Iran Tells U.S. Chess Champion To Wear A Hijab – Here’s How She Responds

Weasel Zippers

Carlos Garcia; The Blaze  "Nazi Paikidze is the reigning U.S. chess champion, but when the Iranian government told her she had to wear a hijab, the Muslim head veil, and restrict contact with men in order to compete in the world competition hosted by Iran this year, she refused. The “morality laws” were supported by FIDE, the international organization that coordinates the world chess championship event.

“ 'By participating, I would be forced to submit to forms of oppression designed specifically for women,” Paikidze told Marie Clare magazine. “It sets the wrong example, particularly for young girls interested in chess.”

"Paikidze further explained her decision in a post on Instagram in September.

This is a post for those who don’t understand why I am boycotting FIDE’s decision. I think it’s unacceptable to host a WOMEN’S World Championship in a place where women do not have basic fundamental rights and are treated as second-class citizens. For those saying that I don’t know anything about Iran: I have received the most support and gratitude from the people of Iran, who are facing this situation every day.

. . .


Via Weasel Zippers.  As is this photo:

Seven Days in February; Trumps’ critics, left and right, aim to bring about the cataclysm they predicted.

Clearly in empirical terms, nothing that Trump in his first month in office has done seems to have justified calls for violence against his person or his removal from office. What then accounts for the unprecedented venom?

Victor Davis Hanson  "A 1964 political melodrama, Seven Days in May, envisioned a futuristic (1970s) failed military cabal that sought to sideline the president of the United States over his proposed nuclear-disarmament treaty with the Soviets.

"Something far less dramatic but perhaps as disturbing as Hollywood fiction played out this February.

"The Teeth-Gnashing of Deep Government
"Currently, the political and media opponents of Donald Trump are seeking to subvert his presidency in a manner unprecedented in the recent history of American politics. The so-called resistance among EPA federal employees is trying to disrupt Trump administration reform; immigration activists promise to flood the judiciary to render executive orders inoperative.

"Intelligence agencies had earlier leaked fake news briefings about the purported escapades of President-elect Trump in Moscow — stories that were quickly exposed as politically driven concoctions. Nearly one-third of House Democrats boycotted the Inauguration. Celebrities such as Ashley Judd and Madonna shouted obscenities to crowds of protesters; Madonna voiced her dreams of Trump’s death by saying she’d been thinking a lot about blowing up the White House.  

"But all that pushback was merely the clownish preliminary to the full-fledged assault in mid February." . . .

What has become of lovely Sweden?

Stockholm riots leave Sweden's dreams of perfect society up in smoke
"A week of disturbances in Sweden's capital has tested the Scandinavian nation's reputation for tolerance, reports Colin Freeman."

Then this:

"Police were investigating three cases of violent rioting, assaulting a police officer, two assaults, vandalism and aggravated thefts, he said."

It looks like China has finally gotten sick of North Korea… for now

Hot Air  "After the assassination of Kim Jong-nam by the “LOL girl” and her partner, Ed Morrissey asked whether or not such a blatant and provocative move might finally wake up China. It didn’t take terribly long for us to find out the answer. Traditionally, the Chinese have paid little more than lip service to sanctions and other disciplinary measures taken by the international community against the reclusive dictatorship in North Korea. But this episode of murder in broad daylight playing out for all to see in the international media seems to have been a bridge too far at long last for China. In a rare and potentially crippling move, effective today the Chinese are suspending all imports of coal from Kim Jong-un ‘s empire. (Washington Post)"

The ban on imported coal is supposed to run through the end of this year. Assuming they actually implement this policy and stick with it, this is a major blow against North Korea. Coal is their primary export and the Chinese are among the only nations who will do any business with North Korea these days. A move like this will really hit Kim Jong-un in the wallet and that is perhaps the only sort of rebuke the diminutive dictator would take to heart.

Whatever has happened to political discourse?

The Rise of the TEAR Parties   . . "Unlike the TEA parties, whose participants addressed substantive issues from positions of knowledge and reason, these new protesters do nothing but decry Republicans and disrupt communication. You might say that they are a Tantrum at Every Action of Republicans (TEAR) party. Pronounce it whichever way you want, for they exist to cry and divide." . . .

College teaches American grammar is 'racist'  "The University of Washington at Tacoma writing school has found a unique way to make a statement about "social justice."

According to poster displayed in the writing center. American grammar is "racist" and an "unjust language structure." The center promises to prioritize rhetoric over "grammatical correctness." . . .  Rick Moran

Rush: People Voted for Trump Because They Thought the Country Was Over if Hillary Won

Legal Insurrection  "In a rare appearance on FOX News Sunday, Rush Limbaugh addressed a number of Trump related issues including the reasons for his loyal support, his battle with the media, and who’s obstructing him in Washington.

"Here are some details from FOX News:

Limbaugh blasts news media attacks on Trump as pointless, ‘kind of comical’
Conservative radio star Rush Limbaugh on Sunday assailed the news media, suggesting its efforts to “destroy” Republican President Trump are “comical” and dismissing stories about Russia purportedly influencing the 2016 White House race in Trump’s favor.

“The media did not make Donald Trump, and they can’t destroy him,” Limbaugh said on “Fox News Sunday.”
He suggested some major, liberal-leaning news agencies “have a formula … a blueprint for destroying Republican political officials they don’t like.”
“It’s not going to work on Trump,” Limbaugh continued. “It’s kind of comical to watch.”
To be sure, a big part of Trump’s winning campaign strategy was to argue that the liberal media was backing Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and that it failed to recognize the concerns of Trump and his supporters.
“Trump has a connection with his voters that most politicians don’t,” Limbaugh said. “And that connection .. is not anything that anybody else can break.”

He suggested Trump won because Americans had fears about the direction in which the country was going, not because Russia meddled in the race.

"The video is 12 minutes long but I recommend watching the whole thing. Rush provides analysis here as only he can."

MSNBC’s Katy Tur Gives Stunned Mullet Stare When Reminded Of Obama’s Russian Deal (VIDEO)

Tur paused for a moment. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re referring to, Congressman,” she said.

RedState  "If you want to understand why Donald Trump is able to, in the words of Karl Rove, treat the press like Pharoah whipping slaves you don’t need to go much beyond this clip.
"Florida Republican Congressman Francis Rooney was being interviewed the MSNBC’s Katy Tur. Predictably, she starts pushing the anti-Trump meme of the closeness of Trump’s ties to Putin."

. . . "This was something that was never followed up on by the American media because they knew, all too well, where it would lead. Obama traded away vital American interests in return for getting Russia to play the role of intermediary to bring Iran to the negotiating table where Obama could complete the destruction of our efforts to keep Iran from getting a nuke." . . .

What was "never followed up on" you ask? This contemptible bit of  submission by a president embarrassed by his own country:

Tur is the daughter of journalists Hanna Zoey Tur (formerly Robert "Bob" Tur) and Marika Gerrard. She has one brother, James. She graduated from Brentwood School in 2001,and from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2005 with a BA, Philosophy. In 2009, Tur received AP’s Best Spot News Award for her coverage of the March 2008 Crane Collapse on the Upper East Side. . . .

Trump vs the media vs Trump

Enemies of the people

. . . Trump is America's chance to reduce the size of the greedy government and bureaucracy.  He will need a spine of steel to fight off the media, the Democrats, and establishment Republicans like McCain and Graham – both great reasons for term limits. 

So yes, when the media intentionally seek to sabotage and destroy a president because their chosen candidate lost, they are essentially an enemy of the American people.  They choose what to report and what not to report based on an agenda instead of on actual facts.

How Obama Administration Attacks Press Freedom

When President Obama’s National Security Advisor Lied, The Media Laughed

"It’s somewhat ironic that this email was disclosed the same day the anti-Trump universe was spinning into the stratosphere over Michael Flynn’s resignation as President Trump’s national security advisor."

Where was McCain when Obama attacked the free press?   . . . "What stands out here is the hypocrisy of his claims. He's suddenly concerned about press freedoms and dictators?
"Where was McCain when President Obama was systematically violating press freedoms every which way to Tuesday?
"Seven examples of Obama's attacks on a free press spring to mind and not one of them drew any significant criticism from McCain." . . . 
. . . "The Obama list is quite long, and that is not surprising. Obama was a socialist and socialists of all stripes have a long record of suppressing freedom of the press, subordinating its expression to the interests of an all-powerful state and its dictator. McCain found nothing wrong with that when Obama was playing that game and undercutting the press in what seemed to be pretty oppressive and downright illegal behavior." . . .
Read more:

Bill Maher reminds Democrats why they’re going to keep losing

Hot Air  "Maher’s work and generally only catch it in news clips if I see it at all. Still, you do have to respect the guy for sticking up for his own positions and being willing to call out not only Islamic extremism but his own liberal allies when he feels they’ve gone astray. A small but telling example of this pattern cropped up again this week after it was announced that internet provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos would be the feature guest on his show. This prompted Jeremy Scahill, who had been scheduled to be part of the roundtable, to issue an announcement saying that he would no longer be attending. (Independent Journal Review)"

Jeremy Scahill, another guest who was scheduled to be on the show, immediately backed out: Why I will not appear this week on Real Time with Bill Maher.

. . . "While Scahill asserts that Milo has “ample venues” available to him to get his message out, and may have been true at one point, it is less so now. In fact, universities began canceling scheduled appearances by Yiannopoulos last year..
"According to Entertainment Weekly, Maher issued a response to the cancellation, in which he pointed to Scahill being the problem, not Yiannopoulos:

My comments on Islam have never veered into vitriol,” Maher replied in a statement obtained by EW. “Liberals will continue to lose elections as long as they follow the example of people like Mr. Scahill whose views veer into fantasy and away from bedrock liberal principles like equality of women, respect for minorities, separation of religion and state, and free speech. If Mr. Yiannopoulos is indeed the monster Scahill claims — and he might be — nothing could serve the liberal cause better than having him exposed on Friday night.

"This isn't the first time Maher has cautioned fellow liberals about imperiling their future electoral chances. Last year he offered what turned out to be a prescient warning about their inability to call “Islamic terrorism” what it is." . . .

Milo Yiannopoulos dismantles arguments against Trump at American University

Repeal the left’s Motor Voter Law: It is breaking up immigrant families

Douglas Schmidt, Facebook

Thomas Lifson   "The Usual Suspects of the left are strangely silent as a legal immigrant, a mother of three American-born children, married to an American citizen, faces deportation.  The reasons are twofold.


Margarita Del Pilar Fitzpatrick committed a crime that the left insists never happens: illegal voting by a non-citizen.  Mrs. Fitzpatrick now faces deportation, and separation from her husband and children, unless they can obtain residency in her native Peru, thanks to the left.  The Cook County Record explains:

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has denied the application of a Peruvian national to stay in the country, following the discovery that the non-citizen voted twice in federal elections. (snip)
She had been living in the U.S. for three years and applied for a driver's license in Illinois. During the application process, she had to fill out forms at the Illinois Secretary of State's driver services facility and used her green card and Peruvian passport as identification. While filling in the forms she admitted that she checked a box on the form claiming she was a citizen of the U.S.

. . .
Read more

Truth in comedy

Mike VanOuse " . . . In a quest for comic relief, this author clicked on a random YouTube stand-up video, titled "Offended?," by an Australian-born comedian named Steve Hughes, performed in England.  The routine is only 7 minutes and 48 seconds long and well worth the investment in time. 


He saunters onto the stage with the visage of a lanky Charles Manson and reassures the crowd, "I'm thinking the same thing about you...freaks!"  That broke the ice.  Unlike many stand-up routines, this one is absent profanity.  He makes mockery of Britain's "Health and Safety" regulations, which are predicated on the assumption that the common citizen is an imbecile. 


About halfway through, he transitions to ridiculing "political correctness" (which is an easy target).  But during the segue, he rapidly mutters – almost under his breath – the following observation: 

And then we have political correctness, which is a joy that is the other side of health and safety: health and safety is the small oppression of our physical movement, and so we can't do anything without permission from the state.  And political correctness is the oppression of our intellectual movement, so no one says anything anymore, in case somebody else gets offended. 

"That has got to be the most succinct, lucid, and accurate estimate of the subliminal totalitarianism that plagues Western civilization this author has ever encountered." . . . 


Health and safety language advisory. Sorta like warning you not to walk into a pit:

Chris Wallace learns a new term from Rush Limbaugh: "deep state"

Althouse   "On today's "Fox News Sunday," first Chris Wallace was talking to Rush Limbaugh:

WALLACE:  You also use a phrase which I have to say that I only heard for the first time in the last couple of weeks, "the deep state".  And that’s the notion that there’s an Obama shadow government embedded in the bureaucracy that is working against this new president.  I think that some folks are going to think that’s right on and some folks will think it’s awfully conspiratorial. 

. . .  

Video from Rush Limbaugh:




"* Jonah Goldberg quickly tweeted "Note to Rush and Chris Wallace, 'the Deep State' is not a new term and Glenn Greenwald didn't coin it," and Greenwald retweeted that saying "FACT CHECK: True," with a link goes to "Deep State: Inside the Government Secrecy Industry 1st Edition," a 2013 book by by Marc Ambinder and D.B. Grady. Goldberg's tweet linked to a Wikipedia article, "State within a state":

State within a state is a political situation in a country when an internal organ ("deep state"), such as the armed forces and civilian authorities (intelligence agencies, police, administrative agencies and branches of governmental bureaucracy), does not respond to the civilian political leadership. Although the state within the state can be conspiratorial in nature, the Deep State can also take the form of entrenched unelected career civil servants acting in a non-conspiratorial manner, to further their own interests (e.g., job security, enhanced power and authority, pursuit of ideological goals and objectives, and the general growth of their agency) and in opposition to the policies of elected officials, by obstructing, resisting, and subverting the policies and directives of elected officials. The term, like many in politics, derives from the Greek language (κράτος εν κράτει, kratos en kratei, later adopted into Latin as imperium in imperio or status in statu).

"That article has a long list of historical examples, including one for the United States, which goes here." . . .

Former CIA Official Confirms Obama Deep-State Operatives Are Leaking to Undermine Trump