Beyond 7 Billion: Global Hunger

This is part 3 of the L.A. Times series, "Hunger persists on massive scale":

Around the world, population is rising most rapidly in places where life is most precarious.

Across Africa and in parts of South Asia and Latin America, hundreds of millions of people live on the edge of starvation. A drought, flood or outbreak of violence can push them over the brink.

Many end up on the march, crossing borders in search of relief. Some arrive in places like Dadaab, famished and desperately ill. Millions more are displaced within their own countries.

They represent one face of hunger in a world that, on paper at least, produces enough food to feed all 7 billion inhabitants.

Somalia, a nation of 10 million, has one of the highest birthrates in the world, averaging 6.4 children per woman. Runaway population growth, food scarcity and political strife have combined to cause a mass exodus. One-fourth of Somalis have fled their homes.

Last year, during the worst of a three-year drought, shortage turned to famine. Forty percent of Somali children who reached the refugee camps in Dadaab were malnourished. Despite emergency feeding and medical treatment, many died within 24 hours.

More commonly, children live on tenuously, the effects of chronic malnutrition masked by the swelling caused by kwashiorkor. By the time their parents realize how sick they are and take them to the camp hospital, it can be too late.

It has been four decades since advances in agriculture known as the Green Revolution seemed to promise relief from this kind of mass suffering.

An American plant breeder named Norman Borlaug won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for helping to develop high-yield, disease-resistant varieties of wheat and other grains, making it possible to triple harvests around the world.

Mankind finally seemed to be gaining ground on its longtime nemesis: pervasive hunger.

Yet Borlaug cautioned against hubris: "The frightening power of human reproduction must also be curbed," he said. "Otherwise, the success of the Green Revolution will be ephemeral only."

Today, with nearly twice as many people on the planet, his words seem sadly prescient.

As noted previously, this series is taking a "limits to growth" approach, and it's frankly coming off as eugenic. See: "Beyond 7 Billion: The Biggest Generation."

And here's Tuesday's segment at the Times, "BEYOND 7 BILLION | TINDERBOX OF YOUTH: Runaway population growth often fuels youth-driven uprisings."

U.S. Women's Soccer Beats France, 4-2, in Opener

At the New York Times, "U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Beats France":

GLASGOW — Four years ago in Beijing, Carli Lloyd provided the climax to the women’s soccer tournament at the Olympics with a wicked shot that was, for the United States at least, a truly golden goal. On Wednesday, Lloyd produced another dazzling finish that the Americans can only hope will send them along a similar path.

An enterprising YouTube savant might find the shots suitable for a mash-up, as they were virtually mirror images. In China, Lloyd’s strike came off her left foot from outside the left edge of the penalty arc in the final against Brazil; here it was her right foot, from the right side, in the first match of the London Games, a wondrous dart that pushed the Americans ahead in a 4-2 comeback victory over France.

Although the Beijing blast surely came under more meaningful circumstances, Lloyd’s latest might have been more impressive to witness. After dribbling a few steps to her right, Lloyd — who was left out of the starting lineup and only came on as a first-half substitute — unleashed a rising shot that zoomed past goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi and broke a 2-2 tie in the 56th minute.

Lloyd immediately turned and sprinted toward the United States bench, sliding on her knees near the touchline before being tackled by a mob of teammates. Lloyd said afterward that she took an extra measure of satisfaction in the goal because she began the game on the bench, an assignment she is still getting used to.

In 2011, Lloyd started all 19 games in which she played; this year, she had started 13 of 16. Still, she said she was “at peace” with Coach Pia Sundhage’s decision and was determined to make an impact if she got a chance to play.

That opportunity came when the veteran midfielder Shannon Boxx injured her right quadriceps and was replaced in the 17th minute. Lloyd quickly fell into her familiar routine with teammates but said she was not expecting to hit such a pure shot from distance because she and other players had struggled to get comfortable with the Adidas balls being used in the Olympics.

The balls are a little bit harder, Lloyd said, so “it’s not very often you hit in the sweet spot.” She added, “Fortunately on that one, I did.”

'I do not believe that proponents of same-sex marriage have done a good job explaining why they want same-sex marriage legalized...'

An essay from David Robertson, at Wizbang, "Thoughts On Same-Sex Marriage."

The rights of people residing in the USA are spelled out in the U.S. Constitution and the various state constitutions. The U.S. Constitution makes no mention of a right to marry whomever one wants to marry. The right to regulate marriage belongs to the individual states, in accordance with the 10th Amendment.

I consider it wrong to claim that same-sex marriage is a right if such a right is not stated in a state’s constitution or other legal documents.

It is also an error to claim that heterosexuals always have the right to marry whomever they want to marry. For example, half of the states ban marriage between First Cousins. The New York Times carried a story about First Cousin couples who had to go out of state in order to get married.

Same-sex marriage, indeed, is not a civil right, and it's never been considered a key item of the American civil rights agenda. See: "Same-Sex Marriage: Hijacking the Civil Rights Legacy."

The homosexual extremists are not working from history or reason --- they're working off intimidation. And it's working, which is why they keep escalating the thuggery. They've been shifting to fascist attacks on freedom of speech now, and big city Democrats are enabling it. It's not a good time for this country's traditions of liberty, so thank a Democrat for that. See the Chicago Tribune, "Alderman to Chick-fil-A: No deal."

Is the U.S. Headed for Recession?

From David Wessel, at the Wall Street Journal, "When Even Pessimism May Be Too Optimistic."

Tony Blair: West Asleep About Islamist Extremism

At Telegraph UK, "Tony Blair: 'The West is asleep on the issue of Islamist extremism'."

And Piers Morgan interviews the former prime minister at the clip, and Blair's comments are wise:

I'm reminded of Blair's 2007 essay at Foreign Affairs, "A Battle for Global Values." It's amazing how time flies --- it doesn't seem that long ago.

Killer Whale Nearly Drowns Trainer at SeaWorld in San Diego

At LAist, "Video: Terrifying Footage Shows Killer Whale Attacking Trainer At Sea World."

My wife and I took the boys to SeaWorld sometime last year. We took a few photos but I never did blog about it. It's not as fun as it used to be. The Shamu show was really different from when we took my first son in the late 1990s. I don't think the trainers got in the water with the whale, there were none of the super high jumps out of the water, and the music played at lower volume, more subdued. There might even have been less lighting. I think I recall strobe lights and all that back in the 1990s, with booming music like a summer beach party. And the dolphin show --- in the past really one of the highlights of the park --- has been changed into something like Cirque De La Mer. It's called Blue Horizons, but mostly it's human performers taking up a lot of time rather than the dolphins performing. And again, none of the old huge high jumps that the dolphins used to do. It was interesting, but I doubt I'll be back any time soon.

Anyway, Anderson Cooper's segment is here, although I don't believe the theory of his guest, David Kirby.

Here's the raw video, from Telegraph UK. The trainer is lucky to be alive. Dawn Brancheau was held under and drowned in 2010.

Imogen Thomas Bikini Top Shots

At London's Daily Mail, "'When the sun comes out, the slimeballs come out!' Imogen Thomas complains of unwanted attention... as she spills out of bikini top."

The Left's Fascist Response to Chick-fil-A

See Elizabeth Scalia, "Chick-fil-A: if you’re not sure, this is how fascism works."

RELATED: From Robert Stacy McCain, "It’s Homophobolicious!"

PREVIOUSLY: "Homosexuals Plan 'National Same-Sex Kiss Day' to Protest Chick-fil-A," and "Chick-fil-A Punches Back Against Homosexual Extremist Agenda."

Jennette McCurdy of 'iCarly' Says Michelle Obama Invited Herself on the Show

Disney Channel's 'iCarly' is winding down. My kid watches it. I think Jennette McCurdy's a riot. She still working with Nickelodeon, and I expect she'll move on to situation comedies ultimately, or even movies if she keeps up the way she's going. But I love how she says First Lady Michelle Obama just called her right up, didn't go through the producers or anything, and got on the show to push her agenda. Notice how at the outtake from one of the episodes Mrs. Obama says she doesn't mind being called "your excellency." Art imitates life, or what?

At WSJ, "Jennette McCurdy On Eating Veggies, Michelle Obama, and the End of ‘iCarly’."

RELATED: At the Los Angeles Times, "Rush Limbaugh criticizes First Lady Michelle Obama's weight, nutritional campaign." Also at the Blaze, "FOOD HYPOCRISY? MICHELLE OBAMA CAUGHT ORDERING CHEESEBURGER AND FRIES."

Shifting Dynamics Favors Republican House Majority

I don't recall hearing that the Republican majority was in any danger, but this is important in any case.

At the New York Times, "G.O.P. Edge as Dynamics Shift in House Races."

Syrian Crisis Evokes U.S.-Soviet Cold War Competition

An interesting report at the Los Angeles Times, "As Syria diplomacy falters, U.S., Russia trade verbal blows":

BEIRUT -- The Syria crisis has at times taken on the trappings of a Cold War conflict, featuring a steady flow of nasty invective between Washington and Moscow, a pair of global heavyweights unable to agree on a way to stop the carnage.

On Wednesday, as battles continued to rage across Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov took another swipe at his Western adversary, lambasting Washington’s failure to condemn last week’s Damascus bombing, which took the lives of four of President Bashar Assad’s top security lieutenants.

“This is a direct justification of terrorism,” Lavrov said of the U.S. reaction, Interfax reported. “What should we make of this?”

Asked later about the comments, Victoria Nuland, U.S. State Department spokeswoman, was unapologetic. She distinguished between an attack against civilians and one targeting officials of Assad’s government.

“We condemn all terrorist attacks, all bombings of targets, of civilians,” Nuland told reporters in Washington. “I would note that these were not civilians. These were the organizers of Assad’s military campaign who lost their lives.”

As the superpowers exchanged rhetorical blows about Syria, international diplomacy seemed close to running its course.

PREVIOUSLY: "U.S. to Focus on Forcibly Toppling Syrian Government," and "Vitaly Churkin, Russian Ambassador to U.N., Blasts Western Nations for 'Propaganda' on Syria, Defends Moscow's Veto of Sanctions Resolution Against Assad."

'The Jeffersons' Star Sherman Hemsley Dies at 74

A very interesting obituary at the New York Times, "Sherman Hemsley, ‘Jeffersons’ Star, Is Dead at 74":

Sherman Alexander Hemsley was born in Philadelphia on Feb. 1, 1938. He dropped out of Edward W. Bok Technical High School in the 10th grade to join the Air Force and was stationed in Asia after the Korean War. He returned to Philadelphia after his discharge and, while working at the post office, attended Philadelphia’s Academy of Dramatic Arts in the evening.

'Replay'

Via Nice Deb, "Video: American Crossroads “Replays” Obama’s “Gaffe”."

And see Mary Katharine Ham, "Obama has ‘no patience’ for frequent quoting of dumb thing he said" (at Memeorandum).

Suspect James Holmes Sent Chilling Notebook to Psychiatrist at University of Colorado Denver

Fox News broke the news this morning, "EXCLUSIVE: Movie massacre suspect sent chilling notebook to psychiatrist before attack."

And see the Los Angeles Times, "Colorado suspect described massacre in notebook, reports say":

Citing unidentified law enforcement sources, multiple news outlets reported Wednesday that mass-shooting suspect James E. Holmes mailed a notebook before Friday's early-morning theater massacre to the University of Colorado's medical campus, where he had been a doctoral neuroscience student.

The university said it received a suspicious package Monday, three days after the assault in Aurora, Colo., that left 12 dead and 58 injured. The package was "immediately investigated and turned over to authorities within hours of delivery," a university statement said. The school did not comment on the contents, citing a court-imposed gag order.

The notebook contained drawings of stick figures being shot and a written description of a coming attack, and was addressed to a psychiatrist at the university, according to Fox News, which first reported the mailing. The Wall Street Journal also reported that a source said the notebook contained drawings of a massacre.

The FBI and other law enforcement agencies refused to confirm the reports.

It was unclear whether Holmes, 24, had had any previous contact with a psychiatrist at the university. The neuroscience program from which he withdrew on June 10 included professors of psychiatry.

NBC News, citing unidentified sources, reported that Holmes told investigators to look for the package and that it described killing people.

The spiral-bound notebook was "full of details about how he was going to kill people," an unidentified law enforcement source told Fox. "There were drawings of what he was going to do in it, drawings and illustrations of the massacre."

And more at London's Daily Mail, "Batman killer sent notebook with chilling plans to 'kill lots of people' to college psychiatrist just DAYS before the massacre - but it sat unopened in campus mail room."

Mitt Romney: 'The Context Is Worse Than the Quote'

From Alana Goodman, at Commentary, "Obama Video on “Context” Doesn’t Even Play Speech Clip":

The Obama campaign is pushing back against attacks on the president’s “you didn’t build that” remark with a new web video claiming the Romney campaign took the line “out of context.” Obama’s deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter says the following:

“Mitt Romney recently launched a new TV ad that blatantly twists President Obama’s words on small business owners and entrepreneurs. Romney’s not telling the truth about what the president said and is taking the president’s words out of context. Romney claims the president told entrepreneurs they didn’t build their own businesses. Actually, he didn’t say that. And even the Washington Post called this attack ‘ridiculous.’ Anyone who’s seen the president’s actual remarks knows the truth. The president said that together, Americans built the free enterprise system that we all benefit from.”

Cutter then goes on to defend Obama’s record on small businesses, but doesn’t even play a clip of his comments in whatever “context” she claims is missing from Romney’s ad. Instead, viewers are asked to click a link over to the Obama website if they want to see it. Why? Probably because the campaign knows the context sounds just as bad as the line in question.

Mitt Romney touched on this point in one of his strongest interviews of the campaign so far:

Finish Goodman's post here.

Greg Sargent went after Romney last week, "Romney video deceptively edits Obama speech to make it sound anti-business." He provided the "missing" context, but again, you can't put lipstick on a pig.

Here's the whole thing, in any case:

And the caption at the video:

This is the same clip President Obama is using to try and recant his comments that denigrated small business owners, but we know the truth. He said it and he meant it. If you keep attacking success, you'll continue to have less of it. It's as simple as that. See for yourself -- you be the judge http://mi.tt/OCJ3Cv.

But wait!

Still more push back from the left!

Here's Sargent again, "What the war over `didn’t build that’ is really about." Sargent's a socialist spin doctor. Read it all at the link, if you want. And here's Obama's "rapid reaction" video released yesterday, which shows the president once again making the same argument that "you didn't build that" on your own, you had help, you had roads and bridges, etc., which is basically what Elizabeth Warren said some time back and has been taking grief for it. See: "President Obama Pushes Back On Romney Campaign's Small Business Attacks."

Americans aren't buying the Democrats' snake oil, which is why the Obama campaign is pushing back so hard, desperately trying to get out from the hole they've dug for themselves.

Al Qaeda's Hand Now Detected in Syria Conflict

At the New York Times, "Al Qaeda Taking Deadly New Role in Syria’s Conflict" (via Memeorandum):

CAIRO — It is the sort of image that has become a staple of the Syrian revolution, a video of masked men calling themselves the Free Syrian Army and brandishing AK-47s — with one unsettling difference. In the background hang two flags of Al Qaeda, white Arabic writing on a black field.

“We are now forming suicide cells to make jihad in the name of God,” said a speaker in the video using the classical Arabic favored by Al Qaeda.

The video, posted on YouTube, is one more bit of evidence that Al Qaeda and other Islamic extremists are doing their best to hijack the Syrian revolution, with a growing although still limited success that has American intelligence officials publicly concerned, and Iraqi officials next door openly alarmed.

While leaders of the Syrian political and military opposition continue to deny any role for the extremists, Al Qaeda has helped to change the nature of the conflict, injecting the weapon it perfected in Iraq — suicide bombings — into the battle against President Bashar al-Assad with growing frequency.

The evidence is mounting that Syria has become a magnet for Sunni extremists, including those operating under the banner of Al Qaeda. An important border crossing with Turkey that fell into Syrian rebels’ hands last week, Bab al-Hawa, has quickly become a jihadist congregating point.

The presence of jihadists in Syria has accelerated in recent days in part because of a convergence with the sectarian tensions across the country’s long border in Iraq. Al Qaeda, through an audio statement, has just made an undisguised bid to link its insurgency in Iraq with the revolution in Syria, depicting both as sectarian conflicts — Sunnis versus Shiites.

More at that top link.

The first video's referenced at the Times' piece, and the second is from CNN earlier this year.

North Koreans Meet Their First Lady

At the New York Times, "North Korean Leader Marries."

Newsweek Projected to Lose at Least $22 Million This Year

Well, I wonder why?

See Bloomberg, "Newsweek Owner Says Magazine Will Eventually Shift Online."

British ex-pat and Newsweek executive editor Tiny Brown denies it, "Scaremongering."

But see The Other McCain, "Not Surprising: Tina Brown’s ‘Newsbeast’ Still Losing Millions of Dollars a Year."

IMAGE CREDIT: "Barebackers for Barack, UPDATED! — Andrew 'Milky Loads' Sullivan Cover Story at Newsweek, 'The First Gay President."

Voula Papachristou, Greek Olympic Athlete, Expelled for Mocking African Immigrants on Twitter

At Telegraph UK, "London 2012 Olympics: Greece athlete Voula Papachristou expelled for racist comment on Twitter":

Team GB athletes have now been reminded to keep their tweets “in a tasteful manner” or risk breaching their athlete team agreements, which allow for expulsion from the Games.

Papachristou a supporter of the far-right political party Golden Dawn, posted the offensive tweet two days ago, which she now claims was a joke.

The tweet said: “With so many Africans in Greece, at least the West Nile mosquitoes will eat home made food!!!”

But the Hellenic Olympic Committee came under pressure from within Greece to take action against 23-year-old Papachristou, who had also publicly supported the Golden Dawn politician Ilias Kasidiaris, when he criticised Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’s immigration position.

She had previously retweeted promotional videos from the political party, which gained seven per cent of the vote in the recent Greek elections.

Also at London's Daily Mail, "Greek triple jumper booted off Olympic team in disgrace after she mocked African immigrants on Twitter."

Boy, mock African immigrants and the IOC comes down on you like a ton of bricks. But request one minute of silence for the Israeli athletes murdered in 1972? Nope, that's too political. See: "Olympic Committee Won't Hold Moment of Silence for Slain 1972 Israeli Athletes."

Iraq Veteran Sgt. Robert Delgado Touts Rep. Allen West in New Campaign Ad

At the Los Angeles Times, "Iraq war vet: 'Allen West saved my life'."

WASHINGTON – An Iraq war veteran has come to the aid of his former boss, Rep. Allen West, to tell how the Florida congressman handed over his body armor on the way to combat in Iraq, an act that might have saved the soldier’s life.

In a campaign spot that will air on Florida television during the Olympics, Sgt. Robert Delgado (Ret.) says he worried when he was deployed to Iraq that he might not make it home to see his new child – his wife was eight months pregnant at the time.

“I’m going to make sure you come home to your wife and your newborn baby,” Delgado recalls West saying to him. West, who was Delgado’s commander at the time, handed his body armor to the soldier.

“This car came flying by and this AK-47 just starts firing,” Delgado says. “And I got shot. If I hadn’t had that body armor, though, I don’t think I’d really be here because where it hit is where my lung was.”

“Because of that, I’m here today,” Delgado says in the ad, which was first reported by Politico.