SAME AS IT EVER WAS: The “champions of the people” always end up in bed with the moneyed classes. Bernie Sanders’ newest friends are millionaires.

SOCIALIST IS SOCIALIST: Bill de Blasio’s bogus ‘town hall’ is all propaganda, no democracy.

I NEED AN EMOJI: Is President Mush-for-Brains Mentally Unwell?

WHEN WORDS FAIL YOU: Emojis are ruining civilization.

OF COURSE: Whether you’re pushing little old ladies in the way of buses or pushing little old ladies out of the path of buses, the Obama administration will say you’re pushing little old ladies. Team Obama winks at incitement against Israelis.

THE MOST RIGHTEOUS OF ALL THE POSSESSORS OF THE RIGHT STUFF: On this day in 1947 Bell X-1 test pilot Chuck Yeager became the first man to fly faster than sound. With broken ribs.

SEEN ON FACEBOOK:

MY USA TODAY COLUMN: Draft Women? Why Not? In which I agree with President Obama on gender equality.

WELL, THIS IS DISTURBING: Armed Afghans tried to shoot their way into Bulgaria/EU. They were resisted. The fight for Europe has begun. You heard it here 1st. Follow this series of tweets for translation of Bulgarian reports.

UPDATE: “Public BNR radio cited ministry sources as saying that the group of 48 illegal migrants from Afghanistan was armed and aggressive and refused to obey an order by the Bulgarian border guards to stop and turn back.” One man was shot.

CAMPUS FEMINISTS troubled by rape shortfall.

CHAOS UMPIRE SITS: The State Department Clown Car Makes Things Worse In the Middle East.

THE DANGERS OF LONG-TERM USE of acid-reflux medications.

AT AMAZON, Up to 70% off Women’s Boots.

Also, take 20% off Sweaters, Coats & More. Winter is coming.

MY YOUNG-BUT-ENTREPRENEURIAL NIECE OJIE has an online art store. I quite like the flower design.

OBAMA’S AFGHAN DECISION TRANSLATED: MAYBE THAT IRAQ WITHDRAWAL WAS A BAD IDEA IN HINDSIGHT:

Here’s the lingering question. Is today’s decision really the result of Obama having learned a lesson over time or is it a simple matter of him not having to worry about reelection anymore? U.S. troops came home from Iraq in December 2011, conveniently less than a year before O would need to face the voters. He got elected in 2008 by running against the war, and he already knew by the end of 2011 that he wouldn’t have the same broad appeal to swing voters that he’d had three years earlier. If he was going to win a second term, he needed his base out in force — and he knew what his base wanted to see in Iraq before they turned out. So he pulled the troops out, strategic considerations be damned. Four years later, he doesn’t need to care what voters think of him anymore and he really doesn’t want to leave office with another “disastrous early withdrawal” demerit to his legacy. So this time, oddly enough, we’re staying. Be grateful he’s term-limited or else today would have been another banner day for ISIS.

Here’s a reminder of how glowingly Obama and Biden were describing the situation in Iraq before they bugged out in late 2011, along with some thoughts from the administration of Hillary Clinton’s husband — and Hillary herself — on the importance of removing Saddam Hussein in the first place.

A NICE PIECE FROM A GEORGETOWN STUDENT: You Can’t Handle The Truth: The Importance of Free Speech on Campus.

OBAMA STATE DEPARTMENT ACCUSES ISRAEL OF TERRORISM AS PALESTINIAN TERRORISTS MURDER JEWS: Rep. Lee Zeldin (R., N.Y.) demanded that President Obama replace State Department Spokesman John Kirby for accusing Israel of terrorism amid increased terror attacks at the hands of Palestinians there.

Why would Obama fire a spokesman when everything the president has done so far indicates that he agrees entirely with his statement?

AS ALWAYS, LIFE IMITATES THE EARLIER, FUNNIER WOODY ALLEN: Panic strikes school after student says ‘gum:’

Dear Lobo Parents,

This morning we received a report from a student [in Hays County, Texas] that there was allegedly a weapon on campus. After investigating the concern, it was determined that a student thought he heard the word “gun,” but in fact it was another student asking for some “gum.”

The safety of our students is always foremost on our list of priorities, so we take these concerns seriously. We continue to encourage students to report anything they see or hear that causes them concern. Fortunately, in this case, it was a misunderstanding and there was no threat to our school or need to conduct a lockdown.

Because we are conducting the PSAT, we were able to hold students in their extended class periods to investigate the concern with little to no disruption to their schedule.

Sincerely,

Michelle Chae
Principal, LHS

Shades of Woody’s first movie as a director, 1969’S Take the Money and Run:
(more…)

HOMAGE TO CATALONIA: “2015: The Spanish, er, Syrian Civil War,” from Steve Green, who writes, “The parallels are clear. But are the stakes even higher today in Syria?”

I dunno — the stakes were pretty high during the Spanish Civil War as well, despite so many Americans arguably backing the wrong side.

LIFE IN THE 21ST CENTURY: Tesla’s Cars Now Drive Themselves, Kinda. And the big news is, it’s via an over-the-air software update.

AT AMAZON HOME SERVICES, get a $20 gift card with the first service you book.

Plus, get the GoPro Hero4 Session for $299.99.

WHY ARE LEFTIST INSTITUTIONS SUCH HOTBEDS OF SEXUAL PREDATION? Berkeley Scientist Will Resign Over Sexual Harassment Charges. “This summer, in response to a formal complaint by four former students, the University of California concluded that Dr. Marcy had violated its policies on sexual harassment. The violations, spanning 2001 to 2010, included groping students, kissing them and touching or massaging them inside their clothes.”

FASTER, PLEASE: New Genetic Technologies Diagnose Critically Ill Infants Within 26 Hours.

FASTER, PLEASE: Developer tests anti-aging gene therapy on herself.

THERE’S NO PLACE TO HIDE from this smart grenade launcher. “The U.S. Army’s XM-25 Counter-Defilade Target Engagement System, also known as ‘The Punisher,’ is in final development. Using a combination of “smart” grenades that explode in midair and a laser rangefinder, Punisher is capable of reaching and attacking enemy forces even when they’re hiding behind cover.”