Saviolo
Saviolo's JournalQueer activist and scholar Anthony Oliveira suspended from Twitter (@meakoopa)
Apparently for defending himself against some bigots who were whining about there not being a straight pride month.
The backlash against Twitter has been pretty fierce, given they've suspended a queer activist at the beginning of Pride month.
https://twitter.com/JohnnyOatley/status/874648902099771393
https://twitter.com/Jenny_Trout/status/874685152408080384
https://twitter.com/RealDorianDawes/status/874683057416146944
https://twitter.com/SidizenKane/status/874639690254741504
https://twitter.com/StoryHospital/status/874691768368889856
Understanding Obstruction of Justice:
There's a really excellent twitter thread about it here:
https://twitter.com/SethAbramson/status/872532952055513088
Some important points from the thread:
Obstruction of Justice IS a legal term and federal criminal statute. It has a strict legal definition. It is NOT open to interpretation.
Obstruction of Justice is NOT a political term. Politicians may NOT define it in whatever way pleases them or may advantage their party.
The federal Obstruction of Justice statute does NOT take into account—or care about whatsoever—how a defendant's actions made you FEEL.
The Obstruction of Justice statute ALSO does NOT take into account—or care about at all—whether an investigation was in FACT obstructed.
Questions tomorrow about how Trump's actions made Jim Comey FEEL—or about whether those actions IMPEDED an investigation—are IRRELEVANT.
Therefore any Obstruction of Justice case against President Trump IS about—almost exclusively—the nature of the words he said to Comey.
If the words Comey CONTEMPORANEOUSLY RECORDED as having been said by Trump were indeed said, Trump IS guilty of Obstruction of Justice.
Another lie you'll hear tomorrow is Obstruction of Justice is hard to prove. It isn't—at all. Because it's NOT a specific intent crime.
If you're looking for a shorthand for tomorrow: in Obstruction of Justice, WORDS and their CONTEXT matter; FEELINGS and EFFECTS do not.
Please check out the whole thread, it's extremely in-depth and informative.
Canadian foreign minister Chrystia Freeland on recent events:
As reported by Daniel Dale. Links to tweets below the copy and paste from Dale's Twitter:
In a major address right now, Canada's foreign minister Chrystia Freeland is explaining why a "Canada first" approach would be wrong.
Freeland: "I would like to profoundly thank our American friends" for their "indispensable" contributions to the global order.
Canada's foreign minister: ...but many Americans cast their 2016 votes in an attempt to "shrug off the burden of world leadership."
This is an extremely rare criticism of American voters from a top Canadian minister, who says Canada now needs to chart a sovereign course.
Freeland's message: Canada is committed to the "rules-based" global order no matter what the US does, and will find like-minded allies.
Key section of Canada foreign minister's speech: we'll work with the US wherever possible, but the US might not lead the world anymore, so.
Another interesting Freeland remark: Canada understands the need for a rules-based global order because it has to live next to the US.
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/872099991631925248
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/872103457272066048
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/872103673287110656
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/872104620344184837
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/872105095462215680
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/872106923293908992
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/872109178386616321
Chrystia Freeland is my MP. I can't say that I voted for her (I voted for Jennifer Hollett of the NDP in the last federal election), but I think she's been effective and good so far, from what I've seen. This is the Canadian Foreign Minister calling out Trump's USA. Our closest neighbour and world's longest undefended border. Basically, "We're gonna go hang out with those European folks until you get your shit straightened out."
Daniel Dale reporting on foreign minister Chrystia Freeland's speech:
Links to tweets below the copy and paste:
In a major address right now, Canada's foreign minister Chrystia Freeland is explaining why a "Canada first" approach would be wrong.
Freeland: "I would like to profoundly thank our American friends" for their "indispensable" contributions to the global order.
Canada's foreign minister: ...but many Americans cast their 2016 votes in an attempt to "shrug off the burden of world leadership."
This is an extremely rare criticism of American voters from a top Canadian minister, who says Canada now needs to chart a sovereign course.
Freeland's message: Canada is committed to the "rules-based" global order no matter what the US does, and will find like-minded allies.
Key section of Canada foreign minister's speech: we'll work with the US wherever possible, but the US might not lead the world anymore, so.
Another interesting Freeland remark: Canada understands the need for a rules-based global order because it has to live next to the US.
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/872099991631925248
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/872103457272066048
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/872103673287110656
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/872104620344184837
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/872105095462215680
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/872106923293908992
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/872109178386616321
Chrystia Freeland is my MP. I can't say that I voted for her (I voted for Jennifer Hollett of the NDP in the last federal election), but I think she's been effective and good so far, from what I've seen.
Nuclear Winter? Many Trump Fans Are Loving It (Satire)
From Medium:
The world recoiled in horror when President Trump launched a nuclear strike on Namibia eight days ago, reportedly provoked when he misheard President Hage Geinbob’s remark “we look forward to working with you” as “you lost the popular vote by three million people” during a 47-second phone call. North Korea took advantage of the ensuing chaos to launch its own surprise hydrogen-bomb attacks on Las Vegas and Cincinnati, leaving hundreds of thousands dead and millions wounded. The United States has sustained trillions of dollars in damage to its infrastructure, including the power grid and food supply. The globe is reeling from its worst crisis since World War II, and the fabric of society appears to be unspooling rapidly.
But to Donald Trump’s most fervent supporters, that’s precisely the point.
“Honestly, this is exactly what I expected from him,” said Steve Meissner, a 67-year-old former machinist who perched on a pile of smoldering rubble that once served as the back booth of Joey’s Classic Diner. Meissner has been a regular here for 32 years, stopping by every Friday afternoon for Joey’s signature steak and eggs (temporarily replaced by “Joey’s signature gruel,” the owner explained quietly, until cows and chickens can be deemed non-radioactive by the USDA, which hasn’t been heard from since the attacks).
“The liberals are still upset about losing the election,” chimed in Andrew Dunn, an administrative assistant whose badly mutilated nose oozed with tiny droplets of blood and pus as he spoke. “They just won’t quit complaining.”
Trump’s first communication after the attack, a tweet reading “South Korea will pay!!!” — misidentifying the country responsible — was his most popular ever. His defiance rallied the GOP base: a Gallup poll conducted by horseback last week showed 62% of Republicans now favor sending ground troops to South Korea, with only 7% of Democrats on board. Perhaps more surprisingly, after Trump suggested that being attacked by nuclear weapons might actually help America “toughen up,” a Reuters/Ipsos poll taken via carrier pigeon showed 93% of Republicans agreeing that exposure to a colossal mushroom-cloud explosion would “move the country forward.”
Many here agree with the sentiment. “This whole nuclear winter thing has been great for America,” said Bill McClarey, a cook at Joey’s. “It feels like we all finally have a common enemy in South Korea.”
Full article here: Link to the article
Funny satire, 'cause you gotta laugh to keep from crying, right?
Bahrain cuts ties with Qatar for meddling in internal affairs (UPDATE)
Source: Reuters
Bahrain said on Monday it cut diplomatic relations with Qatar, accusing its fellow Gulf Arab state of backing terrorism and interfering in Bahrain's internal affairs.
A brief statement on the official Bahrain news agency said Bahrain, a close ally of Saudi Arabia, was also cutting air and sea contact with Qatar and was giving its citizens in Qatar 14 days to leave.
Update: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Bahrain break diplomatic ties with Qatar over 'terrorism'
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain have broken off diplomatic relations and all land sea and air contacts with fellow Gulf Arab state Qatar, in the region’s most serious diplomatic crisis in years.
Saudi Arabia on Monday said the move was necessary to protect the kingdom from what it described as terrorism and extremism. The kingdom also pulled all Qatari troops from the coalition fighting the ongoing war in Yemen.
Qatar is home to the sprawling al-Udeid Air Base, which is home to the US military’s Central Command and some 10,000 American troops. It wasn’t clear if the decision would affect American military operations. Central Command officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
From The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/05/saudi-arabia-and-bahrain-break-diplomatic-ties-with-qatar-over-terrorism
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-gulf-qatar-bahrain-idUSKBN18W075
Summed up by two tweets on my timeline:
https://twitter.com/W7VOA/status/871562914842509312
and
https://twitter.com/wrightr/status/871559072679686145
Same-sex vulture dads hatch chick at Amsterdam zoo
Happy Pride Month!
Artis zoo said in a statement Wednesday that keepers who found an egg found on the floor of the vulture aviary initially put it in an incubator but later placed in a nest that the two male birds built together in the enclosure.
The zoo said the vultures, which have been a couple for years, took turns sitting on the egg until it hatched. Now, the new dads are taking care of the chick by feeding it regurgitated food.
Toronto Star article here: https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/05/31/same-sex-vulture-dads-hatch-chick-at-amsterdam-zoo.html
Profile Information
Gender: MaleHometown: Ottawa, Ontario
Home country: Canada
Current location: Toronto, Ontario
Member since: Wed Oct 29, 2008, 04:34 PM
Number of posts: 3,282