SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:52 P.M. ET:

CALLING JOE BIDEN, OR SOMEONE – From the Washington Times:  A federal judge ordered the State Department on Thursday to work with the FBI to get access to the 32,000 emails former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said were personal and that she didn’t return to the government, as the courts get more deeply involved in the Democratic presidential front-runner’s email practices.  This is getting very serious.  Courts on the federal level are really tough to buy off; the FBI is pretty straightarrow.  There are reports of virtual panic in the Democratic Party.  It's hard to hold a presidential inauguration in a federal prison. 

AMERICA IN THE AGE OF OBAMA – From The Wrap:  Police agencies in Southern California are increasing their presence around movie theaters, specifically in urban areas, as Universal prepares to release “Straight Outta Compton” on Friday, law enforcement insiders tell TheWrap.  The Los Angeles Police Department plans to dispatch additional officers to theaters in its Southwest Division, which includes Baldwin Hills, Baldwin Village, Crenshaw, Exposition Park, Jefferson Park, Leimert Park and West Adams, a department insider said.  “There will be extra patrols around the theaters, cars and foot patrol. But not only because of the movie that’s coming out, but in light of all the recent activity in the country,” the LAPD insider explained.  Nice, huh?  Does our vacationing president have any comments on the need to protect movie theaters...from the audience and the community?  Don't bother him.

GUARDIAN OF OUR SAFETY – From CBS:  DURANGO, Colo. (CBS4) – Gov. John Hickenlooper, who famously said he drank fracking fluid to make a point about its safety, drank from the recently contaminated Animas River on Wednesday.  Three million gallons of waste from the Gold King Mine poured into the Animas River last week, prompting a state of emergency and a shutdown of all river activities.  The governor toured the affected area on Tuesday, the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency arrived on Wednesday, and the attorneys general of three states were present to ask questions.  This man needs counseling, or a full-time nurse.

FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT – Knowing our readership as I do, I think you'll like this: There is a tradition in the British armed forces,  started in World War I, to select a female singer to represent the military.  She is known as the “forces sweetheart.” In World War II the best-known “sweetheart” was Vera Lynn, who became one of the most popular singers  of her era, and made famous some of the great songs of the war years,  especially “We’ll Meet Again.” Vera Lynn is still alive. A more recent “sweetheart” was Katherine Jenkins, an operatic singer who has maintained the tradition  of singing songs of World War II.

Early this year the Brits marked the 70th anniversary of D-Day. Katherine Jenkins performed “We’ll Meet Again” at a gala concert, singing in counterpoint to a film of Vera Lynn singing the same song during the war. It’s a very nice effect.  Enjoy.  Here's the link:  "We'll Meet Again"

August 13, 2015