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JANUARY 2,  2016

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:55 P.M. ET: 

CRAZY – From townhall.com:   Last week, Hillary Clinton pledged to spend $2 billion a year to find a cure for Alzheimer’s by 2025 – an admirable effort, no doubt. At the time, an aide said the program would be paid in the form of tax reforms and other savings. On Tuesday, Clinton gave us some indication regarding what those “other savings” would look like.  At a town hall meeting in New Hampshire, the former Secretary of State suggested that to invest more in medical research, we should redistribute our military expenditures..."You know, if we put the money into Alzheimer’s that we otherwise would put into some additional military asset, just think of the lives it would save,” Clinton said... And if we don't increase our already depleted military, Secretary Clinton, just think of all the lives that could lose.  But I guess liberals don't think that way.

AND SHE SHOULD HAVE – From the Washington Times:   A key Hillary Clinton adviser told her that she may have to consider resigning as secretary of state after President Obama was caught telling Russia’s president off-mic early in 2012 that he could make more concessions on missile defense after November’s U.S. elections.  In addition, Mark Penn told Mrs. Clinton that Mr. Obama’s not-so-secret words “may be about the stupidest thing ever said by a president in foreign policy.”  Mr. Penn’s advice was made public on New Year’s Eve as part of the court-ordered release of Mrs. Clinton’s emails from her time as America’s top diplomat, when she used a private email server rather than the offered state.gov account. This had the effect of rendering incomplete years of document searches under open-records and oversight laws.  Clinton didn't resign.  She liked the glamour too much.  She liked being Secretary Clinton.  In her world, that's what counts, not national security.

BABY SOUNDS – From Fox:   An app that can differentiate between a variety of crying sounds made by babies has been developed by Taiwanese researchers.  The Infant Cries Translator was developed at the National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin and can differentiate between four separate crying sounds by recording the sounds of babies and comparing them against a vast database.  Over a two year period researchers collected around 200,000 crying sounds from approximately 100 new-born babies, and uploaded them to an online database. Analysis of the frequency of individual screams among these helped researchers, led by Chang Chuan-yu and Dr Chen Si-da, distinguish subtle differences in acoustics.  This would be very useful in identifying students on America's college campuses.

January 2, 2015       Permalink

THIRTY DAYS – AT 11:56 A.M. ET:   Thirty days to the Iowa caucuses.  People will actually vote.  From The Hill:

Presidential candidates are in an all-out sprint in Iowa with the caucuses only 30 days away.

Campaigns are sharpening their attacks, doubling down on time and resources spent in the state, and placing their final bets on the ad buys and infrastructure they hope will bolster their get-out-the-vote efforts.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton holds a substantial lead in the polls, though Democrats are warning the front-runner against complacency. They point to the enthusiasm gap she faces against Bernie Sanders, who will be looking to marshal his substantial grassroots support in a state that sent Clinton’s 2008 hopes into a tailspin.

But most of the intrigue is on the Republican side, where 11 candidates are still vying for the party’s nomination. Political watchers are expecting a record GOP turnout at the caucuses, as well as a substantial winnowing of the field in the weeks that follow the Feb. 1 vote.

“Iowa doesn’t always define the race, but it can chop the field in half or at least thin the herd,” said Jamie Johnson, a long-time GOP operative in the state. “It will certainly separate the contenders from the pretenders and sling-shot some into New Hampshire while sending the rest home.”

Ted Cruz and Donald Trump are presently jockeying atop the polls and are the consensus favorites among insiders in the state.

Cruz has been on a sharp upward trajectory, catching and in some polls passing Trump.

The Texas Republican senator has won the backing of some of the most influential conservatives in the state, including Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) and Christian leader Bob Vander Plaats, who has backed the last two caucus winners.

The state’s massive bloc of evangelical voters has been moving steadily into Cruz’s corner. He has raised tens of millions of dollars, impressed with his campaign organization, and will kick-off the new year with a six-day, 36-county “Cruzin’ to Caucus” bus tour across the state.

Still, one month is an eternity to carry a front-runner’s mark.

COMMENT:  I believe that Trump will eventually duke it out with one other candidate, either Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio.  But Rubio must start making more progress to keep himself in the top tier.  There is always an outside chance that Chris Christie or Jeb Bush could slip in, but that chance gets more outside every day.

If Trump gets the nomination, it's more than likely that an independent candidate will emerge, and it might be a serious candidacy.  If Cruz is the nominee, the establishment will dislike it, but will have to go along.  He's a sitting GOP senator.  A great deal of attention will now turn to "electability," and that's when Rubio can make his move.  He is widely seen as the most "electable" of the top-tier Republicans.

January 2, 2015       Permalink

BIG TROUBLE IN THE KINGDOM – AT 11:31 A.M. ET:   One gets the feeling that there is an increasing sense of desperation in Saudi Arabia.  Oil prices are plunging.  The kingdom's main non-Arab ally, the United States, is weakening.  Its enemy, Iran, is ascending.  Nations start to do crazy things.  From NBC:

The Middle East was braced for sectarian violence Saturday after Saudi Arabia said it had executed 47 prisoners, including a prominent Shia cleric responsible for anti-government protests.

There were warnings of a backlash against the ruling Al Saud family after Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr was named on list of prisoners carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

Al-Nimr was a central figure in protests that erupted in 2011 as part of the Arab Spring, and his execution may spark new unrest among the oil powerhouse's Shia minority.

Scores marched through Nimr's home district of Qatif shouting "down with the Al Saud" and, in the neighboring country of Bahrain, police fired tear gas at several dozen people who gathered to protest the news, The Associated Press reported.

Lebanon's Supreme Islamic Shi'ite Council called the execution a "grave mistake", and the Hezbollah group termed it an assassination. Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, an establishment cleric in largely Shia rival Iran, said repercussions against the Sunni Saudi rulers would "wipe them from the pages of history".

Saudi Arabia carried out at least 157 executions in 2015, with beheadings reaching their highest level in the kingdom in two decades, according to several advocacy groups that monitor the death penalty worldwide.

COMMENT:  This could be real trouble, at a time when we don't need it.  If there's a military clash between the Saudis and the Iranians, it could lead to still one more major upheaval in the Mideast.  How long would it be before the Saudis, who have cash in the bank, acquire nuclear weapons?

January 2, 2015       Permalink

EVEN THE DEMS HAVE SECOND THOUGHTS – AT 11:14 A.M. ET:  Members of Congress, including some who supported the immoral nuclear deal with Iran, are starting to object to Obama's appeasement of that country, in light of Iran's miserable behavior.  From Fox: 

Leading lawmakers, including supporters of President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran, rapped the White House for delaying fresh sanctions on Tehran over its missile program, warning that the move would embolden it to further destabilize the Middle East.

The abrupt reversal by the administration came as Iranian President Hassan Rouhani publicly ordered his military to dramatically scale up the country’s missile program if the sanctions went ahead.

Senior U.S. officials have told lawmakers the sanctions were delayed because of “evolving diplomatic work” between the White House and the Iranian government.

The administration had notified Congress on Wednesday that it would impose new financial penalties on nearly a dozen companies and individuals for their alleged role in developing Iran’s ballistic missile program, but pulled back later that day.

Top U.S. lawmakers, including White House allies, said they believed failing to respond to Tehran’s two recent ballistic missile tests would diminish the West’s ability to enforce the nuclear agreement reached between global powers and Tehran in July.

“I believe in the power of vigorous enforcement that pushes back on Iran’s bad behavior,” Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, a supporter of the nuclear deal, said Friday. “If we don’t do that, we invite Iran to cheat.”

COMMENT:  Typical Obama/Kerry response.  As soon as the Iranians say "boo," the administration starts running for cover, and caves in. 

Some Democrats are obviously getting worried that their support for the Iran deal will cost them at the polls.  I also think they're beginning to prepare for the end of the age of Obama, and many might welcome it, now that Obama has become unpopular.

January 2,  2015     Permalink

JANUARY 1,  2016

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:51 P.M. ET: 

CHICAGO WELCOMES 2016 – From ABC:   Mere hours after Chicago rang in 2016 with fireworks along its famous riverwalk, the city reported its first homicide.  A 24-year-old man was shot in the chest a few minutes after 2 a.m. in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood, according to police. He was pronounced dead at the scene and the shooter is at large, a police spokeswoman said. The investigation is ongoing.  Another man, 38, was hurt in the brawl, according to police. He transported himself to a nearby hospital and is listed in good condition after being shot in his hand, officials said.  I'm sure there's more excitement ahead in the president's home town.

YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS UP – From CNN:   Chicago (CNN) Hundreds of police officers at one of the country's busiest airports say in the case of an active shooter, they are instructed to run and hide.  Internal aviation department documents obtained through department sources state, "If evacuation is not possible: hide."  The documents advise locking doors, turning off lights and remaining quiet and calm.  "We must also ensure that unarmed security personnel ... do not attempt to become part of the response, but could be invaluable to the evacuation efforts," the documents said.  In addition, a training video shown to aviation police officers has the same instructions: "If evacuation is not possible, you should find a place to hide where the active shooter is less likely to find you. Block entry to your hiding place and lock the door."  That makes no sense, said aviation police officers interviewed by CNN.  If it made sense, they wouldn't be doing it.  Don't you feel safer now that you've read this?

NO TOUCHDOWN – From USATODAY.COM:   DALLAS (AP) — Jimmy Kimmel told people to watch. Even soap opera stars on "General Hospital" made not-so-subtle references to making plans to watch the College Football Playoff on New Year's Eve.  All the prodding and promoting wasn't enough to convince many fans to tune in.  College football's move to create a new tradition with semifinal matchups on New Year's Eve drew ratings more than a third lower than last season, when the matchups were held on New Year's Day.  The Orange Bowl between Clemson and Oklahoma, which kicked off about 4:10 p.m. EST on ESPN, drew a 9.1 rating, a 38.5 percent drop compared to last year's Rose Bowl, which got a 14.8 rating. The number of viewers dropped 44.5 percent from 28,164,000 for the Rose to just 15,640,000 for the Orange.  Someone tell the genius TV executives that many Americans make other plans for New Year's Eve, like going to a non-football party.  Explain to them what that is.

January 1, 2016       Permalink

CRUZIN' – AT 11:32 A.M. ET:  Ted Cruz is doing well, with many pundits saying he has a good chance to win the Republican nomination.  Cruz himself is saying that the fight will probably be over by March, which is two months from now.  From The Hill: 

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in a private call on Thursday said the GOP race for the White House will probably be decided by March.

Cruz told campaign volunteers on an end-of-the-year conference call to be ready for a month of attacks, predicting a brutal January, according to CNN.

"There is a very good possibility that the Republican primary will be decided by the end of March," Cruz told volunteers during the call. "First thing tomorrow, we've got a 90-day sprint to get the job done."

Cruz is seen as a favorite for the GOP nomination and is leading polls in Iowa.

Nationally, however, he trails GOP front-runner Donald Trump, who is also ahead of Cruz in polls of New Hampshire and other states.

Cruz has been enjoying a spike in the polls while garnering critical endorsements and donors to aid his bid.

He was the first to announce his fourth-quarter fundraising haul, raising nearly $20 million in the last three months of 2015.

The Texas senator has been consolidating evangelical support and securing key endorsements from social conservatives in the first-in-the-nation caucuses state. Iowa voters will head to the polls on Feb. 1.

Cruz is also working to secure a strong placement during Super Tuesday on March 1, when a number of Southern states host contests.

The conservative firebrand also touted the recent flurry of attacks from his GOP rivals: "If we were sitting here on Dec. 31 and no one was attacking us, or looking to be attacking us, I would be deeply, deeply concerned," Cruz said.

COMMENT:  Brilliant guy, a true conservative, although lacking in executive experience.  His presidency would be an intellectual feast, without question.

January 1, 2016       Permalink 

A SIGN OF OUR TIMES – AT 10:26 A.M. ET:  Security, personal and otherwise, has become one of the major issues in this country.  Consider how some people, if they have the cash, are modifying their homes and businesses.  From simivalleyacorn.com:   

It’s a business that requires client confidentiality, and even the most satisfied customer isn’t likely to brag about his purchase.

A safe room is a highly secure space inside a home designed to be discreet and to offer protection during a home invasion, terrorist attack or other life-threatening event. Most safe rooms include some type of communication system or closed-circuit television so those inside can contact the police.

The 2002 movie “ Panic Room” with Jodie Foster gave instant publicity to safe rooms, and a New York Times article in May reported the industry continues to grow.

Nick Paster of American Saferoom Door builds panic rooms, but he’s tight-lipped about the number of rooms installed in a year, saying only that he has “enough business to keep us busy full time.”

“We do see it fluctuate, depending on what’s going on in the world,” Paster said.

Clients reach out to him for a variety of reasons, and with the phenomenon of workplace shootings, businesses are also installing safe rooms. Security experts say it’s just good common sense to have a room inside a home where a family can hide in the event of a break-in.

Although Paster declined to say whether he’s received more inquiries since the recent terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, safe rooms have been in higher demand since Sept. 11, 2001.

Orders can range from a $20,000 custom-built safe door to a fully equipped safe room costing several hundred thousand dollars, he said.

COMMENT:  When we read a story like this we begin to understand the public's resistance to new gun-control measures.   Americans want practical answers to security issues, not theoretical steps of unproved worth.  And they want the means to protect themselves.  Dependence on government, even the police, is not reassuring.  The police cannot be everywhere.

January 1, 2016       Permalink

TO THINK ABOUT – AT 9:56 A.M. ET:  As we start 2016 we look for guidance for the country's future.  That guidance begins by understanding where we are today.  David Gelernter, of Yale, who, although a professor of computer science, has become a prominent conservative philosopher, contemplates the importance of religion in American life.   Consider this quote, from the Weekly Standard: 

Why should this new and dangerous virus have broken out now, in our generation? Judeo-Christian religion has been in decline for centuries. But important milestones have passed in our own lifetimes. Baby boomers were educated, in the '50s and '60s, in public schools that were still informally Christian—in a nation that (moreover) had been created by devout Christians guided by biblical ideas, and refounded during the Civil War by another Christian generation led by the most deeply religious of all our presidents. By the generation following the Second World War, it's likely that the U.S. cultural leadership was already mostly atheist. But it was reticent about saying so; in that era, many Americans still hesitated to go all the way. And the centrality of biblical religion to America's best self was reaffirmed during these same years by the pastors, priests, and rabbis of the civil rights movement. Today all these hugely important facts have been suppressed. My impression, as a college teacher, is that most young Americans have simply never heard them.

So here we are today with a mainstream press, cultural leadership, and intellectuals who laugh off the idea that a presidential candidate's religion matters. Yet it matters intensely. Its real, practical importance is large. Unless you are a Jew or Christian, you are likely—as a modern American—to make a religion of your politics. And that will shape, in turn, your relation to the opposition and to the American people.

COMMENT:  Please read the entire piece.  I'd like to hear your reaction to the professor's ideas.

January 1,  2016     Permalink