Leonard Nimoy 1931-2015

Leonard Nimoy, best known for his portrayal of the half-Vulcan half-earthling Mr. Spock in the Star Trek TV shows and movies, has died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at his home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles.  He had reached the age of 83, thus living out the Vulcan blessing that Spock often recited, "live long and prosper."  Nimoy attributed the disease to years of smoking, although he had quit about 30 years ago.

Leonard Nimoy was born on March 26, 1931, to Max and Dora Nimoy, Jewish immigrants from Ukraine.  He started acting at age 8 and continued through his high school and ensuing adult years.  He served two years in the Army, getting his discharge in 1955.  Afterwards, he worked various odd jobs while studying acting, attended college, and appeared on several TV shows, before landing the role of Mr. Spock.  Besides appearing in the original series, he was also on screen for the first six Star Trek movies, two of which he directed, a few episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and in cameo roles in director J.J. Abrams' two recent Star Trek movies.

Besides his involvement with the Star Trek franchise, Nimoy also directed the comedy Three Men and a Baby, and hosted the TV series In Search Of and Ancient Mysteries.  His pursuits outside of show business included poetry, photography and music.  He wrote two autobiographies, I Am Not Spock and I Am Spock.  He is survived by his second wife, two children (with his first wife), several grandchildren, and a brother.

Read more at The New York Times, Variety, USA Today, TMZ and The Telegraph.

Escapees Recaptured In Arizona

This afternoon, two fugitives, one white and one black, ran through Sun City, AZ, eluding both police and civilians until they were finally apprehended.  The pair had shown an impressive talent for evading their captors, being exceptionally fast and agile.  This is likely because unlike most who run from the law, they have four legs instead of two.

Read more at the New York Daily News, USA Today and Fox News.

UPDATE:  I've run across an Arizona-based source, Fox10 Phoenix, which includes a 34-minute video, so read more there, too.

FCC Passes "Net Neutrality"

The Federal Communications Commission, by a 3-2 party line vote, has approved a plan, known as "net neutrality", to regulate the Internet like a public utility.  The new rules, which will be published in the Federal Register, are intended to replace earlier rules that had been struck down by an appeals court, and are likewise expected to be subjected to a court battle.

Read more at Fox News, CNET and Newsweek.

Wednesday Links

As we get through another "hump day", here are some stories in the news:

From CBS Chicago, the Chicago police department denies that a West Side facility is used as an illegal detention center, as was alleged in a British newspaper report.

From Real Clear Politics, Representative Trey Gowdy (R-SC) warns Democrats about not enforcing immigration law.

From The Daily Caller, an MSNBC host expresses sympathy for the recently-convicted killer of former Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle.

From the Washington Examiner, another MSNBC host hopes that Trayvon Martin had beaten the [bleep] out of George Zimmerman.

From The Telegraph, Iran attacks and destroys a replica of a U.S. aircraft carrier.  (via Western Journalism)

From WUIS, Englewood, California approves a plan for an NFL stadium, involving the owner of the St. Louis Rams.

From Bizpac Review, the Obama administration comes up with a new phrase to refer to illegal aliens.

From Townhall, a federal judge issues an injunction against a DHS immigrant detention policy.

From CNN, weather postpones the execution of Kelly Renee Gissendaner, set to become the first woman to receive the death penalty in Georgia in 70 years.

From The Corner at National Review, Jamiel Shaw testifies before a House subcommittee panel about the murder of his son by an illegal alien.  (via The Blaze)

From Mashable, a mysterious tunnel has been found under Toronto.

From reason.com, FCC commissioner Ajit Pai explains his opposition to regulating the Internet like a utility company.

From Fox Nation, three residents of New York City have been arrested for conspiring to support ISIS.

From The Hill, the FBI is investigating suspected ISIS supporters in all 50 states.

From ABC News, the owner of a maraschino cherry factory cooperates with police searching the facility, and then kills himself.

And from the New York Post, "Don't tease us, Mo."

Famed Sniper's Killer Found Guilty

In Erath County, Texas, former Marine Eddie Ray Routh has been convicted of murdering former Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield.  Routh had admitted to killing the two men, but plead not guilty by reason of insanity.  He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Kyle was the author of the book American Sniper, which has recently been made into a highly successful movie.

Read more at ABC News, CNN, Fox News and NBC News.

Obama Vetoes Keystone XL Bill

As expected, President Obama has vetoed legislation that would have approved the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.  The construction would involve running a new pipeline from the Canadian province of Alberta to an existing pipeline in Nebraska, and extending the southern end of that pipeline to the Gulf of Mexico.  The bill may still be passed if Congress votes to override the veto, which would require a 2/3 favorable vote in both Houses.

Read more at USA Today, NBC News, The Washington Times, Fox News, the Latin American Herald Tribune and CBC News.

Marine Who Disappeared In Iraq Convicted Of Desertion

Marine Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun, who left his post in Iraq in 2004, turned up at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, went back to Camp LeJeune in North Carolina, and disappeared again in 2005, has been convicted of two counts of desertion.  He was also convicted of losing his service pistol, but not of theft resulting from its loss.  He faces up to 7 and 1/2 years in prison, a reduction in rank, and a dishonorable discharge.

Read more at CBS News, the Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post.

ISIS In Libya Burns Drums

Via the International Business Times and brought to my attention by Red Fox Blogger:

In Libya, a group of ISIS fighters has done something that even their cohorts in Iraq and Syria, to my knowledge, haven't tried.  Near the city of Derna, they burnt a pile of drums.  From the Daily Mail:

ISIS in Libya have released pictures of armed fighters burning musical instruments as the extremist group continues its propaganda assault in the north African country.

Pictures of the heavily armed masked militants watching while a pile of drums burnt in the Libyan desert were released earlier today - purportedly by the 'media wing' of the local group.

It is understood the brightly coloured instruments had been confiscated by the religious police, and were destroyed near the port city of Derna, in eastern Libya.

I've heard of music being illegal in some Muslim countries, but these guys have certainly made their intentions clear.  Read the full story.

Friday Links

As the temperature in my part of Maryland reaches double figures above zero, here are some things in the news and from the blogosphere:

From American Thinker, since the Justice and Development Party started to govern Turkey, crime in that country has gotten worse.

From My Fox Chicago, Fannie Mae posted a $1.3B profit for the 4th quarter of 2014.

From Multichannel News, the 4th quarter was also good for Hallmark, which reported a 14% increase in their ad revenue.

Legal Insurrection asks, "Why is the Clinton Foundation accepting donations from foreign governments?"

From Fox News, the World Health Organization approves a test for Ebola that takes only 15 minutes to perform.

From The Telegraph, the taxi service Uber, banned in Spain from transporting people, now offers a food delivery service in Barcelona.

From The Conservative American, how America has exported our concept of mental illness.

From Reuters, as stocks decline today, as uncertainty looms over Greek debt deal negotiations.  UPDATE:  From AOL, Greece and its creditors have reached a deal.

From The Christian Post, a Christian man in Pakistan is acquitted after a four-year legal battle during which he had been tortured into confessing to a murder.

From CNN, British police have appealed for help to find three missing teenage girls believed to be trying to travel to Syria.

From Creeping Sharia, in Minnesota, a fourth Muslim has been indicted for conspiring to help ISIS.

From The (San Luis Obispo) Tribune, the mayor of Rome says that his city is not secure.

From LifeNews, in a two-week period, newspapers in Ireland published 33 pro-abortion articles and just one pro-life article.

In National Review, Kevin D. Williamson agrees with former mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-NYC) that President Obama doesn't love America.

And from the Catholic News Agency, Coptic Catholics consecrate their first church in the Sinai, in Sharm El-Sheikh.  Besides the relatively well-known Coptic Church in Egypt, there is also a lesser-known Coptic Rite within the Catholic Church.  Some information on this and rites other than the Latin Rite may be found at this CERC page.

Music Break: Sad Songs

According to a certain Elton John song, "sad songs say so much".  So here are a few of my favorite sad songs, some being slow as you might expect, and others surprisingly more lively.  The closing selection, in fact, is both.  To start, here's one that would have fit into last month's theme of Beatles covers - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' version of George Harrison's I Need You, performed at the Concert For George.

ISIS Harvests Human Organs

Among the recently reported horrors perpetrated by ISIS is a trade in human organs, for which there is a lucrative black market.  Doctors have even allegedly been killed for refusing to perform the organ-harvesting operation.  The Iraqi government has asked the U.N. for help.  From the Daily Mail:

Iraq has urged the United Nations to investigate Islamic State terrorists' bloody trade in human organs after the Iraqi ambassador said doctors are being executed for not harvesting body parts.

Mohamed Alhakim claimed that dozens of bodies with surgical incisions and missing body parts have been found in shallow mass graves near ISIS stronghold Mosul over the past few weeks.

ISIS' horrifying trade in human organs, which was revealed by MailOnline last December, is just the latest way for the terrorist organisation to finance its activities, with other major sources of the group's $2 million-a-day income being the sale of oil, ransom payments, and smuggled antiques.

The ambassador claims that bodies with missing parts have been located.  Read the full story.

Not So Fast, Mr. President

Yesterday in Texas, federal Judge Andrew Hanan issued a temporary injunction against President Obama's executive amnesty, under which the federal government would defer or forgo the deportation of millions of illegal aliens.  The White House quickly announced that the Justice Department would appeal.

Read more at The Washington Times, USA Today, The Dallas Morning News, CNN and WND.

Trucker Fleeing Cops Throws.....Refrigerator?

From the New York Post:

A tractor-trailer driver threw items from his cab at police — including socks, shoes and a small refrigerator — as he led them on a 34-mile chase in western Pennsylvania, authorities said Sunday.

Not that I have any desire to replicate this feat, but how exactly does one throw a refrigerator from a truck while driving it?  Could it fit through a rolled-down window, or did he have to open his door?  In any event, read the full story.

Sunday Links

Another cold day, another set of stories in the news:

From ABC News, Danish police shot and killed a man believed to be involved in yesterday's two shootings in Copenhagen.

From Nyhederne, Danish police have arrested at least two persons in connection with the shootings, at an internet cafe.  (via The Blaze)

From The Telegraph, Denmark's chief rabbi criticizes Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's call for European Jews to emigrate to Israel.

From BBC News, a parade in Braunschweig, Germany has been called because of a terror alert.

From the Daily Mail, members of a Muslim gang in Britain get 15 years for beating up an American student.

From Truth Revolt, some Ukrainian rebels say that the recently-brokered truce in their conflict does not apply to the town they're holding.

From Fox News, thirteen members of a family in northern India were killed when the partially-constructed building in which they were sleeping collapsed onto them.

From American Thinker, Clarice Feldman presents the Media Questionater and an airlift strategy for dealing with ISIS.

From the Daily Herald, an elementary school and a church help feed and educate children in Ghana.

From the New York Post, how Jon Stewart of The Daily Show "turned lies in to comedy".

From IJReview, columnist George Will responds to President Obama's Buzzfeed video.

From philly.com, cold weather means more suffering for outdoor dogs.

From NBC Chicago, a man accused of attempted robbery is also charged with attempting to murder the policemen who tried to arrest him.

And from MSN, a woman gets medical attention after being stung by a scorpion on a plane.

Gunmen Attack During Debate In Denmark

Three police officers have been wounded and one civilian killed in a shooting at the Krudttonden café in Copenhagen, Denmark during a debate on blasphemy and free speech.  The event featured Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks, who has published caricatures of Mohammed, and was also attended by François Zimeray, the French ambassador to Denmark.  The reported two gunmen fled in a Volkswagen Polo and are said to still be at large.

Read more at BBC News, The Telegraph, Russia Today, ABC News and CNN.

UPDATE:  Another shooting has occurred in Copenhagen, this time at a synagogue.  Three people are reported as wounded.  Read about this attack at Haaretz, Reuters, ABC News and Russia Today.

Was The Second Amendment Intended For Muskets?

So asks Steven Crowder, in this Louder With Crowder video.  As he points out, there's a rather common misconception that when the Second Amendment was written, the only firearms familiar to the Founding Fathers were of the single-shot variety.  This amendment, so this idea goes, was thus intended only for such weapons.  But as Crowder shows us, before our Constitution was written, gun technology had already advanced beyond the single-shot musket.

Click here to watch the video on YouTube.

Argentine President Charged In Alleged Cover Up

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and several others are facing charges arising from an alleged attempt to cover up of the involvement of Iranian officials in a terrorist attack.  From Bloomberg Business:

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was charged by a prosecutor with trying to cover up the alleged involvement of Iranian officials in the country’s worst terrorist attack. Now a judge must decide whether to pursue the case.

In a document filed to federal court, Prosecutor Gerardo Pollicita formally accused Fernandez, Foreign Minister Hector Timerman, lawmaker Andres Larroque and other government supporters of trying to remove Iranian officials from Interpol lists in a 2013 accord, in exchange for trade preferences. Pollicita’s 62-page statement was posted on the prosecutor general’s website.

As president, Fernandez has an immunity which can be removed by an impeachment proceeding by Argentina's Congress.  Her term in office will expire in December.  Read the full story.

Election Officials: Obama's Amnesty Could Facilitate Voter Fraud

This story came out yesterday, and was Tweeted quite a few times this morning.  From The Washington Times:

President Obama’s temporary deportation amnesty will make it easier for illegal immigrants to improperly register and vote in elections, state elections officials testified to Congress on Thursday, saying that the driver’s licenses and Social Security numbers they will be granted create a major voting loophole.

While stressing that it remains illegal for noncitizens to vote, secretaries of state from Ohio and Kansas said they won’t have the tools to sniff out illegal immigrants who register anyway, ignoring stiff penalties to fill out the registration forms that are easily available at shopping malls, motor vehicle bureaus and in curbside registration drives.

Read the full story.  The page includes a video, but it is a "daily briefing" about other news.

Two Feel-Good Stories

First up, from ABC News, a dog walked from her home to the hospital in which her owner is a cancer patient.

Call it coincidence or love, but a miniature Schnauzer in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, ended up at the hospital where her owner is battling cancer -- even though the dog was originally 20 blocks away at home.

A surveillance camera in the hospital lobby caught the dog entering through the automatic doors and wandering around.

The dog, named Sissy, belongs to Nancy Franck, 64, who has been at Mercy Medical Center for about two weeks following surgery. Her husband, Dale Franck, 66, had been taking care of Sissy and her brother Barney, also a miniature Schnauzer, back home.

This proves once again that we don't call them "man's best friend" for nothing, and in the case of Mrs. Franck, they're woman's best friend, too.  Read the full story.

In the other story, the Piano Guys play an impromptu number at a nursing home.  The act includes two men, one on the piano and the other on the cello, which he mostly uses as a percussion instrument.  This comes from Your Daily Bread, and was put into a BTR chatroom by luchadora, who gets the H/T.  Read the story and watch the video.

Man In North Carolina Charged With Murdering Three Students

A man has been charged with first degree murder in the shooting of three university students at a condominium complex near the University of North Carolina campus in Chapel Hill.  The victims have been identified as Deah Shaddy Barakat, his wife Yusor Mohammad, and her sister Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, all of whom were Muslim.  Barakat and Mohammad both graduated from North Carolina State University, at which Abu-Salha was a sophomore.  Barakat was a student at UNC's School of Dentistry, which Mohammad had also planned to attend.  Although police have not indicated a motive for the shootings, the suspect is reportedly an atheist who hates religion.  There may also have been a parking dispute between him and the victims.

Read more at WNCN, newsobserver and Reuters.

Brian Williams Gets Six-Month Suspension

NBC has announced the suspension of Brian Williams from his position as managing editor and anchor of NBC Nightly News, arising from his false statements about a particular helicopter ride he took during the Iraq war.  The suspension is effective immediately, will last six months, and is without pay.

I guess he now has some time to compare stories with Hillary "Tuzla Dash" Clinton.

Read more at Fox Entertainment, Politico, Variety, Page Six, and of course, NBC News.

Tuesday Links

As I ponder the residual frozen rain coating various objects in my vicinity, here are some things in the news:

From Sky News, the Russian economy is on "thin ice", as experienced by the people of Blagoveshchensk, across the Amur River from Heihe, China.

From Reuters, the rebound in oil prices loses some momentum.

From UPI, speaking of oil, the Energy Information Administration reports a "steady decrease" in the amount of crude oil imported to the U.S. Gulf Coast.

From Fox News, more snow appears to be on the way for New England.

From The Washington Free Beacon, China takes notice of the Hawaiian independence movement.

From Gateway Pundit, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) calls President Obama "delusional or in denial", thus finally realizing what he should have figured out six years ago.

From Time, former political strategist David Axelrod, in his new book Believer: My Forty Years In Politics, claims that Obama "misled Americans" when he said he was against gay marriage in 2008.  (via The Daily Caller)

From the Assyrian International News Agency, a Synod of Chaldean bishops in Iraq makes a declaration calling for efforts to liberate territory held by ISIS and to protect Iraqis returning to their homes.

From The Hill, the Obama administration refuses to release documents relating to the IRS targeting of Tea Party groups.

From ABC News, Obama has confirmed the reported death of Kayla Mueller, an American hostage held by ISIS.

From The Daily Signal, Raul Castro demands that Radio and TV Martí are shut down.

From The Washington Times, Vermont residents contest a proposed law expanding background checks and adding new regulations on guns.

From the New York Post, the man who videoed the arrest of Eric Garner has been arrested for selling drugs.

From CBS News, former CIA deputy director Michael Morell explains the influence of ISIS.

From The Verge, Neil Armstrong's widow finds a bag full of Apollo 11 souvenirs in the closet of their home.

And from Investor's Business Daily, a collection of late-night jokes.

Six Charged With Aiding Terrorists

Residents of the St. Louis area, of two places in Illinois, and of Utica, New York have been charged with sending money and supplies to terrorist groups such as ISIS and al Qaeda.  The suspects, all of whom are immigrants from Bosnia, allegedly sent military supplies including military uniforms, combat boots, tactical gear and clothing, range finders and rifle scopes.

Mediha Medy Salkicevic of Schiller Park, Illinois appeared in federal court in Chicago earlier today, and faces up to 30 years in prison.  Read more about her at NBC Chicago, ABC7 and the Chicago Tribune.

Salkicevic's co-defendants Ramiz Zijad Hodzic, his wife Sedina Unkic Hodzic, and Armin Harcevic live in St. Louis County, Missouri.  Also indicted are Nihad Rosic of Utica, New York and Jasminka Ramic of Rockford Illinois, who is currently overseas.  Read more at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and KSDK.

UPDATE:  Read more on Jasminka Ramic and her husband Fadil at The Daily Beast.

(This post's original content resumes with the next paragraph.)

In my opinion, this case raises three questions:

Film Maker Weighs In On Work Permits To Non-Citizens

Film maker Dennis Michael Lynch discusses the work permits reportedly given to millions of non-citizens by the Obama administration without consulting Congress.  From an appearance on Fox News, presented by Lynch's YouTube channel:

For more on the story, go to Fox News, The Washington Times, Russia Today, Newsmax and the Center for Immigration Studies.

Possible Domestic Terrorist Attack Against Coast Guard

Early this morning, a man driving a pickup truck attacked the Coast Guard station in Grand Haven, Michigan.  From WZZM:

A serious situation continues to unravel at the Coast Guard Station in Grand Haven.

The Grand Haven Department of Public Safety initially was investigating an incident as a potential act of domestic terrorism.

According to the department, a male suspect crashed his truck through the station gate around 6:00 Sunday morning, then broke in and assaulted Coast Guard personnel. He was subdued and arrested. He threatened to have explosives in his truck. The station was evacuated.

Grand Haven is on the shore of Lake Michigan and the mouth of the Grand River, and has the knickname "Coast Guard City USA".

Read the full story.

Jailed For Less Than Sharpton's Tax Delinquency

Every once in a while, we hear someone on the left talk about how rich people should pay their "fair share" of taxes.  For example, when running for the presidency in 1992, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton included this idea in his campaign brochure.  More recently, President Obama, in a speech relating to the "fiscal cliff" deal, stated that he was "willing to do more", if it includes asking "the wealthiest Americans to contribute and pay their fair share".  But when it comes to wealthy Americans who just happen to be his friends, Obama doesn't seem to have much to say.  Frequent White House visitor Al Sharpton currently owes millions in unpaid taxes, yet unlike some people who have owed less, hasn't gotten in any discernible trouble for it.  Writing in Fox Business, Elizabeth MacDonald points out:

Serial tax avoidance appears to be a hallmark of Al Sharpton’s operations. But there’s a warning here: Others have gone to prison for lesser amounts. The list includes rock legend Chuck Berry, Grammy winner Lauryn Hill, Ron Isley of the Isley Brothers, Survivor reality star Richard Hatch, hotel queen Leona Helmsely, and baseball’s Pete Rose (see below).

To find out what's "below," read the full story.

NJ Teen Wins Pledge Of Allegiance Court Case

From Fox News:

Samantha Jones, a senior at Highland Regional High School, declared victory Friday in protecting what she has described as the right of her fellow students to continue reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in its entirety. After hearing the teen and her family's case, a state judge dismiss the latest efforts by the American Humanist Association to remove "under God" from the Pledge.

The legal battle first began when an unnamed New Jersey family from Monmouth County, identified in court papers as John and Jane Doe and their child, sued the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District in February 2014, alleging the phrase "under God" in the pledge is discriminatory. The case was filed by the American Humanist Association, which claimed the recitation of the pledge violates Article 1 of the state's constitution.

I think that the young lady has explained her position pretty well.  From the same story:

"I don’t think that it’s as much about religion as it is about our rights. Everyone has the right to remain silent but they don’t have the right to silence everybody else," she told Fox News.

I'm reminded of old bumper sticker that said, "If you're against abortion, don't have one."  If the overriding principle on any issue is non-coercion, then "If you don't like saying 'under God', don't say it." should be just as valid.  Whatever you think, read the full story.

Thursday Links

Another cold day, another busy day in the news:

From The Daily Star, one person was killed in an attack on a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in northern Egypt.

From Frontpage Mag, more gang rapes by Muslims have been discovered in Great Britain.

From Bizpac Review, President Obama compares Islamic terrorism with the past actions of Christians.

From CNN, the widow of a terrorist who attacked a Jewish grocery store in Paris appears to have shown up in a video put out by ISIS.  (via the New York Post)

From the National Journal, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Cal) says that her fellow Democrats won't boycott the upcoming speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but some might be too busy to attend.

From TATT News, three Congressional Republicans have released their plan to replace Obamacare.

From ESPN, Seattle Seahawks player (and Virginia Tech alumnus) Kam Chancellor played in the Super Bowl despite a torn MCL and bone bruise.

From the Associated Press, in Oregon, an owl attacks a jogger and carries away his running cap.

From Multichannel News, FourthWall Media has agreed to share data with Starcom MediaVest Group.

From The Washington Times, lobbyists in Hawaii have been fined for failing to register.

From The Blaze, Norway is considering making begging and helping beggars a criminal offense.

From Watchdog.org, a disconnect between debate and reality on Medicaid.

From WIS TV, an active shooter has been reported on the campus of the University of South Carolina.

UPDATE:  The threat is over, but a possible murder-suicide has been reported.

And from Fox News, a barber in Atlanta offers free "old man" haircuts as a punishment for misbehaving children.

Jordanian King May Fly In Bombing Raid

This comes from The Daily Caller via The Right Scoop:

Jordan's King Abdullah, like his subjects, is rightly furious that ISIS executed a Jordanian pilot by burning him alive last month.  According to some reports, his retaliation might just get personal.  As the Daily Caller points out:

Jordan’s King Abdullah ibn al-Hussein, who has trained as a pilot, may fly a bomber himself on Thursday in the country’s retaliation against the ISIS.

Several Arabic-language newspapers reported late Wednesday that the monarch would personally participate in bombing raids on the terrorist group, citing his vow Tuesday to “strike them in their strongholds.”

The king was in Washington when news broke Tuesday of pilot Muadh al-Kasasbeh’s demise at the hands of ISIS extremists. Meeting with the House Armed Services Committee shortly before leaving for Amman, he reportedly quoted the Clint Eastwood’s film “Unforgiven” and said that Jordan would pursue the jihadis until it ran “out of fuel and bullets.”

Nowadays, heads of state don't normally go into combat, but there was a time when kings, emperors and pharoahs commonly led their military forces into battle.  I only regret that I don't know how to say "Give 'em one for me" in Arabic.  Read the story at the two links above.

UPDATE:  From Al Arabiya, the Jordanian air force conducts air strikes against ISIS, reported by Iraqi media to have killed 55 of their fighters, including a commander known as the "Prince of Nineveh".  Whether King Abdullah was involved in this specific operation has not been indicated.

Vending Machines To Dispense Marijuana

If you're authorized to purchase marijuana in Washington, you can now get it from a vending machine.  In article appropriately entitled "Vending machines are going to pot", CBS News reports:

In Seattle, pot is going the way of candy bars and Coca-Colas-- meaning people can now zip over to their local dispensary and purchase marijuana products from a vending machine.

But unlike your typical soda machine, these marijuana vending machines won't be in shopping centers or public places, reports CBS Seattle affiliate KIRO. Instead, they're available at the Seattle Caregivers medical marijuana dispensary, where they can be accessed only by people who are 21 and older, with a valid ID and medical authorization.

Before you get the urge to light one up, read the full story.

Canadian Police Charge 3 With Terrorism

Canadian police have charged three Ottawa men with conspiracy to facilitate a terrorist act, knowingly participating in the activities of a terror group, and counselling a person to knowingly participate in a terrorist activity.  One of the men, Awso Peshdary, has been arrested, while the other two, John Maguire and Khadar Khalib, have been charged in absentia.  Maguire and Khalib are believed to be in Syria or Iraq.  Maguire has been reported dead, but his death has not been confirmed.

Read more at CTV News, CBS News, CBC News, The Huffington Post and Fox News.

Warren Sapp Arrested For Solicitation

Via The Daily Caller:

Former NFL player Warren Sapp has been arrested for solicitating a prostitute and assault.  As a result, he has been suspended without pay by the NFL Network pending the results of the police investigation.  Police have reported that there are two female alleged victims, who were each cited for an offense and then released.

Read the story at TMZ Sports.

The Cat Is The Hat

Apparently, some people have decided that wearing fur is OK, if the animal of which the fur is part is still alive.  From boredpanda:

Most animal lovers hate the idea of wearing fur because of the needless death and suffering it causes, but there's a perfect compromise if you want to look absolutely fabulous without hurting anything – just wear a lazy live cat!

And thus was born the cat-as-a-hat selfie.  Don't these people know that the cat is supposed to be IN the hat?

Read the full story.