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Jack Mallory

“Jack, that’s quite a feat for 4000 people to organize a caravan & cross half a continent without help. Oh, & to arrive just before Election Day, too! Amazing. I certainly stand corrected! Please tell us more! “

Can’t tell you any more, Nora. I tried hard to find ANY evidence that anyone is organizing, paying for, or helping these folks other than themselves, but could find nothing. Immigrants have gotten themselves to the US for hundreds of years without some nefarious plot by the Democratic Party. What have you got, yourself, other than speculation? 

You suggested the porta-potties. Can't imagine where you got that fantasy! In the village in Mexico where I worked in the late 70s and early 80s folks crapped in the woods and the pigs disposed of it. 

Nora Skinker (Morton)

Guess it must be that “October surprise syndrome”, which is paranoia that has a way of rearing it’s ugly head right before one gets the urge to vote. Has something to do with the timing of events. Crazy, isn’t it? Yeah, right. I guess the left’s skewering of Judge K had nothing to do with the mid/term either. 

Guess, too, about migrants migrating: I should know better than to allude to something a little more lighthearted than “where do they take a dump?” Jeez. Lighten up, people. Tonight’s TV hook was “Rosie O’Donnell Wants Military To Attack Trump”. Turns out she was MAKING A JOKE. What a concept. Does humor have no place anymore? If so, lemme outta here. 

Go Caps! 

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

I don't find Trump talking of slamming a reporter to the ground as amusing. If the crowd laughed that is pretty bad and also, I don't think the law enforcement thought what happened was so funny as he got charged in that case. Love, Joanie

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Oh and yes, its good that Saudi Arabia is a check on Iran but that does not justify letting them get off scott free on killing a journalist in cold blood...and as Jack said what about the massacres of so many in Yemen using our weaponry. There are ways to let them know that aid will be curtailed if they do not

change their barbaric ways. There are sanctions and other ways to push back. Love, Joanie

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Here is some more about this case. I don't think Trump's referencing it is a joke and I don't think its less horrible because the audience liked his remarks. Love, Joanie

In the case of Gianforte, witnesses including members of a Fox News crew say Gianforte became enraged over what he perceived as biased coverage before body-slamming Jacobs, throwing him to the ground and punching him.

Gianforte initially misled investigators about what had happened, falsely claiming that Jacobs had grabbed him by the wrist and pulled both of them to the floor, according to documents released under a court order following requests from news agencies.

Trump said he was in Rome with other world leaders when he heard about what had happened.

"And I said, 'Oh, this is terrible. He's going to lose the election,'" Trump recalled. "And then I said, 'Well, wait a minute. I know Montana pretty well. I think it might help him.' And it did."

Gianforte pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge in June 2017 and said in an apology letter that he alone was responsible for the attack. He paid a $385 fine and completed 40 hours of community service and 20 hours of anger management counseling. He also donated $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Jack Mallory

My migrant students told me how, even in the face of a level of poverty and violence very few of us have ever experienced, their moms and dads ALWAYS planned their immigration timelines strictly around US elections. Sometimes they'd go jobless, hungry, exposed to gang violence and civil war for months, even years, before immigrating, until the next election cycle rolled around.

Effing ridiculous. 

*******

Awhile back Joan posted about votefwd.org, a campaign to encourage everyone to vote. I just finished my first 25 letters. Votefwd provides the letter form on-line, and supplies lists of potential voters, with addresses.

The votefwd volunteer prints the letters out, writes the salutation, finishes the “I have pledged to vote . . .” section in a brief, personal, and non-partisan way that would encourage others to vote, and does the envelope stuffing, addressing, stamping, and mailing—timed to arrive just before the election. You supply the paper, envelopes, stamps, time and effort. A small price for old retired farts to pay to promote democracy.

This is the blank letter. Blacked out section has addressee's name and address.

Nora Skinker (Morton)

Spare the lecture. Stranger things have happened. I’ll grant you that it might be the Russians. After they’ve seen our entire country held captive by a teenage drinking party, it’s certainly not hard for anybody to see how easy it is to meddle in our elections. I may be paranoid, but you might feel a bit naive when Nov. 5th’s biggest story line includes wailing mothers & babies at the border. More political pawns. Sad. 

Another tell-tale pre election hysteria issue is pretending it’s surprising that the Saudis would kill a journalist. How odd for a medieval, radical theocracy. Not. But sure plays well against Trump. Glad Khashoggi can’t see his death exploited & used as a political football, too. But, hey, anything goes! 

Jay, can you tell me your source, please, for the horrible description of Khashoggi’s death? Still having trouble finding a reputable report. Pompeo insists he’s seen no video & heard no recording. 

Glen, sad to see them have to yank Holtby but, at least they’ve tied it at 4-4. Hope Copley can redeem himself. 🙏

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

I think Khashoggi would be happy that there is a big stink made about his execution rather then that this atrocity is described as making him a potical football as was said. From what I have heard Republicans and Democrats are very upset about this so what is the political football element?.  I think that the execution is about the execution and not making Trump look bad. Trump looks bad on his own by his own lack of integrrity and his own  lack of standing up for America. Love, Joanie

Jack Mallory

Move along folks, nothing to see here. Just an accident. A little confusion. Guy tells his girlfriend that if he's not out in a couple of hours, call the cops, then walks into his consulate to pick up their marriage papers. There, of course, he attacks a dozen or more security professionals. They accidentally strangle him to death during a fistfight .

But these bodyguards, other intel types and consulate staff were confused, couldn’t recognize dead and mistakenly saw him leave the building. “Sorry, we don’t know where he is!” Weeks later, they realize he never left the building, he's been dead ever since they killed him. And, oops, they’ve mistakenly lost his body, don't know where it went. 

Got that, folks? Now keep moving, clear the sidewalks, don't obstruct the arms sales, nothing to see.

Source? The NYT, proven to be far more reliable than the administration or the Saudis.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/19/world/middleeast/jamal-khashoggi-dead-saudi-arabia.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&smid=nytcore-ipad-share

I think Trump and the Trumpublicans have given the impression that you can tell people bald-faced, unsupported lies and many will accept them eagerly. But as Joanie points out, there are some from both parties who aren’t buying this cockamamie story.

Nora Skinker (Morton)

No, & don’t think for a moment that I buy it either. But, from Jay’s description of the torture, I thought the actual proof of method had been revealed. In earlier times, issues such as these would be taken care of between heads of states & behind closed doors. Today the world knows everything & opinions fly before stories are vetted, making every player a political football. I also think Khashoggi would want his death to help bring something good to the people of Saudi Arabia. 

Glen, good game. Losing sucks but at least we got a point out of it. 

Jack Mallory

Waiting for the suggestion from the right that Khashoggi was actually killed by a rogue caravan of Honduran immigrants. Protects those billions in arms sales, provides yet another chance to denigrate immigrants—a win-win!

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Kashogghi's last post was about freedom of the press. I think he would like it if people like himself would be safer to say what they want, and to even criticize if they deem it necessary. It was his criticisms of the Prince that cuased him to be killed. He was for human rights and the free press among other things. I think too he would want the truth to come out about his murder. So, I agree with Nori that he would want something positive to come of his own death. Love, Joanie  I think too if he could he would want to give his fiancee one more hug.
 

Nora Skinker (Morton)

Wow, that’s a tad bitter, Jack. 

Like your thinking on this one, Joanie. 

If truth is told, I have no problem with it. Today, that’s a big IF. I hope Trump does work with Congress to do something meaningful, I’m just not sure if losing 67000 jobs & a boatload of money, is the right thing to do, in principle or practicality. IMHO, at the least, MbS should abdicate his thrown. But what will Pompeo recommend? If you get that word first, Jay, share pronto! 👊😉

Apparently Mexico is working to sort out illegals from potentially qualified refugees before they make it to US territory. Does anybody like that? Hmm, I just may book a Mexican cruise this year. 🛳

Glen Hirose

Nori,

I think the Caps have yet to feel the same “Vibe” with Reirden as they did with Trotz; after all he led them through the Playoffs to the Stanley Cup.   Fortunately for Reirden the Caps are a”Seen that done that” veteran team.  Give them a bit more time, and they will show off their “Big Boy Skates” again.

Uh-oh, did I post the Nacho Supremes prematurely? Maybe it will be… 

Jay Shackford

Well, the Saudis finally conceded what the Turks have been reporting for the past 17 days — Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Turkey.  True to form, Old Bone Spurs has been all over the ballpark on this one:

• On Oct. 8, five days after Khashoggi walked into the consulate and after the Turkish President demanded that the Saudis prove he left the consulate alive, the President said that “we have seen conflicting reports.”
• On Oct. 11 the President said, “Well, it’s not our country.  It’s Turkey, and it’s not a citizen.”  Later that day on Fox and Friends, he said, “ We can’t let it happen.  And we’re being very, very tough…He went in and it doesn’t look like he came out.”
• Later on Oct. 11 when asked about possible sanctions, the President responded:  “I know they’re  talking about different type of sanctions, but they’re spending $110 billion on military equipment …That doesn’t help us — not when it comes to jobs and not when it comes to our companies losing out on work…Again, this took place in Turkey, and to the best of our knowledge, Kashoggi is not a United States citizen — is that right?”
• On Oct. 15 after Turkish investigators searched the Saudi consulate:  “I just spoke with the king of Saudi Arabia, who denies any knowledge of what took place with regard to, as he said, his Saudi Arabian citizen.  I don’t want to get into his mind — but it sounded to me like maybe these could have been rogue killers.  Who knows? …And it sounded like he, and also the crown prince, had no knowledge.”
• On Oct. 16 after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with and had a photo op with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the President told Pompeo privately, “Mike, wipe that shit-eating grin off your face.” Publicly, the President said:  “Here we go again with, you know, you’re guilty until proven innocent. We just went through that with Justice Kavanaugh and he was innocent all the way as far as I‘m concerned.”
• Later on Oct. 16, on Twitter, the President said:  “For the record, I have no financial interests in Saudi Arabia (or Russia for that matter).  Any suggestion that I have is just more FAKE NEWS (of which there is plenty)!”
• On Pompeo’s trip home when asked whether the Saudis had said whether Khashoggi was dead or alive, he said:  “I don’t want to talk about any of the facts; they didn’t either.”  Later on the trip, Pompeo asked to expand and clarify his earlier statement: “I want to make one thing very clear:  Reports of body-slamming are totally false.   That happened in Montana a year and a half ago.”  

We all know the rest of the story.  On Sept. 19, the Saudis conceded that Khashoggi was involved in a physical alteration at the consulate, which resulted in his death … that 18 Saudis were being detained for questioning…. and that a full-fledged investigation was underway. 

Today, the President was reportedly saying that he believes the Saudi statement is “credible.”

Robert Hall

Jack Mallory

Jeez, Nora, lighten up! Just adding more lightheartedness about immigrants, like you. You were kidding about immigrant political pawns, right? Like, nobody any less crazy than Alex Jones would think there's some ominous conspiracy (led by the Democrats, one assumes) that's pulling puppet strings behind 4000 or so desparate people. Secret maneuvers by some hidden chess player, to mix metaphors, that gets these folks to leave their homes, friends, family and set out on a long and dangerous journey? Sort of immigrant Stepford Wives, blindly under the control of who-knows-who? No understanding of their own lives, no agency on their part, just being moved from point A to point B with no thoughts or volition of their own? 

The hundreds of immigrants I've known have made  their choices consciously and as rationally as anyone could in tough situations. No one tricked, fooled, or manipulated them into immigrating. They made the best decisions they could in the circumstances they faced. Like all of us, regardless of race, ethnicity or income. 

Pawns. Yeah, you were kidding. 

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Nice time line Jay, Thanks. Sure, a 60 year old guy just started swinging on a dozen young security guards. He must have been tough if they had to strangle him to subdue him. Good thing they brought those big suitcases . . .

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Still got some color here. Mark and Tasca head down the hill behind the farmhouse.

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Robert--unfortunately, they are our monkeys, it is our circus. 

Nora Skinker (Morton)

Wish I could care about Trump’s every word as much as you do, Jay. When you know what’s behind Pompeo’s “shit eating grin”, let us know. That part is fascinating. 

Glen, couldn’t agree more. Hope there are still enough “big boy skates” to make the playoffs, but if not, so be it. Meanwhile, what a pretty red banner that is! 

Got a kick out of the head honcho in Honduras saying his far left wing opposition put together the caravan to embarass him. Looks like everybody has a dog in this fight. 

Sign me ‘still seeking truth!’

Nora Skinker (Morton)

Speaking of lightening up, get this: supposedly Elizabeth Warren put out a cookbook a couple of years ago called “Pow Wow Chow”, touted to contain recipes from 5 different tribes. Two of the recipes she apparently plagiarized, lifting them from a NYT home section! Now, THAT’S funny! 🤪

Jack Mallory

Plagiarized Pow Wow Chow? On the path to old, recycled truths? This has been in the news for over 6 years. Only a philistine would find the plagiarism worse than her call for the use of canned crab. Kat Harting taught me that a long time ago.

Jack Mallory

The NYT says in this article—a great example of electronic journalism—that the Khashoggi murder has focused the world on the war in Yemen. I’m not sure that focus is anything but temporary, but we owe it to the Yemenis to make ourselves aware of what we're paying for. 

https://nyti.ms/2AjaPXe

Jack Mallory

The path to truth you claim to be on, Nora, has to lead through evidence. Facts, not paranoia, are the route to truth. Do you have ANY evidence that the refugee caravan is organized or supported by those trying to affect the US elections? What actual facts suggest that to you?

Every year millions of Americans migrate to areas where life is more affordable, jobs more available. Do you presume that hey are someone's “pawns?” Or because they look more like us do you just figure they're human beings, making the choices humans make?

This article presents known facts, and rebuts false claims, giving some credence to what I said yesterday. 

https://nyti.ms/2R6UJ8X

Glen Hirose

OK, the Nachos and Boston Baked Beans* stay.  Guess I knew all along it would end up Dodgers vs. Sox, but you just can’t help rooting for the impossible underdogs.  

I think this will go the 7 games...

Will the real Caps' Goalie please skate forward.

Nora Skinker (Morton)

I’ll hang with da Holtster, Glen. Anybody can have a bad night. 

The caravan may wanna get it’s act together before facing US border patrol. When interviewed, many say they are coming to the US for jobs. Last I checked, that doesn’t cut it for refugee status. Others say they are coming to live with relatives already in the States. No unified voice? Maybe you’re right about Leftists not having a hand in this, after all, Jack. 

In another attempt to lighten the atmosphere, check this out, mighty Barons: some of you may be proud to know that in NYC yesterday, witches placed a hex (what else?) on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during a protest ritual. The spell, which live-streamed on FB & Instagram, was also targeted at “all rapists & patriarchy which emboldens & protects them”. I guess the fact that Kavanaugh is NOT a rapist somehow eluded this particular group of witches. 🎃💀

HAIL!! 

Jack Mallory

Why in the world would anyone expect a "unified voice" from 4000 different people? They are all, by definition, migrants. Some may be coming to apply as refugees; some are almost surely economic immigants; maybe some are trying to reunite families. Many probably come for all three reasons. They come as a group, as many have, for safety and self-help along the way. None are coming to get Democrats, or Republicans elected--they've got far more important things in their lives.

Here's a nice look at the humanity of some of these migrants, a mom and her children. Real human beings, putting her faith, she says, in god to get her family through the danger to a better life. Not the racist stereotype of a mob of ignorant people being blindly manipulated as part of the election campaign.

https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2018/10/21/migrant-caravan-north-mexico-guatemala-weir-dnt-vpx.cnn

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Re: witches 'n hexes.

Always amused when practitioners of one form of supernatural belief system ridicule the practices of another. Not sure how a Wiccan hex works, but it would be hard to convince me that it's any less reality based than a Christian blessing or other form of prayer. Make fun of one, open season on all. Mumbo jumbo is mumbo jumbo.