Author Archives: willmann

More provocation. An attack on a Moscow concert hall and mall by several persons has produced many casualties.

By Robert Willmann As if indiscriminate violence has not been enough starting at the Mediterranean Sea and going through Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and then up into Ukraine. Now an attack on a civilian entertainment and mall area in … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs, Europe, Middle East, Policy, Politics, Russia, Ukraine Crisis | Tagged | 163 Comments

The UN International Court of Justice will issue its order January 26 on South Africa’s complaint against Israel about genocide in Gaza, Palestine

By Robert Willmann The International Court of Justice (ICJ), part of the United Nations organization, is going to make public a decision and opinion on Friday, 26 January 2024, at 1:00 p.m. Netherlands time (6:00 a.m. central time). The case … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs, Israel, Justice, Middle East, Palestine | Tagged , | 116 Comments

The beauty of Christmas through music in a concert with three tenors

By Robert Willmann This is a repost of what I placed here last year on 25 December 2022. A timeless concert from 1999 — The Three Tenors Christmas — with Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, and Jose Carreras. Pavarotti passed away … Continue reading

Posted in Christmas, Fine Art, Music | Tagged | 1 Comment

Several Republicans prevented Jim Jordan from becoming Speaker, but the numbers 5 and 33 trillion will not go away

By Robert Willmann Like Mother Nature, mathematics is impartial. Acting like petulant children, several Republican members of the House of Representatives prevented Jim Jordan from becoming Speaker by using the whole number five, or higher, to prevent him from getting … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs, government, Policy, Politics | Tagged , , | 21 Comments

A 3-way game of chicken is underway in Congress as Jim Jordan gets 199 votes for Speaker in the second round

By Robert Willmann Sure enough, once again Speaker pro tempore of the U.S. House of Representatives Patrick McHenry put the session in recess on Wednesday, 18 October 2023, without allowing additional rounds of voting, after a second vote for a … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs, government, Politics | Tagged , , | 28 Comments

In the first round of voting for Speaker of the House of Representatives, Jim Jordan gets 200 votes but not 217

By Robert Willmann Starting at noon today, the U.S. House of Representatives held a public session to try to elect a new Speaker, after Kevin McCarthy was removed on 3 October 2023 by a vote on a motion to vacate … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs, government, Politics | Tagged , , | 26 Comments

Does the U.S. government really not know where an F35 jet is after the pilot ejected?

By Robert Willmann You cannot make this stuff up. Cost estimates vary, but they all amount to millions and millions of dollars per airplane. Since (at least) Sunday, 17 September 2023, a Lockheed Martin F35 military jet is said to … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs, government, Media, Policy, Science | Tagged , , | 24 Comments

The great singer Tony Bennett passes on at age 96

By Robert Willmann In 2018, when 91 (or 92) years young, Tony Bennett released yet another music album, Love Is Here to Stay. Singing with him is Diana Krall, who has her own music career performing known songs with jazz-like … Continue reading

Posted in Fine Art, Music | Tagged , , | 16 Comments

Trump’s lawyers met with the Department of Justice, but the political prosecution of him will continue

By Robert Willmann On Monday, 5 June 2023, lawyers for former president and current candidate Donald Trump went to the main building of the Department of Justice in Washington DC to meet with the special counsel John L. “Jack” Smith … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs, government, Justice, Politics | Tagged , | 58 Comments

The U.S. Congress as professional wrestling puts on a show about the federal government’s public debt limit

By Robert Willmann As a type of theater, professional wrestling is a scripted performance to entice the audience and coax it to come back for more. With in-your-face interviews before and after a match including insolent insults, and fascinating stunts … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs, government, Policy, Politics | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments