SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:47 P.M. ET: 

MR. MODESTY – From PJ Media:  "President Obama, speaking to an audience of mostly young people celebrating India’s Republic Day in New Delhi on Tuesday, told the crowd, 'I realize that the sight of an American president as your chief guest on Republic Day would have once seemed unimaginable. But my visit reflects the possibilities of a new moment.' He pointed out that he was the first American president to participate in the country’s Republic Day and boasted, 'And I’m the first American president to come to your country twice!'  The president went on to refer to himself an astonishing 118 times in the short 33-minute speech, touching on injustices in the United States and in his own personal life."  All about Barack.  He sees himself on Mount Rushmore.  Or on his own mountain.

MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE EVER – From Ahramonline:  "When Michelle Obama joined US President Barack Obama on his visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, many Saudis on Twitter focused on the fact that she was not wearing a headscarf rather than the outcome of the diplomatic visit.  The couple were visiting to offer condolences after the death of the late King Abdullah, and strengthen US ties with his successor King Salman. Members of the US delegation crossed party lines and included former Bush-era officials, according to AFP.  On Twitter, Saudis launched the hashtag #Michelle_Obama_NotVeiled in criticism of the first lady for not covering her hair.  In contrast to Saudi women, who are required to dress head-to-toe in black, Michelle Obama wore dark slacks and a blue top with her hair uncovered, reported AFP."  Does this mean World War III?

INSPIRING CONFIDENCE – From The New York Times:  "WASHINGTON — It was 42 degrees and raining lightly around 3 a.m. on Monday when an inebriated off-duty employee for a government intelligence agency decided it was a good time to fly his friend’s drone, a 2-foot-by-2-foot “quadcopter” that sells for hundreds of dollars and is popular among hobbyists.  But officials say the plan was foiled, perhaps by wind or a tree, when the employee — who has not been named by the Secret Service or charged with a crime — lost control of the drone as he operated it from an apartment just blocks from the White House.  He texted his friends, worried that the drone had gone down on the White House grounds, and then went to sleep. It was not until the next morning, when he woke and learned from friends that a drone had been found at the White House, that he contacted his employer, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. He then called the Secret Service and immediately began cooperating with an investigation into the incident."  Please sleep well tonight knowing that an inebriated intelligence agent who flies drones onto the White House lawn is keeping you safe. 

DECLINE OF THE WEST – From AFP:  "Dubai (AFP) - Dubai airport has soared ahead of London's Heathrow, riding a boom in long-haul flights between Asia and the West to become the world's top international travel hub, it said Tuesday.  Traffic at the airport increased 6.1 percent last year to 70.47 million passengers, Dubai Airports said, adding that it expected a further surge in traveller numbers in 2015.  Dubai International is home to Emirates, the Middle East's largest carrier, which along with Abu Dhabi's Etihad and Qatar Airways has seized a significant portion of travel between the West, Asia and Australasia."  All dictatorships.  How sad.

January 27,  2015