Insults Away

Current Issues / News & Comment

Insults Away

January 26, 2017

Insults Are Speech But Not Always Protected

The Short Version

Germany’s long-standing law against insulting leaders of foreign governments is going away after an unsettling row with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. At the same time, American actor Shia LaBeouf was arrested after a verbal altercation in front of an art museum in New York. The contrast between the two incidents demonstrates stark differences in attitudes between the two countries.

Say What?

Germany has long had a law that prohibits people from saying nasty things about foreign heads of state who are in Germany at the time of the insult. The German Criminal Code currently states:

“Whosoever insults a foreign head of state, or, with respect to his position, a member of a foreign government who is in Germany in his official capacity, or a head of a foreign diplomatic mission who is accredited in the Federal territory shall be liable to imprisonment not exceeding three years or a fine, in case of a slanderous insult to imprisonment from three months to five years.”

The law is part of old German code that has its roots in pre-World War II laws and revised to its current version after the war. It was recently brought into play as charges were filed against a German comedian, Jan Boehmermann. Boehmermann’s crime? He read a poem on television that insulted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “Insulted” is probably being a little too nice. The poem inferred a connection between the president and child porn and bestiality. I tried finding a reasonable translation and what I found was too disgusting to bother copying. Let’s just say that this poem, any way you look at it, was in very, very bad taste.

Naturally, the Turkish President was butt hurt. He called in the German ambassador. Charges were filed. Both nations got into a real tizzy about the whole thing. That was back in March-April of last year. However, the case was quietly dropped in October due to a lack of evidence. Boehmermann said that the poem was meant to show an example of the type of insult not allowed in Germany and that he never intended to insult the Turkish president directly.

German citizens, however, were deeply upset that charges had ever been filed in the first place, citing free speech. So, Justice Minister Heiko Mass said yesterday that the law is being scrapped, effective the first of next year.

Meanwhile, In The US

Actor Shia LaBeouf was arrested last night on charges of misdemeanor assault after he got in the face of a man reciting Nazi propaganda outside the New York City museum.

In case you’ve not been paying attention, the politically active LaBeouf set up a 24-hour live stream outside the museum on January 20, in conjunction with the inauguration of the 45th president. The stated purpose is for people to come up to the camera and repeat the words, “He will not divide us.”

Naturally, given all the free publicity the campaign has received, a lot of people with different messages have attempted to step in front of the camera and more than once dear Shia has gotten in their face. The Internet rather exploded on Monday with his verbal takedown of a white supremacist. When another such hate-filled speaker showed up in front of the camera yesterday, LaBeouf was again there to shout the person down. Only this time, according to the charges being filed, the actor pulled at the scarf of the man, scratching the man’s face in the process.

Wait, the scarf scratched the man’s face? What was that scarf made of, steel wool? Something doesn’t sound quite right here.

And yes, the Internet has taken note of the fact that a jew was arrested for taking down a Nazi. #FreeShia has been trending on Twitter all night.

The timing of the two incidents is interesting, though. We generally associate Nazis with Germany. Yet, in this case, it would appear that one has greater freedom of speech in Germany than one does in the United States. Something to think about.

Current Issues / News & Comment

A Flawed Democracy

January 26, 2017

The US is no longer a shining example of democracy

The Short Version

Don’t blame the 45th president for this one. A long-term distrust in government, political parties, and elected representatives were among the primary reasons for the United States being demoted to a “flawed democracy” in the latest report from the Economist Intelligence Unit. This change from being a “full democracy” would have happened even without last year’s election. We’ve done this to ourselves.

Wait, Who Are These Guys?

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) is the research and analysis arm of The Economist Group. Founded in 1946, they provide long-term and far-reaching deep research and analysis used by governments and major corporations with an eye toward recognizing both risks and opportunities to business and economic growth. While their research necessarily involves political matters, their primary perspective is economic and is generally considered non-partisan.

How Are We Defining Democracy?

The EIU defines a “full democracy” as one “underpinned by a political culture conducive to the flourishing of democracy.” That means it has a lot of things that we’ve lost. Things such as respect for political freedoms and civil liberties, a diverse media that functions completely separate from government influence, a government that actually gets things done, an apolitical judiciary whose rulings are enforced, and adequate and effective checks and balances. Stop and think for a minute. We once had all that, but we’ve given it away.

A “flawed democracy,” on the other hand, just sort of go through the motions. They largely have free and fair elections, but may have some flaws here and there. There is a basic nod toward civil rights, but respect for government is low and participation in government is lacking. Again, try to take an objective look at what we’ve become. We fit this definition far too well.

What The Fuck Happened?

Our long-term distrust in government is largely what did us in. Looking at research going all the way back to the 1950s, things such as Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, the Iraq War, the financial and housing crisis in 2008-2009, and government shutdowns have all contributed to how we feel about our government’s trustworthiness and ability to get things done. Our trust in government, according to data from Pew Research, is at the lowest point it has ever been.

Add to that the most severe income disparity of any developed nation. I mean, we’re not even close no matter how you slice it. Analysis from both Deutsch Bank and Goldman Sachs show just how incredibly wide the gap has become between the very rich and the very poor. As a country, we are failing at taking care of anyone except the super-elite. Frustration with this problem is largely the reason the 45th president was elected, but is unlikely to do anything to solve the base problem.

This results in a populism that is spreading across the globe. This quote from the report provides some important perspective:

“Populist parties and politicians are often not especially coherent and often do not have convincing answers to the problems they purport to address, but they nevertheless pose a challenge to the political mainstream because they are connecting with people who believe the established parties no longer speak for them.”

The EIU finds some encouragement in our low unemployment rate and some increase in basic wages. However, out attitudes toward civil rights and immigration and the president’s propensity to bypass the media continue to work against us.

We Are Not Alone

The United States wasn’t the only country to slip into the “flawed democracy” category. Japan, Italy, France, South Korea, Israel, Estonia, India, and Chile are right in there with us.

Yeah, we’re at the same level of democracy as Estonia. Stop and let that sink in for a minute.

The overall tone of the report is not especially encouraging. Concern is shown over what is seen as an exacerbated distrust in government as populist leaders prove unable to solve any of the problems that swept them into power.

You can download a copy of the full report here.

Current Issues / News & Comment

Mexico Says No

January 26, 2017

Not everyone wants the wall and no one wants to pay for it

Update

4:37 PM EST: Following the president’s remarks at the GOP retreat in Philadelphia, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said that the president would look to impose a 20% tax on all imports from Mexico in order to pay for the wall. Such a tax would require approval from Congress.

There is some consideration, however, as to whether such a tax would be effective in achieving its goal. Mexico’s primary export is manufactured products, which seems like a rather large category. However, a significant portion of those products are pieces used in the assembly of larger products, such as car parts and cell phone pieces. Direct imports to the US would result in higher prices to consumers and, most importantly, American businesses reliant on those parts. The increased cost would result in lower profits, inhibiting growth of American manufacturing.

The second largest export from Mexico is oil and oil products. Any tax here would require a separate act of Congress from the one taxing manufactured products. This would not only result in higher prices at gas pumps, but would significantly impact the profitability of American companies.

Finally, agricultural exports from Mexico are a critical area for US grocers as the demand for fresh fruit and vegetables year-round has become a dominant part of their business. Additional taxes on agricultural imports would significantly raise food prices and make some foods that are grown almost exclusively in Mexico unavailable to large parts of the US market.

There is almost no way to impose a tax on Mexican goods imported into the United States that doesn’t have the US taxpayer ultimately paying for that tax. The fact that the money might pass through the hands of the Mexican government somewhere along the way is irrelevant. We still end up paying for the wall out of our pocket.

12:00 PM EST: Mexico’s president, Enrique Pena Nieto has said he will not attend the working meeting scheduled for Washington next Tuesday. This seems to have come in response to a tweet from the US president that said, “If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting.”

Response across Mexico has been strong. “I think that, in general, diplomacy is not conducted via Twitter,” Finance Secretary Jose Antonio Meade told Radio Formula. Mexico’s best-known opposition politician, leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, tweeted: “in the face of Trump’s latest outburst, don’t go to the meeting, and submit an urgent complaint to the U.N. for human rights violations.”

Both sides say that communication lines between the two countries are still open, but pressure is increasing on president Pena Nieto within Mexico to refuse any talks with the US until the wall is removed from the agenda.

The Short Version

Mexico’s president, Enrique Pena Nieto, said yesterday that Mexico will not pay for any form of a barrier along the US/Mexico border. This comes just hours after the US president signed orders to begin construction planning on the wall. Immigration and refugee activists have long decried the very idea of a wall and funding for the wall still faces strong opposition in the US Congress.

(more…)

Current Issues / News & Comment

Reasons To Protest

January 25, 2017

From pipelines to walls, the reasons to protest keep coming

The Short Version

Yesterday, the 45th president invited those behind the Keystone XL pipeline to resubmit a bid for the controversial construction blocked by the Obama administration. He then signed a directive for the US Army Corp of Engineers to expedite studies related to the Dakota Access Pipeline effectively stopped by protestors last year. Today, he will sign orders paving the way for the construction of a wall between the US and Mexico as well as limiting immigration from seven countries. Everywhere we look, the new administration is providing us ample reason to protest.

Down & Dirty Details

Remember all those protests that took place up in North Dakota last year? Thousands of people took part in a standoff between the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and the government over the Dakota Access Pipeline. While momentum was initially slow to build and media attention often waned, protestors stuck it out until President Obama intervened and instructed the US Army Corp of Engineers to consider alternative routes for the pipeline.

No one was dumb enough to think that the matter was settled, though. A new president had already been elected and had gone on record as favoring more domestic oil and gas drilling in addition to the construction of pipelines from the North. Any victory won back in December was only going to be temporary. Sure enough, the president signed a memo to the Secretary of the Army instructing the Corp of Engineers to:

… review and approve in an expedited manner, to the extent permitted by law and as warranted, and with such conditions as are necessary or appropriate, requests for approvals to construct and operate the DAPL …
… consider … whether to rescind or modify the memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works dated December 4, 2016
consider … prior reviews and determinations, including the Environmental Assessment issued in July of 2016 2 for the DAPL, as satisfying all applicable requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act
review and grant …requests for waivers of notice periods arising from or related to USACE real estate policies and regulations
issue … any approved easements or rights-of-way immediately after notice is provided to the Congress

The full text of the memo can be found here.

Again, no one is surprised; this is exactly what was expected from the new administration. However, the memo is like a wake-up alarm going off for all those who were unsure when their protests might be needed again.

Within the same document-signing session, the president also signed a document inviting the company behind the Keystone XL pipeline to resubmit a proposal. The Keystone XL project had been fully blocked by the Obama administration back in 2014. This move opens the door for the project to be reconsidered. The memo, which is largely full of legal jargon that comes with anything composed in Washington, not only invites TransCanada to resubmit their bid, but authorizes the Secretary of State to approve the bid and the US Army Corp of Engineers to facilitate the construction. The full text of the order can be found here.

Obviously, we’ve not yet seen the orders regarding immigration, but we do know some of the following matters are to be addressed in the signing at the Department of Homeland Security today.

An order to ban the entry of refugees into the United States, except for religious minorities escaping persecution, until more aggressive vetting is in place. This is intentionally directed at the number of Syrian refugees previously approved by the Obama administration.
An order to block visas being issued to anyone from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
An order directing the construction of a border wall with Mexico.

While there is a reasonable chance not all the orders regarding border security and immigration will be ready for signing today, they are almost certainly to be signed at some point this week.

Why Protests Are Necessary

Every last one of these issues establishes an anti-humanitarian foundation for the entire administration. As pipelines have a proven propensity for leaking, they endanger the health and welfare of anyone who lives downstream. Immigration is a necessary humanitarian need for innocent people driven from countries at war as well as those simply looking for a better way of life. The president is so anti-humanitarian that he has even threatened to deny federal funding to the more than 200 Sanctuary Cities scattered across the US. [A current list of the Sanctuary Cities can be found here.]

This is a case of silence yielding consent. When the people of the United States do not speak up on a matter, when we stay in our comfortable chairs and warm houses and do absolutely nothing regarding an issue, Washington then proceeds to do whatever the hell they want. While protests are not always successful, they do at least remind members of Congress that they are answerable to their constituents in the next election. We can replace every last one of them if necessary.

While regular communication with your members of Congress is good, protests emphasize to them just how important an issue is to the American people. Sitting in Washington, D.C. day after day can be numbing. Members of Congress not only lose touch with their direct constiuents, they lose touch with the realities of the nation they represent. They need us to remind them that we’re not only paying attention, but that we actually care about specific issues.

Choose What You Can Do

I know not everyone can do every thing. No one can be at every march. Some of us can’t march at all. The number of issues we care about is larger than we have time to address. A friend posted a link to this article on Medium.com regarding how to #StayOutraged. There is a lot of good advice in that article. It’s going to be a long four years and issue fatigue is going to set in quickly.

Consider what you care about. Find an effective form of protest that works for you. Then, make your opinions known. Loudly. Forcefully.

Let us constantly remind this administration that they do not have a mandate. Despite what the president claims, they lost the popular vote soundly. There is no legitimate evidence of fraud. We need to prove just how strong we are in our opposition to his presidency and, especially, his policies.

Resist.

Dissent.

#StayOutraged

Current Issues / News & Comment

Gag Orders

January 25, 2017

White House tactics straight from the communist handbook

The Short Version

White House tactics, from choosing who gets a seat in the Press Room to gag orders for various government agencies, not only attempts to circumvent the first amendment but employs tactics suspiciously like those used in communist countries in an effort to control information. The White House wants the press to drink the president’s kool-aid or shut up. Dissent from within federal agencies is not allowed.

Looking At The Whole Picture

There are a lot of little parts to this issue, not all of which have received a great deal of play on social media. So, let’s see if we can piece everything together a little bit.

The whole kerfluffle with the press started the week before the inauguration, as rumors spread that the White House Press Corp might be removed from the White House. Given that the press has had a permanent place there since Teddy Roosevelt’s administration, that information didn’t set very well and reporters seemed to be taking out their suspicion on White House spokesman Sean Spicer, who doesn’t take criticism or pointed questions very well. As a result, the then-president-elect went on Fox News and said:

“So we said we’re going to move it to a larger room in a nearby area, but not the same area, and the press went crazy. So I said, ‘Let’s not move it.’ But some people in the press will not be able to get in because there’s just too many. We’ll make sure you get a seat, but there’s too many people for this small room.”

There’s one significant problem with that statement. The president doesn’t choose who has access to the White House briefing room. That is the responsibility of the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA).

The president of the WHCA said over the weekend that the press room “is open to all journalists who seek access now” and that the WHCA will be ” standing up for the rights of a free press to report vigorously on the new administration.”

Consider that the first round of shots fired.

The whole concept of reporters having access to people and the ability for information to be released through various sources isn’t something the new president seems to like, however. He wants to control the entire message to make sure no dissenting opinions are released to the public. This is the same strategy we see employed by communist countries such as China, where state media is strictly under the control of Beijing and dissent is a one-way ticket to prison, or worse.

Then, more shit hit the fan yesterday as the president signed orders effectively gagging various federal agencies. The first one to catch popular attention on social media was against the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Washington Post reported that, “Employees of the scientific research arm at the Agriculture Department were ordered Monday to cease publication of “outward facing” documents and news releases, raising concerns that the Trump administration was seeking to influence distribution of their findings.”

That article hit social media and was immediately shared nearly 25,000 times on Facebook alone. Such an overwhelming amount of attention managed to wake up someone over at the Department of Agriculture, which immediately went into damage control mode. The USDA then released a new memo stating:

“This internal email was released without Departmental direction, and prior to Departmental guidance being issued. ARS will be providing updated direction to its staff. … ARS values and is committed to maintaining the free flow of information between our scientists and the American public.” (via Reuters)

Problem solved, right? It was all just a misunderstanding.

Uhm, no.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), you know, the folks who make sure our air isn’t as unbreathable as Beijing’s, is not only under a full media blackout, but is prohibited from awarding any new contracts or grants that had already been approved. How bad is this clampdown? So bad that the agency can’t even order janitorial supplies because they’re provided by an outside contractor.

According to the Associated Press, Doug Ericksen, the communications director for the president’s transition team at EPA, said he expects the communications ban to be lifted by the end of this week.

“We’re just trying to get a handle on everything and make sure what goes out reflects the priorities of the new administration,” Ericksen said.

No, that doesn’t sound like communist-styled control at all, does it? Yeah, we’re totally being sarcastic with that question.

Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer of New York said in regard to the EPA blackout: “This decision could have damaging implications for communities across New York state and the country, from delaying testing for lead in schools to restricting efforts to keep drinking water clean to holding up much-needed funding to revitalize toxic brownfield sites.”

Oh, by the way, the levels of lead in the water in Flint, Michigan are just now below federal limits. The EPA probably had something to do with that.

Employees at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) received gag orders similar to those given the USDA. All the agencies affected have something to do with environmental concerns, including effects on natural resources and human health. Given that the 45th president denies the scientific evidence for climate change, the appearance is that the new administration is attempting to stamp out any information that might foster dissent with the president’s grossly uninformed position.

Not everyone is necessarily acquiescing to the White House’s demands. In the face of the gag orders, someone at the Badland’s National Park took to Twitter with some strong environmental facts. The tweets have since been removed, but we managed to snag a screenshot while they were still there.

We don’t expect to see too much of this type of defiance from federal agencies in the future. While the new administration does not yet have secretaries approved for every department, the general fear is that all information, including social media, will have to undergo strict adherence to the administration’s guidelines before it is released.

As I said on Facebook yesterday, conservatives spent the eight years of the Obama administration fearing a socialism that never happened. With these new gag orders and crackdowns on the press, the new administration has brought us communism in less than a week.

If you’ve not yet contacted your members of Congress, we suggest you do so now. Silencing media, in any way, shape or form, is not making America great.

Art / Just For Fun / Photography

#AlternativeFacts: A Mini Gallery

January 24, 2017

Because no one tells lies anymore

#AlternativeFacts became one of the leading headlines over the weekend and we just couldn’t resist the temptation to play with some of our own. While we’ve seen some creative memes, we went more for the obnoxiously overstated. These are some of the most “alternative” facts we could find. All are things we’ve heard said in the past by real people who thought they were being smart. At the time, we thought they were idiots. Now, we find out they were just being “alternative.”

[tg_masonry_gallery gallery_id=”9765″ layout=”contain” columns=”2″]

Art / Current Issues / News & Comment

The Great Art Caper

January 24, 2017

An international crime ring is caught, just like in the movies

The Short Version

Spanish officials announced that they had arrested 75 people who were part of a ring of art thieves. The thieves had stolen over 3,500 pieces of art, many of which had come from countries currently at war. Several different agencies were involved in breaking the ring that had been active all over Europe for several years.

A Little More Detail

Spanish officials are just now letting the world know about a series of arrests that occurred back in November of last year, effectively breaking up a major art theft and trafficking ring that had been active all across Europe. 75 people were arrested and charged with involvement in the ring and over 3,500 pieces of art were recovered. Some of the art had been stolen from museums while others had been looted from countries at war.

This was no small undertaking. The case was known as “Pandora” and not only involved Spanish police, but InterPol, EuroPol, and Unesco, as well as officials from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Cyprus, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K. Can you imagine all the coordination and effort it took to keep all those different government entities working together? Spanish police should receive some kind of commendation just for organizing the whole thing.

The operation was apparently centered in Murcia, Spain, where some 500 artifacts were retrieved, including 19 pieces stolen from that city’s archeological museum in 2014. One link led to another. Over 48,000 people were interviewed as part of the Pandora project. Archeological pieces were tracked through sales around the globe, many of those sales occurring through online facilities such as ebay.com.

While officials said the Pandora investigation is now closed, UNESCO announced that 92 additional investigations have been opened as a result of the Pandora project. We’re thinking this whole thing is just begging to be made into a movie. Interested, Mr. Spielberg?

What’s the take away in all this? Don’t buy antiquities and art pieces online, dumbass. Buyers are responsible for doing appropriate due diligence before purchasing such work. The number of looted artifacts has exploded with the various wars in the Middle East. If you’re in the market, work only through a reputable art dealer and avoid online purchases.

Current Issues / News & Comment

Party Pooper

January 24, 2017

The US Abandoning The TPP Makes Life Difficult For Everyone

The Short Version

The 45th president of the United States signed an executive order instructing the US to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, a twelve-nation trade pact that lowered tariffs for imports and opened US-made goods to more markets. The remaining 11 nations have vowed to continue and some have raised the possibility of China stepping into the dominant role.

What’s Really Happening

Global trade pacts can get really confusing, so let me use a fictionalized example to see if we can explain it better.

Imagine that you and 11 of your best buds decide to throw a very large party. Everyone is participating bringing food and drinks. How much one is supposed to bring depends on the family income. The richest family brings the most, and everyone else participates according to their means. Everyone agrees that this method is fair and equitable for everyone and that the party is going to be the best ever. Period.

But then, the day before the party, the richest family backs out. They don’t want to attend the big party at all. Instead, they say they’d rather have 11 different little parties with just one friend at a time.

The 11 other friends are feeling totally bummed. Should they go on with the scheduled party or not?

Then, the really rich family from a couple of blocks over, who no one in the group really likes, offers to save the party by joining the group and bringing even more stuff than the previous rich family.

That’s pretty much the way the whole TPP situation stands at the moment. In case you’re having difficulty determining the players, the US would be the rich family. The other 11 would be Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei. China would be the family from a couple of blocks over that no one really likes.

NOW do you get it?

What’s important to realize is that the US was one of the originators of this party and did the lion’s share of organizing the whole thing. To back out at this point is to completely abdicate a leadership role in the trade policies of the region. Furthermore, the new president is making statements that has the other countries unsure they want to attend those private parties. Deals with individual countries would almost certainly set higher tariff rates than what is prescribed in the TPP. Almost all the countries listed depend heavily upon imports to the US as a major portion of their economy.

The party isn’t canceled by the US dropping out, though. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said earlier this morning that he has talked to the 11 other nations and they’re willing to go ahead with the trade pact without the US participating. He also raised the possibility of China joining the pact from which they are currently excluded. However, it is worth noting that should China take the place of the US, several key components of the agreement would have to be re-written, with any favor toward the US being eliminated entirely.

So, be exiting the TPP, not only does the US not get to go to the party, we’re stuck with shitty little side parties and we lose some of our friends entirely.

You might want to contact your members of Congress now. There’s no way this ends well for the US.

Current Issues / News & Comment

Don’t Burn The Toast

January 23, 2017

Butter doesn’t cover the cancer-causing ingredients

The Short Story

Britain’s Food Standards Agency says that starchy foods such as bread, potatoes, and chips, develop a toxic level of Acrylamide when they are cooked too long, ie. burned. The same thing happens to potatoes and parsnips that are kept in the fridge. Cooking the food to a golden yellow, rather than brown, is the safer move. However, the studies done have only included animals, not humans. Proceed at your own risk.

A Little More Detail

Starchy foods contain a lot of sugar, right? And when that sugar is heated above 120°C then it produces the chemical Acrylamide at levels that have shown to be toxic to DNA and cause cancer. No one likes cancer. Cancer kills a lot of people and the last thing anyone wants in their obituary is the line, “She died because someone burned the toast one too many times.” So this is a very, very bad thing.

Maybe.

The lab test have all been done on animals, most of which share a close DNA link to humans. Therefore, it is assumed that the result scientists get in the animals is the same they would get in humans. To be sure, though, they’d have to study the effect on humans. Someone would have to eat a lot of burned toast. Apparently, no one really wants to volunteer for that project, even if it includes a free lunch—of burned toast. So, as of yet, there have not been any tests done on humans. I’m sure you can appreciate why.

However, without the human studies, some scientist say the findings are inconclusive and that burning your toast is probably just fine. Don’t worry about those pesky little carcinogens. The cholesterol from the butter is probably more dangerous.

So, what are we to think?

Here’s the thing: the list of potentially affected foods includes: crisps, bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits, crackers, cakes, and coffee, as a result of the roasted beans.

Wait, COFFEE?? Say it isn’t so! You can take my toast, but you CANNOT take my coffee!

The current recommendation is that you just don’t burn anything, or get it too crispy. That would imply going with more moderate to mild coffee blends as well. That rather sucks for those who like a bold coffee first thing in the morning. Still, I guess that’s better than getting cancer. Barely.

Behind The Scenes / News & Comment

Texas Shootout

January 23, 2017

Another Jewel Heist Gone Wrong

The Short Version

A couple of guys tried knocking over the Kay’s Jewelers outlet in the Rolling Oaks Mall in San Antonio. It didn’t work out well for anyone. One man was killed, one robber was wounded, and six other mall shoppers were wounded as the robbers tried to escape. Both robbers are currently in custody.

How It Happened

Jewelry heists are something of a tradition in Texas, going back well before they were a state. Apparently, some people think that is a tradition worth upholding and considered a mall jewelry store a good target. Never mind that there were security guards all over the place and people all over the mall and, oh yeah, Texas is an open carry state, so a few people are probably armed and anxious to find a fresh target. Best guess is that the would-be robbers thought the mall would be relatively empty and the openness would make for an easy get-away.

Their plan didn’t come off too well, though. When a passerby saw what was going on at the jewelry store, he tried to intervene. Unfortunately, one of the robbers decided to shoot and kill the good samaritan. The firing of shots attracted a lot of attention, including that of another man who was licensed to carry a weapon. He used that weapon, shooting and injuring one of the robbers. That scared the other robber who probably feared other shoppers might be armed. So, he goes running for the closest exit, firing his gun at random shoppers because, hey, it’s Texas; apparently that’s the way it’s done down there. Six more people were injured.

Austin police were on the scene quickly and the robber was captured as he crashed his getaway car. Police found a couple more guns in the car, so there will be plenty of additional charges. There is no word this morning on the condition of the shoppers injured.

This is the second time an innocent bystander has been killed during an act of good-samaritanism in San Antonio. Not a good thing.

But then, this is Texas. They still have that cowboy reputation.

Current Issues / News & Comment

Killer Tornadoes

January 23, 2017

18 dead as storms hit the Southeast

The Short Version

As many as 19 people died over the weekend as deadly storms with powerful tornadoes ripped their way across the South from Louisiana to South Carolina. The majority of deaths occurred in Georgia where 14 people were killed in storms on Sunday. Four additional deaths occurred in storms in Mississippi on Saturday. The total amount of damage has yet to be determined, but is expected to be over half a million dollars as entire neighborhoods were flattened.

A Little More Detail

There really is no such thing as an “off” season for tornadoes in the South. While we typically think of Spring as being the time most ripe for the deadly storms, temperature fluctuations in the South keep the possibility of dangerous weather present year-round. Still, the strength of this weekend’s storms, which ran across the entire Southeastern United States, were surprising and managed to catch people off guard.

The first of the deadly storms hit Saturday in Mississippi where four were killed. The storm arrived in the Hattiesburg area before daylight Saturday morning, ripping up trees that were hundreds of years old and completely closing Interstate 59 for a while. Three counties were affected by the tornado as it tore across the Southern part of the state.

Early morning also proved to be the deadliest period in Georgia as a tornado completely flattened a mobile home park in the small town of Adel, killing seven and leaving many more homeless. The tornadoes didn’t stop there, though. Later in the afternoon, another twister hit Albany, where three more were killed.

The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma says that 39 possible tornadoes were reported over the weekend, though not all of those have been confirmed. January has averaged roughly 38 tornadoes each year over the past decade, but rarely do they contain as much destructive energy as those this weekend. Among those confirmed so far, 30 were reported in Georgia, four in Mississippi, and one each in Louisiana and South Carolina.

While the destruction was widespread, only Georgia has declared a state of emergency.

Photography / PotD

Strong Women: A Gallery

January 22, 2017

Beauty and glamor does not make a woman any less powerful

Over the years, I’ve photographed hundreds of thousands of women. Many were beautiful models, but many were not. Every last one of them, however, has been a wonderfully unique individual. So, when someone comes along disparaging women in any way, I tend to take offense. I despise the stereotype of the air-headed model who doesn’t know anything more than how to look good. Sure, there have been a couple over the years who seem to match that description, but the vast majority are far from that. Even those who might appear somewhat clueless are usually hiding strong qualities that are not immediately evident.

So, for today’s gallery, I decided to choose a group of photos specifically highlighting some of the strongest women I’ve known, specifically focusing on images from 2003-2008 just to keep things under control. Among those, you’ll find photos of Cherokee women quilting and doing beadwork. You’ll also find the late Anne McCaffery, author of the Dragonriders Of Pern series. You’ll find musicians, dancers, actors, designers, accountants, lawyers, immigrants, and so many others that I can’t remember them all.

If I were to include all the strong women I’ve ever shot the gallery would go on for pages. They are the rule, not the exception. Enjoy.

[Remember, click on an image to view the gallery in slideshow mode.]

[tg_masonry_gallery gallery_id=”9692″ layout=”contain” columns=”4″]

Current Issues / Long Read / News & Comment

Design Your Own Dissent

January 22, 2017

Not every day is a march but every day can be dissent

I’ll admit, I was amazed yesterday. Over one million women showed up in cities around the world to protest the policies and rhetoric of the 45th president of the United States. What quite literally started as the frustrated rant of a grandmother in Hawaii grew to the largest global protest ever.

The Women’s March on Washington proved a number of things. One is that women care a lot more about issues than old white men realized. Another was that women can show up in record-setting numbers and still be peaceful. Unlike protests on Friday that resulted in 230 arrests, the District of Columbia’s homeland security director, Christopher Geldart said there were no arrests in relation to the Women’s March. Third, it proved that women are tireless when fired up. At 8:00 PM last night, long after the march was scheduled to end, there were still thousands of women marching, chanting, and waving their signs.

Most importantly, perhaps, yesterday’s protests proved that the single voice of dissent can make a tremendous difference. One might feel alone in their opinion at times, and there will always be someone who will try to tell you that you’re wrong, but when you speak up you might just find that millions of people around the world agree with you. Your voice and your opinion matters.

Now, the question is where do you go next? How do you continue your dissent in a manner that is both effective and appropriate? The energy from the Women’s March was terrific, but how does one keep that energy going when there is laundry to be done, meals to cook, pets to feed, chores to do, and a career to chase? The true effectiveness of the Women’s March on Washington is not in the number of people who attended, but in the change it produces going forward. Dissent cannot be a one-day matter; it must be continual and persistent or it does no good at all.

Fortunately, we live in a time where we don’t necessarily have to march every day to make our dissent known and for it to be effective. We just happen to have some ideas.

Join A Group Of Like Minds

If you didn’t read yesterday’s article, Do You Really Care? then please put it on your list of things to do today. If you have not downloaded Indivisible: A Practical Guide for Resisting the Trump Agenda, we strongly recommend doing so. Much of what I would put under this heading is covered in those two documents and I really don’t want to be overly redundant.

That being said, however, one of the most powerful forms of dissent is to organize. I’m not saying you have to be the leader. I’m not saying you have to have regular meetings. Having coffee with a couple of friends who feel the same as you can be effective, though. The power of being in a group, even if it’s small, is the support and encouragement and affirmation that comes from being with those who have the same concerns, share your worries, and are looking for their own voice. You help them, they help you, and the dissent grows stronger every time you get together.

The energy in the Women’s March on Washington is a good example how a group can be effective. Of those millions of people who marched, how many would have done the same thing if they knew they would be alone? Very few, I’m sure. A single protestor holding a sign doesn’t get much attention in D.C. A group, however, has the ability to make more of an impact. One person shared her rant with 40 people. Look what happened.

On a smaller scale, being part of a like-minded group gives you much of the same energy. Share what you’re doing as an act of dissent. Talk about the responses you get from members of Congress and others you encounter. Share your worries. Encourage your friends. I know this doesn’t sound like much, but revolutions grow out of a couple of people sitting around having coffee and a danish. Find someone. Get together.

Want to be part of something larger? Try the Women’s March 10 Actions for 100 Days.

Start A Dissent Blog

There are a lot of ways a person can speak up online, but a blog remains one of the most effective, even outside of social media. The reason is that social media is “in the moment.” People see what has been put there in the past two minutes, but have more difficulty finding material posted days, weeks, or months earlier. Blogs eliminate that problem. Blogging platforms do a great job of automatically indexing everything you create so that it’s there and retrievable at all times without too much fuss or bother.

Another great thing about blogs is that you don’t have to be a professional writer and you don’t have to attend to it every day. You can work your blog around your own schedule, in whatever manner you want, with content of your own choosing. There are no rules about what you can or cannot say or how you say it. Curse. Scream. Whisper. You formulate the voice you want to express and then set it out there for the world to see.

How do you get started? We strongly recommend wordpress.com for most people. WordPress is a powerful publishing platform used by large sites such as the New York Times and the brand new Obama Foundation. A lot can be done with WordPress if one knows what they’re doing. However, most people don’t have that knowledge and, quite honestly, don’t want to be bothered with the time and expense of operating a full website. WordPress.com solves that problem. You can create your own blog there, on their servers, with very little effort and no expertise. You can make it large, you can keep it small, it’s all up to you.

From there, it’s just a matter of letting people know you’ve created something. Social media is good for that. Share your article with your friends. In fact, I’ll make you a promise: tag me with your dissent blog posts and we’ll share them as well. As we share each other’s content, the dissent grows and becomes more public. The power of a single voice becomes stronger.

We can help you with this one. Don’t be afraid to ask.

Hold Politicians Accountable

Let’s get real for a brief minute here. Politicians have never been the most honest group of people in the world. Whether they’re American or Mexican or French or Gambian, lying is something they all do extremely well. Our memories tend to be short on these matters, but misinformation coming out of the White House is almost a tradition. What has changed is that we can no longer afford to brush aside those lies and exaggerations. We can’t let the president or anyone else in the administration get away with deliberate and intentional lies about what they’re doing or the facts surrounding an issue.

Holding politicians accountable is a very powerful form of dissent right now because it’s not something we’ve done on a large scale before. Sure, there have been organizations such as Snopes that have cropped up in recent years, but to the extent that they don’t force their information onto a politician or anyone else, they need people like you and me to help spread the word. There are plenty of other sources as well. The Associated Press regularly fact-checks major speeches, whether by the president or anyone else who is getting national attention. Major newspapers such as the New York Times and Washington Post have huge archives with which they can check the accuracy of historical claims. The resources are there.

What has to happen, though, is that you and I have to be the ones to hold politicians feet to the fire both publicly and privately. Share fact-checking posts on social media. Confront your members of Congress with facts through email or letters. It is not enough that the information is being published, politicians need to know that you are paying attention. They count on the overload of information keeping you confused and uncertain of what they’re doing. One of the most powerful forms of dissent comes when you say, “Senator, I know you’re lying and I won’t tolerate it.”

Let ’em have it.

Use Social Media

Social media may be the most publicly accessible form of voicing one’s dissent there is. Generally free and open to everyone, the ways in which you can voice your dissent are innumerable. You can be as creative as you want, use almost any format you want, and address any issue you want. The world is open to hearing from you and the more unique you are in voicing your dissent the more powerful your voice can be.

There are, however, some caveats to this method. There are millions of people on social media, which means the volume of messages is heavy. There are a lot of things out there that don’t need to be repeated and are not deserving of the attention one has to be careful. Here are the guidelines we use for our own posts:

Verify everything you can before sharing. We’ve gotten caught occasionally jumping the gun and posting something that wasn’t quite true. A couple of years ago, that was no big deal. Apologize, remove the post, and move on. Today, however, given the tremendous influx of fake and misleading news, we have to be ever diligent and double our efforts to make sure that what we share is accurate.
Don’t be distracted by trolls. When you post something controversial or something that doesn’t sit well with some “friends,” comments are often made that start with phrases such as “Yeah, but what about …” or “That’s something a [derogatory name] would say,” in a deliberate attempt to diminish the impact of the post by pulling an argument away from the message. Don’t fall for it. When it happens, either delete the comment (you can do that) or block the person. Don’t take them on. Don’t argue with them. That’s what they want. Remove them and continue.
Use hashtags when they’re appropriate. I’ll admit, when hashtags first started becoming a thing, I didn’t like them. They seemed stupid and unnecessary. What I’ve learned over the past few years, though, is that they actually do serve a purpose, especially when one is talking about something topical and trending. People are much more likely to see what you’ve posted if it contains an appropriate hashtag such as #SpicerFacts or #WomensMarch.

Another issue that is extremely important in social media is sharing. Each of us has a rather limited audience that is a fraction of the total number of friends or followers we might have on any given platform. When we share what each other has posted, we enlarge that audience and spread the message of dissent. The more we share, the broader the dissent becomes. Don’t be afraid. Share liberally and watch the dissent grow.

Visual Aids

A quieter but still effective form of dissent can come in the visual elements you wear or place around you. Now, let’s be a tiny bit careful here. Your workplace may have rules regarding the display of anything that might be considered political or controversial. Check if you are not sure of your employer’s policies. However, that being said, to the extent you can do so without getting fired, wearing buttons and t-shirts, posting signs and stickers that voice your dissent are very powerful. You don’t have to say a word for people to know where you stand. The more people see such forms of dissent, the more likely they are to join in the dissent, making it all the more powerful.

I’m personally of the opinion that the strongest visuals are those you make yourself, but then, I have tools to make them look good. Not everyone has the time or motivation to create their own. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of places across the Internet that sell buttons and stickers. Cafe Press probably gives you more choices across a number of different products, from buttons to stickers to t-shirts and more.

There’s also the option of purchasing bulk buttons and stickers and distributing them to like-minded people. My personal preference is for buttons simply because my experience has been that people tend to put stickers in places where they’re not wanted and the stickers are difficult to remove. Buttons can be transferred from one piece of clothing to another and generally don’t tend to violate as many corporate dress policies.

Don’t Be Afraid To Be Extreme

To what extent you take your dissent may well depend on your lifestyle. Not everyone can be extreme in their dissent, but those who can shouldn’t be afraid to do so. I’ve already seen a couple of tattoos and at least one person has had “resist” cut into their hair on the side. Things such as car wraps are a little expensive for most of us, but are still an extreme form of dissent that is definitely going to get noticed (and make cause your insurance rates to go up).

Extreme can also come in the groups which one chooses to support. From Planned Parenthood to the ACLU to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there are dozens of major organizations that are providing a voice of dissent. Each of these non-profits rely on donations. While they are happy to accept even the smallest amounts, an extreme donation from those who can reasonably do so can make a tremendous difference in voicing your dissent. Yes, it can be a bit scary, but it is worth it.

And Finally …

Don’t be afraid to inject some humor into your dissent. There’s plenty to be had and the effect of humor on dissent can be extremely powerful. Here are some examples we pulled from the #SpicerFacts stream on Twitter.

Guess the number of jelly beans.

Me: 87
Wife: 134
Sean Spicer: 1.5 million #spicerfacts pic.twitter.com/dq7MmhgG3H

— Mark Zohar (@markzohar) January 22, 2017

It was a costume inauguration party! All the guests came dressed as empty seats. #SpicerFacts pic.twitter.com/hMg8OdWkjY

— Keep2020Alive (@Keep2020Alive) January 22, 2017

Trump University won the Rose Bowl 25 times in the last 25 years. Period. #SpicerFacts

— Tricia Miller Hewson (@iambonafide) January 22, 2017

#SpicerFacts This is a puppy. pic.twitter.com/vhFvgfmtkq

— imfabulous (@imfabulous13) January 22, 2017

That was not empty space…that was millions of people wearing sheets. PERIOD. #Spicerfacts pic.twitter.com/APnSG4L9Pi

— DG Curry (@DGCanuck) January 21, 2017

See? We can have fun and still make our point loud and clear.

How you design your dissent, the means and the methods which work best for you, is totally subjective. There are numerous options and choosing what is going to be effective depends largely on your lifestyle and level of comfort and passion. What’s most important is that we not let up in making our voice heard. Now. Tomorrow. Next week. Next year. Every time someone in this administration and this Congress attempts to infringe on someone’s rights, to deny equality to any group, to implement policies that are not in the best interest of the American people, we have to be there, loud and strong in our dissent.

We are just getting started. Together, we can resist.

Current Issues / Long Read / News & Comment

Do You Really Care?

January 21, 2017

To care is to do something about the problem.

The Short Version

Over 65 million Americans did not vote for the person who is now the 45th president. They don’t like him. They disagree strongly with his rhetoric and proposed policies. So, millions of them are marching today in protest. We applaud and support those protests happening around the world. Yet, protesting is never enough. If we want to truly resist the new administration, we must take actions on a continual basis that reach not only through the halls of Congress, but to Wall Street and throughout corporate America as well. We cannot be silent and expect anything to change. If one truly cares about resisting, then one needs to take action.

Let’s Start With What Was Missed

I saw a lot of people out yesterday between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM. I would know because I was one of them. I didn’t want to even be near a computer or a television or anything else that would remind me of the horrible act that was taking place in our nation’s capital. A fascist and would-be tyrant was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. As with any inauguration, the event was more spectacle than actual substance. Yet, that was enough to distract our attention.

Hardly anyone noticed that there was yet another school shooting yesterday. A 17-year-old student walked into West Liberty High School in West Liberty, Ohio, with a loaded shotgun and opened fire. The scene could have been horrible, but it wasn’t. The teen wasn’t actually aiming directly at anyone. One student was wounded, but staff and teachers responded quickly and had the shooter on the ground and restrained by the time police arrived. He’ll face a charge of felonious assault. The wounded child will recover.

Who cares? Five years ago, that event would have been enough to pre-empt just about anything else on television. At the very least, it would have been inserted into the constant news coverage every few minutes. It wasn’t. Not all that long ago, a school shooting would have been on the front page of every newspaper in the country. This morning, however, it’s not even mentioned on the website of the Columbus Dispatch. It’s not there. There’s no statement from Ohio Governor John Kasich. Nothing.

How high does the body count have to be in a school shooting before anyone cares?

Other Things You Might Have Missed

The inauguration is a big deal, I’ll give you that. “The peaceful exchange of power,” stands starkly against the ongoing situation in Gambia where defeated president Jammeh is being reluctant to step down. Neighboring countries were ready to invade over that one. So yes, the fact that we change from one president to another without having a serious power struggle is rather impressive and something to be celebrated. Yet, do we dare exclude everything else going on while we do?

Here are just a few headlines that are being under-reported this morning:

It is naive to think that none of those things matter in the wake of the dangers the new president presents. These are the dangers the new president presents. His new policies threaten everything from education and emergency management response to terrorism and international aid. We live in a world where not only what one does matters, but what one doesn’t do as well. Why are there women marching in protest in other countries than our own? Because they are just as concerned as we are as to what could possibly happen.

A Global Perspective

Being a global power means that what we do as a country affects much more than our own population. The decisions being made in Washington affect billions of lives outside our own borders and every last one of this lives is just as important as your own. The Associated Press took a look at some international reactions to the inauguration speech and this is what they found:

People in Afghanistan are concerned we might leave them stranded, allowing the Taliban and other terrorists to take over the country again.
Mexicans found the speech “hyper-protectionist” and worry about the future of American investment in their country.
In Pakistan, clerics are deeply troubled by the president’s promise to eradicate Islamic terrorism, fearing peaceful Muslims could become targets.
Japanese people are worried that the president’s decision to exit the Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership will negatively affect the economies of all other participating countries.
State-run papers in China are worried that trade issues with the US are inevitable given the president’s rhetoric.
South Korea is worried that the US might not help in fighting back North Korean aggression on their soil.
Indians are worried about immigration prospect and ties with US-based technology firms.
Vietnamese people were concerned about the degree of self-focus and protectionism.
Australians found the speech divisive and fear this is the new “normal” for the US president.

What I fear we fail to understand is that any one of those international concerns has the potential to create a global crisis. The global economy is shaky with many nations sitting on the brink of bankruptcy and/or default. The crash of banks in even the smallest country would create a ripple effect that brings down the entire economic house of cards upon everyone. There is no immunity. To allow terrorism to go unchecked in Afghanistan leaves us vulnerable to another attack the size of 9/11 or larger, The US is a target where you and I are more in danger than is the president.

Through every major area of concern: education, energy, technology, science, medicine, trade, banking, poverty, business development, human rights, and defense, we must not only consider how we handle those matters domestically, but internationally. We cannot simply back out of long-term agreements and programs and expect that there not be dire consequences for everyone involved.

The Power Of Fear

For the past eight years, many conservatives, especially those extremists, bigoted, homophobic, xenophobic, hate-filled people known as the Tea Party, have been afraid that President Obama was going to take their guns, install Sharia law, ship all their jobs overseas, declare martial law, and make Islam the national religion. Of course, none of that even came close to happening. There wasn’t a piece of legislation ever drafted nor an executive order ever written that proposed anything of the kind. Yet, because the power of their fear was so overwhelming, these people for whom logic fails to exist were able to not only overtake the Republican party, but elect a 70-year-old self-serving narcissist as president. When one looks at what they accomplished, one has to admit that the power of fear is pretty strong and extremely effective.

Now, those of us who are more liberal and forward in out thoughts are experiencing some fears of our own. What rights might we loose? What will happen to women’s health and a woman’s right to make choices for herself? What happens to healthcare for anyone who isn’t already a millionaire? What happens to marriage equality and the rights of LGBTQ people? What happens to renewable energy sources and reducing our dependency on fossil fuels? What happens to air quality? How do we respond to global warming? Will all our children be educated?

We probably have many more legitimate reasons to be afraid, but the challenge before us is whether we are able to harness the power of that fear or allow it to keep us silent. For most of our lives, we’ve been told to work within the system, that if we’ll just get out the vote and make sure people are informed that they’ll do the right thing. We tried that and we lost the election despite having a significant number more votes.

We can no longer count on anyone to “do the right thing.” T hat’s not saying no one will, but we simply cannot rely upon the good conscience of the American people to keep us out of harm’s way. If we are going to avoid the outcomes we fear, we are going to have to take stronger, more decisive, and more inflammatory action than we ever have. We cannot continue to depend upon the same tactics and actions of the past. We have to do more and find new ways of doing them.

Do You Really Care

As I type this, over 200,000 women have descended upon Washington, D.C. to march in opposition to the new president’s policies. In cities around the world, millions more join them. The size of the protest is unprecedented. Yet, as much as I support them and applaud their efforts, I know that one march doesn’t change anything. If people go back to work on Monday morning and resume the same lives and level of activities as they’ve had before, our fears could very easily turn into reality.

We don’t have to accept this. We don’t have to let this happen. We don’t have to play by the rules because the person sitting in the oval office didn’t get there by playing by the rules and we can be sure he will continue to disregard them. As we saw in November, if we play by the rules against someone who cheats, we lose. We now have as president someone who has cheated the rules his entire life. To think for one second that he’s going to change his tactics now is pure folly. We can’t let this happen.

We don’t have to accept that a Republican-dominated Congress is going to do the president’s bidding.

We don’t have to accept that the Affordable Care Act is going to be repealed.

We don’t have to accept that the Department of Education is going to institutionalize segregation through voucher programs and charter schools.

We don’t have to accept drilling for oil on public lands.

We don’t have to accept young people having to work three and four jobs just to make ends meet.

We don’t have to accept having the highest maternal mortality rate in the industrialized world.

We don’t have to accept a complete disregard for ethics laws.

We don’t have to accept LGBTQ families living in fear.

We don’t have to accept the lies.

If we really care, and I mean from the bottom of our souls with a passion that burns as hot as we feel for our partners, then we can do more than resist. We can stop this wayward thinking, misaligned, out-of-touch Congress and administration from going through with their plans. We can stop the whole thing right in its tracks.

But you have to care.

A Little More Action, Please

The success of the Tea Party was not political as much as it was organizational. A few people made a lot of noise and that noise resulted in a lot of power. I fully believe, as a progressive feminist liberal, that there are more of us than there are of them. We just have to get off our asses and work as hard outside the system as well as we do on the inside.

There’s a wonderful guide assembled by former congressional aides called The Indivisible Guide. If you REALLY care, you’ll click the link and download that PDF document. And yes, I’ll know and I WILL be watching. I want to see some major downloads of that thing. These aides have studied what happened in Congress over the past eight years and turned that into a plan for resisting the agenda of the new administration. I stayed up late reading through it last night. Their strategy and logic is sound. I won’t bother repeating it all here. Just download the damn document and read it. Have friends read it. Print it out and pass it around if you need to.

Another thing we need to do is set aside any notion of tolerance. We cannot tolerate racism. We cannot tolerate bigotry. We cannot tolerate homophobia. We cannot tolerate xenophobia. Hate is not an opinion. Hate is an attitude. We can tolerate opinions, but there’s no reason to tolerate an attitude. I don’t take attitude from our children and I damn sure won’t take it from an adult. There is no tolerance for hate. Just drop the word altogether. We are not tolerant.

Neither can we afford to be patient. We have to act now, we have to act tomorrow, and we cannot simply wait until the next round of elections and then suddenly expect that we’re going to change anything. I’m sure you’ve heard people say, “Just give him a chance and see what happens.” Funny, the people saying that sure as hell didn’t give President Obama a chance, did they? The Tea Party started right in on the first day of his presidency vowing to fight him every step of the way and for eight solid years, that is exactly what they did. We have to not only match that effort, we have to surpass it. There is no patience, especially for a narcissistic fascist.

There should never be a day pass but what your elected officials are aware of your opinions on every issue you care about. Use some common sense. Don’t put everything in the same message and expect it to be read. One subject per message, but multiple messages a day. Keep it up. Don’t back off anything and should you be fortunate enough to encounter one of your members of Congress in person, be ready with a seven-second elevator pitch to let them know how you feel.

Accumulate others of like mind and encourage them to act as well. We know we are not alone, but too often we behave as though we’re alone. Stop it. Organize, even you can only find two or three other people. Get together. Act together. Resist together.

We don’t have to accept a damn thing. We shouldn’t accept a damn thing. The 45th president of the United States was not elected by the majority, but through a manipulation of the system. We must resist. We must object. We must blockade. We must stand. We must fight.

Resistance Begins At Home

One of the tactics the new president likes to use is how his tweets affect the stock market. He says he doesn’t like a company and their stocks drop dramatically. He’s a bully.

That trick works both ways, though. Again, there are more of us than there are of him. We have more purchasing power and can affect the markets and the economy in must stronger ways. When a corporation cozies up to or supports his policies, we have to hold that corporation responsible. We boycott their products if we can. We protest outside their offices. We harass and press upon their board members. We upset their day-to-day business. We have to let them know that there is a steep cost to be paid for supporting this president in any way, shape, or form.

For example, do you know who paid for the inauguration? Boeing, Chevron, Verizon, Coca-Cola, and AT&T. Now, in the interest of full disclosure, most of those companies helped fund the 2013 inauguration as well. However, the amount raised for this inauguration was more than the cost of the last two inaugurations combined. The companies need to be held accountable to the public, which means you and I have to stop supporting them.

Likewise, the pale blue Ralph Lauren suit worn by the first lady was beautiful, but if Lauren supports the president then we have to send a message not only to him but to every other designer who might consider working with the first family. We cannot even indirectly support his policies in even the smallest way.

Resistance means taking back control. Control of our local governments, our state governments, and our federal governments. Indiana voters need to stop and consider how that it was our governor, the man who is now vice president, who provided party legitimacy to the buffoon in the oval office. Had we eliminated him and not let him become governor, the outcome would have likely been much different. Because we did not pay attention to local and state-wide politics, Pence happened.

This Is Only The Beginning

I feel certain that the new administration thinks all the noise will begin to die down come Monday. Once the Republicans stop partying, surely we’ll no longer feel like crashing it.

If you really care about the issues you say you care about, if they really are important to you, your life, your friends’ lives, your families’ lives, you’ll prove the president wrong. Resist.

Resist strongly.

Resist continually.

Contact a member of Congress today. Introduce yourself. Let them know you’re holding them responsible for everything Congress does and doesn’t do. Then, continue resisting from there.

Thank you.

Hashtag Philosophy / Just For Fun

#OddThingsToBragAbout

January 21, 2017

Our pride goes before many falls

The Short Version

We’ve not done much of anything with a humorous bent to it in a while, and we’ve certainly not played any hashtag games in a couple of months. So, when I saw #OddThingsToBragAbout trending on Twitter this morning, I decided this would be a good time to jump back on that bandwagon. After all, if you’ve been out in public much at all, you’ve likely heard someone bragging about some very odd things. We can’t seem to help ourselves. We might as well laugh.

What We Found

Pulling some favorites from Twitter:

Graduating from Trump University. #oddthingstobragabout

— Janet Yellen (@askyellen2) January 21, 2017

I wore the same pair of underpants for 46 straight days before anyone complained about the smell! #OddThingsToBragAbout

— Banter Hawk (@BanterHawk) January 21, 2017

#OddThingsToBragAbout The length of one’s pubic hair – (sorry)

— Narnia Harvey (@NarniaHarvey) January 21, 2017

#OddThingsToBragAbout How much money you save by not using toilet paper.

— Hillary Hates Me GWM (@pinepilot) January 21, 2017

#OddThingsToBragAbout Inhave never failed at masterbating ever

— Sambo (@abtsag) January 21, 2017

A Few Of Our Own

Of course, the whole purpose of a hashtag game is participating. I’ve overheard some people brag a lot recently. Here are a few we’ll be adding to the list:

Letting the dog kick you out of bed more than once.
Having more prescription painkillers than your mother.
Figuring out how to vote in two different states (didn’t say who they voted for).
Voting the party line even when you know it hurts your constituents.
Raising people’s mortgage rates.
Taking away insurance for poor people.
Whining about other people doing the same thing you’ve been doing.
Ridiculing people who actually care about something other than themselves.
Thinking your entitled ass can relate to people working three jobs.
Your religion “winning” anything. Religion is not a competition.

I could probably sit here and think of more if I really wanted to put that much effort into it, but this is supposed to be a game, a fun past time, not work. I wonder what you would come up with? If you think of anything, add it to the hashtag on twitter and then tag me: @charlesletbette. Let’s have some fun for a change.

Art / Photography

Inauguration Distraction: A Mini Gallery

January 20, 2017

charles i. letbetter - inauguration distraction

Because no one wants to look

A lot of people are doing things other than watching the inauguration today; a lot of nice and honorable things. But not everyone can take a day off or get out and march or any of the other things that have been suggested. A lot of people are just stuck and need a distraction.

We have that distraction in the form of something beautiful. Enjoy.

[tg_masonry_gallery gallery_id=”9639″ layout=”contain” columns=”2″]

Current Issues / News & Comment

Not Ready For Prime Time

January 20, 2017

The job was bigger than they thought

The Short Version

Apparently, no one in the transition team for the new president thought the days would pass so quickly. As a new president takes the oath of office, and members of the Obama administration begin to move out, there is a shortage of staff members. Specifically, about 640 positions that require Senate confirmation are empty. Those people just happen to be necessary for the day-to-day operation of the country. So, the new president has asked 50 members of the old administration to stay on temporarily.

A Litte More Detail

You would have thought they could see this coming. In fact, had the transition team followed the original plan laid out by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, they probably would have been all set and ready to go into today with new people filling all the important seats. Unfortunately, Mr. Christie got the “you’re fired” memo ten weeks ago and he took his plan with him. Indiana Governor and vice president-elect took over the transition team without a clue as to what he was doing. Under Mr. Christie’s plan, all appointees requiring Senate confirmation would have been named by the first week in December. Mr. Pence had no such plan.

As a result, key members of the administration are not in place, or even close to it, as the new president takes the oath of office. This is a problem for critical offices such as the State Department who never actually get a day off. There’s always something going over there. Yet, there’s no one sitting in that seat just yet. The appointee to the office of Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, isn’t close to being approved by the Senate. So, Obama appointee Thomas A. Shannon, Jr. has been asked to stay on until the Senate has time to take action.

Is this surprising? Not for anyone who is familiar with the scope of the transition of government. Anyone who has been in Washington, D. C. during a period such as this understands just how coordinated everything must be to cover all the bases in a relatively short time between the election and the inauguration. However, we didn’t elect anyone with actual government experience, did we? So, they were caught off-guard by the fact they couldn’t just hire all their friends and relatives and expect the Senate to just say, “Hey, they seem nice enough. Let ’em all in.”

What Happens Next?

The Obama appointees can stay on as long as the new president needs them. There is no timetable for Senate confirmation and nothing says that everyone absolutely, positively has to be gone by today. In fact, with over 600 appointments still to go, most of which have yet to be named, its quite likely that there could be remnants of the Obama administration lingering in fairly high positions of power well into the first year of the new administration.

Not helping matters any is the grilling that almost all of the new top-level appointees are getting from the Senate confirmation committees. As the Senate exercises extreme and partisan caution in approving cabinet members, it slows down the rate at which mid-level appointees can be vetted and approved. While it’s not unusual for some positions to go unfilled for a year or more, the number of vacant positions facing this administration is alarming and a cause for some concern.

While no one is likely to notice anything amiss over the weekend, matters related to international affairs, the economy, and employment could start rearing their ugly heads as early as next week. Without anyone authoritatively taking the reigns in those departments, what are typically mundane matters of paperwork are likely to go undone, leading to a ripple effect of consequences. The end result could potentially be catastrophic.

Not that the incoming president seems to care. He’s been noticeably hands off throughout the transition period.

If this is the way the administration is going to be operated for the next four years, we could see an increasing amount of chaos and much of the actual workings of the government could come to a screeching halt.

This is what happens when we elect someone who doesn’t have a clue how government actually works. While the new president is familiar with television reality, Washington reality is a different sort of program and this administration is far from being ready for prime time.

Current Issues / News & Comment / science

Extreme Escape

January 20, 2017

Some people will do anything to avoid the new administration

The Short Version

Six people entered a dome on top of the most active volcano in Hawaii and won’t come out for eight months as part of a NASA-sponsored study of the effects of living in an environment similar to that found on the planet Mars. Scientists are hoping that the results of this study will help them to prepare for eventually putting people on the red planet sometime in the 2030s. One of the “perks” to being in the dome is complete isolation from news media.

A Few More Details

While many of us might like to escape today’s inauguration of the new president, six people found a very extreme way of doing so by volunteering for an eight-month study that places them in a dome that sits on top of the most active volcano in Hawaii. That sounds like fun, doesn’t it?

Actually, this isn’t a political statement but rather a scientific study. That the study started yesterday is purely coincidental. This was planned long before the election. No one really looked at the calendar.

The study, which is sponsored largely by NASA, is designed to take a look at what might happen, physically and psychologically, to people confined in an atmosphere similar to what would be found on the planet Mars. Of course, there’s a lot of difference between Earth and Mars, especially in regards to gravity. Being on top of an active volcano is about as close as scientists could come to replicating the martian environment. Anyone who has ever been on top of a volcano understands just how unfriendly and unforgiving the terrain can be.

The six people who entered the dome, four men and two women, won’t have a lot of space and won’t have much in the way of food choice. Their diets will consist mostly of dried food with the occasional treat of —wait for it—Spam. Sounds thrilling, doesn’t it? I’m anticipating some dramatic weight loss on the part of the participants. Yet, it is still likely better than the environment in Washington, D.C. at the moment.

The University of Hawaii operates the dome, called Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation, or HI-SEAS, and NASA has dedicated more than $2 million to this stage of the project. There are other martian simulations being operated in different places in the world, but this one is special because the terrain so closely resembles what Mars would actually offer. This allows scientists to study not only how the crew interacts inside the dome, but how well they perform simple activities such as using a robot to fetch packages left for them.

Now, don’t go getting the idea that this is all fun and games. The dome has a small kitchen, a lab, and very small sleeping accommodations, such as what might be found in a martian space station. The dome is not airtight, but when members of the crew go outside, they have to wear space suits to simulate the limited movement. They will have no physical contact with the outside world. Even their limited digital communication with the support crew has a 20-minute delay, the amount of time it would take an email message from Mars to reach Earth. On a good day.

And what happens if the volcano decides to get nasty while they’re there? There are extraction plans in place, NASA says. However, there’s no word as to whether those plans include Matt Damon.

Haven’t We Done Domes Before?

Yes, we’ve stuck people in numerous domes before. There have been two previous studies for Mars deployment, one lasting a year and the other eight months. And there will likely be more studies after this as researchers attempt to improve the experience based on what they’ve learned from previous studies.

What they’re hoping to avoid is the complete meltdown that occurred back in the 90s with Biodome 2, an experiment in Arizona that went totally out of control. That dome was air tight and attempted to replicate multiple environments. Carbon dioxide levels were out of control, plants and animals were dying, and the participants were at the point of not even speaking with each other by the time they left the dome.

Of course, even that failure taught us a lot of lessons that factor into this current study. Everyone is hopeful that the test will go well and that participants won’t have too much culture shock when they emerge in eight months.

Had we known the election was going to end like this, a lot more people would have likely volunteered, don’t you think?

Photography / PotD

Jenn King: A Mini Gallery

January 19, 2017

I hate saying goodbye

I’ve said many times before that models inevitably come and go. Young women who are bright, talented, and intelligent are not likely to stay stuck in a place that does not offer them enough opportunity or challenges for being their best. Models move away and, too often, we never see them again. We try to get over it.

When Jenn King announced a couple of weeks ago that she is moving to Austin, TX, my first response was to give her a hard time about moving to a state governed by some of the most stupid and backward people the planet has ever seen, such as Rick Perry and Ted Cruz. Fortunately, Austin is the type of city that insulates itself from most of the idiocy around the state, but still, it’s Texas. As an Okie, I hate seeing a friend move to an under-developed country. [insert evil grin here]

I hadn’t considered how many times we’ve shot with Jenn over the past few years. Since we first met, she’s married and has a wonderful baby girl and expanded her career as a florist, which is ultimately what takes her away from us. However, as I was looking through photos earlier this week, I realized just how many pictures I have of Jenn and didn’t want her to escape without a final look at all the beauty she’s brought into our lives.

While I could endlessly extol her virtues as a model, I have to admit that my favorite set with Jenn came very early one morning as we did portraits of her and her daughter. It was early and baby girl wasn’t too sure what to think about the old guy that was trying to take her picture. She warmed up, though, and took some beautiful pictures. Then, as we were paused between shots, a deer wandered nearby. Baby girl looked over at the deer, pointed, and called it a dog. Her sweetness and innocence made me smile.

So, without droning on forever, here is a brief look back at some of our favorite shots with Jenn. By the way, I have to thank makeup artist Danelle French for introducing us in the first place. Danelle did most the makeup for these shoots, just please don’t ask me to remember who else was involved. I’m not that talented. I’m old.

[tg_masonry_gallery gallery_id=”9619″ layout=”contain” columns=”2″]

Current Issues / News & Comment

The CIA’s New Rules

January 19, 2017

The things they want you to know

The Short Version

The Central Intelligence Agency released a new set of rules and guidelines yesterday that detail exactly what kinds of information they are allowed to collect on American citizens and how long they are allowed to keep it. This is the first time the agency has published the full set of rules without redactions. The rules have been updated for contemporary digital information sources.

A Little More Detail

We all want to know when the CIA is gathering information on us, don’t we? In fact, the agency is typically focused on foreign interests rather than domestic. Domestic issues are the responsibility of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. However, there are instances, such as when a US citizen might be responsible for passing protected or top secret information to a foreign source, when the CIA is allowed to collect data and analyze that data over a period of time.

The whole issue of what the CIA collects and why came to a head back in 2013 when Edward Snowden leaked information showing that the National Security Administration had been collecting and storing communications data on Americans without their knowledge or permission. That upset a lot of people and as a result, Congress passed a resolution requiring the intelligence agencies to develop new rules within two years.

What was released yesterday was the CIA’s response to that requirement and the changes are significant. The last time the rules were updated was 1982, long before the Internet or cell phones or Facebook gave us ways of communicating internationally in real time. One of the big issues is how long the agency can hold on to information for analysis and with whom that information can be shared, something that is an especially sensitive issue for civil rights advocates.

Unlike the 1982 rules, which were released with heavy redactions, the new rules were published in whole and are completely open to the world. A summary of the rules can be found here while the full detail of all the rules can found here.

What All Is Covered

We should probably note first that these rules can be changed at any time for pretty much any reason and that the public does not have to be notified of those changes. Also, the changes do not cover covert operations or special assignments authorized by the Department of Justice or the Attorney General. That being said, here are some of the major topics covered under the new rules:

Collection of information, including techniques and sorting
Handling of unevaluated information
Retention of information concerning US persons
Participation in organizations in the US
Compliance and oversight
Lots and lots of exceptions

Of course, the incoming administration could change, adjust, or eliminate any of these rules, but doing so would largely be seen as undermining the public’s faith in the agency.

Current Issues / News & Comment

Avalanche!

January 19, 2017

Earthquake and snow proves deadly

The Short Version

30 people are missing and most presumed dead after earthquakes and heavy snowfall resulted in an avalanche that buried Hotel Rigopiano in the mountainous region of central Italy. Rescue crews had to dig their way through several feet of snow just to get to the remote spa location. Initial calls to survivors have yielded nothing but silence and the entire situation looks quite grim.

Update:

4:54:59 PM EST 4:55:16 PM: 10 people have been rescued as efforts continue on into the night. Four bodies have also been removed from the snow. At least 20 others are still missing. Some reports say the guests had gathered in the lobby, awaiting evacuation from the earthquakes, when the avalanche hit. The force of the snow not only broke through walls but shifted the entire building some eleven yards or more off its foundation. There is still considerable criticism being directed toward an official who refused to believe the initial report of the avalanche and waited several hours before sending out rescue crews. A survivor said all the guests had checked out and were waiting for transportation that had been delayed because of blocked roads. Prosecutor Christina Tedeschini has opened a manslaughter investigation to determine whether the disaster could have been avoided.

05:04:56 AM EST 01/20/2017: Rescuers continued working through the night as hopes of finding any survivors dims. Two bodies have been found and two more have been located but not recovered. Rescuers are going slowly amidst fears that as snow is removed weak walls could cause the snow to fall in on top of them. Snow continues to fall, further hampering the ability of rescuers and big equipment trying to get to the hotel. An investigation has begun as to why it took 11 hours before anyone got to the site of the avalanche. Power continues to be out at most homes in the area and most roads are impassable.

12:02:18 PM EST: The only rescuers who have gotten through have been on skis, which limits the amount of rescue work they are able to do. Heavy equipment is struggling to get through all the snow. One survivor reports that it took two hours of calling immediately after the avalanche before anyone believed that anything bad had even happened. One person trapped in the hotel was able to get out a message that said, “Help, we’re freezing to death,” but the message did not say where in the resort the person was located. As darkness descends upon the region, there is still no power to the area, making it difficult to utilize even the most basic of rescue efforts.

A Little Background

The Hotel Rigopiano is a very popular spa destination nestled in the remote mountains of Italy’s Abruzzo region in the central part of the country and located in the Gran Sasso National Park. The hotel caters primarily to foreign tourists and provides a multi-lingual staff to accommodate guests in their native language. One of the attractive features of the hotel is its remote location, well away from the noise of any other tourist destinations.

What Happened

Earthquakes. Four tremors hit central Italy yesterday, ranging from 5.3 to 5.7 on the Richter scale. Seismologists registered more than 100 aftershocks as the effect was felt throughout the mountains. This came on top of more than three feet of snow that had already isolated much of the region, making travel difficult. The hotel’s website on Wednesday morning advised using snow chains to get to the resort. Several of the smaller towns in the region were reporting problems with power being out and the hotel’s phone service had gone out due to the snow as well.

All this proved to be deadly as aftershocks from the earthquakes shook loose tons of snow that crashed into the hotel and through its walls without any warning. Early video from rescuers shows snow blasted through exterior walls and into guest rooms. Crews have been working through the morning in an effort to find any survivors. So far, two have been found, but both of those had actually been outside when the avalanche hit. No one inside the hotel has been found alive yet.

While an exact count of people potentially trapped in the hotel is not known, there were 30 guests registered in addition to staff, which could ultimately push the number of missing above 40. There is also a slim possibility that some local people were in the hotel, having been moved there after previous earthquakes made their homes unsafe. However, there is no confirmation of Hotel Rigopiano having taken any of those additional guests.

All this comes after heavy earthquakes in the region killed some 300 people last August.

Rescue efforts are ongoing, but there appears to be little hope as crews still receive no answer to their constant calls.

Current Issues / Fashion / News & Comment

Look Who’s Walking

January 18, 2017

The fashion runway just took an interesting spin

The Short Version

Buzz Aldrin and Bill Nye will take to the runway for Nick Graham’s Men’s show titled “Life on Mars: Fall-Winter 2035.” Aldrin was the second person to set foot on the moon, and Bill Nye is an avid advocate of space exploration. Graham’s menswear line for fall/winter has a futuristic look and considers what might be appropriate for life on the red planet.

Not Your Average Model

We’ve seen a few exceptions to the standard model casting in the past couple of seasons, but I don’t think anyone else would have thought of casting the 86-year-old former astronaut and national hero, Buzz Aldrin. Aldrin has strongly encouraged the US to explore further into space and has stated frequently that he believes we can live on Mars by the year 2035. The astronaut told WWD, “I’ve walked on the Moon, so how hard can it be to walk in a fashion show. Nick’s collection is very Mars-friendly and every astronaut should look their best when they land there.”

In addition to Aldrin, Graham has brought along science educator Bill Nye to narrate the event and Graham has even gone so far as to design a set of limited-edition bow ties with Nye’s help. For those of you not in the loop, bow ties are a standard part of Nye’s iconic wardrobe. Nye’s voice is a familiar one and adds a serious tone to the presentation without getting too academic.

And what might we be wearing on Mars? Graham tells WWD the January 31 show will include sharkskin suits, metallic rainwear, and space-oriented formalwear. Wool and wool-blended tailored clothing and outerwear will also be presented, along with “space-themed dress shirts, neckwear, scarves, and accessories.”

Spaced-theme dress shirts sounds like something astrophysicist Neil Degrasse Tyson might wear, but there’s no mention of his inclusion in the program. Maybe he’s out of town that day.

Mens week fashion shows don’t typically draw the level of attention that is found at the women’s ready-to-wear shows a couple of weeks later. Many designers have abandoned men’s week and include men’s fashion in their more popular ready-to-wear shows. Graham’s inclusion of a space theme and popular icons should help bring some attention to his collection from science fiction fans, a group few fashion labels consider in their marketing. Whether that group will actually go out and purchase the clothes, however, may require more motivation than Aldrin and Nye.

Current Issues / News & Comment

Pardon Me

January 18, 2017

Or at least commute my sentence

The Short Version

President Obama pardoned 64 and commuted the sentences of over 200 people yesterday in one of the largest groups of commutations by any president. Included in this list was Chelsea Manning, the transgender former Army analyst convicted of leaking top secret material to WikiLeaks in 2009 and former Marine general James E. Cartwright who plead guilty to making false statements to the FBI. Many people are upset by Ms. Manning’s sentence commutation while others are wondering if this may open the door for prosecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Matters Of Distinction

Right off the bat, we need to make a couple of points clear. A presidential pardon largely removes one’s crime and its effects. All rights are restored and the legal record of the conviction is expunged. Commuting a sentence, however, does not remove the conviction nor many of the penalties related to that conviction. All commuting a sentence does is let a person out of jail sooner. They are still subject to reporting laws, may not regain the right to vote, and cannot be considered for any form of federal employment. All pardons and commutations are permanent and cannot be undone.

A Little More Detail

President Obama had already surpassed the record for the number of people he has pardoned or for whom he has commuted sentences. Mr. Obama has long considered the imprisonment of non-violent drug offenders to be a matter of injustice and the majority of his pardons and commutations have been focused toward releasing non-violent drug offenders from jail. Not a lot has been written or said about any of these actions, though they’ve been ongoing for quite a while.

What got everyone’s attention yesterday was the commutation of the 45-year sentence given to Chelsea Manning. Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan called the act “just outrageous,” saying that ” “Chelsea Manning’s treachery put American lives at risk and exposed some of our nation’s most sensitive secrets.” Ms. Manning, who was known as Bradley at the time of arrest, has presented some interesting problems for the federal prison system, however. Being held in the men’s facility at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary subjected Ms. Manning to severe abuse and mistreatment from other prisoners. At the same time, the system was unable to provide the transitional medical care Ms. Manning needed. She had attempted suicide twice in the past year.

Chase Strangio, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney representing Ms. Manning, said that Obama’s action could “quite literally save Chelsea’s life.”

In addition to Ms. Manning and General Cartwright, President Obama pardoned San Francisco Giants Hall of Famer Willie McCovey and hotelier Ian Schrager, both of whom were convicted of tax evasion, as well as commuting the sentence of Puerto Rican nationalist Oscar Lopez Rivera, an ultranationalist who, at age 74, is no longer considered a threat and would have otherwise likely died in prison.

The White House also announced that several more pardons and commutations would be announced on Thursday, the last day of President Obama’s administration. However, most of those will, again, be centered around drug offenders and no “big names” are expected.

Not For Everyone

What’s worth noting is who is not on any of the lists for pardons or sentence commutation. Edward Snowden, who, like Manning, leaked top-secret information to WikiLeaks, is not on the list. The White House has said that Snowden has not applied for clemency.

Also missing from the list is Native American activist Leonard Peltier, who was convicted and sentenced to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment for first-degree murder in the shooting of two Federal Bureau of Investigation agents during a 1975 conflict on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, has widely been considered to have been convicted unjustly. Yesterday, James Reynolds, the federal prosecutor responsible for Peltier’s conviction, published a letter in the Chicago Tribune urging Peltier’s release saying “The government has gotten almost 41 years, and 41 pounds of flesh; Peltier is old and sick, and in my opinion, any more time served would be vindictive.” However, the White House has not responded on the matter.

There is also some speculation as to whether Ms. Manning’s clemency opens the door for some action against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. However, again, there is no official word from the Justice Department regarding those rumors. Given the timing and transition about to take place, it is unlikely that the Justice Department would initiate any new activity that would require completion by the new administration.

Current Issues / News & Comment

Don’t Get Sick

January 18, 2017

Healthcare confusion is a good excuse to take care of yourself

The Short Version

After a party-line vote during a late-night session of Congress allowed for the complete dismantling of the Affordable Care Act, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, joined by Congress’ Joint Committee on Taxation, released a statement yesterday saying that repealing the healthcare law without a replacement would result in 18 million more uninsured Americans. However, that assessment was made on previous legislation. No new legislation has been submitted yet and the president-elect has promised “universal coverage.” With all the confusion, the best advice, for now, is to take care of yourself and not expect anything from Congress.

A Little More Detail

Congress scared a lot of people last week when it passed a bill changing the rules for repealing the Affordable Care Act. The vote was largely along party lines, 51-48, and came in the wee hours of Thursday morning while most Americans were sound asleep. At first, because a protective clause regarding pre-existing conditions and other coverage was removed from the nonbinding resolution, many people were under the impression that coverage for pre-existing conditions had been removed. It hadn’t. All the resolution did was make it easier for Congress to repeal existing healthcare legislation by allowing the Senate to pass such a bill with a simple majority rather than the 60 votes currently required.

Still, mention healthcare and one suddenly has the attention of millions of Americans who would not have any insurance coverage without the Affordable Care Act. So, the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation took a look at the last bill in which Congress attempted to repeal the Affordable Care Act and calculated the cost. Their determination was that should Congress follow a similar pattern and repeal the law without any replacement, insurance costs would soar and 18 million people who currently have coverage would lose it within the first year. Were no replacement offered, the number of uninsured Americans would swell to 56 million by 2026. One has to admit those are pretty scary numbers.

However, there is currently no serious bill before Congress that would gut the Affordable Care Act. At this point, the House of Representatives is still arguing over smaller, more petty details and the Senate is fully consumed in hearings for Cabinet appointees. Any omnibus bill that would completely repeal the Affordable Care Act with any hope of receiving the president’s signature is still several months away.

Add to that the promise of GOP leaders to retain the pre-existing condition coverage and the president-elect’s promise for universal coverage and the waters get even more muddy. If the incoming president is going to hold out for a replacement plan that covers everyone, then Congress has to dramatically alter its approach away from anything they proposed last year. This could potentially set the stage for disagreement between the president and congressional leaders, further delaying any kind of repeal and replace legislation.

At this point, there is absolutely no certainty of any kind as to how Congress might actually handle changes to the healthcare laws. The confusion is frustrating and leaves millions of Americans in limbo regarding long-term healthcare.

Time To Self-Medicate

Given all the confusion and uncertainty regarding the healthcare laws, doctors are taking a more cautious approach and advising patients to maintain current medication and to take more responsibility for their personal health where it is reasonable to do so. Here are some of the recommendations being offered:

See your physician for a regular checkup, making sure prescriptions and treatment plans are up-to-date.
Make sure all scheduled vaccinations are up-to-date.
Maintain a healthy diet that is appropriate to both your age and physical needs. Not everyone should eat the same things.
Stay active with an appropriate exercise plan that does not present a high level of risk.
Avoid high-risk activities where possible. Now is not the time to undertake something that might leave one in need of long-term healthcare.
Stay away from unproven forms of “alternative” medicines that could complicate healthcare.
Those in high-risk categories, such as the very young and very old, should avoid contact with highly infectious environments and limit some public activities during high-risk seasons.

In short: don’t get sick. There is no promise that anyone will be covered for any form of healthcare in the future, regardless of what Congress and the president-elect might say. Taking responsibility for your own healthcare and that of your children is something we all should be doing anyway. It probably doesn’t hurt to start a savings account to use in the event of a medical catastrophe, such as a car accident or a rabid squirrel attack if you can afford to do so.

We’ve not lost everything yet, but to the degree we can prepare for the worst we are better off.

Current Issues / Fashion / News & Comment

The First Lady’s New Clothes

January 17, 2017

She’s not going naked. Probably.

The short version

Speculation is high regarding which designer might be selected to outfit soon-to-be first lady Melania Trump for the inauguration and its related parties. Normally, whoever is selected receives a noticeable market bump from the relationship. However, since December many designers have been saying they want nothing to do with anything or anyone related to the incoming administration. This raises the possibility that the new first lady may have to buy off the rack.

The core of the problem

Normally, dressing the First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is a huge honor. Fashion industry reports show hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue going to designers who FLOTUS wears to special events such as state dinners. No event is more special than the inauguration and the formal balls that evening. Everyone in fashion is watching to see not only which designer the new first lady chooses, but how her taste in clothing matches up in comparison to her predecessors.

For most women, the task of getting dressed revolves around decisions such as which blouse isn’t stained and which pair of slacks aren’t too tight around the waist. For the first lady, however, the label in the clothing is often as important as the garments themselves. The first lady is, after all, a representative of the United States. Therefore, she is expected to wear predominantly American designers. This is going to be all the more true now given her husband’s rhetoric about things being made in America. While she might look good in a Versace dress, the backlash would be significant.

Equally important is how much the dress costs, which is something that could be a significant issue for the incoming first lady. More than a few president’s wives have been criticized for wearing garments whose price tags were dramatically out of reach of the average American. However, given her previous position as the wife of a billionaire, the new first lady isn’t especially accustomed to worrying about price tags. Expect significant backlash if she repeatedly wears dresses with high five-figure pricing.

Those are the normal problems with dressing a first lady. This year, however, there is a new matter: designers don’t want anything to do with her husband’s politics. The row started back right after the election when designer Sophie Theallet, who dressed Mrs. Obama on multiple occasions, penned a widely-publicized open letter stating that she would not dress the incoming first lady. Ms. Theallet said: “The rhetoric of racism, sexism, and xenophobia unleashed by her husband’s presidential campaign are incompatible with the shared values we live buy.”

Since then, the number of designers speaking up about the issue has been significant, to the point that many are wondering who, if anyone is going to dress the first lady, or if she might end up buying off the rack. Since first ladies are expected to look their very best, custom-fitted clothing has been the norm for generations, but the lack of cooperating designers may leave this FLOTUS with little choice.

Who is saying no

Marc Jacobs
Derek Lam
Tom Ford
Timo Weiland
Philip Lim
Humberto Leon
Naeem Khan
Josef Altuzarra
Donna Karan

These are the most recognizable names on the list. Many other designers have declined to make a public statement. However, it is also likely that Alexander Wang and Jason Wu, both of whom dressed Mrs. Obama, would likely decline.

Who is saying yes

The incoming first lady isn’t without options. A few designers have stuck their necks out to say they will dress the first lady. However, there is no confirmation that anyone has been selected and no one has been seen entering or leaving the Trump residence.

Tommy Hilfiger
Diane Von Furstenberg
Sam & Libby
Marcus Wainright (rag & bone)
Thom Browne

It is worth noting that none of the designers state a dislike for the new first lady herself. Rather, it is the association with her husband’s policies that cause significant philosophical issues. Aside from all the controversy her husband creates every time he picks up a phone, this issue may determine whether the new first lady gets along with the social elite. All eyes will be on her this Friday. This first decision is extremely important.

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Page 10 of 41

charles i. letbetter

Insults Are Speech But Not Always Protected

The Short Version

Say What?

Meanwhile, In The US

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The US is no longer a shining example of democracy

The Short Version

Wait, Who Are These Guys?

How Are We Defining Democracy?

What The Fuck Happened?

We Are Not Alone

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Not everyone wants the wall and no one wants to pay for it

Update

The Short Version

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From pipelines to walls, the reasons to protest keep coming

The Short Version

Down & Dirty Details

Why Protests Are Necessary

Choose What You Can Do

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White House tactics straight from the communist handbook

The Short Version

Looking At The Whole Picture

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Because no one tells lies anymore

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An international crime ring is caught, just like in the movies

The Short Version

A Little More Detail

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The US Abandoning The TPP Makes Life Difficult For Everyone

The Short Version

What’s Really Happening

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Butter doesn’t cover the cancer-causing ingredients

The Short Story

A Little More Detail

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Another Jewel Heist Gone Wrong

The Short Version

How It Happened

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18 dead as storms hit the Southeast

The Short Version

A Little More Detail

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Beauty and glamor does not make a woman any less powerful

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Not every day is a march but every day can be dissent

Join A Group Of Like Minds

Start A Dissent Blog

Hold Politicians Accountable

Use Social Media

Visual Aids

Don’t Be Afraid To Be Extreme

And Finally …

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To care is to do something about the problem.

The Short Version

Let’s Start With What Was Missed

Other Things You Might Have Missed

A Global Perspective

The Power Of Fear

Do You Really Care