There are some things you just shouldn’t do.  But there are some things you simply need to do at the right time, and the right place.  And there is a time and a place for everything that needs doing! These are some of the lessons I learned from my grandmother, who was also my Intermediate School Principal. We’re talking old school.  Handmade wood paddles hanging in her office.  And no — we’re not talking about canoeing.  She was not afraid to teach lessons the old fashioned way. But back to those little lessons that DIDN’T involve a swift paddling.  One I distinctly remember had to do with that little something that can often end up up bugging you, just out of polite reach, just inside one of your nostrils. You know — the sort of situation where it tickles, but also drives you crazy because you are breathing at different flow rates through your nostrils.  And the more you try to ignore it, the more it drives you crazy? But there is a time, a place, and a manner to handle that, and my grandmother had all that stuff figured out. The answer to many of life’s would-be faux pas generally fall into two distinct categories: in public, or not in public. Hence, the key to fixing my 5-year-old clogged nostril — bathroom, tissue, and alone time; no audience.  Lesson learned.  (Thanks, Grandma!) The story I am bringing you now didn’t happen in the bathroom, though I bet more than a few of you already drew your conclusions.  But it did involve the question of in public vs in private. Or, at least, maybe not inside an airtight sealed metal plane? Alright — I’ll spill the beans. No, the topic at hand was not flatulence. (Could that word BE any funnier???  I honestly think that might be funnier than just saying FART.  I have a hunch that if I taught that word as a replacement to my 6 year old son, he could appear more well-mannered in public without loosing any of the humor!) My grandmother would be appalled how far I am taking this story, but I have a feeling she’d be giggling on the inside right alone with my 6 year old son. It all went down when Zavier Torrence was right in the middle of a flight back home to Florida after Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, someone on his plane didn’t grow up with a School Principal for a grandmother who knew all the keys to avoiding faux pas in public places. Somebody, in fact, had a hankering for Tuna.  But not just tuna. Warm tuna — on a plane, in an enclosed space, with hundreds of people onboard. Somebody had a hankering for Tuna on a plane packed with weary travelers, and rather than listening to that small voice whispering, “No, no — think of the others, dear.” This person handed their intrusive thoughts a megaphone… and ordered a tuna melt. And by the time that faux pas had drifted to every nook and cranny, interrupting the inflight movie, and causing all manner of nasal distress… Zavier Torrence did what any reasonable, levelheaded American in such a situation would do: he pulled out his phone and created the next 5 second viral video for our social media enjoyment. @zaviertorrence Because why are we eating a TUNA MELT on a flight?!? #flying #relatable #travel #traveltok ♬ original sound – naddy – naddy But as these things go, sometimes the reactions are just as viral-worthy as the video itself! And as the New York Post relates in the following story, there were some very good reactions — including a debate about whether or not jail time should, or should not be considered a fitting punishment for the evildoer in question. “[I] strongly believe that people who eat on flights need to be incarcerated for 10 days,” Zavier Torrence wrote on TikTok of a fellow passenger’s controversial meal choice on a Delta flight to Tampa, Florida. In the 5-second clip, uploaded on Dec. 2, Torrence covered his nose from the strong scent that took over the plane. “Why are we eating a tuna melt on a flight?!?” he captioned the viral clip with over 706,000 views. The Florida resident didn’t point out who the tuna lover was but said he wished they opted out of eating it during the flight. Many travelers resonated with Torrence’s disgust in the fishy meal, while others believe people should eat as long as it doesn’t carry a smell. “I have a 10-hour flight coming up…you expect people not to eat during a flight?” questioned one woman. “Hell yeah, I’m eating. Just not a tuna melt,” admitted another. “Tuna on a plane is crazy, but they can eat whatever they want,” one watcher chimed in. “Fish of any kind on a plane is diabolical,” commented one person. “Imma eat, but like Cheez-Its or jerky. I’m so self-aware on planes I could never,” confessed a traveler. “Scented food is a crime, what do you mean a tuna melt?” demanded a TikToker. However, some passengers didn’t seem to care about flight etiquette and chose to eat whatever their appetite deserved. Previously reported by The Post, a female flyer experienced the ultimate inflight faux pas after witnessing her seatmate devour a can of tuna in the air. She detailed the flying fish incident in a TikTok video with over 1.2 million views. “Canned tuna on the plane gotta be up there in terms of crimes against humanity,” lamented the TikTokker, named Ally, in the caption. She was reportedly flying from Anchorage, Alaska to Seattle, Washington, when her neighbor opened a can of tuna 10 minutes into the flight, per a follow-up clip. “I catch it out of the corner of my eye and I’m like ‘That better not be what I think it is,’” she said, but unfortunately it was. And I just so happen to have Ally’s viral tuna video as related in the New York Post story above. But a word of caution; canned tuna must be even worse than a tuna melt in reality, because the language is rough.  (My School Principal grandmother would certainly not approve of this video — you’ve been warned.) @allyjaksen @Bumble Bee Seafoods ♬ oh my god bruh oh hell na man Fox News got in on the action after Torrence’s more recent video, highlighting the discussion surrounding possible jail time that should or should not be associated with such a naughty faux pas as an inflight tuna melt, among other hilarious comments. Zavier Torrence, 25, told Fox News Digital he was on the second leg of his trip from West Virginia to Tampa, Florida, about a week ago when someone in the seat behind him decided to eat a tuna melt – “and it was stinking up the whole entire plane.” Torrence didn’t say anything to the passenger who opted for the toasted fish sandwich — but he did share thoughts with his TikTok followers. “Because why are we eating a tuna melt on a flight?!?” Torrence wrote in the caption of his 5-second video, which showed him covering his nose to shield the strong scent. The video had more than 713,000 views as of Friday afternoon. “I honestly did not expect the video to blow up the way it did,” Torrence said. The popularity of his post might have had something to do with the text he wrote on the video, which said, “Strongly believe that people who eat on flights need to be incarcerated for 10 days.” Several commenters took umbrage with Torrence’s post. “I have a 10-hour flight coming up … You expect people not to eat during a flight?” one person wrote. Others said they would eat on a plane, but not a tuna melt. “It’s office rules,” another person wrote. “Only eat food that is not fragrant, so no fish, no fried items etc. How do we not know this?” Torrence clarified to Fox News Digital that he doesn’t believe people shouldn’t eat on planes. “If you’re hungry, eat,” he said. Rather, said Torrence, they should consider what they’re eating. “I mean, it’s tuna,” he said. “At least have common decency.” Ah — common decency. I’m with Torrence on this one, but I know what my grandmother would say. If you can smuggle it to the bathroom, in private, and somehow dampen the radiating stink of that warm tuna from offensively assaulting the nostrils of poor, innocent bystanders trapped within the confines of your biological attack — okay, have at it. Tuna melt ‘stinking up’ plane prompts fellow passenger’s viral video https://t.co/kpzuyjlpPG — Fox News (@FoxNews) December 7, 2024 Otherwise, just stick with the tuna salad!  You can still hit those macros without hitting everyone’s sensitivities at the same time. But don’t you dare leave it sitting on your tray with that shade panel open, slowly warming to a fragrant faux pas — or it’s straight to the slammer for you.

“Fair is fair.” Those were the words of Lindy Li, appearing on NewsNation’s “Morning in America” show. But Li is a sitting member of the Democratic National Convention’s finance committee.  And when the show host asked her about the likelihood of Pete Hegseth making it through the confirmation process to become President Trump’s Secretary of Defense… I don’t think Li gave the answer she was expecting.  Watch the clip! DNC Finance Committee member Lindy Li audibly shocks Newsnation host after defending Pete Hegseth: Markie Martin: “Do you think Hegseth is about to make it through confirmation hearings?” Lindy Li: “I have personal interactions, because I’ve been on Fox and Friends. I’ve met… pic.twitter.com/VaSLcHEvgj — Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) December 7, 2024 It isn’t every day that a card carrying member of the DNC who has voting power in the democrat’s internal committees comes out swinging for the other side’s players; particularly not for Pete Hegseth, who along with Kash Patel may be the primary threats to the left-leaning Deep State! That is a breath of fresh air indeed to hear Lindy Li give the simple reasoning for her support of Hegseth: “Fair is fair.” Wow!  That’s almost more stunning than a line of democrats abandoning the democratic party, voting for President Trump, and/or re-registering as Republicans! But if THAT all actually happened, it certainly stands to reason that Lindy Li, DNC committee member, can back Pete Hegseth like she just did! Add a point to the board for common decency, another for common sense, and another for TRUTH TELLING! Li even noted out loud that she guessed that NewsNation Host Markie Martin expected her to oppose the nomination outright, according to a report in The Hill. “Maybe you’re looking for someone to oppose the nomination, but I actually have personal interactions… because I’ve been on Fox and Friends, I’ve met Pete, he’s my fellow Princetonian. I actually think he’s a pretty good guy,” Li said on NewsNation’s “Morning in America.” “I’m just here to present the facts as I know it,” Li added after receiving a somewhat surprised reaction from host Markie Martin. Hegseth has come under fire related to allegations of sexual assault connected to an encounter he says was consensual, as well as previous comments he’s made about not allowing women to be in combat roles in the military. He’s also faced allegations of excessive drinking. The New Yorker reported Sunday that Hegseth was forced to step down by two nonprofit advocacy groups he ran due to mismanagement of funds, sexual impropriety and excessive drinking, and NBC News reported Tuesday that Hegseth’s drinking worried colleagues at Fox News, where he was a weekend host until earlier this month. A New York Times story also reported that Hegseth’s mother sent him an email in 2018 accusing him of “routinely mistreating women for years” and displaying a “lack of character.” His mother, Penelope Hegseth, backtracked on those statements in a follow-up message, however, apologizing for her original email, claiming she sent the email “in anger, with emotion” when her son and his wife were going through a divorce. Despite the backlash, Hegseth has vowed not to back down despite facing an uphill battle in the Senate. GOP members in the upper chamber seemed discouraged at Hegseth’s confirmation chances. Before I bring us to the falsehoods that the democrats (and RINO Republicans) have attempted to smear Pete Hegseth with, don’t forget that time Nancy Pelosi explained in detail the process of the “wrap up smear”. Never forget when Nancy Pelosi revealed the Democrat Party’s entire playbook: ‘The Wrap Up Smear’ “You smear somebody with falsehoods and all the rest and then you merchandise it and then you write it and they’ll say, see, it’s reported in the press that this, this, this and… pic.twitter.com/k5Mup1hRzj — Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 14, 2023 As I alluded to, there are reasons that Lindy Li is able to so casually throw her support behind Pete Hegseth. The fact is… she actually KNOWS the facts, and was not caught up in the “wrap up smear” tactic that Pelosi so eloquently laid out for us back in 2023. And according to a comprehensive piece by Breitbart, here are the facts relating to one of the smear attacks being used in an attempt to thwart Hegseth’s confirmation as Secretary of Defense. A police report from 2017 released this week via a freedom of information request casts doubt on a sexual assault allegation made against President-Elect Donald Trump’s defense secretary nominee, Pete Hegseth. The accuser — whose identity is redacted — claimed Hegseth raped her in 2017 during a Republican women’s conference at a hotel in Monterey, California. According to the accuser, it happened after conference organizers went to the hotel bar after an after-party following that day’s events. However, the police report raised questions about the accuser’s claim, with several eyewitness accounts and surveillance video suggesting she and Hegseth had a consensual sexual encounter she was attempting to hide from her husband — who was staying with her at the same hotel along with their children. Revelations in the police report that cast doubt over the accuser’s rape allegation included: 1. The accuser said she did not remember how she got in Hegseth’s hotel room, but remembered details such as Hegseth allegedly blocking the door with his body and her allegedly saying “no” a lot, and “not much else.” 2. There was no evidence of rape, according to the police report. 3. Earlier in the day of the alleged rape, she texted her husband numerous times about Hegseth, including that the women at the conference were “freaking drooling over him,” and that, “He talks pretty tho.” As the night progressed, she stopped responding to her worried husband’s text messages. 4. A person whose name is redacted but appears to be her husband told police that after she returned to their hotel room, she did not have a hard time walking and was not slurring her words. The accuser told the person believed to be her husband she “must have fallen asleep,” and was apologetic. 5. The accuser later told police that she remembered asking Hegseth if he had a condom. 6. The accuser declined to conduct a “pretext” phone call with Hegseth — where she would call him to discuss the alleged rape with the police listening in. 7. A hotel worker told police he received complaints at approximately 1:30 a.m. from two separate guests that a couple near the pool was causing a disturbance and being loud. The worker went to the pool, and said the accuser apologized for Hegseth’s actions and put her hand and arm on Hegseth’s back and walked him away from the pool area towards buildings 4 and 5 — where Hegseth’s room was located. 8. The hotel worker said Hegseth was “very intoxicated” but the accuser was “standing on her own and was very coherent.” 9. Hotel surveillance video showed the accuser and Hegseth leaving the hotel bar together at approximately 1:15 a.m., with locked arms and heading towards the pool. 10. An eyewitness said she saw the accuser flirting with Hegseth, and the flirting “consisted of touching of the body or arm.” 11. The same eyewitness said she saw the accuser the next morning and that she “did not seem any different and was her normal self.” 12. While Hegseth said he was “buzzed” but not intoxicated, he told police he was led out the bar but could not remember by whom, but described the person’s clothing, which matched the accuser’s dress. 13. Hegseth also said he did not remember being chastised for being too loud by the pool. He said he went back to his hotel room with the accuser, but was confused as to why she stayed in his room. 14. He said “things progressed” between himself and the accuser and that the interaction was consensual. He said they would both stop and say, “we shouldn’t do this,” but things consensually continued. He also confirmed that she asked if he had a condom. 15. Hegseth told police that the accuser showed “early signs of regret,” and told him she would tell her husband she had fallen asleep on a couch in someone else’s room — which tracks with what the person believed to be her husband told police that she had initially told him. When someone is honest, the truth “rings true”, so to speak. And by giving police a truthful and honest explanation for what happened — the good, bad, and ugly — Pete Hegseth may have had to admit some uncomfortable realities that I’m sure he regrets and would rather not share with the public. But in so doing, he clearly established himself as having the strength of character to own up to the reality of a tough situation, including his bad decisions which ultimately enabled a very dangerous situation to occur. Nevertheless… “fair is fair”, as Lindy Li so succinctly stated.  And that’s the truth. Fair is fair.  And it’s about time that people regain the strength of character that would disallow the intentional public smearing of a man or woman when you know the “facts” being lowered against the person are not truly facts. Lindy Li is apparently a person who possess enough grit to walk in that degree of character, at least in this instance — and another I just found after President Trump’s victory. Democrats, we’re gonna keep losing if we attack ALL Trump voters as racists & misogynists Yes, racism & misogyny are factors but they are NOT the only reason why Harris lost Inflation was a HUGE reason We’re gonna keep losing if we denigrate the entire country@tracegallagher pic.twitter.com/9Yr4ZAB2TO — Lindy Li (@lindyli) November 8, 2024 Good for her.  And all the better for the nation as others regain the strength to do the same, on principle — rather than the constant political pragmatic one-upmanship to “win” at any cost.

Ginger Gaetz, the wife of former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, suggested that “big news” would come next week regarding Trump’s former attorney general nomination. “Big news coming next week!” she said, accompanied by a picture of Matt Gaetz. Big news coming next week! pic.twitter.com/v5HiiVeDeW — Ginger Gaetz (@GingerLGaetz) December 8, 2024 Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration for attorney general to avoid being a “distraction” for President Trump after the House Ethics Committee brought prior allegations of sexual misconduct back into the spotlight. “I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback – and the incredible support of so many. While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition. There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1,” Gaetz said. “I remain fully committed to see that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history. I will forever be honored that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I’m certain he will Save America,” he added. I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback – and the incredible support of so many. While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance… — Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) November 21, 2024 “I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!” President Trump said. Statement from President-elect @realDonaldTrump after Matt Gaetz withdrew his nomination for AG. pic.twitter.com/nAFsOlSTl7 — Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 21, 2024 Gaetz has denied all allegations of wrongdoing. House lawmakers voted Thursday against releasing the Ethics Committee report into the former Florida representative. #BREAKING — House GOP votes down release of Gaetz ethics reporthttps://t.co/u240pgtRU3 — Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) December 5, 2024 Per NBC News: House lawmakers voted Thursday against releasing an Ethics Committee report on an exhaustive, yearslong investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., a close ally and confidant of President-elect Donald Trump. Democrats had forced the votes, and Republicans responded by voting to return the matter to the Ethics Committee, ending the fight over the report’s release for now. Whether it ever becomes public remains unknown. Lawmakers voted shortly after the bipartisan Ethics Committee met privately — for a second time in as many months — about whether to make public the report on allegations that Gaetz engaged in illicit drug use and sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old girl and obstructed the House probe, among other claims. But after 2½ hours, the committee panel did not release the report, saying in a statement that it is “continuing to discuss the matter.” Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., told reporters the committee would meet again before the end of the year. “I’m not going to speculate on future action that the committee may take,” Guest said when he was asked whether it might still vote to release the report. Gaetz previously confirmed he had no plans to return to Congress. “What is next for Matt Gaetz?” Charlie Kirk asked. “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress,” Gaetz responded. “Eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress,” he added. WATCH: THE CHARLIE KIRK SHOW EXCLUSIVE MATT GAETZ: "I'm still gonna be in the fight, but it's going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress." Full interview publishing here in 30 min:https://t.co/YaGD2n9t8k pic.twitter.com/q26tsxySBw — Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) November 22, 2024 There has been speculation Gaetz may receive the nod for Florida’s vacant U.S. Senate seat. However, Gaetz signaled his support for Lara Trump. You’re next Florida Senator! pic.twitter.com/FhRYR6sCyr — Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) December 7, 2024 However, Gaetz has teased a possible run for Florida governor. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will complete his term in 2027 and is ineligible to run for a third term. Former Florida State Rep. Anthony Sabatini said on X that “Matt Gaetz will be the next Governor of the State of Florida.” Gaetz responded by posting a GIF of a waving Florida flag. https://t.co/yDMNvCAGJm pic.twitter.com/Z8mPniNUeS — Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) November 23, 2024 It remains to be seen what the “big news” is for Gaetz.  

President-elect Donald Trump has stated that he plans to pardon January 6th demonstrators on the first day of his administration.  

Romania’s constitutional court has annulled the first round of the country’s 2024 presidential election process. It was after the right-wing leader won in the first round. The media describes the winner, Calin Georgescu as a far-right ultranationalist candidate. The election was nullified based on Russian interference. The historic decision means a second-round runoff scheduled for […] The post Romania’s Election Nullified After Right-Wing Candidate Wins appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad has fled to Russia after Jihadists took Damascus. Assad, who inherited the office from his father in 2000, reportedly slipped out of Syria early Sunday morning as rebels closed in on his palace. According to Russian state news agency Tass, he arrived in Moscow later in the day. A longtime […] The post Bashar al-Assad and His Family Fled to Russia appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

President-elect Donald Trump said during an interview that aired over the weekend that he will treat those who did not vote for him just as well as his strongest supporters. Trump made the remarks during a Sunday NBC News interview with Kristen Welker on “Meet The Press” when asked what his message was to Americans who do not support him. “I’m going to treat you every bit as well as I have treated the greatest MAGA supporters,” he said. “There’s never been anything like MAGA in the history of this country. These people are so dedicated to making America great again. It’s very simple. And I’m going to treat them just the same as I treat MAGA.” “We’re going to treat everybody good,” he continued. “But what I say to them is, I love you, and we’re going to all work together. And we’re going to bring it together. And you know what’s going to bring it together? Success.” He said that success was the key to bringing everyone together and uniting the country, and “that’s what I want to do.” CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE WATCH: Trump on his message to those who did not vote for him: “I’m going to treat you every bit as well as I have treated the greatest MAGA supporters. … But what I say to them is I love you, and we’re going to all work together. And we’re going to bring it together.” pic.twitter.com/OsAXEEiQJ1 — Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) December 8, 2024

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) said during an interview over the weekend that “criminal” activity from the Biden administration related to its withdraw from Afghanistan in 2021 should be investigated by the incoming Trump administration. Mullin made the remarks during a Sunday interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper when asked about President Joe Biden issuing blanket pardons for individuals so the Department of Justice cannot prosecute them in the future. “As far as weaponizing the DOJ and going after political opponents, the only party that’s ever done that is the Democrat Party,” Mullin said. “When President Trump was in office the first time as the 45th president, he didn’t go after the Clintons. He didn’t do this.” “When they went after classified documents, they obviously treated President Trump much different than they did President Biden,” he said. “And so who weaponizes them? Now, if they are afraid of that because they’re afraid the same tool they used against President Trump could be used against them, then, hey, President Biden has the right to do that. But I don’t think they have a reason to be afraid.” He later added: “The first thing we need to do is hold people accountable from the Afghanistan withdrawal. That’s where they should be looking at, because I think there was real criminal activity that took place there, like, for instance, Ambassador Pommersheim telling me personally, when we were over there trying to get Americans out and my group trying to get Americans out, that he was told not to assist us in any way, not to assist us in any way from Washington, D.C.” CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE “Who gave him that order that he wasn’t supposed to help me as a member of Congress at the time trying to get Americans out?” he continued. “We’re there on the ground pulling people across the Panjshir bridge into Tajikistan. He’s the ambassador of Tajikistan. And he was told by the State Department not to assist us in any way. That’s a criminal charge that should be investigated. Those things should be looked at.” WATCH: After Trump said members of the January 6 Committee “should go to jail,” @SenMullin tells @jaketapper, “I don’t think they have a reason to be afraid” but adds, “I think that investigation should be looked into if there was criminal activity that took place.” pic.twitter.com/UVfgdzHzqx — State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) December 8, 2024