Burqa, niqab banned in Netherlands

France has a law that effectively bans the wearing of the burqa and niqab in public. So does Belgium. Now the Netherlands is set to follow suit. (Please pardon the pun.) Lawmakers in the lower house of the Dutch parliament today approved a limited ban on "face-covering clothing".

Nothing against Muslims, you understand. The law, which still requires approval by the upper house, would cover [That's enough puns. Ed.] ski masks, full-face motorcycle helmets and, errr, Islamic robes, such as the burqa, and veils such as the niqab worn by the lady (?) in the picture. The veil makes it difficult to tell whether the person underneath is a devout Muslim lady or a devout male Islamic terrorist.

The Dutch law which passed the lower house today does not go as far as the complete bans in force (but not always enforced) in France and Belgium. It applies to the wearing of "face-covering clothing" on public transport, in educational institutions, in health institutions such as hospitals, and in government buildings.

In the debate leading up to today's vote, Interior Minister Ronald Plasterk acknowledged that public dislike of Islamic dress had played a major role in the ban. But Mr Plasterk, who is from the liberal Labour Party, said that in a free country like the Netherlands people should be allowed to appear in public with their faces covered, if they want to. But speaking out of the other side of his mouth, he added that in government buildings, schools and hospitals people need to be able to look each other in the face.

Geert Wilders, leader of the Freedom Party, called the limited ban "a step in the right direction" and said he will push for a full burqa ban if his party wins elections due in March. Walt wonders if notice is being taken in the UK and USA. Let's see what the new year brings.

Further reading: If you're still not sure about the difference between hijabs and niqabs and burqas, please consult "Hijab, niqab, burqa -- what's the difference?", an all-time favourite of WWW readers. Readers who still think of themselves as male (in spite of the efforts of the gender identity warriors) may also enjoy "Walt's Muslim swimsuit issue!". Warning: provocative video embedded!

UPDATED: Ohio State attacker was a Muslim refugee

Reports are coming in on the mojo wire of an "active shooter" (or two) at Ohio State University in Columbus. It's said that seven or eight or nine people have been taken to hospital. The university has issued a series of tweets warning students in the vicinity of the engineering building to "run, hide, fight". No-one has actually reported hearing shots, but everyone is afraid, very afraid.

Who are they afraid of? If, in fact, someone is running amok at OSU, what kind of person could it be? Two possibilities spring to mind:
A) A radicalized extremist of the Islamic persuasion -- the sort of person B. Hussein Obama and/or Hellery Clinton would not call by name even if they were on the sharp end of the attack.
B) A young liberal snowflake so deranged by the election of The Donald that he/she/it felt compelled to attack others to protest the Nazification of AmeriKKKA.

Since "authorities" have been vigorously denying all knowledge of any motive for the attack, let's rule out (B). If the President-elect could be blamed, he surely would be blamed! So that leaves, errr, (A). Stay tuned for the first mention of cries of "Allahu akbar!"

UPDATE: Fox News reports that two law enforcement sources told them the attacker (no longer a "shooter") came into the United States as a Somali refugee, and was granted status by the Obama administration as a legal permanent resident. Quelle surprise!

The suspect's name was yet not released and "the motive behind the attack is still unclear", according to law enforcement sources. Ohio State Police Chief Craig Stone said the attacker drove over a curb and into pedestrians before jumping out and flailing around with a butcher knife. "This was done on purpose," he said. (Duh, Walt says.)

Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs said police were looking into whether it was a terrorist attack. Let me save the Chiefs some trouble. If the now-deceased attacker was a Somali, he was 99% likely to be a Muslim. He is equally likely to have been one of 1000s of Islamic terrorists infiltrating the USA and other "Christian" countries in the guise of "refugees" for the purpose of killing as many of us "infidels" as possible. Donald Trump was right!

More PC madness -- Hampshire College hauls down US flag

This afternoon there will be a demonstration in Amherst MA protesting the decision of the Board of Trustees of Hampshire College to stop flying the flag of the United States of America.

Why would they do that? Well, Hampshire College is a small liberal arts college in that most liberal of states, Massachusetts, once the fief of the Kennedys and more recently Mitt Romney. Obviously the election of Donald Trump represents a defeat for all that is Liberal and Good in America, so the flag had to come down!

The Hampshire Board of Trustees voted to stop flying flags on campus after several high-profile incidents, including an "informal decision by some on campus" by some on campus to lower flags to half-staff after the election. Later, someone burned a flag on campus. The school issued a statement saying that removing the flag would allow a discussion about its many possible meanings to students from around the world.

Speaking for the snowflakes, John Courtemanche told CNN, "Our goal is to give voice to the range of viewpoints on campus across cultures, and hopefully find common ground. We've heard from members of our community that, for them and for many in our country, the flag is a powerful symbol of fear they've felt all their lives because they grew up as people of color, never feeling safe."

Amherst Mayor Domenic J. Sarno will join today's protests, along with veterans groups and other pro-American activists. His office office said he will "attend in support and stand in solidarity with our cherished veterans and our American flag in protest of Hampshire College's continued refusal to fly the flag, which is so disrespectful to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice in order for all of us to live the lives we lead. God Bless America!"

Two strange stories about Africans and their undergarments

Walt's man on the Africa desk sent along two (2) stories that appeared on the same day on the (Zimbabwe) NewsDay website. Here they are, with my comments following.

Man jailed for stealing aunt’s undergarments

An 18-year-old Marondera man, who on different occasions stole petticoats and panties belonging to his aunt and gave them to his female neighbour, has been slapped with a four-month jail term. Shelton Muderere will serve an effective two-month jail term after Marondera magistrate Tatenda Makwenya suspended one month on condition of good behaviour, with the other month set aside on condition that he restitutes [sic] $64 to Beauty Jinga some of the missing undergarments.

Makwenya found Muderere guilty of stealing 17 petticoats, two of them belongings to Jinga, before giving the undergarments to his neighbour, Shallet Mutsengi, aged 45. The value of the stole [sic] undergarments was pegged at $94 and only $30 worth of them was [sic] recovered.

According to the State, sometime between May and November this year, Mutsengi instructed Muderere to steal petticoats and panties belonging to the complainant and bring them to her. The matter came to light when Muderere was spotted by one Narietta, while trying to steal some sanitary napkins belonging to the complainant that were on the washing line.

Investigations were carried out and revealed that Muderere had stolen 17 petticoats and two panties and gave them to Mutsengi. Muderere led people to the paddock, where four petticoats were hidden by his alleged accomplice and a report was made to the police, leading to the arrest of the two.

Mutsengi pleaded not guilty to the offence, denying claims by Muderere that she sent him to steal the undergarments. She will return to court on November 28 for continuation of trial.

Walt sez: That's Mr Muderere's story now. But what was he wearing when  he was arrested?!

Man found with hyena nose, tail in his undergarments

A Dete man left people attending Hwange Magistrates’ Court shocked when it was revealed how [sic] he was found in possession of a hyena [pictured. Walt] nose and tail in his undergarments claiming these were charms to protect him from any
danger.

Ability Mhlanga, 34, of Mansisiya Village in Tinde, revealed this when he appeared before Hwange regional magistrate, Portia Mhlanga facing charges of illegal possession of fake notes and removing parts of a wild animal.

The State told the court that on November 22 at around 8 PM, Mhlanga, who was at Indlovu Night Club, bought a bottle of Gold Blend brandy and two energy drinks for $10 using a fake $50 note. The barman, Nobert Ngwenya, told Mhlanga to wait for his change before being told by his colleagues that the note was fake. The police were immediately notified and during the search, Mhlanga was found in possession of four $50 notes in his pockets that bore similar serial numbers. [The notes, not the pockets. Walt]

As they continued to search him, they found a skinned nose and tail of a hyena in his undergarments, leading to his arrest. Quizzed about the nose and tail found in his pants, Mhlanga responded, "I was given this by my uncle in Binga when I was a small boy. I was instructed to always have it in my pockets or underpants wherever I go as it was going to protect me from any bad omen that could befall me.

"It used to work for me, but on that day in the bar, I do not know what went wrong because it hadn’t communicated of any danger. My uncle died some few months ago, so I didn’t know that it then stopped working. I beg the courts to forgive me as all these things were given to me by different people."

Mhlanga pleaded not guilty to the offences, arguing that a gold panner, who had hired him as a helper, should be answerable for the fake notes. He also said his late uncle and some of his relatives were answerable for the hyena body parts. He was remanded in custody to December 8 for trial.

Walt sez: I've heard of putting a sock, or maybe a banana, in your Y-fronts as a lucky charm -- something to help you get lucky -- but this is... just... weird.

VIDEO: George Carlin explains why Americans should give thanks

WARNING: THIS VIDEO CONTAINS LANGUAGE WHICH SOME PEOPLE MAY FIND OFFENSIVE.

This seems like an appropriate video for Thanksgiving Day.



Don't complain to me that this was recorded a long time ago. Are you going to tell me that America has improved since then? What a pity that George Carlin didn't live to see and comment on this month's election.

VIDEO: Yiddish Hillbillies -- the music of Mickey Katz

Agent 3 sent us this riddle joke...
Q. What has four legs and chases cats?
A. Mrs Katz and her lawyer!
Better, I guess, if you hear it instead of reading it.

Here's the connection to the video. Agent 3 and Walt share a liking for klezmer (Yiddish: כליזמר or קלעזמער) music. [So let's have no more talk about Walt being anti-Semitic! Ed.] Klezmer is a musical tradition of the Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern Europe. Played by professional musicians called klezmorim, the genre originally consisted largely of dance tunes and instrumental display pieces for weddings and other celebrations. In the United States the genre evolved considerably as Yiddish-speaking Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, who arrived between 1880 and 1924, met and assimilated American jazz.

Which brings us [at last! Ed.] to Meir Myron "Mickey" Katz (15/6/1909 – 30/4/1985), an American comedian and musician who specialized in Jewish humor. He was the father of actor Joel Grey -- famous for his portrayal of Emcee in Cabaret -- and grandfather of actress Jennifer Grey. His first moments of fame came in the 1940s as a member of Spike Jones's City Slickers, where he was known for his "glugging" vocal sound effects on tunes like "Cocktails for Two".

Mr Katz He later went on to form his own band, Mickey Katz and His Krazy Kittens. He created his own parodic musical review and recorded highly popular "ethnic" comedy albums, including English-Yiddish parodies, on the Capitol label. He was recognized as a master of klezmer-style clarinet and had several hits during his long career. Though Katz sang primarily in Yiddish, he is often as recognized as one of the godfathers of American song parody which would later be advanced by the likes of Allan Sherman and Weird Al Yankovic.

In 2009, a chap who posts on YouTube as "CineGraphic Studios" put some of Mickey Katz's music together with some vintage 16mm films -- one of his first attempts (he writes) at manipulating film to music. Here is the very fine result.



Like it? Click here to see the trailer for The Mickey Katz Project, a movie about the life and work of Mickey Katz. [Duh! Ed.]

Most outrageous pun of the YEAR

Although it's not yet the end of November, Walt thinks it's not too soon to declare a winner in our ongoing search for the Most Outrageous Pun. The MOP for 2016 was submitted, just in time for the festive season, by Agent 34. Thank you!