Planned Parenthood's Grim Reaping

(Image by Lisa Benson)

It would be nice if I could drop off-line for several days and there'd be no bad news for me to catch up on. 

Unfortunately, while I've been busy at work; attending a writers conference, visiting family on the east coast and bringing my car in for factory-recall maintenance; the bad news still piled up.

Before going on my short hiatus, I first heard about Planned Parenthood's organ-harvesting operation from political cartoonists, like Gary Varvel.

The story becomes more sordid as each video has been made public. 

Meanwhile, the non-FOX News stations are more concerned about, and helping fuel leftist outrage, over a dentist bagging a lion in Zimbabwe. 

(Image by Steve Kelley)

Since I'm still catching up with the news of the past several days, Mollie Hemingway of The Federalist, came up with 10 Quick, Important Developments of the Planned Parenthood Scandal that provides a good summary of this still-unfolding scandal.

(Image by Glenn McCoy)

 

Brush Fires in Central Washington State

My partner and I had a busy shift yesterday, especially when a brush fire shut down a portion of I-90.

The Poor, Drug Abusing, Depressed Jihadi

(Image found on Powerline's The Week in Pictures)

 

I'm amazed that a single, racist mass-murder is considered proof-positive by self-hating leftists that the entire Caucasian ethnic group is genetically predisposed to racism.

And yet, one now-dead jihadi wannabee is considered a lone wolf, and his murder of four Marines and one Sailor had nothing to do with Islam.

Yesterday, the Ministry of Truth has latched on to his drug abuse and depression, along with the idea that he wasn't carrying an ISIS/Al-Qaeda membership card with him when Chattanooga's Finest put an end to his killing spree.

The PJ Tatler offerd some helpful hints to a perplexed media and investigators.

Not that they'll listen.

Nicolai Sennels reminded us that poor, insane Muslim terrorists with family problems are still Muslim terrorists.

Not that they'll listen to any of this either.

Meanwhile...

(Image by Gary Varvel)

Our Senslessly Sensless Society

I've been at a writers conference for the past few days, and have been off-line for most of the time I was attending.

Last week, before heading out to do a quick workout before commuting to the conference, I caught the initial headline about the shooting in Chattanooga, TN, similar to this one, on Yahoo News.

I was hoping this weekend would consist of slow news days, so as not to "interfere" with my pre-loaded posts.

As of yesterday, even the banners on Fox News asked something like:  What was the motive of the Chattanooga shooter?

Seriously?

I try not to stereotype people, but when it comes to terrorism, any variation to the name Mohammed says it all:

The motivation is jihad.

I had a difficult time focusing, not to mention enjoying, portions of the writers conference.  During the panel discussion on writing historical novels, a couple of the panelists got choked-up over discussing the tragedies that overcame people who're now long gone, while nothing was said whatsoever of our recent fallen heroes.

I agree with Mark Steyn's Senslessness and Sensibility commentary: 

A Chinese-made teddy bear from Wal-Mart is not an appropriate reaction. Righteous anger is.

Which reminds me of the quote I've memorized from Beowulf:

It is better to avenge the deaths of near and dear ones, than to indulge in mourning.

And speaking if indulgences, The Diplomad rolls-in and gives leftists credit for the Chattanooga murders.

Political Correctness Is Killing Comedy

My favorite line in Julie Borowski's latest video: 

When did college students become so boring?  (0:21 into the video)

When indeed.

In my lifetime college kids went from Animal House partiers to Komsomol indoctrinated commissars of political correctness.

The Four Commentators of the Apocalypse

(Image from:  Villain Spotlight--The Four Horsemen--Evil Geeks.com)

 

I thought I'd end this week by returning to this week's "Peace In Our Time" moment, the Nuke Deal with Iran.

 

For this post, I selected recent articles by some of my favorite commentators.

 

Four to be exact.

 

I'll start off with the scholarly VDH, who also provided the inspiration for this post's title:  The Four Horsemen of a Looming Apocalypse.

 

Former Spook calls the deal:  the Capitulation.

 

 

(Image by Gary McCoy)

 

While another ex-government employee turned blogger, The Diplomad, calls it The Great Con.

 

And the last commentator to gallop up is Mark Steyn, who feels what we'll be faced with is far worse than Munich.

 

 

(Image by Lisa Benson)

 

Opinions and concerns are unanimous:  War is coming.

 

Only the details of how the upcoming conflict unfolds remain uncertain.

 

WH Only Loves Thugs

(Image by Michael Ramirez)

Apparently since Kathryn Steinle, who was laid to rest last week, wasn't a thug, Our Dear Leader and his minions haven't bothered to extend their condolences to the grieving family.

I guess since there's no Skittles-eating, "Hands Up Don't Shoot," race-baiting, Big Lie so "no crises goes to waste," Team Hope & Change could care less.

Our own DHS Czar can't say if anyone in the Obama Regime has reached out to the Steinle Family.

Katie Pavlich thinks this is disgraceful.

So do I, especially since Obama's set the precedent of meddling in local law enforcement matters numerous times in the past, not to mention our current immigration policy and plethora of sanctuary cities.

(Image by Michael Ramirez)

Teenage Girl Survives Plane Crash in WA State

A teenage girl was the sole survivor of a small plane crash that occurred last weekend.

Our agency, the WA State Emergency Management Division, got involved almost from the start.

It started off as an Overdue Aircraft, called-in by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center on Saturday night.

By Sunday morning, WA State Department of Transportation's Aviation Division (WSDOT-AVN) and the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) were flying search missions. 

On Monday, Autumn Veatch was picked up by a motorist, taken to a general store where she called 911.

Autumn's ordeal made national (CNN) and international (The Guardian) news.

Here's a snippet of the 911 call.

CSA Monuments Declared Offensive

(Image by Robert Ariail)

A few days ago, an activist group called for the removal of a Confederate monument in a Seattle cemetery.

I didn't know there was a Confederate monument in Seattle.  Nor did I know I was within commuting distance from Bruce Lee's final resting place. 

While I'm not adding this site to my Bucket List, it would be nice to visit before the monument is broken up and the pieces shoved down the Orwellian Memory Hole.

Meanwhile, the smear campaign against southerners continues as banners are furled slowly and a Confederate sculpture may be destined for the scrap heap.

Nukes in Our Time

(Image by Nate Beeler)

 

Well, the much-anticipated (by Obama, Democrats and the media) historic nuke deal with Iran was finally concluded yesterday.

 

Claudia Rosett reminds us the deal is historic all right, but not in a good way.

 

 

(Image by Bob Gorrell)

 

Other like-minded folks agree, such as John Bolton, Allen West, to just about every 2016 GOP candidate, and of course Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu slams the deal as an historic mistake.

 

The consequences, unintended or otherwise, could mean a middle east arms race and a boost in Russian influence. 

 

(Image by Michael Ramirez)

 

Meanwhile,  three Americans are languishing in Iranian prisons, while the fate of a fourth remains a mystery.

 

Note:  I borrowed the title of this post from the e-mail message Comrade Karla sent us.

GOP Contenders Getting Trumped by Trump

(Image by Gary Varvel)

Yesterday, Scott Walker announced his 2016 White House bid.  This brings the number of GOP presidential wannabees to 15.

 

But this didn't cause--and is still causing--quite the stir that Donald Trump did--and is still doing--when he tossed his hat into the ring nearly a month ago. 

 

(Image by Gary Varvel)

Trump has become lightning rod for the gaggle of GOP contenders--but is also electrifying a considerable chunk of the conservative base.

 

Known for his bombastic behavior, reality TV show, high-profile divorces and trophy wives, Trump took on the issue the other contenders have shied away from:  

 

Illegal immigration.

I love how The Diplomad sums up the situation:  "...he has drilled into a large subterranean pool of resentment, and unleashed a real political gusher over the 2016 presidential campaign." 

Doug Giles explains Trump's appeal to the not-so subterranean conservative voters.

(Image by Chip Bok)

Trump could get trounced in the upcoming primaries.  Many in the GOP establishment, conservative commentators and political cartoonists hope he does.

However, their victory dance may be short-lived.  

Derek Hunter explains why Republicans lose, while VDH thinks the world is becoming fed up, and Mark Steyn reminds us that Trump isn't "...the reality freak-show here."

If Trump is taken out of the running, John Hawkins says there's Five Big Things the other candidates can learn from Donald Trump.

(Image by Steve Kelley)

Now I don't mean to imply that "Station WTFO Endorses The Donald" at this time. 

I have the same issues with Trump that nearly every commentator I've linked to does.  (Debra Saunders considers him the GOP's Dark Lord Voldemort). 

But I do like how he's grabbing the GOP elephant by the tusks over non-existent southern border. 

And speaking of grabbing, here's a clip of Homer Simpson's latest misadventure:

Trumptastic Voyage

Sheeple in Inaction

(Image from:  Motivated Photos)

Prior to the Independence Day Weekend, the murder of a 32-year old woman re-ignited the debate over illegal immigrant detention.

Not only are calls to secure the border grown louder so has the cry to block Federal funding for Sanctuary Cities.  (Currently, there are more than 200 places for illegal aliens to choose from).

While during the holiday weekend, 10 people were killed and 55 wounded due to gun violence in Chicago.

This, in a city with known for strict gun control laws.

These tragic tales won't stray too far from national media outlets, and political campaigns, and I'm sure I'll be writing more about these, or similar issues, in the foreseeable future.

However, an e-mail sent to my friends and I about the murder of a DC commuter on the 4th of July, that's caught my attention.

It wasn't just the murder, which took place on a DC Metro train, but the response--or more correctly--the lack of response--by the numerous witnesses:

Behold the Beta Males Who Feel Good About Watching a Man Die

Several of my friends added their own confrontation experiences, or dreadful impressions, while riding the DC Metro.

I'm appalled that so many people would stand by and watch one of their own stabbed to death. 

On the other hand, I'm not terribly surprised by this. After all, by standers watched two jihadis cut down Drummer Lee Rigby in London in broad daylight. 

This doesn't bode well for western civilization, and I consider the UK to be inside the ramparts--for now.

I'd like to think that if I were ever in such a situation that I would take action against such thugs and terrorists.

But I can't say for certain if I actually could, or would attempt to intervene.

What I can say for certain is that I'd feel shitty for the rest of my life if I did nothing.

(Image from WeirdNutDaily.com)

Hillarity with Hillary

(Image found on:  Nation in Distress)

 

I guess Hillary's handlers were too busy keeping reporters corralled, to notice the woman with the I'm With Stupid T-shirt. 

 

(Full disclosure:  I don't know where the above photo was taken, I thought it would make a humorous comparison anyway).

 

I made a recommendation to a friend of mine on Facebook to download the following photo before it disappears down the Orwellian Memory Hole:

 

(Image found on Dinesh D'Souza's Facebook page)

To paraphrase the Watergate quote:  What did Hillary know about the Stars & Bars and when did she know it?

 

The Sophisticated Totalitarians

(Image by Dana Summers)

 

A little-known exodus is underway:  Christians are leaving, or being forced to leave, civil service positions because their faith runs contrary to same-sex marriage. 

 

This isn't the first time followers of a particular religion were singled out and barred from the civil service. 

 

Mark Steyn explains that thanks to the stupidity of sophisticates, something similar occurred in 1933, in Germany.

 

And we all know how that ultimately turned out.

 

At first glance, it seems like today's leftists are sore winners.  For example:  George Takei apologized for calling Clarence Thomas a "clown in blackface" last week.

 

However, this is just the tip of the Big Brother Iceberg. 

 

Tom Nichols warns us:  The New Totalitarians are here.

 

(Image by Chip Bok)

Somehow, I don't think baking cakes will appease even the most sophisticated of the totalitarians.

Holiday Parade Reined-In

(Image by Glenn McCoy)

The SCOTUS isn't the only cabal of un-elected regulators making decisions over American citizens.

The sleepy town of Woodsville, NH, where Mark Steyn resides, had it's Independence Day Parade disrupted due to a lack of road signs on the Vermont side of the route.

Mark laments about how American citizens are now insufficiently independent to hold an Independence Day Parade.

It would have been better if the parade were rained-out instead.

Breaking News: Several Injured in Snohomish County Ice Cave Collapse

Earlier this evening, several people were reported to be injured when a collapse occurred at the Big Four Ice Caves.

The severity and nature of the injuries have not been verified. 

Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management (DEM) has mobilized it's Search and Rescue (SAR) assets.

My agency, Washington State Emergency Management has been on stand-by to render assistance if needed.

Greeks Decline Debt Deal

(Image by Robert Ariail)

 

While Americans were celebrating Independence Day this past weekend, Greeks went to the polls and declared their independence from the bailout terms in a referendum.



(Image by Gary Varvel)

 

Rich Galen does a nice job of explaining the situation, even though he claims it's all Greek to him.

 

His concluding sentence is worth repeating here:

 

A system that has the government spending more and money on more and more people, while depending on fewer and fewer people to pay the higher and higher bills cannot sustain itself.

 

I'm not the only one concerned "The Greek Tragedy" could be a harbinger of more trouble to follow...

(Image by Gary Holbert)

 

Clinton's Cameos

(Image by Nate Beeler)

VDH sums up Hillary's Forrest Gump-ish "cameos" in scandals dating back to Watergate.

Which, of course, nothing legal-wise has conclusively been brought to bear against our self-proclaimed "champion."

However, a silver-lining may decide the election jousting match:  A survey shows Hillary will have a tough time energizing Democrat voters.

(Image by Gary Varvel)

Celebrating Independence Day!

(Image from:  Latter Day Learning, The Shorty History & Origin of Independence Day)

 

 

(Image by Glenn Foden)

 

The Kalifornication of America

(Image by Lisa Benson)

 

The TV show "Dukes of Hazzard" is now being shoved down the Memory Hole.

 

This is the latest, but probably not the last, goose-step in the cultural cleansing hysteria.

 

Speaking of hysteria, VDH provides a nice history lesson on how progressive mass hysteria have made democracies fickle for the past 2K years, now made worse by the Internet.

 

Mark Steyn points out that it's always been easier to "go with the flow"--but societies often pay a high price for doing so.

 

Our current problems inside the Crumbling Ramparts of Civilization, aren't just social:  Infrastructure is unravelling. 

 

Coming back to VDH, the Californian scholar reminds us we're all Californians now.

 

 

(Image by Gary Varvel)

 

Less Marriage = More Government

(Image by Glenn McCoy)

 

On the very day SCOTUS ruled in favor of same-sex marriages, an article in Politico Magazine advocated shoving our culture further down the slippery slope:

It's Time to Legalize Polygamy--Why Group Marriage is the Next Horizon of Social Liberalism.

When polygamy gets the green light, what then?

One of my on-line friends made this succinct comment regarding our concerns:

The point is, once SCOTUS unilaterally removed the ban on gay marriage, there is no new or different argument to make for banning any sort of relationship between consenting persons (I specifically did not say "adults").  After all, polygamy has a far wider historical precedent than gay marriage.

We're entering uncharted waters in a big way...

Part of these uncharted waters is the looming shoals of Big Government.

Or, as Star Parker warns:  Fewer traditional values means more government.

Mona Cheran gives some good insights about the hidden message of same-sex marriage.

And for the upcoming culture clashes that lie ahead, Jonah Golberg recommends you can't compromise with social justice warriors.

Greece's Grace Period is Gone

(Image by Lisa Benson)

 

At the time I wrote this post, Greece's financial bailout expired. 

 

But here in the US, it seems like few are paying attention.

 

Too busy celebrating the SCOTUS decision on same-sex marriage and shoving the Stars and Bars down the Memory Hole, I guess.

 

Mark Steyn deftly ties both topics together in his article: Big Fat Greeks and Weddings.

 

The unfolding "Greek Tragedy" bears watching.

 

How events pan out could be an indicator on what lies ahead.  The Big Fat Caveat to this is:  Our national debt dwarfs that of Greece. 

 

If America were to go into default, who would bail us out?

 

(Image by Glen Foden)