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MAY 15,  2014

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 6:28 P.M. ET: 

MODEL PLANE NEWS – From Fox:  "The 'Mini-Me drone' Iran says it reverse-engineered from an American aircraft is a crude fake, according to a new report, making it just the latest in a long line of the Islamic Republic's phony claims of weapons wizardry.  Iran's state-run Fars News Agency on Sunday trumpeted the news that the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps had made a copy of the Lockheed Martin RQ-170, and had shown off the craft at an aerospace exhibition in Tehran. But defense industry sources told the U.S. Naval Institute the supposedly cloned drone is a fake, and a crude one at that.  'It seems their fiberglass work has improved a lot,' the source said. 'It also seems that if it were a functional copy, versus a detailed replica, it wouldn’t necessarily have the exact same landing gear, tires, etc.,' said one source familiar with the RQ-170.  'They would probably just use whatever extra F-5 parts or general aviation parts they had lying around.'"  Good detective work.  Now I hope that Obama doesn't feel sorry for the Iranians and send them a real drone.

MILITARY FASHION NEWS – From the Washington Times:  "Everything counts when you’re in the line of fire, and now a new U.S. Army helmet could give soldiers a slighter advantage by keeping their heads cooler than the enemy, literally. LiveScience reports that the Army’s Edgewood Chemical Biological Center in Maryland designed the high-tech headgear, which provides chemical and biological protection through a  powered air-purifying respirator.  From the report: 'The helmet consists of a face mask, connected by a hose to a blower unit, and a battery pack that hangs from the soldier’s hip or back'"  You watch:  Hollywood stars will begin wearing it as a fashion statement.

DISGRACE – This administration still won't name our enemy in the war on terror.  This, from PJ Media, on a hearing about terrorism in Africa:  "Ambassador Robert Jackson, principal deputy assistant secretary of state for African affairs, stood in on the panel of witnesses for Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who was reportedly traveling. Thomas-Greenfield acknowledged to a House panel last November that while Boko Haram has a 'religious bent to what they do, they are non-discriminating in their attacks on people.'"  Whaa?  Haven't we learned that Islamic terror groups attack Muslims all the time?  They attack anyone who gets in their way.  But, in the logic of the Obama doctrine, a group that attacks Muslims cannot be Muslim.  Also, Boko Harm is hardly non-discriminating.  They usually target specific, Christian groups.

FANATICS – No matter where one stands on abortion, the idea of aborting a baby because it's the wrong sex is abhorrent to any civilized person.  And yet, it's not abhorrent enough to be outlawed in at least one state.  From Breitbart:  "On Tuesday, thirteen Democrats on the California State Assembly Health Committee voted down a bill that would have outlawed the practice of sex selection through abortion.  The Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (AB 2336) ran into opposition by all of the Democrats on the committee, who saw the bill as a prelude to broader abortion restrictions, according to a report from LifeNews.com. Instead, Democrats introduced a resolution to condemn sex-selection abortion--but not to outlaw it.  The bill was introduced on May 6th by Assemblywoman Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), who said in her opening testimony that 'the U.N. estimates that upwards of 200 million girls around the world have been aborted merely because they were "the wrong gender."' She explained that countries like India and China are dominated by a male-child mentality, with mothers preferring future working men and family providers over the 'burden' of baby girls.   'This is the real war on women,' Grove told the committee. 'Girls are being killed simply for being girls and it's happening right here in California and not just Third World Nation.'"  But the fanatics on the left won't give an inch, even if it will save unborn girls.

May 15,  2014     Permalink

SCARY, BUT EXPECTED – AT 10:21 A.M. ET:  What can you expect, with Obama in the White House?  From USA Today: 

The emerging deal with Iran over its nuclear program is unlikely to satisfy members of Congress who seek to end Iran's ability to develop a nuclear weapon.

U.S. diplomats met Wednesday in Vienna with Iran and other world powers to begin writing the text of a final deal. Though the sides remain far apart on several issues, the Obama administration may allow an Iranian nuclear program that retains the capabilities to produce a weapon.

I think Obama carries a photo of Neville Chamberlain in a locket.

"The Iranians will have some kind of (uranium) enrichment capacity" at the end of negotiations, said Mark Dubowitz, executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies who has advised the administration on Iran sanctions.

Jofi Joseph, former director for non-proliferation in Obama's national security council, said any deal would increase inspections and monitoring, along with the number of inspectors in Iran and the number of places they can go. "Those would significantly reduce the chance of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon," Joseph said.

The talks are being coordinated by European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. Her spokesman, Michael Mann, said Wednesday that parties were "getting down to the nitty-gritty." The talks will continue until Friday, the Associated Press reported. An interim agreement reached in November set a target date of July 20 for a deal.

Obama has said repeatedly that an Iranian nuclear bomb is "unacceptable."

Iran, which backs several terrorist organizations in the Middle East, has the world's fourth-largest oil reserves and second-largest natural gas reserves. Yet Iran's leaders say its nuclear program is for power generation and medical and scientific research, a claim the United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency has questioned.

COMMENT:  Iran will get the better part of the bargain...and of course we don't know what part of their nuclear program is actually hidden.

We should be gravely concerned.  Obama wants an agreement, and his sympathies for Muslim regimes are fairly obvious.  Condi Rice was ridiculed when she warned of a mushroom cloud over Atlanta.  We have no reason to laugh.

May 15, 2014       Permalink

WILL THIS GUY SURVIVE? – AT 9:34 A.M. ET:  He may, but he'll probably be on the road to pariahland.  From Fox: 

Public universities in California are barred from using race as a factor in admitting students, but a UCLA professor who once served on its admissions oversight team says he has proof they do it anyway.

While the first round of admissions consideration is handled fairly, African-American students are nearly three times as likely to make it out of the "maybe" pile than equally-qualified white students, and more than twice as likely as Asians, according to Tim Groseclose, a political science professor at the school and author of a new book titled, “Cheating: An Insider's Report on the Use of Race in Admissions at UCLA.”

“UCLA is using racial preferences in admissions,” Groseclose, who made his case using data from 2006-2009, told FoxNews.com.

After a first look results in most applications being either accepted or rejected, a handful of senior university staff sift through those marked for further consideration, according to Groseclose. That’s where the alleged bias happens. He found black applicants were accepted at a 43 percent rate in the second round, while whites were accepted at a 15 percent rate and Asians at an 18 percent rate.

"All of the cheating was done by the senior staff,” Groseclose said.

And race outweighs socioeconomic status, according to Groseclose. For instance, black applicants whose families had incomes exceeding $100,000 were about twice as likely to be accepted in round two as Asian and white kids whose families make just $30,000 and had similar test scores, grades and essays.

COMMENT:  If I were Professor Groseclose I'd watch my back and wear a protective vest.  This is explosive stuff and seems to be based on sound methodology.  What is so sad is the discrimination against Asian Americans.  Indeed, Asian American legislators in California recently revolted against an attempt to put into law some admissions gimmicks that would have the effect of suppressing their numbers in state colleges.   Asian American kids work so hard, and are too often told they must yield their places because of ideological trendiness.

Oh, by the way, why is it that the academic left always resents groups that are successful?  

And when will black leaders finally realize that this kind of artificial fawning and groveling by white leftist academics actually demeans their children and leads to new resentments? 

May 15, 2014      Permalink

DANGER FROM SYRIA – AT 9:05 A.M. ET:  There are a number of stories like this showing up – warnings that what is happening in Syria can produce a terrible by-product in the United States.  From WaPo: 

The chamber of horrors of the Syrian civil war has spawned a terrorist group so extreme that it has been rejected even by al-Qaeda — and this toxic group is now establishing a safe haven in the city of Raqqah in northern Syria that could soon be used to attack foreign targets.

The hyper-militant terrorist group is known in the West as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. Its efforts to establish a Muslim caliphate that spans the two countries, and to absorb another al-Qaeda offshoot known as the al-Nusra Front, brought a rebuke a year ago from al-Qaeda’s chief, Ayman al-Zawahiri.

And...

In the view of these officials, ISIS could attempt an attack outside the Middle East soon, and several plots have already been disrupted. But analysts believe that the group is focused now mostly on battles within Syria and Iraq.

The group has established a secure haven in Raqqah, a city of about 220,000. Its fighters control the roads in and out. They sell the region’s oil and natural gas resources to finance their operations, supplementing revenues from kidnapping and other criminal activities. U.S. officials believe ISIS is now self-financing and no longer needs donations from wealthy supporters in the Gulf.

And...

A nightmare for U.S. counterterrorism analysts is that these al-Qaeda offshoots could recruit new followers among the millions of desperate Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Syria itself.

One veteran U.S. official views the terrorist threat coming out of Syria and Iraq as potentially the most worrying development in the Middle East since the late 1970s. The United States may be less focused on the jihadists than it was a decade ago, but they remain very much interested in the United States.

COMMENT:  Look what a handful of terrorists did to us on September 11, 2001.  And these new groups are far more radical. 

I won't blame it all on Obama and Kerry, but their mishandling of the Syrian crisis made the growth of these groups far more likely.  Not too many apologies forthcoming.  What difference does it make?

May 15, 2014       Permalink 

OH THE SHEER GOSSIP OF IT ALL – AT 8:52 A.M. ET:  The beheading of the executive editor of The New York Times has much of the internet ablaze.  One reason is that the Times has been unusually blunt in describing Jill Abramson's departure as a firing rather than a "time to seek new opportunities" thing.   The paper's own reporting on the assassination is filled with slings and arrows.  It's clear Ms. Abramson wasn't Miss Congeniality. 

The New York Times dismissed Jill Abramson as executive editor on Wednesday, replacing her with Dean Baquet, the managing editor, in an abrupt change of leadership.

Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr., the publisher of the paper and the chairman of The New York Times Company, told a stunned newsroom that had been quickly assembled that he had made the decision because of “an issue with management in the newsroom.”

Ms. Abramson, 60, had been in the job only since September 2011. But people in the company briefed on the situation described serious tension in her relationship with Mr. Sulzberger, who was concerned about complaints from employees that she was polarizing and mercurial. She had also had clashes with Mr. Baquet.

COMMENT:  Other than that, she was a swell girl, and we wish her well in her forthcoming marriage to the Devil. 

You may be sure of one thing:  Ms. Abramson will receive major book offers in the coming seconds.  You may also be sure she has some kind of agreement with The Times to remain silent on the details.  If there's anything the free press hates it's employees who talk to the press.

May 15,  2014     Permalink

MAY 14,  2014

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:57 P.M. ET:

DRAMA – The queen of journalism, the executive editor of The New York Times, has been fired.  She wasn't only fired from her job.  She was fired from the paper.  She is, as they say in Hollywood, off the lot.  No more cafeteria privileges.  Jill Abramson was let go, and the announcement from the paper made it clear that this trip was involuntary.  No actual reason was given, and the speculation will use up many barrels of ink in the days to come.  But don't get too optimistic.  Abramson's replacement, Dean Baquet, is a veteran of both the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times, and a card-carrying liberal.  Abramson was the first female executive editor of the paper.  Baquet will be the first African-American to hold the job.

A DIGITAL FRENCH FOREIGN LEGION – From The New York Times:  "Europe’s highest court said on Tuesday that people had the right to influence what the world could learn about them through online searches, a ruling that rejected long-established notions about the free flow of information on the Internet.  A search engine like Google should allow online users to be 'forgotten' after a certain time by erasing links to web pages unless there are 'particular reasons' not to, the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg said."  Hillary said it better:  "At this point, what difference does it make?"

ONE VOICE, ONE PEOPLE, ONE LEADER – Yeah, sounds like old times in the Fatherland.  From the Washington Examiner:  "National Security Advisor Susan Rice disputed Republican critiques of President Obama's foreign policy by arguing that 'political polarization' accounts for the 'one weakness' of American strength in international affairs.  'The one weakness that our friends and partners point to and the one thing that undermines our strength around the world is our political polarization,' Rice said during an event hosted by the Women's Foreign Policy Group.  Rice didn't mention Republicans specifically, but cited policy fights that they have provoked, such as over budget issues." 

IT'S COOL MAN, COOL – From CBS:  "There are three flags over the Auraria Campus for the University of Colorado Denver, Metro State University and the Community College of Denver. But there’s another institution there as well called Clover Leaf University. Its curriculum is marijuana.  'As long as they’re conducting lawful activities we don’t have any desire to ban them from the campus, because that’s part of our content neutrality approach,' Blaine Nickeson with the Auraria Higher Education Center said.  Clover Leaf University offers courses in cannabis cultivation, infusion and marijuana business."  Hey, why not?  This is good.  Stoned students won't remember a thing their left-wing professors say.

May 14,  2014     Permalink 

THE PRICE OF WEAKNESS – AT 10:48 A.M. ET:  It's hard to know whether Moscow will go through with this, but the prospect is absolutely chilling.  From London's Telegraph:   

Russia is to deny the US future use of the International Space Station beyond 2020 and will also bar its rocket engines from launching US military satellites as it hits back at American sanctions imposed over Ukraine crisis.

Russia’s deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin announced a series of punitive measures on Tuesday against the US in response to sanctions imposed after Russia annexed Crimea.

The two countries have long cooperated closely on space exploration despite their clashes in foreign policy.

The Space Station is manned by both American and Russian crew, but the only way to reach it is by using Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft.

The US is keen to keep the $100 billion (£600) ISS flying until at least 2024, four years beyond its original target.

COMMENT:  Isn't it unbelievable that the United States, which put a man on the Moon 45 years ago, is now dependent on Russia to get us into space?  That is a direct result of the policies of the Obama administration.  Mr. Obama's mentors must be proud.

May 14, 2014       Permalink

CRITICAL MOMENTS – AT 9:32 A.M. ET:   They haven't been on the front pages, but the negotiations with Iran, seeking a final agreement over that country's nuclear program, are underway, with a July target date for completion.  Personally, I find this chilling, as I fear that Field Marshal Obama will give everything away just to get a treaty.  From Reuters: 

VIENNA - Six world powers and Iran launch the decisive phase of diplomacy over Tehran's nuclear work during three-day talks starting in Vienna on Wednesday, with the aim of resolving their decade-old dispute by July 20 despite skepticism a deal is possible.

After three months of broad discussions about expectations rather than possible compromises, the sides now plan to start drafting the text of a final accord that could put an end to years of hostility and mistrust and curtail the risk of a new war in the Middle East.

Yeah, right.  I'm sure Iran wants to put an end to hostility and mistrust.

In the next two months, the six powers - the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany - want Iran to agree to dramatically cut back its nuclear work, which they fear has the aim of producing weapons, while Iran wants them to eliminate devastating economic sanctions.

Huh?  Does this reporter think Russia and China are on board for this?

Diplomats from both sides have said they want to resolve all sticking points about issues such as Iran's capacity to enrich uranium and the future of its nuclear facilities, as well as the timeline of sanctions relief, by the middle of July.

After that, an interim deal they struck last November expires and its extension would likely complicate talks.

A senior US official has warned about excessive optimism.

"Quite frankly, this is very, very difficult," the official told reporters on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"I would caution people that just because we will be drafting it certainly does not mean an agreement is imminent or that we are certain to eventually get to a resolution."

COMMENT:  In the end, it will all depend on how much Barack is willing to give away.  His record is not encouraging.  He'd love to have an agreement he can wave before the American people before the midterm elections.  The defense of this nation is not really his thing.

May 14, 2014       Permalink

AND AT HARVARD... – AT 9:05 A.M. ET:  Related to our first post below, there has been a politically correct development at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.  Jack Kennedy must be rolling in his grave.  From Breitbart: 

If you plan to attend Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, better get oriented for your orientation; you may be privileged.

But don’t worry; there’s always room for spiritual growth. The school is adding a class titled “Checking Your Privilege 101” because of pressure from student activists, and that class will be part of your orientation!

Lucky you! Reetu Mody, a first-year masters student in public policy and a campus activist, exclaimed, “We’re at one of the most powerful institutions in the world, yet we never critically examine power and privilege and what it means to have access to this power. We’re excited to have the administration on board for training all Harvard Kennedy School first years.”

The attack on those who come from walks of life without a sob story to tell engulfed Princeton freshman Tal Fortgang, who wrote an article for the Princeton Tory in which he stated that calls to “check his privilege” – meaning to feel his shortcomings in empathy due to his “privileged” background – “threaten to strike down opinions without regard for their merits” and “solely on the basis of the person that voiced them.” Fortgang’s grandparents were Holocaust survivors, but apparently their success after their World War II travails is cause for denigrating their grandson.

COMMENT:  The "check your privilege" crowd is basically made up of old, leftist failure merchants.  They love failure.  They wallow in it.  Success, accomplishment, are suspected.  Must be the result of privilege.  Could never be the result of hard work and study.

I'll check my privilege when they check their ignorance.

May 14, 2014       Permalink

AND STILL TWO MORE OUTRAGES – AT 8:32 A.M. ET:  It's just incredible.  What is happening to our country.  In the last few days we have had two more commencement speakers withdraw because little Stalins on college campuses have rejected them.  I tell you, the stench of fascism is in the air.

Two colleges – among our most prestigious – are the latest victims.  From the Philadelphia Inquirer: 

Another commencement speaker has fallen to student protests.

Robert J. Birgeneau, former chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley has backed out of speaking at Haverford College’s commencement scheduled for Sunday, following concerns expressed by Haverford students and several professors over his leadership during a 2011 incident when UC police used force on students protesting college costs.

Haverford President Daniel H. Weiss announced on Tuesday morning that Birgeneau has declined the college’s invitation to speak and receive an honorary degree. Birgeneau is known for his support of undocumented and minority students, but became controversial when students, as part of the Occupy movement, held non-violent protests and were subject to force by university police.

“The Board of Managers, campus colleagues, and I express our appreciation for the views of those who were opposed to Dr. Birgeneau's selection,” Weiss said in a letter to the campus community. “It is nonetheless deeply regrettable that we have lost an opportunity to recognize and hear from one of the most consequential leaders in American higher education. Though we may not always agree with those in positions of leadership, I believe that it is essential for us as members of an academic community to reaffirm our shared commitment to the respectful and mindful process by which we seek to learn through inquiry and intellectual engagement.”

And from Fox: 

BOSTON – The managing director of the International Monetary Fund backed out of giving this year's commencement address at Smith College in the wake of protests from faculty and students, the school announced Monday.

Christine Lagarde, who has headed the IMF since 2011, told the women's college over the weekend that it was clear her presence on the Northampton campus was not welcomed. Many of those who opposed Lagarde said they were attacking the IMF for being "a corrupt system" that fuels the oppression and abuse of woman worldwide. A spokeswoman from the IMF declined to comment on those allegations.

"I respect their views and understand the vital importance of academic freedom. However, to preserve the celebratory spirit of commencement day, I believe it is best to withdraw my participation," Lagarde wrote to Smith.

Almost 500 signatures including from faculty, students and alumni were collected in an online petition in opposition to Lagarde.

And...

Smith President Kathleen McCartney said in a statement sent to the school community that she is standing by inviting Lagarde to be the 2014 speaker and receive an honorary degree.

"Those who objected will be satisfied that their activism has had a desired effect. But at what cost to Smith College?" McCartney said.

COMMENT:  We praise the presidents of these schools for standing up for free speech.  That itself is rare.  At the same time we must be horrified at the descent into mob rule. 

Does the president of the United States, who himself was an academic, have nothing to say about this new McCarthyism? 

May 14,  2014     Permalink