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It's being reported today Steve Bannon has lost his seat on the National Security Council. Some are saying his supposed "shadow think tank" never existed. Those who follow closely will remember Bannon predicted he wouldn't last 6 months in the White House, and that Trump son-in-law Kushner would prove to be his nemesis. Looks like that prediction is on track so far, although we don't know Kushner's involvement for certain.Later ... it turns out Bannon will still attend NSC meetings, but no longer serves as a Principal of the Council. In other words, he'll be a utilizer of the NSC work product without helping to produce it, like the President. We probably haven't heard the final word on his status.
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Susan Rice, who lied about Benghazi on TV to protect Obama's campaign claim of militant Islam on the run, now appears to be a key figure in the "unmasking" of Team Trump phone conversations. Not perhaps "the" key figure, but one of them, certainly. MSNBC has claimed attacks on her are examples of racism and sexism. Mental image of a large steaming pile near the aft end of a bull. There is nothing about being black or a woman that makes you lie and commit felonies, the character flaws are her own, not attributable to a group.
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People who don't understand academic standards for citation of the work of others in one's writing - something that is done all the time - have smeared Judge Gorsuch in the same way they smeared Monica Crowley when she was up for appointment to the Trump National Security Council as spokesperson. If you say the ideas come from someone else, somewhere on the page, you're legal unless you lift blocks of their exact words without quote marks - that is plagiarism.
Later ... It turns out Gorsuch cited original sources, which someone else had previously also cited, and this was claimed to be plagiarism. I promise you, nobody documents where they find links to original source material, although good practice is to actually examine that original material and not take another's citation as verbatim. You'll note I only do "hat tips" of recognition when the original source is something I normally would not have read.
Later ... It turns out Gorsuch cited original sources, which someone else had previously also cited, and this was claimed to be plagiarism. I promise you, nobody documents where they find links to original source material, although good practice is to actually examine that original material and not take another's citation as verbatim. You'll note I only do "hat tips" of recognition when the original source is something I normally would not have read.
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Just when it began to look like we could get over our distaste and live with Assad as President of whatever is left of Syria, along comes a nerve gas attack. Most attribute it to the regime, but at least some conspiracy theorists think it was done by those opposed to Assad who became desperate when it looked like we had given up on getting him out. Gassed their own people to create a "Reichstag fire" incident? In that misbegotten part of the world, anything awful is not only possible but likely.
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Instructor pilots training Navy aviators are on strike, refusing to fly, because the Navy won't get serious about fixing problems with the oxygen systems in the jet trainers. Do you have any idea how serious this must be for them to risk their careers? Answer: Very. Admittedly, a shortage of pilots does give them leverage....
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Payless Shoes files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and Sears announces it really doesn't see a clear path forward to continued operation. Amazon is now worth twice what WalMart is worth, according to a Drudge headline. Retailing is in trouble, online is booming, and they're rioting in Africa ... sorry, I couldn't resist.
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Have a nice day.
