Today, President Donald Trump and other world leaders will gather in Normandy to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. Normandy beaches, cemeteries and World War II memorials embody what French President Macron called “our entire nation’s infinite gratitude.”
SAINTE-MERE-EGLISE, France — At 10 years old, Henri-Jean Renaud watched U.S. paratroopers landing through the window of his Normandy home in the early hours of D-Day. Like other French who lived through the war, he’s trying to pass on to younger generations the gratitude he feels.
With fewer veterans and witnesses able to share personal memories, the French who owe their freedom to D-Day’s fighters are more determined than ever to keep alive the memory of the battle and its significance.



You have to go to Normandy and stand in the German fortifications, walk their defensive lines and stand on the beach looking at what the troops faced to really appreciate it. In the early 60s when I was there the ruins were largely untouched, save having most of the guns removed though some of the larger cannon tubes were still there. There was still German graffiti scribbled on the walls.
There was a record low tide one year and thousands came to the beaches as the water rolled out far beyond where it normally did and there was still tons of equipment and dozens of sunken ships mired in the sand, fishermen were always complaining about getting their nets caught in them. The French were still readily finding all sorts of unexploded ordnance from out at sea washing up and unexploded ordnance buried on land. They still are today but not quite as much.
There used to be thick buried bunkers, tall antiaircraft gun towers and tall cone-shaped air raid shelters in the town we lived in, they were still fresh. By the time I went back in ’84 they were all gone, a university had been built over the site where a huge concrete command bunker used to be. Even the dragon teeth antitank devices the farmers used to plow and plant around were gone. Soon so will just about everything related to the war and it will be an article of historical curiosity like the Crusades are now.
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Yeah it was touristing, in ‘83/‘84. Vets were all over the place. Down on bloody Omaha some 29 ID Vets were walking the beach to the hill, our group was spending 3-4 just on the beaches. The uniforms attracted a-lot off attention from those Vets, ……I learned a lot. Small Unit Action won the day……..
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By the time the got to the high-tide line the big units were small units.
L’d like to have been there in ’95 for the 50th anniversary when the Airborne vets jumped from vintage C-47s. ~70-year old bodies hitting the ground in T-10s must have been a shock, literally, even though they weren’t weighed down with all of that equipment.
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One of those guys was a retired LTG G who was a Pvt on D-Day in the 82nd ABN D. Gen G. Received a cut across the left eye, (I think). He jumped solo, in his WW2 uniform with those heavy brown boots, just like my Dads, he was not injured in his 3 combat jumps during WW2.
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82nd Airborne people all know about John Steele, he was the paratrooper who got hung up on the church steeple in the jump on Sainte-Mere-Eglise on D-Day. His story’s been told and changed in a number of different movies and he was one of a handfull of his plane not killed.
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Yes, indeedy, have a…

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Morning Lucille! Happy Thursday!
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Good morning, sand! Thanks!

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😊
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Good afternoon Lucille 🙂 !
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Good afternoon, lovely!
Parrott Green Wave Tulip (I’m assuming “Crocus” is the artist’s site)

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Beautiful 🙂 !
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10 COOL PAINTING HACKS AND TECHNIQUES
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Mornin’ kids! Look what I stole ya’s, Menage!
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Morning WeeWeed!
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Mornin’ S&S!
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Morning, WeeWeed!
Knotted Knapweed…

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT: This plant was probably introduced in the 1890’s as a contaminant in alfalfa or hay seed from Europe and Asia. Spotted knapweed has become a serious problem in the rangelands of the northwest United States. In recent years, the species has invaded relatively undisturbed natural areas in Wisconsin as well as heavily disturbed sites. The extent of the invasion and the communities potentially affected are not well known. Until recently, spotted knapweed was presumed to inhabit only heavily disturbed areas such as road ditches, agricultural field, railroad beds, pipelines, and recently installed utility lines; the plant has now been found in dry prairie sites, oak and pine barrens, and on lake dunes and sandy ridges. It seems to bespecially problematic in the central sands, northern Wisconsin, and near the Great Lakes.
https://sewisc.org/invasives/invasive-plants/69-spotted-knapweed
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I love this flower, even if it is a weed. It used to be everywhere in Michigan, but I don’t think I have ever seen it in Indiana.
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It is a pretty color and shape. It’s only a weed because it comes up where it’s not wanted and in an area where it’s not native…but then that’s part of the definition of “weed”, isn’t it. LOL!
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In Les Miserables, which is a book I love very much, Hugo wrote, “there are no such thing as bad plants or bad men. There are only bad cultivators.”
And I don’t know why I just thought of that.
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I like it, so I’m glad that you did.
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Afternoon Lucy!
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Afternoon Ms.WeeWeed!!!!!!! Teasing Me??????
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Afternoon Colonel Sir!
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Afternoon Wee 🙂 !
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Mornin’ Lovely!
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Evenin’ Lovely!
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Evening Wee and thanks. You know, it works just like that for me too! I can dance when I have a little Jack!
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Evenin’ Menage!
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I can’t dance even when I have a LOT of Jack! But that’s no reason not to have Jack. Nomesayin?
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For those of ya’s that’ve never enjoyed one of these after a day of busting yer butt cleaning house.
https://www.cbs7.com/content/news/Viewer-shares-video-of-Haboob-hitting-Big-Spring-510895421.html
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There was a show, on Death Valley Days probably, or maybe Outer Limits, and the woman was in a little house out in the desert and everything in the house was covered in sand. She was trying to fix dinner and there was even an inch of sand inside the little ice box. She went crazy and killed all her children and herself.
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There’s a play about that very thing, called “The Wind” IIRC. Sand piles up in little dunes on the windowsills, gets in your closed cabinets, blows out from the AC vents… inside your closed washers/dryers. Sure ruins yer day, I’ll tell ya.
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I lived in S. Cal. for over 20 years. The Santa Ana winds would blow in from the desert and sand would come through the closed windows and cover everything in a layer of sand. Thank goodness that didn’t happen all the time.
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IKR???? If it happened all the time we’d all kill each other!
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Experience one in Saudi. Almost lost my ride,
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I ‘ve seen some in videos…….scary stuff.
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Mornin’ stella! (Smiter of those that ought to be smote) 😎 🍸 (Long Island Iced Tea)
(Jack Daniels – Single Barrel)
(Tom Collins)
(Black & Tan)
(Boilermaker)
(Wild Turkey Rare Breed)
(Irish Car Bomb)
(Godfather)
(Mortlach)
(Roy Rogers)
(Classic Daiquiri)
(Gin & Tonic)
(Blackberry wine)
(Backdraft)
(Flaming Dr. Pepper)
(Stinger)
(Rusty Nail)
(Jack Daniels)
(Whiskey Smash)
(B52)
(Rum & Coke)
(Night Train Express)
(Albanian Raki Moskat)
(Hot Buttered Rum)
(Mudslide)
(RumChata)
(Stolichnaya elit, no ice)
(Smoking Bishop)
(Red Russian)
(Yuengling)
(Baileys Irish Cream on the rocks)
(Brompton’s Cocktail – No cherry, no umbrella, no plastic monkey)
(Benjamin Franklin’s clarified milk punch)
(Some of Menagerie’s Jack Daniels – Shhhhhh)
(Some more of Menagerie’s Jack Daniels – Shhhhhh)
Mornin’ WeeWeed! (Master Mixologist Extrodinare) 😎 🍸 (Old Fashioned)
Mornin’ Menagerie! 😎
Mornin’ Ad rem! (Queen Felis catus) 🐱 🍸 (Flaming Lamborghini)
Mornin’ Sharon! 😎 🍸 🍸 (earthquake)
Mornin’ ytz4mee! 😎 🍸 (cosmopolitan)
Mornin’ waltzingmtilda! 🙂 🍸 (white wine and perrier)
Mornin’ partyzantski! 🙂
Mornin’ texan59! 🙂
Mornin’ ZurichMike! 🙂 🍸 (fuzzy navel)
Mornin’ Col.(R) Ken! (hand salute) 🙂
Mornin’ czarina33! (aka czarina) 🙂 🍸 (Lynchburg Lemonade)
Mornin’ czarowniczy! 🙂
Mornin’ letjusticeprevail2014! 🙂
Mornin’ Patriot1783-ctdar! (aka “ctdar”) 🙂 🍸 (grasshopper)
Mornin’ tessa50! 🙂 🍸 (flaming volcano)
Mornin’ waltzingmtilda! 🙂 🍸 (sidecar)
Mornin’ varsityward! 🙂
Mornin’ MaryfromMarin! 😀
Mornin’ Wooly Covfefe! (aka “Wooly Phlox” aka “taqiyyologist”) 🙂
Mornin’ Howie! (aka “doodahdaze”) 🙂
Mornin’ TwoLaine! 🙂
Mornin’ Sha! 🙂 🍸 (Lemon Drop)
Mornin’ BigMamaTEA! 🙂 🍸 (Harvey Wallbanger)
Mornin’ cetera5! (aka “Cetera”) 🙂
Mornin’ The Tundra PA! 🙂 🍸 (Gentleman Jack Whiskey Sling)
Mornin’ lovely! 🙂
Mornin’ michellc! 🙂 🍸 (Salty dog)
Mornin’ auscitizenmom! 🙂 🍸 (Kiss on the Lips)
Mornin’ Margaret-Ann! 🙂 🍸 (White Russian)
Mornin’ Auntie Lib! 🙂 🍸 (Tom and Jerry)
Mornin’ holly100! 🙂 🍸 (Jack & Coke)
Mornin’ Pam! 🙂 (Not even water)
Mornin’ Ms.Tee! 🙂 🍸 (Mojito)
Mornin’ koolkosherkitchen! 🙂 🍸 🍸 (Cuba Libre)
Mornin’ ImpeachEmAll 🙂
Mornin’ Monroe! 🙂
Mornin’ Les! 🙂
Mornin’ shiloh1973! 🙂
Mornin’ TexasRanger! 🙂
Mornin’ Ziiggii! 🙂
Mornin’ oldiadguy! 🙂
Mornin’ smiley! (“stuck in spambucket”) 🙂 🍸 (Spanish coffee)
Mornin’ derk! (“Stellars”) 🙂 🍸 (Kamikaze)
Mornin’ Jacqueline Taylor Robson 🙂 🍸 (Shirley Temple)
Mornin’ facebkwallflower! 🙂
Mornin’ Ms. Cindy! (aka “Ms Cynlynn” aka “ms cynlynn”) 🙂 🍸 (1970 ducru beaucaillou)
Mornin’ sandandsea2015! 🙂 🍸 (1961 Château Montrose)
Mornin’ amwick! 🙂 🍸 (Blue motorcycle)
Mornin’ hocuspocus13! 🙂 🍸 (1970 Chateau Latour)
Mornin’ Sloth1963! 🙂 🍸 (1971 Moulin Touchais)
Mornin’ MTeresa! (Ex-lurker) 🙂
Mornin’ rheavolans! (aka “Rhea Salacia Volans”) 🙂
Mornin’ joshua! 🙂
Mornin’ John Denney! 🙂
Mornin’ litenmaus! 🙂
Mornin’ kinthenorthwest! 🙂 🍸 (A Lonely Island Lost in the Middle of a Foggy Sea)
Mornin’ TwoLaine! 🙂
Mornin’ patternpuzzler! 🙂 🍸 (Old Lady)
Mornin’ Senatssekretär FREISTAAT DANZIG! 🙂
Mornin’ G-d&Country! 🙂 🍸 (Blind Russian)
Mornin’ Gary! 🙂
Mornin’ valeriecurren! 🙂 🍸 (Flaming Sambuca)
Mornin’ Lucille! 🙂 🍸 (Peach Schnapps)
Mornin’ Lburg! 🙂 🍸 (Lburg lemonade)
Mornin’ davidhuntpe! 🙂
Mornin’ skipper1961! 🙂
Mornin’ mightyconservative! 🙂
Mornin’ NC Nana! 🙂 🍸 (Beautiful)
Mornin’ bjosz! 🙂
Mornin’ Angelle Staria Literary Works! 🙂
Mornin’ whiners and complainers! 😛 (No drink for you!)
Mornin’ to people posting that I missed. 😳
Mornin’ to all you lurkers! 😕
Also just in case someday; mornin’ to Elvis Chupacabra, F.D.R. in Hell and sundance!
Breakfast!
NEW and IMPROVED breakfast with extra bacon for ZurichMike!
Pastries for coffee!
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I already had breakfast, but I think I would like a sweetroll and some more tea. Mornin’ Nyet, everyone. 😀
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Good morning, Nyet! Have a great day thinking up new breakfast items for us Stellars. I’m off to somewhere peaceful and sunny and oceany and heavenly…don’t know where it is, but I’m on my way to find it…
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Nye!!!!!!!! Both side of the Hog today, (southern expression) and I will have seconds, thirds, thank you…..
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Afternoon Nyet 🙂 !
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Evening Nyet!
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I subscribe to this man’s YouTube Channel, Metatron. He’s Italian, a linguist, uber intelligent and multi-talented. One of his vids talks about his time in the Italian navy and mentioned what year and his age at the time….from that I extrapolated he’s now 29. One of the commenters at another of his vids said that he’s a history professor (where wasn’t divulged, but it’s likely at a college in Italy). This vid is fun….
Do I Hate Women?
In another vid which I watched yesterday, he mentions that in Roman times a vinegar drink was one of the beverages for the Roman army. It was his opinion that when the Roman soldier gave Jesus a drink of vinegar when He was dying on the cross, it was not a cruel gesture but one of mercy. I’d never thought of that before, but people who lived at the time would likely have understood that.
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G’afternoon Stella and stellars.
Jimmy Dore is a Progressive comedian with whom I’ve little in common, but he is a good look into the Progressive leftist mind. Dore is usually uses profanity with very little logic due to his social justice proclivities, but is usually entertaining.
This short 2 minute video was different. If one listens through the ears of a Christian, it reminds one very much of Christ’s “I in them, and you in me.” Kinda made one think.
Dore obviously did not connect this to Jesus. But Jesus is the first thing I thought after listening.
And Neil Degrass Tyson is an ignorant putz who richly deserves every putdown, so that was an added benefit.
Have a Great Afternoon
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General Flynn Abruptly Fires His Lawyers Ahead of Sentencing – Hires New, High-Profile Lawyer
by Cristina Laila – June 6, 2019
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/06/general-flynn-abruptly-fires-his-lawyers-ahead-of-sentencing-hires-new-high-profile-lawyer/
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Yeah, something about wrong filing papers. They will just refile corrected copies. He certainly hasn’t received any breaks in this whole thing.
Hope the President pardons him if even a minute is to be spent in jail or if it somehow affects his pension.
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Stella posted about this yesterday.
There is video footage of the boy and his parents in the attached video.
The father tried to leave the mock trophy behind but the teacher wouldn’t let him leave it and the father did not want to cause a scene. The mom was not at the ceremony.
I have personally never struck a single person in my life…but if I could…. consequence free….. break this teacher’s jaw I would do so. If he was my child I would remove the “consequence free” qualifier of my statement.
I think even if I was there and I had never met the boy I may have knocked the teacher out.
Parents outraged after son with autism was given ‘most annoying’ award
https://abcnews.go.com/US/parents-outraged-autistic-son-annoying-award/story?id=63502968
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In that photo posted yesterday of the insulting award trophy, were those her long multi-colored claws/fingernails showing? Has she been fired or put on leave or something? She’s not only cruel, abusive and classless, but I’d wager she wasn’t exactly at the top of her graduating class.
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I don’t know the answer to any of your questions Lucille.
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I should have listened to the above vid which shows her awful nails. And apparently she’s not even being reprimanded let alone fired. Having compassionless teachers working with any disabled child is beyond comprehension.
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Someone mentioned that they thought it was a for profit school, I have not looked into it at all.
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No I believe those nails are his mums, that is his mum with the face piercing and rainbow nails.
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Nancy Pelosi gets her nickname: “Nervous Nancy”
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Absolutely love it. I love how our president exploits the weak points of the enemies of America.
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MUST SEE: World War II Vet Flirts with First Lady Melania Trump at D-Day Ceremony (VIDEO)
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/06/must-see-world-war-ii-vet-flirts-with-first-lady-melania-trump-at-d-day-ceremony-video/
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Aw, man – Leon Redbone just passed and now Dr. John died today…
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I can’t ‘like’it, see post below. I loved the man, he was New Orleans music. We;d see him at events pre-K, sometimes he’d play and sometimes he was just visiting. He’s Professor Longhair’s heir and no one’s following Mac.
Glad to see you’re a fan of the Doctor. The Doctor is out…
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It ain’t Christmas, but we’ll enjoy anyhoo.
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I loved Redbone. Seemed to be from a couple of decades earlier, with that hypernasal, blusey voice and out of date clothes. Reba MacIntyre apperently really liked him, and spoke well of him in the interview I heard.
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A sad day in New Orleans, Dr John nee Malcom John Rebennack died early today, claimed by a heart attack. Rest in Peace Mac, here’s hoping you and Professor Longhair spend eternity doing keyboard for the angels.
In tribute this Dr John song was played after Katrina for a long time as we struggled back home and tried to rebuild:
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Ahm in da kichun lisnin’ ta da Dahktah on da com-puter.
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lilbirdee12’s prayer:
Our Heavenly Father, Your children come to you tonight to ask for healing and peace throughout our country so that we may return to being One Nation Under God. Guide us to be leaders in Your Kingdom, spreading Your Love and Salvation to all. Forgive us our sins and deliver us from evil.
Lord, we ask for a blanket of protection over all our troops and law enforcement who serve to defend and protect us. Bless our representatives with the strength and wisdom they need to achieve the path You have chosen for us.
Please place Your Guardian Angels of Protection around Donald Trump and Mike Pence and their families as they seek to lead America back to You.
Grant us patience, Lord, as the evil ones try to anger us and cause us to fall.
Spread blessings over Israel and Netanyahu.
We humbly ask that You please comfort those who are grieving and in pain.
Thank you Father, for Your Love and the gift of Life.
In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.
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Amen
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Amen.
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A prayer for Justice Kavanaugh and Col. Flynn:
Prayer to St. Michael
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle;
be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do you, O prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan and the other evil spirits
who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls.
In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.
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Amen
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Amen.
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Things continue to heat up.
Ropes continue to be measured.
There’s actual evidence Comey, McCabe, Stroyk, and the Bidens committed crimes. __Rudy Giuliani, Personal Attorney of President Donald Trump
I was brought on to handle the Mueller investigation and I am still dealing with the possible crimes committed by the investigators.
Giuliani is not loose with his words. Not when it comes to their legal use. I’ve watched him give many tortured answers to questions, when the question was worded incorrectly and Giuliani had to correct the words in order to answer it properly.
So Giuliani who we can safely assume does not want a defamation suit states matter of factly that Comey, McCabe, Strozk, and the Bidens committed crimes.
I think it is significant that Giuliani states that there is evidence that Comey, McCabe, Strozk, and the Bidens committed crimes and that he is still dealing with the possible crimes committed but the investigators working on Team Mueller.
Personally I immediately read that as Team Trump is actively turning the Coup Cabal against one another. No way, simply no way these cretins didn’t make secret recordings of each other as insurance. They all know Webb Hubble didn’t commit suicide, that Ron Browns plane didn’t spontaneously combust, that Don Henry and Kevin Ives were dead long before their bodies were hit by that train, they know Seth Rich was not killed by a joy killer, and on and on.
Egos the size of Comey are rampant amongst these people, imagine their abject fear and horror of being exposed as the corrupt filth that they are, losing face and taking the ranks of notorious traitors in the peasants hearts and in our history books.
I am surprised that none of them have been institutionalized for a mental health breakdown.
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Sorry I haven’t been around. We’ve had internet issues and cellphone issues. They finally got our internet fixed.
I don’t know if something happened to a cellphone tower, but our phones have all been spotty for over a week. Calls and texts have been fine, but internet on phone has been hit and miss.
Flooding was a lot better until today and we’re back to downpours and flooded roads, because although flooding was better, all the lakes, rivers and creeks were still up and 4″ of rain in 3 hours caused many streets not even near water to flood.
Someone told me our Senator Lankford was spouting his mouth off about tariffs. I still can’t believe Oklahoma Republicans thought he was the best of the pack. The sad thing is they’ll whine and complain and can’t believe he said it, just like they do every time he does or says something stupid, but they will elect him again the next time around.
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I’m happy to see you Michelle, I’ve been praying for you and yours. Hopefully your rains will stop for a while so you can dry out.
I understand you frustration with the lowlife politicians, our guys are mostly scum balls, at least Paul Ryan is gone, not sure what direction he is going in since no one I spend time with talks about him at all, but you can be sure it is something aimed at harming our president and America.
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I so wish the rain would stop. I just hope they finally got enough water out of the lake that caused the most damage because last night they had already received 6″ of rain.
I do not like Lankford and have never liked him, he’s a snake oil salesman who hides behind his religion. He throws them a few bones every now and then and they eat ’em up and say what a good guy he is.
I did though hear a politician say there were already internal investigations into the Corps. I suspect nothing will come of it outside of a few recommendations. I do know if I hear one more of their spokesmen say how much worse it would have been without the dams and how it has worked the way it was supposed to, I will scream. Just admit you screwed up and caused a lot of damage to more than one state now.
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” Just admit you screwed up..”
Wouldn’t that be nice. Sadly we both know it ain’t gonna happen the vile Clintons did not invent the “pretend it isn’t your fault and everything is grand” farce but they certainly emboldened a new aggressive era of it.
Too bad there isn’t an anti-rain dance.
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Mother nature has a mind of it’s own. I guess the good thing is no drought this year.
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That’s a very positive attitude.
Remember when AL Gore challenged el Nino? What a goof.
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As my Mother always said, “it can always be worse.”
Al Gore needs to stick to massages. lol
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Stella, unusual story from Michigan, with a beautiful pic of the deer.
https://newschannel9.com/news/offbeat/rare-black-deer-spotting-in-northern-michigan?fbclid=IwAR0bGtV3zvy41nD6XtWh10M8CHAmP1DxhRRmPrZL5yPGHACO9Z3FDTgZHDY
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Very unusual!
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Beautiful, thanks Menagerie, I didn’t know there was such a thing as a black deer.
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Good night…
…and God bless!
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