On the campaign trail, Donald Trump vowed to put an end to nation building abroad and mocked U.S. allies as free riders. “‘America first’ will be the major and overriding theme of my administration,” he declared in a foreign policy speech in April 2016, echoing the language of pre–World War II isolationists. “The countries we are defending must pay for the cost of this defense, and if not, the U.S. must be prepared to let these countries defend themselves,” he said—an apparent reference to his earlier suggestion that U.S. allies without nuclear weapons be allowed to acquire them.More.
Such statements, coupled with his mistrust of free trade and the treaties and institutions that facilitate it, prompted worries from across the political spectrum that under Trump, the United States would turn inward and abandon the leadership role it has played since the end of World War II. “The US is, for now, out of the world order business,” the columnist Robert Kagan wrote days after the election. Since Trump took office, his critics have appeared to feel vindicated. They have seized on his continued complaints about allies and skepticism of unfettered trade to claim that the administration has effectively withdrawn from the world and even adopted a grand strategy of restraint. Some have gone so far as to apply to Trump the most feared epithet in the U.S. foreign policy establishment: “isolationist.”
In fact, Trump is anything but. Although he has indeed laced his speeches with skepticism about Washington’s global role, worries that Trump is an isolationist are out of place against the backdrop of the administration’s accelerating drumbeat for war with North Korea, its growing confrontation with Iran, and its uptick in combat operations worldwide. Indeed, across the portfolio of hard power, the Trump administration’s policies seem, if anything, more ambitious than those of Barack Obama.
Yet Trump has deviated from traditional U.S. grand strategy in one important respect. Since at least the end of the Cold War, Democratic and Republican administrations alike have pursued a grand strategy that scholars have called “liberal hegemony.” It was hegemonic in that the United States aimed to be the most powerful state in the world by a wide margin, and it was liberal in that the United States sought to transform the international system into a rules-based order regulated by multilateral institutions and transform other states into market-oriented democracies freely trading with one another. Breaking with his predecessors, Trump has taken much of the “liberal” out of “liberal hegemony.” He still seeks to retain the United States’ superior economic and military capability and role as security arbiter for most regions of the world, but he has chosen to forgo the export of democracy and abstain from many multilateral trade agreements. In other words, Trump has ushered in an entirely new U.S. grand strategy: illiberal hegemony...
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
President Trump’s Surprising Grand Strategy
From Professor Barry Posen, at Foreign Affairs, "The Rise of Illiberal Hegemony":
Leftists Allege U.S. Separating Illegal Alien Families
Actually, that sounds like a plan. But to leftists, it's just evidence that immigration enforcement is evil.
At the Los Angeles Times, "U.S. is separating immigrant parents and children to discourage others, activists say."
At the Los Angeles Times, "U.S. is separating immigrant parents and children to discourage others, activists say."
Collapse of the Global Elite
From Professor Eliot A. Cohen, at the Atlantic, "Witnessing the Collapse of the Global Elite."
Everyone at #MSC2018 is a has-been. Same with Davos. No new ideas coming out of any of these ego-stroking circle jerks. https://t.co/XudyBjcudW
— Milena Rodban (@MilenaRodban) February 20, 2018
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Cold Weather Forecast
I was in Fresno over the weekend and blogging was sporadic. I missed posting Jennifer Delacruz's forecast. (She's so lovely.)
Meanwhile, here's Garth Kemp, for CBS News 2 Los Angeles:
Meanwhile, here's Garth Kemp, for CBS News 2 Los Angeles:
West Boca High School Students March to Protest Gun Violence (VIDEO)
At the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, "Student walkouts underway in push for gun law changes and school safety."
Nikolas Cruz Was Reported Over 30 Times (VIDEO)
Here's Dana Loesch, for the N.R.A.:
And see, "Warning signs in Florida school shooting have officials taking a hard look at procedures."
And see, "Warning signs in Florida school shooting have officials taking a hard look at procedures."
The Dark Stain of American Gun Exceptionalism
Boy, each new shooting brings out more and more of the worst people. And even military personnel can go batshit crazy on stuff like this.
Freaky.
At Task & Purpose, "The View From Afghanistan: The Dark Stain of American Gun Exceptionalism."
Freaky.
At Task & Purpose, "The View From Afghanistan: The Dark Stain of American Gun Exceptionalism."
The View From Afghanistan: The Dark Stain Of American Gun Exceptionalism (Jared Keller / Task & Purpose)https://t.co/T21r1MrogPhttps://t.co/QstzI32Z8D
— memeorandum (@memeorandum) February 21, 2018
Monday, February 19, 2018
Steve Coll, Directorate S
Andrew Bacevich had an excellent review in yesterday's New York Times.
And at Amazon, Steve Coll, Directorate S: The C.I.A. and America's Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
And at Amazon, Steve Coll, Directorate S: The C.I.A. and America's Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
James Forman, Jr., Locking Up Our Own
Now out in paperback.
At Amazon, James Forman, Jr., Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America.
At Amazon, James Forman, Jr., Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America.
Chloe Benjamin, The Immortalists
This looks intriguing.
At Amazon, Chloe Benjamin, The Immortalists.
At Amazon, Chloe Benjamin, The Immortalists.
If you knew the date of your death, how would you live your life?
It's 1969 in New York City's Lower East Side, and word has spread of the arrival of a mystical woman, a traveling psychic who claims to be able to tell anyone the day they will die. The Gold children—four adolescents on the cusp of self-awareness—sneak out to hear their fortunes...
Sunday, February 18, 2018
Parkland Shooter Nikolas Was Mentally Disturbed
And apparently he's on the autism spectrum and at some point had been taking medications for ADHD.
Leftists now are decrying talk about mental health, claiming it's a ruse to divert attention from "common sense" gun control, as always.
At the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:
Leftists now are decrying talk about mental health, claiming it's a ruse to divert attention from "common sense" gun control, as always.
At the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:
#Parkland #Florida #NikolasCruz https://t.co/wD2o0zQM5T
— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) February 17, 2018
BREAKING: FBI ignored warning that Nikolas Cruz might conduct school shooting https://t.co/DUwBWvyZyj pic.twitter.com/w6sEnrWeM5
— Sun Sentinel (@SunSentinel) February 16, 2018
Nikolas Cruz was regularly in trouble at school for years, disciplinary records show - Sun Sentinel https://t.co/UvZSfixgC4
— Sun Sentinel (@SunSentinel) February 18, 2018
Leftists Turn to Connecticut in Wake of #Parkland Massacre
I guess it's better to push radical policy change at the state level, closer to the people. But this time as previously, mental illness appears to be the single biggest factor contributing to the carnage.
Leftists never learn.
At NYT, "In Wake of Florida Massacre, Gun Control Advocates Look to Connecticut."
Leftists never learn.
At NYT, "In Wake of Florida Massacre, Gun Control Advocates Look to Connecticut."
In the wake of the Florida school shooting, gun-control advocates are pointing to the success of Connecticut in addressing the spiraling toll of gun violence https://t.co/hFeZnBzkUs
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 18, 2018
Parkland Shooting Survivors Plan March on Washington
Well, we'll see how this turns out. When you "march on Washington," people expect massive crowds, filling the public spaces. We're talking hundreds of thousands of people. That's a tall order, especially to organize in six weeks.
We are all sickened by what happened in FL last week, but we cannot ignore these tragedies any longer. I am so inspired to see the students of Parkland & kids all over this country standing up to the status quo. On March 24, we march. Join us. #MarchForOurLives @MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/2v3yABKYn3
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) February 18, 2018
Watch these kids from Parkland speak to politicians- “At this point you are either with us or against us”. https://t.co/6hO6SJhYGe
— Julianne Moore (@_juliannemoore) February 18, 2018
Boston Globe Front-Page on #Parkland Shootings: 'We Know What Will Happen Next'
Hmm, more of the same old gun control hysteria, this time at the Boston Globle: "Parkland. Las Vegas. Sutherland Springs. Newtown. On and on: In America, mass shootings have become so familiar that they seem to follow the same sad."
Wow. Boston Globe front today is something else. pic.twitter.com/oxCdXqN9YO
— Ali Watkins (@AliWatkins) February 16, 2018
Deport Amanda Marcotte!
Heh.
The Other McCain calls for Marcotte's deportation, on Twitter:
The Other McCain calls for Marcotte's deportation, on Twitter:
Can we please deport Amanda Marcotte, preferably to some Third World "shithole country"? pic.twitter.com/vYMNQLFuew
— The Patriarch Tree (@PatriarchTree) February 17, 2018
https://t.co/L2nZlLlZZ1 Trump’s all-out assault on legal immigration makes it clear that his guiding principle is white nationalism, full stop.
— Amanda Marcotte (@AmandaMarcotte) February 16, 2018
Mandatory Minimum Age Requirements for Gun Ownership
After ruminating on and endorsing the role of firearms in America's civic nationalism, Ross Douthat proposes age limitations on guns ownership: 18 years old on hunting rifles, 21 years old on "revolvers," 25 on "semi-automatic pistols, and 30 years old for semi-automatic rifles, like the AR-15.
He argues these gun control proposals would be specifically geared toward "the plague of school shootings, whose perpetrators are almost always young men."
At the New York Times, "No Country For Young Men With AR-15s."
He argues these gun control proposals would be specifically geared toward "the plague of school shootings, whose perpetrators are almost always young men."
At the New York Times, "No Country For Young Men With AR-15s."
My Sunday column: No Country For Young Men With AR-15s:https://t.co/madLZI3yGf
— Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT) February 18, 2018
Doris Lessing, The Golden Notebook
I finished the book yesterday.
It took me almost a month to read, because school started and I had the flu. Besides, it's almost 700 pages. It's good though. Thought provoking. At times powerfully written.
At Amazon, Doris Lessing, The Golden Notebook: A Novel.
It took me almost a month to read, because school started and I had the flu. Besides, it's almost 700 pages. It's good though. Thought provoking. At times powerfully written.
At Amazon, Doris Lessing, The Golden Notebook: A Novel.
Saturday, February 17, 2018
More Than 16 Years After 9/11, Some Americans Say It’s Time to Reevaluate Our Foreign Military Deployments
From Rukmini Callimachi, et al., at the New York Times, "‘An Endless War’: Why 4 U.S. Soldiers Died in a Remote African Desert":
What started as a training mission of 40, grew to a presence of 800 and ended up killing 4 soldiers in an outrageous chain of tactical & strategic blunders. Incompetence at its worse. https://t.co/LdinVOhfxu— Weddady (@weddady) February 18, 2018
An important - and exclusive - read: Dogged reporting and empathetic writing on the U.S. government’s mistakes that lead to an Oct. 4 ambush in Niger that killed 4 American soldiers. @rcallimachi @helenecooper @EricSchmittNYT @alanblinder @Tmgneff @NYTimes https://t.co/EeFDV8Biyc— Lara Jakes (@jakesNYT) February 18, 2018
KOLLO, Niger — Cut off from their unit, the tiny band of American soldiers was outnumbered and outgunned in the deserts of Niger, fighting to stay alive under a barrage of gunfire from fighters loyal to the Islamic State.More.
Jogging quickly at a crouch, Staff Sgt. Bryan C. Black motioned to the black S.U.V. beside him to keep moving. At the wheel, Staff Sgt. Dustin M. Wright tried to steer while leaning away from the gunfire. But the militants, wielding assault rifles and wearing dark scarves and balaclavas, kept closing in.
Sergeant Black suddenly went down. With one hand, Sergeant Wright dragged his wounded comrade to the precarious shielding of the S.U.V. and took up a defensive position, his M4 carbine braced on his shoulder.
“Black!” yelled a third American soldier, Staff Sgt. Jeremiah W. Johnson, checking for the wounds. Sergeant Black lay on his back, motionless and unresponsive.
Cornered, Sergeant Wright and Sergeant Johnson finally took off, sprinting through the desert under a hail of fire. Sergeant Johnson was hit and went down, still alive.
At that point, Sergeant Wright stopped running. With only the thorny brush for cover, he turned and fired at the militants advancing toward his fallen friend.
These were the last minutes in the lives of three American soldiers killed on Oct. 4 during an ambush in the desert scrub of Niger that was recorded on a military helmet camera. A fourth American, Sgt. La David Johnson, who had gotten separated from the group, also died in the attack — the largest loss of American troops during combat in Africa since the 1993 “Black Hawk Down” debacle in Somalia.
The four men, along with four Nigerien soldiers and an interpreter, were killed in a conflict that few Americans knew anything about, not just the public, but also their families and even some senior American lawmakers.
The deaths set off a political storm in Washington, erupting into a bitter debate over how the families of fallen soldiers should be treated by their commander in chief. In a call with one of the families after the ambush, President Trump was accused of diminishing the loss, telling the soldier’s widow that “he knew what he signed up for.” Mr. Trump angrily disputed the claim, leading to a public feud.
But beyond the rancor, dozens of interviews with current and former officials, soldiers who survived the ambush and villagers who witnessed it point to a series of intelligence failures and strategic miscalculations that left the American soldiers far from base, in hostile territory longer than planned, with no backup or air support, on a mission they had not expected to perform.
They had set out on Oct. 3, prepared for a routine, low-risk patrol with little chance of encountering the enemy. But while they were out in the desert, American intelligence officials caught a break — the possible location of a local terrorist leader who, by some accounts, is linked to the kidnapping of an American citizen. A separate assault team was quickly assembled, ready to swoop in on the terrorist camp by helicopter. But the raid was scrapped at the last minute, and the Americans on patrol were sent in its place.
They didn’t find any militants. Instead, the militants found them. Short on water, the patrol stopped outside a village before heading back to base the next morning. Barely 200 yards from the village, the convoy came under deadly fire.
Four months later, tough questions remain unanswered about the chain of decisions that led to American Special Forces troops being overwhelmed by jihadists in a remote stretch of West Africa.
How did a group of American soldiers — who Defense Department officials insisted were in the country simply to train, advise and assist Niger’s military — suddenly get sent to search a terrorist camp, a much riskier mission than they had planned to carry out? Who ordered the mission, and why were the Americans so lightly equipped, with few heavy weapons and no bulletproof vehicles?
More broadly, the deaths have reignited a longstanding argument in Washington over the sprawling and often opaque war being fought by American troops around the world. It is a war with sometimes murky legal authority, one that began in the embers of the Sept. 11 attacks and traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan. It was expanded to Yemen, Somalia and Libya before arriving in Niger, a place few Americans ever think of, let alone view as a threat.
The ashes of the fallen twin towers were still smoldering on Sept. 14, 2001, when Congress voted overwhelmingly, with virtually no debate, to authorize the American military to hunt down the perpetrators. It was a relatively narrow mandate, written for those specific attacks, but it has become the underpinning of an increasingly broad mission around the globe. For more than 16 years since that vote, American service members have been deployed in a war that has gradually stretched to jihadist groups that did not exist in 2001 and now operate across distant parts of the world.
The result has been an amorphous and contested war that has put Navy SEALs in Somalia and Yemen, Delta Force soldiers in Iraq, and Green Berets in Niger in harm’s way...
Friday, February 16, 2018
Malcolm W. Nance, The Plot to Hack America
FWIW, at Amazon, Malcolm W. Nance, The Plot to Hack America: How Putin's Cyberspies and WikiLeaks Tried to Steal the 2016 Election.
Grand Jury Returns Indictment Against 13 Russian Nationals Over Election Interference
Seen just now on Twitter. Louise Mensch must be going crazy, lol.
Indictment introduction against 13 Russian nationals and 3 Russian entities: "Beginning as early as 2014, defendant began operations to interfere with the U.S. political system, including the 2016 U.S. presidential election." pic.twitter.com/WapdqvxvYg
— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 16, 2018
Breaking News: The special counsel filed the first charges for 2016 election meddling, accusing 13 Russians of using social media to influence U.S. voters https://t.co/hGmaR9yAxA
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 16, 2018
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Today's Deals
At Amazon, Gold Box Deals.
Also, Cuisinart ICE-70 Electronic Ice Cream Maker, Brushed Chrome.
More, BERTA 1875W Negative Ions Hair Blow Dryer with 2 Speed and 3 Heat Setting Ceramic Hair Dryer, Black.
Here, Coleman Oak Point Cool Weather Big and Tall Adult Sleeping Bag.
Plus, Craftsman 220 pc. Mechanics Tool Set with Case, # 36220 (Newest Version), and Craftsman 11 pc. Metric 12 pt. Combination Wrench Set, # 49822.
And, LG 55UJ6300 55-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV (2017 Model) + HDMI 1080p High Definition DVD Player + Solo X3 Bluetooth Home Theater Sound Bar + 2x HDMI Cable + LED TV Screen Cleaner.
BONUS: Mary Katharine Ham and Guy Benson, End of Discussion: How the Left's Outrage Industry Shuts Down Debate, Manipulates Voters, and Makes America Less Free (and Fun).
Also, Cuisinart ICE-70 Electronic Ice Cream Maker, Brushed Chrome.
More, BERTA 1875W Negative Ions Hair Blow Dryer with 2 Speed and 3 Heat Setting Ceramic Hair Dryer, Black.
Here, Coleman Oak Point Cool Weather Big and Tall Adult Sleeping Bag.
Plus, Craftsman 220 pc. Mechanics Tool Set with Case, # 36220 (Newest Version), and Craftsman 11 pc. Metric 12 pt. Combination Wrench Set, # 49822.
And, LG 55UJ6300 55-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV (2017 Model) + HDMI 1080p High Definition DVD Player + Solo X3 Bluetooth Home Theater Sound Bar + 2x HDMI Cable + LED TV Screen Cleaner.
BONUS: Mary Katharine Ham and Guy Benson, End of Discussion: How the Left's Outrage Industry Shuts Down Debate, Manipulates Voters, and Makes America Less Free (and Fun).
'The View' Star Joy Behar Mocks Vice President Mike Pence for His Christian Faith (VIDEO)
Tomi Lahren speaks out against Joy Behar, at Fox News:
Angela Davis' Papers Acquired by Harvard
She's a communist. Actually, she's a communist with a large "C." But of course, media outlets will just call her an "activist," like the New York Times, "A New Home for Angela Davis's Papers (and Her 'Wanted' Poster)."
The papers of Angela Davis, just acquired by Harvard, trace her transformation from an obscure philosophy professor to an icon of the global left https://t.co/YpAetgW11H
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 13, 2018
Radcliffe’s Schlesinger Library has acquired the papers of famed activist Angela Davis https://t.co/tcpAVUZskN cc: @RadInstitute
— Harvard University (@Harvard) February 14, 2018
Shaun White Completes the Comeback (VIDEO)
He won the gold medal last night, and today's he's apologizing for "gossip" comments about sexual harassment allegations?
Politics is the cancer of everything right now.
At LAT, "Shaun White saves best for last to win third halfpipe gold."
And at USA, "Shaun White apologizes for calling sexual harassment allegations 'gossip' after Olympic gold."
ADDED: From Christine Brennan, "As Shaun White cements legacy, why so little attention paid to sexual harassment allegations?" (Via Memeorandum.)
Politics is the cancer of everything right now.
At LAT, "Shaun White saves best for last to win third halfpipe gold."
And at USA, "Shaun White apologizes for calling sexual harassment allegations 'gossip' after Olympic gold."
ADDED: From Christine Brennan, "As Shaun White cements legacy, why so little attention paid to sexual harassment allegations?" (Via Memeorandum.)
Chloe Kim Steals the Spotlight (VIDEO)
She's a good young lady.
At LAT, "Gold-medal winner Chloe Kim, a daughter of Korean immigrants, is a star in two cultures":
More.
At LAT, "Gold-medal winner Chloe Kim, a daughter of Korean immigrants, is a star in two cultures":
Shortly after winning gold in the Olympic halfpipe, Chloe Kim was ushered into a tent at the bottom of the hill to face a clutch of international reporters.When she won the Gold, her dad reportedly said "this makes all the sacrifice worth it."
The 5-foot-3 Southern California snowboarder had delivered a stunning performance, doing tricks no other woman in her sport could do, but that wasn't the only reason she has become the breakout star of the 2018 Winter Games.
When a reporter asked a question in Korean, the 17-year-old quickly waved off the interpreter, saying: "I've got that."
Kim is a first-generation Korean American, the daughter of immigrants who settled in the greater Los Angeles area. She speaks both languages and, throughout her life, has made visits to family in this country.
That helps explain why her face has been splashed across local newspapers and television this week.
"It's so cool being here," she said. "Competing in my first Olympics in the country where my parents came from is insane."
This aspect of her Olympic experience has not only boosted her celebrity, it seems to have touched her in a personal way that extends beyond sport, perhaps helping her to reconcile a childhood spent straddling two cultures.
Kim said: "I definitely, when I was younger, struggled a little to understand my identity and who I wanted to be."
Not all the attention here has focused on her, not in a part of the world that has a reputation for producing, among other things, top-notch short-track speedskaters.
It was a big deal when Lim Hyo-jun earned the host nation's first gold medal in a 1,500-meter race last Saturday. But Kim quickly stole the spotlight with a historic performance at Phoenix Snow Park three days later.
In capturing gold, she became the first woman in Olympic history to land consecutive 1080s — two triple rotations. Her near-perfect score of 98.25 outdistanced silver medalist Liu Jiayu of China by almost 10 points.
"I feel like I got to represent both the U.S. and Korea today," she said.
The feeling, apparently, was mutual.
"The media has given her very glowing coverage because they see her as one of their own," said Peter Kim, a New Jersey native who works as an assistant English professor at Kookmin University in Seoul.
In particular, it seems that people here have responded to reports that her father, trained as an engineer, gave up his career to focus on Chloe and her snowboarding...
More.
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Chicago Police Commander Paul Bauer Shot and Killed During 'Tactical Chase' of Armed Suspect (VIDEO)
This is really intense.
At the Chicago Tribune, "Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer shot to death at Thompson Center in Loop."
At the Chicago Tribune, "Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer shot to death at Thompson Center in Loop."
Kate Upton Swept Into the Water During Photo Shoot for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
Ed Driscoll has the story, from Daily Mail, "'Everybody was very scared': Kate Upton shares footage of frightening moment she got swept off rock by wave while TOPLESS during SI shoot."
Plus, some video:
Plus, some video:
'Blitzkrieg Bop'
From yesterday's drive-time, at the Jack F.M.
Blitzkreig Bop - Ramones
02/12/18
9:45 AM
Jimmy Buffett - Margaritaville
Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes
02/12/18
9:41 AM
Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
02/12/18
9:37 AM
ZZ Top - Legs
02/12/18
9:33 AM
Foo Fighters - Everlong
02/12/18
9:22 AM
Rod Stewart - Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?
Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?
02/12/18
9:16 AM
Kings Of Leon - Sex On Fire
02/12/18
9:13 AM
John Mellencamp - Pink Houses
02/12/18
9:08 AM
O.M.D - If You Leave
02/12/18
9:04 AM
Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead Or Alive
02/12/18
8:52 AM
Oasis - Champagne Supernova
02/12/18
8:46 AM
Queen - Fat Bottomed Girls
02/12/18
8:42 AM
The Cars - Just What I Needed
02/12/18
8:38 AM
Sports Illustrated's #MeToo Swimsuit Issue (VIDEO)
Sports Illustrated taking the heat for some alleged hypocrisy.
Is it feminist to openly celebrate women's bodies, or is it regressive, "objectifying" women solely to satisfy the patriarchal gaze (and to make massive amounts of money)?
I don't care, frankly. As long as women remain free to do as the wish, then it's all good. Once you start policing this stuff, banning soft-porn from the marketplace, it's all overreaction. (Think of the "lads' mags" in Britain, which were banned from the magazine racks, bringing an end to an era.
In any case, Paulina Porizkova's doing great!
Is it feminist to openly celebrate women's bodies, or is it regressive, "objectifying" women solely to satisfy the patriarchal gaze (and to make massive amounts of money)?
I don't care, frankly. As long as women remain free to do as the wish, then it's all good. Once you start policing this stuff, banning soft-porn from the marketplace, it's all overreaction. (Think of the "lads' mags" in Britain, which were banned from the magazine racks, bringing an end to an era.
In any case, Paulina Porizkova's doing great!
Republicans Abandon Traditional Goal of Balanced Budget
Following-up from Sunday, "U.S. Budget Deficit Could Balloon to $1 Trillion This Year."
It's kinda like when you've lost the battle over waist-size: You say screw it and start wearing sweats all the time. You're never going to lose all those pounds you've packed on over the last few of years. You let yourself go.
That's what it is with the budget. America has let go. Of course, if something can't go on forever it won't. At some point America's going to have a budget reckoning. Bills are coming due. It's going to be a nasty political blowout at that time. We'll all be Mel Gibson in the "Road Warrior" at some point.
At WaPo, "Trump plan will drop GOP’s traditional goal of balancing budget within 10 years":
Also, from Matt Kibbe, at Reason, "The Tea Party Is Officially Dead. It Was Killed by Partisan Politics."
It's kinda like when you've lost the battle over waist-size: You say screw it and start wearing sweats all the time. You're never going to lose all those pounds you've packed on over the last few of years. You let yourself go.
That's what it is with the budget. America has let go. Of course, if something can't go on forever it won't. At some point America's going to have a budget reckoning. Bills are coming due. It's going to be a nasty political blowout at that time. We'll all be Mel Gibson in the "Road Warrior" at some point.
At WaPo, "Trump plan will drop GOP’s traditional goal of balancing budget within 10 years":
President Trump is remaking the Republican economic playbook in his own image, abandoning ideological consistency in favor of a debt-busting strategy that will upend how Washington taxes and spends trillions of dollars each year.More.
On Monday, Trump is slated to announce a new budget plan that will no longer seek to eliminate the deficit over the next decade, forfeiting a major Republican goal, according to three people familiar with the document. The plan will call for a range of spending cuts that reduce the growth of the deficit by $3 trillion over 10 years, but it will not attempt to balance the federal budget, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the proposal before its official release.
The decision to relinquish the deficit goal comes after Trump pushed a $1.5 trillion tax cut through Congress late last year and signed a two-year budget deal last week that lifts federal spending limits by $500 billion, suspends for one year the ceiling on the national debt and is expected to lead to $1 trillion annual budget deficits.
The Republican turnaround on economic policy stands in sharp contrast to the party’s opposition to President Barack Obama’s stimulus program during the Great Recession. At that time, Rep. Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), now the speaker of the House, warned of a “debt crisis” and said that “spending is the problem.” Trump’s budget director, Mick Mulvaney, then a congressman from South Carolina, derided Obama’s spending plans as a “joke” and backed a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget.
Now, GOP leaders are largely silent on the two issues that had preoccupied them for the past decade — total spending and the growth of federal entitlements — while Trump has signed legislation that will lavish cash upon both defense and domestic programs far beyond what he had earlier proposed.
On Sunday, amid a backlash from conservative groups, Mulvaney defended the decision, while acknowledging that ballooning deficits are “a very dangerous idea” and that he wouldn’t have voted for the legislation if he were still in Congress. In an interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” he said that his job now is “to get the president’s agenda passed,” which included Pentagon funding that Democrats would allow only if the administration accepted big domestic spending increases.
On the same show, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), the leader of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said the bargain was unacceptable. “The swamp won,” he said. “And the American taxpayer lost.”
A month and a half before signing the spending legislation, Trump demonstrated similar ideological flexibility with his tax cut, shelving his campaign promise to focus on the “forgotten men and women” and signing a bill whose biggest benefits flow to corporations and the wealthy.
As Trump turns next to plans to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure and overhaul U.S. trade policy, his disregard for the traditional Republican economic catechism will again be on display Monday with the release of his detailed spending plan...
Also, from Matt Kibbe, at Reason, "The Tea Party Is Officially Dead. It Was Killed by Partisan Politics."
Leftist Obsession with Russia is the New McCarthyism
At great piece, from Ted Galen Carpenter, at the National Interest, "Why Democrats Are Obsessed with Russia":
Progressives need to adopt a course correction. Those who sincerely believe their shrill rhetoric need to get a grip and not succumb to Russia Derangement Syndrome. Those who are cynically using the anti-Russia hysteria as a club with which to beat the Trump administration need to pause and consider how their actions are triggering a second “cold war” with the one power that has the military wherewithal to destroy America. In either case, their current behavior is doing their country a grave disservice.
Monday, February 12, 2018
Shop Today
At Amazon, Gold Box Deals.
And, especially, iHome iBT74BC2 Color Changing Bluetooth Rechargeable Speaker System.
More, Gain He High Efficiency Original Liquid Laundry Detergent, 225 oz.
Plus, AmazonBasics Cotton Beach Towel, 30" x 60" - Cabana Stripe, Navy Blue, Pack of 2.
Still more, Montem Ultra Strong Hiking / Walking / Trekking Poles - One Pair (2 Poles).
Here, Koffee Kult Dark Roast Coffee Beans - Highest Quality Gourmet - Whole Bean Coffee - Fresh Roasted Coffee Beans, 32oz.
More here, Samsung 65" 4K HDR Ultra HD Smart LED TV 2017 Model (UN65MU6300FXZA) with HDMI HD DVD Player, Solo X3 B.tooth Home Theater Sound Bar, 2x 6ft High Speed HDMI Cable & Screen Cleaner for LED TVs.
BONUS: Leon Kass, Leading a Worthy Life: Finding Meaning in Modern Times.
And, especially, iHome iBT74BC2 Color Changing Bluetooth Rechargeable Speaker System.
More, Gain He High Efficiency Original Liquid Laundry Detergent, 225 oz.
Plus, AmazonBasics Cotton Beach Towel, 30" x 60" - Cabana Stripe, Navy Blue, Pack of 2.
Still more, Montem Ultra Strong Hiking / Walking / Trekking Poles - One Pair (2 Poles).
Here, Koffee Kult Dark Roast Coffee Beans - Highest Quality Gourmet - Whole Bean Coffee - Fresh Roasted Coffee Beans, 32oz.
More here, Samsung 65" 4K HDR Ultra HD Smart LED TV 2017 Model (UN65MU6300FXZA) with HDMI HD DVD Player, Solo X3 B.tooth Home Theater Sound Bar, 2x 6ft High Speed HDMI Cable & Screen Cleaner for LED TVs.
BONUS: Leon Kass, Leading a Worthy Life: Finding Meaning in Modern Times.
Sunday, February 11, 2018
Thomas C. Foster, How to Read Literature Like a Professor
This book's really good, heh.
At Amazon, Thomas C. Foster, How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines.
At Amazon, Thomas C. Foster, How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines.
Jennifer Delacruz's Sunday Forecast
I know Sunday's half over, but I've missed my Ms. Jennifer blogging. She's so incredible!
At ABC 10 News San Diego:
At ABC 10 News San Diego:
We All Live on Campus Now
From Andrew Sullivan, a.k.a, "RawMuscleGlutes," at New York Magazine:
"The goal of our culture now is not the emancipation of the individual from the group, but the permanent definition of the individual by the group. We used to call this bigotry. Now we call it being woke."https://t.co/iHY9xqjNps via @intelligencer
— Andrew Sullivan (@sullydish) February 9, 2018
Bari Weiss on 'Real Time with Bill Maher' (VIDEO)
She got some attention the other night on Twitter for her appearance on "Real Time." I don't know, she seems so young, heh.
Either way, she's the best writer at the New York Times right now. I'm blown away by the quality of her analysis. Every time.
Watch:
Either way, she's the best writer at the New York Times right now. I'm blown away by the quality of her analysis. Every time.
Watch:
U.S. Budget Deficit Could Balloon to $1 Trillion This Year
I've long ago given up any hope that the political system, regardless of which party's in power, will get a handle on our perpetual budget deficits, and concomitantly, the national debt.
But a projected $1 trillion deficit for this year does seem like some apocalyptic milestone, my god.
At Forbes, "Trump's Federal Budget Deficit: $1 Trillion and Beyond."
And while I'm still in the neocon camp, I'm definitely in favor of winding down the Afghanistan deployment these days. It's just gone on too long. No once can say the U.S. didn't make an effort there, or at least some kind of effort. Perhaps a different strategy, or different historical circumstances (like no Iraq war in 2003), would have made things better.
In any case, I give props to Rand Paul on discussing the budgetary drawbacks of endless wars. A few years ago I would have blown off such talk. But not now. It'll be 17 years this November.
From Face the Nation this morning:
But a projected $1 trillion deficit for this year does seem like some apocalyptic milestone, my god.
At Forbes, "Trump's Federal Budget Deficit: $1 Trillion and Beyond."
And while I'm still in the neocon camp, I'm definitely in favor of winding down the Afghanistan deployment these days. It's just gone on too long. No once can say the U.S. didn't make an effort there, or at least some kind of effort. Perhaps a different strategy, or different historical circumstances (like no Iraq war in 2003), would have made things better.
In any case, I give props to Rand Paul on discussing the budgetary drawbacks of endless wars. A few years ago I would have blown off such talk. But not now. It'll be 17 years this November.
From Face the Nation this morning:
Circling the Drain
I don't think it's a question of if.
California's a far-left basket case. A leftist, politically correct bureaucratic nightmare. Even San Francisco is witnessing an exodus of people these days.
This post, from Steven Hayward, at Power Line, has to be read in full at the link. It's amazing. Utterly mind-boggling.
See, "Is California Starting to Circle the Drain?"
This post, from Steven Hayward, at Power Line, has to be read in full at the link. It's amazing. Utterly mind-boggling.
See, "Is California Starting to Circle the Drain?"
Saturday, February 10, 2018
Meghan Murphy Fights for Feminism — Feminism for Women
I've been reading Canadian feminist Meghan Murphy quite a bit lately. She's up in Vancouver, and she proudly represents the critical strand of "trans-exclusive" radical feminism, although I doubt she'd use that phrase to describe herself, because "TERF" is an epithet used by radical transgender identity activists to demonize opponents.
In any case, she's good. See her "Open Letter" to the British Columbia New Democratic Party, "Open Letter to the BC NDP regarding the conduct of BC NDP Vice President Morgane Oger":
In any case, she's good. See her "Open Letter" to the British Columbia New Democratic Party, "Open Letter to the BC NDP regarding the conduct of BC NDP Vice President Morgane Oger":
This letter was sent along to the @bcndp one week ago, and the party has yet to respond. We request that the party condemn the bullying behaviour of Morgane Oger and his efforts to silence women's free speech https://t.co/stm54Ls3zS
— Meghan Murphy (@MeghanEMurphy) February 10, 2018
Over 100 Canadians have signed on to a letter demanding the @bcndp condemn and address the bullying behaviour of its Vice President, Morgane Oger. Canadian politicians should protect feminist speech, not harass women into silence. https://t.co/Eg2o7Czny4 @BCNDPWomen
— Feminist Current (@FeministCurrent) February 10, 2018
Dear Sirs and Madams,Keep reading.
We — the undersigned — are Canadians deeply concerned with recent public statements and behaviour on the part of Morgane Oger, Vice President of the BC NDP.
On January 20th, Women’s Marches took place across North America. Initially fuelled by anger over Donald Trump’s election and boasts of sexual misconduct, this year the #Metoo campaign galvanized women around the world towards solidarity and action. No longer can we deny that women and girls everywhere continue to suffer abuse and harassment in every arena of life, at the hands of men.
In Vancouver, one woman who attended the march carried a sign reading:
“Transwomen are men. Truth is not hate. Don’t believe the hype — trans ideology is misogyny and homophobic. Woman is not a ‘feeling,’ a costume, or a performance of a stereotype. Woman is a biological reality. There is no ethical or moral reason to lie to soothe the male ego.After being posted to social media, a photo of the woman holding this sign went viral. She was subjected to numerous threats of violence and death as a result.
Do not cis-gender me. Stop the stereotypes. I am neither conforming nor non-conforming. My preferred prefix is neither cis nor trans. I am a female. Resist Orwellian Newspeak.”
Oger shared the image online as well, publicly requesting the identity and address of the woman, stating intention to file a human rights complaint against her. On Facebook, Oger wrote:
“Apparently not everyone at the Vancouver Women’s March was equally enlightened about why trans women are women… A concerned citizen passed this photo on to me. This is hate speech. Anyone know who this person is? I’d like to speak to her.In a comment on the same post, Oger wrote:
… That person in the photo is free to have beliefs and to express those beliefs without breaking the law. I feel that she has overstepped. What this person has done is take things to the next step, like publishing it in a newspaper or distributing it in mailouts. I believe that what she has done is prohibited in BC. She is invited to contact me for a chat or email my office at morgane@morganeoger.ca.”
“Who is a woman in Canada and British Columbia is not based on their plumbing but on our gender identity. Women are women because we say we are. Attributes usually associated with women are protected for all women, whether they possess them or not, like plumbing or biological function. We have six months for somebody to file a complaint against this woman on the basis of gender identity. But to do this, who she is needs to be known. If somebody knows who she is please email me the information at morgane@morganeoger.ca”These comments equate to a public threat and defamation, and have led to further harassment of the woman in the photo. Oger has knowingly continued to fuel these threats and this harassment through ongoing, numerous posts on social media. We wonder why the BC NDP has yet to take action on this behaviour? In this case, the statements are particularly disturbing, as they have put an individual woman’s life and livelihood in danger.
Oger has referenced a “team of lawyers” on social media numerous times. One tweet read:
“The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld human rights tribunal rulings about hate speech twice. My legal team is confident that the act of publishing hateful material is the only test in this case and the material on that sign matches the hate test.”In another, Oger stated:
“There are laws put in place to protect transgender people from transphobia. One such law bans the publishing of hate in public. I expect Canada’s laws to be applied.”We are curious to know who this “team of lawyers” is and how they are being financed. Either Oger is in a financial position to hire a “team of lawyers” to bully and silence women who cannot afford such a luxury, or the lawyers in reference are the BC NDP’s legal team. Is the BC NDP using its government resources to persecute and harass citizens who disagree with their representatives? Does the BC NDP support Oger’s intention to potentially impoverish a woman by forcing her to hire “a team of lawyers” to defend her right to hold a sign Oger does not like at a women’s protest march?
We are concerned by these tactics and an expressed desire to silence those whose opinions conflict with those held by the Vice President of the BC NDP. We are concerned that many people have refrained from commenting on Oger’s behaviour or addressing it for fear of retribution, in large part due to the way Oger has responded with regard to this particular woman and her sign. Oger is leveraging political power in a deeply troubling way, with intention to intimidate fellow NDP members and constituents into fear and silence.
Politicians should expect that people will disagree with them — that is par for the course. But politicians should be gracious and deferential to their critics when those critics are just members of the public. Potential voters are being insulted, demeaned, bullied, and smeared by a representative of the NDP. This is not how Canadian politicians should handle conflict and disagreement. Instead of engaging in meaningful, principled debate, Oger invites and escalates conflict, is unable to negotiate or reach consensus with a large portion of voters, defames and insults them, targets individuals with relentless harassment and smear campaigns, and advocates that real, material harm be inflicted on them (i.e. loss of job, reputation, criminal charges, financial ruin, etc.). We would ask whether the BC NDP believes that this behaviour is reflective of the Party’s values, and the values of its constituents.
The woman who is being intimidated by Oger was expressing ideas and sentiments that are important and meaningful to her and to many other members of the Canadian public. All Canadians should feel comfortable expressing ideas that are meaningful and important to them, free from intimidation, bullying, and harassment.
“Gender identity” itself remains vaguely defined. It rests on an ideology that claims gender is innate, when in fact gender roles are socially imposed, based on biological sex, as a means to normalize the hierarchy that exists between men and women under patriarchy. Women’s sex-based rights, on the other hand, rest on material reality: we know that women in our society are discriminated against and subjected to male violence on account only of having been born female. We have judgments protecting women from discrimination based on things like pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion, and breastfeeding, on the explicit reasoning that only one sex gives birth and only one sex breastfeeds. The notion that males can actually be female if they “feel” it or if they emulate feminine stereotypes conflicts with women’s sex-based rights as it not only reduces “woman” to something intangible and undefinable, but claims women’s oppression is rooted in “feeling” or personal identity rather than on biological sex. Challenges to the concept of “gender identity” should be not only acceptable but encouraged...
Worst Flu Season in Almost a Decade (VIDEO)
It's not as bad this year as it was in 2009, apparently, when the 2009 swine flu pandemic, but it's been very bad nevertheless. Yours truly came down with a case a week ago Friday, and it's been 10 days not I've been fighting this. My semester started last week too, which was otherwise fine. I just had to be very medicated. I've be taking over the counter medications, but I stayed in bed all day yesterday, and frankly yesterday and today's the first days I've genuinely felt better. I got the flu shot too, in December, and I haven't come down with the flu for at least two or three years, so I was pretty surprised I got hit. Don't mess around if you're sick. If you have persistent high fever, can't breath, or fluid on the lungs, go to the doctor. Otherwise, get some rest.
At CBS News 2 Los Angeles, "High Schooler In Thousand Oaks Dies of Flu," and at the Los Angeles Times, "Flu deaths reach a high, but outbreak shows signs of easing."
And watch, at PBS News Hour:
At CBS News 2 Los Angeles, "High Schooler In Thousand Oaks Dies of Flu," and at the Los Angeles Times, "Flu deaths reach a high, but outbreak shows signs of easing."
And watch, at PBS News Hour:
Telegenic Warrior
The Old Gray Lady had a big piece on Dana Loesch last weekend, "The National Rifle Association’s Telegenic Warrior":
The National Rifle Association’s Telegenic Warrior https://t.co/aTrCAC3O1w— NYT Politics (@nytpolitics) January 20, 2018
For as long as Ms. Loesch can remember, the world has been a scary place. She was born Dana Eaton in 1978 in Hematite, Mo., a small community about 40 miles south of St. Louis. Her parents divorced when she was in kindergarten and she has not spoken to her father in more than a decade. Her mother worked three jobs after they moved to nearby Festus, Mo., bringing home bags of granola bars after her shift at a local granola factory. Ms. Loesch said she spent school-day afternoons at home alone or with an aunt.
“Now, you could say it was like a meth ’hood,” Ms. Loesch said of her old neighborhood. “People were fighting. It was kind of crazy. It wasn’t the most stable of childhoods.”
Ms. Loesch mostly found refuge at her grandparents’ home in Annapolis, Mo., a town of about 450 people nestled in the rural Ozarks. Her family voted for Democrats. Her grandfather hunted deer and raccoon. Despite episodes of violence, Ms. Loesch idealized summers in Annapolis in “Flyover Country.” In the book, she recalled her grandfather standing on the porch one night with a shotgun in his hands. Ms. Loesch’s aunt had just arrived; her estranged husband had threatened to kill her.
“Looking back,” Ms. Loesch said, “I think I always wanted to know that I was safe.”
In the late 1990s, Ms. Loesch attended Webster University in suburban St. Louis, studying journalism, but dropped out after she got pregnant. In 2000, she married Chris Loesch, the baby’s father: a musician and son of a preacher who now manages her career. They attend weekly services at the Church of Christ. And on Halloween they give a party that harks back to more pleasant childhood memories. “Halloween was big with her mom,” said Leigh Wambsganns, a friend. Last October Ms. Loesch said she dressed as Wonder Woman.
As a new parent in St. Louis, she blogged about motherhood and began her long-running radio program, “The Dana Show.” She became disillusioned with Democratic politics, though, in the wake of President Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky. She helped found the St. Louis Tea Party, organizing protests and speaking at rallies. And, in 2010, she joined Andrew Breitbart at his website, one of several new voices railing against establishment politics and media bias.
After Mr. Breitbart died in 2012, Ms. Loesch clashed with Steve Bannon, the former Trump ally who had been named executive chair of Breitbart News. She sued to get out of her contract. In 2014, she moved to Dallas to work for The Blaze.
Ms. Loesch’s particular brand of attack proved unpalatable to mainstream audiences. In 2012, CNN, which had hired her as a political commentator, distanced itself from comments she made on her radio show supporting a group of Marines who urinated on dead Taliban soldiers. She claims the reporting of her comments was “disingenuous.” A year later, she was banned from the now defunct “Piers Morgan Live” after getting into a Twitter fight with the host. “I thought we made up,” she said. “But then we started fighting again.”
And, in 2016, Ms. Loesch expressed personal ire at Kayleigh McEnany, now the spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee. Ms. McEnany had chided a friend of Ms. Loesch’s for not supporting Mr. Trump, then a Republican candidate, during a CNN segment. “Babycakes, this was more than just going on television and flashing your pearly whites and your flat chest, red dress, over-sprayed bleach blond hair,” Ms. Loesch told radio listeners.
This time, it seemed, she had gone too far. Ms. McEnany was undergoing treatment for a genetic predisposition to breast cancer. Both Ms. Loesch and Ms. McEnany declined to discuss the matter.
Home on the Range
Ms. Loesch’s performance for the N.R.A. has had more polish. Last April, she was featured in a recruiting ad for the organization called “Violence of Lies.” Scenes of street violence and protests flashed onscreen as Ms. Loesch called for citizens to fight media bias and liberal politicians with the “clenched fist of truth.” (The N.R.A. also released an ad in 2017 aimed at The New York Times, claiming media bias.)
According to Andrew Arulanandam, the N.R.A.’s managing director of public affairs, the message was “inspired” by the chief executive, Wayne LaPierre Jr., whose association donated $30 million in campaign support to Mr. Trump. According to news reports, the N.R.A. may have a connection to the investigation of Russia’s involvement in the election. “Violence of Lies” has been viewed nearly three million times on YouTube alone.
“Dana comes across clearly to our members and gun owners,” Mr. Arulanandam said.
But even some in those groups found the video unnecessarily, even dangerously, incendiary. An online petition was circulated, demanding Facebook remove it. On Twitter, DeRay Mckesson, a Black Lives Matter activist, called the video “an open call to violence to protect white supremacy.” In response, Ms. Loesch challenged him to come on her show and “tell me to my face I’m a racist.” He didn’t, saying Ms. Loesch seeks to use opponents as a foil.
“I don’t believe that she was really talking to me,” he said in an interview. “She was using me to rile up the base.” Last week Ms. Loesch said she had no interest in speaking with Mr. Mckesson.
Ms. Loesch’s boss, Mr. LaPierre, has a history of inflammatory rhetoric at the N.R.A., which has five million members. In 1995, he was forced to apologize after President George H. W. Bush canceled his N.R.A. membership in protest. The N.R.A. had sent out a fund-raising letter calling law enforcement “jackbooted government thugs” who threatened to hurt Americans. “That is what they do,” said Representative Kathleen Rice, a Democrat of New York, who has sparred with Ms. Loesch, also on Twitter. “The N.R.A says their members are under attack.”
Friday, February 9, 2018
Radical Left Attacks the New York Times
I saw this at Memeorandum yesterday, "The Left’s War Against the New York Times."
Interestingly, Memeorandum also curated this throwback piece on Judy Miller at New York Magazine, from over a decade ago, "The Source of the Trouble."
So, there's some good Friday night reading for you.
Interestingly, Memeorandum also curated this throwback piece on Judy Miller at New York Magazine, from over a decade ago, "The Source of the Trouble."
So, there's some good Friday night reading for you.
Thursday, February 8, 2018
Emotional Support Hamster Flushed Down the Toilet
Well, perhaps it's better to get a larger animal --- like a peacock --- to avoid traumatic situations like this.
At the Miami Herald, "Bad info from Spirit Air led me to flush pet hamster down airport toilet, student says" (via Memeorandum):
At the Miami Herald, "Bad info from Spirit Air led me to flush pet hamster down airport toilet, student says" (via Memeorandum):
Bad info from Spirit Air led me to flush pet hamster down airport toilet, student says https://t.co/Qw6RF47CQR Via @DavidOvalle305 pic.twitter.com/2PQ4ZmwgHh— Miami Herald (@MiamiHerald) February 8, 2018
Before Belen Aldecosea flew home from from college to South Florida, she twice called Spirit Airlines to ensure she could bring along a special guest: Pebbles, her pet dwarf hamster. No problem, the airline told her.More.
But when Aldecosea arrived at the Baltimore airport, Spirit refused to allow the tiny animal on the flight.
With her only friends hours away at campus, Aldecosea was stuck. She says an airline representative suggested flushing Pebbles down an airport toilet, a step that Spirit denies. Panicked and needing to return home promptly to deal with a medical issue, Aldecosea unsuccessfully tried renting a car and agonized for hours before doing the unthinkable.
She flushed Pebbles.
“She was scared. I was scared. It was horrifying trying to put her in the toilet,” Aldecosea said. “I was emotional. I was crying. I sat there for a good 10 minutes crying in the stall.”
Aldecosea, 21, of Miami Beach, is now considering filing a lawsuit against Spirit over the conflicting instructions that wound up pressuring her into making an anguished decision with a pet certified by her doctor as an emotional support animal. She shared her story with the Miami Herald weeks after the story of an emotional support peacock — denied entrance to a United Airlines flight — went viral on the Internet.
This case is much different, said her South Florida attorney, Adam Goodman. “This wasn’t a giant peacock that could pose a danger to other passengers. This was a tiny cute harmless hamster that could fit in the palm of her hand,” he said.
A spokesman for Spirit acknowledged the airline mistakenly told her that Pebbles was allowed. But he denied that a Spirit employee recommended the option of disposing of her pet in an airport restroom.
“To be clear, at no point did any of our agents suggest this guest (or any other for that matter) should flush or otherwise injure an animal,” spokesman Derek Dombrowski said...
Today's Deals
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.
More, Samsung MG11H2020CT 1.1 cu. ft. Countertop Grill Microwave Oven with Ceramic Enamel Interior, Black.
Also, Stork Craft Hoop Glider and Ottoman Set, Espresso/Beige.
Here, DRESHOW 4 Pack Headbands Vintage Elastic Printed Head Wrap Stretchy Moisture Hairband Twisted Cute Hair Accessories.
And, Columbia Men's Glennaker Lake Front-Zip Rain Jacket with Hideaway Hood.
More here, G.H. Bass & Co. Men's Larson Penny Loafer.
Plus, CLIF BAR - Energy Bar - Cool Mint Chocolate - With Caffeine (2.4 Ounce Protein Bar, 12 Count).
BONUS: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, In the First Circle.
More, Samsung MG11H2020CT 1.1 cu. ft. Countertop Grill Microwave Oven with Ceramic Enamel Interior, Black.
Also, Stork Craft Hoop Glider and Ottoman Set, Espresso/Beige.
Here, DRESHOW 4 Pack Headbands Vintage Elastic Printed Head Wrap Stretchy Moisture Hairband Twisted Cute Hair Accessories.
And, Columbia Men's Glennaker Lake Front-Zip Rain Jacket with Hideaway Hood.
More here, G.H. Bass & Co. Men's Larson Penny Loafer.
Plus, CLIF BAR - Energy Bar - Cool Mint Chocolate - With Caffeine (2.4 Ounce Protein Bar, 12 Count).
BONUS: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, In the First Circle.
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Dow Closes 20 Points Down as Volatility Remains
At Barron's, "Dow Drops 20 Points on Late Rush for the Exit."
Plus:
Plus:
Why stocks still have room to rise https://t.co/KScPuZCD66
— Barron's (@barronsonline) February 7, 2018
Billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong to Buy Los Angeles Times
At the Los Angeles Times, via Memeorandum, "Billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong reaches deal to buy L.A. Times, San Diego Union-Tribune."
Also, "Who is Patrick Soon-Shiong? An L.A. billionaire with big ideas — and mixed achievements."
Plus, background:
Also, "Who is Patrick Soon-Shiong? An L.A. billionaire with big ideas — and mixed achievements."
Who is Patrick Soon-Shiong, the man who has agreed to buy the L.A. Times? An L.A. billionaire with big ideas — and mixed achievements https://t.co/akjyq23zJb pic.twitter.com/MeALqYUIOP— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) February 7, 2018
Plus, background:
Interesting time for the Times: Union Is Formed at Los Angeles Times and Publisher Put on Leave https://t.co/qYZf8mMUEs
— Hannah Fleishman (@hbfleishman) January 22, 2018
Amid newsroom clashes, Los Angeles Times becomes its own story https://t.co/m3oxdwNkwE
— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 27, 2018
Finally read this HuffPo piece on Tronc's secret LAT scab shop. This is NUTS.https://t.co/wu92lVAVBt
— Chris Labarthe (@chris_labarthe) January 28, 2018
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Today's Deals
At Amazon, New deals. Every day. Shop our Deal of the Day, Lightning Deals and more daily deals and limited-time sales.
Also, Samsung 75" Class UN75MU6300FXZA (74.5" Actual Diagonal Size) MU6300 Series 4K UHD TV.
And, Craftsman 450-Piece Mechanic's Tool Set.
More, O-Cedar EasyWring Microfiber Spin Mop and Bucket Floor Cleaning System.
Here, Lysol Disinfectant Spray, Early Morning Breeze, 57oz (3X19oz).
Plus, Large Beach-Towel Pool-Towel in Cabana Stripe, 4-Pack, 100% Cotton, Easy Care, Maximum Softness and Absorbency (30" x 60") - by Utopia Towels (Variety).
Still more, Cafe Break-Resistant Plastic 20oz Restaurant-Quality Beverage Tumblers - Set of 16 in 4 Assorted Colors.
More here, Armor All Extreme Tire Shine (22 oz.) - 2 Pack.
BONUS: Roger Kimball (Editor), Saving the Republic: The Fate of Freedom in the Age of the Administrative State.
Also, Samsung 75" Class UN75MU6300FXZA (74.5" Actual Diagonal Size) MU6300 Series 4K UHD TV.
And, Craftsman 450-Piece Mechanic's Tool Set.
More, O-Cedar EasyWring Microfiber Spin Mop and Bucket Floor Cleaning System.
Here, Lysol Disinfectant Spray, Early Morning Breeze, 57oz (3X19oz).
Plus, Large Beach-Towel Pool-Towel in Cabana Stripe, 4-Pack, 100% Cotton, Easy Care, Maximum Softness and Absorbency (30" x 60") - by Utopia Towels (Variety).
Still more, Cafe Break-Resistant Plastic 20oz Restaurant-Quality Beverage Tumblers - Set of 16 in 4 Assorted Colors.
More here, Armor All Extreme Tire Shine (22 oz.) - 2 Pack.
BONUS: Roger Kimball (Editor), Saving the Republic: The Fate of Freedom in the Age of the Administrative State.
Here's the 'Repulsive' Campaign Ad in the Illinois Governor's Race (VIDEO)
It's not "repulsive."
Just talking about the kind of issues facing the electorate today gets you labeled an extremist or something.
At Politico, "Incendiary ad fuels primary challenge to Illinois governor," and "'Repulsive' campaign ad creates firestorm in Illinois."
Also, at the Chicago Tribune, "Rauner challenger Ives says she's 'a little bit surprised' about 'hysteria' around controversial TV ad."
Just talking about the kind of issues facing the electorate today gets you labeled an extremist or something.
At Politico, "Incendiary ad fuels primary challenge to Illinois governor," and "'Repulsive' campaign ad creates firestorm in Illinois."
Also, at the Chicago Tribune, "Rauner challenger Ives says she's 'a little bit surprised' about 'hysteria' around controversial TV ad."
Saturday, February 3, 2018
The Coup Against America
From Sultan Knish, at FrontPage Mag, "The Memo Reveals the Coup against America":
The Memo Reveals the Coup Against America— Jewhadi™ (@JewhadiTM) February 3, 2018
The memo isn’t treasonous. It reveals a treasonous effort by the Dems to use our intel agencies to rig an election
No vital intel sources were compromised at Yahoo News. And no Yahoo News agents were killed 🙄https://t.co/IEow3JLSiK
The Democrats and the media spent a week lying to the American people about the “memo.”
The memo was full of "classified information" and releasing” it would expose “our spying methods." By “our,” they didn’t mean American spying methods. They meant Obama’s spying methods.
A former White House Ethics Lawyer claimed that the Nunes memo would undermine "national security." On MSNBC, Senator Chris Van Hollen threatened that if the memo is released, the FBI and DOJ “will refuse to share information with the House and Senate Intelligence Committees."
Senator Cory Booker howled that releasing the memo was "treasonous" and might be "revealing sources and methods" and even "endangering fellow Americans in the intelligence community."
The memo isn’t treasonous. It reveals a treasonous effort by the Democrats to use our intelligence agencies to rig an election and overturn the will of the voters.
The only two “sources” are Christopher Steele, who was funded by the Clinton campaign, and a Yahoo News article, that were used to obtain a FISA warrant against a Trump associate. That Yahoo story came from Michael Isikoff, the reporter who knew about Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky but suppressed it. It was based on more leaks from Steele which the FBI and DOJ chose to ignore. Steele’s identity was already well known. The only new source revealed is Yahoo News.
No vital intelligence sources were compromised at Yahoo News. And no Yahoo News agents were killed.
The media spent a week lying to Americans about the dangers of the memo because it didn’t want them to find out what was inside. Today, the media and Dems switched from claiming that the memo was full of “classified information” that might get CIA agents killed to insisting that it was a dud and didn’t matter. Oh what tangled webs we weave when first we practice to deceive.
On Thursday, the narrative was that the memo would devastate our national security and no one should ever be allowed to read it. By Friday, the new narrative was that the memo tells us nothing important and we shouldn’t even bother reading it. The lies change, but suppressing the memo remains the goal.
Rep. Nadler, infamous for securing pardons for Weather Underground bombers, got caught between narratives when he insisted that the memo was “overhyped,” but suggested that it “endangers national security.” "I don't think anybody will be terribly shocked by what's in the memo," he told CNN.
And requested an emergency meeting of the House Judiciary Committee – a body he will head if Democrats win the mid-term elections.
Calling emergency meetings is not the response to an “overhyped” and non-shocking memo.
There is no legitimately classified information in the Nunes memo. But it does endanger a number of “Americans” in the “intelligence community” who colluded with the Clinton campaign against America.
It endangers former FBI Director Comey, former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, current Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and the current FBI General Counsel Dana Boente who had previously served as the Acting Attorney General. These men and women had allegedly signed FISA applications that were at best misleading and at worst badly tainted.
The Clinton campaign had enlisted figures in the FBI and the DOJ to manipulate an election. The coup against America operated as a “state within a state” inside the United States government.
“The political origins of the Steele dossier were then known to senior DOJ and FBI officials,” the memo informs us. But they did not reveal on the FISA application that their core evidence came from the Clinton campaign. Sources were certainly being protected. But they were Clinton sources.
The memo reveals that without the Steele dossier there would have been no eavesdropping on Carter Page, the Trump associate targeted in this particular case. “Deputy Director McCabe testified before the Committee in December 2017 that no surveillance warrant would have been sought from the FISC without the Steele dossier information.” But the FISA application neglected to mention that its primary source had been paid by the Clinton campaign, was unverified and would continue to be unverified.
FBI Director Comey testified that he had told President Trump that the dossier was "unverified." Yet the "unverified" piece of opposition research was used as the basis for a FISA application.
As Rep. Jim Jordan noted, “FBI takes ‘salacious and unverified’ dossier to secret court to get secret warrant to spy on a fellow American, and FBI doesn't tell the court that the DNC/Clinton campaign paid for that dossier. And they did that FOUR times.”
"There's been no evidence of a corrupt evidence to obtain warrants against people in the Trump campaign," Rep. Adam Schiff insisted. That’s why he tried to block the release of the evidence.
The evidence was unverified opposition research. Its source had been paid by the Clinton campaign. Not only had Steele been indirectly working for the Clinton campaign (when he wasn’t being paid by the FBI), but he made no secret of his own political agenda to stop Trump.
"In September 2016, Steele admitted to Ohr his feelings against then-candidate Trump when Steele said he “was desperate that Donald Trump not get elected and was passionate about him not being president,” the memo informs us.
That’s former Associate Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr whose wife was being paid by an organization hired by the Clinton campaign to investigate Trump. Ohr then passed along his wife's opposition research to the FBI. The evidence couldn’t be any more corrupt than that.
Steele was passionate about Trump “not being president.” So were his handlers who ignored his leaks to the media until he “was suspended and then terminated as an FBI source for what the FBI defines as the most serious of violations—an unauthorized disclosure to the media of his relationship with the FBI.” His previous meetings, including the one that allegedly generated the Yahoo News article, were ignored.
Tainted investigations are nothing new. Law enforcement is as fallible as any other profession. But the memo reveals a snapshot of just how many top figures colluded in this corrupted and tainted effort.
What drove them to violate professional ethical norms and legal requirements in the FISA applications?
Top DOJ and FBI officials shared Steele’s “passion,” and that of his ultimate employer, Hillary Clinton, to stop Donald Trump at all costs. And they’re still trying to use the Mueller investigation to overturn the election results in a government coup that makes Watergate look like a children’s tea party,
Former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is already under investigation. He’s suspected of trying to sit on the Wiener emails until the election was over. This alleged failed cover-up triggered the Comey letter which hurt Hillary worse than a timely revelation would have. McCabe’s wife had financial links to the Clintons.
Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates was an Obama holdover who had foolishly tried to use the DOJ to go to war with President Trump. Both Yates and Dana Boente were Obama and Holder choices. During the groundless prosecution of the former Republican governor of Virginia, Boente had declared, “No one is above the law.” We’ll see if that’s true with everyone who signed the FISA applications.
If Boente signed false or misleading FISA applications, he should be removed as FBI General Counsel.
The memo is only the first crack in the wall. But it’s grounds for an investigation that will expose the abuses that led to eavesdropping on Trump officials. And the motives of those who perpetuated them.
A Washington Post piece suggested that just releasing the memo alone would allow Mueller to charge President Trump with "obstruction of justice." That’s how badly they want to get Trump.
A clear and simple fact emerges from the memo.
Top figures in the DOJ and the FBI, some loyal to Obama and Hillary, abused the FISA process in the hopes of influencing or reversing the results of an election by targeting their political opponents. The tool that they used for the job came from the Clinton campaign. Using America’s intelligence services to destroy and defeat a political opponent running for president is the worst possible abuse of power and an unprecedented threat to a democratic system of free open elections.
We have been treated to frequent lectures about the independence of the DOJ and the FBI. But our country isn’t based around government institutions that are independent of oversight by elected officials. When unelected officials have more power than elected officials, that’s tyranny.
A Justice Department that acts as the Praetorian Guard for a political campaign is committing a coup and engaging in treason. The complex ways that the Steele dossier was laundered from the Clinton campaign to a FISA application is evidence of a conspiracy by both the DOJ and the Clinton campaign.
It’s time for us to learn about all the FISA abuses, the list of NSA unmasking requests of Trump officials by Obama officials and the eavesdropping on members of Congress. We deserve to know the truth.
The memo has been released. Now it’s time to release everything.
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