VIDEO: Huntington Beach Riot at U.S. Open

There was rioting at this contest in 1986. It used to be held on Labor Day weekend, but the city moved the contest to the end of July, hoping to avoid further alcohol-precipitated rioting.

I took my youngest boy down there a couple of years ago to check out the skateboarding, but they had a some big free concert this year and the crowds are obviously out of control.

See the Los Angeles Times, "Huntington Beach riot: bike shop workers fought off looters."

Check the video at that link, and more at Legal Insurrection, "Huntington Beach Rioting Follows U.S. Open of Surfing Competition."

And checking YouTube:



More here, "Huntington Beach Riot 2013 #1"

American Historical Association Seeks Embargo on Posting Dissertations

I caught this story last week when the AHA blog post was aggregated at Memeorandum.

See, "American Historical Association Statement on Policies Regarding the Embargoing of Completed History PhD Dissertations."

I don't know. Thinking hard I can see the logic, but surely the first casual thought of most observers would be, "Gawd, how freakin' lame."

But what really caught my attention was this passage at the post:

...it is not unusual for an early-career historian to spend five or six years revising a dissertation and preparing the manuscript for submission to a press for consideration. During that period, the scholar typically builds on the raw material presented in the dissertation, refines the argument, and improves the presentation itself. Thus, although there is so close a relationship between the dissertation and the book that presses often consider them competitors, the book is the measure of scholarly competence used by tenure committees.

All true, of course. But when I finished my dissertation I just wanted to breathe a long sigh of relief. The thought of revising the whole thing for publication was very unappealing. I'd started teaching as an adjunct professor at Fresno State in 2000, so I had some expectation for publishing, but then I took my job at Long Beach Community College and there wasn't going to be any "publish or perish" pressures, which I didn't mind. (Or, I was actually kind of torn about it, at least at first.)

Now, though, I both cringe and laugh at the thought of spending "five or six years revising a dissertation..."

In any case, more on this at the Chronicle of Higher Ed, "Scholarly Group Seeks Up to 6-Year Embargoes on Digital Dissertations."

And even the New York Times deigns to chime in, "Historians Seek a Delay in Posting Dissertations."

Speedway Bomber Brett #Kimberlin Charged With Sex Offense

At the Other McCain, "SHOCKING ALLEGATIONS IN KIMBERLIN V. KIMBERLIN":

ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND

Last night I told readers I was going on a road trip to cover a big story — but I didn’t tell you how big it was going to be:

Brett Kimberlin, the convicted bomber-turned progressive activist, had sex with his wife when she was only 15, according to charges filed Monday in Maryland. A native of Ukraine who is now estranged from her husband and seeking a divorce, 32-year-old Tetyana Kimberlin says she had sex with Kimberlin multiple times during her 1996 visit to the United States, before she turned 16, the legal age of consent in Maryland. . . . At the time of the alleged offense, Kimberlin was on parole from federal prison for a 1978 bombing spree that terrorized the Indianapolis suburb of Speedway. . . .

In accusing Kimberlin of a third-degree sex offense, Tetyana says she met him when she was 14 and living in Ukraine, where Kimberlin traveled on business after his 1993 parole. In charges filed Monday with the Montgomery County District Court, Tetyana says she was 15 when she arrived in Maryland in September 1996 and that Kimberlin, who was 42 at the time, had sexual intercourse with her repeatedly before her 16th birthday in November of that year. . . .

[A]ccording to the charges filed Monday, Kimberlin “enticed me to come to Maryland so I could be his sex partner and bride,” Tetyana Kimberlin wrote. “Brett Kimberlin had sex with me every single day between the day I arrived and the day I turned sixteen, on Nov. 16, 1996.” Tetyana wrote that her cousin, who was 12 at the time, “also met Brett Kimberlin in Ukraine and coae to live with him … shortly before I did. On at least one occasion, I saw him attempt to seduce her.” . . .

Continue reading.

Also at Hogewash, "Brett Kimberlin: Pedophile?," and "#BrettKimberlin and Bogus Documents."

BONUS: ICYMI, spend a few minutes with this, "Bill Schmalfeldt Finally Gets His Reply."

U.S./Mexico 'Secure Border Fence' at Penitas, Texas

You know, because all the conservative/tea party talk about securing the borders first is all grandstanding and "hostage taking." Remember, "We could have 20 divisions lining the border from San Ysidro to Brownsville and the GOP would still oppose comprehensive immigration reform," or some bull like that, squawked by all the Center for American Progress/Democrat Party open borders shills in D.C.

Via AoSHQ, "Must Watch: Alleged Border Wall Is Missing the Actual Wall Part, Creating Unobstructed Pathway From Mexico to Texas Town."

Hillary Clinton Fuming Over 'Carlos Danger' Comparisons

The talk has been that Huma's like a second daughter to Hillary, but if that scuzzy bitch and her skeevy husband's troubles were to disrupt Madame Secretary's 2016 presidential plans, you'd see Democrat Party crime bosses coming down on the Weiners faster than a pack of Tiparillos on Monica Lewinsky.

At the Post, "Bill and Hillary Clinton are 'livid' at comparisons to Weiner’s sexcapades and Huma’s forgiveness." (Via Memeorandum.)

More at Althouse, "'The Clintons are upset with the comparisons that the Weiners seem to be encouraging...'"

VIDEO: Dude Throws Raccoon to Save His Dog

This is pretty good:



And the original, "My dog Toaster was attacked by a raccoon."

Britain's Co-operative Group Attacks 'Harmful' Lads' Mags

They're under a lot of pressure, no doubt.

At London's Daily Mail, "The Co-op declares war on 'harmful' lads' mags: Supermarket insist on 'modesty covers' for its shelves."

The magazines are popular. But all the more reason to reject the left's disgusting program of intolerance.

FRONT 184 is in stores today! Here's why you need it in your life http://t.co/CH4W8ZEqtj pic.twitter.com/vPLMPYxNVF

— FRONT Magazine (@frontmag) July 18, 2013

More, "FRONT MAGAZINE ISSUE 184 - DANIELLE."

RELATED: At the Other McCain, "British Left’s War on ‘Page Three Girls’."

Christina Ricci Glowing, Radiant at 'Smurf 2' Screening

My memory of Christina Ricci is more along the "Sleepy Hollow" side of things. She's a kind of horror culture lady to me, but she looks healthy and wise in these photos from the "Smurf 2" premiere, which I noticed earlier when I posted on Britney Spears.

See, "She's glowing! Christina Ricci's radiant in minimal make-up as she attends screening... but falls flat in the wardrobe department with her odd-fitting frock."

The frock's fine. She looks good all around.

Just for a refresher, I checked her filmography on Wikipedia. She's a big star, a busy star with a long list of credits.

Good for her.

'Turn Coat Mofo'

Never heard of this Goldie Taylor lady, but she sure does have the leftist plantation thing down cold.

At NewsBusters, "MSNBC's Goldie Taylor: CNN's Don Lemon a 'Turn Coat Mofo' for Agreeing With O'Reilly on Race."

And by the way, I think Lemon does a great job at the original commentary, "CNN's Don Lemon Backs Up Bill O'Reilly: 'He Doesn't Go Far Enough' In Criticizing Black Culture."

Obama Frays the U.S. Social Fabric

The New York Times messed up its headline.

It's Obama who's fraying the social fabric. The most divisive president in American history, a class warrior who has set Americans against each.

But FWIW at the Times, "Obama Says Income Gap Is Fraying U.S. Social Fabric":

GALESBURG, Ill. — In a week when he tried to focus attention on the struggles of the middle class, President Obama said in an interview that he was worried that years of widening income inequality and the lingering effects of the financial crisis had frayed the country’s social fabric and undermined Americans’ belief in opportunity.

Upward mobility, Mr. Obama said in a 40-minute interview with The New York Times, “was part and parcel of who we were as Americans.”

“And that’s what’s been eroding over the last 20, 30 years, well before the financial crisis,” he added. “If we don’t do anything, then growth will be slower than it should

. Unemployment will not go down as fast as it should. Income inequality will continue to rise,” he said. “That’s not a future that we should accept.”

Only a fool (or an idiot leftist) would take serious anything this man has to say. He's had almost five years to try to reduce inequality, and he's not done jack but push for failed big government boondoggles and idiotic "green" energy scams. There's more at that top link, and the full interview is at Mememorandum.

Tim Hudson Broken Ankle

I saw a picture of Hudson sprawled out in pain while reading the L.A. Times the other day. But I've got the Braves and St. Louis on right now, on ESPN, and they showed the replay.

"Gruesome" is putting it mildly, at the Times, "Tim Hudson suffers gruesome broken ankle [video]."

Scroll forward to 1:40 minutes at the clip.

Britney Spears at 'Smurfs 2' Premiere

Hey, lookin' good!

At London's Daily Mail, "Ooh la la! Britney Spears wows in a clinging blue dress as she attends The Smurfs 2 premiere with her adorable sons."

Teacher Peg Brunda Slams Anthony #Weiner for 'Skeevy' Behavior

Man, this is classic.

The Weiner scum can't run away fast enough.

At the New York Post, "Teacher lectures Weiner over bad behavior":

Brunda later told The Post she had refused to shake lecherous Weiner’s hand because his behavior “skeeves me.”

Yeah, disgusting Democrats are "skeevy" like that.

'This Week with George Stephanopoulos' — George Will on Fire!

NewsBusters has it, "George Will Schools Katrina Vanden Heuvel and Steve Rattner on Detroit's Collapse."

The whole clip is good, but the discussion of Detroit is at the last couple of minutes. You'll LOL at Katrina Vanden Hueval's shock that George Will would pinpoint decrepit, criminal, illiterate black culture as the source of Detroit's problems.

I find that really insulting to the people of Detroit. I think there is a serious discussion about the future of cities in a time of deindustrialization. But in many ways, Detroit has been a victim of market forces, and I think that what Steve said is so critical, that retirees and workers should not bear this. And this story should not be hijacked as one of about greedy, fiscal, public unions.

Hilarious!

'I’m not ashamed to be an American no matter how much Obama and the Left want to denigrate the brand...'

Count me in as a "rah rah" American as well.

From Darleen Click, at Protein Wisdom, "'I really believe that the way America will look best, the way we can really do best, is to not be Americans so vigilantly and so vehemently'":

I’m bone weary of the “We are above such petty things as national identity” faux-sophistication. I don’t know what Shulan finds all that complicated about a group of Islamists hijacking planes and trying to kill as many infidel Americans as possible.

He probably has the same nuanced and complexity-is-what-is-meaningful view of Nidal Hasan, regardless of Hasan’s professed motivation.

I’m not ashamed to be an American no matter how much Obama and the Left want to denigrate the brand.

Background at the New York Post "Iconic Ground Zero photo was nearly excluded from museum for being too ‘rah-rah’ American." (Via Memeorandum.)

Boston's Big Papi Destroys Dugout Phone After Strikeout, Ejected

From Mark Townsend, at Yahoo Sports, "Gone batty: David Ortiz ejected after arguing balls and strikes, destroys bullpen phone."

Ortiz's violent meltdown didn't really fall under the entertainment category. It was actually very dangerous and a little scary as shrapnel from the bat and phone flew all over the dugout. In fact, some of the shrapnel nearly took a chunk out of teammate Dustin Pedroia.

Chevrolet Impala Named Top Sedan by Consumer Reports

Maybe Chevy's commercials are winning some award as wells. I loved this one when I first saw it.

And see the Los Angeles Times, "Impala's leap points to U.S. car rebound":

Once a muscle-car icon and a symbol of U.S. automotive dominance, the Chevrolet Impala has more recently seen its image suffer. Bloated and generic, the critics said. More suited for the rental car fleets that account for most of its sales.

Consumer Reports three years ago panned its sloppy handling and second-rate fit and finish.

So it marked a stunning turnaround Thursday when the Impala secured the influential magazine's top overall rating among sedans — a distinction held by Japanese and European models for at least two decades. Posting the third-highest score ever, the Impala ranked behind only such distinguished company as the Tesla Model S and BMW 135i.

The critical acclaim is emblematic of a resurgence by U.S. automakers in sales, profits and consumer perceptions of quality and imaginative design. General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. each posted second-quarter profits of $1.2 billion this week, numbers not seen since before the Great Recession and GM's bankruptcy and bailout.

Recently redesigned models such as Ford's Fusion sedan and Chrysler's Ram pickup truck are proving a hit with critics and consumers, said Jake Fisher, director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports.

"There are no more excuses," he said. "They can make world-class cars."

Continue reading.

Lake County Drug Traffickers Kept Sexually Abused 15-Year-Old Girl, Held Hostage in Metal Box

I'm inured to this evil by now. It's so routine.

But this is what collectivist left-wing culture has done to society. And depraved leftism will continue to work its monstrous will until people wake the fuck up, stop dicking around, and say enough.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Lake County pot farm raid reveals horrifying tale of teen's captivity":

LAKEPORT, Calif. — When authorities raided the marijuana growing operation, they found greenhouses filled with plants over 6 feet tall, neatly lined with individual irrigation systems. But the rest of the property, one federal agent recalled, looked like a horror scene.

They found dilapidated trailers where farmers appeared to live, caches of weapons and a bloody towel.

"To me, it smacked of a scene from 'Deliverance,'" said David Prince, assistant special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Northern California. "If I was a plant, that's where I'd want to live. If I was a human, that's not where I'd want to live."

It was here, in a remote area east of Clear Lake in Northern California, that authorities allege a kidnapped teenage girl from Los Angeles County was sexually abused and occasionally held captive in a metal box. The box — about 4-by-2-by-2 feet — sat outside one of the trailers, with holes drilled through the lid and a blanket inside.

The box "had been altered to imprison a human," a federal criminal complaint read.

In charges unsealed in San Francisco, federal officials allege that two men had abused the girl and forced her to help with their marijuana production. The girl eventually called authorities from a West Sacramento hotel, where she was rescued, officials said.

The suspects — Ryan Alan Balletto, 30, and Patrick Steven Pearmain, 25 — face numerous felony charges. The Los Angeles Police Department arrested a third man, Eric Edgar, on suspicion of sexual assault.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had been investigating the 680-acre property owned by Balletto since December 2011, court documents showed.

The girl was reported missing April 2 from a San Fernando Valley home, according to the LAPD. Cmdr. Andy Smith said detectives believe she was living on the streets of Hollywood when she came in contact with Balletto.

More at the link.

If you aren't grossed out enough by these sick leftist regressives.

Body of Bride-to-Be Found Near Horrific Boating Accident

At the Los Angeles Times, "Body, possibly bride-to-be's, found in Hudson River near boat crash."

And the New York Post, "Driver in boat accident that killed bride-to-be and best man was allegedly drinking."

'The Royal Family can reign over us forever...'

At the Sunday Telegraph:

On today's front page: Confidence in the future of the monarchy is at an all-time high http://t.co/ZaXwAqBbwt pic.twitter.com/HdM7ljgmrO
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) July 28, 2013

Here's the piece, "Confidence in British monarchy at all-time high, poll shows."

And no surprise, but this riles some monarchy-haters, "Republicanism has collapsed in Britain - and the anti-monarchists have only themselves to blame."

I'm no British expert, but Lord know the crown has no power. Gawd these people are dolts.

Sheesh.