text:
Q: How can my macbook be able to ping google but not my router? I've been having a lot of trouble recently with my macbook dropping internet connection intermittently. Every 5 minutes or so. So I've been trying to determine where the failure is occurring. Virgin Media ran me through a factory reset of my SuperHub yesterday, and the problem seemed to resolve itself for a bit, but this morning the same problem is back.
My diagnosis has gotten as far as the following command:
ping -c 5 127.0.0.1 && ping -c 5 192.168.0.1 && ping -c 5 8.8.8.8 && ping -c 5 www.reddit.com

This results in the following output:
PING 127.0.0.1 (127.0.0.1): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 127.0.0.1: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=0.057 ms
64 bytes from 127.0.0.1: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.071 ms
64 bytes from 127.0.0.1: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.126 ms
64 bytes from 127.0.0.1: icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=0.120 ms
64 bytes from 127.0.0.1: icmp_seq=4 ttl=64 time=0.077 ms

--- 127.0.0.1 ping statistics ---
5 packets transmitted, 5 packets received, 0.0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 0.057/0.090/0.126/0.028 ms
PING 192.168.0.1 (192.168.0.1): 56 data bytes
Request timeout for icmp_seq 0
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1
Request timeout for icmp_seq 2
Request timeout for icmp_seq 3

--- 192.168.0.1 ping statistics ---
5 packets transmitted, 0 packets received, 100.0% packet loss

Since this stops the bash command, I then run the rest of the command separately.
ping -c 5 8.8.8.8 && ping -c 5 www.reddit.com

And get:
PING 8.8.8.8 (8.8.8.8): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=0 ttl=54 time=17.944 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=1 ttl=54 time=18.489 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=2 ttl=54 time=19.976 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=3 ttl=54 time=17.432 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=4 ttl=54 time=15.882 ms

--- 8.8.8.8 ping statistics ---
5 packets transmitted, 5 packets received, 0.0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 15.882/17.945/19.976/1.337 ms
PING www.reddit.com (198.41.208.138): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 198.41.208.138: icmp_seq=0 ttl=58 time=10.835 ms
64 bytes from 198.41.208.138: icmp_seq=1 ttl=58 time=40.317 ms
64 bytes from 198.41.208.138: icmp_seq=2 ttl=58 time=12.355 ms
64 bytes from 198.41.208.138: icmp_seq=3 ttl=58 time=12.904 ms
64 bytes from 198.41.208.138: icmp_seq=4 ttl=58 time=18.540 ms

--- www.reddit.com ping statistics ---
5 packets transmitted, 5 packets received, 0.0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 10.835/18.990/40.317/10.978 ms

How is it possible that I can't ping my router 192.168.0.1 but can ping google at 8.8.8.8?? Does it suggest what the problem might be?
To confirm, I understand that 192.168.0.1 is the router, since that is what network preferences shows as the connected router IP, and is also the default on Virgin Media SuperHubs.
ifconfig output for en0 is:
en0: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500
    ether 34:36:3b:cb:22:9c
    inet 192.168.0.4 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 192.168.0.255
    nd6 options=1<PERFORMNUD>
    media: autoselect
    status: active

I have removed the line about inet6 address, because of this SO post.

A: ICMP requests can be denied at many levels - the host, consumer networking equipment, and beyond (upstream). There are many reasons to do so, and it's commonplace for certain devices/OS to behave this way by default.
If you are confident in the IP addresses you've provided in your post, you may check the device for such configuration.


text:
Timeless in Beige
100% Alpaca Backstrap Loomed Scarf in Beige, 'Timeless in Beige'
Timeless in its beauty, this elegant scarf is woven by hand on the backstrap loom. Rows of drawn thread work accentuate narrow ivory stripes that run the length of the fabric. By Maritza Pacori, it reveals the allure of alpaca wool, long prized by the Inca peoples.
Made in Peru
100% alpaca
Textile softness: Soft -- this item has been made with natural fibers that are soft to the touch
Dry clean or hand wash in cold water
158 cm L x 19.5 cm W
62" L x 7.75" W
Accessories Scarves Hand Woven Accessories Alpaca Wool Accessories
Artfully crafted by Maritza Pacori from Andes.
Maritza Pacori
"We are like little spiders and we're weaving a story with our art that will be told by future generations."
"I'm Maritza Pacori and I was born in the Puno region of Peru. My parents are entrepreneurs who work in agriculture,... livestock and handicrafts.
"I studied accounting and finance at the university and afterward, I took courses in a variety of craft techniques. Ever since I was a child, I've liked textiles. My father, seven sisters and I would help spin yarn to knit blankets, gloves, hats, sweaters, ponchos and more. Spinning was a game for us and we'd have contests. The winner would get lots of kisses from our mom and dad.
"After I didn't get into the university, I started to learn about crafts and discovered I liked knitting. By the time I was 19, I began teaching courses on dye techniques in a remote area where vicunas and alpacas are raised. Ever since that time, I've been teaching Quechua and Aymara women how to knit and create new designs. They learn everything they need to successfully work and train others, from taking and documenting orders to designing and quality control.
"The saddest day in my life was the day I found out my mother had advanced arthritis and no one knew what to do. Thank God, my father had gotten a job that offered insurance and my mother has been receiving treatment. I've set out to support my mother and studied accounting at night while working during the day. I always told my sisters that there's nothing impossible if we want to accomplish our dreams. That's why my friends describe me as a dreamer, creative, enterprising and responsible.
"When I finished my studies, I set up my own workshop and, along with my sisters and a neighbor, we started to develop textile designs and participate in different projects. We collaborate with companies and organized a knitting service with more than 100 partners. They knit, weave and crochet items like finger puppets, ornaments, accessories and apparel.
"The moments that have impacted me are when I'm teaching, directing, knitting, creating new designs, looking for inspiration in color palettes, creating textures, remembering our ancestral techniques, listening to how the artisans first got into knitting, weaving and improving our techniques. When we're in my workshop, all of us laugh and joke while working as a team to fill orders. I tell them, 'We are like little spiders and we're weaving a story with our art that will be told by future generations.'
"We use alpaca, baby alpaca, hand-spun alpaca, cotton and anything else our customers want. Our yarn is spun by hand in communities where alpacas are raised.
"It's wonderful that the artisans are able to work while looking after their families. They can keep an eye on the children while knitting, crocheting and weaving.
"Our plan is to keep growing and to sell our work in different markets around the world to buyers who value artisan clothing.
"It's satisfying to know people like our textiles. Our inspiration is all around us — through travel, flowers, dreams, traditions... We seek to distinguish ourselves with our designs, quality and timeliness, knitting trendy apparel that preserves our ancestral techniques."
This item was handmade in The Andes. UNICEF helps support schools in Peruvian villages in the Amazon, where these children are classmates.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Is it possible to solve analytically this integral? For my research, I've been modelling some experimental results and I stumbled upon this integral:
$$\int_{x_0}^{x_1}\frac{1}{x}\frac{1}{1+e^{ax-b}}dx$$
where $x_0$, $x_1$, $a$ and $b$ $\in\mathbb{R}^+$. I've been trying to solve it analytically for a while but it seems there no solution in terms of ordinary functions.
Is there any way to solve the following integral analytically?

A: At least maxima version 5.43.0 on Fedora 31 doesn't know how to integrate this. In general, computer algebra systems include algorithms that are able to integrate anything that has an antiderivative. Perhaps for specific values of $a, b, x_0, x_1$ you can get a formula, or you'll have to resort to numerical integration (try e.g. SciPy or SymPy for such manipulations).

A: Assuming $0 < x_0 < x_1$, $a>0$ and $e^{ax_0-b} \gg1$, we could probably write
$$\frac{1}{1+e^{a x-b}}=\sum_{n=1}^\infty (-1)^{n+1} e^{-(ax-b)n}$$ making
$$I=\int\frac{1}{x}\frac{1}{1+e^{ax-b}}dx=\int\sum_{n=1}^\infty (-1)^{n+1} \frac{e^{-(ax-b)n}}x\,dx$$ that is to say
$$I=\sum_{n=1}^\infty (-1)^{n+1} e^{bn}\,\text{Ei}(-a n x)$$
Trying, just as an example, with $a=1$, $b=2$, $x_0=2$ and varying $x_1$,we should obtain
$$\left(
\begin{array}{ccc}
 x_1 & \text{approximation} & \text{exact} \\
 3 & 0.1572187183 & 0.1572187192 \\
 4 & 0.2118594679 & 0.2118594691 \\
 5 & 0.2296373488 & 0.2296373497 \\
 6 & 0.2352676157 & 0.2352676169 \\
 7 & 0.2370523888 & 0.2370523897 \\
 8 & 0.2376247135 & 0.2376247144 \\
 9 & 0.2378107346 & 0.2378107355 \\
 10 & 0.2378719542 & 0.2378719553
\end{array}
\right)$$
For sure, $b>0$ makes the convergence not fast. With $b \leq 0$, it is just a dream.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Cornel West Arrested as Protests Continue in Ferguson
Activist Cornel West (2nd R) is detained by police during a protest at the Ferguson Police Department in Ferguson, Missouri, October 13, 2014.
Jim Young—Reuters
By Nolan Feeney
Author, activist and academic Cornel West was arrested Monday in Ferguson, Mo., amid continued demonstrations demanding justice for Mike Brown, the unarmed black teenager who was killed by a white police officer on Aug. 9.
Boston-based minister, activist and author the Rev. Osagyefo Sekou was also arrested, MSNBC reports. Earlier in the day, more than 1,000 protestors took part in a sit-in at the campus of St. Louis University.
The events occurred during a "weekend of resistance," organized to protest "the epidemic of police violence facing Black and Brown communities." Earlier this month, another black teenager in the St. Louis area named Vonderrit Myers, Jr. was killed by a white police officer.
Although there were more than a dozen arrests over the weekend, as well as accusations that police used excessive force, overall the protests were mostly peaceful compared to the ones that gained national attention in August, where tear gas was used on citizens and many more arrests, including of members of the media, occurred.
[MSNBC]
Write to Nolan Feeney at nolan.feeney@time.com.


According to the latest WHO data published in 2017 Asthma Deaths in Chile reached 278 or 0.33% of total deaths. The age adjusted Death Rate is 1.17 per 100,000 of population ranks Chile #139 in the world. Review other causes of death by clicking the links below or choose the full health profile.


text:
Columns, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Media, Politics December 28, 2020 December 28, 2020
Law's Ahab: Weissmann Makes The Case For A Trump Self-Pardon
Below is my column in the Hill on claims by former Deputy Special Counsel Andrew Weissmann that the recent pardons by President Donald Trump reinforce a possible obstruction of justice case against him. We have previously discussed how Weissmann has proven critics correct in their description of his animosity and bias toward Trump. For my part, his book and recent statements reinforce the view of an abusive prosecutor, particularly in his untethered view of obstruction. Indeed, Weissmann seems intent on making the best case for Trump to grant himself a self-pardon. He is calling for prosecutors to use grand juries to pursue Trump and others in an unrelenting campaign based on unfounded legal theories.
Here is the column:
In the debate over pardons, some Democrats seem to be making the case for Donald Trump and against themselves. Consider Andrew Weissmann. After the recent pardons, he declared that Trump effectively proved the case for an obstruction charge against himself and called on prosecutors to summon those who were pardoned into grand juries with the threat of later perjury charges. It was unfounded and dubious. It was also vintage Weissmann, who made the case against himself as someone who shows bias against Trump that overwhelms all other considerations.
If Trump wants a rationale to pardon himself, he can look no further than Weissmann, who was appointed as a top aide to special counsel Robert Mueller. Trump and numerous Republicans denounced him as a donor to Barack Obama, and he was said to have attended the election night party for Hilliary Clinton in 2016. My objection was not to his affiliations but to his history, which included extreme interpretations that were ultimately rejected by courts. Weissmann was responsible for the overextension of an obstruction provision in a jury instruction that led the Supreme Court to reverse the conviction in the Arthur Andersen case in 2005.
Weissmann is now a MSNBC analyst who teaches at a New York University. After he left the office of the special counsel, he fulfilled every account of someone with uncontrolled bias against Trump, including his book that attacks prosecutors for refusing to take on his extreme views. Weissmann called on prosecutors to refuse to assist John Durham in his investigation and, after the pardon of Roger Stone, called for Stone in a grand jury.
Even staunch critics of Trump like former prosecutor Randall Eliason described Weissmann's book as a "betrayal of Mueller" that "trashed" his colleagues and threw them "under a bus for not agreeing with him." He added that Weissmann's "dishing may sell a lot of books" but he "himself violated the norms about how prosecutors should behave."
After leaving the Special Counsel's office, Weissmann seemed intent on proving critics correct in saying that he was a uniquely poor choice by Mueller to serve as his deputy. Now, Weissmann is openly voicing the extreme interpretations that have led many of us to criticize his tenure at the Justice DepartmentNow Weissmann voices the kind of extreme interpretations that led many of us to criticize his tenure with the Justice Department. His most recent column is illustrative. Many of us called out the recent pardons by Trump, ranging from corrupt former members of Congress to the father of Jared Kushner. However, Weissmann insists that the pardon of figures tied to the special counsel investigation is evidence of obstruction.
But these individuals were not pardoned to stop them from testifying or, with the case of Michael Flynn, from working with prosecutors, nor were they pardoned before they were tried and convicted. Former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, for instance, served time in prison before he was released due concerns of the coronavirus. Former campaign aide George Papadopoulos and attorney Alex Van Der Zwaan served sentences. Flynn was convicted and should have been sentenced years earlier if not for a series of bizarre actions by the federal judge who heard his case.
Trump did not pardon his lawyer, Michael Cohen, when Cohen angled for his pardon. Instead, Cohen worked with Mueller, testified against Trump, and was sent to prison. That is a curious pattern for obstruction. Wait until everyone testifies and most are sent to prison before they are pardoned. It did not seem to have been obstruction that Bill Clinton notably pardoned his own friend and business partner in the Whitewater scandal.
Weissmann insists that, when Trump is out of office, there is no barrier to indict him for obstruction and have all these figures appear before grand juries. The problem is the same one Weissmann faced for his disastrous role in the prosecution of Andersen. Weissmann simply misunderstands criminal obstruction. Indeed, he may have the longest learning curve in legal history on this issue. Indeed, he may have the longest learning curve in legal history on this question. Not even an unanimous rejection of his views by the Supreme Court for the case of Andersen seems to register with him, particularly when the law stands in the way of pursuing Trump.
I testified in the impeachment hearing on the flaws with this obstruction theory. Mueller himself did not find a case for an obstruction charge. He listed the alleged acts of obstruction discussed in the media but did not find the critical element of intent to support the charge. That was also the point that former Attorney General William Barr tried to make in his press conference on the summary of the special counsel investigation. Despite different ideas of obstruction, there was no doubt that it would take intent to prosecute. Former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein — who appointed Mueller and was widely praised by Democrats for his independence — also said under oath last year that there was no evidence of obstruction.
None of this matters to Weissmann, who comes across as a legal Captain Ahab, so blinded by rage that he would lay waste to the criminal code to nab his white whale. This same kind of rage could be cited by Trump for a controversial pardon of himself. I believe a president can pardon himself but should not do so. Even if someone had standing to challenge that, the Constitution is silent on any such limitation on the pardon power. That is the same reason I believe a president can be indicted in office. Yet, while constitutional, I still view self-pardons as a misuse of the power.
There are solid arguments on both sides of this debate, which has gone on for decades. From my view, the main obstacle is political rather than constitutional, but Weissmann and others are now working to remove that barrier. These critics demand prosecutions of Trump and his associates with the same blind fury as Captain Ahab, who said, "From heart of hell I stab at thee. For the sake of hate I spit my last breath at thee. Ye damned whale." Their long-standing rage could be the long-sought rationale for the president.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. You can find his updates online @JonathanTurley.
"Picking Quarrels And Provoking Trouble": China Sentences Journalist Who Reported On Covid-19 To Four Years in Prison
Just "Meatballs": Michael Cohen Still Grifting Anyone Who Will Listen In Latest MSNBC Interview
189 thoughts on "Law's Ahab: Weissmann Makes The Case For A Trump Self-Pardon"
Pingback: Trump's Midas Touch: Legal Experts Line Up To Declare The Georgia Call As The Latest Crime By Trump | | Dawson County Journal
Frankly a special counsel should be appointed to investigate every single case Weissman ever prosecuted. Every email, every note, every text message should be carefully examined. Subpoenas for his personal email, personal phone and all social media should be obtained and poured over with a fine tooth and comb. This man has made a career of false prosecutions. He has been reversed by appeals courts for what is in reality misconduct. He is a disgrace to the judicial system and is a prime example of why people like me do not trust the DOJ.
Rhodes says:
It appears that Joe Biden should be considering a self-pardon.
"Ukraine Press Conference Explicitly Ties Hunter & Joe Biden To Corruption"
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/ukraine-press-conference-explicitly-ties-hunter-joe-biden-corruption
Note the dates: November 16, 2016 and February 2017
"Andrii Derkach picked up the narrative. He focused on Joe Biden's conversations with Former President Poroshenko when Viktor Shokin, a prosecutor, started looking into Zlochevsky's graft. As we all know, Biden openly boasted about holding up money from the U.S. unless Poroshenko fired Shokin.
The press conference included audio from a November 16, 2016 conversation between Biden and Poroshenko. Biden was wheeling and dealing for influence and money – and conducting foreign policy behind Trump's back. The men spoke again in February 2017, at which time Biden smothered Poroshenko with fulsome compliments."
JFeldman says:
The most admired man in America
Yes and Joe Biden "won" the election? Nope. It was stolen.
joe friday says:
Prove it DS.
He won 18% of the votes. Don't get too excited. He just lost the vote for president by 7 million votes and in 2016 by 3 million and has never broken 50% in elections or polls. Americans don't like him, never have, never will.
Why would they? He's an a..hole.
'At what point does it become common knowledge that we are already at non-kinetic war with China, and Trump is a better wartime president than Biden?'
@scottadamssays
Liberty2nd says:
White man!
Call him White man!
What kind of Krauts would call him White man?
Fat Krauts. Skinny Krauts.
Krauts who walk on ice!
CommitToHonestDiscussion says:
https://greenwald.substack.com/p/the-threat-of-authoritarianism-in
The Threat of Authoritarianism in the U.S. is Very Real, and Has Nothing To Do With Trump
The COVID-driven centralization of economic power and information control in the hands of a few corporate monopolies poses enduring threats to political freedom.
Asserting that Donald Trump is a fascist-like dictator threatening the previously sturdy foundations of U.S. democracy has been a virtual requirement over the last four years to obtain entrance to cable news Green Rooms, sinecures as mainstream newspaper columnists, and popularity in faculty lounges. Yet it has proven to be a preposterous farce.
In 2020 alone, Trump had two perfectly crafted opportunities to seize authoritarian power — a global health pandemic and sprawling protests and sustained riots throughout American cities — and yet did virtually nothing to exploit those opportunities. Actual would-be despots such as Hungary's Viktor Orbán quickly seized on the virus to declare martial law, while even prior U.S. presidents, to say nothing of foreign tyrants, have used the pretext of much less civil unrest than what we saw this summer to deploy the military in the streets to pacify their own citizenry.
But early in the pandemic, Trump was criticized, especially by Democrats, for failing to assert the draconian powers he had, such as commandeering the means of industrial production under the Defense Production Act of 1950, invoked by Truman to force industry to produce materials needed for the Korean War. In March, The Washington Post reported that "Governors, Democrats in Congress and some Senate Republicans have been urging Trump for at least a week to invoke the act, and his potential 2020 opponent, Joe Biden, came out in favor of it, too," yet "Trump [gave] a variety of reasons for not doing so." Rejecting demands to exploit a public health pandemic to assert extraordinary powers is not exactly what one expects from a striving dictator.
A similar dynamic prevailed during the sustained protests and riots that erupted after the killing of George Floyd. While conservatives such as Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK), in his controversial New York Times op-ed, urged the mass deployment of the military to quell the protesters, and while Trump threatened to deploy them if governors failed to pacify the riots, Trump failed to order anything more than a few isolated, symbolic gestures such as having troops use tear gas to clear out protesters from Lafayette Park for his now-notorious walk to a church, provoking harsh criticism from the right, including Fox News, for failing to use more aggressive force to restore order.
Virtually every prediction expressed by those who pushed this doomsday narrative of Trump as a rising dictator — usually with great profit for themselves — never materialized. While Trump radically escalated bombing campaigns he inherited from Bush and Obama, he started no new wars. When his policies were declared by courts to be unconstitutional, he either revised them to comport with judicial requirements (as in the case of his "Muslim ban") or withdrew them (as in the case of diverting Pentagon funds to build his wall). No journalists were jailed for criticizing or reporting negatively on Trump, let alone killed, as was endlessly predicted and sometimes even implied. Bashing Trump was far more likely to yield best-selling books, social media stardom and new contracts as cable news "analysts" than interment in gulags or state reprisals. There were no Proud Boy insurrections or right-wing militias waging civil war in U.S. cities. Boastful and bizarre tweets aside, Trump's administration was far more a continuation of the U.S. political tradition than a radical departure from it.
REGARDING THE ABOVE CONTINUING…
The hysterical Trump-as-despot script was all melodrama, a ploy for profits and ratings, and, most of all, a potent instrument to distract from the neoliberal ideology that gave rise to Trump in the first place by causing so much wreckage. Positing Trump as a grand aberration from U.S. politics and as the prime author of America's woes — rather than what he was: a perfectly predictable extension of U.S politics and a symptom of preexisting pathologies — enabled those who have so much blood and economic destruction on their hands not only to evade responsibility for what they did, but to rehabilitate themselves as the guardians of freedom and prosperity and, ultimately, catapult themselves back into power. As of January 20, that is exactly where they will reside.
The Trump administration was by no means free of authoritarianism: his Justice Department prosecuted journalists' sources; his White House often refused basic transparency; War on Terror and immigration detentions continued without due process. But that is largely because, as I wrote in a Washington Post op-ed in late 2016, the U.S. Government itself is authoritarian after decades of bipartisan expansion of executive powers justified by a posture of endless war. With rare exception, the lawless and power-abusing acts over the last four years were ones that inhere in the U.S. Government and long preceded Trump, not ones invented by him. To the extent Trump was an authoritarian, he was one in the way that all U.S. presidents have been since the War on Terror began and, more accurately, since the start of the Cold War and advent of the permanent national security state.
The single most revealing episode exposing this narrative fraud was when journalists and political careerists, including former Obama aides, erupted in outrage on social media upon seeing a photo of immigrant children in cages at the border — only to discover that the photo was not from a Trump concentration camp but an Obama-era detention facility (they were unaccompanied children, not ones separated from their families, but "kids in cages" are "kids in cages" from a moral perspective). And tellingly, the single most actually authoritarian Trump-era event is one that has been largely ignored by the U.S. media: namely, the decision to prosecute Julian Assange under espionage laws (but that, too, is an extension of the unprecedented war on journalism unleashed by the Obama DOJ).
The last gasp for those clinging to the Trump-as-dictator fantasy (which was really hope masquerading as concern, since putting yourself on the front lines, bravely fighting domestic fascism, is more exciting and self-glorifying, not to mention more profitable, than the dreary, mediocre work of railing against an ordinary and largely weak one-term president) was the hysterical warning that Trump was mounting a coup in order to stay in office. Trump's terrifying "coup" consisted of a series of failed court challenges based on claims of widespread voter fraud — virtually inevitable with new COVID-based voting rules never previously used — and lame attempts to persuade state officials to overturn certified vote totals. There was never a moment when it appeared even remotely plausible that it would succeed, let alone that he could secure the backing of the institutions he would need to do so, particularly senior military leaders.
Whether Trump secretly harbored despotic ambitions is both unknowable and irrelevant. If he did, he never exhibited the slightest ability to carry them out or orchestrate a sustained commitment to executing a democracy-subverting plot. And the most powerful U.S. institutions — the intelligence community and military brass, Silicon Valley, Wall Street, and the corporate media — opposed and subverted him from the start. In sum, U.S. democracy, in whatever form it existed when Trump ascended to the presidency, will endure more or less unchanged once he leaves office on January 20, 2021.
Whether the U.S. was a democracy in any meaningful sense prior to Trump had been the subject of substantial scholarly debate. A much-discussed 2014 study concluded that economic power has become so concentrated in the hands of such a small number of U.S. corporate giants and mega-billionaires, and that this concentration in economic power has ushered in virtually unchallengeable political power in their hands and virtually none in anyone else's, that the U.S. more resembles oligarchy than anything else:
The central point that emerges from our research is that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while mass-based interest groups and average citizens have little or no independent influence. Our results provide substantial support for theories of Economic-Elite Domination and for theories of Biased Pluralism, but not for theories of Majoritarian Electoral Democracy or Majoritarian Pluralism.
The U.S. Founders most certainly did not envision or desire absolute economic egalitarianism, but many, probably most, feared — long before lobbyists and candidate dependence on corporate SuperPACs — that economic inequality could become so severe, wealth concentrated in the hands of so few, that it would contaminate the political realm, where those vast wealth disparities would be replicated, rendering political rights and legal equality illusory.
But the premises of pre-Trump debates over how grave a problem this is have been rendered utterly obsolete by the new realities of the COVID era. A combination of sustained lockdowns, massive state-mandated transfers of wealth to corporate elites in the name of legislative "COVID relief," and a radically increased dependence on online activities has rendered corporate behemoths close to unchallengeable in terms of both economic and political power.
The lockdowns from the pandemic have ushered in a collapse of small businesses across the U.S. that has only further fortified the power of corporate giants. "Billionaires increased their wealth by more than a quarter (27.5%) at the height of the crisis from April to July, just as millions of people around the world lost their jobs or were struggling to get by on government schemes," reported The Guardian in September. A study from July told part of the story:
The combined wealth of the world's super-rich reached a new peak during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study published by the consulting firm PwC and the Swiss bank UBC on Wednesday. The more than 2,000 billionaires around the world managed to amass fortunes totalling around $10.2 trillion (€8.69 trillion) by July, surpassing the previous record of $8.9 trillion reached in 2017.
Meanwhile, though exact numbers are unknown, "roughly one in five small businesses have closed," AP notes, adding: "restaurants, bars, beauty shops and other retailers that involve face-to-face contact have been hardest hit at a time when Americans are trying to keep distance from one another."
Employees are now almost completely at the mercy of a handful of corporate giants which are thriving, far more trans-national than with any allegiance to the U.S. A Brookings Institution study this week — entitled "Amazon and Walmart have raked in billions in additional profits during the pandemic, and shared almost none of it with their workers" — found that "the COVID-19 pandemic has generated record profits for America's biggest companies, as well as immense wealth for their founders and largest shareholders—but next to nothing for workers."
These COVID "winners" are not the Randian victors in free market capitalism. Quite the contrary, they are the recipients of enormous amounts of largesse from the U.S. Government, which they control through armies of lobbyists and donations and which therefore constantly intervenes in the market for their benefit. This is not free market capitalism rewarding innovative titans, but rather crony capitalism that is abusing the power of the state to crush small competitors, lavish corporate giants with ever more wealth and power, and turn millions of Americans into vassals whose best case scenario is working multiple jobs at low hourly wages with no benefits, few rights, and even fewer options.
These comments posted under my name are not from me, as is clear from the avatar.
I don't know why someone wants to post under my name, but I consider it a form of trolling.
What is your evidence that you are not a troll?
Where is the proof that you are not using now, in the past and tomorrow sock puppets?
Provide the patent number for your alleged fake name and WYSIWYG avatar, then we might consider any of your concerns
Oh look the mighty 'we' speaks and demands proof.
Elvis Bug
Superb….but dont hold your breath. The trolls never provide answers to questions when challenged, just insults
It's easy to see that I've been posting under this name and avatar since I first started posting comments on this site last spring.
Here are a few examples of earlier comments from me over time:
https://jonathanturley.org/corrections/ (comments from May and June)
jonathanturley.org/2020/07/14/princeton-student-reportedly-denied-job-after-signing-letter-defending-free-speech/comment-page-1/ (July)
jonathanturley.org/2020/08/22/court-orders-president-trump-to-pay-stormy-daniels-attorneys-fees/comment-page-1/ (August)
jonathanturley.org/2020/09/24/taylor-grand-jury-decision-denounced-by-legal-and-media-analysts-as-raw-racism-or-state-sponsored-white-supremacy/comment-page-3/ (September)
As for your demands, I don't have to prove anything to you. Conclude whatever you want. If you think I'm a troll, I invite you to ignore me. If you troll in response, I'll ignore you just as I ignore several other people whom I consider to be trolls.
some users on both sides of the aisle here fancy that there are only two or three of us talking in spite of twenty some or more frequently seen names. i prefer to take comments as they are and not focus too much on personalities.
in an open forum format, the use of sockpuppets is impossible to curtail, even in a moderated one people can use VPNs. it is best not to waste too much energy worrying about who is faking multiple voices.
all of us chatting here are not enemies. we have different points of view and are all basically peasants or we would not be sitting here doing this.
BILLIONAIRES ARE THE ENEMY. let every heart look inside and ask, have I been a pawn of those who consider themselves as "Masters of the Universe" due to their overweening financial power?
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/12/01/american-billionaires-that-got-richer-during-covid/43205617/
Sal Sar
You mean to say that you were "deployed" by the American Communist Deep Deep State to defend and support the theft of the 2020 election; before, during and after.
At some point in the future, when the American Communist Deep Deep State is confident of its suppression of the truth of the theft of the 2020 election and its opposition, agent
NeedsToBeCommitedToAnInsaneAsylum will be reassigned.
WWGWD?
What would George Washington do?
CK07 says:
@CommittoHonestdiscussion Believe it or not the avatar is influenced by the email address provided. Some of those trolling you could feasibly alter the email address repeatedly until they reach an icon that is hard to distinguish from your own. Some here seem determined to troll and play childish games hiding behind the ambiguity this forum affords. As much as I enjoy returning to the way the internet used to be in some of my visits here, it's a bit of a double edged sword, and a waste of time dealing with those who skirt the guidelines of integrity here, or those who make unreasonable demands as it seems your harassers have of you.
ah but it's great to read Glenn Greenwald. He's a genius!
Saloth Sar
read this again., brilliant! BILLIONAIRES ARE THE ENEMY
Just trying to wrap my head around how many hours of wall-to-wall coverage we'd see on Fox News if Obama had been president when a bomb destroyed a full city block in the US and he disappeared all weekend to golf and didn't bother to even acknowledge that it happened.
Tell us how many loads you swallow from Barry? Do you swirl, gargle or use it for lube?
https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/zoey-dimauro/during-times-crisis-president-obama-goes-golfing-fundraising
During Times of Crisis, President Obama Goes Golfing, Fundraising
President Obama on the links in Martha's Vineyard with former NBA star Alonzo Mourning the day after American journalist James Foley was beheaded by ISIS terrorists. (AP photo)
(CNSNews.com) — President Obama was recently criticized for playing golf immediately after giving a speech about the brutal beheading of American journalist James Foley by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). But a close look at his presidency shows that Obama's behavior was part of a pattern.
At times of crisis throughout his presidency, Obama has often left the White House to go golfing, vacationing or fundraising.
Even sympathetic members of the media have noticed the trend.
"It's understandable that Obama would want to get away from it all, but for a president struggling to build support for his foreign policy, vacationing during a crisis is no day at the beach," wrote Washington Post opinion writer Dana Milbank.
"Playing a round at the Farm Neck Golf Club was appropriate. Giving a speech after the murder of James Foley was necessary. It is the immediate juxtaposition of beheading and golfing that should have raised questions," Michael Gerson remarked in a Post oped.
Although Obama called Foley's parents to convey his condolences, neither the president nor anyone from the White House attended the journalist's memorial service in New Hampshire, even though three White House aides were dispatched to Ferguson, Missouri to attend the funeral of a black teen killed by a police officer.
Earlier this month, the commander-in-chief was also playing golf at Martha's Vineyard during the funeral of Major General Harold Green, the highest-ranking U.S. officer killed in battle since the Vietnam War, who was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
In fact, few international or domestic emergencies have diverted the president from his pre-planned activities.
As The New York Times noted, "with some rare exceptions, the public relations team around the president has remained consistently stubborn about refusing to let the never-ending stream of political, economic or international crises affect Mr. Obama's daily schedule."
For example, shortly after Ukrainian separatists shot down the commercial airplane Malaysian Flight 17, which resulted in the death of 298 people, including one American, the president gave a brief speech before leaving the White House to eat lunch at a barbeque restaurant in Delaware and attend two fundraisers in New York.
When reporters asked White House spokesman Josh Earnest if going ahead with political events in light of the tragedy was a mistake, Earnest defended Obama, saying that the president had all the tools he needed to do his job on the road.
Pressing national issues have often had to compete with fundraisers for the president's time and attention.
In early July, President Obama traveled to Dallas, Texas for a fundraiser but decided not to witness the mass influx of illegal aliens then pouring over the Mexican border, saying, "I'm not interested in photo-ops."
But that claim rang hollow to many who had observed his activities earlier that very same week.
"It's not like the president is averse to all photo-ops," CNN's John King remarked. "We showed you yesterday he was fist-bumping with a guy in a gorilla suit, a guy in a horse head showed up, he was drinking beer with the governor of Colorado. So it is hard for him to say he doesn't do photo-ops when he's doing a lot of photo-ops."
Obama attended several Democratic fundraisers around the country before publicly addressing the scandal of veterans who died waiting for treatment at Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals.
On May 21, three weeks after the story first broke, the president finally gave a speech about the VA misconduct, saying, "If these allegations prove to be true, it is dishonorable, it is disgraceful, and I will not tolerate it — period."
But the next day, he was off attending two more fundraisers in his hometown of Chicago.
In the fall of 2013, Obama similarly failed to comment on major problems with the Healthcare.gov website until three weeks after it was launched.
"There's no sugarcoating it. The website has been too slow. And I think it's fair to say that nobody's more frustrated by that than I am," Obama finally said on October 2–a day after he played a round of golf.
The Obamacare website's serious glitches continued until mid-November, during which time the president played four more rounds of golf and attended at least 10 more fundraisers.
In 2012, Obama continued on the campaign trail the day after the terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. After visiting the State Department, Obama flew to Las Vegas to speak at a boisterous campaign rally.
He thanked Nevada Congresswoman Dina Titus and responded "I love you back" to a cheering audience member before addressing the situation in Benghazi, where four Americans were murdered, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens.
"No act of terror will dim the light of the values that we proudly shine on the rest of the world, and no act of violence will shake the resolve of the United States of America," Obama said.
In April of 2010, the president of Poland and other top-ranking Polish officials died in a plane crash on their way to Russia. Obama had originally planned to attend the funeral, but volcanic ash in the atmosphere from an erupting volcano in Iceland prevented him and several other world leaders from flying.
Instead, Obama played golf that afternoon.
Thanks for demonstrating that each time, Obama made a public statement, unlike Trump who has been silent. Thanks for demonstrating that Obama was criticized, and Trump should be too.
Trump has gone golfing over 300 times while in office. If it bothered you when Obama did it, then it should bother you even more that Trump does it more.
golf is a good sport and wise people exercise. POTUS office does not mean the holder can't exercise. good for them to recognize that they are still human
How many luxurious vacations has Trump taken? How many luxurious vacations flying all around the world with her mother, her daughters, and their "friends" and Moochelle's friends did Obamas take? How many private celebrity-filled bashes did Obama host at the White House? Obama milked it for all he could get away with and so did Michelle, and they got away with it all because the media kissed their butts and deified them for no reason but for being black and Democrat. Just nauseating.
You've clearly never looked up the data you're talking about.
"Last fiscal year, the Trump family took more trips that required Secret Service protection than the Obama family took in seven, according to a budget document released by the Treasury Department. On average, Obama's family took 133.3 protected trips per year, while the Trump family has taken an average of 1,625 annually."
More numbers here –
https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-investigations/trump-family-travel-12x-obama-family/
No comparison, no context. Obama's family flew around taking extravagant luxury vacations with family and friends. Every December flying on Air Force One all the way to Hawaii so he could camp out on Oahu with Secret Service staying in hotels on Waikiki Beach. Obama's spent month of August hobknobbing on Martha's Vineyard. Michelle and her kids and friends went skiing in Vail or Aspen every February. Spring break was always extravagant overseas trips with the girls and her mother and friends. Obama flew to Palm Springs for his golf weekends. The Obama's traveled everywhere in the world they ever wanted to travel and see and they did it all on the taxpayers dime. When they were not vacationing and taking luxury trips for themselves, they were throwing lavish weekly parties at the White House for all their celebrity friends. On and on the list goes for the Obama's taking FULL advantage of the compliant media kissing their you know whats.
Trump and his family flew back and forth to his "homes" for his weekend and holiday getaways. The Trump adult children were doing business trips as usual. There was nothing extravagant about the taxpayer funded travel any of the Trump family did during the past four years. Obama holds the record on extravagant world travel and vacations.
+1million.
Barry Baby Jesus Obamma can do no wrong in the bedazzled eyes of the suck-o-phantic press — even though Obamma's administration was THE most hostile toward the press and the LEAST transparent. Unbelievable sucking up sycophantry by the sick fake news media that Obamma treated so poorly. They all said, "Thank you sir, may I have another!" And they STILL do. Too bad the "media" has lost all credibility.
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It has been a long time since I have been to Nolensville. There is no easy way of getting there from here, except for driving down Nolensville Rd. It can be a slow road for sure. The last time I went down Nolensville Rd south of Burkett Rd, there were lots of open land, farm land, and an old gas station, a couple antique shops, and a couple kitchy shops like the Nolensville Feed Mill. The Nolensville Feed Mill used to be a kitchy Amish and antique shop, but has recently put in a sandwich counter and Pied Piper ice cream counter. There are a lot of other Amish goodies, candy, butter, snacks, popcorn kernels, summer sausage, cheeses, breads, baked good, and other nice things you might want to have with your next meal. They also have Hatcher Dairy milk and chocolate milk, which is a local milk favorite of mine. Oh, and the sodas they carry Sprecher sodas, which are from a small WI soda maker, and these sodas are just delicious. I would have to say, they still need work out the kinks with the sandwich counter, as it seems to be a little confused back behind the counter. They may need to take a few lessons from the sandwich masters like Katz's Deli or Mort's Deli to understand the through put, and even Martin's down the street, who sells a lot of pulled pork and brisket sandwiches. I hope that when they have a few more weeks or months of sandwich counter under their belt, they will streamline some of the operations and get more organized.
But, the sandwiches are not what I am talking about today. Today, I am talking about Heini's cheese. I love Heini's Bermuda Onion cheddar cheese. I discovered Heini's cheese when I was in Central Ohio over the past year. For about the past year and 1/2 we had to go back and forth to Central Ohio many times to help very sick family. To get there, we drove to Columbus, OH, and then took a right and drove for another hour. Once we were in the middle of no-where, we drove for another 1/2 hour and Ta Da, we were at our destination. There is not much out there. These family live just south of Holmes Co, OH, the home of the OH Amish. These family have barely any cell phone service, and have Amish neighbors just north of them. It makes sense now why there isn't cell phone service because why would phone companies bother with cell towers when there are not people to use the the service. Amish still use the one landline community phone. The one thing I did notice about the area north of these family is that there are cinder roads, and no utility poles. The landscape of farms are uninterrupted by above ground utility lines. The roads are not paved, so horses can use the cinder roads.
As with the time I spent in east-central Ohio, I still have strove to find locally grown and made food. I found a little farmer's market, and we took a few short drives into Holmes Co. That is when we discovered Heini's Cheese and tasting room. The place were we went had all of the Heini cheese in cold cases and every single cheese had a tasting plate waiting for customers to taste. This was different from other cheese shops we went to because there was no tasting at the other places. We tasted a bunch of Heini's cheese, and found out that the Bermuda Onion Cheddar was one of our favorites. We did not buy much, only 1/2 lb, and enjoyed it while we were local to Holmes Co, but did not bring any back with us to Nashville.
Because the sick family crisis has subsided for now, we are not spending every free moment in Ohio, I had given up the idea of ever eating Heini's cheese again. So, when I was in the Nolensville Feed Mill shop, I saw Heini's brand cheese, I was thrilled! I asked about the Bermuda Onion cheese, and they special ordered a box of it just for me! They just came in, and I bought 4 bricks of cheese, and there are 8 left. It is so dang good! I cut a nice 3/4 inch thick slice of this cheese last night, and nibbled on it for a snack. This cheese is worth the nearly 2 hour round trip down the trafficky Nolensville Rd to go to the Nolensville Feed Mill. Yum. Go get yourself some of these cheese at the Nolensville Feed Mill!
I finally met Joshua and Lauren, the driving force for the 1st Sandusky, OH and Lake Erie Islands CSA, and the 1st Artisan local and local organic farmers market in downtown Sandusky, OH. I talked to them at length asking how this area, a farming area, could have so little local and local organic foods available for years, and I was hoping to get answers. For nearly a decade, Sandusky, Oh was a food desert with big chain and fast food restaurants. The only fresh vegetables I could find for the longest time was an iceberg lettuce salad. I stopped by the Perkins Rd farm stand to find out they were selling the same stuff form the produce warehouse that the chain grocery store was selling. I was desperate for sort of local vegetable and fruit. I saw so many farms around Sandusky, and I was so confused why I could not find a vendor or farm stand selling locally grown foods. On some occasions on my way into Sandusky, I stopped at some farms and bought direct from farmers because I was so desperate for fresh local fruits and vegetables. Then, I discovered Zinc Brasserie and Crush, owned by Cesare and Andrea, and they strive to use local organic, local and organic ingredients in every entree, and the salads and vegetables are mostly locally grown.
Last year, Andrea told me about Joshua and Lauren (who created Erie Fresh CSA) and the new farmers market and CSA they started. The farmers market is on Friday 3 - 6 pm in the Jackson St parking lot behind the downtown theater and Crush, just south of the Lake (that would Lake Erie). The farmers market is small, but all the vendors are local, they grow their food locally, or they make their products like soap, bread and cookies locally. If I lived there, I would go to this farmers market and buy my food. Joshua is only allowing local artisan cooks and bakers, and locally grown produce to be sold here. There is another Sandusky farmers market on Saturday located down the street, and the vendors there may or may not be selling locally grown or made foods. There are a few local farmers selling food at that market, but I did notice that there were some selling the same stuff the big chain grocery stores sell, and there was a flea market component as well. Flea markets are fun, but it is not what I want when I am looking for local organic food.
Joshua noticed the same thing I did about Sandusky. There was a lack of locally grown and made foods to be had in the area. So last year, they started the Erie Fresh CSA, bringing together a 11 different local and local organic farmers to supply food and flowers to 100 households. They have eggs, fruits, vegetables and flowers to offer over 22 weeks of the growing season. Not only do they supply the mainland Sandusky area food, they also offer the CSA to the residents of the islands in Lake Erie. After the mainland farmers market shuts down at 6 pm, they rush over to the last ferry of the evening to deliver the shares to the islands. Wow, that is dedication.
Joshua and Lauren not only started the all local farmers market, and all local CSA, they also have been trying to move forward to reclaim empty urban lots to start growing foods. There are a lot of hoops to jump through, and strange policies that make no sense, but they keep on pressing forward. Local residents seem to like having empty over grown lots transformed to a bounty of food. There is nothing more fun that walking out the door, and cutting food for the evening meal. Another idea they are working on is to open a local and local organic farm-to-store in downtown Sandusky. There is one farm-to-store in Wooster, OH they may model their store after. I look forward to this venture in the future. Another venture Joshua and Lauren are doing are trying matching up local restaurants interested in serving locally grown ingredients with local farm foods. Crush, Zinc Brasserie, Red Gables and Jack's Deli source some of the foods from Joshua and Lauren's local farm sources. They provide locally grown eggs, bread, fruits and vegetables and it is fun to see which one ingredients in a dish are from Joshua and Lauren's farm partners.
It is definitely getting easier to eat locally where ever I go. It may take time to and a little googling before going to the destination, but it can be done. While in Ohio, I travel with a plate, plastic fork and knife and zip and steam bags to microwave food. I also eat out at delicious restaurants who are sourcing some of their food from local and organic farms. I have another trip coming up to a far off land, I have already researched farmers markets, and a local organic shop and deli. It is possible to locally where ever I go.
Why do I try to eat locally? It isn't for any political reason. Quite frankly it is because locally grown food is usually picked and sold ripe, and farm ripened foods tastes so much better than the veggies and fruit sold in chain grocery stores. The stuff in chain groceries are picked green to ship, and red fruits are gassed (liked tomatoes and strawberries) to turn red, but the fruit still tastes like cardboard because it was never ripe. I also like locally raised free range eggs because there actually are tighter controls over small flocks, so there is less risk of deadly bacteria. Lastly, it is a control issue for me, I just like knowing a lot about where my food come from, and I like knowing the farms and farmers who grow my food.
Do you think you have what it takes to host your own show on the Food Network?
Calling all Chefs, Line Cooks, Home Cooks, Caterers and Culinary Enthusiasts!
***** Note, the application needs to be filled out in full and it is 11 pages long. So, go get your application now and start filling it out. You will need all that time to write your essays answers. See you on TV!
I was going to make a fresh pasta dish for dinner, and that required a specific shape from the fresh pasta store, but when I got the pasta shop, there was none to be had. On top of that, I had a few other set backs in trying to make this dish, and I got so frustrated that I gave up. It was a situation when I said, "Show me a sign, do I cook or go out to dinner?" The answer was clear, there were so many road blocks with gathering ingredients to cook, that going out was the only option.
My go-to weekend comfort meal is a good steak on grill with a side of corn and potato. This has been my birthday dinner request for years, from when I was probably 5 or 6 years old. It has been my summer weekend treat meal since we moved into a house where we are allowed to have a grill. Prior to my house, I lived in an apt in Nashville, and it is a city ordinance that it is illegal to have an open grill at a multi-home dwellings like apts and condos due to fire hazards. So, for years, I did not grill. Now, we can grill, and we can have grilled food now.
But, because I was to frustrated to cook anything, I wanted to go out, and I wanted steak, and there was no ifs ands or buts about it.
I decided on Stoney River Steakhouse because I was determined to get a steak cooked perfectly in the way I wanted it cooked. There are only 3 places in Nashville that can REALLY Pittsburgh and excellent cut of beef, and one of them is Stoney River. A Pittsburgh steak is a hot charred steak on the outside, and a red rare steak on the inside. The origins were in Iron City Pittsburgh during the big iron mining days, and Pittsburgh-ing a steak included a sheet of steel and a blow torch. The steak was placed on the steel, and then the blow torch would char the outside and leave the inside rare. That is what I wanted for my steak. This is really hard to do at home because you need a lot of BTUs to start the char on a cold steak, and there just are not enough BTUs for most conventional home cooking equipment.
I interrogated the waitstaff about the kitchen and if they can Pittsburgh a steak. He looked at me and said, "We are a steakhouse, of course we can Pittsburgh a steak!" I said that I wanted it red rare cold in the middle and charred on the outside. If it comes out medium or well done, I am returning it to the kitchen. I was thrilled when my steak came to my table, it was exactly how I wanted it. The waitstaff has to understand why I asked so intently. It is because I have been burned before at restaurants who claim they know what Pittsburgh-ing a steak is, yet deliver a well done piece of ruined steak. Stoney River does know how to make a steak, and can deliver it correctly.
There are some other things that Stoney River does very well besides delivering a great steak. The details of the decor I noted were the ceiling in the entry was painted a dark moss that went with the stone fire place and the tan leather couch, and set the mood of entering a well kept mountain lodge. The ceiling in the dining room is wood, that went with the matte finish of the table we were seated. The acoustics were well done such that we could not hear anything that was being said at adjacent tables, and I assume they could not hear us. The acoustics were such that there isn't that terrible tinny roar you get with other concrete hard surface restaurants. The placement and delivery of water, straws, and lemon wedges for water were perfect. The delivery of the steak knives were also done with precision. The bathrooms have really nice doors, marble sinks, and a nice used towel basket. What came with the meal is complimentary bread. They are little puff balls served warm with a nice honey butter. And of course, the chocolate cake to finish the meal was deliciously sweet.
After I got home, I made the announcement that when I really want a steak, a Pittsburgh rare steak, I believe Stoney River is my go-to place. I have seen other reviews of Stoney River claiming it is expensive, and for Nashville, I guess it is. However, I think there is a value here because the quality of the meat is great, and they preparation of the meat is great! Sure, I can spend about 1/2 as a lesser restaurant and have a terrible experience, poor quality meat, and poor preparation. I think it is worth saving up, and going to Stoney River to get an excellent steak.
There is a Matanzas Creek that runs through Bennett Valley. There is a Matanzas Creek Reservoir on Matanzas Creek and created by a really nice grass covered earthen dam. The waters of Matanzas Creek eventually go into the Pacific Ocean. The winery Matanzas Creek is obviously is named after Matanzas Creek, and the winery is located across the street from Matanazas Creek. We discovered Matanzas Creek Winery when we were visiting N. CA in 2005. We were able to taste a 2003 cab and I discovered that I liked, at least this one, CA cab! The only other cabs I had before this were big bulk cab wines from KJ, RM, and others that are not even worth writing in initials. Since I liked the cab so much, I wanted to find out a little more about this vineyard and winery.
The vineyard was founded by Sandra MacIver in 1978. SM was the heir to the Sears Roebuck lost all of her inheritance, but finally dug herself out of debt with Matanzas Creek Winery. SM priced her wines, and the Merlot at unheard of prices at the time (approx. $70/bottle) and led the wine status snob to believe that her wine was so exclusive, that they would be A-listers if they were deemed worthy to have a bottle of SM wine. (Women of Wine: The Rise of Women in the Global Wine Industry, A. B. Matasar, 2006). Well, SM did it, and put Merlot on the map of California wines. Then, I thought I read somewhere that the Matanzas Creek Merlot fields met with disease that wiped out the grapes. In 2000, Jess Jackson of the Kendall-Jackson empire bought the winery, and Sandra MacIver went into semi-retirement. JJ brought back the vineyard and winery to all its splendor, and expanded the varietals to be had, including producing a really nice cabernet sauvignon.
I believe it was 2002 that was the first year JJ produced the Matanzas Creek cab, and in 2005 is when we first tasted this wine. We were so happy with it, and bought a couple of bottles to bring back with us. 2010 is the year when I believe the 2002 is really ready to enjoy. The 2002 is a big full flavored wine with dark berry flavor, some tannins and significant oak from being aged in French oak for about 2 years. Over the five years of drinking the 2002, the tannins have mellowed out as time has gone on, and 2010 seems to be the perfect time to drink this wine because of the perfect balance of fruit and tannins. We have a couple 2005 cabs in waiting, and I am wondering how the 2005s will be. I was told that 2005 was a late, but the absolutely perfect growing year with exceptional wines in both Sonoma and Napa valleys.
We have talked about Matanzas Creek wine on and off for 5 years, we have gotten Matanzas Creek wine from the store now and again, and we are always pleased with our wine. When we found ourselves on the the west coast recently, we had a rather full schedule, but I scheduled a day off for us, so we could get back to Matanzas Creek, and taste some wine. To my surprise, the man, not only scheduled a wine tasting, he scheduled The Wine Tasting, in the Matanzas Creek special tasting room with the perfect cheese pairing and Marcona almonds. We were glad to hear about these wines as we tasted them. What I really enjoy about hearing about the wines is that our wine host talked about where the grapes are grown, how the grapes grown, what the weather was like during the growing year, and how the juice was fermented and aged. When he talked about the wine, it is very much like how I talk about my food (if people will listen). I will talk about what farm or my yard, what soil and compost is there, if the seed is heirloom or not, how the seed was planted, if the growing practices are organic or not, and does the farmer (or me) irrigate. For some geeky reason, I really like knowing the details of where food and grapes are grown, how they are grown and how they are harvested. It makes me feel like I am in touch with my food and drink.
Matanzas Creek Winery has changed our minds about Sauvignon Blanc. At one time, we thought we did not like this type of wine, but we enjoyed both the SB at Matanzas Creek so much, that we gotta have it. This SB is sold out, and it is not sold in any retail store. We are a bit S.O.L. But, I can remember how it is, it is the perfect balance of all qualities of wine, it is not too sweet, it is not too sour, it has a nice aroma, it has a deep yellow color, it is perfect to just sip on, and it also perfect with a fresh wine country inspired meal. This wine is the only wine at Matanzas Creek that is not mechanically juiced, it is juiced by stomping. All of the staff at Matanzas Creek claim they have stomped these grapes in 2008 to create this wine. I recently called them and talked to someone I had not spoken to before, and she said that she did stomp the grapes, and the staff had a great time doing it. If ever the Helena Bench comes on the market again, you bet I will be there to get some, feet and all.
My CSA has grown a San Marzano type of tomato, and I got 4 lbs of these, and an additional 1 lb of other type of tomatoes from my CSA and my garden. I have been having an issue with critters eating my tomatoes from my yard, but there are a few that I have saved from the mouths of birds and squirrels. I made a sauce based on the video on YouTube because these folks had a ton of San Marzano varietal tomatoes in their garden. The instruction is good, and when I squished the tomatoes, I saved the seed, and hopefully I will grow San Marzano next year.
I watched a lot of making mayonnaise videos on YouTube, but I opted for the good ol' Ratio method that Michael Ruhlman has in his book Ratio. The ratio for mayo is 20 oil:1 liquid (+1 egg yolk). That is 20 oz oil to 1 oz water/lemon juice (+1 egg yolk). Then, as I read on about mayo, there is an easy food processor method. That is 1 egg yolk, 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 1/2 cup of oil. I made a slight adjustment, and used 1 egg yolk, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup oil. When I was at Farm Day, I got a few farm fresh eggs and used one very orange yolk. the oil I used is really flavorful olive oil, which is not necessarily the best choice, I will need to find a good light tasting oil next time.
How I used the very bright yellow mayo is to take some, mix it with a handful of chopped basil, a a crushed clove of garlic, and added lemon juice, and I spread it on top of a piece of Coho Salmon, and then the salmon was grilled over wood coals. It was a really nice way of making salmon. Usually, I make grilled salmon with smoked paprika, and red spices, but this time it was classic basil and garlic. I really liked this on the salmon because the mayo gave a little extra moisture to the lean Coho Salmon.
It had been a rocky start for lucky bamboo, the first few months were tough because the food was not up to par for months, but I believe things have made a turn for the better for the dim sum. Dim sum is served on Saturday and Sunday only, and the Lucky Bamboo folks have some carts, tray and you can special order as well. I am guessing that Dim Sum is only a morning and brunch thing on Saturday and Sunday, and dim sum is usually not served during the dinner hours in most anywhere.
The last time couple of times we were there for dim sum, we got chive and shrimp dumplings, chestnut and sweet potato dumplings, red roasted duck, green beans in fermented black bean and chili sauce, lo bak go taro cakes, har gau shrimp dumplings, soup dumplings, char siu bao red pork buns, and winter melon with shrimp and scallop to name a few, and I am missing a few. The owner claimed that all the dim sum besides the char siu bao red pork buns were made in house. It is unlikely they are making the duck, rather I am guessing they are importing from somewhere else, and they have figured out how to re-heat the duck to serve it. The last time we were there, everything tasted good, except for the industrial made frozen char siu bao red pork buns. Don't get those red pork buns at Lucky Bamboo because the frozen ones they are buying are not good. You and I could get better frozen pork buns from Wang's Market on 3rd Ave N in Germantown, and steam them myself..
I was told that the husband and wife owners are Asian, but neither of them are from the Hong Kong or South China which is the origin of dim sum. He is from Shanghai and she is from Korea. Shanghainese and Korean food are completely different than Hong Kong dim sum. It is akin to me trying to make Mexican food. Mexico and the USA are neighbors, and both are a part of the Americas, so I must know how to make Mexican food... NOT. It is like saying Korea and China are neighbors and on the same land mass, so Koreans should know how to make Chinese food or Chinese should know how to make Korean food... NOT. It was apparent that the dim sum they originally offered a month after they opened were all frozen pre-made food that they microwaved to heat up (not good at all) because they had no idea how to prepare and serve dim sum. Now, I believe they have gotten some help by someone in the know about Hong Kong dim sum, they have some form of steamers now. The roasted duck now is nice and roasty red with crispy skin and a nice glistening fat layer on top of smooth duck meat. Most of the dumplings are made with rice flour noodle covering which I like because of the sticky and stretchy dough quality. There are dishes that are not traditional dim sum dishes, but are house made and are delicious. The winter melon with shrimp and scallop was served on a small plate, tapas or dim sum quantity, and was tasty. I love the savory winter melon which melts away in my mouth. The shrimp meatball is always good, and the slice of sea scallop is a treat.
For the only dim sum place in Nashville, Lucky Bamboo has come a long way in a short amount of time. I appreciate that Lucky Bamboo is trying hard to keep improving the dim sum. I believe they have hit a stride that is appropriate for Nashville, and accessible to most.
So lucky for me, I got invited to Farm Day - Farm and Dinner Party! It is really amazing, less than 15 miles north of my home, and about 10 miles from the Capitol Building on Nashville is Davidson County farmland. Some friends of mine, both formerly city slickers from the Northeast Corridor, decided to give up the city life, good buy Park Ave, and hello to Green Acres!
On the farm lives the donkey. Donkeys are usually hard working pack animals, but this little one has the life of leisure. Donkey's only job is to be best friends with her big horse pal.
On the farm lives 2 huge Belgian draft horses. These 2 weigh about a ton each. The donkey is best friends with the big light color horse. They pal around the yard together. Belgian draft horses were breed to be hearty and sturdy farm horses. These two are sturdy for sure, but they live the life of leisure as well.
There are llamas that live on the farm too. There is the old wise one who spends a lot of time in a cool ditch next to the barn during the summer heat.
There is the baby llama who loves to meet new friends. She just tromped up to us as we walked into the llama yard. She was like a golden retriever. She was happy to see new people, she wanted to be petted and she wanted to see if there were any treats in our hands, just like most good natured golden retrievers are like. This baby was so happy to be there.
There was the middle aged llama who has been around the block once or twice, and she too likes getting petted, but she was more reserved in her in her way.
The one thing I noticed is that the summer air and breeze was much more forgiving on the farm than in Nashville downtown. All of the downtown hard surfaces, such as concrete, asphalt, and building absorb the summer sun and heat, and then turn around and spew it back out to passers-by like myself. On the farm, the grass, trees and soil buffer the heat, and the breeze is allowed to flow freely on the farm, so it feels about 10 F cooler on the farm.
My farm friends have free range chickens who lay eggs. I was not able to get photos of the chickens because they were roaming around the farm somewhere and did not come back to the roost until about 7 pm, and I had already gone inside. At my request, my farm friends made food from their farm fresh eggs. They made mayo made with their own egg yolks and oil, and then adding another layer of basil pesto flavoring. I could drink this stuff, it was so good. I am not drinking mayo out of a jar with a blue lid, that is for sure, but this fresh pesto mayo was heavenly. Embarrassingly to say, they had to take the mayo container out of my sight to make me stop eating this stuff because the next course was ready to be eaten, and I had to give up the mayo.
The hosts also made deviled eggs with the pesto mayo. I could not get enough of these either! As most people know, I can eat a lot of deviled eggs. A lot. I had to hold back from eating all the deviled eggs, so all the other guests could try at least one piece. It really does make a difference in flavor, texture and aroma when farm fresh free range eggs and farm fresh free range mayo are used to make a dish. There is no comparison. That is why I need to be able to have chickens within the Nashville city limits, and I too can have access to eggs everyday. Mmmm fresh eggs.
Another set of guests brought pho made the traditional way, no cheating. The broth was made with beef and beef bones. The rich brown broth was flavored with traditional pho spices including star anise. The aroma was delightful. The guest said that this was not best broth they have made, and it was only ok. Well, it was the best pho broth I have ever had, so I hope to be able to have their best pho broth some day.
To make pho, the broth and meat is created separately from the rice noodles. The broth days many hours to make. Once it is done, the noodles are boiled in a separate pot and placed at the bottom of a serving bowl. The broth and meat is then ladled onto the noodles. The soup is then served with a side of onions, limes, cilantro, basil, mint, and other aromatic herbs to be used at the diner's liking.
The meal was accompanied with a dish from chez Lannae. It was not 100% successful because I could not find the right noodles for the peanut sauce dish. I made spicy peanut sauce, which was Arnold Myint and his PM Resturant inspired. I love Arnold's peanut sauce, and I really love my variation on the peanut sauce just a little better. I julienned carrots, summer squash, and scallions and sauteed them briefly to keep a crunch to them, and I used the julienned veggies to contrast with soft noodles. I made a mistake on the noodles, and I got mung bean noodles because I could not find soybean noodles to use. Eh, the mung bean was too toothy, and there is not enough boiling to be down with a mung bean noodle to get it to be the right texture. I would have been better off using a regular wheat noodle. Oh well.
So the peanut sauce, julienned veggies, basil and bean sprouts were all tossed with the mung bean noodles. I love that spicy Thai inspired peanut sauce!
I can't wait to go back and hang out and pet the llamas again. I had such a great meal and such a great time at farm day! I love it out at the farm!


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William Skuban, Chair
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B.A. in History
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History is the study of humanity's recorded past. It encompasses all aspects of human behavior, social organization, and cultural development. The arts and the sciences, the development of technology, and changing economic forces are as much a part of history as is politics or social conflict.
Students of history are engaged in a journey through time in which they can witness and compare the development of a variety of cultures and the interrelations between people in many different circumstances. Through the study of past events, history provides a great storehouse of experience by which the theories of the other social sciences can be tested. And through its analysis of the development of institutions and cultures, it provides one of our best tools for understanding social phenomena.
History is also one of the broadest and most universal of the humanities. Just as the personalities of individuals are shaped through the totality of their past experiences, so cultures and institutions also develop in time. The study of history can help students understand themselves and their culture better and develop a more tolerant and humane spirit toward others. In this way, as in so many others, a knowledge of the past can help all of us meet the problems of today with greater understanding and compassion.
The History Department offers a major and minor in history for the Bachelor of Arts degree, a graduate program leading to the Master of Arts, and courses for use in the teaching credential program. It participates in the interdisciplinary programs and minors in Armenian studies, Asian studies, classical studies, Latin American studies, and women's studies. History courses may also be used as electives toward graduation in most other majors, and the History Department encourages students to take minors and second majors in other fields as well.
The History Department is a chartered member of Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society. Our chapter is Alpha Kappa Beta.
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Last Updated Nov 3, 2021


Just two weeks out crowning the next world champions in sevens rugby, fans will be now able to show their support with new All Blacks Sevens and Black Ferns Sevens jerseys.
It is the first time Black Ferns Sevens jerseys have been made available for purchase, a nod to the international success of the team and their growing fan base.
The Dark Energy jersey designs see the latest technology aligned with a sleek new design, featuring the team crests and energised ferns throughout the jersey.
New Zealand Rugby Head of Sponsorship Megan Compain said having both jerseys available for sale was great for fans of Sevens.
"It's been a big year for both our sevens teams, no one will forget their heroics at the Commonwealth Games, bringing home double gold after exceptional campaigns.
"It is fantastic to see the success of the Black Ferns Sevens being recognised with their jerseys been made available for public sale for the first time and we expect they will be a popular item.
"We know the teams are working hard as they prepare to defend their World Cup crowns, so having the public able to show their support with these new jerseys is great," said Compain.
Quentin Bleakley, adidas New Zealand Country Manager is excited to see the new jerseys in action this month.
"We've made many technical and visual changes to the new Sevens range for both teams which will benefit each athlete and their ability to deliver what they need to on the field. From lightweight fabric through to minimal seams and refined bands, each design change is aimed to help players preform to their best on what is arguably the biggest stage that they will face in their athletic career," said Bleakley.
Jerseys are available for purchase online at allblackshop.com and selected retail outlets.
Players from the All Blacks Sevens and Black Ferns Sevens will make an appearance at the Auckland Airport All Blacks Store on 13 July before departing to USA for a signing session from 5pm.


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Iggy (イギー, igī) es un personaje principal en la tercera parte del manga JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Stardust Crusaders. Iggy es un perro de la raza Boston Terrier que posee el stand The Fool.

Historia de publicación

Araki quería darle una mascota al grupo Joestar, su primera idea fue que ésta fuera de raza Boston Terrier, ya que al ser perros que son generalmente blanco y negro, sería fácil de distinguir en un manga sin color.

Fue introducido en el capítulo 183 del manga, en la pelea contra N'Doul.

Biografía ficticia

Pasado

Iggy era un perro callejero raza pura que vivía en la ciudad de Nueva York, solía ser la mascota de un hombre rico que lo compró cuando era un cachorro, pero al crecer, Iggy empezó a odiar a los humanos y a creer que son inferiores y estúpidos, así que escapó de la casa. Era el jefe de todos los demás perros callejeros, los de la perrera nunca pudieron atraparlo ya que eran atacados por su ya desarrollado Stand, The Fool. Sólo Avdol fue capaz de acercarse a él, atraparlo e intentar domesticarlo o al menos volverlo menos agresivo.

Stand

Su Stand, The Fool (愚者ザ・フール, Za Fūru) es un Stand de corto alcance hecho completamente de arena, por lo que no tiene una forma definida aunque la más usada es la de un ser cuadrúpedo con patas y ruedas, que tiene una armadura encima y es capaz de formar alas para planear, su rostro es parecido a una máscara y tiene ocho o nueve plumas en su cabeza. Su habilidad principal es la manipulación de la arena, que es utilizada para atacar a sus enemigos, The Fool es considerado un Stand bastante poderoso.

Arrastrado a Egipto en contra de su voluntad

Iggy es llevado a Egipto en contra de su voluntad, con el fin de ayudar al grupo Joestar, sin embargo, generalmente no ayuda en las peleas y más bien se desaparece para aparecer días después.

Iggy siempre molestaba a los del grupo, a Jotaro poniendo goma de mascar de café en su gorra, pero principalmente a Polnareff, quien era con quien menos se llevaba bien, generalmente lo mordía, le jalaba el pelo y le tiraba pedos en la cara.

Con el tiempo fue agarrando cariño con el grupo.

Pet Shop, el guardián del infierno

Iggy se enfrentó a Pet Shop el halcón guardián del escondite de DIO y su Stand, Horus, cuando lo vio devorar a dos perros que eran mascotas de un niño al que también iba a matar, pero Iggy lo salvó y empezó la pelea con Pet Shop, en la cual Iggy perdió una pata y quedó muy malherido, pero al final destrozó el pico de Pet Shop, quien murió enterrado.

Luego ayudó a Avdol a cruzar por el Stand laberinto Tenore Sax y encontrar a su usuario Kenny G. para fácilmente derrotarlo.

Vanilla Ice, la niebla del vacío

Tras la muerte de Avdol a manos de Vanilla Ice, Iggy juró vengarse de él matándolo. Pero no pudo cumplir su misión ya que murió sacrificándose para salvar a Polnareff de un ataque de Cream, el Stand de Vanilla Ice. Polnareff lloró la muerte de Iggy y le dio el impulso que necesitaba para acabar de una vez por todas con Vanilla Ice.

Iggy fue reconocido como un héroe una vez muerto DIO, los tres miembros del grupo sobrevivientes lloraron su pérdida junto con la de los demás.

Otros medios

Iggy aparece en las segunda temporada del anime de Stardust Crusaders. También en los videojuegos de JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Heritage for the Future, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven, etc.

Curiosidades
Su nombre es una referencia al cantante Iggy Pop.
Curiosamente, el personaje Iggy Koopa de Super Mario Bros. también hace referencia al mismo cantante.
Iggy cambia su diseño radicalmente durante el manga y el anime, inicialmente posee un rostro de un perro Boston Terrier común y corriente y luego posee un rostro más caricaturescamente humano.

Referencias

Personajes de JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Personajes de manga y anime

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Contractor Serco has announced the pause after heavy criticism from the sector, and an impending legal challenge.
Plans to evict 300 asylum seekers from properties has been paused by Serco.
Last week the company announced the move, with criticism from all over the housing sector following shortly after.
CEO at Scottish Federation of Housing Associations says Serco must "learn lessons" from this.
She said: "SFHA members have been quick to act, responding with integrity, compassion and common sense in this worrying situation.
"SFHA is pleased Serco has heeded the housing sector by pausing their plans.
One housing association in Scotland with homes leased to Serco are Wheatley Group.
Last night they penned an open letter, where it emerged that Serco have not responded to Wheatley's questions about eviction details.
In the letter, Wheatley Group CEO, Martin Armstrong, said: "Since last week we have been trying, through emails and phone calls to senior managers at Serco, to establish how many, if any, refugees threatened by imminent eviction are living in our homes, an when the evictions are scheduled.
"Despite insisting on an immediate and urgent response, we have not received answers to our questions.
"I can confirm also we have written to Serco Chief Executive Rupert Soames to inform him we wish to convert the leases of refugees living in our homes, who have a legal right to be in Scotland and the UK, into Scottish secure tenancies.


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Celebrating Game-Changing Accomplishments at University Hospital in Haiti
5 things to know about Rodneyse Bichotte
Home News Sports Skal Labissiere has heartwarming return to Haiti
Skal Labissiere has heartwarming return to Haiti
Skal Labissiere has long expressed his desire to return to his native country, Haiti.
The former Wildcat and now Sacramento King left Haiti after surviving the devastating earthquake of 2010, and now has returned for the first time since before he entered high school.
Labissiere returned to Haiti to set up a basketball camp for high schoolers in Port-Au-Prince, the nation's capital. According to Chris Fisher at 247 Sports, the camp is for 50 of the country's best high school basketball players and coaches.
The first Camp S.K.A.L. clinic runs from July 19-21.
The camp is made possible through the Reach Your Dream organization, the same organization that helped Labissiere relocate to the U.S. to further his education and play basketball.
The non-profit promotes spiritual awareness, self-confidence, and innovative thinking for future generations in communities throughout the world.
The Sacramento Kings Twitter account posted this video of Labissiere visiting his childhood neighborhood.
Skal Labissiere Returns to Haiti
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Ridgefield kan verwijzen naar de volgende plaatsen in de Verenigde Staten:
 Ridgefield (Connecticut)
 Ridgefield (New Jersey)
 Ridgefield (Washington)


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Maybe The Golden Globes Are Worth Watching
Story from Entertainment
Maybe The Golden Globes Are Worth Watching After All
Katherine Singh
Photo: Rich Polk/NBC
Leave it to Michelle Yeoh to save the Golden Globes. Or, on a less hyperbolic level, leave it to Michelle Yeoh to make a case for why we shouldn't completely write off the embattled awards show altogether — at least for now. In the first broadcast back on NBC since the 2021 HFPA diversity scandal took the Golden Globes off the air, Yeoh accepted the award for Best Actress In a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy during the January 10 show for her role as Evelyn Wang in last year's Everything Everywhere All At Once. It was an incredible performance for many reasons (Yeoh's versatility! Her rapport with Ke Huy Quan! The hot dog fingers!), and a banner year for Yeoh; the culmination of over 40 years of work. But it wasn't always an easy journey.
It's a reality that Yeoh addressed right off the bat, sharing she'd be taking her time on stage in order to soak in the moment and her accolade. "It's been an amazing journey and an incredible fight to be here today," she said, "but I think it's been worth it." *Cue sobbing.* The reason it took this long for Yeoh to gain this type of recognition is pretty straightforward. Recounting her experience coming to the United States at the beginning of her career, Yeoh shared her initial excitement about coming to Hollywood, and the fact that she didn't always have a place in the industry. "It was a dream come true until I got here," she said, "because look at this face. I came here and was told 'You're a minority.'"
Forty years after Yeoh first faced discrimination in her career, the topic of diversity was on many people's minds. Going into Tuesday's awards show, many people online (and at Refinery29) had complicated and conflicting feelings. With new inclusion initiatives taken by the HFPA since 2021, would the show be more diverse? Would that diversity actually mean anything in the long run? Would any win from a non-white actor feel kind of inauthentic? And ultimately, are these award shows even worth it anymore? While my mentality going into the night was more of the "burn it all down" variety, watching Yeoh stand on stage, absolutely beaming to an ovation from the likes of Rihanna and Steven Spielberg, with co-star Stephanie Hsu tearing up, was special. Despite the criticism, despite the controversy, winners like Yeoh deserve their moments, because they've worked so hard to get there — and that makes it all worth watching.
The idea of not having a place in the film and TV industry is a sentiment that many minority people share (essentially anyone who's not white, male, or both), both on-screen and off, and it's not new. Yeoh's win was preceded by co-star Quan taking home the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy — an accolade that came almost 40 years after he first made his on-screen debut as a child actor in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Shortly after starting his career, Quan quit the film industry — at least in front of the camera — only returning to acting in 2018, inspired by the response to and acceptance of Crazy Rich Asians. "I felt so very lucky to have been chosen [in Indiana Jones]," Quan said in his speech. "As I grew older, I started to wonder if that was it, if that was just luck. For so many years, I was afraid I had nothing more to offer. No matter what I did, I would never surpass what I achieved as a kid."
For too long actors like Quan and Yeoh couldn't quite surpass the invisible barrier to succeed in spaces not historically made for them. While a 2022 Hollywood Diversity Report from UCLA found that women and people of color had proportional representation among film leads, there is still work to be done towards parity. This is especially true when it comes to the number of people from underrepresented communities in the directors chair, a number that is growing, but still behind on-screen representation. Hollywood also continues to lag when it comes to recognizing talent of color. This was most recently — and aptly — demonstrated with the controversy that arose in 2021 when Netflix's Emily In Paris was nominated for two Golden Globes and Michaela Coel's I May Destroy You received none. The disparity in nominations between a then-critically panned TV series about a white, upper middle class character moving to Paris and donning designer duds, and an acclaimed series grappling with conversations of race, class, and the trauma of sexual assault, was startling for many. It reinforced the criticism that actors of color are often forced to work harder than some of their other counterparts just to be seen or reach comparative levels of fame. As Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu told GQ in a 2018 interview about Yeoh's illustrious career: "She should have much more recognition. She should be on the same level with a Meryl Streep." Which is exactly why watching Yeoh, Quan, and other creatives like Abbott Elementary's Sheryl Lee Ralph (at last year's Emmy awards) *finally* getting their flowers is so monumental; we know what it took for them to get there.
Already, reviews of the 2023 Globes have lauded the awards show for a visible spike in diversity among the winners, but it's complicated. Despite how wildly and undisputedly talented these actors are, it's difficult not to feel a little cynical that they, including powerhouses like Angela Bassett, took home a trophy after what was essentially the year of diversity hires for the Globes to salvage its reputation. Globes host Jerrod Carmichael said as much in his opening monologue, boldly naming the very simple reason he says he was chosen to host two years after the HFPA was called out for having no Black voting members. Though he's got comedic chops and charm, "I'm here because I'm Black," Carmichael said.
Then there's the fact that these actors don't need the recognition of a Western-centric awards show to be qualified as great. As Yeoh mentioned in her acceptance speech, she has had an illustrious career pre-Everything Everywhere All At Once buzz, working with directors like Steven Spielberg and Danny Boyle, and on groundbreaking films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Not to mention a thriving career abroad. Perhaps the best thing to do would be to find other avenues for recognition outside of historically exclusionary awards shows. And maybe one day we will get there. But, despite the criticisms and controversies, recognition from organizations like the HFPA do mean something to these actors, as an acknowledgment of their talent and hard work — and, an acknowledgment that they've been seen within the industry they've worked so hard to achieve success in. As Yeoh told ET on the Globes' red carpet of her long deserved career recognition, "It's about time…Finally, now to be understanding what it feels like to really be seen, it does make a difference." It's what we're all looking for, and it's what so many of Yeoh's own roles have helped viewers feel in their own lives.
Still, celebrating accomplishments like Yeoh's isn't to say that the HFPA has solved its race and diversity issue. It hasn't.
One diversity statement, a slight bump in the number of Black HFPA members (from zero to 10.1% of its members), one show with slightly more diversity among the winners, and a Black host (the first solo Black host in the show's history) doesn't amount to impactful change if the HFPA just goes back to business as usual for the 81st ceremony, and the 82nd, and the 83rd. But it's also essential to celebrate — and appreciate — great things happening to great people, and icons like Yeoh finally feeling seen.
Maybe 2023 Golden Globes Were Worth Watching After All
Entertainment • Golden Globe Awards • The Latest • Movies
written by Katherine Singh
Photo: Rich Polk/NBC/Getty Images.
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York's InVisions are ecstatic to announce their signing to Stay Sick Recordings. They'll make their return on 8th February 2019 with their most ambitious and loudest work to date, second album Between You & Me. You can pre-order the physical record from InVisions or Stay Sick Records, or digitally from iTunes.