Searching for Balance in a Wired World

Picking up on a theme of recents posts, at NYT, "Resisting the Siren Call of the Screen: 3 Books Offer Ways to Cut the Cord, If Only Briefly":

My house may be like your house.

As I type these lines, my daughter, Harriet, who is 14, is on her iPhone skipping among no fewer than eight social media sites: Flickr, Tumblr, Kik, Snapchat, Instagram, Ask.fm, Twitter and Vine. Rarely Facebook. Facebook, she says, is so 2011.

My son, Penn, who is 15, will be asleep for hours yet. He was up all night with a friend playing two video games, Call of Duty and Eve, in a jag fueled by his four favorite foodlike substances: nacho cheese Doritos, Kit Kat candy bars, jelly beans and a Mountain Dew flavor variant known as Code Red. His is the prix fixe menu of the anti-gods.

My kids are smart, kind and more or less well adjusted. I like that they are comfortable and alert in the wired world, able to fish in it like young bears in a salmon stream. But increasingly I am terrified for them. It’s more apparent every day that screens have incrementally stolen them from themselves, and stolen them from us.

My wife, Cree, and I have allowed them to drift quite distantly into the online world, and we fear our casualness has been a calamity. Our kids are paler than they should be, ill at ease with casual boredom, squirmy without Wi-Fi. Their grades are not what they should be. We fear we have left them, as it were, to their own devices.

Each summer Cree and I resolve, over a series of panicked breakfasts at our local diner, to rein things back in. This is when we draft stern rules for a new school year, strictures like: no laptops in bedrooms during the week; homework before screen time; no electronics after 10 p.m.; no iTunes purchases without advance permission, not even that 99-cent Rihanna remix.

These rules invariably begin to crack by Day 3. By Day 4, there is pleading, and the discreet slamming of doors. By Day 5, Harriet is making cryptic remarks about us on Twitter. By Day 6, we are all aggrieved.

By Day 7, Cree and I are threatening them with the treatment a friend calls “the Full Amish” — all plugs pulled. By Day 8, the start of the second week of school, no one is sure what the rules are anymore. We’re back where we started, and plump with dread.

This year it occurred to me we needed help. So I sat down with three new books that offer assistance, understanding and quasi-epic subtitles. They are: “The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age,” by Catherine Steiner-Adair with Teresa H. Barker; “The Distraction Addiction: Getting the Information You Need and the Communication You Want, Without Enraging Your Family, Annoying Your Colleagues, and Destroying Your Soul,” by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang; and “The App Generation: How Today’s Youth Navigate Identity, Intimacy, and Imagination in a Digital World,” by Howard Gardner and Katie Davis. (I read an advance copy of this last one; it won’t be published until October.)

That's very well stated, and interesting --- the story of America right now, in many ways.

Continue reading.

K-Mart Back-to-School Ad Attacked as 'Racist'

The Dirty has the full clip, "Is “My Limo” Racist Towards African-Americans?"

And while there was obligatory outrage on Twitter, analyst Amy Holmes nails it at this MSNBC segment.

Good for the kids, I say.

Lady Gaga Slams 'Stalker' Perez Hilton

At Twitchy, "Lady Gaga goes nuclear on Perez Hilton, says he is stalking her."

Plus, "‘f*ggot’: Got H8? Lady Gaga fans hurl anti-gay slurs at Perez Hilton."

Funny, but I remember the two being all buddy-buddy back in the day. What's up with that?

But good for Gaga. I can't stand Perez Hilton.

DO I NEED TO BE SHOT IT IN THE HEAD FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT HIM AND EVERYONE ELSE THAT HARASSES ME HAS GONE TOO FAR? IM A HUMAN BEING

— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) August 18, 2013

Mark Levin and 'The Liberty Amendments'

From Sean Hannity's Friday night special:



More questions, featuring Michelle Malkin, David Webb, David Limbaugh, Deneen Borelli, Niger Innis, and Jedediah Bila (in order as uploaded).

And buy the book, The Liberty Amendments: Restoring the American Republic.

'Grab Bag of Distortion' — Rep. Peter King Slams Rand Paul on NSA Surveillance Programs

Here's Sen. Paul's clip, "NSA Surveillance Violations - Sen. Rand Paul - John Roberts - Fox News Sunday - 8-18-13."

And see the Hill, "Peter King: Rand Paul 'a grab bag of misinformation and distortion' on NSA."

Gwyneth Paltrow Bikini

Well, I wrote earlier about Ms. Paltrow's strict fitness regimen.

And you can see the results.

At the Mirror UK, "Gwyneth Paltrow wears her best friend's bikini and jumps in the air with slightly smug glee."



BONUS: Since I'm on a Rule 5 roundup hiatus, it's nevertheless appropriate to give Proof Positive a shout-out. See, "Women of PETA XXXVII," and "Best of the Web* Linkaround."

46-Year-Old Black Philadelphia Woman Arrested and Charged with Imprisoning Her Disabled Cousin

It's Regina Bennett, but folks wouldn't want to call attention to her race, because RAAAAACISM!

At London's Daily Mail, "Woman arrested after malnourished, handicapped cousin found tied to urine-soaked bed wearing only a diaper." Also at WPVI-TV Philadelphia, "Suspect charged after special needs woman found bound in Olney home."

And no doubt she chained her cousin, reeking, diaper-soaked, to the bed, because WHITE RAAAAACISM!

It's not her fault! It's the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow that made her do it. She has no personal responsibility here, because RAAAAACISM!

Oh My! Judge Jeanine Slams Obama's 'Indecisive, Unclear, and Feckless Foreign Policy...'

This lady's got more moral authority on the tip of her pinky than the president does with the entirety of his being.

Wow, what a hammering smack down of this dolt Barack Hussein and his cluster-k foreign policy.

At RCP, "Jeanine Pirro: 'Mr. President, It Looks Like You're Supporting Fanatical Muslims'."

Do you remember right after he was elected, President Obama ran to Cairo to give his first foreign policy speech, where he proclaimed that he wanted to seek common ground with the Muslim world - that his was a new presidency and that he was no George Bush.

Mr. President, with all due respect, I have news for you. George Bush was more popular in the Arab world than you are right now. The truth: your indecisive, unclear, and feckless foreign policy has literally run our relationship with that region into the ground.

And here's the rub - you have been giving billions of our dollars to countries who not only give us nothing in return, but who literally hate our guts.

Remember these scenes from last year and that Arab Spring where you predicted good things were happening in the Arab world? The “dawn of democracy is coming." But how long are we supposed to wait for that dawn? And how many sleepless nights do we have to go through to get to it?

Phillies Beat #Dodgers on Hanley Ramirez Walk-Off Error

Look, when you're riding the wave of euphoria any loss is devastating.

But this one was just pathetic --- not the Dodgers of this historic streak.

Here's the headline at the Los Angles Times, "No magic for a day: Phillies end Dodgers' 10-game winning streak."

It was one away in the bottom of the 9th with bases loaded for the Phillies. Don Mattingly went out to the mound to get the infield on the same page (a double play would end the inning.) The Phillies pinch-hit Michael Young, who slapped a rolling ground ball to Hanley Ramirez at short, who then bobbled the play allowing Philadelphia score the winning run. It looked like a routine ground ball to me. And Ramirez didn't come off looking too well at all, since that was his second error of the inning.

Well Hanley Ramirez is dead to me

— King WZRD (@Jwebbsterr) August 18, 2013

Onward and upward, as they say.

Sunday Cartoons

At Flopping Aces, "Sunday Funnies."



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

CARTOON CREDIT: At Legal Insurrection, "Branco Cartoon – Clowning Around."

David Michael Miranda, Glenn Greenwald's Partner, Detained 9 Hours at Heathrow

Here's the big story this afternoon, even making the New York Times, "Britain Detains Partner of Reporter Tied to Leaks."

Here's the happy couple:

UK authorities detain @ggreenwald's partner for 9 hrs & confiscate laptop etc under s7 Terrorism Act http://t.co/Rb8fNxEwgm

— alan rusbridger (@arusbridger) August 18, 2013

And see Greenwald's response, "Detaining my partner: a failed attempt at intimidation":

At 6:30 am this morning my time - 5:30 am on the East Coast of the US - I received a telephone call from someone who identified himself as a "security official at Heathrow airport." He told me that my partner, David Miranda, had been "detained" at the London airport "under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act of 2000."

David had spent the last week in Berlin, where he stayed with Laura Poitras, the US filmmaker who has worked with me extensively on the NSA stories. A Brazilian citizen, he was returning to our home in Rio de Janeiro this morning on British Airways, flying first to London and then on to Rio. When he arrived in London this morning, he was detained.

At the time the "security official" called me, David had been detained for 3 hours. The security official told me that they had the right to detain him for up to 9 hours in order to question him, at which point they could either arrest and charge him or ask a court to extend the question time. The official - who refused to give his name but would only identify himself by his number: 203654 - said David was not allowed to have a lawyer present, nor would they allow me to talk to him.

I immediately contacted the Guardian, which sent lawyers to the airport, as well various Brazilian officials I know. Within the hour, several senior Brazilian officials were engaged and expressing indignation over what was being done. The Guardian has the full story here.

Despite all that, five more hours went by and neither the Guardian's lawyers nor Brazilian officials, including the Ambassador to the UK in London, were able to obtain any information about David. We spent most of that time contemplating the charges he would likely face once the 9-hour period elapsed.

Continue reading.

Crime-Ravaged Oakland Residents Hire Private Security as City Slashes Public Safety

The primary function of government is to secure the public safety. That's why people come together to form the social contract, to escape the "state of nature" and provide order out of anarchy. And when government fails in its most basic responsibilities, it falls to citizens to fend for themselves. And with California perhaps the state most unfriendly to gun rights, increasingly, those who stay safe are the ones who'll be able to afford their own protection.

Here's a report at CBS News:



And the San Francisco Chronicle reports on how bad it's gotten in Oakland. Funerals are so routine it takes the violent shooting death of 16-month-old baby for people to be shocked at the violence. That's how low it's become. See, "Tiny casket symbolizes new low for Oakland crime."

There's loads of reporting on racial crime problem (at Bloomberg, for example), but this Economist piece comes closest to explaining what's happening, "Oakland: Killing for respect."

And see the discussion at the New York Times, "Weekend Opinionator: Oakland’s Tragedy, and Black America’s."

Yes, the tragedy of BLACK America, which is not a tragedy of racism but a failure of both the leftist culture and politically correct Democrat black-privilege policies.

'Lesbians have a “right” to have sex with your 14-year-old daughter and shut up, haters...'

Robert Stacy McCain updates us on the Kaitlyn Hunt case, "You’re Accused: ‘Vengeance, Spite, Fear, Denial, Sadness, Insecurity, Whatever’."

Truthout Labels DREAM 9 Aliens 'Undocumented U.S. Citizens...'

Hey, a classic leftist gambit to change the meaning of "citizen."

Orwell would be proud.

The Dream 9, undocumented US citizens since they were small children, challenge US immigration policies everyday: http://t.co/7d9nLNyI2N
— Truthout (@truthout) August 17, 2013

Meanwhile, that link takes you to a La Raza piece by Professor Roberto Cintli Rodriguez of the Mexican American Studies Program at the University of Arizona.

And the dude was in the O.C. last month, "Dr. Roberto Cintli Rodriguez, Tucson Raza Studies Defender, at Libreria Martinez This Saturday!"

Homeless Black Man Forces 'Racist' White Man to Apologize at Gunpoint

And the dude apologized, profusely apparently.

He even told the police he didn't think that race was a factor in being forced at gunpoint to apologize for racism! Man, the left's race-grifters have been dreamily successful in training petrified whites into zombified white racial groveling!

At KOMO News 4 Seattle, "Charge: Man with gun demands victim apologize to black people":

SEATTLE -- A 35-year-old homeless black man is being held on $500,000 bail after he pointed a gun at a white man's face and demanded he apologize for all the things white people did to black people, according to charges filed with King County Superior Court.

Chikwanha Eastling Nyashanu has been charged with assault and malicious harassment for the Aug. 11 incident near the basketball courts at Green Lake Community Center.

According to probable cause documents, Nyashanu walked up to the victim around 9:15 p.m., pointed a gun at his face and demanded the apology.

The victim later told officers he was scared out of his mind and offered Nyashanu his wallet. According to the documents, Nyashanu said he didn't want the wallet, just an apology.

According to the documents, the victim apologized profusely to Nyashanu, who pulled the gun away from the victim's head and walked away.

Officers found Nyashanu nearby and tazed him after he refused orders to get on the ground, according to probable cause documents. Officers reportedly found his gun loaded and additional ammo in his backpack.

Nyashanu, who denies having substance abuse or mental health issues, was arrested and booked into King County Jail, according to the documents.

The victim told officers he believes he was targeted because he was the only white person walking in the area, and Nyashanu would have demanded an apology from someone else if he hadn't been there.

Regardless, the victim told officers he doesn't think the crime was racially motivated. But, officers could find no other evidence for the attack and believe the victim was threatened based on his perceived race and color.

No, not racially motivated at all!

Well, at least the police thought otherwise, but of course they're just tools of the racist criminal justice system of capitalist oppression. Personal responsibility to so bourgeois. We've evolved past that by now, thanks to our enlightened class of progressive-socialist betters!

HAT TIP: Moonbattery.

Added: Linked at the Mad Jewess, "#BlackPrivilege: ‘Apologize White Man For Being ‘Racist’ Says Gun-Wieding Black Man."

Egypt Troops Clear Cairo Mosque

At WSJ, "Egypt Mosque Standoff Ends Amid Gunfire":

CAIRO—A 24-hour standoff between Egyptian security forces and antigovernment protesters holed up in a Cairo mosque ended amid gunfire and explosions late Saturday afternoon, with clashes leaving at least 173 dead across the country.

Antigovernment protesters erected barricades inside the al Fatah Mosque in Cairo's Ramses Square after deadly clashes Friday afternoon had turned the mosque into a makeshift morgue and medical center and a refuge for some 400 protesters later that evening.

But the competing narratives over what happened at the mosque Saturday reflects the deepening polarization between the Muslim Brotherhood and the government, and their vastly different versions of events.

The Brotherhood says it is fighting to preserve democracy, while the government claims it is cracking down on the movement as it conducts terrorist acts. Egypt's Brotherhood-led government was overthrown in a military coup last month.

On Saturday morning, security forces in armored personnel carriers surrounded the al Fatah Mosque with tanks and snipers on the roofs of nearby buildings. They appeared to fire the opening shots at about 1:30 p.m., although state TV reported that there were gunmen in the minaret that fired first.

Reporters inside the mosque, however, said they didn't see any arms there, where supporters of the Brotherhood-led Anti-Coup Alliance were holed up.

"No one inside has any guns, so why are they shooting them?" said Ahmed Atef, 32 years old, an onlooker.

Well, state forces obviously aren't taking any sh*t.

Continue reading.

More video here, "Egypt: tear gas fired into besieged mosque."

And Russia's sending a diplomatic mission to Cairo?

That's sourced to Breitbart so we'll see how it plays out. But if true, what a monstrous slap in the face to  Barack Hussein's administration.

Phoebe Cates Turns 50

Well, maybe I need to see "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" again.

It seems so long ago, but Kathy Shaidle remembers, big time.

At Pajamas Media, "Gen X Dream Girl Phoebe Cates Turns 50: The Girl in the Red Bikini has the perfect life. (Dammit.)."



But she married Kevin Kline? Ugh.

O.C. Gets its 'Carmageddon'

Well, they're calling it "Bridge Bash" actually, but this is my route for work, from Irvine to Long Beach. Interstate 405 is closing tonight for a major project.

At LAT, "Orange County 'Carmageddon': Full 405 Freeway closure coming."

And, "O.C. braces for 20-hour closure of 405 Freeway near L.A. County."

Internet Apocalypse

This gives me a bad feeling.

At London's Daily Mail, "Google Blackout Sees Global Web Traffic Plunge by 40%."

Our lives are intwined with Google --- mine especially so. Good thing though I missed this black out. I wasn't affected a bit. Seems though that markets need to correct for this kind of thing, and so far they're not.

'This is Vineland...'

It's a cool app.

 At Independent UK, "Inside the six-second video app that is reinventing film":

Many dismissed Vine as a gimmick when it launched earlier this year, but its tight format has created a new wave of micro movie mavericks...

I posted on those stop-motion Vines yesterday.

Paul Ryan Viewed Most Favorably in Poll of GOP Preferences

Well, Ryan's been trending to the middle, big time, especially on immigration.

But here's Pew Research:

Analysis by @AndrewKohut1 : The GOP’s new guard are the political young folk these days http://t.co/eogUoirqSA pic.twitter.com/sro3SgtGOV

— Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) August 17, 2013

I like Ryan. Or, I liked him when he was taking the lead on fiscal conservatism in this country. I want that Paul Ryan running in 2016.

'Operation Orange Fingers'

Pretty good name for the operation, via Twitchy, "High concept: Seattle police fight Hempfest munchies with ‘Operation Orange Fingers’."

T-minus one hour and 15 minutes till #OperationOrangeFingers begins! See you soon, @seattlehempfest pic.twitter.com/0vuxdBq3ie

— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) August 17, 2013

U.S. Should Forget Democracy Promotion for Now

Argues Professor Charles Kupchan, at the New York Times, "Democracy in Egypt Can Wait":

Ever since the Egyptian military seized power last month, the United States government, backed by much of the country’s foreign policy elite, has demanded the restoration of democratic rule. President Obama instructed Egypt’s generals “to move quickly and responsibly to return full authority back to a democratically elected civilian government.” The Republican senators John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina visited Cairo to press the new government to restore democratic rule and have called for cutting off aid if it doesn’t.

But while Washington must unequivocally condemn the violence unleashed by the Egyptian military, clamoring for a rapid return to democracy is misguided.

Excellent piece, informed by the political science canon. (Via Memeorandum.)

'Young Invincibles' Better Off Without #ObamaCare

Here's Erika Johnson, at Hot Air, "Study: ObamaCare’s bum deal for young people, quantified."

The program won't work if young people opt out. If I were 20 I'd pay the penalty, screwed as that is. And now there's hard data to show that's exactly what millions will do. In other words, give Barack Hussein the finger.



The report's at IBD (and more at Memeorandum.)

Added: From Rick Moran, at Pajamas, "Obama: Health Insurance a ‘Right’":

Before we get to whether a commercial product is actually a “right,” perhaps we should explain what the president forgot to mention when he said he was “doing everything in my power to make sure the law works as it’s supposed to.”

The truth is, the president is doing everything in his power — as well as claiming powers he doesn’t possess. By unilaterally waiving some requirements of Obamacare without congressional consent, the president is basically ruling by decree. He is claiming executive authority to make law — a dubious, and dangerous, precedent. He is doing so because implementing the law as written would add to the chaos surrounding the law already present at the state and federal levels.

And to say that insurance is “affordable” in states that are cooperating with him is an outright lie. Just because premiums are going to increase at a slower rate than expected doesn’t make insurance any more “affordable” for anyone. If it wasn’t “affordable” before Obamacare, why should an increase in premiums mean it’s more “affordable now”? In fact, this study by the National Center for Public Policy Research shows the economic advantages to “young invincibles” of not purchasing insurance under the individual mandate...

Well, the entire weekly address is a lie. But that's how it is with this president. Virtually everything he says is a lie.

Major Hasan's 'Martyrdom'

Blazing Cat Fur has Cliff May's analysis of the Ft. Hood trial.

See, "One of his victims, Private Francheska Velez, 21, was pregnant. She pleaded: 'Please don't, please don't, my baby, my baby'."

I'm just sick over this trial. Or, I'm sick over this Democrat PC trial.

World Championship Pole Dancing

Yeah, well, it's pretty competitive out there, pole dancing babes not excluded.

At WSJ, "Pole Dancers Buff Image With Rules and a Dress Code Group Tries to Shed Burlesque Roots to Become an Olympic-Worthy Sport."

In Egypt, Civilians Oppose Protesters

Well it's not like the Muslim Brotherhood terrorists are a majority or anything.

At WSJ, "In Egypt Clashes, Civilians Oppose Protesters: At Least 31 Seen Dead After Marchers Come Under Fire; Cairo Ends Day on Lockdown, Patrolled by Neighborhood Committees."

Nasrallah Warns of Hezbollah Intervention in Syria

Wow.

Things are just going swimmingly well over there.

Here's news on the bombing, at LAT, "Car bomb in Beirut kills at least 18 in Hezbollah stronghold," and NYT, "Deadly Blast Rocks a Hezbollah Stronghold in Lebanon."

And here's the warning, at LAT, "Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah vows to avenge attacks against followers":

BEIRUT — The leader of Hezbollah on Friday vowed that its fighters would retaliate against “terrorists” who have detonated car bombs and launched other attacks against neighborhoods and individuals allied with the Lebanese Islamist group.

“To the killers: Our hands will reach you,” Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s general secretary, said in a speech carried via satellite link to thousands of supporters in a village in south Lebanon near the Israeli border.

It appeared to be first time that the leader of the political, paramilitary and social service group  had vowed to avenge the recent spate of attacks targeting Hezbollah sympathizers. Nasrallah also said Lebanese authorities were investigating the cases and that some suspects had been identified.

In his animated address, the Hezbollah leader also said that if needed Hezbollah, which the United States has labeled a terrorist organization, would double the number of militiamen it has sent to Syria to fight on the side of the government of President Bashar Assad.

“If we have a thousand fighters in Syria, they will become 2,000, and if we have 5,000 fighters in Syria, they will become 10,000," Nasrallah declared, drawing loud cheers from the crowd watching him on a giant screen. “And if the battle with those terrorists requires it, I and all of Hezbollah will go to Syria.”

Speak Softly and Carry No Stick

From James Traub, at Foreign Policy, "Welcome to the Obama Doctrine in Egypt":

President Barack Obama, we know, believes in "engagement." He believes that maintaining ties even with the most hateful regimes holds out the possibility of progress. In his Nobel Peace Prize speech he mocked moralists -- implicitly including his predecessor, George W. Bush -- who preferred "the satisfying purity of indignation" to the hard and very impure work of diplomacy. And that, I imagine, is why Obama has reacted so cautiously to the shocking massacres in Egypt, canceling planned military exercises but leaving U.S. military aid intact.

I think this is a serious mistake. But the calculus that may have lead Obama to his decision is one that I would have admired in a different context. It's a calculus that needs to be reckoned with. I'll try to do that here.

More at that link. And on Twitter:

Is it me, or are those "shit, maybe the Bush crowd wasn't so bad" conversations becoming more frequent in the foreign policy milieu?

— لودو (@Abu_Saskia) August 16, 2013

It's Real for the #Dodgers — and Magical

The Dodgers won again today, 4-0 over Philadelphia.

At LAT, "Dodgers keep it going on the road."

And see Bill Plaschke, "Dodgers' wins are the real thing":

The #Dodgers are the first club to go 41-8 in a 49-game span since the 1944 Cardinals.

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 17, 2013

With the #Dodgers, it's starting to get magical.

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) August 17, 2013

This is real.

To those sitting in Dodger Stadium late Wednesday night as another comeback victory filled the joint with a dizzying chill, the conclusion was inescapable.

For those who kicked over their long-empty plastic cups and nacho trays when leaping into the air with Andre Ethier's game-tying, pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning, there can be no other explanation.

For those who slapped their fists together in imitation of Yasiel Puig's booming celebration on second base after he stole a double to set up the winning run in the 12th inning, what else could they think?

This is real. The Dodgers are real. Their current 48-game stretch — they’ve won 40, hello, you kidding me? — has sometimes felt like magic and occasionally appeared to be luck, but it’s been neither.

You don't win nine out of 11 games against three probable playoff teams during that span by chance. You don't win four of your last eight games when trailing entering the ninth inning with mirrors. You don't win 17 of your last 18 road games — this so surreal as to be unbelievable — on bloops and breaks.

This is as real as the red stains that covered the pants of Adrian Gonzalez late Wednesday after teammates doused him with sports drink after he delivered the winning hit in the 12th inning in the Dodgers' 5-4 win over the New York Mets. Fittingly, it was two buckets' worth. This team has taken every reasonable explanation and doubled it.

"All this stuff doesn't happen by accident," Skip Schumaker was saying earlier this week. "It just doesn't."

Everyone knew they have the richest payroll in baseball history. But who would have thought that guys like Schumaker would help turn this into baseball's richest experience?

It's exciting.

The Attacks on American Betrayal: An Update

I linked earlier to Diana West's WND article in which she argues the attacks on her book threaten her very livelihood. Things are heated, so it's logical that she's been both busy and aggressive in smacking down the various salvos against her book.

To call this an "academic debate" at this point is pointless. The behavior of Ron Radosh, in particular, reminds me more of a mafia kingpin eliminating gangland rivals than of a dispassionate analyst clarifying the historical record. It's out of hand.

It turns out Conrad Black has a new criticism up at National Review, "Defaming FDR," and Radosh was quick to send Diana a "collegial email" to give her the heads up:




Diana responds here, "Another Day, Another Attack on American Betrayal."

Plus, it turns out David Horowitz pulled out the big guns for another shot on Diana at Diana. See the big piece from John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr, at FrontPage, "Was Harry Hopkins a Soviet Spy?"

It took me a little while to get through that one, it's so detailed. It's very scholarly though, and completely avoids ad hominem arguments, and is thus a vast improvement over the harsh screeds Radosh has been blasting.

And finally, Robert Stacy McCain jumped back into the debate, "Major Jordan, Carroll Reece, Birchers, Buckley and the Attack on Diana West":

I lamented this controversy when it first arose, and declared myself committed to defending Diana West, and remain resolute. Radosh and Horowitz say that they have serious reasons as conservatives for their crusade against American Betrayal, and despite my general admiration for their work, I think they are misguided in this effort.

Whatever West’s errors, she doesn’t deserve this treatment, and I think serious people need to ask what could be so dangerous about West’s book that it has engendered such extreme hostility.

RTWT.

Egyptian Bloodbath on Muslim Brotherhood's 'Day of Rage'

At Reuters, "Dozens die in Egyptian bloodbath on Islamists' ‘Day of Rage’" (via Memeorandum):

(Reuters) - The Muslim Brotherhood defiantly called for a week of protests across Egypt starting on Saturday, a day after more than 100 people died in clashes between Islamists and the security forces that pushed the country ever closer to anarchy.

Undeterred by the bloodshed in which about 700 have been killed since Wednesday, the Brotherhood urged its supporters back onto the streets to denounce the overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi and a crackdown on his followers.

"Our rejection of the coup regime has become an Islamic, national and ethical obligation that we can never abandon," said the Brotherhood, which has accused Egypt's military of plotting the downfall of Mursi last month to regain the levers of power.

Many Western allies have denounced the killings, including the United States, but Saudi Arabia threw its weight behind the army-backed government on Friday, accusing its old foe the Muslim Brotherhood of trying to destabilize Egypt.

Plus, a clip featuring Jamie Colby at Fox News, "Dramatic Video: Egyptian Protesters Jump From Bridge to Escape Gun Fire."

Previous entries here, here, here, and here.

Melanie Griffith on Jimmy Kimmel Live

I hadn't seen Ms. Griffith in a long time.

It's not that she looked bad on the show (seen here and here), she just looked different. If we'd been sitting together at a Starbucks I don't know that I'd have recognized her, or at least not immediately. Her surgeries have been that dramatic. I linked to an older critical piece last night.

Wow. Watching Melanie Griffith on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Not the "Working Girl" I remember. (Confer: http://t.co/la1QxabJH3.)

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) August 16, 2013

And here's this afternoon at London's Daily Mail, "Smoking girl! Melanie Griffith puffs on a cigarette after Jimmy Kimmel appearance... and shows off incredible figure aged 56."

I think "growing old gracefully" should include gracefully accepting changes in your appearance. It's aging. And it's part of life. That's not to say folks can't be fitness fanatics, or whatever floats the boat, but the over-the-top surgery regimes are pretty pathetic. (I must say, though, that the beautiful Louise Mensch admitted to a facelift and it was so well done I'd have never known she had the work. So maybe there's something to it with moderation, if you're not turning yourself in a plasticized celebrity-bot.)

Egypt's Anguish

At the Los Angeles Times, "After Egypt crackdown, charred remains of the Islamists' cause."

And, "Egypt crisis not likely to damage U.S. security interests in region."

Well, that depends on how you define the word "interests."



Previous entries here, here, and here.

Lisa Daftari on the Latest Egypt Violence

This segment was on just in the last hour.



This morning's earlier entries here and here.

New Bloodshed as Egypt Crisis Escalates

At the New York Times, "New Bloodshed in Egypt as Islamists Defy Threat of Force."

All Ready for the Fall Semester

I was at the office on Monday finalizing my syllabi for the fall semester, which begins August 26.

The top photo shows my office as I was leaving, and below is the view looking east from the main entry to the new administration building toward the new parking structure.

And this article features a photo of the new classrooms in the same building, "At Long Beach City College, summer enrollment on the rebound."

I'm looking forward to getting back to work. It's been a great summer.

David Horowitz Responds to Diana West

And to her supporters.

At Big Government, "What Difference Does It Make?' A Response to Diane West":

Let me be perfectly clear: There is no disagreement between West and us over whether the Roosevelt administration was infiltrated by Soviet agents, or whether pro-Soviet dupes and fellow-travelers were influential and affected administration policy. Radosh and other conservative historians whom West chooses to trash actually pioneered the work of tracking these Soviet agents and pro-Soviet influences, and analyzing their impact. There is also no disagreement about the infiltration of the Obama administration by Islamists or the Obama-Hillary support for the Muslim Brotherhood, America’s mortal enemy. The issue between us is not political in this sense, and it would be helpful if West and her followers would acknowledge that and stop treating our disagreement as political treason.

The real question for us is this: Does it matter if conservatives regard Lend-Lease and D-Day as Soviet plots, and describe allied wartime decisions--however mistaken--as being orchestrated not by Roosevelt and Churchill and their generals, but by Joseph Stalin?

Continue reading.

It's his utter condescension that bothers me, but the whole thing should be winding down by now.

I'll be reading more widely on these issues now (the left's treachery), so that's one upside of the debate.

Added: Diana's got a new piece up at WND, "In Defense of My Livelihood."

Blood on Muslim Brotherhood's Hands — and Obama's

From Ralph Peters, at the New York Post, "This blood is on the hands of Muslim Brotherhood":

What do we want the future Egypt to look like? A flawed, hybrid democracy, or a Sunni Muslim version of Iran? Based on his bluster yesterday about events on the Nile, Secretary of State John Kerry prefers the latter.

And Kerry’s remarks must have had White House approval.

In full outrage mode, America’s most famous windsurfer castigated the Egyptian authorities, insisting that the Muslim Brotherhood had a right to “peaceful protests.” Apparently, “peaceful” means armed with Kalashnikovs, killing policemen, kidnapping and torturing opponents, turning mosques into prisons, attacking Christians and burning Coptic churches.

The Brotherhood protesters rejected all offers of compromise and all demands to disperse. The interim government’s response was heavy-handed, but the Muslim Brothers chose violent resistance — using women and children as shields (a tactic typical of Islamist terrorists).

Do we really need to have sympathy for the devil?

With its blundering, fickle, late-in-the-day support for whoever appeared to be gaining the upper hand, the Obama administration has managed the remarkable feat of alienating every faction in Egypt. And it’s a sorry day when an American administration abets religious totalitarianism, as this White House did when the “democratically elected” Morsi regime tried to Islamize Egypt’s government and society for keeps.

There was, indeed, a coup. But not all coups involve tanks. The real coup came after Egypt’s premature, badly flawed election, when Morsi and the Brotherhood excluded all non-Brothers from the political process; curtailed media freedoms and jailed journalists; attacked Christians; and rushed toward an Islamist state that the majority of Egyptians did not want.

Tens of millions of Muslims took to the streets to protest the Brotherhood’s plunge toward tyranny. Only after attempts to persuade an unrepentant Morsi to compromise failed, did the military move against the regime. The people cheered.

Yet our breathtakingly inept ambassador backed the Morsi regime right to the end. That isn’t diplomacy. It’s idiocy.

But all you have to do to create witless panic in Washington is cry “Military coup!” Well, sometimes — regrettably — a military is all that stands between a population and deadly (and anti-American) fanaticism. Despite yesterday’s bloodshed, would we really prefer a return to Brotherhood rule? Stuff the political correctness and get real.

Great piece.

More at the link.

Bizarre Stop-Motion Vines

I had no idea.

At BuzzFeed, "17 Stop-Motion Vines That Make The World Seem So Much Better Than It Is."

Obama Wants $5.00 Annual Phone Tax

Another Democrat tax.

From Erika Johnson at Hot Air, "Obama’s plan to raise taxes for Internet in schools: A “no-brainer”?":

It’s all too easy to commandeer what looks like the moral high ground with claims of, “it’s just a few dollars, and it’s for a good cause!” — but where does that mightily convenient but intellectually bankrupt reasoning end? Republicans too often allow themselves to be branded as the party of “no,” because Democrats do a pretty good job of making it sound like Republicans just must not care about the children when they oppose this sort of thing, or the hungry when they propose cuts to the food stamp program, or the poor when they oppose tax hikes on the wealthy, blah blah blah.

The problem, however, is not only that those ‘mere’ $5 or so have real opportunity costs out in the real world and real consequences for families, but that these type of initiatives on such a massive scale have too huge a potential for waste, fraud, abuse, and general mega-inefficiency and convolution. This is a perfect example of something that could and should be happening on a much smaller scale: Why not allow the states, even local governments, to determine whether they want to raise taxes to set up high-speed Internet access in their school districts, and spur competition and innovation with more focused programs instead of imposing a top-down bureaucratic nightmare that reliably comes with heavy unintended consequences and is slow to readjust in the event or error?

IMAGE CREDIT: The New York Post, "Obama wants to tack on $5-a-year phone tax to fund high-speed Internet in schools - critics blast 'end run' of Congress and 'endless expansion of program at the expense of rate payers'."

#ObamaCare Monstrosity Causes Historic Drop in Work Hours Across Industries

A devastating piece at Investor's Business Daily, "ObamaCare Fuels Sharp Workweek Drop In 4 Industries."

Read it at that link. The article relies on industry data, which confirms anecdotal information about the staggering effects of the so-called "Affordable Care Act." It should be repealed.

Joan Jett on Jimmy Kimmel Live

She was on last week.



She also played a new song, "Any Weather."

Lacey Banghard Slams British Left's War on 'Page Three Girls'

I wrote about this in March, "The Left's Campaign to Ban 'Page 3' of the Sun Newspaper."

And now the lovely Lacey Banghard is speaking out:

The @NoMorePage3 page actually infuriates me. Wish they would put this much time and energy into real world issues #Pathetic

— Lacey Banghard (@laceybanghard) August 15, 2013

And there's more from Ms. Lacey at the link.

Bill O'Reilly on Internet Addiction

I just watched this. The 8:00 o'clock O'Reilly is on right now.

An interesting discussion at the clip. I took my youngest son to the doctor today and I was on mobile Twitter on my iPhone while waiting for the nurse to come into the examination room. After she came in and started updating my son's information, asking me some questions, my wife texted me with a reminder about the doctor appointment. I was holding my phone and started to reply to my wife. I'm in the doctor's room and my wife telling me the appointment's not until later. Huh? I start writing my wife back and then stopped. The nurse was still asking me questions. I apologized and put my phone away and concentrated on what was going on in real time.

Now, I don't use the phone very much so that was strange. On the other hand I'm on the laptop all day, while I'm having coffee in the morning, while I'm watching the afternoon news shows on CNN and Fox News, and later in the evening if I'm watching a game. I'll usually be blogging and tweeting through all these things. I'm just connected all the time. It's some kind of addiction. I wouldn't be happy if I couldn't go online and do all the things I do. And I wouldn't be able to work and teach effectively. It's just part of what I do.

But there's a time and place for it. And especially for young people, children, teenagers, and college students, people who grew up on the technology and is not a part of their lives but is their lives, I think it's creating a dangerous rewiring of human consciousness. As I mentioned the other day, I rarely see young people readings books. When I was young I always had a book. I never went somewhere without a book. If someone saw me and I wasn't holding a novel or something they'd say, "Hey, where's you book?" Nowadays, what students have read --- at least what I find from my students when I ask what they're reading --- is what they've been required to read in school, often some great literature. But I come across few students who are independently rich in reading skills, who read widely unprompted. The culture has changed, and this problem with Internet addiction, along with the larger issue of entire lives built around this social media, has led to a deterioration of social skills, literacy, and who knows what else. The Daily Mail reports today that young boys sext girls because their personal development has been completely arrested --- they don't know how to talk to girls even if they wanted to.

As people aways say, with all things, moderation is key.

Youth Unemployment

Via Gabriella Hoffman.

Teen Predator Kaitlyn Hunt Accused of Violating Terms of Pretrial Release in Statutory Rape Case

A huge entry at the Other McCain, "Prosecutors: Kaitlyn Hunt Violated Order, Sent Messages, ‘Lewd’ Photos to Victim UPDATE: Hunt Accused of Sending Masturbation Video to Teenage Victim UPDATE: Lesbian and Victim Had ‘Intimate Contact’ Until Two Weeks Ago."

Also at London's Daily Mail, "Lesbian high school cheerleader offered plea deal on her 19th birthday to avoid jail for having sex with classmate, 14, after thousands sign petition to support her."

Well, that plea deal might be falling through now, with the new revelations. As R.S. McCain writes:

Oh, my goodness: Just saw the document filed with the court, and it is absolutely devastating to Kaitlyn Hunt. “These photographs are explicit and depict the defendant [i.e., Hunt] nude, sometimes engaged in sex acts such as placing her fingers inside her vagina.” According to the document, Hunt also sent the younger girl at least one video that “explicitly depicts the defendant [i.e., Hunt] masturbating by rubbing her vagina with her fingers while moaning.”

Read it all at the link.

I'm sure there's going to be some interesting updates on this.

Some Afternoon Paris Hilton Rule 5

At London's Daily Mail, "Double the fun! Paris Hilton shows off her super svelte figure in two bikinis... before getting covered in foam during Ibiza DJ set."

And from last month, "Catch of the day: Hotel heiress Paris Hilton hits the beach in a skimpy red bikini and fishnet kaftan."

Obama Approval Rating Nosedives to 35 Percent

Because rodeo!

At Gallup, "Obama's Economic Approval Slips to 35%":

PRINCETON, NJ -- Despite President Barack Obama's renewed focus on the nation's economy this summer, he scores worse with Americans on the economy than he did in June. His approval rating on the issue, now 35%, is down seven percentage points, and his ratings on taxes and the federal budget deficit are each down five points. During the same period, his overall approval rating is down three points.

But hey, bring in the clowns!

BONUS: At Twitchy, "‘Perfect!’ James Woods skewers Obama’s economy with brutally hilarious pic."

Natural progression... pic.twitter.com/t1bDAe1eoG

— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) August 10, 2013

Lulz.

Michelle Malkin Slams Marco Rubio's 'Craven' Open Borders Capitulation

Always good.

Never cave to the Democrats, the communist open-borders ghouls.

And Michelle hammers the idiot  race-baiting regressives on the Missouri State Fair "racism" nontroversy. See, "10 images mocking George W. Bush that were far worse than a harmless rodeo clown."

The clowns on the White House don't like the competition.

Bwahaha! 'Abortion Barbie' Wendy Davis in Vogue

Yeah, way to get the "serious" media coverage you need for a legitimate gubernatorial bid.

What a fembot freak.

At Twitchy, "Strike a pro-abortion pose: Fembots squee over Wendy Davis in Vogue [pics]."

Our WendyDavis in Vogue "Stand and Deliver."Well Done @WendyDavisTexas! http://t.co/iQcgaMDIJP #SWTW #StandWithWomen pic.twitter.com/H8RFmjRPvh

— UniteWomen.org Texas (@UniteWomenTX) August 15, 2013

FBI Identifies Suspect in Teen USA 'Sextortion' Case

The background is here, at LAT, "FBI investigating 'sextortion' case targeting Miss Teen USA."

And the update, "Suspect identified in Miss Teen USA 'sextortion' case."

The young woman, Cassidy Wolf, is from the O.C.

Atlanta Braves Batboy 'Removes' Live Bat From Field

Not something you see too often.

At the Atlanta Journal Constitution, "Braves bat boy scoops up live bat."

And I put "removes" in parentheses because the bat flew away, even if Dan Uggla didn't see it. (Deadspin's on the case.)

#Dodgers Beat Mets in 12th-Inning Walk-Off Win

I was watching the game but my wife came home and we switched the channel over to "Big Brother." I forgot to switch back to the game but was then watching the 11:00 o'clock news, and there it was --- yet another come-from-behind victory for Los Angeles.

The New York Times has it, "Dodgers Rally Past Mets, Adding Drama to Sweep."



Also at Newsday, "Mets blow four-run lead, lose to Dodgers in 12th."

Can Leftists Be Trusted to Fight Real World Threats From Urban Crime and the War on Terror?

Of course not.

But don't ask me. It's Daniel Henninger's query.

At WSJ, "The Soft-on-Security Issue Returns."

George Will: Obama Worse Than Nixon

At the Washington Post, "Obama’s unconstitutional steps worse than Nixon’s":

President Obama’s increasingly grandiose claims for presidential power are inversely proportional to his shriveling presidency. Desperation fuels arrogance as, barely 200 days into the 1,462 days of his second term, his pantry of excuses for failure is bare, his domestic agenda is nonexistent and his foreign policy of empty rhetorical deadlines and red lines is floundering. And at last week’s news conference he offered inconvenience as a justification for illegality.

Explaining his decision to unilaterally rewrite the Affordable Care Act (ACA), he said: “I didn’t simply choose to” ignore the statutory requirement for beginning in 2014 the employer mandate to provide employees with health care. No, “this was in consultation with businesses.”

He continued: “In a normal political environment, it would have been easier for me to simply call up the speaker and say, you know what, this is a tweak that doesn’t go to the essence of the law. . . . It looks like there may be some better ways to do this, let’s make a technical change to the law. That would be the normal thing that I would prefer to do. But we’re not in a normal atmosphere around here when it comes to Obamacare. We did have the executive authority to do so, and we did so.”

Serving as props in the scripted charade of White House news conferences, journalists did not ask the pertinent question: “Where does the Constitution confer upon presidents the ‘executive authority’ to ignore the separation of powers by revising laws?” The question could have elicited an Obama rarity: brevity. Because there is no such authority.

The ground's well trod here. Obama won't be impeached. Congressional Republicans are timid. And besides, it's so 1990s. We've got a transformational presidency. Impeachment? Nah. For the rubes.

More at the link.

Obama's Department of Education Throws Lifeline to San Francisco City College

Well, you gotta love this.

Remember, SFCC is wholly owned by the hip urban diversity interests, and they weren't going to stand for an outside accreditation agency's adverse evaluation. So what to do? Go right to the race-obsessed Obama administration for a bailout, what else?

At LAT, "U.S. faults panel that criticized City College of San Francisco." And see KTVU San Francisco (also known as the "Ho Lee Fuk" broadcasting corporation), "CCSF teachers laud Fed's letter questioning ACCJC."

I read the initial, disastrous accreditation report. The college is f-ked up. So what did you union do? It alleged that there wasn't enough "diversity" on the accreditation visiting team, for one thing. (Too many administrators and not enough faculty members, who would no doubt be union hacks quick to ram through a positive evaluation.)

In any case, here's my initial report, "City College of San Francisco, Nation's Largest Two-Year College, On Brink of Closure."

'All Systems Fail'

Here's some Varukers for you:

You try to fight the system
But it's to no avail
All that the systems doing
You could only fail
All, All, All systems fail, systems fail.
Now that the system is falling to pieces,
Now that the system's failed no more deceiving

Studio version here.

Drew Barrymore for Guess

Frankly, I don't remember this.

But don't doubt the recollective powers of the folks at BuzzFeed.

See, "20Awesome Photos From Drew Barrymore’s Guess Campaign."

Elvis Live from Tupelo, Mississippi, 1956

I've forgotten now, but the Sound L.A. played some Elvis Presley the other day while I was running errands, either "Don't Be Cruel" or "Treat Me Nice."

In any case, trolling around on YouTube I came across this vintage concert footage from 1956. Pretty cool.

U.S. Pleas Fail to Stave Off Crackdown

Amazingly so.

At WSJ, "Hundreds Dead in Egypt: Security Forces' Efforts to Clear Cairo Sit-Ins Sparks Violence; At Least 421 People Killed Across Egyptt":

CAIRO—Egypt's military regime, aided by snipers and bulldozers, swept the streets of Islamist protesters Wednesday—setting off a day of violence that left at least 421 people dead, the government fractured and ties with its international partners in tatters.

Cairo's streets were calm Thursday morning following a curfew overnight, with funerals for the dead and further protests expected later in the day.

Muslim Brotherhood sympathizers stormed police stations Wednesday, burned down churches and battled with government supporters in several neighborhoods, after police sweeps left scores of protesters dead at two Cairo squares. The raid ended more than a month of sit-ins by thousands of Brotherhood supporters—sometimes joined by families, and daring the government to disperse them—who demanded the reinstatement of ousted President Mohammed Morsi.

Egypt's interim president declared a monthlong, national state of emergency—raising Egyptians' fears of extended conflict, further crackdowns and the prospect that the military regime they struggled to overthrow in 2011 was reasserting control.

The country's interim vice president, Mohamed ElBaradei, resigned. His exit stripped away an important veneer of civilian participation in the regime set up by the military's chief, Gen. Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, who responded to popular protests against Mr. Morsi by removing him and installing the interim government.

Swift and severe condemnation of the deadly attacks and state of emergency rolled in from Turkey, Europe and the United Nations. The U.S., one of Egypt's chief allies and benefactors, called the events deplorable and threatened to call off joint military exercises that were set to start next month.

More here.

Plus, "U.S. Can't Prevent Massive Loss of Live."

You think?

Awesome Gary Sinise Interview with Martha McCallum on Fox News

I did a double take yesterday when I looked up at the TV and there he was.

A great interview. Sinise is the embodiment of the American spirit.

'Bachelor' Star Gia Allemand Dead at 29

I saw this at the New York Post initially, but that was before the cause of death was known. (The updated article is here.)

And I'm thinking, "Man, that's awfully young to "pass away."

Sadly, she committed suicide.

See London's Daily Mail, "Bachelor star Gia Allemand dies two days after heartbroken NBA player boyfriend 'found his 29-year-old lover hanging at home'."

Bradley Manning Apologizes in Court

At iOWNTHEWORLD, "Mentally Ill Bradley Manning Takes to the Stand and Apologizes to Judge."



And drama queens all around, at WikiLeaks, "Response to Today’s Bradley Manning Statement."

Also at NYT, "Manning, Facing Prison for Leaks, Apologizes at Court-Martial Trial." (Via Memeorandum.)

Clinton Foundation Meltdown

It's pretty staggering, and epic hilarious, because the Clintons.

Check the Lonely Conservative, "New York Times Outs Clinton Foundation Cronysim: Glitzy Spending Troubles Attorneys."

(And that's cross-posted from Maggie's Notebook, "Clinton Foundation: Multimillion-Dollar Deficits, Rotating Clinton Cronies – Chelsea Worried About Inheritance.")

Ima Have Me Some Kentucky Fried Chicken!

Actually, I was just getting back online and R.S. McCain tweets me about epic loser Thers at Whiskey Fire. Turns out the sad clown was trolling both me and Robert, and while clicking around (reminding myself of the douche's assholery) I came across this hilarious RAAAACISM freakout post at the perfectly titled blog Freakout Nation.

Too good to be a Photoshop, but someone should seriously superimpose Michelle Obama's face on that fat b*tch. Well, come to think of it, BigFurHat routinely roasts the First Lady of Cheesburgers. (More here.)

Lulz.

Amanda Seyfried or Oprah Winfrey: Who'd You Rather?

An amazing newsstand juxtaposition, seen while on a CVS run earlier today.

Who'd you rather?

Smokin' Amanda Seyfried or lying liar Oprah Winfrey?

More at Instapundit, "Is Oprah Pushing Racism Story to Promote New Movie? YES, ALMOST CERTAINLY. NEXT QUESTION? "

Photos from Cairo's Rabaa al-Adaweya Square

On Facebook.

And extremely compelling.

Of course, authenticity is unverified, although there's lots more breaking news on Twitter.

And at eNews Channel Africa, "Twitter updates on Egypt 'massacre'," and Global Post, "Massacre in Cairo's Rabaa al-Adaweya Square."



Previous reports here and here, here, here, and here.

Burglar Breaks Into Famke Janssens's NYC Apartment

A burglar freak, it turns out. At the Post, "X-Men creep-out: Burglar breaks into Janssen's apt., leaves kid's book."



Also at TMZ, "Famke Janssen -- Cops Investigating CREEPY Incident at NYC Pad."

California's Golden Shower of Hits

At Blackmailers Don't Shoot, "The Golden Showers State":

The transgender thing was the new moronic academic fad at around the time when I was contemplating dropping out of grad school, and now it’s making its way into official policy. It was annoying having to hear about transgender rights and “transphobia” from PC academics, but when California’s government puts the business of a fraction of a percentage point of the population over the many other problems in the state, it becomes downright offensive. High unemployment? Transgender elementary students. State is broke? Transgender elementary students. Rising gas prices? Transgender elementary students.

Yeah, it's pretty f-ked up.

And following the links takes us to the Regular Guy, "California: Wee-Wee and Poo-Poo Go Coed."

And Wirecutter has your golden shower right here.

Hey, non-surgical trannies pissing on queer feminists in the "ladies' room"? Priceless.

Massacre at Egypt's al-Nahda Square in Giza

Warning: This graphic video reportedly shows charred bodies from the assault on the protest camp at al-Nahda Square.



An eyewitness account here, "Clearing of Brotherhood’s Nahda Protest Site: An Eyewitness Statement." And on Facebook here.

More at #Nahda on Twitter.

And at the Middle East Monitor, "Egypt security forces launch operation in Rabaa al-Adawiya and Nahda squares."

Previous reports here and here, here, and here.

Asmaa Beltagy Killed in Egypt Crackdown

Just 17-years-old --- what an age to die.

Via Twitter.

Hat Tip: New York Times.



Previous reports here and here, and here.

Egypt Bloodshed May Be Ill Omen for Broader Region

This is really f-ked up.

Previous reports here and here.

And a new report at the New York Times":

The ferocious assaults by Egyptian security forces to rout Islamist protesters on Wednesday have reinforced fears that political change toward tolerant democracies in the Arab world, exalted as the possible outcome of the revolutionary fervor that toppled autocracies in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia a few years ago, has faded into a fleeting and perhaps unattainable ideal.

In Egypt, where the first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi, has been languishing in detention for more than a month, the polarization of society and economic paralysis have reached new extremes, a state of emergency has been declared and protester encampments in the capital, Cairo, are like war zones.

In Tunisia, the birthplace of the so-called Arab Spring, the moderate Islamist government that took power is increasingly fragile.

Libya remains marred by violent lawlessness and Islamist extremism nearly two years after its strongman, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, was killed. Syria, where the political opposition once drew inspiration from Colonel Qaddafi’s demise, has sunk into a catastrophic and jihadist-tinged civil war, with no sign that President Bashar al-Assad has any intention of leaving power and with increasing indications that his country could be the next big haven for Al Qaeda and its affiliates.

Throughout the region, the demands of millions of ordinary citizens who have clamored for change — for jobs, food, health care and basic security to live their lives in peace — have not been addressed by the political upheavals so far. If anything their grievances have worsened.

“What started out being an Arab Spring is quickly morphing into something much larger,” said Andrew J. Tabler, a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. In Egypt’s case, he said, “you’re not only seeing unprecedented levels of clashes, but I think you’re seeing the increased demands of everyday people — now part of the governance factor. This is proving to be extremely unstable.”

Continue reading.

It's an ill omen for Barack Hussein's Muslim reset foreign policy as well. He went to Cairo to proclaim a new era, yet America's backing of the Muslim Brotherhood is one of the major causes of the bloodshed.

Journalists Killed in Egypt Crackdown

Picking up on my earlier entry, here's London's Daily Mail, "British cameraman shot dead while reporting for Sky on Egypt bloodbath as protesters say as many as 149 have been killed."

Sky News cameraman Mick Deane has been killed. More at WaPo, "Husband of former Post reporter among journalists killed in Egypt violence."

Also at Reuters, "Egypt imposes state of emergency after 149 people killed in clashes."

More at Memeorandum.

Added: From the New York Times, "Scores Killed in Crackdown on Morsi Supporters."

Sick: 'The Nation' Denies Harry Dexter White's Soviet Espionage

Well, this is fascinating, especially given the whole debate over Diana's West's American Betrayal.

It turns out Katrina vanden Heuvel's rag has published a review denying that Harry Dexter White ---- Franklin Roosevelt's man at the U.S. Treasury and Bretton Woods ---- was a Soviet mole.

Jonathan Tobin reports, at Commentary, "Portrait of Denial: ‘The Nation’ and Communist Spies":

You might think that having the most liberal president since Jimmy Carter would free The Nation from their commitment to keep fighting the old ideological battles. There are, after all, a host of contemporary arguments to engage in that, notwithstanding the weakness of the left-wing case, are not vulnerable to disproof by incontrovertible historical evidence as is the case with the delusional effort to defend White. Yet after so many years of pretending that Soviet infiltration of Washington in the 1930s and 1940s was a figment of the imagination of demagogic right-wing anti-Communists, keeping the flag of denial flying is their way of asserting that being left wing means never having to say you’re sorry.

Doing so can be dismissed as a mindless loyalty to their past as a publication, but one suspects there is also something else at work. Admitting the truth about Communist espionage doesn’t validate contemporary conservative critiques of other traditional left-wing positions on the economy like the minimum wage or the folly of socialized medicine and its forerunner, ObamaCare. But at The Nation, the notion that any cracks in what in another era would have been called party solidarity undermines all their beliefs still seems to prevail.

Why else would they bother beating the dead horse of espionage denial if not for the fact that doing so somehow bucks them up in the idea that the right is always wrong, even when it is obviously right.

Word.

Remember, with Democrats, it's always no enemies on the left, and that's to the dying end.

I wrote about this earlier, on Benn Steil definitive reporting on White as the ultimate Soviet mole, even more important than Alger Hiss. See, "Harry Dexter White, Franklin Roosevelt's Man at Bretton Woods, Was Communist Mole Who Passed State Secrets to Soviet Union."

Steil's book is here, The Battle of Bretton Woods: John Maynard Keynes, Harry Dexter White, and the Making of a New World Order.

Israel Begins Release of Palestinian Prisoners

At the New York Times, "Israel Releases 26 Palestinian Prisoners, to Cheers and Anguish."



Also at Israel Matzav, "Israel releasing 26 murderers tonight," and "'Palestinians' disappointed by murderer release."

And see Naftali Moses, at the Times of Israel, "When the killers go home":

As the final preparations are made tonight for the release of the first wave of terrorists, my thoughts are with my friends and acquaintances who are reliving some of the worst pain they have ever felt. At least I know that the vicious terrorist who took my son’s life five years ago at Mercaz HaRav has lost his, stopped in his terrible rampage by a valiant soldier and a brave civilian. I have been spared the agony of wondering how my son’s killer has been faring—in prison, or on the run from justice...

Continue reading.

Boston Bombing Survivor Jeff Bauman Starts Over

Pamela has a must-read post at Atlas Shrugs, "After Jihad."

Photos too. Spend a few minutes with that. Bauman was knocked to the ground with the blast, but didn't even know he'd lost his legs until he looked at his friends face and then looked down. Luckily a doctor was right there to give him some help.

Nakoula Basseley Nakoula Speaks to CNN

At American Glob, "CNN – YouTube Video Was Not the Reason for Benghazi Attack."

And at LAT, "'Innocence of Muslims' wrongly blamed for attacks, filmmaker says."



Hat Tip: BigFurHat.

Cory Booker Wins New Jersey Senate Primary

At Politico, "Cory Booker wins N.J. Senate primary."

And at National Journal, "Christie Won't Help Cory Booker’s GOP Opponent In Senate Campaign."

Well, they say Booker's a shoo in, so we'll see.

Also at Twitchy, "Cory Booker easily wins US Senate primary, breaks promise to finish mayoral term," and "Heckuva job, Cory! Vulgar celeb tolerance brigade comes out strong for Booker."


Yeah, vulgar.

NEW JERSEY!! Vote 4 CORY BOOKER for Senate TODAY! Polls close at 8 PM. Find your polling place. #NJsen #Booker4Senate http://t.co/D4No2K6NUS

— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) August 13, 2013

Ex-Mistress Reveals Communist George Galloway's Deviant Sexual Perversions

Ha!

At Blazing Cat Fur, "George Galloway's Bizarre Sexual Fetish":

Galloway is never far away from controversy and uses the resulting media attention to his benefit to push his anti-British, communist and pro Islamic views.

Yet this is one scandal he is very quiet on.

Video at the link.