Putin Lashes Out at Kiev

At the Wall Street Journal, "Putin Lashes Out at Ukraine Over Failure of Talks: Comments Come as Ukraine Says It Wants to Join NATO":

MOSCOW—Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday accused Kiev and its allies of backing peace talks only as a smoke screen to continue military operations, sidestepping allegations that Russia is funneling troops into eastern Ukraine to fight alongside separatist rebels.

Hopes for a diplomatic solution to the crisis have dimmed significantly in recent days. Putin's claims came as Ukraine's government proposed repealing a law banning membership in military blocs and moving toward joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which Russia considers a threat to its interests.

"The Ukrainian authorities must be forced to substantively start talks" with separatists in the east on greater autonomy, Mr. Putin told a youth forum in northwest Russia. He didn't specify how that would happen, but he blasted the West for allowing Kiev to continue fighting.

"You know what our partners' position boils down to?... 'yes, we must sit down at the negotiating table, but we need to let the Ukrainian government shoot a bit first,'" he said. "But that's not working. That has to be recognized."

Moscow has long called for Kiev to stop its military operation unconditionally, but previous cease-fires have fallen apart almost as soon as they were announced amid allegations from both sides of violations. Ukraine has said it is open to a truce but only if it is observed by both sides.

NATO said Thursday that more than 1,000 Russian soldiers are fighting in Ukraine in an incursion that appeared to be aimed at preventing Kiev from defeating the separatists on the battlefield.

Mr. Putin didn't specifically address the allegations from Kiev and the West, which other Russian officials denied. He said only that border violations by troops have happened on both sides and are a "technical" matter.

In unusually harsh language, Mr. Putin compared Ukrainian forces' tactics to those used by the Nazis in their invasion of Russia. "Sadly, it reminds me of World War II, when German fascist forces surrounded our cities, like Leningrad, and shelled population centers and their residents," he said. Kiev has denied those allegations.

Keeping up his defiance, Mr. Putin said that Russia wasn't involved in major conflicts, but would be ready to repel aggression. "Russia's partners...should understand it's best not to mess with us," he said.

Ukraine's proposal wasn't discussed at a Friday meeting of NATO ambassadors called to discuss the crisis, though the alliance's chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said NATO would "fully respect" any decision by Ukraine to try to join the alliance.

Ukraine had been seeking NATO membership under its previous pro-Western government in 2005, but the subsequent pro-Russian leadership passed the law banning bloc membership in 2010.

Ed Sheeran on Jimmy Kimmel Live

My son was there last night. Sheeran came on around 6:15pm.



And the interview is here, "Ed Sheeran on Elton John," and "Ed Sheeran's Sleepovers with Courteney Cox and Jamie Foxx."

The Obama Depression: In Poll, 7-in-10 Say Economy Has Permanently Changed for the Worse Since '09

The news articles and the survey report don't say it, but the findings from the new Rutgers University poll on the economy are nothing less than a devastating indictment of the Obama administration and its inept --- indeed, malicious --- handling of the economy since the crash of 2008.

Obama's 2009 stimulus bill was a boondoggle that proved Keynesian economics doesn't work.

Today, more than 5 and a half years since Obama took office, the national unemployment rate stands at 6.2 percent, and the most recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that unemployment in July increased in 30 states. We're still stuck in a tepid recovery, and Americans are hopping mad about it.

Here's the Rutgers report, "Unhappy, Worried, and Pessimistic: Americans in the Aftermath of the Great Recession":

The protracted and uneven recovery from the Great Recession has led most Americans to conclude that the U.S. economy has undergone a permanent change for the worse. Seven in ten now say the recession’s impact is permanent, up from half in 2009 when the recession officially ended. Much of this is rooted in direct experience. Fully one-quarter of the public says there has been a major decline in their quality of life owing to the recession, and 42 percent say they have less in salary and savings than when the recession began. Despite five years of recovery, sustained job growth, and reductions in the number of unemployed workers, Americans are not convinced that the economy is improving. Only one in three thinks the U.S. economy has gotten better in the last year and only one-quarter thinks it will improve next year. Moreover, just one in six Americans believe that job opportunities will be better for the next generation of workers, down from four in ten five years ago. These are some of the findings of a new survey conducted between July 24 and August 3, 2014 by the Heldrich Center with a nationally representative sample of 1,153 Americans.

Click through for the full report.

And then watch this astonishing focus group segment with pollster Frank Luntz on CBS News This Morning. The usual caveat is that focus groups are statistically insignificant, although the strong opinions held among the participants here, and the near universal disappointment among the participants, provides a crushing snapshot of the public sentiment with just over two months to go before the November midterm elections.

Jeffersonians Rally for Independence at the California Capitol

Fascinating.

At the Sacramento Bee:

After a rally at the Capitol marked by chants of “The time has come for 51!” and a surprise appearance by Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, supporters of the State of Jefferson presented their “declarations of separation” to the California Legislature on Thursday.

The declarations from Modoc and Siskiyou counties, expressing their desire to withdraw from California because of a lack of representation in Sacramento, marked the first official step in the secession movement’s long-running efforts to re-form as a new state in Northern California.
“We’re here not because we feel any ill will toward California,” said Mark Baird, a pilot and rancher from Yreka who has helped organize the Jefferson movement. “Our problem is (lawmakers) don’t have empathy for us because we’re so far away.”

Baird addressed a crowd of about 70 from across Northern California, clad in green shirts and carrying green flags bearing Jefferson’s seal. The yellow circle with two X’s stands for “double-crossed by Sacramento.”

Donnelly, a Republican from Twin Peaks in Southern California, showed up unannounced to support the rally, which frequently drew comparisons to the American Revolution through “taxation without representation” arguments and the “Don’t tread on me” snake logo.

“It’s time for another revolution,” Donnelly said. “A peaceful one.”

Keep reading.

Obama Signals No Immediate Plans to Defeat Islamic State

Actually, it's worse than "no immediate plans."

Obama admitted today that he's got no strategy to defeat ISIS.

At Twitchy, "Strategy? What strategy? Behold ‘the Obama Doctrine in one sentence’."

And at the Wall Street Journal, "Obama Says No Plans for Imminent Escalation of Operations Against Islamic State: Extremists Killed Nearly 500 This Week in One Syrian Province, Opposition Activists Say":

President Barack Obama signaled the U.S. has no immediate plans to escalate military operations against Islamic State extremists in Iraq or Syria, stressing the need to counter the group's advance while formulating a broader strategy to protect U.S. interests and allies.

Mr. Obama spoke on a day when Syrian opposition activists said the Sunni radical group had killed nearly 500 people since Sunday in the northeastern province of Raqqa, most of them Syrian troops captured on an air base seized by Islamic State fighters.

The president, who met with his national security team Thursday afternoon, said the U.S. is still developing its plan to root Islamic State out of Iraq and Syria, where it has captured large swaths of territory since June.

"We don't have a strategy yet," Mr. Obama said of potential plans for airstrikes in Syria. He said the long-term blueprint to respond to the growth of the militant group, also known as ISIS or ISIL, can't depend on U.S. actions alone.

"Rooting out a cancer like ISIL will not be quick, or easy, but I'm confident that we can and we will, working closely with our allies and our partners," Mr. Obama said.

The president walked back reports suggesting an immediate escalation of military operations, including potential airstrikes in Syria.

"We need to make sure that we've got clear plans so we're developing them," he said. He said he was more focused on military activity in Iraq and the need for a unified government in Baghdad to help combat militant forces. "My priority at this point is to make sure that the gains that ISIL made in Iraq are rolled back and that Iraq has the opportunity to govern itself effectively and secure itself," Mr. Obama said...

More.

Surfers Race to Catch Massive Waves Sparked by Hurricane Marie

It's biggest surf seen for quite some time.

At LAT, "Surfers race to catch massive waves across Southland."

More at the Costa Mesa Daily Pilot, "Newport's Wedge lives up to its reputation: 1 hurt in thundering surf: Crowds gather on Balboa Peninsula to watch the big waves as lifeguards stand ready."

And at the O.C. Register, "Monster highs: Massive summer swells bring out surf legends, gawkers, destruction,"  and "The Wedge pounds bodyboarders for 3rd straight day."

Plus, some video at WSJ, "Hurricane Marie Brings Epic Waves to Southern Calif."

Nina Agdal for Mambo Swimwear Summer 2014

She's from Denmark, a point my son noted in his 6th grade country project this last school year, heh.

At Egotastic!, "Nina Agdal Models Bikinis for Mambo, I Feel Snake Bit In My Sensitive Areas."

Buy Some Books

I'll be teaching all day. More blogging tonight.

Meanwhile, I'm still working on The Pity Party: A Mean-Spirited Diatribe Against Liberal Compassion.

Or search for more at the banner link:

Russia Sends Regular Forces Into #Ukraine

This is just bizarre.

Another reminder of bygone days, like the interwar period's Nazi run-up to WWII.

At LAT, "Ukraine says Russian armored vehicles pouring across border."

Brazil’s Valley of Beauties Appeals for Single Men

And Brazil's got some smokin' ladies down there too.

At the Telegraph UK, "Women of Noiva do Cordeiro, deep in the countryside of south-east Brazil, where men are scarce or work far away in the city, are left to shoulder the town’s burdens alone."

But read the article.

It's a bunch of controlling radical feminists at Noiva do Cordeiro. No man of self-respect would subject himself to the "rules" they've laid down. These women are going to remain lonely for a long time to come.

Election Models Converging on GOP Senate Majority

Well, I'm certainly bullish, but still, no reason to get too excited just yet.

That said, this is far-left MSNBC contributor Chris Cillizza, so you never know.

At WaPo, "All of the election models are starting to converge. And they are all pointing to a Republican Senate."

The election models are starting to converge. And they are pointing to a Republican Senate. http://t.co/BZYt0HMiw0 pic.twitter.com/CbIUddq3ZU

— Chris Cillizza (@TheFix) August 27, 2014

Maureen Dowd: Obama 'Outsourcing' Race Relations to Al Sharpton

MoDo's been on a roll lately.

At NYT, "He Has a Dream":

WASHINGTON — As he has grown weary of Washington, Barack Obama has shed parts of his presidency, like drying petals falling off a rose.

He left the explaining and selling of his signature health care legislation to Bill Clinton. He outsourced Congress to Rahm Emanuel in the first term, and now doesn’t bother to source it at all. He left schmoozing, as well as a spiraling Iraq, to Joe Biden. Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser, comes across as more than a messagemeister. As the president floats in the empyrean, Rhodes seems to make foreign policy even as he’s spinning it.

But the one thing it was impossible to imagine, back in the giddy days of the 2009 inauguration, as Americans basked in their open-mindedness and pluralism, was that the first African-American president would outsource race...

Keep reading.

#USC Cornerback Josh Shaw Suspended Indefinitely for Totally Lying About 'Hero' Story — #FightOn #Trojans

At LAT, "USC's Shaw suspended indefinitely for fabricating heroic story."

And from KCAL 9 News Los Angeles:

BREAKING: USC's Josh Shaw admits to school that he lied about how he suffered his ankle injuries over the weekend. pic.twitter.com/rdHzWmrhZN

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 27, 2014

#USC coach Steve Sarkiaisn on Josh Shaw: “We are extremely disappointed in Josh. He let us all down." Shaw has retained a lawyer.

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) August 27, 2014

Let's get the focus back on Saturday's game, instead of the distractions. Get fired up for Fresno State! #FightOn #BeatTheBulldogs

— USC Trojans Football (@uscfootball) August 27, 2014

PREVIOUSLY: "'Hero' Josh Shaw Investigation Hangs Over #USC Football."

New Child Fashion Necessity for In-Style Leftist Families: Striped 'Star of David' Holocaust Tees

Perfect leftist fashion item with a 1940s flair.

At Blazing Cat Fur, "Zara pulls plug on 'Holocaust shirt' for kids."

The company released a statement, indicating that the tee-shirts, with the "Star of David" on them, will be "exterminated":

The item in question, part of the Cowboy Collection for babies, was inspired by the character of the sheriff in Wild West movies. The word ‘Sheriff’ is visible on the star at the front of the item. Nevertheless, we can understand the sensitive context and connotation that was created. The item does not exist in Israel and as soon as the issue became clear, it was decided the product will be removed from shelves across the world and exterminated.

We sincerely apologize if, as a result, we have offended the feelings of our customers.

Yes, "sincerely." I'm sure.

Zara will destroy all of these shirts: http://t.co/a8ANyLkyYu pic.twitter.com/MoE2KNU46H

— Bloomberg News (@BloombergNews) August 27, 2014

New Jennifer Nicole Lee Photos from Miami Beach

At Egotastic!, "Jennifer Nicole Lee Spotted in South Beach."

Previously Jennifer Nicole Lee blogging here.

Political Correctness Helped Cover Up Child Sexual Exploitation in #Rotherham

More on the enormous depravity in Britain.

At Legal Insurrection, "Racial and religious targeting of white teenage girls — but investigators feared being labeled “racist,” according to independent report."

Also, commentary from Allison Pearson, at Telegraph UK, "Rotherham: In the face of such evil, who is the racist now?"

And at the Other McCain, "The Rotherham Horror."

PREVIOUSLY: "Sex Abuse Ignored in Britain: 1,400 Girls Raped by Muslim Sex-Trafficking Gangs as Police Feared 'Racism' Accusations."

VIDEO: Shirley Sotloff Appeals to Islamic State for the Release of Her Son, Steven Sotloff — #ISIS

An amazing development in the realm of international affairs. A bereaved mother appeals directly to the head of a transnational terrorist organization for the release of her son, held captive as a pawn in the terror war Islamic jihad is waging against the West. The video itself is particularly interesting for its production quality, and its apparent sponsorship by the New York Times. This is some kind of private party diplomacy that is extremely unusual. I'd have to research it, but we'd have to go back to the period of the 1980s, and the kidnappings conducted by the Islamic Jihad Organization in Lebanon, for something similar.

In any case, at the New York Times, "American Hostage’s Mother Issues Appeal to ISIS Leader: Plea to Islamic State for Release of Steven Sotloff" (via Memeorandum):

The mother of an American hostage being held by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria released an emotional video appeal to his captors on Wednesday. Shirley Sotloff, the mother of the 31-year-old freelance journalist Steven J. Sotloff, addressed her plea directly to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS and the self-declared caliph of the Muslim world.

Ms. Sotloff addresses Mr. Baghdadi as caliph, a title he bestowed on himself a few months ago, and calls on him to exercise his right to show clemency and follow the example of the Prophet Muhammad as previous caliphs did.

“I am sending this message to you, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi al-Quraishi al-Hussaini, the caliph of the Islamic State. I am Shirley Sotloff. My son Steven is in your hands,” she begins. “You, the caliph, can grant amnesty. I ask you please to release my child,” she continues. “I ask you to use your authority to spare his life.”

Mr. Baghdadi — an Iraqi national who was jailed briefly by American forces in 2004 — declared a caliphate this year after his group captured a significant chunk of territory in Iraq. His claim to authority has not been recognized by most Muslims. In addressing Mr. Baghdadi as caliph of the Muslim world, Ms. Sotloff’s appeal is almost certainly the first time a non-Muslim has acknowledged his authority, a move that may prove controversial.

More.

Miley Cyrus' Homeless Friend Has a Warrant Out for His Arrest

Ms. Cyrus was being touted as a "humanitarian" after Sunday's VMAs.

Now, not so much.

At ABC News:

Jon Stewart Epic 'Race/Off' Rant

Leftists are creaming over this, but what the heck? Stewart's a riot.

Watch: "Race/Off."

'Hero' Josh Shaw Investigation Hangs Over #USC Football

The original story is that he saved his nephew from drowning. Now, maybe not so much.

At LAT, "Josh Shaw situation hangs over preparation for USC season opener."