Christmas From the Dark Side

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be good----or else!!!!

Cartoon by my Grandson Jake

 

 

 

 Jake is the comedian in our family. He's got a million jokes.

Why Black Alabamians voted for Doug Jones

 

 

Black voters typically vote overwhelmingly Democratic: they cast ballots for Hillary Clinton nationwide by a 89% to 8% margin in the 2016 presidential race, and even broader margins for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012.
But black voters made up 29% of the vote in Alabama in Tuesday's election — a larger-than-expected share more comparable to the composition of the electorate in a presidential race for Obama than an off-year special election. Exit polls also revealed a gender gap that worked in favor of Jones, with women voting for the Democrat with a 57% to 41% margin.
Jones was named the winner Tuesday night, but the margin remained neck-and-neck for the entirety of election night. Leading up to the special election to fill now-US Attorney General Jeff Sessions' former seat, national figures from both parties had stepped up support for both candidates.
Despite accusations against Moore that involved sexual abuse from many years ago, President Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee had pledged their support for the Republican candidate last week.

Trump called Jones and graciously congratulated him but I wonder if he was gritting his teeth and making an obscene gesture as he did it.

For Pity's Sake ... Stop Climate change

 



Flash back - 3 Exerpts from an essay by my grandson Sam

 

BY SAMUEL MAHOOD: Edited for publication

"If you could change one thing in your life, what would it be?
Some might say, "I wouldn't have married, she cost me a fortune." Or, perhaps," I should have followed my hunch and bought that property or taken that job."
Well, at eighteen years old, I haven't had enough experience to say any of those things. My life is just beginning and as corny as it may sound, if I could change one thing, I would go back to my childhood and enjoy, appreciate and linger over every moment. Growing up, you want to  become an adult so badly, you wish your time away.
 Now I'm an adult I'd like to re-live some of the priceless moments of my childhood that passed so quickly. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the responsibilities of adulthood and feel privileged to be part of such a wonderful family. But sometimes I have flashbacks of childhood experiences and wish I could go back to those moments."

"As far back as I can remember, I felt left out when I heard my parents talking about important, adult things. I wanted to grow up, be ultra wealthy and have a nice home, a hot wife and fast cars. This was my dream even before I knew how to use the toilet standing up.
 I took for granted playing hockey in the street with my best friend and my brother, pretending it was the Stanley Cup finals. Sleep-overs were great. I could stay up half the night with my friends and watch  the Leafs play hockey right through the third period. Playing restricted, adult, video games with my best friend Dan was awesome too; games my parents did not think I was ready for. Sorry Mom. Man, I loved the end of the week - pay-day!  A whopping two bucks! No hidden zeros. For a kid, it was a lottery. I could buy two packs of hockey cards or some candy. Holidays, trips and family events are all a happy blur.
Becoming a teen was a confusing time. I was growing and changing. High school was scary for me, and exciting too. Joining the football team and later, organizing a slo-pitch softball team was gratifying and fun. Meeting girls was nerve wracking but exciting too. It was a very significant time in my life."

"I wouldn't change a thing in my life. But I would like to go back and slow time down. I would appreciate and enjoy every moment to the fullest because you can't call them back. You live the rest of your life with the memories of those times and the influence they had on your life.
I'm very fortunate to  have such a big, loving and caring family. I would like to take a few lines to thank them all for everything they have done for me. You guys raised me, put me through school, loved me and kept me on the right track. Thank you to my parents for getting me up and ready for school each day and being there when I got home to ask about my day. Thank you Gunny and Guppa for always being there for me and my brother and for coming to all our silly Christmas plays and more importantly our graduations. Thank you Jake for being my true best friend and willing to hang out with me no matter what kind of mood I was in. I love you all so very much and I enjoy the flashbacks I have of all of us.
Whether anyone reads this or not is not important. I just wanted to write my thoughts down. Maybe someone will enjoy reading it. I will leave you with one thought, one question. If you could change one event in your life, What would it be??"

There was more to Sam's essay.  I Just touched on the points that formed the basis for his writing. It's holds a lesson for us all. Don't hurry through life without registering small significant details, without enjoying the moment you are in, without memorizing the smiles and words of the people who love you unconditionally. Get through the bad moments but linger as long as you can in the happy ones or the peacefully contented ones. Linger as long as  you can in your youth because it is gone in the blink of an eye and you have the rest of your life to embrace the memories or regret them.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Donald Trump Jr. asked Russian lawyer for info on Clinton Foundation

NBC News    KEN DILANIAN AND NATASHA LEBEDEVA     Dec 5th 2017 

Donald Trump Jr. asked a Russian lawyer at the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting whether she had evidence of illegal donations to the Clinton Foundation, the lawyer told the Senate Judiciary Committee in answers to written questions obtained exclusively by NBC News.

The lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, told the committee that she didn't have any such evidence, and that she believes Trump misunderstood the nature of the meeting after receiving emails from a music promoter promising incriminating information on Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump's Democratic opponent.

Once it became apparent that she did not have meaningful information about Clinton, Trump seemed to lose interest, Veselnitskaya said, and the meeting petered out.

"Today, I understand why it took place to begin with and why it ended so quickly with a feeling of mutual disappointment and time wasted," Veselnitskaya wrote. "The answer lies in the roguish letters of Mr. Goldstone."

She was referring to Rob Goldstone, a music promoter who worked for the Agalarov family. They are Russian oligarchs with Kremlin connections who had business and social ties to the Trump family. Goldstone's emails to Trump Jr. arranging the meeting on behalf of the Agalarovs called Veselnitskaya a "Russian government lawyer" who had dirt on Clinton as part of a Russian government effort to help Trump. Goldstone has since said he exaggerated.

In her 51-page statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Veselnitskaya said she did not work for the Russian government and was not carrying any messages from government officials. She said her motive was to get the Trump team to examine what she argues is a fraud that led the U.S. to impose sanctions on Russia known as the Magnitsky Act.

Her ultimate goal was a congressional investigation into that matter, she said. She has long argued that U.S.-born hedge fund investor Bill Browder lied about the circumstances of the death of his accountant, Sergei Magnitsky, who died in a Russian jail, and that the U.S. government imposed Magnitsky Act sanctions on Russia, which are named after the accountant, based on a fraud. Browder and American officials dismiss that allegation, calling it part of a Russian disinformation campaign.

Veselnitskaya said there was no discussion at the Trump Tower meeting of hacked or leaked emails, social media campaigns or any of the other main aspects of Russian interference in the U.S. election. Previously, she told NBC News she had raised the issue of potential questionable contributions to Clinton's campaign by Americans accused in Russia of tax evasion.

Though some may see her answers as self-serving, Veselnitskaya's written answers reinforced what has long been understood about the Trump Tower meeting: that Donald Trump Jr. accepted it on the promise of incriminating information about Clinton that he had been told was coming from the Russian government. And he asked Veselnitskaya directly whether she had it, according to her written answers. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also in attendance, as were a Russian lobbyist, a Russian businessman and a translator.

Special counsel Robert Mueller and the House and Senate investigating committees continue to look into the Trump Tower meeting, according to multiple officials familiar with the probes.

Veselnitskaya insists they will find nothing that isn't already known. She says she wishes the meeting had never happened.

"Now that I know the kind of apocalyptic Hollywood scenario that a private conversation between a lawyer and a businessman can be turned into, I very much regret that the desire to bring the truth to the [Congress] has thrown the U.S. president's family, as well as Mrs. Clinton, into the whirlwind of mutual political accusations and fueled the fire of the morbid, completely groundless hatred for Russia," Veselnitskaya wrote.

In another noteworthy aspect of her answers, Veselnitskaya acknowledged that she worked with Glenn Simpson, a former Wall Street Journal reporter, in an investigation of Browder, whose campaign led Congress to pass the Magnitsky Act.

At the time he was working on that case, Simpson and his firm, Fusion GPS, were also working with former British intelligence operative Christopher Steele on the infamous Trump dossier.

But Veselnitskaya says she had no idea about that, confirming testimony Simpson has provided to House and Senate investigators.

Some Republicans have suggested that Simpson's work on behalf of a Russian client investigating the premise of the Magnitsky Act means the dossier could be tainted by Russian disinformation, but no evidence has surfaced to buttress that allegation.

Veselnitskaya called those allegations "unsubstantiated and outrageous insinuations."

A lawyer for Trump Jr. declined to comment, but referred NBC News to the statement his client released in September, which said Trump Jr. wanted to "hear (the Russians) out" if they had information concerning Clinton's "fitness, character or qualifications."

For Aunt Jeannie

This what it says 

Scientists sent signal to Aliens on Super  Earth
humans just tried to contact intelligent aliens . On October 16 , 17  , 2017 , and  on the 18th a team of scientists sent a message to aliens . They sent the message via radio waves  and transmitted it 19 times . This helps ensure that all the information reaches it's destination . What's in the message ?

Aunt Jeannie , NASA is reaching out  to the Aliens  , if they get a response  , I  hope  the crazy man is not in office  playing President  , if so we are in trouble  .
We thought you would like these  .
Love you very much .
Jonny and Chris 
Wrote by Jonny