Friday, September 29, 2023

One Last Hike

This morning I decided to get in one last bit of exercise here in Arizona, so I drove to a nearby park, from which I accessed a trail that ran alongside and sometimes crossed over a drainage channel.  From near where I caught the trail, here's the view south.

Diane Feinstein 1933-2023

Senator Diane Feinstein (D-Cal) has died at her home in Washington, D.C. at the age of 90.  She had been hospitalized with shingles and was suffering from complications of the singles infection.  She was the longest-serving woman in the history of the Senate.

Diane Emiel Goldman was born in San Francisco to surgeon Leon Goldman and the former Betty Rosenburg, who had been a model.  She graduated from Stanford University in 1955 and was appointed mayor by San Francisco's Board of Supervisors in 1978 after Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk were assassinated by a former supervisor.  In 1990, she ran for California governor but lost to U.S. Senator Pete Wilson (R).  In 1992, after Wilson resigned from the Senate, Feinstein won the special election to replace him.  She remained in the Senate until her death.

Feinstein was married three times and kept the last name of her second husband Bertram Feinstein, who was a neurosurgeon.  She is survived by her daughter Katherine Feinstein Mariano and granddaughter Eileen Feinstein Mariano.

Read more at ABC News, AP News, CNN, CNBC and Politico.

Poston Butte

After I left Casa Grande National Monument in Coolidge, Arizona, I drove eastward to the nearby town of Florence and then over to the Poston Butte Preserve to take a hike up its titular hill.  The place is named after Charles Debrille Poston (1825-1902), who lobbied President Abraham Lincoln and Congress to create an Arizona Territory separate from New Mexico Territory, and is thus called the "Father of Arizona".  I'm not sure that Poston Butte is a true butte, but that's what it's called.

To start my hike, I parked near the start of the trail that leads to the hill and its summit.  But first, hikers must pass under a railroad track.

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Return To Casa Grande

Today I went to another place that I first visited in 2002, Casa Grande National Monument in Coolidge, Arizona.  Like then, the day was cloudy, but the lower light levels didn't ruin my pictures.  Unlike then, I have a digital camera and can put the photos on the Interwebz.  (Yes, south central AZ has cloudy days.)  The park and its largest structure are both called Casa Grande, which is Spanish for "big house".  The largest structure is also called SiwaƱ Wa'a Ki:, which is O'odham for "big house", and which can also be rendered Sivan Wahki.  (There is also a city named Casa Grande about 15 miles southwest of Coolidge, but that's not where this national monument is located.)  Here's the "big house" seen from its east side under its protective ramada.

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Papago Park In Phoenix

In the eastern part of Phoenix is Papago Park, which includes the Desert Botanical Garden and the Phoenix Zoo.  I decide to visit the park to see two other sites.  The first is the Hole in the Rock, which is located between the botanical garden and the zoo.  As you can see from this shot from a distance, there really is a big rock with a hole in it.  The pond in the foreground is one of several community fishing waters in the park.

A Bit Of Roosevelt, Arizona

Yesterday after I left Tonto National Monument, I made a brief stop in nearby Roosevelt.  This bridge goes over the lake of the same name.  You can see its reflection in the water below.

Tonto National Monument

After visiting Besh-Ba-Gowah in Globe, Arizona, I headed northward on state route 188 to a place named Roosevelt and the nearby Tonto National Monument.  This park includes two cliff dwellings built by the same Salado people who also built Besh-Ba-Gowah.  Exactly who the Salado were is not universally agreed on.  Depending on who you talk to, they were a group of Puebloans (a.k.a. Anasazi) who left their home farther north, or an offshoot of the Hohokam to the south, or even a mixture of peoples who moved into what is known as the Tonto Basin.  Of the two cliff dwellings, the lower one is reached from the park's visitor center by a paved trail about a half mile long, but which gains about 350 feet in elevation.  (Thus, don't let the name "lower cliff dwelling" fool you.)  Several benches are located along the trail to enable visitors to catch their breath.  From an outdoor patio at the visitor center, I got a view of Roosevelt Lake, with some cacti and trees in the foreground.

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Return To Besh-Ba-Gowah

Back in 2002 during a previous trip to Arizona, I stopped in at the ruins of a site called Besh-Ba-Gowah and its adjacent museum in the city of Globe.  I decided to visit the place again.  It was built and occupied from about 1225 to 1400 by the Salado people, and later named by the Apache, which name roughly translates to "place of metal".  This time, the museum was closed but anyone visiting was allowed to walk around the ruins, so I did.  From what I understand, the ruins are partially reconstructed.  Here are the remains of some walls, which were made of rocks and mud-based mortar.

An Old Tunnel Near U.S. 60

Today I went out exploring again and was able to find several places in which to do that sort of thing.  One of them is just east of Superior, Arizona along U.S. 60, where the highway passes through a tunnel.  This current tunnel is part of a rerouting.  From a pullout on the eastbound lanes of the highway, a trail leads to the original tunnel.  In fact, most of the trail itself was U.S. 60 at one time.  From the pullout, you can see this ravine.  Unlike the one near the Blythe Intaglios, I wasn't about to climb down in and back out of this one.  In other words, I can be stupid, but not that stupid.

The Blythe Intaglios

After seeing all those sights in and around Quartzsite, Arizona, I had one more destination, which was across the Colorado River in California.  It was a place I had visited in 1998 on an archaeological tour, but according to some online research, there were some parts of the site that I did not get to see at that time.  This means that, according to the math, if you were born during my first visit, you are now eligible to run for congresscritter.  The Blythe Intaglios are located about 12 miles north of Blythe, California, just off U.S. 95, and like the Bouse Fisherman of my earlier post, are geoglyphs created by Native Americans centuries ago.

(In Quartzsite, I ate lunch and then gassed up my rental car for $4.05 per gallon.  After I left Interstate 10 in California, I saw gas stations charging $6.09 for regular.  Thanks a lot, Gavin and Joe.)

The intaglios themselves are arranged in three different locations within the site.  The first group includes three of them within two enclosures.  In one enclosure is a human figure, whose "head" points roughly northward.  Unfortunately, a line possibly added by paleface vandals crosses its "legs".

Sights In And Around Quartzsite, Arizona

Today I drove from Phoenix westward to the town of Quartzsite, through which Interstate 10 passes.  I successfully found several places that I wanted to see.  Two of them are close to each other and just over 10 miles from Quartzsite itself.  I reached the first one by hiking in the desert from a parking area on Plomosa Road, which is connected at its west end to state route 95 about six miles north of Quartzsite.

Sunday, September 24, 2023

A Few Things From A Traveling Sasquatch

Today I've been taking it easy, a day after my flights, except to visit the one person in the Phoenix area whom I know.  The identity of this person will not be revealed, in order to protect the innocent.  Meanwhile, here are a few things going on:

From The Hill, according to congresscritter George Santos (R-NY), Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) should not have to resign because "he's innocent until proven guilty".

From the Daily Caller, several of the former intelligence officials who signed a letter alleging that the Hunter Biden laptop story was Russian disinformation have found jobs in the Biden administration.

From the New York Post, El Paso, Texas is "at a breaking point" as thousands of migrants keep illegally crossing the border.

From Newsmax, the storm Ophelia weakens, but brings more rain to the east coast.

From American Thinker, New York City tries to deter crime on its subway system with a robot.

From TCW Defending Freedom, police in Uxbridge, England tell a group of Christians that their Bible-based posters are anti-social.

From CNBC, according to the leaders of the Armenian-majority Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh, its 120,000 ethnic Armenians fear ethnic cleansing and want to migrate to Armenia.

From Gatestone Institute, "carving the golden goose" that is Africa.

From The Stream, how Conformity Of Opinion DEI offices weaponize universities in Virginia, with my own alma mater as a case in point.

And from the Post Millennial, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau honor a 98-year-old veteran who fought in World War II - for Nazi Germany's Waffen SS.

Saturday, September 23, 2023

My Latest Trip

I have spent most of today flying out to my latest undisclosed location in Arizona.  My trip started out with a short flight from Washington, D.C. to Charlotte, North Carolina, perhaps through some of the outer parts of Tropical Storm Ophelia.  Afterwards, I had a long flight to Phoenix, which arrived a few minutes early.  Then came the real adventure.  The rental car company, which for the time being will remain nameless, had very few cars in its bay.  This resulted in those of us who were seeking to pick up our rental cars having to wait until previously rented cars were returned.  I must have spent over two hours in the rental center.  As you might expect, my comments on this hassle are unprintable.

But now that I've settled into my temporary residence, I can plan for the upcoming week's adventures.  Travel reports will be posted in due course.  See youz soon.

Friday, September 22, 2023

Friday Fuss

On a cloudy and somewhat cool Friday, here are some things going on:

From National Review, the corruption indictment of Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) must be read to be believed.

From FrontpageMag, amid rumors that Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) has been replaced with a body double, the biggest oddity gets overlooked.

From Townhall, our self-inflicted disaster at the southern border.

From The Washington Free Beacon, more on the indictment of Senator Menendez.

From the Washington Examiner, Senator Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) confirms that Menendez will step down as leader of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

From The Federalist, don't expect the IRS to ever investigate the "Zuckbucks" affair.

From American Thinker, Presidents Biden (U.S.) and Lula da Silva (Brazil) are as "thick as thieves".

From MRCTV, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona chastises parents for having the nerve to think that they know what's right for their kids.

From NewsBusters, The View goes Sergeant Schultz on Senator Menendez's indictment.

From TeleSUR, the Brazilian Supreme Court supports decriminalizing abortion.

From TCW Defending Freedom, the floods in Libya were caused by defective dams, not climate change.

From Snouts in the Trough, roll up your sleeve and get the latest coronavirus booster.

From The Jerusalem Post, the last Jew in Yemen has been held hostage by the Houthi rebels.

From Gatestone Institute, Turkey has "an air force without wings".

From The Stream, there probably should be a law.

From The Daily Signal, the United Auto Workers strike pits the blues against the greens.

From The American Conservative, Poland runs out of patience.

From BizPac Review, the Chief Twit blasts the media for going Sergeant Schultz on the border crisis.

From The Daily Wire, police in the U.K. drop their investigation of a woman who was arrested for praying silently near an abortion facility.

From the Daily Caller, some details from the many-times-aforementioned indictment of Senator Menendez.

From the New York Post, the drug store chain Rite Aid reportedly proposes to close up to 500 stores under a bankruptcy plan.

From Breitbart, Biden thinks that you shouldn't own a gun if need 80 shots in a magazine.

From Newsmax, according to Speaker McCarthy (R-Cal), passing a short-term spending bill is still possible.

And from the Genesius Times, in switching from Democrat to Republican, Eric Johnson of Dallas becomes the black white supremacist mayor.

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Thursday Things

As the warm and sunny weather continues on a Thursday, here are some things going on:

From National Review, the sordid allegations against actor and media figure Russell Brand.

From FrontpageMag, the corporate media gets its orders on the potential impeachment of President Biden.

From Townhall, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton tells right-wing journalist Tucker Carlson who he thinks was behind the effort to remove him from office by impeachment.

From The Washington Free Beacon, meet the househusbands of the congresscritters known as the "Squad", with an "honorable mention" going to AOC's (D-NY) fiancƩ.

From the Washington Examiner, Biden takes a page from Mr. Bill's reelection strategy, but there might be a fatal flaw.

From The Federalist, the collapse of the southern border is not an accident, but intentional.

From American Thinker, who are all these thousands of Venezuelans illegally marching into Eagle Pass, Texas?

From MRCTV, video footage from Eagle Pass, Texas.

From NewsBusters, NBC notices the border crisis as the networks insist that Biden is in control and "taking action".

From Canada Free Press, how leftists have used irrationality to overturn society.

From TeleSUR, more on the influx of migrants entering Eagle Pass, Texas.

From TCW Defending Freedom, no, falling birth rates are not good for the environment.

From EuroNews, what are the economic benefits of cities without cars?

From Voice Of Europe, Czech Defense Minister Jana ÄŒernochovĆ” criticizes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over his remarks about Poland.

From ReMix, although Italy is trying to improve its migration crisis, talks of a possible naval blockade are greatly exaggerated.

From Balkan Insight, Bulgaria expels three Russian Orthodox Church clerics for alleged spying.

From The North Africa Post, the Moroccan investment firm Al Mada and the Chinese company CNGR announce a partnership to build an electric vehicle battery plant in Jorf Lasfar, Morocco.

From The New Arab, according to the International Organization for Migration, the flood in Derna, Libya has displaced 43,000 people.

From Gatestone Institute, Palestinians regard concessions by Israel as a sign of weakness.

From The Stream, the goals of communists in America.

From The Daily Signal, the rising cost of living and its effect on everyday Americans is an underreported story.

From BizPac Review, Fox News files a FOIA request for First Son Hunter Biden's mugshot.

From The Daily Wire, YouTube user Brett Cooper joins the cast of the series The Pendragon Cycle, based on the novels by Stephen R. Lawhead.  (Yours truly read three of these novels a few years decades back.)

From the Daily Caller, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refuses to answer a question about the border crisis from correspondent Peter Doocy and cuts him off.

From the New York Post, Biden sends 800 more troops to the southern border, to help with logistics and paperwork.

From Breitbart, congresscritter Ken Buck (R-Col) seeks to leave Congress and become a CNN contributor.

From Newsmax, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) doesn't agree with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-NY) decision to relax the chamber's dress code.

And from CheckYourFact, no, two Republican Missouri state Senators did not burn books.

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Wednesday Whatnot

On a partly sunny and comfortably warm Wednesday, here are some things going on:

From National Review, does Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) really want his job?

From FrontpageMag, convicted murdered and illegal alien Danelo Cavalcante was President Biden's gift to America.

From Townhall, a coalition of Republican organizations and lawmakers sue New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) over "no-excuse" absentee voting.

From The Washington Free Beacon, Mississippi gubernatorial candidate Brandon Presley (D) appears guilty of being a plane hypocrite.  (Let's go, Brandon!)

From the Washington Examiner, Seattle ends its homelessness initiative after two years.

From The Federalist, what Congress should ask FBI agent Elvis Chan about the censorship of the Hunter Biden laptop story.

From American Thinker, the evolution of America's police state.

From MRCTV, McDonald's restaurant owners get alarmed at California's mandate for a $20 per hour minimum wage.

From NewsBusters, right-wing commentator Mark Levin goes after California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) and other Democrats for their latest assault on American energy.

From Canada Free Press, persecution comes in many forms and from many directions.

From TeleSUR, a car bomb in Timba, Colombia kills two people and injures two others.

From TCW Defending Freedom, a 20-mph speed limit is merely the first part of a stranglehold put on Wales.

From Snouts in the Trough, they're doing it because they know that they can.

From EuroNews, who has been throwing sandwiches onto roads between the German villages of Kƶnigsborn and Heyrothsberge?

From Voice Of Europe, parents in Halle an der Saale, Germany set up protection escorts for their children after a series of migrant-related incidents.

From ReMix, Ukraine rejects 10 Leopard 1A5 tanks sent by Germany due to their unsatisfactory condition.  (Have I picked on Germany enough today?)

From Balkan Insight, UNESCO adds the Greek region of Zagori to its world heritage list.  (Although the region is in Greece, its name appears to be derived from the Slavic words za, which means "beyond", and gori, which means "mountains" and whose singular is gora.  Thus, the name appears to mean "beyond the mountains".)

From The North Africa Post, Moroccan King Mohammed VI orders a $12 billion reconstruction program for earthquake-stricken areas of his country.

From The New Arab, why Jordan is troubled by question of who will succeed Mahmoud Abbas as the leader of the Palestinian Authority.

From OpIndia, a Muslim Indian actor is slammed by other Muslims for celebrating a day honoring the Hindu deity Ganesha.

From the Daily Mail, an Indonesian TikTok user is given two years in jail for a video of herself eating pork after reciting an Islamic prayer.

From British Asian Christian Association, two alleged incidents of blasphemy occur in the Pakistani cities of Lahore and Khamewal.

From Gatestone Institute, another dream for the Palestinians.

From The Stream, explaining the phenomenon that is singer Taylor Swift.

From The Daily Signal, congresscritter Andy Ogles (R-TN) explains the four things a continuing resolution must have in order to get his vote.

From BizPac Review, congresscritter Jim Jordan (R-OH) blasts Attorney General Merrick Garland for "two standards of justice".

From The Daily Wire, according to a poll, a majority of likely voters in Virginia believe that delegate candidate Susanna Gibson (D) should drop out.

From the Daily Caller, according to reports, former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake (R) is "very likely" to run for Senator.

From the New York Post, speaking in New York City, Biden again avoids mentioning the city's migrant crisis.

From Breitbart, according to Senator J.D. Vance, Biden's agenda is "explicitly designed" to send automotive jobs offshore.

From Newsmax, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) files cloture on Senator Tommy Tuberville's (R-AL) block on military nominations.

And from SFGate, for a cool $75 million, an entire island in the San Francisco bay can be yours.

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Tuesday Tidings

As the sunny and comfortably warm weather continues on a Tuesday, here are some things going on:

From National Review, Republican politicians blast the new Senate dress code (or lack thereof) as "pathetic" and "disgraceful".

From FrontpageMag, did you hear about the Muslim who allegedly stabbed to police officers in Times Square in New York City?

From Townhall, lawmakers demand that the Biden administration explain the presence of Chinese spies near military bases.

From The Washington Free Beacon, the push for electric vehicles is central to the complaints made by auto industry workers.

From the Washington Examiner, what the media won't tell you about the UAW strike.

From The Federalist, the "authoritative list" of lies told by President Biden.

From American Thinker, a review of Mark Levin's book The Democratic Party Hates America.

From MRCTV, Oak Park High School in Kansas City, Missouri crowns a biological male as its homecoming queen - for the second time.

From NewsBusters, ABC moderator Whoopi Goldberg cheers the Senate's new dumbed-down dress code.

From Canada Free Press, First Son Hunter Biden acts like the legendary character Peer Gynt.

From TeleSUR, UNESCO declares Argentina's Navy Mechanics School Museum a world heritage sites.

From TCW Defending Freedom, ignorance is bliss for the slave to the coronavirus vaccines.

From EuroNews, European Union member states snub Spanish Prime Minister Pedro SƔnchez's plan to have Catalan, Galician and Basque become official E.U. languages.

From Voice Of Europe, Denmark pledges to send 45 more tanks to Ukraine.

From ReMix, foreigners commit 69 percent of the robberies, violent crime, and sexual assaults on public transport in the French region of ĆŽle-de-France.

From Balkan Insight, the E.U. warns Kosovo and Serbia that there will be repercussions if their normalization deal is not implemented.

From The North Africa Post, the military leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger create a mutual defense agreement.

From The New Arab, communication links cut to Derna, Libya after protests break out.

From The Jerusalem Post, Tunisian President Kais Saied links the storm that caused the flood in Derna, Libya to Zionism because it was named "Daniel".  (This name comes from the Hebrew language.)

From Palestinian Media Watch, Palestinian UNRWA workers have a negative opinion about LGBT+.

From Gatestone Institute, the Chinese Communist Party infiltrates American schools.

From The Stream, why we should think about the Roman Empire.

From The Daily Signal, more about the CCP's influence in American schools, according to congresscritter Aaron Bean (R-FL).

From The American Conservative, is the app TikTok the way to Generation-Z's ballot?

From BizPac Review, desperate Chicago residents ask local politicians to close the city's borders, but learn that the federal government is running the show.

From The Daily Wire, a committee of the New York City Council is set to vote on a proposal that would result in monuments to George Washington, Christopher Columbus, and others to be taken down.

From the Daily Caller, Ray Epps, who is seen on video encouraging protesters to enter the Capitol building ahead of the Capitol riot, is charged for his alleged actions.

From the New York Post, congresscritter Lauren Boebert's (R-Col) husband blames himself for their divorce.

From Breitbart, the House Oversight Committee schedules its first impeachment inquiry hearing for September 28th.

From Newsmax, the group that sued successfully against race-based affirmative action in college admissions now sues West Point.

And from Sky News, Mexican doctors claim that two alleged alien corpses each include a single skeleton and are not assembled.  (via Newsmax)

Monday, September 18, 2023

Monday Mania

On a warm sunny Monday, here are some things going on:

From National Review, Chicago might be getting government-owned grocery stores.

From FrontpageMag, a participant in cancel culture gets a taste of his own medicine.

From Townhall, videos show that the illegal alien caravans are not stopping.

From The Washington Free Beacon, according to a poll, most Americans oppose the recent prisoner swap with Iran.

From the Washington Examiner, in an interview with NBC host Kirsten Welker, former President Trump disagrees with several state laws on abortion.

From The Federalist, on the other hand, Trump is right in pointing out that Democrats want no limits on abortion.

From American Thinker, left-wingnuts and Muslims entered a figurate Colosseum, but only one group realized it.

From MRCTV, a Los Angeles policeman is gunned down in his car.

From NewsBusters, Argentinian presidential candidate Javier Milei warns right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson about the evils of socialism.

From Canada Free Press, the tide turns against wokeness.

From TeleSUR, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel calls for a "new world order".  (I recall an American president talking about such a thing.)

From TCW Defending Freedom, how a vegan diet is not really that good for the environment.

From Snouts in the Trough, to which group do you belong?

From EuroNews, Ukraine files suits against Poland, Slovakia and Hungary over their bans on importing Ukrainian grain.

From Voice Of Europe, Bulgarian farmers block roads and border checkpoints to protest against their government's repeal of a ban on Ukrainian agricultural products.

From ReMix, Hungarian farmers protest at a border crossing against the E.U.'s decision to not extend its ban on the import of Ukrainian grain.  (If you read Hungarian, read the story at Magyar HĆ­rlap.)

From Balkan Insight, on the 30th day of a "Laziest Citizen" competition in Brezna, Montenegro, five contestants remain in bed.

From The North Africa Post, according to Japanese scientists, the recent earthquake in Morocco lifted the ground near the epicenter 20 centimeters upward.

From The New Arab, the political failures that helped lead to the recent floods.

From the Hindu Post, two Muslim brothers allegedly throw Molotov cocktails at their own house in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, India in an effort to implicate their Hindu neighbor.  (If you read Tamil, read the story at Dina Thanthi.)

From the Jewish Press, Muslims become irate after Jews blow a shofar on the Temple Mount.  (A shofar is an instrument made from a ram's horn.)

From Gatestone Institute, why are Palestinian Arabs leaving the Gaza Strip?

From The Stream, "Christianity is alive and well in Iraq".

From The Daily Signal, federal authorities investigate a board member at the New College of Florida for not using the alleged pronouns "ze" and "zir".  (My spellchecker doesn't like them, either.)

From The American Conservative, President Biden and Congress must justify the aid given to Ukraine.

From The Western Journal, according to Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley, Trump never gave any "illegal orders".

From BizPac Review, a train full of would-be illegal aliens heads northward from the Mexican state of Zacatecas.

From The Daily Wire, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) criticizes the U.S. Senate for abolishing its dress code, apparently to accommodate Senator John Fetterman (D-PA).

From the Daily Caller, nine California state legislators ask state Attorney General Rob Bonta to remove Trump from their state's presidential ballot.

From the New York Post, New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley has only an "ordinary" ankle sprain.

From Fox 35 Orlando, a black bear is spotted and captured at Disney World's Magic Kingdom.  (via the New York Post)

From Breitbart, some U.S. hospitals bring back masks.

From Newsmax, Biden looks for campaign cash on Broadway.

And from The Babylon Bee, with their dress code recently being relaxed, aging Senators show up to work in their hospital gowns.

Sunday, September 17, 2023

Back Home And Some Links

I arrived home a few hours ago from my brief visit to New Jersey, after fighting through the rain in Pennsylvania.  So here are a few thing going on:

From Townhall, an illegal alien is released due to a mistake in Rensselaer County, New York, and then allegedly stabs someone to death.

From The Washington Free Beacon, a review of a book about how politicians get rich.

From American Thinker, the real threat to American democracy is not former President Trump and the MAGA Republicans.

From NewsBusters, NBC moderator tries to fact-check Trump in a live interview and fails.

From TCW Defending Freedom, double vision and coronavirus blindness.

From The New Arab, the U.N. withdraws its estimate of the number of people dead from floods in Derna, Libya, and the Red Crescent denies giving any numbers at all.

From Allah's Willing Executioners, Arab men get into a brawl - in LĆ¼beck, Germany.  (If you read German, read the story at NiUS.)

From Gatestone Institute, Iran tries to present a new image.

From The Stream, does God agree with the idea that "love is love"?

From The Daily Wire, Florida Governor and former congresscritter Ron DeSantis (R) tells Republican congresscritters to do what they say that they'll do.

From the Daily Caller, allies of President Biden are reportedly distancing themselves from Attorney General Merrick Garland.

And from the New York Post, the New York Giants, after failing to score during the first game and a half of the current football season, pull off a "historic" comeback win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Saturday, September 16, 2023

Checking In

In case anyone has been wondering during the last day or so, I have not fallen into a black hole or been captured by an overzealous Sasquatch hunter.  I have traveled to New Jersey to see a football game, in which my Virginia Tech Hokies lost to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.  I met one of my brothers, who got the tickets, at the house of one of our cousins, who just happens to live pretty close to the Rutgers campus.  This might be the first college football game I've watched in person since 2016 when VT played at Duke.

Soon enough, I'll be returning home and preparing for another trip.  Stay tuned.

Thursday, September 14, 2023

Thursday Tidbits

As the warm and mostly sunny weather continues on a Thursday, here are some things going on:

From National Review, the bitter irony of Speaker McCarthy's (R-Cal) impeachment inquiry against President Biden.

From FrontpageMag, the recaptured illegal alien convicted of murder in the U.S. is a cult hero in his native Brazil.

From Townhall, First Son Hunter Biden is indicted on gun-related charges for allegedly lying about drug use.

From The Washington Free Beacon, a judicial nominee let the president of Penn State University off on a technicality after he was convicted of covering up the activities of football coach Jerry Sandusky.

From the Washington Examiner, the aforementioned Speaker McCarthy tells those who are threatening to oust him to "file the [bleep]ing motion".

From The Federalist, the impeachment case against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton implodes as witnesses can't offer evidence of his alleged misdeeds.

From American Thinker, the media should, but will not, apologize to the Catholic Church.

From MRCTV, Project Veritas exposes the non-profit intending to prevent parents from opting their children out of the LGBTQ curriculum.

From NewsBusters, according to the Chief Twit, the old Twitter regime censored Republicans 10 times more than they did leftists.

From Canada Free Press, whether we choose to face it or not, "people kill people".

From TeleSUR, over 105,000 people are imprisoned in El Salvador.

From TCW Defending Freedom, slavery is as old as the human race, so let's stop the self-flagellation.

From EuroNews, pubs in the U.K. have to raise prices.

From Voice Of Europe, the Hungarian government confirms its goal of reducing inflation to a single digit by the end of this year.

From ReMix, 6,000 illegal migrants arrive on the Italian island of Lampedusa in 24 hours.

From Balkan Insight, Albanian authorities arrest 233 people for allegedly using and distributing drugs near schools.

From The North Africa Post, Moroccan King Mohammed VI chairs a meeting about an emergency program for rehousing victims of disasters such as the recent earthquake.

From The New Arab, Syrian government troops surround the home of an allied militia commander in the city of Hasakah.

From the Daily Mail, Germany backs out of an E.U. migrant resettlement plan.

From RAIR Foundation USA, Italian europarliamentcritter Silvia Sardone slams the E.U.'s promotion of the "Islamic veil" and "submission to Islam".

From Allah's Willing Executioners, Islamic "religious police" check women's clothing an beat up an unveiled girl - in Vienna, Austria.  (If you read German, read the story at Exxpress.)

From Gatestone Institute, China spreads its influence while Europe sleeps.

From The Stream, a writer explains why he stopped using the word "gender" unless he qualifies it.

From The Daily Signal, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's (D) gun edict is blocked in court.

From The American Conservative, the U.S. is not the new Rome.

From The Western Journal, fact-checkers pile on Biden for wrongly claiming that he was in New York City on the day after 9/11.

From Bizpac Review, former Speaker Pelosi (D-Cal) throws Vice President Harris under the bus, and repeatedly runs her over.  (All of this is figuratively, of course.)

From The Daily Wire, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) battles CBS host Nora O'Donnell over abortion and education.

From the Daily Caller, congresscritters Mary Miller (R-IL) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) demand an update from the Department of Justice on Biden's classified documents case.

From the New York Post, fans of The View slam host Whoopi Goldberg for asking NSFW questions.  (As I might have mentioned previously, I liked her better as Guinan on Star Trek: The Next Generation.)

From Breitbart, according to a poll, Generation Z has very little trust in major American institutions.  (I can't say that I blame them.)

From Newsmax, more on the aforementioned indictment of Hunter Biden.

And from the Genesius Times, Biden offers the ancient mummified aliens which were recently shown to the Mexican government free health care and a monthly stipend of $6,000 if they come to the U.S.  (Yes, the article is a day old, but in my opinion, also too good to pass up.  I can only wonder if their ancient UFOs still work.)

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Wednesday Wanderings

On a warm and mostly sunny Wednesday, here are some things going on:

From National Review, the media shows a little crack.

From FrontpageMag, the left is getting scared.

From Townhall, Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) announces that he will not seek reelection.

From The Washington Free Beacon, is congresscritter AOC (D-NY) married or not?

From the Washington Examiner, on President Biden's watch, the U.S.-Mexico border is named the world's deadliest.

From The Federalist, IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley gives Congress more documents, thus boosting his credibility.

From American Thinker, remember when the media predicted that higher prices would result from then-President Trump's tariffs?

From MRCTV, the White House tells the media to defend Biden from the House's impeachment inquiry.

From NewsBusters, a judge rules that YouTube and keep on censoring content.

From Canada Free Press, a nationwide seminar for election integrity groups is announced, starting on September 15th in St. Louis.

From TeleSUR, according to President Xi Jinping, China supports Venezuela's efforts to protect its sovereignty.

From TCW Defending Freedom, will U.K. Baroness Heather Hallett listen to the victims of coronavirus vaccines?

From Snouts in the Trough, British media leave out some information about five "Israelis" who allegedly raped a woman in Cyprus.

From EuroNews, five takeaways from a speech given by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

From Voice Of Europe, a gynecologist in Pau, France is accused of transphobia for not examining a man.

From Remix, according to Hungarian President Katalin NovĆ”k, no European countries have self-sustaining birth rates.  (If you read Hungarian, read the story at InfoStart.)

From Balkan Insight, Croatia announces a new bill intended to combat violence against women.

From The North Africa Post, the agency UNICEF announces its readiness to support families and children affected by the recent earthquake in Morocco.

From The New Arab, Libyan disputed Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dbeibah the equivalent of $446 million for reconstruction from the flood-stricken cities of Benghazi and Derna.

From The New Indian Express, an ISIS-affiliated group based in the Indian state of Kerala planned to steal money from churches and temples.

From the South China Morning Post, according to a poll, large majorities of Muslims in Malaysia and Indonesia want sharia instead of secular laws.

From Gatestone Institute, the Biden administration's attempt to bribe the Palestinians.

From The Stream, the surge in illegal migrants is a disaster for children in schools trying to learn.

From The Daily Signal, according to former special agent Tim Ballard, the DHS and HHS are now a "child trafficking delivery service".

From The Western Journal, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg admits having issues with his electric vehicle, so he decides to spend $100 million it taxpayer money on the problem.

From The Daily Wire, the illegal alien who escaped from prison in Pennsylvania has been recaptured.

From the Daily Caller, according to notes from the aforementioned IRS whistleblower, a U.S. attorney appeared to block a prosecutor from charging First Son Hunter Biden in a tax case.

From the New York Post, the company Alphabet, which is parent to the company Google, lays off hundreds of workers, becoming the first Big Tech firm to cut jobs during this quarter.

From Breitbart, Stephen King's latest novel is full of bigotry and misinformation about the coronavirus.

And from Newsmax, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) commits $267 million to combat retail theft.

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Links For Jan Sobieski Day

On a warm sunny Tuesday, whose date I celebrate as Jan Sobieski Day, here are some things going on:

From National Review, New Mexico Attorney General RaĆŗl Torrez (D) refuses to defend Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) in lawsuits against her temporary gun ban.

From FrontpageMag, CAIR wants schools to consult with mosque personnel before teaching sex education, while non-Muslims are called "terrorists" for wanting to keep adult material away from kids.

From Townhall, negotiations between the union United Auto Workers and the big three carmakers include an "interesting detail".

From The Washington Free Beacon, presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy's (R) campaign chairman is a 9/11 truther.

From the Washington Examiner, Ramaswamy has a plan for mass layoffs of federal workers.

From The Federalist, instead of asking Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) why the Senate is not voting on military nominations, ask Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

From American Thinker, the inevitable electric vehicle implosion.

From MRCTV, then-Senator Joe Biden (D-Del) did not visit any Ground Zero the day after 9/11, despite his claims that he did.

From NewsBusters, the major broadcast networks still won't acknowledge that escaped convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante is an illegal alien.

From Canada Free Press, a teachers union in Jefferson County, Colorado earns a "D" for deception and deceit.

From TeleSUR, the Dominican Republic gives Haiti 48 hours to resolve a conflict over an attempt to divert a river.

From TCW Defending Freedom, don't just ban dangerous dogs, but ban their owners, too.

From Snouts in the Trough, the author of SitT sends a warning to South Korea.

From Gatestone Institute, Jericho, West Bank is not a Palestinian heritage site.

From The Stream, what is the most important characteristic for a presidential candidate?

From The Daily Signal, an appeals court upholds an injunction blocking the federal government from using Big Tech to censor Americans.

From The American Conservative, the trade route between Europe and India isn't new.

From BizPac Review, a video shows a woman in Florida reported to be a pre-school teacher brags that she teaches kids to be gay.

From The Daily Wire, Speaker McCarthy (R-Cal) announces a formal impeachment inquiry against President Biden.

From the Daily Caller, has the most pivotal moment in the left's mission to sex change kids been identified?

From the New York Post, accused fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried loses his bid for a pre-trail release from prison.

From Breitbart, CNN host Poppy Harlow reads from the New Mexico Constitution to the aforementioned Governor Grisham.

From Newsmax, congresscritter Matt Gaetz (R-FL) threatens the aforementioned Speaker McCarthy with a "vacate the chair" vote.

And from SFGate, riders on the San Francisco Bay area transit services such as BART will be able to pay using their credit and debit cards.

Monday, September 11, 2023

Stories For 9/11

On a partly sunny Monday falling on the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, here are some things going on:

From National Review, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's (D) emergency order banning guns in Bernalillo county gets blasted by gun control activist David Hogg.

From FrontpageMag, 22 years after 9/11, the freedoms that the attackers hated are slipping away from us.

From Townhall, gun owners in New Mexico tell Governor Grisham exactly what they think about her "public health order".

From The Washington Free Beacon, at a press conference, President Biden tells reporters that he's going to bed.

From the Washington Examiner, when it comes to the illegal migrant crisis, New York City still can't face reality.

From The Federalist, a grand jury report shows that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who obtained the indictments against former President Trump and 18 others, is an election integrity denier.

From American Thinker, the growing non-remembrance of the 9/11 attacks.

From MRCTV, Vice President Harris refuses to identify any limit on abortion.  (I've noticed that some people on the left like to say that our civil rights have limits.  I'd thus like anyone reading this who regards abortion as a right to specify what its limits are.  Please leave an appropriate comment.)

From NewsBusters, former White House press secretary Jen Psaki talks about unborn babies with analogies to broccoli and lumps of coal.

From Canada Free Press, 9/11/2001 was "a day in infamy".

From TeleSUR, Chilean women remember the coup on 9/11/1973 that brought dictator Augusto Pinochet to power.

From TCW Defending Freedom, the U.K.'s energy bill will be a plague on all its (ordinary) houses.

From Snouts in the Trough, British commentator Neil Oliver strikes again.

From EuroNews, how the 9/11 attacks changed movies, music and books.

From Voice Of Europe, an interview with German politician Maximilian Krah, of the party AfD.

From ReMix, Dutch parliamentcritter Thierry Baudet explains why, in his view, Dutch tourists like to visit Hungary.  (If you read Hungarian, read the story at Mandiner.)

From Balkan Insight, ethnic Albanians in southern Serbia have no textbooks in their own language.

From The North Africa Post, the death toll from the earthquake in Morocco reaches 2,681.

From The New Arab, survivors of the earthquake in Morocco are hungry and grieving.

From Allah's Willing Executioners, an African man who came to Germany as a "refugee" escapes from a psychiatric center in the town of Wiesloch and stabs a woman to death.  (If you read German, read the story at Junge Freiheit.)

From WION, the remains of two victims of the 9/11 attacks are identified through DNA analysis 22 years afterwards.

From The Print, the arrests of a Christian couple in Pakistan for alleged blasphemy draws criticism.

From Gatestone Institute, it's time to declare a "people's war" on the Chinese Communist Party, since China is essentially a military machine.

From The Stream, "remembering 9/11".

From The Daily Signal, connecting the dots between the aforementioned District Attorney Willis and unrepentant communists.

From The American Conservative, after the World Trade Center towers fell.

From The Western Journal, national security official Adrienne Watson is "roasted" for touting an agreement with Saudi Arabia today on 9/11.

From BizPac Review, President Biden infuriates families of 9/11 victims by not participating in any Ground Zero ceremonies, sending Vice President Harris as a substitute.

From The Daily Wire, congresscritter AOC's (D-NY) constituents "blast" her for sharing a video that calls inflation "propaganda".

From the Daily Caller, MSNBC host Mehdi Hassan needlessly equates 9/11/2001 with 9/11/1973.

From the New York Post, according to a poll, 77 percent of Americans favor age limits for elected public officials.

From Breitbart, the U.K.'s National Health Service prevents a sick teenage girl from seeking treatment abroad or even speaking to fundraise to save her own life.

From Newsmax, if Trump skips the second Republican primary debate, he might get followed around the country by someone even more overweight than himself.

And from The Babylon Bee, Vice President Harris arrives at Ground Zero in New York City to give a speech about January 6th.

Sunday, September 10, 2023

A Few Late Things For Sunday

On a fairly warm Sunday evening, here are a few things going on:

From National Review, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) pardons a man convicted of disorderly conduct for protesting at a school board meeting after his daughter was sexually assaulted in a female bathroom by a drag queen.

From Townhall, the Biden administration loses again in court over its attempt to censor Americans.

From The Washington Free Beacon, a review of a book about translating the Bible.

From American Thinker, a look at media bias over the 2020 presidential election.

From NewsBusters, NBC host Chuck Todd urges California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) to run against President Biden like Robert F. Kennedy ran against then-President Lyndon Johnson.

From EuroNews, Russia tries to hold elections in parts of Ukraine which it occupies.

From The North Africa Post, 2,122 people have been killed in an earthquake in Morocco.

From The New Arab, according to volunteers, at least 40 people were killed in an airstrike in Khartoum, Sudan.

From Jewish News Syndicate, Israel prepares to send humanitarian aid and search and rescue personnel to earthquake-stricken Morocco.

From Gatestone Institute, from Mongol leader Kublai Khan to Chinese President Xi, the old and new Silk Road.

From The Stream, in the future, will artificial intelligence intersect with Christian martyrdom?

From the Post Millennial, ICE arrests the sister of an illegal alien convicted of murder who escaped from prison in Pennsylvania.  (Whether she herself is in the U.S. illegally and why she was arrested are not stated.)

From The Daily Wire, Biden calls an 1.5-degree increase in global temperature "even more frightening than nuclear war".  (The article does not indicate whether the degrees are in Fahrenheit or Celsius.)

From the Daily Wire, a late hit by an Arizona Cardinals defender on Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell also knocks over one of the officials.

From the New York Post, family members of some victims of 9/11 are upset about the Pentagon considering plea deals for some al-Qaeda terrorists who masterminded the attacks on that day.

And from BizPac Reviewformer First Daughter-In-Law Lara Trump wins the bronze medal in the Tampa General Hospital Loggerhead Triathlon.