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JANUARY 3,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 9:45 P.M. ET:

THE MALAYSIAN AIRLINER – From Fox:  "AirAsia didn’t have permission to fly from Surabaya to Singapore on the Sunday morning that Flight 8501 crashed into the Java Sea, Indonesian officials said Saturday.  Shortly after Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said it had detected two large parts of the aircraft on the seabed, transport ministry spokesman J.A. Barata said the airline was only permitted to fly the route on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.  'So AirAsia has committed a violation of the route that has been given to them,' Barata told The Wall Street Journal. He said the company's flights from Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city, to Singapore had consequently been suspended on Friday."  Do you get the feeling that something is very wrong with Malaysian aviation?  Details to follow.

HIGH CULTURE NEWS – From the New York Post:  "In a bizarre twist in the Sony hacking scandal, a stunning singer signed to Sony Music has recorded a love song that applauds Kim Jong-un and disses 'The Interview' star James Franco.  Former Michael Jackson backup singer Judith Hill originally wrote the song to submit to Sony for its 'Interview' soundtrack. But when it didn’t make the cut — and the North Korean hacking scandal blew up — she changed the lyrics in attempt to mediate peace between North Korea and the US. Hill, who’s Japanese- and African-American, created 'A Love Letter to Kim Jong-un,' with lyrics playfully describing affection for the dictator while belittling Franco.  'You got me light as a feather,' goes the tune, 'you got me transcending heaven/So don’t be confused/James Franco ain’t got nothing on you.'
The catchy chorus continues: 'Kim Jong-un/James Franco got nothing on you/Yeah yeah/Kim Jong-un/James Franco got nothing on you.'"  Right up there with Irving Berlin and Cole Porter.

CHRIS'S PROBLEM – Probable Republican presidential contender Chris Christie has an embarrassment on his hands in his role as governor of New Jersey.  His record as governor would have to be one of his strongest selling points if he's going to compete successfully for the nomination.  But one of the best-known employers in Jersey, Mercedes-Benz, is thinking of leaving.  A major damage-control operation is underway.  From NorthJersey.com:  "New Jersey officials have offered Mercedes-Benz USA a 'substantial financial package' of incentives to try to keep the German auto company from moving its North American headquarters out of North Jersey, state Sen. Gerald Cardinale said on Friday.  Mercedes-Benz, which employs about 1,000 people in Montvale, has declined to comment on reports that it is considering a move south, possibly to Atlanta. The company has scheduled its annual president’s reception on Tuesday with employees at the Park Ridge Marriott, and some employees, speaking on the condition of anonymity, have speculated that the luxury-car maker might announce plans to move at that time. According to a source, Georgia is offering Mercedes-Benz tax incentives of $40 million to $50 million."  If Chris can't keep Mercedes, his image gets a big fender dent.

January 3, 2014       Permalink

DR. BEN PRESENTS HIMSELF – AT 11:50 A.M. ET:   Do not underestimate Dr. Ben Carson.  He is making noise.  He's out there every day.  He's getting better at presenting himself.  I don't think he has the political skill to be the presidential candidate of the GOP in 2016, but he might be a terrific vice-presidential candidate.   As a physician, he's zeroing in on Obamacare.  From the Washington Times: 

Noted conservative commentator and talked-about Republican presidential contender Ben Carson cut to the chase about the fate of Obamacare, saying there is absolutely no reason politicians can’t unravel, reinvent or outright repeal the health care plan — and those who say otherwise are selling a lie.

“Health care is a gigantic issue, and there’s no question that the system was broken and that we needed to do something about it,” Mr. Carson said on “America’s Forum” on Newsmax TV. “What we did not need to do is create another massive government program, and we need to be looking at different ways of taking care of it, putting responsibility back into the hands of patients and to their health care providers. There are things that can be done. We keep listening to people saying ‘the horse is out of the barn, you can’t get it back in there, end of story,’ [and] that’s a bunch of crap. We can do anything. This is America.”

Mr. Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, also decried how Obamacare shifted the role of power in the nation and took health care out of the hands of the people and put it into the control of government.

“The people are supposed to be at the pentacle,” he said, Newsmax reported. “The government is supposed to conform to our will, not us to their will.”

COMMENT:  Americans like that kind of language.  Very Reaganesque, if I may say so.

The guy is developing a terrific style.  He's raising money.  I just think he could easily become a factor.  And remember, even if he doesn't get a nomination, his support for another candidate can make the difference.

January 3, 2014       Permalink

ANOTHER WONDERFUL ALLY – AT 11:31 A.M. ET:  Remember when Obama bowed down to the Saudi king during his first term.  Apparently, it didn't get us much.  From London's Daily Mail:

Saudi Arabia's national airline is allegedly planning to separate male and female passengers on its flights, in accordance to strict rules enforced by the Gulf kingdom.

Gulf media report that Saudia will keep men and women segregated onboard, unless they are close relatives.

The move follows a spate of complaints from male fliers unwilling to allow other males to sit next to their wives and other female family members.

Complaints were also recently made when male passengers claimed a flight attendant was being too 'flirty'.

I have always worried about flirty flight attendants and their impact on American morality.  Let's confront this menace right now.

'There are solutions to this problem…we will soon enforce rules that will satisfy all passengers,' Saudia assistant manager for marketing Abdul Rahman Al Fahd, told Saudi daily, Ajel.

It is thought that the airline will include instructions to flight booking staff at Gulf airports to keep these new rules in place.

The carrier's policies are already in tune to the strict Islamic practices of Saudi Arabia: no alcoholic beverages or pork dishes are served onboard, a prayer of verse from the Quran is read before take off, and many international flights have a designated men's prayer area.

In addition, Saudia does not employ Saudi women as cabin crew, opting to recruit women from other countries such as Pakistan, the Philippines, Albania and Bosnia instead.

But moves are being made to employ females on the ground in November, the airline opened its fourth women's section staffed by entirely by females at its office in the Murooj district of Saudi capital, Riyadh.

COMMENT:  We await breathlessly the reaction of the State Department, and former Secretary Clinton, to gender segregation on Saudi aircraft.  Why do I think we'll be waiting a long time?

January 3, 2014       Permalink

NO DICE, APPARENTLY – AT 11:12 A.M. ET:  There's been heavy buzz around the internet in the last 48 hours that the U.S. and Iran have made progress toward a nuclear deal.  The Iranians have now thrown cold water on the reports.  From AP: 

Iran denied reports on Saturday that it had reached a tentative agreement with the US and other world powers on a formula that would rein in its nuclear program.

“Such media propaganda was made with political motivations and is basically aimed at damaging the atmosphere of the nuclear talks and further complicating the process to resolve the nuclear issues,”
said spokeswoman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry Marziyeh Afkham, according to IRNA news agency.

On Friday, the Associated Press reported that two diplomats it spoke to said that negotiators at the December round of nuclear talks drew up for the first time a catalog outlining areas of potential accord and differing approaches to remaining disputes.

The AP reported that the diplomats said Iran and the United States have tentatively agreed on a formula that Washington hopes will reduce Tehran’s ability to make nuclear arms by committing it to ship to Russia much of the material needed for such weapons.

Oh swell.  Our security would depend on an arrangement between those two great friends, Moscow and Tehran.  How 'bout including North Korea, just for fun. 

The diplomats said differences still dominate ahead of the next round of Iran-six power talks on Jan. 15 in Geneva. But they suggested that even agreement to create a to-do list would have been difficult previously because of wide gaps between the sides.

Iran denies it wants nuclear arms, but it is negotiating with the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany on cuts to its atomic program in hope of ending crippling sanctions. The talks have been extended twice due to stubborn disagreements.

The main conflict is over uranium enrichment, which can create both reactor fuel and the fissile core of nuclear arms. In seeking to reduce Iran’s bomb-making ability, the US has proposed that Tehran export much of its stockpile of enriched uranium — something the Islamic Republic has long said it would not do.

The diplomats said both sides in the talks are still arguing about how much of an enriched uranium stockpile to leave Iran. It now has enough for several bombs, and Washington wants substantial cuts below that level.

But the diplomats said the newly created catalog lists shipping out much of the material as tentatively agreed upon. The diplomats, who are familiar with the talks, spoke to the AP recently and demanded anonymity because they are not authorized to comment on the closed negotiations.

COMMENT:  The great fear among adults in the United States is that Obama will cave in, and make a terrible deal to advance his "legacy," whatever that is.  I have no doubt that, if any kind of deal is reached, even a bad one, normalization with Iran will begin, and Obama will go the Cuba route. 

January 3,  2014     Permalink

JANUARY 2,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:56 P.M. ET: 

WELL SAID – The great African-American scholar Thomas Sowell periodically publishes his "random thoughts."  They're always worth reading.  Here's one from this week:  "Republicans complain when Democrats call them racists. But when have you ever heard a Republican counterattack? You don't win by protesting your innocence or whining about the unfairness of the charge. Yet when have you heard a Republican reply by saying, "You're a lying demagogue without a speck of evidence. Put up or shut up!"  He's right.

A GENERATION OF SHEEP – From the College Fix:  "A growing number of law students are complaining to their professors about lectures on rape law, saying the subject is too traumatic to learn about or discuss, according to at least two prominent law professors.  Harvard Law Professor Jeannie Suk detailed the trend in The New Yorker earlier this month, and this week George Washington University law professor John Banzhaf, in an interview with The College Fix, said he has found the same thing in his classroom.  'We are going to be raising a wussified generation of lawyers,' Banzhaf said. 'Students are saying, "I don’t want to hear anything that disturbs me."  How are these lawyers going to do what lawyers have to do, which is to stand up to judges for clients and causes?  This is our basic heritage,' he continued. 'If they’re so wussified that they can’t hear the term rape, it sends tremors down their spine – who’s going to stand up for us?'"

BOEHNER WEAK IN GOP POLL – From NRO:  "Nine percent of self-identified Republicans and self-described independents who say they lean closer to Republicans say they feel 'strongly favorable' about Boehner, and another 34 percent say 'somewhat favorable.' Another 23 percent say they’re 'somewhat unfavorable,' and another 11 percent say strongly unfavorable. An entire 11 percent say they’ve never heard of John Boehner.  Asked, 'If it were up to you, would you elect John Boehner to continue as Speaker of the House or would you elect someone new?' 11 percent of respondents said 'definitely' Boehner, 15 percent said 'probably,' 26 percent said 'probably' someone new, and 34 percent said someone new, definitely."  Mr. Speaker has some work to do.

January 2, 2015       Permalink

I'M SO MOVED BY OUR PROTESTS – AT 11:56 A.M. ET:   Some in Washington describe President Obama as one of the worst negotiators ever to sit in the Oval Office.  I think that's too kind.  His "negotiation" with Cuba, leading to a resumption of diplomatic relations, was basically a cave-in by our side, reflecting Obama's socialist leanings.  Now we pay the price.  Cuba hasn't relented on human rights issues at all.  From Weekly Standard:

Coming on the heels of President Obama's Cuba announcement, the State Department is condemning the "Detentions of Activists in Cuba."

"We are deeply concerned about the latest reports of detentions and arrests by Cuban authorities of peaceful civil society members and activists, including Luis Quintana Rodriguez, Antonio Rodiles, Danilo Maldonado, Reinaldo Escobar, Marcelino Abreu Bonora and Eliecer Avila. We strongly condemn the Cuban government’s continued harassment and repeated use of arbitrary detention, at times with violence, to silence critics, disrupt peaceful assembly and freedom expression, and intimidate citizens," reads the State Department's press release from spokesman Jeff Rathke.

"Freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly are internationally recognized human rights, and the Cuban government’s lack of respect for these rights, as demonstrated by today’s detentions, is inconsistent with Hemispheric norms and commitments. We urge the Government of Cuba to end its practice of repressing these and other internationally protected freedoms and to respect the universal human rights of Cuban citizens.

COMMENT:  I'm sure the Castro brothers, one of the great show-business acts of all time, are worried silly over our "deep concern."  Probably laughing their heads off.

No one respects Obama, or his "concerns."

January 2, 2015       Permalink

MEDICAL ADVANCE? – AT 11:18 A.M. ET:  We don't usually cover medical stories here, but I thought this one so fascinating that I wanted to pass it on.  We have a number of physicians among our readers.  I hope they'll write in and tell us their reaction.  From Reuters:   

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Plain old bad luck plays a major role in determining who gets cancer and who does not, according to researchers who found that two-thirds of cancer incidence of various types can be blamed on random mutations and not heredity or risky habits like smoking.

The researchers said on Thursday random DNA mutations accumulating in various parts of the body during ordinary cell division are the prime culprits behind many cancer types.

They looked at 31 cancer types and found that 22 of them, including leukemia and pancreatic, bone, testicular, ovarian and brain cancer, could be explained largely by these random mutations - essentially biological bad luck.

The other nine types, including colorectal cancer, skin cancer known as basal cell carcinoma and smoking-related lung cancer, were more heavily influenced by heredity and environmental factors like risky behavior or exposure to carcinogens.

Overall, they attributed 65 percent of cancer incidence to random mutations in genes that can drive cancer growth.

"When someone gets cancer, immediately people want to know why," said oncologist Dr. Bert Vogelstein of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, who conducted the study published in the journal Science with Johns Hopkins biomathematician Cristian Tomasetti.

"They like to believe there's a reason. And the real reason in many cases is not because you didn't behave well or were exposed to some bad environmental influence, it's just because that person was unlucky. It's losing the lottery."

Tomasetti said harmful mutations occur for "no particular reason other than randomness" as the body's master cells, called stem cells, divide in various tissues.

COMMENT:  If confirmed, I wonder how this study will change the practice of medicine.  Can randomness be prevented?  I have no expertise here.  Write please.

January 2, 2015       Permalink

MAJOR SOCIAL NEWS – AT 10:46 A.M. ET:  Can you imagine, can you just imagine, if a Republican president had done this?  From the Weekly Standard: 

President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, spent the first night of the new year at Vintage Cave, an upscale restaurant in Hawaii.

"At Vintage Cave Honolulu, one can enjoy exceptional food and wine at the hands of gifted masters of the culinary arts. ‘Chef’s recommendation’ commands a gravitas guaranteed to satisfy the most discerning palate. Seasoned sommeliers conduct the process of pairing wine and food with true finesse and style. Secure in the natural embrace of the cave-like environment, guests are encouraged to relax, ‘hit reset’ and escape the ordinary," Vintage Cave's description reads on its website.

As Time's Zeke Miller pointed out, membership at the restaurant can set you back $500,000.

The half million dollars is to become a "Charter Member." A cheaper membership option the restaurant offers is "Special Member," which costs only $50,000.

The restaurant's prix fixe menu is reportedly $295, with a 13-15 course meal. One local magazine estimates "total bill for two, with wine, will approach $1,000."

COMMENT:  I eagerly await the reaction of the representatives of the "common folk" in the Democratic Party and the Obama press.  I think I'll be waiting a long time.

Obama's poor taste in engaging in such lavish self-indulgence is a matter of record.  Some thoughtful liberals have been warning that the Democrats have lost touch with the American working man and woman.  Incidents like this underline that.  Today's Democratic Party is elitist and wealthy.  Many Democratic "intellectuals" wouldn't even talk to the people who used to be the foundation of their party.

January 2, 2015       Permalink 

WARNING ON IRAN – QUOTE OF THE DAY – AT 9:47 A.M. ET:  This worry has been expressed by a number of political observers in the United States, and is well articulated by Newsmax, quoting the Times of London: 

President Barack Obama's hope to turn Iran's President Hassan Rouhani "into a friendly ally in the fight against Islamic State" could lead him to undertake "the single most reckless act of 2015" and cut a bad nuclear weapons deal with Teheran, The Times of London editorialized on January 1.

The newspaper agreed that "a deal that places Iran significantly farther away from developing a nuclear bomb is clearly attractive."

It cautioned that the "weakened American leader" could turn to foreign policy to justify his 2009 Nobel peace prize.

"If he does so, it has to have at its heart a sense of what the West considers to be worth fighting for and worth preserving."

The Times warned that "Europe has a tendency to turn inwards, the UN is too often rendered impotent by Moscow and Beijing and NATO summits have degenerated into fundraising events."

It was time to rethink these institutions which were constructed for a different age, said the editorial.

"If the idea of the 'West' is to retain meaning, then its leaders have to find ways of acting together to limit the power and influence of expansionist dictators. It must find coherent responses rather than purely reflexive strategies towards marauding terrorist armies."

COMMENT:  Well said.  We are moving toward the moment of truth with Iran, and the president's recent record includes reckless attacks on police and an open appeasement of Cuban dictators. 

And it isn't only Obama we have to worry about.  There is a faction within the Republican Party, or at least using the Republican Party, led by Rand Paul, that is actually to the left of Obama on foreign policy. 

We have dangerous days ahead.  And a president out of control, with nothing to lose.

January 2,  2015     Permalink