No joke, someone has been handing out Russian flags that say #Trump on them. And people are waving them.#CPAC2017 pic.twitter.com/CDZS5oEqyL
— Maya Shwayder (@MayaErgas) February 24, 2017
TPM explains:
… Two young, progressive activists from DC, Jason Charter and Ryan Clayton with the group Americans Take Action, purchased tickets to the conference, and handed out nearly 1,000 flags to attendees as a prank. After they were thrown out of the conference, they told TPM they wanted to “shed light on an important issue”—namely, the drip of revelations of backchannel communications between the Russian government and the Trump campaign—and allow people to “get a laugh out of their day.”
Charter, 22, told TPM by phone that he and Clayton organized the prank in order to “honor Trump’s relationship with Putin.” He said almost no one at CPAC seemed to realize the flag he handed them bore the horizontal red, white, and blue stripes of the Russian Federation underneath Trump’s name…
Apart from cheering on the pranksters, what’s on the agenda as we prepare to start the weekend?
BREAKING: Fifty-three percent of Americans want congressional probe of Trump, Russia, new NBC News/WSJ poll shows https://t.co/9ktMsuGZ0z pic.twitter.com/fUaNSgRwnF
— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 24, 2017
If I were a GOP member of congress, I'd take note of the fact that, by a > 3 to 1 margin, Independents want a Russia/Trump investigation. pic.twitter.com/2FHoqrnmjp
— Tom Bonier (@tbonier) February 24, 2017
The President-Asterisk is on it!!!!…
The FBI is totally unable to stop the national security "leakers" that have permeated our government for a long time. They can't even……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2017
find the leakers within the FBI itself. Classified information is being given to media that could have a devastating effect on U.S. FIND NOW
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2017
Why doesn’t he ask the Russians to hack the FBI? https://t.co/kUMVDJXpoK
— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) February 24, 2017
You know you're the president, right? You could take charge here, get a group to plug the leaks. Call them Plumbers!https://t.co/SpV087ly7v
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) February 24, 2017
"Senior Trump officials said they didn't do anything wrong because they never discussed the investigation, only news reports about it."
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) February 24, 2017
One reason this WH will keep leaking more than Obama's is leaks are weapons in internal disputes. Far more conflicts in this administration
— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) February 24, 2017
Feebog
I find the CPAC Russian flag prank hilarious. The funniest part is that apparently none of these morons attending the conference had the least notion this was the Russian flag. Well played libs, well played.
debbie
@Feebog:
That’s how it’s done, James O’Keeffe!
Jeffro
I think I’m going to CPAC next year…what a freak show. Maybe hand out oranges?
Or bananas?
I bet I could put a fake Milo book cover around one of Obama’s books, leave it on a seat, sit back, and watch the magic happen!
Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes
@Feebog:
That goes down in the annals of epic pranks.
I came up with the corollary to the Grand Unification Theory of Conservatism today:
debbie
Poor Seb’s feefees are being hurt because people are being mean to him on Twitter.
trollhattan
@Feebog: @debbie:
Oh yes, this was brilliant (which will also explain why those suckered in still don’t understand what happened).
? Martin
There’s a reason why Trump’s top executives are his children.
TenguPhule
@Feebog: Or worse, they just don’t care anymore.
Dear Leader has become the Cult’s God and Blood must be spilled for him and skulls for his throne.
liberal
Heh
Baud
@Feebog: Agreed. They deserve a medal.
Jeffro
@liberal: too funny but I can’t help thinking that as he grows more desperate, Trumpov will actually call for “his” people to violently act out. starting with telling them to open carry at town halls, and then everywhere
When his time comes, he better be taken out of power fast…
lollipopguild
@debbie: Get back! He’s gonna sue…….. somebody….. as soon as his lawyer figures out who to sue. This might take awhile. I think I will drink some naked bourbon.
jacy
@debbie:
Wow, a 27-minute phone call whining about mean tweets. Good gravy, but all these losers are whiny little babies. I’m surprised they haven’t all melted into fucking little puddles at this point. I don’t see him having a long shelf life…..
Roger Moore
@Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes:
I think there’s an important extra point. The core of “conservative” thought is that the rich only respond to rewards while the poor only respond to punishments.
jl
@Roger Moore: I dunno about ” your philosophical and religious preferences “. seems like a very generous interpretation. How about “your vengeful malice’?
Brachiator
I will probably try to see the film “Lion,” this weekend. To distract myself from this Year of Trump, I have tried to see many of the most lauded films this season. I might even watch the Oscars (I sometimes enjoy them and immediately forget who won them when the telecast is over).
This brings to mind a recent bit in Jezebel about moviegoers and Oscar nominations. Most people have not seen the most praised films.
The article goes on to note that …
Still an Oscar nod is sometimes good for a bump at the box office or maybe a memory jog when it’s time to rent a video.
I most recently saw the movie about James Baldwin, “I Am Not Your Negro,” and enjoyed it immensely. A little more on it later, time permitting.
I had fun with “John Wick, Chapter 2.” The original hit the spot because of its ridiculous premise which sets the plot in motion, well crafted stunts and action scenes, and a cool mythology centering on the world of the assassins. The sequel matches the original in terms of action and in extending the mythology in interesting directions, but nods to the absurd premise, but can’t match it in providing character motivation.
Keanu is a lean, mean, fighting machine. It is a bit odd to realize that he is only three years younger than Laurence Fishburne, his buddy from the Matrix, who does a cool cameo here.
scav
Quite an image, the Twittering Drip at the top complaining furiously about leaks.
on a possibly unsecured phone.
Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes
@Roger Moore:
Try it this way:
Jim Faith
@Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes:
Good one and close to HL Mencken on Puritanism – “The haunting fear that someone, somewhere might be happy.”
I’d invite you to take a look at some of his quotes as proof positive that the more things change …
Mnemosyne
@Brachiator:
All of my co-workers and loved ones have been trying to prepare me for the probability that Lin-Manuel will NOT win an Oscar this year, because one of the songs from “La-La Land” will almost certainly win. I am trying to take a mature outlook and realize that he’ll have another chance next year with “Mary Poppins Returns” since he’s both performing and writing songs for that one.
jayboat
@jacy:
Thoughts like that help me to sleep.
In the face of all this derp, I remain optimistic that the eventual result will be the end of the gee-oh-pee.
Dreams are good.
sigaba
@Feebog: I’m sure some of the CPACers knew they were Russian flags, but they were afraid to say something and just decided to play along. That’s what Congress is doing after all…
efgoldman
@Jeffro:
Assumes the attendees can read. Since illiterate Salmon Schmuck is their leader……
Baud
The next prank has to be replacing the Star Spangled Banner with the Russian national anthem at a Trump event. That would be epic.
Feebog
@Brachiator:
Lion was excellent. Stay for the very end when captions tell you what happened to all the family members.
Brachiator
@Mnemosyne:
Yeah, I think that Lin will have to wait. La La Land is more Hollywood, and Hollywood loves to congratulate itself, and may not want to honor the Broadway interloper.
PsiFighter37
God they are idiots. I wonder if they thought they were waving the French or Dutch flag around (not that they would know the difference).
I will also say I find it weird that Jake Tapper(??!?!?!?!) is being the hardest-hitting MSM journalist in this day and age. What the hell?
Feebog
@sigaba:
Well, someone with a brain realized at some point because aides started confiscating them. the dialogue writes itself:
CPAC Aide: I need your flag sir.
CPAC Attendee: You can go fuck yourself, this is my Trump flag.
Aide: Its a Russian flag sir.
Attendee: No way, Russian flags are red, with hammers and sickles and all.
Aide: Just gimme the fucking flag moron.
efgoldman
@Feebog:
Your narrative has the ring of trufax.
Mike in NC
I’m still disappointed that a mounted Cossack band didn’t show up for Trump’s love parade on Inauguration Day 2017.
jl
Was Infowars invited to the gaggle. That’s what I want to know. If not, why not?
ThresherK
@PsiFighter37: “That’s not the Dutch flag. It’s not orange!”
John Revolta
It’s funny, but at least many on the Right have figured out that Russia is no longer the Commie Menace they used to hate but rather something that they can now kinda get behind or even cozy up to. Meanwhile, a lot of lefties still think that if you say anything bad about Putin and company, you must be some kind of leftover John Bircher/ McCarthyite. Weird.
Ruviana
@debbie: Seb’s whining reminds me of George Tierney Junior of Greenville, South Carolina. Good times! Good times!
Adam L Silverman
@debbie: @lollipopguild: @jacy:
That’s now the least of his worries.
http://forward.com/news/national/364085/sebastian-gorka-trump-aide-forged-key-ties-to-anti-semitic-groups-in-hunga/
http://hungarianspectrum.org/2017/02/02/sebastian-l-von-gorkas-encounter-with-the-hungarian-national-security-office/
Roger Moore
@jl:
Why would they need to be invited? They’re the ones who tell Trump everything he needs to know in the first place, so there’s no need for them to ask his administration questions.
jl
@Roger Moore: I won’t feel safe until Alex Jones is appointed the Minister of Official and True Forever Informations, And, they make up a cute uniform for him. Something Ruritanian. Or… Sylvanian.
Adam L Silverman
@Brachiator: Hidden Figures was excellent. And, to be quite blunt, should be required viewing before anyone is allowed to vote.
Roger Moore
@John Revolta:
I think it’s more that the people on the left who want to distract attention away from Russia realize that accusing people of a Red Scare/McCarthyite witch hunt is still a potent accusation. All the people on the left I’ve seen using that approach are the ones who have their heads furthest up Putin’s ass.
humboldtblue
Thing I learned today — Hillary Clinton changed the rules at State to let trans people change their gender on their passport.
rikyrah
@Brachiator:
I loved John Wick2
debbie
@Adam L Silverman:
Good to see that even the Hungarians don’t like him. Those articles make me think Gorka is a cross between Waldheim and Chalabi.
rikyrah
@Mnemosyne:
I refuse to consider it
Adam L Silverman
@PsiFighter37: Some rise to the occasion. Some don’t. Some actually shrink.
Baud
@humboldtblue: That’s not helping my mood.
sukabi
@PsiFighter37: maybe the KAC fatal attraction SNL skit jump started his journalists’ conscience….
Brachiator
@Adam L Silverman:
I wouldn’t mind seeing this film win Best Picture, but I think some Oscar voters see it as enjoyable, but not scaled big enough.
I think that Moonlight is magnificent, but it hasn’t been seen by as many people as other films this season.
Adam L Silverman
@debbie: It is what it is.
Thru the Looking Glass...
Did no one notice, or did no care, or did some think it was GREAT!?
It would be irresponsible to not speculate…
Thru the Looking Glass...
@jl:
Epaulets? It HAS to have epaulets…
And medals… lots and lots of medals…
SiubhanDuinne
A bit off-topic, but to do with effective protest: has anyone read Direct Action: Protest and the Reinvention of American Radicalism by L. A. Kauffman? I heard a fairly lengthy interview with her on NPR a few days ago (yeah, I still listen) and was impressed enough that I downloaded her book immediately. Have just begun it — seriously, am not even through the Introduction yet — but it occurred to me to wonder if any fellow Juicers know of her work. It’s brand new, a 2017 pub date.
Anyhow, if it turns out to be both readable and useful, it might be something to consider down the road as a BJ community book to discuss, and maybe invite Kauffman to participate. I’ll provide my report once I’ve read enough to have something intelligent to say.
As for movies, this year is the first time in forever that I’ve managed to see any of the nominated best films (edit: before the Oscars, I mean), let alone more than one. Have seen Manchester by the Sea and Hidden Figures, and also saw Jackie, which earned a best-actress nomination for Natalie Portman. Still haven’t seen La La Land or Moonlight, and now I guess I won’t until after the awards are announced (MET Opera tomorrow, and I’m busy with other stuff on Sunday).
Kristine
@Brachiator:
Michael Nyqvist’s Viggo was a major reason why JW1 was so good–his past relationship with Wick, and the wonderful tics and overtones he added to a character who could have been so, so cookie-cutter. I hope they find the same sort of antagonist for JW3. I enjoyed JW2, but Wick’s adversary was professional, not personal.
SiubhanDuinne
@Thru the Looking Glass…:
Good grief. I’m surprised he doesn’t list to port.
Adam L Silverman
@SiubhanDuinne: I’m a big fan of Marighella’s Mini-Manual.//
http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/marighella.htm
Adam L Silverman
@SiubhanDuinne: They have him counterweighted. His right pant leg is lined with lead.
Jeffro
@Feebog: oh my goodness that’s great…
John Revolta
@Roger Moore: But, if you’re that much of a Putineska, are you actually “on the left”?
Sloane Ranger
Most probably didn’t know it was the Russian flag. They are Repukes so they know nothing about furrin country’s and care less. Others,I’m sure, willingly and joyfully embraced the flag of their their bestest ally in fascism but I suspect that some would have been scared to refuse to take one even if they knew it was a Russian flag and understood the bad optics. After all it had the Great Leader’s name on it and other people might notice them refusing and accuse them of being some dirty liberal traitor!
SiubhanDuinne
@Adam L Silverman:
?
Iowa Old Lady
I wouldn’t recognize the Russian flag either, but I might wonder why the flag had the colors it did. At any rate, it was entertaining and we need entertainment.
Adam L Silverman
@John Revolta: Isn’t putineska red sauce with sliced olives in it?
Thru the Looking Glass...
@Adam L Silverman: That answer has the ring of authenticity about it… just sayin’…
SiubhanDuinne
@Adam L Silverman:
Ooh, thanks! Bookmarked and in the reading queue for later.
tBone
@Brachiator:
Co-sign on the John Wick Chapter 2 love. It was ridiculous in all the right ways. And it’s been doing well enough at the box office that we’re almost assured to get a third film, which, if it pays off the seeds planted in Chapter 2, will be gloriously bananas.
Keanu isn’t going to win an Oscar for his dramatic chops, but once the action starts, he’s like a weapons-draped Fred Astaire in terms of sheer grace and physicality, which is even more impressive when you consider his age. If you haven’t seen it, watch the clip of him training for the film on a gun range; it’s insane.
Adam L Silverman
@SiubhanDuinne: Once you’re done you’ll be all ready to lead a Marxist revolution in a small, South American country. Don’t forget your beret!
Roger Moore
@John Revolta:
You can be. There actually are some leftists like the ones the right imagines who believe that America is always wrong, so foreign leaders are admirable in direct relation to how strongly they oppose everything we do. That kind of leftist can have their head lodged so far up Putin’s ass that they’re looking out his mouth.
SiubhanDuinne
@Adam L Silverman:
Will a pussyhat do? Because my very own pussyhat arrived in yesterday’s mail, and it fits perfectly and looks good on me and I love it! (It was knitted by a Balloon Juicer. I would give her full credit but I’m not sure if she wants to be identified. But if you see this, dear pussyhat knitter, please out yourself if you want to!)
Adam L Silverman
@SiubhanDuinne: Sure, that should work.
John Revolta
@Adam L Silverman: Not anymore, Tovarich.
@Roger Moore: Yeah. Like, “This guy’s an asshole but he’s against the US so he must be okay”
Steve in the ATL
@SiubhanDuinne:
Brownnoser.
craigie
@Roger Moore:
In order to motivate the rich, you have to pay them more. In order to motivate the poor, you have to pay them less.
craigie
Here is a suggestion that would be entertaining.
Lalophobia
@Adam L Silverman: Puttanesca, from the Italian Puttana, which means whore. The apocrypha is that Pasta Puttanesca was a quick dish ladies of the evening could make between serving clients. So that’s a bonus in its value as a nickname.
J R in WV
@Brachiator:
We wanted to see Moonlight, but it wasn’t shown here for more than a few days. Later on I learned that there was a gay love story in it, which made everything as clear as glass to me.
Hidden Figures was hard for me to see, as I lived in the 1950s and 60s when Jim Crow was still going on. Such a moving piece of work! Should get best picture, great drama!
That senior guy with the ax chopping down the Colored Womens Room sign was quite a scene… best part for me. White guy pissed that his best math guy (a black woman!) was being forced to run all over the place to take a restroom break. And that guy who wouldn’t let the better mathematician put her name on the papers she was writing, with his lame ass name on them. All dead true to life.
If Moonlight wins an award, maybe we’ll get to see it in the theater, I prefer that to seeing it on a laptop or flat-screen.
Jerzy Russian
@Adam L Silverman:
Amen brother. Yertle’s “And she persisted” characterizes the three main characters quite nicely.
Anne Laurie
@Adam L Silverman:
Whore’s ‘leftism’! — encourage the peasants to get themselves killed for The Revolution, while you squat safely behind your keyboard in a nicely-appointed redoubt within easy walking distance of at least three upscale coffee houses and a revolutionary bookstore…
(For the easily outraged: puttanesca — whore’s sauce — which I was told by my Italian-American classmates back in the 1960s was called that because it didn’t require long simmering or extensive preparation; a lazy home cook could spend her time otherwise all afternoon, and still have something tasty available when her husband came home after work.)
Uncle Ebeneezer
@Brachiator: Hidden Figures was great, as was Loving, but Moonlight was a GD masterpiece! It should clean up in a just world.
And screw that mediocre-ass La La Land. I love jazz and musicals but that flick did nothing for me.
Uncle Ebeneezer
@J R in WV: Definitely try to see Moonlight on a bigger screen. It’s visually stunning and the score was incredibly moving. To say nothing of the amazing performances and story.
Regnad Kcin
@jl: Fredonian
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Adam L Silverman: What! What? He’s a fake anti-Semite??? Seriously, these idiots are so pathetic they can’t even do racism right?