Some years ago Besoeker posted this poem in the comments on Thanksgiving Day. This year, with all the important things going on in the world, I’ve decided to be grateful for the small pleasures that are the reason we pay attention to the big stuff.
Thanksgiving
by Edgar A. Guest (1881-1959)
Gettin' together to smile an' rejoice,
An' eatin' an' laughin' with folks of your choice;
An' kissin' the girls an' declarin' that they
Are growin' more beautiful day after day;
Chattin' an' braggin' a bit with the men,
Buildin' the old family circle again;
Livin' the wholesome an' old-fashioned cheer,
Just for awhile at the end of the year.
Greetings fly fast as we crowd through the door
And under the old roof we gather once more
Just as we did when the youngsters were small;
Mother's a little bit grayer, that's all.
Father's a little bit older, but still
Ready to romp an' to laugh with a will.
Here we are back at the table again
Tellin' our stories as women an' men.
Bowed are our heads for a moment in prayer;
Oh, but we're grateful an' glad to be there.
Home from the east land an' home from the west,
Home with the folks that are dearest an' best.
Out of the sham of the cities afar
We've come for a time to be just what we are.
Here we can talk of ourselves an' be frank,
Forgettin' position an' station an' rank.
Give me the end of the year an' its fun
When most of the plannin' an' toilin' is done;
Bring all the wanderers home to the nest,
Let me sit down with the ones I love best,
Hear the old voices still ringin' with song,
See the old faces unblemished by wrong,
See the old table with all of its chairs
An' I'll put soul in my Thanksgivin' prayers.
#1
Thank you TW for remembering to post this poem. Thank you besoeker for finding it. We’re in Seattle right now for thanksgiving. Despite all the entropy of these days of modern times we do have a lot of blessings to count. Happy thanksgiving Rantburgers.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/28/2019 13:19 Comments ||
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#2
Happy Thanksgiving! Today is about Family, even the ones you'd happy take out back and shoot. They are still family and today is a day that we all sit down at the table for a meal and fellowship. I never plan on dealing with politics or any of the family dramas that crop up, because I hope that today, everyone will be nice. Today I will hope, despite my view that most people are scum. Today everyone gets a chance. Those of you not at home, safe journeys and for those in the field for our great nation, thank you and stay safe.
#3
Thank you Fred and TW and Besoeker and all of you'se fir all you do. Rantburg is a ray of sanity in this 'burger's life. I'm grateful to have it. Best to all and
Happy Thanksgiving!
l.
United States Army General and the 20th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley introduces the 45th President of the United States @realDonaldTrump at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/uMRA5t5yyk
#4
Heh! He even has impressed brainwashed the troops overseas! The poor dears, can't they understand what a great terrible President he is?!?
[sarc off]
#8
My Air Force son, who was deployed to Afghanistan this year, was not impressed. Trump went to Bagram base, rather than someplace more dangerous.
Dude, the president of the US is NOT going to go into an active combat zone.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
11/28/2019 20:24 Comments ||
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#9
"President Joltin' Joe Biden would, shirtless, driving an armored Pontiac Trans-Am with a T-roof, steering with his foot while gunning down Talibunnies".
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/28/2019 22:05 Comments ||
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[ToloNews] In Sar-e-Pul ...a city and eponymous province in northern Afghanistan, population about 500,000. Demographically it is majority Tadjik and Uzbek. There are small Pashtun, Arab, and Hazara communities, of which the Hazaras mostly don't bother anyone... province, 13 civilians were maimed in a boom-mobile explosion.
According to the local officials, the earth-shattering kaboom happened after the Taliban ...Arabic for students... were trying to move a car full of explosives to the center of the province.
13 civilians were maimed in a boom-mobile explosion in Sar-e-Pul province, said Noor Agha Faizi, front man for the Sar-e-Pul police.
It occurred around 4:00 pm as the Taliban were moving the car from Sayyad district to the center of Sar-e-Pul province, according to the front man.
[ToloNews] Seven Taliban ...mindless ferocity in a turban... were maimed in the fighting in Marjah, according to officials.
At least 17 Taliban were killed during a 10-day clearing operation in Marjah district, which is in the southern province of Helmand ...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan... , local military officials said on Wednesday.
"Most parts of the district have been cleared of murderous Moslems," said Gen. Hokum Khan, a military commander of 205th Atal military corps, who said "the district was surrounded by Taliban gunnies over the past four years, and equipment had to be brought in to the security forces by air."
"Now the security forces have broken the Taliban’s encirclement and the operation will continue in the district to clear all murderous Moslems," he said.
Local officials confirmed that the district has been surrounded by the Taliban over the past four years and "all the highways were blocked to military convoys,"
The Afghan forces have also been supported by Afghan air forces, officials added.
The Ministry of Defense in a statement on Wednesday said that the two gunnies were killed in an Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... in the ongoing operation.
The Taliban has not commented on the operation.
[KhaamaPress] Separate Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s killed three Talibs in southern Kandahar and Helmand ...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan... provinces, the military officials said Wednesday.
The officials further added an airstrike in Maiwand district of Kandahar killed a fighter of Taliban ...Arabic for students... group.
An airstrike in Marjah district of Helmand province killed two fighters of the group, the officials added.
Meanwhile, ...back at the barn, Bossy's udder had begun to ache... the Ministry of Defense in a statement said the airstrike in Maiwand district of Kandahar killed 5 Talibs and maimed 3 others.
The statement further added that the airstrike in Marjah district of Helmand killed 8 Talibs and destroyed a cycle of violence, some weapons and munitions.
The Taliban group has not commented regarding the airstrikes so far.
[KhaamaPress] The Afghan Special Forces ...established in 2007 with the intent of taking one conventional infantry kandak (battalion) from each of the regional ANA corps, giving them special training and equipment, and reorganizing based on the U.S. Army Rangers. Each battalion is assigned to one of the six regional corps. The commandos comprise 7% of the Afghan National Security Forces but conduct 70% to 80% of the fighting... killed 13 Talibs and arrested 5 others during the operations in Kabul and four other provinces in the past 24 hours.
The military officials said Wednesday the Special Forces killed 5 Talibs and destroyed a small cache of weapons in Alisheng district of Laghman ...Afghan province with a population of about 445,600, which is multi-ethnic and mostly a rural society. During the invasions of Alexander the Great, the area was known as Lampaka, wich is apparently Olde Macedonian for Laghman.The city of Mihtarlam serves as the bucolic capital of the province. The population is half Pashtun, the remainder Tadjik and Pashai. It had a repution for great wealth until it was conquered in the tenth century by Abu Mansur Sabuktigin.
He conquered it and set fire to the places in its vicinity which were inhabited by infidels, and demolishing the idol-temples, he established Islam in them, He marched and captured other cities and killed the polluted wretches, destroying the idolatrous and gratifying the Musulmans. After wounding and killing beyond all measure, his hands and those of his friends became cold in counting the value of the plundered property.
After that it was mostly notable for the production of dirt, rocks, and holy men... The officials further added that the Special Forces killed 2 Talibs and destroyed a small cache of weapons in a similar raid in Pul-e Alam district of Helmand ...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan... The Special Forces arrested 2 Talibs during a raid in Matun district of Khost, the officials said, adding that the Special Forces arrested another Taliban ...the Pashtun equivalent of men... hard boy during a raid in Kabul.
The officials also added that the Special Forces killed 6 Talibs, arrested 2 others and destroyed a cache of weapons during a raid in Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand.
The Taliban group has not commented regarding the operations so far.
[KhaamaPress] An explosion killed 15 civilians and wounded 2 others in northern Kunduz province of Afghanistan, the security officials said.
Nasrat Rahimi, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior said a vehicle struck a Taliban roadside bomb at around 5 pm local time in Imam Saheb district.
Rahimi further added that the explosion killed 15 civilians and wounded 2 others.
Meanwhile, the provincial government in a statement said the civilians were on their way from Khanabad district to Imam Sahib district to participate in a wedding ceremony.
The statement further added that the explosion killed 15 civilians including 6 women, a man and 6 young girls and 2 children.
The Taliban group has not commented regarding the incident so far.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/28/2019 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11131 views]
Top|| File under: Taliban
As a result of overnight search operation, GCPSU discovered & seized an ammunition cache containing 50 heavy rounds, 20 various types of land mines & some amount of military equipment & hand grenades in Dara-e-Hazara region, Maidan Shahr City of Maidan Wardak. pic.twitter.com/kYpPaQryAI
ANP bomb disposal unit discovered and neutralized two roadside bombs, planted by terrorists in Ghazni City of Ghazni province. pic.twitter.com/7SrHUuJVxj
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Air strikes halted production at Libya's 70,000 barrel per day (bpd) al-Feel oilfield on Wednesday, the National Oil Corporation said, as eastern-based forces retaliated after a rival group took control of the field.
The fighting reignites a conflict for control of large oilfields in southwestern Libya between competing military alliances that are also battling on the outskirts of the capital, Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... "There have been air strikes at the gates of the al-Feel oilfield and inside a housing compound at the field used by NOC personnel," NOC Chairman Mustafa Sanalla said in a statement.
"Production will remain shuttered until military activity ceases and all military personnel withdraw from NOC's area of operations."
The eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Khalifa Haftar ...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy, so it's kind of hard to describe him as a Qadaffy holdover. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all... , said its jets had launched air strikes "at the perimeter of al- Feel oilfield targeting the positions of gangs that attacked the field."
Earlier on Wednesday, forces aligned with the internationally recognized government in Tripoli had claimed control of al-Feel following festivities.
Some members of the forces posted videos or photos on social media appearing to show them at the field.
Libya's oil production has been repeatedly disrupted in recent years by conflict and blockades, but is currently relatively stable at about 1.25 million bpd.
As noted by The Washington Post, the Florida man was mad at Miami Dade College and Broward College ‐ he’d been suspended from the former and expelled from the other.
So the 23-year-old allegedly met with ISIS members to plan attacks on the schools.
Sounds like a super sound terroristic tactic.
But he hit a snag: The ISIS guys were, in fact, undercover agents for the FBI.
Therefore, he’s been charged with soliciting another person to commit a crime of violence.
Posted by: Besoeker ||
11/28/2019 02:44 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11126 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
#1
Not a real Florida Man. Wannabe shit-bag. It takes inventiveness, uniqueness and bewildering obstinacy to be Florida Man. Or unseen bravado, wisdom or lack thereof .
This is just a regular islamic asshole who shoulda been shot the moment he grew that beard.
I propose "What happens in Florida may remain in Florida or flee to Georgia, Alabama or as far as Mississippi or Louisiana, depending on the take and or the severity of the crime."
Weeks from my second anniversary of moving here I know damn well I am years away from being able to claim to be "Florida Man" (in the good sense) but I'm working on it every day. Wish I'd have started 10 years ago.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
11/28/2019 9:03 Comments ||
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#7
Well, as the star shows, I can at least get on a plane next year. People from PeeAye may be ridin' the dog (what my college roommate called his summertime employer, Greyhound Lines) Or maybe they won't be eligible for that either. Would serve them right...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
11/28/2019 10:51 Comments ||
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#8
Oh, above meant graphic. As an old time ink stained wretch, graf means something entirely else to me. Sorry.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
11/28/2019 11:00 Comments ||
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#9
And. Chubby tough boy in the first post sure as hell ain't Florida Man.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
11/28/2019 11:17 Comments ||
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If compensation is paid to 800 families, that means the government has killed since October 1st a 800 protester not 300! Names and numbers most be exposed! https://t.co/RgYqO2Q19X
At least 10 ISIS fighters have escaped the prison. All security forces in Mosul have launched a manhunt to find them and issued red alert. All bridges and streets have blocked.
The government negligence of Mosul, the militia domination of the political and economical situation, and demographic change will not only lead to prison breakouts. Further mayhem is only waiting to erupt. https://t.co/4H57HQahkD
Posted by: Fred ||
11/28/2019 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11128 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
#1
mow them down
Posted by: chris ||
11/28/2019 10:28 Comments ||
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#2
I hope the Kurds have learnt their lesson now. It is no use fulfilling stupid, unreasonable Geneva and NATO conventions or feeling obliged to preserve altruistic propriety in dealing with these creatures. When you most need it, the western world doesn't give a fuck about you and you better kill that sasquatch while you still can.
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Protesters blocked roads with burning tires in southern Iraq and clashed with police in Baghdad on Wednesday, aiming to use economic disruption as leverage to push the government from power and root out state corruption.
Security forces rubbed out two people in Karbala overnight and two in Baghdad on Wednesday, while a fifth person died from gunfire by security forces during protests in the southern oil capital of Basra.
Demonstrators prevented babus babus government employees getting to work in Basra by installing concrete barriers painted as mock-up coffins of relatives killed in weeks of unrest, a Rooters witness said.
Young, mostly Shia protesters say politicians are corrupt and blame them for Iraq’s failure to recover from decades of conflict and sanctions despite two years of relative calm following the defeat of ISIS.
Government reform has amounted to little more than a handful of state jobs for graduates, stipends for the poor and pledges of election reform which politicians have barely begun to discuss.
Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi expressed concern over both the violence and the financial toll of unrest late on Tuesday, but mostly blamed unidentified saboteurs for the damage.
"There have been deaders among protesters and security forces, many maimed and arrested ... we’re trying to identify mistakes" made by security forces in trying to put down the protests, he told a televised cabinet meeting.
"The blocking of ports has cost billions of dollars," he said.
Protesters have blocked traffic into Iraq’s main commodities port near Basra this month and tried to surround the Central Bank in Baghdad, apparently bent on causing economic disruption where calls for removal of the government have failed.
Almost unbelievable - #Iranian consulate burned to the ground by #Iraqi protestors in Najaf. After setting it on fire, they blocked firefighters from putting it out. Diplomats believed evacuated weeks ago. This kind of anger won't be extinguished by wrangling over election law.
[IRANINTL] Recently a video has been circulating in social media where citizens of Baneh in Iranian Kurdistan province are riding children tricycles to mock the petrol price hike a man in the video is seen to say from now on people would have to commute using tricycles. In only two days, this ironic protest turned into a massive crackdown where tens of people bit the dust as a result of police and security forces’ shootings in Kurdistan.
On Tuesday, November 19, Amnesia Amnesty International reported their research results according to which at least 106 people have bit the dust during the recent protests in 21 Iranian cities. The report also shows that 44 people, about half of the casualties, were in Kurdish provinces of Kermanshah, Kurdistan and West Azerbaijan.
Nine dead bodies have already been identified in the border city of Mariwan, where a video has been published of the blood being shed on streets. Reports say that the number of dead people in the city is far greater than what the media claim.
In an interview with ISNA, Artikas Eqbal, the governor of Mariwan, commented on this and said the statistics lie about the death of 15 people during the recent unrest in Mariwan, but they are not authorized to give out more information as the Public Relations of the State Government Council will hold blurb on this.
A video distributed in social media shows security forces shooting at people from the roof of the Ministry of Justice building in the small city of Javanrood in Kermanshah, where according to Amnesia Amnesty International, 14 people have been killed. Eyewitnesses have reported on the death of an old deaf man who was killed not by bullets but by repeated blows of a gunstock.
The massacre of people in Mariwan and Jawanrood happened in spite of what independent journalists and civil activists in Kurdistan witnessed; the protests were peaceful and the police and security forces were the instigators of violence.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/28/2019 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[11132 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Sixteen people were arrested in connection to violent incidents that took place Tuesday night in several Lebanese regions, said the Lebanese Armed Forces on Twitter.
Public property was vandalized in the northern city of Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... , as well as several banks, and a building belonging to one of the political parties, according to a statement released by the army on Wednesday.
The statement also said that 33 soldiers were maimed by Molotov cocktails and stones which were thrown at the soldiers. A grenade that didn’t explode was also thrown.
Several cycle of violences were confiscated after being left behind by those who expeditiously departed at a goodly pace, added the statement.
Meanwhile in other regions of the country, over 18 soldiers were maimed by stones and physical altercations while attempting to restore order and reopen several roads.
Order has been restored in various areas throughout Leb, said the statement. An investigation has been initiated into the detainees under the supervision of a special judiciary.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/28/2019 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11129 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran Proxies
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Iranian security agents arrested at least eight people linked to the US Central Intelligence Agency during last week’s unrest over gasoline price hikes, the official news agency IRNA reported on Wednesday.
"These elements had received CIA-funded training in various countries under the cover of becoming citizen-journalists," IRNA quoted the Intelligence Ministry as saying.
"Six were arrested while attending the riots and carrying out (CIA) orders and two while trying to ... send information abroad."
Posted by: Fred ||
11/28/2019 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[11129 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...Arabic for 
...
...
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy, so it's kind of hard to describe him as a Qadaffy holdover. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all...
[Red State] Salman Rashid is in big trouble.
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Protesters blocked roads with burning tires in southern Iraq and clashed with police in Baghdad on Wednesday, aiming to use economic disruption as leverage to push the government from power and root out state corruption.
