Steve Thomas

John, as far as I know that "white stuffed animal" was never actually verified and indeed it is probably a mistake.

Larry,

I think it was a Lamb Chop puppet.

From a 9/24/02 posting in the Lancer Forum by Jim Oliver:

"It was at an Ask CONFERENCE that researcher Wallace Millam(?spelling) produced the footage of Jackie Kennedy being given a little white stuffed animal (Lamb Chop) at the fence at Love Field. Mrs. Kennedy placed the white toy animal(that did look like a little dog)on the rear seat of the limo between her and the President. This really impressed me as to how close to the car Jean actually was and how much she did see."

Steve Thomas

John,

An assassin not only has to plan the shot, he also has to plan his getaway. As a matter of fact, I think a professional assassin would be pretty confident about making the kill. What is not so sure is his getaway and escape - preferably without detection.

If the shot had been taken while JFK's limo was still on Houston, there would have been no doubt as to its origin. By waiting until the limo was on Elm, with multiple possible shooting origins, the assassins were able to sew doubt and create confusion, thereby giving them enough time to effect their escape.

Steve Thomas

Mr. PAINE - I asked him what he was doing, his job, and he showed me a picture on the wall, which was a piece of newspaper, I think--that is beside the point. I asked him about Russia, what he liked about.

Mr. DULLES - Could we get that picture?

Mr. PAINE - I think it was beside the point. It was a piece of newspaper showing a fashion ad, I think. I think his job was--

Antti,

This exchange with Michael Paine seems to confirm for me that LHO had a photography job at one point.

Paine asks Oswald what he does for a living. Oswald points to a picture on the wall. The picture contained a piece of magazine showing a fashion ad.

I don't think that is "beside the point" as Paine says twice.

It seems to me that Oswald was skilled in photography and in Minsk, did electronics work. What's he doing cleaning coffee machines at Reily and filling book orders at the TSBD?

Steve Thomas

Was reading through Marina Oswald's testimony before the WC and came across the passage quoted below from her first appearance before the WC on February 3, 1964.

Does anyone know to what she is referring?

Mr. RANKIN. Did he seem to like his job at the depository?

Mrs. OSWALD. Yes, because it was not dirty work.

Mr. RANKIN. Had he talked about getting any other job?

Mrs. OSWALD. Yes. When he went to answer some ads, he preferred to get some work connected with photography rather than this work. He liked this work relatively speaking--he liked it. But, of course, he wanted to get something better.

Mr. RANKIN. Did you like the photographic work?

Mrs. OSWALD. Yes. It was interesting for him. When he would see his work in the newspaper he would always point it out.

Steve Thomas

John,

For me, it's the Commencement address JFK gave at American University on June 10, 1963, part of which is excerpted below:

http://www.ratical.org/co-globalize/JFK061063.html

Today, should total war ever break out again -- no matter how -- our two countries would become the primary targets. It is an ironic but accurate fact that the two strongest powers are the two in the most danger of devastation. All we have built, all we have worked for, would be destroyed in the first twenty-four hours. And even in the cold war, which brings burdens and dangers to so many countries, including this nation's closest allies -- our two countries bear the heaviest burdens. For we are both devoting to weapons massive sums of money that could be better devoted to combating ignorance, poverty and disease. We are both caught up in a vicious and dangerous cycle in which suspicion on one side breeds suspicion on the other, and new weapons beget counterweapons.

In short, both the United States and its allies, and the Soviet Union and its allies, have a mutually deep interest in a just and genuine peace and in halting the arms race. Agreements to this end are in the interests of the Soviet Union as well as ours -- and even the most hostile nations can be relied upon to accept and keep those treaty obligations, and only those treaty obligations, which are in their own interest.

So, let us not be blind to our differences -- but let us also direct attention to our common interests and to the means by which those differences can be resolved. And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal.

He was advocating an accomodation with the Soviet Union, and there were definitely people in 1963 who looked on that as tatamount to treason.

Steve Thomas

1. Who was LHO's mob contact?

Antti,

Oswald's efforts to get a job at the Allright Parking Garage - where Ruby parked his car; his efforts to get a job at the Adolphus Hotel - across the street from the Carousel Club, the reported sightings of Ruby and Oswald together at the Lucas B+B and Nita's Place and the reports of at least two mechanics I think saying that they saw Oswald driving Ruby's car lead me to believe that Oswald was either shadowing Ruby, or was trying to ingratiate himself into Ruby's life.

Steve Thomas

Lee,

There is this in the NARA database:

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : HSCA

RECORD NUMBER : 180-10090-10203

RECORDS SERIES : NUMBERED FILES

AGENCY FILE NUMBER : 000590

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

ORIGINATOR : NEW TIMES

FROM : NOBILEM, PHILLIP AND ROSENBAUM, RON

TO : [No To]

TITLE : THE CIRCUS AFTERMATH OF JFK'S BEST AND BRIGHTEST

AFFAIR

DATE : 07/09/1976

PAGES : 9

DOCUMENT TYPE : PRESS CLIPPINGS

SUBJECTS : MEYER, MARY PINCHOT; ANGLETON, JAMES; KENNEDY, JOHN

CLASSIFICATION : UNCLASSIFIED

RESTRICTIONS : OPEN IN FULL

CURRENT STATUS : OPEN

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 07/30/1993

COMMENTS : Box 15.

Steve Thomas

John,

Over the last few days I have been reading Michael R. Bescholoss’ Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes: 1963-1964 (Simon & Schuster).

Hello.

It's ironic. I have been reading the same book myself over the last couple of days.

I don't have the book with me at the moment, so I can't quote verbatim, nor provide citations, but when I got to the part where Johnson is discussing passing out little envelopes, and the part about him buying up land in the vicinity of what would become the Houston Space Center, my eyebrows shot up.

Steve Thomas