At Amazon, Robert Kagan, The Return of History and the End of Dreams.
See also Kagan, Of Paradise and Power: America and Europe in the New World Order.
Thursday, July 6, 2017
The End of Alliance
President Trump's in Europe and he gave a major address on American foreign relations in Poland today.
See LAT, "Trump frames anti-terrorism fight as a clash of civilizations, defending Western culture against enemies."
There's lots more at Memeorandum, for example, at VOX (safe link), "Trump's speech in Poland sounded like an alt-right manifesto."
And at Free Beacon, "President Trump's Remarkable Warsaw Speech."
More on all of that later.
Meanwhile, of related interest, see Michael Lind, at the National Interest, "Blocpolitik":
See LAT, "Trump frames anti-terrorism fight as a clash of civilizations, defending Western culture against enemies."
There's lots more at Memeorandum, for example, at VOX (safe link), "Trump's speech in Poland sounded like an alt-right manifesto."
And at Free Beacon, "President Trump's Remarkable Warsaw Speech."
More on all of that later.
Meanwhile, of related interest, see Michael Lind, at the National Interest, "Blocpolitik":
THE TRANSACTIONAL nationalism of Donald Trump horrifies the bipartisan foreign-policy establishment, because it suggests the president does not realize that bloc maintenance is not merely one of several goals, but the overriding objective, of U.S. strategy. From the elite perspective, asking whether Americans are getting their money’s worth by protecting Japan, South Korea and rich NATO allies is tantamount to asking for a cost-benefit analysis of federal-government protection of the American South or West Coast. Most members of the foreign-policy elite can no more conceive of South Korea or Poland outside of the U.S. military bloc than they can conceive of Virginia or California outside of the United States of America. Their alarm may be premature, because Trump appears more interested in pressuring American allies to contribute more to U.S.-led alliances than in dissolving them.Still lots more, at the link.
Like their American counterparts, the foreign-policy establishments in European nations are not dominated by Bismarckian realists, coldly calculating on a day-to-day basis whether the costs of membership in NATO and EU outweigh the benefits, from the point of view of national interests, narrowly defined. In the campaign that culminated in the vote for Brexit last summer, it was the outsider populists who made arguments in favor of the British (or English) national interests. The British elite was almost entirely opposed. Sometimes they argued on pragmatic grounds that the cost of Brexit would be disastrously high. But it was clear that being part of the European Union, like being part of a trans-Atlantic Euro-American system, was a major part of their personal and professional identities. For most elite Britons, a British departure from the EU could only be thought of as a joke or a nightmare.
The mystery that puzzled Rip Van Winkle in our fable is solved, then. The Soviet threat may have been the original stimulus to the formation of NATO and, indirectly, of an integrated Europe. But the trans-Atlantic Euro-American bloc is so integrated, so held together by ties of military cooperation, economic interdependence and shared values, and so fundamental to the personal identity of elites on both sides of the Atlantic that it endures even in the absence of a credible Russian superpower threat, to which Putin’s limited revisionism cannot be compared.
In other regions, like East, Central and South Asia and the Persian Gulf, there is less deep transnational integration and more traditional arm’s-length alliances. And there is nothing like the common, crusading ideology of Marxism-Leninism in the former Communist bloc or the dominant, if not universal, left-liberal variant of democracy in the contemporary European Union. It is in Asia, rather than in the North Atlantic, that something like the traditional realist account of transactional national diplomacy based on calculations of discrete state interests can still be found.
But even there, in the heartland of twenty-first-century realpolitik, conventional American realists are likely to be refuted. The reason is that the offshore-balancing strategy favored by many realists, with the United States as the “holder of the balance” among multiple great powers, is likely to be rendered irrelevant by the long-term growth of Chinese wealth and power and its consequent regional hegemony.
One alternative to shifting balances of power is provided by more or less fixed geographic spheres of influence. Spheres of influence are disliked by both realists and idealists, including neoconservatives and hawkish neoliberals. But this is a relatively recent development in American history. Before the world wars, the United States channeled the Monroe Doctrine and identified its own sphere of influence. The Open Door doctrine promoted by the United States and Britain more than a century ago was compatible with European and Japanese spheres of influence within the territory of a then powerless and divided China. Although Franklin Roosevelt seems to have envisioned his “Four Policemen”—the United States, Britain, the Soviet Union and China—policing their regions after World War II, the Cold War quickly became a contest among rival liberal and Communist visions for the loyalties of postcolonial nations and the “captive nations” of Soviet-controlled Europe. In practice, of course, the United States and USSR defended their spheres of influence in Eastern Europe, the Caribbean and Central America. But the idea that the weak neighbors of a regional great power or superpower should defer to the local hegemon fell out of favor. Indeed, in November 2013, Secretary of State John Kerry declared, “The era of the Monroe Doctrine is over.”
One interpretation of this would be that the historic Monroe Doctrine had lost its relevance in the post–Cold War period, in which the United States asserted its exclusive sphere of influence as the world’s only superpower, not only in the Americas but also in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and every other region. Today, however, America’s project of converting hegemony within its Cold War bloc into universal hegemony—turning the entire planet into a single sphere of influence, as it were—has collapsed thanks to Chinese and Russian resistance and the war-weariness of the American public. But the U.S. foreign-policy establishment refuses to acknowledge the failure of America’s recent bid for global hegemony, pretending instead that the so-called “liberal world order” is under unjustified assault by China, Russia and perhaps Iran. Because China and Russia are engaged in moderate pushback against the American bloc in Asia and Europe, they are supposed to be threats to liberalism, the rule of law and global democracy. Meanwhile, America’s illiberal and antidemocratic allies Saudi Arabia and Qatar, responsible for promoting Salafist jihadist proxies in Syria and elsewhere, are supposed to be understood as states that uphold the liberal world order. This is just propaganda, of a particularly Orwellian kind. What the bipartisan U.S. foreign-policy elite and its allies abroad call the liberal world order is nothing more than the contemporary American bloc, like the “Free World” of the Cold War...
Émile Zola, Germinal
I just finished this surprisingly good novel.
At Amazon, Émile Zola, Germinal.
I say "surprisingly good" since the book caught me off guard. It was snappy and felt contemporary, despite being published in 1885.
The main thing is that I was hooked after the first chapter. I can go for a hundred pages or so even if I'm not hooked, but then a novel feels like work. If you're sucked in right off the bat, then it's pure pleasure reading. You don't want to put it down. I love that.
And then, of course, it's a fascinating novel of class struggle (French miners fighting labor exploitation by the "bourgeois" ruling class in the Nord). Indeed, I just picked it up at a used book store by chance, although you'd think leftists would be shouting this one to the moon. (Leftists aren't all that bright, especially the social media trolls, heh).
In any case, it's good summer reading if you're so inclined. And you can check off one of those "classic novels" you've been meaning to read, which is important in my case (since I like to think of myself as a cultured, literate person, heh).
At Amazon, Émile Zola, Germinal.
I say "surprisingly good" since the book caught me off guard. It was snappy and felt contemporary, despite being published in 1885.
The main thing is that I was hooked after the first chapter. I can go for a hundred pages or so even if I'm not hooked, but then a novel feels like work. If you're sucked in right off the bat, then it's pure pleasure reading. You don't want to put it down. I love that.
And then, of course, it's a fascinating novel of class struggle (French miners fighting labor exploitation by the "bourgeois" ruling class in the Nord). Indeed, I just picked it up at a used book store by chance, although you'd think leftists would be shouting this one to the moon. (Leftists aren't all that bright, especially the social media trolls, heh).
In any case, it's good summer reading if you're so inclined. And you can check off one of those "classic novels" you've been meaning to read, which is important in my case (since I like to think of myself as a cultured, literate person, heh).
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
How is CNN Not Embarrassed?
From Melissa Mackenzie, at the American Spectator:
A random person created the silly gif of Trump body-slamming CNN, which President Trump then tweeted. It’s important to remember that this was the precipitating event that lead CNN to use its myriad resources to seek out the random person and threaten exposure and shame …for creating a stupid gif.More.
CNN’s editorial bias and noxious behavior predates the stupid gif. Chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta got in a shouting match with President Trump. Trump, in turn, called CNN Fake News. Of course, “Fake News” is now, itself, a meme.
There is tension.
But this infantile jostling between press and president is one thing. It’s another to use resources to target those who create the memes, gifs, and parodies, and threaten those people with exposure if they don’t apologize.
Good people are defending the reporters doing the legwork to find the poor Reddit slob who created the gif. Ridiculous! The reporter may be a nice person, but he’s lost his mind.
That’s what’s happening right now. Decent people are losing their minds and doing profoundly destructive, self-harming, and outlandish things in the defense of what?
Pride?
At what cost is the nonsense proceeding? Do the anti-Trump media and mouth-breathers on the left cheering them on (they’re one and the same, but for the sake of argument), know what they’re doing?
Every day that the media continues to act like rage-monster toddlers, they lose credibility and value. No one will believe their reporting, that’s assured. What’s worse, no one will believe anything at all.
This is a terrible crisis of a whole institution. Last week it was the childish Joe and Mika cutting short a vacation to tangle with the President. This week it’s CNN...
#CNNBlackmail: What Fake News Network's Doxing Threat Says About Journalism
From David Harsanyi, at the Federalist, "What CNN’s Threat to Dox a Redditor Tells Us About the State of Journalism."
PREVIOUSLY: "Backlash Against CNN!"
PREVIOUSLY: "Backlash Against CNN!"
North Korea Missile Provokes U.S.
Pfft.
NoKo would be destroyed in seconds of it tried to fight a nuclear war with the U.S.
No, the regime should not get nukes, but let's keep things in perspective.
At USA Today, "Analysis: North Korea missile launch raises the stakes in a big way. What now?":
NoKo would be destroyed in seconds of it tried to fight a nuclear war with the U.S.
No, the regime should not get nukes, but let's keep things in perspective.
At USA Today, "Analysis: North Korea missile launch raises the stakes in a big way. What now?":
North Korea’s successful launch of a missile that for the first time could reach the U.S. mainland ratchets up the pressure on President Trump and other world leaders to resolve a growing nuclear crisis with no easy solution.More.
The test launch came on the Fourth of July, and just three days before a Group of 20 summit convenes in Hamburg, Germany. The timing is almost certainly not coincidental. North Korea uses such occasions to call attention to its provocative acts — and its test elevates the urgency with which Trump and U.S. allies may feel compelled to respond. Hours after the North Korean launch, the Eighth U.S. Army and South Korean military fired surface-to-surface missiles into South Korean waters in a demonstration of capability, the U.S. Army said in a statement.
Trump has repeatedly called on China to rein in its neighbor and close ally. China on Tuesday suggested a compromise: North Korea would stop missile tests if the United States and South Korea scaled back military exercises in the region.
Tuesday evening, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed the intercontinental ballistic missile launch and called it a “new escalation” of the threat. He vowed to bring additional international pressure on the regime.
“The United States seeks only the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the end of threatening actions by North Korea. As we, along with others, have made clear, we will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea,” Tillerson said in a statement. “Global action is required to stop a global threat. Any country that hosts North Korean guest workers, provides any economic or military benefits, or fails to fully implement UN Security Council resolutions is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime. All nations should publicly demonstrate to North Korea that there are consequences to their pursuit of nuclear weapons.”
Trump has said he would be willing to try the diplomatic route, and even agreed to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un face-to-face. Prior diplomatic overtures by two U.S. presidents, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, proved failures when the North reneged on the agreements.
North Korea appears intent on developing a nuclear-tipped missile that could hit the United States, saying it needs such a deterrent to prevent a U.S. attack aimed at overthrowing the regime...
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, On Death and Dying
Lawrence Meyers cited her in my previous entry.
At Amazon, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, On Death and Dying: What the Dying Have to Teach Doctors, Nurses, Clergy and Their Own Families.
At Amazon, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, On Death and Dying: What the Dying Have to Teach Doctors, Nurses, Clergy and Their Own Families.
Why the Left Hates Trump So Much
From Lawrence Meyers, at Town Hall.
On Twitter yesterday, once again I noticed how deeply infected leftists are with Trump Derangement Syndrome.
It's war out there.
On Twitter yesterday, once again I noticed how deeply infected leftists are with Trump Derangement Syndrome.
It's war out there.
Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson, Why Nations Fail
At Amazon, Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson, Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty.
Backlash Against CNN!
Yesterday CNN published a blackmail threat against the REDDITor who created the CNN smackdown GIF retweeted by President Trump. (See, via Memeorandum [safe link], "How CNN found the Reddit user behind the Trump wrestling GIF.")
The reaction has been furious!
For one thing, I've never seen more intense nor indignant memes on Twitter before this #CNNBlackmail hashtag went viral, my god!
It's brutal!
Even fake news New York Times is on the case, lol. See (safe link), "CNN Story About Source of Trump Wrestling Video Draws Backlash."
And some choice memes on Twitter: here, here, and here.
I'm seriously questioning the financial viability of the network. Jeff Zucker and company better have some deep pockets, man.
The reaction has been furious!
For one thing, I've never seen more intense nor indignant memes on Twitter before this #CNNBlackmail hashtag went viral, my god!
It's brutal!
Even fake news New York Times is on the case, lol. See (safe link), "CNN Story About Source of Trump Wrestling Video Draws Backlash."
And some choice memes on Twitter: here, here, and here.
I'm seriously questioning the financial viability of the network. Jeff Zucker and company better have some deep pockets, man.
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
Happy 4th of July!
Ms. Jessica's wishing you a happy holiday!
Happy Birthday America 🇺🇸 #ProudToBeAnAmerican pic.twitter.com/CAc7iGa9ZS
— Jessica Simpson (@JessicaSimpson) July 4, 2017
Monday, July 3, 2017
Danielle Gersh's Fabulous Fourth of July Forecast
It's going to be pleasantly mild tomorrow.
We'll be watching fireworks from Heritage Park in Irvine, which is right next to Irvine High School, where the police association holds an annual fireworks show.
We'll be watching fireworks from Heritage Park in Irvine, which is right next to Irvine High School, where the police association holds an annual fireworks show.
Sweden Steps Up Deportation
Sweden's stepping back into the real world.
At Foreign Affairs, "Asylum Is Hard to Find: Most of the unaccompanied minors who made it to Sweden have yet to receive their asylum decisions."
Good I say. Good on Sweden. Boot those "unaccompanied minors."
At Foreign Affairs, "Asylum Is Hard to Find: Most of the unaccompanied minors who made it to Sweden have yet to receive their asylum decisions."
Good I say. Good on Sweden. Boot those "unaccompanied minors."
Holiday Bikinis
At Drunken Stepfather:
* "LEA MICHELE STILL IN A BIKINI OF THE DAY."BONUS: "BELLA THORNE IN A BATH FOR AMERICA OF THE DAY."
* "ARIEL WINTER’S CLEAVAGE FOR AMERICA OF THE DAY."
* "CHRISTIN MILIAN STLL TRYING TO BE A KARDASHIAN FOR AMERICA OF THE DAY."
* "CHANEL IMAN MODEL IN A BIKINI ON THE BEACH OF THE DAY."
* "ALESSANDRA AMBROSIO’S BIKINI OF THE DAY."
* "PARIS JACKSON IS SPENDING HER INHERITANCE RIGHT OF THE DAY."
* "HILARY DUFF IN A BIKINI OF THE DAY."
* "PREGNANT REESE WITHERSPOON BATHING SUIT SHOOT OF THE DAY."
Danielle Gersh's Holiday Weather Forecast
I just love Ms. Danielle, almost as much as Ms. Jennifer Delacruz.
Great weekend weather-casting talent, so no complaints.
From last night, at CBS News 2 Los Angeles:
Great weekend weather-casting talent, so no complaints.
From last night, at CBS News 2 Los Angeles:
All-Star Game Results No Longer Tied to Home-Field Advantage in World Series
Hmm.
This is interesting.
I guess statistically, the results of the All-Star Game didn't matter that much to the outcomes of the World Series.
But see USA Today, "With All-Star Game result no longer tied to World Series, there's a new incentive to win." (But watch out for those loud auto-play videos.)
This is interesting.
I guess statistically, the results of the All-Star Game didn't matter that much to the outcomes of the World Series.
But see USA Today, "With All-Star Game result no longer tied to World Series, there's a new incentive to win." (But watch out for those loud auto-play videos.)
President Trump's Tweets on Mika Brzezinski Were 'Fantastic'! (VIDEO)
It's Ann Coulter.
She's fired up on Stuart Varney's show, on Fox Business:
She's fired up on Stuart Varney's show, on Fox Business:
Shop Today's Deals
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And, EasyGo Cabana -Beach & Sports Cabana keeps you Cool and Comfortable. Easy Set-up and Take Down. Large Shade Area. More Elegant & Classier than Beach Umbrella.
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Even more, Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575-33BM 15.6-Inch Full HD Notebook (Intel Core i3-7100U Processor 7th Generation , 4GB DDR4, 1TB 5400RPM Hard Drive, Intel HD Graphics 620, Windows 10 Home), Obsidian Black.
BONUS: Lonely Planet Portugal (Travel Guide).
And, EasyGo Cabana -Beach & Sports Cabana keeps you Cool and Comfortable. Easy Set-up and Take Down. Large Shade Area. More Elegant & Classier than Beach Umbrella.
Plus, FIJI Natural Artesian Water, 500mL Bottles (Pack of 24).
More, Mountain House Just In Case...Classic Assortment Bucket.
And, Samsung Gear VR W/Controller - Latest Edition (US Version with Warranty).
Still more, Signature Design by Ashley: Ashley Furniture Signature Design - Mestler Coffee Table - Cocktail Height - Rectangular - Rustic Brown.
Even more, Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575-33BM 15.6-Inch Full HD Notebook (Intel Core i3-7100U Processor 7th Generation , 4GB DDR4, 1TB 5400RPM Hard Drive, Intel HD Graphics 620, Windows 10 Home), Obsidian Black.
BONUS: Lonely Planet Portugal (Travel Guide).
Lyle Denniston Retires from SCOTUS Blog
But he's not retiring altogether.
He's joining the the National Constitution Center.
At Politico, "Lyle Denniston, a lion of the Supreme Court beat, leaves SCOTUSblog."
And his farewell blog post, at the SCOTUS Blog, "One journey over, the quest continues":
He's joining the the National Constitution Center.
At Politico, "Lyle Denniston, a lion of the Supreme Court beat, leaves SCOTUSblog."
And his farewell blog post, at the SCOTUS Blog, "One journey over, the quest continues":
With my journey with the blog about to conclude, it will probably surprise no one that my quest continues. Retirement still eludes me, because I want it to. Next, I will be expanding my role in covering the Court for Constitution Daily, the blog of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. My editor there, Scott Bomboy, is as imaginative a leader as I have ever had, and the Center has grown in stature and cultural impact with Jeff Rosen in charge. The Court’s press room, thus, has not seen the last of me. I will always be reachable at lylden at aol.com.
And, through the generosity of the leaders and faculty at the University of Baltimore and its Law School, and my friend, the uniquely talented Garrett Epps, I will take on a role as a lecturer and visiting professor. Since my days with The Baltimore Sun, I have never lost my affection for Charm City, and the University is a dynamic presence in its midst.
And, who knows, I may still have a book or two waiting, inside me, to be written...
Matt Yglesias Achieves Peak Dumbassery
How about $150.00 an hour?
Sounds stupid?
Not to Matt Yglesias.
At Instapundit, "OH, I THINK WE’RE NOWHERE NEAR PEAK YGLESIAS: ‘Hitting the crack pipe?’ Matt Yglesias achieves peak dumbassery with this take on minimum wage."
Sounds stupid?
Not to Matt Yglesias.
At Instapundit, "OH, I THINK WE’RE NOWHERE NEAR PEAK YGLESIAS: ‘Hitting the crack pipe?’ Matt Yglesias achieves peak dumbassery with this take on minimum wage."
Girls as Young as 9-Years-Old Seeking Vaginal Surgery in Britain
Girls are getting ideas about their private parts from social media and pornography. Pornography! At 9-year-old!
My dad used to have Playboy magazines lying around when was a kid. I remember laughing when I looked at the "boobies." And I don't think I owned a bona fide porno magazine until I was 15-years-old (and lost my virginity a short time thereafter, heh).
So I'm not too pleased about this development, to say the least. But this is the culture today, so degraded.
At the Telegraph U.K., "Vagina surgery ‘sought by girls as young as nine’ because of pornography, doctors reveal" (via Memeorandum).
My dad used to have Playboy magazines lying around when was a kid. I remember laughing when I looked at the "boobies." And I don't think I owned a bona fide porno magazine until I was 15-years-old (and lost my virginity a short time thereafter, heh).
So I'm not too pleased about this development, to say the least. But this is the culture today, so degraded.
At the Telegraph U.K., "Vagina surgery ‘sought by girls as young as nine’ because of pornography, doctors reveal" (via Memeorandum).
U.S. Risks Escalation in the Middle East
I'm not that worried about it. I'd say the paleocon obsession with isolationism is bad for American vital interests.
And I'm pleased by Trump's foreign policy approach thus far, as it's not tied down to alt-right dogmas (to the everlasting condemnation of the alt-right idiots).
At the Los Angeles Times, "'The closer we get, the more complex it gets.' White House struggles on strategy as Islamic State nears defeat in Iraq and Syria":
And I'm pleased by Trump's foreign policy approach thus far, as it's not tied down to alt-right dogmas (to the everlasting condemnation of the alt-right idiots).
At the Los Angeles Times, "'The closer we get, the more complex it gets.' White House struggles on strategy as Islamic State nears defeat in Iraq and Syria":
With American-backed ground forces poised to recapture Mosul in Iraq and Raqqah in Syria, Islamic State’s de facto capitals, U.S. commanders are confident they soon will vanquish the militant group from its self-declared caliphate after three years of fighting.Still more.
But the White House has yet to define strategy for the next step in the struggle to restore stability in the region, including key decisions about safe zones, reconstruction, nascent governance, easing sectarian tensions and commitment of U.S. troops.
Nor has the Trump administration set policy for how it will confront forces from Iran and Russia, the two outside powers that arguably gained the most in the bitter conflict — and that now are hoping to collect the spoils and expand their influence.
Iran, in particular, is pushing to secure a land corridor from its western border across Iraq and Syria and up to Lebanon, where it supports Hezbollah militants, giving it a far larger foothold in the turbulent region.
“Right now everyone is positioned” for routing Islamic State “without having the rules of the road,” said Michael Yaffe, a former State Department envoy for the Middle East who is now vice president of the Middle East and Africa center at the U.S. Institute of Peace. “That’s a dangerous situation.”
The risk of a broader confrontation was clear in recent weeks when a U.S. F/A-18 shot down a Syrian fighter jet for the first time in the multi-sided six-year war, provoking an angry response from Russia, which supports Syrian President Bashar Assad.
U.S. warplanes also destroyed two Iranian-made drone aircraft, although it’s not clear who was flying them. The Pentagon said all the attacks were in self-defense as the aircraft approached or fired on American forces or U.S.-backed Syrian fighters.
“What I worry about is the muddled mess scenario,” said Ilan Goldenberg, a former senior State Department official who now heads the Middle East program at the nonpartisan Center for a New American Security. “When you start shooting down planes and running into each other, it quickly goes up the escalation ladder.”
The clashes occurred in eastern Syria, where Russian-backed Syrian and Iranian forces are pushing against U.S. special operations forces and U.S.-backed Syrian opposition fighters trying to break Islamic State’s hold on the Euphrates River valley south of Raqqah and into Iraq.
Except for a few towns, Islamic State still controls the remote area, and U.S. officials fear the militants could regroup there and plan future attacks. Many of the group’s leaders and operatives have taken shelter in Dair Alzour province...
J.D. Vance, Hillbilly Elegy
This book's been out for over a year and it's still not available in paperback. Last I checked it was still on the New York Times bestseller list, so the publisher's going to milk it while it's hot.
Well, more power to Mr. Vance. He's going to be financially set for some time.
At Amazon, J.D. Vance, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.
Well, more power to Mr. Vance. He's going to be financially set for some time.
At Amazon, J.D. Vance, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.
Sunday, July 2, 2017
The Sleazy, Alcohol-Fueled Environment of 'Bachelor in Paradise'
Alcohol was flowing freely on the set, with producers hoping to liberate their cast members, and drum up some excitement (any kind of excitement, apparently, as ratings are the ultimate ratio).
At LAT, "Alcohol, sex and consent: Add TV cameras and the 'Bachelor in Paradise' party gets complicated":
At LAT, "Alcohol, sex and consent: Add TV cameras and the 'Bachelor in Paradise' party gets complicated":
Before the cameras even started rolling, Chad Johnson was drunk. Not tipsy; hammered. By the time production on “Bachelor in Paradise” kicked off at 11 a.m. in Sayulita, Mexico, the reality star had already taken seven shots of Jack Daniel’s whiskey and downed a whole bottle of wine.Keep reading.
Because, he figured: Why not? He’d agreed to go on the third season of the spinoff of ABC’s “The Bachelor” because it seemed like a paid vacation, replete with bikini-clad women, a private beach and an open bar. Also, alcohol loosened him up — he wanted to be liked by his new cast mates, and when he drank, he felt like he was instantly funnier.
“Plus, when you’re filming the show, you have this adrenaline pump of being on TV, so you can drink more and are still capable of walking and talking,” Johnson, 29, explained. “There are points of time on the show where you’re still conscious, where in the real world, you would have been asleep somewhere 10 hours earlier.”
But no one on the production team put Johnson to bed. Instead, he passed out on the sand, as crabs crawled over his face. The next morning, he learned he engaged in an aggressive make-out session with one female cast member and hurled insults at another who was born with only one full arm. He was also told he’d soiled himself during his sleep.
Johnson’s behavior that night had consequences: Within hours, host Chris Harrison was dispatched to tell him he was no longer welcome on the show.
*****
Heavy drinking is not uncommon on the “Bachelor” shows, with contestants sometimes becoming so intoxicated that they see the extent of their behavior only when it eventually airs on national television. Often, drunken antics are played for humor — there’s usually that one person who gets so sloshed at the “Bachelor” mansion on night one that they do something embarrassing in front of their potential husband or wife. But for the first time in the franchise's 15-year history, an incident fueled by on-set drinking has led to both public scrutiny and reports of internal policy changes regarding alcohol and sexual behavior.
On June 4, the first day of filming on “Paradise’s” fourth season at the Playa Escondida resort, a male and female contestant got drunk and had an encounter in the pool that the male said in a televised interview involved a sexual act.
At first, the incident seemed par for the course in “Paradise.” Contestants regularly get frisky in the open and have sex in bedrooms without doors — though the footage rarely shows anything too raunchy.
A couple of days later, though, the two contestants were pulled aside and told that two producers had filed third-party complaints with Warner Bros., the production company that produces the ABC show, related to the pool encounter. The entire cast was flown back to the U.S. On June 11, Warner Bros. released a statement announcing production had been suspended while it investigated claims of alleged misconduct.
The female contestant, Corinne Olympios, hired a high-profile Hollywood lawyer, Marty Singer, and issued her own statement. “Although I have little memory of that night,” the 24-year-old said, “something bad obviously took place.” The male contestant, 30-year-old DeMario Jackson, retained his own counsel and told his side of the story, including a detailed description of what he says was a consensual encounter, in a televised interview on E! News earlier this week.
On June 20, Warner Bros. announced that its internal investigation did not “support any charge of misconduct” or show that the “safety of any cast member was ever in jeopardy.” Production resumed last weekend with what Warner Bros. described as “certain changes to the show’s policies” to enhance participants’ safety.
Warner Bros. declined to elaborate on those changes, but on Tuesday, TMZ reported that the show had instituted a slew of new rules: Contestants must adhere to a two-drink-per-hour maximum, and before initiating sex, they must check with a producer tasked with making sure both parties are able to give consent.
Olympios said in a statement to The Times on Thursday that she was “happy” about the changes on the show. In the statement, she said her legal team had completed its investigation to her “satisfaction” and that she had no complaints about the production...
Jennifer Delacruz's Mild Holiday Forecast
Once again we've got a video of the news highlights at ABC News 10 San Diego. Ms. Jennifer's weather report starts at 5:05 minutes. If you scroll back to the beginning, there's coverage of the San Diego impeachment march and the counter protest. We've got activists protesting all over the country this weekend, a sign of a vigorous healthy democracy, not the totalitarian regime leftists have been warning about since last November.
In any case, here's Ms. Jennifer:
In any case, here's Ms. Jennifer:
Omar El Akkad, American War
*BUMPED.*
I've got this one on order.
Remember, purchases through my Amazon links help fuel my book reading addiction at no additional cost to yourself, and your support is greatly appreciated.
I'm having a lot of fun!
At Amazon, Omar El Akkad, American War: A Novel.
I've got this one on order.
Remember, purchases through my Amazon links help fuel my book reading addiction at no additional cost to yourself, and your support is greatly appreciated.
I'm having a lot of fun!
At Amazon, Omar El Akkad, American War: A Novel.
Today's Deals
Thanks for your support, as always.
And shop, at Amazon, Today's Deals.
Here, Straw Propeller Gourmet Foods - Natural Gourmet Oatmeal, Blueberry Blitz, 3.0 Ounce (Pack of 12).
Also, Save on Kitchen and Dining Items.
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Still more, Shop Tennis Rackets.
And, Gourmet Coffee Beans from Honduras (Medium Dark Roast), for Coffee Lovers with Discriminating Taste - Wake Up to Great Aroma and Mellow Chocolaty ... Aroma Bravo Coffee and Tea.
BONUS: Victor Davis Hanson, A War Like No Other: How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War.
And shop, at Amazon, Today's Deals.
Here, Straw Propeller Gourmet Foods - Natural Gourmet Oatmeal, Blueberry Blitz, 3.0 Ounce (Pack of 12).
Also, Save on Kitchen and Dining Items.
More, KIND Breakfast Bars, Peanut Butter, Gluten Free, 1.8 Ounce, 32 Count.
And, Savings in Sports Cycling Helmets.
Still more, Shop Tennis Rackets.
And, Gourmet Coffee Beans from Honduras (Medium Dark Roast), for Coffee Lovers with Discriminating Taste - Wake Up to Great Aroma and Mellow Chocolaty ... Aroma Bravo Coffee and Tea.
BONUS: Victor Davis Hanson, A War Like No Other: How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War.
Holly Williams Reports from Raqqa, Syria (VIDEO)
For CBS "Face the Nation":
Also, at the New York Post, "A series of car bombs rocked the Syrian capital, killing at least eight people and wounding a dozen more."
Also, at the New York Post, "A series of car bombs rocked the Syrian capital, killing at least eight people and wounding a dozen more."
Nina Agdal Uncovered for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2017 (VIDEO)
As always, she remains one of my favorites.
President Trump Tweets Photoshopped Video of Him Wrestling 'CNN' to the Ground
He's the ultimate troll.
And boy does this piss off the leftist establishment, lol.
Watch, "#FraudNewsCNN #FNN."
Also at the New York Times, via Memeorandum, "Trump Tweets a Video of Him Wrestling ‘CNN’ to the Ground."
Seen on Twitter, ".@AnaNavarro on Trump CNN tweet: “It is an incitement to violence. He is going to get somebody killed in the media”."
Nah.
It's hilarious.
More at Twitchy, "CNN responds to that ‘Trump punches out CNN’ video."
And boy does this piss off the leftist establishment, lol.
Watch, "#FraudNewsCNN #FNN."
Also at the New York Times, via Memeorandum, "Trump Tweets a Video of Him Wrestling ‘CNN’ to the Ground."
Seen on Twitter, ".@AnaNavarro on Trump CNN tweet: “It is an incitement to violence. He is going to get somebody killed in the media”."
Nah.
It's hilarious.
More at Twitchy, "CNN responds to that ‘Trump punches out CNN’ video."
Saturday, July 1, 2017
Jennifer Delacruz's Mild Sunny Forecast
For some reason, ABC News 10 posted most of their evening newscast to YouTube. Ms. Jennifer's near the end of the clip, at 10:40 minutes. However, if you scroll back a minute or two, there's a great little segment on the Oceanside 4th of July parade, which was held today. I love the patriotic stuff. There's almost nothing that makes me more happy, considering the youth anti-American culture that seems to be taking over these days.
In any case, here's the lovely Ms. Jennifer in that fantastic tight black dress:
In any case, here's the lovely Ms. Jennifer in that fantastic tight black dress:
Silicon Valley Women Open-Up About Sexual Harassment
Leftist tech progressives are the biggest hypocrites.
At NYT, "Silicon Valley Women, in Cultural Shift, Frankly Describe Sexual Harassment":
At NYT, "Silicon Valley Women, in Cultural Shift, Frankly Describe Sexual Harassment":
Their stories came out slowly, even hesitantly, at first. Then in a rush.Keep reading.
One female entrepreneur recounted how she had been propositioned by a Silicon Valley venture capitalist while seeking a job with him, which she did not land after rebuffing him. Another showed the increasingly suggestive messages she had received from a start-up investor. And one chief executive described how she had faced numerous sexist comments from an investor while raising money for her online community website.
What happened afterward was often just as disturbing, the women told The New York Times. Many times, the investors’ firms and colleagues ignored or played down what had happened when the situations were brought to their attention. Saying anything, the women were warned, might lead to ostracism.
Now some of these female entrepreneurs have decided to take that risk. More than two dozen women in the technology start-up industry spoke to The Times in recent days about being sexually harassed. Ten of them named the investors involved, often providing corroborating messages and emails, and pointed to high-profile venture capitalists such as Chris Sacca of Lowercase Capital and Dave McClure of 500 Startups.
The disclosures came after the tech news site The Information reported that female entrepreneurs had been preyed upon by a venture capitalist, Justin Caldbeck of Binary Capital. The new accounts underscore how sexual harassment in the tech start-up ecosystem goes beyond one firm and is pervasive and ingrained. Now their speaking out suggests a cultural shift in Silicon Valley, where such predatory behavior had often been murmured about but rarely exposed.
The tech industry has long suffered a gender imbalance, with companies such as Google and Facebook acknowledging how few women were in their ranks. Some female engineers have started to speak out on the issue, including a former Uber engineer who detailed a pattern of sexual harassment at the company, setting off internal investigations that spurred the resignation in June of Uber’s chief executive, Travis Kalanick.
Most recently, the revelations about Mr. Caldbeck of Binary Capital have triggered an outcry. The investor has been accused of sexually harassing entrepreneurs while he worked at three different venture firms in the past seven years, often in meetings in which the women were presenting their companies to him.
Several of Silicon Valley’s top venture capitalists and technologists, including Reid Hoffman, a founder of LinkedIn, condemned Mr. Caldbeck’s behavior last week and called for investors to sign a “decency pledge.” Binary has since collapsed, with Mr. Caldbeck leaving the firm and investors pulling money out of its funds.
The chain of events has emboldened more women to talk publicly about the treatment they said they had endured from tech investors...
Page 3 Model Danielle Sellers in Titillating Pool Photoshoot
At London's Daily Mail, "Glamour model Danielle Sellers goes completely topless in titillating pool photoshoot.... as she 'prepares to cause a stir by entering Love Island'."
And at the Sun U.K., "WET AND WILD - Love Island’s new girl Danielle Sellers poses topless for sexy photoshoot in a pool: The raunchiest contestant ever will be making her way onto our screens and ruffling feathers in the house."
And at the Sun U.K., "WET AND WILD - Love Island’s new girl Danielle Sellers poses topless for sexy photoshoot in a pool: The raunchiest contestant ever will be making her way onto our screens and ruffling feathers in the house."
Mika Brzezinski Responds to President Trump (VIDEO)
I'm not up early enough for Morning Joe, but I doubt I'd be watching it in any case.
Just another wasted far-left broadcast.
Sad.
Following-up, "Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski Say White House Officials Promised That National Enquirer Hit Piece Would Be Spiked if They Apologized to President Trump."
I did watched this clip, however. She's all stoic about it, tut-tutting about how she's "fine" after the terrible ---- terrible! ---- Donald Trump tweets.
What goes around comes around, sweetie.
Just another wasted far-left broadcast.
Sad.
Following-up, "Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski Say White House Officials Promised That National Enquirer Hit Piece Would Be Spiked if They Apologized to President Trump."
I did watched this clip, however. She's all stoic about it, tut-tutting about how she's "fine" after the terrible ---- terrible! ---- Donald Trump tweets.
What goes around comes around, sweetie.
Friday, June 30, 2017
Jennifer Delacruz's Mild Weather Forecast
It's lovely weather, heading into the 4th of July holiday this week.
Here's the fabulous Ms. Jennifer, for ABC News 10 San Diego:
Here's the fabulous Ms. Jennifer, for ABC News 10 San Diego:
Shop Deals
*BUMPED.*
At Amazon, Wireless Security Camera, KAMTRON HD WiFi Security Surveillance IP Camera Home Monitor with Motion Detection Two-Way Audio Night Vision, Black.
More, Today's Deals New deals. Every day. Shop our Deal of the Day, Lightning Deals and more daily deals and limited-time sales.
And, AmazonBasics Apple Certified Lightning to USB Cable - 6 Feet (1.8 Meters) - White.
Plus, JBM Adult Cycling Bike Helmet Specialized for Mens / Womens Safety Protection CPSC Certified - Black / Blue / Red / Yellow.
Still more, Brand44: 90' Eagle Series Seated Zipline Kit (Weather Resistant).
Here, LG Electronics PF1000UA Ultra Short Throw Home Theater Projector (2017 Model).
BONUS: F.A. Hayek, The Road to Serfdom: Text and Documents - The Definitive Edition (The Collected Works of F. A. Hayek, Volume 2).
At Amazon, Wireless Security Camera, KAMTRON HD WiFi Security Surveillance IP Camera Home Monitor with Motion Detection Two-Way Audio Night Vision, Black.
More, Today's Deals New deals. Every day. Shop our Deal of the Day, Lightning Deals and more daily deals and limited-time sales.
And, AmazonBasics Apple Certified Lightning to USB Cable - 6 Feet (1.8 Meters) - White.
Plus, JBM Adult Cycling Bike Helmet Specialized for Mens / Womens Safety Protection CPSC Certified - Black / Blue / Red / Yellow.
Still more, Brand44: 90' Eagle Series Seated Zipline Kit (Weather Resistant).
Here, LG Electronics PF1000UA Ultra Short Throw Home Theater Projector (2017 Model).
BONUS: F.A. Hayek, The Road to Serfdom: Text and Documents - The Definitive Edition (The Collected Works of F. A. Hayek, Volume 2).
Folks Need to Get Busy!
Lol.
At LAT, "Americans keep having fewer babies as U.S. birthrates hit some record lows":
But keep reading.
At LAT, "Americans keep having fewer babies as U.S. birthrates hit some record lows":
Hey stork, you’ve been slacking off — and U.S. health officials know it.Teenage birthrates are declining, so that's good news.
For the second year in a row, the number of babies delivered in the U.S. fell in 2016, according to a new report from the National Center for Health Statistics. For some groups of women, the birth rate reached record lows.
The provisional figures released Friday include 99.96% of all births in the United States last year. Here’s what they show:
Overall births
The total number of babies born in the U.S. last year was 3,941,109. That’s 37,388 fewer babies than were born in the U.S. in 2015, which represents a 1% decline.
The number of births tends to rise as the population rises, so statisticians like to make historical comparisons by calculating the general fertility rate. This is the number of births per 1,000 women considered to be of childbearing age (between 15 and 44).
In 2016, the U.S. general fertility rate hit a record low of 62.0 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. In 2015, the general fertility rate was 62.5.
Another useful statistic is the total fertility rate. This is an estimate of the total number of babies that 1,000 women would have over their lifetimes, based on the actual birth rates for women in different age groups.
In 2016, the total fertility rate for American women was 1,818 births per 1,000 women. That’s the lowest it has been since 1984.
In order for a generation to exactly replace itself, the total fertility rate needs to be 2,100 births per 1,000 women. The U.S. has been missing that mark since 1971 (though the country’s population has grown due to immigration).
More older mothers
The ages of women giving birth in the U.S. has been skewing older for several years, and that trend continued in 2016.
Birth rates for women 30 and older hit their highest levels since the 1960s, and women in their early 30s had the highest birthrate of any age group.
In 2016, there were 102.6 births per 1,000 women between the ages of 30 and 34. The last time it was that high was 1964.
There were also 52.6 births per 1,000 women ages 35 to 39, the highest that figure has been since 1962...
But keep reading.
Trump Administration Believes it's Gained Tactical Advantage in War with the Media, Thanks to CNN Resignations and Sarah Palin's Libel Suit Against the New York Times
I think so.
From Hada Gold, at Politico, "Trump seizes the advantage in war with media":
From Hada Gold, at Politico, "Trump seizes the advantage in war with media":
Donald Trump and his allies believe he’s gained a tactical advantage in his war with the media.Keep reading.
As he escalates his attacks on the “failing media,” Trump and his allies are increasingly convinced that recent evidence, including the retracted CNN piece on an aspect of the Russia investigations, will prove to skeptical voters that the mainstream media has a vendetta against the administration.
Many White House staffers were “elated,” a person with knowledge of their conversations said, when they learned that three journalists had resigned over a botched story that claimed newly appointed Export-Import Bank official Anthony Scaramucci was being investigated for his ties to a Russian investment fund.
Trump was quick to publicize the retraction and resignations on his Twitter feed, adding, “What about all the other phony stories they do. FAKE NEWS.” He used the “FAKE NEWS” line again Wednesday morning in claiming that The Washington Post was “guardian of Amazon,” the company of Post owner Jeff Bezos.
Conservative outlets and allies of the president also trumpeted Sarah Palin’s libel suit against The New York Times for suggesting in an editorial that her super PAC played a role in inciting the gunman who shot former Rep. Gabby Giffords. The editorial from May was ultimately corrected, but was nonetheless an embarrassing moment for another media company that’s aggressively reported on the president and received his wrath in return.
The attacks marked an escalation of Trump’s strategy of citing media bias to rally conservatives and undecided voters around the idea that the investigations of Russian influence in the 2016 election are media-driven and politically motivated...
Maitland Ward Breaks Snapchat
Heh.
At Taxi Driver, "Maitland Ward in Her Shower on Snap Chat."
And she posts to Twitter, commenting, "Here's the Snap Pic that was reported & taken down. If you don't like my SM game please don't follow me. I enjoy having fun and being free."
Also, "So I read the snapchat rules... it says nudity is okay as long as you're not performing any sort of sexual act. Is showering a sex act?"
At Taxi Driver, "Maitland Ward in Her Shower on Snap Chat."
And she posts to Twitter, commenting, "Here's the Snap Pic that was reported & taken down. If you don't like my SM game please don't follow me. I enjoy having fun and being free."
Also, "So I read the snapchat rules... it says nudity is okay as long as you're not performing any sort of sexual act. Is showering a sex act?"
Summer Reading for Republicans
At Foreign Policy, "What Are Republicans Reading? An Elephants in the Room Summer 2017 Reading List."
Some suggestions cited, in no particular order:
Extremely heavy on foreign policy and international relations, and still more at the link.
Some suggestions cited, in no particular order:
* Garrett Graff, Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself - While the Rest of Us Die.Interesting.
* Lynne Olson, Last Hope Island: Britain, Occupied Europe, and the Brotherhood That Helped Turn the Tide of War.
* Brian Devereux, Escape to Pagan: The True Story of One Family’s Fight to Survive in World War II Occupied Asia.
* Thomas-Durell Young, Anatomy of Post-Communist European Defense Institutions: The Mirage of Military Modernity.
* Peter Schweitzer, Victory: The Reagan Administration’s Secret Strategy that Hastened the Collapse of the Soviet Union.
* Misagh Parsa, Democracy in Iran: Why It Failed and How It Might Succeed.
* Mark Bowden, Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam.
* Edward Luce, The Retreat of Western Liberalism.
* Sinclair McKay, The Secret Life of Bletchley Park: The WWII Codebreaking Centre and the Men and Women Who Worked There.
* Thomas Wright, All Measures Short of War: The Contest for the Twenty-First Century and the Future of American Power.
Extremely heavy on foreign policy and international relations, and still more at the link.
Niall Ferguson, Empire
At Amazon, Niall Ferguson, Empire: The Rise and Demise of the British World Order and the Lessons for Global Power.
Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski Say White House Officials Promised That National Enquirer Hit Piece Would Be Spiked if They Apologized to President Trump
As is usual every day, I woke up to this news in my Twitter feed this morning.
It's like Groundhog's Day of fake news, outrage news.
See, "Statement From The National ENQUIRER."
And the full expose, "AFFAIR GAME! Joe & Mika: TV Couple’s Sleazy Cheating Scandal."
More at Newsweek, via Mediagazer, "'MORNING JOE' HOSTS ACCUSE TRUMP OF BLACKMAILING, THREATENING THEM OVER 'NATIONAL ENQUIRER' STORY."
And from Gabriel Sherman, at New York Magazine, "What Really Happened Between Donald Trump, the Hosts of Morning Joe, and the National Enquirer":
It's like Groundhog's Day of fake news, outrage news.
See, "Statement From The National ENQUIRER."
And the full expose, "AFFAIR GAME! Joe & Mika: TV Couple’s Sleazy Cheating Scandal."
More at Newsweek, via Mediagazer, "'MORNING JOE' HOSTS ACCUSE TRUMP OF BLACKMAILING, THREATENING THEM OVER 'NATIONAL ENQUIRER' STORY."
And from Gabriel Sherman, at New York Magazine, "What Really Happened Between Donald Trump, the Hosts of Morning Joe, and the National Enquirer":
As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump used his close alliance with the National Enquirer to attack his enemies. Now that he’s President, he’s continuing to benefit from the tabloid’s support.Still more.
This morning in a Washington Post op-ed, Morning Joe co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski disclosed that White House officials offered to spike an Enquirer story about their romance if the pair apologized to Trump for the show’s critical coverage. In recent months, Scarborough and Brzezinski have questioned Trump’s mental state and fitness for office. They elaborated on the op-ed on MSNBC this morning. Morning Joe regular Donny Deutsch said it was “blackmail” for Trump to use a hit-piece in the Enquirer to extract an apology from media critics. Trump then tweeted a quasi-confirmation of the behind-the-scenes conversations, saying that Scarborough called to enlist his help to kill the story. Scarborough called Trump’s version a “lie,” tweeting that he never spoke to the president.
According to three sources familiar with the private conversations, what happened was this: After the inauguration, Morning Joe’s coverage of Trump turned sharply negative. “This presidency is fake and failed,” Brzezinski said on March 6, for example. Around this time, Scarborough and Brzezinski found out the Enquirer was preparing a story about their affair. While Scarborough and Brzezinski’s relationship had been gossiped about in media circles for some time, it was not yet public, and the tabloid was going to report that they had left their spouses to be together...
WATCH: Dana Loesch Takes on Critics Who Accuse Her of 'Inciting Violence' in New Video for the NRA
Following-up from yesterday, "The Clenched Fist of Truth (VIDEO)."
Here's USA Today's MSM take, "NRA video declares war on liberals, critics say."
What a joke. Totally laughable.
Here she is on Tucker's last night:
Here's USA Today's MSM take, "NRA video declares war on liberals, critics say."
What a joke. Totally laughable.
Here she is on Tucker's last night:
Small Plane Crashes on I-405 in Irvine (VIDEO)
Well, this is likely to make the national evening news broadcasts, from right here, nearby home.
At the O.C. Register, "Small plane crashes on I-405 freeway at MacArthur, catches fire, 2 hospitalized."
And at CBS News 2 Los Angeles, "Plane Crashes on NB 405 Freeway in Irvine."
At the O.C. Register, "Small plane crashes on I-405 freeway at MacArthur, catches fire, 2 hospitalized."
And at CBS News 2 Los Angeles, "Plane Crashes on NB 405 Freeway in Irvine."
The Krauthammer Conjecture
Here's Charles Krauthammer's regular Friday column (which runs at the loathed WaPo), at the O.C. Register, "Why do they even play the game?":
In mathematics, when you’re convinced of some eternal truth but can’t quite prove it, you offer it as a hypothesis (with a portentous capital H) and invite the world, future generations if need be, to prove you right or wrong. Often, a cash prize is attached.More.
In that spirit, but without the cash, I offer the Krauthammer Conjecture: In sports, the pleasure of winning is less than the pain of losing. By any Benthamite pleasure/pain calculation, the sum is less than zero. A net negative of suffering. Which makes you wonder why anybody plays at all.
Winning is great. You get to hoot and holler, hoist the trophy, shower in champagne, ride the open parade car and boycott the White House victory ceremony (choose your cause).
But, as most who have engaged in competitive sports know, there’s nothing to match the amplitude of emotion brought by losing. When the Cleveland Cavaliers lost the 2015 NBA Finals to Golden State, LeBron James sat motionless in the locker room, staring straight ahead, still wearing his game jersey, for 45 minutes after the final buzzer.
Here was a guy immensely wealthy, widely admired, at the peak of his powers — yet stricken, inconsolable. So it was for Ralph Branca, who gave up Bobby Thomson’s shot heard ’round the world in 1951. So too for Royals shortstop Freddie Patek, a (literal) picture of dejection sitting alone in the dugout with his head down after his team lost the 1977 pennant to the New York Yankees.
In 1986, the “Today Show” commemorated the 30th anniversary of Don Larsen pitching the only perfect game in World Series history. They invited Larsen and his battery mate, Yogi Berra. And Dale Mitchell, the man who made the last out. Mitchell was not amused. “I ain’t flying 2,000 miles to talk about striking out,” he fumed. And anyway, the called third strike was high and outside. It had been 30 years and Mitchell was still mad. (Justly so. Even the Yankee fielders acknowledged that the final pitch was outside the strike zone.)
For every moment of triumph, there is an unequal and opposite feeling of despair. Take that iconic photograph of Muhammad Ali standing triumphantly over the prostrate, semiconscious wreckage of Sonny Liston. Great photo. Now think of Liston. Do the pleasure/pain calculus.
And we are talking here about professional athletes — not even the legions of Little Leaguers, freshly eliminated from the playoffs, sobbing and sniffling their way home, assuaged only by gallons of Baskin-Robbins...
Thursday, June 29, 2017
The Tip of the Iceberg in CNN #FakeNews
See the excellent piece, from Mollie Hemingway, at the Federalist, "CNN’s Latest Retraction Is Just the Tip of the Fake News Iceberg."
Via Ace of Spades HQ, "As the Russia Narrative Implodes Hilariously, Apparently the Next Big Scandal Will Be 'Trump Said Something About Mika'."
(I haven't blogged about Trump's tweets because I don't care; Trump is gonna Trump, but the left's got nothing else so they're playing it up. See Memeorandum, "Trump No Longer Seems Able to Hide His Raw Misogyny. Good.")
Via Ace of Spades HQ, "As the Russia Narrative Implodes Hilariously, Apparently the Next Big Scandal Will Be 'Trump Said Something About Mika'."
(I haven't blogged about Trump's tweets because I don't care; Trump is gonna Trump, but the left's got nothing else so they're playing it up. See Memeorandum, "Trump No Longer Seems Able to Hide His Raw Misogyny. Good.")
Amber Lee's Comfortable Cooler Forecast
We've had local wildfires over the last few days, and the air quality's been nasty at times.
But the coastal areas have been quite comfortable. I'm enjoying the nice breezy weather.
Here's the lovely Ms. Amber, for CBS News 2 Los Angeles:
But the coastal areas have been quite comfortable. I'm enjoying the nice breezy weather.
Here's the lovely Ms. Amber, for CBS News 2 Los Angeles:
Eric Bolling, The Swamp
*BUMPED.*
This just came outyesterday Tuesday. It's a great summer for conservative reading!
At Amazon, Eric Bolling, The Swamp: Washington's Murky Pool of Corruption and Cronyism and How Trump Can Drain It.
This just came out
At Amazon, Eric Bolling, The Swamp: Washington's Murky Pool of Corruption and Cronyism and How Trump Can Drain It.
Hilary Rhoda in Beverly Hills
At London's Daily Mail, "Brunette beauty! Hilary Rhoda in purple jumpsuit for Beverly Hills photo shoot."
PREVIOUSLY: "Hilary Rhoda Gets Oiled Up (VIDEO)."
PREVIOUSLY: "Hilary Rhoda Gets Oiled Up (VIDEO)."
Blog Slow Loading in Chrome
As noted, the blog's not been loading.
So, I checked my browsers. I'm still having problems in Chrome (and will update when I get it fixed).
But I fixed the problem on my iPhone 7. Check this piece, at iGeek Blogs, "Safari Running Slow on iPhone or iPad? Five Tips to Speed It Up."
The full blog, not [just] the mobile URL, loads in about2-3 seconds 1 second on my iPhone after implementing the fixes at that piece, so I know there's something going on in Chrome that I can't figure out.
I haven't had complaints, and the traffic's been better than normal this week, so I'm not too worried about general accessibility. I'd just like to my own reading to be enjoyable and blog performance to be good.
More later.
Thanks for reading.
So, I checked my browsers. I'm still having problems in Chrome (and will update when I get it fixed).
But I fixed the problem on my iPhone 7. Check this piece, at iGeek Blogs, "Safari Running Slow on iPhone or iPad? Five Tips to Speed It Up."
The full blog, not [just] the mobile URL, loads in about
I haven't had complaints, and the traffic's been better than normal this week, so I'm not too worried about general accessibility. I'd just like to my own reading to be enjoyable and blog performance to be good.
More later.
Thanks for reading.
Sean Hannity Blasts CNN's Fake News Anti-Trump Agenda (VIDEO)
I've been watching the Angels/Dodgers freeway series this last three nights, at 7:00pm. I'm usually watching Angels baseball anyway in the evenings when they're playing at home. That, and I'm taking a break from watching cable news generally, even Fox News.
But Hannity deserves kudos for staying on the case. Last night's monologue was a comprehensive chronicle and indictment of the network's pathetic anti-Trump fake news agenda and programming.
This is devastating.
Watch, "Hannity: CNN leading the collapse of liberal media."
But Hannity deserves kudos for staying on the case. Last night's monologue was a comprehensive chronicle and indictment of the network's pathetic anti-Trump fake news agenda and programming.
This is devastating.
Watch, "Hannity: CNN leading the collapse of liberal media."
Today's Deals
Shop, Gold Box Deals.
And, Electronics, Computers & Accessories.
Plus, KIND Breakfast Bar Peanut Butter.
Also, Home & Kitchen - Best Sellers.
More, TP-Link Smart LED Light Bulb, Wi-Fi, Dimmable White, 50W Equivalent, Works with Amazon Alexa, 1-Pack (LB100).
And, AmazonBasics Apple Certified Lightning to USB Cable - 6 Feet (1.8 Meters) - White.
BONUS: E. P. Thompson, The Making of the English Working Class.
And, Electronics, Computers & Accessories.
Plus, KIND Breakfast Bar Peanut Butter.
Also, Home & Kitchen - Best Sellers.
More, TP-Link Smart LED Light Bulb, Wi-Fi, Dimmable White, 50W Equivalent, Works with Amazon Alexa, 1-Pack (LB100).
And, AmazonBasics Apple Certified Lightning to USB Cable - 6 Feet (1.8 Meters) - White.
BONUS: E. P. Thompson, The Making of the English Working Class.
The Clenched Fist of Truth (VIDEO)
It's Dana Loesch, for the NRA, here.
And at the Hill, "NRA defends 'closed fist of truth' ad."
The NRA tweeted its support here.
(I'm not embedding tweets right now, as the blog's been loading slow. We'll see how it goes after few days.)
And at the Hill, "NRA defends 'closed fist of truth' ad."
The NRA tweeted its support here.
(I'm not embedding tweets right now, as the blog's been loading slow. We'll see how it goes after few days.)
What Is Conservatism?
From Ofir Haivry and Yoram Hazony, at the new journal, American Affairs:
The year 2016 marked a dramatic change of political course for the English-speaking world, with Britain voting for independence from Europe and the United States electing a president promising a revived American nationalism. Critics see both events as representing a dangerous turn toward “illiberalism” and deplore the apparent departure from “liberal principles” or “liberal democracy,” themes that surfaced repeatedly in conservative publications over the past year. Perhaps the most eloquent among the many spokesmen for this view has been William Kristol, who, in a series of essays in the Weekly Standard, has called for a new movement to arise “in defense of liberal democracy.” In his eyes, the historic task of American conservatism is “to preserve and strengthen American liberal democracy,” and what is needed now is “a new conservatism based on old conservative—and liberal—principles.” Meanwhile, the conservative flagship Commentary published a cover story by the Wall Street Journal’s Sohrab Ahmari entitled “Illiberalism: The Worldwide Crisis,” seeking to raise the alarm about the dangers to liberalism posed by Brexit, Trump, and other phenomena.Keep reading.
These and similar examples demonstrate once again that more than a few prominent conservatives in America and Britain today consider themselves to be not only conservatives but also liberals at the same time. Or, to get to the heart of the matter, they see conservatism as a branch or species of liberalism—to their thinking, the “classical” and most authentic form of liberalism. According to this view, the foundations of conservatism are to be found, in significant measure, in the thought of the great liberal icon John Locke and his followers. It is to this tradition, they say, that we must turn for the political institutions—including the separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism—that secure the freedoms of religion, speech, and the press; the right of private property; and due process under law. In other words, if we want limited government and, ultimately, the American Constitution, then there is only one way to go: Lockean liberalism provides the theoretical basis for the ordered freedom that conservatives strive for, and liberal democracy is the only vehicle for it.
Many of those who have been most outspoken on this point have been our long-time friends. We admire and are grateful for their tireless efforts on behalf of conservative causes, including some in which we have worked together as partners. But we see this confusion of conservatism with liberalism as historically and philosophically misguided. Anglo-American conservatism is a distinct political tradition—one that predates Locke by centuries. Its advocates fought for and successfully established most of the freedoms that are now exclusively associated with Lockean liberalism, although they did so on the basis of tenets very different from Locke’s. Indeed, when Locke published his Two Treatises of Government in 1689, offering the public a sweeping new rationale for the traditional freedoms already known to Englishmen, most defenders of these freedoms were justly appalled. They saw in this new doctrine not a friend to liberty but a product of intellectual folly that would ultimately bring down the entire edifice of freedom. Thus, liberalism and conservatism have been opposed political positions in political theory since the day liberal theorizing first set foot in England.
Today’s confusion of conservative political thought with liberalism is in a way understandable, however. In the great twentieth-century battles against totalitarianism, conservatives and liberals were allies: They fought together, along with the Communists, against Nazism. After 1945, conservatives and liberals remained allies in the war against Communism. Over these many decades of joint struggle, what had for centuries been a distinction of vital importance was treated as if it were not terribly important, and in fact, it was largely forgotten.
But since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, these circumstances have changed. The challenges facing the Anglo-American tradition are now coming from other directions entirely. Radical Islam, to name one such challenge, is a menace that liberals, for reasons internal to their own view of the political world, find difficult to regard as a threat and especially difficult to oppose in an effective manner. But even more important is the challenge arising from liberalism itself. It is now evident that liberal principles contribute little or nothing to those institutions that were for centuries the bedrock of the Anglo-American political order: nationalism, religious tradition, the Bible as a source of political principles and wisdom, and the family. Indeed, as liberalism has emerged victorious from the battles of the last century, the logic of its doctrines has increasingly turned liberals against all of these conservative institutions. On both of these fronts, the conservative and liberal principles of the Anglo-American tradition are now painfully at cross-purposes. The twentieth-century alliance between conservatism and liberalism is proving increasingly difficult to maintain...
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Keeping Campaign Promises: President Trump Presses South Korea on Trade — #MAGA
Making America great again!
At Bloomberg, "President Trump plans to press South Korean President Moon Jae-In on trade imbalances."
At Bloomberg, "President Trump plans to press South Korean President Moon Jae-In on trade imbalances."
Michelle Malkin, Sold Out
*BUMPED.*
At Amazon, Michelle Malkin, Sold Out: How High-Tech Billionaires & Bipartisan Beltway Crapweasels Are Screwing America’s Best & Brightest Workers.
BONUS: Michelle Malkin, Invasion: How America Still Welcomes Terrorists, Criminals & Other Foreign Menaces to Our Shores.
At Amazon, Michelle Malkin, Sold Out: How High-Tech Billionaires & Bipartisan Beltway Crapweasels Are Screwing America’s Best & Brightest Workers.
BONUS: Michelle Malkin, Invasion: How America Still Welcomes Terrorists, Criminals & Other Foreign Menaces to Our Shores.
Congress Must Pass Health Care Reform to End the Financial Crises of Everyday Americans — BCRA
I've protested the ObamaCare monstrosity since the summer of 2009.
If we can get the Senate bill passed and legislation approved in conference, we might be well on the way to fixing the system and helping millions of Americans.
Forget the leftist fear-mongering. They're not sharing stories like this with us.
From Tom Price, President Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services, and an orthopedic physician trained at the University of Michigan Medical School, at the Wall Street Journal, "ObamaCare’s Victims Need Relief Now":
If we can get the Senate bill passed and legislation approved in conference, we might be well on the way to fixing the system and helping millions of Americans.
Forget the leftist fear-mongering. They're not sharing stories like this with us.
From Tom Price, President Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services, and an orthopedic physician trained at the University of Michigan Medical School, at the Wall Street Journal, "ObamaCare’s Victims Need Relief Now":
America faces an urgent crisis in its health-care system. Costs are skyrocketing and choices are disappearing on the individual and small-group markets. Many people now confront the real challenge of having no choice in their health coverage.More.
One of them is Doug Lake, an Iowa radiologist who came to the White House last week to share his story. His daughter, who suffers from a rare cardiac condition, is covered by an insurer that plans to pull out of ObamaCare’s exchange in their state next year. Only one insurer remains in their county, and that company has requested a 43% increase in premiums.
The situation is even worse elsewhere. As of this week, 49 counties across the country do not have a single insurer offering plans on the exchanges next year.
This year more than 1,000 counties had only one insurer in the ObamaCare market, meaning millions of Americans had no meaningful choice. Meanwhile, the insurers that did stay in the market increased premiums for their midlevel plans by an average of 25%. Premiums on the individual market are up about $3,000 since ObamaCare was implemented. Think about what else that money could buy!
It is too early to know how much premiums will rise next year, but reports so far indicate that double-digit increases again will be the norm.
These are not simply numbers on a page: They represent real people with real stories, facing real health-care and financial crises.
Dudley Bostic, a pharmacy owner in Tennessee, can no longer afford to provide health insurance for her employees because of ObamaCare’s mandates. Candace Fowler, a Missouri homemaker who was recently diagnosed with a serious neurological condition, lives in a county where there are slated to be no insurers selling ObamaCare plans next year. Tommie McClain, a student in Clinton, Mo., who suffers from chronic migraines, faces the possibility of zero choices in his county, too.
The good news is that Congress has the chance to help Doug, Dudley, Candace, Tommie and the millions of other Americans suffering under this law by undoing the damage done by ObamaCare and fulfilling the promises President Trump has made.
The bill recently introduced in the Senate would get rid of the individual mandate, which in 2015 alone caused 6.5 million Americans to pay $3 billion in penalties to the IRS because they did not want or could not afford a government-dictated health plan. It would directly repeal some of ObamaCare’s most costly regulations while giving states flexibility to waive others if they develop innovative ways to provide coverage and bring down costs.
The Senate’s plan also would repeal hundreds of billions of dollars in onerous taxes. It would put Medicaid on a sustainable spending path and give states a real chance to reform the program to make it work for the people who rely on it...
Grim: Libyan Red Crescent Recovered Dead Bodies of at Least 24 Migrants Off the Coast of Tripoli (VIDEO)
I'd say this is unconscionable, but it's par for the course in European politics.
Until the EU leadership, and especially Germany, get the refugee scandal under control, they can't say jack about the U.S., the Trump administration, or "human rights."
Content Warning, at Ruptly, "Libya: 24 migrants found dead off Tajura coast *GRAPHIC*: The Libyan Red Crescent recovered the dead bodies of at least 24 migrants, who lost their lives attempting to cross the Mediterranean in a bid to reach Europe, off the Tajura coast, some 14 kilometres (8,69 miles) east of Tripoli, Tuesday."
Until the EU leadership, and especially Germany, get the refugee scandal under control, they can't say jack about the U.S., the Trump administration, or "human rights."
Content Warning, at Ruptly, "Libya: 24 migrants found dead off Tajura coast *GRAPHIC*: The Libyan Red Crescent recovered the dead bodies of at least 24 migrants, who lost their lives attempting to cross the Mediterranean in a bid to reach Europe, off the Tajura coast, some 14 kilometres (8,69 miles) east of Tripoli, Tuesday."
Rita Ora in Sequin Dress for Launch at Annabel Nightclub in London (PHOTOS)
At London's Daily Mail, "There's m-Ora where that came from! Sizzling Rita, 26, is joined by her striking brunette manager sister Elena, 28, who proudly supports her during her new single launch."
And at Taxi Driver, "Rita Ora Braless in Slightly See-Through Sequin Dress."
FLASHBACK: "Rita Ora for 'Lui' Magazine."
And at Taxi Driver, "Rita Ora Braless in Slightly See-Through Sequin Dress."
FLASHBACK: "Rita Ora for 'Lui' Magazine."
The Busted Name in News
This is CNN.
At the New York Post, "CNN faced $100M lawsuit over botched Russia story." (Hat Tip: Instapundit.)
At the New York Post, "CNN faced $100M lawsuit over botched Russia story." (Hat Tip: Instapundit.)
A Better Direction for #BlackLivesMatter
From Jason Riley, at WSJ, "Rather than scapegoat police, why not focus on bad schools and job-killing regulations?":
Will Black Lives Matter soon suffer the fate of other separatist “black power” movements in the 1920s and 1960s, which captured America’s attention for a period but ultimately did little to help advance the black underclass?More.
The Black Lives Matter movement got its start after George Zimmerman’s 2013 acquittal for fatally shooting Trayvon Martin and found its footing a year later when Michael Brown was shot dead after attacking a police officer in Ferguson, Mo. By 2016, BLM activists were being hosted by President Obama and disrupting campaign events for Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Today, major news organizations such at National Public Radio and the Washington Post turn to BLM representatives for comment on race-related stories.
An obituary for a movement that has become so prominent so fast seems premature, but a recent BuzzFeed article that included interviews with dozens of BLM-linked activists was pessimistic about the group’s future. Factions have formed, infighting is common and objectives are unclear. “Black Lives Matter is still here. Its groups are still organizing. But Black Lives Matter is on the verge of losing the traction and momentum that sparked a national shift on criminal justice policy,” wrote reporter Darren Sands. And “activists largely agreed that the identity of the movement, its existential purpose and aim, remains unresolved.”
Some BLM leaders want to integrate political institutions further. Others want the organization to expand its focus to immigrants’ rights. Still others want to create a society “free from pain being inflicted on it by police, racist structures, and capitalism.” Apparently, there are places in the world where blacks living in noncapitalist societies are thriving in comparison with their U.S. brethren...
ICYMI: James F. Brooks, Captives and Cousins
*BUMPED.*
At Amazon, James F. Brooks, Captives and Cousins: Slavery, Kinship, and Community in the Southwest Borderlands.
At Amazon, James F. Brooks, Captives and Cousins: Slavery, Kinship, and Community in the Southwest Borderlands.
Shop Deals Today
At Amazon, Today's Deals: New deals. Every day. Shop our Deal of the Day, Lightning Deals and more daily deals and limited-time sales.
And, Mountain House Just In Case...Essential Bucket.
More, AmazonBasics Apple Certified Lightning to USB Cable - 6 Feet (1.8 Meters) - Black.
Still more, KIND Breakfast Bars, Peanut Butter, Gluten Free, 1.8 Ounce, 32 Count.
More here, MTech USA MT-086 Series Fixed Blade Hunting Knife, Straight Edge Blade, Black Handle, 12-1/4-Inch Overall.
Plus, Dirt Devil Vacuum Cleaner Dynamite Plus Corded Bagless Upright Vacuum with Tools M084650 RED.
Also, LG Power Pair Special - LG Turbo Series Ultra-Capacity Laundry System with Steam *PURE WHITE COLOR*.
BONUS: Milton Friedman, Free to Choose: A Personal Statement.
And, Mountain House Just In Case...Essential Bucket.
More, AmazonBasics Apple Certified Lightning to USB Cable - 6 Feet (1.8 Meters) - Black.
Still more, KIND Breakfast Bars, Peanut Butter, Gluten Free, 1.8 Ounce, 32 Count.
More here, MTech USA MT-086 Series Fixed Blade Hunting Knife, Straight Edge Blade, Black Handle, 12-1/4-Inch Overall.
Plus, Dirt Devil Vacuum Cleaner Dynamite Plus Corded Bagless Upright Vacuum with Tools M084650 RED.
Also, LG Power Pair Special - LG Turbo Series Ultra-Capacity Laundry System with Steam *PURE WHITE COLOR*.
BONUS: Milton Friedman, Free to Choose: A Personal Statement.
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Andrew McAfee and Erik Brynjolfsson, Machine, Platform, Crowd
Out today, at Amazon, Andrew McAfee and Erik Brynjolfsson, Machine, Platform, Crowd: Harnessing Our Digital Future.
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