I've been posting on these horrific mishaps all weekend, preventable tragedies.
At the Long Beach Press-Telegram, "Boy, 17, loses hand in Central Long Beach fireworks accident."
Parents.
Where were the parents of all the kids, now maimed from parental negligence?
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Lissy from Manchester
It's Lissy Cunningham, featured for Rule 5 on August 12 last year.
At Page 3, "Lissy from Manchester is a total knockout in this sexy topless shoot."
At Page 3, "Lissy from Manchester is a total knockout in this sexy topless shoot."
U.K. Chilcot Report Offers Devastating Critique of Tony Blair and the Iraq War
I'm just reading, soaking this in.
And of course folks have long known where I stand. Indeed, the Iraq war's the main reason I started blogging. (See, "The Iraq War and Stubborn Myths," and "Judith Miller, 'I took America to war in Iraq. It was all me...'")
At the Telegraph UK, "Chilcot report: 2003 Iraq war was 'unnecessary', invasion was not 'last resort' and Saddam Hussein was 'no imminent threat'."
And at the Guardian UK, "Chilcot report live: Blair says report clears him of 'bad faith' but Iraq inquiry says he exaggerated case for war."
Also, at London's Daily Mail, "BREAKING NEWS: Chilcot's damning verdict on Blair's Iraq War: 'WMD threat was NOT justified', military action 'was NOT a last resort' and invasion was based on 'flawed intelligence'."
And at the Wall Street Journal, "U.K.’s Long-Awaited Chilcot Report into Iraq War Criticizes Legal Basis for Invasion":
Fascinating politics of this. See how the report damages the "neoliberal" Blairite faction of the U.K. Labour Party, and then strengthens the neo-communst Corbyn partisans? It's almost too pat. And of course we'd never be having a vigorous debate in the U.S. on the origins of the war --- a relitigation of the war, in the parlance --- because Hillary Clinton, the Democrat Party nominee, was one of the war's biggest boosters in the Senate in 2002.
I love it!
Expect updates on this throughout the day. Leftists want a criminal indictment for Tony Blair. It's freakin' amazing. Oh, the vindictive hatred is just seething. The issue's a classic polarizer of our times.
And of course folks have long known where I stand. Indeed, the Iraq war's the main reason I started blogging. (See, "The Iraq War and Stubborn Myths," and "Judith Miller, 'I took America to war in Iraq. It was all me...'")
At the Telegraph UK, "Chilcot report: 2003 Iraq war was 'unnecessary', invasion was not 'last resort' and Saddam Hussein was 'no imminent threat'."
And at the Guardian UK, "Chilcot report live: Blair says report clears him of 'bad faith' but Iraq inquiry says he exaggerated case for war."
Also, at London's Daily Mail, "BREAKING NEWS: Chilcot's damning verdict on Blair's Iraq War: 'WMD threat was NOT justified', military action 'was NOT a last resort' and invasion was based on 'flawed intelligence'."
And at the Wall Street Journal, "U.K.’s Long-Awaited Chilcot Report into Iraq War Criticizes Legal Basis for Invasion":
LONDON—The U.K. government under former Prime Minister Tony Blair urged Parliament to vote in favor of joining the Iraq war when the legal basis for U.K. military action was “far from satisfactory,” according to the findings of a high-profile inquiry into Britain’s involvement in the war.More.
The roughly 6,000-page report released Wednesday, which comes seven years after the inquiry was launched, also said policy on Iraq was made on the basis of flawed intelligence and assessments, according to John Chilcot, the retired civil servant who led the inquiry.
The assessments “were not challenged, and they should have been,” Mr. Chilcot said.
The long-awaited report is the culmination of the inquiry launched in 2009 by the then-governing Labour Party to address public criticism of the case made for the war and preparation for reconstruction in Iraq, among other issues.
The report also said that planning and preparation for Iraq after Saddam Hussein was deposed were “wholly inadequate.”
In response, Mr. Blair defended his decision to take military action, saying he did what he thought was the right thing and that the inquiry didn’t find otherwise.
“The report should lay to rest allegations of bad faith, lies or deceit,” he said in a statement. “Whether people agree or disagree with my decision to take military action against Saddam Hussein; I took it in good faith and in what I believed to be the best interests of the country.”
Some 179 British military personnel died in the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq, which Mr. Blair at the time justified with assertions that the regime had weapons of mass destruction—a claim that turned out to be false.
Britain’s role in the 2003 Iraq invasion continues to shape the British public’s appetite for military involvement in foreign wars and comes as the U.K. reassesses its role in the world following the vote to leave the European Union...
Fascinating politics of this. See how the report damages the "neoliberal" Blairite faction of the U.K. Labour Party, and then strengthens the neo-communst Corbyn partisans? It's almost too pat. And of course we'd never be having a vigorous debate in the U.S. on the origins of the war --- a relitigation of the war, in the parlance --- because Hillary Clinton, the Democrat Party nominee, was one of the war's biggest boosters in the Senate in 2002.
I love it!
Expect updates on this throughout the day. Leftists want a criminal indictment for Tony Blair. It's freakin' amazing. Oh, the vindictive hatred is just seething. The issue's a classic polarizer of our times.
Animal Rights Activists Poured Artificial Blood Over Themselves in Pamplona, Spain (VIDEO)
You know, after posting all the bullfighting videos over the years, I'm very sympathetic to this protest.
It's not just about killing the animals, which I don't oppose in terms of food production, etc. It's should we be making a sport out of it, a full spectacle which is obviously barbaric in some respects? Frankly, I've been to bull fights in Mexico, and it feels like you're at any other sporting event. But then, you kill the animal.
In any case, something to think about.
Watch, at Euronews, "Pamplona: Topless protesters pour fake blood over themselves prior to bull run."
It's not just about killing the animals, which I don't oppose in terms of food production, etc. It's should we be making a sport out of it, a full spectacle which is obviously barbaric in some respects? Frankly, I've been to bull fights in Mexico, and it feels like you're at any other sporting event. But then, you kill the animal.
In any case, something to think about.
Watch, at Euronews, "Pamplona: Topless protesters pour fake blood over themselves prior to bull run."
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Ellen Meiksins Wood
I'm reading Ellen Meiksins Wood's, Democracy Against Capitalism: Renewing Historical Materialism.
I picked up a copy at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena a couple of weekends ago (when I was at the Politicon convention).
She's also the author of The Pristine Culture of Capitalism: A Historical Essay on Old Regimes and Modern States, a topic of longtime interest to me in political science. One of my favorite books from graduate school is Perry Anderson's, Lineages of the Absolutist State.
Anderson defined Marxist historical-sociology and the state-building approach in political science. The work of Meiksins Wood is very closely related in terms of establishing historical change as a site of theoretical contestation. I enjoy reading this stuff.
Also from Meiksins Wood, The Retreat From Class: A New True Socialism.
I picked up a copy at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena a couple of weekends ago (when I was at the Politicon convention).
She's also the author of The Pristine Culture of Capitalism: A Historical Essay on Old Regimes and Modern States, a topic of longtime interest to me in political science. One of my favorite books from graduate school is Perry Anderson's, Lineages of the Absolutist State.
Anderson defined Marxist historical-sociology and the state-building approach in political science. The work of Meiksins Wood is very closely related in terms of establishing historical change as a site of theoretical contestation. I enjoy reading this stuff.
Also from Meiksins Wood, The Retreat From Class: A New True Socialism.
Texas Teenager Rowdy Radford Loses Leg and Fingers in Homemade 'Sparkler Bomb' Explosion
He may be blind as well. Folks are waiting for those eye-patches to come off.
Watch, at USA Today, "Sparkler explosion gravely injures teen."
And London's Daily Mail, "Texas teenager, 15, loses his leg and fingers and could go blind after 'bomb' made from 180 sparklers explodes in his hand."
Previously, "9-Year-Old Girl Loses Left Hand in Illegal Fireworks Explosion in Compton."
Watch, at USA Today, "Sparkler explosion gravely injures teen."
And London's Daily Mail, "Texas teenager, 15, loses his leg and fingers and could go blind after 'bomb' made from 180 sparklers explodes in his hand."
Previously, "9-Year-Old Girl Loses Left Hand in Illegal Fireworks Explosion in Compton."
Hillary Clinton and President Obama Campaign Together for the First Time!
Heh.
Ima leave this right here:
Ima leave this right here:
President Obama Makes First Appearance at Hillary Clinton Campaign Event. pic.twitter.com/YoDaO8ZOV1
— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) July 5, 2016
Revolutionary Reading [BUMPED]
I posted Bernard Bailyn's The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution the other day.
But see also, Gordon Wood, The Radicalism of the American Revolution.
Plus, Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815.
Also, Ron Chernow, Washington: A Life.
And, by Noble E. Cunningham, Jr., In Pursuit of Reason: The Life of Thomas Jefferson.
Gary Wills, Inventing America: Jefferson's Declaration of Independence.
More, from Daniel Walker Howe, What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848.
BONUS: From Dana Loesch, Flyover Nation: You Can't Run a Country You've Never Been To.
But see also, Gordon Wood, The Radicalism of the American Revolution.
Plus, Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815.
Also, Ron Chernow, Washington: A Life.
And, by Noble E. Cunningham, Jr., In Pursuit of Reason: The Life of Thomas Jefferson.
Gary Wills, Inventing America: Jefferson's Declaration of Independence.
More, from Daniel Walker Howe, What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848.
BONUS: From Dana Loesch, Flyover Nation: You Can't Run a Country You've Never Been To.
Theresa May Wins First Round of Conservative Party Leadership Vote
I thought I liked her, until I found out that she praised Islamic sharia.
See the Telegraph UK, "Theresa May hails ‘benefits’ of Sharia as inquiry set up into ‘misuse’ of Islamic law."
That's a terrifying statement, actually. And to think, David Cameron was shamelessly politically correct as well. Won't be much of improvement on the Tory front-bench then.
And she's not well like among the "Leave" partisans, it turns out:
In any case, back to the Telegraph, "Conservative leadership election: Theresa May wins more than half of MPs' votes as Liam Fox is knocked out of race."
See the Telegraph UK, "Theresa May hails ‘benefits’ of Sharia as inquiry set up into ‘misuse’ of Islamic law."
That's a terrifying statement, actually. And to think, David Cameron was shamelessly politically correct as well. Won't be much of improvement on the Tory front-bench then.
And she's not well like among the "Leave" partisans, it turns out:
Bet this won't get reported on BBC, the British ppl would finish the Tories. They will never be in government again. pic.twitter.com/5PfzhDYeia
— Denise (@LittleMissFoxyy) July 5, 2016
@LouiseMensch May would be worst decision. Need to ensure PM is a leave candidate and a strong one at that.
— Laura Katherine' (@LauraK2610) July 5, 2016
Whoever the Leave nominee is will have all of our FULLEST backing against Theresa May https://t.co/AA0Oict82Y
— Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) July 5, 2016
In any case, back to the Telegraph, "Conservative leadership election: Theresa May wins more than half of MPs' votes as Liam Fox is knocked out of race."
Islamic State Shifts Tactics
Islamic State, as it loses territory, boosts more traditional suicide terror attacks (rather than more classic insurgency initiatives).
I've been blogging most of these Ramadan attacks, although I missed the gruesome hacking attack in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
It's bad.
At WSJ, "Islamic State Extends Reach as It Suffers Defeats":
Great graphics at the link.
I've been blogging most of these Ramadan attacks, although I missed the gruesome hacking attack in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
It's bad.
At WSJ, "Islamic State Extends Reach as It Suffers Defeats":
Islamic State Extends Reach as It Suffers Defeats https://t.co/GecqdgHt5b
— WSJ World News (@WSJworld) July 5, 2016
During a rare spate of attacks in Jordan recently, Western officials in the capital Amman intercepted messages from Islamic State leaders urging supporters to spread terror at home rather than join militants across the border in Syria.Keep reading.
That call, which was sent to all the group’s affiliates, and a similar appeal in a public speech by an Islamic State spokesman were followed by attacks outside the boundaries of its self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq. In the past week, supporters with suspected or confirmed ties to Islamic State have launched deadly strikes in Turkey, Iraq and Bangladesh.
Islamic State is increasingly reverting to less expensive but spectacular guerrilla maneuvers, calling on supporters to launch assaults while its costly makeshift army faces retention problems and casualties, Western officials said. It is expanding its global scope, inspiring groups and individuals spread across several continents, even though they may have different agendas and operational methods.
The frequency of attacks outside Syria and Iraq has increased in tandem with battlefield and territorial setbacks that have deprived the militants of key sources of income such as oil. The group’s shift in tactics has been prompted by those territorial losses, U.S. officials and security advisers say...
Great graphics at the link.
Father Accidentally Kills 14-Year-Old Son at Florida Gun Range (VIDEO)
So sad.
But the father refused to tow the depraved leftist gun control line.
At London's Daily Mail, "'The gun didn't kill my son. I did': Distraught father blames his 'operating error' for accidentally shooting dead his boy, 14, at the 'world's safest gun range'."
And watch, at Fox News 13 Tampa Bay:
But the father refused to tow the depraved leftist gun control line.
At London's Daily Mail, "'The gun didn't kill my son. I did': Distraught father blames his 'operating error' for accidentally shooting dead his boy, 14, at the 'world's safest gun range'."
And watch, at Fox News 13 Tampa Bay:
Beverly Hills Accused of Running Homeless Man Out of Town with Private Security
And the guy was apparently well liked.
At LAT:
At LAT:
Have Beverly Hills “greenshirts” run a homeless man out of town? https://t.co/Kiw300hMR5 pic.twitter.com/9N0mps7UGA
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) July 5, 2016
George Saville slept on a cot in a downtown homeless shelter. In the morning, he would catch the bus to Beverly Hills.
There, Saville’s wit and wide knowledge of news, entertainment and sports drew a circle of admirers, including a half-dozen people who took their morning coffee at Urth Caffe.
The cafe owners supported him. Sports stars such as Lamar Odom and Jason Kidd stopped by for daily tidbits of information. Arab royals from the Beverly Wilshire Hotel asked him to pose in their selfies, Saville’s supporters said.
“He’s smart; he has historical references,” said Maria Belknap, a business manager and Urth patron. “He knows the L.A. Times and New York Times inside and out and he can talk about everything.”
“At best he is charming, at worst he is harmless,” said television host Larry King, who eats breakfast nearby and has slipped him cash on occasion. “Every community has a panhandler, and Beverly Hills is not so far above it.”
City officials, however, call Saville an opportunist and “aggressive panhandler” and considered drawing up a “shame list” to pressure cafe owners to stop catering to him.
After a run-in with a city-funded private patrol, known to locals as “greenshirts,” Saville was charged with two misdemeanors and ordered to stay away from the restaurant. Saville’s friends call the charges bogus and merely a ploy to drive the 57-year-old homeless man out of town.
“What you’ve mounted is an extrajudicial squad of greenshirts [who] are there to clear the streets of undesirables,” David Lyle, president of a television and digital content producers association, told the Beverly Hills human rights commission in May.
At a separate hearing, James Latta, the city’s human services administrator, countered that, “if it’s someone that wanted our help and needed help, we’ve got it for him. But this individual doesn’t want it.”
Saville’s clash with officials raises questions about how far cities can go to clear public spaces of indigents — and what obligation, if any, homeless people have to accept services and shelter...
Yasiel Puig Rocks Red, White, and Blue Cleats for Fourth of July at Dodger Stadium (VIDEO)
That's cool.
And that's announcer Vin Scully at the clip. This is his last season calling games for the Dodgers, and it's bittersweet, especially since Sports Net L.A.'s the only local network (not Cox Cable, Time Warner, etc.).
And that's announcer Vin Scully at the clip. This is his last season calling games for the Dodgers, and it's bittersweet, especially since Sports Net L.A.'s the only local network (not Cox Cable, Time Warner, etc.).
#TrumpGirlsBreakTheInternet Is Still Going Viral (VIDEO)
Actually, I think they're a little late, but it's a cool video.
At the New York Post, "These sexy Trump supporters are going viral."
And still a few stalwart Trump babes posting selfies:
At the New York Post, "These sexy Trump supporters are going viral."
And still a few stalwart Trump babes posting selfies:
#WomenForTrump #MAGA #Americanasfuck #trumpgirlsbreaktheinternet pic.twitter.com/MduFpxI1xT
— 3/75thRangers4Trump (@cdubhulksmash) July 4, 2016
The #4thOfJuly party doesn't stop! #America #women4trump #maga #students4trump #trumpgirlsbreaktheinternet #Retweet pic.twitter.com/pIxai4zVuE
— Trump Hotties (@hottiesfortrump) July 4, 2016
#IndependenceDay #trumpgirlsbreaktheinternet #maga pic.twitter.com/eBPaUhAfwH
— Bernie v Trump 2016 (@BernieTrump2O16) July 5, 2016
Happy 4th of July! #trumpgirlsbreaktheinternet #babesfortrump #maga pic.twitter.com/Sh897VcK8i
— Bernie v Trump 2016 (@BernieTrump2O16) July 5, 2016
@BabesForTrump #americanasfuck #trumpgirlsbreaktheinternet pic.twitter.com/Q1M2D27yyE
— 3/75thRangers4Trump (@cdubhulksmash) July 5, 2016
F.B.I. Will Not Seek Charges in Hillary Clinton Email Probe (VIDEO)
No one should be surprised. I certainly wasn't expecting any charges.
The fix is in. And it's been in. This is the Clintons we're talking about.
Watch, at CNN, "FBI Director: No charges appropriate in Clinton case."
And at WSJ, "FBI Won’t Recommend Criminal Charges Against Hillary Clinton Over Private Email Use":
Also at Instapundit, "THE FIX WAS IN ALL ALONG: Comey: Despite Mishandling of Classified Info, Risk That She Was Hacked, FBI Won’t Recommend Prosecuting Hillary."
The fix is in. And it's been in. This is the Clintons we're talking about.
Watch, at CNN, "FBI Director: No charges appropriate in Clinton case."
And at WSJ, "FBI Won’t Recommend Criminal Charges Against Hillary Clinton Over Private Email Use":
FBI Director James Comey said Tuesday that Hillary Clinton was “extremely careless” in handling classified information while secretary of state and added scores of emails on her personal server contained highly classified information—but he said the FBI won’t recommend criminal charges against the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee...Keep reading.
Also at Instapundit, "THE FIX WAS IN ALL ALONG: Comey: Despite Mishandling of Classified Info, Risk That She Was Hacked, FBI Won’t Recommend Prosecuting Hillary."
Model Hailey Clauson Hot Dog Eating (VIDEO)
Heh.
'Tis the season.
Via Sports Illustrated:
BONUS: "Hailey Clauson In Nothing But Body Paint - Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2015 (VIDEO)."
'Tis the season.
Via Sports Illustrated:
BONUS: "Hailey Clauson In Nothing But Body Paint - Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2015 (VIDEO)."
Immigration is the Key
From Professor Michael Curtis, at the New English Review:
The Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin once said, “There are decades when nothing happens, and there are weeks when decades happen.” He might have been talking of the UK in June 2016 with the events connected with the referendum on June 23, 2016 on British membership of or Brexit, exit, from the European Union.Keep reading.
Britain has innumerable problems concerning its membership of the EU and the issues of freedom of movement of goods, capital, services, and people, and about the right of EU citizens to live and work in any EU state. Yet, whether voiced openly or not, at the heart of the events is the widespread public concern about the increasing immigration into the country.
Those events resemble a film noir or a Shakespearean play, say Julius Caesar, with its political turmoil, its incorrect assumptions and unexpected outcome of the referendum, its undisguised ambitions not made of sterner stuff, its intrigues and betrayals of leading political figures supposed to be friends and allies.
Among the star events in this continuing serio-comical drama are the resignation of David Cameron as Prime Minister, the turmoil for leadership of the Conservative Party, the resignation of Nigel Farage, from his position as leader of the anti-immigrant party UKIP (UK Independence Party), and the stubbornness of Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the Labour Party in refusing to heed the sizable vote of his parliamentary colleagues calling on him to resign.
Yet, all interested in the present U.S. presidential election should take account of the British events and possible parallel between the two counties. There is a distinct resemblance regarding pertinent issues and popular anxieties. Similar factors are said to trouble citizens: the impact of globalization; the free trade economy; the decline in jobs and wages; the weakening of national dignity and esteem.
In both countries a considerable part of the electorate appears disgruntled, antagonistic to established power institutions, and concerned with what they regard as a decline in the status and popularity of their country. If the disgruntled in the UK want to throw off the shackles of the supposed tyranny of the European Union and the detached bureaucracy in Brussels, supporters of Donald Trump want to end the tyranny of established authorities in Washington, D.C.
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