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Jack Mallory

The last couple of panels, at least. My mom and dad were both vets, they'd understand. 

Happy Mother's Day, folks.

Jerry Morgan

My mom is long long gone.  She left life when I was at OLOL.  However before she left she left many memories.  One that was an ongoing one that lasted as long as she was alive involved her talent.  She was a tremendous artist and did a lot of artistic work at OLOL as a volunteer.,  She had a tremendous relationship with the nuns.  I could not get away with anything.  She heard about any of my transgressions usually before I even got home from school.  After the certain yardstick across the okole, I was unceremoniously dragged back to school to apologize to the offended sister.  Stays with me till today.

Nora Skinker (Morton)

Thanks for sharing, Jerry. How vivid those memories, imprinted in us for a lifetime. My parents chose belts, hairbrushes, isolation, Forsythia bush switches, open-handed face slaps, no dinner, groundings & Lux soap mouth-washings to gain our obedience. All of which worked amazingly well, btw. That's how much they loved us. Today, they would have been promptly incarcerated. 

To this day, can't look at a Forsythia without total recall. 

Bubbling up is another vignette: there was a road out River Road in Bethesda called Burdett Road. It had huge hills & dips.  My Dad would speed up over those hills, much like a roller coaster, with me (giggling & screaming) on his lap, steering our old Mopar Deluxe (complete with running boards). What a thrill! The danger never even dawned on me! 

Robert Hall

Nora Skinker (Morton)

LOL! Kathleen Freeman played Sister Mary Stigmata! I stole everything I could from her to play Reverend Mother Regina in Nunsense years later! Good pull, Robert!! 😆

Jack Mallory

Joanie--Well, you can bet Laurence Tribe won't be on Trump's list of future SCOTUS appointees! Think good thoughts for the health of the current justices. 

Thought you and the other Js, official and honorary, might enjoy this:

Nora Skinker (Morton)

Nancy, Mothers Day has special meaning for moms like us. There is longing. There is void. I hope your day brought peace as you relived precious memories. 

One for me: one Mothers Day, my son, at 10 years of age, bought me a lovely wooden birdcage to set in my garden. I was so thrilled with it & him, that I threw my arms around him & kissed his cheek. He stood like a stone, redfaced & alarmed & did not reciprocate in any way. I pulled back in surprise, only to see his best buddy from school standing behind him watching. Luckily, my boy turned into the warmest hugger ever in later years but he certainly wanted no part of it that day! 😊

Share your best, if you'd like. And have a glorious, sunny Delaware day-after-Mothers Day, Nancy! ❤️

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Yes, Jack, Tribe would not be on the short list. Maybe he would be on the upcoming Tweet list. I remember my beautiful Mother who is gone now since 2008. She was a tough act to follow. She wrote a piano concerto, and painted lots of pictures, acted in her youth. She loved people and could say a few words in around 50 languages. I am now studying Spanish as I want to be able to communicate with the large Hispanic population around us. I also know some French and Miss Sullivan was quite a taskmaster. Some of us remember how we had to take turns being in the front row where she called on us. I shouldn't reveal this but in an oral test in the hall, she once gave me the answer...well I am on a tangen, but so many memories.......

Jack Mallory

My hat's off to you, Joanie, for starting a foreign language at this point in life. It takes me a couple of months to figure out the vocabulary and grammar of a new camera's operating system, and then I forget half of it in the next couple of weeks. But Mrs. Jenkins gets credit for giving me the high school classes that had more direct impact than any others on my eventual life--not that I planned it that way from 10th grade! Spanish determined my trajectory in the Army, made possible my work as a Mesoamerican archaeologist, and as a bilingual teacher. Saludos a Sra. Jenkins!

*****************

Trump's special relationship with the Russians extends not just to special privileges for Russian news media, but special access to extremely classified information for their ambassador and foreign minister! 

(https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-revealed-highly-classified-information-to-russian-foreign-minister-and-ambassador/2017/05/15/530c172a-3960-11e7-9e48-c4f199710b69_story.html?utm_term=.6ca3eb3a6ced)

Nora Skinker (Morton)

Joanie, thanks for sharing some of your mom's attributes. She sounds like a woman ahead of her time: accomplished & gifted. Fascinating, how different each of our backgrounds are & yet we were all gathered at the same school. Being so wrapped up in one's own teen-age world, sure stifles opportunities to grow from one another. How different that was in college & beyond! 

Only caught a little of the Washington Post story, Jack, but I think McMaster came out & debunked it. Seems like all stories change on a dime these days! Another dicey report today: Michelle Obama said Trump hates kids. Lordy, could there BE a worse human  being on the planet than Donald Trump? Stay tuned...😎

Jerry Morgan

Joanie do you still have the sheet music.  If so maybe I could get my son to record it and give it back to you.  Just a thought.

DT is in a death spiral that is getting increasingly closer to impeachment.  Remember there are two ways to dump Trump.  Pence could do it and congress can do it. 

Thanks for the Piglet.  I will put that with my file of Trump anecdotes.  Before too long I might have enough material to make a omic book of it.

If I have the years and the energy I hope to complete a tell it all autobiography on growing up in Bethesda.  You guys have provided a lot of memories.  Got the chapters but nothing in between.  LOL

On another note:  Traitor to get sex change operation on the government's ticket.  Not sure whether it's VA or Obamacare. In any case it needs to be fixed.  Not him. 

At least under Obamacare my daughter and her children would have been covered and maybe their lives would have been different.

 Under the Trump plan my daughter and her children would never have been covered.  She worked two jobs but neither provided healthcare.  Two of her children had special medical needs.  They were born before Obamacare so no coverage.  Under Trumpcare they would be considered having pre-existing conditions and would be placed in a high risk pool.  My daughter had no insurance and she died of her illness.  To hear anyone say that no one dies because they don't have health insurance makes me sick.

The sad part is that we have a President that when things like that are said, he doesn't say a word.  If you can't care for your fellow human beings you have no moral compass and you don't deserve to be called a human being.  Miss America says health care is a privilege how wrong is that? 

So what do you tell your gand babies when they hear no one dies.

Finally, AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The sister of Sandra Bland, a black woman found dead in a Texas jail following a confrontational traffic stop with a white state trooper, says it is "gut-wrenching" that lawmakers stripped police reforms from a bill named after her sibling and are now pushing a weakened compromise that "painfully misses the mark."

https://www.yahoo.com/news/sister-weakened-sandra-bland-act-texas-gut-wrenching-063501637.html

Jack Mallory

Trump's revelation of highly classified information has not been "debunked," as of this morning. The original Washington Post story has been separately confirmed by the NYT, Wall Street Journal, Buzz-feed, CNN, and Reuters.

McMaster has issued a classic Washington non-denial denial. He says sources and methods were not discussed. He in no way denies that Trump gave the sensitive information, collected by a US ally, to the Russians. The disclosure was specific enough to help the Russians determine where it came from, one of many reason one DOESN'T blab classified information to less-than-friendly parties.

As Republican Sen. Corker said, “To compromise a source is something that you just don’t do, and that’s why we keep the information that we get from intelligence sources so close as to prevent that from happening."

The information given to the Russians is categorized as "Code Word," a level above Top Secret (perhaps the equivalent of Top Secret Crypto, from my era of security clearance?).  

And this from a president whose campaign featured the "Lock her up" chant referring to his opponent's alleged security breaches. 

"Crooked Hillary Clinton and her team "were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information." Not fit!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 6, 2016"

Not fit?

A more in-depth article on the security implications of the breach in the non-partisan national security blog, Lawfare: https://lawfareblog.com/bombshell-initial-thoughts-washington-posts-game-changing-story

***************

Weather has broken, kayak on the car. Outa here!

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Hola Jack. Its neat that you became bilingual. . I love studying Spanish and trying it out on people I meet like our waitress from Honduras at Silver Diner. We are getting so advanced now that Iris says, quieres ensalada o sopa? Nori, thanks for your nice comments about my sharing things about my mother...and Jerry, that was so wonderful of you to offer to give my mother's sheet music to your son to record and give back. I think its at my mother's house somewhere. My brother bought me out and so there are still lots of my mother's things at the house. This summer I will try to go through things and find it. I will get in touch with you. What an great idea. Take care to everyone...

Glen Hirose

Joanie,

Good for you; leaning to speak Spanish presents an excellent opportunity to go immerse yourself in another culture.

Cabo San Lucas would be a good place to start.

Glen Hirose

...and now there are only the Nats (sigh*)

Nora Skinker (Morton)

Glen: wish I'd recorded the Wiz last night. Was at a lacrosse game watching my 5 year old grandy score for his opposing team. 😜 More crows-feet for granny! Sorry. GO NATS! 

Jack, etal: looks like soon there may only be Pence. Too bad the Prez is allowed, Constitutionally, to say whatever he wants, fire whomever he wants, & pretty much do whatever he wants, otherwise it would be more expedient. And yes, (duh) hypocrisy thrives in both parties. As for McMaster's assertion that the WP story was intrue - that doesn't satisfy? Hmm, me thinks anything short of impeachment, will never satisfy. Agree? And do you really think, with Benghazi, the IRS scandal, HRC's email scandal, the Russian interference with Podesta's email, the Clinton Foundation questions, Holder's gun-running, the Clinton/Lynch fiasco, etc., NOT reaching the level of special prosecutor status, this Russia suspicion of Trump should? Particularly when there is no evidence of a law broken? My buddy, the liberal Rockville Judge, told me "a prosecutor prosecutes but cannot do so until evidence shows a law has been broken". 

Jerry, unless Healthcare is fully funded by the fed gov, there will be some people not covered. Perhaps if stats were known of the many people without insurance whose lives have been saved by getting to an emergency room, the system wouldn't seem quite so evil to you. (Btw, it seems interesting to me that people can be so compassionate for those who need healthcare but not hesitate to allow (& even condone) the slaughter of innocent unborn babies!) I am sure that is NOT you, Jerry. Or is it? 

Also, when you get around to compiling that B-town book, ask me to send along portions of the private messages I have received from many classmates who have shared great memories w/me. Thanks to those who did. As a group, we are a virtual font! 

Jack Mallory

A beautiful day on Grafton Pond:

Nora--are you reading the actual articles we are talking about? The WaPo article (and its confirmation by multiple other sources) revealed that Trump had given highly classified information about ISIS plans to the Russians. McMasters denied that Trump had passed on information on intelligence methods and sources, or on military operations--which the article never claimed he had done--but did not deny that he had passed on the ISIS plans (Trump now acknowledges conveying this information to the ambassador and prime minister). This is a classic non-denial denial strategy--deny charges that haven't actually been made, deflecting attention from the undeniable truth; the inattentive and/or gullible then believe the story has been rebutted. It's disappointing to see McMasters participating in this deceit. 

I haven't mentioned impeachment in relation to this story, don't see it relevant. I haven't advocated a special prosecutor for this or the possible ties of the Trumpublicans to the Russians. I have mentioned, and cited links to, the various options: select Congressional committees, independent commissions, and special prosectors. One article I especially liked advocated AGAINST a special prosecutor, as less likely to provide timely information on a wide range of behavior, illegal and legal but reprehensible. 

Trump's passing classified information to the Russians is not a crime but has serious national security implications which are discussed in the Lawfare article I linked to. What in that article do you disagree with or not understand? Constitutionally, he may say or do whatever the Constitution allows or does not specifically forbid, as you say. He may paint himself blue and run naked through the White House; he may tweet Top Secret information to the Russians. Perfectly legal, but there are many ways to judge a president's actions above and beyond their strict legality.

Nora Skinker (Morton)

Gosh, didja hafta mention a naked Trump, sir? 😩

Oh, best believe Trump WILL push the parameters of  legality. It's who he is. I wasn't accusing anybody in particular but the drumbeat of impeachment pounds on..& on & on. It becomes pretty disturbing when the only news is whatever crises du jour the pundits & leakers can manage to bring up. But I guess that's the situation when a president battles a hostile press. As for the specific info. Trump conveyed to the Russians, I suppose it was naively spoken to coordinate efforts against ISIS, an understandable motive. Interestingly, the source of info., Israel, was fine with it. They're most likely not going to rock the boat with Trump, now that they have a POTUS taking them so seriously. What is also provoking, however, is the constant leaking from inner-circle ears privy to WH interchanges & the inclination for a rabid MSM to blow-up, distort & persist in keeping it all front & center. Trump's persistence in scrapping (ad nauseum) is unnerving as well. We can all scratch getting anything done. Had to agree with Gates' assertion yesterday that disruption is a good thing & needed in Washington, but this is ridiculous. Now Comey is fueling up..

And the beat goes on...

Jerry Morgan

Nora...

Do you not know anything about cancer?  By the time a cancer patient experiences significant symptoms the emergency room isn't going to help.  Besides emergency rooms don't provide ongoing treatment or surgery or radiation.  What a callous thing to say.  Hey maybe you should go to an ER.  In my grandkids cases.  They had illnesses that require on-going care to this date.  You don't get that from an ER.  As for financing this healthcare crisis.  Obamacare needed to only supplement existing programs.    It would not require full funding for all America to fix Obamacare.  There is room to reduce costs in the existing program.  The big reduction in costs would be from insuring those that have no insurance who are currently using the ER as a Primary care doctor and hospitals for inappropriate purposes.  My mother-in-law took up a hospital bed for three months because there was inadequate nursing homes in our stae.. Other savings will come from a healthier society.  Obamacare provides for preventative care for expectant moms (better baby outcomes), programs for assisting healthier lifestyles etc etc etc.  Yes Obama has issues fix it don't give the tax break to the wealthy.  Let's not create death sentences for a large number of our most vulnerable people.

BTW:  How long are the DT voters going to support a president that is totally if nothing else incompetent and at worst a traitor and a criminal.  The republicans were so ready to crucify HRC for reckless handling of emails.  If HRC was the president and behaved like DT the blood would be in the water and every republican voter would be calling for her head and congress would be jumping in the aisles to impeach her.

So sad.  DT Dump Trump.

Jerry Morgan

Sorry didn't read the last part of your post Nora.  So why is it mutually exclusive.  Why can't you be opposed and cry out for action against the atrocities  around the world and feel compassion for people at home.  I fail to see that logic.  It is inconceivable that we are unable to do more than bomb the crap out of a country and not address our peoples' needs.  To insinuate that I have no heart for the killing of people around the world if I want to see healthcare for all in America is insulting. 

So are you saying that you would be willing to share private emails from BCC alumni better get their authorization or we might see you on TV.  Just kidding there so chill.  If I ever get around to it and get the help, I would be glad to call on you and all for source material.  Just don't hold your breath for a release date.  This is an idea that's been brewing for a lot longer than I have been a Trump critic.  If we could just get rid of him I might have more time and energy to do other things including a book.  Might have to release it after I am gone to avoid the pushback.

Nora Skinker (Morton)

 Very thought provoking & I do not begin to understand all the aspects of either Obamacare or The House's new resolution. I do know it is in an embryonic stage & have read that it may be greatly improved (& possibly unrecognizable) comparatively, by the time The Senate is through with it. One can hope. The premise that the young & healthy would/should pay for the infirm, has not proven plausible. That, in conjunction with the increasing drop-out rates has brought on the inevitable "downward death spiral" of Obamacare. But, after 7 years of GOP dawdling, I am skeptical of anything that doesn't eventually get us to socialized medicine. Of course, the myriad of problems with that, too, is daunting. We are already so deep in debt, that it's boggling to try & figure out how the money alone, will appear. 

Jerry, I was alluding to the domestic Abortion issue, when I alluded to (what seems like) ample compassion for certain groups while scant for the unborn. It had nothing to do with your capacity for compassion. I was being inappropriately flip, when I asked if that included you. Count on my always taking a swipe at those who can't or won't see the absolute horror of what we are doing. Nothing to do with gassing babies in Syria. On that, we're all on the same page. Abortion, not so much. 

As for political "tits for tats", I do not disagree that whatever one political party is capable of doing, the other is just as capable. That has proven true time & time again. Boggling too, that the public still doesn't see it that way. For what it's worth, I believe no matter who got into office in '16, the next four years would be as scathing & litigious as these are & will continue to be. And it's only just begun...

Jack Mallory

Nora hears the drumbeat of impeachment; she may have good ears. I see the media doing what many of us expect them to do: revealing the behavior of an administration that is secretive and dishonest. It's not as if the press has to struggle to find newsworthy material: now the NYT and other media report on a memo written by James Comey, detailing Trump's attempt to get him to drop the Flynn investigation. Comey shared the memo with FBI associates at the time he wrote it, and they have confirmed its existence.  According to the Times, "An F.B.I. agent’s contemporaneous notes are widely held up in court as credible evidence of conversations." (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/16/us/politics/james-comey-trump-flynn-russia-investigation.html?_r=0)

If true, this is a potential article of impeachment. Obstruction of justice is more than a "crises du jour" (sic) as Nora refers to media news coverage. This is not Trump "pushing the parameters of legality," again in Nora’s terms. This may be Trump breaking the law. While the White House has denied the Times account, if past performance is a guide that denial may change within days, if not hours. In the meanwhile, if I have to believe a president and his supporters with a track record of repeated prevarication and evidence-free claims, or newspapers with long histories of honest and accurate journalism, I know where my money goes.

Glen Hirose

“On Grafton Pond” The epoch photo journal of Pulitzer Prize winning Photographer, Philosopher, and Political Pundit, BCC Class or 64’, Jack Mallory.  I would buy the book just for the wild life images, in particular the birds.

I'm sure Bence Máté would have to agree.

"Mouse? I thought we were having vole?"

Nora Skinker (Morton)

Ha! Glen, eating crow occasionally is good too 😋

Glen Hirose

Pooh! Pooh! What's in the box?  "It's my new Verizon Wireless fios Router! I paid a $10 shipping and handling fee and Verizon will charge me $8 a month to rent it. That's $96 a year, but they have me over a barrel because it's a proprietary piece of hardware.”