Bonkers, Blather, Blunders & Buffoons #29

Normally the B-Brothers wouldn’t be back so soon, but D.C.’s antics as well as those from other segments of today’s mixed-up society just keep rollin’ on in.

Our biggest national worry right now, in addition to the hope that the Israeli-Gaza war doesn’t spread, is the increasing quantity, with stronger focus on the quality, of the illegal migrants streaming across our open southern border. And on the quality front, a disturbing number of foreign nationals from security threat nations (considered to be “Special Interest Aliens”), as well as a number who appeared on the Terrorist Screening Database, have been apprehended/arrested by CBP agents in recent days.  One standout attempted entry was an Iranian who attempted to enter America at about 3 AM on a recent Sunday morning!  Mighty glad they stopped that one. And that brings the total of Iranian nationals seeking U.S. entry in the last two weeks alone to over 30!  Other recent nationals apprehended and of concern: over 100 Russians and almost 2,000 from China, as well as several from other Middle East nations.  Beyond those apprehended by our agents, the genuine concern, as always, is how many potential terrorists made it across our ridiculously open border previously, along with those unknown ‘Got-Aways’ who enter without notice or apprehension.  Oh, you should also know that CBP agents have stopped about 35 Pakistanis since the start of the month (October).

And speaking of American citizens in Israel understandably seeking evacuation assistance, slow to react as is too often the case, it seems, the State Department has announced its plan to begin evacuations for those unable to book seats on a regular commercial flight, or are fearful of doing so. However, there is this one little detail.  Our U.S. government will not pick up the tab.  That’s right, you can be evacuated, but passengers must pay their own way.  Meanwhile, the illegal migrant masses are being given (repeat, given) room and board in various U.S. cities.  And the cost for that, in New York City, for example, has already come to almost $2-billion in support for migrants in that metro alone.  And you should also know that one extraordinary citizen, as well as Florida Governor DeSantis, has already evacuated Americans from Israel, with no known mention of individuals having to pay their own way!!  Sometimes, it’s not only our open border that’s beyond ridiculous.

And speaking of a cruel reality that defies fairness, it’s been reported that over one-million Americans lost their jobs back in July-August, while nearly 700,000 non-native born persons secured employment. This is a significant shift from President Trump’s administration to Mr. Biden’s.  And the key factor at play here is Mr. Biden’s open border with the continuing stampede of millions of illegals who have entered our country since his administration began.  Worse yet, Mr. Biden is reportedly “expediting work permits for border crossers released into the nation’s interior, even as tens of millions of employable Americans are on the sidelines of the workforce.”  As always, it seems, with this administration, it’s other peoples and nation’s first, Americans and our nation second.  We’re redefining most everything lately, including the concept of fairness.

Speaking of unfairness, a 95-year-old Korean War veteran, and other residents, were forced to leave their nursing home, which was being sold by its owners to be converted into housing for illegal migrants! Said the 95-year-old veteran: “One day there was a notice on the board. I think that gave us a month and a half to find out where we were going to go.  I thought my suitcases were going to be on the curb, because I’m not that fast. And if it wasn’t for my daughter, they would’ve been on the curb!” Representative Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) responded to the sudden closing and conversion: “My blood pressure went through the roof when I found out Homes for the Homeless had cut a deal with the City of New York to turn Island Sores (the nursing homes) into a migrant shelter.”  A sad situation for the residents and shows pretty clearly where the City’s priorities are.  Take care of the illegals first, and then, if need be, those long-time elderly/ill local residents be damned. Nothing reported on the outcome for substitute housing and care for that nursing home’s American citizen residents.

Meanwhile, a 19-year-old resident of South Florida was arrested last week, after police determined that he was allegedly wanting to kill a school administrator and another 14 people at Okeechobee High School, his former school. He “was allegedly planning to carry out the attack on January 2, 2024, his birthday.” What a wonderful way to celebrate. An area resident said that the young man “was a good guy, until he went bad.”  That was surely among the top understatements of the year.  That disturbed young adult was also allegedly planning to attack an area church in order to go on “a stabbing spree.”  His attack plans were said to be, in his words, for “attention and fame.”  The young man’s parents said that their son was not really a danger, as he “struggles with mental health.”  Good to at least know that this wasn’t a normal, well-grounded kid.  Said his mom: “He needs to be treated for mental illness and not be treated as a criminal.  He needs to get the help that he so desperately is asking for.” No telling how this saga plays out.  Hopefully in a mental facility, with effective treatment, and follow-up close monitoring, rather than in a school lobby one day.

As we may have expected, kids and teens spend a whole lot of time each day on their cell phones. According to a recent study, “most teens check their phones frequently, ranging from two to 498 times per day!”  And “a whopping 97% of kids used their phones during school hours, while nearly 60% used them overnight – between the hours of midnight and 5 AM!”  Along with other popular apps, TikTok was very popular with teens, “with some scrolling on that app for up to seven hours a day.  The study further indicated that almost half (45%) of the participants used apps “with mature or adults-only ratings.” Observed a licensed clinical social worker in Boca Raton, Florida, regarding all of this use and dependence on cell phones by young people: “They lose the ability to have face-to-face interactions, and to converse and connect with others. The more apps we use, the more likely it is that we lose parts of ourselves, our confidence and self-esteem.  People feel good and are enhanced by interactions with others, and those feelings cannot be replicated by connecting through a phone.”  The principal advice to parents is to “delay phone access for as long as possible.” And, importantly, once use inevitably begins, “stay involved in their digital lives just as much as you are in their physical life.” There are apparently phones that allow and encourage parents to monitor use and sites visited.  Especially useful to be certain, as much as possible, that youngsters and pre-teens (or teens themselves) are not accessing adult sites nor sending inappropriate personal photos to strangers or anyone else, for that matter.  Cell phone use by young people can be a positive (e.g., connecting with home) but also a negative, when site use is not monitored. Given those extensive hours of use cited above, parental involvement and controls on that use, from an early age, and continuing, are about the only potentially effective safety valves.

Metropolitan crime, not only the serious personal injury variety, but also now the outrageous individual or, more often, group (mob) theft in retail stores.  It’s gotten so out of hand, with no apparent serious effort to stop it by big city authorities, that some major chain stores (and smaller local retailers as well) have made the hard but inevitable decision to close stores. Target, for instance, is closing nine stores, effective October 21 (!) in New York City, Seattle, San Francisco, and Portland (Oregon). It’s important to note that those four major cities, as well as some others, are controlled by Democrat administrations.  All past liberal ‘defund the police’ cities who are only now learning the hard lesson that increasing police protection for citizens and businesses was, in hindsight, the correct action.  More police, rather than far fewer. While the lesson may have finally dawned on city administrators (aided by citizen and retailer out-cry), it’s almost too little too late, as the serious major retail theft continues, forcing Target and some other big box retailers, to close up, pull out, and concentrate their businesses in safer cities.

And speaking of big cities considered to be unsafe, bad news for the residents of St. Louis, Missouri, as their city has been declared to be the most dangerous city in America, out of the over 180 U.S. cities assessed in a recent WalletHub poll. Criteria included: traffic fatalities and assaults per capita, along with the unemployment rate.  Other factors included: home and community safety, natural disaster risk, and financial safety.  By this current poll, St. Louis was named the most dangerous, as it was reportedly also known as the murder capital of the nation until 2022, when New Orleans captured that un-sought-after title!  Meanwhile, so far in 2023, you’ll be impressed to learn that the homicide capital of our nation is now our very own Capital city itself: Washington, D.C.  And by the way, the safest place in America was determined by this study to be Nashua, New Hampshire.

The final item this edition may not actually be a BBBB, but it does qualify as a fifth B: Bizarre.  Fake belly buttons!  This craze(y) is said to have started in China.  A woman can place on her body a belly button sticker, applied a few inches above her real naval which, in theory, and along with some suggested make-up, gives the impression of the lady having longer legs.  The illusion is complete when a skirt or pants are then pulled up, resulting in, what appears to be, a somewhat greater height.  Shorter women rejoice.  Long awaited romance could now be but a few faked inches away for the new “taller” you.  That’s the long and the short of it, as once again, China, the unlikely fashion mecca, comes up with a really swell idea, one guaranteed to literally grow on you!  As goofy as China starting and exporting this belly button sticker fad is, at least it’s not nearly as serious as was COVID-19!

 

 (Fact Sources:  Persons recently seeking entry from undesirable nations via legalinsurrection.com, 10-23. U.S. government evacuations from Israel at a price via pjmedia.com, Lincoln Brown, 10-13-23; American vs. foreign national’s employment in the summer months via dailymail.com, Claudia Aoraha, 9-4-23; and breitbart.com, John Binder, 9-22-23; Elderly Korean War veteran and untold others forced to leave their NY nursing home via foxnews.com, Elizabeth Elkind, 9-26-23; Disturbed 19-year-old who allegedly planned to shoot up the school he attended via dailycaller.com, Dana Abizaid, 10-7-23;  Extensive cell phone use, in school and elsewhere, a concern for parents via foxnews.com, Angelica Stabile, 10-1-23; Due to theft, Target closes its stores in four major cities via powerlineblog.com, John Hinderaker, 9-26-23; St. Louis determined to be the most dangerous city in America via breitbart.com, Amy Furr, 10-15-23: Fake belly buttons via dailycaller.com, Robert McGreevy, 9-28-23).