Assassination

The National Security Advisor, Brennan, indicated that the White House has an assassination list and that there are about 15 people on it. Further, he said they are Americans and are located all over the world. I was aware that belligerents in Afghanistan were being targeted by drones for assassination and Obama had to personally approve when they were to attack, and he has done so. The amazing thing about this new information is that there are Americans on that list. Americans have rights that cannot be taken without court action. Apparently, Obama can just give the word and an assassinating can take place. Can this really happen? We don't know because the White House does not give out this information. Glenn Beck wondered if his name was on the list and inquired of the CIA if he was on the list. They would not say, replied only that they could not search their files for this type of information. Glenn is still wondering if he is on the list.

Lindsey Lohan

This morning the coffee group discussed Lindsey Lohan who is in the news once more. She was busted for drugs again and has now been released without jail time because she now will be wearing an ankle bracelet. We were all mystified as to how this prevents her from obtaining and taking drugs. John (the Baptist preacher) was of the opinion that payoffs are at the base of her ability to continually escape incarceration. Payoffs are illegal and it is hard to believe that so many would be doing illegal acts for her. I contended she has a support system that profits when she gets into trouble, all legal. For instance, her atourny does very well defending her, if he needs investigators they get on the payroll, protection (remember all those big black guys that are always around her) is necessary, court fees are always paid, does the baliff get anything? Does the judge get anything? Then there are the various people that suppply whatever she takes. Each city may require diffferent people. The car rentals for her and her bodyguards are also collecting. All these people are her support system, they all profit when she gets into trouble. Now is added the ankle bracelet people who supply the bracelet, attach it, monitor it and eventually remove it. It is in the interests of all these people that the drama continues. During our discussion someone asked what movies she did. As it turned out, none of us had ever seen any of her movies, nor could anyone think of the name of any movie in which she appeared. Yet, we had all heard of her and knew of her troubles with the law. Some remembered a picture that showed her getting out of a car and she was not wearing any panties. This prompted Bob to say that he once relieved himself in the woods without pants and no one made a big deal of it. We asked if he had a picture so we could judge whether it was a big deal or not. No, as it turns out there are no cameramen following Bob around. We can add cameramen to the Lohan support system.

Local News

Recently, three restaurants in Green Cove Springs closed within one week. One was from a national chain, Huddle House. Yesterday, one of the smaller restaurants was being opened again under a new name. That location has already had three restaurants in it and all failed. The entrepreneurial spirit still exists as folks determine that they can make a go of it even though others have failed. Yesterday, the police department voted to get out of the Police Officers Union. Our sheriff, Rick Bessler, said it was a vote of confidence in his administration. The people around here have great respect for our sheriff, we are lucky to have him. Section eight housing in this town has a sign up on the highway stating that there are places to rent. It has been up for over two weeks. It is my belief that more Mexicans have moved away.

Cuba

We arrived in Miami in the early sixties just as Cuba was expelling it's "gusanos", as Castro called them. These were the capitalists that realized there was no place for them in Communism. They were the hard working people who saved their money and invested it. Most had property and they did not want to share it with Communists. Castro and Che Guevara put pressure on them, executing many by firing squad. Those that could fled to Miami to save their lives. They were not allowed to take out their money and had to leave their property behind. Castro confiscated it all. While working in Miami I met many of these displaced Cubans. They were hard working, trust worthy in business, energetic for additional work, and it seemed they were everywhere. To begin, they lived in multiple family homes but soon earned enough money to get their own home. A Cuban home is well cared for, has a good appearance, often with a wrought iron fence on the perimeter of the property. As a whole, they were a credit to Miami. When they first arrived the U.S. government subsidized them, but they are a proud people and soon got off government welfare. In the U.S. they prospered. Recently, the Cuban government has announced that they are laying off 500,000 people, most of whom are a drain on the Cuban economy according to Raul Castro. They are being cut free and there are no jobs to be had in Cuba. There is no private sector in Cuba to give them jobs, the capitalists left long ago. These are the people who are not used to working and depended on the State to care for them. They did meaningless jobs and have few job skills. Castro had fifty years to show that Communism/Socialism works and this is an admission that it fails. Yet, in this Country, we have a leader that believes he can make socialism work.

Choir

We did a lot of singing at St Gabriel's, in every grade. When I was in the third grade a Sister asked me to join the choir. She also asked two others in the class, Robert Letters and Danny Cristman. The choir sang at the Sunday High Mass and I cannot remember whether it was at eight or at ten. There was a practice every two weeks on Thursday at six in the evening. The twenty members were comprised from grades three to eight. The three of us were front and center in the choir loft, Danny to my left and Robert to my right. As far as the three of us were concerned it was no big deal, just something we were asked to do. From all the accolades we received we must have been pretty good. Sister mentioned that the collection was larger when we sang, it must have made Father Burke very happy. After about a year in the choir there came a day when Sister was cocking her head to hear the three of us sing. She would ask one of us to stop while the other two continued. We all had a turn at this, I had no idea what she was listening for. Liking to play in Bennett school ground I began to skip practice. It did not seem to be a big deal because others were often missing. It was after one of the practices that Danny asked me to go over to his house to play. He lived it the corner house on Whittaker next to the Bennett schoolyard. Danny was an only child and had lots of toys. It was he that introduced me to comic books. He also had Lincoln Logs and lead soldiers, it was fun to be with him. His Mother would come into the room to check on us. I was always struck at how thin she was and her skin was yellow. I later found out she had yellow jaundice. She died when we were in the fourth grade and the choir sang at her funeral. Shortly after that Danny and his father moved away. Robert and I became closer, he always had some funny stories to tell, and he made me laugh a lot. One day after school he taught me to shoot craps. I cleaned him out at first but after I loaned him some money so we could continue to play, he won all I had. A lesson learned. Sister, who was the choir director, announced that she had received a large donation for the choir. She decided to have a picnic at Belle Isle for the choir. We went out on a bus with four Nuns to oversee the picnic. Robert Letters did not go but a Nun had asked Robert Ingrum, who was in my class, (and to me he was a suck-up) and I did not like him. The whole thing was a disaster. The Nuns had brought a bat and softball but did not understand how to lay out a field. Only a few members could actually hold a bat, all very boring. The Bennett school ground players were pros compared to this group. There was a small rain shower and it broke everything up. We quickly ate the lunch that was brought while sitting on wet benches. Shortly after that it was over and we went home. The semester ended and the choir director did not come back next September. The choir did not meet again.