New Deals Today

At Amazon, Today's Deals.

Also, Made by Blush Avenue Womens Ladies Oversized Baggy Long Thick Knitted Plain Chunky Top Knit Jumper S-XL.

More, Bialetti 6-Cup Stovetop Espresso Maker.

And, Peet's Coffee Whole Coffee Bean, Espresso Forte, Dark Roast, 12 Ounce bag.

Here, Halloween Candy.

Especially, MARS Chocolate Favorites Halloween Candy Bars Variety Mix 96.2-Ounce 250-Piece Bag.

More here, Lightspeed Outdoors Kids Fort Pop-Up Play Tent with Tunnel Entrance.

And, Shop Children's Books.

Finally, LG 55-inch Full HD Smart TV 2017 Model (55LJ5500) with with 2x 6ft High Speed HDMI Cable, Transformer Tap USB w/ 6-Outlet, Screen Cleaner for LED TVs & 1 Year Extended Warranty.

BONUS: Cherise Wolas, The Resurrection of Joan Ashby: A Novel.

Lit Crawl L.A. – Where Literature Hits the Streets!

This is really cool. I wish Irvine had a literature crawl.

At LAT, "What to see at Lit Crawl in North Hollywood on Oct. 25."

You can imagine it's mostly wannabe Bohemian lefties, but if you like to read, and you like to read good literature, sometimes you have to go with the flow. Sometimes even left-wing books are fulfilling, which I've been finding out this past few months with my excursions into literary fiction.

My sister lives in Studio City, just a few miles from the epicenter of this event in NoHo. Not sure if I'll go, but I like that this kind of thing is thriving.

Are you ready to hit the streets for Literature? #litcrawlla Wednesday, October 25, 7-10pm!!! pic.twitter.com/eevXzIH5O4

— LitCrawl L.A. (@LitCrawlLA) August 6, 2017

Report from Virginia's Governor's Race

From the indubitable Salena Zito, at the New York Post, "The Democrats should be terrified by this governor's race":

The Democrats should be terrified by this governor's race https://t.co/G4qQ8n0BJN my report from Virginia

— SalenaZito (@SalenaZito) October 21, 2017

WINCHESTER, VA. — The melodic sounds of a street musician’s trumpet echo through every corner of this old Virginia town as locals shop or make their way to lunch. Daren Johnson has been blowing his horn at the pedestrian mall in the shadow of the Shenandoah Valley Civil War Museum for over an hour. He performs for two reasons: “To make some extra cash and to share a little bit of lightness. We are exhausted as a country,” he said, “a direct result of last year’s election.”

Johnson and his wife were tireless volunteers for Hillary Clinton last year. They knocked on doors, they made phone calls, they were invested. When she lost, the couple was devastated. Now, Johnson doesn’t even know who is running for governor.

“I’ve voted every year for the past 46 years, always informed, always enthusiastic, always involved in the process. Now, it’s really hard to care,” Johnson said.

The upcoming gubernatorial election in Virginia is one of only two happening in the country this year, along with New Jersey. The race pits Ralph Northam, the current lieutenant governor and a Democrat, against Ed Gillespie, a former George W. Bush administration official and Republican National Committee chairman.

Northam should have a comfortable lead right now. Terry McAuliffe, the outgoing governor he currently serves under, is popular and generally seen as successful. Plus, Virginians have historically elected governors from the party opposite to a president who’s won the year before. In 2001, Democrat Mark Warner won one year after George W. Bush was elected; in 2009, Republican Bob McDonnell won one year after Barack Obama took the state.

And, of course, there is the Trump factor — Clinton beat the president comfortably here, although almost all of her vote came from the heavily populated, heavily liberal Northern Virginia suburbs with the rest of the state (mostly rural, mostly forgotten) going for Donald Trump with the exception of the state capital and some college towns.

But Northam’s numbers are not up — in fact, the last three public polls show next month’s race within the margin of error. That includes a Monmouth University poll released Tuesday, which gives Gillespie the edge over Northam among likely voters by 48 to 47 percent.

Both parties have pulled out all the stops for this race. Ex-president Obama was here for a rally; George W. Bush for a fundraiser. Joe Biden’s stumped here, so has Vice President Mike Pence. So far, Trump has only tweeted about the race: “Ralph Northam, who is running for Governor of Virginia, is fighting for the violent MS-13 killer gangs & sanctuary cities. Vote Ed Gillespie!”

Gillespie has avoided broadcasting that endorsement on the campaign trail. There are no mentions of it on his website. After Trump claimed there were “some very fine people on both sides” of a neo-Nazi protest in nearby Charlottesville that left one woman dead, Gillespie’s spokesman Dave Abrams said the candidate “did not see any fine people on the side of the white nationalists and neo-Nazis.” But Gillespie has not directly criticized Trump either.

Meanwhile Stephanie Vaughan, the Democratic county chairperson in Winchester, says the party is working hard to clinch victory by appealing to a wider crowd. “We very much try to have a big-tent approach here. We welcome moderate, progressive and conservative Democrats into our party, and we encourage everyone to listen to our message,” she said. “Here our issues are pretty straightforward — transportation, education and health care.”

Behind the counter of her coffee shop, Lanita Byrne said she did not vote for Trump and loved Clinton but is completely undecided on which candidate she wants for governor. “Honestly it comes down to who is best on taxes. I think there should be less burdens and more opportunities for small-business owners,” she said.

Clark Hansbarger, meanwhile, said he saw the Trump win coming from a mile away. “I kept telling all of my liberal friends, and they would just laugh at me. They thought no way,” he said. Hansbarger then chuckles and admits he, too, is a liberal. “But, look, I travel a lot. When Trump spoke about carnage in his inaugural address, I’ve seen exactly what he meant all over the country,” he said.

Johnson begins to play his trumpet again, then stops. “I guess I’ll vote,” he admits. “But honestly I am sick of both parties . . . and I am not voting straight ticket, that is for sure.”

Certainly the Democrats are the ones with the most to lose...

More.

Fox Renewed Bill O'Reilly After Cable Star Paid Out Sexual Harassment Claims in $32 Million Settlement

That's an enormous amount of money. Man, $32 million for settlement. How much was Fox paying the guy, sheesh.

At NYT:

Fox was trying to convince the public that its culture had changed. But they were determined to keep Bill O’Reilly. https://t.co/0ykzHam7Ik

— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 21, 2017

California College Republicans Elect Ariana Rowlands as New Leader

She's a Breitbart conservative at UCI, and a self-identified rabble-rouser, heh.

At the O.C. Register:

California College Republicans elect new leader in stormy Anaheim session https://t.co/47wXknOiQo pic.twitter.com/HepPr8vvYw

— O.C. Register (@ocregister) October 22, 2017

Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad

*BUMPED.*

I picked up a copy. I'm excited to read it.

Also at Amazon, Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad.

Bennie is an aging former punk rocker and record executive. Sasha is the passionate, troubled young woman he employs. Here Jennifer Egan brilliantly reveals their pasts, along with the inner lives of a host of other characters whose paths intersect with theirs. With music pulsing on every page, A Visit from the Goon Squad is a startling, exhilarating novel of self-destruction and redemption.

ICYMI: Philip Roth, American Pastoral

At Amazon, Philip Roth, American Pastoral (American Trilogy).

Olympic Swimmer Natalie Coughlin Body Paint for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (VIDEO)

Hmm, very athletic!

David M. Potter, The Impending Crisis

*BUMPED.*

At Amazon, David M. Potter, The Impending Crisis: America Before the Civil War, 1848-1861.

Ian Davidson, The French Revolution

*BUMPED.*

At Amazon, Ian Davidson, The French Revolution: From Enlightenment to Tyranny.

Philip Roth, The Plot Against America

I'm almost done with Celeste Ng.

And I picked up a copy of Philip Roth's book today, The Plot Against America.

I've got a couple of other books going as well, but I look forward to reading this one, a kind of alternative history.

Jennifer Delacruz's Sunday Forecast

Here's the lovely Ms. Jennifer, at ABC News 10 San Diego:

Deal of the Day

At Amazon, Today's Deals.

Also, Klipsch AW-400 Indoor/Outdoor Speaker - White (Pair).

Plus, EcoNour - Car Windshield Sun Shade - Blocks UV Rays Sun Visor Protector, Sunshade To Keep Your Vehicle Cool And Damage Free, Easy To Use, Fits Windshields of Various Sizes (Standard 59 x 31 inches).

And, AmazonBasics AA Performance Alkaline Batteries (48 Count) - Packaging May Vary.

More, Foxelli Trekking Poles – Collapsible, Lightweight, Shock-Absorbent, Carbon Fiber Hiking, Walking & Running Sticks with Natural Cork Grips, Quick Locks, 4 Season / All Terrain Accessories and Carry Bag.

Still more, Shop Dodgers Gear.

And, Mountain House Just In Case...Breakfast Bucket.

BONUS: Paul Kengor, The Communist: Frank Marshall Davis: The Untold Story of Barack Obama's Mentor.

Jennifer Garner in New York City

Man, Ben Affeck screwed up by losing this woman.

He's an idiot anyway, but he sure scored by marrying Ms. Jennifer. They're done now as a couple, though, so I guess karma's a bitch sometimes.

She's exquisite.

At London's Daily Mail:

Jennifer Garner turns heads in an edgy black dress in NYC https://t.co/aJYkq6K0Zy

— Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) October 19, 2017

Toni Garrn Flaunts in Skimpy Bikini

At London's Daily Mail, "Toni Garrn flaunts major cleavage as she strips down to VERY scanty bikini... weeks after being linked to ex Leonardo DiCaprio."

And at Drunken Stepfather, "TONI GARRN TOPLESS OF THE DAY."

BONUS: At Esquire, "12 Nude Models Posed for the Covers of a French Magazine (NSFW)."

Demi Lovato on Instagram

At London's Daily Mail, "Demi Lovato shares topless snap on Instagram."

Women Oiled-Up for the Future of CBD

This is the craziest post ever, but I like the oiled-up women, heh.

Here, "GIRLS OILED UP BECAUSE THE FUTURE IS CDB OF THE DAY."

After Criticism, FBI to Investigate Death of U.S. Soldiers in Niger (VIDEO)

At the Wall Street Journal, via Memeorandum, "Death of U.S. Soldiers in Niger Sparks FBI Probe, Criticism."

And at Politico, "Mattis says Niger ambush was ‘considered unlikely,’ pledges probe: An ambush that killed four U.S. troops in Niger is under investigation, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Thursday":

In the face of growing scrutiny, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Thursday said the type of attack that killed four U.S. troops in Niger earlier this month was "considered unlikely" and pledged to release the findings of a Pentagon investigation "as rapidly" as possible.

"I would just tell you that in this specific case contact was considered unlikely," Mattis said of the ambush against members of the Army's 3rd Special Forces Group, which is advising local anti-terror units in the region.

"But there's a reason we have U.S. Army soldiers there and not the Peace Corps, because we carry guns and so it's a reality," he added. "It’s part of the danger that our troops face in these counterterror campaigns."

Mattis' remarks come as the White House and Pentagon are taking heat from Senate Armed Services Chairman Sen. John McCain, who threatened early Thursday to issue subpoenas to get more information on the Oct. 4 incident, which has been blamed on militants allied with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

McCain has slammed the Trump administration in recent days for not being forthcoming about the ambush, and asked again Thursday if the administration is sharing enough, he responded, "Of course not."

"It may require a subpoena, but I did have a good conversation with General McMaster, and they said that they would be briefing us," McCain told reporters on Capitol Hill, referring to White House national security adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster. "We have a long friendship, and we'll hopefully get all the details."

McMaster, speaking at an event sponsored by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said he was hurt by McCain’s criticism and defended the National Security Council’s consultation with Congress.

"It hurt my feelings. You know, I love and respect Sen. McCain," McMaster said. "And if Sen. McCain says we need to do a better job communicating with him from our departments, from the NSC, we’re going to do it."

President Donald Trump has also come under fire in recent days for how he handled communications with the families of the fallen, some of which have claimed he was insensitive in phone calls.

Trump waited nearly two weeks before making mention of the Niger incident, even though his staff had drafted a statement of condolence for him on Oct. 5...

More.

Stuart Varney Rips Frederica Wilson for Listening-In on President Trump's Phone Call with Fallen Soldier's Mother (VIDEO)

Following-up, "Chief of Staff John Kelly Statement on Son's Death and Rep. Frederica Wilson (VIDEO)."

The YouTube video is here, "Frederica Wilson is part of the left's ‘hate Trump’ brigade: Varney."

And on Twitter:

Stuart rips Rep. Wilson and the left for twisting Pres. @realDonaldTrump's private call to the mother of a fallen soldier for political gain pic.twitter.com/e9VtwQinux

— Varney & Co. (@Varneyco) October 20, 2017

Chief of Staff John Kelly Statement on Son's Death and Rep. Frederica Wilson (VIDEO)

At the Hill, "JUST IN: Kelly blasts Dem lawmaker for criticizing Trump's call to solider's family."

And watch the whole press conference: