From the Denver March:
When the last child cries for a crust of bread
When the last man dies for just words that he said
When there’s shelter over the poorest head
We shall be freeWhen the last thing we notice is the color of skin
And the first thing we look for is the beauty within
When the skies and the oceans are clean again
Then we shall be free
From Dublin (thank you HeleninEire)
From Joey Maloney in Tel Aviv (thank you!):
I’ve been promised some from Amsterdam. I’ll post those when I get them.
As someone said to me this morning – we are not going back – this will have its desired effect, to inspire, cajole and offer hope. We won’t back down.
Send Anne Laurie and me more pictures! (whats4dinnersolutions at live dot com)
zhena gogolia
I like the policeman in the pussy hat!
zhena gogolia
Didn’t realize there were any forbidden words on BJ. Trying again: I like the policeman in the pu y hat!
HeleninEire
@zhena gogolia: Me too!!
catclub
@zhena gogolia: Here is a try to get around it:
Pussy hat
Italicized ‘ss’ works
Iowa Old Lady
@zhena gogolia: Yes! That cop rocks.
MomSense
Spicer is about to give a press conference on the press size. BWAHAAHAHA! Seen loading photos of the crowd on stands. Let’s see what he has to say. We saw it live so I’d love to know how they will spin this.
We have rattled him today because the whole world has turned out against him.
zhena gogolia
Alicia Keys was really good!
Is there any chance at all that any of this will make any difference?????
zhena gogolia
@efgoldman:
I would argue this is different. It’s not campaign paraphernalia for a specific candidate. It’s just a pink hat with little kitty ears.
Mike in NC
@MomSense: Keep up the pressure until his head explodes. It’s only a matter of time.
randy khan
@MomSense:
That’s . . . really stupid. More, please.
HeleninEire
Thank you for posting those pics TaMara.
Love the pic of the two girls in the stroller. I am so dumb that I asked the little one “can I take your picture?” Yeah she’s too young to answer that, but her sister behind her yelled “Yes, take my picture too”.
Pics I didn’t get that I wish I had:
Two girls (5 and 7 maybe) walking up to the march start. They had hats with rainbow colors on them and with them were two women. I assumed that those four girls were a family. Was gonna ask, but then the 5 yr old kinda had a meltdown about who knows what so I moved on.
Two girls (again prolly 5 and 7) with their mom. Dad is taking a pic. The sign says “Fight like a girl.” But then before I could ask for a pic dad swept the girls away and let mom continue on the march.
I loved that there were so many rosy cheeked young girls who were not having it!
Lastly, at the rally the most interesting thing was that Mike Pence got bigger boos than Trump. That was every time the speaker talked about Pence’s anti-abortion stance. Most Dubliners want safe, legal abortion. It’s the men in the government who are holding us (and I now consider myself one of “us”) hostage.
A great day. I love this city.
Come visit!!!!
Greenergood
Sorry, no pics from this US cit/Scotland resident (not tech enough) (and out in the Scottish boonies): people were Friday night in Glasgow, and in Edinburgh on Saturday. But I saw pics on Dem Underground of people standing in Boise, Idaho – and that made me cry – cause Idaho is not exactly the place you think of non-Trumpistan – or is Boise the escape hatch? thank you so much to people who stood up and were counted in so many parts of the world, esp Aus and NZ, Ghana, S. Korea, Czech Republic, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Dublin, Paris, London, Berllin, Manchester – so many more! Today was not the only day – today was the start – meet up with your new friends and plotters – organise and resist – four years (even two years) isn’t that long, if we keep our eyes not just on the prize, but those who would keep us from getting there.
Baud
@zhena gogolia: Can’t know until you try.
NCSteve
Raleigh crowd has been estimated at 17,000
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article127914819.html
@zhena gogolia:
Nixon made a great show of pretending the mass protests against the Vietnam War were having no effect on him, when, in fact, they became a driving preoccupation. Nixon had more issues than the National Geographic, as we say hereabouts, but he didn’t have fragile ego Narcissistic Personality Syndrome.
These protests, the fact that the crowds dwarf his, and all of the mass protests that will be coming later down the road, are going to, quite literally, drive him crazy. These protests may well be the thing that lead to a hasty invocation of the 25th Amendment to keep his hands off the nuclear codes.
And these protests are going to scare the living shit out of at least a fragment of the Republicans in Congress who’ve been trying to gaslight the MSM into buying in to the idea that they have a mandate from the Umerican peepul to do for America what Brownbeck has done for Kansas.
Yeah. Over the long run, if we keep it up, these mass demonstrations will make a difference.
Much will be lost. Much damage will be done. Many lives will be, quite literally, destroyed by the madness they manage to unleash and we have to accept that. We’re fighting a forest fire set by arsonists, not a dumpster fire. We can’t put it out directly. We can only build a firebreak perimeter around it, cry for the trees and animals inside it that will be destroyed before it burns itself out, rejoice for those we save and then, when it’s over, plant seedlings in the ashes.
zhena gogolia
The Courant says there were over 10,000 marchers in Hartford. That’s yuuuge for Hartford.
ETA Especially since we’re close enough to DC, Boston, and NYC that this is just the people who couldn’t go that far.
Baud
@NCSteve: This.
Jeffro
@NCSteve:
Amen!
Demonstrations AND weekly actions like those in the Indivisible guide – calling our MoCs and showing up at their events to either support their anti-Trump steps or question their pro-Trump votes.
MomSense
@Mike in NC: @randy khan:
I’m so tired I should probably take a nap. What I meant to say is that he’s having a press conference about the size of inaugural crowds. We really rattled them.
Just heard Lawrence O’Donnell say that these protests are even bigger than the protests against Nixon and he ended up resigning the next year. He said it’s even more impressive considering how spontaneous the marches are.
We are the majority. He is a spoiled, narcissistic brat and he cannot stand to be shown up. We have to relentlessly mock, humiliate, and publicly demonstrate. He can’t handle it and will act increasingly foolish. He lives for image and to impress so it will make him nuts if he is a laughingstock.
Cacti
Susan Sarandon today:
Susan Sarandon from October 2016:
FU, Sue.
NCSteve
@zhena gogolia: Of all the words to be banned on a pet-centric political blog . . .
MomSense
@Cacti:
When Michael Moore started to bring up the DNC in his D.C. Speech today, Ashley Judd went onstage and shut that whole thing down. Well played Ashley Judd.
Jeffro
Btw folks it appears that, other than the short “Bane” snippet in Trump’s speech, some of the other lines that were claimed to have been copied from The Bee Movie and Avatar were not really lines in those films. Just in case your RWNJ friends and relatives decide that’s the main takeaway from yesterday and today. =)
Baud
@MomSense: Moore was awful with that. No discipline at all.
Ruckus
@NCSteve:
Very well put.
I’m hoping that the demonstrations will become a regular thing, around the world. People ask, “What can we do?” this is it. Of course you can bug or support your reps and senators but these demonstrations and possibly boycotts of companies that supported the shit stain and his inauguration or companies that are owned/controlled by members of his cabinet or staff.
Hit him where it hurts, his ego and hit all of them where it hurts, their bank accounts.
Jeffro
@efgoldman: True. It’s one of those things that has to work both ways (and helps keep the police out of it).
Emerald
Holy crap. They’ve already started. Here a link to an article detailing how Canadians (and also French) visitors were denied entry into the U.S. to attend the women’s march.
The border guard asked them point blank if they were pro- or anti-Trump. They searched their phones, took fingerprints and photos and told them they would not be admitted to the U.S. for several months. Seems they were trying to enter to attend a potentially violent event, and they might be Muslim terrorists.
Apparently this actually happened. Reuters and several other outlets are also reporting it.
Well, Sarah Kendzior did say that they would move quickly. So here it is. To get into the U.S. you must have the correct political beliefs, it seems.
Larkspur
@MomSense: Ashley’s move was perfectly timed AND graceful. I hope she reconsiders an entrance into politics.
Major Major Major Major
On my way to the San Francisco March!
The Thin Black Duke
@MomSense: Sisters are doing it for themselves.
Emerald
In reference to my comment #28, here are more links:
The Guardian
Reuters
The Independent
I mean, what the FUCK???
patroclus
@Greenergood: Boise is sane – it’s a capital and a university town. It’s the rest of the state that’s out to lunch. Obama drew something like 25,000 there in 2008.
I just got back from the Chicago march – huge crowds because the weather in mid-January is fantastic! Close to 50 degrees which is almost a record high. Long-term, that’s probably not so good, but it was wonderful for today.
Lurking Buffoon
It’s been a few years since I last commented here, but screw it I’m back… and pretty sure this is the nym I used.
No idea if it’s been mentioned in any earlier threads, but the NYC march has been massive! I heard the estimates were up to 750,000 people as of 3:30 or so. Clearly it was more than the organizers or the NYPD expected seeing how we absolutely flooded the streets on either side of the barricades… and the streets parallel to the route Even well away from the march itself in Manhattan it was a safe bet that most people on the street were there for the protest. It’s been many years and my memory is fuzzy, but it seemed there was a much wider spectrum of people at this march than the anti-war protests of the Dubya days. Certainly the cops were friendlier. Sadly, because I’m a Luddite and still have a flip phone, I have no pics to send.
randy khan
@MomSense:
No – I understood. I was talking about how stupid it is for Spicer to hold that kind of press conference.
MomSense
@The Thin Black Duke:
Standing on their own two feet.
MomSense
@randy khan:
Yeah it’s totally dumb. They will look so petty and lose even more credibility. We have video FFS
Ian G.
Can someone who reads Hebrew tell me what the last sign says?
I love getting reminders that there’s still sane liberals in Israel. I’m sure they feel just as besieged by their government as we do by ours. Maybe more so.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Emerald: Sounds like desperation to me – you can bet their internal narrative is “Oh this like with the Commies, those darn secularist humanists are fellow travelers with the MUSLIMS!” never mind how stupid that idea is, so “stopping them” at the border keeps the fiction going in their minds.
chris
@Emerald: Canada here. They’ve just added to their list. People have been refused entry after admitting they once smoked a joint. Last summer I was asked if I’d ever been arrested. Don’t think I would have gotten in if I’d said yes. I’ve been going back and forth for more than 50 years and have never been asked that sort of thing before. I imagine visas are next.
Major Major Major Major
@efgoldman: yes I am, and I will assuming the innertubes don’t get too clogged.
Fair Economist
I was at the Santa Ana CA march. According to overhead conversations between event organizers, they expected 5,000 and got 15,000. It took about 40 minute for all the marchers to pass. My husband made some signs for “Putin’s New Pet” with a pic and they were a big hit – dozens of people stopped us to take pics. He was very happy.
The crowd was very enthusiastic and there were hundreds, maybe thousands of signs, most of them witty, inspiring, or artistic, or some combination therof. There were about 4 Trump counterprotesters and they were pretty cowed. My husband went over to taunt them a bit and they had really lame talking points. He thought they were paid – they didn’t really seem into it.
Definitely a very diverse crowd – from toddlers just walking to the very elderly being pushed in wheelchairs, and lots of all races.
CarolDuhart2
@MomSense: Yes folks. trying to create a narrative when everybody has a cellphone with camera in it is a fools’s errand. Is this a good time to talk about offline storage? One thing about going back a notch is that it doesn’t matter if the cloud disappears, or the site disappears. Those #NPS pictures of 2017 should (and probably are) downloaded onto something like an external hard drive And these days flash drives are practically the cost of a pop or sandwich and easy to store.
People where shocked when they found out that Cubans were up to date on modern culture. Their secret: they bought hard drives full of downloaded information and passed them around. Someone with access to the internet did that. Now I’m not recommending that you do copyrighted material, but if it’s your own stuff, save it.
Jay Noble
@Jeffro: I know it wasn’t quoting but when the lines about kids being under the same sky came along, I was waiting for a rousing rendition of “Somewhere Out There” from An American Tale!
JPL
@zhena gogolia: If you are a repub Senator up for reelection in two years, you might reconsider Trump’s plan to tank the middle class.
Hellbastard
Just got back from the Lubbock, TX protest. Sent in some pictures… we’ll see if they get posted.
Great turnout… marred by Trump supporters (every last one being a young white male) driving by with confederate flags out the window and to scream obscenities. At one point they were driving slowly by in their pickups trying to emit exhaust all over us. Eventually, they set up their own little counter-protest down the street. the only act of violence was a young protestor who ran up on one of the obnoxious trucks and started swinging on the passenger through the window. The guy seemed surprised a liberal would get violent like that.
Msb
About 2800 were expected for the march in Copenhagen (Denmark) today.
We had over 5,000. A great day.
Lizzy L
Just got back from Oakland march. Not sure of the numbers. Maybe 100000. There were 120000 in Boston, I was told.
Larkspur
Sean Spicer is a big crybaby.
Major Major Major Major
@Lizzy L: did the black bloc folks cause trouble? Waiting for muni on my way to the SF one right now.
Baud
@Larkspur: So he ably represents his boss, then.
aimai
@Lurking Buffoon: I was at the big anti war rally in NY and the cops were so incredibly hostile. It was a great group of people, highly diverse but not as diverse as this women’s march, I think. But I also think that NY hates Trump so much that they probably pulled all those people just from the NY area. The Boston people either went to DC or stayed in Boston, for example.
patroclus
Spicer is pissed – we clearly are getting to them. If you can’t take the heat…
Felonius Monk
@Larkspur:
But I thought his job was “Spokes-Whiner”.
bemused
Wow, Spicer, kindergarten kids.
Josie
KarenH and I were at the Austin, Tx march today. Over 30,000 people, lots of diversity, wonderful signs, drums, chants. Everyone was in a great mood and it was a wonderful uplifting day.
Larkspur
@Baud: Yep, dude totally scolding media for deliberately maliciously misrepresenting the wonderful inauguration. I’m surprised he didn’t open fire literally.
Major Major Major Major
So has anybody seen puppets yet?
Shell
He is the Presidents spokesperson. Honestly, they have no clue how badly they come off with this whiny, bitching, “our crowds were bigger than yours….”
The National Park Service was smart to get out of the crowd-counting responsibility years ago. They finally got tired of being accused of under/overinflating numbers by any group assembling there.
Larkspur
@efgoldman: yep, I have a friend getting on a bus to SF right now.
khead
So, the press conferences are going to be like a WWF segment. Needed more WOOOOO before walking out.
Larkspur
@Major Major Major Major: Saw a green one in a clip from Seattle.
Baud
@Major Major Major Major: There were some in DC.
Shell
Forgot to add, about the crowds, still in NYC. Fifth avenue is still completely filled up.
MomSense
@Major Major Major Major:
No puppet. No puppet. You’re the puppet.
Baud
MSNBC is treating this as a serious issue to debate.
Lizzy L
@Major Major Major Major: Not that I saw.
Larkspur
@Baud: Brian Williams is clearly more shaken by the scolding than Lawrence O’Donnell. Come on, Brian.
Adam L Silverman
I’m partial to this one:
http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/johnbrown/brownbody.html
Louise B.
Just got back from the Portland March. It was YYYUUUGGGEE!! Estimates of 100,000 people attending, and in the pouring rain. Lots of families marched, and everyone was super friendly and cheerful. There were a few cops wearing pink hats, and getting their pictures taken constantly. I got in at the front end at about 12:30, and the March was still going when I left around 2:30. We should do this more often, just to keep the pressure on.
Major Major Major Major
My friends are 25 minutes late because San Francisco. Going without them now.
MomSense
@Major Major Major Major:
Have fun M4
dexwood
@Major Major Major Major:
Only the big dummy sworn in yesterday. I was at the rally (no march) in Albuquerque earlier today. Great, peaceful crowd, no puppets, but I did see two Black Bloc types in boots and bandanas and was gratified to see others paying attention to them and tracking their movements through the crowd like I was.
Larkspur
@Major Major Major Major: Geh gesund and have fun.
Baud
@Major Major Major Major: Knock em dead.
Adam L Silverman
@Baud: @Larkspur: I think O’Donnell is just better at hiding it. And he was tasked with doing the history lesson and providing context. I didn’t get that they were debating. Remember, Williams is a reporter, O’Donnell is a commentator.
amygdala
Just home from Oakland. Big crowd, double or more the expected turnout. They had to split the marchers to accommodate so many marchers. Diverse crowd, in a playful, determined, peaceful mood.
Baud
@Adam L Silverman: LOD was good. Could have been worse. They just spent a lot of time on it.
Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism
@Major Major Major Major: There were a few in Raleigh.
Lizzy L
@efgoldman: Yes.
Baud
Ugh. Van Strustren.
Adam L Silverman
I also think they may want to switch Sean Spicer to decaf. Just a thought…
zhena gogolia
@JPL:
Yeah, that seems like one possibility.
zhena gogolia
@Hellbastard:
Marching in Lubbock is brave as hell! Good for y’all.
Baud
@Adam L Silverman: Basic humanity requires he have access to some type of drug.
Larkspur
@Adam L Silverman: I didn’t think they were debating each other, it was more that I thought “debating” meant that they were concerned about the Spicer accusations, and that Brian Williams was worried that everyone would think Spicer was telling the absolute god-given truth, and that he had to quickly explain to the viewing audience so that we wouldn’t automatically hate the media and start supporting the plan to serve them plutonium tea at the next interview opportunity. I kind of overthought it.
amygdala
@Major Major Major Major: Stay warm, and have a good march.
bemused
Between Trump and Spicer performances today, it’s safe to say tantrums will be daily events.
Larkspur
@efgoldman: Very cool. The failing fake news network stands up and bites back.
Lurking Buffoon
@aimai: That sounds plausible, the sheer disgust for Twitler in the NY area drawing the huge crowd I mean. Still, I was surprised at the number of older people in the march, and the sheer number of families with small children too.
I did notice a good number of the cops were POC which, given the regime’s attitudes, would explain much of the friendliness. At one point a woman in front of me offered a white cop to join in the march, he graciously declined and said his boss probably wouldn’t like it. Given this thread, she should have offered him a hat instead.
Baud
@efgoldman: They will fluctuate.
@bemused: Operation Disrespect is working.
Lonesome Robot
@Lurking Buffoon: Delurking just to chime in that the NYC march was so massive that, even after four hours, our little group had only just finished getting through the park between First and Second. Around that time (1:00 pm or so), one of the organizers called out to the crowd that we were already 300,000 strong.
We did get the chance to meet Sen. Schumer as he walked through the crowd, but even with a baby among us, we didn’t think to get a picture. We were too far away from the stage to hear if he spoke, but we did catch Dan Garodnick speak once we got into the park . . . twice, in fact, because we were caught in that park for so long that we were there for his repeat performance!
Baud
Jesus, Greta. Go back to Fox.
HeleninEire
@Baud: So I am not directing this at you. Cuz you know I love you. HEART. But mostly it is aimed at all my Balloon Juice friends. EVERYONE WHO LOVES BAUD LISTEN UP. Since I’ve been here, I do not have American cable news. I have the BBC and RTE (Ireland news) and believe it or not, I am more content. Not so much happier, but I am calmer. If you all remember, my last words to you when I boarded the plan at JF Kennedy 2 months ago was something like “I wish you calm” Cuz I needed and wanted calm.
I might have said something similar on NYs day.
I am absolutely convinced that is because I am not bombarded with news every second of the day. So…..dunno, trying to help. Also, too look at those gorgeous girls that I met at the top of the thread. They are AWESOME.
bemused
@Baud:
Beautifully! Such easy marks.
Adam L Silverman
@Baud: They should. It should be the lead story at all three networks, all the cable news channels, and all the newspapers. They should be worried. They should be nervous. And they should also be trying to find what courage they have.
Hellbastard
@dexwood: I didn’t know there was a name for that look. They guy I mentioned in my post above who started swinging on the Trump supporter was dressed like that.
Adam L Silverman
@Larkspur: Okay, makes sense.
Baud
@HeleninEire: I’ve pretty much given up on cable news. I had it on because of the protests today.
patroclus
Baghdad Sean is gonna be in for a rough time in his life if behaves like that continuously.
Steeplejack (tablet)
@khead:
Want to see a reporter slam Spicer with a folding chair, then another one tags in for a jump off the turnbuckle.
Adam L Silverman
@efgoldman: Its not that you’ve lost CNN its that not everyone at CNN is a stooge. They know what this portends. They also know just how small and petty spicer made himself look. And it didn’t help that his coat was done up funky so it looked like he was shrinking while he was throwing his tantrum.
bemused
Who is this guy on cnn saying how sensitive Trumpie is. Gag.
Larkspur
Okay, I’m done with Greta – she has Kathleen Parker on…wait, Parker is making sense…OMG it’s a turvy topsy world. Anyway, I need to brush the dog. He loves it, thank goodness.
Larkspur
@Adam L Silverman: Thanks for mentioning the funky coat. I knew there was something wrong with it in addition to the plain fact that it was covering Spicer.
Timurid
Two days in and he’s already lying his brains out about the most trivial things…
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
I didn’t expect a full Captain Queeq meltdown over
strawberriescrowd sizes on the first day.Total losers!
Sad!
guachi
The Washington march was fucking awesome!
zhena gogolia
This is the decent, ethical person’s version of the golden shower. From the WaPo:
“When the port-a-potties behind the stage broke down, security instructed women to use cups and ushered them into a box truck for privacy. ‘I’m afraid to shake anyone’s hand,’ one woman joked.”
zhena gogolia
@David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch:
THE MESS BOYS ATE THE STRAWBERRIES
Steeplejack (tablet)
Spicer’s statement was insane, and he probably
fritteredpissed away most of what little credibility he had to start with. The presidency is (still, for the time being) the most important office in the world, and they want to litigate the crowd size at Trump’s inauguration?!Adam L Silverman
@Larkspur: I have a 52 inch chest (over 62 around the shoulders), and an 18 inch neck, and I’ve got several sports coats that don’t close/fit properly anymore because of it and have no more room to be let out. But that thing was just not being worn properly.
Jeffro
@Larkspur: Twitter is on fire mercilessly savaging him
Jeffro
@patroclus: it’s all crumbling faster than they ever could’ve imagined
Baud
@Jeffro: Almost makes me want to get back on Twitter.
Gator90
Right-wing bullying of the media has been a very successful strategy for decades. But to see POTUS’ spokesman being that overt and brazen about it was kind of shocking. Not surprising really, but shocking.
zhena gogolia
@David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch:
But Bogart is so handsome and has such deep, pained eyes that you feel sorry for Capt. Queeg. This situation is not that situation.
Ruckus
Just found out that my very good friend that I wrote about a few days ago passed away. I’m depressed, I’m angry, I feel lost. I knew she was sick, she has been for a while but she seemed to be getting better. I got to see her at Thanksgiving, now I get to help bury her.
Life is not fair, it can be cruel as hell, it can be hell itself. Why then do some people always seem to brighten the day when they are around?
Baud
@Ruckus: My condolences on your loss.
zhena gogolia
@Ruckus:
I’m sorry. There’s nothing worse.
zhena gogolia
@Adam L Silverman:
Okay, you’re getting us excited now . . . . (j/k)
chopper
dang but dc was packed.
Steeplejack (tablet)
@Ruckus:
Sorry for your loss.
Baud
@chopper: Lots of people from all over.
zhena gogolia
I’m so proud of my people.
humboldtblue
With all the positive energy that we saw and felt today that Spice presser was fucking chilling. These people are dangerous and they are going to strike out at perceived enemies. Not good, not good at all.
schrodingers_cat
@Adam L Silverman: Since it was a woman’s march, I am thinking of the poem dedicated to the Rani of Jhansi, written in the early 20th century by another woman Subhadrakumari Chauhan. Laxmibai was one of the leaders of the first war of Indian Independence in 1857. She died of wounds sustained on the battlefield. She was 30. Its a fairly long poem. These are the first two lines.
Bundele harbolo ke mookh hamne sooni kahani thi
Khoob ladi mardani, woh to Jhansiwali Rani thi
Rough translation:
We have heard her story from mouths of the bards of Bundela
She fought like a man, she was the Rani of Jhansi.
tobie
Just returning from D.C. March and I think the crowd easily hit a million. 1800 bus permits for Union Station, 470,000 metro rides logged by 1 pm, every Amtrak train and Marc commuter rail full. Heartening! Inspiring!
bluehill
I hope that Spicer’s ranting is the worst that the press has to deal with, but I wouldn’t count on it. It’s only day 2 and Trump/Bannon/Kushner probably haven’t figured out all their new powers yet. Also hope the press can stand resolute and not start to bias their reporting towards Trump.
538 did an interesting study about the effect of coaches yelling at refs and found a greater percentage of favorable calls when plays were run towards one side or the other. They believe that yelling works at influencing refs, at least in football.
Adam L Silverman
@Ruckus: Sincerest condolences. We’re keeping good thoughts for you.
Timurid
And in other news, the kompromat folder on Jesse Jackson must be awfully juicy…
Baud
@humboldtblue: That was baked in on election day.
Ruckus
@humboldtblue:
I first read that as stroke out and thought, “Why would that be bad?”
Davis X. Machina
Unlike 2003, this was all directed first and foremost at a man, and his worldview, and only latterly specific policy changes and issues.
When 3 million people around the world come together to tell you “You’re Not Good Enough, You’re Not Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Don’t Like You”, that’s gotta leave a mark.
Ruckus
Thanks everyone. You lose a great friend of over 40 yrs and it hurts. She and my sister were a couple then and now both of them are gone.
Jess
Crazy huge crowd in Boston, estimated at 125000 (I believe they were expecting about 50k). Free subway to rally and back, and packed commuter trains into the city. Major traffic jam before we got to Cambridge, so we didn’t even try to park at Alewife (outermost subway stop). We managed to hijack a parking lot at a nearby corporate park, which seemed appropriate. When we left the Common, it was a sea of pink hats as far as we could see in nearly every direction. It was a nice warm day, and everyone was happy and upbeat, and singing “This Land is Our Land” together at one point. Let’s do this every month!
humboldtblue
@Baud: Good point.
Adam L Silverman
@zhena gogolia: Don’t make me do a one armed push up!
zhena gogolia
@Adam L Silverman:
Давай!
Ruckus
@Davis X. Machina:
I fucking hope so. It’s not like his shit isn’t going affect millions. And 99% of them negatively.
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
@Ruckus: so sorry for your loss. it hurts losing someone you love.
Baud
@Adam L Silverman: How many weapons do you usually have on you when you do push-ups?
HeleninEire
@Ruckus: So sorry for you. Yeah. Life is not fair. So try and enjoy it while you can. I wish Grace to her family and friends as they get through this. And they will. There is no other choice. Grace to you.
bemused
Robert Reich related a former Republican Congressman GOP just biding their time to get Trump out. They think Trump is nuts. Pence is their guy. They want to get all the goodies, tax cuts, more defense spending and get rid of poverty programs and work on SS/Medicare and then blame Trump for it. They think it’s only a matter of time until Trump does something impeachable,
No matter what, the protests and the momentum can’t stop.
Suzanne
Anyone who is my Facebook friend can see my photos. The AZ DPS estimated the crowd size at 20K, but I think that is a lowball estimate. It was packed. The Capitol was as crowded as I have ever seen, and I work not far from there and am over there a fair amount. The crowd was passionate, positive, quite diverse, and uplifted.
Adam L Silverman
@schrodingers_cat: That works too!
Adam L Silverman
@Baud: I am the weapon…
bluehill
Spicer was probably right in one sense. It was the largest audience ever to witness an inauguration … in Russia.
Jeffro
@Baud: The comedy both intentional and unintentional is worth it
HeleninEire
@Baud: SEE?? When I told you I love you upthread that is what I meant. This blog would be useless to me without you.
zhena gogolia
@Jeffro:
Betty’s twitter feed is pretty funny.
Jeffro
@humboldtblue: they were going to strike out anyway – at least now the world knows that there are more of us then there are of them
schrodingers_cat
@Ruckus: Sorry, that must be hard on you. {{ }}.
Jeffro
@zhena gogolia: agreed – she is just as funny in 140 characters as she is in longform
zhena gogolia
@Jeffro:
One of my overriding emotions about this election is embarrassment — today’s protests have eased that feeling somewhat.
dexwood
@Ruckus:
Peace and strength to you and all who loved her.
LAO
Just sent some pictures from NYC. It was so crowded, there not particularly very good. Hopefully, other ny bj’s did better.
TS
@bemused: Finding at TPM that the cake maker was commissioned to copy the 2013 Obama cake
it seems that Trump is upset because he cannot get the love that was/is always there for President Obama. He thinks by emulating everything Obama had – big crowds, speeches, cakes, rallies – that he will get the adulation. His supporters are the tea party crowd who hate everything other than themselves – just like Trump. He can whistle in the wind, 40% is as high as his “likes” are going to get and they simply like that he is hitting on those others.
Mike in NC
@David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch: The song they wrote about Captain Queeg was “Yellowstain Blues” and that sort of fits with the Moscow rumors.
hovercraft
@Larkspur:
Kathleen Parker and Jennifer Rubin have become ‘sane’, since the he became the nominee. Rubin especially has almost become essential reading, and her commentary on TV from what I’ve read about her appearances, has been good. KP is more like David Frum, critical of the shitgibbon, but still doing her damnedest to blame democrats for his rise.
Svensker
@Ruckus: Condolences. It’s not easy, is it?
Mary G
@Ruckus: I’m sorry. Real friends are rare, and it’s hard to lose one when you weren’t expecting to.
JPL
@TS: Trump just can’t help himself. He so much wants to be loved like the real pres.
schrodingers_cat
@hovercraft:Jennifer Rubin is on fire these days!
JPL
@Ruckus: How very sad, and there is nothing I have to offer but hugs.
Baud
@schrodingers_cat: The world is a confusing and scary place now.
Another Scott
@chopper: Indeed it was. Metro was packed coming and going. I took the Yellow line at Huntington (end of the line) and the train was immediately packed. I felt sorry for anyone at the other stops on the way to L’Enfant Plaza. It took about 90 minutes for me to get in due to various delays (including a couple of medical emergencies before we arrived at L’Enfant).
I walked out to Independence and 7th. I heard someone say he could see that Independence was packed from the stage on 3rd Street all the way down to 12th Street (we were standing at the corner of 7th and Independence). There was a row of port-a-potties across the street, but it was impossible to get to them because people were so tightly packed in. (There were several brands present – I didn’t see many “Don’s Johns” – with or without tape.)
I spent about an hour trying to get within a block of the stage, even going around to the street by the Metro, and was foiled at every turn. It was nearly impossible to move on Independence, especially the last hour before the march started (an hour+ later than scheduled).
It was a great crowd, but it was frustrating not to be able to move. They had a few Jumbotrons, but the speakers were half a block away from them. So if you could see the screens you were often behind the speakers and unable to hear well. Being on Independence and having 2-3X the amount of people they were expecting made for much tighter quarters than other big rallies I’ve been at. E.g. at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear was out on the Mall itself. It was much easier to move around there because there was more room, and also it looks like that was ~ 215k vs. the 500k that is the reported estimate I’ve heard for the Women’s March in DC.
There seemed to be a deliberate decision to break up the crowd so that it could actually move through the city once the march finally started. I took 7th to Constitution then up 9th to Pennsylvania. Lots of fun chanting was going on as we passed the Trump Hotel (Shame! Check Out! Check Out!). Other goods ones were:
Hands too small! Can’t build the wall!
We want a leader, not a creepy tweeter!
We walked by the Treasury, but couldn’t go by the White House because they had Pennsylvania Ave in Lafayette Park piled up with fencing and lots of other stuff. I went up another block to try to get into the Park, but it was surrounded by fencing with only one gate in, and the line was too long (I had to get home). I headed back via the Ellipse – there was a huge mass of people there and displays of lots of the posters. I didn’t have time to investigate.
The battery on my phone died so I didn’t get many pictures after 3 PM. I’ll try to post a link to some of them later tonight.
On the way home on the Metro, I briefly talked with a retired guy who was there with a small group who was from Lawrence, Kansas!
It was an inspiring time. People of all shapes, sizes, colors, ages, genders, and dispositions seemed to be present. Just about everyone was in a good mood, even when they couldn’t move and were being nearly knocked over when someone had to get buy. The organizers, and those who made it possible for so many to attend, should be very, very proud. Well done.
Cheers,
Scott.
cosima
@Greenergood: where are you in the Scottish boonies? I’m in the Scottish boonies! I didn’t know there were any others on BJ.
debbie
@zhena gogolia:
Best thing I’ve seen all day!
liberal
Just watched Spicer’s attack on the press re crowd size etc.
Frankly, it’s the scariest fucking thing I’ve seen yet. It literally sounded like it was lifted right out of early Nazi rule.
debbie
@zhena gogolia:
Make any difference? I doubt it will change their intentions policy-wise, but they know with certainty just how many millions stand against them.
satby
@Ruckus: Deepest condolences Ruckus.
hovercraft
@Ruckus:
Sorry for your loss.
bemused
@TS:
He’s insane and it’s been obvious from the get go that he’s off his rocker. Yet all those delusional people voted for that.
I missed who just commented that now they know there are more of us than them. However, the hardcore Trumpers still won’t believe it.
liberal
@Timurid: LOL. Yeah…weird.
CaseyL
Freshly back from the Seattle march, which the local newspaper says may be the biggest in city history – 100,000 people! Woo fucking hoo, baby!
(I do not have photos. Rather, I do, but I took them with my dumb phone, and the only way to download them is to send them to someone with a smartphone. My friend has volunteered to be that person, but now the phone is telling me it can’t send the message “because service is not available.” My photos were pretty bad anyway. I’m sure the local news has better ones.)
We were incredibly fortunate: the weather was absolutely perfect for a long march. The crowd was terrific, good humored and friendly and – per request – mostly silent. When we went through downtown, people were waiting on the sidewalks to watch us, like a parade, and also to join us, which was great.
While marching through the heart of downtown Seattle, we saw someone hanging off the side of one of the highrises, like a window-washer; cheering and waving to us. There were also a lot of people waving and cheering from the office buildings, condos, and even a fire station :)
When we got to Seattle Center, everyone kind of scattered. The Center has many places to scatter to: lots of lawns, eateries, etc. There were supposed to be organizations set up for people to connect with, depending on which issues they most want to work on, but I saw nothing like that.
I wasn’t inclined to stick around – I needed a bathroom, a meal, and to get away from the crowd. I was again in luck: just as I was leaving the Center, a bus pulled up, and took me all the way across town to about 6 blocks from where I’d parked this morning. I think I may have gotten home before everyone marching reached the Center.
All in all, a wonderful day with amazing turnout. I hope the involvement and energy levels stay high.
Another Scott
@Ruckus: Coldolences, Ruckus. Remember the good times.
Cheers,
Scott.
Iowa Old Lady
@TS: His copying of Obama’s cake is deeply weird.
Lizzy L
The Oakland March was great. (I’m home now posting on my laptop instead of trying to post on my phone.) BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) trains were PACKED, they ran extra 10 car trains and people still couldn’t get on at the peak. The early estimate said 60,000 but I think it’s an under-estimation. I met up with friends and we marched together for a while, then they went off on their own and I continued in the crowd. It was entirely peaceful — no Black Bloc folks and no provocateurs, I barely saw any cops, maybe 5 or 6 over 2 miles. The crowd was joyful, determined, and diverse: lots of kids, families, tons of handmade signs, drummers, people banging on pots. I didn’t bother with the speeches. A good day.
And now I have to walk my amazingly patient dog.
Ruckus
@Mary G:
Thanks.
She outlived statistics with her genetic disease, which caused her to have lots of other problems but a hard part for me is that I’ve lived to an older age than several of my long time friends and I’m still doing what passes for OK these days. Not that it isn’t good to be OK, it’s just that as bad as 2016 has been for famous people 2017 may turn out to be worse for us commoners. Also I was hoping to be able to see her again and had started to plan for an up coming visit. I will but not in a good way. Second funeral in what, 2 months for me. Me no likey.
debbie
@Larkspur:
She briefly thought about running against McConnell, but dropped out pretty quickly. Tough to fight the machine that is Kentucky.
liberal
@bluehill: yeah…There’s a limit, though.
WP already has an article that touches on the crowd size thing. The didn’t use the word “lie”, but they did use false/falsely.
The only reason Twitler might not lose such a pissing match is because the shitstain Deplorables will automatically believe Der Fuhrer.
Lizzy L
@Ruckus: I’m so sorry. Condolences. May her memory be a blessing for you, and may her spirit live in light.
TS
@liberal: Reminds me more of the current N.K. Fortunately they have not been successful in getting the media and the people to agree with every word that drips out of his mouth, whether it be the huge crowds, the biggest ever electoral win or any other inane stupid remark. It’s horrifying that they try – and horrifying that people other than Trump do this – presumably under orders and to keep their jobs.
LAO
@debbie: Also, it certainly energized me. I haven’t felt any enthusiasm for the political process since the election but being in such a large crowd of like minded people has really lifted my spirits and reaffirmed my commitment to remain involved.
satby
So I forgot my phone, but the local news has some nice shots here
The guy with the bullhorn is the mayor of South Bend and the dark horse candidate for DNC chair. He got a pretty enthusiastic reception.
Organizers expected such a dramatically lower turnout that they never bothered to get a permit!
liberal
@humboldtblue: that was exactly my reaction. Scariest thing yet. Pure fascist speak.
I’m pretty sure he made a reference to the transition of power from Washington to the people.
Fuck the pundits and academics who claimed that, on balance, Trump and his movement aren’t fascistic. The rhetoric is pure fascist.
liberal
@bemused: these are the ignorant shitstains who believe in PizzaGate.
liberal
@TS: yeah.
Ruckus
@Another Scott:
Proud and not the least because of the shear number of marches and number of people around the world. LA supposedly was 750K, lots of cities at 100-200k, smaller marches and gatherings all around as well. In Pasadena and a lot of other cities in socal a lot of people never made it to the major LA march so it could have been even bigger.
I wonder what the drumpf licker at work will say on Tues? I’d bet he still won’t talk to me, which is fine, and good for my pristine clean criminal record. As well as my job.
TS
@Ruckus: Hoping all the good memories come to the forefront, sending best thoughts to you.
Kay
@humboldtblue:
I thought I was prepared but I agree- the pro-Trump propaganda is scary.
If anyone was wondering if it would stop when he was actually sworn in I think we have our answer. Nothing out of that Administration will be credible. They’re already creating crime numbers.
liberal
@David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch: it’s beyond belief. Why pick such a nasty fight with the media over what is ultimately such a trivial issue?
Oh, that’s right. Trump’s a thin-skinned narcissistic crybaby. Albeit a fascist one.
Kay
@liberal:
Well, he’s President now and he’s still blatantly and publicly lying. This is the test. This is the “with them or agin them” test. If one repeats or believes the lies they’re signing on to it.
debbie
@Kay:
Kay, his Inauguration speech said all we need to know. We are now in a very dangerous time for the country, and by extension, the world. I don’t think it’s hyperbole anymore to bring up the 1930s in Europe.
TS
@satby: Great collection of photos – and despite it was the women’s march really pleasing to see so many men supporting them.
MomSense
@Ruckus:
I’m really sorry, Ruckus.
debbie
@LAO:
Yes, there is nothing better and more affirming than all the crowds that showed up around the world. We are not nuts.
bemused
@liberal:
And probably still think ACA and Obamacare are two different plans.
debbie
@Ruckus:
I’m so sorry.
Zinsky
I’ll bet Trump is scared shitless. Bullies are always abject cowards at their core. If he looked out the front windows of the White House today, he had to shit a little in his Trump brand underwear to see 300,000 pissed off women calling for his head!
hovercraft
@Iowa Old Lady:
I know, the baker wanted to use the Obama cake as inspiration but he/they insisted on a copy. Why if Obama was so terrible and clueless, does he keep trying to emulate him? He tried to steal his crowd pics, now his cake, oh and at the last minute he’s keeping some icky Obama people on, to keep the trains running on time. SAD ;- )
HeleninEire
@efgoldman: Imma say it again cuz I can and I wanna.
All together now… WE ALL LOVE BAUD,
Kathleen O'Neill
@Ruckus: My deepest condolences, Ruckus.
Kay
@debbie:
I felt like it would be really bad but the (actual) President lying so much is more disorienting than I thought it would be.
He’s so relentlessly nasty. His demeanor is actually worse than I anticipated.
liberal
@bemused: lol.
Baud
@HeleninEire: All the Baud! 2020! rallies today really inspired me.
Ruckus
@liberal:
Well you had one answer right, the other is that he and his minions are fucking morons. But you knew that already. The big issue is that at least some of the media is going to turn on him if he keeps up with the nastiness. They might, just might see him the way we do and stop supporting him in a fashion to which he has become accustomed. Which will cause him to lose it even more and piss off more of the media. At that point he is toast. All those nasty jackoffs that support him as the second coming? They still will but at that point his core will be, wait for it….. 27%. Those people are not your friends.
liberal
@hovercraft: it’s like some cheap documentary on cable about some weird psychopathic killer and his twisted psyche.
Kay
My daughter went to the march in Pittsburgh. She was grateful to meet up with so many like-minded people. I think that will be important going forward- solidarity.
Brachiator
@Ruckus: Sorry for your loss.
Hang in there.
Suzanne
@Ruckus: I’m so, so sorry, Ruckus. Hugs and best wishes to you.
Felonius Monk
@Baud:
However, will “Baudy-Hats” be as popular as “Pussy-Hats”?
Jeffro
@debbie: but…but…I thought his speech talked about giving power back to the the people??!?
Lol what a jackass – trump, the people have spoken, pack your bags
liberal
@Ruckus: I don’t recall the MSM directly stating a statement by Bush 43 was false. WP did it multiple times, and not at the bottom of the article.
My impression was they were saying, fuck you, do you really think we’re that stupid? And we don’t like being pushed around [that hard].
liberal
@Jeffro: precisely. The exact essence if fascist speech.
HinTN
@Iowa Old Lady: It most certainly is VERY wierd.
SatanicPanic
I was there with Glidwrith and I know Hungry Joe was there. Go San Diego!
JPL
@Iowa Old Lady: He just can’t help himself.
sukabi
@Lizzy L: puppet is in the wh
Ruckus
@Kay:
Sorry not me, but then I’ve never given him the benefit of the doubt, he’s been a shit stain his entire life. He’s never actually been a stand up guy, smarmy is all he knows. He had in the past some what of that ability to get himself in publicity shots and smile but as he’s aged and as more and more people have seen him in public he really has had the sheen taken off. Of course that sheen was never real, it is fake sheen, like everything else he does.
Baud
@Iowa Old Lady: We should have a betting pool on when he wears a tan suit.
randy khan
@hovercraft:
So, the Moscow hotel room, the cake, and the Lincoln Bible for his swearing in. It’s hard not to detect a pattern. (Although I also noticed that, unlike 2009, the Library of Congress apparently made him keep the Bible in its protective case, so he never actually touched it.)
chris
@Baud: How about Baud/Harris (as in Kamala) 2020!
Patricia Kayden
@Emerald: That is chilling. I guess the Canadian should have lied about why he wanted to visit the U.S. That’s what this country is coming to. Visitors have to divulge whether or not they love the Fuhrer or be denied entrance. WOW.
I’ll inform my Canadian family not to bother coming here during Trump’s administration since I don’t want them to lie about their feelings for him. (They hate his guts).
Felonius Monk
@Iowa Old Lady:
I guess this cake incident is one more reason to refer to him as the Commander-in-Thief.
Kay
They could sort of impose sanctions every time the Administration publicly lie like this- cut off all broadcasting at the lie, over and over until they stop doing it. They’d get a do-over- they could try another one the next day as long as there are no blatant lies they’ll run it.
There has to be something they can do or they’re just complicit in what is (now) state-issued propaganda.
I mean, they’re close to “steel production meets quotas” here. Nip this in the bud, or all is lost.
randy khan
@efgoldman:
And a lot of the reporting and tweeting from journalists on the Spicer briefing is scathing.
Remember, it took Nixon’s team until 1973 to lose the press completely. Trump’s apparently going for a new record.
Jeffro
Dick Nixon on Twitter: “in another country there would be a colonel getting ideas right about now”
Oh, OUCH
HinTN
@Ruckus: I’m surrounded by drumpf lickers (what a GREAT phrase!!!) at work, so I resemble that remark. THANKS for that! Also, too, please live in light with the memory of your friend, your sister, and all the rest that make this dream complete.
zhena gogolia
@Mike in NC:
lol, so true
HinTN
@liberal: It’s also a diversionary tactic.
Major Major Major Major
@Patricia Kayden:@Emerald: the article I read (Guardian?) said it happened on Thursday too, so it could actually be standard policy. Or the border control people were off the rails even before the sweating-in. That seems more likely.
ETA: ‘standard policy’ being what they stated, they don’t let people in with the stamp-at-the-border tourist visa if their intent is to protest.
hovercraft
@debbie:
No we are not, the people thinking the behavior of the new Shithead in Chief are the ones who are nuts. Walking into the workplace of people you’ve been bashing for weeks and telling them that you are their bestest defender evah is nuts. Lying about the size of the crowd at an event that was just beamed live across the world is nuts. Then to top it off you send your the Spokes Cobras understudy out to throw a tantrum at the media because they had the gall to for once use their eyes nd math, is fucking nuts. The rest of us, we are sane.
bluehill
@Zinsky: That’s one reason he will be easy to manipulate by Putin, Bannon, Kushner et al. The more paranoid he gets the smaller his circle is going to become and it already seems to have a lot of competing agendas. Going to be a lot of palace intrigue.
HinTN
@HeleninEire: To the tune of YMCA, please
celticdragonchick
My pictures are up at Little Green Footballs…
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/page/322809_Greensboro_Womens_March_Jan_21
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/page/322808_Greensboro_Womens_March_Jan_21
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/page/322807_Greensboro_Womens_March_Jan_21
Kay
How funny is it that they got so rattled at a big peaceful demonstration that they’re rolling out propaganda about his popularity.
Imagine how horrible it is to work there. OMFG. Sweaty, panicked, paranoid people screaming all the time and no one knows what they’re doing. And a TERRIBLE boss surrounded by his adult children, like spies, who are always watching for disloyalty.
Josie
@Ruckus: I am so sorry for your loss. Good friends are a gift and sorely missed when they are gone.
Ruckus
@liberal:
That is of course why this is so stupid. What’s the old adage, don’t piss off those who by ink by the barrel? Maybe today it should be don’t piss off those who buy ink by the barrel or pixels by the GB. Whatever, it’s one thing to not have the backing of the press but entirely another to have their ire.
@efgoldman:
I’m waiting for them to be at it constantly, not just one day. He keeps this up and he might get one day out of 30 rather than All of them Katie.
Major Major Major Major
SF rally update: 20 minutes to march start. Ducked into a cafe for a bit. A surprising number of signs extolling the virtues of intersectional feminism as opposed to white feminism, which seems not super relevant to Trump, so I assume I missed an internecine left-wing fight about that.
Immanentize
Does anyone else imagine that there are republican leaders right now — after his CIA appearance — discussing whether they can get rid of Trump and spare Pence or whether they should just go straight to Ryan?
randy khan
Local news in Fairbanks reports 2,000 marched in -15 to -20 F temps (apparently pretty nice for this time of year, but still). That’s like 6% of the entire population of the city.
trollhattan
Went to the Sacramento Capitol rally where the crowd was a very good size–bigger than the largest teabagger rally and weather was much worse for. My girls marched too (me too lazy)–very proud of them. Have a quick photo album here. Won’t try to estimate crowd size and anyway, it would be doubly tough given the march+rally meant folks coming and going throughout. The upshot: folks aren’t taking this mess without a fight!
randy khan
@Major Major Major Major:
I saw a handful of intersectionality signs in D.C. All of them held by white women, FWIW.
hovercraft
@liberal:
By lying all the time and having the media call them out for it, it affirms the contention that the media is against him to his fans/followers. It actually makes it easier for him to get away with shit. What’s the media going to say when he lies about something truly important, he’s lying won’t carry the cachet it would with a normal president, people will just think it’s just another day, an ordinary lie. They are desensitizing us to their lies and corruption.
zhena gogolia
@celticdragonchick:
Beautiful!
Iowa Old Lady
HuffPo headline says Spicer “flagrantly lies”
debbie
@Kay:
I still can’t describe how I felt listening to his speech. The darkness in it was frightening. And not just because I’ve been binge-watching Game of Thrones.
“The night is long and full of terror.” Our night is just beginning.
Larkspur
@Ruckus: It’s almost like some of the rest of the world hasn’t given up on us. That’s awesome. Remember the support we got after 9/11? The support that we quickly pissed away when we invaded Iraq? After everything we’ve done, people are still wishing us the best. Very sincerely I say “Thanks, Obama”.
Major Major Major Major
@randy khan: all white here too. it just seems like a weird time to bring it up, almost performative.
Shalimar
@efgoldman:
You’ll get them back next segment?
Baud
@hovercraft: That’s overly alarmist. I for one want the media to call a liar a liar and a fool a fool.
Omnes Omnibus
@Ruckus: My condolences.
Patricia Kayden
@Ruckus: So sorry to hear about your friend’s passing away. ((Ruckus))
@Baud: Please turn off MSNBC. And CNN. You need to be in excellent health for your Presidential run in 2020. Watching nonsense “news” channels will only spike your blood pressure and drag down your intelligence.
HinTN
@Major Major Major Major: Isn’t San Francisco all about performance art?
bluefoot
Boston was crazy. T was packed all day coming and going. There were so many people marching that at 3 pm people were still lining up to march. Really mixed crowd – all ages, many PoCs. People started putting their signs in the fence along Boston Common – it filled up quickly, and then people started laying their signs on the ground. Really cool. I will try to send a photo. Not a lot of organizing going on that I could see, though, which was a disappointment (to me). But it was hard to move around there were so many people, so maybe I missed it.
Kay
@Iowa Old Lady:
And he was supposed to be the pro- someone people had worked with who wasn’t a liar or crazy. Right out of the box, lying for the boss.
I guess the plan is to lie as much as they did during the campaign. It’s scary just because of the huge amount of stats-information- the federal government collects and distributes. They could start fucking with that.
randy khan
@Major Major Major Major:
Maybe. On the other hand, in DC there were many, many signs that had multiple slogans on them, always including both “Women’s Rights Are Human Rights” and “Black Lives Matter.” (I feel like they all had the same batch of slogans, but I can’t remember the rest for sure.) It was intersectionality without saying it was.
Larkspur
@Major Major Major Major: Hang on, MMMM, I’m in Tiburon and we just got hit with an intense rain squall, prolly headed your way.
Spanky
@Ruckus: I’m sorry for how it panned out, Ruck.
It is, when we let it.
Some people have that gift. Some knowingly, some not. If it weren’t for them (and I’m not one), it probably wouldn’t be worth it to stick around.
Forgive me if I butcher this quote, but Kurt Vonnegut asked his son, the doctor, what life was about. The doctor, in true Vonnegut style, said something like “to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is.” Words that ring true after a loss – a personal one like yours or a global one like the Trump ascendancy.
Corner Stone
@Kay:
I don’t care what anyone says about Gen Mattis, Trump has surrounded himself with C – level people across the board. There is not one person in that admin mix I would turn my back on if I had the last bagel on my plate.
rikyrah
Trump’s People Told A Bakery To Completely Re-Create Obama’s Inauguration Cake
The chef who made Obama’s cake called them out on Twitter last night.
posted on Jan. 21, 2017, at 12:57 p.m.
Tamerra Griffin
This is the cake served at former President Obama’s Commander In Chief Ball on Jan. 21, 2013, after his second inauguration.
Charm City Cakes owner and chef Duff Goldman was commissioned to create it.
And this is the cake that was served at President Donald Trump’s Salute to Our Armed Services Inaugural Ball on Friday.
Goldman tweeted about the ~similarity~ Friday night, noting that he did not bake the cake that was served at Trump’s ball.
People were extremely confused and began to share the desserts online using the hashtag #CakeGate.
This is not the first time since his inauguration that Trump has borrowed something from Obama. For a short time yesterday, his new @POTUS Twitter account featured a banner photo from Obama’s 2013 inauguration.
Patricia Kayden
@hovercraft: But lying all the time and being called out repeatedly for lying all the time will only hurt Trump in the long run. Trump is starting with a deficit when it comes to favorability ratings. He can only go down. If he continues to tell blatant lies which can be easily fact checked, even some of his supporters (especially those who are Independent voters) will start to drift away from him. Being caught repeatedly lying isn’t a good look.
I hope the mainstream media simply stops covering Spicer’s press briefings and thus limits his lies to the Rightwing echo chamber (Fox News, Breitbart, Drudge, etc.).
Kay
See, this they could do. Don’t allow them live. Review and see if there’s blatant lies first.
Anything else is promoting state-issued propaganda because the “fact checks” later don’t matter.
hovercraft
@Baud:
I want them to call them liars every single time they lie, therefore every time they open their mouths. I’m just saying that the stupid people who voted for him will just write it off as a hostile media attacking their truth teller. For the rest of the both side assholes, I hope the repetition will brand him as a liar.
Dog Dawg Damn
Marched in Sacramento.
After watching the Press conference and reading Brennan’s statement, I’m terrified.
If I had resources, I would leave the country.
Nashville fan
Great signs from Nashville, TN March:
“We are the daughters of the witches you didn’t burn.”
“Make America think again.”
“I can’t believe we are still protesting this $h!+”
“Nyet means nyet.”
Baud
@Kay: A time delay for fact-checking!
@hovercraft: Yes, they are unreachable.
Jeffro
@rikyrah: do any of the armchair psychologists here want to speculate on all of this? It’s intensely weird. (Trumps fixation is weird, not rikyrah!)
Nashville fan
http://m.dailykos.com/stories/1623318
Patricia Kayden
@humboldtblue: Not good for them. Their opposition is not going to back down. We’ve been through this before. We have videos of Civil Rights activists being attacked in the 1950s/60s. That didn’t stop the Civil Rights movement from achieving its goals (even if some of those achievements are being rolled back). I’m glad that the resistance to Trump has started so early. We’re not waiting for him to mess us up. We’re fighting back now.
hovercraft
@Patricia Kayden:
Agree, as I said to Baud 2020 !
Ask and you shall receive, @Kay: this could mean that they are beginning to learn. Question is, is this because he trashed them as fake news, or is it because now he is the actual president they are going to actually cover him as more than an entertaining novelty?
Kay
@Baud:
Exactly. They can earn “live” again by X number of days of not lying. If they backslide it’s back to the liars penalty box. Make it dramatic. Giant lie, screen goes blank. Stop rewarding them for bad behavior.
Corner Stone
@Dog Dawg Damn: Brennan (through a spokesperson) let that heavy artillery fly again. That was nasty.
Ruckus
@Larkspur:
Well a lot of people in a lot of places in the world know that, right now, as the US turns, so turns the world. Some of that is due to history, some due to our military power and some to our monetary power, or some combination. That may change very fast as Adam stated in an earlier post. That was the reason that Vlad messed with the election, he hopes it turns in his direction. The world is a lot closer knit place than it was not all that long ago and a lot of people are not comfortable with that. Exclusive people don’t and may never get that, inclusive people do. President Obama and drumpf are the current examples of inclusive and exclusive, respectfully.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Heh– MSNBC correspondent describes protestors’ signs as “feline themed” and “not family appropriate”
frosty
@Kay:
Hmmm. It’s not beyond possibility that he can’t fill all 3,000 Plum Book positions, maybe. I mean, the potential candidates probably all have good sinecures right now. Why would they a) sacrifice whatever reputation they have by working for this administration and b) change jobs for a terrible boss? There’s no upside.
Steeplejack (phone)
@celticdragonchick:
Nice work!
dexwood
@Nashville fan:
Two I saw today and liked:
“Not My Cheeto”
“Men of Quality Do Not Fear Equality”
There were so many good ones. And, as I wrote way above, I didn’t see any giant puppets which made me happy, but I did see a few Trump pinatas. They made me smile.
Baud
@Kay: One if those Hollywood shows has a segment called “So True or So False?” They could do that with Trump.
debbie
A California friend said 10,000 marched in Santa Barbara.
Steeplejack (phone)
@Major Major Major Major:
Try to keep up. You’re letting down the side.
Kay
@Baud:
It does look forced, by the way. He looks like a hostage. He should quit now. It won’t get better.
TriassicSands
@zhena gogolia:
No.
We need to keep protesting…the perpetual protest. Never let Trump have even a minute when he isn’t aware that people everywhere really, really hate him. Assuming they don’t insert him into a sterile bubble and have Kellyanne Conway feed him information that won’t send him into a rage.
The goal should be to get Trump to become completely unhinged — publicly.
debbie
@Dog Dawg Damn:
I had to Google around, but I am very happy that there’s pushback and that Brennan responded as he did:
I won’t bother with Sean Spicer.
Baud
@Kay: Remember that old Martin Short lawyer character on SNL. They need to resurrect that.
HeleninEire
@HinTN: You wish
hovercraft
@Jeffro:
Despite being attacked and villified for years, Obama is admired and loved. His GOP opponents always say what a nice, likable, smart, good man he is, but that they disagree with him, he is respected, the media calls him a great orator, good looking, historical, self made, oh and honest. The shitgibbon is ridiculed for everything, from his looks to his “accomplishments” are questioned at every turn, his intelligence is questioned, his wealth, while it’s true that all these questions are based on the fact that he lies about everything constantly, it’s still galling. He want’s what Obama has, a reputation for being a good man, not a racist, misogynist con man who managed to con just enough people to get his new gig.
Corner Stone
@Baud: There is not a b00kie on earth who would take bets on any one statement being actually true.
Corner Stone
Don’t look now.
Corner Stone
THIS.IS.SPARTA!!
liberal
@HinTN: absolutely right, at the end of the day. Must focus on policy and actions.
Larkspur
Huh. I didn’t realize that there was an anti-abortion rally scheduled at SF Civic Center Plaza a few hours before the March. My local news says there was a little overlap. Awkward! But the anti-abortion demonstrators they interviewed made it clear that they weren’t going to mix with the misguided feminists. So probably no fighting, no biting, no bloodshed.
HeleninEire
@Corner Stone: Look at my two favorite boys. Fighting amongst themselves. Really boys. I am not that great. Or am I???
liberal
@Ruckus: yeah.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Ruckus: Condolences, Rukus.
TriassicSands
Meanwhile, standing in front of the CIA’s memorial wall of agency employees killed while on duty, Trump dishonestly inflated the size of the crowd at his inauguration and criticized the media for false reporting. Class act, Donnie.
He also said this: “There is nobody that feels stronger about the intelligence community and CIA than Donald Trump,” he said. “There’s nobody.”
Trump denied that there had been problems between him and the intelligence community, despite all the nasty things he’s said about the CIA, et al. Again, he blamed dishonest media.
Will the “dishonest media” excuse ever wear thin? Trump uses it constantly, even when there is lots of video and print evidence that he’s lying. His estimates of the size of his crowd are laughable and there are plenty of photographs proving he’s wrong.
What are you going to believe? Donald or your lying eyes?
Sad!
liberal
@Corner Stone: yeah, Mattis isn’t as crazy as the others, but he did say ISIS and Iran aren’t enemies.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
SoupCatcher
Estimated crowd of 25,000 in San Jose. A common theme from the speakers was that California was ready and willing for a fight.
TriassicSands
@Davis X. Machina:
Will this have an effect on Trump? I have a feeling that Trump has a filter that simply rewrites reality before it reaches his brain. He probably really believes his crowd was bigger than Obama’s. He probably believes a lot more people came out to worship him than showed up today to protest. It may not be possible to get through his defenses.
I’m constantly amazed (though not at all surprised) at his brazen lies even where there is ample evidence readily available that contradicts what he’s saying. It doesn’t make any difference to him. He lies and then he lies about his lies.
Kay
@TS:
It’s hard for me because who likes people like him? Really? They look at him and say “wow, what a great guy!” ? He’s just a giant, bragging liar. He’s not charming or clever or funny. Most of the time he’s outright nasty.
Look at the clip of him dancing with his wife. She may as well not be there. He’s entirely and utterly self-absorbed.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: Nathan Thurm?
TriassicSands
I just watched rage-aholic Sean Spicer, worst presidential press secretary ever (and that says something), berating the media and lying about the size of the inaugural crowd and pretty much everything else. The journalists who attend Spicer’s briefings have their work cut out for them.
J R in WV
@HeleninEire:
Is that picture with the palm tree in the background in Ireland? Really???
Amazing. We gotta get over there!
Calouste
@Ruckus: The US is still the top dog regards Gross Domestic Product, although the EU teken all together is really close (~95%). China is at about 60% of the US. Russia is at about 7% of the US, roughly the same as Australia. Nuclear weapons are the only thing that keep the US as the dominant power, and Russia at any relavance at all.
J R in WV
@efgoldman:
So, good that it is a picture of his otherwise routine cop butt, rather than of his face, right? Maybe he wasn’t the only one? Lots of cops have females in their lives, some of them are even good listeners.
weaselone
@Calouste:
That’s not actually true as far as the US is concerned. The reason that the US is the world’s dominate power is the combination of economic, military and soft power. The reason that 1/20/17 may eventually be labeled by historians as the day we lost our superpower status is because Trump’s decisions are likely to unravel the system of alliances, treaties and relationships that we have built since the end of the 2nd world war. We are the essential nation because we’ve built these global systems with ourselves as the central and key player in them. I’d also add that our status as the world’s reserve currency and the world’s chief consumer is also an important component.
Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA
On the bus back to Atlanta now. DC was incredible and inspiring. I loved the local residents coming out of their homes to offer refreshments, applause and hearty thank yous for coming to town and marching. Then to see the turnout for marches all over the world — it all truly brought home that we are, in fact, stronger together.
There are more of us than of them, and we know that ultimately they’re cowards who can’t handle dissent and mockery. Today was a good start. We might actually do some good if we can keep this up.
J R in WV
@Ruckus:
Oh, Ruckus, so sorry for your loss, and on this day of relative triumph! Glad you got to spend time with her at TGiving. Hang in there. I’ll be thinking of you…
celticdragonchick
Thanks everyone!
TriassicSands
Trump says there were “a million, million-and-a-half people” at his inauguration.
Spicer claims it was the largest crowd ever to witness an inauguration — stats for Obama’s 2009 inauguration had it at 1.8 million, so Trump’s estimate is significantly smaller than the numbers for Obama’s.
Glidwrith
@SatanicPanic: Yep, we had a good time. After I left and headed back up the march route there were still people up past Kettner.
Did you get my response text?
HeleninEire
@J R in WV: Come visit.
TriassicSands
@Calouste:
Not according to the Global Fire Power website.
J R in WV
@cosima:
We ravening jackals of Balloon-Juice are EVERYWHERE !!!
;-)
SiubhanDuinne
I’m, like, five hours late to comment on the first photo, but I am just excited and gobsmacked and thrilled at a POLICE Officer wearing a PUSSYHAT! One of the greatest pictures of the day! It’s def going into my Résistance photo album.
Adam L Silverman
@TS: Duff Goldman is not amused. Also, a portion of the inaugural address was plagiarized from the Bee Movie animated motion picture. Bees were changed to Americans. Every thing else is a word for word lift.
SiubhanDuinne
@Ruckus:
Ahh, Ruckus, I’m so sorry. In some ways, losing good friends can be harder than losing blood relatives. Hope you have lots of great memories to help you through this rough time.
J R in WV
@Ruckus:
Another thing about your friend, think about how she raised up your sister’s life, and remember them together back in the day. That kind of thinking always helps me.
Adam L Silverman
@celticdragonchick: What are we chopped liver?
Gvg
What was the title of the Pratchett disk world book about the mad man who wanted to BE Ventineri? Trump is trying to live Obama’s life I think. It really is odd.
J R in WV
@Major Major Major Major:
The border patrol people have been off the rails for a long time.
I won’t tell the long story, but in the El Paso I-10 east bound checkpoint (yes, they stop every vehicle on I-10, both directions, 24/7, just so you know, with a little dog, too!) all the agents are armed with automatic weapons, they are all Hispanic, and they all speak Spanish to each other, so if you are white-bread American, you don’t know it they’re talking about which desert arroyo to bury you in or what’s for potluck dinner at midnight.
Not surprised they’re deranged on the northern border, institutionalized hysterical paranoia gets into your brain.
TS
@Kay: I am at such a loss as to why all the negatives were never discussed BEFORE the election. He cannot speak with words of more than 1 syllable, he has NO family values, he appears to have acquaintances but no friends and everything he says is a lie. His total campaign was lock her up and I am great. He has not a likeable bone in his body and a more dysfunctional family than Sarah Palin.
The GOP and the religious right threw away every last meme that they ever believed to elect this monster
J R in WV
@debbie:
Oh, Honey, don’t do that!
Binge-watching GoT right now is like treating a fever with barefoot walks in the snow! Or treating poison ivy with poison oak and bee stings to distract yourself!!
When you need warm blankies and hot choc and chicken soup!!!
Mike in NC
20 years ago I worked in DC on a big IT modernization project for what was then called the INS. All of the checkpoints along the border were getting upgraded. Yes, the Border Patrol is mostly composed of 2nd and 3rd generation Mexican-Americans out to keep down the ‘wetbacks’. They call that pulling up the ladder and it seems to work very well.
J R in WV
@liberal:
But ISIS believes the Shia are apostates and must all be killed – Iran is a 95% Shia country. I would be surprised if they could sit at a conference table without violence. So I suspect the Warrior Monk, Mattis is wrong here.
mdblanche
@efgoldman: I was at the Providence rally. It was a diverse crowd with diverse speakers. It was a family affair, plenty of families who brought their children and in some cases their dogs. The crowd was still small enough for people to move around and hear the speakers, including the Governor, Secretary of State, several state reps, and activists from organizations for a range of issues. Harnessing the energy of the day and staying involved both nationally and locally was a recurring theme. The plan was a rally rather than a march, but the closing musical act was a brass band, so as they marched off an impromptu march broke out behind them down to Waterplace Park. This is the first day since November that I’ve felt good.
J R in WV
@Mike in NC:
While I visited with the Border Patrol, they never caught an illegal, nor any smuggled contraband. They mostly detained teens with a joint, so far as we could tell.
Amazingly costly, trucking in flush water, running generators in the desert, on a mountain side with no lights anywhere kin the countryside, 24/7/365. For nothing but harassing American citizens 98% of the time. And riding horses into the desert with rifles, just like with the Apaches 120 years ago, still.
JoeSo
@LAO: Yeah me too. Going to Downtown Manhattan and seeing it packed with marchers made me feel good. Seeing the many marches going on throughout the country and the world made me feel great!
Ruckus
@J R in WV:
Once crossed back from Canada into Vermont after 3 days. This was about 1990. In a friends motorhome, 2 long haired, bearded hippy looking
assholesnice guys and we were “interviewed” for an hour and a half while they searched the motorhome. They kept asking us if we had over $10,000. I told them I didn’t have that in the bank, let alone in cash on me, my buddy said basically the same thing. They did of course find the envelope he had with maybe $1500-2000 and gave us shit for that. I was pretty mad, I hadn’t been out of the service all that many years and didn’t like the way I was being treated, especially after being on liberty in many countries without anyone ever saying anything. The worst part though was after they were done, they wanted to talk about his motorhome and how did we like it, as if we were long lost buddies. We just glared at them and drove off.Adam L Silverman
@J R in WV: If he said it he is incorrect. And I didn’t see where he said that. I’d be curious for a link.
Another Scott
@J R in WV: Sounds like he’s carrying a grudge, and that’s never a good property in a head of a military organization. Warning! Politico:
If he really feels that way about Iran now, and there’s no reason for him to have changed his mind, then he’s an extremely dangerous person to have running the Pentagon. The last thing the world needs now (except maybe a war with North Korea) is a war with Iran (especially since they’ve been cultivating military partnerships with Putin).
Grudges and made-up stories about Iran are not in the nation’s (nor the world’s) interest.
Reading this makes me wonder what the Democrats in the Senate were thinking to help give him a 98:1 vote.
:-(
Cheers,
Scott.
Ruckus
@Another Scott:
My thoughts as well. Maybe he’s just the closest thing to a qualified candidate they think they will see. Or possibly they think that leaving the Sec post empty is very bad politically as how do things work with our huge military and no one in charge to have even a little pushback to the current office holder.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@Ruckus: My condolences for your loss. I hope that your memories will soon be more of the happy times she and your sister brought to your life and less of the sadness of their absence.
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
@liberal:
Have you seen this (video)
No One You Know
@efgoldman: I also saw a cop in a little pink hat and kitty ears. Worked marvelously at establishing comraderie with a cold, wet, and growing-larger-by-the-minute crowd waiting for public transit to recover from a peaceful protest that was about four times bigger than expected. Laughter made us warm, and patient.
Agree about “uniform.” However, community policing does work a little differently, at least out my way.