Putin, cutting off the nose to spite the face.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during meeting with WWII veterans in Staraya Russa, Novgorod region, Russia, Monday, April 6, 2015. Putin spoke against attempts to redraw history to serve current political needs. (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Alexei Nikolsky, Presidential Press Service)

Putin last week ordered that all foreign imported foods be destroyed.    Hmm.  

From the Telegraph:

Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian prime minister, on Friday approved a detailed plan to destroy embargoed “agricultural products, raw materials, and food products” from the United States, the European Union, Australia, Canada and Norway if they are found being brought into Russian territory.

The pungent fumes of incinerated Australian beef, Dutch carrots, and European cheese are due to rise over Russia’s frontiers from August 6.

Russia banned lots of foreign imports last year in retaliation for sanctions applied towards Russia for its annexation of Crimea.

They hope to spur domestic production, or some such thing.  We are blessed here in the US.  We export more food than we import.  We pay farmers to not produce, for a verity of reasons.  Russia, on the other hand, has to import.

Applying my dusty ol’ poly-sci edumuckation, its more likely he’s trying to spur some nationalist sentiment.  Note the ban does not cover alcohol…..  Of course, just because a county imports nearly 40% of its food, as I heard in this case, does not mean that it needs to.

The ban covers fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy products, fish, and most meat. Exemptions from the ban include alcoholic beverages, cured meats and cereal products. Food brought in by individuals for their personal use is also exempt.

So, this Ukrainian conflict, can we expect it, and the sanctions applied against Russia, to continue?

I’m guessing, Yes.

And yet another issue ignored by popular media here.

Related:

http://www.summer.harvard.edu/blog-news-events/conflict-ukraine-historical-perspective

http://csis.org/ukraine/index.htm

http://www.euronews.com/tag/crisis-in-ukraine/

http://www.theguardian.com/world/ukraine

S.C. Commission: No more prayers allowed since controversy over Muslim prayer.

Local government boards have long opened meetings with a religious invocation. In recent years, counties that have regularly opened with Christian prayer have been forced to revisit their practices. A federal judge ruled earlier this year that the practice of opening meetings in nearby Rowan County with only Christian prayers violated the U.S. Constitution. The county is appealing the ruling.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article29931514.html#storylink=cpy

The order of the Court, after the ACLU filed its complaint against the County:

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCOURTS-ncmd-1_13-cv-00207/pdf/USCOURTS-ncmd-1_13-cv-00207-0.pdf

Goodbye Captain Quint.

Saturday.  Sitting, getting some work done, some blogging.  Jaws is on.  Just saw Captain Quint get eaten.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys4V-MSXnAM

For a mechanical shark, that was a skeery scene.  Pretty good for 1975.

Moments later Brody (Roy Scheider) blows Jaws up with a propane tank, using an M1.  Totally plausible.  Of Course.

NorCal Officer Pulls Gun on Man Filming Him.

Originally posted on 8/6/2015:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/policeman-pulls-gun-homeowner-filming-6206065

A police officer is being investigated after a video emerged of him pulling a gun on a man recording him from a cellphone.

The footage shows a Rohnert Park public safety officer driving toward Don McComas and stopping outside his home as he is filming.

The officer looks like he jokingly starts to film him back before getting out of the police vehicle and telling McComas to take his hand out of his pocket. 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3186904/Shocking-moment-Northern-California-officer-pulls-gun-man-recording-cellphone.html#ixzz3i3S28EuT

UPDATE:

The LA Times reports the officer has been put on leave. He should be offered an early retirement.

Some say “Hey, he had his hands in his pocket… .” That’s not any excuse.  If I’m standing at the end of my drive next to the road, cell-phone in hand and my other hand in pocket, and LE drives by, I expect a friendly nod.  Not, “Hey, you some crazy constitutionalist or somethin?” at the barrel of a gun.

VA Confiscation.

From TTAG:

There’s a very dangerous game being played here. Much like with the terrorist watch list, people could be added to these secret no-gun lists at any time (and even by mistake) and then get a lovely knock on their door from the friendly local FBI agent to come violate their constitutionally guaranteed right to keep and bear arms.

So much for due process (the comments in that TTAG post are interesting… .  Especially as some anti’s showed up).

Another reason to get rid of the current administration…. .  And to fear Hillary, Sanders, etc.

Regarding the Supreme Court:

… can you imagine any replacement appointed by Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Martin O’Malley or Bernie Sanders who would assert: “Self-defense is a basic right” and “the central component” of the Second Amendment’s guarantee of an individual’s right to keep and bear arms? 

Answer, No.  I cannot imagine that.

Report: China set to provide Iran with fighter jets in $1 billion deal.

I liked Carly Fiorina’s debate statement from last week:

From the Blaze.com:

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina said during Thursday’s debate that she would make two phone calls on her first day as president.

“On day one in the Oval Office I will make two phone calls. The first one would be to my friend Bibi Netanyahu to assure him we will stand with the state of Israel,” she said.

“The second will be to the supreme leader of Iran. He might not take my phone call. But he would get my message. And the message is this: Until you open every nuclear facility and every military facility to full, open, anytime, anywhere inspections — for real — we are going to make it as difficult as possible for you to move money around the global financial system,” she continued.

Iran just made a deal to get some Chinese J-10‘s.  That aircraft could carry a nuke.  Among other things.  Iran also made an order for aerial re-fueling aircraft from the Russians.

Obama’s made a big, big mistake.  One that cannot, imho, be undone.