Traveling

[O Really]

We enjoyed our short visit through Solvang in the summer and decided to come again for (almost) Christmas. The Danish village goes all out for "JuleFest" for about a month https://californiathroughmylens.com/sol ... christmas/

The next town over, about 3 miles, is Buellton, primary location for the "Sideways" film. The restaurant/bar they hung out in is still here and cashing in on the movie, and they named what was a Motel 6 in the film to "Sideways Inn." We saw the ostriches, visited a horse farm and wineries, walked the shops, bakeries and sausage places, and enjoyed the lights. Today we're going hiking at Purisima State Park https://www.lapurisimamission.org/
and see some history about priests rounding up Indians.

[Vrede too]

We enjoyed our short visit through Solvang in the summer and decided to come again for (almost) Christmas. The Danish village goes all out for "JuleFest" for about a month https://californiathroughmylens.com/sol ... christmas/

I didn't know that the US has any Danish hot spots.

Solvang’s History

Solvang was founded in 1911 on almost 9,000 acres of the Rancho San Carlos de Jonata Mexican land grant, by a group of Danes who traveled west to establish a Danish colony far from the midwestern winters. The city is home to several bakeries, restaurants, and merchants offering a taste of Denmark in California. The architecture of many of the facades and buildings reflects traditional Danish style.

The next town over, about 3 miles, is Buellton, primary location for the "Sideways" film. The restaurant/bar they hung out in is still here and cashing in on the movie, and they named what was a Motel 6 in the film to "Sideways Inn." We saw the ostriches, visited a horse farm and wineries, walked the shops, bakeries and sausage places, and enjoyed the lights. Today we're going hiking at Purisima State Park https://www.lapurisimamission.org/ and see some history about priests rounding up Indians.

FSM didn't like that.

Original mission

Mission La Purísima was originally established at a site known to the Chumash people as Algsacpi and to the Spanish as the plain of Río Santa Rosa, one mile south of Lompoc.... The site was the location of the mission from its founding on December 8, 1787, by Fermín Lasuén till it was destroyed by the 1812 Ventura earthquake (7.2) on December 12, 1812....


Ruins of Mission La Purisima Concepcion, ca.1885-1904

No lessons were learned.

Chumash revolt of 1824

After Mexico won the Mexican War of Independence in 1823, Spanish funding ceased to the Santa Barbara Presidio. Many soldiers at the mission who were no longer being paid by the new Mexican government took out their frustrations on the local Chumash Indians. After a soldier apparently beat an Indian at nearby Mission Santa Inés, the Chumash revolt of 1824 began at that mission. It spread to La Purísima Mission, where the Chumash people took over the mission for one month until more soldiers arrived from Monterey Presidio....

The restoration and Park look nice. One of my favorite Montana sites:

St. Ignatius Mission



... Architecture

The mission church is a simplified, vernacular example of Gothic revival architecture constructed of bricks made from native clay. The most exceptional feature of the interior are the 58 murals painted by Brother Joseph Carignano, an untrained artist who worked as a cook in the mission. The murals include depictions of Christian imagery mixed with representations of the Salish belief system. The church is 120 by 60 feet (37 m × 18 m) in plan and its belfry is nearly 100 feet (30 m) high.

[Vrede too]

This does not inspire confidence in airline preflight safety inspections:

JetBlue stowaways’ bodies were badly decomposed raising possibility they were there for multiple flights: Report

[Vrede too]

Boeing, again :


Article

[Vrede too]

This won't end well:

Trump begins firings of FAA staff just weeks after fatal DC plane crash

[GoCubsGo]

This won't end well:

Trump begins firings of FAA staff just weeks after fatal DC plane crash

The impacted workers include personnel hired for FAA radar, landing and navigational aid maintenance, one air traffic controller told The Associated Press. The air traffic controller was not authorized to talk to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity.

They're not important.

A Transportation Department official told the AP earlier Monday that the agency has “retained employees who perform critical safety functions.” In a follow-up query the agency said they would have to look into whether the radar, landing and navigational aid workers affected were considered to handle critical safety functions.

Oh goodie.

Other FAA employees who were fired were working on an urgent and classified early warning radar system the Air Force had announced in 2023 for Hawaii to detect incoming cruise missiles, through a program that was in part funded by the Defense Department. It's one of several programs that the FAA's National Airspace System Defense Program manages that involve radars providing longer-range detection around the country's borders.

IRON DOME across the US!

The Hawaii radar and the FAA defense program office working on it are “about protecting national security," Spitzer-Stadtlander said. “I don't think they even knew what NDP does, they just thought, oh no big deal, he just works for the FAA.”

Sounds right.

The inmates are truly running the asylum.

[Vrede too]

The inmates are truly running the asylum.

Yep. Here we go again:

Trump administration plans new travel ban. Here's who could be affected.

... According to the reports, the draft identifies “red list” countries as Sudan, Venezuela, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Iran, Libya, Cuba and North Korea – which Trump previously banned or restricted – to be barred from traveling to the U.S. Pakistan and Afghanistan are expected to be added to the list....

Will Americans respond with airport protests again?

How would the ban affect American travelers?

Americans could face an increased risk of harassment when traveling abroad to the countries the Trump administration is targeting, experts said.

American Society of Travel Advisors CEO Zane Kerby told Travel Weekly that "blanket 'entire country' travel bans constrain legitimate business and discourage friendly foreign visitors" and "risks retaliation from targeted countries and their allies."

This won't end well.

[Vrede too]

The FAA’s Troubles Are More Serious Than You Know

POTUS Musk and PINO are a literal plane wreck. DOUCHE has haphazardly reduced staffing, including in critical safety roles. Then, there's the self-dealing with POTUS Musk imposing the unvetted-for-security Starlink upon the FAA. It's a mess that will compound over time.

[O Really]

Air travel is getting like this:
Picture yourself driving in heavy traffic in a large city. Normally, the intersections have various warning and directional signs, traffic lights with protected turns, and in the busiest times a cop or so working the traffic. That was before. Now, take away the signs, have the lights work sporadically, send the cop off for doughnuts but when he's working he just points arbitrarily, and put large potholes in the intersection.

[Vrede too]

Air travel is getting like this:
Picture yourself driving in heavy traffic in a large city. Normally, the intersections have various warning and directional signs, traffic lights with protected turns, and in the busiest times a cop or so working the traffic. That was before. Now, take away the signs, have the lights work sporadically, send the cop off for doughnuts but when he's working he just points arbitrarily, and put large potholes in the intersection.

Ugh. Then, after a visitor goes through all of that:

Germany Issues Travel Warning for US

Germany has told its citizens that they are not guaranteed entry to the U.S. even if they have a visa or entry waiver.

The country's Foreign Ministry updated its travel advisory for America on Tuesday, after several Germans were detained at the border, Reuters reported....

Why It Matters

Stricter border policies have been a hallmark of Donald Trump's administration since he took office, and was a major component of his campaign....

Britain Issues Travel Warning for US

The United Kingdom has updated its travel advice for British citizens planning to visit the United States, warning of potential arrest or detention if travelers fail to comply with entry requirements.

It comes amid President Donald Trump's large-scale crackdown on illegal immigration.

"You should comply with all entry, visa and other conditions of entry. The authorities in the U.S. set and enforce entry rules strictly. You may be liable to arrest or detention if you break the rules," the guidance reads....

I also saw that Canadian tourists are choosing to vacation elsewhere. Meanwhile,

Over 47K Sign Petition to Block Donald Trump from Entering Canada

... What to Know

... The petition refers to Trump as a "convicted felon who is threatening Canada's Sovereignty."

"He has also stressed that border security along the Canadian border is a priority for him and we agree. We can't allow convicted felons from other countries across our border," the petition reads.

... The petition states that Canadian law does not allow most convicted felons into the nation, and that signers don't believe he meets the exceptions—meeting legal requirements to be deemed rehabilitated, applying for individual rehabilitation or receiving a pardon.

"Also, let's be honest, we just don't want him here," it reads. "We do not want Donald Trump to visit Canada under any circumstances." ...

Petition: Do Not Allow Trump to Visit Canada

I signed.
Other petitions with the same goal:
https://www.change.org/search?q=prohibi ... a&offset=0
A sampling:
https://www.change.org/p/prohibit-forme ... nto-canada
https://www.change.org/p/deny-entry-to- ... -in-canada
https://www.change.org/p/ban-donald-tru ... nal-record


Also,

Prohibit Donald Trump's Entry to Great Britain



The Issue

As someone deeply concerned with the moral fiber of our society, I am personally affected by the potential acceptance of individuals with criminal records and harmful traits into our very lives. I make specific reference to Donald Trump, a figure who has been accused of serious offenses, including felonies and sexual assault. His disregard for basic values and respect for people paints a worrying picture of a pathological narcissist. We cannot afford to welcome such an individual into our territory....

I signed.
DonOLD is bad for international relations AND business.

[neoplacebo]

Hey, hominy, you better watch out signing those petitions.....considering your name they may come after you. But you can tell them I put you up to it. Hell, we're hominy.

[Vrede too]

Hey, hominy, you better watch out signing those petitions.....considering your name they may come after you. But you can tell them I put you up to it. Hell, we're hominy.

I've been signing for you, too. Sorry.

[neoplacebo]

Hey, hominy, you better watch out signing those petitions.....considering your name they may come after you. But you can tell them I put you up to it. Hell, we're hominy.

I've been signing for you, too. Sorry.

No problem.

[Vrede too]

No problem.

Hominy.


DonOLD is even worse for international relations and for free speech.

French scientist denied entry into the U.S., French government says

... "I learned with concern that a French researcher on assignment for the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) who was traveling to a conference near Houston was denied entry to the United States before being expelled," Minister for Higher Education and Research Philippe Baptiste said in a statement to AFP.

The measure was apparently taken because the scientist had expressed a personal opinion on the Trump administration's research policy, he added, but did not elaborate.

MAGAts sure are thin-skinned crybabies.

... President Donald Trump's administration has taken various steps to cut or freeze federal funding for universities, medical centres and other research institutions since he took office in January....

MAGAts detest free speech and science.

[neoplacebo]

They have nothing but LAW (Lie And Whine) and LOW (Lie Or Whine). Everything else they do is either destructive or of some lesser degree of damage. DOGE really means department of government execution. They'd like nothing better than to give the entire government except themselves thirty days in the electric chair. That'll fix it, they say.