If Words Have Meaning, or, The Politicization Of Everything

Control the words, control the debate! Did Orwell say that, or just think it out loud? Moving on - here is the NY Times Friday front-pager on the terror attack in Paris:

Paris Shootout Leaves Police Officer and Gunman Dead

By ALISSA J. RUBIN, AURELIEN BREEDEN and BENOÎT MORENNE  APRIL 20, 2017

PARIS — A gunman wielding an assault rifle on Thursday night killed a police officer on the city’s most iconic boulevard, the Champs-Élysées, stirring France’s worst fears of a terrorist attack, which could tip voting in a hotly contested presidential election that starts on Sunday.

The gunman was shot dead by the police as he tried to flee on foot; two other police officers and a bystander were wounded. The police quickly blocked access to the crowded thoroughfare, lined with restaurants and high-end stores, as a helicopter hovered overhead.

Ok, ghastly, lots of implications, but on behalf of gun enthusiasts everywhere let me pick on a detail of vital interest to few - what kind of a weapon did the terrorist actually use? More specifically, when the NY Times says "assault rifle"do they actually mean a military style weapon with full automatic or burst capability? Or do they hope to create the same blurred line with their readership that I expect is present in many (but not all!) Times reporters and editors, not to mention their progressive readership.

Even PolitFact acknowledged a difference between "weapon of war" and the civilian version thereof. In the context of the US national weapons debate, "assault weapons" were defined by legislation in 1994, as the Times well knows. They have also noted that the "assault weapon" debate in this country is, well, mostly BS. The have even run a cool graphic noting that the Sandy Hook shooter used a legal "non-assault rifle"; CT adopted as state law the Federal 1994 ban and never repealed it.

On the other hand, the failing NY Times rarely passes on an opportunity to promote their views. On the third hand, terrorists in Europe seem to have easy access to full automatic weapons. So what happened here?

The Washington Post quite sensibly did not lead with a description of the weapon but eventually got to this, in paragraph eleven:

PARIS — A gunman opened fire on French police Thursday on Paris’s best-known boulevard, killing one officer and wounding two others before being fatally shot himself in an incident that raised the specter of renewed terrorism just three days before voters go to the polls to elect a new president.

...

According to Christophe Crépin, a spokesman for the UNSA Police Union, the gunman opened fire on the police with an AK-47 assault rifle, targeting officers who were near a Marks and Spencer store on the corner of the busy avenue.

The AK-47 may be the most widely used gun in the world and is (or ought to be) easily recognized as a true weapon of war.

The LA Times led with "gunman" and got to the unambiguous "automatic weapon" in paragraph three. 

So of these three, only the Times went with the ambiguous "assault rifle". Truth is their defense but ambiguity and politicization are probably their goal.

ERRATA: An example of the conflation and confusion of assault weapon is at Fox News (say what?!?) in Baltimore (ahh!!) on the 'known wolf' problem:

From France to the U.S. terrorists 'known to authorities' carry out deadly attacks

WASHINGTON (Sinclair Broadcast Group) — In recent years, a troubling pattern has emerged in the wake of terrorist attacks, reports that national intelligence or security forces had the suspected terrorist under surveillance, or in some cases in custody, but let that individual go, only to find that person commit a horrible atrocity.

...

That is a challenge not only facing French authorities, but Americans as well. In just the past year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) came under tough public scrutiny when it failed to prevent three high-profile terrorist attacks despite previous knowledge of the suspects.

The attacker at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Omar Mateen was probed for possible terror ties, but still allowed to purchase an assault weapon which he used in the deadly June 2016 attack.

The Orlando weapon was a Sig Sauer MCX semiautomatic that might well meet the definition of "assault weapon" under the old Federal law or current state ones. Whatever.

 

Comments

[Jack is Back!]

Primo.

[Threadkiller]

Last page:

http://justoneminute.typepad.com/main/2017/04/if-words-have-meaning-or-the-politicization-of-everything/comments/page/8/#comments

[narciso]

Its going to be a bumpy ride:

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10262/france-a-guide-to-the-presidential-elections

[The Infamous Ignatz]

Why talk about who, how or why when you can divert everyone with what?

[Jack is Back!]

Why do TM and others keep pushing this meme on how the press handles "gun porn" as if they would give a carp even if they knew all the technicals in expert detail. Has nothing to do with the semantics and accuracy of detail but with the "narrative" that has to consistenly fit the "agenda".

This has nothing to do with efficacy of facts or understanding of gun minutae but rather with a constant political manifestation of guns=bad; pepsi=good.

[narciso]

released cop killer, murders in the heart of France, too judgemental?

[Threadkiller]

Natural-born citizen = citizen

#Words

[narciso]

Similar to this story

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6329595&postID=6001056047818369291&bpli=1

[David, Infamous Deplorable]

Assault rifle — a selective fire, detachable magazine fed weapon, usually chambered for a cut-down version of a full battle rifle cartridge. The original assault rifle was the StG 44 which was chambered for the 7.92x33 mm cartridge, a shortened version of the 7.92x57 mm cartridge used in the Mauser bolt-action rifle that was the standard issue to soldiers in the Wehrmacht. The reason that the Germans developed the StG 44 was because they discovered that the vast majority of combat took place at under 400 m, and the standard cartridge was way overpowered for the job it was supposed to do. By making the cartridge smaller, that allowed soldiers to carry more of them, and then they put the whole thing in an automatic weapon. The idea was to duplicate the firepower of a submachine gun, but have it accurate at ranges of up to 400 m.

The war ended before they could get the StG 44 into really wide circulation, but the AK-47 is almost a direct knock-off of the design. Not so much of the specifics of the weapon, but of the concept. The Russians made it cheaper, easier to use, and impervious to dirt, mud, abuse, and stupid users. The AK-47 is one of the most robust rifles in the world.

The M-16 and the AK-74 aren't technically "assault rifles," because they don't use an intermediate cartridge like the StG 44 and the AK-47. However, the concept has been expanded to include smaller caliber rounds that fulfill the original design of the intermediate cartridges—lighter ammunition with sub-par ultra long range performance, to allow the soldiers to carry more bullets and still be effective in the closer range of combat.

That is the definition and history of "assault rifle." An "assault weapon" is a "gun that has something scary and black on it that I don't like."

David

[David, Infamous Deplorable]

An interesting parenthetical to this huge dissertation: There has been a lot of pushback recently on the decisions to go with smaller, subcaliber rounds like the 5.56 mm used in the M-16. It turns out that while the Germans were correct that most of their combat took place at less than 400 m, that turns out not to be the case when you are fighting in places like Afghanistan and Iraq, where the distances are much longer. There was a very interesting 75 page monograph entitled "Taking back the Infantry Half-Kilometer," which has really nasty things to say about our current crop of weapons and ammunition given the longer ranges of combat that occur in Afghanistan.

David

[henry]

That reminds me... great weather for a bit of Earth Day target practice! OK, I will chain saw a few martyr trees to Gaia first. But then I'm shooting stuff.

[Hammurabi]

http://www.covertbookreport.com/the-crimes-of-j-p-morgan/

.

[lyle]

My filthy, Gaia-hating, capitalist SUV has been idling in my driveway since midnight. No, I'm not going anywhere...

[Hammurabi]

Remote start fart
Hackers can smoke you.

[The Infamous Ignatz]

The biggest problems for anything beyond about 200 meters are wind doping, hold over and vision.
A high ballistic coefficient 223 bullet is no more deflected by wind than a larger caliber one.
The 223 rounds are generally higher velocity than larger rounds and are therefore generally easier to compensate for bullet drop.
Iron sights are not very effective for shooting over 200 yards. Hitting anything at 300 yards or beyond with iron sights, especially in non-sniper combat, is mostly a matter of luck.

[lyle]

I think we can all be grateful that the world's volcanoes have agreed to stop spewing ash dangerous CO2 for the day in honor of communism Gaia, yes?

[lyle]

Doesn't the 223 round at some distance start to tumble, Ig?

[Jack is Back!]

Imagine how difficult it is for the sheep in New Zealand to hold back on farting today.

[Hammurabi]

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/04/21/us/democrats-gerrymander-supreme-court.html?_r=1&referer=https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/">https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/">https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/04/21/us/democrats-gerrymander-supreme-court.html?_r=1&referer=https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/

.

[Hammurabi]

JIB..

Howz the saltwater treating your landscape?

[Hammurabi]

FLA:

"Water everywhere, not a drop to drink:

[The Infamous Ignatz]

lyle, no.
It like all bullets eventually falls to the ground at the end of it's parabolic arc.
One theory in adopting it was its smaller diameter would lead to more survivable wounds and fewer mortal ones. It was also presumed the smaller caliber, higher velocity bullet would be more likely to tumble once it entered the human body. This is largely not true. All bullets can take odd paths when they expend their energy in a target. Because of their higher velocity and smaller mass 223 bullets may be somewhat more prone to yaw in flesh or fragment than a higher momentum larger caliber but they all can and do deflect and or fragment.

[Perre Pendre]

How iconic can the Champs Elysées be if you have to tell your readers it's iconic which assumes they don't know it's iconic? How do three NYT reporters know what fears, if any, were stirred in 65 million French people by the incident and assert them as a fact in the intro? Were people phoning the NYT office from under their beds? Seems the Times can turn even real news into fake news.

[Hammurabi]

The gunman was a proxy fascist ensuring La Pen is elected.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://www.city-journal.org/html/french-coming-apart-15125.html

Highly recommend reading this. I posted it at the end of the last thread, but want to make sure you guys get a chance to see it.

Remarkable description of conditions in france, and very similar to conditions in the US prior to November's election.

[narciso]

The rarely give callimachi, their Islamic state expert the by line, now this guy was a thug like the one in ahia, Fresno, Philadelphia, the big Apple well you see the problem.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Dan Scavino Jr. and 3 others liked
Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump 29m29 minutes ago

Getting ready to visit Walter Reed Medical Center with Melania. Looking forward to seeing our bravest and greatest Americans!

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

RALLY!!

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump 25m25 minutes ago

Next Saturday night I will be holding a BIG rally in Pennsylvania. Look forward to it!

[lyle]

Great 12:20 link, MM.

[Hammurabi]

Trump: draft dodger x 3.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/22/trump-rally-100-day-white-house-correspondents-dinner-237483

The SAME NIGHT!!! I just love this!

[Hammurabi]

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/22/trump-rally-100-day-white-house-correspondents-dinner-237483

Certainly he'll see a crowd of thousands as an 8 share and the dinner as a sprinkling.

[narciso]

The pegster takes up joni' s cri Dr. Curd, but what exactly has the Senate been doing, crickets.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

narciso,

I actually understood your last post entirely!!

Ms. Noonan has dined out on writing a speech or two for Reagan for years. Alas, she has lost contact with the average American, and apparently she hasn't made the connection that Mar-a-Lago is probably more secure than the White House for communications and meetings.

Interestingly, yesterday there was a poster from Canada (BC I think) who is a Trump fan and got so mad that SHE called Joni Ernst's office and explained that there were lots of fans of Trump in Canada and they didn't appreciate her making those comments! HA!

Man, when you PO Canadians you are really stepping in it!!

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

The poster was on Conservative Treehouse.

[daddy]

97% of Atmospheric Scientists think Germans carrying assault rifles like to march in the shade of Paris's most iconic boulevard.

Other than "Good Morning" did i miss anything?

[pagar, a bacon, ham and sausage supporter]

MM@12:54!

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

daddy,

Yes. Trump has a rally in Pennsylvania next Saturday, at the exact same time as the White House Correspondents Dinner.

Much whining going on on Twitter by the way.

Bwahahahaha!

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

This is what I love about President Trump. Other GOP presidents, even if they had planned a rally (which they never would) would have checked the schedule and said "Oh, no. Can't conflict with THAT! It would upset them and we don't want that!"

Trump says, "Those SOB's have attacked my family, my staff, and me for the last 100 days. They are liars and they make Sean Spicer's life miserable. I think I will make sure their dinner is even more marginalized. PRIEBUS! Get me my MAGA HAT! We're going to Pennsylvania to talk to the people!!"

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/04/22/gas-stations-in-north-koreas-main-city-restrict-services-speculation-that-china-is-reducing-supply.html

[Hammurabi]

Oops.

Make that draft dodger x's 5

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/08/02/us/politics/donald-trump-draft-record.html

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/candidates/democrat/clinton/skeletons/draft.shtml

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/21/marine-le-pen-gets-poll-boost-paris-attack-donald-trump-says/

[Man Tran]

Iggy,

Not only does the .223 get the job done under most conditions (I certainly wouldn't try to drop big game with it), your eye barely loses registry through the scope and someone small, like Mrs MT doesn't even notice the recoil.

Side note, even though I have several 30 rd. mags, I always shoot with the 10 rounder to avoid the nuisance of the dang thing obstructing decent shooting positions.

[Hammurabi]

At least this Red Stater knows that bringing reproach on Jesus is worse than being a heathen. He says Trump is the wurst.

http://www.redstate.com/diary/clconnett/2016/05/16/yes-dear-christian-antichrist/

[Hammurabi]

I mean, really!

What are your Core values?

Clique acceptance?

[daddy]

What it's like to eat dinner at the same restaurant as the Obamas

As we all know, the Obamas have impeccable taste in food...

I had no idea that eating dog on a stick was indicative of impeccable taste in food.

97% of Atmospheric Scientists think these Michelle Obama "Healthy School Lunch Menu selections show impeccable taste in food:

Impeccable!

[Hammurabi]

Airline food. When you can get it AND afford it..lol

[Hammurabi]

My crucible was a round trip to the Carolinas. (Urge to kill)

Next up. Ebay bidding on group 1-4 so you can get on before all the overhead is full.

Fuckers.

[Frau Edith Steingehirn]

Easy-peasy
SOB x's 5

[Jack is Back!]

Frau,

Einige Leute glauben, dass sie in Carnegie Hall spielen und jeder Aufmerksamkeit zahlt.

[Hammurabi]

Wee need to DEEregulate all those abusers of the coach-class.

Keep the working class busy.

No time to reflect on the neglect.

[lyle]

Hammurabi's code: pustule for a pustule.

[narciso]

Yikes that's why ted Stryker had to land that plane.

Now I vividly recall an American cheese and fish conviction, then breaded as one of those dietary experiments gone wrong.

[narciso]

This is like that apocryphal memo Jason Leopold was,teasing:

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/330051-mysterious-document-was-at-center-of-fbi-clinton-decisions

[Frau Edith Steingehirn]

JiB -
Take your pick: stomme ezel or Arsch mit Ohren.

[henry]

Narciso, I like the "Russia hacked" part of the mysterious email. Comey could blame Harambe* with as much evidence.

*unless Comey found the email on Wiener's laptop, in which case Carlos Danger will affirm he saw Harambe plant the info.

[Hammurabi]

Narco:

Interesting.

See...http://www.ndc.nato.int/news/news.php?icode=995

[Threadkiller]

Khaled Abu Dahab, convicted al Qaeda recruiter, stripped of U.S. citizenship

http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/apr/21/khaled-abu-dahab-convicted-al-qaeda-recruiter-stri/

When a law makes you a citizen, the law can strip you of that same citizenship.

[narciso]

And of course mensch will assert harambe was svr, sort of teddy salad*

*undercover cia agent disguised as a dog.

[Hammurabi]

Mensch messenger shouldn't be shot.

Russian dogs don't honey trap the overconfident and unwary.

[Frau Edith Steingehirn]

TK - Good news! I hope, however, no underwear, sanitary napkins or guard dogs were used in obtaining "Call me Ken" Khaled's admission of guilt.

[Hammurabi]

And good on that 'so called' judge for revoking citizenship.

Huzzzaaaaaahhhh.

[Hammurabi]

Those things should be left to the educated amongst us, especially when pertinent to Law.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump 4h4 hours ago

Big TAX REFORM AND TAX REDUCTION will be announced next Wednesday.
7,188 replies 9,405 retweets 36,141 likes

[Jack is Back!]

Ha! Frau.

An Ass with Ears is perfect.

But a sick ass nevertheless. Funny how this place attracks that disease.

[Marlene]

Oh yes,it is all about the gun narrative. There is a story in the Manchester (NH) Union Leader about a woman was driving on Rt.101 in Epping, NH ten days ago and a rock hit her windshield. Except it wasn't a rock. It was a bullet and she was driving near the Sig Sauer training facility! Well,I'm very familiar with that highway and hubby and I took handgun training at the Sig facility a few years ago. She wasn't driving near the facility,more likely someone was target shooting in the woods near the highway. But the reporter was able to get Sig Sauer,guns and bullets into the article. I'll be keeping my eye on the Manchester paper to learn the rock/bullet in the windshield result.

[Hammurabi]

Howamidoin narco?

I've learned to appreciate yor style.

Like soundbites with some punch for those not mentally lazy

[JimNorCal]

re the "lone" and "known" wolves in La France, the Molyneux piece I posted last thread gave these numbers iirc, 15,000 extreme Muslims out of which 4,000 are under active surveillance. So when authorities say the guy was "known" there are some different categories that can encompass.

[Marlene]

Hubby burned a huge pile of "stuff" this morning. He was on another part of the property,so I didn't see all the "stuff" he burned. Happy Earth Day! Ha. She told me that their HOA was planting a tree for Earth Day. I laughed and told her what her Dad burned.

[narciso]

Yes jimnc but he was already in jail, unless your at Sanaa central prison, *you're unlikely to get out.

*model for ogygia in prison break.

[Marlene]

*the daughter told me*

[henry]

Marlene... I'll chainsaw an extra tree to make up for your daughter's HOA... ;)

[narciso]

Plus,we know invariably this isn't one sole piranha.

[Marlene]

Thanks henry!

[Jack is Back!]

JimNorCal,

I have my doubts that the Euro's know to that level of certainty. Its all for political and public dissemination anyway. There is no active Humint, only forensic explanations of what happened and how they had him on their radar (right). I don't think we know either here in the Homeland.

I read last year that every lone wolf and other terror attacks here since 911 have been committed by bad actors known to the authorities either prior surveillance or interviews. Yet we haven't stopped any of them except the few that they brag about.

We can't even deal with the muderous thugs of MS-13 here that have more notches on their machetes than the Gotti family has on their guns. Now the SJW hand-wringing on Long Island has begun because the gang was formed by those escaping violence in El Salvador back in the 80's and 90's. And we all know or what was responsible for that internal violence, don't we.

[Frau Edith Steingehirn]

JimNorCal -
Years, er, eons ago at a SF World Con in Anaheim, I attended a talk about the filming of Dune at which Frank Herbert had to assure the fans that the film would be fab and true to the book(s). We know how that turned out.

Again eons ago, in the men's room at the college where my husband taught, some wag scratched "Muad'Dib give me your water" by the urinals.

[Frau Edith Steingehirn]

JIB -
I hope for your continuing good recovery you didn't see Tucker Carlson's interview of an Oakland, CA councilman about sanctuary cities providing safe haven for MS-13 gang members. The pathetic man could only prattle on about the need for workers to feel safe on their jobs and free from harassment by employers and immigration agents.

[Clarice Feldman]

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/04/new-report-fbi-willing-pay-50000-former-british-spy-trump-dossier/ A friend writes:" I'm trying to wrap my mid around this. Being unwilling to pay unless Steele provided "solid corroboration" seems to indicate sound judgment by the FBI. That Steele was never paid seems to indicate their judgment that there was no "solid corroboration" of the contents of the dossier.
How then does it happen one month later that this dossier for which there is NO "solid corroboration" ​is used to get a FISA order on a US citizen who, it is claimed, is an agent of a foreign government? I'd like to see how that dossier info is characterized: "information for which there is no solid corroboration?" That sort of honesty wouldn't have gotten them a FISA order."

[Gentlejim]

If only SJWs felt the same concern for actual productive citizens to feel safe and free from harassment by criminals, illegals and oppressive government.

[henry]

if SJWs were worried about citizens feeling safe from harassment by government, criminals (i repeat myself), etc.. they would be screaming about Venezuela right now. Not San Francisco.

[The Infamous Ignatz]

Right on the money, Man Tran.
Any time somebody says the 223 is too small I remember Karomojo Bell, maybe the greatest ivory hunter of all time, using as his first choice for frickin pachyderms the puny 6.5 Mannlicher-Schoenauer. If a .264 non magnum could knock down a few hundred 5 or 6 ton wild beasts without the shooter getting stomped I'm pretty sure a .223 will suffice on a 160 pound goathumper.

[henry]

Hmmm, it seems the NYT is worried about the redistricting case fro WI, as in anything not slanted to Democrats should be illegal. They worry the SC won't agree with that position.

The article has some sob stories about Dems that got redistricted -- including one near me that had his feels hurt because he lost to a Republican in his newly drawn district which includes nothing but farms and those nasty right wing farmers. (He used to get the Kenosha bus in (IL) vote in city wards). Best part of that... the guy didn't move to Kenosha to run because he can't grow soybeans in the city.

[narciso]

The rest of the story:

http://legalinsurrection.com/2017/04/president-trump-fires-obamas-anti-gun-surgeon-general/

[James D.]

Frank Herbert had to assure the fans that the film would be fab and true to the book(s). We know how that turned out.

The David Lynch version certainly has, well, issues, and can't really be described as "faithful to the book" but I think it still mostly works. It does have a fantastic cast, and I think Lynch and co. really captured the look of the world quite well.

The SciFo channel version was (mostly) far more faithful, but the cast was not too strong and the look of the production was unimpressive. The "Chuldren of Dune" sequel (encompassing the next two books) was really good, though.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

narciso,

At the end of that story we are reminded of the infamous Jocelyn Elder.

As God as my witness, I had completely forgotten about her until I saw that comment and picture!

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump 3h3 hours ago

Today on Earth Day, we celebrate our beautiful forests, lakes and land. We stand committed to preserving the natural beauty of our nation.
17,500 replies 7,635 retweets 36,249 likes

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump 13m13 minutes ago

I am committed to keeping our air and water clean but always remember that economic growth enhances environmental protection. Jobs matter!
3,518 replies 1,893 retweets 8,441 likes

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/22/presidential-election-could-lead-rioting-french-cities-intelligence/

Of course. And if there aren't people ready to riot, the intel agencies will incite.

I am rather cynical.

[JimNorCal]

Posted by: Jack is Back! | April 22, 2017 at 04:32 PM

Yes, that's persuasive. The Euro approach, after all, emphasizes controlling the citizenry not controlling the terrorists.

Still, whatever the actual numbers of known wolves, that number is large and beyond the ability of the authorities to handle. Certainly at the PC level of effort they're permitted to expend.

[JimNorCal]

Thanks for the Dune movie reviews/comments. I recently viewed the movie. Then started the mini-series but have been interrupted.

The book is pretty absorbing, though I never picked up the sequels.

[Squash blossom]

"Ryan promises...:

Yeah yeah, we know the drill, drill drill.

[lyle]

Just gassed up the SUV idling in my driveway...

[maryrose]

There is no truth in the dossier.
Some FISA judge got paid off big time.

[Squash blossom]

https://www.google.com/amp/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/22/presidential-election-could-lead-rioting-french-cities-intelligence/amp/

Francophiles, get your pound of flesh here, and there

[daddy]

MY DINNER WITH Andre OBAMA!

Starring : Emily Cohn
The senior business editor at Business Insider. She was formerly the managing editor of Tech Insider and worked for the Huffington Post.
and featuring Special Guest Star, Wallace Shawn

Wally: "So Emily, what was it like, your dinner with Obama?

Emily: Well we were headed to Cosme's in New York's Flatiron District to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. We obviously had no idea going into this that the Obamas would be making an appearance.

Wally: Cosme's? Oh, that's a great restaurant!

Emily: Absolutely! I made the reservation exactly 30 days in advance, knowing that a table at the trendy Mexican restaurant is hard to come by. Since opening in 2014, Cosme's has been one of the hottest restaurants in New York City.

Wally: That goes without saying, but was there any trouble with traffic or anything?

Emily: Well walking to the restaurant, I knew something was up.

Wally: So you walked? You didn't Uber?

Emily: No, we walked. It's environmentally friendly!

Wally: So how did you know something was up?

Emily:Well Wally, the first sign was a group of about 20 New York Police Department officers on motorcycles. They were huddled outside Gramercy Tavern on East 20th Street, a block south of Cosme!

Wally: Ohmigod,Ohmigod,Ohmigod!

Emily: Yeah, I knew President Obama was in the city to bid farewell to the United Nations General Assembly, so I figured he was eating at Gramercy Tavern or Trattoria Il Mulino next door. After all, the Obamas have great taste in restaurants.

Wally: Impeccable Taste, is the word I've heard.

Emily: Absolutely, impeccable taste. As we all know, the Obamas have impeccable taste in food. But when I got to East 21st Street, the security was even more intense. It turned out the Obamas were eating at Cosme's, too. After getting over the initial shock that we had chosen the same restaurant as the president, I began to worry we might not get in at all.

Wally: Golly!

Emily: And a line of ambulances blocked off the street entirely to cars, and about half of the block was closed to pedestrians.

Wally: So what did you do?

Emily: Well I walked up to about five police officers and told them we had a reservation at Cosme's, thinking they would let us past the blue tape barricade. But their response was to "get lost," "keep walking," and "find somewhere else to eat."

Wally: Ohmigod,Ohmigod,Ohmigod!

Emily: So I took a chance and I pleaded with the cops until one let us through the police tape. We were handed off to a group of Secret Service officers who were guarding the restaurant.

Wally: I am stunned at how brave you are, Emily, literally stunned! You had to deal with Secret Service Agents?

Emily: Yes and this was definitely the most intense security check I've ever gone through. One officer checked my purse and sifted through everything in my wallet as well as my makeup case. A second officer ran a metal detector wand up and down my body.

Wally: You are the bravest person I have ever met, Emily, literally the bravest!

Emily: You can't even imagine how loud my heart was pounding, Wally, but then the Secret Service officers told us the restaurant had found out that the Obamas were coming only five minutes before they arrived. A reservation was made for them earlier under a pseudonym. And on our way in, I got a glimpse of 'The Beast,' the president's armored limo!

Wally: Ohmigod,Ohmigod,Ohmigod,Ohmigod,Ohmigod!

Emily: Well we finally sat down, around 7:40 p.m. The restaurant was buzzing. Everyone who is anyone was talking about the Obamas, who had arrived about 15 minutes before us.

Wallace Shawn: I am so blown away by this! I, I, I, I just can't get over it. Did he sit down next to you?

Emily: No. They were seated in a private room, though, so we couldn't see them. Secret Service officers were everywhere.

Wally: So you didn't get to see what President Obama ordered?

Emily: Well the Maitre D let everyone know that the Obamas ordered tuna tostadas, burrata, lobster, short ribs, and the duck carnitas!

Wally: Ha! The Duck Carnitas. I knew it. Impeccable taste!

Emily: Absolutely impeccable taste! And I had the lobster with shiso, ginger mojo, and brown butter, one of my favorite dishes. Cosme's most famous dish is its duck carnitas. The dish features a half of a duck, braised for many hours, accompanied by homemade tortillas and house sauces.

Wally: So you had a fabulous meal but you didn't get to see President Obama?

Emily: Well not initially,but we strategized that we needed to stretch out our meal as long as possible if we were going to get a glimpse of the Obamas leaving. We took a long break between each course, and the carnitas kept us going for a while.

Wally: You're a genius Emily, an absolute genius! So what happened. Don't keep me in suspense any longer.

Emily: Well, Finally...

Wally: Yes?

Emily: ...around 9:30 p.m...

Wally: Yes?

Emily: ...the Obamas emerged from a door in the back of the restaurant...

Wally: Yes? And???

Emily:...Everyone, including servers and diners, stood up to applaud!!!

Wally: Ohmigod,Ohmigod,Ohmigod,Ohmigod,Ohmigod! I am gob-smacked! I am snorfled! I am, I am, I am, I am so, so...Golly...I don't even know what I am I'm so excited! I don't even know the meaning of words anymore! You actually got to see President Obama walk out of a restaurant!?!

Emily: Yes Wally, and it was even better than that! Michelle headed pretty quickly for the front door...

Wally: Michelle!?! You got to see Michelle? Ohmigod, I love her arms. Ohmigod,Ohmigod,Ohmigod!

Emily: ...but then President Obama shook a few hands and smiled on his way out!

Wally: I've died and gone to Heaven tonight hearing that, Emily! Simply died and gone to Heaven! Did you get a handshake?

Emily: We didn't get a handshake, but we did get a few grainy photos.It was without question the most exhilarating experience of my life! Thanks for the best anniversary gift ever, Obamas! And there's something even more amazing than all that, Wally?

Wally: Even more amazing than that? What, Emily, what could possibly be more amazing than your dinner with President Obama?

Emily: They're going to publish my write-up about having Dinner with Obama in Business Insider and millions of people will be able to read all about how wonderful he is and his impeccable taste and all, and i'll probably get a guest slot on MSNBC and Charlie Rose and maybe even CNN to tell the world how wonderful it all was.

Wally: Died and gone to Heaven!

[Clarice Feldman]

Brown to Middle class Californians--screw you:https://milo.yiannopoulos.net/2017/02/cali-governor-scholarships/

[Squash blossom]

Daddy-o:

That was awesome!

Approaching the magical mystery tour Trump hunnert days of TRIUMPH, the walrus sings..Gook Gooby Joob Obama!

[The Gipper Lives]

The weapons change. But there must be a common thread.

If only we knew what it was.

[daddy]

I prefer my Hash Browns with Ketchup. .

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Clarice,

Comments on that thread are pretty interesting.

Looks like there will be a California diaspora.