Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Paul, I care enough about what happened in Benghazi to remember it was U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans - an Information Officer and two CIA operatives who were killed in the Benghazi attack.  

You and Trump are two peas in a pod - strictly transactional.  SAD!!!

It was a Republican Congress that would not authorize action in Syria when Assad crossed the “line in the sand” and gassed his own people.

What are you willing to do when Americans are being slaughtered every week in what should be safe spaces in our own country?  A majority of Americans abhor the slaughter you and the NRA countenance.  What are we to do in the face of a powerful minority robbing us of our right to life? 

I wonder how a person given a second chance at life

doesn’t do everything he can to protect life.

Alan A. Alop

Paul, you have mis-stated facts once again.  You quoted the President as follows:

"It could very well be that the crown prince had knowledge of this tragic event,” the president said. 

Then your conclusion was: "Trump did not avoid . . . making a judgment about the Prince.

But you deceptively chopped off the next sentence of Trump's statement:

"It could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event; maybe he did and maybe he didn't".

So your conclusion that Trump did not avoid making a judgment about the Prince is absolutely false. TRUMP DID EXPLICITLY AVOID  PLACING RESPONSIBILTY ON THE SAUDI PRINCE EVEN THOUGH THE CIA CONCLUDED THE CROWN PRINCE WAS AWARE OF THE PLAN TO MURDER THE JOURNALIST. 

The United States cannot condone or tolerate the murder of journalists by even our closest allies. We must set an example so that evil action of this nature is not permitted to go unpunished.

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Future Scenario 2966:  Trump murders a journalist in the middle of Fifth Avenue, New York City. He is tried by a jury of his peers (12 white sexist millionaires). Trump takes the stand to defend himself and his defense consists of one word "Benghazi."  Verdict: Not Guilty.

Stewart Myrent

​Alan, thank you for saving me so much time, rebutting Paul's most recent post about the Saudis.  Your Future Scenario 2966 sounds like a nightmare to me.  Paul, to ask me, "What do you think the reason is?", in response to my query of you, "Can you think of ANY reason that Trump would bypass a veteran career employee, for a 'newbie'?  Just asking.", if your only answer to my original question is, "I'm just guessing it's because he did not trust him." (Rosenstein) & then you followed that up with a suggestion that my original question "suggests there is a more deep and dark motive."  No shit, Paul.  Are you actually serious with your suggestion?  Several of our fellow-posters mentioned Benghazi & I just wanted to remind everyone the (Republican) House of Representatives, launched 9 investigations into Hillary & her role in Benghazi (as Secretary of State), led by the soon-to-be-gone Trey Gowdy, & after making her testify 9 times, could find no wrongdoing on her part.  I don't remember how many millions they spent on Benghazi investigations.  With that, I am not quite done with posting in November, but I want to wish EVERYONE a relaxing, refreshing, and reflective Thanksgiving, with your relatives & loved ones & friends.  I'm guessing & hopeful that everyone will have a treditional Thanksgiving meal with turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes (or yams), cranberries (or cranberry sauce), that string bean thing with the fried onions on top & the cucumbers in sour cream & onions, and whatever family specialties YOUR family has.  I also expect everyone to totally overeat; it's the perfect meal to do it.  It's the BEST meal of the year.  However, I feel as I'm getting older, I seem to be more susceptible to the tryptophan.  Pleasant dreams!

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

       Today we gather together ’round turkeys

        who gave their lives to remind us

        to give thanks.

        Remember as well

        to thank the cooks -

        who may have spent days cooking and baking 

        to prepare your traditional Thanksgiving feast.

        HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL

       take time to reflect with loved ones

       Here's to a day filled with hope

       Save room for pie!!!

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Desmond Tutu honored Parkland students’ activism with an international peace prize for their tireless anti-gun activism in the aftermath of the Valentine’s Day mass shooting that changed their lives.  Tutu said he “considers the student movement to be one of the most significant instances of youth-led activism in recent memory...  ”  He’s in awe of the students’ “powerful message amplified by their youthful energy and unshakable belief that the young can improve their own futures.  They are true changemakers who have demonstrated that the young can move the world, while keeping young people at the center of their work.”  Tutu described the Parkland students’ work as a “peaceful campaign to demand safe schools and communities and the eradication of gun violence.”  

The peace prize “serves as a major reminder that the universe is on the side of justice and that the young will win because their cause is one of peace.”  (We need old people fighting for young people.)

Thanks to all the young people who have supported March For Our Lives since the beginning.  You will win!

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Salmonella and E.Coli have been recurring problems this year...

Why is it that when the CDC says to throw out your romaine lettuce everyone takes it as gospel, yet when the same agency tells us vaccines save lives, the CDC is part of the Illuminati?  

Romaine lettuce killed four people and romaine was pulled from every grocery store across the country.  

There have been more than 300 mass shootings in 2018 in the U.S. and you can still get a gun at Walmart.

In 2011, after several high-profile disease outbreaks linked to food, Congress ordered a fix.  Under rules crafted by the Obama Administration’s Food and Drug Administration, beginning this year produce growers would have begun testing their water.  But six months before people were sickened by contaminated romaine - responding to pressure from the farm industry and Trump’s order to eliminate regulations - Trump’s FDA shelved the water-testing rules for at least four years.  The science is clear: dirty farm water is making us sick.  

Gus Speth, US Advisor on climate change and Yale professor: “I used to think the top environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse, and climate change.  I thought with 30 years of good science we could address these problems.  I was wrong.  The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed, and apathy... and to deal with these problems we need a spiritual and cultural transformation-- we scientists don’t know how to do that... ”

Stewart, the day before Thanksgiving another E.Coli warning and recall of romaine - so serious we were told to throw away all romaine, even romaine from which some leaves were eaten which had caused no problem; also to remove the vegetable bin and wash it (and the refrigerator) with hot soapy water.  Good time to hear cucumbers and green onions in sour cream is a traditional Thanksgiving salad.  

Did you know Dorcas Reilly (who died this fall at 92) created green bean casserole in 1955.  She made it with green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and crispy fried onion as topping.  Green Bean Casserole is reportedly the most popular item ever created by Campbell’s Soups corporate kitchen.  Dorcas' original recipe card joined the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2002.

Stewart Myrent

​Janis - Thanks for the info on Desmond Tutu honoring the Parkland students' activism, including March For Our Lives.  I was so impressed with all of those kids; they all did something way more than I did, which was nothing.  Thought your quote from Gus Speth of Yale was somewhat eye-opening.  Also, thank you for naming "green bean casserole", because I totally blanked out on the name of that dish.  I had no idea who Dorcas Reilly was, but I assume she was employed by Campbell's Soup corporate kitchen.  Correct?  I've been wanting to speak about our grandparents for several weeks now; hope to get into it, in the next few days.  Hope everyone had a fabulous time at Thanksgiving & had a great time catching up with relatives, friends & loved ones. 

Stewart Myrent

​Steve, why does your Trump voodoo doll's hair seem so kempt, as compared to the real thing?

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

My toilet bowl would be another shiny object.

Stewart, Dorcas worked in the home economics department of the Campbell Soup Company... her job was to come up with creative ways to use Campbell’s products.  The dish, first known as a green bean bake, is a holiday classic.  Dorcas said green bean casserole was all in a day’s work... Thanks to that day’s work, Campbell’s estimates that 40% of its cream of mushroom soup sales end up in green bean casserole.  

I am really curious about cucumber salad and how it became part of your Thanksgiving tradition... I have eaten lots of it as a summer salad, but never before for Thanksgiving.  Thanks for a good idea.

Stewart Myrent

​Steve, I have to say that I'm somewhat pleased to hear what I thought was a voodoo doll, is actually a dog's chew toy (modified with your pins.)  I am also aghast that a New Zealand company is marketing a toilet brush, which resembles OUR president.  Don't they have ANY respect for the office?  Especially after Sarah Sanders said, "We must have decorum in the White House."  Very disrespectful.  "So sad!"  You also stated that doll would have similarly unkempt hair, if it was in a stiff wind.  Have you had the doll (chew toy) out in the wind, to test your hypothesis?  Janis, I have no idea how the cucumber salad came to be part of our family Thanksgiving tradition, but I have also had that dish with people from different family backgrounds.  I guess I assumed it was part of everyone's Thanksgiving.  I heard this AM, that we are expecting our first major snowfall of the season tomorrow.  So, for those of you who live elsewhere, be glad that Chicago is in your rear-view mirror & for those of you who still live here, buckle your seatbelts.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

I guess Oshkosh is far enough north there’s no snow in the forecast here.  Snow is predicted for Milwaukee tomorrow.  I don’t know if it’s proximity to Lake Michigan but Milwaukee’s weather is more like weather in Chicago and northern Illinois than in Fox Valley in Wisconsin.  

Amazing as it is that there would be such animus for Trump in New Zealand, friends who were married and honeymooned in Madagascar said they were astonished what poor regard locals on that remote island off the coast of East Africa have for Trump.  Seems it’s Americans who are bamboozled by Trump.  The American media made Trump U.S. President.  Trump's the kid who flung birthday cake at the guests.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

GLOBAL LESSONS ON GUNS - a Fareed Zakaria GPS Special aired today on CNN-  

“As grim observances for America’s notorious shooting massacres come and go, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria explored mental health and guns, the Second Amendment, mass shootings, and the politics and policies of guns in America and around the world on his special edition of GPS this morning.  

GLOBAL LESSONS on GUNS examined how the tens of thousands of gun homicides and gun suicides reported by U.S. government agencies have propelled America to rank among the most violent of rich countries in terms of gun deaths.  To understand how this happened, Zakaria interviewed author and CNN chief legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, and Michael Waldman, the president of New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice, about what U.S. Constitutional framers intended for the Second Amendment, and the complicated politics of guns and gun policies in America.  

For a broad understanding of how mental health may impact gun violence in America, Zakaria interviewed CNN chief medical correspondent and neurosurgeon Dr Sanjay Gupta, MD, and Dr Amy Barnhorst, MD, the vice chair of community psychiatry at the University of California-Davis.  Dr Gupta and Dr Barnhorst discussed the limitations of so-called ‘red flag laws,’ that are intended to regulate gun sales to people deemed to be at extreme risk for gun violence towards themselves or others.

Zakaria also examined violent crime in Japan, revisited the legacies of mass shooting events in America and Australia, and took viewers to Switzerland and Israel to discuss gun ownership, gun safety, and a broad array of gun policies.  

Beginning tomorrow, Monday, November 26th, the GPS special - GLOBAL LESSONS on GUNS will be available for subscribers on demand via cable and satellite systems, CNNgo platforms, and CNN mobile apps.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Stewart Myrent

​Janis, you are correct.  The one thing we have to look forward to, is that once we reach the winter solstice, December 21, Friday this year, the days will, indeed, be getting longer, although at a glacially slow pace of about a minute a day.  Also, there is the slight issue of getting through all of January & February, which as I recall, are worse than November & December.  However, I do agree that we should embrace the lengthening days, with all the ardor we can, as it's about the only thing we've got going for us, with winter approaching.  (By the way, up here in northern Lake Co., winter is already here.  It has arrived!)  But, I've been thinking a lot of my grandparents lately.  They were all born about 1890 & they were all born overseas, in eastern Europe.  I used to think of their generation as the one that saw the most changes in the world, in their lifetimes.  When they were all born, there were no automobiles.  If you were very lucky, your family had a horse/ox and a wooden cart.  You had a chance of being minimally prosperous.  TV?  Science fiction.  They didn't even have radio.  Forget about living to see airplanes; these people, if they were lucky, lived to see a man land on the moon, in their lifetimes.  So, I always thought they had seen the most changes in the world, things that would affect them daily, than any other generation.  Of course, our generation & succeeding generations, have seen & will see, vast changes in our daily lives, but our grandparents' generation had the most primitive starting point.  But, lately I've been thinking of them in a totally different light.  I have to admit, that the reason I've had this change in viewpoint, is because of these caravans, heading to the U.S. through Mexico.  It prompts this question in me, "What makes a person(s) decide to pick up & leave a community, that their family may have resided in for 100 yrs. or more - a community where they have the life & customs & language that they have grown used to & comfortable with - to go to a foreign land, where they do not speak the language, do not have the same foods available, do not have the same customs, do not have the same infrastructure?  What makes a person (people) do this?"  So, when I think of that, I think of how that relates to my grandparents' decision to leave their homelands & come to America.  How bad does your daily life have to be, where you say, 'I can't take this for one more day' & decide to go to a totaly foreign land, where you don't speak the language (major problem) & maybe don't know anyone, for the HOPE that you will find a better & safer life for yourself & your kids (I don't think our grandparents thought about us, their grandkids, at that point in the decision-making process).  I know they heard that the streets in America were 'paved with gold'; don't know if they took that literally, or realized it was a metaphor.  What I realize, though, is to make that decision to leave your homeland, to go to a totally new & unknown country, takes major 'balls', guts, if you prefer.  But, how much of that decision is determined by your own "free will" & how much by circumstance?  This is why I've been thinking about my grandparents.  Don't know if their decision to emigrate to U.S. was a result of uninformed "rosy optimism", or external, uncontrollable, "outside governmental forces".  Either way, I am so happy that all my grandparents decided to leave their homelands to come to the U.S., so that I could be the beneficiary of a wonderful "accident of birth".  I realize that for some, great-grandparents may be needed to substitute for grandparents, but if you have to go back further than that, you're still the progeny of immigrants!

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Stewart and all, I posted a chart this morning (Monday) which apparently only I could see-- I also typed a few words of encouragement about the days getting longer once winter officially arrives, and that "snow melts /spring blossoms"... Try as I might, I was not able to accomplish my goal of making the chart visible to anyone but me-- Long story short, not able to type my message above or below the "boxes" and then delete the structure of the "invisible to you chart" I typed what seems timely info: "How Different Snowfall Amounts Affect Different Regions of the Country" which I hope you're able to read and appreciate in post #4691.

Alan A. Alop

The sleepy village of Edwardsville, Mississippi was today invaded by a caravan of an estimated 3400 Middle Eastern terrorists and MS-13 gang members intent on voting in the Senatorial election. Reports circulated that infamous billionaire George Soros personally provided each invading caravan member with numerous different coats and hats so that they could disguise themselves and vote multiple times. Voting officials were stunned at the unusually large turnout, especially the great number of voters wearing coats and parkas in the 90 degree heat.

MS-13 spokesman Jesus Hernandez Soros-Goldberg issued a statement denying the invasion: “All reports suggesting any electoral interference on the part of MS-13 are fake news. MS-13 (which stands for Mississippi 2013) is a division of the Edwardsville Elks Club. We do not have any connection to that man handing out coats and hats.”  The Republican candidate, Cindy Hyde-White, commented that she would personally investigate the Edwardsville reports after the public hanging she was attending in nearby Scottsboro.

Stewart Myrent

​Janis, no worries.  I could see "How different snowfall amounts affect different regions of the country" with no problem, so I assume that everyone else could see it, also.  Very funny!  Also, Alan, thought your post was hilarious.  That's about it.  Oh, one more thing.  When I was at our 50th reunion, I asked someone about plans for a 60th, and was told that we might have a 55th reunion, which I thought was a pretty good idea, as I assumed we would start dropping like flies, in the near future.  Has anyone heard anything about a 55th reunion, as that would be next year?  My shortest post, ever. 

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

“The HOPE to find a better & safer life for yourself & your kids”... that’s what motivates immigrants to come to the U.S. and that’s what motivates the Parkland survivors to March For (Their) Lives.  

Three of my grandparents came to the U.S. at different times in their youth - two came to the U.S. as children with their parents, one came with his brothers as an older teenager.  My paternal grandmother was born in Chicago to a single mother.  

I have never felt as strongly as I do today that we must begin to elect young people to Congress and the Presidency.  The current 72 year old President's vision extends only as far as being re elected in 2020 and to win he fosters fear and cronyism at the expense of our young.  

What about the future of our children and grandchildren and the future of our country as a world leader?

Our young are concerned about long term issues facing our country and this planet such as climate change, immigration, economic change created by technology and the associated need for work force retraining, health care and gun safety.  

To correct the course of our nation we need young people - those who will live in the world we are creating - at the helm of the ship of state.

Stewart Myrent

​Janis, couldn't agree with you more, and BTW, have you, or anyone, heard anything about a 55th reunion?  I mean, as much as I'm hoping to be around for the 60th reunion, I'm not getting any younger.  Right now, making it to a 55th seems doable.  I just thought, how many people show up at a 70th reunion?  If I make it to that, I'm going to be really pissed if there's, like, 5 people there.  I'm pretty sure our graduating class was about 550 people.  I heard earlier this year, that by the end of this century (by about 2090), the AVERAGE American is going live to be 100 years old.  I heard an even weirder thing about 2 1/2 yrs. ago on the radio.  They asked, "When is the first person to make it to 150 years old - when is that person going to be born?", and then they went to commercial break.  I'm thinking that the first person to live to be 150, will probably be born in the next 10-15 years.  They come back from the break & announce that the first person to reach age 150, is ALREADY born.  I remember thinking, "If you can't get done what you want to get done in the first 100 yrs., what's another 50 yrs. going to do for you." 

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Stewart, on January 12th (Post #3886) Kathy Moyes wrote that she’s looking forward to our 55th.

On January 13th (Post #3890) Steve Spitz noted that Kathy looking forward to our 55th raises some questions:

1) How many classmates would be interested in a 55th reunion?  

2) Who would be interested in serving on a reunion planning committee?

3) When and where would such a reunion be held?  

Steve reminded us that the “late great” Art Wulf hosted the first planning meeting for our 50th in March 2013.

You may be the first to wonder on the Forum about a 55th since Steve raised those questions and highlighted planning for our 50th.  I have not heard conversation about a 55th ‘til you now remind us it’s none too soon to address Steve’s questions.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

The time to sign up for health care coverage through Obamacare is NOW.  

December 15th is the deadline for Open Enrollment.

Trump cut the enrollment period IN HALF - from 90 days to 45 -

and he refuses to advertise the open enrollment period to the American people.  

Go to     Healthcare.gov 

to sign up for affordable health care coverage.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

“Everything is not alright...

“We’re not alone.

“Need answers to the big questions...

“There has to be a deeper meaning.

“Nice... maybe life has no meaning, and the best we can hope for is just being nice... “

“The Kominsky Method”  on  Netflix 

Acting coach Sandy Kominsky (Michael Douglas) and his longtime agent and best friend Norman Newlander (Alan Arkin) keep each other laughing as they navigate the ups and downs of getting older.

Stewart Myrent

​Janis, don't know if all the quotes in you recent post are from "The Kominsky Method" on Netflix  (I do not currently have Netflix, but hope to have it soon), but whether they are, or not, I agree with all of the quotes, but one.  The middle one, "There has to be a deeper meaning...".  I get why anyone would think, "There has to be a deeper meaning...", without finishing the sentence, "because if there is NOT a deeper meaning, then this whole ride was a glorious waste of time."  But, it wasn't a waste of time for you, because you had those personal relationships that made the experience interesting.  "The Kominsky Method" sounds great to me, with two really good actors, but, I suspect that I am smack-dab in their "target audience".  I do have one question for you, Janis, in your recent post (#4698), you cite posts from mid-January referring to a 55th reunion.  How do you find those?  Is there some archive, where you can look up previous posts by subject?  Or are you the archivist for the Forum? 

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Mexican President Nieto offers Mexican work permits to migrants in the caravan.

Nieto's plan provides temporary ID cards and work permits, housing in local hotels, and medical care and schooling for all children.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Stewart, the Forum pages are all at your fingertips.

At the top of the present Forum page there is a bar that takes you to “Prior Page” (page by page).   There is also a box with page # and arrow that makes it possible for you to select a page and move immediately to that page.

Kathy’s post #3886 and Steve’s post #3890 are (presently) on page 157.  

When you are on a “prior page” there are two bars - one for “Prior Page” and one for “Next Page” - there’s also a box with page # and arrow...

Hope this makes sense...  

The quotes I posted are from Episode 8 of “The Kominsky Method” on Netflix.  

Does a period at the end of the sentence help?  “There has to be a deeper meaning•”

I will listen when I watch again tonight...