MASS. COURT RULES RELIGIOUS FREEDOM DOESN’T APPLY TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL

The Lid

"In the latest offense to the First Amendment guarantee of religious freedom, a Massachusetts Superior Court judge ruled on Wednesday that a Catholic school committed sex and sexual orientation discrimination against a gay man when it rescinded a job offer made to him because he is married to another man.

"Matthew Barrett was offered a job as Fontbonne Academy‘s food services director, but the offer was withdrawn after he listed his husband as his emergency contact. Barrett sued.

"Judge Douglas H. Wilkins rejected each of the three defenses the Academy’s attorney argued before the court:

Interested in the Sherman Tank of WW2?

The M4 Sherman, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
. . . "When the M4 tank went into combat in North Africa with the British Army at El Alamein in the autumn of 1942, it increased the advantage of Allied armour over German armor and was superior to the lighter German long-barrel 50 mm-gunnedPanzer III and the howitzer-like, short-barrel 75 mm-gunned earliest examples of the Panzer IV. For this reason, the US Army believed the M4 would be adequate to win the war, and no pressure was exerted for further tank development. " . . . Leading to death for thousands of tank crewmen.

Photos of the Sherman interior

The Crew and their Stations: The Human Part of the Tank

The tanks were death traps going against German antitank guns, Panthers and Tigers

. . . "Because of their insufficient armor, the insides of Sherman tanks were prone to catching fire during combat. This problem was compounded when fires ignited shells and other munitions inside a tank. Sherman M4’s were jokingly referred to by British soldiers as “Ronsons”, a brand of lighter whose slogan was “Lights up the first time, every time!”[iv] Polish soldiers referred to them simply as “The Burning Grave”."

The song of German panzer troops  From the movie, "Battle of the Bulge. Not a very historically accurate movie, certainly not of the caliber of "Saving Private Ryan". 

Jentz, Panzer Truppen Vol 2, pp 150-151 discusses the Sherman from the point of view of one German source:  "The preferences of the crews for lighter, more manoeuvrable Panzers was recorded in a report written on November 1944 by Albert Speer on his trip to Italy during 19 to 25 October 1944:"

"On the Southwest Front, opinions are in favour of the Sherman tank and its cross-country ability. The Sherman tank climbs mountains that our Panzer crews consider impassable. This is accomplished by the especially powerful engine in the Sherman in comparison to its weight. Also, according to reports from the 26.Panzer-Division, the terrain-crossing ability on level ground (in the Po valley) is completely superior to our Panzers. The Sherman tanks drive freely cross-country, while our Panzers must remain on trails and narrow roads and therefore are very restricted in their ability to fight.

All Panzer crews want to receive lighter Panzers, which are more manoeuvrable, possess increased ability to cross terrain, and guarantee the necessary combat power just with a superior gun. This desire by the troops corresponds with conditions that will develop in the future as a result of the drop in production capacity and of the fact that, because of a shortage of chrome, sufficient armour plate can't be produced to meet the increased production plans. Therefore, either the number of Panzers produced must be reduced or it will be necessary to reduce the thickness of the armour plate. In that case, the troops will unequivocally ask for a reduction of the armour thickness in order to increase the total number of Panzers produced."

But the Sherman was hated by many tankers:

Hero SAS Sniper Foils Suicide Bomb Attack By Killing Five Jihadis With Just THREE Bullets…

For a nation with little gun ownership, those Brits can shoot. No wonder we barely won the War of 1812.

Weasel Zippers

. . . "The sniper shot the first jihadi in the chest, detonating his explosive device and killing him instantly, along with two ISIS guards sat in a nearby car.

"The second terrorist was killed with a headshot, as he and the third man tried desperately to get back into the locked factory.

"The third jihadi also died when his explosive vest was set off by a third and final well-aimed shot from the colour sergeant." . . .

Here's another:

SAS Sniper Kills IS Executioner Before He Can Behead 8-Year-Old Boy

"A British sniper from the elite SAS saved an 8-year-old boy and his father from an Islamic State executioner by shooting the executioner in the head last month.

"The SAS sniper team was reportedly tipped off to the execution in the Syrian desert by an Iraqi spy. When they arrived, they found that several Shia Muslims had already been beheaded by their captors. The IS (commonly referred to as ISIS) executioner, flanked on both sides by armed companions, was preparing to kill a young boy and his father next when the SAS team deployed its .50-caliber silenced sniper rifle.

“ 'The ISIS thug who was about to decapitate the father was shot in the head and collapsed,” an unnamed source told the Daily Star. “Everyone just stared in confusion.”

“ 'The sniper then dispatched the two henchmen with single shots–three kills with three bullets.”

"The young boy and his father were last spotted heading to the Turkish border as the Syrian town they were evacuating celebrated the killing of the IS fighters.

“ 'It was a good day’s work,” the source told the paper."

The story as told with cgi

Code Pink and radical Islamist's are not going to be happy about this.

No 'daycare center': Lawmakers tell Obama not to use Ft. Hood to house illegal immigrant kids

Fox News

"Two Texas lawmakers wrote President Obama this week to oppose a possible plan to use Fort Hood military base to house unaccompanied minors who illegally crossed into the U.S. from Mexico.

"Republican congressmen John Carter and Roger Williams, whose districts both include parts of the sprawling military base, say they wrote the letter after learning the Pentagon has assigned a team to assess the possibility of using it and other bases to house young immigrants.

“ 'We strongly urge your Administration not to house illegal immigrants on any military base,” read the letter, dated Dec. 16. “Furthermore, your Administration should commit to securing the border and focus your efforts on reuniting these children with their families in their native countries.”

Krauthammer: Legacy or bust / UPDATED: Obama’s Special Brand of Climate Doomsaying

Charles Krauthammer  "Last Saturday, Barack Obama gained the second jewel in his foreign policy triple crown: the Paris climate accord. It follows his Iran nuclear deal and awaits but the closing of Guantanamo to complete his glittering legacy.

"To be sure, Obama will not be submitting the climate agreement for Senate ratification. It would have no chance of passing — as with the Iranian nuclear deal, also never submitted for the Senate ratification Obama knew he’d never get. And if he does close Guantanamo, it will be in defiance of overwhelming bipartisan congressional opposition.

1. 

"You see, visionary thinkers like Obama cannot be bound by normal constitutional strictures. Indeed, the very unpopularity of his most cherished diplomatic goals is proof of their prophetic farsightedness.

""After Iran’s first illegal launch in October, the administration did nothing. A few words at the United Nations. Weren’t we repeatedly assured that any Iranian violation would be met with vigorous action? No worry, again. As U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power told a congressional hearing last week, “discussions are a form of U.N. action.”

 . . . 

 "Only Guantanamo remains. Within a month, one-sixth of the remaining prisoners will be released. Obama will not be denied.

Also here.

Related: this column by Charles C.W. Cooke: Obama’s Special Brand of Climate Doomsaying  Excerpts below:
"Whatever power the environmentalists’ admonitions may once have had over the national psyche, they seem now to be received with a dull disinterest — or, worse, laughter. The Boy Who Cried Wolf was a warning, not an instruction manual. Do our doomsayers know this?"

"In 2009, we were told by Al Gore that “the entire north-polar ice cap during some of the summer months will be completely ice-free within the next five to seven years.' ”
"As I write, the sillier among America’s progressive commentariat are trying desperately to blame the rise of ISIS on excessive Western carbon emissions. It won’t end well."
. . . 
"It’s hard work selling radicalism when people can’t see the ill you’re attempting to fix. It’s even harder work transmuting the modest proposition that “Mankind is having an impact on the climate” into the alarming claim that “Mankind is irrevocably destroying the earth.” Both tasks become a good deal easier when you know how to bend your language to suit each and every occasion, and goodness knows Barack Obama is a past master at that. "

comicallyincorrect.comsettled-science

Democrats Don’t Want You to Watch Them Debate

Legal Insurrection
"It’s all about protecting Hillary."

"If you’re one of the political junkies who will be watching this Saturday, Noah Weiland of Politico offers some background on what to watch for:

Everything you need to know about the next Democratic debate

What’s Hillary Clinton’s challenge in this debate?
Clinton is more vulnerable to forces outside her own party than those inside right now. At a town hall meeting in New Hampshire this week, she lashed out at what she sees as Donald Trump’s vandalism of conservative and American politics. That doesn’t mean Sanders and O’Malley haven’t been criticizing what they see as Clinton’s policy weaknesses. O’Malley recently called Clinton’s immigration politics “worn out,” and Sanders had to retract negative ads from his campaign website that portrayed Clinton as a Wall Street shill.

Can Bernie Sanders make a dent in Clinton’s massive lead?
Recent polling suggests that Sanders’ candidacy should still be taken seriously; In a December Des Moines Register poll, Clinton is only 9 points ahead of him, and the strong New Hampshire polling puts him in a nice position with the audience on Saturday. National polling still spells doom for the Vermont senator, alas: only a few December polls have Sanders within even 20 points of Clinton.

What about Martin O’Malley?
While trying to distinguish himself recently as the candidate most supportive of refugees and dismissive of his rivals, 

O’Malley is barely registering in the polling. Only 7 percent of Maryland Democrats—O’Malley’s home state and the one he served as governor—are supporting his bid for president. His uphill climb is steep.

"The debate will air at 8 PM ET on ABC."

'Run, Hide, Fight' against government stupidity

Ethel C. Fenig  "Speaking from the National Counterterrorism Center on Thursday, President Barack Obama (D) reassured Americans that "at this moment, our intelligence and counterterrorism professionals do not have any specific and credible information about an attack on the homeland."  

"Well that's a relief.  But in case they are wrong – it has happened – or if some person violates commonsense gun laws and starts shooting in an area plastered with stickers of a gun with a slash through it – it has happened – the government has some helpful hints for protecting yourself, complete with a helpful video. 
. . . 

"Oh, by the way, about the time the president was speaking, these vacation spots made the following announcement.

Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, Universal begin using metal detectors at theme parks

In a sign of how jittery the nation has become about terrorism and gun violence, Orlando's major theme parks on Thursday added metal detectors as a security precaution.

Walt Disney World placed walk-through metal detectors in front of all four of its theme parks. Universal Orlando began using wand-style metal detectors in an area leading into its parks and nightlife district. SeaWorld Orlando also began using wand-style detectors.

The safety measures extend outside Orlando. Disneyland and Universal Studios in Hollywood, Calif., are also using the devices.

"There, now don't you feel safer?"

Beauty Queen Has EPIC Response To Michael Moore’s We’re ‘All Muslim’ Sign

Mad World News  "In response to presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s proposal to place a moratorium on Muslim immigrants, liberal “filmmaker” Michael Moore stood outside one of The Donald’s buildings, holding a sign that stated, “We are all Muslim.” The stunt received much criticism, but perhaps nobody had a better reply than Miss America contestant, Destiny Vélez, who was crowned Miss Puerto Rico this year.

"Oddly enough, as Moore espouses pro-Islamic propaganda, he actually self-identifies as an atheist, which means he doesn’t even have a dog in this fight, really. So, for him to hold such a sign, being a non-believer and all, is purely an exercise in hypocrisy, and Miss Puerto Rico called him out on it in epic fashion." . . .

"Now, let’s have a look at Vélez’s incredible response to Moore’s utter stupidity:"  Article here.

. . . "Seriously, when was the last time you saw a prominent Muslim figure wear a Christian Cross in solidarity with the Christians murdered by their Muslim brethren? Hasn’t happened, has it? Nope, and it won’t because even if they decry the violence publicly, which is also a rare occurrence, their religion tells them it’s okay to lie to non-believers in order to spread their ideology. It’s called taqiya, and it’s encouraged in Islam."  Just asking.

The Volokh ConspiracyOpinion When is it okay to scrub embarrassing statements from a news story after it’s been published on the Web?

Volokh Conspiracy  "Peter Baker and Gardiner Harris of the New York Times reported on a “private session” between President Obama and a group of reporters and columnists about his administration’s response to recent terror attacks in Paris and San Bernardino. As they explained:

The session with columnists was off the record, but the president’s remarks were recounted on Thursday by several people in the room after one of the writers, David Ignatius of The Washington Post, described some of the president’s thinking in a column without attributing it directly to Mr. Obama.

"As originally published, the article contained this passage:

In his meeting with the columnists, Mr. Obama indicated that he did not see enough cable television to fully appreciate the anxiety after the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, and made clear that he plans to step up his public arguments. Republicans were telling Americans that he is not doing anything when he is doing a lot, he said.

"The Post’s Erik Wemple quoted this passage in a blog post last night, as didothers.

"Go to the article this morning, however, and the offending passage is gone, and there is no notation or other indication that the article is changed." . . .
Jonathan H. Adler teaches courses in constitutional, administrative, and environmental law at the Case Western University School of Law, where he is the inaugural Johan Verheij Memorial Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Business Law and Regulation.

Democrats scheduled debates on days when no one will watch

 Vox "The Democratic National Committee, which organizes the party's primary debates, has faced accusations of scheduling them on dates that will receive poor viewership in an attempt to protect frontrunner Hillary Clinton. DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz has denied these claims. There are other hints Clinton wanted less exposure, including reports that her campaign privately lobbied the DNC for fewer debates.

"But when you just look at the debate schedule, it's hard to deny its absurdity — especially when you take a look back at political debates of years past."

HRC hugs DWS

Anti-Muslim? Say goodbye to your constitutional rights

The Strident Conservative

"A pastor is facing a court trial this week on a government charge that his online sermon was grossly offensive to the point of being criminal, and the outcome of the case could determine whether Christian Pastors will be allowed to preach biblical doctrine in the United Kingdom in the future.

"Following the sermon where he described Islam as a “doctrine spawned in hell,” Pastor James McConnell, 78, is facing a three-day trial for charges stemming from alleged violations of the 2003 Communications Act. He faces charges for the improper used of a public electronic communications network and causing a “grossly offensive message” to be distributed.

"McConnell is enjoying the support of hundreds of followers, but McConnell is realistic about the true implications of his case:

“[The fight] is important for every minister of the gospel of every denomination; of freedom of speech; and freedom of worship. This is, I believe, a test case.” . .

 . . . "While this case is taking place in the U.K., it serves as a precursor to what we could see in America in the very near future. Don’t believe me? Check this out!

"A judge in Massachusetts has ordered a landlord who was involved in a dispute with a Muslim tenant to learn Islam as part of her punishment. It happened at the sentencing for Daisy Obi (the landlord) for a physical altercation in which the tenant was allegedly knocked down a flight of stairs, suffering some minor injuries." . . .

Trump Won The Debate? Only If You Ignore What He Said

Investors.com

. . . "Whatever their political viewpoint, open-minded viewers watching the debate could not help but come away impressed with the GOP field.

"For more than two hours, they engaged in serious, sober and lengthy discussions about how to deal with Syria, ISIS, Russia, Iran and domestic terrorism. Yes, there are clear differences of opinion among the candidates — particularly Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Rand Paul — which is precisely what a healthy, broad-based party should have.

"For the most part, everyone showed a depth of knowledge on national security matters that the country desperately needs after seven years of President Obama's disasters. With one notable exception.

"While several pundits declared Trump the debate's winner, all he managed to demonstrate in the few times he spoke up was that, on foreign policy, he still hasn't progressed beyond bromides and bombast." . . .  Hat tip to Lucianne