Why? Who can say why?

Steve Kelley

Harvard business professor on Religious Freedom

Orthodox Christian News  "You may feel that religious freedom is the result of democracy. Have you considered that the reverse may be true? Watch this short and powerful statement from Clay Christensen on the actual relationship between religion and democracy. Then think about the trends you see around you in Western culture, where many feel the influence of religion is waning. What might the future hold for democratic nations? . . .

Clay Christensen is the Kim B. Clark Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, with a joint appointment in the Technology and Operations Management and General Management faculty groups.

Youtube

Hat tip to Harley Standlee; Placerville, CA

Alan Caruba: "Terrorists and Our Idiot President"

Warning Signs  "You know something is terribly wrong when three former Secretaries of State, Henry Kissinger, George Schultz and Madeleine Albright tell a Senate Armed Services Committee that the President of the United States is an idiot with no idea how to conduct foreign affairs. Well, they didn’t say it in those words, but that was pretty much the message. That was January 29." . . .

. . . "Thanks to Barack Obama, the United States of America can no longer be seen as the world leader, opposing the forces that seek to impose control. Former allies, particularly in the Middle East, no longer have any confidence that we would come to their defense if they were attacked.

"Thanks to Barack Obama, our enemies have been emboldened and our allies confused, but it is not that confusing. He is an idiot who lacks any grasp of history’s lessons and he is a coward who cannot be expected to seriously respond to our own and our allies’ enemies."

And I personally know people who still gloat over Obama being elected twice (along with Obama himself)

Netanyahu - who thinks Obama weak and naive about Iran - feels compelled to put his political hide on the line in order to warn Congress and the American people of the Iranian threat.

Cartoon update: Jordanian pilot burned alive by ISIS; just one of thousands of Muslims brutally murdered by Islamic radicals.

Update:Real Clear Politics

Code Pink and other activists joined in protest against this brutal murder...what?...wait...no? 

Did any folk singers sing songs for the Muslim and non-Muslim victims of Islamic radicals such as ISIS? 

A screengrab from an ISIS video reporting to show Jordanian
 Pilot Muath al-Kasasba prior to being burned alive. We assume
 that is a fire accelerant poured on his clothes

barenakedislam.com

Religion of Peace

Jordan to execute jailed would-be bomber, jihadists  "The sentence of death pending on... Iraqi Sajida al-Rishawi will be carried out at dawn," the security official said on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
. . .  " 'The death sentence will be carried out on a group of jihadists, starting with Rishawi, as well as Iraqi Al-Qaeda operative Ziad Karbuli and others who attacked Jordan's interests," the security source said." . . .

Jordan vows 'earth-shaking' response to pilot's killing

The UK Daily Mail has much on this

CAIR: U.S. Muslims to Condemn ISIS's "un-Islamic" Killing of Jordanian Pilot

Later today, representatives of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and other national and local leaders of the American Muslim community will hold a news conference at the Muslim civil rights organization's Capitol Hill headquarters in Washington, D.C., to condemn the terror group ISIS's "unspeakable and anti-Islamic" brutality in the burning alive of a Jordanian air force pilot.

Islamic State Fatwa Cites “Prophet” Mohammed Burning Apostates Alive To Justify Burning Of Jordanian Pilot…  Oh, well..OK then. Forgive my racist reaction.

Obama´s Nonsensical Claim That 99.9% of Muslims Reject Radical Islam

"Why does this man lie? Because we let him."  Lucianne

Oh, incidentally, Seattle Muslims Demand Teacher Be Canned For Showing Muhammad Cartoons To Teens  . . . "The teacher under fire, Deepa Bhandaru, displayed the images for the group of teenage students last month, the day after the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris, The Seattle Globalist reports." . . .

When Democrats say "investments", grab your wallet and hold on tight

For example this:  HuffPo:Obama's budget highlights "investments to curb pollution..."

comicallyincorrect.com

The top 10 new taxes in Obama's budget   . . . "Every single dime of that would go to fund new spending schemes by the president.  Zero would be applied to the deficit, which the CBO says will hit a trillion dollars by 2025.

"Here are a few of them (All amounts raised reflect the total over 10 years.):" . .Rick Moran .

Republicans blow it on response to Obama budget  . . . "If this is the 2016 presidential campaign in a nutshell – and yeah, it is – then Republicans might as well just forfeit the race to Hillary today and save a billion dollars, because we've already lost." . . . 

   

Michael Barone: Obama’s Taxed Himself into a Corner  "Absent serious entitlement reform, Democrats will have no choice but to raise taxes on the middle class."

I am apologizing #LikeAGirl for Super Bowl Ads’ #WarOnMen/ The leftists have won!

Legal Insurrection  . . . "The runaway favorite commercials feature cute puppies and horses. One particular ad, however, brought out an entirely different animal in me: The Mama Grizzly.

"I have a serious recommendation to T-Mobile executives: Fire the idiot feminists and their beta-male minions who came up with this commercial:

"The dialog for one of the scenes, in which Sarah Silverman & Chelsea Handler characters duel over first-world lifestyle quality, has Sarah Silverman’s insipid character inform a newborn’s mother: “I’m sorry, it’s a boy.”

"It was a real piece of #WarOnMen propaganda. . . 

Pan right, and have Silverman’s character whisper, “I’m sorry, it’s a girl.”The blow-back from NOW and all the other elite feminist groups would have been of Category 5 Hurricane proportions, with the T-Mobile executives dutifully making the rounds to all the talk shows on their apology tour. After a vitriolic social media campaign in which the participants would be likened to Boko Haram rapists, the company would have been compelled to donate millions to girls’ educational programs and the feminist organizations leading the charge. 

. . .

"There was no need to sacrifice a young man on the altar of political correctness to appease the self esteem of teen girls.

"Shame on the executives at Always who green-lighted this commercial.

Leaders of feminist groups behave as if they speak for all women. Well, today, I am usurping the “All Women” Speaker’s role, and I formally apologize, #LikeAGirl, to all Super Bowl fans who were subjected to these vapid excuses for female empowerment." . . .  Leslie Eastman

I’m done with the Super Bowl. The leftists have won.   . . . "I’m pretty sure the NFL has some say in the ads that get broadcast.  I’m pretty sure NBC really doesn’t care what ads are on as long as they get their dough.  But as a viewer and occasional football fan, I care.  I watch for entertainment.  Not to get judged.  I don’t watch the Super Bowl to be told we need to “have a conversation”.  Save the “conversations” for another day.  If that’s the future direction of the Super Bowl, then I’ll spend my time on something more worthwhile.  The left-wing ad execs have won.  They killed it.  The Super Bowl is now officially yet another propaganda outlet for left-wing psychology.  As if we needed another one.

Busted; Every Sharpton business known has been dissolved for failure to comply with tax rules.

NRO . . . "“Carelessness was his hallmark,” Mercado-Valdes says. Was it worse than that? “Carelessness, yes. Complete disregard for the little laws? Yes, some powerful people are like that. . . . [Sharpton] was someone who, because of the nature of his organization, just between his nonprofit and his for-profits and his personal life, just had a very ad-hoc approach to organization.”

"Sharpton has had brushes with the law. In 1990, a jury found him not guilty of 67 counts of fraud and larceny, though three years later, the reverend pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor tax charge.

"Later, the Federal Election Commission found that National Action Network had inappropriately paid for expenses related to Sharpton’s 2004 presidential campaign.

"Last March, Jeri Wright, a former president of the Chicago branch of National Action Network and the daughter of Reverend Jeremiah Wright, President Obama’s former pastor, was convicted of money laundering after participating in a fraud scheme involving another nonprofit.

. . .

" 'Yet the reverend’s financial woes and big-spending lifestyle may be catching up to him, says Carl Redding, a former Sharpton aide who has since publicly criticized the reverend.

“ 'What he’s doing is negligent,” Redding says, adding that he can’t fathom why, after all of Sharpton’s past tax troubles, the reverend continues to make the same financial mistakes.

“ 'Absolute power corrupts absolutely,” Redding says. “I believe that Sharpton has become so powerful it’s diluting everything about him. The African-American community doesn’t trust Sharpton anymore. He’s living in a fantasy world if he thinks he has credibility."

That’s rich: Environmentalists praise the Saudis as an ally in fight against Keystone

Hot Air

. . . "Today, however, it seems alliances are shifting wildly. Once the all-purpose boogie man for progressives, the Saudis are now proving to be allies of convenience in their fight against Keystone.

“Environmentalists are depending on President Barack Obama’s veto pen to block the project–at least until the State Department issues its final ruling in the matter,” The Sierra Club’s Paul Rauber wrote. “But we have another, even more potent ally in the fight: the House of Saud.”

“Rather than cutting back production in order to stabilize oil prices, the world’s largest oil producer is keeping its petroleum taps wide open, hoping to drown upstart competitors in Canada, North Dakota, and Russia in a sea of cheap oil,” he added." . . .

CNN ‘Totally Biased’ Against Republicans [VIDEO]; Other items on Media bias as well

Daily Caller  . . . "Navarrette didn’t just lay blame with CNN, saving his harshest words for Univision, telling Malzberg they’re a shill for the Democratic Party and that he doesn’t blame the GOP for not kowtowing and giving a primary debate to Univision.

“ 'Univision has shown itself to be a partisan network in favor of Democrats, making Democrats look good, making Republicans look bad,” Navarrette said. “I don’t think the RNC owes them anything and I think it’s time we spoke honestly about what Univision is. It’s a shill for the Democratic Party.' ”

Completely Non-Biased WH Reporter Expects To “Probably Cry” When Obama Finally Leaves Office  " April Ryan, White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks, really loves President Obama." . .

Rand Paul scolds CNBC anchor  Well, their name does contain the letters N, B, C after all.  "Rand Paul Tears into CNBC Anchor for ‘Misleading’ Questions on Vaccines, Taxes: ‘Try a Little Objectivity’

"(Mediaite) Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) showed his impassioned side Monday afternoon during a heated interview with CNBC anchor Kelly Evans on forced vaccinations, a bipartisan corporate tax holiday bill, and accusations of “conflict of interest.' ”  Video

Various musings on the Super Bowl X-Whatever

How an undrafted Patriots rookie made one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history

. . . "It's not like Seattle's play call was doomed from the beginning. It's not like Russell Wilson made a horrible throw. Butler read the play perfectly, jumped the route, and got to the spot on the field where the ball was going before the receiver.

"Here's the breakdown of how he did it." . . .

The left hijacks the Super Bowl  . . . "I’m one old football fan who does not like to be preached to by holier-than-thou liberal jerks when I’m trying to watch a game.  I resent such indoctrination attempts to the point of questioning if I’m going to continue to allow myself to be insulted by an advertising industry that appears to be several degrees left of the New York Times." . . . 
"And of course they have their intestinal worm: Bob Costas."  By Russ Vaughn
It's not just in those commercials; it is in most conversations during every TV show. One theme: guys are clueless dunces and ripe for ridicule by dominant females of any age.

Lloyd Marcus: A shared American experience: Super Bowl  . . . "It was fun being a part of a uniquely American shared experience, watching and allowing myself to be slightly emotionally invested in the Super Bowl." . . .

I’m done with the Super Bowl. The leftists have won.  . . . "But as a viewer and occasional football fan, I care.  I watch for entertainment.  Not to get judged.  I don’t watch the Super Bowl to be told we need to “have a conversation”.  Save the “conversations” for another day.  If that’s the future direction of the Super Bowl, then I’ll spend my time on something more worthwhile.  The left-wing ad execs have won.  They killed it.  The Super Bowl is now officially yet another propaganda outlet for left-wing psychology.  As if we needed another one." . . .

Barack Obama Marks Super Bowl Sunday By Posting Pics Of . . . Barack Obama…
Here is one of several:

George Will: A Season of Wretched Excess; Don’t let Deflate-gate keep you from enjoying the uniquely American experience that is the Super Bowl.   . . . "It consists of the days — this year, twelve of them — between the State of the Union address and the final merciful tick of the clock of the Super Bowl.

"The State of the Union has become, under presidents of both parties, a political pep rally degrading to everyone. ". . 

Was The Nationwide Commercial The Worst Super Bowl Ad Ever? [VIDEO]  . . . "Calling the ad a downer is an understatement. But it did leave an impression on the tens of millions of viewers who saw it. Unfortunately for Nationwide, that impression was incredibly negative." . . .

The Super Bowl That Took Everyone’s Breath Away 

In Defense of Darrell Bevell  . . . "Keep in mind, Bevell has limited resources. None of Seattle’s wide receivers can consistently separate from man coverage, and their quarterback, great as he is on extended plays, can’t make many throws from the pocket. That makes things tough on an offensive coordinator.

George Will: The harm incurred by a mushrooming welfare state

arkansasgopwing.

WaPo  

"America’s national character will have to be changed if progressives are going to implement their agenda. So, changing social norms is the progressive agenda. To understand how far this has advanced, and how difficult it will be to reverse the inculcation of dependency, consider the data Nicholas Eberstadt deploys in National Affairs quarterly:

"America’s welfare state transfers more than 14 percent of gross domestic product to recipients, with more than a third of Americans taking “need-based” payments. In our wealthy society, the government officially treats an unprecedented portion of the population as “needy.' ” . . .

Story that Boehner blindsided Obama on Netanyahu invitation was manufactured agitprop

jokes.conservativepapers.com

Ed Lasky "A correction appearing in the New York Times quietly unravels what has become a major story as phony agitprop, intended to discredit the leaders of Israel and the House of Representatives.  Of course, the story is still believed by many, and has well served those in the White House and media who created and disseminated it.Omri Ceren spotted the correction and explained on Twitter:

 NYT tries to promote anti-Netanyahu talking point that #Israel blindsided Obama. They got just 1 tiny detail wrong:

The NY Times article here.

Correction: January 30, 2015 

An earlier version of this article misstated when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel accepted Speaker John A. Boehner’s invitation to address Congress. He accepted after the administration had been informed of the invitation, not before.

"In 2011, Boehner sent a notice to the WH stating his intention to invite Netanyahu to speak before a joint session of Congress. The White House never responded (spite? incompetence?) and Boehner proceeded to extend the invitation to Netanyahu. Netanyahu accepted the invitation and spoke. The White House did not express any outrage in 2011. That was before the 2012 reelection, of course, so Obama did not want to run the risk of losing any support." . . .
Full article..