What Will They Be Doing on Wednesday

For John, BLUF:  We do need to clean up the spending for Fiscal Year 2015, which began a month ago.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

From Roll Call is an article on folks on Capitol Hill looking to the Lame Duck session to pass an Omnibus spending bill.

Away from the din of the campaign, House and Senate appropriations staffers are quietly laying the groundwork for an ambitious wrap-up spending package in the lame duck.

Hat tip to the Instapundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Leading the US Senate

For John, BLUF:  I think gridlock radiates out of Senator Reid's Office on Capitol Hill.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

What do you think are the odds for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid?

Hat tip to the Instapundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Aniconism

For John, BLUF:  Yes, a threat to your First Amendment Rights.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

The Word of the Day is:

Aniconism

Regards  —  Cliff

Bullet Train

For John, BLUF:  .  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

This blog post, linking to a Megan McArdle item in Bloomberg on bullet trains ("Bullet Trains Aren't Magic") is all about the photo of the train at the link.  Extreme aerodynamic styling.

Hat tip to the Instapundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Graven Images

For John, BLUF:  Ridicule may be OK, murder is not.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

Today is the tenth anniversary of the gruesome murder of Dutch filmmaker, television host and provocateur Theo van Gogh by Mr Mohammed Bouyeri, a Dutchman of Moroccan extraction.  Mr Bouyeri's reason—to defend the name of Allah.♠

Here is the take by The International New York Times.  Interestingly, it is in the Arts Section.

Hat tip to Ann Althouse.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Remember when Yale published a book on the Danish Cartoons?  The cartoon problem is sometimes known as the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy.  At any rate, Yale Press published a book on the issue, but elected not to publish the cartoons themselves.  This omission was in deference to Islamic Aniconism and to the fear of reactions to the publishing of the cartoons.  QUESTION:  Is television OK under Shari?

Real "War on Women"

For John, BLUF:  Eventually we are going to have to take a stand regarding Western Values, whatever that is.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

The Fiscal Times helps us focus on the real "War on Women", being waged by ISIL, overseas in Iraq and Syrua.

The reason we can afford to ignore this issue is that we don't think it will ever reach our shores.  Or, if it does infiltrate it will be in very small communities and not impact our sons and daughters.  I hope so.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

NYT on 2nd Amend

For John, BLUF:  When empathies conflict.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

Here is an interesting twist, noted by Mr Dennis Saffran of City Journal.  "Twisted Times", "The Gray Lady’s unexpected defense of the Second Amendment".

Regards  —  Cliff