Wednesday morning links

Quicksearch

Blog Administration

Open login screen

RSS Readers

Wednesday, July 6. 2016

New book reveals Ice Age mariners from Europe were America’s first inhabitants

Riding the California Zephyr: A Long Lost "High Peak of Enjoyment"

When a Culture Unmans Itself

"The Scandal of K-12 Education" - and How To Fix It - Charter schools get ragged on all the time, except by grateful parents and students.

Indemnity health insurers win major ACA court fight

Skidmore College Bans The Phrase ‘Make America Great Again’

Book: Trump the Press - Don Surber's take on how the pundits blew the 2016 Republican race.

College bias unit says Trump slogan a 'racialized, targeted attack'

VDH: The government/media power elite are spectacularly ignorant of the American people.

Alternative Headline: “FBI Declares Hillary Clinton to be Complete Liar”

Andrea Mitchell: FBI 'completely disputes' Clinton's email story

FBI Director James Comey: Any Other Person Who Did What Clinton Did Would Have Faced “Security Or Administrative Sanctions”

Did Comey Actually Destroy Hillary Clinton by ‘Exonerating’ Her?

A commenter on When Trump Fought the Racists:

Trump is such a narcissist he thought he could be a successful real estate developer. Then he was for decades.
Trump is such a narcissist he thought he could be a successful author. Then he was, several times.
Trump is such a narcissist he thought he could be a successful reality tv show host. Then he was, for many, many seasons.
Trump is such a narcissist he thought he could be a successful national candidate, then he was, defeating 17 professional politicians, including Jeb! and $120 million.

As they might say in TX, it ain't narcissism if you do it.

Left-wing German politician who was raped by migrants admits she LIED to police about her attackers' nationality because she did not want to encourage racism

Queue forming as nations lining up to sign trade pacts with post-Brexit Britain

A New World Order

Backwards Brexit doomsayers

Posted by Bird Dog in Hot News & Misc. Short Subjects at 06:25 | Comments (36) | Trackbacks (0)

Trackbacks

Trackback specific URI for this entry

No Trackbacks

Comments

Display comments as (Linear | Threaded)

Comey made the case that the SOS was irresponsible. Fixed it.

Can't a Security Clearance be rescinded?

#1 Exasperated on 2016-07-06 08:04 (Reply)

QUOTE:

New book reveals Ice Age mariners from Europe were America’s first inhabitants

Genetic, archaeological, and linguistic evidence suggests that the hypothesis is probably not correct.

#2 Zachriel on 2016-07-06 09:33 (Reply)

Not a new book...first published in 2012.

#2.1 rocdoctom on 2016-07-06 11:19 (Reply)

in the early 1500s, The post-Columbus Europeans nearly wiped out the indigenous populations of North America, largely accidently, via the introduction of exotic disease, likely a combination of influenza and smallpox. It seems likely that many of the native peoples that were encountered by the English were secondary primitive remains of earlier civilizations.

Now what is to say that that same dynamic had not happened before, with the people who came over the Bering land bridge wiping out most of the Clovis culture via first exotic disease, and then assimilating or intentionally exterminating the remnants?

The answer to most questions in both science and history is "It's not that simple."

#2.2 Another guy named Dan on 2016-07-06 12:14 (Reply)

Another guy named Dan : Now what is to say that that same dynamic had not happened before, with the people who came over the Bering land bridge wiping out most of the Clovis culture via first exotic disease, and then assimilating or intentionally exterminating the remnants?

If there was enough interaction and trade to acquire Clovis technology, then we would expect some linguistic and genetic evidence. Is it possible? Sure. But it appears contrary to the evidence we have.

#2.2.1 Zachriel on 2016-07-06 14:27 (Reply)

For me the genetic evidence is pretty much dispositive: if Europeans got here during the Ice Age, they died out without leaving a trace in the DNA. It's Asia all the way, apparently in separate waves.

#2.2.2 Texan99 on 2016-07-06 19:55 (Reply)

Most aren't. Some are. Further study suggested.

#2.3 Sam L. on 2016-07-06 16:54 (Reply)

"Ice age mariner from Europe were America's first inhabitants"

A pet theory of mine, I was happy to see it get more attention. I predict this book and the author will be loudly criticized for his conclusion. I would not be surprised to even hear someone claim that the science is settled on this issue.

#3 GoneWithTheWind on 2016-07-06 09:37 (Reply)

Yea, 'cause there's alway a point where "science is settled" forever and ever. Amen. What's the definition of science again. (I'm waiting for The Z to inform me. {{{{Snore}}}})

Smile, GWTW. My geologist grandfather thought this a worthy premise, too. And he always told me fracking was going to renew the oil industry.

#3.1 jma on 2016-07-06 11:59 (Reply)

So does this mean that I can check the box for "native American" now? (And can Elizabeth Warren check it now and not be lying?)

And do the Canadian "first nations" become "also-ran nations?"

#3.2 OldFert on 2016-07-06 12:26 (Reply)

QUOTE:

Did Comey Actually Destroy Hillary Clinton by ‘Exonerating’ Her?

Another big nothing-burger.

#4 Zachriel on 2016-07-06 09:46 (Reply)

"nothing burger"

best self-description I've seen in the comments here.

#4.1 anon on 2016-07-06 10:06 (Reply)

More from the left wing echo chamber.

Comey's investigation showed that she was "extremely careless" (grossly negligent in other words) in handling classified material (something that puts meer mortals in legal jeopardy. He also showed that virtually everything she said about her emails was a lie.

It's curious that so often, the defense of the Clintons boils down to "they didn't get indicted" or "they weren't convicted". It's never that they were telling the truth after all.

#4.2 mudbug on 2016-07-06 10:37 (Reply)

People misuse the very useful idea from criminal justice that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. If Sally knows she was raped by Sam, or Sam knows he was assaulted by Simon, they are under no obligation to declare them to be "innocent" simply because they were not charged or not convicted. They can have whatever opinion they want, and say it out loud or put it in writing. So may we all.

With Clinton supporters it is clearly an evasion. They have been accused of many things. Some accusations were true - Bill Clinton did have sex with that woman; some are false - there is no good evidence that the Clintons had Vince Foster killed; many are at least partially true - Hillary did interfere with the FBI investigation of Foster's office, but whether that rose to the level of Obstruction of Justice has some opinion in it. What is important to recognize in these accusations is that many of them are indisputably partially true. The Clintons really did request the FBI files of their opponents be brought to the WH; Hillary did make improbably large amounts of money on cattle futures; she did say different things to different people in the aftermath of Benghazi.

She may actually be innocent of some accusations against her. Some may indeed be politically motivated deceits or making mountains out of molehills. I can understand a person saying "she's a liar and a crook but I'm voting for her anyway because most of it is exaggerated and I don't like the alternatives." But what her supporters are trying to sell is that all of the accusations have been made up and that she is innocent, or just misunderstood because of her style. Such claims have been put forward by some of my best-educated friends and family. She is caught in lies, and she responds by saying "No I'm not," and her supporters believe that. But it's insane, and dangerously so.

#4.2.1 Assistant Village Idiot (Link) on 2016-07-06 12:15 (Reply)

Assistant Village Idiot: I can understand a person saying "she's a liar and a crook but I'm voting for her anyway because most of it is exaggerated and I don't like the alternatives."

"Vote for the crook. It's important."

#4.2.1.1 Zachriel on 2016-07-06 14:24 (Reply)

mudbug: It's curious that so often, the defense of the Clintons boils down to "they didn't get indicted" or "they weren't convicted".

Thought that was the entire thrust of the right wing's tantrum over the last few months, that Clinton committed an indictable offense. If the argument was only that she was careless, we would agree.

#4.2.2 Zachriel on 2016-07-06 14:22 (Reply)

"Extremely careless" was the phrase Comey used. Being extremely careless is being "grossly negligent" which is prosecutable under the law.

But back to my point: You lefties are saying the issue is over and she was only "careless" with our nation's secrets and that she was found to have lied at every turn about this are "nothing burgers".

Her explanation for why she set up her own server was a lie, but you on the left are incurious about what her real reason must have been.

Again, the important thing is that an indictment was not recommended. It's all about her political viability.

#4.2.2.1 mudbug on 2016-07-06 15:12 (Reply)

I'd like to amend my statement. Some lefties are concerned about this: http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/presidential-campaign/286553-fbis-clinton-decision-proves-rules-dont-apply-to

#4.2.2.1.1 mudbug on 2016-07-06 15:18 (Reply)

mudbug: Some lefties are concerned about this

Of course they are. Many on the political left are very concerned with a political system that is based on money and access to politicians. Most of this is legal, though. Some influence peddling is obviously inevitable, even with reforms, but the political right has resisted reform meant to separate politicians from the influence of money.

The young Clintons looked at the dirty tricks of the Nixon campaigns, and decided that to institute reform meant adopting some aspects of hardball politics (such as rapid response), while staying just within the legal lines. Sometimes they've probably strayed too far. And many on the political left, those with a historical perspective, think the Clintons have lost sight of their original goal, and their politics have devolved into compromise after compromise.

In most proportional parliamentary systems, people can vote for a politically pure party. The parties then make the necessary compromises with other parties in order to govern. In the U.S. two-party system, the compromises are made in the primary season, so you are left with two compromised choices.

#4.2.2.1.1.1 Zachriel on 2016-07-06 17:42 (Reply)

mudbug: Being extremely careless is being "grossly negligent" which is prosecutable under the law.

Apparently, career FBI investigators don't agree. This has been obvious, at least based on publicly available information. If you thought otherwise, you were misinformed.

mudbug: You lefties are saying the issue is over and she was only "careless" with our nation's secrets and that she was found to have lied at every turn about this are "nothing burgers".

It's a pretty typical example of the constant hyperventilation about laws being broken that lead nowhere.

mudbug: Her explanation for why she set up her own server was a lie, but you on the left are incurious about what her real reason must have been.

Her reasons were pretty clear. She wanted to use a single email address, but keep her private emails private.

#4.2.2.1.2 Zachriel on 2016-07-06 17:31 (Reply)

Z: Apparently, career FBI investigators don't agree.

Irrelevant. They are an investigative arm, not prosecutorial. Their job was to find the facts and make recommendations. Several career prosecutors were appalled. She used her wireless devices in insecure areas. That's more than careless And in case you didn't see it: http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/presidential-campaign/286553-fbis-clinton-decision-proves-rules-dont-apply-to.

Z: ...laws being broken that lead nowhere.

Precisely. There are two sets of laws. Those for the elite and the rest of us. Nancy Pelosi is another example: http://www.theamericanmirror.com/nancy-pelosi-driver-cuts-across-traffic/

Z: She wanted to use a single email address, but keep her private emails private.

More echo chamber noise. So she went to the trouble and expense to set up multiple servers, circumvented State Department rules, and put classified information in jeopardy just so she would only need one email address? If that was her motivation, that would be pretty stupid, not to say reckless. Then she knew she was going to have to turn over all her emails to the State Department when she left (actually, it looks like she was trying to get out of that too) so she would have to pay people to go through all those emails and separate the personal ones from the official ones. Another expense. This is a lot of trouble, expense, and a lot of risk for a small convenience. The other thing having your own email server does is give you complete control over what people see. It makes it really handy when you want to keep information from FOIA requests or if you are doing some dirty business on the side. But then, it doesn't necessarily keep EVERYONE from getting at that information (the NYT seems to think is likely that her server(s) were hacked http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/07/us/hillary-clintons-email-was-probably-hacked-experts-say.html).

But that's not why she said she did it. She said she didn't want to use more than one device - but that proved to be another lie. She has lied about every aspect of her email use, yet you cling to this flimsy assertion that she just wanted the complication of a single email address.

#4.2.2.1.2.1 mudbug on 2016-07-06 21:48 (Reply)

mudbug: Irrelevant.

Of course it's relevant.

mudbug: They are an investigative arm, not prosecutorial.

The investigative arm, the Justice Department, says it won't prosecute based on the unanimous recommendation of the FBI investigators.

mudbug: There are two sets of laws. ]

As Comey pointed out, this is never prosecuted. If it were, then most of the State Department would be on trial. It's a problem of technology far outpacing policy. For instance, Colin Powell used an AOL account, and some of the emails he received contained classified information.
classified

mudbug: So she went to the trouble and expense to set up multiple servers,

There was only one server at a time.

Comey: "As new servers and equipment were employed, older servers were taken out of service, stored, and decommissioned in various ways."

That's why it's called the right-wing echochamber. Something that is easy to verify is never verified, but the original misstatement repeatedly endlessly.

#4.2.2.1.2.1.1 Zachriel on 2016-07-07 09:25 (Reply)

Zachriel: Apparently, career FBI investigators don't agree.

Justice says the recommendation of career prosecutors and agents who conducted the investigation was unanimous.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/06/politics/loretta-lynch-hillary-clinton-emails-no-charges/index.html

#4.2.2.1.3 Zachriel on 2016-07-06 18:48 (Reply)

"Thought that was the entire thrust of the right wing's tantrum over the last few months"

That's your straw man argument. It's amusing to see how many of your posts are blatant, simple-minded fallacies, despite your efforts at employing complicated language and structure in an effort to appear sophisticated and knowledgeable.

#4.2.2.2 DrTorch on 2016-07-06 15:28 (Reply)

Zachriel: Thought that was the entire thrust of the right wing's tantrum over the last few months, that Clinton committed an indictable offense.

DrTorch: That's your straw man argument.

There are many threads on this blog claiming Clinton is criminal, and many commenters who have defended that view, including mudbug to whom we were conversing. If we cast our net wider, there's an entire cable news network channel that has worked to convince its audience that Clinton is guilty of an indictable offense.

So it's obvious, isn't it? The only remaining explanation is that the entire system is conspiring with the Clintons, including career FBI investigators charged with making a recommendation as to whether or not to pursue charges. That's the ticket!

#4.2.2.2.1 Zachriel on 2016-07-06 17:53 (Reply)

Can The Won pardon her if there's nothing to pardon her from, if not indicted or accused in court?

#4.3 Sam L. on 2016-07-06 16:57 (Reply)

Sam L: Can The Won pardon her if there's nothing to pardon her from, if not indicted or accused in court?

Yes. The president's pardon power is absolute and final.

#4.3.1 Zachriel on 2016-07-06 17:56 (Reply)

However, it would imply that a crime had been committed, or there would be no need for a pardon. Because of this, people proclaiming their innocence have asked not to be pardoned.

#4.3.2 Zachriel on 2016-07-06 17:58 (Reply)

Ref make America great -- quote from automobile blogger Jack Baruch:

Make America Great Again! It’s a dynamite slogan, simultaneously implying that America has fallen a little short of greatness lately and that a return to said greatness can absolutely be accomplished in short order. It’s a winner’s slogan, and it did wonders for that noted repeat winner, Ronald Reagan. By contrast, “I’m With Her,” the current slogan of choice for Mrs. Clinton, sounds like something a henpecked live-in boyfriend would tell a too-inquisitive salesperson at the Pottery Barn.

#5 jay on 2016-07-06 09:53 (Reply)

Great last sentence. I'm stealing it.

#5.1 Assistant Village Idiot (Link) on 2016-07-06 12:19 (Reply)

Hillary Clinton vs. James Comey: Email Scandal Supercut

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbkS26PX4rc

#6 Jake on 2016-07-06 11:03 (Reply)

Another blogger made a point which is very important regarding those classified emails. Someone had to copy classified documents in order to create emails on Hillary's system. Someone openly, knowingly and intentionally broke the law to do this. Someone on her staff did this over 100 times which would equate to a life sentence if they were caught and prosecuted. No one would do this unless specifically told to do it by Hillary which would also put her into prison for life. This is even a more serious crime than "innocently" emailing classified data.

#6.1 GoneWithTheWind on 2016-07-06 13:03 (Reply)

Re California Zephyr

I rode the truncated version, the Rio Grande Zephyr from Denver to Salt Lake City and back, in the early 80s, mere months before it was discontinued. It was still a first class ride.

The Rio Grande did not join Amtrak in 1971 and was therefore compelled to continue running their segment of the train, but the RGZ was still equipped with CZ equipment.

#7 feeblemind on 2016-07-06 12:22 (Reply)

Comey's clear message was Clinton's guilty as sin, but the FBI knows the fix is in at the Obama Justice Department and therefore no "reasonable prosecutor" will prosecute her (dripping with sarcasm). The other message that was sent was there is all the evidence is ther to arrest and convict her, and that the FBI hopes the Trump administration will do so after he wins the election. Of course, the likelihood in that event is that Obama will issue a secret pardon before he leaves office pardoning the Clintons from all their crimes.

#8 Jim on 2016-07-06 13:53 (Reply)

re Indemnity health insurers win major ACA court fight

QUOTE:

“HHS lacked authority to demand more of fixed indemnity providers than Congress required,”

Just the latest example of the bureaucracy making up the rules as they go along and trying to bully the ruled into submission.

#9 feeblemind on 2016-07-06 14:10 (Reply)

We're from The Government and we are here to help.

Headline: New Mexico fire started by feds has rural residents devastated, angry

Ya think anyone will be held responsible for this?

QUOTE:

Residents of this tiny Mozano Mountain community were devastated when a fire last month scorched 18,000 acres and destroyed a dozen homes. When they learned it was started by the federal government, they were angry.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/07/05/n-m-fire-started-by-feds-has-rural-residents-devastated-angry.html?intcmp=hpbt2

#10 feeblemind on 2016-07-06 14:17 (Reply)

Add Comment

Name
Email	(Your e-mail will not show in your comment)
Homepage
In reply to
Comment	By commenting on this site you agree to the site rules listed here. Email addresses will not be displayed and will only be used for email notifications. Quick reference guide: [i] italics [/i], [b] bold [/b], [u] underline [/u], [url] (web address) [/url]. More tips here. Enclosing asterisks marks text as bold (word), underscore are made via _word_. E-Mail addresses will not be displayed and will only be used for E-Mail notifications. To prevent automated Bots from commentspamming, please enter the string you see in the image below in the appropriate input box. Your comment will only be submitted if the strings match. Please ensure that your browser supports and accepts cookies, or your comment cannot be verified correctly. Enter the string from the spam-prevention image above: BBCode format allowed
	Remember Information? Subscribe to this entry

Maggie's Farm

Our Recent Essays Behind the Front Page

Categories

Quicksearch

Links

Blog Administration

RSS Readers

Wednesday, July 6. 2016

Wednesday morning links