Yeah, I’m playing catch-up.  Been very busy since last week.  I have a little to say about a lot of things, so now comes a slam of quick posts.

(1)  As for the clash in Phoenix between Islamophobes and would-be terrorists, the Islamophobes went home disappointed.  No violence. No anything, really:

Protesters at Friday’s “Freedom of Speech” rally outside a Phoenix mosque were met by counterprotesters.

The two groups lined both sides of the street in front of the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix and yelled at each other, with a line of police officers standing in the middle of the street to keep them separated, CNN affiliate KNXV reported.

***

“When we see these two things … then obviously it becomes more of a concern,” [Imraan Siddiqi with the Council on American-Islamic Relations] said. “We’re advising people … it’s better to stay clear from the event, don’t engage with these people.”

Good advice.

(2)  Who has joined the 2016 presidential race since I last blogged:

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont (D)
Former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley (D)
Former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee (D)
U.S. Senator Lindsay Graham of South Carolina (R)
Former New York Governor George Pataki (R)
Current Texas Governor Rick Perry (R) (just this morning)

That’s four Dems total.  And on the clown car side, that makes ten total (and we haven’t included Bush, Walker, Trump, Jindel or Christie)!