Wednesday, April 26, 2017

The Radical Left's Massive Resistance

The radical left has declared war on the Trump administration, and by extension, all decent Americans.

At FrontPage Magazine, "The 'Resistance' Democrats are a Terrorist Party":
The Democrats have committed to overthrowing our government.

What does #Resistance really mean? It means the overthrow of our government.

In this century, Democrats rejected the outcomes of two presidential elections won by Republicans. After Bush won, they settled for accusing him of being a thief, an idiot, a liar, a draft dodger and a mass murderer. They fantasized about his assassination and there was talk of impeachment. But elected officials gritted their teeth and tried to get things done.

This time around it’s “radically” different.

The official position, from the Senate to the streets, is “Resistance.” Leftist media outlets are feeding the faithful a fantasy that President Trump will be brought down. There is fevered speculation about the 25th Amendment, a coup or impeachment due to whatever scandal has been manufactured last.

This fantasy is part clickbait. Leftist media outlets are feeding the worst impulses of their readers. But there is a bigger and more disturbing radical endgame.

The left can be roughly divided into moderates and radicals. The distinction doesn’t refer to outcome; both want very similar totalitarian societies with very little personal freedom and a great deal of government control. Instead it’s about the tactics that they use to get to that totalitarian system.

 The “moderates” believe in working from within the system to transform the country into a leftist tyranny. The “radicals” believe that the system is so bad that it cannot even be employed for progressive ends. Instead it needs to be discredited and overthrown by radicalizing a revolutionary base.

Radicals radicalize moderates by discrediting the system they want to be a part of. Where moderates seek to impose a false consensus from within the system, radicals attack the system through violent protests and terrorism. Their goal is to set off a chain of confrontations that make it impossible to maintain civil society and polarize the backlash and chaos into consolidating the left for total war.

That is what “Resistance” actually means.

A similar program implemented in Europe, with a covert alliance between Communists and Nazis, led to the deaths of millions, the destruction of much of Europe and the temporary triumph of the left.

The radical left’s efforts in America caused death and destruction but, despite the sympathy of many liberals for terrorist groups such as the Weathermen and the Black Panthers, failed to escalate because the majority of Democrats and even liberals did not accept the premise that our system was illegitimate.

That began to change this century.

64% of Democrats insisted that President Bush had not been legitimately elected. 49% declared that he was not a legitimate president. 22% vowed never to accept him no matter what he might do.

After 9/11, over half of Democrats believed that Bush had known about or been involved in the attacks.

Anywhere from two-thirds to a quarter of the Democrats rejected the results of a presidential election, rejected the president and suspected him of conspiring to murder thousands of Americans.

The left was winning. Much of its natural “moderate” base viewed our government as illegitimate.

The left has declared that President Trump’s victory is illegitimate. The response is “Resistance.” That covers violent anti-government protesters, states declaring that they are no longer bound to follow Federal immigration law and Senators obstructing for the sake of obstruction.

It’s easy to get lost in the partisan turmoil of the moment, but it’s important to understand the implications. If two presidential elections were illegitimate, then our entire system of elections might be illegitimate. And indeed the left made exactly that case with its attack on the Electoral College.

The left pressed Dems to oppose President Trump for the sake of opposition. The goal wasn’t just spite. It was to break the government. When the left forced Senate Dems to filibuster President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, the filibuster became the first casualty of the fight. The goal of the radicals was to make bipartisan legislative activity impossible. Senate Democrats adopted the position of the radical left that their mission was wrecking institutions to deny them to Republicans rather than governing.

Once that was done, the radical left could unveil arguments such as, “The United States Senate is a Failed Institution”. Much like our system of elections and every other part of our government.

The radical left’s goal is to convince its natural base that our system of government is illegitimate. It knows that this can’t be limited to the theoretical level of ideology. Instead it must radicalize by demonstrating it. It does not seriously believe that President Trump will be removed from office by the 25th Amendment or any other aspect of the system. Instead it is feeding these fantasies so that when they fall through those on the left who believed in them will be further radicalized by their failure.

And Democrats have become complicit in the radical left’s program to bring down the government.

They have normalized the radical leftist position that our system is illegitimate. They have moved into the second phase of the left’s program of demonstrating that illegitimacy through confrontation. The final phase is to overthrow the system through actions ranging from protests to terrorism.

This is Cloward-Piven institutional sabotage on a whole other scale. The goal is to collapse our entire system of government. And the Democrats have climbed on board with it using President Trump as a pretext. But regardless of which Republican had won, the end result would have been the same.

The left makes its opposition to the Constitution, the election process and the rule of law into a crisis. And then it uses that crisis to demand a new system. It has pursued this approach successfully in local areas and in narrower causes. This is not the first time that it has embarked on such a project on the national level. But this is the first time that it has the full support of a major national political party.

And that is the true crisis that we face.

The left’s endgame is a totalitarian state. Its “moderates” pursue one by peaceful means only so long as they are allowed to hijack the system. When an election fails to go their way, the radicals brandish it as proof that the system has failed and that violent revolution is the only answer.

But what was once the obscure behavior of a deranged political fringe has become the mainstream politics of the Democrats. The Resistance theme shows that the radicals have won. The Democrats haven’t just fallen to the left. They have fallen to the radical left which believes in overthrowing our system of government through conflict and confrontation rather than covertly engineering change.

The Democrats have become a terrorist party. And their commitment to a radical revolution has plunged our political system into chaos. The left is now exactly where it wanted to be.

And a civil war has begun...
Still more.

San Diego Man Finds $676 Cashier's Check, Returns It to Rightful Owner

This is a nice story.

At the San Diego Union-Tribune, "San Diego man turns in $676 check, luck instantly turns around."

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Evelyn Taft's Clearing and Warmer Forecast

It was actually partly overcast today. Kinda of strange weather.

But it's supposed to clear throughout the remainder of the week. A repeat of last weekend's warm coastal weather wouldn't be bad.

Here's the lovely Ms. Evelyn, for CBS News 2 Los Angeles:



The Media Bubble is Real

It's real, bro.

At Politico, "The Media Bubble Is Worse Than You Think":

How did big media miss the Donald Trump swell? News organizations old and new, large and small, print and online, broadcast and cable assigned phalanxes of reporters armed with the most sophisticated polling data and analysis to cover the presidential campaign. The overwhelming assumption was that the race was Hillary Clinton’s for the taking, and the real question wasn’t how sweeping her November victory would be, but how far out to sea her wave would send political parvenu Trump. Today, it’s Trump who occupies the White House and Clinton who’s drifting out to sea—an outcome that arrived not just as an embarrassment for the press but as an indictment. In some profound way, the election made clear, the national media just doesn’t get the nation it purportedly covers.

What went so wrong? What’s still wrong? To some conservatives, Trump’s surprise win on November 8 simply bore out what they had suspected, that the Democrat-infested press was knowingly in the tank for Clinton all along. The media, in this view, was guilty not just of confirmation bias but of complicity. But the knowing-bias charge never added up: No news organization ignored the Clinton emails story, and everybody feasted on the damaging John Podesta email cache that WikiLeaks served up buffet-style. Practically speaking, you’re not pushing Clinton to victory if you’re pantsing her and her party to voters almost daily.

The answer to the press’ myopia lies elsewhere, and nobody has produced a better argument for how the national media missed the Trump story than FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver, who pointed out that the ideological clustering in top newsrooms led to groupthink. “As of 2013, only 7 percent of [journalists] identified as Republicans,” Silver wrote in March, chiding the press for its political homogeneity. Just after the election, presidential strategist Steve Bannon savaged the press on the same point but with a heartier vocabulary. “The media bubble is the ultimate symbol of what’s wrong with this country,” Bannon said. “It’s just a circle of people talking to themselves who have no fucking idea what’s going on.”

But journalistic groupthink is a symptom, not a cause. And when it comes to the cause, there’s another, blunter way to think about the question than screaming “bias” and “conspiracy,” or counting D’s and R’s. That’s to ask a simple question about the map. Where do journalists work, and how much has that changed in recent years? To determine this, my colleague Tucker Doherty excavated labor statistics and cross-referenced them against voting patterns and Census data to figure out just what the American media landscape looks like, and how much it has changed.

The results read like a revelation. The national media really does work in a bubble, something that wasn’t true as recently as 2008. And the bubble is growing more extreme. Concentrated heavily along the coasts, the bubble is both geographic and political. If you’re a working journalist, odds aren’t just that you work in a pro-Clinton county—odds are that you reside in one of the nation’s most pro-Clinton counties. And you’ve got company: If you’re a typical reader of Politico, chances are you’re a citizen of bubbleville, too.

The “media bubble” trope might feel overused by critics of journalism who want to sneer at reporters who live in Brooklyn or California and don’t get the “real America” of southern Ohio or rural Kansas. But these numbers suggest it’s no exaggeration: Not only is the bubble real, but it’s more extreme than you might realize. And it’s driven by deep industry trends...
Pretty interesting.

And notice above that nice shout-out Bethany Mandel gives to Salena Zito.

Keep reading, in any case.

Ivanka Rocks Berlin

Sometimes we're lucky to have Breitbart news, with all the bogus news outlets spinning their endless stream of useless negative drivel.

Here's the headline at Politico, via Memeorandum, "Ivanka Trump gets booed, hissed at during Berlin event."

I read the piece. The fact is she was attacked from the moment the event started, and the moderator, Miriam Meckel, editor-in-chief at WirtschaftsWoche (whatever that is), encouraged the crowd to harangue the president's daughter. Of course, Ivanka handled it like a pro.

So, in contrast, see Breitbart's report, "Exclusive — Ivanka Rocks Berlin: President Trump's ‘Policies Are Central to the Economic Empowerment of Women’."


(Note, though, that Stranahan attacks Breitbart author Matthew Boyle here and here. I can't keep up sometimes, sheesh.)

New Demi Lovato Bikini Pics

At the Mirror U.K., "Demi Lovato takes the plunge in sexy orange swimsuit as she shows off enviable body yet again."

And on Instagram.

ADDED: At Drunken Stepfather, "DEMI LOVATO KEEPS BUSHING THE BIKINI OF THE DAY."



'See that girl, watch that scene. Dig in the dancing queen...'

I haven't been listening to the Sound L.A. so much this last couple of weeks. My routine's off, or something.

So, until I get back my mojo, here's Abba and "Dancing Queen": "The music video on YouTube has more than 160 million views as of March 10, 2017."

That's because it's wonderful!


You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
See that girl
Watch that scene
Dig in the dancing queen

Friday night and the lights are low
Looking out for a place to go
Where they play the right music
Getting in the swing
You come to look for a king
Anybody could be that guy
Night is young and the music's high
With a bit of rock music
Everything is fine
You're in the mood for a dance
And when you get the chance

You are the dancing queen
Young and sweet
Only seventeen
Dancing queen
Feel the beat from the tambourine
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
See that girl
Watch that scene
Dig in the dancing queen

You're a teaser, you turn 'em on
Leave 'em burning and then you're gone
Looking out for another
Anyone will do
You're in the mood for a dance
And when you get the chance

You are the dancing queen
Young and sweet
Only seventeen
Dancing queen
Feel the beat from the tambourine
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
See that girl
Watch that scene
Dig in the dancing queen
Dig in the dancing queen


Shop New Deals

At Amazon, Shop Deals.

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BONUS: Stanley G. Payne, A History of Fascism, 1914–1945.

Donald Trump's First 100 Days

Following-up from Sunday, "President Trump's Approval Holds Steady with Base of Supporters."

Don't miss this outstanding essay from Salena Zito, at the New York Post, "How Trump voters feel about his first 100 days."

Trump’s supporters are unfazed that a new health care law is not in place (yet), thrilled with the appointment of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, weary of the constant accusations of his ties to Russia, supportive of his strike against Syria for using chemical weapons against its people and dismayed that House Republicans and Democrats are unwilling to compromise. To them, the president remains disruptive, unconventional, defiant and willing to change his mind — appealing attributes to his supporters, but not to the press.


Mark Gubicza Responds

On Twitter, from last night.

Gubicza's the color analyst for Angels Baseball broadcasts on Fox Sports West (and a darned nice guy).


A. James Gregor, Marxism, Fascism, and Totalitarianism

This book looks useful for my own course prep.

At Amazon, A. James Gregor, Marxism, Fascism, and Totalitarianism: Chapters in the Intellectual History of Radicalism.

The Coming Millennial Civil War (VIDEO)

It's Faith Goldy, for the Rebel.

She's really awesome, heh.



Tuesday Rule 5

Have a wonderful day!


'Assuming I did not botch the task, by the time this posts I will have been dead via suicide for several hours...'

Will H. Moore, a professor of political science at Arizona State, took his life last week, and, most dramatically, scheduled a blog post to go live a couple of hours after he planned to complete the deed.

His blog's still up (search "Will Moore blog" if you're up for reading it).

I cribbed the opening quotation from his scheduled post from Inside Higher Ed, "Aftermath of a Professor's Suicide: A death this week leads to renewed discussions about academics and mental health."



Monday, April 24, 2017

Danielle Gersh's Warming Weather Forecast

We saw low 70s today in coastal L.A. and Orange County, but that might be a short reprieve from the heat.

Here's the lovely Ms. Danielle, with the tightest pink dress ever, heh.

For CBS News 2 Los Angeles:



Michelle Malkin with Sean Hannity

Following-up from this morning, "Debbie Schlussel is Psycho Scum."

Beautiful.


James J. Rawls, Chief Red Fox Is Dead

Rawls' Indians of California: The Changing Image is good. I'm a couple of chapters invested. It reads casually, like an entry-level textbook, and is interesting and informative.

Hence, let me recommend his second book, James J. Rawls, Chief Red Fox Is Dead: A History of Native Americans Since 1945.

I have no doubt this one's a pleasure to read as well.

(I still have much more on California's Indians to post, so stay tuned --- and thanks for your support.)

ICYMI: Jean-Yves Camus and Nicolas Lebourg, Far-Right Politics in Europe

At Amazon, Jean-Yves Camus and Nicolas Lebourg, Far-Right Politics in Europe.

For Calexico, the Border's Just a Line to Cross

At the Los Angeles Times:


Wheaton College Student Killed at 'Hammer Throw' Track and Field Event (VIDEO)

Dang, you gotta keep your bearings man!

You could get killed out there, and this dude did. He got hit in the head.

At CNN, "Student killed at track and field event: A 19-year-old college student died after being hit in the head while standing near a hammer throw event."

Jennifer Delacruz's Patchy Fog Forecast

Here's Ms. Jennifer from last night.

She's so lovely and can't resist her.



French Political Parties Unify Against Le Pen: 'This Is Deadly Serious Now'

The French are forming the "Republican Front" against the National Front, as I predicted earlier.

Following-up from yesterday, "'It is worth underlining that this is the first time in modern French history that neither of the mainstream centre-right or centre-left parties of government that have governed France since the second world war have qualified for the second round of a presidential election...'"

At the New York Times:


Debbie Schlussel is Psycho Scum

I thought this woman died.

Seriously, I haven't heard of her in years, thinking that she'd dropped off this mortal coil.

She needs to drop off, and fast.

Apparently Hannity has issued a rapid and blistering denial and denunciation.

At NYDN, via Memeorandum, "Former Fox News contributor Debbie Schlussel claims host Sean Hannity invited her back to his hotel room."

And at Lawnewz:


Sunday, April 23, 2017

James Fenimore Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans

I'm about a third of the way through this book.

At Amazon, James Fenimore Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans.

I had a copy on my shelf years ago, but never read it. But since Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz excoriates the novel with a most-certainly unsurpassed hatred, I thought I'd go ahead and power it down. I can see why it remains one of the greatest of American classics. Cooper's a fantastic writer. The building excitement of so many of the dramatic scenes truly earns whatever historic praise he's been afforded. Indeed, I think I'll read some of the others in the pentology, The Deerslayer, most likely, to start.

Danielle Gersh's Cooler Forecast

Well, temperatures hit the 90s inland this weekend, so no doubt lots of folks will be welcoming a bit of a cool-down.

Here's the lovely Ms. Danielle, for CBS News 2 Los Angeles:



Sunday Cartoons

At Flopping Aces, "Sunday Funnies."

Branco Cartoons photo Killing-O-reilly-600a-CI_zps6pufu5ec.jpg

Also at Theo's, "Cartoon Roundup..."

Cartoon Credit: A.F. Branco, "Killing O'Reilly."

Kenza Fourati Body Painting (VIDEO)

At Sports Illustrated:



Madison Reed Selfies

At Drunken Stepfather, "MADISON REED’S SLUTTY SELFIES OF THE DAY: Madison Reed is apparently Victoria Justice’s sister, both are pretty hot..."

Four-Year-Old Girl Falls Out of Moving Bus on Highway, Rescued by Volunteer Firefighter (VIDEO)

How could this possibly happen?

Who's supervising the children?

That child is lucky to be alive.

At CNN:



Shop Deals

At Amazon, Today's Deals.

Save on Women's Keds Shoes.

Also, Shop Ray-Ban Sunglasses.

And, Savings on Kindle Books. Plus, check savings on Faye Kellerman's books in Kindle, in particular.

More, Mountain House Just In Case...Essential Bucket.

Still more, AmazonBasics Apple Certified Lightning to USB Cable - 6 Feet (1.8 Meters) - Black.

BONUS: J.M. Opal, Avenging the People: Andrew Jackson, the Rule of Law, and the American Nation.

Bernie Sanders Wants Democrats to Focus on Economic Populism, Not Social Justice Cultural Marxism (VIDEO)

Following-up from Friday, "What Defines a Democrat?"

Here's more background on the conflict, at Politico, "DNC rally with anti-abortion candidate fuels backlash." And from Melissa McEwan, at Shakesville, "Bernie Sanders, My Autonomy Is Not Negotiable." (Via Memeorandum.) (Ms. Melissa probably gives the perfect argument for the left's social just position. Economic issues just aren't as important as social issues.)

I have to admit I still get a kick out of Bernie, even though he's a doctrinaire Marxist. Frankly, I love him taking it to the radical left's social justice warriors, hammering 'em on the very things that have caused the political obliteration of the Democrats.

Here's his interview on this morning's Face the Nation:



'It is worth underlining that this is the first time in modern French history that neither of the mainstream centre-right or centre-left parties of government that have governed France since the second world war have qualified for the second round of a presidential election...'

That is well worth underlining. The mainstream political establishment is bankrupt. My only sense is that this Macron dude is also bankrupt, and he'll just bury France in the socialist dead end left over from François Hollande.

At the Guardian U.K., "French election: Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen estimated through to second round – live - Independent centrist Macron estimated to have taken 23.7% of vote with Front National leader Le Pen on 21.7%; official results to follow."

And at Blazing Cat Fur, "France faces its own EU referendum as far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who supports an exit, and Europhile Emmanuel Macron split the first-round vote to go head to head in presidential elections."

President Trump's Approval Holds Steady with Base of Supporters

He's otherwise down in approval, but there a virtually imperceptible drop in support from his hardcore base.

At WaPo, via Memeorandum, "Nearing 100 days, Trump's approval at record lows but his base is holding":

President Trump nears the 100-day mark of his administration as the least popular chief executive in modern times, a president whose voters remain largely satisfied with his performance, but one whose base of support has not expanded since he took the oath of office, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Trump’s first months in office have produced some tangible successes. Beyond the continued enthusiasm of his most loyal supporters, a small majority of Americans see him as a strong leader. A bigger majority approves of his efforts to pressure U.S. companies to keep jobs in this country. Those who say the economy is getting better outnumber those who say it’s getting worse by the biggest margin in 15 years in Post-ABC polling.

But the president’s balance sheet overall tilts toward the negative. Majorities of Americans say Trump has not accomplished much during his first months as president. Meanwhile, he shows little improvement on his temperament and honesty, and while he’s gained ground on empathy, over 6 in 10 still say he does not understand the problems of people like them.

With a week remaining before his 100th day in office, Trump has yet to achieve a major legislative accomplishment, having been dealt a major setback when Republicans in Congress decided not to proceed with a vote on a health-care bill supported by the White House. His clearest achievement is the successful nomination of Neil M. Gorsuch to the Supreme Court seat previously held by conservative Justice Antonin Scalia.

Executive actions on trade, immigration, climate and government organization have pointed the direction he wants to take the country, though his controversial proposed travel ban that affects a number of Muslim-majority nations remains blocked by the courts. Trump and others in his administration have attacked the courts, accusing them of overreach, but nearly 6 in 10 people see their actions as a legitimate role for the judicial branch.

Overseas, he has demonstrated his willingness to use military force, with targeted strikes in Syria and the use of one of the biggest non-nuclear devices in the U.S. arsenal in Afghanistan. But tensions with North Korea remain high and the administration’s policy in the Middle East remains cloudy.

The 100-day marker is in part an artificial measuring post for any president, but by comparison, Trump has reached this point in his presidency faring worse to much worse than other recent presidents. An electorate that was deeply divided throughout the 2016 campaign remains so today, with opposition seemingly hardened and unyielding on most questions regarding his presidency...
Trump's doing fine. You have to remember that the entire political world is stacked up against him, and that includes foreign governments and their leftist mass-media enablers.

As long as he holds the base, he'll be fine. And with the economy chugging along, and with the administration's outward support for American workers, I expect he'll be cruising into 2020 if things hold up.

Maybe Roger Simon will be a winning prognosticator.

Still more.

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Jennifer Delacruz's Summer-Like Forecast

She's so lovely!

And boy, it does feel like summer out there.



Jean-Yves Camus and Nicolas Lebourg, Far-Right Politics in Europe

A quite timely book, at Amazon, Jean-Yves Camus and Nicolas Lebourg, Far-Right Politics in Europe.
In Europe today, staunchly nationalist parties such as France’s National Front and the Austrian Freedom Party are identified as far-right movements, though supporters seldom embrace that label. More often, “far right” is pejorative, used by liberals to tar these groups with the taint of Fascism, Nazism, and other discredited ideologies. Jean-Yves Camus and Nicolas Lebourg’s critical look at the far right throughout Europe―from the United Kingdom to France, Germany, Poland, Italy, and elsewhere―reveals a prehistory and politics more complex than the stereotypes suggest and warns of the challenges these movements pose to the EU’s liberal-democratic order.

The European far right represents a confluence of many ideologies: nationalism, socialism, anti-Semitism, authoritarianism. In the first half of the twentieth century, the radical far right achieved its apotheosis in the regimes of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. But these movements have evolved significantly since 1945, as Far-Right Politics in Europe makes clear. The 1980s marked a turning point in political fortunes, as national-populist parties began winning seats in European parliaments. Since the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in the United States, a new wave has unfurled, one that is explicitly anti-immigrant and Islamophobic in outlook.

Though Europe’s far-right parties differ in important respects, they are motivated by a common sense of mission: to save their homelands from what they view as the corrosive effects of multiculturalism and globalization by creating a closed-off, ethnically homogeneous society. Members of these movements are increasingly determined to gain power through legitimate electoral means. In democracies across Europe, they are succeeding.

Controversy Surrounds Linda Sarsour Commencement Address at City University of New York (VIDEO)

Oh for crying out loud, let her speak.

If not, conservatives are just as bad as leftists.

At the Daily Caller, "Public CUNY College Commencement Speaker Has Terror Ties."

And CBS News 2 New York:



Nebraska Liquor Stores Lose Licenses

Following-up from last month, "Whiteclay, Nebraska, Beer Portal to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation."

At the Omaha World-Herald, "Appalled' liquor commissioners vote to deny licenses for Whiteclay beer stores."


And at the New York Times:



ICYMI: Paul Chaat Smith, Like a Hurricane

At Amazon, Paul Chaat Smith, Like a Hurricane: The Indian Movement from Alcatraz to Wounded Knee.

BONUS: Akim D. Reinhardt, Ruling Pine Ridge: Oglala Lakota Politics from the IRA to Wounded Knee.

Deals on Classic Turntables

I still have my vinyl record collection, amazingly. How about you?

D'you need a new record player?

At Amazon, Today's Deals.

Also, Savings on Lenovo Desktops.

Plus, Save on Children's Books.

More, Mountain House Just In Case...Classic Assortment Bucket.

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BONUS: Vine Deloria, Jr., God is Red: A Native View of Religion, 30th Anniversary Edition.

Alessandra Ambrosio Spring Break (VIDEO)

Very sexy!

For LOVE Magazine:



Marine Promises to 'take her country back': French Presidential Candidate Marine Le Pen and Europe's 'Far-Right' Movement (VIDEO)

Following-up from earlier this morning, "French Presidential Election's a Battle of Left-Right Extremes."

That's Terry Moran at the video, who interviews National Front candidate Marine Le Pen, for ABC News Nightline:



You Want a Civil War?

At the Liberty Zone, "You want a civil war? Because that’s how you get a civil war."

Also, "Filthy Antifa Whore Lies":
Normally, I wouldn’t call someone a Filthy Antifa Whore (FAW). However, since Moldylocks, who was shown getting punched out at this weekend’s Berkeley protests by some dude everyone claims is a fascist/racist/neo-nazi/somethingorother, is a nasty, unwashed, slovenly sow, and since she did, in fact, demonstrate riot, throw bottles, and assault people at a rally for a President whom she apparently does not like, and since there are photos of said skank on the Internet baring her unshaven, unwashed, beaver and sprocket, that probably reek of week-old garbage and decaying pork, wide for the world – and presumably her parents – to see, I think FAW is appropriate.

No, I’m not giving you a link, pervs. When I ran across it while doing an image search on the protests the other day, I’m pretty sure I developed a severe case of post-traumatic stress, and I may or may not have gone blind for an unspecified period of time, while desperately stumbling around my house trying to find enough brain bleach to erase that image from my mind forever. Suffice it to say that cum-gurgling sausage junkie gives the term “bearded clam” an entire new meaning.

Her mommy and daddy must be so proud!
Keep reading (via Blazing Cat Fur).

The "FAW" is of course "Emily Rose Mitchell."

See, "Leftism 'Weaponized' Berkeley Antifa Girl Emily Rose Mitchell (VIDEO)."

Lisbeth Haas, Saints and Citizens

As promised, I've been posting on California's Indians, and so far I've been able to offer some balanced takes. I'm holding off on the so-called California "genocide" studies, but it's only a matter of time now. I'm reading around myself, so I'll be better able to evaluate the claims of radical scholars and offer refutations.

Meanwhile, here's Professor Lisbeth Haas, Saints and Citizens: Indigenous Histories of Colonial Missions and Mexican California.

BONUS: Albert L. Hurtado, Indian Survival on the California Frontier, and James J. Rawls, Indians of California: The Changing Image.

Last Elk Crosses the Road (VIDEO)

This is great!

Watch, "Massive Herd of Elk in Montana."

Via Sabateur365, "Have a Laugh GIF: The Last Elk."

Harvard Feminist Nian Hu: Men 'Will Always Be Oppressors'

Radical feminists should be institutionalized in mass.

Through in the transgender rights lobby and we'll be half way toward restoring sanity in this country. Sheesh.

At the Other McCain, "Harvard Feminist @Nian_Hu Hates Men, Who ‘Will Always Be Oppressors’."

The woman wrote a piece at the Harvard Crimson called "Beware the Male Feminist," but click through at the link for all the details.

Jeffrey Ostler, The Plains Sioux and U.S. Colonialism from Lewis and Clark to Wounded Knee

I'm getting very deep into this literature now. But I'm teaching a new course in the fall semester --- new for me, "Introduction to Political Science" --- and over the summer I'll be needing to do some considerable reading in political ideologies in preparation. More on that later.

Meanwhile, at Amazon, Jeffrey Ostler, The Plains Sioux and U.S. Colonialism from Lewis and Clark to Wounded Knee.

French Presidential Election's a Battle of Left-Right Extremes

Actually, I don't think right-wing nationalist populism is extreme.

But the French National Front harks back to some darker ideological currents in French postwar politics, especially with its founder Jean-Marie Le Pen.

He's long gone now, though, and everything I've seen about Marine indicates she wants a modern party completely divorced of the stains from Europe's Nazi past (and her father's legacy). It's leftist who cling to such ideas, as a way to hang onto power. Notice how the left-wing extreme, hardcore communism, never comes under the same microscopic scrutiny as the right. You just have to hate leftists for such bastardization of decency, fairness, and common sense.

At Der Spiegel, "A Complete Breakdown: Extremists on Left and Right Push France to the Brink":

With only a few days to go before the first round of voting, a systemic crisis is dominating the campaign in France. It is no longer inconceivable that a Euroskeptic radical leftist or a far-right populist could become the country's next president. This bodes poorly for the French, but also their neighbors in Europe.

It sounds like a political parody -- or like a badly overwritten European take on "West Wing." A right-wing populist party has spent months at the top of the polls, neck-and-neck with the former rising star of an entrenched party who decided to bolt and found his own political movement. Right on their heels is the far-left candidate who is experiencing a late surge and outpolling the centrist establishment. Meanwhile, the incumbent, having governed his way to historically low public opinion ratings, has decided not to run for re-election and his party is dead in the water. And the center-right candidate, who looked strong out of the gate, has become embroiled in multiple embarrassing affairs involving greed, his wife and more greed. But he has remained in the race anyway and still has a shot.

It is, of course, a completely unrealistic scenario, but it is the thrilling truth in France in April 2017. The main players are Marine Le Pen, Emmanuel Macron, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, François Hollande and François Fillon -- and together, they are illustrating a complete breakdown of established politics in France.

Like elsewhere in Europe, France has seen the erosion in stature in recent years of its two main political parties, which once set the course in the country but have diminished considerably compared to the prominence they enjoyed for decades. Populists on the far-right and far-left are gaining in popularity, offering voters the illusion of collective withdrawal: from Europe, from NATO, from globalization, from "the system" and, if they had their way, from the foreigners in our midst.

General Incompetence

If you add together the poll numbers of the French candidates who are calling for such forms of withdrawal in various combinations and manifestations, you would end up with a majority, sufficient for a coalition government united in its aversion to the status quo.

The presidential election in France is becoming yet another end game over Europe's political future. And the poll numbers are currently bouncing back and forth, much as they did in Britain before the Brexit vote and in the United States before Donald Trump's election as president. For weeks, the likely outcome of the first round of voting on April 23 had seemed relatively clear. But now that the election, with 11 candidates in the running, is getting closer, poll numbers are beginning to shift. There is no longer a clear forecast, neither for the first round nor for the second round on May 7, in which the two top candidates from the first round enter a runoff election.

According to pollsters, 40 percent of eligible voters are still undecided, meaning that all possible combinations are possible at the moment, and even nightmares cannot be ruled out. Will the runoff be a duel between radical leftist Mélenchon and right-winger Le Pen, two politicians who believe European unification is a plague, who both see Germany as a threat and whose platforms sound like Christmas wish lists?

And how is it even possible that such questions are seriously being raised? How did extremists become front-runners? How did outsiders become candidates? Where are the forces of compromise? Where is the political center? Those looking for answers are well advised to step off the dizzying election-campaign carousel...
This is written from the establishment perspective, the same perspective that dissed the British majority that voted for Brexit, and the same establishment stateside that dissed the MAGA coalition of voters that put President Trump in the White House. These people are the hardest hit. And frankly, if one of these so-called "extreme" candidates doesn't win the French presidency, things are only going to get worse. We'll have more of the same "consensus" politics over there that's resulted in a permanent state of siege across the continent, not to mention the complete discrediting of Europe's supranational integration program.

In any case, still more.

'Communism for Kids'

Well, this had to be published sooner or later, since our culture is so totally FUBAR.

At Amazon, Communism for Kids.

You see, Marxist-Leninist totalitarianism's just a fairly tale.


Hat Tip: The Daily Signal, "‘Communism for Kids’ Turns Deadly Ideology Into a Fairy Tale."

Friday, April 21, 2017

Charles F. Wilkinson, Blood Struggle

*BUMPED.*

At Amazon, Charles F. Wilkinson, Blood Struggle: The Rise of Modern Indian Nations.

Jennifer Delacruz's Warm Weekend Forecast

Well, it sure did warm up today. A perfect day for the beach.

Should be spectacular tomorrow as well.



What Defines a Democrat?

Well, cultural Marxism, of course.

But apparently old-fashioned Marxism still has some pull, heh.

At the New York Times, "At a ‘Unity’ Stop in Nebraska, Democrats Find Anything But":

WASHINGTON — Rarely has a municipal election in a midsize city ignited such a fierce national debate over what defines a Democrat. But the election this spring for mayor of Omaha is pitting abortion rights activists against economic populists and threatening the party’s unity as it regroups to confront President Trump.

Part of the twist: The populist side’s standard-bearer, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, is not even a Democrat.

“This is very raw,” said Randi Weingarten, the head of the American Federation of Teachers, conceding that “after the presidential election, there is still this ongoing debate about identity politics versus economic opportunity.”

Mr. Sanders and the new leadership of the Democratic National Committee touched a party sore spot this week when they took their “Unity Tour” to Omaha to rally for a mayoral candidate who opposes abortion rights. Mr. Sanders, repurposing the themes of his presidential bid, told a crowd of about 6,000 on Thursday night that the candidate, Heath Mello, 37, would be a future star in the Democratic Party who could help break the grip of big money on the nation’s politics.

Ilyse Hogue, the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, a prominent abortion rights advocacy group, called it a betrayal, especially of the women who have fueled the “resistance” that has energized Democrats since Mr. Trump’s unexpected triumph.

“It tells your most active political base that we’re just negotiable political property,” Ms. Hogue said of the statement sent by Mr. Sanders and Representative Keith Ellison, the Democratic National Committee’s new deputy chairman, who appeared with Mr. Mello. “Since the election, women have been engaged on the front lines of every progressive fight. So what message does it send for the party to start this tour with an anti-choice candidate?”

Mr. Mello, a practicing Catholic, supported a Nebraska State Senate bill requiring that women be informed of their right to request a fetal ultrasound before an abortion. The anger over that position reflects a long-running argument among Democrats over whether, or how much, to support candidates who depart from party orthodoxy on abortion.

But the ferocity of the dispute this time reveals a much deeper debate on the left: Should a commitment to economic justice be the party’s central and dominant appeal, or do candidates also have to display fealty to the Democrats’ cultural catechism?

An Omaha mayoral election on May 9 may seem an unlikely place for this fight to play out, but a collision was inevitable. Despite being the most sought-after Democrat in the country today, Mr. Sanders is actually an independent and self-described democratic socialist animated chiefly by class uplift. But the clamor for his attention comes as the party is increasingly defined by its positions on issues related to race, gender and sexuality.

The wounds from his clash with Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential primary clearly have yet to heal, in large part because the overarching debate between them has yet to be reconciled.

Mr. Sanders has emerged as the most popular active politician in America, according to a new survey by Harvard University and Harris Insights and Analytics, and his presence is demanded in Democratic campaigns no matter the political tint of the region. Yet his recent moves have infuriated some progressives.

First, Mr. Sanders campaigned with Tom Perriello, the Virginia Democratic candidate for governor who supported some anti-abortion measures during a single term in Congress (though Mr. Perriello has apologized for doing so).

Then Mr. Sanders pointedly declined to campaign for Jon Ossoff, a Democrat running for an open House seat outside Atlanta, deeming him insufficiently populist. (Mr. Sanders issued a statement on Friday offering his support for Mr. Ossoff.) Not only is the Ossoff race the highest-profile campaign of the moment, but the Republican nominee, Karen Handel, is loathed by the abortion rights movement for her role as an official at the Susan G. Komen foundation in separating that group, the nation’s largest breast cancer organization, from Planned Parenthood.

Then Mr. Sanders arrived in Omaha for Mr. Mello, after persuading the Democratic National Committee to make the rally a part of a party-sanctioned tour.

Coming against the backdrop of Mr. Trump’s election and the wave of new, female-led activism in opposition to a leader they believe is a repugnant misogynist, many female progressive leaders are adamant about keeping reproductive rights front and center. And they see the matter of Mr. Mello as an opportunity to send a statement to the party’s leadership.

“It is incredibly important that people within the progressive movement and Democratic Party realize that women are sick of this” stuff, said Erin Matson, a Virginia-based abortion rights activist, “and we’re not going to take it anymore.” (She used a more pungent word than “stuff.”) “What Bernie doesn’t seem to realize,” she added, “is that the abortion rights movement has really bucked up and gotten some tough ovaries in the last couple of years.”

Tom Perez, the party’s newly elected chairman, had been campaigning with Mr. Ossoff in Georgia when Mr. Sanders was in Nebraska. But in interviews leading up to the event, Mr. Perez was unapologetic about supporting Mr. Mello, who has recently said that although he personally opposed abortion, he would uphold abortion rights as mayor...
Actually, I don't think you can be a pro-life Democrat. These people are all about killing babies. If you're pro-life, you're out.

But keep reading.

Samantha Hoopes in Curaçao (VIDEO)

She's so beautiful.

At Sports Illustrated Swimsuit:



Edward Lazarus, Black Hills/White Justice

*BUMPED.*

At Amazon, Edward Lazarus, Black Hills/White Justice: The Sioux Nation Versus the United States — 1775 to the Present.

The Left is Going Nuts Over Sarah Palin, Kid Rock, and Ted Nugent

Here's Ken Taylor on Facebook:
The left is going nuts over the picture of Sarah Palin, Kid Rock and Ted Nugent pointing and smirking at the offical portrait of the Hildabeast during a recent visit for dinner with the President at The White House calling them disrespectful. Just think how they'd react if most of us saw the same picture and what we would do while looking at it! hahaha...


You can read leftist comments at Eschaton.

Also, read all about it at Memeornadum, "Sarah Palin visits White House with Kid Rock, Ted Nugent.

Florida State Senator Frank Artiles Resigns

He probably should have resigned, considering that nasty alcohol-fueled rant he unleashed.

Yeah, he got caught in the web of political correctness, but I have the feeling that the alcohol just worked like a truth serum for him, and out came some nasty bigoted thoughts from deep inside. He even called fellow Republicans "niggas."

I just don't know sometimes. Some things are just about basic human decency, not politics.

At the Miami Herald, "Miami lawmaker resigns over racial slur scandal."

Leftism 'Weaponized' Berkeley Antifa Girl Emily Rose Mitchell (VIDEO)

Following-up from yesterday, "Emily Rose Mitchell."

Don't miss this Ezra Levant commentary on Ms. Emily's radical leftist transformation, at the Rebel, "#Moldylocks: Learn who weaponized Berkeley Antifa girl."

Marine Le Pen Gaining Support After Paris Terror Attack

As soon as I heard news of the attack, I knew Marine Le Pen would get a boost, and it's true.

At Newsweek, "FRENCH ELECTION LATEST POLLS: MARINE LE PEN GAINING SUPPORT AFTER PARIS SHOOTING." (There's auto-play video on that one, so turn down your volume before you click.)

My hunch is she'll make it to the May 7th runoff vote, and then the other parties and factions will join in a coalition against her. The idea that the so-called "far-right" candidate could win sends establishment wussies into convulsions. Daily Beast reporter Christopher Dickey is on video at France 24 whining about how if Le Pen wins, "it's the end of the world as we know it."

BONUS: At Pamela's, "PRO-ISLAMIC STATE (ISIS) NOTE FOUND NEAR BODY OF PARIS MUSLIM TERRORIST WHO OPENED FIRE, KILLING POLICE OFFICER, WOUNDING TWO OTHERS."

'Fight Inequality!' is a Poor Rallying Cry

Americans aren't that bothered by inequality.

Leftists are bothered. Normal people, not so much.

From Tyler Cowen, at Bloomberg View:



Thursday, April 20, 2017

Jennifer Delacruz's Beautiful Sunshine Forecast

It's warming up for the weekend, and it's going to be just wonderful.

And here's the wonderful lovely Ms. Jennifer, for ABC News 10 San Diego:



U.C. Berkeley Flip-Flops on Ann Coulter Speech (VIDEO)

There's video of Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks here.

And see Bloomberg, "U.C. Berkeley Flip-Flops on Ann Coulter, Proposes May Date."

Coulter appeared on Tucker Carlson's yesterday:



Eric Hinderaker and Peter C. Mancall, At the Edge of Empire

At Amazon, Eric Hinderaker and Peter C. Mancall, At the Edge of Empire: The Backcountry in British North America.
During the course of the seventeenth century, Europeans and Native Americans came together on the western edge of England's North American empire for a variety of purposes, from trading goods and information to making alliances and war. This blurred and constantly shifting frontier region, known as the backcountry, existed just beyond England's imperial reach on the North American mainland. It became an area of opportunity, intrigue, and conflict for the diverse peoples who lived there.

In At the Edge of Empire, Eric Hinderaker and Peter C. Mancall describe the nature of the complex interactions among these interests, examining colorful and sometimes gripping instances of familiarity and uneasiness, acceptance and animosity, and cooperation and conflict, from individual encounters to such vast undertakings as the Seven Years' War. Over time, the European settlers who established farms and trading posts in the backcountry displaced the region's Native inhabitants. Warfare and disease each took a horrifying toll across Indian country, making it easier for immigrants to establish themselves on lands once peopled only by Native Americans. Eventually, these pioneers established economically, culturally, and politically self-sufficient communities that increasingly resented London's claims of sovereignty. As Hinderaker and Mancall show, these resentments helped to shape the ideals that guided the colonists during the American Revolution.

The first book in a new Johns Hopkins series, Regional Perspectives on Early America, At the Edge of Empire explores one of British America's most intriguing regions, both widening and deepening our understanding of North America's colonial experience.

Bill O'Reilly Put Fox News on the Map — What's Next?

A nice piece.

At the Los Angeles Times, "He helped build Fox News into a juggernaut. What's next for Bill O'Reilly?":


Bill O’Reilly has long been an imposing presence in cable news and the so-called culture wars.

The 6-foot, 4-inch former high school history teacher from Long Island demonstrated that a strong opinion could translate into a powerful platform and big profits long before social media — or even President Trump — was a thing. O’Reilly helped boost Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News Channel into a $1-billion-plus-a-year business.

But in the wake of his dismissal Wednesday over allegations of sexual harassment, it remains to be seen whether the scandal would mortally wound his reputation or dent his business prospects.

“He had a massive megaphone to talk to the people — and that has been taken away,” said Fred Cook, director of the USC Center of Public Relations at the Annenberg School. “I think he's a little like Donald Trump in that he has a loyal following. Those hardcore supporters will continue to support him and may even be more supportive of him after this.”

O’Reilly, who has been on vacation for the last week, including a visit with Pope Francis at the Vatican, has asserted that the allegations that he sexually harassed women who appeared on his show are “unfounded.” Parent company 21st Century Fox said in a statement: “After a thorough and careful review of the allegations, the company and Bill O’Reilly have agreed that Bill O’Reilly will not be returning to the Fox News Channel.”

It is a harsh fall from grace for one of television’s most bankable stars. “The O’Reilly Factor” long has been one of the most popular programs on cable TV, this year averaging 4 million viewers an episode, according to ratings company Nielsen.

O’Reilly masterfully turned his Fox News bully pulpit into a springboard for his publishing pursuits. He is one of the country's most popular nonfiction authors with his “Killing Lincoln,” “Killing Kennedy” and “Killing Jesus” books, several of which have been made into TV movies on the National Geographic Channel (also owned by Fox).

O’Reilly’s “Killing” series books have consistently sold 1 million or more copies in hardcover, a rare achievement in publishing. He had other best-sellers, including “Bill O’Reilly: Culture Warrior,” the memoir “A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity” and his most recent work, “Old School,” which includes passages urging the respectful treatment of women.

“His show was a massive platform for him and supported everything he's doing,” Cook said. “It will be harder for him to reach the same number of people.”

In recent years, the 67-year-old TV host and author mentioned during various talk show appearances that he would eventually slow down. But he remained busy outside his Fox News studio. He has headlined live shows around the country with comedian Dennis Miller called “The Spin Stops Here Tour,” which is still scheduled to make stops in Baltimore, Las Vegas and Anaheim later this year.

“This [scandal] has definitely hurt his brand in the broad sense, but he will undoubtedly bounce back,” said Marlene Morris Towns, an adjunct marketing professor at Georgetown University in Washington. “He will find a home because his super-loyal fan base will still support him.”

Industry insiders suggested that O’Reilly might concentrate his efforts on his books and turning them into TV movies. O'Reilly and coauthor Martin Dugard are due to release another book in the “Killing” series in September, and a spokeswoman for publisher Henry Holt and Co. said that plans had not changed.

Some suggested he could earn big fees by hitting the speaking circuit. And others said he might even re-create some of his cable news success with a show on radio or an upstart Internet streaming service.

O’Reilly also could resurface as a commentator on traditional television, such as for the conservative Sinclair Broadcasting Group, a Maryland TV station chain that has shown an appetite for owning TV content and this month hired Trump’s former spokesman, Boris Epshteyn, to be its chief political analyst. (A Sinclair executive could not be reached for comment)...
More.

And click on at the video above, which features Kirsten Powers discussing her relationship with O'Reilly (she left "The Factor" as a guest for three years, got no help from Fox News on her allegations of sexual harassment, and ended up going back on the show after reaching a personal and cordial accommodation with the host).

Kara Del Toro 'Unforgettable' Premiere in Los Angeles (PHOTOS)

At Saw First, "Kara Del Toro at the Premiere of Film 'Unforgettable' in Los Angeles."

She's lovely.



Stephen Brooks and William Wohlforth, America Abroad

My favorite international relations scholars, at Amazon, Stephen Brooks and William Wohlforth, America Abroad: The United States' Global Role in the 21st Century.

Christopher R. Browning Reviews Volker Ullrich's, Hitler: Ascent, 1889-1939

Following-up from last month, "Richard J. Evans Reviews Volker Ullrich's, Hitler: Ascent, 1889-1939."

At the New York Review of Books, "Lessons from Hitler’s Rise."

I'm fascinated by the Trump/Hitler comparisons, mainly because they're so stupid and outlandish. Barack Obama was more a threat to the American democracy than is Donald Trump, but leftists are so blinkered it just never occurs to them.

In any case, I do hope to read Ullrich's book soon, although I'll probably wait until it's out in paper.


Anger and Uncertainty at Fox

Following-up from yesterday, "Bill O'Reilly, Replaced at Fox News by Tucker Carlson, Calls His Ouster 'Tremendously Disheartening'."

From Hadas Gold, at Politco, "Fox staffers express relief, anger and uncertainty."


There's Little Diversity on Today's College Campuses

Here's Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, for Prager Univeristy:



Hailey Clauson and Bo Krsmanovic in Finland (VIDEO)

At Sports Illustrated Swimsuit:



Emily Rose Mitchell

Following-up from the other day, "Trump Supporters Crush 'Anti-Fascist' Protesters in Berkeley (VIDEO)."

Here is Emily Rose Mitchell, a.k.a. Louise Rosealma, the woman who was punched in the face by white supremacist Nathan Damigo during the melee.



More at the Ralph Retort, "MEDIA LIES EXPOSED: Antifa Thug Girl Was Using Glass Bottles as Weapons Before Punch."

And at Alt-Right.com, "The Doxxing Of Louise Rosealma Reveals Link Between Antifa and Porn Industry: Does Antifa recruit from the pornography industry?"

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Amber Lee's Warmup Weather Forecast

Ms. Amber's a hot sweetie.

For CBS News 2 Los Angeles:



Shop Today

At Amazon, Today's Deals.

And, Arts, Crafts and Sewing.

Also, Best Sellers in Televisions.

More, Shop Laptops.

BONUS: Saul Friedlander, Nazi Germany and the Jews, 1933-1945: Abridged Edition.

'It's Alabama, you'll discover the police behave differently than they do in Berkeley...'

The quote's from Lew Harper's tweet, at Twitchy, "Auburn takes Berkeley to school as police unmask anti-fascists outside Richard Spencer speech."

I don't like Richard Spencer, but neither do I like the so-called "anti-fascists" (who are really fascists).

Paul Andrew Hutton, The Apache Wars

*BUMPED.*

At Amazon, Paul Andrew Hutton, The Apache Wars: The Hunt for Geronimo, the Apache Kid, and the Captive Boy Who Started the Longest War in American History.

Bill O'Reilly, Replaced at Fox News by Tucker Carlson, Calls His ouster 'Tremendously Disheartening'

Following-up from yesterday, "Bill O'Reilly Out at Fox News."

At the Los Angeles Times:


Fox News has officially cut ties with its biggest prime-time star, Bill O’Reilly, following sexual harassment claims lodged against him.

“After a thorough and careful review of the allegations, the Company and Bill O’Reilly have agreed that Bill O’Reilly will not be returning to the Fox News Channel,” 21st Century Fox said in a statement.

O’Reilly — the network’s signature talent who used his cable news fame to become a best-selling author, live tour attraction and TV producer — has been off the air since April 12. He was scheduled to return from a vacation Monday, but instead he will be replaced by Tucker Carlson, who hosts the 9 p.m. Eastern hour that follows O’Reilly’s show.

On Wednesday afternoon, O’Reilly released a statement saying “it is tremendously disheartening that we part ways due to completely unfounded claims.”

“But that is the unfortunate reality many of us in the public eye must live with today,” he said. “I will always look back on my time at Fox with great pride in the unprecedented success we achieved and with my deepest gratitude to all my dedicated viewers. I wish only the best for Fox News Channel.”

Carlson, who joined the network’s weekday lineup last year and moved to fill Megyn Kelly’s time period in January, will be a part of a major shakeup of the Fox News program lineup triggered by O’Reilly’s departure.

Fox News is also moving its 5 p.m. Eastern discussion show “The Five” to fill Carlson’s 9 p.m. time slot. The replacement for “The Five” will be a new program hosted by Eric Bolling, who is one of the panelists...
Also at Memeorandum, "Fox News Has Decided Bill O'Reilly Has to Go."

Kori Ali Muhammad

By now you've probably seen this horrific story.

It's at the Other McCain, "Fresno Massacre: Three White Men Murdered by Kori Ali Muhammad."

Ali Muhammad said that Islam taught him to hate white people, and he acted on his faith. What's so hard about that? A lot, apparently. Leftist media outlets again tried to turn this into another "random" massacre. But that's not going to work.

See Noah Rothman, at Commentary, "Terror, Race, and Abject Absurdity: Calling Islamist terrorism by its name."

And at the Fresno Bee, "Shooting rampage could result in a rarity – death penalty for suspect."


Julia Roberts Named 'World's Most Beautiful Woman' by People Magazine for Record Fifth Time

I do like Julia Roberts. Oddly, it was her guest appearance on "Law and Order" years ago that did it. I realized how astoundingly powerful of an actress she was. Very beautiful as well.

The "world's more beautiful"? Probably not, but see WWTDD, "Julia Roberts 'Most Beautiful Woman' For Record Fifth Time."


Bella Thorne Sensational Instagram Photos

At London's Daily Mail, "Bella Thorne shows off her pierced nipple in sensational snaps."

ICYMI: Richard Slotkin, Regeneration Through Violence

I'm well into, and greatly enjoying, Richard Slotkin's, Regeneration Through Violence: The Mythology of the American Frontier, 1600–1860.

I picked up the 1996 Harper Perennial edition, which features Frederic Remington's "The Intruders" as the cover art (and seen below). Not sure, but some websites indicate the painting's dated to 1900. (Remington died in 1909 at the age of 48.)

Plus, my copy of Slotkin's The Fatal Environment: The Myth of the Frontier in the Age of Industrialization, 1800–1890 arrived on Easter Sunday. It's from the original publisher, the University of Oklahoma Press, which does an excellent job on frontier and Native American studies.

In any case, thanks for your support. I really recommend Slotkin if you're looking for super stimulating academic tomes. Indeed, Gunfighter Nation: Myth of the Frontier in Twentieth-Century America completes Slotkin's trilogy on the frontier myth, and boy do those three volumes represent a life's work. It's a pretty astonishing achievement. I'm pretty blown away by these books.



Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Jackie Johnson's Clearing and Warmer Forecast

The lovely Ms. Jackie's back this week, at CBS News 2 Los Angeles:



Professor Caroline Heldman Calls for 80 Percent Tax on the Rich (VIDEO)

My post from a few years ago, "Professor Caroline Heldman Marries Occidental Sociologist Danielle Dirks," was getting lit up on Google earlier this evening, so I was like, "What is up?"

It turns out Professor Heldman got "tucked" by Tucker Carlson, on Fox News:



Theresa May Calls General Election (VIDEO)

Brilliant!

From the Prime Minister, at the Telegraph U.K., "Theresa May: An election is the best way to strengthen Britain’s hand as we exit the E.U. (P.M. believes it is in Britain’s national interest to have a General Election now.)":

On Tuesday, I announced my decision to hold a General Election on Thursday 8th June in order to secure the strong and stable leadership the country needs to see us through Brexit and beyond.

I welcome the fact that the other parties have indicated they will support that decision in the House of Commons today.

It is not a decision that I have reached lightly. The priority when I became Prime Minister was to provide the country with stability after the long and passionately fought referendum campaign.

But having delivered that and reflected long and hard about the task ahead, I believe it is in Britain’s national interest to have a General Election now...
More, "Theresa May announces snap general election on June 8 to 'make a success of Brexit'":
Theresa May has called a snap general election for June 8, claiming that divisions at Westminster risked hampering the Brexit negotiations.

The Prime Minister will require the support of two-thirds of MPs to go to the country, with a vote scheduled in the Commons on Wednesday after the surprise announcement on Tuesday morning.

The move stunned Westminster, as Mrs May and Number 10 have repeatedly insisted she would not seek a general election before the scheduled 2020 poll.

Speaking outside Number 10, the Prime Minister said the Cabinet had agreed to call an early election. It later emerged that Mrs May had phoned the Queen yesterday to inform her of her intention.

The move takes place against the backdrop of the country's decision to leave the European Union in last year's referendum.

Justifying the decision, Mrs May said: "The country is coming together but Westminster is not."

She said the "division in Westminster will risk our ability to make a success of Brexit".
Keep reading.

Interstate 20, in Atlanta, Shut Down After Freeway Buckles (VIDEO)

The buckled pavement launched a motorcyclist, who suffered broken bones, apparently.

At CBS News, "Section of I-20 buckles in Atlanta, "catapults" motorcyclist into the air."

And at ABC WSB-TV 2 Atlanta:



Bill O'Reilly Out at Fox News

It's a done deal.

WSJ is reporting, and they should know, being owned by Murdoch, who also owns Fox News.

Also, Hadas Gold at Politico below.

Well, he had a good run, heh.

ADDED: Politico's pulled the Hadas Gold piece, but I'm leaving that tweet up. Maybe Fox is now in fact confirming that O'Reilly's out. Expect updates.

More: Here's the link to the Hadas Gold piece, "Fox News won't confirm O'Reilly's return."

Bianca Balti Gets Flexible at Sumba Island (VIDEO)

She's a clean babe.

Following-up from previously, "Bianca Balti Uncovered for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2017 (VIDEO)."

At Sports Illustrated:



Out Today: David McCullough, The American Spirit

At Amazon, David McCullough, The American Spirit: Who We Are and What We Stand For.

He's a good guy.

On CBS This Morning, yesterday morning: