In the wake of Soleimani's death, a group of 60 American ethicists, including some notable Catholic theologians, released a statement stating that "the drone killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani on January 3rd by the United States was not morally justified…"

Make no mistake, the ratings agencies are scratching their heads on whether to downgrade us to junk status or to skip directly to leaking styrofoam cup status.

After Mmusi Maimane's resignation as DA leader, Buccus recycled the madcap mutterings of Herman Mashaba, warning that the DA had been captured by the "right-wing zealots of the Institute of Race Relations".

Modern commerce is a highly complex global business that is always evolving – and the pace of change is only accelerating. If you work in digital commerce, it’s crucial to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in technology, business, shopper behavior and trends, laws and regulations, payments, logistics and more. How can you stay on […]

Do you want to sell more? Who doesn’t? But you might be missing out on some key conversions because you’re not using the right words to promote your products or services.   Take a new approach to writing with some proven “power” words that increase conversions because they deliver reasons to buy, appeal to our […]

“In a COVID world, bluntly, it didn’t make sense to continue that pilot,” Realogy’s CEO said during its earnings call Thursday.

Ashland, Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Marrakesh, Morocco

Washington D.C.

China, Rob from Podcast411

Vancouver, Birtish Columbia (plus Victoria, Whistler)

Seattle, Washington

Teaching English in Japan

Theme Cruise to Panama (Shakespeare at Sea / MacMania)

Amateur Traveler Live Dial-in Show

Amateur Traveler Live Dial-in Show

The Amateur Traveler talks to Geoff Smith about his boyhood home of Nashville that he recently moved back to. What would bring a musician back to Nashville after he has lived all of the world? Geoff talks about the things that tourists come to see: the Grand Ole Opry, Honky Tonk Row (including his own piano bar the Big Bang Bar), the Country Music Hall of Fame, The Musicians Hall of Fame, The Opryland Hotel. Then Geoff tells us what he really loves about Nashville. Nashville is a place where creative and artistic people can live among the beautiful rolling hills of Tennessee in one of the USA’s big three music cities.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Mike from Toronto who is living in Japan as part of an exchange program Mike talks to use about the Chugoku or middle region of Japan. Mike starts us out in Hiroshima with its world famous peace park and atomic bomb museum and its lesser known shopping and izakaya eateries. After we sample the okonomiyaki at okonomiyaki mura Mike sends us off to see the red Torii gate on Miyajima island. Mike recommends getting the Japanese railway pass because of the expensive local transportation. Mike then directs us to Yamaguchi which is known for its onsens (hot baths), 5 story temple and the church of Francis Xavier. Hagi which is a preserved walled town is our next stop. Hagi is Mike’s favorite spot in Japan. Hagi is also where many of the modernization movement came from.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Lee from Atlanta about side trips that you can take when you travel to Shanghai this year for Expo 2010. Lee is currently living in China and talks about 3 different weekend trips to destinations that are located near Shanghai. Lee starts us the in history-rich city of Nanjing the site of “China’s Holocaust” in WW 2. Nanjing has been the capital for 6 different Chinese governments and still retains its ancient walls in addition to modern shopping and the tomb of Sun Yat-sen. It was also the location of the world’s worst civil war, the Taiping Rebellion. After Nanjing we explore the many gardens and the canals of Suzhou. Finally Lee takes us to Hangzhou with its beautiful West Lake which the Chinese compare to heaven.

News

Spirit Air to experiment with carry-on bag fees
Airlines losing 3000 bags – every hour of every day
Women try to smuggle dead relative onto flight
Paying to use the plane potty?
Ky. Judge Rules in Favor of Online Travel Sites

Show Notes

Expo 2010 Shanghai China
Travel to Shanghai, China – Episode 26

Nanjing
Nanjing, China
Nanking Massacre
John Rabe – a German businessman and Nazi party member who is best known for his efforts to stop the atrocities of the Japanese army during the Nanking Occupation
Sun Yat-sen – “Father of the Chinese Nation”
Ming Dynasty
Cheongsam or Qipao – traditional Chinese dress
Taiping Rebellion – largest civil war in history started by Hong Xiuquan who declared himself the brother of Jesus.

Restaurants
Skyway Bakery and Deli
Les 5 Sens
Tairyo Teppanyaki

Suzhou
Gardens – Master of the Nets, Lion’s Forest, Humble Administrator
Mingtown Suzhou International Youth Hostel

Hangzhou
Tea Museum
A History of Chinese in California
Braised Pork Belly – Hangzhou Dongpo Pork
Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe
Wushanyi International Youth Hostel

Shanghai
Captain Youth Hostel

elong.com, ctrip.com – for accompodations

Community

Egypt Photo Tour
Amateur Traveler Newsletter
Does Amateur Traveler work for you at work?

The Amateur Traveler talks to Keith Kellet about the area around his home in Wiltshire England. Wiltshire has been inhabited since the end of the last ice age and has a rich depth of history including the icon site of Stonehenge. Averbury which is an even older stone circle can also be found there as well as the Salisbury Cathedral and the ancient town of Sarum. Keith describes this verdant region with its chalky hills, its rich lowlands, its ancient barrows, and its industrial age canals. Wiltshire is only about an hour out of London on high speed train so it can even be visited as a day trip from your stay there. We have forgotten more about its history than we have remembered so its ancient sites are covered in mystery and speculation.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Audrey Scott and Daniel Noll about their recent trip to Bangladesh. Bangladesh is the most densely populated country, but all those people are one of Bangladesh's strengths."

The Amateur Traveler talks to Andrew about the Island of Kyushu, the southern island in Japan. Kyushu is one of the warmer parts of Japan. Nagasaki is probably the best known city on the island for its tragic history as the second city targeted with an atomic bomb. The island has is green and hilly with a number of active volcanos. Andrew and his wife had a chance to visit a number of museums, the peace park in Nagasaki, visit a volcano, be buried in hot and and take in a local soccer game. They toured its large cities but also headed into the countryside.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Elspeth about her native Yorkshire in northern England. 

Hear about Queensland's Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane Australia from Annabel Candy. Long white sand beachs, hiking trails, a tropical zoo in the tropics.

Hear about travel to the Island of Shikoku, Japan as the Amateur Traveler talks to Dan from Chicago about his recent trip back to the island. Dan also worked teaching English on Shikoku in the city of Imabari. Shikoku is the 4th largest of the islands in Japan and just across the from Hiroshima. Shikoku is mountainous, more traditional and more rural than the areas of Japan more tourists know.

Hear about hiking the Kings Trail (Kungsleden) in Swedish Lapland as the Amateur Traveler talks to Agata from nullnfull.com about this northern and rugged portion of Sweden. Agata says, “Lapland is all about nature and wilderness”.

Hear about travel to Seattle, Washington as the Amateur Traveler talks to Mary Jo Manzanares from travelingwithmj.com about her hometown.

Hear about travel to 4 national parks in British Columbia as the Amateur Traveler talks to Carolyn B. Heller author of "Moon Vancouver & Canadian Rockies Road Trip".

Hear about travel to the state of Washington as the Amateur Traveler talks to Anne and Mike Howard from HoneyTrek.com about their recent road trip from the ocean to the mountains to the wine region.

Hear about travel to Joshua Tree National Park in southern California as the Amateur Traveler talks to retired chief ranger from the park, Jeff Ohlfs.

Hear about travel to Shanghai, China as the Amateur Traveler talks to Carissa who is an American living in the city.

Hear about National Parks in Washington D.C. and the vicinity as the Amateur Traveler talks to Erik Smith about monuments, memorials, mansions, battlefields, gardens and more.

Hear about things to do in Asheville, NC as the Amateur Traveler talks to music journalist and cocktail aficionado Bill Kopp about his adopted hometown.

If you love to travel and have a few million spare dollars, you can buy a condo on any of several luxury cruise ships and live there year-round, taking your home with you as you sail around the world.

The World Health Organization is once again facing increased scrutiny and outrage. The renewed public outcry is not, however, directed at the shoddy initial response to the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic, instead coming as a result of unsettling details recently discovered in the organization’s child and adolescent sexual education guidelines. Set forth by global health…

The post WHO Comes Under Fire for Saying Kids Under 4 Should Be Taught About ‘Early Childhood Masturbation’ appeared first on The Western Journal.

A powerful player on Facebook’s new content oversight board infamously mocked Barron Trump during last year’s impeachment hearings, sowing doubt in the social media platform’s promises of unbiased moderation. The selection of Pamela Karlan, a professor at Stanford Law School, was announced Wednesday by Facebook, according to CNBC. Karlan will sit alongside 19 other experts…

The post Academic Who Infamously Mocked Barron Trump Gets Censorship Gig from Facebook appeared first on The Western Journal.

Imam Shaker Elsayed offered an explanation for the coronavirus pandemic that is not surprising considering the source: He blamed the Jews. The controversial imam didn’t stop there during his sermon at the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center last month. The Falls Church, Virginia, mosque has a history of ties to terrorism, according to the New York…

The post Virginia Imam: Allah Used COVID-19 To Punish Jews appeared first on The Western Journal.

A 5-year-old Utah boy shocked family and law enforcement when he grabbed the keys to his parents’ car and drove himself through the neighborhood and onto a freeway. Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Rick Morgan spotted the vehicle swerving dangerously on the freeway and initiated a stop, fully expecting to find a driver under the influence…

The post Cop Gets Shocking Surprise When He Finds Age 5 Boy Behind Wheel of Car Who Had Plans To Go Buy Lamborghini appeared first on The Western Journal.

Everybody wanted to get to the shore last weekend when the state of Florida reopened its beaches. But one of the beachgoers who came in for some extra attention was a six-foot-long bull shark caught near Navarre Beach, according to WKRG-TV. Video shot by Shelley Goudy of Fort Walton showed several men gathered around the…

The post Florida Fishermen Nab 6-Foot Bull Shark During First Weekend of Reopened Beaches appeared first on The Western Journal.

As confetti floated through the air, a baby boy and his family celebrated his final chemotherapy treatment in time to go home before his first birthday. According to KSAZ, young Aaron has been battling a rare form of cancer called acute megakaryoblastic leukemia since he was four months old. Aaron was a patient at Duke…

The post 10-Month-Old Gets Heartwarming Celebration from Hospital Staff After Finishing Chemotherapy appeared first on The Western Journal.

Between having had more than enough of the not-so-great indoors and realizing that the grocery store might not always have meat, Americans are increasingly looking to feed themselves by hunting. “People are thinking about where they get their food and how they get their food,” Land Tawney, president of the advocacy group Backcountry Hunters and…

The post Facing Concerns of Meat Shortages, More Americans Turn to Hunting appeared first on The Western Journal.

If you’re a big business and you abused the Small Business Association’s new Paycheck Protection Program, you’re getting very close to the deadline for you to pay the government back. If you don’t, that means the government is going to be coming after you — and you can definitely be ready for an audit. That’s…

The post Big Businesses That Abused Paycheck Protection Program Should Get Ready for an Audit appeared first on The Western Journal.

Disclosure: Some of the links below may contain affiliate links from Patriot Depot, a sister company of The Western Journal. By making purchases through these links, you’ll be helping to support The Western Journal. Being a conservative woman in a liberal world can be a daunting existence, but speaking isn’t always required to be heard.…

The post 6 Products Every Conservative Woman Should Own appeared first on The Western Journal.

Sen. Ted Cruz was apparently about to get into mullet territory. He hadn’t had a haircut in three months. Things were looking grim for the Texas senator. Thankfully, Shelley Luther is able to do something about that. Luther is both famous and free after a viral clip of her standing up to a judge who…

The post Ted Cruz Stops by Shelly Luther’s Salon for a Trim, ‘True Authenticity’ Leaves Her Sobbing appeared first on The Western Journal.

Some House Democrats have decided that the COVID-19 pandemic is an appropriate time to implement a key plank of the campaign of former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts — who make up the…

The post ‘The Squad’ Pushes for Huge Student Loan Cancellation in Next Relief Bill appeared first on The Western Journal.

This past year, I predicted the fall of both Zuck and Trump, not to mention the triumph of cannabis and rationale markets. But in 2019, the sociopaths won – bigly. Damn, was I wrong. One year ago this week, I sat down to write my annual list of ten or so predictions for the coming … Continue reading "Predictions Review: Trump, Zuck Crush My Optimism In 2019"

As the coronavirus crisis built to pandemic levels in early March, a relatively unknown tech company confronted a defining opportunity. Zoom Video Communications, a fast-growing enterprise videoconferencing platform with roots in both Silicon Valley and China, had already seen its market cap grow from under $10 billion to nearly double that. As the coronavirus began … Continue reading "New Research Shows Why and How Zoom Could Become an Advertising Driven Business"

South Korea's capital closed down more than 2,100 bars and other nightspots Saturday because of a new cluster of coronavirus infections, and Germany scrambled to contain fresh outbreaks at slaughterhouses, underscoring the dangers authorities face as they try to reopen their economies.

CTVNews.ca asked Canadians to share how they were using their CERB payments and got a flood of responses. Most said they were covering the basics -- housing, groceries, transportation and medicine.

A year after the Obama administration changed its policy on which undocumented immigrants it would target for deportation, it's not clear who is being sent back.