Beau Geste, 2008

Just to demonstrate that interesting, albeit offbeat, content always has a home there, the Times has an article about life for Americans in the French Foreign Legion:

“I am just exhausted,” the gaunt Mr. Baird, 30, said, before faintly uttering in French, “Fatigué, fatigué.” But when asked why he joined the legion a year ago, his eyes lighted up a bit as he described an apparently dreary past life as a truck driver in Virginia.

“I wanted to see the world and learn some French,” he said, as the Russian overseer of the course, Sgt. Sergei Provpolski, barked at him to join other legionnaires on a trot through the jungle.

“There are easier ways to learn French,” said Lt. Col. Daniel Kopecky, an officer in the French Army who was observing Mr. Baird’s predicament.

C'est vrai.

Comments

[Dick C.]

Vous etes un idiot.

[sbw]

Ah, the Times! News you can use!

[vinman]

somehow I can picture Sean Penn as a Legionnaire.

[Soylent Red]

somehow I can picture Sean Penn as a Legionnaire.

I prefer to picture Sean Penn with Legionnaire's Disease.

[matt]

The legionairre's are the only French military worth a damn. Guy must have been really bored, a war junkie, or nuts to sign on with them.

Sean Penn wouldn't last 3 days with them.

[Mumpsimus]

Heh. I like the "grisly legion elders" in the bar. Must have been a horrible sight.

I guess nobody in all those layers of fact-checkers and copy-editors knows the difference between "grisly" and "grizzled."

[kim]

Oh, Peter, I've been reading Cooke on Russell and just thought of a Beau Jeste: We can call the upcoming conference on climate and carbon capping the European No Coal and Steal Plan.
===========================================

[Daddy]

Have been in Paris here the last 4 days. Local TV is big on what they are calling "La Dream Team." That would be the Obama/Clinton Foreign Policy team. From what I see on this side of the pond the honeymoon has begun. It was Mumbai for 3 days, only slightly erased by Brittany Spear's comback, but now its "La Dream Team" as the headline starter at the top of every broadcast. Probably pretty much what you're seeing back home.

[Elliott]

With many thanks to centralcal for the inspiration for this section (and one of the items on this list), we now present some of the best words we've picked up from from Clarice.

The Clarictionary, Letter P, #5: Pettifogging (definition)">http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pettifogging">definition)

[Elliott]

The misdeeds of Clarice's keyboard, #5: "Front funners"

[Elliott]

The Best of Mrs. Hit and Run at JOM, #10: Alert the electors! "Mrs Hit and Run for...President-Elect '08!"

[centralcal]

Oh, Elliott - how phun! Yep, Clarice taught me the mighty word of utter disdain that I use regularly now - PHEH!

[Elliott]

Speaking of which...

The Clarictionary, Letter P, #4: Pheh (h/t Centralcal)

[Elliott]

The misdeeds of Clarice's keyboard, #4: The Devil's Kitchen.

[Jane]

That's great Elliott! You rock.

So does Clarice!

[clarice]

Thank you, Elliott. Now that I'm older, I'll try to type better.

[Elliott]

The Best of Mrs. Hit and Run at JOM, #9: Keeping the fridge stocked.

[MayBee]

Happy Birthday, Clarice!
What would Batman be without Robin?
Or Holmes without Watson?
Our favorite JOM problem solving duo--

The Open Source Topsecretk9 Countdown, #9:
"Don't think it was a leak...
http://justoneminute.typepad.com/main/2006/05/a_complete_stra.html#comment-17527499>Armitage just blabbed to anyone with ears."

[Jane]

I prefer to picture Sean Penn with Legionnaire's Disease.

I think this image will stay with me for a long time.

[MayBee]

The Open Source Topsecretk9 Countdown:
Plame interlude

[Elliott]

The Clarictionary, Letter G, #3: Gimlet (definition)

[Elliott]

The Best of Mrs. Hit and Run at JOM, #8:

Clarice, Rick, and PeterUK:

In the unlikely event you ever run out of ideas, we know someone who can help.

[MayBee]

The Open Source Topsecretk9 Countdown, #8:
Catching MoveOn

[Elliott]

The Clarictionary, Letter P, #3: Pelf (definition)

[Elliott]

The Best of Mrs. Hit and Run at JOM, #7: In case #9 escaped notice.

[Elliott]

The misdeeds of Clarice's keyboard, #3: "...others just palying games with the old drunkk poufter"

[Elliott]

The Best of Mrs. Hit and Run at JOM, #6: "On my life, that is a true story. And I'm a little scared now."

[MayBee]

The Open Source Topsecretk9 Countdown:
Leopold interlude

[Elliott]

The Clarictionary, Letter G, #2: Geshrey (definition)

[MayBee]

The Open Source Topsecretk9 Countdown, #7:

In the book, Confessions of a Spy - the Real Story of Aldrich Ames (Pete Earley), twice Ames denies to Pete giving up all the names of CIA spies in Europe - he says the KGB asked him to compile a list of CIA agents he thought were vulnerable for KGB recruitment and he gave the names of those people he thought were ripe.

Granted, it's Ames, but it is interesting.

Posted by: topsecretk9 | May 30, 2007 at 02:44 PM

[MayBee]

The Open Source Topsecretk9 Countdown:
Wilson interlude

[MayBee]

The Open Source Topsecretk9 Countdown: Wilson National Command
Authority!!! interlude

The Open Source Topsecretk9 Countdown: National Command Authority!!! Very Important Hair interlude

The Open Source Topsecretk9 Countdown: Very Important Hair "Is your name really Valerie?" interlude

[Elliott]

The Clarictionary, Letter P, #2: Potemkin.*
___________________
*The judges have taken into consideration the fact that others at JOM were tossing this one around before Clarice, but, as it was the title of her memorable and illuminating articles that seared this word in their memories, they have determined it qualifies for inclusion.

[MayBee]

The Open Source Topsecretk9 Countdown, #6:
The Memory Hole

[Elliott]

The Best of Mrs. Hit and Run, at JOM #5: Anyone mention a fridge?

[hit and run]

Thank you to Elliott for sharing with me all of the things that hit and run has said about me. Some of it is true. Especially the parts about bringing him beer and the AK-47.

Though hit lied. I AM a hell of a shot.

[MayBee]

The Open Source Topsecretk9 Countdown, #5:

Unclassified summary of WMD

Here is the email exchange I had with the Stars and Stripes reporter 2 years ago, about a story he did on found Sarin (in Stars and Stripes -- I see if I can dig up the original story it was around May 26, 2004) Obviously this is just his side of the email exchange...I just asked if he had a follow-up..

-- “Boyd, Terry” <> wrote: --- “Boyd, Terry” > wrote: > > > > > > I’m working on it. I’m having a difficult time figuring out who actually has the shells. I believe the shells contained Serin just by the descriptions from soldiers. Which would be a big deal. But no one has sent final word back to 1st Cav, as far as I can find out. > > > > I’m going to Black Jack tomorrow from Baghdad, so I’ll know more then. You’ll be the first to know! > > > > Thanks Terry > Dear xxx, > > Sorry, I got caught up in flying from Iraq back home > to Germany and forgot > to tell you what I found out. I went back to see the > D Troop guys last > Thursday. They told me then that they’d gotten some > sort of form telling > them the shells tested positive for both Sarin and > mustard gas (I think > that’s phosphene.) So, it is quite a story. Since > I’m out, I’m forwarding > the info to our reporter replacing me, Charlie Coon. > > I’ll let you know more as Charlie digs on this. > > Thanks > > Terry

Posted by: topsecretk9 | June 21, 2006 at 09:25 PM

[mrs hit and run]

Ooops. That was me!

[clarice]

Elliott, Mrs. H & R..I am impressed with both of you.

[Elliott]

mrs hit and run,

Hello! And Happy Birthday! And, continuing...

The Best of Mrs. Hit and Run at JOM, #4: 18 months later we are still speechless

[Elliott]

The misdeeds of Clarice's keyboard, #2: Third time's a charm.

[Elliott]

The Clarictionary, Letter G, #1: Gormless (definition)

[Elliott]

The Best of Mrs. Hit and Run at JOM, #3: Keeping morale high

[MayBee]

The Open Source Topsecretk9 Countdown, #4:

compare and contrast the CIA's response of Martinez to Plame, Plame, the NYT's said, was akin to revealing troop movements and warranted a Special Prosecutor:

Martinez hired a Washington super-lawyer, Robert Bennett, to plead his case. With the story two days from publication, Gen. Michael Hayden, the C.I.A. director, called Bill Keller, The Times’s executive editor. Keller said Hayden acknowledged that he did not know of any specific threat to Martinez or of any Qaeda hit list. But Hayden said that naming Martinez could subject him to harassment or even put him in danger. Keller said, “I had this impression that he was doing it out of respect for Martinez’s and his family’s concerns more than a concern the C.I.A. had.”

and

Harlow, the CIA spokesperson, though confirming Plame's employment, asked Novak to withhold her name, stating that 'although it is very unlikely that she will ever be on another overseas mission . . . it might be embarrassing if she goes on foreign travel on her own'

Posted by: Topsecretk9 | July 07, 2008 at 03:01 PM

[Ann]

Elliott, you are amazing!

I always get a kick out of the "Recent Comments" section at JOM. If you see Clarice post twice in the same thread, you know she is correcting a typo!

JOM, would not be the same without her. We ♥ Clarice.

[Elliott]

The Clarictionary, Letter P, #1: Pistolas.

[Elliott]

The Best of Mrs. Hit and Run at JOM, #2: Skilled interrogator

[Elliott]

The signature entry of the Clarictionary: Niters.

[MayBee]

The Open Source Topsecretk9 Countdown, #3 (i.e., the Tops' "dossier"):

I hope you work for the CIA or the FBI. You are amazing!

No Ann!

Didn't you get the Larry Johnson memo on me?

I'm an undercover Defense Intelligence agent working undercover at Diebold - not the housewife soccer mom.

I'm not sure if I was supposed to having been working undercover for DIA or for Diebold or both or whatever, since Diebold is supposed to be evil it's not clear why DIA would have an undercover infiltrating them since they are supposed to be on the same team...my head hurts again.

But then again Larry said before he decided I was a DIA agent, it was evident I was a junior school drop-out 18 year old who flipped burgers.

Posted by: Topsecretk9 | April 21, 2008 at 01:12 AM

[MayBee]

The Open Source Topsecretk9 Countdown:
Assessment of JOM analysts.

[Elliott]

The misdeeds of Clarice's keyboard, #1: This will be hard to top.

[MayBee]

The Open Source Topsecretk9 Countdown, #2: Intelligence stovepiping in action.

[Elliott]

The Best of Mrs. Hit and Run at JOM, #1: How else could she have become Mrs. Hit and Run?

[MayBee]

The Open Source Topsecretk9 Countdown,The JOM consensus estimate: "Tops is the best."

[MayBee]

Finally, for our beloved birthday girl--
The Open Source Topsecretk9 Countdown, #1: The Third Avenue Memo:

Ya'll think it interesting that ACORN, Project VOTE and The NEW Party share the same address? 88 Third Avenue, Third Floor Brooklyn, NY 11217

--------

ACORN Falls Close To Tree-----Eyebrows were raised last week by a fundraising invitation sent by the Friends Of Bill de Blasio. de Blasio, who managed Hillary Clinton's Senate campaign, held the December 7 event to fund his run for the 39th Councilmanic District seat.

The invitation listed the committee's address as 88 Third Avenue, which may be familiar to some as the address for the community group ACORN. The contact on the invitation was Kara Hood, an ACORN political organizer. One insider thought that the connection between the candidate and the community group was too tight, and could imply that ACORN's stance on community issues was politicized. "That's a little too close for comfort for me," he said.

http://tinyurl.com/4hodkn

-----------

Project Vote
88 Third Avenue, Third Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11217
US
Domain Name: PROJECTVOTE.ORG

http://tinyurl.com/3l7jh2

-------

The New Party is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Women and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

To apply: Send resume, five references, and a letter of interest to: New Party, 88 Third Avenue, Ste 313, Brooklyn, NY 11217. If possible, please also e-mail letter and resume to [email protected].

88 Third Avenue, Suite 313
Brooklyn, NY 11217
email: [email protected]
phone: 1-800-200-1294

© 1997, The New Party

http://tinyurl.com/4hm4d9

---------------------------------------

[JM Hanes]

Sure am missin' you Tops! Hope you and little Tops are having good times. Happy Birthday & XOX.

[JM Hanes]

Tops is quite a wonder, isn't she MayBee? I think of her as a sort of super sleuth crime fighter who swoops in from time to time to clue us in and then heads back out to track the dragons.

[sbw]

Props to all who make this possible.

This retrospective is the Best Thread Evah!

[sophy]

Welcome to our game world, my friend asks me to buy some Hellgate London gold .