I have been a bit slow getting this up, but it was one of those weeks where it felt like it was three weeks long. Any-whooo, this landed in my inbox and happy to share it with you.
Redshift here. I was at the Democratic rally at the Supreme Court … (the one about the Muslim man, not … about the nominee.) Couldn’t see it or hear the speakers, but I got a few decent photos. The first two are the crowd, the third I entitled “even the sky is against the #muslimban tonight” because of the crescent moon and star next to the Capitol dome. (Actually it’s Venus, but who’s counting?)
Thanks for sharing Redshift. I’ll post any photos from any of your protests…as long as you split your “paid protests” fees with me. :-)
Open thread.
"Don't Hang Up" (Melbourne, 02/02/17)
"We stand before you embarrassed Americans tonight. This is a song from 1965 by The Orlons. We're gonna use this to send a letter back home."
Posted by Bruce Springsteen on Friday, February 3, 2017
rikyrah
Eric Trumps business trip to Uruguay cost taxpayers $97,830 in hotel bills
Source: washington post
By Amy Brittain and Drew Harwell February 3 at 4:12 PM
When the president-elect’s son, Eric Trump, jetted to Uruguay in early January for a Trump Organization promotional trip, U.S. taxpayers were left footing a bill of nearly $100,000 in hotel rooms for Secret Service and embassy staff.
It was a high-profile jaunt out of the country for Eric, the fresh-faced executive of the Trump Organization who, like his father, pledged to keep the company separate from the presidency. Eric mingled with real estate brokers, dined at an open-air beachfront eatery and spoke to hundreds at an “ultra exclusive” Trump Tower Punta del Este evening party celebrating his visit.
The Uruguayan trip shows how the government is unavoidably entangled with the Trump company as a result of the president’s refusal to divest his ownership stake. In this case, government agencies are forced to pay to support business operations that ultimately help to enrich the president himself. Though the Trumps have pledged a division of business and government, they will nevertheless depend on the publicly funded protection granted to the first family as they travel the globe promoting their brand.
A spokeswoman for Eric Trump declined to make him available for an interview and did not provide answers to a list of detailed questions about the trip…………………………
greengoblin
I read at the Guardian that the bill to sell off 3.3 million acres of public land was pulled due to protests from hunters and fishermen.
These people are great conservationists and may be a group to team with to stop the horrible anti-environment stuff.
It was a victory to celebrate. Calling Congress works! And protests work!
rikyrah
New Bill Proposes Constitutional Convention to Amend Constitution to Ban Gay Marriage All Together
Source: LawNewz
by Rachel Stockman | 3:44 pm, February 3rd, 2017
A newly proposed bill in Arkansas calls for a constitutional convention in order to amend the United States Constitution so as to ban same-sex marriage all together across the country. The bill, which was introduced on Thursday by State Senator Jason Rapert (R), would serve as an application to Congress to call a convention “for the purpose of proposing an amendment prohibiting the United States Constitution or the Constitution or Laws of any state from defining or construing the definition of ‘marriage’ to mean anything other than the union of one man and one woman.”
Under Article V of the Constitution, there are two ways to propose an amendment. Congress can propose one by a vote of two-thirds of both the Senate and Congress. The second option, which is being pushed by this Arkansas lawmaker, is that the legislatures of 34 states call for a Constitutional Convention. According to the National Archives, none of the 27 amendments to the Constitution have been proposed by constitutional convention. Nonetheless, a proposed amendment becomes law when it is then approved by at least 38 out of the 50 states.
“I think the country now knows the silent majority is out there and they spoke during the 2016 election, and they’re going to speak again,” Sen. Jason Rapert told KATV.
In Obergefell v. Hodges, the U. S. Supreme Court voted 5-4 saying that the right to marry would also be guaranteed to same-sex couples. This decision overrode many state laws, including in Arkansas, which prohibited same-sex marriage.
TaMara (HFG)
I updated with a video from Bruce Springsteen, who just happens to be touring in Australia right now. He’s not pleased.
rikyrah
Christina Wilkie Verified account
@christinawilkie
Trump: “We expect to be cutting a lot of Dodd Frank. Friends of mine with nice businesses can’t borrow money…bc of the rules in Dodd Frank.”
Major Major Major Major
There’s a bit in 30 Rock where Liz Lemon says “what a week, huh?” And jack says “Lemon–it’s Tuesday.”
My friend today tweeted those two screenshots today with new dialogue:
What a year, huh?
Lemon, it’s February.
rikyrah
From Town at POU..breaking it down like a fraction:
Iowa Old Lady
@TaMara (HFG): Gotta love the Boss. I’m reading his autobiography right now.
mapaghimagsik
Just beautiful
Mnemosyne
G’s copy of the New Yorker arrived today and, I admit, the cover made me tear up. In a good way.
scottinnj
Democrat who is dead to me: Mark Warner.
Votes ‘yea’ for Pompeo but then tweets ‘oh I sent a stern letter to the CIA against torture. Twit.
Primary him.
patroclus
I think it would be a great idea if we started a Bowling Green Massacre Victim’s Fund! Like all of you, I will never forget where I was or what I was doing the day that never happened. And the ramifications are still not ongoing! Plus, not only did it never happen in Bowling Green, Kentucky; it also never happened in Bowling Green, Ohio! Can we please show generosity for all the non-victims! Have a heart everyone!
Mnemosyne
@rikyrah:
Yes, because the guy who got 2.8 million fewer votes represents the “majority.”
Somebody needs to send this asshole a calculator, because he seems to have trouble with basic math.
debbie
@rikyrah:
These asshats really could afford to pay for their own security. It’s the least a true patriot could do.
? Martin
@rikyrah: There’s still about $10 trillion in negative yield bonds – bonds that the bondholder is paying money to have someone hold. There’s a fucking ocean of money doing not a goddamn thing. Corporations are borrowing money at 2% or less. If his folks can’t get loans, it means that the people with those trillions of dollars don’t trust them at all. Even a 0% loan would be a better return than what they’re earning now.
Peale
@rikyrah: yep. We know who the green card holders are. We did. Now we don’t know where they are.
scav
@Mnemosyne: Lacking a calculator, he’s probably relying on his time machine, as the silent majority seems to have gone minority around 2011. They’ve never been especially silent since well before that.
JPL
Let us remember that he’s only been President for two weeks.
SiubhanDuinne
@rikyrah:
“Fresh-faced”? The fuck? Every time I see him, I think “diseased.”
Dog Mom
Anyone have suggestions for reliable roadside assistance instead of AAA. The local news had a story that the AAA sponsored a bus to the inauguration. My renewal is up this month and that just aggravated me.
JPL
@Dog Mom: Some auto insurance companies will cover those expenses, although at an additional fee.
delk
Mass mooning planned fro Trump Tower Chicago
dr. bloor
@? Martin: Yeah, well, we’re talking about the “friends” of a guy whose only out was to turn to Russian loan sharks.
Mike in DC
@patroclus:
Someone set one up already. The donate buttons link to the ACLU donation page.
Gin & Tonic
@patroclus:
You doofus, it happened at the Bowling Green IRT station. Everybody knows that (except for you, apparently.)
dr. bloor
@Gin & Tonic: The carnage, my God. Signals ahead holding the train in the station, cars with busted A/C, the conductor’s empty reassurances that there was another train right behind this one…
Lyrebird
@Dog Mom: FWIW i have had very wonderful help from the-gecko-ad folks with whom i have an auto insurance policy . The roadside assistance I got through the dealership when I bought a nicer new car though was not so helpful.
Scamp Dog
@Dog Mom, @JPL: I get roadside assistance as part of my GEICO auto policy, and I don’t think there’s an extra fee, it just comes with the policy. Check your auto insurance, you may already have it!
randy khan
@scottinnj:
Good luck primarying Warner. And are you also going to suggest opposing the other 13 Democrats who voted for Pompeo?
Look, I’d like them all to vote against all of Trump’s nominees (well, except maybe Mattis, who actually is qualified for the job and much saner than Trump), but that’s obviously not the strategy the Dems have settled on.
Steeplejack (tablet)
On a happy note, Blazing Saddles is coming up on TCM in a few minutes.
randy khan
@patroclus:
Wait: It also didn’t happen at the Bowling Green stop on the IRT in Manhattan. Or at least I think it didn’t happen there.
dr. bloor
@rikyrah:
I’m not eager to test the hypothesis, but I don’t think there are 38 state govs/legislatures out there prepared to commit political and economic suicide by supporting a ban on same-sex marriage.
Yarrow
I swear they’re just fucking with us now.
Mnemosyne
@dr. bloor:
True story: a few years ago, G had a loan shark in the same jury pool he was in. Or, as the guy described himself, “An independent contractor in the field of finance.”
I once had a stripper in mine, but this is LA, so that’s not too unusual.
Mnemosyne
@Steeplejack (tablet):
A movie from a more innocent time, when we thought we could actuall fix our racial problems. Sigh.
(Yes, of course we turned it on. Even though we have the DVD.)
Jeffro
@scottinnj:
When’s he up for re-election? I have some free time…
Dog Mom
@JPL: Thanks, JPL, (Lyrebird and Scamp Dog too) – it’s not so much the cost of the towing. On the off chance I get stranded somewhere, I just want the convenience. I will check my insurance. Scamp Dog – We had a second hand pekinese named Scamp – a sweet misunderstood boy – not quite our idea of a real dog – but he was lovable.
Steeplejack (tablet)
@Mnemosyne:
I’m seeing Trump as Governor Le Petomane in the remake (of course).
Mnemosyne
@Steeplejack (tablet):
Nah, LePetomane is corrupt but harmless. Trump is the hissable Hedley Lamarr.
Tenar Arha (same Tenar, more Nameless Ones)
So, I was at the “telephone town hall” from 7-10 at Milton High School.
1) figured out that originally it was supposed to be one of those dial in conference calls but was re-scheduled to be live at the high school when Rep. Lynch managed schedule to get back early enough. (He joked that his options were tonight or during the Super Bowl).
2) there was a “national security” theme even if it wasn’t always adhered to (because people did also ask about ACA & stopping the orange)
3) there were some really interesting moments, good questions, some real pushback against any yielding to the status quo even in the House. There was also some repetition, clapping before people were done talking, some occasional commentary from the audience, people who instead of asking questions had too long orations before they got to question, LaRouchian “make sense for a moment then oh wow..,” even a heartfelt local to Boston issue where a whole school of teachers received pink slips today.
4) I was actually impressed with how well Rep Lynch took the grilling. Including how he made sure to bring a rep (IIRC Carl Williams) from the Massachusetts ACLU.
5) the biggest thing that I ended up noticing was what was missing, & it was the same same thing I noticed missing from with my Town meeting last week – black or brown people. (Friday night in burbs in Milton, so older audience but maybe not a good bus route, or was it because Milton has issues? I don’t know, but it was very noticeable to me. Believe me I’m thinking about how to politely suggest a venue/time more conducive to black people attending in my next phone call).
Tenar Arha (same Tenar, more Nameless Ones)
So, I was at the “telephone town hall” from 7-10 at Milton High School.
1) figured out that originally it was supposed to be one of those dial in conference calls but was re-scheduled to be live at the high school when Rep. Lynch managed schedule to get back early enough. (He joked that his options were tonight or during the Super Bowl).
2) there was a “national security” theme even if it wasn’t always adhered to (because people did also ask about ACA & stopping the orange)
3) there were some really interesting moments, good questions, some real pushback against any yielding to the status quo even in the House, even a heartfelt local to Boston question regarding a whole school of teachers who received pink slips today. (Also, it did have its repetitive moments & probably went on long enough that a lot of people had left by 8:30 or 9, but Lynch stayed).
4) I was actually impressed with how well Rep Lynch took the grilling. Including how he made sure to bring a rep (IIRC Carl Williams) from the Massachusetts ACLU.
5) the biggest thing that I ended up noticing was what was missing, & it was the same same thing I noticed missing from with my Town meeting last week – black or brown people. (Friday night in burbs in Milton, so older audience but maybe not a good bus route, or was it because Milton has issues? I don’t know, but it was very noticeable to me. Believe me I’m thinking about how to politely suggest a venue/time more conducive to all people attending in my next phone call).
ETA clarity
Phylllis
@patroclus: Here you go.
low-tech cyclist
Hey redshift, when was this protest? And what’s the trick to finding out about these things in time to join in? I live outside of DC and can get to these things. I would have gone to last weekend’s march if I’d known, but like this one, the first I heard about it was when I saw the pix afterwards.
Sam
On the protests, I was also a little late in getting a post up – finally got my own pics up this morning from last Sunday’s march/protest in battery park: http://www.very-simple.com/blog/2017/02/04/the-new-world/