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I appeared on Silvio Canto Jr's talk show from Dallas last night.  It's here.

JANUARY 29,  2018

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:54 P.M. ET: 

GOOD MOVE, AND RARE – FROM COLLEGE FIX:  College students have often exercised the heckler’s veto against campus events featuring conservative speakers.  The obvious aim is to convince universities to block such events (as DePaul and New York University did) or make them unreasonably expensive for student clubs that invite these speakers and are required to pay steep security costs to deal with leftist thugs. (Sometimes it backfires.)  Columbia University is taking one step toward making the heckler’s veto less effective.  The Columbia Daily Spectator reports the Ivy League school has pledged to pay security costs for student events it judges at risk of “significant disruption,” and will retroactively cover two College Republicans events targeted by student protesters.  The CRs were the target of defunding efforts by the Black Student Union last fall for inviting conspiracy theorist Mike Cernovich and anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson.  I hope other colleges follow this example.

AWARDS SHOWS NO LONGER HOT – FROM VARIETY:  Bruno Mars’ big night at the 60th Annual Emmy Awards generated plenty of controversy Sunday. It did not generate much interest from television viewers.  In the key 18-49 demo, Sunday night’s Grammys telecast hit an all-time low, according to Nielsen early numbers, with a 5.9 rating. The show averaged 19.81 million total viewers, its lowest tally since 2008. That’s a 24% drop from the previous year  — the greatest year-to-year declines for the awards show since 2013.  But this year’s ratings slide is more problematic than the one experienced five years ago, and should worry Grammys broadcaster CBS, as well as Oscars broadcaster ABC.  Add that to the decline in NFL ratings over the season.  Maybe the public is sending a message:  Cut out the politics and just give us a good show, or a good game.

THE END OF VEGAS? – FROM CNN MONEY: Elvis just started a new, somewhat boring job. When a guest at the Renaissance Hotel in Las Vegas needs a toothbrush or an extra towel, he brings it to their room.
Three-feet tall and covered in decorative stars, Elvis is a robot. And while it doesn't replace any human employees at the moment, it is a sign of what's next for Las Vegas.  Earlier this month, Las Vegas hosted CES -- one of the largest technology shows in the world. Self-driving cars, cleaning robots, and AI-powered systems offered a peek into the city's own automated future.  But Las Vegas is also the U.S. city most at risk for losing jobs to automation, according a study from the University of Redlands. In 20 years, about 65% of the city's jobs could be automated. Vegas always reinvents itself and always survives.  They'll bring in former President Trump for advice. 

January 29,  2018     Permalink

WE ARE INSTRUCTED – AT 12:30 P.M. ET:   It is important, to be accepted in the new society, to know the latest in political correctness.  Please take notes, and don't get this wrong.  People are being reported.  From the Washington Examiner: 

While many individuals, especially those who grew up in the American South, have historically used the words “hon” or “honey” as a polite term of endearment in a warm and welcoming atmosphere, students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are taking issue with the practice.

According to a recent editorial in the Daily Tar Heel, UNC’s official student school newspaper, calling someone “honey” makes the individual who is being addressed “feel inferior from the implied imbalance of power, especially if she is a woman.”

The editorial, written by the student paper's editorial board, also claims “such behavior should not be accepted, as it promotes the automatic dismissal of someone’s worth.” According to the editorial board, “Using this type of sexist language in the simplest of situations, such as a party, is still just as damaging as in the workplace or the classroom.”

On the whole, the argument is patently absurd, especially coming from a school in North Carolina. Anyone, male or female, who has walked into a small town diner or restaurant in the American South, has likely been greeted with a phrase along the lines of “I’ll be with you in a moment, hon,” or a “May I start you off with some coffee, sweetie?” on at least one occasion. Rather than implying an “imbalance of power,” such phrases are designed to make a person feel warm and welcome, similar to a waiter or waitress saying “God bless, and come back soon!” as a person is exiting a diner after their meal.

At UNC, apparently, "honey" and "sweetie" are terminologies “especially directed in a condescending way toward women.” Because of this reprehensible history, “the way in which people address each other should be less about being cute and more about establishing respect.”

Despite best efforts to regulate welcoming language used on a daily basis between friendly individuals all over the United States, one should not be surprised or offended if you are greeted with an “I’ll be with you in a moment, honey,” the next time you walk into your local Waffle House or small town diner. In fact, take it as a sign that the workers want you to feel welcome in their establishment. Life is better when you aren’t looking for a reason to be offended.

COMMENT:  Wonderfully stated...sweetie.

January 29, 2018       Permalink

TRUTH-TELLIN' FROM SOMEONE WHO KNOWS – AT 11:14 A.M. ET:  There are people who theorize about the economy, and people who live it.  I prefer listening to people who live it.  From Dailywire.com:   

On Saturday, Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus appeared on Fox News. During his segment with host Neil Cavuto, Marcus slammed the Democratic politicians who opposed the GOP tax bill:

You wanna talk about somebody who is off the charts, that doesn't understand reality, that's your last guest, it's Schumer and Pelosi. $1,000 is so meaningful – and I'll give you an example, Neil. I spent my life on the floor of the stores at Home Depot. That's what I did. Almost every week of my life, I was in stores all over the United States, and I talked to customers, and I talked to employees. And I can tell you that $1,000 is more than meaningful – it could be paying the mortgage; it could be paying for a car repair; it could be paying for a past-due bill. These are things that the Pelosi/Schumer group don't have a clue about. That's why they lost the election. It's as simple as that.

Marcus lambasted politicians who repeatedly refer to the bonuses being handed out by companies following the passage of the tax bill as "crumbs," adding that while we hear about all the large companies like Home Depot and Google, what matters even more are "the 30 million small businesses in America."

The Home Depot co-founder then recounted to Cavuto his conversations with two small business owners who planned on hiring more workers, noting that what may appear minor becomes something major when "you start adding that up to millions of businesses."

In the end, Marcus called on Democrats to think about what’s best for the American people rather than what’s politically expedient:

I just don't get their thinking. You know, what's good for America, Neil? What's good for the American people? Let's stop thinking about politics. Is this good for the Democratic Party? Does this mean we can take the presidency? I mean, let's start thinking in terms of really lifting up the lives of the American people, creating more jobs, taking more people off of food stamps – I mean, that's what it's all about.

COMMENT:  Yup, that's what it's all about.  I couldn't say it better.  This guy has walked those floors.

January 29, 2018        Permalink 

NIKKI TELLS IT – AT 10:08 A.M. ET:  Nikki Haley is becoming perhaps the most important point person for the Trump administration.  The president doesn't restrict her to comments about the United Nations, where she serves as our ambassador.  From Daily Mail: 

Nikki Haley was not impressed with the Grammy Awards' producers and their decision to have a number of recording artists and Hillary Clinton read excerpts from Michael Wolff's 'Fire and Fury.'

The United States Ambassador to the United Nations quickly took to Twitter after the segment aired on Sunday night, writing: 'I have always loved the Grammys but to have artists read the Fire and Fury book killed it. Don’t ruin great music with trash. Some of us love music without the politics thrown in it.' 

Haley's complaint came almost three hours after the show opened with a performance from Kendrick Lamar that featured dancers in red hooded sweatshirts falling to the ground one-by-one as gunshots rang out.

It also came after former Fifth Harmony member Camila Cabello spoke out against President Trump's decision to deport Dreamers in an impassioned speech, which she delivered just moments after paying tribute to the #TimesUp movement by joining Ke$ha to sing her nominated song 'Praying.' It marked the second time in the past week that the normally reserved Haley had very publicly attacked Wolff, having previously hit out at the writer last week after comments he made caused some to believe she was having an affair with President Trump.

COMMENT:  I have to believe that Nikki is being groomed to become secretary of state should Rex Tillerson decide to spend more time with his family.  Either that or something higher.   She'd be good at anything.

January 29,  2018     Permalink

JANUARY 28,  2018

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:54 P.M. ET:

SIGN OF THE TIMES – FROM ROLLING STONE:   In light of the recent attacks on concerts in Manchester, Las Vegas and Paris, this year's Grammy weekend will feature a new component: a counterterrorism briefing for musicians with State Department and European Union officials. The all-day training, held in a Times Square hotel suite on Saturday, will include briefings to a number of high-profile Grammy attendees, including Pink, Little Big Town, Chris Stapleton, Run the Jewels and Young Thug, among others. While venues typically provide standard security briefings ahead of each event, and the Recording Academy provides some guidance to its members, this off-site briefing is the first to provide non-event-specific best practices from US State Department and European Union officials directly to the musicians themselves.  A very wise move.  Eternal vigilance, as they say, is the price of liberty.

MORE ABOUT MELANIA TRUMP'S RISE – FROM THE WASHINGTON TIMES:   Much of the press coverage of first lady Melania Trump has descended from mere criticism and speculation to downright scandal mongering. The American public is not buying it, if recent poll numbers are a gauge.  Since December, Mrs. Trump has garnered very respectable favorability ratings. Gallup found that 54 percent of the nation gave her a thumbs up. CNN reported her positive rating to be 47 percent while an Economist YouGov survey gave her a 48 percent.  In the year since she became first lady, Mrs. Trump's poll numbers have risen from 17 to 37 percentage points over the months, depending on the poll. Some news organizations have acknowledged this.  Both Fox News and The Hill recently ran nearly identical headlines which read “Melania Trump’s popularity soars” and “Melania Trump’s popularity climbs.” AOL News also reported the first lady’s “surging popularity.”  Such positive sentiment has continued for months, despite hostile press coverage which appears to have escalated.  I see increasing evidence that the public is becoming repelled by the attacks on both Donald and Melania Trump.  The voters who chose Mr. Trump knew they weren't getting an angel.  They elected him for policy reasons.  As for Melania, she is earning her rise in popularity.

INCREDIBLE – FROM THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE:    An interactive map posted on the internet that shows the whereabouts of people who use fitness devices such as Fitbit also reveals highly sensitive information about the location and activities of soldiers at U.S. military bases, in what appears to be a major security oversight.  The Global Heat Map, published by the GPS tracking company Strava, uses satellite information to map the location and movements of subscribers to the company's fitness service over a two-year period, by illuminating areas of activity.  Strava says it has 27 million users around the world, including people who own widely available fitness devices such as Fitbit, Jawbone and Vitofit, as well as people who directly subscribe to its mobile phone application. The map is not live — rather it shows a pattern of accumulated activity between 2015 and September last year.  Most parts of the United States and Europe, where millions of people use some form of fitness tracker, show up on the map as a blaze of light, because there is so much activity.   Pretty chilling.  Imagine what newer versions of this technology will be able to tell a foreign enemy 20 years from now.

January 28, 2018       Permalink

TRUMP'S TAX PLAN IS WORKING – AT 12:47 P.M. ET:   Like him or not, and I've had mixed feelings, President Trump's tax plan is clearly taking effect.  It has, for one, changed the national psychology of the country, which is one of the main building blocks of a strong economy.  From the great Michael Goodwin at the New York Post: 

Not that they needed one, but progressive wing nuts and their fellow travelers are getting another reason to hate President Trump. He’s proving that capitalism works.

The president’s policies of cutting high taxes and excessive regulations are sparking a stock market surge and soaring economic confidence.

Each day brings announcements from companies ranging from Apple to Walmart that they are giving bonuses and pay hikes, adding new jobs and increasing their investments in America.

Millions of workers will get the bonuses, most of which are for $1,000, and untold others will get new or higher-paying jobs.

Most of those workers also will see their take-home pay increase because they will get personal income tax cuts and a doubling of the standard deduction. Those changes will become apparent in a week or so when the new lower rates are applied to payrolls.

The cash-in-the-pocket benefits are great news to many families, but the boom is doing something else too: It’s giving the millennials a firsthand lesson in economics.

Following eight slow-growth years under President Barack Obama and an election where their favorite candidate, Bernie Sanders, railed against the wealthy and promised free stuff for everybody else, many young Americans were taught that socialism is their friend and capitalism their enemy.

Now they are getting proof that the opposite is true. They are eyewitnesses as capitalism provides more opportunities and financial security to more people than any other system.

COMMENT:  The millennials are an embarrassment.  But right behind them is a new generation, born after the 9-11 attacks, and showing signs of wanting to participate in this nation, rather than disparage it.  That is informed speculation.  One authority I trust says that we should, by next year, on college campuses, know whether this new generation will be a welcome relief from the spoiled-brat millennials.  There are some good signs, but the power of Marxist professors should not be underestimated.  As Sinatra might have said, leave us we should pray.

January 28, 2018       Permalink

A SUPERB PIECE – AT 12:07 P.M. ET:  Rarely do we get a piece from a lawyer with the clarity that Victoria Toensing displays in her article about the special prosector and President Trump, done for Fox. 

Special Counsel Robert Mueller wants to interview President Trump. We know that is true because the areas of inquiry that Mueller is interested in have been leaked. But the questions Mueller is looking at are not about the issue the special counsel was supposed to examine: collusion with Russians to fix the 2016 presidential election.

Rather, the Washington Post reports that Mueller “is seeking to question President Trump in the coming weeks about his decisions to oust national security adviser Michael Flynn and FBI Director James B. Comey, according to two people familiar with his plans.”

The two acts, according to the Post, are related to “efforts by the president or others to hamper the special counsel’s probe.”

How can that be? Flynn had nothing to do with the special counsel’s probe. And firing the head of the FBI does not thwart what all the people under him are doing. So what is the alleged illegality here that could possibly “hamper” or obstruct the investigation?

It is beside the point at this time that there is no such crime as colluding. It is beside the point at this time that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was so negligent in his drafting the appointment of Mueller that he did not limit the investigation in either scope or time.

COMMENT:  Please read the whole thing.  This is one of the most important works of good journalism that I've seen in recent months.  Send it to friends.  It is a clear explanation of the risks to President Trump and democracy itself presented by the special counsel's office.

We are in strange times.  The term "McCarthyism" comes to mind.

January 28,  2018     Permalink