Californians Confused and Angry at Amber Alert on Cellphones

I give my iPhone to my youngest boy to use (pretty much all the time now), because he "can't find his charger" to his iPod. So last night he was in the back room watching TV for awhile and he comes out and says, "You got a couple of amber alerts." I'm like "WFT," thinking my son signed me up for some funky new apps or something. But turns out the state sent out its first amber alert by mobile devices yesterday, and a lot of folks aren't pleased.

See LAT, "Amber Alert: Californians confused, angry and startled":

Residents across California were startled overnight by cellphones that came to life in screeches and buzzes, awaking some and unsettling others with the state's first Amber Alert via text message.

Californians are no strangers to Amber Alerts, which are issued for critical child abductions. But for the first time Monday night, residents across the Southland experienced an Amber Alert issued via text message to their cellphones -- and got the full complement of a 10-second spurt of high-pitched noise and buzzing.

The message -- which included only basic details about a blue Nissan -- sent many customers into a tizzy of confusion, even anger. The text did not explain the circumstances.

Amber Alert Q&A: Why it happens, how to turn it off

The Amber Alert was issued after James Lee DiMaggio, suspected of killing Christina Anderson, 44, of Lakeside, allegedly kidnapped one or both of her children: Hannah Anderson, 16, and Ethan Anderson, 8.
Most newer phones are automatically set up to receive the alerts -- which look like text messages but are free -- meaning customers must contact their cell service provider to opt out of the program. Otherwise, customers will receive alerts tailored to geographic regions.

Well, this is the first I've heard of it. Don't know if I'll opt out, but if they become really frequent, probably yes. I'll get the same alerts on TV within a few minutes.

More at KABC-TV Los Angeles, "Amber Alerts on cellphones: A closer look."

The Truth About Benghazi

Erin Burnett's one-hour investigation starts now.

I'll have some thoughts on this later...

Wow, Even the Leftist Daily Beast Gets It: 'Nidal Hasan's Murders Termed 'Workplace Violence' by U.S.'

The White House obviously cares more about a mass-murderer who screamed "Allahu Akbar" before opening fire than it does for the victims who were gunned down.

It's no wonder why this president and his sick PC shock troops are so widely reviled.

Here's the Daily Beast:

Fort Hood victims suffering continues as government labels the murder of 13 soldiers "workplace violence" http://t.co/NNwE900dde

— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) August 7, 2013

The Old 'MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour' to be Replaced with New Politically-Correct 'Ifill/Woodruff NewsHour'

From Brian Stelter, at the New York Times, "Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff to Co-Anchor ‘NewsHour’" via (Memeorandum):

The PBS “NewsHour,” which was co-anchored for decades by the two men who created it, will soon be co-anchored by two women.

PBS announced on Tuesday that Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff would take over the nightly newscast in September, putting an end to the rotating anchor format that has been in effect for several years. Ms. Ifill and Ms. Woodruff will also share the managing-editor responsibilities for the program.

The appointments are another milestone for women on television and in journalism, seven years after Katie Couric became the first female solo anchor of a network nightly newscast. PBS noted in a news release that “this will mark the first time a network broadcast has had a female co-anchor team.”

The co-anchor arrangement harks back to the 1970s, when Jim Lehrer and Robert MacNeil founded the nightly newscast that was later named “The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour.” The two men jointly presented the program until 1995, when Mr. MacNeil retired. Mr. Lehrer continued to anchor it until 2011, when he retired. Their company, MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, remains in charge of “NewsHour,” and they were involved in the discussions that culminated in Tuesday’s announcement.

“If Gwen and I can be the team that Jim and Robin were, we will consider that a success,” Ms. Woodruff said in a telephone interview.

Asked what advice the two former anchors had given them, Ms. Ifill said in a separate interview, “They told us to stick close together and to stay friends.”

Ms. Woodruff and Ms. Ifill already are close, having crossed paths in Washington, where they both live, countless times, and having “appeared on endless panels together discussing women in journalism,” as Ms. Ifill put it.

Ms. Ifill, who is black, said that she and Ms. Woodruff were mindful of the broader significance of their appointment.“When I was a little girl watching programs like this — because that’s the kind of nerdy family we were — I would look up and not see anyone who looked like me in any way. No women. No people of color,” she said.

“I’m very keen about the fact that a little girl now, watching the news, when they see me and Judy sitting side by side, it will occur to them that that’s perfectly normal — that it won’t seem like any big breakthrough at all,” she added.

That is so much bull. In fact, Woodruff herself is a pathbreaking woman journalist, who anchored CNN's "Inside Politics" for 12 years starting in 1993; and through much of that time she worked with longstanding and highly-regarded CNN anchor Bernard Shaw, who is black.

The appointment of Ifill and Woodruff to co-host a nightly newscast is boring, un-pathbreaking news. They're both widely accomplished journalists (according to the standards of the profession, which I note because Ifill's a partisan hack IMHO), and obviously PBS went with the politically correct "two-women" route to staunch the bleeding from its viewership among the effete highly educated NPR demographic. It'll be a miracle if the show lasts half as long as Woodruff's did with "Inside Politics." Indeed, we're likely to see changes within 2-3 years at least. The program's been struggling for some time. I wish them well, frankly. I think the more diversity in the media marketplace the better, especially given the BuzzFeed-ization of political journalism.

Meaningless Criminal Charges Filed in Benghazi Attack Investigation

At the Wall Street Journal, "U.S. Files Sealed Charges in Benghazi Attack: Move Marks First American Response to Assault That Killed U.S. Ambassador to Libya" (via Memeorandum).

Read it all at the link.

The piece has an update and correction that reads, "The U.S. filed sealed charges against a number of individuals related to last year's attack on U.S. diplomatic posts in Benghazi, Libya. A headline on an earlier version of this article incorrectly said the U.S. filed sealed indictments."

So, the "charges" aren't really an "indictment," which means that no one's going to trial. Indeed, CNN reports that it's not clear if the administration plans to detain anyone, "It couldn't be learned when the United States plans to announce the charges or whether there is any intention to try to detain [Ahmed Abu] Khattala or the others."

This means nothing. The administration has never been serious about "bringing the terrorists to justice." Indeed, Obama's drone policy was driven by the need to actually avoid capturing militants, which would be a little inconvenient considering the Democrats bullshit hypocrisy on Guantanamo, trials in civilian courts and all the other leftist clusterf-k claims.

These people are basically traitors. It's sickening.

Fabulous at 50! Smokin' Helen Hunt Shows Off Her Hot Bathing Suit Body!

Well, I sure miss on her television.

At London's Daily Mail, "Helen Hunt shows off her sensational swimsuit body as she hits the beach for new movie."

And here's the background on the movie she's filming, at E! Online, "Helen Hunt to Direct, Write and Star in Family Drama Ride."

Democrat Targeting of Tea Party Groups is Part of the Left's Long-Time Assault on the First Amendment

From Bradley Smith, at the Wall Street Journal, "The IRS Attack on Political Speech":

The Internal Revenue Service's scandalous targeting of tea party and conservative groups refuses to die, as one by one the administration's explanations prove untrue.

We were told that the White House, like the rest of the country, learned about the program on May 10 through a planted question asked of then IRS official Lois Lerner at an American Bar Association conference. Turns out the White House knew earlier. We were told the targeting was the work of a few rogue IRS employees in Cincinnati. Then those employees insisted that they were being managed from Washington.

We were told that no political appointees were involved, but now we know the scandal goes at least to the office of Obama appointee and IRS Chief Counsel William Wilkins. We were told that liberal groups were targeted, too. But then the IRS's inspector general, whose report exposed the harassment, clarified that only conservative groups were targeted.

Now the administration line is that the scandal is nonetheless "phony." That assertion is part of a Democratic counteroffensive contending that the tea party and conservative groups applying for "charitable" tax status never should have sought such IRS approval.

Rep. Xavier Becerra (D., Calif.), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, argued on "Meet the Press" on May 19 that conservative groups were, "under the guise of a charity, [using] undisclosed millions of dollars to do political campaigns." At a May hearing, Sen. Bill Nelson (D., Fla.) claimed that the groups were supposed to spend their money on "charitable activities," and demanded of the IRS, "How could you all in the IRS allow the tax breaks funded basically by the taxpayer [to be spent] on these political campaign expenditures?"

Liberal columnist Jeffrey Toobin has also taken up the theme that the groups were seeking improper tax advantages. Writing in the May 14 issue of the New Yorker, Mr. Toobin argued that if approved by the IRS, the tea party groups would not pay taxes on contributions received. "In return for the tax advantage," he wrote, these groups "must refrain from traditional partisan political activity, like endorsing candidates."

This attack is wrong on the law, and cynical as politics. As these IRS apologists well know, liberal groups, such as Moveon.org, have long had the same tax status as that requested by the tea party and conservative groups—and that status is not of a "charity."

Charities fall under Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code, and they include the Red Cross, Boy Scouts, churches, private colleges and even overtly agenda-oriented organizations such as the NAACP and the Sierra Club Foundation. Contributions are tax deductible to the donor, and for that reason the organizations are prohibited from engaging in political activities.

Yet conservative groups targeted by the IRS did not seek tax status as charities. They were applying for designation as nonprofits operating under Section 501(c)(4) of the tax code, for "the promotion of social welfare." Contributions to 501(c)(4) organizations are not tax deductible, so there is no "tax break" for their donors. Nor do the groups themselves get a "tax advantage." Mr. Toobin argues that these groups should be reclassified under Section 527 of the tax code. More on that below, but 527 organizations also pay nothing in taxes. So there is no "tax advantage" to operating as a 501(c)(4).

So why was the IRS involved at all, and why does it matter? The answer is that the IRS scandal is part of a long-term assault on First Amendment rights. Thanks to "campaign finance reform," citizen groups must navigate a maze of government paperwork and apply to the IRS for a tax license to speak on politics. People literally need a lawyer to figure it out, and not just any lawyer, but one from the highly compensated and mostly Washington, D.C.-based bar practicing "political law."

Continue reading.

Smith's a former chairman of the FEC. He knows whereof he speaks. Frankly, this is the most lucid discussion of the "Section 500" tax categories I've read. Especially good is how he calls bull on all the fat-ass leftists defending the administration's authoritarianism. But this stuff has to come out in a political campaign to really pick up traction. The facts of Barack Obama's authoritarianism and corruption should be the centerpiece of a renewed conservative drive for Congress and the presidency. The scandals along with ObamaCare should be a perfect storm of disaster for Democrats seeking election. But the disgusting JournoList media bolsters the epic fail party in power, so it's a hard road ahead, either way.

So, I continue to stand in dissent and rebellion against the leftists destroying our once great country. But I'm still optimistic that the forces of good and decency can pull us back from the brink, and drive the Democrat-Socialists into long-term oblivion. God willing.

Escaped Python Kills Two Boys, 5 and 7, at New Brunswick Sleepover

I can't fathom the grief.

At London's Daily Mail, "First pictures of brothers, age 5 and 7, who were crushed in their sleep by 16-foot python that slithered into their room through a vent."

And an interesting post at Treehugger, "15-feet long African rock python escapes from pet store, kills two boys (age 5 and 7)."

Almost 30 Minutes with Kennedy!

Well, it's Kennedy and this Andy Schuon, but still.

At Reason, "Kennedy and Producer Andy Schuon on the Golden Age of MTV."

No Slutbags!

Another riot!

At the New York Post, "No Slutbags! Bogus 'interns wanted' flyers for Anthony Weiner popping up."

From Theo's

Nice.

"Bedtime Totty..."

Amazon's Jeff Bezos Buys the Washington Post

Fascinating.

At the Wall Street Journal, "Bezos Buys Washington Post for $250 Million: Amazon Chief's Deal Doesn't Involve Online Retailer but Shows Media Power Shift":

Amazon.com Inc. AMZN -1.06% Chief Executive Jeff Bezos is buying the Washington Post WPO +1.56% for $250 million in an out-of-the-blue deal that captures the newspaper industry's economic decline and the shift of power from old media to Silicon Valley.

The sale puts one of the most famous newspapers in the U.S.—the publication credited with breaking the Watergate scandal that led to President Nixon's resignation almost 40 years ago—in the hands of a Web businessman who rose to prominence only in the past 20 years.

It comes as many newspapers are struggling to survive. Print newspaper ad revenues fell 55% between 2007 and 2012, according to the Newspaper Association of America, as advertisers and readers have defected to the Web. Some newspapers have been forced to slash costs and in some cases file for bankruptcy. Just three days ago the New York Times Co. NYT -0.42% sold the Boston Globe for $70 million, having paid $1.1 billion for it in 1993.

The Internet is "transforming almost every element of the news business," Mr. Bezos said in a letter to Washington Post employees. "There is no map, and charting a path ahead will not be easy. We will need to invent, which means we will need to experiment," Mr. Bezos wrote.

He added that he won't be involved in the day-to-day management of the newspaper.

In an interview Monday, Washington Post Co. Chairman Don E. Graham praised Mr. Bezos's track record as a well-connected industry innovator with the patience to make difficult businesses profitable, but he acknowledged challenges.

"Jeff is a business person, not a magician. He is going to have to work as hard as everyone else to figure out the problem of news. But he brings a lot," Mr. Graham said.

Early this year, Mr. Graham brought in investment bank Allen & Co. to begin looking for someone to buy the Washington Post. The decision to sell had come after months of reflection among the company's board members, said one person familiar with the situation. Mr. Graham "couldn't see how to grow [the paper] and began to wonder if there was a better owner," the person said.

Mr. Graham spoke with many prospects directly, drawing on his extensive network in Silicon Valley. Mr. Graham, who has been an adviser to Facebook Inc. FB +2.99% chief Mark Zuckerberg, has spent years building relationships with technology titans, including Mr. Bezos, who had helped him make important hires such as Amazon veteran Vijay Ravindran, the head of WaPo Labs.

Several months ago, Mr. Graham's bankers reached out to Mr. Bezos, said a person with direct knowledge of the deal. Initially, Mr. Bezos held back, citing a lack of time to properly deal with a transaction. Then, in July, Mr. Bezos wrote an email to Mr. Graham saying, "If you're interested, I am," said another person familiar with the situation.

Mr. Bezos, who launched Amazon in 1995, is worth about $26 billion, courtesy of his stake in the e-commerce giant. As part of a planned stock sale, Mr. Bezos took in $185 million this month, representing less than 1% of his holdings. Forbes ranked him as the 19th most-wealthy man in the world, just ahead of Google Inc.'s Larry Page.

Mr. Bezos wasn't available for an interview.

Not available for a statement to WSJ, although here's his full letter at WaPo, "Jeff Bezos on Post purchase." (Via Memeorandum.)

And see, "Washington Post sale: Details of Bezos deal."

Now, if Bezos would just buy the Los Angeles Times I'd be set.

Al-Quds Day Rally, New York: 'Free Palestine — From River to the Sea...'

My god, the place was swarming with terrorists.

At Atlas Shrugs, "FORMER HAMAS-CAIR OFFICIAL SPEWS VICIOUS ANTISEMITISM AT 'AL QUDS DAY': ISLAMIC JEW-HATRED UNBOUND."

And at Silent Majority No More, "'Al Quds' Day – JEW HATRED & FASCIST LIES UNCHALLENGED in NYC."

Fascists, yes.

Sponsored by the Stalinist International Action Center Communists.

And their program? Push the Jews to the sea. They aggressively announce it every day. They want to eliminate the Jews from Israel, and once the Caliphate is restored they'll seek to spread Islamic rule across the rest of the world.

Always resist these people, the true representatives of leftism and Islam.

Sydney Leathers, Obama Democrat and Weiner Mistress, Shoots Porn Film for Hardcore Vivid Entertainment

Boy, that didn't take very long.

And, well, she says Weiner didn't take very long to, eh, you know what, so I guess it's fitting.

At London's Daily Mail, "Just when he thought it couldn't get any more humiliating. . . Anthony Weiner' sexting partner brings out her own X-rated movie":

Anthony Weiner's sexting partner has stripped down for the public as she filmed a video for a major porn distributor.

Sydney Leathers poses provocatively in a five-minute clip of the video, and talks about her virtual relationship with the disgraced congressman.

'He would always compliment me on my breasts and my butt and my feet, and he would always tell me I was the perfect height to wear heels,' the 23-year-old said.

Also at TMZ, "WEINER'S SEXTING PARTNER STRIPS NAKED -- In Hardcore Porn [PHOTOS]."

Hey, Democrats creating jobs!

Wonders never cease!

Added: The Other McCain links, "Will Sydney Leathers Porn Video Be Entitled, ‘Not Enough Latex on Earth’?" Thanks!

RNC Threatens Boycott of Network Debates Over Hillary Clinton Documentaries

At the Hill, "RNC warns networks: Drop Clinton movies or lose 2016 GOP debates" (at Memeorandum):

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus threatened to pull the group’s partnership with NBC and CNN for 2016 GOP presidential primary debates if the networks moved ahead with plans to air films on Hillary Clinton.

Rush calls the documentaries "four-hour mini-series commercials." And he says the GOP has "nothing to gain" by participating in the debates, which are solely designed to make the Republican candidate look bad.

Lady Gaga and Madonna Facing Punishment in Russia

Putin leads the world's biggest rogue regime.



More at Memeorandum.

Shakedown Scofflaw Tawana Brawley Finally Starts Paying Man She Falsely Accused of Rape in 1987

I saw this story the other day, but it's picking up traction.

Here's the background at the Washington Times, "Tawana Brawley found after decades, served court order for defamation case," and "Tawana Brawley, who faked rape, begins defamation payments 25 years later."

The New York Post tracked her down, and reported back in December, "25 years after her rape claims sparked a firestorm, Tawana Brawley avoids the spotlight."



And from yesterday's Post, "Pay-up time for Brawley: '87 rape-hoaxer finally shells out for slanderJust $431,000 to go."

And I guess there's no word from Al Sharpton, at Da Tech Guy's, "Al Sharpton useful to the Radical Left. Tawana Brawley not so much."

Also, from Gregory Kane, "COMMENTARY: It’s Time for Reverend Al Sharpton to Step Up Again For Tawana Brawley."

Headline Change on the DREAMers' Self-Deport Clusterf-k

Remember this, "Illegal Aliens Self-Deport in Latest 'Poor Me' Open Borders Shakedown Scam"?

Well, the whole scam's not turning out too well for the idiot DREAMers, who probably won't be allowed back in the county. The best part is how this puts Obama in a jam. The open borders shills aren't pleased by the sideshow either.

Thus, my headline change, at Twitter.

Bwahahah!!

Stupid Demonstration at Arizona Border Makes Fools of Supporters of #Immigration Overhaul. @MichelleMalkin http://t.co/9QBAZWIW0l

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) August 5, 2013

Melissa Debling for Zoo Today

Lovely.

All my brand new pics from last weeks @ZOO shoot is now online http://t.co/FndJXOKNCS pic.twitter.com/IyCwD7B9tF

— Melissa Debling (@MelissaD89) August 1, 2013

Dick Morris Explains Congress's #ObamaCare Exemption

He's so happy-go-lucky about it, and thus makes the Democrat #ObamaCare ghouls look that much more cartoonish.

You can't make up a more epic storyline for the monumentally corrupt political class.



And don't miss Patterico's smackdown of the utterly bankrupt Obama ghouls, "Utterly Corrupt Obama Rewriting ObamaCare Unilaterally (Again)." (At Memeorandum.)

VIDEO HAT TIP: John Hawkins.