Video Shows Asiana Airlines Crash at #SFO

I'd be saying "Oh my God" too!



Also at the Los Angeles Times, "Asiana jet was well below its target speed before crash, NTSB says."

And at the New York Times, "Pilots Tried to Abort Landing Before Crash, N.T.S.B. Says."

PREVIOUSLY: "The Latest on Asiana Airlines Crash in San Francisco."

Happy Birthday President George W. Bush

President Bush turned 67 yesterday --- and he's greatly missed.

An awesome entry at Twitchy, "George Bush’s birthday present: Higher approval rating than President Obama."

Still a good, decent, honorable man. RT @GOP: Happy Birthday to our 43rd President, George W. Bush! pic.twitter.com/r1goc4z2SX

— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) July 6, 2013

Not at Twitchy, although I RT'd this one yesterday:

There are NO pictures of Barack Hussein Obama like this one. NONE... #lnyhbt #tcot #tlot #tgdn #gop #teaparty pic.twitter.com/qBeue2eWbg

— Michael A Nöthem (@mikandynothem) July 6, 2013

Not a Looker: Marion Bartoli Takes Beauty Appraisals in Stride

Oh jeez, she's not that bad. If Serena Williams is touted as a hottie, I guess anyone could be. A little makeup and a snazzy French evening gown and Bartolli could be looking hot.

At Sports Illustrated, "BBC apologizes after commentator calls Marion Bartoli ‘not a looker’."

And at the Los Angeles Times, "Marion Bartoli takes high road after sexist remark about her looks":

Marion Bartoli, a French tennis veteran with the IQ of a genius and recently crowned Wimbledon women's champion, had little to say in the wake of a sexist remark about her looks by way of comparison to Maria Sharapova, a lanky blond from Russia.

BBC radio commentator John Inverdale remarked after Bartoli's 6-1, 6-4 victory over Germany's Sabine Lisicki, "Do you think Bartoli’s dad told her when she was little: 'You’re never going to be a looker. You’ll never be a Sharapova, so you have to be scrappy and fight'?"

Bartoli, a first-time winner of a Grand Slam tournament at 28, played it off in a classy way.

"It doesn't matter, honestly," Bartolia said. "I am not blond, yes. That is a fact. Have I dreamt about having a model contract? No. I'm sorry. But have I dreamed about winning Wimbledon? Absolutely, yes."

Inverdale later apologized, saying it was all in fun.

"We poked fun, in a nice way, about how she looks," he said, "but Marion Bartoli is an incredible role model."

That was not lost on Bartoli's father, who helped develop her game as a coach.

"I am not angry," Walter Bartoli said. "She is my beautiful daughter."

Also, "Marion Bartoli overpowers Sabine Lisicki for 2013 Wimbledon title."

Sunday Cartoons

At Flopping Aces, "Sunday Funnies."



And at Randy's Roundtable, "Friday Nite Funnies," and Reaganite Republican, "Reaganite's SUNDAY FUNNIES."

Also at Theo's, "Toon..."

CARTOON CREDIT: William Warren.

RELATED: From Yuval Levin, at National Review, "Obamacare's Invitation to Fraud," and from Avik Roy, at Forbes, "Not Qualified For Obamacare's Subsidies? Just Lie — Govt. To Use ‘Honor System’ Without Verifying Your Eligibility" (via Memeorandum).

Also at Instapundit, "SO IT’S BASICALLY LIKE PIGFORD, ONLY FOR HEALTHCARE: Health insurance marketplaces will not be required to verify consumer claims."

Costa Mesa Unitarian Church Holds First Homosexual Marriage

At the Daily Pilot, "Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church holds its first same-sex wedding."



Well, it's no surprise -- the Unitarian Church is a freakish cult show that denies the Holy Trinity, and is open to anyone, even so-called godless communists who want to wreak homosexual havoc on the nation.

See this Landover Baptist Forum, "The Proof Is In: Unitarian Universalism is a CULT." And the Unitarian Cult is a breeding ground for Marxist usurpers, at American Thinker, "The Unitarian Church and Obama's Religious Upbringing."

Andy Murray is First British Mofo to Win #Wimbledon in 77 Years

I got up early to watch this. Six in the morning is a little early, especially after a couple of bourbons last night.

Anyway, at the Telegraph UK, "Andy Murray wins Wimbledon."

I'll post Murray's victory speech when it's up at YouTube. A great guy. Last year he was bawling after his loss. Much more cool this year, and I'm very happy for him.

Added: He's Scottish, actually, but Scotland's still part of Great Britain, so WTF? Folks are sure happy over there, in any case.

Who's the Most Kissable Nuts Girl?

Lucy Pinder's topping the rankings, so far, but India Reynolds wants your vote.

Would love your vote :) >>> http://t.co/lvJPQWKD2V pic.twitter.com/cCldhd1jBK

— India Reynolds (@missireynolds) July 4, 2013

San Francisco Hotels Price Gouging After Asiana Airlines Crash #SFO

I saw this last night:

That is horrible. Name and shame them! @JimmyOrr @JennaSusko @nbcbayarea
— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) July 7, 2013

And now this:

We found some hotels charging $999/room after today's #SFOcrash #weinvestigate @nbcbayarea
— Jenna Susko (@JennaSusko) July 7, 2013

.@JennaSusko uncovers some hotel rooms have raised rates following Saturday's #SFOcrash. http://t.co/NxFNKElcmO #WeInvestigate
— NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) July 7, 2013

Hotels near SFO are price-gouging following plane crash that left passengers trended at airport (KTVU graphic) - pic.twitter.com/KNOfiwBptW
— Matthew Keys (@MatthewKeysLive) July 7, 2013

The Latest on Asiana Airlines Crash in San Francisco

Some links on Twitter:

Today's front page on yesterday's #SFOcrash. Our main story, updated with the latest: http://t.co/NauEROoJh9 pic.twitter.com/0KYKsLYqyg
— SFGate.com (@SFGate) July 7, 2013

INCREDIBLE: Photo of the Asiana jet crash at SFO. #SanFrancisco pic.twitter.com/w8ARohrUAY - @Reuters
— NewsBreaker (@NewsBreaker) July 7, 2013

Today's @latimes A1: "S.F. airport jet crash kills two." With @maevereston and @leeromney: http://t.co/BaBdgWnCGR pic.twitter.com/fARUTchYOe

— Laura J. Nelson (@laura_nelson) July 7, 2013

RT @NTSB: NTSB's Greg Smith with flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder from Asiana 777 in NTSB's DC lab. pic.twitter.com/DhbdmhBZGy

— Kate Mather (@katemather) July 7, 2013

A breakdown of Asiana Airlines Flight 214's approach and crash at the San Francisco airport: pic.twitter.com/FdWNx6zgyS
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) July 7, 2013

S. Korea news agency says 2 victims of crash were Chinese teens; bodies were found on runway. http://t.co/IJn7gr2MAb

— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) July 7, 2013

Little-known fact: "Black boxes" aren't black. MT @NTSB Asiana flight recorder (L) and cockpit recorder (R) in lab. pic.twitter.com/7b00j5vreD

— Laura J. Nelson (@laura_nelson) July 7, 2013

Investigation focuses on possible pilot error in crash-landing of S. Korean plane #SFO http://t.co/R9edKcG5Se

— robert lopez (@LAJourno) July 7, 2013

Jason Patrick's Sperm Donor Child-Custody Dispute

Oh, modern scientific progress, the problems it creates.

At LAT, "Jason Patric custody case inspires sperm-donor-rights legislation":

SACRAMENTO — A child-custody dispute involving actor Jason Patric has evolved from Hollywood tabloid fodder into a policy battle in the state Legislature that could affect thousands of California parents.

Patric, a star of films including "The Lost Boys," donated sperm in 2009 as part of a fertility treatment that resulted in pregnancy for a former girlfriend, Danielle Schreiber.

The actor decided he wanted to help raise the child, Gus, who is now 3, but has been stymied in his attempts to gain partial custody in court. A bill unanimously passed by the state Senate, now pending in the Assembly, would change the law to make such efforts easier.

Under state law, someone who donates sperm through a doctor or sperm bank and who is not married to the woman who conceives is not recognized as the child's natural father. The only exception is if the couple agreed in writing before conception that the donor was to be considered a parent.

Patric had donated the sperm in a doctor-supervised procedure, but he and Schreiber had no such agreement, and the two are no longer together, according to Fred D. Heather, Schreiber's attorney. As a result, a judge denied Patric's claim.

A bill by state Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) would allow courts to grant parental rights to sperm donors under broader conditions — for example, if a donor showed that he openly acknowledged the child as his own and received the child into his home.

"In circumstances where you have a sperm donor creating a parenting relationship with a child, someone should not be allowed to take that away from the child," said Hill, who has written other parental-rights laws.

Hill said it is appropriate that the bill is being considered in California, which has more fertility clinics than any state. Parental roles are shifting with family dynamics and technological advances, he noted.

Frankly, I'm not that sympathetic here. If you're going to "donate" your sperm to create a child the best recipient would be a wife, no?

Senator Ted Cruz's Father Compares Barack Obama to Fidel Castro

It's Rafael Cruz, who escaped Cuba's tyranny for the U.S., and now he's slamming our own Communist El Comandante.

At Exposing Liberal Lies, "Ted Cruz’s Father, Rafael Cruz, Delivers Epic Patriotic Speech: “If We Lose Our Freedoms Here, Where Are We Going to Go?”"



Also at the Blaze, "TED CRUZ’S FATHER DELIVERS EPIC SPEECH TOUTING PATRIOTISM AND LAMBASTING OBAMA’S ‘SOCIALIST’ INCLINATIONS."

A New Anti-American Axis?

Damn straight.

It's pretty obvious, considering Putin's clear antipathy to President Hussein the Incompent, to say nothing of China's f-u anti-American national security strategy.

Obama's chicken's are coming home to roost.

From Leslie Gelb and Dimitri Simes, at NYT:

THE flight of the leaker Edward J. Snowden from Hong Kong to Moscow last month would not have been possible without the cooperation of Russia and China. The two countries’ behavior in the Snowden affair demonstrates their growing assertiveness and their willingness to take action at America’s expense.

Beyond their protection of Mr. Snowden, Chinese-Russian policies toward Syria have paralyzed the United Nations Security Council for two years, preventing joint international action. Chinese hacking of American companies and Russia’s cyberattacks against its neighbors have also caused concern in Washington. While Moscow and Beijing have generally supported international efforts to end Iran’s nuclear weapons program, they clearly were not prepared to go as far as Washington was, and any coordinated shift in their approach could instantly gut America’s policy on the issue and endanger its security and energy interests. To punctuate the new potential for cooperation, China is now carrying out its largest ever joint naval exercises — with Russia.

Russia and China appear to have decided that, to better advance their own interests, they need to knock Washington down a peg or two. Neither probably wants to kick off a new cold war, let alone hot conflicts, and their actions in the case of Mr. Snowden show it. China allowed him into Hong Kong, but gently nudged his departure, while Russia, after some provocative rhetoric, seems to have now softened its tone.

Still, both countries are seeking greater diplomatic clout that they apparently reckon they can acquire only by constraining the United States. And in world affairs, there’s no better way to flex one’s muscles than to visibly diminish the strongest power.

Well, international politics is a bitch sometimes, ain't it?

Continue reading.

We're going to be seeing a lot more of this kind of actor behavior toward the U.S. for the next few years, since this administration has gravely weakened the U.S. and now our adversaries are taking the picks of the litter of opportunities against us.

Muslim Brotherhood Thugs Throw Teenaged Morsi Supporters Off Rooftop, Killing One

At the Times of Israel, "‘Islamists throw youths off a roof in Egypt’.'

And at the Barracuda Brigade, "Rabid Animals ~ > Brotherhood & Al-Qaeda Toss Egyptians Off Roof Tops in Egypt ~ > Shocking and Graphic Video."

Here's That Clip of Erick Aybar Driving Home Howie Kendrick for 4th of July Walk-Off Win

MLB takes a couple of days to load these videos to YouTube, but here it is.



PREVIOUSLY: "#Angels Beat #Cardinals in Spectacular 6-5 Walk-Off Win on 4th of July," and "More on #Angels' Walk-Off Win Over Cardinals."

Imagine How Much Better Job Numbers We'd Have If ObamaCare Weren't Encouraging Employers to Hire So Many Part-Time Workers

At WSJ, "Part-Time America":

The U.S. labor market may be gaining a little more steam, judging by Friday's June jobs report. Imagine how much better it might do if ObamaCare weren't encouraging employers to hire so many part-time workers.

The Labor Department's survey of businesses found 195,000 net new hires in June, 202,000 in the private economy. Payrolls for April and May were also revised upward by a total of 70,000, which means the average for the last three months is about 200,000. That's up from the 182,000 monthly average over the last year.

One positive development is that the number of "long-time" unemployed, those out of work for six months or more, fell again and is down by one million workers over the past year. The dismally low labor participation rate ticked up to 63.5% from 63.4% in May as 177,000 more Americans entered the workforce, though the rate is still below the 63.8% from last June. Average hourly wages climbed a welcome 10 cents and for the first time hit $24.

The disappointments include a big jump of 247,000 in the number of "discouraged workers," those who have stopped looking for a job. This could be a one-month anomaly given the other increases, but it bears watching.

Also disappointing is the big jump in the number of Americans who want to work full time but could only find part-time work. That number leapt to 8.23 million, a 322,000 one-month increase. Total part-time employment rose by 432,000, more than double the total number of net new jobs.

That's what you get when you stick the ObamaCare shiv to the American people. Damned commie Democrats. Freakin' loser ass crackers.

More at that top link, and see NYT, "Jobs Data Is Strong, but Not Too Strong, Easing Fed Fears."

RELATED: From Ed Driscoll, "Say, How’s that New New Deal Working Out?"

Charlotte Springer and Jess Davies!

Hey, it's the Wimbledon finals today, so what the heck?!!

Tennis anyone?

Liz Cheney Looking to Challenge Mike Enzi for Wyoming Senate

That would be sitting GOP Senator from Wyoming Mike Enzi, but who wouldn't love to see Liz Cheney take the seat?

Well, actually, a few folks at NYT's piece weren't thrilled with the idea, considering Enzi's well liked in the state. But wow, Liz Cheney is the kind of unflinching hawk we need in office these days, a conservative woman with impeccable national security creds.

I saw Hugh Hewitt tweeting earlier, but William Jacobson is on the case, "Run, Liz Cheney, Run."

Jon Kyl set an important example by not running in '12. It helps party and country to retire at the right time. http://t.co/zTQISVx8b5”

— Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) July 7, 2013

Rachel McDonald on Twitter

A nice lady. Has family in Australia, from what I gather at her media grid.

pic.twitter.com/SdhuR0d8oo
— Rachel McDonald (@Rachel_Model1) July 7, 2013

Update on Boeing 777 Crash at SFO

Here's my earlier entry, "Boeing 777 Crashes at San Francisco Airport (SFO)."

And now at the San Francisco Chronicle, "40 hurt when plane crashes at SFO."

Also, "Airliner crashes at SFO – YouTube and Twitter updates."

291 passengers and 16 crew people total were on the plane. 2 are dead. 60+ are missing. 130 taken to 9 Bay Area hospitals.
— Will Kane (@WillKane) July 6, 2013

NEW PHOTOS: Thick, black smoke rises from Boeing 777 after it crashed while landing at #SFO: http://t.co/22qyHJI6hi #SFOcrash #Asiana214
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsBayArea) July 6, 2013

Updating:

#SFO crash: Plane seemed to tip, burst into flames. “Everyone was pushing, rushing out,” passenger says. http://t.co/hK0Zf078zL
— Andrew Blankstein (@anblanx) July 7, 2013

More: The Wall Street Journal has a huge write-up, "Plane Crashes on Landing in San Francisco: Two People Killed and Dozens Injured; NTSB to Send Investigators to Crash Site."

Mohamed ElBaradei Named Egyptian Prime Minister — UPDATED!

The Washington Post reports, "ElBaradei named Egyptian prime minister" (via Memeorandum).

UPDATE: Here's the headline now at the same WaPo piece, "ElBaradei’s appointment as Egyptian prime minister rolled back amid dispute."

He's not PM. That was soooo 3 hrs ago. RT ‏@Cirincione Appointment of @ElBaradei as interim PM is the best news out of Egypt in a long time.
— Nima Shirazi (@WideAsleepNima) July 6, 2013

The irony is that Egypt has just been named the world's Number 2 failed states basket case by none other than ElBaradei himself, at the new Foreign Policy, "'You Can't Eat Sharia'":

Two years after the revolution that toppled a dictator, Egypt is already a failed state. According to the Failed States Index, in the year before the uprising we ranked No. 45. After Hosni Mubarak fell, we worsened to 31st. I haven't checked recently -- I don't want to get more depressed. But the evidence is all around us.

Today you see an erosion of state authority in Egypt. The state is supposed to provide security and justice; that's the most basic form of statehood. But law and order is disintegrating. In 2012, murders were up 130 percent, robberies 350 percent, and kidnappings 145 percent, according to the Interior Ministry. You see people being lynched in public, while others take pictures of the scene. Mind you, this is the 21st century -- not the French Revolution!

The feeling right now is that there is no state authority to enforce law and order, and therefore everybody thinks that everything is permissible. And that, of course, creates a lot of fear and anxiety.

You can't expect Egypt to have a normal economic life under such circumstances. People are very worried. People who have money are not investing -- neither Egyptians nor foreigners. In a situation where law and order is spotty and you don't see institutions performing their duties, when you don't know what will happen tomorrow, obviously you hold back. As a result, Egypt's foreign reserves have been depleted, the budget deficit will be 12 percent this year, and the pound is being devalued. Roughly a quarter of our youth wake up in the morning and have no jobs to go to. In every area, the economic fundamentals are not there.

Egypt could risk a default on its foreign debt over the next few months, and the government is desperately trying to get a credit line from here and there -- but that's not how to get the economy back to work. You need foreign investment, you need sound economic policies, you need functioning institutions, and you need skilled labor.

So far, however, the Egyptian government has only offered a patchwork vision and ad hoc economic policies, with no steady hand at the helm of the state. The government adopted some austerity measures in December to satisfy certain IMF requirements, only to repeal them by morning. Meanwhile, prices are soaring and the situation is becoming untenable, particularly for the nearly half of Egyptians who live on less than $2 a day.

And the truth is, ElBaradei's no moderate. He's an anti-American U.N. bureaucrat shilling for the Muslim Brotherhood.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. See FrontPage Magazine, "The Muslim Brotherhood’s Mask: Mohammed El-Baradei."

State Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki Slammed as 'Unfettered Liar'

Well, by definition you have to be a pathological liar to be even considered for this administration.

At Twitchy, "Fail-boat story gives Drudge editor ‘unfettered’ insight into State Dept. spokeswoman’s ambitions."

Proof that the media's favorite teen Jen Psaki is priming to take over Carney's podium: She's working on her lying! http://t.co/ELUZZMkI56

— Joseph Curl (@josephcurl) July 6, 2013

Here she is last November, in the company of lying liars and anti-Semites. Classy.

unspoken factor in re-election dominance of redheads on team Obama pic.twitter.com/EynoNfFp

— Jen Psaki (@jrpsaki) November 7, 2012

Yeah, this sums it up:

@jrpsaki You all make us so sick , cheat lie and do anythng you could to win. Win you did but America loses big . Socialist President Obama

— Flagramah (@flagramah) November 7, 2012

Boeing 777 Crashes at San Francisco Airport (SFO)

Man, news is real time on Twitter:

Wow. “@Eunner: I just crash landed at SFO. Tail ripped off. Most everyone seems fine. I'm ok. Surreal... — https://t.co/n6FjU2X1bl”

— Dan Frommer (@fromedome) July 6, 2013

And now over at the Weekly Standard, "Plane Crash at San Francisco Airport."

Added, from BuzzFeed:

Photos of the 777 plane at SFO Airport pic.twitter.com/6bYXg2vhEY pic.twitter.com/LU9h9qyV1S (@Brosner85)

— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) July 6, 2013

Emily Ratajkowski Rule 5

And she likes beer!

At Egotastic!, "Emily Ratajkowski Flashing Outrageous Hotness in Galore."

Turns out it was Ms. Emily who graced the front of a recent Rule 5 entry. I think I've found a new favorite hottie!

Sarah Silverman Wants to 'Anally Probe' Governor Scott Walker

Pat Dollard has it, "Sarah Silverman on New Wisconsin Abortion Law: ‘I’d Very Much Like to Anally Probe Governor Scott Walker’."

I'd very much like to anally probe @govwalker each time he needs to make an "informed decision" http://t.co/oAcUsGd3eb

— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) July 5, 2013

Funny thing is, conservatives are illustrating all these Sarah Silverman posts with Silverman's titillating tits pic, but she's not very hot, actually, at least not at this Egotastic! piece, "Sarah Silverman and Michelle Williams Full Frontal Nekkid in ‘Take This Waltz’."

More at Twitchy, "Sarah Silverman would like to anally probe Gov. Scott Walker."

State Department Retracts Denial of John Kerry Yachting During Egypt Crisis

Twitchy was on this story for an entire weekend before MSM outlets got up to speed, and there's more here, "‘Ketchup in the Rye’: Kerry’s failboat folly leads to hilarious #JohnKerryYachtNames hashtag."

Plus, from Katie Pavlich, at Townhall, "Busted: Secretary of State John Kerry Was Boating While Egypt Fell Apart."

Obama: Still Wrong on Egypt, and the World

From Walter Russell Mead, "Still Wrong About Egypt — and Wrong About the World."

Commenting on the president's anodyne and vapid statement on Egypt, Mead writes:

Concludes President Obama:

No transition to democracy comes without difficulty, but in the end it must stay true to the will of the people. An honest, capable and representative government is what ordinary Egyptians seek and what they deserve. The longstanding partnership between the United States and Egypt is based on shared interests and values, and we will continue to work with the Egyptian people to ensure that Egypt’s transition to democracy succeeds.

One hopes the President understands what drivel this is. It is not at all clear that Egypt is in the midst of a transition to democracy. It is in the midst of a crisis of authority and has been wallowing for some time in a damaging crisis of governance, but is Egypt really in a transition to democracy? And is democracy really what “ordinary” Egyptians want?

Right now one suspects that most Egyptians fear that the country could be in a transition to anarchy, and that what ordinary Egyptians (who are extremely poor by US standards and earn their bread by the sweat of their brow with very little cushion against illness or a bad day at the market) want most of all right now is security. They aren’t fretting so much about when they will have a government more like Norway’s as they are terrified that their country is sliding in the direction of Libya, Syria or Iraq.

As is often the case, Washington policymakers seem to be paying too much attention to the glibbest of political scientists and the vaporings of the Davoisie. Egypt has none of the signs that would lead historians to think democracy is just around the corner. Mubarak was not Franco, and Egypt is not Spain. What’s happening in Egypt isn’t the robust flowering of a civil society so dynamic and so democratic that it can no longer be held back by dictatorial power.

Virtually every policeman and government official in the country takes bribes. Most journalists have lied for pay or worked comfortably within the confines of a heavily censored press all their careers. The Interior Ministry has files, often stuffed with incriminating or humiliating information about most of the political class. The legal system bowed like a reed before the wind of the Mubarak government’s will, and nothing about the character of its members has changed. The business class serves the political powers; the Copts by and large will bow to the will of any authority willing to protect them.

And Americans should not deceive themselves. While some of Morsi’s failure was the result of overreaching and dumb choices on his part, he faced a capital strike and an intense campaign of passive resistance by a government and business establishment backed by an army in bed with both groups. Their strategy was to bring Morsi down by sabotaging the economy, frustrating his policies and isolating his appointees. Although Egypt’s liberals supported the effort out of fear of the Islamists, the strategy had nothing to do with a transition to democracy, and it worked.

This is not to say that Morsi or his movement had a viable alternative policy or governance model for Egypt. They didn’t. The Muslim Brotherhood had no clue how Egypt could be governed, and a combination of incompetence, corruption, factionalism and religious dogmatism began to wreck Morsi’s government from Day One.

If American policy toward Egypt is based on the assumption that Egypt is having a “messy transition” to democracy and that we must shepherd the poor dears to the broad sunny uplands, encouraging when they do well, chiding when they misstep, Washington will keep looking foolish and our influence will continue to fade. If that is the approach our foolishness compels us to take, look for more cases in which American good intentions just make us more hated—not because we are wicked, but because we are clueless.

Islamists Learn: Governing Is Hard

A good piece, at the New York Times, "For Islamists, Dire Lessons on Politics and Power":

CAIRO — Sheik Mohamed Abu Sidra had watched in exasperation for months as President Mohamed Morsi and the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood bounced from one debilitating political battle to another.

“The Brotherhood went too fast, they tried to take too much,” Sheik Abu Sidra, an influential ultraconservative Islamist in Benghazi, Libya, said Thursday, a day after the Egyptian military deposed and detained Mr. Morsi and began arresting his Brotherhood allies.

But at the same time, Sheik Abu Sidra said, Mr. Morsi’s overthrow had made it far more difficult for him to persuade Benghazi’s Islamist militias to put down their weapons and trust in democracy.

“Do you think I can sell that to the people anymore?” he asked. “I have been saying all along, ‘If you want to build Shariah law, come to elections.’ Now they will just say, ‘Look at Egypt,’ and you don’t need to say anything else.”

From Benghazi to Abu Dhabi, Islamists are drawing lessons from Mr. Morsi’s ouster that could shape political Islam for a generation. For some, it demonstrated the futility of democracy in a world dominated by Western powers and their client states. But others, acknowledging that the takeover accompanied a broad popular backlash, also faulted the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood for reaching too fast for so many levers of power.

The Brotherhood’s fall is the greatest in an array of setbacks that have halted the once seemingly unstoppable march of political Islam. As they have moved from opposition to establishment, Islamist parties in Turkey, Tunisia and now Egypt have all been caught up in crises over the secular practicalities of governing like power sharing, urban planning, public security or even keeping the lights on.

Brotherhood leaders — the few who have not been arrested or dropped out of sight — have little doubt about the source of their problems. They say that the Egyptian security forces and bureaucracy conspired to sabotage their rule, and that the generals seized on the chance to topple the Morsi government under the cover of popular anger at the dysfunction of the state.

Their account strikes a chord with fellow Islamists around the region who are all too familiar with the historic turning points when, they say, military crackdowns stole their imminent democratic victories: Egypt under Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1954; Algeria in 1991; and the Palestinian territories in 2006.

“The message will resonate throughout the Muslim world loud and clear: democracy is not for Muslims,” Essam el-Haddad, Mr. Morsi’s foreign policy adviser, warned on his official Web site shortly before the military detained him and cut off all his communication. The overthrow of an elected Islamist government in Egypt, the symbolic heart of the Arab world, Mr. Haddad wrote, would fuel more violent terrorism than the Western wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

And he took aim at Western critics of the Islamists. “The silence of all of those voices with an impending military coup is hypocritical,” Mr. Haddad wrote, “and that hypocrisy will not be lost on a large swath of Egyptians, Arabs and Muslims.”

Well, nobody's coming out roses so far. If folks aren't careful we'll be seeing Damascus on the Nile before too long.

See also, Ashraf Khalil, at Foreign Affairs, "The Irony of Tahrir Square."

Prosecution Rests in George Zimmerman Trial

At the Wall Street Journal, "Prosecution Rests Its Case in Zimmerman Murder Trial":

SANFORD, Fla.—Prosecutors in the George Zimmerman murder trial rested their case Friday, after spending two weeks depicting the defendant as an aggressive vigilante who pursued 17-year-old Trayvon Martin and provoked their deadly altercation.

Among the final witnesses called by the prosecution was Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Mr. Martin, whom Mr. Zimmerman shot and killed in a gated community here last year. Dressed in a dark suit and looking stoic, she identified the screams heard in the background of a 911 call as her son's.

When a defense lawyer questioned whether she could be sure during cross-examination, she replied firmly, "I heard my son screaming."

Drawing on the testimony of 39 witnesses over nine days, attorneys for the state argued that on the night of their encounter, Mr. Zimmerman profiled Mr. Martin as a criminal, then pursued and riled him.

Mr. Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and told police he was attacked by Mr. Martin and fired at him in self-defense.

Some testimony bolstered the prosecutors' case. One of their key witnesses—a friend of Mr. Martin's who was on the phone with him moments before he was killed—consistently maintained that Mr. Martin was being pursued by Mr. Zimmerman, despite enduring a long, withering cross-examination.

A medical examiner testified that Mr. Zimmerman's injuries—including a bloody nose and lacerations—were "very insignificant," undercutting the defendant's contention that Mr. Martin repeatedly bashed Mr. Zimmerman's head against a concrete walkway. Meanwhile, a different medical examiner who conducted the autopsy on Mr. Martin's body said the teen had no wounds on his hands other than minor abrasions on two fingers.

And a police investigator said Mr. Zimmerman's comments in a phone call to police the night of the incident—including the phrase "f— punks," referring to alleged troublemakers in the neighborhood—showed ill will, a necessary element to prove second-degree murder.

Yet in numerous instances, witnesses for the state offered testimony that could end up benefiting the defense, leaving some legal analysts to question whether the state had met its burden for proving his guilt. One neighbor who had one of the clearest views of the confrontation said Mr. Martin was straddling Mr. Zimmerman on the ground and appeared to be pummeling him.

More at that top link.

And at Legal Insurrection, "Zimmerman Trial Day 9 — Families Feud Over Scream Identification."

Trayon Martin, Rachel Jeantel, and Critical Race Theory

From Colin Flaherty:

Twitter was alive with hundreds of people talking about how more White People should learn Critical Race Theory to understand Jeantel. And their own racism.

Derrick Bell may have invented Critical Race Theory. But Glenn Singleton is the Pied Piper spreading it through schools. What we call achievement, he calls White Privilege.

What we call dim witted and angry — as we saw on the witness stand from Jeantel — Singleton would say is a nothing more than the different learning and communication style of black people: “Non-verbal. Personal. Emotional. Process Oriented.”

This is opposed to “White Talk: Verbal. Impersonal. Intellectual. Task-oriented.”

Glenn Singleton is not just an obscure academic theoretician casting pearls before undergrad sociology students. He trains teachers at hundreds of school districts around the country in how to bring Critical Race Theory into the classroom so they can “overcome the deeply embedded institutional racism” that is the only reason for the achievement gap between black and white students.

Critical Race explains it all: More blacks in prison? Racist cops. Black unemployment? Racist employers. Black drug use? Racist cops ignore white drug users. Black health, black crime, black poverty? Racism. Racism. Racism.

More at that top link.

Via Alan Caruba.

RELATED: At London's Daily Mail, "Police in town where Trayvon Martin was killed prepare for possible riots- in Florida and across the COUNTRY- if George Zimmerman is acquitted."

Shoot, cities around the country should prepare for riots. It's gonna be like the Rodney King trial.

Fourth of July Accident: Investigation Under Way in Simi Valley Fireworks Explosion

Check the link for the video.

FIREWORKS UPDATE: 36 people were injured in Simi Valley Fourth of July accident http://t.co/73P02R7uVA

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) July 5, 2013

And at the Los Angeles Times, "Police probe fireworks accident; 36 treated at hospitals."

#Snowden Offered Asylum by Venezuela and Nicaragua

At Telegraph UK, "Venezuela and Nicaragua offer Edward Snowden asylum."

And at the Los Angeles Times:

Venezuela, Nicaragua open their doors to NSA leaker Snowden http://t.co/goIgSInvOs

— L.A. Times World (@latimesworld) July 6, 2013

And on Twitter, folks giving Snowden advice: take lots of toilet paper.

Morsi's Ouster Fuels Debate About U.S. Middle East Policy

Actually, we've been having a debate on Middle East policy since this presidential amateur took office.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Morsi's ouster fuels debate on U.S. policy on the Mideast":

Egyptians smarter than Americans Re OBAMA pic.twitter.com/pqOIyjrxfQ

— LeahR (@LeahR77) July 2, 2013

WASHINGTON — The military overthrow of the democratically elected government in Egypt, for decades America's most important Arab ally, has rekindled a fierce debate about whether the Obama administration's Mideast policy has been too passive and ineffective.

President Obama declared that U.S. allegiance was to "democratic principles" after Egypt's military ousted President Mohamed Morsi on Wednesday, but critics charge that the White House made only halfhearted attempts to steer Morsi's increasingly authoritarian government toward democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights.

"They've been late, and slow, and not taken these problems seriously," Michele Dunne, a former State Department official and administration advisor on Egypt who now heads the nonpartisan Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, said Friday.

Obama repeatedly failed "to use leverage to ensure that Egyptian authorities adhere to democratic principles," the Project on Middle East Democracy, an advocacy group in Washington, said in a statement.

The critics, who include Democratic foreign policy stalwarts as well as Republicans, say the upheaval in Egypt, on top of the administration's inability to stem the civil war in Syria or persuade Iran to curb its nuclear program, adds a blot to Obama's foreign policy record.

They blame, in part, Obama's desire to reduce America's overseas commitments after a decade of war, along with his apparent effort to pull back from a leadership position in favor of a more supporting role in the Middle East.

Administration officials say in their defense that Washington has limited influence in Egypt's domestic affairs and that visible efforts to apply U.S. pressure can backfire. They say they have dealt with key political players but have often kept their diplomacy quiet to avoid inflaming Egypt's polarized political environment.

After President Hosni Mubarak was toppled in an "Arab Spring" uprising in February 2011, the White House tried to encourage a transition to democracy. In national elections in June 2012, Morsi won 52% of the presidential vote and his party — the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood — won 48% in parliamentary elections.

Morsi cooperated with Obama in working out a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in November, and White House aides hoped for a relationship with Cairo that could be a model for other Islamist-dominated countries. The chief focus was security cooperation, including joint counter-terrorism operations and support for Egypt's peace treaty with Israel.

Critics now say the U.S. focus on security meant the White House was unwilling to push back when Egypt's military abused human rights, including ordering military trials for 10,000 civilians accused in connection with the 2011 protests, and when the Morsi government began trying to monopolize power.

More at the link.

Italian Model Claudia Romani Sports Patriotic Bikini for Independence Day

The pull of America's soft power.

At London's Daily Mail, "Flying the flag! Italian model Claudia Romani strips to a star-spangled bikini to soak up the sun on Independence Day."

She's on Twitter as well.

Troops Open Fire on Morsi Supporters

At the Los Angeles Times, "Egypt unrest: Troops open fire on ex-President Morsi's supporters." And from the photo caption there, "The body of a supporter of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi lies on the ground after he was shot dead during clashes in Cairo."

And at the New York Times, "Video Shows Shooting of Protester in Egypt."

Photo here.

That dude is f-ked up.

More, "Egypt Protests Turn Increasingly Violent."

Earlier, "Egypt Launches Post-Coup Crackdown."

Added: ColorMeRed on Twitter warns to be cautious about MSM accounts of the violence, and posts this video to show that Muslim Brotherhood cadres may be killing anti-Morsi protesters.

Also at Pat Dollard's, FWIW, "WATCH: Muslim Brotherhood Shoots at Civilians So Cops Will Be Blamed."

And see the Heritage Foundation, "Q&A on Egypt: James Carafano."

3:50pm PST: At London's Daily Mail, "Egypt in chaos: 10 dead as protesters marching on barracks where ousted president Morsi is held are met by tanks on 'Friday of rage'."

4:08pm PST: At the New York Times, "Social Media Updates on Clashes in Cairo."

And from revolutionary socialist Tarek Shalaby:

Chants for Sisi at Hilton Ramses hotel - the frontline of the clashes. This is a sorry sight. #Tahrir

— Tarek Shalaby (@tarekshalaby) July 5, 2013

Left #Tahrir. MB have substantial bird shots on them, but there are weapons on both sides and no presence of army or police to stop. #June30

— Tarek Shalaby (@tarekshalaby) July 5, 2013

And from CNN's Ben Wedeman:

Must watch Video: Morsi supporters threatening terrorism, Christians, Sisi, etc., etc., etc. http://t.co/20nco1GvM6 #Egypt #30June #June30

— benwedeman (@bencnn) July 5, 2013

'We're All Afraid of the Truth...'

The inimitable Pat Condell calls out British cowardice and the far-left fascists crushing speech in the U.K. The EDL are not the problem.

Via Atlas Shrugs and Blazing Cat Fur.

More on #Angels' Walk-Off Win Over Cardinals

Here's last night's report, "#Angels Beat #Cardinals in Spectacular 6-5 Walk-Off Win on 4th of July."

After the game my wife was saying, "We need to make this a family 4th of July tradition." Everybody had a blast. My wife was so fired up when Josh Hamilton tied the game with his monstrous 9th-inning home run. And Erick Aybar's walk off single was spectacular. My oldest son said he was going to be bummed if the Angels lost, so he was ecstatic, "That was a memorable game. I just wanted them to win."

I was having fun win or lose, but I'll tell you, that was a fabulous conclusion to a great night. We got there right at 6:00pm and missed the Star Spangled Banner. Turns out they do the full field-sized American flag. And there was a Condor Squadron flyover as well, which we happened to see while standing in line out in front of the Big A.

More at USA Today, "Angels heat up in ninth to overcome Cardinals."

And watch it here, "Aybar's walk-off single." And, "Hamilton's game-tying homer."

Pridefest: Seattle Gay Rights Thugs Attack Christian Street Preacher

Because progs are all about tolerance, or something.

Via Dana Loesch, "Video Reportedly Shows NOH8 Attack At Seattle Pridefest."

And at Twitchy, "Christian street preachers assaulted at gay pride festival in Seattle [video]."

Vicious mofos.

Sports Illustrated's 50 Greatest Swimsuit Models

Here's Christie Brinkley at #9, but troll around at SI's YouTube page for more. Kate Upton comes in at #3, and Elle MacPherson tops the rankings, FWIW.

Brinkley gets an African elephant rutting at the clip.

More at London's Daily Mail, "Puppy love! Christie Brinkley cuddles up to an adorable pup as she crowned a 'pet hero' at philanthropy event," and "Still loves her jazz hands! Ageless Christie Brinkley, 59, shows off her youthful side as she lights up Broadway Beacon Awards."

Also, "Model memories! Ageless veteran supermodels Christie Brinkley, 59, and Brooke Shields, 48, reprise their quirky 'famous pose' from 1987."

Dozens Injured in Simi Valley Fireworks Explosion

At the Los Angeles Times, "Simi fireworks accident tied to early detonation."

Authorities on Friday said they believe at least one pyrotechnic device prematurely detonated in its mortar during a Fourth of July celebration in Simi Valley on Thursday night, causing a chain reaction that tipped over other pyrotechnics and launched them into the crowd of spectators.

The major fireworks malfunction at Rancho Santa Susana Community Park at 9:20 p.m. injured at least 28 people, who suffered minor to severe injuries. An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people were gathered to watch the professional fireworks display.

Simi Valley police Cmdr. Blair Summey said that after the early detonation, a group of live canisters fell over like "dominoes." One or more of them fired into the crowd of spectators, the closest of whom were about 800 feet away.

"These things were coming through low. They were skipping along the ground," Summey said. "Some of these projectiles, they were exploding as they were coming out of the canisters."

Also at NBC News Los Angeles, "Fireworks company issues statement regarding Simi Valley show, 'deeply regrets that people were injured'."

'Restore the Fourth' Rallies

From epic hypocrite Kevin Gosztola at Firedoglake, "Thomas Drake at ‘Restore the Fourth’ Rally: ‘We the People Do Not Consent to the Surveillance State’. "

And the Guardian on Twitter:

NSA surveillance: protesters stage Restore the Fourth rallies across US: http://t.co/LRasJxKCsJ

— The Guardian (@guardian) July 5, 2013

Red State Pulls Sexist Sarah Palin Photoshop — Editor Ben Howe Apologizes for Over-the-Top 'Snark' Response

Here's the post, updated, "Palin’s Third-Party Solution is Part of the Problem."

And at Twitchy, "RedState editor Ben Howe apologizes for mishandling photoshopped Sarah Palin image."

Sorry to everyone I snarked at for asking me to change the photo & to @SarahPalinUSA, didn't know it was fake. Peter is updating it today.
— Ben Howe (@BenHowe) July 4, 2013

But read the whole thing at Twitchy. Howe disagrees the photo (Photoshop) was sexist. He's only apologizing for his response to critics. Thus, it's a partial apology, since he doesn't apologize for the lousy blog post itself.

Still, he's restoring the necessary degree of credibility. I don't really know him or else I would've let loose on Twitter myself. And props to Team Twitchy for running with this story, even a day or so late. It's hard coming down on folks on your own side. But it's needed, nevertheless.

And kudos to Josh Painter for sticking to his guns and helping to make this right.

Background here, "Erick Erickson's Red State Posts Sexist Photoshop of Sarah Palin," and "Red State Stays Classy on Sarah Palin Photoshop."

Egypt Launches Post-Coup Crackdown

At WSJ, "Egypt Military Launches Crackdown: Army Reasserts Authority, Arresting Islamist Leaders and Installing New President":

CAIRO—Egypt's military reclaimed its role as the country's dominant political force as it installed a new president and pressed for the arrests of Islamist leaders it had forced from power, deepening international concern for the stability and democratic future of the largest country in the Arab world.

A day after the army seized on antigovernment protests to overthrow President Mohammed Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected president, a dozen fighter jets buzzed downtown Cairo with trails of red, white and black smoke, the colors of the Egyptian flag.

As the military sounded a victorious chord, Mr. Morsi and some top Muslim Brotherhood allies were already in police custody and the Islamist organization was reviving its longtime role as an opposition force, organizing large-scale nationwide protests for Friday.

The military's sudden recalibration of political forces followed an outpouring of popular discontent with Mr. Morsi and the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party. An array of voices backed those protests, among them a contingent of re-emergent loyalists to Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted by a popular revolution—with military support—over two years ago.

Some of those former Mubarak loyalists have re-emerged to take new roles in the transition ahead, according to people close to discussions between the military and anti-Morsi activists.

That transition—and a new era of potential turmoil—kicked off on Thursday with the swearing-in of military-appointed president Adly Mansour, a judge who had been named head of the Supreme Constitutional Court on Monday. Mr. Mansour took two oaths on Thursday morning: The first made him chief justice and the second elevated him to the presidency. Mr. Mansour is to remain president until new elections are held, at an unspecified date, according to the military's transition plan. The military has also suspended Egypt's new constitution, which was drafted by the Muslim Brotherhood-dominated Constituent Assembly and signed into law by Mr. Morsi in December, after a national referendum.

In a sign of this week's reversal of fortunes, Egypt's acting attorney general on Thursday issued arrest warrants for Muslim Brotherhood supreme leader Mohamed Badie and his deputy, Khairat al Shater, according to Mena, the state news agency. The two are wanted on charges of inciting the killing of eight protesters in front of the Brotherhood's headquarters in Cairo.

Continue reading.

And at LAT, "Egypt military cracks down on Muslim Brotherhood."

#Angels Beat #Cardinals in Spectacular 6-5 Walk-Off Win on 4th of July

It was looking to be a wonderfully pleasurable evening even with the likelihood of a St. Louis victory.

The Angels entered the bottom of the 9th down 5-3 against the Cardinals, and I told my oldest son that it was pretty much over. I was just digging the vibe and anticipating the fireworks show. And then the phenomenal started happening. Albert Pujols lined a single, and he was followed with a booming home-run by Josh Hamilton to tie the game 5-5. Alberto Callaspo and Hank Conger then each popped up for the first and second outs. But then Howie Kendrick and Mark Trumbo both singled and Kendrick was driven home by a crazy Erick Aybar who kept running to second base, to be shortly swarmed as the Angels' bench cleared to celebrate the walk-off win.

Needless to say, the crowd was going wild. Folks might remember that the Angels have the "rally monkey," who last night was doing some Gangnam style moves to get the crowd fired up. It was totally hilarious. The billboard played a mashup of Ferris Bueller with fan-shots while the crowd waited for fireworks. My wife was bumping my fist repeatedly, clapping and saying, "Good job, honey," so happy that I'd gotten tickets to the game.

It was a memorable night, for sure.

In any case, here's Bill Shaikin's report at the Los Angels Times, "Josh Hamilton's homer sets up Angels' walk-off win over Cardinals."

And on Twitter:

.@lamblock #Angels rally in ninth inning to defeat Cardinals http://t.co/YVcUAn7wzQ #Cardinals #MLB #Baseball #RallyMonkey
— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) July 5, 2013

Fireworks earlier tonight after #Angels dramatic come-from-behind win. #4thofJuly pic.twitter.com/vmSiG4vGc0
— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) July 5, 2013

'Hateriot's Day'

Leave it to Gawker to win this year's award for the most disgusting anti-American attack on the Fourth of July: "Hatetriot's Day: July 4th Is America's Crappiest Holiday."

The author is Ken Layne, on Twitter here.

And asshole editor John Cook's only-slightly joking tweet is here. And also at Memeorandum.

Layne's blather is easily debunked, but why bother? Millions of Americans couldn't care less about reading such self-loathing progressive bull. For me, it's mostly worth it just to take note. "Liberals" are less than 25 percent of the population, and hardcore leftists probably half of that. But for some reason this kind of rancid garbage gets regurgitated into the mainstream precincts, especially the schools. So it pays to keep tabs on dangerous fools like this who troll for traffic and demonic lulz. They are true dirtbag scum and decent folks should never miss a chance to expose them for all their disgusting toxic effluence and rot.

Added: Read this at Weasel Zippers for just really all that's necessary to rebut idiots like Ken Layne, "Cuban Defector [Dodgers' Yasiel] Puig Celebrates His First Fourth of July."

#Cardinals at #Angels Tonight at Anaheim Stadium

I'm taking the family to a 4th of July baseball extravaganza tonight. (There will be fireworks!)

The St. Louis Cards are in Anaheim, losing Tuesday night 5-1, but winning last night in a 12-2 blowout.

Interestingly, Albert Pujols hasn't put on much of show since his old team's been in town, the first time he's faced St. Louis since joining the Angels.

More here, "Angels' Albert Pujols to face old friends, new foe: the Cardinals":

You can take the slugger out of St. Louis — the Angels did, prying Albert Pujols from America's heartland with a 10-year, $240-million deal before the 2012 season — but you can't take St. Louis out of the slugger.

Pujols keeps his home in St. Louis, his charitable foundation is based there, and though he's a year and a half removed from a Cardinals career in which he won three most-valuable-player awards and World Series titles in 2006 and 2011, his fingerprints are all over a team that has thrived in his absence.

"If you watch the Cardinals play, they really go about it right; they're very aggressive and they compete," said Tony La Russa, who managed Pujols for all 11 years in St. Louis. "For this generation of Cardinals, the most important player to help that transition from what they used to be to what they are now is Albert, because they learned how to play the game from him.

"He had such a strong mentoring relationship with the position players. Yadier Molina is like a brother to him. Albert had an effect on David Freese, Matt Holliday, Jon Jay. They wanted to work like Albert, compete like Albert, be a teammate like Albert."

This week, they want to beat Albert.

Pujols, 33, will be a Cardinals opponent for the first time Tuesday night when St. Louis, which fell one win short of the World Series in 2012 and is second in the National League Central with a 49-32 record this season, opens a three-game series at Angel Stadium.

"It's a little different because I'm usually rooting for them," said Pujols, who has been slowed by knee and foot injuries and is hitting .249 with 13 home runs and 49 runs batted in. "Now, I'm going to be rooting against them for three days."

More at the link.

Plus, "Mark Trumbo's web gem could change perception of Angels slugger." Video here, "Trumbo dives to start an amazing double play."

More blogging late tonight or in the morning. Either way, I'll be on Twitter until then.

85 Percent 'Very' Proud to Be American

At Gallup, "Most in U.S. Still Proud to Be an American: But 71% say the signers of the declaration would be disappointed":

PRINCETON, NJ -- As the United States celebrates Independence Day, most of its adult residents continue to say they are proud to be an American, including 57% who are extremely proud and 28% who are very proud. This high level of pride in being an American has varied only moderately over the past 12 years since the question was first asked, but has been lower since 2005 than it was in the years prior.

The latest results are from a June 1-4 Gallup survey. An additional 10% say they are moderately proud to be an American, leaving 3% who say they are "only a little proud" and 1% who say they are "not at all proud."

Read the whole thing.

I think the signers would be pleased with America today, but would be horrified with this president. Barack Hussein's a stain on an otherwise bountiful gift we are enjoying today, and the Obama interregnum will be seen as a low point in the expansion of American freedom. The results are already coming in, and patriots are gearing up to overthrow the socialist usurpers. 2014 can't come soon enough.

More on this as we go along.

Independence Day Rule 5

Here's the Other McCain, "Rule 5 Sunday: Taylor Swift, We Hardly Knew Ye."

I'm not sure there's a lot of fresh Rule 5 blogging on the 4th of July, although Bob Belvedere's Chloe Vevrier roundup deserves another look. See, "Rule 5 Saturday."

Also at 90 Miles From Tyranny, "Happy Independence Day! (Freedom From Tyranny Day)."

And at Wirecutter's, "Still Cebrating."

At Randy's Roundtable, "Happy 4th of July: Enjoy it while it is still possible."

Also, from Ron Russell, "Cutie Babes from Guns and Bikinis."

More from Doug Ross, "Satan, the Great Deceiver and Prince of Lies, reaffirms that he is in no way associated with the Democrat Party."

And at Pirate's Cove, "If All You See……are the wonderful colors of the United States Flag, you might just be an American Patriot."

Still more at Reaganite, "Stunning Athina Pikraki Chosen to Represent Greece at 'Miss World 2013'."

And at Gator Doug's, "DaleyGator DaleyBabe Talita Correa."

At Drunken Stepfather, "THE BEST FOURTH OF JULY PICS FOR AMERICA OF THE DAY."

Dana Pico has more, "Rule 5 Blogging: Glamour Girls."

And from Proof Positive, "Sex in Advertising."

Plus, at EBL, "Egyptian Freedom Rule 5."

And Soylent has "Soylent Fourth of July."

Finally, at Egotastic!, "Happy Birthday, America! We Celebrate with Red, White, and Blue Bikinis."

I know I'm missing some folks, so if you're not included, drop your links and I'll update ASAP.

Happy 4th of July!

BATHING SUIT BABE CREDIT: Theo Spark.

Our Government in Action: State Department Denies John Kerry Yachting During Egyptian Coup

Look, it's 4th of July. Why not just say Secretary Kerry is staying in contact with all the relevant personnel and be done with it? It's not like he's going fly to Cairo and calm the waters, or anything. But in line with this administration's MO, it's lying liars all the way.

At Twitchy, "Twitter user: ‘Kerry sailed right by me yesterday on the Nantucket sound’ [photo]; Update: Boston Herald confirms Kerry is on Nantucket."

Also, "Cavalcade of conflicting info: Where in the world was John Kerry as Egypt lurched into chaos?" And at the Blaze, "CBS PRODUCER REFUSES TO RETRACT JOHN KERRY YACHT STORY — AND THERE’S A VIDEO THAT COULD HELP HIS CASE."

UPDATE: The dude Sam Hodges pulled his tweet, most likely due to Democrat harassment on Twitter. But the Boston Herald has this, "Kerry vacationing on Nantucket amid Egypt turmoil."

Statue of Liberty Reopens for Independence Day

It was closed for repairs after Hurricane Sandy.

At LAT, "Statue of Liberty reopens for a New York kind of Independence Day."

American Tony Miano Arrested in Britain for Reading Bible Aloud and Calling Homosexuality Sinful

Hey, coming to America!

At Telegraph UK, "Christian arrested for calling homosexuality a 'sin' warns of 'real-life thought police'."

Also at Cranmer, "Tony Miano arrested for 'hate' speech - full video and police transcript."

Here's 'Proud Savage' Mona Eltahawy on Twitter Because — FREEDOM!

She was whining to a cab driver about how her huge --- huge! --- number of media appearances were wearing her down, at Twitchy, "Sacrificing for Egypt: Courageous Mona Eltahawy moans of her pundit plight in Egyptian coup."

But it wasn't a coup, it wasn't!

And don't tell poor Mona otherwise, or she'll f-bomb you a new one, "Mona Eltahawy unleashes F-bomb laced tirade on … fellow lefties?"

She's going after Max Blumenthal, the vile POS.

Leftists going off on leftists. That's one hella 4th of July treat, because — FREEDOM!

Added: At the Other McCain, "Well, @MonaEltahawy Is Indisputably Correct: Max Blumenthal Is a Douchebag."

Red State Stays Classy on Sarah Palin Photoshop

Following up on my earlier report, "Erick Erickson's Red State Posts Sexist Photoshop of Sarah Palin."

Now here's this at Twitchy, "RedState editors defend phony Sarah Palin photo, lash out at critics; Update: Still lashing out."

Conservative women get enough disrespect from Left. Think before you frag.
— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) July 3, 2013

Ben Howe hardest hit:

Surprised to see a site I have long supported and promoted, cast aspersions onto my character. We get enough of that from MSM.
— Ben Howe (@BenHowe) July 4, 2013

And from Stacy Drake, "RedState Posts Demeaning Photoshop of Governor Palin, Denies When Confronted — Updated."

Obama Decides Not to Enforce the Heart of His Health-Care Law

Schadenfreude-licious, at the Wall Street Journal, "Employer Mandate? Never Mind":

These columns fought the Affordable Care Act from start to passage, and we'd now like to apologize to our readers. It turns out we weren't nearly critical enough. The law's implementation is turning into a fiasco for the ages, and this week's version is the lawless White House decision to delay the law's insurance mandate for businesses, though not for individuals.

The employer mandate is central to ObamaCare's claim of providing universal coverage. Companies with 50 or more "employee equivalents" must pay a $2,000 penalty per full-time employee if they don't provide government-approved health insurance. The provision was supposed to start in January, and delaying it is like Ford saying its electric car is ready to go, except the electric battery doesn't work.

But all of a sudden on Tuesday evening Mark Mazur—you know him as the deputy assistant Treasury secretary for tax policy—published a blog post canceling the insurance reporting rules and tax enforcement until 2015 as Washington began to evacuate for the long Independence Day weekend. Enjoy the holiday, mate.

White House fixer Valerie Jarrett tried to contain the fallout with a separate blog post promising that ObamaCare is otherwise "staying the course." That's true only if she's referring to the carelessness and improvisation that have defined the law so far.

Mr. Mazur cited the "complexity of the requirements" as the reason for the delay. He isn't talking about business confusion and uncertainty, as damaging as those are. This is probably an admission that Treasury's information technology isn't ready to process and cross-check paperwork across the 5.7 million businesses in America, especially the pass-through S-corps and partnerships that file under the individual tax code.

This is more than a typical government snafu. It relates directly to the design of the law, which was thoughtlessly written and rammed through Congress with instructions for the bureaucracy to figure it all out.

And, lo, over eight interim final rules, three final rules, 20 requests for comment, 21 proposed rules, one information collection request, two amendments to the interim final rules, six requests for information and one frequently-asked-questions document, the Administration has created an employer-mandate system that, for example, requires business to track and report every full-time employee's hours of service on a monthly basis.

Meanwhile, the law stipulates that a full-time workweek for the purposes of the mandate is 30 hours, when general business practice is at least 35. The result is that businesses have been scrambling to insulate themselves from higher labor costs by hiring part-time workers, or splitting shifts, or in some industries like fast food even sharing workers. Small firms trying to expand while avoiding the 50-worker trigger have come to be known as 49ers.

The delay will help these and other employers avoid immediately higher costs, which is why the main business lobbies endorsed it. But the decision will continue to dampen overall job creation because businesses know they'll still be whacked in a year. Businesses don't hire workers with the intention of sacking them later.

The Administration's media cheerleaders are nonetheless portraying this as a stroke of political genius to push all the pain past the 2014 elections. But if that's the goal, it is too clever by half. If Republicans have any sense, they will move immediately to delay the rest of the bill for at least a year too. They should start with the individual mandate to buy insurance or pay a tax.

Continue reading.

The law's going down. Soon enough. It's going down, and the record of failure will be wrapped entirely around this cluster-k amateur community organizer from communist Chicago:

ObamaCare has become a rolling "train wreck," in Senator Max Baucus's memorable phrase, and it gets worse the more of it the public sees. The employer mandate is terrible policy, as the law's critics said before it passed. Now the Administration is all but admitting it can't implement it properly, and the task for opponents is to press the concession and begin to delay the rest of the law and dismantle it piece by piece.

Word.

Toll of Unchecked Immigration in Britain

At London's Daily Mail, "True toll of mass migration on UK life: Half of Britons suffer under strain placed on schools, police, NHS and housing":

Yesterday, seven men including illegal immigrants were arrested in West London as part of a series of immigration raids on properties where migrants were living in out-houses.

On crime, the study found that some groups, such as failed asylum seekers who could not be sent home and jobless eastern Europeans, were ‘disproportionately involved in crimes like shoplifting and disorderly behaviour’.

However, it added that destitute Britons were also likely to be ‘disproportionately’ involved in these offences.

Police said it was clear that some migrants who entered the UK on a student visa were not actually studying and were instead working illegally.

RTWT.