Exotic...

I think of this retiring abroad or living abroad thing as such an exotic experience." "But, daily life within these walls isn't much different than it would be if we were still in New York or if we were in Paris."

"Certainly, there are cultural differences."  "But, we go to bed and get up, we take a shower and brush our teeth, we make a list and go to the grocery store, we make meals, we wash dishes, and we wash and dry clothes just like everybody else does. We just do it here."

Carry on...

The first gun rights case before the U.S. Supreme Court in nearly a decade boiled down to a debate over whether there's still a case at all.

The New York City law in question -- which had banned the transportation of licensed, locked and unloaded handguns outside city limits -- was voluntarily rescinded last year and New York state later passed a new law mandating that no such restrictions ever be re-imposed.

The National Rifle Association and other pro-gun organizations, insist the argument is still very much alive. They want court to expand Second Amendment protections to explicitly include transport of lawfully possessed arms to a second home or gun range.

Whatever the decision is, just proceed. There is more to life than just gun and gun rights.

Path...

The London Bridge attacker wrote a letter from jail in 2012 asking to take part in the deradicalization course to become “a good British citizen.”

Usman Khan, 28 — who killed two people and hurt three others in Friday’s attack said he came to see violent extremism as wrong while he was in prison.

Khan, a native of Pakistan who had ties to a jihadi leader who sought help from ISIS, was released from prison a year ago after serving just half of a 16-year sentence for plotting with eight others in 2010 to bomb such London landmarks as the stock exchange, the American embassy and Westminster Abbey.

While he was in jail, he wrote a letter claiming he was “immature” when he joined the plot and wanted to improve through a “deradicalization program."

Not sure of your path in life, search it first.

Desire...

Violent protests swept across parts of southern Iraq and Baghdad on Thursday in a growing display of public anger over Iran's interference in Iraqi affairs. This comes one day after demonstrators set fire to an Iranian consulate in the holy Shiite city of Najaf.

Across the country, more than two dozen protesters have been killed and 165 wounded since Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.

The worst violence has been in the south of Iraq, a predominantly Shiite area, as NPR's Jane Arraf reports. In the city of Nassiriya, at least 20 protesters were killed when security forces opened fire to try and drive them from a bridge.

In Najaf, security forces fired on protesters on Wednesday after they stormed the Iranian consulate, setting fire to the building. Arraf says the protesters prevented fire fighters from reaching the consulate. Iranian diplomats were believed to have left the building before the attack and there were no reports of Iranian casualties.

Why did we go to Iraq?  Did we help the people of Iraq?
Do we have a deep desire to do something somewhere?

Hope...

Gasoline...

Hong Kong police ended their blockade of a university campus after surrounding it for 12 days to try to arrest anti-government protesters holed up inside.

Police removed a stash of nearly 4,000 gasoline bombs left behind by protesters, who fought pitched battles about two weeks ago with riot officers on surrounding streets.  

The standoff at Hong Kong Polytechnic University was one of the most dramatic episodes in nearly six months of unrest that began in June with a huge march against an extradition bill seen as an erosion of freedoms promised when the former British colony returned to Chinese control in 1997.

Protesters have since expanded their demands to include fully democratic elections and an investigation into police use of tear gas, rubber bullets and other force to suppress the violence. Police have arrested 5,890 people since June, ranging in age from 11 to 83.

Trap...

A man was shot and killed after he set off a booby trap in his own home on Thanksgiving night.

Ronald Cyr, 65, of Van Buren, Maine died of injuries sustained at his home on Nov. 28 after a handgun that was designed to fire upon anybody entering the front door of his residence went off.

The Van Buren Police Department, assisted by the U.S. Border Patrol, responded to a call indicating that Cyr had been shot. But when officers arrived on scene they discovered that he had been injured by a booby trap that he had allegedly set up himself, according to a statement released by the Van Buren Police Department.

However, following an extensive investigation that last several hours, it was determined Cyr had been shot unintentionally after discharging his own booby trap.

Flailed...

Assistant US attorney Bianca Forde was arrested for trying to keep cops from administering a sobriety test to her boyfriend in Hell’s Kitchen.

Forde, 35, was riding shotgun with her boyfriend when cops pulled over their 2020 Chevy Camaro about 12:15 a.m.

Forde jumped out of the car, which had Virginia plates, ignoring multiple police warnings to stay inside the vehicle.

She then began imploring her beau not to submit to the test, according to police, who said that she appeared to have been drinking.

Her 40-year-old boyfriend eventually submitted to the test, passed, and was not arrested, police said.

Instead it was Forde — who flailed her arms in the air as police attempted to cuff her — who was arrested, police said.

Not much...

Drones...

The use of lethal drones was once an area dominated by the US, but has spread rapidly, drawing in new conflicts and causing more civilian casualties as warfare is revolutionised.

The principal battleground is Libya, where both sides in the ongoing civil war are trying to gain air superiority with cheap Chinese-made craft run by the United Arab Emirates on one side, and equally inexpensive Turkish-made drones on the other.

The use of drones intensified when, after rapid early gains, Haftar’s forces were stalled by resistance from a coalition of militias fighting for the GNA.

Haftar is supported by Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The UAE operates a handful of Chinese-made.

Thanks to the Obama/Hillary dual regiem change that failed in every aspect and succeeded to start a civil war in the country. Just a thought.