Monday, January 7, 2019

Monday Mania

As I sit in a resort on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, here are some things going on:

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, a truly amazing case of recidivism.  (via Breitbart)

From Accuracy in Media, Time chooses the "biggest danger to world order in 2019".

From The Daily Caller, a former national park ranger supports the Trump administration's plan to keep the parks open during the shutdown.

From CNS News, new congresscritter Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich) has claimed that "Allah is She".  (Where has she been?  The idea that God is black and female has been around for a very long time.)

From the New York Post, actor Samuel Jackson endorses Tlaib's characterization of President Trump.

From LifeZette, Whoopi Goldberg has some harsh words for new congresscritter Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).  (When Guinan gets on your case, you might want to be careful.)

From National Review, leave the Knights of Columbus alone.

From Townhall, some people are more afraid of toy guns than of open borders.

From The Washington Free Beacon, Democratic leaders move to block a major pro-Israel bill.

From the Washington Examiner, one opinion writer is not nostalgic for a marginal tax rate of 70 percent.

From The Federalist, the Golden Globe Awards did not mention Trump.  (If you ask me, this is a good thing.)

From American Thinker, Democrats know that the Great Wall of America will break them.

From FrontpageMag, do feminists really want trans-women to compete athletically with cis-women?

From Voice Of Europe, Great Britain is experiencing more dangerous crime through chemistry.

From the Express, according to British politician Nigel Farage, planning for a no-deal Brexit could be a plot to force MPs to vote for the current deal.

From the Evening Standard, a group of migrants is found after yet another dinghy is found on a beach in Kent County, England.

From BBC News, Syrian forces claim to have captured two Americans fighting for ISIS.

From the Independent, according to a human rights lawyer, a no-deal Brexit would be illegal because it would put the U.K. public in danger.

From the Irish Examiner, a convicted rapist returns to Ireland after being deported, using a new name.

From CBC News, a Canadian delegation in China asks for the release of their two detained countrymen.

From CTV News, the Kenya-born twin daughters of a Canadian man will be allowed to travel to Canada.

From France24, France's prime minister seeks a new law that would prevent "known rioters" from joining the "yellow vest" protests.

From RFI, the French "far-right" National Rally party nominates a very young candidate for the upcoming E.U. elections.

From El País, Spain has been deporting an average of 30 migrants per day since 2013.

From ANSA, three Italian regions appeal against Interior Minister Salvini's migrant decree.  (I have visited two of them.)

From the Malta Independent, Italian Prime Minister Conte offers to take 15 migrants if they land in Malta.

From Malta Today, Malta's Commissioner for Children urges Malta to allow ashore the 49 migrants on two NGO ships.

From Total Croatia News, where to find dog-friendly beaches in Croatia.

From Ekathimerini, an anti-establishment group attacks the U.S. embassy in Greece with paint.

From the Greek Reporter, two people are injured during a protest by refugees in Thessaloniki.

From Novinite, Bulgaria is the E.U.'s largest producer of herbs.

From Daily News Hungary, according to The Washington Post, Hungary under Orban's governance could become a rogue state.

From Hungary Today, Hungarian leftists opposed to Orban's government plan to demonstrate in Brussels.

From About Hungary, conjoined twins from Bangla Desh arrive in Hungary for separation surgery.

From Radio Poland, a group of Poles is accused of terrorism over an arson attack in Ukraine.

From Deutsche Welle, these days, even telling Nazis to "get out" can be controversial.

From the NL Times, a Dutch pastor sticks with the Nashville Declaration.

From Dutch News, the Dutch government tells U.K. nationals that they may stay, but will need a permit.

From Sputnik International, a man detained in Russia for suspected spying has been visited only by Americans.

From Hürriyet Daily News, a Turkish couple protest fees for plastic bags by using a very old way of carrying merchandise.

From Turkish Minute, a prosecutor issues arrest warrants for about 100 member of the Turkish military over suspected Gülen links.

From The Jerusalem Post, Israel's pro-cannabis party could possibly pass the Knesset threshold.

From YNetNews, Israel's left-wing needs to state what it believes to be the solution to Arab-Israeli relations.

From the Egypt Independent, priests at a church in Nasr City, Egypt welcome the imam who warned them about a bomb.

From Rûdaw, the U.S. has relocated a large force to Kirkuk, Iraq.

From Khaama Press, police in Afghanistan stop a plot to blow up a mosque.

From Raajje, a court in Naifaru, Maldives sentences a woman, who admitted to adultery, to death by stoning.

From Kent Online, Facebook removes an add promoting a petition against a mosque being constructed in Maidstone, England.

From the International Business Times, an Instagram user wants a fatwa against a girl who wore short clothes.

And from The Babylon Bee, a video of Mike Pence dancing during his high school days comes to light.

Some Hilton Head History

It's time disclose my previously undisclosed location, which is Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.  Besides having numerous resorts and hotels, this area also has some history.  Near the northeastern end of the island, close to the airport, is Fort Howell, an earthen fort built in 1864 by the Union's 32nd Colored Infantry.  As you walk from the parking lot to the remains of the fort, you pass several sheet metal sculptures depicting black Union soldiers, such as this one:

Sunday, January 6, 2019

South Of The Border

As I had mentioned yesterday, I have crossed the border - into South Carolina.  As expected, I found no wall, but I did find the Mexican-themed tourist area known as South Of The Border.  The place includes several restaurants, a motor inn, a campground, a park, an observation tower, and a bunch of stores, variously located on both sides of a road which is both U.S. 301 and U.S. 501.  As you drive into SOTB, Pedro is there to welcome you.

Saturday, January 5, 2019

Saturday Travels And Stories

Greetings from my undisclosed location not far from the border - between the two Carolinas.  I'm currently on the North Carolina side, and will attempt to cross into the South tomorrow.  Since this is a border between two U.S. states, I don't think I'll find any wall, except between the highway and adjacent land.  Any coyotes trying to smuggle their human cargo northward will simply be able to drive their vehicles on I-95 or other commonly traveled roads.  They will not be harassed by police or other authorities, unless they commit an obvious traffic violation.  After a long day of driving, I find myself wondering if I've missed anything interesting, so I naturally had to look up and present some things going on:

From Deutsche Welle, global warming cancels around 120 flights at Munich Airport.

From the Express, "yellow vest" protesters block roads in London and set off smoke bombs near the Parliament building.  (via Voice Of Europe)

From France24, meanwhile in France, "yellow vest" protesters keep the pressure on President Macron.

From The Conservative Woman, "the ordinary people of Europe demand to be heard".

From RFI, France announces a plan to deter migrants from crossing the English Channel to Britain.

From the (Irish) Independent, a priest bans homeless people from sleeping in the Ennis, Ireland cathedral because they were using it to process liquid.

From the Irish Examiner, Irish Taoiseach Varadkar defends his plans for dealing with a no-deal Brexit as "prudent".

From Ekathimerini, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople formally recognizes the independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

From the Greek Reporter, global warming cancels and redirects flights at Thessaloniki's airport.

From the Hungary Journal, Hungary's opposition parties call for nationwide demonstrations.

From Daily News Hungary, trade unions and opposition partiers protest in Budapest, and in Pécs and Szombathely.

From The Times Of Israel, Israel will reportedly seek compensation for the Jews who were thrown out of Arab countries.

From Haaretz, a London mosque cancels a Holocaust exhibit because Muslims protested against it.

From Khaama Press, Afghan special forces rescue 12 people from a Taliban prison.

From the Vanguard, a Boko Haram commander, after his arrest, tells how he was indoctrinated.

From ANF News, some Mosques in Switzerland have been shown to have ties to ISIS.

From Al Arabiya, why Turkish TV bans the American show Modern Family.

From Sky Sports, NBA player Eres Kanter will not travel to a game in London because he fears being assassinated for his opposition to Turkish President Erdoğan.

From Gatestone Institute, the European Court of Human Rights is really promoting human wrongs.

From the New York Post, the partial government shutdown "drags into" its third week.

From The Hill, former Vice President Biden blames the shutdown on Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter.  (Those two probably wish that they had such power.  The story comes via Townhall.)

From the Washington Examiner, negotiations over the shutdown will continue.

From Fox News, what happened when an opinion writer visited a national park during the shutdown.

From American Thinker, "how the left appropriates Christianity".

And from Breaking Burgh, Vice President Mike Pence worries that in the future, there might be women who both dance and cuss.

Friday, January 4, 2019

Music Break

For the first time this year, I've decided that it's time for some music.  First up is Little Miss Hip Shake, by the British group Mungo Jerry.  This was the B-side of their 1973 single Alright, Alright, Alright.  Depending on which comment on the YouTube page you wish to believe, this song sounds either like something from Creedence Clearwater Revival or from Bob Seger.


Friday Links

As the first Friday of the year has come upon us, here are some things going on:


From National Review, so does new congresscritter Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).  (I would like to give her the nickname "Asteroid Lady".)







From Voice Of Europe, a Swiss woman visiting Austria breaks the nose of an Afghan migrant who sexually assaulted her.  (If you read German, read the story at the Austrian site Heute, which name means "today".  Although the Heute story is two days old, it was too good to pass up.)





From El País, police arrest people who illegally built 14 luxury homes in La Línea de la Concepción, Spain without any permits.  (A look at GoogleMaps shows that this town is adjacent to the U.K. territory of Gibraltar.)





From the Irish Examiner, Ireland's Taoiseach still hopes that the current Brexit withdrawal plan will be successful.  (Again, I welcome any advice as to how to pronounce "Taoiseach".)

From the (Irish) Independent, a student dies after falling from the Cliffs of Moher while trying to take a selfie.  (I visited this place during my trip to Ireland in 1997.  There are no artificial barriers at the tops of the cliffs.)
































From the Nyasa Times, a gift to a mosque in Malawi results in a fight.  (When it was under British colonial rule, Malawi was known as Nyasaland.)





And from The Verge, PepsiCo rolls out the snackbots.

Thursday, January 3, 2019

She's Baaaaaack, And Other Stories

As largely expected, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-Cal) has retaken her former role as Speaker of the House of Representatives, which resulted from the Democratic Party's victories in the 2018 midterm elections.  She received 220 votes, with only 15 members of her party voting against her.

Read more at CNBC, The New York Times, C-SPAN, The Hill and Politico.
****
In other stories:

From the Hungary Journal, Hungarian Prime Minister Orban talks with new Brazilian President Bolsonaro.  (via Voice Of Europe)

From Daily News Hungary, an Afghan refugee is sentenced to community service for assaulting a couple in Budapest.  (This is interesting simply because Hungary has taken in very few refugees.)

From Hungary Today, according to Hungarian Foreign Minister Szijjarto, investments in the Hungarian economy reached a record high in 2018.

From About Hungary, Hungarian soldiers and policemen get a pay increase.

From The Slovak Spectator, Slovakia has assumed the presidency of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

From Radio Poland, according to Poland's ambassador to Israel, Poland is the only European state to properly honor the Holocaust.

From Deutsche Welle, members of a far-right group patrol the streets Amberg, Germany after four refugees allegedly attacked people.

From Dutch News, the Dutch coastguard releases pictures of a cargo ship and containers which fell off during high winds.

From Politicalite, UKIP leader Gerard Batten slams The Sun for falsely reporting that Tommy Robinson would take his place.

From the Express, Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg blames Ireland for the possible no-deal Brexit.

From the Evening Standard, the Democratic Unionist Party "savages" the currently proposed Brexit deal.

From the (U.K.) Independent, according to former Brexit Secretary David Davis, Prime Minister May should delay the House of Commons vote on the deal.

From the (Irish) Independent, Ireland's Taoiseach announces that this country had an unexpected surplus last year.

From the Irish Examiner, Ireland and Germany will "stand by" the current Brexit agreement.

From CBC News, Canada will spend $113 million on pre-arrival services for immigrants.  (How much will be spent on the informal crossing at Roxham Road is not mentioned.)

From Global News, StatCan warns that the shutdown of the U.S. government could impair their own data collection.

From CTV News, record-setting rower John Beeden and his daughter Libby are currently rowing from Portugal to Antigua.

From France24, a Chinese probe makes the first-ever landing on the moon's far side.

From RFI, a "yellow vest" leader, released from custody without charge, denies organizing the demonstration in Paris.

From El País, in the latest chapter of the Franco reburial controversy, the Catholic Church denies the government access to his current tomb.

From The Portugal News, the new Brazilian president says that he "may visit Portugal by early 2020".

From SwissInfo, the political and economic outlook for Switzerland in 2019.

From ANSA, Italian Interior Minister Salvini continues to clash with left-leaning mayors.

From The European Post, the Italian Supercup, hosted by Saudi Arabia, will admit women only if accompanied by men.

From Voice Of Europe, more on the Italian Supercup restrictions on women.  (If you read Italian, read the story at Il Post.)

From the Malta Independent, Maltese bishops urge their colleagues in Europe to get help from their governments to deal with migration.

From Total Croatia News, Croatia starts the process to apply for an associate membership in CERN.

From Ekathimerini, the mayors of places on five Aegean islands oppose linking a proposed VAT discount to the number of migrants they host.

From the Greek Reporter, one group of migrants in Greece publishes their own newspaper.

From Independent Balkan News Agency, the leader of the Serbian opposition party SDS says that the party might boycott upcoming elections.

From Sputnik International, a bus terminal in Rzhev, Russia is evacuated due to a suspicious bag.

From Hürriyet Daily News, the U.S. offers to sell Turkey Patriot missiles systems.

From Turkish Minute, 96 migrants died off the Turkish coast in 2018.

From Arutz Sheva, a U.N. official accuses Jewish settlers of throwing stones at a car ridden by Palestinian Authority premier Rami Hamdallah.  (If this is true, Bob Dylan was correct.  "They'll stone you when you're riding in your car.")

From The Times Of Israel, Brazil reportedly wants to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, but doesn't know when.

From YNetNews, heavy rains expose two ancient statues in Beit She'an, Israel.

From the Egypt Independent, Egyptian President Abdel al-Sisi will open a new mosque and a new cathedral in Egypt's New Administrative Capital.

From Egypt Today, a car once driven by Egyptian President Abdel Nasser rides again.

From Rûdaw, over 100 illegal gasoline stations have been closed in Kirkuk, Iraq.

From Dawn, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan arrives in Turkey.

From The Express Tribune, Pakistani and U.S. officials discuss a possible summit between Khan and President Trump.

From Khaama Press, initial parliamentary election results are announced for Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan's Baghlan province.

From Ghana Web, a group of young Muslims threaten to go Count Dracula on a Christian preacher.

From Gatestone Institute, Iran has become Europe's new "Munich".

From American Thinker, "no sharia in America".

From National Review, 2018 really wasn't so bad.

From Townhall, 2019 will make 2018 look sane.

From The Federalist, a compromise about border security that Trump and the Democrats could reach.

From the Washington Examiner, Mexico demands that U.S. Border Patrol agents are investigated for their use of tear gas.

From CNS News, ABC and CBS welcome the Democratic takeover of the House.

From Fox News, a "to-do list" for the newly empowered House Democrats.

From Twitchy, Michael Moore is already impatient with the House Democrats.  (I would tell him, "Chill out, Mikey.  It's just their first day on the job.")

From LifeZette, if Trump caves in on the wall, it will be the end of his presidency, says Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

From The Daily Caller, here are the 15 Democrats who voted against Pelosi retaking her old job.

From the New York Post, a man is arrested after going nuts over a bagel order at a deli in Brooklyn.

And from The Babylon Bee, due to the government shutdown, more Yellowstone bison are looking for other work.

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Mormons Criticize Trump, And Other Stories

President Trump has been getting some criticism from two politically notable Mormons, and responding a bit thereto.  One has been a governor and will be installed in the Senate tomorrow, while the other has retired from the Senate.  Starting with these stories, here are some things going on:

From MSNBC, Senator-elect Mitt Romney (R-UT) has some harsh words for President Trump.

From CNN, Trump responds to Romney.

From The Week, will Romney try to primary Trump in 2020?

From The Federalist, Romney was not wrong to criticize Trump, but his reasons were.

From the Washington Examiner, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) sides with Trump against Romney.

From The New York Times Magazine, former Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) has some words for Trump, and for some other people.

From American Thinker, some of California's ballot-harvesters, who helped flip the House blue, were DREAMers.  (In many states, ballot-harvesting is illegal.)

From National Review, one of the few things still not politicized these days has four legs and wags its tail.

From Townhall, there was a time when Democrats supported border security.

From The Washington Free Beacon, Trump's agenda of deregulation has slowed, but is still going on.

From FrontpageMag, the next migrant caravan is already getting organized.

From Voice Of Europe, according to Prime Minister Orban, mixing Hungarian culture with Islam is not a good idea.

From Daily News Hungary, the Hungarian opposition party Jobbik accuses their government of imposing austerity.

From About Hungary, Hungary raises its minimum wage eight percent.  (Would that sort of thing happen under austerity?)

From Hungary Today, in Brazil, Prime Ministers Orban (Hungary) and Netanyahu (Israel) discuss a planned meeting between Israel and the Visegrad group.  (Visegrad is a city in Hungary, but has a Slavic name which roughly translated means "upper fortress".)

From The Slovak Spectator, Slovak Prime Minister Pellegrini addresses his country, saying that they "have built a mental Berlin wall".  (Yes, the Slovak PM has an Italian name.)

From Radio Praha, Czech leaders call for greater civility during their New Year's Day messages.

From Radio Poland, Polish Prime Minister Morawiecki predicts changes for the E.U. after this year's elections.  (His last name refers to the region of Moravia in the Czech Republic.)

From Deutsche Welle, in the wake of attacks by refugees in Amberg, Germany's interior minister calls for stricter deportation laws.

From the NL Times, the Netherlands recalls all of its F-16 fighter jets from Syria.

From Dutch News, the bonfire on a beach in Scheveningen may have violated permit rules.  (Scheveningen is a district of The Hague.)

From VRT NWS, Belgian Interior Minister Pieter De Crem denounces the violence against fire fighters and police on New Year's Eve.

From the Express, former UKIP leader Nigel Farage has a "key message" for all Brexit supporters.

From the Independentthe number of peers in the House of Lords needs to be reduced, say their own Speaker.

From the Evening Standard, U.K. Prime Minister May again tries to obtain concessions from the E.U. over the Irish backstop.

From Irish Examiner, Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party warns May that they expect her to keep her word.

From CBC News, a petition calls for the U.S. to give the Northwest Angle to Canada.  (The Northwest Angle is a part of the American state of Minnesota separated from the rest of the U.S. by the Lake Of The Woods.)

From the National Post, the weapons Prime Minister Trudeau the Younger promised the Kurds are still sitting in a Canadian warehouse.  (Just I have referred to the 43rd American president as "Bush the Younger", because his father once held the same position, I can likewise call the current Canadian PM as "Trudeau the Younger".)

From France24, in Iraqi Kurdistan, women strive to end FGM.

From RFI, will weakened French President Macron be able to get any reforms passed this year?

From El País, the number of migrants arriving in Spain by sea reached a record high in 2018.

From SwissInfo, the political issues on Switzerland's agenda for 2019.

From ANSA, Italian Interior Minister Salvini and Palermo Mayor Orlando clash over the former's security decree.

From the Malta Independent, the Sea-Watch 3, with 32 migrants on board, is given permission to move closer to Malta due to bad weather.

From Total Croatia News, the U.S. and Israel fail to reach an agreement about the sale of F-16s to Croatia.  (If you read Croatian, read more at Večernji List and Jutarnji Vijesti.)

From Ekathimerini, a VAT discount given to five Aegean islands due to the number of migrants they currently host could be extended.

From the Greek Reporter, young Greek researchers produce a "breakthrough" electric racecar.

From Independent Balkan News Agency, FYROM's ratification of the treaty to change its name could lead to developments in Greece.

From Novinite, Bulgaria assumes the rotating presidency of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation.

From Russia Today, 32 bodies have been pulled from the wreckage of a building partially destroyed by a gas explosion.

From Hürriyet Daily News, an American delegation visits Ankara, Turkey to discuss evidence about the FETÖ group.

From Turkish Minute, Turkey indicts 14 suspected human smugglers for the deaths of three migrants.

From Arutz Sheva, former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon files to register his new political party.

From The Times Of Israel, Israeli ultra-Orthodox parties are reportedly talking about forming an electoral alliance.

From YNetNews, over half of the people immigrating to Israel in 2018 are not recognized as Jews.

From the Egypt Independent, Egypt's environment minister announces plans to protect natural areas in the Sinai and the Red Sea.

From Rûdaw, President Trump still wants to protect Syrian Kurds.

From Iraqi News, Iraqi troops in Nineveh destroy four tunnels dug by ISIS.  (In Iraq and on the borders of Israel, terrorists seem to have developed a penchant for digging tunnels.)

From Dawn, the Pakistani army reportedly shoots down a spy drone from India.

From Gatestone Institute, what is the "Islamic University of Europe" teaching?

From Fox News, Trump unveils his poster inspired by Game of Thrones.

From The Daily Caller, the healthy economy and job market make recruiting more difficult for the Army.

From Twitchy, former PFC Chelsea Manning wants to abolish the presidency, even after receiving a commutation from a person holding that office.

From CNS News, the country reportedly jailing the most journalists is China.

From the Los Angeles Times, the illegal alien who allegedly killed Police Corporal Ronil Singh has been charged with murder.

And from Science News, the Kuiper Belt object Ultima Thule, recently visited by the New Horizons space probe, looks like a snowman.

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Stories To Start The Year

The year 2019 has begun, and so have the things going on:


From Politico, Trump invites leading congresscritters for a briefing on the wall.  (We don't need no educat.....oh wait, not THAT wall.)




From American Thinker, why open borders are absurd.



From Voice Of Europe, four refugees injure 12 people in Amberg, Germany.  (If you read German, read the story at Focus.)



From Dutch News, four people die during New Year's festivities in the Netherlands.  (If you read Dutch, read about one of them who died in Enschede at Tubantia.)







From The Conservative Woman, let them eat potatoes.

From the Irish Examiner, Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is concerned about possible external interference in this year's E.U. elections.  (Again, I welcome any suggestion on how to pronounce "Taoiseach".)




From RFI, French authorities stop a group of 14 migrants from traveling to Britain on a stolen boat.  (For those of you who wish to liken the migrants to Jesus, would Jesus and his followers, some of whom were fisherman and thus familiar with boats, actually steal a boat?  Please bear in mind that as devout Jews, they would have been well aware of the commandment against stealing.)




From Total Croatia News, Croatia's new or amended laws for 2019.  (If you read Croatian, read the story at Večerny List, whose name means "evening letter", if my knowledge of the similar language Polish allows me an educated guess.)
















From The Express Tribune, authorities in Punjab arrest 18 drug pushers near educational facilities.  (If you ever want to ruin your life and spend a long time in prison, trying to sell illegal drugs in a Muslim country would be an effective way of doing so.)






Happy New Year

To everyone who reads this blog, have a happy New Year.