Today's Date In History: House Impeaches President Clinton

Today, the Electoral College votes to officially elect the president.  It is also the anniversary of one of the most momentous votes in recent history.  On December 19, 1998, the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Bill Clinton.

During the two or three months leading up to this vote, I would occasionally put on C-SPAN and watch the proceedings.  On 12/19, which was a Saturday, I watched C-SPAN for an hour or so in the morning, and then went out for a hike that afternoon.  I returned to find out that the vote had been cast and the president impeached.  My reaction was something to the effect of, "They did it.  They actually grew a pair and did it."

On this year's 12/19, if all goes like it's supposed to, another vote will take place, against another Clinton.  But instead of removing her from the White House, it will prevent her from returning to the place where she once was First Lady.

The impeachment of President Bill Clinton is discussed at History(dot)com and The History Place.

An article recalling the impeachment appeared in 2007 in Politico.

Contemporary news stories have been preserved, shall we say, at CNN and The New York Times.

Zsa Zsa Gabor 1917?-2016

Zsa Zsa Gabor, the Hungarian-born actress known for her many marriages and for calling everyone "dahlink", died of heart failure today in Los Angeles.  She was, according to most sources, 99 years old.  (The question mark in this post's title is thus intentional.)

Sári Gábor was born in 1917, 1918 or 1919 in Budapest, Austria-Hungary, to Vilmos and Jolie Gábor.  She was crowned Miss Hungary in 1936.  During the 1940's, she immigrated to the United States, where she was joined by her older sister Magda, her younger sister Eva (of Green Acres fame), and their mother.  Gabor appeared in films and TV shows, starting in 1952 and most recently in 1996.  She had eight or nine husbands, depending on whether you include a marriage that was annulled after one day.  With her second husband Conrad Hilton, she had her only child Constance Francesca Hilton, who died of a stroke in 2015.  In 1989, Gabor slapped a police officer who had stopped her for a traffic violation, for which she spent three days in jail.  Gabor is survived by her last husband, Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt.

Read more at The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Us Weekly, the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times.

Trump Piñata Gets Lynched

In Portland, Oregon, a holiday party included a salute, so to speak, to our next president.  From Willamette Week:

A Portland woman quit her job after attending a company holiday party where she says employees lynched a Trump piñata.

Sarah Mykkanen's quit over a holiday party for Roscoe's, Stein Haus, and Miyamoto Sushi, three Montavilla spots with overlapping ownership.

In an essay she sent to WW, she explains that the party was a "usual holiday party" where it was "kind of awkward to see everyone outside of work," until employees began lynching and striking an effigy of Donald Trump.  [italics in original]

Striking a piñata, to break it open and allow goodies to fall out, is an old Latin American custom (which originated in China, was imported into Europe, and later was brought to the Americas by the Spanish).  Lynching one, however, as far as I know, is not.  On the other hand, lynching an American president in effigy is nothing new.  Just ask George W. Bush and Barrack Obama.  But as for the Trump piñata, read the full story.

In France, No-Go Zones For Women?

In France, the phenomenon of "no-go zones" appears to have taken a disturbing turn.  In Sevran, a suburb of Paris, women are allegedly effectively banned from entering certain bars and cafes.  From The Telegraph:

A quiet Paris bar where men play cards and bet on horses has become the unlikely focus of a national row over alleged no-go zones for women in predominantly Muslim areas.

The bar in the impoverished north-eastern suburb of Sevran is accused of being one of many in France where women are effectively banned.

The neighbourhood, near Charles de Gaulle airport, is notorious as one of France’s leading exporters of jihadists.  

Sevran might not be all that famous, but I'm somewhat acquainted with the place, because eight years ago, I rode a bicycle through it, along the Canal de l'Ourcq.  I remember stopping that morning, along with the tour guide, to get some coffee, but I don't remember precisely where the coffee shop was.  But whether you've been to Sevran or not, read the full story.

Si vous lisez français, lisez plus à L'Express et Agora Vox.

12-Year-Old Boy Allegedly Tried To Bomb His Town

The use of children as suicide bombers has given rise to the phrase "they blow up so fast."  While this might be said as a joke, the sad reality is that terrorists are often not above using children in their nefarious schemes.  Perhaps even worse is where children have been willing to commit acts of terrorism, as was attempted by a 12-year-old German child.  The boy, the son of immigrants from Iraq, allegedly made two attempts to leave bombs in a shopping area in Ludwigshafen, his native town, possibly acting under orders from ISIS.

Read more at Deutsche Welle, The Local DE, EuroNews, Reuters and The Telegraph.

A Few Stories

Here are a few things in the news:

First and foremost, a verdict that won't surprise anyone.

Mr. Bill's lawyers "blast" his accusers.  (No, this isn't about Hillary's worse half.)

Just another rally in Londonistan.

U.K. taxpayers subsidize lawyers for asylum seekers.

Interest rates go up - in Mexico.

A female would-be suicide bomber gets interviewed.

A female Muslim, despite warnings from clerics, gets elected mayor.

It looks like my alma mater might be tangentially involved in Wakeyleaks.

Donald Trump appears to have found his press secretary.

Trump also appears to have found a Monica - but she won't be an intern.

The "third gender" movement is "exploding" in the U.S.

And last but not least, Taiwan publicly destroys a smuggled car.

The Origin Of The Hajj

In this video posted by YouTube user Ann Mary, David Wood discusses the origin of the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims are obligated to make, if they are able, once during their lives.  He also points out some elements of Islamic belief that have origins outside of Islam.

You can also watch the video on YouTube.

Illegal Alien Who Wanted To Shoot Trump Gets Jail Time

Michael Sandford, the 20-year-old British man who tried to steal a policeman's gun in an alleged attempt to shoot then-candidate Donald Trump at a rally in Las Vegas last June, has been sentenced to a year and a day in prison.  Sandford was convicted of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and disrupting an official function.  He had already overstayed his visa before his actions at Trump's rally.  He will get credit for time already served.  He also faces three years of supervised release after leaving prison, but is likely to be deported.

Read more at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, The Telegraph, The Guardian, BBC News and the Sun Herald.

Corporate CEO Faces Huge Pay Cut

President-elect Donald Trump has revealed his nominee for Secretary of State.  He has chosen Rex Tillerson, who is currently the CEO of ExxonMobil.  I don't know how much money Tillerson makes in his current position, but it's probably quite a bit more than the $205,700 he would earn as a member of the Cabinet.

Read more at CNN, USA Today, Yahoo News and The New York Times.

Trump Wins Wisconsin - Again

President-elect Donald Trump will remain the president-elect as far as Wisconsin is concerned.  The recount in the state has been completed, with Trump actually gaining a net 162 votes.  One source reports a gain of 131 votes.  Trump's margin of over 22,000 votes has thus been affirmed.

Read more at the Wisconsin State Journal, Breitbart and Fox News.  Breitbart cites the Associated Press as their source.