Wha....

Why.

Was this a pressing campaign issue.  You are a Senator, try doing something real and not campaign messaging related.

Oy

The Truth About Crowdstrike

So, in case you aren't a tin-foil hat wearing wack job, let me explain this Crowdstrike nonesense and the Russian propaganda behind it.

You may have heard some crap about this from Trump, Rudy and Rush and what-ever bat shit people that believed them to muddy up the waters.

The Democratic National Committee Server was hacked - from there the crazy conspiracy runs wild...

What Crazy People Say	What the FBI, CIA and NSC Say
DNC Server sent to Crowdstrike	True DNC Server was originally sent to Crowdstrike
Crowdstrike is in Ukraine	False Crowdstrike is in Sunnyvale California
FBI let Crowdstrike investigate on their own	False FBI participated in investigation
Crowdstrike covered up Ukrainian involvement	False  Hacking was discovered and the FBI and Crowdstrike uncovered who did it. The FBI and Robert Muller filed charges against 14 specific Russian hackers identified in the DNC hacking
Crowdstrike is owned by Ukrainians	False One of Crowdstike’s many backers is a Soviet refugee that left the USSR before there was a country of Ukraine.
That DNC Server is “hiding” in Ukraine	False The DNC server is back at the DNC. The hacking details are stored online in general (not in the Ukraine).
The Ukrainian government “meddled” in our election.	False: Two officials from Ukraine wrote Op Eds questioning Trump's proposed ideas. The President takes this as “proof” they meddled in the election.
Russia did not meddle in the election	False Ever intelligence organization in the government knows and has proved that Russia DID meddle in the election

The problem is that Donald Trump’s ego is a bit fragile. He wants proof that he won the election without help. 

And it isn’t clear that Russian interference actually effected the outcome. But they definitely tried.

Habitual Liar

Jesus, he can't help it.

That tweet, that ONE tweet.

Lie 1: It's not new, it's been building Apple computers sine 2013.

Lie 2: It's not an Apple plant, although they do make some Apple computers there.

Lie 3: Won't bring jobs "back". They jobs have been here since the Obama Administration.

Lie 4: Nancy Pelosi has not "closed Congress" , in fact the House has passed legislation to protect our elections, address gun killings and extended the government through the end of the year.

Lie 5: Nancy Pelosi doesn't care about American workers.

He is exhausting. When will this nightmare be over.

Look, I get slip of the tongue, but if you have a massive staff of people to fact check for your ass BEFORE you tweet, you’re lazy, an idiot or both.

Ambassador Priceless

This picture is of current US Ambassador to the EU, Sondland.  He was in middle os testifying in the Impeachment hearing. (Copyright Washington Post)

I can’t decide if he looks like Paul Lynne, Dr. Evil or a gay Christmas elf that just had a bump of cocaine.  PS - he’s not one on our side!

What I Don’t Think Any of Us Understood

I don’t think any of us knew how much change a single President could do. To date, all American Presidents have followed a similar foreign policy. We set up alliances and international organizations, and the next President usually followed them.

Trump came in. Just overturning Obama’s goals, and it was somehow kind of understandable. Leave the Paris Climate Accords and the Iran Nuclear Treaty - okay he said he would do that.

But in the past week he has decided to recognize Israel settlements - which are illegal under the U.N. Now remember, the UN can’t really do shit, without the US, so all those “it was illegal per the UN,” that WAS us. How can the President alone change that?

And he has decided that $903 Million that South Korea pays to help us offset our costs in the alliance isn’t enough (he had raised it $100 Million since he came into office.) Now he demands $5,000 Million or $5 Billion dollars this year! That is a mercenary force, not an alliance.

He has proposed a similar increase for Japan.

What the Fuck?

Not to be an asshole, but...

So they ask Trump about another shooting. In addition to an incoherent answer, he blames the Democrats for not working on legislation.

But here’s the thing. The Democrats have passed a few gun control pieces of legislation. None are moving in the Senate because of Mitch McConell.  So, shut up idiot.

In class..

In class there is a young lady who’s name is Laura Petrie. I said, “Laura Petrie, like...”

And she said, “Yes, but I never heard of that until I got married. I should have kept my madine name.”

She is young, perky and dark haired.  You can’t miss it.

Light posting - about to head off ot Quantico

No, I am not joining the Marines. But I am teaching a bunch of them.

I am heading off to Quantico Virginia- home of many US Marine bases to teach. I haven't been posting much because a) I've been busy teaching and b) the Impeachment Hearings are fascinating me.

(c) Getty Images

 It is funny. I remember the Watergate hearings. My school classes (I was a Freshman in High School) watched them for the first 3 periods. (We were in California and the timing worked.) We all believed we would never see these again in our lifetime.

Looking back, it is obvious Nixon would be impeached, but watching it live it didn't always feel that way. Like these hearings, the committee was pretty set in its outcome. But the ground, the people's opinion, shifted.

This may not be the same, but watching the shifting opinion about Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, it was very deja vu-ish.

Meanwhile, in Sacramento

I’ve been in Sacramento, teaching this week.  I am heading back tonight (red-eye!, yuck). But while I am here some things are interesting.  For example, behind the front desk in this fairly rural town is a sing that drives my husband crazy.

Because, you know, happy cheese comes from happy cows. And happy cows don’t live in blizzards.

Thank You to Veterans

On this Veterans Day, I want to say thank you to those people who have served America and others. I've said this before, and I will say it again. Our Veterans fight for many things. Always for Americans and often times for others: The Bosnians, the Kurds, the weak throughout the world.

Thank you.

In Sacramento to Teach

Sure it’s not a huge town, but it is nice to get on the freeway (the 5) headed towards the hotel with seven lanes. It has “4 left lanes - Los Angeles”, 2 far right lanes - San Francisco” and 3rd from the right, Reno.

Ahh... real freeways again

I am dumbfounded by how Veterans support Trump

I can not believe that Veterans support Donald Trump. Seriously.

This just happened this fucking week - even though it was admitted (quietly) previously. How can they support a man who scams Veteran's out of $2.8 million dollars in donations!?!?

It is crazier than the Evangelicals that consider him anointed by God.

(Note: I didn't say religious conservatives that support him. I get it - kinda - because of his judges, but..."Anointed by God"? That seems a bridge to Galilee too far.

And he is going to open the New York Veterans' Day parade. No doubt with some funky ass, self-promoting speech blaming the Democrats for, you know, World War II or something.

Spomenik in Montenegro

Monument to War Heroes

When Tito liberated Yugoslavia from the Nazi's in WWII, he faced a problem of building a nation out of previously independent nations, or parts of the Austria-Hungarian or Ottoman Empires. The short history between WWI and WWII was not a particularly good example of how to do it.

So he forged an identity of heroes in the fight against the Axis. He set out to bind his nation together with a shared history or resistance.

Yugoslavia itself was a great-power artifact lumping 3 independent countries, 3 A/H provinces and 2 Ottoman colonies into a lump. And two of these, Serbia and Croatia, pretty much hated each other. Yugoslavia has one language, but 2 was of writing (latin and cryillic), 3 main religions (Catholic, Serbian Orthodox, Islam) and had multiple government styles.

So Tito crafted a unique Yugoslavian identity - and then used sculpture in a post impressionist / fascist style that was uniquely Yugoslavian. This has results in lots of remaining monuments to the people of the region.

After the fall of Yugoslavia, most of these have fallen into disrepair. I will, at some point next year, go on a tour of these. They are so very cool.

This is a monument to a battlefield, not a duck.

The ones noted here are all in Montenegro, which - remember, is tiny. More are in Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia. And they haven't even found all of them yet.  The one in Bosnia I have posted about many times is pictured at the bottom (with me!)

This Isn't Helping

I am not sure how to address Climate Change Issues (actually, I am - but who cares what I say), but I know this is NOT how to do it.

You don't issue worse warning after warning.

People who believe in Climate Change act on it, people who don't ignore it.

Don't issues warnings; tie the funky-ass things that are going on in the real world to what is causing them. The Hurricanes are worse because of climate change. Islands in Maryland have to be abandoned due to climate change. Houston has flooded twice in 3 years because of climate change. The Syrian civil war was a product, in large part, of climate change.

And the real shocker for everyone. Climate Change is going to send MILLIONS of immigrants to the United States over the next decade. President Trump's wall will not stop them all. And Bernie Sanders' open arms policy won't help. The country MUST come up with some response we all agree on!

Climate Change is effecting us and will effect us more. Forget 1 - 3 feet of sea level rise or 2 centigrade of air temperature rise. Millions of immigrants to the US.

And that doesn't include the Billion or so immigrants that will flood other countries from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, North Africa, Central Africa, the central Asian -stans (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, etc).

And that doesn't include billions of people starving because of agricultural loses (or super high prices).

What is this Ukraine thing all about?

And is it impeachable?  (hint - yes.)

The Trump Foundation is Busted

This is what happens when you hold a $5 Million dollar fundraiser for Veterans in Iowa, then give the money directly to your campaign (which has a Draft Dodger running for President).

You have to close your charity, pay restitution, pay a $2 Million fine, and be banned from live from being on any charity board. Then you call it a witch hunt.

This was his comment (link) "I am the only person I know, perhaps the only person in history, who can give major money to charity ($19M), charge no expense, and be attacked by the political hacks in New York State. No wonder why we are all leaving!" he said. FYI - He donated $0 dollars in the past 2 decades. It was other people's donations to the foundation.

Some of the things the charity purchased with funds designated for the neediest (link).

Boy Scouts. Not a donation, but the $7 fee for his son Donald Jr. (then 11). What kind of cheap-ass does that?

Pam Bondi's Reelection PAC $25,000. As Florida Attorney General - immediately after this "charity donation" (illegally given to a political cause) she dropped Florida's case against Trump University.  You my have heard of her recently. She joined the Trump Impeachment team (on his side).

$157,000 to settle a cheating case where Trump wouldn't pay out a prize after offering it for a hole in one. Martin Greenberg got the hole in one, but had to sue Trump's Bedminster Golf Club to get the money. The money came not from the Bedminster Club, or Donald pockets, but the Trump Charitable Foundation.

The Foundation gave $150,000 to the West Palm Beach Police Foundation - who in turn paid $276,000 to hold an event at Mar-a-lago. Even that $150,000 was directly passed through the Trump Foundation from New Jersey Charles Evan Foundation. When that funding stopped, so did the donations to the West Pam Beach Police.

He has claimed to have donated over $102 Million. But nearly all of it is "in kind" donations. Mainly the land around his golf courses designed to stop any building near by. Rounds of charity golf at his clubs.

But my favorite is a 6 foot tall picture of himself that the "Foundation" purchased at auction. They "Foundation" then hung it in the bar at the Trump Golf Club at Mar-a-lago, but only after the artist repainted his hand to be bigger. You cannot make this shit up (link).

If you ever wonder what Nincompoops look like, look to Florida

Florida - the F state....

link

Who'd Have Thunk It: Dana Carvey....

Soylent Green is People!!!!!!!!

TCM has the guest programmer every now and then. This month it is comedy programmers. As you can see from the list of movies below, most people settle for basic, staid movies. Martin Short picks Dr. Strangelove and the Marx Brothers. Way to go out on a limb.  Rita Wilson, showing true range picks Lady Eve and Now Voyager. I mean, great shows, but I didn't have to bring you on to pick them.

But Dana Carvey. That is some good comedy shit right there.  Two movies that are so bad they are great, Soylent Green  and Jason and the Argonaughts. I may not have loved you on Saturday Night Live. Or on your own show. Or much as a guest star.  Okay, I never really loved you. But Dude, that is some killer taste there!!!

Is Ashcroft at the UN Now?

Well this is goofy as shit. Here is the money quote: Works by French sculptor Stéphane Simon, which show nude, classical-style figures taking selfies, were being displayed in Paris during UNESCO's European Heritage Days event in September. (link)