Catching up on blogging

In a break from modern tradition, former President Barack Obama appears to be wading back into political waters. “It’s coming. [President Obama is] coming,” former Attorney General Eric Holder told a gaggle of reporters last month. “And he’s ready to roll.” Is that a good thing?

He won office at a time when America felt like it was already coming apart, and given the opportunity to be a true post-partisan leader who could unite the country, chose instead to run a highly partisan and ideological presidency. That began with his choice of the divisive issue of health care reform as his landmark legislation—Obamacare being Obama’s original sin—using every means necessary to pass it on a party-line vote. And he frequently resorted to unilateral decisions outside the scope of his constitutional authority.

Middlebury College is exhibiting signs of insanity. The latest in a series of leftist students preventing speakers from engaging with the campus. Criticized by students and professors alike, none of whom have read any of his books.

Genetically modified crops are making huge inroads into reducing world hunger, contrary to the desires of food activists. Not only are crops more bountiful, but healthier.

Gold rice is genetically-engineered to prevent blindness and malnutrition by providing vitamin A to impoverished children. Vitamin A deficiency kills 1.15 million children each year, according to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund.

Greenpeace protesters in 2013 destroyed a genetically-modified crop of Golden Rice in the Philippines due to alleged health concerns.  Academic studies estimate Greenpeace’s delaying of Golden Rice in India alone cost 1,424,000 life years since 2002.

New York University did a study of the outcome of the debates if Trump had been female and Clinton male. The results were surprising:

Her Opponent, a production featuring actors performing excerpts from each of the three debates exactly as they happened—but with the genders switched. Salvatore cast fellow educational theatre faculty Rachel Whorton to play “Brenda King,” a female version of Trump, and Daryl Embry to play “Jonathan Gordon,” a male version of Hillary Clinton, and coached them as they learned the candidates’ words and gestures. 

What was Jonathan Gordon smiling about all the time? And didn’t he seem a little stiff, tethered to rehearsed statements at the podium, while Brenda King, plainspoken and confident, freely roamed the stage? Which one would audiences find more likeable? 

Did Obama spy on Trump? Glenn Reynolds' weekly article in USA Today examines the evidence. 
And this New York Times reported said that Trump was wiretapped in January, but lacked evidence in March.  And more here from Roger Simon on wiretapping and the Russian connection  And here's more from Twitter.

Here's a terrific image of a P-47, a P-38, an A-10 and an F-35 flying in formation.

Sweden has been in the news lately because of Trump's imprecise speech being distorted by the media. However, things are not going well in Sweden because of their careless generosity with Muslim immigrants. They are bringing bad habits and crime to a nice country.  Here's further news from the problems in Sweden where immigrants are laughing at laws.


Tucker Carlson has become a star on Fox News because of his ability to challenge his guest's viewpoints. Here's an in-depth article in The Atlantic

A government ethics expert wants the federal government to investigate former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s $138,000-a-year payout from a combination of worker's compensation and Social Security disability benefits. Seems a bit much for someone who went to jail for stealing from the government.

Nestle is leaving California to get away from the lawmakers and activists. More on California's unfriendly business environment

Betsy DeVos is getting a lot of criticism about her lack of experience with public schools, most of it driven by the teacher's unions. Betsy cares about the students; the unions care about salaries and benefits, and most destructive, protecting bad teachers from dismissal. Here's a suggestion for someone to work for Betsy on higher education

Donald Trump has been mean to the media. This writer thinks not mean enough. And for further enjoyment, here's John McCain's take on the issue which ignores his past experience.

How important is a knowledge of history to the nation? Very important

Here's a compelling love story that has gone viral: You may want to marry my husband.