'Severe' Terror Threat in Britain Amid Increasing Fears of U.K. Jihadists

I think we're reaching the "overblown" phase of the latest threat about now.

That's not to say there isn't one. Only that while David Cameron continues to thread the multicultural needle, and President Obama admits he's got no strategy to defeat the terrorists, the opportunistic mass media has decided this is a good time to pump up the dangers of global jihad.

We'll probably die of political correctness first.

At BCF, "UK terror threat level raised to "Multicultural" - Jihadist attack now 'highly likely'."

And at Telegraph UK, "Britain facing 'greatest terrorist threat' in history":

David Cameron warns that Isil have made 'specific' threats against Britain as the terror threat level is raised.

Britain faces the “greatest and deepest” terror threat in the country’s history, David Cameron warned as he pledged emergency measures to tackle extremists.

The UK threat level was raised to “severe” — its second highest — meaning that a terrorist attack is “highly likely” in light of the growing danger from British jihadists returning from Iraq and Syria.

The Prime Minister said that the risk posed by Isil (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) will last for “decades” and raised the prospect of an expanding terrorist nation “on the shores of the Mediterranean”.

He disclosed that Isil had made “specific” threats against the UK and did not rule out military action to tackle the growing problem.

More than 500 Britons are believed to have gone to Iraq and Syria and at least half have returned, with some feared to be planning attacks here. One major plot has been foiled.

The warning came as it emerged that a laptop seized from Isil in Syria contained research on how to make a biological bomb and religious justification to use it against civilians.

On Monday, Mr Cameron will unveil a number of “uncompromising” measures to help tackle British jihadists and fill the “gaps in our armoury”.

They will include stopping British fanatics from travelling to or returning from the war zones by making it easier to seize their passports.

#Angels Beat #Athletics 4-0 in Spectacular Rivaly Match at Anaheim Stadium

I mentioned the playoff atmosphere in my post yesterday before the game, "Angels-Athletics Rivalry Has 'Playoff Feel'."

And there were no disappointments.

Mike DiGiovanna reports, at the Los Angeles Times, "Angels get A's for effort in 4-0 victory":

Ball squirted out of Coco Crisp's glove and over the wall. It's a 2-run HR for Iannetta for 2-0 #Angels lead, but what an effort by Crisp.

— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) August 30, 2014

That was #Angels C Chris Iannetta's first HR since May 25 vs. #Royals.

— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) August 30, 2014

Oakland center fielder Coco Crisp risked serious injury when he crashed into the wall in a gallant effort to rob Angels catcher Chris Iannetta of a two-run home run in the fifth inning Friday night.

Angels left fielder Josh Hamilton hurled his body into foul territory to make a superb diving catch of Alberto Callaspo's fifth-inning popup with two on, to which center fielder Mike Trout responded: "That's what I'm talking about, baby!"

Trout raced into the left-center-field gap and caught Stephen Vogt's drive before slamming into the wall to save a run in the fourth. And Angels ace Jered Weaver pumped his fist violently and screamed an obscenity into the air after getting Josh Reddick to fly to left with the bases loaded to end the sixth.

What the Angels-Athletics rivalry might lack in name-brand recognition or a decades-old history of bitterness, it is making up for in on-field intensity.

Emotions ran high again Friday night, as Weaver gave up three hits in seven shutout innings to lead the Angels to a 4-0 victory before an energized crowd of 41,177 in Angel Stadium...

More.

In an all-around phenomenal game, the Coco Crisp effort to snag Iannetta's home run was particularly dramatic.

I picked up tickets yesterday afternoon, so our seats were way up on the top level, almost all the way down the third base line. From my angle, the center-field fence was parallel with my view. I was talking to my son and not paying close attention when Iannetta came up to bat, but I saw him get some good wood on the ball and was wondering if it was going to go out of the yard. And then here come the outfielders to try to make a play. It took me a second to remember that Crisp was playing center, but as soon as he went up I knew, and he slammed into the wall hard. It looked like he robbed Iannetta of the homer, but we were too far away to see the ball pop out of the glove. And then Crisp jumped up and clutched his abdomen, finally doubling over in pain. I saw an usher or groundsman behind the center-field wall go over and pick up a ball, so I thought then that Crisp wasn't able to hold on. But the scoreboard hadn't recording the home run, and I didn't see the umpire signal the score. Pretty intense baseball, that's for sure. And so different watching it at the park than on television.

In any case, here's the Athletics home page with the video, "Crisp exits after crash into wall on stellar effort."

VIDEO: Review of #ISIS Social Media Messaging Reveals Intent to Sneak Across U.S.-Mexico Border

At Fox News, "Online posts show ISIS eyeing Mexican border, says law enforcement bulletin."

Also, from Brandon Darby, at Breitbart, "EXCLUSIVE: BREITBART TEXAS VERIFIES ISIS BORDER THREAT WITH LEAKED DOC."

And picked up at local CBS News Los Angeles:

Angels-Athletics Rivalry Has 'Playoff Feel'

I'm heading out in a few minutes for Game 2 of the Labor Day weekend series between the Angels and Athletics at the Big A.

The Los Angeles Times reports, "Angels-Athletics is becoming a real rivalry."

This four-game series with #Athletics and #Angels is really setting up nicely for some great drama this weekend. Playoff feel

— Sean Cunningham (@News10Sean) August 29, 2014

Putin Denies Russia Sent Troops Into #Ukraine

More on the story out of Russia, at LAT, "Putin denies invading Ukraine, warns West 'not to mess with us'."

PREVIOUSLY: "Putin Lashes Out at Kiev."

Eiza Gonzalez

At WWTDD, "Eiza Gonzalez Is No Miley Cyrus."

The Concept of Western World Order in Crisis

A magisterial essay, from Henry Kissinger, at WSJ, "Henry Kissinger on the Assembly of a New World Order."

Dr. Kissinger has a new book coming out as well, World Order.

Homosexual Daniel Ashley Pierce Violently Disowned by Family During Profanity-Laced 'Intervention'

Huffington Post has the story, via Memeorandum, "WATCH: Family Has Horrifying, Violent Reaction To Son's Coming Out As Gay (GRAPHIC CONTENT)."

"How not to react" is right.

BMW X5 Security Plus Bullet-Proof Car

A little out of my price range, although I could sure use one.

At WSJ, "BMW Unveils Bulletproof Car: Moscow Plays Host to Launch of Cars That Can Withstand AK-47 Fire."

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