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Thank you to everyone who has been contributing links to articles & other content in the Comments section of each day's "Conversation." If you're missing the comments, you're missing some vital links.

The Ledes

Thursday, April 25, 2024

CNN: “The US economy cooled more than expected in the first quarter of the year, but remained healthy by historical standards. Economic growth has slowed steadily over the past 12 months, which bodes well for lower interest rates, but the Federal Reserve has made it clear it’s in no rush to cut rates.”

The Wires
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Public Service Announcement

The Washington Post offers tips on how to keep your EV battery running in frigid temperatures. The link at the end of this graf is supposed to be a "gift link" (from me, Marie Burns, the giftor!), meaning that non-subscribers can read the article. Hope it works: https://wapo.st/3u8Z705

"Countless studies have shown that people who spend less time in nature die younger and suffer higher rates of mental and physical ailments." So this Washington Post page allows you to check your own area to see how good your access to nature is.

Marie: If you don't like birthing stories, don't watch this video. But I thought it was pretty sweet -- and funny:

If you like Larry David, you may find this interview enjoyable:


Tracy Chapman & Luke Combs at the 2024 Grammy Awards. Allison Hope comments in a CNN opinion piece:

~~~ Here's Chapman singing "Fast Car" at the Oakland Coliseum in December 1988. ~~~

~~~ Here's the full 2024 Grammy winner's list, via CBS.

He Shot the Messenger. Washington Post: “The Messenger is shutting down immediately, the news site’s founder told employees in an email Wednesday, marking the abrupt demise of one of the stranger and more expensive recent experiments in digital media. In his email, Jimmy Finkelstein said he was 'personally devastated' to announce that he had failed in a last-ditch effort to raise more money for the site, saying that he had been fundraising as recently as the night before. Finkelstein said the site, which launched last year with outsize ambitions and a mammoth $50 million budget, would close 'effective immediately.' The New York Times first reported the site’s closure late Wednesday afternoon, appearing to catch many staffers off-guard, including editor in chief Dan Wakeford. As employees read the news story, the internal work chat service Slack erupted in what one employee called 'pandemonium.'... Minutes later, as staffers read Finkelstein’s email, its message was underscored as they were forcibly logged out of their Slack accounts. Former Messenger reporter Jim LaPorta posted on social media that employees would not receive health care or severance.”

Washington Post: “The last known location of 'Portrait of Fräulein Lieser' by world-renowned Austrian artist Gustav Klimt was in Vienna in the mid-1920s. The vivid painting featuring a young woman was listed as property of a 'Mrs Lieser' — believed to be Henriette Lieser, who was deported and killed by the Nazis. The only remaining record of the work was a black and white photograph from 1925, around the time it was last exhibited, which was kept in the archives of the Austrian National Library. Now, almost 100 years later, this painting by one of the world’s most famous modernist artists is on display and up for sale — having been rediscovered in what the auction house has hailed as a sensational find.... It is unclear which member of the Lieser family is depicted in the piece[.]”

~~~ Marie: I don't know if this podcast will update automatically, or if I have to do it manually. In any event, both you and I can find the latest update of the published episodes here. The episodes begin with ads, but you can fast-forward through them.

Contact Marie

Click on this link to e-mail Marie.

Page Links
Saturday
Jul152017

In Jared's Defense

Yesterday we learned this:

Carly Sitrin of Vox: "Jared Kushner's lawyers say there's an innocent explanation for why his first security clearance application omitted his meetings with several Russians, including Sergey Kislyak and Natalia Veselnitskaya: A member of Kushner’s staff hit send on his form too early. But the thing is, there isn’t one 'send button' for this kind of security clearance form. There are 28.... Kushner filed his first SF-86 (a government document to amend his security clearance) in January and omitted any meetings with foreign government officials. In May, he submitted a revised security clearance form with more than 100 foreign names, including a meeting with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, but still did not include the meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya revealed in Donald Trump Jr.’s emails.... CBS News reported Friday that the Veselnitskaya meeting was later conveyed to the FBI and included in a third version of the form before July."

** UPDATE: . So here's another ridiculous excuse that Kushner's team of lawyers has actually proffered. Asawin Suebsaeng & Lachlan Markay of the Daily Beast: "According to a source familiar with the situation, speaking to The Daily Beast on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter, Kushner claims that he did not scan to the bottom of the email thread forwarded by his brother-in-law, therefore completely missing the part about 'Russia and its government.'... Kushner’s claim that he didn’t know precisely what was in the 'confidential' 'Russia' and 'Clinton' email sent to him sounds familiar, only because it’s the same explanation, or excuse, that Manafort has been shopping.”

Kushner has at least a couple of Washington's most able lawyers working for him. Yet the best these geniuses could come up with was, "My secretary accidentally hit 'send' 28 times." AND NOW, "I got the emails, but I didn't read them." OR "What Paul said."

So I thought I'd help them out with some less risible excuses for failing to name some of the 100+ foreign nationals with whom he met. Please add your own.

Geographical Confusion:

I didn't know he was a foreign national. I thought Canada was a state, right between Montana & Alaska.

Argentina is in South America, for Pete's sake. That's America was a capital "A." That's not foreign.

My mother-in-law is from the Czech Republic. I don't think of her as foreign. Why would I think of anyone else from around there as foreign?

My other mother-in-law is from Slovenia. I don't think of her as foreign. Why would I think of anyone else from around there as foreign?

We were in Scotland. When you're in Scotland, the Scottish people aren't foreign nationals. You are. Did you expect me to write down my own name?

Language Barrier:

His English was so good, I thought he was an American.

She didn't speak a word of English. I had no idea where she was from. I figured maybe Brighton Beach.

The Lousy Help:

My secretary couldn't spell his name. It seemed like a waste of time to include him on the form.

My secretary forgot to write it on my calendar.

Technical Difficulties:

Something went wrong with my phone while it was charging, & it deleted the meeting.

My pen ran out of ink.

I gave my notepad to a Breitbart reporter.

Auditory Problems:

They met me backstage at the convention. It was so noisy, I had no idea who they were.

I have an untreatable earwax problem. Also why I never served in the military.

Otherwise Occupied:

I was programming a new app for my iPhone.

I was texting my children. I'm a family-values guy.

I was texting my wife. She was having trouble with the girls at the factory in Bangladesh.

I was whispering in Donald's ear so he'd feel better & I missed what-all was going on.

The campaign was so hectic, I felt like I was in two places at one time. I wrote down the other place.

It Depends on What the Meaning of the Word "Meeting" Is:

It wasn't really a meeting. I sat there for only about 10 minutes. It was more a coffee break. Definitely not a meeting.

It wasn't my meeting. I popped my head in to somebody else's meeting, but I didn't know what was going on. (See also earwax.)

Miscellaneous:

She said she was a naturalized citizen. I believed her.

Eric told me she was a naturalized citizen. I believed him.

I forgot.


P.S. monoloco's contribution to yesterday's thread is hilarious.

Comments Off

Reader Comments (2)

Too, too funny! I NEEDED this!

Haven't been posting the past few days, just so fed up with the damn ongoing Trumpian saga that I need to stand back and occupy my mind elsewhere, my rants were getting exhausted...as was I. But, reading this is a splash of water much needed...Marie, this is hilarious...it should go viral!

July 15, 2017 | Unregistered CommenterMAG

Premature e-documentation.
Or, I did not have text with that woman.

July 16, 2017 | Unregistered CommenterForrest Morris
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