Stonepounder
Stonepounder's JournalEl Paso's migrant children had a gift-filled Christmas thanks to two hotel employees
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/migrant-families-in-el-paso-had-a-gift-filled-christmas-thanks-to-the-kindness-of-two-hotel-employees/?fbclid=IwAR0EN8xdq-sd_3Sz_bd5VSi1JEkLVHMt55WHLraPjNCFbrRQneDEIg8Z3CkEl Paso's migrant children had a gift-filled Christmas thanks to two hotel employees
Christmas Eve was not a "silent night" in El Paso, Texas. Hundreds of migrant families were unexpectedly dropped off by ICE officials at a Greyhound bus station, a move that left volunteers working late into the night, finding hotels and shelters for the displaced families.
<snip>
But the commotion didn't stop two hotel employees from organizing a gift-filled Christmas morning for the migrant children, said Ruben Garcia, the director of Annunciation House, a shelter for migrants, during a press conference on Thursday. He said the workers' kindness should be a model for elected officials everywhere.
<snip>
But the migrants' reception was better than Garcia could have ever anticipated. At around seven or eight in the evening as the immigrants were being checked in, two of the hotel's front desk employees called their husbands, telling them to go to any store that might still be open and to "buy every coloring book, every little truck, simple little gifts, buy them all." By the time the families woke up in the morning, the employees and their husbands had wrapped all the gifts and placed them under the tree for the children, Garcia said.
"On Christmas Day they had all of these gifts for children who never, ever, ever in their life experienced a Christmas where they received a gift," he said.
When asked why, the employees "had tears coming down" and said "how could you not do this," Garcia said.
Abbot & Costelllo in the 21st Century
Found on Facebook
Contributed by Gary Trial, 10/2003
ABBOTT & COSTELLO’S TAKE ON THE 21ST CENTURY & COMPUTERS
ABBOTT: Computer Support Group. Can I help you?
COSTELLO: Thanks. I’m setting up a home office in the den and I’m thinking of buying a computer.
ABBOTT: Mac?
COSTELLO: No, the name is Lou.
ABBOTT: Your computer?
COSTELLO: I don’t own a computer. I want to buy one.
ABBOTT: What about Windows?
COSTELLO: Why? Does it get stuffy?
ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?
COSTELLO: I don’t know. What do I see when I look out the windows?
ABBOTT: Wallpaper.
COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.
ABBOTT: Software that runs on Windows?
COSTELLO: No! On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses. You know, run a business. What have you got?
ABBOTT: Office.
COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?
ABBOTT: I just did.
COSTELLO: You just did what?
ABBOTT: Recommended something.
COSTELLO: You recommended something?
ABBOTT: Yes.
COSTELLO: OK. What did you recommend for my office?
ABBOTT: Office.
COSTELLO: Yes, for my office.
ABBOTT: Office for Windows.
COSTELLO: I already have an office and it already has windows! Let’s say I’m sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal.
ABBOTT: Word.
COSTELLO: If I’m writing a proposal, I’m going to need lots of words. But what program do I load?
ABBOTT: Word.
COSTELLO: What word?
ABBOTT: The Word in Office.
COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.
ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.
COSTELLO: Which word in “office for windows?”
ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue W.
COSTELLO: I’m going to click your big blue W if you don’t give me a straight answer. Let’s forget about words for a minute. What do I need if I want to watch a movie over the Internet?
ABBOTT: RealOne.
COSTELLO: Maybe a real movie, maybe a cartoon. What I watch is none of your business. But what do I need to watch it?
ABBOTT: RealOne.
COSTELLO: If it’s a long movie, I’ll also want to watch reels two, three and four. Can I watch reel four?
ABBOTT: Of course.
COSTELLO: Great! With what?
ABBOTT: RealOne.
COSTELLO: Okay, so I’m sitting at my computer and I want to watch a movie. What do I do?
ABBOTT: You click the blue 1.
COSTELLO: I click the blue one what?
ABBOTT: The blue 1.
COSTELLO: Is that different from the blue W?
ABBOTT: Of course it is. The blue 1 is RealOne. The blue W is Word.
COSTELLO: What word?
ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.
COSTELLO: But there’s three words in “office for windows!”
ABBOTT: No, just one. But it’s the most popular Word in the world.
COSTELLO: It is?
ABBOTT: Yes, although to be fair, there aren’t many other Words left. It pretty much wiped out all the other Words.
COSTELLO: And what word is the real one?
ABBOTT: No. RealOne has nothing to do with Word. RealOne isn’t even part of Office.
COSTELLO: Never mind. I don’t want to get started with that again. But I also need something for bank accounts, loans and so on. What do you have to help me track my money?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: That’s right. What do you have?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?
ABBOTT: No, not really. It comes bundled with your computer.
COSTELLO: What comes bundled with my computer?
ABBOTT: Money,
COSTELLO: Money comes bundled with my computer?
ABBOTT: Exactly. No extra charge.
COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer at no extra charge? How much money do I get?
ABBOTT: Just one copy.
COSTELLO: I get a copy of money. Isn’t that illegal?
ABBOTT: No. We have a license from Microsoft to make copies of Money.
COSTELLO: Microsoft can license you to make money?
ABBOTT: Why not? They own it.
COSTELLO: Well, it’s great that I’m going to get free money, but I’ll still need to track it. Do you have anything for managing your money?
ABBOTT: Managing Your Money? That program disappeared years ago.
COSTELLO: Well, what do you sell in its place?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: You sell money?
ABBOTT: Of course. But if you buy a computer from us, you get it for free.
COSTELLO: That’s all very wonderful, but I’ll be running a business. Do you have any software for, you know, accounting?
ABBOTT: Simply Accounting.
COSTELLO: Probably, but it might get a little complicated.
ABBOTT: If you don’t want Simply Accounting, you might try M.Y.O.B.
COSTELLO: What does that stand for?
ABBOTT: Mind Your Own Business.
COSTELLO: I beg your pardon?
ABBOTT: No, that would be I.B.Y.P. I said M.Y.O.B.
COSTELLO: Look, I just need to do some accounting for my home business. You know—accounting? You do it with money.
ABBOTT: Of course, you can do accounting with Money. But you may need more.
COSTELLO: More money?
ABBOTT: More Than Money. Money can’t do everything.
COSTELLO: I don’t need a sermon! Okay, let’s forget about money for the moment. I’m worried that my computer might…what’s the word? Crash. And if my computer crashes, what can I use to restore my data?
ABBOTT: GoBack.
COSTELLO: Okay, I’m worried about my computer smashing and I need something to restore my data. What do you recommend?
ABBOTT: GoBack.
COSTELLO: How many times do I have to repeat myself?
ABBOTT: I’ve never asked you to repeat yourself. All I said was GoBack.
COSTELLO: How can I go back if I haven’t even been anywhere? Okay, I’ll go back. What do I need to write a proposal?
ABBOTT: Word
COSTELLO: But I’ll need lots of words to write a proposal.
ABBOTT: No. you only need one Word--the Word in Office for Windows.
COSTELLO: But there’s three words in---Oh, never mind.
ABBOTT: Hello? Hello? Customers! Why do they always hang up onme? Oh, well. (ring) Computer Support Group. Can I help you?
Word on the street is that Mattis' last official act
was to revoke tRump's military deferments, draft him, and send him to Afghanistan.
Started watching Dr. Who Season 11.
Currently watching Ep4. OMG! Whole new Dr. Who! I'd give it about a 12 out of 10. Fabulous, topical, and Jodi Whittaker as the new Doctor (at least IMHO) is the best Doctor since Tom Baker.
If you subscribe to BBC America, you can get it for free (with ADDs) or you can buy it on a variety of places including Amazon, Vudu, and the like. (Or you can wait a year and get it for free on other places.)
Who really gets hurt by the Shutdown?
Not Senators or Congressmen.
Not the President or the Cabinet Secretaries
Not even the folks who are 'furloughed'
It's the gov't sub-contractors who suddenly can't make payroll or pay their bills.
The restaurants and coffee shops who see their business dwindle to nothingness.
It's all the folks who provide service and goods to the thousands of gov't employees.
It's the souvenir shops and hotels at the National Parks when the parks close.
Those folks will NEVER recoup, even if the 'furloughed' folks get their back pay.
All for a fucking 'wall' that nobody wants.
When even Mitch McConnell rebukes tRump....
https://www.businessinsider.com/mitch-mcconnell-reaction-to-james-mattis-resignation-rebuke-of-trump-2018-12Mitch McConnell piles onto Defense Secretary James Mattis' rebuke of Trump
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican of Kentucky, issued a strong statement following the resignation of Defense Secretary James Mattis, saying he is "particularly distressed that he is resigning due to sharp differences with the president on these and other key aspects of America's global leadership."
<snip>
"I believe it's essential that the United States maintain and strengthen the post-World War II alliances that have been carefully built by leaders in both parties," McConnell said in his statement. "We must also maintain a clear-eyed understanding of our friends and foes, and recognize that nations like Russia are among the latter."
<snip>
Like McConnell, Mattis also name-checked Russia: "It is clear that China and Russia, for example, want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model gaining veto authority over other nations' economic, diplomatic, and security decisions to promote their own interests at the expense of their neighbors, America and our allies."
Trump's decision to pull troops out of Syria — which analysts say is a boon for US adversaries, Russia, ISIS, Iran, and the Syrian regime — was reportedly the last straw for Secretary Mattis. Kurds in Syria, US allies in Syria, are furious about the withdrawal, as they fear a Turkish incursion.
"So I was sorry to learn that Secretary Mattis, who shares those clear principles, will soon depart the administration," McConnell continued.
................................................
When you get Mitch rebuking tRump you gotta know that tRump has perhaps finally gone too far.
Mattis retiring
Source: Trump Tweet
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1075878792168685568
Read more: https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1075878792168685568
Stumbled across 'The Fix' on Netflix
Host Jimmy Carr attempts to solve the world's biggest problems through comedy. Stars: Jimmy Carr, D.L. Hughley, Katherine Ryan
Each episode Jimmy Carr as host has two teams, one headed by D.L. Hugley the other by Kathrine Ryan, each with guest comedian come up with ideas on how to solve major problem of interest.
Example: How do we deal with gun violence? Solution everyone joins the NRA until the gun-nuts are outnumbered, vote in a new board, and lobby the Hell out of Congress to pass reasonable gun legislation.
Very, very funny (but very much with an R rating for language).
Alan Dershowitz: Michael Flynn is innocent because 'lying to the FBI is not a crime'
Source: Rawstory
Law professor Alan Dershowitz on Monday argued that former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn should never have pleaded guilty in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation because “lying to the FBI is not a crime.”
During an interview on Fox News, Dershowitz asserted that Flynn’s lie about speaking to the Russian ambassador regarding removing sanctions was not “material” to the Russia investigation.
“I hope the judge understands when he has the case tomorrow that Flynn did not commit a crime by lying,” Dershowitz told Fox News host Bill Hemmer. “Because the lie has to be material to the investigation. And if the FBI already knew the answer to the question and only asked him the question in order to give him an opportunity to lie, his answer — even if false — was not material to the investigation.”
“Lying to the FBI is not a crime!” the law professor added.
Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/2018/12/alan-dershowitz-michael-flynn-innocent-lying-fbi-not-crime/
Say what? What is Dershowitz trying to hide? Or has he just gone as wackadoodle as tRump?
Social media threat targets another NKY high school
https://local12.com/news/local/social-media-threat-targets-another-nky-high-schoolSocial media threat targets another NKY high school
EDGEWOOD, Ky. (WKRC) - Another Northern Kentucky school was the target of a social media threat.
Dixie Heights High School sent out a school-wide phone call just before 11 p.m. Thursday night informing students and their families of a threat made on Snapchat.
The school principal called Edgewood Police when he was alerted.
School officials decided not to cancel classes Friday but a heavy police presence is expected as officers continue to investigate, according to a school spokesperson.
Since this sort of thing has become so common that it barely makes the local news any more. The only reason I'm posting this is because this is the school that my grandson and granddaughter go to. Note that school officials didn't bother canceling class and, according to my granddaughter, the 'heavy police presence' turned out to be a doubling of the normal police presence at the school from one officer to two officers.
What kind of a nation have we become?
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