Here’s Some Of The Most Outrageous College Classes Of 2017-18: Report

Weasel Zippers

"Don’t complain about the cost of paying back student loans. Via The College Fix:

A recent survey of course catalogs detailing classes taught at colleges nationwide this school year has revealed that current higher education trends include an emphasis on “queering” topics, teach that gender is a choice and a fluid construct, and argue that capitalism is evil.

That according to Young America’s Foundation, which recently published its annual survey of course catalogs, reviewing 2017-18 class offerings at more than 50 institutions, including the Ivy League, US News & World Report’s Top 10 liberal arts colleges, and other prominent schools.

The survey revealed a big push to “queer” topics, noting the University of Michigan offers “Rednecks, Queers, and Country Music,” Swarthmore hosts “Queering God: Feminist and Queer Theology” and “Queering the Bible,” Carleton College has “Queer Religion” and Middlebury offers “Queering Food.”

Academia also continues to argue that gender is not a biological mandate but rather some sort of spectrum, according to the survey’s results:

A topic du jour in this year’s report is gender, or lack thereof, perhaps. Northwestern University has a class titled “Beyond the Binary.” The school’s history department offers a medieval sexuality course on the “fluidity of sex and gender roles in an age before ‘sexual orientation.’”

In Indiana University’s Gender Studies program, students can enroll in “We’re All A Little Crazy: Gender, Madness, & Popular Culture,” which promises to discuss “resting b***h face” and “hails of ‘Yaaas, Queen!’” Wellesley College asks, “Beyond the social construct of gender, what are the actual differences between the sexes?” in its “What’s up with Men & Women?” course. Carleton College has a course to examine “how globalization and militarism are gendered.” Middlebury’s Gender, Sexuality, & Feminist Studies Department has a class asking “What is your gender and how do you know?”

Tillerson’s ‘No Preconditions’ For North Korea Means Things Are Worse Than We Thought

The Federalist

Rex Tillerson’s startling comments signal that Pyongyang is truly on the cusp of having a nuclear-capable intercontinental missile and that a military conflict might be fast approaching.

"U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sent shockwaves through the foreign policy establishment this week when he suggested that the United States is prepared, for the first time, to come to the negotiating table with North Korea without any preconditions or promises from Pyongyang that it would halt, even if just temporarily, its nuclear program.

"Tillerson’s startling comments, which mark a major departure from U.S. policy and part significantly with President Trump’s views on the North Korea crisis, signal that Pyongyang is truly on the cusp of having a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), and that a military conflict might be fast approaching.

"On Monday, an analysis was released by “38 North,” a U.S. website specializing in North Korea, indicating Pyongyang may be getting ready to test another nuclear weapon. The country’s last test, in early September, was estimated to have been 17 times more powerful than the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima.

"The September test resulted in a fresh round of international sanctions, which, apparently, have done nothing to deter the hermit kingdom from moving ahead apace with its nuclear program. North Korea is similarly catapulting forward with its ICBM program, making steady progress and demonstrating this year that it now has the capability to reach the entire continental United States." . . .

Social Justice warriors, the early years

Jewish World Review

Why I Secretly Wanted Moore To Lose: Brooks 2020!

Ann Coulter   "Rep. Mo Brooks was the true Trumpian candidate in Alabama, which is why I endorsed him in the primary (here, here and here). When the accusations against Roy Moore first arose, I proposed that the president make a deal to replace Moore with Brooks. 
"Obviously, the GOP would be in a much better position right now if only Republicans had learned to hang on my every word. 
"Instead, everyone did exactly the wrong thing, and they got the worst of all possible worlds. 
"Trump should have endorsed Brooks in the primary, but he endorsed Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's pro-amnesty candidate, Luther Strange, on the advice of his son-in-law. Because who knows Alabama politics better than Jared Kushner? (I guess we can scratch the expression, "As goes Kushner, so goes Alabama!") 
"Now Trump has lost twice in a state that voted for him by a nearly 3-to-1 margin over Hillary just last year. Apparently, Trump's voters won't blindly follow him, whatever he does. I wonder if this is relevant information for the midterms ... 
"McConnell spent millions upon millions of dollars in nasty ads to defeat Mo Brooks in the primary, because Brooks takes sensible positions on immigration. 
"Can't have that! McConnell pulled out all the stops to block Brooks, so he could keep big donors rolling in cheap foreign workers. Soon they'll have all the labor they need -- and a federal government run by Hugo Chavez. The Chamber of Commerce is "diversifying" Republicans out of their jobs. 
"Thanks to McConnell's brilliant strategy of opposing Brooks, now he's stuck with another Democrat -- and a razor-thin Senate majority. McConnell fully deserves to lose his majority, but the rest of us don't deserve the horror of a Democratic Senate. Unfortunately, I can't figure out a way to do one and avoid the other." . . .

POLL: Millennials would prefer to live in a socialist country

First this, because millenials hang on to Bernie's every word. But how does that affect their knowledge of the real world? :
Denmark says it isn’t the socialist utopia Bernie Sanders thinks it is "But Danish prime minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, speaking at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government this week, says Sanders got more than a few things wrong." . . .
. . . "And some of the confusion may stem from the definition of socialism in the first place: Technically, a socialist state as set out by Vladimir Lenin is one where the government owns all means of production, which is certainly not the case in the Nordic countries. But in general parlance it has come to be used as a shorthand for a market economy fused with a comprehensive and generous welfare state.

Campus Reform    "A new survey reveals that more millennials would prefer to live under a socialist regime than a capitalist one, though only about 1/3 of respondents were able to successfully define the term "socialism."
"Only 36%, meanwhile, expressed a "very unfavorable" view of communism, and most said they wouldn't even be "insulted" to be called a communist." . . .

. . . "According to the study, pro-socialist sentiment is much higher among millennials when compared to the rest of the country, noting that 59 percent of Americans say they would rather reside in a capitalist country, with only 35 percent of respondents signaling a preference for a socialist state.

"Millennials were also about twice as likely as the general population to say they would prefer living in a fascist or communist country, with about seven percent choosing each option.

“ 'The percentage of Millennials who would prefer socialism to capitalism is a full ten points higher than that of the general population,” the foundation observed in its report. “It seems that the majority of America’s largest generation would prefer to live in a socialist or communist society than in a free enterprise system that respects the rule of law, private property, and limited government.”

"The survey also found that millennials, along with most other Americans, “either don’t know the definition of communism or misidentify it.' ”

About the author: Nikita Vladimirov.  . . . "After moving to the U.S. from Saint Petersburg, Russia, in his early teens, Vladimirov attended Trinity University in Texas where he triple-majored in political science, international studies, and Russian while earning honors in Modern Languages and Literatures upon graduation.

"In 2016, Vladimirov became a national finalist for the Society of Professional Journalist's "Mark of Excellence Award" for his political column "The Contrarian."

On the firing of Manigault Newman

Ed Morrissey  . . . "Manigault Newman does tells Strahan one thing about the White House — she wasn’t fired from it, nor was she physically removed from it. In fact, she’s still working there until that January 20th exit date, she says: . . .

. . . "For now, though, Manigault Newman is at least comfortable in telling CNN to clean up its act. The stories about her resignation or termination came from one person with a grudge against her, she claims, and is already contradicted by the evidence. “I believe that CNN should correct their reporting,” she tells Strahan. Maybe, but ABC would also have to correct theirs:" . . .

'I resigned, and I didn't do that in the residence as is being reported. John Kelly and I sat down in the Situation Room... and we had a very candid conversation'

CNN Gloats, Screams, And Laughs At Black Woman Who Lost Her Job In Trump Administration

Omarosa Denies Being Dragged Out of the White House . . . " 'I like to hear all of these interesting tales,” she said, “but I have to tell you they’re 100 percent false.' ”
. . . "In the interview, Omarosa said she’s going to be quiet for now but promised to dish in the future about her role as the only black woman among President Trump’s top advisors."


Legal Insurrection on some reasons possible:  . . . "Omarosa’s role confused many in the administration, many not knowing exactly what she did on a day-to-day basis for her $179,700 a year role.

Omarosa bothered others at the White House with her antics as well. Back in April, she brought her 39 bridesmaids to the White House for a photo shoot. No one knows if she had permission. The New York Daily News noted other incidents:

A month earlier, the 43-year-old endured a chaotic trip to the National Association of Black Journalists Convention in New Orleans.

Her appearance at an event during the convention was described as confrontational and hectic as she aggressively insisted reporters “Ask me a question about me,” while sidestepping inquiries about the administration.

Here Is How The Defeat Of Hillary Clinton Led To The Sexual Harassment Revolution

"In its lengthy article, TIME notes in passing: “In the 1990s, feminists stood up for accused abuser Bill Clinton instead of his accusers — a move many are belatedly regretting as the national conversation prompts a re-evaluation of the claims against the former President.” In other words, feminists of the 1990s turned against women to support their favored political outcomes, and now they are finally realizing how foolish that was."

Earl of Taint

Daily Caller  . . . "And let’s not forget that the women who professed to feel so powerless after President Trump’s election have completely shunned — and instead mocked, belittled and attacked — the powerful senior women advisors to the President: counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway (who was the first woman to manage a successful presidential campaign), White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House Communications Director Hope Hicks, White House Director of Strategic Communications Mercedes Schlapp, Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and even President Trump’s own daughter Ivanka Trump (just to name a few).

Dhillon

"I and other conservative women feel empowered by so many examples of talented, intelligent women who have been recognized and appointed to positions of leadership by President Trump. Sadly, these powerful women are disregarded and attacked by liberals daily – often on the basis of their gender – because they do not have the correct political views. Chelsea Handler freely smears White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders based on her appearance, in ways that would never for a moment be tolerated against a liberal, accomplished woman holding a responsible position in the Obama Administration. So much for sisterhood." . . . 

. . . "I reject TIME’s facile explanation of the #MeToo moment’s timing. Hillary’s defeat, not Trump’s victory, prompted the #MeToo movement. Only when it was clear that this corrupt dynasty had finally fallen short of seizing the reins of power again, did their fellows on the left finally stop attacking victims to defend their chosen progressive leaders, because this corrosive and cynical act was no longer necessary to excuse the actions or rationalize the defense of Bill and Hillary Clinton." . . . Harmeet K. Dhillon     

Long a favorite of political cartoonists is the image of Bill Clinton in his romance-bedecked underwear:

Related: Not one of feminism's finest moments

"Tomorrow's shooting": Sandy Hook Promise releases another chilling PSA

CBS News   "A video depicting a local news broadcast about a school shooting that has yet to occur is the latest public service announcement created by Sandy Hook Promise to help bring awareness to the warning signs often displayed by people who are at risk of hurting themselves or others.

"In the minute-long video, which was released just days before the fifth anniversary of the deadly shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, a reporter interviews people about "tomorrow's shooting" involving a 15-year-old boy who kills four students and two adults before committing suicide." . . .

. . . "The scenario in the ad then replays in slow motion — this time, focusing on a troubled student in the background who's reading a magazine about guns, refusing to interact with a fellow student, getting bullied by his locker, researching guns on the internet and posing with a weapon in a selfie posted on Instagram.

"More than 10 million people have watched the powerful PSA since it was released on the organization's YouTube channel on Dec. 2, 2016. Many viewers praised the group for bringing awareness to a serious issue."

Since the Sandy Hook shooter was from outside the school, this cautionary tale would apply mainly to his friends, neighbors, and his parents. 

Sad to say, but these mass murderers have affected our relationships with all those mentioned above.