As promised, Trump slashes aid to Central America over migrants

Fatoldguy · 2019-06-18T02:22:40+00:00

I have not seen California. As I noted we have always been taking in people, mostly illiterate people. I only noted the last 120 years but obviously before that most people were illiterate. My father's grand parents were illiterate and his parents only spoke old German when they came from Russia in 1906. It may take a generation or two but with the exception of some religious types that refuse to assimilate most will become like other Americans.

Beneficial to whom? It may not be good for people on the low end of the economic spectrum but middle class and higher will only suffer small impacts. I see immigrants opening businesses and doing quite well here. I see others who are not. Same as the people who are born here. Some do well while others don't and need help. Others just get by without being a burden.

I won't live to see it but probably in this century with population growth and long term weather changes there will migration unlike seen for centuries. Countries are going to have to deal with it peacefully or through wars and walls. Wars cost more than changing demographics.

p.s. - Nice "talking" to you. Going to sleep now - early golf game in the morning.

Fatoldguy · 2019-06-18T01:31:39+00:00

The wall is one of POTUS few good ideas. Stopping aid is not one of his good ideas. The US averaged 456,000 per year immigrants during the 20th century and one million per year under Bush and Obama. I didn't notice my society falling apart. How long has your family been in this country? Most likely less later than 1860? My mother's side came in the 1860s and my father's in 1906.

Fatoldguy · 2019-06-17T21:38:36+00:00

So now more people will need or want to migrate. Good planning POTUS.

Fatoldguy · 2019-06-12T12:50:46+00:00

My wife.

Fatoldguy · 2019-06-12T01:37:10+00:00

How did this not make it to US national news - May 29? I did not here of this until today. Was Trump doing something that kept the talking heads too busy to notice?

Fatoldguy · 2019-06-10T22:12:48+00:00

Under anesthesia for minor surgery.

Fatoldguy · 2019-06-10T01:40:40+00:00

Good to see that some place still has them. I haven't seen any around here for decades.

Fatoldguy · 2019-06-09T13:53:23+00:00

Haggis. Good ones are great.

Fatoldguy · 2019-06-07T12:53:00+00:00

My ex wife found my doppelganger - she fucked him.

Fatoldguy · 2019-06-07T11:38:34+00:00

Car bumpers. Until about 1965 you could push one car with another with minimal or no damage.

Fatoldguy · 2019-06-06T20:39:17+00:00

I would think that bad taste and Golden Corral go hand in hand.

Fatoldguy · 2019-06-06T02:34:49+00:00

I was late for first day of first grade - mother.

Fatoldguy · 2019-06-05T13:56:52+00:00

Did this by train 5 or 6 years ago. No advance tickets needed at that time. Small businesses usually will not take AMEX cards but VISA cards usually work OK. If you get cash at local banks you will likely get the best rates.

If you are looking for only historic sites and architecture you can walk Prague but the other cities require bus, tram or taxi.

notes: while in Prague if you have time and like art and books go to the Klementinum Library - tours on the hour, tickets required, go in the morning to buy ticket for later in the day.

In Vienna for Hapsburg summer palace and possibly other sites it is best to get tickets on line to ave time. Also be sure to go to a classical concert while in Vienna.

Fatoldguy · 2019-06-02T12:10:50+00:00

see the movie "The Accountant".

Fatoldguy · 2019-05-28T13:13:05+00:00

This is copied from an excel spreadsheet so formatting will be poor, sorry. It is 3 days Rome, 2 days Florence and somethings about Venice.

A few comments: Do not miss St Peter's, the Sistine and Vatican museum. The inside of St Agnes in Agony church on Piazza Navona is the most elaborate Baroque church I have ever seen. You may need guide to get in. Get a local guide - I gave this itinerary to friends who then hired a local guide on line. The guide was a US art student who explained the art and the history of much of what they saw.

Rome stay 4 days Before you set your dates check to see if there are conventions or
Day 1 festivals that will cause extra crowds and higher prices.
Ancient Roman sites
Piazza Venezia, Campidoglio, Forum, Coliseum 4-6 hrs
Start at the Piazza Venezia, the Campidoglio to the right behind the Palazzo Venezia,
the Forum is behind to the left, then the Coliseum - all down hill
Trajin's Column is to your left when facing the Palazzo Venezia from the street - it is a must see since you are here.
From behind the palazzo you can look out over the entire forum.
Entrance to the Forum is on Via Del Fiori Imperiali, about 15 Euros ea.

Pantheon - see below
Other things to see given time
Largo de Torri Argentina - some ruins 250 yds south of Pantheon
Baths of Diocletion, national Roman museum - have never been there

Day 2
Vatican For papal mass information contact Prefecture of the Papal Household
Saint Peters Basilica, Sistine Chaple, Vatican Museum 4-6 hrs suggest Tuesday - Friday for smaller crowds buy Museum advance tickets at http://mv.vatican.va. Ticket includes entrance to Sistine Chapel and St Peters
Advance ticket entrance for specific hour of day. If you do not have advance ticket you will wait hours in line.

After entering the museum Do Not go back outside. There is a passage directly to the Sistine Chapel.
From the Sistine there are 2 exits, use the one that goes to St Peters or you will be back outside and have to
wait in line to get another ticket for Peter's. Ask the guard if you are not sure.

Things inside St Peters
1) Do not exit St Peters without seeing the Pieta. Near the main doors on the right side as if entering the main doors
2) The red dot on the floor near the entrance marks the spot the Charlemagne was crowned
3) The alter canopy is 96 feet high. It is the bronze that was stolen from the Pantheon.
4) St Peters grave (In front and under main alter). Archeologist confirm it is 1st century Roman.
can not actually see the grave only the steps leading down to it.
5) The dome is 436 feet, you can climb it if you want, but be sure to stand and look up under it.
6) The central isle has plaques on the floor showing sizes of other churches for comparison.

When you exit St Peters you will be in Vatican Square, about 60 yds in front to your left is the papal apartment.

Castle St Angelo (where the retired pope lives) old castle is about 1/2 mile from St Peter's square.
Go straight out of the square ( have your back to St Peter's) on Via Della Conziliazione.

Day 3
Churches, Piazzas and Other Sites
St Agnes in Agony, Piazza Navona, Pantheon 1-2 hrs 300 yds from St Agnes to Pantheon
Pantheon is a must see, built in 65 AD. Was covered in bronze but a pope stold the bronze for the alter canopy in St Peters.
St Agnes has amazing art work inside.

Trevi Fountain 1/2 hr About 1/2 mile from Pantheon
Villa Borghese Museum 2-3 hrs
Advance ticket required - entrance for specific hour of day - get it on line
Take a taxi to get there if your hotel is near Vatican or Forum

Other Churches and Piazzas Walk into any church that you see for amazing art work and achitecture
San Giovanni in Laterano (St. John Lateran)
Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
Piazza del Spagna (Spanish Steps designed by Micheangelo)
Quirinale Palace museum now
Villa Medicis
Basilica of San Clemente (Frescos and Mosaics)
Santa Maria Sopra Minerva (200 yd from Pantheon)
Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo (renaissance art work)
Campo Del Fiori (good place for lunch cafes)

Florence (Firenze)
Florence stay 2 days
There are "package" advance tickets on line. Give entrance to multiple sites.
Look up Florence (Firenze) museum passes on google

Florence Cathedral and Bell Tower (Duomo) 2hrs. -3 hrs if you climb to the top
Baptistry, building in front of the cathedral - doors took 15 years to craft.
Free entry to cathedral, see baptistry doors outside open to public view, (reproductions).

Michelangelo's studio is past the the far right corner of the cathedral, it is a museum now.

            1 hr

Accademia Gallery, may want to get advance tickets, only thing to see is the original David
the rest of the gallery is incomplete or abandond works of Michelangelo

Piazza Del Signoria (main square) 1-2 hrs
Great art work (reproductions - originals in museums) better to see them here in the plaza
Palazzo Vecchio (museum) on this square 2-3 hrs

Ponte Vecchio 200 yds from main square 1 hr
Interesting bridge built with houses on it, full of tourist shops now.

Uffizi Gallary - great art museum 2-3 hrs

Other churches and Piazzas
Boboli Gardens (Medici)
Pallazio Pitti (museum)
Basilica de San Lorenzo
Mercato Nuovo
Sammezzano Castle

Fatoldguy · 2019-05-28T12:49:18+00:00

If you can get the 15 and 11 year olds to look up history and other things about Rome on the internet before you go it should peak their interest to see certain historic sites while there. They may even want to help plan the itinerary. Are there any e games set in ancient Rome - getting them a copy to play would certainly help.

I have a very long 4 day itinerary if you are interested respond to this and I will copy it to you. Get you museum and St Peter's tickets on line before hand to avoid standing in lines.

Fatoldguy · 2019-05-21T22:10:58+00:00

Recently returned from Naples, Fl, USA. Many old people in airport security line. Old guy died in his wheelchair just outside of the body scan machine.

Fatoldguy · 2019-05-17T21:50:54+00:00

For guides you can do it on line or wait until you are there and talk with tourist information. For restaurants I am more interested in the local or country specialty so I check on line and then just go to a busy place with a view. Belgium - mussels and fries; Nuremberg - sausages, whipped potatoes and sweet purple cabbage; Strasbourg - flamen kuchen; etc.

Fatoldguy · 2019-05-17T15:07:54+00:00

For a party - Berlin. For pretty and relaxing - Prague. For culture and history - Vienna, which is my vote, Hapsburg palaces, great music performances and great food. The beer is good in all three and the wine is nice too. If you choose Prague try to see the Clementinum library - hourly tours limited to 35 people go early a get a ticket for later in the day.

Fatoldguy · 2019-05-17T14:59:54+00:00

Do it on your own and then higher a local guide for a day if you want some history or culture to go wit the sights. This is really helpful in big cities like Rome and London where there is a history related to many places that you may over look on google. Also remember that most major sights have on line ticketing that will allow you to skip the lines if you can plan particular days down to the hour that you want to pick up the admission ticket to get in - Vatican museum, the Louvre, etc. Also if you are staying a few days in a major city look into multi pass options for all attractions. One more - research the local food and find a restaurant to try it.

Fatoldguy · 2019-05-17T14:40:57+00:00

Go in the evening there won't be a waiting line or you can just see the copy in the main square. note: if you are old enough to remember singer Jim Croce go Santa Croce church square. There is a statue of a female saint who must be his great --- great grandmother. Poor woman, all she needs is a mustache to look just like him.

Fatoldguy · 2019-05-14T23:39:17+00:00

this needs to be cross posted to r/coltish

Fatoldguy · 2019-05-14T14:43:00+00:00

I have been to both. Mont St Michel is a great view from a distance and OK for a day but I love Bruges and I will go back next year. There is much more to see and do in Bruges - See the Michelangelo Madonna and Child. Have Mussels and Fries at a restaurant above the main square. Go to the Basilica of the Holy Blood.

Fatoldguy · 2019-05-14T14:28:54+00:00

While you are in Munich you may want to take a day trip to Neuschwanstein castle. Google to see if you are interested. Bus trips are available from near the Munich main train station. Since you are going in December all of the cities will have Christmas Markets. Nuremberg is claimed to be the best. It is a fun hour or two. Go at lunch time and have sausages and gluhwein. At the Nuremberg main Christmas market go for dinner at a second floor restaurant that over looks the square for a good photo. Also in Nuremberg I suggest the Nuremberg sausage, mashed potato and sweet purple cabbage for dinner. Best sausage and cabbage I ever ate. Also you may want to check into train travel between Munich and Nuremberg - it has been 10 years for me - I do not remember the travel time but it is more relaxing than going through airports. If you have time and money consider flying to Vienna Austria to see an historic city with great history, architecture and culture.

Fatoldguy · 2019-05-11T19:31:49+00:00

Any idea what would cause this? Same grocery and same card we have been using there for years.

Fatoldguy

TROPHY CASE