Act I
Intermission:
____________________________________
Okay,Shut Up and Sit Down!
Act II
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Obama Proving an Embarrassing Amateur on the World Stage
The Telegraph - Nile Gardiner
"George W. Bush was widely mocked by the Left during the Iraq War, with liberals jeering at the “coalition of the willing,” which included in its ranks some minnows such as Moldova and Kazkhstan. Michael Moore, in his rather silly documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, went to great lengths to lampoon the Iraq War alliance. But the coalition also contained, as I pointed out in Congressional testimony back in 2007, Great Britain, Australia, Spain, Italy, Poland, and 16 members of the NATO alliance, as well as Japan and South Korea. In Europe, France and Germany were the only large-scale countries that sat the war out, with 12 of the 25 members of the European Union represented. The coalition, swelled to roughly 40 countries, and was one of the largest military coalitions ever assembled.
As it stands, President Obama’s proposed military coalition on Syria has a grand total of two members – the US and France. And the French, as we know from Iraq, simply can’t be relied on, and have very limited military capability.
It is a truly embarrassing state of affairs when Paris, at best a fair weather friend, is your only partner. John Kerry tried to put a brave face on it at his press conference today, by referring to France “as our oldest ally,” but the fact remains that his administration is looking painfully isolated.
There can be no doubt that David Cameron’s defeat in the House of Commons was a huge blow to President Obama, and has dominated the US news networks this morning. The absence of Britain in any American-led military action significantly weakens Obama’s position on the world stage, and dramatically undercuts the Obama administration. The vote reflected not only a lack of confidence in the Commons in the prime minister’s Syria strategy, it also demonstrated a striking lack of confidence in Barack Obama and US leadership.
In marked contrast to Obama, President Bush invested a great deal of time and effort in cultivating ties with key US allies, especially Britain. The Special Relationship actually mattered to George W. Bush. For Barack Obama it has been a mere blip on his teleprompter...." - Read More
Image via Earl of Taint
"George W. Bush was widely mocked by the Left during the Iraq War, with liberals jeering at the “coalition of the willing,” which included in its ranks some minnows such as Moldova and Kazkhstan. Michael Moore, in his rather silly documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, went to great lengths to lampoon the Iraq War alliance. But the coalition also contained, as I pointed out in Congressional testimony back in 2007, Great Britain, Australia, Spain, Italy, Poland, and 16 members of the NATO alliance, as well as Japan and South Korea. In Europe, France and Germany were the only large-scale countries that sat the war out, with 12 of the 25 members of the European Union represented. The coalition, swelled to roughly 40 countries, and was one of the largest military coalitions ever assembled.
It is a truly embarrassing state of affairs when Paris, at best a fair weather friend, is your only partner. John Kerry tried to put a brave face on it at his press conference today, by referring to France “as our oldest ally,” but the fact remains that his administration is looking painfully isolated.
There can be no doubt that David Cameron’s defeat in the House of Commons was a huge blow to President Obama, and has dominated the US news networks this morning. The absence of Britain in any American-led military action significantly weakens Obama’s position on the world stage, and dramatically undercuts the Obama administration. The vote reflected not only a lack of confidence in the Commons in the prime minister’s Syria strategy, it also demonstrated a striking lack of confidence in Barack Obama and US leadership.
In marked contrast to Obama, President Bush invested a great deal of time and effort in cultivating ties with key US allies, especially Britain. The Special Relationship actually mattered to George W. Bush. For Barack Obama it has been a mere blip on his teleprompter...." - Read More
Image via Earl of Taint
Staying Stylish in the Age of Big Brother
 |
| The New Museum's anti-drone scarf. |
Washington Free Beacon - Visitors to the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York City can now purchase an “anti-drone scarf” from the museum's gift shop. Designed by Adam Harvey and Johanna Bloomfield, the scarf retails for $450 (though members can grab one at a discount price of $382.50).
According to the Privacy Gift Shop: Inspired by Muslim dress, the Anti-Drone Scarf conceptually aligns itself with the rationale behind the traditional hijab to act as “the veil which separates man or the world from God”, replacing God with drone. The metalized silk scarf protects against thermal imaging surveillance (a technology used widely by UAVs/drones) by reflecting heat, masking the wearer’s thermal signature. The enhanced garment is lightweight, breathable, and safe to wear.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Is Assad Taunting The Great One?
Clicky for larger image
A Facebook post said to have been written by the 11-year-old son of President Bashar al-Assad may offer a glimpse into the defiant worldview of the Syrian elite.
NYT - A Facebook post said to be written by the 11-year-old son of the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, and “liked” or commented on by several people who appear to be the children and grandchildren of other senior members of Mr. Assad’s government, may offer a glimpse into the mindset of Syria’s ruling elite as the country braces for a potential Western strike in response to a chemical weapons attack on Aug. 21.
It is impossible to confirm whether the Facebook account does, in fact, belong to the son, Hafez al-Assad, and aspects of it invite doubt. For example, the owner of the account wrote that he was a graduate of Oxford University and a player for a Barcelona soccer team, neither of which would be likely to appear on the résumé of an 11-year-old boy in Damascus.
But those claims could also be read as the ambitions of a child, and there are reasons to believe that the account may actually belong to Hafez.Read More
Obama Administration New Excuse for Failing Economy: Cat Videos
by Alyson Durden
A new report issued by the White House Council of Economic Advisors has a new culprit for the sluggish US economy, and their findings have caused shockwaves across the Internet. According to their report “Kitties are killing the American dream,” the housing bubble had little to do with the “Great Recession,” but rather the nation’s obsession with cute cat videos was the cause.
“In 2007, the world saw a great surge in the number of videos featuring cats on the Internet. In fact, that was the year, we saw people move away from using it for pornography and more to watch these inane videos of cats doing everything from playing musical instruments to chasing bears, it’s been ridiculous,” said famed economist Dr. Jeffrey Sachs. “The loss in productivity that resulted from millions of people watching these videos caused great distress and cost US businesses billions of dollars. They, in turn, laid workers off. The workers watched and looked for more cat videos, which they sent to friends who were working but stopped what they were doing to watch the videos causing US businesses to lose even more money and lay more people off... you can see where this was going.”
The American Society for Cat Lovers (ASCL) disputed the findings and accused the Obama Administration of promoting a “pro-dog” agenda. “Are there any cats in the White House? No! And now there’s a second dog? This is not about the economy, but an anti-cat agenda,” Said Cathy Levine, President of the ASCL. “We’re not all crazy.”
Other experts agreed, noting that the website Buzzfeed has contributed to economic decline in the US. Former Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill told MFNS, “The more people watch cat videos, the less work they do. It’s just that simple.”
A new report issued by the White House Council of Economic Advisors has a new culprit for the sluggish US economy, and their findings have caused shockwaves across the Internet. According to their report “Kitties are killing the American dream,” the housing bubble had little to do with the “Great Recession,” but rather the nation’s obsession with cute cat videos was the cause.
“In 2007, the world saw a great surge in the number of videos featuring cats on the Internet. In fact, that was the year, we saw people move away from using it for pornography and more to watch these inane videos of cats doing everything from playing musical instruments to chasing bears, it’s been ridiculous,” said famed economist Dr. Jeffrey Sachs. “The loss in productivity that resulted from millions of people watching these videos caused great distress and cost US businesses billions of dollars. They, in turn, laid workers off. The workers watched and looked for more cat videos, which they sent to friends who were working but stopped what they were doing to watch the videos causing US businesses to lose even more money and lay more people off... you can see where this was going.”
The American Society for Cat Lovers (ASCL) disputed the findings and accused the Obama Administration of promoting a “pro-dog” agenda. “Are there any cats in the White House? No! And now there’s a second dog? This is not about the economy, but an anti-cat agenda,” Said Cathy Levine, President of the ASCL. “We’re not all crazy.”
Other experts agreed, noting that the website Buzzfeed has contributed to economic decline in the US. Former Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill told MFNS, “The more people watch cat videos, the less work they do. It’s just that simple.”
North Korea Edges Toward War with Switzerland
Kim Jong-un ordered the North Korean military earlier this year to start work on a “world-class” ski resort, to rival the winter sports facilities being built in South Korea to host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. But North Korea has expressed its extreme anger at Switzerland after it blocked a deal to supply key equipment for a ski resort, a pet project of Kim Jong-un's.
Describing the resort as a “gigantic patriotic work’’, Mr Kim has said he wanted the facility – with 69 miles (110 kilometres) of multilevel ski runs, a hotel, heliport and cable cars – completed by the end of the year. He acknowledged the apparently “world startling labour feats the builders have performed in the construction”.
The North's Skiers Association said on Saturday that ski courses have already been built with a hotel and other facilities nearing completion. But "some countries" are blocking the import of "cableway equipment" for the resort, it said in a statement. "If the governments of some countries consider that ordinary inhabitants of (North Korea) should not be allowed to use the ski resort, it is an unpardonable insult to its social system and people."
The North's association insisted the resort was aimed at providing its citizens with "highly civilized and happy living conditions and make them enjoy all blessings".
Mr Kim is a known fan of basketball but spent seven years at international schools near the Swiss city of Berne from 1993, where he may have picked up an interest in skiing. His father and former leader was a famously keen sportsman.
Kim Jong-il first picked up a golf club in 1994, at North Korea’s only golf course, and shot a 38-under par round that included no fewer than 11 holes in one. Satisfied with his performance, he reportedly immediately declared his retirement from the sport.
The Telegraph
Describing the resort as a “gigantic patriotic work’’, Mr Kim has said he wanted the facility – with 69 miles (110 kilometres) of multilevel ski runs, a hotel, heliport and cable cars – completed by the end of the year. He acknowledged the apparently “world startling labour feats the builders have performed in the construction”.
The North's Skiers Association said on Saturday that ski courses have already been built with a hotel and other facilities nearing completion. But "some countries" are blocking the import of "cableway equipment" for the resort, it said in a statement. "If the governments of some countries consider that ordinary inhabitants of (North Korea) should not be allowed to use the ski resort, it is an unpardonable insult to its social system and people."
The North's association insisted the resort was aimed at providing its citizens with "highly civilized and happy living conditions and make them enjoy all blessings".
Mr Kim is a known fan of basketball but spent seven years at international schools near the Swiss city of Berne from 1993, where he may have picked up an interest in skiing. His father and former leader was a famously keen sportsman.
Kim Jong-il first picked up a golf club in 1994, at North Korea’s only golf course, and shot a 38-under par round that included no fewer than 11 holes in one. Satisfied with his performance, he reportedly immediately declared his retirement from the sport.
The Telegraph
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