text:
You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'Chicago' tag.
Thanksgiving 2020: US state and local officials say NO
November 25, 2020 in history | Tags: 2020, California, Charlie Baker, Chicago, civil liberties, coronavirus, Democratic Party, Donald Trump, Dr Anthony Fauci, economy, freedom, freedom of movement, Gavin Newsom, Gen James Mad Dog Mattis, history, Howie Carr, hypocrisy, Illinois, lockdown, Mario Cuomo, masks, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York State, North Carolina, Oregon, Republican Party, Tappan Zee Bridge, Thanksgiving, The French Laundry, turkey, United States, Washington State | 2 comments
Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers …
… wherever you might be experiencing lockdown.
I wish all of you a good day, however different it might be in 2020.
Lately, I've been watching Howie Carr every weekday on YouTube to find out how the election results are going.
Even now, Joe Biden is not yet president-elect. For the media, he is more like the president-select (all credit to Howie).
President Trump still occupies that spot, at least until January 2021, at least.
As I wrote this post, he rightly had a go at General 'Mad Dog' Mattis:
That says it all about Mattis. Obama fired him. I should have fired him sooner. Did best work after he was gone. World's most overrated general! https://t.co/2i4jPWAAPA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2020
AMERICA FIRST!!!
He highlighted Wisconsin's suspicious election results …
"In Wisconsin, somebody has to be indefinitely confined in order to vote absentee. In the past there were 20,000 people. This past election there were 120,000…and Republicans were locked out of the vote counting process." @VicToensing @newsmax
… and pointed out a fact about the 27 House races that notional experts said Republicans would lose. Republicans won all 27:
https://t.co/8nQIlSWart
He rightly celebrated the Dow Jones Industrial Average reaching 30,000 for the first time in history. Never let it be said that this was Joe Biden's doing. It was Donald Trump's policies that made this beautiful record landmark possible.
This is the ninth stock market record in 2020 and the 48th of the Trump administration:
pic.twitter.com/fTYnJXXYTl
President Trump pardoned the Thanksgiving turkey, a tradition that began in the 1860s during Abraham Lincoln's administration when his son made friends with a turkey the Lincolns were planning to eat for Thanksgiving.
This year, a beautiful bird, Corn, came from Ames, Iowa, with his friend Cob — Corn and Cob, corncob — for the ceremony. They returned to Ames afterwards with the farmer who bred them:
On behalf of the entire Trump Family, I want to wish every American a Healthy and Happy Thanksgiving! Today we gathered in the Rose Garden to continue a beloved annual tradition: the Official Presidential Pardon of a very fortunate Thanksgiving Turkey…. pic.twitter.com/O92pWUKrBv
Now back to Howie Carr, who also covers the latest coronavirus news on a daily basis.
Pity Americans who have to put up with Dr Anthony Fauci. Even Britons roll their eyes at his advice.
A disgusted English friend of mine scorned Fauci's 'don't kill Granny' advice. I shook my head at 'a quarter of a million deaths', which were revised downward drastically during the summer as being deaths with COVID and not of COVID. There's a big difference:
Dr. Fauci: "If you have grandma over for Thanksgiving, she may not be around for Christmas."
Passed that on to everyone I know.#WearAMask #StayHome
— amc (@amc_289) November 19, 2020
Back to the 'killing Granny' narrative — this is the other side of the story for many elderly with younger family members:
Meanwhile, other families
"Grandma wants to have Thanksgiving together because life is not worth living if she can't be w/ family. She also doesn't know if she'll still be living at Christmas even w/out COVID. She wants to spend as much time with family while she still can."
— ∞ Warrior of Truth & Light ∞ (@spiritual_eyes_) November 23, 2020
Too right.
Here's another choice morsel from Fauci:
Dr. Anthony Fauci to families ahead of the holiday season: "Each and every family unit should do a risk-benefit determination about the holidays."
"Think about the risk that you might be putting your loved ones under if in fact you bring infection into the home." pic.twitter.com/W7rQAe0EQL
— Cuomo Prime Time (@CuomoPrimeTime) November 20, 2020
I would love to know what Fauci is doing for Thanksgiving, but he doesn't have a Twitter account and it is too painful listening to his idiocy.
As I write on Tuesday, Howie has been reading out the American resistance to lockdowns and restrictions from news articles. These detail how the great and the good have been dictating, sometimes under penalty of law, how people like you and me should live our lives with an illness that has the same fatality rates as the flu. Note that this does not mean coronavirus is synonymous with flu.
Never mind Fauci. American governors have become more brazen and authoritarian with every passing day, no more so than at one of the sacrosanct, inviolable national holidays: Thanksgiving Day, which is celebrated this year on Thursday, November 26.
Let us make the rounds, coast to coast, to see what these governors have been doing, starting on what used to be known as the Eastern seaboard.
Republican — actually, RINO — governor Charlie Baker (Joe Biden calls him Charlie Parker) has been issuing various prohibitions for ages.
This is his advice to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (as it is officially known) for Thanksgiving, the kick-off to the holiday season, which ends in the US on New Year's Day. I enjoyed the response to Baker's advice — well said:
I am working a full day Black Friday but there are restrictions on how I eat dinner with my family?
Pound sand
— DWadeBsFan (@DWadeBsFan) November 23, 2020
Let's move somewhat south to New York State.
Howie Carr plays the best clips of Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Cuomo's monologues sound as if they are clips from horror movies until Howie says that they're the governor's pronouncements. Scary.
I don't have any of those audio clips, but Cuomo's tweets about Thanksgiving are unintentionally amusing.
Before I go there, however, let's look back to the beginning of the month, two days before the election on Tuesday, November 3.
There was a massive Trump car rally on the bridge named for his father, Mario Cuomo.
As far as I am concerned, the Governor Mario M Cuomo Bridge will always be the TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE.
This was held in the rain. I embraced the enthusiasm and wished I could have been there:
Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge in New York at a complete standstill pic.twitter.com/NvjG4ZFASg
— President-Elect Yaakov Pollak (@Yanky_Pollak) November 1, 2020
Well Coumo named it after his father people still know it as the Tappan Zee bridge
The current Gov Cuomo, a Dem, as was his father, does not like the fact that President Trump has been able to announce two coronavirus vaccines:
.@NYGovCuomo, who blew off months of WH briefings on vaccine plans, has been loudly complaining — without evidence — that the FDA's approval process shouldn't be trusted. @Brendan_LyonsTU reports: https://t.co/B9x9h5BK59
— Casey Seiler (@CaseySeiler) November 17, 2020
On Friday, November 20, a group of business owners in Buffalo, upstate near Canada, told sheriffs and one or more notional health inspectors to get lost.
Gateway Pundit reported, in part, that the business owners were in a gym. Gyms are/were currently closed because of the Chi-vi (emphases mine below):
Business owners in Buffalo, New York fed up with Cuomo's authoritarian Covid lockdown orders asserted their Constitutional rights and kicked out sheriffs and "health inspectors" on Friday night.
50 business owners gathered inside of a shuttered gym in Buffalo, New York Friday night when two sheriffs and a so-called 'health inspector' showed up to harass the group in response to an "anonymous tip."
The business owners shouted down and kicked out the health inspector and the told the sheriffs to come back with a warrant.
The story comes from the Buffalo News.
This brings us to Thanksgiving.
Cuomo warned New Yorkers to stay at home within their own households, so much so that the New York Post reported that there are big window decals with a photo of Cuomo snooping in people's homes, accompanied by an image of a turkey.
Interestingly, the company that makes the decals is also located in Buffalo:
One upstate company wants Gov. Andrew Cuomo to be the biggest turkey at your Thanksgiving dinner this year.
The Buffalo-based design firm Custom 716 is selling stickers of the governor's face that can be put on a window to make it look like Cuomo is peering inside — presumably to make sure not too many people are there to celebrate the holiday this year.
The sticker is a clear way of ripping Cuomo for demanding that New York families avoid gathering in large groups for the holiday out of fears of spreading COVID-19.
"Great for all gatherings, sure to get laughs, great for your business or your home!" they write about the $10 sticker on their firm's website.
"$10 and I will mail it to you for free, or pick up is available. Located in North Tonawanda, NY," the description reads, offering a promo code allowing customers to bypass the $8.05 shipping and handling fee.
Cuomo has been begging New Yorkers to spend Turkey Day alone, warning the coronavirus's rapid spread has increased in part thanks to small, indoor gatherings in recent months as the weather has turned slightly chillier.
"It's your family, it's your home, it's your table — these are all environments where you feel safe and that's the beauty of Thanksgiving," he said during a phone conference briefing with reporters Thursday.
"Your safe zone is not a safe zone, your safe zone is dangerous this year."
When you hear the audio of him saying that (thanks to Howie), it sends chills down the spine.
Fortunately:
politicians and law enforcement agents across the state … argue it's nearly impossible to enforce caps on indoor, private gatherings.
At the time, Cuomo included himself in that diktat:
"No, you won't be safe. It's an illusion," Cuomo says of even his mother suggesting his family could get together for Thanksgiving.
"My advice on Thanksgiving: Don't be a turkey." pic.twitter.com/UHFz2cBk8G
— Joseph Spector (@GannettAlbany) November 18, 2020
A small Thanksgiving dinner is no less meaningful than a big one.
In fact the best way to show your thanks and love this year is to stay home. pic.twitter.com/wf4n9UOmWZ
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) November 19, 2020
Love is sometimes doing what's hard.
The safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving this year is with your immediate household only. pic.twitter.com/nBEviXnZ8P
However, a few days later, Andrew Cuomo announced big plans for a family get together. Hmm, interesting:
Cuomo says the "current plan" is for his mother and two of his daughters (who do not live with him full time) to join him for Thanksgiving.
— Jon Campbell (@JonCampbellGAN) November 23, 2020
Here's a tweet, including a photo of the snoop decal from Buffalo. Note the 'for thee, but not for me' response from someone living in Governor Pritzker's fiefdom of Illinois (see below):
Why not! @GovPritzker is giving @chicagosmayor lockdown order the finger and heading to his Farm In Wellington Fl. Expect America's Caste System to be on full display in 2021. pic.twitter.com/7PiZdAJTve
— #Impeach46 #NotMyPresidentEver 🍌#ResistTheCoup🍌 (@pgasaluki) November 23, 2020
Howie Carr said on Tuesday, November 24 that Cuomo got so much blow back from New Yorkers that his family's plans for a communal turkey dinner changed. One of his daughters would not be attending (H/T Gateway Pundit):
My daughter isn't coming to Thanksgiving. She is out of state and it's safer not to travel.
It's hard. But I can't think of a better gesture of love than to say, I'm making the tough choice to keep you & our family safe.
We may be physically apart but we're spiritually together
Aww.
This Thanksgiving isn't normal. Nothing in 2020 has been.
But Thanksgiving was never really about the trappings. It's always been more powerful than that.
This year, let's show thanks by keeping each other safe.
Cuomo: "This is not a normal Thanksgiving. It's a better than normal Thanksgiving. It's a deeper Thanksgiving. It's a more meaningful Thanksgiving.
Mariah loves me so much she's not coming to celebrate Thanksgiving with me. That's how much she loves me." pic.twitter.com/ootHd4noe3
— The Hill (@thehill) November 23, 2020
His daughter, wearing a tee shirt with 'New York tough' emblazoned across it, tweeted:
While I'm sad to be away from my family this Thanksgiving, I know it's the right thing to do because it keeps them safe.
Being #NYTough sometimes means not being in New York. ❤ https://t.co/Lr77p4ihoD pic.twitter.com/zhp47vCv2C
— Mariah Kennedy Cuomo (@Mkennedycuomo) November 23, 2020
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported:
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo abruptly canceled his Thanksgiving plans Monday, less than two hours after revealing he planned to spend the holiday with his mother and two of his daughters.
During a radio interview Monday around 3:45 p.m., Cuomo revealed his "current plan" for the holiday: His 89-year-old mother, Matilda, and two of his three daughters, Michaela and Cara, are planning on joining him in Albany.
…By 5:30 p.m., Cuomo nixed the gathering entirely.
Hypocrisy is most unbecoming.
Just west of New York, across the Hudson River, New Jersey's governor Phil Murphy was accosted by angry diners when he was eating out with his family and appearing without a mask. New Jersey has had a particularly arduous lockdown.
Remember, Phil Murphy won't have to worry about where his next meal is coming from. The taxpayers are footing his bill:
#NewJersey
*language warning*
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy was accosted by a group filming for not wearing a mask while out for dinner with his family. pic.twitter.com/GlwCgFfJJX
— Shane B. Murphy (@shanermurph) November 23, 2020
Murphy, who, Howie Carr says, attended the same high school and college as Massachusetts's Charlie Baker, is still trying to frighten his state's residents:
This Thanksgiving, spread gratitude – not #COVID19.
We urge everyone to plan for a small gathering with your immediate household only.
The smaller the gathering, the safer we all are.
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) November 24, 2020
NEW JERSEY #COVID19 UPDATE:
➡4,383 new positive cases
➡313,863 cumulative total cases
➡48 new confirmed deaths
➡15,007 total deaths
With Thanksgiving just two days away, we urge everyone to stay safe. Avoid gatherings. Wear a mask. Social distance.
https://t.co/JW1q8awGh7 pic.twitter.com/CwlonkiO12
His wife is at it, too:
The amount of gaslighting going on by the media and elected officials (and now their wives) on how thanksgiving is so bad is incredulous.
— Woke Zombie (@foogatwo) November 24, 2020
I couldn't agree more about the gaslighting.
Moving several hundred miles south, North Carolina's Governor Roy Cooper approves of business closures in Greensboro:
Keep putting businesses under strain and force their closure, great.
— Too Ashamed To Name (@2ashamedtoname) November 21, 2020
On Monday, November 23, he issued a Thanksgiving sermonette on the 'stay at home' theme, most of which follows. Like the UK, he has a colour-based 'tier' designation:
With our metrics worsening and the case counts at records levels, we updated the map earlier than we had planned so North Carolinians can see right now where things stand.
— Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) November 23, 2020
We need communities and local governments all over the state – but especially in these red and orange hotspots – to work with us to enforce the strong safety rules we already have in place.
With that sort of warning, what North Carolina resident could possibly want to go through with (gasp) a family or friend oriented Thanksgiving dinner?
Last week, the CDC recommended against going to see extended family and friends for Thanksgiving. Please listen to that guidance and adjust your plans as needed. Remember, when it comes to the holidays, smaller and smarter is safer.
Amazingly, people in North Carolina have not been able to attend church — or any sort of celebration — for nine months. He has the nerve to tell them to keep it up 'just a bit longer' — for November 2021. Good grief:
We have presented a lot of information today, but our message remains the same – this virus is deadly, it's spreading too fast, and it's up to each one of us to slow it down.
Governor Cooper has even better news for the run-up to Christmas:
We're at a pivotal moment in our fight against this pandemic, and our actions now will determine how we move forward. Today's Executive Order extends and builds on Phase 3 requirements and tightens our mask mandate to slow the spread of this virus.https://t.co/kd94k3LGMG pic.twitter.com/fRCpwuLYSN
I will NOT OBEY and wear a mask in my own home with or without guests because King Roy Cooper said so.
He can kiss our North Carolinian ass! #DontTreadOnMe
— Phillip Jones🦅🇺🇸 (@RealPhilJones1) November 24, 2020
Excellent response.
Let's travel around 1,000 miles northwest to Illinois.
Governor JB Pritzker comes from a family of real estate moguls. As one would expect, he can escape Illinois, lovely as it is, to take a break at family properties elsewhere.
Last summer, he defied his own executive order to take part in a protest in Chicago. Pritzker is the man in the blue and white checked shirt in the second photo below:
Here is Gov. Pritzker violating his own executive order earlier today. Theoretically he could be prosecuted. Feel free to look up the order yourself: Executive Order 2020-38, signed May 29, prohibiting gatherings of more than 10 people in Illinois https://t.co/VxU5QIvuzu https://t.co/gied5teNx8
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) June 19, 2020
More recently, Howie Carr said that Pritzker's immediate family have been spotted at their Florida farm which has horses that his children can ride. Howie, now a Florida resident, lives in the vicinity.
A Republican congressman from Illinois called out Pritzker:
And in case you're wondering – I'll be in Taylorville eating turkey and watching football with my family. Our only rule is no politics at the dinner table.
— US Rep Rodney Davis (@RodneyDavis) November 16, 2020
Someone replied:
"As you know, we have a place in Florida…"
And the Gold Coast, and Wisconsin, and the Bahamas, and…
— Emma Woodhouse (@EWoodhouse7) November 16, 2020
Fortunately, Pritzker's and Illinois's directives, such as these …
How is the weather in Florida.
— TMKudia10 (@TKudia10) November 24, 2020
Tier 3 Mitigations are in effect for all of Illinois. The best way to help get our state back on track is to stay home. If you must go outside for essential services and items, please wear a mask. Read all Tier 3 Mitigations here: https://t.co/UUefQvbitN pic.twitter.com/FPe0ti4JPR
— IDPH (@IDPH) November 20, 2020
… are being ignored. Just look at Chicago's O'Hare airport:
A look inside Ohare Terminal 1 this morning as travelers are leaving Chicago ahead of Thanksgiving holiday. #SocialDistancing pic.twitter.com/fjOe8KfECy
— GeorgeMycykNBC (@GeorgeMycykNBC) November 20, 2020
Gee, 20 years on, the TSA still have their checkpoint. Why didn't President Trump ever repeal the Patriot Act? 'There's a there there', no doubt.
For those Illinois residents who will not be travelling for Thanksgiving, there is no absolution if you live in Chicago. On November 15, a spokeswoman from Mayor Lori Lightfoot's office said, 'You are the problem; you are putting everyone at risk' (see the 11-second mark):
Chicagoans have been masking religiously since May 1. It doesn't work.
Virus was here last year.
Horse left the barn
Cat out of the bag
Cow kicked the lantern
Best we can do is wash our hands & take informed risks.
Living > existing
No more propaganda https://t.co/PH8rsoy4Ws
Yet, anecdotally, the vast majority of Chicagoans are wearing masks:
I was waking down Clark street the other day – at least 95% mask wearing outdoors.
— Charlie Madison (@ImpactMadison) November 15, 2020
Speaking of masks:
Insanity from the Surgeon General
Masks. Do Not. Work. See high-compliance Chicago, for example
Seasonal virus that was here last year
Nothing about the virus "closes" schools, churches, & restaurants. That's the machinations of elected & public health officials https://t.co/lQT2SES7Ej pic.twitter.com/AI4R0FsLrX
Chicago — the Windy City — which is also darned chilly at this time of year, is pushing OUTDOOR dining in a TWO-sided tent!
You could not make this advice up:
"Winterizing outdoor dining" is absurd in Chicago. You're either making some version of an indoor dining room, or you're putting people at risk of coming down with pneumonia.
Also, remember what Dr Ezike said… https://t.co/F6LMUdTtNC pic.twitter.com/tK1jQJgcgT
As for Thanksgiving dinners, Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot has cancelled them. She is pictured in the photo above with Governor Pritzker at a June 2020 protest. Note that CNN has not shown the official US COVID-19 death count, which is still at 'with' + 'of', as it was last summer:
When asked about her hypocritical decision to cancel Thanksgiving, Lori says "There are times when we actually do need to have relief and come together".
So, large political gatherings are acceptable forms of relief but small family gatherings are not?pic.twitter.com/Ls0fTmAak3
— BaQonbits💋🌹❤ (@sbacon0410) November 13, 2020
Interestingly, during lockdown in April, Madame Mayor felt compelled to get her hair cut when she had told ordinary Chicagoans that hairdressing was non-essential. See the Daily Mail report from April 12, complete with photo of her with her hairdresser, no social distancing required.
Let's leave the Midwest for the West Coast, starting in the most northern state, Washington, home to Seattle, the site of much summer mayhem.
Governor Jay Inslee, who did not oppose said summer mayhem, is now telling Washington residents not to get together for Thanksgiving. This advert is unbelievable:
Gatherings have grave consequences right now.
Stay safe. Protect the people you love. Keep to your immediate household. pic.twitter.com/Nlo3EEC9kY
— Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) November 24, 2020
COVID-19 can find you everywhere! Woo-oo!
Inslee thanks Washington residents for not celebrating one of America's two most historic holidays this year. The reply is excellent:
This will be my first year not celebrating Thanksgiving in Washington with my brother, instead I'm having dinner with my roommates from school in Chicago! Can't wait to hopefully see him back in WA for Christmas!! #stayhome
— Adelina Jackson (@missaj42) November 24, 2020
The state immediately south of Washington is Oregon.
There Governor Kate Brown is all in for the deadly coronavirus narrative, especially at Thanksgiving:
As COVID-19 cases continue to increase in Oregon and across the U.S., OHSU has partnered with 100 of the nation's top health care systems to make an urgent plea: #MaskUp.
Learn more: https://t.co/ardyubmhyL pic.twitter.com/XxDjlYYAU2
— OHSU News (@OHSUNews) November 21, 2020
Over 750 Oregon doctors say: "If the spread of COVID doesn't slow, we won't be able to provide the best care for anyone, whether they need chemo for cancer or even a safe place to deliver a baby."
This holiday weekend, our choices can help them, or add to their burden. https://t.co/AlurmNbZuK
— Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) November 24, 2020
Oregon's doctors, nurses, and physician assistants are asking for our help, saying that Thanksgiving gatherings would be "dangerous and irresponsible." Please read their message. https://t.co/CcNtfVjWm7
On Monday, November 23, she asked for Oregonians to snitch on each other at Thanksgiving.
Hot Air has the story, first reported in the Washington Times. Reporter Jazz Shaw says:
I guess nobody told Oregon Governor Kate Brown about the old rule regarding snitches and stitches. With the holidays fast approaching and an increasing number of citizens growing tired of government mandates forbidding them from gathering with friends and family to celebrate, Brown is concerned that people may simply ignore her orders and gather around the feast table anyway. So what's an autocratic executive to do? The answer is as simple as pumpkin pie. She'd like people to keep an eye out for large gatherings in their neighborhood and call the police if they see any suspiciously large, turkey-related activity going on. That's an idea that's sure to put everyone in the holiday spirit, right? (Washington Times)
This must be one of the snottiest adverts about family ever made. See what you think. A photo of the governor follows (she's not the one with the pink gloves):
pic.twitter.com/C0v7GhmtQq
— tanner helm (@_tannerhelm) November 24, 2020
And this marketing made the cut…ekkk
Others considered were…
"Pass potatoes NEXT year instead of covid THIS year"
"Don't accidentally kill someone" (oh wait…they DID use that).
— OregonMammaBear (@DeterminedVoice) November 24, 2020
Let us not forget that Portland has had mayhem going on since June. Every doggone night for months on end:
No one said that.
— L. Osborn (@LOA503) November 24, 2020
The most blatant nose-thumbing has come from California's governor Gavin Newsom, who with the co-operation of mayors and county officials has kept the Golden State under lockdown for most of the year, with most counties at the top two highest tier levels during that time.
The status holds true, if not worse, even now:
NEW: Governor Newsom announces CA is pulling an "emergency brake", meaning counties will move back after 1 week, not just 2 weeks, some counties will move multiple tiers, and California is going to assess the color coded tiers again later this week. @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/6V8hEEwulT
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) November 16, 2020
Wow. Every single county in Southern California is now back into the most restrictive purple tier.
Meanwhile, Governor Newsom has been releasing prisoners sporadically because they are in danger of catching COVID-19. Forget about law-abiding citizens:
Or three…. help with funding human resources to said "mostly peaceful" rioting/ looting which then fuels further transmission, which leads to more lockdowns. Pretty clever if you're not paying attention #saveCAsamuelalito
— skeptical skeptic™ (@flysonthewind) November 16, 2020
One used to think California voters were being silly in continuing to vote in Democrats.
However, in recent years, a growing number of Americans think that Democrats have won so many elections because of voter fraud:
Or do they? California is now one of the states being investigated for voter fraud….
— Tired of Shutdowns (@tired_fighting) November 16, 2020
With regard to the curfew, at least one protest took place. This is from Huntington Beach:
CALIFORNIA DEFIES 10pm curfew and sends a message to their Gov Gavin Adolf Newsom
☆🇺🇸WE WILL NOT COMPLY🇺🇸☆ pic.twitter.com/J9Wrwp2jVp
— AMErikaNGIRL♥ (@AMErikaNGIRLLL) November 22, 2020
Protests last summer in the state were acceptable to most, but the anti-lockdown and anti-curfew ones attract comment. Fortunately, some can discern the truth:
True but it never killed BLM and ANTIFA, you get the difference, other people were burning flag these are singing USA and carrying the flag high
— Kahuma Solomon (@KahumaSolomon) November 22, 2020
Newsom has seemingly bought into the mask narrative, even though that policy has not improved his state's figures:
We've been wearing them since May…
— Erin (@urtweetnme) November 16, 2020
Exactly. Probably more adjusted statistics. We have them in the UK, too.
However, right now, more Californians are interested in Newsom's social life during lockdown:
Right after he picks his kids up from school
— boxingandy (@boxingandy) November 17, 2020
Newsom does not care.
— @Eagle4212 (@Eagle4212) November 16, 2020
With regard to masks …
Newsolini does not go by his own rules.
No one cares that the Newsom family is self-isolating for a fortnight:
Jen and I had no direct interaction with the officer and wish them a speedy recovery.
Thankfully, the entire family tested negative today. However, consistent with local guidance, we will be quarantining for 14 days.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) November 23, 2020
Also we're 8 months into the pandemic, and these half-measures aren't solving anything.
— P=mV (@hedgemony) November 23, 2020
That "joke" has been done to death.
— JoanA (@JABarn76) November 23, 2020
Don't worry the State will cover the pre fixe. You're on your own if you want the black truffle risotto though.
— Justin Rohrig (@jrowggurnaut) November 23, 2020
The tweets kept coming and coming:
this you? pic.twitter.com/EqFZeI1nrS
— I'M 16 I CAN'T DRIVE 🎄 🏳⚧ (@NikonIdiot) November 19, 2020
Only allowed to break the rules if you make them
— Malcolm Ring (@malcolm_ring) November 21, 2020
Newsom isn't alone, it seems, in rule breaking. Is this the California state legislature? Yes, it is:
This story lists some of them.https://t.co/WBGjUR1ls5
— Gwen@ChewDigestBooks (@ChewDigestBooks) November 19, 2020
By the way, masks are probably not a good conversational topic for Thanksgiving. See this brief exchange:
Just stop bitching and wear a mask. It's not hard.
— Chris Osorio (@TopherOsorio) November 20, 2020
just who is really being selfish? think about it for a second.. the very people are screaming we are all in this together are making people work in stores delivering food etc. so they can set at home.. give me a break https://t.co/OZp5bnknTh
— 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐫® (@eggpro1975) November 21, 2020
The three-star French Laundry in Yountville (Napa Valley) is one of the world's most famous restaurants.
In the 1920s, it was used as a French steam laundry, hence the name.
In the 1970s, the then-mayor of Yountville Don Schmitt and his wife Sally turned the building into a restaurant.
In 1994, the French chef Thomas Keller bought the restaurant and made it into the legend it is today.
Friends invited Gavin Newsom to the French Laundry for a birthday celebration on November 6 during California's lockdown.
Talk about 'for me, but not for thee'.
The Daily Caller reported:
Photos show the maskless governor of California dining indoors at one of the highest rated restaurants in the world despite his restrictive coronavirus guidelines for the citizens of California.
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom can be seen dining at the Michelin-starred French Laundry on the evening of November 6, according to photos obtained by Fox LA. The restaurant, located in California's Napa Valley, is considered "the pinnacle of California dining" and has been ranked the best restaurant in the world numerous times, according to various outlets.
Newsom has said the restaurant was outdoors, but FoxLA reported that the room's glass sliding doors had been closed, making the dinner party indoors. Newsom's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
EXCLUSIVE: We've obtained photos of Governor Gavin Newsom at the Napa dinner party he's in hot water over. The photos call into question just how outdoors the dinner was. A witness who took photos tells us his group was so loud, the sliding doors had to be closed. 10pm on @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/gtOVEwa864
The group was so loud that customers complained:
"While we were there we realized there was a very loud party going on in a room 20 feet from us," the woman who took the photos told FoxLA. "It was a bit annoying since you're spending hard-earned money to go there. It got louder and louder and so they had some sliding glass doors that they were able to close, so then it was a closed-off room but you could still hear them with how loud they were."
She continued: "I just happened to look over and realize hey is that Gavin Newsom, who is that? And I did ask one of the waitresses and she confirmed it was, so I was able to take a couple of photos, I was able to document this especially since nobody was wearing a mask. It was a very large group of people shoulder to shoulder, something that he's always telling us not to do so yeah it was a bit annoying for sure."
Newsom has urged California residents to wear face masks "in between bites" at restaurants and announced Monday that California is "pulling an emergency brake" and mandating the most restrictive tier of coronavirus restrictions for more than two dozen California counties …
The governor also warned that he would announce more COVID restrictions Friday ahead of Thanksgiving.
Newsom apologized Tuesday for attending the dinner party, calling it a "bad mistake" and saying that he became uncomfortable after arriving when he realized that the group was larger than he expected, according to FoxLA.
Gov. Gavin Newsom apologizes for attending party at French Laundry: "We're all human. We all fall short sometimes." pic.twitter.com/GPegzxt0dl
But the woman who took the photos said Newsom did not appear uncomfortable.
"I was surprised because it didn't look like he was uncomfortable being there until the very end until people were looking at him and staring at him as he was leaving the room," she told FoxLA.
Not surprisingly, the dinner made a splash in California's media:
"They're at the most expensive and famous restaurant in the country… having a party, not following their own rules." @AdamHousley and @LaurelRosenhall give their take on the optics of @GavinNewsom going to a dinner at #TheFrenchLaundry with @NikkiLaurenzo on #InsideCAPolitics pic.twitter.com/i5JAaIL0xp
— Inside California Politics (@CAinsider) November 21, 2020
A few days ago, the California IBank had the nerve to tweet this. I applaud the reply:
We wouldn't need a rebuilding fund if small businesses weren't forced to shut down time and time again.
— Fate Unknown (@FateUnknown3) November 20, 2020
That is so true.
Words fail me.
On Thanksgiving, when in doubt, eat more and add more butter.
I hope that those celebrating Thanksgiving can enjoy their dinner the best they can — with hearty gratitude. (Things could always be worse.)
Hoax hate crimes abound, especially in Trump era
February 28, 2019 in history | Tags: 2019, Chicago, David A Clarke Jr, hate crimes, history, hoax, Illinois, Jussie Smollett, media, police, social media, United States | 8 comments
On February 21, 2019, the heretofore unknown actor Jussie (Empire) Smollett was charged with felony disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false police report in Chicago claiming he was the victim of a hate crime.
The charge came from the Cook County State's Attorney office.
NBC News reported (emphases mine):
The state alleges Smollett filed a false report with Chicago police on Jan. 29, when he claimed he was assaulted by two masked men who hurled racist and homophobic slurs.
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, speaking at a press conference, skewered Smollett and false police reports generally. He said that while no violent crimes went uninvestigated as a result of Smollett's claims, Johnson suggested that the hundreds of killings in Chicago represented a more serious problem deserving of national attention than a celebrity's allegedly false police report.
Disorderly conduct is normally thought of as a low-level crime. In Illinois, however, making false reports to peace officers is actually a felony contained within the disorderly statute. A false report is a class four felony, punishable by up to three years in prison. The elements that make it such a felony are: any kind of transmission to a peace officer reporting a crime without reasonable grounds.
There is also the question of a hoax hate letter with his name on it that was sent to the set of Empire before the attack. That is potentially more serious, as the former sheriff of Milwaukee says:
Can't wait for the FBI to hold their news conference to announce FEDERAL CHARGES against @JussieSmollett for mailing that hoax letter to the studio. That is MAIL FRAUD punishable by 5-10 years in federal prison. Don't turn away from this folks or it will go away.#MAGA2020 pic.twitter.com/VQRT1CczIG
— David A. Clarke, Jr. (@SheriffClarke) February 21, 2019
For those who missed the running three-week saga, this is what happened. Click on the image to enlarge. Read the top three columns, then the bottom horizontal bar:
Sheriff Clarke tweeted more observations about this case:
I'm not buying that @JussieSmollett staged his hoax due to a salary dispute with FOX studios. I'm not that gullible. AND DON'T YOU FALL FOR IT EITHER! Smollett was on a POLITICAL MISSION for the left. He's part of the slimy Hollywood elite. #MAGA2020 https://t.co/NlobXq2LqF
Story says that @JussieSmollett was making about $1.8 million per year from the show EMPIRE, about $100K per episode. No one making that kind of bank is going to throw it away faking a hate, heterophobic hoax to get a raise. He was on a POLITICAL MISSION. https://t.co/8rpE915c05
I suggested that immediately after that excuse was offered. Look up tweet from day after the warrant issued.
Lying Lib Media mocked me. Then I KNEW I was on to something. I have 40 years of law enforcement experience.
This was NOT about a pay raise. https://t.co/dSZy7tAumF
Didn't take long. @nypost story said get ready for columns rationalizing Jussie Smollett's race hoax. I said don't laugh. It's starting. This is where the story will now turn thanks to the Lame Stream Media who will create sympathy. They spawned Smollett. https://t.co/zRxW6ux9n3
I've been in law enforcement for 40 years. The rare time I saw a victim of crime later hire a DEFENSE ATTY was when they reported a fake crime and turned from victim to suspect. That's @JussieSmollett. A REAL crime victim's lawyer is the State's Attorney. https://t.co/6Sm3o1J579
With what is already known about the @JussieSmollett case as outlined by the Chicago police, it is irresponsible for @MSNBC to allow someone to come on and try to promote a police conspiracy to frame Smollett. This is the phase were in. Smollett was framed https://t.co/9YrPzJ0kpP
The only people in need of police protection in the @JussieSmollett race, heterophobe hoax are the 2 Nigerian brothers who spilled the beans about Smollett. Hollywood goofs, identity politics purveyors and Trump haters have to be pissed at them for talking https://t.co/6jcr1mLBAj
On February 22, an editorial appeared in USA Today, 'Hate crime hoaxes, like Jussie Smollett's alleged attack, are more common than you think'.
The author is Wilfred Reilly:
an associate professor of political science at Kentucky State University, a historically Black institution located in Frankfort. He is the author of the upcoming book Hate Crime Hoax, as well as The $50,000,000 Question, a book dealing with how people value identity.
Reilly says:
The questions here are obvious. How many Trump supporters even exist in the downtown of a city that went 83% for Hillary Clinton — and how many of them watch "Empire?" How many guys looking for a fight carry rope and bottles of bleach around with them? Almost every normal citizen had questions like these about this incident, and we were justified in having them.
That this case turned out to be a hoax shouldn't come as too big of a shock. A great many hate crime stories turn out to be hoaxes. Simply looking at what happened to the most widely reported hate crime stories over the past 4-5 years illustrates this: not only the Smollett case but also the Yasmin Seweid, Air Force Academy, Eastern Michigan, Wisconsin-Parkside, Kean College, Covington Catholic, and "Hopewell Baptist burning" racial scandals all turned out to be fakes. And, these cases are not isolated outliers.
He went on to describe research in this area:
Doing research for a book, Hate Crime Hoax, I was able to easily put together a data set of 409 confirmed hate hoaxes. An overlapping but substantially different list of 348 hoaxes exists at fakehatecrimes.org, and researcher Laird Wilcox put together another list of at least 300 in his still-contemporary book Crying Wolf. To put these numbers in context, a little over 7,000 hate crimes were reported by the FBI in 2017 and perhaps 8-10% of these are widely reported enough to catch the eye of a national researcher.
Therefore, of the 7,000 real hate crimes, a small number actually make a researcher's list. In order to make the researcher's list, they have to appear in the media.
Ironically, it would seem that we hear more about the hoaxes than the real hate crimes.
It is also important to note that most real hate crimes are not inter-racial:
84% of white murder victims and 93% of Black murder victims are killed by criminals of their own race, and the person most likely to kill you is your ex-wife or husband. When violent inter-racial crimes do occur, whites are at least as likely to be the targets as are minorities. Simply put, Klansmen armed with nooses are not lurking on Chicago street corners.
This seems to be a good point to let everyone know that the last time a lynching took place — and by a Klansman, no less — was in 1981 in Mobile, Alabama. Wikipedia records that the defendants received maximum sentences for the murder of Michael Donald, and the Klan went bankrupt:
Henry Hay executed in the electric chair. James Knowles and an accomplice sentenced to life in prison. Civil suit against United Klans of America caused their bankruptcy.
Reilly points out that hoaxes do a lot of harm to community relations as well as waste precious police time:
what hate hoaxers actually do is worsen generally good race relations, and distract attention from real problems. As Chicago's disgusted top cop, Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, pointed out yesterday, skilled police officers spent four weeks tracking down Smollett's imaginary attackers — in a city that has seen 28 murders as of Feb. 9th, according to The Chicago Tribune. We all, media and citizens alike, would be better served to focus on real issues like gun violence and the opiate epidemic than on fairy tales like Jussie's.
How true.
Hoax hate crimes have proliferated in recent years, especially since Donald Trump was elected president. You can read more about them in the articles below. There is some overlap, but not much:
'Here are 50 campus hate-crime hoaxes The College Fix has covered since 2012'
'Nolte: From Trayvon to Jussie — Poll Shows Media Hoaxes Killed Race Relations' (Breitbart)
'Here's A List Of Hoax "Hate Crimes" In The Trump Era' (The Daily Caller)
Were it not for a diligent citizen social media, Jussie Smollett's hoax could have run for much longer and done irreparable damage to the fabric of America.
As it was, good people everywhere put their heads together across the country and pieced the puzzle together online.
This is yet another example of citizen media doing the job of supposedly legitimate media.
The first odd coincidence of 2017
January 1, 2017 in history | Tags: 2016, 2017, Chicago, Donald Trump, history, media, New Year's Day, politics, United States | 4 comments
Perhaps this is not a coincidence after all. Perhaps the financial calendar we received was printed or edited after November 8, 2016 to include this quote for January 2017:
"As long as you're going to be thinking away, think big." (Donald Trump)
This photo from Jose Graterol Designs is an example of thinking big. It shows the company's decoration of the Mar-a-Lago ballroom for Trump's New Year's Eve do in Palm Beach.
This tweet shows the bar in the Trump International Hotel — the Old Post Office — in Washington DC. Mr and Mrs Reince Priebus are on the right in the photo.
Priebus later tweeted:
Happy New Year + God's blessings to you all. Looking forward to incredible things in 2017! @realDonaldTrump will Make America Great Again!
— Reince Priebus (@Reince) January 1, 2017
Trump tweeted:
TO ALL AMERICANS-#HappyNewYear & many blessings to you all! Looking forward to a wonderful & prosperous 2017 as we work together to #MAGA🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/UaBFaoDYHe
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2017
It is encouraging to see God and blessings mentioned again in a New Year's political message.
Nigel Farage opened his greeting by saying that if one had put a £10 accumulator on both Brexit and a Trump victory, one would have won £24m! He is highly optimistic about 2017, however, he said we mustn't feel complacent after the British and American success in 2016:
Some supporters, such as this Latino in Florida, had an all-out New Year's Trumpfest.
One commentator for American Thinker wrote:
Happy New Year to you all. It's going to be a new day here in the nation's capital and, I hope, around the country and world.
Hers is an excellent article well worth reading in full. I will come back to it in an upcoming post.
One of the comments that followed expressed the significance of Trump's organising his cabinet away from Washington (emphases mine):
… Trump has already sent a message to the movers and shakers inside the beltway but I doubt if they caught it. The message is Trump has been wheeling and dealing from Trump Tower in New York which should send a chill down the spine of Washington, DC. Incorporated. The message is that everything inside the beltway is not that important after all … On January 20th Trump will be inaugurated and officialdom in DC will wish they had only Russian hackers with which to deal. Trump will use his office to force Congress to do their jobs for the first time in many years. Congress has spent the last 20 years doing the bidding of corporate America and it shows. Trump will also put the bureaucrats in their place. Trump will order a hiring freeze and massive tax cuts for individuals, businesses and corporations. I suspect that in a few short weeks Washington will get a wake up call and it won't be at 3 AM. All the fake news will be replaced with what those in Washington will view as earthshaking developments. The interlude after the election provided the main stream media and official Washington one last opportunity to redeem themselves. But the MSM and establishment couldn't resist showing their true colors for the last time. Now, it's Trump's turn.
However, Big Media do not understand. Ross Douthat, a regular columnist for The New York Times, still seems stumped by Trump's victory:
EVERY January I write a column exploring my faulty analysis and failed prophecies from the preceding year. After last year's installment, in which I explained how I had underestimated a certain celebrity tycoon, I received a note from Trump Tower — a clipping of the column, scrawled over with a markered note:
Thank you – Now I will work to get you to go a little bit further. Best wishes, Donald Trump.
A year has spun past since then, and whatever comes of the Trump presidency, he can claim at least one promise kept. That column described Trump as a remarkable political phenomenon who nonetheless could not win the Republican nomination, let alone become the president. Now just as he predicted, I must go further: Mea culpa, he could, he has, and I was wrong again.
But my error was different this year than last. In 2015 I underestimated the man himself: Before he descended the Trump Tower escalator into history, I had no idea that he had the savvy, the discipline, or the stamina to run an effective populist campaign.
By the time the actual primary voting began, though, I had a clear-enough handle on the nature of his populist appeal. What I misjudged in 2016 wasn't Trump; it was the strength of the institutional forces standing between him and the presidency …
… my intellect and experience were wrong, and Trump's Napoleonic intuitions were correct: The Republicans were all low-energy men underneath, and the liberal elites were as vulnerable to him as the Cameron Tories and Blairites were to Brexit.
Yes, this will be the running theme of 2017. And what was the end result? Trump trumped them all — and will continue to do so.
Sensible people in other countries will watch with interest.
More voters in Western countries — the French, the Dutch and, one hopes, the Germans — will want anti-globalist political leaders.
There is no guarantee that they will get them, but a rejection of the elites will become more popular this year.
Someone from south central Pennsylvania replied to Douthat:
Trump will not be gone in four years, he will be re-elected by a larger majority. The elites of both parties still don't understand that their constant fattening at the public trough while the middle class evaporated and the poor became poorer and lost hope was the reason Donald Trump was elected and will be President for eight years. There was a clear choice between Obama / Hillary's Socialist economic decay and America for the illegal aliens, vs Trump's vision of an"America for Americans" and a strong U. S./ economy to be achieved by cutting business taxes so businesses would repatriate overseas profits to the U. S., cutting taxes, getting rid of excess regulations stifling American businesses, discouraging the entry of illegal aliens, encouraging industry (NOT government!) to provide more good jobs by improving the economic climate, by NOT punishing job creators in the private sector. Mr. Trump's campaign was supported by the citizens of America's heartland and American patriots, many of whom came out to vote for the first time or switched parties because they were tired of the party of the "working man" being the party of the elites and the socially odd.
Returning to the Trump quote at the top of this post and the exhortation to think big, a reader of The Conservative Treehouse had this to say. Although I was already on my own in the 1980s, living and working far from home, this mirrors my own Trump experience, which I can voice openly only online:
I can remember Donald Trump very well, from when I was a young man – a teenager in the 1980s. It was a time when you could see the positive spirit in America. It dripped from everything. People were proud, the economy was strong – people had options and choices in their lives. Being successful was not a dirty word – and it seemed as if anyone could achieve it – through work. That was always what I was taught, and that seemed to me to be the American Dream.
Trump was well known then, and to me, he represented that simple dream. Yes, he had a little bit to get started with, but so do a lot of people. Not everyone, but a lot do. A lot squander their opportunities.
I liked Trump then, and I like him now. When I saw him then (which was more rare), he seemed soft-spoken, sensible, direct – and proud of his accomplishments. I never saw a reason why he shouldn't be. That's always been my take.
So – I always liked the Donald …
The Conservative Treehouse (CTH) has two excellent posts here and here. Be sure to read the comments which are packed with videos and pictures from Trump's campaign.
Trump pulled a blinder with his rallies. They were a political epiphany for many.
Trump risked his life and his health to reach as many Americans as he could.
One CTH reader recalled the horror of the cancelled rally in Chicago in March 2016:
I was for Trump from day one but this rally was a seminal moment for me. I stood in line for hours. I was way up front. I felt so happy to be there and was having a blast with the people around me. I could hardly wait to see Trump in person. It was going to be awesome! But it wasn't.
Instead of watching Trump speak I watched thugs rip signs out of peaceful peoples hands. I saw verbal/physical assaults and had to listen to those savages cheer when the rally was postponed. Afterwards I sat trapped in my car in the parking garage with my windows rolled up and doors locked while those scumbags blocked the exits. Then I had to drive past them flipping me off and throwing stuff at my car when the cops finally let us out two hours later. I had to endure all this simply because I wanted to hear a campaign speech. On the way home I made a solemn vow that I would do everything I could to get Trump elected and I never looked back …
I think it was during the second half of the primary (I can't remember) Trump said … "I will always tell you the truth". The first time he said this I burst out crying. I started to cry before I could figure out what the hell I was crying about. After years of being lied to by the other side and "our side" I was stunned. His words touched me.
I believed him. I still believe him.
MAGA and Happy New Year!!
There are people all over the West who still believe the lies from Big Media. I will begin exposing these soon, because some took place over the Christmas period.
To my fellow Britons, the French commentators I listen to on radio and anyone else who is 'scared' by a 'literal Hitler', stop paying so much attention to Big Media!
Look at other sources of news and analysis, too, if you truly are interested in what is happening politically in the United States: The Conservative Treehouse, The_Donald (independent), Hillary is 44 (an ex-Democrat from 2008) and No Quarter (another ex-Democrat from 2008, Trump-neutral but a former CIA man with excellent geopolitical analyses).
There isn't a more self-sacrificing man on the world stage today than Donald Trump. Time will bear this out. This is what we can expect in less than three weeks' time:
President-elect Trump is cutting short the usual inaugural parade and limiting the number of balls so he can hit the ground running.
That indicates to me he will start working the afternoon of his inauguration. The world can hardly wait.
President-elect Trump's first few days
November 11, 2016 in history | Tags: 2016, bird dogging, California, Chicago, Democratic Party, Donald Trump, election, ethics, George Soros, Hillary Clinton, history, Indiana, John Podesta, Kellyanne Conway, media, Mike Pence, Obama, Oregon, United States | 11 comments
The Trump transition begins. There's even a new website!
Warmest congratulations go to Kellyanne Conway, the Trumpwhisperer, who is the first woman to manage a victorious presidential campaign in the United States. She was responsible for refining Trump's stump speeches and for putting the kibosh on his excessive tweeting. No one else could do that! Furthermore, her internal polls were spot on. Conway is one tough tigress, make no mistake. She is also married, a mother of four and a practising Catholic.
Also noteworthy is that Hillary Clinton spent nearly twice as much money per vote as Trump and lost: $8.80 to $4.57. Trump has decisively proven you do not need big money to win an election!
President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania flew to Washington DC on Thursday, November 10 to meet with the Obamas as well as top Republican congressional leaders Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell.
Vice President-elect Mike Pence was also in Washington. He met with his outgoing counterpart Joe Biden, in what Pence described as a 'warm reception'. Pence also had a telephone conversation with British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who tweeted:
Just spoken to US VP-elect @mike_pence. We agreed on importance of the special relationship & need to tackle global challenges together
Trump's son-in-law — Ivanka's husband — Jared Kushner was also with the Trumps. During their private meetings, he spent time with White House chief of staff Denis McDonough, who gave him a tour of the Rose Garden. Kushner has been a close adviser to his father-in-law throughout the campaign and is expected to remain so after the inauguration.
Trump and Obama had a 90-minute discussion, far exceeding Trump's expectations.
Melania and Michelle shared tea together, discussed raising children and talked about what it is like to live in the White House.
The White House released this photo of Michelle Obama and Melania Trump meeting in the WH – but no pictures with Donald pic.twitter.com/Khi5PyTofC
— Charlie Spiering (@charliespiering) November 11, 2016
The Mail has a great set of photos from the day.
Afterwards, Trump tweeted:
A fantastic day in D.C. Met with President Obama for first time. Really good meeting, great chemistry. Melania liked Mrs. O a lot!
Questions have been asked about the Trumps' entrance by a side door and the two couples not posing together for a photo in front of the White House. Things were different eight years ago with Bush 43 (i.e. 43rd president):
Bush WH organized a photo with the Obamas when they met at the White House in '08. But the Obamas canceled similar photo-op w/ Trumps pic.twitter.com/PKwI7Dd4D9
Breitbart had more on the matter:
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest refused to explain the details of the decision but denied the story.
"Not true," he said, during the White House press conference, when asked about the report. He also denied that the lack of a photo opportunity had anything to do with First Lady Michelle Obama not wanting to be photographed with the Trump family. He argued that it was not a "snub" of the Trumps, but rather a different strategy of press access.
The press pool was allowed into the Oval Office on Thursday, to photograph Trump and Obama together after their 90-minute meeting. The two men met alone, with no staffers present.
But Obama snubbed the press by telling Trump not to answer any of their questions after the meeting.
"Here's a good rule. Don't answer any questions," Obama said to Trump after reporters shouted questions at the pair.
Despite the pleasantries exchanged between the two political foes, Earnest specified afterwards that Obama still believed that Trump was unsuitable to be president …
Earnest's remarks contrasted with Obama's welcome of Trump at the White House, promising to meet the standards set by President George W. Bush …
Earnest hinted that the White House might release a photo of the two couples meeting.
Independent Bernie Sanders pledged his support to Trump. The Daily Caller reported:
"Donald Trump tapped into the anger of a declining middle class that is sick and tired of establishment economics, establishment politics and the establishment media," Sanders said. "People are tired of working longer hours for lower wages, of seeing decent paying jobs go to China and other low-wage countries, of billionaires not paying any federal income taxes and of not being able to afford a college education for their kids – all while the very rich become much richer" …
In his statement Sanders went on to say: "To the degree that Mr. Trump is serious about pursuing policies that improve the lives of working families in this country, I and other progressives are prepared to work with him …"
The Democrats' wounds are still raw. Despite Big Media's attempted character assassination of Trump and the voter fraud — which is why his popular vote isn't higher — he prevailed once again. (Are we sick and tired of winning, ladies and gentlemen? Never!)
Business Insider reports that the Democratic Party is in disarray.
It looks very likely that the DNC will replace current interim chair Donna Brazile. A White House staffer yelled at her for being 'part of the problem' in Hillary Clinton's loss.
Politico reports:
No party leader calls have been set to map out a plan ahead, and no signal has come from the White House or from Clinton's team about what comes next. The phone lines were silent, only slowly picking up, and escalating to a fever pitch as the defeated nominee prepared her morning speech and interim DNC chairwoman Donna Brazile sat on the silent 9:00 Acela [train] from New York to Washington.
The Washington Post says that Minnesota Muslim congressman Keith Ellison or former Vermont governor Howard Dean are tipped to lead the DNC. The Huffington Post says Brazile could stay on until March, however, based on the aforementioned yelling:
Thursday's meeting shows at least some party officials want fresh blood at the top.
Early in the morning of Wednesday, November 9, Clinton's team had to get pervy John Podesta to address campaign workers. This is because Clinton had been weeping 'inconsolably', according to Ed Klein author of the recent book on the Clintons, Guilty As Sin. Klein appeared on a radio show later that morning and said:
"She couldn't stop crying.
"Her friend said — her female friend from way, way, back — said that it was even hard to understand what she was saying, she was crying so hard.
"This is Hillary we're talking about," Klein said.
Clinton appeared two hours later dressed like Batman's The Penguin in black and purple. Earlier, Podesta had told everyone to go home. Yet, after Hillary spoke, there was applause. I read somewhere that the delay allowed travel time for a new audience of those closest to her: big wigs.
The New York Times has highlights of her concession speech and Obama's remarks.
Before I go into detail on the protests — all previously organised, none are 'organic' (spontaneous) like Big Media are telling you — Sundance at The Conservative Treehouse has a theory about Obama/Clinton and the demonstrations and riots taking place:
If the ridiculous election protests continue again tonight, then President Obama has not called them off. That means he and Clinton received no substantive assurances, and are worried about being held to account – prosecuted and investigated.
If the ridiculous election protest do not happen again tonight, then President Obama has called them off. That means he and Clinton feel more comfortable they will not be held to account – prosecuted and investigated …
Ultimately the Machiavellian political gamesmanship then evolves toward how does Obama/Clinton "feel" about the success of their initial probing for terms.
Demonstrations and riots around the US continued the night of November 10.
After this post, I will be mentioning them as little as I can. They do not deserve the oxygen of publicity, to borrow Margaret Thatcher's phrase.
However, I do want everyone to understand what is happening here.
Americans should note that there are laws on riots — 18 U.S. Code § 2101 — as being criminal rather than examples of freedom of speech. In part:
(a) Whoever travels in interstate or foreign commerce or uses any facility of interstate or foreign commerce, including, but not limited to, the mail, telegraph, telephone, radio, or television, with intent—
(1) to incite a riot; or
(2) to organize, promote, encourage, participate in, or carry on a riot; or
(3) to commit any act of violence in furtherance of a riot; or
(4) to aid or abet any person in inciting or participating in or carrying on a riot or committing any act of violence in furtherance of a riot;
and who either during the course of any such travel or use or thereafter performs or attempts to perform any other overt act for any purpose specified in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or (D) of this paragraph— [1]
Shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
I would not hold my breath expecting anyone to be prosecuted. However, after the inauguration, watch for this law to be enforced in future.
The demonstrators in Austin, Texas, who marched not far from the state capitol building, arrived by bus:
Anti-Trump protestors in Austin today are not as organic as they seem. Here are the busses they came in. #fakeprotests #trump2016 #austin pic.twitter.com/VxhP7t6OUI
— erictucker (@erictucker) November 10, 2016
Not only that, but they were paid.
At least one ad appeared on Craigslist:
Here's another Craigslist ad, this one for Manhattan, from a European television network (I'm curious):
Earlier on November 10, a panellist on Fox and Friends actually asked if George Soros was funding these demos and riots. This is good, because Big Media never do this. In case the YouTube in the previous link is removed, The_Donald reproduced the exchange:
Brian: "There were no protests for Al Gore, there were no protests for John Kerry, there were no protests for Mitt Romney. What's going on?"
Steve: "Well, back then, George Soros wasn't funding these things. Is he behind this? Don't know!"
Many people say that when Soros dies, all this seditious activity — explained here in detail — will die with him. Not true. His children are every bit as committed to it as he is. One also appears to be involved with the Clinton Spirit Cooking dinners.
Breitbart reported that MoveOn.org — Soros's flagship activist organisation — has anti-Trump protests and riots going on all over America. Amazingly, people actually contribute to MoveOn.
A wide network of organisations affiliated with MoveOn are involved.
In March, after the cancellation of Trump's rally in Chicago, Independent Sentinel listed several groups allied with MoveOn and added:
The billionaire George Soros and other liberal donors bankroll a new $15 million campaign to mobilize Latinos and other immigrants this fall, hoping to channel outrage at Donald J. Trump and other Republicans into a surge of votes for Democratic candidates in November …
And now that has failed on a national scale, they have today's violent protests, such as this riot in Portland, Oregon. (More here.) If these anarchists and maladjusted folks aren't driving sceptical Americans into the Trump — and gun — camp, I don't know who is.
Below is a list of planned protests from ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism). You can also read more here:
Another group to watch for is Socialist Alternative, one of whose directors is a union man, born and bred in Britain, who has lived in Chicago for many years. They, too, have a list of demonstrations.
A number of the protesters are carrying professionally printed signs. One of The_Donald's contributors has seen some that read revcom.us on the bottom, indicating another Soros-funded communist organisation.
It also looks as if Aaron Black — featured in this James O'Keefe Project Veritas video about bird dogging (inciting Trump supporters to violence) — is part of the protest mix. He makes sure everyone is kitted out with signs and whatever else they need. He is supposed to be a background man and says no one should be able to easily identify him at protests.
On Chicago's West Side, a man was dragged out of his car at an intersection and was brutally assaulted. This post has a YouTube video of young men pulling a motorist out of his vehicle, beating him up, stealing items from his car — all abetted by a woman shouting instructions nearby. This tweet has a video of what happened next: the young men got into the car, the man was able to grab onto a door frame and they all sped off around the corner, with the man holding on for dear life. The Chicago Tribune caught up with him afterwards (photo at link). Emphases mine below:
David Wilcox, 49, said he was about to turn left from Kedzie Avenue to Roosevelt Road around 1 p.m. Wednesday when a black sedan pulled up and scraped the right side of his Pontiac Bonneville.
"I stopped and parked. And I asked if they had insurance, and the next thing that I knew they were beating the s— out of me," Wilcox said Thursday …
"They were beating me to have me let go of the car," Wilcox said. "The guy went to 70 and 80 mph. If I let go, I was dead. He slowed to 45. … He tried to push the door open. …So he stepped on it again.
"He stepped up back to 70 and 80, swerved again," Wilcox said. "The wheels on my side left the ground, up to 2 inches. … Then he slowed down. I was looking at oncoming traffic. He probably slowed to about 45. God was watching over for me. I rolled about five or seven times into the oncoming traffic lanes.
"There was a parole officer with a gun and bulletproof vest," he added. "He turned left, and he told me just sit down and wait for the police to come."
Wilcox filled out a police report, but no one was reported in custody Thursday afternoon. Police said they were investigating the beating and who made the "politically divisive" statements in the video.
I wonder if he got his car back. It should have DNA.
Pray for David Wilcox's recovery. He must be undergoing trauma, even if it doesn't show.
If that is not a hate crime, I do not know what is. They could have killed him, directly or indirectly. This got little to no coverage outside of Chicago!
In California, a female high school student near San Francisco was beat up by another classmate — also a girl — for supporting Trump online:
Cellphone video captured the moment a female student attacked sophomore Jade Armenio.
"This girl comes up to me and she said, 'Do you hate Mexicans?' and I was like, 'no,' and she said, 'You support Trump. You hate Mexicans.'"
Armenio says the girl hit her, threw her to the ground, pulled out her earrings and hair. She was left with a bloody nose and scratches and bruises …
The princip[al] of Woodside High School issued a statement that reads in part the recorded incident was investigated in conjunction with law enforcement and appropriate disciplinary action has been taken …
Armenio['s] parents say they are keeping her out of school until they know she'll be safe.
Let's pray for her, too.
Meanwhile, a story that did get nationwide coverage turned out to be false. A university student in Lafayette, Indiana, accused two Trump supporters of tearing off her hijab and stealing her wallet. Thankfully, she confessed to a lie. She should be charged:
The story made national headlines and was featured in The New York Times, The Huffington Post and other national media outlets. Messages of love and support were found all over UL Lafayette's campus after news of the attack spread.
It's unclear whether the student will face charges for filing a false police report.
In closing, here is an interesting exchange from 2013. The_Donald calls it 'the tweet that started it all':
You can't stump the Trump!
And, finally, a great summary of the past few weeks, also from The_Donald:
Protests aside, the next four years are going to be an exciting — and positive — time for all Americans. Trump has a Republican Congress and Senate to help him to restore the Great Republic. Outspoken radio show host Michael Savage says:
God's hand is all over this election.
I truly believe it is.
One toddler's run-up to Christmas in Chicago
January 7, 2013 in Uncategorized | Tags: Chicago, children, Christmas | Comments closed
Jim Padar is a Chicago policeman who authors a blog, On Being a Cop, which I found out thanks to a reader's comment at Second City Cop. Officer Padar is a husband and father.
Padar provides vignettes of what a policeman experiences on the job. One of his posts, 'Ya don't wanna know', relates the story of two-year old Antoine which occurred just before Christmas one year:
It was a few days before Christmas and Mike and I were dispatched to Mount Sinai Hospital from morning roll call. Two year old Antoine Jarrett was DOA when his mother brought him in by fire ambulance. Child abuse was suspected. The Emergency Room staff was visibly disturbed and an intern angrily showed us to a private room where we examined the body of an emaciated two-year old boy lying on a gurney. In spite of death, his skin was grotesquely red. Mike and I looked quizzically at the doctor.
"Burns!" he was almost shouting. "From his shoulders to his feet, 95% of his body, second and third degree! His mother is with the beat officers in the police room."
Back at our office, mother told us that when she had returned home from work two days earlier, her boyfriend told her that Antoine had soiled himself and boyfriend washed him in the tub with hot water. Momma noticed the redness of his skin, but Antoine appeared to be sleeping. They put the toddler in a cardboard box next to their bed and he alternated between moaning and sleeping. When the moaning got bothersome, they would push the box further under the bed. For the next two days, Antoine had nothing to eat or drink as momma and boyfriend "waited for him to get better." This morning when he was totally unresponsive, they called the ambulance.
We handcuffed mother to the wall of the interrogation room and went to the residential hotel on West Jackson Boulevard where they lived. Boyfriend was sleeping, but he admitted us to the apartment and readily told us about "bathing" Antoine. When we ran the hot water, it was actually boiling and spitting steam as it partially filled the tub.
"He too ol' to be sh[—]in' hisself," explained boyfriend. "Da hot water teach him!"
Back at the area office the States Attorney Felony Review unit responded and took court reporter statements from both momma and boyfriend. They both seemed a bit bewildered that we thought they had done anything wrong.
"I brung him to da hospital," was momma's only defense.
Felony Review approved Murder charges against boyfriend and Child Endangerment against momma, the rationale being the mother's cooperation would be needed for a successful prosecution against boyfriend.
I missed supper at home that night, but I got there before the boys' bedtime. My two-year old raced across the room, narrowly missed the Christmas tree, and jumped into my arms. I gasped involuntarily as he wrestled with me. I wrestled to maintain my composure.
"Are you alright?" asked my wife as she stared at me from across the room.
I dropped my head and nodded silently as my son scrambled to get the upper hand.
"What happened?" she asked gently as she approached the two of us.
My voice was strained and hoarse, barely above a whisper:
"You don't wanna know, honey… you really don't wanna know."
We read about other accounts of child abuse every day in the Western world, all of which no doubt leave us stupefied. In many of these cases, as in the story above, the adults do not think they have done anything wrong. Another feature of the majority of these news stories is the presence of a 'boyfriend' as perpetrator.
The sex must be irresistible — worthy of a child's death.
This is what happens when people worship at the altar of pleasure.
Chicago police on heat waves and urban violence
July 10, 2012 in Uncategorized | Tags: Chicago, United States, weather | Comments closed
One of the Telegraph's young journos, Jon Swaine, recently wrote about the lengthy heat wave in the northeastern quadrant of the United States.
Murders, heat-related deaths and power outages plagued the region, from the Midwest to the East coast.
The header for his article ended with these words (emphases mine):
even being blamed for a spike in murders.
Well, yes, that's what happens during a heat wave in places which do not normally experience four to six months of hot weather every year.
Swaine and a number of commenters — so many that it seemed this rebuttal was apposite, even though they are unlikely to read it — missed the point entirely. Many said, 'There are plenty of hot places around the world with low crime rates' or 'I go to the hottest part of Spain every year and there's no problem.'
Summer heat and the northern United States
First, the clue is in the name: heat wave. Ditto crime wave. As if this needs explaining. Apparently it does. Wave denotes a temporary condition in this context: a spike or an uptick.
Second, it doesn't mean that crime never occurs the rest of the year. And, yes, for would-be or professional criminals, it's a year-round activity.
Third, show me someone who doesn't get testy when in a hot airless room in summer. Heaven forbid that Swaine should be at work when his office's air conditioning system ever goes down and the windows don't open or open only a few inches. He will find out jolly quick how miserable it is. Seeing that he is in Washington, DC, he should have a rough idea when he steps outside. Now, multiply those few hours or a working day by 10 or 14 24-hour periods, Mr Swaine, and see how you like it. Those were the summers I grew up with, and you can be sure a prolonged period of 24-hour heat in towns and cities which were normally cooler produced temporary negative effects in homes without air conditioning, still commonplace in my day. Babies cried more often, parents were irritable, children got severe whippings, men beat their wives and elsewhere — surprise — crime increased. One of my father's cousins used to listen to the police radio during the day. He would call my grandmother during every heat wave, saying it produced a flurry of calls; the dispatchers were busy calling their colleagues out to another address from morning to the middle of the night. This would continue until rain brought temperatures back to normal.
Fourth, heat can adversely affect northern urbanites who are substance abusers, hot tempered and/or prone to violence. This is just is a fact of urban life in parts of the United States which normally have somewhat cooler summer temperatures. Living in the upper storeys of a block of council flats is no treat. Your windows never open wide enough. There's rarely a breeze. Heat flows upward in a building. You might have infants or young children who are hot and uncomfortable. You might be dealing with sobriety in 40º C (104ºF) temperatures because you've run out of money and are unable to score your next hit. Or there might be a family conflict which the heat exacerbates. Or a baby might be unwell from temperature extremes. Or the building is noisy. Or there's a gang score to settle and you're irritable enough to want to punch, knife or shoot someone — now. It's also too hot to have sex. The last thing you want is someone resting near you or too much physical exertion. Need I say more? The Swaines of this world and his commenters should feel free to use their imaginations. Air conditioning? I should cocoa. I would love to see them stay in the inner city during a period like this and see how well they get on.
Fifth, there are different types of heat. In the northeastern quadrant of the United States, summer warmth brings with it a surfeit of humidity. If this were the dry heat of the western and southwestern US, it would no doubt be more tolerable, however, the humidity makes a bad situation worse. You perspire constantly. Your body is constantly hot, day and night. Yes, you can still live, but the area from your head to your shoulders feels as if there is a heater in it which exudes condensation. There is no relief. You crave coolness, especially when there is no breeze, which is common during these exceedingly hot periods.
Chicago's heat wave of 1995
The Chicago Tribune has a series of photographs of the city's memorable heat wave of 1995. Picture 4 shows a block of council flats ('housing project'). Look ma, no AC! Swaine would probably be surprised. Those people must have been miserable as all get out. Today's residents no doubt are, too.
Also for Swaine and his readers' edification is the second photograph showing a policeman, completely spent.
This is not something to be taken lightly. More from the Chicago police in a moment. But first …
Received wisdom and history about crime and excessive heat
Again, this pertains only to regions which do not normally experience extremes of heat during the spring, summer and autumn months. To clarify: cities with extended warm seasons such as New Orleans, Miami, Phoenix, Marseille, Rio and Bangkok are excluded from this section.
There is a heat window for the northeastern quadrant of the US which produces an upsurge in violence. Below that, rates are as 'normal' as they can be. Above that level, people become too lethargic to murder although tension hangs heavily in the air.
Here is one useful comment following Swaine's article from Tom (July 9, 2012, 12:22 p.m.):
In an Alfred Hitchcock movie, it was postulated that 92 degrees Fahrenheit, 33.3 degrees Celsius, was the temperature most likely to promote murders …
Those familiar with the Founding Fathers' Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1776 will recall that the weather was very hot. The eponymous musical even includes a song entitled 'It's Hot As Hell In Philadelphia'. Numerous quarrels arose when they thrashed out the finer details of the fledgling republic. No doubt the heat exacerbated these.
A comment on an unofficial police blog from Chicago — Second City Cop — makes this prescient observation which those who grew up in the big city without air conditioning would appreciate. It was a maxim a child learned:
* SUMMER HOLIDAY + LUNAR ALERT + EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING *
"100-degree weekend followed by FULL MOON TUESDAY JULY 3 followed by 100-degree 4th of July followed by another 100-degree weekend.
"Double-decker Death Sandwich."
Too many people live with air conditioning these days and are unaware of the real dangers of extreme heat in a Northern US city and the tension it produces.
Public holidays and full moons, as any policeman will tell you, only exacerbate the situation.
Another commenter on Second City Cop responded to the shootings from June 29 through July 4, 2012:
"Totals from Friday thru July 4th 11:59 PM: Total People shot is 81 including 17 Murders…"
What we really want is the total from Friday, June 29 ending 0001 hrs Monday, July 9.
Over 100 degrees at times during a 10-day period consisting of a weekend, then a full moon Tuesday, July 3, then the Fourth of July, then another hot weekend.
Should be REALLY impressive — and there will probably be a few extras Monday morning as well.
Chicago police on coping with 2012 and remembering 1995
This post, 'Building Heat = More Bodies', warns about temperatures exceeding 100°F for a few days in succession. This would make it the hottest heat wave since 1947. Although there might not be murders at this rate, physical discomfort and general tension will not have dissipated.
Interestingly, an early comment notes that the Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy — originally from New York — appears to have said there is no link between extreme heat and crime.
Now back to 1995. Most of the police comment as Anonymous, understandably. These comments concern deaths of the elderly and vulnerable. They also consider side-effects such as loss of water which occurs when residents open fire hydrants to cool off.
Warning — some details below might shock sensitive readers:
Remember back in 1995, the wagons lined up at the morgue, waiting to drop off???!!!
I recall being in a line of as many as 11 Wagons waiting to drop off a body. If it wasn't already a "stinker", it was by the time you got your turn to get inside.
They also had a slew of refrigerated trailers to store the "overflow".
"several hundred" deaths in 1995? Try approximately 750.
I remember 1995, also I remember area One detectives going out on the deaths. Also there was no air conditioning in area One until a detective called [Michael] Sneed [a local investigative journalist], she reported it and the next day the air was turned on.
Many bodies of mostly older people who were too afraid to even crack their windows because of the locals.
It got really bad when all the electrical transformers started overheating and large areas of the city were without power.
… if you think the homes … these morons crawl out of are air conditioned, then I have a bridge to sell you.
Cfd [Chicago Fire Department] responded to over 3500 calls between midnight July 3rd and midnight July 4th [2012]! Stay safe to my brothers and sisters on the cpd [Chicago Police Department].
For the young gel-heads on the job that dont know anything about nuthin, July 1995 had 2 weeks of upper 90s up to 106 degrees 'n' humid – stalled over Chgo. Day 'n' night.
I was a wagonman back in 95 … Some days I had 2/3 bodies in the truck, sometimes waiting 4/6 hours in line at the morgue,then going back out to gather more souls.
What about the ac in the first district [2012], been broken for weeks upstairs. Hotter inside than out.
[1995] that was the time to get a way with a homicide. Suffocate some one elderly, the morgue was so screwed up, no one really was given an autopsy. What the heck. We had a woman who died in the heat wave, the me ruled death/natural/cardioid/heat related. The daughter called and accused the recently paroled brother. Claimed insurance job.
… The human body is an absolute horror by about day 4.
Exhausted morgue attendants in pink disposable scrubs, sitting by the dock with their heads in their hands.
105 degrees and 100% humidity …
Many are afraid to open windows because something will be immediately climbing in … I have hurt myself yanking and prying stuck windows open — and then who is going to shut it later?
Way to go is "shelter in place." … buy Grandma a 5000 BTU …
Happened near us in 1995. Daughter was going to pick up her mother to take her to the hairdresser. Mom was dead by then.
Hairdo can wait. Get an A/C, load it into your automobile, and get it over there. Like, right now.
During the 1995 blast, plenty of houses and apartment buildings were without running water for a while if they were located on a high-point street like Narragansett, Ridge, etc. — these are former ancient lake shorelines. Water runs downhill, of course, and what you had downhill was a combination of people opening hydrants and Yuppies watering lawns and washing cars like it was double-urgent.
It all added up. Turn on the faucet and listen to the air sucking back into it…
I remember going to check out the infamous 'suspicious odor' in that heat wave. After getting there the neighbors started to gather on the sidewalk right in front. We scoped out what was inside, got our cigars and told them they better get out of the way and that they'd want to stand far away.
Well, they didn't listen, and after we scraped this guy into a body bag we headed outside. Took about 4 seconds for people to start gagging, sputtering, and running …
Hope it doesn't get that bad again. All in all, it was a sad situation. Then I remember having to knock on doors to check on people for days on end in the sweltering heat.
There is no reason to be flippant about heat waves. They are serious and can cause injury or death. They are no laughing matter.
Practical advice on staying cool in a hot house: For temporary relief, wet a hand towel or regular sized bath towel in cold water, wring well and drape over your head and shoulders. Repeat as necessary.
Why did Chicago's new mayor have such a large war chest?
March 7, 2011 in secularism | Tags: Chicago, Democratic Party, politics, United States | Comments closed
For my readers outside of the United States — in case you didn't know, Chicago elected a new mayor on February 22, 2011.
Rahm Emanuel, President Obama's former chief of staff, won the election with 55% of the vote. Questions arose earlier in the campaign as to his eligibility, since Mr Emanuel was not a Chicago resident under the terms defined for a mayoral candidate. (Today's 'campaign poster' comes courtesy of The Smoking Jacket.)
Mr Emanuel has long been known by insiders for his hot temper and by the man on the street for his charm. During the Inauguration Day proceedings in 2009, he was snapped in the crowd thumbing his nose and laughing. He also told the Administration to 'never let a crisis go to waste'. Before becoming involved in politics, he was a ballet dancer. As such, some his detractors have dubbed him Tiny Dancer and Ballerino.
However, no one denies that he knows how to work media and people to his advantage. Money flowed into his campaign coffers. Second City Cop (language alert) tells us more about his war chest, said to have totalled $18m, and its contributors (emphases mine to highlight those living outside of Illinois) —
Here is a quick list of Rahm donors:
Shahid Khan : Pakistani from Champaign, Il, owner of Flex-n-Gate products and bidder on the St. Louis Rams — $100,000.00 (WT-!)
Blue Media LLC — $100,000.00 (huh?)
James Clark (Palm Beach, FL) $100,000
Donald Edwards (Chicago) $100,000
Fred Eychaner (Chicago, News Web CEO) $100,000 Hmmmmm?
David Geffen, record and film producer: $100,000
Donald Trump : $50,000
Steven Spielberg: $75,000
Diane and David Heller (Chicago) $200,000
Haim Saban, made Inspector Gadget and other cartoons: $300,000
The list goes on and on… I didn't know the mayor of Chicago was so important to the country.
A reader remarks:
$18,000,000.00 spent to get a job paying 165K?
You stupid people.
Good luck with your future …
And how many people turned out to vote?
Thirty-five-point-six percent voter turnout?
1.4 million registered voters;
35.6% means 498,400 people voted;
at last count, Rahm had 305,000 votes
Reader Bill puts this into perspective:
The facts here tell us a simple story;
The number of registered voters is vastly smaller than the number of eligible potential voters.
The number of registered voters who bother to vote is vastly smaller than the number of registered voters.
The vast majority of Chicagoans don't give a —- about who runs this town.
Which means this town is doomed.
It will be a new (yet very similar) Machine — the name given to the Chicago political system which makes New York's 19th century Tammany Hall corruption look tame and short-lived by comparison. It's interesting that Toby Harnden from the Telegraph reports that the outgoing mayor's brother, William Daley, is President Obama's new Chief of Staff (Mr Emanuel's previous position).
So, the question is — why the large contributions from all and sundry? Many wonder if Mr Emmanuel has his sights on the White House eventually. In the meantime, contributors can curry favour for media contracts (Mr Clark founded Netscape and Blue Media is involved with Democratic Party work), films, massive construction projects and the like.
Yes, I understand that the Chicago Police (and firefighters, for that matter) are concerned about the future of their pensions. Yes, I realise that Mr Emanuel's brother runs a Hollywood talent agency. Still, does Rahm love the city or is he doing this as a stepping stone on the fertile Obama plain to great heights in the future?
Having said that, there were no other candidates who were not already cogs in the Machine. There is no way out for Chicago. Watch what happens to America's former Second City over the next decade. Many see another Detroit on the horizon.
In closing, once again the media were complicit in 'bigging up' the Mayor-elect. Leftist columnist E J Dionne fawns over him for the Washington Post:
One of my favorite (printable) Rahm quotations is his observation that the talk in his home when he was growing up led him to believe that the Democratic Party "was one of the 10 lost tribes of the Jewish faith." This primordial feeling allows him to understand every kind of Democrat …
Now, he will be the star …
More at the WaPo link … if you can bear it!
Chicago area Notre Dame Commencement plans — May 15 and 17
May 14, 2009 in Catholic, school | Tags: abortion, Catholic, Chicago, Notre Dame | Comments closed
Do you live in or near the Windy City and want a day out in South Bend on Sunday, May 17?
Notre Dame alum Tom O'Toole, organiser of the POPE Project, has buses scheduled for his alma mater. Register here if you would like transportation to the campus prayer vigil on South Quad which will take place simultaneously with Commencement. There are buses leaving from two Chicago locations. For those living in the outer suburbs, buses will be leaving from Central Catholic High School on Edgelawn Drive in Aurora.
If you prefer a lunchtime venue on Friday, May 15, you can join a group at the Archdiocese of Chicago on Rush Street. The meeting is scheduled for 12 noon.
POPE Project organisers emphasise that protests and vigils are to be peaceful and prayerful.
If you are unable to attend, the POPE Project welcomes your contributions.
For more information about the Notre Dame Commencement controversy, click here.
Forbidden Bible Verses -- Luke 12:57-59

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Biografia
Era figlio di Bartolomeo Figari, ingegnere delle Reali ferrovie sarde, e Carmela Costa.

Per il lavoro del padre, nel 1890 si trasferisce insieme alla famiglia a Sassari, dove conosce Giuseppe Biasi, con il quale compie le sue prime esperienze grafiche su dei locali giornali satirici.
Nel 1904 rientra a Cagliari con la famiglia. Dopo essersi diplomato al liceo ginnasio Dettori, espone le sue caricature in una mostra con Felice Melis Marini.

Pochi mesi dopo parte per Roma dove il poeta Salvator Ruju lo introduce nella redazione del quotidiano La Patria, per il quale realizza numerose caricature.

Nel 1916 viene chiamato alle armi. Dopo essersi distinto in un'azione di guerra per cui sarà successivamente insignito della medaglia di bronzo al valore, cade prigioniero degli austriaci e viene recluso nella fortezza di Komaron.

Dal 1929 fino alla caduta della dittatura fascista è segretario del Sindacato regionale fascista belle arti.

Dopo aver esposto alla Prima mostra del sindacato regionale fascista del 1930 a Sassari, partecipa a varie altre mostre. Nel 1931 espone alla I Quadriennale nazionale d'arte di Roma, dove una sua opera, La Vendemmia, viene acquistata da Vittorio Emanuele III.

Nel 1935 diventa direttore della Scuola d'Arte di Sassari.

Con la caduta del regime è soggetto di vari attacchi personali per aver mantenuto per molti anni la carica di Segretario sindacale.

La decorazione del municipio di Cagliari
Nel novembre del 1911 vengono assegnati i lavori di decorazione del palazzo civico del Comune di Cagliari. Figari ottiene la sala dei Matrimoni. Per realizzare tale opera egli si trasferisce per circa tre anni nel paese di Busachi dove elabora le bozze che poi saranno la base delle tele che realizzerà. Nella rappresentazione del matrimonio sardo il pittore ritrae varie situazioni della tradizione sponsale: l'uscita degli sposi accompagnati dal suono delle launeddas accolti delle donne che gettano il grano come segno augurale, il ballo dello sposo con una delle invitate, momenti di festa intorno al focolare ma anche diverse scene di vita quotidiana del paese di Busachi. Nelle tele sono rappresentati anche gli abiti tradizionali dei paesi di Samugheo e Atzara.

Voci correlate
 Istituto statale d'arte Filippo Figari

Collegamenti esterni

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Song Greater Than The Singers
In everything he did and in everything he said, Jesus Christ sang a song. Sometimes, when he cured a sick person, he sang softly and gently, a song full of love. Sometimes, when he told one of his beautiful stories, he sang a haunting panpipe melody that, once heard, is never forgotten. Sometimes, when he defended the rights of the poor, his voice grew strong and powerful, until finally, from the cross, he sang so powerfully that his voice filled the universe.
The disciples who heard him thought that this was the most beautiful song they had ever heard, and they began to sing it to others. They did not sing as well as Jesus had – their voices went flat, they forgot some of the words – but they sang to the best of their ability, and the people who heard them thought in their turn that this was the most beautiful song they had ever heard.
And so the song of Jesus gradually spread out from Jerusalem into other lands. Parents began to sing it to their children, and the song passed down through the generations and the centuries.
Sometimes, in the life of a great saint, the song was sung with exquisite beauty. Sometimes, however, it was sung very badly, for the song was so beautiful that there was power in possessing it, and people used the power of the song to march to war and to oppress and dominate others. Always, however, the song was greater than the singers and never lost its ancient beauty.
This is the first part of a homily at mass given by the Australian bishop, Geoffrey Robinson. Judith, in our parish, was sent the homily and passed it on to me. I read it at the Christmas Carol Service on Christmas Eve and people liked it, asked for copies. Copies are available, but I thought the parish would be glad to read the first and, later, the other parts.
We are always blessed when someone sees our precious truths in a new way. "Sing a new song to the Lord."
God bless us,
(8th January 2017)
Here is the concluding part of the Homily at the Eucharist by the Australian bishop, Geoffrey Robinson. Thank you for the comments you have made about this "song of faith".
"There was always a tension between the beauty of the song and the weakness and the pettiness that I found within myself and in so many others who shared this song with me, but the song sustained me throughout the years.
"But then the darkness of evil within the Church gathered around me, and at times it was so deep that it seemed that the very song itself had been conquered. But in the depths of that darkness, when my clinging to the song was based on blind faith rather than on any warm feeling within me, I realised that the song is quite simply part of who I am and it is in the darkness that it is most important to me.
"The song must not stop with us and we in our turn must sing it to others. In doing this we must remember that this song has two special characteristics.
"The first is that we, too, will never sing the song as well as Jesus did – our voices lack strength and go flat, we misunderstand the words – but, if we sing this song to the best of our ability, people do not hear only our voices. Behind us and through us they hear a stronger and a surer voice, the voice of Jesus.
"The second is that we always sing the song better if we can learn to sing it together – not one voice here, another there, each singing different words to different melodies, but all singing the one song in harmony. Then people will truly know that it is still the most beautiful song the world has ever known."
God bless us all to sing the song in harmony, each in our own voice
(29th January 2017)
CategoriesFr John's - Most Popular, Fr John's Weekly TagsA Song, Apostles, Australian Bishop, Beauty, Cross, Fr John's Weekly, Geoffrey Robinson, Homily by Australian Auxillary Bishop Geoffrey Robinson, Jesus
Previous Post Previous Self-assessment!
Next Post Next The Gift of Life


text:
Q: How to caution your opinion or judgement may sound biased in an idiomatic way? I was talking with my friend about my brother. My friend was a bit critical of my brother because of something he did. "My brother is one of the finest people", I told my friend. How can I introduce that sentence in an idiomatic way with another sentence suggesting my judgement or testimony my not be taken seriously and may sound biased because of the blood relationship with my brother?
Something along the lines of:
Look, my judgement may sound biased but he is one of the finest people.

A: There are several ways you could say this, some that come to mind are:

I know he's my brother, but he really is one of the finest people.

I'm not just saying this (because he's my brother) - he really is one of the finest people.

You may even simply start with:

I know this could sound biased, but honestly...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange