...at the local Panera coffee shop costs about seven dollars. So Ms. So went to the local produce market, which used to be a single wide shop in a strip store nearby, bought some small squash like pumpkins, and made a couple of quarts of soup for herself. I will try some today. She said the Panera soup was too sweet. This produce store was so successful it now occupies a supermarket sized building across from one of the local Walmarts. They were underselling the local Walmarts and the chain supermarkets, they now sell meat, have a bakery, and sell dry foods as well.

(Source MBC News live 10.11.2013) Victorious democratic candidate for Kangseo dictrict manager, Jin Kyo-hoon, with wife, wearing garlands, surrounded by senior democratic party officials.

There is good news from Korea which I want to share. I just got this live frpm MBC news in South Korea. The final day of an election for the district manager of one of the districts in Seoul, Gangseo district, was run today because the office became vacant. As I understand it, the former district manager, Kim Dae-woo, lost his office because he was found guilty of some finance law violation leaking confidential government information gained as a special corruption team investigator for the Blue House,* and disqualified from elective office. Yoon then pardoned him, and he ran again as the candidate to fill the seat caused by his own vacancy. This is the kind of judgement the Yoon administration has. The democratic party candidate was a former police official from the area, Jin Kyo-hoon.

The election was styled as a proxy for the general election next spring, so there was a lot of media attention, and national political leadership from both parties participated directly in the campaign including, the leaders of the Democratic Party Lee Jae-myung, and (conservative) PPP party, Kim Gi-heon, themselves. The outcome this morning is stunning, the democratic candidate is winning by about 40 thousand votes. Although it may be too early to say, the victory margin may be in the 20 percent range (or greater?). The is a stunning defeat for the conservatives and President Yoon Seok-yeol. 80 percent of the vote is in, and the margin of the democratic victory is about 20 percent. Some of the math majors are saying that the conservative candidate Kim Te-woo cannot win, and the contest is virtually over.

It's anticipated that the PPP Yoon faction will charge that there was interference in the election from China or North Korea, something along those lines to distract from their stunning defeat.

Update- Sources over at TK's chat say the final results show a 17.25 percent lead for Jin Kyo--hoon. Still a landslide by any measure.

*Edit- Kim Tae-hoon's leaks took place after he left the Blue House inspection team and entered the prosecutors office. The Supreme Court found his allegations regarding the material leaks to be unfounded, politically motivated, and that his actions unduly interfered with national government functions. He made no use of available government channels to disclose his allegations of Blue House corruption. Therefore, his acts were politically motivated rather than protected under whistleblower provisions.

Hi all, Hey Captain!

Pumpkin heads you say???

Me, I am Just Another Onionhead

Proof is I have this album/vinyl.

Above you mentioned when the last crank phones in Maine were phased out.

Just in case anyone has never heard it... as a public service, I offer the old Maine telephone joke.

The phones went down in Maine. No one could figure it out. They called the original old retired phone man... Sparky I think it was. Told him the problem, and said he was the only one that knew the old switching system well enough to fix it. He said fine, $10,000, and I'll be right there. They said OK, we gotta have phones.

The old guy goes down to the building opens the door, walks around inside, and selects a few places and hits the wall hard with his fist. On the third one, BAM! all the lights come back on, everything is buzzing, HE FIXED IT!

He sends the bill which itemizes his services.
Miscellaneous tapping: $2.
Knowing where to tap: $9998.

And so goes so much in life...

This has been a public service message. You may now return to your scheduled schedule.

Have great days all!

THE SILENCE OF THE BEARS – RUSSIA IS REORIENTING TOWARDS THE ARABS Dance with the Bears by John Helmer October 10, 2023

Until now Russia has never been so silent in the middle of a Middle Eastern war.

Russian opinion pollsters are reluctant to reveal how far the country’s public opinion is moving away from Israel towards the Palestinians and the anti-American Arab and Iranian side.

The silence from the Kremlin reveals how thoroughly the Israelis have burned their bridges to President Vladimir Putin, and how far, if silently, the Russian President has moved to the side of the General Staff in their assessment of Israel as hostile – on the enemy front with the Ukraine, the US and NATO.
...
Erdogan’s press release was more revealing. He and Putin had “touched upon what initiatives can be taken to meet humanitarian needs in the region, as the Turkish president told Putin that targeting civilian settlements is worrying and Türkiye does not welcome such move.” Erdogan’s twitter announcement adds: “President Erdoğan and President Putin of Russia also exchanged views on potential initiatives to meet humanitarian needs in the region.”

This is a hint that Erdogan and Putin are contemplating a Turkish ship convoy of aid to Gaza, protected from Israeli attack by the Russian Navy from its Tartous base on the Syrian coast, and by the Russian Air Force from Hmeimim. This humanitarian operation by sea would aim at breaking the blockade of the coast by the Israelis, and running the gauntlet of the USS Gerald Ford and its squadron further offshore.
...
Late on Tuesday, US time, a NATO veteran of the Afghan war cast doubt on what the Israeli offensive will be able to achieve in Gaza.

“The Israelis don’t have the staying power to dig through, let alone occupy, Fort Gaza. Now, thanks to the bombing, they’ve turned it into a giant improved defence complex.
...
“The Israelis are said to be mobilising 300,000 reservists. How long can such a mobilisation last before it tells on the country’s economy? The US, after nearly exhausting its arms stocks, and a great deal of treasure, on the war against Russia via the Ukraine, has little to show for it. How will ‘giving Israel all it needs’ to slog through the ruins of the Gazan death trap work out any better?”

“All of this goes without counting what the Russians, Turks, Iranians, Lebanese in the form of Hezbollah, and others, may do. If the Russians launch a blockade-busting run with the Turks, will the Americans and Israelis risk a nuclear exchange trying to stop them?”

Tony Shaffer expects a ground force invasion into Gaza late Thursday afternoon or Friday. He continually infers Iran's involvement. When asked about evidence, states he has seen none.

Israel bigfoots Ukraine w/Tony Shaffer fmr DoD (2:04 min)

Scheduled for 12:pm EST
Origins of Hamas/Israeli Conflict w/ Scott Ritter