We Found the Plum Pudding!
Sorry I’ve been absent of late–been either driving or celebrating with family. I did, however, go on a Twitter rant yesterday about the various means of tracking Santa. You can read most of it here.
I hope you’re all well and — for those of you on the East coast — enjoying Climate Change Christmas with its balmy temps.
Merry Christmas, and thanks for sharing in our little community here.
[Joinder From bmaz] I was actually just setting down to do a Christmas post when I saw this. No reason to split Christmas up into multiple posts, so we will keep it all here. I too have been fairly busy and on my mobile in stead of computer far too much of the time. But very much want to wish one and all a Merry Christmas.
There is also a more melancholy note I yearly make. A remembrance of friends we have lost. I always pick Christmas Eve or Christmas day to do it because that is when we lost our beloved Mary. Mary died at her farm, with her beloved horses and dogs, on Christmas Eve, 2011. It was a profound loss that longtime friends here know, and one that I wish newer friends could know. We have also lost many other great voices like SisterSara, MadDog, Bob Schacht, John Chandley (aka “Scarecrow”), Susan Kent Davidson (aka “Skdadl”), and many more that are not coming to mind at this moment.
So, as we rejoice in the friends we have, please take a moment to think fondly of those we have lost. Cheers, and salute! to one and all.
TS/NF/etc.
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MEMO
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Re: Massive Security Breach
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Our spiffy database software has connected the dots, and determined that there is a high probability that there is a single individual going by multiple names who is engaged in a long-term, deep cover operation. These names include “Kris Kringle,” “St. Nicholas,” “Sinterklaas,” and most commonly, “Santa Claus.”
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The dangers posed by this operative are legion, but four stand out:
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(1) He possesses technology to travel far beyond our current capabilities;
(2) His ability to enter locked facilities is apparently unrivaled by any agency of our government (or any other around the world);
(3) His intelligence network far surpasses the combined assets of Five Eyes; and
(4) His motives and ultimate aims are shrouded in secrecy that we can not only not penetrate but cannot even fathom.
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Most troubling of all, we believe that this figure HAS ALREADY penetrated our agency. Reports of the homes of agents being entered are multiplying by the moment. While there is no evidence that any classified information has been taken, it would be foolish to assume this to be the case. Indeed, we must assume that we have been on the losing end of the greatest intelligence battle in history.
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What puzzles us most is the ultimate goal of this “Santa”. His public pronouncements of wishing peace to all are nice, but are they simply cover for his real intentions? What does he really do with his information on who is “naughty and nice”?
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Going forward, we suggest the following:
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(1) Launch an immediate investigation into the breaches of all agency assets, agents, and programs. What, if anything, remains protected, and what must be assumed to have been compromised?
(2) Begin a program to determine the exact meaning of “nice”, as this appears to be the key to understanding our enemy. We believe this will be a very difficult project, as “nice” is not something we have much experience with.
(3) Attempt to turn the tables, by recruiting new agents heretofore unknown to Santa and attempting to install them as “elves” and thus penetrate his network. Of necessity, this will likely be a decades-long sting, and care must be taken that our Elves do not go over to Santa in all that time.
Hi there folks, and Merry Christmas! I left a small update at the bottom of Marcy’s post. Use this thread to discuss anything and everything until further notice.
Suffice to say..I’m STUFFED! Great big rotary sliced honey ham, mashed white potatoes with a rich gravey, candied yams, cheese cracker covered broccoli casserole, yummy fresh baked rolls and creamery butter, a full selection of olives, pickles and creamcheese stuffed celery, a nice green salad, and homemade blueberry cheesecake and applecrisp with vanilla icecream dessert. And that was after my christmas present to myself… a lovely day reading the ENTIRE PIKE REPORT from the 70’s!!
As per bmaz’s permission to talk about anything… I read it because..well, I wanted to. I had looked for it for a long long time. Today..I found it. Now I understand why certain members of Congress at the time didn’t want this report released. It confirmed my initial reaction to reading the Central Intelligence Act of 1947. Which was..it confirmed my reaction to Jim Garrisons analysis ..the CIA/DOD ARE the government..leaving Congress as a debating society..which the Pike Report actually confirms…notwithstanding the events that have unfolded since. In essence..the NSA and CIA are accountable to NO ONE. Period. Congress will NEVER reign them in..especially now. In fact..read the hearings where the scumbags at OMB actually tell what and how the funding for these outlaws are derived..and the fact that Congressional “oversight” has been and continues to be a joke of biblical proportions. After all..the mere fact the so called “debate” generated by Snowden is a massive deception, given the latest last minute insertion into the government funding bill of a NSA expansion codification that basically proves the Congress is completely subserviant to these depraved and dispicable agencies. They basically raised their middle finger to the Constitution. Moreover..if you have the stomach..read the entire Pike Report..and then you will see.
https://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/docset/getList.do?docSetId=1918
Ok..I’m done. Happy New Year. not.
Thanks, wallace. Reading the opening remarks and the first round of questioning makes it plain that Congress, the courts and the vast majority of the executive branch had no clue what the spooks were up to then. And even less now. WASS.
EW, Bmaz and all the other wheels, many thanks for your good works and wishing you a well deserved holiday.
Times two!
Hugs all-around.
Merry Christmas. Thanks for all the work you do here.
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I missed the news of skdadl’s death. Sorry to see the list growing. All wonderful posters. Remembering them fondly.
pdaly: if you haven’t had the chance, do read Skdadl’s obituary. she was even more awesome than we knew.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?pid=172542918
Thanks for the link, Rosalind. That was a great writeup for skadadl. Too bad there is no current standard for including one’s online ‘nom de plume’ in obituaries. Seems this is an important link that leaves the obituary incomplete.
Mary left a link and a message in a December 2009 post that I don’t recall seeing before:
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“A holidays game to share with the kids. Preferably while drinking, to help provide an excuse as to why it takes you so dang much longer than it does them.”
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http://www.akidsmath.com/mathgames/ctreepuzzle.html
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Mary’s follow up comment to several who tried her link:
“[Petrocelli @ 54] & [Fatster @] 45 – but I take no responsiblity for EOH showing skadadl how to speak in tongues
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Each time you get a different tree, but afer you do the first couple, it gets way easier. Psst – Petro [Petrocelli], you can just keep twirling the last couple of bulbs around forever to get to the next glass. *g* If I’ve driven Jeff [Kaye] loopy, things are bad! The worst part is how they label it a kids game. The best part is the glu-oop noises. They make me remember old timey pac man and tank-shooting vid games from when I was a kid.”
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http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/12/22/road-trip-open-thread/
I too had missed the news of skdadl’s passing. Thank you for the link. Missing some wonderful folks. There was an amazing synergy of research and perspectives…to honor their memory EW, bmaz, Jim, rayne and orhers still weed… Wishing all wheeler’s a wonderful holiday season. (Feeling honored skdadl complimented my writing now knowing her life story.)