Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Rose Mayr and Elizabeth Nass, Both 19-Years-Old, Killed in Maryland Train Derailment

This CNN report is abrasive in its constant reference to the two women as "girls." They were both 19-years-old, actually --- old enough to serve in combat.

See: "Two Maryland teenagers killed when train derails, spills coal."

The Los Angeles Times does better, "Train derails, tumbles from bridge near Baltimore; 2 women killed":
A coal train derailed and tumbled from a bridge in Maryland early Tuesday morning, crushing cars in a nearby parking lot and killing two women who were on the tracks, officials said.

Just after midnight Tuesday, 21 of the train’s 80 cars flipped over on a bridge in Ellicott City,  about 12 miles west of Baltimore. Some cars spilled coal across the town’s Main Street, and seven cars fell onto vehicles in a county-owned parking lot nearby, Howard County Police Department spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn told The Los Angeles Times.

"All you could see was train cars tumbled every which way and coal everywhere,” Benjamin Noppenberger, a chef at restaurant on Main Street, told the Baltimore Sun. “Cars were on the road and parking lot and everything in the lot was crushed.”

As officials cleared the scene Tuesday, using cranes to pry the train cars from the wreckage, they found the bodies of two young women, Llewellyn said.

The victims have been identified as Elizabeth Conway Nass and Rose Mayr, both 19 from Ellicott City. Nass was studying at James Madison University in Virginia and Mayr attended the University of Delaware, police said.

Two train operators were not harmed in the accident, officials said. The cause of the crash is not yet known.

Howard County officials declined to comment further, saying the National Transportation Safety Board had taken charge of the investigation.
More at the link.

Tweet CNN here and CNN Breaking News here.

These two women were attending university. And CNN's calling them "girls." If they'd been deployed and killed in combat would the network still be calling them "teenage girls."

All this talk about how the left --- and by extension the MSM --- is so "tolerant" toward women is about to make my hurl.

'Dug In, Defiant, and Going Rogue'

I'm watching CNN, and the caption on their Akin coverage is, "Dug In, Defiant, and Going Rogue."

I doubt Sarah Palin appreciates the similarities (she wants Akin to quit), but the slogan pretty much sums it up. Akin gave some hints at withdrawing this morning, apparently, but it's prime-time on the East Coast now, and there's no word yet.

Here's this at Hot Air, "Akin: “I don’t know the future”."


My previous coverage is here.

More at Memeorandum. And see especially, William Kristol, "Advice Regarding Akin."

#ObamaSpellingBee — Epic Lulz From Baracky's 'O-I-H-O' Moment

Seriously.

This isn't supposed to happen to a sitting president --- you DON'T make these kind of mistakes, period.

But of course, we've been saddled with Baracky "57 States" Obama for almost four years now, and that's to say nothing of the corrupt Democrat-Media-Complex that's been covering for the administration's world-historical stupidity.

November 6th can't come soon enough.

At Twitchy, "H-I-L-A-R-I-T-Y: Obama’s Dan Quayle moment inspires #ObamaSpellingBee," and "Bias: WaPo ‘real reporters’ falsely claim Obama ‘O-I-H-O’ pic was photoshopped."

More at Instapundit.

Sino-Japanese Conflict Over Senkaku Islands

The conflict has a long history.

There's video here, "Japan-China island row opens diplomatic wounds."

And at the New York Times, "Dispute Over Islands Reflects Japanese Fear of China’s Rise":
ISHIGAKI, Japan — When the flotilla of 21 fishing boats arrived at an island chain at the center of a growing territorial dispute with China, the captains warned the dozens of activists and politicians aboard not to attempt a landing.

Ten of the activists jumped into the shark-infested waters anyway, swimming ashore on Sunday and planting the rising sun flag that evokes painful memories of Imperial Japan’s 20th-century march across Asia.

“We feel that they dragged us into an international incident,” said Masanori Tamashiro, one of the boat captains.

That feeling is widely shared in Japan, where a small number of nationalists has pushed the country to assert itself more boldly to counter China’s and South Korea’s economic rise and China’s quickly evolving territorial ambitions. The conflict with China has raised the specter that the United States, Japan’s longtime defender, could be pulled into the fight.

The nationalists have gained traction for their cause in recent months by taking advantage of the government’s political weakness, forcing the governing party to take a tougher stand on the islands west of here, known as the Senkakus in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.

But the activists are also tapping into a widespread anxiety over China, which intensified two years ago during the last major flare-up over the Senkakus. China retaliated then for Japan’s arrest of a fishing captain by starving Japan of the rare earths needed for its already struggling electronics industry. That anxiety became more pronounced in recent months as China expanded its claims in the nearby South China Sea, challenging Vietnam, the Philippines and others over more than 40 islands in a vast area, and backing its statements with aggressive moves that included sending larger patrol boats to disputed waters.

There is still little appetite in pacifist Japan for a full-blown confrontation with China. But analysts say consensus is growing on the need to stand up to China as power in the region appears to slip further from economically fading Japan and the United States.

“We are all gearing up for an international tug of war in this region,” said Narushige Michishita, an expert on security issues at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo. “Whenever the distribution of power changes in a dramatic way, people start to redraw lines.”
I personally welcome the dispute --- one, because neither China nor Japan has the slightest interest or inclination toward military conflict; but second, in the case of Japan, a forceful and independent stand will allow it to make the case for its geographic interests independent of the United States. It's time to cut the cord. The U.S. will need Japan to stand up as China's regional balancer in the Pacific. The balance of power is changing, but Japan's a powerful country. Let those two East Asian giants work things out on their own.

'Keith Lemon: The Film' — World Premiere

Time flies when you're having fun, so enjoy Kelly Brook while she's still lovely.


Obscene Undercover Video of Inhumane Killing at Central Valley Meat Co. in Hanford, California

It's hard to defend such treatment of animals. I don't like it. Millions of cows are killed annually, I imagine, for meat consumption in the U.S. Technically, by definition, the slaughter is inhumane --- you simply wouldn't kill the animals at all, for meat production or any other reason. So, the only purpose of videos like this is to get people to stop eating meat altogether, which is an agenda item of environmental extremism. I can't stand those idiots.

The video is here. Viewer discretion is advised.

And at the Los Angeles Times, "Central Valley slaughterhouse closed over inhumane treatment."

This quote is good, but again, how do we know all the animals really killed "humanely"?
Fallout from the video was swift, with Irvine-based In-N-Out Burger announcing Tuesday it had severed its relationship with Central Valley Meat, one of its suppliers.

"In-N-Out Burger would never condone the inhumane treatment of animals and all of our suppliers must agree to abide by our strict standards for the humane treatment of cattle," Mark Taylor, In-N-Out's chief operating officer, said in a statement.
You make a choice when you eat meat. You have to kill the animals. They're going to puke up bile and gunk, their eyes are going to bulge out, they're going to go down ugly, no matter how it's done. So, make a choice. If animals were blessed with "human" rights, then we wouldn't eat them. They're not. But environmentalists are anti-human, so it goes without saying they'll put the welfare of animals over that of humans.

Labor Department Spent $100s of Thousands in Obama Stimulus Funds for Ads on Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow's

Because progressives really are all about corruption.

The Lonely Conservative Reports, "Stimulus Funds Went to Advertising Obama Policies on MSNBC."

Misogynist Hatebag Tom Boggioni of Firedoglake Attacks Dana Loesch as Just 'Like Herpes'

Longtime readers are quite familiar with the racist misogynist Christian-bashing hatebag TBogg of Firedoglake. His latest putrid attack is routine for this asshole:

Republican Abortion Platform Rejects Exceptions for Rape and Incest

The Fox News panel discusses the Todd Akin scandal, and the discussion inevitably moves toward the GOP's "extreme" position on abortion. Krauthammer notes that the rejection of exceptions for rape and incest have always been in recent Republican platforms, but Democrat demagoguing on social issues has heightened the focus this time around. And the Akin scandal is the gift the keeps on giving.

At the New York Times, "G.O.P. Approves Strict Anti-abortion Language in Party Platform":

Even as the Republican establishment continued to call for Representative Todd Akin of Missouri to drop out of his Senate race because of his comments on rape and abortion, Republicans approved platform language on Tuesday calling for a constitutional amendment outlawing abortion with no explicit exceptions for cases of rape or incest.

The anti-abortion plank, approved by the Republican platform committee Tuesday morning in Tampa, Fla., was similar to the planks Republicans have included in their recent party platforms, which also called for a constitutional ban on abortions. The full convention is set to vote on the party’s platform on Monday.

While Republican officials stressed that the plank did not go into granular details, saying that they were better left to the states, the language of the plank seems to leave little room for exceptions to the abortion ban. It states that “the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed.”

“Faithful to the ‘self-evident’ truths enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed,” said the draft platform language approved Tuesday, which was first reported by CNN. “We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children.”

The timing of the approval of the Republican anti-abortion plank was awkward for Mitt Romney, who has denounced Mr. Akin’s comments about rape and abortion and who has said that he supports exceptions to allow abortions in cases of rape. And it comes as his selection of his running mate, Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, was already drawing scrutiny for his support for a more absolute ban on abortions, even in cases of rape or incest.
RELATED: At the Los Angeles Times, "Todd Akin touts support from crusader who espoused theories on rape" (via Memeorandum).

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

NBC/Wall Street Journal Poll: Romney Faces Hurdles Heading Into Conventions

At MSNBC, "NBC/WSJ poll: Heading into conventions, Obama has four-point lead" (via Memeorandum).

Here's the Wall Street Journal's report, "In Tight Race, Romney Faces Hurdles" (via Memeorandum):

Heading into next week's Republican convention, Mitt Romney remains within striking distance of President Barack Obama but faces steep challenges in inducing voters to warm up to him as a candidate, a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll has found.

Mr. Romney's choice of Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate has stirred excitement within the GOP that he can defeat the president. But the poll found little evidence the pick will affect the election, beyond helping unify Mr. Romney's conservative base.

Mr. Obama's lead over Mr. Romney was 48% to 44% in the new poll, about the same as a month earlier and within the poll's margin of error of plus or minus 3 points.

The survey of 1,000 registered voters, taken Aug. 16-20, showed that significant swaths of the electorate harbor reservations about the former Massachusetts governor, concerns that have budged little since the general-election fight began in earnest four months ago.

At the same time, Mr. Obama continues to receive low marks for his handling of the economy, particularly among undecided voters, who are more pessimistic than are voters overall about the country's economic future. The dour outlook among undecided voters could hamper Mr. Obama's ability to turn his current lead into a winning majority.

Mr. Romney outscored the president on leadership qualities. He polled higher when those participating were asked which man has better executive skills, ideas to improve the economy and ability to change "business as usual'' in Washington.

But since the spring, Mr. Romney has made scant headway in persuading the public that he understands the concerns of average Americans.

Barely a third of those polled gave him better marks than the president on caring about average people, dealing with the concerns of women or seniors, or being a calm and steady leader.

More than half said Mr. Romney was "out of step with most Americans' thinking," compared with 44% who said that of Mr. Obama.

"Mitt Romney heads into his convention with a lot of repair work to do with his image," said Democratic pollster Peter Hart, who conducted the poll along with Republican Bill McInturff.
The full results are here. Looks like a good sample, although it's a little heavy on Democrat respondents (34 percent). That said, the findings are in line with what we know already, and swing state polling shows Romney very competitive.

This race is too close to call.

More at Hot Air, "Bounce: New polls show Romney leading in Michigan, Wisconsin after Ryan pick."

Kelly Brook Afternoon Rule 5

Via Tumblr.

And see London's Daily Mail, "Hello, boys! Kelly Brook strips off (again) in sexy photos to launch her second New Look lingerie line for women with curves." Lots of photos at the link.

Kelly Brook

BONUS: At AceofSpadesHQ, "In Which, Depressed and Bored, I Post An Article About Christina Hendricks, Hoping To Get An "I'd Hit That" Thread Going."

Reince Priebus: Akin 'Ought to Do the Right Thing for the Country and Get Out of the Race...' (VIDEO)

I mentioned how abortion has moved to the center of the debate on the GOP. The Republican Convention is gearing up in Tampa, and I'll have more on that. Meanwhile, here's the RNC Chair putting the pressure on Akin::


PREVIOUSLY:

* "Progressives Call for Rape of Missouri Rep. Todd Akin."

* "Conservatives Push for Todd Akin to Quit Missouri Senate Race."

* "'I Would Be Thinking About What's In the Best Interest of the Party' — Sean Hannity Interview With Embattled Missouri Senate Candidate Todd Akin."

* "Social Conservatives Stand Up for Todd Akin."

* "Obama Emerges From the Bunker to Declare 'Rape is Rape'."

* "Missouri's Todd Akin Asks for 'Forgiveness'."

* "'Rush to the Gunfire': Embattled Todd Akin Vows to Stay in the Race."

* "Dana Loesch Withdraws Support for Todd Akin."

Dana Loesch Withdraws Support for Todd Akin

She's been fighting almost a one-woman battle for Akin. And she's from Missouri, knows local politics, and has talked with the candidate personally.





Check Dana's Twitter feed for updates.

PREVIOUSLY:

* "Progressives Call for Rape of Missouri Rep. Todd Akin."

* "Conservatives Push for Todd Akin to Quit Missouri Senate Race."

* "'I Would Be Thinking About What's In the Best Interest of the Party' — Sean Hannity Interview With Embattled Missouri Senate Candidate Todd Akin."

* "Social Conservatives Stand Up for Todd Akin."

* "Obama Emerges From the Bunker to Declare 'Rape is Rape'."

* "Missouri's Todd Akin Asks for 'Forgiveness'."

* "'Rush to the Gunfire': Embattled Todd Akin Vows to Stay in the Race."

More at Memeorandum.

Akin's dug in. The question now is whether the GOP can force him off the ballot? If he goes, will that help? And if he stays, can he beat McCaskill? She's not well liked in Missouri.

I think the whole thing sucks. But if Akin's a shitty candidate, my sense is that it's up to the voters to decide, not the party bureaucrats.

CNN's reporting that abortion's now becoming a key issue for the GOP, so I doubt that an Akin exit from the race will make this go away or make things better for the national ticket. The left has been running on social issues for a while so it's no surprise they'll keep hammering on 'em. Perhaps #RomneyRyan can get the focus back on the economy. Even Mitt's called on Akin to go, "Mitt Romney calls for Rep. Akin to drop out."

'Rush to the Gunfire': Embattled Todd Akin Vows to Stay in the Race

Rockin' conservative Dana Loesch gets an awesome interview with Rep. Akin, and the Los Angeles Times reports, "Todd Akin says he will 'rush to the gunfire,' stay in Senate race":

Defiant Senate candidate Todd Akin said in a pair of radio appearances Tuesday that he will not drop out of his race against Sen. Claire McCaskill, promising to “rush to the gunfire” rather than away from it, following his controversial remarks about rape and abortion.

Despite urgings from much of the Republican Party hierarchy to drop his candidacy before a deadline this evening, Akin told radio hosts Mike Huckabee and Dana Loesch that he still believes he can beat McCaskill.

Akin, 65, portrayed himself as a man of principle, unwilling to give up his fight just because of comments that he portrayed as a minor misstep. “One word, one sentence, [on] one day out of place and all of a sudden the entire establishment turns on you,” Akin told Loesch, whose syndicated show is broadcast from KFTK-FM in St. Louis.
More at the link. And follow all the action at Dana's Twitter feed.

Plus, Anne Sorock updates at Legal Insurrection, "Akin confirms he’s staying in on The Dana Show, Huckabee."

PREVIOUSLY:

* "Progressives Call for Rape of Missouri Rep. Todd Akin."

* "Conservatives Push for Todd Akin to Quit Missouri Senate Race."

* "'I Would Be Thinking About What's In the Best Interest of the Party' — Sean Hannity Interview With Embattled Missouri Senate Candidate Todd Akin."

* "Social Conservatives Stand Up for Todd Akin."

* "Obama Emerges From the Bunker to Declare 'Rape is Rape'."

* "Missouri's Todd Akin Asks for 'Forgiveness'."

CNN's doing back-to-back stories on this, so expect more updates. Akin's not dropping out. This leaves the state and national GOP establishment stuck with a quandary. But listen to the interview. Akin sounds like a patriot and a fighter to me. Lots of folks on the right are out for this guy's blood, but he's apologized and made that emotional plea for "foregiveness." How often do Democrats do that? Right. Never, the f-king asshats.

"Rush to the gunfire" is right. Take 'em out, Akin.

Expect updates...

'Toddler Fight Club': Delaware Daycare's License Revoked After Video Shows Kids Fighting

Howard Portnoy reports, at Hot Air, "Daycare workers arrested for urging toddlers to fight one another."

And at News One, "Child Care Workers Cuffed For Organizing ‘Toddler Fight Club’."

It was two black chicks and a f-king Latina --- but we wouldn't want to make any "sweeping generalizations" about these stupid c*nts. That would be unfair.

I hope the childrens' families win a huge settlement.

Gallup/USA Today Poll: Americans Worse Off in 12 Battleground States

Glenn Reynolds keeps reminding us not to get cocky, but my gut sense says a president at 45 percent nationally, with unemployment still above 8 percent, cannot be reelected. The election is close, I believe, because the White House has been successful in deflecting from its own historical failures, and also because of missteps on the part of Mitt Romney's campaign. But the Paul Ryan pick has powerfully clarified the choice facing Americans, and with the national party conventions beginning next week, we'll truly see an epic campaign for the future of the nation.

USA Today reports, "Obama faces historic challenge":
Barack Obama, who made history when he was elected president four years, would make a different kind of history if he wins re-election in November: claiming a second term when most Americans say they aren't better off than they were when he moved into the Oval Office.

Since Ronald Reagan challenged President Carter nearly three decades ago, the rhetorical debate question has become an iconic one for voters. Are you better off than you were four years ago? Now, in USA TODAY/Gallup polls nationwide and in the 12 top battleground states, most voters say the situation for them and their families hasn't improved over the past four years -- the most downbeat response of the electorate in elections since then.

Even so, President Obama, who in 2008 became the first African American elected president, maintains a lead over challenger Mitt Romney in the battleground states likely to decide the election, 47%-44%. That's better than his standing in the non-battleground states, where Romney leads 47%-45%.

Despite airing millions of dollars in TV ads and taking a high-profile trip abroad, Romney has failed to budge in the swing states, stuck at 44% or 45% since April. In that time, Obama has maintained a steady 47% despite a string of disappointing monthly jobs reports and an 8.3% unemployment rate.

The president's vulnerabilities on the economy have opened the door to a re-election rebuke, analysts of all stripes agree, but so far Romney has failed to walk through that opening. In the survey and follow-up interviews, voters say they have lost much of their faith that Obama can fix the economy but aren't convinced they can trust Romney to watch out for them and their interests.

Romney's biggest opportunities to do so lie ahead, at the Republican National Convention that opens Monday in Tampa and in the presidential debates in October. "I'm really kind of torn, and I'm glad I don't have to vote today," says Kerry O'Hearn, 55, of Grandville, Mich., who was called in the poll. "There's just something about Romney that I'm not sure I like." She voted for Obama four years ago, but if she had to grade him now on the economy, she would give him a D.
Romney will close the deal in the remaining months of the campaign.

More, Ed Morrissey parses the numbers, "Gallup swing state poll shows virtual tie, only 40% better off than in 2008."

GOP Congressman Apologizes for Nude Swim in Israel

Rep. Kevin Yoder took off his clothes before jumping in the water --- the only one of six GOP members of Congress present for the drunk skinny-dipping in Israel.

Sounds like fun to me. At The Hill, "Rep. Yoder apologizes for skinny-dipping in Sea of Galilee."

And here's the report at the New York Times, "House Member Is Rebuked After Nude Swim in Israel":

WASHINGTON — They came to town promising something new and different, a fresh reprieve from the antics and proclivities of a “Washington” they disdained.

But during a trip to Israel last summer, several House Republican freshmen engaged in a late-night swim in the Sea of Galilee, complete with one skinny-dipping congressman whose choice threatened to tarnish the reputation of the House newcomers as superserious number-crunchers who sleep on their office couches and go to bed before midnight.

On a trip billed as a foreign policy fact-finding mission last year, a large group of Republican members of Congress, and some of their staff and family members, decided to take a swim in the sea after a long day.

Several members — including Representative Steve Southerland II of Florida, who jumped into the water holding hands with his 21-year-old daughter — said they were moved to dip for religious reasons. (The sea is believed by Christians to be the location where Jesus walked on water.)

While most of the members remained clothed, or largely so, Representative Kevin Yoder of Kansas decided to disrobe entirely, as reported first by Politico on Sunday. This sent most of the members fleeing for the shore, said a participant, and prompted a harsh rebuke the next day from  Representative Eric Cantor, the House majority leader, who was on the trip but did not swim in the sea.

More than 80 members of the House went on the trip, which was arranged by Mr. Cantor, as guests of the American Israel Education Foundation, a charity affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying group. It was believed to be the largest number of members of Congress to make the trip during a single recess, according to the organizers at the time. Mr. Cantor’s comments were made to the entire traveling group, said one person there, saying that members should not detract from the trip’s mission.
RELATED: At LAT, "FBI not investigating Republican skinny-dipping, drinking in Israel."

GRAPHIC: Video Shows al Qaeda in Iraq Executing Policemen in Haditha

It's at Long War Journal. They've got a content warning up there and they're not kidding.

An extremely violent clip, "Al Qaeda in Iraq video details deadly raid in Haditha."

The situation is badly deteriorating there. See the Guardian UK, "Iraq hit by wave of deadly bombings and shootings." Apparently, the insurgency in Iraq is being revived by the war in Syria.

Good going, Baracky! You came with open arms to Cairo, saying that America and the Muslim world shared more in common than not, and the natives rose up to greet you, just not the way you were hoping.

Apple Now Biggest-Ever U.S. Company

An interesting report, at the Wall Street Journal:
Apple Inc. AAPL surpassed Microsoft Corp. MSFT Monday as the largest U.S. company ever, measured by stock-market value.

Apple hit the new milestone—$623.52 billion—at a time when its influence on the economy, on the stock market and on popular culture rivals that of some of the most powerful companies in U.S. history: General Motors Co., GM whose Corvette and Impala typified a confident postwar manufacturing giant; Microsoft, whose technology heralded the arrival of the personal computer and the early Internet age; and International Business Machines Corp., IBM whose buttoned-down rigor inspired rivals to reach for greatness.

"It is one of those iconic companies," says Richard Sylla, professor of financial history at New York University's Stern School of Business. "When I think about these companies, their products were used by all kinds of people and their leaders were considered geniuses."
Continue reading.

Missouri's Todd Akin Asks for 'Forgiveness'

I can't remember anything like this. It's not quite the Checkers speech, but Akin invoking his "two daughters" provides some emotional impact.

At Politico, "Exclusive: Akin ad asks for 'forgiveness'" (via Memeorandum):


PREVIOUSLY:

* "Progressives Call for Rape of Missouri Rep. Todd Akin."

* "Conservatives Push for Todd Akin to Quit Missouri Senate Race."

* "'I Would Be Thinking About What's In the Best Interest of the Party' — Sean Hannity Interview With Embattled Missouri Senate Candidate Todd Akin."

* "Social Conservatives Stand Up for Todd Akin."

* "Obama Emerges From the Bunker to Declare 'Rape is Rape'."

EXIT QUESTION: How long until Akin drops out?