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JANUARY 24,  2018

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

BOOKER ROASTED – FROM TOWNHALL:  Sen. Cory Booker’s (D-NJ) temper tantrum during last week’s Judiciary Committee hearing, in which he tore into Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen over President Trump’s “sh*thole countries” comment, was nothing more than an “unfortunate waste” of time, she said.  Nielsen told Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria” that his outburst was a “distraction” from a hearing that should’ve been focused on “real threats” facing the nation and what DHS is doing to fight them.  "It became 11 minutes of a lecture about a meeting he was not in, about one word, and about whether or not I heard it," Nielsen said. "I said under testimony, was it possible? Sure. I just didn’t hear the word. That was it."  "He has no interest in what the secretary of Homeland Security thinks," she continued. "He just wanted to lecture me for 11 minutes and it was an unfortunate waste of all of our time when we could have been focused on the needs and threats we have."  I don't think Booker has ever taken the same position twice.  He'd like to be president, but his opportunism is just too overwhelming.  He was once a rising rocket, now he's stuck on the launching pad.

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE GLOBAL WARMING FESTIVAL – FROM THE L.A. TIMES:   New data from California state geologists show that an earthquake fault runs below Rodeo Drive and Beverly Hills’ shopping district, heightening the known seismic risk in an area famous for Cartier, Gucci, Prada and other luxury brands.  The California Geological Survey’s final map has the Santa Monica fault zone cutting through the so-called Golden Triangle, running between Santa Monica and Wilshire boulevards.  The new map is a change from a draft version released last year that showed the fault zone ending on the western edge of Beverly Hills, near the corner of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards. Based on more information, the state now says the fault zone extends a mile farther northeast, through Beverly Hills’ central district and into the city’s civic center area.  Terrible, terrible.  An earthquake there would tear the "Love the Earth" stickers off all those BMW's.

THE END OF MEN? – FROM THE DAILY MAIL:   Since the dawn of humanity, men have played a vital role in determining the sex of their offspring.  The Y chromosome, carried by roughly half of a man's sperm, dictates whether a child will be male or female.  If the Y chromosome is present, a child will develop into a boy, whereas a lack of this strand of DNA will result in a girl.  Now scientists think the Y chromosome may disappear in less that five million years, leaving the future of men on planet Earth uncertain.  In an article for The Conversation, Dr Peter Ellis and professor Darren Griffin from the University of Kent discuss the implications of this genetic shift.   So we've only got five million years of sexual harassment suits.  What will lawyers do?

January 24, 2018       Permalink

A THREAT FROM ISIS – TAKE IT SERIOUSLY – AT 11:34 A.M. ET:  The threat is against Las Vegas, scene of another recent massacre.  From PJ Media:   

An ISIS-supporting media group threatened another Vegas-style massacre in a new propaganda image, yet zeroed in on a Strip hotel other than the Mandalay Bay.

"The disbeliever west will see our power through the jihad of sincere people and the sacrifice of monotheists. We will be generous in shedding your dirty blood unless you embrace Islam or give the jizyah," states the message, referencing a tax paid by non-Muslims. "However, Las Vegas massacre is not far from you."

The poster distributed online includes a shadowy backdrop of masked jihadists carrying an ISIS flag, hovering over a photo from the Vegas strip. The words "Las Vegas," crosshairs and flames are positioned over the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

The threat was distributed by the Wafa' Media Foundation, which released numerous threats during the holiday season.

A November poster showed smoke rising from Rome with a fighter jet overhead and a jihadist standing next to the sort of makeshift armored vehicle ISIS uses for suicide bombings in Iraq and Syria. "The date is approaching o worshippers of the cross," stated the message on the image.

COMMENT:  We have pretty much defeated ISIS on the battlefield in Syria and Iraq, but it remains a powerful terrorist force, and it will be looking to strike major blows, especially before our midterm elections.

January 24,  2018      Permalink

JOE IS IN – AT 10:41 A.M. ET:  Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, perhaps the most conservative Democrat in the Senate, will run for re-election this year, as a Democrat.  There had been some speculation that Manchin might switch to the Republican Party to better reflect the views of his state, or retire out of frustration with his party.  However, Manchin has a warning for his fellow Dems.  From The New York Times: 

WASHINGTON — Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia told colleagues on Tuesday that he intended to run for re-election this year after all, ending an anxiety-making flirtation with retirement and easing Democratic fears that the most conservative Democrat in the Senate was about to effectively hand his seat to a Republican.

In an interview, Mr. Manchin said he repeatedly expressed his frustration to Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, and other colleagues, telling them that “this place sucks,” before finally signaling Tuesday morning to Mr. Schumer’s aides that he would file his re-election paperwork before West Virginia’s deadline on Saturday.

“I was very vocal,” Mr. Manchin said, adding, “they read between the lines.”

Even as Democrats won a reprieve, Mr. Manchin’s discontent illustrated the divisions in their party between those from states that President Trump easily carried and the more liberal bloc of senators, at least a half-dozen of whom are positioning themselves for possible White House runs. The rift contributed to the government shutdown over the weekend and the Monday decision by a group of moderates to force the government’s reopening.

It also will have to be bridged if Democrats have any hope of regaining the Senate in November, when they must defend 10 seats in states that Mr. Trump won, while winning Republican-held seats in difficult states like Tennessee, Nevada and Arizona.

“I’ve said this point blank: If people like me can’t win from red states, you’ll be in the minority the rest of your life,” Mr. Manchin said about his conversations with other Democrats about the need to tolerate more moderate lawmakers.

The frustration was all the more striking coming a day after Mr. Manchin celebrated with Republicans and Democrats in the so-called Common Sense Coalition, the bipartisan group that forced the government back open and vowed to lead negotiations over immigration, the budget and other matters.

COMMENT:  I doubt if the Democratic base, the hard-line left wingers, care much about Joe Manchin.  The base would rather lose and maintain its ideological purity.  Indeed, they probably consider Manchin a "deplorable."  But they need him.  Will they make room for the Joe Manchins in November?  I doubt it.

January 24, 2018       Permalink

HOW DARE HE SAY THAT! – AT 10:08 P.M. ET:   There is a major international scandal.  Brace yourselves.  It has been learned that an African leader has praised President Trump, and is still alive.  From Dailywire:   

On Tuesday, the leader of one African nation shook up the media's narrative about the continent of Africa being up in arms about President Donald Trump's "s***hole" remark. Speaking to a group of lawmakers at the East African Legislative Assembly, Ugandan president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni came to Trump's defense over his recent comments.

"America has got one of the best presidents ever. Mr. Trump. I love Trump," Museveni said, The Washington Post reports. "I love Trump because he talks to Africans frankly. I don't know if he's misquoted or whatever, but when he speaks I like him because he speaks frankly."

"It is the fault of the Africans that they are weak. They have this huge continent," Museveni continued. "If you look at Africa, Africa is 12 times the size of India, in terms of land area, lots of resources, and the population is growing now. Why can't we make Africa strong?"

Museveni even wrote an article titled, "The Confusion, Ingratitude as well as danger of Western Liberals & the Trump Therapy," in which he slams leftists and embraces Trump's way of thinking.

COMMENT:  Well, you won't see this chap invited to any dinners with the Congressional Black Caucus.  And CNN is probably investigating his mental fitness.

But he said it.  And I"ll bet many other Africans feel the same way.  They don't necessarily follow the left-wing party line.  At a time when Western liberals were cursing George W. Bush, Africa was building statues to him because he took the African AIDS epidemic seriously.

January 24, 2018       Permalink

JANUARY 23,  2018

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:01 P.M. ET:

NFL APPEASEMENT CONTINUES – FROM THE HILL:  NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been named a finalist for an award honoring players for their community service work.  Kaepernick and four other players were announced as finalists for the NFL Players Association’s (NFLPA) Byron “Whizzer” White Community MVP award, according to NBC Sports.  The free agent quarterback pledged $1 million to various charitable organizations during the 2016 season. He won the NFLPA’s “Community MVP” award during Week 1 of the 2017 season after donating $100,000 to four charities and holding a back-to-school backpack giveaway in New York City.   He also originated the practice of "taking a knee" during the national anthem.  The practice has resulted in a decline of respect for the NFL, and much lower television ratings. 

FRENCH GUY TO VISIT – FROM THE DAILY MAIL:   President Donald Trump plans to use the annual billionaires gathering at Davos to extend special hospitality to French President Emmanuel Macron by inviting him to a state visit to the U.S.  Trump has hosted numerous foreign leaders but has yet to host an official state visit.  He expressed deep appreciation for the red carpet treatment Macron showed him on a visit to France on a visit pegged to Bastille Day. They viewed the Bastille Day parade together and dined with their spouses, First Lady Melania Trump and French First Lady Brigitte Macron, in the Eiffel Tower. The White House would not officially confirm reports about the planned invitation.   'We don't have an announcement to make at this time,' an official told CNN.  However, as France 24 noted, Trump didn't get the honor of a state dinner at Elysee Palace.   It's interesting that Britain will not receive the first state dinner, something of a snub.  Trump has an awkward relationship with the current British government, even though it is conservative.

THE NEWEST VERSION – FROM FOX:  Dire warnings of underwater cities and drowning polar bears are less likely to pan out than once thought.  That’s an upshot of a new study in the journal Nature by top climate scientists, including a lead author of U.N. climate estimates.  The study’s conclusion says it is “renewing hope that we may yet be able to avoid global warming exceeding [3.6 °F].”  For the last 25 years, the UN has had the same prediction of the impact of carbon dioxide: That will warm the Earth by between 2.7 – 8.1 degrees Fahrenheit if emissions continue at the current rate and levels end up at double the pre-industrial level.  But the latest study uses a new method to determine that the actual likely range of warming would be narrower: between 4 – 6.1°F. The study finds just a 1% chance of an increase over 8.1°F degrees.
Past models have over-predicted warming. A 2013 study in the journal Nature Climate Change found that out of 117 climate predictions made in the 1990's, three were roughly accurate and 114 overestimated warming.  Maybe we're finally getting to the truth.  I wonder if the media will report it.

January 23, 2018       Permalink

COMMON SENSE FROM HARVARD – AT 12:50 P.M. ET:   We sometimes like to think of Harvard as a very liberal university, floating in the clouds.  In fact, there has been some remarkable common sense coming out of the Harvard Law School on the subject of sexual harassment, and much of it is coming from Harvard women.  From Daily Caller: 

Harvard Law School professor Elizabeth Bartholet argues that the #MeToo movement, made popular on social media after numerous high-profile media men were exposed as sexual predators, ignores the “principles of basic fairness” because it presumes guilt.

The professor, who teaches civil liberties and family law, says that despite #MeToo’s ability to bring predators to light, due process may be in danger of being thrown out.

In the rush to discard the possibility of innocence, men accused of sexual misconduct now face an immediate guilty sentence in the court of public opinion.

Writing for the Harvard Crimson, Bartholet says that due to the current social climate, “men and women are put at risk for personal conduct that may be essential if they are to have the chance to develop future relationships.”

“In the recent rush to judgment, principles of basic fairness, differences between proven and merely alleged instances of misconduct, and important distinctions between different kinds of sexually charged conduct have too often been ignored,” Bartholet says, as first reported by Campus Reform.

“Some argue that women who speak out should simply always be believed,” says the professor. “Others argue that if some innocent men must be sacrificed to the cause of larger justice, so be it. I find this deeply troubling.”

Bartholet says that “efforts must be made to investigate what actually happened and how the different parties understood the events.”

COMMENT:  Good, wise words, far wiser than the 10-minute "feminists" who pop up whenever women's issues are in the news.  Fighting sexual violence against women, and battling true sexual harassment, can be done thoughtfully and effectively, without tearing the Constitution to shreds. 

Professor Bartholet does a service, as do other prominent women who've begun to caution against excess.  Only women can stop the new McCarthyism on the left, which can ultimately do enormous damage to the legitimate pursuit of women's rights.

January 23, 2018       Permalink

VERY, VERY STRANGE – AT 11:48 A.M. ET:   Have you noticed that the federal government seems to lose e-mails?  How many e-mails have you lost?  Maybe the feds need someone from the Apple Store to help sort things.  From The Hill: 

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday announced the Justice Department will investigate missing text messages sent between two FBI agents critical of President Trump, joining the chorus of Republican lawmakers who are eager to recover the exchange.

GOP officials have seized on the messages as evidence of FBI bias against Trump in the probes into Russian election meddling and Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while secretary of State.

“We will leave no stone unturned to confirm with certainty why these text messages are not now available to be produced and will use every technology available to determine whether the missing messages are recoverable from another source," Sessions said in a statement.

"I have spoken to the Inspector General and a review is already underway to ascertain what occurred and to determine if these records can be recovered in any other way. If any wrongdoing were to be found to have caused this gap, appropriate legal disciplinary action measures will be taken," he continued.

COMMENT:  Well, Jeff sounds tough for a change.  This year could provide many headlines in the Washington probes, and they probably won't be headlines the Democrats wished for.

January 23, 2018       Permalink

YOU CANNOT MAKE THIS UP – AT 10:44 A.M. ET:  There are some stories you read twice to be sure you actually got them right.   From Dailywire: 

Say what you want about President Trump, but at least he knows his Twitter password.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige, a Democrat, now says he couldn't inform state residents that a warning of an imminent missile attack was a false alarm because he forgot his Twitter password. The frightening admission comes 10 days after Hawaiians were throw into a panic for nearly 40 minutes over the warning.

An employee accidentally triggered the missile defense warning on January 13 by pushing the wrong button -- twice. He sent a message to all mobile phones warning them of an imminent ballistic missile attack. Some residents placed their children in sewer drains in an effort to survive the blast.

"The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency issued the false alarm at 8:07 a.m., and Ige was told the missile alert was a false alarm two minutes after the alert was sent to cell phones across the state," the Honolulu Star Advertiser reported. "However, Ige’s office did not get out a cancellation message until 17 minutes after the alert."

Ige was asked about that delay when he met with reporters after his State of the State address today, and he said that “I was in the process of making calls to the leadership team both in Hawaii Emergency Management as well as others.”

Ige added that “I have to confess that I don’t know my Twitter account log-ons and the passwords, so certainly that’s one of the changes that I’ve made. I’ve been putting that on my phone so that we can access the social media directly.”

COMMENT:  A man like this is in charge of a state, with critical emergency services under his command.  But are there calls for his resignation?  Of course not. 

January 23,  2018     Permalink