DramatistDreamer

Just freaking bizarre. And for folks who still want to compare administrations. Sorry, Mr. President: The Obama Administration Did Nothing Similar to Your Immigration Ban

Haha. Lenny and Squiggy.

Yes, when I read about it, I couldn't help but feel demoralized. Just seems too much, that it happens just after the PM of Canada declared the country open and welcome to those turned away by the U.S. The timing is uncanny. People in their houses of worship are vulnerable as well all saw illustrated in the massacre in the Mother Emmanuel AME Church in SC. Just like in SC, I hope there is justice and comfort for these victims, the survivor and their families.

For those who want to carp about how President Obama made use of the Executive Order, let's do a side by side comparison, shall we?

They sound like a comedy team, I love it!

@SoapsudsFederer and Mirka better make sure that kid learns to serve and volley, no camping on the baseline please.

In case anyone still doesn't know where their Senators stand, here is a handy spreadsheet. Make no mistake, though, silence is still taking a position. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hSGjyWJZIQJpGz4V2ftX_qioCgBtL59oJkkhx146nFE/htmlview?sle=true#gid=0

Bizarro world. I'm going to download the audiobook of 1984 because that's all I can think of to help me understand the rapid shift into madness this country is taking right now.

It's actually the other side of funny. It's pathetic from the Greek pathos.

House of Cards ain't got nothin' on these people! Watch John McCain's expression.

Just. sigh.

Not a surprise in the least. Trump's cabinet reflects who he is and what his beliefs are, irrespective of his double talk and his mouthpieces. So Netanyahu tweets out his support for the Trump Wall, then the next day gets clapback from Haaretz when the paper chides Trump for his Holocaust denial remarks. 'Leaders' like these leave me cold inside.

That was a look of pure joy on Federer's face. This was nice to see too. Watch out for that next set of twins!

Seeing those documentaries on the late 60s, through the Nixon period, this very much reminds me of that time.

@DRW50 Yeah, some things are better left unsaid sometimes. Meanwhile there are several situations as several airports including: Dulles, LAX SFO With sit-ins and other protests currently ongoing.

@DRW50 Yeah, something tells me that Obama had absolutely no influence over the Brexit decision, either way. Especially since there had been a concerted effort over decades, to build up resentment in England toward the European Union. People like Boris Johnson used their access to the tabloids to write vitriol about the EU and the ECB for at least 20 years. His anti-EU feelings found a kindred spirit in UKIP and an all out misinformation campaign began. By the way, one of the key backers of 'Brexit' (known as the godfather of Brexit) has bragged about exchanging ideas with Trump, once telling Trump that facts were "white noise" and that "emotions rule". I don't believe anything Obama said, negative or not, was going to have any impact on a 20 year anti-EU campaign that had clearly taken root.

@DRW50Duterte is an opportunist who looks to thumb his nose at the West. The irony is that as the U.S. now strives to lessen access to birth control, family planning and sex education, Duterte is seeking to give access to free birth control and family planning counselling as well as more expansive sex education, particularly to the poor. Much of it is to thumb his nose at the Catholic Church, since it has been the church that has been delaying the implementation of this initiative that was actually approved under his predecessor's government. By the way, like he referred to Obama, Duterte has also called Pope Francis "a son of a whore". Duterte is really trying to play China and the U.S. off one another. Since the U.S. had too many stipulations (those pesky human rights considerations again), naturally a man like Duterte would go straight in China's direction as they will never emphasize human rights or ethical stipulations. And while people like to claim that Obama was naive, at least he knew that offending China was not smart either. Trump is actually offending the Chinese right now. And neighboring Asian countries looked to the U.S. as a buffer between them and China, they surely no longer will look to the U.S. in this regard anymore.

I think the fact that less than 48 hours after this EO went into effect the ACLU was able to get a stay to block it temporarily. That, to me, shows that although it was by design, it was haphazardly executed, nonetheless. The design part? If you think about what was the main topic of conversation, even 24 hours ago, the fact that the WH leaker indicated that Trump had no idea how to "repeal and replace Obamacare" after he had given Republicans a January 27th deadline to have a plan up. Also, the other things that Trump was under the microscope for (broken promises about taxes, ongoing lawsuits), seemed like the perfect time to create diversions while appearing to 'get things done'. Bannon may be advising these directives but the frenetic style seems to have the characteristics of Trump all over it.

It's so bizarre how unsustainable a course this Trump administration seems to be on already! I mean, it really looks crazy!! From everything I'm reading, it just seems like a complete clusterf*ck behind the scenes. I cannot imagine how things continue this way.

Yeah, I mentioned this on the previous page. As well as the fact that this is the 2nd protest to occur in a major city in as many days (Philadelphia was the other city during the GOP retreat).

I don't think the Chinese are interested in innovation or bold leadership, for that matter. I do believe they are interested in besting the United States and being seen as the new axis upon which the world order now spins. Being seen as powerful and influential means a whole lot to them. It was obvious in the display of "soft power" on display in Beijing during the 2008 Olympics. Now that the U.S. under Trump no longer has any moral authority, China is no longer under any perceived obligation to adhere to any rules that the West prescribes, while they can portray themselves as a viable alternative to the U.S. (without those pesky human rights questions to consider). If you look at the TPP, which many people think is a mistake for the U.S. to withdraw from (instead of signing on with the agreement that it be a work in progress that will need shaping/updating similar to the climate accord), China has asserted itself as willing to step into the vacuum left by the U.S. not out of a sense of magnanimity but because China wants to be the biggest trading partner for all of these group of countries, and they'd wield an enormous amount of power (via finance/economy) over their neighbors in the South China Sea especially-- many of whom they are in low-grade fueds with over maritime territory. Trump, with all his bluster about forcing China to adhere to boundaries is looked at as the outsider trying to butt in and impose the U.S. where it doesn't belong. This is in sharp contrast to the Obama administration that tried to coax China into being good stewards and good neighbors. None of this has to do with innovation or bold leadership, it has to do with power dynamics and where unchecked power has the ability to go. And if China can convince others, particularly other BRIC countries and its Asian neighbors that they offer more stability than the U.S. run by an ignorant madman, they will look superior in comparison. Particularly for other Asian countries (that are smaller), they will be the "devil" they all know' rather than the "devil" they don't know' (i.e. Trump).

There are protests at JFK right now as I type this, cab drivers have gone on a work stoppage around JFK. Trump's so called "Muslim ban" ensnares people from countries that have not committed acts of terrorism in the U.S. but exempts countries like Saudi Arabia where the majority of the 9/11 terrorists were from. The reason? Saudi Arabia is known to do business with Trump Inc. Kleptocracy, here we come! ICYMI, this is the second protest in a major city in as many days- people may not have noticed that there were protests in Philadelphia where the GOP convened basically to discuss the fact that they don't know what they're doing in the "Repeal and Replace Obamacare" agenda. Someone recorded the meeting, where panicked Republicans basically stated that they don't have sh*t and they won't be able to come up with sh*t by Trump's assigned deadline. Duh! They haven't come up with sh*t in the nearly 7 years since the ACA became law. Now Newsweek is trying to lay blame on Obama because he didn't save folks from their own f*ckin' stupidity. But,but , but...Hillary's e-mails. There are some obscenities I'd like to hurl at the false equivalency crowd and the "Let's give Trump a chance" crowd but I'll save my breath.

Congratulations to Serena on winning that milestone major title! Hopefully this gets people off her back about it but I suspect not because already people are pestering about 24. As I said before, it never ends for some people. Gonna be honest and say that I wish Serena had achieved this last year at Angie's expense but I'm so proud of being able to watch what she's achieved over decades and I'm so proud of Venus, 36, battling Sjogren's since '06, has managed to achieve in her own right. I really want her to get something special this year, like another Wimbledon. They've kept each other in the game as they've both stated and tennis is all the better for it!

And people wonder why I've been saying to pay attention to China? Here's why. China military official says war with US under Donald Trump 'becoming practical reality'