushing 80 by then? The Democrats need to deepen the bench. Sheesh.

In any case, at the New York Times, "Democrats in Split-Screen: The Base Wants It All. The Party Wants to Win":

Democrats are facing a struggle between the demands of their liberal base and the limits of their power https://t.co/0amCdyaUDY

— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 11, 2017

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Democrats are facing an open breach between the demands of their political base and the strict limits of their power, as liberal activists dream of transforming the health care system and impeaching President Trump, while candidates in hard-fought elections ask wary independent voters merely for a fresh chance at governing.

The growing tension between the party’s ascendant militant wing and Democrats in conservative-leaning terrain, where the party must compete to win power in Congress, was on vivid, split-screen display over the weekend: in Chicago, where Senator Bernie Sanders led a revival-style meeting of his progressive devotees, and in Atlanta, where Democrats are spending colossal sums of money in hopes of seizing a traditionally Republican congressional district.

It may be essential for Democrats to reconcile the party’s two clashing impulses if they are to retake the House of Representatives in 2018. In a promising political environment, a drawn-out struggle over Democratic strategy and ideology could spill into primary elections and disrupt the party’s path to a majority.

On the one hand, progressives are more emboldened than they have been in decades, galvanized by Mr. Sanders’s unexpected successes in 2016 and empowered by the surge of grass-roots energy dedicated to confronting an unpopular president and pushing the party leftward.

Mr. Sanders rallied his youthful, often-raucous coalition Saturday night at a gathering named the “People’s Summit,” where supporters hailed him in worshipful language. One Colorado couple hauled a small banner through the hangar-size McCormick Place, pleading with Mr. Sanders, a still-independent Vermont senator, to create a new “People’s Party.”

Mr. Sanders and many attendees enthused over the surprise showing of the British Labour Party, under the left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn, in last week’s election. Democrats can electrify voters, they warned, only by embracing the Sanders agenda of universal health care, free college tuition and full employment.

Speaking for just under an hour, Mr. Sanders — who was met with chants of “Bernie, Bernie” and pleas of “2020!” — crowed that while he may have lost the 2016 primary, “we have won the battle of ideas and we are continuing to win that battle.”

He assailed President Trump in blistering terms, but earned some of his loudest cheers for attacking the party whose nomination he sought last year. “The current model and the current strategy of the Democratic Party is an absolute failure,” Mr. Sanders said to booming applause, arguing that Democrats need “fundamental change.”

“The Democratic Party must finally understand which side it is on,” he said.

Yet the party’s elected leaders, and many of its candidates, are far more dispassionate, sharing a cold-eyed recognition of the need to scrounge for votes in forbidding precincts...

Pfft.

It's all baloney.

It's going to take a massive wave election in 2018 to topple the Republican majority in Congress, especially in the House.

And it's about 18 months until the 2018 midterms. Dems should curb their enthusiasm a little, heh.

Still more.

Kylie Jenner Wears Camouflage Bikini to Launch New Collection

At London's Daily Mail, "Kylie Jenner reports for bikini duty! Reality star poses camo swimsuit to model new army inspired collection."

Controversy followed, "Fashion brand accuses Kylie Jenner of COPYING its camo clothes with near-identical designs - and shares emails from the star's team who placed an order just a month ago."

Also at NME:

Kylie Jenner accused of cultural appropriation and copying Destiny’s Child with camouflage bikinihttps://t.co/n41lguGuXq pic.twitter.com/2gCHedyaol

— NME (@NME) June 9, 2017

ICYMI: Ralph K. Andrist, The Long Death

At Amazon, Ralph K. Andrist, The Long Death: The Last Days of the Plains Indians.

Elliott West, The Last Indian War

At Amazon, Elliott West, The Last Indian War: The Nez Perce Story.

David L. Kirp, Improbable Scholars

At Amazon, David L. Kirp, Improbable Scholars: The Rebirth of a Great American School System and a Strategy for America's Schools.

Jennifer Delacruz Sunshine Sunday Forecast

This video went live after I hit the hay last night.

It's warming up, getting sunny and warm, as we move into this week, and into summer.

Here's the lovely Ms. Jennifer, for ABC News 10 San Diego:

California's Descent to Socialism

From Joel Kotkin, at the O.C. Register:

California is widely celebrated as the fount of technical, cultural and political innovation. Now we seem primed to outdo even ourselves, creating a new kind of socialism that, in the end, more resembles feudalism than social democracy.

The new consensus is being pushed by, among others, hedge-fund-billionaire-turned-green-patriarch Tom Steyer. The financier now insists that, to reverse our worsening inequality, we must double down on environmental and land-use regulation, and make up for it by boosting subsidies for the struggling poor and middle class. This new progressive synthesis promises not upward mobility and independence, but rather the prospect of turning most Californians into either tax slaves or dependent serfs...

Keep reading.

Los Angeles Pride (LGBT) Parade Metastasizes Into #ResistMarch Against Trump Administration (VIDEO)

At Blazing Cat Fur, "Los Angeles Cancels ‘Gay Pride’ Parade (Held Every Year Since 1970) to Make Way for an Anti-Trump Parade."

The ideology of hate.

More at CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

My Apostasy from the Church of Critical Theory

From Reza Ziai, at Areo:

My Apostasy from the Church of Critical Theory | @Reza_Ziai https://t.co/5BtLu4KuXg

— Areo Magazine (@areomagazine) June 2, 2017

In 1997 I earned a Masters degree in psychology from Duquesne University, a Catholic university in Pittsburgh, PA. At the time, Duquesne was one of only a few schools in the country with an emphasis in existential phenomenological psychology that was also accredited by the American Psychological Association. So, off I went.

Twice a week, for three semesters I carried to class Being and Time, a bible-shaped book by Martin Heidegger (who, although his private beliefs are still contested, was, in fact, literally a Nazi) across a courtyard under a really creepy fifteen-foot tall statue of Christ’s now very well-known execution.

In virtually every class, I was told that all scientific knowledge, and even science itself was founded on Western cultural constructions and was to be regarded as hegemonic. And since each of the world’s various cultural viewpoints were enmeshed in their own historicity, each respective one (especially the Western one) could only be understood in terms relative to all the others. Accordingly, objective truths did not exist. We were all taught that “reality” was the exact equivalent of how you perceive it...

RTWT.

Isle of Man Tourist Trophy

A great piece, at the New York Times:

Somehow, he survived a crash during the world's most dangerous race [clarifies language; earlier tweet deleted] https://t.co/mahMEXzZAg

— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 9, 2017

Somehow, he survived this crash during the Isle of Man TT. Many others were not so lucky. https://t.co/Z45NiVth91 pic.twitter.com/4dAFcEzAcJ

— NYT Sports (@NYTSports) June 8, 2017

New in Paperback: Candice Millard, Hero of the Empire

At Amazon, Candice Millard, Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill.

New Coal Mine Opens in Pennsylvania

From Fox News Insider, via Paul Joseph Watson, on Twitter:

This is why Trump won Pennsylvania. https://t.co/GlrTNT8uxK

— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) June 11, 2017

80 Ducklings Found Dead in Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. (VIDEO)

That's sad.

Poor little things. They weren't bothering anyone, and now they're gone.

It's a nasty parasite infection, apparently. Talk about draining the swamp, sheesh.

Watch, at CNN, "80 ducks die in Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool."

Also at the Washington Examiner, "Duck-killing parasites infest Lincoln Memorial's iconic pool."