Message Forum - GENERAL

https://youtu.be/QJ6ZR3MXV1M

Sorry, Nora, I'm old and stupid. Could you refine it down to a couple of simple statements,

1. Who did Trump checkmate--if he won, who lost?

2. What did Trump win?

3. How was this victory worth the cost to the dead, maimed, and disposessed?

Thanks, appreciate your simplifying things for me.

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Got any more BLM memes? They should be much in vogue today, especially in Ft.Worth.

No luck finding that video? Here it is. For folks who want some idea what the non-PC world thinks is funny. I don't recommend it.

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Here you go, Jay. Pretty cool and crisp up here. Leaves cascading down on Deb.

10/14/19 08:18 PM

#9590

https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/sw-border-migration

Jay, I haven't been hearing a lot of what is going on at the Southern Border. I think the imipeachment inquiry has taken center stage to all the other important news. I found this report that gives and overview...Love, Joanie

10/14/19 09:57 PM

#9591

Well, no thanks to ABC TV, the aftermath of Turkey’s reign of destruction has not been determined but it was enough to reverse Trump’s decision to withdraw our troops as well as set a precedent with the sanctioning of a NATO ally. Time will tell what the status of ISIS will look like. And so much for ending “forever” wars. As I’ve noted in the past, we may be war weary but war isn’t weary of us! Case in point: the Turks.

Topics for chat: (1) Interesting development in Chinese trade negotiations when throngs of Hong Kong protestors wielding American flags solicit help from the US. (2) Tragedy in Ft. Worth doesn’t change the fact that all lives matter. (3) Biden apparently slipped behind Warren today. (4) Debates tomorrow night! (5) Caps lost big today (6) Nats leading Cards. (Go Stras!)

10/14/19 11:00 PM

#9592

The reason there are signs that say Black Lives Matter is because blacks have been disproportionately targeted in our country because of their color. So people who have experienced this tragedy are pointing out that black lives matter. Saying black lives matter does not mean that all other lives don't matter. It just points out that many of the people like Travon Martin, a black teen who was murdered, and Eric Gardner who was screaming, "I can't breath...I can't breath's" lives should matter. Love, Joanie

10/15/19 05:04 AM

#9593

Well put, Joanie. And when White people pass around memes representing African Americans with unpopular views as black dogs it could certainly be construed as racist. Especially suspect when the unpopular view involves protests against White police officers apparently murdering innocent Blacks, as just occurred again.

I suppose it's only a non-PC chuckle, like killing journalists and pistol-whipping John McCain. The video played by the Trump enthusiasts includes the President of the United States shooting "BLM" in the head. A right wing laugh riot.

If somebody represented me in a video like that, I'd certainly speak to them. Sharply. Obscenely. It doesn't seem to bother the guy who has no qualms about verbally attacking decent Americans who simply disagree with him.

10/15/19 07:24 AM

#9594

With laws in place to protect ALL of us against hate, I refuse to take responsibility for what bad white people do against blacks any more than I am responsible for what a white Adolf Hitler did against humanity. To single out or suggest that Black lives are worth more or less than ANY group (minority or otherwise) in America, misses the mark in my opinion. We rise together, we fall together, we revere life in its many forms, we punish those who break laws & we continue to strive to see that justice is served, knowing it is not a perfect world. The bottom line is that ALL lives matter today, regardless of the history we’ve shared.

As for that violent, unseemly film that apparently was shown at Doral: yes, let’s all scorn it, judge it. That’s fine. Satire & parady are thriving in our divisive political environment. But it’s entertainment for some and, last I checked, it’s still free speech & as legal as Schiff using it to politicize a phone call, Tarantino using it to laugh at slavery, a Jew like Mel Brooks using it to laugh it up over Hitler, the long running Broadway “Chicago” satirizing murder, etal. & is definitely in our culture to stay. At least for awhile. In the end, to be understood, it’s not to be taken literally.

10/15/19 07:37 AM

#9595

The saying Black Lives Matter is not to say that they matter more or less as you put it...its to say that they matter in a society where they are feeling like because of their color, they are not mattering. Its speaking up for a group of which they are a part. Its not speaking against other groups. I guess we differ on what it means. Love, Joanie

10/15/19 07:55 AM

#9596

Don't know how this fits into the PC/non-PC humor taxonomy, but it's non-racist, non- violent, figured we could use it, even if it's a repeat.

10/15/19 08:26 AM

#9597

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/we-arent-focused-enough-on-why-so-many-black-women-die-before-their-time/2019/10/14/f5a8b72e-ee9c-11e9-8693-f487e46784aa_story.html

Here is an op ed in todays paper. How tragic to hear of this. Love, Joanie

10/15/19 08:27 AM

#9598

It fits RIGHT in, Jack! It’s called satire.

10/15/19 10:06 AM

#9599

VA, great service dogs, great politically incorrect jokes.

Ranger, a diabetes support dog.

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Why don't Italians like Jehova's Witnesses?

Italians don't like witnesses.

10/15/19 10:55 AM

#9600

More (can’t get enough!)...

10/15/19 10:56 AM

#9601

10/15/19 11:25 AM

#9602

Jay Shackford

Hey Steve -- Good to hear from you. Sorry to hear about your back problems. But I think about everyone I know who is over 70 has some sort of back ailment -- some more serious than others. I had spinal surgery last Christmas. Doc cleaned out ridges and spurs between L3 and L4. I'm still recovering my strength, but the surgery was a success and the pain is gone. I was very lucky.

I don't remember the B-ball game you mentioned, but I do remember playing with you as our great fielding second baseman. I think I played third back then. Our high school coach, Harry Bosworth, was, as you noted, a real character.

I have a good story about Harry. It was April or so in our senior year. I was having trouble getting into college, any college, and Harry stepped up and came to my rescue. I had picked out Colorado State College, a teachers college about 50 miles north of Denver (now called the University of Northern Colorado), and Western State, another Colorado school in Gunnison, CO, on the western slope, as two possibilities. Being a little desperate and running out of time, I stopped by the coaches office right down the hallway from the gym. It was a tiny office with four desks and offices for Harry, Bob Foster, Buck Jones, and our track coach (can't remember his name.) I asked Harry if he could write letters and/or make a few calls to the coaches at both schools. Harry yelled out to Buck, "Hey Buck, Shacks wants to go to Colorado for college." Buck responded, "Oh yeah, where's that?" Gotta love Buck and his flipping baseball cap that would bounce up and down when he got nervous during our football games.

Harry wrote a couple of letters, and followed up with phone calls to the football and basketball coaches. Thanks to his help I got accepted at Colorado State, although I was put on probation and had to attend summer school, which started in early June. So I missed our BCC graduation and parties down at the beach -- in case anyone noticed. Going to Colorado was, however, one of the best moves of my life.

I'm getting back into golf after about two years of struggling with back problems, which were triggered by (can you believe this) driving for Uber two winters ago. (I've got a couple of funny Uber stories that I will share with you guys later.) But finally, my golf game is coming around, although I've lost a good 10 yards or so with all my clubs and I'm not playing as frequently as I did in the past. Might play later today, if I can get these workers out of my house. We are installing a gas burning fireplace to replace our old wood burning one.

Again Steve, great hearing from you. Bests everyone. And Go NATS!!!

10/15/19 12:25 PM

#9603

Jay, it sounds like your back problems are fixed but Steve if you need help with back problems, I know a really great chiropractor, named Dr. Yoon at century Blvd. in Germantown MD. He is so caring and skilled. Nice hearing the various memories brought up. For some reason, possibly because I was painfully shy back then and looked at my feet when I walked, Ms Sullivan, our french teacher gave me an answer or two during an oral quiz. I must have looked desparate. I got a B In french overall. Love, joanie

10/15/19 12:27 PM

#9604

Glen Hirose

This may be the starting time for a Historical Event the likes of which Washington, DC has not seen in 95 years!

10/15/19 01:36 PM

#9605

To expand a little on Joanie's post earlier today:

Black lives matter. The simplist possible three word declarative sentence. Subject (black lives) predicate (matter). Impossible for a native English speaker to misunderstand, it speaks to the lives of African Americans and says simply that they matter--count, have meaning, are important. No comparisons, no more than/less than, nothing that suggests that Black lives are more important than other lives.

To believe that all lives matter equally today ignores reality. We may not be responsible for the words or actions of others, but in a democracy we are responsible for policies that discriminate. To believe that races in this society rise and fall together is to shut one's eyes to the differences in income and wealth, health and well-being, educational achievement and social mobility. To believe that justice is equally served is to ignore the gross imbalances in encarceration and death penalty sentences between Black and White Americans.

Black Lives Matter is a simple sentence, true in itself but more importantly a reminder that black lives SHOULD matter equally but HAVEN'T in the past and DON'T in the present. To twist the meaning of the words is to ignore that fact and perpetuate that reality. Only in a society which has for centuries ensured that White lives mattered far more than Black lives could some Whites be threatened by an attempt to rectify that imbalance.

If anyone needs a reference, Ibram X. Kendi's How to be an Antiracist will serve well.

10/15/19 02:00 PM

#9606

No paddling pix from today. Had to do stand-in duty at the VA. When your boss is also your girlfriend, it's hard to say no. So more pix from yesterday.

10/15/19 03:32 PM

#9607

Stephen Cutler

Jay - thanks for your response. And of course you don't remember that B-ball game and of course Nori doesn't remember that V-Day.....I am such a loser! And that was me, "good field no hit" Cutler they called me...LOL!

Your stories were awesome and I'm glad you are recovering from your back surgery. I, on the other hand, have suffered since I turned 70. Up until then for 14 years I played softball, tennis, golf and umpired in the evenings. It all came tumbling down overnight. I am thankful that I retired early so I could enjoy all the sports that I love - that and moving to Florida were the best decisions of my life. My lumbar fusion and discectomy in June, 2016 failed to relieve my pain and I got infections that almost killed me. Then for the past 2+ years nothing has worked and that includes 2 discectomy surgeries, epidurals, facet injections, PRP injections, transforaminal injections in L3-L4 and L4-L5, rhizotomy injections, Visco gel injections into my left knee and two procedures to implant leads into my back and my knee (called Stimwaves) to relieve the pain (like an internal Tens Units). And oh yeah, chiropractic (thanks Joanie for your referral, but been-there-done-that plus I live in FL), acupuncture, physical therapy, 3 neuro-surgeons and 2 pain management doctors - I think that's enough info to give you an idea of what I've been through. And still a pain level of 7 most days. I refuse to take drugs - just tylenol an advil. Sorry to bore you with all that pathetic information.

Jay, my friend, it was great to hear from you. Enjoy playing golf and hit em' straight! You can make up in accuracy those 10 yards you lost. Hybrids will definitely help you with that.

And now everyone, you can return to politics and the news of the day....GO NATS!

10/15/19 03:58 PM

#9608

Jay Shackford

Wow! I really don't know what to say but you've got it tough, Steve, real tough. I feel for you buddy. It makes all my aches and pains pretty insignificant. Take care.

Jack, you live in a beautifui part of the country, although a tad too cold for me in the winter. You should blow up and frame that picture of you in the kayat. It's a great shot.

Go NATS!!!

10/15/19 04:36 PM

#9609

Jay, I can dress for cold; I can only undress for heat as far as my skin, the law, or my unwillingness to expose that which is better covered will go. And I swore several times in Vietnam never to complain about cold again, if I got back to it.

And as long as I can keep my batteries warm, I can still take pictures in the snow.

Ok, in all honesty I do get tired of it around February!

10/15/19 04:42 PM

#9610

Steve, just wondered if the doctors said what the cause of all the problems are like degenerative disc, arthritis, or spinal stenosis issues. Love, Joanie
I am sorry you have chronic pain. Have you tried medical marijuana?

10/15/19 11:34 PM

#9611

Robert Hall

Looks like Class of 64 will see a World Series in Washington in our lifetimes after all. It's a long way from where the team was in May. "You've got to have heart, miles and miles of heart.. !"

10/16/19 08:52 AM

#9612