January 08, 2018

The Left Is Nothing More Than A Temper-Tantrum-Throwing Child

—CBD

trump russia baby.jpg

An obstinate refusal to accept reality is the hallmark of children. And that's perfectly okay, because they have half-formed brains and they are learning to navigate the complex logical rules that govern life. In fact, sometimes it's loads of fun, as the parents reading this post can attest.

I noticed in this morning's NYT an article about how complex flood zone mapping can be, because a difference of a few feet has profound financial implications for those involved, including the taxpayer. But embedded in the article was a typical NYT throwaway line about Global-WarmingTM.

New York will be the first major metropolis to be remapped taking into account the realities of climate change, like rising sea levels and increasingly powerful storms.

Except...climate change is far from reality, and the NYT refuses to entertain the notion that it is not settled science. Completely and totally. It simply rejects the idea that maybe, just maybe it isn't a fait accompli.

For the purposes of discussion I would even grant that the hair-on-fire projections of the alarmists are a possibility, and that the maps should recognize a range of future sea levels and storm strength. But any scientist, or for that matter any rational human being would intuitively, immediately understand that we should look at both sides of a far-from-settled scientific issue.

Yet the NYT stamps its feet and holds its breath and insists that in spite of no data that support its supposition, it is nonetheless true. Just like a five-year-old.

The only problem is that we can't send the NYT to its room without dinner. Or smack it on its spoiled, entitled, lily-White ass.

Posted by CBD at 06:38 PM Comments



Judge Dismisses Charges Against Clive Bundy and His Sons With Prejudice, Citing "Outrageous" Prosecutorial Conduct

—Ace

A sharp rebuke to how government agents were operating under Obama, and still are.

Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, his two sons and a militia member will not face a retrial on charges that they led an armed rebellion against federal agents in 2014.

A federal judge Monday said the federal prosecutors' conduct was "outrageous" and "violated due process rights" of the defendants.

U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro said a new trial would not be sufficient to address the problems in the case and would provide the prosecution with an unfair advantage going forward. She dismissed the charges against the four men "with prejudice," meaning they cannot face trial again.

As the courtroom doors opened after Navarro's ruling, a huge cheer went up from the crowd of spectators gathered outside.

Gabe was writing about this on Twitter. If I followed his claims correctly, Bundy and his sons had offered a defense that they had only armed up because they feared the government was surveilling them and had snipers posted around them. The evidence the prosecutors deliberately withheld from them was that, indeed, the government had been surveilling them and had snipers posted around them.


Posted by Ace at 05:33 PM Comments



New Method for Determining Historical Earth Temperature Finds That Earth Warmed... Only 0.1 Degree Celsius Over Past 50 Years

—Ace

Science, unsettled.

Ocean temperatures have risen only 0.1 degree Celsius over the last five decades, according to a landmark study some scientists argue could change the way researchers measure the ocean's temperature levels.

Each layer of water in the ocean has vastly different temperatures, so determining the average temperature is nearly impossible without glossing over important data. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego decided on a different model – they measured the ratio of noble gases in the atmosphere, which are in direct relation to the ocean's temperature.

Geoscientist Jeff Severinghaus, an academic at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, measured values of the noble gases argon, krypton, and xenon in air bubbles captured inside ice cores in Antarctica. Krypton and xenon are released into the atmosphere in known quantities as the ocean warms, according to the study, which was published Thursday in Nature Journal

"This method is a radically new way to measure change in total ocean heat," Severinghaus said in a post on the Scripps website. "It takes advantage of the fact that the atmosphere is well-mixed, so a single measurement anywhere in the world can give you the answer."

Severinghaus measured values of the noble gases argon, krypton, and xenon in air bubbles captured inside ice cores in Antarctica. Krypton and xenon, which are remarkably stable regardless external factors, are released into the atmosphere in known quantities as the ocean warms.

Assuming that they're right that the concentration of these trace gasses is directly proportional to atmospheric heat, this seems to be, for once, an actually accurate method of discovering historical global climate changes.

Posted by Ace at 04:19 PM Comments

Huma Abedin Backed Up Classified Emails to Anthony Weiner's Computer, Despite Telling the FBI She Had Not Done So

—Ace

Lock 'em up.

EXCLUSIVE: Huma Abedin backed up her emails to Anthony Weiner's laptop after leaving the State Department – even though she said on oath and to FBI agents that she did no such thing

An examination of emails released by the State Department shows that backup copies were created in the dates after Clinton left the State Department in 2013

The messages were archived from 'BBB Backup' and 'LoaderBackup' from a BlackBerry Bold 9700

The FBI discovered the emails on Anthony Weiner's laptop after it was seized just weeks before the 2016 election

At least five messages released this week were marked 'Classified' which included discussions on Israel and other Middle Eastern issues from 2010 - 2012

Huma Abedin had told FBI that she did not have a method of preserving the emails she exchanged on a private server with her boss

She also claimed to have lost most of them as a result of the transition from the State Department - which she left on January 20, 2013

By Alana Goodman For Dailymail.com

PUBLISHED: 10:42 EST


Huma Abedin backed up copies of her emails with Hillary Clinton to her pervert husband Anthony Weiner's laptop, DailyMail.com can disclose - conflicting with her account to the FBI and in court that she did not preserve the conversations.

An examination by DailyMail.com of emails released by the State Department shows that backup copies of many of Abedin's work-related messages with Clinton were created in the dates after Clinton left the State Department in early 2013.

The emails, released at the end of December, show that they had been put on Weiner's laptop by a BlackBerry archiving program.

A tech expert told Dailymail.com that Abedin would have to have activated the backup program and may well have plugged her device into the laptop - raising further questions over her testimony to the FBI.

...

Like Clinton, she was cleared by then FBI director James Comey in the wake of the investigation into the former Secretary of State and her staff's handling of classified material.

Posted by Ace at 03:06 PM Comments

#SalonHot25 Comin' Atcha

—Ace


Just in case you think he's kidding, nope:



These TruCons certainly are strong conservative voices for conservatism and America.

PS: I'm under the weather and I'm going to be posting even lamer than usual today.

Posted by Ace at 01:31 PM Comments

Oprah's Running for President and the MSM Couldn't Be More Moist

—Ace

Wonderful.

Oprah Winfrey is "actively thinking" about running for president in 2020 after her stirring Golden Globes speech that addressed race and the #MeToo movement brought the crowd to its feet and raised speculation the media mogul would launch a White House bid, CNN reported on Monday.

Ed Driscoll wonders if Harvey Weinstein will be her running mate.

Posted by Ace at 12:34 PM Comments

The Morning Rant: J.V. Edition

—CBD

punk-monkey.jpg

When they put mirrors in the enclosure some of the stupider monkeys look at themselves for a short while, but then get bored with it and go back to doing important work, like grooming each other and throwing poo at the tourists.

narcissus in UK.jpg

The latest innovation to pique our attention is the ‘selfieccino,’ which is created at The Tea Terrace in House of Fraser department store on Oxford Street in London. It allows customers to have an image of themselves or a message “printed” in the foam of a cup of coffee, and the results are truly eye-catching.

You can literally drink your face off with this 'selfieccino' in London
Yes..."eye-catching," if you are a self-absorbed, narcissistic millenial whose attention span is measured in milliseconds and whose only coherent thoughts revolve around pleasure and self.

Id. Ego. Super ego. Come on folks, try to move up the ladder a bit.

Continue reading


Posted by CBD at 11:30 AM Comments

Mid-Morning Open Thread

—CBD

Steen oysters.jpg

Girl Eating Oysters
Jan Havickszoon Steen

Posted by CBD at 09:30 AM Comments

The Morning Report 1/8/18

—J.J. Sefton

globs.jpg

Good morning kids. First full work week of the new year begins, and mercifully we're seemingly past the brutal cold snap; supposed to hit 50 here in NYC by the end of the week, if you can believe it.

On to the latest news. Protests continue in Iran, but because of the Regime's media blackout, very little firsthand information is coming out of the country. And the tyrants in Iran are being effectively aided and abetted by the American anti-American propaganda machine here at home, which has spent infinitely more time on this Michael Wolff book, most of it fictional, since it deflects from the reality that President Trump has arguably had the most effective and consequential (in a positive way) first year than perhaps any president in recent memory. I have several links that give you the numbers in black and white, which you can add to the boom in the stock market, consumer and business confidence and a whole host of other signposts foreign and domestic, tangible and intangible, that America is finally on the rise or at least clawing it's way back from two decades lost in the wilderness.

And yet, bereft of any sort of legitimate policy differences, saddled with a 50-100-year record of demonstrable pain, suffering and failure inflicted on the nation as a result of the full implementation of their policies as intended, and day by day, with their media/cultural/academic complex exposed to growing numbers of Americans for the threat to their lives that it is, the Democrat-Left have nothing. Nothing but shrill, shrieking madness as they cling to a desperate gambit to paint this President as the one who's mad - based on nothing more than an infantile tome chock full of half-truths, innuendo and outright fabrication that the author himself has copped to. You want madness? There's your madness. And of course last night's Golden Globe Award spectacle, featuring Mrs. Steadman. BUT... I digress.

Back to Iran, as Nikki Haley blasted the Iranian regime at the UN the Mullahs nabbed old Mahmoud Ahmedinejad for supposedly inciting the protestors. Frankly, I don't see that Maynard Krebs-looking stooge who loves him some sharia being against an Islamic theocracy. Could be a phony diversion to appease the protesters or just plain old score-settling under cover of the protests. Meanwhile, an Iranian tanker collided with a freighter off the Chinese coast. Probably means nothing, but still, all things considered, maybe there was a school of Mossad laser-guided Joo-sharks nearby.

Did any of you know that PDT signed another executive order that opens the door to interstate sale of health insurance? I didn't. Interesting and encouraging piece by health policy wonk David Catron at American Spectator on this crucial issue.

From hither and yon, PDT seems to be unyielding on the Amnesty issue and will force the Democrats' hand vis a vis a government shutdown. Still, with his new BFF Lindsay Grahamnesty by his side, I'm more than a bit nervous about some sort of "deal" that would go against the base. I hope he stands firm on this because he'll be one and done if DACAns get a path to citizenship. The other big item on the legislative agenda will be welfare reform. With the tax bill passed and the "collusion" scam crumbling, hopefully the GOP has steel in their spine to get this done. That said, Mitch McConnell has had a national reciprocity bill on his desk for 44 weeks and has done nothing with it. Get off your flabby ass and pass the friggin' thing in the Senate already.

Stephen Miller totally pwn3d Fake Flapper over the weekend, causing him to pull a Don Lemon maneuver. When you have someone who not only doesn't accept your phony premises but also calls you out on them on camera, you know you're in trouble. Lastly, I give you the rotting carcass of a beached whale oozing ambergris, putrefaction and several thousand cubic meters of flatus.

Anyway, links from around the world, across the nation and up your street. Have a better one and remain blessed.

Posted by J.J. Sefton at 06:55 AM Comments

Sunday Overnight Open Thread (1/7/18 )

—Misanthropic Humanitarian

mother-nature-seldom-disappoints-20161217-124.jpg

(Breathtaking)

*****


Quotes of The Day

Quote I

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails. William Arthur Ward

Quote II

Let us remember that revolutions do not always establish freedom. Our own free institutions were not the offspring of our Revolution. They existed before. Millard Fillmore

Quote III

Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage. H. L. Mencken

Continue reading


Posted by Misanthropic Humanitarian at 10:00 PM Comments

Weekend Gun Thread

—Misanthropic Humanitarian

daily-man-up-20151112-13.jpg


As you can imagine I surf the internet quite a bit for my Cob duties. I came across today's Weekend Gun Thread photo. Can't remember where I found it. But, it is quite a gun locker.

So before the tragic canoe accidents where did you store your firearms? If you had a chance to rebuild your collection what you do for storage?


Speaking of purchases. The Top 5 selling handguns of 2017.

Continue reading


Posted by Misanthropic Humanitarian at 07:06 PM Comments

Food Thread: Technique Trumps Ingredients...Or Is It The Other Way Around?

—CBD

Crispy baked chicken.jpg

I have no idea who Laurie Colwin was. Apparently, at least according to The New York Times, she was a great food writer. Since they are never wrong, I must be an ignorant food savage. Anyway, they featured one of her recipes recently, and since it was a technique I had never tried, i gave it a shot.

Laurie Colwin's Baked Mustard Chicken worked very, very well, but I should never have ignored the whispers in the back of my mind that were saying, "don't use cinnamon you idiot!" They were right, and a fine technique was, if not ruined, certainly marred by the discordant flavor of not even as much cinnamon as they called for.

Luckily the technique survived the NYT's rewriting of her recipe, and I will be trying it again this coming week. It's really quite simple, and I think very forgiving, since the crispy crust seems to keep the chicken moist and tender, even after two hours of cooking at moderate heat. My guess is that the mustard and herb rub helps too, and combines with the bread crumbs to build an impenetrable layer to keep the moisture in.

Or I could be wrong, which has happened before and will happen again. Whatever the reason. the end result was very good (ignoring the cinnamon imbroglio). One modification though; I put the chicken on a rack instead of directly onto the pan. I think that the bottoms of the chicken pieces would have gotten soggy had I followed the recipe even more slavishly than I did.

Continue reading


Posted by CBD at 04:00 PM Comments

Get Yer Petards...Petards For Sale!

—CBD

We all knew globes.jpg

Street artist Sabo takes credit for 'She knew' posters targeting Meryl Streep

According to the article, Sabo is "right wing," presumably because he has the balls to criticize Hollywood royalty.

What stuns me is how gullible Streep and company must think we are. Do they really think that any sentient being accepts the obvious bullshit that they didn't know all about Weinstein and others like him?

And then this rancid retard has the gall to criticize the Trump women for not being sufficiently "woke" and speaking out on sexual harassment.

Chutzpah: killing your parents then begging the judge for mercy on the grounds that you are an orphan.

Posted by CBD at 01:30 PM Comments

Mid-Day Open Thread And Vitriol Throwing

—CBD


Charming.

[Addendum] He is clearly not a Missouri representative, but I think it is a real person expressing his beliefs, which are, shall we say, rather odd. And twisted.

Posted by CBD at 12:00 PM Comments

Sunday Morning Book Thread: 01/07/2018

—CBD

book snow.png

This is the weekend to snuggle up with a good book, a warm blanket, a glass of something warming, and contemplate nature from the inside (hopefully not of a tauntaun)!

And if you haven't read Jack London's wonderful short story, "To Build A Fire," you should. Immediately! Here's the full text, and it's even in a nice readable font. So no excuses.

Day had broken cold and grey, exceedingly cold and grey, when the man turned aside from the main Yukon trail and climbed the high earth-bank, where a dim and little-traveled trail led eastward through the fat spruce timberland. It was a steep bank, and he paused for breath at the top, excusing the act to himself by looking at his watch. It was nine o'clock. There was no sun nor hint of sun, though there was not a cloud in the sky. It was a clear day, and yet there seemed an intangible pall over the face of things, a subtle gloom that made the day dark, and that was due to the absence of sun. This fact did not worry the man. He was used to the lack of sun. It had been days since he had seen the sun, and he knew that a few more days must pass before that cheerful orb, due south, would just peep above the sky-line and dip immediately from view.

In my youth I loved Jack London, and discovered during college that he had bought land just an hour or so away from school, and had built a huge home he called -- of course -- Wolf House, now part of Jack London State Park. It burned down just before it was completed, and he died soon after...too young I think. But, much of his writing is flavored by an insane mix of socialism and social Darwinism, and some of it is simply unreadable.

Yet...his short stories are wonderful, and some of his long form work is a delight, especially for the YA readers in the house. "White Fang" and "The Call Of The Wild" are great fun; they certainly introduced me to a strange new world. "The Sea Wolf" may be his best book, although it too is clouded by London's odd view of the world. Regardless, it is good reading.

Continue reading


Posted by CBD at 09:00 AM Comments

EMT 1/7/18

—krakatoa

Lots of wood to cut today. If you don't hear from me in a week, know that I went out doing what I hate.

Posted by krakatoa at 06:00 AM Comments

Saturday Overnight Open Thread (1/6/18 ) No Smiley Edition

—Misanthropic Humanitarian

daily-man-up-20160128-2.jpg

(Welcome to The ONT)

*****

Fortunately, I have never lived in HOA. And hopefully I never will. Nothing like living in a little Cuba or North Korea.

Marine Corps veteran and his wife are fighting their Texas homeowners association after the group refused to allow them to fly their American and Marine Corps flags outside their home.

Cpl. Michael Pereira, who served three tours in Iraq from 2002 to 2009, moved into a Kingdom Heights subdivision in Rosenberg, Texas ,about two months ago with his wife.


Continue reading


Posted by Misanthropic Humanitarian at 10:00 PM Comments

Saturday Evening Movie Thread 01-06-2018 [Hosted By: TheJamesMadison]

—OregonMuse

Going Downhill, Fast

43. Diminishing Returns 01.jpg

A phenomenon has always fascinated me about franchise movies: their inexorable fall into mediocrity and eventually awfulness. You have an original film that may or may not have had sequels in mind when they made it. It’s usually some level of box office success that leads to the sequels, so the original film’s quality isn’t really that important to the business decision. I’m never surprised that a terrible first film begets terrible sequels. What fascinates me is the series that begin with a good, maybe even a great film, and quickly descend into terribleness.

I think we can all bring to mind some example of a great movie that never should have had a sequel, but did anyway because it made so much money and the studio needed to try and take advantage of that zeitgeist. Jaws is the film that comes to mind first, for me. No one really cares about the sequels, and most consider the original to be one of the great American films, but the first sequel isn’t really terrible. Still, a fall from greatness to mediocrity is pretty precipitous.

Thinking this way, a while ago I started wondering about what series started out at the highest point and fell the furthest fastest. It was just an idle thought until I watched Death Wish 2.


Continue reading


Posted by OregonMuse at 06:48 PM Comments

Mini Chess Thread 01-06-2018

—OregonMuse

gorilla chess.jpg"Coming Up Next On the Gorilla Channel..."


Of course, this is an open thread, so there is no such thing as being off topic.


Easier Problem - Black To Play (568 )

Hint: Unobstruct the f-file with a timely check


20180106 - Problem 1.jpg
4r1k1/1p3q2/p1pQ4/2P1R1p1/5n2/2B5/PP5P/6K1 b - - 0 1

Continue reading


Posted by OregonMuse at 04:50 PM Comments

Is This Something? Maybe, But It Is Unrest Amongst The Ruling Class, And That Sounds Like It Is Something

—CBD

Report: Ex-Iranian president Ahmadinejad arrested for inciting unrest: "According to Arab paper, former leader's comments against Rouhani government amid rallies have led authorities to seek to place him under house arrest"

The newspaper said that Ahmadinejad, during a visit to the western city of Bushehr on December 28, said, "Some of the current leaders live detached from the problems and concerns of the people, and do not know anything about the reality of society."

He supposedly added that Iran was suffering from "mismanagement" and that the government of President Hassan Rouhani "believes that they own the land and that the people are an ignorant society."


Oops! That's gonna leave a mark, and maybe earn him a bullet in the head. But anytime the rulers of a dictatorship squabble amongst themselves it is a very good thing.

And...Open Thread until something else turns up.

Posted by CBD at 04:50 PM Comments

Ace of Spades Pet Thread

—Misanthropic Humanitarian

happy-hour-20151210-21-737x1024.jpg

***

Welcome to the almost world famous Ace of Spades Pet Thread. Odds are you are in the midst of snow and/or cold. Throw that pet on you as a blanket and enjoy the world of animals.

Continue reading


Posted by Misanthropic Humanitarian at 03:00 PM Comments

It's Not Pretty Plants, But At Least There's No Ottoman!

—CBD

KT is taking a bit of a breather this week. Don't worry, she'll be back. But in the meantime, enjoy an open thread...


Posted by CBD at 12:30 PM Comments

Weird News Dump

—Misanthropic Humanitarian

Some_Mornings1914_s.jpg

(Today is one of those)

***


The first Saturday of the year. It looks like the New Year continues to be as weird as the last year.


Take a look.

Continue reading


Posted by Misanthropic Humanitarian at 08:30 AM Comments

EMT 1/6/18 A Country Song New Year edition

—krakatoa

So, last Sunday my dog died.

Tuesday as a consequence of my company's "merger" (read: hostile takeover that my old CEO got completely rolled on and that our company very literally paid for before the new BOD voted him out) I got laid off from a job I managed to hold for 12 years.

I should really try to drum up some depression.

But you know what? Fuck it, that's what.

I've got a screamin' economy and a good severance package which will allow me to look for a better paying job in said screamin' economy without needing to dip into cash reserves for several months.

I'm good at what I do. I'll abide.

I do miss that dog something awful though.

Posted by krakatoa at 06:00 AM Comments

Friday's ONT Will Be Coming 'Round The Mountain When It Comes

—WeirdDave

Welcome to the first Friday ONT of the year! How is your year going so far? Better than this guy's, I hope:

three nights.jpg

Continue reading


Posted by WeirdDave at 09:43 PM Comments

Early Weekend Open Thread

—Ace



Posted by Ace at 07:41 PM Comments

Over 100 Companies Giving Out "Trump Bonuses" After Tax Reform Passage

—Ace

The number of companies offering employee bonuses, pay hikes, and increases in benefits in reaction to President Trump's December tax reform victory is now over 100, with thousands of workers impacted and charities too.

Less than a day after Americans for Tax Reform put out an initial list of 40, it jumped to 52 as more company plans poured in.

And by the end of today, ATR's John Kartch told Secrets that the list will hit over 100. "Small businesses from across the country are sending me news of their tax-cut bonuses, wage hikes, and charitable donations. Many of these were only announced internally. There is a broad and deep tsunami building," added Kartch, ATR's vice president of communications.

The article contains a list of the companies giving out bonuses and pay hikes, usually accompanied with a statement directly linking the extra payments to the tax reform law.

Posted by Ace at 06:32 PM Comments

Judge Denies Fusion GPS' Motion to Block Congress From Seeing Its Financial Records; Fusion GPS Files Emergency Motion to Appeals Court, Hoping for Reversal

—Ace

Boy, the Democrats' favorite smear-shop really doesn't want Congress to know who's paying it or who they're paying.

A federal judge has ruled against Fusion GPS in the Trump dossier firm's quest to block the release of its bank records to the House Intelligence Committee.

Judge Richard Leon shot down all four of Fusion's arguments against the release of 70 records of transactions involving some of its clients as well as journalists and researchers it has paid since Sept. 2015.

Fusion sued its bank, TD Bank, in October, to prevent it from complying with a subpoena issued by the House Intelligence Committee, which has been looking into Fusion’s role in putting together the dossier.

Mollie Hemingway goes through the judge's ruling, which she says "obliterates" Fusion GPS' arguments.

Before getting to that, she quotes Charles Grassley's response to the Fusion GPS op-ed, in which the company's founders claimed they wanted to be transparent, but Republicans in Congress just wouldn't let them be transparent:

A spokesman for Sen. Chuck Grassley of the Senate Judiciary Committee reminded Fusion GPS that the firm and its principals routinely fought the committee. Spokesman Taylor Foy said, "Senator Grassley provided Fusion GPS an opportunity for transparency six months ago when he invited the firm to publicly testify at an open committee hearing. Mr. Simpson declined. When faced with a subpoena from the Chairman and Ranking Member, Mr. Simpson refused to provide public testimony, using his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination to negotiate for a closed-door interview. Despite his public statements, Mr. Simpson and his attorney demanded during the interview that the transcript be kept confidential. Mr. Simpson has refused to answer dozens of questions voluntarily, and has failed to provide the Committee with documents and responses to follow-up questions after the interview."

Fusion GPS is so determined to be transparent with Congress they just filed this emergency appeal to try to keep their financial records hidden:



Posted by Ace at 05:13 PM Comments

NFL Ratings Fall at Faster Pace in 2017 Than in 2016

—Ace

At Instapundit, an excerpt from a WSJ article about the once mighty league's fall.

The 2016 season's ratings fell 8% from 2015's. But 2017's ratings fell almost 10%, 9.7%, from 2016's already-lower ratings.

As Instapundit says, "Get woke, go broke."

Posted by Ace at 03:52 PM Comments

DOJ Will Take a Second Look at How DOJ and FBI Handled Clinton Email Investigation

—Ace

First time's the charm.

Because it wasn't really investigated before, was it?

Classified documents among newly released Huma emails found on Weiner's laptop The Trump administration is launching another probe into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server when she was secretary of state, a new report said Thursday.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions hopes to uncover new details on how Clinton and her aides handled classified material, The Daily Beast reported, citing a source close to the former Alabama senator.

"It's wrong and dangerous to weaponize the DOJ into a political weapon," now shriek the people who got the FBI to pay Russians for a bogus dossier and then contrived a special prosecutor for a political opponent.

And that's not all -- apparently Sessions has also ordered another look (really the first look, again) into pay-for-play allegations about the Clinton Foundation and Uranium One.

The Justice Department has launched a new inquiry into whether the Clinton Foundation engaged in any pay-to-play politics or other illegal activities while Hillary Clinton served as secretary of State, law enforcement officials and a witness tells The Hill.

FBI agents from Little Rock, Ark., where the foundation was started, have taken the lead in the investigation and have interviewed at least one witness in the last month, and law enforcement officials said additional activities are expected in the coming weeks.

The officials, who spoke only on condition of anonymity, said the probe is examining whether the Clintons promised or performed any policy favors in return for largesse to their charitable efforts or whether donors made commitments of donations in hopes of securing government outcomes.


The probe may also examine whether any tax-exempt assets were converted for personal or political use and whether the foundation complied with applicable tax laws, the officials said.

One witness recently interviewed by the FBI described the session to The Hill as "extremely professional and unquestionably thorough" and focused on questions about whether donors to Clinton charitable efforts received any favorable treatment from the Obama administration on a policy decision previously highlighted in media reports.

Oh, and of course this was going on as this news came out:





Posted by Ace at 02:34 PM Comments

US Suspends Close to a Billion Dollars of Aid to Pakistan

—Ace

Well, it's at least nine hundred million; they haven't figured out the final tally to be suspended. So it could be close to a billion. Or even a bit more.

The United States said on Thursday it was suspending at least $900 million in security assistance to Pakistan until it takes action against the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network militant groups.

The U.S. State Department announced the decision, saying it reflected the Trump administration's frustration that Pakistan has not done more against the two groups that Washington says use sanctuaries in Pakistan to launch attacks in neighboring Afghanistan that have killed U.S., Afghan and other forces.

The department declined to say exactly how much aid would be suspended, saying the numbers were still being calculated and included funding from both the State and Defense departments.


Posted by Ace at 01:12 PM Comments

Guy Prints Up Hilarious Parody "Quote" From Michael Wolff Book; A Blue Checkmarker Falls For It

—Ace

Okay, at what point do you officially disbelieve this quote?



Well, this guy -- your Intellectual Better -- thinks it's real.



Scott Dworkin's twitter bio reads:

Co-Founder @TheDemCoalition. #AMJoy on MSNBC Contributor. I help lead #TheResistance. Obama Alum.

So, there you go.

Smart they are not.

Update: Noted expert about the nation of Peruvia, Toure, also fell for it. At least he thought it was really from the Wolff book, though he doubted the story, recounted by Wolff, was true:



Another one: This guy's an "Atlantic magazine contributor."



Update: People point out that this guy said the quote was "*literally* incredible" -- he seems to have been in on the prank, and was just sharing it so that others could enjoy it.

Posted by Ace at 12:13 PM Comments

The Morning Rant: J.V. Edition

—CBD

punk-monkey.jpg

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness."
***

That's so quaint! I think those folks really believed, and even fought a war to defend its principles. They shouldn't have bothered. Just throw poo, it's cheaper and more fun, and doesn't require any principles at all.

CBS Diversity Comedy Showcase Has Its 2018 Cast

I'm actually pretty fvcking offended by the name of this show. Ignoring the fact that it is off-putting, and immediately alienates a significant portion of its possible audience, what am I to take away from its title? That my status as a White man is in some way invalid, that I am to be marginalized in deference to others whose skin color and hyphenated surnames are more in tune with current thought?

These people are doubling down on division. They WANT the country to be unalterably divided, because they think that identity politics and a third world aesthetic is ascendent in America. Maybe it is, but before we get there these folks will have to some heavy lifting, and I don't think they are up to the task. As usual, their sweetness-and-light message will be co-opted by those with a more sanguine and realistic outlook on how to change societies. And those people are called communists, or in today's vernacular, community organizers and progressives.

Continue reading


Posted by CBD at 11:30 AM Comments

Mid-Morning Open Thread

—CBD

Yerka attack.jpg

Attack At Dawn
Jacek Yerka

Nobody said anything about "high art." If you want the masters, kick in for a Platinum MembershipTM. They are in Florence for a private showing of "David."

Posted by CBD at 09:35 AM Comments

The Morning Report 1/5/18

—J.J. Sefton

wakehim.jpg

Good morning kids. The weekend is here and so let's dive in to an abundance of linkages to keep you busy, informed and the blood boiling, at least with some of these.

First up, let's start with the Insurrection front. The big story emerging with several of the links is the now very public collapse of the entire phony "collusion" meme meant to destroy the President and/or his presidency. It has done neither, as we have witnessed with all the winning over the past year. Despite the media's attempt to now ignore and minimize the very "dossier" they thought would bring PDT down and shift the blame to Papadopoulos, Fusion GPS is now going to have to hand over all its bank records and so much will be revealed. Unless of course, the records were kept in Hillary's upstairs guest room in Chappaqua.

In the wake of all of this dreck, two GOP stalwarts, Mark Meadows and Jim Jordan are now calling for Jeff Sessions to wake the hell up and get the hell out. Like all of us, they've had enough of his incompetence. While many of us are clinging to the Steiner-will-come belief that indictments will be handed down and that Sessions is just playing 11-dimenson possum, I think the writing is on the wall; he's got to go and now. Even if Mueller were to resign and admit defeat, he cannot stay as Attorney General. There will be crucial policy decisions in the next three to seven years that demand someone in this position who has the political will and savvy to back up the administration, the rule of law and the American people to the hilt. Based on everything we have seen since he was sworn in, Jeff Sessions, is not that man.

Moving right along, no real news that I can find about the situation on the ground in Iran. Are the protests fizzling? Is there a complete blackout, aside from the one the American media is instituting? No matter; the administration is signaling it may reinstate sanctions against the Mullahs while the President himself has signaled other actions, as yet unspecified, that might be taken to help the protesters.

Interesting piece in the Federalist about the difference between American interests and American values when it comes to foreign policy. On the whole, it makes some cogent points.

On the fall of Bannon, honestly there are more important things going on and I view it as a distraction. The serial Soros troller attempted to shame me for "burying" it, to which I would say, if I wanted to do that I would not have linked to it, Average Joker. My feeling is I never heard of Steve Bannon before last year. I admired and agreed with his positions on opposing the establishment. In the end, though, he's just a regular person prone to the same foibles, insecurities and desire for elevation as everyone in that town. He made some seriously horrible decisions vis a vis his statements against PDT and his family. It's a shame because I thought we had someone on our side committed to the cause, but whose ego got in the way of his judgement. Meh. Let's forget him and move on.

I posted in the sidebar yesterday and I have linked below that David Yancey has won the tied race in the Virginia House by an arcane process of drawing lots. Of course, the Democrat won't concede despite naturally agreeing to the process ahead of time. Insert your Nelson Muntz laugh here. Seriously, it's a crucial win all things considered so I'll take it any way I can get it.

From hither and yon, mercurial Senator Ron Johnson is calling for an investigation into how Obama flunky Leandra English "burrowed" her way into the CFPB. It's a good idea; even better would be to abolish the absolutely unconstitutional and illegal politburo completely. Surprise! WikiLeaks has revealed the Clinton campaign covered up charges of sexual harassment leveled at one of their key staffers, and lastly a few interesting and feel-good stories about the effects of the President's dismantling of the regulatory state from the Obama Reign of Error and before, including Nancy Palsi's insane reaction to the President's drill-baby-drill announcement yesterday.

Anyway, links from around the world, across the nation and up your street. Have a better one and remain blessed.

Posted by J.J. Sefton at 07:27 AM Comments

Thursday Night ONT: ZAZ Edition

—WeirdDave

What's ZAZ you ask?

ZAZ.jpg

Continue reading


Posted by WeirdDave at 09:32 PM Comments

The Penis Whitier: Thai Men Paying $650 to Have Their Dicks Lasered Until They're Whiter

—Ace

My extensive research on PornHub tells me they're doing it wrong.

"These days a lot of people are asking about it. We get around 100 clients a month, three to four clients a day," Bunthita Wattanasiri, a manager for the Skin and Laser department at Lelux Hospital told AFP.

The procedure, which uses laser whitening, got wide play on Thai television and social media on Thursday (Jan 4) after the hospital released images of a man undergoing the treatment.

"We have to be careful because it's a sensitive part of the body," Bunthita said, adding most clients were aged between 22 and 55-years-old with many from Thailand's LGBT community.

I think every man, if he's being honest, wants his dick to look like a bald Robert Smith of The Cure.

Posted by Ace at 07:53 PM Comments

Steve Bannon Out at Breitbart?

—Ace

Drudge, a Bannon foe, blares:



The article doesn't say he's out, but they report that board members of Breitbart.com are considering pushing him out.

The big problem is that Bannon directed Breitbart.com to be all-in on Trump -- and now he's at war with Trump, and the White House is even saying Breitbart should "consider" firing him.

President Donald Trump’s growing feud with Steve Bannon is threatening the former White House strategist’s leadership of the conservative Breitbart News website...

Mr. Bannon's longtime benefactors, billionaires Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah Mercer, are actively distancing from him even before the expected release of Michael Wolff's book...

They and other Breitbart News Network LLC board members on Thursday were debating whether to oust Mr. Bannon as chairman, with many supportive of the move, according to a person familiar with the exchanges. Among the considerations are Breitbart's contractual relationships with other entities, including Sirius XM radio, that involve Mr. Bannon....


Asked Thursday whether Breitbart should oust Mr. Bannon, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said: "I certainly think that it's something they should look at and consider."

For his part, Bannon recently did some fence mending by stating that he still "supports" Trump and considers him a "great man." But he hit Trump in two ways Trump will be unlikely to forgive: he added to the Russian Collusion narrative, so that Jake Tapper (and others) can now say "even Steve Bannon says this was treasonous," and Trump is very, very pissed off about this whole ginned-up Deep State strike.

And he also knocked Trump's kids, allegedly, who are probably among the few people Trump really cares about.

Posted by Ace at 06:16 PM Comments

Philip Morris: Our New Years Resolution is to Stop Making Cigarettes
Also: New Years Resolution Thread

—Ace

Philip Morris has been getting more into the smoke-free e-cig market for some time. I don't expect them to follow through on this "resolution." It seems just to be a publicity-generating statement.

Still...

Philip Morris International has made a dramatic New Year's resolution: "We're trying to give up cigarettes."

What?

The maker of such cigarette brands as Marlboro, L&M, Parliament and Chesterfield took out full-page ads in several newspapers in the United Kingdom that said its new ambition in 2018 is to build a smoke-free future and eventually stop selling cigarettes.

The manifesto, as described on the company's web site, is to help people quit smoking traditional cigarettes and to one day replace them all with smoke-free alternatives like e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

The company claims the alternatives are less harmful and that "we can achieve a significant public-health benefit only when a large number of these smokers switch from cigarettes to better products."

The Philip Morris ad states: "No cigarette company has done anything like this before. You might wonder if we really mean it."

If anyone's interested in quitting smoking for the New Year, e-cigs are a good way to do it. I had quit cold-turkey for a while, then went on to e-cigs on doctor's advice.

No really. I had complained of a lack of focus and a cardiologist said, "Well I can't officially suggest this as a doctor, but you could try an e-cig..."

Since then, I've reduced the nicotine level I was getting from 0.18, to 0.12, to 0.06, to 0.03, and just ten or so days ago, 0.015. I'm looking to go down to 0.01 or even 0.005 and then just quit entirely. It's not that it's a very dangerous habit; it's just an unnecessary one, and it's a contributing factor to my high blood pressure.

Which isn't really that high any more. So maybe if I stopped with the nicotine, I could ditch the HBP medicine. That would be a win.

The e-cig still has some of the pain-in-the-ass factor of smoking. Sure, you can get away with puffing an e-cig in a lot of places, but you can't puff in all places, and you still have to do a little bit of annoying nicotine-dosing planning. One advantage of the e-cig is that there is no time commitment to taking a hit -- with a cigarette, you're kind of committed to the full five minutes of smoking when you light one up. With an e-cig, you can take two quick puffs and you haven't wasted any product.

So there's less time devoted to the addiction than with cigarettes, but there's still some. Heading out into the cold during a meal, for example, just to take three power puffs, for example.

I'd like to reclaim that small amount of time I'm still wasting on nursing the nicotine addiction.

The e-cig's pain-in-the-ass factor is an order of magnitude less than cigarettes' time-wasting factor. When I quit smoking, I was very surprised at how much extra time I had -- time I had previously spent going outside to smoke, etc. I would guess I suddenly had 90 extra minutes each day, maybe more.

90+ extra minutes a day? Pretty damn great. At first, I felt a little agitated about it. It felt like there was something I was meant to be doing, but wasn't. Almost as if I was skipping out on work and felt guilty about it. But that passes in a week or so. And it just gives you more time for masturbating.

But even with the e-cig, you're still going to have some smaller amount of time that you waste for nicotine breaks.

As I've also suggested before, The Easy Way to Quit Smoking by Allen Carr is a must for the psychological side of tobacco dependency. Even with an e-cig, where you're getting as much or more nicotine than you get with a real cigarette, your addiction is going to make up excuses as to why this slightly different nicotine ingestion experience is so unsatisfying that you must begin smoking real cigarettes again.

The Easy Way to Quit Smoking is a good defense against the lies the brain parasite we call addiction is going to tell you to keep itself alive.

BTW, there is one true noticeable chemical difference between the e-cig and a real cigarette, as far as effect on the brain: e-cigarettes do not deliver the poison called carbon monoxide. I think it's the carbon monoxide that gives you the slightly goofy, dizzy feeling when you over-smoke. It's absent in e-cigs, and your addiction will probably notice that and try to convince you that carbon monoxide is a non-negotiable necessity of the nicotine ingestion habit. In reality, it's just a byproduct with no real upside (which nicotine does have, obviously) and with additional downsides.

Anyway, if Philip Morris is thinking about quitting the cigarette habit, eh, maybe give it a shot. With the e-cig, it's now as painless a process as it ever will be, though, I have to stress, your addiction will constantly be telling you that every minor, trivial difference between the e-cig and real cigarettes is hugely important and so you should go right back to cigs.

Okay, enough of my nagging.

New Years Resolutions Part of Post.

Have you made any New Years Resolutions?

I have a bunch:

1. Be up at at 'em by 9am every morning. I know this sounds stupid, but yeah, this would be my version of "early rising."

2. Have my exercise done by 10:30 am. Currently I put it off and off and it winds up squashing the whole day because it's always out in front of me instead of done and forgotten. And on this one, I really need to finally start doing mobility/stretching/yoga type stuff on my non-weightlifting days, instead of just being tight and sore all the time.

3. Fix the damn Sonobi and cellphone hijacks going on on the site.

4. Stop watching so much TV. I've watched less TV, but not as little as I'd like. Also, I've largely just replaced TV with YouTube stuff, which I have to ratchet down. Maybe I should set a one hour or 90 minute per day hard limit. Which would get me to...

5. Read more.

6. Phase 3 of the shelves. Yeah I haven't started Phase 3. I just have the shelves.

7. Clean everything up and be neater and semi-organized for once.

8. Learn how to lockpick. I got this cool set of pics and practice locks (with see-through bodies so you can see yourself manipulating the pins) from Amazon. Haven't tried them yet, though.

9. Finally learn Italian and Spanish. Which I started trying to do a year and a half ago but didn't go very far with.

10. Become a Real Expert like Tom Nichols or all the other geniuses on Twitter.

Well that's a big list. I've heard that Bullet Journaling is helpful for getting through goals, but that seems like a whole new entry in the resolution list. I don't know if I could actually do that.

Does anyone do that? And-- does anyone do that who was not already a pretty organized and future-planning person, like me? Has anyone used this technique (or any other technique, actually) to successfully gender transition from disorganized to at least somewhat organized?

Below, a video of that What I've Learned guy on creating habits and increasing willpower.


Continue reading


Posted by Ace at 05:20 PM Comments

Shocker: Keith Ellison Promotes Group the Department of Homeland Security Designates as a Domestic Terrorist Operation

—Ace

Yes, they're "domestic terrorists," officially.

And the DNC's number two is a big fan.



This is by no means the first time Keith Ellison has declared his gender to be terror-curious.

Ellison has been tied to the Nation of Islam, and once supported its virulently anti-Semitic founder, Louis Farrakhan. CNN found that Ellison was involved in the Nation of Islam for about a decade between the 80s and 90s. During that time, while in law school, Ellison aligned with anti-Semitic campaigners and Holocaust deniers, often taking to the press to defend them....

In 2007, he described former President George W. Bush as a Hitler-like figure, suspecting that 9/11 was an inside job...

From 2009 up until present day, Ellison has engaged with several figures who are close to the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas.

In 2009, he met with a man described by the FBI as a fundraiser for Hamas.

Throughout the years, Ellison often has spoken at fundraisers hosted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which has been profiled by the Department of Justice as a Hamas-related organization. Additionally, CAIR was listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in the largest terror-financing trial in American history, and is banned as a terror group in the United Arab Emirates.

A group connected with the terrorist organization the Muslim Brotherhood paid for Keith Ellison's visit to Mecca.


Once a terrorist supporter, always a terrorist supporter.

Note the DNC's number two is indulged his many connections to terror-linked groups while the farcical media is on the lookout for GOPers flashing the "Okay" hand-sign, which they claim is a Secret Code for "White Power."

Somehow, they overlook all the Democrats who flash the "okay" sign.


Posted by Ace at 04:31 PM Comments



The AoSHQ Amazon Store


Top Headlines
"The Last Jedi" Sets a Record: The Sequel That Lost the Most Box Office Compared to the Previous Entry in the Series
I got that link from this guy's YouTube channel.
Oh, and apparently Last Jedi, in its third week of release, made half as much as the opening of the little-awaited fourth entry in the "Insidious" horror franchise. It's now in 3rd place, after Jumanji and Insidious: The Last Key.
The film will make over a billion, so it's not like anyone's losing money on this, but it will likely finish making at least $700 million less than The Force Awakens.
Oh, and that Grace Randolph chick has now posted her video on the Last Jedi's box office.
BTW, If You're Enjoying the New Sonobi-Free Site, Thank John Ekdahl for Clearing That Glitch Out of My Old Code!
Former Federal Prosecutor lays out the slam-dunk case to indict and convict Hillary on her email crime.
"In the Clinton-email case, her intent, regardless of her motive, was clearly criminal"
[ArthurK]
A new one from Kurt Schlichter: The Big Problem With Hollywood Is Its Product "The other night we saw a superhero movie where the protagonist used his awesome powers to save the world from an evil supervillain – okay, it was The Darkest Hour, and the superhero was Churchill. The villain was Hitler, the real Hitler, not the fake Hitlers that are everyone who disagrees with liberals. But you get the point. It was nice to go to a movie for once and not be bored to tears by spandex-clad magic people flying about punching and exploding stuff." [CBD]
Under Bill Clinton's watch, the "button" was disabled for 4 months.
And people get hot and bothered by Trump's tweets!
[ArthurK]
Republican David Yancey Wins VA House Seat on Drawing of Lots. Pivotal race means GOP retains majority in the state house. His name was randomly drawn from a bowl! Hell, we'll take it, all things considered. [J.J. Sefton]
Kim Jun-Un Re-Opens Talks with South Korea
I don't think this is good news or something that one can credit to Trump. It's just the North Koreans trying to split the already-afraid-of-war South Koreans from any kind of an alliance with America against the North.
Woodward and Berstein Criticize Media's Smugness and Self-Righteousness
And they should know something about smug self-righteousness, especially Bernstein
Recent Comments
[/i][/b]andycanuck[/s][/u]: "Leftist twitter nuts claiming BLM and Forestry los ..."

Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Booking Agent, Aero Pinochet: "This presidential knife-fight - the old way, yes? ..."

JackStraw: "Here's a pretty decent writeup of the Harry Reid/O ..."

Trump Knew His Father: "365 Nixon would win. He'd bring a gun to a knife f ..."

President Nixon: "365 Nixon would win. He'd bring a gun to a knife f ..."

Hairyback Guy: "Obama would beat them all as all of his opponents ..."

FenelonSpoke: "Google enployee who got fired for being white file ..."

Milagro Marketing: "The thing is, he blundered by revealing to me how ..."

Christopher R Taylor: "I give Ike all the respect in the world, he was a ..."

Skip: "Video game idea - pick your President and weapon a ..."

#neverskankles : "Google enployee who got fired for being white file ..."

Malloy: "Nixon would win. He'd bring a gun to a knife fight ..."

Bloggers in Arms
Frequently Asked Questions
The (Almost) Complete Paul Anka Integrity Kick
Top Top Tens
Greatest Hitjobs

The Ace of Spades HQ Sex-for-Money Skankathon
A D&D Guide to the Democratic Candidates
Margaret Cho: Just Not Funny
More Margaret Cho Abuse
Margaret Cho: Still Not Funny
Iraqi Prisoner Claims He Was Raped... By Woman
Wonkette Announces "Morning Zoo" Format
John Kerry's "Plan" Causes Surrender of Moqtada al-Sadr's Militia
World Muslim Leaders Apologize for Nick Berg's Beheading
Michael Moore Goes on Lunchtime Manhattan Death-Spree
Milestone: Oliver Willis Posts 400th "Fake News Article" Referencing Britney Spears
Liberal Economists Rue a "New Decade of Greed"
Artificial Insouciance: Maureen Dowd's Word Processor Revolts Against Her Numbing Imbecility
Intelligence Officials Eye Blogs for Tips
They Done Found Us Out, Cletus: Intrepid Internet Detective Figures Out Our Master Plan
Shock: Josh Marshall Almost Mentions Sarin Discovery in Iraq
Leather-Clad Biker Freaks Terrorize Australian Town
When Clinton Was President, Torture Was Cool
What Wonkette Means When She Explains What Tina Brown Means
Wonkette's Stand-Up Act
Wankette HQ Gay-Rumors Du Jour
Here's What's Bugging Me: Goose and Slider
My Own Micah Wright Style Confession of Dishonesty
Outraged "Conservatives" React to the FMA
An On-Line Impression of Dennis Miller Having Sex with a Kodiak Bear
The Story the Rightwing Media Refuses to Report!
Our Lunch with David "Glengarry Glen Ross" Mamet
The House of Love: Paul Krugman
A Michael Moore Mystery (TM)
The Dowd-O-Matic!
Liberal Consistency and Other Myths
Kepler's Laws of Liberal Media Bias
John Kerry-- The Splunge! Candidate
"Divisive" Politics & "Attacks on Patriotism" (very long)
The Donkey ("The Raven" parody)
News/Chat
Archives
Contact