January 12, 2021

Something inspiring and uplifting for y'all because I know you need it:

This is from last May. A music major at Portland State was singing the National Anthem in Portland's park blocks for a recording for a virtual commencement ceremony when an African American man walked up and asked if he could sing with her. Turns out he sang with the Portland opera. This was unrehearsed. She didn't know when he was going to join her in singing. It is beautiful and heartwarming.

Strangers Sing Impromptu National Anthem Duet In The Park

Here's the full-length version in case you want to check it out:

January 11, 2021

Link to Pelosi 60 Minutes interview:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nancy-pelosi-speaker-house-60-minutes-2021-01-10/

January 10, 2021

Malcolm Nance on inauguration security: Shut. It. All. Down.

https://twitter.com/MalcolmNance/status/1348035061778706432

Malcolm Nance
@MalcolmNance
INAUGERATION SECURITY? Set a National Security exclusion zone. Shut down the city south of K street NW to H st NW-NE to 2nd Ave NE south to the waterfront. Close memorial bridge, RT66/E St bridge & the 695 Above/below ground for 8 hours before and after. Shut. It. All. Down.
2:32 PM · Jan 9, 2021

January 10, 2021

So remember when T fired Esper in Nov. & then Pentagon stopped transition security briefings?

I'm sure that timing was just a coincidence...nothing to see here. Just sayin'.

"Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller ordered a Pentagon-wide halt to cooperation with the transition of President-elect Biden, shocking officials across the Defense Department, senior administration officials tell Axios."

https://www.axios.com/pentagon-biden-transition-briefings-123a9658-4af1-4632-a6e6-770117784d60.html

ANd then there's this:
A retired brigadier general who called former President Barack Obama a terrorist. A former staffer to Republican Rep. Devin Nunes who wrote a memo accusing federal investigators of harboring anti-Trump bias. And a close ally of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn whom a former intelligence official described to me as “shady” and “inherently untrustworthy.”

Those are the three men replacing top civilian officials at the Pentagon this week, a swift set of personnel changes that has critics fearing the president’s plans for the military and has White House allies cheering that he’s finally routed the “deep state.”

After President Donald Trump fired Mark Esper as defense secretary on November 9, it seemed likely that further changes to the Pentagon’s senior civilian leadership would follow.

https://www.vox.com/21560260/trump-pentagon-defense-secretary-esper-afghanistan

January 7, 2021

My rep Earl Blumenauer's email message yesterday, short and to-the-point:

Dear Friends,

Here are my thoughts on today:

Invoke the 25th Amendment.
Impeach.
Prosecute.

Onward,

Earl Blumenauer
Member of Congress

January 6, 2021

CNN just now talking 25th but saying very unlikely his cabinet lackeys would support it.

Acosta just said sources close to him say he is out of his mind. But his cabinet wouldn't go for 25th.

January 6, 2021

WHo is in charge? DoD? Mayor of DC? Is Pence invoking 35th the only one who can stop Trump?

ULtimately who is in charge when the president goes rogue and the VP and cabinet is unwilling to invoke 25th? We have no precedent for this.
Anyone know chain of command when chain of command is broken?

I don't know of any provision for Trump to be arrested. Isn't the 25th the only way to remove him?

January 6, 2021

DC National Guard is under Trump's control as commander in chief. We want DC mayor in charge.

See this thread; posting to call more attention to it RE why DoD not calling in guard:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100214824575

it's different if a state governor sends in the Guard but DC has no governor. So I think it's different if gov from out of DC sends in guard than if DOD sends them in.

January 5, 2021

Trucker rescues toddler flung out of car into the dark in crash - heartwarming, miraculous

Posting because this is inspiring and heart-opening:


Trucker Hero Pulls Over When He Sees ‘Frantic’ Man Running Up Highway After Wreck Flings His Toddler into the Dark

Joe Hylton, has been driving big rigs for two years and, by his count, this is the seventh time he’s come to the rescue on the scene of an accident—and this time, perhaps, was the most heartwarming.

Driving for Perdue Farms, he was traveling at night down Delaware’s Route 1 recently, when he came across the scene of a bad accident. Both cars were nearly destroyed, and a man was frantically running down the highway.

Hylton pulled over and walked out into the middle of high-speed traffic in the dark to direct drivers away from the two wrecked cars. Then one of the drivers started to scream that he couldn’t find his daughter.

As a father of three, Hylton recalled, “I see a frantic father running around. He’s looking in the back of his truck and saying ‘I can’t find my daughter, I can’t find my daughter.’ I looked in and I saw an empty car seat in the back of the truck.”

Joe immediately went into “dad” mode and began to search through the marshy area along the road using his flashlight.

He finally came across a small gray bundle. At first he was afraid to look, knowing the type of injuries the two-year old could have sustained after being ejected from the car, but to his astonishment the little girl reached up to him without a single scratch.

The tearful dad thanked Joe, who got back in his truck and went on his way.

snip

“I grabbed her and called for the dad, the dad came running over, and we had a hug. We didn’t know each other, I never met him before in my life. But I’ll tell you we knew each other in that moment.”

“Everyone is so angry and upset, it seems like the world is on a level ten right now. A little bit of good will go a long way. It gives me hope that things are on the mend, that things are changing.”

More at link. Read the whole thing. It will bring tears. Good tears.

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/trucker-helps-frantic-man-after-highway-wreck-flung-his-daughter-into-dark/?utm_campaign=newsletters&utm_medium=weekly_mailout&utm_source=05-01-2021