SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:59 P.M. ET: 

TRENDIES AT WORK – From Breitbart:  "In a new initiative to promote religious pluralism, Duke University will broadcast the Muslim call to prayer every Friday on campus. The call to prayer—also known as 'adhan'—will be chanted by the Duke Muslim Student Association.  The prayer itself is set to start this Friday at 1:00 p.m. and will be broadcast and amplified from the Chapel bell tower on campus.  As campuses continue to foster political correctness, they use it as a way to favor religions seemingly at war with Western Civilization and Judeo-Christian beliefs."  Considering the Paris attacks, Duke's timing isn't exactly elegant.  But I wonder if the worthies at Duke are even aware of the Paris attacks.  I also wonder whether "Silent Night" would be approved for broadcast while students prepared for Christmas vacation.  Don't hold your breath.

NUT CASE – From Britain's Daily Mail:  "The President of Turkey has suggested French security forces are to blame for the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris last week, since the culprits had recently served prison sentences.  Recep Tayyip Erdo?an accused the West of 'playing games with the Islamic world', warning fellow Muslims to be 'aware'.  Erdogan said Muslims are 'paying the price' for the attacks on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish kosher supermarket in Paris last week."  This man heads a country that is in NATO.  Maybe it's time we reconsidered that.  NATO members get classified information.

DAVID COMING – From Financial Times:  "David Cameron will seek Barack Obama’s support this week for a push to improve co-operation between intelligence agencies and technology companies such as Twitter and Facebook, warning the president that public safety is at stake.  The prime minister is traveling to Washington on Thursday for what is intended to be his final overseas trip before the UK general election, hoping that two days of meetings and photo calls with the US president will give him an electoral boost."  It's clear that our main allies have lost confidence in Obama, and feel that he lacks the spine to fight a real war on sacred terror.  Actually, he lacks the interest.

BACK TO REALITY – From Fox:  "An alleged sympathizer of the Islamic State terror group was arrested in Ohio on Wednesday after authorities learned that he was plotting a shooting and bombing attack on the U.S. Capitol.  Christopher Lee Cornell, 20, of Green Township, considered members of Congress as 'enemies' and planned to travel to Washington to kill employees and officers working in and around the U.S. Capitol, according to a criminal complaint. Authorities said he had two semi-automatic rifles and about 600 rounds of ammunition, and planned to build and detonate pipe bombs at and near the U.S. Capitol."  I'm glad we stopped this one.  We won't always be this lucky.

January 14, 2015