Crowdfunding Bookstores

I was just thinking about this the other day.

I still love Barnes and Noble, but nowadays when I got there the selection of magazines I enjoy is sparse, and frankly I can read most of what I like online. And while I buy books over at Barnes pretty often, there's no need really. Amazon will deliver a book within days. But that's just me. I like the big corporate chain, because it means in most big cities I've got a big, beautiful and highly stocked bookstore to visit whenever I feel like chilling for a cup of coffee and a magazine. But times are hard over there. See WSJ, "Barnes & Noble Pulls Back After Losses In Tablet Wars." And while the company might not be going the way of Borders anytime soon, clearly its brick-and-mortor future is not so secure over time.

What to do? Well, I doubt Barnes will be turning to crowdfunding anytime soon, but some smaller bookstore sure are.

See NYT, "To Stay Afloat, Bookstores Turn to Web Donors."

Read it all at the link.

I'd be surprised if any bookstore's able to make that more than a one time deal. Sooner or later folks have to face market realities. Perhaps sad, but true.

#Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw Shines in 8-2 Win Over the Rays

Less drama this time, but it's just great to see the team stay hot.

Looking like a World Series champion at this point, but we'll see.

At LAT, "Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers look unbeatable in 8-2 win over Rays."

Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg Works the Oslo Taxicabs

Interesting.

We'd never see Barack Hussein behind the wheel of a cab. Seriously, too dangerous. No doubt some mf's would love to take him out, the prick.

At the Independent UK, "You’ll never guess who I had in the front of my cab... the Norwegian PM":

It is often said that you can learn the most about a place by chatting to its taxi drivers.

But Norway’s Prime Minister decided to try it the other way round, using an afternoon spent in disguise ferrying Oslo residents around the city to get a glimpse into voters’ concerns as elections approach.

Donning a pair of sunglasses and ditching his customary sharp suit for a cardigan and red tie, Jens Stoltenberg appears successfully to have hoodwinked a number of residents into revealing their thoughts ahead of elections on 9 September.

Their views will be much appreciated: current opinion polls suggest Mr Stoltenberg will be defeated by the Conservative Party, ending eight years of a Labour government.

Continue reading.

You Must Feed the Never-Ending Demands of the Multi-Media Beast!

Yep, just like blogging!

At LAT, "Pop culture dominance is a fickle thing, even for Bowie and Kanye":

On Jan. 8, his 66th birthday, David Bowie surprised music fans around the world with the announcement that he'd secretly completed a new studio album.

This was a big deal — the first record in a decade from a legendary rock star more or less thought to have retired — and wall-to-wall media coverage over the months to come reflected a pent-up desire to have Bowie back in our lives. When "The Next Day" hit stores on March 8, many critics called the album one of the singer's best, helping it along to an impressive debut at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The man once known as Ziggy Stardust, it seemed, had risen once again.

Or had he?

Less than six months after its release, "The Next Day" — with a title that suggests moving ever forward into the future — seems almost to have disappeared.

Last week the record was nowhere to be found on the iTunes album chart. It hasn't really taken hold on the radio. And though a music video for the album's lead single, "Where Are We Now?," quickly racked up millions of views online, more recent clips from the record have made smaller impressions.

For the week ending Aug. 3, Google Trends rated Bowie's worldwide search interest at 19 on a scale of 0 to 100, well below youngsters like Miley Cyrus and Skrillex as well as peers such as Bruce Springsteen.

But Bowie isn't alone. This year a number of high-profile albums, movies and songs — pop-cultural properties that each appeared with the fanfare of an event — have had trouble gaining the kind of long-term traction that artists and their backers crave.

Well, you gotta keep feeding the beast, just like blogging!

Republicans vs. the Tea Party

Dana Loesch headlines this debate from Mike Huckabee's show on Saturday.

Never, Ever Leave Out the Race of Criminal 'Black Privilege' Perps

The Mad Jewess goes after Jim Hoft of Gateway Pundit.

This is why I dont have much respect for @gatewaypundit -he leaves out the RACE on #BLACKPRIVILEGE crimes http://t.co/4ASF6iXoz1

— The Mad Jewess (@MadJewessWoman) August 12, 2013

@vonzion Thats exactly what it is; #BlackPrivilege. PLEASE: When you post a b/white crime, use "BlackPrivilege" hashtag, thanks :)

— The Mad Jewess (@MadJewessWoman) August 12, 2013

@gatewaypundit These are RACIAL crimes. By you leaving out the RACE of the perps, you are just giving in to that left wing NAZI shit

— The Mad Jewess (@MadJewessWoman) August 12, 2013

The post is here, "St. Paul Man Fights For His Life After Brutal Beating by Gang Members (Video)."

That headline should read "Brutal Beating by Black Gang Members."

Never cave to the despicable leftist commissars of political correctness, the "left wing NAZI shit."

Usain Bolt Wins 100m at World Athletics Championships in Moscow (2013)

At Telegraph UK, "World Athletics Championships 2013: Usain Bolt regains 100m gold medal with season's best 9.77 in Moscow rain."

Video here (and click here if it's been removed).

Judge Orders Baby's Name Changed

Right.

It's not like no one's named "Jesus" or anything.

Let the parent's decide. And take this up on appeal.

Cute kid too.

At Scared Monkeys, "Tennessee Judge Lu Ann Ballew Orders Baby’s Name be Changed from ‘Messiah’ to Martin DeShawn McCullough." (Via Memeorandum).

Donald Trump Pledges to Spend Whatever It Takes for 2016 Presidential Bid

Donald Trump's like a circus barker, but if it was between him and the Democrat-Socialists it'd be no choice.

And he's willing to spend $500 million? Man, that's mind-boggling.

At ABC News, "Donald Trump: Sen. Ted Cruz ‘Perhaps Not’ Eligible for White House ‘If’ Born in Canada."



More at Scared Monkeys, "Donald Trump Warns GOP at Family Leadership Summit in Iowa … Immigration Bill (Amnesty) “Could Be a Death Wish’ for Republican Party”." (Via Memeorandum.)

Rachel McDonald Rule 5

As noted, I'm a little burned out on the major Rule 5 link-arounds, although Pirate's Cove definitely deserves a shout-out. He reportedly spends up to 90 minutes each week on his Sunday blog-less pinup roundups.

See, "Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup." And don't miss, "If All You See……are evil CO2 infused beers that should be banned, you might just be a Warmist."

In any case, I've blogged Ms. McDonald previously.

She's got lots of lovely photos posted to Twitter.

Australian Journalist Asher Wolf Leaks Video From Inside Bradley Manning Trial

Well, this has a few people pissed off.

Here's the Telegraph UK, "WikiLeaks: Secret video shows inside of Bradley Manning courtroom":

A short video secretly filmed inside the court martial of Bradley Manning, the US soldier convicted of giving classified files to WikiLeaks, has emerged on the internet in a second major breach of courtroom security.

Here's Ms. Wolf on Twitter:

Yes, there was another leak from Bradley Manning's trial at Fort Meade. And I've published it. http://t.co/rm5M8D1dI7 #Wikileaks

— Asher Wolf (@Asher_Wolf) August 11, 2013

Xeni Jardin is not pleased:

Thanks to you, jackass, whoever you are, an important piece of history may go undocumented. Congrats. Video has zero news value. Happy?

— Xeni Jardin (@xeni) August 11, 2013

Expect updates. This is hilarious!

Scores Killed as New Wave of Bombings Hit Iraq

At the New York Times, "Car Bombings Kill Scores Across Iraq":

BAGHDAD — As Iraqis flooded the streets of their capital and other cities on Saturday to celebrate Id al-Fitr, the holiday that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, a string of car bombs struck in mostly Shiite neighborhoods, killing more than 60 people, officials said.

The bombings were the latest in a surge of attacks in Iraq this summer — before, during and after Ramadan — that have brought monthly death tolls to levels not seen in nearly five years, according to United Nations figures.

The attacks on Saturday killed at least 61 people and wounded more than 200 across Iraq, an Interior Ministry official said.

Nine car bombs struck around Baghdad, the capital, at public markets and near a city park, and many exploded in Shiite neighborhoods that have borne the brunt of the increasingly violent Sunni insurgency led by Al Qaeda’s Iraq affiliate, killing at least 35 people. Other attacks — in the northern city of Tuz Khurmato, in Hilla, Karbala and Dhi Qar in the south — killed at least 26.

The State Department condemned the attacks and noted that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Al Qaeda’s Iraq affiliate, is now based in Syria.

The United States has offered a $10 million reward for information “that helps authorities kill or capture” Mr. Baghdadi and is prepared to work with the Iraq government to counter the threat from Al Qaeda, Jen Psaki, the State Department spokeswoman, said in a statement Saturday night.

That reward is second only to the one that the United States has offered for information leading to Ayman al-Zawahri, the head of the Qaeda network.

According to the United Nations, 1,057 Iraqis were killed and 2,326 were wounded in attacks in July, the highest monthly casualty figures since 2008.

A direct result of Barack Hussein's clusterf-k foreign policy. See Geoffrey Norman, at the Weekly Standard, "Impotent in Iraq":

Iraq appears, increasingly, to be lost.

For want of a status-of-forces agreement.

We'll see.

There's been a few bright spots, like the northern Kurdish region, where democratization is taking hold. But that's despite the best efforts of this administration to sabotage the movement toward freedom in the country. What a shame.

Water Rationing for Front Lawns in America's Southwest

This reminds me of 1992, when my wife and I moved to Santa Barbara, and we found that the city had all kinds of water rationing. In that respect, it's not a new issue by any means. In Fresno, which is scorching hot all summer, homeowners can water their lawns every other day, depending on the street address, and then only well before Noon or at night after sundown.

At the New York Times, "To Save Water, Parched Southwest Cities Ask Homeowners to Lose Their Lawns":

LOS ANGELES — This is how officials here feel about grass these days: since 2009, the city has paid $1.4 million to homeowners willing to rip out their front lawns and plant less thirsty landscaping.

At least the lawns are still legal here. Grass front yards are banned at new developments in Las Vegas, where even the grass medians on the Strip have been replaced with synthetic turf.

In Austin, Tex., lawns are allowed; watering them, however, is not — at least not before sunset. Police units cruise through middle-class neighborhoods hunting for sprinklers running in daylight and issuing $475 fines to their owners.

Worried about dwindling water supplies, communities across the drought-stricken Southwest have begun waging war on a symbol of suburban living: the lush, green grass of front lawns.

In hopes of enticing, or forcing, residents to abandon the scent of freshly cut grass, cities in this parched region have offered homeowners ever-increasing amounts to replace their lawns with drought-resistant plants; those who keep their grass face tough watering restrictions and fines for leaky sprinklers.

These efforts are drastically reshaping the landscape, with cactuses and succulents taking over where green grass once reigned.

“The era of the lawn in the West is over,” said Paul Robbins, the director of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin. “The water limits are insurmountable, unless the Scotts Company develops a genetically modified grass that requires almost no water. And I’m sure it’s keeping them up at night.”

And this is pretty much how I feel about it:

The first five months of this year were the driest on record in California, with reservoirs in the state at 20 percent below normal levels. The lawn rebate program here will save approximately 47 million gallons of water each year, according to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

But some residents worry that turf removal has already gone too far, robbing children of play spaces.

“It’s getting to the point where kids live in apartments, and they don’t even see grass, except in magazines,” said Betty Humphrey of Los Angeles. She raised her son with an expansive lawn, and said her family would not be pulling up its grass no matter how much money the city offered.

The city is already short on green space, said Ms. Humphrey, 63. “I don’t want to end up like New York or Chicago, with no grass.”

And it's shocking, but "climate change" isn't even mentioned. What a wasted chance to shill for the global warming industry.

Hannah Anderson's Father Speaks Out

An update on the story, at LAT, "Hannah Anderson's father worries what she's 'been put through'."

Also, at NBC 7 San Diego, "Horseback Riders Who Spotted Missing San Diego Teen Speak to Media."



And see the huge write-up at London's Daily Mail, "Revealed: California killer who abducted teenage girl is shot dead in Idaho wilderness 18 years TO THE DAY after his own father committed suicide while holding another 16-year-old hostage."

The Latest on the Bitter American Betrayal Dust-Up

Diana West has a new roundup on her battle with FrontPage Magazine, "American Betrayal: New Links."

And she reports that her older brother, Jed West, tried to comment at the website but was banned. Here's the post at Facebook.

Diana posted a shout out for my essay on Twitter the other day:

@davereaboi Hey, it's a barrel of monkeys, @rsmccain ! Kudos to @AmPowerBlog for tackling and encompassing: http://t.co/1dIDCUBeT1

— Diana West (@diana_west_) August 10, 2013

And I do hope Robert Stacy McCain updates his comments on the debate. ICYMI, he's got a review of American Betrayal at Viral Read, "Top FDR Aide Hopkins Was Soviet Agent; Book Examines ‘Betrayal’."

Meanwhile, Wes Vernon offers an enthusiastic review, "The 80 year sell-out of America."

Preserve the American Family

At the Heritage Foundation.

Google Class and Privacy Worries

At LAT, "Google Glass sees all -- and that raises privacy concerns."

Can Police Brutality Be Stopped?

The editorial from the Stalinist news rag for the Party for Socialism and Liberation, "Tactics and fighting slogans for the anti-police brutality movement."

Look, they're vile Communists, but the dolts know how to exploit the news cycle, and they throw a decent protest march here and there.

More, "The cops and the war on Black America: Ruling class expanded repressive forces as response to upheaval of 1960s."

Interesting how the "war on black America" replicates the exact same line as top Democrat Party leftists. No enemies to the left, you know...

Sunday Cartoons

At Flopping Aces, "Sunday Funnies."



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

CARTOON CREDIT: Legal Insurrection, "Branco Cartoon – Not So Empty Nest Syndrome."

Major Hasan Is Honest About Himself, Unlike the Rest of Us...

From Mark Steyn, at National Review, "Know Thine Enemy":

On December 7, 1941, the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor was attacked. Three years, eight months, and eight days later, the Japanese surrendered. These days, America’s military moves at a more leisurely pace. On November 5, 2009, another U.S. base, Fort Hood, was attacked — by one man standing on a table, screaming “Allahu akbar!” and opening fire. Three years, nine months, and one day later, his court-martial finally got under way.

The intervening third-of-a-decade-and-more has apparently been taken up by such vital legal questions as the fullness of beard Major Hasan is permitted to sport in court. This is not a joke: See “Judge Ousted in Fort Hood Shooting Case amid Beard Debacle” (CBS News). Army regulations require soldiers to be clean-shaven. The judge, Colonel Gregory Gross, ruled Hasan’s beard in contempt, fined him $1,000, and said he would be forcibly shaved if he showed up that hirsute next time. At which point Hasan went to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, which ruled that Colonel Gross’s pogonophobia raised questions about his impartiality, and removed him. He’s the first judge in the history of American jurisprudence to be kicked off a trial because of a “beard debacle.” The new judge, Colonel Tara Osborn, agreed that Hasan’s beard was a violation of regulations, but “said she won’t hold it against him.”

No, wouldn't want to do that. It was only "workplace violence" you see...

Continue reading.

Ana Navarro Confronts Rep. Steve King on 'Cantaloupe-Sized Calves...'

She's John McCain's former Hispanic National co-chair, a bleedin' lefty on immigration, and a "talk-to-the-hand" Beltway hack.

Via Memeorandum.

NAEP History and Civics Exams Postponed Indefinitely

At National Review, "NAEP ‘Indefinitely Postpones’ Tests of U.S. History and Civics." (Via Instapundit.)

I know how well historically-versed my students are (or are not), and it ain't pretty. And I rarely see young people, anywhere, with a book. It's all handheld technology, and I doubt folks are reading classic novels are history books on their iPhones.

Sexy Swimwear

At Nuts.

Open Borders Movement All Messed Up Over 'Dream 9' Clowns

At LAT, "Immigrant rights activists at odds over 'Dream 9'."

They got back in, amazingly.

Here's my previous entry, "Headline Change on the DREAMers' Self-Deport Clusterf-k."

Don Lemon Open Letter to Russell Simmons

At Twitchy, "Don Lemon’s open letter to Russell Simmons polarizes; Touré, Simmons respond [video]."



And the letter, "Don's a Lemon: Before You Go Back on CNN This Weekend, Read This!"

Talk Radio Host Jack Clark Fired After Comments on Albert Pujols

Well, he alleged that Pujols was on 'roids, and that didn't go over too well.

Pujols threatened a lawsuit. And now the dude's fired.

At LAT, "Jack Clark loses radio show after Albert Pujols PED allegation."

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has the background, "Clark accuses Pujols of steroid use."

And there's video at ESPN, "Albert Pujols: I'll sue Jack Clark."

Suspect James Lee DiMaggio Killed by FB in Idaho; 16-Year-Old Hannah Anderson Found Safe

At the San Diego Union Tribune, "FBI agent kills DiMaggio; girl safe":

Teams of federal SWAT officers and trackers were flown into a 300-square-mile wilderness area of Idaho Saturday, expanding the hunt for missing teen Hannah Anderson and DiMaggio.

DiMaggio was shot and killed during an arrest attempt at the north end of Morehead Lake, Gore said.

He said members of the U.S. Marshals Service flying over the area spotted DiMaggio’s tent early Saturday morning, FBI SWAT officers were brought in then and they were the ones who shot the fugitive about 4:20 p.m., [Sheriff Bill] Gore said.

He declined to give any other details about the confrontation.

Hugo Schwyzer on Twitter!

Man, the dude's got it bad!

MF went off his meds, seriously --- I told you it wouldn't be long before he had a relapse.

At BuzzFeed, "Controversial “Feminist” Hugo Schwyzer Has a Very Public Meltdown."

It's all still up in his feed.

I'll be fine, and I'll dump in some tranquilizers in a sec. But let the truth come out. The critics were right.

— Hugo Schwyzer (@hugoschwyzer) August 9, 2013

I know I did a little bit of good. I know I helped a few people. But I did so much more harm by being fraudulent, by lying.

— Hugo Schwyzer (@hugoschwyzer) August 9, 2013

My former friends and employers, I'm sorry. I meant well but I didn't have the credentials I pretended I did.

— Hugo Schwyzer (@hugoschwyzer) August 9, 2013

By the way do you know you only need a MA in history to teach any history course you like? That's the law.

— Hugo Schwyzer (@hugoschwyzer) August 9, 2013

At least in my college.

— Hugo Schwyzer (@hugoschwyzer) August 9, 2013

So I got diagnosed bipolar with psychotic features but damn the Seroquel knocks me flat and I wanted to FEEL alive again

— Hugo Schwyzer (@hugoschwyzer) August 9, 2013

So I will be okay. I'll go offline again. Just a manic episode that I'll regret. But I've been such a liar. A terrible liar.

— Hugo Schwyzer (@hugoschwyzer) August 9, 2013

I hurt so many people with lies.

— Hugo Schwyzer (@hugoschwyzer) August 9, 2013

I was never qualified to teach any gender studies courses. I talked my way into all these gigs.

— Hugo Schwyzer (@hugoschwyzer) August 9, 2013

And at Cosmopolitan, "Hugo Schwyzer, 'Feminist' Professor, Is Having a Twitter Breakdown."

Folks were calling him out, alleging his account had been hacked. He was DM'ing people to prove it was real.

Louise Mensch was online at the time.

I hope somebody is near, and can help, Hugo Schwyzer. Twitter has been an outlet used in mental breakdowns before.

— Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) August 9, 2013

It doesn't read like a hack, it reads like a man having a dangerous mental health episode. If you know @hugoschwyzer offline please help him

— Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) August 9, 2013

This also says something about the profession, and community colleges in particularly, where an unhinged academic hack can turn poseur and wreak havoc across all the feminist "space."

Fernando Rodney Wild Throwing Error in Spectacular Walk-Off Win at #Dodger Stadium

This was one hella long game, almost four hours. And I was practically falling asleep. The first time I'd been able to sit down and watch an entire Dodger game all week and I thought, "Shoot, they've been on fire but they're totally blowing this one." And then Skip Schumaker got a lead-off single in the bottom of the ninth and I said to my wife, "Hey, maybe they can do a walk-off win like the Angels on 4th of July?" And they did! My wife was screaming, "I wish we were there!"

At the Los Angeles Times, "Dodgers score four runs in ninth inning to defeat Rays, 7-6," and "Comeback heightens Dodgers' feeling something special is going on."

Hilarious Jeannette Garofalo Meme Cartoon!

At Lonely Conservative, "Saturday Funnies."

Riots in Belfast

At London's Daily Mail, "Loyalist riots in Belfast leave 56 police officers injured and parts of the city wrecked in night of 'mindless anarchy'."

Also at Guardian UK, "Police chief condemns Belfast loyalists after violence leaves 56 officers injured."

And I confess this video's pretty cool. That cop gets f-ked up at about 30 seconds.

'I don't oppose Islam as a country' — Australia's Stephanie Banister Withdraws from Politics After Disastrous TV Interview

She'd only been a declared candidate for two days. But still. It usually takes someone with a life's interest in public affairs to make a decent candidate. It's too bad, since I think she's got her head in the right place.

At Telegraph UK, "Australian election candidate says she doesn't oppose 'Islam as a country'."

And at the Guardian UK, "One Nation's Stephanie Banister withdraws from race after Islam comments."

You really do need a minimal level of competence, for shame.



More at the Sydney Morning Herald, "Stephanie Banister compared with Sarah Palin as gaffe-ridden interview makes headlines around the world."

Cringe-worthy.

Once Futuristic, Hollywood's High-Tech is Today's Reality

At USA Today, "Today's technology lives in sci-fi films of yesteryear."

Amanda Seyfried as Linda Lovelace

"Lovelace" is in theaters.

Background at the Los Angeles Times, "Presenting two Linda Lovelace stories in one biopic," and "'Lovelace': A look back at the porno chic era."

Plus, "Review: 'Lovelace' reveals degradation of porn star's life":

The dodgy biopic with Amanda Seyfried and Peter Sarsgaard offers a whitewashed version of the life that Linda Lovelace endured.

BONUS: At Egotastic!, "Amanda Seyfried Screencaps in ‘Lovelace’ 2013."

Honda Civic Tops in Small Car Crash Tests

Hondas are great cars. Not so sure about the Kias, however.

At LAT, "Honda Civic tops small-car crash test, Kia Forte scores worst."

And at the clip, interesting information about a spike in traffic fatalities in 2012, most likely from the increase of distracted drivers using mobile phone technologies.

Public Union Corruption in America

Amazingly concise and lucid discussion, via Prager U:

U.S. Trade Commission Bans Some Samsung Products

Interesting.

At the Wall Street Journal, "U.S. Panel Orders Import Ban on Some Samsung Devices":

WASHINGTON—The U.S. International Trade Commission on Friday ordered a ban on the import and sale of some Samsung Electronics Co. 005930.SE +1.07% mobile devices after finding they infringed on two Apple Inc. AAPL -1.42% patents.

The ruling could put pressure on the Obama administration, which only a few days earlier took the unusual step of vetoing an ITC ruling in favor of Samsung that would have barred the sale of some older Apple iPhones and iPads.

The administration will now have 60 days to decide whether to let the Samsung ban take effect. The impression of favoring domestic over foreign companies could raise trade tensions with Samsung's home country of South Korea.

Samsung, while expressing disappointment with the ruling, said the order won't hurt the availability of its products—an apparent reference to design changes made to remove infringing features from its smartphones and tablets.

"We have already taken measures to ensure that all of our products will continue to be available in the United States," a Samsung spokesman said.

Specific Samsung products affected by the ITC order weren't spelled out, though an earlier ruling by an agency judge pointed to older products that include the Galaxy S II smartphone and Galaxy 10.1 tablet. The order potentially could have an impact beyond older Samsung devices that Apple challenged at the time.

Friday's ruling is another setback to Samsung in its global patent battles with Apple. Earlier Friday, Samsung appeared to have a difficult time during an appeals court hearing in another patent fight between the two companies.

Legal experts say the Apple and Samsung cases are based on different kinds of patents that would justify different conclusions by the administration.

Continue reading.

Well, al Qaeda's Not 'Decimated' After All

Anything to get elected and now, back for second term, never any commitment to previous claims. The truth is infinitely malleable.

Here's President Memory Hole, at Gateway Pundit, "Obama: “When I Said Al-Qaeda Had Been Decimated… I Meant That Al-Qaeda Had Metastacized into Regional Groups” (Video)."



That "decimated" clip from campaign is here, "'Most Serious Terror Threat in Years' Forces Closure of U.S. Embassies, Consulates."

David Horowitz and Ron Radosh Attack Diana West and American Betrayal

Folks will remember I attended the Diana West book signing last month. It was a lively event and I was excited to meet Diana.

At the time I'd read a couple of chapters of the book. I'm frankly not well read in the historiography of Communist Party infiltration of the U.S. government, although from my own training I thought that some of Diana's conclusions were quite broad, especially on WWII strategic issues and the origins of the Cold War in Europe. Indeed, I mentioned to Diana that I thought her book was very "bold" and that I'd be interested to see the reactions among academic historians.

Unfortunately, this isn't what I had in mind.

It turns out that former Communists-turned conservatives David Horowitz and Ronald Radosh have launched a vicious, personal and ad hominem attack on Diana and American Betrayal. And right off the bat I have to say that any writer/scholar is going to face criticism and pushback against their work. But in an ideal world such criticism comes with an abundance of collegiality, reflecting normative expectations of elevating the community of scholars and scholarship. But with Horowitz and Radosh the attack is actually the exact opposite. It's an attempt to destroy any scholarship that isn't the acceptable form of anti-communism. This is conservative political correctness of the most extremely ugly kind.

Lots of interested parties are weighing in on this, and the heated exchange has seen a flurry of salvos issued at FrontPage Magazine, PJ Media, with Diana responding at her blog. But to be clear, at this point it's not wether Diana's book is right or wrong on facts and interpretations. It's that she's being treated as shabbily as can be, and sadly this is by people I've long held in very high esteem.

Let's start with Diana's initial, shocking email exchange with the folks at FrontPage. See, "If Frontpage Will Lie about This, What Won't They Lie About?" Diana was responding to Radosh's attack on her book at Horowitz's website, which included a nasty disclaimer falsely alleging that Diana refused to publish a response to Radosh at FrontPage. Check that link for the full post. (And note that Horowitz pulled his website's initial glowing review of the book, written by Mark Tapson, "MARK TAPSON ON DIANA WEST’S “AMERICAN BETRAYAL”.") But here's the exchange:

The email sequence starts at the bottom. I note that Horowitz cc'd his email (immediately below) to three other people -- presumably to display his cleverness.

On Aug 7, 2013, at 1:08 AM, david horowitz wrote:

Dear Diana,
Our decision to remove the review of American Betrayal was not because it offered an incorrect opinion that we wanted to suppress. The review was removed because the reviewer was as incompetent to provide an informed assessment of your book as you were to write it.
David [Horowitz]

From: jamie glazov
Subject: Fwd: review of your book
Date: August 6, 2013 7:41:00 PM PDT
To: David Horowitz

I guess we're not friends anymore.

From: Diana West ...
Date: Tue, Aug 6, 2013 at 9:38 PM
Subject: Re: review of your book
To: jamie glazov

Dear Jamie,
What gall. You and your crew behave like little totalitarians, suppress an "incorrect" opinion of my book, and, now that you have your "correct" reveiw at the ready, ask me to dignify your nasty tactics by engaging in civil debate. If I deem it worth my while to respond to the Radosh review, I will find another outlet.
Diana

On Aug 6, 2013, at 9:41 PM, jamie glazov wrote:

Dear Diana, I just want to give you a heads up that our review of your book, written by Ron Radosh, will be going up on our site at 9:30pm Pacific time this evening (12:30am Eastern).

David would like me to pass on to you that you are most welcome to write a response to this review, and to feel free to write at length to defend your position (but not longer than the review itself).

Sincerely, Jamie.

I've placed Horowitz's email in bold as the condescension and contempt for Diana is really astonishing.

And the exact same contempt bleeds across the page at Radosh's angry review at FrontPage, "McCarthy on Steroids." He's so fired up that he posted another piece at PJ Media even before Diana was able to respond, "Why I Wrote a Take-Down of Diana West’s Awful Book."

And then on it goes. Here's David Horowitz, "Editorial: Our Controversy With Diana West."

There's also a review by historian Jeffrey Herf, "Diana West vs. History." And then Ron Radosh lashes out again, "Diana West’s Attempt to Respond."

And then back over at Diana's blog, "If Frontpage Lies about This, They'll Lie about Anything, Pt. 2," and "'Professor' Radosh Gets an 'F'."

Again, I'm still reading and evaluating Diana's book, and I expect to be reading more books in the genre of Soviet espionage against the U.S. My argument here is that the attacks on Diana are unscholarly and unprofessional. Nothing here works to elevate the community of scholars above the routine bilge we navigate on a daily basis in the blogosphere. There's a prodigious amount of research that went into American Betrayal, and I'd expect that the work would be seen as advancing an important debate and offering much needed provocation in our current era of official state-sponsored ignorance and the media's capitulation to daily Orwellian lies.

In any case, Robert Stacy McCain, who's very well versed in the works on Communist infiltration in the U.S., has weighed in at his blog, "Diana West Dissed by David Horowitz?" And Edward Cline has this, "FrontPage's Spitballs Strike Diana West":

Why would the editors remove Tapson's review? Because it contradicts Radosh's in substance and in style, in truth, and in honesty. The removal of Tapson's review speaks volumes about the motives of FrontPage's editors. Instead of issuing a statement to the effect that while they respect Tapson's views on West's book, there is another perspective and here is Mr. Radosh's, and even providing readers to a link to Tapson's review. But to remove a contradictory and controversial article is a confession of intellectual weakness and moral turpitude. The editors do not wish readers to compare the Tapson review with Radosh's. They wish to play Big Brotherish Ministry of Truth games with readers' minds.

In his rambling, Alinskyite article, Radosh expects West to have read or consulted every book ever published whose subject was FDR's conscious, insouciant, or unwitting complicity in the preservation of the Soviet Union. He claims she didn't read this or that authority or author. Her knowledge and command of the field of Soviet-American studies ought to have been encyclopedic, and if it wasn’t, then, as far as Radosh and his editors are concerned, she should be shot down, discredited, and her work consigned to a dustbin.

Reading his purported review, I was constantly reminded of that old legal saw, "When did you stop beating your wife?" "But I never beat my wife." "Prove it." "I can't prove a negative." "Too bad. Let the implied charge be entered into the minds of the jury." "Objection!" "Objection overruled."

Reading Radosh's "review," one is first knocked silly by the highly personal animus he nurtures for West. It colors his purported review and does him no favors, and certainly, as West herself points out, does nothing to lend his reputation as a neocon any credibility. I could not shake loose the impression that Radosh was attempting to defend Roosevelt, Harry Hopkins, and even Stalin from West's charges. The invective present in his long screed is demonstrable and there for all to see who choose to see.

But rather than attempt to counter Radosh's allegations of West's incompetency and illiteracy – which in itself would require a book-length treatment, something I am not willing to undertake because the soundness and value West's book speak for themselves – I will simply stress that FrontPage's editors have shown their dishonest and manipulative hands by removing Mark Tapson's review. That is an unconscionable and unforgivable journalistic and moral crime.

There's more at the link.

And see the Lonely Conservative, "Front Page Mag vs. Diana West."

And also Kathy Shaidle, "Ron Radosh takes issue with Diana West’s ‘American Betrayal’." And note Kathy's update:

UPDATE: Andrew Bostom sent me two articles critical of Radosh’s reviews of new books about McCarthy, as a sort of “consider the source” thing. So I will check those out.

And yet more from Ruth King, "RON RADOSH: REVIEW OF DIANA WEST’S BOOK “AMERICAN BETRAYAL”….SEE NOTE PLEASE."

VIDEO: Dirt Bike Rider Attacked by Angry Ram

Amazing.

There's some joking around on this comment board, but I think the guy handled it pretty well. (And here as well.)

Silver Fire Still Burns in Riverside County

At the Riverside Press Enterprise, "SILVER FIRE: Blaze waning, but firefighters still cautious."

And "SILVER FIRE: Evacuation meeting 5:30 p.m. in Hemet."

And a dramatic pictorial at the Atlantic, "California's Silver Fire."



And at the Los Angeles Times, "Silver fire: 'God, I'm gonna die,' survivor kept thinking." And, "Silver fire: More than 2 dozen homes destroyed, 5 firefighters hurt."

Out-of-Control Cop Pummels 'Shoplifter' Mom in Front of Infant Daughter

This is why people hate cops.

At the New York Post:

An out-of-control Iowa cop viciously beat a defenseless female shoplifter, all as her 1-year-old infant sat nearby in a stroller and store security cameras rolled.

Brandie Redell,34, had been pinched at a Von Maur store in Davenport, Iowa, when she called her boyfriend to pick up their daughter.

When one of the officers heard her boyfriend’s name, community activist James Gibson, that’s when the cop went crazy, Redell said.

"`This is going to get ugly really quick,’" Redell quoted officer Scott Crow moments before he began pummeling her for a full minute.

Redell can be seen recoiling in fear as Crow approached her and began punching her mercilessly.

Karen Alloy on Vine

Pretty good use of six seconds, which is all you get from Vine.

Glasses. Stupid. https://t.co/yPRzTP9EDm

— spricket24 (@KarenAlloy) July 18, 2013

Majority Calls #ObamaCare 'a Joke'

Well, it would have been nicer if this same majority would have expressed this viewpoint at the ballot box last November, but I guess better late than never.

From Dana Blanton, "Fox News Poll: Majority calls implementation of ObamaCare 'a joke'."

Majorities of Americans think the new health care law is going to increase their medical costs and their taxes -- and add to the federal deficit as well. Those are some of the reasons why voters say -- by a two-to-one margin -- that Congress should keep working on the law.

A Fox News national poll released Thursday also asks voters about how they think Obamacare is being carried out: 31 percent say “it’s going fine,” yet a 57-percent majority feels “it’s a joke.”

Republicans are more than three times as likely to say it’s a joke (87 percent vs. 25 percent). Still, a quarter of Democrats agree.

Nine times as many Democrats as Republicans say implementation of Obamacare is going fine (63 percent vs. 7 percent).

Overall, 63 percent of voters think the 2010 health care law needs to be changed and Congress should keep at it. That’s up from 58 percent who felt that way in July 2012. On the other hand, 31 percent say the law is the law and Congress should “move on” to other issues.

The law needs to be repealed. It should be a top priority of the Republicans, along with Benghazi and the IRS, as I've noted previously.

It's 15 months until the 2014 midterms. That's not that far off and I expect public opinion on this monstrosity to continue to deteriorate.

I'll have more on this, as always.

Via Memeorandum.

CARTOON CREDIT: William Warren.

Matt Damon's Science Fiction Socialism

And remember, Damon's a socialist, but only with other people's kids. When push comes to shove, his children go to private schools, the freakin' hypocrite.

At London's Daily Mail, "'Sci-fi socialism': New Matt Damon movie predicts future where the one per cent lives on luxury space colony and earth is just overcrowded slums.... but star insists it's NOT political."



Also at Big Hollywood, "Variety: 'Elysium' Pushes 'Openly Socialist Political Agenda'."

And Kenneth Turan says "meh," at LAT, "Review: Despite Matt Damon, 'Elysium' disappoints: Matt Damon can't save the politically conscious, pedestrian 'Elysium.' Neill Blomkamp ('District 9') directs."

Race Relations Tutorial

AlfonZo Rachel!



And yeah, If I'm going make a point specific about black people, then I'm going make a point specific about black people, and that's just fine --- unless you're a politically correct leftist obsessing with not offending anyone, the horrors!

#NewRedskinsNickname

Pretty good.

At Twitchy, "Rest easy, Slate: Twitter has your inoffensive #NewRedskinsNickname."

#NewRedskinsNickname Washington Creepy Ass-Crackas
— Doreen Dickson (@DoreenHDickson) August 8, 2013

And at Slate (via Memeorandum), "Why Slate will no longer refer to Washington's NFL team as the Redskins."

I'll start worrying about this when blacks stop getting a free pass for calling each other "nigga."

Alleged Miami Killer Derek Medina Posts Grisly Photo of Murdered Wife to Facebook

At the Miami Herald, "South Miami man kills wife, posts photo of bloody body, then turns himself in to police."

And at the New York Post, "Facebook death photo horror after Miami man allegedly kills wife; he wrote self-help book on saving marriage."

And it turns out that Gossip Extra wasn't beneath posting the grisly image, "HORROR: Miami Man Kills Wife — Posts Photo of Her Body on Facebook!"

'Toxic' Hothead Alec Baldwin to Host Show on Far-Left MSNBC

Well, they're all pretty much toxic over there, so it makes sense.

Pat Dollard nails it, "Racist Homophobe Alec ‘Coon’ Baldwin Set to Host New MSNBC Primetime Show."



Also at Twitchy, "Bring it on: Toxic little tweeters rush to name Alec Baldwin’s MSNBC show." And at NewsBusters, "Report: Alec Baldwin to Host Weekly Show on MSNBC."

Jimmy Kimmel 7th Annual Belly Flop Competition

I caught this the other night.

The young woman is a hottie.



And see Part I and Part III.

Is Fashion Racist?

Yes, to some extent.

But it's up to the major label companies to put more women of color out there, for there's no lack of beauty.

But see the take at the New York Times, FWIW, "Fashion’s Blind Spot":

Five years ago, the fashion industry faced a reckoning over the startling lack of diversity among the models on major designer runways. Reacting to complaints that many shows and magazines included nothing but white models, Vogue, in its July 2008 issue, featured a substantial article that asked, in its headline, “Is Fashion Racist?”

This came shortly after Franca Sozzani, the editor of Italian Vogue, published a provocative issue using only black models and feature subjects; Bethann Hardison, a former model and agent, initiated a series of panel discussions on the subject; and Diane von Furstenberg, the president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, urged members to be more aware of diversity in casting.

And since then, almost nothing has changed.

The New York shows are as dominated by white models as they have been since the late 1990s, roughly at the end of the era of supermodels. Jezebel, a blog that has been tracking the appearance of minorities in fashion shows since the debate erupted, noted that the numbers are hardly encouraging. After a notable increase in 2009 that followed extensive news media coverage, the representation of black models has remained fairly steady until this year, when they accounted for only 6 percent of the looks shown at the last Fashion Week in February (down from 8.1 percent the previous season); 82.7 percent were worn by white models.

In Europe, where Phoebe Philo of Céline, Raf Simons of Dior and many others have presented entire collections using no black models at all, the opportunities have been even less favorable for minorities.

“There is something terribly wrong,” said Iman, one of the most iconic models in the world, who later created a successful cosmetics company. Her experience in the fashion scene of the 1980s and ’90s, when designers like Calvin Klein, Gianni Versace and Yves Saint Laurent routinely cast black models without question, was starkly different than that of young nonwhite models today, when the racial prejudice is all but explicitly stated. The increased appearance of Asian models over the last decade, for example, is often described specifically in terms of appealing to luxury customers in China.

“We have a president and a first lady who are black,” Iman said. “You would think things have changed, and then you realize that they have not. In fact, things have gone backward.”

Yeah, I blame Obama too. Racism has exploded during his presidency, leftist, elitist, Democrat racism.

More at the link.

Oprah Winfrey Trashes Fox News While Promoting 'The Butler'

From yesterday's "The Five."

Kate Upton for Elle Magazine

Well, an improvement over that big stupid black bitch, that's for sure.

At the New York Post, "Kate Upton: Yes, I'm religious and proud of it."

Also at London's Daily Mail, "'I felt terrible about myself for a solid month': Kate Upton on how she was treated like a 'toy' after her first racy Sports Illustrated cover."

Big Stupid Black Babysitter Kariasa Thomas Distracted by Facebook as 3-Year-Old Drowns

At iOWNTHEWORLD, "‘Hey everybody Im back n ready to act a fool’":

That was the last Facebook entry of a woman who was supposed to be babysitting four kids at a pool.

She should make an entry in Facedown Book, because that’s how one of the kids was found when she finally got around to rounding them up to leave.

The kid drowned just feet away from where she was lounging while Facebooking, talking on the phone and playing with her pit bull.

Also at New York Daily News, "Dallas woman distracted by Facebook as 3-year-old girl drowns: 
police."

Political Correctness Trumps Truth in Fort Hood Massacre

From Michelle Malkin, "3 forgotten facts about the Fort Hood jihad attack." Here are the three forgotten facts:

"– Fourteen victims fell on Nov. 5, 2009, not 13. Thirteen of our U.S. military personnel died in cold blood at the deployment center. But the death toll was actually 14. Pvt. Francheska Velez, 21, was pregnant when Hasan shot her during the first round of gunfire."

***

"– The victims were all unarmed. Soldiers inside the deployment center were and are forbidden from carrying weapons — either issued weapons or personal arms — on base."

***

"– Hasan’s military colleagues were more concerned with being accused of discrimination than with ridding our military of this known, deranged Islamic radical. In 2007, two years before he carried out his homicidal plan, Hasan laid out his murderous means, motives and Koranic inspiration for all to see."

RTWT.

Drudge: Fox News Shakeup as Megyn Kelly Moves to Primetime

Gateway Pundit reports, "FOX News Shakeup – Megyn Kelly Moves to Primetime."

And at the Guardian UK, "Should we care that smart women aren't having kids?" (via the People's Cube).

#Dodgers Do Heavy Damage to #Cardinals

Dodgers are staying hot.

At LAT, "Dodgers do heavy damage in 13-4 win over Cardinals":

ST. LOUIS — Fans were still finding their seats when St. Louis Cardinals rookie Shelby Miller threw the second pitch of the game to the Dodgers' Carl Crawford on Wednesday night.

Crawford hit a line drive directly at Miller, striking the right-hander's throwing elbow as the Busch Stadium crowd let out a gasp.

"I honestly thought he broke his arm, I've never seen a ball hit that flush on an elbow," the Dodgers' Skip Schumaker said.

The ball hit Miller with such force that it caromed off the pitcher and flew into shallow left field, enabling Crawford to reach second base with a double.

Miller was led off the field, and an inning later the Cardinals called on veteran Jake Westbrook, their scheduled starting pitcher for Thursday.

The Dodgers then jumped all over Westbrook with six runs in the second inning on their way to a 13-4 win, their sixth victory in the last seven games.

The Dodgers had a season-high 18 hits, including four by Crawford, and Schumaker and Andre Ethier each had four runs batted in.

After having their streak of consecutive road wins end at 15 here Tuesday night, the Dodgers' win also meant the club still has not lost consecutive games since June 20-21.

RTWT.

Plus, from Chris Erskine, "Dodgers' successes seem sweeter after their early struggles."

@MSNBC 'Mansplainer' Lawrence O'Donnell

Here's Julia Ioffe demanding to be recognized as the RUSSIAN EXPERT!

At the New Republic, "Dear Lawrence O'Donnell, Don't Mansplain to Me About Russia" (via Memeorandum).

The whole "mainsplaining" thing would have more kick if she'd called him a "mansplainer" on the air. Instead she waits until later for her backup feminist grievance programming to kick in and voilà, a fearsome "STFU mansplainer I'm a MF Russian expert blog post beatdown!" I guess it's really super brave if you take your outrage back to the blogosphere. Or safer. Lots of loser left-wing dolts to back you up.

'Hollywood Hypocrisy' on Hannity's

A great segment featuring Michelle Fields.

I tweeted Michelle and she liked it.

Professor Hugo Schwyzer Quits the Internet!

I can't believe what a f-king tool this guy is.

At Daley Gator, "DAMN! I just hate it when a famous blogger I never heard of stops blogging!"

And he's not really quitting the Internet. He's pumping up the controversy in advance of an impending reentry.

Here's this from the loser's interview at New York Magazine:

I had just gotten hired by Jezebel for a weekly column, and a huge discussion broke out: Do we want this guy, a professor who f-ked his students, who tried to kill a woman, not to mention straight, white, and middle class, to be the voice of male feminism?

Shoot, he should be overqualified, lol!

Not to mention names, but this is the kinda guy my idiot harassers should be going after. Doh.

In any case, more at the Frisky, "The Soapbox: On Hugo Schwyzer, Personal Essay Writing & Redemption."

Photo Credit: HackCollege, "Pasadena City College Offers Porn Class."

Leftists Outraged Over Wendy Davis 'Abortion Barbie' Comments

American Glob has it, "Hypocritical Libs Outraged Over “Abortion Barbie” Moniker For Wendy Davis."

And Abby Huntsman and Krystal Ball toe the hypocritical leftist line, you know because "Abortion Barbie is bad, while Caribou Barbie" is good:



More at Twitchy, "Wendy Davis labeled ‘Abortion Barbie’; Outrage from some who said nothing about ‘Caribou Barbie’."

'Distributed Internet Reputational Attack'

Well, it turns out I haven't blogged about this Charles Carreon dolt, but Robert Stacy McCain has, taking off on Popehat's epic beatdown on that idiot.

See, "‘Distributed Internet Reputational Attack’? Charles Carreon’s Self-Evident Absurdity."

And following the links we see this at Popehat, "An Open Letter to Charles Carreon."

And (I'm laughing as I link this) go to Carreon's "Rapeutation" blog.

"Reputational Attack"? The lulz.

BONUS: Head back over to the Other McCain for more on this Carreon dolt, "The @Popehat Reign of Terror and the Censorious Douchebag Charles Carreon."

How Low Will We Actually Go in the Age of Obama?

Pretty low, it turns out.

I caught Ace administering an epic beatdown to Jane Pratt on Twitter. Unfortunately, he was tweeting her old Twitter account and he moved on.

But reading the posts you can understand why the despair.

Lisa DePasquale was a little hurt that Jane Pratt, who was a childhood hero of hers for editing teen girls' magazines that appealed to the "Smart Girls," is now peddling Sydney Leathers' Idiot's Guide to Getting Older Married Men to Masturbate for You Over the Internet how-to manual.

I linked this in the sidebar yesterday -- but I assumed she was self-publishing or maybe had some kind of deal via, I don't know, Vivid Entertainment's literary imprint, if you can imagine such a thing.

Nope! Teen Girl's Magazine. (Correction: I'm told it's a women's magazine for girls who used to read the teen magazine Sassy. But see my note at the end.) Click the link to the see the story and read what Jane Pratt thinks is important information for teen girls.

How sad is this?

Teen magazines used to peddle the fantasy of becoming a Fashion Model.

Now they peddle the fantasy of becoming a Vagina Model.

This really made me sad for the pathetic current state of the human condition in America in the Age of Obama. How low will we actually go? When teen magazines are celebrating a half-wit's skill at baiting men into 'batin', how far are we from Idiocracy?

And see, "Slouching Towards Idiocracy."

BONUS: The original piece at xoJane, "ANTHONY WEINER'S SEXTING PARTNER SYDNEY LEATHERS REVEALS HER 10 SECRETS FOR SEDUCING A POLITICIAN.


It's all of a piece.

The left is succeeding in destroying the culture. The trick will be resisting despair. Leftist regressive overreach is upon now and we'll see some real political shifts in the upcoming elections.

Victoria Silvstedt Rule 5 — UPDATED!

Jeez, where's this woman been my whole life?

On Twitter perhaps.

Paradise island !! Looks like I'm on a different planet pic.twitter.com/rbpkJqHgRi
— victoria silvstedt (@vicsilvstedt) August 6, 2013

And at Egotastic!, "We Saw Victoria Silvstedt in Her Bikini, Now Let’s See Her in Playboy."

UPDATE: My good friend Bob Belvedere points out that Ms. Silvstedt's breasts are fakies. Actually, the Egotastic! photos are pre-surgery, it turns out, and checking around it's clear that she's seen better days. For example "Victoria Silvstedt Plastic Surgery Before and After Breast Implants and Lips." Also, "Victoria Silvstedt: Worst Plastic Surgery at Cannes?"

Hotshot Widow Juliann Ashcraft Fights for Survivor's Benefits

The City of Prescott's gonna lose on this one way or another.

And to listen to Ms. Ashcraft is heartbreaking. She's been making the rounds on the news shows after a contention battle with the city council.

Here's London's Daily Mail, "Devastated Arizona Hotshot widow left to raise four children alone is DENIED lifetime benefits after city claims her husband was a 'seasonal' firefighter."

This Jake Tapper interview was excellent.



More at ABC News, "New Bill Could Boost Benefits for Some Arizona Hotshot Families."

Doe-Eyed Jen Psaki Barely Survives Tough @JakeTapper Interview

Here's Milena Rodban on Twitter, "I'm not sure what Jen Psaki is smiling about... her glee at getting away with barely answering any of @JakeTapper's questions?"

Ding!

And see for yourself:



The last part of the issue deals with, ahem, "human rights," or as R.S. McCain aptly observes, the question of how far the Obama White House will kowtow to the radical homosexual lobby. See, "From Russia, With Hate: Sodomy Lobby Now Dictating U.S. Foreign Policy."

More at WaPo, "Obama cancels summit meeting with Putin." (Via Memeorandum.)

Hamas Summer Camp

Remember what I was saying the other day, "Al-Quds Day Rally, New York: 'Free Palestine — From River to the Sea...'"

Here's more from Obama's "peace" partners.

'We Are Trayvon' Ebony Cover

Look, we'll never have racial reconciliation in this country when stupid people in the black community continue to exploit popular culture for leftist race-baiting.

At the Urban Daily, "Ebony Magazine Dedicates Four Covers to Trayvon Martin [PHOTOS]":

On newsstands August 6th, Ebony Magazine named the issue “We Are Trayvon.” Three of the covers feature celebrity men in hoodies with their sons. Those men are Boris Kodjoe and his son Nicholas, Dwyane Wade and his sons Zaire and Zion, and Spike Lee and his teenage son Jackson.

Inside of the magazine, Jill Scott wrote a poem tributing the slain teen. Columbia University professor Dr. Marc Lamont Hill and Rev. Al Sharpton both contributed editorial pieces for the Trayvon Martin-dedicated issue. Finally, Ebony got an exclusive interview with the parents of Trayvon Martin Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin.

Hat Tip: Breitbart Sports, where there are hundreds of comments.

Scandalous Luxury Travel Spending by Academic Deans at UCLA

When we talk about the entitlement mentality of the leftist political class, it's amazing how frequently California leads the discussion of this reprehensible corruption.

KABC-TV Los Angeles had this the other day, "UCLA officials' travel expenses scrutinized."

And here's Brianna Keilar at CNN:

Mika Brzezinski: 'I don't see MSNBC going after Democratic presidential candidates and trying to hire them or trying to push them into forefront...'

Joe Scarborough calls out Brzezinski, hilariously so.

Allahpundit has a great rundown, "Scarborough: Let’s face it, MSNBC primetime is a mouthpiece for Democrats":

Can a statement that the world is round be newsworthy? Normally I’d say no but last night Matthews implied that it’s not so much that MSNBC is in the tank for O as that his and their views just happen to “coincide.” Mika Brzezinski also seems to think there’s some key qualitative difference between MSNBC and Fox News insofar as Fox, per its hires of former Republican candidates, is more of a mouthpiece for the party than her employer is. Which is funny, because not only has MSNBC made Obama confidants David Axelrod and Robert Gibbs contributors, the two of them are among Scarborough’s most frequent guests. If the network could give Jay Carney contributor status right now, in order to get talking-points milk fresh from the cow, no doubt they would. Note to Mika: The real difference between Fox and MSNBC is that Fox still cares about breaking news.

More at the link.

Don't Underestimate the al-Qaeda Threat

An editorial at USA Today, "Keep al-Qaeda's threats in perspective: Our view."

I'm skeptical al Qaeda is "overwhelmingly unpopular" across the Islamic world, as the piece argues. Polls routinely show high support for terrorism against the West, so it's hardly credible to say these same populations don't back al Qaeda in significant numbers. (See the Religion of Peace for a roundup of opinion, "A 'Tiny Minority of Extremists'?")

Otherwise, an interesting editorial.

And see, "U.S. evacuates embassy in Yemen; drones hit al-Qaeda."

@AceofSpadesHQ Teaches @AmandaMarcotte About the Facts of Life — Men Likes Boobs!

Side-splitting.

At Twitchy, "‘Know why men like boobs?’ Ace teaches Amanda Marcotte the facts of life with hilarious results."

.@amandamarcotte, discussing someone *not* named "Amanda Marcotte:" "The note of persecution is painful." Inded. http://t.co/btlIjolZVi
— DepressiveBlogger69 (@AceofSpadesHQ) August 4, 2013

Warning: Marcotte’s writing is not safe for sanity. The real war on women? It’s perpetrated by “feminists” like Ms. Marcotte. But, no worries! Ace of Spades is here to graciously teach her something about the facts of life.

Wink. "Christy, let's act like a lady."

OMG, Dana Loesch has just had it up to here with idiot Christy Setzer, on Hannity's last night.

Japan Unveils Biggest Warship Since World War II

Well, it's logical. At some point Japan's gotta be ready to defend itself against China, which is often openly bellicose toward regional adversaries --- and that's despite the huge U.S. presence in the region. (Or China is perceived as bellicose, often as the media and blogs pump up the atmospherics.) Expect to see further defense mobilization in Japan in the immediate years ahead.

At Pat Dollard, "Japan Counters China by Debuting First Aircraft Carrier Since World War II."

RELATED: At the New York Times, last April, "Japan Shifts From Pacifism as Anxiety in Region Rises."

'What are you going to do about it, grandpa?'

Actually, the headline's a quote from the New York Post, indicating what two witnesses heard Weiner say to his opponent. But the news clip indicates Weiner said, "But you do, grandpa." And interestingly, the clip also suggests that Weiner's got some Teflon mojo when it comes to the lewd tweeting scandal.

At Jammie Wearing Fools, "GOP NYC Mayoral Candidate to Weiner: 'I would appreciate if you would never touch me again”; Weiner: “What are you going to do about it, grandpa?'"

NewsBusted: 'Raul Castro transferring power in Cuba to younger generations...'

A good one, via Theo Spark.

Obama Schedules White House Meeting with Muslim Brotherhood Officials

Barack Hussein wants to keep those murderers in power in Egypt, and a Turkish delegation is overseeing the meeting.

(Head hits desk.)

At Atlas Shrugs, "OBAMA REPORTEDLY TO MEET WITH MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD OFFICIALS IN THE WHITE HOUSE."



PHOTO CREDIT: Gateway Pundit.

Californians Confused and Angry at Amber Alert on Cellphones

I give my iPhone to my youngest boy to use (pretty much all the time now), because he "can't find his charger" to his iPod. So last night he was in the back room watching TV for awhile and he comes out and says, "You got a couple of amber alerts." I'm like "WFT," thinking my son signed me up for some funky new apps or something. But turns out the state sent out its first amber alert by mobile devices yesterday, and a lot of folks aren't pleased.

See LAT, "Amber Alert: Californians confused, angry and startled":

Residents across California were startled overnight by cellphones that came to life in screeches and buzzes, awaking some and unsettling others with the state's first Amber Alert via text message.

Californians are no strangers to Amber Alerts, which are issued for critical child abductions. But for the first time Monday night, residents across the Southland experienced an Amber Alert issued via text message to their cellphones -- and got the full complement of a 10-second spurt of high-pitched noise and buzzing.

The message -- which included only basic details about a blue Nissan -- sent many customers into a tizzy of confusion, even anger. The text did not explain the circumstances.

Amber Alert Q&A: Why it happens, how to turn it off

The Amber Alert was issued after James Lee DiMaggio, suspected of killing Christina Anderson, 44, of Lakeside, allegedly kidnapped one or both of her children: Hannah Anderson, 16, and Ethan Anderson, 8.
Most newer phones are automatically set up to receive the alerts -- which look like text messages but are free -- meaning customers must contact their cell service provider to opt out of the program. Otherwise, customers will receive alerts tailored to geographic regions.

Well, this is the first I've heard of it. Don't know if I'll opt out, but if they become really frequent, probably yes. I'll get the same alerts on TV within a few minutes.

More at KABC-TV Los Angeles, "Amber Alerts on cellphones: A closer look."

The Truth About Benghazi

Erin Burnett's one-hour investigation starts now.

I'll have some thoughts on this later...

Wow, Even the Leftist Daily Beast Gets It: 'Nidal Hasan's Murders Termed 'Workplace Violence' by U.S.'

The White House obviously cares more about a mass-murderer who screamed "Allahu Akbar" before opening fire than it does for the victims who were gunned down.

It's no wonder why this president and his sick PC shock troops are so widely reviled.

Here's the Daily Beast:

Fort Hood victims suffering continues as government labels the murder of 13 soldiers "workplace violence" http://t.co/NNwE900dde

— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) August 7, 2013