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David Mitchell

For many Afghans, I think there is going to be a different outcome between Afghanistan and Vietnam. Aftr the fall of Saigon, most of those Vietnamese who were loyal to the U.S. were placed in "re-education camps" (propoganda prisons) for a mere 15 or 20 years.

In Afghanistan I suspect it will be more like bullets to the head or a sword to the neck. 

Now, what was that someone was saying about "lockdown oppression" ?

Michael Boulware

Mary Margaret,

I was visiting my pal in San Diego with some other former UK teammates. We were in a bar, the only customers, and the bartender was Mexican. We had a relly good discussion about Mexican immigrants in the San Diego area. He told me that most of the Mexican people hold down multiple jobs and really worked hard. He was the one that told me that most of the Mexican residents found it easier to go through Canada. This was pre-Covid and Canada has tightened up security so it is probably not like that now. 

One of the finest people I know is Ray Browning, he has some Mexican blood in him. We need more people , not only in the U.S., but in the world, like Ray Browning.

Please don't ask me to post anymore stuff; I just don't have time to do this. I wish I never responded in the first place, I just dislike being called a communist. I am only answering this out of respect for you.

Michael McLeod

Not that he needs my help but can't see that John mischaracterized anything.

America First refers to a policy stance in the United States that generally emphasizes nationalism and non-interventionism.^[1] The isolationist approach gained prominence in the interwar period (1918–1939) and was advocated by the America First Committee, a non-interventionist pressure group against the U.S. entry into World War II.^[2] Since 2016, an identically named campaign slogan and foreign policy that emphasizes withdrawal from international treaties and organizations has been pursued by the presidential campaigns and administration of Donald Trump.^[3][4][5][6] Critics have derided the policy as "America Alone".^[7][8][9]

David Mitchell

Interesting note on the Afghan news today.

The RNC (Republican National Committe) website had a page praising Chump for his negotiation of a "peaceful" settlement with the Taliban. They took the page down today. 

Duh!

But sadly, I think Joe has just committed political suicide as we have now learned that even several Democrats were warning him weeks ago to ramp up the defensive protection.

Look, we all knew the evacuation was going to happen. And we all knew it would be bad for the people of Afghanistan. There could be no "good" way out. But two things strike me;

First; He was waaaay underprepared for this swift ending. And lack of ability to evacuate the tens of thousands to whom we promised shelter. Why? After so many warnings from within the group of Afghan Veterans within his own party. They are angry, and they should be.

Second; We had so many opportunities to strike the Taliban as they raced across the country out in the open and in broad daylight. We could have used nothing more than a dozen or so of our C-130 ("Spooky") gunships to make them pay a huge price as they advanced. We did use a few on a handful of strikes, but why on earth not more?

I just don't get it.

James Hamilton, M. D.

O.K., Time For Some Humor

I am betting most of us can agree with this old couple. This happens to me at two places, Home Depot and Walmart.

Jim

Mark Schweickart

While sitting here in a doctor's office, I am trying to give you guys the two-fisted finger, but one of them is not working too well.

A ping-pong mishap saw me swing so hard while making a spectacular back-hand slam, that I spun around, lost my balance and crashed to the ground making a decidedly different "back-hand slam". It seems that putting my right hand out to break the fall may not have been the instinctual response called for.

Fortunately, the finger was not broken, just dislocated. The doctor was able to pop it back into position, and the X-ray showed there aren’t any fractures. Whew, lucky me, although my finger will be in a splint for a while. The good news, so far, is that there hasn't been any pain to speak of, even when it was in its bent-across-dislocated state. Pretty weird. Dr, Jim – why is that? It sure looks as if it would hurt like hell.

I told Maddy I can use this down time to climb up on a ladder to do some trim painting on th house, but that has been vetoed. She’s right, I probably don’t paint well left-handed… oh, it was the ladder-climbing she objected to? Silly me.

James Hamilton, M. D.

Mark, 

Ugly doesn't always mean pain. Your injury probably occurred so quickly that the pain when the joint (proximal interphalyngeal - PIP - joint) dislocated was so transient you were unaware of it considering the other things that were going on at the moment (sort of an an "adrenaline rush"). Better your finger than your head! The doctor who repositioned it probably pulled it forward a tad and allowed the tendons to "snap" the joint back into proper alignment. Kudos to that doc!

Think about some of those horrific, traumatic injuries that soldiers have experienced after stepping on mines or IEDs and at the time may have not realized that a limb was missing.

Pain is a complex phenomenon and we are still learning a lot about it.

Jim

Michael McLeod

I gotta say again Jim:

Your medical missives are one of the redeeming things about this site. 

Lawrence Foster

Mark - That is an amazing picture of your finger!  You may not hurt from it but I sure cringed when I saw it.  Hope all is giong better for you now. 

You may have seen a post I made a few days ago about your screenplay Liberty Rising.   I have found some photos of when I visited the Statue of Liberty in 1967 and I am posting them below.  The second shot is from inside the crown looking out towards Battery Park.  It was a very stormy day.   The third one is of a painting done when it was being assembled and constructed in France before coming to the U.S.  The painting hangs inside the museum there on the island.  

And fellow classmates, I again highly recommend reading Mark's screenplay.  Email him and ask him to send you a copy.  It's a great read.  Hmmm, it just came to me that with his finger messed up it may take him a day or more before he can punch all the buttons on the keyboard.  But it is worth the wait though.    

Mary Clare Hummer (Bauer)

David Mitchell

Thanks Clare,

I have but one memory of Sister Raymunda, and it's a sweet one. As I recall, she was my senior (or junior?) home-room Sister, and she had a great sense of humor. I told this before.

She caught me in the hall one day - late for class, just outside that class room door, and we had a funny exchange as she confronted me out by my locker. She stepped right up to my face in a rather imposing way and asked me my name (which she knew well). I smartly rattled off a long name that was a joke between Tom Litzinger and I.

I said my name was Icky Ticky Tambo No So Limbo, Umma Muchie, Cona Stoppa Nocka Vicha Papa Stinga Ritski.

And she replied, "Oh, I see. And I am, sister Kunigunda. How would you like for me to escort you downstairs to introduce you to some of my friends in the office?"

John Jackson

Sorry to hear the news about Sister Raymunda.  I had her for English and thought she was an excellent teacher. She also had a good way about her – not too strict but not a pushover either. 

We were fortunate to have so many dedicated women teaching us. 

Joseph Gentilini

This is my tribute to Sister Raymunda.  Joe

In my life, there are a few teachers with whom I have kept in contact.  One was my Sister of Charity of Nazareth 7^th grade teacher, Sister Anna Mary who passed in 1991.  Her congregation gave me her personal rosary after her death.  The other was Dominican Sister Louise Wilxman who initially frightened me with her exuberance when I was her student, but whose writing guidance and techniques then helped me with my term papers and even with my Doctoral dissertation.  With Louise, I had a friendship until her passing.

Another was Sister Raymunda, my senior High School English teacher.  Our class was right after lunch at Bishop Watterson and the class could be a bit rowdy. I remember sister standing by the classroom door with her hands folded over her chest with a look that said, ‘you better shut up soon or you will be in serious trouble’.  It worked, we shut up, and class began.

After graduation, I lost contact with her for only a few years and then our friendship was renewed.  She was always supportive of me and Leo – always interested in what was going on with our lives. When she was stationed in New York City years later, Leo and I went on a vacation trip to the city.  We met her, took her out to dinner, and had a wonderful evening reminiscing.  When she came back to Columbus and the motherhouse, we would often visit with her.  She told us stories of her teaching years and we would share stories of our experiences.  When she moved to Mohan, our visits continued.

When I would attend the wakes of the Dominican Sisters who passed, she would ask me, ‘Well, are you staying for dinner?”  I would respond, “If someone invites me.”  She would add, “well, consider yourself invited” with a smile.  At supper, she would invite other sisters to join us and then introduce me as her Watterson student of years before.

Thank you, Raymunda, for being so open and welcoming to me and Leo and for our years of friendship.  I remember many sisters in my daily prayers and Sister Raymunda was always included.  Now, Sister, please remember and pray for us. 

Be welcomed into Heaven for all eternity.

Joseph Gentilini, PhD and Leo Radel

2454 Meadow Glade Drive

Hilliard, Ohio 43026

Joe0848@outlook.com

John Jackson

I sent a message about Sister Raymunda to my sister Liz (she’s now back at the Motherhouse after spending a couple of years on assignment in Michigan) and she responded:

“Her funeral is on Saturday morning; I’ll be playing the organ of course.  We have a remembrance service on Friday evening to share memories.  Is there anything you’d like me to say on your behalf? 

Joe, with the Delta surge, I’m not sure what the Motherhouse visitation policies are, but maybe you could inquire.  Or, if you can’t go, I’m sure Liz would be willing to say something on your behalf.

Mary Margaret Clark (Schultheis)

Rest in Peace, Sister Raymunda.

Mary Margaret Clark (Schultheis)

As I am sure we have all been watching the devasting situation in Afghanistan rapidly deteriorate, I thought that in addition to our prayers for the Afghan population, some may seek a way to do more. There are a couple of organizations who have, in the past, been committed to supporting the persecuted minorities by searching for and rescuing those in grave danger of torture and loss of lives. The Nazarene Fund and the International Rescue Committee are two such entities.  After a plea went out yesterday, the Nazarene Fund which is seeking to rescue 5,000 Afghan Christians, reported that nearly $10 million in donations were received in just 24 hours from their supporters. Time is of the essence as the Taliban, equal only in brutality and terror to ISIS, are now going door to door to find those who gave assistance to the U.S. or who will not submit to Islamic rule.  

https://mercuryone.org/?fbclid=IwAR0JC84q4_rNzW9KA_mA2UtXDJt4weRVDtZMzb5uAt1APRXgPB0xbnbKhQw

https://help.rescue.org/donate-usd/afghanistan

Michael McLeod

Thanks, Joe. I appreciated your tribute and your sensitivity.

Joseph D. McCarthy

Lunch August 19, 2021, with three OLD friends at Cap City Diner.(Olentangy River Rd.).

David Mitchell

Good golly Joe! 

Is that Dick McNamarra with you guys?  

Haven't seen him since I said goodbye to Billy at OSU hospital as I was leaving Columbus to move down here 19 years ago. I started Kindergarden with those two jokers at Glenmont Grade School about a thousand years ago. One would start the other one crying and Evelyn (corrected) would have to come early and get them both almost every day. I just remember she always showed up in one of those big old '53 black Cadilacs from the funeral home.

And one day in second grade (at OLP, before they moved down to IC), Dick was so out of control that the Nun had the two of them stand up and take their belts off. She hoooked the two belts together and used them as one long strap to tie Dick to his desk. True story!

After moving back to Columbus, I once had them meet me for lunch at my Antique shop in Short North (about 1989 -?), not far from your family's party rental business on High Street. They showed up in matching 3-peice suits and played their silly identical twin game on the waitress. They had her so confused as to which one had ordered what food that she was almost in tears before they apologized and left her a big tip. I was laughing so hard I almost choked on my food.

-----------------

p.s. M/M thanks for the funding source info. 

Michael McLeod

Another step forward in my ongoing campaign to friend totally cool people with exotic names on facebook.

My latest totally cool friend is Pennsylvanian Bhupendra Rajpoot.

Joseph Gentilini

Hi Larry - I was  unable to read what you sent me.  It stopped at "I went back and read,,,,,"  When I clicked on 'more' it led to my own profile, but without anything you sent.  If possible, send what you were saying to my email:  joe0848@outlook.com.

Thanks.  Joe

Joseph Gentilini

I have a new website:  joegentilini.com

 Notice it is not 'joseph' - I released the 2nd edition of my book, HOunded by God: A Gay Man's Journey To Self-Acceptance, Love, and Relationship.  It is the same book as before except it has a new cover, a longer journal entry dated 1988 on my mother's reconciliation with me (pages 47-49), and an epilogue on why I stay Catholic in spite of the Church's teaching on gayness.  It can be order from my website.  Thanks.

I also appreciate the comments some have made on my tribute to Sister Raymunda.  Thanks.

Joe

Michael McLeod

Three cheers for Pfizer getting full approval. May that news encourage the lingering doubters.

Also, speaking of Pfizer, there's this information, which is particularly significant for our age group. Just sad that we as a country are so backward in so many respects. 80 percent adult vaccination in Israel. We should  be so lucky. 

On the dark side, I've also seen some astonishing information about the infectiousness of Delta, which is top long and involved to print here. That is one wicked smart and inevitable variant, and we played into its hands.

From the Washington Post:

"Fresh data out of Israel is providing encouraging news about the effectiveness of coronavirus boosters in seniors. A study by the Israeli health ministry found that a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine provided four times as much protection against infection as two doses in people 60 and older.

The level of protection was five to six times as high against serious illness and hospitalization, according to the study published Sunday, which looked at protection provided 10 days after a third dose. Israel approved booster shots for people 60 and older late last month, and lowered the age of eligibility to 40 last week. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, 49, received his third Pfizer shot on Friday.

Some 1.4 million Israelis, out of a population of 9.3 million, have received the third dose of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine. Israel was the first to widely vaccinate its population and then first to reopen its society and the economy in March. But in recent weeks it has been grappling a fourth wave of the coronavirus, mainly due to the delta variant.

Israel’s Health Ministry on Monday reported a total of 67,510 coronavirus infections, the highest numbers since January. Numbers for those hospitalized and in serious condition with coronavirus have also risen, to 670.

Though Israel’s adult population is nearly 80 percent vaccinated with two doses, there are still roughly 1 million eligible Israelis who have not been vaccinated. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has repeatedly urged them, as well as those eligible for a booster shot, to get the vaccination, saying that doing so would prevent another nationwide lockdown ahead of a cluster of Jewish holidays and the start of the school year in September.

“Israel has a major advantage today because we are world pioneers in using the third vaccination, and we have a better understanding about the rate at which the previous vaccinations are waning, and what we need to do, when we need to do it, and even for what ages,” said Bennett at the start of a cabinet meeting on Sunday. “My advice to every world leader today is: Start the third vaccination straight away, don’t wait. Give it five months from the second vaccination. Otherwise, you will have false illusions about protection.”

David Mitchell

This has been a difficult week for many of us who are dealing with PTSD, as we watch Trump's "Surrender Agreement" betrayal unfold with the added utter incompetence of Joe B. and this blind man Blinken.

"No more Al Quaeda left in Afghanistan - - right!

But I am struck with a sense of blame for yet another group in this colossal boondoggle. As I watch the news about the vast supplies of combat vehicles, guns, and ammunition which are being left behind as a "gift" to the Taliban, where the hell were all of our Military commanders who should have been burning, exploding, and otherwise destroying all of this before we withdrew? We have just handed over an enormous stockpile of weaponry and suppies ( incuding Black Hawk helicopters! ) for them to use. This is simply mind boggling!

And now comes the reports of how much opposition Trump had within his own cabinet before this "Surrender Agreement" was arrived at - especially the racist Stepehen Miller's constant blockage of plans to process our Afghan allies visas for transport to safe havens. I have been hearing from a personal friend in the military about this kind of bizarre Trump interference in other military intelligence matters during his last year in office.

Frightening!

Michael McLeod

Ditto on all of that Dave. Just inexplicable. I have nothing apart from that to add because it discourages me so much I can't get myself to read about the details and the reasons for such a disheartening failure. The hand-off between two administrations surely did not help; it doesn't take any research to point to that as a factor. All I know is that the troops involved in this sacrificed and worked their asses off and risked their lives and feel betrayed. Where have we seen that dance before?