Tom Petty was a Junkie

[Murphy]

Ed and Eloria lived in Persia for a time. That was what they called Iran, prior to 1935.

They were sent to chase Nazis. The Germans had diplomats in the Middle East since WWI, but Hitler had new plans. Franklin Roosevelt and Prime Minister Richard Bedford Bennett, or RB, to Canadians, wanted more information about Hitler and why he sent his henchmen there.

1933 was an interesting year. "The Huggies", as most of their friends called them, left Indo China for two years to follow . The Persians had wanted to improve relations with Germany since the late 1800s, and Hitler notwithstanding, that was still their goal. The Middle East was isolated from the rest of the world in those days, and the Persians saw an opportunity befriending a strong European nation. Elora used to say it was bad luck to choose Germany, but it was a 60 year old dream. They had been trying since the 1870s, and knew little about Hitler, the Nazis, or the quest of Aryan domination of the world.

Any German citizen working in the Middle East was either taking money out of the region, or harassing the British. Their job was to stir up trouble by coaxing the Arabs to attack them- as if Arabs needed any prodding. No one liked the British anyway, so it was easy work.

As far as west was concerned, both Canada and the US were blissfully unaware of what was happening in that region. It was before big oil, and the leaders of the 100s of petty fiefdoms kept the inhabitants constantly fighting. What was to love about the Middle East? It was a sandy, desolate and unbearably hot wasteland, full of savages.

Ed and Eloria's job was to follow and report on the activities of a fellow called Wilhelm Litten, who had worked in the region for 20 years. First as consul, and later, as the German Minister in Tehran.

It seemed that Ed and Eloria Hugis were never destined to relax. Neither retired until they were in their late 60s.

 

[Murphy]

Such was the life of an Ottawa spy.

 

[Murphy]

Many people have asked me if people like Ed and Eloria Hugis are still being used by world governments. The answer is yes! They work for many agencies - private, charitable and religious. Their covers fit whatever group is employing them. Most are everyday working people who have received sufficient training to accomplish a specific task.

Famous people have also worked as spies. Here is an excerpt from My Hyperbaric Film Festival: Harpo Marx, Super Spy .

In “Harpo Speaks!”, his 1961 autobiography (written with Rowland Barber), Harpo (1888-1964) admits to serving as a secret courier, delivering communiqués taped to his leg to and from the US embassy, no easy task given he was closely watched during his visit. At the tour’s end, safely out of the USSR, Harpo writes, “I pulled up my pants, unwound the straps, handed over the dispatches from Ambassador [William] Bullitt, and gave my leg its first scratch in ten days.”

This may seem unlikely, but a letter exists to Harpo from the FBI’s J. Edgar Hoover, praising Harpo’s "loyal services" and suggesting, "there may be ways that you can help your country again."

I love the idea that Harpo worked as a spy, taking real risks in the land of Stalin.
---

I read the book and it was a fascinating glimpse not only of Harpo Marx, but the topsy turvy times in which he lived. You can read it too, either as a paperback, or as a Kindle.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00CKNWAIK/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

 

[Murphy]

When we come back, we'll look at what Canada does behind the scenes, to grease the wheels of politics and world events.

Some of the revelations will shock you.

 

[Curious Cdn]

When we come back, we'll look at what Canada does behind the scenes, to grease the wheels of politics and world events.

Some of the revelations will shock you.

http://www.canstockphoto.com/images-photos/revelation.html

 

[Murphy]

Ed and Eloria used to spend their time doing whatever it was that spies did. That included trips back and forth from Tehran to Baghdad.

Persia and the newly independent Iran were used to seeing whites traveling around. As a people, as soon as they found out that you were not British, the Arabs were friendly. The couple never had problems with anyone. It was usually the British and the Germans who caused the most grief.

Ed spoke five languages - English, French, Arabic, Vietnamese and German. Eloria was fluent in three - French, English and Vietnamese. In those days, English and French could carry you through most countries with a minimum of problems. But it was Ed's knowledge of Arabic that was often a 'get out of jail free' card. Most of the locals were happy that a white person spoke their language.

The British spoiled everything they came into contact with, in the Middle East. They thought themselves better than the locals, telling them not to speak Arabic. Learn the King's English or be silent! That's precisely why they were hated. Unfortunately, they did not take the advice of Thomas Edward Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia). He said on many occasions that the British were the guests, and to act accordingly. He did not think himself better than any Arab. Ed was of the same mind.

Eloria was somewhat restricted because of her sex. She could not wander too far, except for markets and short distance trips from their apartment. It wasn't because she was a woman per se, or because she was a Christian. It was her fair skin, dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. They were a sexual beacon. She attracted the attention of men who wanted to bed her for her "unique qualities". She was warned about this before the couple left for Persia, and Ed would usually escort her wherever she wanted to go.

They only place she felt safe was at the embassies. Inside the fences, she could wander around unmolested.

T. E. Lawrence

Years later, Ed would say the only people he had 'invited to lunch', a euphemism for people he killed, were Europeans. He added that he usually acted alone, but those times where he needed help, the Arabs always were eager to help - especially if the 'lunch guest' was English.

 

[Retired_Can_Soldier]

Find me a rock star that hasn't had an issue. Petty left us with some great tunes. Shame he had to go.

 

[Murphy]

Ed talked about his time in the Middle East as being 'confused and violent'. People today don't realize that previous generations had their own share of troubles. Ed and Eloria watched the Nazis come to power in 1933, and their job gave them a unique perspective of what was to come. They knew that smiles and good manners hid the barbarity of Germany from most of the world. They were dismayed that politicians didn't see the danger of the Third Reich, despite being fed a mountain of damning intelligence. Their reports fell on deaf ears.

But Ed and Eloria saw it and were aghast. The Germans needed to be stopped.

In the early to mid 1930s, Adolf Hitler's star was ascending. It was before the world understood his evil nature. And while many people blame British PM Neville Chamberlain for allowing himself to be fooled by Hitler, there were two PMs before him, and an American president, Franklin Roosevelt, who must shoulder much of the blame. Ramsay MacDonald and Stanley Baldwin were the British prime ministers from 1929 until 1937. Chamberlain got handed a mess, yet history treats him shabbily. Today, we look back at Chamberlain's 1938 trip to Germany, and his declaration of "peace for our time" as a naive attempt to stop the Nazis, but for him to shoulder all the blame is unfair.

Ed Hugis would have told you that directly. There would be no mincing words. Ed and Eloria's transfer to the Middle East in 1933 was an attempt to gather information about Germany's interest in the region. Two Canadians on their way to a largely backward area of the planet. It was a region ruled by a tribal culture, complete with fights over water, livestock or someone's daughter. There were always conflicts going on. About the only ones who ignored most of it were Bedouins - a lowly caste of desert wanderers. Few Arabs liked them. That would make the Bedouins valuable allies for Ed and Eloria throughout their time in Persia and Iraq.

Most of the world did not understand the violent nature of the countries there. Islam has never been a peaceful or accommodating religion, but prior to WWII, few people knew much about the area or Muslims generally. Their leaders, both religious and tribal, were cruel, unforgiving and absolute rulers. The common folk were illiterate and lived hand to mouth. Before big oil, the region had little to offer the western world.

So why did the Germans want to establish a close relationship with the Arabs? It made little sense. As far as Hitler and the Nazis were concerned, Arabs were untermensch - subhuman. Who wanted to be their friend? The answer was simple, and completely missed by most of Europe. Like the Germans, the Arabs hated the French and the British. The Middle East was subjugated by both countries, who took much, but gave little in return. The Arabs came to realize that being a colony wasn't much of an existence.

The French and the English looked upon the Arabs with contempt. Inferiors to be governed, taxed and used. While Hitler might have considered Arabs inferior, he was not averse to a friendship of convenience that would help them defeat the French and British. The Arabs were to be tools of the Reich. The Germans knew the brutality of the people, and wanted to use them for their own ends.

Ed and Eloria were there to gather information primarily for the British. It was something that Ed found personally distasteful. He disliked the snobbish nature of the English, but at the time, Canada was closely allied with the little island. As Ed used to say, "Life is a series of unpleasant events, bad gas and stomach pains, punctuated with a bit of fun. There's never enough fun, but what little there is stops you from ending it all."

Ed was very private and level headed, but you could tell that he worked hard to control it. There was a dark rage just beneath the surface of a calm exterior.

 

[Murphy]

If anyone kept the Arabs engaged, confounding the Germans before the war broke out, it was the two dozen western agents in Persia and Iraq. Until 1938, just before WWII broke out, none were killed. An enviable track record. Unfortunately, scores of others lost their lives there while involved with intelligence gathering.

Ed was more engaged than Eloria when they were in the Middle East because he was a man. Women had few rights there, and were considered by many to be property. Now, that was a good thing sometimes. Kill or disfigure another man's possessions might get you killed. This strategy was employed by western agents against the Germans from 1933 to 1937. It also made Eloria's trips to the marketplace easy. That's what women do. They go to the marketplace.

Ed and Eloria were operating out of Tehran. The oil industry was still small change, but the need for it was growing. Although few recognized what was happening, the Germans were jockeying to be receivers of that oil when the war broke out. Or that's what they thought. In fact, because of the growing need when the war broke out, 30% of the oil used by the Germans was made from coal. A synthetic product of the time.

Ed was survelling a couple of 'alt bund' diplomats and several businessmen. It was an old fashioned expression for the German 'old boys network'. The work was easy, but occasionally Ed had to deal with the police. Others in his field would quietly phone the authorities and report him. Generally however, the Arabs left him alone. He was a Canadian. Another country that the British were exploiting. And after all, Ed was only spying on Germans.

The Persians saw that the Germans were just as bad as the British. As a result, they forged more alliances with the Allied Forces before, and during the war. The British would promise anything to get the job done, but it back fired later. They had lied so much that many countries tossed the Brits out.

The sun had set on the British Empire after 1945.

Ed was to detail the appointments, movements, and daily activities of the Germans on his list. This surveillance list was provided by Ottawa. The names were drawn up in London, and passed by diplomatic pouch to the RCMP. In the days before electronic communication and monitoring, information handling was slower, but harder to crack.
---

Even today, diplomatic pouches are the most secure way to move things around.

 

[bill barilko]

Prince was a Junkie Bastard Too he nagged & nagged other people then went into the toilet and used what killed him-how pathetic

Prince had ‘exceedingly high’ level of fentanyl in body when he died
Lead prosecutor will make decision ‘in the near future’ on whether to charge anyone over Prince’s death

A toxicology report from Prince’s autopsy, obtained by the Associated Press, shows he had what multiple experts called an “exceedingly high” concentration of fentanyl in his body when he died.

Prince was 57 when he was found alone and unresponsive in an elevator at his Paisley Park estate on 21 April, 2016. Public data released six weeks after his death showed he died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times more powerful than heroin.

A confidential toxicology report provides some insight into just how much fentanyl was in his system. Experts who are not connected to the Prince investigation said the numbers leave no doubt that fentanyl killed him.

“The amount in his blood is exceedingly high, even for somebody who is a chronic pain patient on fentanyl patches,” said Dr Lewis Nelson, chairman of emergency medicine at Rutgers New Jersey medical school. He called the fentanyl concentrations “a pretty clear smoking gun”.

The report says the concentration of fentanyl in Prince’s blood was 67.8 micrograms per litre. Fatalities have been documented in people with blood levels ranging from three to 58 micrograms per litre, the report says.

It adds that the level of fentanyl in Prince’s liver was 450 micrograms per kilogram, and notes liver concentrations greater than 69 micrograms per kilogram “seem to represent overdose or fatal toxicity cases”.


There was also what experts called a potentially lethal amount of fentanyl in Prince’s stomach. Dr Charles McKay, president of the American College of Medical Toxicology, said the findings suggest Prince took the drug orally, while fentanyl in the blood and liver suggest it had some time to circulate before he died.

Experts say there is no “lethal level” at which fentanyl can kill. A person who takes prescription opioids for a long time builds up a tolerance, and a dose that could kill one person might help another.

Search warrants released about a year after Prince’s death showed authorities found numerous pills in various containers around his home. A lab report shows many of the pills tested positive for fentanyl. Information released publicly indicates the source of those drugs has not been determined.

Last week, the lead prosecutor in the county where Prince died said he was reviewing law enforcement reports and would make a decision ‘in the near future’ on whether to charge anyone.

 

[BrentBaw]

I just saw Tom Petty in concert this summer. Cant believe hes gone. So many good songs and so many memories listening to his music, even back in college. He was one of my absolute favorites. My favorite Tom Petty song is "Learning to Fly", which Ive been listening to repeatedly the last two days. A close second would be "Refugee". Rest in peace, Tom