DOING AWFUL: “She commits a dreadful (and at times criminal) action with calculation and an unrestrained presumption of privilege.”

SOCOM’S ARMORED SUVS: “The military calls these armored vehicles NSCVs (Non Standard Commercial Vehicles).”

THE COWRA BREAKOUT: Aussies still talk about the mass escape attempt by Japanese prisoners. 2:00 AM, August 5, 1944.

NORTH KOREA’S PROVOCATIVE MISSILE TEST: One of the missiles North Korea test-fired on August 3 splashed in Japan’s maritime Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The essay speculates on Japan’s next move.

TWO YEARS AGO THE ISLAMIC STATE MASSACRED IRAQI YAZIDIS: The Yazidis remember the Sinjar massacre. The article says there’s evidence many Yazidi women are still being held as sex slaves in Raqqa, Syria. Will the media ask Hillary if the sex slave crimes make the Islamic State’s continued existence a women’s rights issue? Remember, Obama called ISIS the jayvee team.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Media Privilege and its consequences.

LEFT WING ACADEMICS RAIL ABOUT INSIDIOUS WHITE PRIVILEGE: Here’s an insidious privilege they conveniently ignore.

POPULAR SCIENCE: Artificial leaf scrubs carbon, makes fuel. Good pun, too: faux photosynthesis. Nest step is faux-tosynthesis.

WHO’S WINNING IN SYRIA?: StrategyPage’s Jim Dunnigan says for now the only real winner is Israel.

THIS WEEK’S NY OBSERVER WAR ON HONESTY COLUMN: Number 9 in the series.

DOWN THE MEMORY HOLE: It’s been right at a month since FBI Director Comey sold out.

CHEATING IN THE OLYMPICS: 388 BC –and earlier.

TRUMP’S UNCOUTH: Hillary’s un-conscience?

HILLARY SEEMS TO BELIEVE THE FBI DECLARED HER INNOCENT: This Fox News video clip has made the rounds but it’s still astonishing. Here’s her bet: by October media misinformed voters will believe Comey exonerated her. FBI Director Comey ignored the law, but documented her gross negligence in great detail.

THE REAL PRICE OF THE IRAN RANSOM: Whether ransom or quick “return of Iranian assets,” it appears the Iranians associate the $400 million they received via airlift with holding hostages. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce: “Hundreds of millions in the pockets of a terrorist regime means a more dangerous region, period. And paying ransom only puts more American lives in jeopardy.” The report adds: “Since the cash was airlifted, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has arrested two more Iranian-Americans.” Remember, in 2008 Obama promised “Smart Diplomacy.”

ULTIMATE MEDIA PRIVILEGE: HILLARY’S CRIMES VERSUS TRUMP’S MOUTH.

MORE ON NORTH KOREAN MISSILE SHOT: Stephen Green posted on this earlier, but there’s a chaser to this shot that —according to one report— landed in Japan’s maritime Exclusive Economic Zone. CHASER: Japan is promising “resolute action” in coordination with South Korea and the US. I’m not sure what this means, but the Japanese are very tired of North Korea’s threats.

NATIONAL SECURITY RISK? It’s her.

MARYLAND PROSECUTOR CONFRONTS BLOWBACK: Baltimore’s Marilyn Mosby “failed in her bid to put six cops in prison in connection with the racially-charged death of Freddie Gray.” Hmmm. Who added the racial charging, Marilyn? And don’t call me names for asking that, madam. The question’s totally fair, especially with your 0 for six bomb out. And don’t you spew the word “privilege.” You were the prosecutor — you had the power and the privilege. Did one of your political buddies provide the racial charging, Marilyn? Listen to me, Marilyn. Here’s a chance for you to grow up and get sane. Like, no decent person ever said black lives don’t matter, Marilyn. That’s gospel. All lives matter, Marilyn. Are you down with that now?… OK, everybody else, read the entire article. This George Washington University law professor John Banzhaf fellow seems to be a very astute gadfly — and a gadfly that gets good results…An additional good result would be bye bye Marilyn Mosby in Maryland politics.

DOES ONE VOTE MATTER?: Neo-Neocon says it does, in an elegant post. She’s right– what you do or don’t do matters. In politics the sum (vote total) determines the outcome, and the sum consists of single votes. This is why conscientious adults must make a sober, realistic assessment of the possible. Bill Buckley quipped that you vote for the most electable conservative. That’s good advice–and a road map to GetRealLand.

WHILE TRUMP BATTLES THE MEDIA HILLARY IS STILL OUT THERE LYING: Chris Wallace interviewed Hillary yesterday. I missed it but just watched the video. Did Hillary really claim FBI Director Jim Comey said her statements were truthful? Why–seems she did. This woman is delusional. Yeah, Comey sold out the rule of law but he also excoriated her. Hillary definitely sent classified information through her unsecured server system. But that’s not what she heard! It’s like when she remembered…she remembered she was shot at by snipers in Bosnia…Except she wasn’t.

CONGO SLIDES TOWARD NEW CIVIL WAR: The Congolese government is delaying November’s long-anticipated presidential election. Why? President Joseph Kabila wants an unconstitutional third term and his lackeys are buying time. Yes, it’s already a mess, but it’s going to get worse.

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has rejected fresh demands from the opposition that elections be held and President Joseph Kabila step down by December 20 of this year.

Some background from a recent StrategyPage update.

YES, 24/7: Howard Kurtz wonders if the press is pushing Hillary’s argument that Trump is dangerous.

ASIA TIMES: China will respond with vengeance in the South China Sea — but may use the US presidential election as media cover.

…there is a good chance it [the Chinese reaction] would get much less coverage when the world is following the every tweet, speech and controversy over the race for the White House. So for China, that might just be the best time to pounce, when the world’s collective gaze is simply somewhere else.

We must also consider this: with a change of power looming in America and uncertainty over who will win as well as additional uncertainty over what their positions will be when it comes to Asia, Beijing might gamble now is the time to move. It might also feel it could get away with a little more drama now against an Obama administration that wants to leave its time in office not embroiled in a crisis in Asia..

I’ll translate: Obama is weak.

GIVE ME A BREAK: The traitor here is the one who puts herself before national security.