That Was Easy! Or Not...

Obama solves the Mt. Sinjar crisis!

Militants’ Siege on Mountain in Iraq Is Over, Pentagon Says

WASHINGTON — Defense Department officials said late Wednesday that United States airstrikes and Kurdish fighters had broken the Islamic militants’ siege of Mount Sinjar, allowing thousands of the Yazidis trapped there to escape.

An initial report from about a dozen Marines and Special Operations forces who arrived on Tuesday and spent 24 hours on the northern Iraqi mountain said that “the situation is much more manageable,” a senior Defense official said in an interview.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, speaking to reporters Wednesday night at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., said it was “far less likely now” that the United States would undertake a rescue mission because the assessment team reported far fewer Yazidis on the mountain than expected, and that those still there were in relatively good condition.

That's good news, and solves Obama's humanitarian dilemma about using ground non-troops in a non-combat role.

But not so fast!

Despite U.S. Claims, Yazidis Say Crisis Is Not Over

ISTANBUL — Yazidi leaders and emergency relief officials on Thursday strongly disputed American claims that the siege of Mount Sinjar in northern Iraq had been broken and that the crisis was effectively over, saying that tens of thousands of Yazidis remained on the mountain in desperate conditions.

...

Speaking from her hospital bed here, Vian Dakhil, an Iraqi member of Parliament and a Yazidi leader who was injured in the crash of a helicopterdelivering aid to the mountain on Tuesday, said she was aware of the American claims and had discussed them with Yazidi leaders still in the area.

“It’s not true,” she said.

“It’s better now than it had been, but it’s just not true that all of them are safe — they are not,” Ms. Dakhil said. “Especially on the south side of the mountain, the situation is very terrible. There are still people who are not getting any aid.”

She estimated the number of Yazidis trapped on the southern flanks of Mount Sinjar at 70,000 to 80,000.

Ms. Dakhil’s assessment of the seriousness of the Yazidis’ plight was supported by United Nations humanitarian officials, who on Thursday were unequivocal that there remained a major crisis among the Yazidis on Mount Sinjar.

“The crisis on Mount Sinjar is by no means over,” said David Swanson, the spokesman for the United Nations coordinator of humanitarian affairs in northern Iraq, interviewed by telephone from Dohuk, in northern Iraq. “Although many people managed to escape from the north side, there are still thousands of others up there, under conditions of extreme heat, dehydration and imminent threat of attack. The situation is far from solved.”

Hmm. I can see why Yazidi and UN officials might want to exaggerate, but I can also see why the Pentagon might feel pressured to declare everything to be hunky-dory. Normally it is CNN news crews that find and promote the next humanitarian crisis, so I guess we need to stay tuned.

Comments

[Threadkiller]

http://www.birtherreport.com/2014/08/scotus-shattering-8-prominent-groups.html?m=1

Patent attorneys to the rescue!

[NKinLimbo]

Daddy-- be careful out there: http://news.yahoo.com/alaskan-woman-mauled-bear-walks-truck-drives-hospital-043114873.html

[NKinLimbo]

MarkO-- profound choices.

[Captain Hate]

Hmmm of the people who've lived during my lifetime Churchill, Faulkner, Nabokov (I'd really grill him on a few things) and Robert Duvall (clarice is soooo lucky).

I've pretty much met all the musicians I'm interested in; most of them are amazingly approachable.

[Captain Hate]

Dammit, amend my list to include Reagan.

[Threadkiller]

“This is a shame that as we speak the president of United States is talking to Russia, he’s talking to China, he’s talking to North Korea, he’s talking to Iraq and the Middle East about treating their people better,” he said. “But as he look out the window at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, he’s watching the black man, who built the White House, shot down like dogs.”

Nzinga also claimed Obama is from Kenya, calling him a “Mau Mau.”

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/08/14/raw-video-new-black-panther-party-protesters-take-over-ferguson-police-chiefs-news-conference/

Loon.

[Rick B]

I wonder if Daddy can out run his dogs?

[Stephanie tortoise not the hare]

Who has SEC network on?

I checked the dawgs schedule today and was amazed at the heavy hitters they are playing. :eyeroll:

It's getting close. I hit chik-fil-a this morning and the cups advertising the kickoff game are out. ROLL TIDE

[Jane]

I wondered why Fox would only pick those two horrid pairings as the choices in their stupid survey.

They didn't. When I heard the story this morning the Bush's beat the Obama's by a couple of points, and Clinton beat both.

[Jane]

A friend told me this afternoon that Obama is returning to DC to drop off one kid and pick up the other. I assume the meeting with Biden is so we can pick up the $2m tab.

I hope all this speculation about appointments and amnesty doesn't push him to comply.

[Beasts of England]

I can't find it, Steph! Having just changed out my cable boxes, it's probably related to that. I'll call the provider tomorrow before the BCS marathon commences. I need some good background noise for an easy Friday workday.

[Ignatz]

I find it amazing people would so readily sit down happily yapping with a guy who quite credibly raped a woman and then assassinated her character not to mention what he did to others who spoke up about his harassment and sickening pressure.

The idea this is just some guy who fools around occasionally rather than a predator who should have been imprisoned is hard for me to comprehend.

[Ignatz]

People in my lifetime?
Tenzing Norgay, Juan Manuel Fangio and Solzhenitsyn.

[narciso]

an interesting argument

http://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2014/08/14/u-s-yazidis-wary-of-arming-kurdish-fighters-in-northern-iraq/

[Jim Rhoads f/k/a vnjagvet]

No fair shaming those of us who answered a forced question, Ig:<). I have had drinks with a bunch of reprobates and didn't even know it until much later.

[Laura White]

In my lifetime, C. S. Lewis (died when I was five), T. S. Eliot, and Walker Percy.

[jimmyk]

I think Tom Wolfe would be a fascinating dinner companion. Dave Barry would be great fun, but not over dinner or drinks as they would end up sprayed out on the table. Agreed with DoT about Christopher Hitchens, as long as I didn't try to keep up with the drink tally.

[narciso]

F chuck consistently dials to eleven:

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/geoffrey-dickens/2014/08/14/todd-takeover-top-10-list-most-liberal-outbursts-new-meet-press-ho

[narciso]

Ah Tom Wolfe, how did I miss that, I take a little issue of his grand guignol take on my former burg,

[Stephanie tortoise not the hare]

Comcast channel 792 or 300

The classic replays start at 2 am tonight with the 09 Tide Gators.

[jimmyk]

The Atlantans here might feel the same about one of his previous efforts, not to mention the Dukies about another one. He does seem at his best on NYC (Bonfire, Radical Chic, etc.).

[lyle]

Nabokov, Wolfe, Tom Robbins, Dennis Miller.

[Stephanie]

Posted by: Ignatz | August 14, 2014 at 07:51 PM

I did say I was in documentation for the trial thereby putting his issues to rest and also the money. OK probably mostly the money as there's sure to be one LIV who sees nothing wrong with anything Clenis does.

[Danube on iPad]

Good Lord, not even five months after the universe-shattering disclosure of late March, the SCOTUS itself is shattered. Will they ever recover?

[Beasts of England]

Thanks, Steph. Still can't dial it up...

Thankfully APT is have a pledge drive and they're showing 'Mama Called'. And I think about the leadership and hard work that PWB displayed and then I think of the Nancy-boy leading this country and I get enraged. Sheesh.

[daddy]

Who said Obama wasn't par for the course?

Via Drudge: POLICE CHIEF RIPS OBAMA
'DISCUSSING TACTICS FROM MARTHA'S VINEYARD NOT HELPFUL'

[Dave (in MA)]

Ferguson protests compared to Planet of the Apes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f0mVn0HH6U

[narciso]

Well he's rarely helpful, or informed about the situation, but that's just a day ending in y

[Another Bob]

Daddy, interested in your opinion of the FlyBe pilot who had his prosthetic arm fall off while in the flare.

[Another Bob]

Oh, LUN...

[narciso]

Bagehot crying again.

http://babalublog.com/2014/08/14/uruguays-president-mujica-avatar-of-all-things-latrine/

William Clay, not being helpful

[Ignatz]

Maybe you could make em dirt poor again Steph. :)

No shame intended Jim, as long as you bring a shiv with ya. Heh, heh, heh...

[Miss Marple]

Extraneus, I LOVE that picture of Dick Cheney, who obviously had Obama's number from the outset! (Love the hat, too!)

[Beasts of England]

They just showed Ronald Reagan's video congratulating the Bear on his 315th victory and, again, I'm reminded of the gross lack of leadership and love of country that our jackass-in-chief exhibits. What a pitiful little punk-ass bitch. I need a(nother) martini.

[narciso]

the thing about 'Back to Blood' was the police part of it, was mostly informed by a wonderful fellow who was the former police spokesman,who
left us all too soon, the other part by a scurrilous character who reflects on my alma
mater, like Holder does on Stuyvesant

[daddy]

Daddy, interested in your opinion of the FlyBe pilot who had his prosthetic arm fall off while in the flare.

Another Bob,

I wouldn't have wanted to be his passenger.

I had read that and I wondered if the reason he didn't pass the plane off to his co-pilot was because he did not want to have it demonstrated that he was incapable in certain situations from not being a fully competent pilot, and there might be ramifications such as losing his flight qualifications if he did so.

That's the only reason I could think of for why he didn't pass the plane off and instead became a one armed pilot and planted it. To me that demonstrated that he is not fully competent to be flying passengers.

Thats my takeaway from a quick read of that story.

[Eric in Boise]

I'd almost, almost, subject myself to cocktails with King Putt just to be able to slide this in front of him and ask him what he thinks of it:
http://www.investors.com/editorial-cartoons/michael-ramirez/713182-mind-if-i-play-through-

[lyle]

Good one, EiB.

[Eric in Boise]

Ramirez is a national treasure, IMHO.

[Miss Marple]

Of the four choices offered, I would choose Hillary. She's my age and we could at least have a conversation. I could not bear to be with either Obamas, and Bill is scary to me because he has that "charisma used for evil" thing going.

If we are dealing with people in my lifetime, then I choose Churchill, Reagan, Silvo Berlusconi (who actually thanked America for sending their sons to free Italy, which I never forgot) St. John Paul II, and Maggie Thatcher.

[narciso]

So what does the likes of Rand Paul, and Eric Holder, to cite two disparate examples, think the police should have done, after the first round of looting,

[Stephanie]

Is it just me?

When someone types EiB instead of Eric, I usually start looking around for Rush Limbaugh.

[Eric in Boise]

And as far as "any person in history", besides the obvious choices of Jesus and Buddha, I'd pick my Grampa Charlie from Independence, who died when I was four, knew Harry Truman as a personal friend, as was apparently quite the raconteur.

Is it possible to miss someone you never really knew?

[narciso]

those considerations don't seems to be foremost

http://therightscoop.com/caller-from-ferguson-tells-rush-hes-glad-police-are-out-in-force-protecting-the-citizens-of-ferguson/

[Miss Marple]

Eric, Yes it is. I miss never having known my paternal grandmother, who went off with my grandfather and his brother to ranch in the Rio Grande Valley. I have pictures of her in sombrero and jodhpurs in front of the ranch house. I also know she put her foot down and they came back to indiana after my dad got typhoid from drinking from the well at the Mexican village near their ranch.

I also have swell pictures of her with my grandad downtown, wrapped in furs and heading for the nearest watering hole, and another during WWII where she was in overalls tending her Victory garden. Maggie McLain was her maiden name, and I sure wish she hadn't passed away when I was two.

[Stephanie]

From Kevin Sorbo:

I actually hit the internet to make sure it was not a spoof. Since Canada has no constitution, you can actually be sent to jail there for saying something that hurts someone's feelings. (Seriously, there are several Canadian bloggers/Journalists that have fled to the U.S. because there are warrants for their arrest up north. They dared to write articles critical of radical Islam.) I predict within the year, someone will be prosecuted for the 'crime' of using the wrong pronouns.

I cannot imagine how weird the world is going to be when my kids are my age.

------------------------

A Vancouver School Board Just Changed The English Pronouns We All Know

Christina Sterbenz
Jun. 19, 2014, 12:59 PM After four rowdy rounds of voting, the Vancouver School Board approved replacing all English language pronouns with a new string of newly-created "gender-neutral" pronouns Monday: "xe," "xem," and "xyr," the Vancouver Sun reports.
Henceforth, all district materials, as well as all district employees - including teachers in the classroom or on school property - must begin using the grammatical additions, pronounced "zee," "zem," and "zare," according to the Globe and Mail, to replace "he" or "she," "him" or "her," and "his" or "hers," respectively.

The policy intends to better accommodate transgender students in schools. Someone unsure of a 'transitioning' student's gender must use the generic "xe," and students who don't identify with either gender, typically known as 'agender', will be referred to as "xe," as well.

[DrJ]

was apparently quite the raconteur.

For me the foremost raconteur likely was Artur Rubinstein. I would have enjoyed meeting him, and alas I never heard him play live.

[clarice]

Ramirez is fantastic.
Now, listen, I expect everyone here to stay in good health for a long time, It's not easy breaking in newbies, Capisce?

I once was at a lunch event where Hitchens was. We both spent a lot of time on the balcony smoking.

[Miss Marple]

clarice, It is sad to me that two of the greatest voices against the jihadists, Hitchens and Oriana Falacci, went to their reward too early.

[sbw]

Bob Manfred, the new head of major league baseball hales from Rome and went to school wit hmy wife and her brother.

A top notch, quality guy according to her. None better.

[Another Bob]

Daddy, I agree wholeheartedly.

I laughed at the "I'll better-brief my right-seater next time".

[Stephanie]

I'd like to meet my I don't great great grandmother. Rilla Satilla Bagley. (yes that was her name and I almost got named after her - yikes!)

She smoked, drank, loved to disappear to the Creek indian camp and hang out with them, rode astride her horse in pants and wrecked at least two first generation Fords. She was evidently 'a hand full' and a general hell raiser.

[Eric in Boise]

DrJ, my mother bought me a nice set of Rubinstein vinyl when I was a 15 y/o teenage rocker, hoping to broaden my horizons. It worked. I have those records to this day, and continue to marvel every time I listen to them.

When she asked me what I thought of them at the time, my response was "That old man cooks." She enjoyed that.

[Tonto]

@JiB -- RSVPing 10 months early for the Southampton JOM get-together. We will attend! If we make it a progressive dinner we could start out in East Hampton for cocktails, then motor to SH for dinner (or the reverse). But given 27 in summer it would probably take a couple of hours to transit those 17 miles.

Speaking of unbelievable traffic, Monterey (and Carmel and Pebble Beach) has entered Dante's Inferno on (maybe) the seventh ring. The car events have taken over. Not that I mind seeing classic cars of all conceivable stripe idling in traffic all around me. We have been give tickets to the Laguna Seca historic cars auto race (clearly not the official title) on Saturday, which should be pretty neat.

Aren't there a couple of JOMers around here for the events? Let me know!

[sbw]

Bob Manfred s/b Rob

[Miss Marple]

Andrew Malcolm points out that a lot of people dies so Obama could put pressure on Maliki.

http://news.investors.com/Politics-Andrew-Malcolm/081414-713200-isis-obama-iraq-christians-yazedis.htm?ven=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[narciso]

pigs flying at 6 o'clock

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/14/wesley-lowery-joe-scarborough_n_5678050.html?&ir=Politics&ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000016

[Ignatz]

Can't make it this year tonto, but I'll be with you in spirit.
The traffic is total gridlock these days. Much nicer twenty years ago when there were half as many events and one quarter the people.

[Beasts of England]

@Tonto - Huge Ferrari auctions tonight and tomorrow night in Monterey, including a 250 GTO that could punch through nine-figures. That ain't no typo...

[Dave (in MA)]

Bob Manfred, the new head of major league baseball hales from Rome and went to school wit hmy wife and her brother.

Speaking of baseball and knowing people from school:

http://www.si.com/mlb/2014/08/12/mlb-gambling-facebook-game-fixing

I heard about this on the radio tonight.
Jackassery all around, and if you ask me, illegal behavior on the part of the cops.

[Miss Marple]

Beasts, NINE figures? As in $100,000,000???

Wow!

[Beasts of England]

That is a possibility, Miss Marple. My guy out there says $80M is the low end for that vehicle. We'll know soon. Truly insane - and I've never been shy wasting money on cars.

[Dave (in MA)]

♪ Mairzy doats and dozy doats and Nicaraguans eat iguanas ♫

[Rick B]

Is Holder miffed because the military equipment he helped supply to local police is being used on his people rather than on the bitter clingers it was supposed to intimidate? Couldn't he just have FOR USE ON WHITES ONLY stenciled on all of it prior to shipping?

[DrJ]

Eric,

I'm pleased that Rubinstein could reach a rocker! All of his classic Chopin recordings produced by Max Wilcox have been remastered and re-released. They are well worth it. And I have performed under the direction of Max Wilcox -- good guy.

You might also want to read Rubinstein's autobiographies. Of the two, I'd recommend "My Young Years."

[Miss Marple]

At the auction tonight there were 2 Lincolns,
Continental Mark IV's from 1974 and 1976. They both went for around $8000.

Low miles, beautiful bodies, mint interiors, engines in good shape.

I never bid on cars as I know nothing about them, but these were sure fun to see!

[DrJ]

Tonto,

I'm sad too that I have to pass. Monterrey is a good haul from here, and I can't do the trek without prior warning.

[Beasts of England]

Oops! That was quick! Just sold for $38.1M. A bargain!

[Miss Marple]

I cannot conceive of spending even 38 million on a car, Beast!

This is sort of how I feel about shoes. Once they go over $100, I don't want them touching the ground.

[anonamom]

henry, 5:38.
EPIC people all should go to hell.
Well, not them--the Ds that mandated we use a not-ready-for-prime time EMR.
EPIC is the best, and it has me thiking of QUITTING hourly--not retiring, I'd be QUITTING--because I now have almost no time to take care of patients.

Don't worry Marlene--the part we use in the OR itself isn't as bad.

[narciso]

Well the Bundy Ranch was the designated target for said equipment and we know what side the
journalists were on in that confrontation

[henry]

anonamom, the woman that owns Epic is a total nut job. (Madison based liberal also). When they built their HQ, she decided she didn't like the color of the bricks so had a building's worth of bricks tossed out. UW built a student center (or something) with the free bricks. You paid for both buildings, along with my brother and many others.

[Beasts of England]

I have a fixed percentage of my net that I'm willing to tie up in a vehicle, Miss Marple. To afford that 250 GTO, I'd have to be sitting on $800M. I appear to be just a little short at the moment.

[Stephanie]

According to some big hitters in NASCAR, Stewart will retire.

http://empirenews.net/nascar-tony-stewart-to-announce-retirement-from-auto-racing-after-accident-that-kills-competing-driver/

[Miss Marple]

I am heading to bed.

Good night, everyone!

[Carol Herman]

Did you expect Ferguson?

If you said St. Louis, I'd have said Judy Garland. I'd have said Harry Truman not only came from Minnesota. He went back there, to live with Bess, when Eisenhower was sworn in.

As to race riots, Watts, yes. But Ferguson? Not only race riots, but duplicates to what we've seen before.

As to Obama, he won twice. First against McCain (who remains crap to this day). And, Mitt Romney. He was a compromise pick.

Obama isn't the GOP's problem. But finding people who can compete IS!

[Carol Herman]

Not Minnesota! Missouri! Minnesota is too cold. So it's advantage is the cold weather.

[jimmyk]

alas I never heard him play live.

Saw him on his last tour, or nearly last, back in '76 or so in Detroit. He was 88 or 89, played an incredibly demanding program, a couple of encores.

I may have mentioned it before, but I presume you've seen the movie about him, think it's called "Love of Life" or something like that. The one thing I remember from it is when he tells the story of playing the "Winter Wind" etude and getting every single note wrong, and to his telling no one knew the difference. Probably an exaggeration, but well-told.

[DrJ]

jimmyk,

I'm jealous. Horowitz came through Ann Arbor every year I was there, and he was great. Not in Rubinstein's class musically.

Rubinstein never was known for getting all of his notes right, though. I'm not surprised that he would mangle "Winter Wind." I'll see if I can find a decent recording and post it.

It is not as hard as it sounds, but it is above my level at full speed.

[DrJ]

Here's Pollini playing "Winter Wind." He's a pretty reliable Chopinzie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJMIIxm1bGo

I should add that this is a Chopin etude. He asks you to do things with you fingers that they are not designed to do.

[Beasts of England]

That may not be a bad decision, Steph, but it seems like a quick one.

[jimmyk]

DrJ, Love of Life is also on youtube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tncAsuemCRc

The Winter Wind story is at about 24:00. To be honest, I couldn't hear that all the notes were wrong, and I'm an erstwhile pianist myself.

[Another Bob]

Stephanie, that's a satire site.

[Eric in Boise]

Thank you for the recc, DrJ. Will check it out.

[DrJ]

I'll blame jimmyk. :)

Here is one of Rubinstein's signature pieces, recorded wonderfully by Max Wilcox, that also shows the range of a Steinway, from sweetness to the iron fist: Chopin Scherzo #3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLDn2jWu8Cw

And with that, good night!

[Stephanie]

Is it really? Looked legit to me.

Ah, well.

This from NOT a satire site:

Zig Zag Zell is endorsing....

Michelle Nunn for senate.

[Bori]

Daddy,

You'll love this.

http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/timblair/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/warming_stops_warming/#181353

So Climate Change stops Global warming or it is Global warming stops Climate change? Does it matter?

[Beasts of England]

May have to send a few bucks to my public television station: they've followed up the Bear Bryant bio with a live show of Muddy Waters and The Rolling Stones.

[daddy]

I suppose the benefit in having Obama as Prez, as Race relations in towns like Ferguson turn into Watts style riots, is that it is no longer a political opportunity for the Left to exploit in upcoming elections. If Bush was President now we'd be hearing non-stop sloganeering about his incompetence and horrible economy and irresponsibility in somehow being responsible for this worsening of Race Relations in America, due to a, b, c,etc.

But since he is the Prez that card is off the table, at least as far as our National Elections currently stand, and even tho' they'll try to benefit from it Somehow I don't think the trump card of "we have to elect an individual of color because" is going to do much trumping come November.

The lack of Editorials on that so far strikes me a bit like the "dog that didn't bark". (Ie) "the race card that didn't' trump."

[Ignatz]

Didn't think it would crack $50m Beasts.
The market is getting a bit nervous and the car had an issue or two.

[Dave (in MA)]

Beasts,

You could grab your own copy:
http://www.amazon.com/Waters-Rolling-Stones-Checkerboard-Chicago/dp/B0085KGHI6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408073142&sr=8-1&keywords=stones+muddy+checkerboard&tag=digitalca0daa06-20

[Exasperated]

Dr.J @ 10:40 - I thought, odd, that banging on a piano sounded very familiar, and then I remembered that, at two, one of my nephews was considered to be a savant and a child prodigy for precociously "playing" a piano the exact same annoying way. Times never change. Today's morons think of rap stars as gifted, too.

With his candor, Beethoven's opinion of Pollini/Chopin would be amusing, too.

[Eric in Boise]

as Race relations in towns like Ferguson turn into Watts style riots,

Joke my Dad told, circa 1966:

Q: "How much power would it take to destroy Los Angeles?"

A: "About three more watts."

[Dave (in MA)]

"banging on a piano"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-aM7Sgll9I&NR=1

[narciso]

well we know Walton didn't go very far"

http://legalinsurrection.com/2014/08/judge-launches-special-inquiry-into-missing-irs-emails/#comments

[Exasperated]

Oddly enough, that country music contained a symmetry lacking in Pollini's noise.

[MarkO]

Just Tweeted the word Untergang.

My day is complete.

[Ignatz]

Mine too.

[narciso]

so that's that;

http://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2014/08/14/our-vacuous-iraq-policy-obama-wont-allow-a-new-caliphate-unless-air-power-alone-cant-prevent-it/

[Exasperated]

The same gutless policy that Clinton and Weasely Clark had in Kosovo, Croatia, Serbia and Macedonia, a policy that will cause contained brutal killings of enemies and friends alike.