U.S. to Focus on Forcibly Toppling Syrian Government

With the exception of Max Boot at Commentary, and Reuel Marc Gerecht at the Wall Street Journal, we've seen few voices advocating direct military intervention in Syria. (And Gerecht was calling for CIA-directed operations, quite short of full boots on the ground.)

An invasion of Syria would have worked better months ago, had there been enough foresight to realize that it was time for Assad to go and there weren't really other good options. Certainly, the U.N.'s engagement has once again made a mockery of that institution, especially with Russia protecting its balance of power interests in Syria, which include Moscow's only naval base outside of Russian waters. On Thursday this photo at the Los Angeles Times summarized --- like "a picture worth a thousand words" --- U.S. frustration with United Nations diplomacy toward Syrian President Bashar Assad (see, "Russia, China veto U.N. resolution on Syria"). Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin has his hands outstretched as he leans forward in a pleading stance, while U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice looks at him, arms crossed, seemingly angry and surely frustrated. It's an amazing shot.

But now here comes the New York Times with the very shocking headline, "U.S. to Focus on Forcibly Toppling Syrian Government." Notice how Memeorandum has the original headline, which has now been changed at the Times' website, to "Stymied at U.N., U.S. Refines Plan to Remove Assad." And from the article:

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has for now abandoned efforts for a diplomatic settlement to the conflict in Syria, and instead it is increasing aid to the rebels and redoubling efforts to rally a coalition of like-minded countries to forcibly bring down the government of President Bashar al-Assad, American officials say.

Administration officials have been in talks with officials in Turkey and Israel over how to manage a Syrian government collapse. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta is headed to Israel in the next several days to meet with Israeli defense counterparts, following up on a visit last week by President Obama’s national security adviser Thomas E. Donilon, in part to discuss the Syrian crisis.

The White House is now holding daily high-level meetings to discuss a broad range of contingency plans — including safeguarding Syria’s vast chemical weapons arsenal and sending explicit warnings to both warring sides to avert mass atrocities — in a sign of the escalating seriousness of the Syrian crisis following a week of intensified fighting in Damascus, the capital, and the killing of Mr. Assad’s key security aides in a bombing attack.

The administration has had regular talks with the Israelis about how Israel might move to destroy Syrian weapons facilities, administration officials said. The administration is not advocating such an attack, the officials said, because of the risk that it would give Mr. Assad an opportunity to rally support against Israeli interference.

Administration officials insist they will not provide arms to the rebel forces. Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are already financing those efforts. But American officials said that the United States would provide more communications training and equipment to help improve the combat effectiveness of disparate opposition forces in their widening, sustained fight against Syrian Army troops. It’s also possible the rebels would receive some intelligence support, the officials said.

Continue reading.

Well, as Marc Gerecht indicated, we're already aiding the free Syrian forces with "a rudimentary, small-scale CIA covert action" now under way against Assad. And besides weapons of mass destruction, the next biggest worry is that Islamists will come to power after the regime falls. I can't think of a better way to prevent that, at least in the short term, than by installing an "American Caesar" to govern the country until direct popular elections are held. The biggest impediment to that, frankly, is the risk of open armed conflict with Russia, which would cause a further deterioration in U.S.-Russian relations to rival the worst points of the 20th-century Cold War. But the U.S. shouldn't rule out the option of military intervention for humanitarian purposes, especially amid the continuing refugee flows from the country.

A complete collapse of power in Damascus with no countervailing force is an even worse scenario, so it's going to take a lot of leadership, especially in Washington, to protect regional and international security in Syria in the weeks ahead.

'MIDNIGHT MASSACRE' — Media Coverage of the Colorado Theater Killings

I haven't been using anything like "Batman killer" in my reporting. It just doesn't seem right to reward the suspect with that kind of language. But see the New Statesman's roundup of news outlets that blared some variation of "BATMAN MADMAN" across their front pages: "How the media shouldn't cover a mass murder." (Via Mediagazer.)

And below is the image from yesterday's Los Angeles Times front page. The newspaper has had good coverage, via Yahoo, "Colorado shooting: How newspapers covered the 'Dark Knight' massacre." The caption at the picture reads: "TOM SULLIVAN hugs relatives at Gateway High School, where he was seeking information on his son, Alex, who went to see 'The Dark Knight Rises' for his birthday. Some victims remained unidentified Friday."

British Model Keeley Hazell Shocked at Colorado Shooter's Picture at 'Adult Friend Finder'

She's a Page 3 girl at the Sun UK, and here's the report, "Batman killer’s obsession with Keeley Hazell."

And see London's Daily Mail, "The model 'Joker' was obsessed with: Page Three girl's shock at appearing with gunman in picture posted on adult website weeks before massacre."

And no big news outlets have picked this up yet, but TMZ isn't holding back, "Colorado Shooting Suspect James Holmes - The Match.Com Profile."

Either way, the search for answers continues, at the Los Angeles Times, "Theater shooting suspect a mystery despite intriguing details." And, "Colorado shooting suspect worked for a summer as camp counselor in L.A. County." (Via Memeorandum.)

Beyond 7 Billion: The Biggest Generation

The Los Angeles Times is running a five-part series on global population starting today. The first entry focuses on India, "Fertility rates fall, but global population explosion goes on."

The politics of world demographics is extremely interesting, mainly because it captures most of the big partisan debates on global development and environmental protection, for example, debates on the earth's "carrying capacity," the relationship between population and poverty, family planning (in both the advanced and developing worlds), and climate change. Depending on who you talk to, the world is nowhere near its limit of human population sustainability. Indeed, the sky-is-falling naysayers, Stanford University demographer Paul Ehrlich, especially, were proved so wrong with their 1970s-era predictions, that international attention to population change dropped off the radar. Robert Zubrin talks about the hysteria here: "The Population Control Holocaust."

In any case, here's the key alarmist passage from the Times' piece:

The relentless growth in population might seem paradoxical given that the world's average birthrate has been slowly falling for decades. Humanity's numbers continue to climb because of what scientists call population momentum.

So many people are now in their prime reproductive years — the result of unchecked fertility in decades past, coupled with reduced child mortality — that even modest rates of childbearing yield huge increases.

"We're still adding more than 70 million people to the planet every year — which we have been doing since the 1970s," said John Bongaarts, a leading demographer and vice president of the nonprofit Population Council in New York. "We're still in the steep part of the curve."

Think of population growth as a speeding train. When the engineer applies the brakes, the train doesn't stop immediately. Momentum propels it forward a considerable distance before it finally comes to a halt.

U.N. demographers once believed the train would stop around 2075. Now they say world population will continue growing into the next century.

In India, a country of 1.2 billion people, women have an average of 2.5 children each, and the birthrate is projected to fall to 2.1 by 2030. At that point, parents will merely be replacing themselves.

But even then, India's population will continue to grow because of momentum. It is on track to surpass China's and is not expected to peak until 2060, at 1.7 billion people.

Momentum isn't the only factor in population growth. In some of the poorest parts of the world, fertility rates remain high, driven by tradition, religion, the inferior status of women and limited access to contraception.

Population will rise most rapidly in places least able to handle it: developing nations where hunger, political instability and environmental degradation are already pervasive.

The African continent is expected to double in population by the middle of this century, adding 1 billion people despite the ravages of AIDS and malnutrition.

Even under optimistic assumptions, the toll on people and the planet will be severe.


Today, about 1 in 8 people in the world lives in a slum. By midcentury, with the population at more than 9 billion, the ratio would be 1 in 3, assuming poverty and migration to cities continue at their current rates.

Now nearly 1 billion people are chronically hungry, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, and at least 8 million die every year of hunger-related illnesses.

By midcentury, there will be at least 2 billion more mouths to feed, and no one can say where the food will come from.

It's not just that the population will be larger. It's that hundreds of millions of newly affluent people, mostly in Asia, will want to add dairy products and grain-fed beef and pork to their diets.

To meet the projected demand, the world's farmers will have to double their crop production, according to calculations by a team of scientists led by David Tilman, a University of Minnesota expert on global agriculture.

William G. Lesher, a former chief economist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said the brightest minds in the field haven't figured out the solution.

"We're going to have to produce more food in the next 40 years than we have the last 10,000," he said. "Some people say we'll just add more land or more water. But we're not going to do much of either."

Most of Earth's best farmland has already come under hoof or plow, and farmers are losing ground to expanding cities and deserts. Soil erosion, chemical contamination and salt buildup from irrigation are despoiling prime acreage.

Climate change will make all of these challenges more daunting. Higher temperatures and violent weather will stunt or destroy crops. Increased flooding will imperil millions living in low-lying regions. More severe droughts could displace masses of people, leading to conflict.

By 2050, the United Nations predicts, there could be as many as 200 million "climate refugees."

Despite these trends, population growth has all but vanished from public discourse.

In Europe, Japan and North America, leaders are worried about having too few young people to care for aging populations and to fund benefits for the elderly.

In developing countries, leaders often consider large youthful populations a source of economic vitality and political strength.

In the U.S., contraception has become entangled in acrimonious battles over abortion, causing some environmental and humanitarian groups to retreat from family planning initiatives.

Under the best conditions, it's hard to get contraceptives into the hands of impoverished women who want them. In developing nations, family planning programs open and close at the whim of autocrats. Aid from wealthy nations rises and falls with political currents.

The result: Nearly 20 years after 179 nations signed a pledge to provide universal access to family planning, supplies of contraceptives remain erratic in much of the developing world.

Population growth gets less attention than it did in the late 1960s, when there were half as many people on the planet.

And check back at the article for some cool graphics.

RELATED: From Bjørn Lomborg, at Foreign Affairs, "Environmental Alarmism, Then: The Club of Rome’s Problem -- and Ours and Now."

Eat Like You Mean It

The ad's for Hardee's at the clip, but on the West Coast we've got Carl's Jr.

FLASHBACK: "Kate Upton's Smokin' Ad for Southwest Patty Melt at Carl's Jr."

Released: First Video of Alleged Colorado Theater Shooter James Holmes

ABC News has the report, "ABC News Exclusive: First Video of Colorado Shooting Suspect James Holmes Emerges" (via Memeorandum and at YouTube). The clip, showing the suspect James Holmes at a science camp in San Diego six years ago, confirms what we already know about the man: he was a typically normal teenager and pretty much a geeky science guy. According to the article:

By most accounts, Holmes lived the life of a normal teen -- with a particular interest in science.

The video shows him being introduced at the seminar as someone whose "goals are to become a researcher and to make scientific discoveries. In personal life, he enjoys playing soccer and strategy games and his dream is to own a slurpee machine."

Though Holmes was apparently a gifted scientist who had received a federal grant to work on his Ph.D. at one of the most competitive neuroscience programs in the country, he was a loner who -- oddly for a young scientist -- seemed to have no Internet presence.

However, there's a second segment at ABC News, available at the YouTube clip here, in which correspondent Pierre Thomas reports that a computer was found in the suspect's apartment. I'm interested to hear more of Holmes' academic record and work product, as I mentioned last night at my report: "James Holmes' Academic Frustration and Social Isolation."

I'll be updating throughout the day, so check back.

Meanwhile, check PJ Media, "Fox: No Body Armor for Aurora Theater Shooter" (via Memeorandum).

Politicizing the Colorado Shootings

James Taranto appears on this Lou Dobbs panel on Fox New, from Friday:

Lou Dobbs makes a good point as well, that where are all the cries for gun control as the urban areas, like Obama's Chicago, are just awash in blood?

And previously, "When Even Sick Left-Wing Sites Like 'Wonkette' Want Brian Ross Fired, Despicable Hate-Blogger Repsac3 Attacks Michelle Malkin as 'Whiney Wingnut Victim'."

California Democrats Give Pay Raises to Assembly and Senate Staff, While Voters Being Asked for Tax Hikes in November

The Democrats control both chambers of the legislature, and I'm betting they don't expect repercussions from this decidedly bad political move. And since the reports came out, the Senate pay raises have been put on hold. But that's not cooled some of the public outrage, and the Assembly pay hikes are still going through.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Lawmakers give raises to aides before cutting other workers' pay":

SACRAMENTO — Lawmakers gave raises worth $4.6 million annually to more than 1,000 of their aides before cutting the pay of most other state workers, newly released records show.

The lawmakers said they were trying to make up for several years without staff pay increases.

"Modest adjustments based on individual performance were appropriate," after pay and hiring freezes during the previous four years, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) said in a statement.

But the raises, at least 10% for some top staffers in the last 11 months, have been disclosed at an awkward time for Steinberg and his fellow Democrats, who control the Legislature. They are gearing up to help Gov. Jerry Brown to convince the public that the state is desperate for money in the aftermath of a deep recession and should pass billions of dollars in tax hikes in November.

Opponents of the governor's tax plan wasted no time in painting the Democrats as hypocrites.

"It's an outrage that they did this when the governor is asking voters to approve a tax initiative because he says we can't pay our bills," said Lew Uhler, head of the California-based National Tax Limitation Committee.

And state workers hit with a 4.62% pay cut to help balance California's budget were enraged by news of the raises.

"My membership is reeling from it,'' said Rocco Paternoster, executive director of the 7,000-member Assn. of California State Supervisors. "It's really a slap in the face not only [to] the employees but also the public."

He said a flood of angry emails from workers is believed to have contributed to the crashing of the group's website Thursday.

A spokesman for Steinberg said he would seek a pay freeze for the Senate staff during the current fiscal year. An Assembly spokesman said the lower house had no such plan.

Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) declined to comment on the raises in his chamber since Dec. 1, 2011. Most of the them were given to Assembly workers who had not received any in at least three years, said Jon Waldie, chief administrative officer of the lower house.

Records requested by The Times indicate that at least 1,090 staffers in the Legislature received raises during the last fiscal year. More than 110 of those were earning six-figure salaries; 13 now make more than the $173,987 paid to Brown.

The highest-paid aide to receive a raise was Christopher Woods, chief budget consultant for the Assembly speaker. Woods' pay grew 3.6%, to $193,476. Catherine Abernathy, chief of staff for Assemblywoman Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), received 37%, for a salary of $65,832 a year, after taking on additional duties.

Raises and promotions went to 533 Assembly staffers at an annual cost of $3.1 million, according to a Times analysis. About 200 employees changed jobs, with the vast majority of those — 163 workers — seeing at least a 10% bump in pay.

Unemployment's still over 10 percent, although that's down from nearly 12 percent a year ago. See Governing, "Jobless Rates Rise as California, Ohio, North Carolina Add Most Jobs." Either way, I don't think Democrats can justify these pay raises, but we'll see. It's up to the voters in the respective districts.

The Predictable Banality of the After-Massacre Media

From Rick Moran, at PJ Media:

I would like to propose that anyone and everyone who writes anything about the massacre in Colorado save their work and, when the next mass killing occurs, simply republish the article, plugging in the new names, dates, and places where appropriate.

This will not only save time and effort, but, since we’ve already read what pundits have to say and we know all the arguments by heart, we won’t have to read it again. Thus, the news-consuming public will be spared the angst-ridden diatribes against guns, or immorality, or our broken mental health system, or violence in the media, or how it’s the left’s fault or the right’s fault — even articles like this one that complain about pundits writing about the same subjects every time a mass shooting occurs.

The post-massacre media environment gives true meaning to the cliche “deja vu” — “already seen” according to Wikipedia. I challenge anyone to come up with anything original written by anyone in the last 24 hours that didn’t follow the now traditional meme-making and narrative-setting path that every major public bloodletting has followed in the last decade.

Well, personally I like the media reporting on the specifics of a case --- what caused the shooter to act the way he did. No two gunman are the same, although theories of psychology can provide answers. And reporting on the reporting is certainly appropriate. Any big news event is a national media event. We can't divorce ourselves from it, or from criticism of the coverage. I do think folks can just hold off on the policy ramifications a bit longer, and the sick justifications for the politicization. That is indeed too much.

Rick also has this, "Why Is Brian Ross Still Working for ABC News?" The short answer is he made a mistake, corrected it and apologized. It was a really bad mistake so perhaps ABC News should take action? I wouldn't. But lots of folks are asking why is Ross still employed, even quite a few on the left.

James Holmes' Academic Frustration and Social Isolation

Folks can make what they want out of this New York Times piece, "Before and After Massacre, Puzzles Line Suspect’s Path." Most of the information is already public, although the Times mentions that sketchy news that Holmes trolled adult sex sites (and notes that the adult finder information is unconfirmed). But I thought this part was interesting:

Apart from a speeding ticket, Mr. Holmes had no previous encounters with the police in Aurora. He had no history of trouble with the police at college in California. He left no easily identifiable online messages or videos that might offer any insight to his mind-set. It also remained unclear how Mr. Holmes was able to afford the large amount of weapons, ammunition and protective gear he had, and how he learned to booby-trap his apartment. He was being held away from other inmates at the Arapahoe County Jail on Saturday because of the case’s high profile, Sheriff Grayson Robinson said. Mr. Holmes is due to make his first court appearance at 9:30 Monday morning.

There will be lots more coming, but I expect the graduate school angle that will be increasingly crucial. For example, the Times notes that Holmes:

...had an appointment at the university under a one-year Neuroscience Training Grant from the National Institutes of Health, a spokeswoman for the university said. The federal grant pays for six pre-thesis doctoral students in the university’s neuroscience program at the Anschutz Medical Campus. Such grants are usually quite difficult to obtain, going to only the top students.

Now, this was at the University of Colorado at Denver, which is a medium-ranked doctoral institution in neuroscience (the prestigious National Research Council rankings are here). The university has a medical school as well. No doubt it's highly competitive. Earlier reports said Holmes was struggling. If so, he probably started having problems right way, the first semester, which might track with his strange behavior. Especially important is Holmes isolation. People at the apartments said they never saw him with anyone else. He didn't have a girlfriend or a love interest, and he spent a lot of time online, apparently --- not just for the adult websites, although we'll have more on that later, but for the bomb-making information, and so forth.. He planned both the theater shooting and the booby traps meticulously.

So at this point, it's academic frustrations combined with social and emotional isolation. Besides that, I'd like to know what kind of family support he had. How often did he talk to his parents? Did he go home to San Diego to visit and how often? What kind of social activities were available in his academic department and did he make use of them? Surely the university had loads of intramural and professional support programs, and Holmes had to be working with academic advisers. Somewhere he slipped though the cracks, and people in Denver and back home in San Diego have some soul-searching to do. You can't prevent everything, but it looks like signs of loneliness or social introversion were in evidence.

That's my take for now. Check back for more.

Six-Year-Old Veronica Moser-Sullivan Killed in Colorado Theater Massacre

I read about this little one yesterday, but more information is coming out.

At London's Daily Mail, "Pictured: The tragic six-year-old girl shot dead in Dark Knight massacre as America mourns 12 victims murdered in cold blood."

All 12 of those who died in the tragic cinema shooting in Aurora, Colorado on Thursday night have been identified - they range from 51-year-old Gorden Cowden to Veronica Moser-Sullivan, who was just six years old.

Three are believed to have been members of the military, while two died trying to save their girlfriends from the hail of bullets sent out by alleged shoot James Holmes, who launched his vicious attack during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises.

Veronica, the youngest victim, was a 'delightful' girl who was looking forward to starting swimming lessons this week, according to her grieving family.

Details about the 12 victims emerged on Saturday, the day before Barack Obama planned to travel to Aurora to meet with those affected by the massacre.

More here.

Tiki Barbar Remarries Just 4 Days After Finalizing Divorce From First Wife

I used to have a lot of respect for this guy, but he divorced his wife when she was pregnant with their third and fourth children, twin daugthers. I personally don't have that big a problem with divorce. I do have a problem with ditching your wife for a 23-year-old hottie while your ex-wife bears your newborn child.

In any case, at London's Daily Mail, "NY Giants star Tiki Barber marries 23-year-old pinup wife days after divorcing mother of his four children."

Check that link. He was cheating on his wife before they divorced, as his lawyers house. His popularity has taken a big hit, so I guess that's a comeuppance.

Mossad Reportedly Fears Iranian Attack on Israeli Athletes at Olympics

At the Times of Israel:

Israel reportedly fears Iran or a proxy organization may seek to attack Israelis during the Olympic Games, set to begin later this week, The Sunday Times reported.

Israel had already planned for beefed-up security for its delegation at the Games in London, but now harbors concerns that the terrorists responsible for last week’s bombing of an Israeli tourist bus in Burgas, Bulgaria, will strike again, the paper reported Sunday.

According to the Sunday Times, agents from the Mossad spy agency and Shin Bet security service, who flew to Bulgaria in the wake of the bombing, have hurried to try to identify the bomber and his helpers in an effort to counter any possible threats on Israel’s delegation to the high-profile event.

A Mossad agent in Bulgaria has reportedly been in close contact with Britain’s security service about possible threats. According to the report, special Mossad agents have been dispatched to capitals around Europe where members of Iran’s Quds Force are known to be working out of embassies.

More at the link.

Israel Defense Forces: Medical Delegation Arrives at Bulgaria

From the IDF news desk:

Using Twitter to Identify Psychopaths

From Kash Hill, at Forbes (via Instapundit):

People’s nasty traits have a way of revealing themselves on social networks: in writing. Or rather in how they write. That means an analysis of how someone tweets could reveal whether he or she is narcissistic, Machiavellian, or psychopathic, according to researchers who plan to present their findings at DefCon next week.

What are some of the Twitter stylings of these undesirables? Curse words. Angry responses to other people, including swearing and use of the word “hate.” Using the word “we.” Using periods. Using filler words such as “blah” and “I mean” and “um.”

(I suspect that an analysis of the Twitter streams of many a blogger would suggest they are potentially a narcissist, a psychopath or an avid reader of “The Prince.” Which may well be an accurate assessment.)

“The FBI could use this to flag potential wrongdoers, but I think it’s much more compelling for psychologists to use to understand large communities of people,” says Chris Sumner of the Online Privacy Foundation, which collaborated with Florida Atlantic University and big-data competition site Kaggle to conduct the study. He imagines the algorithmic models his team developed could be used to compare character traits between different countries based on Twitter.

Continue reading.

The Syria Endgame

A leader on Syria, from The Economist, "Towards the endgame":

IN EVERY revolution, there is a moment when the tide turns against the regime. In Egypt it came on January 28th last year, when protesters occupied Tahrir Square and torched the ruling-party headquarters. In Libya it happened on August 20th last year, when people in Tripoli rose against Qaddafi. In Syria it may have happened on July 18th, when a bomb struck at the heart of Syria’s military command.

If the attack shifts the balance of power decisively against President Bashar Assad, that is greatly to be welcomed. But a year or so after their revolutions, both Egypt and Libya remain unstable; and Syria, which borders Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, is an exceptionally complex and pivotal part of the Middle East. Those who wish Syrians well now need to focus not just on how to bring about Mr Assad’s swift fall from power, but also on how to spare the post-Assad Syria from murder and chaos and how to prevent violence from spreading across a combustible region.

Continue reading.

Shooting Suspect James Holmes Allegedly Trolled Sex Site 'Adult Friend Finder'

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Cries for Gun Control Following Colorado Shooting Massacre

Here's the almost unbelievably over-the-top editorial at the NY Daily News, "Blood on hands of Obama, Mitt and NRA!"

Glenn Reynolds calls it a "disgraceful piece of blood-libel agitprop..."

And see Doug Ross, "The Geniuses Who Think You Can Ban Evil." (Via Memeorandum.)

More at the New York Times, "Colorado Gun Laws Remain Lax, Despite Some Changes." Mentioning James Holmes, who purchased guns legally, there's this:

The guy basically had normal guns,” said Eugene Volokh, an expert in constitutional law at the University of California, Los Angeles. Unless some new evidence of documented psychiatric disturbance emerges, Mr. Volokh added, “there’s no indication that, from his record, he is someone whom more restrictive screening procedures would have caught.”

Yeah, and read the entirely reasonable editorial at the New York Post, "Colorado Shootings Sparks Gun-Control Calls":

...individual access to legally obtained firearms is explicitly guaranteed by the Constitution — a fact reaffirmed by the US Supreme Court as recently as 2010.

Constitutions are not easily amended — that’s the point, after all — and the 2nd Amendment would be a particularly tough nut to crack. Politically, even indigo states trend purple on guns.

So while a case can be made for stronger national gun laws, it needs to be advanced with profound respect for the constitutional issues involved.

Surely, no reasonable person would argue that “The Dark Knight Rises” be banned, and the 1st Amendment savaged, because it might have sparked yesterday’s shootings.

The Constitution is the law of the land.

Respect it.

More at Memeorandum. It turns out New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg announced he'll introduce gun control legislation to the Congress. Lautenberg's a Democrat, so it figures.

IMAGE CREDIT: Yahoo News "Colorado shooting: How the world's newspapers covered the 'Dark Knight' massacre."

Bomb Squad Detonates Colorado Apartment of Theater Shooting Suspect (VIDEO)

From Rick Moran at PJ Media, "Police Detonate Booby-Trap in Colorado Suspect’s Apartment."

And at the Los Angeles Times, "Bomb experts touch off explosion in Holmes' rigged apartment."

And remember this part from Reuters earlier, "Police to detonate devices in Colorado shooting suspect's home":

James Holmes, who was arrested after allegedly opening fire on hundreds of people watching a midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises," apparently also set some audio equipment at his apartment on a timer, a second law enforcement source close to the investigation said.

The timer set off some loud music later in the night.

"It was to turn the music on ... it was on a timer. It came on loudly obviously to create a call for noise disturbance. People would make entry and potentially (trigger) those explosive devices," the second source said.

Yeah, trigger those explosives and blow up those entering the apartment. That is sinister, indeed.

See also the New York Times, "Police Disarm Major Threats at Suspect’s Apartment."

Spectacular Alessandra Ambrosio Mini Dress Photos

I was just mentioning how great she looks.

And now here's this at London's Daily Mail, "She only gave birth two months ago! Alessandra Ambrosio shows off stunning post-baby figure in metallic mini-dress."

New Jessica Gomes Bikini Pics

At Egotastic, "Jessica Gomes Bikini Pictures Put the My My My in Miami."

RELATED: "Jessica Gomes Photos in Sydney, Australia From the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Photo Gallery."

Colorado Survivor Jansen Young Describes How Military Boyfriend Took Bullet for Her

A follow up to my previous entry, "Names of Colorado Shooting Victims Emerge."

Here's the video of Jansen Young, whose boyfriend, Jon Blunk, saved her life.

More at The Blaze, "‘HE PROVIDED ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SURVIVE’: WOMAN DESCRIBES HOW MILITARY BOYFRIEND TOOK A BULLET FOR HER DURING SHOOTING."

Names of Colorado Shooting Victims Emerge

At 9 News Colorado, "Names of victims emerge in theater shooting."

DENVER - The names and stories of the 12 people killed continue to emerge after a gunman barged into a crowded Aurora theater Friday, set off gas canisters and opened fire as spectators dove for cover. Dozens of others were injured.

A six-year was among the dead. At the San Jose Mercury News, "Stories of victims killed in Colorado shooting emerge."

And at London's Daily Mail, "A hero who died saving his girlfriend, a man at his birthday party... the tragic stories of twelve victims killed in Dark Knight massacre."

Freedom to Blog Update July 21, 2012

I just wanted to post a brief update on Brett Kimberlin and related blogging.

Aaron Worthing continues to push back against the left's repulsive lawfare campaign, "Exclusive: Brett Kimberlin Threatens to File Criminal Charges Against Me, Again," and "Exclusive: My Virginia Complaint Against Convicted Terrorist Brett Kimberlin, Neal Rauhauser and Ron Brynaert."

And the background is at Michelle's, "Going dark to urge congressional action: Who will protect the freedom to blog?", and "Freedom to blog updates: Aaron Walker fights Brett Kimberlin gag order; the Left and endless lawfare."

And at Camp of the Saints, "The #BrettKimberlin Report D+52: Brad Friedman’s Fit."

Now, in related developments, my friend Karen at The Lonely Conservative has been subjected to a vicious hate campaign. Really, it's unbelievable the degree of abuse she's been fighting. See "Connecting the Dots on the Ongoing Harassment." RTWT and see also The Other McCain, "Poison Pen E-Mail and the Harassment of the Lonely Conservative."

And God bless Mare Zilla for her undaunted defense of those under assault: "Because Darkness Hates the Light – ROLL CALL!", and "Oh, Those “Compassionate” Leftists!"

Both Karen and Zilla have links to those joining the call of liberty.

And it this point, I can't recall a more vicious campaign of destruction. Prayers for Karen.

And that's saying a lot, considering:

* "The Lies of Scott Eric Kaufman — Leftist Hate-Blogger Sought to Silence Criticism With Libelous Campaign of Workplace Harassment."

* "Carl Salonen Libelous Workplace Allegations of Child Pornography and Sexual Harassment at Long Beach City College."

* "Intent to Annoy and the Fascist Hate-Blogging Campaign of Walter James Casper III."

* "Roundup on Progressive Campaign of Workplace Intimidation and Harassment."

Previous "Freedom to Blog Updates" are here.

When Even Sick Left-Wing Sites Like 'Wonkette' Want Brian Ross Fired, Despicable Hate-Blogger Repsac3 Attacks Michelle Malkin as 'Whiney Wingnut Victim'

Here's Wonkette's entry from yesterday, "ABC NEWS SHOULD FIRE BRIAN ROSS, AND OTHER NOTES ON BEING TERRIBLE."

There are 12 people dead and 50 injured at a movie theater in Colorado, including a baby. It’s not as though you can’t look into a suspect’s history after a massacre and report things as they’re confirmed. That’s what the media should do! What the media, and every idiot on the Twitter, should not do, is first seek out a narrow angle that probably has nothing to do with crazy people going crazy — say, “what political party is this insane person in?” — and then get it wrong out of pure laziness. This matters. Let’s shame some people. First up: ABC News should fire Brian Ross....

Jesus fucking Christ on a hotplate. Brian Ross and his BLOTTER INVESTIGATIVE TEAM googled for a few minutes and didn’t bother trying to confirm anything and wow, huh, look at that, he was wrong....

Tea Party people on the Internet are furious over this, and they have every right to be, because it’s an egregious, early error that will color the impressions of people no matter how frequently or aggressively it’s retracted. Can Brian Ross! Put him in the goddamn street. He is constantly wrong, at reporting on national television.

Exactly.

The decent, human thing to do would to be to gather facts, and especially not go looking around the Internet to see "what party is this insane person in?", or what tea party organization, as did No More Mr. Nice Blog did. That is, the decent, human thing would not be going all gonzo trying to score partisan points to destroy your enemies.

But despite the universal condemnation of the left's attempts to politicize the Aurora massacre, Walter James Casper III decided to take to Twitter to --- wait for it! --- slam conservative Michelle Malkin as a "whiney wingnut victim":

Whiney Wingnut Victimhood -michellemalkin.com/2012/07/20/bla… via @michellemalkin The prob isnt partisanship, it's unsubstantiated speculation as news.
— J. Casper (@repsac3) July 21, 2012

And for reviled hate-blogger Repsac's claim that it's just "unsubstantiated speculation as news," let's go to a veteran newsman who writes a column on news reporting, James Taranto, at the Wall Street Journal, "With Extreme Prejudice: How ABC News "investigates" a horrific crime." Picking up on ABC's retraction and apology, Taranto writes:

This strikes us as insufficient. Simply as a matter of journalistic craft, the report was appallingly shoddy. Ross pointed the finger at an innocent man based on nothing but the coincidence of a common name and the man's residence in the same city of 325,000 where the crime took place.

Let us amend that. There was one other factor, and this is what makes the ABC error not just amateurish but sinister: the innocent Jim Holmes's involvement with the Tea Party. For more than three years liberal journalists have falsely portrayed the Tea Party as racist and potentially violent. After the January 2011 mass shooting in Tucson, Ariz., speculation immediately began that the suspect was a Tea Partier. Even after it was proved that he was not, the New York Times published a despicable editorial blaming conservatives anyway.

Ross and ABC were out on this limb alone. Either other journalists learned their lesson from Tucson, or it didn't occur to them to look for a political motive this time (it was a more plausible hypothesis in a shooting that targeted a politician).

It is reasonable to interpret Ross's hasty unsubstantiated report as an expression of hostility--bigotry--toward the Tea Party and those who share its values, which are traditional American ones. ABC's carelessness here is in sharp contrast with the way the mainstream media treat criminal suspects who are black or Muslim. In those cases they take great pains not to perpetuate stereotypes, sometimes at the cost of withholding or obscuring relevant facts such as the physical description of a suspect who is still at large or the ideological motive for a crime.

Oikophobia is no less invidious than other forms of bigotry. ABC and Ross have apologized for their irresponsible reporting, but they have something more to answer for here. Their careless and inadvertent falsehood was in the service of a big lie.

See more on that bigotry from Taranto: "Oikophobia."

And actually, Ross and ABC weren't out on a limb alone. Walter James Casper III jumped out on that limb too, the asshole. So, once again, this whole sordid episode demonstrates the deep, vile wellspring of bigotry erupting from the warped mind of hate-blogger Walter James Casper III. 

Bob Herbert on Rachel Maddow Show: 'Republican Party Has Been a Safe House For Bigotry For Decades'

My first reaction was, "Oh brother. Here we go again." But it's Rachel 'Hutaree' Maddow, so I guess it's no surprise.

My second reaction, listening to the full clip, is how amazingly self-refuting Bob Herbert is -- and wrong on the facts as well (conservatives don't embrace ideological or racial extremists, for example, but progressives do). Notice how Hebert argues a couple of times that bigotry is a fringe sentiment, and it's even on the way out. Right. Everyone knows that, except for desperate lefties who have nothing else. Kinda sad, but Herbert proves he's a washed-up clown of progressive punditry. 

My third reaction is to realize just how sad the modern left-wing of American politics has become. It's been almost 50 years since President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and leftists like Herbert are still obsessed with the tragic murders of Schwerner, Chaney and Goodman. The denial in November at O's defeat, accompanied by wild allegations of racism, no doubt, is going to be something to behold. A political and ideological meltdown on a centennial scale.

'Heaven'

From Los Lonely Boys:

Here's praying that heaven awaits the Aurora shooting victims.

Twelve Years After Boy Scouts v. Dale, Homosexuals Escalate Extremist Attacks on Traditional Organization

At great letter to the editor at the Los Angeles Times (responding to this idiotic "tolerance" editorial):

The Times' editorial bemoaning the "sad" and "unnecessary" evolution of the Boy Scouts reflected in its exclusion of gays and atheists should instead decry the fact that in many cases, democracy has evolved into a fanatic religion of the equal sign.

The support of Christian churches does not represent any nefarious and new penetration of religion into the Boy Scouts. Since its founding, the Boy Scouts has been based on traditional religious principles — nothing new here. The Supreme Court has affirmed the Boy Scouts' right to express this principle in its membership.

I do not see why it is so hard for some "democrats" to extend their love for equality and free choice to freedom of association. There is nothing to prevent the formation of parallel institutions that articulate their own values.

Jack Kaczorowski
Los Angeles

In fact, the radical homosexuals don't want "parallel institutions." They want to take over and fundamentally transform, as the president pledged, America's traditional institutions. And the leftist's couldn't care less about constitutional niceties such as freedom of speech or freedom of association. Once the homosexual extremists start to tighten their grip --- as they are now all over the nation with their hate-filled agenda --- they just tighten until their targets are near death and frankly give up. In our upside-down world the so-called oppressed have become the oppressors, and they've got an Oppressor-in-Chief in the White House. Thank goodness O's days are numbered. Soon people of values and decency can start rolling back the tide against the homosexual bigots and their disgusting Democrat allies.

'Dark Knight Rises' Director Christopher Nolan: Colorado Shooting 'Devastating'

From the Hollywood Reporter:

Speaking for the movie's cast and cast, he expresses "profound sorrow."

Reacting publicly to the shooting tragedy at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, Chistopher Nolan issued a statement late Friday, speaking for the actors and crewmembers on The Dark Knight Rises.

"Speaking on behalf of the cast and crew of The Dark Knight Rises, I would like to express our profound sorrow at the senseless tragedy that has befallen the entire Aurora community," Nolan said. "I would not presume to know anything about the victims of the shooting but that they were there last night to watch a movie. I believe movies are one of the great American art forms and the shared experience of watching a story unfold on screen is an important and joyful pastime.

"The movie theatre is my home, and the idea that someone would violate that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way is devastating to me," he continued. "Nothing any of us can say could ever adequately express our feelings for the innocent victims of this appalling crime, but our thoughts are with them and their families."

More at that link. Also, "NBC, Others Take 'Dark Knight Rises' Ads Off Air, Studio Revises Trailer."

'Build'

An absolutely devastating ad from American Crossroads, via Theo Spark:

Liberal Intolerance Strikes Chick-fil-A

Blazing Cat Fur comments on the progressive backlash against Chick-fil-A:

The latest conservative in liberals’ crosshairs is Chick-fil-A’s President Dan Cathy. An interview with the Baptist Press has caused a firestorm after Cathy stated he was “guilty as charged” in his company’s support of the traditional family."

BOSTON (The Blaze/AP) — The mayor of Boston is vowing to block Chick-fil-A from opening a restaurant near the city’s “Freedom Trail” because of the company’s stance on gay marriage.

Homosexual freaks.

Check that link up top for the full report and linkage.

The Vetting: Obama, Radical Islam, and the Soros Connection

Shoot!

I couldn't make it to the conference!

See Buzz Feed, "Out: Birtherism. In: Islammunism."

There's a list of speakers and a preview video.

Looks awesome!

Throw the commie bastards out!

Fred Willard Fired by PBS

Actually, it's WGBH Boston, which canned Willard from its show "Market Warriors."

Fox News reports, "Fred Willard fired by PBS, denies he broke the law: Most embarrassing celeb sex scandal?"

And the Winner for the Left's Most Morally Bankrupt Response to Aurora Is...

Actually, the field of competition is deep, but I'm nominating this piece from Michael Grunwald at Time, "The Aurora Shooting: Sometimes There’s Nothing Wrong with Politicizing a Tragedy" (via Memeorandum):

The telegenic schoolmarms we call pundits are all denouncing the politicization of the tragedy in Aurora, calling out the crass opportunists who would dare to use human suffering to advance their preferred public policy choices. I feel terrible about what happened in that movie theater, and I’m agnostic about gun control, but there is nothing wrong with politicizing tragedy.

The talking heads don’t like it, because they think of politics as a silly game about who sang out of tune and whose words can be used against them and whose surrogate undercut whose message, but politics is about life and death and human suffering. At least that’s what it should be about.

Unsurprisingly, Steve M. at No More Mr. Nice Blog agrees with Grunwald, saying only that the former's diagnosis of how politics works is inaccurate. By all means, they claim, let's politicize "life and death" events because that's how we "solve problems." Recall that Steve M. also searched James Holmes' name to find tea party ties, only to find out he was too young to be the "James Holmes" he'd found at the boards. Bummer. That would have made for some freakin' awesome smears of "Greater Wingnuttia."

Right?

No, wrong.

Behold the completely despicable, morally bankrupt progressive left. There is absolutely no threshold of decency they won't crash through.

The day saw lots of examples of progressives jumping to conclusions and blaming the right for this senseless, diabolical killing. Michelle Malkin has a great roundup, "Blame Righty impulse blows up in media faces…again."

And this just in from Paul at Power Line, "THE POLITICAL USES OF MASS MURDER":

There was a time, I seem to recall, when no one attempted to tie mass murder by random sickos to politics. For example, I don’t remember anyone wondering about the politics of Richard Speck, the killer of Chicago student nurses, or Charles Whitman, the University of Texas shooter.

I don’t know when the turning point occurred. Perhaps it was the Oklahoma City bombing. In any event, the bounce Bill Clinton received following that event meant that, from then on, random killing sprees would always be viewed as candidates for political use.

Today, we saw this sad trend reach new heights when Brian Ross of ABC News attempted to tie the killings in Colorado to the Tea Party, incorrectly suggesting that the killer is a Tea Party activist. It’s difficult to believe that Ross did this in good faith, considering his apparent unwillingness, and that of his network, to recognize that the name of the killer, James Holmes, is quite common. In any case, the error would not have occurred had Ross not correctly perceived that there exists a mass audience hoping to be informed that the murderer was connected to the Tea Party. Absent such an audience, the story would have been duly fact checked.

Or, to put it another way, there was absolutely no reason to mention the tea party at all, except to smear the conservatives who've been the main drivers of the largest, most effective opposition to President Obama for the last three years. So yeah, there's certainly political motivation to smear tea partiers. They're a threat to the Democrat-Media-Complex stranglehold on power.

But see also, Peter Wehner, at Commentary, "Politicizing the Aurora Massacre":

...I want to say a word, too, about something Jonathan [Tobin] touched on in his post, which is the effort by some – in this case, by ABC’s Brian Ross — to attempt to politicize this tragedy almost as soon as the bullets from the killer’s gun had found their targets. (Ross mistakenly speculated, based on the flimsiest evidence, that the killer was a member of the Tea Party. ABC has since issued a retraction and an apology.)

This kind of politicization occurs in part because reporters on the air feel they have to comment on an event when they in fact have very little to say. It is also the result, I think, of an effort to draw some larger meaning from acts that often turn out to have no larger meaning. Sometimes they are what they are: the malevolent actions of poisoned minds. But part of it, too, is a reflex by some to fit a massacre like this into a preexisting political narrative. We saw it happen in the aftermath of the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City; the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School; the 2011 shooting spree near Tucson; and we will undoubtedly see it after today’s slaughter.

To be clear: there is such a thing as political violence. But what is troubling is the immediate assumption by some people, usually those who are part of the political class, that every massacre can be ascribed to political motivations. Acting on this assumption, they contort things in order to make them fit a convenient political template.

This effort to interpret everything through a political and partisan lens – to reduce everything to a political and partisan interpretation – is itself a disfigurement of reality. Life is a complicated and endlessly variegated thing. Politics has a role in all our lives; but for it to play such a dominant role in people’s imagination is surely not a healthy thing. And for people to immediately and instinctively take every human event – no matter how tragic and how painful — and place it in the maw of our politics is wrong and even repulsive. It exploits people’s sorrow and grief in order to score cheap political points and frame stupid political argument.

A modest and civilized society would give room to the families and friends of the dead to begin to process their shattering losses. It would give room to the police to do their work and gather evidence. It would leave room for citizens of this nation to reflect with soberness and seriousness on what has happened; to participate, if only for a brief time, in a national mourning of sorts. And it might even resist the impulse to leverage a massacre into a political culture war. It would be helpful if members of the press and politicians understood this, and acted in a way that showed some measure of decency and compassion.

Tobin's post is here: "Rushing to Judgment on Aurora."

So, yeah, there is indeed something wrong with politicizing death and tragedy like this. There will be time to engage the policy issues that arise from this and other massacres. But that's not what Brian Ross was trying to do, and it's not what the epic asshole progressives have been trying to do all day. The left will exploit gruesome, horrendous human tragedy to destroy its enemies. It's as simple as that. And for anyone to say otherwise is completely bereft of God and decency.

Complex Portrait Emerges of Colorado Shooting Suspect James Holmes

The Los Angeles Times reports, "Complex portrait emerges of suspected Colorado gunman James Holmes."

I have a roundup of posts at Theo's, and for more on Holmes' background, see especially, "Colorado Theater Shooting: Gunman Looked 'Ready to Go Into Battle'."

Active Bomb Situation at Colorado Shooting Suspect's Apartment

At CNN, "Source: Robots may be needed to clear suspect's apartment":

[Updated 7:26 p.m. ET] It is possible authorities may wind up using robots to blow up the booby traps and explosives inside the shooting suspect's apartment because it may too dangerous to send people in to do it, a law enforcement source tells CNN’s Susan Candiotti.:

A decision isn't expected until tomorrow about entering the apartment, the source said.:

“There’s so much circuitry and collapsing circuits, it’s a difficult process,” the source said.:

Robots were sent in during the day and investigators, including explosives technicians, are going over all the information gathered from those robots.

Also at Reuters, "Police to detonate devices in Colorado shooting suspect's home":

James Holmes, who was arrested after allegedly opening fire on hundreds of people watching a midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises," apparently also set some audio equipment at his apartment on a timer, a second law enforcement source close to the investigation said.

The timer set off some loud music later in the night.

"It was to turn the music on ... it was on a timer. It came on loudly obviously to create a call for noise disturbance. People would make entry and potentially (trigger) those explosive devices," the second source said.

Colorado Theater Shooting: Gunman Looked 'Ready to Go Into Battle'

That's the banner headline at the New York Times homepage, "12 Are Killed and 59 Injured in Colorado Theater Rampage — Gunman Looked 'Ready to Go Into Battle'."

And CBS News looks for explanations at the clip:

More information is coming in but at some level, the suspect, James Holmes, was deeply and maliciously disturbed. USA Today has more on the suspect, "A closer look at Aurora shooting suspect James Holmes."

And see Michelle Malkin, "Movie theater shooting in Aurora CO: 12 dead, 50 injured; suspect in custody; victim Jessica Ghawi tweeted before death, had survived Toronto mall shooting; gun-control frenzy, Rush/Tea Party-bashing begins anew; ABC “apologizes” for “incorrect” Tea Party tie," and "Blame Righty impulse blows up in media faces…again."

Obama Supporters Cheer 'Four More Years' During President's Tribute to Colorado Shooting Victims

CNN reports on what should be a somber moment, "Obama, after shooting, tells supporters 'Such evil is senseless'."

I guess Obama failed at the solemnity part. The crowd is roaring "four more years" as he leaves the stage. Maybe O will schedule a campaign rally at a nearby Colorado university next week, in a much-needed call for civility.

Also, "Remarks by the President on the Shootings in Aurora, Colorado" (via Memeorandum).

Plus, at Weasel Zippers, "Obama Refers to Himself at Least 17 Times During Speech On Colorado Movie Shooting…", and Gateway Pundit, "Obama on Aurora Shooting: It’s All About Me, My Kids and I."

Jessica Redfield Killed in Aurora Movie Theater Massacre — Aspiring Sportscaster Survived Toronto Shopping Mall Shooting Last Month

Blazing Cat Fur had this earlier, "Colorado movie shooting victim wrote about escaping Eaton Centre shooting last month."

And New York Daily News has the story, "Aurora victim Jessica Ghawi had survived Toronto mall shooting last month."

The woman used a pen name, Jessica Redfield. Her blog post from last month's Eaton shooting is still up, "Late Night Thoughts on the Eaton Center Shooting":

I can’t get this odd feeling out of my chest. This empty, almost sickening feeling won’t go away. I noticed this feeling when I was in the Eaton Center in Toronto just seconds before someone opened fire in the food court. An odd feeling which led me to go outside and unknowingly out of harm‘s way. It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around how a weird feeling saved me from being in the middle of a deadly shooting.

Keep reading, if you're not crying too much.

All I can say is God rest her soul. And, well, perhaps shopping malls and movie theaters aren't the safest places to be, sadly.

More at the Detroit Free Press, "NHL blogger who died in theater massacre had escaped Toronto shooting."

And this part is, I guess, so contemporary, at Twitchy, "Aurora shooting victim Jessica Ghawi was tweeting just before her death; was present at mall shooting in Toronto six weeks ago."

Jessica's brother, Jordan Ghawi, is blogging.

May God be with you.

ABC News Apologizes for Tea Party Blood Libel in Colorado Movie Massacre

Mary Katharine Ham reports, "Details about Colorado shooter emerge as ABC apologizes for false Tea Party reporting."

I first saw the news this morning at my sidebar blog feed, for example, at Lonely Conservative, "Batman Massacre is Already Being Politicized," and Instapundit, "POLITICAL OPPORTUNISM":

CNN’s Piers Morgan, First to Use Colorado Tragedy to Assault Second Amendment Rights. I’m sure he won’t be the last.

Others may blame Hollywood. In both cases, it’s a mix of opportunism and a desire not to confront the existence of evil. Well, okay, in Piers Morgan’s case, it’s not much of a mix, really.

UPDATE: Left Blames Aurora Shooting On Rush Limbaugh. Of course they do. Hey, never let a tragedy go to waste, when you might use it to smear an opponent.

Every time something like this happens, they roll out the blood libels.

Click through here for all of Glenn's links. Plus, "FIRST, ABC NEWS CONNECTS THE COLORADO SHOOTING WITH THE TEA PARTY, now Brian Ross says oops, sorry about that" (lots of links there too). And, "BUT REMEMBER, THE BIG MEDIA FOLKS ARE “RESPONSIBLE,” NOT LIKE THOSE GRUBBY BLOGGERS..."

More, at The Other McCain, "MULTIPLEX MASSACRE: 13 Dead After Shooting at Colorado ‘Batman’ Opening; UPDATE: Suspect Identified by Police as 24-Year-Old James Holmes; UPDATE: ABC News Interviews Suspect’s Mother? UPDATE: Despicable — Stephanopoulos Implicates Tea Party in Tragedy," and "‘Higher Education Bubble’? Colorado Shooter Is Medical School Dropout."

And Steve at No More Mr. Nice Guy was out of the gate looking for a tea party perp:

Well, I'll confess that I tried to find this guy online, and, searching "jim holmes aurora" in Google Discussions, I found messages at rec.guns (the one here that begins "(unknown) Hitech sells them") and alt.survival (click the second "no one" message here) -- but in both cases the messages are from more than a decade ago. The suspect is 24. I don't think he'd be offering to buy a bunch of weapons (as he is in the second message) as a middle-schooler.

But boy, if there was an age match that would have made an excellent tea party smear, right Steve? Stay classy, dude. More at Memeorandum.

Added: Here's the Brian Ross segment:

Also at Twitchy, "Ghouls: Daily Kos editor, Amanda Marcotte say nothing wrong with ‘scoring political points’ on the backs of the dead; Update: Geraldo Rivera also ghoulishly defends politicizing tragedy."

100-Pound Mountain Lion Captured in Orange County

This was a few days ago, but amazing. The local news reports said that the coyote tried to drive off the mountain line, seen at the video. The lion is said to be the same one captured by authorities.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Mountain lion caught in O.C. park will be kept in captivity."

O.C. Parks spokeswoman Marisa O'Neil told the Orange County Register the mountain lion was first spotted July 9, prompting rangers to close the trail and set up a video camera to catch the cat on tape.

Rangers found mountain lion tracks in a nearby creek bed, but after the camera didn't capture any activity and no new tracks were spotted, officials reopened the trail Friday.

But park officials closed the park again Monday and contacted Fish and Game after a video posted online showed a coyote barking at the cat as it crossed the trail.

Mountain lion sightings are not unusual in the park. In 2004, a 120-pound lion killed one bicyclist and mauled another at the park, marking the state's first fatal mountain lion attack in a decade. Authorities shot and killed the cat four days later and later determined through forensic tests it was the animal responsible for both attacks.

Also, "O.C. park reopened after mountain lion is trapped."

Russia, China Veto Security Council Resolution on Syria

At the Wall Street Journal, "Russia, China Veto UN Resolution on Syria for Third Time":

Also at the New York Times, "Border Posts Fall Into the Hands of Syrian Rebels."

Rep. Michele Bachmann Wants Investigation of Huma Abedin, Aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Ms. Abedin has family ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

See Robert Spencer, "Huma Abedin and the Muslim Brotherhood: Bachmann vs. McCain."

And David Horowitz writes:

It’s disgraceful that that there are still influential Republicans who are clueless when it comes to the internal threat to this country posed by the Muslim Brotherhood, its front groups and its allies in the White House and the Democratic Party. It is also dangerous.

Also, from June, Jamie Glazov's interview with Walid Shoebat, "The Dark Muslim Brotherhood World of Huma Abedin."

'This Is the Worst Economic Recovery America Has Ever Had'

You know it's really bad when the left-wing media outlets are saying it, but then again, O seems to have been losing some of the MSM folks of late, so there's change you can believe in.

Via The Right Scoop:

And ICYMI: "Soaring Unemployment Claims Showcase Failed Obama Economic Policies."

Three Burger King Employees Fired Over Viral Photo of Worker Standing in Lettuce Bins

Well, I prefer McDonald's actually.

At New York Daily News, "3 Burger King employees fired over viral photo of worker standing in lettuce bins."

DNC Regrets Offending Ann Romney, No More Horse Videos

From Jonathan Karl, at ABC News:

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now the Democratic National Committee is offering an apology of sorts to Ann Romney.

At issue is a DNC video featuring footage of Ann Romney’s dancing show horse. The DNC used the horse in mocking way to attack Mitt Romney for not releasing his tax returns (and dancing around the issue).

Continue reading.

Suspect Arrested in Pennsylvania Child Abduction Attempt

Every parents nightmare.

At the Philadelphia Inquirer, "Man, 34, surrenders in attempted abduction of girl."

It's Come to This: Obama Tells Supporters to Hit the Mute Button When Opponent's Ads Come on the TV

At Astute Bloggers, "DESPERATE OBAMA TELLS SUPPORTERS TO USE MUTE BUTTON WHEN A ROMNEY AD COMES ON THE TV."

'America's Not the Greatest Country in the World Any More...'

Shoot, Jeff Daniels sounds like a far-left Harvard academic.

This is typical lefty crap. If you haven't read it, don't miss Dennis Prager for the corrective, Still the Best Hope: Why the World Needs American Values to Triumph.

RELATED: From Sultan Knish, "Why The Newsroom is Good News for Republicans."

Israel's Burgas Terror Victims

At the Times of Israel, "Israel releases names of the five Burgas terror victims." Also at Jawa Report, "Five Israeli Victims of Bulgaria Terror Attack Named."

More: "Lifelong friends and an expectant mother, expecting a few days’ vacation, to be laid to rest today: Israel begins mourning Burgas bombing victims."

Duchess of Cambridge Visits National Portrait Gallery

Some remarkable photography, at London's Daily Mail, "Duchess of Cambridge heralds Olympics with hooped necklace as she visits Games exhibition at National Portrait Gallery - Kate visited the Road to 2012."

Inside Tom Cruise's World of Hurt

My wife's People Magazine came yesterday, and here's this from the cover, "Inside Tom Cruise's Private Pain":

This was not how Tom Cruise expected his life to be.

The 50-year-old megastar, who was blindsided when his wife of five years, Katie Holmes, filed for divorce on June 28, "was thinking, 'What did I not see?' " a source who knows the former couple tells PEOPLE in this week's cover story.

Especially tough: His month-long separation from 6-year-old daughter Suri, which finally ended when the pair reunited on July 17 in New York City.

What took so long?

"He's wanted to see her as fast as possible since this started," says a source, who cites Cruise's obligation to his sci-fi thriller Oblivion as the main obstacle. "He couldn't shut down production, cost people their jobs. People count on him."

In agreeing to a divorce settlement in a mere 11 days, "Tom tried his best to do what's right for Suri," according to his longtime friend and lawyer Bert Fields, who says the star is "sad" but not "bitter" about the situation.

More: "Tom Cruise Visits Suri in New York City."

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Hints at Iran's Responsibility for Bulgaria Bombing

At the Times of Israel, "Gloating Ahmadinejad hints at Iranian responsibility for Burgas terror attack":

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gloated publicly on Thursday over the deaths of Israelis in a terror bombing in Bulgaria, and hinted that Iran was responsible for the attack.

Speaking hours after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had publicly blamed the bombing Wednesday at Bulgaria’s Burgas airport on “Hezbollah, directed by Iran,” Ahmadinejad described the attack as “a response” to Israeli “blows against Iran.”

“The bitter enemies of the Iranian people and the Islamic Revolution have recruited most of their forces in order to harm us,” he said in a speech reported by Israel’s Channel 2 TV. “They have indeed succeeded in inflicting blows upon us more than once, but have been rewarded with a far stronger response.”

He added: “The enemy believes it can achieve its aims in a long, persistent struggle against the Iranian people, but in the end it will not. We are working to ensure that.

RTWT.

Kenneth Turan Review: 'The Dark Knight Rises'

He likes it, hey Kenny!

At the Los Angeles Times, "Review: 'The Dark Knight Rises' more than shines, and on many levels":

Potent, persuasive and hypnotic, "The Dark Knight Rises" has us at its mercy. A disturbing experience we live through as much as a film we watch, this dazzling conclusion to director Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy is more than an exceptional superhero movie, it is masterful filmmaking by any standard. So much so that, its considerable 2-hour, 44-minute length notwithstanding, as soon as it's over, all you want to do is see it all over again.

That desire comes despite — or perhaps because of — the fact that "The Dark Knight Rises" might be the bleakest, most despairing superhero film ever made. It uses a wholly terrifying villain to emphasize the physical vulnerability of a hero we sometimes forget is no more than human. And it underscores the black moods and sense of dark destiny that have always clustered around the psyche of billionaire Bruce Wayne and his somber compulsion to fight crime.

Read it all at the link.

Turan's review reminds me of when I first saw "Batman Begins." After it was over I thought, "Damn, that was an excellent movie."

Jessica-Jane Clement Strips Down for PETA

I can't stand PETA, but you gotta give it up for the advertising.

See London's Daily Mail, "What a playful bunny: Jessica-Jane Clement strips off completely naked for new PETA advert to urge against animal testing."

And for the record, Ms. Clement is a Nuts model, seen at the video here and a photo roundup here.