And Back In Yemen

Was it really just four months ago that Obama was explaining (to bipartisan derision) that his new operation against ISIS would be modeled on our Big Success in Yemen?

Well, the government of Yemen has fallen and the country is splintered:

SANA, Yemen — The American-backed government of Yemen abruptly collapsed Thursday night, leaving the country leaderless as it is convulsed by an increasingly powerful force of pro-Iran rebels and a resurgent Qaeda.

The resignation of the president, prime minister and cabinet took American officials by surprise and heightened the risks that Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest country, would become even more of a breeding ground for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which has claimed responsibility for audacious anti-Western attacks — including the deadly assault on Charlie Hebdo in Paris this month.

...

Charles Schmitz, an analyst with the Middle East Institute and an expert on the Houthis, said that of all Yemen’s many political crises, Thursday’s was among the worst yet.

“We’re looking at the de facto partitioning of the country and we’re heading into a long negotiating process but we could also be heading toward war,” he said.

Deep in the Silver Lining Briefing Book is the news that an Iranian backed rebel group hates the US but hates Al Qaeda even more, so Obama's got that going for him.

Although the Houthis, who are believed to be financed by Iran, are strongly anti-American, they are even stronger opponents of Al Qaeda. The Houthis are dominated by a Shiite Muslim sect, the Zaydis, while Al Qaeda is rabidly anti-Shiite.

While the Houthis now control the capital, Sana, and many parts of northern Yemen, Al Qaeda has been strongest in Sunni tribal areas in Yemen, and has used Sunni anger at the swift rise of the Houthis as an effective recruiting tool — particularly in oil-rich areas of eastern and southern Yemen.

So mark up your scorecards - we are counting in Iran to carry the fight in Iraq against ISIS as well as the fight against Al Qaeda in Yemen, even as we pretend to talk tough on ongoing sanctions (and we all deal with $50 oil). Great - the enemy of my enemy is my other enemy.

COMING SOON: I see John Kerry starring in 'The Bad, The Worse and the Stupid'.

Comments

[daddy]

Has Obama drawn a red line yet?

[GUS]

Al Qaeda STILL ALIVE
Obama, bullshit and jive.

[Steve]

Video: 42nd annual March For Life in Washington DC:

http://commoncts.blogspot.com/2015/01/video-42nd-annual-march-for-life-in.html

[anonamom]

DoT, re: your nephew's healing---fish oil. Lots of it.
Research/contact Dr. Barry Sears, the guy who wrote all The Zone books.
He's a biochemist, and years ago in attempting to not repeat the family history history of MIs and early death from CAD, figured out the import of omega three fats in our diet to decrease inflamation--the root of all kinds of evil.
He supervised treatment of one of the WVa miners--maybe the only survivor?---with lots and lots of fish oil---our neurons are really fat bundles.

And look up Terry Wahl's TED talk--she got her MS basically cured when Mayo couldn't with kale--lots and lots of kale. And every other vegetable too. Everyday. Three plates full, then eat some meat and eggs.

If he was my boy, his momma would be in charge of his nutrition, not some doctor who has never read a word about nutrition.

Do NOT believe them when they tell you "there's no proof" so it doesn't matter.

It matters enormously.

That's just doctor-speak for "I don't know a thing about it, and don't know what to tell you."

[Extraneus]

Statistical Analysis Suggests That Patriots' Incredibly Low Fumble Rate Probably Due to Softer, Less Inflated, More Grippable Cheat-Balls

[Extraneus]

German court upholds right of men to pee standing up

[henry]

More Grippable Cheat Balls

I believe they wear protective cups to prevent that.

[Miss Marple]

Indianapolis votes "no" on Tom Brady's hat at the press conference.

Meanwhile, Tony Katz, our morning host, thinks that Bellichick threw Brady under the bus.

[Jack is Back (on his iPad)]

MM,

But Brady threw the equipment guys under the bus. I still say this all started a long time ago as a result of the "tuck rule". Never again, for Brady. Too close for comfort. Make the ball more grippable and he did.

[Miss Marple]

Jack,

I didn't hear Brady's press conference, as I was out yesterday afternoon and evening.

It will probably end up as I predicted; some poor ball guy will accept the blame and say he did it all on his own (as happened in an Oregon college game several years ago, as I discovered yesterday). Kraft will cut him a "severance check" and that will be the end of it.

[Miss Marple]

OMG! Former Patriots assistant coach on radio says "It's possible Brady was a lone wolf."

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

[Soylent Red]

Sooo-eeeee!

Here's a little piece on A-10s flying missions in Syria to rekindle the discussion.

Syria, incidentally, has some very sophisticated air defense on the pro-Assad side, and very probably MANPADs on the ISIS side.

More Grippable Cheat Balls

I've seen ads for this on the AoSHQ sidebar.

[Ben]

In a rebuke to a legion of online supporters and what the journalist and one-time member of Anonymous called a “dangerous precedent”, Barrett Brown was sentenced to 63 months in prison by a federal judge in Dallas on Thursday.

Brown’s backers from across the web had hoped he would be able to walk free with his 31 months of time served for what they insist was “merely linking to hacked material”. But the 33-year-old, who was once considered something of a spokesman for the Anonymous movement, will face more than twice that sentence. The judge also ordered him to pay more than $890,000 in restitution and fines.

In a statement released after his sentencing, Brown was sarcastically upbeat: “Good news!” he wrote. “The US government decided today that because I did such a good job investigating the cyber-industrial complex, they’re now going to send me to investigate the prison-industrial complex.”

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jan/22/barrett-brown-trial-warns-dangerous-precedent-hacking-sentencing

Obama's is the most transparent admin....evah !!

[Janet - healthy and jolly as a joker!]

http://www.frontpagemag.com/2015/dgreenfield/kerry-muslims-in-europe-are-like-blacks-during-segregation/

"Maybe we can make James Taylor Secretary of State. He can’t be any worse than Kerry."

[Janet - healthy and jolly as a joker!]

for Miss Marple about the fire in Annapolis - http://truthuncensored.net/watch-suspicious-fire-kills-head-of-companies-monitoring-pentagon-fbi-nsa-and-army/

[PDinDetroit]

Selfridge Air National Guard Base, NorthEast of Detroit, discontinued the A-10's being on base about 2 years ago. I and others were disappointed - you could see them from time to time flying in the area. For reference, the host organization at Selfridge is the 127th Wing (127 WG) of the Michigan Air National Guard, but a variety of Air Force Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps, Army Reserve, Army National Guards and active duty Coast Guard units use the facility as well.

There are F/A-18E/F Super Hornet's that still fly from Selfridge, they were the first to patrol over Detroit during 9/11 - comforting yet disconcerting while the Renaissance Center was being evacuated (Main Tower of 72 floors, 4 Secondary Towers of 40 floors each, 2 Ancillary Towers of 21 floors each). Still see/hear them around town on July 4th when "flyovers" are allowed.

Favorites are:

1. F-14 Tomcat
2. A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog)
3. AH-64E Apache Guardian

[Threadkiller]

This just in, John Kerry is in route to Yemen with Yusuf Islam and a crack song writing team..

[Janet - healthy and jolly as a joker!]

Hah! TK!

http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2015/01/the_president_as_pest.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook

"-- the “Arab Spring”, a policy initiative so apocalyptic that media, academics, and left-leaning politicians don’t dare mention it."

"So pathetic is Obama’s record that his supporters have been driven to claim credit on his behalf for endeavors that he not only had nothing to do with (fracking, e.g.) but actively opposed, and still opposes."

[Miss Marple]

Janet,

Thanks for that link! I agree that the fire is suspicious.

[PDinDetroit]

Reporter: What is your greatest fear?

Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens): The Hellfire.

Be Afraid - Very AFRAID

[Beasts of England]

@henry: Per our discussion of under appreciated bass players the other day, I think Walter Becker is often overlooked. And while he largely turned over the bass tracks to Chuck Rainey in the latter years, so much of his early work was fundamental to their song structure and his runs were legendary, in my opinion.

[pagar]

Janet, This is why I believe we need to stop sending money to Washington so they can give it to some one else.

http://watchdog.org/194378/federal-streetcar-taxpayers/

"Funding sources include an existing $54.9 million federal grant. The city has applied for another $10 million in federal funds.

The city also has secured a federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant, which would pay the first 18 months of the streetcar’s operating costs, with a possible 18-month extension, according to the plan."

[henry]

Beasts, thanks on Becker. I'll fire up the turntable and get reacquainted. ;)

[rse]

That's why we have trillion dollar deficits now pagar. The ties intended to bind us like serfs to governmental overlordship are being created by debt that will hang over us and our kids.

Meanwhile issuing that debt and trading it does benefit the public sector, certain consultancies, law firms, underwriters. etc.

[Ben]

" I think Walter Becker is often overlooked."

Not to mention Jack Bruce.

[rse]

Paging henry & ch-

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/534356/microsofts-new-idea-a-hologram-headset-to-rewrite-reality/

Further blurring virtual and physical reality. Just what students need.

[Captain Hate]

The duty of Congress is obvious. An adolescent mentality inhabits the Oval Office. All procedural means must be taken to prevent him from doing the damage he’s capable of. (Forget impeachment. By the time that got rolling we’d be in the midst of Election 2016.) The voters, the United States, and the world at large may well deserve a thrashing for accepting, encouraging, and tolerating this clown -- and I believe they do. But there are limits. The possibilities for damage by a rogue president are nearly unimaginable.

From Janet's link; these have to be the marching orders.

[henry]

rse, Althouse had a nice put down of the concept. I think it is more a grasp for attention in a world where Windows is a dinosaur than a serious technology for use by anyone.

[Captain Hate]

Further blurring virtual and physical reality. Just what students need.

Whatever happened to people complaining about the malign influence of video games on impressionable minds? We are hip deep in people who can't cope with reality and this just ups the ante. Even worse is that Gates has become Sugardaddy BigBucks to the educrat industry.

[Man Tran]

Catching up. A buddy who lives up the road from Janet helped develop the GAU-8 in the hills of Vermont back in the early '70s. In the early '80s my machinist built a gas diverter for it, because A-10s were falling out of the sky due to pilots passing out and/or engines quitting from the massive fog of spent propellant. Our (Ginormous Research Institute) design got tested, but did not win the design competition. Got to see gun camera film of those depleted uranium rounds hitting tanks. My god, kinetic energy is fearsome thing.

Re: the pine tar bat scandal, we tested them for dynamic response to see if there was any justification for the whole stink. IIRC there was no effect whatsoever. (For clarification, the tar did not extend into area where the ball would make contact.)

[Jim Eagle]

henry,

We started using Virtual Reality technology back in the 80's to allow our clients to walk through our designs in everything from theme parks to power plants to refineries. We'd bring plant operators in to make sure the conrol valves were in the correct ergonomic position, or the turnstile on the theme park ride was correct for the minimum height of riders, etc.

I understand rse's concerns but there are plenty of beneficial uses in this technology including cost and quality.

[rse]

jimmy--this is the kind of thing I am seeing all over the world, actively coordinated as a planned way to force the welfare state model all over the West at a mostly invisible level. http://publications.iadb.org/bitstream/handle/11319/6699/Does-Participatory-Budgeting-Improve-Decentralized-Public-Service-Delivery.pdf?sequence=1

When the "decentralized public service delivery" gets provided by the private sector, that does not make it free enterprise. Plus the private provider must be "accountable" to the public sector because it took public money. It makes the private sector captive and has been set up and envisioned to do just that.

The tilateral Commission in a paper decades ago delighting over the cronyism in Asia like the chabols wrote about Corporatist Enterprise as a way to deliberately control small and medium businesses.

The crucial problem is what we are defining as public services that it is the responsibility of taxpayers to fund and governments to ensure get provided. There's this vision where the whole economy in the 21st century becomes centered around meeting various people's well-being as defined by government officials.

Yet hardly anyone developing all these plans has ever lived except off public and foundation largesse. Very worrisome. This is what the ed vision is all tied to. Larger collectivist ideas that do not work long term.

[henry]

JiB, yes. But what Microsoft has done doesn't really expand on that beyond current use (possibly except for gaming -- which I don't do).

[narciso]

I know this would blow Larf and Psaki's mind, but so would a light wind,

Most Shi'i Muslims belong to the Twelver sect and live in the oil-rich areas of the Eastern Province, with the largest concentrations in oasis of Qatif and Al-Hasa.[citation needed] There is also a Twelver minority in Medina called the Nakhawila, and some Shia have even migrated to the large urban area of Riyadh. Smaller Zaydi and Isma'ili communities also live in Najran along the border with Yemen.

now there aren't exact parallels with the Houthi, but there is Saudi Hezbollah, who were partners with AQ on the Khnbar Towers attack in Dhahran,

[Threadkiller]

MT, you are the original mythbuster.

:-)

[rse]

JIB-isn't what you are describing already incorporated into modern CAD?

The article speaks to using this with Minecraft which is already being sold as a major portion of engaging K-12 education that can help increase high school graduation rates.

[Captain Hate]

Re: the pine tar bat scandal, we tested them for dynamic response to see if there was any justification for the whole stink. IIRC there was no effect whatsoever. (For clarification, the tar did not extend into area where the ball would make contact.)

I assume it was just an aesthetic thing that MLB crammed into the rule book relating to how things look (could you even notice on George Foster's black bats?). Brett, along with Rod Carew, was one of the few batters since Ted Williams regarded as capable of hitting .400 for a season, obviously liked the way it helped him grip the bat and applied it heavily, causing it to reach areas where it had no effect.

[narciso]

I know consider the source, but she's less foolish than most,

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jimdalrympleii/meet-the-new-king-of-saudi-arabia#.bewYkpQBkr

on the positive side, Brennan will not be happy

[jimmyk]

I was at an event last night in NYC where Miss Lindsey spoke. My impression is that he is pretty good on national security, and he did say a bunch of good things about Congress making sure that they get say over any deal with Iran, and threatening the UN's funding if they side with the Palis on Israel (the ICC, etc.). But two or three times he took slaps at "tea party people." One was bragging how he won renomination against "five or six tea party people, which shows that you can be conservative but not crazy and still win reelection." Another time he labeled tea partiers as "isolationists." He's very pro-Israel, and I'm glad he's involved in security issues (he humbly mentioned taking over some Foreign Operations subcommittee from Pat Leahy as "the best trade since Babe Ruth"), but the tea party cracks really pissed me off.

Incidentally, someone I was with thought he was drunk. Not sure if that's his reputation, but I thought maybe he was just being a good 'ol southerner speaking to a bunch of Yanks.

[PDinDetroit]

"Got to see gun camera film of those depleted uranium rounds hitting tanks. My god, kinetic energy is fearsome thing."

A-10 Warthogs from hell

4 minute mark of the video shows some nice slow-motion impacts on tanks of the 30 MM Rounds from the GAU-8 Avenger. 70+ Rounds Per Second!!!

[Old Lurker]

Jimmy, I trust you avoided the mens' room.

[Eric in Boise]

Not to mention Jack Bruce.

This date is now marked on my calendar. I actually agree with Ben on something.

[jimmyk]

I assume it was just an aesthetic thing that MLB crammed into the rule book

Yeah, I recall at the time people saying that it had no impact on hitting (maybe based on MT's work?), but speculating that MLB didn't want it on the hitting area of the bats because it would muck up the balls. In any case, taking away Brett's HR was not called for in the rules, and MLB corrected the error.

The bat-corking kerfuffles might be more analogous. There's some question of how much impact it has (beyond psychological), but players who get caught doing it get tossed and I think fined and/or suspended.

[Captain Hate]

Jack Bruce was highly regarded in more than rock circles; appearing in Tony Williams Lifetime and various Carla Bley/Michael Mantler groupings.

[clarice]

I thought Salman was suffering from both dementia and Alzheimers

[Ben]

Bruce passed in October, with Ginger Baker close behind. Baker also was an excellent musician. He received some critical acclaim on drums and considered himself more jazzy than rock. Really a prickly dude.

No doubt he was the reason Cream had a short life.

[narciso]

yes, it seems so, Prince Mohammed, looks to be the Gorbachev in this picture, whereas Salman is the last of the old line clique,

[Captain Hate]

speculating that MLB didn't want it on the hitting area of the bats because it would muck up the balls.

That makes the most sense to me. MLB goes through an incredible number of baseballs per game and anything to lessen that would be a good thing imo.

That reminds me of a story told by Ron Luciano, who was generally a showboating idiot and substandard umpire. He thought Jim Palmer was overly fussy on rejecting balls and asking for another one so, instead of tossing away the ones Palmer wanted replaced, he surreptitiously kept them and tossed them to him later to see if he was just randomly complaining about a nonexistent problem. Palmer rejected every one of the redos.

[Captain Hate]

Ginger Baker's still alive and playing. The documentary "Beware of Mr Baker" is highly recommended.

[narciso]

yes, I saw parts of that documentary,

what me worry:

https://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obamacare-ads-tout-ealthcaregov_824318.html

[Jack is Back!]

rse,

VR is part of 3D-CADD. My point is that this kind of technology advancements have many beneficial aspects to their utilization from design, construction, operations, military, space, manufacturing etc.

BTW, Frederick's design and architectural skills are developing pretty quickly playing Minecraft including using Movavi to film all his new properties:)

[Jack is Back!]

Off with the beagles to see the Vet. No problem just a checkup.

Boy are they nervous.

[RickB]

"I thought Salman was suffering from both dementia and Alzheimers"

Clarice,

There is reporting to that effect and his wiki entry mentioned it. Theoretically, that would put Muqrin in charge but keeping track of Saudi harem politics is a purely speculative endeavor. I have doubts that anyone in charge will allow a Persian foothold to develop in Yemen.

[narciso]

I would say Team Doha is the short term winner:

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/01/celebrating_terror_q.php

Prince Mohammed has got the nod to be Octavian, to use another template,

[Janet - healthy and jolly as a joker!]

http://fox2now.com/2015/01/21/nearly-200-pictures-of-dellwood-market-looters-released/

How bout the vandals at UVA?...they should get their picture posted everywhere too.

Send a message - White, Black, Rich, Poor...mob criminal behavior will NOT BE TOLERATED.

[Man Tran]

PDinD,

You could see in that video the few second bursts of the GAU-8 how much gas was ejected. Until they sorted it out, it would go up into the the nose wheel cavity into the cockpit and back into the engine inlets with less than desirable consequences.

[Janet - healthy and jolly as a joker!]

Why just punish the Ferguson criminals?

"Bottles and bricks were tossed through nearly every first-floor window, sending shards of glass and crashing sounds into the house around 2:30 a.m. on Nov. 20.

Profane, hate messages such as “F—k Boys” were spray-painted on the walls of the colonial facade, along with anti-sexual assault epithets such as “suspend us,” and “UVA Center for Rape Studies.”"

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/21/rolling-stone-university-of-virginia-rape-story-sp/#ixzz3PeqqAZxm
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter

[Eric in Boise]

IIRC, Baker and Bruce had a level of animosity between them that they were known to sabotage each other's instruments. Clapton reportedly spent a not trivial amount of time just trying to keep things civil.

[Ignatz]

All this talk of pine tar and no mention of Lester Hayes and the sticky gobs of stick-um streaming from his hands and forearms?

Having said that, does anyone else contemplate what kind of effed up, cockeyed, miserable world we live in when there are literally millions of people who will spend more time this year outraged by, concerned with and thinking and talking about 11 slightly deflated footballs than the millions of kids, and adults for that matter, who will die this year from malaria, schistosomiasis, starvation and a thousand other preventable maladies or that one of the parties in this country and many of the citizens think yanking a 20+ week old baby out of the womb in pieces is not only fine but a stumble by people trying to prevent dismembering babies is something to laugh about and cheer.
The world is fucked up because we want it that way.

[narciso]

this book years ago, gave me the first glance into the dynamics in Paris, and the
nature of the Kingdom

http://christopherreich.com/books/the-devils-banker/synopsis/

the outfit was called Hegira, back them, but it is much like AQAP

[narciso]

while our Top Men, are concerned about skydragon breath,

[Captain Hate]

I think Blind Faith had such a short shelf life because of Clapton's reaction to Baker being added without his knowledge.

[Ignatz]

Personally I think they should decommission the A-10s and distribute the cannons to deserving citizens along with a generous EBT card redeemable for food and/or long belts of 30mm rounds.
Now that is an entitlement I could get behind.

[Janet - healthy and jolly as a joker!]

Pagar, Thanks for the 8:59 link.

I pass on SO much stuff from JOMers on my FB page.
Just a general THANK YOU for all the great links & comments here.

[Captain Hate]

All this talk of pine tar and no mention of Lester Hayes and the sticky gobs of stick-um streaming from his hands and forearms?

Branch and Beletnikoff were on the sidelines painting it on when Lester was on the field.

[narciso]

their melting point is a little low:

http://hotair.com/archives/2015/01/23/obama-white-house-in-meltdown-over-netanyahus-proposed-speech-to-congress/

maybe the fact, they were caught in the lie, had something to do with it,

[Captain Hate]

BIletnikoff

[narciso]

which is why we needed a late French spy novelist to describe what was going on:

http://dailysignal.com/2015/01/22/federal-agencies-stonewall-house-committees-benghazi-investigation/?utm_source=

[tommy651]

face it! Obama is on iran's side.

[PDinDetroit]

As to Deflate-Gate, I would believe that having more/less air in the football does affect player performance and possibly game outcomes.

From my experience with golf:

1. My dad would joke with me that I could hit a Cro-do (crappy golf ball) and I wouldn't notice the difference. He came from an era where the selection of golf balls was much more limited and never really subscribed to the idea that equipment can make a difference.

2. Just about every 90 compression golf ball I hit about 10-15 yards shorter than 100 compression golf balls. We had a compression tester at one time, wish I knew what happened to it.

3. Top (Rock) Flights flew very far but could not stop them on the green to save my life. Played alot of Bump and Run Shots then.

4. Titleist Balatas held the greens better but had more problems than they were worth. Hit them 10-15 yards shorter than most other golf balls, would not "bore through the wind", and would hit a sleeve of 3 out of round/full of iron groove marks after an 18 hole round.

5. Slazengers were a pretty good mix of distance, durability, workability, and green stopping distance/backspin. They changed the configuration of the cover and dimples one year and I stopped playing them as they were no longer "any good".

6. Titleist Pro V1 were a great choice for a number of years - distance, durability, workability, "bore through the wind", and green stopping distance/backspin were excellent. Other than price, about halfway through a golf season I would start to backspin them off the front of the greens either due to dry conditions or my swing was "in the groove".

7. When the Titleist Pro V1 became "untenable", I would switch to Titleist Pro V1x which had much less spin. The ball trajectory was much lower than the Titleist Pro V1's and they were plenty difficult to stop on the green (almost reminded me of Rock Flights).

8. A few years ago, I discovered Callaway Hex Black Golf Balls. They had all the characteristics of the Titleist Pro V1's, but backspin was not an issue as they would bounce twice on the green and stop on a dime no matter the conditions. This forced me to be a little more precise with my iron/approach shots and actually scored much more consistently.

Looks like the Callaway Hex Black has given way to the "Speed Regime" Line of Golf Balls, so I will have to change yet again. These golf balls have been "engineered" based upon the player's swing speed (1 being lowest, 3 being highest). Reviews indicate "SR2" (90-105 MPH Club Head Speed) seem to be playing the best, although I probably should have the some "SR3's" (105+ MPH Club Head Speed) when I am swinging "like an animal".

[NKonIPad]

PD -- F-14s are my fave USA military aircraft as well. I ll admit my bias, my FIL was a Grumman engineer for over 30 years, and I went to college on LI, so I saw many 'anytime baby' bumper stickers and jacket patches. One of our Div III football practices was buzzed by an F - 14 being test flown out of Calverton before delivery, and through my Fleet Week work I had the privilige to get up close to carrier flight ops. On one of those VIP trips on the Kennedy, after the air show had recovered the air wing, an F 14 and hornet were shot off of the waist cats, and volunteers were allowed stand along the foul line during the launch. The F 14 had toburn of enough fuel to be recovered so it went full afterburner. I was bathed in a sea of burnt kerosene at the end of the cat. Loved it.

[Man Tran]

I may have mentioned it long ago, but I saw Cream in Phx in what may have been their last concert. The only two things I remember about it: Ginger had two huge base drums set up on either side of him like giant earphones (must have been 6' dia.) and there was so much weed being smoked that you got a buzz from the second hand smoke.

[Miss Marple]

Dweeb sports editor who I don't recognize (wearing Marie Harf-type glasses) says that he guarantees Troy Aikman did the same thing.

Pass the popcorn! Non-cheating former quarterbacks will now go after sports writers!

The kerfuffle continues to grow.

[jimmyk]

When the "decentralized public service delivery" gets provided by the private sector, that does not make it free enterprise.

Thanks, rse, it's a valid concern. Cronyism is everywhere, and R pols are hardly immune, especially those of the GOPe persuasion who aren't exactly driven by a limited government ideology.

[henry]

Rome had bread and circuses. We get pot and deflated pigskins.

[Captain Hate]

Welp this trash software is rejecting an excellent link about how American Sniper is winning the culture war. So go here: http://acecomments.mu.nu/?post=354524

and click on the link saying Media Takes Aim at Conservative Culture.

[Miss Marple]

Obama and Jarrett fear Bibi talking to the American people, which is what all of this huffing about protocol is about.

I am going to watch all the feeble efforts they make to stop this, as well as some of the more serious ones (like raising the terrorist threat level).

Since it is a joint session, Boehner can schedule it whenever he wants, including prime time, and C-SPAN will have to cover it, plus you know Fox News will.

Pay attention if cable system presidents are called in for a meeting. Look also to see any unusual foreign policy grandstanding, bombing of some poor unfortunate country, faked terrorist threats, etc.

[PDinDetroit]

"Now that is an entitlement I could get behind."

I have been saying it for years: The United States, and many of the States themselves, have BY LAW defined most people ages 18-45 not already in the Armed Forces to be in the Unorganized Militia that can be called up by the President and/or State Governors at any point during a "Civil Emergency". Since this is THE LAW, then every person should be provided with standard issue military weapons, M9 Pistol and M16A4 Rifle, and enough ammunition to attain/maintain proficiency and access to an ammunition stockpile in the event of a "Civil Emergency".

You just never know when a natural/man-made disaster, civil disturbance, race/religious war, or South Canuckistan decides to invade Detroit (although we would probably just let them have it).

[narciso]

and the Romans paid for their own stadiums, the Glozell episode, suggests Zaphod had gone full 'full Brawndo'

[narciso]

yes, who decides who gets this new 'technicals'

[Captain Hate]

Picture 404 as Glenn Close saying "I won't be ignored". Fatal President.

[Jane]

Sheryll Atkinson says that the WH is stonewalling Trey Gowdy on the Benghazi docs.

I patiently await him doing something about it.

[Porchlight]

The Patriots fumble stats analysis linked upthread by Extraneus is fascinating. I posted it on FB before seeing Ext's link, but I highly recommend it and the same guy's earlier 1/21 post about the Pats' overperformance in wet weather.

Both the wet weather and fumble prevention overperformances began to spike in 2007. Seems like that's when Belichick started to get really aggro in the "gaining advantage" techniques.

Sorry to be so absent lately. I know I've missed a lot. Bass player discussion? I go with Rick Danko. I also like Walter Becker and the Kinks' first and best bassist, the late great Pete Quaife. And in many ways McCartney, despite his fame, is the most underrated bass player of them all, because people tend to focus on his songwriting and overlook his playing.

[pagar]

Janet at 10:30. Thanks, IMO, Links help make JOM one of the best blogs. The most important thing of course is so many old friends posting.

[matt]

Thank you for that A-10 porn, Soylent. Nothing like a little AC/DC synched to pure mayhem in the morning.

[Ignatz]

Underrated bassist with coolest name?
Prakash John.
His crackling bass on Rock and Roll Animal was able to keep up with Wagner and Hunter just fine. :)

[NKvirusedand back]

This essay expresses views very similar to those posted in the comments here, and I couldn't agree more with it. The Left who despise and fabricate lies about SEAL Kyle are entitled to their views and don't forfeit the title 'american' because of that. But, I reserve my right to call out and condemns their rotten souls and empty hearts, something Mr. Davis does well here:
http://townhall.com/columnists/markdavis/2015/01/23/the-dark-urges-of-chris-kyles-haters-n1947131/page/2

[jimmyk on iPhone]

On topic, did everyone see the clip of Jen Psaki absolutely clueless about Yemen? I think it was on Megyn's show last night. Really frightening.

[pagar]

Here's one that will get many upset.

http://www.progressivestoday.com/10000-tax-credit-to-hire-ex-cons/

Businesses would get a yearly $10,000 tax credit for hiring a child molester rather than hiring someone who’s never committed a crime.

[Old Lurker]

Upset pagar?

I think most of us are just numb.

[NKvirusedand back]

Pat Stats: thanks Ex/Porch; I will read that link tonight, but as my PhD Big Data Analytics wife often reminds me, 'correlation v. causation' what do the data prove, what do they only suggest, and what is spurious? Big difference.

[Ignatz]

I suppose technically, since a deceased person can't bring a defamation suit against a person defaming their memory, those who fabricate lies are not legally liable for that action, but I'm not sure "entitled" is the word I'd use.

[henry]

The tweet world claims Walker just rejected the Kenosha casino. No idea if true, or what reasons the gov cites for doing that. A political mess however you view it.

[Danube on iPad]

Many thanks, anonamom. Bless you.

[James D.]

The Left who despise and fabricate lies about SEAL Kyle are entitled to their views and don't forfeit the title 'american' because of that.

No. But by spreading contemptible lies about a hero whose shoes they are not fit to shine, they do forfeit the title "human being."

[Porchlight]

And the usual suspects say it's cold weather, but fail to explain why the Colts balls didn't deflate at the same rate:

https://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2015/01/physicist_cold_weather_could_have_deflated_patriots_footballs

[Porchlight]

NK, take a look at the charts in that piece, and good luck finding something to explain it.

[Captain Hate]

Is anybody surprised 404 hasn't been yacking his fool head off about Ballghazi? Maybe it's because those two idiots, Russell and Sherman, did an ad for 404Care that he's kept his nicotine intake hole shut.

[narciso]

well he left the Solon to do that,

[narciso]

if we went fully Rollerball, they would have less time to do such things,