Undefeated team watch

The Panthers rolled to their 11th straight win Thanksgiving Day.
The Patriots couldn't join them Sunday.
Only one team remains undefeated with five games left in the regular season.
The 1972 Miami Dolphins continue watching.

Tracking Deer

American Thinker provides background and some possible motivations to the Colorado Springs shooter. Nothing sounds like a guy who lives for politics.
From what I have found so far, Dear looks like a pretty sad figure, the not quite right in the head child who never grew up. He apparently never got along all that well with people even before he dropped out to live off the grid. I have to wonder if his parents never stopped contributing to his upkeep and that when senior was alive junior was kept on a short enough leash to seem respectable.

Straining the gnat and swallowing the camel

The Planned Parenthood shooting
The Climate Conference
against
Radical Islam.
For liberals with time to post on Facebook, the top two are bigger problems than radical Islam.
Which shows the liberals want everyone to learn from Jesus' lesson for the pharisees.
You strain out a minor issue, and swallow the bigger problem.

O go, O go, Emanuel

Chicago has been inflamed by the release of a video showing a black teen shot by a police officer.
Last year.
Prior to the mayoral election last winter?
Why, Rahm Emanuel, friend of Barack Obama and Bill Clinton?
Why?

Warning signs from Iran

Why would Iran hold a practice military exercise about taking the Al-Asqa Mosque in Jerusalem?
Any answers, President Obama or Secretary Kerry?

London's bridge has fallen down

The University of Virginia is looking for a new football coach again.
Mike London had one winning season in six campaigns at the helm.
A nice guy, but it takes winning to keep your job as well in modern college football.

Will we need to change our name?

Some Princeton students have a problem with Woodrow Wilson.
The boys have attended schools named for Wilson for years.
Will our schools have to change names to get with the times?

Facebook quote of the week

Today’s the day for loved ones to gather together, give thanks, and decide who gets stuck doing the dishes.

ISIS and climate change

According to President Obama, the coming climate change conference will impress ISIS with their determination at tackling a major problem.
There's going to be one of two reactions from ISIS.
Either:
Wow, these Westerners can work together. Our plots are doomed.
or
Beating these infidels will be easier than we thought.
Which do you think is more likely?

Saturday Christmas song

We start the season of Saturday Christmas songs with Casting Crowns' version of "I
Heard the Bells on Christmas Day."

Who's thin-skinned

As we go into the final two months before the Iowa caucuses, the question remains about Donald Trump.
Is he too thin-skinned to be president?
Or are there too many people too thin-skinned to handle Trump being president?
Everything he does offends people.
He says he doesn't mean the offense taken, but every week there's another offense out there.
And yet he remains atop the polls.
That's probably what offends the thin-skinned most of all.

Thanksgiving leftovers

Via Ace, a talk with the crew members of WKRP in Cincinnati about the infamous "Turkeys Away" episode.
As God as my witness, it's a great read.

Ready for Thanksgiving 2016

What's going to be the best thing about Thanksgiving 2016?
It's just two weeks after Election Day.
No candidates will be offering their talking points about issues to share at the table.
One side will have won, and the other won't want to talk about it.
Since Democrats have been the kings and queens of talking points in recent years, I hope they will be the shell-shocked ones next year.

Riding home with the full moon

After a good Thanksgiving dinner in West Virginia, we headed home on a brilliantly moonlight night rising over I-64 eastbound.
It might have had an impact on the boys.
The youngest started singing the chorus to "Shaving Cream," which I taught him in the past.
Then they brought up songs from Phineas and Ferb.
Why?
Because it's Swinter.

Mind your Thanksgiving manners

Sister Toldjah has tips to avoid a messing Thanksgiving.
More politeness, and less politics.

Where's the turkey?

If you're still trying to find your Thanksgiving turkey, it's time to see what restaurants are open.

Taking them where he wants to go

Byron York looks at Trump's immigration rhetoric against what people want - and what might be his end goal.
Compromise on his terms.
"Compromise has become the dirty word," a questioner said to Trump. If a President Trump were involved in a conflict on, say, taxes, what kinds of things would he offer, "as a gesture of compromise"?
"Let me just tell you, the word compromise is not a bad word to me," Trump replied. "I like the word compromise. We need compromise, there is nothing wrong with compromise, but it's always good to compromise and win. Meaning, let's compromise and win."

 

Weekend watchdog

Thursday, all 16 AFC teams get to stay home for the holiday.
Six NFC teams will be competing for Thanksgiving themed postgame trophies.
Fox starts the day at 12:30 p.m. with the Eagles facing the Lions. The Cowboys host the Panthers on CBS at 4:30 p.m., and the night closes on NBC when the Bears invade Lambeau Field to face the Packers.
Sunday, the Redskins meet the Giants on Fox at 1 p.m. CBS offers Dolphins-Jets early before the Steelers take on the Steelers in the late afternoon slot.
NBC has the battle between the Broncos and Patriots Sunday night. The Ravens face the Browns on ESPN Monday night.
There's a pair of college football games Thanksgiving night, with South Florida-Central Florida on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. while FoxSports1 offers Texas Tech-Texas at 7:30 p.m.
Undefeated Iowa closes its regular season against Nebraska Friday at 3:30 p.m., following Navy-Houston at noon.
Missouri and Arkansas battle on CBS at 2:30 p.m., while Fox brings the Apple Cup between Washington and Washington State at 3:30 p.m.
Miami meets Pittsburgh at noon on ESPN2 and it's Baylor taking on TCU on ESPN at 7:30 p.m.
Marshall heads to Western Kentucky on FoxSports1 at noon.
Notre Dame, hoping to make the four-team playoff, battle Stanford on Fox Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Michigan and Ohio State have their annual matchup at noon on ABC. Rivalries take the air at 3:30 p.m., with North Carolina against North Carolina State or Southern Cal-USC. The game not on the air in your area will be on ESPN2.
In primetime, it's Bedlam between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
The Iron Bowl takes center stage on CBS at 3:30 p.m., with Alabama meeting Auburn.
ESPN starts its day at noon with Clemson-South Carolina. Michigan State tries to clinch the Big Ten East against Penn State at 3:30 p.m. before Florida State faces Florida at 7 p.m.
Georgia tangles with Georgia Tech on ESPN2 at noon. It's the Egg Bowl between Mississippi and Mississippi State at 7:15 p.m. and Nevada meets San Diego State at 10:45 p.m.
The ACC Network offers Duke-Wake Forest at 12:30 p.m.
West Virginia hosts Iowa State at noon on FoxSports1, followed by Kansas-Kansas State at 4 p.m. and Arizona State taking on California at 10 p.m.
Boston College battles Syracuse on Comcast at 12:30 p.m.
NBC Sports network has the Bayou Classic between Grambling and Southern at 5 p.m.
Conference USA takes the stage on MASN and MASN2 Saturday, with Old Dominion hosting Florida Atlantic on MASN at noon followed by Charlotte-Rice. MASN2 has Southern Mississippi taking on Louisiana Tech at noon before UTEP-North Texas.
It's Grey Cup day in Canada, with Ottawa battling Edmonton for the CFL title Sunday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
The Wizards tangle with the Celtics on Comcast Friday at 8 p.m. and the Raptors at home Saturday at 7 p.m.
The ESPN family of networks have a bunch of tournaments for its Feast Week. The Battle4Atlantis in the Bahamas has semifinals Thursday at 1 and 3:30 p.m., and two more games Friday at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Top-ranked Kentucky meets South Florida Friday at 5 p.m.
ESPN2 has six contests Thursday, starting at noon with Alabama-Xavier. It's Wichita State-USC at 2 p.m., then Stanford plays Michigan State at 4:30 p.m. Michigan State meets Boston College at 6:30 p.m., followed by Iowa against Dayton and Santa Clara-Arizona in the nightcap at 11:30 p.m.
The NIT preseason tournament crowns its champion Friday at 3 p.m. There's semifinals of the Wooden Legacy at 5:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., sandwiched between Ohio State-Memphis and a semifinal at the AdvoCare Invitational at 9:30 p.m.
Sunday brings two more games from the AdvoCare Invitational at 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., along with Wisconsin-Oklahoma at 2:30 p.m.
FoxSports1 brings West Virginia's contest with Richmond at 5 p.m., then it's California-San Diego State from Las Vegas Thursday at midnight.
Friday, it's two contests from Las Vegas at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. and Georgia faces Seton Hall Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Marquette faces Jackson State Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
MASN offers play from the Barclay Center Classic Friday, with Cincinnati-Nebraska at 6:30 p.m. followed by Tennessee taking on George Washington. Louisville plays St. Louis Saturday at 8 p.m. Baylor faces Arkansas State at 1 p.m. on MASN2, and it's Oklahoma State-Long Beach State at 8:30 p.m.
Liberty meets Appalachian State Thursday at 3 p.m. on Comcast, and it's Old Dominion-VCU Saturday at 4 p.m.
Texas and Tennessee tangle on the women's hardcourt Sunday at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN.
NBC has Black Friday afternoon ice hockey, while the Blackhawks visit the Ducks on NBC Sports network at 5 p.m.
The Capitals host Tampa Bay Friday at 5 p.m. on Comcast.
Conference finals have their second leg in the MLS Sunday, with Dallas-Portland at 5 p.m. on ESPN and the Red Bulls clashing with Columbus on FoxSports at 7:30 p.m.
It's Manchester City-Southampton on NBC Sports network Saturday at 10 a.m., followed by Leicester City against Manchester United on NBC in 12:30 p.m. Liverpool meets Swansea City Sunday at 11 a.m. on NBC Sports network.

Starting the death spiral

HotAir shares the good news - the looming death spiral for Obamacare gets closer thanks to Marco Rubio.
Two years ago, Marco Rubio won a fight during the budget battles to include a requirement for HHS to maintain budget neutrality in its risk-corridor programs. Rubio had pushed back against this program for months, claiming — as it happens, accurately — that it was a back-door bailout of the insurance companies that had cooperated in the effort to pass ObamaCare. Instead of allowing HHS to dip into general funds for risk-corridor payments, Rubio’s rider restricted those payouts to funds collected from taxes on insurers.
The move forced HHS to cut expected risk corridor payments to pennies on the dollar, and prompted the closure of more than half of the co-ops launched by HHS to provide supposedly low-cost coverage. Now that United Healthcare has signaled that it may cut its losses and get out of the ObamaCare market, The Hill credits Rubio with starting the death spiral many predicted when Democrats first passed ObamaCare in March 2010.

May the force be with your Turkey

Forget politics.
The real battles at the Thanksgiving table will be over Star Wars.

On dealing with turkeys

The left has spent the last few years churning out pieces with advice for their readers dealing with family Thanksgiving dinner.
Democrats even fired out an email on the topic today.
Ace offers his plans for rebuttal.
It is the goal of the dedicated Thanksgivingman, then, to achieve the sublime art of giving offense without offense being taken.
My basic strategy is thus: It would be as rude of you as it is rude of your cretinous grownchildren kin to allow a Thanksgiving dinner into a stupid game of Rachel Maddow Talking Points and their rebuttals.
So, rather than confront the unemployed idiots who will be assailing you, I propose instead to superficially avoid conflict and engagement on their dummy mouthflappings, and appear instead to agree with them.
Happy Turkey Day.
Hope there's no liberal turkeys at your table.

Undefeated teams watch

The Panthers won easy.
The Patriots had to battle.
Both emerged 10-0.
With national telecasts looming for both in the next few days.
The 1972 Miami Dolphins are watching.

It's a holiday - relax

Megan McArdle wants you to enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner.
Novelty is overrated at holidays. If you want to try planked salmon and braised leeks for the first time this year, then bon appetit. But the idea that we must have novelty, that a good cook is constantly seeking out new and better things, is a curse. The best parts of our lives do not require constant innovation; they are the best because they are the familiar things we love just as they are.

Time to hide under your bed

The next five weeks are the major travel time of the year - Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Maybe not, says the State Department.
Are you sure you want to keep telling people it's okay to accept Syrian refugees?

Cut it out

Were you surprised about the strength of ISIS?
Apparently, some in the defense department weren't.
They voiced concerns.
And were told "cut it out."
Who lied, and who died in Paris?

No comparison

Powerline questions a column linking today's Syrian refugees with those Jews who tried to escape Hitler in the 1930s.
There are respectable arguments in favor of admitting 10,000 Syrians into the U.S. and respectable arguments against doing so (which I find more persuasive). Alleging bigotry against opponents of admitting Syrians is not a respectable argument, and neither is the specious comparison between contemporary Syrians and Jews fleeing the Nazis.

As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly

Thanksgiving means time to remember WKRP's Turkey Drop.

The odds are not in your favor

Over at DaTech Guy, a look at Illinois' financial woes.
Without a budget, they can't pay out lottery winnings over $600.
But they still want people to play the lottery.
How about paying for a full-page newspaper advertisement?
I wonder if it cost more than $600.

Rules before shootings

Want some clear thoughts on the Paris shooting?
Larry Correia provides.
On the personal, local level, this is another example of why you should carry a gun. No, we don’t expect every permit holder to be a Navy SEAL, just a speed bump. The best way to stop a mass shooter is an immediate violent response. At best, you drop them before they can hurt too many people. At worst, congratulations you were a distraction, but even distractions can save lives or derail plans.
Running is great. I’ll never fault somebody who chooses to run or hide when bad things happen. Every one of us has a different level of training, knowledge, and commitment, and what is the right answer for you, isn’t the right answer for your grandma. If you are the kind of person to get involved, you need to have a clue. However, since the only constant of gunfights is that they suck for somebody, you can do everything right and still die. On the bright side you at least bought everybody else some time.
Should you consider his suggestions?
It looks like there will be more, not less, jihadi-style attacks in the near future.
I’ve got a ton of fans who are feds. Oh, the horror stories I hear from these guys. So many plots have been foiled, so many bad guys have been caught, and the stuff they are worried that is coming next is frankly terrifying… I mean, we’ve not seen anything yet. There are some nightmare scenarios out there that I won’t talk about on the internet. But don’t worry, our administration’s greatest concern is climate change. They’re all over that.

Stop the insanity

Roger L. Simon looks at the world and sees Donald Trump staying atop the polls.
Islam has a big problem and although people want to be polite or deliberately lie about it to look "good" to their neighbors or to their cousins at the Thanksgiving table, when they get into a voting booth, many of them are guiltily going to be pulling the lever for someone with the you-know-what to put an end to this global homicidal insanity -- and it's not going to be John Kasich or Rand Paul or Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders.  It's going to be Donald Trump.  And if not Donald, possibly Marco Rubio or Ted Cruz, both of whom seem to be able to find Raqqa on a map.

Tis the season for micro-aggressions

It might be a little early for Christmas, but a local radio station has gone all-Christmas music already.
I took a listen.
The first song shocked me.
"Say your prayers."
"Give thanks to the Love above"
Santa Claus is coming, but he's not very inclusive.
And don't get started on Bing Crosby and his dreaming of a White Christmas.
Welcome to five more weeks of northern European-centric traditions.
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Leading the wrong way

Powerline notes the unpopularity of stances the Democrats are taking on Syrian immigrants and college disruptions.
It’s a novel strategy, not just taking unpopular positions but doing so aggressively, stridently and contemptuously. Who knows, maybe it will work. But I doubt it.

Facebook quote of the the week

Ever since Ditka dressed up in Packer garb for that McDonald's commercial, the Packers have played like the Bears.

Saturday song

Waking up your morning with some Bruce Springsteen and Courtney Cox.

Feudbook

We now have a pattern for news event.

• Event happens.
• People watch.
• Meme gets started.
• Quickly, a counter-meme follows.
• Angry comments on one side.
• Matched on the other.

Thanks for showing all our anger in one place, Facebook.
Can I get an a-meme?

Weekend watchdog

Jeff Gordon made his Winston Cup debut at the final race run by Richard Petty in 1992.
Sunday, he can go out like a king.
Gordon and three other drivers will battle for the season-long run Sprint Cup championship at Miami Homestead. NBC has coverage Sunday at 3 p.m.
Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. complete the four-man final field. The driver who finishes best among those four will be crowned the season champion.
The final Xfinity race will be Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on NBC while FoxSports1 has the Truck Series finale Friday at 8 p.m.
The Bengals head to Arizona on NBC Sunday night, while the undefeated Patriots face the Bills on ESPN Monday night.
Fox shows the Redskins' contest with the undefeated Panthers Sunday at 1 p.m., followed by the Packers against Vikings. CBS offers the Broncos without Peyton Manning against the Bears at 1 p.m.
The college football weekend continues Friday at 9:30 p.m. when Air Force and Boise State tangle on ESPN2.
Frank Beamer takes on the Lane Stadium sideline for the final time Saturday, with the Hokies meeting North Carolina on ESPN at noon.
Fenway Park hosts Notre Dame and Boston College on NBC Sports network at 7:30 p.m.
ABC starts its day at noon when Michigan takes on Penn State. Ohio State plays Michigan State at 3:30 p.m., with TCU-Oklahoma in primetime.
Mississippi battles LSU at 3:30 p.m. on CBS, with UCLA and Utah on Fox at 3:30 p.m. followed by Baylor meeting Oklahoma State.
Syracuse takes on N.C. State at 12:30 p.m. on the ACC network, with some areas getting Miami-Georgia Tech.
Oregon faces on Stanford at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN, then it's Mississippi State-Arkansas at 7 p.m. The night closes with the battle between California and Stanford.
Iowa battles Purdue on ESPN2 at noon, followed by top-ranked Clemson against Wake Forest. Tennessee takes on Missouri at 7:15 p.m. before Washington State hosts Colorado.
FoxSports1 offers Iowa State-Kansas State at noon and Arizona tangles with Arizona State at 3:30 p.m.
MASN2 brings West Virginia facing Kansas at noon, followed by Louisiana Tech-UTEP. Lafayette tangles with Lehigh on MASN at 12:30 p.m., then it's Ohio Valley action between Tennessee Tech and Tennessee State.
William & Mary tangles with Richmond at noon on Comcast, followed by UT-Chattanooga against Florida State.
NBC Sports network offers Brown-Columbia Friday at 7:30 p.m. and the Game between Harvard and Yale Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
The Capitals host Colorado Saturday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
The Spurs play the Pelicans Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN, with Bulls-Warriors as the nightcap.
Sunday on ESPN brings a Feast Week game at 1 p.m., followed by four more on ESPN2 starting at 3:30 p.m.
St. Johns hosts Rutgers Thursday at 7 p.m. on FoxSports1, then it's Iowa-Marquette. Villanova takes on Akron in the NIT preseason tournament Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
George Washington takes on South Florida Thursday at 7 p.m. on MASN2, while MASN offers Nicholls State against Southeastern Louisiana.
Oklahoma plays McNeese State Friday at 8 p.m. on MASN2. Brown battles Providence on MASN2 Saturday at 7 p.m.
On the women's hardcourt, Mississippi meets Middle Tennessee Sunday at 2 p.m. on MASN2.
It's Conference final time in the MLS, with Columbus against the Red Bulls on ESPN Sunday at 5 p.m. followed by Dallas-Portland at 7:30 p.m. on FoxSports1.
NBC has Liverpool facing Manchester City Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Watford meets Manchester United Saturday at 7:30 a.m. on NBC Sports network, and it's Tottenham Hotspur against West Ham United Sunday at 11 a.m.
Conference USA crowns its women's volleyball champions Sunday at 4 p.m. on MASN2.

Thanksgiving talking points on ISIS

The Obama team has given supporters great help in past years, providing talking points about Obamacare to share with your skeptical family at the Thanksgiving table.
I wonder if they are doing talking points for ISIS this year.
If so, they'd better be flexible.
Last week it was Paris.
This week Mali.
I wonder what the talking points will contain?

Romance of the refugee

If you're a person thinking the United States should admit more refugees from Syria, what's your reason?
It apparently is romance.
Good thought of past immigrants, especially our forefathers.
Those we know who struggled years ago to make a new life in the new land.
It's the romance of the 19th century immigrant on the boat.
Not the reality of the 21st century Syrian.
As usual, we have a debate on two, unconnected levels.
The reality-based world looks at France, and threatening videos, and says halt.
The romance-based sees their personal experience in these people.
They could be right, about almost all Syrians.
But it only takes a few to cause murder and damage.
Eight killed 129 innocents.
That's reality.

FDR killed Anne Frank

The liberals at Addicting Info want to blame America for the death of Anne Frank.
Her family was trying to get out of Europe when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and closed the door.
Who was president in 1941?
Not an isolationist Republican, but Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Democrats ran the government prior to the war.
I guess history is hard.
Especially this laughable sentence.
Frank was issued a visa by Cuba on December 1, 1941 (yes, that evil nation of Communists conservatives hate), but it was canceled 10 days later when Germany declared war on the United States.
Dudes, Castro wasn't leading Cuba in 1941.
The island wasn't communist then.
It was less than 50 years after the United States - led by Republicans - went to war with Spain to give Cuba its independence.
That doesn't stop Addicting Info from spreading its bad information.

Not your fault, but mine

Instapundit notes the reason radical Islamists hate us - people who don't believe they are Islamists.
“No, this is definitely not a Muslim thing. You guys are not true Muslims, and you defame a great religion by saying so.”
“Huh!? Who are you to tell us we’re not true Muslims!? Islam is literally at the core of everything we do, and we have implemented the truest most literal and honest interpretation of its founding texts. It is our very reason for being.”
“Nope. We created you. We installed a social and economic system that alienates and disenfranchises you, and that’s why you did this. We’re sorry.”
Yes, you are sorry.
Isn't it racist not to believe what someone says?

#Lameleader

Oh goody, another hashtag campaign from the White House.

Like fish need to be taught to swim

Since the Paris bombing, conservatives have become even more wary of bringing Syrian refugees into the country.
And liberals have used mocking to promote refugees.
Why don't you want to take in refugees, like Mary and Joseph were the first Christmas?
Wait a minute, mockers.
Do you think Christian conservatives don't have compassion for refugees?
It's not a real fear of refugees.
It's fear of not being wise with our own safety.
The mockers need to read a little more Old Testament. They was plenty of violence as the Israelites took over the country.
We know God's commands.
Just because President Obama commands something, doesn't mean it matches those commands.

Obama's lullabye

Roger L. Simon tries to figure out why President Obama won't admit ISIS is Islamic.
He's not a Muslim himself.  He claims to be a Christian (in the Reverend Wright tradition) and is actually a post-modern agnostic who almost never goes to church, except for political purposes.  But he is a Muslim by emotion, by childhood attachment to his days in an Indonesian madrasa when his father, and later his mother, abandoned him.  The morning cry of the muezzin, he has told us, is the most moving sound on Earth to him. It undoubtedly reassured him.
Unfortunately,  what soothed Barack as a youth turns out to be a death scream of seventh century tribalism for the rest of us. He can't countenance that, so he has to disconnect the carnage of ISIS, etc. from the ideology that drives it.

For the Lego lover

Dustbuy tells of the gift for the adults of Lego-loving kids - anti-Lego slippers.

We have fear because of Obama

A Facebook friend posted Bernie Sanders' message about ISIS.
Don't give into fear-mongering.
President Obama is working on this.
That's where the fear comes from.

Undefeated teams watch

The Bengals went down Monday night.
Leaving the Panthers and Patriots alone as undefeated teams at 9-0.
The 1972 Miami Dolphins continue watching.

How dare you notice Obama's troubles

If you've spent years warning of trouble from Muslims in Europe, what do you do when it happens?
When you've spent years avoiding the topic, what do you do after Friday's attacks?
If you're President Obama, you continue the avoidance.
He claims that he's always interested in "whatever works" and he's constantly engaging in high-level cognition about the world, and yet no matter what the news, no matter how badly his strategies and ideological priors have been shown to fail, he clings to them with the devotion of a child to his woobie.
It's no blind, thought-free rage at the man in the White House.
It's reasoned, experienced knowledge that bad things happen - if you let them.

Not contained

Forbes looks at the impacts of the Paris attacks, both in Europe and in the United States.
In the short run, President Obama will be pinged with the kind of “mission accomplished” arguments that once dented President Bush. Obama’s comment on ABC News this past Sunday that ISIS is “contained” will be endlessly replayed by talk-radio and cable newscasts and, possibly, by GOP candidates. His comment may have been focused on stopping ISIS’ march in the Kurdish parts of Iraq, but the context will be stripped away—just as Bush learned when his “mission accomplished” moment was shorn of its original meaning to describe the end of the mission of a particular carrier group and falsely represented as a premature signal of the Iraq War’s end.

Could the attacks have been stopped?

Powerline finds the tale of a man caught running weapons in Germany.
Not just any gun runner.
They discovered that the vehicle had been professionally modified to create secret compartments for weapons. The cache reportedly included eight AK-47s, two pistols, two hand grenades, fuses, detonators and a half pound of TNT. The man had driven from Montenegro through Croatia, Slovenia and Austria before being stopped in Germany. The GPS in his car was set for Paris.
If you want gun control, here's someone to look out for.
Not the ordinary citizen who wants to protect themselves.

Argula-eating community organizer

It took two days for France to find the major city in the ISIS territory and drop some bombs.
No more calling them cheese-eating surrender monkeys.
Instead, we have an argula-eating community organizer in the White House.

A decent moderator

Politico gives John Dickerson credit for a good job moderating the Saturday Democratic debate.
He smartly latched onto a 2014 speech from Clinton in which she said she "could not have predicted the extent to which ISIS could be effective in seizing cities in Iraq."
"So you've got prescriptions for the future. But how-- how do we know if those prescriptions are any good if you missed it in the past?” Dickerson asked.
Nice to see someone use Hillary's words against her.

Democrats need a time machine

Nice to see Bernie Sanders blaming the Paris attacks on George W. Bush.
Everything bad is due to the decision to invade Iraq in 2003.
What does Sanders want to do now?
Get an international coalition to work together against the threat.
Just like George W. Bush did, going to the United Nations and gathering a coalition.
I guess Sanders' coalition would be different.
The Democrats' only hope is a time machine to reverse the Iraq decision.
They'd come back and find Muslim extremist still out there, wanting to force the world into submission.

Solving the problem

Liberals claim Donald Trump won't be able to deport 11 million illegal aliens and their families.
He won't have to.
Upon Trump's election, 11 million liberals will leave the country.
The country will be better off.

Feeling the heat

If you're worried about climate change, your seat is a lot hotter today.
Ed Driscoll compares the concerns of climate changes with dealing with the real, immediate threat of Islamic terrorism.
And presidents announcing that ISIS has been contained on national TV only hours before they attack a major European city — because he doesn’t consider them as big a threat to the world as global warming. Just ask him: “No challenge poses a greater threat to our future than climate change,” he’s claimed on numerous occasions.
Incidentally, doesn’t “exploiting” Paris have the presidential seal of the approval? After all, a month and a half ago, as a headline at Democrat house organ The Hill noted, Obama trumpeted that “Mass shootings are ‘something we should politicize.’”
Feeling the heat yet?

Keystone can wait

Maybe President Obama made the right decision in not approving the Keystone XL pipeline.
For the wrong reason, of course.
The world is awash in oil.
We're running out of places to store oil.
The ground is a great place to keep it until needed.
Until saner minds run the government.

Saturday song

Back to the 70s with Ace. It's been going on for a quite a while.

Facebook quote of the week

I can't stand Adele. There, I said it.

You've got 24 hours to prepare, Hillary

You had to wonder why Democrats picked a Saturday night to hold their second presidential debate.
Who wants to watch politics on a Saturday night?
After the events in Paris, there will be a day full of news of terrorism leading up to the debate.
Probably will be lots more viewers than expected.
Most want to know what Hillary Clinton will have to say about these attacks.
No glib blowoff comments will work.

Meanwhile in the real world

We've had a week of student protests at Missouri and other places.
Then there's Paris tonight.
Don't the demands of these student protesters seem trivial compared to Paris.
And we don't know the whole story yet.
The morning will surely show more horror.
There is no safe space.

Weekend watchdog

College football teams are vying for postseason bowl berths.
Virginia Tech got a step closer Thursday.
The Hokies improved to 5-5 by knocking off Georgia Tech 23-21, and can send Frank Beamer off with another bowl trip by beating either North Carolina or Virginia.
The college football weekend continues Friday when Southern Cal visits Colorado at 9 p.m. on ESPN2.
CBS takes the early shift Saturday, showing Georgia against Auburn at noon before Alabama takes on Mississippi State at 3:30 p.m.
Notre Dame hosts Wake Forest on NBC at 3:30 p.m. Fox offers Stanford against Oregon at 7:30 p.m.
Ohio State heads to Illinois on ABC at noon. At 3:30 p.m., top-ranked Clemson visits Syracuse while Michigan-Indiana will be seen in other parts of the country. The game not seen over the air will be on ESPN2.
In primetime, Baylor faces Oklahoma.
Virginia meets Louisville on Comcast at 12:30 p.m., then it's James Madison-Delaware at 4 p.m.
Florida State faces North Carolina State on the ACC network at 12:30 p.m.
ESPN starts its day at noon with Florida facing South Carolina. Oklahoma State battles Iowa State at 3:30 p.m. then Arkansas takes on LSU at 7:15 p.m. The day ends with Washington State-UCLA at 10:45 p.m.
Maryland meets Michigan State on ESPN2 at noon. Memphis faces Houston at 7 p.m.
TCU tangles with Kansas at noon on FoxSports1, followed by Kansas State-Texas Tech. In the nightcap, Arizona meets Utah at 10 p.m.
MASN2 brings Conference USA action, with Texas-El Paso visiting Old Dominion at noon before Florida International meets Marshall.
Central Arkansas takes on Nichols State at 7 p.m. on MASN.
The Ravens start their second half of the season against Jacksonville Sunday at 1 p.m. on CBS, with Patriots-Giants in the late afternoon slot. The Redskins host the Saints on Fox at 1 p.m.
The Cardinals head to Seattle on NBC Sunday night, while the undefeated Bengals battling the Texans Monday on ESPN.
NASCAR sets the final four competitors for next week's conclusion Sunday at 2:30 p.m. on NBC. The Xfinity race will be on NBC Sports network Saturday at 4 p.m., with the Truck Series Friday at 8:30 p.m. on FoxSports1.
Formula One visits Brazil, with the Brazilian Grand Prix on NBC Sports network Sunday at 11 a.m.
The Capitals take on the Flames Saturday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
The Wizards host the Magic on Comcast Saturday at 7 p.m.
The college basketball season starts Friday when Iowa State faces Colorado on ESPN2 at 5 p.m. ESPN has a twinbill, with Pittsburgh-Gonzaga at 7 p.m. followed by Texas against Washington in China.
MASN offers George Mason facing Colgate Friday at 7 p.m. There's a pair of Big East teams in action on MASN2, with Dartmouth meeting Seton Hall at 7 p.m. then Belmont heads to Marquette at 9 p.m.
Harvard faces Providence Saturday at 7 p.m., followed by Western Michigan-DePaul.
St. John's takes on Wagner on FoxSports1 Friday at 6 p.m.
The road to the 2018 World Cup begins Friday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 with the United States taking on St. Vincent & The Grenadines.
Bosnia-Herzegovina faces the Republic of Ireland in the first leg of the European qualifying Friday at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2. Hungary meets Norway in their second leg Sunday at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN after their first meeting on FoxSports1 Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
MASN2 brings the Conference USA men's championship Sunday at 2 p.m.

Blame Reagan and Gingrich

Why are there so few national Democratic leaders in their 40s and 50s?
My generation is smart, I guess.
Did Morning in America of the 1980s mean mourning for Democrats?
Meanwhile, like most of the Republican candidates, middle-aged conservatives spent their youth in the sunshine of the Reagan era, sometimes like Michael J. Fox’s Alex P. Keaton character, surprising their boomer parents with their right-wing views. Their early adulthood was shaped by the galvanizing backlash politics of Newt Gingrich, a mode that the candidates and their congressional counterparts are now taking to absurd extremes.
Thanks, Gipper.

Sad fact to remember

Conservatives are having a great time mocking the sensitive college students of today. But remember, we are depending on these same students to work hard and pay taxes to support our retirements.
Why are you now crying?
Stop screaming like that!

Dangers of seatbelts

The youngest needed a ride to school this morning.
Rushing in for work, the seatbelt got lodged into the door and prevented it from closing all the way.
After work, yikes.
I found the problem.
Fortunately, the battery cranked and I rode off.
Seatbelts are supposed to save lives.
Not give heart attacks.

Reverse Sodom and Gomorrah

Before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, he gave Abraham a chance to convince Him to spare the city.
Abraham thinks there a few righteous in the area, so they should not be swept up with the wicked.
How many?
They started talking about 50, and got down to 10. If there were 10 righteous people there, God would spare the city.
The next chapter shows there weren't even 10 righteous there, leading to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
The University of Missouri swept the up the few wicked with the many righteous.
A handful of incidents brought out the destruction of the president's career.
No pleading about prior good works could save him.
No number was small enough to avert the wrath.
If there's only one incident of racism anywhere, all must be destroyed.

Paying taxes makes me feel unsafe

If you're not in college, how can you get into this "don't do things when I feel unsafe" racket.
A professor tells his students to grow up and take the exam, and instead resigns.
The deficit makes me feel unsafe.
I'm going on a hunger strike until President Obama resigns.
I'm not eating argula.
When will I need to schedule my press conference?

The lake, it is said

PJMedia notes the 40th anniversary of the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

If you're not offended, read Iowahawk

Instapundit touts Iowahawk's list of tweets intended to offend our fragile college students.

A safe, happy place

Rich Lowry looks at the Missouri situation and provides a safe place.
Safe means healthy, right?
Laughter is the best medicine, right?
This is the insatiable voice of children who object at the insufficiency of their coddling. In another outrage, no one powders the bottoms of Mizzou students after they go potty.
I'm feeling better already.

Santa Trump

Morning Joe ran a clip of Donald Trump talking Starbucks' cups.
The plain red ones.
He said we'd be saying Merry Christmas in a Trump presidency.
That's a great way to get votes.

What's next for Missouri

The Missouri football team and protesters got their wish - ousting a president.
Will the outgoing president get his wish? Some closure and healing?
Doubtful.
You have newly empowered students nationwide.
And newly wary administrators.
Does more money for diversity groups bring more understanding, or more potential points of conflict?
Every decision now becomes a potential flashpoint that could end your career.

Good news from Minnesota

Being based in Minnesota, Powerline keeps an eye on that state's polls.
The newest one offers a shock from a state that voted Democratic in the past 10 elections.
The poll shows just about every Republican tested–Ben Carson, Marco Rubio, Carly Fiorina and Donald Trump–beating Hillary Clinton, if the election were held today. Jeb Bush is +1 against Hillary, within the margin of error, and Hillary beats Ted Cruz by five points.
What’s interesting is that these are mostly voters who pull the lever for Democrats. The same Survey USA poll shows Governor Mark Dayton, Senator Al Franken and Senator Amy Klobuchar with approval ratings of 52%, 55% and 60%, respectively. Yet Minnesotans really, really don’t like Barack Obama. He currently is under water by a stunning 37%/56% margin. And that’s no fluke: polls in recent years have generally shown him with poor approval ratings in the state, notwithstanding the fact that he carried it twice.
What can Hillary do in the next 52 weeks to change this?

The campaign is alive

Mad voter Roger L. Simon went away impressed by Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live.
Imagine what it would have been like in 1941 if Barack Obama had been president.  We’d be speaking German or Japanese.  You pick.
Now imagine Trump as president, same year.  Game on.
I think that tells you what you need to know about why Donald Trump is leading the pack for president. We need someone to lift us out of our depression before ISIS starts putting bombs on our planes, Iran starts launching missiles and Europe goes under Sharia law.  And it doesn’t hurt to have someone with charisma and, especially, humor, because, Lord knows, we need a few laughs.

Leader of the Revolution

Powerline provides space for the author's defense of the new book on Jack Kemp.
I feared that The New York Times would assign a Reagan-hater to review Jack Kemp: The Bleeding Heart Conservative Who Changed America. Mercifully, it didn’t pick Paul Krugman, who would have been savage. Instead, it chose Tim Noah, now of Politico, whose review is polite, just misguided.

Undefeated teams watch

The Bengals got their eighth win Thursday.
The Patriots and Panthers joined them Sunday afternoon.
The Broncos didn't.
That took away the last possible meeting of undefeated teams until the AFC championship.
Or Super Bowl 50.
The 1972 Miami Dolphins are watching.

Doughboy + 97

My grandfather served in World War II at age 18.
When I was in eighth grade, I wore his uniform for a school presentation.
It's how they looked when they went over there.

Pyramid scheme

The sad part of media coverage about Ben Carson and the pyramids - it shows how little people know about the story.
Why did Joseph have Egypt store grain?
The Pharoah had a dream of seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine.
The years wouldn't wait for a large capital campaign to build enormous grain storage structures.
Pharoah had the dream before the first of the seven good years so food could be set aside - for Egypt and others nearby.
Like the rest of Joseph's family.
Pyramids are nice, but doubtful could be built quick enough to help a famine coming now.
The media could easily offer skepticism that sticks if they paid attention to their Bible stories.

Day in the media life

DaTech Guy watched the media frenzy on Ben Carson Friday.
Then the MSNBC lovefest for Democrats Friday night.
There must be only one way to go after Hillary Clinton - I hear she was mean to someone in the lunch line in ninth grade.
Pass it on.

Saturday song

I remember this song from the 70s.

Facebook quote of the week

I was born as an eggplant, then I grew into a huge tree. One day the sun went in for a week and I turned into a little boy. Now at fifty eight I realize I am a woman with frogs legs and a hankering for rhubarb.

Point less

Smitty knows about the service academies.
The first shot at Ben Carson didn't faze him.
And the story changed before the keyboard cooled.
It may turn out that Politico will be knocked out by Carson's bounce back.2016201

Weekend watchdog

The first College Football Playoff rankings came out Tuesday.
The ACC's possible place in the final four might be determined Saturday.
ABC has undefeated Clemson's contest with Florida State Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The Seminoles made the field last season, and their hopes of returning depend on pulling out a win at Death Valley.
Another set of Tigers - LSU - ranks second in the initial rankings. The Bayou Bengals take on Alabama on CBS at 8 p.m.
Baylor and defending champion Ohio State round out the first top four of the season. Five weeks of contests until the final field will be announced.
The college football weekend continues Friday when Temple takes on SMU Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.
Notre Dame visits Pittsburgh Saturday at noon on ABC, and in primetime it's Ohio State hosting Minnesota.
Arkansas takes on Mississippi on CBS at 3:30 p.m. and Fox has a battle with playoff implications between TCU and Oklahoma State at 3:30 p.m. before Utah tangles with Washington.
ESPN begins its day at noon with Vanderbilt facing Florida, then it's Indiana-Iowa at 3:30 p.m. Michigan State heads to Minnesota at 7 p.m., with Arizona-Southern Cal at 10 p.m.
Duke meets North Carolina on ESPN2 at noon. Cincinnati clashes with Houston at 3:30 p.m. before Navy takes on Memphis at 7 p.m. California faces Oregon in the nightcap at 10:30 p.m.
West Virginia tangles with Texas Tech on FoxSports1 at noon followed by Arizona State-Washington State.
Virginia meets Miami at 3 p.m. after Elon hosts William & Mary at noon on Comcast.
NBC Sports network offers Cornell-Dartmouth Friday at 8 p.m., and Saturday at 3 p.m. it's Richmond against New Hampshire.
MASN shows action from the Ohio Valley Conference at 3 p.m., with Murray State facing Tennessee State. On MASN2, Florida Atlantic meets Western Kentucky at noon and it's Marshall-Middle Tennessee at 3:30 p.m.
NBC has the Eagles' trip to Dallas Sunday night, and the Bears take on the Chargers Monday night on ESPN.
The Redskins battle undefeated New England Sunday at 1 p.m. on Fox. CBS has the Raiders' trip to Pittsburgh. before the Colts clash with the Broncos.
NASCAR visits Texas for the weekend, with the winner joining Jeff Gordon as members of the final four for the season's championship. NBC has coverage at 2 p.m., and the Xfinity Series races Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
FoxSports1 has the Truck Series Friday at 8:30 p.m.
On the college ice, Minnesota meets Notre Dame on NBC Sports network Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
The Heat meet the Pacers on ESPN Friday at 8 p.m., followed by Rockets-Kings. The Wizards take on the Celtics Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast and travel to Atlanta Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
MLS has the second leg of its conference semifinals Sunday. ESPN has Red Bulls-D.C. United at 3 p.m. followed by Columbus clashing with Montreal. The action shifts to FoxSports1 at 7:30 p.m., with Dallas taking on Seattle before the nightcap featuring Vancouver and Portland.
AFC Bournemouth takes on Newcastle United Saturday at 7:30 a.m. on NBC Sports network. Aston Villa meets Manchester City Sunday at 8:30 a.m., followed by Arsenal against Tottenham Hotspur.
Conference USA crowns its women's champion Sunday at 11 a.m. on MASN2. FoxSports1 has finals from the Big East Sunday at 1:30 p.m. and Big 12 at 4 p.m.
Comcast has the ACC field hockey tournament semifinals Friday at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. with the final Sunday at 1 p.m.
Wisconsin battles Michigan State Sunday at 1 p.m. in volleyball on ESPN2.

Denial is a river in Kentucky

It's good to have liberal Facebook friends.
How else would I find an article about the Kentucky governorship being stolen by the Republicans?
Yeah, I can believe the establishment wanted to help - Matt Bevin?
The results of the election differed from the polling - must be a stolen election.

Carson and his temper

CNN spent most of Thursday trying to prove or disprove Ben Carson's youthful anger issues.
Would they be happier if Carson beat up some CNN staffers for them?
Such healthy skepticism about a presidential hopeful's youth.
Guess it's built up after eight years taking President Obama's story as gospel truth.

Kentucky's good news

I thought it was great that Matt Bevin won as governor of Kentucky.
The lieutenant governor's win may be better news.
What do you think of the Tea Party's strength now?

Money for nothing

Governor McAulifffe got his friends to spend millions in an attempt to turn the State Senate to Democratic control.
Didn't happen.
Welcome to the lame duck part of your term.

The sun shines bright

Good news from Kentucky.
Republican Matt Bevin will be the new governor.
Gotta love his closing argument.
"Jack Conway is spending millions lying about me. It’s all he’s got," Bevin said in his closing argument ad. "That’s because Conway is a career politician who supports Obama’s agenda."
Good enough for Kentucky.
Good hope for us.

We voted. Now clean up the signs

Just minutes until the polls close in Virginia.
Time to celebrate the end of the campaign season.
Time for winners to rejoice and get to work.
Time for everybody to clean up their political signs.

Undefeated teams watch

Four teams advance to 7-0, including the Broncos after knocking off previously unbeaten Green Bay.
This week, Green Bay takes on 7-0 Carolina.
The Bengals and Patriots will also be trying to get to 8-0.
The 1972 Miami Dolphins have multiple targets to watch.

Get out and vote

Augusta County has seen plenty of signs over the past two months.
There's four candidates for sheriff.
An old guy and a young guy running for Commonwealth's Attorney.
They have outnumbered the signs for state House and Senate, and the supervisor races.
It's not a heavy ballot, but get out and vote.

You're biased but I'm not

Morning Joe went to town on media bias Monday.
He asked for examples of Republicans in positions of power at the big three networks' news division.
He got one minor person behind the scenes.
You can think of people who vote Democratic, but have no idea if anyone you work with has voted Republican?
You're just swimming in a sea of media bias.

Baby you can drive my car

It's 2015, and we don't have flying cars.
But we might have self-driving cars in a few more years.
What changes will there be?
"The impact on private car ownership is enormous: a UC-Berkeley study showed that vehicle ownership among car sharing users was cut in half. The car purchasers of the future will not be you and me – cars will be purchased and operated by ride sharing and car sharing companies.”

Making the VA great again

Donald Trump brought his campaign to Norfolk Saturday, with the VA a major part of his lengthy speech.
The man whose best-known line is "You're fired!" didn't disappoint those who came to hear him say it. That's exactly what he'd tell VA administrators who dragged their feet, he promised.
Eric Shinseki, the former secretary of Veterans Affairs, resigned in 2014 after a scandal in which employees conspired to cover up the length of time veterans waited for health care.
Many in the audience held signs proclaiming, "The silent majority stands with Trump."

Why we need to cut taxes and spending, too

China had a one-child policy.
It ended last week.
The Boston Globe gives space to someone arguing the policy was a good thing - resources being limited and such.
I wonder if this person extends this thought to the federal government and its spending?
Even if having only one child does no great harm directly to parents, many will object that it would severely harm us as a society. Some may argue that a declining population will cause the economy to collapse. (China’s change stems in part from its concern over how to maintain an aging population with a diminishing workforce.)
China tried a policy and, looking at the numbers, sees trouble ahead.
The Tea Party sees trouble ahead with our spending. Will people who consider limiting childbearing limit their desire for federal money?

It's November, Jeb

Back when Donald Trump moved to the early lead in Republican polling, it was summer.
Months to go before Iowa.
The voters would get serious, look at the issues and trend toward thoughtful candidates.
Like Jeb Bush.
It's now three months since the first debate in early August.
Trump still stands tall.
Jeb's summer troubles still remain - having money and establishment backing doesn't appear to be what this year's electorate wants.
Touting your money and backing reminds those voters why they turned away from you.
Touting your experience working to get things done doesn't attract those who don't trust the other side - led by Hillary Clinton - to work together without a fight.
Those wanting change don't expect that from the candidate who depends on those running the show.
If Trump and Carson aren't going to implode, what's Jeb's path to the top?