Randle & Frazier Contradictions

First topic message reminder :

Contradiction Number One: The Direction of Frazier's Car

During the Warren Commission testimony of Linnie Mae Randle, the sister of Buell Wesley Frazier, the following exchange took place between her and Joseph Ball:

Mr. BALL. Did you see him go to the car? 
Mrs. RANDLE. Yes. 
Mr. BALL. What did he do? 
Mrs. RANDLE. He opened the right back door and I just saw that he was laying the package down so I closed the door?

Randle very specifically picked out the "right back door" of Frazier's car as the one that Oswald opened and placed the brown paper package inside that she claimed she saw him carrying.

The Warren Commission published the photograph below of the Randle house depicting the location and direction of Buell Wesley Frazier's car that morning:



The right rear door of Frazier's car is furthest away from where Randle claims she watched Oswald from in the official photograph above.  Remember that Randle also had to look through the slats of wood of the carport to see him as well as past the other car parked in the carport itself.  The kitchen window she says Oswald waved at her through can also be seen.

Linnie Mae Randle in a March 9, 1964, interview with the FBI went on to change the direction the car was facing that she claims she originally gave in error.  The car was now facing west rather than east:



The strange thing about this is J. Lee Rankin made a written request of the FBI on March 3rd, 1964, that photographs of the Randle house and of the location of Frazier's car be taken and sent to the Warren Commission.  The above photograph is one of those requested. Six days later Randle changed her original statement concerning the direction of the car.  Her new recollections now matched the photograph taken by the FBI.  Instead of facing the fence, the car was now facing the street.

But even more worrying is this quote from Frazier's FBI interview with Special Agent Harrison on November 23, 1963:



As you can see, very early on Frazier claimed he backed his car out of the driveway indicating that it was in fact headed east and not west which would raise some real questions about which car door Randle claims she saw Oswald opening. Which was it?

And the answer will be compounded by Frazier's HSCA interview statement that Oswald only gained access to his locked car because one of the rear doors was broken.  But which one?  Or am I asking too many questions about a story that is just simply another big pile of shite?

Next Up: The Distance Oswald Walked Ahead of Frazier After Arriving At Work

And what do me make of Oswald's interest in the laundromat? 2 trips a few days apart.

As for what Linnie May could see that morning. Sunrise for Dallas on Nov 22 is 7.04 am. It was an overcast day morning.

lee wrote:Gladys Johnson claimed that the weekend of November 18 & 19 he was seen leaving 1026 North Beckley with this "blue bag" (that looks black to me) heading toward the Oak Cliff laundromat:

Lee, that's not a weekend. That's the Mon & Tues of assassination week.

Here is the testimony:

Mr. BALL. Now, in the next weekend, that would be the weekend before the assassination, he stayed there?
Mrs. JOHNSON. He remained there.
Mr. BALL. Did you or did you not see him go out any that weekend?
Mrs. JOHNSON. I did not see him go out; I did not; no, sir.
(At this point Mr. Johnson left the room.)
Mr. BALL. Let me ask you this: did he, that weekend, that was the weekend before the assassination, on a Saturday, make a trip to a place where they wash clothes?
Mrs. JOHNSON. Well, I think that he did go across to that washateria. I think he did.
Mr. BALL. Did you see him go any place, go out of the house except for that on that weekend?
Mrs. JOHNSON. That's the only time and I had just forgotten that but I do remember he carried some clothes out of that house that morning and the washateria is right across the street, less than a block.
Mr. BALL. But he left his room?
Mrs. JOHNSON. And he wasn't gone long and I didn't see him return with any clothes but I do know he was gone just about long enough to do a wash.

If I read correctly, he took some clothes out of the boarding house, had been gone long enough to do a wash at the nearby washateria, but (possibly) didn't return with them?

Earlene Roberts was not asked any questions along the same lines.

The Washateria was followed up. The night janitor remembered Oswald coming in late one night on or about the 20th or 21st.
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=11759&relPageId=7

This same document has the Mary Dowling interview. In it, she says something that i think is letting us know it ain't Oz. “He was ‘nasty’ and used 'curse words'." I have read countless testimonies and interviews about Oswald. I have never come across any claim that he ever used 'curse' words.

There is also the comment that Tippit was also in there and shot "Oswald" a glance. The FBI agent couldn't help himself. He had to add: "there was no indication however that they knew each other."

I ask how Mary could possibly know that shooting someone a glance was "not an indication of recognition" in this particular instance. Looks like damage control to me.

But for the sake of argument, let's say the two parties were familiar with each other. Who is Tippit more likely to know... Oswald or Crafard... given that Tippit supposedly knew Ruby...

The date error is just my inability to count my own fingers, Greg.  Here is Gladys Johnson's May 1964 statement concerning the bag and Oswald staying at the rooming house that weekend (November 16 & 17):

I just don't buy LHO even if brain dead would make a sack out of the very materials everyone whom worked at the TSBD saw daily and would recognize as such and would likely question. If he were to take a package it would be the blanket or yes even the sea/duffel bag as those could be explained as his items he would be taking to his room in Oak Cliff after work. Stolen materials from work could be spotted a mile away by Truly, Frasier, etc. I would think.
If he had a rifle and a sea bag then why the blanket for a wrapping...why not keep it in the sea bag found on the floor of Ruth's garage. Conflict exists here as with many aspects of this sham investigation.

Lee Farley is correct, something is up with the duffel bag/s disappearing act and the laundry.    


MRS OSWALD I bought Lee a duffle bag and everything, and Lee went-we told him goodbye, and Lee was going to join the Marines.  Thus the 15 year old (days before 16th birthday according to Bugliosi, etc.) LHO with a stuffed duffel bag was going to try and join the Marines
but was rejected. LHO had a 'duffel bag' of some sort before his Marine Corps enlistment thanks to his mother.

From Bug's book:

"The unmarked squad car pulls up in front of the rooming house on North Beckley in Oak Cliff and four men, armed with a search warrant, climb out. .... Over the next hour and a quarter, they nearly strip the room [that Lee Harvey Oswald rented under the alias "O.H. Lee"], using the pillow cases and one of Oswald's own duffle bags to carry everything to the waiting patrol cars. Only a banana peel and some uneaten fruit are left behind when they leave just after 6:00 p.m." -- VB; Pages 135-136


Programmed to Kill By: Jamie Glazov
FrontPageMagazine.com | Wednesday, October 03, 2007
http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=28335
During the many years I spent researching Oswald’s ties with the KGB, I took the factual, verifiable information on his life that had been developed by the U.S. government and relevant private researchers, and I examined it in the light of PGU operational patterns—little known by outsiders because of the utter secrecy then—as now—endemic to Russia. New insights into the assassination came suddenly to life. Oswald’s experiences as a Marine serving in Japan, for instance, perfectly fit the PGU template for recruiting American servicemen outside the United States that I for many years had applied to Romanian operations. It also was obvious that the locker at a bus terminal Oswald used in 1959, after returning to the U.S. from Japan, to deposit a duffel bag stuffed with photographs of U.S. military planes was in fact an intelligence dead drop.[10] During those years the use of such lockers was all the rage with the PGU—and the DIE.

• The description of a Minox spy camera that Dallas police officer Gus Rose testified he found in Oswald’s duffel bag was changed by someone at the FBI to that of a Minox light meter. • A sixth-grade photograph from Ridglea West Elementary in Fort Worth, with Lee Harvey, one of the tallest kids in the class, on the top row, doesn’t agree with a New York psychiatrist’s description of the thirteen-year-old Oswald as short a year later.  http://www.texasmonthly.com/content/two-oswalds

And Color me crazy but....then there is this:
"As A.J. and the Irving police officers were returning from their hunt in East Texas on Friday afternoon, Dallas police officers Guy Rose and Robert Stovall interrogated Lee Harvey Oswald after his arrest in Oak Cliff. Rose and Stovall then met Irving police detective John McCabe and three Dallas County Deputy Sheriffs, including one Buddy Walthers, at the house of Ruth Paine in Irving. The detectives asked the non-English speaking Marina via Ruth Paine who spoke Russian if her husband owned any rifles. At first Marina said no but then (later) changed her response and said yes as she remembered seeing a rifle in a blanket on the floor of Paine's garage. The blanket lying in the garage with two black strings tied around each end did not contain a rifle. The blanket and Marina were taken to headquarters in Dallas as stated by Rose's testimony to the Warren Commission. http://www.jfkassassinationforum.com/index.php?topic=5326.0;wap2



Anyone see any black string?


Mr. Ball. You brought Ruth Paine and Marina down to the police department, did you?
Mr. Rose. Yes, we took Ruth Paine and Marina and Marina's two children in our car and also the blanket--I carried it.

On Saturday (23rd), as A.J. was on checkpoint duty in front of the Paine house, Rose, Stovall and McCabe returned as detailed by the Warren Commission testimony of Rose:

Mr. Ball. On Saturday morning you went out to Irving again?
Mr. Rose. Yes, sir, I did.
Mr. Ball. At this time you had a search warrant?
Mr. Rose. Yes, sir, I did.
Mr. Ball. What did you search on this day?
Mr. Rose. We made a search of the garage, mainly, on this day since quite a bit of Lee Oswald's property was in the garage.
Mr. Ball. What did you find there?
Mr. Rose. Well, I found two sea bags, three suitcases, and two cardboard boxes and all of them contained numerous items of property of Oswald.
Mr. Ball. Did you find some pictures?
Mr. Rose. Yes, I found two negatives first that showed Lee Oswald holding a rifle in his hand, wearing a pistol at his hip, and right with those negatives I found a developed picture--I don't know what you call it, but anyway a picture that had been developed from the negative of him holding this rifle, and Detective McCabe was standing there and he found the other picture--of Oswald holding the rifle.
Mr. Ball. What color were the sea bags?
Mr. Rose. I believe they were kind of an off white--I would call them--more of a greyish-white.

See Paine say they were green!!! She recalled he had two green duffel bags!
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?mode=searchResult&absPageId=143919


Mexico and the Australian girls Pamela Mumford and Patrica Winston:
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?mode=searchResult&absPageId=388408

Also (if Lee did not post it already) Paine's FBI interview at her home:
http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh23/pdf/WH23_CE_1845.pdf

And Murret FBI interview:
http://media.nara.gov/dc-metro/rg-272/605417-key-persons/murret_lillian/murret_lillian.pdf
"He claimed to HAVE SEVERAL DUFFEL BAGS AT THE BUS STATION"

I don't even want to post the Bledsoe duffel bag description..... 

Robert Oswald turns over a sea bag, item #8, which was supposedly from Lee's belongings left in the Paine's garage on December 8th 1963. How convenient!!
http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh25/pdf/WH25_CE_2557.pdf

Wasn't LHO spposedly asked during his "interrogations" whether he had taken anything to work with him that day and he replied "no", and then, when told that Frazier had said that he took a bag with him that morning, LHO replied something like "...he must have been thinking of some other time.".

This would seem to infer that LHO had, indeed, previously carried a large "item" with him on a previous occasion?

Colin Crow wrote:And what do me make of Oswald's interest in the laundromat? 2 trips a few days apart.

Well, the trip to the washateria Gladys mentions makes - if Oswald was indeed staying there. It makes sense because he wasn't going to Irving that weekend. Problem is that the person on duty at the washateria did not remember him ever being there.

The FBI did find another employee who claimed to remember Lee being there - but this was late Thursday night - problem with this one is that it was the night before he would go to Irving. No need to spend money.

Speculating, I think Gladys was helping out with a little white lie, and the night janitor may well have had Crafard in there.

Ed. Ledoux wrote:
From Bug's book:

"The unmarked squad car pulls up in front of the rooming house on North Beckley in Oak Cliff and four men, armed with a search warrant, climb out. .... Over the next hour and a quarter, they nearly strip the room [that Lee Harvey Oswald rented under the alias "O.H. Lee"], using the pillow cases and one of Oswald's own duffle bags to carry everything to the waiting patrol cars. Only a banana peel and some uneaten fruit are left behind when they leave just after 6:00 p.m." -- VB; Pages 135-136

That's interesting isn't it?  If Rose, Adamcik and Stovall stripped the room at 1026 North Beckley then why doesn't the duffel bag appear in the only photograph taken of the LHO belongings from the rooming house - see below?  We can plainly see Commission Exhibit A1 also known as CE126 - the blue bag with carry handles at the bottom of the frame.  No duffle bag...yet we know it was assigned an original Commission Exhibit number of C254 and we know it was shown by the FBI to Ruth and Michael Paine, Marina Oswald, Mary Bledsoe, Earlene Roberts, Gladys Johnson and a variety of different people associated with Lee Oswald's alleged trip to Mexico City because this was one of the bags that the Commission said he took.

Yet there is not a sniff of a photograph of it anywhere and for all intents and purposes it no longer exists.  Even though we now know that Norman Redlich was onto this and raised a memo to begin investigating the possibility that Oswald may have took a "package" to work prior to 11/22 we also know that the missing bag was never shown to Buell Wesley Frazier, Linnie Mae Randle or any of the TSBD employees to see whether they remember Lee Oswald ever carrying it to work.  

Where the hell have the duffle bags gone?

From Bug's book:

"The unmarked squad car pulls up in front of the rooming house on North Beckley in Oak Cliff and four men, armed with a search warrant, climb out. .... Over the next hour and a quarter, they nearly strip the room [that Lee Harvey Oswald rented under the alias "O.H. Lee"], using the pillow cases and one of Oswald's own duffle bags to carry everything to the waiting patrol cars. Only a banana peel and some uneaten fruit are left behind when they leave just after 6:00 p.m." -- VB; Pages 135-136


I just want to go back to the above segment from Ed's earlier post.  

Here is the property list that contains all of the belongings allegedly taken from 1026 North Beckley:




No duffel bags listed.  The blue zipper bag (as seen in the photograph I posted) is listed.

Lee, this is off topic, but since you propose that Lee was not at 1026 N. Beckley, what's you're explanation for this list?  That is, how do you see it originating?

Also, why the penicillin powder?  Confirmation for his being treated for syphilis in Japan?

Albert Rossi wrote:Lee, this is off topic, but since you propose that Lee was not at 1026 N. Beckley, what's you're explanation for this list?  That is, how do you see it originating?

I'm still mulling it over in my head, Albert.  The issue of the duffel bag might appear small but I think it's important.

We have the unidentified police car honking its horn outside the house after "Oswald" arrives there at approximately 1pm.  I'm as convinced as I could be that this car was car number 107 - a police car technically unaccounted for after its arrival at the TSBD and the car that Detective Gerald Hill had access to.  Hill is also known as Officer Everwhere within a small band of critics because he appeared at every single point that dodgy evidence reared its head.  We have evidence that the Dallas Police were officially at 1026 North Beckley far too early for the official timeline to support.  We have the master of memory Will Fritz having a brain burp when it came to remembering who told him about the 1026 North Beckley address and when he was told.  We have a variation in the story given by Arthur and Gladys Johnson concerning events that afternoon when it came to how Lee Oswald was identified as their mysterious tenant O.H. Lee that I will share the details of tomorrow because I only discovered it a few nights ago.

Now, we get to a bit of an avenue here where my good friend Greg Parker and I don't see eye to eye.  I think there is a good chance that Oswald lived from October 7th until November 22d at the home of Mary Esther Bledsoe.  Bledsoe was the landlady that he only officially lived with for one week before moving to 1026 North Beckley.  I think it possible he never moved out of that property.  I believe Larry Crafard lived at 1026 North Beckley.  I believe it likely that Crafard shot J. D. Tippit and I believe that once the name Lee Oswald entered the American consciousness that afternoon then hand picked Dallas Police officers such Harry Olsen quickly turned up at 1026 North Beckley and moved certain items into the property, and moved certain items out using an unofficial search as the pretext.  Once the official search began after a search warrant had been issued Oswald's stuff was already in the room.  

I don't know whether that sounds far fetched to you but many of the pieces of the jigsaw fall into place by using this as the paradigm versus some of the real bullshit we are asked to swallow instead.

P.S. He will forgive me for saying this but Greg P is the expert to answer your syphilis question. 

  

Lee, it doesn't sound far-fetched, but it does carry some implications.  It seems to me that for this to work, the police also had to know way in advance about Oswald living with Bledsoe.  In order to gather his stuff and move it in.  If DPD (and from what I understand, FBI too) are already at 1026 before 2pm, that would mean they were at Oswald's real residence even earlier?  Any closer and it looks like some of the DPD were actually in on the plot, not just the framing of Oswald, don't you think?

As for Hill, maybe his partner was Reporter Everywhere, Hugh Aynesworth   .

I look forward to the further saga of the Johnsons and O.H. Lee ...

Albert Rossi wrote:Lee, it doesn't sound far-fetched, but it does carry some implications.  It seems to me that for this to work, the police also had to know way in advance about Oswald living with Bledsoe.  In order to gather his stuff and move it in.  If DPD (and from what I understand, FBI too) are already at 1026 before 2pm, that would mean they were at Oswald's real residence even earlier?  Any closer and it looks like some of the DPD were actually in on the plot, not just the framing of Oswald, don't you think?

As for Hill, maybe his partner was Reporter Everywhere, Hugh Aynesworth   .

I look forward to the further saga of the Johnsons and O.H. Lee ...

I think Bledsoe was known about way in advance, Albert.  Consider these two pieces of testimony for a moment - the meaning of which that has eluded researchers for decades and see if it makes any more sense within the new frame we are discussing:

Mr. BALL - When did you first notify the police that you believe you'd seen Oswald? 
Mrs. BLEDSOE - When I got home, first thing I did I went next door and told them the President had been shot, and he said, "Why, he has got killed." Well, I turned on the radio--television--and we heard ambulances and going around and there was a little boy came in that room in the back and he turned it on, and we listened and hear about the President, only one I was interested in, so, he went on back to work and they kept talking about this boy Oswald and had on a brown shirt, and all of a sudden, well, I declare, I believe that this was this boy, and his name was Oswald---that is---give me his right name, you know, and so, about an hour my son came home, and I told him and he immediately called the police and told them, because we wanted to do all we could, and so, I went down the next night. He took me down, and I made a statement to them, what kind of---Secret Service man or something down there. 

***

Mr SPECTER. Do you recall November 22, 1963, the day President Kennedy was assassinated? 
Mr OLSEN. Yes, sir. 
Mr SPECTER. Tell me, as specifically as you can recollect, exactly what your activities were on that day. 
Mr OLSEN. I was employed by the Dallas Police Department and I was working at an extra job guarding an estate. 
Mr SPECTER. Whose estate was that? 
Mr OLSEN. I don't remember the name. 
Mr SPECTER. How did you happen to get that extra job? 
Mr OLSEN. A motorcycle officer was related to this elderly woman and he was doing work, but he was in the motor---- 
Mr SPECTER. Cade? 
Mr OLSEN. Motorcade of the President, and I was off that day and able to work it. 
Mr SPECTER. Do you recall the name of the motorcycle officer? 
Mr OLSEN. No. 
Mr SPECTER. Where was that estate located? 
Mr OLSEN. On 8th Street in Dallas. 
Mr SPECTER. Do you recall the specific address or the cross street on which it was located? 
Mr OLSEN. It's in the Oak Cliff area, it's approximately two blocks off of Stemmons. 

[Snip to extract Olsen's bullshit about having his leg in a cast]

Mr SPECTER. How did you learn of the assassination of the President? 
Mr OLSEN. A woman called me on the phone who was a friend of the person who had lived there. 
Mr SPECTER. Do you know who that woman was? 
Mr OLSEN. No, sir.- And she wanted to know if I had heard the news, and I said no and she said, "The President has been shot." 
Mr SPECTER. What time did that telephone call occur? 
Mr OLSEN. Right after he was shot. I don't know exactly what time it was. 
Mr SPECTER. Did you talk to anybody else on the telephone or in person between the telephone call and the time that Kay visited you? 
Mr OLSEN. Passers-by. I went outside. 
Mr SPECTER. Whom did you see outside? 
Mr OLSEN. No one who I knew by name They just said, "Have you heard the news?" And I said, "Yes, I had." 
Mr SPECTER. Did you have any other telephone calls while you were guarding that house? 
Mr OLSEN. I called the police department and asked them if they needed me to work. 
Mr SPECTER. To whom did you talk at the police department? 
Mr OLSEN. I don't recall. 
Mr SPECTER. What response did you get? 
Mr OLSEN. They said no. 
Mr SPECTER. What time did Kay visit you on that Friday? 
Mr OLSEN. In the afternoon sometime. 
Mr SPECTER. How long did she stay? 
Mr OLSEN. Oh, I would say an hour or two. 
Mr SPECTER. Where did you have lunch on that Friday? 
Mr OLSEN. There at the place that I was watching. 

Pretty shit memory for a police officer don't you think?  And the period of time in question between 1:15 -  2:15 Olsen's alibi is provided by one of Ruby's strippers.

Now whether some members of the DPD knew that JFK was going to be killed is up for debate. I think it more reasonable to consider that a small handful of them knew Tippit was going to be killed and once he was killed and Oswald's name crops up they quickly realised the full implications and its relationship to the bigger event across the other side of the a Trinity River.

Here is Gladys Johnson's HSCA interview with Jack Moriarty:

SELECT COMMITTEE ON ASSASSINATIONS
NAME: AMY GLADYS JOHNSON 
Address: 1026 No. Beckley, Dallas, Texas
Date 10/14/77 Time 1:30

Mrs. JOHNSON owns and operates this rooming house. She and her husband had owned the premises for 42 years. He died three years ago - so did EARLENE ROBERTS, who resided here in addition to running the rooming house aspect for many years.

Years ago (during 1963), Mrs. JOHNSON owned and operated her restaurant - JOHNSON'S CAFE - located at 1029 Young St., between Field and Pydras Sts., within five blocks of Dealey Plaza. Since gone out of business as evidenced by relatively new parking garage at this site. She was serving lunch at the Cafe when "I heard the shots, then sirens. I went right on working even after the news of the shooting. I did take my usual break after lunch, arriving home about 1:30 or so. There were FBI agents all over the place. They wanted to know which rooms were LEE HARVEY OSWALD's. When I told them no one by that name lived here, they said they knew better. They'd found my address in his pocket when they arrested him at the Texas Theatre (time discrepancy not called to the lady's attention - wrong atmosphere). While they were talking to me - still in the living room, but others already going through some rooms, “LHO’s photo appeared on the TV screen and she recognized her roomer, LEE.
She then directed them to "the little room” – first floor, north side, center, and they immediately found the map he had made earlier when they displayed the route the President was going to take on TV. He had drawn the map while watching TV in the living room. “I was there. Anyway, they took everything – even the linen on the bed – and that was mine. When I suggested that they were acting hastily, they retorted he would never be coming back to this house.” Mrs. JOHNSON went on to recite the rules of the house:

No drinking on the premises
If drunk, don't come in 'til sober
Entertaining guests limited to living room.

She says LHO never broke one rule during the six weeks he was here. He inquired in response to the sign she posted in the front yard. Even though EARLENE managed the rooming house bit, MRS. JOHNSON made a point of personally informing the prospects of the rules which afforded her an opportunity to evaluate them first hand. She collected rent in advance - LHO never used anything other than cash and was never late.  When he first stopped by, he was alone (can’t recall date, but on a Monday or Tuesday) and never mentioned a family, although he did announce he would he spending his weekends in Irving.

Signature - John J. Moriarty with Clarence Day

Albert Rossi wrote:Lee, this is off topic, but since you propose that Lee was not at 1026 N. Beckley, what's you're explanation for this list?  That is, how do you see it originating?

Also, why the penicillin powder?  Confirmation for his being treated for syphilis in Japan?

Albert,

On the first point - maybe Lee has an answer where I do not - but I will say this - Jack Ruby's car was searched about a half a dozen times - and each time it yielded 2 tons of evidence. Yes, I am exaggerating -- but not by much. It's almost as if... Ruby had 2 or more cars...but the authorities made it look like just one...

edit to add: I see Lee has added a comment while I was composing this...

On the second point -- this is one of those things that has been accepted as true - when in fact, it was never proven.

Captain DONABEDIAN - On 9- 10- 58, slight burning on urination. "Has urethral discharge." 
Mr. ELY - Well, if you cannot read it, there is no point-- -- 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Then they took a smear. 
Mr. ELY - What is the purpose of a smear? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - A smear is to diagnose the cause of the infection, the cause of the discharge, to see what type of bacteria was present. 
And on 9- 23- 58, report of a urethral discharge sensitivity test. A culture was taken and reported staphylococcal hemolytic. And the sensitivity test to determine what drug we have that will affect that particular bacteria that is causing this. And erythromycin was the drug of choice. 
On page 154, on 16 September 58 he evidently went to one of the outlying dispensaries, and they said "Send to the mainside for smear," which means he was sent to the main side dispensary to get the smear taken. 
September 1958, the complaint was urethral discharge. They sent him to the labfor a smear. 
And here it says, "Gram negative, diplococci intra- and extra- cellular morphological resembling neisseria gonococci." 
Mr. ELY - Could you tell us, Doctor, generally, what that means? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Well, this resembles the gonococcus bacteria which causes gonorrhea. And it says here morphologically resembling this germ-- since the only legal diagnosis would be to have a culture made to prove this or disprove it. 
And here for his treatment they gave him penicillin, it looks like 400,000units, four times a day, for 3 days, and said "Return on Monday in the p.m., for a repeat smear." 
Then on September 30, 1958, "Still has profuse discharge, somewhat clearer,received course of penicillin ending 2 days ago." 
In other words, he had finished getting his penicillin. So for this profuse discharge, they treated him with chloromycetin capsules, one, four times a day,and return Monday for smear and culture. Then on September 22-- -- 
Mr. ELY - I believe the last item was September 20. 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Then September 22, 1958, urethral discharge, and it says "September 23"underneath-- "urethral discharge, smear and culture." 
The smear showed many pus cells, no organisms noted. The culture showed micrococcus pyogenous vas aurens. This is the type of bacteria that gives adark- greenish color discharge. 
Mr. ELY - Does either the results of the smear or the results of the culture say anything about whether or not Oswald had gonorrhea, or can we tell? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Not in this one. 
The one above here, we assume he had gonorrhea-- - on the 16th. 
Mr. ELY - We would assume he had it, even though, as you pointed out, you could not prove it in court, because it was determined by a smear rather than a culture? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Most of the doctors use this. They may take a smear, and they find that-- intra and extracellular diplococci, they treat the patient for gonorrhea. 
Now, the treatment for his micrococcus pyogenous is "continue chloromycetin," Iguess it is four times a day. Yes; it was four times a day. And then continue four times a day. And something was given. And they wanted him to return again.I cannot tell what this is. Instructions, probably. Some instructions were given. 
On September 29, 1958, the complaint was urethral discharge. They took a smear.And that was-- "many pus cells were noted, no organisms were noted." 
The note underneath is "good response to therapy, has been doing much heavy lifting." They must have given him light duty for 3 days. "To repeat smear, 1 week." 
October 6, 1958, the complaint was unrethral discharge. They took a smear. The report was "moderate amount of pus cells, few gram positive cocci." 
This is not gonorrhea. "Heavy discharge with occasional burning. Has been doing heavy lifting recently." 
"Some heavy discharge with occasional burning of the urination"-- although this says dysurea-- - "has been doing heavy lifting recently." 
October 24, 1958, the complaint was unrethral discharge, and they gave him pyridium, one tablet five times a day- one gram five times a day. 
No-- "return in 5 days." 
They just gave him pyridium, and "d" means to duty, and return in 5 days. 
"Smear, few pus cells, some mucus threads noted, occasional gram positive coccinoted." 
The next date is hard to tell. Something-- "qid for for 5 days." 
The next thing is hard to tell. 
Mr. ELY - All right. That entry is illegible. 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Page 156. He was admitted to the sick list, 9- 16- 58, diagnosis, "urethritisacute due to gonococcus." This is No. 0303. And in handwriting -- -- 
Mr. ELY - That is my handwriting, so we will disregard that. 
Captain DONABEDIAN - The chief complaint is urethral discharge. "Present illness. Patient complains of a slight discharge and a stinging sensation on urination. Past history-- previous venereal disease. Physical examination, essentially negative,except for thick mucco burn discharge from the urethra. Laboratory. Smear reveals gram negative intra- and extra- cellular diplococci having a morphology resembling gonorrhea." 
Unless they took a culture to grow the germ out, they could not absolutely be certain. 
Mr. ELY - You mentioned that under this previous history column it mentioned "previous VD." Does that mean that Oswald had had it prior to this time? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - At another time, in his past, whenever that would be. It could have been while he was in the service, although we didn't notice in these records. But he could have had it before he came in the service. VD could be any venereal disease. There are five different kinds. 
Mr. ELY - But you have not seen any reference in his medical records to any prior case during his military career? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - No; except those that we reported within those dates. Treatment was procaine penicillin, 900,000 units, intramuscularly for 3 days. 
Now, you remember when we read the other report it looked like 400,000 units. It is most apt to be 900,000 units. 
Mr. ELY - It should be noted page 156 contains typewriting rather than handwriting as the other one did. And I believe this entry on page 156 is something of a summary. 
Captain DONABEDIAN - This is a summary. He was admitted on 9- 16- 58, and discharged on the same day. But they readmitted these VD cases for statistical purposes, so we can keep track of how many people have been in contact with this. And he was sent to duty under treatment and observation. 
Mr. ELY - Would it be fair to say, Doctor, summarizing your testimony as to these few pages, that this looks, as far as we can tell, like a typical case of gonorrhea? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Yes; it does. 
Mr. ELY - Nothing extraordinary about it? But it certainly does seem that he did have gonorrhea at this point? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Right. 

This is typical of how the medical system works. They take an educated guess at what's wrong, sometimes based on preliminary (but not confirmatory) tests and treat it conservatively on that basis. If the patient responds to that treatment, they don't bother confirming the preliminary diagnosis.

In short - he may well have had gonorrhoea, but it was not proven by confirmatory tests. The more interesting comment is the note of VD in the past and not necessarily while in the service...

greg parker wrote:

Albert Rossi wrote:Lee, this is off topic, but since you propose that Lee was not at 1026 N. Beckley, what's you're explanation for this list?  That is, how do you see it originating?

Also, why the penicillin powder?  Confirmation for his being treated for syphilis in Japan?

Albert,

On the first point - maybe Lee has an answer where I do not - but I will say this - Jack Ruby's car was searched about a half a dozen times - and each time it yielded 2 tons of evidence. Yes, I am exaggerating -- but not by much. It's almost as if... Ruby had 2 or more cars...but the authorities made it look like just one...

edit to add: I see Lee has added a comment while I was composing this...

On the second point -- this is one of those things that has been accepted as true - when in fact, it was never proven.

Captain DONABEDIAN - On 9- 10- 58, slight burning on urination. "Has urethral discharge." 
Mr. ELY - Well, if you cannot read it, there is no point-- -- 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Then they took a smear. 
Mr. ELY - What is the purpose of a smear? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - A smear is to diagnose the cause of the infection, the cause of the discharge, to see what type of bacteria was present. 
And on 9- 23- 58, report of a urethral discharge sensitivity test. A culture was taken and reported staphylococcal hemolytic. And the sensitivity test to determine what drug we have that will affect that particular bacteria that is causing this. And erythromycin was the drug of choice. 
On page 154, on 16 September 58 he evidently went to one of the outlying dispensaries, and they said "Send to the mainside for smear," which means he was sent to the main side dispensary to get the smear taken. 
September 1958, the complaint was urethral discharge. They sent him to the labfor a smear. 
And here it says, "Gram negative, diplococci intra- and extra- cellular morphological resembling neisseria gonococci." 
Mr. ELY - Could you tell us, Doctor, generally, what that means? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Well, this resembles the gonococcus bacteria which causes gonorrhea. And it says here morphologically resembling this germ-- since the only legal diagnosis would be to have a culture made to prove this or disprove it. 
And here for his treatment they gave him penicillin, it looks like 400,000units, four times a day, for 3 days, and said "Return on Monday in the p.m., for a repeat smear." 
Then on September 30, 1958, "Still has profuse discharge, somewhat clearer,received course of penicillin ending 2 days ago." 
In other words, he had finished getting his penicillin. So for this profuse discharge, they treated him with chloromycetin capsules, one, four times a day,and return Monday for smear and culture. Then on September 22-- -- 
Mr. ELY - I believe the last item was September 20. 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Then September 22, 1958, urethral discharge, and it says "September 23"underneath-- "urethral discharge, smear and culture." 
The smear showed many pus cells, no organisms noted. The culture showed micrococcus pyogenous vas aurens. This is the type of bacteria that gives adark- greenish color discharge. 
Mr. ELY - Does either the results of the smear or the results of the culture say anything about whether or not Oswald had gonorrhea, or can we tell? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Not in this one. 
The one above here, we assume he had gonorrhea-- - on the 16th. 
Mr. ELY - We would assume he had it, even though, as you pointed out, you could not prove it in court, because it was determined by a smear rather than a culture? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Most of the doctors use this. They may take a smear, and they find that-- intra and extracellular diplococci, they treat the patient for gonorrhea. 
Now, the treatment for his micrococcus pyogenous is "continue chloromycetin," Iguess it is four times a day. Yes; it was four times a day. And then continue four times a day. And something was given. And they wanted him to return again.I cannot tell what this is. Instructions, probably. Some instructions were given. 
On September 29, 1958, the complaint was urethral discharge. They took a smear.And that was-- "many pus cells were noted, no organisms were noted." 
The note underneath is "good response to therapy, has been doing much heavy lifting." They must have given him light duty for 3 days. "To repeat smear, 1 week." 
October 6, 1958, the complaint was unrethral discharge. They took a smear. The report was "moderate amount of pus cells, few gram positive cocci." 
This is not gonorrhea. "Heavy discharge with occasional burning. Has been doing heavy lifting recently." 
"Some heavy discharge with occasional burning of the urination"-- although this says dysurea-- - "has been doing heavy lifting recently." 
October 24, 1958, the complaint was unrethral discharge, and they gave him pyridium, one tablet five times a day- one gram five times a day. 
No-- "return in 5 days." 
They just gave him pyridium, and "d" means to duty, and return in 5 days. 
"Smear, few pus cells, some mucus threads noted, occasional gram positive coccinoted." 
The next date is hard to tell. Something-- "qid for for 5 days." 
The next thing is hard to tell. 
Mr. ELY - All right. That entry is illegible. 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Page 156. He was admitted to the sick list, 9- 16- 58, diagnosis, "urethritisacute due to gonococcus." This is No. 0303. And in handwriting -- -- 
Mr. ELY - That is my handwriting, so we will disregard that. 
Captain DONABEDIAN - The chief complaint is urethral discharge. "Present illness. Patient complains of a slight discharge and a stinging sensation on urination. Past history-- previous venereal disease. Physical examination, essentially negative,except for thick mucco burn discharge from the urethra. Laboratory. Smear reveals gram negative intra- and extra- cellular diplococci having a morphology resembling gonorrhea." 
Unless they took a culture to grow the germ out, they could not absolutely be certain. 
Mr. ELY - You mentioned that under this previous history column it mentioned "previous VD." Does that mean that Oswald had had it prior to this time? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - At another time, in his past, whenever that would be. It could have been while he was in the service, although we didn't notice in these records. But he could have had it before he came in the service. VD could be any venereal disease. There are five different kinds. 
Mr. ELY - But you have not seen any reference in his medical records to any prior case during his military career? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - No; except those that we reported within those dates. Treatment was procaine penicillin, 900,000 units, intramuscularly for 3 days. 
Now, you remember when we read the other report it looked like 400,000 units. It is most apt to be 900,000 units. 
Mr. ELY - It should be noted page 156 contains typewriting rather than handwriting as the other one did. And I believe this entry on page 156 is something of a summary. 
Captain DONABEDIAN - This is a summary. He was admitted on 9- 16- 58, and discharged on the same day. But they readmitted these VD cases for statistical purposes, so we can keep track of how many people have been in contact with this. And he was sent to duty under treatment and observation. 
Mr. ELY - Would it be fair to say, Doctor, summarizing your testimony as to these few pages, that this looks, as far as we can tell, like a typical case of gonorrhea? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Yes; it does. 
Mr. ELY - Nothing extraordinary about it? But it certainly does seem that he did have gonorrhea at this point? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Right. 

This is typical of how the medical system works. They take an educated guess at what's wrong, sometimes based on preliminary (but not confirmatory) tests and treat it conservatively on that basis. If the patient responds to that treatment, they don't bother confirming the preliminary diagnosis.

In short - he may well have had gonorrhoea, but it was not proven by confirmatory tests. The more interesting comment is the note of VD in the past and not necessarily while in the service...

On the comment Greg makes concerning the multiplication of evidence in Ruby's car the same thing appears to have happened at Beckley.  The original list of evidence had 37 items on it and half of those were letters, books and pamphlets.  Just look at the photograph I posted earlier today.  That was it at first.  Not much there.

Once the second list is prepared it get significantly longer.  Magic rooming house or further evidence tampering?

I will post the second list tomorrow.

Happy New Year to you all.

Greg:  sorry for getting the VD wrong.  I guess I just assumed that syphilis, being harder to cure, would still require treatment in 1963.  If it was gonorrhea, would the symptoms hang around that long? (I have no idea).  Of course, if those packets didn't belong to LHO, then whoever planted them obviously knew his medical record.

Lee:  just to spell it out for us plodding ones: the first part of your post is suggesting then that Bledsoe's call to the police was received by Olsen.

"Magic" is the key word in this case, isn't it?  Bullet, garage, car, rooming house.  I guess that's why Michael Shermer is so interested in it.  Oh, wait ... shouldn't he be showing us how the magic tricks actually work?  I guess he got suckered, too.

Albert Rossi wrote:Greg:  sorry for getting the VD wrong.  I guess I just assumed that syphilis, being harder to cure, would still require treatment in 1963.  If it was gonorrhea, would the symptoms hang around that long? (I have no idea).  Of course, if those packets didn't belong to LHO, then whoever planted them obviously knew his medical record.

Lee:  just to spell it out for us plodding ones: the first part of your post is suggesting then that Bledsoe's call to the police was received by Olsen.

"Magic" is the key word in this case, isn't it?  Bullet, garage, car, rooming house.  I guess that's why Micheal Shermer is so interested in it.  Oh, wait ... shouldn't he be showing us how the magic tricks actually work?  I guess he got suckered, too.

Albert, the Pentids 400 powder was/is used for a variety of ailments.

Albert Rossi wrote:
Lee:  just to spell it out for us plodding ones: the first part of your post is suggesting then that Bledsoe's call to the police was received by Olsen.

Not exactly, Albert.  I entertain the possibility that Olsen was "guarding" Bledsoe's house.

greg parker wrote:

Albert Rossi wrote:Greg:  sorry for getting the VD wrong.  I guess I just assumed that syphilis, being harder to cure, would still require treatment in 1963.  If it was gonorrhea, would the symptoms hang around that long? (I have no idea).  Of course, if those packets didn't belong to LHO, then whoever planted them obviously knew his medical record.

Lee:  just to spell it out for us plodding ones: the first part of your post is suggesting then that Bledsoe's call to the police was received by Olsen.

"Magic" is the key word in this case, isn't it?  Bullet, garage, car, rooming house.  I guess that's why Micheal Shermer is so interested in it.  Oh, wait ... shouldn't he be showing us how the magic tricks actually work?  I guess he got suckered, too.

Albert, the Pentids 400 powder was/is used for a variety of ailments.

Yeah, looks like they're still around, too.  I guess my own experience with penicillin (always in tablet or injection form) interfered here.

In the words of Miss Emily Litella, "Never mind ..."   

Lee Farley wrote:

Albert Rossi wrote:
Lee:  just to spell it out for us plodding ones: the first part of your post is suggesting then that Bledsoe's call to the police was received by Olsen.

Not exactly, Albert.  I entertain the possibility that Olsen was "guarding" Bledsoe's house.

 
OMG.  The "estate".  Was Oswald the butler?

P.S. Lee:  Happy New Year.  The ball doesn't drop here in Chicagoland yet for another six hours.

greg parker wrote:

Albert Rossi wrote:Lee, this is off topic, but since you propose that Lee was not at 1026 N. Beckley, what's you're explanation for this list?  That is, how do you see it originating?

Also, why the penicillin powder?  Confirmation for his being treated for syphilis in Japan?

Albert,

On the first point - maybe Lee has an answer where I do not - but I will say this - Jack Ruby's car was searched about a half a dozen times - and each time it yielded 2 tons of evidence. Yes, I am exaggerating -- but not by much. It's almost as if... Ruby had 2 or more cars...but the authorities made it look like just one...

edit to add: I see Lee has added a comment while I was composing this...

On the second point -- this is one of those things that has been accepted as true - when in fact, it was never proven.

Captain DONABEDIAN - On 9- 10- 58, slight burning on urination. "Has urethral discharge." 
Mr. ELY - Well, if you cannot read it, there is no point-- -- 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Then they took a smear. 
Mr. ELY - What is the purpose of a smear? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - A smear is to diagnose the cause of the infection, the cause of the discharge, to see what type of bacteria was present. 
And on 9- 23- 58, report of a urethral discharge sensitivity test. A culture was taken and reported staphylococcal hemolytic. And the sensitivity test to determine what drug we have that will affect that particular bacteria that is causing this. And erythromycin was the drug of choice. 
On page 154, on 16 September 58 he evidently went to one of the outlying dispensaries, and they said "Send to the mainside for smear," which means he was sent to the main side dispensary to get the smear taken. 
September 1958, the complaint was urethral discharge. They sent him to the labfor a smear. 
And here it says, "Gram negative, diplococci intra- and extra- cellular morphological resembling neisseria gonococci." 
Mr. ELY - Could you tell us, Doctor, generally, what that means? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Well, this resembles the gonococcus bacteria which causes gonorrhea. And it says here morphologically resembling this germ-- since the only legal diagnosis would be to have a culture made to prove this or disprove it. 
And here for his treatment they gave him penicillin, it looks like 400,000units, four times a day, for 3 days, and said "Return on Monday in the p.m., for a repeat smear." 
Then on September 30, 1958, "Still has profuse discharge, somewhat clearer,received course of penicillin ending 2 days ago." 
In other words, he had finished getting his penicillin. So for this profuse discharge, they treated him with chloromycetin capsules, one, four times a day,and return Monday for smear and culture. Then on September 22-- -- 
Mr. ELY - I believe the last item was September 20. 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Then September 22, 1958, urethral discharge, and it says "September 23"underneath-- "urethral discharge, smear and culture." 
The smear showed many pus cells, no organisms noted. The culture showed micrococcus pyogenous vas aurens. This is the type of bacteria that gives adark- greenish color discharge. 
Mr. ELY - Does either the results of the smear or the results of the culture say anything about whether or not Oswald had gonorrhea, or can we tell? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Not in this one. 
The one above here, we assume he had gonorrhea-- - on the 16th. 
Mr. ELY - We would assume he had it, even though, as you pointed out, you could not prove it in court, because it was determined by a smear rather than a culture? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Most of the doctors use this. They may take a smear, and they find that-- intra and extracellular diplococci, they treat the patient for gonorrhea. 
Now, the treatment for his micrococcus pyogenous is "continue chloromycetin," Iguess it is four times a day. Yes; it was four times a day. And then continue four times a day. And something was given. And they wanted him to return again.I cannot tell what this is. Instructions, probably. Some instructions were given. 
On September 29, 1958, the complaint was urethral discharge. They took a smear.And that was-- "many pus cells were noted, no organisms were noted." 
The note underneath is "good response to therapy, has been doing much heavy lifting." They must have given him light duty for 3 days. "To repeat smear, 1 week." 
October 6, 1958, the complaint was unrethral discharge. They took a smear. The report was "moderate amount of pus cells, few gram positive cocci." 
This is not gonorrhea. "Heavy discharge with occasional burning. Has been doing heavy lifting recently." 
"Some heavy discharge with occasional burning of the urination"-- although this says dysurea-- - "has been doing heavy lifting recently." 
October 24, 1958, the complaint was unrethral discharge, and they gave him pyridium, one tablet five times a day- one gram five times a day. 
No-- "return in 5 days." 
They just gave him pyridium, and "d" means to duty, and return in 5 days. 
"Smear, few pus cells, some mucus threads noted, occasional gram positive coccinoted." 
The next date is hard to tell. Something-- "qid for for 5 days." 
The next thing is hard to tell. 
Mr. ELY - All right. That entry is illegible. 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Page 156. He was admitted to the sick list, 9- 16- 58, diagnosis, "urethritisacute due to gonococcus." This is No. 0303. And in handwriting -- -- 
Mr. ELY - That is my handwriting, so we will disregard that. 
Captain DONABEDIAN - The chief complaint is urethral discharge. "Present illness. Patient complains of a slight discharge and a stinging sensation on urination. Past history-- previous venereal disease. Physical examination, essentially negative,except for thick mucco burn discharge from the urethra. Laboratory. Smear reveals gram negative intra- and extra- cellular diplococci having a morphology resembling gonorrhea." 
Unless they took a culture to grow the germ out, they could not absolutely be certain. 
Mr. ELY - You mentioned that under this previous history column it mentioned "previous VD." Does that mean that Oswald had had it prior to this time? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - At another time, in his past, whenever that would be. It could have been while he was in the service, although we didn't notice in these records. But he could have had it before he came in the service. VD could be any venereal disease. There are five different kinds. 
Mr. ELY - But you have not seen any reference in his medical records to any prior case during his military career? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - No; except those that we reported within those dates. Treatment was procaine penicillin, 900,000 units, intramuscularly for 3 days. 
Now, you remember when we read the other report it looked like 400,000 units. It is most apt to be 900,000 units. 
Mr. ELY - It should be noted page 156 contains typewriting rather than handwriting as the other one did. And I believe this entry on page 156 is something of a summary. 
Captain DONABEDIAN - This is a summary. He was admitted on 9- 16- 58, and discharged on the same day. But they readmitted these VD cases for statistical purposes, so we can keep track of how many people have been in contact with this. And he was sent to duty under treatment and observation. 
Mr. ELY - Would it be fair to say, Doctor, summarizing your testimony as to these few pages, that this looks, as far as we can tell, like a typical case of gonorrhea? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Yes; it does. 
Mr. ELY - Nothing extraordinary about it? But it certainly does seem that he did have gonorrhea at this point? 
Captain DONABEDIAN - Right. 

This is typical of how the medical system works. They take an educated guess at what's wrong, sometimes based on preliminary (but not confirmatory) tests and treat it conservatively on that basis. If the patient responds to that treatment, they don't bother confirming the preliminary diagnosis.

In short - he may well have had gonorrhoea, but it was not proven by confirmatory tests. The more interesting comment is the note of VD in the past and not necessarily while in the service...

My read on this is that he originally contracted gonorrhoea. This is caused by a species of the gram negative Neiserria. They saw gram negative cocci on the primary smear around the 16th and prescribed penicillin. A few days later although some improvement, he acquired a secondary infection with gram positive staph aureus (golden staph). They changed antibiotic to chloramphenicol as the golden staph was likely penicillin resistant. He also was prescribed an analgesic to relieve the pain and frequency of urination.

He did not have syphillis. Greg is right, they will normally go with best guess for treatment. To wait for positive confirmation by the lab would take a couple of days.

The interesting thing is the penicillin powder. Oral administration of penicillin is relatively new. He had intramuscular injection of about 1 million units, this is normal for someone with severe indection. The IM route is better and the powder is dissolved just prior to injection. The powder he had could not be administered by himself without syringe. If he swallowed it the acid in the stomach would have neutralized it.

Colin, interesting; I just assumed the powder was administered orally.  So where's the syringe?

Albert Rossi wrote:

Lee Farley wrote:

Albert Rossi wrote:
Lee:  just to spell it out for us plodding ones: the first part of your post is suggesting then that Bledsoe's call to the police was received by Olsen.

Not exactly, Albert.  I entertain the possibility that Olsen was "guarding" Bledsoe's house.

 
OMG.  The "estate".  Was Oswald the butler?

That's right, Albert, the "estate" - that Olsen in a later interview called a "ramshackle house"

The "estate" that he couldn't remember the address of, who owned it, or who asked him to guard it.  Even though he could remember that the other police officer who asked him to guard it was in the Presidential motorcade.  Later that evening Olsen would go and meet with Jack Ruby for a number of hours.

Albert Rossi wrote:P.S. Lee:  Happy New Year.  The ball doesn't drop here in Chicagoland yet for another six hours.

Well to give you a preview, 2014 feels much the same as 2013.

But here's hoping that the end of 2014 sees the Bears in the playoffs!