Happy Thanksgiving

It has come around a bit later than usual, so it seems, but tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  Thus, for the next few days, I'll be taking a break from blogging as I visit the family, eat lots of turkey and other good stuff, and watch NCAA football, which this weekend features some longstanding rivalry games.  I might also have to battle the remnants of winter storm Boreas.  To all who read Bigfoot's Place, have a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

Monday Links

It's Monday.  Back to the old grind.  Back to the old routine:

From the New York Post, the Sandy Hook shooter was "obsessed with Columbine" and other mass murders.

From Fox News, the wife of American pastor Saeed Abedini, who is imprisoned in Iran, says that she and her family are "devastated" that the Obama administration did not try to secure his release as part of the newly-signed deal with Iran concerning its nuclear program.  (via Jihadwatch)

From Fox Business, the deal with Iran appears to have caused crude oil prices to go down a bit.

From Life News, a report on the pain and regret felt by the fathers of aborted babies.

From CNS News, the TSA spent $900 million on behavior detection officers, whose grand total of detected terrorists is a big fat zero.

From the Mail Online, an Australian family claims, for the second time, the Guinness World Record for the number of bulbs in a Christmas Light display.

From TimesWatch, and maybe the "well, duh" department, Time magazine's Mark Halperin recounts that the media did not "scrutinize" Obamacare.

From Russia Today, a man in New York City has been arrested and charged with a hate crime for allegedly assaulting someone in a "knockout" game.

From the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the 2013 hurricane season had the fewest hurricanes since 1982, and no major hurricanes for the first time since 1994.

From SFist, the five-year-old cancer patient known as the "Batkid" could not meet with President Obama, due to a scheduling conflict.  (via Independent Journal Review)

From Poynter, the director of USA Today has announced "except in very extraordinary circumstances" that they will no longer use photos coming from the White House Press Office.  (via Bizpac Review)

From the sleuthjournal, seven volcanoes around the world have erupted within a five-day span.  (Since the site uses all small-case letters in its title, I'll do the same when citing it.)

From The Washington Free Beacon, the effects of Obamacare on Middletown, New Jersey.

From Reuters, the dating site Match.com has been sued for allegedly using unauthorized photos to create fake profiles.

And from the Washington Post, Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash) has become the first person to give birth three times while serving in Congress.

Former Duke Accuser Convicted Of Murder

Crystal Mangum, who in 2006 wrongly accused several members of the Duke University lacrosse team of raping her, has been convicted of murdering her boyfriend, Reginald Daye.  The jury apparently was not persuaded by her claim of self-defense.  She has been sentenced to at least 14 years in prison.

Read more at the New York Daily News, The Herald Sun, The Christian Science Monitor, News Observer and WRAL(dot)com.  The Herald Sun is based in Durham, NC, which is also the location of Duke University.

Beaver Steals Hunter's Gun

A teenage hunter in Maine realized that he needed a bathroom break, so he went back to his family's house, but left behind a chair he had been sitting in, as well as his rifle.  When he returned, the chair was still where he had left it, but the rifle wasn't.  Instead, it was about 100 feet away, being hauled into a stream by a beaver.  The boy did not see anything he could do, but eventually hopes to get the gun back so that he can display it for his friends.

Read the story at Out There, which is a section of the Bangor Daily News.

November 22, 1963 - The Assassination Of President Kennedy

Fifty years ago today, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas, as it moved through an area called Dealey Plaza.  The president was riding with his wife Jackie, Texas governor John Connally, and his wife.  Governor Connally was wounded in the attack.  Lee Harvey Oswald, who worked at the Texas School Book Depository, a building along the plaza, was later arrested for shooting a policeman named J. D. Tippitt, and soon afterwards was also accused of assassinating President Kennedy.  Two days later, Oswald was shot and killed by a nightclub owner named Jack Ruby.

After Vice President Lyndon Baines Johnson succeeded Kennedy as president, he set up a commission to investigate the assassination, which was headed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren, and which included a congressman from Michigan named Gerald Ford.  The Warren Commission would conclude that Oswald had acted alone.  Even so, the assassination of President Kennedy has been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories, with their various ideas about Oswald's role, and about who else may have been involved.  There have also been people who came forth at various times to defend the Warren Commission's conclusions.

Bigfoot - More Believable Than Obamacare

This picture was brought to my attention by Smokie of Somewhere In Texas.

If "Bigfoot" is intended to refer to yours truly, I would have to say that the text might be accurate.  I'm sure that I have seen and have been seen by quite a few people over my lifetime.  On the other hand, if a literal Bigfoot, a.k.a. Sasquatch, is intended, then no one really knows.

Dog Gets Obamacare Account

Looks like one good canine post deserves another.  This one comes via Weasel Zippers.

A man in Colorado tried to sign up for health insurance with Connect for Health Colorado after his old policy had been cancelled due to Obamacare.  He eventually received a notice that an account had been opened - in the name of his dog.  As far as I know, no comments have come from either our former dog-eating president or his former opponent who once transported his dog on the roof of his car.

Read the story at Fox 31 Denver.

Bad Dog!

This past February, a scaled-up dog sculpture was installed next to a side wall of the Orange County Museum of Art in Newport Beach, California.  The dog was lifting his leg in an act of what may be politely called "marking his territory".  The sculpture was taken down during May.  Of course, I have no idea where it is now, but I can think of another appropriate location, just outside the residence of a certain NFL quarterback.

Read more at the Orange County Register and the Mail Online, and watch the following video.

Music Break

For this month, another set of songs I enjoyed years ago, and still do.

In 1971, Edgar Winter recorded an album called Edgar Winter's White Trash, which included his brother Johnny and former McCoys singer Rick Derringer on guitar, and several horn players.  On Keep Playin' That Rock And Roll, Edgar is joined on vocals by sax player Jerry LaCroix.  Although the song mentions Johnny Winter by his first name, the guitar solo is by Derringer.

"You Can Keep It" Was Not Only From Obama

Via Ricochet:

By now, most of the right side of the blogosphere has noted how the president's "If you like your insurance, you can keep you insurance" promise has failed to come true for many Americans.  As it turns out, research done by the office of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) shows that the same promise also came from a number of Senators who supported the bill, mostly Democrat but also including a Socialist who generally aligns himself with them.  For example:

SEN. MICHAEL BENNET (D-Colo.): “We should begin with a basic principle: if you have coverage and you like it, you can keep it. If you have your doctor, and you like him or her, you should be able to keep them as well. We will not take that choice away from you.” (Sen. Bennet, Press Release, 6/11/09)

Sorry, Senator, but for many of us, it looks like you did take that choice away.  Read the fully story at the Washington Examiner.

Sunday News And Links

Some things going on, as I drag myself out of bed and onto the computer:

From ABC News, Philippine president Benigno Aquino III isn't just visiting the typhoon-battered city of Tacloban.  He's camping there.

From CBN News, the survivors of Typhoon Haiyan are having difficulty obtaining drinking water.

From Black Christian News, Egyptian Christians hoping for equality in the post-Morsi era face disappointment.

From CBS News, airlines based in countries around the Persian Gulf have ordered $130 billion worth of planes from Boeing.

From Fox Business, the United Arab Emirates have not yet decided on whether to buy British or French fighter jets.

Fox News asks, "Can ObamaCare be saved?"  My answer would be, "Never underestimate the stupidity of Republicans."

From The Blaze, in their latest parody commercial, Saturday Night Live peddles Second-Term Strength anti-depressants.

From American Thinker, Obama is "fading faster than the 'Disco Duck'."  (This was one of the few disco songs that I actually liked.)

From Reuters, some winners and losers from China's economic reforms.

From CNS News, how humanitarian missions are improving the image and readiness of the American military.

From CNN, according to Admiral William McRaven, the United States will train several thousand Libyan conventional troops and counter-terrorism forces.

From Newsbusters, another "Obama lied" euphemism from the AP.

And from Daily Brain Freeze, Bart Sibrel, who apparently believes that the moon landings were a hoax, pushes Buzz Aldrin a bit too far.

Flooding Hits....Riyadh?

Via End Time Headlines:

Heavy rains and severe flooding have been reported in, believe it or not, Saudi Arabia, especially in the secular capitol of Riyadh and the northwestern city of Ha'il.  No word yet on whether the rains have been blamed on man-made global warming, er, um, climate change.

Read the story and see the picture at Russia Today.

The Top 75 "Pictures Of The Day" For 2013

These photos appeared in Twisted Sifter, who then compiled their favorites.  After viewing them, my personal favorite would have to be #64, taken in a state park that I visited at least once during my New York childhood.  Click on the link to see all of them.

China's Aid To Philippines Exceeded By Two Private Companies

In the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, international aid has been flowing into the Philippines.  The highest contributions come from Japan, at $30 million and Australia, with $28 million.  The United States is sending $20 million, along with a military-driven rescue operation.  China's contribution is about $2 million, which is exceeded by two private corporations - Akea and Coca-Cola.  The relatively low amount of Chinese aid could to some extent be attributed to the dispute China and the Philippines have had over territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Read the story at CNS News.

Virginia Tech Athletic Director To Step Down

Jim Weaver, who has been Virginia Tech's Athletic Director since 1979, has announced that he will leave his position due to health reasons.  Mr. Weaver has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and has had operations to his back and one of his hips.  He has indicated that both of his hips currently need to be replaced, which has altered his previous plan to stay at his position until 2015, when he turns 70.  Instead, he will step down on December 31st.

During Jim Weaver's tenure, the athletic facilities at Virginia Tech have been greatly upgraded, including expansions to Lane Stadium and the creation of the Merryman Center sports medicine and conditioning complex and the Hahn Hurst Practice Facility for basketball.  There have also been improvements to many of the school's on-campus athletic venues.  In 2003, Weaver oversaw the transition of VT's varsity sports from the Big East to the Atlantic Coast Conference, where they would start play in 2004.

Read more at The Roanoke Times, the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Virginia Tech's official site.

Here's a recent athletic highlight that I really enjoyed.  In last week's game against Miami (who likewise migrated from the BE to the ACC) freshman wide receiver Joshua Stanford (#5) catches a short pass from senior quarterback Logan Thomas (#3).  After the catch, those 'Canes just couldn't seem to bring him down.

Veterans Day 2013

According to a certain noted poem, it is the soldier who preserves our liberties.  More broadly, our liberties are preserved by the entire military and its personnel, from the grunts on the front to the cooks in the galley.  There is no such person as a non-essential member of the military.  The people who have served all deserve our gratitude, no matter what their particular job was.  We can all think of different ways to pay tribute to our veterans, but one thing we can all do is to exercise the freedoms that they fought to preserve for us.

Here are a few related stories:

Breitbart's Big Government reports on several organizations who purpose is helping veterans .

From WLTX(dot)com, Richard Overton, a 107-year-old veteran of World War II, has arrived in Washington to meet the president.  (via The Black Sphere)

From ABC News, a report on Veterans Day events around the United States.

From the Mail Online, in Great Britain, where November 11 is called Remembrance Day, hundreds of strangers have attended the funeral of 99-year-old veteran Harold Jellicoe Percival, who participated in the Dambuster raids during World War II.  He was laid to rest at 11:00 a.m., when the British traditionally hold a moment of silence to honor their veterans.

And from the Los Angeles Times, some of America's future veterans head to the Philippines, to assist that country in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan.

To our veterans, thanks for all you've done.  To those serving today, thanks for all you do.

A Little Bit Of Maryland

The back roads of Maryland sure have their share of interesting sights.  Tucked into the northwest corner of Frederick County, at the intersection of two country roads, is the Eyler's Valley Chapel.  Here's the view from the front.  Too bad an electric wire had to be in the way.

Here's a view from a slightly different angle.

Behind the chapel are a picnic area and some restrooms.  You know that such facilities belong to a church when they aren't labeled "men" and "women", but instead use two familiar names.

If you want to learn more about the Eyler's Valley Chapel, you can go to their website.

Along another stretch of country road, I came across a caboose, sitting on its own little section of railroad track.

The "Genealogy" Of The Constitution

From New Zeal via Gulagbound:

In July of 2012, KrisAnne Hall gave this presentation about five British documents and the circumstances that gave rise to their creation.  Some of their concepts later found their way into the U.S. Constitution.  Some of the things that went on during those times might just sound a bit familiar.  Before you click, make sure you have some time.  The video is one hour and 16 minutes long.

Typhoon Haiyan Strikes The Philippines

The Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the Philippines early yesterday, and has caused widespread damage and an estimated 1,200 fatalities, although only 138 deaths have been confirmed by the government.  Because the country consists of thousands of islands, gathering such information can take several days.  The city of Tacloban on the island of Leyte was hit hard, with mudslides and 30-foot waves from the storm surge.  With sustained winds of 147 miles per hour at landfall, Haiyan was the equivalent of a category 4 hurricane, after weakening from a category 5 "super typhoon".  The storm is now heading toward Vietnam.

Read more at NBC News, USA Today, The Guardian, CNN, BBC News, Sky News and Weather(dot)com.

Friday Links

A few stories to start off the weekend:

From Judicial Watch, and the "you've got to be kidding" department, the Obama administration is attempting to negotiate the release of prisoners from GITMO who get counseling, job training and learn about a "peaceful form of Islam".

From Media Research Center, how NBC "hypes" President Obama's apology for the failures of ObamaCare.

From Life Site News, November is Adoption Awareness Month.

From Mail Online, an asylum seeker in Britain who received £10,000 for flying lessons has been exposed as a liar, about his age and his family.

From Fox News, speaking of flying, a 500-lb man, seeking to return to France after spending a year and a half in the United States for hormone treatment, was not allowed to board his plane in Chicago.

From The Hill, with other parts of his agenda crumbling, Obama moves ahead on climate change - through EPA regulations, that is.

From Breitbart's Big Government, Obama meets with his one-time river Senator McCain to discuss amnesty immigration reform.

From Talking Points Memo, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Cal) states that there won't be any vote on immigration reform this year.

From CNS News, new regulations released earlier today require health insurance companies to cover mental illness and drug abuse just as they cover physical diseases.  But if you think that this arises from ObamaCare, you'd be wrong.  The regulations go back to a law signed by President George W. Bush.  So if they cause something to go wrong, go ahead and blame Bush.

From Israel Hayom, Palestinians attack Israelis in Judea and Samaria.

From The Daily Caller, Iran demands acceptance of its nuclear program, and the removal of sanctions.

From Yahoo News Canada, Secretary of State John Kerry meets with the Iranian Foreign Minister, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects the agreement so far proposed.  (via Barracuda Brigade)

From CBS News, a satellite launched in 2009 by the European Space Agency will soon come crashing down.

And from USA Today, Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful tropical storms ever recorded, blasts into the Philippines.

Marvel Introduces Teen Female Muslim Superhero

New Marvel Comics character Kamala Khan is a 16-year-old Muslim immigrant from Pakistan living in New Jersey, and is known as a "geek", but is also the latest alter-ego of superhero Ms. Marvel, who has shape-shifting abilities.  No word yet as to whether she will be forced to wear a hijab or burqa, or if there will be an attempted honor killing she will have to defend herself from.  But since she is depicted without any covering for her hair, she is sure to raise some eyebrows.

Read the story at the New York Times, The Telegraph, ABC News, The Verge and the Christian Science Monitor.

This Year's Elections

Although 2013 is an odd year, there are still some elections going on.

In New Jersey, Chris Christie (R) has been re-elected governor, defeating challenger Barbara Buono (D), who currently is a state senator.

In Virginia, Ken Cuccinelli (R) is leading narrowly over Terry McAuliffe (D) in the governor's race.  Ralph Northam (D) has defeated E. W. Jackson for lieutenant governor.  Mark Obenshain (R) is leading Mark Herring in the race for attorney general, the office which Cuccinelli currently holds.

In New York City, Bill de Blasio (D) is expected to defeat Joe Lhota (R) in the mayoral race.  De Blasio would become the first Democrat mayor of New York since 1993, after the successive terms of Republican Rudy Giuliani and Republican-turned-Independent Michael Bloomberg.

UPDATE:  The mayoral race in New York has been called for Blasio.  The Virginia governor's race has been called by one media outlet for McAuliffe, who late during the vote-counting, moved ahead of Cuccinelli (same link as above), but is considered too close to call by another outlet.

UPDATE 2:  The above-mentioned "another outlet" has now called the VA governor's race for McAuliffe.

Drunk Frenchmen Go Joyriding With Llama

A bunch of guys in Bordeaux, France decided to break into the Franco-Italian Circus, with the intention of stealing a zebra.  When they couldn't find one, they settled on abducting a llama, and proceeded to take the "surprisingly agreeable" animal for a ride on the city's tram system.  They were later arrested and charged with misdemeanor theft.  The llama was returned to the circus unharmed.

Read the story at the New York Post and Mirror News.  Here's a pic of the Bordeaux joyriders:

Obama "Misspoke"?

With all the health insurance cancellations that seem to be occurring due to the implementation of Obamacare, the president's promise "If you like your plan, you can keep it" does not appear to be holding true.  Some might think that he lied and others may think he came to believe his own male bovine waste, but the New York Times says that he "clearly misspoke".  This assertion begs the question about whether making the same statement over and over again, as compiled in this video put out by New York Magazine, can be legitimately called "misspeaking".  Watch and judge for yourself.

Come to think of it, that word "misspoke" sounds vaguely familiar.

Bigfoot Hunters Arrested After Accidental Shooting

Three men in Oklahoma decided to go on a "Bigfoot hunt".  One of them was "spooked" by what he thought was a bigfoot, and then fired at its general direction, only to find out that he had shot one of his fellow hunters in the back.  After seeking medical attention for the wounded man, who is expected to survive, the three were arrested.  However, while police have the hunters, they cannot find the gun.  Authorities have not indicated whether any of the hunters was named "Dick Cheney".

Read the story at The Raw Story.

Statue Of Jesus Raised In.....Syria?

Via Now The End Begins:

A statue of Jesus has reportedly been taken into Syria and then put up on Cherubim Mountain, where it overlooks an ancient pilgrimage route.  Somehow, the combatants in the area, including Syrian government forces, rebels and local militia, all held their fire while the statue was brought in and set up over a three-day period.  The statue itself is about 40 feet tall, and with its support forms a structure with a total height of 105 feet.  Considering the hostility that some Al Qaeda-linked rebels have toward Christians, how long the statue will remain undamaged is a good question.

Read the story at Before It's News.

Gunman Kills TSA Employee And Wounds Six At LAX

Earlier today, a man armed with a rifle fatally shot a TSA employee and wounded at least 6 others at Los Angeles International Airport, known as LAX.  The shooter started on the ground floor of LAX's Terminal 3, and continued after running up an escalator to a TSA screening area.  Airport police tracked the suspect and eventually subdued him.  The suspect has been identified as Paul Ciancia, 23, a resident of either Los Angeles or Pennsville, NJ, depending on which report you trust.  Ciancia dropped a bag at a security checkpoint, from which a note was recovered, containing "threatening language directed at the TSA and anti-government rants".

Read more at Fox News, CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, KABC, and NBC Southern California.