The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Pressure Cooker: In Hunt for Bombing Suspects, Speculation Runs Rampant

Posted on | April 17, 2013 | 24 Comments

This morning’s headline at ViralRead:

Photos Show Pressure-Cooker Bomb Remnants;
FBI Hunts Suspects in Boston Marathon Bombing

Trying to focus on the crucial facts of the story can be difficult, when cable TV news is full of time-filling chatter about things that aren’t actually news, alternating with the dramatic reiteration of banal facts that everybody with Internet access knew about 12 or 18 hours ago. Three people killed. Legs blown off. Seventeen people hospitalized in critical condition. “A city mourns.” All of this chatter from talking heads, while the familiar video footage rolls on split-screen.

Damn, I hate TV news.

Meanwhile, the New York Times does some good reporting:

The scale of the attack and the crude nature of the explosives, coupled with the lack of anyone claiming to have been the perpetrator, suggested to experts that the attacker could be an individual or a small group rather than an established terrorist organization. …
Nonetheless, a senior law enforcement official said that authorities were also looking into connections between pressure cookers and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the Qaeda franchise in Yemen, largely because the design of the explosive device was described in a 2010 issue of the group’s online English magazine, Inspire.
“The pressurized cooker is the most effective method,” the article said. “Glue the shrapnel to the inside of the pressurized cooker.” The article was titled “Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom.” ….
Rudimentary explosive devices made from pressure cookers have been widely used in attacks in Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Pakistan, all countries where the cooking device is common, according to a Department of Homeland Security warning notice issued in 2010.
But they have occasionally turned up in attacks in the United States as well:Faisal Shahzad, an American citizen who attempted a car-bomb attack on Times Square in May 2010, had a pressure cooker loaded with 120 firecrackers among the improvised explosives in his S.U.V. The devices smoked but never exploded.

Watching TV last night — no need to identify the particular cable-news host, since they’re all equally idiotic nowadays — I heard the question asked, What does the type of bomb tell us about why someone did this?

The honest answer would have been, “Absolutely nothing,” but the guest “expert” said something a bit more clever than that, because saying clever things — rather than honest things — is what TV news is about.

Look: I understand the desire to know the motive behind this atrocity, but until we know who did it, we can’t possibly know why they did it and, in remarking the media’s premature obsession with “why,” Da Tech Guy is compelled to quote Monty Python dialogue.

That’s how blatant the media’s absurdity has become: We cannot understand it except in terms of its joke value.

Complaining about media, however, is not news, so I don’t have much time for it today, except to briefly note the exemplary douchebaggery of Salon’s David Sirota, the guy who says it is crucially important that a “white American” be apprehended for this terrorist deed.

Is there any depth of indecency
that the Left will not plumb?

Yeah, that sums it up pretty good, although it must be admitted that some conservatives were a bit too quick to jump on the reports that a Saudi student was a suspect. Of course, those reports were  based on actual facts — cops grabbed this guy running from the scene of the bombings and served a search warrant at his apartment — rather than mere political convenience, but I kept emphasizing the obvious truth that we don’t know jack shit yet.

There is a regrettable tendency to play Internet Detective in situations like this, to imagine that bloggers can solve the mystery by clicking around the Web, even while there is an entire Joint Terrorism Task Force — experienced professionals with direct access to evidence — working night and day to find the perpetrators of this horrible act.

Who did it? What do we know? Both Ed Driscoll and Allahpundit have examined the mystification of “experts,” one of whom, Mark Pitcavage, is a ridiculous academic douchebag who got a million-dollar federal grant from Janet Reno’s DOJ back in the 1990s to train law enforcement about the dangers of domestic right-wing militias, thus wasting money to completely distract cops from the kind of terrorists who perpetrated the 9/11 attacks — but NEVER FUCKING MIND THAT, OK?

Angry? Never mind. My anger is irrelevant at this point, and both Pitcavage and his fellow “hate” expert Mark Potok seem to be correct in saying that there’s something screwy about this bombing attack on the Boston Marathon. It seems too puny and crude to be an Al-Qaeda attack, nor does the targeting of this event seem to fit the profile of the typical domestic “anti-government” terrorist.

So, unusual crime . . . unusual motive? Unusual perpetrator?

That’s just speculation, of course, but it’s a scenario we can’t rule out: This evil act might be the work someone whose motives don’t fit neatly within the political categories we think of when we think of terrorism. Maybe it’s somebody like “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski, a deranged sociopath crazy enough to want to blow people up, but cunning enough to get away with it for years.

And now . . . back to the news.

 

 

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Category: Terrorism

LIVE AT FIVENINE: 04.17.13

Posted on | April 17, 2013 | 6 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Britain Bids Farewell To The Iron Lady

Margaret Thatcher's casket goes to Westminster Cathedral

Margaret Thatcher’s casket goes to Westminster Cathedral

Thousands line streets to watch her hearse pass; some protest silently


Envelope With Ricin Sent To Senator Wicker
Poisoned letter sent to Mississippi Republican


Boston Marathon Bombing Puzzle Being Pieced Together
Authorities certain “how”, but not “who” or “why” yet



POLITICS
Memorial Gathering Held At Boston Common

Runner holds candle and flower at vigil

Runner holds candle and flower at vigil

“No agenda, no speakers, and no nonsense”


Appeals Court To Hear Challenge To California’s Gay Therapy Ban, Execution Method


Mark Sanford’s Ex Accuses Him Of Trespassing

Weiner Not In, But Coming On Hard In NYT Poll

Groups File Suit To Overturn Arkansas Abortion Law

Advocates Whine About Immigration Bill’s “Too Stringent” Path To Citizenship

Senate Passes Thatcher Resolution

U.S. Footing Larger Bill For Overseas Bases Despite Cuts To Military



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Crude Oil Rebounds After Falling To Nine-Month Low: NTMEX $88.88, Brent $100.30
Stock Futures Fall On Commodities, Earnings
European Stocks Decline For Fourth Day; BHP, Tesco Slide
Bank Of America Quarterly Profit Quadruples As Revenues Fall
Icahn Agrees To Limit Dell Stake As LBO Alternatives Pursued
J&J Tops Estimates As Prescription, OTC Drugs Shine
Cleveland Browns’ Owner Haslam’s Truck Stop Business Probed By FBI
Microsoft Signs Android Patent Deal With Foxconn
Leap Motion Strikes Bundling, Embedding Deal With HP
WhatsApp Grows Bigger Than Twitter
Toyota Hybrid Sales Pass 5 Million
Taiwan’s FTC Investigates Samsung’s Marketing Tactics
EA Drops Three Facebook Game Titles
Verizon Reportedly Wants To Buy Clearwire Spectrum



SPORTS
Former Kicker, Broadcaster Pat Summerall Dies

Summerall and Bradshaw arrived on Fox in 1994

Summerall and Bradshaw arrived on Fox in 1994

Felled by heart attack while in hospital for broken hip

Rockies Sweep Doubleheader From Mets In Snow, Extra Innings


Clippers Win Sixth Straight Against Blazers

Wild Break Slump With 5-3 Win Over Oilers

Astros Fall Short In 4-3 Loss To A’s

Raptors Rip Lazy Hawks 113-96

Capitals Win 8th Straight, Trounce Leafs

Haren Searching For Answers After 8-2 Loss To Marlins



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Robert Downey Jr. – Not Wanted For Iconic “Iron Man” Role

"Under no circumstances are we prepared to hire him for any price."

“Under no circumstances are we prepared to hire him for any price.”

The GQ profile
Related: Retiring from “Iron Man”?

Billy Ray Cyrus Not Sure About Miley’s Wedding

Bradley Cooper Sounds Off: The Details Interview

Jodie Sweetin Shares Photos And Details From Her Secret Wedding

Malin Akerman Welcomes Son Sebastian

Michael Rooker Joins “Guardians Of The Galaxy”

“Fast And Furious 7” Gets July 11 Release Date


Emily Blunt Is InStyle’s May Cover Girl

Faith Hill Leaves “Sunday Night Football”

Miranda Kerr Confirms She’s No Longer A Victoria’s Secret Angel

Beyonce’s Raciest Outfit Yet!

Jamie Foxx Pictured As “Amazing Spider Man” Villain For First Time



FOREIGNERS
Rockets Fired Across Egyptian Border At Israeli Resort City
Bangalore Bomb Blast Injures 16; BJP Slams UPA Government
U.S. Troops To Leave Morocco After War Games Canceled
Kenya Court Seeks Criminal Probe Into Voting Machine Purchases
Temporary Truce In Aleppo
Taiwan Holds First Live-Fire Military Drill Since 2008
Mexican Judge Acquits Former Drug Czar Accused Of Ties To Cartel



BLOGS & STUFF
Ninety Miles From Tyranny: The Coming Ammunition Price Crash
American Power: The LA Times And The #Gosnell Blackout
First Street Journal: Health Care, The American Way!
Michelle Malkin: Desperate Dem Terry McAuliffe Sues Watchdog.org Over Green Tech/Cash-For-Visas Expose
Protein Wisdom: Salon’s David Sirota On Boston Bomber – “I SEE WHITE MEN!”
Shot In The Dark: A Crisis Not To be Wasted
Power Line: On Gun Control, The Dems Don’t Have The Votes
NRO Corner: “Anti-Gun Legislation Before The Senate”
Lonely Conservative: Ricin-Laced Letter Sent To Republican Senator
Ramesh Ponnuru: Obama’s Second Term, So Far
Bryan Preston: Senate Democrats Refusing To Note Thatcher’s Record
Ed Driscoll: More Hellish Gosnell Details
Weasel Zippers: Nation’s Biggest Movie Chain Cuts Employee Hours Because Of Obamacare
Israel Matzav: Priorities – Obama Cut Domestic Bomb Prevention Budget By 45%


Category: Live at Five

Colorado Conservative SWATted After Argument With Bill Schmalfeldt?

Posted on | April 16, 2013 | 3 Comments

First, the news from the Hollywood Reporter:

Conservative pundit and author Erik Rush has become the latest victim of “swatting,” a growing trend in which individuals place fake 911 calls drawing police response to a celebrity’s home. Rush, who resides in Fort Collins, Colo., appears to have been targeted following a series of controversial tweets regarding the Boston Marathon explosions.
According to Coloradoan.com, an individual claiming to be Rush called Fort Collins police Monday at about 5 p.m., reporting that two men wielding AK-47 rifles were firing rounds inside his home. But with no additional calls reporting the gunshots and because the call came to 911 through a third-party relay service, police dispatchers were suspicious. Rush was contacted by police via his home phone and confirmed that the call was fake.

Now, the interesting coincidence explained by Patterico:

Schmalfeldt credited himself as being “the first person” to respond to Rush. One of Schmalfeldt’s fellow travelers credited Schmalfeldt as the person who called out Rush, and told Schmalfeldt that she had gotten his screencaps in an email from People from the American Way. Another Twitter user told Schmalfeldt that his tweet had appeared on Turkish TV, to which Schmalfeldt replied: “Man. I’m famous!”

Read the rest at Patterico, and follow Eric Rush on Twitter. Anybody hated by Bill Schmalfeldt must be awesome!

 

Category: Bill Schmalfeldt

Shorter @DylanByers: ‘Hurry Up, FBI, So We Can Start the Media Blame Game!’

Posted on | April 16, 2013 | 62 Comments

So, my three most recent stories for Viral Read were about:

  1. A dead 8-year-old boy;
  2. A dead 29-year-old woman; and
  3. A press conference where the FBI said they are conducting a “wide open” investigation into the Boston bombing.

While doing a search for more coverage to include in my updated aggregation, I happened upon this ghoulish blog post by Politico‘s media critic Dylan Byers:

For many journalists I’ve spoken with today, this ignorance is tortuous. The identification of the attacker(s) and the reasons for the attack will likely have enormous political (and potentially geoplitical) ramifications, which will vary greatly depending on whether the attacker(s) is domestic or foreign, acting alone or as part of an organization. We’re standing on the verge of a very important national conversation about something, and we have no idea what it is.

To translate: By “a very important national conversation,” of course Dylan Byers means, another chance to turn a horrible tragedy into a political talking point.

I agree with Jackie Wellfonder: “Be still and know.”

UPDATE: Linked by Ed Driscoll — thanks! — and welcome, Instapundit readers! Do you remember the guy in that horrible picture who got his legs blown off? His name is Jeff Bauman Jr. and he’s in stable condition.

 

 

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Category: Media Bias, Terrorism

Terrorism, Journalism and Other Crimes of ‘Workplace-Related Violence’

Posted on | April 16, 2013 | 22 Comments

Still scrambling today to keep up with the latest developments in the Boston Marathon bombings. Last night I got to bed about 1 a.m., woke up about 8:15 a.m. and had my first story at ViralRead online shortly after 9 a.m., updating with the FBI press conference and new leads:

UPDATE: ‘We Will Go to the Ends of the Earth’
to Solve Boston Marathon Bombing,
FBI Agent Says; UPDATE: ‘Blood All Over’
at Bombing Scene

Just in case I missed anything, as of 12:30 p.m. ET today, here was the headline stack on top of the Drudge Report:

Remember: When this story broke yesterday, Joe Biden was on a conference call with gun control groups. Obviously, the administration will need to update their agenda. We must ensure that high-capacity pressure cookers don’t fall into the hands of dangerous criminals.

Speaking of dangerous criminals, we so far don’t know whether the Saudi national highlighted in early accounts is actually a suspect in the crime. Ed Morrissey at Hot Air links a report by a disreputable right-wing Islamophobic blog called “CBS News,” including this video:

“Domestic terrorists,” Chris Matthews says.

“Homegrown anarchists,” Geraldo Rivera says.

We don’t know jack shit yet, I say.

And yes, I’m still wearing my pajamas.

 


Category: Crime, Journalism, Massachusetts, Terrorism

When You Report Breaking News, Be Like Joe Friday: ‘Just the Facts, Ma’am’

Posted on | April 15, 2013 | 32 Comments

People doing live breaking news on TV have to fill hours and hours of air time. We understand this. But do they understand this?

At different points during the day, I had the TV on three different cable channels: Fox News, CNN and MSNBC. None of them have covered themselves in glory — Allah has video of CNN’s Wolf Blitzer yammering pointlessly — but Chris Matthews was atrocious beyond description.

Meanwhile, I’m trying to stick to the facts at Viral Read. Kinda busy being Editor in Chief on a day like this. It involves lots of cussing.

 

Category: Journalism, Terrorism

The Hope Industry

Posted on | April 15, 2013 | 4 Comments

What? You thought this was about philanthropic humanitarianism?

A boldfaced Obama name can rake in upward of $25,000 per month from a client just by dialing into a conference call and drafting a memo from time to time. Four clients means more than a million dollars a year with virtually no overhead. “You can run a business like that on an iPad and a cell phone,” says the former administration official. The godfather of this approach is ex-Clinton strategist Doug Sosnik, famous for conducting his business meetings in jeans from coffee shops and hotel lobbies.2 David Plouffe and Stephanie Cutter have both adopted the Sosnik model.

Has anybody found out whatever happened to Peggy Joseph?

Category: Barack Obama

Why Is the New York Times Now Campaigning for Anthony Weiner?

Posted on | April 15, 2013 | 10 Comments


First, the dishonest puff-piece feature, now a transparent “news” plug for Congressman Meat-Tweet. What’s going on here? I’ve got a few hunches about their motives, but no time to explain my theory just now. But there was time for Neutral Objective Journalism at ViralRead:

The New York Times has attempted to assist Weiner’s political rehabilitation, publishing an 8,000-word profile feature about the Democrat who resigned in June 2011 after he was caught sending photos of his bulging underwear to women via Twitter.That article in Sunday’s New York Times magazine was denounced by popular conservative blogger Ace of Spades as “a deliberate lie from start to finish” because of how the story by Jonathan Van Meter obscured the role of the late Andrew Breitbart in exposing Weiner. Breitbart.com was the first news organization to report on the so-called “WeinerGate” scandal. Van Meter’s article disparages Breitbart as a “not entirely reputable right-wing blogger.” Monday, Breitbart.com featured on its front page a lengthy account of WeinerGate excerpted from Andrew Breitbart’s book, Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World.

 

 


Category: Andrew Breitbart, Anthony Weiner, Democrats, Media Bias, New York Times, Scandal, Sex
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