Denny Zartman

A few more random observations: “Perfectly executed, skillfully done” It’s a cliché that when someone is about to be executed, they are often asked if they have any last requests. I believe the song could be interpreted as JFK dying on the way to the hospital, and these are his last requests, merged with Dylan’s own requests for songs in tribute to JFK and others. There’s a mention of the radio in the car, and urging someone not to touch the dial, a common saying in radio and TV. The wolfman is evoked at the end of the first verse, I believe this is the only wolfman reference in which it’s not specifically Wolfman Jack. The later reference to the Invisible Man could make this first mention of the Wolfman is also a reference to a monster unleashed because of the JFK assassination. The second verse introduces the sixties, the pop music angle, expertly blended in with jfk symbolism. Bannister, Ferrie, “go for the throat” I believe is a reference to JFK’s anterior neck wound. “Then I’ll go to Altamont and sit near the stage” I think this line is more than just a simple invoking of a ‘60’s cultural event that bookends Woodstock. Dylan also seems to offer himself up as a sacrifice by placing himself in Meredith Hunter’s place. Whiteface clown – a reference to Dylan’s own “whiteface” makeup? “Going down to the crossroads, going to flag a ride - The place where faith hope and charity died” = hell The invisible man – Obviously a Universal Studios monster that counted the Wolfman as one of his peers. This could also refer to someone in camouflage, since the next line invokes war. “Where we ask no quarter, and no quarter do we give” I love that little descending note when he sings “give.” I also like the long pause on “We’re right down the street… from the street where you live”. Very effective and affecting use of phrasing and space right there. “Turn the radio on, don’t touch the dials” After this the perspective immediately switches from JFK, to Oswald, back to JFK, and then to Dylan himself in the next line about watching the Zapruder film. “What’s new, pussycat? What’d I say?” Love his voice when he sings the line “What’d I say?” Then when he starts making requests, really some brilliant writing. “Take me to the place Tom Dooley was hung” has such vulnerability to it. This is one of my favorite moments of the song. St James Infirmary, King James, and Etta James. Very nice bringing the three together. At this point Dylan begins relaxing the concept of requesting Wolfman Jack to play songs for him by asking for more modern songs as well as traditional gospel songs, things the Wolfman wouldn’t or couldn’t play. Then Dylan relaxes the concept even further, requesting non-musical artists like Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd (both silent film stars) and then Bugsy Sigel and Pretty Boy Floyd (both gangsters). It’s possible that he’s urging these figures to play instead of asking music from them. Dylan also requests at least one movie "It Happened One Night." “Play number 6” – Could be a reference to Jimi Hendrix’s song “If 6 Was 9” and/or the television show “The Prisoner”, a surreal ‘60’s TV show which featured political themes, heavy symbolic music in the final episodes, and a main character called Number Six. “Don’t worry Mr. President, help’s on the way” Dylan sings this line in a higher voice that sounds very much like he did when he was young. Then the ending, a very powerful series of requests, ending with double gut punch of “The Blood-Stained Banner” and “Murder Most Foul”. I’ll say it again - I think it’s a brilliant touch by Dylan to end by referencing the song that the listener is listening to. That’s a great meta moment and the perfect way to cap the song by taking it back to the beginning - “bringing it all back home” if you will.

“Goodbye, Charlie! Goodbye Uncle Sam!” I interpret this as a multiple reference to the Vietnam War (Charlie vs. Uncle Sam), the song from the movie “Goodbye, Charlie”, and Don McLean’s “American Pie”. “Murder Most Foul” has been compared to “American Pie”, the somewhat “Dylanesque” hit song from 1971 By Don McLean that similarly evoked the loss of American innocence using heavy musical references. With the “Goodbye, Charlie! Goodbye Uncle Sam!”, line you have the words “bye” and “bye” in close proximity, the final “bye” followed immediately by the name of America’s mascot, Uncle Sam. I believe both songs can co-exist and be enjoyed, but the comparison between the two songs still invites itself. In both songs the narrator goes to a Rolling Stones concert. I don’t think it’s entirely a coincidence that “Murder Most Foul” is almost exactly twice as long as the already epic eight and a half minutes of “American Pie.” Personally, I think Dylan deserves a lot of credit for going farther in the imagery as well as more direct references. Let’s also not forget that McLean’s song relies on a big hook and a catchy sing-along chorus. There are no hooks or catchy melodies in Dylan’s song. There will be no wedding singalongs of “Murder Most Foul". Yet Dylan is able to capture a listener's attention for twice the amount of time despite the lack of a hook and a catchy chorus.

Murder Most Foul by Bob Dylan It was a dark day in Dallas, November '63 A day that will live on in infamy President Kennedy was a-ridin' high Good day to be livin' and a good day to die Being led to the slaughter like a sacrificial lamb He said, "Wait a minute, boys, you know who I am?" "Of course we do, we know who you are!" Then they blew off his head while he was still in the car Shot down like a dog in broad daylight Was a matter of timing and the timing was right You got unpaid debts, we've come to collect We're gonna kill you with hatred, without any respect We'll mock you and shock you and we'll put it in your face We've already got someone here to take your place The day they blew out the brains of the king Thousands were watching, no one saw a thing It happened so quickly, so quick, by surprise Right there in front of everyone's eyes Greatest magic trick ever under the sun Perfectly executed, skillfully done Wolfman, oh wolfman, oh wolfman howl Rub-a-dub-dub, it's a murder most foul [Verse 2] Hush, little children, you'll understand The Beatles are comin', they're gonna hold your hand Slide down the banister, go get your coat Ferry 'cross the Mersey and go for the throat There's three bums comin' all dressed in rags Pick up the pieces and lower the flags I'm goin' to Woodstock, it's the Aquarian Age Then I'll go to Altamont and sit near the stage Put your head out the window, let the good times roll There's a party going on behind the Grassy Knoll Stack up the bricks, pour the cement Don't say Dallas don't love you, Mr. President Put your foot in the tank and then step on the gas Try to make it to the triple underpass Blackface singer, whiteface clown Better not show your faces after the sun goes down Up in the red light district, they've got cop on the beat Living in a nightmare on Elm Street When you're down on Deep Ellum, put your money in your shoe Don't ask what your country can do for you Cash on the barrelhead, money to burn Dealey Plaza, make a left-hand turn I'm going down to the crossroads, gonna flag a ride The place where faith, hope, and charity died Shoot him while he runs, boy, shoot him while you can See if you can shoot the invisible man Goodbye, Charlie! Goodbye, Uncle Sam! Frankly, Miss Scarlett, I don't give a damn What is the truth, and where did it go? Ask Oswald and Ruby, they oughta know "Shut your mouth," said a wise old owl Business is business, and it's a murder most foul [Verse 3] Tommy, can you hear me? I'm the Acid Queen I'm riding in a long, black Lincoln limousine Ridin' in the backseat next to my wife Headed straight on in to the afterlife I'm leaning to the left, I got my head in her lap Hold on, I've been led into some kind of a trap Where we ask no quarter, and no quarter do we give We're right down the street, from the street where you live They mutilated his body and they took out his brain What more could they do? They piled on the pain But his soul was not there where it was supposed to be at For the last fifty years they've been searchin' for that Freedom, oh freedom, freedom over me I hate to tell you, mister, but only dead men are free Send me some lovin', then tell me no lie Throw the gun in the gutter and walk on by Wake up, little Susie, let's go for a drive Cross the Trinity River, let's keep hope alive Turn the radio on, don't touch the dials Parkland hospital, only six more miles You got me dizzy, Miss Lizzy, you filled me with lead That magic bullet of yours has gone to my head I'm just a patsy like Patsy Cline Never shot anyone from in front or behind I've blood in my eye, got blood in my ear I'm never gonna make it to the new frontier Zapruder's film I seen night before Seen it thirty-three times, maybe more It's vile and deceitful, it's cruel and it's mean Ugliest thing that you ever have seen They killed him once and they killed him twice Killed him like a human sacrifice The day that they killed him, someone said to me, "Son The age of the Antichrist has just only begun" Air Force One comin' in through the gate Johnson sworn in at 2:38 Let me know when you decide to throw in the towel It is what it is, and it's murder most foul [Verse 4] What's new, pussycat? What'd I say? I said the soul of a nation been torn away And it's beginning to go into a slow decay And that it's thirty-six hours past Judgment Day Wolfman Jack, he's speaking in tongues He's going on and on at the top of his lungs Play me a song, Mr. Wolfman Jack Play it for me in my long Cadillac Play me that "Only the Good Die Young" Take me to the place Tom Dooley was hung Play "St. James Infirmary" in the court of King James If you want to remember, you better write down the names Play Etta James, too, play "I'd Rather Go Blind" Play it for the man with the telepathic mind Play John Lee Hooker, play "Scratch My Back" Play it for that strip club owner named Jack Guitar Slim going down slow Play it for me and for Marilyn Monroe [Verse 5] Play "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" Play it for the First Lady, she ain't feeling any good Play Don Henley, play Glenn Frey Take it to the limit and let it go by Play it for Carl Wilson, too Looking far, far away down Gower Avenue Play tragedy, play "Twilight Time" Take me back to Tulsa to the scene of the crime Play another one and "Another One Bites the Dust" Play "The Old Rugged Cross" and "In God We Trust" Ride the pink horse down that long, lonesome road Stand there and wait for his head to explode Play "Mystery Train" for Mr. Mystery The man who fell down dead like a rootless tree Play it for the reverend, play it for the pastor Play it for the dog that got no master Play Oscar Peterson, play Stan Getz Play "Blue Sky," play Dickey Betts Play Art Pepper, Thelonious Monk Charlie Parker and all that junk All that junk and "All That Jazz" Play something for the Birdman of Alcatraz Play Buster Keaton, play Harold Lloyd Play Bugsy Siegel, play Pretty Boy Floyd Play the numbers, play the odds Play "Cry Me A River" for the Lord of the gods Play Number nine, play Number six Play it for Lindsey and Stevie Nicks Play Nat King Cole, play "Nature Boy" Play "Down In The Boondocks" for Terry Malloy Play "It Happened One Night" and "One Night of Sin" There's twelve million souls that are listening in Play "Merchant of Venice", play "Merchants of Death" Play "Stella by Starlight" for Lady Macbeth Don't worry, Mr. President, help's on the way Your brothers are comin', there'll be hell to pay Brothers? What brothers? What's this about hell? Tell them, "We're waiting, keep coming," we'll get them as well Love Field is where his plane touched down But it never did get back up off the ground Was a hard act to follow, second to none They killed him on the altar of the rising sun Play "Misty" for me and "That Old Devil Moon" Play "Anything Goes" and "Memphis in June" Play "Lonely At the Top" and "Lonely Are the Brave" Play it for Houdini spinning around his grave Play Jelly Roll Morton, play "Lucille" Play "Deep In a Dream", and play "Driving Wheel" Play "Moonlight Sonata" in F-sharp And "A Key to the Highway" for the king on the harp Play "Marching Through Georgia" and "Dumbarton's Drums" Play darkness and death will come when it comes Play "Love Me Or Leave Me" by the great Bud Powell Play "The Blood-stained Banner", play "Murder Most Foul"

Thanks very much!

Bob Dylan is definitely inconsistent. He often changes up the arrangements of his songs in concert, so much so that they sometimes sound like different songs entirely. I've had friends that have seen him live and said he was great, and other friends that have seen other shows and called them terrible. That bad performance I heard was likely from a broadcast of the Academy Awards. I believe he and his band were performing from a remote location, so sound issues could have been to blame. To his credit, there are some good vocal performances in his movie "Masked and Anonymous" which I believe came out a few years later (and I'm sure had much better audio production than a remote TV appearance.) Anyway, he must have given up smoking and/or doing those Sinatra albums got him singing out of that one raggedy register that I was sure he had settled into permanently. I'm glad that's not the case and that his voice has improved. In fact, the only time I really hear that "raggedy" register that he used to use all the time is in the line "Wolfman Jack, he’s speaking in tongues, he’s going on and on at the top of his lungs" when he says "Jack" and "on and on."

I'm cross posting this with the other thread Bob Dylan tackles the Kennedy assassination: Murder Most Foul I didn't see a lyric video on YouTube yet so I made one. Bob Dylan's new song is a surprise and quite a work of art. There are many layers to dig into. I like Dylan's jazz-like way of coming in off-beat, at times off with the music but never sounding incongruous with it. His singing is also noteworthy. I remember a performance from a decade ago that had me convinced he was done and that his voice was shot for good. There's only a few instances of raspyness here and there and I don't think they detract from the recording. Those instances are outnumbered by many pleasant moments where his voice sounds remarkably smooth. He has some really good phrasing. I really liked the subtle way the texture of his voice would change when assuming a character. The instrumentation is really nice and restrained. Relaxing and slow without sounding sleepy or maudlin. The lyrics and songwriting are something else. Some online review described it as "stream of consciousness". If that term implies a sort of aimlessness, then I don't agree. To me, the lyrics appear very carefully structured, and it is a credit to Dylan's musical genius that he is able to make it sound improvised. It is frankly amazing to me that he can hold a listener's attention for 17 minutes with a song that has no bridges, choruses, or hooks - just the title refrain and the imagery contained in the verses. Speaking of the title refrain - I think it's brilliant to end the song by naming the song itself, asking Wolfman Jack to play, as the last song and the last request, the very song he's singing at the moment. The song isn't just about JFK's assassination and the Sixties, but about Dylan's love of popular music from his childhood to adulthood. The song is also a delirious fantasy as you imagine yourself being able to request as many songs as you want from the radio DJ, with no limits whatsoever. There's also repeated Biblical imagery. I especially liked the "left hand turn" in Dealey Plaza as an allusion to a change to something demonic in the country, followed immediately by a mention of the crossroads, a reference to Robert Johnson selling his soul to the devil for the ability to play blues guitar. I also think there's sexual references in the verses about Bobby and Teddy, the word "comin'" is used twice in short succession, and in reference to the brothers. I don't think there's anything accidental about that. This is just scratching the surface of this complex tour de force of songwriting. I'm enjoying reading everyone's takes and thoughts on this song.

There didn't seem to be a lyric video on YouTube yet, so I made one. I hope everyone finds it enjoyable and useful.

Bart, for all your hard work, I would like to present you and Malcolm with the 100% officially authorized, endorsed, certified and approved Education Forum Official Honorary Degree Award: the Doctorate Of Outstanding Excellence. If anyone else would like one of these awards and has PayPal, please feel free (well, almost free) to contact me.

This is a fascinating thread. I especially enjoyed the article by Ivor Montagu. That's some excellent analysis. Two things stood out for me: "Why experts?" This is a great question that hadn't occurred to me before. Why didn't they do tests with riflepersons of Oswald's skill level instead of using experts? The answer seems obvious. It couldn't be done. Also, why didn't the tests involve shooting at a moving target? The answer also seems evident: A moving target couldn't be hit as accurately by even expert shooters. When you add in the suggested possibility that Oswald was also shooting through the branches of a tree and a bullet deflected off a branch was the reason for the "the shot that missed", the lone nut theory becomes even more laughable. And there's an additional point in the quote above that I rarely see addressed in debates. People seem to focus exclusively on the time it takes to pull the trigger and work the bolt three times, but completely neglect to account for the time it would have taken a shooter to re-aim at a moving target between those shots - a moving target, that, according to some, was also being obscured by the leaves and branches of a tree. The above quote is another good instance of demonstrating the absurdity of the official story in a way that hadn't ever fully occurred to me. I've personally never questioned why Oswald had Hosty's contact info. The implication is clear that the two were in contact. But it's startling to realize that anyone could find that official story chain of events described by Montagu plausible. Was Ruth Paine super-naive or just dumb? Was the call from the FBI to Ruth really that casual? "Eh, hi, it's the FBI just calling to check in. If you see or hear anything suspicious about your new roommate or her husband, give us a ring, willya? Sure, you can tell Lee and Marina that we called, no biggie." - "Hey Marina and Lee, guess who called? The FBI. Here's their contact info, just in case you guys want to confess to any illegal activity, or see yourselves doing anything suspicious, or anything like that." It's mind-boggling to try and imagine innocent events, conversations, and thought-processes that would have appeared remotely realistic to anyone, yet LN's have to accept this version as not only plausible, but what they think actually happened. What would you do if you had a boarder or roommate that apparently wasn't paying rent, and soon after they moved in the FBI started sniffing around ? Wouldn't that be about the time you started planning on evicting this new roommate? What could possibly be the point of maintaining the status quo after that huge red flag? Wouldn't a normal, innocent person immediately think that this is clearly an unusual and potentially dangerous situation. and that it might be wiser to extract themselves from it rather than getting themselves in deeper by tipping off those under surveillance?

I pre-ordered it a month ago. Hopefully it will make its November 2020 release date.

Is Aynesworth really part of this project?

Wow! It sure does sound like your email played a role in the decision not to move forward with the project, Vince. I had also heard that a producer of the adaptation of Stephen King's 11-22-1963 eventually came to the personal conclusion that Oswald didn't act alone. It's telling that so many of these projects have been dramatically downscaled or cancelled outright, and even those associated with with produced projects have expressed doubt with the official story after exposure to the facts of the case.

Merry Christmas to everyone. I hope you all are having a happy holiday season and will have a wonderful new year.

Some have said that the politics of the papers were also contrasting as well. The example being that it would be like someone trying to project a political philosophy by holding up copies of The Nation and National Review. To me, one of the questions I have is: were the backyard photos unique in Oswald's life, or did he at other times have pictures taken of himself with his weapons?

I apologize for not clarifying that I was not attempting to minimize the significance or importance of the JFK assassination myself. That wasn't my intention.

I agree with Donald Jeffries's identification of ego as part of what has played into JFK research for decades. I don't think that's a flaw unique to this subject, though. I believe ego plays a role in every field and many parts of everyday life. It seems few JFK researchers make any money at all, or have any sort of regular staff to assist them. Some researchers are actually losing money in the long run. The hard reality is that most of us aren't doing this professionally. It seems that the only sort of organization is mostly going to be volunteer work and loosely coordinated research activity. Once a particular individual starts attempting to coordinate all of these independent, unpaid researchers into an organized and productive research team, problems seem to inherently arise as egos begin to play a part. I always try to attempt to qualify my statements. I believe I can never be 100% sure about anything, so I try to use caution and avoid talking in absolutes whenever possible. I know I've often failed at that, but I try my best. I've had some spirited debates with advocates of the lone assassin theory over the years. While these debates have often been intellectually stimulating in that they test my knowledge and comprehension of the facts, I find that occasionally anger and frustration makes me start taking sides on certain aspects of the case. While there is nothing wrong with defending what one believes to be true and can be proven with evidence, for me personally, I'm always concerned with the possibility that my ego will become more focused on winning the argument than truly considering (and be willing to re-consider) every aspect of all facts large and small. Here is Donald's 2013 consensus statement, which he says few researchers would endorse: In essence I don't disagree and I doubt many JFK researchers would, but personally I would avoid language like "conclusively" or say that the previous investigations were not "real". Those investigations, biased as they were, did exist. I would not characterize the JFK assassination as the most significant political assassination of the 20th century either, even if I believed it to be so. The reason being is that a casual reader might say historians have pinpointed the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand as a prime factor in touching off World War I and could therefore be legitimately considered an assassination of equal significance at least. It also seems unnecessary to me to assign less significance to the other major assassinations of the 20th century. The assassinations of MLK and Malcolm X were certainly political and significant, and none of us knows how history would have been changed had RFK become President. I wouldn't want someone brand new to JFK research disagreeing with the consensus statement from jump street. In my opinion that's a bad way to start. I would also not "date" the consensus statement with the "on the verge of the 50th anniversary" language, but that is a stylistic preference. As we can see, already my own ego and personal preferences are influencing my reaction to Donald's consensus statement. It appears that the negative feedback Donald received has affected his ego too. I understand. It's hard to craft a statement hoping for a consensus from your peers and then feel the pressure to revise it by committee. It would likely feel to him as a simple rejection of the spirit of the statement as well as an example of how fractured and disorganized the research community is. Finally, I sort of question the need for this statement at all. I believe most CT JFK researchers already agree that the official investigations did not do their jobs. Of course we would be interested in a new investigation, but the last thing in the world anyone needs is another sham government inquiry. They've kept this secret and obfuscated for over half a century. Why would anyone expect government investigators to come clean now when the intent was to let it fade into history all along?

I didn't hate it, but Goodfellas remains the quintessential gangster movie. I thought DeNiro did some good acting in a few effective scenes. The de-aging didn't bother me. I thought it looked fine. It was nice to see Joe Pesci again after so long. But like I said, Goodfellas has such spark and life in it, and then accelerates into the final act. In contrast, The Irishman is often quiet, and gets even quieter in the third act. That's not necessarily a bad thing in concept: it is a meditation on non-violent mortality in contrast to the adrenaline and cocaine fueled climax of Goodfellas. But when I want to sit down and much some popcorn and chill in front of the screen, Goodfellas is the movie I would turn to to deliver the goods rather than The Irishman. - About The Godfather, I have mixed feelings. The book is pulpy and not very well-written. "He's a real 90 caliber, he's a real pezzonovante, he's a real 90 caliber pezzonovante!", The same could be said for the novels Jaws and Psycho, though. Still, it's kind of a miracle that the film turned out as well as it did. Michael's exile to Italy is a huge momentum killer, and Coppola deserves credit for keeping it and managing not to totally kill the pace of the story. I don't think it's a bad movie. @Joe Bauer and @James DiEugenio both make good and valid observations. I think it's very well produced, some of the acting is terrific, and it's certainly telling a wide-ranging story. There are many iconic lines and images, and of course the music. My schism is even greater on The Godfather Part II. I think all the prequel scenes are amazing. Awesome storytelling, effective, economical, and with even more lavish cinematography and production value. That part of the movie rocks and is better than the original Godfather. The stuff that is set after the events of the first film, I have NEVER been able to manage to be interested in. It seemed to be so many shots of going to Miami and having meetings. No matter how many times I watch the film, I just can't get into it. Godfather Part III, I try to pretend didn't happen. Back in the day they had a cut called The Godfather Saga, which was the first two films edited into chronological order. That was pretty cool.

I watched The Irishman on Netflix just before Thanksgiving. I'll write my reactions in a separate post. I wanted to cross-post the notes I took when reading the book I Heard You Paint Houses. This was meant to focus solely upon the JFK revelations: “I Heard You Paint Houses” by Charles Brandt 2016 paperback edition. JFK Revelations from Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran Frank Sheeran, a labor union official, worked for Russell Bufalino, (Mafia boss of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Bufalino family from 1959 to 1989) and labor union leader Jimmy Hoffa. Sheeran had a criminal career from 1945 to 1975, including multiple murders. Sheeran claims to have murdered Hoffa in 1975. Pg. 119 – Sheeran says he met Jack Ruby several times. Sheeran says that he saw Ruby in the company of Sam Giancana (the boss of the Mafia’s Chicago Outfit from 1957–1966), and Paul “Red” Dorfman (the head of the Chicago Waste Handler's Union and a member of the Chicago Outfit.) Pgs. 128 – 129 – Sheeran describes meeting Carlos Marcello’s (Mafia boss of New Orleans) pilot David Ferrie (initially the central figure in New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison’s 1966 JFK investigation.) Sheeran says that some time before the 1961 failed Bay Of Pigs invasion of Cuba he was told by Hoffa to drive a truck to Baltimore, Maryland, and meet Ferrie at a landing strip at the Harry C. Campbell concrete plant. A group of soldiers loaded military uniforms, weapons, and ammunition onto Sheeran's truck and Sheeran drove the weapons to Orange Grove, Florida. According to Sheeran, Ferrie told him to deliver the weapons to E. Howard Hunt., even describing Hunt’s large ears. Sheeran says he delivered the weapons to Hunt and a group of anti-Castro Cubans. Pgs 162 – 163 – Sheeran says that a few days before the JFK assassination he was told by Russell Bufalino to go to a restaurant in New York, New York. At the restaurant Sheeran was given a duffel bag of what he assumed to be rifles and was instructed to take the bag to David Ferrie at the concrete plant landing strip in Baltimore, Maryland. Sheeran says that he did as instructed, delivering the bag to Ferrie and another man that Sheeran declined to name but recognized as a member of New York’s Genovese crime family. Pgs 241-242 – Sheeran claims that in October 1974 Jimmy Hoffa gave Sheeran more details about Sheeran’s November 1963 mission to Baltimore, Maryland. Hoffa allegedly told Sheeran: - The duffel bag contained high powered rifles intended for the JFK assassination - The rifles were replacements for rifles that were in the trunk of a Ford Thunderbird that was totaled in a drunk driving accident - Ferrie was delivering the replacement rifles - Actual police officers, and conspirators posing as police officers, were part of the assassination - Policemen friends of Jack Ruby were originally intended to kill Oswald, but somehow Ruby “bungled” it, and had to take care of Oswald himself - Ruby feared being tortured and murdered if he failed to kill Oswald - Mob bosses Carlos Marcello, Sam Giancana, and Santo Trafficante Jr. (Mafia boss of Florida and Cuba) were involved in the assassination - Says that all the conspirators were also involved in the Bay Of Pigs Pgs 332 – 335 – Author Charles Brandt questions Sheeran about why so many people were involved in the killing of Jimmy Hoffa. Sheeran responds that it is essentially a precautionary measure for the assassins. A single assassin would themselves be killed after the assassination just to keep things quiet, but when multiple assassins are used in a hit, the conspirators are not likely to have all the assassins killed.

I never fail to wince during that scene. That punch looks so bad.

I'd love to see the documentary and ask the director some questions. In my opinion, the Paines and George de Mohrenschildt are key to understanding the mechanics of the plot against JFK.

So, a partial fraud maybe? Or should we reconsider Beverly Oliver entirely?

I once went to an all night drive in movie festival years ago here in Atlanta. For some reason they screened El Topo. I'm guessing the person scheduling the films was momentarily possessed by a spirit of hipster mischief when making that choice because,... well, it wasn't exactly the greatest mix of filmic entertainment and audience.

I'd like to see if I could get a PDF or hard copy of the edition of the Marine handbook Oswald was reportedly studying before joining the Marines himself.

It would seem that clearing the images for use in an illustrated book would be an issue. I'm reminded of the legal controversy over Shepard Fairey's "Hope" poster for Obama. Most source images of people would have to be cleared and purchased, wouldn't they? And then there's the issue of some people you probably couldn't use in an illustrated narrative, like the Paines.

I don't read much into Lady Bird's expression. It could be more of a pained expression than an outright smile. The wink could also be explained away in a similar fashion, but it seems that whoever wrote "not ever to be released to anyone" on the back of the picture thought it didn't appear so innocent. Thomas' expression also seems much more like a genuine smile than Lady Bird's pursed lips. In the past, I've always kind of set aside the concept of LBJ as the mastermind because there are so many people of that era who (rightly) bear a tremendous grudge against Johnson for his escalation of the Vietnam war. It seemed to me that this grudge could have possibly colored their thinking and lead to them suspecting a man that they already saw as a villain. But if one looks at the crime of killing JFK and asking who benefits, certainly LBJ would be at or very near the top of that list. We know that Johnson leaped into the cover-up immediately, and according to his statement to Walter Cronkite, didn't fully believe the conclusions of the Warren Commission in the end. To pin ultimate responsibility on the CIA or the Joint Chiefs of Staff or others high in the government would seem to acknowledge that the conspirators got lucky in that they had a Vice President waiting in the wings who could be counted on to actively support the official story once President. While it is certainly possible they did just get lucky, I tend to look with suspicion at any element of the JFK assassination that relies on luck.