The message forum is an ongoing dialogue between classmates. There are no items, topics, subtopics, etc.

Forums work when people participate - so don't be bashful! Click the "Post Message" button to add your entry to the forum.

Robert Hall

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Robert, thanks for that post of Jerome Powell speaking about the bogus criminal probe. It really was good to see him and good to see him standing up

to pressure to do the President's bidding. He wants to do what he feels is right in his independent judgement...

Jack, thanks for your post. The lies keep mounting. There is no end to the cruelty of some and willingness to malign an innocent person who just lost her life. Her little six year old is asking where she is? He will never see her again.  Love, Joanie

Jack Mallory

I'm afraid it's not foreign input, Robert, I think it's our very own. Americans pandering to other Americans, reveling in their own sick imaginations. When you can't turn to facts and reason, head for filthy slander. We see it all around us. 

Joan Ruggles (Young)

Maybe I'm naive, it wouldn't be the first time, but if Minneapolis can get itself together and bring charges against the ICE officer, it should provide some clarity. If a jury can see frame by frame what happened, they will certainly come to the same conclusions that those of us have seen with our own eyes. Presumably, they would shoot down the slurs against her, and the truth will be told. But of course, this will only happen if the investigation is allowed to proceed and charges are allowed to be brought - something that is not at all certain with this administration.

Hey felon! Another nice distraction from Venezuela and Epstein! You've got all the luck!

Jack Mallory

The last few days--and weeks and months and years--of politics especially and hatred more generally on social media drive my near-neurotic demands for links to the origins of assertions. Especially assertions of things that might be expected to produce documentary evidence, like charges of illegal acts.

With the advent and rapid rise of AI, I fear that it will be put to bad use as well. Clearly capable of producing facts and credible information, and the links to its origin, AI can be used, already is being used, to produce things like phony photos and video. I suppose it can also be used to produce phony, print media-like articles as well. 
 

SOooooo . . . Believe nothing you see on social media without links to origin. And stick to sources known to be reliable. And even then doubletriplequadruple check information against a variety of sources. And pass nothing on unless you've followed this process. Be ready, eager, and willing to provide evidence when asked for it. Provide TOO MUCH INFORMATION rather than nothing at all!
 

Sorry to be repetitive, I know I've said all this before, and most of you already think this way. In the modern world, folks who fail to follow these precepts run the risk of appearing foolish at best and or dishonest at worst. 
 

Jack Mallory

"Six federal prosecutors in Minnesota resigned on Tuesday over the Justice Department’s push to investigate the widow of a woman killed by an ICE agent and the department’s reluctance to investigate the shooter, according to people with knowledge of their decision.

"Joseph H. Thompson, who was second in command at the U.S. attorney’s office and oversaw a sprawling fraud investigation that has roiled Minnesota’s political landscape, was among those who quit on Tuesday, according to three people with knowledge of the decision.

"Mr. Thompson’s resignation came after senior Justice Department officials pressed for a criminal investigation into the actions of the widow of Renee Nicole Good, the Minneapolis woman killed by an ICE agent on Wednesday.

"Mr. Thompson, 47, a career prosecutor, objected to that approach, as well as to the Justice Department’s refusal to include state officials in investigating whether the shooting itself was lawful, the people familiar with his decision said . .. " 

And more at https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/us/prosecutors-doj-resignation-ice-shooting.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Jack, the rise of AI is really scary. It can be used to malign someone to make them look involved in criminal activity. My friends daughter knows how to set things up like that and she depicted me sitting next to Claude Monet. I'm an Impressionist artist so she thought that would be funny. 🤣Too bad AI isn't only used for medical advances. It can be so dangerous otherwise.  . Love, Joanie

Jack Mallory

it's Joanie's fault, all her fault. Her story about Claude Monet made me do it. But I guess it's a good reminder that you can't trust the internet. 

Took about two minutes: feed ChatGPT a photo, tell it what you want added. Takes ChatGPT a minute or two to generate what you want--way longer than it takes to just answer a question in text.

BE SKEPTICAL OF EVERYTHING YOU SEE ON SOCIAL MEDIA!

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Jack, your post was funny....but who is the guy in the photo with Nori? I must be losing it as I can't recogize him...Is he Claude Monet or Maduro..  I have to admit there is a very big difference!!!   Also, I understand if you would rather that guy be unidentified....I better get myself a cup of coffee.  Love, Joanie

Jack Mallory

Better make it two cups, Joanie. Strong. 

Karl Marx!

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Jack I'm on the second cup of coffee and now Karl Marx's face is coming into view.🤣🤣🤣 >p>

I should leave things on a lighter note for a change but saw clips about ICE detaining a woman who had a traffic violation years ago in 2015.  Her son was dying and she begged them to let her see him before he died but they said no. He died the next day and she is still in detention. Another clip was about a disabled woman on the way to a doctors appt. who they grabbed up and wrenched from the car.  Numerous other clips showed people thrown to the ground. Many picked up are citizens but non citizens should absolutely not be treated this way either. This is beyond cruel  Love, Joanie

HI AGAIN...just adding this to my earlier note. How unbelievable but true that the Trump, Steven Miller and the Kristi Noem gang are now pursuing criminal charges against Becca Good, Renee Nicole Good's wife...As usual, there is nothing she did but scream out in agony when her wife was murdered in cold blood...Here is a statement that Becca Good just gave: This is who they want to crush. 

https://people.com/renee-good-wife-breaks-silence-fatal-ice-shooting-11882643

Jack Mallory

Another example of ChatGPT's reality bending capability. This is just the free, available to all app, nothing you have to pay for. 
 

Just to keep in in the family, Jennifer Harting Christian and I, two years ago. 
 

Uploaded it to ChatGPT, told it to replace Jenn with the historical counterpart of Karl. Have a cup of coffee, tell me who it is!

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Jack you look very good in the pictures with Jennifer and with ______....I must really need tons of coffee because that guy is not coming to me. Okay, I only got one B in History. If the coffee suddenly brings me a revelation I will report in ASAP. Love, Joanie  P.S. How about a hint?

Jack Mallory

The historical counterpart to Karl! Not your history class--your Econ class? My only D in college, first time around. 
 

ChatGPT created this at my request:

Robert Hall

Jack Mallory

Right on the money, so to speak, Robert! I don't dance well enough to know who's leading. My sympathies are with Karl, but in many ways it is Adam who brings us ChatGPT!

Joan Ruggles (Young)

Hey campers, whose ready for some more quates from the felon?

The State Department just posted on X: “This is OUR Hemisphere.” Jan 5   Anyone want to speculate what the founding fathers would have to say about that?

Trump’s campaign promises to “get rid of all these wars starting all over the place” and to avoid the type of foreign entanglements that bedeviled many of his predecessors and bred cynicism within his base. How's that pannng out???

“Never again,” President Donald Trump pledged in his inaugural address last January, “will the immense power of the state be weaponized to persecute political opponents.” How's that panning out???

 “My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.” is there ANYONE who would defend his morality?

“You know, the fact that they had a boat land there 500 years ago doesn’t mean that they own the land purely,”   Greenland. Oh yeah? Tell that to Christopher Columbus!

And my own opinion _ if you feel threatened, and you shoot someone in the face, why do you feel you have to do it 2 more times to get the job done??

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Jack, it's fun to see your juxtapositions of certain people together. My father was an economist...He would have known all about Adam Smith.

Anyway, Joan, thanks for that very good post. You know, Trump wanted the Nobel Peace Prize and would happily have snatched it from the exiled leader in Venezuala who actually won the price, but the Committee said it can't be transferred. He is the war President and is at war with the blue states, where he feels his political enemies are. The cruelty is extreme and poor Minnesota, where ICE assaults are ongoing, is being threatened with the Insurrection Act. I'm waiting for the time that Republicans will stand up and say no to Trump...they have on Epstein but not so many have said anything about other awful things Trump is doing and not much on Greenland. It would be a disaster beyond belief if he tried to take them militarily..that would be the end of NATO...I wish Trump would just take a one way ticket to Moscow. He loves Putin anyway.  Love, Joanie

Jack Mallory

Insurrection Act. Sounds like I could be facing the U.S. Army here in Minnesota. Looking for an example of irony? Starting my political adulthood wearing Army green at 19 . . . turning 80 facing Army green? Will troops sworn to uphold the same constitution I swore to support and defend be supporting and defending my free speech rights? Why do I think their Commander in Chief has neither knowledge of the Constitution nor desire to enforce it?

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Jack I agree. Trump doesn't know  what's in the Constitution or care. I heard a speaker last night say that there is a chance the military would refuse to follow orders to militarily take Greenland.  However it's hard to count on that.  Love, Joanie

Jack Mallory

I don't begin to know what the response of "the military" would be, Joanie. Most would salute, say yessir, and follow orders. But I think there would be a small but significant number who would refuse, and that number could grow, especially if he were to send troops into even more states. This is how resistance to the Vietnam war and associated morale and discipline problems evolved, from non-existent to noticeable to truly mission-threatening. The end of the draft was associated with it. 
 

While I'm prognosticating . . . The weather forecast here in Minnesota is for about five days of weather with wind chill temps around zero and significantly lower all day, every day. If I were looking to implement the Insurrection Act and send the U.S. military in to occupy Minnesota, this is when I'd do it. There will be less immediate resistance in the streets under these conditions. But spring will come, Donny.

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Wow, that's cold alright.  It's sad that we have a President who cares nothing about the American people or humanity in general.  He builds his ritzy ballrooms, and deposes Maduro to get oil while simultaneously cutting child care programs including food assistance to hungry children in blue states.  The same ruthless group are governing Venezuala with some feeling the VP is even worse then Maduro. Probably the leader of the opposition movement, who was the real winner of the elections in Venezuela, giving her Nobel peace prize to Trump won't get her reinstated.  As long as the Venezuelan VP allows Trump to get oil,  he is good to go. Love, Joanie❤️

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

There is new evidence that the officer who killed Renee Nicole Good in cold blood was also the one who shouted after he did that, "fucking bitch.." He doesn't fit the profile of someone fearing for his life...the videos all show that he was never in danger of being run over. Renee was driving to the right to drive away from him...We all remember too her smile saying, "Dude, I'm not mad at you." Its really heartbreaking that she lost her life. Love, Joanie

Jack Mallory

Jack Mallory

Letter from the esteemed philosopher Bertrand Russell to the notorious British fascist, Oswald Mosely in response to a challenge to debate. Certainly far more eloquent, far more restrained than I could ever manage. If challenged to debate, for example, or even speak to, Donald Trump.

Eff off you fascist scumbag!

Yours sincerely,

Jack Mallory

One of the many reasons I'll never be referred to as "the esteemed philosopher."