Out September 12. And it's certainly timely.
At Amazon, Mark Bray, Antifa: The Anti-Fascist.
Friday, August 18, 2017
President Trump Puts 'Shrinking Base' Before 'National Healing'
There's so much to question about this report at the Los Angeles Times. Is Trump's base really "shrinking"? It wasn't particularly big in the first place, at around 40 percent. And why are we having a "national healing" over Charlottesville? It's not that different from the police massacres in New York and Dallas, where BLM supporters hunted down to policeman for execution. It's the national double standard that we live with today, and it's what's dividing the country. That, and the Obama administration's 8-year campaign of race grievance-mongering.
At LAT, "Trump shuns healing gestures, redoubling support for Confederate memorials and slamming fellow Republicans":
At LAT, "Trump shuns healing gestures, redoubling support for Confederate memorials and slamming fellow Republicans":
President Trump, increasingly isolated, appears caught in a cycle of anger and provocation as he pushes wider the nation’s longstanding racial and cultural divide to solidify his dwindling base of populist political support.Still more (FWIW).
The latest examples came Thursday: Trump further inflamed the incendiary debate over the nation’s Confederate memorials, saying American culture was “being ripped apart” by their removal; lashed out at some perceived Senate enemies; and repeated a religiously offensive myth about an American general using bullets bathed in pigs’ blood to kill Muslim terrorists.
His fusillade came throughout the day on Twitter even as critics, including in Trump’s party, implored him to instead try to unite the nation. As the restive president ostensibly vacationed at his golf club in New Jersey, his unnerved aides were left to deal with the fallout from his tweets and verbal blasts in the days since Saturday, when white separatists provoked deadly violence in Charlottesville, Va.
For Trump, the challenge of governing has grown ever more daunting since he took office in January without the usual bounce of popularity for a new president. As his support has declined, he has relied more on his most ardent supporters, who generally are white, older, nonurban and deeply conservative.
Yet by his efforts to please the hard-right activists, the president is pushing mainstream supporters further away. Polls show his job approval rating below 40%, sometimes dipping into the low 30s, and they suggest his core support — the people who say they will never abandon him — amounts to about 1 in 4 Americans.
That base, together with some more moderate voters who hoped Trump would use his impulsiveness and business instincts to shake up Washington, allowed him to eke out a narrow electoral college victory against an unpopular Hillary Clinton. But governing has been a struggle, diminishing Trump’s leverage over congressional Republicans the more they fear his unpopularity will imperil their majorities.
Trump struck back hard with his Twitter finger Thursday from early morning on, all but endorsing the Republican opponent of Jeff Flake, a GOP senator from Arizona who has criticized him, and assailing local efforts to remove monuments to Confederate heroes.
After news broke of a terrorist attack in Barcelona, Spain, the president repeated a dubious myth he previously invoked on the campaign trail, to much criticism, about a general who used bullets coated in pigs’ blood to execute insurgents in the Philippines in the early 20th century; to followers of Islam, pigs are impure.
“Study what General Pershing of the United States did to terrorists when caught,” Trump tweeted. “There was no more Radical Islamic Terror for 35 years!”
Trump’s quick condemnation of the Barcelona carnage as a terrorist attack, and his suggestion that Muslims were at fault, came before Spanish authorities had released conclusive information. As such, Trump’s rapid response contrasted with his slowness in calling out the white supremacists in Charlottesville — blame he rescinded on Tuesday, when he said “both sides” were culpable for violence there — and contradicted his claim in that instance that he only comments on such incidents after all the facts are known.
Trump still has not called the fatal attack in Charlottesville, in which a car driven by an alleged white supremacist plowed into a crowd, an act of terrorism...
Save on Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Set (8-Piece)
At Amazon, Cuisinart MCP-8NW MultiClad Pro Set (8-Piece).
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BONUS: Neal Stephenson, The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.: A Novel.
Plus, check all of Today's Deals.
More, Brother MFCL2700DW Compact Laser All-In One Printer with Wireless Networking and Duplex Printing.
Here, Lamicall Adjustable Universal Phone Stand.
And, JanSport Unisex SuperBreak Backpack.
Still more, Back to School Pens, Pencils, Paper Supply Bundle Box (Wide Ruled).
Also, Medical Ear Thermometer with Forehead Function - iProven DMT-489 - Upgraded Infrared Lens Technology for Better Accuracy.
Even more, Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop, Intel Quad Core i7 Processor, GeForce GTX 1060 6GB Graphics, VR Ready, 15.6" Full HD, 16GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, Red Backlit Keyboard, Metal Chassis, G3-571-77QK.
BONUS: Neal Stephenson, The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.: A Novel.
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Cullen Murphy, Are We Rome?
This is something I've obviously been thinking about, although clearly the U.S. is a vastly more powerful empire (if we're an "empire") than Rome ever was.
But still, it's what comes to mind sometimes.
At Amazon, Cullen Murphy, Are We Rome? The Fall of an Empire and the Fate of America.
But still, it's what comes to mind sometimes.
At Amazon, Cullen Murphy, Are We Rome? The Fall of an Empire and the Fate of America.
#FakeNews CNN: There'll Be Questions About Whether Barcelona Attack Was 'Copycat' of #Charlottesville
This is so stupid.
Islamic State called for "truck attacks" and any attacks deploying civilian-use weapons of mass destruction. Wolf Blitzer knows this. He's just parroting left-wing talking points, which is sad, since I've respected the guy.
Watch, at Free Beacon, "CNN: There Will Be Questions About Whether Barcelona Attack Was ‘Copycat’ of Charlottesville."
Islamic State called for "truck attacks" and any attacks deploying civilian-use weapons of mass destruction. Wolf Blitzer knows this. He's just parroting left-wing talking points, which is sad, since I've respected the guy.
Watch, at Free Beacon, "CNN: There Will Be Questions About Whether Barcelona Attack Was ‘Copycat’ of Charlottesville."
This Week's Cover at the 'New Yorker'
Okay. That's it.
I'm out for the rest of the day. You'll get books, babe, and weather reports today, and then maybe back to politics tomorrow.
Our society's gone insane.
I'm out for the rest of the day. You'll get books, babe, and weather reports today, and then maybe back to politics tomorrow.
Our society's gone insane.
Well, shit. pic.twitter.com/cUjFDwJdUc
— Lauren Duca (@laurenduca) August 17, 2017
Neal Stephenson, Cryptonomicon
Readers will find Neal Stephenson an interesting change of pace. According to Wikipedia, "His novels have been categorized as science fiction, historical fiction, cyberpunk, postcyberpunk, and baroque."
Neal Stephenson, Cryptonomicon.
Neal Stephenson, Cryptonomicon.
Gigi Hadid for Vogue Korea: September 2017
I didn't even now there was a Vogue Korea. I checked it on Twitter and it was all in Korean, so it figures.
Still, this is one of the hottest Vogue covers I've seen.
At London's Daily Mail, "Playing with fire! Gigi Hadid flashes toned torso in red turtleneck and black underwear...as she graces TWO covers of Vogue Korea."
Still, this is one of the hottest Vogue covers I've seen.
At London's Daily Mail, "Playing with fire! Gigi Hadid flashes toned torso in red turtleneck and black underwear...as she graces TWO covers of Vogue Korea."
Gigi Hadid for Vogue Korea, September 2017. (4) pic.twitter.com/GhFikrTRlC
— Gigi Hadid News (@GigiHadidsNews) August 16, 2017
'For marginalized communities, the power of expression is impoverished for reasons that have little to do with the First Amendment...'
Terrible. Disgusting. Reprehensible.
I saw folks retweeting this New York Times piece this morning. It's from K-Sue Park, who's a "Critical Race Studies Fellow at UCLA School of Law for 2017-2019," of course.
See, "The A.C.L.U. Needs to Rethink Free Speech." (Safe link.)
Althouse comments:
I saw folks retweeting this New York Times piece this morning. It's from K-Sue Park, who's a "Critical Race Studies Fellow at UCLA School of Law for 2017-2019," of course.
See, "The A.C.L.U. Needs to Rethink Free Speech." (Safe link.)
Althouse comments:
Contextual... creative... holistic... these are the subtleties that grease the way to the end of constitutional rights.Click through to hit that donate button at Althouse.
Thanks to the ACLU for standing up for free speech where it counts — when the speaker is hated.
You can donate to the ACLU here.
Australia Senator Wears Full Burka in Parliament
At Disneyland last week I saw a woman going around the park in a full burka, specifically with the niqab, the facial veil the covers everything except the eyes. And I'm thinking, did she have to take that off to get her picture taken? You see, when you buy your park ticket now, they scan the barcode on the ticket and take your picture. So, when you leave the park or come back in, or cross over from California Adventures to the old Disneyland, they scan the barcode and your picture pops up on the handheld device. It's really awesome technology. I noticed some of the staff don't even look at the picture, but then another (older gentleman) scanned our tickets and was very carefully looking at the mug shots.
I think it's great!
But, then there's the question? Did the lady have to take off her niqab? My wife said they just probably took the photo with the niqab on, but then anyone could put on that niqab and use her ticket to get into the park, which defeats the purpose of the technology.
In any case, this piece, at NYT, got me thinking:
I think it's great!
But, then there's the question? Did the lady have to take off her niqab? My wife said they just probably took the photo with the niqab on, but then anyone could put on that niqab and use her ticket to get into the park, which defeats the purpose of the technology.
In any case, this piece, at NYT, got me thinking:
A senator shocked Australia’s Parliament after appearing in a full-body burqa and advocating for its ban https://t.co/abbZ99WRZA— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) August 17, 2017
Norman Mailer, The Executioner's Song
While out yesterday I visited a used bookstore in Sherman Oaks and picked up a cheap paperback copy of Norman Mailer's Ancient Evenings. Well, my niece started high school yesterday, and after my sister and I picked her up, the two of them had to run into Staples for some school supplies. I waited out in the car. Wouldn't you know it, they ran into another mom from the community, and they were shooting the bull inside the store for like a half-an-hour. I'm like wtf is taking so long? Meanwhile, I'm in the car reading this novel. I didn't think I was going to start in on another book so soon, but what can you do? And it turns out Mailer's an interesting writer.
So, I'll look for a cheap copy of this one as well, a winner of the Pulitzer Prize. At Amazon, Norman Mailer, The Executioner's Song.
So, I'll look for a cheap copy of this one as well, a winner of the Pulitzer Prize. At Amazon, Norman Mailer, The Executioner's Song.
Andrew Wheatcroft, The Enemy at the Gate
At Amazon, Andrew Wheatcroft, The Enemy at the Gate: Habsburgs, Ottomans, and the Battle for Europe.
Barcelona Truck Jihad Massacre: At Least 13 Slaughtered (VIDEO)
Wow!
Those white supremacists are spreading everywhere, and fast!
At Pamela, "Jihad Slaughter in Barcelona: AT LEAST 13 DEAD, dozens injured as van RAMS into crowd outside kosher restaurant."
Also, at Telegraph U.K., "Live: Barcelona terror attack: van crashes into crowd at La Rambla, killing 'at least 13'."
The suspect, who's in custody, posted (then Facebook removed) as "an anti-Semitic video alleging a global Jewish conspiracy." (Here and here.)
And at CNN, FWIW:
Those white supremacists are spreading everywhere, and fast!
At Pamela, "Jihad Slaughter in Barcelona: AT LEAST 13 DEAD, dozens injured as van RAMS into crowd outside kosher restaurant."
Also, at Telegraph U.K., "Live: Barcelona terror attack: van crashes into crowd at La Rambla, killing 'at least 13'."
The suspect, who's in custody, posted (then Facebook removed) as "an anti-Semitic video alleging a global Jewish conspiracy." (Here and here.)
And at CNN, FWIW:
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