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Top 10 Conservative Idiots #2-7: Donald Trump's A Series Of Unfortunate Events Edition
Last edited Wed May 3, 2017, 12:26 PM - Edit history (9)
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #2-7: The Election From Hell: Donald Trump’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events Edition
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Happy New Year! And fuck you to 2016! It ended as badly as it started with the deaths of George Michael, Carrie Fisher, and Debbie Reynolds. But you know what? Let’s lighten things up and talk about New Year’s Eve fuck ups, shall we? Holy shit how terrible was that Mariah Carey performance? I mean generally every year there is generally a New Year’s Eve fuck up or two and it’s generally on a local level and they’re all spectacular. I mean a couple of years ago at a Los Angeles NYE concert that was broadcast on KTLA-5, this happened:
But let’s roll the tape on Mariah Carey shall we? I mean I have heard of celebrities lip syncing shall we? I mean my god this was a complete disaster. Talk about someone getting caught lip syncing:
I mean just… holy fuck! That is a stunning level of fail right there! That is just… wow. But enough of the intro. Let’s get right to it shall we? First let’s bring up an old New Rule of Bill Maher’s where he talks about the dangers of the false equivalency argument:
So where do we start? Holy shit there’s been a lot of conservative idiocy since we were gone. In the number 1 slot – the Daily Stormer (1) blurs the line from white supremacy blog to full blown domestic terrorist group. In the second slot, the GOP Congress (2) begins its’ new session, and its’ first job is to take out the House Ethics committee. No, this isn’t the Onion. Donald Trump is going to take slots 3, 4, and 5. In the third slot, we’re debuting a new segment to the top 10 – “A Tale Of Two Tweets”. In the number 4 slot, we’re going to talk about Donald Trump’s brief flirtation with nuclear war and provoking North Korea’s glorious dictator Kim Jong Un. In the number 5 slot we’re going to talk about the shutting down of the Eric Trump Foundation amid scandal and investigation. Taking the sixth slot is Fox News (6). Because over the break they released some very incorrect information about food stamps and got scolded by it. In the number 7 slot, we’ve got a new installment of “How Is This Still A Thing”? And another year, another season, another time for Bill O’Reilly to get worked up about which stores say “Merry Christmas” and which stores say “Happy Holidays”. So we’re going to ask: The War On Christmas: How Is This Still A Thing? In the number 8 slot let’s lighten things up and talk about misogyny shall we? We’re going to introduce you to a man in Spokane, Washington who is suing Starbucks for very bizarre and extremely creepy reason, but the more you dig into this story the creepier it gets. In the number 9 (NEIN!!!!) slot we’re once again going to be talking about the Trump Effect. What were Trump’s brown shirts up to while we were off for the NYE break? We will tell you about that. Finally this week we’re going to continue our ongoing lecture series “How To Talk About Trump For Dummies”. I hope the class did their homework over the break! Because we are going to tear into chapters 8, 9 and part 1 of chapter 10 of our new textbook. And because you’re nice for listening to my schtick, how about some live music from Tiger Army? They have a great new album out called “V---“ and they might stop by to play something from it so don’t make me turn this show around! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!
[font size="8"]The Daily Stormer[/font]
If you see the word “Storm” in a website’s URL, you know it’s almost instantly a site populated by militant white supremacists. And over the break we had last week, the Daily Stormer morphed from white supremacist gathering into full blown terrorists. Because this is what happened:
The founder of the neo-Nazi website the Daily Stormer has announced that the site’s campaign of harassment against Jews in alt-right leader Richard Spencer’s hometown of Whitefish, Montana, will continue with an armed march in January. Andrew Anglin claimed on Thursday that 200 people are already expected to participate in the march “against Jews, Jewish businesses and everyone who supports either,” which will take demonstrators carrying “high-powered rifles” through the center of the town.
“We will be busing in skinheads from the Bay Area,” he wrote. “I have already worked out most of the details with the leaders of the local groups. Several of our top supporters from Silicon Valley have offered to provide significant support for the march, but we may need to solicit donations to pay for gas/food for the skinheads.”
Anglin’s announcement of the armed march immediately followed a reminder to his readers to avoid “suggestions of violence” against Whitefish’s Jews. The site has been targeting the town’s Jewish population since a post on Dec. 16 listing the names, pictures, contact information, and addresses of Jews in Whitefish, including members of the anti-hate group Love Lives Here and real-estate agent Tanya Gersh, who allegedly called on Richard Spencer’s mother, Sherry Spencer, to sell a downtown mixed-use building and donate the proceeds or face protests. “This is the Jews for you, people,” Anglin wrote at the time. “They are a vicious, evil race of hate-filled psychopaths.” Anglin’s targets for harassment also included Gersh’s husband and young son.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/12/27/neo_nazis_are_planning_an_armed_march_against_jews_in_richard_spencer_s.html
“We will be busing in skinheads from the Bay Area,” he wrote. “I have already worked out most of the details with the leaders of the local groups. Several of our top supporters from Silicon Valley have offered to provide significant support for the march, but we may need to solicit donations to pay for gas/food for the skinheads.”
Anglin’s announcement of the armed march immediately followed a reminder to his readers to avoid “suggestions of violence” against Whitefish’s Jews. The site has been targeting the town’s Jewish population since a post on Dec. 16 listing the names, pictures, contact information, and addresses of Jews in Whitefish, including members of the anti-hate group Love Lives Here and real-estate agent Tanya Gersh, who allegedly called on Richard Spencer’s mother, Sherry Spencer, to sell a downtown mixed-use building and donate the proceeds or face protests. “This is the Jews for you, people,” Anglin wrote at the time. “They are a vicious, evil race of hate-filled psychopaths.” Anglin’s targets for harassment also included Gersh’s husband and young son.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/12/27/neo_nazis_are_planning_an_armed_march_against_jews_in_richard_spencer_s.html
First of all, how is this not terrorism? And second skinheads in San Francisco? I thought San Fran was a liberal utopia! And third – where is the FBI waiting to ambush that bus going to Whitefish? Oh and by the way that would be the worst party bus ever!
Oh wait, that was Mad Max: Fury Road.
But there’s more – apparently the local police are stepping their efforts to combat white supremacist threats:
The police in Whitefish, Mont., said Tuesday that they have stepped up patrols and are working with the F.B.I. after a neo-Nazi and white supremacist website listed the names and contacts of local Jews, calling on readers to “take action” against them.
Lt. Bridger Kelch of the Police Department in the town in northwestern Montana said that the force was taking the measures after the website, The Daily Stormer, on Friday published phone numbers, work locations, email addresses, and photographs of six Flathead County residents. Several of those targeted were from Whitefish where Sherry Spencer, the mother of the white nationalist leader Richard B. Spencer, lives and owns a building that has been the subject of protests.
The matter has been the topic of national news media articles after a local report in The Missoulian drew widespread attention on social media.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/20/us/whitefish-montana-jews-daily-stormer.html
Lt. Bridger Kelch of the Police Department in the town in northwestern Montana said that the force was taking the measures after the website, The Daily Stormer, on Friday published phone numbers, work locations, email addresses, and photographs of six Flathead County residents. Several of those targeted were from Whitefish where Sherry Spencer, the mother of the white nationalist leader Richard B. Spencer, lives and owns a building that has been the subject of protests.
The matter has been the topic of national news media articles after a local report in The Missoulian drew widespread attention on social media.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/20/us/whitefish-montana-jews-daily-stormer.html
So how did this get started? Who is the target? Why it’s the mother of the guy who some credit with the founding of the alt right (or alt reich as we call them here) – Richard Spencer. So here’s how that happened:
Neo-Nazi blogger Andrew Anglin says he plans to make good on threats to stage an anti-Semitic armed march through Whitefish next month, despite dismissive comments this week by Richard Spencer, the white nationalist and part-time Whitefish resident who inspired the idea.
Anglin's insistence comes after Spencer said he doesn't believe the march will take place, describing Anglin's scheme as simply a "troll" of Whitefish residents. In an email Thursday, Anglin said Spencer is wrong, and that Anglin plans to apply for a permit that would allow him and a cohort of fellow skinheads to demonstrate in the streets.
"This is not about backing up Richard Spencer," Anglin wrote of his proposed march, "this is about justice, and making it clear to the Jewish mafia that we will no longer tolerate their criminal gangsterism, their attacks on the families of those they disagree with politically."
http://missoulanews.bigskypress.com/IndyBlog/archives/2016/12/30/daily-stormers-andrew-anglin-insists-anti-semitic-demonstration-in-whitefish-will-happen-names-nonexistent-jewish-center-as-location
Anglin's insistence comes after Spencer said he doesn't believe the march will take place, describing Anglin's scheme as simply a "troll" of Whitefish residents. In an email Thursday, Anglin said Spencer is wrong, and that Anglin plans to apply for a permit that would allow him and a cohort of fellow skinheads to demonstrate in the streets.
"This is not about backing up Richard Spencer," Anglin wrote of his proposed march, "this is about justice, and making it clear to the Jewish mafia that we will no longer tolerate their criminal gangsterism, their attacks on the families of those they disagree with politically."
http://missoulanews.bigskypress.com/IndyBlog/archives/2016/12/30/daily-stormers-andrew-anglin-insists-anti-semitic-demonstration-in-whitefish-will-happen-names-nonexistent-jewish-center-as-location
So let’s extrapolate this for a minute. They’re not marching to back their boy Richard Spencer, who most credit as starting the alt right movement that put Donald Trump in the White House. Nope. They’re marching against intolerance! Yes the most intolerant group of people on the planet are marching armed with AK47s to protest… tolerance? You might as well tell me that Milo Yiannopolous is getting a book deal to write about free speech. Wait, that happened? Shit! What next? Bill Maher makes a documentary movie about religion? That also happened? Shit!!!!
But this gets better – so much better! Apparently the threats are just a joke folks!
Richard Spencer says he doesn’t want any negative publicity for Whitefish and that the threats of a neo-Nazi march through the city aren’t actually going to happen.
“I don’t want Whitefish to become the white nationalist {headquarters},” he said Wednesday afternoon. “I don’t want to ruin Whitefish.”
Spencer, who is a part-time resident of Whitefish, is president of the National Policy Institute, a white nationalist think-tank and publishing firm.
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/article/20161228/ARTICLE/161229859
“I don’t want Whitefish to become the white nationalist {headquarters},” he said Wednesday afternoon. “I don’t want to ruin Whitefish.”
Spencer, who is a part-time resident of Whitefish, is president of the National Policy Institute, a white nationalist think-tank and publishing firm.
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/article/20161228/ARTICLE/161229859
YES YOU DID ASSHOLE! YOU JUST RUINED WHITEFISH!!!! Hey FBI, where is your terrorism watchlist unit? Where is the CIA investigating this domestic threat?? Well guess what? The douchebags insist on going on with this “march”. On guess which day?
The website publisher who proposed holding an armed, anti-Semitic march in Whitefish, Montana, now says the rally will happen on Martin Luther King Day weekend, local media reported Monday.
Daily Stormer publisher Andrew Anglin this week indicated an “armed protest” he initiated last month will commence in Whitefish on Jan. 15 to coincide with the holiday named for the slain civil rights leader, ABC FOX Montana reported.
Whitefish is the part-time home to Richard Spencer, a controversial white supremacist widely credited with coining the term “alt-right” — an ideology predominately present in the articles published by Mr. Anglin’s popular neo-Nazi website.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jan/3/anti-semitic-march-in-montana-town-to-coincide-wit/
Daily Stormer publisher Andrew Anglin this week indicated an “armed protest” he initiated last month will commence in Whitefish on Jan. 15 to coincide with the holiday named for the slain civil rights leader, ABC FOX Montana reported.
Whitefish is the part-time home to Richard Spencer, a controversial white supremacist widely credited with coining the term “alt-right” — an ideology predominately present in the articles published by Mr. Anglin’s popular neo-Nazi website.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jan/3/anti-semitic-march-in-montana-town-to-coincide-wit/
[font size="8"]Congressional GOP[/font]
Enough white supremacism talk. For now. Let’s lighten things up and talk about Congress. So what did Donald Trump supporters vote for exactly? It wasn’t to make America great again. It wasn’t to build the wall. It wasn’t to drain the swamp. It wasn’t to begin mass deportations of America’s Islamic population. So what did the Trump voters vote for besides mindless slogans?
The surprising vote came on the eve of the start of a new session of Congress, where emboldened Republicans are ready to push an ambitious agenda on everything from health care to infrastructure, issues that will be the subject of intense lobbying from corporate interests. The House Republicans’ move would take away both power and independence from an investigative body, and give lawmakers more control over internal inquiries.
It also came on the eve of a historic shift in power in Washington, where Republicans control both houses of Congress and where a wealthy businessman with myriad potential conflicts of interest is preparing to move into the White House.
http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/02/us/politics/with-no-warning-house-republicans-vote-to-hobble-independent-ethics-office.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
It also came on the eve of a historic shift in power in Washington, where Republicans control both houses of Congress and where a wealthy businessman with myriad potential conflicts of interest is preparing to move into the White House.
http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/02/us/politics/with-no-warning-house-republicans-vote-to-hobble-independent-ethics-office.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
Yes! They would actually gut the House Ethics Oversight Committee! So what do they do exactly?
It has many functions, but they all revolve around the standards of ethical conduct for members of the House. Under this authority, it:
Agrees on a set of rules that regulate what behavior is considered ethical for members (rules relating to gifts, travel, campaign activities, treatment of staff, conflicts of interest, etc. are typical)
Conducts investigations into whether members have violated these standards
Makes recommendations to the whole House on what action, if any, should be taken as a result of the investigations (e.g. censure, expulsion from the House, or nothing if the member is found not to be violating a rule)
Provides advice to members before they (the members) take action, so as to avoid uncertainty over ethical culpability.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Ethics
Agrees on a set of rules that regulate what behavior is considered ethical for members (rules relating to gifts, travel, campaign activities, treatment of staff, conflicts of interest, etc. are typical)
Conducts investigations into whether members have violated these standards
Makes recommendations to the whole House on what action, if any, should be taken as a result of the investigations (e.g. censure, expulsion from the House, or nothing if the member is found not to be violating a rule)
Provides advice to members before they (the members) take action, so as to avoid uncertainty over ethical culpability.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Ethics
Yeah so they would gut the governing body that conducts investigations into whether or not House and Senate members violated the code of ethics. And actually Donald Trump weighed in on this subject, and I never thought I would find myself agreeing with Trump on anything!
Washington (CNN)President-elect Donald Trump dramatically strong-armed House Republicans into line Tuesday in his first Washington power play, after they voted to gut an ethics watchdog in a manner that undercut his vow to drain the establishment "swamp."
Trump made clear his anger at the move on his Twitter account, and GOP lawmakers hurriedly changed plans to target the independent panel, backing down in a controversy that threatened to overshadow the dawn of a new conservative era in Washington.
In an emergency meeting just before noon Tuesday, House Republican lawmakers voted to strip the move on the ethics agency from a package of rules that is due to be voted upon later in the House of Representatives. Their decision to adopt the measure Monday night had opened splits in the GOP and put House Speaker Paul Ryan and Trump on opposite sides of a key issue on the first day of the 115th Congress.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/02/politics/office-of-congressional-ethics-oversight-of-ethics-committee-amendment/
Trump made clear his anger at the move on his Twitter account, and GOP lawmakers hurriedly changed plans to target the independent panel, backing down in a controversy that threatened to overshadow the dawn of a new conservative era in Washington.
In an emergency meeting just before noon Tuesday, House Republican lawmakers voted to strip the move on the ethics agency from a package of rules that is due to be voted upon later in the House of Representatives. Their decision to adopt the measure Monday night had opened splits in the GOP and put House Speaker Paul Ryan and Trump on opposite sides of a key issue on the first day of the 115th Congress.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/02/politics/office-of-congressional-ethics-oversight-of-ethics-committee-amendment/
Oh and because of that, just like a dog with its’ tail between its’ legs, the GOP quietly retracted:
(WASHINGTON) — House Republicans reversed themselves Tuesday under pressure from President-elect Donald Trump, and dropped plans to swiftly gut an independent congressional ethics board.
The dizzying about-face came as lawmakers convened for the first day of the 115th Congress, an occasion normally reserved for pomp and ceremony under the Capitol Dome. Instead, House Republicans found themselves under attack not only from Democrats, but from their new president, over their secretive move Monday to immediately neuter the independent Office of Congressional Ethics and place it under lawmakers' control.
GOP leaders scrambled to contain the damage, and within hours of Trump registering his criticism over the timing on Twitter, they called an emergency meeting of House Republicans where lawmakers voted to undo the change.
http://fortune.com/2017/01/03/ethics-committee-elimination-reversal/
The dizzying about-face came as lawmakers convened for the first day of the 115th Congress, an occasion normally reserved for pomp and ceremony under the Capitol Dome. Instead, House Republicans found themselves under attack not only from Democrats, but from their new president, over their secretive move Monday to immediately neuter the independent Office of Congressional Ethics and place it under lawmakers' control.
GOP leaders scrambled to contain the damage, and within hours of Trump registering his criticism over the timing on Twitter, they called an emergency meeting of House Republicans where lawmakers voted to undo the change.
http://fortune.com/2017/01/03/ethics-committee-elimination-reversal/
And by the way, in case you’re wondering why we need ethics, I give you California’s Duncan Hunter:
Rep. Duncan Hunter used campaign funds to pay for $600 of airline fees to fly a family rabbit, one of the more colorful expenses to surface in an ongoing review of his practices.
Hunter’s staff told the Press-Enterprise newspaper that the House Office of Congressional Ethics questioned the pet expenses — offered as an example of over-reach by the agency.
...
Hunter, R-Alpine, has reimbursed his campaign about $62,000 in campaign expenses that were personal in nature or lacked proper documentation, including oral surgery, a garage door, video games, resort stays and a jewelry purchase in Italy.
...
“This was nothing more than an oversight. In fact, it’s such an obvious example of a mistake being made but (the office) wants to view it through a lens of possible intent. The same goes for many other expenditures,” Kasper said. “Many of Rep. Hunter’s repayments had to do with mistakes under specific circumstances, and in other cases there were bona fide campaign activities connected to expenditures that (the office) was not aware of and didn’t account for.”
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/watchdog/sd-me-hunter-rabbits-20170103-story.html
Hunter’s staff told the Press-Enterprise newspaper that the House Office of Congressional Ethics questioned the pet expenses — offered as an example of over-reach by the agency.
...
Hunter, R-Alpine, has reimbursed his campaign about $62,000 in campaign expenses that were personal in nature or lacked proper documentation, including oral surgery, a garage door, video games, resort stays and a jewelry purchase in Italy.
...
“This was nothing more than an oversight. In fact, it’s such an obvious example of a mistake being made but (the office) wants to view it through a lens of possible intent. The same goes for many other expenditures,” Kasper said. “Many of Rep. Hunter’s repayments had to do with mistakes under specific circumstances, and in other cases there were bona fide campaign activities connected to expenditures that (the office) was not aware of and didn’t account for.”
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/watchdog/sd-me-hunter-rabbits-20170103-story.html
Hey Duncan…
[font size="8"]Donald Trump[/font]
Yes. That’s Donald J. Trump of the United States government, appearing with former mob boss Joseph “Joey No Socks” Cinque of the Gambino crime family at Mar-A-Lago on New Year’s Eve. We are not making this up. It’s now time for a new segment kids! We are calling this one “A Tale Of Two Tweets”. And of course if we had a bigger budget we’d have a hilarious graphic to go along with that. So we first have to talk about Donald Trump’s batshit crazy New Year’s Eve Tweet. Can we throw that up there?
President-elect Donald Trump wished his “many enemies” a happy new year on Twitter Saturday morning, specifically calling out “those who have fought me and lost so badly.”
Mr. Trump, who will be sworn into the White House in three weeks, tweeted this ahead of the holiday:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-tweets-new-years-eve-message-to-his-many-enemies/
Mr. Trump, who will be sworn into the White House in three weeks, tweeted this ahead of the holiday:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-tweets-new-years-eve-message-to-his-many-enemies/
That’s an actual, real Trump tweet by the way. We did not make that one up. If we were making it up we could say this:
Wait, what? That’s a real one? Shit! What if we were to make this one:
That’s also a real Trump Tweet? Shit!!!! Excuse me a minute, I need to go yell at my producers.
?w=640
OK we’re back! How about that Trump Tweet about Vladimir Putin?
But this might be my favorite Trump Tweet of all time. Can we throw that one up there? And yes this is an actual Trump Tweet. Let’s show that one shall we?
And yes, in case you were wondering – he really did “Thanks Donald!” his own Tweet!
Donald Trump took credit for a jump in the consumer confidence index, ending his Tweet on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016, with "Thanks Donald!" (The Associated Press)
WASHINGTON -- Donald Trump is taking credit -- and thanking himself -- for a surge in a key gauge of consumer confidence.
The president-elect took to Twitter to note the Conference Board's consumer confidence index had climbed to 113.7 in December.
Trump notes that's the highest the index has climbed in more than 15 years, and adds, "Thanks Donald!"
The index measures consumers' assessment of current conditions, which dipped from November but was still very positive, and their expectations for the future, which hit a 13-year high.
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2016/12/donald_trump_thanks_himself_fo.html
WASHINGTON -- Donald Trump is taking credit -- and thanking himself -- for a surge in a key gauge of consumer confidence.
The president-elect took to Twitter to note the Conference Board's consumer confidence index had climbed to 113.7 in December.
Trump notes that's the highest the index has climbed in more than 15 years, and adds, "Thanks Donald!"
The index measures consumers' assessment of current conditions, which dipped from November but was still very positive, and their expectations for the future, which hit a 13-year high.
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2016/12/donald_trump_thanks_himself_fo.html
Thank you America! We now have a president who thanks himself for things he didn’t do! How much more of a fucking narcissist can you get?
Now that Donald Trump’s ever so gracious “thank you” tour through key battleground states is over - it’s completion was marked with water cannon geysers and greetings from hoop-skirted Southern ladies - the President-elect is directing his energies at thanking himself.
Giving himself a good old pat on the back, the billionaire property developer has appeared to congratulate himself for a recent surge in the Conference Board’s consumer confidence index.
According to Bloomberg and the Associated Press, the index, which is used to measure consumers’ assessment of current conditions, rose to 113.7 in December. This is the highest level it’s reached since 2001.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/donald-trump-mocked-twitter-thanking-himself-thanks-donald-thanks-obama-meme-a7500431.html
Giving himself a good old pat on the back, the billionaire property developer has appeared to congratulate himself for a recent surge in the Conference Board’s consumer confidence index.
According to Bloomberg and the Associated Press, the index, which is used to measure consumers’ assessment of current conditions, rose to 113.7 in December. This is the highest level it’s reached since 2001.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/donald-trump-mocked-twitter-thanking-himself-thanks-donald-thanks-obama-meme-a7500431.html
[font size="8"]Donald Trump[/font]
Can we get some appropriate music for this entry?
So it’s pretty easy to see why people are worried that Donald Trump will be the catalyst to usher in a nuclear apocalypse or World War III. During the week we had off last week, Donald Trump actually Tweeted that the US should increase its’ nuclear payload. Yes he is actually advocating that there should be an arms race:
In a series of impromptu statements about nuclear weapons, Donald Trump is threatening to upend longstanding U.S. nonproliferation policy, even as his advisers contradict him and muddy his intentions.
The president-elect had alarmed and perplexed some experts and others in Washington when he pronounced, without offering more details, via Twitter on Thursday that the U.S. “must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes.”
He further escalated his call on Friday, telling the MSNBC program “Morning Joe” that he is fine with the country taking part in an “arms race” if it puts the U.S. in a stronger position against foreign adversaries.
“Let it be an arms race … we will outmatch them at every pass and outlast them all,” Trump said in an off-air conversation on Friday.
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/trump-nuclear-arms-race-russia-232944
The president-elect had alarmed and perplexed some experts and others in Washington when he pronounced, without offering more details, via Twitter on Thursday that the U.S. “must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes.”
He further escalated his call on Friday, telling the MSNBC program “Morning Joe” that he is fine with the country taking part in an “arms race” if it puts the U.S. in a stronger position against foreign adversaries.
“Let it be an arms race … we will outmatch them at every pass and outlast them all,” Trump said in an off-air conversation on Friday.
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/trump-nuclear-arms-race-russia-232944
And holy shit. He is not backing down from this. Can we throw that Tweet up there? Yes he is Tweeting about nuclear weapons – and something that he now has access to!!
Holy shit. I mean seriously holy shit. So the idea behind this is that we need to make the world come to its’ senses regarding nukes… by making more nukes!!! You don’t throw a Molotov cocktail at a building that’s already on fire, do you???
But here’s where things are taking a turn for the worst – guess who he is getting involved in the nuclear weapons debate? Why it’s none other than North Korea’s glorious dictator Kim Jong Un!
BEIJING – President-elect Donald Trump and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un have been trading threats this week, while China poses as the mature, reasonable kid on the block.
Kim kicked things off in a New Year’s address Sunday by saying his country was close to test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which if successful, could ultimately put a nuclear warhead within range of parts of the United States.
Trump, who had once suggested inviting Kim over for a hamburger to convince him to give up his nuclear weapons program, took to his usual medium to respond.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/as-trump-and-north-korea%e2%80%99s-kim-spar-china-poses-as-the-responsible-actor/ar-BBxQo02?li=BBnb7Kz
Kim kicked things off in a New Year’s address Sunday by saying his country was close to test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which if successful, could ultimately put a nuclear warhead within range of parts of the United States.
Trump, who had once suggested inviting Kim over for a hamburger to convince him to give up his nuclear weapons program, took to his usual medium to respond.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/as-trump-and-north-korea%e2%80%99s-kim-spar-china-poses-as-the-responsible-actor/ar-BBxQo02?li=BBnb7Kz
Can we throw that Tweet up there?
And yes this has people already questioning foreign policy – and I’m no foreign policy expert but I can pretty much guarantee that you won’t win friends by threatening nuclear war.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang responded to Trump’s tweets by saying that China’s attempts to solve North Korea’s nuclear weapons issue “are clear for all to see.” He cited as examples China’s calling of a six-nation convention to convince North Korea to give up its nuclear program and support for United Nations sanctions against the rogue state. When it came to the question of whether Trump should use his Twitter account to make important foreign policy statements, Geng merely commented that, “We don’t pay attention to the features of foreign leaders’ behavior. We focus more on their policies.”
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, the director of the Center for American Studies at Renmin University, Shi Yinhong, pointed out that Trump’s tweets did not necessarily break new ground in U.S.-North Korea policy. “Trump’s comments regarding China’s perceived passivity on North Korea’s nuclear program are very much in line with the overwhelming consensus view in U.S. diplomatic circles,” Shi said.
http://www.salon.com/2017/01/03/donald-trumps-tweets-on-north-koreas-nukes-have-established-his-foreign-policy-priorities/
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, the director of the Center for American Studies at Renmin University, Shi Yinhong, pointed out that Trump’s tweets did not necessarily break new ground in U.S.-North Korea policy. “Trump’s comments regarding China’s perceived passivity on North Korea’s nuclear program are very much in line with the overwhelming consensus view in U.S. diplomatic circles,” Shi said.
http://www.salon.com/2017/01/03/donald-trumps-tweets-on-north-koreas-nukes-have-established-his-foreign-policy-priorities/
[font size="8"]Donald Trump[/font]
So before we get into how much Saddam Trump’s sons Uday and Qusay have been fucking things up and stealing and looting, I have to say that I do love Bruce Springsteen. And there’s a reason why they call him “The Boss”. So he questioned Donald Trump’s mental competency:
Bruce Springsteen discussed Donald Trump's impending presidency and questioned whether the mogul had the competency and experience to hold the title of commander in chief in his hour-long WTF conversation with Marc Maron.
"I've felt disgust before, but never the kind of fear that you feel now," Springsteen said of the coming Trump administration.
"It's as simple as the fear of, is someone simply competent enough to do this particular job? Forget about where they are ideologically. Do they simply have the pure competence to be put in the position of such responsibility?"
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/bruce-springsteen-questions-trumps-competency-on-wtf-w458624
"I've felt disgust before, but never the kind of fear that you feel now," Springsteen said of the coming Trump administration.
"It's as simple as the fear of, is someone simply competent enough to do this particular job? Forget about where they are ideologically. Do they simply have the pure competence to be put in the position of such responsibility?"
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/bruce-springsteen-questions-trumps-competency-on-wtf-w458624
So what have Trump’s sons been doing to loot and pillage this week? Why Trump is playing the “move along, nothing to see here” card when it comes to his son’s charity, which supposedly raises money for children with cancer.
On Friday morning, the president-elect tweeted, "My wonderful son, Eric, will no longer be allowed to raise money for children with cancer because of a possible conflict of interest with my presidency. Isn't this a ridiculous shame? He loves these kids, has raised millions of dollars for them, and now must stop. Wrong answer!"
A recent New York Times report states, in part, that on Wednesday, Eric Trump "had decided to stop directly soliciting contributions for his charitable foundation...because he now recognizes that his status as the president-elect's son means that donors could try to use him to gain access to his father."
http://www.aol.com/article/news/2016/12/24/trump-controversy-son-eric-charity-work-ridiculous/21641573/
A recent New York Times report states, in part, that on Wednesday, Eric Trump "had decided to stop directly soliciting contributions for his charitable foundation...because he now recognizes that his status as the president-elect's son means that donors could try to use him to gain access to his father."
http://www.aol.com/article/news/2016/12/24/trump-controversy-son-eric-charity-work-ridiculous/21641573/
Oh snap! Fooled you! That one was our Tweet! Ha ha! But seriously though what is Eric Trump’s charity really doing? Let’s let this one sink in for a minute. I mean seriously this is a Mr. Burns level of evil here.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/09/30/eric-trump-charity-spent-880k-at-family-owned-golf-resorts.html
A wine industry association. A plastic surgeon gifting nose jobs to kids. An artist who painted a portrait of Donald Trump and a blue dog. Trump-owned golf resorts.
Those are some of the beneficiaries of the Eric Trump Foundation, an eponymous public charity headed by the Republican presidential nominee’s third-born. Though Eric Trump—the executive vice president of development and acquisitions for the Trump Organization, and one of his father’s top surrogates and closest political advisers—recently claimed his father had donated “hundreds of thousands” to his charity, the only available evidence seems to suggest payments, in fact, went the other way: the Eric Trump Foundation (ETF) paying hundreds of thousands over the last 10 years to host lavish fundraising events at Donald Trump’s golf courses.
A wine industry association. A plastic surgeon gifting nose jobs to kids. An artist who painted a portrait of Donald Trump and a blue dog. Trump-owned golf resorts.
Those are some of the beneficiaries of the Eric Trump Foundation, an eponymous public charity headed by the Republican presidential nominee’s third-born. Though Eric Trump—the executive vice president of development and acquisitions for the Trump Organization, and one of his father’s top surrogates and closest political advisers—recently claimed his father had donated “hundreds of thousands” to his charity, the only available evidence seems to suggest payments, in fact, went the other way: the Eric Trump Foundation (ETF) paying hundreds of thousands over the last 10 years to host lavish fundraising events at Donald Trump’s golf courses.
Yeah he’s essentially laundering money through his foundation , and they accused Hillary Clinton of doing the exact same thing! So what happened this week?
Eric Trump is suspending the operations of his charitable foundation — ceasing all fundraising — after facing questions about whether the foundation donors might get special access to members of the first family.
“No new money will come into the ETF bank account,” Trump wrote in an email message on Thursday.
That decision appeared to go beyond a pledge Trump had made a day earlier to the New York Times: In that interview, Trump said he would cease personally raising money for the foundation but left the broader fate of the foundation uncertain.
The Eric Trump Foundation, founded in 2007, raises more than $1.5 million a year through a golf tournament, online auctions and other events. One recent auction, for instance, offered a 10-week paid internship at the Trump Organization, which came with the chance to sit down for 15 minutes each with Eric Trump and his siblings Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump. In another auction, the foundation offered a chance to pitch a business idea to Eric Trump over lunch.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/12/22/eric-trump-suspends-his-foundations-operations/?utm_term=.66c826f7ec6e
“No new money will come into the ETF bank account,” Trump wrote in an email message on Thursday.
That decision appeared to go beyond a pledge Trump had made a day earlier to the New York Times: In that interview, Trump said he would cease personally raising money for the foundation but left the broader fate of the foundation uncertain.
The Eric Trump Foundation, founded in 2007, raises more than $1.5 million a year through a golf tournament, online auctions and other events. One recent auction, for instance, offered a 10-week paid internship at the Trump Organization, which came with the chance to sit down for 15 minutes each with Eric Trump and his siblings Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump. In another auction, the foundation offered a chance to pitch a business idea to Eric Trump over lunch.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/12/22/eric-trump-suspends-his-foundations-operations/?utm_term=.66c826f7ec6e
[font size="8"]Fox News[/font]
Fact checking. That thing you do with your friends when you get into drunken late night arguments over last year’s best picture winner, and use Google to find out that it was Spotlight, a movie that most people have probably not seen since it won best picture. That’s fact checking. Here’s what is not fact checking. What Fox News did last week. So Fox News ran this report last week that said that food stamp fraud was at an all time high. Was it? Was it really?
Apparently, throwing people off health insurance and demolishing Medicare and Social Security is not enough destruction of our social safety nets for Fox News. Now those Christian Crusaders are “just asking” if we should eliminate food stamps, too. UPDATED
On Fox & Friends, host Abby Huntsman began a discussion by saying, “$70 million of taxpayer money was wasted on food stamp fraud. So is it time to end the program altogether?”
Huntsman didn’t seem to think it was her job to point out that while the waste may seem egregious, the fuller picture is that more than $70 BILLION went to feeding hungry Americans.
http://www.newshounds.us/fox_news_just_asks_if_food_stamps_should_be_eliminated_122916#8iYdKWDQMZKd6rfR.99
On Fox & Friends, host Abby Huntsman began a discussion by saying, “$70 million of taxpayer money was wasted on food stamp fraud. So is it time to end the program altogether?”
Huntsman didn’t seem to think it was her job to point out that while the waste may seem egregious, the fuller picture is that more than $70 BILLION went to feeding hungry Americans.
http://www.newshounds.us/fox_news_just_asks_if_food_stamps_should_be_eliminated_122916#8iYdKWDQMZKd6rfR.99
Thank you Master Yoda. But whose fail is it anyways? Fox News not only printed a retraction, they completely screwed up what they were originally going to report in the first place!
Here’s how Huntsman presented the correction at around 6:45 a.m. today:
An update to a story that we brought to you earlier this week regarding fraud in the food-stamp program: So we reported that in 2016, $70 million was wasted on food-stamp fraud. That was incorrect. The latest information, from 2009 to 2011, shows the fraud at 1.3 percent, which is approximately $853 million for those three years combined. Nationally food-stamp trafficking is on the decline.
With that presentation, Fox News came closer to reality, though there was still some work to do. As the USDA report makes clear, the food-stamp trafficking numbers are actually $858 million annually from 2009 to 2011, not combined, as Huntsman said. So once again, Fox News appeared determined to under-represent actual food-stamp trafficking, even in a segment clearly designed to hammer SNAP.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2016/12/30/fox-news-runs-incorrect-correction-of-food-stamp-fraud-report-then-corrects-correction/?utm_term=.0a7183448bb0&wpisrc=nl_popns&wpmm=1
An update to a story that we brought to you earlier this week regarding fraud in the food-stamp program: So we reported that in 2016, $70 million was wasted on food-stamp fraud. That was incorrect. The latest information, from 2009 to 2011, shows the fraud at 1.3 percent, which is approximately $853 million for those three years combined. Nationally food-stamp trafficking is on the decline.
With that presentation, Fox News came closer to reality, though there was still some work to do. As the USDA report makes clear, the food-stamp trafficking numbers are actually $858 million annually from 2009 to 2011, not combined, as Huntsman said. So once again, Fox News appeared determined to under-represent actual food-stamp trafficking, even in a segment clearly designed to hammer SNAP.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2016/12/30/fox-news-runs-incorrect-correction-of-food-stamp-fraud-report-then-corrects-correction/?utm_term=.0a7183448bb0&wpisrc=nl_popns&wpmm=1
And now here’s the retraction to the retraction to the retraction. Retraction-ception?:
So Huntsman tried again an hour later:
An update to a story that we brought you earlier this week regarding fraud in the food-stamp program. We reported that back in 2016, $70 million were wasted on food-stamp fraud. That was actually incorrect. The latest information from 2009 to 2011 shows the fraud at 1.3 percent, which is approximately $853 million for each of those three years and nationally food-stamp trafficking is on the decline.
Better! Though still not 100 percent: Food-stamp trafficking is actually on the rise — to 1.3 percent in the 2009-2011 study, from 1.0 percent in the USDA’s 2006-2008 study. The trafficking rate, however, is indeed down from its levels in the 1990s.
An update to a story that we brought you earlier this week regarding fraud in the food-stamp program. We reported that back in 2016, $70 million were wasted on food-stamp fraud. That was actually incorrect. The latest information from 2009 to 2011 shows the fraud at 1.3 percent, which is approximately $853 million for each of those three years and nationally food-stamp trafficking is on the decline.
Better! Though still not 100 percent: Food-stamp trafficking is actually on the rise — to 1.3 percent in the 2009-2011 study, from 1.0 percent in the USDA’s 2006-2008 study. The trafficking rate, however, is indeed down from its levels in the 1990s.
[font size="8"]The War On Christmas[/font]
Time once again to ask:
The War On Christmas: How is this still a thing? You know you’re out with your children or your significant others, and you come across one of these magnets placed on somebody’s car:
Those magnets are just another symbol of the Christian right's increasingly one sided outrage machine directing misguided outrage at department stores who dares not say the name of Baby Jesus. Which prompts us liberals every year to respond with "really? With all the shit going on in the world this is what you direct your outrage at? Fuck you!". Bill O'Reilly likes to claim that he's sticking up for Christianity. Sure, Bill, keep telling yourself that.
Again, keep telling yourself that, Bill! He keeps it going:
Because that's what Jon Stewart does? Discredit things? And here's my favorite:
They did? Really? Bill? Then why is this still going on? This is what you have to be outraged about? This war is one sided. The other side I can guarantee doesn't care about it. But this year, however, with the election of Donald Trump to the White House, things suddenly took a very dark turn for Christmas this year with Krampus and his nasty elves getting into the White House. But just as we pointed out how Donald Trump thanked himself with that bizarre post Christmas Tweet, there’s more to the War On Christmas 2016. So how was the “War On Christmas” controversy created? The New York Times explains:
The most organized attack on Christmas came from the Puritans, who banned celebrations of the holiday in the 17th century because it did not accord with their interpretation of the Bible.
Fast forward 400 years, and the idea of a plot against Christmas gained wide publicity when Fox News promoted a 2005 book by a radio host, John Gibson, that alleged liberal antagonism toward the holiday, according to Dan Cassino, a professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Mr. Gibson said in an interview that he was “amazed” by the uproar his book caused.
He said it primarily focused on an issue that rarely happens anymore: educators and local officials banning nonreligious symbols like Santa Claus or Christmas trees out of a mistaken belief that displaying them violated the Constitution.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/19/us/war-on-christmas-controversy.html
Fast forward 400 years, and the idea of a plot against Christmas gained wide publicity when Fox News promoted a 2005 book by a radio host, John Gibson, that alleged liberal antagonism toward the holiday, according to Dan Cassino, a professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Mr. Gibson said in an interview that he was “amazed” by the uproar his book caused.
He said it primarily focused on an issue that rarely happens anymore: educators and local officials banning nonreligious symbols like Santa Claus or Christmas trees out of a mistaken belief that displaying them violated the Constitution.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/19/us/war-on-christmas-controversy.html
So let me ask you this Mr. Gibson – where is this so called “liberal outrage” coming from? You know Bill Maher had a pretty poignant New Rule about it last year:
Let’s extrapolate this clip for a minute. So most of the complaints coming from the right about religion and Christmas are really non existent. You want proof? How come as DirecTV subscribers, there's 30 channels of uninterrupted religion broadcasting 24/7, yet we only get one hour per week of "Real Time With Bill Maher"? Explain that to us, oh holy warriors! We’re not the ones complaining. And who really gives a fuck about what stores greet you with “Merry Christmas” vs “Happy Holidays”? But in recent years the one-sided War On Christmas has reached completely ridiculous proportions.
One of the Religious Right’s most idiotic yet enduring claims is that the tradition of saying “Happy Holidays” is not respectful and inclusive, but rather a sign of the ongoing “War on Christmas.” The Religious Right legal group Liberty Counsel has kicked off its annual Naughty & Nice List, which attacks retailers who “censor Christmas” by not using the word or Christmas-specific imagery often enough in their holiday advertisements and decorations.
This phony war has a new field marshal. Donald Trump, who promised the moon and the Supreme Court to Religious Right leaders during his campaign, has pledged to save Christmas from imagined threats. He promised, “If I become president, we’re gonna be saying Merry Christmas at every store … You can leave happy holidays at the corner.” Another time he said, “[Remember] the expression ‘Merry Christmas?’ You don’t see it anymore. You’re [going to] see it if I get elected, I can tell you right now. I can tell you right now.” Michele Bachmann even quoted him saying, “When I was growing up, everyone said merry Christmas, even my Jews would say merry Christmas.”
Trump pushed for a boycott of Starbucks because their cups weren’t Christmas-y enough, and his son Eric said that his father decided to run for president after he read that the White House replaced the Christmas tree with a “holiday tree,” a tree that does not exist.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/religious-rights-annual-war-on-the-war-on-christmas-has-a-new-field-marshal/
This phony war has a new field marshal. Donald Trump, who promised the moon and the Supreme Court to Religious Right leaders during his campaign, has pledged to save Christmas from imagined threats. He promised, “If I become president, we’re gonna be saying Merry Christmas at every store … You can leave happy holidays at the corner.” Another time he said, “[Remember] the expression ‘Merry Christmas?’ You don’t see it anymore. You’re [going to] see it if I get elected, I can tell you right now. I can tell you right now.” Michele Bachmann even quoted him saying, “When I was growing up, everyone said merry Christmas, even my Jews would say merry Christmas.”
Trump pushed for a boycott of Starbucks because their cups weren’t Christmas-y enough, and his son Eric said that his father decided to run for president after he read that the White House replaced the Christmas tree with a “holiday tree,” a tree that does not exist.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/religious-rights-annual-war-on-the-war-on-christmas-has-a-new-field-marshal/
Yes – Donald Trump actually called for Starbucks to be boycotted because its’ cups weren’t Christmas-y enough. Really, Donald? I mean really? Let’s take a look at this year’s cups.
Oh no! Images of red color and snow aren’t enough to offend the Baby Jesus?
You’ve got us there, Donald. But the Liberty Counsel – one of the groups keeping this charade going, actually publishes an annual “naughty or nice” list of stores that they claim “keep Christmas alive. Here’s an example of who is nice:
Kohl’s
With over 4,000 usages of both “Christmas” and “holiday” terms in product associations and advertising as well as a prominent number of references to biblical elements, Kohl’s continues to keep the Christmas season alive. Kohl’s website features prominent usage of the term “Christmas” with a wealth of supporting products and advertising (as pictured). Kohl’s is especially commended for a generous line of faith-related items to promote Christmas. Contact Kohl’s to thank them for remembering the blessed reason for which we celebrate the Christmas season.
With over 4,000 usages of both “Christmas” and “holiday” terms in product associations and advertising as well as a prominent number of references to biblical elements, Kohl’s continues to keep the Christmas season alive. Kohl’s website features prominent usage of the term “Christmas” with a wealth of supporting products and advertising (as pictured). Kohl’s is especially commended for a generous line of faith-related items to promote Christmas. Contact Kohl’s to thank them for remembering the blessed reason for which we celebrate the Christmas season.
Yes. That’s an actual entry for the nice section. Although they really hate the Gap for some reason.
Gap, Inc.
There are no references to “Christmas” or any biblical elements within products associations and advertisements. Only “holiday” is used to refer to the upcoming season. Gap has oscillated over the years, but this year it is back on the Naughty List. In 2013, after nine years of “naughty”, Bill Chandler, executive vice president for global corporate affairs at GAP Incorporated, issued a letter in which he referenced “Christmas” nine times and wrote that “every Gap outlet window will have signs that say ‘Merry Christmas,’ along with Christmas trees and wreathes throughout their stores.” Chandler concluded “. . . we hope you’ll agree that our Gap Inc. family of brands, including Gap and Old Navy, are Christmas friendly this holiday season.” In the years since the announcement, GAP has shown a decline in Christmas friendliness with reduced references on their website and in stores. Call (800) 427-7895 to politely encourage GAP to re-strengthen their ties to Christmas.
http://lc.org/1116162016%20NaughtyorNiceList.pdf
There are no references to “Christmas” or any biblical elements within products associations and advertisements. Only “holiday” is used to refer to the upcoming season. Gap has oscillated over the years, but this year it is back on the Naughty List. In 2013, after nine years of “naughty”, Bill Chandler, executive vice president for global corporate affairs at GAP Incorporated, issued a letter in which he referenced “Christmas” nine times and wrote that “every Gap outlet window will have signs that say ‘Merry Christmas,’ along with Christmas trees and wreathes throughout their stores.” Chandler concluded “. . . we hope you’ll agree that our Gap Inc. family of brands, including Gap and Old Navy, are Christmas friendly this holiday season.” In the years since the announcement, GAP has shown a decline in Christmas friendliness with reduced references on their website and in stores. Call (800) 427-7895 to politely encourage GAP to re-strengthen their ties to Christmas.
http://lc.org/1116162016%20NaughtyorNiceList.pdf
Who said these people are polite? If anything all they do is just waste the time of department store managers who really have no time to waste during the holiday season. Really, if you actually have enough free time during the holidays that you need to call the Gap to remind them that they don’t celebrate the Baby Jesus enough, you might want to consider reevaluating your life at this point. But who really won the War On Christmas?
In the 1890s, President Benjamin Harrison became the first U.S. president (that we know of) to dress up as Santa Claus. Realizing that his sizable beard worked to his advantage, he would put on a Santa suit at Christmastime to entertain his grandchildren. He is also credited with bringing the first Christmas tree into the White House.
It wasn't until the early 20th century that White House Christmases went from relatively private affairs to elaborate celebrations, marked by public ceremonies and official events taking place over several weeks. And, the decorations! This year, more than 100 years after Harrison brought in the first tree, the White House is decked out with 63 trees, 70,000 ornaments and 56 gingerbread houses.
One thing is for certain: If there's a war on Christmas, the White House is definitely winning it. Here, for your holiday perusal, are photos of presidents past and present celebrating the yuletide, both in public and private.
http://www.politico.com/magazine/gallery/2016/12/white-house-christmas-photos-000699?slide=0
It wasn't until the early 20th century that White House Christmases went from relatively private affairs to elaborate celebrations, marked by public ceremonies and official events taking place over several weeks. And, the decorations! This year, more than 100 years after Harrison brought in the first tree, the White House is decked out with 63 trees, 70,000 ornaments and 56 gingerbread houses.
One thing is for certain: If there's a war on Christmas, the White House is definitely winning it. Here, for your holiday perusal, are photos of presidents past and present celebrating the yuletide, both in public and private.
http://www.politico.com/magazine/gallery/2016/12/white-house-christmas-photos-000699?slide=0
No. Who really won the War On Christmas?
Amazon has declared 2016 its "best ever" holiday season, selling millions of Alexa devices and enough 4K TVs to reach the peak of Mount Everest more than nine times.
Amazon itself continues to scale new heights as shoppers bought and gifted a "record-setting" number of devices.
"Echo and Echo Dot were the best-selling products across Amazon this year, and we’re thrilled that millions of new customers will be introduced to Alexa as a result. Despite our best efforts and ramped-up production, we still had trouble keeping them in stock. From turning on Christmas lights and playing holiday music to shopping for gifts and asking for help with cookie recipes, Alexa continues to get smarter every day," said Jeff Wilke, Amazon CEO, worldwide consumer.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/lauraheller/2016/12/27/amazon-has-best-ever-holiday/#382b12cfb382
Amazon itself continues to scale new heights as shoppers bought and gifted a "record-setting" number of devices.
"Echo and Echo Dot were the best-selling products across Amazon this year, and we’re thrilled that millions of new customers will be introduced to Alexa as a result. Despite our best efforts and ramped-up production, we still had trouble keeping them in stock. From turning on Christmas lights and playing holiday music to shopping for gifts and asking for help with cookie recipes, Alexa continues to get smarter every day," said Jeff Wilke, Amazon CEO, worldwide consumer.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/lauraheller/2016/12/27/amazon-has-best-ever-holiday/#382b12cfb382
That’s right, Amazon won the war on Christmas this year with higher than ever sales. And no brick and mortar stores to tell you Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas. That’s enough to make you ask: The War On Christmas:
[font size="8"]Creepy Starbucks Sex Offender[/font]
There might be a trigger warning for this next entry. And we go to Spokane Washington for this one. So this happened in Spokane this week at a local Starbucks. And it’s about as creepy as it gets. I mean seriously creepy. And for the purposes of anonymity we will refrain from using any real names in this story. Here’s what happened.
SPOKANE, Wash. — A 37-year-old man says he was banned from a Starbucks in Washington state after asking a 16-year-old barista out to dinner, CBS Spokane affiliate KREM reports.
The man, who was not identified by KREM since he has not been charged with a crime, said he was at Starbucks in Spokane last week and wrote a note asking out a barista.
“I was flirted with by a barista. For some reason she thought I was funny. Said I was funny. So I gave her a note to see if she’d be interested in dinner,” the man wrote in a Facebook post.
He said that when he went back the next day, a police officer told him he was banned from the Starbucks.
http://wreg.com/2017/01/01/man-alleges-ageism-after-getting-banned-from-starbucks-for-asking-teen-barista-on-date/
The man, who was not identified by KREM since he has not been charged with a crime, said he was at Starbucks in Spokane last week and wrote a note asking out a barista.
“I was flirted with by a barista. For some reason she thought I was funny. Said I was funny. So I gave her a note to see if she’d be interested in dinner,” the man wrote in a Facebook post.
He said that when he went back the next day, a police officer told him he was banned from the Starbucks.
http://wreg.com/2017/01/01/man-alleges-ageism-after-getting-banned-from-starbucks-for-asking-teen-barista-on-date/
?w=700
Yup that is certifiably creepy! But this is one of those stories where when you dig deeper you realize this is even more creepy than it sounds! But was Starbucks right or wrong in this story? Well…
After he was banned, he took to Facebook to see what the world thought about his being banned from Starbucks. To his surprise, Facebook users were not on his side. Many have praised Starbucks for banning him.
ABC affiliate KREM news reports, a Starbucks spokesperson said the company supports how management handled the situation.
"We have no tolerance for any such inappropriate behavior or harassment," the spokesperson said. "And we will continue to support our store partners and local authorities investigating the situation."
KREM also reports, "Spokane Police said any business has a right to refuse service to anyone for however long they choose. So Starbucks was legally allowed to ban the man from that location. "
http://www.10news.com/news/starbucks-customer-accuses-company-of-age-discrimination
ABC affiliate KREM news reports, a Starbucks spokesperson said the company supports how management handled the situation.
"We have no tolerance for any such inappropriate behavior or harassment," the spokesperson said. "And we will continue to support our store partners and local authorities investigating the situation."
KREM also reports, "Spokane Police said any business has a right to refuse service to anyone for however long they choose. So Starbucks was legally allowed to ban the man from that location. "
http://www.10news.com/news/starbucks-customer-accuses-company-of-age-discrimination
I like that one!
And the further down the rabbit hole you go, the creepier it gets – this was posted on his own website (again, remaining anonymous for anonymity sake) :
You owe me, age gappers on Spokane! YOU OWE ME SOME KIND OF LOVE. Red Robin. Female company. That would be the BAREST amount of love you would owe me for even using this website to spell out your case while you women ignore me for some other guy.
---
I hope your immune system can take babies with diarrhea because I have no kids and am open to being called Daddy. Your choice. I'm available. I will take that risk if that's what you need me to do because I can't even look at kids or beautiful women without crying anymore. You've taken everything away from me with your hate.
--
Women under 26 are the most fertile. They also produce the most progesterone, which makes men healthier. I also want some female company for once in 5 years. Quit stealing from me!
---
I won't take no for an answer. Just trust me. I'm not the monster here. I never was. You have no proof other than than testimony of bigots. I never will be the evil you profess I am. Delusions such as these make your mind look rather lacking as I've deftly explained of your chromosomes. You're the sociopaths. You're the creeps. Not me.
---
I hope your immune system can take babies with diarrhea because I have no kids and am open to being called Daddy. Your choice. I'm available. I will take that risk if that's what you need me to do because I can't even look at kids or beautiful women without crying anymore. You've taken everything away from me with your hate.
--
Women under 26 are the most fertile. They also produce the most progesterone, which makes men healthier. I also want some female company for once in 5 years. Quit stealing from me!
---
I won't take no for an answer. Just trust me. I'm not the monster here. I never was. You have no proof other than than testimony of bigots. I never will be the evil you profess I am. Delusions such as these make your mind look rather lacking as I've deftly explained of your chromosomes. You're the sociopaths. You're the creeps. Not me.
Holy shit. I would put this guy on a sex offender watch list ASAP.
[font size="8"]The Trump Effect[/font]
So the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot that I am using to dedicate to all the people who commit hate crimes in Trump’s name certainly didn’t take a break during the holidays. In the interest of time I will make this entry short because I have just a couple of stories I want to touch up on. First up we go to Arizona for this one, and do we really need this shit right now? Fuck you Neo Nazis.
Naomi Ellis, a fashion-design instructor at Phoenix College and former Brooklyn bar owner, related her disgust on her public Facebook page Friday morning, and the incident has drawn nationwide media attention.
"We never would have imagined that someone would spread so much hate here. However, this morning we were greeted with this horrible act of aggression," Ellis wrote, asking the public to help catch the suspects. "To think that someone would make such an effort to hurt and vandalize a family, is downright sickening."
"She was grateful because our officer helped turned it back into a menorah before her kids got up," Chandler police detective Seth Tyler tells New Times.
The Ellises couldn't be immediately reached, but Naomi Ellis is quoted in a Washington Post story as saying, "This is the real reality that we live in: People hate us for no reason or want us to feel scared for who we are."
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/in-holiday-hate-crime-vandals-turn-arizona-familys-menorah-display-into-swastika-8949797
Yeah they turned a menorah into a swastika, because only sick racist douchebags would do something like that! And expect this shit to get way worse under Trumpenfuror!
I mean even judges are pulling racist shit right now! And before we get into this entry, I want people to read and understand the exact text of the first amendment and the look at the utter hypocrisy of this judge in New Jersey:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
And here’s how the fuck faces violated that document they say we should take literally this week:
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) An upscale New Jersey town violated anti-discrimination laws by insisting that a proposed mosque have more parking spaces than churches or synagogues because of its unique worship times and traditions, a federal judge has ruled.
The ruling issued Saturday by U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp stated that Bernards Township violated the Religious Land Use and Institutional Persons Act by applying a different standard to Muslims.
Shipp found the township's planning board had "unbridled and unconstitutional discretion" because of its vague parking requirements.
The Islamic Society's application to build the mosque was denied after more than three years and 39 public hearings. The group sued the township in March.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Judge-Township-wrongly-treated-proposed-mosque-10830347.php
The ruling issued Saturday by U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp stated that Bernards Township violated the Religious Land Use and Institutional Persons Act by applying a different standard to Muslims.
Shipp found the township's planning board had "unbridled and unconstitutional discretion" because of its vague parking requirements.
The Islamic Society's application to build the mosque was denied after more than three years and 39 public hearings. The group sued the township in March.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Judge-Township-wrongly-treated-proposed-mosque-10830347.php
Yeah so they say that we should take the constitution literally in one breath to the point where they carry around pocket size fucking versions of it, and then in the next breath they declare a whole fucking religion unconstitutional because of a fucking parking lot SNAFU!! !! God damn them!!!
[font size="8"]How To Talk About Trump For Dummies[/font]
All right class! Settle down! I hope everybody did their homework from the last time because it’s time to catch up on GOP talking points with our ongoing lecture series “How To Talk About Trump For Dummies!”. You know the holidays are over and everyone is returning back to the grind. Of course, January 3rd is not only the day that most of us will be returning to work, but it’s also the day the 115th Congress will start tearing through legislation and destroying everything that Obama accomplished. With Trump’s presidency beginning, we will tell you how to get through these discussions with your coworkers or family members. So get out your textbooks!
[font size="6"]Chapter 8: Conspiracy Theories[/font]
The Trump world is rooted in conspiracy theories. Whether it’s Russia, or professional troll Julian Assange, or anything spewing out of Alex Jones’ mouth. I mean after all, Donald Trump did call Infowars to thank them for their support. And when conspiracy theory nutjobs are on your side, you don’t want to be right!
So that happened. How do you reasonably talk down someone who listens to a show like that and believes in this nonsense? Well let’s take a recent event in the news – the tragic passing of actress Carrie Fisher and her mom Debbie Reynolds.
Carrie Fisher, the actress, author and screenwriter who brought a rare combination of nerve, grit and hopefulness to her most indelible role, as Princess Leia in the “Star Wars” movie franchise, died on Tuesday morning. She was 60.
A family spokesman, Simon Halls, said Ms. Fisher died at 8:55 a.m. She had a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles on Friday and had been hospitalized in Los Angeles.
After her “Star Wars” success, Ms. Fisher, the daughter of the pop singer Eddie Fisher and the actress Debbie Reynolds, went on to use her perch among Hollywood royalty to offer wry commentary in her books on the paradoxes and absurdities of the entertainment industry.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/27/movies/carrie-fisher-dead-star-wars-princess-leia.html
A family spokesman, Simon Halls, said Ms. Fisher died at 8:55 a.m. She had a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles on Friday and had been hospitalized in Los Angeles.
After her “Star Wars” success, Ms. Fisher, the daughter of the pop singer Eddie Fisher and the actress Debbie Reynolds, went on to use her perch among Hollywood royalty to offer wry commentary in her books on the paradoxes and absurdities of the entertainment industry.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/27/movies/carrie-fisher-dead-star-wars-princess-leia.html
Yeah that fucking sucked. Especially since the two most recent Star Wars films – Episode VII: The Force Awakens, and Rogue One, have been awesome! And losing someone of Carrie Fisher’s caliber – she was a very unique personality. Now here’s how Alex Jones spun it:
Radio conspiracy theorist Alex Jones reacted to the death of Carrie Fisher today by wondering if the late actress was actually murdered by people trying to make money off of her recently released book.
Jones, who said that he was only speculating, compared Fisher’s passing to the death of Joan Rivers, whom Jones believes was murdered by the Obama administration for revealing that First Lady Michelle Obama “is a tranny.”
A notorious conspiracy theorist, Jones this year found an ally in Donald Trump, who thanked him for helping him get elected and appeared on his show to praise Jones’ “amazing” reputation.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/trump-ally-alex-jones-wonders-if-carrie-fisher-was-murdered/
Jones, who said that he was only speculating, compared Fisher’s passing to the death of Joan Rivers, whom Jones believes was murdered by the Obama administration for revealing that First Lady Michelle Obama “is a tranny.”
A notorious conspiracy theorist, Jones this year found an ally in Donald Trump, who thanked him for helping him get elected and appeared on his show to praise Jones’ “amazing” reputation.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/trump-ally-alex-jones-wonders-if-carrie-fisher-was-murdered/
Pro Tip: Alex Jones fans don’t believe in reality. They live in a fantasy world where everything they do is right, and everything the democrats do is wrong and a conspiracy theory. Remember if someone points out this fact to you, the best thing to do is to bring up history. Remember when Alex Jones said the same thing about Antonin Scalia?
You just get used to this, ‘Scalia found, it’s natural, nothing going on here, he just died naturally,’” Jones said. “And you’re like, ‘Whoa. Red flag.’ Then you realize, Obama is one vote away from being able to ban guns, open the borders and actually have the court engage in its agenda and now Scalia dies. I mean, this is hard core.”
“I wonder if Clarence Thomas will die of a heart attack next week,” he continued, adding: “If this is an assassination, it signifies that they’re dropping the hammer, that’s the canary in the coal mine.”
He once again posited that his fan Donald Trump may be next: “Are they going to kill Clarence Thomas? Maybe they’ll kill Ron Paul. Maybe they’ll kill Donald Trump next. They all had heart attacks. How many more of these are we going to sit here and put up with? Or maybe their airplane blows up.”
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/alex-jones-obama-murdered-justice-scalia-and-donald-trump-next#sthash.epgMLkwB.dpuf
“I wonder if Clarence Thomas will die of a heart attack next week,” he continued, adding: “If this is an assassination, it signifies that they’re dropping the hammer, that’s the canary in the coal mine.”
He once again posited that his fan Donald Trump may be next: “Are they going to kill Clarence Thomas? Maybe they’ll kill Ron Paul. Maybe they’ll kill Donald Trump next. They all had heart attacks. How many more of these are we going to sit here and put up with? Or maybe their airplane blows up.”
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/alex-jones-obama-murdered-justice-scalia-and-donald-trump-next#sthash.epgMLkwB.dpuf
All you have to do is just counter with “What the fuck are you smoking?”. Usually a blank stare does the trick!
Pro Tip: Another way to counter the misinformation spewed by Alex Jones fans, like in this video where he claims the democrats want a Civil War to stop Trump.
Just reply – “Who else talks about this shit? We don’t!”. That usually shuts up an Infowars fan 9 times out of 10.
[font size="6"]Chapter 9: Wikileaks[/font]
While on the subject of conspiracy theories, remember everyone’s favorite professional troll Julian Assange? Just ask your average Donald Trump fan about what they really think about Hillary Clinton. They’ll most likely tell you that Hillary Clinton took money from terrorist groups and laundered it through her charity, the Clinton Foundation. That is a steaming load of bullshit. And it has to be a steaming load of bullshit, am I right, class? Or they’ll most likely tell you that Clinton’s campaign manager John Podesta held Clinton campaign fundraisers at a DC pizza parlor that was running a child sex ring in its’ basement. The simple fact is neither of these things are true, but have their origins in a little site called Wikileaks. This week Julian Assange emerged from the same troll cave Ron Paul is living in to explain this to Sean Hannity:
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says there's an "obvious" reason the Obama administration has focused on Russia's alleged role in Democratic hacks leading up to Donald Trump's electoral win.
“They’re trying to delegitimize the Trump administration as it goes into the White House,” Assange said during an interview with Fox News's Sean Hannity airing Tuesday night, according to a transcript of excerpts from the network. “They are trying to say that President-elect Trump is not a legitimate president," Assange said during the interview, which was conducted at the Ecuadorian embassy in London where he has been staying.
"Our publications had wide uptake by the American people, they’re all true,” Assange continued. “But that’s not the allegation that’s being presented by the Obama White House.”
Assange reiterated the group's denial that Russia was the source of the Democratic documents released over the summer. "Our source is not a state party, so the answer for our interactions is no,” he said.
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/312431-wikileaks-founder-obama-admin-trying-to-delegitimize-trump
“They’re trying to delegitimize the Trump administration as it goes into the White House,” Assange said during an interview with Fox News's Sean Hannity airing Tuesday night, according to a transcript of excerpts from the network. “They are trying to say that President-elect Trump is not a legitimate president," Assange said during the interview, which was conducted at the Ecuadorian embassy in London where he has been staying.
"Our publications had wide uptake by the American people, they’re all true,” Assange continued. “But that’s not the allegation that’s being presented by the Obama White House.”
Assange reiterated the group's denial that Russia was the source of the Democratic documents released over the summer. "Our source is not a state party, so the answer for our interactions is no,” he said.
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/312431-wikileaks-founder-obama-admin-trying-to-delegitimize-trump
So he’s playing the “move along, nothing to see here” card. Which is great, remember when we all praised this guy as some sort of anti-government anti-hero? Well he’s no Walter White. He went from anti-hero to flat out traitor really quickly:
"Assange proceeded unhurriedly, quoting Voltaire and referencing postmodernism as he sketched out a "romantic ideal" of history "that perhaps doesn't belong to this time, but belongs to an older time, or perhaps a future time.” He declared that WikiLeaks was entering a new operational phase in which it would recruit volunteers via Twitter to do battle against the site’s many enemies. (Assange’s enemies list is long and varied, beginning with many of WikiLeaks' old collaborators, such as the New York Times and the Guardian, and also includes American tech companies, establishment liberals, and pretty much every sort of institution imaginable.) "We're going to need an army to defend us," he offered. "We will give an effective call to arms if the pressure increases." He spent some time promoting WikiLeaks books—on sale, at 40 percent off—and promised to publish new leaks in the near future.
Throughout the meandering presentation, the audience—including the hundreds of thousands watching Alex Jones and readers of the Drudge Report, which had promoted the event at the top of its homepage—impatiently waited for the promised blow to Clinton. “I understand there’s enormous expectation in the United States,” Assange said with a chuckle. He promised that WikiLeaks would indeed release information about the election, just not yet. "If we’re going to make a major publication in relation to the United States, we don’t do it at 3 a.m,” he said. By this point, it was around 4 a.m. in New York.
The drawn-out nonrevelation instantaneously reverberated across the Atlantic, where Jones interrupted his livestream and broke into verse, quoting the rapper Ludacris as he urged Assange to, “Move, bitch, get out the way / get out the way, bitch / get out the way.” Later, when a Bloomberg Businessweek reporter asked about Assange’s apparent affinity for Trump, he smirked.
“It’s an interesting question,” he said. “I feel a personal affinity for all human beings.”
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-11/how-julian-assange-turned-wikileaks-into-trump-s-best-friend
Throughout the meandering presentation, the audience—including the hundreds of thousands watching Alex Jones and readers of the Drudge Report, which had promoted the event at the top of its homepage—impatiently waited for the promised blow to Clinton. “I understand there’s enormous expectation in the United States,” Assange said with a chuckle. He promised that WikiLeaks would indeed release information about the election, just not yet. "If we’re going to make a major publication in relation to the United States, we don’t do it at 3 a.m,” he said. By this point, it was around 4 a.m. in New York.
The drawn-out nonrevelation instantaneously reverberated across the Atlantic, where Jones interrupted his livestream and broke into verse, quoting the rapper Ludacris as he urged Assange to, “Move, bitch, get out the way / get out the way, bitch / get out the way.” Later, when a Bloomberg Businessweek reporter asked about Assange’s apparent affinity for Trump, he smirked.
“It’s an interesting question,” he said. “I feel a personal affinity for all human beings.”
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-11/how-julian-assange-turned-wikileaks-into-trump-s-best-friend
Pro Tip: You don’t want to be on the wrong end of a Wikileaks argument. Because when facts are meaningless, there really is no way to counter with facts. Instead, you have tor resort to a false equivalency argument or something that would be better that Trump supporters can understand, like a 140 character Tweet:
Pro Tip: It helps to do some fact checking on things Donald Trump said in the past. Because this was said in regards to Julian Assange and Wikileaks several years ago:
(CNN)Donald Trump called WikiLeaks "disgraceful" and suggested there be a "death penalty" for their actions during a 2010 interview.
Speaking on camera to preview Brian Kilmeade's radio show, the Fox News anchor brought up the topic of WikiLeaks. At the time, WikiLeaks had published hundreds of thousands of classified documents and videos that were leaked to the organization by Pfc. Chelsea Manning, known at the time as Pfc. Bradley Manning.
"I think it's disgraceful, I think there should be like death penalty or something," Trump said during the quick exchange uncovered online by CNN's KFile.
His 2010 comments are in sharp contrast to his decision Wednesday morning to invoke WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who claimed in a new Fox News interview that the Russian government was not the source of the hacks during the presidential campaign. Following the interview, Trump tweeted: "Julian Assange said 'a 14 year old could have hacked Podesta' - why was DNC so careless? Also said Russians did not give him the info!"
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/04/politics/kfile-trump-wikileaks/index.html?adkey=bn
Speaking on camera to preview Brian Kilmeade's radio show, the Fox News anchor brought up the topic of WikiLeaks. At the time, WikiLeaks had published hundreds of thousands of classified documents and videos that were leaked to the organization by Pfc. Chelsea Manning, known at the time as Pfc. Bradley Manning.
"I think it's disgraceful, I think there should be like death penalty or something," Trump said during the quick exchange uncovered online by CNN's KFile.
His 2010 comments are in sharp contrast to his decision Wednesday morning to invoke WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who claimed in a new Fox News interview that the Russian government was not the source of the hacks during the presidential campaign. Following the interview, Trump tweeted: "Julian Assange said 'a 14 year old could have hacked Podesta' - why was DNC so careless? Also said Russians did not give him the info!"
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/04/politics/kfile-trump-wikileaks/index.html?adkey=bn
[font size="6"]Chapter 10 Part 1: Dissecting A Trump Tweet[/font]
Now class! Here’s where the fruit of our labor is going to pay off. Here’s where all the pieces are going to start coming together. So Donald Trump can’t speak his mind without conveying it in a 140 character Tweet, because his mind only thinks very sporadically and spontaneously. In fact let’s consult an expert on what they actually think is going on – apparently they think that Trump isn’t smart enough to think beyond the 140 character Tweet:
President-elect Donald Trump is going to continue firing off unfiltered tweets even when he heads to the Oval Office next month, and conservative radio host Charlie Sykes thinks it’s emblematic of his limited intellect.
Via Daily Kos, Sykes appeared on Lawrence O’Donnell’s show this week and explained that Trump simply lacks the discipline and curiosity to think beyond 140-character blurbs on social media.
“This is really going to symbolize the quality of this man’s thought,” he said. “I mean, there was a time when we had presidents who read books. Now we have presidents who write in 140-character messages.”
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/12/conservative-radio-host-trump-isnt-smart-enough-to-think-beyond-140-character-tweets/
Via Daily Kos, Sykes appeared on Lawrence O’Donnell’s show this week and explained that Trump simply lacks the discipline and curiosity to think beyond 140-character blurbs on social media.
“This is really going to symbolize the quality of this man’s thought,” he said. “I mean, there was a time when we had presidents who read books. Now we have presidents who write in 140-character messages.”
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/12/conservative-radio-host-trump-isnt-smart-enough-to-think-beyond-140-character-tweets/
And then his press secretary nominee is in full on “nothing to see here” mode:
In the wake of a year defined by populist anger and distrust of elites, Twitter made Trump accessible to the masses and unaccountable to the media in a way that Hillary Clinton couldn’t. It has also raised legitimate concerns about the way the next president could use (and misuse) his social-media soapbox to evade and circumvent the traditional White House press pool and the media more generally. On Sunday, three former White House press secretaries issued warnings on Meet the Press about Trump’s hostility toward the media and his tendency, when confronted with facts he doesn’t like, to create his own. “It's somewhat Orwellian, which, you know, you redefine the past, which means you can define the present and the future,” Joe Lockhart, former press secretary under Bill Clinton, said. Trump also recognizes that growing political polarization and distrust of traditional media, combined with the emergence of so-called “alternative” media sources that traffic in disinformation and propaganda, has created fertile ground to rewrite reality as he sees fit. “He can use it to his advantage, because as the Gallup poll recently indicated, confidence in the press to report the news accurately and fairly has never been lower,” former George W. Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer noted. “And so the press has made itself vulnerable, because it lost the trust of their readers and their viewers — and Trump has widely taken advantage of it.”
Spicer didn’t do much to quell these fears, adding that “business as usual”—that is, a president communicating to Americans using typical media channels—is over. “You know, with all due respect, I think it freaks the mainstream media out that he has this following of over 45 plus million people that follow him on social media, that he can have a direct conversation,” Spicer added. “He doesn’t have to have it funneled through the media.”
Read more: http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/01/trump-wont-stop-terrifying-the-world-over-twitter-anytime-soon
Spicer didn’t do much to quell these fears, adding that “business as usual”—that is, a president communicating to Americans using typical media channels—is over. “You know, with all due respect, I think it freaks the mainstream media out that he has this following of over 45 plus million people that follow him on social media, that he can have a direct conversation,” Spicer added. “He doesn’t have to have it funneled through the media.”
Read more: http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/01/trump-wont-stop-terrifying-the-world-over-twitter-anytime-soon
Now let’s go into the Tweet in question. So Donald Trump went after Chevrolet who he claims is building its’ flagship small car, the Chevy Cruze, in Mexico. Let’s throw that Tweet up there, shall we?
That’s some pretty strong words directed at a company that was bailed out following the 2008 crash, wasn’t it? Well once again Trump sticks his foot in his mouth because this happened:
President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday attacked General Motors in a tweet, claiming the auto giant is making a Chevy Cruze model in Mexico and then sending them to U.S. dealers tax free.
"General Motors is sending Mexican made model of Chevy Cruze to U.S. car dealers-tax free across border. Make in U.S.A.or pay big border tax!" Trump said on Twitter.
http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/03/trump-blasts-general-motors-make-chevy-cruze-model-in-us-or-pay-big-border-tax.html
"General Motors is sending Mexican made model of Chevy Cruze to U.S. car dealers-tax free across border. Make in U.S.A.or pay big border tax!" Trump said on Twitter.
http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/03/trump-blasts-general-motors-make-chevy-cruze-model-in-us-or-pay-big-border-tax.html
Pro Tip: In a world where facts don’t matter, it helps to read beyond the headlines! Because by reading beyond the headlines as it will reveal details you might have missed just by reading the first paragraph – something that only a Trump supporter would do. Why do they hate us? Because we read beyond the headlines. When you do you will see here’s how General Motors responded to Trump’s accusations:
GM later responded to Trump's tweet, saying it makes most of its Chevy Cruze models in the United States and sells only a "small number" of one model made in Mexico in the U.S.
"General Motors manufactures the Chevrolet Cruze sedan in Lordstown, Ohio. All Chevrolet Cruze sedans sold in the U.S. are built in GM's assembly plant in Lordstown, Ohio. GM builds the Chevrolet Cruze hatchback for global markets in Mexico, with a small number sold in the U.S," the company said in a statement.
GM told CNBC that it sold about 190,000 Cruzes in the U.S. in 2016. About 4,500 of those, or 2.4 percent, were hatchbacks made in Mexico.
GM shares initially fell in premarket trade after Trump's attack but traded higher after the market opened.
Trump ran on pledges to discourage American companies from moving production overseas and has targeted various corporations for their practices. Trump has already touted a deal in which United Technologies unit Carrier will get $7 million in financial incentives to keep some jobs in Indiana. It will still close another Indiana facility and move hundreds of jobs to Mexico.
"General Motors manufactures the Chevrolet Cruze sedan in Lordstown, Ohio. All Chevrolet Cruze sedans sold in the U.S. are built in GM's assembly plant in Lordstown, Ohio. GM builds the Chevrolet Cruze hatchback for global markets in Mexico, with a small number sold in the U.S," the company said in a statement.
GM told CNBC that it sold about 190,000 Cruzes in the U.S. in 2016. About 4,500 of those, or 2.4 percent, were hatchbacks made in Mexico.
GM shares initially fell in premarket trade after Trump's attack but traded higher after the market opened.
Trump ran on pledges to discourage American companies from moving production overseas and has targeted various corporations for their practices. Trump has already touted a deal in which United Technologies unit Carrier will get $7 million in financial incentives to keep some jobs in Indiana. It will still close another Indiana facility and move hundreds of jobs to Mexico.
That’s it for this week class! Your homework is to dissect an actual Trump Tweet and bring it to next week’s lecture where we will be discussing Chapter 10 part 2, chapter 11, and chapter 12. And then the following week we will be concluding with our discussion on chapter 13 and chapter 14! Be sure to study up for the final exam!
[font size="8"]And now this:[/font]
[font size="8"]Tiger Army[/font]
Ladies and gentlemen, playing their song “Firefall” from their new album “V---“ available in stores everywhere music is sold, please welcome Tiger Army!
Yeah how about that?
See you next week!
5 replies
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Love the gifs
Or, if you please, some major Major Kong! Gonna get those doors open if it harelips everyone on Bear Creek!
The rest of it (some overlap inevitable):
Where the Hell is Major Kong?
Enjoy, or not, given inevitabilities. Still one of the best films ever made.
but we're stuck with him here in CA. And couldn't he just have strapped the rabbit to the roof of his car? 
