The outrage may have peaked but the details continue to enrage – massive conflicts of interest and more…
Trump needs to destroy the post office and picked louis dejoy to get it done – Conflicted, not only by his obvious loyalty and massive campaign contributions to Republicans and Trump, but with huge financial gains in reward for destroying the USPS. Bombshell ad just released by the Really American PAC (Political Action Committee).
https://youtu.be/XEHNqY7Jefk
Just as the Lincoln Project has been skewering Trump with ads exposing his weakness and corruption, and going viral while doing it, ReallyAmerican PAC is joining the fray with some pretty viral-worthy ads of their own.
Once the Republican National Convention (Also known as the Cocaine Convention) blasted into a zombie apocalypse styled attack on everything democratic (small and big D) and then proceeded to flame-out in the ratings, the general election shenanigans began at an October-plus level of furor.
And now, with Melania-Gate in full swing, it might seem like the whole suppress-the-vote-by-destroying-the-post-office thing is, well, old news. It’d be wrong to think that, however. Not only is this issue still front and center and an ongoing travesty, but new revelations continue to explode on to the scene and demand, and are worthy, of further scrutiny and attention.
This clip has a few morsels of incredible ugliness, like the fact that Dejoy is literally and financially conflicted in his position as Postmaster General, and stands to benefit from the crippling of the Post Office, directly, as explained in the ad.
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Climate Change is potentially responsible for creating scorching temperatures and health hazards
A record-breaking heat wave is coming. Moving in today and peaking to coincide with the upcoming Labor Day weekend, excessive heat watches and resulting warnings are ready go into effect. From Friday, September 4th, throughout the Southwest and particularly on the West Coast temperatures are expected to range from 104 to 117 degrees, especially in cities like Las Vegas and Phoenix. These all-time high seasonal temperatures will last throughout the holiday including Monday.
With excessive heat, the National Weather Service’s in Los Angeles posted an official warning that it “is not recommended to spend any extended period outside during the heat of the day.”
The Weather Service also warned residents that there is higher risk for heat illnesses along with heightened fire weather concerns during this time. Near normal temperatures are likely to return by the end of next week.
Southwest States not alone as entire Nation in climate crisis crosshairs
The increased temperatures are said to be worse than the recent heat wave, in August, that hit California and which also resulted in widespread destructive wildfires. These extreme hot and dry conditions will further complicate matters for firefighters that continue to battle active fires. To date th current rash of fires have been responsible for more than 7,000 fires that have burned nearly 1.4 million acres of land.
The extreme changes to the climate make for heat waves to last longer and be more intense. It’s not just the West and Southwest effected by the weather. Other regions of the United States are also set to face extreme weather in the next coming days, with approximately 20 million people in the mid-Atlantic facing threats of severe storms. Those in parts of the South and Midwest that make up nearly 4 million people will be under flash flood advisories.
“From a hazards perspective, it is the Desert Southwest and throughout California’s Great Valley that stand out most with record breaking high temps likely this weekend and into early next week.”
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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The one-time senior advisor to the First Lady chronicles her time with Melania, providing some salacious and juicy details about her relationship with Ivanka Trump and more. “Melanie and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady” was published on Tuesday, September 1st by Gallery Books by Stephanie Winston Wolkoff.
Click to See “Melania and Me” and help Independent Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.
Wolkoff went on multiple TV networks to promote the release of her new book and stirred up even more political buzz for the Trumps. Wolkoff revealed she has recorded conversations between her and Melania and during an interview with ABC she replied that she “can back up everything that’s in the book, 100 percent”.
“Melania and the White House had accused me of criminal activity, had publicly shamed and fired me, and made me their scapegoat,” the author was quoted in an interview with Rachel Maddow on MSNBC.
“At that moment in time, that’s when I pressed record. She was no longer my friend and she was willing to let them take me down and she told me herself that is the way it has to be.”
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff
After her interviews #MelaniaTapes was a trending hashtag on Twitter.
"Melania and the White House had accused me of criminal activity, and publicly shamed and fired me, and made me their scapegoat. At that moment in time, that's when I pressed record." -Stephanie Winston Wolkoff on whether she has recordings of the quotes in her new book pic.twitter.com/LpXyWg0MWR
As tension builds ahead of Nov.3rd election – the tapes are a potential blockbuster
The timing of the recorded conversations AKA “Melania Tapes” comes at potentially critical time when many people are deciding whether or not to reelect President Trump or choose that of his rival, Democratic candidate Joe Biden. It’s hard to say if the audio recordings will reveal damaging or incriminating information.
However, it seems that the White House were quick to dismiss Wolkoff and try to further damage the author’s reputation. Stephanie Grisham, Melania Trump’s Chief of Staff, released a statement on ABC on the eve of the book release, August 31, 2020 with the following remarks: “Anybody who secretly tapes their self-described best friend is by definition, dishonest. The book is full of mistruths and paranoia, and clearly based on some imagined need for revenge.” Even Melania herself took to her social media to quiet the “gossip”.
This afternoon I will be hosting a roundtable with some incredible citizens in recovery & the amazing organizations that support them. I encourage the media to focus & report on the nation's drug crisis, not on delusional & malicious gossip.
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff has a new tell-all memoir that was just released Tuesday, September 1st titled: “Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with The First Lady”. Her book chronicles her time spent with Mrs. Trump, including all that events that led up to her termination at the White House and eventual falling out between the two. The publication of her book immediately sparked controversy after Winston spoke out that Melania used her personal email account to correspond with her while acting as her aide and for other White House related business matters.
Click to See “Melania and Me” and help Independent Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.
Although the First Lady’s email usage is not described in detail within her book, in an interview with The Washington Post, Stephanie made the decision to go public. Her reasoning in leaking the information about Mrs. Trump’s personal email use and recorded conversations between the two, she said, is in response to the White House continuous attacks on the integrity and truthfulness of her book.
In the interview, she divulged that the First Lady regularly used personal email account from the domain MelaniaTrump.com, also an email account from a private Trump Organization and even iMessages when in communication with Wolkoff. She told reporter, “Melania and I both didn’t use White House emails”. The personal email accounts sent by Mrs. Trump allegedly contained discussions about contracts, government hiring, strategic partnerships for ‘Be Best Initiative’, detailed scheduling information and more.
We are all sick of “her damn emails” (Hillarys, that is)
This is not the first time that members of the Trump administration have used private email accounts for government business. Last year both Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner were both investigated on this matter by the House Oversight Committee.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump went after Hillary Clinton for using her own personal email while she was Secretary of State, accusing her of deleting thousands of emails from her server. Richard Painter, a former ethics lawyer for George Bush said “ It’s total hypocrisy.” and went on to say “They got elected acting as if Hillary Clinton ought to be in jail for using the wrong email.”
“They got elected acting as if Hillary Clinton ought to be in jail for using the wrong email.”
Richard Painter, former ethics lawyer for Pres. Bush 43
Although the first lady is not officially a government employee, if Mrs. Trump conducted any type of government related business or discussed classified information, any and all correspondence should have been through the official White House email accounts. The use of personal emails for White House related business may raise some legal questions and also begs the question whether the Presidential Records Act was violated by Melania.
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New Ad from Lincoln Project show Trump over the edge in Laura Ingraham Interview
Yet another great Ad from the now infamous Lincoln Project. Based on a real “interview” with Laura Ingraham, the clip shows Trump muttering and conspiratorially whispering various paranoid fantasies about “people in the dark shadows” and planeloads of black uniformed “thugs” on the way to an unnamed city. “I’ll tell you sometime” is the typical con man delivery of the juicy bits that are just too hot to name…. “it’s under investigation right now”. I guess William Barr is all over that ghost plane, at this very moment…
In all seriousness, while this is well within the “logic” of Trump’s wacko talking points; that “Democrat Cities” are on fire and that he is the “Law and Order” candidate, the level of mental devolution is rising and expanding daily. Not just that the strategy exposed and unleashed at the RNC 2020 is based on projected fantasies, but this, coming on the heels of the #soupgate / #bagsofsoup clip that went viral on Twitter, is a step beyond.
After a failure to disavow violence in Wisconsin, Trump settles on Soup as a Target
Cans of Soup? Or is it Bags? Which is it? And are bricks too heavy to throw or lift? For whom? And how are paintball guns and bear spray “defensive”? The Soup Fascist has all the answers. Or does he? Trump is devolving and becoming increasingly demented before our very eyes.
Does anyone know what this is all about? Reading from a script? Did Kellyanne Conway go mad also? Or Stephen Miller? He may look like Goebbles but his skill is not on that level. What is going on here? Watch the clip to find out 😉
Naturally all of this is no laughing matter. This man’s tendencies to try and use whatever nonsense suits his purpose is a dangerous tick for a man with a nuclear football. On the other hand if, after the year we’ve all had, there’s no help from the land’s highest office, we deserve at least a laugh at this ridiculous paranoid nonsense. And perhaps thereby reassure those of us who have not lost our minds, yet, that there is some common sense left.
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Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, the former senior adviser to the first lady, chronicles her falling out with Melania Trump in her book titled:“Melanie and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady”. This is Stephanie’s first book and is set for release Tuesday, September 1, 2020.
The book stands out from other previously published books about Trump and his family like “Too Much and Never Enough” and “The Room Where it Happened” in that it will reveal a much closer look at Mrs. Trump. The First Lady has largely been out of view and known for being aloof to the public eye; Wolkoff will give readers a first hand account of personal and quoted conversations between the two from phone calls, meetings, emails and even text messages. Those that have got an early glimpse of the book found that Melania loves to use lots of emojis in her text communications.
Click to See “Melania and Me” and help Lynxotic and Independent Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.
The reportedly contentious relationship between Melania and Ivanka Trump plays a major role throughout the book. Ivanka is jokingly referred to as a “Princess”. Wolkoff describes in her book that the pair launched “Operation Block Ivanka” which was meant to halt off any attention and make sure Ivanka was out of frame from any photographs taken during the inauguration ceremony. The tension between the two could perhaps even be seen on the last day of the Republican National Convention, when Melania’s face is noticeable changed as Ivanka walks passed her.
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff and Melania Trump had a history before their time in the White House together and formed a friendship that lasted nearly 15 years. Yet working as the FLOTUS advisor only lasted a short 14 months and quickly put an end to both working and their personal friendship. In her book she writes, “The woman I once considered my close friend is gone.” She was abruptly fired in 2019 (even though she was an unpaid advisor) due to controversy over alleged corruption in planning and spending on the inauguration ceremony.
When asked to comment about the book, according to Politico, Stephanie Grisham, the First Lady’s chief of staff said in a statement:
“This book is not only wildly self-aggrandizing, it’s just not truthful. It is an exercise in bizarre twisting of the truth and misguided blame for the sake of self-pity. It’s unfortunate and concerning that she’s overstated their friendship and her very brief role in the White House to this degree.”
Statement from first lady spokewoman – Stephanie Grisham
Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady
Below is some additional information about the upcoming release from the publisher as well as where to purchase to support your local independent bookstores.
The former director of special events at Vogue and producer of nine legendary Met Galas, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff met Melania Knauss in 2003 and had a front row seat to the transformation of Donald Trump’s then girlfriend from a rough-cut gem to a precious diamond. As their friendship deepened over lunches at Manhattan hot spots, black-tie parties, and giggle sessions in the penthouse at Trump Tower, Wolkoff watched the newest Mrs. Trump raise her son, Barron, and manage her highly scrutinized marriage.
After Trump won the 2016 election, Wolkoff was recruited to help produce the 58th Presidential Inauguration and to become the First Lady’s trusted advisor. Melania put Wolkoff in charge of hiring her staff, organizing her events, helping her write speeches, and creating her debut initiatives. Then it all fell apart when she was made the scapegoat for inauguration finance irregularities. Melania could have defended her innocent friend and confidant, but she stood by her man, knowing full well who was really to blame.
The betrayal nearly destroyed Wolkoff. In this candid and emotional memoir, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff takes you into Trump Tower and the White House to tell the funny, thrilling, and heartbreaking story of her intimate friendship with one of the most famous women in the world, a woman few people truly understand. How did Melania react to the Access Hollywood tape and her husband’s affair with Stormy Daniels? Does she get along well with Ivanka? Why did she wear that jacket with “I really don’t care, do u?” printed on the back? Is Melania happy being First Lady? And what really happened with the inauguration’s funding of $107 million? Wolkoff has some ideas…
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As Trump bellows, brags and attacks from his podium, reflection on the last 4 years is due
“…In this time of national crisis Donald Trump did what he always doesHe lied, he bragged, he blamed.He never lead because Donald Trump is not a leader.This time it’s personal“
LIncoln Project Ad
Thinking back over four years of disgusting, demented lies and offensive behavior, it’s hard not to wonder why it took this long to even begin a process for his removal from office. Incredibly, in the end, only an election and the vote of the people can remove this man. And even with a massive anti-Trump tsunami, he might well try to remain.
It has been said that the “f**k Trump Party is the largest voting block in the US, perhaps in history. That sounds about right. Perhaps it is our fate, as a nation, to experience what other countries, such as Belarus recently did, a despot clinging to power until millions rise up, physically occupy the capital, in that case Minsk, here Washington D.C., and refuse to move until the despot is removed.
Postal Fraud and Sabotage, Endless Threats and Intimidation, Foolish Boasts of a Madman…
Never happened in the US. Not always a great outcome anywhere else. But the F**k Trump Party will be the one that “wins” if all traditional means have been exhausted. Again, the astounding thing is that a country can function at all, 4 years long no less, with a dysfunctional head of state. God bless America.
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Trump and Melania eerily imitate Russians in lock-step fantasy-land presentation
Malcolm Nance, an intelligence and counterterrorism expert spotted the resemblance and uniformity of President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Republican National Convention (RNC) and in a tweet explained the obvious and insane connection. After looking at the two videos, the grand entrance of soldiers opening up doors for the Presidents and their regal “royal” walks on the red carpet appear to have an identical aim.
Others on social media also saw the similarities and took to Twitter to create a side-by-side comparison of the two.
The scary part is that somehow Trump believes that at some point his “base” will embrace these bizarre comparisons that he tries to draw with his position and that of a Russian tyrant.
Not only was Trump’s imitation of Putin’s walk repulsive, many are saying that President Trump violated the Hatch Act as he used the White House itself for political campaign event, specifically for a citizen naturalization ceremony was a virtual stage for the RNC 2020.
Everyday Americans, do you care about Trump’s violations of the Hatch Act? https://t.co/8bbtkNvVkJ
New features create a more streamlined travel experience & totally new functionality
During the WWDC virtual event, Apple previewed the latest version of its upcoming desktop operating system – macOS Big Sur. There are so many new features, it is easy to get lost in all the detail. One highlight that stands out is the updated version of the Maps app. MacOS Big Sur is set for release next month for fall, there is, however a developer beta version currently available for download if you want a sneak peek before the official release date. Since this is beta (beta 4) and meant for developers, it is best only to download and test on a machine that you do not depend on as bugs are to be expected until the final official release (at least).
We have tested this and compiled features from what information Apple has released so far. The completely redesigned version of the app makes it even easier to find your navigation essentials. The new interface will be a more streamlined experience including: “Favorites” like home or work , “My Guides” where you can plan a trip or save places of interest you want to one day visit, and will also save your “Recent Places.”
Another new feature on the Mac is the ability to see the ETA from friends or family members that shared their routes with you. In this sort of hybrid with the features of “find friends”, now within maps, you will be able to see the current location of friends who have shared a route, and then you can monitor the progress as they journey towards their destinations.
The Maps app in Big Sur will also include all the newest features of Maps that will be included in the newest iPhone update iOS14 as well which will include: Guide, Cycling and EV routing.
Recommendations from top travel resources coming now with “My Guides”
Click to See “Steve Jobs“ and to help Lynxotic and Independent Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.
Maps will offer all new tools and features that will elevate travel and planning your next exploration of the world. Through Guides, you can discover new places as well as events and activities to participate using trusted sources.
Apple is said to be working with top companies like Lonely Planet, Zagat, and AllTrails to give you the best information. You can also customize your trip with all the places you want to visit (ex: shops, restaurants, parks, historical landmarks, etc) and share with your family and friends. To start, Guides will be available for cities including San Francisco, New York, London and Los Angeles, with plans to expand many more cities options.
The new Maps will make more countries available to view that will include Canada, Ireland and the UK. Then using the “Look Around” feature will allow you a 360-degree view of a destination (which is extremely cool on the big screen of your Mac). You can scroll through streets and get closer to a realistic taste of what to expect; giving rich detail of roads, buildings, parks, beaches and much more.
Apple will also make navigating within airports and shopping centers a little less stressful with detailed views of its indoor maps.
Bike riders and electric vehicle excursions are one of the cool new features
Need to get to a destination and you want to take your bicycle? No problem. Your cycling trips can now be routed from your Mac and then sent directly to your iPhone when you are on the go. Maps will provide routes for cyclists to find bike lanes, paths or bike-friendly roadways to reach your desired location. There will also be the ability to preview the elevation of the roads and have the option to avoid routes that have steep inclines or stairs that will make for an easier and smoother ride
Apple will also be utilizing EV routing for those that want to plan a trip using their electric vehicles. EV routing will help take into account your electric vehicle’s route (highlighting weather, elevation and locations of charging stations). When you add your electric vehicle to your iPhone, the Maps app will keep track of your EV’s current charge level.
Photo / Apple Maps for Cycling
Since there are so many features coming in macOS 11 Big Sur and many of those will now be even more integrated with the carious iOS, iPad OS, watch OS and so forth, it’s a great idea to keep tuned in as we will continue to produce updates on all the features, tips and tricks for all your Apple devices.
Hilarious Negativity and Scare Tactics in non-stop Coke filled tirade from “upbeat” RNC
The new ad from Never-Trump conservative Super PAC the Lincoln Project released today, is based completely on footage from the first night of the Republican National Convention. The juxtaposition of the ridiculous scare tactics and nonsense threats of what could happen if Trump is not re-elected would be funny is not so sad. The overblown screaming and the smug self satisfied exaggerated nonsense begs the obvious question: who supplied the blow?
The ad splices together a long list of speakers at the convention, from Don Jr. to Charlie Kirk to Kimberly Guilfoyle to Tim Scott, each of them attempting to paint the most gruesome picture imaginable of the horrible state of America in some imaginary post Trump future. Naturally, this is nearly believable, as long as one is referring not to what would happen if Joe Biden were to become president, but the actual current reality today in Trump’s America.
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EXCERPTS FROM APPLE PRESENTATION FOR PRIVACY SETTINGS FROM WWDC 2020
Apple features expose the worst of predatory surveillance by Facebook, Amazon and Google
While wrong is wrong regardless of the perpetrator, when it comes to gargantuan tech behemoths, a company with a clearly defined mission such as Apple or Tesla are in a different category than Amazon, Facebook and Google.
While Tesla’s stated mission is to “accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy” and Apple’s original mission statement, written by Steve Jobs was “to make a contribution to the world by making tools for the mind that advance humankind”, predatory vultures hide behind ridiculous slogans like “aim to be Earth’s most customer centric company” (while decimating partners and competitors by any means necessary) and “don’t be evil” (don’t get caught) and “to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together” (…all while stealing data for profit from every person on earth).
It’s just not the same – particularly as Steve Jobs, while at Apple, pushed himself and his company to invent and build many powerful examples of “tools for the mind” and Elon Musk’s Tesla brought the electric car back from the dead (after it was nearly snuffed out by big oil) and is making incredible headway in revolutionizing battery and solar technology, all with a view to literally save the planet from a climate catastrophe.
Click to See “Steve Jobs“ and to help Lynxotic and Independent Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.
Bezos? Became the richest living human via the destruction of millions of small business and jobs all while undercutting competitors by selling virtually anything he got his hands on at a significant loss; simply to cause the demise of any competitor or partner that might threaten his rise to idiotically massive personal wealth.
Zuckerberg? Pioneered ways to suck data from virtually every human with a view to monetizing every living soul exclusively for himself and his company. Illustration? Dividing Facebook’s market cap by the number of employees it has yields the sum of $14,906,500.00 per employee. Macy’s? That’d be $16,829. (Thanks to Scott Galloway for the numbers)
Google merely owns (91.75% as of June 2020) the search entryway to all web sites. It decides if you should or should not find them. If it can boost profits by hiding one and featuring another, either through “paid search” or by pointing you toward its own properties while hiding competitors from you, it will do exactly that. Ask the European Union’s anti-trust investigators. For them, this company is a convicted law breaker.
Announced at WWDC 2020, Apple is adding serious features to its various new operating systems. One big feature in Safari is the ability to track, and block as desired, all manner of data intrusions. These are not only identified, but shown and tracked and analyzed with a kind of professional dashboard, showing just how invasive and persistent these invisible spies are.
Apple is big, with more than 1.4 billion devices. Starting in around 2021 they will all be able to identify and block data surveillance by Amazon (the largest of all spies), Google and Facebook, among others. Thanks that’s not a big deal? Think again.
…the overall stance being taken regarding online tracking and surveillance should be seen for what it is: the first step to correcting the mistake of history that allowed the internet to be kidnapped and held hostage by a handful of companies that pretend to be “free” or “customer obsessed” while they are, in fact, Robber Barons that make the Standard Oil monopoly look like Santa Claus.
– D.L.
Tracking the Trackers will Change Your Life
Tracking the trackers is a clear and aggressive privacy stance, taken by the one company among the big four, that does not have a huge stake in you being the victim of online surveillance and tracking.
Not to say that Apple is blameless. Many are complaining about its fee structure for software sold by third parties via the app stores. While this issue is certainly a valid one, the overall stance being taken regarding online tracking and surveillance should be seen for what it is: the first step to correcting the mistake of history that allowed the internet to be kidnapped and held hostage by a handful of companies that pretend to be “free” or “customer obsessed” while they are, in fact, Robber Barons that make the Standard Oil monopoly look like Santa Claus.
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American Bridge PAC has released an anti-Trump ad starring Michael Cohen and says that it will air during the RNC 2020 tonight. In it Cohen pulls no punches, as is to be expected. He specifically and directly indicates that Trump is planning to lie throughout the night, which most of us already know, but he also is able to back this up from experience.
Clearly, he is wanting to raise his own profile ahead of the release of his new book “disloyal” scheduled for availability on September 8th and already at the top of many bestseller charts. Cohen has promised to unearth his entire trove of “dirt” collected during his more than 10 year stint as Trump’s lawyer and “fixer” – “For more than a decade, I was President Trump’s right-hand man, fixer, and confidante,” says Cohen looking directly into the camera – , “I was complicit in helping conceal the real Donald Trump. I was part of creating an illusion.”
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Bragging of his counter punching prowess Trump acts like a dope and initiates all contact while Biden bides his time till the DNC
The historic mythology of Muhammad Ali and how he used his rope-a-dope tactic to allow George Forman to exhaust himself by leaning against the ropes during the “Rumble in the Jungle” in Zaire in 1974 my not be historically accurate but the analogy holds true in the election so far in 2020.
Trump has bragged, seemingly without pause, of his “great strength” for counterpunching. Of course, in his case, there is never a punch to begin with for him to counter as, more often than not, it is some imagined slight or insult to his ridiculous ego.
Nevertheless, during the months leading up to the DNC 2020 convention he initiated punches and attacks on Biden, virtually every day. Implying that Biden was senile, weak, “sleepy”, tired and generally unfit to take on the supposedly virile and exaggeratedly macho man in the White House.
These attacks were unprovoked. Biden was constantly said to be “hiding in the basement”, Don Jr. attacking as well with the same tired nonsense.
Trump the Dope falls into Biden’s Trap and can’t invent a story to explain his impotent solo attacks
The whole thing, of course, was a trap they were falling into. Biden was not in any basement. He was not in failing health. He was on the ropes patiently waiting for the moment, the most obvious moment no less, to begin his own “counter-punching” assault.
That moment, obvious to all but a dope of the highest order, was his speech at the DNC 2020 where he formally accepted the nomination and kicked off his fall campaign.
“I will make it clear to our adversaries the days of cozying up to dictators are over. Under President Biden, America will not turn a blind eye to Russian bounties on the heads of American soldiers.
Nor will I put up with foreign interference in our most sacred democratic exercise — voting…
…Will we be the generation that finally wipes the stain of racism from our national character? I believe we’re up to it. I believe we’re ready. Just a week ago yesterday was the third anniversary of the events in Charlottesville.
Remember seeing those neo-Nazis and Klansmen and white supremacists coming out of the fields with lighted torches? Veins bulging? Spewing the same anti-Semitic bile heard across Europe in the ’30s?
Remember the violent clash that ensued between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it?
Remember what the president said? There were quote, “very fine people on both sides.” It was a wake-up call for us as a country…”
JOE BIDEN AT DNC 2020
That speech was everything that Trump’s weak blustering and solo attacks were not. It showed more strength of body, soul and, most of all, character, all in an instant; and did so without needing to resort to the low blows or chicanery that are part and parcel of the current President’s typical bag of tricks.
Regardless of whether Ali had planned to outsmart the larger George Forman and executed a brilliant strategy, or if he, the smarter combatant, was just using superior instinct to win in a poetic and inspiring fashion, the similarity to the epic battle for the future of American politics is no less apt.
“With passion and purpose, let us begin — you and I together, one nation, under God — united in our love for America and united in our love for each other.
For love is more powerful than hate. Hope is more powerful than fear. Light is more powerful than dark. This is our moment.This is our mission.
May history be able to say that the end of this chapter of American darkness began here tonight as love and hope and light joined in the battle for the soul of the nation. And this is a battle that we, together, will win. I promise you.”
Joe Biden at DNC 2020
In round 8, coming in late October, with possible assistance from Michael Cohen and the Southern District of NY, a knock-out blow is on the agenda. Will it be as exciting and poetic as the ending moments of the “Rumble in the Jungle”? Who knows.
But if Trump goes down, as we all know he should, the Justice of that turn of events will ring out loud, down through centuries and be remembered far and wide, just as we remember Muhammad Ali and his incredible rope-a-dope come back victory in Zaire.
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Director James Gunn giving his take on new 2021 version
DC FanDome is an event, geared for DC Comic fans, that features a jam packed event of panels, info on video games, and highly anticipated teasers, trailers and behind-the-scenes peaks of upcoming DC movies. The DC FanDome only lasts 48 hours, a two day event full of virtual events. The first day just happened on August 22, 2020 and the next is set for Sept 12, 2020 in case you missed day one.
As part of the first first wave of the virtual convention, James Gunn revealed video footage of behind-the-scenes production and in process scenes of “The Suicide Squad”. The star studded cast, as shown below, includes actors that will be be reprising their roles from the 2016 version (Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn) and also a huge list of stars to play DC villains. In an article by Variety, it was reported that Gunn dug deep into DC comics to find a wide range of villains for the movie and even invented a few villains from his own imagination for the project.
https://youtu.be/xLNofMawA2c
Idris Elba plays Bloodsport
Margot Robbie plays Harley Quinn
Viola Davis plays Amanda Waller
Sean Gunn plays Weasel
Pete Davidson plays Blackguard
Daniela Melchior plays Ratcatcher 2
Joel Kinnaman plays Colonel Rick Flag
Nathan Fillion plays TDK
Jai Courtney plays Captain Boomerang
Steve Agee plays the on-set King Shark and John Economos
Mayling Ng plays Mongal
David Dastmalchian plays Polka-Dot Man
Alice Braga plays Sol Soria
John Cena plays Peacemaker
Juan Diego Botto plays Presidente General Silvio Luna
Peter Capaldi plays The Thinker
Michael Rooker plays Savant
Flula Borg plays Javelin
Joaquín Cosío is Mayor General Mateo Suarez
Jennifer Holland plays Emilia Harcourt
Storm Reid plays Tyla
Its not exactly clear if “The Suicide Squad” is a prequel, reboot or some other form of a non-sequel feature but, as was indicated by producer Peter Safran, that the movie will not be a direct sequel to the original, “It’s not Suicide Squad 2. It is not a sequel. I will leave that alone but, yes, it’s called The Suicide Squad.” Production of the film was wrapped before COVID, and the movie is scheduled to be released in theaters on August 6, 2021.
https://youtu.be/Wemdq9-cfws
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Cooper effortlessly taps into the ridiculousness that is Trump
Sarah Cooper, writer and comedian, delivered her latest lip-synced impersonation of Donald Trump for the final night of the virtual Democratic National Convention. Her new video spotlights Trump’s latest rant attacking USPS and mail-in voting. Cooper also commented personally on the matter.
“Let me put this in my own words, I’ve heard Donald Trump say some pretty unhinged things, I’ve heard them over and over and over again. But nothing is more dangerous to our democracy than his attacks on mail in voting during a pandemic.
Here’s the truth: Donald Trump doesn’t want any of us to vote because he knows he can’t win fair and square. So whether you plan to vote by mail, or in person, wearing your mask, it is your vote and it’s your right. Don’t let Donald Trump take that away from you.”
sarah cooper video during democratic National Convention
Cooper is now famously known for her lip-syncing political satire videos impersonating Donald Trump. Her first “How to President” video which was posted back in April 2020 got over 22 million views on just her Twitter page alone. There are now 23 (and most likely more coming) on the hilarious series.
The comedian has much in store for her aside from her social media video fame. The entertainer bagged a Netflix comedy special titled “Sarah Cooper: Everything’s Fine” and is set to premiere this Fall 2020. Based on a press release by Netflix the variety special will include a series of vignettes dealing with issues of politics, race, gender, class, and other light subjects. The special will be directed by Natasha Lyonne and executive produced by Maya Rudolph.
Another successful lift-off and milestone achieved for Elon Musk’s space company
SpaceX welcomed back its Falcon 9 as the company caught its rocket head (payload fairings) using a large net in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. This is the third time in less than thirty days that SpaceX has successfully retrieved its rocket head marking a significant milestone for the company. With an additional launch currently scheduled for August 27, 2020.
The payload fairing – the rocket’s nose splits into two as it comes back from orbit, both of which are equipped with a parachute and autopilot guidance software for the recovery. The two boats to catch each of the two fairings, Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief patiently waited for the rocket to come back to Earth. As you can see from the video, the company makes retrieving the fairing look extremely relaxing and seamless (cue elevator music).
The Falcon 9, which is currently SpaceX’s largest rocket was launched on August 18, 2020 for the 40th time and this also marks a record-breaking 6 times that the Falcon has used the same booster. Eco-friendly and climate conscious, Musk has been praised for his ingenuity to recover and be able to build reusable rockets, which also significantly cuts expenses on the previously extreme high cost of space launches.
During the August 18, 2020 launch that took place at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the latest batch of 58 satellites were sent to orbit for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network. This marks the 11th batch of Starlink satellites sent to orbit. To-date, SpaceX has launched almost 600 satellites for its Starlink initiative.
Starlink is planning to deliver high speed broadband internet in the Northern United States and Canada As soon as September, in a limited test phase, then with full access during 2020. They then will expand for full global coverage by 2021.
Short but pointed speech gives the future political force a platform in the spotlight
In a ceremonial act, via pre-recorded video (above) U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez nominated Bernie Sanders during the virtual DNC 2020 night two. She lauded Sanders for organizing “a historic grassroots campaign to reclaim our democracy.”
Showing her solidarity and respect for his campaign goals, she seconded the nomination citing his efforts to build a “mass people’s movement working to establish 21st century social, economic and human rights, including guaranteed healthcare, higher education, living wages, and labor rights for all people in the United States.”
Next up will be the build toward the climax on Thursday…
Naturally the nomination is a formality only as he officially dropped out of the contest four months ago in April. Joe Biden already won the number of delegate needed in June, cementing his status as the presumptive nominee. Sanders was permitted to keep his delegates at the convention as a symbolic olive branch in the hopes of winning over the senator’s supporters.
Ocasio-Cortez, supports Biden as the presumptive nominee. She was key in the crafting of policy on the Biden-Sanders Unity Task Forces platform, which consisted of supporters from the Biden and Sanders campaigns.
If you were confused, no worries!
Convention rules require roll call & nominations for every candidate that passes the delegate threshold.
I was asked to 2nd the nom for Sen. Sanders for roll call.
The Convention may be Canned and Pre-recorded but the Passion and the Mission is Real…
This is not 2016. It is not 1933. This is 2020 and the plot is still being written as we speak. Will Trump manage to find a way to “rig” the election by suppressing the vote? Will he order his goons from Homeland Security to put us all down so that he can keep his job and stay out of jail? Will he use the courts and every trick he has learned to delay his defeat while he searches for a way to stop the democratic process from removing him? The answer is unknown. But what is known is that you can be an important part of the answer that history is is awaiting.
During the last four years it seems like there has been a never-ending escalation of cruelty, stupidity, ineptitude and evil emanating from the White House. Most of us have been disgusted by it and have wished for a way to make it stop and go away forever. The impeachment and the Mueller Report gave some people the idea that somehow there might be some form of justice coming, some kind of reckoning.
We all know that that the reckoning did not come. Yet. In many ways the opposite did. The cruel, stupid evil banality of Donald Trump blanketed the US like a snow covered morning with slime and corruption oozing over all of us instead of pure white snow. The feeling has been nearly unbearable.
That is all going to change – one way or another. Soon. There’s an election coming. Either that or something much more dramatic. Let’s hope for the Post Office to function just enough to get us through this. Go in person if you can, as Michelle Obama emphasized in her riveting, inspirational speech last night.
The way is clear and the job is set. A turnout so large and so virulently anti-Trump will be needed to make sure that there is zero chance that this man can spend even one second longer than legally mandated in the office he holds due to a mistake of history.
“But let’s be clear: going high does not mean putting on a smile and saying nice things when confronted by viciousness and cruelty. Going high means taking the harder path. It means scraping and clawing our way to that mountain top. Going high means standing fierce against hatred while remembering that we are one nation under God, and if we want to survive, we’ve got to find a way to live together and work together across our differences”.
MIchele Obama at DNC 2020
View the video above featuring Michelle Obama, Bernie Sanders, Bruce Springsteen and people just like you. Listen to the speeches and think about what is being said. Then get anyone and everyone involved and enlist help if you need it or give help – this is an emergency situation that can not be taken lightly. Until the election is decided and the way is clear, this is the only story that matters.
“the future of our democracy is at stake, the future of our economy is at stake, the future of our planet is at stake. We must come together to defeat Donald Trump and elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as our next president and vice president. My friends, the price of failure is just too great to imagine”.
Bernie Sanders at DNC 2020
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If we want to end the chaos and division—and keep alive the possibility of progress on the issues we hold dear—we’ve got to vote for @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris like our lives depend on it.
MIchelle Obama
Closing out the first evening of the first ever ‘virtual’ convention, Michelle Obama, hit hard but remained emotionally centered as she continued to say “go high” but emphasized “standing fierce against hatred” and “scraping and clawing our way to the mountain top”. “We’ve got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it” she intoned as millions listening silently thought “because they do”.
The rousing yet softly intoned plea was equal parts a testament to Biden’s compassion and character and a dignified take down a the man that who is “cannot meet this moment” and “clearly in over his head”. “He simply cannot be who we need him to before it is what it is” she said in the only and indirect reference to his many lies and undignified pronouncements. When asked about the massive numbers of covid deaths Trump shockingly tossed off the phrase “it is what it is“.
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The case for looking behind the Swiss-cheese curtain at the “wizard of lies” and his wannabe mafia
Who would like, believe, much less admire or even trust a man like Michael Cohen? If you are a Trump supporter he is a rat and was rightly relegated to the shadows even in the best of times. If you are a Democrat or a liberal or a Biden supporter, or let’s just say it, a Trump hater , Never-Trumper or a member of the RVAT, why would you believe the guy who was, by his own admission, a dirty, criminal, perjury committing low life?
“…permit me to make a point: If you only read stories written by people you like, you will never be able to understand Donald Trump or the current state of the American soul. More than that, it’s only by actually understanding my decisions and actions that you can get inside Trump’s mind and understand his worldview.”
– Michael Cohen in forward to “Disloyal”
And now he (Cohen) is suddenly and permanently a paragon of virtue? Or at least no longer an “eager and willing” liar for a wannabe dictator?
Then again, as Cohen argues himself in his just released book excerpt, isn’t it always necessary to talk to and believe criminals, liars and “bad guys” in order to incriminate and convict a Mafia Don? Aren’t they, often after they are in witness protection and protective custody, the ones whose testimony is essential to finding out the true actions and character of the bosses and Capo dei capi?
From golden showers in a sex club in Vegas, to tax fraud, to deals with corrupt officials from the former Soviet Union, to catch and kill conspiracies to silence Trump’s clandestine lovers, I wasn’t just a witness to the president’s rise—I was an active and eager participant.”
Click to order “Disloyal” and help Lynxotic. Also available at Amazon
…As anyone in law enforcement will tell you, it’s only gangsters who can reveal the secrets of organized crime. If you want to know how the mob really works, you’ve got to talk to the bad guys. I was one of Trump’s bad guys. In his world, I was one hundred percent a made man.
While Cohen openly refers to himself as a “keystone cop” and the “Trump Mafia”, to the degree that such a thing exists, is more like a tragicomic almost childish attempt to emulate the Italian-american organized crime structure and behavior, as depicted in movies and folklore. Nevertheless the rise of this “buffoon” to the Presidency is a grave and serious matter, one that is now threatening us all.
Looking at Trump’s history of legal and illegal behavior, and the attempts by the US Justice system to rein him in, one sees a legal strategy of using an eminence front and a claim of innocence due to ignorance and incompetence. This was a major thread, along with the cries of “witch hunt”, in his attempts to avoid any consequences for the alleged collusion with Russia during the 2016 election. Cohen hits this point head on:
Both sides were wrong. I knew that the reality was much more complicated and dangerous. Trump had colluded with the Russians, but not in the sophisticated ways imagined by his detractors. I also knew that the Mueller investigation was not a witch-hunt. Trump had cheated in the election, with Russian connivance, as you will discover in these pages, because doing anything—and I mean anything—to “win” has always been his business model and way of life.
…Trump had also continued to pursue a major real estate deal in Moscow during the campaign. He attempted to insinuate himself into the world of President Vladimir Putin and his coterie of corrupt billionaire oligarchs. I know because I personally ran that deal and kept Trump and his children closely informed of all updates, even as the candidate blatantly lied to the American people saying, “there’s no Russian collusion, I have no dealings with Russia…there’s no Russia.”
For anyone who has viewed the recent Netflix series “Fear City: New York vs. the Mafia” the story is a familiar one: the code of silence makes the mafia immune to prosecution, other than low level crimes by “soldiers” while the bosses and the “godfather” are untouchable. Ultimately the use of the R.I.C.O. statute and, most importantly, audio bugging and recordings are combined to finally crack and dismantle organized crime.
Similarly, the famous tapes that ultimately brought down Nixon illustrate how an insulated boss can only be caught red handed via a “smoking gun”, in the form of an audio tape recording of a careless private “confession” of an overt criminal act.
“The President of the United States wanted me dead. Or, let me say it the way Donald Trump would: He wouldn’t mind if I was dead. That was how Trump talked. Like a mob boss, using language carefully calibrated to convey his desires and demands, while at the same time employing deliberate indirection to insulate himself and avoid actually ordering a hit on his former personal attorney, confidant, consigliere, and, at least in my heart, adopted son.”
Unfortunately, Trump and his keystone cop mafia saw all the movies and know the anecdotal accounts of the fall of Nixon, and so on. According to Cohen, this led Trump to create a system of plausible deniability through the use of euphemism and facial expressions, almost as if audio surveillance was considered a “given” and this new-age code of silence was elevated to an integral part of the criminal culture and way of life.
Cohen, of all people, was the perfect fall-guy to carry out these unspoken, deniable orders as his mission in life, right up until he turned on his idol:
“…I’m certain that Trump knows he will face prison time if he leaves office, the inevitable cold Karma to the notorious chants of “Lock Her Up!” But that is the Trump I know in a nutshell. He projects his own sins and crimes onto others, partly to distract and confuse but mostly because he thinks everyone is as corrupt and shameless and ruthless as he is; a poisonous mindset I know all too well.
”…I see the men who have replaced me and continue to forfeit their reputations by doing the President’s bidding, no matter how dishonest or sleazy or unlawful. Rudy Guiliani, William Barr, Jared Kushner and Mike Pompeo are Trump’s new wannabe fixers, sycophants willing to distort the truth and break the law in the service of the Boss”…
“Given my experience working for Mr. Trump, I fear that if he loses the election in 2020 that there will never be a peaceful transition of power,” I concluded. “This is why I agreed to appear before you today.”
– Michael Cohen, in testimony before Congress
The book is available for pre-order and will be released on September 8th, 2020. It is already sitting at #1 on the bestseller list.
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Oprah Winfrey revealed her latest book club pick “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson as her now 86th selection for her Oprah’s famous book club. Winefrey’s excited and clearly inspired take was definitive: she says that she immediately recognized the importance of this book, calling it one the most important books she has ever selected. She even said in a press release “all of humanity needs to read this book”. Winfrey is a known fan of Wilkerson as she had previously recommended the author’s first book “The Warmth of other Suns“.
“Of all the books I’ve chosen for book club over the decades, there isn’t another that is more essential a read than this one. It explains why we are where we are in terms of racial injustice and inequality.”
-Oprah Winfrey
Oprah was so moved with this read that, it was reported, she will be purchasing 500 copies of the book to send to influential leaders and educators throughout the country. Below is some additional information about Oprah’s book pick from the publisher as well as where to purchase to support your local independent bookstores. Happy reading!
Caste : The Origins of Our Discontents
Publisher description: In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings.Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people’s lives and behavior and the nation’s fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more.
Click to See “Caste” and help Lynxotic and independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
Using riveting stories about people–including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball’s Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself, and many others–she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day. She documents how the Nazis studied the racial systems in America to plan their out-cast of the Jews; she discusses why the cruel logic of caste requires that there be a bottom rung for those in the middle to measure themselves against; she writes about the surprising health costs of caste, in depression and life expectancy, and the effects of this hierarchy on our culture and politics. Finally, she points forward to ways America can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity.Beautifully written, original, and revealing, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents is an eye-opening story of people and history, and a reexamination of what lies under the surface of ordinary lives and of American life today.
So thrilled that Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents has been chosen by the incomparable Oprah as her next Book Club Pick. Her stunning praise of it warms my heart: “This book might well save us. Caste…is a must read for humanity….” https://t.co/Gfd6xbSIFs
