Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Jackie Johnson's Cooling Trend Forecast

Ms. Jackie's back!

I was missing this wonderful lady!


LATEST: At Least 28 Dead in Istanbul Jihad Attack (VIDEO)

Yep.

The number of fatalities has more than doubled since the initial reports on the attack.

Previously, "At Least 10 Dead in Istanbul Airport Homicide Bomber Attack (VIDEO)."

And now at WSJ, "Attack at Istanbul Airport Kills at Least 28":

ISTANBUL — Turkey’s busiest airport was rocked by a terrorist attack late Tuesday that killed at least 28 people and injured scores on the eve of a major holiday, the fourth major attack in Istanbul this year.

At least two blasts rocked the international terminal of Istanbul Ataturk Airport at about 10 p.m. local time, according to a Turkish official. Police fired on two suicide bombers who blew up themselves at the entrance to terminal, the official said.

Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said an attacker had sprayed the area with a Kalashnikov and then detonated explosives.

Sixty other people were wounded in the attack, with six in critical condition, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.

Ambulances and police rushed to the area. Telecasts from the area showed bodies splayed on the floor outside the arrivals area and travellers rushing out of the airport. Police cordoned off the area and started evacuating passengers.


Flights to and from Istanbul were halted after the attack. British British Airways rerouted an Istanbul-bound plane back to London and Lufthansa cancelled at least one flight.

Turkish television channels reported at least three explosions at multiple areas, but there was no immediate confirmation from officials.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim called Interior Minister Efkan Ala and established a crisis desk.

Turkey’s largest airport has a strict security regime, unlike the other airports that have suffered bombings in the recent past.

Passengers are required to send all luggage and personal items through security screenings at the entrance to the departure zone, long before reaching check-in areas, which are separated by glass partitions and walls. The Islamic State-affiliated bombers who attacked the Brussels airport this year faced no such security screenings, and security officials believe that contributed to the high number of casualties there.

No group had claimed responsibility immediately after Tuesday’s attack...
More.

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More, from Sebastian Gorka, Defeating Jihad: The Winnable War.

Joby Warrick, Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS.

Also, Fawaz Gerges, ISIS: A History.

Patrick Cockburn, The Rise of Islamic State: ISIS and the New Sunni Revolution.

BONUS: Stephen Brooks and William Wohlforth, America Abroad: The United States' Global Role in the 21st Century.

Lauren Southern in France's 'Calais Jungle' (VIDEO)

Via the Rebel Media, "Lauren Southern: Searching for 'Syrian refugees' in France’s 'Calais Jungle'."


Melissa Satta Black Bikini Hotness in Italy

At Egotastic!, "Boston born Italian hottie Melissa Satta of the amazing booty finally married her professional soccer player boyfriend because soccer players simpl[y] get the hottest women."

For sure.

Sports Illustrated had her doing body paint a couple of years ago, "SI Swimsuit World Cup Body Painting: Melissa Satta Wearing Nothing But PAINT!"

PREVIOUSLY: "Hot Wives and Girlfriends of Euro Cup Soccer Players."

At Least 10 Dead in Istanbul Airport Homicide Bomber Attack (VIDEO)

This is breaking news.

If it's as bad as it looks, the number of fatalities is going to go way up.





Expect updates.

Alien Sharks: Close Encounters (VIDEO)

It's Shark Week at Discovery Channel.

My wife popped it on to get away from all the blathering talking heads on CNN after the Trump trade speech, lol.

Honestly, though, this is a fantastic series.

Watch:



I'll post more videos as we go along. Absolutely freakin' amazing.

UKIP's Nigel Farage to the EU: 'You're Not Laughing Now, Are You?' (VIDEO)

At the Federalist, "Watch Brexit Architect Nigel Farage Curb-Stomp the Entire EU Parliament."

And at NPR, "WATCH: Brexiteer Nigel Farage to EU: 'You're Not Laughing Now, Are You?'":

Nigel Farage, a member of the European Parliament and the leader of the U.K. Independence Party, spoke on the floor of the European Parliament on Tuesday morning.

It was a special session of the Parliament, called in the wake of the U.K.'s decision to leave the European Union. Farage — whose eurosceptic right-wing party was firmly in favor of the Brexit, and who personally campaigned quite passionately for it — was grinning.

And on a day marked with fiery speeches, his stood out...
Keep reading.

The leftist press highlight's drunkard Junker's rude rebuke to Farage, at the Guardian, for example, "'Why are you still here?' asks EU's Juncker amid barrage of Nigel Farage."

Remember, the left's entire utopian consciousness has been flushed down the drain.

Not Everything Should Be Decided by the People

Here's the post at Althouse, "Some things just shouldn't be decided by the people?"

She links Instapundit, "THEY LOVE DEMOCRACY UNTIL IT TURNS OUT THE WRONG WAY: WaPo: Brexit is a reminder that some things just shouldn’t be decided by the people."

We used to hear this argument all the time in California once Prop. 8 passed. Remember, "human rights shouldn't be up for a vote by the people."

Now, though, with Black Lives Matter, and all that, it's, "This is what democracy looks like!" You know, shutting down people and opinions with whom you disagree.


Corbyn Supporters Blame Labour Coup on Zionist Plot

Well, what else these days?

Following-up, "Jeremy Corbyn Refuses to Resign After Losing Nob-Confidence Vote (VIDEO)," and "Angela Eagle to Challenge Jeremy Corbyn (VIDEO)."

At Heat Street:
Jeremy Corbyn is fighting for his political life today as more than 20 of his top team have lined up to knife him.

Disgruntled frontbench MPs cited his lack of leadership and inability to stop Brexit as reasons for their revolt – but die-hard Corbyn fans say they know better.

Hundreds of supporters who have the leader’s back claim the real reason for the revolt is a fruition of a Zionist conspiracy.

Truthers posted their thoughts publicly on social media, while MPs including rising star Jess Phillips say they are receiving far more accusations in private.


Angela Eagle to Challenge Jeremy Corbyn (VIDEO)

Following-up, "Jeremy Corbyn Refuses to Resign After Losing Nob-Confidence Vote (VIDEO)."

 Check the Guardian U.K., "Brexit live: Angela Eagle touted as unity candidate in Labour leadership crisis."


Jeremy Corbyn Refuses to Resign After Losing Nob-Confidence Vote (VIDEO)

At Telegraph UK, "Labour crisis: Jeremy Corbyn refuses to resign after losing confidence of 172 MPs as Angela Eagle eyes up leadership challenge":

Jeremy Corbyn has lost a vote of no confidence in his leadership (172 votes to 40) but is expected to battle on to force a contest in which Angela Eagle or Tom Watson is likely to be the rival candidate.

David Cameron is in Brussels for discussions with European leaders about Britain's exit from the EU. He has told journalists that "we must not turn our backs on Europe".

An earlier session of the European Parliament saw Ukip leader Nigel Farage booed and jeered by fellow MEPs...
More.

Hot Wives and Girlfriends of Euro Cup Soccer Players

Heh.

At WWTDD, "Soccer Players Get the Best Tail":

Soccer WAGS photo hot_wives_and_girlfriends_of_euro_cup_soccer_players_02-186d2c36_web_zpsomm2zanm.jpg
There used to be some debate as to which professional athletes got the hottest tail. That debate ended when everybody admitted that soccer might be boring as shit, but playing professionally essentially guarantees you a slender brunette with big tits wearing screaming your name from the wives and girlfriend section of the stands.

You'd expect top scores of some South American country to have Victoria's Secret model shtupping...

#Brexit: Life-Orienting Belief System of Progressivism Shattered on the Rocks

Heh.

From Damon Linker, at the Week, "How Brexit shattered progressives' dearest illusions" (via Instapundit):
It's perfectly reasonable to worry about what will happen after Britain's historic vote to break up with the European Union. Will Brexit provoke Scotland and Northern Ireland to secede from the United Kingdom, leading to its dissolution? Will it embolden other members of the EU to bolt? And will those secessionist movements empower unsavory characters who end up being seduced by Vladimir Putin and modeling themselves on his form of authoritarian populism? Will the dire short-term economic consequences of Brexit create chaos and recession in the long term, too?

As I said, lots of reasons to worry.

But what we've seen from a wide range of writers and analysts in the days since the Brexit vote is not necessarily worry. It is shock. Fury. Disgust. Despair. A faith has been shaken, illusions shattered, pieties punctured. This is what happens when a life-orienting system of belief gets smashed on the rocks of history.

The name of that shattered system of belief? Progressivism...
Still more.

And ICYMI, "U.K.'s Guardian After #Brexit — A Roundup."

Monday, June 27, 2016

Currency Woes Rack Central Banks

At WSJ, "Strengthening Currencies Bedevil Central Banks":
Britain’s vote to leave the European Union has set off a fresh round of currency pressures in the world’s largest economies, further complicating efforts by central banks to spur growth.

The pound hit a three-decade low on Monday, and both Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings cut their ratings on the U.K., saying that last week’s vote raises risks to the country’s economy.

Meanwhile, the Japanese yen, Swiss franc and U.S. dollar posted further gains, as market turmoil resumed after the weekend and sent investors in search of havens. Government bonds also benefited from the flight from risk, with the yield on the 10-year British bond falling below 1% for the first time, as the rout in U.S. and European stocks deepened.

The currency moves, in particular, pose risks for businesses and in turn for economies that have posted lackluster performance.

The resurgent yen and franc are putting renewed pressure on companies in Japan and Switzerland. Meanwhile, U.S. companies that had benefited from a weakening dollar this year face a bout of currency-related stress as the second-quarter earnings season looms.

Stronger currencies tend to make a country’s exporters less competitive as the effective price of their goods goes up. They also tamp down inflation as import prices fall, frustrating outcomes for central banks in Japan, Europe and the U.S. that are trying to calibrate policies to boost growth and inflation. The moves could tempt central banks to intervene or modify policies to limit the upward pressure.

“Policy makers are unlikely to sit idly by while their strengthening currency derails any economic progress that they’ve made,” said Omer Esiner, chief market analyst at international-payments firm Commonwealth Foreign Exchange. “Central banks would be justified in stepping in.”

The problem is currencies can’t all weaken at once. The Swiss have been trying to push the franc down against the euro. The European Central Bank has nodded to the benefits of a weaker currency as it lowers interest rates into negative territory and expands its bond-buying programs. Japan has tried to weaken the yen against the dollar. And Federal Reserve officials have cited the stronger dollar as an impediment to growth.

All are showing little success, and investors have raised concerns that central-bank tools for influencing currency values are losing their effectiveness...
Still more.

Deal of the Day: Up to 62% Off PetSafe Fountains and Feeders

At Amazon, Save on PetSafe Fountains and Feeders.

And, Save on Game of Thrones: Season 1 & 2 (here and here). High demand on those, no doubt.

But more here, Game of Thrones (Complete Seasons 1-5) - 23-Disc Box Set (Game of Thrones - Seasons One to Five).

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BONUS: Andrew Hartman, A War for the Soul of America: A History of the Culture Wars.

Nina Agdal in Bikini at Coney Island

Via Egotastic!, "Nina Agdal Revealing Bikini In Coney Island."

Hat Tip: WWTDD.

FLASHBACK: "Nina Agdal: American Power's Woman of the Year for 2015."

BONUS: At Pirate's, "If All You See……is an evil rising sea because Other People drove fossil fueled vehicles, you might just be a Warmist." (That's some Lucy Pinder hotness, heh.)

The World Crisis of Illiberalism

From Sohrab Ahmari, at Commentary, "Illiberalism: The Worldwide Crisis":
According to the bland conventional wisdom, Americans frustrated by the failure of the establishment to address issues like immigration and economic inequality have turned to an unlikely pair of political outsiders, a New York developer-turned-reality-TV-star and a Vermont socialist, to set things right. This account is true as far as it goes, but it is also hopelessly parochial and inadequate to the scope of the changes afoot. Trumpism (and Bernie Sanders-ism) are but the American symptoms of a global phenomenon: the astonishing rise of illiberal movements of the far right and far left.

As an ideology and as a governing philosophy, liberalism is fast losing ground. “Liberalism” here is understood not as the American shorthand for those who vote Democratic in the United States, but as the philosophy of individual rights and (relatively) free markets that in theory is shared by the U.S. Republican Party and Scandinavian social democrats alike. As it fades, populism and identitarian politics of all kinds are gaining adherents nearly everywhere. Today’s illiberals are less likely to be organized around systematic philosophies like Fascism and Communism than was the case in the years between the two world wars—the last time liberalism appeared this vulnerable. In our time, illiberal forces are disparate, instinctual, inchoate, more likely to be local in focus, and internally divided. Often various illiberalisms are locked in combat against one another.

Nevertheless there are common patterns that range vastly different geographies and political contexts, suggesting that this illiberal ascendance will be a defining feature of the 21st century. Welcome to Planet Trump...
Keep reading (via Instapundit).

And ICYMI: "'No Free Speech for Fascists!' — Leftist Extremists Launched Violent Attack at Sacramento Rally (VIDEO)."

The #Brexit Moment of Truth (VIDEO)

This is a phenomenal commentary, from Pat Condell.

It came out a couple of weeks ago, and thank goodness Britons chose to leave that poxed Euro-dictatorship for good.

Watch, "The Moment of Truth: "Do we want to live in a sovereign democracy or a federal dictatorship?"

John Gillingham: The EU

This is timely.

At Amazon, The EU: An Obituary.

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