LIVE AT FIVE: 04.22.14

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Administration Ordered To Release Secret Drone Assassination Memos

The late Anwar al-Awlaki

Appeals Court panel holds DOJ can’t withhold memos after making statements about the drone program

State Department Cites Photo Evidence Showing Russian Spetsnaz Troops In Ukraine
Biden Arrives In Ukraine To Show US Support

Administration May Cut US Troops In Afghanistan Below 10,000
Gen. Dunford says less than 10,000 would have trouble defending themselves, supporting Afghans; Defense looking at options that could leave as few as 5,000 troops there after the end of 2014



POLITICS
AG Holder To Advise President To Widen Clemency Guidelines

The Attorney General speaks in NYC on April Fools’ Day

Could result in release of thousands of nonviolent drug offenders from prison


Maryland Gov. Candidate Suggests Iraq War Vet Opponent Not Up For “Real Job”


Clinton White House Lawyer Named Top Counsel To Obama

Report: White House, HHS Involved In Soliciting Money For Pro-Obamacare Group

Philly Prep School Grads Arrested, Accused Of Running Massive Drug Ring In Tony Suburbs

Spy Agencies Told To Plug Media Leaks



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Ukraine Crisis Weighs On Oil: NYMEX $104.27, Brent $109.84
Botox Maker Allergan Targeted For Hostile Takeover
Netflix To Raise Prices After Adding Customers, Profits
All Quiet On Asian Front As Ukraine Fears Bring Caution
Wall Street Advances; S&P, NASDAQ Book Fifth Straight Gain
Supremes Skeptical In Pomegranate Juice Dispute
Nokia-Microsoft Deal To Close Friday
Comcast Blasts Netflix For Opposition To TWC Merger
Explore The Bridge Of “Star Trek: Voyager” With Oculus Rift
AT&T To Expand Ultra-Fast Fiber Network To 21 More Metropolitan Areas
Happy 25th Birthday, Game Boy!



SPORTS
American Meb Keflezighi Wins 2014 Boston Marathon

Holds off Kenya’s Wilson Chebet

First American to win the Boston Marathon since Greg Meyer in 1983

Grizzlies Muscle Past Thunder In OT To Even Series

Blackhawks Blank Blues 2-0 In Game Three

Knicks Fire Entire Coaching Staff

Pens Rally, Edge Blue Jackets 4-3, Now Up 2-1

Kipnis’ Blast Lifts Indians Past Royals

Angels Get The Best Of Clippard In The 8th, Beat Nationals 4-2



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
In Alleged “Vodka-Fueled” Interview, Lindsay Lohan Admits Dating A Married Dad

Doing X at Coachella?

KODE magazine scraps e-mailed Q&A in favor of interview with “trusted source”

Julia Roberts On Her Family And Fame

Richard Gere & Padma Lakshmi Secretly Dating?

Terry Richardson Rep Denies He Propositioned Emma Appleton In Exchange For Vogue Shoot

Lea Michele Has Wardrobe Malfunction During Video Shoot

Tom Hanks Teams With Steven Spielberg On Cold War Thriller

Family & Friends Say Goodbye To Peaches Geldof

Kenya Moore Speaks Out About “Real Housewives” Brawl With Porsha Williams

“Game Of Thrones” Director Talks About Controversial Scene

Jay-Z: Alleged Extortion Plot Over $20 Million Master Recordings



FOREIGNERS
South Korean Ferry Body Count Reaches 104
Outcry As Syria Sets Presidential Election Date
Nepal Government To Set Up Relief Fund For Sherpas
US: No Plans For Kerry To Return For Last-Minute Bid To Save Moribund Middle East Peace Talks
Hundreds Killed In Latest South Sudan Violence
Nork Nuke Site Shows Increased Activity
147 Japanese Politicians Pay Private Visit To Yasukuni Shrine Before Obama’s Arrival; ROK, PRC Predictably Butthurt
Public Figures Claim PM Cameron Risks “Alienation” After Saying UK Is Christian Nation
Kachin Rebels Call For US Role In Burma Peace Talks
Queen Elizabeth Turns 88
Long may she reign.



BLOGS & STUFF
First Street Journal: The Simple Virtue Of Common Sense
Blackmailers Don’t Shoot: Sharpton Says That Jesus Fellow Was A Lot Like Obama
Michelle Malkin: Dear Mike Pence – Don’t Pull A Huckabee On Common Core
Doug Powers: For Those Longing For The Days Of Solyndra, DOE Ready To Spend $4 Billion To Do It Again
Twitchy: Amanda Marcotte Claims High School Senior Harassed Miss America By Inviting Her To Prom
American Power: Anti-Semitism And Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions
American Thinker: But Seriously, Just How Slow-Witted Is John Boehner?
Conservatives4Palin: John Hinderaker – Why You Should Be Sympathetic Toward Cliven Bundy
Don Surber: Daily Scoreboard, April 21
Jammie Wearing Fools: The Better Homes And Gardens Of Populist Democrats, Part One
Joe For America: RINOs Caught Raising Funds From Democrat Machine Again
Pat Dollard: #WarOnWomen – 10,000 Rape Kits Go Untested For Years In Democrat Rat Hole Detroit
Protein Wisdom: FascistBook – Facebook Shuts Down “Everytown For Gun Safety” Page
Shot In The Dark: The Barricades Fall – A Little
STUMP: Public Pensions Watch – Illinois Reform Pushing Out Senior Professors
The Jawa Report: Successful American Author Whines About Lack Of Liberty
The Lonely Conservative: Chicago Doctoring The Crime Rate To Mask Democrat Party Failures
This Ain’t Hell: LT Sage Santangelo – Still Whiny
Megan McArdle: Are Obamacare’s Latest Numbers Good Or Bad?


New Gay Sex Abuse Allegations in Hollywood Pedophile Scandal

As promised, Michael Egan is naming more names:

Hollywood executives Garth Ancier, David Neuman and Gary Goddard have been accused of sexually abusing teenage boys in lawsuits filed Monday in Hawaii federal court.
“I would not wish on my worst enemies what I went through,” declared plaintiff Michael Egan at a Monday news conference at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills.
Ancier is the former president of BBC Worldwide America and also served as head of programming for Fox, NBC and the WB. He’s also the head of year-old Quad Media Partners, formed to launch four fully curated linear TV networks, “each built around a modern decade in broadcast and cable network television.”
Neuman, the former president of Disney TV, previously worked for Digital Entertainment Network, which was headed by Marc Collins-Rector, who was cited as being involved in the sexual activity at the heart of Egan’s original lawsuit against director Bryan Singer.
Goddard heads a design firm in Los Angeles that has created theme park attractions for Universal Studios. He also heads The Goddard Group, which has produced live shows on and off Broadway. . . .
“It’s not about money, it’s about disarming these powerful pedophiles,” the alleged victim’s mother, Bonnie Mound, told reporters through tears. . . .
Herman said that he has heard from “dozens” of other victims since he filed the Singer last week, adding, “I’m going to continue to file cases to expose these predators.” . . .
Herman said Monday that Collins-Rector was the “ringleader” in initiating the sexual abuse of Egan at a house in Encino, known for “notorious parties” where underage male teenagers would be intoxicated and sexually assaulted.

PREVIOUSLY:

 

David Gregory: He’s So Crazy, He Thinks We’re Still Watching ‘Meet the Press’

The Washington Post reports that NBC hired a “psychological consultant” to interview David Gregory as part of a desperate effort to find out why ratings for Meet the Press have fallen to their lowest point ever — as in, since 1947.

The accuracy of the Post‘s reporting has been called into question, However, no one has any doubt that the problem at Meet the Press can be summarized in two words: David Gregory.

You don’t need a “consultant” (truly America’s most elastic job title) to unearth the problem here. Gregory is a smug, self-satisfied narcissist; the kind of person who’s more interested in hearing himself ask the question than bothering to listen to the answer. He’s Piers Morgan without the patina of credibility that comes with a British accent. Is that really someone you want in your home for Sunday breakfast?

Ed Driscoll has much, much more.

 

Category: NBC

Holy Guacamole, A Decent Sequel!

— by Wombat-socho


I did manage to sneak in some reading before getting buried under the deluge of work that is the Death March to April 15, and they’re very different kinds of books. Leaving aside all the various subgenres of science fiction, it strikes me that there are two basic attitudes expressed in SF: the view advocated by John W. Campbell Jr., who echoed Protagoras’ claim that “Man is the measure of all things”. In this view, humanity can and will overcome whatever a hostile universe throws at it, or die trying, because we’re clever monkey boys and girls who always come up with new tricks with which to befuddle the old dogs of Galactic civilization, if there is one. The other view stems from the horror of H.P. Lovecraft, which was rooted in the opinion that the universe is just too big for us to get our heads around, much less dominate, and there’s stuff out there that could wipe us all out if it could be bothered to notice that we even exist. Christopher Nuttall’s The Nelson Touch, sequel to his rather decent Ark Royal, is firmly in the first camp. Once again, the seemingly obsolete armored carrier goes to war against Earth’s alien enemies, leading a multinational force of newer ships along with transports full of Marines to land on an alien colony world. Admiral Ted Smith gets kicked upstairs to fleet command and the headaches of making his little fleet work together, while his former flag captain Fitzwilliam takes command of the Ark Royal. Lots of action, some VERY interesting subplots, and lots of loose plot threads that seem to promise a sequel. Recommended.


And on the other hand, you have Dennis Detwiller’s Delta Green novel Denied to the Enemy, a grim tale of Nazi experiments with the occult, contacts with Things That Should Not Be, and worse, all set against the backdrop of World War II. If you’re unfamiliar with the Delta Green RPG rules, which began as an offshoot of the Call of Cthulhu system, you should probably read this for a little background; to describe it as The X-Files“> meets the Cthulhu Mythos is more than a little misleading. Suffice it to say that the world of Delta Green is a dark and lonely place which makes Charles’ Stross Laundry novels read like Winnie the Pooh in their cheerful optimism. Detwiller has also written a second Delta Green novel, Through a Glass, Darkly, which is somewhat less depressing but no less dark and bloody than its World War II predecessor. If you like your horror in smaller doses, the anthologies Alien Intelligence and Dark Theatres may be more to your liking. I recommend all of these to those folks who are interested in the Mythos, the Laundry novels, or the X-Files; well worth your time.


In other news, for those of you still interested in the Hugo Awards, Larry Correia announces that a blow has been struck against Puppy Related Sadness.


Shop Kindle Books Monthly Deal

Teenage Tranny’s Incarceration ‘Unconstitutional,’ Lawyer Argues

Victim or victimizer? That’s the essential question facing Connecticut authorities in the case of “Jane Doe,” the 16-year-old transsexual whose violent behavior resulted in her being transferred to an adult prison.

The teen tranny’s lawyer is appealing in federal court against what he calls his client’s “unconstitutional transfer”:

She has been in DCF custody since age 5. A legal complaint filed in federal court by attorney Aaron J. Romano and the girl’s affidavit describe a series of hellishly violent homes in which she has lived off-and-on since that age.
“I was placed in DCF custody because my father was incarcerated and my mother was using heroin, crack, alcohol and possibly other drugs,” the girl wrote.
“While in DCF custody, I have suffered immensely,” she added. “I feel that DCF has failed to protect me from harm and I am now thrown into prison because they have refused to help me.”
The federal court complaint was filed against DCF and its commissioner, Joette Katz, as well as against the state Department of Correction and its commissioner, James Dzurenda.
Romano charged: “While under the supervision and care of DCF, from ages eight through 16, Jane Doe was repeatedly drugged, beaten, raped, homeless and was being commercially sexually exploited.”
DCF spokesman Gary Kleeblatt issued a statement noting a Superior Court judge April 8 ordered the girl transferred from DCF and the state’s juvenile justice system to DOC custody and thus to York Correctional Institution in East Lyme, a women’s prison, because of her alleged violent attacks on others. . . .
“The judge who issued the transfer order heard evidence over a six-day period in which there was ample evidence provided by numerous witnesses stating under oath that the youth has a propensity for violence.”
“The youth has an extensive history of violence, including targeting female staff at several programs as well as other girls in the programs,” DCF said.
According to DCF, this included: stabbing a female peer with a fork; four assaults or threats on female staffers as well as an assault on a female peer resident at the Bridgeport Detention Center; and 10 assaults and several attempted assaults on staffers at the Solnit Psychiatric Center.
The most recent violent episode, DCF stated, came at a Massachusetts residential program where the youth assaulted a female staffer, “breaking her jaw and temporarily blinding her in one eye.”
DCF described her as “uniquely dangerous, in that no other youth at the Connecticut Juvenile Training School has exhibited such a long-established pattern of assaults.” . . .
Romano said the youth is “in lockdown” at York’s mental health unit for 22-23 hours daily in order to keep her separated from others. “Her condition is deteriorating. She is receiving no counseling, nothing,” he said, as of last Wednesday. . . .
In her affidavit, the girl described her conditions: “During the day and night, I can hear the adult inmates screaming, banging and crying. I find it difficult to fall asleep.” . . .
The only positive comment in her nine-page affidavit was her saying: “I have been provided with hormone treatments through DCF to further develop physical characteristics, including breasts.”

The Connecticut Department of Children and Families is providing hormone treatments for a teen transsexual at taxpayer expense? And the aforesaid teen transsexual, while under care of DCF, has been “repeatedly drugged, beaten, raped, homeless and . . . commercially sexually exploited”? The same 16-year-old transsexual has also stabbed another teenager with a fork and repeatedly assaulted female staffers at facilities, inflicting serious injury?

It Takes a Village to Raise a Dangerous Psychopath.

 

The Gay Rights Revenge Movement?

Remember when Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich was fired for donating to California’s Prop 8, which prohibited same-sex marriage? Turns out that there were thousands of people who gave as much as or more than Eich gave, and an MSNBC panelist says gay-rights activists are willing to pursue a campaign of scorched-earth retaliation against them:

Here’s a disturbing thing. I did ask some of my gay activist friends, I was like, “Look, here’s a list; 6,500 people gave the same amount that he did or more in California. Should we go down the list and sort of start targeting all these people?” And I asked this facetiously, and people were like, “Let’s do it. Let’s find out where those people live.” It’s all . . . To me, that’s a disturbing level of targeting people.

Read the whole thing at Newsbusters. As I have frequently pointed out lately, a Gallup poll found that only 3.4% of Americans “identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.” All the gay hoopla in media, in schools and in politics involves less than 4% of the population.

The gay tail is wagging the 96% majority dog.

After the reprisals against Prop 8 supporters in 2008, I explained (“Gay Rights, Gay Rage,” The American Spectator, Nov. 17, 2008) how the phenomenon of “rights talk” was causing this bizarre mania. There is no precedent in our Constitution nor in the Anglo-American common law tradition of making gay sex the basis of “rights,” but the fanatical enthusiasm of gay activists — and the dissemination of their propaganda by news media, academia and popular culture — have convinced many people that opposition to this movement can only be explained by hateful prejudice.

When a lie is repeated often enough — especially when those repeating it are esteemed “experts” and popular public figure — anyone who dares to call it a lie is certain to be unpopular. Your right to free speech then becomes your right to remain silent. Unpopular though the truth may be, however, it is still the truth. The truth of this matter is that the legitimate rights of gay people were not being infringed prior to 2003 (when Massachusetts became the first state to recognize same-sex marriage) and the movement that accomplished this revolution is not actually about “rights” anyway.

Glittering generalities — Equality! and Progress! — are invoked to stifle skepticism and thwart logical inquiry as to the motives and methods of the radical movement. You will be denounced as a “hater” if you suggest that all this Equality and Progress are leading to a destination that proverbially awaits at the end of a road paved with good intentions.

 

LIVE AT FIVE: 04.21.14

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Fatal Clash At Ukraine Checkpoint Shreds Easter Sunday Ceasefire

A local resident inspects a burned-out car at the rebel checkpoint allegedly attacked by pro-Kiev irregulars

Attack by Ukraine paramilitary forces, or provocation by Russian security forces?

Dozens Of Suspected Jihadis Killed In Yemen By Drone Strikes
Strikes follow AQAP leader’s pledge to fight

Pope Francis Prays For Peace In Syria, Ukraine During Easter Address
Celebrates Easter Mass with thousands in St. Peter’s Square



POLITICS
Sagebrush Rebellion Revisited: Western States Move To Reclaim Public Lands From Washington

Rancher Cliven Bundy speaks to supporters near Bunkerville, Nev.

Representatives from seven Western states met Friday in Salt Lake City for “Legislative Summit On The Transfer Of Public Lands”


Fauxcahontas Insists She’s Not Running For President


Congressmen Make Bipartisan Call For More Russia Sanctions As Ukraine Violence Continues

Feds Draw Criticism For Selling Wyoming Wild Horses For Slaughter

Obama Punts On Keystone Pipeline Decision Again

Congressman Pete King (R-NY) Unsure About Run For White House

Colorado Drivers Complain About Being Profiled In Other States Following Pot Legalizaion



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Asian Crude Drops But Remains High On Ukraine Crisis: NYMEX $104.08, Brent $109.09
Japan Posted Record $134 Billion Trade Deficit In 2013; Yen Drops
Kraft Recalls 48 Tons Of Hot Dogs
General Mills Scraps Controversial “No Sue” Policy After Outcry
It’s Final – Corn Biofuels Not Helping Economy Or Environment
Unemployment Falls In 21 States, According To Labor Department
Facebook Launches Extremely Creepy “Nearby Friends” Feature
Nike Responds To FuelBand Shutdown Rumors
Changing Passwords Not Enough To Protect Yourself From Heartbleed
Apple, Google Vie To Offer Exclusive Game Apps
PS4 Gets Octodad: Dadliest Catch April 24



SPORTS
Sharks Take Two-Game Lead, Rout Kings 7-2

Kings goalie Quick takes a brief rest during the second period

Fourth-liners Brown and Torres spark San Jose’s comeback win in the second period

Wizards Top Bulls In Game 1 102-93

Pivotal Game 3 Awaits As Pens, Blue Jackets Tied At One

Heat Shake Off Slow Start, Clip Bobcats

Bruins Beat Red Wings 4-1 To Even Series

Trail Blazers Upset Rockets 122-120

Span’s Sac Fly Completes Nats’ Comeback Win Against Cards



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Gwen Stefani Joins “The Voice”

Joining the judges

Replaces the pregnant Christina Aguilera

Tila Tequla Preggers

Teresa Giudice Forced To Sell Mansion As Bank Account Runs Dry Following Fraud Charges

Lindsay Lohan Reveals Miscarriage

Broke And Faking It For The Cameras: Kenya Moore Under Fire

Adele Plans Comeback At London’s Albert Hall

Katie Holmes Celebrates Suri’s Eighth With Cupcake Greeting

Enrique Iglesias Has Yet To Introduce His GF Anna Kournikova To Dad Julio

White House Responds To Justin Bieber Deportation Petition

Laura Prepon Returns Full-Time To “Orange Is The New Black” Season Three

Justin Bartha, Wife Lia Smith Welcome Baby Girl



FOREIGNERS
ROK President Park Says Ferry Captain’s Actions “Akin To Murder”
Pakistan Bus Crash Kills 42
Abdulluh Abdullah Extends Lead In Afghan Presidential Election; Runoff Still Likely
Hollande Accuses Assad Regime Of Continued Chemical Weapons Use
Japan’s PM Abe Sends Offering To Yasukuni Shrine; Predictable Butthurt Results
After Everest Disaster, Sherpas Contemplate Strike
Singh Stands By Remarks As BJP Seethes
Jihadis Kill Eleven Algerian Soldiers In Ambush



BLOGS & STUFF
American Power: Mary Jo Kopechne Was Unavailable For Comment
American Thinker: Death, Taxes, And Anti-Semitism
Blackfive: Want Some Signed Books?
Blackmailers Don’t Shoot: Logic And Reason Are Symbols Of White Privilege
Conservatives4Palin: Governor Palin – Happy Easter!
Don Surber: Happy Easter
Jammie Wearing Fools: “Ridiculous” – Administration Punts On Keystone, Obama Faces Dem Revolt
Joe For America: Atheists Offended By Something They Don’t Believe Exists. What Next, Unicorns?
JustOneMinute: Just Don’t Call It Cold War Thinking
Pat Dollard: Dinesh D’Souza – Bundy Ranchers Are Facing The Real Domestic Terrorists From Their Own Government
Protein Wisdom: Al Sharpton And The Meaning Of Easter
Shot In The Dark: She’ll Never Do Lunch In Berkeley Again
STUMP: Lies, Damned Lies, And Government Numbers
The Jawa Report: Canadian Imam – A Beating Isn’t Violence If It Isn’t Agonizing
The Lonely Conservative: Former Obama Medicare Chief Says Single Payer Comes Next
This Ain’t Hell: Vet Cheats Vets
Megan McArdle: Can You Save Non-Savers From Themselves?