#like hell am i flying American or United during the holidays

[therealnakedgardener]

Is it really Distance Learning that’s failing your children?

Everyday there’s new stories about how Distance Learning is failing, and how kids are missing out on so much, and how our children are going to be psychologically crippled forever because they can’t be at recess with their friends. I would like to help change the narrative on this, if I may. 

Shouting from the rooftops, and any media source willing to broadcast or publish your opinion (yes, I get the irony here) about how “distance learning is failing” only creates a narrative that schools are failing our children; that teachers are failing your children. And I am pleading for this to stop! Distance learning is not what is failing your children right now – poor management of an out of control pandemic is what has created the situation that is failing your children right now. Unfortunately, when this pandemic was approached as political agenda issue – instead of a sneaky, resilient, always-looking-for-it’s-next-host virus – the institutions your tax dollars pay for (like schools, medicare, emergency services, etc) were maxed out immediately. This is why March 13, 2020 will stand out as a “where were you” moment for generations to come; because for many of us it marked the end of a “normal” we may never see again.

On March 13, I was in my office at the local high school, working furiously and desperately with the other counselors to make a plan. We had until 3pm on Friday the 13th to take what we thought we might need for the next few weeks (which is what we all imagined quarantine would be at the time.) Yes, there was some sitting and staring, “What will I need? What should I bring with me to work from home?” We grabbed files from our drawers, forms that we might need, we downloaded a bunch of files from our hard drives, grabbed brochures for community resources, and crisis resource information. We created shared drives and converted hard copies of forms to digital formats we could access from home. We took handouts and materials related to our seniors who were already behind in credit and working double time to graduate on time. In short, there was a lot to process. Everyone did the best they could with the information we were given. School districts all over the State, and later – in the entire nation, were building a band-aid to bridge the gap from March 13 to late April….as that was the initial announcement.

But then the information changed. We weren’t returning end of April, and would continue Distance Learning for the remainder of the 2020 school year. Graduation Ceremony? No one knows. Mind you, the life of a high school counselor from the months of April-June include regular phone calls from parents who have kids who “might not make it” for various reasons – usually related to it just not being a priority for the student. Parents want to know if they should plan graduation parties, or if they should be planning to fly grandma in – and she doesn’t travel well. They want a guarantee from me before they invest time and money into a celebration. And if you are asking yourself “No way, do parents really call and ask that?” I would say what we always say in this business, “You can’t make this shit up.” Which should also explain why the latest, and most persistent, slogan of the pandemic is that “Distance Learning is failing your children.” 

Fast forward to July, and we are experiencing a second wave of Rona – she’s surging from 4th of July weekend and summer vacations with friends and family. Because we’re entitled Americans and you can’t tell us “No BBQs on the 4th of July” – hell, this is what makes us Americans, right? Lots of beer, fireworks, and 911 calls…which, again, overtaxes a system that is already maxed out (as stated above.) But it was the height of summer – and people were tired of being in quarantine for 5 months. I am not saying I agree, or was partaking in anything other “we need to go to the store” – just replaying the facts. 

Thus, schools had to scramble to put together Distance Learning 2.0 for the Fall. The expectation was that it would be less of the band-aid that was built in the Spring, and more of a comprehensive digital platform. Mind you there was no extra funding for this, and districts had to make tough decisions – like using money from transportation or food services, since those departments were not as active during the school closures. Our district chose a 3 period day, as a response to the “too many emails” and “too much to manage remotely” concerns from our community. All totally legit – I believe our district has the best plan around, and I don’t get paid to say that. I truly believe it. 

Again, as high school counselors, we had to answer questions like “how do we make this work for students?” For example, for those who don’t know, Advanced Placement (AP) courses have testing in May. And since periods 4-6 didn’t start until Feb 2, we needed to offer all of our AP courses in periods 1-3 – which happens Sept-Jan.  This means students could only take 3 AP courses this year. And yes, three college level classes for a high school student may sound like more than enough, but you’d be surprised. I could bore you with more details, and the play-by-play of difficult conversations and impossible decisions, but just know that trying to figure how and when to offer classes for the children was like riding a rollercoaster that never stops. And yes, twists, turns, upside down, makes you want to puke…all of it. But we got there. And the school year began! 

Then news reports and articles about how Distance Learning is failing our students began to appear. And it makes my heart ache for the teachers who spent their summer break watching webinars and instructional videos so that they were familiar with the various digital formats our district selected. Teachers, who are running on fumes – because no one ever stopped working after March 13 happened. No one has had the opportunity to totally unplug, or make the incessant thoughts about how we can do better stop from keeping us awake at night. Teachers just have to keep….teaching. They create lessons for both synchronous and asynchronous learning, they stretch out of comfort zones to be fun and exciting on camera. They sacrifice time with their family – because work/home lines are so blurred right now, and it’s too easy to get tunnel vision. Especially when all you hear on the news is how Distance Learning is failing our children. 

So they work harder. Districts tell principals there needs to be more accountability as to how teachers are spending their time. Did you know that if a teacher wants to give a student an F, they have to fill out a packet of paperwork – documenting “multiple and varied attempts” to contact the student and parent. And then they have to collect ALL the work the student chose to not do, and put it in a file – so that the student has the opportunity to make the work up later, and replace their F with a passing grade. If the voice in your head is saying “wait, if a kid fails, don’t they just get an F and have to make it up in summer school?” Thirty years ago, yes. Today? No way. In today’s world of litigious parents, high stakes testing, and accountability to the federal government which is linked to funding – things have changed a smidge. So, as the proverbial poop rolls downhill, teachers get squeezed more and more. Do more. Help more. Be more. 

Has anyone read statistics about how many children are participating in remote learning? Consider that in a school setting, they are a captive audience and “have to be there.” And yes, they are more likely to engage when the socially acceptable thing to do is attend class when the bell rings. And, for the most part, pay attention. Maybe learn something. Maybe even participate and turn stuff in! But at home, when your existence is a picture of your face in a box, that motivation and structure isn’t there automatically. 

Distance Learning has required that students want to learn. They now get to make a choice each day to login, or play video games. Imagine you’re fifteen years old, and your parents went to work for the day, what would you choose? Or imagine you’re ten years old, and your parents are out of work – and the climate at home isn’t great. Everyone is having to pitch in more, or maybe the arguing has turned to fighting, or worse. How important is it to login for class? 

More and more teachers are reporting that, even when students do login for class – they block video. So all of these “fun and exciting” lessons they have prepared, and summoned the courage to do on camera from an empty classroom at school, is done to a screen of avatars instead of live humans. Anecdotal reports indicate that “turning your camera on isn’t cool.” Which makes it even harder on teachers, who are working harder than they ever have in their careers. School employees are living in a world where we are working double-time with all of the parts of the job that are impersonal, and not fun; and the part that makes this job worth doing – the student interaction, and the amusing randomness of a school day – doesn’t really exist right now. 

So is it really Distance Learning that isn’t working? Maybe. Or maybe it’s just the most convenient way to measure how bad things have gotten since March 13. Perhaps it’s easier to make education the scapegoat when people have to make sacrifices and forgo holidays with extended family and friends, or listen to their children complain about missing out on “everything.”  This is the United States of America, and outside these borders, we’re known for our entitlement – it’s kind of our thing. But inside the borders, instead of acknowledging an inherent entitlement that is part of the fabric of American culture, we’ll just say Distance Learning is failing our children. 

#distancelearning #COVIDquarantine #education #teachers #entitledamerica

[amplesalty]

Christmas 2020: Day 3 - Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House (2002)

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

3rd degree burns!

Wait, you mean there are more than just two of these? Yeah, I guess people only talk about the two starring The Incredible Culk himself. I’m uncharacteristically skipping ahead here to the 4th movie as I understand the 3rd doesn’t even take place at Christmas. For shame! It does have a young Scarlett Johansen in though and was surprisingly still released in cinemas at that time. I would have thought it would been a straight-to-video job for sure. Apparently it was up for a Razzie for worst remake or sequel but lost to Speed 2. I actually saw that in the cinema!

Anyway, not only does 4 actually take place at Christmas, it’s notable for starring Kevin McCallister so serves as a continuation of the first two movies, unlike 3 which went off with brand new characters. No other returning faces here either so no Catherine O’Hara, no Joe Pesci, no Daniel Stern, not even a John Heard. Guess we’ll just have to make do with his showing in Would You Rather? Back during Halloween. We get some familiar characters but they’ve just been re-cast. Peter McCallister was really throwing me off at first, I recognised him from something but just couldn’t place it...

Holy shit, it’s the guy from Monkey Shines! That would make for a much more interesting movie; the psycho monkey defending the house from burglars.

They could have very easily worked a monkey into the movie if they wanted since the story goes that Kevin’s parents are now about to go through a divorce and Peter is shacked up with some rich lady. Rather than face another holiday season being abused by Buzz and Megan, he decides to take his chances with the step mother. And boy, is he ever glad that he did because he gets his own bedroom choc full of gizmos like a giant multi screen television, games consoles, arcade cabinets and computer. Bit of a step up from sleeping in the attic or playing with that Talkboy all the time. That thing seemed really big for what it was, you’d expect a voice recorder to be a sleek little device but you had this fairly big camcorder like unit with a handle and extending microphone that looked like an eyepiece. Maybe kids just like having a substantial toy like that or it was trying to make them feel more grown up to have something camcorder like without the accompanying video technology that wasn’t as ubiquitous and cheap at that time.

He’s not the only one with cool toys to play with as Dad’s new girlfriend, Natalie, has a smart house which seems pretty revolutionary for the year 2002. Like, full on smart house that doesn’t even need a front door key, just take our your little voice remote dealie and give the house an instruction. Open door, play music, turn on the fire...it’s like Alexa 15 years ahead of it’s time. Modern day Chucky would have a field day. It feels like a bit of a wasted opportunity though as it’s not really used as part of the eventual house defense. You’d think there’s a lot of potential there for Kevin to setup traps that he can trigger by saying a keyword but I think the only time it really comes up is when he immediately tells the house the shut the door that one of the burglars open so they promptly get their nose smashed in.

To that end, this is a fairly shoddy setup security wise as it seems to respond to any voice, not just the owners so what you get is the burglars who happen to have their own remote they can use to just stroll into the house. I say burglars, they’re not really, they have greater criminal aspirations; kidnapping. For Natalie has foreign royalty due to stay at the house for the holidays so they figure they can swoop in and kidnap the crown Prince and ransom him off.

And these aren’t just any crooks, for in what is one in a long line of rehashes, it’s Marv! But no Harry, instead it’s Marv’s wife Vera tagging along. Only, Marv is dressed much more like Harry so this is really confusing. Like, there’s this one point after Marv realises that Kevin is staying at this house too, he tells his wife how much trouble this kid has caused and that he has the scars to prove it. I kept expecting him to pull out his hand to show the ‘M’ burned into it but of course that was Harry who scolded his hand on the heated doorknob.

I must say, there’s obviously some big shoes to fill coming in to replace Daniel Stern but I kinda liked French Stewart here as Marv. Maybe they switched the characters to avoid confusion with him already having played a character called Harry in 3rd Rock from the Sun? There’s just this sort of fast paced, talkative energy to him which whilst not entirely fitting for Marv, it did put me in mind of Jim Varney. I feel like he’d do a good job if they ever wanted to do more Ernest type commercials or movies.

We really do get a wider look at the extended Marv family with not only his wife but also his Mother too since, spoiler warning, the movie spends the whole time dropping massive hints that the butler is the one running an inside job and helping out Marv and his missus but it’s actually the maid the whole time who turns out to be Marv’s mum.

I feel like this would have been a cooler plot point if they’d played into it more, like you could this have this whole duality thing where you have Kevin going through these coming of age experiences, no longer the helpless little boy, compared to Marv now going from hardened criminal to having his mum fighting his battles. It could be this elaborate revenge scheme from a mother who has been robbed of her son for years because of Kevin foiling his plans and landing him in jail. He’s the reason she’s got no grandkids!

I mean, between all the jail time and the fact he keeps going for the guys balls, whether he’s shooting them in part 1 or flying a drone into them here. In the end though it’s all just a bit of a coincidence more than anything, she just happened to running this con job in a house where Kevin just happens to end up living in.

There is a really stupid moment here where they lock the butler and Kevin in the wine cellar and the two spend ages pondering how they’re going to get out. The butler then realises he has a cell phone. Now, this is 2002 so these things are becoming much more widespread and writers have to start thinking of ways to write around them. It seems fairly obvious that they’d say “Oh, can’t get a signal down here in the cellar.” or something but no. Instead, he just hands the phone to Kevin who promptly calls home, gets hung up on twice by Buzz before getting through to his mum who suddenly can’t hear him very well despite Buzz hearing him fine. Then the phone’s battery dies despite only being in use for like 2 minutes. Bullshit, this isn’t an iPhone 12 GIGAMAX or whatever the hell they’re on nowadays where the battery runs out after 6 hours, this is the early 2000’s where your Nokia 3310 could last a week off a single charge.

Stupid just kinda sums the whole thing up really. Marv and Vera seem to be lacking in that sense of menace that Harry and Marv had back in the original. Maybe 2 was already taking them a little sillier, that whole electric shock skeleton scene springs to mind,  but here there always seems to be goofy music backing them or silly sound effects that make everything feel a lot of childish. I guess they always have been kids movies but it feels especially so here, Harry and Marv just felt a lot more threatening. Probably helped that Pesci had that pedigree of being in all those mobster movies.

It’s cute in a way for them to bring back these characters and reference all these things from the original but it’s just lacking the heart that the first one had. It’s called Home Alone but this isn’t a home, it’s a house. The McCallister house in the first movie just had this warmth to it, all those vibrant colours, the greens and reds, sure it was extravagant but it still felt like a family home whereas this just feels cold and sterile.  It has this sort of emptiness that seems so common with the way rich people’s houses are decorated in media. There’s not even a single snowflake in sight either, you call this Chicago?

And just think back to the lengths Kate was willing to go to to get back home to Kevin, “If it costs me everything I own, If I have to sell my soul to the Devil himself, I am going to get home to my son.” The step mother here though couldn’t care less and is prepared to just throw money at the problem until Kevin’s love is bought.

Now that I think about it, it’s called Home Alone but I don’t think there’s a single point in this movie where he’s left Home Alone. He’s either being babysat by Buzz, the butler or the nanny. Well I guess there has been some character growth around t

Of all the re-hashes though, there is one that is particularly alarming...

Goddamnit! They did it again! I’d been safe for years but it just keeps on finding its way back to me. And they can’t even do that tradition right, you’re supposed to play a foreign dubbed version! We’ve already had the French and Spanish versions, where’s the German one?! Though the alternative universe where George isn’t there to save Harry so Harry then can’t save that ship full of American soldiers in WWII is probably considered the good ending there...

#Christmas 2020 #Home Alone #Home Alone 4

[distraxion]

That time I went to New York

Day 1 A beautiful, crisp summer’s morning greeted us as we left for Manchester Airport. So far everything seems to be going ok, despite the following teething problems: My flatmate’s OCD about electricity plugs and water taps. My insistence on getting the best possible exchange rate, despite the psychological cost of visiting 12 different bureaux de change. Our travel companions being an hour late to meet us. Annoying railway staff. Ticket machines that didn’t work. Super cheap and super bad coffee. My failure to remember I had a bike pump in my rucksack, which set off the security alarm. I am now relaxing in Cafe Ritazza, with better coffee and feeling very relaxed about flying. Almost like I don’t have a problem. They gave me a window seat at the back of the plane. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing. If you live near Manchester Airport and you hear a high pitched scream around lunchtime... Reykjavik here we come!

Day 2

Sometimes feeling good is good enough. I’m writing at the end of what fees like a very long day. Reykjavik is a great place to be. It’s not somewhere that leaps out at you, like maybe London or Tokyo. In fact, our first explorations of the city left me feeling at least a little disappointed. It’s very expensive (£6-8 for a beer...). Everything closes early in the week. And you need transport to get around. But it’s quietly brilliant. There are parks and paths and places to cycle absolutely everywhere. All the cafes have books to read, friendly chatter and space to relax. The food is some of the best I’ve tasted. Everyone is sincerely polite and speaks great English. The air feels fresh and clean. And the surrounding landscapes are breathtaking. I have to say my favourite thing, though, are the thermal baths. The simple pleasure of swimming, playing and relaxing in geothermal-heated, open-air pools is not one that is easily forgotten. Thank you Iceland for helping me remember the simple things. Tomorrow we set out for New York...

Day 3 Just been for a quick run around Laugardalur valley, and just about to throw some breakfast down before we check out of the hotel and head to The Blue Lagoon for some more thermal pool action. From there, we will head to the airport for the next leg of our journey...New York. Not much I can say about New York that hasn’t already been said, written, filmed, sketched or sung about. Everything about the place seems to have been exquisitely documented at length: Its name changes, occupation by the British, acceptance of immigrants, economic boom (and bust) etc etc etc. It’s a metropolis - it is, in fact, the place that the film Metropolis was based upon. It’s the most populous place in the world, it’s the centre of the universe for so many things...my head is spinning just thinking about it. I’ve spoken to lots of people about their experiences of New York. Their praise of the place is almost universal. It’s rare that you can speak to a dozen people and no-one has anything bad to say about the place. Almost makes one suspicious...

Day 4 Friday morning, somewhere in Midtown Manhattan. The sun is shining. The day is full of potential. With the exception of a death-defying taxi ride from JFK, everything in New York has been plain sailing. Yet it all feels a little dreamlike. I think I’m having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that it’s all real. Each street feels like it’s been teleported straight from a film or TV show; new and yet eerily familiar. The names trip off the tongue like a pop cultural roll call: Madison Avenue, Lexington Avenue, 42nd Street, Broadway, Park Avenue. Everywhere I walk I’m bowled over by the sheer scale and weight of things to see and to do. In New York it seems everything is to be eaten, worn or photographed...

Day 5 I always thought Hell's Kitchen was a fantastic name for a place. And now I'm here, I can report it's anything but hellish (status of evil kitchen as yet unknown). So, another day in the USA. Saturday mornings in New York seem to have a much more relaxed vibe. When the weather is good they lend themselves to casual ambling and gawking. I have been taking full advantage. The first stop was 28th Street, to watch some football and meet the New York Whites, a Leeds United supporters club. All six of them. Next a walk through the Flower District. I thought this was just a random name given to the area, but no, it really is the flower district. Everywhere you look huge displays of colour line the sidewalks and fill up the shop windows. After a further bit of perambulation, I made it to the flea market in Hell's Kitchen. There are some real characters here and the whole thing is pretty good fun, except that I was hoping for more vintage men's clothing. Nothing says style like a crappy, old American T-Shirt. This afternoon I've signed up to do a tour of filming locations for The Sopranos in New York and New Jersey (or Noo Joyseee depending on who you ask). And this evening...well I do have a list of The Guardian's Ten Favourite bars to visit whilst in New York. Be rude not to... 

Day 6 WARNING...OVERLOAD...WARNING...OVERLOAD. I'm not sure I can cope with it all. I need a holiday from my holiday. The Sopranos tour was (mostly) excellent, ending up at The Bada Bing to watch some 'erotic' dancing. We even met one of the cast (Vito), although the shine was taken off with the fact he was hawking books and photos out of the back of his car. No shame that man. Went to a load of bars last night and feel much worse for it today. My favourites were a Chinese Karaoke bar called Winnie's and a Lower East Side bar called Beauty and Essex. I'm heading out now to conquer Central Park, and several of the Museums. At some point this headache will ease up. I hope...

Day 7 Another early start, partly due to a confused body clock, partly due to the fact that we have to check out of the hotel. Our last day in New York, and probably the longest day of all in terms of travelling/lack of sleep etc.  Still so many things left to do. I think next time two weeks might be a more adequate timeframe to fit everything into... Central Park lived up to expectations. A real oasis in all the New York craziness. And that’s just the park itself. The Dakota Building, Strawberry Fields, The Museum of Natural History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park Zoo, three different sculptures (Balto, Alice in Wonderland and the Obelisk), the Reservoir, the Pond, The Pulitzer Fountain, Ai Weiwei's “Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads”, FAO Schwartz... I managed to get round all of these and still miss about twenty other things in the process. Oh, and I had a trip to Roosevelt Island on the cable car, for some unique views of the city and East River. Last night we had a meal on the Lower East Side and I took a walk down St. Mark’s Place. It seems to be a really cool area for bars, live music and shopping. I even managed to find a secret bar called Please Don’t Tell, hidden in a Hot Dog eatery, and only accessible via a phone booth. You have to pick up the phone, dial a number, then a secret door opens and someone lets you in. Class. Today I’ve got to make some decisions about how best to use the remaining time. I’m interested in going on the Staten Island Ferry, and having a look at the White Horse Tavern/Chelsea Hotel, where Dylan Thomas drank and indeed breathed his last. Later I hope to scoot around the Museum of Modern Art, and possibly get in a few farewell drinks at a bar above Grand Central Station.

Day 8 Ah, England, home of the grey sky and the ignorant fuck. I'm just kidding with you. It actually felt really good to touch down on home soil and experience a more familiar pace of life. Manchester feels deserted by comparison with New York. By the time I got to bed, accepting time differences and whatnot, it had been 29 hours since I left the last one on Lexington Avenue. I'm still trying to piece together everything I managed to see during that time. Sleep deprivation affects the parietal lobes as well as the memory. Experiences and the order they came in are confused. I remember...The World Trade Center, Greenwich Village, Dylan Thomas, The Chelsea Hotel...2001: A Space Odyssey...Madison Square Gardens...Museum of Sex...Broadway...MoMA...Andy Warhol...Wassily Kandinsky...The Campbell Apartment...zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Postscript: Zhuangzi dreamed he was a butterfly Back to Earth with a bump. Today I did the zombie walk to work and spent quite a lot of it staring off into space. Coming to terms with it all. So much fun, so much freedom, now very much a fading memory. Trying to make up my mind whether the holiday was a dream and this is harsh reality, or this is a dream and any minute now I’ll wake...up...back...in Crazytown?

#newyork #travel #ballbag

[sailingbrisa]

New Zealand to Panama.

In this edition of Sailing Brisa …We go to New Zealand…San Francisco with Rob and Laura. Ross O’Geen gets onboard and Elwin Jansen says his goodbyes for now  to the Yacht Club and St. Martin. We also go for a little sail ... al the way to Panama.

 Its been a good two years since I was back in New Zealand and I have been trying and trying to get back down there since December 2016, however there has always been something stopping me….. Right up until the 12th of April. Then it was quick pack the bags book a flight or two and zoom back to NZ to visit my family and friends. I wanted to stop there before leaving on the trip, because I really didn’t know when I would be back… I left St. Martin… after a four hour delay. Haori Fialo, a guy I knew really well form flying in Puerto Rico… we had flown there a few times with him as my captain… was the FO on the flight. Unbelievable. The flight itself… despite my initial thoughts to get a lter flight… was very nice and by some absolute miracle Haoris landing was silky smooth. Nothing at all like I remember the ones he used to do in the ATRs. Of course I received a few strange looks form fellow passengers and crew as I assumed the crash position and kissed my ass goodbye from about a thousand feet before landing.  

 I had a three hour wait in MIA before leaving for LAX after missing my connection, so I waked up and down the terminal a few times… a Starbucks Soy Chai Tea late… some sushi.. a couple of Yellow Red Bulls and a Cuban sandwich later I boarded the flight…. An passed out. Waking up as we touched down in LA…. I was planning to meet Tania there as we had come on different airlines.. her form Bogota and me form SXM. I tracked her down and we sat there for a couple of hours laughing as she had managed to talk the Air New Zealand counter lady into changing my flight to hers and saving us a row for ourselves….. Unfortunately my flight to NZ was also on AA not Air New Zealand so that didn’t work out too well.  We boarded our flights… and began the 13 hour race to Auckland where Matthew would be waiting for us.

 The flight there I had a full row to myself on a spanking brand new Dreamliner courtesy of American Airlines frequent flier miles. The plane must have been commissioned that flight, as everything was shinny and new. Good movies, really shitty food, but, overall a good ride on a beautiful plane.

 Auckland is always a great place to wash up. We went straight to my aunt and uncles house to say hi and drag my hung over cousin out of bed! I hung out with my brother, We saw my godparents, we celebrated my Aunts birthday, the first time I have been here for that in god knows how many years. Balloons… cake and.. yep Fish and chips! ( did I mention we may have eaten a lot of fish and chips? ) I was fortunate enough to catch up with a bunch of my old flying mates.. all flying for Emirates or Air New Zealand… and got to see Giles Griggs awesome Farr 1020…. And nearly got to go sailing. He was in the world masters lasers sailing the following week and managed to snag the gold medal!!!! Amazing. Congrats Giles. We met up with Regan Fitness one of my best mates form school, Anne Hinton and her husband and one of my oldest windsurfing mates, Tony Sykes. ….We drove half way around the world ( well at least the north island of NZ ) to chase East Coast surf. We saw amazing waves.. but really crowded. We stopped at Racetracks, up near Opua Bay and with a light offshore and head high sets we got ready to surf. Matthew stood there laughing at me for a while, before he could tell me I had managed to put my wetsuit on backwards…. I guess it has been a while since I have squeezed the goods into neoprene. Maybe I have been at the wrong parties? Anyways.. after turning my wetsuit around we hit the waves. Matthew on a brand new Al Merrick and me on the old trusty Minami Fish.

 Water wasn’t that cold and we had a very nice time. The drive was a bit long.. but great fun none the less. Very much reminded me of when Matt and I were little boys zooming around NZ in a mini with a little trailer full of gear.

 Our time in NZ ended way too soon, but Tania and I did manage to eat fish and chips almost every day, we went up the sky tower and had an amazingly fun time together there. Tania got on her plane a day before me…. But I was soon behind her again and heading of to spend a day in San Francisco … with ROB NORTHROP! OMG… How many years? After the 13 hours onboard an oversold United flight, Rob picked me up at the airport and we drove off to Oakland. Traffic was a bit crazy, but Rob and I had tons to catch up on and it felt like it had only been a day or two since we were out surfing the pit in the backyard together. Laura and Rob took me on a tour around the beautiful hills behind where they grew up and we had a great brunch…. I really was surprised at how nice Oakland was. We talked story and made plans for him to come to the boat when he could make time and surf for a while!!!

 Back to the airport and onto the Red Eye to Panama where I connected to the flight to St. Martin. 47 hours later I’m sitting on Brisa wondering how I had managed to do so much in just ten days.

 Two days after I got back and Ross O’Geen, one of my old mates from windsurfing days arrives in St. Martin. We miss each other at arrivals so he sits outside for a while and I sit inside… jajajjaja. Just like old days.  We get it together and zoom out to Brisa for his first look at his new home for the next few months. Ross has his kite gear… and a couple of bags and Scrabble on his phone. We used to play a lot in Hawaii together with Moq!

 Now I had better introduce Ross…. Together we spent years and years wind fishing, scrabbling and windsurfing on the North Shore of Maui. Ross was a teacher and retired end of 2016 and has his own little boat up in South Main Street at the Lake St. Lawrence Yacht Club in NYC. Always with a big smart ass smile and a whitty comment and always ready to go on another crazy ass adventure. He showed up in St. Martin after visiting Massena NYC after some skiing and visiting mates in Utah and Phoenix, Portland and Seattle and visiting his mommy! I would say he is a super keen fisherman and we would see his skills on our way to Panama. Ross is onboard until early July.

 Elwin, our next crew member is from Holland. ( this will become important later during the fishing part of the trip ) and has been a friend of mine for two or three years. Recently we had started to go chasing St. Martin surf together and he wanted to come on the adventure also. I haven’t met anyone yet with a more positive attitude and he will always be the first one to jump on a shitty job…… Also he has a great sense of humor and some sailing experience. He had spent the last holidays backpacking around Central America and loved Costa Rica.

 We were waiting for a weather window and some awesome sun and wind protection from Fraito Lugo in Puerto Rico, arriving back to St. Martin on .. yep you guessed it..LAZY DOG. We were all set to leave after a huge shopping run the day before, filling Brisa with yummy food to last at least two weeks, but Lazy Dog was sloggin slowly upwind in the Caribbean from PR to SXM.. basically that means in hell. They were scheduled to show up on Thursday am… but we were watching them on marinetraffic.com and it looked like they would squeak in late Thursday… a bit of a sticky one for us as we couldn’t leave after 11.59pm on Thursday…. Everyone knows its bad juju to leave for a voyage on Friday. So we decided if they didn’t get there in time we would stay and leave on Saturday instead. About sunset we reached them on the radio.. and they arrived shortly there after at about 8pm.. a bit blue around the edges…. As it was a rough ride for them. Funny how we would soon be going the exact opposite direction and having a very nice downwind ride across the sea that had just bounced them up and down for a long time. We grabbed the bimini from Fraito… awesome.. and pulled the dingy up on deck, weighed the anchor ( 37 kg ) and rolled out the headsail and settled into a pleasant night at sea.

 Our track had us heading south of the BVIs, in between St Thomas and St. Croix then south of Puerto Rico and curving further south of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The following the backing wind down into Panama with a forecast of light to calm winds for the last couple of days. We spent the first few days under headsail alone averaging 6 to 7 knots in fairly squally and bumpy following seas. Brisa behaved very well with nothing braking the whole way. About half way into it I woke up and crawled upstairs to see a big steep following sea and thirty knot winds…. Brisa every now and then surfing down a steep swell at well over 13 knots. Our top speed for the trip was 13.9 and we covered the 1145 nm in 7 and a half days, averaging 6.5 knots. Not bad considering the last three days we had 10 – 12 knot following winds and had to motor the last day and a half.

 We had been warned by many different people to stay the hell away from the Cartagena corner as it gets super windy and wavy… however for us all that happened was we started to catch lots of fish… Ross started it off with a great Mahi, Elwin followed it up with a trifecta.. Tuna, Mahi and Wahoo, We lost a Tuna.. my fault as I didn’t gaff him… and we had a marlin hit the lure.. but thank god he got off.

 With about three days to go we had been flying the Spinnaker in about 20 knots of wind… of course this makes Brisa fly along. Just with the spinnaker we set our top speed, However as anyone that likes spinnakers will tell you… they are a handful if something goes wrong. Seemed like every time we got that thing up, we would catch a fish. We had a great system… start the engines, Drop the sock over the spinnaker, Heave too and then catch the fish. We would pull the spinnaker down each night and slow down to a more comfortable speed. The faster you go the more uncomfortable the ride, but of course the quicker you get there.

 We arrived in the vicinity of the Panama Canal entrance with a big thunderstorm at about four am… We had gone by a few big ships and even though we received AIS ( other boat positions ) we did not have ours hooked up yet, so ti was a bit of a worry as we couldn’t see our bows, let alone the other ships. The radar decided it was raining very had, so hard in fact that it just painted everything yellow. That meant we couldn’t see ships coming our way and even after some deft adjustment of the gain and some very close and loud thunderclaps we did a 180 and zoomed back towards Jamaica for a while. An hour later it cleared and we started back to Colon and passed right by a big tanker going the other way… Lucky we waited I think.

 We rocked into the Shelter Bay Marina with welcomes from Bob And Debbie off of Passat, currently aboard DAKINE and tied up at the marina. I went off to clear customs and immigration while the boys played in the pool and tidied up a bit. I got back that afternoon and we went for a hike, looking for the crocodile that lived in the marina.

 All in all we arrived rested and fed, happy and safe and thankful that Little Brisa 302 had performed flawlessly. Also a big thanks to Manuel our auto pilot. Did not miss a beat once for the entire trip.

 For me the highlight is seeing Brisa zooming along hour after hour under a beautiful spinnaker with no land insight.  

Ross’s highlight was the awesome fishing… and as a result the awesome food.

Elwin had never caught a blue water fish before so the joy in his eyes as he watched what he caught being cut up into filets definitely meant the fishing was a highlight for him.

 The low point for me .. seeing our pretty yellow black and blue spinnaker split down the middle and slowly drop into the water because I wanted to put it up at the very top of the wind speed window. ( the good news of course is now I can get Ian to get me a nice new smaller cruising chute. )  

For Ross the low point was loosing a great marlin lure without seeing the fish on the end. ARGH.

Elwins low point… having to motor for the last few days.

 In the next edition we will explore Shelter Bay marina, Ross will walk.. very very great distances. I will go to Panama City, take showers with hot water for as long as I like and sleep in air conditioning. We will get measured for the Panama Canal corossing, get our cruising permit and get on our way to Boccas Del Torro and a couple of amazing destinations as we come back to Colon for our last few days in the Caribbean. I hope Brisa and Noisy Taco enjoy the canal crossing and their first ever visit to the Pacific Ocean. Ill celebrate my birthday in a birthday hammock, drinking hot coffee out of my birthday thermos after eating Lobster for breakfast in a very remote and beautiful little island, as we prepare to say goodbye to Brisas home sea for the last 15 years. Next week we will all wake up in a different Ocean.

[instantdeerlover]

You Can Take My Leg Room, But You Can Never Have My Biscoffs added to Google Docs

You Can Take My Leg Room, But You Can Never Have My Biscoffs

 Delta and American airlines still plan to serve Biscoff cookies on longer flights | Delta News Hub/Flikr

United Airlines announced it’ll replace the beloved Biscoff in-flight snack with Oreo Thins and I am mad as hell

There are few reliable joys left in the world of air travel: Bulkhead seats, free ginger ale, a reminder that the Downton Abbey movie happened. And for millions of Americans, there has also long been the simple pleasure of the Lotus brand Biscoff cookie, those oblong, caramely, subtly spiced shortbread discs that are handed out in pairs in the signature clear-and-red cellophane wrapper.

The cookies — though the elegance of the British term “biscuit” somehow seems more fitting here — have been regulars during the increasingly humble beverage and snack service on airlines including American, Delta, and United for flights of 250 miles or more. But as USA Today reported last week, United Airlines has announced it will stop offering the beloved Biscoff, replacing the grandmotherly treat with a pack of snack-chic Oreo Thins instead. In case United’s second-to-last rating among domestic airlines wasn’t reason enough to fly with someone else, this move has sealed the deal for me. I just can’t trust the safety rigors of a company with its snack priorities so obviously out of whack.

Look, Oreos are a perfectly fine everyday cookie and a bingeable masterpiece of a stoned cookie, but they’re a garbage airplane cookie. The Nabisco company put out an entire ad campaign in 2011 promoting Oreos as “Milk’s Favorite Cookie,” because — and everyone knows this — the chocolate and cream sandwiches only really come alive when moistened with a bit of cold, liquid dairy. But, as I discovered once mid-flight while trying to sooth a screaming 16-month-old, milk is almost never offered on airplanes. Biscoffs, however, staying true to their vaguely fancy European aesthetic, are more the kind of thing you pair with the in-flight staples of coffee or tea — their crumbly sweetness ideal for cutting through something hot and bitter. Serving Oreos with no access to milk might be an actual form of mouth torture, but Biscoffs manage to sing alongside even the weakest airplane Lipton.

Then of course there are also those who are just not chocolate people — who prefer the understated warmth of butter and spice to the thunderous thwonk of cocoa (or cocoa-like flavoring). What of their high-altitude sweet tooth? Pretzels? Please, let these misguided souls have this one small thing.

But the real magic of Biscoff cookies aren’t in what they are, but what they aren’t: Sweet but not crave-worthy, satisfying but not indulgent; delicious but not irresistible. Which means depending on the time of your flight and the fullness of your stomach, you might just forego eating the cookies with your drink, slipping them instead into some hidden pocket of your bag where they lie in wait until you stumble upon them, delighted, while scrambling for a pen or for something to ply a few more moments of silence from your kid. Oreos, however (yes, even the vastly inferior thin ones) are a hair too good, too rewarding, too decadent to resist. Hand me a bag of those and before cruising altitude they’ll be gone, and with them any hopes of delayed gratification.

Just yesterday I was given pack of Biscoffs during an American Airlines flight home to LA. When I went to stash it away in my backpack for later, I found I still had the ones I saved from my outbound flight that I never got around to eating. Secure with the knowledge I’d not be without an emergency Biscoff should the need arise, I opened them right there and slid one of the cinnamon-colored ovals out of its sheath, snapped it in half, and ate it. Then I quickly scarfed the other. Crammed in the second-to-last row of an oversold airplane where half the passengers wore face masks out of Coronavirus fears, about to descend into LAX after a holiday weekend during the height of rush hour, that Biscoff break was as close to heaven as I could possibly imagine — even at 40,000 feet.

• No more Biscoff cookies: United Airlines subs in Oreo Thins as complimentary snack [USA Today via The Takeout]

via Eater - All https://www.eater.com/2020/2/19/21144417/united-airlines-biscoffs-discontinued-oreo-thins

Created February 20, 2020 at 05:26AM /huong sen View Google Doc Nhà hàng Hương Sen chuyên buffet hải sản cao cấp✅ Tổ chức tiệc cưới✅ Hội nghị, hội thảo✅ Tiệc lưu động✅ Sự kiện mang tầm cỡ quốc gia 52 Phố Miếu Đầm, Mễ Trì, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội http://huongsen.vn/ 0904988999 http://huongsen.vn/to-chuc-tiec-hoi-nghi/ https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xa6sRugRZk4MDSyctcqusGYBv1lXYkrF

[robgrayofficial]

HAPPY SATURDAY PATRIOTS!This the your favorite Saturday afternoon mod here to help kick off this glorious day with tons of spice from the past week! As always, if you happened to miss any past recaps you can check those out here!Sunday, November 11th:TODAY'S ACTION:President Trump Attends the American Commemoration Ceremony at Suresnes Cemetery🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:With proper Forest Management, we can stop the devastation constantly going on in California. Get Smart!On this Veterans Day — the 100th Anniversary of the end of WWI, we honor the brave HEROES who fought for America in the Great War, and every Veteran who has worn the uniform and kept our Nation Safe, Strong and FREE! http://bit.ly/2FtQXW0 ceremony today in Paris commemorating the end of World War One. Many World leaders in attendance. Thank you to @EmmanuelMacron, President of France! Now off to Suresnes American Cemetery to make speech in honor of our great heroes! Then back to the U.S.A.(Retweeting The White House) President Trump Attends the American Commemoration Ceremony at Suresnes American CemeteryPoland, a great country - Congratulations on the 100th Anniversary of your Independence. I will never forget my time there!(Retweeting FLOTUS) Today we remember the brave actions of our troops and those of our allies during WWI. Honored to be spending this day honoring heroes in Paris. #VeteransDayExactly 100 years ago today, on November 11th, 1918, World War I came to an end. We are gathered together, at this hallowed resting place, to pay tribute to the brave Americans who gave their last breath in that mighty struggle....SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:The Original Flag That Flew @ Iwo Jima.GEOTUS Gives a Look to the King of Morocco - Not ImpressedFITTON: 18 years ago, Judicial Watch uncovered evidence of fraud in Broward County during the Bush vs. Gore fiasco. The more things change...Broward County’s elections are not secure as long as Brenda Snipes is in office🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:Christmas came early...Great tweet to Jim Acosta LOLSame way we have to quit voting after we die. This is truly a Dem-DemocracyThank you to all who have served for keeping America safe and free!Monday, November 12th:TODAY'S ACTION:President Trump Speaks at Suresnes American Cemetery on Armistice Day🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:Just returned from France where much was accomplished in my meetings with World Leaders. Never easy bringing up the fact that the U.S. must be treated fairly, which it hasn’t, on both Military and Trade. We pay for LARGE portions of other countries military protection,........ ... .....hundreds of billions of dollars, for the great privilege of losing hundreds of billions of dollars with these same countries on trade. I told them that this situation cannot continue - It is, and always has been, ridiculously unfair to the United States. Massive amounts..... ... .....of money spent on protecting other countries, and we get nothing but Trade Deficits and Losses. It is time that these very rich countries either pay the United States for its great military protection, or protect themselves...and Trade must be made FREE and FAIR!The Florida Election should be called in favor of Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis in that large numbers of new ballots showed up out of nowhere, and many ballots are missing or forged. An honest vote count is no longer possible-ballots massively infected. Must go with Election Night!The prospect of Presidential Harassment by the Dems is causing the Stock Market big headaches!The California Fire Fighters, FEMA and First Responders are amazing and very brave. Thank you and God Bless you all!American Cable Association has big problems with Comcast. They say that Comcast routinely violates Antitrust Laws. “These guys are acting much worse, and have much more potential for damage to consumers, than anything AT&T-Time Warner would do.” Charlie GasparinoHopefully, Saudi Arabia and OPEC will not be cutting oil production. Oil prices should be much lower based on supply!I just approved an expedited request for a Major Disaster Declaration for the State of California. Wanted to respond quickly in order to alleviate some of the incredible suffering going on. I am with you all the way. God Bless all of the victims and families affected.SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:Senator Rick Scott: It's clear that our lead is mathematically impossible to close without fraud…so Nelson and his DC lawyers are doing their best to count fraudulent ballots, laws be damned.Broward County stole my vote in 2000, and Brenda Snipes helped cover it upCalifornia Forest Fire Red Pill - (share as needed!)FL SEN: Oh, So 200,000 Non-Citizens Might Have Voted In 2018 ElectionsWhat the living hell? In AZ, the Republican governor won by 328,000 votes and yet, the Republican Senator is down by ~32,000 votes...🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:DUN DUN DUNNNN!!INCOMING!!!More Boxes of Uncounted Democrat Ballots Found in FloridaHow the Democrats try to "manufacture" a blue waveDems be like Cheatlejuice, Cheatlejuice, Cheatlejuice...Just found this steal of a deal at a yard saleTuesday, November 13th:TODAY'S ACTION:Twenty Six Nominations Sent to the SenatePresident Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Individual to Key Administration PostOne Nomination Sent to the SenateFirst Lady Melania Trump Joins Brigitte Macron for Armistice DayPresident Trump Participates in the Diwali Ceremonial Lighting of the DiyaVice President Mike Pence Delivers a Joint Statement with Prime Minister Shinzō Abe🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:Emmanuel Macron suggests building its own army to protect Europe against the U.S., China and Russia. But it was Germany in World Wars One & Two - How did that work out for France? They were starting to learn German in Paris before the U.S. came along. Pay for NATO or not!On Trade, France makes excellent wine, but so does the U.S. The problem is that France makes it very hard for the U.S. to sell its wines into France, and charges big Tariffs, whereas the U.S. makes it easy for French wines, and charges very small Tariffs. Not fair, must change!The problem is that Emmanuel suffers from a very low Approval Rating in France, 26%, and an unemployment rate of almost 10%. He was just trying to get onto another subject. By the way, there is no country more Nationalist than France, very proud people-and rightfully so!........ ... ......MAKE FRANCE GREAT AGAIN!By the way, when the helicopter couldn’t fly to the first cemetery in France because of almost zero visibility, I suggested driving. Secret Service said NO, too far from airport & big Paris shutdown. Speech next day at American Cemetery in pouring rain! Little reported-Fake News!When will Bill Nelson concede in Florida? The characters running Broward and Palm Beach voting will not be able to “find” enough votes, too much spotlight on them now!The story in the New York Times concerning North Korea developing missile bases is inaccurate. We fully know about the sites being discussed, nothing new - and nothing happening out of the normal. Just more Fake News. I will be the first to let you know if things go bad!We mourn for the lives lost and we pray for the victims of the California Wildfires. I want to thank the Firefighters and First Responders for their incredible courage in the face of grave danger....Today, we gathered for Diwali, a holiday observed by Buddhists, Sikhs, and Jains throughout the United States & around the world. Hundreds of millions of people have gathered with family & friends to light the Diya and to mark the beginning of a New Year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh9zz67KYS4 …It was my great honor to host a celebration of Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, in the Roosevelt Room at the @WhiteHouse this afternoon. Very, very special people! http://bit.ly/2qS5d0B …“Boom: Record high business optimism, need for employees at 45-year high”SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:CNN Gets Several Things Wrong In Its Lawsuit Against The White House72 PERCENT OF AMERICANS SAY MEDIA IS DIVIDING AMERICA AND SPREADING HATEEXPOSED: Soros-Funded Groups Defended Brenda Snipes in Lawsuit Alleging Inaccurate Voter Rosters🚨🚨 NEVER FORGET: Seth Rich served as the Voter Expansion Data Director for the DNC and had been questioning recent cases of election fraud/ballot integrity. One year before his death, Seth expressed concerns about the integrity of ballots before a panel of election-commission officials. RIP SETH!!!!President Donald J. Trump & First Lady Melania Trump are in silhouette as they walk hand-in-hand into the U.S. Ambassador residence. 💞🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:Hey moderators of T_D, please ban me.She sure did!The RecountThese are the people that look through your post history to see if you post on The_DonaldWednesday, November 14th:TODAY'S ACTION:President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Individuals to Key Administration PostsTwo Nominations Sent to the SenateNational Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee Meeting (NSTAC)President Trump Makes an Announcement Regarding H.R. 5682, the "First Step Act"🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:Not seen in many years, America’s steelworkers get a hard-earned raise because of my Administration’s policies to help bring back the U.S. steel industry, which is critical to our National Security. I will always protect America and its workers!Was just briefed by @FEMA_Brock and @SecretaryZinke, who are in California. Thank you to the great Firefighters, First Responders and @FEMA for the incredible job they are doing w/ the California Wildfires. Our Nation appreciates your heroism, courage & genius. God Bless you all!Just spoke to Governor Jerry Brown to let him know that we are with him, and the people of California, all the way!I am grateful to be here today w/ Members of the House & Senate who have poured their time, heart and energy into the crucial issue of Prison Reform. Working together w/ my Admin over the last two years, these members have reached a bipartisan agreement...Our pledge to hire American includes those leaving prison and looking for a very fresh start — new job, and new life. The legislation I am supporting today contains many significant reforms. Read more here: http://bit.ly/2FqilnZ TWEETS AND NEWS:Michael Avenatti arrested on domestic violence chargesCourt rules Hillary Clinton must answer more questions about her emails Thank Judicial WatchBen Carson could see his name removed from Detroit high school. Why? For being a Trump supporterDOJ says Matthew Whitaker can serve as acting attorney general | Fox NewsDaily Caller EXCLUSIVE: President Trump Calls For Brenda Snipes To Be FiredEXCLUSIVE: Trump Warns Antifa — You Could Be In Big Trouble🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:Electile DysfunctionMFW watching r/eeeeedacted mods delete every Avenatti arrest report.#BastaSpent way too much time on this...Thursday, November 15th:TODAY'S ACTION:Ten Nominations and One Withdraw Sent to the SenatePresident Trump Delivers Remarks on Supporting Veterans and Military Families🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:The White House is running very smoothly and the results for our Nation are obviously very good. We are the envy of the world. But anytime I even think about making changes, the FAKE NEWS MEDIA goes crazy, always seeking to make us look as bad as possible! Very dishonest!The inner workings of the Mueller investigation are a total mess. They have found no collusion and have gone absolutely nuts. They are screaming and shouting at people, horribly threatening them to come up with the answers they want. They are a disgrace to our Nation and don’t... ... ....care how many lives the ruin. These are Angry People, including the highly conflicted Bob Mueller, who worked for Obama for 8 years. They won’t even look at all of the bad acts and crimes on the other side. A TOTAL WITCH HUNT LIKE NO OTHER IN AMERICAN HISTORY!Universities will someday study what highly conflicted (and NOT Senate approved) Bob Mueller and his gang of Democrat thugs have done to destroy people. Why is he protecting Crooked Hillary, Comey, McCabe, Lisa Page & her lover, Peter S, and all of his friends on the other side?The only “Collusion” is that of the Democrats with Russia and many others. Why didn’t the FBI take the Server from the DNC? They still don’t have it. Check out how biased Facebook, Google and Twitter are in favor of the Democrats. That’s the real Collusion!.@FLOTUS Melania and I were honored to visit with our GREAT U.S. MARINES at the Marine Barracks here in Washington, D.C. We love you @USMC @MBWDC! http://bit.ly/2qTbtW2 …It was my great honor to host a @WhiteHouse Conference on Supporting Veterans & Military Families... To everyone here today who has served our Country in uniform, & to every Veteran & Military family across our land, I want to express the eternal gratitude of our entire Nation!Last year, I signed the landmark VA Accountability Act to ensure those who mistreat our Veterans can be held fully accountable. Since my inauguration, we have removed more than 3,600 government employees who were not giving our Vets the care they deserve....It is our sacred duty to support America’s Service Members every single day they wear the uniform – and every day after when they return home as Veterans. Together we will HONOR those who defend us, we will CHERISH those who protect us, and we will celebrate the amazing heroes...SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:OH NO THAT SUCKS: RECOUNT- Judge Denies Request to Extend Recount DeadlineFOX DEFENDS FAKE NEWS JIM ACOSTA. Operation Mockingbird is in full swing. Thanks for showing your colors Fox.BREAKING‼️: Judge rules AGAINST Stacy Abrams Gubernatorial Vote Phishing Scam❗️You have no path to stealing this election and turning Georgia into a Socialist Hellhole❗️ BYE BYE NOW, LOSER❗️Bill and Hillary Clinton tour canceled due to 'poor sales'GOP is auditing Maricopa County over the alleged election fraud.Kamala Harris compares ICE to the KKK🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:Good intentionsNetflix original seriesThese two comments are from the same person. The top one is from 6 weeks ago regarding Kavanaugh, the bottom one is from 6 hours ago regarding Avenatti.Yeah, it's like thatFriday, November 16th:TODAY'S ACTION:President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Appoint Personnel to Key Administration PostPresidential Proclamation on National Family Week, 2018First Lady Melania Trump Joins Brigitte Macron for Armistice Day🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:Today in the East Room of the @WhiteHouse, it was my true privilege to award seven extraordinary Americans with the Presidential Medal of Freedom...People are not being told that the Republican Party is on track to pick up two seats in the U.S. Senate, and epic victory: 53 to 47. The Fake News Media only wants to speak of the House, where the Midterm results were better than other sitting Presidents.PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOMCongratulations to Ron DeSantis on becoming the new Governor of Florida. Against all odds, he fought & fought & fought, the result being a historic victory. He never gave up and never will. He will be a great Governor!Congratulations to Brian Kemp on becoming the new Governor of Georgia. Stacey Abrams fought brilliantly and hard - she will have a terrific political future! Brian was unrelenting and will become a great Governor for the truly Wonderful People of Georgia!Isn’t it ironic that large Caravans of people are marching to our border wanting U.S.A. asylum because they are fearful of being in their country - yet they are proudly waving.... ... ....their country’s flag. Can this be possible? Yes, because it is all a BIG CON, and the American taxpayer is paying for it!Thank you @JerryBrownGov. Look forward to joining you and @GavinNewsom tomorrow in California. We are with you!SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:Nuking your own country. #JustDemocratThingsStacey Abrams Concedes The Georgia Gubernatorial RaceSCOTT, DESANTIS GAIN HUNDREDS OF VOTES IN BROWARD RECOUNT — SO SNIPES TEAM ‘MISSES’ DEADLINE BY 2 MINUTESCBS CORRESPONDENT MAJOR GARRETT SAYS 'IT SHOULD BE NOTED' THAT THE OBAMA WHITE HOUSE 'DEMONIZED' FOX NEWS DAILYTRUMP following judge decision in favor of CNN’s Jim Acosta : “If they don’t listen to the rules & regulations, we’ll end up back in court & we’ll win. But more importantly, we’ll just leave. And then you won’t be very happy.”🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:When our audience is bigger than CNN’s, can r/The_Donald have a press pass?Let's CompareA helpful guide to Eric Swalwell's Policy PositionsSAD BUT TRUE...The left IRLSaturday, November 17th:🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:I can get Nancy Pelosi as many votes as she wants in order for her to be Speaker of the House. She deserves this victory, she has earned it - but there are those in her party who are trying to take it away. She will win! @TomReedCongressSIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:The liberals have been using the same tactics FOR.. EVAAAAAHHH...Teacher in Missouri was told not to come back to school because he thanked students who stood during the Pledge of Allegiance because The students who didn't felt "singled out". It hurt their feelings & they felt bullied.Lindsey Graham poised to head Senate Judiciary Committee. Collective gulp from Dems who recall his warnings. “If I am chairman, next year, I’m going to remember this,” Graham warned the cabal of Democrats who orchestrated the gutless 11th hour ambush of Kavanaugh.Acosta the Accoster is still pushing the depths of how far a human being can shove himself up his own asshole.🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:When your neighbor suffers from TDSThe Online ANTIFAB E N G A R R I S O N: Swalwell's "Legit Nuke"Glad to see the White House preparing for the return of Acosta.WEEEW LAD!Of course, no recap is complete without some tunes to get you jamming through all this winning:Macy's Day ParadeMusta Got LostBuild Me Up ButtercupLowlifeI Can't Help MyselfPiano ManMAGA ON PATRIOTS! #robgray

#robgray