The Barbarian Conquest, Day 8

It seemed to have been a pretty quiet day. I assumed He was resting up for tomorrow... His big phone date, when he presumably receives marching orders.

Earlier, he did manage to sign a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day... without mentioning Jews.

In the three-paragraph statement Friday, Trump said: "It is with a heavy heart and somber mind that we remember and honor the victims, survivors, heroes of the Holocaust. It is impossible to fully fathom the depravity and horror inflicted on innocent people by Nazi terror."

"Yet, we know that in the darkest hours of humanity, light shines the brightest.‎ As we remember those who died, we are deeply grateful to those who risked their lives to save the innocent," he continued, again referring only to "the innocent."

Before the day ended, he ordered "extreme vetting" against refugees. So much for preventing horror against innocents.

But maybe "the innocent" was merely a slogan in the war against women's health. Holocaust remembrance as a plug for today's forced-birth march. After all, the newly-purchased executive branch sent over a VP to give the keynote.

The Barbarian Conquest, Day 7

So, there is a plan for "American jobs"...

Also, a new graphic representation of "temporary ban" countries...

WaPo reports tonight...

On the morning after Donald Trump's inauguration, acting National Park Service director Michael T. Reynolds received an extraordinary summons: The new president wanted to talk to him.

In a Saturday phone call, Trump personally ordered Reynolds to produce additional photographs of the previous day's crowds on the Mall, according to three individuals who have knowledge of the conversation. The president believed that the photos might prove that the media had lied in reporting that attendance had been no better than average.

Trump also expressed anger over a retweet sent from the agency's account, in which side-by-side photographs showed far fewer people at his swearing-in than had shown up to see Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009.

Now that He owns everything, everyone is a possible target of his rage over his true smallness.

The Barbarian Conquest, Day 6

To date, no FEMA response to the weekend's record tornado damage and death toll, as Trump-voting states "beg" for help.

Though last night, their leader did promise—

If Chicago doesn't fix the horrible "carnage" going on, 228 shootings in 2017 with 42 killings (up 24% from 2016), I will send in the Feds!

Using quote marks around his own (well, Bannon's) words spoken during Friday's carnage against history and language.

OK, this explains it: History's Greatest Reporter® Bill O'Reilly had targeted Chicago in his 8-9:00 pm slot last night, provoking Twitler to pop off before 9:30.

Then today, the morning ukase: "I will be asking for a major investigation into VOTER FRAUD, including those registered to vote in two states, those who are illegal and...." Reporters later found dual-registrations by such mobile, multi-owner types as Steve Bannon, KT McFarland, Steve Mnuchin, and... Tiffany Trump.

So many things to sign, but all in a day's work. A "temporary " ban on visas and immigration from a list of Muslim countries. Despite the religious exclusion, it seems not all Muslim countries made the list...

 

 

Ian Bremmer

More executive orders signed... To build The Wall—at taxpayer expense; sky's the limit—and to punish "sanctuary cities." Oh, and there's a leaked report of an order being drafted: to revive black sites and torture.

And then it was on to what He likes even better than watching TV: being on TV.

...Now there's a term never before applied to the Chicago PD. Seems a more likely source of gloves-off pointers, for those running future black sites.

The People Are Speaking...

Also, scaling a construction crane with a view...

The brave Greenpeace people and banner began their climb at 4:00 this morning. At 9 they opened the banner at the top of the crane, where it flew in view of the White House, until afternoon. Climbers began their descent at 1:00, reached the ground (and waiting police) after 10 tonight.

Less strenuously, though not without risk, federal employees are tweeting. After Badlands' subversion by science was deleted, other Park Service staff began tweeting on their own time...

... and they are re-tweeting facts that could be spoken, only a couple of months ago...

... and, as recently as three weeks ago...

AltNPS is serving as a conduit for journalists offering secure means for federal employees to report intimidation, and they are publicizing a scientists' march on DC, now being organized.

By later today, more off-duty public servants had joined the truth and free speech rogues...

...

The Barbarian Conquest, Day 5

Schooley

Not enough rights being trampled, order to restart Keystone and Dakota Access was signed.

In another shock and awe move against Americans, "Multiple federal agencies have told their employees to cease communications with members of Congress and the press."

As expected, the NPS was the first target of the inflated raging id monster. These had appeared yesterday, but were later deleted.

Followed by some back talk (sadly, unofficial back talk)...

On His announced schedule tomorrow: banning Muslim immigration. And He defies any federal employees to say a word against it.

The Bigger Draw

January 21. From the capitol...

Washington Post (Photo: Oliver Contrerasa)

...to Antartica...

Photo: Linda Zunas

To San Diego, and 50 residents of a retirement home...

The march was brief: just two laps inside the center. But it was a meaningful statement they hope will reach far beyond the Seacrest Village.

Nice pix from DC's Roy Edroso. The District's ABC station reports 1 million riders, a Saturday record.

WJLA

If it's only the second largest day ever, that's because of the size of inaugural crowds eight years ago.

From all accounts, there were marches in the reddest of places, including small towns. Some good observations from Erik Loomis—

I knew a ton of people at the DC rally. My wife led a group of students from her small college in a tiny rural Pennsylvania town. And this is important. That area is absolutely horrible. I was there shortly before the election and a farm right outside of town had a hand-painted sign stuck to a tree that read "Trump. Vote4Balls." I don't know what could sum up the Trump voter better than this. I wanted to get a picture but I was being eyed warily by the neighbor and even though I'm a square looking white guy driving a Ford, I didn't want to get shot for the picture. And in Shithole, PA, this is a concern. These students simply don't see people on their side except for their professors and some other students. Many of them have never even been to DC, even though it's only a few hours away. I can only imagine how inspired they must be.

Mid-day, in a nearby small town (Clever Sister's pix)...

Good likeness!

...and cars honking approval...

Guy walking around wearing this, with stops for Trump'n'Pooty performing under the Capitol dome...

A couple of hours later, in the larger town up the road...

Yellow sign, left: Don't Tread On My...

Afterwards, the verdict: "Largest protests in US history"...

The Russian Usurper

McClatchy reported two days ago: six intelligence agencies conducting investigation of "possible covert Kremlin aid to Trump." Adam Silverman—

While I cannot prove it, it is logical to reason that this information was provided to the McClatchy reporters so that it would be reported before the inauguration on Friday. By getting the information out now, the purpose of the reporting is to make it much more difficult for the incoming Administration to shut this investigation down or to interfere in how it is conducted.

In his post on more developments yesterday, Silverman cites NYT confirmation of McClatchy. The Times' piece names Paul Manafort, Carter Page, Roger Stone as subjects of the investigation, adding—

Of the half-dozen current and former officials who confirmed the existence of the investigations, some said they were providing information because they feared the new administration would obstruct their efforts.

Meanwhile...