Obama sending Muslims subtle message?

How many of our fellow countrymen thought the same thing when viewing this official White House photo (by Pete Souza) of the president with his shod foot firmly planted upon an historic American treasure - the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office?

Is it possible I might have misinterpreted this photo, which played prominently on the Drudge Report site last Sunday? Is it possible President Obama had a White House photographer release this official image to the world to send a wordless message of support to the Muslim Brotherhood, Arab street and Islamic community in general? To convey his disdain and disregard for all things traditionally American? It is, after all, common knowledge that the Arab world considers the bottom of one's shoes the ultimate sign of disrespect. And it's not the first time he's done it.

"In Arab culture it's considered rude even to display the sole of one's shoe to a fellow human being." ... "The sensitivity is related to the fact shoes are considered ritually unclean in the Muslim faith." Now that makes a lot of sense, and should BBC readers wish to keep the matter firmly in mind for a future visit to the Muslim world: "Shoes should either be left at the door of the mosque, or carried (preferably in the left hand with the soles pressed together)." – Al Jazeera

It also wouldn't be the first time Obama has used photos to convey a not so subtle message to his intended audiences.

Twitchy gathered comments from others on Twitter who were incensed to see Obama's careless disrespect for America's treasures. And though I agree with their righteous indignation, is it possible they missed the intended point Obama sought to make?

Secretary of State John F. Kerry's appearance on Fox News' Sunday program was described as "painful to watch" by Fox News éminence grise Brit Hume. Show host Chris Wallace's questioning reduced Kerry to a meltdown, according to this Twitter observer.

The Right Brothers tweeted: "Laughing aloud watching #Kerry stumble and fumble thru the intvw on @FoxNewsSunday Wallace pounding him. Kerry stammering, rambling. #Syria".

The inimitable Lucianne Goldberg tweeted, "Now is the day for the question to John Kerry, 'Why the long face, Mr. Secretary?'"

Well now that you mention it Lucianne, Kerry's visage actually seemed fuller and smoother than usual, as though it had been prepared for a funeral home viewing. Hmmm ... facelift? Botox? Paint and powder?

Many more comments here.

Related: Famous war quotes, Obama-style.

Speaking of "War and Facepaint," Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., tweeted, "Americans don't support war in #Syria & neither does Congress. No clear U.S. interest or strategy. We don't want entanglement in this war" – and also amplified the voices of veterans opposed to Obama's intervention in Syria by retweeting dozens of their comments:

The Michigan representative also had a thing or two to say about POTUS' about-face regarding "pinpoint" attacks on Syria:

Where's Waldo, redux.

By the way, anyone know when Hillary will weigh in on this Syria business? The folks at I Own the World are wondering. If you find out, let us know. Thank you.

And I'm the idiot?

“So we’re bombing Syria because Syria is bombing Syria? And I’m the idiot?” former Alaska governor Sarah Palin Facebooked to her followers in an August 30th post.

"Bottom line is that this is about President Obama saving political face because of his ‘red line’ promise regarding chemical weapons,” Palin wrote.

The title of her Facebook post? “LET ALLAH SORT IT OUT.” A "capitol" idea, Governor!

Fun stuff!

"Come fly with me, let's float down to Peru
In Llama land, there's a one man band
And he'll toot his flute for you
Come fly with me, let's take off in the blue" – Frank Sinatra,
(lyrics by James Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn)

Now you can "fly away" with Airpano, a 3D aerial panoramic view of the world developed by a group of Russian photographers and enthusiasts. Some of the places you can "fly to" include Barcelona, Spain; Everest from the height of 7,000 meters, Nepal; Santorini (Thira), Oia, Greece, and yes, even Peru.

Air Traffic

There are thousands of aircraft in the air right now. And you can watch them move across the globe. Want to know what types of plane they are? The origination point? Where they're going? What altitude they're flying in real time, and at what speed, what direction longitudinally and latitudinally? Want to view your region or town? Info is re-calculated every 10 seconds. On some aircraft, you can also click "view from the cockpit" and "see" what the pilot is seeing.

Flight Radar 24 is free and gives you a fascinating look at flights coming and going all over the world.

Top Blogs of the Week

"Real Science" gets our vote for sharp, pithy observations about current events.

Western Rifle Shooters Association keeps your hearts hardened, your bodies toughened, and your minds disciplined. NOT for the weak-kneed.

All the Right Snark - Biting wit and photoshops for discriminating tastes. As The World's Most Interesting Man might observe, "I don't always say something clever online, but when I do, it's usually from the Right Snark."