Coss

And hidden amongst the many headlines, that are and will be, coming out of Trump's court case underway in 'merica is this little gem: Conviction upheld for operative who funneled Russian money to Team Trump seems that Jesse Benton In 2013, was convicted as part of a bribery scheme, but he avoided a prison sentence and was ordered to serve two years of probation. Trump pardoned him. Then in 2016 he did it again... campaign-finance violation: He was charged with helping funnel illegal money to Team Trump from a Russian national. Convicted in 2022 and sentenced to prison soon after. Appeal dismissed... https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/conviction-upheld-operative-funneled-russian-money-team-trump-rcna148833 Ya can't get a Pardon, if your clown is not a president anymore...

Looks like little Donnie, the multi billionaire who doesn't have enough money to pay a 175 million bond chose a bail bondsman, who also doesn't have any money, and is not licensed to do business in New York... https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/letitia-james-trump-fraud-bond-judgment-void-rcna148664 New York Attorney General Letitia James has asked Judge Arthur Engoron to void the $175 million bond in Donald Trump's civil fraud judgment, citing concerns that the bond company doesn't have the funds. In a filing on Friday, James said Knight Specialty Insurance Company, which underwrote Trump's bond, has not been able to show that it has enough collateral to back it. She described KSIC as "a small insurer that is not authorized to write business in New York and thus not regulated by the state’s insurance department," and said the company had never written a surety bond in New York or in the past two years in any other jurisdiction. James’ office is seeking to have Trump put up a replacement bond within seven days of a ruling. A hearing is set for Monday... etc etc etc

Wanna learn Polish? https://x.com/WhiteSoxic/status/1780608379641045403

My sister in law got her (lower) lips trimmed, I sent her a card from a guy in the burns ward thanking her for the new ears.

In the Maori language there's a phrase that sounds like "Kor Mea Hough" which means "I'm" or "this is" and is used before one's name, if you are a radio announcer or tv head. So Kor Mea Hough Mary Smith, sounds just like, Call me a Ho Mary Smith. Prolly only me that's noticed this.

I was 32 and distracted when that came out, so other than to note that little "Russ le Roq" seemed to have had some success, as an actor, I didn't pay it much heed. By distracted I mean, I had discovered Thailand.

Sleeping Dogs - 2024 - 1h 50m A film starring Kiwi Russel Crowe. An ex-homicide detective with memory loss is forced to solve a brutal murder, only to uncover chilling secrets from his forgotten past. This very good, Crowe has learned how to act well and the director Adam Cooper's debut, is phenomenal. Gripping. Mind you, I remember when Crowe was "Russ le Roq" and was sniffing around my sister in the Auckland in the '80s. Interesting wiki info: Through his paternal grandmother, he is a direct descendant of Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat, the last man to be beheaded in Britain. Wiki The above is not to be confused with another good movie: Sleeping Dogs - 1977 - 1h 47m Also with Kiwis, A New Zealand man recently estranged from his family gets unwittingly caught up in a revolution. Sam Neil when young.

as an aside... Rock the Boat: The Story of Radio Hauraki 1965-1970 https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/rock-the-boat-radio-hauraki-1996 They got a small ship and spent their time slinking about, between the islands off Auckland, to give us, music unapproved by nanny state...

or a G&T in some Thai dives...

I retract - it transpires that the woman who died was a Kiwi.

Found an interesting North Korea news site - https://www.nknews.org Some amusing stuff - including this gem: North Korea lauds event with pro-regime groups on promoting ‘Juche idea’ High-profile seminar aims to convince North Koreans that foreigners admire state ideology of Kim regime, experts say... https://www.nknews.org/2024/04/north-korea-lauds-event-with-pro-regime-groups-on-promoting-juche-idea/

An interesting collection of Iran photos https://www.yahoo.com/news/25-photos-show-iran-looked-190806215.html

NZ has ‘huge opportunity’ in Thailand, PM says. (NZ PM) Jury is out here, on NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, very short. Not as short as the Lao guy, but still very short...

Further to the above post, some more: Stabbing attack at Sydney church as police counter angry crowds:: Seems the 15/16 yr old boy stabber, had to be shielded inside the church by police as an Assyrian mob turned up to Lynch him, but then had to be satisfied with clashing with the police outside. Bondi Junction stabbing: Australian citizenship offered to French bollard hero in attack :: remarkable. One dead, two hospitalised over suspected ‘mushroom’ drink poisoning in Australia :: The death occurred at the Soul Barn, an “alternative and holistic health service” business that operates out of a property in Fraser Street, Clunes, 33 kilometres north of Ballarat. :: *note to Australians- Don't consume mushroom drinks or any other "alternative and holistic" health remedies, unless you've seen the practitioner, consume them first and then survive for 24 hours...

and "72 hours until all hell breaks loose!" Never one to miss an opportunity to raise funds, the Trump campaign sent out a fundraising email in which it insisted “ALL HELL” would break loose on Monday, adding, “Now is the time to help me SAVE AMERICA and chip in.” Buried deep in the email, there is a call for peaceful demonstrations, which reads: “If we fail to have a MASSIVE outpouring of peaceful patriotic support – right here, right now – all Hell will break loose.” more at : https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-threatens-reaction-to-pending-sham-trial-fundraising-email-72-hours-until-all-hell-breaks-loose/ar-BB1lvKqE

So much happening in Trump world. World attention is attracted to Monday's (Manhattan time) trial: making history as the first former president to stand trial on criminal charges when his hush money case opens with jury selection. What I'm curious about, is what Melania's actions or inactions, can tell us. From the ethos of, "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned", I suggest that there is a portion of this story, that goes: If Trump is acquitted in this case, then the payments can be spun as legal expenses, if Trump if found guilty, then the payments are to a Porn Star, plain for all to see. Melania has been very quiet on the public front, most unlike the devoted wife of a presidential candidate. I also suggest that there is a, or multiple, "no infidelity" clauses in her pre and post nuptial agreements. Were Donald to be found guilty, in this "hiding payments to a Porn Star as legitimate business expenses" case, then she will be by definition and inference, scorned. Interesting months and years ahead. Have you seen images of young Barron Trump recently? very tall, Mum's been feeding him Slovakian growing juice. Melania with a previous beau:

and in the "Florida Man..." vein Solar eclipse: Woman shoots drivers, says God told her to because of the eclipse, Florida police say: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/solar-eclipse-shooting-spree-taylon-celestine-shoots-drivers-claims-god-told-her-to/

I dusted off the old fb persona and after clearing the cob webs from, it I saw as you note Bubi, Americans enjoying, putting, personal flair into prescribed hand movements and gestures etc. This no doubt will become part of the individual's marketing campaign, to run for congress in the future when they leave the airforce.

Trump listening for the eclipse...

they're all looking at the eclipse

"... round up some 2,500 urban monkeys and place them in massive enclosures." - what could go wrong? "He said efforts will also be focused on allowing a limited number of monkeys to stay at liberty in the city." - i.e. the ones they can't catch.

I'm the same, missing the good times, and the good folks -

Chap down the road at my place has a Mailbox supported on a large shell/projectile of some sort. Another place in Vientiane has a pair, vertically either side of his driveway like gate posts, but painted very realistically as King Penguins, beaks pointed skywards... Très amusant.