What Do You Do with Problem Called Janet?

Note the timing of the dim one’s national security speech.   Janet Napolitano makes her Tour de  Farce on the Sunday talk shows, and by Monday, Barack Obama  is in full damage control mode.

Avi Zenilman, Who Runs Government, seems stunned:

Are Democrats so cowed by Republican attacks on Obama’s foreign policy that they’re unwilling to defend him?

It’s now been five days since the attempted bombing of Flight 253 in Detroit, and Congressional Democrats are still turning the other cheek to Republicans who are using the incident to attack Obama’s entire approach to national security.

There is  a major hole in Barack Obama’s national security plans and the hole is between the ears of  Napolitano.

Dan Riehl, Pajamas Media:

If Barack Obama wants to convince America he takes the “protect and defend” portion of his oath of office seriously, it’s well past time for Janet Napolitano to go.

Mike’s America, Flopping Aces:

And yet, from the beginning of the Obama Administration, they have downplayed the seriousness of the problem. Obama and company refused to call this a “war on terror.” Janet Napolitano, Sec. of Homeland Security choose to call these attacks “man caused disasters.” It’s no wonder that Mark Steyn dubbed Ms. Napolitano “Janet Incompetano.”

Democrats are not afraid of attacking republicans.    It is always two against one.  The media sides with the ‘rats.   However Napolitano is incompetent and has become politically radioactive.

Welcome, one and all to the most intense nightly read anywhere on the ‘sphere … The BitsBlog Nightly Ramble

• WHEN EVEN THE NY TIMES ADMITS IT: Bob Herbert at the Times notes that there’s more than a bit of dishonesty on the cost of the Senate Healthrcare bill. hint; you’re going to be paying for it, big time.   This is as close to the canary in the coal mine as I can picture.  When even the New York Times admits that there’s something stinky about what the Democrats are doing you had best believe that there is something extremely wrong.
• DEMOCRATS PLAY THE BLAME GAMNE FOR SECURITY FAILURES AND FAIL… EVEN WITH MCLATCHY’S ATTEMPT AT HELP : Meanwhile, Margaret Talav of McClatchy’s Washington bureau tries to blame the Northwest Airlines bombing attempt in Detroit on senator Jim DeMint. Apparently, the whole thing is his fault, and not that of the terrorists, because Demint and the rest of those wascally Wepubwicans managed to hold up the appointment of the slot of administrator for the transportation security administration.  (TSA) What we have going on here, is extreme denial bet the policy in place would have worked had there been somebody consuming large amounts of government money in the form of pay. But wait!  Wasn’t it the Obama administration that waited nearly 250 days once they attained office before even bothering to make the nomination for the position? How is that the Republicans’ fault, hmmm? doesn’t that fall directly on the shoulders of the Obama White House?   And what happened, once that nomination was made?  Wasn’t it in fact to the people in charge of running the senate (Once again, Democrats)  who were so damn busy trying to arrange the government take over of health care, that trivial things like nominations for the TSA sort of fell by the way?  In any event, and by show of hands, how many think an administrator being in place would have solved the failed policy has embraced by the old bomb a White House?  Yeah.  I didn’t think so, either.   Not only are the excuses being offered by the Democrats becoming increasingly lame, they are also becoming dangerously transparent.  Will someone please explain to me how it is that we’re supposed to trust the government to run our health care, when they can’t run the comparatively simple operation of securing our transportation system?
• BOMB PHOTOS: By the way, if you’re curious, ABC news has exclusive photos, apparently, of the Northwest Airlines bomb.
• OBAMA AND IRAN: Doctor Charles Krauthammer comments:
  
  Doctor Kraithammer is correct, so far as he goes.  What the good doctor, whom I will point out again I have no end of respect for, blatantly Mrs. Is that there’s a reason that Obama refuses to speak up for freedom.  Obama, like any good Neo socialist, doesn’t value freedom as highly as the rest of us do. Kraithammer’s outrage is well placed, he’s right, it doesn’t make sense for all bomb attack this way if Obama values freedom.  The obvious answer to the question is he does not.
• AN EXAMPLE OF THE PUBLIC TRUST: It turns out that New York governor David Patterson has more police officers guarding his entourage than there are in most towns of the state.  I don’t know about you, but that little factoid speaks very loudly to me about the value of government.  There is something seriously upside down when the people who are paying the bills, are feared more than are the Islam0-fascists sworn to kill us.  Perhaps being a poor Governor enter into that equation, somehow? (Shrug)  Just Sayin’…
• GLOBAL WARMING FROM TURTLES: Don’t ask. Just read.

Well you can’t rush a good thing.   Instead of making an impromptu speech, the nation’s orator in chief waited three day to give this speech that may well  rival the Gettysburg address, video:

I can just see the Islamists plunging over the cliff as the one speaks.

Oh by the way, nice tie Barry.

Hat tip:  Jim Hoft  Gateway Pundit.

Welcome, one and all, to the most intense nightly read anywhere on the web…. The BitsBlog Nightly Ramble

• BACKTRACKING ALA NAPLITANO:I see Janet Napolitano has spent most of today backtracking, and admitting exactly what I said as an addendum to David’s post of yesterday … that the system did NOT work. The Heretige Foundation gives us a hint of how badly it failed.  The Democrats destroying themselves on this stuff would be comical to watch if it wasn’t so tragic in terms of the danger to human life.  There’s a problem, however with the calls for Napalitano to get fired. See, her statements of Sunday directly reflect the views of the Obama administration. The Fact is, she was a political appointment, and had nothing in the way of skills to bring to the table for national security.  She is performing her political will of whitewashing errors made by the Obama administration.  Firing her will not solve the root problem.  Of course, then again, the Obama administration has never been noted on actually thinking things through before they are uttered.
• THE LEFTIE DOUBLE STANDARD WRIT LARGE:  Jonah Goldberg spells it out, and correctly, in the context of a comparison between Napalitano and John Ashcroft.  Says Jonah:
  

  

  Jonah Goldberg

  Never mind that many of Ashcroft’s worst alleged sins are now pretty much Obama-Pelosi policies. But the Napolitano-Ashcroft comparison is telling.

  Ashcroft was demonized for suggesting that Americans be on the lookout for terrorists. One of Napolitano’s main talking points these days is the need for vigilance from the public. Heck, she claimed the “system worked” because a flying Dutchman took out the “alleged” terrorist.

  Ashcroft was demonized because he allegedly was turning America into a police state where political enemies were targeted (remember that’s why Naomi Wolfe had a years-long mental breakdown). Janet Napolitano oversaw a report that singles out American citizens and returning vets as potential terrorists because of their political views.

  Ashcroft was mocked as a provincial hick who didn’t know much. Napolitano — who runs our immigration service and was governor of a border state — thinks it’s  not a crime to illegally cross the border and insists that the 9/11 hijackers came from Canada.

  John Ashcroft was a dangerous ideologue because he believed the war on terror is real. But Janet Napolitano isn’t a dangerous ideologue for believing the war on terror isn’t real?

  Exactly so, Jonah. eye point once again to the fact that she is a political appointment, with clear political objectives within the context of what images get sent to the American people about the status of our security both national and personal.

  I submit based on that that the political image is being sent are of greater import to this administration that is the actual security of our nation and our people.  And I repeat… firing Napolitano won’t solve the problem. the problem rests with the attitude of the administration over our national security.  What else can be said about an administration that cares more for the political image being sent, then the actual security, than it needs be rebuked or better, removed and replaced?

• OBAMA SPEAKS…. SORTA:
  

  Dan Riehl (Gotta get you a better picture, Dan)

  captures the essence:

  This has to be the most perfunctory speech the orator in chief has ever given. It’s as if he resents being pulled away from his vacation to make it. Where’s the energy? The personal connection? It isn’t there. He’s literally reading a press release and it shows. Where is all that charisma we’ve heard so much about? It’s as if the issue doesn’t even interest him at all.

  Oh, I don’t know.  And when shared interests him. Then again, I’m also quite sure that he would rather you not be interested in it.  There’s any number of reasons why that is so, all of them involving the image of the Obama administration.

• MORE ON NWA BOMBING: According to the Washington Examiner the bombing was planned by operatives we freed. Tell me again why we’re freeing these people?
• 25 BEST 2009 VIDS: John Hawkins has the list
• MASSIVE ACCOUNTING BLUNDERS?  Mark Hemingway this morning points to some large errors , if errors they be, in the CBO report regarding the senate health care bill.  The Democrats have been insisting all along that the thing cuts costs and strengthens Medicare.  The reality is far different… The CBO report is decidedly flawed, in that it double counts all the savings.  So, once again we find the Democrats relying on an extraordinarily flawed report, and a bill that would sink us financially.  Gee, what a surprise.
• HE’S HOW OLD? Seems there’s a governor of a southern India state who resigned after being shown on TV with three women, in bed with him.

Not in my wildest dreams would I believe that a US official could be so stupid as to say something like this in the face of unrelenting facts.

And intriguing enough is that it happened on CNN, whose reporting tends to be as supportive of the Obama administration as possible.

Of course, this is coming from the leader of the same department that earlier this year targeted “right-wing extremists” as high-risk for recruiting new members and conducting terrorist activities.

About the only spin one could put on this is that “…the system worked, but it’s broke”.  That perspective behind a statement like this is part of the problem.  Saying that everything worked like it’s supposed to but it’s not supposed to work that way just leaves one wondering how much thought is going into the design of the process that is supposed to be protecting our country.

Clearly the system is broke.  To think that someone who has been identified as a terrorist risk like Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab could be allowed onto a passenger jet without careful screening is just insane… and there are 500,000 people on the list he was placed on a month ago!  As I shared in my piece at the Des Moines Register yesterday, the entire focus of trying to fix this is over-reactive toward making a show instead of fixing the real problem of utilizing the data we have in hand in the right way.

Instead, our leaders are stuck in spin mode trying to distract us from the truth, and slowly eroding our freedoms in the process.  Unfortunately, they’re only succeeding in eroding our confidence.

Oh for one honest politician that can just say “We screwed up”.

Hat tip to Politico, via Hot Air, via Red State.

Me, me, and me. Is blogging completely narcissistic?

By JonesToTheGrindstone.com

My family and best friends tell me that I am a talented writer and that one day I will be famous (!). Even though journalistic employment is in lean times and newspapers are collapsing left and right, my skills will eclipse this bad omen. My mommy assures me of this.

Being narcissistic is underrated. People who lack self-love spend too much time beating themselves down, second guessing their decisions, and are in consistent, unnecessary, damage control mode. Walking in a world of insecurity eats at the soul. I know people on that treadmill and they are exhausted. I would much rather think I’m ” ‘da’ bomb” who explodes onto the scene as a fireball of fun and excitement instead of a stink bomb that clears the room.

Posting my thoughts on the Internet is offering an open window into my mind. I have to think I’m pretty cool to get away with that. Damn it, I am cool. Successful blogging requires certain self-confidence. I have to own my words—not be ashamed or scared of what others might say in response. I have the nerve to boldly state my opinions, my observations of human behavior, and whatever the hell else I’m thinking. I don’t have a sociology or psychology degree, nor do I have any kind of training in those types of fields. Whatever my conviction is, I just say it. I am a pundit of humanity because I say so (?!).

I am a regularly published columnist in The 11th Hour‘s family of newspapers in the Middle Georgia area. My header states that I “delve into the idiosyncrasy that comes along with being a military wife.” That description aptly gives me credit where credit is due because of my over fifteen years of military spouse experience. In fact, being a columnist is what gave me the idea to create an independent blog. I wanted to post my column to the world: Everyone should have the chance to be exposed to my ingenious observations on military life. I did not want to stop there. Singlehandedly, I decided that my penetrating insights should extend to the general public. Voila!

Some advice from one of my editors, Chris Horne, at The 11th Hour was to come up with three adjectives to be associated with my brand of blogging. He counseled me to not come up with negative descriptors. He emailed to me, “Avoid ‘cranky, violent, drunk, and annoying’ as they make bad traits for a marketable character… unless it’s Oscar the Grouch.”

So, I pondered upon what words I would like to have associated me and my writing. I came up with “cunning, influential, real” and those words are located on the homepage’s “about” section and smack-dab, boldly on my business cards. Horne further suggested that even if I don’t feel like I am those three words, then to “fake it until I make it.” Sure, why the hell not?

Blogging opinions can be easily spun as certain self-aggrandizement. However, I would not like to live on a planet where no one shared their thoughts and judgments out loud or in written form. We would feel very isolated and bored without others (or especially me–lol) doling out their self-proclaimed pearls of wisdom.

Thank you to those who are willing to cut open their underbellies for the world to read.

I hope I’m making it with you.

cunning, influential, real. xo

The bitch is a threat to national security.   Fire her now,  from Johnathan Martin, Politico:

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Sunday that the thwarting of the attempt to blow up an Amsterdam-Detroit airline flight Christmas Day demonstrated that “the system worked.”

Mr. President, don’t wait for the congressional hearings.  Fire Janet Napolitano now.

ADDENDUM: (Eric)

Here’s some vid, from CNN:

No, Ms Napolitano, the system did not work, as evidenced by the fact this bozo made it onto the plane. The only reason people didn’t die in that incident is because of the quick action of the passengers on that plane, who were fighting for their own self interest, absent the government actually performing its duty in the matter.  It strikes me that there are some seed values in libertarianism that came to light in that situation. Even within the context of the heroism demonstrated by the passengers on that flight, the only reason that those people didn’t die was because the idiot had a faulty detonator.
As for your claim, that there was no evidence that the perpetrator was improperly screened, I submit to you the evidence that he managed to get the bomb on the plane.  Granted, that your procedures as listed were likely followed.  I think it clear however that your procedures  …assuming they were followed… were inadequate to the task.

There will be a number of people who will suggest that this is a case of blind incompetence.  I suggest, that Napolitano is doing precisely the job the White House intended are to do; carry the water and the pompoms.  We are talking about a government, and a security system, that ignored a warning by the terrorists father that his son was going to perpetrate such an attack, or at least that he was a serious danger to U.S. interests.  He’s been on the terrorist watch list for two years, for pity’s sake… and still managed to get on the plane. The reason that we don’t have 200 plus dead people strewn all over the tarmac in Detroit is sheer luck. Not that I would expect you to admit to such, it would indicate you and this administration  hadn’t done the  job, and that the vaunted system has failed us.

By the way, Janet… Nice face lift.  Amazing what you can do on an inflated government salary, ain’t it?

We’re coming upon the new year.  This document is long overdue, thereby.

I’ve always kind of figured that everybody who reads what gets written here by the various writers, including myself would be able to figure out based on those writings what this blog’s mission was… what we are about.

In looking at some of the feedback recently, however, I begin to understand that a lot of people, while they like what we do here, don’t really understand the thrust of our efforts.

So, with the year drawing to a close, maybe it’s time for me to take the opportunity to explain to you what my vision for this particular site is.  To understand that, it will perhaps be useful for you to understand some of the site’s history.

I personally have spent nearly 30 years of my life discussing politics in one electronic venue or another.  I am a veteran of the BBS era… back when a 300 baud modem was considered a “fast” modem. Commodore VIC20’s and C=64’s, Apple ][‘s CoCo’s and such ruled the day.  After that, my efforts bridged over to Usenet, and then to GT and FIDO.  In all those venues, the process was one of development, both in terms of writing, and of recognizing the truth and falsehood underneath the various strains of politics.

Now, if you look, you may notice that very nearly the first posts available on this site, spoke to the issues surrounding the 9/11 attacks. I’ll be honest; my commitment to this site was not a full one, until the events of 9/11.  Even there, it took me a full day of thinking, editing, and re-editing before those postings went up.  That’s an important clue to my thinking about this site and its purpose, because those events had real impact, not just political impact.

You see, I have always been of the belief that politics is not a game onto itself, as many hold it.  Rather, I consider that ideally one’s politics is a reflection of one’s most deeply held beliefs, and a means to represent those beliefs and those values to the locality, the state, the nation… or, if you like, to the remainder of society.  As such, this site is not just about a Brand X vs Brand Y philosophy, but rather to competing deeply held beliefs.

I think there’s a moral imperative for us all to do as we can in terms of speaking out on the subject of right and wrong.  On the subject of freedom.  And on supporting the best mechanism that man has ever devised yet in terms of supporting that freedom… these United States.

Alas, there are number of people, many of whom make up our current government, who are in the process of reshaping and redefining that United States, into something that does not support freedom, and apparently has no concept of right versus wrong to the point where all that remains is power and who wields it.

Now, mind you, that they are deeply held beliefs, does not necessarily suggest of itself that those beliefs have actually been thought through with any degree of logic involved.  Indeed, it is my take that  the majority of what we see as modern liberalism today, has not, in fact, been thought through with any degree of logic.  It’s proponants seem to me utterly devoid of logic, in fact.  As such, I generally find myself in a balancing act between the political right and libertarian philosophy. I am firmly convinced based on the nearly 30 years of political and social observation that the political left has little to no redeeming value to the discussion of right versus wrong, and the subject of freedom, which certainly is a subset of right versus wrong.

It’s my view that the outcome of the political discussions is important because it will affect how we as a society, and even more importantly, we as individuals, conduct our lives.  Because this stuff does matter, and because the outcome of this discussion, call it as you will, politically or values oriented, will affect me and my and directly, I simply cannot sit idly by.  I cannot be neutral.  I must speak out.  I suspect there are a large number of Americans, who over the last several years have also come to the same conclusion.  Thus do we have the large number of tea parties and other protests going on against current government actions and current government occupants.

Like many of you, I have found myself underemployed, overtaxed, overburdened with government regulation, and have found much to my amazement that the solution offered by my government is more regulation more taxation which will result in further underemployment or perhaps unemployment. Certainly, each of these represents damage to the concept of America, and under that umbrella the concept of freedom.

I argue in these spaces about politics not because I’m a political advocate per se’, not because I’m a brand X or a Brand Y kinda guy. I argue about politics, because of the underlying right or wrong in each position. I have been accused many times of being a GOP stooge… someone who will invariably play the party line.

Untrue.

Rather, I have become firmly convinced over the last three decades that our biggest problem as a country is the degree to which modern liberalism, which I often refer to as neo -socialism, has crept into both parties. That, if for example, is the reason why I had such great difficulty in supporting John McCain for the last election cycle. It is also why I consider “bipartisanship” to be such an anathema to the goals of freedom and the lengthening of the American Story. Those claiming “bipartisan” values, invariably tilt left. Certainly, the only time the Democrats use the phrase “bipartisanship”, is when they’re losing a given argument.

We tried remaining silent for a while, while we were spoon-fed “compassionate conservatism” the end result of that was an unprecedented growth of government, and a reduction of freedom, also unprecedented in the annals of American history. The result of that, currently resides in the White House, And who himself has brought about a growth of government and a reduction of the individual ten times greater than that of his predecessor. The left considers this an accomplishment. I consider it a destruction.

Within my lifetime, and perhaps a half century before, we as Americans have tried every political combination possible in terms of the makeup of our government. All except one. The only one that we’ve never tried it is a real conservatives in the presidency and in power in both houses of Congress. That’s the only, nation that’s never been tried. It’s my guess that after four years of President Obama and the destruction wrought from that existence, Americans will be ready to try that untried combination as they have never been before. Said, I think, that all that destruction must occur for the American voter to come to the conclusion I came to three decades ago.

Mind you, I don’t have any particular educated insights on any topic I bring up here.  I simply shoot from the hip.  I speak the truth is I see it.  I, along with I daresay, most of the people that come here to read this website, come from a less than pedigreed background. We are a nation of mongrels, after all.

I spent 15 years in Radio, and just under 20 years in IT (Hence the nickname “Bithead”) and with recent events on the economic front have been forced into a major career change at age 52, into the role of a long-haul truck driver.  Not being of a pedigreed line however, does not negate my ability to detect right from wrong.  It does not negate my ability to stand up and speak for my own interests, as well as those of my country, and most important, of freedom.   In fact given the prevailing lack of morality evidenced on those subjects amongst the fortunate sons in our society, I dare say I have a rather unique ability and requirement to speak up for such. No, this is not an indictment of the “evil rich” that you will see so often from leftie sites. It’s a matter of culture and morality. Consider; George Soros is rich. Do we ever see the left complaining that he’s rich? There’s a clue.

I believe that American values, where they still exist, best exist amongst the middle class.  The overworked, overtaxed, underemployed middle class.  There is a great deal to be said on the idea that there is an increasingly pervasive disenfranchisement of that middle class, most likely in my view because of the values it holds.  the That Middle class is a group of people, that has just recently begun to figure out how badly they’ve been screwed over by people who promised “change” without really defining what they meant in their use of that word.  As of this writing my take is that the American middle class is about to rise up with an anger that will be terrible to see. As a result they will find they are more powerful than they ever dreamed. They have the power as it stands to take back this country from those trying to redefine it. They just don’t know it, yet.

With all of that as a background, some on this blog will make discussion of political events and their import, and issue their opinions and thoughts. Often, our political commentary will be biting and acerbic, and heavy on the snark.  Other authors at other times will make note of social events, and slice of life stuff, written about Jack and Jill Everyperson.  These mesh because as I point out again, politics is not a game unto itself, but is a reflection of our most deeply held values.  I consider the slice of life articles that get posted here are a timely reminder of that fact.

I’m pleased that David, Mel, Karen, Fersboo, and Art have all chosen to join me here, writing at BitsBlog. They’re all talented at expressing their views, and a couple bring some serious technical gravitas as well, which is helpful. They are in reality a more talented group of people that I could have possibly hoped to draw to this cause.  I am forever grateful they are here.

I’ve often said in our internal discussions to my fellow writers here at BitsBlog that we have in our core readership, some of the best readers of any site on the web.  I firmly believe that.  So, I am grateful that you are here is well. And we invite your comment.

Amazing. Seems that every time the left in this country builds up a little momentum in the department of telling us how we’re not in danger from terrorism, one of these stories pops up.

ROMULUS, Mich. -AP- An attempted terrorist attack on a Christmas Day flight began with a pop and a puff of smoke — sending passengers scrambling to subdue a Nigerian man who claimed to be acting on orders from al-Qaida to blow up the airliner, officials and travelers said.

The commotion began as Northwest Airlines Flight 253, carrying 278 passengers and 11 crew members from Amsterdam, prepared to land in Detroit just before noon Friday. Travelers said they smelled smoke, saw a glow, and heard what sounded like firecrackers. At least one person climbed over others and jumped on the man, who officials say was trying to ignite an explosive device.

There’s more to the story of course and I commend you to reading the entire article at the link.

We are clearly still in danger, particularly if the man was able to get the device onto the plane undetected.

And…. Nigeria? I have a foul taste in my mouth over that place just now.

At the risk of revealing too much personal information about a friend, I have to tell you, that Nigeria is the source of a goodly portion of spam in the world. Think I’m kidding? Have a look at the header information and do a little WHOIS work against the IP address the message comes from. Those that aren’t coming from Hong Kong will be coming in from Nigeria. Of those most is coming from various IP’s with the same third octet, meaning they’re likely all quite literally within blocks of one another… and in each case they’re usually parked behind a private DSL router all of which in turn usually have a fair number of class C addresses on them.

Nigeria is also the source of a good deal if identity theft.  You’d be amazed at how many people on the various dating services, are actually coming from there… looking for some way to raise some money from trusting lonely hearts. They’re fairly successful at it, too. And trust me, I know. I’ve had some experience with helping a good friend get out of an entanglement with such an operation. She’s still having financial problems over it.

How are these situations related? Simple; I suspect that a lot of the money collected from such operations is helping fund al-Qaida.  All of which leads me to laugh a little when I see in the article the official denials from the Nigerian ‘government’.

Nigeria’s information minister, Dora Akunyili, condemned the attempted bombing. She said the government has opened its own investigation into the suspect and will work with U.S. authorities.

“We state very clearly that as a nation we abhor all forms of violence,” Akunyili said in a statement issued Saturday.

Yeah, right.

OK, I may be wrong in this case, but I doubt it.  I’ve seen the apparent results of Nigerian law enforcement.  I would not be shocked to find this Nigerian al-Qaida operative is on the level when he says he was operating under orders.  I would also be not surprised to find that Nigeria is a bigger hotbed of al-Qaida operations than we’re being told about.

The article does mention that Sen. Jay Rockefeller has said he’ll hold hearings on the incident in January, but I have my doubts about him diving too deeply into the Nigerian connection in that process. Rather, he’ll tell us all about how our security screwed up… which it certainly did. And never let it be said that any obstacle was too great for  Rockefeller… nothing’s going to keep him away from any chance at generating publicity for himself…. Rockefeller is nearly as bad as Chuckles The Clown Schumer in that regard… one of the most dangerous places in America is the space between Rockefeller and a microphone. But look closely at what he does with that hearing. If he doesn’t look at Nigeria and the level of al-Qaida involvement there, he’s only doing half the job… which is about what I’d expect from that sleazeball.

However that plays, I fully expect Nigeria to be very much on the minds of Americans in the very near future. It will be unavoidable, eventually.

Thomas Winston, late of Queens, has assumed morgue temperature.    The whereabouts of  his his dispatcher, whom I will call Bernice Goetz remains unknown,  from Kerry Burke and John Lauinger,  Daily News (New York):

Several thugs tried to drag a woman off a Queens subway train Thursday night, but she fought back and fatally stabbed one of her tormenters before fleeing on another train, police said.

The large group of men – perhaps as many as eight – surrounded the woman outside a chicken restaurant above the 21st St.-Queensbridge station about 9 p.m., police and a witness said.

It appears the only real man in his story was the one wearing the skirt.    The police seem to have no trouble getting a prolonged account on the attack by eight thugs on one woman.    To paraphrase Nelse McLeod, “It should not have taken eight.”    You go girl.

Plus Batman and Scooby-Doo,  a review of Sherlock Holmes, from Michael O’Sullivan, Washington Post