Suggested reading list for Aug. 4, 2015

Note: Each block of text actually is a link to a story or a web page that I am commenting on. Click on that text and it will take you to the page being referred to.

Once again, I venture into the breach … to see what thoughts I can provoke and possibly stimulate. Seems to have been a busy day on the news fronts … it is a multi-front battle, so bear with me.

This is interesting, in the wake of Chattanooga ... Soldiers at the Army National Guard training base in Mississippi, Camp Shelby, get fired on (fortunately no one got hit) and nary a ripple on the national media ... well Fox buried a snip down in their news list and the Drudge Report carried a couple of links, as did Breibart. You can take away from it whatever you want.

The Black Lives Matter crowd is upset (and gets HuffPo attention) over the Cecil the Lion photo on the Empire State Building ... saying which matters most? Lions or Black lives? How about embryonic humans ... where do they fit in to this fit of righteousness?

Interesting study on mass killings by firearms in the US ... gee, they have increased, but the rate has been stable basically for the last 25 years after rising rather steeply in the 1970s and 1980s.

Sometimes I really wonder about people, especially families who try to explain away why one of their own may have killed someone. Sorry, lady, but if I read the facts right, your brother was a convicted armed robber, out on supervised release and apparently was involved in a drug transaction (which probably would have got him sent back to the big house). Now, obviously, we don't know all the facts yet ... and we are obligated to presume that there is a reason the man allegedly was involved in the death of the police officer.  But I think he would have better use of his money and time not buying marijuana.

NBC says, basically, ah, yeah, Trump is right ... but it isn't the president's fault. Give me a break

When I first read the headline, I thought maybe this was at the Republican rodeo in New Hampshire, but then I realized it really was at a real circus. I feel for the people, but 60 mile-per-hour winds are nothing to sneeze at. Granted the circus tent "should" have been able to sustain such a blow, but who knows what it really was. And we all know the bit about shoulda, woulda, coulda.

Out comes the fifth video and the progressive defense is that it is all a hoax and a fraud with selective editing. Granted, what Planned Parenthood is doing might be "legal", the question is it really moral or right? I know the defense the medical community will put up ... they need the tissue for research ... but it still bothers me.

Another view on the dropping of the A-bombs in World War II ... interesting ... sort of wondered why myself.

An excellent article for those afflicted with Cold War nostalgia: It was neither simple nor stable. Like today, it was a day of complex events, with complex threats that came out of the blue.

Interesting article on the future of the U.S. presence on Okinawa and the implications from the perspective of the Japanese.

Valid plead ... don't cut the Army ... but unfortunately, it will happen, I fully expect. It is in keeping with the American way of war ... and its aftermath ... and young Americans will be paying the high price of this folly the next time they are called to arms.

Interesting article on the use of human shields ... and how a change in American policy may affect it.  It is the dilemma faced by all state-backed militaries facing non-state armed forces. The international law always is applied to the state military, but not to the non-state armed force.  This creates and incentive to use involuntary human shields. Since voluntary human shields are already not covered by protections of laws, the new US policy could change the view of involuntary hostages who may die as the result of fighting non-state armed forces.

Kim Jong-Un? A Peace Prize? I suppose ... killing your own is not like fighting a war ... or threatening to every time you turn around ... I guess that deserves some sort of prize.

I dearly love how long it takes to take something basically off the shelf and use it in the US military ... it really is disgusting. The military development program and procurement is so hidebound, I sometimes think we will be fighting the next war with weapons designed to fight World War I ... and then I remember the Ma-Deuce and the new M-45 pistol (basically, a gussied up M-1911)

I have a major problem with this story, because it is comparing apples to oranges. When they say that today's ships are more powerful, they are saying that power translates into a need for fewer numbers. And looking back, say to 1916, when the number of hulls was roughly comparable to what we have today,  you should not be comparing them to the technology they offer today, but the technology they faced at the time ... Now, having said that, a lot of people outside the military (and even some in it) forget or even ignore - as Joseph Stalin allegedly put it: Quantity has a quality all its own.  The Chinese know this and have, in the past, used it to devastating effect. The problem is: how many hulls can you afford to lose before your capabilities are critically damaged?

I think they need to go have a talk with the folks out at Scaled Composites .... it sounds like they have just the match for this XS-1 Sub-Orbital spacecraft/launch vehicle

Actually, I think the problem here is not the rigor with which SpaceX is examining its recent launch failure as it is an effort to protect the existing launch dinosaurs from competition

I think the judge in this Guantanamo detention case has the right of it: President Obama neither can declare or undeclare war ... that is Congress's job. Now, as for the rest of the editorial ... well, that harks back to the old argument are these people wartime detainees or some other category of prisoner.

Well, I do love how the left loves to interfere/meddle in other countries' affairs, as reflected in the positions taken by President Obama, but go all hinky when others do it (Like Republicans) ... but then I remember from my days in school in referring to some of the less than favorable characters we treated with in order to fight the Cold War ... "he may be a son-of-a-bitch but he is our son-of-a-bitch."

The Obama way of war ... say one thing, do another.

Interesting piece of philosophical wisdom ... sigh

I can't decide which is more apropos: A mountain out of a molehill or a tempest in a teapot? What do you think?

Interesting that the first "debate" took place Monday in New Hampshire ... and about all I have heard is whining ... actually, I thought it probably did some good, without the media pre-selecting winners and losers

This tidbit is interesting ... and maybe showed the value in the NH Circus

Here the Boston Globe, like other news outlets, are complaining that the GOP field is too large and they couldn't get substance out of the NH Circus ... I mean GOP Presidential Candidate Forum

At least this local news story on the NH Circus tries to report bits and pieces of what actually was said in the two-hour forum

Who is the US's #1 enemy ... good question ... I guess it depends on the level of threat

I think this story comparing Walker and Cruz on their financial reports is one of the dumbest comparisons ...  how about just separate stories reporting on each

Yes, in this case, you have to hand it to The Donald ... at least he is honest ... and he just tries to do what the rest of us do ... even progressives, if they really were honest about it.

This column kinda puts all the political races in perspective ... you do know we have the whole NFL season ahead of us and the Superbowl before the first primary will be held.

The problem I have with this WaPo story - which basically is a plea for stricter gun controls - is that guns really are not the problem ... they are not causing the violence, the upswing of homicides ... they are tools used to facilitate that and that is all. There is something else at work here, some other dynamic that is breaking down the social barriers to people killing people and performing other acts of violence. You can try to blame guns for it, but you would be wrong.

US strikes cause civilian casualties ... gee, that is a problem with the application of air power ... sometimes civilians get in the way. Plus, the report reflects the long simmering problem that people have with state armed forces using force, but fail to point out what the non-state armed bodies are doing ... like setting up shop in a school yard or a mosque or a hospital, which are gathering places for non-combatants ... and then acting horrified when they get bombed and the innocent people get hurt.

More on the Planned Parenthood videos ... just remember the progressive mantra: The videos are just hoaxes and damned lies.

This is an explanation why the battle to defund Planned Parenthood isn't over and is going to get a whole lot uglier

Yet another story that points out how the Obama Administration (with the State Department here) likes to alter the facts to fit their reality ... in other words it is getting to the point that if the report comes out of the executive branch its credibility immediately takes a major hit because the operating assumption is now that the Obama Administration fudges the truth all the time

Remember Darrin Wilson, the police officer who shot and killed shoplifting and battery suspect Michael Brown. You don't think he hasn't paid a price for that ... and the people who think it isn't enough just can't accept the evidence that he just did what he had to, given the circumstances … well, it destroyed his life. I hope that makes all of you happy now.

and last but not least ... I offer up this ... if it hasn't gone viral yet, I won't be surprised if it does. It is so politically incorrect it is an absolute hoot ... bacon, no less.

Reading list for Aug. 3, 2015

Note: Each block of text actually is a link to a story or a web page that I am commenting on. Click on that text and it will take you to the page being referred to.

This one bodes to be a rather long one, unless I really edit down from the number that are on my open window bar in my browser. Sigh, well, I hope that the ones that I put on the list you will find interesting, if not enlightening … and in a few cases (I hope), entertaining. As always I welcome your comments on either my commentary or the articles/sites themselves either here or on my Facebook page. Enjoy!

I start of tonight with a tongue-in-cheek response to a story out of Hong Kong: Woman charged with using breasts as a weapon against a police officer. Of course, the protests are all about how could a woman's breast be a weapon. To be totally sexist about it, when have women's breasts NOT been a weapon wielded in the war between men and women. Give me a break. As a man, I happen to think that women often use their whole bodies as weapons, rather effectively too, I might add. Ever know of a sexy pair breasts displayed on a woman that have not reduced every red-blooded, heterosexual male within viewing distance to a slobbering mass of protoplasm.

Top collegiate party school in the US ... awww ... how the mighty have fallen. Back in my day, the year that I spent at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Playboy magazine was issuing its ranking of party schools. CU rated a special category with the note: How do your rate rank amateurs with a bunch of professionals ... well, I can attest, it was party hearty there, although I was too poor to participate most of the time. This here list, CU doesn’t even break the top ten.

People see the strangest things in the images streaming back from Mars from Curiosity. Unless, Curiosity catches one on the move, I doubt it is more than an interesting rock formation that we are reading into it what we want to see.

In keeping with the review of history of the A-bomb used on Japan, this story's first paragraph sucks ... it is terribly untrue ... it took almost three years for the weapon to go from theory to a practical device ... not 90 days. The rest of it is relatively correct, given what I have learned from my history, political science and general reading over the years.

Which dovetails into this article about the future of the US nuclear ballistic submarine fleet. The question always has been will the missiles ever be launched - see the movie Crimson Tide for an interesting look at that dilemma. Are they really a deterrent ... and if so, how many does the US need.

This column has a ring of truth to it ... as well as being supported by some links to actual data ... because in the many years at the news helm of various newspapers, it became readily apparent that possession often was a catch-all charge to get a conviction on something, if the defendant agreed to plead guilty.

In this pro-America-is-the bad-guy story on carbon emissions, it actually admits a) it is complicated ... b) China emits more than we do, with Russia and India rapidly closing in.  Well, the president has decided that the US will be the one to pay for a) past sins and b) to lead the way ... regardless of how many people it throws out of work.

Food for thought that ties Cecil the Lion, immigration and abortion together with progressives. Please think about the thesis, however, as it pertains to the future of the United States and the rule of law.

Interesting article on the sin of homosexuality from a truly Christian perspective ... unfortunately those at either end don't get the message. I do. And I try to explain that to people why it is possible to opposed same-sex marriages, but not hate or wish harm on those who wish to have one.

This is an interesting point, from a Christian point of view. The lesson to me is that in our instant gratification society today, we just can't understand why God doesn't immediately answer our prayers: Maybe God is saying that we aren't ready for his answer ... and then again, sometimes his non-answer leads us to new revelations and new relations.

Since this is the anniversary of the start of Persian Gulf War I, here is an interesting first person account of some of the lessons learned .... it is a good read.

Whether it is the Pope's "ideological colonization" or "21st Century imperialism", the president and the progressives in the US seem ready to do the same thing they accuse neo-conservatives of doing: Trying to remake the world in America's image. Some times I think Americans just cannot learn from history ... recent or ancient ... and we cling to things that just don't work ... like socialism/communism ... and now LGBT rights.

A hopeful view of Iran and the nuclear deal. While I understand her point, at the same time, rhetoric repeated over time becomes perceived reality. And I noted she said nothing about the continued existence of Israel. I guess the demise of the Jewish state is a non-negotiable demand.

This offers a different perspective, if a bit hopeful, of the political future of Iran ... it is a mixed bag.

Another exercise that illustrates that Congress, particularly Democrats, is loath to protect its prerogatives. Democrats, unfazed by the way the Iran deal was handled and unwilling to consider it on its merits, have their leadership celebrating that despite a number of Democrats who are going to jump ship, they still will have the numbers to sustain a veto by President Obama. That really shows the hubris of Democrats.

Me thinks this person doth protest too much ... I think the only problem is that people who spend more money on left and right have a bigger megaphone than this person has. Still, I do not buy into the progressive notion that the government can regulate political speech, or how much is spent on it. I have real problems with how that violates the First Amendment and individual rights to spend their wealth as they see fit. But then, I am just a voice in the wilderness. All the hue and cry about  bribery and unfair access really ignores the fact that a) bribery is a crime (and if you can prove it you can send both the supporter and the politician to jail) and b) access always goes to those who support the elected official before those who opposed him or her. He was elected to represent his supporters, not his opponents ... but people tend to forget that.  And we are a republic, not a democracy, because our elected representatives are elected to represent their constituents (those who support them) rather than have all of us try to vote on every little thing needed to govern. So, Jimmy Carter wants to say we are ruled by an oligarchy since he got defeated. Sounds like sour grapes to me. And you want to take a lot of money out of politics: Axe the tax code that rewards individuals and groups with all sorts of benefits and get the federal government out of the position of trying to pick economic winners deserving of subsidies and those not deserving.

Fairly good article on how polarizing the broadcast media has been in the American culture. Unfortunately, it ignores the fact that the media always has been a polarizing factor in American politics going all the way back to middle of the 18th Century, before the Revolution, before the Constitution, and before everything else that has happened in the last 230 years.

I happen to agree with this commentary. I played a part of rebuilding the NCO corps in the 1970s and 1980s in the Army National Guard ... but what is happening is traditional in America. After the war, the politicians cripple the Army and we always pay the price the next time we have to have them on the line. Unfortunately, both sides are guilty this time, progressives and conservatives, Democrat and Republican. It is sad, but I have no sons to offer, and only one grandson (the stepson and the step-grandson are Canadians) to offer ... and as it stands now, I am hope my grandson doesn't become cannon fodder, rather (should he so choose) than a well-trained and motivated warrior.

And for those who think mankind has evolved past wars ... think again. Two ancient and evolved cultures are still struggling over a border ... with the potential that any conflict between the two could escalate quickly in a nuclear war.

And while the US struggles and dawdles over fielding new aircraft for a new world of combat, the Chinese just merrily go their happy way, quickly catching up to the US.

Well, I guess the Navy Reserve Centers are catching up with the War on Terror.

And the US sinks even deeper into the morass that is Syria ... again without Congressional authorization.

There is much irony to be seen in this story ... but then, I would like to see a similar crackdown on extremists on the West Bank and in Gaza by the governing authorities against Palestinian extremists .... nah, not going to happen.

My opinion of this WaPo expose on Sen. Graham ... well ... it isn't printable ... sorry, but I really get tired of cheap shots at reservists ... it is hard enough being active in the reserve components, much less facing the stuff you get heaped on you. Graham is no saint, but he was on the rolls and did participate, although not as much as his critics and those jealous of him wanted, even though Congressional representatives are exempt from serving, as is about half of the senior executive service inside the beltway, assuming they even volunteer.

Somewhat of a moot point since the Senate rejected the bill to defund Planned Parenthood, but still it does point out that, yes, Planned Parenthood is not an indispensible institution and if it went away tomorrow, there are a lot of groups and organizations that could gear up, and step up to fill the gap.

The Little Sisters and their battle for the freedom of conscience ... unfortunately, I suspect that the future is not good for the Little Sisters, or any of the other groups trying to protect the freedom to practice your religion. Of course, the real fun will begin when the Muslims try to impose Sharia law and the SCOTUS has to balance that right versus traditional English Common Law and statutory law rules that govern the United States.

Damn those billionaires .... they are stealing our political language

Got to keep track of all those evil rich people who attend any function sponsored by the Satanic Koch brothers.

Then take a number and get in line ... nope, can't do that ... not in the United States if you are fleeing something somewhere else.

I would expect a lot of this to be taken out of context ... because it is rhetorically extreme ... but then one should pause to think about the substance of the author's argument.

Interesting explanation of why fighting for the Confederacy was not always the same as fighting to preserve slavery ... at least in the minds of many of the soldiers of time.

I have two points here: If we are going to go to war with China - cyber or real, because cyber has real effects - then I think the Obama Administration and Congress need to do some serious talking. War is war, and it really doesn't make a hill of beans of difference if you are throwing darts, spears, bullets, cannonballs, missiles or electrons, it still is war. And if the US "retaliates" against China's attack ... and yes, it was an attack, just like Pearl Harbor or the sinking of the Rueben James. Wars should not be fought with half measures and proportional responses ... that only perpetuates them. Second, why do we always have the New York Times telling our enemies and everyone else what our strategy and tactics are going to be ... this ain't a game folks ... and it quickly could wind up with real people dying real deaths.

Why don't defense contractors do 'Cyber" ... because a) it is hard, b) it doesn't bring in a lot of money, and c) because it puts them, instead of warriors on the front line ... they would rather stand back and pass the ammunition, etc., to the warriors and let them do the fighting.

Even though you are a captive ... you can still fight back. Some examples. My favorite is #4, who has been one of my personal heroes since I was in high school.

And last but not least on tonight's list is this story ... and there is nothing goofy about dogs and their people ... unless it is the people who sometimes act pretty goofy. But I have had wonderful bonds with the dogs who adopted me and became a part of my life ... a few cats too, but the dogs seem more special.

Suggested readings for Aug. 2, 2015

Note: Each block of text actually is a link to a story or a web page that I am commenting on. Click on that text and it will take you to the page being referred to.

Another ration of interesting articles, etc. for you to peruse … and I hope you find thought provoking, if not fodder for thought.

A tribute to the men and women who served in Vietnam, so many years ago. I have some clue how wounds of service can seem to go unhealed.

For those of us who grew up on him, he remains an icon of the good guy standing up in sneaky ways.

The war on police officers continues ... I don't know what else to say.

Two young people get to meet their hero in person ... sweet story ... especially since heroes today seem to be in such short supply

Go Scaled Composites! I hope this behemoth does everything the Scaled Composites people want and then some. They are so innovative in their thinking.

Sad commentary on American politics today ... it has become such a furball fight ...

Ok, the first of a series of story on the lion saga. First: Contrary to internet hysteria, Jericho is still alive, although it is questionable whether he is Cecil's brother, or just brother-in-arms.

It seems a lot of Zimbabweans could give a rat's derriere if some lion got killed. They got bigger problems.

PETA however has its panties in a wad and want's the hunter executed for killing a lion.

The government of Zimbabwe, ever on the look out for things to distract the world from Mugabe's dictatorship, claims it wants another hunter extradited back to face charges ...

A very tongue in cheek what-if about Cecil the Lion

Gee, the Earth's magnetosphere goes back more than 4 billion years ...

This sounds like something out of Animal Farm ... give me a break ... are the classless communists/socialists really making that big a comeback in our society?  How many times does a system have to fail for people to realize its basic premises are false and entirely unworkable?

MH 370 debris might not tell us much ... other than the plane crashed, and we already knew that.

I am not going to go into crisis mode over this. As far back as I can remember, California has been one great big tinderbox and wildfires have the capacity to be monsters.

The funny thing about this story is its assumptions. But I guess it just applies to the "professional class" and not the rest of the plebian world.

The problem with this editorial in defense of Planned Parenthood is that it bases its argument solely on the first video, and then morphs into an attack on people who are opposed to abortions. Look, I accept that women in the US have a right to have an abortion up to the 14th week of their pregnancy - the SCOTUS has said that is so and I will not challenge it - but I do wonder at what point the life form in the womb becomes "human" and at what point does that human become entitled to all the rights and protections due a citizen of the United States. Unfortunately, the pro-abortionists never seem to want to answer that question with any specific definition.

An excellent job of parsing the language, however, like the above referenced editorial by the New York Times, it suffers from the same defects. Now, what bothers me is that it does not answer the revelations in videos released later and it repeats the canard that Planned Parenthood receives no federal dollars for its abortion centers. If that is the case, then I really hope there is no co-mingling of funds received from its federal grants with any of the funds it receive from any other sources, or that blows that whole argument out of the water.

More questions about the role of Planned Parenthood ... ok, if they are not doing something illegal, they apparently admit they are doing everything they can to get right up to the edge. Is that moral? Is that right? Just asking these questions because I don't know.

This story actually makes me kind of laugh ... Rep. Paul doesn't want the GOP to go to the wall and shut down the government over funding Planned Parenthood, because even if it passed over the objections of the president and the Liberal Democrats, it would be the actions of the Democrats that would shut the government down ... or wasn't that what we were told when the Republicans threatened the exact same tactics a few years ago. Darn, I really get so tired of this bovine scatology.

Sanders is Obi Wan? I really am amazed that the socialist doctrine still has followers - Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot ... heck even Hitler was a National Socialist. The EU is going bankrupt ... and people still think socialism is the way to go?

Now you can take Bernie Sanders position two ways ... but unfortunately, neither are any good. Folks, even those of you who think the Constitution should "evolve", the Second Amendment really is the last defense against tyranny ... but then if tyranny is your thing to keep all those stupid masses from hurting themselves, well, I guess the world is your platter.

It seems that at least some Brits would like our president to shut up and butt out of the internal politics of their nation. ... It won't stop President Obama, he is on a roll.

Shifting focus to Iran ... and, remind me now, why is we are supposed to trust these people and not take them at their word?

Oh, yeah, this is the reason why ... I forgot ... but then I don't think US or Israeli nukes are going to being aimed at urban centers ... that strategy died even before the Cold War ended.

But then it seems, the French are busy talking out both sides of their mouths again ... I wonder which story is true?

Deal or no deal ... I guess the bomb is getting to be more of a threat.

Speaking of war and nuclear weapons ... it is time for the usual round of stories about the impact of the bomb on Japan.

The ins and outs of who is fighting whom and who is bombing who ... gives a whole new meaning to the the old term Byzantine

I guess this strategy of President Obama just went in the crapper ... cannon fodder ... such a quaint term.

Oh my goodness! I think the world has just come to an end. Those evil Koch Brothers are calling for an end of "corporate welfare." Gasp, say it ain't so. You mean stop using government tax breaks, credits, etc., and doling out federal subsidies to special interests in the corporate world. I think I am going to faint. But then, maybe we should do that with then entire federal tax codes and payoffs to special interests.

The Teflon Dame ... ain't this the truth?

And while we get all emotionally involved in events in the past that this group or that group, etc., should apologize for ... consider this column ...

Understand, I am all for reducing emissions ... call it enlightened self-interest. But at the same time, I am sorry, but wind and solar really aren't ready to pick up the slack that you get if you destroy all the coal-fired electrical plants in the US ... regardless of what it will do to the economies in coal-mining regions. You know there are only so many call centers that are needed. Besides, I fail to see the logic of crippling our economy while others just keep adding more plants. Final note: I posted a piece by the co-founder of Greenpeace on the perils of carbon dioxide the other day ... I commend it to your viewing.

And last, but definitely not least, 91-year-old George HW Bush is recovering nicely from trying to break his neck. Big salute from this old Desert Shield/Desert Storm trooper.

 

Suggested Readings for Aug. 1, 2015

Note: Each block of text actually is a link to a story or a web page that I am commenting on. Click on that text and it will take you to the page being referred to.

EEEK! What happened to July, not to mention the first seven months of this year … it all seems to be going by way too fast. I hope you have the time and energy to pause and to reflect on some of the articles below. Feel free to comment and/or chastise me on my wayward ways with my commentary that leads you to the links.

I found this commentary rather interesting, because it points out a rather painful truth that tends to explain certain inequalities. Different groups have different spending, saving and investing habits and that directly correlates to how much wealth they accrue. Maybe the fault, dear Brutus, lies not within others but within the way we invest our results of our labors.

On this issue, I happen to agree with Mr. West. I think the Navy is doing a major disservice to this officer (and probably the Marine who is equally as guilty apparently). But I predicted it would happen, because the denizens of the Puzzle Palace (the Pentagon and inside the Beltway) have rules that have to be applied no matter how many lives were saved by breaking the rules.

I personally think this federal judge who enjoined CMP from publishing anymore of its Planned Parenthood videos has his head up so far his derriere it ain't even funny. Not to mention, Public Citizen apparently found some political contributions in his recent past that shed light on his political leanings which may or may not have influenced his ruling from the bench. Still, I think 1st Amendment attorneys from every major news organization should be all over this in a heartbeat and just waiting for the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to open its doors on Monday with a flood of filings to overturn this injunction. There is so much precedent to support rebuking the judge, it ain't funny ... but I doubt very seriously that they will be that many, because the progressives are just begging for this story to go away.

A criticism of FACTCHECK.ORG's report on the CMP videos. Being a skeptic, I question both sides, but it seems that the CMP are going the extra mile with releasing unedited versions of the video and transcripts ... tends to make the defenders of PP look more like spinners and parsers ala Bill Clinton and his famous statement: It depends on what the definition of is is

Bad Cop! I knew this about Ontario (where it is legal to go topless in public) ... from my pretty wife who has taught me so much on what it means to be a Canadian ... which one of my Grandfathers was ... does that make me an honorary Canadian?

Gee, it seems that the US is not the only country with border security issues with illegal migrants trying to avoid the legal ways of doing things ... maybe we could enlist the Mexican government like the Brits have enlisted the French and are trying to enlist the whole EU ... oops ... that is right, we are talking about the Mexican government here and the Democrats and progressives on the US side who want to just throw the borders open to everyone.

Does it strike anyone as a bit odd, that Mrs. Clinton worked at a job for about five of those years whose taxable wage was capped at about $200K per year? Gee, I didn't know selling books and giving speeches could bring Bill over $130 million in seven years .... that is almost $20 million a year ... wow!

Expensive colleges ... well, they are all private schools. Side note: My mother's father attended and graduated from Oberlin College Seminary and her mother attended, but apparently did not get a degree from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music a century ago. I bet it wasn't quite as expensive way back when.

So the trooper in the arrest of Brand was an asshole ... he didn't kill her ... so it really is sort of irrelevant ... unless you just want to blame the DPS for her death ... which, once he transferred her to the custody of the Waller County Sheriff's Office's jail, the DPS was out of it.

Baltimore out of control ... and nary a Republican in sight to blame it on. Sorry, Democrats and progressives, you own this one. You have controlled the city for almost 50 years ... and any problems there are due to your policies not working. Don't blame the federal government, it was the city's job and liberal policies have just not met the test.

I hate to say it, but this illustrates exactly why socialism and raising salary floors don't work ... sorry, folks, but as the person in story explains it, why work hard when it gets you nothing or even knocked back down to the same pay rung as people who don't contribute as much?

When you think about war's impact on Europe, even just in the last century, try wrapping your head around these figures about wars fought in Asia, especially over the last century (but the earlier ones seem to have been real bloodbaths in a category all their own)

This update on Curiosity on Mars ... well ... what can one really say ... this is great and great science ... besides being just down right neato cool.

Well, DUH! ... It seems Daimler-Chrysler did this study on EVs and found that for them to be accepted a whole lot of education needs to go on ... eh-yup ... that is for sure. Of course, what works in Europe, won't necessarily work in the US, despite what urban progressives want to believe.

I think Ted Cruz really must have Democrats and other denizens of the Left really worried, or they wouldn't being making such attacks. I suppose, he is all these things, but then I think the author is being a disingenuous to say that our current president isn't guilty of many of the same crimes, as are many of the top ranking Democratic Congressional leadership. Oh, that is inconvenient ... let's see how we can spin that another way so it doesn't look so bad for the Left ...

Gee, the Chinese are looking at adding three nuclear-powered super-carriers ... who'd a thunk it? Besides, I wonder if they stole the plans for the electro-magnetic cataputs from the Ford ... nah, they wouldn't stoop to that, Footnote: we borrowed the angled deck and steam catapult ideas from the Brits.

This is a little deep for me ... but I remember postulating in philosophy class in junior college, that is you had a computer big enough and powerful enough and fast enough, then you could calculate what your destiny was by taking into account for all the variables (down to gamma rays) and factoring that into some set of rule system ... this sounds similar..

Time for A-Bomb anniversary stories  - Basically, this is factually true ... however, if Truman hadn't dropped the bomb, would the Russians decide to declare war at that moment? That we will never know. As for the casualty figures, I seem to remember the million dead figure came from the estimated number of Japanese dead if the invasion came to pass ... given the American experiences on Saipan, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. As for just continuing the bombing campaign with conventional forces, it ignores that ground troops would have to go in at some juncture and without the shock effects of the bomb and the Russian declaration, it probably would not have been unopposed given the unconditional surrender demand ... which by that time was pretty much a non-negotiable issue with Americans.

Tesla S in a drag race? Not quite enough ponies, but still it is a quick starter ... and if they get Ludicrous Mode working, apparently even faster off the start line ... it is just the sustained top end doesn't compare. My question: why would anyone want to go that fast in a street-legal car?

North Korea's Kim Jong-Un rattling his sabers again ... I suppose one of these days he might just swing the damn thing ... at which point all bets are off and he probably will get handed his own head ... after causing untold numbers of dead throughout the Korean Peninsula and other destruction.

Well, it will be interesting to watch how the State Department, et al, wiggle out of this mess ... assuming the judge continues to stick to his guns.

All good reasons to love Israel ... and want to see it survive

I love this pics (a few bring back my own memories) and especially the Band of Brothers shot.

As this commentator points Alexis de Tocqueville was an amazingly prescient man ... and what we are seeing now is the product of the pitfalls he warned us about.

Interesting story ... sounds as if we are being played for fools again ... not all that surprising these days.

I know this story is meant be just rhetorical questioning ... but the questions really are rather valid.

Thought provoking essay ... at least to me ... and one that makes me sigh with sadness.

And unfortunately - obscured by all the smoke and political posturing and spinning - there is enough corruption here, to borrow a favorite phrase around here, to sink a battleship.

And last but definitely least ... we all too often forget - since it has dropped of the national media's radar - that we still have thousands of American service members going in harm's way on a daily basis in Afghanistan and Iraq ... lest we forget this brave people.

Suggesting reading list for July 31, 2015

Note: Each block of text actually is a link to a story or a web page that I am commenting on. Click on that text and it will take you to the page being referred to.

Another day of news and views gleaned from my internet surfing. I hope you find them interesting and thought provoking.

Interesting video lesson on the role CO2 plays on planet earth, from the co-founder of Greenpeace.  Of course since it does not adhere to the current catastrophic global warming narrative, I guess the progressives, et al, will dismiss it and say he doesn't know what he is talking about.

The progressive view of President Obama. Well, I am not going to leap to the defense of any of the Republicans ... but I will point out something: As a Congressional force, they are doing nothing different than when Democrats wielded control of Congress and a Republican sat in the Oval Office.  It seems progressives have selective memories when it comes to that.

A little reminder how progressives treated George W. Bush ... and basically got a pass ... sorry, the hypocrisy is a bit much.

Yet another example of how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is tanking ... from a federal government audit.

US spies on Japan; What Wikileaks fails to point out, ad nauseum, is that all governments (friends, foes, otherwise) spy on each other. If you don't understand that, then you are clueless about the real world. You spy on your friends so they don't pull any surprises on you and they spy on you for the same reason. It really is a jungle out there folks, and you had better understand that. No Marquis de Queensbury rules apply in international relations.

A very valid point about the brouhaha over the death of Cecil the Lion. Hint, it ain't about the lion.

Another example of the Obama administration undermining the rule of law and efforts to make it accountable.

Maybe the federal judicial branch finally is going to stand up to the Obama Administration and force it to stop fiddle-farting around and ignoring the rule of law

As the evidence of malfeasance in the Obama Administration continues to mount ... why aren't people being charged by the DOJ and going to jail?

Given Hillary's track record as illustrated in the latest IG reports, it amazes me that the Democrats are still touting her as presidential timber ... give me a break.

I definitely don't think the Iranians are reading off the same sheet of music on the Iran Nuclear Deal as President Obama and his staff and John Kerry. Big disconnect here that I don't think is just a glitch in translations.

The twists and turns of fate as Afghanistan tries to deal with the demise of Mullah Omar ... could ISIS be the real winner.

More on Hillary's e-mails and how she is just not telling the truth.

As this commentary points out, the California superior court judge blocking release of one of the Planned Parenthood expose tapes really needs a course in First Amendment law ... his restraining order should go down in flames.

This story about Putin and his plans puts a scary twist on it all ... is he really gearing his people up to justify a war? I sure hope not ... may it all be just a bit of bluster.

A progressive response to Republicans oppose the Iran deal ... hmmm, it doesn't mention the Democrats that also oppose it. I would point out a number of things: A. First and foremost, this is not a treaty, so don't make is sound like one. If it was, then it would HAVE to go to the Senate for advice and consent and that is why it is not a treaty because Obama probably would lose that battle. Second, there are no moderates in positions of political power in Iran ... and you are deluding yourself if you think there are. Third, to accept the deal, you have to accept an awful lot of what the Iranians are supposed to do on faith ... and given their track record in the past, that house of faith is build on a mound of sand.

Donald Trump's call for mass deportations make a great sound bite ... and while I support the concept, unfortunately actually trying to do it would be extremely difficult if not impossible

This HuffPo commentary is an example of the coarsening of America ... there was a time when people actually took pride in their appearance ... but that is too passe today ... too judgmental ... but is also undermining civility in our society with a lack of respect ... for anyone or anything

And I leave you tonight with these words of wisdom ...

Suggested Reading list for July 30, 2015

Note: Each block of text actually is a link to a story or a web page that I am commenting on. Click on that text and it will take you to the page being referred to.

Another collection of articles for you to peruse, and perhaps to think about. I hope you do, as I found each one carried its own message/lesson to learn for the day. Of course, you are free and welcome to disagree with the commentary I have attached to each one … but as always, I would like to know the reason why, so leave a comment either here or on my Facebook Page so I can at least reconsider my follies.

First off tonight is an excellent commentary by George Will on the arrogant mendacity of our President and his administration that really is striking at the core of the foundation of the United States: The Rule of Law.

The misplaced priorities of this story reflects the truth of Stalin's observation that a single death is a travesty and a tragedy ... even if it is just an African lion ... while the deaths of millions at the hands of the abortionists at Planned Parenthood is merely an inconsequential statistic.

Mr. Greenberg, in his usual manner, points out the President was being more than a bit disingenuous in portraying the Iran deal as a choice between war and peace ... there always was the option of continued or even increased sanctions.

Another commentary on how President Obama's arrogance keeps him from recognizing the "cultural imperialism" he is trying to impose on Africa.

I would have more sympathy for Amnesty, Al Jazeera and the Palestinians, if at the same time they would acknowledge the reason for these attacks and how indiscriminate the Hamas and Hezbollah attacks on Israel are. Can't condemn one, without condemning the other ... and you do realize that there is a "war" going on here. Whether you consider it declared or undeclared, it is a war ... and sometimes in war people die.

An interactive map to the Israel attacks in Gaza. Question: Where is the corresponding map showing the Hamas rocket and mortar attacks on Israel?

This headline on this story about Jihadist wars is quite accurate. In fact the Jihadi war on the other civilizations , including Western and Christian civilizations started about 1300 years ago ... and never really abated.

Interesting that California sees fit to enjoin the producers of the anti-Planned Parenthood videos, rather than enjoin the practices revealed in the undercover videos.

How dumb do they think we are? Pretty damn dumb. That is why there is no uproar in those National Media outlets about the outrages being revealed about the abortion practices of Planned Parenthood.

For the same reason above, Bill and Hillary will continue to get their pass and get out of jail free cards.

Victor David Hanson makes excellent sense, as usual, which is precisely why it isn't going to happen, and the pitfalls he foresees will happen ...

You see what happens when you try to help people ... they throw you out as a threat to the regime. Why is that not surprising? Hey, look people, to borrow a phrase used earlier, a lot of rulers don't like our cultural imperialism and want to take our ideas about free speech, freedom of religions, open governance and rooting out corruption as a personal affront.

This is the latest WaPo view on the NGOs from the US getting asked to leave Russia.

As if there wasn't enough flash points around the globe, it seems that India and Pakistan are just waiting for things to get out of control on their disputed borders ... any bets on whether it goes nuclear or not this time?

Turkey's war on terrorism ... this makes for a very muddled scorecard for the Middle East and trying to sort the good guys from the bad guys ... or at least who is worth our backing and who isn't.

Is this another case of America abandoning our allies? Dang, you think the Kurds - who basically love Americans after the no-fly zones and the US help in overthrowing Saddam – would know this was coming and they are going to get the short shrift ... just like any other ally the current administration wants to spit in the face of as a reward for the loyal help in the past.

Two points for Canada and Israel

Good grief, the DOD is still working on this. I can remember being told 25 years ago that a soldier's dog tag would soon be replaced by the equivalent of a thumb drive to be worn around his neck that would have his medical and personnel records on it ... and they just now are getting around to letting a $10 billion-plus contract to move digital records another step toward that end. Something is dreadfully wrong with the procurement process.

Oopsie ... another story on Gen. Dempsey saying things that would be a career killer, except he retires in another month. I hope he is being honest now.

In case you hadn't anticipated this, this is the real reason the Obama administration plans to close Guantanamo Bay's detention facility and probably the base itself. Oh well, he is our president.

I guess somebody forgot to tell these people that the Capitol actually is built on what was a swamp ... not that that might have anything to do with anything. The important thing is to get us all to panic, destroy our economy and as many lives (preferably poor people who don't read the Huff Po) as we can.

Unfortunately, examples like this actually are true and not just hypothetical nightmares. George Orwell, you were so right ... and we are about to be crushed by political correctness.

Medicare and the law of unintended consequences plus the inevitably of changing circumstances ... at what point does it become too expensive? And the comment about the emptiness of the "trust funds" should have been painfully obvious going way back.

Like this judge got major coverage on the nets and the metro papers ... not. Now, just imagine if the IRS official had been in a Republican administration and how that would have dominated the news. If that doesn't discourage you, then the scoffing at the law so prevalent in the Obama Administration means little to you, even though it potentially could destroy the country.

Interesting commentary how GOP candidates Trump, Cruz and Fiorina are seizing back the terms of the debate from "the media", much to the "media's" discomfort. In a way, they are, as the author points out, actually doing the rest of us a service.

From the Economist: Actually, I think the subhead should apply to all countries at all stages of development ... but then, I suppose that would be politically incorrect to point out.

The question is: Could a Sino-Russian alliance against Europe really survive, given the ego of Russia's leader and the goals of China's leadership.

Gee, how bad. The guy is planning a march for Gay Pride in a Muslim neighborhood and the local LGBT people are upset because it might not be welcomed there. But it is ok to go to other neighborhoods and ram Gay Pride down their throats and accuse them of being homophobic if they say anything but bow down with hosannas. Somehow, for some reason, that logic bothers me.

Another case for always knowing how to hit a target, even at extreme ranges, with iron sights ... at least iron sights can't be hacked. They can get bent or banged up ... but a shooter would see that

And two points for Fox News on its GOP presidential candidate debate ... at least all will get some airtime ... and that really is how presidential debates ought to be run ... even in the general election: Not just the Democrat and Republican candidates, but all candidates who are on enough ballots in enough states to win the electoral college ... not that that would ever happen, but it would a lot fairer and do the voters a lot more service than the dog and pony shows they put on now.

Suggested reading list for July 29, 2015

Note: Each block of text actually is a link to a story or a web page that I am commenting on. Click on that text and it will take you to the page being referred to.

Once again, into the breach: Here are articles I commend to your reading.

Mullah Omar is supposedly dead ... and has been since 2013. Well, good riddance to bad rubbish ... and hopefully the death of the leader of the Afghan Taliban will help solve that nation's divisions. I have a special place in my heart for Afghanistan due to a man named Nassimi who by father befriended long ago. I only hope the Mullah doesn't resurface with the classic Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain line: The reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.

And the mystery of Malaysian Air Flight 370 goes on and on ... is this a tantalizing clue to what happened to the plane.

More information on the death of Sandra Bland in Texas ... I wish most people would understand we need to wait for the investigation to conclude before accusing the police, or the jail, of misconduct.

From Venezuela: This is devastating news and, actually, revolts have been spawned for lesser reasons.

Interesting article in the local newspaper on the homeless ... two things struck me: A. that this is a long term situation - they have been here for generations (note the reference to the Hobo Jungle, which is a term from the 1940s and 1950s) and B.  it seems the majority of the people involved are choosing not to avail themselves of what services, however limited, are available ... that is their choice ... they should have to live with it and not expect others to provide for them. I know that is cruel ... but are we to force them to accept help?

South China Sea - Very interesting article on things that the US can do to deal with China. The one assumption I would challenge is that nations respond to rules ... and they don't. Maybe someday, but today, whether it is in Asia, or Europe, or the Middle East, we are seeing conflicts and threats of conflicts in order to expand or contract spheres of influence.

South China Sea - It seems that China is doing a little saber rattling. Any one other than its neighbors watching and appreciating what is being done here?

It seems the Swedes finally are going to get a grip on one of those mini-subs it keeps telling people about. Of course, the question is: Just how long has it been sitting there on floor of the Baltic Sea?

Specter the Gunship could be going high tech and non-lethal ... the good old AC130J continues to labor on.

Reform military acquisitions ... gasp ... if Congress passes this, listen for the Democrats and the bureaucrats to howl like stuck pigs.

South China Sea - Obama policy? What policy? How not to win friends and influence enemies (or at least competitors for power)

John Kerry - When it is expedient, ignore the law, the Constitution and the process because you can’t get your way.

South China Sea - Interesting outline of what China's long term goals are. One must remember, the Chinese are not like the Americans, who seem enamored with instant gratification and next quarter's bottom line. The Chinese think in longer terms, much longer terms ... like years and decades. The Chinese are patient, whereas Americans are impatient. China also has a 6000-year tradition that it falls back on. They are planning for 2040s and beyond, while Americans have trouble focusing on the latest celebrity dustup between Taylor Swift and Katy Perry. 

This story about current job compensation trends is an excellent example of the instant gratification society. It also pretty much renders the wage debate obsolete, but then I doubt those with wealth envy will make that connection.

Discovering life not on Earth ... I am sorry, but if anyone ever thought we were alone ... they were wrong ... and despite the contentions of Secular Humanists and Atheists, it does not preclude the existence of God - I always found it so limiting for those who read which every translation they read of any holy text and say that it does not allow for life elsewhere. My personal view is that God would not be so limited ... and it really is a big universe out there that God has created with all its myriad of rules that we continue to discover.

This commentary is rather a scathing indictment of the erosion of free speech and freedom of conscience in New England states, particularly Massachusetts. Given the political climate up here, I don't find it all that surprising that individual liberty, rights and responsibilities are under assault.

An interesting convergence on two issues, seemingly unrelated, but an indictment none the less of the progressive views. You can take it for what it is worth. I find value in the author's points, you may not.

Governed by Zealots ... I love the new acronym BANANA ... to replace NIMBY.

Interesting slant on a defensive use of a gun ... not that it will be reported on

Now the question is ... how serious is this woman.

One view of Islam, apparently as it is practiced in Pakistan. Now, I know this is not universal, but it seems to widespread, which leads to the question: Where can you compromise with this?

On Mike Huckabee ... please note the sarcasm here ... it is in full throat.

Oh the foibles and follies of racial identities ... would that we would just let them go and identify ourselves as human ... and those residing as citizens of the United States simply as Americans, with equal treatment before the law and everything else.

As the commentator in this article says: Who the freak cares? Why is this even mentioned anywhere?

Suggested Readings for July 28, 2015

Note: Each block of text actually is a link to a story or a web page that I am commenting on. Click on that text and it will take you to the page being referred to.
I hope you find this edition interesting and educational. Of course, you are welcome to disagree. I would not have it otherwise. If so inclined leave your comments here or on my Facebook Page. The choice is yours.

Interesting report on the efforts of the ISIS's public affairs office reaching out to other Arabs to encourage them about the benefits of the new Caliphate.

Another story about ISIS, this one trying to explain the attraction of ISIS to westerners who travel as pilgrims to join. It is interesting to me, because - in a way - it sort of explains the attitude of the Left, particularly progressives, toward the traditional American culture based on English Common Law and the rule of law ... which - whether you want to agree or not - really is under tremendous assault by progressives and liberals these days.

Assuming the numbers in this story are correct (since they are citing federal sources and the Pew Institute), it it does pose an interesting dilemma: If all the illegals in the workforce were sent packing, would the unemployed Americans be willing to pick up the slack. And if they were hesitant, the how high would wages have to go to entice them? Think about that for awhile.

I offer this link not because I am endorsing this site ... but because the first two paragraphs speak a truth that is so glaring. In fact, 25 years I was pointing out to people that this is the very reason that "friendly" fire incidents happen even in the highest and well-trained soldiers.

This commentary echoes a feeling I have been having with the situation in the Middle East for some time. And yes, I agree, that Obama is making pacts with the Devil over there and those deals are going to drag us into a quagmire that probably rival George Jr.'s misadventures.

Time on the war in Syria: Round and Round We Go, Deeper and Deeper We Go.

In the world? I suppose ... but I do think the key point in this survey was the comment: "The incumbent president is nearly always the winner of the most admired distinction, having placed first in all but 12 of the 68 years the question has been asked." And I am not all that certain that in some quarters in Kenya he is all that popular right now.

OOPSIE, I guess the President is not all that popular in China right now either. Well, that subtracts one-sixth of the world's population from the positive column

This article from StratFor offers a rather interesting perspective on how to consider geopolitics and its role in the Middle East.

Another point of view on US forces going to Turkey

The scary thing about the North Koreans is trying to figure out how serious to take them.

With due respect to the unalloyed brilliance of Dr. Hawking, Mr. Musk and Mr. Wozniak, but the genie is out of the bottle, gentleman. And if history has taught us anything, if it can be build/done, it will be done ... and yes used for nefarious, malevolent and evil purposes. No amount of posturing is going to change that.

I really do find it sad that Muslim-American actors seem to find them stereotyped ... but then, when I stop and think about it, Americans are stereotyped all the time in films made in other countries. I suppose the Left is protesting that as well ... ah ... no, you say. Sad, I guess ... but then I think of the British gentleman I meet every so often who has me stereotyped as a cowboy because I like to wear broad-brimmed style hats on sunny days.

Oh my goodness, a pro-supply side economics article on the Huffington Post ... is the world coming to an end? The same prescription also should be applied to the federal government and any number of state governments. Now, imagine, if Puerto Rico actually was a state, this waving the rules would be moot ... and besides, isn't it more than a bit racist to exploit Puerto Rican labor that way? Oh, and in case you missed it, the Puerto Ricans passed a referendum a while back asking to be admitted as a state.

And if you didn't know, this is why the rank and file out there are pretty much fed up with the inside the beltway establishment leadership of the Republican party.

This is in response to something that happened on some TV talk show ... I agree, is there any doubt the hue and cry that would have been raised had the roles been reversed. Hypocrisy rides again.

This is rather telling ... and probably while the United States really is doomed, as the Left continues to trash its history, culture and tradition.

Paul Greenberg is one of my favorite columnists (I used to work for the same newspaper chain he now does) and, as usual, he has a very valid point to make ... not that anyone is listening.

Mr. Williams, another columnist I like, makes a good point with his column here on Charleston and its aftermath.

And excellent review of why Trump is resonating, by Prof. Sowell. He is right, we are debating about the wrong things.

Here again is a story about the debate we should be having, but aren't, about women on the front lines.

I hope the Boy Scouts are willing to accept religious exceptions ... but given the attitude of take no prisoners with LGBT movement, I find it dubious.

And this project is an example why assimilation is being trashed in favor of multi-culturalism, which - in my humble opinion - will mean the death of freedom and liberty in the US - because the Balkanization with crush freedom of speech, freedom of conscience and religion and freedom of the press as too offensive and too full of micro-aggressions to be tolerated.

Please, pray tell me, that Secretary Kerry was not really implying that the President and he might opt not to obey the law. I am telling you, this administration appears to be doing its absolute level best to transform American by trashing the rule of law.

Yet another indictment of the VA health care system. Sorry, folks, go to government run health care and this is what you will get.

Take if for what it is worth ... but then again, maybe, article has its facts correct and the accepted narrative really is false.

Ms Paglia always strikes a chord with me ... and this one really resonates.

A counter to the liberal/progressive mantra that the defense budget needs to be slashed ... you know facts are irritating things sometimes.

An interesting commentary on the "subarming" of America. It makes a point that I have pointed out in the past on the meaning of the Second Amendment in historical terms