Lady Gaga Flaunts Her figure in Tight Black Top and Latex Fishtail Skirt in Hollywood

Hey, no complaints here.

Catwoman glasses too!

At London's Daily Mail, "Lady Gaga flaunts her ample cleavage and pert derriere in tight black top and PVC fishtail skirt as she dines out in Hollywood."

Mexico's Auto Industry Accelerates

The fruits of free trade and global interdependence, to the consternation of anti-American, anti-globalization activists, to say nothing of anti-free trade protectionists.

And wow, the U.S. is running a $7 billion trade surplus with Mexico.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Giant Ford and Toyota investments help fuel Mexican auto industry boom":

Investment in the Mexican auto industry is soaring as automakers take advantage of low labor rates, an increasingly sophisticated workforce and a plethora of free trade agreements.

Ford Motor Co. said Friday that it will spend $2.5 billion to build and expand engine and transmission factories in the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Guanajuato, creating 3,800 jobs.

Ford’s investment follows Toyota Motor Corp.’s announcement earlier this week that it will spend $1 billion to construct a new factory in central Mexico, where it will build Corolla compact cars.

“The Mexican auto industry is coming of age,” said Mike Jackson, an analyst at IHS Automotive, an industry research firm.

To be sure, wages top the list of Mexico’s auto manufacturing advantages. Workers at the auto assembly plants south of the border earn an average $5.64 an hour compared to $27.78 for their U.S. counterparts, according to the Center for Automotive Research, an industry think tank in Ann Arbor, Mich. Those at the parts suppliers earn just $2.47 an hour. Workers at U.S. auto suppliers average $19.65.

But that’s just one factor, Jackson said. The Mexican auto industry is turning out more sophisticated vehicles than it could a decade ago. That’s why luxury automaker BMW also revealed plans for a $1-billion plant in San Luis Potosi last July. Mercedes-Benz and Nissan are building a joint, $1.4-billion plant in Aguascalientes. Audi is constructing a $1.3-billion factory near Puebla.

Altogether, auto companies and suppliers have announced almost $5.5 billion in factory expansion and construction so far this year, according to the Center for Automotive Research.

Ford aims “to make our vehicles even more fuel-efficient with a new generation of engines and transmissions our team in Mexico will build,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of the Americas.

Already, Ford manufactures engines and assembles the Fiesta, Fusion and Lincoln MKZ in Mexico. The transmission plant to be built in Guanajuato will be Ford’s first in Mexico.

The Mexican auto industry has grown to the point at which it generate jobs beyond the assembly lines.

Automakers and suppliers report increasing reliance on Mexico for engineering, according to Jay Baron, chief executive of the Center for Automotive Research. That is turning the nation into a “key competitor” for high-paying white collar jobs provided by automotive research and development operations, he wrote in an industry report.

Baron and other analysts said Mexico’s auto industry growth is accelerated by a web of free trade agreements. The country has pacts with more than 40 nations that, combined, represent 70% of the world’s gross domestic product, according to the Center for Automotive Research.

The number of vehicles Mexico produces annually is expected to rise 54% from last year's level to nearly 5 million in 2022, according to IHS Automotive. U.S. production will rise 7% to a little more than 12 million during the same period.

Mexico's geography -- easy access to both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans -- bolsters its position as an automotive export hub.

“No other country in the world boasts an equivalent export environment,” Baron said.

More.

The Presidency and the Culture Wars

An interesting piece, from Damon Linker, at the Week, "How the race for president became the ultimate battlefield in the culture war":

What if the whole national drama surrounding the American presidency — the canonization or demonization of the office-holder, the obsession with the commander-in-chief's every utterance, the nearly two-year-long beauty contest we call a presidential campaign — isn't really about politics at all?

It certainly sounds counterintuitive.

Reporters and pundits may focus on the horse race in their coverage of a campaign, but most would surely say that a presidential election contest is ultimately about political ideology and the policies flowing from it. The Republicans want to cut government spending, regulations, and taxes, increase spending on defense, and use American military power more aggressively. The Democrats want to increase government spending, regulations, and (by implication) taxes, while cutting defense spending and using American military power a teeny-tiny bit less frequently.

The election itself is about which ideology you support and which personality you prefer to serve as its champion.

That's certainly part of what's going on. But it's not all of it. Or even most of it. Or the core of it.

More than ever, presidential politics is about something other than politics. It's about culture, identity, signaling, and symbolism. In a country of 318 million people, in which there is no shared religious conviction, no shared ethnicity, and increasingly no common culture or moral consensus about marriage and sex, and in which the burden of what is typically a nation's greatest act of collective endeavor and sacrifice (war) has been offloaded to a tiny segment of the population that voluntarily bears the burden largely out of public sight and mind — in such a centerless country, with a media culture that fixates on image, style, and symbolism, a single nationwide quadrennial election in which every adult citizen can participate has taken on existential overtones.

More than affirming his or her ideology or policy proposals, we want to be able to look at a presidential candidate and say: "That's me. That's who I am. That's how I see America."

Keep reading.

Children Raised by Homosexual Couples at Serious Risk

From Oscar Robert Lopez, at American Thinker, "The Gay Marriage Wake-Up Call."

The Meaning of Their Service

From U.S. Marine Corps General (four star, retired) James Mattis, at the Wall Street Journal, "A retired four-star Marine Corps general on the clarifying effect of combat experience, the poison of cynicism and how veterans can help revive American optimism."

Kendall Jenner in Sexy GQ Photo Shoot (VIDEO)

Watch: "Kendall Jenner's Sexy GQ Shoot."

Also, "The 12 sexiest moments from Kendall Jenner's GQ cover shoot," and "Presenting our May cover star Kendall Jenner."

BONUS: At London's Daily Mail, "Kendall Jenner shows off her lean and slender frame in a behind-the-scenes video for GQ shoot... as she talks about her passion for selfies."

Weekend Weather with Jackie Johnson

Slather up with sunscreen. It's going to be hot.

Texas Veterinarian Kristen Lindsey Fired After Killing Local Cat with Bow and Arrow

At KBTX-TV, College Station, Texas (at Memeorandum), "Veterinarian Fired After Bragging About Killing Cat with Bow and Arrow (WARNING: Graphic Photo)."

It doesn't look like a "feral" cat, and so what anyway. Why not just leave it alone?

More at London's Daily Mail, "'My first bow kill... lol': Self-proclaimed 'vet of the year' fired after posing for image holding a dead cat she killed with a bow and arrow after allegedly hunting it down."

ESPN Reporter Britt McHenry Suspended After Foul-Mouthed Parking Attendant Rant

At Hot Air, "Video: The obligatory “ESPN reporter acts like an a-hole to parking attendant” clip; Update: Suspended one week."



ADDED: At Instapundit, "WAIT, MORE PREMATURE INTERNET OUTRAGE? SURELY NOT! Kyle Smith: ESPN was totally wrong to suspend Britt McHenry."

Shop Patio, Lawn and Garden — Books Too!

I'll be working today. More blogging tonight.

Meanwhile, Shop Amazon's Patio, Lawn & Garden Spring Event .

Plus, from David Horowitz, The Black Book of the American Left Volume 4: Islamo-Fascism and the War Against the Jews.

And from Jason Riley, Please Stop Helping Us: How Liberals Make It Harder for Blacks to Succeed.

Floyd Mayweather, Jr., to Earn a Cool $120 Million in Fight Against Manny Pacquiao

He's one of the highest earning athletes ever.

At LAT, "Floyd Mayweather Jr. is glad he waited for big fight."

Pete Farndon's Widow Rants Against Twitter Trolls

I thought this was a parody for a second. But it's legit.

From Conover Farndon Kennard: "We Hurt Gun Nuts' Fee Fees and They Want Information On Me, So Here It Is."

Lots of drugs. Sex and drugs and rock-and-roll. Seriously. People die.

Pope Francis Says Gender Theory Causes Society to Take Step in the Wrong Direction

Well, I'm sure he'll generate a swift denunciation from the regressive precincts of the Catholic diaspora.

At Zenit, "Pope Francis: Removal of Differences Between Man and Woman Is the Problem, Not the Solution." (Via Instapundit.)

Leftists Celebrate Tax Day by Protesting for Higher Minimum Wage

From Ben Shapiro, at Big Government.

Also at USA Today, "Fast-food strikes widen into social-justice movement."

Still more at CBS Los Angeles:

Rocky Mountain Land Library

This is where I want to be.

At the New York Times, "Envisioning a Colorado Haven for Readers, Nestled Amid Mountains of Books":

SOUTH PARK, Colo. — The project is striking in its ambition: a sprawling research institution situated on a ranch at 10,000 feet above sea level, outfitted with 32,000 volumes, many of them about the Rocky Mountain region, plus artists’ studios, dormitories and a dining hall — a place for academics, birders, hikers and others to study and savor the West.

It is the sort of endeavor undertaken by a deep-pocketed politician or chief executive, perhaps a Bloomberg or a Buffett. But the project, called the Rocky Mountain Land Library, has instead two booksellers as its founders.

For more than 20 years, Jeff Lee, 60, and Ann Martin, 53, have worked at a Denver bookshop, the Tattered Cover, squirreling away their paychecks in the pursuit of a single dream: a rural, live-in library where visitors will be able to connect with two increasingly endangered elements — the printed word and untamed nature.

“It’s everything, really,” Ms. Martin said of the role the project has played in her life, and that of her husband, Mr. Lee. “It’s not really about us. It’s something for Colorado, for this region.”

They have poured an estimated $250,000 into their collection of 32,000 books, centering the collection on Western land, history, industry, writers and peoples. There are tales by Norman Maclean; wildlife sketches by William D. Berry; and books on beekeeping, dragonflies, cowboys and the Navajo. The couple said that groupings of books would be placed around the ranch, organized by theme: mining, railroads, fur trade, Native American tribes, natural history, astronomy.

Their library has a broad range of potential audiences, they said, from elementary school pupils to literature enthusiasts and Ph.D.s.

“The connection to nature — we know this place will give that to people,” Mr. Lee said. “Even if they don’t pick up a book.”

More.

Some Parents in East Bay Don't Like Planned Parenthood Teaching Sex Education to Their Kids

Yeah, I can imagine some parents might not be too pleased, but don't forget, children "belong to communities," not their families.

At ABC News San Francisco, "ACALANES SCHOOL BOARD MEETING ON PLANNED PARENTHOOD SEX ED CLASSES."

How Israel Hid Its Secret Nuclear Weapons Program

Remember how Obama leaked classified documents on Israel's nuclear weapons program in retaliation against Netanyahu's refusal to kowtow?

Well, Politico discusses the secrecy behind the program.

Here: "An exclusive look inside newly declassified documents shows how Israel blocked U.S. efforts to uncover its secret nuclear reactor."

Vegetarian Model, 19, Bathes in Pig Blood to Maintain Her Youthful Looks

I expect people like this to lose the Darwinian battle of the survival of the fittest.

At London's Daily Mail, "'My greatest fear is getting old': 19-year-old vegetarian model bathes in PIG BLOOD in a desperate bid to maintain her youthful looks forever."

Don't Cash Crop My Cornrows

Heh.

At USA Today, "'Hunger Games' star's race chat goes viral."

“What would America be like if we loved black people as much as we love black culture?”

Watch: "Amandla Stenberg: Don't Cash Crop On My Cornrows."

Goose With Arrow In Its Neck Dies After Surgery (VIDEO)

A goose just doesn't get an "arrow in its neck" by accident. Some loser had to put it there, with, you know, a bow and arrow...

Sick.

At CBS News Los Angeles.

The bird was believed to have been shot with the arrow about two weeks ago.

It remains unclear who shot the arrow, but authorities say if a shooter is identified, that person may face multiple charges. “They should be caught and incarcerated for it,” Chino Hills resident Heather Grant said. “Animal abuse is disgusting.”

Gravity Payments CEO to Boost Entire Company's 'Minimum Wage' to $70,000 (VIDEO)

I'm trying to wrap my head around this. Most business owners don't take $930,000 pay cuts to help their employees.

There's something else going on with this dude. Strange.

At KIRO 7 Seattle, "Seattle CEO to cut his pay so every worker earns $70,000."



Better private sector charity like this than statist collectivist redistribution schemes by corrupt Democrat Party cadres, in any case.

'This guy was trying to pick up girls and get sympathy drinks in a battle ready uniform which wasn't even on properly let alone, wearing it at a bar...'

I saw this story at London's Daily Mail a couple of days ago, "Stolen Valor? Row in Florida bar as man in uniform 'trying to pick up girls' gets aggressive when he can't answer simple questions about his basic training."

And now at the Blaze (via Memeorandum), "Bystander Asks Man in Military Uniform Basic Questions About His Service — His Answers Sparked This Explosive Exchange."

Also, see Katie McGuire, at Right Wing News, "VIDEO: A Bystander Asks a Man in Military Uniform Some Basic Questions About His Service – His Answers Sparked An Explosive Exchange!"

Charlotte McKinney for Guess Swimwear and Lingerie

At Egotastic!, "Charlotte McKinney Does Guess."

BONUS: "Charlotte McKinney Topless in Alleged Leaked Photos: Is This Really the Charlotte McKinney Jackpot?"

STEM Toys and Games

Hey, everyone's trying to get an edge these days, even toddlers.

At Amazon, "STEM Toys & Game Store."

Police Officer Runs Over Suspect in Arizona, Ending Day-Long Crime Spree (VIDEO)

Hey, the police department is hailing him as a hero.

At Tucson News Now, "Marana police video shows cruiser ram crime spree suspect." (At Memeorandum.)

And the New York Daily News, "SEE IT: Former NYPD cop disarms gunman by ramming with police cruiser to end Arizona crime spree."

Marco Rubio Presidential Campaign Announcement Video

Watch: "Marco Rubio Announcement."

Damn. That speech was absolutely incredible. So much American pride. #Rubio2016

— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) April 13, 2015

Hillary Clinton Makes Surprise Lunch Stop at Chipotle

No one recognized her. That's simply bizarre.

At the New York Times, "On the Road, Hillary Clinton Stops for Lunch at Chipotle and Goes Unrecognized."

And at Twitchy, "‘Does Chipotle have a senior burrito?’ Hillary’s ‘just like us,’ you guys [photos]."

Obama's Blue States Fading in Rocky Mountain West

More road kill from the Democrats' "coalition of the ascendant."

At LAT, "Obama conquered the West for Democrats, but now it's back in play":

When President Obama claimed the Democratic nomination en route to the White House, he planted his party flag in this Rocky Mountain capital, vowing to end Washington's dysfunction and find elusive consensus around issues such as immigration, guns and abortion.

Running as a different breed of Democrat — one more pragmatic and sensitive to the unbridled ethos of the region — Obama captured several Western states that the Republicans had won four years earlier, and came surprisingly close in two others.

Afterward, there was heady talk among Democrats of making the Mountain West a reliable part of their presidential base, safely tucking Colorado and Nevada alongside the blue bastions of California, Oregon and Washington, and turning Republican-leaning Arizona and Montana into a pair of tossup states.

But after the last several contentious years, none of that has happened. If anything, the interior West has grown even more competitive, as Republicans rolled up big midterm victories last year in Colorado and Nevada. They kept single-party control of Arizona's capital and, from all appearances, pushed Montana off the table for Democrats.

The ups and downs of Obama and his party, the Republican comeback after two losing presidential campaigns, and the demographic changes remaking the face of the country have been broadly writ across the Rocky Mountain West, and what happens here could go a long way toward deciding which party wins the White House in 2016.

With no candidate hailing from the region, and no special affinity for likely Democratic nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton or any one of the Republican hopefuls, the fight is likely to be close, especially in Colorado, which has lately seen more political upheaval — shifting control of the state Senate, a pair of lawmakers recalled in a fight over guns, a rural secession movement — than just about any state.

Even Obama supporters, including some who helped put him in the White House, say he has fallen short of the goals set forth that August 2008 night in Denver, and of the political aspirations that followed. Washington appears more dysfunctional than ever, immigration, guns and abortion remain political flashpoints and the national party is still viewed in much of the libertarian-leaning West with the same degree of suspicion.

"As a candidate there was more hope for Obama," said Dave Hunter, a veteran Democratic strategist in Montana, which Obama came close to winning in 2008, only to lose badly four years later. "But the reality, once he became president, was that he looked more like a typical Democrat than many people thought he was going to be."

 Hillary isn't going the reassemble the Rockies for the Democrats. They're making a big mistake.

Keep reading.

Regressive Democrats Try to Push Hillary Clinton Left

Following up from earlier, "Radical Leftists Urge Hillary to Go 'Bold' (VIDEO)."

At the Wall Street Journal, "Some Democrats think Hillary Clinton isn’t liberal enough, posing a challenge to her as she prepares for a presidential campaign":

WASHINGTON—Hillary Clinton was once seen as a liberal voice pulling her husband and party to the left. Today, on the brink of her announcement that she is running for president, some Democrats think she isn’t liberal enough.

What troubles them are her ties to Wall Street and Bill Clinton’s centrist economic record. They don’t like that she appears more comfortable with bipartisan compromise than populist calls to fight banks and other business interests, and wonder if she stands with them on other issues.

“There’s a general uncertainty of where she stands on key economic issues,” said Roger Hickey, co-chairman of the liberal advocacy group Campaign for America’s Future. “A lot of people would prefer to have someone who is a real populist crusader, who is clear about what she would do.”

More.

Uncovered Hailey Clauson

Via Sports Illustrated.



FLASHBACK: "Hailey Clauson Swimsuit Body Paint."

Raul Castro Stands Up for Obama at Summit of the Americas

Communist birds of a feather stick together.

At Telegraph UK, "US President Barack Obama received a remarkable vote of confidence from Cuban leader Castro, who praised his 'humble background'."

Star Wars Digital Movie Collection

Get your deals: Shop Amazon Instant Video - Star Wars Digital Movie Collection.

Hillary's 'Spontaneous' Campaign Closed to Public This Week, Won't Give Formal Stump Speeches Until May

Here's Chuck Todd ejaculating about Hillary's "spontaneous" campaign. Man, what a feat!

So hard in this new media age to do anything that looks spontaneous to political world. This Hillary road trip idea has done just that

— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) April 13, 2015

Of course, it's so spontaneous she won't be having formal stump speeches until May, via Toby Harnden tweeting Politico, "Hillary Clinton to drive to Iowa."

.@HillaryClinton "not planning any major speeches or campaign rallies until May" http://t.co/nseEDhOTp0

— Toby Harnden (@tobyharnden) April 13, 2015

And per Jennifer Jacobs, of the Des Moines Register, Hillary's Iowa events this week are closed to the public with limited media access. Now that's what I call taking your message to the people!

In Iowa, Hillary Clinton will do educational roundtable & a business roundtable. Neither open to public, limited access to news media.

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) April 12, 2015

UCLA Faculty Approves Diversity Course for Future Undergrads

Mandatory diversity classes, of course.

At Blazing Cat Fur.

I'm locked into my job but I'd move out of this state if I could. Man.

Hilarious Darrell Hammond 'First Dude' in SNL's Hillary Clinton Cold Open

It's pretty funny.

At iOWNTHEWORLD Report, "SNL Skewers Hillary (And takes a few shots at Bill)."

Watch: "Hillary Clinton Election Video Cold Open - SNL."

Radical Leftists Urge Hillary to Go 'Bold' (VIDEO)

Hillary's not statist enough, obviously.

Seems more like an Elizabeth Warren recruiting video to me. Hillary's got no need to go bold at this point. Not until she faces are primary challenger. And that remains to be seen.

At WaPo, "In video message, progressives tell Hillary Clinton: We’re ‘Ready for Boldness’":

Using her own words, and the words of other Democrats, a progressive group called on Hillary Clinton to take bold, populist stances in her second campaign for president.

As Republicans came at Clinton from the right on Sunday ahead of her anticipated announcement of a White House run, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) needled her from the left with a new YouTube video detailing the agenda it wants Clinton to support.

More.

Anti-Hillary Street Art in Brooklyn

Via Weekly Standard.

Rule 5 Sunday

Well, enough Hillary blogging for now.

Here's some breastastic bazonga blogging, featuring Lissy Cunningham.



Now over at Gator Doug's, "THE DALEYBABE MELANIE RILEY."

More at Regular Right Guy, "Chelsea Clinton: ELLE: Rule 5."

And from Ms. EBL, "Airport Security Steals Alyssa Milano's Breast Milk."

At Knuckledraggin', "Titties."

Also at Odie's, "Old Barns ~OR~ Rule 5 Woodsterman Style."

From AWD, "IF LOVING ALISON KRAUSS IS WRONG, AWD DOESN’T WANT TO BE RIGHT!"

From Dana Pico, "Rule 5 Blogging: If it ain’t rainin’, it ain’t trainin’!"

Also at the Last Tradition, "Rule 5 Sunday - Anais Pouliot."

And at Drunken Stepfather, "STEPLINKS OF THE DAY."

At Egotastic!, "READER FINDS: Kelly Brook Purported Nekkid Selfie, Chloe Sevigny Topless, Charlotte McKinney Crazy Hot Funbags, and Much Much More…"

A View from the Beach, "Rule 5 Saturday - Some Hollywood Cheesecake with Alison Brie."

Proof Positive, "Friday Night Babe: Simone Holtznagel!"

Goodstuff's, "GOODSTUFFs BLOGGING MAGAZINE (185th Issue)."

Also at 90 Miles From Tyranny, "Morning Mistress."

And from the Hostages, "Big Boob Friday™."

Crazy Uncle Bubba has, "A little bit of Mother Nature."

PCP has, "Flowing Curves of Beauty."

Now, over at Pirate's Cove, "Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup," and "If All You See……is a horrid and evil gas grill, you might just be a Warmist."

As usual, drop your Rule 5 links in the comments if you're not included.

Until then...

Hillary Clinton's Announcement Video

Here it is, via the Clinton campaign page.

Also at WSJ, "Hillary Clinton Launches Campaign for President."

And Telegraph UK, "'It's official: Hillary's running for president' - campaign for 2016 Democrat nomination launched: live."

BFD, as they say in flyover country.



PREVIOUSLY: "So 1990s: Clinton Campaign Announces Hillary's 2016 Presidential Bid by Email."

So 1990s: Clinton Campaign Announces Hillary's 2016 Presidential Bid by Email

I think I'll die of boredom.

At the San Francisco Chronicle, "Second shot: Hillary Clinton running again for president."

It's official: Hillary's running for president http://t.co/MAiPzSvrgg #HillarysBigAnnouncement #Hillary2016 pic.twitter.com/rzAmaEz6l7

— SFGate (@SFGate) April 12, 2015

And at the Washington Post, "Hillary Clinton launches presidential bid."

The New York Times Accuses Republicans of 'Racist Insurrection' Against Obama

Seriously.

The race card's pretty much been played out by this point, but then, that's all leftists have left these days. Pathetic.

At the New York Times, "A New Phase in Anti-Obama Attacks."

And at Gateway Pundit, "NY Times Accuses GOP of Racist ‘Insurrection’ Against Obama" (via Memeorandum).

Sunday Cartoons

At Flopping Aces, "Sunday Funnies."



More at U.S. Freedom Army, "Another liberal who ignores laws she doesn't like," and Reaganite Republican, "Reaganite's SUNDAY FUNNIES."

Also at Randy's Roundtable, "Friday Nite Funnies," and Lonely Con, "Speaking of Media Bias…"

Still more at Theo's, "Hillary: Please STFU and go way...", and Maggie's Farm, "Work Sucks! Tax the One Percent!"

Cartoon Credit: A.F. Branco.

'Media Matters would clearly prefer that Clinton be coronated as the Democratic nominee in “historic” fashion, given its ties to Clinton fanboy and perennial drama queen David Brock, who gets paid a lot of money to professionally adore Hillary Clinton...'

Well, about that uncontested Democrat primary in 2016.

Heh.

At Free Beacon, "Media Matters: Contested Primary Would Be Bad for Hillary." (Via Instapundit.)

Top 20% of Earners Pay 84% of Income Tax

Well, my wife and I paid our fair share. Thankfully we got a nice tax return this year. We're in the top 20 percent as well, although that's not as impressive as it sounds.

At WSJ, "And the bottom 20%? They get paid by Uncle Sam. We compare tax burdens as Tax Day approaches."

The Earned Income Tax Credit is the main reason folks at the bottom quintile get paid by Uncle Sam.

New Hurdles for Hillary Clinton in 2016

There's talk that former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley will enter the Democrat primaries against Hillary Clinton. It's a good thing too. It's going to be pretty strange if Clinton runs unchallenged next year. She'd essentially be running for the nomination like an incumbent president, although it remains to be seen if she'll be able to generate a commensurate level of enthusiasm.

In any case, more on the story at the Los Angeles Times, "Hillary Clinton will be a commanding front-runner facing high expectations":

Hillary Rodham Clinton will enter the 2016 Democratic presidential race — finally, officially — as the most commanding front-runner in generations. Yet her path to the White House will not be easy, much less assured.

For every advantage she carries an offsetting burden, along with the weight of exceedingly high expectations.

Clinton is beloved and widely admired. She is also loathed and widely criticized.

She boasts an unprecedented resume — former first lady, New York senator, secretary of State — and enjoys universal name recognition after more than two decades of near-constant presence on the national stage. That familiarity, however, will make it exceedingly difficult for Clinton to present herself as someone fresh and different — qualities voters often crave, especially at the tail end of a two-term presidency.

After more than a year of speculation and anticipation, Clinton is expected to formally launch her campaign Sunday with a video announcement, followed by a trip to Iowa, which is set to begin the presidential balloting next winter.

She's loathed alright.

At the New York Post, for example. And be sure to click through for the brutal excoriation from Michael Goodwin.

Hillary Clinton’s presidential plan is growing stale http://t.co/K70Om6cWVi pic.twitter.com/3KP1g8jJOF

— New York Post (@nypost) April 12, 2015

Proxy War in Yemen: Saudi Arabia and Iran Vie for Regional Supremacy

At Der Spiegel, "Saudia Arabia and Iran Fighting Proxy War in Yemen":

A Saudi Arabia-led coalition continues to bombard Yemen in an effort to stop the advance of an Iran-backed Shiite militia there. The conflict is becoming a proxy war for regional supremacy. The risks to the House of Saud are great.

On recent evenings, as Western foreign ministers negotiated fervently with the Iranian leadership in Lausanne, Switzerland, two young women in the Yemeni capital of Saana spent their time gazing fearfully into the darkening night sky. Nina Aqlan, a well-known civil rights activist, and her friend Ranim were on the lookout for Saudi Arabian fighter jets. Ranim was staying with Aqlan because her own apartment stands next to the headquarters of the Political Security Organization, Yemen's domestic intelligence agency. The building is considered a potential target for the Saudis and their allies.

"In the beginning, we thought they might bomb us for one or two nights. But it keeps getting worse!" says Ranim. In the background, the thump of the anti-aircraft batteries can be heard, occasionally interrupted by the thundering explosions of bomb detonations. Sometimes, the attacks last from early evening to midnight, they say over a Skype connection that repeatedly crashes. At other times, the bombing begins later and only ends at dawn.
The nightly strikes come as a Saudi Arabia-led, largely Sunni coalition consisting of nine countries seeks to push back Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen. Coalition jets have struck military bases and intelligence agency headquarters, but also a cement factory, a dairy and a refugee camp. By Thursday, the death toll from the bombings, which began one week ago, had risen to over 90. "What kind of war is this?" Aqlan asks angrily. "Why is it being fought?"

There isn't a direct connection between the hostilities and the surprisingly comprehensive deal reached between the West and Iran on the country's nuclear program on Thursday night. But aside from Israel, no country views the pact with as much skepticism as Saudi Arabia. Indeed, following similar developments in Syria and Iraq, the conflict in Yemen is increasingly looking like a proxy war between Riyadh and Tehran. The two capitals are blatantly wrestling over supremacy in the region. Either Saudi Arabia, the traditional Western ally that is watching nervously as the United States slowly pulls back. Or Iran, which has been expanding its power in the region of late and which has just taken an historic step toward rapprochement with the US and its allies.

Keep reading.

Britain's Trident Nuclear Deterrent Explained

A big political debate on Britain's nuclear deterrence, at Telegraph UK, "General Election 2015: How each party compares on Trident":

Britain's nuclear deterrent system, Trident, comes up for renewal next year. Parties are at odds over whether to carry on with four Vanguard-class submarines, which have been patrolling the seas since 1984.

With rising diplomatic tensions between Russia and the West and the rise of Islamic State, the world stage remains remarkably tense. The Conservatives have now warned that Labour would leave the country "open to nuclear blackmail by rogue states" because Ed Miliband is “so desperate for power” he is willing to “barter Britain's national security". So, where do the parties stand on Trident?

Keep reading.

Plus video, "What is Trident? Britain's nuclear deterrent explained."

Dana Loesch on the Cover of Guns & Ammo

Dana mentioned the Guns & Ammo cover earlier this week, "An Announcement Ahead of NRAAM."

She's only the second woman to be featured on the cover. Back in 1961 (the year I was born), Officer Jeanne E. Bray was featured. I'd say 54 years is much too long between women's covers.

Also at Twitchy, "Dana Loesch unveiled as first woman on cover of ‘Guns & Ammo’ since 1961."

And buy Dana's book, Hands Off My Gun: Defeating the Plot to Disarm America.

Steely Dan Didn't Even Bother to Engage Coachella's Younger Audience

Indeed, the band was practically trolling the young whippersnappers with "Reelin' in the Years."

At LAT, "Coachella 2015: Who exactly was Steely Dan trying to reel in?"

PREVIOUSLY: "AC/DC to Let Loose on Whole New Generation."

Drunk Crazy Woman Runs Across I-15 in High Heels as Bystanders Scream 'You're Going to Get Killed!'

Her car stalled on Interstate 15 in San Diego. Cars come barreling down the freeway as bystanders try to warn of the danger. A couple of near misses as cars swerve to avoid slowing traffic.

I don't think people realize who dangerous that is. And even more so when you're drunk, like this lady who just walks in and out of the road like she's at the supermarket.

At ABC 10 San Diego, "Drunken woman wanders onto I-15 freeway," and "WATCH: Drunken woman wanders onto I-15 freeway."

More at ABC 7 San Francisco, including shots of the woman getting arrested, "CAUGHT ON CAMERA: WOMAN STUMBLES ACROSS SAN DIEGO HIGHWAY."

Emma Kuziara (Emma K) for Zoo Today

Watch, "Emma K is sexier than ever in here amazing strip shoot!"

And on Instagram, "If you haven't already, go grab @zoo_today now to see my NEW shoot!"

Islamic State Murders Egyptian Soldier and Another Captive

I don't consider these "executions." An execution implies the victim is a criminal suspect, charged by a court of law, and tried according to some basic principles of due process. That's obviously not the case with the murders by Islamic State.

At the Jerusalem Post, "ISIS affiliate in Sinai claims execution of Egyptian solider, beheading of captive."

And watch, at Bare Naked Islam, "Islamic State (ISIS) in Sinai Peninsula executes Egyptian soldier and beheads a civilian in latest video."

Angry Lion Photo Taken Just Before He Attacked

Just spectacular. And totally amazing.

Remind me not to get in the gun sights of an angry lion!

At London's Daily Mail, "Let us prey: Fearless photographer captures image of hungry lion moments before the jungle king prepares to pounce."

Photographer gets attacked by a lion while taking these photos. Worth it. http://t.co/705PnhWMyb pic.twitter.com/bb3qQijDMe

— Melissa Keizer (@KeizGoesBoom) April 11, 2015

Pastor at #WalterScott Funeral Launches Scathing Attack on 'Racist' South Carolina Officer Michael Slager

Well, I must say, it didn't look good. Almost no one is standing up to defend Officer Slager, not insignificantly fellow police officers.

At London's Daily Mail, "'Walter Scott's death was motivated by racial discrimination': Pastor at funeral of unarmed black man shot in the back five times launches scathing attack on South Carolina cop who killed him."

Gwyneth Paltrow Pledges to Live on $29 Food Stamp Budget for One Week

I like Gwyneth. She's my favorite loopy lefist, heh.

At London's Daily Mail, "Gwyneth Paltrow vows to live on just $29 worth of food for a week as part of a charity challenge - but is already under fire from critics for her 1,000 calorie-per-day menu."

And at Twitchy:

'Grandstanding limousine liberal’: Gwyneth Paltrow vows to live on SNAP budget http://t.co/KRhbTLX7Fv

— TwitchyTeam (@TwitchyTeam) April 11, 2015

Another Reminder That the #BlackLivesMatter Movement is Actually a Revolutionary Communist Program

Marylin Zuniga, the Philadelphia teacher who had her students write "get well cards" to Mumia Abu-Jamal, tweeted a shout out to "comrade" Johanna Fernandez, who is a Professor of History at Baruch College.

Professor Fernandez is the coordinator for Educators for Mumia Abu-Jamal, an organization that proclaims a "revolutionary practice" in solidarity with political prisoners.

And according to the professor, in an essay at the Huffington Post:

The Fraternal Order of Police [of Philadelphia] knows that there is danger in the widespread discovery of Mumia by today's powerful generation of young black and brown activists. Indeed, their serious engagement with the political analysis, challenges, and lessons of struggle waged by black radicals last time -- a significant number of whom are political prisoners today -- would be a beautifully dangerous thing. It would catapult the Black Lives Matter movement, and our nation, closer to revolution. And for the leading black prophetic voice of our time, that would mean freedom, indeed.

So, again, we have it from radical activists at the roots of the movement: #BlackLivesMatter is about fomenting the communist revolution, the overthrow of the capitalist system in the U.S.

I've reported this fact numerous times, for example, "The Revolutionary Communist Roots of #BlackLivesMatter."

Deranged Leftist Commits Suicide on Capitol Hill: 'Tax the One Percent!'

Well, this time it was a suicide. Next time it will be murder. That's where we're heading with the far-left's murderous collectivist ideological agitation.

At the Right Scoop, "BREAKING! Man commits suicide on U.S. Capitol lawn, had ‘Tax the One Percent’ sign."

And at CNN, "Shooting at U.S. Capitol was a suicide, police say."

Reports - Man holding a sign "Tax the one %" kills himself in front of the Capitol. Building is on lockdown. Our stringer is on his way
— Ruptly Newsroom (@RuptlyNewsroom) April 11, 2015

The Obama Administration Sows Injustice in Campus Rape Cases

First read the Other McCain, "A Coven of Liars: Sabrina Rubin Erdley, Emily Renda and Catherine Lhamon."

Catherine Lhamon is the Obama administration's Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the Department of Education.

She defends the lower burden of proof in campus rape cases at the Wall Street Journal, "In Campus Rape Tribunals, Some Men See Injustice."

The Rolling Stone rape hoax was simply a product of the Obama administration's ideological and tyrannical rape culture hysteria and agenda. It's pretty despicable. Lives are being ruined. This is what the left does.

UPDATE: Linked at Instapundit. Thanks!

New Wall Street Tycoon Backs Ted Cruz

Well, that oughta shake up the race a bit. Money is the mother milk of politics, as they say.

It's a new era these days, with super-pacs and all.

At the New York Times, "Hedge-Fund Magnate Robert Mercer Emerges as a Generous Backer of Cruz."

GOP to Hammer Hillary Clinton with Web Ads Starting Sunday

At the Cleveland Plain Dealer, "Republicans will launch anti-Hillary Clinton ads on Sunday as she makes her candidacy official."

And watch, "Stop Hillary."

Marie Harf Facebook Feud With Her Mom's Friend Over Daily Caller Article

At Truth Revolt.

Hillary Clinton’s Campaign and the Coming Culture Wars

From Peter Wehner, at Commentary:

As the Clinton campaign is about to begin, then, here’s a prediction: She, her team, and her party will obsess on cultural issues and attempt to divide the nation around them to a degree we have never quite seen before. She’ll do this both because she is a liberal woman and because she has very little to say on economic and foreign policy matters. Mrs. Clinton will go into this election believing the “culture wars” to be the best and safest political ground for her. She will portray Republicans as engaged in a “war on women” in such a way that past efforts will look like a walk in the park. The distortions, mob mentality, and smear campaign that characterized the reaction of the left to the Indiana version of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (the federal version of which Bill Clinton signed into law) will be amplified by a factor of a hundred. If Hillary Clinton could talk about contraception, abortion, evolution, same sex marriage, and equal pay for equal work every day between now and November 2016, she would.

'Unfriended'

I should see this.

I've been studying technology, social media, and youth culture --- to get a better handle on the generation of kids I teach.

More on that later.

This flick looks trippy.

At NYT, "In ‘Unfriended,’ Horror Unfolds on a Desktop Screen":

A Google search or an iMessage may seem an unlikely source of dramatic tension for a movie. But the new horror thriller “Unfriended,” opening April 17, takes these routine actions in our daily digital lives and turns them into moments of fear and dread. It’s one in a recent spate of horror movies playing out on computer screens that might be likened to the found-footage horror genre that “The Blair Witch Project” started in 1999. But now the frights rely on an active Skype account and a strong Wi-Fi signal.

While dramas like “Disconnect” (2013) and “Men, Women & Children” (2014) have grappled with how technology is changing our lives (and how those changes can be portrayed on a big screen), it may be the horror genre that best examines the intimate and unsettling nature of technology and how we construct our online selves.

“We don’t think about it that much, but our computers and our digital lives are full of secrets,” Nelson Greaves, the writer of “Unfriended,” said by phone from Los Angeles. “You type in a password to get onto the computer. You type in another password to get onto your email. Because of those passwords, we feel like these are safe spaces. And so we behave in these spaces ways that we don’t anywhere else.”

“Unfriended” takes place in real time on the desktop of a teenage girl, Blaire (Shelley Hennig). Her screen becomes the audience’s movie screen. We see her searches, her iMessage chats with her boyfriend, her group Skype session with friends and the mysterious Facebook messages she begins to receive from the account of a girl who had committed suicide a year earlier, after a humiliating video of her was anonymously posted and circulated online. It’s a story of cyberbullying and cyberstalking in which cruel online actions of the past can come back to haunt the characters.

“I’m a very shy person and try to live my own little life,” the film’s director, Levan Gabriadze, said in a phone interview. “But with the Internet, suddenly everybody becomes public and everybody is under the spotlight. Every mistake you make is documented and stays there. It really is a tough space to be, because the Internet doesn’t forget.”

One of the producers, Timur Bekmambetov (“Night Watch,” “Wanted”), harbored the idea of making a movie on a computer screen for more than a decade. He said he thought a movie set on a desktop was a fresh way of getting at a character’s internal thoughts.

Sounds amazingly realistic.

More.

New Jersey Teacher Suspended After Class Sends 'Get Well Cards' to Cop Killer Mumia Abu-Jamal

*SMH*

At CBS News New York, "N.J. Teacher Suspended For Having Students Write To Convicted Cop Killer."

Also, at Newark's Star-Ledger, "N.J. teacher suspended over third-graders' 'get well' letters to convicted cop killer Mumia Abu-Jamal." And at Philly Mag, "Philly Students Send Get-Well Cards to Mumia Abu-Jamal."

AC/DC to Let Loose on Whole New Generation

AC/DC's headlining Coachella tonight and next Friday. My son's going next weekend, but he won't catch AC/DC's performance, the idiot lol.

Maybe some of the other young whippersnappers there will.

At LAT, "Brian Johnson, AC/DC all set to shake the Coachella kids up":

After 40 years of hard-rock superstardom, there aren't many things AC/DC has yet to try.

Headlining the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, as the veteran Australian band will do when the annual blowout kicks off Friday in Indio, is one of them.

But if Brian Johnson was nervous about performing at a festival known for its adventurous talent and youthful crowd, the 67-year-old singer didn't show it this week at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills — perhaps because he'd just received some reassuring words from Paul McCartney, who played Coachella in 2009.

"I ran into him downstairs this morning," Johnson said Tuesday over tea with his band mates Angus Young and Cliff Williams. "He goes, 'Brian, you get on that stage and I'm telling you, you see all these kids looking for the hip-hop acts. Then they see you, and they're like, 'Who's he? Oh, yeah — me dad talks of him.' " Johnson laughed in his raspy growl. "But he said it's great because you're doing your thing, and eventually all the kids go, 'He's cool, this dude!'

"It kind of takes you right back to the start, when you had to win over an audience," the singer added. "I'm excited."

As it happens, the crowd won't be the only X factor for AC/DC at Coachella, which after its run this weekend at the Empire Polo Club is set to repeat April 17-19. The band's Friday night set — the opening date of a world tour scheduled through fall — will also feature two additions to the band in guitarist Stevie Young (Angus' nephew) and drummer Chris Slade.

Or new-ish additions, let's call them. Both men have played in AC/DC before, Young in the late '80s and Slade in the early '90s. But now both appear to have permanent gigs following a tumultuous 2014 in which founding guitarist Malcolm Young, Angus' older brother, was forced to leave the group as a result of dementia and longtime drummer Phil Rudd lost his spot after he was arrested in New Zealand on charges of drug possession and threatening to kill. (An additional murder-for-hire charge was dropped due to insufficient evidence.)

The dramatic events — which came just as AC/DC was preparing to release its latest album, November's typically solid "Rock or Bust" — rattled the band, said Angus Young, who called the experience a "roller coaster."

Yet AC/DC has weathered turmoil before, most famously when its original lead singer, Bon Scott, died of alcohol poisoning in 1980. Months later, the group recruited Johnson and put out "Back in Black," still its biggest album ever. Moving past these latest troubles was never in question, Johnson said.

"You pick yourself up, dust yourself down and just keep going," said the frontman, instantly recognizable in his trademark black T-shirt and flat cap. "You live on, and you have a wonderful memory of them always with you, but you're not going to stop doing what you do. Otherwise, you die inside, you know? And we would die — I would, if I didn't do what I was doing. There'd be nothing." He paused as though suddenly aware of how serious he sounded. Then he laughed.

"I'd just be another guy looking for a hobby."

More.

Here's That Dove Video in Which Women Choose if They're 'Beautiful' or 'Average'

Everyone's beautiful.

Beauty's skin deep, blah blah.

Not sure why anyone at Dove thought this was a good idea.

At Ad Week, "Dove's Latest Film Makes Women Choose If They Are 'Beautiful' or 'Average': But is the concept overly simplified?"

And watch: "Dove Choose Beautiful | Women all over the world make a choice."

Hat Tip: Memeorandum.

Bloomberg Falls for Fake Nancy Reagan Hillary Clinton Endorsement

You can read the cached version here, "Nancy Reagan Gives Her Endorsement to ... Hillary Clinton."

And at Memeorandum, "RETRACTED: Nancy Reagan Gives Her Endorsement to ... Hillary Clinton?"

The piece is completely pulled.

More at Politico, "Bloomberg falls for fake Nancy Reagan report."

Clothing Optional, Lipstick Required: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley for Violet Grey

She's lovely:

Here: "The British supermodel opens up about her beauty habits, career ambitions and going nude for art."

John Thomas Booker, Jr. — Islamic State Wannabe — Charged in Kansas Military Bomb Plot

At USA Today, "Feds charge Kansas man with Fort Riley bomb plot."

If Barack Obama had a son he'd look like ISIS terrorist John Thomas Booker. #FortRiley #tcot #usmc #oathkeepers #p2 pic.twitter.com/42HjXLOJ3n

— BARACKOLYPSE OBOLA (@CzarofFreedom) April 10, 2015

Gunnery Sgt. Brian Jacklin Awarded the Navy Cross

At the O.C. Register, "Valor is 'what these Marines are all about,' officer says of those who earned Navy Cross, Bronze Star":

CAMP PENDLETON – Gunnery Sgt. Brian Jacklin still remembers being vastly outnumbered and surrounded by the enemy in a small village in the volatile Helmand Province of western Afghanistan.

He and his team of nine special operations Marines had taken heavy fire for hours from outside a compound. His captain and a sergeant had been hit and were bleeding out. Jacklin saw blowing out the wall as the only way to evacuate his wounded comrades and get his team to a landing zone and an arriving copter.

“I asked the guys, ‘Does anyone have a problem with blowing out the wall to get out of here?’” Jacklin recalled. “They all said ‘I’m in, just do it.’ There was no hesitation when I gave the order. I told them, ‘If you get hit on your way out just keep going and we’ll figure it out afterward.’”

After the wounded and his team were evacuated, Jacklin stayed behind providing intelligence and personal fire to the assisting SEAL Team 3 and local Afghan forces.

Jacklin, 32, a critical skills operator with 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, on Thursday was awarded the Navy Cross – the nation’s second-highest award for valor.

“With his decisive actions, bold initiative and complete dedication to duty, Jacklin reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service,” his citation reads.

He was decorated by Maj. Gen. Joseph Osterman, commander of the Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, during a ceremony at Camp Pendleton. Jacklin received his medal for heroic actions during a 48-hour standoff with the enemy while he was part of a team conducting village stability operations in Afghanistan’s volatile Upper Gereshk Valley in June 2012.

During the ceremony, five of Jacklin’s team members – all critical skill operators – also were honored with the Bronze Star with combat “V” device for their role in the battle. They included Gunnery Sgt. William Simpson IV, Staff Sgt. Christopher Buckminster, Staff Sgt. Hafeez Hussein, Sgt. William Hall and Sgt. David Harris.

“These six extraordinary Marines are being recognized for their gallantry and valor,” Osterman said. “It always takes a team to make it work. This epitomizes the team concept and what these Marines are all about.”

Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez Hits Three Home Runs Against Padres

Sweet.

At LAT, "Adrian Gonzalez is riding a home-run wave as Dodgers head to Arizona," and "Believe it or not: Adrian Gonzalez says he's no home run hitter."

Hillary Clinton to Declare Sunday

The epic anticlimax.

At the Guardian UK, "Exclusive: Hillary Clinton to launch 2016 campaign on Sunday en route to Iowa" (at Memeorandum).

Charles Krauthammer — Iranian Nuclear Talks: Anatomy of a Disaster

At the Washington Post, "The Iran deal: Anatomy of a disaster":

“Negotiations . . . to prevent an Iranian capability to develop a nuclear arsenal are ending with an agreement that concedes this very capability . . . ”

— Henry Kissinger and George Shultz, the Wall Street Journal, April 8

It was but a year and a half ago that Barack Obama endorsed the objective of abolition when he said that Iran’s heavily fortified Fordow nuclear facility, its plutonium-producing heavy-water reactor and its advanced centrifuges were all unnecessary for a civilian nuclear program. The logic was clear: Since Iran was claiming to be pursuing an exclusively civilian program, these would have to go.

Yet under the deal Obama is now trying to sell, not one of these is to be dismantled. Indeed, Iran’s entire nuclear infrastructure is kept intact, just frozen or repurposed for the length of the deal (about a decade). Thus Fordow’s centrifuges will keep spinning. They will now be fed xenon, zinc and germanium instead of uranium. But that means they remain ready at any time to revert from the world’s most heavily (indeed comically) fortified medical isotope facility to a bomb-making factory.

And upon the expiration of the deal, conceded Obama Monday on NPR, Iran’s breakout time to a nuclear bomb will be “almost down to zero,” i.e., it will be able to produce nuclear weapons at will and without delay.

And then there’s cheating. Not to worry, says Obama. We have guarantees of compliance: “unprecedented inspections” and “snapback” sanctions.

The inspection promises are a farce. We haven’t even held the Iranians to their current obligation to come clean with the International Atomic Energy Agency on their previous nuclear activities. The IAEA charges Iran with stonewalling on 11 of 12 issues.

As veteran nuclear expert David Albright points out, that makes future verification impossible — how can you determine what’s been illegally changed or added if you have no baseline? Worse, there’s been no mention of the only verification regime with real teeth — at-will, unannounced visits to any facility, declared or undeclared. The joint European-Iranian statement spoke only of “enhanced access through agreed procedures,” which doesn’t remotely suggest anywhere/anytime inspections. And on Thursday, Iran’s supreme leader ruled out any “extraordinary supervision measures.”

The IAEA hasn’t been allowed to see the Parchin weaponization facility in 10 years. And the massive Fordow complex was disclosed not by the IAEA but by Iranian dissidents...

Keep reading.

Let's be honest: The frantic administration push for an Iran deal hasn't been about arms control or nuclear non-proliferation. It's been about Obama's legacy. And nothing --- not even the security of the free world --- will be allowed to stand in the way of that.

Universities Failing Students in Every Respect

From VDH, at National Review, "The Modern University Is Failing Students in Every Respect":

A bachelor’s degree is no longer proof that any graduate can read critically or write effectively. National college-entrance-test scores have generally declined the last few years, and grading standards have as well.

Too often, universities emulate greenhouses where fragile adults are coddled as if they were hothouse orchids. Hypersensitive students are warned about “micro-aggressions” that in the real world would be imperceptible.

Apprehensive professors are sometimes supposed to offer “trigger warnings” that assume students are delicate Victorians who cannot handle landmark authors such as Joseph Conrad or Mark Twain.

“Safe spaces” are designated areas where traumatized students can be shielded from supposedly hurtful or unwelcome language that should not exist in a just and fair world...

More.

Laptop of the Future

This is pretty good.

I'm on a cheap Acer Chromebook, which is all I need. I do word processing on my son's MacBook or at the office on my dinosaur Dell PC.

But the new MacBook is wicked. Get the kinks worked out and you'll be in laptop heaven.

From Joanna Stern, at WSJ, "Apple MacBook Review: The Laptop of the Future Isn’t Ready for the Present."

Be sure to watch the video as well. She's funny.

Technology and Social Media Trends Among American Teenagers

An extremely interesting survey from Pew Research, "Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015."

And see especially this part, "Mobile Access Shifts Social Media Use and Other Online Activities."

Also at WaPo, "Teens aren’t fleeing Facebook as quickly as we thought."

Authorities Release Dash Cam Video of Moments Before Fatal Shooting of Walter Scott

At WIS-TV Columbia, S.C. (via Memeorandum), "Authorities release dash cam footage from Michael Slager's patrol car before fatal shooting."

He ran. Walter Scott ran from the scene of his traffic stop. It doesn't justify being shot in the back, but it does raise the question that if Scott would have just cooperated with Officer Slager, he almost certainly would still be alive.

Watch at CNN:



ADDED: "Witness: Cop and Walter Scott struggled on ground."

The Reservoir Is Nearly Empty

Yeah, Jerry Brown's cranial reservoir. The idiot.

Yup, we are living the "California Dream" here... Ramirez' new cartoon explains it ... pic.twitter.com/E5TWUcJg2f
— Mark Larson (@marklarsonradio) April 9, 2015

Exceptional: Why the World Needs a Powerful America

I love the title of Dick and Liz Cheney's forthcoming book, being published by Threshold Editions.

Here's the press release, "THRESHOLD EDITIONS TO PUBLISH NEW BOOK BY FORMER VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY AND LIZ CHENEY."

And at Amazon, Exceptional: Why the World Needs a Powerful America.

Heh, the epic title of a neocon manifesto. Leftist heads are going to explode.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and the Death Penalty

I expressed my opinion on this earlier. It really doesn't matter to me what happens to Tsarnaev, although if there's a good candidate for capital punishment, it's him.

But see the Boston Globe editorial, "Spare Dzhokhar Tsarnaev the death penalty."

Also, from Kevin Cullen, "Are we going to kill Dzhokhar Tsarnaev or not?"

The Inconvenient Truth About the California Drought

I've been over this: Sure, California is experiencing record shortfalls of rain. However, the state's environmental policies have extremely exacerbated the situation, to the point where many analysts consider this a man-made crisis.

The problem, of course, is that the Democrats got us into this mess and they've got no clue about how to get us out. Thus, mass suffering among the populace, especially among minorities and the poor.

At iOWNTHEWORLD Report, "The most important question might be the one that is not being asked: WHY is there a water shortage?"



Image Credit: The People's Cube.

Lester Holt Interview with Feidin Santana, Bystander Who Recorded Shooting of Walter Scott (VIDEO)

The shooting death of Mr. Scott is an abomination, but the larger media coverage --- and the availability of eyewitness video --- is a very good thing. It's going to set a high bar for the radical #BlackLivesMatter movement. If you claim police brutality, you're going to have near incontrovertible evidence.

At NBC News (via Memeorandum), "Feidin Santana, Who Recorded Police Shooting 0f Walter Scott, Speaks Out."




Also, "Bystander Considered Erasing Footage of Cop Shooting."

Wounded Dude Gets Dragged to Safety During Yemen Fighting (VIDEO)

Can't say this looks like fun.

Watch, via Reuters, "Wounded, under fire, dragged to safety, in embattled Yemen."

Also, at the Los Angeles Times, "Yemen rebels advance near key gas terminal; capital hit by new strikes":

The conflict in Yemen, already the Arab world’s poorest country, has triggered a humanitarian disaster, with food, water, medical supplies and electricity running short in many areas. Civilian casualties are mounting; at least 643 civilians have been killed and more than 2,200 wounded, according to the United Nations.

The Saudi-led airstrikes have so far failed to dislodge the Houthis from Aden, the southern port city that is Yemen’s main commercial hub. Fierce street-to-street fighting, some of it with heavy weapons such as field artillery, continued Thursday in central districts, with explosions reverberating across the city.

More at al-Jazeera, "Intense fighting reported in Yemen's Aden."

Sofía Vergara for Vanity Fair May 2015

See, "Sofía Vergara Poses for Annie Leibovitz on the May 2015 Cover."

Hat Tip: L.A. Times, "Sofia Vergara confirms what we've suspected all along: They're huge."

A Verdict in Boston — #Tsarnaev

At the Wall Street Journal, "In sentencing Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, remember the Richards family":

As terrorist attacks go, the Boston Marathon bombing was not especially major: In scale, it barely compares to last week’s massacre of Christians at a university in Kenya or December’s school massacre in Peshawar. But that’s all the more reason to take terrorism more seriously than we often do today. We remain a nation living under the shadow of a threat that even the Marathon bombings, with all their carnage, only faintly made visible.

We hope the Boston jurors bear that in mind as they deliberate on a sentence that will be a statement of justice—and of resolve.

Death penalty or no death penalty? That is the question. The editors don't say, but is there anyone more worthy? I'm not the biggest fan of capital punishment, but this guy Tsarnaev's a poster boy if there ever was one.

'Do not be deceived. People who are willing to lie about rape will lie about anything...'

From Robert Stacy McCain, "Why Facts Matter."

Suspected Drug Tunnel Discovered Near Tijuana Airport

Pretty amazing, especially the audacity of it.

At ABC News 10 San Diego, "Border tunnel discovered near Tijuana airport."

Kill Obama's Iran Deal

From William Kristol, at the Weekly Standard, "Special Editorial: Kill the Deal":

Commentators have exposed how bad the Iran deal is in various ways; the point, however, is to kill it.

Why? Because the deal can't be fixed. Even if sanctions relief were somewhat more gradual, even if the number of centrifuges were somewhat lower, even if the inspections regime were somewhat more robust—the basic facts would remain: Iran gets to keep its nuclear infrastructure, including the most sensitive parts of it. The sanctions come off. And the inspectors can be kicked out. So Iran, a state-sponsor of terror, an enemy of the United States, an aggressive jihadist power, a regime dedicated to the destruction of Israel, will become a threshold nuclear weapons state...

Keep reading.

Mother Who Gave Birth to Her Own Brother and Sister

Pretty strange.

Very strange, in fact.

At London's Daily Mail, "Mother who gave birth to her own brother and sister: An extraordinary story raising profound questions about surrogacy and the future of the family."

Russian Company Sells Advertising Space on Women's Breasts

Heh.

The Russians got game.

At the People's Cube, "Marketing Genius in Russia: Mammary Space Available."

Be sure to scroll down to the "Many-Titted Empress Comrade Hillary," lol.

What does 'feminist' even mean at this point?

From Katherine Timpf, at National Review.

The Left is now linking fracking with feminism. True story: http://t.co/L2FoW7eBxH pic.twitter.com/9eNEi3mEON

— National Review (@NRO) April 9, 2015

University of Virginia Fraternity Phi Kappa Psi to Sue Rolling Stone

Following up from earlier, "UVA's Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity Will Slap Rolling Stone With 'all available legal action...'"

Law Professor Jonathan Turley is interviewed at this segment from CBS This Morning:

Let Them Bake Cake

From Mark Steyn:

Denver's Azucar Bakery Wins Right to Refuse to Make Anti-Gay Cakes.

So in the age of flour power the state can compel you to make certain kinds of cakes but relieve you of the obligation to make certain other kinds of cakes. In our brave new gâteaupia, it will all eventually wind up at the Supreme Court, at which America's Masterchef Anthony Kennedy will decide precisely which half-baked state-mandated menu items on the cake stand of American liberty are constitutional and which are not.

And, if a few Indiana pizzerias have to be put out of business along the way, well, as the Commies used to say, you can't make a gay wedding cake without breaking a few eggs...

Keep reading.

The Trouble with Black Power Revisionism

A great historical review of black power militancy, from Randall Kennedy, at the Boston Review, "Protesting Too Much."

Few, If Any, Consequences for Those Perpetuating Rape Hoaxes

Yeah, and no consequences especially for the "rape culture" mastermind, Professor Caroline Heldman.

See Ashe Schow, at the Washington Examiner, "Few, if any, consequences for those involved in perpetuating rape hoaxes."

Because the #WalterScott Shooting Is Totes Like #MichaelBrown and #Ferguson

Totes.

@StCyrlyMe2 @allinwithchris NO CPR ..similarities in pics..no remorse ,,don't try 2 save them #WalterScott #MikeBrown pic.twitter.com/Dwzf9MvCq1

— Nancy Mitchell (@NancyWonderful) April 9, 2015

How Charlotte McKinney Maintains Her Bombshell Figure

All natural.

At People, "DWTS Cast-Off Charlotte McKinney: What I Eat in a Day."



BONUS: At Puff Ho, "Charlotte McKinney Channels Kate Upton In New Topless Shoot."

One Big Ass Mistake America!

I love this!

I Saw This Guy On The Road & Asked Him 2 Pullover!! #tcot #ccot #pjnet @TrucksHorsesDog @Stonewall_77 @LodiSilverado pic.twitter.com/sd7BPw81G3

— DR. TWEET, Ph.D. (@Callisto1947) April 9, 2015

Bob Schieffer to Retire

He's a lefty, but an old fashioned guy that I admire a lot.

At CBS, "'Face the Nation' host Bob Schieffer to retire this summer."

Sad to see CBSNEWS Bob Schieffer step aside. One of the very few grownups left... pic.twitter.com/ISGEDFsGkV
— MATT DRUDGE (@DRUDGE) April 9, 2015

More, "Bob and Pat Schieffer minutes after announcing his retirement at #TCU."