Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Nicola Griffin, 56, Rocks Gold Bikini in 'Swimsuits for All' Advertisment in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2016

You're a young as you feel --- and as young as you look!

At USA Today, "56-year-old in gold bikini rocks ad in 'Sports Illustrated'."

Christie and Fiorina Quit GOP Presidential Race

Christie doesn't surprise me, but Fiorina said she'd stay in the race all the way to the convention. She must be strapped for cash, and after such a promising surge for a while last year.

At the New York Times, via Memeorandum, "Chris Christie Drops Out of Race After New Hampshire Flop."

And at Politico, "Carly Fiorina quits 2016 race."

TSA: The Total Security Abyss

From Michelle Malkin:
While a TSA agent pawed my hair bun this weekend, presumably on high alert for improvised explosive bobby pins, I pondered the latest news on the Somalia airplane terror attack.

Intelligence officials released video footage of airport employees in Mogadishu handing a laptop to a jihadist suspect before he boarded Daallo Airlines Airbus Flight D3159 last week. The device allegedly contained a bomb that exploded on the plane, which created a massive hole out of which the bomber was fatally sucked. Two other passengers were injured in the blast before the pilot successfully made an emergency landing.

Several airport workers have now been arrested and the FBI is in Africa assisting the investigation.

The Somalia incident is not the only suspected in-flight inside job of late. Investigators believe a ramp worker at Egypt’s Sharm el Sheikh airport was recruited by ISIS to plant a bomb on the Russian airliner that crashed last fall in the desert of the Sinai Peninsula. All 224 passengers and crew members aboard Metrojet Flight 9268 perished.

America can rest easy knowing that TSA aggressively tackled my harmless chignon like the Denver Broncos on Super Bowl Sunday.

But as the TSA carries out its multibillion-dollar charade of homeland security on babies’ bottles of breast milk, veterans’ prosthetic devices and suburban moms’ updos, who is screening the screeners?
Chilling. Man.

Keep reading.

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BUMPED.

LATEST: It's Day 40 of the Malheur Occupation

It goes on.

At the Portland Oregonian, "Oregon standoff Day 40: What you need to know."

And watch, from Sunday, "Occupier takes joy ride in pickup truck with federal plates." It's the crazy loon David Fry.

Super Bowl Security Theater

Following-up from the other day, "U.S. Air Force Fighter Jets to Patrol Skies Over Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, California (VIDEO)."

Watch this clip from Alex Jones' InfoWars channel, heh. They're making too much sense!


Air Force Major General James Martin Jr. Fainted During Pentagon Briefing (VIDEO)

Poor guy. He was taken to the hospital, but is apparently going to be okay.

Via CNN:


'Ever since it delivered a psychological victory by giving an unexpectedly strong finish to Eugene McCarthy against incumbent President Lyndon Johnson in 1968, thereby delivering the first ballot-box expression of Americans’ angst over the Vietnam war, New Hampshire’s primary has been something of a political canary in the nation’s mine shaft...'

This is an excellent piece, from Kathy Kiely, at USA Today, "Trump, Sanders wins 30 years in the making."

Lolz: Our Culture of Wannabe Rock Stars Going Home to Mama's House, Sleeping on a Twin Bed

Watch, this great segment, with Megyn Kelly interviewing Dr. Phil.

It's pretty hilarious.

Here, "Dr. Phil: We've Created a Generation of Entitled, Narcissistic People."

Republican Presidential Campaign Heads to South Carolina, With No Clear Republican Challenge to Donald Trump

Lindsey Graham is on Fox with Bill Hemmer right now, talking about South Carolina, and calling Donald Trump "an absolute disaster for the Republican Party."

Blah, blah.

Perhaps the voters down there disagree.

And Graham's shilling for Jeb, which about makes me puke.

At the New York Times, "Race Goes to South Carolina, With No Clear Republican Threat to Trump":
COLUMBIA, S.C. — With Donald J. Trump’s decisive victory in New Hampshire and no strong runner-up among a pack of also-rans, the Republican race barreled into South Carolina on Wednesday shadowed by a question: whether any alternative candidate can gain enough support to threaten Mr. Trump’s drive to the nomination.

Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, the second-place finisher in New Hampshire with less than half the support of Mr. Trump, arrives in this more conservative Southern state where he has little staff or support. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, resuming an effort here to enlist the Christian right, the key to his victory in Iowa, faces a playing field where evangelical voters are far less monolithic. And former Gov. Jeb Bush, buoyed by outperforming his Florida rival Senator Marco Rubio, has a chance to open more daylight — but it is unclear if it will be enough to inspire establishment-leaning Republicans to coalesce behind him.

On the Democratic side, Senator Bernie Sanders’s idealistic message, which inspired a decisive victory in New Hampshire over Hillary Clinton, faces a sharp test in South Carolina, where Democrats are more moderate and demographically diverse.

Mr. Trump is quite likely to face a kind of scrutiny here he has so far avoided: The only Republican candidate who does not favor increased military spending, he must woo a state with eight bases and 58,000 military retirees. His Vietnam War draft deferments may also be an issue.

While Mr. Trump has led in every poll in South Carolina since July, Mr. Bush has invested substantial resources here. His aides say 1,000 volunteers have knocked on doors at more than 50,000 homes. His brother, former President George W. Bush, who is expected to campaign alongside him here, appeared in an ad in South Carolina during the Super Bowl, declaring, “Jeb Bush is a leader who will keep our country safe.”

“The commander-in-chief question is going to be a big one,” said Jim Dyke, a senior adviser to Mr. Bush here. “If you look at exit polls from 2008 and 2012, in both elections about 25 percent identified as active military or had served in the military.”
Maybe Jebbie will pull out the Barbara Bush "big guns" to rally the rubes in South Carolina. You want a "disaster for the Republican Party"? Nominate Jeb for a third Bush term. It's sickening.



Donald Trump in the Driver's Seat on Way to Presidential Nomination

From Fred Barnes, at the Weekly Standard:
Donald Trump got everything he wanted in New Hampshire primary—and a whole lot more. He's not only a stronger frontrunner in the Republican race than ever; he's now in the driver's seat on the road to the presidential nomination.

Trump is dominant. Here are a few examples:

* Every Republican candidate who finished first and second in Iowa and New Hampshire has won the presidential nomination. Having done so, Trump is now in a class with Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bob Dole, George W. Bush, and Mitt Romney. John McCain was a partial exception in 2000, having basically skipped Iowa and then won in New Hampshire. And it doesn't matter where the first and second place finishes occurred. Reagan was second in Iowa in 1980, then won New Hampshire. Dole won Iowa in 1996 and settled for second to Pat Buchanan in New Hampshire.

* That New Hampshire failed to force all the marginal candidates out of the race is a boon for Trump. There's still no single "establishment" candidate to oppose him. There are three, maybe four, and they're fighting each other, not Trump. This is important. If Jeb Bush is still running when the Florida primary occurs on March 15, he'll split the establishment vote with Marco Rubio. And Trump will win Florida. A similar situation will exist in Ohio if Kasich, the state's governor, hangs around. Kasich and Rubio and maybe Bush will form a circular firing squad. Should Trump win both states, the race is over.

* Trump was zinged after Iowa because his vote was less than polls had forecast. But in New Hampshire, the opposite happened. The RealClear average of New Hampshire polls pegged Trump at 29.5 percent. He got better than 34 percent of the actual vote.

* There were suspicions Trump's percentage would be significantly less than previous winners in New Hampshire. It was in some cases, mostly campaigns with fewer top tier candidates than this year. Trump slightly trailed Bush (38 percent) in 1988 and McCain in 2000 (37). But he beat Buchanan (27) in 1996. No embarrassment here.

* The Trump magic appears to be spreading to states with upcoming primaries...
Still more.

I love that Reagan comparison, second in Iowa, and first in New Hampshire. I'd be trumpeted that historical vignette.

Chris Christie Missed the Cut for GOP Debate in South Carolina Saturday (VIDEO)

Background at Politico, "Kasich, Christie and Fiorina need strong N.H. finishes to make CBS debate."

At the Newark Star-Ledger, "Christie's presidential bid is over, political pros say":

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie is still waiting to exhale, but Republican experts are saying the New Jersey governor is all but certain to end his presidential campaign in New Jersey sometime Wednesday.

"We're going to go home to New Jersey tomorrow and take a deep breath," Christie told supporters in Nashua, N.H., late Tuesday evening after the New Hampshire presidential primary.

The goal, Christie said, is to "see what the final results are tonight — 'cause that matters — whether we're sixth or fifth."

A sixth-place finish would mean Christie wouldn't qualify for the ninth GOP debate, scheduled for Saturday in South Carolina under criteria for admission CBS released late Tuesday. He needed to be in the top five in New Hampshire...
More.

Fiorina won't make it either. And she's gonna whine about sexist treatment by CBS. (Ben Carson won't make it either. These dum-dums need to drop out, sheesh.)

Also at Memeorandum.

The Hillary Clinton Campaign Implosion

At the New York Times, "It's Clinton Déjà Vu — New Hampshire Brings Snow and Rumors of Campaign Implosion":
Periods of intense hand-wringing and recrimination always occur in Clintonworld around the New Hampshire primaries, if history is any guide — and what is Clinton history, if not utterly repetitive?

These brawls traditionally follow difficult results in Iowa. In 1992, the native Hawkeye Tom Harkin beat Bill Clinton in the year’s first caucuses. Barack Obama beat Hillary in 2008 (as did John Edwards, who finished second). And last week, Bernie Sanders essentially tied the former secretary of state, setting up the latest Clinton bloodbath-in-waiting. Hillary is down big in the New Hampshire polls. Her nervous staff and extended community of sycophants, hangers-on and self-professed “confidantes” keep unburdening themselves in the press — while being granted anonymity in exchange for their self-aggrandizing candor.

We’ve been here before. This is how it all rolls in the Clinton precincts of Blue America. The situation is so familiar to be its own Democratic Party cliché, like nominating unelectable liberals in the 1980s or engaging in nasty platform fights in the 1990s.

Say this about the Clintons, for better or worse: They are predictable. Thrush and Karni’s New Hampshire pre-autopsy contained all the paint-by-number refrains of Clinton crackups past:

· The term “staff shake-up” would need to appear in the story’s headline (or, at least, the lede).

· Also, somewhere, the phrase “lack of trust” or “mutual suspicion.”

· The story would have to include a nod to the trusted old Clinton hands who were selflessly offering themselves up as potential campaign saviors.

· Embedded in the article would be the clear implication that all of this could have been avoided if only Mark Penn, Clinton’s 2008 strategist, were more involved.

· The story would also inevitably include at least one blind quote from a former Obama campaign aide who knows how to do things better.

· The story would have to offer up for sacrifice at least one scapegoat, whose job was allegedly in peril.

· Bonus points if said scapegoat hails from Obama’s campaigns (watch your back, Joel Benenson).

So, yes, this latest chapter in the Clintons’ book of Supposed Looming Implosions, 2016 edition, contains all the predictable elements...
More.

It is repetitive, for sure. I remember this movie from 2008. I'm still trying to get my head around the idea of a Bernie Sanders nomination, but it's not far-fetched at this point.

Also, at Politico, "How Much Trouble Is Hillary Clinton In?"

(Via Memeorandum.)

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

This Maggie Haberman Piece on Donald Trump's New Hampshire Win and Resurgent Campaign is Outstanding

I read it on my iPhone and tweeted. It's really good.



Another Jackie Johnson Recordbreaking Weather Forecast

It hit the 90s today, with Fullerton, at 92 degrees, the hottest spot in the U.S.

Via CBS News 2 Los Angeles:



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Ian Kershaw's New Book, To Hell and Back

At Amazon, To Hell and Back: Europe 1914-1949.

Kershaw, a powerhouse scholar, is the author of the acclaimed two-volume biography of Adolf Hitler, Hitler: 1889-1936 Hubris, and Hitler: 1936-1945 Nemesis.

Ian Kershaw photo 12662008_10208953291492517_2131864487978821984_n_zpsodu66ofp.jpg

Monday, February 8, 2016

Jackie Johnson's Recordbreaking Weather Forecast

What a day!

So beautiful! The mild Santa Ana winds blew the smog offshore and you could see the mountains clear as a bell. Mt. Baldy was snow-covered.

Makes you want to lollygag around at the beach, heh.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Winter heat wave sets new records in California; hotter conditions expected Tuesday."

And here's Jackie!

Hillary Clinton Trails Bernie Sanders by 10 Points in Latest Monmouth University Poll (VIDEO)

The poll that matters is tomorrow. Hopefully, Team Clinton doesn't pull any dirty tricks.

At Monmouth, "NEW HAMPSHIRE: TRUMP, SANDERS HOLD LEADS":

Bernie Sanders currently holds a 52% to 42% lead over Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire’s Democratic primary. This is a slightly tighter contest than the 53% to 39% lead Sanders held in Monmouth’s January poll. Now that it is effectively a two person race – despite the fact that 28 names appear on Tuesday’s ballot – since Martin O’Malley dropped out of the race, the number of likely voters who do not lean toward any candidate has gone up to 6% from 2% last month.

Fully 6-in-10 (60%) likely Democratic primary voters say that they are completely decided on their candidate choice. Clinton (68%) supporters are slightly more likely than Sanders backers (60%) to say their vote is locked in. These results indicate a slight solidification over the 52% who were completely decided last month. Another 23% of Democrats have a strong preference but are still open to considering other candidates. Fewer than 1-in-5 either have only a slight preference (7%) or are really undecided (10%).

“Sanders is sitting in the driver’s seat heading into the last few days before New Hampshire voters head to the polls,” said Murray.

Sanders supporters and undecided voters were asked about the possibility of them actually voting for Clinton on Tuesday. In addition to the 42% support she already receives, another 13% of voters say they are at least somewhat likely to mark their ballots for Clinton when they go to the polls, while 35% say they are not at all likely to do so. Among Clinton supporters and undecided voters, Sanders could potentially add 15% to his current 52% support, while just 25% say they definitely would not consider voting for him on Tuesday...
Still more.

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BONUS: From Mary Katharine Ham, End of Discussion: How the Left's Outrage Industry Shuts Down Debate, Manipulates Voters, and Makes America Less Free (and Fun).