SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:55 P.M. ET: 

AND THE NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN MEMORIAL PRIZE GOES TO... – From Times of Israel:   British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Monday he believed in Iranian’s genuine desire to “turn a page” with the West and develop better ties, the Telegraph reported.  Hammond spoke at the end of a two-day visit to Tehran and a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to mark the reopening of the two nations’ respective embassies after a break of several years.  While he stressed that the countries’ relations remained complex and difficult, he said Iran as a regional power was too important to ignore on Middle East issues.  “It’s hard to see what is the point of advocating dialog with someone who you know has a very different view of the world from you, unless you are anticipating some give and take,” he said.  He added that the visit had changed his view of the Islamic republic.  I'm surprised he didn't say he was bringing us peace in our times.  What is it about British diplomats?

MORE NUTSINESS FROM BRITAIN – From Fox:   Hard-left British politician Jeremy Corbyn, who has sought warmer ties with Putin’s Russia and compared U.S. troops to ISIS, appears to be leading the race to take over one of Britain’s two major parties – a development that could have serious repercussions for the "special relationship" between the U.K. and U.S.  The Labor Party – one of two main parties along with Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party – lost the general election in May under the leadership of the left-wing Ed Miliband, who resigned, triggering a vote for a new leader. Many analysts assumed the center-left party would move back to the center with a new leader in the mold of former Prime Minister Tony Blair.  The analysts appear to have been wrong.  Oh, that's okay.  Obama will love Corbyn.  Remember, it was Obama who sent back to Britain the bust of Winston Churchill that rested in the Oval Office, in an obvious snub.  Now Obama can order a bust of Jeremy Corbyn.

WELL, YOU'VE GOT TO INVEST IN SOMETHING – From space.com:   Could the first Mars colony be called Buffettville, or Zuckerburgh?  The Netherlands-based nonprofit Mars One aims to establish a permanent settlement on the Red Planet, beginning with the touchdown of the first four pioneers in 2027. The biggest challenges facing the project are financial rather than technical, so a big donation from a deep-pocketed person concerned about his or her legacy could make a huge difference, Mars One representatives said.  Mars One "is so ambitious and — I think 'crazy' is the right word — that we might actually get a phone call from a billionaire who says, 'I want to make this happen. I want the first city on Mars to be called Gatesville or Slim City," said Mars One co-founder and CEO Bas Lansdorp, presumably referring to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim Helu.  Believe me, it'll be called Trump Tower. 

August 25, 2015